"Look at them. God damn the Combine... This is what happens to you if you resist... Or if you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time." -Spalyx Vance, Commenting on the Combine's affinity to alter the apperance and mechanisms of chimians whom don't abide by their rules...
Spalyx Vance is the deuteragonist to Scorden Freeman’s Protagonist. She is portrayed as a woman in her late-twenties, and is a prominent figure in The Forgotten Resistance campaign against the rule of The Combine. She is an obvious referent to her HλLF-LIFE² inspiration, being |Alyx Vance. She is an experienced technician, and combat operative, and is somewhat of a tactician and strategist at times. She often uses her extra limbs on her back to swing in the air from her web-singing, ala-Spiderman.
Biograpy[]
Background[]
"...There was a time they cared nothing for Miss Vance... When their only experience of... humanity was a Crowbar coming at them down a steel corridor..." -Scrin, noting of the event that Spalyx was involved when she was an infant, as well as referencing Scordon's involvement.
Will replace this image with my own interpretation soon...
Being one of the first spiders to evolve through the use of Chi, Spalyx Vance was only an infant to her mother and father at the time, much of this history goes unknown and unseen, but some of the earliest recollections she has is, As a young child, Spalyx lived in the dormitories within the confines of the Aperture Mesa Research Facility along with her father Speli and her mother Spazian, while Speli was working at the Sector C Test Labs. When local Combine enforcement conducted a “Sweep and Clear” on the A.M.R.F, Speli managed to escape along with Spalyx and a family picture, while Spazian was killed in the incident.
Spalyx was raised by Speli in the outlands controlled by The Combine, likely at Aperture Mesa East much of the time. During this time, Spalyx was also on good terms with Isaac Skleiner, referring to him as "Uncle Skleiner" in an affectionate portrait she once offered him. During Spalyx's childhood, Speli used scrap metal and a robotic template to create C.R.A.W.L-R, a sentient robot designed to protect her, making him physically powerful, intelligent and with an in-built sixth sense so that he could always know Spalyx's whereabouts. Although the initial model was a mere meter high, Spalyx added new parts to C.R.A.W.L-R over time, making him a towering 2.5 meters high at the time of his rp debut.
As Spalyx reached her adulthood relatively fast (due to maturing at a fast rate from lingering evolutionary chi effects), she began working with the Forgotten, as one of the core members of the Cave 17 branch, most notably assisting Skleiner and Barney Balhoun in helping citizens escape the city to Aperture Mesa East through the old Outland Canals, as well as helping Skleiner, her father and a scorpion woman by the name of Scorpia Mossman establish a teleport connection between Aperture Mesa East and Skleiner's Lab. She is working with this at the time of beginning of the Outlands Era.
Fallout with House Rax[]
During the beginning of the Forgotten's reformation, Many from House Rax were getting nervous about many more Spiders joining the organizing Outland Rebel Group, if as such, they soon posed the questionable threat to it's current leader at the time, Skaulus Rax. They often asked whom was the main deciding factor whom was pushing more and more Spiders into the Organizing Violent Non-State Actor that was (formerly) The Forgotten. If anything, The only person at the time they could accuse and blame it on was Speli Vance, if anything, he had fathered the "malignant Arachnid disruption" (as quoted by Skaulus himself).
Surely, they had no idea that Seris Rax Was completely behind the idea of sacrificing Speli Vance in order to hide Spalyx, and other Forgotten Spiders as the admission rate was slowly trickling down to a crawl. If anything, Speli was foretold by The Chi Man that he must
"Prepare for unforeseen Consequences."
To which Spalyx was relayed the same message to. At first Spalyx was adamant that she'd save her father but in the end, Speli was assassinated by some agents of House Rax, whom thought the politics to an proper execution were taking too long. In the end, Spalyx Vance was now honed as a fugitive of the tribe, and has such a memory wiped and erased from her psyche thanks to the Chi Man.
Inland Operations[]
By the time of when Scordon Freeman managed to reach Lion City and had gotten himself imprisoned, his H.O.E.V. Suit sent a distress beacon to which Forgotten in the local hideouts in The Great Forest managed to get the call, Spalyx being in these camps at the time, answered the call and soon began rounding up an posse to go free the Freeman. It was at this time Scrin began to make more physical appearances in the world of Chima.
By the time Spalyx had arrived at the Lion City with the companionship of her men and with Scrin (indirectly). The Lions were sorta expecting this, and if such an fight would happen the Lions led by Leonard could quell is easily and shortly. Once inside, Spalyx couldn't help but provoke a fight, she was eagerly awaiting to fight and make herself a bit more adept, thinking her extra limbs on her back would make her adept in combat. But thankfully, the Lion King Lionel managed to break up the stirring fight before it began.
Luckily for Spalyx, she didn't have to necessarily get her hands dirty to break the Freeman out, but due to the circumstances, Dr. Freeman was let out by Lion Authority, when a misunderstanding was mutually assessed. There, the spider was free to introduce herself to Scordon, as she hadn't met him before... seems like they hit it off fairly well.
Forgotten Confines of the Lion City[]
(WIP)
Appearances[]
The One Free Man[]
Spalyx is one of the most important characters in “The One Free Man”, as she helps Scordon Freeman more frequently and directly than most other characters. Her first appearance is in the first chapter of the story, Point Insertion, in a scene where Scordon has been intercepted by Civil Protection units while he is still an unarmed civilian, due to a miscount detection. Spalyx rushes in the room and takes down the CPs by herself (although this is not explicitly shown on-screen). Subsequently, she escorts Scordon to Skleiner’s Lab, there they meet up with Barney and Skleiner. After Scordon puts on his H.O.E.V. Suit, they enter the teleport room to be teleported to Speli Vance's lab in Black Mesa East. However, the two unintentionally part ways after Skleiner's teleportation device malfunctions, forcing Scordon to continue through Cave 17 on his own.
Physical Appearance[]
The older concept Reference for Spalyx Vance in a minifigure form form, note the lack of hair.
Spalyx has brown, short hair with streaks of red, a green headband and green eyes. She wears worn-out clothes, as most of some crawler characters: a brown leather jacket with the right sleeve attached to the rest with duct tape, jeans and brown work boots, with a grey hooded sweater bearing the Aperture Mesa logo, with the words "Aperture Mesa" under it. She has black fingerless rappelling gloves and a tensor bandage around her right hand (it is unknown if it is for looks or if she was previously hurt, though the latter seems highly unlikely).
She also wears a green belt where her gun and a EMP Tool are attached; purple underwear can also be seen from behind. Around her neck is a little box-like jewel, made out of wood or metal and acts as a chi harness, which apparently belonged to her mother, according to the Vance family picture. A birthmark can also be seen at the stem of her neck.
Personality and Skills[]
"I've worked with electricity a time or two, and I'm pretty sure this sparking wire must be connected to a power supply..." -Spalyx, stating she has somewhat megar profession in electrical engineering.
Spalyx is a skilled hacker: she is able to operate and manipulate many Combine-based (and possibly other chimian technologies too) objects and technology such as turrets with the help of her gear, and also wields an EMP Tool used to perform a variety of tasks. She also "put together" the Forgotten Scout Car Back at Westshore Point, and helped Dr. Skleiner "resurrect" his teleport.
She is also very proficient with her multi-gun and hand-to-hand combat, as she single-handedly defeats six Civil Protection officers who almost capture Scordon during his escape from the tenement block at the start of The One Free Man, and helps fight alongside Scordon briefly. Spalyx accompanies Scordon for most of his time in the RP and demonstrates additional fighting skills previously unseen, using a shotgun and kicking and kneeing off Adversaries when they get too close. she is also fairly skilled with the use of Sniper Rifles, where she is providing cover for Scordon using a Black Overwatch Sniper Rifle. Despite Spalyx's friendly nature, she shows some hostility towards Dr.Scorpia Mossman because of Mossman's somewhat patronizing attitude towards her, as well as Mossman's interest in her father.
The Ballad of the Vance
As stated in the title, this song represents the harships of overcoming her father's death, and work with such hostility, but with an hostility, comes freedom in the form of a crowbar. (Basically her themesong.)
Spalyx is also a rather cheerful, optimistic person, showing some sense of humour. This is evidenced by the jokes she makes about various events. For instance, she playfully mocks Scordon's silence, telling him "Man of few words, aren't you?" Another example has been experienced where she and Scordon navigate a series of Outland plant-infested tunnels. During lulls in combat she imitates a Plant growl to scare him, then will laugh and say "Gotcha!" when they find out it is her. She also attempts another "joke" shortly after when entering a Combine troop train. She spots a dead Combine Overwatch Soldier with a Plant over its head and tries to lighten the situation;
"Hmmm. A Combine zombie. Zombie Combine. That's, that's like a…ah…a Zombine! Right? Heh… Zombine, get it? Heh heh. Heh. O————kay."
Spalyx is also a very sensitive person, giving some heart and realism to the RP. She does not believe her eyes when she sees the state of Mt. Cavora, is affected by Scrin’s ambitions, about when Bliston wants to conquer as much land with King Scorm as they both can, and cries over the losses of the inlanders whom are occupado by the Crawler Empire, The Combine, and soon, the Ice Hunters.
Relationship with Scordon Freeman[]
"Ugh… You're lucky you've got that hazard suit. This water's nasty. Got room for two in there?" - Spalyx, expressing her distaste to how much Scordon has to traverse.
Although Alyx was a child at the time of the Incident mentioned above in the biography (at which point Scordon was biologically 27 years old), Scordon's almost month-long stasis (and the quick development of Spalyx) after previous events in Freeman’s life has more or less erased any age gap between the two. At several points during this RP, it is suggested that there is a growing relationship developing between her and Scordon.
- Speli teasing Alyx about Gordon at Black Mesa East.
- Speli Vance makes a teasing comment when him, Scordon and Spalyx meet up in Aperture Mesa East:
"There is nothing Scordon can't handle... with the possible exception of you!" Alyx, embarrassed, utters; "Dad, please!" This is followed by a moment of awkward silence, and is also the first time such a relationship is mentioned in-RP.
- Mainly when the two are forced to part ways for some reason, with Spalyx becoming pensive with worry and telling Scordon to be careful.
Weapons[]
"So much for Medical Supplies; I found a shotgun!" - Spalyx Vance feeling happy to find a classic Boomstick.
Spalyx Vance’s signature gun in its pistol form
In the LMBE Chima RP, Spalyx is seen with her unique weapon, an automatic chi-based pistol, known simply as the "Multix Gun" (its rp entity name, “weapon_spalyxgun”). This gun is not available to Scordon. Spalyx's Gun is an average sized, easily concealed pistol with a 30-round magazine housed in the grip, and is capable of both semi-automatic and automatic fire.
Spalyx's gun has the advantages of being automatic and high accuracy (even better than the MChi-9 or the BOSIAS rifle when used by Forgotten Rebels); at longer ranges Spalyx has little trouble to handle most enemies and rarely gets killed due to most enemies having poor accuracy combined with her own health regeneration. On the downside, it has low damage, a problem can be when engaging a high health enemy or enemies who are in groups, in fact the firepower is quite insufficient at closer ranges and enemies armed with weapons like the SCAS-12 or the MChi-9 can sometimes outgun her weapons especially if they are in pair. Spalyx often requires assistance from other allies; protecting her is necessary.
Though it is unknown what kind of ammunition it fires, it does roughly the same amount of damage as the US-Chi Match.
Spalyx’s Gun in its rifle Form.
Spalyx is the only RPC ever observed using this weapon. Other RP’ers never acquires it in normal roleplay. Spalyx appears to have unlimited ammunition for this weapon, possibly due to her being a Semi-NPC. When she is not using it, she apparently replaces it inside her jacket, probably in a holster.
Her gun can also be converted to both a rifle and a submachine gun, having a retractable stock, front folding grip and extended barrel with silencer. Spalyx's Gun appears to be custom-made from parts that come from the real-world USP .45 and the PM-63 (with a possibility that an M1911 was used for the pistol grip), though its overall appearance bears a strong resemblance to the non-production KRISS KARD.