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TRJ - Application
Jan. 7th, 2022 09:19 pmOOC Info
Player: Lan
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
hellglass
Age Confirmation: well over 18 orz
Other Characters: N/A
IC Info
Character: Theodore H. Crawford. Theo for short.
Canon: original
Canon Point: December 1948
Age: 19
History:
Theo was born in 1929 in San Francisco, California, the youngest of two boys. His parents were textile 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.
Magic is very real in Theo's world, 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, these were things to stay away from, something to be feared. Little was known of magic and the supernatural to your average person. Theo, however, was always fascinated with mages, wanted to nothing more than to be one. Compared to a poor boy on the streets struggling to survive, the life of a magic user seemed like an exciting fairy tale; people who could be heroes, who could change the world for the better, who could bend reality to their whims. In actuality, magicians were a sequestered lot, living in communes known as guilds, sharing their knowledge with each other and generally staying away from the general public. Magic was a scholarly pursuit, steeped in rituals and intense practice and discipline. In San Francisco, Lumen Conscientia was the only worthwhile 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 and money 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A quiet and withdrawn boy by nature, Theo kept to himself, doing whatever he could to find books regarding magic and studying them profusely. Most of what he had were stolen books from the dark corners of bookstores that he wasn't supposed to even be allowed into. Luckily 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 love magic too, and make people not so afraid of it.
By nature, Theo was quiet and awkward, despite his lofty 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 and monomaniacal. There was just something off about Theo Crawford, and the more time he spent alone obsessing, the more warped his personality got. 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 just 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 vanity, though. It turned out Theo really was incredibly gifted in magic. But a magician with no focus or 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 by the moniker 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 around the city and nearby towns, working 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. He disappeared before they could punish him for his past grifts. 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, he was 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 looked about 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, which was 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, though. He had created it accidentally, and it had some terrible side effects – the terrible punishment of someone playing with forces beyond their control. 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 and pay attention to him! Someone who would teach him what he needed to know, how to cast correctly, and help shape him into the 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 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 neglect in order to learn.
But, one day, Theo had enough, and something in him just snapped. Always avoided, always pushed aside, never good enough for anyone else, and now ignored by the one person he idolized. So Theo pulled just what Doc had done to the LC decades previous, and 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 his worrying family and the magical community. He lived alone outside the city for another two years, throwing himself into his studies to become the greatest caster the country – no, the world! 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 regarded with disgust and fear by other magicians. Raising and controlling the dead was discouraged by the guilds and left out of studies, outlawed in many circles completely. What a perfect area for a guy like Theo. And, it turned out, he was amazing at it. All mages have their niche that they excel in, and this was Theo's. 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 told them to do. 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 just outside of San Francisco. He managed to have the spells lay dormant and hidden, as to go unnoticed by other casters. They were set to cause earthquakes as well as raise the dead, helping them loose from cemeteries and letting them loose upon the public. Theo even goes as far as killing random strangers the night before the spell is set to add fuel to the fire, stalking lone people in the city with a knife, and raising them afterwards. Now at only 19 years old, Theo knew his name will be known and feared, and he's right. The spell actually goes off, and does what he had hoped, but his personal handiwork hadn't gone unnoticed. Not long before he set it off, casters in San Francisco found Theo's spell circles. They alert their allies, and even the mundane authorities of the FBI, who had as of recently started getting more involved in the investigation of magic and guilds.
The local mages knew this was going to be bad, and they were too late to stop Theo's assault fast enough. A near 20-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 city and its countryside were under siege by vicious living dead, a horrible army of zombies that were strong, all operating with a hive-mind under Theo's complete control. They attacked and killed anyone and anything in their wake. Unbeknownst to Theo, his own family would be victimized in the assault, with his father dying to protect Theo's mother.
Theo was beyond ecstatic in the moment. 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 from a hilltop. 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. Not that it mattered much, as the energy Theo exerted in order to cast the spell was so great, he wouldn't have lived past a week now anyway. The spell goes wild, but eventually fades, and is brought under control by the other magicians.
Theo had gotten what he wanted – his name, deeds and power remembered forever. But 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 was 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.
