Elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth Carter Blake

Age:
Appearance:
Template: Tager
Refresh: 2
Current FP: 2

Stress Tracks Physical Mental Social

Consequences Minor Any Major Any Serious Any

Aspects

Possessed Antiquarian
Were-Jaguar
Ex Gnosis Ad Scienta
Nice Job Breaking It
Not a Step Back
Grudging Insight
Hot Tager on Tager Action

High Concept

Possessed Antiquarian

Holding Ph.Ds in Archaeology and Occult Studies ensures you always have something to do in the modern world. Being obssessed by the subjects means you also put yourself at constant risk. Championing your own, unorthodox theories in the field means you tend to piss off a lot of people. Elizabeth Blake would count as possessed on these counts alone. And that's not the half of it - she's also literally possessed by a warrior from a lost Mesoamerican culture, possibly a goddess, with a vendetta against an ancient adversary. It's a bit of a drag, having to fight eldritch horrors for the honor of a dead civilization - but what a research opportunity!

Invoke: If you need to find something out in her fields, Blake is the person you talk to.
Invoke: 8 Wind knows things, things that she should not know. She is the conduit to some other power. These things usually aren't expressed in a way that's easily understandable, even for an expert like Blake.
Compel: Blake wants to KNOW, even when it would be inappropriate or dangerous.

Trouble

Were-Jaguar

While excavating a particularly promising site in the Yucatan three years ago, Blake entered a tomb associated with a previously unknown goddess, possibly pre-Olmec. The spirit of a champion of the goddess, Uaxac Ik', possessed her in an effort to continue a conflict against a rival deity. The possession gives Blake access to superhuman powers - but at the cost of having to deal with the will of the ancient warrior.

Invoke: Blake can transform into a Were-Jaguar, a Tager like being of supernatural power.
Compel: The spirit, 8 Wind or Uaxac Ik', has her own motivations. When transformed, the spirit sometimes battles Blake for dominance when their goals do not align.

Phase One: Backstory

Ex Gnosis Ad Scienta

Earning degrees in Occult Studies and Archaeology wasn't a goal of Blake's - it's more something that occurred by default. Her insatiable curiosity, daunting mental acuity, and general brainy-ness would have driven her to learn as much as she could even without the carrot of a doctorate. Blake grew up back east, in Lovecraft country, and naturally ended up at Miskatonic University. She excelled, winning the Ashcroft Award, as well as being a standout member of the fencing team. She completed her doctoral studies there as well, and is technically on loan from Miskatonic to Loyola University Chicago.

Invoke: Blake has contacts throughout the academic community. If you need an expert on a subject, she knows the professor to talk to.
Compel: Blake does have to actually teach class now and then.

Phase Two: The Pilot Episode

Nice Job Breaking It

After her possession, Blake was compelled to seek out 8 Wind's ancient rival. Though she made of a show of resenment, in truth Blake finds the situation a unique opportunity to expand her research in ways she had never imagined. Regardless, with 8 Wind's ancient memories and (at times incomprehensible) mystical connections, they tracked this adversary - known to Xix Im Cham or 0 Death - north, to the shores of the Great Lakes. Upon learning that this put them close to the old Windy City, 8 Wind declared this a powerful omen and demaned they seek out the adversary on its own grounds. Blake remains skeptical, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Shortly after her arrival in Chicago, Blake was contacted by the OOI to investigate an artifact they had turned up. That it was magical was immediately clear, but little else was. Since the Item, as they called it, had turned up in a previously unknown moundbuilder site in the Mississippi valley, Blake was the clear choice for consultation. Blake agreed to inspect the artifact and prepare a report for the OOI. Shortly after accepting the job, Blake was approached by the Eldritch Society. The Society believed the artifact was related somehow to Tagers, so had a proprietary interest. Worse, they somehow had gotten wind of Blake's… condition. No over threats of blackmail were made, but Blake eventually agreed to turn over copies of any notes she prepared for the OOI.

