Stone (Private Eye)
The Basics
Name: Oliver Stone Age: 73
Nickname: Ollie, Stone, Jackass Gender: Male
Species:
Wizard, maybe? Demigod? Some kind of magic user, for sure. Definitely mortal, but ages slowly.
Lineage:
Unknown. Never knew his parents, which is why he can't pinpoint his species.
The Physical
Height: 5'10" Weight: 157 lbs
Hair Color: Dark Brown Eye Color: Blue
Distinguishing Features:
Oliver doesn't have many distinguishing marks, and most of his scars heal quickly due to his innate reserves of magic- excluding wounds gained through supernatural means. However, he does have several smaller scars, none of which are in places that are terribly noticeable. He remembers how he got each and every single one, most of which are from his younger days when he was just learning to use his powers. Magic mishaps are a bitch.
There is one spot in the lower right part of his back that looks like something took a chunk out of him. If asked about it, he would say he was mauled by a chimera on the job. Most think he's kidding, but he says it with a straight face every time.
Physical Description:
Overall, Oliver would be considered attractive by human standards- though Sidhe and other beautiful creatures put his looks to shame, as the do other mortals. Piercing blue eyes, a strong jaw line and a charming smile can work wonders in a social interaction.
Clocking in at 5'10" and 157lbs, he is a fairly average male specimen. At least on the outside.
Oliver has a wiry musculature that suits his form quite well. He does not have the large, overly large muscles of a body builder, or the toning of someone who regularly works out. Rather, he has the lean muscles of a working man, someone who has worked their whole life to get what they want.
Though he does prefer to remain clean shaven, it's not uncommon to spot the beginnings of a beard on his chin when he's working a case.
While Oliver is a P.I. he is generally dressed pretty casually in jeans, a t-shirt and some jacket or another. He saves the trench coat and fedora for important cases, when he needs to make a statement with his appearance.
Often dressed casually, one wouldn't assume that he has an extensive wardrobe of expensive suits, tuxes, etc. But, one would be wrong. Even if he doesn't wear them often, Oliver does prefer to be prepared for every occasion. All it takes to successfully blend into a black tie event is a monkey suit and decent manners.
Though Oliver is lacking a little in the manners department, he does clean up nicely.
Alternate Form:
Oliver has no natural shifting abilities; however, he can shift using magic if he wishes to do so.
He generally shifts in to some kind of beast, most often for their heightened senses for tracking or finding things on a case. A wolf or dog would be his most common alter, because its an easy/common transformation that doesn't take much magic or energy to maintain.
Under The Hood
Personality:
Oliver is gruff, quirky and more than a little hard to read, more often than not. Many would consider him standoffish or grouchy even, but the truth is- he tends to drive people away on purpose.
Deep down, he is a wise-ass, intelligent guy with a penchant for dry humor, witty retorts, and making any serious situation trivial, in hopes of lightening the mood.
He has a lot of years under his belt, and a lot of knowledge to go with them. There is an obvious intelligence to his gaze, as well as the simple curiosity of a scientist or a scholar.
Oliver has an unmatched love for the world, the people in it, and the way things work. He is not against violence, but he doesn't like to participate unless absolutely necessary. In his line of work, it's necessary more often than he would like.
Overall, he is a witty, intelligent man. Those who get close to him may or may not get tired of his smartass comments, but they'll know that under that standoffish facade, he's a decent, caring guy.
Goals:
Oliver is a private eye, and hes not doing it for the money, or Time as it were. He genuinely enjoys helping people, regardless of how little he cares for them being in his general vicinity. He has many goals, but the one that is at the forefront of his mind is protecting the innocent from the horrors they dont deserve to face.
Fears:
To any onlookers, it may appear that Oliver is fearless in the face of hulking beasts, powerful spells and deadly gunfire, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. He does tend to put on a brave face for his clients and any victim that he is trying to save, but nobody wants to die. In reality, rather than fearing for his own life, he is most often scared for innocents that get caught in the middle of a bad situation like a firefight and wind up in the hospital, or worse. Oliver worries that one day he'll accidentally hurt someone, which is why he lives by a strict set of rules.
Talents
Skills:
Oliver has been a P.I. for the last 50 years. He opened his first office at the age of 23, and found that he loved the job.
Over the years, he has learned many skills that come with that line of work- such as acute observation, deductive reasoning, marksmanship, creating disguises, hacking, safe cracking, lockpicking, photography and many other talents that come with a career investigator.
But, in all honesty, his greatest assets are his close knit network of friends and informants, and the many I Owe You's that he's collected over the decades- favors that he has no issue cashing in when necessary.
