casualryder / App In The Night (Reply)

PLAYER INFO

Player Name: Nick
Player Contact: Nicknack 8988 @ Discord, nicknacked
Character(s) In-Game: n/a

CHARACTER INFO

Character Name: Scott Ryder/Pathfinder
Age: 22
Canon: Mass Effect: Andromeda

World Description: Andromeda galaxy information, and Heleus cluster info.

History: Brief history (adding the rest since it doesn't go enough into his canon point!)

With the new title of Pathfinder and a ship and crew of his own, Scott heads for the Pytheas system to visit Habitat 1, Eos. After examining the planet Scott and his crew find that its atmosphere is being manipulated much the same as Habitat 7 where they crashed at the start of their journey. Habitat 1's failure was due to the scourge and Kett in the area, and now there was no power. After touching down on the surface the team's first priority is to get power back to Habitat 1. After that's done SAM informs Scott that he found a structure like the one his father found on Habitat 7, which meant that he could potentially use that to control Eos's atmosphere to become more stable. Scott takes a vehicle with his team to the structure where he meets an Asari named PeeBee who tackles him before he can interface with the console at the structure. It turns out she's been studying the ancient tech and believes that these machines called "Remnant" are responsible for the planet's unlivable atmosphere. In order to find the main facility to control the atmosphere they need to activate three of these monolithic structures.

Once that's done, the structures point to the middle of a large lake where the facility rises once Scott interfaces with a nearby terminal. PeeBee meets them there and together everyone heads into the vault. However once inside PeeBee insists on splitting off from the group to cover more ground. Fighting their way through Remnant, eventually they arrive at the heart of the vault where they find another console that can activate the entire vault. Along with it's activation a cloud of energy emerges and destroys everything in its path. The team runs away (meeting up with PeeBee) until they come across a door that won't open. Ryder interfaces with a nearby console to "restart" the vault, which causes the destructive energy to retreat. From there they examine what looks like a map on the console that seems to show other vaults on different planets. The crew decide that they need to find and activate those vaults. Once on the surface PeeBee requests to join the crew and Ryder accepts, but before they leave he and his team find a spot viable for an outpost now that the skies were clear from activating the vault. At the outpost spot there's a battle going on between the Kett and a krogan named Drack. Ryder and his team help take the Kett down before requesting Drack to join the team. He agrees.

Finally, SAM reveals to Ryder that the type of outpost is up to him. He chooses a scientific outpost as opposed to a military one, then sends word that it's clear for landing. An outpost is set after waiting for so long, some hope is restored, and things are only just getting started. After speaking with Addison and August — who will act as "Mayor", Ryder heads for the Tempest. From here he ends up in Hadriel for a few months.

CRAU:

Upon his arrival in Hadriel Scott had been at the start of his journey to settle his people in the Andromeda galaxy, barely enough time to come to terms with his new role as the Pathfinder. That made his forced stay in Hadriel harder for him to come to terms with. Already was he worried about failing the Initiative but being pulled away from his duties during such a dire time made facing every day he wasn't on the Tempest in the Andromeda galaxy hard to get through. Even after he learned time 'froze' while away from your respective world did a day not go by when he didn't think of the job he had to do. It didn't help matters that he initially had trouble believing the story of the Gods and assumed it was all part of some mass kidnapping via teleporter technology. However, he eventually came to terms with the situation when unexplainable after unexplainable things continued to happen.

While his time in Hadriel was brief Scott began to learn something from it all. The situation, in many ways, was similar to his own life. His own world dealt with synthetic invasions, moral ambiguity regarding said synthetics, and people banding together (or fighting each other) in the midst of an oncoming war. He made friends and attempted to build professional relationships as the world's toughest training exercise for what was to come when he went back home. While the stress of both Hadriel and Andromeda's fate weighed on him immensely, he learned to be able to lean on others instead of accepting everyone leaning on him. It's a lesson that still needs revising in his current state but he's not as stubborn about it as he used to be. Especially seeing a reflection of himself in some of his newfound friends. Having to talk someone through the grieving process of their own regrets, because of consequences out of their own control, helped him to see his own issues from an outside perspective. To 'take his own advice', as it were.

