Bìxié

Background - Aristeia

If you run, I jump. If you jump, I fly. You can’t hide from me, kitty.

Bixié. n. A hybrid female creature from Chinese mythology portrayed as a winged lioness with antlers. It is considered to be a protector against evil and bringer of good luck, so it's common to find portrayals of this creature sculpted or carved onto the roofs and walls of Chinese houses and other buildings.

Aristeia - BÌXIÉ | Yu Jing’s guardian

Bìxié (pronounced "be-shee-ay") is the greatest rival of Gata, her nemesis in the HexaDome. She’s the national symbol Yu Jing uses to denounce the abusive position of the PanOceanian giant in the Human Sphere.

The Imperial State Yu Jing proudly presents, through the military technology company Dágang, Bìxié - the oriental icon in the HexaDome of Aristeia! It is a delayed response to the message of superiority and supremacy that PanOceania has been sending to the entire Human Sphere each time Maximus is showcased in combat.

To create a national symbol in the show with the greatest media coverage, Dágang has taken its starting point from rich Yu Jing folklore, with the aim of creating a recognizable figure with strong roots among her people. For more than two thousand years, there are written references in Chinese history about the Bìxié, hybrid creature that resembles a winged lion, considered the protector of Feng Shui practitioners. Its power to repel evil spirits and attract good fortune is the reason why they appear atop the humblest homes to great palaces, like that of the Emperor.

Dágang designed for Bìxié to be a light armor, painted in jade and gold ─ the colors of Yu Jing─ that allows its wearer to jump and swing from wall to wall, just as if it were flying, thanks to a system with twin hooks attached to the hips. To keep the aspect of a winged lion, the legs are cybernetic, with a grip system on the toes the shape of claws that Bìxié can use to remain attached to the wall at a horizontal angle, vigilant as the mythological creature that it represents.

The Empire-State had the perfect symbol that combined tradition with the most advanced Yu Jing technology. In order to find the perfect candidate to dress and succeed in Aristeia!, the Emperor's House appealed to thousands of young people who flocked to the tests. In addition to patriotism in different doses, the aspirants harbored a bittersweet mixture of fear of possible reprisals for contempt, in the hope of obtaining in exchange for their sacrifice, a better life for their families. The chosen one lost her name and surname, and to be henceforth called Hou Xia, which means "Princess Dawn". It was not the only thing to be sacrificed: for her final transformation into Bìxié she had to lose her legs from the knees down.

Dágang presents their champion this season, a young woman who has been born again from the ashes, overcoming the wounds of war suffered during an aggressive border assault in Svalarheima by PanOceanian forces, where she lost both legs. Xia has come to claim the place that rightfully belongs to Yu Jing and has publicly challenged Gata, the PanOceanian star, to see who of the two is the best player in Aristeia!

Aristeia Abilities

In Aristeia, Bìxié has "Yi's Vision," an ability that makes her immune to Smoke and is designed her to work well with Kozmo and Taowu. Her primary defining ability is "Doumu's Gift," allowing her to jump across the map. She has the "Light of the Emperor" ability, which can inflict the Targeted state on enemies.

All of these abilities are reflected in her Infinity profile, with Multispectral Visor, Super-Jump, and Forward Observer.

Background - Infinity

What Everyone Knows

Bixie is more than a HexaDome champion. She is a symbol of Yu Jing’s pride, power, and progress. A former soldier who lost her legs in combat, she was given a second chance by the Dágang Corporation, who fitted her with a cutting-edge cybernetic interface system. As an aristo, she became the fiercest rival of Gata, the PanOceanian star, and their matches were always epic showdowns between the two superpowers of the Sphere. Bixie also served as a role model for the StateEmpire Army, appearing in recruitment campaigns, training centers, and research institutions. She never stopped fighting for her country, whether on Paradiso or in humanitarian missions, always showing her loyalty and dedication as a Yujingyu citizen-soldier. But Bixie is not ready to retire yet. She still has the same competitive spirit and thirst for action that made her stand out among thousands of candidates. She still enjoys friendly games and charity tournaments, but she also travels to different war zones as a representative of Dágang, Yu Jing, and O-12. She wants to prove that the StateEmpire and its corporate ally are committed to the welfare and safety of the entire Human Sphere. And she wants to do it in her own way: with a new, improved set of armor and a lot of attitude.

What Only A Few Know

Here’s what they don’t tell you. Bixié is not really a person, but a product, designed for success by the marketing department at Dagang. Bixié was not some volunteer found through open auditions. She was chosen after a sphere-wide search for the perfect candidate to defeat Gata.

First, they wanted a woman, because the marketing people wanted to avoid controversy by having some hulking, masculine monster beating up the feminine Gata. Second, they wanted someone with a military background and combat experience to be used on tours, PR campaigns, and public appearances. Third, they wanted resilience and a competitive spirit. The surgery would be uncomfortable, and the prototypes would be a bit intense. These features manifested in the body of a woman convalescing in a military hospital. She had suffered terrible wounds to both of her legs during a skirmish on the borders of Svalarheima. Her Dágang explained her options; she could get some crappy government cyberlegs and wait for months, maybe years, for cloned synthetic replacements.

Or, she could be Dágang's star in the Hexadome and escape her life on Svalarheima. She accepted before they’d finished their offer. Her name was changed, and her family was moved from the subterranean cavern city of Kunlun on Svalarheima to the luxurious coastal city of Yú Hú in Yutang, given new names and new lives so long as they kept away from the media. Things worked well, for a while. Bixié was able to live three lives at once. She was an Aristiea star, she was a soldier on the frontline, and she was a propoganda tool at promo tours. Cracks started to appear. Bixié was exhausted. She couldn’t do all three at once. Dagang couldn’t reduce her schedule, not without looking weak and cutting back on their most successful project to date. They needed Bixié to double down, and that’s what they did. They doubled her.

