ARIA

ARIA
Vital statistics
Title	Planestalker Prototype
Nation	Willat / Willat City
Physical attributes
Race	Gynoid
Sex	Sexless, yet based on female forms.
Age	Recently Activated
Fighting Style	Disruptor

Character

First featured in Devastation of Indines. 

Quotes: 

• "Synchronization now at 100%"
• “You’re all three just a heartless coven of… of… of Science Witches!”
• “Wait… are you going to TURN ME OFF??? Let’s talk about th—”
• "This body, this... this robot is ARIA. Even if I'm stuck inside ARIA's body, I'm still Laine, don't forget that!"

Story

ARIA is a prototype mechanical Planestalker created by a merging of three different disciplines.

- Magister Sarafina Vanedran of Willat contribued a robotic chassis, built as a modification of the Cadenza series of clockwork knights. ARIA's chassis is a state-of-the art mechanical system with a wide array of weapons, tactical drives, and self-repair systems.

- Runika Zenanen produced ARIA's central control unit. Unlike typical automatons, ARIA boasts a self-aware and autonomous golem core that can understand and obey complex commands.

- Kaitlyn Van Sorrel created a number of planar circuits which run through ARIA, allowing her to bend space, teleport, and exercise marginal control over time. She also designed many of the instruments and weapons ARIA employs.

ARIA is not equipped primarily as a fighter. When dealing with planar anomalies, there are too many contingencies and possibilities to consider, such that arming an exploration unit to deal with every potential scenario is impossible. Instead, ARIA maintains a transporter link to Planestalkers HQ. When situations arise, she is able to 'beam in' whatever tools or combat support she needs in the form of service drones. These drones are equipped with instruments, weapons, or tools intended to help ARIA in just about any situation.

While the prototype ARIA was built primarily as an exploration unit and a diplomatic research collaboration between the nations, Kaitlyn Van Sorrel is secretly exploring the possibility of mass-producing these units in a combat capacity to supplement the meager standing forces of the Planestalkers.

Plot During BattleCON: Devastation

When Runika is excavating the ruins of Helim Mekhit, she stumbles upon the dragon queen, Adjenna, who is working to weaken the seal around the Greyheart, the ancient tyrannical Dragon King. Though Runika escapes, her assistant, Laine Shevelt, is turned to glass by Adjenna. 

Upon Runika’s return to Helim Mekhit, she finds that instantaneous death caused Laine’s soul to be stored inside of a latent golem core that she wore as a piece of jewelry. Taking this golem core back to her laboratory, Runika hatches a plan to ‘save’ Laine by implanting the golem core into an automaton. Contacting her past research connections, Sarafina and Kaitlyn, the three put together the prototype ARIA unit, which eventually aids Runika in stopping the machinations of Byron Krane and saving Indines.

Future Adventures

After her adventures with Runika, ARIA becomes a full-fledged member of the Planestalkers, and joins them on their quest to explore new worlds and protect Indines from outside invasion.

10 Facts about ARIA

1. Her golem core contains the soul of Runika’s deceased assistant, Laine Shevelt. Thus, ARIA has all of Laine's memories and personality.
2. ARIA is the only Android in Indines designed specifically with planar travel in mind.
3. The Planestalkers hope to mass-produce ARIA style drones if this prototype proves capable in combat.
4. ARIA’s design is based on the same basic design as Sophica Sentavra, as all three of her creators worked together with Gretel Sentavra on the Sophica project at Argent.
5. Her drones are stored in a specially prepared chamber at Planestalkers HQ when not in use. They are teleported in and out of her current location on demand, and new drones are constantly being added and tested.
6. Though she lost some of her memories in the trauma that killed Laine, ARIA still retains most of Laine’s personality and memories. She’s a little bit self-conscious about being a robot now, and keeps trying to wear clothes.
7. Her maximum flight speed is 60 kph, and she can cross dimensions freely when flying at least 30 kph.
8. Her pan-dimensional oculus allows her to see all colors of light, sound, and across different planes simultaneously.
9. When she was first activated, Iri took her on a tour of all the major planes.
10. Her favorite plane is the Celestial Plane. She finds it peaceful there, and everyone else can fly too, so it doesn’t seem out of place when she does it.

Personality: Calculating, Detached, Curious

Personal Possessions: Sentient Sphere, implanted by Runika

Likes: Sanghalese Mineral Oil

Dislikes: Doppelgangers

Powers & Abilities

While Vilnar's Cadenza model was built to be a shock troop, the ARIA prototype is designed as a combat support unit, able to provide logistics, targeting, and increased command capabilities to a host of other units. ARIA is most powerful with an army of Cadenza bots under her control, but since she's still in development, she only commands smaller support drones. A teleportation drive built into her core allows her to transport support drones into battle as necessary, though it takes a little time for this device to recharge between imports.

Relationships

• Created By -> Runika, Kaitlyn, Sarafina

Game appearances and playstyle

Devastation of Indines

• Aria is the fastest fighter in Devastation of Indines. Her priorities are uncanny, typically sitting at +1 and going all the way to +5. During battle, ARIA will deploy drones to the field that provide passive penalties to opponents and active benefits to herself. She possesses medium range and low power, but her power can easily be augmented by her drones.
  While she begins at a slight disadvantage, once she 'digs in' and sets up her combat array, ARIA can be a force to be reckoned with. Like Byron, many of her best effects require specific ranges to trigger, meaning that she must keep constantly on the move and adapt her strategy to thwart whatever position the opponent is attempting to set up against her. With specific setups, ARIA is able to launch extremely dangerous attacks. Thus, much like Tanis and Byron, the opponent needs to keep in mind what her favorable positions are and actively prevent her from setting them up.

