Scipio

Scipio is the main protagonist of Khemia, the sequel to Adastra. He is a student and scholar of Khemian history and culture in the top university of his home moon, Adastra, and is the chosen envoy at the beginning of the story.

## Appearance

Scipio is a maned wolf covered in muted, cobalt blue fur with tan fur on his torso, maw, forearms, paws, and the tips of his ears. He often wears round, semi-rimless gold glasses and two gold, triangular studs in his right ear. His head has a wave pattern that transitions to his darker blue hair at the base of his head, which is braided and secured by a golden triangle. He is draped in a royal blue fabric outlined in darker stripes, with three dark circles in the center each containing an eight pointed gold star, and a gold chevron clasp on his right shoulder. Underneath he dons golden undergarments with a black waistband. He has a similar build and height as Neferu, but his thicker fur obscures his muscles more.

## Personality

Scipio often speaks in a sophisticated manner, reflecting his status as a student scholar. He is keenly interested in Khemian history and culture, and becomes excited when he is chosen to be an envoy to Khemia. Though he maintains his composure, internally he is often filled with self-doubt and worries about his reputation and position. As he is aware of his relatively lower status, he is somewhat calculated and self-conscious of his actions, and will immediately apologize if he thinks he’s put himself in a bad light. Despite this, he is earnest and feels remorse for any of his wrongdoings. Underneath his reserved nature, he is sensitive and kind, such as when he rests a paw on Neferu’s shoulder to make him feel less lonely. Through his distrustful and doubtful mindset, he genuinely desires support and connection.

Due to Adastrian culture, Scipio learned to internalize his trauma and true feelings. In violent, high stress situations, his post traumatic stress disorder causes him to involuntarily relive seeing one of his professors convulse and die during Cato’s riots three years prior to the current game’s setting. He feels immense shame, and rationalizes it as, “a glitch that can be easily patched.” However, when Neferu empathizes and offers support, Scipio feels more encouraged to open up, albeit still with reservations and suspicion towards the jackal.

## Story

### Build One - Old Pain

#### **Prologue**

The story beings with Scipio meditating, using a technique he learned from his mindfulness teacher in his past, reflecting on the ephemeral and constant movement of existence within the universe. He does so in order to clear his mind and prepare himself for the diplomatic mission he is chosen for. However, he loses concentration, and begins contemplating the identity of university building itself, wondering if its marble furnishings held the memory of his unnerving event a few years prior. He opens his eyes when he hears an unknown voice coming from the direction of a statue affirm his musings. As he is about to leave out of fear, Veteris shouts Scipio’s name, causing the maned wolf to jump in surprise. Scipio asks why Veteris spoke so loudly, with Veteris believing he was speaking at a normal volume, attributing it to his older age and telling Scipio to get used to it.

When Veteris reveals Amicus asked him to talk to Scipio, Scipio fears that the decision for him to be a diplomatic envoy has been overturned. When asked if he knows the reason behind the decision, Scipio asks if it was because of his knowledge of Khemian youth culture, which Veteris immediately shoots down, mentioning that Carbo knew more. Scipio then asks if it is due to his casual friendship with Neferu and Brutis, to which the older wolf confirms. Veteris warns that casual relationships lead to casual betrayal, but tells Scipio that he must continue to gather intel on the Khemians, especially Neferu. Scipio smiles in amusement, exclaiming that Neferu is far more cunning than he lets on, with Veteris disagreeing, mentioning how, ”that Jackal’s head is full of sand.”

#### **Assassination Attempt at the Clay District**

Scipio and Neferu walk through the streets of the Clay District and arrive at a love hotel. As they pass by, Scipio quitely notes how the residents and the hotel receptionist all stare at the two, though Neferu appears to be unfazed. After being escorted to their room, the two have casual banter, with Scipio mentioning how intercourse is generally prohibited at the university he attends due to it being the best on Adastra. Neferu sits down and starts drinking wine directly from the bottle, rolling his eyes and remarking how at his university, the best in the Galaxias, there were rooms dedicated to the act. Scipio humbly takes the slight dig towards his school. They begin to slowly undress, Neferu remaining sexually unabashed while Scipio becomes flustered gazing at the Jackal’s different physique. The two spend quite a while intimately touching each other, but they never engage in the act and instead tangle with each other on the bed. Noticing how tightly Neferu held onto him, Scipio places a paw on the Jackal’s shoulder, worried that he feels lonely as they both drifted to sleep.

