Since I was having a not so easy time jumping back and forth on the Q&A in order to see all the character sheets for our little tale, I figured I'd whip up another thread specifically dedicated to character info... All on one page for ease of use and everything.

I'll post the main characters (PCs) in order of appearance (Alex, Smoke, Penelope, and Janelle) following those, we'll plug in the "major baddies", NPCs, etc, as needed/completed... blah blah blah!

Alex Sharpe
Concept: Avenger
Association: Wicce

• +2 on all defensive Invocation Tasks.
  
• -2 penalty to dismissal applies to those using Magic to attack the Wicce.
  
• Must take Rituals (Wicce) and Humanities (Wicce Theology) Skills.

Character type: Gifted

Description Gender: Male | Age: 35 | Height: 5' 10" | Weight: 168 lbs
Race: Caucasian | Hair: Brown | Eyes: Gray

Strength: 3 Dexterity: 2 Constitution: 3
Intelligence: 2 Perception: 3 Willpower: 3

Life Points: 37
Endurance: 32
Speed: 10
Essence: 36
Essence Channeling: 5

Qualities:

• Situational Awareness: 1
  
• Contacts: 3
  
• Essence Channeling: 5
  
• Increased Essence Pool: 4
  
• Gift: 1
  
• Hard to Kill: 1 (1/0)

Drawbacks:

• Recurring Nightmares (death of wife): 1
  
• Adversary: 4
  
• Addiction (Cigarettes): 1
  
• Cruel: 1
  
• Addiction (Alcohol): 2
  
• Honorable: 2
  
• Obsession (Vengeance against the Azazelites): 1

Skills:

• Brawling: 2
  
• Guns (Handgun): 3
  
• Humanities (Wicce Theology): 1
  
• Humanities (Law) (Criminal Law): 3
  
• Rituals (Wicce): 2
  
• Notice: 3
  
• Intimidation: 2
  
• Stealth: 3
  
• Streetwise: 3
  
• Surveillance: 4
  
• Research/Investigation: 3
  
• Occult Knowledge: 1
  
• Driving (car): 2

Metaphysics:

• Affect the Psyche: 2
  
  • Influence Emotional State
  • Aura of Confidence
• Insight: 3
  
  • Perceive True Nature
• Soulfire: 3
  
  • Soulfire Blast
• Shielding: 3
  
  • Essence Shield
  • Physical Shield
  • Invisible Shield
• Symbols of Protection: 2
  
  • Protection against magic
  • Protection against supernatural
• Elemental Fire: 3
  
  • Flicker
  • Fire Protection
  • Flame
  • Extinguish flame
  • Striking Flame
• Elemental Air: 2
  
  • Stirring air
  • gust of Wind
  • Steady Wind
  • Calm Wind
  • Whirlwind
  • Cleanse and Create Air
  • Lightning bolt

General Description: Alex is 5'10" and weighs between 160 and 165 lbs. He's got a rather shaggy mop of brown hair that has just started showing signs of gray (it used to be cut close and kept much neater before Emily was killed and he left the police force but, these days, doesn't look as if it's been properly cut since shortly after her funeral) and, more often than not, several days growth of beard the same color. His eyes are gray and frequently give away when he's had a bit much to drink. Typical clothing for Alex is a pair of relaxed fit Levi's, a rumpled, button-down shirt (sometimes with a t-shirt or undershirt worn underneath, other times not), a battered leather coat, and a pair of Timberland chukkas or boots. (Pic attached for a general idea of Alex's standard look). Although Emily's been dead for three years or more, Alex still wears his wedding ring and a pentacle necklace/amulet that belonged to her. Additionally, Alex bears a multitude of notable scars including what appear to be burn scars on his hands and forearms (the result of getting a little "crazy" with Elemental Fire) - these would be the most likely to be noticed - others that are typically hidden from most folks are numerous scars on his chest and abdomen that look as if someone tried to carve some sort of symbols into him at some point.



Character History: Alex's parents, Avery and Isabelle Sharpe, were both members of a Wicce coven and, as such, Alex himself was raised and nurtured with Wicce Theology as his "religion." While he understood the precepts, tenets, and other aspects of the faith as a youngster, Alex, as most rebellious young men are wont to do and despite his natural Gift, didn't embrace the Covenant of his parents beliefs and philosophies and, for a long time, aside from writing "wiccan," on forms and such that requested a religious affiliation, had very little involvement with the craft. Of course, he would attend rites with his family and, on occasion, study half-heartedly. Other than that, though, Alex stayed away from overt practice of the Craft, himself, throughout the majority of his young life.

He did take a slightly more active interest in the Wicce Covenant in his late teens and early twenties, though. He was studying Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Chicago when he met Emily Lenox, a Gifted young woman from a long line of Wicce in Vermont, who was studying Humanities and Psychology at the University. The two dated, fell desperately in love, and eventually married. Despite his relationship with Emily, though, and even though she'd brought him closer to the Wicce covenant as a whole, Alex still wasn't what any would have called a devout practitioner. After college, Alex joined the Chicago Police Department while Emily (after working a series of "unfulfilling" jobs in Social Services agencies and the like) eventually opened an "occult bookstore" on the first floor of the greystone building that they had purchased in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago (which often served as a regular meeting place for Emily's coven). Alex eventually attained the rank of Detective Sergeant on the force (working in both Homicide and Vice units at different times) and Emily enjoyed the modest but comfortable success of the bookshop (which she preferred to think of as a Wicce library and/or outreach center).

A few years ago, Emily's coven became aware of a "dark coven" in the area that had come to serve, if not outright worship, the demon Azazel. Realizing that Azazel's influence would certainly not bode well in a city like Chicago (where corruption, vice, and violence was easily found almost anywhere one might care to look), it became a major goal of Emily's coven to work against and, if possible, stop this "Cult of Azazel" before they became powerful enough to actually summon the demon. The Azazelites, unfortunately, were already more powerful than Emily's coven had initially thought and, as a result, the two groups became embroiled in a fairly intense conflict... a metaphysical punch-counterpunch sort of thing with rites and rituals performed on both sides in hopes of diminishing or destroying the other. As the conflict grew, so too did Azazel's cult. Emily's coven, on the other hand, had difficulties maintaining any more than thirteen practicing members and, in a lot of cases, fewer than that number attended meetings let alone any of the rituals that the coven performed in their battle against the Azazelites. Eventually, of course, the conflict between the groups came to a head and culminated in the one event that would bring Detective Alex Sharpe closer to the Covenant than anything else in his entire history.

