Lucas Castle

Lucas Castle is a halfborn son of Hermes, and one of the most prolific halfborn of his generation, already on the verge of becoming a demigod, and regarded by many divine and monstrous beings as likely to one day ascend to full godhood. At the same time, however, he is misliked by many gods, due to his own mislike of them and how they treat their mortal lovers and halfborn offspring.

## Biography

### Early Life

Lucas was born to Hermes (who was in that Avatar going by Marcus) and a mortal art thief named Laura, after they had spent several years together amassing a fortune off of stolen goods, which they used to buy new identities and settle down together. The two adopted the surname Castle, and Lucas was born under it in the city of Los Angeles. Lucas's early years were happy ones, and he grew up in a large, comfortable home, with a pair of loving parents who doted upon him.

#### Life Ruined

All that changed in elementary school, when Lucas was six years old. All of Hermes's carefully crafted secrecy with the life he had built was shattered by sheer bad luck. A bloodsucking empousa, fond of feeding on the blood of children, had chosen to target Lucas's school, masquerading as a substitute teacher. After Lucas bloodied his knee out on the playground, the creature seized the opportunity to take him off into a classroom bathroom under the pretense of tending to his injuries so she could feed upon him. When the creature attempted to hypnotize Lucas with her mystical powers, the boy's innate divinity allowed him to resist being lulled, and he began screaming for his parents when the monster revealed her true visage. Hermes, hearing his son calling out for help, but with his Marcus Avatar far too distant to get there in time, frantically descended upon the school with a full Elysian Avatar, and annihilated the creature.

The bawling Lucas was gathered up in his father's arms, who transported him home to where his mother Laura was waiting. Without explanation, Hermes had the two start packing their bags in preparation to leave. No sooner had this begun when a squadron of Ynochim descended upon the house, demanding an explanation for Hermes's overt act of interference. Upon spying Lucas, the leader of the squadron immediately concluded that the boy was being raised by Hermes as a soldier, and swiftly ordered the child's execution. The angels all met their ends at the hands of the Messenger God, the battle resulting in the destruction of the house as Lucas and his mother fled the city. The young halfborn would not see his father again for many years after that, as what followed next for Hermes were tumultuous events beyond Lucas's knowledge, resulting in him unknowingly being given an angelic watchdog.

### Remaining Childhood

The rest of Lucas's childhood was spent building sadness, resentment, and confusion at his father's sudden disappearance. Neither he nor his mother ever got any explanation from Hermes as to what had happened. Lucas and his mother rebuilt their lives in the smaller city of Eureka, California, where Laura took up working for a local security system company, the job she had held before becoming a master thief. When Lucas was eight, she remarried to a man named Evan Bellwood, a kind, caring and reasonably well off pediatrician who was very tolerant of the young Lucas's frequent bouts of moodiness and mean spirit. Eventually, Evan's kindness got through to him, as did the birth of a baby sister when Lucas was nine. Life improved for Lucas throughout middle school, as the boy channeled his moodiness into a "bad boy" phase, and he enthralled the tween girls at school with his wit, good looks and attitude, as well as being the star of his baseball team. Unfortunately, it could not last.

### Awakening

When Lucas was fourteen and fresh into high school, another disaster struck. When out drinking in the woods with a few older kids after baseball practice, sitting about a fire, the group was set upon by a pack of fenrir wolves. Two of his friends were mauled, but Lucas managed to kill all three of the beasts with a baseball bat. This deed enabled Hermes the opportunity to perform his Visitation, resulting in Lucas's Awakening. Lucas was shocked and angered at his father's sudden return, and after being informed of his heritage and Hermes's true nature, launched into an explosive tirade, letting loose all the resentment he felt towards his father. Unfortunately, before Hermes had the chance to explain himself, the angels informed the god that his time was up, forcing him to depart, leaving Lucas even angrier.

After his Awakening and the blossoming of his divine, Lucas began attracting the attention of more monsters. Unwilling to endanger his family, Lucas fled, and employed his new abilities to evade the authorities sent out to bring him home.

### Subsequent Adventures (Which will be expanded upon eventually)

Since then, he has slain many foes, and made a considerable name for himself among his fellow halfborn as both a warrior and a leader. All the while, his resentment and disdain towards the gods has continued to grow, as he has witnessed how little so many of them seem to regard mortals, whilst their own heads swell with arrogance and pride.

## Physical Appearance

Lucas is a handsome youth with curly brown hair, which has a slightly reddish tinge to it. He has inherited the green eyes of his father's preferred form, and like Hermes, they gleam with intelligence. Lucas is of somewhat average height, neither particularly tall nor short, but is possessed of a lean, athletic physique, and he moves with a lithe grace that few of his peers can hope to match.

