Hickory Doc

A mysterious, time-travelling ghost from another dimension that has taken possession of a hermit Raven in Kilvas. After much working to gain their trust, protecting Denna from unseen attacks on her life, he works as Denna and Vikjanvall's road scout to ensure their safe travel about.

"No matter how long you live, or how many strong you become, you'll find nothing fills the loneliness in your heart like a good friend. Even if losing them is leaves your heart with even a bigger hole in your heart."

## Details

### Likes:

Corn, Puns, Clocks, Nursury Rhythms, Wood work, little siblings

## Battlefield

### Personal Skill:

Dickory Watch- Allows him to turn back time 5 turns per battle. (limited use)

## Personality

At the beginning, Hickory is very cold and cynical to those around him. He tries his best to keep others away from him, out rightly annoying them just enough to keep them away from him emotionally.

However once Hickory has finally given in to friendship, one can find he is very friendly and considerate. While still rather cynical and blunt about his opinions, he tries to be more understanding and guiding. He begins to express his more brotherly self, acting doting and nurturing. Will worry constantly about his travel mates, which leads to him over-using his Dickory Watch.

Tends to allow himself to be a butt of jokes to cheer up those he cares about and leaving surprise presents. He tends to act very nervously around revealing women, especially big-breasted women. He finds them scary and hard to understanding, thinking "it's impossible to have them that naturally big!" He isn't sure why this is, but suggests that it may have to do with an incident with his aunt from his original life.

## Backstory

### Past

Before becoming a Ghost, Hickory was the eldest son of a middle class family in San Fransisco. At the age of 20, Hickory had to take in his 2 younger brothers,15 and 10 at the time, after their parents got into a car accident.

Hickory would care for them as best he could for the next 5 years as best he could, living on a carpenter's wage. While the wage would be enough to sustain them, Hickory would come to see that his efforts were not enough. Believing that he is holding his siblings back from a better future, growing anxious and begin his deathly habit of over-working. The over-working would lead to his mental state spiraling into despair and then the end of his life.

The Gods would take pity on him and give him a second chance at life by making him one of their Ghosts. Since then Hickory has visited my different dimensions and and multi-universes.

### Present

After awakening as the hermit Raven host that he possesses now, Hickory went into town and bumped into Denna and Vikjanvall during their stay at the village. Recognizing them as important figures, due to his centuries of dealing with such, he decided to try to gain their trust so he may protect them. However would come at a roadblock at this, as Vikjanvall and Denna would be extremely suspicious him. Especially due to the fact that he always seemed to know when either of them would be attacked, making Vikjanvall believe that he was only acting as a protector to get close to them and eventually turn on them. This would frustrate Hickory to no end, but eventually he would enough trust to eventually become their location scouter. He speaks very little to either royal, trying to stay in good graces and figure out in the meantime what exactly he is meant to do. Believing that this constant travel is not a tradition meant to continue and must come to an end somehow.

## Battle Specifics

Only recruit-able if you have already recruited Denna and will leave the party if she does. Serves more as a tool to use his skill than an actual fighting unit, but can be used as one if necessary.

## Time-Traveller Rules

### Ghosts

* They are created when a mortal soul of a pure being is killed violently or before their time.
* They are chosen by the Gods of the Multi-Dimensional and of Time.
* A spirit has no say on whether they will be a Ghost.
* A Ghost remains a Ghost until they have realized why the Gods chose them to become Ghosts. Once a Ghost has realized this they will be allowed to pass on.

### Time-Traveling

* Ghosts can only travel to dimensions within their own sector of the multi-dimension sphere.
* Ghosts are sent by "The Gods" against their will with a Dickory Watch and placed into a Host. Typically one of low class and/or low notice such as orphans, lone nomads, or hermits.
* Ghosts are only sent to different dimensions in order to help it's "Heroes" in saving it from it's particular disaster.
* Once the disaster has been destroyed/avoided/etc. then Ghosts are made to immediately leave their Host's body by passing out.
* When taken out of their Host's body Ghosts either go immediately into another hosts body or go back to Clockwork Valley to mentally recover. (Clockwork Valley being where the Gods of Time and Space look over their Ghosts.)
* There can never be more than one Ghost in a world, as to prevent Paradoxes.

### Dickory Watch

* It's main point of existence is to allow Ghosts to travel in time within the Host's world and to carry the Host's soul until the completion of the Ghost's mission to help save the world.
* How the Watch controls time changes between dimensions, in order to follow the laws within the dimension.
* If used too much the souls' of the Ghost and Host will begin to mix, this will cause the Ghost to become delusional and begin to lose themselves. And if the excess use continues the "Timeline" recorded and contained within the Dickory Watch will begin to spill and cause a paradox.
* A Dickory Watch can not be destroyed or lost, due to the will of the Gods.

### Host

* A Host is never aware of being possessed.
* A Host can not escape the Dickory Watch unless the Watch is overused or the Ghost has finished it's mission.
* A Host typically obtains false or hazy memories of what happened within the time that the Ghost possessed them.
* When a Ghost possess a Host then the Ghost will suffer all illnesses that the Host did including, but not limited to, emotional, mental and spiritual disorders.
* A Ghost will have access to all of the Host's memories if the Host still memories them.
* A Ghost must be conscious and within the presence of the Dickory Watch in order to reverse the death of a Host.
* If a Host dies then a Ghost can find a new Host within the world, but this is seen as poor practice among Ghosts.

### Companions

* If a Ghosts grows extremely affectionate of a companion in their travels and is not a needed "Hero" in their world, then it is possible to persuade the gods to allow the union.
* If allowed the companion must die and leave their past life behind them.
* Companions do not become Ghosts, but rather Astrals that follow the Ghost within their Dickory Watch.
* Companions can not possess Hosts, but can project themselves into a slightly more physical form within a 6ft radius of the Dickory Watch. In these forms they can touch, taste, speak, hear and see that around them, but the density of cotton candy.
* Companions obtain a physical form in Clockwork Valley.
* There is only allowed one companion per Ghost.

## Family

In his original life Hickory came from a simple family, a Chinese mother and Greek father with two younger brothers. He was very close to all of them, taking his responsibilities as a big brother extremely seriously. He never addresses them by name, as he says it "hurts too much", but goes by alias whenever he addresses them to others. "Gizmo" being the middle brother and "Cuckoo" being his youngest brother.

The Raven that Hickory now possess doesn't any family, nor friends even in Kilvas.

## Relationships

* Denna - Hickory is extremely stand offish with Denna, not only because he doesn't wish to grow attached to her, but also because her large breasts make him extremely uncomfortable. Hickory finds her to be very dangerous due to being able to read him well whenever he lies or tells the truth, but also quite annoying for always questioning him.
* Vikjanvall - Hickory while also at a distance to him, finds him to be very annoying that he is so distrusting to nearly anyone. Hickory also finds him to be annoyingly tall, as him being a foot shorter than Vik makes it tough on his neck.

## Trivia

* Hickory has had only 7 past lovers up until this point. 3 of them men, 1 women and 2 that came from a world without genders or sexes.
* Hickory has a soft spot for children, especially curious ones and more easily opens himself up to one.
* Hickory becomes serious uncomfortable around large breasted women and romantically-insinuated displays of affection. Examples being kissing or sweet-talk.
* Even without going back in time, Hickory has a good sense of prediction.
* Tends to talk in his sleep when anxious, but only ever clearly enough for keywords to come out.
* If Hickory meets Ebele then he will mistake her for someone else at first and try to be more open to her.