Characters Black Book

Moridain · #1 08-06-2012, 07:12 PM

Sheets here please as well as your background (in spoiler tags).

Also include a basic description, a list of friends and family (names and a brief summary) and your goals for being in town.

If you could also make a note where you want to take your characters powers, I would appreciate it.

Put as much or as little as you want in secret tags.

GleefulNihilism · #2 08-07-2012, 12:59 AM

Zacherie Babineaux is pretty much the epitome of 'never judge a book by it's cover'. On the surface, he looks like just another dumb cajun hick with his thick accent and 'fancy clothes' of khaki pants, a hawaiian shirt, a collared jacket, and a nice hat. Not overall bad looking, but obviously lacks anything even resembling sophistication or a proper education. And for a while that's what he seems like too- but Zach is hiding a secret.

In a world where magic and the supernatural are hidden way, the women of the Babineaux family have been witches since before they came to the swamps of Louisana. Powerful ones too, especially when three of them from different generations work together. Usually good witches, though 'usually' is an important word there. The men, not so much - usually the male Babineaux might have enough magical mojo that they can light a candle. The Gift is still there, sure- they prove it in the fact that when they have daughters they have The Gift but for some reason The Gift only makes itself known in women. Ah well, what's a little disparaty in magical ability between family?

Zacherie's path would begin to stray from his family when that damn Vampire came to the swamps. Looking to challenge the witches, among his plots were biting Zacherie. He was rescued and the magic did manage to prevent him from becoming an actual Vampire but he would be Tainted. He's not Undead, but there is a little bit of Undeath inside him, coursing in his veins and trying to spread and corrupt him more and more.

The only good news was that the Taint actually awoke the magic in his bloodline, after a fashion. Zacherie suddenly found his magical abilities were comparable to his female relatives if a twisted version. Now able to use Black Magic and Necromancy, Zacherie's magic tended toward communication with and manipulation of Death and the Dead. Ghosts, Zombies, and other forms of the Undead and the Restless Dead now considering him a sort of intermediary with the living world. Maybe it's the Taint, maybe it's using the Black, or maybe it honestly was his own decision but it just didn't seem like a good idea to sit around while the Taint and the Black tries to rot him from the inside out, and the vampires are making moves on New Orleans. Can't be a coincidence, there's got to be a connection to all this.

The Babineaux Family isn't a big name on the list of official movers and shakers in the world. Not even a name you hear much in respectable society of the closest big city of New Orleans. But in some circles, in some ways of knowing, the name gets around. The Babineaux family doesn't look like much, like a family of swamp farmers with an unusual tradition of the women carrying the name and not the men but honestly, to the ones who know about Magic - the Babineaux are not a name to be taken lightly.

The Babineaux family have what they call The Gift. A high potential for Magic and an expression of that potential through wizardry and witchcraft runs in the family bloodline, especially along the women. Usually the most powerful women of three consecutive generations forms the Babineaux Coven, symbolizing themselves along the classical Crone, Mother, Maiden imagery. The men have the potential in them, but usually it doesn't express itself with any real strength.

Members Of Note -
"Maw-Maw" Babineaux, Zacherie's Grandmother and the current Crone and Matriarch of the Babineaux. Nobody has accused her of being a nice lady in years and she may not be much for book-learning but she's wise, cunning, and a powerful Witch along the Green side of things. Specializing in the magic of Life, but that's both the Flowers and the Predators. Still, she doesn't teach her family members to be fools.

Geraldine Babineaux, Zacherie's Mother and the current Mother of the Babineaux Coven. Next in line for leadership of the Coven but believes in Family above all else. Consciously decided to not specialize her magic in any way.

Adrianne Babineaux, Zacherie's Sister and the current Maiden of the Babineaux Coven. A teenage girl, but as the most powerful Babineaux of her generation pretty much had to join the Coven. In a rebellious phase. Is young enough to have not chosen her specialty yet, claims she's going to specialize in Red Magic - the Magic of Elemental Forces - but that's mostly just to piss off her family and in her heart is actually leaning White, especially since Zacherie's vampire bite.

Antoine Babineaux, Zacherie's Father. A gambler, an ex-army ranger turned ex-con artist who will joke that he married a witch because they're the only kind of women who can keep up with him. Has not even the faintest hint of magic in his blood but still has taught his son a lot. Zach's first lesson on how to throw a punch came from him, and how to play (and cheat) at Poker.

Remy Babineaux, Zacherie's Uncle, brother of Zacherie's Mother. Has the magical potential of the Babineaux line but can't express the magic to do much more then light candles. Still, he knows a thing or two about how knowledge really is power - especially when it's things like magical items and talismans.