#### **Palace Garden Conversation**

When the next day arrives, Scipio goes out into the palace garden. Neferu soon arrives and after being scared by yet another spider, sits next to Scipio. Scipio feels the need to justify himself and opens up to Neferu about what transpired, explaining that his dissociative episode stems from his trauma during one of Cato’s riots, three years prior at the university. He recounts how he played dead as his fellow peers were humiliated and murdered, and attempts to save face by saying his mental instability was, “a glitch that can be easily patched.” While Scipio initially fears that he has made himself look worse, Neferu confides with him about his own trauma regarding the human’s gruesome death by Cato, and how that memory made him fear death for the first time. Scipio then quietly remembers how his old professor, Urbicus, died. Neferu tells Scipio the reason he dislikes Adastrian society is because everyone is forced to internalize their pain all on their own, and tells Scipio that he hopes that they can help support each other. Scipio feels comforted by the thought, though he has lingering doubts and suspicions that he may be manipulated. Despite this, Scipio chooses to embrace the feeling of having someone to rely on.

Brutis soon walks in, startling Scipio. He joins the conversation, asking Neferu what happened the night before, and then complains how the palace drones have taken his belongings, and more importantly, his “medication”. It is soon revealed that the belongings of all Khemian alliance members are being placed onto the roof for the oncoming Khemian ship. Veteris comes yelling in, excited by its arrival. He tells Scipio to remember and cherish the moment, to look at the Khemian technology and imagine, “what Adastra can be.”

## Relationships

### Neferu

The majority of their initial relationship was based on short interactions in halls and in meetings, with Scipio interacting in a more personable manner compared to his fellow scholars. Neferu acts extremely comfortable around Scipio, insisting that they converse as equals, and refers to him with the nickname, “Skip”, much to Scipio’s dislike. When Scipio was chosen to be an envoy to Khemia, Neferu invited him to a den in the Adastrian Clay District to help him with his, “research on Khemians” (they have casual intercourse). Neferu shows genuine concern for Scipio’s well-being, comforting Scipio after the attempted assasination and giving him space after they arrive at the Adastrian palace. He also encourages Scipio to be more communicative about his worries and troubles, revealing a reason why he dislikes Adastrian culture so much is because everyone is expected to internalize and address their pain all on their own.

Though Scipio is reserved and overly self conscious, at times feeling both a sense of inferiority and suspicion towards the jackal, he also reciprocates a genuine concern and feeling of friendship towards Neferu. After they have intercourse, Scipio places a paw on Neferu’s shoulder to comfort him, wondering if Neferu feels lonely. However, Scipio often is anxious at how Neferu perceives him, such as when he fears that he may ruin his status and lose his position as envoy, after experiencing a post traumatic episode during an assassination attempt. When Neferu confides with him the next day, Scipio is touched and happy by Neferu’s offer of support, but there is a lingering sense of doubt and suspicion due to his own insecurities and Adastrian mindset.

Overall, they both enjoy each other’s company, and are bonded by their shared interest in Khemia, with Neferu voicing excitement at showing Scipio what Khemian culture has to offer, and Scipio’s equal interest in the subject.

### Brunis

Both of them are acquaintances and consider each other as friends. He appears to be in the backdrop of Scipio and Neferu’s much closer friendship.

### Amicus

As Emperor of Adastra, Amicus is responsible for strengthening Adastra’s ties with Khemia, and along with Veteris, chose Scipio to be a diplomatic envoy. Their relationship is mainly professional, and they do not appear to know each other personally. Scipio exhibits a great deal of respect and reverence towards his leader, and becomes frightened when Amicus angrily confronts Neferu after the assassination attempt at the Clay District.

### Veteris

Veteris is Scipio’s superior and metor. Due to the vast age difference between them, Veteris’s relatively traditional ideology is sometimes at odds with Scipio’s more liberal views. However, they appear to have a close mentor-student bond and speak on amicable terms. They both share a passion for Khemian history and culture, with Veteris encouraging Scipio to learn and become inspired by, ”what Adastra can be”. Scipio is also more used to Veteris’s manic personality compared to other characters, such as when Neferu and Brutis are disturbed at Veteris’s excitement at the arriving Khemian ship.

### Carbo

One of Scipio’s fellow scholars and one of the three possible candidates for the Khemian mission. They are not seen interacting, but Scipio clearly believed Carbo should have been the one to be chosen, as Carbo had more extensive knowledge on Khemian culture. Scipio also mentions that Carbo is far more reserved and nerdy, quietly laughing to himself imagining if Carbo was the one Neferu asked to go to a den with.

### Professor Urbicus

Scipio’s former professor and the one who he witnessed, “his [Professor Urbicus’s] last, sporadic movements as his damaged brain struggled to continue its existence ... and then failed.”

## Gallery

Artwork of Scipio in the promo for the first build of Khemia.Art of Scipio for his official perfume scent.
## Trivia

* In his youth, he often kept spiders as pets, much to Neferu’s disdain
* He was born in Lux, a desert settlement in Adastra
* He is possibly bisexual, as he’s gone with both males and females to a den
* He believes that the university has unamalgamated spirits, and is especially weary of the statue of Antonia, a wolf who carried a disease that wiped thousands of jackal soldiers, which he thinks is definitely haunted