Catatonia rules!

The Rei Pumanami Page

Welcome to the roleplaying game info page for Rei Pumanami, aka ReiPuma or R.P.  It summarizes what is generally known about this strange being.

... and sad.

ReiPuma happy...

Rei speaks almost exclusively in a calm, measured voice.  Her general lack of inflection and moderate volume don't prevent her from being heard; however, whether one understands or not is largely up to the listener.

Many people take clues from body language, but Rei has almost none.  From somewhat shy beginnings, she's refined her composure greatly (which is like painting concrete light grey).  Any nod, blink, or narrowing of the eyes is likely done for the benefit of others.

Rei's reserved, even laconic mannerisms lead some to think she's emotionless.  Whether that's true or not is a judgement call most are lucky to avoid.

Rei Pumanami (formerly Ayanami) is known to be a survivor of several global destruction events.  She most commonly resides near "nexus points" like the pan-dimensional taverns so popular with both scientific and fantastic societies.  However, she's been known to conceal or dismiss her feline ears and participate in entirely mundane social scenarios.

Currently, when events dictate violence or the threat of violence, she may present an alternate form.  One of these is selected according to the specific psychological or tactical advantage it presents; Rei's abilities remain the same regardless of her physical shape, or lack thereof. She doesn't turn violent that often, at least by her standards, but she's not averse to expressing an opinion now and then. She's no longer a little girl to be choked for saying unpleasant things...

An angry Rei: fishing for this reaction is ill-advised.

Abilities... though she's picked up many skills in her times, ReiPuma's best-known ability is manipulation of her AT field.  Ironically, this best-known is one of the least understood.

The Absolute Terror field can be explained as a manifestation of self over reality.  In theory, every mind generates an AT field, though even extraordinary minds capable of psionic tricks fall far short of Rei's power.  This is due to both her unusual origin and her... peculiar psychological makeup.  The AT field preserves one's mind or soul, and by extention the physical shape by which one perceives the self. From observation, Rei can manipulate the electro/magnetic/gravitic spectrum (otherwise known as reality) at will.  The AT field can absorb or deflect staggering amounts of energy, or be turned in upon itself to create a pocket of non-existence with respect to the rest of the universe. Even more disturbing is her ability to overcome lesser AT fields and affect the soul directly. She usually choses not to employ her full potential.  Her field can be penetrated by sufficiently powerful attacks.  While the order of magnitude required for such attacks is frequently beyond what entire races can produce, even Angels may die. (The "actual" AT field describes an ego borderline protecting one's sense of self from others.  It's been used in descriptions of autistic behavior; one is free to form their own interpretations of Rei's observed mannerisms.  The AT field as depicted in Evangelion is a vastly more powerful extention of this idea, and also bears a strong resemblance to the "morphic field" theory put forth by biologists Weiss, Spemann, and Gurwitsch in the 1920s.  This theory describes energy fields which affect living material and influence its development into recognizable forms.)

ReiPuma's been known to wear a shirt with this design.  Severe emotional complications don't necessarily preclude a strange sense of humor, but this is probably a sign of self-loathing.

Rei's continuing existence is complicated by her distaste for it.  She sometimes refers to herself as Lilith; some facts, like her tense dealings with both angelic and demonic representatives, bear this out.  More telling is her pattern of death and resurrection, even after complete vaporization.  Lilith is noted for a degree of immortality not granted even to Angels.  According to legend, she'll exist until the End of everything. Given Rei's feelings about her situation, one could expect an interesting conversation with God at that point....

Random thoughts and images:

Godzilla trying in vain to cause as much damage as politicians. I don't think he'll ever manage, though...  Godzilla spoke in one movie; audiences got a dubbed translation of the noise.  Although he didn't say many words, Godzi managed to clearly convey an important message. I doubt George Bush will manage that feat once during his administration.

Rei Ayanami and associated NGE images are property of Gainax.  Godzilla is from the nice folks at Toho studios.  Rei Pumanami is a non-profit, unendorsed critter.  I've tried to play a consistent and acceptable post-Third Impact characterization:  Any actual failure to do so is my fault.  Any perceived failure to do so is your fault.  Reibonics, anyone?

Many thanks to Amanda Winn Lee for her wonderful Rei in the Neon Genesis Evangelion dub, and also for the amusing quote at the top of the page.

Send your e-mail to Lane8@swbell.net for the duration.  Thanks.

Email me! [jagdson@geocities.com]