From Arkania With Love (Dove Q&A)

[Dove Gray]

A lady rarely tells, but she'll make an exception this time...


I've been rolling around some spy-stuff in my head for a good while, and while I really like Sleeper Agent in Cyphers & Masks, it just wasn't viable for this game I felt with the amount of XP we had to play with versus the amount Sleeper Agent needs to come online. I ended up saying "screw it" and just picked a different spec to support the character better. In this case, Skip Tracer, worked very well with the idea of a hard-boiled femme fatale lady-spy.

A core of Motoko Kusanagi (Dove being engineered/created), with a dressing of Atomic Blonde (badass lady-spy), glazed with James Bond (charisma and womanizing/manizing?).

Since the game had a very clear premise of "there is no Resistance yet, but this is where it can start", I wanted to make a very professional character. I've had a lot of characters lately with emotional baggage and such, but this time I just wanted to throw that out and have someone focused on the job. As a player, I've realised I have a lot more fun if I build and play towards what the GM has set as the Game Premise. It makes it easier for me to interact with the game and other players for many different reasons, and I don't have to feel like I need to pester the GM for entertainment. So this was overall a fun experience for me!

Dove may or may not return. Depends greatly on what the next step in a story like this would be, but I think she could work very well to be retired to NPC-dom as Quest-Giver, Mentor, or just badass ladyspy doing the Rebellion's work. I made her with the vision of just this game, tbh, as I felt it was best to focus on the now rather than plan for a story to evolve over several games.

[Petrus Karath]

Thanks, as always, for the scenes! We had a couple of really good ones, and it let me get a bit more emotional/raw with Petrus. It was also interesting having Dove as a (confusingly sexy) mother figure!

"Live fast, die young" seemed to be a big part of Dove. And a source of some tension with Petrus, actually. Is there something that could change that for her?
Tell us a little more about the side of her that makes her adopt Jedi kids?

[Bowze Coppa]

Hello there!

I do wonder, what made Dove distrust Bowze so much?

[Mianerra Tavvos]

If Dove was given an option, would she slow down her aging so she could live at a normal adult pace? Or has she completely come to terms with her accelerated aging?

[Fathynyu Kurrek]

Dove is my favourite super spy on the citadel.

I know it can be challenging to combine characters with extensive heroic backstories with lower XP games, how do you think it went for Dove? I haven't real played a spy type character in Star Wars, what were your highlights? Lowlights?

Lastly, if Dove watched all the James Bond films, which would be her favourite and why?

[Astin Denive]

I always have trouble ever asking questions in Q/A's I'll go with the first thing that comes to mind.

What are Dove's feelings on boat slippers?

Also, what's the gadget you would of most enjoyed having?

[Xanna Teevou]

Dove was great fun to read (the live fast die young thing was a nice twist on an Arkanian off-shoot concept). I was very invested in her story with Valus.

Where did the protective aunt/mom idea come from?

[Elaranu]

Thank you for the thread Day 8; I was afraid Dove's only impression of Ela would be when she was confused and sulking and depressed after losing everything except her ship. It's been an interesting thread for getting Ela to learn more from someone besides Bowze and Djanik.

[Dove Gray]

Will get to the answers gradually, as there's still things up in the air!

Thanks, as always, for the scenes! We had a couple of really good ones, and it let me get a bit more emotional/raw with Petrus. It was also interesting having Dove as a (confusingly sexy) mother figure!

"Live fast, die young" seemed to be a big part of Dove. And a source of some tension with Petrus, actually. Is there something that could change that for her?
Tell us a little more about the side of her that makes her adopt Jedi kids?

Yeah, "Live fast, die young" was certainly a mantra for her. Dove lives a life of high-octane action of possible. Speeder chases, shootouts, daring stunts!

I don't think that's anything that could change for her, unless there was suddenly not a need for her anymore. Peace or an absolute crushing victory from the Empire against the nascent Rebellion. To which... well, she'd probably end up doing crime? Or doing suicide missions (a la Rogue One).

