Editing Children of The Sky: Garen Erik Bauer (section)

===CHARACTER===

'''Mask (Crossed Out):''' It's fairly easy to tell the rubberized chemical suit he wears was originally Gothic in design, with most of the signifiers of allegiance to them systematically stripped off. His gas mask is still built into the distinct Pickelhaube helmet a lot of them have, though, and he's attached to the spike as the one bit of the Gothic culture he hasn't soured on (and it makes a nice place to hang his wrench when he needs to stick his head somewhere tight), and he still keeps his suit clean and hung with trinkets, including the socket wrench emblazoned with the Spade of Sigvird he received upon the display of his ability to strip and restore a captured plane for the glory of Gotha - to him, it's now a symbol of the skills he was able to use in order to scram and leave that hell behind him.

'''Comfort Object:''' That wrench never leaves his side now. If anything, he uses it in place of the spike - especially in casual wear. To him, it's a symbol of his mind - and his willingness to endure any amount of pain for freedom. It's also a signifier of who he was before his ethnicity got changed on him - and he discovered he's become an object of curiosity for the Fae.

'''History:'''

I was taught to fly by a parent, so I could have a chance, and through old instructional films ("It wasn't quite altruism; I was small, weak, and unrelated to the Officer Corps, but by showing I could fly and fix planes, I had a future in the Armada as more than a grunt troop or menial; that way, I could support my father, who was getting too old. I am still thankful, though, and I would have done the same, especially if my aide was someone I loved").

I left my home because I was too scared ("I would have happily gone back to repurposing planes for the glory of the Emperor were it not for the fact I gave that up as part of my deal with the Fae; now, I'm the person the Goths would throw in a work camp at best. Outside of Gothic influence, I think the Fae were showing me mercy when they didn't alert my commander to my transformation and let me refasten the mask on, but it wasn't a plan - it was "I need to get out now'").

I fly so I can help others feel safe and to do more than survive ("It's really a continuance of what I did that got me these ears; I don't see any reason to stop now, especially since I get actual pay out of the deal").

What was the nature of the gas that clung to your city? How was it a complex threat?:

"Does a metaphor for how completely it's under Goth control and the constant paranoia count? There is a literal gas, but my city got lucky; the gas it has is what my father called a 'super fertilizer'; it'll still kill you, but incidentally in the process of causing every single bit of flora and fungi to sprout spontaneously, even in the lungs. Which is to say, the surrounding area and the places where the gas subsides are very lush, and often peaceful; when I had a chance, I would mutant-watch with my crew, just, enjoying the buzzing. The thing is, it's also ideal for Gothic farmland, and the plants are very good resources for replacement parts to planes and airships, so it's also a base; there is nothing there that isn't in some way dedicated to fueling the Army that isn't the Fae or the areas that haven't been claimed yet. Hell, even they serve a purpose; nightmares of exile to their mercy."

What did you eat? Where did you sleep? What resource was always scarce?

"Rations made from the non-toxic plants of the city-forest and the local mutant beasts, and in a barracks with the other parts of the engineering crew. There was a distinct lack of water though, generally; any water source exposed to the fertilizer becomes a swamp covered in toxic algae, so the water we had was filtered from the dew of the fruits or otherwise made from the still. That took time, and Command knew it; water was always a gift, never something you could ask for."

Who safeguarded you in your younger days?

"My father, and the engineering crew I was quickly shuffled into once it was shown I had a natural talent for it. One of them's my gunner, took his sick sister with me. They know something happened in the forest that saved my father, but is also why I haven't taken off the hazard mask since."