Level 1 Update

[EarlStevens]

Updates in bold.

Magicians have long known that there are pathways to other worlds in the most unlikely places scattered throughout Althanas; some have even suggested that those other worlds are like clouded mirrors, reflecting our own back to us in perverted and distorted forms. If such alternate worlds do indeed exist, then it could be possible that there are two or three or even more of each of us, each born into a twisted world in a twisted world. Would bridging the gulfs between those other worlds bring us face to face with ourselves? What would we think of each other?

Name - Leopold Lord Stevens, MP, Earl of Westchester-Beyond-Moor
Race - human
Gender - male
Age - 42
Height - 6'2"
Weight - 175 lbs
Hair Color - light brown
Eye Color - green

Stevens's family descends from a line of magicians who staked out a magical domain encompassing a small parcel of land in northern England and an unknown portion of the realms beyond the "Eastern Gates" - a series of mystical portals to uncharted worlds inhabited by so-called fairies and other magic folk. Through the years, the Stevens family lost most of their mundane lands but retained their claims to magical lands and a large estate. With the closure of the Eastern Gates during Napoleon's Wizard Campaign, the former became almost meaningless. In an attempt to prevent the family name from fading into insignificance, Eustace Stevens, Leopold's grandfather, as one of the Magick Earls of Northern England, was able to claim one of the "magic boroughs," Westchester-Beyond-Moor, which gave him a seat in the House of Commons. The magic boroughs represented magical territory not existing in this temporal realm and were created during the Restoration to reward the Magick Earls for remaining neutral during the English Civil Wars: therefore, they are completely unrepresentative of the British electorate and somewhat undemocratic. Westchester-Beyond-Moor survived the Reform Acts of the 1800's, and by the beginning of the 20th century was one of only six seats in Parliament reserved for the magic boroughs. Leopold gained his family seat in Parliament at the age of 17 upon the death of his father at the hands of a sneakthief.

At that time, he was enrolled in the Sorcerery College of Oxford University, studying prestidigitation and magical transportation. Leopold graduated from Oxford with highest honors and assumed his seat in Parliament. Between appearances in the House of Commons, Stevens attempted to put into practice an attempt to open all the magical gates in Britain and thereby reverse Napoleon's blow to British magical transportation. Over the course of 20 years, he opened five, but was swallowed by one gate in the basement of a house on the Isle of Wight and thrust out into the world of Althanas.

Upon appearing in Althanas, Stevens immediately used some of his magical tools to locate the nearest magical gateways, and was lead to the Citadel. Upon arrival, the monks immediately assumed he was Sir Leopold Lord Stevens, a man who has inhabited Althanas for several years, and is apparently a castaway from an entirely different universe from Althanas or Earl Stevens's own world. The monks pushed Earl Stevens into a battle before realizing that he couldn't possibly be the Leopold Stevens they knew, and immediately assumed he was some sort of trick conjured up by Aesphestos, a powerful dark sorcerer with designs to conquer Althanas. Therefore, they locked Earl Stevens in a monk's cell, unsure what to do with him.

However, the earl escaped and attempted to flee the Citadel, but was foiled by a monk rebellion and the sudden appearance of the other Leopold Stevens. The riot passed, but now Earl Stevens finds himself obsessed with and fearful of the man who shares his face and his name. He can now leave the Citadel whenever he wishes, but finds its interior somehow comforting, despite the months spent as a prisoner within its walls.

Companion: Stevens has a manservant, but he seems to lack any practical use. He is seven feet tall, but hides his body by a black, flowing cloak that clouds his appearance. It constantly ripples as if in a slight breeze, but never leaves the ground or reveals the man beneath. His face is hidden by a pale white mask with only two eyeholes and a ghoulish, permanent smile carved into it. He never speaks and an impermeable shadow hides his face beneath the openings in the mask. He follows Stevens everywhere but never offers any service, even when Stevens's life is in mortal peril. When questioned, Stevens never reveals how he met the servant, what his name is, or why they are entrusted with each other's company.

Since the adventure in the Citadel, however, Stevens has come to realize that his manservant has a terrible strength, hidden until now. The creature can shift its shadowy body, wrapping around an attacker, snapping bone and shearing metal. Its intentions and caprices are unclear, and Stevens has no assurance that his manservant will use its powers to protect him in the future.

Weapons: Stevens carries a walkingstick with a silver knob handle. When this handle is twisted, a foot-long steel blade slides from the end of the cane. Stevens only uses it for self defense when all else fails.

Tools: Stevens has a bag of magical tools he was using to open the magical gate to Althanas, but they are in the care of his manservant and he sees no reason to use them.

Clothing: Stevens wears spectacles. He wears a grey cotton three-piece suit with a bow-tie and a grey fedora. He has black work gloves which he was wearing while fiddling with the magical gate but doesn't usually wear them.

Personality: Stevens is arrogant, condescending and self-centered. Although he is a strong public speaker and highly intelligent, he only uses these skills to build the basis for self-aggrandizement of one sort or another.

Magical Skill: He shows magical promise, but since the arts of offensive magic and war spells were outlawed in Britain after the Napoleonic Wars, he has no real experience with either. Prestidigitation, a type of glorified sleight of hand, is his most refined magical skill outside of the practical skill of repairing or refining pre-existing magical gateways. At most, Stevens can prevent an onlooker from seeing his walkingstick or any smaller object in his hand, and then can make it reappear in his hand without warning.

Other Skills: Stevens has experience in polo, croquet and fencing. He can handle a horse but dislikes other farm animals. If pressed, Stevens can box but his stamina isn't what it used to be.

[Cyrus the virus]

Alright, approved.