[CHAR] The Rutherford Organization: A WW2-era Occult Investigations RP(NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEWCOMERS)

[DepressedSoviet]

Sven Heidrich

Name: Sven Heidrich
Age: 52
Sex: Male
Nationality: German, specifically Prussian

Appearance:

During the Great War

Current Day

Sven stands at about 6 feet, though with his aging he doesn't stand quite as straight as he used to. His hear is a light grey, having worn away from the crisp brown it was originally. His eyes still retain a bright blue shine despite his age, however. His skin is wrinkling as he grows older, and his suits show a bit of wear from being worn for all these years. He's hardly ever found without a pipe in hand, though sometimes he simply chews on the tip instead of smoking it.

Outward Personality: In the eyes of his friends, colleagues, and the world at large, Sven is a brilliant archaeologist, a renowned historian, and a true gentleman. Sven is polite, friendly, and welcoming, quite at odds with the modern portrayal of Germans. He despises the Third Reich, and sees it as a shameful mockery of the Germany he served during the Great War.
Inner Personality: Sven's secret ambition is to use the secrets uncovered by the Rutherford Organization to recreate what he believes to be the TRUE Germany. A powerful empire that unites the German people, but without the hate and destruction caused by Hitler and his misguided Fascist ways.

Backstory: Born in Berlin, Sven was the son of a well-read historian, who actually ran a museum in the city. Sven grew up surrounded by all times of human history, and became particularly enthralled with the religious myths and legends of Europe and the Middle East. When he came of age, Sven went to university, studying and achieving several degrees in Archaeology, History, Theology, and mythological studies. When the Great War broke out in 1914, Sven was recruited by the German General Staff to aid in a series of secret research projects headquartered in the Austrian-held territory in the Balkans, where archaeologists were seeking to uncover the mysteries of various occult secrets in southeastern Europe and the territories of the Ottoman Empire. Sven saw much success in this field, but they came at too late a time to change the course of the war. In 1918, Germany and Austria-Hungary surrendered, which led to the end of Sven's projects. Seeking a way to see his research put to good use, Sven contacted the Entente governments, who put him in contact with one Dr. Victor Rutherford. Together, the two used Sven's research, and Dr. Rutherford's pull with the British government, to form the basis of the Rutherford Organization. Over the years, Sven acted more as the active leader of the Organization, overseeing the activities of field research and artifact recovery, while Victor acted as the liaison to the British government. In 1934, Victor went missing without a single trace as to where, and Sven was forced to take up the mantle as the sole leader of the Rutherford Organization, forming a sort-of Council with the eldest members, to help organize and keep the project running.

Other: N/A...for now.

[Avanhelsing]

Jack Davis

Name:Jack Davis
Age:20
Sex: Male
Nationality: American

Appearance:
John Mathew Davis looks like the stereotypical American young man. His face is clean shaven and clear of any scars. His hair is straw blonde and kept clean shaven to his head. It is the standard hair cut for an American soldier. However, his eyes are deep brown showing partial Arabian heritage. He is generally fit from years of boxing and running. He shows his youth. Jack looks younger then he really is. It is not odd to see him with a tall white Stetson hat. Jack look almost identical to his father.

Outward Personality:
If you were to look at Jack, most people would just see a dumb soldier out of his league. He speaks with a thick Texan accent and always seems to be smiling like a fool. He seems to be a dull witted American soldier. Most people tend to ignore him since he looks like a thug with a gun. People tend to ignore his contributions to the group.

Inner Personality:
Jack Davis is not some sort of thug with a gun. He is quite intelligent when he wants to be. He is fluent in Arabic and Japanese from being taught by his childhood tutor and his father's bodyguard respectively. He always loved learning history but he did not have the patience to get a degree in archaeology or whatever else. He can name the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt but since he does not have the paper to cover it. He has a list of artifacts that he would love to try to find. He has his eyes set on the The Book Of Thoth and the Senji Ryakketsu (The Summary to Judgements of Divinations). Jack is also a hidden homosexual.

