Howdy folks!
I'm looking forward to joining this intrepid group, and I'm catching up on the action as we speak. I'll be playing the role of Thomas (fake SIN, real SINner name Erik), a powerful Mystic Adept with some scars of his own (literally and figuratively). He's both a summoner and a spellcaster, and his focus is on divination and detection with a backup in combat, specifically in terms of combating the infected of course. rednblack mentioned that the group could use Counterspelling, and while Erik doesn't have that particular skill himself he does favour Guardian Spirits, who have both the Guard and Magical Guard powers. Suffice to say, what he lacks in the meat he more than makes up for in mojo.
In the game he'll go by the name of Thomas Ashford (a decent, fake UCAS SIN); Thomas, Tom, Ash, and Jaeger, his chosen alias for shadowy work, are all names he'll respond to, though he prefers Thomas amongst friends and Mr. Ashford for business.
So, without further ado...
Description and behaviour
Physically, Erik makes a somewhat frightening first impression; his head, neck, and upper body are all covered in rough, furrowed scars that look as if they might have been caused by a wild animal trying to use him as a chew toy, and his empty and utterly ruined eye sockets draw plently of stares wherever he goes. Despite being rather obviously blind he has an unnerving tendency to seemingly gaze right through you, and to other Awakened with the ability to perceive the Astral his aura glows like a beacon.
Aside from his rather distinctive features, Erik stands just under two meters tall and wears his long, blonde hair and beard neatly braided in an imitation of Viking-age styles. Years spent in university study halls have left him somewhat underdeveloped, and though some of his magical talent is inwardly focused to compensate for this deficiency he still has a gaunt, haunting look that is further emphasized by his height.
He normally wears a tailored Vashon Island suit except when he's on the hunt, during which he prefers a full suit of chemically sealed body armor instead. While his personal tastes are somewhat minimalistic, he does wear several pieces of high-end jewelry at all times, including a silver ring in the shape of a one-eyed raven on each hand, a bracelet made from a dull black metal on his right wrist, and a finely wrought white gold torque inscribed with Norse runes around his neck.
Mentally speaking, Erik usually maintains a calm and plesant disposition at all times, and he speaks in a crisp Oxford-English accent. His love of knowledge is impossible to conceal, and he will eagerly converse for hours if time permits. He has a distinct dislike for having to "slum it" and refuses to live and sleep rough unless absolutely necessary.
[spoiler=Background]
Erik was born in Oslo, Norway to parents working for Maersk Incorporated Assets, originally from Denver, Colorado, UCAS. The family was well to do by European, and particularly Norwegian, standards, and Erik grew up in a thriving community of multinational expats. When he Awakened while in his mid-teens his parents sent him back to the UCAS for education at the prestigious MIT&T, where he began studying magical theory, sorcery, conjuring, as well as history and politics.
During a family reunion party at Lenawee Mountain, Colorado, the mountain lodge where the event was held was attacked by ghouls. Starved and utterly feral after wandering through the dangerous and mostly lifeless mountain passes from nearby Grizzy Peak, the monstrous creatures were eventually driven off, but not before killing and mutilating several attendees. Erik's parents were among the dead, and Erik was gravely wounded; his upper body and face had been severely lacerated causing massive bloodloss, and his eyes had been torn out of their sockets and consumed by the ravenous infected. After months in physical therapy he had fully recovered from the physical injuries, but his optical nerves had been so badly damaged that he would never be able to see again.
Erik decided to finish his education at MIT&T when he learned that his parents had left him a considerable trust fund, and despite his lack of physical vision he threw himself into his studies, vowing to avenge his parents deaths by either finding a cure for HMHVV or eradicating the infected alltogether. He then spent the next several years absorbing every scrap of knowledge he could find related to magical threats in general and the infected in particular.
During his quest for knowledge he picked up significant skills in both sorcery and conjuring, and during one particularly long study session he made contact with a Materialized entity of immesurable power. Whether Erik's belief in the ancient Norse gods caused him to associate the being with Odin or the being really is a reflection of the Allfather of legend is impossible to know for sure, but one thing is without doubt; the spirit shared some of his vast knowledge with the young man, and for the first time in his life the Astral world became available to him. Immersed in the aether Erik saw glimpses of the future, and quickly realized that he had gained a "sight" far more potent than mere human vision. With his newfound powers and a thirst for even more knowledge, he devoted himself fully to what he came to think of as the power of the old gods.
