Application to Boomtown

[magicink]

Player's Name:

Susan

Characters Played Here:

Kurt Hummel, Chryssa Katsaros, and Scott McCall

Character:

Julian Reed

Series/Canon:

Original Character / World of Darkness: Mage the Ascension

From When?

N/A

World Description: (Original Characters Only)

The World of Darkness is the real world only with a darker twist. Places are more run down, the crime is higher, the government more corrupt, and of course the supernatural beings running around causing chaos all add up to what makes this world interesting. Julian was born in a small town in Wisconsin before being shuffled around the Midwest to different foster homes. He ended his journey in Greenville, Michigan (a made up city) where his uncle lived.

http://wiki.white-wolf.com/worldofdarkness/index.php?title=Mage:_The_Ascension

History:

Julian's life has been anything but a rose garden. His family life was full of domestic violence and eventually he witnessed his father murder his mother when he was ten years old. His father shot Julian, but didn't kill him, and then turned the gun on himself, committing suicide. Julian was then placed in the foster system where a scrawny white boy was a big liability. He was moved almost constantly from one foster home to another. By twelve he started experiencing dreams. They were so vivid and frightening that he would scream from the nightmares or be so consumed by the good ones he couldn't be woken. By thirteen he was convinced he was crazy and the dreams just kept right on coming. He dreamed of magic and strange abilities. (In WOD terms, this was Julian's awakening). He turned to drugs, alcohol, and cutting himself to make sense of his reality. By sixteen the foster system was ready to put him in a last chance facility when his uncle finally stepped up and gave him a permanent home. Julian met his uncle for the first time and discovered a man covered in tattoos. He fell in love with the concept and began his life's passion for the art form. He gave up on self-cutting and his need for drugs lessened.

A year after that, at age seventeen, while he was working at his uncle's bar, a stranger came in and left a book behind. Julian almost pitched it as just trash before he looked at it. It was occult lore and a thorough accounting of mages. Julian spent the next few days consumed by the information he'd known through experiences but hadn't the knowledge for what it meant. The back of the book had an invitation to a mage gathering. That is how he got connected with the mage community. He learned of who and what he was and gradually learned his magic skills through his art. Finding the traditions to be terribly close minded, he found the Hollow Ones to suit him best. The other mage traditions do not recognize this as a tradition, but that doesn't stop this rebellious group from claiming to be so. A new friend of his, Kyra, had a considerable knowledge in Life magic and was able to heal the scars he'd given himself during his cutting years. She also became a very unpredictable friend with benefits. He also met a quiet electrician with a bad stuttering problem named Ryan. Ryan quickly became a very unlikely close friend to Julian.
Five years ago, Julian- with his uncle's financial backing- started his own business. It was a tattoo parlor called the Immortal Canvas. He still worked for his uncle a few nights a week at the bar, but he focused the majority of his time now on his own passion. As his business became more successful, he was able to move out of his uncle's house and rent the two bedroom apartment above the storefront. It wasn't the best place to live, but it was his. He began to make quite the reputation for himself among the artistic and alternative community for his tattoo work. He tried to keep a low profile, but brilliant art is hard to hide.
When he wasn't needling someone's skin, he spent his time studying his magic, drinking or doing drugs with Kyra (Ryan didn't like that stuff), or doing something to get his adrenaline rush. Unlike a lot of other mages, he didn't seek out a mentor. It wasn't too uncommon in his 'non-tradition' but it left him having to learn how his magic worked on his own. This resulted in a dependence on his foci (his use of a pen or tattoo gun) to conduct his magic- not that he knew any different. He can use his magic by drawing on something with any kind of medium, but he's not nearly as good as when he uses his pen or the tattoo gun.
The drugs and alcohol are still a problem as he has a strong addiction to both. He's had a few casual relationships, but never let anyone get very close to him. All in all, he's trying to conduct his life how he'd figure a 'normal' person spends their life. In other words, he's bored. It's not the typical boredom that passes after a few hours as long as you find something to entertain yourself with. It's the kind of boredom that threatens to consume you in a sense of a pointless existence. His life's passions just didn't have the same joy they once did. His art that used to thrill him has dulled. The work at the bar seems more like a chore than it used to. His mundane life as a small business owner is grating on his nerves. He needs an adventure and a change in scenery.

One late afternoon, after closing up his shop, he can't take it any longer. He needs a change. He gathers up a suitcase full of necessities, a backpack with his books, laptop, and some art supplies, a bag for his tattoo gear, and snatches the money from his shop till (about two hundred bucks). He loads up his jeep, leaves a message of thanks and good bye for his uncle, and leaves. He doesn't really know where he's going. Just away. As he stopped to get some gas for his jeep, Eli approached him.


Personality:

Julian and his personality was originally inspired by the songs 'Father of Mine' by Everclear and 'Boy on a String" by Jars of Clay.

