Crow

[Quinn]

A battered and ratty journal, bought cheap from a garage sale. Bound in leather, with a neat twist-tie for a lock. Good luck opening that without knowing the command word and anti-ward orders, though. On the inside is scrawled two words; Morgan Crowe. Small marks on the front, under a table of contents - for a grimoire, it's not the most impressive thing in the world.

 

Table Of Contents:

 

>Page 10 - HellQ

Edited January 17, 2014 by Quinn

[Quinn]

Introduction

Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence.
 

Hmm…lege-ah…hero in training.

Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume?

 

Just Crow. Well…maybe a few others in languages I can’t pronounce. Working on that.

What is your full birth name?

 

Morgan Crowe.

Where do you live?

 

Currently? The Parkhurst Hotel. No, you aren’t getting an address. Good luck finding it even if you had one, hehehe.

 

How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)?
 

Twenty, I was born in 1994.

 

Physical Traits

 

What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain.

 

Male. Not likely to change anytime soon, that.

How would you describe your heritage?
 

Iri-…Sidh-…Tua-…

 

American. With some extras.

How tall are you?
 

Five foot ten. And yeah, I measure every day.

What is your body type?
 

Muscular, I guess. I do a lot of heavy training and exercise. Like, a lot. Kinda have to, after all.

Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities?

 

I’ve got a fierce temper, but I’m working on that. Holdover from…actually, both my dad and mom have that, come to think of it. And almonds make me sneeze.

How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence?

Ah man…I dunno if I’d describe myself as graceful, but I’m not heavy; learning to box means dancing feet, all the time. Moving all over the place, walking light and stepping soft. And yeah, if I’m in the zone and I’ve got the Rune of Fog up, you won’t know I’m there until I either tap you on the shoulder or punch you in the face. Or both.

 

Describe your skin, eye, and hair color.

 

Pale, gold, and black. And no, they aren’t contacts. Though with the looks I get when I’m out and about, I’m really thinking I should start wearing those…

How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair?
 

Well, it’s fairly long, so it kinda depends on the circumstances. Grows fast, too, so cutting it…yeah, doesn’t work. Anyway; training and on patrol, I usually tie it in a ponytail. Everywhere else, usually just let it hang loose.

Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others?

 

Aaaah…knee-jerk is no, I’ve taken more than a couple punches to my face; broke my nose once. But…well, Vickie seems to think I look good, so I’ll go with what she says.

Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks?

 

No. Though…a tattoo of a crow on the bicep would be pretty awesome…actually, on second thought, never mind. Bad idea. Very bad idea.

Do you resemble anyone famous?
 

Not as far as I know.

Do you have a dominant hand?

 

I’m a righty – jab a few times with the left, then big-time haymaker with the right cannon; boom!

What kind of clothing do you wear?

 

Whatever’s cheap? Dad trusts me to buy my own clothes, so I tend to go with what’s inexpensive and in bargain bins. And durable. Durable clothes are good. Oh, and trackpants and trackshirts for training, I have a lot of those.

Do you wear makeup?

 

No. No. Definitley not.

What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way?

 

Umm…not really, I guess. I mean, I’m pretty good at switching between a baritone and bass, though I usually only go deep when I’m in costume. Though…I did inherit this one thing from my mother. If I’m really, really angry? I have this, this voice that just comes out, see? My friends say it’s like…footsteps walking across a grave. But it’s weird too – like someone’s hijacked my mouth. Yeah. Scares me too.

Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people?
 

Distinctive habits? Ah…none, not really. I can slip into old Gaelic when I’m stressed, I guess. And if the guys’ve noticed, they haven’t said. Yeah, it’s a bit annoying.


History

Where do you come from?
 

Boston!

Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown?
 

Yep, from Beantown to Freedom City. Herotown.

Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country?
 

Aaah…ask me again in a few years. Tentative answers, though – yes, yes, and ambivalent.

How do you feel about the place you come from?

Boston was my home; I was born there, I was raised there, my favourite restaraunts are there, the alley where I was first a real ‘hero’ is there…I miss it, really. But Freedom City’s feeling more and more like a home, y’know?

 

Where is your home town? What was/is it like?

