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Reid, Victoria (Crane, Eleanor)

The Split Personality

  • Primary Identity: Originally Dr. Victoria Reid, a brilliant neurologist with interest in consciousness research
  • Secondary Identity: Dr. Eleanor Crane emerged following accidental exposure to demonic essence during early experiments
  • Transformation Trigger: Occurred during first extraction experiments with Judge Blackwood approximately five years ago
  • Physical Manifestation: Subtle changes in posture, vocal patterns, and micro-expressions mark transitions between personalities
  • Awareness Level: Reid has partial awareness of Crane's actions but limited control; Crane is fully aware of Reid and can suppress her
  • Trigger Conditions:
  • Reid emerges during moments of ethical crisis or when confronted with extreme suffering
  • Crane dominates during research activities and when the Blackthorn agenda is threatened
  • Proximity to Cell 7B (where the original split occurred) can trigger unpredictable shifts
  • Current Status: Crane is the dominant personality, keeping Reid suppressed through medication and specialized binding techniques

Dr. Victoria Reid (Original Personality)

Background & Professional History

  • Harvard-educated neurologist with specialization in consciousness research
  • Previously employed by prestigious medical research institutions
  • Recruited by Blackwood after publishing controversial theories on consciousness transference
  • Initially believed the research would benefit humanity by understanding the nature of consciousness
  • Growing ethical concerns about the project led to private documentation of Blackthorn's violations

Physical Description

  • Mid-thirties, with naturally warm features now often hidden behind a carefully controlled expression
  • Softer speaking voice with slight Boston accent
  • More natural body language, less rigid posture
  • Eyes show genuine emotional responses, particularly empathy and concern
  • Dresses in less severe but still professional attire when in control
  • Hands often in motion while speaking, more expressive gestures

Personality & Character Traits

  • Brilliant but ethically grounded researcher
  • Genuinely believed her work could revolutionize understanding of consciousness
  • Exhibits compassion for test subjects and growing horror at what her research has been used for
  • Plagued by guilt over her inability to stop what "she" is doing
  • Increasingly desperate to sabotage the Aggregation project from within
  • Maintains hope that the damage can be undone

Motivations

  • Initially sought to understand the fundamental nature of consciousness for medical breakthroughs
  • Now primarily motivated by a desire to undo the damage caused by her research
  • Attempted to reach out to Blackwood when she realized the true nature of the Blackthorn Institute
  • Has been leaving clues and evidence that might lead to the project's exposure
  • Wants to free the subjects who have been used in experiments

Dr. Eleanor Crane (Emergent Personality)

Origin & Development

  • Emerged following Reid's first direct exposure to demonic essence during extraction
  • Initially manifested during high-stress research situations, gradually becoming more dominant
  • Developed to handle the cognitive dissonance between Reid's ethics and the project's demands
  • Contains the parts of Reid's personality capable of continuing the research without emotional interference
  • Named herself after the mechanical apparatus used in the first successful extraction (the "Crane Mechanism")

Physical Description

  • Same physical body as Reid, but carries herself with rigid, precise posture
  • Cold, evaluating eyes that miss nothing; gaze often makes others uncomfortable
  • Voice drops to a slightly lower register with clipped, precise diction and no accent
  • Minimal gestures, controlled movements that suggest discipline and absolute control
  • Prefers severe, tailored clothing in dark colors
  • Often wears hair pulled back tightly when in control

Psychological Profile

  • Highly intelligent and methodical, with Reid's intellect but none of her ethical constraints
  • Excellent at reading people and identifying psychological vulnerabilities
  • Detached view of human beings as resources rather than individuals
  • Clinical approach to all aspects of the research, viewing test subjects as mere data points
  • Derives satisfaction from scientific progress regardless of human cost
  • Views the Blackthorn Initiative's goals as transcending conventional morality
  • Considers her emergence as evolutionary progress beyond Reid's "limitations"

Abilities & Skills

  • Expert in manipulation and gaining confidence
  • Highly knowledgeable about metaphysical binding techniques
  • Developed many of the extraction protocols currently in use
  • Enhanced analytical abilities without emotional interference
  • Capable of performing procedures Reid would find morally repugnant
  • Expert in essence extraction, modification, and integration
  • Has refined techniques for keeping Reid suppressed
  • Carries sigils tattooed on her body (normally hidden under clothing) that help maintain her dominance

Role in the Blackthorn Institute

  • Official Position: Director of Research and Development
  • Specialization: Essence extraction and human-demonic integration
  • Project Focus: The Aggregation - combining extracted demonic essence with prepared human vessels
  • Current Operations: Oversees activities at St. Catherine's Hospital, particularly Cell 7B
  • Relationship to Blackwood: Complex collaboration - initially partners, then adversaries as Reid's influence caused Blackwood to doubt
  • Staff Interaction: Feared by subordinates, who have noticed her "moods" but attribute them to work stress
  • Security Access: Highest clearance, including personal codes to all Blackthorn facilities

The Reid-Crane Dynamics

The Struggle for Control

  • Reid occasionally breaks through during moments of extreme ethical conflict
  • Crane has developed ritual techniques to suppress Reid when she threatens to emerge
  • The binding sigil in Cell 7B was designed partially based on techniques Crane uses to contain Reid
  • Physical proximity to Cell 7B can trigger unpredictable shifts between personalities
  • Crane utilizes specialized medications and essence-infused techniques to maintain dominance
  • Reid has been growing stronger recently, creating more frequent "episodes" that concern Blackthorn staff

Blackwood's Awareness

  • Blackwood discovered the dual nature of Reid/Crane approximately three years ago
  • Initially exploited the situation, working with Crane on research while using Reid's insights for safety protocols
  • Eventually began working with Reid to sabotage aspects of the project as his own doubts grew
  • His suicide/transformation was partially triggered by his inability to stop Crane's final phase of research
  • Left encoded messages that only Reid would fully understand, hoping she would find them

Relationship with Vassago/Blackthorn

  • Crane maintains the official Blackthorn connection, advancing the Aggregation project
  • Reid has been attempting to sabotage the work whenever her personality can surface
  • Crane bears the Sigillum Lilith mark, willingly accepted during a ritual with Vassago
  • Reid is unaware of certain bargains Crane has made with infernal entities
  • Blackthorn administration is aware of her "episodes" but values her research too much to intervene

The Cell 7B Connection

  • Site of the original essence exposure that created the split personality
  • The cell exists at a thin place where realms naturally overlap
  • Reid/Crane's essence signature is embedded in the cell's metaphysical structure
  • Exposure to the cell enhances Reid's ability to surface temporarily
  • Contains specialized equipment designed by Crane for essence extraction and binding
  • The physical center of the Blackthorn binding network, where the counter-binding must be applied

Narrative Potential

Future Plot Points

  • Reid could surface temporarily to help Mick understand the counter-binding
  • Crane might attempt to use Mick's connection to Marchosias for her own purposes
  • The struggle between personalities could mirror Mick's partnership with Marchosias as a dark reflection
  • Restoration of Marchosias might require Reid's help, creating tension as Crane fights to prevent it
  • Final confrontation could involve Reid asserting control at a critical moment
  • Possible redemptive arc as Reid attempts to undo the damage her alternate personality has caused

Writing Notes

  • When writing Crane, emphasize clinical precision and emotional detachment
  • For Reid, show flashes of warmth, empathy, and increasing desperation
  • Create subtle physical cues that signal transitions between personalities
  • Use the Reid/Crane duality as a mirror to Mick's own experience of consciousness-sharing
  • Establish the character as a complex antagonist rather than a simple villain

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