Backstory:
Jack Davis was born in Cairo, Egypt. His mother was a local and his father a prominent American Egyptology expert. Soon after he was born, his mother just vanished never to be seen or heard from again. His father decided to stay in Egypt to focus on his work. Jack was raised by a set of people his father had around him. He hired a stern English nanny to keep the boy under control but she never seemed successful. His father's Japanese bodyguard Kenji seemed to have better luck keeping him under control. Kenji helped the boy learn how to control his boundless energy. He taught the boy Japanese and taught him of the legends of the islands. Unlike many of his countrymen Kenji disagreed with his emperor's tendencies.

His father's chief digger Hasan, took up the role as Jack's tutor. Since John Davis Senior wanted to keep his son safe, that meant Jack had to stay with Hasan. Hasan taught Jack how to box and how to survive in the desert. He took it upon himself to teach Jack how to speak Arabic. He even got Jack into a boxing match on the Great Pyramid which he won.

Jack spent a good chunk of his life going from one dig site to the next. He learned Arabic from the diggers and the camp workers. He learned to love his birth country even though he always wanted to head to his father's home. When he was 15, he finally got his wish. His father had gotten a job at Harvard so that meant heading back to the states.

However, Jack always had missed his old home. Cambridge was nothing like Cairo. Four years ago, he decided to enlist in the Army. College life was not for him and he wanted to fight for his father's country. Before he could see any battle, he was transferred to the Rutherford Organization.His father had a little sway with the group since he had helped them before with research. Now Jack was sent all around the world. He finally had his old adventurous life.

Other:
Fluent in English, Arabic, and Japanese.
Is quick with a rifle and a sword.
Is a rather good boxer.

[Leotamer]

Alexander Walsh

Name: Alexander Walsh
Age:21
Sex:Male
Nationality: American/Irish (Born in the US)

Appearance: Alexander is a lean, tall figure. His Irish heritage is obvious in his red hair and freckled face. His arms are covered in scars caused by thorns and claws. He is fairly pale, this is not because he spends all-day in-doors, but is inside caused by the fact that his skin would rather burn than tan. However, what makes Alexander stand out the most is his wardrobe. He wears a white silk shirt under a large green robe made out of planet fibers that goes down to his knees. His pants are less amusing, except that they are about ten years out of style.

Outward Personality: He is able to seem misanthropic, having a certain disdain for humanity and has been quoted saying, "Most humans are chaotic creatures of war and destruction that have a tendency to simply make things worst as they act without wisdom or morals."

While he has a great love of nature, he is not opposed to eating meat or other animal products, but he can often be seen saying native american prayers before eating meat or after killing an animal or plant. He also seems to have an affinity for things that other would consider worthless, such as eagle feathers, sea shells, and the like.

It is no secret that he has a particular interest in studying Native American and Druidic site, however he also has an interest in other prechristian religions such Nordic myth and Shintoism, and in particular, there forms of nature reverence.

Inner Personality: In truth, Alexander cares about other humans more than he lets on. He cares for his fellow man about as much anyone else would, but tries to hide it since he believes it is rooted in his greatest fear, that he is not the paragon of nature he seeks to become and that ultimately he is unworthy. While generally calm-headed, this fear can cloud his judgment and can cause him to make rash decisions which while seem beneficial at the moment, may have dire consequences in the future.

Backstory: Alexander is his father's son. His father was pagan, and so Alex is pagan. His father was a member of the Rutherford Organization, and so Alex is a member of the Rutherford Organization. His history starts not at his birth, but with his father.

His father was a man known as Sean Walsh. He was a fairly normal Irishman other than his interest in archaeology, which was quite skilled at, leading him to the Rutherford Organization and eventually his conversion to a druidic form of spiritualism and paganism. He met with an American women who was an expert on Native American history and folklore, and the two quickly feel and love and had a child, Alex.

Alex grew up strongly religious, often spending time with family friends while his parents worked. His mother died when he was seventeen due to disease, and his father went MIA a few years later.

He joined the Rutherford Organization as soon as he was able in order to hopefully find his father, revive his religion, and prove himself worthy.

Other: He is obviously well versed in Native American and Paganistic culture and mythology. However, less apparent, he has learned how to survive in the wilderness using only the tools nature proves.

[Tsar Gatto]

Kitamura Tamiko

Name:
Kitamura Tamiko

Age:
24

Sex:
Female

Nationality:
Japanese/British parentage. British nationality.

