Likely Lads (Neo-Noir, OOC/Signups) [Closed]

[Reverend Norv]

Got an invite by Cy and was looking at the role of the FBI snitch, though my current schedule makes applying for it iffy at best so I'm refraining for now. If it gets taken, it gets taken -nodnod-

Great set up, btw!

Thank you! As for the snitch: there can actually be two FBI snitches, each ignorant of the fact that the other is also a mole. I have a subplot in my back pocket for that eventuality. So if you want it, go for it, and don't worry too much if another app gets made first.

I could probably roll the Snitch, since I scrapped my original idea and have been trying (and mostly failing) to think of new character ideas.

If Lunas does the Snitch, who do you need most, Norv?

If Lunas takes the Snitch and OD takes the Family Man, all the roles will be filled - but there can be two characters with the same role.

We already have two people interested in the roles of the Snitch and the Dragon, so let's leave those two alone. And Aurin clearly has the Mobster role covered - and I have special plans for that character. But you could fill the role of a second Family Man, or a second Rookie, or simply of a detective with no role in particular - this is a complex plot, and detectives work in pairs, so your importance will not be limited just because you don't pick a pre-set role.

[Galdius]

Felipe Carillo Ignacierrez

Aurin, that's perfect. You never disappoint. Galdius, I'm afraid the role of the Mobster has been filled, though once you throw up an app we can still cooperate on integrating your character into the setting.

And Aurin, you actually have no idea how perfect that is. This dovetails with the plot like I put you up to it. I need details, though, which either you or I can invent.

I need the name of the elder son of Don Manuel Carilla, the guy who still owns the big hacienda. I need the name of the hacienda itself - most great estates have names. I need the names of the hacienda grandee's family: wife, kids, grandkids. And I need to be free to invent all remaining pertinent details about the hacienda.

That said, you are of course admitted. I will add Felipe to the dramatis personae momentarily.

Well dang, when I catch up with the rest of my posts I'll put some work into an App anyway.

[Reverend Norv]

Galdius, I'm afraid the role of the Mobster has been filled, though once you throw up an app we can still cooperate on integrating your character into the setting.

Well dang, when I catch up with the rest of my posts I'll put some work into an App anyway.

Glad to hear it! There's no need for every detective to fill a role, after all.

[Nude East Ireland]

I think it goes without saying, but you've outdone yourself and created an incredibly detailed, quality RP. I'm debating whether or not to join, but either way I'll be watching this.

[Reverend Norv]

I think it goes without saying, but you've outdone yourself and created an incredibly detailed, quality RP. I'm debating whether or not to join, but either way I'll be watching this.

I am honored, NEI. Of course, I'd be doubly honored if you decided to join. You are a huge asset to any RP - and with your current flag, I can't help but think that you'd be especially valuable in this one.

[Nude East Ireland]

I think it goes without saying, but you've outdone yourself and created an incredibly detailed, quality RP. I'm debating whether or not to join, but either way I'll be watching this.

I am honored, NEI. Of course, I'd be doubly honored if you decided to join. You are a huge asset to any RP - and with your current flag, I can't help but think that you'd be especially valuable in this one.

I'll probably fill out an application.

[Aurinsula]

Felipe Carillo Ignacierrez

Aurin, that's perfect. You never disappoint. Galdius, I'm afraid the role of the Mobster has been filled, though once you throw up an app we can still cooperate on integrating your character into the setting.

And Aurin, you actually have no idea how perfect that is. This dovetails with the plot like I put you up to it. I need details, though, which either you or I can invent.

I need the name of the elder son of Don Manuel Carilla, the guy who still owns the big hacienda. I need the name of the hacienda itself - most great estates have names. I need the names of the hacienda grandee's family: wife, kids, grandkids. And I need to be free to invent all remaining pertinent details about the hacienda.

That said, you are of course admitted. I will add Felipe to the dramatis personae momentarily.

I live to serve.

The elder son, which is to say Felipe's uncle, is named Sebastian Carilla Velazquez. (I'm sure you know this, but for the benefit of the audience, a Spanish or Hispanic person takes their first surname from their father and their second surname from their mother, or rather from their mother's father.) Therefore, we can assume that the second son of Don Manuel Carilla (whose second surname would be Ortega), our Enrique, would also be Sebastian Carilla Velazquez, and that his wife Marisol would have the surname Ignatierrez, so as to give Felipe his full name, Felipe Manuel Santiago Carilla Ignatierrez.

Also, since Sr. Sebastian Carilla is the master of the Hacienda San Joaquin de Villarey, he walks around calling himself "Don Sebastian Carilla Velazquez de San Joaquin." This is not technically correct, and it's not his legal name. Nobody who actually ever speaks to him in person is brave enough to try and correct him. The San Joaquin hacienda is a massive sugar plantation, over a thousand acres, and the manor itself is a gorgeous colonial-style white-stone mansion built in the 1700s; visiting it is like a time-warp into some telenovela version of Gone with the Wind. The estate was given to them by an encomienda from the King of Spain in 1559, and has been held by the family ever since. The sugar grown there is made into San Joaquin rum, which is a minor brand that is nevertheless well-regarded by rum enthusiasts. The rum business is mostly a heirloom, held on to for tradition's sake; most of their money comes from mutual funds, the stock market, and wealth management operations.

