Creative

The UMBC Creative team, or simply Creative, serves as the administrative and logistical organization of the sport. On the surface they are the faces and personalities who keep the Circuit going, but in reality they are responsible for talent scouting, arena maintenance, meta narratives, among other things. The number of individuals that are part of Creative is in the hundreds with much of the decision making done through a mixture of committee, democracy, and consensus. However, most people throughout Sol only know of the following members.

Vice Howard
(he/him) Executive Chairman of Creative. Vice is the fourth in the Howard Dynasty and has personally overseen the revitalization of UMBC as a major pastime throughout the solar system.

Sterling Starling
(he/him) Head Historian for Creative. He is considered one of the most knowledgeable people alive about the Circuit in the over 300 year history of the sport.
Related tags: Ask Sterling

Stella Howard-Delaney
(she/her) Creative Director and frequent match commentator. She is also the granddaughter of Vice Howard.

Ali Suri
(he/him) Battler Relations Agent and Host. Ali’s role typically involves talent acquisition and relations, while also frequently hosting pre and post match interviews.

Eula Euler
(they/she) The face of the official UMBC statistics office. Sometimes referred to lovingly as the “Chief Stat Rat.” Despite being the face, they rarely make public appearances or statements.

UMBC Quantum Computer 
(it/its) Supposedly one of the most powerful computers currently existing in Sol, it assists Creative with making bracket decisions as well as assigning starpower ratings to Battlers. No one outside of the Creative knows where it is, how it works, or when it was built. Many fans and critics alike believe it doesn't actually exist and is simply a team within Creative. However, many Battlers have a very real superstitious fear of the machine even if they are sure it's just a myth.

Battlers

Battlers are the performers and pilots of the Circuit. Officially they are all independent of the Creative team, but both parties work closely together to ensure the sport is entertaining.

Hank Dreadful 
(he/him) The Champion of Champions, 16-time Grand Victor across a 35 year career. Now a regular commentator and personality contracted by Creative as a John Madden-esque figure.

Banoid
(they/them) An anonymous thug who uses the name of the era’s greatest horror. Can they become more than just a villain?

Hemlock Creed - Episode -
(she/her) The erstwhile star of the Circuit. She is now considered a relic past her time. Can she reclaim her former glory?

Jim Bogard
(he/him) The curmudgeonly cudgel of the Melee Division. He has never been the same since his teammate died in the arena. Will he be able to find closure this season?

Wendigo
(it/its) The rage of the forests made flesh and steel. Can it inspire care through anger?

Z Z
(she/her) The rough and tough rising star of the Melee Division. How high can she fly?

Dea Tacita
(she/her) Believed to be a specter made flesh from the souls lost in the Metis Disaster. Will Our Lady of Silence find a place beyond legend?

Flare Dungaree 
(he/him) A kid from the edge of society who won a contest. He is piloting an ancient symbol of spacefarer freedom. Will he prove the Fronts aren't just a worthless backwater?

Helena Ashley
(she/her) Considered by many to be a blight of the Mixed Division for her various questionable stunts in and out of the arena. Can she finally get the respect she deserves?

Penny Dreadful
(she/her) The granddaughter of the Champion of Champions. Can she live up to the legacy?

Richardson Gold
(he/him) One of the top Battlers of the Mixed league. He is backed by the Cyrus IT skunkworks team, Seabook Contraptions. Will he be able to stay on top?

Bettie
(she/her) The death of her father put her on an unexpected path. Will she follow it to its end?

Colt Browning 
(he/him) An actor-turned small-time Battler. Will he forever be a stepping stone for others greatness?

Lina Rei
(she/her) Coming from mixed heritage, she contains the pasts of two warring sides. Now she rebuilds weapons from that conflict. Can she move beyond this brutal history?

Hector 99
(xe/xem) A hero to xeir people and a villain to everyone else. Can they grow apart from petty catharsis?

Juan Kai
(he/him) A junkrat with a chip on his shoulder. Will he show the world his genius or fall apart yet again?

Press, Media, and Personalities

The Circuit attracts all sorts that critique, comment, and ultimately enjoy it.

Phillip Hardiston
(he/him) Host of the “Beyond the Battler.” He is known for his tough questions and tricky interviewing style to get Battlers and Creative alike to spill secrets and confront hard truths.

Binxley Throbsen
(they/he) Reporter from the New Manhattan Battler’s Gazette. Throbsen is known for getting spicy scoops by any means necessary.

Arica Smith
(she/her) Entertainment journalist with over 30 years of experience. Frequently appears as an analyst on Steel D0g P0und.

MechGuy718832
(he/him) UMBC mega-enthusiast and host of Steel D0g P0und.

PineconeVandal
(they/them) Anonymous leaker who frequently appears on Steel D0g P0und. 

Kiki Spooby
(she/her) Aspiring Battler and cohost of Steel D0g P0und. 

Factions

There are several groups that work in and around the Circuit, but may not have specific characters mentioned.

The Coalition
Coalition of Societies is a confederated group of places that agree to work together. Typically known as "the Coalition". It has no federalized power and is mostly a body that creates guidelines used by municipalities throughout Sol. Delegates from participating groups are chosen to advocate for them, but unlike a representative democracy or republic, cannot make decisions for the group.

ABEMS 
Allied Battlers, Engineers, and Mechanics Solar. A labor union of organized mech pilots, engineers (designers and builders), and mechanics that spans the solar system that has a democratically elected governing committee. They represent all non-Creative workers in and beyond the Circuit. They do their best to not get dragged into the storylines cooked up by Creative, but have discovered that is not always possible.