The nearest big city may be New Orleans but the closest what can be considered civilization is the small town of La Boheme, Louisiana. Not a whole lot more then a wide spot on the highway, but it's home. Speaking of home and some of the people in it -

Mr. and Mrs. Portifoy, The Church Types. Zacherie never was much of a churchgoer of any type. The Portifoy's were the neighbors, though the Babineaux were so deep in the swamp that didn't actually say much. Still, not the worst neighbors to have. A bit heavy with their Bibles but some of the better lessons seem to have stuck. Like not gamblin' when you don't have the money for it for starters. They say that Mr. Portifoy is descended from the slaves that served there and used to be the butler but when the family he worked for lost the house he was able to keep it for himself. They're nice too- they say there ain't a household in 20 miles that isn't invited to lunch after church on Sunday.

Ace, Zach's Godfather and Antoine's old gambling buddy. Never tell him he's just a trucker. That's just a day job. Running a truck along the highways he goes between New Orleans and La Boheme as much as he can. Funny thing though - Ace always did like his namesake and always seems to have one up his sleeve. Even when you think he shouldn't. Like how does a trucker and gambler with no magical potential, and whose only known connection to magic is that his best friend married a witch, know so much about magical talismans and items - he can even make them in a pinch if you give him time and the right kind of ley lines.

The La Boheme Regulars. The name given to Zach and his friends when they were just kids. Amy, Charlie Proper, Other Charlie, Pete, and Zach. When they were kids the did what kids in poor towns like La Boheme, Louisiana did. Went outside, had adventures- and honestly with Zach it's hard to to tell how real some of those were even by the standards of kids. They're all grown up now of course. Charlie Proper took over his family's Hardware store, Amy and Other Charlie got married and opened a Diner- have a kid or two of their own. Pete went to New Orleans to get himself an education. Good on Pete, he was always the best of them all at book-learnin', says he's in Law School now- and he still takes the time to visit his mama.

Ehlana · #3 08-09-2012, 06:35 PM

Name: Alexandra Catherine Hayle
Race: Human
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Concept: Witch
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Wealth: 18

Abilities:
STR 8
DEX 18
CON 18
INT 14
WIS 18
CHA 10

Saves:
Fort: +10
Reflex: +10
Will: +10

Combat:
Tough +4
Attack: +3
Defense: +9
Grapple: +1
Init: +1

Skills:
Concentration 10
Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 8
Sense Motive: 8
Stealth: 8
Profession: Journalism: 6

Feats:
Attack Specialization (Magic): +5
Ritualist
Benefit: Wealth 2
Imp. Critical: Disintegration (5)

Powers:
Magic
Rank 20
Effect: Various
Action: Standard
Range: Ranged
Duration: Instant
Feats: Alternate Powers (6)
Cost: 46

Command Fate: Telekinesis 8, Damaging, Perception, Precise, Subtle
Tool to Hand: Create Object 4, Precise, Subtle
Opps: Nullify 10 (Magic), Power Resistance
Tie the Threads Together: Emotion Control 10, Subtle
Break the Scissors: Healing 17 Persistent, Regrowth, Subtle
False Fate: Illusions: 10, Sound and Sight, Subtle
Right Place, Right Time: Teleport 18, Subtle, 1/day

Protection: 6, Impervious, Subtle
Super Senses 4, Magical Senses, Acute, Extended, Radius

