Non-Player Characters
Mathais ThornBackground:Mathais Thorn was perhaps the most promising recruit of the Pinkerton's paranormal taskforce. The son of a Harvard professor, Mathais proved to be a child progidy. He entered Harvard at the tender age of fifteen, and was well on his way to becoming one of the youngest lawyers in America. In his off-hours at Harvard, Mathais proved to be a natural poker-player. After a few nights of playing (and winning) Mathais turned to Hoyle's Book of Games to get a better understanding of the rules. He noticed that one of the examples showed a situation not likely to occur in normal play. Delving deeper, he began to notice a code. An incomplete code, with odd gaps, but a code nevertheless. Intrigued, Mathais began to spend all of his free time with the book. His grades began to slip, and a member of the Pinkertons covertly recruiting members from the student body noticed his obsession. Seeing a potential candidate, the Pinkerton approached Mathais about joining the detective agency. Mathais passed the obligatory tests with ease, and began the training standard for all Pinkertons. Mathais took a considerable interest in the occult training, and preliminary testing showed him to be a perfect choice for the experimental huckster training program. Mathais was transferred to the program, and completed the training in record time. Mathais became one of the first "cleaners", due to his strong will and ability to remain calm in the face of adversity. He distinguished himself with a 90% success rate for his first year of service. His performance even caught the attention of Allan Pinkerton, who saw Mathais as proof that the huckster training program was a success. Then, disaster struck. Mathais' team was called out to take out an "unidentified spectral entity" responsible for the death of three agents. Only Mathais returned from that mission, severely wounded and unable to recall what happened to the rest of his team. His confidence shaken, Mathais requested a transfer to more traditional field operations, prefering to work alone. Mathais is currently stationed in Denver. He handles situations that present a problem to normal operatives, but do not require bringing in a team of cleaners. He prefers to use his powers to cause blackouts in those who have seen too much, but does not hesitate to use deadly force when it is required. When he is not needed for such missions, he acts as a consultant on arcane matters. When the Pinkerton contract with the Union government expired, Mathais and his entire department were hired into the Agency, and fufill the same role. Mathais has made a name for himself within the Agency. He is perhaps the most talented huckster the Library has ever produced, and only his relative youth and inexperience set him apart from people like Enoch Shaw.
Marshal Stuff:Mathais' blackout stems not from his team's encounter with a ghost (which was easily dispatched) but what came afterward. The team had attracted the attention of the Reckoners, who sent the Devil's Own Herd (Los Diablos) after them. Mathais was wounded, and frantically tried to cast a hex as the Los Diablos moved in for the kill. The other members of his team were doing well, but were too hard-pressed to help him. In desperation, Mathais made a deal with the manitou he was wrestling with. Drawing upon the life energies of his teammates, the manitou channeled a massive series of blasts that tore through the herd, killing the ones opposing him. Mathais' mind could not accept what he had done, and he staggered back to headquarters with no memory of the incident. However, it left a taint upon him that remains to this day. Deep down, he knows he is damned. Only the secretive nature of the Pinkertons prevents Mathais from being more wildly known. Despite this, his name has reached the ears of the Lady Luck Society and the Court. Both groups are wary of Mathais, for different reasons. The Court has even sent an Ace after him...to their dismay, Mathais won.
Design Notes:The Traits for Mathais Thorn were determined by a normal draw (3 Aces and both Jokers, with no deuces) when trying to make up a notable adversary for the posse. I recognized immediately that someone with these Traits would be an instant legend in the Weird West. Mathais can be used as a starting character, though he would have much fewer Aptitudes and hexes. His Forsaken Hinderance could come from Veteran of the Weird West, though it can (and should) be taken as a 5 point Hinderance if VotWW is not allowed in your campaign. Mathais' starting hexes were Achilles' Heel, Bodyguard, Foil, Forget, and Soul Blast. His skills are a combination of the Pinkerton and Huckster templates. Mathais would not acquire a Gatling Pistol until later in his career, so he should be given a pistol instead.
ProfileCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d6, S:3d6, Q:4d8, V:4d8 Mental: C:4d12, K:2d12, M:1d12, Sm:2d12, Sp:3d12 Wind: 20 Grit: 5 Edges: Arcane Background: Huckster, Arcane Prodigy, Brave, Law Man: Agency, Old Hand, Sixth Sense (from Mysterious Past). Hinderances: Blackouts (from Mysterious Past), Enemy: Texas Rangers, Forsaken, Habit: Secretive, Obligation: Investigate Unnatural Phenemenon, Tinhorn. Hexes: Achilles' Heel, Bloodhound, Bodyguard, Foil, Forget, Hex Sense, Phantom Fingers, Sandman, Shadow Walk, Soul Blast, Touch o' Death, Truthsayer. Gear: Gatling Pistol, copy of Hoyle's (1800 edition), horse, deck of cards.
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