Biographic Information
- Position
- Mystery Writer on Oed V
- Rank
- Civilian
- Species
- Human
- Weight
- Slender
- Height
- 5'3"
- Age
- Mature
Actions Available
Character Biography
TLDR: A writer of mystery novels, whose own life is a bit of a mystery, itself, Anna-Liza Riddle lives on the colony of Oed V near the Vren border, keeping her garden, writing her cosy murder mysteries and feeding her cat. She’s also a bit of a sleuth, truth be told, and she observes that the local police can sometimes need a bit of a nudge to find the clues they need.
CORE IDENTITY
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name: | Anna-Liza Riddle |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | Mature |
| Height: | 5'3" |
| Weight: | Slender |
| Marital Status: | Widowed/Single |
| Hair Colour: | Light Brown |
| Eye Colour: | Blue |
| Occupaton: | Best Selling Mystery Writer (and Amateur Detective) |
| Former Career/Rank: | Federation Botanist (Commander) - Retired |
| Family: | Sol V. Riddle (husband, deceased), numerous nieces and nephews, identical cousin |
| Friends: | Henry, a 'Soul Trader' - Antiquarian and Mortician Walter Johnstone, Police Commissioner |
| Companion: | Di L Emma, a fiercely independent, intelligence and manipulative feline |
| Address: | Community Sector, Oed V City |
BACKGROUND & PERSONALITY
Anna-Liza Riddle is the quintessential neighbourhood busybody, wrapped inthe harmless veneer of a sweet, older widow. Since the passing of her beloved husband, Sol, she spends her days pottering in the garden around her large Oed V home, banging out wildly popular cosy murder mysteries as holo novels and traditional paperbacks.
She possesses an uncanny, almost unnatural knock for being exactly where she shouldn’t be when a crime is committed. While Star-Fleet security and local law enforcement often initially dismiss her as a nuisance, she is incredibly well-connected. She knows ambassadors, governors and admirals, while also being acquainted with the starbase quartermaster, local storekeeper and intern. Usually because she’s baked them a pie or offered them unsolicited life advice.
SKILLS & EXPERTISE
- Botanical Mastermind: What Anna-Liza doesn't know about Federation and alien botany isn't worth knowing. Her sprawling garden and greenhouse are filled with rare, beautiful and coccasionally lethal flora. This scientific background gives her a sharp, analytical mind for poisons, soil samples and environmental clues that security officers and detectives routinely overlook.
- Keen Observer of Behaviour: Decades of watch people have made her a master of deduction. She notices the scuff on a boot, the nervous twitch of an eye, and the inconsistencies in an alibi.
- The Harmless Disguise: She uses her age and overly polite, maternal demeanour to disarm suspects. People confess things to her because she feels like a safe, grandmotherly confidante.
QUIRKS & THE DI L EMMA SITUATION
Anna-Liza’s home life is entirely dictated by her cat, Di L Emma, who acts less like a pet and more like the lady of the manor.
While Anna-Liza is a brilliant observer of the behaviour of sentient beings, she is entirely unashamed of her appreciation for a handsome man in uniform. This has led to a highly suspicious recurring incident involving the local security department.
- The Rescue Ruse: At least once a month, Di L Emma gets 'stuck' in one of the towering alien trees on the Riddle estate. Anna-liza immediately calls Starfleet Security.
- The Request: She doesn't ask for any officer, she specifically requests Lieutenant Hatorm Alverson. She cites his 'excellent reach' and 'gentle way with animals', though it is obvious to the rest of the department that she simply enjoys the company of the tall, strapping young man.
- The Time Discrepancy: When Lieutenant Alverson arrives, the rescue operation requires ladders, complex structural assessments, and a long cup of tea (and scones, jam and cream) on the verandah, stretchingg the ordeal to a minimum of two or three hours while she peppers the poor, polite young man with questions about his career or love life.
- The Swift Descent: On the rare occasion Alverson is off-duty and another officer (particularly a female one) is dispatched, Di L Emma somehow manages to climb down unassisted within thirty seconds, leaving Anna-Liza to graciously, and quickly, wave the officer off and return to her greenhouse.
TRANSPORTATION & MOBILITY
Despite living in the 24th and 25th century, and having been a Starfleet officer before retirement, Anna-Liza has steadfastly refused to ever learn how to pilot a shuttlecraft or operate a hover-car. She claims the navigation systems give her a headache, but in reality, moving at high speeds prevents her from being suitably nosy.
Instead, she gets everywhere under her own power. She is remarkably fit for her age, often seen briskly walking or running through the main settlement of Oed V. For longer trips, she rides a meticulously maintained, vintage-style bicycle (complete with a bell and a wicker basket that usually holds a datapad, some freshly cut flowers and a magnifying glass). This deliberate pace means she is a constant, unignorable fixture in the community, always around to wave at a neighbour, notice a newcomer or suspicious stranger, or stumble across a crime scene.