Going through an abusive early childhood to a unstable and often destructive adolescents, Julian has come out of it with many emotional scars. His father was a violent alcoholic who tortured Julian's mother and Julian until their death when he was ten. Following that, he lived in rapidly changing foster homes before his uncle found him. Even though Aengus stepped into his life and gave him some stability, the gruff old Irishman was anything but warm. This history has affected the young mage's ability to trust and how he views the world. To Julian, the world is to be survived and if there was a god, then he's just there to screw with people.
Julian has the classic class clown syndrome. His goal is to keep people distracted from seeing anything deeper about him than the funny easy-going guy, he pretends to be. If he can make people laugh or make fun of himself, it's harder for them to bully him. People like a clown. He makes fun of everything, frequently himself, whether it is politically correct to do so or not. An example of this is calling a mental institution a crazy house. It's rude and inappropriate, but it often makes people laugh. It's not that he doesn't have a natural sense of humor, he has just learned how to hone it to get himself out of trouble. If he can make himself believe he's having fun by laughing and being a jokster, then it's easier to forget how numb he is on the inside.
Coming from the life he's had, he has trouble trusting people. He hasn't had enough real friendships to know how healthy ones are supposed to be. Before Ryan and Kyra, the only relationships he knew were abusive or hostile. He didn't know it was possible to even have friends who could actually relay on before. His friendship with Ryan and Kyra are still fairly new, so he's still learning how this friendship stuff works. From where he's come from he is a loyal friend, but it might not look like it to others. If someone can break through his defenses, he'll work to figure out how to be a friend to them. Until then, at best everyone's just a drinking buddy and not much more.
Just about everything that comes out of his mouth is bullshit. He's a liar. It keeps people from getting too close to him or seeing who he is too clearly. It's much safer if they believe he's just a goofball and whatever he's telling them at the moment. This has also kept him out of harm's way. As a mage, he needed to be secretive about what he was. Not only did he need to protect himself from the non-magical population (sleepers, as the mages call them) he also preferred to be unknown among the rest of the mages. Without a mentor, without a cabal, without tradition, Julian really was alone. It would be easy for someone to take advantage of him. Lastly, there were other groups like the Technocracy or hunters or other supernaturals that wanted to see mages get wiped out. Therefore, as much as a vice lying is, it was also a very powerful tool to keep him alive.
Deep within all these layers and masks to hide behind is Julian's core. Despite it all, he was still just an angry, hurt kid who watched his family die and was always told he wasn't worth anything. It comes out sometimes as immaturity or being a rebel, but this is truly were that emotion is coming from. He just wants to be loved and accepted. To keep these feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and self-hate as numb and forgotten as possible, he uses and abuses alcohol, drugs, sex, and adrenaline.

Powers

(I didn't know where else to put this and for the record, I'm okay with toning down things or adjusting them.)

Coming from the Mage the Ascension, Julian's magic is his powers. Within the scope of his spheres, he can use his magic in a variety of creative ways depending on the situation. However, they are all tied to his tattoos and art. Any effect he's trying to make must come from a sketch he draws either on a person- like a tattoo- or on an object- like a drawing. While he is sketching, he is infusing the design with his magic for the effect he wants. His mind is simultaneously open for skimming people's top thoughts and protecting his own. So this stays fair in the game, I'll have a permission page and contact people if I plan him to use this telepathy in scenes with them. At this level though, he is very talented but not to the point of, say, Charles Xavier or the Doctor in their respective canons.

In addition, he has experience in Prime, Forces, and Matter. His ability to use Prime makes it possible for him to imprint things or people with his tattoos that will then effect them as long as the marking remains. He tends to use mostly protective wards or give a person an emotional feeling like calmness, playful, etc. The dragon on his body is such a ward, a very powerful one at that. The ward is connected to his mind and if he is both touched and believes he is being attacked it triggers. The dragon wakes and breaths a blend of raw magic and fire at whoever the attacker is. It can move on his body to angle itself to attack the right direction too. However, these are not without their costs. The dragon steals quintessence in order to function and it will either steal what Julian has stored up or rip it from his Avatar (the soul within him that is tied to magic).

The other spheres Forces and Matter give him some options in how his protective wards work on the person he is giving it to. They also give him some tricks to have up his sleeve. For instance, when tattooing an image to someone he is suspicious of, he could use his Mind magic to read the person's thoughts instead of actually becoming a ward. With Forces, he could draw on the door and unlock it if he's forgotten his keys. With Matter, he can determine what an object is made out of and if it's broken how it looks put together. This also gives him the ability to tattoo and such to a dead body- like a vampire. I've included in his character sheet I'm linking the main spells he has with each of these spheres.

