((This is the more or less completed version of the very first concept I had when hearing about the DFRPG, let alone getting my hands on the books. David Morgan has been busy in the DV alongside me re-reading the books - I always imagine a concept character coexisting with the protagonists on some level when I read a series set in a compelling setting I would like to play in. It is unlikely that I will ever roll a die in anger playing DFRPG, but by posting David here, I hope that he may see the light of day at a gaming table somewhere at some point. Enjoy.))
Name: David Morgan
High Concept: Scholastic Wizard, Reluctant Warden
Trouble: Single Minded and Stubborn
Template: Wizard
Phase 1: Where did you come from?
Born in Warwick, England, in 1919, David is a scion of a bloodline with a powerful gift for magic. There has been a Morgan in the White Council for more than four generations. He was raised in an atmosphere that blended the social patterns and idiosyncrasies of the British gentry and the Old World formality of the White Council, and was always destined to be a wizard.
Apprenticed in his early teens to his father (Frederick), it quickly became apparent that his magical talents lay in directions different from those of his father (a gifted photomancer), and his apprenticeship was adopted by his father’s younger brother Michael. Michael was a gifted Wizard, and a Warden, and soon helped his new charge develop his gift in less subtle aspects of magic than his father preferred. Sadly, both of these mentors were to be killed in the war against the Red Court - Frederick was at Archangel when it was hit, Michael was killed in the attack on the hospital in the Congo. Another relation, a cousin, was killed during the exposure of Peabody as a traitor and warlock.
At a young age, David fell in love with books and excelled at the mortal boarding schools to which he was sent. While he was at university (Oriel, Oxford, reading History), and within weeks of the Trials of Wizardry being administered, World War II broke out. Despite his family’s objections, he volunteered for service. Quickly tapped for officer training, he served in North Africa and Italy, rising to the rank of Captain and being awarded the Military Cross for bravery.
Aspect: Formality is a Shield
Phase 2: What shaped you?
After de-mobbing from the army in 1946, David undertook the Trials and was initiated as a full member of the council. Tired of war and conflict after his experiences, he declined the offer to train as a warden, instead throwing himself into his studies. He gained his first Phd in History in 1950. Over the following decades, he attended some of the most prestigious universities in the world, collecting several doctoral level degrees in the fields of archaeology, anthropology and history with various specialities.
His experience as a soldier, talent for “combat magic”, and scholastic abilities developed over time into David being involved in many high profile investigations of forgotten magic and history on behalf of the council, often exposing him to dangerous supernatural enemies which he overcame with inventiveness and skill. Rapidly gaining respect and status in the council, his rising star was somewhat dimmed when he refused the offer to become a Warden for a second time in the 1970s, preferring instead to concentrate on pursuing his scholastic interests.
Aspect: Knowledge is it’s Own Reward
Phase 3: What was your first adventure?
David was a newly graduated Doctor of History and very-junior member of the White Council when he took part in a Council sponsored expedition to document any potential magically relevant information at a newly discovered Viking burial site in Norway. Mortal excavations had established the existence of a substantial subterranean complex unlike anything else in Scandanavia, with relics and artifacts being discovered unlike anything traditional academia could define.
While serving as a junior member of the team, a glorified clerk more than anything, David stumbled upon a device that could open a gateway to a pocket demense existing in the Nevernever. While investigating this device, it was inadvertently activated by a tomb robber attracted to the site in search of loot.
With the way to the small demense opened, a trio of monsters he later learned were Grendelkin, as well as a host of smaller entities and creatures burst free from what was apparently their “jail”, and commenced an orgy of destruction and blood letting throughout the site. Alongside the other two members of the White Council team, David managed to save several mortals as well as destroy one of the Grendelkin before becoming trapped in a collapsing underground cave.
The arrival of several more-than-human allies (Valkyries and Einherjar) turned the tide of the immediate battle, seeing the Grendelkin fall. The device remained active though, and an endless stream of minor, but still dangerous, creatures was flowing into the real world. Realising that a minor Earth magic ley-line was what was powering the device, David managed to divert the energy of the line temporarily allowing his colleagues to close it. After releasing the flow of energy, he found his connection with Earth magic even greater than before.
