Application to Mayfield

[sanctus_dei]

Character Name: Theodore Henry Crawford, Theo for short.
Character Series: original character
Character Age: 19
Background: Theo was born in 1929 in San Francisco, California, the youngest of two boys. His parents were simple factory workers, trying their best to keep their poor family fed during the Depression Era, so Theo grew up with very little in his life.

In Theo's world, magic and its casters are a real thing, as well as a few superhuman races (notably werewolves, who are dying out, and a race of creatures that have been dubbed as demons erroneously), but to the general public, they were something to stay away from, something to be feared. Theo, however, was always fascinated with them, wanted to learn what it was like to be like them. Compared to a poor boy on the streets struggling to survive, the life of a magic user seemed fantastical and fun; people who could be heroes, who could change the world for the better. In reality, magicians were a sequestered lot, living in communes, sharing their knowledge and generally staying away from the general public. Magic in their world was a scholarly pursuit, steeped in rituals and intense practice and discipline. In San Francisco, Lumen Conscientia was the leading magic guild, but joining was difficult. Not only did you need that inner spark that gifted with magic – a thing still not understood even by the most seasoned magical scholars – but you needed contacts. Nepotism made the LC go round, and a lower-class nobody like Theo never had a chance to join their ranks.

A quiet and withdrawn boy by nature, Theo kept to himself, doing whatever he could to find books regarding magic and studying them profusely. Lucky for him, he had the gift for casting – but magic was a very difficult thing to learn, almost impossible without instruction. Still, Theo kept his talent hidden from his family, and tried practicing whenever he could. Eventually his older brother, Greg, found out about it. Greg was 7 years older than Theo, and practically raised Theo in place of his absentee parents. The two boys were very close, but even so, Greg wasn't exactly thrilled about his little brother learning something so dangerous. He tried to dissuade Theo, but even he couldn't convince him out of it. One day, Theo knew he was going to be a famous mage and would help the world with magic.

By nature, Theo was nervous and backward, despite his aspirations. During his studies, it didn't take long for him to become obsessed, amazed at the fact that he could cast magic. After all, only certain people were ever gifted this amazing ability, and he was among the chosen. He quickly grew narcissistic, even monomaniacal. There was just something off about Theo Crawford. Self-absorbed and selfish, he couldn't understand why the magic guilds in San Francisco could turn down such a rising talent like himself, when it was so obvious he was going to change the face of magic! But again and again, Theo was a victim of politics, shut out of studying magic at any reputable school. At a young age he became bitter and disillusioned with the guilds, resenting them and their members.

It wasn't all pomp, though. It turned out Theo really was incredibly gifted in magic. But a magician with no focus and training was a danger to himself and others. One of his last resorts for training was a magician who was practically a legend in San Francisco, a man who was known only as Doc Gravity. Doc was an infamous figure, especially amongst the prestigious Lumen Conscientia. Anyone outside of the LC knew the story like this: As a former member of the LC, Ed Grayson one day disappeared with loads of magical texts and supplies. He had managed to study with them for almost two years, centering in alchemy, and literally ran off in the middle of the night with scores of priceless works. He hid in plain sight within San Francisco, as a traveling magician and snake oil salesman called Doc Gravity. He wasn't discovered until he came forward to help the LC take down the traitorous Konrad Kirsch, who tried to overtake the LC and even San Francisco with powerful mind-manipulating spells. Doc had worked closely with Konrad during his time in the LC and knew how to foil his spells. He had helped save the LC and the city, and then disappeared again as mysteriously has he had surfaced. A figure like Doc G was almost mythical to mages like Theo, even though they barely knew the real story behind him. Nevertheless, Theo spent almost every waking hour trying to track him down, finally finding him hiding out in San Francisco's underground, working in the black market in the trade of magical items and potions.

