NYC
Player: Aquarius
Class: Unknown/Ambiguous
Background: Mysterious (likely political/espionage)
Campaign Status: Active (Session 14)
Role in Party: Wildcard, Information Broker, Potential Double Agent
Character Overview
NYC is a mystery wrapped in glamour—literally and figuratively. She presents a carefully maintained public appearance through magical glamour. She uses a water bottle as a magical focus, suggesting connection to water magic or aquatic themes. She is connected to the Nexus (an organization or faction whose true nature and goals remain opaque).
What makes NYC fundamentally interesting is that we know very little about her, and she prefers it that way. During the Reverie experience in Session 14, her glamour briefly failed, revealing hints of her true nature and history. What was exposed raises more questions than it answers.
Stats (DC20 System)
| Stat | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Modifier | +2 | Variable (depends on true class) |
| Save Modifier | +1 | Average across saves |
| Combat Mastery | +1 | Unclear; likely support-focused |
| PD (Protective Defense) | 14 | Medium armor or unarmored with magical protection |
| HP (Estimated) | 40-45 | Estimated based on apparent role |
Ability Scores (Conceptual)
| Ability | Score | Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 10 | +0 | Not physically strong |
| Dexterity | 13 | +1 | Graceful; precise movements |
| Constitution | 12 | +1 | Average durability |
| Intelligence | 15 | +2 | Sharp, analytical mind |
| Wisdom | 14 | +2 | Perceptive; reads situations |
| Charisma | 13 | +1 | Average when glamour is active; True Charisma unknown |
The Glamour & The Reveal
Maintained Appearance
NYC operates behind a magical glamour. This is not a simple illusion—it is a carefully maintained magical construct that shapes how she is perceived. This glamour affects:
- Physical Appearance: People may perceive her differently based on the glamour’s design
- Personality Projection: She may come across as different levels of trustworthy, threatening, or neutral depending on the glamour’s nature
- Recognition: The glamour may prevent her from being recognized by people from her past
The Reverie Failure
During Dr. Kale’s Reverie experience in Session 14, NYC’s glamour briefly failed. In that moment, the party glimpsed her unfiltered reality. What they saw:
- A Politically-Arranged Marriage: NYC was part of a political arrangement, bound through marriage to cement alliances or obligations
- A Vial of Poison: She possessed (or possesses) poison. The context suggests this was her escape route—poison as liberation from the arranged marriage
- House Kestra & House Aurelio Meeting Secretly: NYC has knowledge of a secret meeting between two major power houses. This suggests she was either present, directly informed, or intimately involved in arrangements with these factions
What This Reveals
The Reverie moment suggests NYC was:
- Part of a noble/powerful family structure (given the arranged marriage)
- Entangled in high-stakes political games (multiple house involvement)
- Willing to use drastic measures (poison) to escape her circumstances
- Someone with knowledge of secret political dealings
True Identity & Hidden Connections
Previously Part of House Kestra
NYC was not always independent. She was, at some point in her past, part of House Kestra’s network or household. This connection is significant for several reasons:
- House Kestra contains powerful players: Silas Kestra and other major political figures answer to or work with this house
- The arranged marriage likely involved House Kestra: Either she was marrying into their alliance, or marrying out of it
- Her departure was intentional: She chose to leave or was forced out. Either way, her current independence is hard-won
- House Kestra knows she exists: They may be tracking her, using her, or trying to contain her
The Poison & Escape
The vial of poison suggests NYC took an active role in extricating herself from the arranged marriage. Whether she:
- Poisoned her spouse and faked his/her death
- Poisoned herself and faked her own death
- Used poison as a threat or bargaining chip
- Was carrying poison as a last resort (if the marriage became unbearable)
…remains unclear. But this was not passive escape. This was deliberate, potentially deadly action.
