Viewing Single Post From: Josephine North

Viewing Single Post From: Josephine North
Joey North	Jun 9 2008, 04:51 PM
Newbie Posts: 9 Group: Members Member #9 Joined: June 9, 2008	Player Details Name: Joey works Age: 20 Contact Details: pm is best; email slowlife@bluebottle.com How you found us: rpg-directory Character General Details Name: Josephine Rebecca North She is known by others as Jo or Joey, a common shortening of her First name; her formal name is invoked only on records and other official documentation. Age: Twenty-two Gender: Ineffably feminine Race: human, mostly. (she's a bit.. off.) Profession: Inventor, engineer, recluse, child.. any and all of the above Spell Caster: She dabbles (more so than she realizes) Appearance Details Overall Appearance Description: Joey is her father’s daughter, at least when it comes to looks. She inherited his dark, tufted hair and brooding eyes, his strong, sharp bone structure and raw, intimidating presence. Luckily this was softened by the inclusion of her mother’s traits: Her coarse hair is richer than her father’s, a deep, shining mahogany against his dull black. It has a slight wave to it, courtesy of her mother’s curls, very prominent when she let it grow long down her back as a child. She keeps it cut short as of late, letting it flare off just above the shoulders. She usually ties her hair back in some form of knot work during her toils, lest it get caught in her eyes, or worse, some gear or crankshaft or open flame. Her eyes are dark, a deep brown touched with a trace of green, reminiscent of a dark, wild wood, shaded trees laced with moss. Less intense then her father's, intimidating still but with an added capacity for warmth and empathy. They move quicker than any other part of her, always open and darting and scanning, as if thirsty for knowledge. You'd be hard pressed to witness Joey blink. Her skin is hale and pale, but usually darkened to a dappled grey brown by a film of dust or soot or engine grease. A real tan, Joey claims, is one you work for, and she enjoys the feeling of dirt under her fingernails. It makes her feel closer to her work, and more accomplished at the end of the day, when she washes it off and watches herself shine up anew. She likes to imagine it's like being reborn, redeemed, transfigured in the cleansing waters. She has an extensive wardrobe at her house, most of it her mother's old clothes handed down to her. However, she seldom dresses to impress; Her day to day garments are old scraps, lots of soft leathers and thick, heat-resistance cloth weaves, worn for the practical purposes of comfort and function. She has a rather unique way of moving about, a quirky swagger that's distinctly unladylike; she carries herself confidently, graceful but never dainty, in a fluid movement that never seems to come to rest. Personal Details Sexuality: Joey has never put much thought into her sexuality; she doesn’t dress or act in a certain manner in order to attract; she is childish, imaginative, and practical, but none of these elements have led her towards romance. Being a social misfit doesn’t much help, either. What Joey does find attractive is the idea of soul mates; that somewhere out there, there is someone out there who completes her, complements her spirit and interests in every way, someone who she would feel complete with. A terribly romantic notion, and in a sense one that detracts from her current possible relationships: She dismisses many a likely suitor, since they cannot live up to her impossible standards. She has come to realize that she is attracted to the anima, the mind and spirit, over the physical form. People who are intelligent, good-natured, insightful – those with whom she can connect on a higher level – she feels more interest for. Marital Status: Single (longing for connection while constantly pushing it away) Education: Originally Her mother, Katarina "Kitty" North, attempted to give her daughter a 'normal' education, one sactioned by the kingdom (and thereby, by the church). Her father, Nicholas North, on the other hand, was opposed to allowing their only offspring to be held back from what he considered her 'true potential.' Shortly after her rocky introduction to schoollife, her father pulled her out of the institution and requistioned her as his apprentice and protégé , She has thus lived a sheltered, home-schooled live for her entire life. Most of her knowledge is self-taught, read from the extensive North Library. In the way of tutelage, she learned the domestic duties of cooking and cleaning from her mother, and the work of mathematics and science through her father's guiding hand. She also picked up her (now repressed) knowledge of the School of Air from her mother, a sort of secret reward lesson between them, taught to her at night before bed. In recent years, she has taken up her father's work, mostly in his studies as a machinist. She is practicing rudimentary spells in fire and water, for use in her work (welding, cooling, and healing), teaching herself with the journals and notes her Father has collected over the years. It's a slow-going process, as she's an amatuer at best, a