Young Theo was in awe of Doc G – in his eyes, a clever, amazingly talented alchemist who had attained the impossible, the most sought-after work of all magicians – he has successfully created an immortality potion. Doc was well into his 60s, but barely looked over 35. Theo hounded Doc about becoming his student, but Doc wasn't interested in having students. After all, Doc had a dark secret that no one currently alive knew – that he *actually* didn't know how to cast magic. He didn't have that gift for casting other mages did, and has spent a lifetime faking alchemy with his knowledge of the subject, chemistry, and simple parlor tricks. The immortality potion wasn't a trick; he had created it accidentally, and it had some terrible side effects. Pride kept Doc from telling anyone this, let alone Theo, and ended up taking him on as a student anyway. Theo was beyond thrilled. Finally, someone who would listen to him! Who would teach him what he needed to know, how to cast correctly, how to be an amazing person whose magic would one day change the world!

However, Doc made for a poor mentor. Too proud to ever admit the truth, bitter and jaded about magic in general, Doc mostly ignored then 15-year-old Theo. Despite all his efforts to gain his mentor's favor and praise, Theo was mostly just handed books to read, then ignored. Doc was well-versed in magic, and had great knowledge on the subject, but was unskilled and couldn't give Theo the practical lessons he needed. A mage who could cast but who didn't know how to focus their power was very dangerous. Not only could their spells go wrong, with lethal results, but a caster who didn't know how to channel magical energy properly and pace themselves could easily kill themselves. Improper casting could take minutes, hours, days, even years off your life. And yet, Doc didn't bother with Theo, letting him practice alone. He never really wanted a student, and couldn't be bothered to put much effort into teaching him. This went on for almost two years. To Theo, Doc could do no wrong, and put up with the harsh treatment in order to learn.

But, one day, Theo had enough. Something in him just snapped. Always avoided, always pushed aside, never good enough for anyone else, and now ignored by the one person he admired most in this world, whom he practically worshiped. So Theo pulled just what Doc had done to the LC decades previous – stole as many of his books and supplies from him as possible. Doc had a lot, too, being a major dealer in black market magical goods.

With that, Theo disappeared from him worrying family and the magical community. He lived alone outside the city for another two years, throwing himself into his studies to be the greatest caster the country – no, the *world* had ever seen! He ended up mostly studying in necromancy. He had started on it when working under Doc, but tried not to get caught since he knew that it tended to be retarded with disgust and fear by other magicians. Raising and controlling the dead was discouraged by the guilds and left out of studies, outlawed in some circles completely. What a perfect area for a guy like Theo. And, it turned out, he was amazing at it. It was his niche, but he couldn't seem to do too many varied spells with it, but it didn't matter. He could raise the dead, and make them do what he wanted. They bowed to his whim. They did what HE said. He practiced it until he could cast it with seemingly little effort. That's when he made his move.

It was winter of 1948. Over the course of a few weeks, Theo begins setting up the necessary circles and rituals around the cemeteries of San Francisco and surrounding cities. He manages to have the spells lay dormant and hidden, as to go unnoticed by other casters. They're set to cause earthquakes, helping shake loose California's dead from the ground, letting them loose upon the public. Theo even goes as far as killing random strangers right before the spell is set to add fuel to the fire. Now 19 years old, Theo knows his name will be known and feared – and he's right. The spell actually goes off, and does what he had hoped. But it hadn't gone unnoticed. Not long before he set it off, casters in San Francisco found Theo's evidence, and not only alert their own allies, but even mundane authorities, namely the FBI, who had as of recently started getting more involved in the control of magic and guilds.

The mages knew this was going to be bad, and they were right. They were too late to stop Theo's assault, and a near 200-mile radius of California was under his mercy. He was finally getting what he wanted. NOW everyone would know who he was, and they would never forget. The cities were under siege by vicious living dead, a horrible army of zombies that were tough and strong, all operating with a hive-mind under Theo's complete control. They attacked and killed anyone and anything in their wake.

Theo was beyond ecstatic. He'd worked a lifetime to gain this much power, this much notoriety, and it was finally happening. But his desire to be seen and watch San Francisco bend to his will is what got him in the end. Instead of staying somewhere secure, he was in the city itself, watching people scramble, flee, scream and die. He had no idea that the FBI had a fix on his location. Theo was well protected by his minions, but with the help of the other casters, they managed to fight them off and get to Theo. Despite the casters' warnings, Theo is executed on the spot by the FBI. The spell goes wild, but eventually fades, and is brought under control by the other magicians.