Massachussets, it was. And Boston’s a big city, easy to get lost in. Neighbourhood I lived in was comfy, though; lot of folks my dad knew from his hero days lived around there too. Great sandwiches from a stand run by a pair of trolls, occasionally visiting some old colleagues of his and listening to ‘em shoot the breeze, hitting the gym and earning cash lifting-carrying on the waterfront; that’s what it was like.

 

Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you?

Uh…I guess it was a bit odd. I mean, my dad was a famous hero back in the day, and since he got his powers by accident he wasn’t exactly unknown. Which means once people found out my last name…yeah, it was awkward. Got a bit of a swelled head for a while, until I found out...next question.

 

Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life?

 

Hmm…I’ve always been a good boxer, since I started learning it. Learned quick, hit the rookie under-eighteen circuits, got a couple of trophies, started training like mad after that villain kicked the tar out of me – I’d say it’s affected my life. Oh, and I’ve always been a pretty good artist. Painting and sculpting – you see Avalon once, once…it’s hard not to want to put that on paper or canvas.

Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)?
 

Just one. When I hit sixteen. I said I’d had a swelled head, being the son of a famous hero, honorary Freedom Leaguer, the whole nine yards. I knew, I just –knew- that I was going to be a big hero too. Then my mother spits in my face and says that I’ve got ‘none of the blood’, I’m ‘useless, worse than useless’, and my dad and I had to run. Literally, run. Flee from the wrath of an angry goddess. First time I ever saw my own mother, too. Yeah… went through a…rough patch, after that.

Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life.

 

Besides the one I just wrote about? Few months after old Morry had chased us away, I was at this…demonstration at my high school. First year, clubs were putting on a show. One of the Irish-American teachers was demonstrating the styles I was starting to learn, if memory serves, when this big bulky guy wearing armor that looked like it was solid rock came barrelling in the front doors, yelling for Red Hand and his son. As in Red Hand’s son. As in me. One of dad’s old foes. Said he’d tear up the school if he or I didn’t surrender and admit defeat. Me being young…er, younger, and stupid, I promptly stood up, called him something very rude, and tried to punch him. Then I got the tar beat out of me. Repeatedly. Painfully. I say without question I received the worst beating I have ever, -ever- felt from that guy. Oh, I tried to fight back, but nothin’ worked. No punches, no kicks, I was fighting straight up and I got just destroyed. Didn’t stop when I was down, either. Then he started boasting, laughing, calling for my dad. And…well, I remembered the rules dad had drilled into my head before we’d gone to see mom, rules he’d told me years ago. Red Hand’s Rules. Enter into battle with joy, protect those who can’t protect themselves, and never be afraid to fight dirty…so I started laughing. Pretty weak laughter (a couple of my ribs were broken), but laughter. He started wondering how the heck I was still standing, his moves got sloppier and more reckless as he tried to shut me up…then I grabbed a fire extinguisher and bashed it across his head when he –finally- left an opening. Soaked him with foam. Kept wailing on him with it until he went down. Long story short, it was that villain beating me down and remembering what my dad had taught me that got me out of the funk I’d been in; remembering the other heroes he’d told me about, Midnight, Arrowhawk, and the Raven. That’s how I started on the road to Crow-dom, really.

 

What stupid things did you do when you were younger?
 

See above answer. Along with the usual teenage idiocy. And accidentally getting into a fight with one of Boston’s more famous heroes – I still have the marks where he bit me!

 

Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it?
 

Attended Claremont Academy, graduated. Debating college, but...I dunno. And yeah, I enjoyed it immensely. Made a lot of good friends, and the classes were damn useful – almost fun. Almost. Still classes. Stupid homework…I had other projects to work on!

Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not?
 

Still in my childhood, technically. But…I do have one thing. Something that’s…very precious to me. Ring on my right hand – silver, with Celtic designs wrought into the metal. It was a gift, from Victoria Knight. My…err…girlfriend. And she gave it to me the same night that…ah…we…uh…she gave something…else…to…m-OKAYNEXTQUESTION!

When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision?
 

