Connection Matrix — Who Knows Whom

halden-cityrelationshipscharactersreference
active

The web is not a map. It’s a living thing. Every thread changes what it connects.


How to Read This

This matrix captures who knows whom, how they’re connected, and what’s hidden. It’s organized by relationship type, not by character — follow the threads, not the list.

Symbols:

  • One-directional relationship (A knows about B, B doesn’t know about A)
  • Mutual relationship (both parties know)
  • ? One party doesn’t know (noted in context)
  • ⚠️ Hidden / secret dimension to the relationship
  • Active tension or unresolved conflict

The New Team (Player Characters)

Jason / Apollo ↔ Artemis / Mary Matthews ⚡

Killed partner → primary target trajectory. Jason carries both spectrum energies. Morgan (Nightfall) killed Mary. Jason’s grief orbits the absence. The Wavelength ecology pushes him toward a Low-spectrum host as complement — he can’t distinguish the signal from Morgan specifically vs. any Low.

Morgan / Nightfall → Jason — Watching. Pairing instinct rejected. No clean feelings about the kill.

Jason / Apollo ↔ Elena / Riftfire

Former teacher → mentor in progress. Elena extended the invitation to the team. Jason trusted her enough to accept.

Jason / Apollo ↔ Lily Matthews

Mary’s younger sister → civilian thread. The only person who knew Mary as a person, not a callsign.

Sterling / Cosmic Knight ↔ Darkstar ⚡

Father/creator → engineered half-Umbraeon. Survival unknown. Relationship suspended, not resolved. Sterling defected. Darkstar is building a weapon to end the Paragon/Renegade cycle.

Raze → Sterling — Half-sibling. Revenge plot. Mission assumed: kill the apostate.

Sterling / Cosmic Knight ↔ [[Kiara Je-rach / Starfall]]

Personal idol/mentor → departed. Starfall left an asynchronous message. Sterling carries it.

Sterling / Cosmic Knight ↔ the extraction team

Adrian / Sloane / Avi / Mason — The four who got him out after Signal’s public outing. Trust is forming. Not yet earned, but given.

Rhys / Noc ↔ Eclipse ⚡

Personal vendetta. Eclipse funded his uncle’s research, killed his uncle, sent retrieval operatives. Rhys is alive in Halden City and Eclipse doesn’t know it.

Rhys / Noc ↔ Dr. Ivan Romneya — Uncle, deceased, injected the compound to save him, was tortured and killed by Eclipse.

Casper / Half-Life ↔ the team

Reformed villain → trust TBD. Who he hurt as Decay and why he stopped belong to the player. The team accepted him. The acceptance is provisional.

Avi / Nova ↔ Riley / Recluse

Mentor. Riley requested training responsibility after MANIFEST struggled.

Avi / Nova ↔ Dr. Javier Mendez / Quantum — Biological father. Neither knows. The most loaded non-relationship in the setting.

Avi / Nova ↔ Carter Williams / Renegade — Carter assaulted them. Now he’s the Renegade Force host. Avi doesn’t know this connection.


The Alliance (Core Members)

Riley / Recluse — The Hub

Riley is the connective tissue of the street-level network. Nearly every relationship has a second dimension he hasn’t fully acknowledged.

Connected toTypeNotes
[[Adrian Vega / Breakpoint]]↔ Mentor/sonMost tactically precise partnership in the network
[[Sloane / Arachne]]↔ Intel partnerTolerates her teasing; quietly glad she’s there
[[Ethan Roberts / Paragon]]↔ SponsoredRespects him; chafes at “Boy Scout” framing
[[Zara Thorne / Filament]]↔ Former partner ⚠️Unresolved romantic tension; genetic entanglement
[[Darcy / Rampart]]↔ RecruitedDisarmed by her; opens up in ways he doesn’t with others
[[Marcus Webb / Requiem]]↔ Mentor ⚡Guilt over off-books resurrection call
[[Avi / Nova]]→ MentorTraining responsibility; pink envelope introduction to Darcy
[[Casey / Scythe]]→ ?Precognitive blind spot; AEGIS-SYC-REDACTED — he doesn’t know it’s her
[[Darkstar]]← MonitoringSeeded parasite ~2015-2016; watching Riley’s deterioration
[[Petra / Sable]]→ TrackingNoticed structural failure pattern; hasn’t identified her yet

Ethan / Paragon — The Weight

Connected toTypeNotes
[[Riley / Recluse]]↔ SponsoredComplicated admiration; formalized his Alliance recognition
[[Kiara / Starfall]]↔ MentorAsked her what she believed; defined her arc
[[The new team]]→ Institutional sponsorHe’s the reason the Alliance backs them
[[Director Evelyn Shaw]]↔ ComplicatedCooperative surface; something more uneasy underneath
[[Calypso]]→ WarningShe told him he’s becoming what he was meant to prevent
[[Darkstar]]← TargetDarkstar building a weapon to end the cycle Ethan hosts