About:
As a young boy, Theo was quiet and shy, hiding under the shadow of his big brother. He never 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 needed to get his hands on the right books, which was hard for someone not in a guild. It was difficult to study magic on his own without a formal education in math and science as a basis, but he tried his best to learn.
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 fizzled out a long time ago, and he's never had much empathy for anyone. 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 that 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, which usually causes him to lose his cool instantly.
Theo will tell you that he doesn't care what other people think of him, but that's a big lie. Theo actually cares quite a bit of what other people think of him, wanting to appear impressive and fearsome. Deep down he wants nothing more than to be adored and praised for his power and intelligence. He just doesn't go about trying to get attention in a positive manner.
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 little about sciences, math, or history. Unless it's something that will directly help him with magic, he's usually not interested. 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 unless you're very experienced, so Theo’s always been dirt poor. He nevertheless tries to dress nicely 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 handsome, but thinks pretty highly of himself. He thinks that if he looks good, he will appear more important. While he's like to think of himself as intimidating, he doesn't much look it, despite how he acts. He stands at about 5’8”, severely underweight, 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 or hadn't pulled off the zombie attack, he would have been lucky to see age 30. His incessant smoking over the last couple of years wasn't helping either.
Besides magic, Theo’s other passion is good wine. Just like magic, it was something else that was a class above him, something he felt made him seem more learned and respectable. He had studied up on it and did his best to get his hands on good vintages. He had managed to collect a few before he died, through (you guessed it) theft. It ultimately lead him into a bad drinking habit, a coping mechanism for his harsh life.
Theo has never been very social, and has never had any friends. He doesn’t know what he would do with them anyway, or why he needs them. People to him are a means to an end. He often views people as if he was outside the human race himself, as if a necromancer was a superior species to them. He likes poking their buttons to see how different people react to different things. Never having friends or a social life, and lacking in empathy, he has no idea how to talk with people or how to treat them. He doesn't trust people, and can be paranoid of what he perceives their intentions to be.
Theo will have mixed reactions to being brought back to life. At first he would jump at the chance, but will feel regret later. Even with his usual disregard for human life or knowing of the later consequences of what he did, he knows he took it too far. In the end, it only got him killed, and all the work he had done over the years was for nothing. Knowing that everyone would hate him after his death would take a huge toll on him, but he would deny that. He will feel as if he should have been kept dead and will not feel as if he deserves redemption. But with his deep-down desire to be praised and accepted, it is definitely something he would work towards after some time. He has a lot to work out first.
Skills and Abilities:
Theo's a strong spellcaster, talented in necromancy, and can resurrect the dead using powerful magical spells and rituals. He can turn a corpse into your standard, 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, and he can still do some smaller, less destructive and general spells. He has a lot of potential but is too inexperienced to use it properly.
Why does your character need to be redeemed?
Deep, deep down in there, there is a spark of a human being in Theo. It's not unreachable, but it sure seems that way most of the time. While he'll hide it, he feels remorse for his actions and wants nothing more to be loved like any other person. But without that remorse, he never would have been considered for this chance for redemption in the first place.
He just has a lot to learn when it comes to reaching out to others, and letting himself be reached. He has a lot of obvious mental health issues he needs help overcoming that he would never be able to do on his own. Considering his paranoia, and the fact that he feels he's not deserving of forgiveness, it's going to take a lot of work. Having his powers taken away will have him furious, but it's really the best course of action if Theo is ever going to be even close to normal. Removing the thing he is dangerously obsessed with is the only way to get him there. Whether its his Warden or other people in the game, someone willing to hear him out and forgive him for his past crimes will do wonders for him, once he can learn to trust them. If Theo can become friends with just one good person, I'd consider it a success. Also, his Warden will be advised to never recommend him for having his powers returned, even partially. Otherwise, any work on his redemption will be undone very quickly. He would have to be totally and thoroughly rehabilitated in order to use his powers for good, which would most likely only happen after his graduation. But it's probably just best to keep him depowered permanently and work on breaking his obsession with magic.
In order to graduate, the most important first step would be getting him to admit what he did was wrong, and that he's sorry about it. He's riddled with guilt, but getting him to actually admit this out loud, and mean it, is the biggest part. Admitting when he's wrong is really difficult for him, and when the consequences of what he did were so huge, it'll only make him more reluctant to admit it. In his eyes, if he was sorry for what he did, then what was the point to any of it? It's some pretty powerful denial he's trapped in.