Emily's coven came to the realization that the dark coven had grown in power and numbers and, as such, were dangerously close to being able to actually summon the ancient demon. Thus, while they knew they hadn't the metaphysical resources among them to match that which the cult could bring to bear, they made the decision to perform a ritual that, if it worked, would bind the Azazelites and, possibly, Azazel himself in a manner of speaking. Emily had managed to secure promises from all thirteen members of her coven that each would be there to join the circle when the time came - such an attempt to bind a demon or even its human devotees with any fewer than 13 in the circle would have been folly - and having done so, began preparations for the ritual to be conducted in coincidence with the next full moon. Alex, of course, was aware of the plans and, while he questioned Emily's readiness for such an undertaking even with a full circle of thirteen, he supported her (as he always had) and her coven as best he knew how... even offering to help by, maybe, running some of the cultists in on any sort of charges he might be able to come up with on them. She assured him, though, that as long as all thirteen members of her own coven stayed true to their word and participated in the ritual, that the worst that could happen would be that the incantations would simply fail and flatten with little effect for better or worse (other than having exhausted parties on both sides and, perhaps, sapping available power from both groups for a time). Unfortunately, on the night that the ritual was to be performed, only ten of the thirteen members of Emily's coven showed, leaving them short of both available essence and the mystical strength associated with the number thirteen. As the Azazelites power had grown in recent days, though, and despite not having the numbers they would have wished, the coven decided to proceed with the ritual with nine members in the circle (the remaining member was to stand watch "just in case") because, to do otherwise was risking the cult growing powerful enough to be beyond any intervention of which they might be capable. Even more unfortunately, the Azazelites were better prepared (and more powerful) than any in Emily's coven suspected or even imagined. During the ritual, Emily's coven was overrun and, for lack of a better or more fitting term, slaughtered by Azazelite minions (both gifted, mundane, and purely supernatural).

On the night of the ritual, Alex was in the midst of working a crime scene on the city's South Side when he received a call on his cell phone from a number he didn't recognize (he would learn later on that the number belonged to the member of Emily's coven who had been assigned "watch duty" during the ritual). He knew exactly what the call was about, though, when he lifted the phone to his ear and heard the gods-awful sounds that came through it... screams of pain, the sick gibbering laughter and merciless howls of carnage and destruction, all the sickening sounds of something gone horribly wrong. Alex abandoned his partner at the crime scene without a word and raced for the location where Emily had told him the ritual would take place. He arrived too late. When he entered the old warehouse (selected because it had been built over an ancient place of power) the slaughter was all but complete. Aside from the blood and bodies the only living things that Alex found were four "lesser members" of the Cult of Azazel who had been tasked, apparently, with hanging each of the members of Emily's coven from the ceiling (directly above the positions in which they had stood outside the circle) and opening them up from neck to navel and letting their innards fall into the ring of salt below. Alex shot one of them before thy noticed he was there and managed to get off several more shots (despite the sickening pain in his heart and the tears that clouded his vision) before the other three managed to subdue him... staring at Emily's defiled body, he lost consciousness (hoping that he'd soon be seeing his wife again) well before the Azazelites torture reached it's height. He remembered awaking briefly, still on the floor of the warehouse and still alive. The cultists were gone, Emily and her coven still hung from the ceiling in a mockery of the circle they had created, and a man (a Vampyre, actually, as Alex would learn sometime later) was standing over him telling him that the essence here was horribly tainted and, also, that help would be coming.

Alex Sharpe spent several days thereafter in the hospital recovering from the wounds to both his body and his psyche. His body healed quicker than his mind though and he found himself plagued by recurring nightmares of the phone call and finding his wife in that hellish place and what the Azazelites had done to him... to her... to all of them. Along with the nightmares came guilt, depression, and soon enough, the thirst for revenge against those (human or otherwise) who had taken Emily from him. He managed to stay employed with the Chicago PD for a time and was able to use the resources available to him as a result to help in finding some of the cultists but soon realized that ordinary, mundane police work wouldn't ever be enough to get the results he wanted... also, his obsession with exacting revenge on the Azazelites (which often "Distracted Detective Sharpe from the actual cases he had been assigned") coupled with the facts that a) he had started drinking and smoking quite heavily and b) had started demonstrating a particularly cruel streak when dealing with suspects, led to him being referred first to a department shrink and, finally, to the Internal Affairs bureau, convinced him that it was well past time to put the Chicago PD behind him. Shortly after making the decision (within hours, in fact) Alex Sharpe tendered his resignation and spent the next several months fully immersed in the study and practice of the magical arts and, having built a modicum of power and a decent arsenal of incantations, spells, and other workings of the Craft, began hunting the Azazelites.

Name: "Smoke" Ellgawen
Association: Solitary
Concept: Survivor
Character Points: Spent: Unspent:
Channelling Level: 1

Attributes
Strength: (-2 + 3) 1
Dexterity: (3 + 2) 5
Constitution: 1
Intelligence: 3
Perception: 3
Willpower: 3

Statistics
Life Points: 8
Endurance Points: 20
Speed: 10 miles/hour
Essence Pool: (16 base + 6 age + 5 increase quality) 27

Qualities
Gift: 1
Age: 2
Essence Channelling: 2
Increase Essence Pool: 1
Attractiveness: 3

Drawbacks
Delusion of Grandeur: 1
Obsession: 2 (for the person(s) she has determined to protect)
Adversary: 1 (witch hunters)
Secret: 1 (her lack of involvement at Chelmsford)
Cruel: 1
Paranoid: 2

Skills
Tracking: 2
Stealth: 2
Surveillance: 2
Notice: 2
Myth and Legend: 4
Occult Knowledge: 4
Language (Latin): 5
Intimidating: 4
Acting: 2
Brawl: 3
Climbing: 3
Dodge: 3

Powers
Shielding: 2
Insight: 1
Necromancy Skill: 4
Death Mastery: 4


Background:
Here is a brief list of each of her lifetimes (Most of the events are inspired by actual historical events, as best as Wikipedia has led me to believe )

1520 - 1530 London, Mary Sullivan, on artist

1531 - 1543 London, Buckingham Castle, Charles Bart, worked in kitchen of castle, she witnesses the end of the Boylen affair

1545 - 1551 Dublin, Liam O'Shea, Gravedigger

1560 -1569 Chelmsford, England, Sybil Waterhouse, sister of Agnes Waterhouse who was hung for witchcraft involving a familiar. In Chelmsford there were many witch crazes in the following years. Often related to familiars. Several Bast's were present in the town, attracted to each other and forming their own coven to stand side by side with the huamn coven. Wicce based, however, most of the cats (including Ellgawen) did not thing to stop the slaughters. (Note: This is something she likely has NOT told Alex about)

1571 - 1582 Chelmsford, England, Joan Upney, accused of witchcraft and hung.

1583 - 1590 Chelmsford, England, Geroge Upney

1606 - 1618 Ellgawen, Sweden, Barbara Rufin, she is accused of poisoning her son, is tortured and confesses to witchcraft and names several others involved, this starts a witch craze. She ends up helping Helena Rufin (Barbara's daugher) to escape the town safely. After this she vows to protect Gifted humans and takes the name of the city.

