Name: Taylor Richard Hiss
Appearance: Taylor is a tall, fair-skinned man bearing short, dark brown hair and the cliché perpetual five-o-clock shadow of the investigator. Wears a rough gray suit jacket over a white button-up shirt (no tie unless invited to formal events) with slacks that match the jacket and black worker's boots.
Age: 36
Bio: Originally from the Republic of Olympia across the sea, Taylor formally migrated to Iliad about 18 years ago, meeting his future wife Celeste, settling down and opening a private investigator's office, and siring a son, Conrad, and daughter, Julia.

What he doesn't want you to know, is that he spent the four years before he settled in Iliad, as an Olympian spy.

Sure, fourteen would sound an improbable age to be involved in international espionage; but despite its friendly outward appearance, the Republic of Olympia is not a particularly nice place.
Orphaned at an early age, he was taken in as a ward of the state, educated with an onslaught of Olypmian propaganda, and subjected to a battery of aptitude tests to determine his fate in the Republic's apparatus.
Ultimately, he was sent to the Foreign Corps and learned the crafts of his assigned trade; when he was finally deployed abroad, though, he was actually little more than a glorified courier, picking up missives brought to the border by agents in the Hermannreich, and bringing them to his handlers at the Republic's embassy in Iliad.

One near miss with the local color on such a run led into his first meeting with his future wife. While he was being chased by members one gang for taking a shortcut through their turf, he stumbled upon brutes from another gang hired to make a vulnerable Descendant "disappear." Luckily for both of them, the gangs were bitter rivals, and considered their rivalry more important than whatever an "outsider" had paid them to do, allowing Taylor and Celeste to cleanly escape their peril.
Eventually, they got to know each other, became friends, fell in love, Taylor quit the courier job and naturalized, and they got married.
Between raising their son and starting his private investigation firm, Snake Eyes, he enrolled in a few classes at Marduk to supplement his compressed Olympian education.

Now, he's an established investigator and family man and all-around concerned citizen, although he's well short of being a shining pillar of the Iliad community. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
Mundane Skills: On the fighting side, Taylor's an excellent marksman, and a fair street fighter. Mentally, he's got a strong memory, and can generally maintain his composure in high-pressure situations.
Magic: Taylor is mostly comfortable using fire and gravity magic in a variety of applications, both in combat and out. In combat, he usually channels fire magic to add a bit of sizzle to his brawling style, or infusing a conjured fireball with a touch of gravity magic to use as a sort of grenade or mine. Gravity alone, he uses more sparingly, forcing minor fluctuations on the spot to literally send his foes off their balance.
Outside of fights, fire magic's use is much more situational, mostly being used as an obvious but readily available source of light or heat when he needs it. Conversely, he can use gravity magic outside of combat to get from "Point A" to "Point B" a lot more conveniently.
Personality: Taylor's a man of more action than words. He's generally quiet, projecting a calm, confident aura for his family, friends, and community in general. He tends to be quick to raise his voice or act belligerent when threatened, frustrated, or annoyed, but that's part of how he tries to take control of the situation. Ultimately, his controlling attitude results from his own past, in which he lived at the whim of the Olympian state; and fear for his newfound family, whose overall safety is his main priority. Threaten him, he'll throw it back in your face; threaten his wife or children, he will hurt you for it.
Faction: Primarily affiliated with his own investigation agency "Snake Eyes Investigations", but leans towards Marduk's position on foreign policy.
Are you a Descendant of the Illuminated Poet?: No.

Name: Conrad Orion Hiss
Appearance: Conrad is tall for his age, with lighter skin and almost blond hair, which he likes to wear long. If not required to wear a uniform for school, he prefers a casual but robust outfit comprising of a dark-toned denim jacket over a graphic-print t-shirt with slightly lighter long jeans and light athletic shoes.
Age: 17
Bio: Not much to say here; Conrad is the son of Taylor, the foreigner; and Celeste, the Descendant of the Illuminated Poet. He's aware of it, thanks to capturing the interest of his grandfather; but his father's influence leaves him skeptical that his lineage is That Big a Deal. Still, said grandfather convinced Taylor to have his son enrolled at the Marduk Academy at the earliest of opportunities.
Mundane Skills: He's decently athletic, mostly a runner.
Magic: Between his education and his lineage, he hasn't really managed to identify a specialty for his talent, but he personally leans on wind-based magic, as well as picking up some extra practice with fire from his father.
Personality: At first glance, Conrad might seem inattentive, unmotivated, withdrawn, or even lazy. More accurately, he feels isolated from his surroundings, having listened to too many arguments between his father and grandfather about what he should do with his life; at 17, he doesn't really have an answer, but he feels he should find a niche of his own pretty soon.
Faction: Attends Marduk, but has learned his father's problematic tendency to question things, especially things others would like him to take for granted.
Are you a Descendant of the Illuminated Poet?: Yes.

Name: Seth Murdock



Age: 18

Bio: If you have never heard the Murdock name before, count yourself lucky; It means you have yet to lose anyone.