In the end, he found that he was just as willing to fight for Hadriel as hard as he was willing to fight for Andromeda. While he still has a lot of growing to do that couldn't be accomplished in such a short time he has learned to evaluate his own issues with taking on the bulk of the burden for himself. He learned to channel his more logical side which he had up until that point mostly used on the battlefield when it came to matters of the heart. That may seem backwards in many respects but considering how emotional Scott is and how quick he is to give a response emboldened by anger, sadness, confusion, or regret, it was a good lesson for him to learn, especially considering his job as Pathfinder which he returned to after his stint in Hadriel.

Death:

Once returning 'home' it was business as usual. Scott had been infiltrating a Kett ship that kidnapped the Salarians along with some Krogan scouts for something called 'Exaltation' (completely rewriting a species' DNA and turning them into Kett). Scott and his team crossed a stasis field that trapped them right before the Kett leader, who proceeds to leave them there for later Exaltation. Scott's AI, SAM, informs him that the field only interacts with 'living matter' and if he were to stop Ryder's heart (which he can accomplish due to their connection) then his body will fall out of the field and upon jump starting Scott's heart again, he can get the remainder of his team out of the trap. This...doesn't work. Scott's heart is stopped and he does indeed fall out of the stasis field, however he doesn't get the opportunity to wake up. At least, not back on the ship.

What are your plans for this character in-game?

This depends a lot on events in game, especially since I like to just go with the flow, but the things I have in mind that I specifically want to explore; Scott never fully found his way coming from such an early canon point nor did he in Hadriel, so I would still love for him to come into his own and find his place in the world, so to speak. Especially now that he'll have to deal with the fact that he's dead and there's no door or teleporter to take him home. He'll be pushed to truly consider his place. Not before, of course, dealing with being lost all over again. This would be the third time he's thrust into a completely new situation and forced to adapt. That's mostly for an overarching kind of plot...more general things I aim to explore are the way he deals with his relationships with others, which isn't all that healthy a lot of the time, his sometimes naive and idealistic outlook, and having to mature. He's still a young man developing himself as a person so there are lots of things to delve into there.

What aspects of this game and/or its setting are you most interested in having this character engage with?

Scott's canon is, unlike the original ME trilogy, a fun romp through space with minimal (again simply in comparison to the rest of the series) tragedy. Since In The Night doesn't appear to be a full blown, all out horror, I'm drawn to that subtle touch of horror that seems more cosmic/surreal, if that makes sense. To me it offers a nice way to gently ease a character who is very lighthearted from an equally lighthearted canon into the darker themes and issues regarding themselves and their own worlds without it being too jarring. I think, while the game as a whole is completely fascinating to me, the mechanic of everyone being dead is the one I'm most excited to explore. That and darkness, but that's less character specific and more me always appreciating darkness as a central theme/plot point! I'm also interested in Scott trying to use his recon/Pathfinder skills to work on how to improve the living situation whenever he can, since his job back home is literally to raise planet viability to plant outposts for his people. So any obstacles the game throws at him setting-wise he'll be all over!

How does your character generally get along with other people?

It's a toss up, but for the most part Scott gets along fairly well with others. He makes a lot of friends and even gathers a crew of misfits he eventually learns to call a family. Sure, he can be a snarky asshole and uses that snark as a weapon as well with a good natured intention, but overall he's a very compassionate and empathetic person who wants to help people, which usually works for him with regards to getting along with others. Authority figures, on the other hand, he tends to butt heads with. Military authority figures he always show respect for given his history, whether in disagreement or not, even apologizing when he's out of line, but those on the more political spectrum, as soon as they do something that doesn't sit right with him he tends to act impulsively and call them out in a...less than professional way. His superiors have even complained about his use of sarcasm.

