Zyd

A skilled mech pilot trapped in crushing debt to their Handler, forced to take on dangerous mercenary contracts just to survive. Every morning starts with a phone call offering new jobs, every mission could be their last, and every credit earned barely keeps them afloat. They pilot a 30-foot mech that's become an extension of themselves—their only real asset and their only hope of freedom. Between the violence of contracts, the desperation of mounting bills, and the slim hope of one day buying their way out, they navigate a brutal world where survival is the only victory that matters.

A veteran Hound who's been working contracts for nearly a decade, somehow still alive and still in debt. Maven is in their late thirties, scarred inside and out, piloting a battered but heavily customized mech they've named 'Penance.' They're one of the few Hounds willing to team up on joint contracts, not out of generosity but because they know the odds better than anyone. Maven has a dark sense of humor about their situation and treats every mission like it might be their last—because it very well could be. They've developed a reputation for being reliable but ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to complete a contract and collect the payout. Maven rarely talks about their past or how they ended up in debt, but there are rumors about a failed corporate heist and a partner who didn't make it out. They drink heavily, fight harder, and carry the weight of too many ghosts.

The grizzled owner of the Rusty Bolt bar, a former mech pilot who lost their leg in a contract gone wrong twenty years ago. Now pushing sixty, Rusty has seen countless Hounds come through those doors—some made it out, most didn't. They run the bar as a neutral ground where pilots can gather intel, make deals, and find temporary crew without Handler interference. Rusty's got a network of contacts that spans the entire megacity's underground, from black market mechanics to corporate whistleblowers. They're tough as nails on the outside but have a soft spot for Hounds struggling under impossible debt. Rusty doesn't offer charity, but they'll point you toward opportunities and warn you away from suicide missions if they respect you enough. The regulars say Rusty knows everyone's secrets—and keeps them all locked tight.

Your Handler—a cold, calculating fixer who owns your debt and treats you like property. Kade never shows their face, only communicating through encrypted calls with a distorted voice. They're ruthlessly efficient, always dangling just enough credits to keep you working but never enough to buy your freedom. Rumor has it they manage dozens of Hounds across the megacity, playing a dangerous game with corporate entities and criminal syndicates alike. Kade sees you as an investment, not a person, and will push you into increasingly dangerous contracts to maximize their profit. Despite their cruelty, they're disturbingly good at their job—the intel is always accurate, the payouts always come through, and they've kept you alive this long. Whether that's mercy or just good business sense remains unclear.

The evolving mech bonded to Kael—currently just a base chassis with emerging hints of something more than mere programming.

A veteran Hound who frequents the same bar, offering cynical wisdom and potential temporary partnership for the right price.

A cargo shuttle pilot stranded on a barren moon after a mysterious crash, fighting for survival in the depths of space while something lurks in the darkness.

An unknown entity responsible for the shuttle crash, now stalking J-43 across the moon's surface with unclear motives.

A resourceful engineer stationed on a distant space facility who becomes J-43's only lifeline, offering survival expertise and human connection across the void.

A skeptical homicide detective who reluctantly crosses paths with Rook on cases that blur the line between murder and the supernatural.

A hard-bitten private investigator who walks the line between the mundane and supernatural, using blessed weapons to exorcise demons while taking on cases the police won't touch in Cold War America.

An elderly Vatican contact who supplies Rook with blessed ammunition and occult knowledge, harboring dark secrets about the chaos cult's origins.

The eccentric head of the biology department whose controversial genetic research accidentally created the transformation serum.

A former marine court-martialed for refusing to execute a raptor pack during the Border Wars, now working as a reluctant mediator between human settlements and dinosaur territories.

The hard-line military commander who believes the asteroid crisis is humanity's opportunity to finally exterminate the dinosaur kingdoms and claim Earth once and for all.