Dagang already had a second body ready and waiting to go; an advanced Lhost that was already prepared for her cube. The obvious solution was to copy and implant her cube. Unfortunately, copying one’s sheut - that is, the consciousness record in a cube - is illegal. Very illegal. In some jurisdictions, the penalty is death of the duplicate. In fact, that’s the plot of popular Maya show, The Incredible Aventures of Candy Double - the protagonist is accused of being a copy and flees from justice. It was incredibly risky to make a second Bixie. But her exhaustion was taking its toll. Somehow, the safest option was the most illegal. Dagang engineers asked their star to make a full copy of her cube, just in case something happened her offsite backups or her cube. She agreed, and the engineers promptly put it in the waiting lhost. This was Bixie-2.

When Bixié-2 opened her eyes, the Dagang staff told her that she was a duplicate. She instantly had a breakdown. She was told that, despite her memories, despite her body, that she was a copy, and that her existence was illegal. But the only option for her to exist was to go forward with their plan. She’d be dedicated to dangerous, tactical work thanks to her advanced combat Lhost. It wasn’t exactly slavery, though - she’d still enjoy the extraordinary benefits, wealth, and unfathomably luxurious lifestyle that Bixie-1 enjoyed.

Speaking of, it was only once the deal was done and things were in motion that Dageng told her, “oh yeah, you have a copy. We made another of you.” She was not… pleased, but the deed was already done, and it did offer some advantages. However reluctantly, she eventually accepted the new status.

Dágang's PR team managed their schedules with the precision of a monofilament blade. Bìxié-1 freed up her schedule and improved her performance. Bixié-2’s deployments could be longer and even flashier. The press started to speak of “The Rebirth of the Jade Champion.” Bixié-2 put her lhost to the test; she was the copy, and that had a certain amount of liberation. She didn’t need to worry about her family being sent back to the domes if she died on Svalarheima; Bixié-1 was still playing. Time passed. Bixié as a brand surged. Nobody even thought about what would happen if Bixié-2 was obsolete, and they never would. Bìxié-1 suffered an unfortunate accident while hang gliding over the sea off the coast of Yú Hú, having turned off her implants to enjoy some privacy. Her last backups were wildly out of date, and her cube was missing. For all intents and purposes, Bixié had just suffered “True Death.”

Of course, it was easy to just cover that up, say that they found the cube, and debut Bixié-2 as the one and only. For a few years more, Bixié fought in the hexadome and the hexadome alone, until eventually she retired from the Aristeia circuit. The audience had eventually grown tired of Bixié, and there were new technologies to show off and new faces in the arena. Bixié withdrew from the Hexadome save for the occasional promotional tournament or charity game. She now had the time to work as Dagang’s best agent, and continued to cooperate with the StateEmpire army, with the Yanjing, with the Yujingyu Ministry of Security, and O-12 in joint operations.

Madame Wong, the code name for the director of Yănjing, showed a particular interest in this former champion, so Bixié began to work more closely with the Yujingyu intelligence service, taking advantage of her celebrity status to gain access to places where others couldn't, and using her special skills to get out of deadly situations.

What Only Bixié Knows

But here’s something only knows. Bixié-1 and Bixié-2 never got along. The original resented that there was a copy with a superior body. The duplicate was infuriated that Bixié-1 got to live easy, while she couldn’t even legally exist. Every time they got together, sparks would fly - like when they met at that villa in Yú Hú. That argument got so heated that #1 took a flight to cool down, unaware that #2 had ensured that the flight would result in a tragic accident. Finally, Bixié, the one and only, is not exactly happy that she’s still being used as a soldier and public relations puppet for the corporation that forced her into existence. But the Yanjing uncovered evidence of the whole scheme, and is quietly utilizing her status as an illegal duplicate as leverage, forcing her to continue her job as a special operations soldier.

As for the truth of murdering her double, well, who can say. Madame Wong seems to know, because it’s her job as the head of the Yanjing to know everything. And if she has decided to not tell you everything, that’s because she thinks it’s better for you to have peace of mind. And that knowledge means that you are in her power.

Profile

N4

ISC: Bìxié, The Jade Champion			Character			Heavy Infantry
Fury: Not Imeptuous			Training: Regular			Back-Up: Cube
MOV	CC	BS	PH	WIP	ARM	BTS	W/STR	S
6-2	22	13	12	13	3	6	2	2
Skills and Equipment: Multispectral Visor L1, Martial Arts L3, Courage, Dodge(+6), Dodge(+2"), Immunity(Shock), Forward Observer, Stealth, NCO, Super-Jump, Climbing Plus

Loadout

Special Skills

Weapons and Equipment

Melee Weapons

Points

SWC

1

MULTI Rifle, Zapper, Flash Pulse, E/M CC Weapon

Pistol

41

0

2 Reinf.

MULTI Rifle, Zapper, Flash Pulse, E/M CC Weapon

Pistol

41

0

Note: Introduced in N4. No profile in N3 or previous editions.

Unit Logo

Aristeia the Game

Dossiers

Current Miniatures

Infinity the Game

REF: 281334-1015

Aristeia the Game

Alternate Skins

None at this time.

Out of Print Miniatures

None at this time.

Limited Edition

Included in the ITS Season 14: Thunderclap prize pack.

Sculpted by Enzo Chavez

REF: PV72

Unboxed
Photo Credit: CatFaceJoe