Dakor the Magician

Powers:

Schooling: Dakor the Magician is a sorcerer whose magical schooling appears to have multiple sources. It seems to resemble pieces of both a Philosophical (Chaos) and Geomantic line of study, but has other influences as well. As such, it may be easiest to label him a wizard of the Eclectic stripe. This Adept has demonstrated these spells:

Animation (u) (i): Dakor has the ability to manipulate an object with his mind, having it move as though it were alive. This spell functions at intensity 8, allowing him to inflict damage up to that intensity every turn he is animating an object. This comes in particularly handy when he's animating an object altered by his Topographical Manipulation...

Image Projection (p) (w): with concentration, Dakor can produce an exact visual duplicate of himself with which to fool others. This decoy is excellent for sussing out traps and ambushes, and is of intensity 10 complexity. During every exchange that Dakor can pass an easy difficulty action with this spell, the projection may continue to perform as desired, fooling others to its true nature.

Nature Control / Air (Air Control, s) (i): Dakor's secondary nature control ability, this spell allows him to manipulate the air to some extent, either whipping up intensity 6 winds or buffeting a target with a similar intensity, air-based force blast. Learning this spell has allowed Dakor the ability to study the mechanics of other air magic, like his Ventriloquism.

Nature Control / Animals (Animal Control, s) (w): this handy spell allows Dakor to communicate with (as much as is possible) and control animals of all types. He can do this at intensity 6. Communication is automatic, but control calls for an easy nature control / animals action, opposed by the willpower of said animal (if applicable). This comes in handy alongside his Summoning spell.

Nature Control / Weather (Weather Control, s) (i): his final known form of nature control, this spell allows Dakor to manipulate the weather itself when necessary. He can wield this spell at intensity 10, and has demonstrated rather impressive abilities with it thus far. These include manifesting a powerful snowstorm in the middle of a desert, among other things.

Summoning / Animals (d) (w): Dakor has the ability to summon forth animals to do his bidding. Wielding this potent spell at intensity 10, he can draw forth up to ten distinct animals from across the globe, and then tell them what to do. He has so far shown a preference for large, intimidating animals when using this effect (because they're so much fun!).

Tongues (p) (i): traveling in various lands on the job, Dakor can't be bothered to actually learn the languages of the people he's about to trounce with his mighty mystic mannerisms. As such, he has learned the use of this spell in order to do the translation for him. Functioning at intensity 7, it allows him to converse with the locals wherever he travels.

Topographical Manipulation (Transmutation, u) (i): Dakor has a unique version of this spell, in that he can transform inanimate matter into animal life forms at his leisure, doing so at intensity 10. For instance, he has changed a soldier's gun into a living snake in the past. These new life forms are permanent creations, never reverting back to type. Furthermore, Dakor need not touch a target in order to do this.

Ventriloquism (p) (i): a relatively minor effect, to be sure, this spell allows Dakor to cause his voice to manifest anywhere within his line of sight. If he is using this spell effect to confuse and befuddle others (as he tends to do), targets are only allowed an intellect action (versus intensity 10) to figure out that Dakor is responsible for this trick if he's being sloppy about it.

Hindrances:

(none)

Skills:

Espionage (i): Dakor does investigative work for a living, and as such, knows this skill out of necessity. He is observant enough to easily locate obscure clues about a crime, operate surveillance equipment, and can quickly determine if a body is following him.

Mesmerism (w): Dakor knows a thing or two about hypnosis. By passing an average intensity Willpower action (opposed by his target's Willpower score), Dakor can either extract information from him or implant several post-hypnotic suggestions in his mind.

Occult (i): as a rather competent mage, Dakor knows lots of things about magical phenomenon. He's knowledgeable about magical secret societies, ancient artifacts (either of power or not), and knows more forgotten lore than you can shake a stick at.

Calling:

Investigator: though he primarily does it for the cash, Dakor can be quantified as having this calling, as he simply loves tearing apart a mystery. He most often attacks quandaries of a more occult nature, but he need not stop there should some other interesting occurrence grab his attention.

Costume:

While active as a mysterious Magician, Dakor wears a classy ensemble which includes a blue suit jacket over a white, long sleeved shirt, a red cummerbund, a black belt, blue trousers, brown leather shoes, and sometimes a striking short, red cape.

Personality:

Dakor is something of a mercenary, mostly offering the use of his mystic might for hire. He has demonstrated a rather cavalier attitude towards the lives of others, and seems to have a rather nasty sense of humor that manifests through the crafty use of his magic.

Real Name: unknown
Occupation: freelance detective
Legal Status: presumed American citizen with no known criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: none

Height: ?
Hair: brown
Eyes: ?
Weight: ?
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Dakor wears a pencil-thin moustache.

Story:

Very, very little is known about the origin of Dakor the Magician, much less his real name. However, it is known that Dakor is a sorcerer of some skill, and that he is also a detective that investigates 'unusual crimes'. The first involved the Blooded Ruby of Kung, an artifact of some cultist import that had suddenly gone missing.

Apparently, after some explorer stole the Ruby from the Chinese god 'Kung', his son was murdered by a friend that went mad for the gem after seeing it. This former friend, Tom Denver, has since hooked up with the Foreign Legion, so Dakor picks up the trail of the Ruby there, where he finds Denver about to be killed in turn by Legionnaires over the magic gem.

That night, in the desert camp, Dakor hypnotizes Denver so he can steal back the Ruby, when he is knocked unconscious by roaming guards and placed in the guard house. Just then, the Legionnaire camp is attacked by Tuareg forces, and Denver deserts during the ensuing mayhem. Of course, Dakor has to save the man from random gunfire from both sides.

Dakor then follows, though menaced by Legionnaire guards in the process. Transforming their guns into snakes, the Magician follows after his quarry, where he ends up getting captured again, this time by the roaming Tuaregs. Again locked up with Denver (also captured), Dakor witnesses the man start babbling about how the gem is his and his alone.

Of course, their captors also hear this, and kill Denver for the Ruby. Not needing to hold back any longer, Dakor kills the Tuareg chief and recovers the Ruby of Kung. Dropping a sandstorm on the Tuaregs to keep them busy, Dakor makes for the land of Kung, and returns the Ruby to it's proper place - in the eye of a large, Buddha-like statue of Kung.

After this, Dakor went home to collect his fat fee. He was next called into action to save the British Consul to Singapore, who had been kidnapped by Chinese bandits. Disguising himself as a poor peddler, he infiltrated the bandits' headquarters outside Borneo and wormed his way into their ranks. After finding the Consul, however, he is discovered!

Eventually overpowered, Dakor is set to be executed by the bandits, but he escapes by transforming their guns into corn stalks! Breaking the Consul out, Dakor then makes for the river to make his escape. Evading the bandits' traps and ambushes with his mighty magics and his two-fisted fighting, he eventually gets the Consul to his boat and makes for freedom.

Later, when the daughter of his friend Lord Twisdon is abducted by a Nordu tribe, Dakor leaps into action to rescue her. Riding a steamer to their home land, he tracks the Nordu down only to find they've heavily drugged Twisdon's daughter, and now she believes herself to be the goddess of the tribe. Out of her mind, she orders them to kill Dakor.

Escaping thanks to his magic skills, he ultimately frees himself of the trap prepared for him, and narrowly avoids being burned alive at the same time. Facing the Nordu chief in combat, he slays the villain - freeing Twisdon's daughter from the spell she was apparently also under. Leaving the Nordu a statue to worship, the duo then make for home.

Dakor the Magician's further exploits have yet to be revealed, but he's a powerful guy. It's likely he continued his occult investigations both before and during World War II.

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