Name: Athens Henway
Appearance: Athens stands at a rather unimpressive five feet and nine inches tall. He weighs a little under a hundred and fifty pounds. A healthy lifestyle has gifted him an athletic build; though he is by no means a muscle bound knight or an agile rogue. At a glance, most saw Henway as plain- he wasn't particularly handsome, but by the same token he was far from what most would call ugly. A pair of spectacles found their home on his nose, acting as windows to his light blue eyes. After spending the better part of half a decade on his own, Henway learned how to keep his dark brown mane under control without the help of a barber. He dresses for the occasion; a suit for a ball, light armor for his more dangerous excursions and a simple leather jerkin whenever he was out and about. The large pack attached to the doctor's back was filled to the brim with all sorts of books, trinkets and medical supplies. He liked to think he was prepared for almost any emergency. The most important of his belongings, his bestiary, was kept tightly nestled in its own little pocket on the bag. Well, second most important belonging- nothing trumped the cross he hung around his neck. The silver religious symbol held what he thought to be a ruby in the center; though a keen eye would know a bloodmoon stone anywhere.
Age: 25
Personality: Athens Henway is many things, but above all he is curious. He had a passion for discovering and documenting the unknown that he had pursued across the world and all the way to Seren's Folly. An explorer at heart, Athens fearlessly dove head first into mystery. His inner scientist had him constantly on the lookout for new chemical combinations, technological marvels and species of flora and fauna alike. He wrote down everything he saw in his bestiary. The little black journal had been by his side since he earned his medical degree and set out to find the darkest corners of the earth and shed a light upon them. Many thought the boy mad or foolish. What sort of idiot would dive head first into a Werewolf's den? How insane would a man have to be to follow the song of a siren, simply to ask it a few questions? His unending thirst for knowledge had put him in many a tight spot in the past. That werewolf had left a nasty scar on his back. And that siren nearly ate his face. But no amount of danger ever turned his heart to fear. He pressed past all obstacles in the search for truth. Even the arcane, evil witchcraft, did not cause the good doctor to turn tail and run. Witches were not a well documented group. Little wa known about their inner workings, except by the witches themselves. Why, who better to finally fill in the blanks than Athens?
Aside from his insatiable curiosity, Athens was a softy at heart. He abhorred violence. Rarely did he draw a weapon, even in self defense. Pacifism and a quick tongue had saved him against any number of evildoers; the few too cruel to care or too dumb to understand him had quickly found that the doctor knew how to handle a knife. Henway was born and raised in the church. He was a righteous man, when it suited his purposes- he would never dabble in magic, but...God never said he couldn't write about it, right? He told himself that he was helping the hunters and inquisitors by documenting the strengths and weaknesses of every goblin, ghoul and ghost he came across. His background made the man privy to empathy. Oft times he'd find himself stalking through the woods and discover an animal stuck in a hunter's trap and he couldn't stop himself from helping the poor creature. If he found a beggar on the side of the road, he'd offer what money he had in his pocket to him. If nothing else, Athens would give you his ear and a prayer if you approached him with troubles medicine could not readily fix. Sometimes, his willingness and passion for helping others led him to the same danger his research did. Sneaks and tricksters often found his purse a little too loose, and would be murderers found his home a nice place to hide from the authorities- who was the doctor to turn someone away?
History:Athens Henway was born to a well off family in the capitol. As a boy, he looked to the walls of the city that were meant to protect and saw only a prison. He heard tales from hunters in the taverns about monsters and wonders outside those cold, dead walls. He would stay up late into the night, staring up at the moon and imagining what else might be staring up at it at that same moment. His yearning for adventure had to wait, however. His parents had him join the local church, where he worked underneath the priests as an altar boy. He learned plenty of the scriptures; but he was able to pry open the looser tongues and learn about…darker things. The holy men would tell horror stories of demons, devils and witches from beyond the city walls. They told him of the hunters that sought to rid the world of the monsters forever. Athens begged them to tell him everything they knew; most did not, weary that his young mind was becoming too corrupted by tales of dark things. One particular priest could tell, however, that his curiosity was completely benign. That man gave Henway books from the church library on all things evil. Novels about paladins falling from their ways. Tales of great men being seduced by the lure of arcane power. Stories about stunningly beautiful women with a capacity for cruelty that no man could ever hope to match. These were all things that Athens’ tiny brain eagerly absorbed. But…they were just stories. Everyone assured him there was some truth to them, but even a child could see they were overly romanticized. He learned that very little was known about the evils of the world. Few people were brave enough to seek the arcane; those that had almost always fell to its whispers of endless power, fame and wealth. Athens trusted in God. He could use the good Word to fight the temptations. Someone had to learn everything there was to know about the monsters. He could help the hunters. He could teach them how to properly fight the witches and warlocks of the world. Knowledge was power, right? Why not give humanity that power for a change? It was with completely innocent motives that Athens set out to explore the darkest arts there were.
Of course, he needed money if he wanted to travel. And he needed to know how to properly indentify and document everything he saw. So, Athens would have to learn how…to learn. He joined a medical school right after finishing his general education. He specialized in research, but had the extra time to study medicine as well. It took…several years to get anywhere in his studies. While he understood all the material and was intelligent enough to pass the classes, he found himself impatient to reach the end. He knew it was a necessary part of his dream. After all, who ever read a research book written by someone who wasn’t an expert in the field? But it just…took…so…long. Athens found himself hurrying his teachers along whenever he could. He poured through every piece of text he could. He taught himself everything he couldn’t learn in the classroom. His diligence eventually led to getting his diploma and title early; he passed every course with flying colors, such was his dedication to his desire. He gathered everything he needed for his trip using generous donations from the church. His venture was officially sanctioned and paid for by the largest religious institution in the capitol. He was to send a copy of all of his findings to the bishops, so that they might spread the knowledge on how to destroy the witches and their beasts to the hunters. Athens would, in a perfect world, be key to ridding society of its worst plague: magic. Five years of travel eventually led him to a little town called Seren’s Folly…
Signature Weapon:When diplomacy fails him, Athens carries a knife for self defense. Years of working the scalpel have left his hand steady and his aim impressive; he's able to strike at nerve clusters for maximum pain, or aim for key tendons to render enemies paralyzed but alive. He hates fighting. He despises death. But if a situation arises where he must defend himself or another from certain destruction, Athens is willing to do anything to save a life- even if it means taking another. The blade isn't anything special; it's sharp, made of finely crafted steel and long enough to pierce the heart.
Things they look for in a partner:Someone to share in his passionate curiosity for knowledge. A fellow pacifist who would rather everyone just put the damn swords down and talked instead. A kind soul, who cared for others as he did. Athens wasn't too picky about appearances. He'd seen beasts that would make most men vomit their guts out. That said, the doctor
did have a weakness for blondes.
Pets/Familiars: A small black kitten he picked up on his way to Seren's Folly. Her family had been eaten by a direwolf, and she'd barely escaped its clutches. Athens nursed the youngling back to health and kept her with him, seeing as how she had nowhere else to go. He named her
Lily, after the field of flowers he'd found her in.