The Basics

Name: Matthias Maddox

Nickname(s): Matt

True Age: 25

Apparent Age: 30

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Species: Witch

The Physical

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 173 lbs.

Physical Description: Standing at 6'1" and being well built, though not overly muscular, Matt could look a bit imposing to those who don't know him. His medium-length dark brown hair usually looks as though he ran a comb through it once and then forgot about it, leaving it a slightly ordered mess. He will always be found with a mustache and beard, trimmed up well. At one time, it was to help him look older, but now he's found that he simply likes the look of it.

Matt has blue eyes that seem piercing when he is focused on something. However, they always join in with his smile when he's happy, as Matt has a smile that encompasses his whole face. Most often, he can be found wearing a rather plain t-shirt, usually of earthen colors, jeans, and boots. Always boots.

Distinguishing Marks:

Face Claim: Jake Gyllenhaal

The Preternatural

Species: Witch

Classification: Adept

Powers/Abilities:

• Transmutation Magic - This form of magic allows Matt to alter the form or structure of an object or being. This requires considerable energy, the amount of which is determined by the size of the target and whether or not it is animate. While he has performed such spells on many inanimate objects, he has only once attempted (and succeeded) to transmute a human, and it cost him a couple years of his life force. This magic is the specialty of his adoptive parents.
  
• Zoolingualism - Matt is capable of speaking to animals and can be frequently found doing just that. However, anyone is capable of doing that much, but whether they truly understand, or whether Matt understands them in turn, he will never divulge. Regardless, whenever he comes across a critter roaming the streets, you can expect him to stop and chat with them for a bit. For what it's worth, the animals do seem to enjoy the conversation and seem surprisingly responsive to his words.
  
• Hex Magic - These dark magic spells are used to place curses upon people or objects. When he was still young, Matt found a book of hex magic hidden away by his parents. He has dabbled with the spells he found there over the years, causing some trouble in high school because of it, but, for the most part, he isn't drawn to this form of magic.
  
• Decreased Aging - If a Witch never casts a spell in her life she could live to the ripe old age of a thousand. If a Witch casts spells daily and uses her abilities to their maximum extent, she'll be a decrepit and frail forty-year-old. The truth is that a Witch's magical abilities are tied directly to their life force. The more they use it, they faster they burn through what they've been given. Though there are magics and panaceas that limit or extend a Witch's aging, it's a general rule that the more individual effort they put forth the faster they're going to burn through what they've been given (this makes Covens especially valuable).

Weaknesses:

• The Real World - The closer a Witch grows to the "real world" the further they distance themselves from their abilities. That's one reason Witches tend to be weird; if they're distanced from a mundane and humdrum life they tend to develop stronger powers. This puts the most powerful Witches on the boundaries of civilization.
  
• Nightmares - Since he was a child, Matt has suffered from vivid, realistic, horrible nightmares and has no clue why. These seem to occur randomly, though they seem to be strongest after he has cast any sort of hex.
  
• Forgetfulness - Perhaps because he tries to absorb all the information he can, sometimes something he's learned or experienced slips away this has led to some memories of his youth vanishing and sometimes causes his magic to backfire, having forgotten parts of the spells or having accidentally mixed spells up.

The Personal

Personality Description: Most who know Matthias would say that he is just...odd. He has always found himself fascinated by the animal kingdom and, as a child, found himself often visiting with the stray cats and dogs in the neighborhood, chatting with them and keeping them company. With most people, he has a tendency to be very straight forward, which often comes across as rude but isn't usually meant to be. He doesn't usually find much value in being indirect in conversation and never used to worry too much about being polite, always knowing he should be focusing on learning his witchcraft from his rather strict parents. He has since gotten a bit better about this and tries to avoid being impolite but still can't always help it.

Even back in elementary school, Matt was a bit of a loner, and the cruelty of some of his peers quickly solidified this trait. This isn't to say, though, that he does not enjoy the company of others. What friends he does have, he treasures dearly, and once you've befriended Matt, you will have a friend for life. Those that take the time to get to know Matt will learn that, while he can be straight forward to a fault, he can also be fun-loving and has a good sense of humor.  He is a very gentle person and wishes well for most people, but he can also be wrathful if given the proper reason to be.

When focused on something, he has a tendency to get hyper focused on it, but he can quickly and without warning switch that deep focus to another matter entirely. Though he doesn't always stick to one subject for very long, Matt has a tendency to be very studious, always wanting to know more about whatever topic is holding his interest for that moment. This studious nature isn't limited to learning about the world or about witchcraft, however, sometimes drifting into his interactions with other people, particularly his friends.

Likes: Woods and forests, animals, dark chocolate, gin, 80’s rock music, video games, playing guitar

Dislikes: Soap operas (his mother watched them constantly), zoos (or animal prisons, as he would refer to them), all vegetables besides brussel sprouts, cooking anything that he can't microwave

Occupation: Counterfeiter, if he had to give himself a title. He is currently without a job and has been selling off transmuted items for cash.

History: Matthias had a peculiar childhood, though he never quite saw it that way. Unbeknownst to him, he was bestowed upon the pair he calls his parents by the other members of their coven. This adoption and his adoptive parents were decided upon after his real parents found themselves exiled and excommunicated. His adoptive parents, Martin and Emily Maddox, never shared with him that he was adopted, but, then, he always did feel a bit out of place living with the Maddox's.

Growing up, Matt and his family lived in a cottage in the woods, well away from civilization, which was a fact Matt didn't mind in the slightest. It was peaceful, and it was there that he grew to have an appreciation for animals of all shapes and sizes. At the age of 5, his parents told him that he was a witch and began educating him on the ways of a witch and the familial magic he needed to acquaint himself with. He never questioned this, didn't even act particularly surprised, and happily began studying witchcraft when he wasn't busy with kindergarten.

Once high school was over, Mattias found himself at a loss for direction. His parents were adamant that it was imperative for him to continue living in that cabin in the woods, continue his studies of witchcraft and become part of the coven. His parents had been quite strict with him, both in raising him and in teaching him the ways of the witch, throughout his childhood, but they did seem to truly care for him and want what was best for him. Still, Matt wanted more in his life than just witchcraft, so he signed himself up for college and left home in the middle of the night one night, leaving a simple note of thanks. He hasn't returned there since, though he thinks of it and of them often.

His college years were a troublesome time for him, both in having to live more closely with many other people and because it opened the door to a great deal of new experiences, not all of them good. He used the time to familiarize himself with things he previously hadn't, but, most prominently, liquor. Because of his sometimes odd mannerisms and his propensity to befriend the squirrels that roamed across the campus, Matthias found himself again ostracized by his peers, and what he was able to brush off in high school, he found harder to brush off in college.

It was at this time he met a redheaded woman named Tatum Quinn, who wasn't cruel to him. No, she befriended him and made his college-going days considerably easier. They were fast friends, and it wasn't long before Matt shared his status as a witch, showing her the different things he could do. Eventually, though, she ended up moving away, and Matt was again alone. Unsure of how to adjust, Matthias fled, opting to not finish his degree, and found himself in Elysium, returning to his studies of witchcraft.