Spy DNA background brief: Character bios

by Alex Maier, character profiler

As we work on the missions and figure out the best ways to make each team member useful for the team, we get to know our characters better. As a result, we were able to add quite a bit more detail to each of their bios. Additionally, we’ve changed a few callsigns to better match their owners’ personalities.

As we become more familiar with the characters, we can begin to flesh out inter-team relationships. Who would befriend who? Would there be any conflicts? (The answer is always yes!)

By looking at their alignment chart, you can imagine that our two ex-mil “paladins” Zoe and Ivan wouldn’t get along super-well with Nuri, but will have an easier time working with Shin or Ros.

Our two chaotic good folks, Margo and Tank, are both firmly in the “making things go boom is fun” camp. Tank prefers working with explosives, and Margo is more of a mad-scientist type who likes unorthodox solutions. They are both fairly easy-going and get along with most folks, but given their intelligence levels, they prefer to hang out with the smarter members of the team. Conversations with Margo often leave poor Karsten in a state of bewilderment.

Speaking of Karsten, both he and Ronda are true neutral, and place great value on mission success rather than on philosophical questions of whether their actions are truly “good.” For Karsten, whatever helps his friends and teammates, is the right thing to do. Ronda values hard work and a neutral, more scientific approach. They both have no issues working with anyone who’s not chaotic.

As a side note, Ronda with her perfect memory, is a walking encyclopedia of mixology, and has become the squad bartender. She rarely enjoys her creations, being busy making cocktails for her team.

Oh, and Karsten has a giant crush on Nuri, who’s only too happy to tease him for amusement.

Shin is the living embodiment of the “dura lex, sed lex” principle. For him, the highest priority is upholding the law, and given his experience investigating organized crime, he’s come to believe that in some cases, enforcing the law won’t look pretty. He’s made his peace with that a long time ago.

Our two entertainment industry buddies, Nuri and Ros, go a long way back, and through the years, Ros had to be Nuri’s moral compass. They share love of martial arts, along with a passion for dressing sharp. Nuri is most at home hanging out with Margo and Tank, with a drink in hand. Margo knows how to party, and that means a lot in Nuri’s book.

Ros is an extremely compassionate person, especially when it comes to animals. When he says he could just kill wildlife poachers with his bare hands, he actually means it. Over the years he’s rescued multiple animals, including his hawk Razor (who sadly had to stay in Israel with a friend).

Which characters do you like best? Which ones do you think will come in most useful on your missions? We’d love to see your comments!