[-] The cafeteria is about as busy as expected, your warm nutrient gruel sitting in its usual place. You snatch up your plates and set to eating, trying not to look too hard at the off-gray, starchy slime that tastes vaguely of vegetables and oil. You wash it down with copious amounts of water and diluted wine, trying to avoid the bitter, woody aftertaste.
You, with two guards in tow, walk to one of the libraries nearby in the Inner City, through a beautiful plaza, with carefully manicured gardens. A thin young man with a brand for SEED on his face trims down an overgrowing patch of flowers as children kick a rubber ball back and forth. You notice a small group of Crusaders drift through. They catch sight of you, confused by your guards and your under-ornamented self, but don't comment, passing by with a dipped nod given your way. The walk itself is pleasant and a short, gentle ride on one of the slow-moving hover-crafts rounds out the experience. In all, it took you thirty minutes to get to the Library.
The Library is another one of those buildings with a high domed ceiling, and a librarian greets you at the door. They serve as living indexes, and you ask him for books, treatises, or manuscripts involving McCreary's armor. They look at a reference book, and begin to guide you into the depths of the library. He points at a shelf of books, and bows his head as he explains, "This shelf contains what books we have on McCreary, as for a specific topic, we lack McCreary's Armor."
With a nod, he turns away to attend to other duties. You enlist the help of your guards and clear out the entire shelf, bringing it to one of the desks in the center of the library.
The Effect of McCreary on Morale, Armaments of the Angel, McCreary's Sacrifice, Strength of Soul: Or how to Emulate the Angel, How The Tide Turned, and Stories to tell Children of the Angel.The first one interests you, so you set it aside for later, the second one is more pressing, so you pile it away. The rest are hymn books, scripture, a quasi-historical document that you know is false, and the other is tall tale-- but a passage in the children's book hints at the truths of your memory, so you set it aside to keep. You have your guards put the rest away, and begin to read the first.
...And lo', when the war was at its worst, and all hoped seemed lost, when the King of the Dead and his armies approached the gates of the Holy City, man did despair... It goes on to list all the losses, the cities you've never heard of that no doubt are ruins by now.
Then McCreary emerged from the Citadel of Seed, clad in resplendent gold. SEED spoke, issuing a benediction to its holy angel of war, It lists a great edict from SEED that you gloss over, yadda yadda, retribution and revenge shall be delivered, demons stand no chance now, etc. However, one line catches your eye, "I shall see retribution done on all my enemies, they shall be starved and beaten, destroyed in their entirety. So I will it."
It goes into great detail about how the morale of all troops improved, especially by his speeches delivered on the battlefield, full of rage and fire, and how during each of his consecutive victories the people cheered his name in the streets. In some benedictions, he was listed first. You wonder if he was more relatable for the humans of this world than the Machine God they worship...
This manuscript is a list of his armor and weapons in flowery terms, recorded directly after his death. It mentions no damage upon the breastplate or any of the other armor. It does list damage done to the underpinning, his synth-leather jumpsuit is mentioned as being ripped across the chest, and stained with dried blood. His firearm was empty-- and you note that he had expended nearly two thousand las-pulses during the time he fought, if not more.
...McCreary's armor was mighty indeed, burnished in gold and black, but pure, and filled with the flame of righteousness, and he spoke of it as one speaks of a friend, one that was very close to his heart...some say it even spoke back! So great is the power of SEED, that even the inanimate is made living through his grace...
You have three hours and thirty minutes left before Brother Hop arrives at your room for your lesson.
You are Pheobe Gainer AKA Alphira
Local Time: 4:30 pm 6/19/2011
There is metal purposefully embedded in your arm. It itches as it scabs over.
You have a headache.
You're rebuilding muscle definition.
You are satiated.
Torso:
A fitted grey shirt with long, tight sleeves. Lower Body:
New grey semi-formal, military-style pants.Hands:
A pair of leather gloves. Feet:
Woolen socks(hidden)
Feet:
A pair of new leather boots.[100 credits] in local currency.