Appearance:
Tamiko appears more Japanese that she does British, at least living in the west has certainly led her to feel this way. Her hair is jet black and her skin is darker than that of her mother who has a very pale complexion (Of course the opposite would have been true had she lived in Japan, being far paler and having an obviously more ‘western’ appearance). She is thin and tall, having inherited her mother’s size and somewhat luscious body-shape – she stands at just under 5’8’ weighing approximately 127 lbs and ensures she keeps in good physical condition. Having grown up in Britain she is more aligned with western concepts of beauty and dresses and presents herself accordingly, usually wearing stylish dresses of all kinds with a slightly abundant amount of jewellery – balancing professional with a charming element of seduction.

Outward Personality:
Tamiko is an extremely focused young woman, ambitious, friendly and dedicated to her work. She is happy, outgoing and generally polite and seems to have little problem mixing her work and social life always seeming to want to spend more time socialising with her colleagues – anyone would tell you that she likely has a very promising future ahead of her. She is not opposed to subtle flirtations and has no problem letting a man help her, quite often playing to their sense of masculinity or chivalry.

Inner Personality:
Tamiko is actually a fairly damaged woman, the root of which generally goes back to her father’s abandonment of her and her mother. She desires more than anything to receive his approval and acceptance, secretly resenting her mother for as she sees it ‘driving him away’. An extension of this she somehow blames the ‘Allied nations’/the west (broadly of course and for many various reasons) for having flawed ideology, a deeply unspiritualistic and material culture amongst other things. Of course she is also deeply conflicted, having been raised and lived in said culture for her entire life – and actually enjoying it a large amount. However it’s easy to ignore your own flaws whilst focusing on those of others if it justifies your actions. She has somewhat glamorised and idealised Japanese culture and history, believing in their propaganda of superiority in practically every regard, though of course she would never verbalise any of these beliefs and keeps this a closely guarded secret. Tamiko is a double-agent amongst the Rutherford unit and as such seeks to assist Japan and the Axsis through subterfuge and espionage, working directly with a European contact to feed him small amounts of information whilst waiting for any major opportunity to sabotage their efforts. Her goal is to gain something of great importance or power before defecting and returning to what she sees as her true homeland before their inevitable victory, whilst in the meantime reviling information on the unit’s plans and whereabouts.

Backstory:
Tamiko was born to Juliette Davies and Kitamura Zeshin in 1918, both having met during operations in WW1 in Singapore in 1915. She was a nurse who had been assigned to the British forces, he a Japanese Sailor who was wounded by a rebelling Sepoy who was in possession of a minor ‘artifact’. This was a dagger that seemed to have a most unusual property, any wound that the blade caused would rapidly become a necrotising infection that ate away at the unfortunate victims flesh within mere minutes. Fortunately the Sepoy had not had the opportunity to use it on Zeshin, in fact the young man had managed to turn the blade on its wielder which is how he discovered its remarkable property (he did however receive a gunshot to the arm).

Receiving news of this the British commander sent word to his superiors, to which he received an instruction from the highest authority to ensure the artefacts safe return to England. The Japanese commander however refused to simply hand it over, and instead negotiated that the injured Zeshin would accompany it to England to ensure that it remained the property of Japan. The only senior nurse assigned to the unit a young Miss Davies was sent with him to ensure his health and survival, the British wanting to ensure favourable diplomatic negotiations with the Japanese.

They reported to a Dr Victor Rutherford who was considered the only expert in such unusual matters and through coincidence the two worked together closely having bonded during the trip. The young sailor seemed to have a hidden skill at manipulating events to ensure that he remained in England, supported by the Japanese negotiators in his desires. Quickly the two fell in love and within a year they were married, the young Japanese man being promoted as the British government sought to improve Anglo-Japanese relations by praising him highly to his command. He became a diplomat between the two countries and Japan’s only insight into the original Rutherford project. After three years they had a daughter and named her Tamiko - all seemed well for a few years. However it was not to last and as Tamiko turned thirteen her father left both her and her mother and returned to Japan amongst the rising tensions between the two nations. Her mother stepped back from the project (though her only role was due to that of her husband, she had worked as a secretary for the project and offered medical assistance whenever it had been required).

