Bicorporal

Bicorporal

Talismonger Turned Runner, Enchanter
"Are you fine waiting till' next conjunction? What? No, you can't rush this, the planetary spheres move at their own pace."
Discord	@Tyneman
Reddit	[1]
Metatype	Human
Street Cred	1
Notoriety	0
Public Awareness	0
CDP	8
D.O.B.	26/7/2044
Age	41
Folder	[2]
Priority	Metatype - E Attributes - C Magic/Resonance - C Skills - A Resources - D
#Max IGs/Ascension	5

Character Information

Summary

A talismonger turned runner, Bicorporal is an Enchanter privy to more than he should be. He's rather old fashioned - and I mean really old - magically, following the tenants of renaissance-era astrological magic with how he constructs his "talismans", and is a staunch opponent of the philosophy of UMT. A small and smart man, he solves his problems with planning and intellect.

Goals

Be able to live a luxurious lifestyle through pure talismongering.

Grow to become a renowned Enchanter.

Make Lewis Bargheist's name never be forgotten.

Background

7/6/44, the Hallaways - Luke and Margret - win the genetic lottery. Born in Bellevue, Jon Hallaway was a bright young kid, and until the 4th grade, was mostly liked by the other kids and thus not bullied. He was brought up in a private school, some of the best education in the 6th world... er, well, at least in the UCAS. However, starting at the 4th grade is when his school mandated testing for Awakened qualities. While his family, astronomers and scientists, was happy for the chance of potentially having a student of a different field in their family, when he ended up revealing nothing for the moment, his family was fine with such. However, some of the other kids were not. The movement of the classes meant that, at least for a few minutes, awakened kids tended to meet with the mundane kids, and it just seems that some of the younger mages decided to take out their feelings of superiority on him in particular, laughing at the "blind kid".

However, once just a year passed, and into the 5th grade he went, he awoke to his power. Just before yearly testing for awakened potential, he had been laughed at by one of the kids once more. Something within him changed, as he immediately lunged not to punch the awakened peer, but to touch their book. As he did, it glowed with power, and a sheet of ice suddenly burst out of it and onto the ground, knocking the mocker to the ground and into the infirmary soon after. He had accidentally used the magic, his body not his own in that moment, and the other children had begun to run away at the unexpected act of magical aggression. Quickly, he was taken in by the principle, but the expected anger and suspension was instead greeted with an opportunity - the school's awakened teachers had assensed the spell, and the power it showed impressed them so much that he was offered the chance to advance a grade if he was able to pass the year's end test, being moved to the 6th grade, away from his tormentors that he had accidentally now concussed. Quick to accept with his parents ecstatic, it was emblematic of his youth - down the fast lane of scholarship.

All the way through middle and highschool, he showed his gifted nature both magically and intellectually, breezing through it, and was given a fully-paid scholarship straight to the University of Washington. And so, just a lad of 17, he was sent off to U-Dub in search of an Artificing degree, to use his Enchantment prowess to it's fullest. While he was taught Hermetic magic, the stars always caught his eyes. How they danced in the sky, they were far more than mere masses of rock and gas, he knew it to his core, alongside the history of astronomy, including and most especially focusing on astrology.

His associate's and bachelor's degree in Artificing went simply enough, but the year when he earned his Masters was one of interest. He had decided to work part-time with a small talismonger in Bellevue by the name of Lewis Bargheist, who had secretly worked with runners on the side, and, one day during work, an interesting client came in. Starting out just looking for Hermetic reagents - a simple affair - he then left a small envelope on the table after paying, claiming it was thanks for the quality of work Lewis had put in. He quickly opened it up, and looked transfixed at was written, but quickly put it back as Jon looked, telling him that he couldn't look at it. However, when they set off for the day, he happened to leave it behind. That's when the young Enchanter decided to take a quick peep, and became privy to knowledge he was not meant to know - writings on 4th World Magic, said to be able to weave items of such incredible power that grew with the wielders. He knew he couldn't let anyone, including Bargheist, know about him knowing this, but he needed to know more, to become a greater Enchanter - nay, the best Enchanter in the 6th world - and obsession began to grip him.

Also during that time, shortly after this incident, he grew more and more invested in astrology. He even began to stop reading his textbooks in favour of modern translations of renaissance tomes of ancient astral practises, and he became fascinated with another idea from the era - the Guardian Daimon. Everything he did felt like it was leading to the discovery his Guardian Daimon, who would be his real teacher - none of these hacks with their UMT garbage. And, just a few months before he was scheduled to potentially get his Masters, a flash of flame woke him from his sleep.

It appeared to him as a winged man, blazing with fire, and countless eyes yet no mouth - it bred the Good through it's silence, and it grew in wisdom and had no tongue with which to distract from understanding - and he knew exactly all it wanted him to know. A mentor spirit in terms he's long moved past, it prepared him to learn in a way that would truly fulfil him - and it would start after he obtained his Masters, for that would be the last time any of this Hermetic filth would be of use to him, at least it impressed upon him. And so, he waited, getting his Masters, as instead of continuing his schooling, he was contacted by Pentacle Distributions one day at work - the chance of a cushy life. He took it, for the moment, as he was taken off and to his new job as fast as the recruiter had entered. It hurt Lewis deeply, to see the young Enchanter he had spent so long mentoring just leave him like that for some corporate soul-crushing job, but his pain would not merely be that as his wife too had left him, and the court had ruled against visitation rights due to false claims of abuse with the proper amount of false evidence.

