Author: Team Mercury

Hello, we are Team Mercury! Please contact our socials or email us at team.mercury@trans-media.org if you have any questions or concerns!

Categories
Character Game Gender Journey Transfem

Bridget

Bridget is a character from the Guilty Gear series who has a whole transition journey through her continuing storyline! She’s a bounty hunter that fights using a yo-yo and her teddy bear, Roger, who is mechanized and possessed by a ghost.

More Info:

  • Pronouns/gender: she/her, transfem
  • Media Appearances: Playable fighter in video games “Guilty Gear XX”, “Guilty Gear Isuka”, “Guilty Gear Dust Strikers”, “Guilty Gear Judgement”, “Guilty Gear Vastedge XT”, and “Guilty Gear Strive”, cameos in the Guilty Gear manga “Guilty Gear Xtra”.

Story:

Bridget grew up as the child of a high-class family, as the second part of a pair with her twin brother. Her town, unfortunately, was convinced that having two male twins was a sign of bad luck for the town, and would insist that the younger of two male twins be either killed or sent to an orphanage. To avoid either of these outcomes, her parents decided to hide her sex from the other townsfolk, raising her as a girl, though they felt extremely guilty about this, feeling that they were forcing her to live with such a massive secret. 

Bridget was, as expected for a daughter of her social class, given extensive training and a quality education. Soon after, Bridget strove to go off on adventures outside her town, on a mission to bring wealth and happiness to her village while living as a man, to finally dispel their superstitions, for herself and for her parents. Soon after, she found exactly the call to action she was looking for, on a poster for a wanted Gear (person with supernatural powers turning them into living weapons), with a hefty prize of 500,000 World Dollars for killing her. She left to find her target as soon as possible, and found her target, named Dizzy, already defeated in the Forest of Demons. Though they had failed this first bounty, Bridget got right back on her feet to look for new targets.

This is where we find Bridget in Guilty Gear XX, which actually has multiple possible storylines and endings for each character that the player can reach, though these endings don’t affect where Bridget is at the start of the next game. On her search for new bounties, she meets I-NO, a time-traveling musician that thrives on chaos, and quickly convinces her of her skill as a fighter. I-NO gives Bridget a list of targets, which, in a sneaky little twist, are all not real bounties. While working through this list, Bridget battles multiple other playable characters, including Baiken, Anji Mito, Chipp Zanuff. In one storyline, Ky Kiske cuts through I-NO’s façade, telling Bridget that her list of targets is fake. In another storyline, she happens upon Dizzy once again while with the Jellyfish Pirates, and the two become friends. In the third storyline, Bridget meets Johnny, who tries to fight her, and the h***y b*****d tries to seduce her while the fight. Eventually during the fight, Bridget reveals that she in fact actually identifies as a boy, to Johnny’s embarrassment. Discouraged by her lack of success as a bounty hunter, she decides to pursue a new career as an entertainer. In the first ending, Bridget becomes a waiter and yo-yo performer at Jam Kuradoberi’s restaurant. In the other ending, she returns to her hometown, where her uncle tells her that her twin has left the village to look for Bridget. 

We find Bridget as a famous bounty hunter when her story continues in Guilty Gear Strive, which takes place six years after XX. She’s finally become popular and successful enough to break her town’s superstitions towards her, and is now free to live as she wants to. Still working as a bounty hunter, but now aimless, Bridget begins to ponder her identity, as living as a man doesn’t quite suit her. She is soon hunted down by Goldlewis Dickinson, who strives to capture Roger, Bridget’s spirit-possessed teddy bear, for his cryptid collection. After losing the fight, he casually calls her “lil lady”. Though Bridget responds by correcting him that she’s a man, she does so with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, which Goldlewis points out. Now in the midst of a full gender crisis, she once again finds Ky Kiske, who tells her to be herself, no matter what. There is another split in endings here, where in one ending she simply decides to ponder her identity further, and in the other she admits to herself that, though she’s scared of the truth, she is a trans girl, and finally chooses to live her life as who she truly is, regardless of what others think of her.

