#supervisor maxx

[the-arcane-eye]

Thank you @soulbeastdragon for the asura height comparison .psd this was a really fun exercise !! I had actually never considered the heights of my main asura until Literally Just Now but luckily everyone feels right next to each other. But it did made me realize that inka's head was insane small :sob: i had to get a makeover kit to make him more proportionate to everyone else </3

link to big here !!!! and link to the original post here !!

[the-arcane-eye]

this is still a wip but here's a lil art preview for any maxx #truebelievers out there

[the-arcane-eye]

jack and i have been playing Dispatch together and a good chunk of the game could be described as a light supervillains on parole management sim . and. the comms banter and constant pushback the mc receives from his charges just instantly made me think of the Inquest and my little fan subkrewe (which in part manages, dispatches, and provides backup for Inquisitors and Enforcers)

I can't imagine what it'd be like to be an (ostensibly) (relatively) normal or "soft" asura having to supervise and delegate tasks to a bunch of mad scientists and B-grade villains and freaks and weirdos. but also I love trying to imagine it..... my two most "softhearted" Inquest are definitely Haffa and Maxx. Haffa I think is a little green and easily has his buttons pushed by any krewemember who senses that he's "weak"/isn't willing to back his authority up with violence. I'm sure there are some Inquisitors he hates working with because they always spend half the shift openly mocking him over comms. Maxx is significantly older and has learned to hide (if not outright smother) any tender impulse he might have to maintain his position. I just imagine that the Inquest must be an eternally shifting pecking order, and to maintain any semblance of authority you can't allow others to forget that you're in charge and they're the lackey. if nothing else then to avoid these Head Games from somebody who should be your underling

ig I'm curious to hear about other people's Inquest characters in this position -- asura who aren't quite fully compromised morally but are surrounded by the equivalent of Supervillains. how do they cope or square that circle in their heads?? i think this is super interesting to explore and part of why I feel drawn to corpo villain groups like the Inquest when it comes to my own fan writing </3

[the-arcane-eye]

writing inquest characters is sooooooo funny bc you'll be like "yeah they're a hardened war criminal..... they've killed fifty people, if not more" and they look like This

[the-arcane-eye]

my Inquest Overseer character Maxx is a single parent with a very darling baby that I had to draw for roleplay reasons so please accept this doodle sheet . bonus version of them as an adult (diversity win the inquest nepo baby hire is transmasculine)

[the-arcane-eye]

teehee.

haffa: 5+6 give me that boy's trauma deets

vetra: 1, 7, 10

ikk + keto: 12 i need to know what theyre like just walking around casually

+ 15 for literally anyone it applies to

5.) How is their relationship with the concept of violence? Do they view it as a necessary evil, avoid inflicting it where possible, or even enjoy it? /// As Inquisitor Inza's handler, Haffa has had to do a lot of compartmentalizing and self-justification when it comes to violence. Functionally, he's the one killing, torturing, and otherwise mangling his metakrewemates from the safety of a desk with Inza only acting as his proxy. So there's this layer of dehumanization and abstraction going on that's inherit to all people whose job it is to hit a big red button that says "HURT SOMEBODY NOT PRESENTLY IN MY FIELD OF VISION WHO I WILL NEVER MEET." When it comes to more in-person violence, however, he's a bit more mixed. He's a neurosurgeon, so he's not exactly squeamish -- but I think if he had to shoot somebody in self-defense he would scream and cry and throw up.

6.) Do they have a guilty conscience? How do they cope with or personally reconcile the continuous stress and horror? /// I would say that Haffa frequently feels guilty and ashamed of what he does, although I'm not really certain whether he'd be able to articulate those emotions, or correctly assign their source. He does a lot of self-talk to cope. These guys are probably all assholes -- everybody in the Inquest is, right? Compared to these freakshows I'm normal. I'm good. Over the years the efficacy of this has started to wane a bit.

1.) Have they been an Inquest loyalist since the start, or did they defect from another faction? Is there a risk they'll defect away from the Inquest in the future? (If already defected: If it were possible, would they go back?) /// Vetra had a very brief tenure at the College of Synergetics as a neuropsych professor before being poached by an Inquest recruiter. She quickly rose in the ranks from a researcher deployed to give expert advice for interrogations to being an Inquisitor herself, then High Inquisitor. Not even the Arcane Eye would approve of her current methodology, so she has little incentive to return to taking paychecks from the Council. Although she sees her relationship with the Inquest as more practical than ideological, she would need a cataclysmic shift to happen to be anything but a loyal and obedient employee.

7.) "Fun" one: What's their uniform like? Is it a generic-issued uniform, or custom tailored? Are there any features built into it that assist with their job? /// Vetra's uniform is black siamoth leather with metal fittings -- including her signature helm, which is a custom design made especially for her. Its many lenses assist in her investigations, with each one calibrated to give different biometric feedback.

10.) How do they feel towards Inquest leadership? (Optional: How do they feel towards Kudu and Kuda?) /// Like many Inquest, Vetra is cautiously excited about the current direction in which the metakrewe is going. She finds Vloxx intelligent, well-spoken, and competent, with this last trait being one she finds important above all else in a leader. A once Kudu loyalist, Vetra became mildly disillusioned by his hubristic, messy downfall, and feels that Kuda has done nothing but squander what remains of his legacy. This isn't an opinion that she'd openly voice, however.