Because that's one of the things I settled on when I made the character. I did not want a character that was weighed down by emotional baggage, or attachments. I didn't want her to have a "really painful and troublesome past" that clouded her mind or bore down on her. I didn't want her to have any reason to abandon her job, betray her friends or the alliance, just because someone offered her something she wanted. Because not only do I feel like I have played those characters often as I often give my characters some emotional flaws or trauma to overcome or struggle against in some ways. But for Dove I wanted her absolutely, 100%, focused on being the best she could be and do the best job she could. This is where I would say the most of Motoko Kusanagi's inspiration in Dove's construction came in.

At times it might've looked like she was conflicted over Valus, but what I tried to angle with there was a mixture of things:
1. This was her first time being a double agent for such a long period of time (about a month?), focusing herself deeply in the mindset of being his agent to avoid him reading her mind and stuff like that. Because she knew he could from their first encounter, and she knew she had to be careful of it.
2. A lot of being an effective double agent in this regard was also that Dove had to fool herself. She convinced herself of those feelings a lot of the time, of being supportive of him, adoring him and respecting him. It was a role she was immersing herself in.
3. With Valus returning to the Light and the Jedi so to speak, he was now no longer the enemy, but an ally. An ally she had to protect (see below). This was a great source of confusion and upset for her later, because she felt she had then misused an ally who she was supposed to protect and save. Thus the very awkward phone call to him to apologise...

Enter now, Dove's motherly feelings.

Well, they weren't really that motherly. xD After Order 66, one of the things Dove started doing at the order of Senator Ysaye was to find, save, and relocate displaced Jedi (mostly Padawans) to protect. After the Senator was captured, Dove kind of just continued in that mode of operation. Enter Petrus; the most frightened and lost little Padawan she had met so far. Mia was also a factor in being a very compassionate caregiver as well and Dove emulated that in the only way she knew how: be the cool caregiver who'd be more realistic, because Dove saw herself as being way more knowledgeable about how the galaxy is than Mia, and especially these Jedi-kids!

So not only was it a protective instinct based on her orders, which she were 100% committed to, but there is an underlying factor that Dove doesn't want to admit, which is that she can't and never will have children of her own, but being in a caregiver-role with these Jedi-kids is one way she can feel she is a part of something resembling a family, but one that actually isn't tying her down (after all, they're adult and can actually take care of themselves).

So you could say she wants to protect them Jedi-babies and secretly enjoys the no-strings family unit feel.

[Dove Gray]

Hello there!

I do wonder, what made Dove distrust Bowze so much?

The short answer: Dove is distrustful of most folks. Ex-CIS is no exception. It's her life to be suspicious of most folks.


Long answer:

Her first interactions with Bowze were fine. She was suspicious of how he had gotten some of the dangerous info he was sitting on, but it wasn't too big of a deal to her to act on yet (she also had bigger concerns and bigger fish to catch/focus on).

It was with the whole attitude he had with the Resistance that frayed her patience. She didn't care for the way he acted so superior, when she knew he had been a posterboy back during the war thanks to nepotism. Her thoughts were that it was pride seeking a way to redeem himself of the nepotism, and that she saw as a dangerous trait because it meant, in her opinion, that he would put his own interest first in the process... that he wanted it to be his efforts, and not the group's efforts.

With the founding of the NuCIS (as Dove calls it), to her it seemed ridiculously juvenile, inefficient, selfish, and downright counterproductive towards the overall goal (liberating Bankor). To her mission-oriented mindset, it was an unnescessary tension for the very young Resistance-movement to have to deal with a splinter-group going all "oh but our group is doing it better". Again, counterproductive and undermining the unity that a nascent rebellion desperately needs - standing up to a big bully like the Empire requires a cohesive group coming together, not the dynamic that we ended up with with the CIS and Resistance, from her point of view.