“Darling Alix, how have you been?” Conventional words, superficially warm, ice underneath.
“Well.” Alix, more formally known as Alexandra Catherine Hayle, didn’t bother to infuse her voice with any spurious warmth. She didn’t look up from the article on summer colors she was drafting either. All nonsense, but it was something to do and women’s magazines paid well enough for such nonsense that she was able to afford extravagances that her moderate trust fund would not have provided.
“Are you not going to ask how I have been?” This time the voice was pouty, though no less cold underneath.
“No.” Alix answered. She had long ago decided that there was no point at all in playing her older sister’s games. She did look up though, she’d finished the paragraph and Tiffany would not go away until she’d gotten what she wanted. The two of them made a charming picture, a pair of slim blondes, carefully dressed and made up, their fine features marked with a decided family resemblance. The extra years on Tiffany’s side hardly showed at all, even in the direct sunlight where Alix sat. “Why are you here?” She asked her sister directly.
“I am here as the leader of the coven. You should show more respect.” Tiffany sat down across from Alix, mouth tight.
“Put it to the challenge.” Alix suggested, unimpressed. She’d come into the world four years after Tiffany and she’s quickly learned that she had to claw for anything she wanted. It was Tiffany who had learned it first from their mother, however, and Tiffany had learned far, far better than Alix how to handle people. If Alix had learned instead the ability to feel some small amounts of pity and compassion, well, it hadn’t been of any practical use to her. Despite magical powers so evenly matched that even those with the ability to see the future could not predict the outcome of a duel between the two, Tiffany had been the clear choice to succed their mother as head of the coven. It was a source of cold amusement if not of consolation that some of the coven members who had supported Tiffany were now living to regret it.
“I wouldn’t want to deplete your powers. You’ll need them.” Tiffany cooed. She stopped then, only continuing when it became abundantly clear that Alix wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of even raising an eyebrow by way of inquiry. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors of what’s going on down in New Orleans, dear sister. A Vampire Lord and a Black Mage at war with one another…. Could get very messy. We wouldn’t want the mundanes seeing what they shouldn’t. We wouldn’t want to see New Orleans turn into a town of the dead. Black Magicians can be so… crude.” Tiffany’s nose was wrinkled in distaste and for a moment the two sisters were in sympathy with each other.
If the Twisted Threads coven had ever engaged in such crude magics as calling upon spirits, conjuring lightning or raising the dead, they’d given it up generations ago. Why do something so obvious as strike someone down with a bolt of lightning out of the clear blue sky when you could simply arrange for a power line to slip loose and fall on them? Why vanish in a flash and a bang of smoke, reappearing the same way, when you could quietly arrange that instead of –here-, you were over –there-, which was where fate knew you ought to be anyway? There was always a chance, no matter how infinitesimal of what you wanted to happen being what was going to happen. The trick was all in playing with that chance.
“So you’ve hit upon this as a method of getting me out of the way.” Alix spoke and the sympathy between them was gone. Tiffany’s lower lip slid out in another pout.
“You have no heart, Alix.” She complained.
“Certainly there’s only one heart between the two of us.” Alix agreed. She was thinking. Apart from the fact that this involved going to the godforsaken, uncivilized wilderness known as New Orleans, the idea of leaving was actually attractive. It would get her away from Tiffany’s machinations and distance her from the rest of the coven. She suspected that her sister’s methods of rule would provoke a coup sooner or later. Lacking sympathy with either side, she preferred to be out of the way until the laws of chance stopped spinning. It was also entirely possible that if she managed to stay out of it, the winner of such a conflict would be weakened enough to allow –her- to step in and take over.
The situation down in New Orleans didn’t worry her. The Black Magician, a yokel from the countryside, according to her information, would most likely get himself killed in short order. She might be put to some trouble cleaning up his messes before then and in persuading the Vampire Lord to play nice after the event. Even both of them together would likely prove less trouble than her sister, however. There was also the fact that a ready agreement would dismay and confused that sister. Alix never gave in easily to Tiffany
“In any case, I’ll begin packing.” She said with a small shrug, enjoying the look on her sister’s face as she hit save and closed up her laptop. One had to take one’s small pleasures where one could.

Twisted Threads Coven
“You new in town, huh? You been hearin’ ‘bout the ones what’s on top of our little world, here in this city and you askin’ me ‘bout them? That be the Twisted Threads, brother. Fine buncha ladies, wouldn’t hear –nothin’- against them.
….Ah, I see you smilin’, brother. You not gettin’ it. You thinkin’ you can do whatever you want here. Not with the Twisted Threads ‘round here. You makin’ too much noise, they make you quiet –real- permanent like.
….Ahright, ahright. You comin’ on over here. Talk quietly. They might be listenin’ and when they might, that usually mean they are. They got Fate and Chance all tied up and leashed like them little fancy dogs rich folk keep in them silly purses. They ain’t predators like you’n me, but they sure ain’t nice. Got all the mercy of an oncoming double-decker bus. Got all the patience of a taxi-man at rush hour. Got all the warmth and power of them killer ice storms what be the only thing that shut down this city. You takin’ my advice, you keepin’ your head low. They don’t be carin’ much what happens at the bottom of the city, so long as it doesn’t get big.
….You still not listenin’ to me. Well, you be learnin’ the hard way. Not gonna be gettin’ much use from that lesson where you be. But you be learnin’.”
-One-sided transcript of the words spoken to a vampire recently arrived in New York city, before he was impaled by the crossbeam of a telephone pole knocked over by a car.

The Fool · #4 08-10-2012, 05:39 PM

Ghede Babaco