Nicholas Mathewson
Tradition: Order of Hermes
House: Tytalus
Essence: Pattern
Nature: Mentor
Demeanor: Contrary
Concept: Mysterious College Professor
Word: Netzach – endurance, fortitude, & the patience to achieve one’s goals
Physical Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity (Catlike Balance) 4, Stamina (Enduring) 4
Social Attributes: Charisma (Steve McQueen Cool) 4, Manipulation (Rhetoric) 5,
Appearance (Stylish) 4
Mental Attributes: Perception (Breaks-in-Pattern) 4, Intelligence (Forward Thinking) 4,
Wits (Nimble) 5
Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics (Boxing) 4, Brawl (Boxing) 4, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Subterfuge (Poker Face) 5
Skills: Etiquette (Gentleman) 4, Craft: Ice Sculpting 4, Meditation 3, Melee (Sword, Dagger, Staff) 4, Martial Arts (Soft/Greek Wrestling) 4, Research 3, Technology 2, Fencing (Northern Italian, Florentine) 5
Knowledge: Academics (Philosophy) 5, Esoterica: Enochian 5, Esoterica: Body Control: 4, Investigation 3, Politics 3, Occult 4
Spheres: Mind (Defense) 5, Forces (Shields) 4, Time (Divination) 5, Life 3, Prime 4, Matter 3, Entropy 3, Correspondence (Warding) 5
Backgrounds: Avatar 4, Allies 5, Resources 5, Influence: Arizona State University 2, Library (Mideon) 4, Status: Academia 2, Status: Order of Hermes 3, Status: Community 1, Familiar (Zeno) 2, Mentor: Lady Doris Unger 3, Contacts (Underworld) 3, Contacts: Occult 5, Contacts: Academia 4
Merits: Ambidextrous, True Love: Holly Snow, Family Support, Parlor Trick: Vanishing Trinket, Parlor Trick: Floating Trinket, Underworld Ties
Flaws: Overconfident, Enemy (Richard Trask) 2, Infamy (Camarilla) 3, Haunted
Arete: 5
Fate:
Willpower: 10
XP: 6/15/2022 - 0
Birth Name: Charles Michael Ward
Craft Name: Nicholas Christopher Mathewson, bani Tytalus
Shadow Name: Nicholas Charles Christopher Michael Mathewson Ward, bani Tytalus, Loyal
Subject of the Western Throne, Ronin of the Fertile Plains
True Name: in Caligine Abditus Pracla Rush Taonas Ex Oom Rasa
Image: Nicholas Mathewson has cultivated an image for himself as one of the Masters of the Universe. Good looking. Outgoing. Popular. He dresses to impress wherever he goes in tailored suits, a charming smile, and the confidence to suggest there’s nothing he can’t do. (Appearance 4)
Personality: Nicholas Mathewson usually presents a façade that can best be described as “Steve McQueen Cool.” Beneath this exterior is the arrogance of a Hermetic Mage, someone who believes he’s better than the majority of the world. Everything in life is a competition, and those who strive and work are winners, while people who sit on their ass and watch TV, or mindlessly scroll through Facebook are to be stepped over (or on).
Nick’s arrogance and sense of superiority can make it difficult to develop any sort of friendship with him. He views his responsibility to Sleepers as a sort of Noblesse Oblige, a master of creation looking out for the lesser people of the world. This can be interpreted as a casual indifference towards the well-being of others, but in reality the Caesar has a very developed sense of right and wrong cultivated through his philosophical background, and when defending people who’ve been hurt he’s prone to extremism, looking at issues in black-and-white terms that value the individual above the group.
In the end, just as Lady Doris Unger has developed a reputation for being harsh and critical, Nick is often perceived as possessing hubris and questionable judgment, never thinking through the full consequences of his actions. But the truth is more nuanced. He focuses on the problem before him, and the people involved. The larger context is dismissed not because it isn’t important but because he either cannot, or will not, consider the needs of the many over the needs of the one.
History: Nicholas Mathewson was born into a poverty few people can appreciate unless they experience it for themselves. At age 8 his alcoholic father “sold him” to Victor Corrigan bani Tytalus for a case of bourbon and an envelope of cash. The Hermetic took the young man under his wing, raising him and training him as a member of the Order of Hermes and House Tytalus.
Nicholas attended some of the finest schools in the world, including the Straussen Academy in New England. When he graduated from college he visited Europe where he was trained in the ways of European combat by the master Eli Corsius.