Magical Education:
Oliver didn't go to Hogwarts, if that's what you're asking. Most of his studying was done on his own. He learned he could use magic in his early teen years, when his emotions were out of control. After that, he ran away from the foster home he lived in and struck out on his own. It was tough, but he found work along the way, as well as other myths who helped Oliver keep his head up.
Powers:
While Oliver never had any formal education, he did learn a few tricks and spells from a warlock in New Orleans, utilizing wands, staffs and the like for directing and taming his innate, massive pool of magic. He tried his hand at hoodoo and even voodoo while in Lousiana, but it wasn't his style of casting. Oliver ended up preferring the use of grimoires, familiars and words of power, as he was learning.
Oliver is a rare case, having always been able to access different schools of magic, while most casters can only use one. He chalks it up to his lineage or whatever species he actually is, but he's not entirely sure.
Now, 60 years down the road, he's a very talented caster with an affinity for primal magics. Oliver prefers hard hitting elemental spells to curses or hexes or enchantments, and has put most of his eggs in that particular basket. That said, he does still know a great deal about other types of magic and is able to dabble in them a bit. However, primal magic is certainly his forte.
Oliver does feel naked and weak without his full powers, having been nerfed just as the other denizens of the Dreamscape have. His abilities are not at their full strength, and it takes much more effort to follow through on more intricate spellwork.
But really, is one with magic ever limited to anything other than the extent of their imagination?
To answer that question, one must ask the question- What is magic? The question has been asked countless times by countless people, who have received countless answers. But what is it really?
Is it a gift from the Gods? The seed of life? An unstoppable force of destruction and chaos? Fictional nonsense?
Anyone in the know has answered the question honestly in their own way. Some say that it is a gift, or maybe a curse. Others say it is a result of their faith. Some even say it is a tool, given to us by some unknown force, whether it be the Gods or pure dumb luck.
In the end, each answer was correct and incorrect in its own way. The answers were true, factual, to those who gave them. It is what they believed, and belief is powerful. What you believe is true to you, it is everything.
All of them are right, in their own way, but they're all wrong.
It is difficult to classify magic, the power it gives, as any one thing. It is...it's life, death, chaos, growth, power all in one. It's not easily defined.
Many have delved into the depths of magic and its meanings. For example:
| Joshua Madani: |
| Magic is a story you tell the universe. It's a woven tale meant to justify an end by changing the means. It is a hammer. It is a paintbrush. It is a typewriter and a bolt-cutter. A screwdriver and a draftsman's table. It is a canvas, and it is paint. It is a study and an art as broad as the universe and as shallow as the layer of moisture that coats a living eye. It is the ultimate tool for expressing a thought or building an empire. It forms part of the foundation of reality itself, and with it, anything is possible. |
In the end, if one were to simplify it, magic is possibility. Magic gives us the ability to make the impossible possible.
Possibility, plausibility, and probability are each a force to be reckoned with, and Oliver is a master of all three. Given enough time and effort, he can force his will to take shape.
Magic is, in essence, a power source- one that feeds the impossible into an unwanting reality. In a world of gods, demons, angels and countless other creatures, magic is one of the few things that connects them, draws them into one commonality.
Without magic, many believe that the world as we know it would crumble. The topic is debatable, but Oliver believes it wholeheartedly.
Belief is powerful. Most people have to believe in their magic to be able to tap into it in any capacity. Whether their powers are orderly or chaotic, their belief binds them to their host. The belief that they can be used, harnessed, however the host sees fit.
That belief is the fuel for a raging fire of primal energies stored within their vessel. That belief is how one taps into the impossible. Belief and possibility go hand in hand. Whether your belief, your faith, is placed in a certain religion or simply yourself...if you believe, the possibility of success, no matter how small, is there. It exists.
While magic is, more often than not, chaotic in many ways, it brings a certain amount of order to Oliver's life. He follows a strict code of magic, a list of five rules, laws that he enforces on himself, in hopes of keeping his moral compass intact.
1. Always be the smartest guy in the room. Magic is not meant to be thrown about willy-nilly. One must know what they're doing, how to conceal their powers among the Muggles, or things will get out of hand...fast. Of course, he doesn't have to worry about hiding his abilities in the Dreamscape, like he did in the Waking.
2. No killing with magic. For obvious reasons, killing with magic can lead one down a dark path of greed and power grabbing.
3. No magically shifting other people. Turning princes into frogs is an obvious no-no. The body is a temple, and it is meant to be private. Changing one's physical form without their consent can easily traumatize the person in question.