The thing that will help get him there is time, and learning that there actually are other people in the universe he can trust. Not everyone is out there to stab him in the back, or hates him immediately, like he presumes. But he also needs to learn to stop turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In the future, after rehabilitation and upon graduation, he'd ask to be able to undo the attack as the reward. He wouldn't care as if he was still dead, as long as that can be fixed instead. If you asked him right now, upon entry to the game, what he'd want, he'd probably just say to be alive again back home it to have his powers back. But in order to graduate, he'd need to get to the point where he can get past the selfishness and denial and come to this realization. If he's lucky to be sent home alive, then he can work on those other goals mentioned above. But that'll remain to be seen!
Charges: Mass murder/terrorism, just so much murder. Around 1000 people died that day in his assault. If you want more, he's committed tons of theft in his life, and necromancy itself could be considered a crime (a lot of desecration of corpses there).
Pick and Choose:
What would push your character to "act out" on the ship?
There are a few things that could cause this, but chief among them is Theo is ignored or dismissed. It's the thing that can push him into a violent reaction, and he wouldn't hesitate to take it out on the offending party if they do it enough. Theo also has a tendency of drinking too much, meaning he can get surly and punchy in a whole different way. Another is boredom. Theo is like a cat, where he craves any kind of attention he can get, even if it's because he's doing something wrong. If he's bored enough, he may just try to get a rise out of people, just to see if he can get them to be the ones to explode instead.
He'll also be doing whatever he can to find books on magic, which should be kept from him entirely. Theo has experience making deals with black market dealers, and will be willing to do a lot to get his hands on them without anyone else knowing.
Graduation:
When he was very young, Theo wanted to use magic for good, to show people it wasn't something to be feared, but an incredible wonder that would help people surpass their own limits. Something that would test the boundaries of reality and usher in new eras for human kind. Instead, mages hid away from a fearful public and magic was insular for centuries. Theo needs to be reminded of this idea and his wish to share this power, instead of hording it all for himself. If he could undo the crimes he committed, he could still help to make magic something accessible to everyone, despite that what did caused the exact opposite of that in the future of his world.
Sample: Test drive
Player: Lan
Contact:
Age Confirmation: well over 18 orz
Other Characters: N/A
IC Info
Character: Theodore H. Crawford. Theo for short.
Canon: original
Canon Point: December 1948
Age: 19
History:
Theo was born in 1929 in San Francisco, California, the youngest of two boys. His parents were textile 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.
Magic is very real in Theo's world, 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, these were things to stay away from, something to be feared. Little was known of magic and the supernatural to your average person. Theo, however, was always fascinated with mages, wanted to nothing more than to be one. Compared to a poor boy on the streets struggling to survive, the life of a magic user seemed like an exciting fairy tale; people who could be heroes, who could change the world for the better, who could bend reality to their whims. In actuality, magicians were a sequestered lot, living in communes known as guilds, sharing their knowledge with each other and generally staying away from the general public. Magic was a scholarly pursuit, steeped in rituals and intense practice and discipline. In San Francisco, Lumen Conscientia was the only worthwhile 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 and money 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. Most of what he had were stolen books from the dark corners of bookstores that he wasn't supposed to even be allowed into. Luckily 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 love magic too, and make people not so afraid of it.
By nature, Theo was quiet and awkward, despite his lofty 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 and monomaniacal. There was just something off about Theo Crawford, and the more time he spent alone obsessing, the more warped his personality got. 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 just 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 vanity, though. It turned out Theo really was incredibly gifted in magic. But a magician with no focus or 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 by the moniker 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 around the city and nearby towns, working 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. He disappeared before they could punish him for his past grifts. 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, he was 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 looked about 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, which was 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, though. He had created it accidentally, and it had some terrible side effects – the terrible punishment of someone playing with forces beyond their control. 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 and pay attention to him! Someone who would teach him what he needed to know, how to cast correctly, and help shape him into the 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 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 neglect in order to learn.
