Noam

Spoilers ahead. Are we okay with that, kid?

Noam
Pronouns	They/Them
Age	37
Affiliations	Crew
First appearance	Issue 0
Voice actor	Celeste De Veazey

Noam is Pax's on-off partner who joins her on the mission to bring the Puritans' data to Nova Scotia in the hopes of finding a place where they will not be persecuted for being an Anomal. They are among the characters who have Coda paths that the player can influence.

History

Before the heist

Noam was born in approximately 1993 to a pair of wealthy but emotionally distant parents, with their mother being an actress. In the year 2000, they were on a trip to an amusement park in the American Republic, but they were exposed to the Broadcast and became an Anomal, though they did not discover their powers yet. Fortunately, they were able to avoid the worst of the Broadcast's fallout because their family's wealth allowed them to move to Hong Kong. However, their father left the family and moved to England while their mother turned to alcoholism. During their time in boarding school, they realized they had the Gaslighting Vocal. They also got drunk and engaged in cow tipping, only to anger a bull. The bull trampled over their arm, which had to be amputated and replaced by a mechanical one.

At around the age of 17, Noam had a falling-out with their mother and moved out. Then at around the age of 27, Noam moved to Pacifica to start their own business ventures, but lived in fear of being exposed as an Anomal, in which case even their wealth wouldn't save them from the Puritans. Noam had an on-off relationship with Pax, and although Noam adored her, their relationship was unstable because the deception they used against other people bled into their own interactions and made them distrust each other.

The Raid

On September 27, 2030, Noam met with Pax, Sai, and Theo to discuss plans for a heist on Purity, in exchange for refuge in Nova Scotia, which Noam plans to use as a way to return to Hong Kong. On October 13, Noam joins the others in raiding the Puritans' headquarters in Purity, though due to their lack of combat skills, they mainly used their powers to help the others power through their wounds. However, Noam suffers an injury to their head that persists for much of the game.

Issue 0: The Getaway

In the getaway car, Noam and Sai get into an argument about the injuries the crew suffered in Purity, with Noam downplaying the seriousness of the situation while Sai has a panic attack, but both are silenced by Pax's Block Vocal. Noticing how painful Pax's shoulder wound is, Noam uses their Gaslighting Vocal to lessen the pain. If the player answers the Pacificop's order to pull over, Noam has an opportunity to use Gaslighting on the officer, but this backfires when the officer realizes a Vocal is being used, causing the officer to step backwards into the path of a robotruck.

Issue 1: Opening Act

When the crew arrives in La Torre, they find Luna trapped under a bus, and Noam uses their Vocal to calm Luna down while their companions find a way to free Luna. Noam expresses worry about Pax's shoulder wound. After the wound is treated, the Pacificops show up and question Luna. Sai refuses to leave the bathroom out of fear, and after Pax uses a Vocal to get Sai to stop panicking, Noam has the option to use Gaslighting to calm Sai down further. When Pax gets angry at the robot driver for the bus, if no options are picked in time, Noam will use Gaslighting to calm Pax down.

On the bus, Theo is upset when Pax springs the detour to Liberty on the crew right after the former already planned a schedule, and Noam has the option of using their Vocal to get Theo to drop the issue. At the border, the Justice guards are skeptical of the crew's cover story as a punk rock band, and Noam has to perform "We're the Dust Born" alongside the rest of the crew to convince the officers to let the bus through. While on the bus, Noam reads a book about Marilyn Monroe and admires the latter despite her role in starting Justice.

At Rock Rabbit Campground, Noam reveals they actually still have a reservation at a sushi restaurant in San Francisco, in case the heist was not going to work out. In a conversation with Pax, they acknowledge that Sai is going through a lot. Noam also mentions that they abandoned all their business partners just for this shot at freedom. The next day, Noam sleeps through the entire fight with the Horned Riders and is surprised to see their unconscious bodies near the bus.

Issue 2: Ghosts

The crew arrives in Liberty, Pax's old home before she was exiled. Pax opens the secret hatch for Noam to enter, but Noam is held at gunpoint by Fred, a paranoid resident of the commune. One option to try to resolve the situation is for Noam to use Gaslighting on Fred, but it fails due to Fred being aware of Vocals. If Pax takes too long to say anything or picks certain dialogue choices, Fred shoots Noam's mechanical arm, rendering it unusable until it is fixed. However, if Pax identifies herself as a former Liberty resident, Fred will not attack Noam. While waiting for Pax to talk to Annie, Noam feels a lot of negative emotions from the residents, which was caused by the Echoes infecting their minds with misinformation and amplifying their fears. At the schoolhouse, Noam meets Annie and asks about Pax's embarrassing childhood moments. While Pax is hunting Echoes, Noam tries to ask Theo about his past, though he remain tight-lipped. Eventually, the crew is forced to flee Liberty after Justice attacks the commune.

