Joslin Reyes

Joslin Reyes is a 42-year-old American mechanic of the Endurance and one of the 5 minor protagonists and 4 survivors of Yamatai. Before she became a mechanic, she was a police officer for the NYPD, but she enjoys tinkering with the engines.

Background
Joslin Reyes grew up in one of the roughest neighborhoods of Queens, New York, along with her sister Una, and unnamed brother. Upon coming of age, Reyes joined the New York Police Department, and became very good at the job, under the tutelage of an older cop, who became her partner, and instilled the value of being an honest cop.

Several years into the job, Reyes and her partner were involved in a shootout, with several drug dealers, which resulted in the death of her partner. Reyes vowed to her fallen partner's family she would make it right. However, the drug dealers were able to afford excellent lawyers, and weren't charged. Disgusted, Reyes left the police force. However, not wanting to break her promise, Reyes hunted the dealers down, and killed them in an act of vigilante justice, avenging her partner.

Out of a job, Reyes moved in with her sister, and took a job working in her brother's carriage. After work, Reyes would frequent a dive bar in the city, which lead to a chance encounter with, Conrad Roth, who was heavily intoxicated, and mouthing off, wanting peace and quiet, Reyes knocked him out. Upon regaining consciousness, Roth, laughed, and insisted that he probably deserved it. The pair got to talking, and Roth offered Reyes a job, as the mechanic on his ship.

Reyes and Roth grew fond of each other, and formed a causal romance, which resulted in Reyes becoming pregnant. Reyes feared that, Roth would reject the child, knowing that his life was at sea. Reyes left the crew, however she would occasionally come back at Roth's request, as she couldn't deny her feelings for him.

Expedition to Yamatai
Reyes rejoined the crew, when Roth was commissioned to be part of the crew for James Whitman's TV show, and insisting he pick his own crew, Roth requested Reyes return to the crew. She was called to the ship early, after the ship's engine failed, and she had to cut her summer with her daughter short. She began to fix the engine, and begrudgingly agreed to be interviewed while she worked.

As the voyage began, Reyes was never short of work, due to the Endurance's poor working order. Despite this, she found herself growing frustrated with Alex, who's carefree attitude and constant slacking aggravated her, and with Lara, who she believed was inexperienced, and was hard on her for it, and berated Roth for encouraging her.

However, Reyes didn't seem to care about whether or not Yamatai was discovered, seeming to be solely motivated by her paycheck, and continuing her fling with Roth.

During the voyage, Reyes gave Roth a letter, telling him that Alisha was his daughter, and expressed regret at not telling him, though she admits to having been afraid of how he'd react, and saying that she's support his choice when the voyage ended.

After the ship is struck by a storm within the Dragon's Triangle, Reyes abandoned the ship, and made it to shore along with Jonah, Grim, Whitman, Alex and another crew member who promptly died. After receiving a transmission from Roth, Reyes' group, began the trek inland to his position.

After a day, they received a transmission from Sam, who told them she was injured. They made a detour to collect her. A few hours later, they reached Sam's location, and found Lara stuck in a bear trap. Reyes shot the release latch, before Jonah pried it open. Lara informed them that Sam had been taken, and Reyes recommended that they split up, so they could look for Sam, and meet with Roth. Whitman went with Lara, and the others began their search to find Sam.

Reyes made several calls to Roth during their search, and to Lara, before handing the radio to Alex, to allow him to instruct her on how to patch the SOS through the radio tower.

Eventually, Reyes and the rest of the group were captured, though Grim managed to escape. They were placed in a suspended cage in the geothermal caves, where they were constantly harassed by the Solarii guarding them. They were eventually rescued by Lara, who ended up causing the caves to collapes and a fire to ensue. They retrieved their gear and fought their way outside, where they found Sam, who had also been freed by the Solarii. They fought off the Solarii, and attempted to flag down the rescue helicopter, which they witnessed crash.

Reaching the crash site, they found Lara, in a state of silence, by Roth's dead body. Reyes was horrified by the loss of Roth, and blamed Lara. After building a funeral pyre and burning Roth's body. Reyes decided to try and fix a PT boat at the beach. Lara told her that something wouldn't let them leave. Reyes brushed her off as being delusional and left. She was soon followed by Jonah, Alex and Sam.

Reaching the beach, Reyes began to fix the boat, however she quickly realized she didn't have the correct tools to fix it. Alex volunteered to retrieve her took kit from the wreckage of the Endurance.

Lara eventually joined them, and attempted to help them hoist the engine, which wouldn't work, so Lara went to retrieve a block and tackle from a nearby ship. When Lara returned, Whitman showed up and claimed to be being chased by the Solarii. After Lara accused him of leading the Solarii to them, Reyes threatened to break Whitman's teeth if he kept talking. Jonah said that if the group fought amongst themselves they would lose, and Reyes agreed. Lara left to go after Alex, despite Reyes' protests.

Lara later returned, with the tools, and without Alex. Reyes made a snide remark that anyone near Lara had a low chance of survival, to which Lara warned her to keep a distance, however, Jonah stopped the fight from going any further. After eating, Reyes said the boat was ready and could be taken out at high tide, Lara once again protested that they couldn't leave, though Reyes would hear none of it. Lara decided to check the old Japanese base, for hints about the storms. Reyes said that they would be leaving, whether she was back or not.

