Magpie

Mags without her scarf and hood

**Magpie (referred to as Mags)** is the protagonist of ***The Everyman's Answer.*** Previously a New Haven citizen who stole the Governor's Potentia Key, Mags threw herself off the brinks of New Haven, hoping her body and the key would be lost among the Otherworlds. Against all odds, Mags survived, and is pursued by the Governor and her Locusts. Mags decides to form an alliance with the Fireteam in hopes of a better chance of survival, and becomes the fourth Weaving member of the Fireteam. Throughout the story, she travels and fights alongside Lesroth, Evie, Alcander, Sanguine and Quinn.

## Biography

### Childhood

Mags (Aryllia Bautista) grew up in the heart of Saylum during the Golden Age, alongside her neighbor and former best friend, Alcander Rodsarios. The two spent their childhood exploring the vast wonders of the city.

In their late teenage years, the two became rebellious. They attempted to pull a heist to steal a rumored Ark Angel invention, said to grant its bearer any desire they wish. The two were quickly caught, and Alcander backstabbed Aryllia, landing her into government custody while Alcander got away with clean hands.

Instead of sending her to prison, officials sent her to a 'rehabilitation program' in testing. Designed and engineered by the Ark Angels, patients were subjected to horrifying virtual realities. Aryllia underwent intense treatment for eight months, causing all memories of her previous life lost and forgotten, and her hair turned white.

Her treatment ended when the Exodus of Thayce began. It was decided that the patients of the facility would be as Mutant bait to give the Saylumians a chance to escape. Barely escaping with the clothes off her back, Aryllia found New Haven with the help of a mysterious Incendiarist.

## Appearance

Mags is a twenty-nine year old woman of Polish and possible Native(?) descent. She has tan skin and piercing green eyes. Though she was born with dark brown hair, she suffered from Marie Antoinette syndrome during her time in Ark Angel rehab, and her hair turned white. She mostly keeps her hair (described as stringy and greasy) in a low side bun. Mags has somewhat of a round face and a hooked nose.

She also has ear piercings and a cartilage piercing on her right ear. Mags has long, black coffin nails resembling bird talons, and her hands are adorned with various rings she has found along her travels. Gleaming necklaces dangle from her neck, hinting that Mags has a flair for jewelry.

Mags' body language resembles that of a bird. Her lithe, toned body is poised yet ready to pounce at a minute's notice. She almost never blinks and tilts her head akin to how a bird tilts their head.

Her Fireteam insignia is a red scarf that she ties around her face to conceal her identity, complete with a hood.

## Personality

### The beginning of *The Everyman's Answer*

Out of all of her team members amongst the *Fireteam,* Mags is one of the most inspiring characters that has changed the most.

In the beginning of *Amidst the Wastelands,* Mags is portrayed a depressed and suicidal woman, lacking in self-confidence. The first few chapters display that she is negative and does not see the point in life, but is too afraid to kill herself after she threw herself off the brinks of New Haven.

Her self-confidence slowly grows as Mags is continuously confronted with Mutants and bandits throughout the story. She admits that she doesn't want to die a painful death by the hands of Mutants or warmongers, and figures that her only choice is to survive against her will. Not only does she gain courage, she regains her pride. As she fights and is faced with trials and tribulations, she discovers herself as a cunning and intelligent woman who gains insight from her experiences, and a sassy woman with a sarcastic sense of humor. The most prominent trait about Mags is her kindness towards others, her refusal to let anyone step on her, and her values on important virtues such as teamwork and family. She becomes strong-willed and stubborn when it comes to making her own decisions - refusing to be a push over - feeling regret yet keeping enough grit to the point where she’s an unstoppable force to reckoned with. Her honesty in not afraid of admitting her mistakes allows her to move with grace throughout future chapters. While she does continue to fight inner securities, they are anything but minor -- moments that allow Mags to show the inner strength and resilience she beautifully beholds.

In the end, Mags is more open minded and optimistic. No longer is she depressed nor negative and tries to bring out the best in others.

## Skills and Abilities

### Offense

Mags is no stranger to fighting, though it is unknown where she got her skills from. Mags' arms can extend to morph into bird talons, which she can use in the fashion of blades. Thus, she is capable of engaging multiple enemies simultaneously in open combat, able to eliminate them with noteworthy brutality and efficiency. She is also a talented markswoman, able to wield a pistol with great precision and accuracy.

Mags can also summon a murder of Magpies to drill into the skulls and flesh of her enemies, biding her time to escape or aiding her in a fight.

### Defense

Mags can pulsate a solidified barrier of feathers around her, guarding her against offensive attacks.

### Stealth/Movement

As a Magpie Weaver, Mags is highly proficient in stealth. She is able to silently infiltrate heavily guarded locations, utilizing various hiding spots including corners, tables, or rooftops. From a far distance, she is even able to utilize the shadows in order to avoid detection.

A talented free runner, Mags is able to traverse the obstacles of urban terrain with relative ease, her agility, speed, and athleticism aiding her greatly. She can also reach high-scale destinations and areas by dissolving into a flurry of Magpies and reanimating into her desired spot.

### Other useful skills

By activating **Magpie Eyes**, she is able to use ultraviolet radiation waves to see past barriers and to detect useful items, such as ammo, food, etc.

## Trivia

* Mags is a Cancer.
* Her original character design was based on many characters in pop culture, including *Maka Albarn* from *Soul Eater, Susan Ashworth* from *The Cat Lady,* and *Katniss Everdeen* from *The Hunger Games.*
* After the many major changes *The Everyman's Answer* underwent, Mags was the character who changed the least.
* Mags was a dancer as a child, which explains why she's so flexible.
* The author stated over Twitter that as children, Mags and Alcander both went to the same art high school as teenagers. Mags was in Dance, while Alcander was in Strings.
* Mags constantly gets sick and is always seen with a runny nose and red eyes. Lesroth says they should tie a tissue box around her neck.
* Mags loves early morning hours.
* Mags has an episodic memory and can recall things no one else can. She's usually the one on the team who has to remember passwords, pathways, etc.
* Mags has a flair for jewelry and also picks up a ring or a necklace if she ever comes across one. The Potentia Key caught her eye for a reason.
* Her hands are adorned with multiple rings she has found along her journeys. The more the story continues, the more rings there are on her fingers and necklaces.
* Mags is obsessed with crossword puzzles and stays up late in the night to finish one off.
* The worst cook out of the Fireteam.
* In an earlier draft of the endgame, Mags married Quinn.
* Her nails are long and paint black, possibly resembling the talons of a bird.