Categories
Artist Transfem

Wendy Carlos

Wendy Carlos is a transfem composer that did soundtracks for multiple big movies, such as Tron, The Shining, and Clockwork Orange, and pioneered the use of synthesizers as musical instruments. Wendy’s album “Switched-On Bach” has won three Grammys, and was the album that proved that synthesizers could be a powerful instrument beyond being used simply for futuristic-sounding special effects. 

More Info:

  • Pronouns/gender: she/her, transfem
  • Albums/Soundtracks*: Switched-On Bach (1968), The Well-Tempered Synthesizer (1969), A Clockwork Orange soundtrack (1971), Sonic Seasonings (1972), Switched-On Bach II (1973), By Request (1975), The Shining soundtrack (1980), Switched-On Brandenburgs (1980), Tron soundtrack (1982), Digital Moonscapes (1984), Beauty In The Beast (1986), Secrets of Synthesis (1987), Peter & the Wolf (1988), Switched-On Bach 2000 (1992), Tales of Heaven and Hell (1998), Rediscovering Lost Scores, Volume 1 (2005), and Rediscovering Lost Scores, Volume 2 (2005).
  • Link to her website: https://www.wendycarlos.com/

Life Story:

Wendy was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on November 14th, 1939, and had felt gender dysphoria since a very young age. At around age five or six, she told her parents that she strongly felt like a girl, and always loved having long hair and wearing feminine clothes, and was confused when her parents didn’t understand. While studying at Brown University, she went on a date with a girl, and felt extreme jealousy towards her date. 

Wendy didn’t begin to understand these confusing feelings until she first encountered the concept of being transgender during her later studies at Columbia University, when she studied transgender issues. She underwent therapy with Harry Benjamin, a prominent sexologist who specialized in transgender people, in 1967, and began hormone treatments in early 1968. This was the same year her career really took off when her album, Switched-On Bach, reached platinum sales, cemented the synthesizer as a legitimate instrument in the musical world, and would eventually win three Grammy awards. While this sudden success was nothing short of amazing, it created a new source of stress for Wendy as well, as she was terrified of revealing herself to the world as a trans woman (the hormone treatments had slowly been changing her appearance to one more feminine). When she was invited to perform some of her synth Bach covers live with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, she disguised herself as a man while on stage, slapping on fake sideburns, a wig, and drawn-on facial hair in a panic right before her performance. She would later hide the same way when meeting Stanley Kubrick and when she appeared as a guest star on The Dick Cavett Show.

After Switched-On Bach, she released The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, building on her previous methods, and made music for Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, which included synthesized singing, an unheard-of technique at the time. In 1972, Wendy had saved up enough from the success of Switched-On Bach that she was able to afford bottom surgery. 

Even after the surgery, Wendy wouldn’t reveal herself as trans until late 1978, during a series of interviews. She later said, in a magazine publication of these interviews, that she had always wanted to come out as trans, but had been extremely anxious to do so. As she said a couple years later, there wasn’t nearly as much an extreme public reaction as she was worried of. After these interviews were released to the public, she began releasing albums under her preferred name. 

Wendy continued on to compose other movie soundtracks after her work in A Clockwork Orange, such as those of The Shining and Tron. She made several new albums (listed above), and at one point worked with Weird Al Yankovic. 

She was officially recognized for her groundbreaking musical work in 2005, when she was given the SEAMUS 2005 Life Achievement Award. 

Sidenote: 

*Most of Wendy’s work can’t be found anywhere online, due to her dislike of music streaming services.

Categories
Agender Character Game

Testament

Testament is a playable Gear from the fighting game Guilty Gear. They fight in conjunction with their familiars, EXE Beast, a pink toothy monster, and Succubus, which is exactly what it sounds like. Upon release of the franchise’s newest game, Guilty Gear Strive, Testament was confirmed by the game’s team to be agender, and has been described as having “lived without the concept of gender”.

