Veila

Basic Info

Name: Veila Silang (Veh-ee-la , See-lahng)

Aliases/Nicknames: Vei (Veh-ee), Ate (ah-teh) (meaning; older sister), Silang 

Birthday: December 

Star Sign: Capricorn

Adult Height: 5”7 

Adult Weight: 155lbs

Birthplace: Aether Ruins aka Old Aether

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Personality:

- A naturally curious person especially when it comes to armor, weapon, or combat related things

- Fits the ‘eldest daughter’ archetype - independent, heavy-lifter of the group/family, willing to shoulder the burdens of others before letting anyone help her

- Grew up to be a mistrusting and guarded person who distances herself emotionally from most everyone as a result of adolescent trauma

- A designer/inventor - creative at heart - loves outlets to express her ideas

- A natural problem solver due to her creativity

- Very confident in her skills and abilities; loves to showcase her skills in combat and her creations; recognizes the hard work she has put into her craft. She is confident but not boastful

- Expresses self doubt and anxiety when it comes to building/maintaining relationships with others

- When she does build a strong friendship with someone, she is quick to assume the role of a caretaker or older sister regardless of age differences. She tends to be protective and critical of her friends in a nagging but sisterly way.

- Has avoidant tendencies when faced with problems she has no immediate solutions to, or problems related to her past. Tends to distract herself with work, projects, or by taking on bounties even if she doesn’t need the money

- Formerly an Aetherian soldier forced to mask certain emotions, she allows herself to express her emotions more freely; however she is fully capable of maintaining her composure when necessary

- She now freely expresses her joy and optimistic positivity; however, she conceals her feelings of guilt and sadness so much that it takes a toll on her when she finally confronts it. 

- Used to having to compete with others and prove her intellect and competence. She retained habits and behaviors such as over-explaining concepts with complex language and terms, answering simple questions with an uninterested demeanor which can come off as haughty and rude to some, and finding difficulty in admitting when she is wrong or when she doesn’t have the answer to a situation. She means no disrespect majority of the time; she has learned to mind her words and overanalyze a persons body language to indicate when she is “overdoing it”

Hobbies: Drawing, Crafting children’s toys with scrap materials, and Playing games with high stakes such as poker

Likes: Solitary places, Sunsets and Night skies, People she can hang out with in silence comfortably, Plushies, Most food; especially meat, Rain, Animals, Weapons, Armor, Combat/Fighting

Dislikes: Bright lights, Extreme heat, People who take their loved ones for granted, Dealing with annoying customers, Government officials 

Habits: Forgetting to eat/sleep when working (used to be told when to eat/sleep), Destroying old creations when she is frustrated or overwhelmed, Becoming super fixated when learning/making something new

Dreams: “Maybe instead of creating and selling lethal weapons and impenetrable armor I could… become an artist.. live on a farm in the middle of nowhere... I think I feel I haven’t earn the right to that peace yet. But also, I would like to find someone to share my peace with..”

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History:

Prologue: Rags to Ruins

Aether Ruins aka Old Aether (Ages 1 - 8): Long after the Aether-Blackwatch war ended, and Aether 2.0 became the sky-bound, independent city that is well-known but ever mysterious to those beyond the floating islands, the remaining Old Aether residents have adapted and formed individual towns, factions, guilds, and communities of all kinds throughout the decaying city. Meanwhile, Aether 2.0 would focus on the advancement of technology and intellectual society; however, the population seemed to increase at rates much faster than predicted by the original engineers. As a result, the previously intelligent and wealthy population grew diluted with what the Aetherian council declared to be “lesser life forms”. One attempt to renew the density of “intelligent life” in the city was to seek intellectual people from the Aether Ruins, and send the lesser life forms to live in the ruins in their place. Eventually, this led to Aether 2.0 gaining complete control over Old Aether’s economy and technology though they remained separate nations from each other.

A part of the plan to find intellectuals in Old Aether involved sending New Aetherian officials to communities in the ruins, establishing embassies for Aether 2.0, and frequently flying citizens in and out of both Aethers. In one such community, an Aetherian official had established an embassy, but had fallen in love with a woman in the community he occupied. He was an Aerospace engineer by trade and a Aetherian official by careful selection of the council. He learned of the way of life on the ground from the Old Aetherian woman he would soon marry. When she became pregnant, the two decided that their marriage and soon-to-be family would be concealed and that they would remain in Old Aether with the man continuing to run the embassy. This decision was made because the man knew of the new practices being used in Aether 2.0 on it’s citizens old and new. As a way to gain more control over the population, the Aetherian council decreed that all citizens were to be microchipped and tattooed as to secure citizenship, keep detailed records of individuals, and to ensure no one could leave the city without authorization as society became more and more strict.