Tamiko grew up and attended Oxford university where she studied Medicine and Theatre before graduating at the top of her class. Her mother through her contacts acquired working in the Rutherford project secured her a position as an administrative assistant where she quickly proved her use and dedication. With her medical training and a few casual requests where she made her desires known it wasn’t long before she became a mix of administrator and also a field-medic of sorts for the project. Thus far she has proved invaluable both at the office and in the field.

Other:
Tamiko has made quite a few friends in her time within the project and the government. In some regards she could be considered a socialite, always seeming to acquire an invite to them most prestigious events and being popular amongst the wealthy and powerful. Secretly she is willing to do a lot to ensure she stays in favour of people she know matter. She is not opposed to using her feminine charms and more to gain the favours and friends she needs if it helps her achieve her objectives. She exerts a huge amount of effort into protecting her image. She communicates with her contact through a combination of dead-drops and the occasional brush pass, generally in either very crowded or very remote locations – quite infrequently so.

Giasone Magliaro

Name:
Giasone Magliaro

Age:
38

Sex:
Male

Nationality:
Italian

Appearance:

Giasone has a somewhat rough worn expression and seems to have a perpetual scowl across his features. He has deep chestnut hair that is starting to gray very slightly, though he still possesses the athletic build of a man in his prime. He has an intimidating presence and generally commands respect and fear with his piercing gaze. The men whisper that he can stare into a man and determine if he speaks the truth or not – nonsense, but it speaks volume about the nature of his steely gaze and the effect it can have on some.

Outward Personality:
Giasone is a man with little patience for stupidity or cowardice in life, traits he seems to discover in his fellow man continuously. He is known as a strict disciplinarian and not someone you would care to cross – and that’s amongst his colleagues. Known to have little to no tolerance for failure he commands with absolute authority inspiring fear and obedience in his men. Once a priest it is hard to believe this man once possessed a shred of caring or compassion for his fellow man, he seems now to sometimes even relish in the suffering of others. Driven and deadly cunning Giasone Magliaro has rightly earned his position as one of Mussolini’s favourites, providing the dictator with an insight into the world of the occult and masterminding the campaign against the Vatican.

Inner Personality:
Giasone Magliaro lost his faith over ten years ago, though the experience that caused this is a closely guarded secret of his. He resigned his priesthood and never looked back, delving into the world of the occult as he buried himself in religious texts. He became more and more obsessed and with the rise of the Fascist Party in Italy he was suddenly contacted as the government of his homeland made moves to create its own version of the so called ‘Rutherford Program’. Slowly Giasone became more involved in the program and they recovered several of the artefacts that he had researched and attempted to locate. Though they too experienced many failures at the hands of the Rutherfords, each one slowly chipping away at his once calm personality, this slow build up seeming to have come to a climax as the nations themselves have descended into war. As his colleagues have died and he has taken on a more senior role he has started to become more unhinged and sadistic, though the majority of the time he maintains his composure. He now seeks to beat the Rutherford project at every step, knowing that the right artefact of piece of ancient lore may hold the key to victory – and through that domination of the world itself.

Backstory:
From village priest to military commander seems like a big change, but for Giasone the change has come naturally as his life has progressed. As soon as his government took an interest in his research it gave his life new purpose and direction, something beyond dusty tomes and scrabbling for scraps of information. At first he was sceptical, but he joined the Italian program in the hope that he may one day be able to wield the power he had once witnessed. More of a military division than a team this unit was simply called ‘Divisione Sessantesimo’, the sixtieth division. D-sixty was equipped with a full infantry unit, cavalry detachment and even a flamethrower unit. In the beginning he had many colleagues, however one by one either their research consumed them or they fell to the hands of one of the Rutherford unit. There were exceptions of course though, some who paid the price for repeated failure or otherwise displeased their commanders. Giasone however has done nothing but please those above him. His research always meticulous and well sourced he has never failed to successfully pitch a location or be aware of each piece of relevant information for the task at hand. With the recent death of the previous head of the unit he has finally been given more direct command and has big plans ahead of him. He is the mastermind behind the campaign to plunder the catholic vaults and thus far has been most successful. His eye however is on the one true prize, the vault that lies below Vatacan City and the wealth of knowledge and artefacts that lay within. In his time he has delved deep into the occult of the churches of the world, participating and observing many rituals and dark practises.