Aspect: Earth Magic Sings in My Veins
Phase 4: Whose path have you crossed?
While undertaking research in Cairo (for yet another Phd, this time in Egyptology) in the 1960s, David ran afoul of a local Warlock named Rashid al-Tani, a cultist of the old Egyptian gods who was trying to craft a massive blood ritual to reawaken the powers of the dark god Seti. In the efforts to track down al-Tani, David was aided by a mercenary named Rikard Baldersson, who was also interested in disrupting the ritual and putting down the Warlock.
Baldersson was a formidable physical combatant, and his abilities complimented David’s well. The Warlock was slain, the ritual disrupted, and the beginning of a friendship that has lasted more than half a century was initiated.
Aspect: Some Secrets are Better Left Buried
Phase 5: Who Else have You Met?
Shortly after the Congo debacle, David was drafted into becoming a Warden. Having sped to the area to provide what help he could, Anastasia Luccio did not give him a choice, although the death of his old master might have prompted him to take up the cloak. David was possibly the last warden to be given a Warden's sword. Combat losses had left Africa even less well covered by Wardens than most other places, and he was placed under the command of Warden Muthambo, who was based in Lusaka.
Having lived in Cape Town on a couple of occasions over the years, David began setting himself up a base there. Unsuited to a diplomatic roll, and feeling a bit bitter about the responsibilities forced upon him, he struggled to make a connection with the local supernatural community.
This changed when he met Connie Nel, a local ectomancer of considerable skill. Totally opposite to David in many ways, Connie and he formed an unlikely relationship – she was his conduit to the community. This formed into a very close, and eventually a romantic relationship resulting in marriage in 2005. Even when David is absent from South Africa in his capacity as Regional Commander and senior Warden of Southern Africa, Connie keeps an eye of the local supernatural community, very much David’s partner in everything except White Council politics - an important consideration given that David was appointed regional commander for Southern Africa (roughly everything South of the Congo) in 2008 when Warden Muthambo was reassigned to command of the Central African Region (everything between the Congo and the Sahara).
Apsect: Devoted to my Wife
Power Level: Submerged
Advancement: 3 Major and 5 Significant Milestones applied, assigned abstractly to reflect his experiences during the war with the Red Court. This makes the entire character -12 Refresh and he has had 8 Skill Points added to the basic Submerged power level.
Skills
Superb (+5): Discipline, Scholarship
Great (+4): Conviction, Lore
Good (+3): Alertness, Endurance, Intimidation, Presence
Fair (+2): Athletics, Guns, Investigation, Weapons
Average (+1): Contacts, Driving, Fists, Stealth, Survival
Stress
Physical 0 0 0 0
Mental 0 0 0 0
Social 0 0 0 0
Powers
Evocation (-3)
Refinements 4 (-4)
Soulgaze (0)
Thaumaturgy (-3)
The Sight (-1)
Wizard’s Constitution (0)
Moral Stunts
Linguist (Scholarship level +4 when determining languages) (-1)
Magical Abilities
Elements: Air, Earth, Spirit
Evocations Specializations: Control (Earth +1), Power (Air +1, Earth +3, Spirit +2)
Thamaturgy Specializations: Crafting (Frequency +1)
Focus Items
Mahogany Staff with silver, iron and copper inlaid runes and sigils (Earth offensive control +2 and Earth Offensive power +1)
Carved Onyx Ring (Spirit Defensive Control +1)
Enchanted Items
Granite Pendant (Stoneskin: Armor 2 effect that activates when 2 or more points of kinetic damage is taken, 2/session)
Iron Ring (Magnify Vision: Applies the Aspect “Telescopic Vision” for 2 Exchanges, 2/session)
Warden Sword (2 slots) (Weapon 3, Counterspell (+6) or Weapon 6 3/session)
Mundane Equipment of Note
Browning Hi-Power 9mm (Weapon 2) w/ 3 clips (39 shots) – his old service pistol from the war.
