Ripperdoc
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Anders Whitard — "Geistschneider"
Who is Anders Whitard?
Anders Whitard is a 65-year-old techie and licensed ripperdoc operating out of a small but reputable practice in Night City. Formerly a corporate engineer for Kriegwerk AG, he sold proprietary tech to Militech in a high-stakes deal that ensured his survival after fleeing Europe. Militech facilitated his relocation to Night City, where they keep a distant but watchful eye on him, considering him a valuable—if expendable—asset. Anders has no desire to leave the city but doubts he could even if he wanted to. He presents as a calm yet morose figure, though his haunted gaze betrays a darker past he keeps buried beneath layers of work and sarcasm.
- Name: Anders Whitard
- Alias/Handle: "Geistschneider" (Spirit Tailor)
- Age: 65
- Ethnicity: German
- Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Height: 5'10"
Build: Lean and wiry, hardened by years of physical labor.
Style: Wears a patched, oil-stained jacket paired with sturdy boots and fingerless gloves. His gray hair is tousled, and his pale, cybernetic eyes lend him an air of unapproachable precision.
Cyberware:
Build: Lean and wiry, hardened by years of physical labor.
Style: Wears a patched, oil-stained jacket paired with sturdy boots and fingerless gloves. His gray hair is tousled, and his pale, cybernetic eyes lend him an air of unapproachable precision.
Cyberware:
- Kiroshi Optics Mk. II — Enhanced vision with thermal imaging.
- Subdermal Toolkit — Hidden tools embedded in his hands for on-the-fly repairs.
- Neural Interface — Seamless interaction with tech systems.
Family Ranking: Corporate Technician (former).
Parents: Both deceased; his father was an aerospace engineer, and his mother was a chemist.
Childhood Environment: Spent in a defended corporate zone in the city center, surrounded by cutting-edge technology.
Background Expansion:
After selling Kriegwerk tech to Militech in a desperate bid to escape retribution, Anders was quietly extracted to Night City. While Militech ensured he had the means to establish himself as a techie and ripperdoc, their distant surveillance serves as a constant reminder of his indebtedness. He operates independently but knows that Militech views him as a useful asset, keeping tabs on him in case they need his skills—or his silence.
- Personality: Calm and methodical, with a morose edge. Anders is introspective and rarely shows emotion, though his dry wit occasionally surfaces.
- Friends: Karl Beckmann, a former mentor and rogue techie. Their communications are rare but meaningful.
- Enemies: Kriegwerk executives, particularly Martin Voss, who spearheaded the campaign to blacklist Anders.
- Traits: Intellectual and Detached.
- Most Valued Possession: His cyberdeck, "Prometheus," a symbol of his expertise and the betrayal that shaped his life.
- Philosophy: Knowledge is power—and his only constant refuge.
- Role: Techie ("Geistschneider," a masterful ripperdoc).
- Special Skill: Maker (expertise in repairing, crafting, and upgrading gear, weapons, and cyberware).
- Languages:
- Gerpanese (a hybrid patois blending German and Japanese).
- English.
- Notable Skills:
- Engineering (mechanical and electronic systems).
- Advanced Medical Tech (cyberware installation and trauma care).
- Jury-rigging (improvised builds and repairs).
- Negotiation (calm, calculated deal-making).
- Kiroshi Optics Mk. II — Enhanced vision with thermal imaging and magnification.
- Neural Interface — Direct connection to tech systems for rapid interaction.
- Subdermal Toolkit — Hidden tools for repairs and crafting on the fly.
Anders Whitard's Backstory
Born in 2015 in Hamburg, Germany, Anders Whitard grew up in the shadow of post-collapse Europe, where corporate oligarchies reigned supreme. He demonstrated an early aptitude for technology, mastering robotics and cybernetic augmentation with ease. In his twenties, he was recruited by Kriegwerk AG, a major German tech conglomerate specializing in military-grade cybernetics. Anders climbed the ranks quickly, earning a reputation as a brilliant engineer but also as a pragmatist who wasn't afraid to skirt ethical boundaries.
For decades, Anders was the go-to designer for cutting-edge neural interfaces and black-market combat augmentations. By the 2050s, his work was highly sought after by both corporate elites and the black market. Anders' colleagues at Kriegwerk jokingly dubbed him "Geistschneider"—the "Spirit Tailor"—for his uncanny ability to design cyberware so seamlessly integrated that it felt like a natural extension of the user's will. While he found the nickname flattering at first, over time, it took on a darker connotation as he realized the toll his creations often took on the people who used them.
Anders' downfall came in the 2060s when he was implicated in a scandal involving the unauthorized sale of experimental augmentations to rogue elements within Militech. The truth came to light after one of the augmentations was linked to a high-profile incident, forcing Kriegwerk AG to disavow him. Branded a liability and blacklisted, Anders fled Germany under the threat of retribution from both his former employers and those who wanted his knowledge for themselves.
Militech, however, saw his betrayal of Kriegwerk as an opportunity. Quietly extracting him to Night City, they provided Anders the means to establish himself as a licensed ripperdoc and techie. Militech's support came with strings attached—they maintain a distant but watchful eye on him, occasionally ensuring his continued compliance through indirect pressure. Anders is painfully aware that they see him as a tool to be used as needed, though he has no desire to leave Night City. He doubts he could even if he wanted to.
By 2075, Anders had built a solid reputation in Night City as a skilled ripperdoc and cybernetic engineer. He embraced the nickname Geistschneider, adapting it as part of his professional persona. Now, it serves as a reminder of both his past and his philosophy: to craft cyberware that feels like it belongs, not as a tool of exploitation but as a way to help people reclaim their agency in a world dominated by corporate greed.
His workshop, nestled in the industrial zones, became a haven for edgerunners, corporates, and the desperate alike. While his clients range from tech-savvy corpos to street-level operatives, he remains cautious, operating under strict professional boundaries to avoid entangling himself with the wrong power players.
Anders is a grizzled veteran of the tech world, calm and methodical, though his weary demeanor and sharp wit hint at a deeper darkness beneath the surface. His Ger-panese patois reflects his multinational past, blending precision with improvisational flair. His workshop is a chaotic blend of high-tech gadgets and scavenged materials, embodying his philosophy of utility over aesthetics.
Despite his pragmatic exterior, Anders is haunted by the consequences of his past actions. The name Geistschneider weighs heavily on him—a reminder of the lives he's altered, for better or worse. He feels guilt over the harm his creations have caused and secretly hopes to atone by empowering the underdogs of Night City—those struggling to survive in a world dominated by corporate greed.
Anders dreams of retiring in peace, severing his ties with Militech, and escaping the shadow of his corporate beginnings. Yet, deep down, he knows that in the world he helped create, freedom is a fleeting illusion.
Taster
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