"See the wheel of fate turning. Isn't it disgusting?"
The job is completed as asked. You didn't expect a positive result, but he gave you one anyway.
The bedraggled man nods, tips his hat to you, and gracefully accepts the payment.
The moment he steps outside the bell on the door rings. You hear the sounds of startled birds flying away. There is a flash of white and a splat.
He takes off his hat and looks at the stain spreading across it.
The magus laughs, puts it on his head, and bids you farewell.
Adamska Mikhailov
Alias: Unfortunate Son
Age: 39
Appearance: Homeless Vagrant
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Somewhere in Russia
Personality: Fickle. Cowardly. Petty. Compulsive. Easily distracted, difficult to annoy. Impenetrable.
Background
Hails from an old lineage, estimated between ten and twenty generations. Bloodline originates not in Russia but in South-Eastern China. Subject is known to have moved to London after the unspecified death of his remaining family. There he was raised in a youth home and joined the Clock Tower at a young age. Though his skills were estimated to be prodigy-level, practical performance was low and subject was expelled after two years of attendance for a combination of poor marks, drug trafficking and addiction, peddling false Mystic Codes, and petty theft of Clock Tower property. Subject now wanders the world as a Freelancer, selling his meager abilities for money and favors. Is known to have interfered in the Ma'at Incident, hindering acquisition of
[REDACTED]. A Sealing Designation was subsequently issued and the subject was apprehended by Enforcers, but the Designation was inexplicably revoked before he could be incarcerated and the subject was released without charge.
Current location is unknown. Subject is expected to resurface somewhere in America.
Known Abilities
Possesses an inherited Mystic Code called
, taking the form of a
small, rotating object. The specifics of this tool are uncertain, but it is known that activation involves holding it in one hand and spinning it with the fingers. It has been passed down for generations among the subject's family line in lieu of a Crest, changing form each time. Previous forms include an hourglass, a compass, and [
REDACTED]. All of the subject's abilities seem to link to this item, so separating him from it is thought to be a safe way of neutralizing him. However to this date, he has never been seen without it.
Abilities of
include, but are not necessarily limited to:
Minor HealingSubject was able to insulate a badly broken limb from infection, minimize blood loss, and prevent swelling. The limb was fully healed two weeks before the expected date.
Damage ReductionSubject survived the collision of his moped with a large truck, while both were driving at high speeds on a highway. Though his vehicle was destroyed, the subject walked away with only bruising, dizziness, and clothing damage. The subsequent gas explosion only singed his scarf.
Limited HypnosisOn several occasions, subject has been shown to influence the behavior of animals in his vicinity, either increasing numbers until the area is being swarmed with rodents and birds, or avoiding being bitten while wandering through a leech-infested swamp. An Enforcer once tasked with pursuing the subject claimed to have had her plane ticket snatched out of her hand by a seagull.
Probability ManipulationSubject, when confronted with a ten thousand dollar debt, wandered to a nearby kiosk, bought a lottery ticket, and subsequently cashed it in for thrice that amount. Conversely, he has been regularly observed to lose at all forms of luck-based game, even when odds would be overwhelmingly in his favor, and possesses little in the way of liquid funds when pressured. Inquiries as to whether this effect is passive or active has been inconclusive.
Weather ControlIf subject is in the area, it is 42% more likely to rain. He has been in the way of several hurricanes and tornadoes, and can be seen carrying an umbrella at all times. Once, upon threatening him, a bounty hunter was struck by lightning three times in rapid succession, on a clear summer day.
itself is the Sorcery Trait of the Mikhailov bloodline. Its current thaumaturgical process is unknown. The subject, during the short time he was apprehended by Enforcers, had this to say:
"I'm just doing what every responsible person does, stockpiling and pinching pennies for when the bad times come. Don't knock it over now, or all the good luck might spill out. Just getting out of this mess is going to cost me a decade's worth. Was this close to cashing it in, too..."
Note: Luck as a concept has been proven to not exist, so it is assumed that the subject is lying. However, one prevailing theory posits that
acts as a reservoir for its wielder's
karma, storing it passively and releasing it when prompted to. The Mikhailov family's history is one of poor fortune, with sudden deaths, physical deformities, and tragic misunderstandings marring each generation. Adamska is its last known heir. If the theory is correct, then the accumulated
karma contained within this Mystic Code is nearly enough for a soul to reach the state of Nirvana spoken of in Buddhism. Or, if channeled into a ritual, the Swirl of the Root.
Another, secondary theory, is that
is a tangible, physical aggregation of curses linked to the Mikhailov bloodline. The target of a curse is usually another, and the user in turn receives feedback proportional to the curse's strength. By inverting the process and cursing one's self, the feedback is driven into the outside world instead. By using the suffering of the user as fuel to strengthen the curse further, the aggregate would only grow stronger and more deadly with time. No way is currently known of making use of such a theoretically large mass of curse. Presumably the research of the Mikhailov family into that subject would represent a breakthrough of massive proportions, easily worthy of a Sealing Designation.
Originally Posted by RoydGolden
I'M BAAAAAACK
