John Barabus

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SHADOW NAME: John Barabus
PATH: Mastigos
ORDER: Silver Ladder
VIRTUE: Faith
VICE: Greed

ATTRIBUTES
Int 4, Wit 3, Res 3
Str 2, Dex 2, Sta 3
Prs 2, Man 3, Com 3

SKILLS
Academics 4 (Ancient History), Computers 1 (research), Investigation 3, Occult 4, Politics 1, Science 1
Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Drive 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 2, Stealth 1, Survival 2, Weaponry 1
Expression 2 (Educational Presentations), Persuasion 2, Socialize 2 (Formal events), Subterfuge 1 (Negotiating for historical objects)

WILLPOWER 6
SIZE 5
HEALTH 7
DEFENSE 2
INIT MOD 5
WISDOM 7
GNOSIS: 4

ARCANA:
Mind 2, Space 4, Spirit 1, Time 3

MERITS:
Resources 4 (Personal wealth supplemented with museum income), Language 4 (1 dot each in Latin, Arabic, Hindi, and ancient Greek), Direction Sense 1, Artifact 4 (The Speaking Stick. This is a three-foot walking stick made of a dark wood, with brass-capped ends. Close examination shows it to be intricately carved with runes of Atlantean High Speech, although only mages are likely to be able to recognize them as such. It is vastly older than it appears, and does not speak. Rather, it adds weight to words the mage holding it speaks. If a mage places a hand on each brass end and speaks a promise, he is bound to it, as the Fate 2 spell "Swearing an Oath". John carries it like a cane, which is clearly an affection as he has no problem walking, and uses it to point at things.), Order Status 2 (Silver Ladder), Consilium Status 2, High Speech

MAGICAL TOOLS:

NIMBUS

ROTES:
"Thinking For Many" (One Mind, Two Thoughts): Mind 1
"Eyes on the Prize" (Finder): Space 1
"Remote Viewing" (Scrying): Space 2
"Wormhole" (Teleportation): Space 4
"Gazing Through The Sands" (Postcognition): Time 2
"Turn Back the Page" (Shifting Sands): Time 3

BACKGROUND:
John Barabus is a noted antiquarian and history buff in the Houston area. He acquired a strong education in pre-modern history, but rather than seek a position as an instructor with a university, he found employment with the Houston Museum of Natural Science, designing educational exhibits and presentations for visitors, and sometimes traveling to other museums or historical sites to negotiate the borrowing or purchasing of exhibit materials.

It was on a trip to a shrine in India, planning a potential exhibit about the subcontinent, that he Awakened, after being separated from his guide and wandering in a sort of trance for hours. When his senses returned, he had new insights, the Speaking Stick, and the means, it seemed, to accomplish anything...

Back in Houston, he parlayed his magical talents into a comfortable degree of wealth and a certain amount of prestige and respect at the museum. He still works for the Natural Sciences museum, but on a part-time basis, and in a more ceremonial role, hosting fund-raisers, attending conferences, playing tour guide for VIP visitors, and so forth. The pay is nominal, but it keeps him busy and allows him to stay current in the field, and gives him access to the resources to expand his personal collection of historical artifacts. His house, in fact, is decorated with a collection of ancient bits and pieces of historical debris, none of which are individually especially noteworthy, but which collectively represent a very respectable hoard for a private citizen. Only another antiquarian is likely to recognize or appreciate the unique value of this pottery jar, or that fragment of old masonry, but to the right audience, it plays well. John is always alert to opportunities to add to his personal collection, and not above a little sharp dealing in the process.