Other:
Giasone Magliaro is a man of many sins. A smoker, a drinker and a man with demons, he has developed very sadistic tendencies and some very unsavoury pastimes.

[FantasyChic]

Georgina Cadwell

Name: Georgina Cadwell

Age: 20

Sex: Female

Nationality: British

Appearance: Georgina is a young woman, standing at 5'7'' and weighs 122 lbs. She has long, blonde hair usually tied up in a bob or in a fashionable updo. She has dark brown eyes and a peach complexion. She typically wears dresses and suits, but occasionally puts on her pants (take that men!). She also has a beauty mark by her left eye. She wears make-up, most notably her red lipstick and black mascara.

Outward Personality: Georgina is a smart one. Never one to miss out on debates or intellectual conversations, she hopes to make it big in a man's world. She isn't afraid of most things and likes to explore and investigate, probably too much for her own good. While some would consider her nosy, she considers herself to be inquisitive. She is sociable, likable, and can easily play the helpless female when all else fails, even though she could probably give most men a run for their money.

Inner Personality: Georgina is studying the paranormal for her own personal validation. Having her parents killed under mysterious circumstances left her with no closure. As she researched more, she became increasingly more interested in the occult and the paranormal. Deep inside, she knows her parents were into the same thing and that is what got them killed. Behind those pretty eyes lays the mind of a woman who is out for the truth, and will go to great lengths to get it.

Backstory: Georgina lost her parents when she was very little. She was told growing up that they were killed in a fire, but the police covered up any attempt at looking at the bodies or investigating the scene. Georgina knew something was up. She studied hard in school and researched whatever she could into her parents' deaths. She stumbled upon books and papers outlining mysterious things like cults, magic, and paranormal entities. She was intrigued, to say the least. As she studied more, she became more and more certain her parents were interested in the same thing. By the time she reached 20, she was known for being an intellectual and an amazing mind, if also a snoop and a nuisance. Her search for the truth has led to very little answers and even more questions.

Having shown an interest in all things paranormal, she was sought after for The Rutherford Organization. With the war on everyone's minds, she felt it best to lend her talents to a worthwhile cause. She could help and find the help she needed to finally find the answers she has been looking for.

Other: She is left-hand dominant
She knows how to use a gun, mainly a pistol
She loves chocolate. Like...a LOT
She has never had a steady boyfriend, though guys have tried. They've all been too stupid.

[SkullsandSlippers]

Imogen Trondeau

Name:Imogen Yvonne Georgina Trondeau (Nee-Thomas)
Age:28
Sex:Female
Nationality:French

Appearance:
Height: 5'6
Weight: 124
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Brown
Slender and lean, Imogen carries herself with great poise and grace. She is stylishly dressed and blends well in high society crowds. Her hair is always neatly pinned up or styled to fit whatever occasion she may be attending.

Imogen wears very little in the way of makeup off stage, preferring a fresh and natural look though she isn't above highlighting her large blue eyes when dressing up.

Her nails are always done with a basic french manicure and her perfume a delicate floral scent. Imogen carries a french accent and has the tendency to slip into using french words when flustered.

Outward Personality:
Imogen is a dancer and singer, at one point a star in the Paris theatre scene. She carries a reputation, both her own and her husband’s that allows her access to people and places others could not easily get to. She also became very interested in anthropology, mythology and occult through her husband.

Imogen would describe herself as refined, polite and controlled in all things. She remembers everything a skill she carried over from her theatre days.

She is social when she needs to be, quick to smile and engage in the conversation. A performer through and through.

Inner Personality:
The smile and confidence of a performer that hides a woman scared of the dark streets. The attack left her frightened of leaving the house for a while though she has overcome that. Imogen is dedicated to the work because it is her last connection to Matthieu.

Backstory:
Born to just outside Paris. Imogen was an only child. At a young age she was enrolled in ballet and singing lessons. She was brought into the Paris ballet and soon ‘discovered’ by a theatre company owner. She became a performer and star in the Paris theater scene. She was able to meet a lot of influential people and learned many secrets from men courting her favour.