After years of studying the Astral world, initiating into the high art known to modern society as Divination along the way, Erik foresaw that he had learned what he could from books and that he needed to experience the world for himself. He quickly found himself in Seattle, where rumours abounded about the Infected running loose, and he began reaching into the shadowy underworld of the Emerald City to pursue his life long goals of curing HMHVV, one way or another.
[/spoiler]
VITALS: Erik, Mystic Adept Diviner/Combat Mage, Human Male, 32 years old, 1.96m (6ft 5in), 93kg (205lbs)
Real Name: Erik Thornton (legitimate UCAS SIN)
Street Name/Aliases: 'Jaeger' AKA Thomas Ashford (runner fake UCAS SIN)
Movement: 8/16
Karma (Current/Total): 2/15
Street Cred 1, Notoriety 0, Public Awareness 0
Composure 9, Judge Intentions 7, Lift/Carry 5 (60 kg/40 kg), Memory 10
Nuyen: 600¥ (500 from Trust Fund)
PRIORITITES (SUM TO 10)
Metatype: E - Human (1)
Attributes: B - 20 Attributes
Special: A - Mystic Adept (Magic 6, 10 Spells, 2 Rating 5 Magical Skills)
Skills: B - 36 Skills/5 Skill Groups
Resources: E - 100,000¥
KARMA EXPENDITURES
+35 from Negative Qualities
-22 for Positive Qualities
-2 for skills (Perception 1)
-16 for Bonded Foci
-30 for Mystic Adept Power Points (6)
+15 for GM award after character creation
-13 for Initiation
10 free knowledge skill points: Alcohol 2, Art (Renaissance) 2, Latin (Speak) 4
ATTRIBUTES
BOD 3, AGI 2 (4), REA 4 (6), STR 2, CHA 3, INT 4, LOG 4, WIL 6, EDG 3, ESS 6
INITIATIVE
Initiative: 8 (10) + 3d6
Astral Initiative: 8 + 2d6
Matrix AR Initiative: 8 (10) + 3d6
CONDITION MONITORS
Physical: 10, Stun: 11
LIMITS
Physical 5, Mental 6, Social 6, Astral 6
Situational Modifiers: Audio/Vision Enhancement (+3 Mental), Synergist Business Line (+1 Social)
QUALITIES
Positive: Colledge Education, Mentor Spirit (Oracle), Spirit Whisperer, Trust Fund I
Negative: Astral Beacon, Blind, Creature of Comfort (Middle), Distinctive Style, SINner (National)
ACTIVE SKILLS
Arcana (Divination) 6 (+2), Assensing (Aura Reading) 6 (+2), Automatics (Assault Rifles) 2 (+2), Binding (Guardian Spirits) 6 (+2), Outdoors skill group 5, Perception 1, Ritual Spellcasting 6, Sneaking (Urban) 2 (+2), Spellcasting 6 (Detection) (+2), Summoning 6
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Academic: History (Religion) 4 (+2), Magical Theory (Astral World) 6 (+2), Magical Threats (Infected) 6 (+2), Politics 4
Interest: Alcohol 2, Art (Renaissance) 2 (+2)
Language: English N, Latin (Speak) 4 (+2)
Street: Shadow Community (Rumours) 4 (+2)
INITIATIONS:
Grade 1 Initiate: Divination High Art (Augury and Sortilege Ritual, Street Grimoire p124)
ADEPT POWERS (6/6PP)
Astral Perception (Free), Combat Sense (Rating 1, 0.5PP), Enhanced Perception (Rating 2, 1PP), Improved Physical Attribute (Agility, Rating 2, 2PP), Improved Reflexes (Rating 2, 2.5PP)
SPELLS
Combat (All Fetish Limited):
Fireball (Indirect, Elemental, Type: P, Range: LOS(A), Damage: P, Duration: I, Drain: F-1 (F-3)
Shattershield (Direct, Touch, Type: M, Range: T, Damage: P, Duration: I, Drain: F-3 (F-5)
Stunbolt (Direct, Type: M, Range: LOS, Damage: S, Duration: I, Drain: F-3 (F-5)
Sunbeam (Indirect, Type: P, Range: LOS, Damage: P, Duration: I, Drain: F-1 (F-3)
Detection:
Astral Clairvoyance (Passive, Directional, Type: M, Range: T, Duration: S, Drain: F-3)
Detect Life (Active, Extended, Type: M, Range: T, Duration: S, Drain: F-1)
Spatial Sense (Passive, Extended, Type: P, Range: T, Duration: S, Drain: F-1)
Health:
Heal (Type: M, Range: T, Duration: P, Drain: F-4)
Illusion:
Manascape (Type: M, Range: LOS(A), Duration: S, Drain: F-2)
Rituals:
WatcherAstral Doppleganger
ARMOR: 14,320¥