** Dormant for 200 years **

1825 - 1832 Georgia, USA, Ruth Twilliger, helps Ruth escape from slavery.

1840 - 1856 Georgia, USA, Virginia Salt, given to Virginia as a present when she is a small child. Ellgawen prolongs her death when she catches small pox but the girl dies at 17 anyway.

1858 - 1863 Savannah, Georgia, Lenora Hastings, Lenora is part of a coven (debating association still) working to prevent/end the Civil War in favor of the South. Union soldiers discover the coven and set fire to the home they are in, killing them all, includig Ellgawen.

1870 - 1887 Missouri, Sara Toole, teacher in small rural town

1890 - 1899 Missouri, Toby Nelson, young boy in asylum who is killed, despite Ellgawen's best efforts, by the doctors trying to 'cure' him of his Gift (Note: This is also something she doesn't talk about much, it pained her a great deal)

1908 - 1920 St. Louis, Missouri, Chet Rowls, Newspaper reporter for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, hung out with mobsters and flapper girls

** Dormant until present day **

Xana / Penelope Rosa
Gender: Female
Age: 1146
Height: 5' 3"
Weight: 105 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey
Type: Fey (Supernatural Being)
Concept: Seeker/Wanderer
Association: Solitaire

Attributes
Strength 2
Dexterity 4
Constitution 2
Intelligence 6
Perception 5
Willpower 6

Secondary Attributes
Life Points 35
Endurance Points 35
Speed 12
Essence Pool 145

Qualities
Age 11(55)
Attractiveness 6
Essence Channeling 3(6)
Old Soul 5 (20) - According to mythological research, all Xana may well be reincarnations of the Goddess Diana
Fey - 1(15)
- Immortal
- Regeneration
- Gifted
- Magic Resistance
- Manipulate Essence
- Superhuman Attributes
- Supernatural Senses (Minor Insight)
- Sylvan Ally

Drawbacks
Adversary (Jose Alvaro/Old Gods/Hunters/Sentinels/Other Immortals) 11(0)
Covetous (Pleasure Seeking) 1
Cruel 1
Below Average Resources 1(2)
Fear of Commitment 1
Minority (undocumented immigrant) 1
Prejudice (Hates Christians) 2
Secret 5
Iron Weakness 5
- Even the touch of iron causes pain (only pure, cold forged iron)
- Magical regeneration will not heal wounds caused by iron (must be pure, cold forged iron)
- Pure, cold forged iron can disrupt or deflect Fey magic

Skills
Acrobatics 2
Dancing 3
Dodge 3
History 5
Humanities 5
Language (English) 3 Native Language: Spanish
Language (Arabic) 5
Language (Portuguese) 5
Language (French) 3
Magic Theory 5
Martial Arts 3(6)
Myth and Legend 5
Notice 5
Occult Knowledge 6(12)
Questioning 4
Ritual 5
Seduction 8(2)
Smooth Talking 8(2)
Streetwise 3
Trance 4(8 )

Metaphysical
Fey have their own source of magic, which they refine throughout their long lives. Greater levels expand what Fey can do with their innate magic. They may not learn Necromancy, the Sight, or most other Metaphysics. Fey can learn Invocations and Spells, but these must be worked ritually even for those who can channel essence. Like other immortal beings, Fey can manipulate their essence freely for their magics. Those with essence channeling can also tap into ambient essence adding it to their own in great rites. Many of these abilities can affect a victim permanently. Killing a fey will break any enchantments they have cast.

Charm 5
Fey can beguile those around them to see them as a most trusted friend, to desire or love them, or, at a great cost of essence, to worship them.

Emotion 5
The ability to affect the emotional state of those around them: to excite, to calm, to bring joy or fear.

Compulsion 5
Fey can manipulate those around them, controlling their actions and even twisting their memories, beliefs, etc.

Hallucination 6
Minor and greater illusions that can been seen, smelled, and even touched. The more real the hallucination the greater the cost of essence. Fey can also affect sensations causing pain or pleasure. Unlike mortal wrought illusions, Fey Hallucinations can fool even the Gifted. Fey use this ability to disguise their true nature almost constantly.

Between the Worlds 4
Fey are native to the world between the worlds. They can easily step back between the worlds or return to ours. This can only be done while hidden from sight - the doors to Faerie are barred to watching eyes. While between the worlds, fey can move deeper into faerie and dreamwalk. Unlike mortals who spirit walk, fey are there wholly - in body as well as spirit. This offers them greater insight and control of the dream realms, but they are also more vulnerable. It is all utterly real for them. Fey can also part the veil. This is a mighty act of magic and is only done as a last resort. The essence cost is often too high to pay, even for the undying fey.

Dissonance 4
The ability to disrupt, deflect, and dispel magic. It can also be used to rapidly deplete the essence of those around them.

Fate Weaver 4
At lower levels this enables to fey to cause fortune or misfortune to the events immediately happening. Greater levels allow for the cause of a specific set of events. This magic can allow the fey to manipulate Fate itself (most often seen in a curse or a blessing). Affecting the life of another or fate requires a massive cost of essence.

Appearance
Penelope is unholy beautiful, well beyond the limits of mortal human beauty. She stands slender and fit, moving with a lithe grace that is almost liquid. Her olive skin is smooth and her deep black hair is a thick mane of loose spiral curls which she wears long, falling just above her lower back. The grey pools of her eyes hold a sadness written over the passage of centuries. Full lips and petulant lips might deny it, but true it remains. A tattoo of the phases of the moon runs up her spine.

Background
Along the north eastern edge of the Iberian peninsula the Asturian principality has been inhabited since the paleolithic era. For many ages the ancient pagan gods were worshiped before the conquest of the Christians. Yet still legend and myth has strongly survived in Asturias even until today. Asturian folklore still tells stories of the Xanas, beautiful and nymphic faery women of springs and caves.

There are many tales of Xanas. Some speak of beautiful women who are under a spell and guard treasure. Others speak of small dark women who spirit away stillborn children leaving behind their own babes in the human child's place. Xanas are as benevolent as they are malicious. Stories tell of Xanas who aid travelers and others who trick them, like all faeries they are capricious.

Some scholars believe the legend of the Xana is one of Diana, and that the very name is derived from the goddess of the moon. They may well be right in their view, but that is such a truth that we will never know.

Our tale begins many centuries ago in medieval Asturias when the Iberian peninsula was still under Moorish rule. Centuries before the death of Rome and the rise of the Christian kings, the old gods remade themselves in the image of the new age. Though fading the Old Ways were still practiced openly and the matriarchies were still existent if nor prevalent. The time of magic had not yet faded...

***

In a small mountain village bordered deep forest Pilár Vasquez lived alone with her husband. Their only child, an infant girl lay dead killed by the winter chill not even an hour past. So she sat in the winter night staring into the crackling fire, she had not yet told her husband and in truth could not yet bring herself to. Laying her head in her hands Pilár began to sob. An infant's cry joined hers, the young voice echoing her own lamentation.