Strikers

• ARIA's Striker card has a variety of effects including powering up and healing.

Pixel Tactics 3

• ARIA appears in PT3 as a leader, with the unit name "Drone".

Gallery

Alternate Art by Fabio Fontes

ARIA Alt Art Concept Sheet (by Fontes)

Character Kit in BattleCon

Unique Abilities

Ability Name	Character Version	Description
Support Droids	Original	ARIA has 3 support droid markers which can be placed onto the field by certain effects on her styles and unique base.  She begins with one droid of her choice in play in her own space.  Droids do not take up space and can be freely moved over and onto by players.  These droids perform various functions that are determined by her styles.  They also have passive effects that affect opponents standing in or adjacent to their spaces: Magnetron: -1 Priority Dampening: -1 Power Turret:  End of Beat:  Lose 1 life
Integrated Systems	Alternate Art	ARIA has 3 Droid Markers.  She begins a duel with all of them off the table. During Ante, ARIA can pay 1 life to activate a Droid's effect on an opponent adjacent to or in the same space as the Droid. Turret:  Opponent loses 1 life. Magnetron:  Opponent has -1 Priority. Dampening:  Opponent has -1 Power. She can do this up to 3 times per Droid on the table.  Droids have no inherent effect unless she spends life to activate them. Each time a Droid is removed from the table, ARIA regains 1 life.
Sight Support System	EX	ARIA has 3 support droid markers which can be placed onto the field by certain effects on her styles and unique base.  She begins with one droid of her choice in play in her own space.  Droids do not take up space and can be freely moved over and onto by players.  These droids perform various functions that are determined by her styles.  They also have passive effects that affect opponents standing in or adjacent to their spaces: Magnetron: -2 Priority Dampening: -2 Power Turret:  End of Beat:  Lose 2 life
Power Charge System	Almighty	ARIA has 3 support droid markers which can be placed onto the field by certain effects on her styles and unique base.  She begins with one droid of her choice in play in her own space.  Droids do not take up space and can be freely moved over and onto by players.  These droids perform various functions that are determined by her styles. They also have passive effects that affect opponents standing in or adjacent to their spaces: Magnetron: -2 Priority Dampening: -2 Power Turret:  End of Beat:  Lose 3 life When ARIA hits an opponent, she has +1 Power for each passive Droid effect active on that opponent.

Personal Styles and Bases

Color	Name	Range	Power	Priority	Effect
	Photovoltaic	+0~2	-1	+1	On Hit: Remove any number of your Droid Markers from the board. For each Droid Marker removed, this attack has +1 Power. After Activating: Place a Droid Marker from your supply into ARIA's space.
	Catalyst	+1~2	-1	+1	An opponent cannot hit you if the Dampening Droid is between ARIA and that opponent. Reveal: +4 Priority if ARIA is standing in the same space as her Magnetron Droid.
	Ionic	+0~1	+0	+1	Reveal: The nearest opponent’s base has 3 Priority instead of its printed value. Start of Beat: Each opponent is pulled up to 1 space towards your Magnetron Droid.
	Laser	+0	+0	+0	You may calculate the range of this attack from any droid or from Aria. End of Beat: Each opponent at range 3 from your Turret Droid loses 3 life.
	Dimensional	+2	-1	+4	Reveal: If the opponent is at range 3, this attack has +2 Power. Otherwise, this attack does not stun opponents. End of Beat: Move directly to any space.
	Reconfiguration	X	2	3	The range of this attack is all spaces containing Droids. Before Activating: Move directly to any unoccupied space, then add a Droid Marker from your supply to any unoccupied space on the board.
FINISHER	Laser Lattice	1~2	2	6	On Hit: Move the opponent 1 space. After Activating: A Droid that has not executed this attack yet executes this attack, calculating its range from that droid’s position.
FINISHER	Synchro Merge	2~3	3	6	Start of Beat: Remove any number of droids from the game. For each droid removed this way, ARIA has Stun Guard 1 and +1 Power for the rest of the game. (Droids removed this way can never return to play).

Droid Markers

Name	Effect
Magnetron	-1 Priority
Dampening	-1 Power
Turret	End of Beat:  Lose 1 life

Striker

STRIKER	Aria
Laser Matrix	Support	3	Each time an opponent activates a movement effect, that opponent loses 1 life and has -1 power.
		4
		5
Support Drone	Ante		This attack has your choice of +1 power, +1 priority, Soak 1, or +0~1 range.
Med Support	Boost		End of Beat: If you were not stunned, recover 3 life.
"Drones are now authorized to run the termination protocol."

Pixel Tactics Unit

Support Drone Division
	Appears in: Pixel Tactics 3	STR	LIFE
Aria		4	18
Drone		2	3
Leader	Bonuses that affect 'supporters' and 'forerunners' apply to entire rows for your unit.
Vanguard	Your Vanguard heroes have Intercept.
Flank	You have one additional action during the Flank turn (not the turn you play this).
Rear	Your Rear heroes have Ranged Attack.
Order	Ongoing: Opponents' Vanguard heroes lose all abilities.

Disc Duelers

Aria
Attacks	3
Movements	1
Ranged attacks begin at any edge of the table.

Videos

BattleGUIDES

BattleGUIDES Episode 18 - ARIA