Magnus Thurston

### Physical Description

Prefers end-of-century suits in the western style; slightly old fashioned but sufficiently body-covering (for magic and for his appearance)Early balding, somewhat tall but large and corpulent (extra chins hide what may be gill lines in neck).

Odd look in his eyes; often passed off as eccentricity due to being a magician/comedian

Bluish-green irises, yellowing sclera, slightly elongated canines, slightly sharp teeth overall

Paling skin, rash along right temple (psoriasis officially, scales developing beneath the glamour)

### Profession

magician/comedian/parapsychology post-grad

### Residence

tenement in SoMa, close to Haight-Ashbury

### Sexual Orientation

Attracted to femme folk, but 0 experience and comfortable with it

## Characteristics

### Education

75% (college education; bachelor's degree working on master's)

## Skills

### Anthropology

30% (amateur with some talent or rudimentary training; hobby level)

### Arts/Crafts

(Photography) 15% (neophyte; beginner with a small amount of knowledge); (Forgery) 5%; (everything else) 5%

### Charm

20% (amateur with the smallest talent; hobby level)

### Climb

20% (amateur with the smallest talent; hobby level)

### Dodge

32% (amateur with some talent or rudimentary training; hobby level)

### Drive Auto

20% (amateur with the smallest talent; hobby level)

### Electronic Repair

10% (neophyte; beginner with a small amount of knowledge)

### Fast Talk

50% (professional who can barely eke out a living; bachelor's degree but almost flunked out)

### Fighting

(Axe) 15%; (Brawl) 25%; (Chainsaw) 10%; (Flail) 10%; (Garrote) 15%; (Spear) 20%; (Sword) 20%; (Whip) 5%

### Firearms

(Bow) 15%; (Flamethrower) 10%; (Handgun) 20%; (Heavy Weapons) 10%; (Machine Gun) 10%; (Rifle/Shotgun) 25%; (Submachine Gun) 15%

### First Aid

30% (amateur with some talent or rudimentary training; hobby level)

### Intimidate

15% (neophyte; beginner with a small amount of knowledge)

### Jump

20% (amateur with the smallest bit of talent; hobby level)

### Library Use

30% (amateur with some talent or rudimentary training; hobby level)

### Listen

40% (skilled amateur with talent & a bit of training)

### Mechanical Repair

10% (neophyte; beginner with a small amount of knowledge)

### Natural World

10% (neophyte; beginner with a small amount of knowledge)

### Navigate

10% (neophyte; beginner with a small amount of knowledge)

### Occult

50% (professional who can barely eke out a living; bachelor's degree but almost flunked out)

### Persuade

20% (amateur with the smallest bit of talent; hobby level)

### Pilot

(everything) 1% (total novice & complete amateur)

### Psychoanalysis

31% (amateur with some talent or rudimentary training; hobby level)

### Psychology

75% (barely expert; squeaked by a master's degree)

### Sleight of Hand

70% (professional who can easily make a living; bachelor's degree with honors)

### Stealth

20% (amateur with the smallest bit of talent; hobby level)

### Science

(everything) 1% (total novice & complete amateur)

### Spot Hidden

55% (professional who can barely eke out a living; bachelor's degree but almost flunked out)

### Swim

20% (amateur with the smallest bit of talent; hobby level)

### Throw

20% (amateur with the smallest bit of talent; hobby level)

### Track

10% (neophyte; beginner with a small amount of knowledge)

## Background

### Significant People

Trevor Thurston (key connection); Phineas (Finn) Rockwell, mechanical and civil engineering student and roommate; Mirabelle (Millie) Friedman, a fellow Masters candidate he has lovely conversations with; Dr. Charles Evescroft, his and Millie's professor

### Encounters with Strange Entities

birth; encountered Solomon after first escapology act

Of all the things in his life, Magnus Thurston hates his original given name the most.

Born to an unknown mother & father, Magnus was found in a produce crate in an alley three blocks away from Battery Wharf in Boston.  Given to the care of the Nickerson Home for Children, he was named by the horrible Matron Weatherly, who despised all her charges when not in view of the director or his wife.  Needless to say, Magnus has an overwhelming hatred for orphanages.

