ignuspyre's page

After college, he became an intern with a couple of scientists, and later a research assistant for the scientific genius Dr. Henry Caulson, an expert in the fields of electromagnetism and metallurgy. The two worked on a project that would allow for vehicle that would run on the magnetic field of the earth itself, requiring no fuel and no wheels either but would instead float a bit off the ground. In addition they were concurrently working on a project for the United States military, one involving both personal railgun-type weapons as well as close combat weapons utilizing electromagnetic energy to form a blade capable of cutting through tank armor.

Dr. Caulson caught Jeremy copying data and attempting to sell it. The two argued and fought, and Jeremy shoved Dr. Caulson in to the magnetic generator they used for the experiments. One of the gauges must have been damaged for the generator overloaded and exploded shortly thereafter. Dr. Caulson was killed and Jeremy was badly injured and comatose. When he awoke from the coma, everything seemed normal until a few days later. He found he had been changed somehow by the accident, and could control electromagnetic energy and metal.

Of course, being the greedy person he was, he immediately became a super-villain and tried to get rich quick! He fought, and was defeated by, the Hollow Hood many times, yet still managed to make enough money for some fun now and again, as well as afford some parts for machinery. He built a small black box that he could carry with him to help him get in to places and download data to sell on the black market.

Then the V'Sori came and everything changed.

TRAITS
Agi: d6; Sma: d8; Spi: d8; Str: d4; Tough: d6
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 (+2 power, +6 armor)

SKILLS
Fighting (Agi): d4
Intimidation (Spi): d4
Investigation (Sma): d6
Knowledge (Electromagnetism) (Sma): d6
Knowledge (Metallurgy) (Sma): d6
Notice (Sma): d6
Repair (Sma): d4
Shooting (Agi): d6
Stealth (Agi): d4
Streetwise (Sma): d6

EDGES
Arcane Background (Super-powers)
Marksman

HINDRANCES
Greedy (Minor)
Monologuer (Major)
Ruthless (Minor)

POWERS
Attack, Ranged 2 (3d6) = 5pp
-Armor Piercing AP 4 (+2)
-Requires Material (-1)

Flight 2 = 4pp

Interface = 1pp
-Code Breaker (+1)
-Device (hand-held little Black Box) (-2)

Malfunction = 5pp
-Area Effect (+2)
-Slow to Activate (-1)

Matter Control 2 (Metal) = 4pp
-Range (+2)
-Requires Material (-2)

Toughness 2 = 1pp
-Requires Activation (-1)

GEAR

Cellular Smart Phone ($100)
Commlink ($100)
Combat Armor (Armor +6, Negate AP4 Ballistic, Wt 4, $200)
Energy Weapon Short Sword (Str+d8, AP4, Heavy Weapon, Wt 4, $700)
-Spare Power Packs (2) (Wt 2, $100)
Flashlight (10” beam) (Wt 3, $20)
Handheld Computer (Wt 1, $250)
Lighter ($2)

Bert's son Peter was able to do a bit better than his father. He was good at mechanics and a quick learner. He met and later married a wonderful and kind woman named Yvonne. They were very surprised when Adalwolf was conceived and born since they had not been trying to have children at the time (they had already had a son and a daughter previously - Conrad and Heidi). They were happy, however, and gave their love to him just as they did their other 2 children.

Mal inherited his father's penchant for tinkering, but was never very good in school or learning. He didn't like school, sitting there all day, reading and listening to adults drone on. He wanted to be outside, playing and laughing - or better yet working on his ideas. Mal didn't know how or why he put things together or how they worked, he just know he liked doing it. He'd sneak parts from his father's small garage lab and make little toys to play with, gadgets to turn off the shower (usually when someone was in it), that sort of thing.

He eventually began to settle down a bit, and started learning the hows and whys of things. He found that he could read something one time and remember it. He could see something on the television or read it in a book and quote it perfectly. It helped accelerate his education, of course, and he graduated from high school and then college early. His father expected him to become some kind of great businessman and inventor. Well, he was half-right.

Mal had always liked superheroes and flying. So he was also trying to make some kind of flying machine, though it was most often a gliding or crashing machine in the end. He finally built a thing that looked like a large bulky surfboard that did that trick. He couldn't explain it himself, but he was told later that it was an anti-gravity generator, and he got it even a bit smaller over time.