12.) What's their life like outside of the Inquest? Do they blend in with society well, or are they flagrantly a member of the metakrewe? /// I feel like despite it all Ikk has to be living an impossibly normal life outside the metakrewe. You know this man is like, going to farmer's markets and library book clubs and gardening like his day job doesn't involve cutting people up (mostly consensually). He doesn't wear the colors outside of work and is very affable, so people probably assume he's just Necromancer Weird and not Inquest Weird.

12.) What's their life like outside of the Inquest? Do they blend in with society well, or are they flagrantly a member of the metakrewe? /// Keto isn't as cozycore as his partner Ikk but he's also probably not easily placeable as Inquest when he's off the clock, either. Like Ikk, he's not terribly ideologically driven and has other hobbies. He's Very into alternative fashion and body modification and reads more as "some kind of goth" than "Inquest flunky." When he's not at work he enjoys horror vids (both Asuran and Canthan), collecting music, and preserving/pinning insects.

15.) Were they involved with any of the canon GW2 events that involved the Inquest-- Thaumanova, Crucible of Eternity, Sorrow's Embrace, Rata Primus, etc? (Optional: How'd they escape when the Commander rolled in?) /// Prior to being Inquest Biotechnics Division's overseer, Vahnn was stationed in Rata Primus in a supervisory role. Through what he describes as "sheer happenstance" (or "knowing the right people" when he's had enough wine), he was able to evacuate before the city fully succumbed to Joko's forces. Although he tends to smugly deflect when asked about his experience, his peers can't help but note how the city cube's horrific end changed him.

15.) Were they involved with any of the canon GW2 events that involved the Inquest-- Thaumanova, Crucible of Eternity, Sorrow's Embrace, Rata Primus, etc? (Optional: How'd they escape when the Commander rolled in?) /// Maxx was also stationed at Rata Primus -- not in a leadership role, but as an Inquisitor. He wasn't quite as "lucky" as his cohort Vahnn, and was not successfully pulled out of the Isles until a good few days after the Commander penetrated the city. This was due in no small part to his own efforts to get employees to safety, rather than evacuating when his peers did. The entire experience was so rattling that he petitioned Inquest leadership to "retire" him to a position where he could manage others from a desk closer to Rata Sum. This is how he came to be Vahnn's second in command at IBD, where he maintains his krewe members' unwavering admiration and support.

[the-arcane-eye]

any character(s) u want for 2+3, 6, and 7 babey!!!!!!!!!!!

Heeeere we go !! Going to focus on my 3 highest ranking inquest characters bc they have the most history with the metakrewe...

2.) What is their rank, and how did they attain it? Did they WANT that rank? Do they wear it well?

Vahnn: Director. Won the title by mercilessly kissing ass and degrading himself -- so yes, he wanted the prestige and recognition that came with it more than anything else in the world. Wears it extremely well now, like a drag queen with a tiara on.

Maxx: Overseer. Acquired this title through a lifetime of hard work and perseverance; is a very "honest" worker (for an Inquest) and duly proud of what he's achieved. His current rank is actually a step down from his previous (High Inquisitor) as he is seeking a sort of soft retirement now that he has progeny of his own. Maxx is a very humble person and wears any rank with dignity.

Vetra: High Inquisitor. Similar to Maxx, achieved her rank with raw talent and determination alone; it's something she's wanted for a long, long time.

3.) Related to above: Are they SATISFIED with their rank, or do they want to keep climbing the ladder? Do they feel they deserve better than they've been given?

Vahnn: Would gladly be the Grand High Leader of the Inquest if he was given the call. He's certain he can lead the metakrewe better, anyways.

Maxx: Is done advancing through the ranks and is just waiting for retirement basically.

Vetra: I think is too attached to her identity as an Inquisitor to accept a "higher" rank, but would humbly accept a promotion if it was offered to her.

6.) Do they have a guilty conscience? How do they cope with or personally reconcile the continuous stress and horror?

Vahnn: Loses absolutely no sleep over what he's done and will continue to do for the Inquest. He isn't a fanatic, but has little patience for anyone who'd get in the way of his personal glory for "bleeding heart" reasons.

Maxx: Is extremely troubled about the things he's done for the Inquest (and for the Arcane Eye, before the metakrewe poached him). Does a very good job at masking it so he's not taken advantage of by his more cutthroat peers, but is extremely soft-hearted. Copes with it by aggressively choosing not to dwell on things too much.

Vetra: Has nightmares routinely. Deals with them the usual ways (drinking, synthsticks, cruising).

7.) "Fun" one: What's their uniform like? Is it a generic-issued uniform, or custom tailored? Are there any features built into it that assist with their job?

Vahnn: Wears a light, tailored coat that isn't terribly functional when it comes to lab work or combat (both of which he avoids in favor of working behind a desk). Because of a lab accident he lived through in his twenties he does require a breathing apparatus, however -- which has been custom built to be a matching red and black.

Maxx: His uniform is a simple red-and-black overcoat with a small shawl thrown over top for comfort (Inquest labs get uncomfortably cold). A look specifically cultivated to exude approachability to his underlings.

Vetra: The most tactical of the three; her outfit is built for fighting, from her headgear with telescopic lens to the heavy combat boots on her feet. It very purposefully exudes menace as well. The red LED's of her suit's cooling system are as sinister as they are functional, and its silhouette is boxy, almost golemic.