Here's a little more detail on the magic:
Mind magic- (Moderate/Expert) General idea- He can read people's minds, effect their moods, use telepathy.
Matter magic- (Basic) He can scan an object and tell what it's made out of. He can also manipulate something's property to a very minute degree (he can make tattoos on vampire skin.)
Prime magic- (Moderate/Expert) He is a pro at sensing magic, using the essence of magic, creating magical barriers against purely magical attacks, making magical effects permanent (such as his tattoos on vampire skin). His dragon tattoo is a semi-sentient being that is made of pure magic and can pull from his magical energy when it wakes. It breathes a magical blast that looks and has the same effect as fire. It can scare vampires with how similar it is to real fire in addition to the damage it can do.
Force magic- (Moderate) He can adjust temperature, move objects and people around to a degree (telekinesis- he isn't strong enough to literally pick up a full sized human like levitate.) Instead, he can push someone but not lift them. Probably he can lift about thirty pounds with his telekinesis.

When he uses his magic on people it has a cool feeling about it. It's not unpleasant but it's noticeable if someone is paying attention.

A non-supernatural 'power' of Julian's is his artistic talent. He's a very good sketch and tattoo artist. He can paint and do other forms of art to a degree, but it's drawings that are his real skill. He sometimes uses his mind magic to boost this skill past what is his natural talent.


Does your character have any close ties to existing canon characters? (Canon OCs and AUs only.)

No

Why do you think your character would work in this setting?

Julian wants an adventure and he wants out from under Aengus' thumb. He also can tell a war is brewing in his area and wants to get out of there before that breaks. Later he'll see more clearly what Aengus did for him and be more grateful.

Once he learns that mages aren't hunted and they can use magic without fear of Paradox, he'll never want to leave. This is WoD mage paradise.

How do you plan to expand their CR?

Julian's pretty social. He can be a total dick too and an idiot, but he has a great sense of humor. This makes him easy for people to like before they get tired and done with his shit. He also likes partying and having fun. He has a daredevil streak a mile long so he'd be the first to jump into something and think about it later.

What will your character do for work?

Julian's a tattoo artist by trade and he can do some piercings, but he's not nearly as skilled as the tattoos. In addition, he's used to being a bartender working for his uncle. He'd be willing to do that or both or find another something to do.

Inventory:

Fortunately, Julian knows he's coming. He has a bag packed and everything all ready to go. He has a gym bag, a few sets of clothes, his tattoo tools, several sketchbooks, an ipod full of metal music, a couple packs of cigarettes, and some weed. He'd want his jeep but I'm willing to wait on that being ordered later.

Samples:

Third-Person Sample:

It was two in the morning and Julian was with a group of guys he'd been drinking with all evening. It was unclear which one of them had come up with this idea, but they all had leaped on the bandwagon in their inebriated states. Stealing the shopping carts had been easy and they opted for an abandoned parking lot only a couple blocks away from there. The police wouldn't get called on them for a while since the area was pretty well deserted.
Julian was in one of the carts next to three other guys in carts. Someone else got behind them and when the race started, pushed them along. The group who had wisely chosen to be the audience hooted and hollered as they went barreling down a small hill, picking up speed. At some point, the guys behind them just let go of the cart letting Julian and the other three loose. He had been too drunk to be concerned about what the end result of his stupidity was going to be. It was how he preferred to do most things besides his art. Good idea or bad, it was more fun to not know what would happen next.
One of the carts knocked over and the passenger tumbled out of it, knocking over another one. Fortunately Julian's cart avoided that collision. Up ahead loomed a ditch with a bunch of industrial junk littered in it. There was the small curb, but at the rate the last two contenders were going the cart wasn't likely to stop. Julian didn't think about this as he jeered at the other guy who was slowly loosing momentum. He'd be the winner! Just as he was getting up to stand in the cart (since that was a brilliant idea), the cart hit the curb. With a cry, Julian went flying out of his cart and rolled down the ditch. The sickening crack resounded as his arm hit a metal pipe that had been cast aside. His head fortunately missed some of the other debris dangers, but his knee hit a cement block.
The others ran off as soon as they saw what happened to him. They weren't friends, just drinking acquaintances and none of them wanted to take blame. It was almost an hour of laying in agony before Julian had enough brain power to focus his magic.

Ryan, come get me. I need help.

A second later, he got a text but he couldn't read it. Julian couldn't move. His back might have broken from that fall. There wasn't anything he could do but wait. Fortunately for him, Ryan knew the drill. The etherite would be pissed with him for weeks after this, but only once he was safe and healed by their lovely friend Kyra. As he walked up, Julian could hear Ryan thinking about what an idiot his best friend was.

"L-l-l-last time, w-w-w-as supposed t-t-to be it," growled out his friend through his stuttering problem.
I know. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Julian promised, but they both knew it was a lie.
Provide at least three hundred words showing you've got a grasp of how you play your character. We are no longer accepting links for this section.

First-Person Sample:

http://boomtownmeme.dreamwidth.org/44931.html?thread=9288067#cmt9288067