Overload: Amateur.
Inferno : Amateur
Healing Factor: Amateur.
-
Endurance Boost: Beginner.
Matter Manipulation:Earth?::Beginner
M̽ͥ̏̇̒̽͛̇ͩͦ͏̷̡̨̳͈̦̥̥̣̟͖̩̜̱̰̖c͇̠̮͙͓̗͗̈́ͦ̇͌̌̇́͜͜͡C̴̵̢̱̩͎̩̗̬͎͈̘̪̝̋̎ͯͨͤͪ͂͐̆ͨͩ͂͑̀̚͝r̷̛̮͖͚͍̗̺̦̘̩̼͍̭̥͍͊ͮͯ͑̊̄̏ͨͩ͟e͈̟͚̟͈͙͌ͮ͊̉̄̓ͫ̍̅̓̄ͥ͟͠a̡̢̡͍̠̥̺̭̪̲͙ͥ̎̃̄̋͊̋̈̈̃̽͛̔ͧ̑ͥ̊ͤ̕rͪͯ͗́ͫͨ̾͆ͣ̔̌̀́͝͏̛̬̟̙̹̤̯̥̫̻͓̞̘̭͚͓y̛̙̮͖̩̞͛ͬ̎̌͐̀͌ͣ͐̑͆̈͆͘ ̯͎͕͎͍̯̱̬̮̮̘͉̘̫͉̲̎̀ͪ̐ͯ̒͗͌̽̈ͫ̀̀͢M̏̈͐͋̉͐ͥ͛ͨ̅̍̇̇̚҉̷̸̴̮̲̦͎̺̙͈̖̀ë̶̴̢̬̰̠͖̩͍͈͚̮̬̖̗́͑̒̎͌̂̎͗͌ͧ̃̉̈́͜͢ͅm̵̡̱̭͚̤̮̗̠ͬ͆ͥͫ̈́̓̿ͨ͢͜͝o̴̸̙͓̬̬ͬ̂̈̐̌̈́͆͌̓̇͐̔̊̒̎̽ͨ̀͘͝r̷̨̬̼̥͍̭̼̣̭̮̊͆͗̌͛́ͯ͒̋͋̿͒ͧ͒̑ͥ͐͟i̛ͯ̓̒̌ͪ͆͆͑͆̉͂҉̧҉̘̤̠̫̩̰̞̟͚eͩ̆̌̐͊͐͂̍̑͒̂͘͡҉͔̹̜̩̣̳̪s̪̮͈̳̦̬̜̼̦͎̩͙̳̖ͮ̑͋ͥ̀͘͞.̧̍̔ͯ͌̅̒͆ͨ̎̔̃̐͑͗̒͝҉̢̱̩̗͖ You are under contract with The Brotherhood of Scholars for twenty-three years. [Angel] of The Holy City State of SEED
--High Influence within its borders
--Full command of all military resources, as approved by Crusader General
--Full command of all military resources, in emergencies
--Assigned a personal team of researchers, medical officers, and trainers.
Grandmother(adopted): Mother Nicole Gainer, (Beloved),
--Contactable in person.
--High Influence with Scholars, Crusaders, the Thornton Family
--Current lawful ruler of Steelworks 9 Region (Crusader Supported)
Organization: The Thornton Family
--Contactable through Mail, Emma
--High Influence within Steelworks 9 Region
--Allied with Nicole Gainer, you
Contact, Threat: William Thornton
--Contactable through Mail, Emma
--High influence within The Thornton Family
--Feared within Steelworks 9 Region
--Allied with Nicole Gainer, you
Contact, Military Trainer Coordinator: Tyler Hop (Cordial)
Lover/Adjutant: Emma Thornton (Content-Exhausted)
--Low influence within The Thornton Family
Friends(?) (Lost Contact):
-McGee Foster
-James Foster
-Johnathan Shellton
-Jesse Hardhouse
-Erica Hail
-Amanda Silversmith
-'Other' Eric Armstrong
-John Frost
-Quincy Black