Background
The cement floors of the cold, hospital floor took on eerie textures under the flickering hallway lights. Had it not been for the team of doctors rushing a pregnant woman past on a gurney, this hospital might have been thought empty or condemned. In truth, it should have been both.
With no money for new equipment or drugs, the mother may as well have been tortured for the pain she felt. The doctors and nurses tried their best to ease her, the way they had every other time, but soothing will only go so far. The agony she felt through gritted teeth as she stared at the flickering dull glow of lights above was a labor of love.
After several minutes passed, it was over. The little girls� birth had been pure suffering for her mother, but now, as she looked at her baby girl, moments before her eyes closed for the last time, she knew it had been worth it.
Alicia Jessica Mantel was born through pain and it would be a feeling Alicia would become all too familiar with.
Alicia�s father had done as best a job of raising her as he could. He held two jobs, survived a series of bad relationships after his wife, and had to raise her and her two older brothers. In spite of his best efforts though, she had been in another fight at school. This was the fifth one this year.
It was always the same story; the other girls would call her �ugly�, �unpretty�, and �stupid�, the boys would do the same. Her first few fights were with girls. One of them was hospitalized after Alicia slammed her head repeatedly in a locker. Alicia�s father enrolled her in Tae Kwon Do; not to teach her to fight, but to teach her to control her temper. It almost worked.
By the time of her 15th birthday, she had made some changes. With the help of her stepmother (this time a kind and a loving woman, not a gold digger like the others), Alicia�s father helped soften her. She would wear dresses and skirts. She was taught how to wear make-up. She didn�t get into fights anymore.
So, on the day of her 15th birthday, she was having a party. The popular girls didn�t show up, but some of the not-as-popular girls did it. And one of the popular boys. The one Alicia had a crush on.
Alicia�s father and stepmother went out, leaving the kids at home. Alicia�s older brothers also went out, but as a gift, they bootlegged a fair amount of alcohol for the party. It was fun. Alicia was genuinely enjoying herself and the boy she liked seemed interested in her. As the night went on, friends started to leave until it was just her and the boy. They were drunk. They were alone. Alicia�s virginity didn�t last the night.
Monday morning when Alicia arrived at school, she was still smiling. Then she got to her locker. �Slut�. �Cheap fuck�. �Whore�. �Cock sucker�. And she didn�t just read it on her locker. She heard it. From everyone. Her enemies. Her friends. The boy. He said that she had changed. But now she was just a �slut with a pretty cover�. He used her. He fucked her. He defiled her. She killed him.
Due to the intensity of the murder and the boy�s influential parents, Alicia had been tried as an adult. It was seen as a crime of passion and she had been sentenced to 10 years. The parents of the boy weren�t happy with just 10 years but the judge could be convinced to send her to different prison; a co-ed prison, the first of it�s kind A little girl in a world full of hardened criminals. Alicia didn�t stand a chance.
She didn�t go into the showers for the first month. She was too timid. But, eventually, she realized she had to. She wished she didn�t. The shower emptied quickly, save for five men. They were all in for rape. In their eyes, Alicia was a victim waiting to happen. She couldn�t put up much of a fight. They hadn�t been with a woman in a while. She was easy prey.
She warned them to stay away. She told them she would hurt them. The tears in her eyes weren�t very convincing. They should have listened though. It was as though the darkness had been lifted. Things she suddenly knew she could do; she had always been able to do. She just realized it now. Time didn�t seem to slow down, it did slow down. She reacted with unnatural quickness and strength. The force of her punches could go through a brick wall; pity the human body wasn�t that resilient. They died. Horribly. Alicia faced no repercussions from the prison as they couldn�t believe this little girl ripped five grown men limb from limb. She would face repercussions though.
It was Alicia�s 20th birthday. She had a fight today. She felt as though that�s all she did anymore, was fight. The prisoners bet; the guards bets; hell, even the warden would bet. And they always bet on her. She didn�t lose. She had found something she was really good. She could fight. She lost her first fight when her opponent took out her eye with a shiv. She hadn�t lost since then. Neither had he. He was dead.
She didn�t try to kill the people she fought, but it did happen. The warden never batted an eye.
Amongst all the violence though, there was a certain calm serenity. His name was David Knight. He was a prison guard. He was like her; he was �awake�. He was her only real friend on the inside. He taught her how to love again. He taught he that she could enjoy sex. He taught her about her gifts. He taught her a lot. He also introduced her to Deacon Gennian, a member of an influential crime family on the outside. His initial conjugal visits were for her body. Later on, they were for her fights. Finally, they were for her. For the first time in her life, she felt reciprocated love. Reciprocated love that would cut her sentence by 4 years.