The Lanza family treats Sr. Carilla respectfully, because he could make obstacles for them - not insurmountable obstacles, but unnecessary ones - and all he asks for is dignity and courtesy, which they and other power groups generally extend on the occasions when they have to treat with these inbred swamp-kings. Sr. Carilla gave Felipe opportunities, but he wasted them; he's welcome as a guest in the hacienda, and he hasn't been exiled from the family or anything like that, but they won't front him any more money or put themselves on the line for him any more. Other than that, he and Felipe are not particularly intimate and I wouldn't impose on how you might want to characterize what could well be an important character.

Their story only works if Sebastian and Enrique were the only two brothers, but they had two sisters, Isabel and Teresa. (They were born b-g-g-b). Sebastio Carilla himself is married to Mercedes Guisela Ruz, and he has five children, two sons and three daughters (g-b-b-g-g), who range in age from 45 to 31. Between them, they probably have an enormous brood of children.

You may, of course, do with this as you wish.

[Swith Witherward]

Norv, your world building is, as always, glorious! Thank you for the invite. Let me see how my other RPs are doing by the weekend. I'm stretched pretty thin, but I'm very, very, extremely, oh my god so verily, very interested.

[Reverend Norv]

I am honored, NEI. Of course, I'd be doubly honored if you decided to join. You are a huge asset to any RP - and with your current flag, I can't help but think that you'd be especially valuable in this one.

I'll probably fill out an application.

Fantastic! I'll be glad to have you.

Norv, your world building is, as always, glorious! Thank you for the invite. Let me see how my other RPs are doing by the weekend. I'm stretched pretty thin, but I'm very, very, extremely, oh my god so verily, very interested.

You do me great honor. I'll save you a place, and hope to hear good news from you by Sunday; given how you love the genre, it wouldn't feel right to run this without you.

-background-

Thank you, Aurin. This is exactly what I was looking for. You'll see why this is important soon enough, once the IC gets underway!

[Swith Witherward]

Alrighty, what hasn't been claimed yet? I might pitch a Mobster, if Dragon is already taken and not others are permitted.



And where's the femme fatale? We need her! We must have her! She's a part of the iconography of noir, just as much as the rejuvenating redeemer (or the lesser seen and incredibly annoying 'marrying type')!

[Astrolinium]

I am honored, NEI. Of course, I'd be doubly honored if you decided to join. You are a huge asset to any RP - and with your current flag, I can't help but think that you'd be especially valuable in this one.

I'll probably fill out an application.

If you're worried about time commitment, it'd probably be good to partner your character with mine.

[Nude East Ireland]

I'll probably fill out an application.

If you're worried about time commitment, it'd probably be good to partner your character with mine.

Hm. I'll keep it in mind.

[Occupied Deutschland]

Alrighty, what hasn't been claimed yet? I might pitch a Mobster, if Dragon is already taken and not others are permitted.



And where's the femme fatale? We need her! We must have her! She's a part of the iconography of noir, just as much as the rejuvenating redeemer (or the lesser seen and incredibly annoying 'marrying type')!

Family Man/Woman is still open.

I probably won't have time to keep up with this as much as I would like to in order to fulfill a solid role. But I'm definitely going to be reading it and may toss in an app of some form in the next day or two depending on whether my schedule frees up some.

It's a damn good setting, though. Full of all the possibilities for great shady business and indemnity of the double and triple sort.

[Reverend Norv]

Alrighty, what hasn't been claimed yet? I might pitch a Mobster, if Dragon is already taken and not others are permitted.



And where's the femme fatale? We need her! We must have her! She's a part of the iconography of noir, just as much as the rejuvenating redeemer (or the lesser seen and incredibly annoying 'marrying type')!

Oh, we have a femme fatale. At least one. And a hooker with a heart of gold, to boot. I've read my Hammett, and my Chandler, and more recently my James Ellroy (to whom this RP owes a massive debt). They're just NPCs - because after all, you must never be sure what game the femme fatale is really playing.

As to characters: Aurin has the mobster, and we have two dragons (Cy and Rup, assuming Rup comes through on his app), but we're still open for an FBI snitch, for a second rookie, and for the Family Man/Woman. The snitch and the Family Man/Woman, in particular, have crucial plot roles. If you have time, I think you'd do a fantastic job with either of them.

Family Man/Woman is still open.

I probably won't have time to keep up with this as much as I would like to in order to fulfill a solid role. But I'm definitely going to be reading it and may toss in an app of some form in the next day or two depending on whether my schedule frees up some.

It's a damn good setting, though. Full of all the possibilities for great shady business and indemnity of the double and triple sort.

Family Man/Woman does require a fairly consistent posting schedule. I do hope that you will still submit an app for an ordinary detective, though, one without a specific role.

[Astrolinium]

Is there a Jewish community on the island, and if so, what can you tell us about it?

[Reverend Norv]

Is there a Jewish community on the island, and if so, what can you tell us about it?

The Jewish community on Portocielo is small, tight-knit, and located almost entirely in the hurtfully-named Marrano Heights area of Eindhoven, in New Leiden. The first Jews arrived with the Spanish, as marranos (unwilling converts to Catholicism) - hence the neighborhood name. With the Dutch came legal toleration, and substantial numbers of Jews moved from the Netherlands in search of business opportunities. About a dozen Jewish families can trace their roots on Portocielo back before 1700: these families are sprawling, deeply corrupt, and very rich. They have a longstanding connection to the Lanzas, for whom they work as bookkeepers, emissaries, and occasionally muscle.