See above questions. And I did it because that’s what my dad did, that’s what Raven did, that’s what Midnight did, that’s what Arrowhawk did, and because I was taught to protect people who can’t protect themselves.

Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why?
 

Well, no. Though nobody’s really asked me, so I don’t know.

Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you?
 

Besides that my mother is a walking incarnation of death and battle? No.

Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why?
 

I…don’t know. Crow is…me. I guess. Except a lot more frightening. It’s me being…more ruthless…but then I’m already like that in training…I really don’t know. I gotta be scary, y’know? That’s how Crow has to be – an...an...embodiment, yeah, that’s the word – an embodiment of stark terror to the criminals of Freedom City.

If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets?
 

Well…I’ve already told my friends who my mother is, and the only fear I would’ve had before that would be that they’d have run from me. And they didn’t. They stuck by me. So…I guess it doesn’t really matter. Still awkward, though; so I suppose I’d prefer to keep my lip buttoned about it. No more than that. Though…I guess on another level I would take some measures to avoid keeping the secret of my parentage hidden, though that’s mostly petty. I really don’t want public perception of my mother to increase any more.

Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge?

 

No. If I did back home, my dad would kill me. Or worse, ground me. Here, my friends’d kill me, I’d be expelled, and then my dad would kill me. Again.

 

No, seriously, he’d find some funky ancient spell and…yeah, next question please!


Family


What are your biological parents' names?

 

Patrick Crowe and Mór-ríoghain. Don’t say her name three times. Seriously.

Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you.

 

My dad, yeah. My mother…she was off doing goddessy stuff, I guess. Whatever near-forgotten deities of death do when they aren’t being utter jerks.

 

Hope she didn’t hear that.

What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living?

 

Dad was a hometown hero made good, but retired; lotta people in the know would stop by to ask for autographs or something, we’d get the occasional villain – maybe the odd dude looking to get some old artefact identified. He’s still a university professor, though – maybe if I wasn’t living in Freedom City now, I’d have had him teaching me one day. Weird.

 

And mom’s a goddess of death, fertility, and war. So that’s kinda a full-time gig.

Where are your parents now?
 

Dad’s still back home in Boston, we send a lotta letters and postcards between us; keep up to date with what each other’s doing. He’s a bit cheesed-off at the trouble I keep falling in, but he’s pretty resigned to it – not like he didn’t do worse back in the day.

 

Don’t talk to mom much. Or…really, ever. She’s in Avalon or Mag Mell or wherever. Doing what she does.

Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot?

 

Stay in one area – Dad used to move around a lot between Freedom City and Boston, but after retiring he hasn’t left Beantown for more than a day or so. Not even for vacations.

How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable).
 

I get along well with my dad. He’s my dad, y’know? Taught me right from wrong, how to poke at a car engine, how to drive, how to hit a Fomorian so they don’t get back up in a hurry, where the best pizza places are…yeah, I get along well with him.

 

Don’t ask about my mother.

How do your parents view you now, or how would they?

 

Dad’s scared to death I’m going to end up getting grabbed by one of old nemeses, or end up going down in a blaze of glory against some eldritch foe, but he’s resigned to the fact that I’m a hero now. He knows I wouldn’t have it any other way. Though he has said he’s saving up embarrassing stories to tell his grandkids. Oy.

 

Mom…I dunno. From what I’ve heard, she still dislikes me. Well, not me so much as I haven’t got the warp-spasm like Big C or dad did. And she chased me and dad away way back when with crows and carrion birds pecking at our heads. But I’ve also heard she’s got a bit of pride now. After what she said in Tian...I dunno. I don’t know if I want to know either. Rrgh.

Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them.
 

I dunno. Maybe. The Morrigan’s a goddess of fertility too, so it wouldn’t surprise me. Haven’t met any yet, though.

What was your birth order in the family?

Again, heck if I know.

 

Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do?
 

H.I.I.K.

Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged?
 

*shrug*

Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular?

Love my dad, can’t stand my mother, next question.

 

Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)?

Next question.

 

Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain.
 

I’d be the black sheep if I wasn’t picking up where my dad left off, I suppose. But right now, I don’t reckon so.

Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life.

