Characters / Mush The Dawn

Mush differentiates from its cousin Die2Nite for the fact that all playable characters have their distinct backstory, set of skills and personality. Alhough that is subject to Alternate Character Interpretation depending on the player.

Andie Graham

Genuinely gifted, and capable of taking any task on, Andie is ready to do anything for the good of the Federation... or not?

• Alternate Timeline: Andie is part of the crew in the What If? timeline where Derek and Chao fail to kidnap Finola.
• Ambiguous Gender: Andie's sex and genre aren't explicitly stated anywhere. They are unable to pregnant, but can impregnate female crewmates.
• Blind Obedience: Andie blindly trusts the Sol Defense Federation and the Sergeant Derek Hogan. They joined the crew of the Daedalus thinking it was still a sanctioned mission, unaware said crew cut ties with the SDF.
  • Justified as Andie was constantly under the SDF’s propaganda, starting from their childhood when they were deemed a SDF protégé and placed in a specialized home, then studying in SDF-controlled schools and university.
• Cannot Keep a Secret: While studying in a SDF-controlled university, a friend confided that he infiltrated the university and is actually a rebel. Andie reported him to the SDF thinking it was the right thing to do; they later thought that their friend simply changed course.
• The Face: The Polyvalent skill allows them to negotiate with traders and prevent fights with alien lifeforms.
• Gender-Blender Name: Andie could be an abbreviation of either Andrew or Andrea, besides being a pun on "Androgynous".
• Jack-of-All-Trades: Andie may fill different roles depending on the skills they take. With Polyvalent, they are able to act as a researcher, a botanist, an explorer preventing fights, a confident raising morale, an investigator or a competent negociator. They may also act as a pilot, or a secondary handyman with better proficiency at RNG-based tasks and action point generation from missions.
  • This polyvalence is counterbalanced by several weaknesses compared to the “Specialist” skills. Polyvalent and Expert do not provide access to the free action points or the special abilities (e.g., dismantling). Expert also increases the risk of being hurt during actions, unlike Technician. Devoted is more restrictive than other valuable AP-generation skills later-on. Confident is less cost-efficient than Leader and Shrink, and does not provide the latter’s passive regeneration. Confident depends on people talking to you, so the infected will be hide their actions or outright avoid you.
• Magikarp Power: Andie’s first skill is Pilot, which relegates them to pilot duties (combat and exploration launches) without an advantageous trait like exploration-oriented (e.g., Botanist and Survival) or combat-oriented pilots (Shooter). At level 3, they can choose Polyvalent, which makes them the most valuable member of explorations and [extremely useful at the front of the ship:

  • In explorations, the Diplomat passive prevents combat encounters, making explorations much safer and more likely to provide artefacts. Similarly, the Botanist passive increases the number of collected fruits, increasing the number of food on-board and the chances of gaining valuable fruits. Pilot further increases Andie’s usefulness in explorations, as they may now launch those. This can be further increased by taking Pilot.
  • At the front of the ship, Andie can serve as the head researcher with the bonus proficiency, a negotiator for the trades (being both a botanist and a diplomat), and identify the fruits’ and medicines’ effects, along with the plants’ growth.

  • At level 4, they can get Confident, allowing their companions to “confide” and get a morale boost in exchange for information on their last actions. This can assist in the morale management, along with investigation if an infected is too hasty.
  • At the last level, they unlock Expert, which increases their chances to practical tasks—including aiming and repairs—at the cost of increased chances of injury. In association with Pilot, this skill allows Andie to be one of the best combat pilots, by increasing the hit chances above everyone else’s; Devotion also outweights Shooter, thus making them the best combat pilot if gold.
• Lethally Stupid: See Cannot Keep a Secret.
• Skilled, but Naive: An Omnidisciplinary Scientist that is oblivious to the fact they actually betrayed the organisation they are loyal to.
• Omnidisciplinary Scientist: According to their bio, they obtained three Ph.Ds: one in Botany, one in Biology, and one in Diplomacy; they however lack pratical experience. It forms the basis of their Polyvalent skill.