When he returned, he joined a chantry in Vegas where he spent several years studying the power of luck and fate on magic and reality. However, that life came to an end when over the course of 24 hours every Mage in the city was killed through a series random events: bad luck.
Fleeing to Phoenix, Nicholas has slowly come to terms with the loss of his friends and built a new life as a philosophy professor at Arizona State University. In Phoenix he’s been reunited with Holly Snow, a close friend from childhood with whom fate has bound them, and Lady Doris Unger, Elder of Phoenix Rising and a woman who has been in his life for as long as Victor Corrigan.
Since his arrival, Nicholas has fallen in love and lost that love to a monster, successfully trained an apprentice, continued his martial and magical training, and created a life for himself. Ambitious, he’s begun to look for new challenges which to apply himself.
ALLIES
Holly Snow – Member of Cult of Ecstasy and head of the Serenity Valley Chantry in Phoenix.
Holly and Nick met at the Stone Soup Cooperative, run by the Cult of Ecstasy to teach people another, more fulfilling way to leave absent of consumerism, commercialism, or modern worries. The group had attracted a dynamic following and was poised to break into the mainstream when a Technocracy hit squad arrived to kill every man, woman, and child. The deaths were played as a Jonestown-style mass suicide, destroying the groups reputation.
Holly was the only survivor, and was found by Nick as she held the hands of her parents, who had sacrificed their lives to save her
Holly recently came to Phoenix to resurrect the Serenity Valley Chantry, and when she learned that Nick had likewise come, she felt that it was kismet, fate, making clear that Phoenix and Serenity Valley is where she is meant to be.
Holly and Nick are as close as two people can be, and their loyalty to each other transcends chantry allegiances.
Jeremiah “Juggler” Demakis – Professional Poker Player, Prophet, Fortune Teller, Medium, and Occult Contact
Juggler was part of the Shadow World aristocracy of Las Vegas, once upon a time, a man that knew how to combine the occult sciences with the roll of the dice or a hand of playing cards to delve into the minds of gods or hear the whispers of the dead. He became privy to many of the great secrets of the world. When the King of the West fell, and the Usurper assumed the Throne, Juggler fled East to Phoenix, the city of rebirth. Here, he hides from his enemies and watches for the True King to return. He runs an underground casino, where he reads the dice and roulette wheel for signs and portents.
Juggler has never confirmed nor denied that he is Awakened, but he has access to knowledge of the past, present, and future beyond the ken of most people. Whether he’s looking through time or he’s communing with spirits, his information is available for a price.
Juggler and Nick have been friends for years, and the two have begun working together in underground poker games to try and tap some of the magic of Las Vegas.
Noah Ellis –Lawyer – Legal, Underworld, Contact
Noah is the type of lawyer that gives the entire profession a bad name. Starting off as an ambulance chaser, he soon moved on to represent several minor soldiers in the various mob families across the country. He will represent anyone willing to pay, twists the law on its head to get his clients off, and is not above twisting the truth in order to score points with a jury.
About the only good thing one can say about Mr. Ellis is that he’s fond of representing the little guy against the giants of the world, regardless of the circumstances. His car, home, and clothes all testify to his success.
Michelle Wu - Former Apprentice, Close Ally, Family Support
With the possible exception of Holly Snow, Nick is closer to Michelle than anyone else in his life. The two possess a father/daughter relationship, and have demonstrated a repeated willingness to do anything for each other.
The two met when, in her grief, Michelle attacked the Phoenix Rising chantry to punish them for the death of Nick then girlfriend, Julia St Gabriel. The true identity of the killer revealed, Michelle ended up making amends by serving as Nick's assistant, then apprentice. A hostile relationship mellowed into one of respect, and finally love.
It is generally agreed that to attack one is to attack both, as there is nothing each wouldn't do for the other.
Raven Decker - Lawyer, future/fated wife, family support
Fate is a strange mysterious. The Wolves of Phoenix believe that Raven Decker and Nick Mathewson are fated to meet, fall in love, and have children together. These children have a 50/50 chance to be either an Awakened Mage or a Wolf, and the Upstart Pack hopes to benefit in either case.
The two met in a follow-up investigation to the murder of Julia St. Gabriel. Raven saw a potential challenge in Mathewson, and the Caesar was intrigued at the idea that this women might consider herself a beloved rival (a tradition within House Tytalus).