YES. The Hound of Ulster himself, Cu Chulainn – his bloodline’s my birthright. My dad, Red Hand, inherited the warp-spasm, the berserker fury that gave him superpowers and let him pick up the spear and shield of that legendary hero. It made the Morrigan seek him out just after his retirement. It brought me into the world, thinking I’d inherit the power and…

 

Yeah. I didn’t get it. And that’s been affecting my life ever since. Living up to Big C’s example, living up to dad’s example, etc.

 

Next question.

 

Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them.

Yes, I’m dating Victoria Knight. Wisp. She’s…special. I’m not that…I’m…it’s hard to describe. No, we don’t have kids. I mean, I guess it’s something that could happen but neither of us are kind of chasing it but I don’t want to say no and no matter what I think we’d bo-*area scrawled out*...yeah, there’s, ah, no hurry there.

 

If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind?

 

I’d like some someday. My dad’d love grandkids, and I know I’d love to teach them like he taught me, right from wrong, all the cool places in Freedom City to eat or hang out, tell them stories about their ancestors and that kinda thing. But they’d probably also pick up a few of my enemies, so…

 

It’s a hard question.

What type of person would be your ideal mate?

Who I’m currently dating. Next question.

Relationships

Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them.
 

Yes. Yes, so very much yes! I mean, granted – as a scary as heck hero I shouldn’t be so vehement about it, but what the hell – my friends are awesome. There’s my ex-roomie, Brian Harris; alias Glowstar. He’s a Hero with a capital H, I mean that; brash, straight-up paragon of justice type when he puts on the cape. Saved my butt more times than I can count, too. Yeah, he’s Good People. Real Good People – I wish there were more Brian Harrises in the world.

 

Etain Maher’s a friend too – ran into her my first day at Claremont. Though...okay, I’ll admit straight-up that girl scares me. Good people, no lie – I’d trust her with my back any day of the week. Kind, polite, but...what was that thing from literature class...silk hiding steel. Yeah. That’s Etain to a T. Mathair na trocaire, a lot of my own scary I riff off her own demeanor. It’s...well...fey. Yeah, she scares me. And I respect her for it.

 

And then there’s John Smith – I don’t know if he’d call me a friend, he’s pretty...well...quiet. Distant, too – granted, he’s got good reasons. But aye, I’d call him a friend. Met him his first day at Claremont, and we...hit it off, I guess? It just sorta happened – we shared a similar love for insane training regimens and sparring. Never could figure out who’s better in CQC - guy’s strong. Good. Quiet strong, and quiet good, but he’s the kinda guy who, if he’s got your back, you don’t even bother looking behind. Respect that – it’s rare.

 

Victoria Knight...Vicky...yeah. What the heck can I say about her, huh? Most...just...she’s...yeah. Smart, quick wits, funny, strong, sexy as hell, generous, heroic...yeah. I’d need way more time than I got to cover her here.

 

Don’t know a lot of other people, though – it’s...I’d call it more luck that we’re all so close than anything else. It just...happened. Never thought I’d make friends like these. And my life’s a helluva lot richer for it.

Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend?
 

I don’t have a best friend.

 

No.

 

I got four.

If you were to go missing, who would worry about you?

The Irregulars would tear the city apart to find me. I know, I’d do the same for them. My dad would prolly pick up the old spear and shield to help. Mom...

 

I dunno about Mom. She’d prolly be too busy to care. Don’t care much about it, to be honest...no. No, I don’t.

 

Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do?
 

No.

 

But I came close. Very close. I still have nightmares about how close. And I pray I’ll never experience that cold again.

Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you.

Probably who knows how many streetside crooks. And...

 

I dunno. Would it be arrogant to say Bres the Beautiful? The Fomorian prince – easy to look him up in any book of Irish myth. I took his magic rock, yeah – and I kicked his butt big-time in Tian...but I’m still this tiny wannabe hero. Yeah, he wants his rock back more than crushing me. My dad’s more a bitter enemy to him, I’d say.

 

If I was to go with a real bitter enemy, I’d say The Lady and her servant Branagh – a sidhe noble and her Autumn Child. Stopped them from retrieving a formerly-enslaved servant once, and they’ve hated me ever since. That question above, if I lost any loves – they were the ones who nearly made that happen.

