Nevada

**Nevada** (b. 20 August, 1615) was an American Crossroads Hangman Heretic.

## Biography

### Early Life

Not-Theda was brought to life in 1615 when Denuvus harnessed and channeled the residual energy of the spell that Crossroads and Eden's Garden used to banish a necromancer from the Earth into a sacrificial ritual. Denuvus told Not-Theda that she was a Djinni, told her that whoever held her vessel was her master and that she had a lot of plans that she would help her realize.

### Meeting Deveron

On May 29th, 1983, after Not-Theda had escaped from her latest master, she took on the name "Nevada" from the *Wanda Nevada* poster because it felt right to her. In the following months, Nevada learned how human technology worked, how to integrate it with the magic she knew and repaired things people brought to her or had her come to about to make money.

On July 11, 1984, after Nevada noticed a Heretic over the shoulder of the boy she had won a bet against, she fled from the arcade. The Heretic caught up with her, cut off her escape routes and told her that he would kill her for her crimes against humanity, but was frozen before he could by Deveron Adams. She left the mall with Deveron, listened to him explain how he was a part of the Rebellion, and how he had been thinking about how to approach her until the other Heretic had forced his hand.

Deveron told Nevada that he wanted her to use her power to alter the Heretical Edge so that it would work on Human-Alter Hybrids in addition to regular Humans and to turn herself Human so that no one could use her for her power again. When she asked him what she would be if she wasn't a Djinni, he told her that she would be human, and that she could go on and live a normal, free, life or that she could go through the Heretical Edge herself and become a Heretic to help them change things more directly. He told her that they had an in with the headmistress and that she would make it happen if she wanted to. Nevada thought about it and then told him that she would help them.

### Altering the Heretical Edge

On July 18th, 1984, Nevada asked Gaia Sinclaire if the thing in front of them was what made new Heretics. Gaia said that it was and then asked Nevada if she was going to change her appearance. Nevada told Gaia that she would make herself different enough so that the Heretic that had found her wouldn't recognize her, but that she wouldn't change herself that much.

Nevada asked Gaia if she was sure about their plan before she told her that if she made herself human after she changed the Heretical Edge, she wouldn't be able to change the Heretical Edge back. Gaia told her that things had to change and that altering the Heretic Edge was the most effective way to make that happen. Nevada told Gaia that she had to say the words. Gaia picked up Nevada's anchor and wished for her to change the Heretical Edge. As Nevada focused on fulfilling the wish, Nevada told herself that she never be a slave to her creator or anyone else ever again.

### Crossroads Years

Nevada began her first year at Crossroads Academy in 1985 and was placed on Reid Rucker's team. Her classmates were told that she had been raised as part of a Hunter group after her parents had been killed as part of the backstory that she and Headmistress Sinclaire had come up with. Despite this, her classmates came to think that she was either a little eccentric or certifiably insane.

A week before Family Day, Professor Pericles pulled Nevada aside to ask her how she was feeling. Nevada told professor pericles that she didn't have a family, but he told her that while she might not have living relates, she would always have a family at Crossroads.

### A Little Bit Of Guidance

Following Professor Pericles' murder, Nevada became the Stranger Truths 101 Professor. Nevada greeted her students and told them to address her by her real name because she didn't like titles or have a last name. After two of her students questioned her about whether she was competent enough to teach them, Nevada told them not to make assumptions and offered to let them talk to Headmistress Sinclaire about it. Nevada told her students that she was sorry that Professor Pericles had died, that she would do her best to teach them, and to come to talk to her about the classes he taught if they were interested.

Nevada asked her students who remembered the three categories of Zombies and called on Flick Chambers when Flick raised her hand. After Flick told Nevada about all three categories of Zombies, Nevada told the class that she would show them what kind of side effects could lead to the second category and teach them how to identify them after she taught them a little bit about vampies.

