John Barrows
Male
47
Appearance
6'6
Deathly Pale.
Shaved head.
Dark stubble, seemingly always having a couple days of growth.
You can tell John was a strong man in his youth and while his body has softened with his "retirement" it hasn't left entirely.
A tattoo in the center of his forehead.
Left sleeve.
Right sleeve.
Heavy scarring on fingertips, palm of hands, and wrists.
Mismatched eyes, the "Scrying Eye" has a grayed sclera, a blackish blue iris, and a ravaged pupil. The second eye is a dull green, usually bloodshot due to poor sleeping habits.
Smells faintly of alcohol and cigarettes nigh constantly
The Adversary's Pact: A pact signified by the "brand" on John's head. The pact gave John his great knowledge of black magic as well as Hellion. However whats more interesting is that this pact is far more...intimate than one would expect. Perhaps this is the reason why his body has yet to be besieged by age.
Black Magic: Johns array of spells all fall under the category of black magic, spells meant to maim, scar, and kill painfully. There are various things that fall into the domain of black magic, pestilence, vermin, bile, fire, death, blood, and pain. These elements come together into a very dangerous, very traumatic bag of tricks.
Hexes and Curses: Falling into the domain of black magic but different enough to warrant a clarification. A hex is a spell that has been enchanted into something that was once alive, like a skull or branch. These spells are rarely fatal but always painful and distracting, example being suddenly covered in rat bites or hundreds of harmless but bloody cuts opening along your skin. Curses, however, are a different beast all together. A curse is a ritual spell, taking time to prepare and cast, that promises a slow and painful death. Of all his abilities, the act of cursing someone is by far the worst and something John regrets doing.
Hellion, The Familiar: Hellion is a hellhound, a creature in between this plane of existence and another. In her mundane form Hellion appears to just be an extremely large Great Dane, if not having a greater spark of intelligence in her eye. However when things are taking a turn for the sour she can take up her true form, a large flaming hound straight out of your nightmares. In this form she is much stronger than any dog by several large margins, possesses near limitless stamina, and can take some hefty spells. On top of this she is functionally immortal, even if something were to "kill" her she would just return several hours later. Now this puts the idea that she is nothing but a vile beast at the beck and call of John but really she just wants to be treated like a dog and showered with affection. She's a real sweetheart.
Black Magic: Johns array of spells all fall under the category of black magic, spells meant to maim, scar, and kill painfully. There are various things that fall into the domain of black magic, pestilence, vermin, bile, fire, death, blood, and pain. These elements come together into a very dangerous, very traumatic bag of tricks.
Hexes and Curses: Falling into the domain of black magic but different enough to warrant a clarification. A hex is a spell that has been enchanted into something that was once alive, like a skull or branch. These spells are rarely fatal but always painful and distracting, example being suddenly covered in rat bites or hundreds of harmless but bloody cuts opening along your skin. Curses, however, are a different beast all together. A curse is a ritual spell, taking time to prepare and cast, that promises a slow and painful death. Of all his abilities, the act of cursing someone is by far the worst and something John regrets doing.
Hellion, The Familiar: Hellion is a hellhound, a creature in between this plane of existence and another. In her mundane form Hellion appears to just be an extremely large Great Dane, if not having a greater spark of intelligence in her eye. However when things are taking a turn for the sour she can take up her true form, a large flaming hound straight out of your nightmares. In this form she is much stronger than any dog by several large margins, possesses near limitless stamina, and can take some hefty spells. On top of this she is functionally immortal, even if something were to "kill" her she would just return several hours later. Now this puts the idea that she is nothing but a vile beast at the beck and call of John but really she just wants to be treated like a dog and showered with affection. She's a real sweetheart.
Blood Dagger: Something he "inherited" from the man responsible for the slaughter of his coven. The blade is of Cult origin, hiding inside John's blood until it can be released by any open wound. The blade can cut through flesh and bone easily enough but anything higher than leather and the blade suddenly loses any cutting power
Scrying Eye: A magical eye, given in exchange for his own. This eye allows John to see things one can't normally see, like auras and residual magical energies. At the cost of temporary blindness John can shoot a bolt of magical energy at an enemy, usually fatal.
Brass Knuckles: Simple, easy to hide, and quite effective. A pugilists best friend.
Bag of Holding: A satchel that can hold a lot more than you'd think. Usually a first aid kit, some potions, a hex or two, and some salts. He can't put anything that wouldn't fit in a normal satchel nor anything that could destroy simple leather.
Scrying Eye: A magical eye, given in exchange for his own. This eye allows John to see things one can't normally see, like auras and residual magical energies. At the cost of temporary blindness John can shoot a bolt of magical energy at an enemy, usually fatal.
Brass Knuckles: Simple, easy to hide, and quite effective. A pugilists best friend.
Bag of Holding: A satchel that can hold a lot more than you'd think. Usually a first aid kit, some potions, a hex or two, and some salts. He can't put anything that wouldn't fit in a normal satchel nor anything that could destroy simple leather.
In a simpler time John Barrows was just a simple man, working a simple job. In fact him and the entire coven lived simple lives under their patron, The Adversary. Unfortunately, as things tend to go, John's life took a nose dive into the horrible as the Cult of the Enlightened sacrificed his friends and family to fulfill the wishes of their asinine gods. Either through some fluke or miracle John escaped and in the wake of this atrocity he was filled with nothing more than hatred and rage, all aimed at the Cult. For many years John made sure to be a thorn in the side of The Cult, always bringing terrible vengeance to whatever members and cells he could find.
After nearly a decade of his one man war one thing became apparent, he wasn't accomplishing anything. Their activities never ceased completely and new members seemed to pop up whenever one was taken out. In addition, over the years his fire had died down and smoldered down to nothing. With little to drive him he almost gave up and instead went back to his old home and began gardening, becoming something of a non-standard doctor to the locals. Life became quiet once again, almost peaceful. For several years he stayed in his little house undisturbed besides the occasional local asking for something to ease an ailment. That is, until a man named Felix asked for help.
After nearly a decade of his one man war one thing became apparent, he wasn't accomplishing anything. Their activities never ceased completely and new members seemed to pop up whenever one was taken out. In addition, over the years his fire had died down and smoldered down to nothing. With little to drive him he almost gave up and instead went back to his old home and began gardening, becoming something of a non-standard doctor to the locals. Life became quiet once again, almost peaceful. For several years he stayed in his little house undisturbed besides the occasional local asking for something to ease an ailment. That is, until a man named Felix asked for help.
If you could describe John in one word it would be tired. It's in the way he moves, how he talks, and he acts. But most of all, it's in his eyes. John has been hurt and has hurt others in equal measure, full of past regrets. He makes no illusions that he was or is a good person, in his age all he wants to do is do something worthwhile. But in the end, even though he may not like it, John is willing to do the dark and dirty to get the job done.
John isn't a fan of sadists or the self righteous, especially the church given his pagan beliefs. In his spare time he tends a small garden, listens to metal, drinks hard liquor, and smokes cigarettes.
John isn't a fan of sadists or the self righteous, especially the church given his pagan beliefs. In his spare time he tends a small garden, listens to metal, drinks hard liquor, and smokes cigarettes.