Sloane / Arachne — The Eyes

Connected toTypeNotes
[[Riley / Recluse]]↔ Handler/foilTeases him mercilessly; mutual dependence
[[Danielle / Wraith]]→ CuriousTrying to identify her; doesn’t know it’s Dani
[[Petra / Sable]]→ FlaggedInterference pattern on Weaver drones; doesn’t know her identity
[[Elliot Marsh / Conductor]]↔ CirclingOperational edges overlap for a year; no direct contact

Darcy / Rampart — The Ground

Connected toTypeNotes
[[Riley / Recluse]]↔ RecruitedReads him accurately; disarms him
[[Avi / Nova]]→ ?Unknowingly wounds Avi by showing how naturally Riley opens up around her
Priya↔ Best friendFormer roommate; clinical psychologist; knows about powers
Deon (student)→ ConcernShowing fast-healing injuries; Darcy hasn’t told Riley

A.E.G.I.S. — The Institution That Sees Everything

The institutional relationships are defined by what A.E.G.I.S. knows that individuals don’t.

A.E.G.I.S. knows aboutWhat they knowWhat the person doesn’t know
[[Riley / Recluse]]Physical decline (via Casey Holt)A.E.G.I.S. knows; Riley doesn’t know they know
[[Casey / Scythe]]MANIFEST asset, AEGIS-SYC-REDACTEDRiley doesn’t know it’s her
[[Adrian / Breakpoint]]Flagged since 2023Adrian doesn’t know he’s flagged
[[Natalia / Vanguard]]MANIFEST final-gen assetMutual wariness dressed as cooperation
[[Dr. Cassius Vrell]]43 years inside; forced separationVrell has unredacted spider-gene file — doesn’t know it’s Riley
[[The new team]]Highest-priority MANIFEST file post-Session 1

Director Evelyn Shaw — The Eye Behind The Eye

Connected toTypeNotes
[[Natalia / Vanguard]]↔ Director/assetMonitored carefully
[[Lila Ortega]]↔ Director/Direct ReportProfessional respect, careful navigation
[[Senator Okafor]]↔ Professional respect, deep mutual warinessDifferent instincts
[[Mayor Alcantara]]↔ Functional without trustNeither trusts the other
[[Deshawn / Caliber]]↔ Mutual recognition/restraintBoth know what the other is capable of

Eclipse — What They Don’t Know Can Hurt Them

Eclipse’s blind spots are as important as their reach.

Eclipse knowsWhat they don’t know
[[Rhys / Noc]] is an unclosed assetRhys is alive in Halden City
[[Marcus / Requiem]] was publicly killedHe was resurrected using overlapping research
[[Barry Black / Slake]] exists as biotech wasteThey created him; they don’t know he’s alive
[[Nadia / Gilt]] stole PROMETHEUS physical backupThey want it back
[[Dr. Selin Adeyemi]] resolved an irregularityShe disappeared; Eclipse doesn’t know Marcus was resurrected with her research

Edmund Crale — The Architect

Connected toTypeNotes
[[Casimir Vane]]↔ Professional, mutual but not equalVane came to him for PROMETHEUS evaluation
[[A.E.G.I.S.]]⚡ Intimate and adversarialKnows A.E.G.I.S. better than most inside it
[[Dr. Ivan Romneya]]→ FundedEclipse-funded researcher (deceased)
[[Marcus / Requiem]]→ UnawareOverlapping research; doesn’t know he’s alive

Independent Operators

Morgan / Nightfall ↔ The Team

Unknown quantity. Approaching with open hands. Killed Artemis (Jason’s partner). Has no clean feelings about it. A.E.G.I.S. classifies Morgan as active threat, uncontained.

Danielle / Wraith — The Leak

One-woman intelligence campaign against the Glass District. Invisible in plain sight. Running a leak operation from inside the district that transformed her. Sloane / Arachne is trying to identify her.

The Anonymous Signal — The Disruptor

Master hacker/social engineer. Former brief Renegade Force host. Has a recording of Riley threatening Carter Williams in hospital. Damaged Paragon’s credibility by broadcasting Starfall’s origin. The new team’s primary ideological antagonist.

Casey / Scythe — The Secret Inside

Adrian’s girlfriend. A.E.G.I.S. MANIFEST asset inserted to monitor Riley. The relationship has deepened past its original design. She’s supposed to be watching. She’s also supposed to report. The conflict between those two things is a live wire.

Adrian ↔ doesn’t know she’s A.E.G.I.S. Riley → has no idea Scythe exists (she’s his precognitive blind spot) Natalia / Vanguard → doesn’t know Casey exists (would confirm everything she defected over)


The Double-Blinds

These are the relationships where both parties don’t know something critical about each other. These are the fuses.

