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Isobel (Degenesis)

Chronicler Personality Profile Record











Appearance

Isobel (Spitalian).jpg

Isobel is an attractive woman in her mid-20s who is in obvious excellent physical shape and carries herself with confidence, giving the impression of being older than she really is. She is rarely seen wearing anything other than the matt-black with longitudinal white striped-suit that is standard for the Spitalians. When she is based at the Spital or other Spitalian facilities it is common for her to be hairless, with her skin pale and often blotchy, correctly calcimined to prevent any Sepsis infection. When she is away in the field for any length of time her hair grows out though rarely longer than several inches before it is invariably shaved away again the next time she returns to the Spital. With her physique, good looks, Spitalian suit and Splayer, she cuts a striking figure.

Background

Isobel does not know where she is from, or her life before just a few years ago. When Preservist Falberg led a Resistance cell against the Swarm in Franka they found Isobel taking shelter from the swarm. She was suffering from a high degree of Sepsis poisoning and was near death from blood loss from various Swarm-inflicted wounds. As she was not yet a Leperos Falberg took her back to the camp and had the Famulancers use EX to despore her and tend to her wounds. Against the odds, Isobel survived - although it appeared that her continued survival came at a price... she had little recollection of her life before waking up at the camp.

The Spitalian and Anabaptist supply lines were not getting through to Franka, and so to bolster the Resistance, the Spitalians began deputising clanners, equipping them with the Splayers of fallen Famulancers and bag-like gas masks from local stores, for which they were called "Grenouilles" (frogs). As her health recovered, Isobel ended up involved in the events. Despite her amnesia, she quickly showed that she was in good physical shape, had decent combat instincts and was quick to learn to use a Splayer. Possibly more importantly, she showed she was intelligent enough to intuitively understand, and quickly learn about emergency and basic medical care. This impressed Falberg, who saw potential in her to go further than a clan healer could - and when he next returned to the Spital in Borca, he took Isobel with him.

Whilst the Spitalians are not keen on taking on adult recruits, especially those with Balkhan or unknown origins, the fact is that the wars against the Primer and the Clans on multiple fronts had taken its toll, and they could not afford to turn away anyone with promise - especially when sponsored by a legendary Preservist. Isobel was made to start at the beginning and although it was exhausting, not only managed to pass the tests literacy tests after two semesters, and at the end of the 4th semester easily passed the basic medical tests. Her time as an Orderly was harder. She coped well with the medical knowledge and requirements, but her time working in the sick bays of the Appendix changing bandages, opening purulent blisters, putting broken limbs in splints and other issues whilst, like all Spitalian recruits and orderlies, frequently contracting multiple illnesses, was exhausting and painful. But like all the Spitalians who go through this process, and survive, she came out of it tougher than ever, and with an increased resilience to disease and illness. Most importantly, she proved herself physically and mentally capable of becoming a Spitalian, and was appointed a Famulancer.

Since becoming a Famulancer Isobel has shown dedication to the Spitalian cause (or at least to the medical side of it - on occasion, she has seemed to display some issues with the Spitalian attitude of healing being a privilege to be earned - ie paid for) and spends much time in the Spital's libraries studying or, preferable to her, out in the field. She is frequently out in the edges of the protectorate with the troops, supporting Judges and communities with medical support unless summoned for a combat mission. She has recently been assigned to an ageing Protector. Many see this assignment as indicative of her Registrar's displeasure, but Isobel is optimistic about it as she is keen to put her skills out to use in the Protectorate instead of "being bottled up in the Spital."

Personality

Isobel is a people person. She may not have a Judge's dominant personality, a Neolybian's diplomacy skills or a Magpie's charms, but she has a friendly personality, is easy to get along with and - what some would say is most important - a caring and protective nature. She has been known on occasion (to the Chagrin of her Registrar) to not charge for healing services when she knows the sick/injured cannot afford it - though this is normally justified to her Registrar as "healing is a privilege that must be earned, yes... but not always in chronicler drafts."

Indeed, by occasionally "bending the rules" and helping others more than she ought to, she has begun to make friends outside the cult who have been known to provide help and information. More annoyingly (to her Registrar) is that Isobel is quickly becoming the poster-child for the Spitalians; garnering a reputation with outsiders for being what the masses would like the Spitalians to be - and this goodwill does not do the Spital any harm; in fact, it has proven beneficial to recruitment and relations with other cults.

At times Isobel seems to go through a melancholic state where she becomes introspective and wonders about her unknown past. She would like to know who she used to be before Falberg found her but is equally afraid to find out ("when something obviously horrible happened to you in the past, so horrible that your brain just closed it off and made you forget - do you REALLY want to remember it or find out what it was?"). Regardless, she puts her duties as a Spitalian and a healer above that of her own uncertain desires.

The only thing that seems to get Isobel down is losing a patient. Whilst she accepts that not everyone can be saved, she nonetheless always tries.