At Knapper Campground, Noam recounts their experience of the Broadcast and how that instilled a fear of amusement parks. In a one-on-one conversation with Pax, the former can ask Noam to use Gaslighting to help her destress from the tumultuous events of Liberty. They also discuss Noam's inner-conflict about whether or not to return to Hong Kong, Pax's struggle to reconcile with Ziggy, and the unexpected utility of the ME-EM machine. The next day, Noam performs alongside the rest of the original crew at Pete's Pool Hall.

Issue 3: Caretakers

On the bus, Noam suffers from anxiety to the point of taking Duloxetine pills, but does not tell anyone and will be annoyed if Pax questions them about this at any point in the story. If Pax chooses to wake Noam up, the latter will be irritated, but this will also allow them to join the rest of the crew in the Standard Energy Station when the robot drives the bus away, with Noam acknowledging that this is probably the better outcome. Otherwise, Noam will remain asleep on the bus and will be temporarily separated from the crew. If Pax gave Noam the Lady Justice lighter, she can ask the latter for the lighter back to start a fire, which is used to lure the Horned Riders to their location.

Once the crew reaches the fake trailer park that the bus is parked at, Noam will sense the presence of a new Anomal, Eli, but opt to stay at the bus rather than join Pax in exploring the underground school. The Horned Riders eventually show up and capture Theo and Noam to use as hostages. If Ziggy knocked Mike unconscious, Noam will use their Gaslighting to calm the riders down, allowing Eli to negotiate with the leader Patsy for a truce. Afterwards, Noam can perform alongside the rest of the original crew in front of the Horned Riders.

At Signal Hill Campground, Pax notices Noam's distress because they are not mingling with the other crew members as much as before. Noam mentions that they noticed something off about Sai's behavior and wonders if the stress of the journey is affecting her. They also explain more about their unstable family situation post-Broadcast, though they also state that their origin story pales in comparison to Eli's backstory about Justice's Anomal experiments.

Issue 4: Promised Lands

If Noam is on the "Maybe Someday" Coda, they and Pax will sleep together on one of the wide seats in the bus before waking up in Utah. In Betty's Diner, a pair of officers will show up and question the party. If the officers are allowed to talk for too long, they will provoke Pax and Ziggy by insulting Anomals and will be angered when called out, prompting Noam to use Gaslighting to trick them into thinking this is a misunderstanding about traditional racism.

At the New Jerusalem abandoned mall, Noam attempts to curry favor with Lottie's pet raccoon, Mr. President, finding the animal cute. After a meal, Noam can perform alongside the rest of the party to play a birthday song for Mr. President. If Noam is not on the Maybe Someday Coda, they will get infected by an Echo during the night and a Protolanguage squid will try to eat the Echo, only for Pax to show up and remove the Echo. This scenario results in Noam confiding to Pax that they made bad investments in Pacifica that caused their business partners to turn on them, and that they feel shame for failing to live up to the successful immigrant archetype. Later that night, the Puritans invade the mall, waking Noam and the crew up. After the fighters of the crew stall for enough time, the entire crew escapes the mall.

At Texas Beach Campground, Pax can discuss the encounter with the Puritans with Noam, who notes that they are lucky no injuries were suffered this time. At the group campfire, Noam speculates on the Overseer and Adjunct's relationship. The next day, Noam performs alongside the original crew members in Main Street.

Issue 5: Yellow Brick Road

A little past the Alpine Visitor Center, Noam has a headache and senses an Anomal in distress, and the crew debates whether or not to try to rescue that Anomal, with Noam stating that there is no guarantee this new Anomal can be trusted. However, they change their mind upon seeing that the Anomal is a little girl who was being kept prisoner by Justice. At the Standard Energy Station, Noam plays Crypts and Cultists with Eli and the Anomal, now called Girl. After the group evacuates Sol from the Yellow Brick Road Motel, they reach Peaceful Valley Campground, where Noam collapses from their constant head pain. Fortunately, Sol uses his Vocal to heal Noam and resuscitate them. Afterwards, Noam has a talk with Pax about how Girl's presence awakened their parental instincts and gave the whole crew someone to care for.

