NAME
Theophrastus (Theo for short)
TIMELINE
Library of Ruina
STARTING AREA
K-Corp/Nest-District 11
ROLE
Artificer (Workshop: Paracelcus Atelier)
LIGHT'S GIFT
A Special Power - The ability to set a periodic elements' properties on overdrive is nothing to sneeze at. If someone could make a block of potassium explode like mortar shells or make an iron sword tough enough to break lead cubes, you would be scared too. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out she could only do one element for 3 minutes. Then they started screaming when she learned to reach 8 minutes AND manipulate 3 elements.
(700 points + 135 from City Laws)
PERKS (725/835 POINTS)
Standard Combat Style Lv2 (-30) (Assorted Kenjutsu)
Unique Combat Style Lv3 (-30) (Street fighting)
For a brilliant Artificer, Theo's fighting style is disgustingly feral. Brilliant iaijutsu slashes from Homunculus Heir can make way for wild swings from Masticator and her visceral arsenal. Sometimes she may do a sword parry only to spin her entire body for a wide swinging hit. Sometimes she just pummels you with her fists before it turns out that wasn't another punch you dodged, you just had your arm sliced by her bone knife. Don't worry, she's just as clueless as you are.
That is that, and this is this (-15)
Chemical Abuse (-25)
Backstreet's Ghost (-25)
The Wanted Mindset (-20)
Extreme Survivalist (-15)
Urban Movement (-15)
Junk Rat (-35)
Screw You! (-20)
It's not easy being a dropout of two Wings within a single lifespan. Even the greatest City dwellers can reach lows beyond a Rat's miserable life and this Artificer is no stranger to that. But if you've lived through stumbling into shakedowns, drowning your sorrows in drugs, corp-sponsored manhunts, traumatic memories, a constantly empty stomach, shitty Backstreet conditions, scrounging Sweeper territory for materials and Syndicate harassment, nothing can kill you.
TL;DR: Theo lived a fucked up life between being kicked out of BOTH K Corp and N Corp. She got better.
Little Sun Lv2 (-25)
The other reason Theo survived before establishing Paracelsus Atelier. For some reason, folks were quite open to hosting her, to the point where she would be considered an honorary daughter in some older households. For this hospitality, she made sure that they could call first dibs on her future Workshop itinerary. Ex-Syndicate, Grade 5 Fixers, sometimes rags-to-riches Rats, all are now welcome to buy in her shop. Occasionally, one can see her eating lunch with a few repeat customers. It also helps that she's a comedic fellow to deal with outside of combat.
Booksmart (-15)
Script Obstination Lv2 (-40)
A former researcher for K and N Corp that DOESN'T have an IQ in the three digits? They would be dead by now!
Sculptor (-35)
Fun fact: Theo built "Anatomica Pueri" and "Fontem Rigoris" by herself. All that stipend just went to the components for the latter!
Seeing the Problem (-15)
One kicking from a disgraced Liu member had her seeing lights for a day. She only realized that indicated Distortions when the lights reappeared on a stressful shift.
ARTIFICER
Creative License (FREE)
"You're telling me her weapons are made of body parts." "Not exactly. She molds the material into a weaponizable shape so it doesn't really correlate to any organs." "HOW DOES THAT WORK?!" - A repeat customer discussing the Atelier with a newcomer
Intricate Designs (-15)
"The discerning twitching of the muscle fibers. The way the bone reflects the light. I could have sworn the Ring made that." -Unknown Grade 4 Fixer
Special Capabilities (-25)
"FLESH BLADES SHOULDN'T SHOOT OUT BLOOD GEYSERS!" -Last words of a cocky firearm user
I'm also a Fixer (-25)
"A skinless humanoid... with a blade made of bone. No.... please... ANYTHING BUT THAT THING!" - Traumatized ex-L Corp Fixer
She never talks about it but she DOES take jobs from Seven Association, mostly taking down troublesome Syndicate members or runaway Distortions. Sometimes there is also the need to personally test out her inventions on the field, to ensure that Association Fixers will receive their equipment in tip-top quality. Theo only does these requests on the condition that the Association covers up evidence of her actions. So far, Cover Story #114 (Rampaging Abnormality) has been working a little too well, to the point that some Fixers worry about the second coming of a certain infamous Abnormality. You know, the giant skinless one with a club for a hand...
Mastercrafter (-50)
"Here in Paracelsus Atelier, I don't just provide a reliable weapon. I give you one of my many children, born to touch the stars. With a guiding hand, it will do anything you desire and then some." -Theo
S-Class Atelier License (-80)
"Even the Color Fixers will be pissing their pants once I start making those heart grenades, hehehehe~" - Theo
"Lost the Patent" (-80)
"Want chitin plating? Old G Corp. Blade needs to explode stuff? You'll find out why Y Corp's product was yeast! The bones of the dead are home to new life!" - Theo
Field Mod (-40)
"Thanks for the intact liver! You won't be needing that, will you?" - Theo to a Thumb Soldato's corpse
"Fixing Issues" (-50)
"Annnd break starts now! Those Thumb punks have had it too easy." - Theo
(+350 points stipend with Artificer for subsequent section)
WEAPONS AND ARMOR
Object D'arte Weapon (Homunculus Heir) (-200)
Theo's priced creation and the to-be signature weapon of Paracelsus Atelier. A fleshlike odachi wrapped in skin and prominent blood vessels, its main ability is to copy the physiology of its wielders down to their biological augments (cybernetics and tattoos cannot be replicated). This means the stronger the wielder the greater the upgrade; each successive user also boosts the sword's power and features. Such a legendary feat required multiple users/ test subjects to kill and steal the sword from each other before Theo came to collect it. So far, the blade boasts the following features:
The Atelier owner plans to make a purchasable version that can only be upgraded once; resetting its form with the death of a current user.
