Jim

Jim, aka the Professor, is an associate member of the ORC's, although not a member of any Clan. He is called the the Professor because his 'day job' is that of a Professor of Economics at a small liberal arts college in southwestern Michigan.

Jim is not quite a Caster, but does have a Talent to be able to predict the outcome of contests, competitions, or games with an uncanny level of accuracy, so long as he has no vested interest in the outcome of such a game. When he does have a rooting interest, such as in a baseball game involving the Detroit Tigers, his ability to predict the winner of the contest is clouded by his desire for his team to win.

Jim uses his Talent to keep the ORC's Foundation fund flush with working capital by investing in the appropriate financial instruments at the appropriate time. He is quite careful, however, to ensure that the gains from his market manipulations aren't so large as bring unneeded scrutiny. He is the one person who handles the majority of the financial arrangements for the ORC's. Because of the limits of his Talent, the Professor is not on the actual ORC payroll, but is reimbursed for most expenses.

Jim is known to be handy with a Louisville Slugger and a two-liter of Diet Pepsi. There are rumors that hint at a relationship of some sort between Ravyn Fyre and the Professor.

Diablito, El

El Diablito (Spanish for 'the Little Devil') is an enigmatic foe who is currently working with Dick Arnold (under the name of (D.B. Lito) and his companies. It has also recently been learned that he was called by the name of Dr. Juergen Klimm during his service in Nazi Germany's Third Reich. He was a scientist and a Caster who worked in various concentration camps. He either invented or refined a magickal tool called the Soulscope that allowed him to steal energy, memories, and pieces of other Caster's souls--allowing him to grow in power beyond his previous limits.

El Diablito worked for and with Drake Kampmann on the Omega Project, working out of his Hialeah magickal shop called NextWorld. He is believed to have crafted the Chakra that was used to keep Rusty's Spirit Form trapped after his death.

El Diablito is known to have been a mentor to Papa Locks.

More than any other known Caster, El Diablito is known to have acquired and master several magickal Talents, including the ability to control and channel the weather and to travel in Spirit Form. It is unknown exactly how powerful he is, although he has fought Ravyn to a draw in the Everglades and beaten her in New Orleans when he tried to take Alexa during Hurricane Katrina. He fled the scene of that battle after Rusty drow him back into the injured Betsy, who sliced of his right hand and forearm before he used magick to flee the scene of battle.

Naomi

Naomi Jackson is a young, African American woman from New Orleans. She is the mother of Alexa. She was killed during Hurricane Katrina by a troll-like creature serving El Diablito as she was trying to prevent Alexa from being taken from her.

Naomi was then later seen in Spirit Form at Yggsdrasil by Rusty.

Naomi was brought back to life and made whole in body by the Lady of the Lake when Rusty asked for her to be brought back instead of him being restored by the Lady.

Naomi is a vibrant young woman who has the potential tobe a Caster in her own right. She is currently studying in residence at the Coop under Ravyn Fyre and Katherine.

Alexa Jackson

Alexa Jackson is the daugther of Naomi Jackson and Rusty. She was conceived as part of a very secret program using sperm taken from Officer Jason Smith's (aka: Rusty's) body after his death. Alexa was rescued by Rusty and Ravyn during Hurricane Katrina when troll-like creatures working for El Diablito killed her mother and tried to kidnap her.

Alexa is a central figure in several verses of prophesy uttered first by T'tubah, and later by Naomi (after she was brought back to life by the Lady of the Lake). She was referred to as the 'Daughter of Death' in those verses. She has shown signs of preternatural awareness for her age, communicating with her mother through dreams and in a very mature voice during a recent Yule celebration at the Coop.

Alexa appears to have enormous natural Talent and doesn't seem to fear any situation or person. Most of the time though, she acts like the precocious toddler that she is.

Agent Jennifer Wilson

Agent Wilson is a Special Agent with the FBI specializing in profiling. She previously based out of the Quantico Office, but has been recently reassigned to the Fairfax HQ of the Omega Team. Agent Wilson previously studied with Ravyn Fyre at the Coop but chose to follow a career in law enforcement in lieu of becoming a full fledged member of the ORC's. Her Talent is associated with her chosen career as a profiler, allowing her to visualize killers and their motives from the evidence gathered at the scene. Her Talent is very similar to that Zenny Al Farhan, except it is keyed by visual stimuli rather than the need to touch objects or people.

Nick

Nick is an ORC operative who tried to infiltrate El Diablito’s organization as a mole. He provided a memory orb of the experience. His Talent appears to be oriented towards the animation and control of inanimate objects, including dead animals. He has subsequently disappeared.