In the end there were no notes to turn over, though. As soon as Blake began her investigations, she immediately realized the artifact was in effect a booby trap. It attempted to possess her to turn her into a mindless thrall to spread its influence - but ran headlong into a pre-existing squatter named 8 Wind. While the Mesoamerican warrior did mental battle with the post-sentient thing trapped within the artifact, Blake took a more direct approach. Namely a sledgehammer. Neither the OOI nor the Society were pleased, though they grudgingly accepted her report.

Compel: The OOI is a bit upset with Blake and has the authority to bar Blake from accessing the research that is the central meaning of her life, so when they say "jump" she says "how high," however un-enthusiastically.
Compel: The Society isn't happy with Blake either, and has even better blackmail material. In their case, it's less a matter of consultation and more outright spying.

Phase Three: Your Last Big Case

Not a Step Back

Despite running afoul of two of the more important factions in the arcane world, 8 Wind and Blade were determined to continue the hunt for Xix Im Cham. Plus, though she is loath to admit it, Blake takes a great deal of pleasure in destroying monstrous and supernatural threats that would otherwise prey upon innocent people. Whether this is due to 8 Wind's warrior instincts or a deeper need of her own remains unclear. Guided by 8 Wind's personal knowledge of the adversary and her own research - and particularly by certain clues hidden in the destroyed artifact she had encountered earlier - Blake wandered into a high-rise she shouldn't have and found herself smack dab in the middle of a byakhee roost. Blake might have fled, but 8 Wind never turns down a challenge. The subsequent fight nearly killed them, but both learned quit a bit about the winged horrors and found another lead to the adversary, so counted it a win.

Invoke: Between her own academic knowledge and 8 Wind's practical combat experience, Blake has a knack for finding weakspots when fighting supernatural beings.
Compel: Uaxac Ik' does not like running. This reinforces Blake's own stubborness - she has a lot of trouble backing down from a fight of any kind.

Phase Four: Retconned In the TV Show

Grudging Insight (Norman Douglass)

When you're "asked" by the OOI to provide expert advice to a PI chasing down the Brotherhood of the Lake, you provide the advice. Even if the PI is an aggravating throwback who wouldn't know the first thing about modern socio-occult theory if it bit him. Still, Blake managed to pound enough knowledge into his flat skull to keep him alive. And there was something satisfying about taking down monsters like the Brotherhood. Maybe working with him again won't be too bad. Maybe.

Invoke: Blake can impart knowledge effectively, so if she's had a chance to brief or explain a subject to someone, they can gain a bonus to their next Lore or Scholarship check.
Compel: Blake can get rather impatient with anyone who doesn't get "magical mumbo jumbo."

Phase Five: Crossover Fanfiction

Hot Tager on Tager Action (Amon Sigimund)

Working with one crazy person to track down another at the behest of the Eldritch Society, Blake found herself going toe to toe with another tager for the first time. That wizard might be out of his mind, but he's equally skilled with thaumaturgy and mech combat - and a good thing too. Even 8 Wind had to admit that they could use some help chasing down Xix Im Cham after all. As soon as they get a new warclub - Bonesaw's skull was thicker than it looked.

Invoke: Blake and 8 Wind can access some of the Eldritch Society's tager safehouse and training ground.
Compel: The Society would be rather upset if she gives non-tagers access to or information about these.

Skills

Great (+4)

Lore, Scholarship

Good (+3)

Contacts, Conviction, Resources

Fair (+2)

Endurance, Presence, Weapons, Investigation

Average (+1)

Alertness, Athletics, Discipline, Intimidation, Stealth

Skill Chart

Great	o	o
Good	o	o	o
Fair	o	o	o	o
Average	o	o	o	o	o

Stunts

Capable Researcher (Scholarship)

Scholarly research is completed two time increments faster than usual.