The couple gave birth to three children. Their eldest was a boy who thirsted for the knowledge and the status of Aether 2.0. When he was a teenager, despite all his father’s warnings, he traveled to Aether 2.0 and went missing ever since. Their second and third child were girls born 4 years apart. Veila and her little sister Issa were kept in the dark of their father’s origins until Veila was 8 years old, and her sister, Issa, was 4 years old. Veila’s father was called back to New Aether after many years of living in Old Aether when it was discovered he had children soon after his son was likely discovered in Aether 2.0. Despite their initial decision, the parents came to the conclusion that it would be best if their children lived in New Aether with their father. However, during this time, Veila’s mother had fallen violently ill and would likely not survive. Veila’s father knew that because of her illness, Aether 2.0 would likely not accept her as a citizen in this condition. Additionally, although both children were gifted with intelligence, because of Aether 2.0’s rising overpopulation, they only permitted for one child to accompany their father and become a citizen. Young Veila volunteered to stay with her mother to nurse her back to health even if it seemed hopeless; however, it was not up to the family’s decision. The Aetherian Official who would be replacing Veila’s father made the decision for them. They decreed Veila would be the child accompanying her father. And Issa would be left behind with their dying mother.

Upon arriving to Aether 2.0, Veila was given the citizenship test. As much as her father advised she take it seriously, Veila tried to purposefully fail so that she may swap places with her sister. However, this was to no avail, for the Aetherian Immigration Officials saw past her schemes and eagerly welcomed her as an Aether 2.0 citizen. Veila and her defeated father were chipped and tattooed and immediately thrown into society as engineer and student of the Aetherian education program. Weeks passed and the father discovered that the mother had recovered and was trying to get into Aether 2.0, but because of the discovery of her father and his concealed children, as well as incidents caused by a concealed Aether Ruin-born terrorist, the Aetherian council had decided to remove all embassies from Aether Ruin and force all officials back to Aether 2.0. Additionally, the father had searched for his son only to learn that his son had failed the citizenship test and was sent away according to the databases. With the unknown whereabouts of his son, and the uncertainty of ever seeing his wife and daughter again, he resigned himself to raise Veila as well as he could so that she would survive in this city and anywhere else in the world. 

Chapter 1: Resolve

Aether 2.0 aka New Aether (Ages 8 - 16): Veila’s father would have normally been imprisoned as punishment for marrying a woman without New Aetherian citizenship as well as concealing his new family. However, the Aether judicial system on behalf of the council had decided to demote him from his position of Aetherian Board Official, and have him return to his job as a aerospace research scientist, and have him stay at home to raise his supposedly intellectual daughter. Veila and her father were set up with the basic housing provided to most citizens near the school Veila would attend. While they played their roles as worker and student, Veila and her father would make many attempts to contact her mother and sister and find her brother.

Veila attended demanding and rigorous educational programs since they settled in their living quarters. Each neighborhood was curated to contain at least one family with a specialization of each kind of study. This was intentional so that the children would grow to explore and learn of all their options and discover what subject they were best at. Additionally, the school program required students to study and perfect numerous subjects. Each year, the student’s education would become more and more specified as their talents and interests developed. Although the design was flawless in producing a highly efficient society with a strong work ethic, children were denied many childhood pleasures such as long days dedicated to play, toys that existed purely for enjoyment instead of education, and the freedom to explore outside of their designated neighborhoods and schools. Veila, although considerably smart for her age like her peers, did not stand out in most subjects. Her marks were acceptable and nothing more. However, what she lacked in passion for math or science, she excelled with creativity, problem solving, and leading design projects. She, like her father, was able to culminate the basic knowledge of all subjects and solve complex problems. This had her designated into the field of engineering with a focus in design, and a specialty of weapons, when she reached secondary schooling.

When Veila was 10 years old, she had grown accustomed to life in Aether 2.0, but she had a dream she held dear to her heart: to bring herself and her dad back to Old Aether.. back home with Mom, and escape the strictness of Aether 2.0 and poverty and danger in Aether Ruin. She didn’t particularly care where, but she read about a nation called, Highgate Landing which she found herself idolizing as her family’s gateway to safety. In the meantime, she had tried to befriend the other kids in her neighborhood as she grew lonely in the hours after school when their dad was still at work. Veila eventually befriended a child named Soren Salazar. Soren was the eldest son and heir to a prestigious family of mechanical engineers who gained their wealth and status through Soren’s grandfather’s invention that vastly improved Aether 2.0’s train system. His family disapproved of Veila and her family because they came from Old Aether, however; this fact only sparked curiosity in young Soren, for he was always interested by how life was beyond the floating city. He wondered how such seemingly primitive societies in comparison to Aether 2.0 continued to thrive and grow today. As the two became closer, Veila would tell Soren stories of her life on Old Aether and stories she heard from others about other lands beyond the Aether islands and seas. These stories only fed Soren’s dream to explore beyond Aether 2.0, and telling them only reminded Veila of her own dream. 

