True Name: Adam Alric Elias Blackthorne
Alias: Damien Alexander Locke
Appearance:
Dark of hair and eye, Locke stands at 6'2" with a lean
almost wiry build. Handsome but rarely much concerned with
his appearance, the young warlock is usually sporting stubble
or scruff and short mildly disheveled hair that gets more
curled the longer he lets it grow. Though he cleans up well,
Locke frequently runs on too-little sleep and so generally has
a sort of fatigued air about him until the time for action
arrives. Interestingly, Locke dresses well, preferring well
made and therefore more expensive brands with a slight formal
edge. Cargos, chinos, and dark-wash jeans paired with dusters,
trench-coats, and leather jackets make up the majority of his
wardrobe. Additionally, as someone who is practically noctural
and often engages in covert endeavors, Locke wears almost
exclusively black with some reds, greys, and white mixed in.
When out hunting ghosts or rogue Spectre agents Locke adds
in combat gear like armored vests, pauldrons, bracers,
holsters, knee-high combat boots, and of course a baldric
for his sword Darksever. Most importantly, the warlock
equips various arcane artifacts and talismans, the real tools
of his trade.
Sex: Male
Age: 27
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 175 lbs
Hair: Dark Brown
Eye: Dark Brown
Complexion: Pale
Powers / Skills:
As a warlock and former member of the Blackbriar Jaegers
(Germanic for 'hunters'), Locke possesses a host of abilities
connected to his training in sorcery and the occult. Skilled
in stealth and spellcraft, Locke utilizes specialized weaponry
in combination with various arcane implements to investigate,
guard, infiltrate, disrupt, and/or dispatch haunted locales,
supernatural forces, and their denizens whether they be human
or monstrous.
-- Abjuration and Enchantment --
Locke is most talented with the sorcerous disciplines of
abjuration and enchantment, meaning he can readily use magic
to defend or consecrate as well as imbue or recharge items with
magical energy to obtain various effects. With this power he
can accomplish things like shield himself or others from
harm, prevent unwelcome creatures/persons from easily
entering a given area, infuse an object with a spell that
can be activated later, and enable himself to see or otherwise
sense things beyond detection in the normal human spectrum.
The spellslinger is competent in enchanting his own body,
regularly empowering his eyes to discern details and/or
weaknesses of what they behold.
-- Evocation --
The shrewd warlock also makes frequent use of psychokinetic
effects to move objects (or people) in his environment with his
mind. However his aptitude in other aspects of evocation (harnessing
and directing destructive energies, often elemental in nature) is
much more limited. He is much more likely to shove an enemy into
a wall with telekinesis or use mundane weaponry against them than
try to hurl a bolt of lightning at them.
-- Transmutation --
Transmutation allows a spellcaster to physically alter the properties of
a surface, material, substance, or object - or do things like modify the
temperature and barometrics of a caster's surroundings to spawn
meteorological effects. Locke can manage such feats, be he isn't the
quickest or most precise in their execution.
Limitations / Weaknesses:
Locke is less adept in utilizing techniques from the schools of evocation,
conjuration, transmutation, illusion, divination, and necromancy. As such,
manifesting magical effects for their purposes consumes more of his body's
mana stores and takes him longer. For instance, despite his skill at
enchanting himself Locke rarely has much success at directly ensorcelling
the minds or bodies of others. In addition, while he has learned to channel
certain spells through force of will alone, the same cannot be said for the
majority of those from the aforementioned schools. Instead Locke must gather
and perform the material, somatic (gestural), and verbal components of his
lesser known and/or practiced arcana to successfully bring certain spells
to life.
In essence, being a warlock is all about resource management. The more
powerful a spell, the more energy and willpower it takes to use it. So while
Locke can utilize the arcane to devastating effect, he must always be cautious
lest he exhaust his power and find himself drained and weakened. Without his
magic Locke is just as vulnerable as any mundane mortal, meaning preparation,
mental focus, and efficiency are key to his survival.