More Info:

  • Pronouns/gender: they/them, agender
  • Media Appearances: Playable fighter in Guilty Gear, Guilty Gear X, Guilty Gear XX, and Guilty Gear Strive

Story (SPOILERS!!):

Testament was born in Switzerland, and was raised by Kliff Undersn, the leader of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, after their parents died. Testament grew up to become kind and caring, often giving shelter and supply to local children, who they always had a soft spot for. Despite their hatred of violence, Testament joined the Order of Holy Knights in 2127, wanting to repay Kliff by someday taking his name and succeeding him as commander of the Order. They were tragically “killed” a year later on a mission. 

Their body, however, was never recovered, and in reality was captured by agents of Nation A, and became a victim of human experimentation through the Nation’s obsession with creating the perfect living weapon. They were transformed into a Gear in the process, and were forced to serve Justice in her war against all of mankind. In 2140, Testament found themself facing off against Kliff, fighting on opposite sides of a massive battle. Testament’s father figure was forced to kill them, though they were somehow revived after the battle. 

When Justice was sealed away by the Order in 2175, while most Gears became free of Justice’s control, Testament was still forced to follow Justice’s will, and began working to release her from her imprisonment. When the Second Holy Order Selection Tournament was held, Testament participated in the hopes of gaining enough power to free their master. 

In the first Guilty Gear game, we first see Testament freeing Zato-1. At the tournament, Testament battles Sol Badguy after he becomes the champion, and reveals their motivations for competing, only needing one more blood sacrifice to revive Justice. Testament is defeated, but is able to use their own blood for the final sacrifice, and dies in the arms of their father figure, Kliff. However, Justice’s power is now limited, and in one ending, Justice is killed in a combined effort from Ky Kiske and Sol. In Kliff’s ending, Kliff is the one to kill Justice, and Justice realizes that Testament’s connection to Klif was the reason her power was limited. As Justice dies, as does Kliff, having finally completed his life’s work. 

Testament returns in Guilty Gear X, having seemingly being revived, which goes unexplained. Now finally free of Justice’s influence, Testament is once again themself, but is without direction or purpose. Testament visits Kliff’s grave, and meets a blind girl named Josephine, who soon becomes a target of Venom, a member of the Assassin’s Guild, as part of a scheme to recruit Faust to the Guild. Testament flees with Josephine to the Forest of Demons, where Testament meets a friend of hers, Dizzy. Josephine is injured, so the two Gears bring her to Faust for medical help. In a sudden attempt to kill Dizzy, the people of the village set fire to Faust’s office, causing Dizzy to lose control over Necro & Undine, her two shapeshifting sentient wings. From then on, having confessed to Dizzy that they’re also a Gear, Testament would protect Dizzy she went. The two run away back into the woods when Josephine rejects Dizzy, convinced that she’s a demon. This event brought Dizzy into international attention, and a W$500,000 bounty was placed on her after defeating Ky Kiske, who’d come to the Forest to look for her. After Testament adamantly defends her, in one ending, Testament and Dizzy fight off enough challengers that they eventually leave them alone, and in another, Testament, inspired by Kliff’s earlier words to them, convinces Dizzy to join the Jellyfish Pirates, and goes with them, both leaving the Forest.

Testament’s story in Guilty Gear XX begins a few weeks later, where, while visiting Dizzy on the Jellyfish Pirates’ ship, finds that she’s been thrown off the ship when attacked by I-NO (which is where Bridget finds her at the start of her story in XX). In Testament’s worst storyline, they only find Dizzy one it’s already too late, and find Dizzy dead. Though Johnny, the head of the Pirates, has already killed Dizzy’s murderer, Testament kills him all the same, and vows to destroy all of humanity in a grief-fueled rage. In another storyline, Testament runs into Sol and Slayer, who tell them that the group that experimented on Testament, the Post-War Administration Bureau, has been revived, and returns to find the Forest ablaze, deciding to die with it. In their best storyline, Testament successfully hunts Dizzy down, and finds her under the control of Necro, the more intense and violent of her two wings, frees her, and brings her back to her crew. Testament returns to the Forest of Demons, once again becoming it’s protector, though this doesn’t last long, as Dizzy visits them and suddenly loses control of Necro and Undine when she sees Crow’s Justice clone. Testament chases after Crow, but fails to catch him, and returns to protect the Forest. In one of Dizzy’s storylines, Testament warns her not to trust Ky. When she goes with Ky still, they tell her not to return. 