It was early in his life that Magnus realized the power and control of making others laugh and entertained; he was not the handsomest child, and discovered that making fun of oneself before others did could insulate him from their cruelty and mockery. That said, he was never afraid of a scrap; naturally tall and strong, he towered over those who would try to bully him.  It was around a year before that fateful night he began to notice changes in his appearance - his skin began to change color, and strange furrows developed on his neck.  Over time these developed into more and more distinct features, and Magnus began to notice that apart from his hands and most of his head he began to develop fishlike. As this time passed, he realized he could not stay; the matron was becoming crueler by the day on account of his body, and he was approaching the age he would be forced to go work at the mill with the other children.  One night, just before bedtime, Magnus left home, saying farewell to Billy Stone, his only true friend in the world. He was just nine years old.

He was quickly adopted by Winston Welle’s Carnival of Curios as an assistant and stagehand. He spent a half year traveling the East Coast with them before becoming officially apprenticed to the carnival’s magician, a man named Trevor Thurston.  Thurston became a father figure to young Magnus, teaching him his craft and about how to win over a crowd and redirect their focus and attention to where he wanted it to be.  Magnus eventually took upon a stage name, Magnus Thurston, and the duo began to perform together in increasingly elaborate acts.

Newly-named Magnus developed an act on his own as a form of graduation from his apprenticeship, one where he escaped from a locked glass case filled with water, whilst blindfolded and cuffed upside down.  What Magnus and Trevor couldn’t predict were the results of the first performance of the trick; it went horribly, as the key to the cuffs would not turn at first and Magnus was set to drown.  Somehow though, he managed to hold his breath and stay underwater for nearly three times as long as he should have, and completed the act without further incident.  Privately, while the master was thrilled and impressed the former student was appalled and terrified, resolved never to repeat it despite the impressive results.

That night, someone from the crowd snuck into the performers’ tents and cornered Magnus.  Though Magnus doesn’t remember the full conversation he recalls a few snippets: the individual introducing themselves only as Solomon; a strange statuette with amber eyes appearing to glow in the dim light; a shushed few words of praise and awe; and a strange watery feeling over his face.  When he awoke, Magnus discovered an odd stone medallion or amulet around his neck, and for a strange reason could not feel any compulsion to remove it.  Upon looking into the mirror, Magnus was astonished: his appearance, whilst not pleasant, lacked any of the subtle fishlike characteristics he had become accustomed to over the last ten years!

Strangely, upon showing Trevor and the other carnival workers, they seemed to notice no change whatsoever.  Indeed, if he concentrated, Magnus could see the unpleasant human characteristics shimmering over his own features.  He began to wear the amulet so much that he began to forget what he himself looked like, until one day when he forget to put it on before consulting his mirror; to his horror, the subtle transformation he had been experiencing had accelerated!  What he had once idly thought would take more than a decade to occur had advanced within the last year alone.  At that moment, he removed the amulet and attempted to discard it, but despite his best efforts it always found its way back to his side.  Instead he keeps it as a reminder that while the illusion it grants him is somewhat pleasant; it is only a bandage for his pride, damaged by years of abuse and ridicule, both self-inflicted and otherwise.

After acquiring the amulet and hearing strange stories in townships the carnival visited, Magnus developed an interest in the study of parapsychology and the occult.  After studying and working on his own for two years, he was accepted and graduated from Boston University with a BS in History, with a focus on Pagan practices and belief systems.  He was accepted into an MA program at San Francisco University, where he focuses on the psychology of extra sensory perception and experiences, sometimes called parapsychology.

His research focuses on locations and individuals who purport to commonly have encounters with the occult and the psychoactive, in particular the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, where he was fortunate enough to interview Sarah Winchester a few times before she passed.

## Story

Magnus is on the ferry from Oakland after an unsuccessful visit to Joaquin Miller Park, where he spent 5-6 hours attempting to encounter and collecting accounts of the mysterious phantom woman said to haunt the location.