Sorry, I thought I had included this. And I just discovered that there's a maximum length for posting.
Part two - Santa's enforcer. A.k.a. Gerry Conway's version.
(Note: I had to make a few rules calls as I built this character. Talk to your GM before you try to use it.)
Name: Patrick MacGowan
Template: Emissary of Power (Santa Claus)
High Concept Aspect: The one who does what Santa NEEDS doing
Background:
Some people say that Christmas in an Irish household (even if it's just Irish-American) is one long drunken argument that ends with someone getting a pounding. If this is your definition of Christmas then when Patrick MacGowan was growing up every day was Christmas. It usually wasn't any of the kids getting the pounding - the adults usually save that level of exertion for each other.
But "usually" can be a cruel word. Usually being safe means that sometimes you aren't.
Patrick's childhood wasn't the unhappiest in the world, but it wasn't no Disney movie either. He grew up tough and he grew up hard. Surprisingly he didn't end up with much of a juvvie record. He stayed clear of the gangs and kept mostly out of trouble. He wasn't a Saint but he wasn't someone you had watch your back around. (Background Aspect: I can take care of myself.)
Surprisingly he made it through high school - grad week was a drunken haze as he celebrated the only graduation that he was likely to see. The good times ended the day after graduation. That was when Patrick crawled from a burning wreck, the sole survivor of a single vehicle accident. The driver (a fellow grad) had been drunk. He might have been stoned too, but since he didn't get out alive no one bothered to do more than BAL test. It was then, surrounded by joy turned to death, that Patrick decided he had had enough. An unhappy childhood, schools that were basically falling apart run by nuns who didn't seem to care about the kids, the poor neighbourhood, and death could all go fuck themselves. Patrick was finished with all that bullshit. He went to funerals of the kids who had died then packed a bag and left.
Left his house, his hometown, and his home state.
He hasn't been home since and has long ago stopped even thinking about going back. That part of him is dead, buried along with his friends.
He bounced around a bit, sometimes working as muscle for whoever would pay him. Not that he wanted to do that but he needed to eat and working as muscle was generally safer than robbing liquor stores. Seeing collecting debts and bouncing as dead end jobs Patrick tried to educate himself, tried to get something better. City College wasn't really an option and tech school didn't attract him (and he didn't think he'd be able to get into a union even if he leant a trade), but he kept his eyes open and read. He even "audited" classes (i.e. walked into class and pretended that he should be there) occasionally, but never officially and he usually didn't "audit" one for the entire term, but he picked up bits here and there.
Working as he on the fringes of things, no one really cared if he lived or died. At first Patrick didn't know this, or that some of his higher paying work came because no one wanted to risk someone they cared about in certain situations. Since he kept his eyes open it slowly dawned on Patrick that things just weren't right. That there were things in the world that no news channel ever covered (not even FOX) but sometimes showed up in horror movies.
Then came the last job. Later he would put the pieces together. Looking back, Patrick could see that the job had been delivering books from something in the Summer Court to a Black Court Vampire. Books that were promised to arrived, but that promise hadn't excluded any pranks and the Fae hated to give promises. Technically the books had arrived and if the Black Court Vampire only looked at the Doctor Seuss collection that was its problem, right?
But that knowledge came later. At the time he only knew that someone had contacted someone who had contact him about a delivery job. He'd thought it was something to do with drugs, but the pay was good and rent was due so he went with it and became one of eight toughs delivering two packages of books. The instructions were clear which package was to delivered first and those instructions. Patrick was leaving the second car, the one with the second set of books, when everything fell apart. One minute there were eight guys who knew how to handle themselves in a brawl delivering some books to a slip of a girl who might have been 98 pounds if she was soaking wet and the next Patrick was one of three people fleeing for their lives. As the car raced away from the darkness, Patrick knew that if he had been two steps slower there would be only a pair of survivors in the car.