### First Hunt

When the first year students met in front of the Pathfinder building, Nevada was present, standing near the back and quietly conversing with Gaia. When the other teachers started to move into the Pathfinder building, she gave the students a thumbs up before she caught up with the other teachers.

### Basic Training

When her Stranger Truths 101 class ended, Flick stayed behind to talk to Nevada about the Hangman Demon's rope in 's-Hertogenbosch and why it was still there. Nevada told Flick that the Hangman Demon's rope was still there because it was cursed. Nevada told Flick about the differences between Reapers and Hangman Demons, how the first Hangman Demon had come to be, and how other Reapers became Hangman Demons. When Flick asked Nevada if other Strangers change because of things humanity does or concepts humanity introduced them too, Nevada told her that it was more common than she would think. Nevada brought the subject back to the rope and told Flick that anyone who took it would be infused with a completely irrestible urge to kill. When Flick asked why the rope was sitting out in the middle of nowhere, Nevada told her that they couldn't move it and that Bosch and other Heretics had erected magical protections to prevent people from picking it up.

When Flick asked Nevada about why Heretics wouldn't be able to procreate with Strangers, Nevada warned Flick to be careful as some people were sensitive about that line of thought. Nevada told Flick that people thought breeding a Stranger and a Heretic wasn't impossible, but that the offspring wouldn't be viable and how the experiments at Eden's Garden were to make those offspring live after birth.

Before Flick could ask Nevada anything else, Professor Carfried knocked on the door before he asked if he was interupting something. When Flick thanked Nevada, Nevada told Flick to let her know if she had any other questions.

Later, when zombies invaded Crossroads Academy, Nevada told the zombies that the people they were trying to eat were her students. Nevada closed the distance between herself and a zombie in a second, punched it ithrough its head and used a power to shoot out and engulf six more zombies in flames that went up in minature explosions. Nevada took out her weapon, pulled out a chain-sword, and used it to tear through the zombies. When Nevada was finished with the zombies, Nevada said that they had gotten the point before she asked Flick and her team if they were okay. When Flick told her that she was, Nevada asked Flick what they were doing up there, and why weren't they in their dorms.

When a security guard expressed disbelief over Flick's story, Nevada told him that three of the people on Flick's team were on the Investigation track, that they were supposed to investigate things that didn't make sense and told them that leaving them with a bad mentor didn't make sense. Nevada asked if Flick and her friends were supposed to turn off the urge to find answers because it was inconvenient. Gaia admitted that Nevada had a point. After Gaia made sure that Flick and her friends were alright, Nevada told Gaia and Risa that she would take Flick and her friends back to their dorms and take the maskers back to the lab.

### Tis The Season

Nevada told Gaia that she couldn't remember the face or the name of the person that had brought her into this before asking her if she did. Gaia told Nevada that something had erased that memory, but didn't do as thorough a job as the spell that had erased everyone's memory of Joselyn.

Nevada told Gaia that she had brought her there because she thought she could help her find out who killed Professor Pericles, but that she hadn't said much since then. Gaia told Nevada that she could trust her without a shadow of a doubt and that was rather rare before telling her that she had grown accustomed to keeping things to herself. Gaia told Nevada that she wanted her there to protect mixed-race students in case anything went wrong, that she had hoped to find Professor Pericles' murdered by then, but that whoever had done it had hidden their tracks well.

When Risa entered the room to tell Gaia that Shiori Porter and Flick had disappeared from the island, Nevada demanded to know how. Gaia told them that she was aware of their disappearance and had allowed it to happen and that she was keeping an eye on the situation.

### A Strange Thanksgiving

Risa told Nevada that she was surprised that she could stomach her old Master's choice in music and that it wasn't the music's fault. Risa apologized and told her that she knew she didn't like thinking of those times.