In the early twentieth century, tens of thousands of Jews arrived from Turkey, Eastern Europe, Russia, and ultimately Germany, fleeing persecution. They vastly outnumbered the old families, but lacked their connections on Portocielo, and so ended up working mostly in blue-collar jobs. They were white, and generally well-behaved, and so the Dutch liked them, and they rose in the world; by the 1970s, they were running a lot of the independent small businesses on Main Street. The average Meer Boulevard taverna, aimed at tourists and locals gunning for a beach lunch, is probably owned by Jews, bartended by Portocielans, and staffed by Brazilians.

Religiously, the Jews range from Orthodox (though the community is small, includes none of the old families, and is generally disliked by other Jews) to wholly secular (also fairly uncommon), with most Jews falling in between, within same the "Eh, I guess, for old times' sake" school of religion as most Portocielan Dutch Calvinists. The old families include a few Sephardim, but everyone else is Ashkenazi. Jews are generally liked by most people on the island, except the Caribs, who see them as tools of a corrupt establishment; everyone else thinks they're hardworking and reliable. But casual anti-Semitism is also very common; the phrase "Jewing someone up" - meaning to raise prices unfairly - is in common usage by almost everyone.

Is there anything else you need to know?

[Rudaslavia]

This app was fucking difficult. She's the most complex character I've made yet -- BY FAR! I hope this is sufficient!

Role, If Any: No specific role

---

Name: Celestia de Jaager (Celestia Luisa Fidelia de Jaager Trinidad)

Age: 34

Gender: Female

Appearance:
Celestia
Celestia

---

Personality: Perhaps the most profound aspect of Celestia's character is her acute sadistic personality disorder. Her SPD is almost certainly linked to her traumatic imprisonment by the FN resistance during her youth, scarring her with a very distinct form of sociopathy. She revels in the physical suffering of others, especially those whom she independently labels as "causes of her suffering." As a detective, she became notorious for her highly extensive use of torture as a means of extracting information from suspects. These "methods" were generally kept on the down-low by Portocielo's police administrative authorities, as her talents as a detective heavily outweighed the moral vices of her practices.

Celestia can be described as an intensely Machiavellian weapon of law enforcement -- a woman for whom the ends always justify the means. If she had chosen the life path of a pure criminal, she would doubtlessly be amongst the most dangerous entities in Portocielo. She believes that her self-conceived concepts of "civilization" should be forced upon the indigenous population in every shape and form.

On a personal level, many perceive de Jaager to be a very down-to-earth individual with straight-forward approaches to socializing. She makes heavy use of swear words as a means of truly driving her points home and testing the social durability of those surrounding her. As a result, her associates and co-workers either love to hate her or hate to love her. She enjoys drinking and smoking when off duty, and has developed a reputation for embodying the "life of the party."

As a victim of fairly serious sociopathic disorders, she has difficulty understanding and expressing certain emotions. To compensate for one's natural ability to comprehend said feelings, she has turned to her religious beliefs for guidance. As a devout Roman Catholic, she tries to abide by the portrayals of love and sympathy in New Testament biblical characters. While she doesn't always succeed, these attempts at humanizing her mental malfunctions allow her to at least mimic the expressive practices of a healthy person. In spite of her near-constant cursing and comical references to the "dark side" of human nature, she often prays during her personal time for Heavenly guidance. She is stuck in the limbo between good and evil, and makes her best effort at swaying towards the former.

Celestia harbors a soft spot for children. She has always wanted to be a mother, but her days as an adolescent sex slave rendered her reproductive organs incapable of impregnation. Her background has also made her sympathetic to victims of prostitution and human trafficking (both of which she views as deadly plagues to modern society).

Though she herself would deny such compliments, she is considered by many to be very beautiful. Her ex-fiancé once noted, "God gave her in looks what she lacks in personality." She entertains the advances of certain men, but usually does not allow them to surpass a single drink at the bar in terms of relationships. However, for the very few that are able to crack her shell, Celestia greatly enjoys the manifestations of sexuality. She believes that only during intimacy is she able to grasp the true experience of love and infatuation. She has only (willingly) slept with one man -- a man which she was engaged to. Her fiancé, a Floridian Cuban that attended school alongside her in Miami, was killed in the crossfire of a gang-related shootout near his grandmother's residence (an area of Miami heavily populated with Cuban refugees). She prays for him daily.

Celestia believes that she is sacrificing her own purity to rescue Portocielo from damnation. She is a reluctant member of the Goon Squad, but cleverly uses the organization's influence to aid in her crusade against the Fronte Nacional. Though she doesn't agree with corruption, she tolerates and takes part in it regardless. In doing so, she maintains her high standing under Mack's authority. One day, she prays, the Goon Squad will grow weak enough to be eradicated -- allowing a truly pure law enforcement entity to reclaim the island.

It's ironic, given that her sadism is corruption in itself.

As a member of Mack's crew, Celestia has been partnered with Det. Ronald Viljoen. On a personal level, the pair of detectives are both hugely alike and drastically different. In many ways, their partnership resembles the interdependency of yin and yang -- opposite, yet complementary all the same. When they were first placed together in the Goon Squad, Celestia harbored a subconscious attraction to Ronnie. But his unbreakable loyalty to Mack (a festering boil of corruption), coupled with his affairs involving Jamie Cuypers (a family which she loathes), drove such emotions away. She now perceives Ronnie as a close friend -- the closest she has, in fact. Despite their conflicting principles, they share a generally positive relationship in both personal and professional terms. Outside of the workplace, Celestia enjoys drinking and conversing with Ronnie. She tolerates his sexual escapades, which is quite out of character for her strictly religious mindset. Indeed, she even jokes with him about his erotic habits.

de Jaager loves and trusts Viljoen...but not enough to share her most intimate secrets with him. Ronnie's allegiance to Mack ultimately makes him Celestia's enemy. She does not share any information with her partner that would compromise her status as an informant. Her agenda for the purification of Portocielo is her main priority; if placed at lethal odds, she would not hesitate to put a bullet in Ronnie's skull.