Not believing it the woman wiped the tears from her eyes and rushed to the other room. There in the crib lay a baby girl, not dead but alive and well. Pilár moved to the crib and took the crying babe in her arms. Holding the child close her eyes fell on the open window and the woman running to the woods.

"La Xana," Pilár gasped.

She held out the babe before her studying the girls round face. This was not the daughter born of her own flesh but rather she was a Xanina, a child not of the human world. Yet it was not fear that gripped her heart but love. The Xana had entrusted her with her own babe and she would raise it as her own. Pilár still practiced the old ways and she would never deny this child her true nature, but the day when she returned to the wild was many years off and until that day she would know the love of a daughter, human or faery.

***

The years flew by and the babe grew into a precocious little girl and then a beautiful woman. Even from the earliest years of childhood she would see a woman more beautiful than any other watching in the distance. None other ever saw her, but she always felt loved by the woman and longed to run into her arms. As she grew she began to resemble the beautiful woman far more than her own mother. Where Pilár's hair was the color of flame her own, like the woman's, was colored like the forest shadows and the night sky. Her lithe frame, like the woman's, was so unlike the other villagers who were sturdy and muscled from tilling the earth. They all called her Xana, and even had they not she would have known she was different. She had always been able to read and manipulate the emotions of those around her, and sometimes out of the corner of her eye she could see what was not there.

It was when she reached the marriage age that all things changed. Penelope was by far the most beautiful woman in the village and men of all walks sought her attention. She barely noticed them, for with each passing day she felt the draw of the unknown stronger and stronger.

The full moon was high on midsummer night that year. The whole village danced in celebration but on that night something called to Penelope. A haunting voice rode on the summer breeze and called her. She followed the siren's call and disappeared into the night. The song called her deep into the woods and so she followed. Penelope found herself at a fresh spring and standing before it was a woman robed in gossamer white, a woman more beautiful than any she had seen, a woman she recognized well. They mirrored one another and Penelope knew this was the very woman who had watched her from a distance all her life.

The white robed woman smiled and stepped forward, "Welcome my daughter, at long last welcome home."

Penelope knew the words to be true and joined her mother at the spring. They spent many years together wandering the deep mountain forest. From her mother she learned the faery ways. The years passed and Penelope forgot her mortal life becoming fully and wholly part of the faery world.

***

Just as fate twists the lives of mortals so it does to the faery people. In those days legends still roamed the earth. The Cuélebre is said to be a great winged serpent living in the caves in Asturias. It guards treasure and keeps Xanas as prisoners. Mother and daughter met one such creature as they wandered the forest. Despite their faery magics the two were no match for a Cuélebre and Penelope's mother sent her off into the depths of the forest allowing herself to be taken prisoner. That was the last day Penelope ever saw her mother and she did vow to gather the power to one day destroy the creature.

***

Truly alone for the first time in more than a century, Penelope wandered the wild mountains in search of mortals and men. For centuries she moved through the untamed places walking into the arcane depths of faery. Shedding the last vestiges of a mortal woman, Penelope grew in power and understanding.

Aloof, she forgot the last of her humanity and became cruel. Her visit to a mortal village would leave an aftermath of chaos for generations. And why should the Xana care? They had forgotten the Old Ways to embrace the dead god of the Christians. Men had forgotten them all. For that they would know pain beyond pain.

As Penelope wandered, she would find a lone woodsman or a pious knight to catch in her web and leave him wondering if the night he spent with that strange beautiful woman of the forest had been anything more than a dream. It was not long after one such encounter that she gave birth to a baby girl and left her in the crib of a crib dead babe. Penelope vowed to one day return before disappearing into the night, just as her mother had done before her. Years would pass but return she did and what she found horrified her. The Burning Times had come and the Spanish Inquisition had taken hold across the Iberian Peninsula.

In the village Penelope had left her child the anguished screams of women filled the air as flames consumed them. From a distance she could see the villagers crowded around a dark haired man in the black robes of a priest gesturing wildly. Behind him three women burned, and one of them Penelope recognized as the very woman she had left her daughter to. She gasped as the woman's pain gaze fell on her and transformed into a look a recognition and hope. Her gaze grew distant and soon and image of the very woman stood before her.

"My lady you have returned. I always knew you would, but you must go. None suspect she is anything but my daughter, but if they see you they will know from whose womb she is. You must go, it is not safe for her. Please."

The woman stared at her with pleading eyes as she faded from view. Penelope watched in silence before returning to the forest. Fifteen years would pass before she returned again. The village remained as before only with a massive stone church at its center. Penelope walked the village streets searching for some sign of her child. She found a man resting outside a small house smoking a pipe. Weaving a charm Penelope approached him.

"Greetings friend," she spoke in a silk seductive tone, "There was a young woman who lived in that house by the woods. Her mother was burnt at the stake fifteen years ago. Do you know her whereabouts? She would be about 30 now."

The man looked at her and smiled, "Welcome my lady, I do know the very woman you speak of, I do. She be Teresa, but haven't seen her in these parts for sometime. See she never grew old, and Padre Jose Alvaro said that she was a witch like her mother. Well it wasn't too long after that Teresa disappeared in the night. Pity she was a witch, never did see such a pretty woman," he looked up at her with a look of confusion, "Come to think of it my lady you be bearing a striking resemblance to our Teresa."

Penelope smiled and tightened the charm, "Tell me my friend, who is Padre Jose Alvaro."

"Well the Padre heads up the Inquisition here, he does. Came here not more than fifteen years ago to purge Witchcraft from our village god bless him. You'll see him over there by the church." he pointed in the direction of a black robed man.

Penelope's grey eyes fell on the black robed man and recognized him as the very man who stood at the mobs center while three women were burned alive. He had killed the woman she left her daughter to, and now he had tried to do the same to her. Rage boiled through her as she walked over to him. Ancient power from the earth and skies began to flow into her and soon Penelope was pulsating with it. She approached the priest slowly. With every step essence from the very earth poured into her and she wove it into a complex matrix and the skies above darkened with roiling clouds. Jose Alvaro's gaze fell on her now, and his eyes lit up with recognition and then confusion. Alvaro was a dark haired man just into his middle years and he held himself with an air of self importance. Xana glared at him and stopped her approach.

"Jose Alvaro, what you have done cannot be forgiven. Jose Alvaro I curse you forever!"

With those words she released the mighty gathered essence. As the complex weave sunk into the man three bolts of lightning hurtled down from the skies. That night Penelope stood at the edge of the forest and watched the village burn.

Penelope left Asturias to find her daughter. Years passed and the world changed again and again but still she could not find her child. After the years became decades and the decades became centuries the faery returned to the Asturian mountains where she had last seen her own mother, but alas in that cave she found no sign of her mother or the Cuélebre that held her prisoner.