It hadn't seemed real. The guys from the first car - the last one was dying while the first one struck was still falling. The ones in the second car had barely stepped out of their doors and only three of them had made it back inside. Tony hadn't, but he'd left his extra garlic pizza in the car and the stink had kept the creature out of the car.
The others had run as soon as they reached safety, but Patrick stayed long enough to get the second package of books out of the trunk. He had shipped on the same bus he rode when he left that city (the second one he'd left with bridges burning behind him). He checked the news and within weeks came across the disappearances of the other two survivors. Patrick swallowed hard and took more bus trips, breaking up his trail as much as he could.
It was a month later, when he was safe, that Patrick actually checked the books. When he did he wished that the nuns had done a better job of teaching him Latin. Latin to English dictionaries aren't cheap, nor were the other books he needed to make sense of the ones he had, but liquor stores stay open late and most times the clerk was willing to give up the safe. Slowly, Patrick MacGowan learned of things that they would not teach him off in college.
(Rising Conflict Aspect: Brutal Seeker of Secrets.)
Slowly Patrick learnt of the Hidden World. Of the creatures that walked the night (and sometimes the day). Of magic. Along the way he learnt another thing - he didn't really have a talent for magic. Oh, if he pushed himself he could be a one trick pony but he would never be more than just a minor player at the fringes of things.
Then he stumbled over a Book of Lore. At first he thought it had to be a trick. That there was no way that Santa Claus could really exist. The world was a dark place with no room for childhood fantasies, wasn't it?
Steeling himself for another letdown he did the rites that would allow him to contact the big guy. To see if the Jolly Man was really jolly. He decided that December 25th would be the wrong time to do it (Patrick knew that he'd be pissed off if someone interrupted him on his busiest night) and that was a long time off, so Patrick did the rite on June 25th. He figured it would be Santa's laziest day, but as he stood in that cornfield reading from his book Patrick never suspected that it was be the day that Santa Claus would be at his weakest.
That was how, by pure chance (or was it?), Patrick interfered with another group. He finished his rite first, mostly by accident. He had gotten some of the Latin mangled, but he had pronounced the Names clearly, and skipping over some of the mangled words meant his rite ended before the Cabal's who wanted to kidnap Santa Claus.
Patrick could barely believe that his rite had worked, that Santa Claus really existed, that Christmas magic wasn't just some bullshit dreamed up on Madison Avenue. Alas, he didn't have long to adjust before the Cabal arrived looking for their missing victim. Things got bad then, really bad. Worse than the night when he had fled the Black Court Vampire. Death seemed certain. The only reason he survived was the Cabal was focusing its might on Santa Claus. That, and *Guest Star* arrived. *Guest Star* attacked the Cabal from the rear, breaking their concentration and scattering their circle of iron. That was the chance that Patrick needed.
Some of the Cabal fled that night, but none left that farmer's field if Patrick could kill them. Once they were dealt with, Patrick started to get used to the idea that he wouldn't die that night. Giddy at living, that was went Patrick made a deal to be Santa Claus' mortal emissary. Thinking back, sometimes Patrick wishes that he had been clearheaded when he hammered out the details, but only sometimes. He knows that there's no such thing as a free lunch and the price he pays is better than the prices that other pay. Sometimes he still wakes up amazed that he survived the horrors of that night and joined with a symbol of childhood joy.
(The Story Aspect: Hope Exist in the Darkest Night)
After that, he knew that he had to pay *Guest Star* back. Not that he wanted to or had developed a new code of honour, no, it was because he'd tied himself to the Winter Fae. Patrick now knew that he couldn't turn his back on a debt like that. At the very least he had to pay it off as much he could. That led to <Guest Star> and <Guest Star Redux>. (One of these aspects might touch on his drinking.)