disaster-waiting-to-happen at worst. (strangely, she seems more at ease with air and wind based spells, but is unsure why - as she has no memory of her training) See history for further details. Academic weaknesses: Living alone, she has and therefore knows only what she can read from her books. She has no teachers or observable learning opportunities, and so teaches through trial and error, a slow-going process at best. This is helpful for her as a machinist, as the mistakes she makes help her develop a deeper understanding of how the parts should fit and work together as a unified whole. But with the intangible Magic, frequent failures are frustratingly time and energy consuming, and gaining even rudimentary skills have proven difficult without a tutor. Also, it should be noted: Living confined in the walls of her manor have left her extraordinarily book-smart, but severely lacking in street-smarts, or understanding of social norms and customs, or proper interaction with individuals (outside of her immediate family). Main goal (dream) at this point in time: Joey dreams of reinventing the world through technology, rekindling the human spirit and ushering in a new era of progress and innovation. Lofty goals, which speak volumes for her character – a lonely girl who wishes to ‘save the world’ and connect other people to one another; she’s driven by that longing, for connection, and understanding. This is also a continuation of her father's work, a subconscious, ulterior motive to defend against the rumors and ghost stories about him and his questionable past. Overall Personality Description: Joey is a very hard character to pin down, in terms of personality; This is, perhaps, because of her overactive imagination, and its tendency to blur together with her percieved reality. It could also be stated that she suffers from a borderline case of Dissociative Identity Disorder - multiple, separate aspects of her personality manifested in her imaginary friends, which she actively corresponds with. The strongest of which (and possibly the only stable 'alter') is Hannelore, similar to a Jungian 'Shadow self', a double formed from the repressed feelings and thoughts and emotions that Joey has hidden away in her mind. While Hannelore never (or almost never) speaks, it is clear from her demeanor that she serves as a stable, independant personality, Taking on the role of friend and protective older sister to Joey. As for Joesephine, she is usually quiet, reserved, and almost stoic, especially around visitors. But she also has a childishness about her, and will wander seamlessly between her adult and child demeanors, depending on nothing more than whim. She is relatively peaceful and easygoing, with the exception of two instances: When people attempt to discuss her parents, and what happened to them, and when people attempt to make her leave the manor. She becomes uneasy, then increasingly distressed and anxious, and eventually violent, if pushed far enough. These episodes often bring out the presence of Hannelore in the role of protector (and it is believed that she is the persona that institutes physical force on the object of anxiety.) See history for other details Background Details History/Background: Family: Her mother, Katarina Josephina North (maiden name Galden) Known by others as Miss North or Kitty North, a warm and caring woman with a penchant for wind magic. Her Father, Nicholas Laurence North Known as the (not so) legendary Nicholas North, an eccentric near-obsessed with the connectivity of everything, particularly the combined application of science and magic Her Great Aunt, Abigail Galden "Hannelore" - what happens when your imaginary friend grows up, becomes self aware, and manifests itself through your magic as an Air elemental? Hannelore is the (sort-of) Jungian double of Joey, forged from the wind and all the repressed memories and emotions Joey has suffered. History: It is debatable, as to whether or not one would consider young Josephine North to be born into fortune or misfortune. The name of North was well known, though not always well-received, and as the years wind away, the once respected title of ‘Lord Nicholas North of Western Espera’ waned in credibility and good public standing, moving swiftly passed eccentric and becoming, for lack of a more appropriate term, “weird”. Katarina “Kitty” North remained a faithful and loving wife, and defended him vehemently among their peers in high society – but the fact that he would make no such efforts to salvage their good name was a source of constant distress for her and a strain on their marriage. She could understand his (rather extreme) dedication to his work; but she could not understand his newfound lack of courtesy toward their friends and neighbors. In truth, she was relieved to find herself pregnant with their first child; while she had always, in the back of her mind, wished to remain childless and independent for as long as she could, she reasoned that Fatherhood, which had always been a role Lord North had been passionate about undertaking, might just snap him out of his current descent into obsession and remind him of his life and wife and