But, one day, Theo had enough, and something in him just snapped. Always avoided, always pushed aside, never good enough for anyone else, and now ignored by the one person he idolized. So Theo pulled just what Doc had done to the LC decades previous, and 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 his worrying family and the magical community. He lived alone outside the city for another two years, throwing himself into his studies to become the greatest caster the country – no, the world! 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 regarded with disgust and fear by other magicians. Raising and controlling the dead was discouraged by the guilds and left out of studies, outlawed in many circles completely. What a perfect area for a guy like Theo. And, it turned out, he was amazing at it. All mages have their niche that they excel in, and this was Theo's. 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 told them to do. 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 just outside of San Francisco. He managed to have the spells lay dormant and hidden, as to go unnoticed by other casters. They were set to cause earthquakes as well as raise the dead, helping them loose from cemeteries and letting them loose upon the public. Theo even goes as far as killing random strangers the night before the spell is set to add fuel to the fire, stalking lone people in the city with a knife, and raising them afterwards. Now at only 19 years old, Theo knew his name will be known and feared, and he's right. The spell actually goes off, and does what he had hoped, but his personal handiwork hadn't gone unnoticed. Not long before he set it off, casters in San Francisco found Theo's spell circles. They alert their allies, and even the mundane authorities of the FBI, who had as of recently started getting more involved in the investigation of magic and guilds.
The local mages knew this was going to be bad, and they were too late to stop Theo's assault fast enough. A near 20-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 city and its countryside were under siege by vicious living dead, a horrible army of zombies that were strong, all operating with a hive-mind under Theo's complete control. They attacked and killed anyone and anything in their wake. Unbeknownst to Theo, his own family would be victimized in the assault, with his father dying to protect Theo's mother.
Theo was beyond ecstatic in the moment. 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 from a hilltop. 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. Not that it mattered much, as the energy Theo exerted in order to cast the spell was so great, he wouldn't have lived past a week now anyway. The spell goes wild, but eventually fades, and is brought under control by the other magicians.
Theo had gotten what he wanted – his name, deeds and power remembered forever. But 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 was 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.
About:
As a young boy, Theo was quiet and shy, hiding under the shadow of his big brother. He never 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 needed to get his hands on the right books, which was hard for someone not in a guild. It was difficult to study magic on his own without a formal education in math and science as a basis, but he tried his best to learn.
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 fizzled out a long time ago, and he's never had much empathy for anyone. 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 that 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, which usually causes him to lose his cool instantly.
Theo will tell you that he doesn't care what other people think of him, but that's a big lie. Theo actually cares quite a bit of what other people think of him, wanting to appear impressive and fearsome. Deep down he wants nothing more than to be adored and praised for his power and intelligence. He just doesn't go about trying to get attention in a positive manner.
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 little about sciences, math, or history. Unless it's something that will directly help him with magic, he's usually not interested. 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 unless you're very experienced, so Theo’s always been dirt poor. He nevertheless tries to dress nicely 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 handsome, but thinks pretty highly of himself. He thinks that if he looks good, he will appear more important. While he's like to think of himself as intimidating, he doesn't much look it, despite how he acts. He stands at about 5’8”, severely underweight, 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 or hadn't pulled off the zombie attack, he would have been lucky to see age 30. His incessant smoking over the last couple of years wasn't helping either.
Besides magic, Theo’s other passion is good wine. Just like magic, it was something else that was a class above him, something he felt made him seem more learned and respectable. He had studied up on it and did his best to get his hands on good vintages. He had managed to collect a few before he died, through (you guessed it) theft. It ultimately lead him into a bad drinking habit, a coping mechanism for his harsh life.
Theo has never been very social, and has never had any friends. He doesn’t know what he would do with them anyway, or why he needs them. People to him are a means to an end. He often views people as if he was outside the human race himself, as if a necromancer was a superior species to them. He likes poking their buttons to see how different people react to different things. Never having friends or a social life, and lacking in empathy, he has no idea how to talk with people or how to treat them. He doesn't trust people, and can be paranoid of what he perceives their intentions to be.
Theo will have mixed reactions to being brought back to life. At first he would jump at the chance, but will feel regret later. Even with his usual disregard for human life or knowing of the later consequences of what he did, he knows he took it too far. In the end, it only got him killed, and all the work he had done over the years was for nothing. Knowing that everyone would hate him after his death would take a huge toll on him, but he would deny that. He will feel as if he should have been kept dead and will not feel as if he deserves redemption. But with his deep-down desire to be praised and accepted, it is definitely something he would work towards after some time. He has a lot to work out first.