 

I’ll never forgive them for it. Just as they’ll never forgive me. If we’re lucky, they’ll never show up again and I’ll never run into them again...ch’yeah, right. This is Freedom City. They’ll be back.

 

But the others and I? We know their methods. And we’ll be waiting.

 

If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future?
 

Aim for my family, aim for my friends, or aim for my girlfriend. Problem is that any of those choices are terminally stupid for a multitude of reasons.

 

Good luck.

What is the worst thing someone has done to you?
 

...see multiple above answers, and take your pick.

Where do your loyalties lie? In what order?
 

My friends, Freedom City or Boston, and my family. And only reason my family is second is because my dad can take care of himself – and he’d kick my butt big-time if I put him before anything else on the list.

Who or what do you trust the most? Why?
 

Every last one of the former Irregulars, most of the folks at Parkhurst, and my dad. First two groups because they earned it. Last one because he’s my dad. I need a reason there?

Who or what do you despise? Why?
 

Long list, but I’ll shorten it – Fomorians, supervillains, criminals in general, The Lady and her cronies, people who abuse magic (picked that one up from everyone else at Parkhurst)...trick isn’t to show you despise them or act like it if you have to deal with them. Just get the job done. Mr. Archer taught me that.

What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess?

Courage. Tenacity. Cunning, intelligence...self-reliance. Audacity – ye gods and little fishes, audacity. Even if I despise a criminal or a villain, I’ll admire the audacity of a scheme – how can’t you?

 

And yeah – I like to think I have each of those things. Though maybe it’s less courage and tenacity on my end and more stubbornness or arrogance. I’m trying to work that out.

 

What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities?
 

Greed, mostly. Arrogance – I see enough of that in me. And...cruelty. I hate cruel people. I hate them because it scares me. It’s a fine line to walk, playing the scary-as-heck cowl on the streets; trying not to pass the line and turning it into a cat-and-mouse game for...for fun. Terror is a weapon – it’s not a toy...and...I want to think I don’t fail.

 

God, I hope I don’t fail.

 

Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why?
 

Yes, I do. My family, and my friends. I’m lucky in that regard, I’ve never gotten close to anyone I’ve had to hide my identity from. If I did, I would...mostly – my friends and family I know can take care of themselves, and anyone I told about Crow would have to be equally as capable.

 

Otherwise, I’m not letting them get caught up in what I do. It’s what a hero’s supposed to do, right?

Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower?

 

Worked with the Irregulars, and we were a well-oiled machine fo’ sho’, hah. Swear to the Tuatha – on our best day, you could put us in front of SHADOW’s best and we’d give points and take the over.

 

Like to think I was a leader, at least for a while. I mean, I defer to Myrmidon a lot of the time when it comes to complex plans, but either of us usually take charge when there’s a battle plan to be made or tactics to rattle off before a fight. I don’t really do that anymore for...reasons.

 

Just, next question.

Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them?

 

I used to be; we called ourselves the Irregulars – my best friends, as said above. We argue sometimes, I guess – make mistakes. But we trust each other implicitly...or I like to think so; and I don’t think we have any more secrets between us.

 

...that’s a hard thing, honestly. The Morgan part of me says if any of us have secrets, it’s probably for a good reason – and we should trust each other with them. But the Crow part of me...it wants to be prepared for them...this is weird. Next que-next question, please.

Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that?

Was a student at Claremont Academy, and now, security consultant. Magic security consultant. It is ridiculously awesome. Spend most of my time trying to build up my business when I’m not patrolling or doing other stuff – not that that’s a bad thing or anything like that, it’s seriously fun! Really!

Personality & Beliefs

Who are your heroes?

I wanna say Freedom League, but more specifically...my dad, Raven, Arrowhawk...my dad’s my dad, but those two and a whole pack of others didn’t let a lack of superpowers stop them from picking up what they did best and protecting the world with it. Respect that, gotta respect that.

 

Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances?
 

Not yet. At least, I haven’t heard of anything that’d disillusion me yet. Hope it never happens.

Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it?
 

