Logan Horn

Art by Noemi Tedeschi

### Connections

Dash Whiskers, Victor Valentin von Cicero, Edwin Cobblefield, Cagan Yegoth, Cagan, Ganymedean Bodysnatcher, Dr. Obadiah Oshi, Buddy

## Campaign Appearances

### Main Campaign(s)

*Deadbeats*, *Deadbeats X Pipe Dreamers*

**Logan Horn** is a member of the *Deadbeats* party*.* Once a renowned detective with the Xiros Defense Force, Logan's career has taken a significant downward spiral with the supposed conclusion of the Façade Murders, a series of horrific killings that he was responsible for investigating. With his reputation ruined, the detective had been relegated to beat patrols alongside with new recruit Dash Whiskers. However, rumors of another Façade killing have spurred Logan into hunting down the notorious killer once more, consequences be damned. He is played by Jesse Cox.

## Description

### Appearance

Logan Horn is a tall lanky elven man with pale skin and dark brown hair. Logan's face bears the burdens of a difficult life, with weathered skin, wrinkles, bags under his eyes and a seemingly permanent 5 o' clock shadow. His long angular face also possesses a large nose, thick bushy eyebrows and a pair of keen brown eyes. His messy brown hair hanks lankly down his face, parted down the center due to a receding hairline.

Logan is usually seen in his old plainclothes uniform, consisting of a white shirt and cream sweater over a pair of high-waisted light brown trousers that exposes Logan's grey socks. He also wears a pair of black loafers. Over this outfit, Logan wears a long brown jacket with baggy sleeves. Upon the jacket's left shoulder is a leather pauldron atop which a brass metal shield is attached, bearing the sigil of the Xiros Defense Force. During their stay in Jotun on Southern Ishtar, Logan also obtained a t-shirt emblazoned with the words "#1 Dad", which he wears over his shirt.

### Personality

Logan's troubled history has left him a rather jaded and cynical man. Befitting a hardened detective, he tends to have a very muted attitude towards most social interactions, especially small talk. He's not the friendliest of individuals, often outright dismissing pleasantries and interjecting with biting comments from time to time. He is capable of turning up the charm if he wants something, though this often comes across as patronizing or disingenuous. Despite this standoffish demeanor, Logan takes genuine interest in other people, always listening to try and decipher what makes them tick. Many of his interactions with Victor von Cicero played out this way, wrestling with words to uncover the vampire's intentions.

Logan is also particularly distrustful and suspicious by nature, something that can be of benefit to a detective. He rarely takes things at face value, often questioning everything and everyone to probe their intentions and motives. He also regularly advises his protegee Dash to do the same to seek the truth of the matter. However, Logan's distrustful nature also comes at a cost. He regularly lied to his team regarding the truth of their illicit mission, unable to trust them with the truth. This came to a head after the 8U-13-773 attack, when he had to confess his deception to the group and earned a punch from Eli. Since the confrontation at Cicero Manor, Logan has endeavored to be more honest and upfront with others, though not always successfully.

While Logan does his utmost to remain aloof and cantankerous, there are moments when his more emotive side shines through. Logan is often subjected to depressive episodes while alone, occasionally breaking into tears as seen the night before the raid on the Arcmond Reactor. It is clear that the death of his son still haunts him, as seen in his more wistful moments while fishing with Dash. In addition, Logan holds particular fondness for the rookie prot, treating him with almost fatherly affection. This is clear in his admission of being proud of Dash at Hellebore Manor and the support he offered him while Dash struggled with the illusion of his father. Logan is also very open to introspection and mediation, as exhibited when he instructed Pinchy on how to do so aboard the Moonblaster.