During the story of Guilty Gear Strive, we learn that Testament has kept in touch with Johnny, and sometimes hangs out at the Jellyfish Pirates’ new ship. Eventually, Testament finds themself living with an elderly couple that once took Dizzy in. Testament reconnects with Dizzy in 2187, and meets them at her and Ky’s new home, also meeting their son, Sin.

Categories
Location Trans History

Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute for the Science of Sexuality)

The Institut für Sexualwissenschaft was the worlds first research center to specialize in sexology, which included studies into the nature of gender. This institute was incredibly progressive for it’s time when it was founded in 1919, and was tragically destroyed by the Nazis in 1933. 

More Info:

The Institute had libraries, a massive archive, along with several divisions dedicated to all sorts of things from medical and psych evaluations to marriage counseling and lecture halls! The organization also supported women’s rights, sex ed, and birth control. The institute’s motto was “per scientiam ad justitiam”, or “through science to justice”. The building also included a small museum displaying sexual artifacts. It was funded through a charity run by it’s founders, the Magnus Hirschfield Foundation.

Role in Trans History:

Magnus Hirschfield invented the early term for transgender, “transsexual”, in an essay written in 1923, after coining the earlier term “transvestite” in 1910! Trans people were frequently employed at the institute, commonly as maids or receptionists. The Institute also offered bottom surgery, facial masculinization and feminization surgery, and hair removal procedures! The Institute’s main surgeon specializing in gender-affirming procedures, Ludwig Levy-Lenz, once said that, though these early surgeries were sometimes experimental and dangerous, his transgender patients were always the most grateful patients he’d ever worked with. The Institute also devised a way to protect trans people and crossdressers in a country where being visibly gender non-conforming was illegal, through “transvestite passes”, which were essentially doctor’s notes saying that a citizen is trans.

The Institute also recorded research and cases of intersexuality, mostly lead by Magnus Hischfield. He helped intersex people get sex reassignment surgery, and advocated for intersex people to be able to choose their legal gender at age 18. Photos were taken of intersex people as evidence of their existence.

History:

The Institute was founded by Magnus Hirschfield, the leader of the Wissenschaftlich-humanitäres Komitee (Scientific-Humanitarian Commitee), which was a pro-LGBTIA+ group that utilized science in it’s arguments, Arthur Kronfield, a well-known psychotherapist, and Friedrich Wertheim, a dermatologist. It’s first building opened on July 6th of 1919, with a neighboring building being added in 1922. In just the first year, thousands of clients came in for consultations where they were very often given help for free, and over a thousand lectures were held there. 

The Institute gained international interest, drawing in researchers and activists from all over the world, including multiple visits from medical officials from the Soviet Union. A small group led by Hirschfield eventually took a trip to Moscow and Leningrad for the same purpose. 

In 1928, they published an informative paper on birth control, of which around 100,000 copies were distributed in the next four years. 

Early on in the Institute’s lifespan, from the 20’s onward, it and Hirschfield found themselves under fire from the German far-right, which would later become the Nazi party. Hirschfield was shot at and assaulted multiple times, and was seriously injured during one of these attacks. By 1929, the violence became severe enough that he stopped appearing in public. The Nazi’s genocide of queer people began in February of 1933, and the month after, a lawyer working for the institute, Kurt Hiller, was captured and tortured at a concentration camp. That March, a Nazi hate group raided the Institute headquarters, seizing books, records, and artifacts, and returned four days later to follow up and conduct a book burning. Some estimates say that around 25,000 books and journal were destroyed, and it’s theorized that Dora “Dörchen” Richter, the first trans woman to have a full sex reassignment surgery, was killed in one of these raids. Art, medical documents, artifacts, and a bronze bust of Hirschfield, who was in Ascona, Switzerland, were thrown into the fire. 