Yeah, I like being a hero. S’what I do best. As for the other bits...I guess if you’d asked me that a while ago, I’d say it was sticking it to my mother, and knowing I was proving her wrong. Now...it’s still sorta that, but it’s more...making a difference and helping people sounds so damn cliché, but after helping out those two spirits of earth and fire and seeing them with their children...and what Mr. Archer keeps saying...

 

Making a difference. And helping people.

Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides?
 

...no. Never. Ever. Maybe if...no, not even then.

 

He doesn’t think for a split second of a stone, locked away in a box and hidden between realms.

 

What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)?

Already graduated in one piece, so...I guess get my feet under myself financially, get my name out there as a figure of terror in the underworld, manage to get some fishing time in...you know, the usual stuff.

 

What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)?

Be a full-fledged cowl – one that truly strikes terror into the hearts of criminals all over Freedom City. Become a master of my craft – artifice and rune magic. Still fight evil with my friends – all of my friends. Don’t care about the odds – I won’t let them get hurt.

 

What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear?
 

...Victoria being taken again. A friend being taken. A friend dying. My dad dying. Reason’s self explanatory. As for what I’d do...

 

I can’t describe it. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. It scares me.

Is there anything you would give you life for?
 

Yes. Many things. None of them I hope’ll come to pass. The others’d kill me if I did.

 

Die, that is. Yeah, I know that sounds impossible. They’d find a way.

How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end?
 

It’s...money. I mean, I’m early twenties – I love money, spending it on myself or my friends, buying nice things and going to cool places. Or upgrading my gear – I mean, how much does Raven have to have in the kitty to afford all those cool toys she has? Seriously? Imma say I’m not miserly, at least, I hope I’m not. And I’d say yeah, it’s probably a mark of success. Not a big one, y’know – but a decent one. Money isn’t everything, right?

How do you generally treat others?
 

Eeeh...as Morgan Crowe? Friendly as heck, welcoming – big thing my dad taught me was hospitality. And it’s nice to be friendly. I mean, I should be cold and distant, but I just can’t be as myself, y’know?

 

Now, as Crow...cold and distant. Yeah. Gotta be. It’s the persona. Gotta stick with the persona.

Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused?

...Morgan, yes, Crow, no. And...sort of? It’s complicated – does mind control to leave a safe place so I have to go chasing after them to rescue count as abuse of trust?

Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence?

 

Morgan, extro, Crow, intro. Though with Crow it’s less shy and way more withdrawn. And yes, I’d say I have too much self-confidence...not sure if that’s a good thing.

How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex?
 

Be polite, be friendly. Sometimes a bit awkward. Make that very awkward. Didn’t really get flirty per se until Vickie and I had been going out for a while.

What are your most annoying habits?
 

I can be smug. Very smug. Or way too terse. And I have a nasty habit of assuming I can take charge in any situation. Still, I have high hopes – got a lot of people around me who can deliver a slap to the back of the head when I get too arrogant.

Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why?

I try not to. But not always – lawbreakers and magic abusers, for the most part. And Fomorians. See prior list.

What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can?
 

Oooh...tough call. I love mac and cheese made by my dad, specially when he does it with these four different cheeses and spicy sausage chunks? Daaaaamn...oh, but there’s these troll brothers who run a sandwich shop near my house – they make a hoagie you could use as a life raft. Tastes good too.

 

Choosing is hard.

What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

Root beer. Love that stuff – especially A&W. Drink it by the case if I could – heck, I burn enough calories in training I could. Though my teeth’d be an absolute mess, so that’s a no-go. Dangit.

What is your favorite treat (dessert)?
 

Oreo sundaes. Big ol’ ones – I eat them so infrequently it makes them a treat when I do, hee.

Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat?
 

...this is going to sound rather stupid, but most forms of Irish cuisine. Yeah.

What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike?

Black. It’s just a phase, I swear.

 

What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate?
 

Yeah, let’s get the stereotype out of the way – love the Dropkick Murphys. David Garrett’s bloody brilliant, and besides him...love good metal and rock. It’s a thing.

If you have a favorite scent, what is it?
 

Freshly baked bagel right in the morning. I miss sharing that with Brian.

Do you have a favorite animal?
 