As he aided others, the price that Patrick had to pay became clear. He had act as if he was in a morality play. He had to reward those who were nice and punish those who weren't. Even if he didn't punish the naughty he couldn't help them, not without a great effort of will. Sometimes he couldn't muster that will and every time he could Patrick could feel the Fat Man's disapproval of him rewarding the naughty, but damn it! Just because a ten year old boy made his little sister cry was no reason that you should stand back and watch the 'naughty boy' drown in a river.
Worse, his powers came with strings attached. The more he uses them the more he has to follow the Fat Man's agenda. Using then to help the naughty or hurt the nice seemed to rack up the debts twice as fast and Patrick knows too much about the Fae to think that he can go too deeply in debt. (See powers for more,) Santa might be jolly, but even the Fat Man has his limits.
And there are things that the Fat Man doesn't do. The unpleasant tasks that he needs "helpers" for. Patrick doesn't usually enjoy doing those jobs, but he doesn't dare to get too deeply in debt. He suspects that Krampus ([url[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus[/url] and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companions_of_Saint_Nicholas#Krampus) was once a human emissary who fell too deeply into debt and was transformed into creature, and Patrick (who now thinks of himself as only mostly sane) doesn't want to meet that fate.
(Trouble: Knows who's Naughty and Nice)
Name: Patrick MacGowan
Template: Emissary of Power (Santa Claus)
High Concept Aspect: The one who does what Santa NEEDS doing
Trouble: Knows who's Naughty and Nice
Background Aspect: I can take care of myself
Rising Conflict Aspect: Brutal Seeker of Secrets
The Story Aspect: Hope Exist in the Darkest Night
One of the Guest Star Aspects should touch on his drinking.
Power Level: Chest-Deep
Skill Cap: Superb
Skill Points: 30
Starting Refresh: 8
Adjusted Refresh: 1
Skills:
Conviction: Good (he knows he's doing the right thing, but sometimes wishes he didn't)
Endurance: Good (he's survived countless beatings and can handle a drink)
Discipline: Good (without this he wouldn't have crawled out of the gutter he was born in)
Fist: Good
Lore: Good (heavily slanted to the Winter Fae)
Burglary: Fair
Might: Fair
Scholarship: Fair
Resources: Fair (owns a club, but needs to pay the management team)
Weapons: Fair (usually a club or night-stick)
Athletics: Average
Contacts: Average
Guns: Average (didn't use them much when he was muscle, but now likes to have a good distant weapon)
Investigation: Average
Rapport: Average
(Note: at one time he had intimidation the other skills that a bruiser should, but since then he's switched things around. Call it a series of minor milestones to transform from "Hired Muscle" to "The one who does what Santa NEEDS doing". If bump up to the Submerged power level, more "Hired Muscle" skills could be added.)
Stunts & Powers
Tough Stuff (-1)
Marked by Power (-1)
There is a physical mark that goes with Santa's favour: Santa's Mark is a reindeer tattoo on the base of his neck.
Newish Hands Minor gift (0)
When Patrick was negotiating he mentioned that he had a juvvie record. Of course Santa Claus knew this, but thought it was it Nice that Patrick mentioned it. As a reward he reshaped Patrick's fingerprints. They no longer match any of his old arrest records. Patrick knows this, and sometimes this knowledge keeps him up at night: if the Fat Man could transform his fingerprints then what else could the Fat Man transform? (Note: A flavour add that I couldn't see charging for.)
Silver Flask (minor item, not worth charging for) (0)
The Silver Flask has an "unlimited" supply of "Christmas Cheer", a.k.a. Brandy. Unlimited is in quotes because it will only produce about forty ounces of liquor a day (a day running noon to noon, not midnight to midnight). Then again, if you need more than forty ounces of brandy you can always get a bottle at the liquor store. Patrick (and some others) claim that it puts them in a generous, christmassy mood, but that might be because he's a jovial drunk.