The Institute was forced to shut down after the raids, and was never successfully reestablished. 🙁

 

Categories
Activist Historical Figure Transfem wlw

Sylvia Rivera

Ms. Rivera was a trans woman and extremely prominent transgender rights activist from the late 1960’s up until her death in the early 2000’s. She made huge sacrifices for the trans community, fighting against trans people’s exclusion from the queer community, and was someone who truly made a difference for people like us. 

More info:

  • Pronouns/gender: she/her, transfem

Her story:

Sylvia was born in 1959 in New York City, to an absent father and a mother who took her own life when Sylvia was three. She was then put into her grandmother’s care, who beat her when she started experimenting with feminine presentation. At age eleven, she ran away from home, and resorted to prostitution as a means for survival. She found a mother figure when she was twelve in Marsha P. Johnson, a drag queen who inspired her to fight for trans inclusion in queers spaces, especially for trans women of color! Marsha and Sylvia both participated in the fight for African-American rights, and were both involved in the extremely important event in queer history, the Stonewall Riot of 1969. Sylvia stayed awake and rioted for six days, exhilarated by what she described as the start of a revolution. 

Sylvia led protests soon after protesting the police raid that spurred Stonewall, and resisted arrest following the event. Though the first Pride Parades started a year after Stonewall in 1970, trans folks were excluded and told not to attend. She continued her activism throughout the 70’s, fighting for the inclusion of trans people in the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, which would later be passed in 2002 and illegalized any sort of discrimination regardless of sexuality or gender identity. Her and Marsha formed STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) in 1971

Categories
Character Comic Transmasc

Rex Ridley, “Good Arson”

Rex Ridley is, well, I’ll just quote his self-introduction from his first appearance: “I’m Rex Ridley, A.K.A. GOOD ARSON, and I’m a dude and I LIGHT STUFF ON FIRE WITH MY MIND!!“. He is a transmasc mutant from Marvel comics, seen wearing a binder in his first appearance.

Other Info:

  • Pronouns/gender: he/him, transmasc
  • Superpower: Rex has pyrokinesis, the ability to create and control fire telepathically
  • Quotes: “I don’t know if my mom is mad about trans stuff or because I burned down the apartment.”
  • Media Appearances: Seven appearances in Marvel comics

Story (SPOILERS!!)

The quote above shows that, before Rex’s first appearance, he (presumably accidentally) burned down his mom’s apartment. Rex then joined Super Trans, and was a member of the team until and after it’s disbanding. (more detail included here: https://trans-media.org/super-trans/).

 

 

Categories
Activist BIPOC Historical Figure Transfem wlw

Sylvia Rivera

Ms. Rivera was a Puerto Rican transfem transgender rights activist that dedicated her life to the movement, fighting for trans inclusion in queer spaces, which was not always something that could be taken for granted. She was a prominent figure during and after the Stonewall Riot, and formed the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Marsha P. Johnson.

More Info:

  • Pronouns/gender: she/her, transfem
  • Birth date/death date: July 2, 1951–February 19, 2002

Life Story:

Sylvia was born in New York into a very harsh life, with a father that was immediately absent and a mother who took her own life when Sylvia was three. She was then sent to live with her grandmother, who beat her when she began to try on feminine clothing and makeup. She was attacked by another student at school when she was in the sixth grade, was blamed for it, and suspended from school for a week as punishment. At age 11, she ran away from home, and resorted to prostitution as a means for survival. 

A couple months later, Sylvia was found by a local group of drag queen, who took her in as one of their own. Among them was Marsha P. Johnson, who soon became her best and closest friend. It was one of these genderqueer role models that gave her the name that millions would know her by: Sylvia.