Issue 6: The Bad Lands

As the crew travels through the Great Plains Exclusion Zone, they discuss rumors about this forbidden region, with Noam bringing up a movie where death squads immolated anyone who refused to leave. Noam spends the majority of the chapter in the safety of the bus and waits for Pax to look for Girl, with Pax and Eli eventually returning with both Girl and a new recruit, Ophelia. At Camp Oakwood, Pax recounts her adventures at the Kennedy Institute to the original crew, and Noam speculates that the Tree of Tongues is controlling the bionic beings. Later, Noam consoles Caretaker and states that it is natural for a newly sentient being to question their identity and that the latter should should find their own meaning regardless of what humans expect from them. At the campfire, Noam refuses to talk about how they lost their mechanical arm, but Pax can choose to prod them for further details. In the middle of the night, the original crew will gather around the campfire once more to discuss what paths, or rather Codas, they want to be on. Noam will also mention whether or not Pax did a good job of listening to them in prior conversations despite the stress of the journey.

Issue 7: Let There Be Light

If the crew incurred too much suspicion from Justice due to dialogue choices, two officers will pull the damaged bus over, in which case Pax can ask Noam to Gaslight the officers to drive them off. Regardless of how the bus breaks down in Iowa, Noam and most of the crew take refuge in an abandoned house. Pax can ask Noam to use Gaslighting on Sai to make her feel less stressed, but she still will not be in the mood to break down the house's door. After the front door is opened from the inside, Ophelia gets infected by an Echo and loses control of her power, dealing mental damage to the whole crew. The group discusses whether or not Ophelia should stay, with Noam voting for Ophelia to leave, though they will respect Pax's decision if she votes for Ophelia to stay. They also point out that Sai has been on edge for a while and wonder if Pax's Vocals can be used to cheer Sai up. When Girl proposes playing hide-and-seek with everyone, Noam hides in the first floor bathtub while reading and drinking wine. Noam later finds Pax experimenting with her new Vocal and sees the latter floating in the air. When Pax falls to the ground, Noam uses their sensing skills to confirm Pax's baby is fine, while also revealing that they knew about the baby for some time. During dinner, Noam and the original crew recount the raid on Purity, but Sai becomes angry over everyone's devil-may-care attitude towards the danger they are often in and leaves the crew. Noam notes that Sai already wanted to leave beforehand and started the argument as an excuse to do so. On the bus, Noam discusses Sai's defection and although they sensed Sai's stress, they never pinned down the exact cause. They also express disappointment that Caretaker knew about Pax's baby before them, but Pax clears up that Caretaker only found out through sensor technology.

Issue 8: Battle of the Bands

In Chicago, Noam is one of the possible partners to explore the city with Pax. At the entrance of the Bad Lands bar, Pax can ask Noam to use Gaslighting on the bouncers. Inside, the crew finds the establishment filled with Justice officers, but are able to participate in the Battle of the Bands regardless. Unfortunately, Noam, Eli, and Ziggy get drunk before the performance, though they manage to collect themselves enough to do their gig. Regardless of the outcome, the crew parties until Theo confirms that his contact rescheduled the meeting in Rotown. Noam procrastinates on leaving and spends a few minutes talking to the bartender, much to Pax's ire. Noam and Pax argue, with the former stating that their breakups with the latter hurt and that they feel used. Pax retorts that Noam was similarly toxic and that their shared modus operandi of manipulating other people ended up translating into a dysfunctional relationship. Although Pax states that the two of them need to be more honest with each other, these words do not sink in yet for Noam. As the two leave the bar, they are accosted by Praetor Walker and Prefect Kim, who identify them as Weave-affiliated Anomals and chase them, though the duo manage to safely reach the train and escape.

Issue 9: Rotown

In Rotown, Noam is still upset about their argument with Pax and stays near the bus for most of the Issue. However, Justice shows up with an army, causing Noam and most of the crew to abandon the bus and flee to a getaway truck. Prefect Kim stabs Pax and Caretaker is run over by a train, causing Noam to openly express their distress for once. As Sol attempts to treat Pax, Noam reveals that the situation is even more dire than they imagined, since Pax is pregnant.

Issue 10: The Maine Event

At some point, Pax ends up in Justice custody in a hospital in New York City, and the crew teams up with Sai and the librarian Ruth to rescue her. The original crew steps outside in Queens and discusses Sai's status as Justice's blackmailed mole. If Noam is on the Maybe Someday coda, they will forgive Sai, mainly because Sai helped save Pax. Once the crew hops into the van, Noam states that they are not to ever discuss Nainai's unknown Vocal. On the final stretch, Pax and Noam discuss how not all the Justice officers seem to be aware of Justice's Anomal experimentation. In Betty's Diner, Noam discusses their argument with Pax from Issue 8 and states that the shock of seeing Pax nearly die caused them to accept the latter's words and try to change for the better. However, on the Outsider Coda, Noam will leave the crew for the rest of the game at this point and will not show up in Schoodic Point, feeling like they do not fit in with the crew and that they cannot meaningfully contribute.

