CINO Ketaminé

**CINO Ketaminé** AKA Noel Durand, is a central player character in Dust & Argon. As a private contractor for espionage and corporate information theft, he plays the role of the Infiltrator for the party by running recon, getting the party into secured areas, and securing assets. He was primarily affiliated with the Bonanno family of La Cosa Nostra as a contracted agent and informant, but along with the other members of the Los Langaros fireteam, currently affiliates with the Chrome Road.

CINO is the owner and operator of the Armor Frames Method Mask, Red Mask, and Red Mask Frontman.

## Character Description

CINO is a slim, average-height man of African descent and indeterminate nationality. Under semi-long hair, he wears an opaque carbon-steel mask that covers his face from the bridge of his nose down; in lieu of the mask, he will wear bandannas, scarves, etc. to cover his face and seems to always have a backup bandanna somewhere on him. Likewise, his clothing options obscure his body from direct sight and he vehemently refuses to allow others to see underneath, even to provide him with first aid. He most often wears a white and dark blue bike suit, sometimes with a matching helmet and waist-length jacket.

CINO’s body is outfitted with prosthetic hardware, the most notable of which is a complete cybernetic replacement left arm from the shoulder down. CINO wears gloves to help disguise the asymmetrical hands, with his left palm having a surreptitious cutout for a contact taser. He has supplementary cybernetic nerves throughout his body which increase his muscle strength, agility, and precision, but additionally make him much heavier and eliminate his buoyancy, and dramatically raises his appetite to maintain his muscles. CINO takes full advantage of prosthetics but is still extremely self-conscious of them. He also has shown a fear of the operating theater, but is fine around the medical equipment itself.

Although he is normally low-key, CINO can put others off with an overly-familiar personality and impulsive or bizarre behavior. The most frequent of such is his frequent eating in view of others while somehow avoiding having his face seen, though this particular behavior has become more generally accepted over time. CINO tends to fall back on violence as the option to most problems, though when incognito or playing a persona, he is much more likely to try other solutions. CINO will often resort to immediate violence at the mention of his other identity. When not in a mission mindset, he can display considerable general and emotional intelligence. He often banters with teammates, particularly with the late Dux due to a shared history, and it’s become clear that he holds a genuine affection for his wingmen in Los Langaros.

CINO's motives were not initially known, though over time CINO’s backstory and related motivations have come to be slowly revealed in interactions with Chrome Road Smart AI OMEGA and actress/singer Anna Redfield. As a survivor of childhood abduction and brainwashing, he is highly protective of younger people, and can easily be set off by situations where children (or Redfield herself) are in danger.

Relationships with other characters:

**Joseph Dux**: CINO and Dux share a history from working together in the Bonanno Family, and even prior to that, CINO had been introduced to them in a different persona. As Dux designed the Method Mask and Red Mask, CINO developed a deepening appreciation for Armor Frames and seeing the Mask as an extension of himself. Constant bickering and jabs included, CINO saw Dux as his closest friend in Los Langaros.

**Antonio Cervantes**: Though CINO hasn’t had much one-on-one time with Tony, he sees him as a charismatic, trustworthy, and capable leader, in addition to a wonderful cook. He affectionately refers to Tony as “Bossman.”

**KNIGHT**: CINO is closest to KNIGHT of the current Langaros team, and CINO regards as a younger brother. CINO recognizes KNIGHT’s expertise with electronics and research and won’t hesitate to rely on his knowledge.

**Oliver Moorland**: CINO found Ollie to be a dependable squadmate, albeit having little one-on-one time with him. He wasn’t there to see Ollie retire from the fireteam, but he respects and understands his decision to devote his time to his “family.”

**Douglas Landry**: Initially, CINO disliked Landry due to his aggressive reporting style, leading to CINO becoming guarded around him. Over time, he’s come to show greater appreciation of Landry after seeing Landry’s motivation towards keeping the downtrodden from harm.

**OMER**: CINO and OMER aren’t close, though they enjoy a working relationship. CINO mostly sees her as a friend-of-a-friend due to her relationship with KNIGHT. Like with KNIGHT, CINO will rely on OMER for technical consult.

**OMEGA**: In spite of brokering a deal with him, CINO finds OMEGA untrustworthy, likening his intelligence to that of a corporate executive but less humanity. CINO is unsure if OMEGA recognizes humans or sees them as parts of his structure, and is withholding his trust even as he operates within the Road.

**Anna Redfield**: CINO sees Anna Redfield as family, and one of the most important ties to his prior life. From their conversations, it becomes evident that the feeling is mutual. She is the only one from CINO’s life as Durand who he keeps in contact with, and has been led to believe that Durand suffered a major accident in China that left him crippled and near-death.

