Scientists hold great power. They can use their knowledge and abilities to unleash both wonder and horror into the world. And there are no greater horrors than the creatures Verna Vidkinstein creates.

A Meek Menace.
Verna Vidkinstein was born in the upper ranks of Atlas society. She was provided with the best tutors, was enrolled in prestigious schools, and earned the highest marks. Her genius was not without eccentricity, however. Verna was a quiet child. She had no friends beside her best, a childhood friend named Henrietta Stone, who was her complete opposite. She was athletic and outgoing, compared to Verna’s introversion. Despite this, they were inseparable. At least, before Henrietta enlisted in the Atlas Military.

It was during her graduate studies that Verna learned of her friend’s passing. She was even quieter than before, and hardly showed any emotion at the funeral, though Henrietta’s passing deeply affected her. In her grief, she conspired to bring her friend back. She studied resurrection rituals and dug her friend out of the grave. After much tribulation, Verna’s semblance had allowed her to reanimate Henrietta’s body. It was but a husk, but in Verna’s mind, it was the beginning of a revolutionary science. She presented the risen soldier to her betters in the academy, and while Verna saw a shining example of scientific progress, the others saw it for what it was: a shambling corpse. Verna’s affluence allowed her to avoid the worst punishments, but she was still expelled from the academy, her reputation ruined.
Unable to continue her studies in Atlas, Verna drifted around Remnant, eventually falling into criminal gangs in Mistral. Their unsavory antics allowed her ample access to corpses, and she continued to experiment with her semblance. While in this criminal gang, she met one Morgan Carmine, who attempted to overthrow the gang’s leadership. After the coup failed, and Morgan’s allies abandoned her, Verna stuck with Morgan, admiring her conviction. The pair became close friends and formed what is now known as the Carmine gang.

An Intelligent Enabler
Verna is cold and calculating, thinking through every action with her twisted logic. She’s thoroughly convinced herself the value of her actions, and ignores the pleads of morality from others, viewing them as ignorant protestors against progress. Through that lens, Verna justifies every murder and mutilation she participates in, seeing every crime as a necessary step in her war against death.
This faux-utilitarian thinking makes her an excellent enabler to Morgan, as Verna often encourages Morgan to push through her doubts and continue her criminal path.

A Master of Monstrosities
Verna rarely fights herself; rather, she employs the monsters she creates with her semblance, which allows her to stitch together bodies and control them like puppets. Amazingly, these corpses even contain enough life to generate aura, although faint. It is enough for some to replicate the semblances of the fallen, making the fresh corpses of hunters especially enticing to Verna.
Beyond her monsters, Verna fights using her exoskeleton, allowing her to menace her opponents with her height, chainsaw, and robotic arm. She prefers not to fight, however, as extensive use of her semblance has left her weak and sickly. Some days, she can hardly walk without her exoskeleton.

Vidkinstein’s Thesis
Verna’s ultimate goal is to create life from death; to revive one’s soul, or even create new life entirely. Current attempts have only resulted in mindless zombies, grunting as they obey her every order. She hopes one day to create a being possessing free will and intelligent thought like the gods had made man. How many will die before she reaches the end of her pursuits? Verna certainly isn’t counting.