Verge

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**Verge** is a major character in ***Ascent: Trials of Vore***. She is the co-gatekeeper of the Tower alongside her twin sister, Porter, as well as the Overseer of the 48th Floor. She was also previously the Co-Overseer of the 1st Floor, alongside her sister.

She first appeared in *Floor 1 - The Gateway*, taking on the guise of **"Dawn"** when meeting Ashley Gray and Syl, to disguise her appearance.

She last appeared on the 1st Floor.

## Appearance

At the time of Ashley Gray's arrival in the Tower, Verge appeared to be a young woman with short, orange hair and a slightly above average, slender build, being nearly identical to her sister aside from hair style, the resemblance being obvious. She was of average height, being roughly eye level with Ashley. She often wore a thick, grey robe and white, near-featureless mask, both designed to collectively conceal her appearance whilst in her "Dawn" alias - and that on occasion could make discerning her gender mildly difficult.

## Personality

Verge would best be characterized as someone who was notably more serene than her twin sister - often speaking with a calming tone - but who could still be just as oddly playful if the moment called for it, albeit in a more subtle way. It would similar enough to Porter's attitude, however, that Ashley Gray would find it familiar on meeting Verge in her "Dawn" alias, but couldn't place it while she was wearing a mask to conceal her face.

She also had a hidden edge and hardness to her, best described akin to a "hidden blade pressing through silk", though it could mostly only be seen in conversations with her twin sister, and was rarely used in a non-playful manner. She seemed to have a habit of referring to most climbers as "wolves", likely in the sense of their being predators.

## History

### Background

Verge was born - alongside her older twin sister, who would eventually adopt the name "Porter" - around 60,000 years prior to Ashley Gray's arrival in the Tower.

At some point in the past - possibly over 55,000 years before Ashley, if this was around when the current Tower system was put in place - Verge and Porter took up the responsibilities and benefits of being co-gatekeepers of the Tower, in the process also becoming co-overseers of the 1st Floor. These responsibilities included generally running the Tower as "housekeeper", presiding over new arrivals and "keeping the wheels turning", though Porter would at one point admit that she didn't control the Tower directly, and that a lot of its functions ran on their own, so the same can likely be said for Verge.

Around 10,000 years before Ashley, Verge would begin using the alias "Dawn" when wishing to remain anonymous, at some point also choosing to wear a dark cloak and featureless mask as a part of this persona - a look that her sister would be surprised she managed to pull off.

At a later, unknown time - following the mysterious disappearance of the Overseer of the 48th Floor - Verge would step down as co-overseer of the 1st Floor - albeit remaining co-gatekeeper - to take up temporary overseer-ship of the abandoned floor while Porter searched for a replacement. As Verge seemed to do well in the position, however, Porter neglected to ever actually find a proper replacement, something that would later annoy her sister. During her time overseeing the 48th, some climbers would come to believe that - as a replacement overseer - Verge must've been a pushover, something that was untrue. It would, however, lead to Verge "eating well", to her dismay, as she was trying to watch her waistline.

According to Porter, Verge had a "best overseer" bit that she sometimes used on new climbers when not in disguise, though Verge would come to dislike her name for it.

At another unknown point, Verge would establish a "home away from home" in a side room amidst the 1st Floor's maze, though it is unknown how often she used it. At another time, she would be around to witness "actual wolves" on the 1st Floor. ***(Floor 1 - The Gateway)***

### ***Ascent: Trials of Vore***

#### 1st Floor

Verge would first appear to Ashley Gray and Syl midway through Start Group 20200517-E's 1st Floor challenge after Syl's hearing her playing music and a need to escape led them to her cluttered "home" room. At this time, Verge would appear to them in her masked "Dawn" persona, not revealing her true identity and even taking a prolonged moment to introduce her alias.

Appearing serene, she would actively disregard Porter’s authority when pressed about her presence upsetting the overseer - claiming that Porter couldn't kick her out - before inviting Ashley and Syl inside as other climbers approached behind them, describing the other competitors as "wolves". Dawn didn’t allow them to stay long - despite implications that she had been waiting for them and/or had almost missed them - as after showing subtle interest in Syl, she led the pair to a passage in the back to escape. Before the route closed, Dawn would give Ashley a cryptic warning that neither she nor Syl knew what to make of: “When you get cat-called and don’t answer, be sure not to hesitate!”, which would serve to help Ashley during a later confrontation.

Following Ashley and Syl's departure, Verge - who had been hiding nearby - would joined Porter in the stage room, still disguised as "Dawn". Porter coaxing Verge out of wearing her mask with only family around - Verge getting a jab in about the deception "Porter" was pulling - the twins would discuss their respective curiosities about the departed pair: Verge being interested in Syl, and Porter in Ashley. Some other friendly banter would ensure, including but not limited to discussions about Verge's placement on the 48th Floor, and Verge making a crack about Porter having changed the 1st Floor's aesthetic back again to draw attention to herself. ***(Floor 1- The Gateway)***

## Abilities

Most of Porter's abilities can be attributed to her being co-gatekeeper of the Tower, as well as Overseer of the 1st Floor. It is unclear what the origin of her abilities is, but the following are powers she has been shown using in one form or another.

* **"Stealth":** Verge has been shown to be capable of remaining undetected with some degree of skill, it taking Porter - her twin sister and co-gatekeeper, to notice her presence.
* **"Information Recall":** Like all other Overseers, Verge is capable of recalling information pertaining to any climber as if it were public knowledge, including all details of their life prior to their arrival in the Tower. It is unknown whether this ability also extends to their life following arrival.

## Prey Tracker

**Total Prey:** Unknown [Verge, though implying a number of prey, has not stated any specific numbers or individuals.]

## Relationships

### Affiliations

* **The Tower‏‎:** By the time of Ashley Gray's arrival, Verge had been co-gatekeeper of the Tower, alongside her sister Porter, for quite possibly tens of thousands of years, as well as Overseer of the 48th Floor, and former Co-Overseer of the 1st. These responsibilities - being what loosely amounts to a job - include running the Tower as "housekeeper", presiding over new arrivals and "keeping the wheels turning", though Porter would at one point admit that she didn't control the Tower, and that a lot of it ran on its own, so the same can likely be said for Verge.

### Family

* **Porter:** Verge seems to have a close relationship with her sister, seeming to be the only person shown thus far that Porter both cares about and genuinely loves. Despite their mild bickering and taking jabs at each other, the two have a strong bond, Porter admitting to missing Verge during the latter's time away from the 1st Floor.

### Others

* **Ashley Gray:** Verge, both as "Dawn" and not, did not appear to have any particular strong feelings about Ashley. Despite this, though, she was still more than happy to help her and Syl with escape routes and cryptic warnings, and would later refer to the girl as "poor, sweet Ashley", implying a certain level of sympathy, even if her role and position made it likely to be in some twisted form, beneath her serene exterior.
* **Syl:** Verge, as "Dawn", showed a considerable - if subtle - interest in Syl, which made the elf somewhat shy in her presence. Beyond this curiosity, something of a match to Porter's interest in Ashley, not much is known of Verge's opinions on Syl.