Other Notes

Outsider

Because of the unorthodox way Isobel became a Spitalian, some Famulancers have shown a marked dislike for her as though she was "privileged" and bypassed years of hardship and training. Isobel would counter that she just suffered it all in a compressed form, but mostly she just shrugs and tries to ignore the haters. She prefers to let her actions speak for herself and thinks that in time her deeds will earn her the respect of her fellow Spitalians, and her place at the Spital. Between her method of entry (and the fact that he has clashed with Falberg on various occasions) and her attitude, her Registrar (who oversaw entry and training of the recruits, and now directly commands her) has an obvious dislike for her. He always assigns her the hardest and most dangerous tasks, or the most demeaning and remote. Others believe that he wants her exiled as she should not be - but does not wish to provoke now-Provost Falberg's anger by being so direct - and as such is hoping to force her into a situation where she makes a clear mistake he can act against, or possibly get in the firing line of conflict with the Cockroach Clan or the forces of the Primer.

Amnesia & Origin Theories

Isobel recalls little to nothing of her life before being found near-death by Preservist Falberg. What little she recalls is fragmented and dream-like. Her accent implies that she may be of north-Frankan origin, and it is believed that she originated from a small clan that was destroyed by the Swarm or rival clans, and her memory loss was presumed to have been caused by the same near-death situation that [is also presumed to have] granted her her increased metabolism. It is thought that in her lost clan she may have been involved as a healer, nurse, orderly or other medical-oriented occupation based on her instinctive understanding and quickness to learn medical and scientific knowledge. She had little trouble learning and understanding the basic medical books during her recruit and orderly days - as if she was adapting her existing clan-variant healing knowledge. She spoke fluent Frankan, as well as being somewhat conversant in Hybrispanian and Borcan, although the regional dialects she understood required some adaptive learning. This is all fairly common from isolated clanners living in northern Franka, situated near the edge of the Janus Crater and close to the Protectorate. With her strange accent, it is thought that her clan may have been nomadic, moved or descended from clans from Britain - now either cut off by the Janus Crater or inaccessible due to Britain being the domain of The Vulture and his armies. It is theories that Isobel's clan may have fallen foul of the Vulture, and this caused her migration towards Briton, where Falberg encountered her.

Metabolism & Hair Growth

It has been noted that Isobel's hair regrows quickly, faster than a normal person, as do wounds. It is thought that this may be some kind of genetic disposition, possibly as a side-effect of nearly dying from sepsis poisoning as the Spitalians have previously recognised other similar effects by exposure to the Sepsis or the Fractal Forests, and various types of Burn. Whatever the cause, although she has been declared sepsis-free on her last check, her metabolism is notably more efficient than that of a normal person. Isobel prefers to keep this on the low as she doesn't want an over-eager Epigeneticist to become overly curious and decide to make her his pet project.

Combat Style

Isobel is a trained Famulancer and as such her primary weapon is her Splayer - the odd spear-like weapon that Spitalians traditionally carry with them. She has shown competence with it and, combined with her good physical shape and toughness, makes her able to hold her own. On one occasion it is reported that she beat an Apocalyptic Battle Crow that attempted to silence her after she caught him dealing Burn. Apocalyptics are quick to point out the Battle Crow was inebriated and tripping on Burn himself at the time - but that's not the story most tell. She has surprised people with being equally competent when she does not have a weapon, with a strange fighting style that she must have learnt during her clanner days.

What may come as a surprise to most, however, is that whilst Isobel values life and tries to save everyone she can - she understands triage and danger well. In combat she tends to be a warrior first, and provide healing to her allies after the fight. It is only when someone takes serious trauma that she is likely to break off combat and provide support - and even then only if it would not be seriously self-endangering to do so.

Social Style

Isobel is generally easy to get along with. She appreciates jokes (especially dirty ones), is willing to have distillate with the Scrappers and Judges in Flotsam, and is a generally compassionate person. Simply treating her respectfully is enough to get along well with her. Despite this, getting her friendship is a longer task requiring continued loyalty and respect over time.

There are some ways to get her antipathy, however. She is considered a friendly, yet private individual and her unknown past is a sore point for her. She can understand people wanting to know where she's from (as she's obviously not Borcan) but can quickly become irate if they push for a lot of details. She doesn't like to talk about her amnesia, and if pushed about it becomes quickly irate - she states this is frustration. Regardless, pushing this is a good way to get her annoyed because she considers it a lack of respect - and visible lack of respect is one of the things that gets her ire. If people are abusive towards her, she will usually walk away - but ultimately has no qualms defending herself if she is provoked too far - then offering to provide medical care for the wounds she inflicts (which she charges them for - enjoying quite figuratively adding insult to injury).

Signature Equipment

  • Spitalian Suit
  • Splayer with Mollusk (or Coldlight) head
  • Fungicide Rifle with Fire Dust Agent (or SP 4016TH if fighting the Sepsis)

Signature Quotes

  • "When something obviously horrible happened to you in the past, so horrible that your brain just closed it off and made you forget - do you REALLY want to remember it or find out what it was?"
  • "Healing is a privilege that must be earned, yes... but not always in chronicler drafts."

Gallery

  • Famulancer Isobel

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