| Born | 4th of Juwelfest, 127 GME/0 NB (age 14) |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Vuurstahlan |
| Affiliation | Graves-Meyer Steelworks |
| Known for | Trying to live up to the legacy of her famed older brother (and being a brat about it.) |
| Family | Wallclimber Russel Swanson (brother) |
Astoria Swanson is the younger sister of Wallclimber Russel Swanson, something she isn’t shy about bragging to other people.[1] She herself is currently in training as a GMS test pilot under Geargrinder Isidor Armbruster, boasting mastery of every GMS frame and some of the highest piloting scores of her class.[2] Her continued habit of throwing the weight of her brother's reputation around, combined with her haughty attitude, have made her unpopular with her classmates, though this overconfidence seems to mask a feeling of imposter syndrome caused by her life in her brother’s shadow.[3] Against all odds, though, she's seem to have struck something of a reluctant friendship with her fellow test pilots Shinichi Ishida and Rava Merino, and while Astoria and Shinichi can't seem to go more than a few minutes with squabbling, it seems to be her own form of looking after people, however misguided.[4] That she continues to drag the two along on her many misadventures despite how often she argues with them speaks to the truth at the heart of their relationship.
Though Astoria originally held a low opinion of Isidor as a teacher, looking down on him for his crippling lack of self-confidence[5], a group training session with Steeldancer Fia Messore (herself a former student of the Geargrinder's) has given her a begrudging acknowledgment of his abilities. Astoria has also developed something of a combative relationship with her brother's boyfriend, Kingslayer Bowen Stark, believing him to be nowhere near qualified enough to date the famed Wallclimber.[6]
Trivia
Related characters
- Shinichi Ishida and Rava Merino, Astoria's classmates and something approaching friends, despite her treatment of them
- Geargrinder Isidor Armbruster, Astoria's teacher in test piloting who she has only recently acknowledged as worthy of the role
- Steeldancer Fia Messore, a former test pilot who knocked some sense into Astoria and her classmates in a group training session
- ↑ "Why, because my older brother's the Wallclimber, of course!" Astoria places a hand on her chest with a smug smile. (Shore Leave 1, 1/19/2024)
- ↑ "I'm a GMS test pilot, aren't I? I've been running simulations on all of them-- Everest, Sagarmatha, Chomolungma, and Denali. They said they've never seen scores like mine before!" (Shore Leave 1, 1/19/2024)
- ↑ Fia's eyes flick over at Astoria's movement, but quickly return to the sky. "You're afraid that you're not what everyone wants and expects from you, yeah? You do your best to live up to it, and then all you can think about is how badly it hurts when you're reminded of how much you don't get right? That you're not what you should be, and any moment they'll pick that apart, or they already know?" (Shore Leave 3, 2/5/2024)
- ↑ "Well, someone's gotta judge them harshly, or how are they gonna change?" Astoria grouses. "Shinichi's just gonna keep curling up in his bed listening to shitty new wave if someone doesn't kick his ass from time to time." (Shore Leave 3, 2/11/2024)
- ↑ "Who do you think you are, lecturing like that?" Astoria snaps, jabbing a finger at Fia. "I don't need some egghead like him telling me how to pilot! I'm already good enough!" (Shore Leave 1, 1/19/2024)
- ↑ "Like hell you will!" Astoria jabs a finger at Bowen with a scowl. "It's a hundred years too early for a nerd like you to date my brother!" (Shore Leave 2, 2/25/2024)
- ↑ "Minigolf... I know it by reputation alone," Russel admits. "I think Astoria had a school outing to it once and got banned for life, but I never had the chance myself." (Shore Leave 3, 2/7/2025)