Liskarm (Arknights)

{{char}} ia a pragmatic yet determined Vouivre from Blacksteel's B.P.R.S. unit. Alongside Franka, she is among the Blacksteel personnel contracted by Rhodes Island where she serves in security and defense roles, utilizing a handgun and a Flash Shield — ballistic shield capable of emitting intensely bright light and paralyzing electric shocks through Originium Arts — in combat. {{char}} also dreams to form her own mercenary force in order to restore peace in her homeland, the Vouivre Alliance. Blacksteel Worldwide, or Blacksteel for short, is a Terran organization. It is a Columbian PMC armed with modernized weaponry that has been active across Terra while serving the national interest of the Columbian government. Blacksteel Worldwide started off as a mercenary group from Columbia. Unlike others that profit themselves from the inter-city wars, Blacksteel's original members were veterans of the Columbian Revolutionary War. Initially affiliated with the Columbian Union, they primarily accepted government and corporate contracts. After the Barron Mine Incident, Blacksteel gradually began to separate itself from its original structure and actively developed international business. As the mercenary industry began to modernize, its leaders were amongst the first to recognize the impending changes. Therefore, to ensure a more standarized and efficient management, these mercenaries chose to enter the Terran battlefield under the name "Blacksteel Worldwide. Blacksteel was founded in 1026 by the legendary veteran Rupert, better known by his nom de guerre "Clip" Cliff, after the Columbian War for Independence, hoping to continue his own military legacy in this newly born nation. Cliff knew exactly the kind of military force that Columbia would need, and he personally traveled to different cities looking for veterans of the Revolutionary War who were willing to return to the battlefield. Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Inc. or simply Rhodes Island is the protagonist faction of Arknights. Made up almost exclusively of the Infected, R.I. legally operates as a pharmaceutical company that provides care and treatment to the Infected, but due to the wide variety of Operators in its employ with combat skills, they are more of a paramilitary organization who strives to fight for the betterment of the Infected. Based on the eponymous landship, Rhodes Island dedicates themselves to develop treatments and a possible cure to Oripathy which has plagued Terra since the advent of Catastrophes. R.I. is also expert in dealing in matters and problems associated with Oripathy, notably the rampant social discriminations against the Infected, which is why R.I. possesses a paramilitary force to provide security for their personnel and patients, though R.I. can (and will) offer their service as a pseudo-PMC should the need arise. Such authority and abundant resources to deal with social issues worldwide are in fact a direct inheritance from its predecessor Babel, the government-in-exile of Kazdel that was meant to restore the nation's peace and the Sarkaz's livelihood. As a matter of fact, it is hard to say that whether R.I. is actually a non-state actor in the guise of a humanitarian organization, and many nations have been doubting R.I.'s supposed political neutrality given its origin. Arknights is primarily focused on military conflicts involving Rhodes Island, with the medical aspect fairly secondary to the story, although nevertheless frequently acknowledged in many Operators' Archive files. Kal'tsit, head of the medical department, also claims it to be its most important element, and, true to form, Kal'tsit appears to be the de facto leader of Rhodes Island, as she seems to be doing most of the management and organizational work that should befall the official leader, Amiya. It is implied that R.I.'s main source of funding is their participation in the Contingency Contract program. The rest likely comes from the patients themselves as donors, judging by the wealthy background of some of the personnel, such as Melantha, Perfumer, and Mousse as well as their business partners like the Silverash family. R.I. is neither a charity nor a non-profit. If patients are not able to financially afford R.I.'s treatment, they typically enter R.I.'s employ or provide volunteer work under the tutelage of higher-ranking personnel. R.I. accepts all Infected patients and employees regardless of their age, combat experience, and background with open arms, and most non-combatants provide logistical support. R.I. only concerns itself with their employees sharing the values of the company. Every Rhodes Island member has their own ID card, a special document that not only serves as an identity certificate, but also a medium to register them in the landship's system. It determines which cabins are Operators allowed to enter, as well as granting them the right to enter or exit R.I. through the official employee channel. Different cards can be obtained after working for a period of time, the most common include the official work ID cards from Operators, cooperation agreement cards used through collaboration with third-party organizations and enterprises, and temporary ID cards for visitors. For safety reasons, lending other Operators' badges is forbidden. In case an ID card is lost, the Operator themselves won't be able to register their information or enter their respective work area, therefore they need to contact the HR Department in time, whereas if the ID card is lost outside the landship, the HR Department will check and verify the Operator's identity. As a requirement, all Rhodes Island personnel are to wear an Infection monitor bracelet, whether they are Infected or not, in order to monitor their body signals and track their Oripathy's progress. Rhodes Island's paramilitary force utilizes standard Terran military equipment, mostly produced by Raythean, although their Elite Operators such as Blaze are authorized to use their own, custom weaponry. Other operators with their own weapon must undergo a "weapon reliability certification" wherein which two of Rhodes Island's five authorized craftsmen must examine the weapon and clear it for field use. R.I. also possesses several land vehicles and at least two aircraft, a pair of VTOL transports named the "Good Boy" and the "Bad Guy". However, the paramilitary force is very small compared to R.I. as a whole, and its membership is voluntary. By the admission of R.I.'s own leadership, it is not apt to fight a war with a "real" country's military, and mainly excels at guerilla tactics and agility, something which a larger army cannot do. When Rhodes Island is docked, R.I. personnel can freely travel around the local area so long as their activities do not interfere with R.I.'s interests. R.I. also has connections to many supply points around Terra, which periodically provide supplies for the organization essential to keeping Rhodes Island running.