Even though he was forcibly axed from the XDF, Logan is still very dedicated to his job. While he can be most unscrupulous in achieving his aims, such as hiring a smuggler to get to Southern Ishtar and manipulating his allies, Logan ultimately acts with the intent of upholding the law. He treats most criminals, such as the Lamantos Crime Family, with disdain and refuses to work with them unless absolutely necessary. His promise to Victor to return him to prison is also an example of this, even despite being labelled a criminal himself. However, his obsession with the Façade case overrides his law-abiding nature, causing him to act irrationally. He stormed into Edwin Cobblefield's office upon hearing the slightest hint of Façade and tackled Victor upon suspecting he was jeopardizing their mission. Most of this stems from his personal failure as well as the guilt of losing his son to the killer he should have stopped.

For all his cynical pragmatism, Logan also has bouts of quirky enthusiasm that show from time to time. He is nearly always seen drinking coffee and bonded with Dr. Oshi over their shared love of the beverage. He also tends to become fixated on silly things, such as fishing, Dash's relationship with Piper Hellebore and the Bomb's Shadowspawn. He is also a long-winded and dramatic storyteller, keeping Buddy listening to his tale for over 12 hours complete with sound effects and dramatic poses. However, despite his quirks, Logan is still the greatest threat to Façade, being analytical, resourceful and doggedly determined to met out justice.

## History

### Early History

Logan Horn was born over 150 years before the events of Phase 3. Its unclear where he was born, but his status as an Urban Elf and general discomfort away from the city implies he is originally from Qethos and has lived most of his life there. Logan's early life is unknown, but at some point, Logan became drawn to the world of law enforcement, specifically as the Defense Forces that operate in Io's major cities. Logan eventually enlisted in the Xiros Defense Force, starting as a probation officer and eventually working his way through the ranks. During his time there, Logan met a woman with Goblin heritage ("Goblish" to use his own words), and became enamored with her. Details of their courtship are not yet known, but the two eventually married and settled in Xiros.

### Officer of the Law

Logan's career with the XDF proved to be highly successful, primarily as a result of his powers of observation and keen intellect. He swiftly rose up in the organization as a result, becoming adept at solving difficult cases. He was eventually promoted to Detective and earned himself an impressive reputation across Qethos. Several of Logan's cases had him travel outside Xiros to the rest of the Capital Ark. He spent time in the miliary powerhouse of Arcmond, the historic city of Llwendolyn and the industrial jungle of Klaybury. Logan remembered gritty and wild nature of Klaybury with particular fondness, recounting an instance in which he had to take down a man infused with Voidium fumes with nostalgia. During this time, Logan was also partnered with Cagan Yegoth, who accompanied him on several of his missions. Logan came to trust Cagan implicitly and helped him further his own career throughout their time together.

While Logan's career record was stellar, his pride and joy came in the form of his son. In addition to becoming a detective, Logan also became a devoted and loving father. Not much is known about Logan's son as of yet, bar one incident where he got a tattoo of a pickle on his arm, as homage to his mother's faith. What is clear is that Logan cared very deeply about his son.

### The Façade Murders

Some 20 years before the events of Phase 3, a series of gruesome murders began to terrorize the city of Xiros. No matter the identity of the victims, they were all marred by the same petrified face, frozen in horror. As such, the culprit, suspected to be a serial killer, was given the name Façade. In addition to their unusual killings, Façade also proved very elusive, with no witness accounts or evidence left at the crime scene. It was decided that the case of the Façade killings would be Logan's responsibility as chief investigator. Spearheading the operation, Logan and Cagan would spend much of the case investigating crimes scenes and trying to establish connections between the victims. However, Logan's efforts were frustrated, with the only real evidence being a waxy substance that coated the corpses.

As part of the investigation, the XDF chose to consult one of their long-serving prisoners to assist Logan. The detective was summarily introduced to Victor Valentin von Cicero, former lord of Cicero Manor and a powerful vampire versed in the arcane. Victor offered his knowledge in exchange for luxuries to decorate his cell in the Vault, the XDF's most secure prison facility. However, while Victor had been of use to the XDF beforehand, his advice proved to be of limited use to Logan in progressing the investigation. Regardless, Logan continued to doggedly pursue Façade, developing something of an obsession with the enigmatic killer.