After her fight, she had a visit from Deacon. Not to spend time with her, not to see her fight, not to be with her, but to give her a gift; freedom.
Upon getting out of jail, many rehabbed criminals find new jobs and begin new lives. Alicia didn�t. Her life was still street-fighting. She fought for money then, she fights for money now. The only real difference is that she has adopted the moniker �Athena�.
She is the Gennian family�s favorite in the circuit and they arrange most of her fights. When not fighting, she is part of a street gang who pushes drugs, breaks into buildings, jacks cars and other illegal activities. It�s not an ideal life, but Alicia doesn�t know any better. She was born through pain, and now, she believes she�ll die through pain.
Vitals
| Height: 5 ft. 11 in. | Weight: 126 lbs. |
| Hair Color: Black. | Eye Color: Blue. |
| Age: 24 (30). | Birthday: May 18th. |
| Measurements: 35-24-35. | Blood Type: O-. |
Possessions
Blue cellphone (555-2583), orange female kitty ("Leona"), black 2002 Jeep Wranger, laptop, backpack and school gear, tongue ring (blue bead).
Personality
Initially, Alicia would seem cold, insensitive, crude and violent. As one gets to know her, they would learn that she isn�t cold or insensitive. She was simply jaded at a young age. In spite of what many would call a rough life, Alicia still has a good sense of humour and can be quite warm and friendly to those she feels comfortable around. However, her edges are exceedinly rough and the crassness and violence remain, regardless of the company she keeps. Those who count her among their friends know that she will give her life for them; those who count her among their enemies fear that their life is what she�ll take.
Relations
There�s not many people in her life she�d call friends, but Deacon Gennian is one of them. They were lovers and occasionally they still hook up, but things have changed and their love as friends runs deeper than romantic feelings. Although Deacon�s family arranges most of Alicia�s fights (she�s their favorite in the circuit), Deacon does his best to make sure it�s fights he know she can win. Other than Deacon, she doesn�t list many people as more than acquaintances.
Family
Alicia�s father died when she was 18 (she attended his funeral in handcuffs). She tries to visit her brothers, Alex (32) and Christian (35), or at least call them, at least once a month. Although they are both saddened by what she�s become, they still love her and don�t treat her any differently than a sister.
"Career Histoy"
Athena�s official �career� record would show that she�s been involved in the circuit for three years. Her fist fight came two days after getting out of prison. Since the first, which she lost, she hasn�t gone longer than a week without a fight. In her three years in the circuit, she has fought in 111 matches, 107 of which she�s won (she lost her 1st, 3rd, 17th and 23rd match). She holds numerous records within the circuit, including quickest win (4 seconds), best win ration (96%) and longest winning streak (88 and counting). Of her 107 career wins, 5 have ended fatally.
"Music to Die to: Athena's Soundtrack"
Rituals and Rotes
| NAME | METHOD | EFFECT | TIME / ROLLS | SPHERES |
| "Perfect Drug" (Ritual) |
Extended acts of physical pleasure, ranging from massages to sex. The act must be physically and emotionally satisfying. | Quicker, more efficient REM sleep. | Not Applicable. | Life 3. |
| "Wish" (Rote) |
Lingering french kiss or sensual massage. | Heals another person's wounds. | Normal with -1 Difficulty. | Life 3. |
| "Pretty Hate Machine" (Ritual) |
A relatively choreographed dance routine, performed to one of several specific songs. | "Bullet-Time" | Two rolls regardless of song | Time 3 |
Where Does She Go From Here?: Athena's Goals
Goal: Train, train, train. Be stronger, faster, tougher and better than she was before. She doesn't want to just defeat her opponents; she wants to destroy them.
Game Mechanics: Athletics +2 (4 xp, 6 xp), Brawl +1 (10 xp), Dexterity +1 (20 xp), Dodge +1 (8 xp).
Goal: Go back to school and graduate.
Game Mechanics: Perception +1 (12 xp), Intelligence +1 (12 xp).
Goal: Get Deacon to educate her in "being a lady".
Game Mechanics: Appearance +1 (16 xp), Ettiquette +3 (3 xp, 4 xp, 6 xp)
Goal: Find those those responsible for this crime against her and kill them.
Game Mechanics: No specific game mechanics required.
Goal: Find the gang (not just the people) who killed Leona and kill them...every last one of them.
Game Mechanics: No specific game mechanics required.
Goal: Give Deacon the gift of immortality.
Game Mechanics: I don't know.
