Leonard Castellar
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Contents
ORIGIN STORY
Leonard Castellar was born on the 25th of February, 1984, to a schoolteacher mother and conman father in London's East End. It was a poor part of town, bearing the brunt of Thatcher's assault on England's working class. An only child, Leonard was isolated from the beginning, but it wasn't upbringing that separated him from other children. He was just weird. He saw things, monstrous things that couldn't possibly be there. Indeed, some of these things were simply too bizarre and too detailed to be the twisted products of an overactive imagination. His mother, a devoted hippy, believed her son was an "Indigo child". That he was blessed by the stars. His father was more skeptical, attributing the things Leonard saw to mental illness. Whatever the reason, there was something seriously wrong with their boy.
As Leonard grew older, he learnt to keep the visions to himself. It was pointless to explain them to others. Unfortunately, his cast of imaginary friends only mutated as he matured. The normal world became less and less visible, the flashes of hell growing in frequency. He was living in two worlds at once, and the rabbit-hole was only going to grow deeper.
Skip to the year 2000, Leonard's a young man. Sweet sixteen. Being a freak's cool. The Millennium bug made his vision clearer, something about that year kept the worst of the nightmares at bay. He built up friends, got a girl, started a band, joined a cult. Life was fucking fantastic. Rave and ritual. Leonard and his gang of rowdy goths explored the pleasures of magic and music, but something about the magic felt weak. Watered-down, impotent. They were hungry for a higher kind of magic, for something more.
One Friday night, their collective wish came true. An elderly fellow in a bowler hat approached the band after a black mass, claiming he could show them the real thing, magic that worked. He said he knew how to bend the minds of others, communicate with the other side and even manipulate the physical plane. The old man spoke with clarity, each word another link in the mental chain he was forging. Leonard's friends were enthralled. By the end of this proposal, they were prepared to become acolytes. Leonard himself, however, saw something in this man that he hadn't seen in a long time. He saw evil. The mere presence of this man brought the visions back. In a game of follow the leader, the band disappeared.
Weeks passed, and Leonard received no word from any of his former friends. Alone once again. He needed answers. Scouring the streets, he stumbled his way into an abandoned sharehouse. What he saw there was absolutely disgusting. Oh, he found his friends, but none were intact. Most couldn't be identified, meat separated from bone separated from carbonized flesh. He couldn't find his own gag reflex. This was sadism of the worst kind. At the centre of it all stood the old man, mouth curved into a devilish grin.
Divine numbers wormed their way through Leonard's mind in barbarous tongues, the place's residual magic awakening a power within him. Turn by turn, he traded spells with the old man, his rage and horror manifesting in pyrotechnic displays. This sick bastard would pay for his actions. He had to suffer. Leonard's sudden outburst proved no match for the old man's decades of experience. After taking one hex too many, he fell to the floor, squirming as his very psyche was dominated by pain.
When Leonard came to his senses, the old man was gone. His left hand felt numb and looked dead, the skin visibly greying and flaking away. This was his first, bitter taste of real magic.
PERSONALITY
Leonard has generally lived by the rule "do what works", taking a pragmatic approach to both the mystic and mundane worlds. He will take risks, he will make deals, break deals and in the worst cases gamble the lives of others. He won't commit downright immoral acts, but he's prone to rash decisions and plans that rely on coin-flips. Many of Leonard's methods could be described as eccentric, naive and possibly dangerous, as he's simply far too willing to trust his chances. Beyond this sketchy, irrational approach is a mind prone to sparks of brilliance, strategies that could only come about from thinking outside the box. Some would say he thinks outside the box before he thinks inside it. A skeptic among sorcerers, Leonard looks for fallacies and contradictions in everything he sees. He is cunning and exploitative, capable of building and abusing trust to drive his enemies against one another. Much of Leonard's outlook is defined by paranoia - he lives in constant fear of being stabbed in the back, and this has led him to trust very few people. In many cases, this paranoia is unwarranted. In the past, delusion has led him to turn away potential allies.