Penelope continued her journey across the Spanish Kingdoms in search of her mother and her child. The world changed around her as the end of one age was eclipsed by the dawning of another.

Fifteen years ago Penelope heard tale of beautiful grey eyed woman that didn't age. She followed the tale to a small Andalucian town, but she was not the only who heard that tale. In that town she met Jose Alvaro again. The once righteous priest was a twisted thing now having long ago turned to the tainted powers of the mad gods. in many ways, his power was now eclipsed her own and she barely escaped with her life. And so, Penelope left the Iberian Peninsula and the Old World to find her way in the New World. She has remained there ever since searching for some way to find her mother and daughter. She spends no more than a few years in any one place for fear that her enemies in the Old World will find her.

Penelope has found her way to Chicago not more than a few months ago, but how long she will stay remains to be seen. There she lives, undocumented and on the fringes of the city.

Janelle "Rosetta" Hirta
Lesser Gifted Human Starting Occupation: Gymnast/Fencer
Age: 22 Female 5'9" 140 lbs
blue eyes, black hair, Asian skin tone and facial type
Concept: Reluctant Hero/Weird One Organization: Solitare

---

(used 3 of the extra points in attributes)
Strength- 5
Dexterity- 5
Constitution- 3
Intelligence- 2
Willpower- 5
Perception- 3

Total XP: 0 (Used: 0)
LP: 42/42
Endurance: 44/44
Speed: 16
Essence: 78
Essence Channelling Level: 4

Qualities (used 6 of the extra points here):
Gift - 5 points
Artistic Talent (Drawing) - 3 points
Attractiveness - 2 points (level 2)
Essence Channelling - 8 points (level 4)
Fast Reaction Time - 2 points
Increased Essence Pool - 7 points

Drawbacks:
Honourable - 2 points (level 2)
Fear of Rejection - 1 point
Weird Delusions - 2 points (level 2)
Cowardly - 1 point (level 1)
Cruel - 1 point (level 1)

Skills (used 1 of the extra points here):
Acrobatic - 10 points (level 5)
Beautician - 4 points (level 4)
Fine Arts (Drawing) - 5 points (level 5)
First Aid - 3 points (level 3)
Hand Weapon (Fencing Foil/Rapier) - 5 points (level 5)
Notice - 4 points (level 4)

Power (used 5 of the extra points here):
Mindheal Strength - 15 points (level 5)
Mindheal Art - 6 points (level 3)

Possessions of Note or which she often carries:
Janelle has both a rapier and a fencing foil.
She often carries a handbag that holds the following:
-Sketchbook (usually half-filled with drawings or so, unless it's new)
-Mechanical pencil
-Eraser
-Makeup (not much; just blush a slight shade redder than her natural skin tone, foundation, violet nail polish, and sometimes a dark blue eyeshadow and lipstick)
-Mirror (to apply the makeup)
-Purse (usually carries no more than $30 in cash, but has change and her debit card)
Another key thing to note is her wristwatch is digital (related to her Weird Delusion)

Janelle's Weird Delusion: Analog Clock Hands

This delusion is based on this poem I wrote:

When the clock hands unite, whether it is day or night,
Expect the unexpected, or you'll be in for a fright.
Midnight and noon, the special times when the hands unite,
If you don't hide, become aware of the half-hour of plight.
However, when the hands balance, and are opposite on the clock's face,
The world has shifted to become a better place.
The chime of six, at either part of the day,
Begets a change that could benefit either way.
But in places with clocks that lack their own arms,
People are not affected by their swaying charms.
Clock hands that are plain are less liable to this effect,
And only 6 and 12 bring out any change that will affect.
Clock hands that are ornate are an entirely different case,
For whether it is major or minor, they will change reality's face.
Finally, for those clocks that exist that are missing an arm,
Beware those the most, for they will only bring about harm!
From that, I think you can kind of tell Janelle's application of it: she'll have a tendency to glance at other's watches or clocks to see if they're analog or digital, give them warnings if it is analog, and particularly avoid analog clocks at noon and midnight.

Background/Description

What is normal? Does it have specifics? Is it something that exists? Can it even be defined? If only she could have been normal, perhaps things would be alright. To live, oblivious of the things around her that did not make sense. Well, alright, that's ignorance, rather than bliss.

Janelle preferred to live a normal life, whatever that meant. For her, normal was getting involved with her two teams, both of them sports, one gymnastics, the other fencing. To her, normal was to avoid the stroke of noon and midnight by analog clocks. To compete in tournaments and competitions for both of her teams, as a star athlete. To sketch in her sketchbook when she felt like it. In any case, for her, normal meant ignoring the power she had long concealed.

As far as Janelle can remember, she always had this ability, the power to heal. However, despite the fact she had the ability, she never once used it. No, it made her too different, and that was something she couldn't bear. Not only that, but she would be used; people would abuse her power, and she did not want that either. True, her own natural abilities were being exploited by the two teams she was involved in, but that was normal, and acceptable. To be exploited as a supernatural healer was something she couldn't bear to think about.

Still, the fact that she had that power often did scream at her to do something, especially in fencing and gymnastic tournaments where people can get injured from competing. There was something in the back of her mind that makes her want to go out of her way to help, despite the risks associated with it. Thankfully, in truth, Janelle does have a small streak of cowardice that has also aided in keeping her in check, and not using her power.

Janelle had never even told her parents about her ability, although she doubted if they'd believe her. Still, despite the concealment of her power, she stood out as different. This had nothing to do with anything supernatural; she just had incredible talent, which made her easy to notice. Her sketches, her incredible prowess in gymnastics and fencing, and finally what others saw as a 'bizarre' belief regarding clocks also made her different.

Yet, perhaps even though she is different, this can still be normal. In the end, Janelle could easily say that she is content with how she is currently living.

Janelle, or Rosetta as she sometimes is known by, is a fairly slender, and slightly tall individual. Her long, black hair is often braided down her back, secured by an elastic that looks like a ring of roses that she almost always wears. She often wears slightly formal or dress clothes, even to team practices, and in truth often looks more formal than the actual team manager. In fencing tournaments especially, Rosetta also has a slight reputation for toying with her opponent before taking the victory for herself.

One of her most prized possessions is her own rapier, which was a very unique find. The hilt appears to be a weave of flower stems, and the pommel is a blossoming rose. The guard of the blade appears to be two leaves that extend from the stems, and the blade itself, while obviously steel, is engraved with the inscription of vines traveling down the blade. However, despite its ornate appearance, the blade is still sharp and quite usable.

Character Name: Cyrene La Croix

Player: Boo Boo

Concept: Fanatic

Association: Chosen of Azazel
+1 to Resources, +1 to Attractiveness
Must have Language (Demonic) and Humanities (Teachings of Azazel) Skills.

Character type: Undead/Demonic Servant

Description: Gender: Female | Age: 553 (appears to be mid 30s)| Height: 5'6" | Weight: 132 lbs | Hair: Black | Eyes: Blue

Strength: 4
Dexterity: 6
Constitution: 4
Intelligence: 3
Perception: 4
Willpower: 4

Life Points: 48
Endurance: 0
Speed: 20
Essence: 37
Essence Channeling: 1
Taint Channeling: 2
Taint Pool: 30

Qualities: Level
Chosen of Azazel: 1
- Taint (+2 Channeling)
- Taint Pool
- Longevity
- Superhuman Attributes
Age: 3
Attractiveness: 3
Hard to Kill: 1
Charisma Quality: 1
Resources Quality: 3
Fast Reaction Time : 1
Status Quality: 2
Influence: 1
Situational Awareness: 1

- Taint (+2 Channeling)
- Taint Pool
- Longevity (Does not age)
- Fast Healing
- Super Human Attributes

Drawbacks: Level

Adversary: 3
Obligation: 3
Reckless: 1
Delusion of Grandeur: 1
Vanity: 1


Skills: Level
Acrobatics: 2
Acting: 2
Disguise: 3
Escapism: 2
Guns (Handgun): 3
Hand Weapon (Knife): 2
Hand Weapon (Sword): 3
Humanities (Teachings of Azazel): 3
Humanities (History): 3
Language (French): 5
Martial Arts (Krav Maga): 4
- Combat Moves
- Punch: 3
- Kick: 2
- Breakfall: 2
- Arm Lock: 3
- Choke Hold: 3
- Flip: 2
- Disarm: 2
Rituals (Azazelite): 2
Stealth: 2
Occult Knowledge: 3
Language (Demonic): 2
Language (English): 2


Metaphysics: Level
- Tainted Battle Boost: 1
- Tainted Touch: 1
- Infection: 1
- Unveil: 1
- Hideaway: 1
- Lesser Illusion: 1
- Oath of Duty: 2


History:
Cyrene La Croix was born in 1463 in Mont-de-Marsan, Gascony to an average family that grew wine grapes for local wineries. She had a normal childhood working the fields, and expected that to be her life, but when she reached adulthood all things changed. A local nobleman's son found her to be very lovely and pursued her, even though she didn't care for him and even called him ugly. The man thought that any woman should want him because of his station and thought she was just playing hard to get. She was not, and one day when he became too amorous, she slapped him down and told him to stay away. Realizing she was really not interested in him, he sought revenge by publicly proclaiming that she had tried to beguile him with black magic. She was arrested and put on trial for witchcraft; the man's noble father made sure that the verdict was guilty by bribing many of those on the court. In 1485, Cyrene was burned at the stake for being a bride of the devil; as they thought of witches.

But Cyrene did not die that day. A powerful witch of the Cult of Azazel had been there that day, watching from the crowd as they had burned her. He had allowed it to go on, be he protected her from dying even though she appeared dead to those who had watched. After it was all over and everyone had left, he had taken away her heavily burned body and deep in the woods he had used he magic powers to restore her to health and beauty. She had awakened, remembering the sensation of burning alive, the scent of her own flesh burning, and the screams from her hoarse dying throat. But she was not dead, or burned, and she wondered if it had been a dream. But the man (this can be Hatul if you wish, or another disciple) told her what had happened and what he had done. He told her of the Cult and how she could have power and live forever. All she had to do was swear her loyalty and her life to the Cult of Azazel. He told her of Azazel and their beliefs, and how he granted those most loyal with amazing powers in his service. She didn't even have to think on it. The world was a cruel place; one where innocents could be burned alive at the whims of other more powerful people. She wanted to be one of those powerful people, and if serving Azazel would give her that power, then she would dedicate her life to the Cult. There was some bizarre ritual involving drinking blood, which she was told was the blood of Azazel, though she doubted that really. The ritual made her deathly ill for several days, but when she recovered she was told that she would not age and that she would thereafter be 'gifted' with powers. So thus began her training in magic, and combat; she didn't want to just rely on the magic aspect, she learned fighting with swords and other weapons.



Appearance (circa 15th - 18th century)

Throughout the last few centuries, Cyrene became one of the 'problem-solvers' of the Cult. She was rumored to be involved in many uprisings and revolts which helped to shape Europe and the Middle East; all in the name of Azazel. She has always worked behind the scenes, assassinating leaders and powerful figures to cause the overthrow of some government. All to sow the seeds of conflict and death which helped to feed her Master.

She studied her crafts from some of the greatest she could find in swordsmanship, poisons, and even hand fighting. In the late 1930s and early 40s, she trained with Imi Lichtenfeld, the Creator of Krav Maga; fighting techniques that he had devised, that he would later teach to the Israel Defense Forces, which focused on real-life situations, together with extremely efficient and brutal counter attacks. Having had hundreds of years to practice all her combat arts, she has become quiet adept at them. She has a tendency to use her physical abilities in most situations, only calling upon her other 'powers' when it is truly warranted, such as against another 'gifted' individual.

Cyrene has become the one that is called in whenever there were problems that the local mortal cult members were unable to handle. She was known to be cunning, ruthless, deadly and extremely beautiful; something she used to her advantage when necessary. More than one adversary had been lured by her looks and found only their demise at her deadly hands. Sometimes, she is called upon by a Cult leader, or even the Head of the Cult, Katul; but many times she receives her orders directly from Azazel himself. She goes where the order needs her, and it is often Death as her travel companion.

Again... ya just never know...

(reserved for Meri)

(reserved for Nimu)

Alice
Child Immortal Starting Occupation: none
Age: 22 (appears to be 6) Female 2'3" 65 lbs
Blue eyes, golden hair, pale skin tone
Concept: Very Weird One Organization: Solitare

---

Strength- 3
Dexterity- 5
Constitution- 5
Intelligence- 3
Willpower- 5
Perception- 4

Total XP: 0 (Used: 0)
LP: 67/67
Endurance: 44/44
Speed: 20
Essence: 77
Taint: 30

Qualities:
Immortal - 15 points
Attractiveness - 1 point
Artistic Talent (Sewing) - 3 points
Hard to Kill - 4 points

Drawbacks:
Accursed (doesn't regain Essence naturally, and must restore it via means similar to a vampire) - 1 point
Taint Mark (forehead 'tattoo', with the appearance of a neon green diamond with a moving red minute hand) - 2 points
Taint Wings - 3 points
Taint Decay (if 5 essence isn't spent each day, she would register as dead to most senses; cold to the touch, no pulse, etc.) - 1 point
Also of note is that plant and insect life within 1 foot of her dies without apparent reason.