Celestia adores Ronnie's son, Christopher. She looks upon the boy as a beloved nephew (and sometimes even as a son). She even encourages him to call her "Tía Celestia" ("Aunt Celestia"). Like Ronnie, Celestia is known to shower Christopher with expensive gifts. But each of her gifts hold meaning, and she ensures that Christopher is aware of this. de Jaager is not above scolding the child (often in Spanish or Dutch, which has a more frightening effect), especially when he shows Ronnie disrespect. But she also tries to show him guidance and advise when he needs it.

de Jaager exhibits occasional jealousy towards Ronnie for Christopher. She wishes to have a child of her own, supplementing this desire with her love for Virrey.

Likes: Virrey (her German Shepherd), Autoridad está desmoronando (see biography), Hispanic ethnocentricity/jingoism, imperialism, dogs, Christopher Viljoen, laughing/comedy, history, classical music (Beethoven in particular), Hispanic music, literary arts, poetry, cigarettes (both the smell and taste), tequila, scotch, rum, wine, physical exercise, Roman Catholicism, sexual activities, capital punishment, right-wing politics, physical and mental suffering of criminals

Dislikes: The Fronte Nacional, prostitution, human trafficking, terrorism, political leftism, Portocielan sovereignty/autonomy, animal abuse, opposition to the death penalty

Fears: Having endured suffering beyond which words can describe, Celestia does not fear many things. She goes about life with a somewhat unconcerned attitude, always keeping calm even in the most dire of situations. However, she is scarred with a severe case of taphophobia -- fear of being buried alive. If placed in such circumstances, her body would shut down as part of her panic...rendering her unable to speak or breathe. In essence, the panic caused by her phobia can very well be enough to kill her.

Hobbies: She enjoys physical exercise (especially running), boxing, drinking, smoking, dancing, and spending time with her German Shepherd. Celestia has gained notoriety for her love of partying.

Skills: Celestia has extensive training in the handling of police canines. She has also received advanced training in criminal interrogation and criminal investigation. As a former metropolitan officer, she has a wide array of talent with firearms (mainly pistols, but also a variety of assault rifles) and hand-to-hand combat training. She had undergone several boxing courses as a means of therapeutically managing her innermost rage. de Jaager speaks fluent Spanish, Dutch, and English. English is actually not her mother tongue. In fact, she occasionally has trouble expressing her thoughts with complex English vocabulary, often resorting to the use of mixed Anglo-Spanish dialect.

Weaknesses (must be serious): Celestia's mental illnesses are the most prominent of her faults. Her sheer brutality towards criminals has made her many enemies. While an altogether functional person, her pride and sadistic urges sometimes drive her towards irrational decision-making. In her youth as a captive of the National Liberation Front, she developed acute taphophobia. It remains a haunting dread to this day.

---

Birthplace: Villa Trinidad, Portocielo

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: Hispanic (Spanish/Dutch with some mixed indigenous ancestry)

Political Views: Celestia fosters extreme ring-wing views, verging on fascism. Her political standpoint is roughly similar to that of the Spanish Falangists, stressing a centralized authority under the guidance of the Roman Catholic Church. She is a staunch advocate of imperialism, thus supporting the America's rule over Portocielo. Her perspectives have bred moderate racism, mostly directed towards the indigenous Afro-Carib population.

Sexuality: Heterosexual (with possible bisexual tendencies)

Religion: Roman Catholic

---

Rank: Detective Sergeant

Education: Earned a bachelor's degree in History and Legal Studies from the University of Miami

Residence: Shorline apartment on Claes Beach

Biography: Celestia's genetic heritage is intertwined with Portocielo's history. Through her maternal bloodline, she is a direct descendant of Basilio Rojas de Bolivar. Basilio was the great-great-nephew of Ernesto Rojas, the island's first Spanish viceroy. Commonly known as "Basilio the Red," he served as temporary Governor of Villarey in 1642. His administration was marked by severe fraudulence, profiteering, and elitist authoritarianism. As a result, he was replaced by a Crown-appointed legislator in 1643 due to his incompetence. Following his removal from office, Basilio privately authored a political manuscript entitled Autoridad está desmoronando. The document lamented his "unjust" expulsion from the colonial government, arguing that the monarchy was en route to disaster. He foretold a takeover of the Spanish Empire by "mestizos campesinos." After said takeover, Basilio believed, Spanish authority in the New World would be corrupted by warring "reinos salvajes." Autoridad está desmoronando was rediscovered by Dutch archeologists in 1875. Its contents were subsequently published and became hugely popular amongst Portocielo's Hispanic upper class. To this day, scholars still debate over the book's validity. Some contend that Rojas had accurately predicted the decline of Spanish imperial dominance in the Caribbean. Others assert he was no more than an oppressive racist grousing over his loss of power.

Even after his days as Governor of Villarey, Basilio remained an influential figure in Portocielo. Aside from his political ambitions, he owned a string of interconnected sugar plantations that dominated the agricultural economy of the island. It was from these plantations that he viciously abused his Afro-Carib slaves. Modern historians estimate that he owned between 1,000-1,500 slaves -- vastly outnumbering the presence of his hired overseers. Several months before the Dutch invasion of 1647, Basilio's slaves revolted. Their uprising sparked a wave of rebellion across Portocielo. The slaves raided villages and homes throughout the hills, slaughtering any whites they found. The conflict would come to be labelled "Fin Del Tirano." Basilio himself was dismembered and burned alongside his estate. His family went into temporary hiding at Ciudad Cielo as the colonial military fought to regain control.

