Callistege

"The walls of Sagus were my cage until, like a bird, I took flight. Figuratively, you understand. I speak of knowledge, not mere physical movement. I grew beyond the grand library in short order and was soon writing texts for it myself."

Callistege is one of six companions in Torment: Tides of Numenera. She is a nano, perpetually flanked by vast numbers of her 'sisters', who are in reality, innumerable versions of herself.

Her name means Treasured Array in her own words.

Background
Her voice rolls and hisses, and you have to rub your eyes to be sure that you're not seeing double. Faint echoes of her actions trail from her, each nearly mimicking her, though some act and react to stimuli that you can't perceive. Her vivid hair and outrageous clothing remain constant through these shadows.

Callistege was born into high society in Sagus Cliffs. Following an impeccable education, she started an intellectual career that would put her at the top of the academic field (and hubris). Her intelligence and ravenous appetite for knowledge resulted in her burning through the contents of the Grand Library and start writing texts for it in short order. However, she was insatiable. After exhausting the extensive repositories of the library, Callistege spent her days hunting down dangerous numenera that no one else would touch. Devices that could obliterate rock and flesh alike, swarms of stronglass insects that would inject an explosive poison into all who came near, mysteries of that nature. Naturally, it attracted a certain type of person.

After some time and several bidding wars, she became close with another explorer. At first it was a wary alliance, formed when the two had too few shins and far too much curiosity. But eventually they came to trust one another, rely on the other being there as an extra pair of hands if the danger grew too great.

Callistege was in love. Of course, that only meant that everything was doomed to fall apart. Several magnificent failures in a row and she was gone, dissolved into light or energy or perhaps simply ash. There wasn't enough residue to be sure. She could have moved one, if it wasn't for what came some time later. Callistege was testing other devices, continuing what she excelled at... And when she tested one numenera, she found herself transported. She was somewhere else. The same workshop, but alien, like finding someone has tidied while you were away and replaced everything according to their memory, not yours. And her love was there. Alive. She smiled at her.

But before Callistege could warn her, before I could say anything, she was back here, in this world without her, the numenera a smoking ruin at her feet. But she knew she was alive. Somewhere. She studied everything she could get my hands on. The skies, the earth, the water, the secrets of life itself. One day she came across a theory of alternate worlds. Not merely those that came before, but those that exist now, and which continue to exist. It became my main point of study. A good chunk of her research was based on papers authored by the Changing God, incomplete as they were.

Callistege realized that she was still alive in some world not dissimilar to her own and that there must be a way to access those worlds and, by extension, other Callisteges. And, in so doing, access their knowledge to augment her own work. The burned-out numenera that transported her left behind enough of its pieces to allow her to apply what she learned towards constructing a special reality-piercer.

When she activated it... She realized that she failed to account for one problem: The fact that the connection could go - would go - both ways. When the time came and she gained access to her sisters, so they gained access to her. At that moment, other echoes of herself had accomplished the same thing. The quantum differences in their lives shivered and magnified. They became aware of each other. Some were driven mad. Others took their own lives. This Callistege remained strong. The sisters around her were strong too.

Yet the flood of information can be quite overwhelming. Callistege seeks a way to manage these inputs and, perhaps, find out what happened with her partner, to connect with her. Until then, she seeks solace in the fact that she saved her from that ignoble death several times. Her ultimate goal is ascension into the datasphere, allowing her to take on a distinct form of her own and separate herself from her sisters - especially those who seek to destroy her for what she and other echoes unleashed on each other.

To this end, she seeks any and all avenues of research. Her relationship with Aligern was founded on mutual aid in research. She would help him seek out the mystery of his tattoos and the fate of his family, while he would aid her in finding a way to access the datasphere. It eventually fell apart when it became clear that neither could satisfy the other, love turning into hate, affection into spite. Their last action together was the recovery of the Changing God's Last Castoff at the Broken Dome...

Companion

 * Callistege is a powerful Nano with unique dimension-shifting abilities. Notably, she does not get along with Aligern, whom she considers a dense creature of wrath and obstinacy. After dealing with Qorro, she will not suffer his presence in the party. If dismissed, she is later found in the Order of Truth.
 * Her personal storyline can be advanced by keeping her in party and talking to Tantalum. She will ask him about a tomb. 3543 is the target. Within is an ancient instrument you can tune using  (Quick Fingers, Perception). Callistege will then play it and create an image you can interpret with  (Lore: Machinery).

Quests

 * Fallen to Earth: Callistege and Aligern witness your crash into the Broken Dome and desire to help you. Callistege believes the Order of Truth is your best bet, quite opposite to Aligern, who believes the Cult of the Changing God is a superior pick.
 * The Right to Exist: Callistege is found in the Oasis Fathom, floating motionlessly. Exhaust conversation options with her to gain 40 XP and you'll eventually make her come back. Now you decide her fate, whether you want to help her ascend into the datasphere or make her remain human - sealing herself off from her echoes.

Inventory

 * Body: Callistege's Dress
 * Cloak: Dimensional Mantle
 * Ornament: N/A
 * Weapon: Buzzer
 * Bonded: N/A