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Background
The child of immigrants, young Bernard grew up New York shortly after the end of World War Two, the general ill care and concerns given by Americans towards those of germanic descent placed upon them throughout his early life. He like those other immigrants seeking to avoid such problems, Bernard worked ever more carefully to blend in, be a studious and good child, the better to be left alone in schools and other tasks.
This alone perhaps provided him with the necessary studious nature that books were well his true friends, though at least in public he was kind and pleasant to others to be friendly. When he wasnt working hard to have extra coin, he spent other hours in libraries, and would swing into old stores with books when he could. This behaviour had brought him upon some antique book store that he had not before seen on his path, despite traveling that way often enough. This curious little store was odd, smells he could not recognize and various oddities aside from tomes were on counters and behind glass cases. Yet it was the books that drew him, and he ran fingers along leather bound tomes with unreadable spines. The old man behind the counter had not paid attention to him until then, and a croaking Pick something and leave was uttered, startling the young man. In startled haste he picked up the first book to come to hand and came towards the counter. One favor, greater. We will collect it later, was all that the old man told him before gesturing towards the door.
Backing out slowly, still confused and a bit in fear he only started to look in the books pages when he stepped out the door. The text itself was unreadable, some squiggles he could not make out. When he turned back to try and get a new book, the door of the shop was not there, no evidence of the space even existing aside from the book now in his hands. If the thing did not feel more solid than anything else around him he would have been sure he had been hallucinating the whole thing. He took it home with him, occasionally looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody claimed he had stolen anything. And yet when he was home, nobody had complained, his parents hadnt even noticed he had carried in such a thing to begin with.
It took him months of trips to the library, small copies of the text he brought to the librarians to see if they could offer suggestions on dictionaries or translation aides. Finally though with time he managed to figure out the ancient odd text, and with it his efforts into magic began.
His early efforts in following the instructions in the text were crude, but as time passed he became more adept as he became more comfortable with the odd languages. The book though was thorough, not just simple spells of assault and defense, but contained instructions on realms beyond, their denizens and other aspects of goetia. This unfortunately came to him more readily than it certainly ought. One evening as he sat on the rooftop reading from his tome by moonlight so as not to disturb his hard working parents, a creature appeared, its head that of a beast with many eyes, its body mostly like that of a human. It spoke to him, though Bernard understood it not, till it seemed perturbed and gestured at him and he knew its words then. It was content with its freedom in this world and asked what the bargain was, at least till it seemed to notice there were no proper props of summoning and it left. Other evenings like this seemed to repeat itself, some creatures more terrifying, and some more benign, at least till one decided to stick around in curiosity at the teen who called it forth with no efforts.
It was some time that he would speak with beings like this, learning ever more and understanding to make the proper bargains as he learned the powers of chalks and signs, symbols and words. More books came to him, small riches and greater education on things that he ought not have learned in a modern society growing ever forward with technology and industry. Still, it was enough to help his parents move from small apartments to larger ones, and when he had turned eighteen he purchased a place of his own, though it was mostly a place to sleep and store his books more than a place of luxury. Still with the troubles of the world and the knowledge he had, he wished to do things to help others. Heros and villains tended the city, their fights rocking city blocks on occasion. He was for the most part let be though, and yet one evening on coming home he came across something he recognized. It had been years but it was a monstrous thing that had come about in years previous in his early days. It was there in the alleyway, chewing on some dog perhaps, it was hard to tell with most of it already eaten away. And yet he felt responsible, were it not for him whatever sins the things may have caused in this land would not have been done. With some small injury to himself, he did manage to banish it away, though it was rather a fun experience. Perhaps this was what the heros felt?
Enchanting a robe for himself to keep harm from him, he worked to make his little neighborhood safe, small sorceries to keep the criminals away. He still had a lot to learn, but with a world full of heros, perhaps he could help others, and perhaps find a way to stop the harms he may have caused in his early days with the beings he had unleashed upon the world.
IC Events
Traits
- Sorcery: Not particularly well trained yet, his powers of sorcery are still newly had. Basic abjuration, evocation and conjurations are available to him, though greater skills are still beyond his capabilities.
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- Standard effects: Arcane bolts of energy to attack, basic shields to stop seen threats, creating small items of necessity.
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- Summoning: His greatest skill lies in easing the way for other beings to enter this plane of existence. While most magicians require proper circles and incantations, his desire is enough to separate the veils between this plane and the next to let things slip through, though if he wishes to have any sort of control of the conjured entity he needs to go through the proper steps, circles and incantations. Weaker entities such as minor demons, ghosts and oddities of that level are susceptible to being called from afar. More powerful beings can bridge through from the other side, but only if already in close dimensional proximity. Entities such as demon princes, gods or other eldritch horrors require far more elaborate efforts, such as the circles, rites, and ceremonies that other magicians have need of.
- See the Unseen: Beings in near planes, or slightly out of phase with reality can be seen by Conjure when they are nearby, the better for him to draw them across, though this is not always a good thing to see.