Once he had that (after 3 straight days of mostly just flying around on it), he started putting together other things to help him with crime-fighting, much to the chagrin (and yelling) of his parents. But if he was going to do it, they wanted to make sure he did it right (since they knew they couldn't feasibly stop him short of physical restraints), so they supported him as best they could, even enrolled him in self-defense class.

Mal designed and built a few more gadgets, only some of which were to help him with fighting crime. To him, none were as fun or important as the hoverboard, but necessary nonetheless. Armor to protect himself...and later he learned the hard way to seal the armor and have it sustain him so he couldn't be gassed again. After watching a television show called Space Gate, he saw a character who carried around an oddly-named weapon that was both a staff and could fire blasts of energy. Mal worked feverishly for several months to make his own version of that, and a working staff weapon at that.

Things were starting to come together for him finally. Though he felt just as much like an outsider as he always had, at least he didn't have to care so much. He knew that he was helping others so that helped ease the pain of loneliness.

Culture: Sindarin Elf (Elf of Mirkwood) Standard of Living: Martial
Cultural blessing: Folk of the Dusk
Calling: Warden Shadow weakness: Lure of Power
Specialities: Elven-lore, Swimming, Shadow-lore
Distinctive features: Fair, Nimble
Body: 4 Heart: 3 Wits: 7
Body (favoured): 6 Heart (favoured): 4 Wits (favoured): 10

-Common Skills-

• Awe: 2 Inspire: 0 [u]Persuade[/u]: 0
  
• [u]Athletics[/u]: 3 Travel: 1 Stealth: 2
  
• [u]Awareness[/u]: 2 Insight: 1 Search: 1
  
• [u]Explore[/u]: 0 Healing: 1 Hunting: 1
  
• Song: 2 Courtesy: 1 Riddle: 1
  
• Craft: 1 Battle: 2 Lore: 3
  

• [u]Bow[/u]: 2
• Dagger: 1
• Sword: 2

• Bow damage: 5 edge: 10 injury: 14 enc: 1
  
• Sword damage: 5 edge: 10 injury: 16 enc: 2
  
• Dagger damage: 3 edge: G injury: 12 enc: 0
  
• Leather corslet enc: 8
  
• Cap of iron and leather enc: 2
  
• Buckler enc: 1
  

“My name is Konstantin Mikhailovich Volkov, of the Silver Fangs Tribe, of Clan Crescent Moon, of the Lodge of the Sun, of the Renewal Camp. No, you don't have to remember the whole thing, just call me Konstantin or Volkov as you prefer. I was born in city of Nizhny Novgorod. What? Nyet! Not everyone in Russia from Moscow! Moscow is not some giant city that makes up the whole damn country! Pfft! Don’t be silly! Now where was I? Oh yes, Novgorod. It is a very large city, though not as big as Moscow. But we had Gorky! Nevermind."

"My family is powerful in Russia, though not as powerful as they once were. My father Mikhail was...he was like counselor, advisor. He had the ears of powerful men and women. He could influence things, make things happen. He was able to keep caerns safe, help protect both Garou and Kinfolk. He make deals and bargains, use power to do many things. What? Yes, this is important for story. You must know background of story or the ending is just...so much noise. You do not get full effect. Like eating meal that is not cooked properly. Very bad, leave bad taste in mouth, not filling."

"Anyway. My father wishes me to be raised to be like him, follow in his footsteps, take over family business one day, lead Sept even. My mother Katya knows me, knows this will not make me happy, knows that this alone is not good childhood. So she make sure I get other things, like birthday parties, movies, art, toys, being child. Find balance. Something many of our kind could learn to do better, yes? I try to be good learner, but sometimes distractions happen."

"I meet girl named Dominika. She is perfect. Beautiful. Smart. She laugh at my jokes. Her smile is heaven. Skin so soft. She...ahem. Yes. She is also Kinfolk. So is good, da? No. She is not Silver Fang Kinfolk. I meet her at moot. We talk, we laugh, we smile, we think this may be start of something. My father, he pull me aside, tell me it is good to make contacts and allies among other Tribes and their Kinfolk, can be useful. But don't get attached. Then he steer me away from Dominika to meet other people."

"Dominika and I, we find times we can get together quietly, in private. Is not forbidden, just...frowned upon. So we meet several times, but one time we are followed or found out. Father is furious, yells at me, threatens me, threatens Dominika, says it must stop or else. Dominika is afraid, but we keep meeting, being even more secretive, very careful to lose followers. But we are caught again. Things get bad. I take her and run away with her, leave Moscow, try to leave Russia. We travel together, see many things, enjoy many things, enjoy each other. But always we keep on the move, never staying anywhere too long, just in case."