During secondary schooling, Veila and Soren entered a city-wide engineering competition as partners. Together, they had designed and created a new model of barrier technology. Soren presented this project as it was intended, as a way to protect Aetherian scientists from failed experiments in case of emergency, but Veila pitched the technology to be used to enable safe travel to the Aether Ruins and potentially beyond. This allowed the pair to win the competition and further ignite their dreams of leaving Aether 2.0. As a result of winning the competition, the two were taken out of schooling at age 14 and assigned to a highly secure project. The two were moved to a secure sector away from their families where they would focus on the project. Veila was given the role of designer and Soren was given the role of mechanical engineer. The project was called ‘Project Weapon’ in which those assigned would work on creating the most efficient and deadly weapons and armor for the various Aetherian military and battle units. Veila and Soren were assigned to a team which included a chemical engineer, a biologist, one of the few permitted magic specialists in the city, and a software engineer. This team would eventually become one of few who became a new branch of Project Weapon: Operation Soldier. Operation Soldier had their carefully selected teams of scientists and engineers be trained to use their own weapons to eventually carry out various research and battle missions. Operation Soldier became possible thanks to the innovations and the persuasion of Veila and Soren. This plan to return to Old Aether had worked out, and Veila was a step closer to leaving the city for good.

Chapter 2: Operation Soldier

Operation Solder: Return to Aether Ruins (Ages 16-17): 

Veila’s squad along with the others curated for the project were put together to test out an experimental method of strengthening Aether 2.0’s army. The squads was tasked with developing custom and unique armor delegated to each individual soldier’s skills, preferences, and needs. The squads worked together efficiently as designed by the Officials in charge of the operation. They worked so well as teams that the Officials changed their tasks from creating armor and weapons for pre-existing soldiers, to creating special weapons and armor for themselves so that they may become a unique branch army task forces. The squads were put through rigorous combat training where they learned to specialize and adapt to various combat styles and situations. As they developed their skills, they developed their armor and weapons to suit and enhance their skills. During their training, one new member was added to each squad. These new members would serve as strategists and leaders on missions the squads were expected to go on.

While things went well for the Aetherian Officials, Veila and her squad over time developed problems amongst each other, some of which were planted the moment the squad was put together. Although, Veila and Soren were put on the same squad because they proved their skill and teamwork in the contest, Veila was made the designer and thus the squad leader in the workshop; all whilst Soren was delegated to the mechanic who’s job was to make Veila’s ideas a reality rather than having any of his own. Soren tried to put his jealousy aside for the fact that Veila was always the better designer and director while lacking the expertise in building that he had, and because they were close friends; however, his jealousy festered over the years and led to many arguments, disagreements, and occasionally physical altercations. The second gripe occurred the moment the combat specialist, who is also a mechanical engineer, joined the squad. Though, Veila still took the leadership role in the workshop, Veila didn’t handle the loss of control in the battlefield well. The combat specialist was a someone older than the rest of the squad, about two years older than Soren who was the eldest before they joined. Their name is Leona (goes by Leo).

Leo grew up in a mechanical engineering family, thus they had a natural talent for the craft; however, their talents reached their limit early in schooling when they realized their passion for combat and strategy. They were quickly reassigned to a course designed more towards their passions where they perfected the art of using a sniper rifle as well as being a leader in the heat of battle. They were one of the first candidates sought to join Operation Soldier once the objective for the engineering squadrons changed. Because of their background and her experience on the field, Soren grew to admire them and look to them as a mentor. However, their leadership role on the field and their lack of presence in the workshop made Veila jealous of them.

Veila and Leo often grew resentful of each other as one’s responsibility often took away from the other’s. There were many occasions where a squad member would be no where to be seen in the workshop... [WIP]

The Disappearance of Veila Silang
Context: Veila was still bedridden and recovering from her injuries that resulted from her being kicked off the transport by Leo. Leo had secretly gone to find Veila and make an offering to her.

Leo finds Veila's childhood home where her mother had been tending to her. Veila's mother had fallen asleep at the dining table while she was working on rudimentary but functional prosthetic legs. Leo entered the bedroom to see a Veila who had been battling the physical pain of recovering from amputation as well as the emotional turmoil of being betrayed and abandoned by her squad. Veila turned to see who it was; Leo removed the hood covering their face. Leo stood tall, bracing for an emotional response. Veila only held a blank expression before turning their head back to face the ceiling. The sight of her pained eyes and the tear and sweat marks on her face would leave a mark on Leo's soul.

Caelaheim (Ages 18+): A small traders town between the cultural city of Highgate landing and the industrial super power, Blackwatch. Originally a location between major industry cities for traders to meet and make deals, or to rest on the journey from one city to another. Caelaheim is known to be a ’neutral’ location between Blackwatch and Highgate, meaning; neither city had influence on the town’s economy, residents, or laws. Few people reside in the town, for majority who start families end up moving to one town or the other. The permanent residents are typically shopkeepers and business-owners. With such a small population of less than 50 residents, the only real laws and law enforcement is centered around business and handling business disputes. What is considered ’Black market trade’ is not banned in this town; however it is not an easy market to compete in. 

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Story: