Aurora

[Code Name] Aurora

[Gender] Female

[Combat Experience] 1 Year

[Place of Birth] Kjerag

[Date of Birth] Dec 20

[Race] Ursus

[Height] 169cm

[Infection Status]

Confirmed Infected by medical examination.

[Physical Strength] Standard

[Mobility] Normal

[Physical Resilience] Excellent

[Tactical Acumen] Standard

[Combat Skill] Standard

[Originium Arts Assimilation] Normal

Aurora, born in Kjerag, studied in Columbia on a grant from the Silverash family after graduating from secondary school, specializing in defense engineering in extreme snowfield environments.

Cut her studies short due to unfortunately contracting Oripathy, and came to seek treatment at Rhodes Island. Following examination, simultaneously serves as both an engineering operator and operation team member, active on all manner of assignments both aboard and away from the landship.

Imaging tests show the indistinct outlines of internal organs, obscured by abnormal shadows. Originium granules detected in the circulatory system. The subject is confirmed to be infected with Oripathy.

[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 7%

Trend of localized crystallization to Operator Aurora's lungs.

[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.27u/L

Operator Aurora was infected with Oripathy in a catastrophic Originium hail in the far northern tundra. This disaster led to infection in a fifth of the expedition team, but by local rescue teams' estimates, infection rate would have ordinarily reached three-quarters, or even higher. Coupled with Operator Aurora's state of infection, she and some of her team very likely stood outermost, bracing their defensive structures, and protected the others.

—Silence

[Weapon Evaluation]

Aurora designed and built her armament, giving it a certain uniqueness from appearance to functionality.

Uncommon metals from Kjerag form the primary bulk of the shield's material composition, with a combination of hardness and toughness, able to withstand a common Catastrophic battering of medium intensity, as well as exceptional resistance to cracking in ultra-low temperature environments. The surface has additional Columbian cutting-edge lab-developed anti-corrosive insulative coating, ensuring that in exposure to Originium-dense surroundings, the shield and related equipment still operate steadily.

The shield also incorporates small-scale piledriver functionality, convenient for quickly pitching camp in icefield environments. After Aurora suspended her northern expedition work and joined Rhodes Island, she modified the piledrivers into their present state of freely retractable stakes. As seen in her performance in actual combat, these steel stakes can instantly pierce a vast majority of everyday surfaces, increasing the load-bearing ability of the shield by close to 280%.

Another set of components attached to the shield's lower half is the 'Artificial Snowfaller.' This installation doesn't affect the local climate in the true sense; its actual function is close to a conductor channel, assisting Aurora's Originium Arts, rapidly dropping the temperature within a 3m range of the front of the shield. Most enemies are unable to bear such extreme cold, but to Aurora, born in a snowy region, the ice crystals that form in the air aren't just harmless to her, but let her feel the 'warmth' of her home.

Supplement:

After witnessing Aurora's modification of her equipment, we very much admired her. She doesn't just have a firm knowledge of engineering and ingenuity for planning, but a formidable and hopeful heart on top of it. When a healthy, robust person catches Oripathy in a sudden accident, changing their life's course, and even if they aren't discouraged by it, they often require a period to adjust mentality and accept themselves, adapting to a whole new life. Aurora, however, leapt past this step. She turned up at Rhodes Island immediately after her infection, joined the Engineering Department, spent a month talking things out with us, settled her plans, made prototypes, adjusted, officially began work, and little by little turned this originally northern exploration gear into a weapon of remarkable performance. Soon after, she took part in an immediate evaluation, and became a deploy Operator. All throughout, she never hesitated and never rested, just as if her illness didn't affect her in the slightest.

Whether in work or in life, Aurora gave one hundred percent of her energy, and after becoming an Infected, she chose to give two hundred.

Aurora was born in Kjerag's lake region, practically spending her entire childhood on the ice. She played games of 'build-a-house' with her big brother and neighbors. They would first dig out a thin chunk of ice, cut it into rectangular bricks, and then build a small house on another part of the ice. It's certainly not easy for children to do, and they typically worked away at it from dawn to dusk. The final house would only fit three or four people, and there'd be no roof; while inside, one would simply have to look up to see the clear night sky that blanketed Kjerag. They'd sit in a circle, counting stars and cooking a fragrant, piping hot fondue. Once the fire burned out, the children would each go home. They didn't care if their little house might be knocked down tomorrow by the grown-ups fincatching, because before long, they'd build another one.

This life didn't last for long at all. Following her family's move to Silverash territory, Aurora had to leave her playmates behind without a goodbye. Soon after, her brother who'd accompanied her day and night went with her father, into the mountain mines to work. Aurora missed her brother greatly, and ultimately, she followed him and her father one day in secret, wanting to see just what the place they worked in was like. Sadly, she quickly got lost in the bleak white of the snowy mountains. By her account, she doesn't remember how long she was out there for; it may have been three to four days, perhaps seven to eight. In the end, her brother found her in a little house she'd built out of snow. She clung to her brother's back on the descent, faint and dazed, listening to her brother tell her about the advanced machines that ran all through the night in the mines, about the future they saw as the youth in these snowy mountains.

At the time, Aurora couldn't make sense of a lot of what he said, but the words never left her. Some years later, after graduating from secondary school, she applied first thing to the Silverashes' talent program. She wanted to take a step ahead of her brother, travel out of Kjerag, and look back at the snowcaps from even further away. To this day, there's still a little house inside her heart, but she hopes it'll let her build even greater ones by her own hands, so that it won't just fit her brother, mother and father, but that one day it may even become a firm fortress, built for all Kjerag to withstand the raids from afar, and the coming snowstorms.

In Kjerag legend, the rainbow aurora is a sign of the divine's awakening. Because of this, like many Kjerag children, Aurora looked forward to seeing her own first aurora. During her time in Kjerag, this wish never became reality. Afterwards, she left the country, arriving at an engineering college in Ironforge City, Columbia. After hearing her wishes, her classmate amicably yet carefully reminded her that with Kjerag's geographical situation, it would be far from easy to see the aurora above the mountains. If she wanted to see one, she'd need to head all the way north, up to Sami. Aurora herself was very aware of this, and afterwards took the initiative to sign up to a school-organized northern icefield exploration team. Finally, on this exercise, her dream would be fulfilled.

In that moment, more than 'beautiful' or 'magical,' what Aurora felt most deeply was how 'exciting' it was. So the thing she'd yearned for could come true, all along, though it had nothing to do with Kjeragandr. 'I came out here with my own two legs, and so I saw it.' Aurora hasn't revealed what was on her mind then, save for that. She had been carrying the whole time, in her toolbox, a well-worn copy of 'Kjeragandr,' but we can tell that her desire to see the aurora had changed somewhat, compared to its original form in her childhood.

To this day, Aurora still hopes she can see it again, even as many more auroras as she can. This, in spite of her accidental infection cutting off that journey of exploration midway. At present, she's far from the icefields, far from school, and doesn't know when she can return to Kjerag, but she still hasn't given up.

Supplement:

After learning about Aurora's wish, we introduced her to Magallan. Magallan enthusiastically invited Aurora to join her the next time she went on an exploration mission in the icefields. The following request may be somewhat presumptuous: Though unknown when this next journey may ever take place, if Aurora submits an application to you, we hope you'll take into account how rare her requests for leave are, and approve it.

If you have to go to Kjerag, take Aurora from the Sharp squad with you.

Yes, like other Kjerag operators, she works for the Silverashes. Those from conservative families ordinarily wouldn't leave Kjerag, let alone study abroad in Columbia, and that's why they so rarely come into contact Rhodes Island.

But she used to live in the Paleroches' territory. What this means is she has great familiarity with both the lake and mountain terrain. We need to be prepared for the conflict that may arise. An operator who knows both sides' positions and situations well, who can provide our squad more comprehensive information, will raise our chances of a safe retreat from any danger.

Additionally, I'm willing to trust her.

I'm not doubting Operator Cliffheart, or any other operators from Karlan Trade or the Silverash territory. However, in case Rhodes Island and the Silverashes' standpoints diverge, they'll have to make choices. I wouldn't entrust our hopes to such unsure decisions.

But Operator Aurora is somewhat different. You can gauge her files, and her conduct in training and practical combat; she won't fight for Paleroche, nor will she wield arms against the conservatives for Silverash. In other words, her objective is the same as Rhodes Island's: we both want the situation in Kjerag stabilized.

In the end, there may be a day she can return to fight for Kjerag, but on this occasion, I trust she'll stand on our side.

—Conversation between Dobermann and the Doctor, prior to heading for the Snow Realm

Have you ever seen Rora get into a fight?

I mean, when she puts down her shield, doesn't use any weapons, just barehanded punching until the last of her strength's gone, that kind.

The day she left Kjerag, she fought just like that with our dad.

He liked the mines, liked Sir Silverash, but didn't like the lands outside. Couldn't say whether I like them or not, but unlike Rora, I'm used to the ice and snow. I can't stand how hot the air is in other places.

Rora's different.

She's been like that since she was young. Big guts, has this particular focus, and doesn't like changing what she's sure about. She stood in front of our dad, whipped out that application with everything filled in, and wouldn't drop it no matter what he told her off for.

So he went, if you can knock me out, I'll let you go.

In the end, Rora went. I was the one carrying her there, of course. I'm her brother—I couldn't stand her crawling there all battered to hand that form in.

You're right she looks very gentle, but she's still an Ursus of the snow mountains.