The Basics
Name: Joe Hardy (for now)
Age: Early 40's (give or take a few millennium)
Species: Human (sure, why not)
Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDjLK_O1eL8 (maybe... to start at least)

The Appearance
Weight: 6'
Height: 175
Physical Description: Joe enjoys the edges and rarely tries to stand out.  He likes hoodies, scarves, high collars and things that conceal like the shadows he calls friends.  He hates shoes and when he dresses up he dresses in only the finest tailored clothes, immaculately pressed and perfectly fit.

His hair grows quickly and is cursed to be unruly though he tames it with threats of razor blades and magic.  His beard grows rapidly and suffers the knife every morning at its appointed hour like a convict on death row though it always returns to shadow his face by noon.

At 6' and 175 lbs he's fit with just the right amount of lean muscle, maintained by burning magic, well made meals and the occasional outburst against a heavy bag.  He maintains a fluid grace and stamina on the dance floor.

He is never without a watch, usually around a wrist, sometimes in a pocket, occasionally both.  He wears a simple metal band around the ring finger of his left hand and a single red thread around his right wrist.

Distinguishing Features:  Joe has a lot of tattoos, all in black ink, many which shift and move, a full sleeve on his right arm, a half sleeve on his left forearm slowly creeping upwards, a Chinese proverb down his left side saying "Death and life have pre-determined appointments; riches and honor are from heaven", a heart on his neck saying "Violence Marks Forever", a weeping angel on his arm, a shadow man stealing a child from the clouds and a another from a cage, a cross runs above on the back of his neck, swallows mark each hand.  Names, numbers and phrases are scattered among images of mythology, couples including, Procris dying in the arms of Cephalus on his chest, Cupid carrying Psyche to Olympus on his shoulder, Persephone Abducted on one arm, Orpheus rescuing Eurydice from the Underworld on his side.  Most he doesn't explain, but all have meaning.





The Human
Personality: If there were two words to describe Joe it would be confident and restrained.  He’s patient and reasonable, in the sense that he rarely acts impulsively and rarely demands more than he could otherwise expect from someone.  He’s surprisingly forgiving in most regards and is rarely judgmental.  He’s not easily roused to anger and takes slights easily, often finding them more amusing than insulting.  He’s rarely bored, but just as rarely pays attention to anyone for more than a moment or two, finding most to be shallow in the sense they have little to offer him beyond the most basic and passing interest.

He doesn’t particularly like self-important people or successful ones, except perhaps to help them fall to self-destruction.  He is however especially drawn to individuals with either stronger drives or repressed desires, seeking satisfaction or release and he takes more pleasure in helping them along than he does seeing the grand fall of the smug, even if he doesn’t always get anything out of it for himself.  As a result, he likes to frequent places where the desperate and determined linger, from restaurants and bars, to churches and universities.  He also likes to indulge himself with others, whether it’s with alcohol, drugs, sex, fine food or any number of other pleasures for good or ill.

Mundane Skills:  Like his children he knows most known and quite a few forgotten and ancient languages.  He's an excellent cook and a good dancer, plays the piano and violin though not as well as he might like, a constant source of irritation and he's often considered stealing the talent of a virtuoso or cutting a deal with a demon to resolve the problem.  He has a vast library of knowledge, both in books and his head, especially surrounding history, mythology, politics and culture, more high than low, though he knows enough of the low to fit in to the diveiest of bars when it suits him.

Occupation: Joe is a Warlock, a Witch, a Magician, he doesn't much care what you call it.  He's a Prophet, a Seer, and a Fortune Teller.  He's also a Collector.  What's he collect?  Everything but mostly secrets and time.

He sells all of those services and all of his wares, sometimes for money, more often for influence, promises, favors, or a bit of power that would be wasted away anyway so really, what do you have to lose in making a deal.



The Not So Human
Species Description: Human or maybe Cambion, if some of the stories are true, he wouldn't know, he never met his father and only heard the stories second hand.