PairWhat A doesn’t knowWhat B doesn’t know
[[Mason Matthews]] ↔ [[Adrian / Breakpoint]]Adrian is BreakpointMason is a cat burglar
[[Avi / Nova]] ↔ [[Dr. Javier Mendez / Quantum]]Quantum is her biological fatherHe has a daughter he doesn’t know exists
[[Casey / Scythe]] ↔ [[Adrian / Breakpoint]]Casey is an A.E.G.I.S. assetAdrian doesn’t know she’s monitoring Riley
[[Emmett Lorne]] ↔ [[Joseph Persico]]Persico doesn’t know Emmett is the architectEmmett knows Persico is a face, not a mind
[[Riley / Recluse]] ↔ [[Darkstar]]Darkstar seeded his parasiteRiley doesn’t know Darkstar is watching
[[Petra / Sable]] ↔ [[Sloane / Arachne]]Sloane doesn’t know Petra’s identityPetra doesn’t know Sloane flagged her signature
[[Morgan / Nightfall]] ↔ [[Jason / Apollo]]Jason carries both spectrum energiesMorgan doesn’t know the pairing ecology pushed her toward him specifically

Faction Relationship Map

The Alliance ↔ A.E.G.I.S.

Tense but functional. Cooperative without subordination. A.E.G.I.S. has floors 21–30 in Alliance Tower. The Alliance uses A.E.G.I.S. resources. Neither trusts the other fully. The cooperative framework is 2015-vintage and showing strain.

The Alliance ↔ Eclipse

Antagonistic. The Alliance doesn’t have full visibility on Eclipse operations. Eclipse has targeted Alliance-adjacent individuals (Romneya, Adeyemi). Direct conflict is escalating.

A.E.G.I.S. ↔ Eclipse

Flagged but unconfirmed by A.E.G.I.S. Complicated by government contracts (Vane Capital is the bridge). Eclipse knows A.E.G.I.S. better than A.E.G.I.S. knows Eclipse. Edmund Crale is a former A.E.G.I.S. insider.

Vane Capital ↔ Eclipse

Early investing partner. Vane came to PROMETHEUS knowing what it was. The financial relationship runs through Crownpoint infrastructure. They’re not friends — they’re aligned.

Vane Capital ↔ A.E.G.I.S.

Mutual accommodation. Vane builds what A.E.G.I.S. needs. A.E.G.I.S. approves what Vane builds. The arrangement is structural, not personal.


Civilians With Influence

These aren’t masks, but they’re connected to the web in ways that can shift the story.

PersonPositionThreadWhat they know
Nora SelleckJournalist, Halden City CourierVirek Papers story; always recording8 months of suppressed investigation
Declan PriceCity archivist, Library15 years of informal enhanced activity recordsMore civilian history of masks than A.E.G.I.S. has
Augie FerreiraUnion steward, BlackwaterHarbor incident records since 1958; Shroud’s quiet allyWhat A.E.G.I.S. doesn’t have about waterfront anomalous events
Vera DalyBar owner, Ironworks30 years of secrets she chose to keepWho comes into Daly’s Tap and what they don’t say
Carmen OrtegaBodega owner, RiversideRiley’s 2am coffee; doesn’t ask about bruisesNeighbourhood rhythms, mask-adjacent patterns
Father Benedikt WróbelPriest, St. Casimir’sConfessions from everyone, including masksWhat people say when they think God is listening
Marcus FellBarista, Lattice CoffeeOverheard Glass District conversations; private journalThree years of research-world gossip, not yet shared
Dr. Yolanda MarshRosen Street ClinicFormer A.E.G.I.S. medical; treats enhanced without reportingWho comes in with injuries that don’t match normal accidents

Quick Reference: Relationship Density

Characters with the most connections (highest web centrality):

  1. Riley / Recluse — Hub of the street network; connected to Alliance, A.E.G.I.S. (unwittingly), Darkstar, the new team, and multiple independents
  2. Ethan / Paragon — Structural anchor; connected to Alliance, A.E.G.I.S., Starfall, civic power, cosmic threats
  3. A.E.G.I.S. (institution) — Sees more than any individual; blind spots are precisely what the story runs on
  4. Eclipse (institution) — Knowledge asymmetry; they don’t know what they’ve created (Slake) or what they’ve lost (Rhys, Marcus)
  5. Emmett Lorne — Hidden connective tissue; behind Persico, adjacent to Vane, invisible to A.E.G.I.S.

Characters with the most hidden leverage (most double-blinds):

  1. Casey / Scythe — Dating Adrian, monitoring Riley, unknown to Vanguard
  2. Emmett Lorne — Running Persico’s network, known socially to Vane, invisible to A.E.G.I.S.
  3. Avi / Nova — Doesn’t know her father is Quantum; doesn’t know her attacker became the Renegade host
  4. Darkstar — Seeded Riley’s parasite, building cosmic deterrent, Sterling’s father, Raze’s creator
  5. Anonymous Signal — Has recording of Riley; using Carter Williams as pawn; damaged Paragon’s credibility

*Last updated: April 2026