Not long after, they were set upon by the Solarii, and were betrayed by Whitman, who kidnapped Sam. Reyes attempted to call Lara for backup. Lara quickly made her way back. Reyes was shot in the arm, and Lara each arriving after the fight had ended. Reyes relents that she should have listened to Lara about Whitman. She says that with the boat fixed they can leave and get help. Lara reminds her that, the storms will not let them leave, and that attempting to leave will only get them all killed. Lara says that she thinks she knows what's causing the storms, and that they need to save Sam. Reyes agrees to take the boat inland to the monastery.

Reyes asks what Lara thinks is in the monastery, Lara tells her that she believes the soul of a Sun Queen in a decaying body is what's causing the storms. Reaching the base of a hill that leads to the monastery, Lara tells Reyes and Jonah to stay at the boat and guard the entrance from the Solarii and the Stormguard. They are eventually accosted by both factions, and begin to gun them down using the boats machine gun turrets. They manage to kill a fair few of them, however several more slip through and make their way to the monastery.

Jonah spots Lara and Sam, and Reyes looks relieved. Reyes asks what happens, Lara simply says that it's over and they can leave. Reyes drives the boat out into international waters, where they are later picked up by a freighter.

After Yamatai
Upon returning from the island, Reyes returned to her daughter. She kept her distance, from Lara, still having a grudge against her. However, she was hypnotized by Danny into believing Lara had stolen some artifacts from the island. After hearing about Jonah being hospitalized she traveled to Ireland to meet with Lara, and try to get clarity on what was happening. She told Lara that it was her idea to steal the artifacts. They were approached by Matsu, who demands they give him their artifacts, using Reyes' daughter, Alisha as leverage. However they are aided by Danny, who is secretly the one who set the events in motion, and escape into the streets of Dublin.

Reyes takes her daughter and abandons Lara, saying that trouble followed her. After getting away, Reyes stopped to catch her breath. Alisha accused her mother of being needlessly mean to Lara, which Reyes realizes is true. She decides to go back and apologize, and manages to stop Lara from being killed by one of Matsu's agents. Lara hugs her gratefully, and informs them that Sam has been taken back to Yamatai. Reyes accompanies Lara to retrieve the relic Lara had left with Professor Cahalane, though they arrive to find him murdered and the relic stolen. They return to London to the flat Lara shared with Sam, to recover Lara's artifact, Reyes apologetically tells Lara that she cannot return to Yamatai, though she reconsiders after Alisha gives her "puppy dog eyes." She even charters the boat herself.

After their boat comes under attack by Matsu's men, she and Jonah manage to escape aboard a life raft, and manage to get to Yamatai safely. They interrogate a sentry, to find Sam, and learn that she is being held in the ritual chamber. They fight their way there interrupt Matsu attempting to sacrafice Alisha. After Sam kills Matsu, inadvertently, resurrecting Mathias, and Lara kills him with a grenade, Reyes escapes with Jonah and Sam, and is separated from Lara and Danny. She waits at the beach for Lara with the others, so they can once again leave Yamatai, though not before a group hug.

Reyes told Alisha that Roth was her father, upon returning, though much to her surprise, her daughter was already aware of her paternity, and never said anything, as she didn't want to upset her mother.

Reyes later joins Lara climbing Snowden, as a way to honor Roth, as Lara had climbed it with Roth during her childhood, (and insisting that they weren't going to honor Roth, by doing what he had previously done with Reyes). Reaching the summit, Lara goes to plant some daffodils, and Reyes asks her to plant them along with a photo of Roth, Lara and herself. Lara suddenly begins to panic, screaming about Alex, to which Reyes tries to calm her down, but Lara trips and falls off the edge of a cliff, though Reyes saves her, saying that she owed her.

Personality
She is straight talking and no-nonsense, but has a warm side that she does not share easily. She is also fiercely loyal and is someone you really would not want to get on the wrong side of. Reyes has been shown to keep a level head in even the most dire circumstances. However, she is also shown to be very quick to anger, at several points.

Reyes could be very callous, and made several remarks about anyone close to Lara having a short life expectancy.

Reyes' primary, goal is to provide for her daughter, Alisha. Reyes hates being away from her, but Roth pays better than any garage she had ever worked for. Getting back home to her daughter is always Reyes’ main motivation. One day she would like to make enough money to open her own garage and spend more time with her daughter. Because of Alisha, Reyes will not sacrifice herself for anyone, but will still put herself in danger for people when her academy training kicks in.

Reyes' biggest fear was that she would die on Yamatai and leave her daughter an orphan.

Amongst all of the survivors of the shipwreck, Reyes is the only one who seems to harbor a grudge against Lara, which may be a result of her need to return towards her daughter and the constant deaths of the characters; this is because she blames Lara for the shipwreck, as she thinks that the whole expedition was nothing more than a pipe dream. She even goes as far as to admit this to Lara in front of everyone while mourning Roth after his death (though she later regrets making this comment). After Alex dies aboard the remainder of the Endurance, Reyes again brings up that people around Lara tend to die. However, by the end of the game, Reyes seems to respect Lara for everything she has done to help her and the other survivors.

Skills
Reyes is an excellent mechanic, being able to work on anything with an engine.

Reyes is proficient in hand to hand combat, described herself as having "a hook like a bleeding sledge."

Trivia

 * Reyes' weapon of choice is an FNP-9.
 * Reyes is one of the three characters to have appeared on a cover in the Tomb Raider comics published by Dark Horse besides Lara, the other two being Sam and Himiko.