family. And it worked; at least partially. Nicholas North was overjoyed to have an heir to his legacy. He tended to his wife over his work as the months passed, and old family friends seemed skeptical but relieved to have some semblance of their old Nicholas returned to them. Still, Josephine was never neglected, and never wanted in her youth: The family North were reasonably wealthy, and she grew up amid the luxuries of their stately estate, orbiting just along the border between the upper crust and middle class, just far enough away from the noise and pollution of the city to romanticize the cityscape, the grandiose silhouettes of the Temple and Gongora Palace. From afar, the glowing hearth of the Master Forge at night seemed magical, like the beating heart of some immense, mechanized creature. Josephine was without human companions, other than her mother and father, but she was given free reign of her father’s books and trinkets and curiosities, and she was never without her imagination, which blossomed early and filled the grand halls with fantastical worlds of her own devising. She read early and often, pondered her father’s toys and made herself familiar with every nook and shadow of every room. She populated the manor with imaginary friends, most modeled after old dolls or illustrations from her father’s books. Most notable in her ensemble were: Barry, a skeletal Kiwi, whose behaviors modeled that of a loyal golden retriever Sienna, a young Selkie maiden, (who was a skilled chemist outside her sealskin) Allister, An exceptionally tall and imposing Apprahead, similar to her father in nature. Ludwig, a wild-haired human musician with a decent sense of humor. Cassandra, a warm and caring Terebori woman, similar to her mother in nature. and Hannelore, a girl her age, practically her twin, and her closest of friends. Her mother grew increasingly concerned with her daughter’s antisocial tendencies, and sought to bring the outside world to her; she arranged visits with those friends and acquaintances who still returned her letters (there were many who wished to avoid rumors of association with Nicholas North as of late, much to the dismay of Kitty), and 'play-dates' between their children. But the guests could never seem to hold Joey's interests; She would be intensely curious of them for the first few minutes, asking questions and attempting to include them in her games and musings. But her questions intimidated, and her games were too peculiar for these potential friends to grasp. And when they hesitated, she grew bored and left them behind; they couldn't compete with her imagination, or with her Hannelore. Nicholas North was a good father. For all the passion he poured into his work, he found a twofold dedication to his daughter and her development. He taught her to speak, trained her to walk, to run, to reason and build. He allowed her to come and go as she chose, and never turned her away. Some said that he was secretly discouraged; that he had boasted by day and prayed by night to rear a son, a young man to carry on his namesake and legacy. Others suggested that he was caring, sure, but only because his motives had changed; If his daughter could not carry on his name, she would carry on his spirit, his life's work. And so began the apprenticeship. Government-schooling was attempted (Kitty was inisistant) but ultimately considered a failure. The school work was too slow (for both Nicholas's taste and Joey's) and her classmates were alternately meddlesome and cruel. Lord North pulled her daughter from the school and requisitioned her as an official partner and apprentice to his work, and her mother obliged, (she'd never admit it aloud, but the week or so without little Joey around the house had been more lonesome than she imagined it would, and she was grateful to have her back with her; when Joey was not under the tutelage of her father, she worked and learned with her mother - cooking, cleaning, and other social niceties.. and as a secret reward between them, she helped her along in the practice of magic. (teaching through example the intricacies of the School of Air) Joey's interests developed as she grew, and above all things she showed a keen mind and love for machinery, and the 'art of technology'. She took to drawing up ideas and designs, mechanical creatures and devices touched by her imaginative mind, which her father delighted in helping her construct. Neighbors passing by the North residence either slowed to gape, or quickened their pace, as the yard became cluttered with her and her father's metal children, wonders and monstrousities both. No one is entirely sure what happened, to bring ruin to the House of North, but speculation aboounds. It was Josephine's fifteenth year, and it was known that her mother was failing in health, a medical condition that remained undisclosed outside of the family. (All that could be gleaned from the doctor is that it was a rare hereditary condition.) Nicholas North was distraught, and desperate. His remedies, both science and magic combined, failed to restore his wife's health. Lady North's next of kin were sent for, a Great Aunt (and the only