Current Position: Independent Agent
The Nexus Connection
NYC is now connected to the Nexus—an organization whose true nature remains one of the campaign’s great mysteries. The Nexus may be:
- A spy network operating across factions
- An independent magical organization with its own agenda
- A merchant collective with political interests
- A resistance movement against established power structures
- Something entirely different that we have not yet understood
NYC’s role in the Nexus is unclear. Is she a full member? An asset? An informant? Is she working for them, or are they leveraging her?
Working Multiple Angles
What is clear: NYC knows significantly more about the Aetherium Battery theft than she has revealed.
This suggests:
- She may have been involved in the theft or knew who was
- The theft may be connected to larger power plays she’s aware of
- She is using the party’s investigation to gather information for herself or the Nexus
- She may be working to sabotage, advance, or redirect the investigation
Current Arc & Plot Hooks
Primary Thread - Independent Agendas: NYC is playing a complex game. She is part of the party, but her true loyalties and goals remain her own. The party is a tool, an opportunity, or a cover for her actual work.
Secondary Thread - Multiple Pressures: House Kestra knows she exists and may be trying to contain or control her. The Nexus has claims on her service or knowledge. Other factions may be aware of her and what she knows. She is navigating between these forces while maintaining independence.
Tertiary Thread - The Battery’s True Purpose: NYC may know that the Aetherium Battery is not simply a power source. She may understand what it really is—and what stealing it means. This knowledge is leverage.
Quaternary Thread - The Arranged Marriage’s Unfinished Business: Her past is not truly buried. The arranged marriage, the poison, the escape—these may have consequences. Someone from that chapter of her life could reappear, complicating everything.
Relationships
- Illiolus: Party member; respects his discipline; possibly sees a kindred spirit in his hidden identity
- Hubert Little: Party member; fascinated by his genuine goodness; uses it as cover for her own complexity
- Burburra Bardborn: Party member; recognizes intelligent manipulation in her art; they may understand each other
- Teevis Sweet Tea Snik: Party member; cares for her but wary of trusting her knowledge; probably protective of her innocence
- Fishnet: Party member; kinship as fellow manipulator; two players trying to read each other
- Angus Umber: Party member; suspicious of him; his power makes him either asset or threat
- Silas Kestra: Connected through House Kestra; relationship status unclear—ally, enemy, or leverage?
- House Kestra (Distant): Former connection; now watching, possibly hunting
- The Nexus: Current allegiance; exact nature of obligation unclear
- Arranged Marriage Partner (Unknown Status): Possibly deceased; possibly alive and seeking her
Character Development Arc
Before the Campaign
NYC was escaping her arranged marriage, poisoning her way to freedom (metaphorically or literally), and discovering she could operate independently. She found or was found by the Nexus.
Early Campaign
NYC joined the party with mysterious motivations. She may have been assigned to observe, infiltrate, or manipulate the group. Or she may have chosen to join for her own reasons and is using the Nexus as cover.
Mid Campaign
NYC has gradually invested in the party, or appeared to. The Reverie moment forced vulnerability—she was exposed, even briefly. This may have genuine emotional consequence, or she may be managing that emotional exposure as part of her strategy.
Current
NYC is at a threshold. The longer she stays with the party, the more genuine her connections may become—creating conflict with her other loyalties. Or she is playing the longest con, using emotional investment as the final manipulation.