"It does not last. Dominika get homesick and call her family. She finds out that her family has been imprisoned and worse. She is told to bring me home or they will kill her parents and older relatives one at a time. She tells me this, and we decide we must go back as we are not sure if it is a bluff or not (keep in mind the KGB was still very much active back then)."

"On our way back we get attacked and captured by Fomori, tortured and interrogated for long time. They ask about my family, about my father, about Garou and more. I had not Changed yet so I did not know much back then, but they kept asking and hurting me. Worse was when they would hurt Dominika in front of me. Finally, I could take no more and I Changed. And Frenzied. I broke free and killed them. All of them. Everyone in the room....including Dominika."

"I do not remember much after for a while, everything hazy. I was told that I was found and brought home, though I spent much time in therapy afterwards. Still cannot remember much after the First Change until I was back in Novgorod. But I know it was bad and messy. It was not a good way to become Garou."

"I went through Rite of Passage about four years after my First Change. Yes, I know, is long time. I had to go through much therapy to get back to place where I could be in society and public again. I had to deal with depression, blaming myself for what happened, self-loathing, grief, and more. But I did for the most part, and I went through my Rite of Passage with some others. No, that is story for another time. Suffice to say, once it was completed and I was full Garou adult, my father quickly and quietly eased me in to the background once more. He was afraid I would do something to embarrass him or people might ask about what happened to me."

"After a time, I got tired of being on shelf, so I ignored my father's wishes and began attending moots. I did not have pack, and I was sort of outsider, so at first it did not ease my loneliness much or help me feel like I belonged. Then a Shadowlord named Dmitry befriended me. My father warned me he was no good and was just using me for something, but I ignored him. Dmitry and I began to hang out together, do things together, he even let me come along with him and his pack on missions a few times. I felt like I belonged. All the while, he was slowly coaxing information out of me and looking up information on me, even one of the missions was to get data I later learned was some of video footage of my First Change that my father had covered up and hidden away."

"Dmitry used the information about me to blackmail my father. My father began to immediately work on a plan to "eliminate the threat". I suspect he was working on two plans, one of which involved disappearing me. Instead, Dmitry was killed by Black Spiral Dancers and the other Shadowlords in town noted that all his hidden caches had been raided as well. Of course, no one actually see Black Spiral Dancers, just message left behind conveniently."

"After that, my father had me publicly sent from Russian as an 'ambassador' to the United Kingdom. In private, he told me I was being exiled so that I did not cause any further disruptions. He blamed me for not being able to better control myself in the extraordinary circumstances I had my First Change in - a true leader, a true Garou, a TRUE Silver Fang would have been able to do so, to protect the Nation."

"Is all I told you truth? Maybe. Maybe not. Could just be the ale talking. Maybe I made it all up for better story than truth. Maybe truth is don't like Russian winters, prefer rain to snow. Maybe truth is I am spy. Maybe truth is all of those things. Or none of them."

1) The thickness of his accent varies with attention and circumstance.
2) He has been asked to investigate what happened to all the Silver Fangs (including why it was only Silver Fangs aside from the 1 Fianna).
3) Black hair, shaggy but not too long. Pale skin. Deep green eyes. Very scarred though most are covered by clothing.
4) He often seems cold and distant behind a façade of polite friendliness, but he can be quite warm to those he knows well enough or know him well enough.
5) His First Change, of course.
6) Likes to smoke and drink, the first to calm his nerves when needed, the second to help him forget even for a short while.
7) Meeting Dominika. Killing Dominika.

Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.

Goal 1: Find out what happened to the Silver Fang population.
Goal 2: Find out what happened to Dominika and if there is a way to get her out of Russia (assuming she wants to come).
Goal 3: I would like to explore Konstantin's madness, as I like the old school Silver Fangs tribal flaw where something is wrong with them mentally or physically (I couldn't find that in W20 though).

Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!

1) Konstantin has a hidden copy of the information from his First Change, copied and stolen from Dmitry.
2) There may be suggestion(s) implanted in from during his torture with a codeword trigger. Or there is a hunter that killed Dmitry and has the information so is tracking Konstantin.

Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.