## Fictional Backstory

Not much is known of CINO prior to his joining the party, with even investigations by companies and PMCs finding scant, if any personal information on him. Over the past several years, CINO has made his way to various locations around the world doing espionage, theft, and data erasure operations for various unknown contacts over an indeterminate number of years. He has at some point in the last several years developed a standing contract to not work against La Cosa Nostra, working more specifically within the Bonanno Family. CINO knows multiple languages at a semi-fluent, conversational level due to extensive travel and work in several different countries.

CINO’s history prior to joining the party is mostly obscured, even from CINO himself. What is known is that CINO spent years an independent contractor for wetwork, in particular under contract with the Bonanno Family.

In CINO’s past, he worked a similar job as a PMC operative “Ketamine” for the Canada-based medical research company Tristram-Davidson. Following the aftermath of WWIV, Tristram-Davidson worked quietly to pick up war orphans and other individuals displaced by the war, CINO being one of them. Years of training, education, and conditioning to be a living weapon for corporate espionage paid off for Tristram-Davidson as its PMC grew into pulling numerous acts of extortion, theft, and murder in the name of their employers. Long-form operations where CINO needed to develop a false persona over the course of several days or weeks were his specialty, though he occasionally also did operations as a group with others in his PMC. During a particularly violent group operation, CINO became suddenly horrified during an experience that traumatized a child present during a home invasion when the child’s screams resonated with him and reawakened his own trauma. Becoming more aware of what he had done, CINO began to secretly take measures to break away from the PMC with a changed identity.

In an long operation where CINO was infiltrating a British news station for coverage damaging to Tristram-Davidson, CINO observed Tristram-Davidson’s executives being arrested for various crimes including conspiracy, corruption, and extortion. With CINO as a deniable asset, he wouldn’t be traced to the company, and so essentially had no base to return to. On his own, CINO developed another persona, Noel Durand, with credentials and identification forged by others who owed CINO favors on other missions as part of his preparation to leave the PMC.

CINO continued to operate as a mercenary to make ends meet, while putting up a public persona as Durand, and eventually made his way onto cult-hit network television program *In Love And War* as Dr. G. G. DeVille, joining the main cast. Olga Reznikova (credited as Anna Redfield) joined shortly after, playing Colette DeVille, his character’s young daughter. Seeing a young child spending her childhood exploited by her parents and manager, Durand saw the parallels between himself and Anna (as both had been children forced into working for adults' gain) and became intensely protective of her.

While acting on *ILAW*, Durand still would moonlight as “K”, making new contacts and taking jobs of varying levels of illegality. He would complete a job involving sabotage of a Chinese startup company by stealing some important production data and delivering it to his contact. Several weeks later, CINO would go for a follow-up job but find himself booby-trapped by the Triads, who were financing the company and wanted their records back, and to know who sent him.

After several days of physical and psychological torture, CINO’s body would be unceremoniously dumped in a landfill, to be found riding the line between life and death by another criminal entity some time later. CINO, in a state of delusion and desperation, would accept their help and be carted off to receive treatment at the hands of medical titan Amimedico. After months of reconstructive surgery on a third of his body including his face and upper body, CINO would spend years working off the debt to Amimedico by completing jobs for the Bonanno Family. With the intense psychological and physical damage done, CINO found he could not return to being Noel Durand, with Durand mysteriously going off the grid between seasons of *ILAW*. After paying off the considerable debt with Amimedico over several years, he would continue to work with the Bonanno Family as a contracted agent, as work was consistent.

## Campaign History

*Session 4 - "Más Vale Tarde Que Nunca"*

CINO made his first appearance in the campaign to recover Joseph Dux and escort him back home to Sicily, at the Don's request. During the encounter Dux agreed to peacefully return to Sicily as soon as his current mission resolved, and requested CINO's help due to Knight's capture during the legwork phase. Donning a disguise and persona of a corrections officer, CINO assists with the operation to break into the San Miguel Corrections Center alongside Oliver Moorland and recover Knight while the other members of the party create a diversion with their AFs. Finding Knight among a group of captors including another hacker going by the name OMER, CINO and Ollie discover medical lab materials in a blacksite hidden under the prison and the group escapes via a docked submarine. In the epilogue to the session, CINO returned with a La Cosa Nostra escort to ensure Dux would make good on his word.

