Paul was born on May 25th in Hinton, West Virginia to Robert and Sarah Valentine. Paul had a younger sister, Adrienne, two years his junior, whom he loved greatly. They even shared a special bond that enabled them to communicate without talking! Growing up in the Valentine household was pretty typical until the July 4th holiday, just after Paul's eighth birthday.
On this day, Paul wanted to go swimming in the New River. As usual, Adrienne wanted to go, too. Paul talked his parents into allowing his sister to go with him, promising to watch her carefully. He has blamed himself for what happened next ever since.
Several miles upriver, the local dam, built by Roosevelt's Depression-era "New Deal," suffered a mechanical failure in one of the control gates, releasing a torrential flood of water. Paul's "gift" provided him a few seconds warning. He shouted to his sister, however, the wall of water swept her away. His mother pulled Paul from the river, while his father attempted to save Adrienne. Both his father and sister drowned. The body of his sister was never recovered.
After the drowning deaths of her husband and daughter, observers said Sarah Valentine became a changed person, somehow blaming Paul for her loss. Paul knew she was possessed -- he could "see" the entity that lived inside her: an angry, evil creature. She began to frequent the "shadier" sections of town, prostituting herself for a living, and she began to abuse Paul, both mentally and physically. As he got older, Paul began to stay away from home, either camping out or staying with friends. This "living condition" lasted 5 years until, in a drunken fit, Sarah attempted to murder Paul by burning both alive in their trailer. Again, Paul's gift provided him enough warning to escape. His mother, however, died -- at least her body did. Paul somehow knows that whatever it was that possessed his mother, it is not gone. Paul vowed to be vigilant and protect the people he loves from harm from any supernatural creature.
Orphaned, county officials stepped-in and Paul was sent to live with his father's sister, Louise Redman, in New Halifax, Massachusetts. Aunt Lou is a divorced mother of two daughters, Gina and Samantha, and a doctor at Memorial Hospital. Adjusting to the new situation in which they found themselves took time, but after three years Aunt Lou, Gina (age 13), Samantha (age 11) and Paul have made a family. Paul is especially fond of Samantha.
Paul is now a sophomore at Eastside High School. He is on the school Track & Field team as a long-distance runner. He just received his driver's license.
Description: 16 years old; 5'6" & 135 pounds; tanned skin color; medium-length, straight, black hair; green eyes. He speaks with a slight Southern accent. He typically dresses in t-shirts and blue jeans, with leather boots, and a black leather jacket.
Life Points: 33
Endurance Points: 35
Speed: 12
Essence Points: 32
Qualities: The Gift; Hard to Kill (3 levels); Nerves of Steel; Photographic memory; Artistic Talent (writing); Attractiveness (2 levels)
Drawbacks: Adversary (3 levels; the entity that possessed his mother); Delusion (1 level; fear of swimming); Honorable (1 level); Impaired vision (1 level; wears contact lenses); Status (1 level; youth); Obsession (2 levels; protect friends and loved ones); Recurring Nightmares (deaths of his father and sister)
Metaphysics: Mindheal (Art 1, Strength 3); Mindsight (Art 0, Strength 1); Mindtalk (Strength 1, Art 1)*; Mindview (Art 0, Strength 1)
Skills: Brawling 2, Climbing 1, Computers 1, Dodge 2, Driving (car)1, First Aid 2, Myth and Legend (Manly Wade Wellman) 2, Notice 2, Research/Investigation 1, Riding (horse) 3, Running (dash) 1, Running (marathon) 3, Stealth 2, Storytelling 2, Survival (forest) 1, Swimming 1, Writing (creative) 3
Equipment:
Standard basics (personal hygiene stuff, pens/pencils/notebooks, etc.).
Ten sets of clothing for each season with three each of jackets and pairs of shoes/boots.
Three sets of dress clothing for each season with one pair of dress shoes.
Two sets of clothing he wouldn't care to be seen in public wearing, but can be worn for house/yard work, and including one pair of ratty tennis shoes.
A personal computer of average quality and performance.
A stereo system of average quality.
Twenty-five music CD's.
One set of Track & Field sports equipment.
Two forms of transportation: a bicycle and roller-blades.
Up to 3 hobby/craft sets/collections as appropriate to the character, as deemed reasonable by the GM.
25 paperback books: mostly science-fiction/fantasy and horror, especially by Manly Wade Wellman.
A frame backpack.
A canteen, pocketknife, wristwatch, calculator, and sunglasses.
Other items/possessions as appropriate to character (e.g., a journal to record notes while away from his PC).
Bedroom Furniture.
* Note: Until recently, this power only worked with his sister. Now, it works with his cousin, Samantha.