Skills:
Acrobatics - level 4
Dancing (ballet) - level 4
Notice - level 2
Occult Knowledge (in the form of fairy tales and nursery rhymes) - level 2
Sewing - level 4
Singing - level 3

Power:
Increased Essence Pool - 3 points
Increased Taint Pool - 5 points
Taint - 5 points
Taint Channelling - effective level 1
Anchor (Innocence) - level 4
Necromancy (via Taint) - level 5
-"Mudoon" (Death Mastery: Wishkill) - level 5

Appearance:

Alice looks very much like a porcelain doll, with very pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. She wears a blue gothic-lolita style dress (kind of like this, just with different colours: [Link]), and as you can tell, has a few Tainted features that mark her quite clearly to both Mundane and Gifted alike.

Background:

Alice is Janelle's childhood friend... but, after a rather disturbing incident with a Tainted antique grandfather clock, she herself became Tainted. Furthermore, it was the same incident that caused her to Change, marking the end of her growth and leaving her appearing exactly the same, now an Immortal child.

Yet, she wouldn't fall to the madness that Taint brought about. Instead, she would be protected by the very same innocence that her preserved childhood maintained. Unfortunately, in her innocent state, this also means she's prone to unintentionally bring about the death of others just by wishing that they either go away or leave her alone.

Essentially, she's never aged physically or mentally since the incident that made her into what she is now.

Just cuz ya never know

Joe Kelly



Concept: Reluctant Hero (at least for the purposes of this story... I don't imagine Joe is going to want to believe in magic and immortals and such... and he sure isn't gonna be happy about getting wrapped up in a "war" between gifted and supernaturals...)

Character type: Mundane Hero

Description Gender: Male | Age: 35 | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 225
Race: Caucasian | Hair: Red | Eyes: Green

Strength: 5 Dexterity: 3 Constitution: 5
Intelligence: 3 Perception: 4 Willpower: 5

Life Points: 56
Endurance: 50
Speed: 16
Essence: 25

Qualities and Drawbacks: Level (Cost/XPs) Hard to Kill: 2 (2/0), Contacts: 5 (5/0), Nerves of Steel: 1 (3/0), Situational Awareness: 1 (2/0), Fast Reaction Time : 1 (2/0), Honorable: 3 (-3/0), Cruel: 1 (-1/0),

Skills: Level (Cost/XPs) Weight Lifting(): 2 (2/0), Sport (Football): 4 (4/0), Brawling: 5 (5/0), Guns (Handgun): 5 (5/0), (Rifle/Shotgun): 4 (/), First Aid: 2 (2/0), Questioning: 5 (5/0), Intimidation: 3 (3/0), Streetwise: 3 (3/0), Driving (Car): 2 (2/0), Surveillance: 3 (3/0), Humanities (Law): 4 (4/0), Notice: 2 (2/0),

Thoughts/RP notes on Joe Kelly: Note: this is a copy/paste of the info I sent to gboy when he was considering playing Joe... that's why it probably reads like a PM...

Joe Kelly and Alex Sharpe were partners on the Chicago PD for a good majority of their careers. If they didn't go to college or the academy together they certainly met shortly thereafter (perhaps when they were newly badged patrolmen or some such) and became friends, working together often even before they both made detective and actually got partnered up together on the Homicide Squad. They'd butt heads from time to time, of course, whether it was in the way a case (or a suspect) might've been handled or the standard disagreements that all friends might find themselves haggling over (politics, sports, religion - Joe's a Catholic (perhaps not devout, but definitely raised in that church) whereas Alex is a born and raised Wicce (like Joe, though, he wasn't terribly devout in regards to that... in fact, despite being "gifted" he never actively "practiced the craft" until after his wife was murdered). Anyhoo... like any "cop buddies" Alex and Joe were friends on and off duty (probably became best friends, even), had "family cookouts" together, etc. At that time, they were also known as two of the "best cops" in homicide and typically got handed the "big cases", yaddahyaddahyaddah...

Anyhoo, one night about three years ago or so, Joe and Alex are working a case when Alex gets a call on his cell... It's from a member of Emily's coven who, at the time, were convened at a warehouse performing some, as yet to be defined, ritual (which, Emily had repeatedly tried to get Alex to attend)... anyway, there's not much conversation on the call but there is a lot of screaming, shouting, and "god awful noise" (the coven is in the process of getting slaughtered by a group of Azazelites). Alex completely freaks out and just flat out abandons the crime scene that he and Joe are working and tears off to go find/help Emily and her coven... He gets to the warehouse and finds Emily and the other twelve members of her coven hanging upside down, flayed open, etc (here begins the "breaking point" or turning point, if you prefer, for Alex)... Long story short, here, there's still a handful of Zazies (a term Alex has coined for the cultists since this all happened) in the warehouse, too... Alex manages to shoot one but gets overpowered and ends up being tortured an nearly killed by them as well (this bit was alluded to in the Sharpness of Smoke thread that can be found in the Personal Creations forum here on the Inn... a Vampyre named Lucius showed up and ...scared the Zazies off, quite possibly saving Alex's life).

Joe eventually tracks Alex to the warehouse (having handed off the investigation they were working to whoever) and finds him, Em and her coven, and the one dead Zazy in the horrific, blood spattered crime scene... Alex is the only one close to alive. Joe does the "cop thing" - gets ambulances rolling, calls for backup, etc

Alex spends the next several weeks in the hospital and is obviously agonizing over his wife's death... even blaming himself (which he still does to this day, in fact)... Joe is handed the case which, unfortunately goes cold before too long (those Zazies are secretive, sneaky bastards, after all, and most "mundanes" wouldn't even have a clue how or even where to start looking). Alex finally gets released from the hospital and wallows in his misery (and drowning himself in scotch) at home while still recuperating (it's about this point at which Alex starts actively practicing the craft and honing his "gift")... Joe keeps Alex posted on the progress, of course, but, unfortunately there's not much progress being made and the department ends up shuffling the whole thing off to the "cold case" files. Alex returns to the force for a very short time, due to his burgeoning alcoholism, depression, and such, though, he's not put back out on the streets and gets exceedingly frustrated at the whole situation... ends up just quitting the force all together and, basically, just disappears from site... not contacting Joe or anyone else for that matter, etc, etc, etc...

Alex does end up getting a Private Investigators license and a concealed carry permit, though... (mainly so he can "pretend" to be doing the job while he's actually hunting down and killing any Azazelite he can find... especially the ones he remembers from that night... He does take the "real case" from time to time, of course, but he's hardcore into the vengeance thing... pretty careful about making sure none of his dirty deeds are traceable back to him, of course, and rarely leaves any sort of evidence behind when he finds and kills one of the Zazies. Unfortunately, Alex was super drunk when he geeked the most recent Zazy (the one mentioned in the current thread) and made more than one mistake in the act... it'll be part of my next post, in fact, so you'll likely be able to glean more details from that. In fact, that last kill of Alex's is what brought Joe to the shop in the opening post of the Stare thread and, if you haven't read the thread yet, is what's going to drag Joe back into Alex's life and, maybe, open his eyes to the fact that there's more to the Witchy Hocus Pocus crap than he might've imagined...