High-Quality III Weapon (Masticator) (-70)
Another product of Paracelsus Atelier, this time straight from the shelves. It takes the form of a stretched head turned into a chainsaw. The jaws act as guide bars while molar-shaped teeth are fastened to the sinewed chain. The weapon itself functions like a greatsword mixed with a chainsaw. However, it has two trump cards at its disposal. The first is the corroding acid it generates, enough to melt steel within minutes. Meanwhile, its second feature is to unhinge the jaw, separating the bar into two separate blades that open a gory path in combat.
High-Quality III Armor (TREAD; Terminal Recoiling Entrail Assistance Device) (-50)
An outfit that resembles a suit and pants made of muscle fibers. While it does serve as effective armor against weapons of Grade III and below, its main property is unravelling into fleshy tendrils. The tendrils can propel Theo across the City (the namesake purpose), grab objects around her, make effective whips as well as synchronise with her biological augmentations. No, she isn't naked under the suit. Perv.
Like Homunculus Heir, this item will recieve a weaker variant for Atelier customers.
MISC ITEMS (+50 POINTS AND 30 LEFTOVER FROM WEAPONS AND ARMOR)
Caspace Serum (-50)
The secret ingredient behind Theo's creations. Any living tissue it's exposed to (bones, muscles and nerves) will turn into a clay-like form that can be molded into any shape desired. While Theo usually applies it to her Atelier duties, it also works as a deterrent for fleshy targets as those exposed to the serum can still feel pain. The serum itself can be denatured with an electric current. Theo can only produce 20 liters per week.
Serum Cocktail (-30)
There's only so much that Caspace Serum can do. Serum S adds an extra kick to attacks, Serum P is a general steroid and Serum R is a good substitute for driving. What? Not everyone wants to take the WARP Train.
BODY ENHANCEMENT (+180 AND 110/835 POINTS)
Tier IV Biological Implants: Anatomica Pueri (-120)
With a regiment of painkillers, Caspice Serum and modified Serum K; cell incubation and good old genetic splicing, Theo's bodily structure has been completely overhauled. All of her non-skeletal cells have been replaced with reinforced stem cells; capable of reproducing, stretching, absorbing and hardening at will. As a result, Theo can stretch any limb in her body, harden her skin to block bullets, form her flesh into weapons, and absorb any organic material she touches to regenerate wounds. This powerful enhancement can be overclocked to turn into a gigantic creature resembling a skinless humanoid; capable of smashing vault doors. Many a former L-Corp employee have been traumatized by her overclocked form, citing the similarities to a creature they dealt with.
However, this form doesn't come without restrictions. Firstly, her overclocked form produces enough bodily heat to burn unarmored Fixers to a crisp. Without the installation of Fontem Rigoris, Theo would have burned to death from the sheer amount of thermal energy generated. Secondly, she can only manipulate as much flesh as her body has. Thirdly, her absorption ability requires non-sentient tissue.
As a side effect, Theo's skin is constantly smooth and slippery.
Tier IV Cybernetics: Fontem Rigoris (-100)
Caspice Serum is always a godsend for Theo. Thanks to it, she was able to implant the Fontem Rigoris system; replacing her entire skeletal system. This exoskeleton, developed with K Corp and N Corp technology, is hard enough to survive a fall from a 40 story building while also enhancing her strength at the same time. However, its main feature is its cooling system. With enough liquids absorbed, Theo's skeleton can produce a watery solution that has two different properties. The liquid rapidly cools organic material, to the point of inducing frostbite, while metals and plastics are paralysed on the spot. It is also capable of conducting electricity. Theo usually secretes the Rigoris solution through her sweat but can also use her tears, blood or urine as a substitute.
And yes, it protects her unaugmented brain. OF COURSE IT DOES.
"If N Corp found out I had that thing, they would lynch me on the spot..."
CITY LAWS
Lightful (+30)
Do you want to join our Ensemble? (+30) - Sometimes Theo wishes her Workshop wasn't worth killing over - "No I will not accept any buyouts, be it cash, favors or dead rivals. Put the damn sword down."
"This City is rotten to the core" (+40) - K Corp's Singularity dealt with regeneration and N Corp's was human experiences. Of course, no one else was willing to see the countless bodies left behind. Is it any wonder that she treats Paracelsus Atelier like her own child?
Past Mistakes (+35) - Using Homunculus Heir's dead users to upgrade the weapon was a huge gamble with high casualties. From a Blade Lineage clan up to Shi agents and pissed-off G Corp veterans, many are either vying for the blade's capabilities or seeking vengeance for those lost to its bloody upgrading.
(10 points unused)
STORY
Theo's past is as colorful as her personality. Her life as an average K Corp employee was turned upside down after a string of bizarre deaths killed off her entire department. Coworkers would suddenly bulge before violently exploding, blood and guts also detonating like a cluster bomb. Her attempt to reveal the incident to the company was met with an immediate expulsion. Soon after, N Corp would employ her, seeing her biological knowledge as an asset.
Unfortunately, her time in Nagel und Hammer would break her for life. From the deranged experiments performed by the Nail faction to the fanatic hatred towards mechanical augments of the Hammers. It was too much for her, she killed her coworkers there and fled. What happened between the next 5 months and the founding of Paracelsus Workshop (or Atelier today) is unknown but she prefers to ignore it, spending her time dealing with a steady flow of customers.
Theo is a cheerful, go with the flow individual who, despite her obsession with creating the most powerful bioweapons, would never use a single friend of hers as test subjects. However, this side of her also coexists with a frenzied murderous personality; one that seeks to slaughter the rich and powerful no matter the cost. At least both can agree that the Head will never stop her work.