living relative of Kitty) known as Abigail Galden of Amaranth, who stayed in the manor and tended to her grand-neice. People said to see Lord Nicholas North pacing the manor in the late hours, and a few have claimed to see him skulking about in certain refutable locations, those known (or rumored) to practice the Fifth school of magic. As the weeks passed he took to wearing a dark hooded cloak as well, which many believed covered the tell-tale signs of decay There was an.. occurance, midwinter of that year. An unnatural rattling of the earth, a haunting ghostly wail and an unearthly light that shone from every window of North Manor, brighting the sky as if an early dawn had shone. And the next day, Nicholas North, Katarina North, and Abigail Galden were gone, never to be seen again. People claimed sightings, of Lord North in a black pitch Carriage, (some claim it horse-drawn, others say steam-powered, still others inisist that it was pulled by mechanized steam-powered horses!), riding hell-struck through the dark woods, adorned in his thick cloak. Others told stories of Kitty North, that she is still alive, that she wanders the world, a ghost, a gypsy, an abomination of the Dark Arts. Occasionally Madame Galden is mentioned, varying in character from a saint to sorceror, witch to victim. There are stories about Joey North, as well. But unlike the tales of her family, most of these are true. They say the daughter of the North family saw everything, the transformation of her father, the withering of her mother, and the horrors of her father's experiments, twisted to incorporate the Void magicks, in a desperate hope to augment their effects and save the ailing Katerina. They say she alone witnessed the event, and because of it was driven mad; She was near catatonic for weeks, then aphasic, unable or else unwilling to speak or even acknowledge anyone else. Like a young child, she resorted to playing with her dolls, or reading her books, or drawing - as if nothing had happened. It was noted that she would only acknowledge other individuals if they addressed her by the name, Hannelore, or if they attempted to remove her from the Manor: She grew incredibly violent, and the invariable result would be a bruised and battered assailant forcibly defenestrated from the manor. (it is rumored that these acts of force by Josephine were the effects of moderately powerful wind spells). Eventually people learned to leave well enough alone; they couldn't help her if she wouldn't let them. A ward was sent to the house every couple of days at first, to check on her well being, but she proved to be amazingly self-sufficient, and over time the visits grew less frequent, and then stopped entirely. Joey North emerged from her state of trauma in slow, subtle measures, and has never completely recovered; She is, for the most part, a fully capable, stable young woman, if a bit eccentric, like her former father once was. But her memory, and constructed past, is limited, at best. The topic of her parent's is a hazy blur to her, and her thoughts never focus on the subject for long; All she remembers is that they were both very loving, very accepting of her, and were now no longer present in her life. (When others force the issue, trying to eke out a repressed memory of the event, she grows increasingly distressed and eventually agressive - though consciously, she has no idea why). She has a dim grasp on reality, and her imagination and it's fantasys tend to bleed through and blend together in her mind. She may see and converse with imaginary visitors, or see things in a much different light than others. And Hannelore is a presence that she accepts as normal in her life; she doesn't realize that it is her doing, creating Hannelore and maintaining her physical form as an Air elemental. She has no memory of training with her mother in the past, and believes herself to have minimal skill in the magical arts. She currently still resides in the Manor, tinkering with her machines and working on new inventions. She has inherited a decent sum of money, enough to live comfortably and support the upkeep of the manor. However, there have been more and more complaints as of late, mostly by citizens of higher society, that this fallen princess and her eyesore of a house need to be dealt with, that it is an embarrassment to the kingdom to leave her to her insanity and squalor (neither claim being completely true... but having their merits. Unwell and Untidy, may be a better phrasing). There have been repeated attempts to buy the house from her, but each time she has declined, each refusal more sharp and adamant than the last. The 'Fall of the House of North' has become a legend and popular ghost story around the town (sometimes spread by parents as a warning to their children against the perils of Void magic). Magic Stats Joey: School of Air magic: 1 School of Fire magic: 1 School of Water magic: 1 School of Earth magic: School of Void magic: Hannelore: (Part of Joey, but separate) School of Air magic: 5 School of Fire magic: 2 School of Water magic: School of Earth magic: School of Void magic:


Josephine North · Major Character Storage Area