4. No invading or dominating another person's mind. Breaking into the mind of a mortal, or a Myth for that matter, is like breaking into their home. It leave's them feeling vulnerable...violated, in more ways than one.
5. No swimming against the currents of time- hopping backwards in time. Time travel is always an iffy topic, one that many choose to avoid entirely. For good reason. Changing the past changes the future, which can be catastrophic. Oliver doubts such spells would even work in the Dreamscape but, regardless, they are still againt his rules.
Vulnerabilities:
Wouldn't you like to know?
Other than the massive, glaring vulnerability called mortality, he doesn't have that many specific weaknesses.
Oliver is a very talented spell slinger, but in close quarters combat he is lacking. While he does know how to fight, and he is scrappy, he's had little to no formal training in the area.
On top of that, any opponent that is resistant to the arcane will generally have a leg up on Oliver. He doesn't have much in his repertoire other than an extensive knowledge of all things magical, and the revolver he keeps in the trunk of his car.
Society Info
Length Of Time In Coldharbour: 12 years
Occupation: Private Eye
Questions:
1. Why are you trapped in the Dreamscape?
Answer: "Oh, you know, the ushe. Pissed off a demon, a few gods, the entire Winter Court and not to mention a couple of high profile cops in L.A. Nothing out of the norm, but someone was extra salty this time," Oliver said, with a hard roll of the eyes. "You drag one perp kicking and screaming out of a peace summit for questioning, and suddenly you're the bad guy. You know how it is."
2. What did you do on your first day in Coldharbour?
Answer: "What anyone would do, really. Scoped out the city, hung around the alleys and watched the sewer tunnels for any interesting activity. Looked for a place to setup shop and, of course, grabbed a burger." Oliver said with a sigh. "Best burger in town, and haven't been able to find that joint since. Should've paid attention to the street signs. Nothing beats a good burger, after kicking some ass. Or after getting your ass kicked, for that matter. Just... nothing beats a good burger," he added on with a smirk and a light chuckle.
3. What do you plan to accomplish, while living in the city?
Answer: "What the hell kind of question is that? You come to my office, knock on my door and ask some BS like that? Really? What do you think the guy in the investigator's office is trying to accomplish? Stop wasting my time," Oliver shoots back.
4. Do you play well with others, or are you more of a loner?
Answer: "Um, next question?"
The Juicy Bits
The Man, The Myth, The Legend:
Oliver doesn't really play nice with anyone, especially when he's on a case. He's like a dog with a bone. He never lets up, even if he's stepping on very important and powerful toes. That said, he doesn't have a lot of friends throughout the pantheons. Of course, there are exceptions to that particular rule. As for specific relations between the factions of supernaturals- Oliver and the Sidhe Courts do not get along, at all. Vampires tend not to like him. And, really, anything that goes bump in the night and feeds on innocent people... well, I wouldn't say they're the best of friends- he may have killed one or two, or fifty in his line of work.
Backstory:
Oliver had a boring childhood. Bouncing around from home to home, he never really had any roots or family ties. He shared the same unfortunate fate as so many others in the foster system. For the first 15 years of his life, Oliver went through the motions. It wasnt until the first day of school that year, that everything went sideways.
A group of boys had decided that Oliver would be an easy target. Having never been in a fight before, he didnt stand a chance against three football players. As he was getting beaten and crying out for help, few could hear him and those who could walked by quickly to avoid getting involved. Just as the sound of a rib cracking and a howl of agony escaped his lips, something awoke inside Oliver. A burst of energy exploded outwards from him, traveling in every direction and sending the bullies through the air and onto the ground several feet away.
Just as scared and confused as the aggressors, Oliver quickly regained his feet and limped away as quickly as he could, never to return to that school or his foster home.
After running away, with some help, Oliver went on to discover an entire supernatural network spread worldwide. It took time to come to terms with the idea of gods and monsters existing, but its been a long time and he moved on from the initial shock quickly enough, having experienced unnatural powers firsthand.
In the last several decades, Oliver made his name known among supernatural communities as a spell slinging private eye. It is an odd line of work, but one that he thoroughly enjoys.
Since that fight, if you could call it that, Oliver has gotten his ass kicked more times than he can count, but he does his best to give as good as he gets and always keeps his head up. Hes not the little kid from back then, hes not an easy target, anymore. That memory of his childhood sticks out more than the rest. It shaped him into what he is today- a man who refuses to give up, who wont run away in the face of danger, when there are innocent lives at stake.