It is unknown for how long the Façade murders lasted, but upon its conclusion, Logan was coming close to a breakthrough. However, on the cusp of potentially cracking the case, Façade dealt a devastating blow to their errant pursuer. The killer deliberately targeted Logan's son and murdered him, leaving his body for his father to find. The discovery had the intended effect, shattering Logan's resolve and leaving the case in shambles. With their nemesis dealt with, Façade ceased their killing spree, evading capture and leaving their final victim as a warning to any who would pursue them.

### Fall from Grace

The death of Logan's son was the breaking point for the once celebrated detective. Wracked with grief and guilt, Logan's confidence and deductive prowess took a serious hit, leading to him being taken off any high profile cases. Logan's marriage also began to fall apart as a result of his son's death and eventually he and his partner divorced. The failure of the case also instigated backlash from the public that tarnished the reputation of the XDF for years to come. As a result, Logan was quietly demoted, though he was allowed to keep the title of detective as a part of respect. Conversely, his partner Cagan went on to better things, leaving his partnership with Logan and being promoted to sergeant. Now alone and broken, Logan never forgave himself for what happened and remained obsessed with the Façade case long after it was quietly closed and brushed aside, no different than himself.

### New Prot on the Block

Logan continued to work within the XDF for the following 20 years, mostly acting as a beat cop and dealing with petty crime. Unchallenged by the work, Logan's skills diminished and his attitude soured. This earned him an new less favorable reputation with his fellow officers, as something of a difficult colleague passed his prime. Logan's condition eventually caught the attention of his former partner, who saw an opportunity to revitalize Logan's career. To this end, Cagan assigned Logan the one thing he was not prepared for: a trainee prot. The rookie in question was an enthusiastic young man from Alabhastar called Dash Whiskers.

Logan reluctantly accepted Dash as his apprentice, teaching him the ins-and-outs of what it meant to be a protector. While Logan found Dash to be naïve and idealistic, he also secretly acknowledged that Dash had the makings of a good cop. Some short time after being inducted, Dash and Logan went on their first real case together. A Raccling petty criminal had been hacking shard terminals across Xiros to illegally steal credits from its populace. After some investigating, Dash and Logan tracked down the felon and placed him under arrest. Elated at their success, Dash dragged Logan to Hob's Diner for a celebratory pie, much to his chagrin.

## Mechanics

### Powers and Abilities

#### Rogue Abilities

* *Expertise* x 2
* *Sneak Attack* (5d6)
* *Thieves' Cant*
* *Cunning Action*
* *Uncanny Dodge*
* *Evasion*
* Inquisitive Abilities
	+ *Ear for Deceit*
	+ *Eye for Detail*
	+ *Insightful Fighting*
	+ *Steady Eye*

### Notable Items

* *Shard Pistol* (custom weapon)
	+ *Properties:* Showdown, Overclock

## Etymology

Logan is a unisex given name derived from the Scottish surname *Logan*. The surname is believed to come from a placename near Ayrishire, which in turn is derived from the Scottish Gaelic *lagan*, a diminutive version of *lag* which means "hollow".

Horn is an English word with multiple meanings. It can refer to, among other things, the hard keratinized outgrowth found on certain animals, a horn-shaped protrusion, a series of wind instruments or a device that sounds a warning or other signal.

## Trivia

* According to SummersSalt, who has synesthesia, Logan's art evokes the scent of fresh Manila folders and cardboard.
* logan has a necklace with iconography of the church of the pickle, which has been stated to be a gift from his ex-wife. This makes Logan one of only two player characters to hold a connection to the church of the pickle, the other being Peekel.

## Images

### Fan Art

1. ↑ Deadbeats Season 2 Episode 8
2. ↑ Deadbeats Season 2 Episode 4