PBW Stories

Sajora Raska (Jory Rask), human/Jorenian crossbreed female, 24 years old, 6’9” tall, 240 lbs.

Birthdate: November 14th
Astrological Sign: Scorpio
Place of birth: In space, en route from Joren to Earth

Mother: Xenobiologist Kalea Raska/Jorenian
[Margin Note: mother was repudiated by HouseClan and exiled from Joren for refusing to accept Choice]
Father: Raider/Slaver Kieran/human
[Margin Note: was trained as Blade Dancer]
Maternal Grandparents: Skalea and Tnefa Raska/Jorenian, ClanLeaders of HouseClan Raska
Maternal Aunt: Enale Raska/Jorenian
Paternal Relatives: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
ClanSiblings: Jakol Varena, Nalek Zamlon, Galena Nerea, Osrea Levka, Danea Koralko, Renor Xado.
Spouse: None. Former best friend/lover: half-Imbajic shockball player Rijor, murdered by human mob after game injury revealed he was part alien


Occupation: Professional shockball player, first string runback, NuYork StarDrivers
Residence*: Future Agers commune, Arizona desert
[*Margin Note: at beginning of novel]--Resides with: mother (in hiding from Terran authorities, no residency permit)

Human characteristics: Black curly hair (worn short) Caucasian* skin and features [*Margin note: has pink nipples/small breasts, show in glidebus scene with Kol]
Jorenian characteristics: Six-fingered hands, retractable claws, 40 versus 32 teeth
Hybrid characteristics: reddish-purple blood, solid colored eyes (green)
Distinguishing marks: Ligature mark around base of neck, assorted shockball injury scars, diagonal scar* on left cheek [*Margin note: does not acquire this until after fight with Kol re: challenging Fayen]

Implant: Artificial right knee joint, constructed of salvaged drone tech, installed by (unspecified) alien underground physician [Margin notes: supposedly incompatible with human tissue; Jory develops tolerance over time, still has periodic infections, self-treats with infusions of antibiotics. Repeated injuries from shockball, wear and refittings have degraded the implant. At open of novel, Jory has already been warned that no more bone trims can be performed, and one more serious injury will result in amputation of her right leg from the lower thigh down.]

Positive personality: Brave, loyal (devoted to mother), capable of deep affection, sexually well-adjusted/mature, developed sense of fairness, protective* toward the young/weak [*Margin note: forms immediate protective/older sister feelings toward Galena. Demonstrates affection when trust is established with the others.]

Negative personality: Hot-tempered, driven, aggressive (confrontational), impatient, anti-social or defensive around strangers, often emotionally reserved, moderately claustrophobic (especially caves and underground passages), somewhat phobic* about having children [*Margin note: refusal to have children = main romantic conflict between Jory and Kol]

Hobbies/Collects: None (interested in bladed weapons)
Personal History/Childhood:

Born in space
Brought to Earth by Mother
Raised in alien underground (age 0 to 16)
Meets crossbreed Rijor, age 6
Caught and nearly hung by human children, age 7
Learns how to knife fight, age 8
Learns how to use surplus ordinance to blow tunnels, age 10


Jory has never had any contract with the Jorenian people prior to the opening of the novel. When Kalea arrived on Earth, she took refuge in the alien underground to prevent deportation, and Jory spent her entire childhood in the tunnels under New Angeles.[Margin note: age 7 caught topside by human children and lynched with component wire, which Jory’s weight snapped, resulted in permanent ligature mark around throat.] Rijor becomes her best/only friend.

Personal History/Adolescence:

Becomes lovers with Rijor, age 15
Rijor and Jory recruited by NuYork StarDivers, age 16
Plays first string runback in debut game, scores three goals
Right knee shattered, replaced by implant, age 16 [Margin note: result of 22 separate game injuries in eight months]
Meets Rico/owner of the Gliders, refuses offer to join Gliders, age 17. [Margin note: possibly future novella idea]
Plays runback in first AllStar game, age 18

Jory’s early years with the junta are a succession of glory and injury, always overshadowed by the fact that she must hide her alien characteristics by wearing shades and specially designed gloves. Her relationship with Rijor progresses from friendship to sex, but the affection on both sides is more friendly than romantic. Now that she can no longer live with Kalea in the underground, Rijor is the only person Jory can be herself with. She deals with the hard reality of playing professional sports by saving up what she earns and planning to move her mother away from the city and out into the desert, where she can live more freely.

Personal History/Adulthood:
Voted World Game Most Valuable Player, age 19
First tibial bone shave, age 19
Signs lucrative contract to endorse designer footgear, age 20
Second tibial bone shave, age 21
Rijor murdered, age 22
Moves Kalea from underground to Future Agers commune, age 22
Elected to Shockball Junta Hall of Fame, age 23

Jory’s fame increases, but so do the dangers surrounding her. Repeated injuries are creating havoc with her artificial knee tech. Her constant exposure in the press threatens to expose her as a crossbreed. After Rijor is senselessly murdered by an angry mob, she immediately moves her mother out to the Arizona desert, hoping that will protect Kalea from the same. Rijor’s death devastates Jory, but she goes into basic denial over it. She grows tired of playing injured but pushes herself to keep earning so that she can collect enough money to keep her and Kalea safe forever.