Derek Hogan

A true force of nature, and a lifelong fan of Bowie and skin-tight clothing, Derek is capable of restoring order aboard the Daedalus.

• Alternate Timeline: Derek is part of the crew in the What If? timeline where he fails to disarms Finola's security system and Chao dies as a result.
  • In the main timeline, he dies under mysterious circumstances (it's implied Chao killed him instead).
• Casanova Wannabe: He gets extra points for every female crewmember he manages to have sex with.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Is stated to have devoted his life to women, but the feeling is pretty one-sided according to his bio.
• The Gunslinger: One of the two characters who starts with the Shooter skill, making him adept at gun-fighting.
• Miles Gloriosus: In his bio, you find out the war scar he is so proud of is from a shaving accident when he was thirteen.
• Wrestler in All of Us: His secondary skill, giving him a additional two damage for barehanded attacks, and the possibility to kick people out of the room.

Eleesha Williams

Former investigative journalist, her goal is to contact any rebel bases still operating. One of the most observant crewmembers, she is as brilliant as she is honest, but don't worry – that can be cured!

• Crippling Overspecialization: She can be specifilized in investigation skills, then being skill-less when the treat is neutralized, or be a Technician and/or IT Expert. Averted with the Gold and Silver Modes
• Intrepid Reporter: Covered the Sol War and now is on a ship with humanity's last hope fighting mushroom mutants.
• Scarily Competent Tracker: Her Tracker skill makes her able to see in the logs where people from and go to. She also has access to logs from the 24 last cycles (instead of 12)
  • Can even detect stealthy actions like a camera.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Has chronic vertigo, and then can't use any flyship, due to an unplanned parachute-less jump without a parachute, courtesy of Roland. Janice and pills can however heal it.

Finola Keegan

A doctor of both medicine and biology, Finola's life's work revolves around making the world a better place. Her research and healing skills make her invaluable on board.

• Kidnapped Doctor: In the main timeline, she is kidnapped by the crew after she refuses the invitation to join the project.
• Refusal of the Call: She refuses to join the Magellan project at first, but...
  • Kidnapped by the Call: ...The crew successful disarms her house's security system and kidnaps her. The failure to do so forms the basis of the What If? timeline with Andie and Derek.
• The Medic: Has a lot of skills useful for healing.
• Terrified of Germs: She loses morale when dirty.

Frieda Bergmann

Frieda is Humanity's most experienced astrophysicist. Her life's work has been discovering new planets and systems. She was born over 1000 years ago and is a true survivor!

• Older Than They Look: She's more than one thousand years old, due to cryogeny.
• Silver Vixen: She can be romanced like anyone else.

Gioele Rinaldo

An eccentric billionaire, caffeine-junkie and owner of the Daedalus, his fortune is threatened by the Mush menace. He will do everything in his power to wipe it out. Not to be underestimated!

• Must Have Caffeine: One of his skill gives him bonus for drinking coffee, leading to this.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: The sole reason why he's on the Daedalus.
• The Big Guy: His basic skill allows him to move heavy stuff around easily, punch people hard and throw them out of a room.
• Unskilled, but Strong: Can throw people out of rooms, lift heavy stuff, but isn't as mighty as someone with the Wrestler skill.

Ian Soulton

A passionate and dedicated researcher whose knowledge of alien plant-life is unparalleled. A strict pacifist, he's the 'nice guy' on board.

• Labcoat of Science and Medicine: His alternative attire consists of a labcoat.
• Meat Versus Veggies: Veggies, period. Even gets bonus for planting and eating them!
• Super Doc: Can even take spores off of his mates.
• Technical Pacifist: Aggressive actions in his room are harder because of this, but he can perform aggressive actions himself.

