Do you have any prior experience with Requiem? If so, please detail when (and what characters, if desired) you previously played?
I do not. This will be my first character.
How did you hear about Requiem?
A Google search for something entirely unrelated produced this Reddit thread as a result. I read the information on the website and was immediately intrigued.
CHARACTER QUESTIONS:
What will your character’s name be?
Jonas Clarke
Please briefly describe the physical attributes of your character, including age, looks, height, weight and any notable features:
Jonas is a tall man of average weight and build. He’s currently 46 years old, with facial characteristics that clearly mark him as being of mixed Eastern and Midland descent. His brown hair has just the slightest touch of auburn with just a few gray hairs beginning to show.
His most arresting feature is undoubtedly his eyes, which occupy a curious place between pale, icy blue and a cold, bright, steely gray. They have a piercing, searching quality, giving the impression of a man who sees past or even through the surface of most things. They also have a depth that speaks of wisdom, calm self-assurance, and perhaps something else that's hidden and unknowable.
Jonas’ eyes are set within an undeniably patrician face. His cheek bones are high and pronounced, his jaw is square and strong, and his nose is slightly aquiline in its appearance. His mouth is set in a small, perpetual frown that is given greater emphasis by the drawn-down shape of the moustache that he wears. This, combined with his rather impressive, thick, and angular set of eyebrows, lends his expression a naturally austere look regardless of how he's actually feeling.
His overall appearance is slightly handsome, if not a little intimidating. He carries himself with a regal bearing, somehow managing to appear dignified and effortlessly relaxed at the same time. Perhaps even more so than the average citizen of his native Heston, he is very reserved and tempered in his emotional presentation.
His voice is low, rich, and sonorous. Authoritative, yet soothing. It has a paternal quality that tends to put listeners at ease. Jonas is a man of few words, but when he does speak, his voice and carriage lend those words considerable weight.
Please provide a few short paragraphs with pertinent details or notable qualities of your character’s history. This does not have to be exhaustive nor revealing of any information you wish to keep secret:
Jonas was born in the year 1301. His father was a former member of the 233rd Chapter of the Apothecary Corps from Redholme who mustered out to marry and settle down with his Hestoni bride and establish a small but thriving medical practice in Coquelicot. Jonas grew up assisting his parents at their clinic, eagerly absorbing all that he could while watching and helping them work.
He bore witness to the coming of the Torment during his 12th year, as the ravages of the disease brought an influx of patients into the clinic and gave rise to levels of panic and distrust among the people of the city that Jonas had never seen before.
As the hunt for practitioners of witchcraft tore through Coquelicot, Jonas lost his mother to a group of overzealous townspeople who accosted her on her way home from the market. She had long used the more traditional and homeopathic healing arts of her people to supplement the more scientific treatments administered by her husband, and her use and knowledge of these remedies coupled with the frequent success of their application was enough to damn her in the eyes of her murderers.
Afterward, Jonas could only watch as his father’s heart hardened in response to this tragic loss. He had always been a stern and somewhat distant man, even at the best of times, but the loss of his wife cast a pall over him that could never be lifted. His practice began to suffer, and he began self-medicating by blending alcohol with narcotics.
A year later, at the age of thirteen, Jonas was conscripted at sword point by a unit of Templars who had followed the rumors of his mother’s dabbling in pagan magics to the family's doorstep. They took him to Redholme for evaluation and testing by the newly founded Consortium of Mages. It was the last time that Jonas ever saw his father.
As he grew to manhood and the events of the next several years played out, his mother’s death colored his view of them. He found himself gripped by the desire to do what he could to alleviate the suffering of the afflicted and bring and end to the Torment.
He was not so deluded as to think that he could achieve this himself, but every pair of hands pushing back against the disease would lead to progress. When the Torment was gone, perhaps no other children would need to fear the loss of their mothers to angry and terrified mobs.
He had to try. When word came of the opportunity to assist with the re-taking of the city of Tor, Jonas packed his few belongings and set out for the trainyard. He was no fighter, but he had other skills that might prove useful to those who were…
Briefly state your character’s intentions or motivations for entering the First Province:
In the short-term, Jonas will begin his life in the quarantine zone by trying to establish a thriving medical practice while furthering his academic and scientific pursuits.
If he lives long enough to find success with this, he has broader goals in mind. For the moment, he’s keeping these to himself. Life in the quarantine zone will be hard and, very possibly, short. Best to focus on what can be achieved today.
Scenario Response:
Jonas stepped forward as his turn came, his free hand casually slipping into the pocket of his overcoat while the other held his medical bag. He managed his presence carefully, projecting confidence, quiet authority, and humility in what he hoped was the right blend to convince the officiant that there was little reason to question or detain him. He fixed the man firmly with his eyes before speaking in his deep, sonorous voice:
“Well met, Sir. My name is Jonas Clarke, and I come seeking to serve the soldiers and citizens of the Republic as they strive to free the lost city of Tor. As you can see, I am no warrior, but I am an experienced medical practitioner. If permitted to enter the quarantine zone, I will do what I can to keep our blessed Templars and Legionnaires fighting, and my fellow civilians whole and hale. In my experience, one can never have too many physicians in the triage hospital, or on the battlefield.”
With that, he simply waited, for he had no official papers or abundance of coin to ease his passage. He would have to rely on his rhetoric and his sense of purpose. As he waited for the officiant’s answer, he could only pray that they were enough.