The Murdock Morgue had been operated by the same family for generations and catered to nearly everyone in the city. Skilled coffin makers and masters of bone and blood magics, the Murdocks prided themselves at making any who had recently departed look as beautiful and peaceful as possible before they are laid to rest. It was not an easy task by any means. In a world filled with untold dangers, and a specific group being hunted by any means, there was no telling how someone would go out. But nevertheless, Clide and Sharon Murdock strived to make sure everyone could have an open casket no matter how much manipulation was needed.

Continuing with tradition, the Murdocks sought to teach their sons the same magics they had mastered so that they may continue the family business. However, their eldest son, Seth, didn’t seem to have the same connection they had. He struggled to reshape the flesh of the departed while his younger brother Cody was a natural. It became clear rather quickly who would indeed be taking over the morgue when they grew up. Though they never said anything, Seth could feel his parents began to favor Cody. They started focusing their attention more to the younger sibling during lessons leaving Seth to mostly fend for himself. At gatherings they would ask Cody to show off his abilities to the guests, while Seth simply stayed at their side.

He would not be deterred, though. Since the family lived above the morgue, it was a simple matter of sneaking down stairs every night to practice. But in the dark quiet of the moonlight, in the company of those who were no longer of this world, Seth began to hear voices in his mind. At first they were nothing more than faint whispers mistaken for the wind. Yet with every night they grew, louder and louder. Each one called to him though no one spoke. He could feel their presence yet was alone. They compelled him to look deeper than the flesh and bone before him, to reach into the endless void. And so, he plunged his hands into the great beyond, and found he could manipulate bodies, just not with their earthly components.

At the age of 15, two years after he found how to reach beyond the mortal realm, Seth was now able to fully bring back and command a single body on a whim. Though he soon found he had gone as far as he could on his own. His parents had never delved into Necromancy, and his schooling had no courses on such a macabre subject. If he ever wanted to truly hone his skills, he would need to go to the one place where such things were welcomed with open arms; Ishtar School for Creative Minds.

Having long given up on running the family business, Seth begged his parents to send him to Ishtar. They did not have many connections, but driven by their love for their son and regret for making him feel lesser, Seth’s parents got to work. They called in every favor and pulled every string until Seth’s application for admission was sitting on Nergal’s desk. Seth waited every morning for the mail to show up, until the fateful day when he finally received his acceptance letter. Now at the age of 18, having studied the magics of the dead for three years, Seth has become one of the most capable necromancers of his time. Now it’s time to see if he can put his skills to the test.

Mundane Skills: Outside of magic, Seth is an extremely talented knife thrower. It’s not uncommon for him to have an abundance of throwing knives on hand at all times. He has also taken to learning Alchemy. He finds it’s a lot like cooking but with a magical kick. He has also picked up playing the saxophone and is an expert at strategy games.

Magic: Necromancy:













Personality: One would think dealing with death and decay would turn a person's demeanor to a dark and brooding one. Seth however is the exact opposite. Loud, obnoxious, and over all a complete goofball. He is just as likely to summon a skeletal warrior simply to high five it as he would for use in combat. He does not share the same disdain or disgust for his magic as others do, and will flaunt his necromantic powers at a whim. Some would say disturbing the dead for such trivial things is disrespectful, Seth would say they weren’t busy with anything else.

This may give the appearance that Seth is uncaring. Quite the opposite, in fact. His humorous attitude is to make others laugh and brighten up the room. After spending his whole life around the dead and knowing what it's like to feel pushed aside, Seth has grown to appreciate life and wants to make sure others are living their best as well. In the end he is just a curious student willing to learn even the most taboo schools of magic purely in the pursuit of bettering the world at large. And hey, a little power along the way never hurt.

Faction (Marduk, Ishtar, or Cassandra Club when it's founded): Ishtar for now. Cassandra once formed.
Are you a Descendant of the Illuminated Poet?: No

Name: Mathew S. (Samuel) Davies
Appearance: Mathew stands at 5" 8', and weighs almost three hundred pounds. His rotund figure is covered by an exceptional amount of brown hair, the young man even sporting side burns, and a mustache. His flab hides under it a thick layer of muscle, which can be seen when he strains himself. His attire is normally a white dress shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes.
Age: 17
Bio: A student of Ishtar's School for Creative Minds, Mathew's childhood was surprisingly pleasant. His father was an immigrant from Hermannreich who fled to Iliad to start a new life, and fell in love with Mathew's mother who was an Illiad native. Becoming an exceptionally powerful Magi, Mathew's father was able to afford a life of luxury for himself, his wife, and son. However Hermannreich had other plans as they prepared for an attack against Iliad and Mathew's father knew what he had to do. He returned to his home country, and died there dismantling as much of the attempted invasion as he could. Mathew's Father died a hero in Iliad, and as a traitor to Hermannreich.