Novel Trigger Events:

Rijor’s murder: Despite being in total denial about it, Rij’s death forever changes Jory’s perceptions of herself, humans, and the prospect of continuing to live on Earth.

Kalea Raska contracts chicken pox virus from Future Ager commune children, dies alone: Kalea’s death destroys the last reason Jory has to continue playing Shockball and hiding her crossbreed characteristics. As Kalea’s Speaker, Jory has sworn to return to Joren and Speak to the ClanChildren of Honor.[Margin note: insinuate that Kalea may have deliberately infected herself as a form of suicide.]

Relationship to/with other characters:

Kalea: Deeply devoted but often exasperated with mother. Impatient or indifferent to learning Kalea’s Jorenian ways, but does so to please mother. Envies Kalea’s gentle nature and unwavering faith.

ThGill: Jory doesn’t trust ‘Gill at first, but quickly develops a comfortable friendship with him, mostly because he consistently demonstrates a harmless, affable nature.
Enale: Jory finds her aunt’s cool welcome both annoying and amusing. Admires/envies her appearance. Wonders (at first) if they will get along as family.

Skalea: When they meet for the first time, Jory shows respect to her grandfather as Kalea taught her, but is immediately estranged by the old man’s harsh reception and his indifference to/acceptance of Kalea’s death. His behavior destroys her fledgling hope of a new life on Joren.

Jakol: Jory is intrigued by Kol from the first time they spar in the quad, but it takes a little while for her to catch on to the physical attraction behind it. Since Kol is half-Terran, half-Jorenian like her she unconsciously gravitates toward him. Through the book they have an ongoing, often subtle struggle for dominance over the group, resolved after the final challenge with Fayen. Jory is annoyed by the fact that Kol is more cautious and thoughtful than she is, and in many ways a better leader. Play up the physical attraction first, then emotional reliance/investment as they endure the Tana. Kol’s determination to have a traditional Jorenian bond is the main roadblock to their relationship, as Jory does not want children. [Margin note: Kol smells like rain and pine.]

Fayen: Jory readily identifies Fayen as an enemy and direct competition for Kol. Jory uses derision to combat Fayen at first, but quickly learns the Skogaq is a clever, lethal opponent. Jory’s Jorenian instincts are enraged by Fayen’s play for Kol, but when the Skogaq pretends to kill Galena, it pushes Jory over the edge into homicidal hatred. [Margin note: Fayen is hermaphroditic]

Danea: Jory and Danea basically hate each other at first sight, mostly on Danea’s part [Margin note: Danea refuses to believe they were all sired by slavers], and bicker through the entire novel. Jory doesn’t realize Danea reminds her of Rijor. Their mutual antagonism slowly evolves into one of the closer relationships within the clan. Whenever the seven are threatened, Danea is always the first at Jory’s side to defend them. [Margin note: expose Danea as an aquatic after they move through the rift.]


Nalek: The big brother Jory never had. Besides Galena, Nalek is probably Jory’s strongest supporter within the clan. Fond of him, often exasperated by his mild nature, Jory unconsciously depends on Nalek as her anchor. [Margin note: Nalek is the only person immune to Danea’s corporeal field.]

Galena: Jory is Galena’s polar opposite in almost everything, and yet Jory is immediately drawn to and protective of her. Galena serves as a nudge to Jory’s conscience, which often angers Jory. Galena’s vulnerability and inherent gentleness subconsciously remind Jory of her mother, and makes Galena the heart of the clan. [Margin note: Galena has transmitter implanted by HouseClan, do not reveal until end of novel.]

Osrea: Serves as Jory’s annoying little brother, although she understands him better than the rest of the clan, especially when he becomes aggressive and confrontational. Jory recognizes his surreptitious affection for Galena early on and is more forgiving of him because of it. [Margin note: Os’s exocartilage plates thicken as he loses weight during the Tana training.]

Renor: Jory is wary of Ren because of his silence and his more inhuman characteristics (considers him a possible danger to the group in the beginning) but develops an abiding respect for him after he demonstrates the same loyalty to clan that she feels. Learning how he was treated by the Xado cements their quiet friendship, although she continues to be irritated by his inherent secrecy throughout the book. [Margin note: Renor does not sleep.]

Bek: Jory and Bek develop mutual respect and friendship as they recognize each other’s ethics. Jory does not completely trust the Blade trainer, but she comes to rely on his sense of fair play. [Margin note: Bek has severe facial scarring from a transport crash]

Uel: Jory is at first confused then annoyed by the attention she receives from the Blade Master. Uel presents more questions than answers, and his persistence in watching her bothers her on more than one level. [Margin note: Uel is a reconstruct]