1) Hostile: Mikhail, his father, a ruthless Silver Fang desperate to keep the power he has, willing to do almost anything to keep and expand his power.
2) Friendly (or used to be): Dominika, his old flame. Of course she's dead, so she's not really around anymore...right?
3) Friendly: Jerome MacAuley, an Irish Glass Walker hacker he befriended in Britain during his time there. An odd duck to be sure, but a good if complain-y friend. Likes to be 'paid' for his work in information and sweets.
4) Friendly: His mother Katya is a strong woman with a kind streak, but she is able to stand toe to toe with Mikhail when needs be, and is fierce against any enemies.
5) Dmitry's Shadowlord Packmates.

Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.

1) Plays with a lighter at times, especially if vampires are around, but often just because he needs something to do with his hands. Carries several lighters with him and several packs of cigarettes at all times.
2) Tends to act paranoid at times, looking over his shoulder often, sitting with his back to walls, never sitting with his back to the exit, sometimes overthinking things.
3) The one good memory of his father that sticks out, they went to see a ballet together - it was one of the only times they did something together that was just them, no hidden meetings or ulterior motives.

Siobhan was like a person living two lives, one with the ordinary human people of planet Earth where she went to school and later college, went out roller-skating and to movies with friends. But on the other hand, she had a second life, a hidden life, where she couldn't really just date a cute guy from school, where her parents freaked out if she was out past dark and they didn't know where she was - not because they didn't trust her, but because they were worried about vampires of all things!

After college Siobhan decided she wanted to go to Ireland for the summer to learn more about her heritage and see the 'old country' as it were - and perhaps her parents hoped she might catch the eye of some powerful purebred Fianna warrior while she was there. She did, just not for the lasting relationship they'd hoped for. She met a Fianna who seduced her, though they didn't click on enough levels for her to stay and he certainly wasn't going to leave Ireland (or his wife), so the two parted ways amiably, and Siobhan finished her summer vacation and returned home.

In the fall, she found she was pregnant and told her mother what happened, but wouldn't name the father aside from the fact that he was a Fianna from Ireland. Things moved quickly and Siobhan was married to a Fianna in Boston named Patrick Connelly. Things were good for a while and her son Aiden was born in Boston twenty-one years ago. Of course, Patrick knew he wasn't the father, but the marriage was arranged and he and Siobhan did give birth to several other children as part of the marriage: Theresa, Margaret and Gavin.

Patrick tried not to treat Aiden any differently than his own children, but there were small things, and growing resentment. Aiden was told that Patrick wasn't really his father, but could never get a straight answer from his mother about who his father was. Over time, things got worse between Patrick and Aiden, even going so far as to be abusive. It started with being a little rougher, than shoving, then lashing out in anger. It was worst when Patrick drank, but there was a intervention and things got a bit better with the two mostly just avoiding each other.

Aiden, like his mother before him, knew nothing of the Garou or his heritage until he was older. His childhood had similar family gatherings and he spent a lot of time with his siblings and cousins. His favorite cousin, several times removed, was a wild spirited girl named Maeve Doyle. She had a wicked sense of humor, she was pretty, insulting, sarcastic, intelligent, and very good at lying and getting into trouble. Aiden didn't know what love was but he was in it for sure.

At first his parents were happy that their son had found someone he could relate to and be friends with that wouldn't have to be kept in the dark once secrets were revealed. But as things progressed and it became obvious that the two were heading towards a romantic relationship, so parents on both sides intervened. This necessitated explaining some things in the Garou world to them both in private conversations. Understanding, however, does not breed acceptance or emotional closure.

Things were rough for a while after that, many fights between children and parents, many harsh words and slammed doors. The final nail in the coffin was when things were fast-tracked and a marriage was announced between Maeve and a local Fianna. When Aiden suggested they run away, Maeve said they couldn't, that they owed the world and their people though it broke their hearts. They still talked and stayed in touch often at first after that, but slowly they drifted apart (or were pulled ever so gently apart by their parents).

Aiden turned inward and then to music to get over Maeve. He'd always liked listening to music, but he started to really get in to it, discovering new and different 'sounds' that bands had, and eventually started up a band of his own with some friends. They were rock, a bit of punk, rough and tumble, calling themselves 'The Red-Headed Stepchildren' but later changing it to 'Bloody Bus Fare' - privately thus named after an incident where Patrick used a roll of quarters in a sock to beat Aiden and then made the boy use the money for a bus ride. A snide comment about not spending it all in one place may have been made. In public, the band's name was attributed to getting blood on pocket change when drunk (possibly a roll of quarters in hand when punching) and then having to use it to get a ride home when too drunk to drive or call a cab.