Papa Locks

Papa Locks is a powerful Haitian voudoun master who served Drake as a hit man and enforcer. He was known for his cruelty and his long dreadlocks. He was killed in battle by Cerrydwen and Jim after he cut John Red Bear’s throat with a knife. Papa Locks was recently brought back from the dead by El Diablito and Bone Financial in a modified zombie body. It is unclear at this point how strong that body is, but it is evident that he has maintained his power over the Shadow. Papa Locks has great command over Spirits and in the Shadowland.

Ravyn Fyre

Ravyn is perhaps the preeminent (and most visible) Caster among the ORC’s. She is the leader of the Phoenix Clan based in the southern suburbs of Chicago. She supervises and teaches between 10-20 students at a time in the group home known as the Coop. She is also the owner of the WyldFyre Sanctuary further south where Betsy is free to roam unmolested. Ravyn is known for her tremendous ability to wield elemental fire in her castings with great precision and power. Ravyn is an adventurous spirit who enjoys keeping Rusty out of trouble and saving his bacon whenever needed. She has also participated in a number of Rusty’s adventures, usually with the excuse of escaping Chicago’s cold winters. She is also known for her penchant for expensive shopping and spa trips. Ravyn and Jim (the Professor) are the subjects of current rumors as to a not-so-secret relationship.

Rose

Rose is a female Caster currently in the employ (or captivity?) of El Diablito. Her appearance ranges from that of a strung out drug addict to a feral looking vampire, but is apparently very strong and has a very cold touch. She was first encountered by Nick, the ORC mole who tried to learn more about El Diablito’s call for Casters.

Betsy

A Phoenix that was hatched into the physical world from a magical egg created by Ravyn Fyre. Previously, Betsy had been Ravyn’s Spiritual Guardian in the Shadowland. She was hatched in the Everglades right before a battle against Drake and his minions. Betsy is large enough for two people to ride her back. She can consciously control how intense her flames are. She resembles a giant Eagle with flame red plumage and flames emanating from her body. She bit the hand and forearm of El Diablito off in a confrontation in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

T'tubah

T’tubah is a female Caster from the Bayou Clan of the ORC’s based in New Orleans. She was first encountered during Hurricane Katrina when Rusty and Ravyn went to try and rescue Naomi and Alexa. She is a large, African American woman with a booming voice and an easy laugh. She also uttered the first two verses of a prophesy that appears to relate to Alexa.

Zenny Al Farhan

Zenny Al Farhan is an Iraqi woman who was rescued by Rusty from mercenaries hired by Dr. Daniel Bernstein who were holding her in a remote location in the eastern deserts of Jordan. Zenny is a Caster of no small talent who was discovered by Dr. Bernstein on his detail to Iraq for VortiCorp. She was brutally raped and tortured by Dr. Bernstein after he discovered that she knew secrets about Drake Kampmann. Zenny is also a direct descendant of Drake, although the number of intervening generations has not been revealed to date. Her husband and parents were slain in front of her by the mercenaries who took her captive. Zenny almost always wears soft leather gloves, because her Talent is always active—she can learn about the previous owners of artifacts and items merely by touching them. She is often flooded with emotions, events, and the history of an item that she touches. She can also use her Talent by touching a person—the longer she is in direct contact with a person, the more secrets she learns. Using her Talent on living beings can be quite painful to her.

Zulu

This man is a powerful Caster and a mysterious benefactor to the ORC’s and to Rusty. He is a highly placed official in the current administration, presumed to be in the Department of Justice. In addition, he is publicly seen as an avowed Evangelical Christian. His reasons for assisting the ORC’s and Rusty have never been fully discussed. His particular magickal talents have not yet been revealed. Zulu first appeared at the conclusion of the confrontation in the Everglades.

Cerrydwen

Member of ORC, powerful female witch who has an extremely strong Empathic Talent and who also can use that talent to force a person to face their own shortcomings and past misdeeds. Lives in Michigan. Close friend of Ravyn Fyre and common companion to the Frau. She usually dresses in dark leather and rarely smiles. Known for riding a chopper motorcycle and for her Familiar, a giant black cat called Morrigan. She is not fond of strangers or large crowds where her strong Empathic abilities can actually bring her pain.

She battled Papa Locks at the confrontation in the Everglades, killing him with Jim's help.

Quote: "I like the idea of humanity well enough, it's just people that I despise."

Source Material for 'Boneswulf' Storyline

(Author's Note)

The currently developing storyline, taking place in and around the ruins of World Trade Center in New York City was in part inspired by great epic Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf.

As revealed in the post title Tribunal...Part 1, the current foe is an incarnation of Grendel, one of the main foes that Beowulf vanquishes in the poem named after him.

