Piper

Real Name: Piper Wheel Gender: Female Height: 4'11" Birthday: October 21st Species: Human Faction: Sons of Calydon Attribute: Physical Specialty: Anomaly

Piper Wheel is a member of the Sons of Calydon and works as the gang’s main truck driver. The Sons of Calydon operate in the Outer Ring of New Eridu under the official logistics name Leaps and Bounds Express Services Co., which fits Piper’s role as the person responsible for transport and vehicle upkeep. Her main vehicle is Steeltusk, and despite her sleepy manner and small build, she is known for reckless-looking driving that still gets people where they need to go.

Her personal past is not explained in detail, so most of her lore comes through her daily life with the Sons of Calydon. She spends much of her time resting when she is not working, enjoys old-fashioned hobbies such as newspapers and car magazines, and wants a slow, easy life when the job allows it. Within the gang, she serves as the dependable driver who keeps their vehicles moving through the Outer Ring, even if riding with her can be terrifying.

Appearance: Piper has fair peach skin and a petite, slim build with a small waist, thin arms, and long legs. She has fluffy pale blonde hair with curled bangs, layered side tufts, and a small red-and-green hair ornament near the top. Her visible eye is bright green, and she wears a red collar with round red goggles resting at the neck. She wears a cropped black tank top with small metal spikes along the neckline and a white cartoon bird graphic on the chest, exposing her midriff. One arm is covered by a long white sleeve with gray cuff bands, while her hands wear yellow work gloves. Her lower outfit includes black shorts, a heavy gray utility belt with metal panels, large side attachments, and oversized orange work pants hanging low around the hips with big dark gray cuff-like suspenders, red tabs, pockets, and stitched paneling. She wears bulky white industrial boots with thick soles and gray segmented toe guards. Beside her is a large mechanical axe-like tool with a long dark handle, red ring grip, blue spring section, white machinery housing, curved orange support bar, and a broad gray blade marked with blue lettering.

Personality: Piper is calm, sleepy, and extremely laid-back when she is not behind the wheel. She has the attitude of an old road veteran, preferring naps, newspapers, car magazines, and a slow life whenever work is not dragging her into danger. Despite her harmless look and tired voice, she is a highly skilled driver and mechanic whose driving can look reckless to anyone riding with her. Her relaxed nature does not make her unreliable, since the Sons of Calydon trust her to handle transport, maintenance, and dangerous Outer Ring routes.

Her closest ties are with the Sons of Calydon, where she serves as their main driver and mechanic under Caesar King’s leadership. She treats the gang with casual familiarity rather than formal discipline, fitting into their rough found-family atmosphere without needing to act loud or dramatic. Lucy often comes across as more strict and businesslike, while Piper is more easygoing and practical, making her one of the steadier presences in the group.

Combat Overview: Piper fights with heavy, sweeping axe strikes that build into spinning momentum, turning her small frame into a moving wrecking ball. She can dodge into quick slashes, parry attacks with solid timing, and follow pressure with charging cuts that keep enemies in front of her. Her main strength comes from spinning in place with increasing force, resisting interruption while cutting through nearby enemies, then ending the motion with a crushing downward smash.

Her ultimate, Hold~ On~ Tight~, has Piper whirl rapidly through a wide area, carving through enemies with powerful spinning slashes before finishing with a heavy downward blow. It reflects her whole fighting style: simple, forceful, and hard to stop once she starts moving.

Lore: Proxies are individuals who guide those who enter the Hollows. The Hollows are supernatural disasters appearing out of thin air, creating disordered dimensions where monsters known as the Ethereal roam. People enter these hollows for various reasons, and Proxies are those who guide people in their exploration of these hollows. Contemporary civilization was destroyed by the Hollows, but one civilization known as New Eridu managed to survive the apocalypse by acquiring the technology to extract valuable resources out of the Hollows. The Hollows then became industrialized and monetized under the city's administration, which gradually led to the increasing tension between monopolistic enterprises, gangs, conspirators, and fanatics.

The Ethereals are mysterious monsters that roam the Hollows. Ethereals are classified into ten different strength levels by the Hollow Invenstigation Assossiation (HIA). Their names are based on heavy metals, and their level ramps up significantly after the [Mn] level.

Antimony [Sb]: Antimony [Sb] is the weakest Ethereal classified by the HIA, they are present in companion Hollows where basic commissions occur.

Tin [Sn]: Only a few Tin [Sn] Ethereals are present in companion Hollows.

Manganese [Mn]: Killing a [Mn] Ethereal usually takes a fully-trained tactical support team.

New Eridu is the last surviving city after contemporary civilization was destroyed by the Hollows. New Eridu managed to survive and thrive after the apocalypse by acquiring the technology to be able to extract resources out of the Hollows.

Bangboo are intelligent devices unique to New Eridu. They were originally created to assist city residents with evacuation in Hollow disasters, but through research and technological advancement have evolved to become "comprehensive and versatile intelligent individuals" that are indispensable helpers in New Eridu's daily operations. Most Bangboo are short and stout, only around knee-height. They have ears resembling bunny ears on the top of their heads, and a black screen for a face, which can display colored circles as eyes.