Team Player Bonus 3: Crimson Legacy

Perspectives on Great Surveyors: The Crimson Blade by Red Blade Securities

There are few Surveyors who have left as much of an impact on the work of other Surveyors as the woman known as the Crimson Blade.

At first glance, the woman who would become the Crimson Blade was not particularly impressive. The only daughter of a schoolteacher and a soldier, Moira O’Hare had lost her family during the chaos of the Fracture. She was young, as were many of the pioneers of Surveying, and although she was filled with the resolve to help push back the destruction caused by the arrival of the portals, she was considered physically unimpressive and undernourished.

Fortunately, the need for willing Surveyors outweighed such concerns, and Moira was inducted into the now-defunct Blue Riders company. There, as an E rank Squire, she demonstrated the first of five qualities that would define her life and stand as an example. Her outstanding Determination made her stand apart from her fellow Surveyors. Where others would relax or indulge after a Survey, as an E rank Moira was usually found practicing her Skills. There are many stories of her lingering at portals for hours, repeating her movements until they flowed without hesitation.

Others spoke of her near-obsession with perfecting her craft with derision, but Moira’s efforts consistently paid off. By the time she was ready to advance to D rank, she had already survived several dangerous Surveys, and managed to develop an actual Tier Three Skill. Such Skills are difficult to master at such a low rank, but her continued practice made it more than possible.

When Moira advanced to D rank, selecting Page as her next Role, she demonstrated yet another quality that set her apart. She continued to perfect each Skill as it came to her, gaining a reputation as an effective Surveyor. At the same time, she became aware of corruption and abuse among her fellow Surveyors. Her Duty, uncompromising and unflinching, led her to report the abuses of her fellow Surveyors to the appropriate authorities, allowing her supervisors at Blue Riders to cooperate with Regulation in punishing the criminals. Once the incident was resolved, she was offered a position in the Regulation Agency, which she reluctantly accepted once the managers at Blue Riders agreed.

Once she became a part of Regulation, Moira continued her relentless march of progress, quickly drawing close to C rank. In that time she met a local firefighter by the name of Eduardo Morales, who she eventually married. There was a brief pause as she had a child with Eduardo, but it was only a brief pause before she returned to her responsibilities. Neither her Duty nor her Determination would allow her to stay at home while other Surveyors were at risk.

 Shortly afterwards, Moira became a C rank, choosing the Archer Role. With this newfound power came new responsibilities, and she answered each with the same unswerving dedication and courage that had always characterized her. Many members of Regulation grew disenchanted with the flaws of the Agency; there were those who criticized the overzealous nature of the laws being enforced. Moira, however, knew that whatever Regulation’s imperfections, she could still keep the people she loved safe by fighting on their behalf. As an Agent, she demonstrated unflinching Discipline in carrying out her Surveys. Though she must have missed her family, she knew the true importance of her actions, and did not allow herself to neglect what she was expected to do.

That quality came into full display as Moira led a team of Agents in the Enforcement Crusade. She performed over a dozen Surveys in quick succession to hunt down rogue Surveyors and stabilize threatening portals that they had been neglecting. Despite the difficulty and the fatigue involved, her nobility showed through, and she emerged as one of Regulation’s only B rank Surveyors.

Most Surveyors of similar rank would have left the Agency and sought employment as an independent contractor. Many others might have even retired. Neither option appealed to Moira, and she continued her tireless efforts to bring peace to a world still in the aftershocks of the Fracture.

As a B rank, her moniker as the Crimson Blade became popular. She chose Squire as the first of her Roles in that rank, and then Page once more. Both the criminal and the neglectful grew afraid of her efforts, and her example demonstrated exactly the kind of behavior that the world expects of Surveyors. They were worried with good reason. With each Raid, each assault on criminal dens, she demonstrated her characteristic Daring. She became known for leading from the front, for counting out loud how many criminals she’d dispatched, and for displaying a consistent, almost reckless bravery in facing the dangers of the portals. In many ways, she became a symbol, not just of Regulation, but of all Surveyors everywhere.

Yet even the Crimson Blade could not escape a fate that befalls many Surveyors. She launched one more raid with her team, one that hadn’t been approved by her supervisors at Regulation. Against their advice, she threw herself once more through the portal, trusting in her Skills and bravery to win the day—but this time, disaster struck. Her team was killed in an Escalation Event that no one could have anticipated, and Moira herself returned through the portal heavily injured.

As she recuperated from her wounds, a second disaster followed the first. A fire ravaged the hospital where she lay, still weakened by her wounds. She was unable to escape, but as the firefighters tried to reach her room, she demonstrated her last quality, that of Dignity. The Crimson Blade’s last words were to leave her be, to save the others in the hospital, and that she would be fine. Though she had to have known that she could not escape, she refused to let others risk themselves. In the end, the flames claimed her, and her grieving family went into seclusion shortly afterward.

Here at Red Blade Securities, we wish for our Surveyors to embrace similar qualities in their lives. As Surveyors, we commit ourselves to similar Determination, training harder and longer than any others in the field. We demonstrate unyielding devotion to our Duty, reporting any misdeeds to our supervisors as quickly as possible. When others are tempted to relax or waste their time with outside distractions, we rely on our Discipline to keep us focused and true to our cause. Each time we cross into the other world, we show our Daring in facing what lies ahead, no matter what it might be—and as we face troubles and loss, we show our Dignity in enduring them without complaint and with a will to sacrifice for the good of all.

As you continue in your path at Red Blade Securities, we hope that you keep Moira Morales, the Crimson Blade, in your thoughts as your exemplar. Truly, she remains a hero to all of us of what we can, and should be.