I would like to encourage anyone with any interest in epic poetry and heroic tales to take a look at the original story themselves. This is a link to a great site that provides a translation by Dr. David Breeden and some pretty cool illustrations as well. Please visit the site and look around for yourselves:

http://www.lnstar.com/literature/beowulf/

I hope you enjoy both the original and my own re-interpretation of that great saga.

Cast of Characters

(In Alphabetical Order--To be edited and updated as necessary.)


Cerrydwen: Member of ORC, powerful female witch who uses the power of her Will to get others to do her bidding, lives in Michigan, friend of Ravyn Fyre and the Frau. She usually dresses in dark leather and rarely smiles. Known for riding a chopper motorcycle and for her Familiar, a giant black cat called Morrigan.

Drake: My arch enemy. A mysterious man who claims to be far older than he appears. He was the Director of the Omega Project, a secret project run by the FBI as a twisted attempt to create powerful undead law enforcement agents/soldiers--of which I am the only remaining ‘surviving’ member. Drake was driven out of the FBI by the efforts of myself and the ORC’s, the culmination of which was in a battle in the Everglades. After the battle, Drake disappeared and has left me a strange PDA on which he sends me cryptic clues as to his identity and purpose. I want to destroy this evil man and foil any plans he makes. He claims to have been known by many names throughout much of history. As I uncover the clues, and the identities, i will include them here. Drake appears to be immune to most wounds. He is exceptionally strong and fast, but has not been seen to actually perform any magick himself.

Dr. Geek: Former head of the NecroLab, longtime friend and ally of Drake. He was last seen in Las Vegas when he was defeated and sent to somewhere in Canada by Transit Point.

El Diablito: A collaborator and friend of Drake’s. He is a powerful sorceror who seems to be able to fuse technology and magick very easily. Drake used him to create many of the spells and items that made the Omega Project possible. El Diablito appears to be an unassuming older man with a slight accent and easy smile, but he also appears to be nearly deranged at times and was able to hold his own in a magickal duel with Ravyn Fyre in the Everglades. He helped Drake to escape that battle. El Diablito is also very familiar with the Three Worlds of Spirit and can move between them easily.

Frau, the: Member of ORC. A powerful, matronly Healer from Michigan. She is older than most ORC’s and takes on the motherly role, dispensing wisdom and healing in equal measure. She often travels with Rowan, a huge German Shepherd who is fiercely protective of her. In the Three Worlds of Spirit, she is usually accompanied by Bear, an equally protective Spirit of a large black wolf-dog.

Greg (deceased): Former police officer who was also involved with the Omega Project. He died after I did under suspicious circumstances. I freed his Spirit from the Chakra and he moved on into the Three Worlds. His body was then used by Papa Locks and El Diablito to create a monster using a collection of nefarious spirits. This body was destroyed in the Everglades battle.

Herne: Member of ORC from Colorado. Known for his hunting skills and his natural magicks, natural leader and generally likable fellow. He is most comfortable out-of-doors and with a rifle in hand. Excellent marksman. Husband to Moira.

Jasmine: My teenaged daughter. She now is training as a Caster under Ravyn Fyre and helps to care for Syreena, Ravyn’s Phoenix (see entry below).

Jim: Member/Comptroller of ORC. He is known as the Professor since he teaches at a smll liberal arts college in southwestern Michigan. While not a Caster himself, he is one of the founding members of ORC and is the financial genius who set up the finances for ORC. Known for wielding a baseball bat in battle and for his knack with technology.

John Red Bear (deceased): Member of ORC. Navajo shaman who helped to restore my humanity and helped me to break away from Drake’s influence. He died in the Everglades, killed by Papa Locks. He was my first spiritual guide and my first mentor.

Katherine: My ex-wife. She is serving as the House Mother to Ravyn’s Co-op house in the Chicago suburbs.

Kenny: My son. He is now attending college at a small liberal arts college in southwestern Michigan, at the same school that Jim (the Professor) teaches at.

Moira: Member of ORC, wife of Herne. Known as a Crafter, a type of Caster who can create magickal items, and known to favor sharp knives.

Papa Locks (deceased): A powerful Haitian voudoun master who served Drake as a hit man and enforcer. He was known for his cruelty and his long dreadlocks. He was killed in battle by Cerrydwen and Jim after he killed John Red Bear.

Ravyn Fyre: One of the leaders of ORC, powerful female witch with ability to channel and control elemental energy, particularly Fire. Also the head misstress of a Co-op in southern Chicago suburbs, owner of WyldFyre Sanctuary where she keeps her Familiar, a Phoenix by the name of Syreena.

Syreena: A Phoenix hatched from a magical Egg created by Ravyn Fyre. She was hatched in the Everglades right before a battle against Drake and his minions. Syreena is large enough for two people to ride her back. She can consciously control how intense her flames are. She resembles a giant Eagle with flame red plumage and flames emanating from her body.