Before Nevada could say anything, Virigina entered the room and told Risa and Nevada that there was a Fomorian at Koren's house. While they walked, Risa asked about Gaia and Virgina told them that Gaia was busy with the Committee and that Ulyessus was preparing the portal. When Ulyessus finished preparing the portal, Nevada and the others stepped through. When Virgina sent a message to Seller, Nevada and the others gathered their energy to help Wyatt Rendells break the blood shield. When the blood shield broke, Nevada and the others moved to the dining room of the house.

Later, when Gaia asked Nevada if she had killed the Fomorian, Nevada told her that she had. Gaia asked Nevada if she had gained anything from it and Nevada told her that she didn't think she had. Gaia told Nevada if that changed to tell her because they needed to know if their hybrid students reacted to Fomorian kills any differently than a normal Heretic.

### A Learning Experience

In Stranger Truths 101, Nevada taught her class about goblins. When Nevada told her students that most Trow were shy, Jasmine Rhodes asked her if she meant that they were sneaky and devious cowards. Nevada told her that she meant that while there were Strangers that stalked and killed humans, most Trow didn't outright attack them, though there were exceptions.

### ​A Most Dangerous Game

After Flick and Avalon were attacked by Trice and Doxer, Nevada, Gaia, Hisao, Risa and several other teachers and security guards emerged from the Pathfinder.

Later, sometime after Trice fled, Flick called out to Nevada when she saw her walking down the beach. When Nevada asked Flick and Shiori how they were, Flick told them that neither of them had been attacked or transported to an alien world. When Nevada handed Flick's staff back to her, Flick told her that she thought she would need more time. Nevada told Flick that it wasn't hard to add new portals to the staff because it already had portals for her sand. When Shiori asked about the portals, Nevada told Flick to give it a shot. After Flick pressed the button, the two Cyberform mice that Flick inherited from Doxer emerged from small portals at either end.

Flick told Nevada and Shiori that she had named the Cyberform mice Jaq and Gus. When Shiori finished greeting them, Nevada encouraged Flick to give her staff a spin. When Flick asked how Jaq and Gus were holding on, Nevada told Flick that they would stay attached as long as she wanted them to. When Flick asked Nevada if it was alright to show Shiori more, Nevada told Flick to tell Jaq and Gus that it was time to fight. Nevada watched as Jaq and Gus move and bond with Flick's staff to form a blade on one end and a grappel hook on the other end.

### Sharkhunt

In Stranger Truths 101, Nevada asked her students to tell her what one of the most important effects for a Heretic to protect themselves against. When Travis Colby suggested that it was death, Nevada laughed before she told them al lthat it was almost as important. When no one answered, Nevada told them that mind control was one of the most dangerous problems a Heretic could face before Sands asked her what they could do about it. Nevada told them that by the time they graduated, they would have been given the chance to absorb several powers that blocked most forms of mind control.

When Jasmine asked if the head of security should have every protection against mind control, Nevada nodded and told her that she knew what she was talking about. When Gavin Rish asked how a little kid could control their head of security, Nevada told him that appearances could be decieving. When Erin Redcliffe asked Nevada if Denuvus existed, Nevada told them that some people thought he did, but that the level of mind control Denuvus was rumored to have did exist. The class asked more questions about Denuvus, but Nevada side-stepped them, answered what she had to, and repeatedly pulled the class back to the main subject.

## Physical appearance

Nevada is described as Patient Zero for the epidemic of ditzy blonde cheerleader types that appear in pretty much every movie ever. She looks more like a student than a teacher.

In 1983, Nevada wore a dark blue stomach-baring shirt and white pants that were loose around her legs.

## Possessions

* **Heretical Weapon**: Nevada's Heretical Weapon was a metal crate that she could transform into a metal bracelet she could wear around her wrist. The crate was an armory of weapons that she designed.

## Appearances

* *Heretical Edge (webserial series)*
* *Heretical Edge 2*

## Trivia

* Nevada is the first person to not be a pure human known to have successfully used the Crossroads Edge to become a Heretic.