*Session 5 - The Sons of Sicily*

DATA PENDING

*Session 6 - From the Stone, to the Sky*

DATA PENDING

*Session 7 - The East is Burning Red*

DATA PENDING

*Session 8 - The Long Way Around*

DATA PENDING

*Session 9 - Children of the Sun*

DATA PENDING

## Character Skills, Abilities, and Equipment

### Moves

* COVERT ENTRY

When CINO attempts to infiltrate a secure area alone, roll [Cool]:
10+: gain 3 [Hold].
7-9: gain 1 [Hold].

As the MC describes the infiltration and the security measures CINO must overcome, spend 1 [Hold] to describe how CINO overcomes the obstacle and:
» Bypass a security system or guard
» Disable a guard
» Disable a security system you have bypassed
» Escape notice

* FACE

CINO specializes in infiltrating by appearing to belong in places he does not, hiding in plain sight.

During CINO's infiltration, he will have opportunities to see or overhear information which might be relevant later. After CINO has spent all Covert Entry [Hold] infiltrating a secure area through charm and social graces, gain [Intel].

* MOTHER DUCK

When CINO infiltrates a location he can get his team in as well.

When CINO spends [Hold] to bypass a security system or guard or escape notice, his team may accompany him.

* TRAINED EYE

When CINO evaluates a person, vehicle, drone or gang, roll [Cool].
7+: ask the target “How are you vulnerable to me?” Take +1 Forward when acting on the answer.
10+: gain +1 ongoing when acting against that target.

* BYPASS

When CINO attempts to subvert security measures (e.g. bypassing a locked door, disabling an alarm, camera, or motion detector, etc.), roll [Cool].
7+: Successfully bypass the system without leaving a trace.
10+: Gain some valuable insight into the facility's security, gain [Intel].

* ENDLESS ILLUSION

CINO is skilled at setting up all variables on a mission, up to and including Armor Frames. CINO may spend 1 [Hold] from Covert Entry to have his Armor Frame right where and when he needs it to be, without raising alarm or compromising his position.

### Cyberware

* SYNTHETIC NERVES

Due to CINO's considerable prosthetic reconstruction surgery, a significant portion of his body contains artificial parts. As a side-effect, CINO can react so quickly that he can almost dodge bullets.

If none of CINO's enemies have synth nerves: +1 Forward to [Mix It Up]. In situations where reaction time is critical, take +1 Forward to [Act Under Pressure].

### Weapons

* AMIMEDICO BR-32 PROSTHETIC LIMB (CUSTOMIZED)

*Amimedico cybernetic prosthetic left arm, with an aftermarket dual-electrode discharge device installed in the palm. A capacitor that generates the charge is installed in the forearm.*

Tags: (s-harm; hand; reload)

* BERETTA MODEL 1212XS SILENCED SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL

*Modified small-caliber handgun with a silencer equipped. Holds 12 rounds to its clip.*

Tags: (2-harm; close; quick)

* CARBON-STEEL STRAIGHT BLADE

*22cm-long carbon-steel blade. Holstered in a scabbard that sharpens on draw to maintain sharpness.*

Tags: (3-harm; hand; messy)

* KAIRYUSHIN "GREAT MARLIN" ANTI-MATERIEL RIFLE

*A folding anti-materiel rifle designed for easy transport without compromising performance. For even further portability, it is designed to be easily disassembled and reassembled.*

Tags: (3-harm; Far; EX; Loud; Messy; Breach; Clumsy)

* KAIRYUSHIN "STINGRAY" BULLPUP REVOLVER

*A bullpup-action revolver designed for stopping dangerous game. Suppressed and fires tranquilizer rounds for nonlethal takedowns.*

Tags: (s-harm; close; near; quiet; quick; reload)

### Other Equipment

* PERSONAL DISGUISE KIT

CINO's personal disguise kit in a security briefcase. Kept in a storage compartment of the Method Mask's cockpit when not in use. CINO's disguise is comprised of nanomachine makeup that CINO uses to change his skin and hair for brief periods. When the nanomakeup is active, CINO removes his mask.

» When active, provides +1 ongoing to avoid being detected while successfully maintaining a fake persona.

* ELECTROMAGNETIC GRAPPLEGUN

An electromagnetically-launched grappling hook that assists CINO with scaling up vertical surfaces and scaling dangerous distances. It is reinforced by his prosthetic arm to avoid self-injury.

» Confers +1 ongoing to actions dealing with verticality.

## Trivia

* CINO's assumed first name comes from the chemical compound of ketamine: C13H16**ClNO**, with an "I" replacing the "L" in "Cl" (Chlorine).
* "CINO" is also an acronym for "Character In Name Only" reflecting his use of changing personas.

## Image Gallery

CINO Ketaminé full body image. Art by David La.CINO Ketaminé closeups - masked & maskless. Art by David La.