Cliff

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"Clip" Cliff is an NPC in Arknights. He first appears as a background character in Jessica's Operator Record, The Slow Walk Ahead, before appearing in person as one of the deuteragonists of Come Catastrophes or Wakes of Vultures.

Background

Born Rupert, Cliff is the founder and CEO of Blacksteel Worldwide, and a veteran of the Columbian Revolutionary War. Considered an "Apostle" of war by some, and a scum by others, his philosophy regards using war and armed conflicts as a business to help end them at the same time, and ensuring that his advanced replica firearms are available for all of the company's professional consultants. Due to his approach on warfare and the job opportunities he gives to many mercenaries, Cliff has become a controversial figure within the mercenary industry. Nevertheless, his business strategy managed to break the industry's unwritten rules. Cliff not only wanted to act as an intermediary in high-risk contracts through official channels, but also ensure that his mercenaries take stable, low-risk contracts.

Rupert (left) and Woodrow (right) during the Columbian Revolutionary War

Alongside two other Sankta companions, one of them being his former partner Woodrow, he traveled from Laterano in the Terran year 1016 to join the Columbian Revolutionary Army as mercenaries fighting in the Southern front, helping to turn the tides of war in the colony. As someone who was never taught by The Law on how to race death and strife, Cliff decided to use a more pragmatic approach on the battlefield, saving the lives of his comrades.

However, his relationship with Woodrow would shatter during a rescue mission on Camp Collus, a Victorian Army POW camp known for its inhumane treatment towards the captives. In order to preserve combat power since the enemy encirclement on the right side suddenly tightened, Cliff had no option but to abandon the original rescue plan and leave Woodrow and his men behind, leading to their capture. By autumn of 1019, only Woodrow managed to make it out alive. After refusing Cliff's advise to return to Laterano, the two would part ways.[1][2]

Reshaped by the never-ending nature of various conflicts across the years, Cliff continued his life as a mercenary. In 1026, in the wake of the seventh anniversary of Columbia's independence, Cliff founded Blacksteel Worldwide alongside various other retired veterans from the Revolutionary War that he personally persuaded, establishing themselves as the "Ring of Steel", the five core members of BS. Cliff and his comrades initially worked as a state-owned organization, but the company's turning point would come in the Terran Year 1083, when mutated needleflies breached containment from a Tower Mountains Biotech lab located in the Barron Mine in the Southern Columbian wastes, due to an experiment of the Department of Defense that went haywire. Although B.S. managed to contain the situation and were even awarded the Citizen Medal of Honor by the Maylander Foundation, the incident was nevertheless exposed by the media. As the mercenary industry was changing, and many of the original members were no longer around, Cliff took the opportunity to reform Blacksteel into a PMC.[3][4]

Story

Come Catastrophes or Wakes of Vultures

References

  1. CV-5 After
  2. CV-ST-3
  3. Arknights' CV information website (in Chinese)
  4. p.363-365, "Blacksteel Worldwide",Terra: A Journey