When she was 22 she traveled to Canada with the theatre group and there she met Matthieu Trondeau. A scholar and professor he taught anthropology and mythology at the University of Montreal. He was eight years her senior. The pair married in secret just two months after meeting.

Her father died that same year and her mother a year later. Matthieu moved to France to be with her and allow her to continue her performing. He got a job working in a museum. All of her free time was spent with Matthieu enjoying life in Paris, making friends with the well to do and military elite who enjoyed the theater or researching with him.

Four years ago she and Matthieu were out for an evening of Opera and drinks when, walking down a back alley they were accosted by three men. Matthieu, protective of his wife took a beating from the men. Imogen was dragged into an alley and assaulted. Matthieu died of his injuries.

Other:
Marital Status: Widowed
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Handed: Left

Basic Likes:
Red wine
Quiet restaurants
Books

Basic Dislikes:
Feeling weak or out of control

[shylarah]

Alyssana Grey

Name: Alyssana Grey
Age: 28
Gender: female
Nationality: born in Africa, now a British citizen

Appearance: Alys is not unpleasant to look at, but she is no beauty. Her skin is naturally pale, but her version of tan is still on the light side and her thin lips are likewise lacking any significant color. Her features are refined but too sharp to be properly pretty, and she does not care to use makeup beyond a very little bit of lipstick and eyeshadow. She is lean but solid, a very active woman with the musculature to match. Her waist is narrow but so too are her hips, and she has little in the way of a bosom. Her eyes are her best feature, a stormy grey with more or less blue depending upon the day and the lighting. They are also the most reliable indication of her mood. Her hair has a bit of a wave and is cut just past her shoulders, a light brown closer to sandy or ash than it is to dirty blonde. She generally wears it pulled back from her face in a half-up style, pinned securely into place. She will put it in a full ponytail or a bun when she needs it more contained, and might do something a bit fancier with it for formal occasions, but she will never wear it down.

Alyssana favors functionality over form, including in her clothing. Her everyday attire is generally slacks and a blouse or a pants suit, though sometime she will wear a skirt instead of pants. She dresses modestly, and prefers understated patterns and delicate embroidery instead of anything flashy. A little bit of ruffle or lace goes a long way, but it is better not to overdo it. Her taste in jewelry is similarly simplistic, avoiding the ornate in favor of understated elegance. Color-wise she prefers darker tones and cool colors, particularly greys and navies. On site, she will wear denim, leather, and other hard-wearing materials suited for the rough work. She also trades low heels for steel-toe boots, and adds a satchel of useful items on a belt around her waist.

Outward Personality: Alyssana is an intelligent young lady who refuses to conform for conformity's sake. She demands the very best from herself and her colleagues, and anything less is unacceptable. She is a proud woman, and expects respect where she has earned it. Dismissing her because of her age, gender, or any other unfounded assumption is a good way to antagonize her. She likewise does not automatically associate a position of authority with worth. She prefers to judge people on individual merit and this can result in tension between her and people who feel they deserve more respect than she gives. She is not tactless, but generally sees little reason to sugar-coat the truth, and she will speak bluntly. She is sometimes seen as a killjoy, but this is not entirely accurate. Instead it is a product of a serious nature, a reserved demeanor, and a certain lack of patience for frivolity. Those who do not know her generally see her as impassive and aloof; those who do learn to discern the subtle differences in her expressions. She does not often lose her cool, and may be relied upon for sound decisions even under pressure. Alys has a strong sense of ethics, but in the end she is a pragmatist. Often one must either compromise or accept the consequences, and Alys does not shy from the latter. She is very intense and often judgmental, but well-reasoned arguments are given due consideration.

Inner Personality: Where Alys appears to lack a normal range of emotions, it is merely her natural composure; where she seems to push people away it is more that she is slow to trust, and has difficulty opening up to others. Raised in near isolation for a number of years and needing to grow up rather quickly, Alyssana has a certain disregard for social norms and is used to looking after herself. She is fiercely independent, and while she usually asks for help when she needs it she is never pleased to do so, which often comes across as arrogance. She has no particular loyalty to the Allies, and sees giving them an occult edge if war breaks out again as the lesser of two evils. That is not to say she thinks fighting is wrong, but trusting this sort of knowledge to those who do not truly understand it and its effects is asking for trouble. She would prefer to keep discoveries to herself and other academics.