The band earned themselves a reputation for good lyrics, enthusiastic music and rough-housing. After all, they were a bunch of young adults, full of passion and fire and ideas! More than one gig ended in a bar brawl, especially as most of them drank pretty heavily. They had a few records made locally, and most of them had arrest records as well. Unfortunately, the lead guitarist Brennan died on the same night as Aiden's first Change when they were in a car accident. The group had been drinking too much and went off the road to avoid an animal. Brennan and Aiden ended up trapped in the car which caught on fire. The pain, fear and helplessness of watching his friend literally bleeding and burning to death a few feet away triggered the Change. Aiden ripped apart the car to get free and then tried to get Brennan free but it was too late. He howled in grief.

Things were covered up thanks to the Sept's influence. Aiden was welcomed in as a Garou rather than Kinfolk, albeit a Cub, especially with the amount of Pure Breed he seemed to have (which of course brought some looks to Patrick who didn't exhibit the same amount). Aiden was brought in further to the 'secret' and taught the ways of the Garou — the Litany, stepping sideways, controlling the Change, the other Tribes, and Gifts. Everything was leading up to the Rite of Passage.

Aiden was unsure of himself and unsure of Garou society. what if he didn't WANT to be part of it? What if he didn't fit in? Doubts assailed him. Nevertheless, he wouldn't be considered an 'adult' until he passed, so he had no choice but to step up. He was put together with two other Cubs that were ready, a Metis called Ketch and a young woman called Aine. Ketch was the first Metis Aiden was AWARE that he'd met, and he wasn't sure how to treat him at first, but he honestly just treated him like he was anybody else and Ketch seemed to warm to that quickly. Aine was polite but distant to them both.

The three were given a task to find a minor fetish being guarded by an unknown spirit, and the only clue they were given was a "cave of the king near the river of snakes". Ketch said he had an idea and communed with the spirits. He said he had a feeling that they needed to go south and he would know more when they got closer.

Aiden had a van, helpful for hauling the entire band's gear around for gigs, and so they piled in and headed out. While they drove Ketch and Aine talked and shared information to narrow things down a bit. Aine pulled out her smartphone and did some searching. The two of them finished around the same time, with Aiden feeling a bit like the unhelpful a@!$!@#. Between the two of them they figured out that they were looking for "King Phillip's Cave" near Winneconnett Pond on the outskirts of Bristol County some 30 miles south of Boston.

The three of them used the time to get to know each other a bit more as well. Ketch, as a Metis, has always lived with the Sept in the Caern since his natural form was unacceptable in public. He was treated fairly well by the Sept, though more a second-class citizen than even Cubs at times. Aine on the other hand came from a rich family and she was a bored rebellious science geek. Other than being Garou, the three had little common, though Aine had heard of Aiden's band (but clearly didn't think much of their music).

They arrived, parked and hiked the short distance to the cave. However, that's when things went a little sideways - literally. There was nothing in the cave physically so they had to step in to the Umbra, and the spirit was waiting for them. It looked like a large crazy version of an owl. It hit Ketch right away and slammed him in to the ground, its clawed leg pinning him there, knocking him senseless for a moment. Aiden changed to his Crinos form as Aine attacked and was knocked back. Aiden went for its legs, trying to free Ketch or knock the thing over. He got torn up pretty good but he managed to hurt it, and hold it off long enough to get Ketch free, who promptly jumped on its back. The three worked together to bring it down, though Aiden immediately collapsed afterwards, breathing heavily. Ketch was able to heal his wounds a bit, however.

In the back of the cave was the fetish, looking like a stylized bird feather. But before they could grab it, Aine told them to stop as she noticed a warding of some kind. There were stones surrounding the feather on the pedestal it was on, arranged in a pattern. She studied it for a moment and then re-arranged them and they were able to take the feather without harm. They headed back home to the Sept and presented the feather to the Elders with a ritualized ceremony, telling the tale of how it happened (apparently confirmed by a spirit that had been sent along to watch their journey).

The three didn't feel that they were enough for a full pack - and Aine went to join the Glasswalker Tribe and a pack of people she knew there. Ketch and Aiden became good friends, however, and stayed in touch, with Aiden visiting often and even taking Ketch out a few times. During their talks about the Garou, life, society, heritage and more, Aiden began to wonder more about his father and the pure breed that he had. He thought he wanted to know more and visiting Ireland would be the only sure way to do that - which was something the Sept wasn't going to be keen on. It had been made clear they wanted him here and married to a Kinfolk not too long after the Rite of Passage. Plus he was going to have to watch Maeve with some other Fianna.