Rivera claims to have been involved in the Black Liberation movement in the following years, and participated in the Stonewall Riots during the summer of ’69 along with Marsha. She claims to have been the second protester to throw a Molotov cocktail at the police, and to have been at the riots for six straight days. 

in 1970, Sylvia and Marsha founded STAR and their headquarters, STAR House, which doubled as a home for trans people in need. Though the STAR House didn’t last long, they gave the clothing and shelter to kids like them that they wished they’d had as kids. 

The Stonewall Riots caused a massive change and boost of confidence within the queer rights movement, and the first pride parades began the following year, though drag queens and trans women were excluded. During one of these events in 1973, Rivera jumped onstage with a fellow drag queen, Lee Brewster, cutting off a feminist activist who was talking s**t about qenderqueer people. While being booed by the crowd, Sylvia gave her famous “y’all better quiet down speech”, speaking out about transgender exclusion in the larger trans community. A recording of her speech is linked here. 

During all this, Sylvia had been struggling mentally and with substance abuse, with Marsha at one point claiming that she had problems with heroin, and frequently found herself homeless. After attempting suicide, she left New York and her work as an activist behind, but returned to the city when Marsha died in 1992. 

After her return, she got back into the trans rights movement, and founded the Transy House in 1997, a building with the same goal as the old STAR House. Over time, she became known by some as the “mother of all gay people”, and eventually reformed STAR as the Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries. The new STAR pushed the New York City Transgender Rights Bill and for trans inclusion in the New York State Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, which were both in some way passed in later years.  

During a pride parade celebrating the 25th anniversary of Stonewall in 1994, Sylvia was given a place of honor! She was finally thanked for her work by people on the streets celebrating at the parade. 

Sadly, she died in 2002 from lung cancer, but her contributions to the cause still live on today. 

Sidenote: 

Though Sylvia claimed to have played a role in the Stonewall Riots, and some remember her being there, several sources, such as her friend Marsha Johnson, claim that she was never there. It’s possible that, if she in fact wasn’t there, she lied to give young Puerto Rican kids a role model.

Categories
Character Comic Transfem

Soph, “Faceshopper”

Sophie (last name unknown), who prefers to go by Soph, is a transfem member of Super Trans with shapeshifting abilities.

Other Info: 

  • Pronouns/gender: she/her, transfem
  • Media Appearances: Seven appearances in Marvel comics
  • Superpower: Soph can shapeshift to look identical to anyone, attaining any superpowers they might have as well.

Story (SPOILERS!!)

Soph was originally a member of the trans support group Super Trans. When the Sinister Syndicate broke into the Matt Baker house during one of their early meetings, she helped fend them off, using her powers to take the appearance of D-Man, who she saved along with Spider-Man by working with the other teens. Soph was a member of Super Trans until it’s eventual disbandment, and fought alongside her teammates once again when Sentin-Ally crashed their first group reunion.

After this battle, Pity Girl called their team the X-Men in a viral video, getting attention the actual X-Men and Mojo, a powerful creature from another dimension known for abducting Mutants and casting them involuntarily in insane and dangerous reality TV shows, exactly what he did to the members of Super Trans. While the pilot episode was being filmed, Soph was suddenly killed by Mojo for shock value. However, Mojo Jr. was able to get her back to the writer’s room, where he was able to make her shapeshift into Wolverine, taking advantage of Wolverine’s advanced healing powers to bring her back from the brink of death. 

The members of Super Trans were eventually rescued by the X-Men, after being trapped in slowed time for decades, during which thousands of episodes were recorded. 

 

Categories
Character Comic Transfem

Nora Kuang, “Pity Girl”

Nora is a transfem mutant in Marvel comics with the power to incapacitate her opponents by telling them her sad stories. She may have an uncomfortable relationship with her grandfather, based on some dialogue from her during a battle (“I cried, knowing I would never see my grandpa again because I didn’t like visiting him that much”).