For some odd years, he worked as a producer of soulless, heartless, easy to use foci. He grew discontent, especially seeing as he knew these were mere fractions of what could be done, for no astrological timing was followed. But he had to keep it down, just making more and more foci he considered slop. That is, until one day, at the age of 28, he snapped. Breaking a cheap oak staff over his knee, he ripped off his tie, and went straight to his boss declaring he was quitting and didn't give a rat's ass about any two weeks notice. He was fired, 0 severance, and had to rely upon what he had in his bank account. He had to head back to Lewis and hope he'd take him back. As he drove to where he once spent all that time improving his art, where had learned of dark lore not meant for man, he did not see the cheap sign hanging over a glass door - he saw firefighters, and as he drove as close as he would be allowed to, he saw a mortuary van drive off that solidified the terrible twist that joining Pentacle Distributions had been. There was one thing that was missed at the sight of the now gone talismonger's shop, and that was a slip of charred paper with a barely legible commcode - he was always an odd one with how much he wrote physically over digital notepads.

Calling it, just searching for something to hold onto, he found the cheery voice of a troll woman on the other side - Adowa Webster - who was worried, thinking that Lewis had died and that he didn't sound like himself and she was worried. However, the voice of Jon shattered her like glass, as he then learned that Bargheist wasn't even his real name - he was actually a runner, and Moira was her Fixer who was trying to teach him the art of getting jobs for other runners. Unable to even think straight, he just closed the call, drove home, and slept.

Over the years, he managed to set up his own online commission based talismonger shop, based on "proper astrological talisman creation", but it never paid much. He always had to do odd jobs in addition to this, and his life had grown dull. It was only when he was 30, when a decker attack had wiped a plethora of SINs out completely, including his, that he decided to take his life into his own hands. He called up Moria once more, and began work as a Runner, and, over 11 years, would end up proving himself to enough people that she would get him into the Haven, where he now resides.

Narrative Significant Qualities

Positive

History Is Not As Certain As We Are Taught - The letter drove him to incredible lengths and obsession over the 4th World's Magic, unable to go a day without at least thinking over the ancient and powerful arts, the glorious techniques - maybe one day he could rekindle them, at least he dreams.

Mentor Spirit (Fire Bringer) - His Guardian Daimon has been a driving force for his magical learning, and is who ensured he would not end up another Hermetic college wizzer.

Negative

A Terrible Fascination (x1) - His obsession with the arcane arts of yore lead him to always looking for even small crumbs of lore on the long gone practises of the 4th World.

Run History

Name	GM	Metaplot	Threat	Date of Run
Leakplug	Asmodeus	No Legion But Still Deadly	Medium	3 September 2085
HR Complaint	Robinton		Medium	1 July 2085
Net Neutral	Niven		Low	8 June 2085

Affiliations

Contacts

Contact	Connection	Loyalty	Archetype	Profession	Aspects	Chips
Adowa "Moria" Webster	4	2	Fixer	DIMR Scientist	Hermetic Mage, Decker, Nerd, Draco Foundation Fixer, Arcane-Archaeologist	Even

In Character Information

Matrix Search Table

Threshold	Result
1	Bicorporal is an online talismonger and also runner, notable for being of the Cosmic tradition and having a Masters in Artificing.
3	He lives in Bellevue, an ex-corpo who had a breakdown in a Pentacles Distribution location and was fired.
6	His real name is Jon Hallaway.

Shadow Community Table

Threshold	Result
1	Talismonger turned Runner, he's an astrological wiz.
3	Dreams of power are a constant for him, always grasping for greater, no matter the cost.
5	He may have information on some topics he most assuredly should not, esoteric lore meant to be forgotten millennia ago.

Assensing Table

Threshold	Result
1	Awakened
2	No Cyberware, Enchanter
3	No Disease
4	Essence 6, Magic 6
5	No Deltaware or Technomancy

SINs

JJL0-MOPS-4469, "Richard Shirley", licensed Mage and Gun Owner, able to drive.

Appearance

A short man who has aged relatively well, Bicorporal wears rather simple clothing - a brown jacket, grey khaki, the most striking part of it being a red tie with black button-up. Though, on him, you lose all idea of emo-attire with the combination, and it just ends up as a nice contrast to the lighter colours of the rest of his clothes.

Character Plot Hooks

Here are characteristics of the character that GMs may take advantage of to add complications to runs, or to otherwise use when in use. If you want to use them in unrelated to runs, please ask first.

Aspect	Information	Related Run(s)
Obsessed With Power	His desires to become a great, nay legendary, Enchanter means that he will go to great lengths for this goal, swaying him into darker mindsets from time to time.
Forbidden Lore	He knows a bit about the 4th World, and he wants more. History on the ancient world's magic is a gift most incredible for him.
Talismongering	Outside of running, Bicorporal does run a talismongering shop on the matrix, and his rather peculiar methods of astrological timing tend to limit his market and potentially anger customers.