What is your character's mental state upon entering the game?

He's definitely going to counteract any issues he has with humor, as he tends to do, but it will be a lot harder for him than normal. He'll be devastated at the knowledge that his death will have repercussions on the world he left behind that could wipe out the entire Initiative. For a while he's going to have the two teammates left in stasis because SAM wasn't able to revive him hanging over his head, along with his crew on the Tempest, his comatose sister, and the Salarian ark being the most prominent as they were the more immediate issues. Then once he messily works through all of that he'll be thinking about what it means for the Heleus cluster as a whole. Basically, Scott will be buried under eighteen tons of baggage upon his arrival.

Skills/Abilities:

Scott has had informal military training due to his father's background and jointed the System Alliance Military where he was stationed on an outpost. He mentions having helped trained colonists to defend themselves against raiders and the like, which means it's safe to assume he's a good instructor/teacher to some degree. He's proficient in assault rifles and pistols, of course, and knows how to use a sword even. When joining the Initiative he signed on as a recon specialist, so naturally he's observant of his surroundings and knows how to read an area geographically and piece together what might be happening in a given area.

Scott's also a biotic, so he uses his biotic abilities to boost his jumping and dodging. In addition to that he uses a move called "Shock Wave" which sends a wave of biotic energy in a straight line to knock back his enemies. There's "Nova", which he uses by jumping in the air and slamming his fist into the ground, creating a wave of biotic energy within a few feet of himself to also knock back enemies. Then there's "Push" and "Pull", which he uses to...well, push and pull things. He can use his biotics to form a barrier around himself/others, though that takes a lot of energy so he can't hold it for very long. Human biotics are limited and Scott needs a cooldown after using one of his abilities. For the purpose of the game's setting I would say he would only be able to use one of these abilities to their full potential (the nerfed version of course) a day as the energy drain will be too much for him, minus the jump boosting which can mysteriously cause him to fall short whenever he tries to cheese an obstacle. When it comes to moving objects with push and pull, anything human sized or bigger causes too much of a strain and simply nudges instead. Shockwave will only extend about two or three feet in front of himself and Nova a small radius around his person, so only for when he's immediately overwhelmed and cornered. These two specifically also take up so much energy that he will be left extremely vulnerable after he uses them. I'm okay with them being nerfed in literally anyway though since that honestly makes things more fun. The Wiki goes into more detail in case you need it!

Flaws/Weaknesses:

• Scott is terrified of being a failure. His father and mother were both huge names to live up to and given that he was out of the blue handed his father's position after he died it created this immense pressure on himself to not fail anyone by any means. Considering his father promised a lot of things that weren't panning out, the pressure applied ten-fold.

• One of his biggest fears, though, is being alone. He lost his mother before they made the move to Andromeda, then arriving to Andromeda his sister ended up in a coma, and then he lost his father not long after. Scott is an emotional person and already feels the need to be surrounded by friends and family but with the loss of his parents and potential loss of his sister he's more scared than ever of ending up entirely by himself.

• Scott is still a young man trying to figure himself out who got thrown headfirst into an absolute shitshow that suddenly he's in charge of. As a result, his immaturity and inexperience as a symbol of the people is highlighted. While he maintains his professionalism out in the field of action (most of the time) when he's out of the fray but still very much wearing the uniform, so to speak, he can often forget and drop all pretenses of being a professional, which ends up offending some a higher up or two. He has a habit of sassing his superiors and arguing back when it isn't his place to. If he feels strongly about something he's almost incapable of setting it aside and insists on arguing about it, a result of being blinded by what he feels is right and gives too emotional a response in the face of his more logical betters. He also uses humor as a coping mechanism which, while Lexi notes in his psyche profile is welcomed for alleviating tension, can often come out at the most inappropriate times. It also enables him to ignore most of his real issues in favor of turning something serious into a joke so as to lighten the blow

• Physically, biotics have a high caloric intake due to always exhausting energy, even when completely sedentary. Without being able to get that much needed energy he'll suffer from exhaustion and have trouble using his biotics throughout his stay in Beacon.