Theo had gotten what he wanted. Thanks to him, magic is strictly controlled by the government from then on. Magicians need to be registered and are forced into guilds to learn to control and curb their abilities. Evidence in his case also leads back to Doc, who's arrested by the FBI (who then make his life hell for the next 60+ years). People, especially casters, don't soon forget the name of Theo Crawford, the man who had changed the face of magic forever, for the worse.

The lucky boy will wake up in Mayfield when the last thing he remembers is taking a bullet in the skull.

Personality: As a young boy, Theo was quiet and shy, hiding under the shadow of his big brother. He never really had any friends, preferring to sit alone with books, too unsure and awkward to approach others. With no formal education, he relied on Greg to help him learn to read. Even as a kid, Theo was doing everything he could to study magic, and did whatever he could to get his hands on magic books, which was hard for someone not in a guild.

From a young age he had a strong work ethic instilled in him, since he had to work to help keep a roof over his head and food on his table. Theo knows how important hard work is if you want to get your goals accomplished. He's relentlessly tenacious, and damn anyone in his way. He'll use anyone he has to and discard them later. His compassion disappeared a long time ago, and he cares little about the feelings of others. He has little remorse for his actions or regard for human life, especially if it's for furthering his goals. As a kid he lacked any confidence, but becoming skilled in magic gave him an inflated and twisted sense of self-worth. Now he's egotistical and narcissistic, with a layer of scared little kid still hiding beneath. Anything that rattles his confidence will be met with violent hostility. He acts superior to most people, condescending, looking down on others not as talented as himself. His biggest pet peeve is being ignored, dismissed or blown off, which usually causes him to lose his cool instantly.

Theo doesn’t have many practical skills. He worked in a textile factory as a kid, so he picked up a few things about the manufacturing of it just by being around it long enough. He knows a little bit of chemistry and Latin thanks to his work with Doc G. But other than magic, he knows nothing about sciences, math, history, etc., and honestly doesn’t really care. It doesn’t help further his immediate goals. He’s intelligent, enough to handle memorizing and casting complicated spells, but he lacks in experience and common sense.

Studying magic isn’t a lucrative career, so Theo’s always been dirt poor. Nevertheless, he tries to do his best to dress nice and look good. He does his best to keep his clothing and suits in order, but they’re old and worn. He’s not exactly attractive but thinks pretty highly of himself. Someone of his caliber *should* look good, right? He’s not intimidating-looking however, despite how he acts. He stands at about 5’9”, skinny, with messy auburn hair and freckles. Even though he’s only 19, Theo comes off as a bit older thanks to the perpetual dark circles under his eyes and looking pale and exhausted. Thanks to improper casting of incredibly powerful magic, Theo’s sucked up most of his natural lifespan. If he wasn’t killed, he wouldn’t have made it past age 30 anyway.

Besides magic, Theo’s other passion is good wine. Just like magic, it was something else that was a class above him, and he studied up on it as well. Now he does his best to get his hands on good vintages. He had managed to collect a few before he died. He’s never been very social, but Mayfield would probably cause him to get out more, if only to study the residents. Since he’s never really had any friends (and probably won’t be making any in Mayfield either), he doesn’t know what he would do with them anyway, or why he needs them. People are but a means to an end, right? He’s curious about people, as if he is somehow outside of the human race (mages ARE better than normal humans after all), like they’re apes and he’s an anthropologist studying them. He likes poking their buttons to see how different people react to different things. Mind games are fun. Watch them squirm.

His days in Mayfield will be spent antagonizing his family, trying to figure out how to get his magic back sooner than later, and plotting how to bring the town down once he does. Chaos and confusion and death are all fun and interesting, and he gets bored quickly.

Abilities: Theo's a talented and strong necromancer, and can resurrect the dead using powerful magical spells and rituals. He can turn a corpse into your standard, shuffling, decayed, brain-consuming zombie, or a more intelligent slave type, mostly devoid of personality and free will. If he makes enough of the latter, he can connect them together as a hive-mind into a fearsome army. He's an incredibly powerful magician, but without proper schooling and control, he can't do much beyond that. However, they're still very devastating spells. He has a lot of potential.