Were-Jaguar

Stress Tracks Physical Mental Social

Consequences Minor Any Major Any Serious Any

Supernatural Abilities

Tager Change [-1]
Echoes of the Tager [-1]
Human Form[+1]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
The Catch (Jade weapons) [+3]

Skill Shuffle

Great (+4)

Endurance, Weapons

Good (+3)

Lore, Scholarship, Stealth

Fair (+2)

Athletics, Alertness, Might, Fists

Average (+1)

Conviction, Discipline, Intimidation, Presence, Investigation

Skill Chart

Great	o	o
Good	o	o	o
Fair	o	o	o	o
Average	o	o	o	o	o

Supernatural Abilities Info

Tager Change

Tager Form

You take on the shape and appearance of the tager you specified at the time you took this ability. This only covers a cosmetic change of form and does not convey additional abilities like Claws (page 162) or any supernatural Strength, Speed, or Toughness abilities — you will need to take those separately to get the appropriate benefit.

Skill Shuffle

You may shuffle around your skills for a different configuration while changed (using the same number of skill points and following the same rules as during character creation, page 65), so long as any knowledge or  social skills are not given a higher value by the change. In other words, you can’t suddenly know more about Shakespeare just because you’re a wolf (or whatever). Physical and perception skills, however, may (and perhaps should) be increased in this way.

Echoes of the Tager

Tager Senses (Sight, Hearing) - Blake has unusually acute sight and hearing.

Whether in human form or otherwise, your senses are strongly tuned in a fashion fitting a particular type of beast (you must specify the senses when you take the ability, based on what the beast is known to have). Whenever it seems reasonable that you’d have some sort of tager-born advantage of the senses (for example, a keen sense of smell while making an Alertness or Investigation roll), you get a +1 on the roll.

Tager Trappings (Athletics - Parkour) - Blake can traverse ground in a style usually reserved for video game characters, running up walls and so forth.

You are able to do one minor thing that normal people can’t do, related to the abilities of your tager. This might be tracking by scent, finding your way around while blind or in total darkness, or hiding in plain sight. This ability works like an extra skill trapping (see page 120) for the skill of your choice. Alternately, you can choose a skill trapping that already exists and create a circum-stance under which you gain a +1 on the roll that fits your tager.

Human Form

Regular Jane

Specify which of your supernatural abilities (usually most or all of them) are unavailable to you when you’re not shapeshifted into your “powered” form. As long as you specify at least 2 points worth of supernatural powers, you gain back 1 point of refresh for making this choice. If you only have 1 point of supernatural powers affected by this, Human Form is not worth any refresh.

Inhuman Recovery

Total Recovery

You’re able to recover from physical harm that would leave a normal person permanently damaged. You can recover totally from any consequence (excluding extreme ones) with no other excuse besides time; simply waiting long enough will eventually heal you completely.

Fast Recovery

Out of combat, you may recover from physical consequences as if they were one level lower in severity. So, you recover from moderate consequences as though they were mild, etc. Consequences reduced below mild are always removed by the beginning of a subsequent scene.

Vigorous

Endurance never restricts (page 214) other skills due to a lack of rest. You may skip a night of sleep with no ill effects.

Shrug It Off.

In combat, once per scene, you may clear away a mild physical consequence (page 203) as a supplemental action (page 213).

Inhuman Strength

Unavailable in Human Form

Improved Lifting

Whenever lifting or breaking inanimate things, you gain a +3 to your Might score.

Bruising Strength

Roll Might at +1 whenever using that skill in conjunction with grappling (page 211). This also allows you to inflict a  2-stress hit on an opponent as a supplemental action during a grapple.

Superior Strength

Whenever using your Might to modify (page 214) another skill, it always provides a +1 regardless of the actual comparison of your Might score to the skill in question.

Hammer Blows

With attacks that depend on muscular force (Fists, thrown Weapons, etc.), you are at +2 to damage, increasing the stress dealt by two on a successful hit.

Inhuman Toughness

Unavailable in Human Form

Hard to Hurt

You naturally have Armor:1 against all physical stress.

Hard to Kill

You have two additional boxes of physical stress capacity (page 201).

The Catch (Jade Weapons)

You must specify something that bypasses your Toughness abilities. This will give you a discount on the overall cost of any and all Toughness powers that you take, based on how likely it is that the Catch will be met in play. Any Recovery powers you have will not speed up the recovery from an injury sourced from something that bypasses the Catch.