POP 0: Character Creation

Character Creation is the first episode of both Eidolon POP and Eidolon Playtest Season 1. It covers the cast of Eidolon POP finalizing the details of their characters and preparing for the campaign ahead.

Summary
Luke Varner introduces the cast of this campaign: Tyberius Wilson, Fabby Garza, Mike Painter, Crystal Zaslavchik, and Zoe Tunnell.

As discussed in Design Session #0, Eidolon POP leans towards a more Persona-esque style compared to Eidolon ROCK. Before the game can begin, however, characters need to be made. Most of the players have an idea already of what they'll be playing, but now it will all be finalized. The campaign will be set at Joseph University of North Gibsonburg, where most of the players will be students that take Narrative Musicology and the Occult Philosophy of Stories. This is a class run by Tyberius Wilson's character, who designed it with the hope that no one would take it.

Tyberius Wilson
Tyberius Wilson's character is a Veteran named Quentin Brooks. He's had previous adventures in days long gone, but can only hazily remember what they were. While protagonists in the Persona series are predominantly teenagers, Quentin leans on the archetypes of the adult figure who supports the party. His Eidolon is named Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, with The Love Below representing its former Alchemist self. The Eidolon provides crucial support with threads, which it can produce from sound. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is a tall and thin spider-like humanoid with three pairs of arms, eight eyes, and dressed like a gangster smoking a cheap cigar. Its younger form looked more like a spider. Quentin's greatest fear is his past catching up with him.

Fabby Garza
Fabby Garza's character is an Inhuman, a Shade who found her way to the human world somehow. Her name is Ursa, but this was noted down incorrectly as Ursula Bear by the school administration. In The Undertow, she is an anthropomorphic bear girl. Outside of The Undertow, she can take on a human form. In her human form, Ursa appears 20-23, and has short pixie cut hair. Her outfits are dramatic and seem like they should clash, sometimes wearing neon plastic boots, a jean jacket, and a feather boa all together. Ursa's Eidolon is Revolution Lover, a floating cartoon heart with a bluish metallic ring that can turn into any weapon that hurts her enemies and heals her friends. In her human form, Revolution Lover takes the form of a heart-shaped backpack.

Ursa found The Undertow harmful and isolating, and somehow found a way to escape to the human world. There, she fell in love with humanity. Ursa wants to be around humans all the time, finding herself in countless gatherings, meetings, and college clubs. Her greatest fear is being unable to return to the human world.

Crystal Zaslavchik
Crystal Zaslavchik's character is Alexis Lorentzen, nicknamed 'Lore'. Her Eidolon is Vivid Memories Turn to Fantasies, an Alchemist that can transform any photograph it touches into the subject of that photograph. In the human world it takes the appearance of a cat, and a "cat furry" in The Undertow. Alexis is a college-age conspiracy theorist/investigative journalist who values truth above all else, but does not actually attend Joseph University of North Gibsonburg. She doesn't dress very fashionably, trying to blend in. Alexis hangs out in Quentin Brooks' class, because she knows he doesn't care. Her greatest fear is feeling unable to trust her own mind.

Mike Painter
Mike Painter's character is James Studebaker, who does not have a nickname but really wishes people would call him 'The Wizard'. His Eidolon is Time After Time, which appears as a wristwatch in the human world and a giant owl in The Undertow. Time After Time is a Navigator Eidolon that can perfectly sense patterns in the area around it. James' Area of Expertise is entomology, and he also has a passion for science fiction. He never really had many friends throughout school, and hoped college would be a fresh start for him. It wasn't, with him only really knowing the people in Quentin's class, as its small enough to require him to speak up regularly. James values neatness and order, and his greatest fear is losing control of his own destiny.

Ties and Backstory
Zoe Tunnell was not present in this initial recording session, so Tyberius Wilson poses a question to the rest of the group: How did they find their way into Quentin's deliberately hard-to-enter class, Narrative Musicology and the Occult Philosophy of Stories?

James was short an elective, and asked his counsellor to put him in the elective with 'the fewest people in it right now'. Ursa is registered for every class. She usually prefers to attend the busier classes, but likes coming by this classroom because no other class uses it. Alexis generally prefers to squat in the larger classes, where she can blend in. She sits in on this one, as she's heard of Quentin before and knows he won't make her leave or cause a fuss.

Lastly, Ties. At this point in the game's development, Ties are merely a bond you have with another person, group, or idea that you sacrificed something important to you for.
 * Quentin has ties with "the student body of Joseph University of North Gibsonburg", James, and his family.
 * Ursa has ties with Zoe Tunnell's character, James, and the human race.
 * James has ties with music, Zoe Tunnell's character, Ursa, and Alexis.
 * Alexis has ties with Quentin, the Truth, and the value of life.

Zoe Tunnell
A later recording session is edited in that includes Zoe Tunnell. Her character is Sloane Parker, a screen-writing major at Joseph University of North Gibsonburg. Sloane is not happy with college, feeling more alone than she thought she would be. Instead of making friends, she spends most of her time hanging in her dorm room with her hated roommate. Sloane's Eidolon is Start A Riot, a Vanguard that can breathe fire and wields a tall double-headed battleaxe. Start A Riot has the appearance of a large buff lady breathing smoke with dragon wings and dragon claws and smoldering short hair. Sloane's greatest fear is being alone.

Sloane's Ties are: the manager of the local movie theater, Ursa, and "the concept of friendship".

Trivia

 * Everyone in the cast has played with Luke Varner in a tabletop game before, except for Crystal Zaslavchik.
 * played in a previous off-air playtest of EIDOLON: Become Your Best Self.