Emily Lockheart

Cult:  Emily is a high functioning sociopath who is easily bored.  To entertain herself she will often use her charisma, charm, and skill with enchantments to assemble a group of "friends" which essentially functions as a cult centered on her.  She creates a series of tenants that are dressed up as group norms, in-jokes, and shared experiences, but the end result is the same.  These are people enthralled by her, willing to engage in actions they otherwise would never do, all in the name of the group and her.

While this can be devastatingly powerful, Emily is conscience of expectations from the chantry and Professor Mathewson, who once almost dragged Phoenix Rising into a war to protect her.  Beyond idle entertainment, she is careful not to damage her playthings casually.  There needs to be a reason.

Wonder:  The Yellow Sign  A manuscript for a television miniseries dated June 6, 1971.  The script is old, the cover dirty and stained with coffee, with pencil marks in the margins noting production issues and set design ideas.

The manuscript is in truth a powerful grimoire that holds a number of occult secrets including how to summon The King in Yellow.  Little is known about this being other than his power is immense.

Note: The Yellow Sign is an extremely obscure piece of occult work, and is unlikely to be known by many but the most devoted occults.  Intelligence + Occult difficulty 8 to know anything about it.

Code of Honor:  Emily’s Code of Honor has developed and evolved from her love of gambling.  She believes the only true god is luck, whose name must never be invoked lest his blessings be removed.  She believes:

-       one must always honor one’s debts, whatever form they take

-       when settling debts, any action is justifiable to restore balance

-       one’s word is one’s bond, and must be honored as long as the other side does the same

-       when at the table, all are equal – Fortune plays no favorites

-       Never gamble what one does not have

-       lying is dishonorable, bluffing is a part of the game

Derangement: Sociopath – Emily is a high functioning sociopath who does not easily relate to people.  She is extremely intelligent and has learned how to behave as expected, but these behaviors are not instinctive.  This lack of empathy often leads her to attract an entourage of followers who help her alleviate her boredom.  Though she has developed survival mechanisms, one should never forget that her Code of Honor and excellent acting are not the same as a conscience, and that she could kill another person with as little hesitation as one might have closing a door.

ST Note: Emily’s derangement is a disability, and impacts her ability to relate to people as well as learn from experience.  Please do not confuse her condition with that of a consulting detective from a BBC show people seem to like for some reason.