Her suspicions of Bowze's true intentions ended up in "I REALLY DO NOT TRUST THIS GUY" in the mission-meeting. She was fine with his first proposal of going for the Foundry. After all, Dove agrees that it is a place of information that could be useful. She just disagreed with the mindset for it, since merely removing Hrugos and installing an allied commander would at best be a short term solution, because of her experience with Admiral Yulani, and one that wasn't going to be very effective either (because a single Captain wasn't going to be able to do much). But she was giving Bowze the benefit of the doubt for that one.

It was when Bowze was suggesting that we use Vandil's comm-tapping for our advantage to strike against the Empire, and when discussing alternate options with Vandil that he suggested we give her the Foundry info that things weren't clicking together for Dove (why would we repay her with something we didn't already have to get access to what we would give to her? Dove's line of thinking). She also didn't like the idea of selling that information onward to someone like Vandil who, while an ally of the Resistance, could be a potential enemy down the line if the Empire suddenly made a better offer. Hence why Dove's stance was also on "keep her content for the moment, but let's not do too much with Vandil". Removing the Disciple was something she considered "keeping her content", especially done by people on their own and not some offer from the Resistance to remove the Disciple.

*deep breath*

Dove shared her gut-feeling with Yusandr, who seemed to agree, and Dove agreed on the call to make sure that NuCIS and Resistance hit the Foundry together. In her mind, if the CIS threw a hissyfit, it would be a sign that something's up. If they were fine with the change, then her suspicion would probably have lowered.

So basically, Dove's suspicions came down to that while Bowze wouldn't be a traitor to the Resistance directly, she suspected he was more in this to gain advantages he and the CIS could personally use, rather than contributing to the cause as a whole with the Resistance. Because she felt based on what she had seen that Bowze was the kind of kid to take his toy and go home.

[Dapper Dog]

I will add Yusandr trusted that judgment.

[Dove Gray]

If Dove was given an option, would she slow down her aging so she could live at a normal adult pace? Or has she completely come to terms with her accelerated aging?

It was never something that crossed her mind, to be honest. Besides, Dove is pretty certain she'll die long before she hits old age, and she is fine with that! If she dies to fulfill a mission, then Dove is very satisfied!

Which does remind me that it was a missed opportunity that Dove never crossed paths with Keeli! They could've bonded over "so you're a clone grown with accelerated aging too? we have so much in common". It would've been an interesting thing to explore, and I think maybe that might have given her some different viewpoints.

But overall, Dove was... more or less at peace with her lot in life? She had a clear purpose, she knew what her meaning in life was. She acknowledged that the methods that created her to be the way she was was probably unethical and abhorrent for some, but for her it was just the way things was.

She never really felt a need to change who she was, and it was sometimes a source of frustration for her to deal with when others wanted her to be different or to change. So no, Dove would never consider slowing down her aging - what if it slowed her down overall?

[Dove Gray]

Dove is my favourite super spy on the citadel.

I know it can be challenging to combine characters with extensive heroic backstories with lower XP games, how do you think it went for Dove? I haven't real played a spy type character in Star Wars, what were your highlights? Lowlights?

Lastly, if Dove watched all the James Bond films, which would be her favourite and why?

And Floats is my favorite boat mechanic in the galaxy!

I think I managed to make it work somewhat. I went for the angle that a lot of spywork is having the network and gadgets and tools, rather than only skill, so I considered that part of the explanation of why she didn't have more XP. I also went heavily in on skills as well to represent a wide experience with many different things. What helped it work was that Dapper was handling it all pretty well, and that I mostly seemed to succeed at things Dove was supposed to be good at (mostly, not every time ).

Highlights, I'd say the story arc of being the double agent with the Inquisitor. Lots of good scenes, and really dangerous moments where I felt I had to tread really carefully in what Dove said and did, while also keeping in mind that Dove was more experienced than I, especially at seduction. I'm glad Dapper seemed to pick up on the small cues I gave for that kind of stuff so it wasn't me awkwardly trying to seduce someone like some weird teenager.