From Leonard's point of view, everyone is out to get him. He's a pessimist, but tends to avoid complaining about how awful he believes the world is. Instead, he makes jokes to lighten the mood. Humour is his coping mechanism - he knows full well when he's in trouble, but this won't stop him mocking the situation. As a mystic, Leonard feels he must keep humanity free. Visitors from other dimensions must be reminded that they are guests in our home, and that they have no right to dictate our actions. Only a mystic could know these other dimensions well enough to defend against them. He holds the popular view that magic must remain secret in order for mystic heroes to do their job without hassle. To that end, he has accepted and even fed rumours that his powers are the result of psionics or sleight of hand.
POWERS
Eyes of the Exorcist: As a young boy, Leonard didn't see like other children did. He saw only what was invisible to everyone else. The truth of people and places in its most pure, most confronting form. Behind the veil of normality lies a twisted world of inner demons. A world where, if you can see them, they can see you. In this hidden world, both space and time are fractured, past and future merging into one. This power, more a curse than a blessing, has been part of Leonard's life since birth. The rose-tinted glasses he wears shield him from his bizarre and often frightening visions, allowing him to see as regular people do. When asked about what he sees, Leonard's typical answer is "An acidic clusterfuck".
Hand of Glory: Leonard's left hand was zombified when he was younger, the result of an encounter he'd rather forget. Years of necrosis have rotted it to the bone, leaving it skeletal and fragile. There are some benefits to the hand, however, chief among them the power to paralyze people with a touch. This touch leaves bodies lifeless, creating a convincing illusion of true death. The hand's connection to death also grants Leonard the power to take on a ghost-like, incorporeal form in which he can conceal himself from others and walk through solid objects.
Marks of the Magus: A career of fighting supernatural threats has prompted Leonard to invest in protecting himself. This protection takes the form of mystic tattoos all over his torso - wards which originated in ancient Persia, utilized by the Magi to shield themselves from evil forces with Ahuramazda's divine light. These elaborate wards are designed to repel demons of all kinds, at times outright banishing them to the hells from whence they came. Few dark entities can so much as touch Leonard without bursting into flames.
Evocations and Invocations: Demonology is a complex and difficult art, one that Leonard has been forced to master. Through ritual, he can call supernatural creatures to him, bind them or banish them. There are two ways to do this. Evocation involves bargaining and threats, Faustian deals where both parties are trying to exploit loopholes. Invocation involves pleading and offering, the prayers of the faithful from the lips of a sorcerer. Despite his luck and know-how, Leonard has broken more deals with the devil than anyone ever should - He's got enemies in high places.
Sigils and Servitors: All power starts somewhere. For Leonard, it started in Sigils, arcane symbols charged with intent. Sigils are the foundation of his magic, and they can take many different forms: A painted glyph, A piece of music, A repeated mnemonic, A caricature; All are gnostic expressions, markings through which he can bend reality to his desires. Complex Sigils give birth to Servitors, intelligent magical constructs which carry out their function independently. Servitors, while sentient, rarely act outside of what they were programmed to do. They are firmly shackled to their masters.
The Chaos Current: Every event in our universe is linked through a force called the Chaos Current, known to many as Luck. The current ebbs and flows like the tide, waves of uncertainty moving back and forth in a never-ending pendulum of probability. At the centre of the Current lies a world known as Dicepool. Like the imaginal realms familiar to magic-users abroad, Dicepool embodies a concept present in Mankind's universal consciousness - Chaos. To be in tune with the Current is to be in tune with Dicepool, and Leonard's connection to this wonderland enables him to make his own fortune - or his own misfortune. His power is the power of circumstance - to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. Like the current itself, however, this power is by nature unpredictable. On good days, Leonard is a force to be reckoned with. On bad ones, he's more like a cruel joke.