Sponsored Magic: Unseelie Magic Variant - Yule Magic [–4]
Note: The Sponsor of Yule Magic (Santa Claus) has a simple agenda, one that acts as aspect on this magic: Reward the Nice, Punish the Naughty. Due to its sponsor's nature there is a slight variation on this form of sponsored magic. Santa Claus will allow his emissary to actively act against his interests (reward the naughty, punish the nice) but at a higher than normal cost. Each such use counts as two "use it, owe the sponsor" acts, not one. On the flip sidem spells cast solely to reward the Nice or punish the Naughty (i.e. ones that otherwise don't aid the emissary) don't count "use it, owe the sponsor" acts. If the character has racked up a large debt then it perfectly fair to compel the "Reward the Nice, Punish the Naughty" aspect of the magic and not allow it to be used to help the naughty or hinder the nice.
Why? Because sometimes life's a bitch.
Item of Power: The Ring of Kringle's Servant
- Summons the Red Bag, the Brown Bag, or the Stick. Only one of these items can exist at one time. (Yes, I'm rolling three items into one, but that's because they are mutually exclusive. If you have the Red Bag then (for all effective purposes) neither the Brown Bag or the Stick exists.)
The Red Bag: This appears to be the classic "red Santa bag". An aid for Yule Magic/Thaumaturgy/Conjuring, the Red Bag is meant to reward the Nice. When used by an emissary of Santa Claus it supplies an incredible number of shifts that be used for duration only. The bag generations 100 steps of duration a week. Items created normally last for 15 minutes, which means that for the cost of 13 steps it will last a year. Dedicate 16 steps and the item will last for an entire generation. When the last step of duration is used it will only produce items if Patrick dedicates at least one step to duration (so only smaller things). This implies a choice: give a lot people a little happiness (about 15 minutes worth) or a few people lasting happiness.
(-1; it's not that useful)
The Brown Bag: This appears to be a brown, dirty burlap bag. When some is put into the bag he/she is transported to the Nevernever. The Brown Bag must fully enclose the victim, which will probably involve some grappling. The bag is meant to punish the Very Naughty by taking them away forever. In theory Patrick should inform certain powerful Winter Fae before he uses it so they can be waiting on the other side, but in practice that has never happened. For one thing those creatures scare Patrick (even though they claim they would never harm another servant of the Fat Man) and for another he has no idea what they would do to the victim. He might be an SOB at times, but Patrick can't get behind making a child disappear forever.
(-1; a limited variant of Worldwalker)
The Stick: This appears to be a rattan cane. Basically it is an enchanted item (usable by another) with a 13 complexity thaumaturgy spell stored in it. Designed for use on those with Good or lower Endurance: 7 to match the best Endurance roll possible, 4 for the target’s stress track, and 2 more for a mild physical consequence (Sore Bottom). It is usable once per day (but can be activated again by taking mental stress). The Stick is meant for those who are Naughty enough to be punished but not naughty enough to disappear forever.
(-1; it's not that useful)
Total: (-3)
Refund for first item of power (+2)
Net cost: (-1)
Note: Patrick knows that he's not the first mortal to wear the ring and wonders about the fates the other wearers. He suspects that the last one was British (mainly because the Stick looks like a cane). Normally none of the items are in existence; Patrick summons them as needed.
Spells:
See Naughty/Nice (thaumaturgy, complexity 3): Allows Patrick to temporarily see who's naughty and nice - at least most of the time. It only lasts for one exchange (giving him time to get a good look around) but that's long enough to pick out a Naughty or Nice person from a crowd. He can see varying degrees of Naughty and Nice and sometimes even why they are Naughty / Nice (last major Naughty / Nice act committed that day).
[Mechanics: This is basically a mix between an assessment and a maneuver with the result being a temporary tag of "Naughty", "Nice", or "Neither/Couldn't Say". Treat it as an average social attack (+1) against everyone in the zone (+2). If Patrick gets barely a success against a person then he gets the basic information, with more details becoming available at higher grades of success.
Note: Nice and Naughty are detected as defined by Santa Claus and only by Santa Claus. See below for more details.]