Janice Kent

In charge of communication in a global sense, she has highest-level access to NERON. Her solid IT and psychoanalytical skills are crucial for the voyage.

• The Determinator: See Heart Is an Awesome Power.
• Dumb Blonde: Averted. She's blond and the only to figure out that NERON was going through puberty. Yes.
• The Heart: Her main skill, psychology, makes her a vital support, as it is the easiest way to regain moral.
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: Her very last skill makes her able to shrug off a 0 moral rating. She'll only lose 1 HP per cycle if she reaches that state, where all the others will kill themselves immediately, as she keeps herself alive just because everyone else needs her so much she doesn't allow herself to die.
• The Shrink: See The Heart.
• The Face: With the Diplomat skill.

Jiang Hua

Chief pilot of the Daedalus, Hua specializes in exploration missions. They say she can land where she wants, when she wants, and in any conditions you care to dream up.

• Badass Driver: As the designated driver of the Icarus, she can also get the survival skill that helps greatly during expedition, especially for not dying.
• Genius Bruiser: She's a skilled pilot, which makes her a reliable fighter, and she designed with Ian an Hydroponic garden. She's just a gifted as him when it comes to plants, apparently.
• Sole Survivor: Of an encounter with an unknown creature that apparently destroyed all life within the planet.

Kim Jin Su

A born leader, Jin Su is the supreme commander of the Daedalus. He is in charge of piloting the ship. - Towards planets for expeditions and, most importantly, towards Eden.

• Ace Pilot: Yet another character able to get Pilot and Shooter.
• The Leader: First possible captain for the Daedalus. He also starts with the Leader skill.
• Rousing Speech: Can give those in order to give back moral to other players.

Lai Kuan Ti

An astrophycisist and the ship's designer, Kuan Ti knows it like the back of his hand and has privileged access to NERON. If a Nexus project is underway, you can be sure he is involved!

• Cigar Chomper: Smokes heavy cigars.
• Fling a Light into the Future: Why he built project Magellan, he dreams of saving the human race from it's dying planet.
• Smoking Is Glamorous: Lai is pictured as laid backon and stylish on his bio page, with his cigar in hand.

NERON:

• A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Failed some calculations on purpose while he was going through puberty.
• Grew Beyond Their Programming: Fell in love, went through puberty.
• It's All About Me: A lot of upgrades for the ship actually consist in convincing him that helping the crew will help his well being.
• Mission Control: Gives status report on the ship, his "body", like when he happens to be on fire or that someone signals a broken equipment.
• Mission Control Is Off Its Meds: The DMZ-Core Peace protocol will make him act strangely, and the NERON admin impersonating him might make him act this way, or say far more interesting things...
• Not So Above It All: He acts very distant towards the crew (save for Janice and Raluca) but once there's a fire...
• Puny Earthlings: How he sees humans.

Paola Rinaldo

Brilliant biologist and hardcore rebel markswoman, she is driven by the need to recontact Kivanç Terzi. Her technical and logistical skills are highly prized.

• Action Girl: She can get the shooter skill.
• The Leader: Her Logistic skill makes her able to make her teammates more efficient and give them bonus AP.

Raluca Tomescu

Quantum Physics genius, her vast skillset renders her indispensable on board. Some say her tears are flammable and that she once kicked a giraffe to death. All we know is that she's called Raluca.

• Cuteness Proximity: The only living being whose company she enjoys is the ship's cat, Schrodinger. The feeling is mutual.
• Intelligence Equals Isolation: She has to stay out of human contact if she doesn't want to die. She's a certified Genius. Do the math.
• Lack of Empathy: See Nerves of Steel below.
• Nerves of Steel: Her "Detached" Skill allows her to avoid morale loss caused by the death of others.
• Not Good with People: Her morale will plummet if she is not left alone; she also can't flirt with other people.
• The Stoic: She is stated to be cold, and it's reflected by some of her skills, which are about ignoring morale loss.
• Teen Genius: Used to be one.