At Schoodic Point, the crew ends up getting separated during the three-way battle between themselves, the Puritans, and Justice, with Noam ending up in a separate group from Pax. Noam, Theo, Nainai, and Girl get captured by the Overseer, who demands the datakey in exchange for their safety. After the Overseer explains her motives and tries to convince Pax, the latter starts affirming everyone's Coda paths, including Noam's, causing them all to gain a burst of positive emotion. This enables Theo to defeat most of the enemies with an EMP and free the crew, but Axiom kills him. After Axiom's defeat, any crew members present will mourn his death before deciding on their paths.

Ending

• In the Maybe Someday Coda, Noam decides to follow Pax wherever she wants to go in order to rekindle their relationship for real.
  • If Pax has the Librarian Coda, she and Noam stay in Nova Scotia to help with the Weave's Protolanguage research.
  • If Pax has the Expat Coda, the two stay in Nova Scotia for some time, but Pax eventually leaves for Europe while Noam stays in Nova Scotia, waiting for Pax to return someday.
  • If Pax has the Ronin Coda, Noam and Pax head back to the Republic where Pax boards a plane to take the fight straight to Justice, and maybe someday the two would build a family together.
• In the Homegoing Coda, Noam returns to Hong Kong in order to reconcile with their mother.
• In the Outsider Coda, Noam heads back to the west and uses their Vox to continue surviving and wandering with no set destination in mind. The Coda comic shows them drinking wine in a high-class bar.

Appearance

Noam has a fair complexion, dark gray eyes, and ear-length light ash blonde hair, with most of their hair combed to the left side. They have a yellow and black prosthetic arm to replace the left arm that they lost in boarding school. Their initial and most common attire is a light gray blazer over a sleeveless white shirt, light gray pants, brown loafers that expose the ankles, and a triangular necklace. Until the end of Issue 5, they have a pink bandage above their left eyebrow due to injuries.

Noam changes their attire throughout the game to the following:

• In Issues 0, 1, 9, and 10, they wear their default attire.
• In Issue 2 and 5, they wear a black blazer, paired with a white shirt with a black "X" printed on it.
• In Issue 3, they wear a black sleeveless shirt with an eye print and black pants. However, they do not wear a blazer due to the heat of Nevada.
• In Issue 4, they wear a red sweater with a Marilyn Monroe print.
• In Issue 7, they wear a white sweater with no print.
• In Issue 8, they wear a red blazer and a black shirt. During the Battle of the Bands competition, they put on pink eyeshadow.
• In the Outsider Coda ending, they wear a black tuxedo.

Personality

Noam gives off the impression of being cool-headed, suave, and mysterious. Despite their breakup with Pax, Noam is loyal to her, but also insecure about the relationship, as the two used each other without fully considering each other's needs. Noam has a tendency to hide their true feelings and worries under a veil of sarcasm, and they become irritable if someone pries too much into their life.

Fitting for their ability to dampen emotions, Noam tends to downplay the seriousness of situations and uses their silver tongue to convince others of this view, and they are willing to manipulate others in order to survive in an anti-Anomal world. At the same time, Noam is susceptible to believing their own lies, which lands them in trouble when they ignore their festering head wound for too long and when they ignore how this attitude strained their past relationships with Pax. Noam eventually realizes they cannot ignore their problems forever and strives to be more honest with themselves and others.

Noam is a fan of Justice comics and other media, though this is not out of admiration for the current Justice, but because they are nostalgic for what Justice was like before John F. Kennedy's successors corrupted the organization. They also own copies of Stolen Legacy: Justice and the American Nightmare and Mother of Justice: The Marilyn Monroe Story, since they respect JFK and Marilyn Monroe. They will show appreciation towards Pax for gifting them such memorabilia, as well as other comics.

Abilities

Although most Anomals should only have one Vocal ability, Noam also has two other abilities in addition to their Vocal.

Gaslighting Vocal

Noam can use their Vocal to cancel out strong emotions. However, this is less effective against targets who are aware of this ability, as shown in the scenario where they attempt to use their Vocal on a Pacifica cop. If the Vocal is successful, it can also make the target more susceptible to believing Noam's words, making it useful for defusing volatile situations. This Vocal can also allow the target to temporarily ignore their pain, but unlike Sol's Vocal, it does not do anything to actually treat injuries and proper medical attention is still needed.

Anomal sensing

Noam can sense the presence of nearby Anomals, which allows the crew to rescue any that are in distress and potentially recruit them.

Emotion sensing

Noam can sense the emotions of others, including Pax's unborn child.

Gallery

Early concept art