Although the insurrection was eventually suppressed, Fin Del Tirano left Portocielo vulnerable. With the Eighty Years' War coming to a close, Admiral Johannes van der Meer of the Dutch Republic saw an opportunity. He stormed Villarey in a matter of hours, seizing the island from Spanish control just prior to the Peace of Münster.

Basilio Rojas de Bolivar was survived by two children: Juan María Venceslás Rojas de Leon and Griselda Teresa Rojas de Leon. The pair of siblings became distanced by their contradicting political ideologies. A proud chauvinist, Juan María vehemently opposed Dutch rule over Portocielo; Griselda, on the other hand, sought to utilize Holland's colonial administration for her own benefit. By 1650, communication between the two ceased to exist.

Following the destructive events of Fin Del Tirano, the Rojas family was left in substantial debt. However, they maintained a high standing amongst Portocielo's Spanish landowners (particularly those in New Leiden, whose properties had undergone significant damage during van der Meer's attack). In 1651, Juan María began to conspire with several criollo elites to overthrow Dutch rule and retake the island for Spain. The plot became known as the "Movimiento Conservador." It is rumored that the "Conservadores" were in contact with Phillip IV of Spain, who had promised reinforcements from Cuba.

In March of 1653, the scheme finally exploded into the notorious Rojas Insurrection. Lead by Juan María and his inner circle, the Conservadores met the Dutch in a three-hour battle on New Leiden's outskirts. Ironically, Holland's Portocielan garrison largely consisted of lower-class Spaniards. Many had pledged loyalty to the Dutch Republic in an attempt to escape the old guard's ridged caste system. King Phillip's reinforcements never came, and the outnumbered rebels were utterly annihilated. The survivors fled into the jungles whilst Juan María and his general staff were hanged. The remaining fragments of the Movimiento Conservador slowly disintegrated without their leadership. By 1654, almost all of the former Conservadores had either died, fled to Cuba, or been captured and imprisoned. In a way, the Rojas Insurrection actually helped the Dutch assert total control over Portocielo. Those resistant to Holland's rule had essentially been rooted out.

Because of her ideological distance from her brother, Griselda was unaffected by the rebellion. She went on to wed the wealthy Edmundo César Trinidad Escárcega in 1658. Edmundo was a prominent criollo aristocrat with ownership over three haciendas in central Portocielo. While famous for his fundamentally Roman Catholic beliefs, he was uninvolved in terms of politics. By contrast, Griselda was extremely ambitious and craved legislative fortune. She became renowned for her scandalous affairs with politicians in New Leiden. Her relations with local men of power granted the Trinidad family even greater influence. Of course, this came with a price of disrepute amongst the populace. Rumors spread that Griselda had birthed an illegitimate child by Johannes van der Meer himself. True or not, the allegations prompted Griselda's retreat from the public eye in 1660. From there on, she spawned several children by her husband that carried on the Trinidad name.

As time progressed, the Trinidads generally remained a purely Spanish bloodline. Despite this, they served their Dutch governors with outstanding diligence. One such member of the family, Diego Trinidad de Benéitez, even fought on behalf of the United Netherlands during the Belgian Revolution of 1830. Though the Belgians were victorious, Diego returned to Portocielo in 1832 as a decorated war hero.

After Diego's European campaign, the family experienced a surge in wealth and prominence...until the abolition of slavery in 1863. The Trinidad haciendas lost their immediate source of labor. A policy of sharecropping was assumed in their desperate attempt to revive profit, but an increasingly aggressive indigenous population hindered their success. Slowly, the former elites descended towards destitution.

The Trinidad family's downfall was coincided by the emigration of Benedictus de Jaager from Amsterdam to Portocielo in 1894. Benedictus, an influential Dutch aristocrat and railroad tycoon, previously drafted designs in Europe that would later influence Cecil Rhodes's colonial ambitions. de Jaager was a brilliant engineer with a deep desire to unite the island of Portocielo by train. In 1896, he founded the Portocielan Passage Railroad Company alongside Abram Davids, a distinguished Jewish-American industrialist. Foremost of the company's challenges was the presence of the natives. The militant resistance of the indigenous Portocielan guerillas prevented the jungles from being penetrated. To overcome this obstacle, de Jaager and Davids studied the historical presidency armies of the British East India Company. Emulating EIC designs, they set about forming their own private militia. By 1899, the pair had succeeded in creating the Spoorweg Rangers -- a voluntary force of roughly 700 Dutch-Hispanic mercenaries. The Rangers were tasked with defending the company's railroad workers against native attacks.

It was a hefty investment...but one that proved necessary. By 1904, de Jaager's laborers had fully traversed the island by railway. Despite the thinness and overall instability of the rail lines, goods were still able to be transported from one island coast to the other at a far more efficient pace. Benedictus's accomplishments drove the de Jaager family to the height of power and wealth during the first decade of the 20th century.