Anyway, Joe and Alex haven't seen much of each other or even spoken much in the past couple of years (the occasional phone call to say Happy Birthday or How ya doin' maybe a chance meeting at a bar called Clancy's where cops from the precinct tend to gather (see the Sharpeness of Smoke thread for more details there)- Both men still consider the other one a friend but have gone separate ways on their life paths... Joe's still a cop, of course, and Alex is a grungy, alcoholic, down on his luck PI who runs his "business" out of the Wicce bookshop that his wife opened up years ago - all the bookshop stuff is still there but the signage now reads "Sharpe Eye Investigations".

Ummm... what else? I figure Joe to be a friggin bull of a guy... Built like a linebacker... Of obvious Irish decent... and a good cop... I figure that, over the course of the telling of the tale, Joe's going to find out that Alex might've actually been responsible for killing not just the Zazy he's found at the beginning of the tale but possibly more as well... However, as Joe starts getting drawn back into Alex's life and gets "awakened" to the things going on in the world that most mundanes are oblivious to, he'll probably come to understand why...

Lucius Macaire Le Deschamps
Concept: Scoundrel
Association: Fellowship of Judas
Undead gain +3 to any Resisted Test or Task vs. an Inspired Miracle or Prayer that directly affects or restrains a member while performing a task of redemption. Non-Undead get +2 to any Resisted Test or Task vs. any Undead effect or Power (if used by non-undead).

Character type: Vampyre

Description Gender: Male
Age: 684
Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair: Black (worn long but very neat)
Eyes: Dark brown

Attributes Strength: 7
Dexterity: 6
Constitution: 6
Intelligence: 3
Perception: 4
Willpower: 3
Life Points: 62
Endurance: 0
Speed: 24
Essence: 65
Essence Channeling: 1

Qualities and Drawbacks: Vampyre: 1 (15/), ***still working
Skills: Acting: 4 (4/0), Fine Arts (Painting): 3 (3/0), Hand Weapon (Foil/Rapier): 5 (5/0), Humanities (Art History): 3 (3/0), (History): 5 (/), (Philosophy): 3 (/), (Wicce Theology): 3 (/), Language (English): 3 (3/0), (Spanish): 3 (/), (Latin): 2 (/), Occult Knowledge: 3 (6/0), Rituals (Vampyre): 3 (3/0), Seduction: 4 (4/0), ***still working
Metaphysics: Bard: 1 (9/0), Manipulate Emotions: 1 (2/0), ***still working

Notes on Lucius as sent to Nimu via PM for her post in which Penelope meets with the vampyre. Updates as required and possibly even a character sheet at some point

I hadn't really developed Lucius much beyond the fact that he's a Vampyre that showed up the night crap went south for Alex and was largely responsible for running off Eddie and the remaining Zazies that were intent of finishing Alex off... Maybe he even 'fed' on Alex some and that's what kept our miserable PI from actually giving up the ghost that night. *shrug* He's very old in my estimation (although I imagine him looking a bit like Armand in Interview With a Vampire, if that helps), born in France but has been a Chicago resident for a good century or more. (Had an idea originally that the "Great Fire" was actually started by some overzealous mundanes who discovered him once and tried to rid the city of him, but never really developed that too much). In the three plus years that have elapsed since that night, Lucius has kept in touch with Alex because, for some reason, he likes the guy and feels some kind of compulsion to "help him out" from time to time, most specifically alerting Alex to the identity or whereabouts of Zazies when and if he encounters them (he absolutely abhors tainted essence, you know... it's like spoiled wine to him and, by god, if this mortal witch is bent on cleaning the city of those bearing the stuff, he's more than happy to assist.)

What else? Very aristocratic... loves the nightlife (a la clubs, trendy restaurants, etc, and can usually be found in one of these types of places after the sun goes down) and very well dressed if somewhat of an anachronism in his choice of style. Lucius hasn't actually killed or 'turned' any of his victims in quite a long time (aside from those who may have actually deserved it)... he enjoys watching the antics of humans and often has fond recollections when he, himself, was other than what he is, now... although he does love his "life" and the opportunity it has given him to watch the rest of the world grow... Ummmm... rather friendly to most folks... I expect would be very friendly to Penelope and, if he was assured that she intended Alex no harm, would gladly lead her or direct her right to his door... "But of course, mon cheri, you'll find Alexander's offices on North Street in Old Town. Look for the Eye of Ra on the door... You can't miss it."

Mami Fortuna
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown
Height: 5' 1"
Weight: 135 lbs
Hair: Grey
Eyes: Brown
Type: Old One
Concept: Seeker/Weird One
Association: Solitaire

Attributes
Strength - 4
Dexterity - 4
Constitution - 4
Intelligence - 7
Perception - 7
Willpower - 7

Secondary Attributes
Life Points - 55
Endurance Points -
Speed - 16
Essence Pool - 228

Qualities
Age - 20+ (100)
Influence - 5 (15)
Old Soul - 5 (20)
Situational Awareness - 2
Old One - 1 (15)
- Immortal
- Invulnerable
- Gifted
- Greater Essence Channeling
- Greater Magic Resistance
- Superhuman Attributes
- Supernatural Senses
- Obfuscation

Drawbacks
Adversary - 5
Destitute - 10
Honorable - 3
Minority - 1
Oath of Duty - 4
Paranoid - 2
Recurring Nightmares - 1
Secret - 5
Total Obligation - 3
Weird Delusions - 3

Skills
Cheating - 3
Escapism - 1
Gambling - 3
Haggling - 3
Humanities - 5
History - 8
Instruction - 5
Intimidation - 3
Language (All) - 5
Magic Theory - 7
Martial Arts - 1
Myth and Legend - 10
Notice - 6
Occult Knowledge 10
Questioning - 6
Research/Investigation - 6
Rituals - 6
Smooth Talking - 3
Sleight of Hand - 2
Stealth - 2
Storytelling - 6
Streetwise - 4
Survival - 4
Surveillance - 2
Trance - 5
Unconventional Medicine - 2

Metaphysical
Communion - 10
Divination - 10
Farsight - 10
Gateway - 10
Hideaway - 5
Insight - 10
Locate - 10
Sending - 5
Soul Projection - 5
Spirit Mastery - 10
Warding - 5

Notes
Mami Fortuna is the wise crone, one of the Old Ones from before the before. The forgotten powers of a time so long ago even the memory of it has been forgotten. Yet she, remains, the haggard crone and divine oracle. Living on the fringes of society she makes her way in the world, never becoming directly involved. To most that see her, Mami Fortuna is no more than a crazy woman cast down to a life on the streets. They could not be more wrong. Even Immortals and the Gifted alike cannot see her true nature, for the Old Ones hide themselves. The old gods walk hidden among us.

...to make it easier to find for the moment.