As the two grow closer, the Elders of Phoenix become more wary even as the Upstarts become more invested. While the couple themselves know nothing of the plans surrounding them, the relationship is bound to create intrigue and conflict given time.
Backgrounds
Resources:
Nick is in the process of completing a lawsuit with the city of Phoenix over his arrest for the death of Julia St. Gabriel. The terms of the settlement are sealed and he isn’t talking, but speculation suggests it’s 7 to 8 figures.
Library:
Nick is currently protecting the Never-born Mideon, which he “found” at his old chantry in Las Vegas. The two have established an understanding: Nick provides a safe place to hide and Mideon helps with any research currently being done. He is less of a Library and more along the lines of a reference, telling Nick where to look to find the information he needs.
The Library 4 does not reflect the extent of Mideon’s knowledge, but rather how helpful he’s willing to be.
Status ASU:
Nick is a tenured professor at Arizona State University teaching Philosophy, Sociology, and Urban Folklore. He is a published author, and has recently developed a reputation as an authority on Cults. He’s begun working with several law enforcement agencies as well as private organizations which track cults and hate groups.
Status: Order of Hermes
Magus of the Seventh Degree, Adept Major of Ars Virium (Art of Forces), Ars Mentis (Art of Mind), Ars Vis (Art of Prime), and Ars Temporis (Art of Time) – Nicholas has become one of the Mages involved in the power politics of the Order, where the direction and future of the Tradition is steered.
Status: Academic A trained Philosopher, Nick is respected within the Academic Community in the U.S. and Europe. He's contributed to a number of journals and has published 3 books (a must for any tenured Professor).
Mentor - Lady Doris Unger: Nick has been close to Doris all his life. The Elder Hermetic is a close ally to Nick's mentor, Victor Corrigan, and has been like a grumpy aunt since he was young. She taught briefly while he was at the Straussen Academy, and it was her suggestion he come to Phoenix. Nick loves and trusts Doris completely, and would do anything for her if she were to ask.
Status: Community– Nicholas is known and respected within the Community, along with his colleagues, for stopping the Nephandus Cassidy from tearing down the Veil between the world of the Quick and the Lands of the Dead.
Zeno - Nick's Familiar
It was during a Seeking that Nick was experiencing that he a Zeno found each other. The warped reality created by Nick's Avatar trapped the shadow snake, and the spirits presence was enough to distract Nick's attention, causing the Seeking to fail.
Although it looks like a snake made of shadow, Zeno is a Thought Elemental, a spirit of intellect and ideas. Like an idea itself it has no gender, assuming the name of a male philosopher long dead but speaking in a playful female voice.
Zeno will often hide in Nick's shadow, or slither into his clothes. It sometimes appears as a 2 dimensional snake, sometimes 3, but it is always a black and featureless shadow.
Zeno is teaching Nick about the Astral Realms, acting as a mentor and guide as the Mage begins to explore the limits of his mind magics. In return, the elemental has free access to places of learning, both mundane (ASU) and magical (Phoenix Rising).
Rotes
Paradigm
A Mechanistic Cosmos/Everything is a Prison (M20 pg 568 & 570)
The universe surrounding humanity is a vast machine constructed to keep humanity imprisoned and denied their rightful place in the cosmos. People should be gods, and reality their plaything, but long ago a flawed god cast us down and trapped us in flesh and limited our ability to grow with an unnaturally short lifespan. However, this prison is flawed. Imperfect. The machine has become old and rusty. The warden and his jailer’s have disappeared. A human Awakening is a door left unlocked. A key left behind, allowing the Mage to begin to reclaim their heritage and divinity.
Practice
Art of Desire - When we were gods, we could make our every desire a reality with a wave of our hand and a wish. There was no training necessary, no focus or instrument. What people wanted was enough. Translation of desire into reality now takes more: a degree of self-knowledge and discipline, as well as an awareness of the world around the Mage and his or her relationship with others. One must identify what is wanted, and then act with intention to make it so, bending reality to grant the mage’s wish.
Martial Arts - The practice of martial arts is not about being better than others, but about being better than your past self. The Mage, through practice and discipline, hones mind, body, and spirit, identifying what they are capable of and then transcending those limitations.
Instruments
Symbols
Dance & Movement
Meditation
Weapons
Cards & Dice
Language
Ordeals and Exertions
Personalized Instrument - Language - Enochian: -1 Mind
Unique Instrument - Antique pocket watch with Seal of Solomon on case: -1 Time