23

The Strange and Unusual,

Mister Katonic

"What you don't know 'can' actually kill you, and it doesn't just want your soul, it wants the meaty parts too."

Player: @BCall

Affiliations

Super Group

None

Rank

· Other Affiliations ·

MCPD, Primus

Identity

Real Name

Pickman Derby

Aliases

Mr. K , Mister Miskatonic

Birthdate

12/08/77 (1877)

Birthplace

Arkham, Mass.

Citizenship

American

Residence

Derby Manor, Arkham Mass.

Headquarters

Derby Manor, Arkham Mass.

Occupation

Paranormal Investigator

Legal Status

Complicated

Marital Status

Single

· Known Relatives ·

None living, and no descendants

Physical Traits

Species

Human

Sub-Type

Magically Enhanced

Manufacturer

N/A

Model

N/A

Ethnicity

Caucasian

Gender

Male

Apparent Age

technically 135, but physically 35.

Height

6' 2"

Weight

155 pounds

Body Type

Average

Hair

Black

Eyes

Brown

Skin

Pasty

· Distinguishing Features ·

Almost always wearing tinted specs and a bowler cap, usually unshaven and scruffy despite dressing formally most of the time.

Powers & Abilities

· Known Powers ·

Magical Abilities derived from a connection to The "Miskatonic Plane". Moderately Enhanced Toughness and Strength. Genius Level Intelligence.

· Equipment ·

Assorted Steampunk Style Gear, as well as Magical Tomes, Trinkets and Supplies.

· Other Abilities ·

Martial Arts background, including Kenpo, Judo, and Jujitsu.

Background:

Mister Pickman Derby, a life-long friend of the great author H.P. Lovecraft used to discuss the occult at great lengths together, for as long as they'd known each other. Then one fateful day, the two began to do more than just theorize and dream of the realms beyond ours, but saught to discover them as well. With the aid of an ancient relic that Derby had come into possession of, they pierced the veil between worlds and awoke something with their ritual, and it pulled poor Pickman Derby in before collapsing into itself and closing. After this encounter, Lovecraft would go on to write what most people consider "Fictional Tales" of these strange places and 'Elder Things', based on his terrifying ordeal, but little do they realize that there is more truth to them than not. He even honored his friend, who he naturally assumed dead (or worse) in his stories by naming a couple characters after him.

What happened to him while lost on the "Miskatonic Plane" he has never said, only that it seemed that no more than a year had passed in his eyes, when actually one hundred had passed here before he found his way home again. Apparently having learned a great deal about Magic in his time away, he has returned to a world he doesn't recognize anymore, so naturally seeks what has become familiar to him... The strange and mysterious.

Appearance:

Mild-Mannered would be how most people would describe Mr. Derby's appearance, as he doesn't stand a very imposing figure at all. His pasty white skin, his slender frame, both accentuate his meek appearance, as does the out-dated style in which he dresses. Always seen wearing tinted specs and an old Bowler Hat, he still wears the same suits and clothing as he did at the time of his disappearance back in the early 1900's.

Despite his formal style of dress, he often-times has not shaved or groomed himself in days, and can appear as a bit 'scruffy' or rough around the edges.

.

Personality:

"I am occasionaly told I am an expert in the strange and unusual, yet I am more often told that I -am- 'strange' and 'unusual'..."

While he is your typical late Nineteenth Century Gentleman and well-mannered, Mr Derby tends to make people 'uncomfortable' if they spend too much time around him. Whether it's the odd things that often escape his lips or just a general feeling that surrounds him is unclear, but those who've spoken with him for longer than a few moments often say he is very off-putting to be around. That being said, he is very polite and respectful of others, though often times quiet and distant, preferring the company of his books more than other people.

Curiosity is a fatal flaw, and what caused him to be sucked into the Miskatonic Plane in the first place. Whenever something arises he cannot explain, Mr Derby is driven to understand it and will not rest until he does. Thankfully for him, he is quite intelligent and adept at research and problem solving, so few mysteries remain as such for long when he's delving into them.

.

Powers:

Physical Attributes
	Strength			Weapon
	Durability			Armor
	Speed			Reflexes
	Resistance			Stamina
	Dexterity			Agility
	Combat			Regen

Non-Physical Attributes
	Energy			Psionics
	Telepathy			Willpower
	Sorcery			Tech.
	Intel.			Knowledge
	Charisma			Bravery

1. Magic- Through a connection to the "Miskatonic Plane" Derby is able to wield strange Magics originating from the Plane itself. Having spent a year lost in this twisted dimension, he somehow managed to survive and learned to manipulate the chaotic energies that flow through it, bending them to his will. When he escaped this Plane, he left a part of himself behind and that has maintained his connection to the other-world, and allows him to now come and go as he pleases.

2. Enhanced Strength and Toughness- Another side-effect of his time in the Miskatonic Plane is the physical transformation his body has undergone. The energies that flow through the nightmarish dimension have varying effects on Humans but seem to have tempered Mr. Derby's physical form into one that can withstand their damaging nature, thus making him moderately stronger and tougher than the usual Human.

