7 Background Elements
1. Eldest son of a prominent physician, William disgraced his father by becoming a school teacher.
2. Though described as rugged, William would much rather be sitting by the fire with a book than traipsing through the countryside on a fox hunt.
3. While working at Martin's Preperatory School, William picked up a letter opener belonging to a former headmaster and had a vision of the man killing a student.
4. Other items at the school began to have similar effects on William, seeing the terrible history of the school one item at a time.
5. William was terrified after his abilities appeared and hid himself away from the rest of society at his family's ancestral mansion after his parent's deaths.
6. A gregarious man by nature, William's time in seclusion has left him unsure in social situations.
7. William was not safe in his own home. After seeing many horrible deeds from his extended family, he came across his father's old medical bag. The horrifying visions that followed have led him to believe his father was Jack the Ripper and his own supernatural connections.
3 Goals
1. Discover definitive evidence of his father's guilt.
2. Turn his curse into a gift, hunting down criminals and murderers.
3. Find enough peace in his soul to return to teaching.
3 Secrets
1. Whether through genetics or the supernatural power that flows through him, William is tempted with the violent tendencies he's observed in his ancestors. Setting out to put an end to criminals is really a way to sate these feelings.
2. William's father faked his own death and lurks in the dark underbelly of London.
3. William's father performed a dark ritual at William's birth to gain power. This connected both father and son to a malevolent supernatural force.
4 People
1. Charles Grey Westford, father. A cold, calculating man, Charles pushed William to excel at every task he encountered, taunting or beating him when he failed. William believes his father was Jack the Ripper.
2. Olivia Preston, ex-fiance. Before the manifestation of his powers, William was engaged to Olivia. When William put himself in seclusion the relationship withered and Olivia moved on, marrying barrister Thomas Preston. Despite their estrangement, Olivia still loves William and corresponds with him. She is one of the only people who know of his affliction.
3. Rochester Blake, former headmaster. The head of school for the initial two years of William's employment. William's first vision showed a student's murder by Blake's hand. Though Blake is retired, William worries that he viewed only one of many murders and wants to see the villain behind bars.
4. Kennedy Thompson, butler and friend. Kennedy, son of the old butler, grew up with William and the two were friends despite the difference in their class status. When William returned to the family estate, Kennedy came on as a confidant and help. The relationship is more brotherly than employer/employee, but Kennedy is all too aware that he is still hired help.
4 Memories
1. William remembers hiding in the attic when he was caught snooping in his father's study; he still has a scar from the following beating.
2. William vividly recalls his first scandalous kiss with Olivia outside Royal Albert Hall.
3. William remembers playing coppers in the woods on the estate with Kennedy.
4. William dreams every night of seeing his father murder a woman in the streets and wakes up shaking and covered in sweat.