Skills and Abilities:
Theo's a strong spellcaster, talented in necromancy, and can resurrect the dead using powerful magical spells and rituals. He can turn a corpse into your standard, 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, and he can still do some smaller, less destructive and general spells. He has a lot of potential but is too inexperienced to use it properly.
Why does your character need to be redeemed?
Deep, deep down in there, there is a spark of a human being in Theo. It's not unreachable, but it sure seems that way most of the time. While he'll hide it, he feels remorse for his actions and wants nothing more to be loved like any other person. But without that remorse, he never would have been considered for this chance for redemption in the first place.
He just has a lot to learn when it comes to reaching out to others, and letting himself be reached. He has a lot of obvious mental health issues he needs help overcoming that he would never be able to do on his own. Considering his paranoia, and the fact that he feels he's not deserving of forgiveness, it's going to take a lot of work. Having his powers taken away will have him furious, but it's really the best course of action if Theo is ever going to be even close to normal. Removing the thing he is dangerously obsessed with is the only way to get him there. Whether its his Warden or other people in the game, someone willing to hear him out and forgive him for his past crimes will do wonders for him, once he can learn to trust them. If Theo can become friends with just one good person, I'd consider it a success. Also, his Warden will be advised to never recommend him for having his powers returned, even partially. Otherwise, any work on his redemption will be undone very quickly. He would have to be totally and thoroughly rehabilitated in order to use his powers for good, which would most likely only happen after his graduation. But it's probably just best to keep him depowered permanently and work on breaking his obsession with magic.
In order to graduate, the most important first step would be getting him to admit what he did was wrong, and that he's sorry about it. He's riddled with guilt, but getting him to actually admit this out loud, and mean it, is the biggest part. Admitting when he's wrong is really difficult for him, and when the consequences of what he did were so huge, it'll only make him more reluctant to admit it. In his eyes, if he was sorry for what he did, then what was the point to any of it? It's some pretty powerful denial he's trapped in.
The thing that will help get him there is time, and learning that there actually are other people in the universe he can trust. Not everyone is out there to stab him in the back, or hates him immediately, like he presumes. But he also needs to learn to stop turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In the future, after rehabilitation and upon graduation, he'd ask to be able to undo the attack as the reward. He wouldn't care as if he was still dead, as long as that can be fixed instead. If you asked him right now, upon entry to the game, what he'd want, he'd probably just say to be alive again back home it to have his powers back. But in order to graduate, he'd need to get to the point where he can get past the selfishness and denial and come to this realization. If he's lucky to be sent home alive, then he can work on those other goals mentioned above. But that'll remain to be seen!
Charges: Mass murder/terrorism, just so much murder. Around 1000 people died that day in his assault. If you want more, he's committed tons of theft in his life, and necromancy itself could be considered a crime (a lot of desecration of corpses there).
Pick and Choose:
What would push your character to "act out" on the ship?
There are a few things that could cause this, but chief among them is Theo is ignored or dismissed. It's the thing that can push him into a violent reaction, and he wouldn't hesitate to take it out on the offending party if they do it enough. Theo also has a tendency of drinking too much, meaning he can get surly and punchy in a whole different way. Another is boredom. Theo is like a cat, where he craves any kind of attention he can get, even if it's because he's doing something wrong. If he's bored enough, he may just try to get a rise out of people, just to see if he can get them to be the ones to explode instead.
He'll also be doing whatever he can to find books on magic, which should be kept from him entirely. Theo has experience making deals with black market dealers, and will be willing to do a lot to get his hands on them without anyone else knowing.
Graduation:
When he was very young, Theo wanted to use magic for good, to show people it wasn't something to be feared, but an incredible wonder that would help people surpass their own limits. Something that would test the boundaries of reality and usher in new eras for human kind. Instead, mages hid away from a fearful public and magic was insular for centuries. Theo needs to be reminded of this idea and his wish to share this power, instead of hording it all for himself. If he could undo the crimes he committed, he could still help to make magic something accessible to everyone, despite that what did caused the exact opposite of that in the future of his world.
Sample: Test drive