Sadly, the Portocielan Passage Railroad Company was disbanded in 1919 on allegations of corruption. The validity of these charges are questionable; it's been theorized that the Dutch government feared the growing influence of the corporation and its private militia. In 1920, the Spoorweg Rangers were legally dissolved and declared illegal. Without the management of the de Jaagers' underlings, the state of the island's railways fell into disarray. The family became indebted with the losses of its financial investors. Many of Benedictus's relatives (along with Benedictus himself) fled Portocielo to escape the persecution of their loaners. Those who remained fell from their former glorification by the populace. A good number of these individuals went as far as to change their surname (family names such as "Jagger" and "de Yager" miraculously became more commonplace) to avoid harassment. They generally assumed meager professions of the common man, some even becoming drug peddlers in the 1960's with the rise of the Mafia.

Today, the de Jaager legacy has been almost entirely forgotten by the people of Portocielo. Few of them even remain on the island, instead preferring the social stability of Europe and mainland America.

Celestia's father was amongst those that continued to live in Portocielo. William de Jaager, the great-grandson of Benedictus de Jaager, was a petty thug and alcoholic who spent his days taking small-time planting jobs in the farmlands. His antics eventually brought him under the employ of Luis Fidel Trinidad Hernandez, the patriarch of the Trinidad family, in 1974. At this point, the Trinidads were on the verge of bankruptcy as they struggled to maintain their landowning status. Still, Luis was a conservative Spaniard with pride in his heritage. He looked down upon William's foolery and condemned him to the lowest of jobs.

But William could not fight his own heart. Over his time on the Trinidad estates, he quickly fell in love with none other than Maria Xoana Úrsula Trinidad Díaz, Luis's striking daughter and only child. Luckily for him, the woman reciprocated his feelings. She spoke not a word of English or Dutch, but wed William out of physical attraction.

The marriage was unhappy and borderline abusive.

The couple gave birth to their only child, Celestia, in early 1981. Despite her father's Dutch ancestry, she was christened by Hispanic naming custom as Celestia Luisa Fidelia de Jaager Trinidad due to the insistence of her maternal grandfather (in fact, she was partly named after him). Celestia's toddler years were marked by poverty-stricken labors that forced her to assist in adult work. She spoke little to no English, as both of her parents communicated with unique dialect of mixed Spanish and Dutch (a language she now comically refers to as "Sputch"). William and Maria fought on a constant basis, mostly over William's drinking. The spats often turned violent, and Celestia witnessed her mother suffering beatings regularly. Luis, who had never approved of the marriage in the first place, attempted to distance his granddaughter from the "uncivilized folly." In his spare time, he taught Celestia of their Spanish lineage and boasted of their noble blood. When addressing her grandfather, Celestia was only allowed to speak Spanish. As a result, Spanish became her dominant tongue (and it remains so today). Luis died when the girl was five, devastating her to the core. With his death, the Trinidad name would cease to be passed on.

Celestia's childhood was difficult, but it was to become hellish in the coming years. When she was seven years old, precursors to the Fronte Nacional descended upon the ranch from the jungles in the name of Portocielan sovereignty. William was executed almost immediately, but Celestia and her mother were spared death. They were dragged to the mountains to serve as slaves to the guerrilla "freedom fighters." The most sadistic of the band's members forced Celestia to watch as they barbarically raped her mother...before forcing Celestia to perform sickening sex acts on them as well.

Maria did not last long. A particularly violent sexual assault left her dead due to suffocation, leaving little Celestia alone to suffer amongst her fellow prisoners. She would remain in the captivity of the Fronte Nacional for two years. Between sexual acts, the girl was often forced to dig graves for victims of the FN resistance. Some would toy with her mind by pretending to bury her alive, shoveling mud and dirt upon her head as she scrambled to escape the 6-foot-deep ditches. It is the leading factor that would cause her taphophobia in adulthood.

Celestia escaped into the wilderness at age ten. She was found in the jungle by Lanza-hired "lumbermen" (who were actually narcotics traffickers using the lumbering business as a minor front for cocaine trade). They took pity on the dirtied, bloodied, naked child and had her anonymously delivered to a Catholic hospital in New Leiden. After a long physical recovery and basic medical treatments by the psychological department of the institutes nunnery, Celestia became a student under the administration of a local orphanage. Her social quirks and difficulty adjusting to the normal world rendered her an undesirable candidate for adoption. She remained at the orphanage until she turned 18, becoming a legal adult.

Luckily, her decent grades earned her an acceptance at the University of Miami. Desperate to escape the shadowy grasp of the orphanage, Celestia attended UM for four years to earn a degree as a double-major in History and Legal Studies. Throughout her college experience, the awkward and internally frustrated Celestia learned to channel her traumatic injuries through socializing and networking with professors. While she once did not care about her physical appearance or social interactions, she quickly developed a keen interest in beauty and friendships. She even began to date. Over time, Celestia realized her ambitions to become involved in police work; she wished to rid Portocielo of the filth that had plagued her early life.

The young de Jaager woman's boyfriends were never large in number, but one in particular caught her soul. He was a fellow student of Cuban descent who took interest in Celestia's academic studies and desire to become a police officer. His name was Miguel Salazar. Miguel was the first man in whom Celestia confided on matters of her enslavement by the FN. She professed her love to him when he voiced genuine sympathy and rage at her torture. During her Junior year of college, the pair became engaged.

It would last only a month before Salazar was killed in the crossfire of a gang shootout.