Full Body Armor [AV 15, w/Chemical Seal, Fire Resistance (Rating 3), Insulation (Rating 3), Nonconductivity (Rating 3)]
Full Body Armor Helmet [AV 3, w/Trodes, 4 Single Sensors (Atmosphere Sensor (Rating 2), Camera (Rating 6, w/Audio and Vision Enhancement (Rating 3)), Motion Sensor (Rating 6), Olfactory Scanner (Rating 6))]
Vashon Island Synergist Business Line [AV 8, w/Custom Fit, Concealable Holster]
WEAPONS: 2,865¥
Yamaha Raiden [Assault Rifle, Acc 6, DV 11P, AP-2, BF/FA, RC 4 (5), 60(c), w/Electronic Firing, Foregrip, Shock Pad, Sling, Smartgun System (Internal), Sound Suppressor]
Survival Knife [Blades, Acc 5, DV 6P, AP-1, Reach 0]
GEAR: 72,640¥
Apartment (3,000¥):
Magical Lodge Materials [Rating 6]
Carried/Worn (68,300¥):
Nixdorf Sekretar [A0, S0, DP6, FW2, w/Receiver, Fake SIN (Rating 4, Thomas Ashford, UCAS), 3 Fake Licenses (Rating 4, Registered Mystic Adept, Combat Magic, Foci Permit], Power Focus (Rating 2, metal torque), 2 Sustaining Foci (Detection, Rating 1, silver rings, one on each hand), Fetish (metal bracelet), 175 drams of Reagents
Vehicle (Smuggling Compartment) (1,340¥):
Duffel Bag [w/Full Body Armor, Yamaha Raiden, 3 Spare Clips (AR), 300 regular rounds (AR, Hand Loaded +1 DV), 2 doses each of Guts, NoPaint, and Psyche]
VEHICLE: 10,000¥
Renault-Fiat FunOne [Handling 3/1, Speed 3, Accel 1, Body 6, Armor 4, Pilot 2, Sensor 1, Seats 2, w/Smuggling Compartment]
LIFESTYLE: 0¥
Middle [Trust Fund, Comforts & Necessities 3, Security 3, Neighborhood 4, w/Private Room, Bat Cave]
Apartment in Bellevue
CONTACTS:
Mr. White [Connection 6, Loyalty 1, Government Official (Run Faster p186]
The middle-aged caucasian gentleman known in most circles only as Mr. White is rumoured to be working for any number of alphabet soup agencies, but no one knows for sure who he really represents. What is know is that he has an appreciation for fine art, a vast array of contacts, and special interests that reaches far and wide. He is always immaculately dressed, speaks with no discernible accent, and never wastes time except when perusing the local galleries.
Erik has a tenuous business relationship with Mr. White, in that the two have sometimes been aligned in their purpose against HMHVV. They also share a fondness for artwork, and whenever they do meet it's almost always in a gallery of some sort.
Elise DuPont [Connection 3, Loyalty 2, Pharmacy Tech (Run Faster p190]
Elise is an Amerind Elven woman in her mid-twenties who works as a technician at the local DocWagon pharmacy in Bellevue, Seattle while studying for a PhD in chemistry. Her knowledge of designer drugs and business theory has enabled her to start up a shadowclinic that deals in all forms of chemical enhancements.
Erik and Elise were acquainted through social circles in the shadows, and they share a passion for fine wines and spirits. Erik has made use of Elise's shadowclinic several times in order to acquire both mundane boosters and exotic chemicals necessary to combat the infected, but their relationship is so far mostly business.
Gerhard Hann [Connection 3, Loyalty 3, Talismonger (Run Faster p194]
The owner and proprietor of Ragnarok, a talismonger shop in Snohomish, Gerhard is a human male of African-Germanic heritage in his early thirties. He is a fervent believe in Norse mythology, and spends most of his free time in the woods of Snohomish, gathering reagents and communing with the spirits.
Gerhard and Erik have a common belief in the old Norse gods, and the two get along well. Erik shops at Ragnarok several times a month as he rarely has time to gather his own reagents, finding it easier to purchase them wholesale.
Duncan Abbey [Connection 6, Loyalty ?, Fixer]