Powers and Abilities:  Joe is a Wizard, Warlock, Witch, Mage, Magician, the term matters so little to him he doesn't even bother with one.  He works magic, breathes it, bleeds it, hordes it, spends it.  He tends towards the traditional, prefering the certainty of ritual though he's not afraid of indulging in a bit Rock n Roll like his kids seem to enjoy.  That's sloppy, unpredictable though and he likes the predictable, it's how he's lasted as long as he has.

As a prophet and fortune teller he knows most of the methods, from the Eastern to the esoteric but doesn't like to mess around where the greater mysteries are concerned and sticks with the tried and true; cards, crystals, numbers and stars.

He's a shapeshifter in the most traditional of magical senses, able to change into a cat, a hare, a wolf, and a raven, as well as take on the face of another man (or woman).  He doesn't change himself that way often as it's exhausting and costs far too much, plus it has a number of drawbacks, not the least of which the chance of becoming lost.

He has a familiar named Sabine, a black cat who has been with him for the last 50 years.  He uses her to channel his unwanted energy or drawing it back out like a battery or bank.  He trades emotions with her as well, storing ones he doesn't need while working, like love or fear. Sabine can speak though she usually holds her tongue except when they are alone.  She serves as a second set of eyes when he's awake and can pass invisible when she needs though it is exhausting for them both.



The Story
Character Background:  There are only two absolute truths in the world; anything is possible and everything has a price.  The best of mankind knew this once.  They took risks, they sacrificed, they strove for life, for more.  Some say they grew fat and lazy, life got too easy, they got too complacent.  Others say they were crushed, brought to heel by those who would carve themselves kingdoms on Earth, whether popes or kings, despots or idols, fallen angels or those that would pretend to be Earthenbound ones.

And so the world grows quiet and cold, safe and predictable, progress measured in bytes that do little to fill the hungry soul.  Psalms, One o’Seven Nine, for those that care.

Yet blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they will be filled.  Matthew, Five Six.  Anything is possible, for a price.  Me.

~O~

The House had been there from the beginning, never known as anything else.  It was rarely occupied, the only sign it was when lights might appear.  Heavily warded, most passersby wouldn't even take notice, seeing only a stand of trees on the edge of town, a place easily mistaken as the start of the forest though it was only the edge of both, town on one side, forest on the other.

He was not one of the founders, he had no interest in that but had found the idea of Sanctuary interesting, neutral ground, more or less.  There was nothing, to his knowledge, preventing anyone from 'breaking' the rules but it had been done so rarely and usually met with such swift punishment people thought it was law.

Perhaps that was why The House was well protected or perhaps it was simply because it was the place he slept, rarely, it could be granted but it was where, when he did.

~O~

He'd returned roughly three months prior, though the only sign of that anyone might have noted would have been the single light in one of the windows, shades drawn but a glimpse of yellow showing from within.  If they saw anything at all.  Even then, that wasn't so strange, he'd never been one to socialize, at least not with the locals, his desire for privacy well documented over the years.

That would have to change if he was going to put things back on track.

~O~

He’d woken up in a bad mood though only those that knew him well would have been able to tell given the calmness in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do,” she said worriedly, a long silence following where she shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously as he put on a robe.

“You should have trusted me,” he said curtly, his tone matching his eyes, calm and in control as he cinched the robe and adjusted the collar.

“I do.  You know I do.  You’ve just never done anything like that before,” she said hastily, trying to explain herself.

“What I was doing required secrecy,” he shot back with the first hint of anger, enough to make her shiver since it was through her actions that his secrecy was now exposed.

“Even from you,” he added.  It was the closest thing she was going to get to forgiveness and it was not an apology.

"All that work, wasted," he sighed, though secretly, some small part of him was proud.

“What day is it?” he asked her as he checked his reflection in the mirror for signs of age, the clocks on the wall only telling him it was just after midnight, not what day or for that matter, what year.

He had a lot of lost effort to make up for now.  Fortunately he could still afford to be patient, after all, forever was a very long time.