Backstory: Alyssana and her twin brother Christopher were the product of a highly amoral occultist's experiment. A captured spirit was used to modify the twins in the womb, and as a result both have a high affinity for magic, though they are also vulnerable to certain spells that deal with spirits and supernatural entities. Her mother was a young woman abducted from a European settlement in Africa and kept as a servant after, her father the occultist himself. She was raised believing her parents were dead, and only found out the truth as a young teen.

Gerald Tarrant, well-versed in the occult, shared a great deal of his knowledge with the twins. They grew up fairly isolated, their home by a small lake near the edge of the Sahara. The son was to be his heir, carrying on his work in the field, and Alyssana was to be Chris's protector. While she did not receive as much direct training in the supernatural as her brother, she often read his books and helped him with lessons. Her own training focused on combat, both ranged and melee, and more practical matters.

At age eleven, Alyssana discovered that the master who'd raised her like his own child intended to use a ritual to bind her to Christopher, so she would be compelled to stay with him and protect him. Frightened and disgusted, the girl took her brother and fled, eventually reaching the dig of a group excavating a site of occult significance. Alys managed to persuade some of the researchers to allow the twins to stay, especially when they demonstrated knowledge in the field. A confrontation with Gerald could not be avoided, but in the end when the team returned to England, the children went with. Officially the pair were adopted by one of the archaeologists, but in reality the relationship was not particularly familial, despite the efforts of the Greys.

The girl's education continued, both in the standard subjects and in the occult, for which she had a particular aptitude. She graduated Oxford with top honors to pursue a career in both teaching and fieldwork. Her adopted parents had ties to the world in the shadows, including sponsoring various endeavors, and Alys's mentor in that area was a good friend of the founders of the Rutherford Organization. However, he was quite adverse to declaring allegiance to any particular government, and Lord Lowell Agimund maintained close ties to the occult scholars of various countries despite the tensions between them. This gave Alys the singular opportunity of exposure to a wide variety of methods and the schools of thought associated with each. Eastern philosophy in particular holds an appeal for her, as well as the Jewish value of questioning and even arguing established rules.

While she holds no particular allegiance to the Allied countries, beyond her opposition to a single world government, the opportunities presented by the Rutherford organization were simply too good to pass up.

Other:
Alyssana is, at heart, an academic. Learning is her passion, with her chosen fields merely applications of this underlying love.

Alyssana is a devoted student of the sword, both in terms of fencing and for self-defense. She is the owner of a beautiful ancient longsword that carries a minor enchantment, a gift to her from Lord Agimund upon completion of her schooling. She is a competent fighter in general, with experience in knives, rifles, pistols, and fisticuffs, and she will not hesitate to fight dirty. Her strength is merely average when unenhanced, and she relies on wit and magic to gain her a decisive advantage.

English is her native tongue, and though she has replaced most of her African English accent with a properly educated one, traces of it remain. She speaks the French used by African colonies with the fluency of a native, knows enough of a couple different African tribal dialects to carry a conversation, and has a solid knowledge of Afrikaans. She had sufficient exposure to Arabic as a child while abroad with the Greys to pick it up, though her speech here is considerably less polished. Academically, she studied various older tongues, including Classical Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, Old High German, Old English, and Sumerian.

Lord Agimund was a practical man, and did not believe in limiting oneself to a single magic system. As his student, Alys learned about a variety of systems, and employs a combination of channeled, rune-activated, and component casting. Aside from the trivial spell for light -- the first she ever learned -- her proficiencies are combat magic (particularly force and dark), and dispelling. While she has functional knowledge of things like rituals, she is not particularly skilled at using them, nor at crafting spells. Her theoretical knowledge of magic systems is far broader. She has detailed knowledge of curses, mostly for dispelling purposes, but should the need arise, Alys would be able to craft and cast a curse without much difficulty.

Alyssana is more susceptible to magic targeting supernatural creatures, particularly spells dealing with spirits. While channeling a specific type of magic (usually dark), she is adversely affected by magic opposing that type. She registers as a magical creature, something that frustrates her no end.