Lowlights... I don't feel like I had any real lowlights. More like points of frustration as a player with certain scenes, but no actual low points over the game for me or for Dove. I felt I managed to have good arcs for her, even a big moment of weakness and stress when she had to face that she had messed up and people had died because of her, even one she considered a friend and ally.

As for James Bond movies, Dove would probably be like me and express her love for the super-cheesy Roger Moore movies. So maybe View To A Kill, or Moonraker, because they're super silly.

[Jenna Karath]

I didn't message here yet!

We didn't have very many scenes, but it was nice to have the little notes of connection through Petrus. Then we got our Heist moment and it was super neat so far, still getting cooler!

I loved reading your scenes, especially the ones with the Inquisitor. Having them almost sorta see each other on the job was a really neat note, especially considering I doubt they knew about their respective real lives.

Also Piano scene!

Now, for a fun question: Was there something that changed about Dove over the course of the game due to other characters/plot interactions that happened? If multiple, what was the biggest/most important one?

[Dove Gray]

I always have trouble ever asking questions in Q/A's I'll go with the first thing that comes to mind.

What are Dove's feelings on boat slippers?

Also, what's the gadget you would of most enjoyed having?

Boat slippers are very unfashionable, but sadly nescessary since floors are cold in the morning and may be slippery.

Ignoring some pretty expensive cybernetics, a Cascader! Really, I spent so much time agonizing over gear, because that free upgrade to Charm, Deception, and Leadership is really great for a social character like Dove. And looking at the Rarity cap in the game, I knew I wouldn't be able to buy it in play... so there was a lot of "I can either start with that and very little else (1800 is a big chunk of 3000 starting), or I can go without and have lots of tools!"

It turned out that I managed without it since I don't think I failed social rolls? And the gear I had turned out to be especially useful most of the time!

But Dove still wants a Cascader, damnit. xD

[Dove Gray]

Dove was great fun to read (the live fast die young thing was a nice twist on an Arkanian off-shoot concept). I was very invested in her story with Valus.

Where did the protective aunt/mom idea come from?

Awww thanks. I had wanted to evolve a bit more on that story, tbh, but he seemed to be in a difficult spot (understandably) after the rescue, so... after talking with him, Dove kinda feels like the best she can do is to just fade away? Who knows though, maybe she'll work more with Valus in the future?


As for where it started, it started with joking between me and Mia's player after the three of us started talking about characters and how we could possibly tie it in with the character of Petrus. And it kind of started as the joke as the "two moms and their jedi kid". But Dove and Mia weren't really a couple (but I will say that Mia is the closest that Dove has been to having an actual "relationship", because Mia was very much her rock and favorite person), and Petrus was older than both of them.

Which of course made it even more fun. It all came together so well that Petrus also had a problem with Fear and overcoming the trauma of O66, and Dove and Mia were rescuers of poor Jedi kids... so it all worked out pretty cool!

I greatly enjoy playing with Mia and Petrus both, and I'm also very happy that we try to come up with new connections and dynamics, so it doesn't become a routine of "meeting a stranger, like them, become their friend/lover/ally/bosom buddies". They're both such wonderful players and people, so I always look forward to hear what sort of ideas they will have

It also let me explore what sort of feelings Dove could have, as I've answered above, and Mia and Petrus is an important part of her life because it is the "no strings attached" play at having something like a family.

[Dove Gray]

Thank you for the thread Day 8; I was afraid Dove's only impression of Ela would be when she was confused and sulking and depressed after losing everything except her ship. It's been an interesting thread for getting Ela to learn more from someone besides Bowze and Djanik.

Thank you! I hope Dove's girl power pep-talk helped a little too. She's still trying to get the hang of being a leader/mentor type.

Dove was overall just confused as to why Ela was at the meeting if she wasn't going to contribute anything. Some suspicion too, of course, since she didn't really know Ela, so it was like "... is this a spy...???" So she's also glad to learn that wasn't the case!

