Asset Skills: Academics, Occult

Specialities:

Empathy (Read Emotions)
Persuasion (Sermons)
Persuasion (Trust me, I can help you)
Academics (Religion)

XP expenditure

- 24xp on Morality 8
- 3xp on Speciality Academics (Religion)
- 2xp on Professional Training
- 0xp on Contacts (Congregation) (Free from Professional Training)
- 9xp on Stealth 1 & 2
- 3xp on Socialize 1
- 3xp on Investigation 1
- 6xp on Striking Looks 2
- 3xp on Medicine 1

Description: Slim and neat, at 5'9 and age 27, Joshua is distinctly average in appearance. His hair is dark brown and slicked back, and his eyes are also dark brown. He has an open, friendly face and a polite, well-educated vocabulary. He wears a plain, silver cross around his neck over a black clerical shirt with a white collar. He keeps his appearance immaculate, down to his nails, and his door is always open to anyone who needs his help.

Outside of the church, he wears comfortable clothing when he's not on the job, usually blue jeans and a white shirt. Even so, he always wears the cross. He strongly believes that he is always a Priest, even when he's not wearing the collar. His wedding ring is the only other jewellry he wears.

History: In Wisconsin, Joshua's mother died giving birth to him, and he was raised by his grandparents. He was born with a caul, and the umbilical cord was coiled around his neck, suffocating him. He was freed by the mid-wife and forced to breathe, coming to life almost five minutes after he'd been pulled from his dead mother's body.

His grandparents were loving, although strict disciplinarians. They worked on a small family farm, and encouraged their grandson to pursue academic studies. They were generous to a fault, giving all they had to charities and spending plenty of time with the neighbouring farmers, travelling into the local towns to sell produce. It was a stimulating evironment, and Joshua grew into an eloquent and popular child.

At age 9, Joshua was walking back from school, his backpack on him as he hummed some cheerful, nonsense tune. A man offered him sweets, apparently a neighbour he knew well, standing between two tall, overarching trees. As Joshua looked on, he felt a strange, distinctive tingling sensation in the centre of his forehead.

Somehow, he knew that man was not who he appeared to be and he ran home, all the way home, to his grandparents. Somehow, he knew not to speak of what he'd seen. He just knew that whatever it was, whatever it had been, it wasn't human, and it had wanted him.

He sat down in his bedroom and prayed for guidance, thanking God for protecting him. He was sure it had been God. Only God would be so kind and merciful towards a child. That feeling returned several times throughout his life. Always a distinctive, almost painful tingle, always right in the centre of his forehead when he laid eyes on certain individuals.

Joshua volunteered in soup kitchens after High School, driving his car out to work with anyone less fortunate than he was. He wasn't moved to convert or preach to anyone- his volunteering was out of genuine care and devotion to people. At age 17, he was working late when the feeling came over him again. He locked eyes with a stooped, elderly man as he walked in and held his bowl out for soup. The kitchen was empty other than the two of them.

Joshua sat with him and talked for a time. The man told him that he was tortured, hunted, suffering. There was a voice in his head that wouldn't leave him alone. Joshua had heard things like this before from the visitors to the soup kitchen, of course, delusions weren't unusual, but this man was different. This man was honest.

Joshua took the man's hands and prayed. He saw the thing that burst out of him and stood in front of the fallen man, gripping the small silver cross his grandfather had given him, and told the demon to leave. It grabbed for him, and when it touched the cross, the creature was scorched by white light and exploded into nothing.

Joshua, breathing heavily, called an ambulance for the fallen man and decided the morning after that he knew what he was going to do with his life. He was called to protect people in situations like this. He was driven, always striving to be better, hard on himself for his percieved failings.

He studied religion at College and was ordained as a Vicar. He opens his doors to his parish and takes care of his parishoners, dilligently leading services. He's encountered Ghosts, people who are possessed, people who need help. He's willing to help them all, any of them, even if it means it will cost him his life. Sometimes he's had to talk his way out of trouble. But he believes that his calling is to save the fallen- all of the fallen. So many humans, so many people suffering. They all need salvation, and he will give it to them.

Joshua met his wife at College. He loves Terri dearly, although they have no children as of yet. She was studying Physics, and is currently working towards her doctorate. He's happy to support her towards her goals, and she is the only one who knows what he does at night, when he goes out to help the restless dead move on.

His hobbies include gardening and jogging, and he spends most of his free time growing roses in the small garden of the house he shares with Terri. He also rather likes singing and playing the piano, although he doesn't think he's good enough to perform for another person.

In his free time, he still volunteers in soup kitchens, and opens the doors of his church, St. Jude's, to the homeless every night. He makes no effort to convert or preach at any time other than in the pulpit on Sundays, and emphasises that all of the Faithful are called to help the less fortunate out of compassion, love and human decency.