Poor Mathew, left without his father watched as his life began to fall apart. His mother had to work herself ragged to try to maintain a similar life style as they fell down the rungs of society, eventually ending up among the poorest denizens of the city for a time. Mathew took to stress eating and bouts of aggression, unable to handle the stress befalling him as he watched his mother almost go crazy trying to keep them afloat. His time at Ishtar became speckled in violent brawls and nasty fights with other students as he became something of a bully to his class mates. He became despised, but seemed to soak in the negative attention like a blubbery steak submerged in a sweet marinade. However, in his 15th year something happened to jar him from his path of degeneracy. His mother had brought home a man of ill repute, abusive and vile who had coerced her with promises of being a father for her faltering child, and a source of money for them to live. His lies hooked her deep, and she became infatuated with him for a time until he revealed his true evil. Beatings, death threats, and worse began to plague the Davie's household.

Knowing this man was no good, and that he'd need to be able to protect himself and his mother, Mathew began to work on himself. He read from his father's old magical notes, and started to improve his body to turn the fat and flab he had built from his stress eating into muscle and physical power. Mathew and his new "Step-Father" came to blows constantly over the smallest of things, but what caused it all to come to a head was when Mathew saw him punch his mother in the jaw with a magically enhanced punch, breaking her teeth and jaw into a grizzly scene of blood and bone shards. Mathew struck his Step-Father in the side with a punch hard enough to snap ribs, but his Step-Father on a high of Adrenalin and rage unleashed a spell, attempting to flay the skin from Mathew's body. Deep wounds opened across Mathew's body as blood flowed freely and a sudden surge of light headedness was brought on by blood loss. Mathew, fearing for his life from this abusive monster unleashed every bit of strength he had left into a spell, unleashing one of the Dark Art's basic principles. He began to rip the life out of his Step-Father to heal his own wounds. As the tears in Mathew's flesh sealed, and blood returned to him he watched his step-father turn to dust before him. Carrying his mother to a healer, Mathew had to truly reflect upon what had happened. After being questioned by the authorities, it was ruled that Mathew had acted in self defense, and what he had done was to preserve his, and his mother's lives. Mathew took some of the time he had to himself to look deep in order to view himself

What he found was that he was closer to the monster he had just put down than he liked, and realizing that his father would be so disappointed with how his life was going he has made efforts to turn himself around. What was once a raging bully and would be petty tyrant has become a much more thoughtful individual.

Mundane Skills: Boxing, "Botch" Style Wrestling, playing the Royal Game of Ur.
Magic:
Son of the Patriot: Developed after his near death experience, this spell is a modified version of the Helpful Arts which allows Mathew to turn his skin a dark metallic gray, and inherit an exceptional amount of durability. This drains a high amount of stamina to maintain, but makes him virtually indestructible while the spell is active except against truly matter destroying effects. This is normally paired with Red Sun to keep his stamina up while he batters his foes with his wrestling and brawling skills.

Red Sun: Using a combination of the Combat arts and the Dark Arts, Mathew creates a dome of red light around him about ten yards in radius. In this dome, the stamina and fatigue of all within it are drained into Mathew to reinvigorate him. The dome can be shattered by attacking it directly with magic, and doing so fatigues Mathew as he tries to maintain it.

Crimson Bonds: A purely Dark Arts style spell, this spell attempts to rip the life from an enemy. This was the spell that Mathew used to save his own life when fighting his Step-Father. While the name implies actually absorbing blood from his foe, it actually draws life from the eyes of his opponent like a green mist, turning crimson as it flows into Mathew, either through open wounds or his mouth should he be healthy. Closing one's eyes after the spell has been cast will stop the flow, but doing so requires a strong sense of willpower. Disrupting eye-contact between Mathew and the target works as well.

Personality: "You still don't get it. In Iliad, people can die and kill for what they BELIEVE! Not for money, not for Poets! Not for what they're told is right. Every man is free to fight his own wars! Like my father before me, when Hermannreich comes around for round two, I'll be there to bring them down! Hermannreich is diseased, rotten to the core...There'll be no saving it. We'll need to rip them out by the roots, sunder it all, BURN IT DOWN! From the ashes of the old world, a new world will rise! Evolved, but untamed, without the useless hate mongering propaganda it's been poisoned with now. The Headmaster wants us to run and hide, like cowards. Not while I live....Wanna know why? "I have a dream." That one day, every person in this world will control their OWN destiny. A land of the TRULY free, dammit. A world of ACTION, not words. Ruled by STRENGTH, not committee. Where the law changes to suit the individual, not the other way around. Where power and justice are back where they belong: in the hands of the people! "
Bombastic barely caged fury is an apt description of Mathew's personality. While his older self was a rampaging bully, he has honed his fury into strength, true strength. He stands tall in the face of those who would try to push him or his friends around, or those who would topple Iliad. He feels that fleeing would simply leave them cornered, and that they must topple Hermannreich with overwhelming force in order to secure their future. He sees the rivalry between schools as foolish, but necessary to breed competition and push both to become as strong as possible. He is the son of the Patriot, and he will not falter!
Faction:Ishtar
Are you a Descendant of the Illuminated Poet?: No.