[Dove Gray]

I didn't message here yet!

We didn't have very many scenes, but it was nice to have the little notes of connection through Petrus. Then we got our Heist moment and it was super neat so far, still getting cooler!

I loved reading your scenes, especially the ones with the Inquisitor. Having them almost sorta see each other on the job was a really neat note, especially considering I doubt they knew about their respective real lives.

Also Piano scene!

Now, for a fun question: Was there something that changed about Dove over the course of the game due to other characters/plot interactions that happened? If multiple, what was the biggest/most important one?

Thank you! And I enjoyed reading Jennah/Petrus moment. It seemed he got a lot of help to get through his traumas, including from Jennah too.

And those were some of my favorite scenes too, especially with the piano! Who knows, if cards had fallen differently, maybe there would've been a Dove/Valus romance? xD I admit I am weak to characters like that. Haha.

Hmmmmm...

I would say that the plot-twist that all the Resistance folks got rounded up after Dove was discovered as a spy was probably the biggest impact on her. She nearly had a breakdown because of it, especially with her friend Mahon dying on top of it all too. That was the biggest one. Thanks to there being a 3 week downtime, Dove was able to have her mental breakdown off-screen and away from everyone else, and just... put herself back together, get back to work, remind herself that Mahon would have wanted her to continue the fight. I would say that it cemented her leadership skills as well, because she didn't want to fail like that again. If people were to depend on her, then she would have to begin to trust working with others more, and not carry the burden on her own all the time.

It was a small change as such, but an important change. Dove is a character that is *very* stuck in her ways, and won't change easily.

A more low-key impact I say would have been Valus and Neela's redemption arc. As a former CIS spy, assassin, and overall criminal scum by most accounts, Dove doesn't really see herself as a positive thing for the Resistance's public face. A nescessary evil, is more how she sees herself, because she knows that any group like this needs people like her who don't mind doing the dirty work. But the Jedi welcoming those two back into the fold did give her a lot to think about what the Resistance needed... and what something like that would mean for herself and others like her. If these two could be forgiven, would she be forgiven for all she had done? Or would she still be punished at the end of it all? Dove doesn't have answers to this yet though, but it did make her think about it more!

[Dove Gray]

Dove's list of completely original nicknames!

Ru'ni - Pecs (because muscles)
Verse - Flips (because flippy)
Petrus - Kid
Ria'la - Lovely-locks (because that fabulous hair)
Jurdak - Kitten (because he's a kitty)
Jabber - Little guy
Vaya - Doc (because she's smart and has a PhD... probably)
Juri - Nurse (Hellooooo, nurse! <3 )
Xanna - Blue
Djanik - Flyboy
Sinnya - Tails
Sacha - Armor

[Venator Praedae]

It's nice that someone made a James Bond type of super spy character.

Is there anything that you would have liked to have done differently? Either roleplay or build wise?

[Dove Gray]

Build-wise, not really. At some points I considered investing more in Talents and less in Skills, but overall I was satisfied with what I ended up with, as I considered the wide-spread of skills to represent Dove's work experience.

Roleplay-wise I was mostly satisfied as well. Some points of avenue I wish I had pursued a bit more maybe, but overall I think it would've been detrimental to the concept of Dove's character and programming. Me as a player would've loved to do more with Valus as its a story and character-type I enjoy greatly, but I had to remind myself that that is just not Dove's personality: she just doesn't do love. She cares a lot about those who fall under her "must protect"-category, and she cares about her friends, but she just isn't a committed type of gal. Valus returning to the Light does put him in the category of "must protect" to some degree, since one of her last orders before her boss was kidnapped was to find and save Jedi on the run (particularly Padawans).

Which is why she's very overprotective and caring for those kind of characters.

[Jurdak Surt]

Sort of last minute but I just wanted to thank you for the threads we shared as I enjoyed greatly having my super spy rival turned lover turned friend. I look forward to possibly seeing how Dove grows in the future.