...have you seen my name?

What is your most treasured possession? Why?
 

The ring. Even more than the coat.

Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts?

Ooh, I love roughin’ it. Just got back from a camping trip with Bri that went horribly, horribly wrong – still unbelieveably fun before all heck broke loose. I even caught a fish! Several fishes!

 

Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do?
 

Ignoring the obvious ones like killing someone or robbing a bank...I used to do a lot of dock work, so menial labor holds no fright for me. I guess I’d never do anything that would make me lose the respect of my friends or myself.

Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life? How important is it to you?
 

I deal with a lot of spirits, but I don’t exactly have...faith, per se. When you’ve seen the true pettiness of deities and spirits first-hand, it’s...it’s complicated.

Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special?

 

Influenced, yes. By many, many things that really don’t deserve the title of god. It’s a thing.

If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization?
 

Don’t, so doesn’t apply.

Could you kill? Have you killed?
 

First one...I...yes. No. Yes. I should be able to. Shouldn’t I? My job is to do what the other heroes can’t do in the clinch, when there is literally no other option...but I don’t want to...no. Yes. No. I...

 

...

 

...second one, no.

What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action?
 

...pass.

Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they?

 

Pass.

How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours?
 

I’d take them down. Hard. If it was a friend...I don’t want to see that. If I can help it, I never will. I don’t want to think what I’d do. Or what the ones I’d care about would see if I did.

How would you react if something important was stolen from you?
 

Track them down, beat them down, put the fear of Crow in them, and hand them over to the authorities.

How would you react to public humiliation?
 

With return fire of a pranking variety. I have much experience with that – as certain friends know very well. Hee.

How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you?
 

Oh, this again...see prior answer.

What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why?
 

Murder. Reason is self-explanatory.

If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours?

Go on one last patrol with the Irregulars. Leave a memory of everything I’ve learned and know. Eat my dad’s cooking. Leave each of my friends a gift. And spend the last hours with...yeah.

Career & Training

Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it?
 

If you call nine to five training in every possible aspect of physical readiness I can come up with special, then sure. Magic’s a tool, one I’m learning how to use, but I can’t rely on it as much as I do. I need to even the scale on that – and I’m working hard to achieve that.

 

The magic...I got from my mother. The coat. Got me started on the path. Everything else? Me. Got the basics from dad, and a couple of gym teachers – but everything after that is hard work, hard work, and more hard work. And I’m damn proud of that.

Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person?
 

For my coat and gloves? Mostly men and women dead and gone, treatises and books they wrote on rune magic. I have immense respect for these masters of their craft – they represent what I’m aspiring to.

 

Abilities like how to fight, that was me. But I’d say it was my dad, Patrick Crowe, who taught me why to fight. Granted, it took me a while to really understand it.

Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them?

Rune magic, channelled through my coat and my gloves. My mother sent it to me, at least I think she did, when I started real hero work. Everything else I know about rune magic I learned through research and experimentation. Lots of experimentation.

 

It’s been paying off.

 

Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to?
 

I...don’t know. I’m still working on that – with this being my graduation year, I kinda have to. I mean...professional rune mage doesn’t exactly go well on business cards. Still, Equinox did open a door...could I be a...a...magic consultant? Well...maybe not a magic consultant...but I am learning enough that I could go into security. And magic defences could float in with that?

 

...I’ll have to look into this.

What is your preferred combat style?

Martial arts, fisticuffs, throwing knives – anything and everything. Everything goes. Because when lives are in danger, you use every last trick you’ve got to save ‘em.

 

Have you ever received any awards or honours?
 

No. Rather not, I guess – I want my title recognized, but not myself...yeah, that’s a bit awkward.

What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could?
 

Planning skills, definitely – I’ve taken charge three times; and every damn time someone’s got caught – or hurt. Hurt bad. 

 

I should be better – I have to be better. I can’t afford otherwise. They can’t afford otherwise.

How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn?

This one’s...hard. I like to think I keep my cool, but a lot of the time I do feel...jealous. I scrape and claw for everything I can do, work my fingers to the bone, and sometimes I’m outdone by guys with superpowers I can’t imagine. It...rankles. I’m training hard to make that go away, but it’s still hard sometimes.