Other Info:

  • Pronouns/gender: she/her, transfem
  • Superpower: Nora can lull anyone into a hypnotized state by telling them her sad personal stories.

Story (SPOILERS!!)

Nora was a member of Super Trans during it’s entire duration, from it’s first meeting to it’s last. She was there when they fought the Sinister Syndicate alongside Spider-Man and D-Man, and was there when the group defeated Sentin-Ally. After that second fight, Nora called the team the X-Men, which captured the attention of both the real X-Men and a creature named Mojo ((more detail included here: https://trans-media.org/super-trans/).

Categories
Character Game Nonbinary

Rowan Blair III

Rowan is a nonbinary dateable weapon (yes, you read that right) in the hack-and-slash/dating sim visual novel, Boyfriend Dungeon. They are introverted and mysterious, have a very androgynous character design, and are always with their friendly albino crow, named Crowley. Rowan and Crowley can transform into a scythe together, which can be wielded by the player character during combat sections. 

Other info:

  • Pronouns/gender: they/them, nonbinary
  • Media Appearances: Dateable weapon in the game “Boyfriend Dungeon”, both dateable and wieldable as a weapon in combat sections
  • Likes: Wild plants, isolation, animal bones, tea, Crowley (their cute little crow friend), the mountains
  • Dislikes: Crowds, social media

Role in Combat:

During the roguelike hack-and-slash sections, Rowan becomes a scythe with a slow attack speed but very wide attack range. Rowan’s scythe form comes with an ability the creates a black hole that can draw in enemies, dealing massive damage. Their dash move also gives the player momentary invincibility, and they have a stacking ability that temporarily increases their attack power after killing an enemy. This stacking effect and the black hole ability can be upgraded as your relationship with rowan grows

Story (SPOILERS!!)

Rowan can first be met after going to Jesse’s barbeque, if the player goes to the mansion on the furthest point up on the overworld map. There, a “date” event can be found, where you’ll meet Rowan, who’s quite angry and grieving the death of her grandmother, Alice, insisting that you’ve been causing chaos in town. They attempt to kill you, though surrendering and accepting death at their can intrigue them, opening up a possible romance or friendship. Later, they slip a mysterious note under your apartment door, which contains a riddle, in the form of a series of numbers, which, when solved, gives you their phone number!

From then on, the player has the ability to choose either a romantic or platonic relationship through your actions during dialogue.

After decoding their phone number, you can meet Rowan at their mansion for the first date with them that doesn’t involve them threatening your life. You can join them in the woods nearby on a little foraging trip for herbs. Partway through, Rowan walks off on their own, asking the player to stay where they are and wait for them. You can either be sneaky and follow them or do as they ask, but if they find you sitting where they told you to when they come back, you’ll gain a little more of their trust, and they’ll allow you to wield them in combat!

Rowan later invites the player over for comfort, as an appraiser is coming to tell them the value of their mansion. The appraiser, a slimy little b***h named Eric, is extremely rude, and essentially tells Rowan that their home and everything in it is worth much less than it’s actual value. Supporting Rowan through your actions allows you to improve your relationship with them.

When the player meets Rowan at the park, Rowan expresses interest in growing your relationship in a more romantic direction. Here, the player can either choose to accept, or keep your friendship with Rowan as just a friendship. 

During your next visit with Rowan, you’ll find that Crowley has gone missing! After helping Rowan look for them for hours, comforting them along the way. When they finally return to the mansion, they find Crowley waiting for them with a cup of tea for them both.

One day, Crowley delivers a letter to the player from Rowan, asking you to meet them at a fancy little place called Mission San Drago. Rowan talks through their feelings and grief towards Alice’s death, pondering death and the difficulty of moving on. 

On the mountain a little later, Rowan reveals that they’ve recently managed to contact Alice’s spirit, and while talking to her, realized that they’ve relied on the player an unhealthy amount during the grieving process. This is where you can either continue to pursue a romantic relationship with them or move on as close friends. Either way, you and Rowan now have an unbreakable bond.