Fairburn-Sykes Combat Knife (Weapon 1)
Battered but mechanically very sound Ford WOA1 WW2 vintage staff car (painted Khaki)
Description
Despite being 92 years old, David appears of ambiguous age – most people say that he looks anywhere from his mid-30s to early 40s. David has a medium build and unexceptional features – he really looks very mundane and average in an old-fashioned sort of sense. 5’10” and about 175 lbs, strawberry blond hair cut in a 1940s style short back and sides and oiled/combed in a left-hand side parting. Despite his fairness of hair, he has a thin moustache. His eyes are his most remarkable feature – pale blue, almost grey and often possessed of a deep intensity.
The recent war has left its mark – despite his wizardly powers of recuperation, he has a number of scars, the most visible crossing his left cheek horizontally for about an inch. Another old scar, from a shrapnel wound in “the war” is visible on his chin, even after 6 decades, and shows no signs of fading further – a permanent reminder of that conflict.
He normally dresses quite formally depending on the occasion – anything from slightly out-of-date suits of good cut and decent (not amazing) quality, to formal White Council Robes (still a “blue stole”, but probably not far off a red one). He never, ever, wears jeans (favours somewhat baggy Khaki trousers), and seldom anything but a fully buttoned shirt of some description. His “working outfit”, adopted during the war, is made up of modern combat fatigue trousers in an appropriate pattern (or just Dark grey), a grey T-Shirt under a black collared and buttoned heavy cotton shirt, his weapons belt and Warden’s cloak.
David is normally softly spoken, but has an explosive temper when it is ignited. He is stubborn, resistant to radical ideas, can come across a tad curmudgeony. The only person who he seems to have endless patience with is his wife – surprising since she is rather modern, liberal, progressive and “new-agey”. To anyone else, depending on relative statuses in the White Council/Supernatural hierarchy, gets spoken with in a slightly patronizing tone, which is purely unconscious on David’s part. David hates being interrupted when he is fully emerged in his studies – a sure way to earn a display of temper and irritability, even for more senior wizards.
Languages
Living: Arabic, English, French, Swedish
Dead: Akkadian, Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Aramaic, Latin, Old Norse
Doctorates
Archaeology – Classical (Magdelene College, Cambridge, UK), 1969, Archaeology – Egyptology (Sorbonne, Paris, 1962), Archaeology - Middle Eastern (Harvard, USA, 1976), Archaeology – Norse (Durham, UK, 1956), Cultural Anthropology (Stanford, USA), History – Anglo-Saxon (Oriel College, Oxford, UK, 1950), History – Modern (University College, University of London, UK, 1989)
Rotes
Bonesmasher
Type: Earth Attack
Shifts: 8
Duration: 1 Exchange
Control: Automatic discipline, applies focus item bonuses – staff required
Mental Stress: 1
Opposed By: Target’s Athletics, Magical Blocks or Determined in play
Effect: Concentrates gravity upon a precise area, crushing the target to the ground in a shower of bone splinters and gore. Legendary (+8) Aim and Attack, Weapon 8 effect.
Hidden From Sight
Type: Spirit Defensive Block/Veil
Shifts: 6
Duration: 1 Exchange
Control: Automatic discipline
Mental Stress: 1
Opposed By: Target’s Alertness or other factors determined in play
Effect: Creates a Good (+4) veil over the caster with the benfit of unimpaired vision.
Knee Trembler
Type: Earth Offensive Maneuver
Shifts: 8
Mental Stress: 1
Control: Automatic discipline, applies focus item bonuses – staff required
Mental Stress: 1
Duration: 4 exchanges
Opposed by: Target’s Athletics Skill or other determined in play
Effect: David stamps his foot into the ground, causing a flash of green magic to flow from his foot into the earth. Applies “Can’t Keep Their Footing” aspect to everyone in the zone.
Soul Shield
Type: Spirit Defensive Block
Mental Stress: 1
Control: Automatic discipline, applies focus item bonuses – ring required
Mental Stress: 1
Duration: 4 exchanges
Effect: A pale green shimmering force field – pure spirit magic tinged by the power of David’s Earth magic. Creates and Armor 3 effect or a Fantastic (+6) block
((I have come up with a more complete list of spells, which I will post in the relevant thread in the near future. I have also got a number of fully realised concepts, some partially statted out, that I can add, inlcuding Rikard Baldersson and Connie Nel-Morgan. No-where near the detail as I have done for David, but still fully useable. Let me know if you want them))