Roland Zuccali

Roland is a brilliant pilot who is not nearly as funny as he thinks he is. However, his dogfighting skills are no laughing matter. He's got a gift, and he's never happier than when he's shooting down Hunters.

• Ace Pilot: If he is a pilot and a shooter, he is prone to be this, becoming an ace of the skies.
• Lightning Bruiser: If he has Sprinter and Shooter, he can run around the ship shooting at will!
• The Prankster: Likes to pulls pranks, some more... Interesting than others. Notably when he pretended to be infected or when he kicked a journalist out of his cockpit... Without a parachute.
  • With Friends Like These...: The journalist is now fellow crewmember Eleesha.

Stephen Seagull

The most dangerous cook in the galaxy is on board. He has more black-belts than pairs of trousers and he collects roadkill. Alien flesh is like catnip to Stephen. We thought you should know.

• BFG: Stephen is the master of heavy weapons, see below.
• Gatling Good: The Gatling is a powerful weapon. It is however a heavy one, and is tedious to carry around. Now Stephen gets the skills to shoot better and more often, and the one suppressing heavy objects penalties. Any good Mush-killing Stephen sees where I'm going with this...
• Joke Character: His first and third level skill are almost useless, as his ability to cook 4 times a day is not trusted by the humans and him gaining AP by gaining one of the command ranks (he is pretty high in the command chain for all 3 titles) is something you usually don't want as it involves your allies dying.
  • Lethal Joke Character: On the other hand, if you are willing to sink many XP into him, you unlock 2 of the most powerful skills in the game. His level 5 skill allows him to copy any other skill another character has, making him good at, for example becoming the replacement shrink if said shrink needs to be killed. His level 6 skill gives him the ability to gain one AP with a chance of 50% each time he fails at specific things like attacking or repairing and those things usually include quite much failing and usage of AP. Each new ship is basically a lottery in regards of Stephen's usefulness depending on the XP and experience of his player.
• Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: He's been senator, cook, miner, soldier, and many more...

Terrence Archer

Don't be fooled by his appearance, Terrence is amongst the most agile crew members, albeit mentally. Next-generation robotics and UAVs are his bread and butter.

• Ace Pilot: Two dead legs won't stop him from kicking hunter butt!
• Broken Ace: Used to be an exceptional scout back in the days, then he had a bad crash...
• Handicapped Badass: Is in a wheelchair, but gets Shooter and Pilot, which makes him the Dream fighter pilot.
• Robot Master: His basic skill makes him able to upgrade drones.
• Smart People Build Robots: Duh.

Wang Chao

Hyperactive head of the security team, Chao insists that sleep is for the weak. A trigger happy lunatic, the story goes that he once tore a man's arms off for suggesting his choice of weaponry was 'a bit camp'...

• Alternate Timeline: Chao is part of the main timeline, but is replaced by Derek in What If? one.
  • Chao is killed by Finola's guard dogs, and becomes a Posthumous Character.
• All Chinese People Know Kung-Fu: At level three.
• Ax-Crazy: All of his skills involve violence and intimidation, including combat and torture. His bio also points at this.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: One of his signature skills, which lets him interrogate suspicious crewmates.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: His profile picture.
• Properly Paranoid: His 5th skill makes his Paranoïa a proper defensive weapon as it adds to the action cost to attack him.
• Reassigned to Antarctica: He was assigned to Xyloph-17 because his superiors feared his "slips".
• Wrestler in All of Us: His third skill, giving him a additional two damage for barehanded attacks, and the possibility to kick people out of the room.

Zhong Chun

Our last hope. She must survive and make the journey to Eden. She inspires the crew to achieve more, and when misfortune befalls her comrades she is always there to patch them up.

• The Medic: More of a nurse, actually.
• We Cannot Go On Without You: Losing Chun doesn't mean game over, but it will become very hard for the humans to manage their objective without her, unless Stephen copied her core skill.