Celestia sunk into a deep depression. Her infuriation with the unfairness of mortality further fueled her desire to work in law enforcement. She received her degree at the age of 22, immediately returning to Portocielo to register as an officer. Her deep-sewn love for dogs drove her to train in K-9 handling. After two years of training in multiple fields, she was sworn in as a member of the Special Operations K-9 Unit. As a K-9 officer, Celestia achieved a decorated reputation in rooting out small drug-pumping operations throughout New Leiden. However, she was reported on several occasions for misconduct against suspects. One report stated that she "deliberately ordered her dogs to attack a suspected cocaine dealer that was unarmed and clearly surrendering to police custody; the dogs nearly tore him to shreds." These reports resulted in minimal consequences, most of which were undocumented by her superiors due to their admiration of her effective work. Such examples were early indications of her sadistic nature, in which she derived pleasure from the pain of those she deemed "evil."

She worked as a member of the K-9 Unit for seven years until her promotion to the Criminal Investigations Division as a member of Organized Crime (and consequently, a member of the Goon Squad). As a parting gift, she was given a trainee German Shepherd puppy of the K-9 Unit to keep as her own. Celestia affectionately named him Virrey, and he grew into a healthy, well-trained beast that continues to assist her in minor investigations to this day. Reports have also been filed against Celestia for using Virrey to harm criminal suspects. However, none have carried enough substantial evidence for formal charges to be presented.

As a detective of Criminal Investigations, de Jaager further improved her reputation as a skilled policewoman...and a savage beast. Celestia is rumored to have made extensive use of torture to retrieve information from apprehended suspects. These torturing techniques are reportedly barbaric to an extreme, even said to include minor scalping. Again, these are rumors that many police administrators deny. Regardless, the legends surrounding her sadism have earned her a widespread combination of respect, fear, and hatred amongst her co-workers -- perhaps even from Mack himself. While originally opposed to corruption in all of its forms, Celestia has learned to utilize it to suit her needs. Her ultimate goal is to establish "total order" and "complete civilization" over the island of Portocielo. But she's not foolish enough to think that she can do so with clean hands. She sees the Goon Squad for what it is: a dangerous, amoral, and perpetually genius conglomerate with the potential to make or break even the most powerful men and women. And so she has forced herself to take part for her own benefit -- to sacrifice the purity of her soul for the sake of a greater good. In return for carrying out ruthless acts for Mack, she's granted the invaluable advantages of being amongst his henchmen.

Celestia does not take part in jobs which promote the Fronte Nacional. Aside from this entity, though, she's more than willing to dirty her hands. Perhaps she and Mack will be at odds one day. Given their differing ideologies, it seems inevitable. But for now, she serves the man as diligently as she serves God.

She lives alone in her shoreline New Leiden apartment alongside her beloved Virrey. She is a survivor of Portocielo...and she has no intention of leaving any time soon.

[Reverend Norv]

Outstanding work, Rudaslavia. I'll add Celestia to the Dramatis Personae momentarily.

Given Celestia's discomfort with corruption and her authoritarian tendencies, it would also make a lot of sense for her to be an FBI informant; she would be working to create that truly pure law enforcement agency that she so desires, an icon of order and civilization. Would you be open to taking on that role?

[Rudaslavia]

Outstanding work, Rudaslavia. I'll add Celestia to the Dramatis Personae momentarily.

Given Celestia's discomfort with corruption and her authoritarian tendencies, it would also make a lot of sense for her to be an FBI informant; she would be working to create that truly pure law enforcement agency that she so desires, an icon of order and civilization. Would you be open to taking on that role?

Absolutely! Sounds good to me. The role definitely suits her.

[Walabam]

-snip-

Hiiiiii

[Rudaslavia]

-snip-

Hiiiiii

Long time no see!

[Astrolinium]

Is there a Jewish community on the island, and if so, what can you tell us about it?

The Jewish community on Portocielo is small, tight-knit, and located almost entirely in the hurtfully-named Marrano Heights area of Eindhoven, in New Leiden. The first Jews arrived with the Spanish, as marranos (unwilling converts to Catholicism) - hence the neighborhood name. With the Dutch came legal toleration, and substantial numbers of Jews moved from the Netherlands in search of business opportunities. About a dozen Jewish families can trace their roots on Portocielo back before 1700: these families are sprawling, deeply corrupt, and very rich. They have a longstanding connection to the Lanzas, for whom they work as bookkeepers, emissaries, and occasionally muscle.

In the early twentieth century, tens of thousands of Jews arrived from Turkey, Eastern Europe, Russia, and ultimately Germany, fleeing persecution. They vastly outnumbered the old families, but lacked their connections on Portocielo, and so ended up working mostly in blue-collar jobs. They were white, and generally well-behaved, and so the Dutch liked them, and they rose in the world; by the 1970s, they were running a lot of the independent small businesses on Main Street. The average Meer Boulevard taverna, aimed at tourists and locals gunning for a beach lunch, is probably owned by Jews, bartended by Portocielans, and staffed by Brazilians.

Religiously, the Jews range from Orthodox (though the community is small, includes none of the old families, and is generally disliked by other Jews) to wholly secular (also fairly uncommon), with most Jews falling in between, within same the "Eh, I guess, for old times' sake" school of religion as most Portocielan Dutch Calvinists. The old families include a few Sephardim, but everyone else is Ashkenazi. Jews are generally liked by most people on the island, except the Caribs, who see them as tools of a corrupt establishment; everyone else thinks they're hardworking and reliable. But casual anti-Semitism is also very common; the phrase "Jewing someone up" - meaning to raise prices unfairly - is in common usage by almost everyone.

Is there anything else you need to know?

What are some of the prominent families? What synagogues are there, what affiliations do they have, and who are the rabbis?