 

Either way, I do try and learn, though. Every lesson helps, even if it involves blood and broken bones.

Lifestyle & Hobbies

What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine?
 

Wake up, morning exercises, morning practice and experimentation, lunch, go to work for the rest of the afternoon, gear-down exercises, a few hours of experimentation and research again, then evening patrol. My sleep schedule is kind of frakked.

 

As to if someone interrupts it? Well...it used to piss me off, but now I’m kind of resigned to it, I guess. Occupational hazards, right?

Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up?
 

Not...many...but I guess a few. I mean, I draw a bit – you want to learn to do rune magic, you kind of have to pick up some artistic ability. I don’t paint very often, though. I’ve also got a fondness for old magic manuals and treatises – magical theory, y’know? I’m not like an expert or anything, I can point you to a lot of them; but I just like reading about the experiments and hard work so many people have put into the Art.

 

Makes me feel like one day my own works might be looked back on the same way. Morgan Crowe, talked about in the same way as...as...Gwydion, or, or the Telchines.

 

Maybe even Merlin.

What do you do for fun?

 

Fun? What is this thing you call fun? Heh, just kidding – most of the time I get fun from exercising and training, especially if I’m in the zone; but other than that...as said, I paint some, I read some. I get a real kick out of just experimenting for the sake of experimenting, especially if I don’t blow anything up!

Do you have a costume? What does it look like?
 

Oh man, my costume kicks ass. Seriously. Big black coat, all scary and intimidating – runes all over the place, glowy and burny and spooky when I kick in the juice. Heavy metal boots, awesome for kicking bad guys in the jaw – engraved runes into those too. And my gloves, aw man my gloves; I made those myself, black with backplates, engraved to all hell, these things can cycle enough power to put a damn Grue right on their ass.

 

And don’t even get me started on my black Crow mask. Seriously – it is made of awesome. Really, I made it out of undiluted awesome. Magic’s cool that way.

How do you normally dress when not in costume?
 

Comfort, mostly – I like jeans and hoodies, hoods are awesome. Kind of used to wearing them thanks to the costume. And a pea coat – Boston kid, y’know?

What do you wear to bed most nights?

Depends if V-errrr bad answer, aheh. Let’s go with sleep pants and maybe a sweatshirt if it’s cold.

 

Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like?

The ring Vickie gave me. Celtic knot, silver, engraved with my own runes...it is special to me.

Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables?
 

Hm? No, not really. Well, I’ve got a dimensional pocket in my ring I can stuff stuff into, but I don’t really use it that often. Mostly I just chuck important stuff into my room in Parkhurst – I’d like to see someone get in there without getting royally fried.

What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance?

Local travel? Teleporting – though parkour practice works fine too. And long-distance...gotta go with trains. I dunno why – trains are just awesome.

Miscellaneous

Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make?
 

No, though...I’ve thought of doing it. I dunno, I just feel too damn young for it. But the occupation I’m in...maybe I should. I’m thinking about it, yeah.

If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body?
 

...man, this is suddenly depressing. I don’t know – I made the mask and gloves to be indestructible, so probably those. Maybe the coat? I dunno, never tried zapping it, so...

What would you like to be remembered for after your death?
 

...fixing things. Making some of the city...I dunno, a bit cleaner. Writing some good pieces on rune magic – maybe help some newbie pick up where I left off.

 

...and maybe that I made some people’s lives a bit nicer. I hope.

Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not?

 

Yes. For...reasons. One being a small black and purple marble.

What do you perceive as your greatest strength?

I don’t quit. I don’t back down. If a wall comes up, I’ll climb up over it or go damn well through it. I’ve never accepted what I am as stopping me from doing anything – and I don’t plan to stop now.

 

What do you perceive as your greatest weakness?
 

Heh. This one...obvious, but it’s annoying to say. Yeah, I’m arrogant. I’m too prideful – even with a good few kicks in the head. One day someone’s going to take advantage of that, and it’ll hurt like hell. Some already have.

As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice...

 

Morgan.

 

Talk to someone.

Edited May 7, 2014 by Quinn