Fluxfire: Leonard's lighter is also his most trusty weapon. Through any open flame, he can conjure forth Fluxfire, bright red energies derived from Dicepool's ever-changing depths. They represent Man's ambition, the power to destroy the old and make way for the new. Fluxfire is incredibly volatile, cosmically dismantling all it touches. First, the fires burn the mind. When the mind is scarred or impenetrable, the body burns next. When the body is immolated, the fires attack the soul, leaving nothing left. Despite its potency, Fluxfire kills slowly - victims tend to give up from spiritual agony long before death sets in.
Paradigm Shift: Over the years, Leonard has become adept at lying. So adept, in fact, that he can fool gods. Like the tricksters of legend, Leonard can turn supernatural entities to his favour through a process known as Paradigm Shift. This phenomenon allows a magician to alter his identity in the eyes of the divine. Through a series of deceptive spells, his aura, prayers, thoughts and even history will change to suit the viewer. Paradigm Shifting has proven essential in Leonard's dealings with higher beings, a much-needed edge in sticky situations.
Smoke and Mirrors: Smoking is a terrible habit to take up, but Leonard insists it keeps him calm and focused. There's actually more to it than that, however - magic has a habit of turning everyday objects into tools of trickery. Through cigarette smoke, Leonard can create mind-bending illusions, move objects without touching them and even vanish in plain sight. Many villains have underestimated what the chain-smoking wizard is capable of, the decision to allow a "last smoke" backfiring horribly.
STRENGTHS
Cunning: Leonard is incredibly sly, a trait rarely seen in do-gooders. Even without the assistance of spells, he is quite capable of dominating those around him through sheer force of personality. He knows how to get on a person's good side and, failing that, get them to hate him enough to do something stupid. His tactics aren't all too different from that of regular old con-men, hobos or televangelists. Screwing with people is magic on its own.
Insight: An eye for detail, a razor wit and the nerves of a conspiracy theorist have heightened Leonard's senses to unusual extremes. He is prone to picking up small, insignificant details only to find out just how important those details really were. When his second sight is applied, this talent increases tenfold at the expense of not being able to tell where he is or who he's looking at. Good for paranormal matters, terrible for everything else.
Experience: Leonard's been in the magic game for roughly fifteen years. He's seen and done a lot of strange things, and at this point few things will faze him. Sure, he'll still flip out when shit hits the fan, but he'll be flipping out because he's having a case of post-traumatic deja vu. He's "seen it all", something he holds great pride in and shoves in peoples' faces whenever he's challenged.
Luck: All rules are arbitrary, or so Leonard thinks. The reality is that what works for Leonard rarely works for anyone else. This tends to be bad for anyone else, but good for Leonard. Over his entire heroic career, he has escaped certain death and certain worse-than-death enough times to write an instructional guide on it. When lady luck's on his side, Leonard is unnaturally lucky. It's just a shame that lady luck swings both ways and loses interest quickly.
WEAKNESSES
Only Human: Leonard is an accomplished sorcerer, but in the end he's still mortal. Years of smoking have left him short of breath, his experiences have left him mentally unsound and his hand's constant decay is starting to drain his vitality. He is more or less living on borrowed time, calling upon whatever favours he can to keep himself functioning. Once the favours run their course and he finds nowhere else to turn to, he's a dead man.
Not the Glasses: The shades aren't just for show. Leonard's rose-coloured glasses shield his eyes from other worlds, and when knocked off unexpectedly can cause him to enter an almost psychotic state. He cannot see normally without them.
Insomnia: Leonard has severe issues with sleep, and can go sleepless for days on end. This leads to the typical issues that come with lack of sleep, including fatigue and irritability. There's a fair chance that, whenever you see him, he's tired as hell and won't remember anything you say. Even when Leonard can sleep, he gets little out of it, his dreams lucid and his heart racing. His mind simply won't switch off.