[Aurinsula]

This evening, I am going to... not edit, per se, but rather expand my application, and put in more interesting details and match up the lines a little better. I'm also going to provide more details about the encomiendistos, the Spanish aristocrats of the inner countryside, which the right Reverend can accept or reject as he feels the need.

[Reverend Norv]

Outstanding work, Rudaslavia. I'll add Celestia to the Dramatis Personae momentarily.

Given Celestia's discomfort with corruption and her authoritarian tendencies, it would also make a lot of sense for her to be an FBI informant; she would be working to create that truly pure law enforcement agency that she so desires, an icon of order and civilization. Would you be open to taking on that role?

Absolutely! Sounds good to me. The role definitely suits her.

In that case, allow me to make the following additions:

About a year ago, Celestia returned home to find a woman waiting outside her house. The woman was small, red-headed, and seemed vaguely awkward. She introduced herself as FBI Special Agent Kate Wallace, and explained that she was trying to purge Portocielo of corruption, especially within the PTPD. She asked Celestia to be a part of that process. She gave her a concealable camera no larger than her thumb, a digital recorder of similar size, and a set of hidden microphones, and asked Celestia to bring the FBI enough evidence to charge Liam Mackenzie with a federal crime. In return, Celestia would become commissioner of a new, corruption-purged PTPD.

They communicate via pager: when Celestia's pager buzzes, she knows to meet Kate at an ruined bungalow in a long-abandoned neighborhood of Eindhoven, where it is certain that they will not be overheard. Kate summons Celestia, not vice versa.

Early on, Mack started consistently finding Celestia's bugs, so she has probably stopped actually trying to plant microphones; it's almost certain that they will be discovered. Instead, she is keeping her eyes and ears open, waiting for Mack to do something that obviously violates federal law. Then the hidden camera will do its work, and the FBI crackdown can begin.

Does that all sound okay to you?

What are some of the prominent families? What synagogues are there, what affiliations do they have, and who are the rabbis?

The oldest of the old-breed families are the Cazans. They are Sephardic. They have a private synagogue and an estate in Angelwood, though they still mostly live in Marrano Heights. They have traditionally worked as intermediaries between the Dutch and Spanish economic elites, buying sugarcane or rum and reselling it to Dutch traders for export. They are relatively clean, relatively being the key word.

There are the Edelmans: an old family of Dutch/German Jews. They are by far the cleanest of the great old families, and also the poorest: their prestige is rooted mostly in their high level of education and their great piety. They are the only Orthodox old family, and they more or less control the splendid but understaffed and decaying Orthodox synagogue in Marrano Heights. They have close ties to Orthodox communities elsewhere, especially in the continental U.S.

There are the Kaufmans: another old, originally Dutch family. They are by far the dirtiest of the great old families: they hung on until the arrival of the Lanzas, and then immediately went into business with the Italian mob as bookkeepers, ambassadors, and muscle. These days, they even supply most of the Lanzas' lawyers. They are rich, but don't put on airs in the same way as the Cazans: they still live in middle-class homes in Marrano Heights, much like their neighbors. You seriously do not mess with them.

There are four synagogues. One is the private Sephardic synagogue of the Cazan family. It is a weird-looking quasi-Moorish building in southern Angelwood, near where High Street runs down Angelwood Hill into Truman Square. It serves as much as a business headquarters and family reunion center as a house of worship; there are more than a hundred Cazans, and nobody else even tries to attend. The rabbi is Moises Cazan, an unmarried and unhappy member of the family who is thoroughly disrespected by his kin.

The second is the Orthodox synagogue. It is a splendid building, limestone and stained-glass, standing proudly smack-dab in the middle of Marrano Heights. It is also slowly falling to pieces, because the Orthodox community has been shrinking for more than a century. The Edelmans now run the place out of their own pocket, and make up about half of the congregation at a typical Sabbath service (more people show up for the High Holy Days). The rabbi is Noam Edelman, an ancient and revered brother of the current Edelman patriarch, and widely respected as an honest broker for disputes within the Jewish community.

The third is the Conservative synagogue - usually known simply as "the synagogue," since it is twice the size of all the other synagogues combined. It is a quite ugly modernist building of white stucco, located on the edge of Marrano Heights, that has frequently been vandalized; the PTPD has no interest in solving those cases. It occupies a strange social role: most of the people who attend it really don't care very much about what the rabbi has to say, but they go anyway in search of a sense of belonging and a chance to see their friends. This casts the middle-aged rabbi, Eli Meltzer, in the role of a fire-and-brimstone preacher trying to drag Marrano Heights back to a serious commitment to the halakha and to God. It's not going so well for him.

As a result, a small but growing number of young people has rallied around Rabbi Rachel Spector, a liberal rabbi and San Francisco native who moved to Portocielo fleeing unspecified home troubles. They generally just meet in one of their homes, but they are trying to raise money to buy land and build Portocielo's first Reform synagogue. It's not going so well for them, either, mostly because none of the old Judeo-Dutch families are supportive of the venture. But they're young, they have spirit, and they're still trying.

Anything else, Astro?

This evening, I am going to... not edit, per se, but rather expand my application, and put in more interesting details and match up the lines a little better. I'm also going to provide more details about the encomiendistos, the Spanish aristocrats of the inner countryside, which the right Reverend can accept or reject as he feels the need.

I look forward to seeing it, Aurin. You might want to touch base with Rudaslavia, since your characters are both closely tied to the history of the Spanish nobility. I can't think of anyone better to flesh out the rural setting than you two.

[Walabam]

Would a rookie have a partner, or would he/she be under direct supervision of, or partnership with, Mack?