Aiden put the matchmaking off, especially with his mother having recently died (supposedly in a completely mundane car accident) it was understandable to others. The only things she left him were a key chain with a few keys and odds and ends on it, along with a letter that told him of her summer in Ireland but still didn't name who his father was, just all the Septs and places she had visited - most of Ireland!! So he made a decision - only Ketch knew his plans (and as his friend didn't tell anyone). Aiden slipped away and headed to Ireland to see what he could find out.

1) Not knowing his father's identity and wanting to find out
2) Being a bit of an outsider to Ireland
3) Song and music
4) The tug and pull between American and Ireland
5) Loves to fight
6) His mother's death was the catalyst to get him moving
7) Perhaps one of the keys on his mother's keychain is important and opens something that Werewolves/Bad Guys want
8) Red hair, pale skin, Irish features, nose has been broken at least once, knuckles that look like they are for punching, easy but slightly lopsided grin

Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.

Goal 1: Find out who his father is (and then find his missing father)
Goal 2: I want to see Aiden grow to find his place in Garou society, and to become more comfortable in that.

Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!

1) His father is unknown to him (not sure that's good enough tho)
2) He is being followed not only by a Kinfolk or Garou from his Sept to try and get him to come back home, but the Kinfolk or Garou is a double agent informing to the Wyrm.

Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.

1) Friendly: Ketch, a Metis back at the home Sept, who went through the Rite of Passage with Aiden.
2) Friendly: Maeve, cousin several times removed, Fianna Kinfolk, married to a local Boston Fianna named Ruary. The two used to be good friends and very close, even in love.
3) Hostile: Patrick, his stepfather, a Boston Fianna. The two have not gotten along and even gotten in to fights.

Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.

1) Aiden tends to hum and sing, even compose songs in his head, when he's nervous, fidgety or bored.
2) His mother took him out one time, they spent all day together, going to an amusement park, then a movie and dinner afterwards. It was one of the happiest days of his life, and one where he won his mother a tiny stuffed animal wolf that she thereafter kept in her purse all the time.
3) He carries an owl's feather on a necklace around his neck, and he touches it before he goes in to battle for good luck - a feather he got from his Rite of Passage.

Kael was born in squalor, never knowing his uncaring father, the only real benefit his drow father gave to him was the ability to see in the dark - and his luxurious white hair. His mother Cathran was a Varisian who left her nomadic people for the 'glamour' of the city (actually she was exiled he found out later, but that's another story). She ended up working as a barmaid at a dive bar in Magnimar called 'The Tipsy Medusa' that catered mostly to criminals and mercenaries of the worst, but coin-laden, sort. It was run by a retired mercenary (some would say semi-retired scum) by the name of Uten Drajz, greedy and cutthroat and not so retired that he wasn't still formidable.

Kael grew up with a hard life, his mother barely making enough to keep them fed and support her drug habit, and that habit that often meant she could barely keep a job or remember that she HAD a son to care for. She had a gift with spirits and souls, and visions as well, the gifts now a curse with spirits haunting her and the vision nightmares when she ignored them - all of which she tried to block out with drugs and drink as often as she could.

So Kael was often on his own and on the streets. He learned to be quiet, quick, stealthy and hard. While he knew couldn't win every fight, he also knew that many lacked the real resolve to continue once they knew the cost of victory. His first kill was when he was cornered by a gang that didn't like him stealing on their turf. His bloodrage activated for the first time and he let out a roar, unleashing all his anger and hate, giving in to every dark and violent urge in him. He came back to conscious thought later on, shaking and in pain, covered in blood - only some of it was his own.

An older man by the name of Geldros found him and took him home. He cleaned the boy up and spoke to him about opportunity and keeping the incident quiet. Geldros helped prepare and enter Kael in the Serpent’s Run mock gladiatorial combats in Magnimar’s grand hippodrome, though the safe nature was boring for him after a short time. So he now he's looking for something else, something more.

He wants power and control, both over his life and others. But he's not out to see the world burn - far from it! He wants the world to be ordered and have no need for someone like him, a paradox since if he was in charge that's an unlikely result though he can't see that.

He wants the ability to track down his father one day, though while he won't admit it to himself, he is scared of what will happen when he meets him. The urge to rage and kill his father war with the desire for approval, acceptance and a relationship.

He has a soft spot for orphans and street rats, seeing himself in them.