3. Genius Level Intellect- Even before his encounters with the Elder Things that roam the Miskatonic Plane, Mr. Derby already possessed an extremely high IQ of 184 and is very well schooled. His areas of study ranging from History, Science, Math, and Physics extend to Literature, The Occult, and even Marine Biology for some strange reason.

4. Fearless- Yet another side-effect of his time in the Miskatonic Plane is Derby's apparent immunity to Fear, Confusion, and Stress. Spending a year where these things make up the very fabric of reality has obviously raised the bar as to what instills them in his mind.

Skills:

1. Occult Knowledge- Obsessed with the Occult growing up, Mr. Derby has studied every bit of lore and mythology he can get his hands on, and has amassed an enormous collection of books and tomes as a result. His personal collection contains several books of great power, including an original copy of 'The Mad Arab's' Necronomicon, The Book of Eibon 'Livre d’Eibon', Cultes des Goules by the Comte d’Erlette, The Pnakotic Manuscripts, and others.

2. Martial Arts Training- Has studied the arts of Kenpo, Judo, and Jujitsu and favors the fighting styles of the Orient as well as their meditative techniques such as Tai Chi. He finds the rigid structure of martial arts offsets the chaotic nature of his connection to the Miskatonic and allows him to achieve some semblances of balance in his life and work. Though skilled in the previously mentioned styles, he is far from a 'Master' of any, but can hold his own when needed.

3. Educated- Aside from his knowledge of the Occult, Mr. Derby is well-schooled as a man of his era would be expected to be, and knows a great deal about a great many things. World History, Chemistry, Biology, Advanced Mathematics, Physics, and more are all well-within his wheelhouse, and he has previously worked in Archaeology, Paleontology, and Anthropology. Of course his lessons are a bit out-dated, and over the last hundred years things have changed a great deal in many areas, the basics however remain relatively the same.

Equipment:

1. Library at Derby Manor - The most important tool in Mr. Derby's bag is his vast Occult and Historic Book Collection, which in the wrong hands could easily become immensely dangerous. Thankfully it remained concealed in a secret wing of the Mansion and undisturbed by anyone else during Pickman's 'time away'. Simply being in the same room with so many dark and powerful tomes can become too much for less experienced Magic users, and visitors are advised to ignore any books that may 'vocally encourage you to read them'. His collection includes over four thousand books and tomes, many of which are first editions, or books of significant power including The Book of Eibon/Livre d’Eibon/Liber Ivonis, Cultes des Goules, De Vermis Mysteriis, The Eltdown Shards, The Necronomicon/Al Azif, The People of the Monolith, The Pnakotic Manuscripts, Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, Unaussprechlichen Kulten/Black Book of Nameless Cults, as well as many others.

2. His 'Master Tome' - A large old book that appears to be blank rests in the center of the Library, and remains blank until closed and the name of any book in the Library is whispered to it. Upon doing so and opening the book, the text from the selected book will become visible as it is in the actual book, page for page. Primarily used for easier access to the Library, the book is bound to the location and if removed will become useless.

3. His Glasses - What look like an old pair of spectacles are actually a pair once owned by Abraham Lincoln when he was young and used to read anything he could find by candle light. The constant use combined with the twinkling flame of the candles imbued these specific specs with the ability to read at a greatly increased rate. If wearing these (and he almost always is) Mr Derby can flip through a book at more than two pages per second and absorb the bulk of the information to memory for a good while.

4. His Bowler Hat - An old 1800's style Bowler Hat is always seen atop Mr Derby's head, but this too is no mere fashion statement, but rather an artifact he has preserved with purpose and in this case, need. The hat has belonged to Pickman since he was sixteen and was one of the only things to survive along with him while in the 'Miskatonic Realm'. It also keeps him sane, literally. If the hat is removed from his head, he will immediately begin to get anxious (more so than his normal paranoia anyway) and if completely removed from his view he will react with irrational violent fits until it is returned.

5. Silver Key - For much of his life, H.P. Lovecraft suffered from night-terrors in the form of waking dreams, the imagery of which inspired much of the content of his stories. He blamed it all on a key that he once owned, calling it "the Key to the Gate of Dreams". This ancient silver key actually belonged to Derby and was the relic that unlocked the 'Miskatonic Plane' to them both in 1911, resulting in his disappearance. Upon returning to this Plane, Derby found the key again attached to his own tombstone above the empty grave behind Derby Manor, left there no doubt by his old friend. It somehow focuses his lingering connection to the Plane, allowing him greater access and control over the forces it contains.

Enemies:

WiP

Allies:

WiP

Quirks:

((OOC Note: Mister Katonic is inspired by several sources, including DC Comics "The Question", Vertigo's Hellblazer, The SciFi TV Show Warehouse 13, and of course the works of the Great Author, Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Real Life Face Claim would be either Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, etc) or Anthony Head (Repo TGO, Buffy, etc). ))

Soundtrack:

The band Rudimentary Peni would provide the best soundtrack to Mister Katonic's life due to their incredibly chaotic sound and style and the experimental insanity and ramblings that so often occur in their songs. The band is also influenced by H.P. Lovecraft as their songs "Twitch" and "Lovecraft Baby" both reference the Author.

Rudimentary Peni - Cacophony (Full Album)

Rudimentary Peni - Death Church (Full Album)

Rudimentary Peni - Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric (Full Album)