## Personality

Lucas, like most children of Hermes, is quick witted and intelligent, possessed of a keen mind that enables him to make plans on the fly and come up with convincing lies with ease. A large portion of his wit is devoted towards a sharp tongue, and Lucas has no qualms about making his mislike for the way gods arrogantly use and discard mortals known. Neither does he have any issue with insulting and mocking any he deems unworthy of respect.

Years of resentment and anger have festered within Lucas, giving him a dark sense of humor and a willingness to kill anyone he deems an enemy. However, despite his inner turmoil, Lucas is still mostly level headed, and rarely lets his anger get the better of him. The rare exception to this are matters concerning his father, Hermes, who Lucas believes abandoned him and his mother, which cause him to burst out into angry tirades.

Despite his somewhat rough exterior, Lucas at heart is a good person, who strives to protect the common people around him, and is willing to guide and assist his fellow halfborn in navigating their tumultuous existence. While he is generally quite snide and abrasive with those he guides, Lucas is always willing to help out fellow halfborn in need, and has imparted unto many the basic skills needed to survive in a world filled with monsters who want them dead. In fact, his compassion is the reason why he resents the gods. He finds the way they treat mortals as utterly unacceptable.

## Relationships

### Hermes

> *"Hey, you wing headed prick. It's your son again. The one who you don't talk to. I just wanted you to know that I saved three kids from a cyclops today. No thanks to you. I got through his fucking maze of a lair and brained him without him ever knowing I was there. No casualties. No injuries. Isn't that something you can get behind, God of Thieves? … Still nothing? As usual... Dammit! Could you at least do me the courtesy of telling me you don't give a shit? Just say* something*, dad.* Please*."*
>
>

> *-Lucas, praying to his father.*
>
>

Lucas is greatly resentful towards his father, feeling abandoned by him since Hermes vanished during his childhood, and greatly frustrated by the fact that he was never given an explanation for why Hermes lived with him for six years before disappearing. He is also deeply hurt by the fact that unlike the divine parents of many other halfborn he has met, Hermes never seems to answer his prayers, despite the frequency and ardor with which he makes them. Nowadays, he continues to pray to his father, mostly delivering scornful remarks about his continued survival despite Hermes's seeming apathy, and sarcastic thanks for how helpful he is. However, deep down, Lucas wonders if he somehow did something to earn his father's disapproval and disinterest, as he has encountered a few of his half-siblings who have actually had semi frequent face to face conversations with their father, and thereby pushes himself even harder to earn Hermes's interest. In rare, private moments, when the fires of his anger burn low, Lucas asks Hermes what he is doing wrong, and why Hermes never gives him any signs at all in his unanswered prayers.

## Powers

Lucas is skilled in several of the Divine Dominions inherited from his father, most notably, the Dominions of Thought and Realms. He is also fairly skilled in Aura and Death, and competent in the use of Sky and Life, as well as a bit of Fate.

Physically, Lucas has all the physical superiority inherent to a halfborn, making him vastly more potent than any human. He is of above average strength and possesses notable endurance by halfborn standards, but where he truly shines is in terms of speed and dexterity. Like his father, Lucas is exceptionally quick and nimble, to the point where he finds it effortless to outmaneuver his foes, and has been described by many who have witnessed him in battle as flowing like the wind and moving like lightening.

## Skills

As might be expected from a Son of Hermes, Lucas is greatly skilled in the arts of stealth and larceny, able to break into all manner of locations without their residents knowing. Possessed of his father's wits, Lucas is also an excellent strategic planner, and is absolutely masterful and making tactical adjustments on the fly. Given the dangerous nature of his existence, Lucas is also skilled it fast talk and charm, having used both as weapons against unsuspecting mortals and when forced into negotiation or causing verbal distractions. Most notably, however, Lucas is a phenomenally skilled warrior, and is acknowledged by the various gods observing his progress as one of the greatest halfborn swordsmen they have seen in centuries.

## Notable Equipment

Lucas's most notable magic items are a pair of Nike shoes which sprout wings, allowing him to fly, and a magic ring, each given to him by his father during his Visitation. The ring is shaped like a bronze serpent, coiled around his finger. At his command, the serpent slithers into his hand and extends into a long bronze sword.

## Stats

### Traits

Strength: 4

Dexterity: 6

Endurance: 4

Intelligence: 4

Charisma: 4

Perception: 4

### Skills

Academia: 1

Alertness: 4

Artistry: 1

Brawl: 4

Charm: 3

Command: 3

Craft: 2

Deception: 3

Empathy: 3

Intimidation: 4

Intrigue: 3

Leadership: 2

Marksmanship: 3

Medicine: 2

Melee: 6

Occult: 2

Performance: 1

Seduction: 3

Stealth: 4

Stewardship: 1

Survival: 3

Torture: 2

### Magic (up for update

**Dominion of Aura:** 3

**Dominion of Death:** 3

**Dominion of Fate: ?**

**Dominion of Life:** 2

**Dominion of Realms:** 5

**Dominion of Sky:** 2

**Dominion of Thought:** 4