Potential Arc Forward
- Path A - The Betrayal Revealed: NYC’s true allegiances are exposed; the party learns she has been working against them
- Path B - The Defection: NYC chooses the party over her other obligations; she becomes a genuine member despite her past
- Path C - The Triple Agent: NYC continues playing multiple sides, becoming invaluable to all factions and loyal to none
- Path D - The Hunted: House Kestra or the Nexus moves against her; the party must decide whether to help or abandon her
- Path E - The True Self Emerges: NYC’s glamour falls permanently; she must live as her true self and rebuild identity
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Glamour Mastery: Can control how she is perceived; invaluable for social encounters
- Political Knowledge: Understanding of house dynamics, power plays, and hidden agendas
- Adaptability: Can shift tactics and identity to match circumstances
- Mystery Factor: People underestimate what they don’t understand; her opacity is an asset
- Water Magic Potential: Whatever connection she has to water bottles/water magic grants unknown abilities
- Emotional Distance: Difficult to manipulate through appeals to emotion (she controls her own emotions carefully)
Weaknesses
- Fragmented Loyalties: Divided between House Kestra, Nexus, party, and self-interest
- Glamour Vulnerability: If the glamour falls, she is exposed physically, emotionally, and politically
- Emotional Isolation: Her constant performance may create genuine loneliness
- Past’s Long Reach: House Kestra and her former spouse (or their heirs) have claims on her
- Trust Deficit: Hard to form genuine bonds when always performing; others may resent discovering the performance
- Unclear True Power: Without knowing her real class, we don’t know her true capability; could be liability if she is less powerful than she appears
DM Notes
DM Only
NYC is operating as an independent agent who was previously part of House Kestra. She was likely placed there through the arranged marriage or born into the family structure. Her escape (via poison or other means) was her declaring independence. House Kestra has not forgotten her, and they have not released their claims on her.
The arranged marriage was hers. She was the intended bride/groom. The specifics of who she was marrying matter for future plot development. Was it:
- A political enemy she poisoned?
- An ally she escaped from for personal reasons?
- Someone she loved but was forced to abandon?
- Someone who was using her, and the poison was self-defense?
The poison itself may still be relevant. Does she still carry it? Can she make more? Has it been used in the campaign and the party doesn’t know? Is it tied to her magical focus somehow?
NYC knows significantly more about the battery theft than she has revealed. This may be:
- She hired the thieves (or Nexus did) to create leverage
- She knows the true purpose of the battery
- She knows who benefits from its theft
- She is using the party’s investigation to gather information on competing factions
The water bottle focus is not decorative. It connects to her power, her past, or her patrons in the Nexus. It may be:
- A gift from Nexus leadership
- Something from her past life
- A tool for a specific purpose not yet revealed
- A literal connection to aquatic magic or entities
Her glamour’s failure in the Reverie is more significant than she wants the party to know. Glamours don’t fail accidentally—something broke through. Was it:
- The Reverie’s power overwhelming her control?
- Her own subconscious desire to be known?
- An attack on her by someone in the coalition or enemy faction?
- A moment of genuine vulnerability she’s now trying to suppress?
Equipment & Abilities
- Water Bottle Focus: Primary magical tool; appears unassuming; actual capabilities unknown
- Glamour Magic: Extensive control over her perceived appearance and presence
- Hidden Weapons: Likely carries some form of concealed blade or tool (assassin training implied?)
- Political Intelligence: Access to networks, knowledge of factions, understanding of leverage
- Class Abilities: TBD based on true class reveal
Voice & Mannerisms
- Speaks smoothly but with careful word choice; no waste in communication
- Often shifts tone based on audience; mirrors others’ communication styles
- Movements are economical and precise; nothing wasted
- Eyes are constantly assessing and reading; difficult to hide emotion from her
- Water bottle is handled frequently—cleaning, filling, focusing; almost ritualistic
- When discussing her past, she becomes more distant; automatic emotional compartmentalization
- Laughs rarely, and when she does, it sounds like she’s learned the pattern rather than felt the impulse
Campaign Significance
NYC represents the danger of hidden agendas and the complexity of allegiance. Her story asks: “Can someone operating from deception ever be trusted? Can authenticity emerge from performance?”
Her knowledge of the Aetherium Battery’s theft is central to campaign mysteries. When she finally reveals what she knows—and why she didn’t share it sooner—it will reshape the party’s understanding of everything they’ve been working toward.
She is also a mirror for other characters with hidden identities (Illiolus, Angus). Together, they represent the question: “What is the cost of keeping secrets? What is the value of finally being known?”
The Nexus, House Kestra, and her past are all loose threads that could detonate at critical moments. Using her as a pressure point—forcing choices between loyalties—could be the campaign’s defining moral crisis.