• Scott can be particularly hard on people when he feels let down. There's a line Sara gives Scott at some point where she admits she doesn't know what to say in regards to an argument they're having. Scott replies with, "my big sister without an opinion? That'd be a new one." Sara's comment following backs this up when she retorts with, "my little brother cutting me a break for a change? That'd be too." This implies a pattern within Scott and his inability to go easy on those he feels disappoint him in some way or another. Scott is even hard on his deceased father for always being so distant and keeping secrets in the past. There was always a disconnect between he and his father, so when Scott ended up being named the new Pathfinder under his father's last orders he was confused and angry. With his father gone, and Scott being a generally forgiving and empathetic person, one would think he would be able to heal by now and let it go. But while he's hard to anger or make an enemy of, when it comes to matters of the heart...if you hurt it or break it in one way or another, he'll stubbornly find it difficult to forgive even in the most extreme of circumstances.

Personality:

Scott is a lighthearted guy who tends to use his humor and warmth as a cover for his real issues. He would much rather laugh off the serious things and make jokes of them when in relation to himself, simplifying the problem so it doesn't seem like such a big deal. On the flip side, his empathetic nature means he reacts emotionally to the plight of those around him, especially those who are close to him. It's difficult for him to think logically when it comes to matters of the heart and his team, friends, or family. He sometimes ends up coddling or softening a blow so much that the receiving party, while comforted, doesn't get to the crux of the issue. While this isn't as predominantly a problem for him since his stint in Hadriel it is still a problem nonetheless.

While Scott has a huge responsibility on his shoulders he still makes time for his crew. Sure, he's busy trying to save the galaxy and stop an alien race from turning their DNA into their own, but if Vetra asks to climb a literal mountain with him or if Gil asks for a poker game, he'll set aside time to hang out, or even just have a chat. In his mind, making sure his crew is comfortable is just as important as everything else. He's a strong believer in team building, growing a sense of trust between comrades, and making sure they're in a good place mentally and emotionally so that their minds can be clear for the mission. He'll even go as far as helping them out with personal requests if something is weighing heavily enough on their minds, regardless of how badly some of these personal requests go. Even getting stranded on an active volcano isn't enough to turn Scott away from helping his crazy crew.

One of the biggest reasons he's even in Andromeda, though, aside from his father having been one of the main spearheads of the Initiative and his sister deciding to follow suit, was because of his thirst for adventure. Scott was never one to stay in a single place for long when there was adventure to be had elsewhere. Even when he was stationed at an outpost, constantly being on the watch for bandits and pirates to the point where they would have to arm colonists so they could defend themselves when his station couldn't, was he holding out for something more. Though after Liam asks him about his old days with the Alliance Systems Military Scott does admit that he misses it sometimes, especially since his exit was not his choice. While Andromeda was more of a new start to escape the newfound stigma of the Ryder name it also promised everything Scott ever sought in his life, which is why he was insistent on making it work despite everything immediately going to hell.

Items:

- His Initiative armor; this comes with "jump jets" (jetpacks) and a built in flashlight, but neither will work upon arrival. The armor also activates a shield that soaks up damage for a time, but that will only be able to soak up one regular hit of damage before exposing him again. Anything at gunshot level or more will not activate the shield. This doesn't protect him against, say, impalement. Only from more of a blunt force hit.

- His M-6 Carnifex pistol with a few thermal clips.

- A standard assault riffle which will be mostly drained of ammo, since he was previously using it to mow down his enemies before getting trapped. Whoops.

- A Kett blade, which injects the user with nuerochemicals that make them able to fatigue less with each strike. In the game setting though this won't work and it will just be a regular sword.

- His Omni-tool. An omni-tool is a multipurpose diagnostic and manufacturing tools as well as a computer, but in the game setting the only functions working being recording, taking pictures, notes, performing basic repairs on his weapons/armor, and playing games.