Bad Juju: The Chaos Current drives Leonard's luck to both extremes, good and bad. There are some days where things just won't work, where every failure is critical and every hit's a miss. On these bad days, his skills are worth nothing. No amount of pleading or trying can stop fate.
ASSOCIATES
Jangala: Leonard and Dayna know each other mainly as former coworkers, but have become friends as time has passed. It was Dayna's connections and wealth that gave Leonard the resources he needed to set up the IOTA project, a secret society of heroes dedicated to rooting out the hidden threats that people lack either the awareness, tools or willpower to fight.
Soldier Celsius: Leonard met Sal in Club Caprice, though it wasn't until they bumped into each other in the Eternals that they started to become friends. The two share a dry, irreverent sense of humour, something they've actually put to use on and off the field. Many crime-fighters seem to underestimate the usefulness of laughter and the importance of morale.
The Crystalline King: Leonard's history with the mysterious Crystalline King is unclear. It's quite possible that the old man has known Leonard for longer than Leonard has known him. Despite following opposing philosophies, they seem to respect each other as mystics, opting to learn from one another rather than engage in petty debates.
Wicket: Leonard has known Connor Gateman - Wicket - for quite some time, acting as his mentor and teacher. While he's made a point of staying distant and letting the boy experience magic for himself, he has accompanied him on several adventures. Working alongside Wicket has given Leonard a sense of responsibility, instilling in him the idea that his words and actions will carry on to his student. Despite this, Leonard has a history of placing him in awkward and dangerous situations in the name of education.
MISCELLANEOUS/HOOKS
* He may be recognised as the vocalist for the industrial bands "Riot Disciples" and "The Flying Saucer Men" or from his solo career producing darkwave music under the name "Lurch".
* He does shows at the Minefield nearly every friday night, part music and part magic act, complete with dancing girls and fireworks.
* He's had a lot of bad press - He's been fired from the MCPD for "acting like a psycho", his drunken brawls have been caught on camera and moral guardians have accused him of everything from devil worship to necrophilia.
* He teaches Connor Gateman, the boy they call Wicket.
* He once headed the Department of Arcane Research and Defence in Eternals, Inc.
* He owns a Vespa PX 200 with a "Hot-rod" paint job, his vehicle of choice for scooting around Millennium City.
* He has clashed with DEMON constantly, holding a very personal grudge against the organisation. Both Project Hermes and the Trismegistus Council are aware of Castellar's exploits, the latter expressing a concern for his unorthodox approach to magic.
Play Mutants and Masterminds? Check this out!
COMMENTS
"Wow...Leonard is so hxc..." - Strobe
"My opinions on magic notwithstanding; I cannot help but respect and admire Leonard. As a mystic he has a much more practical view on the occult, none of this show boating crap I see from others." - Jangala
"As a man...dragon, or perhaps just a dragon, I have seen many a mystic in my time, but none are more practiced nor practical than Leonard Castellar. Though he's a doofus, absent-minded, cynical, unnecessarily mean - not entirely my opposite - he's a great man with great powers. It's just his publicity that needs a few bolts tightened. His sanity, too." - Snowtalon
"lenny touches butts with other dudes" - Sir Weedlord Bonerhitler IV, Esq.
GALLERY
Pixel Leonard, started by Epelesker and finished by Edvyn
Leonard by a guy on /tg/
Leonard by Eryck Webb
Leonard getting in touch with his inner self
Leonard going to church
the voodoo who do what you don't dare do people
take a seat on santa's lap
Leonard buying a used car
by the hoary hosts of hoggoth
look at him now
SEVEN SHITTY SONGS FOR SPELLCASTING: THE MUSIC LINKS NOBODY NEEDS
1. Alien Sex Fiend - I Walk The Line
3. The Cassandra Complex - Bad Faith
5. Nine Inch Nails - While I'm Still Here (Genesis P-Orridge Remix)
6. Depeche Mode - Walking In My Shoes
7. Juno Reactor - Immaculate Crucifixion