-- True Names / Words When Spoken --
One of the greatest hazards practitioners of the arcane face are the trappings
of True Names. Within the sphere of magic words have power. They can shape,
charge, direct, and bolster mystical forces by their meaning and the emotions
behind them. As such, when one practitioner knows and can say the full name of
another with the proper pronunciation and inflection, they can sense, more precisely
target, and even exert influence over them. The extent of such exploitation depends
on a number of factors, but a warlock's True Name must always be closely guarded
lest their defenses be bypassed and they fall prey to the whims of their enemies.
-- The Threshold --
In the world of the arcane faith and emotion generate power. Places believed to
be safe and ground considered holy act as a buffer against those who would enter
with the intent to cause harm if enough faith has been placed in such a place
for long enough. This is most commonly found in household dwellings and churches
although thresholds can form in other places as well. Though this usually works
in a warlock's favor it can also inconvenience or on rare occasions incapacitate
them. Thresholds can partially mitigate or even nullify a being's power, forcing
them to either expend more power than usually necessary or cutting them off
completely. Ordinarily this is a technique or bleed-over effect used by neutral
or good factions, however if strong enough or properly united the side of evil
can make use of thresholds as well.
Gadgets / Equipment:
Locke has acquired numerous enchanted objects with varying levels
of power and usefulness. These consist of largely mundane looking
raiment, instruments of the esoteric, and weapons. Among his most
prized possessions are a selection of eldritch masks that boost his
powers for a time, overcoming weaknesses in his practicum and giving
him access to forbidden magics.
History:
Adam Thorne was born into a strict, devout family in Pines Valley, Oregon.
Growing up his parents' religion impacted every aspect of the boy's life, and
he became accustomed to a regimented schedule of study, prayer, and
attendance of church services. Adam's early school years were unremarkable,
although his life and educational career would soon become complicated by
what some would call fate. Although they had attempted to distance themselves
from their family lineage for generations, Thornes (having left off their
historical surname of Blackthorne and again later with the name Hawthorne)
and the supernatural go hand-in-hand. Events in the region including the
infamous Salem Witch Trials left much of Oregon practically drenched with
spirits and supernatural energy. Adam's parents had made an error in
moving back to reclaim ancestral land, and they would eventually discover
that their son was not only sensitive to the ethereal forces around them
but had the ability to tap into the latent magic that belonged to the
Blackthorne bloodline.
Despite their discouragements and efforts to the contrary, in time Adam
began to draw away from the church and sought to discover just what the
occult and his family lineage had in store. In the end Adam broke away
from the confining clutches of his religion and his overbearing abusive
father in particular, becoming ex-communicado with them both. Adam spent
several years gathering knowledge and getting wrapped up in supernatural
occurrences around Oak Vale, a larger community not far from Pines Valley
and Greywood Falls where his ancestors had laid claim to a large swath of
the region's dark mist-laden forests.
Now going by the name Damien Locke, Adam uncovered the existence of the
Jaegers, a loose organization of men and women who hunted the creatures
of the night and policed those who could tap into the power of the arcane.
After making contact and earning their trust, Locke was inducted into their
numbers and underwent extensive training at Blackbriar, one of five of the
great Houses in North America.
Many moons and missions later the young warlock was introduced to the
Grimoire, the original Jaeger castle headquarters located in the moors of
Ye Olde England. There he learned of a rogue splinter sect called Spectre,
and he was enlisted to assist in the fight against them.
Through the years Damien Locke - Warlock Extraordinaire - has operated as
a lone vigilante, worked as a consultant for law enforcement, and been an
agent of the Jaegers. He fights to protect the world from crime and evil
forces of the occult. For the most part the warlock has kept a very low
profile, and he currently maintains a small office in downtown Oak Vale
as a Psychic and by-the-hour Private Eye for the VPD and the odd citizen
who seeks him out.
