Norman Mellinger

Norman "Mouse" Mellinger

Name: Norman Mellinger a.k.a. Mouse
Player: Kokuten
Concept: Shadowy Sneak
Virtue: Temperance
Vice: Sloth
Seeming: Darkling
Kith: Mirrorskin
Court: Winter

• [[1]] Mien
• [[2]] Mask

Norman Mellinger was a U.S. soldier of the World War II, born in Mississippi, serving in the pathfinders at the Normandy invasion, and then in the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence service for the remainder of the war. It was during this time that Norman earned the name 'Mouse' for the way he would stealthily move so quickly against walls, fit through small spaces, and aptly avoid detection by the enemy. At any rate, Norman served his term out with minor military injuries and was able to return home to his high-school sweet-heart. A month after the war's end, he married her, and was due to have their first child in the next nine. Norman was 22, with great friends, family(and child on the way), and a future in a small ad agency being set up by a close buddy, and while out celebrating the announcement of his impeding fatherhood, he was made to experience the worse tragedy of his life.

On the way home, walking with his buddies, Norman needed relieve himself from the excess of alcohol. So he took short exit to an old alley, and told his friends to go ahead of him. As he began to undo his trousers, he felt something tug at his leg, and before he knew it, he was being drug wildly to a sewer drain, only it did not lead through the sewers, it led through the Hedge. It led to a harrowing, long experience at the hands of a Fae of darkness and utter cruelty.

---

Swirling shadows and forever moon-lit night with air as cold as ice water to the touch described the land Norman had been dragged into. The only hearths of warmth were the candles of the manors in 'Midnight County', a place where Fae lived in fanciful Victorian luxury, and sent 'messengers' with letters to one another through the county's dark 'forest'. Paths weaved with immaculately designed signs pointing every which way to direct messengers to the other manors. Trees curved over the dirt laden pathways, with creatures with eyes like light bulbs peering from the bushes, and the occasional cottage with warm brightness poking out from within would have it's doors wide open with the 'residents' waving off travelers. Though, the most iconic part of Midnight County's forest were the 'lanterns' of blue fire, swinging in the ice-cold breeze. On the surface, it appeared to be a sort of mild indentured servitude, as this was the way it was described to Norman by his shadowy Keeper, Selendris.

The truth was far worse in the midst of that Midnight Game. Norman was sent out in nothing but a tightly wrapped tunic and his wits, as all messengers were. The trips to other manors were long, sometimes taking up to eight days of walking at the most, and sometimes only taking a day to return. Roads would wind, and then appear to bend somewhat every time one took their eyes off of it. Beasts would come running out of the bushes to tear apart message carriers and drag their mangled corpses off into the depths of the forest. People would stand at the mouth of those warm, tempting cottages, and offer bed and rest for the night, when in truth, it was a siren calling a carrier to their own worst horrors and death. Then there were 'highwaymen', beings who would wait at certain points of the road and demand that a messenger hand of their Fae's letter, which would be impossible, for losing a letter meant losing your life.

If one survived the travails of beasts and spirits that haunted the forest, then they had to bring their sanity as well. Norman could never count the amount of times he grasped one of the soft lanterns of the Fae for warmth, only to be given the feeling of cold metal. Yet, despite that, water, running water had touch, and worse yet, carried a chill that made the air feel like warm day. Even more difficult was actually reaching the Fae one needed to hand the letter off to. Some manors had phalanxes of armor, on guard at every moment to skewer intruders; some had tall, massive walls; and others held horrors standing as sentinels to keep off 'unwanted guests'. Each barrier had to pasted, subverted, or broken into, simply to get into the manor itself so the message could be delivered.

It was a long, grueling experience. Norman rarely slept, and only dared to eat what was found in the forest. As time went on, his eyes adjusted to a dull black, and his sight became more of that of a Changeling. Somehow, though, it wasn't his eyes that helped him become more apt at avoiding dangers, it was his familiarity with them. Every week that pasted made the roads more clear less winding, trickery easier to spot, and almost supernatural realization that horrified him once he finally saw it. The iron lanterns that offered the few mild lights in the darkness were not lanterns at all. They were the losers of the Midnight Game, those who had 'died' were strung up on iron hooks, made to sway forever in the wind and offer light to those who still played.

Yet, Norman was one of the lucky few who did not 'become a lantern'. Paying attention to the other messengers, having the wits to run, and composure not to freeze at the face of brutal attacks allowed him to anticipate dangers and survive. Because of this, the Mouse of Midnight County was able to deliver one-hundred letters, an amazing achievement considering most only delivered an average of twenty. He was the pride of his Keeper, who was becoming known as the 'Best of the Game', but did not seem to anticipate that his continual use of Mouse was training him into an exceptional escape artist. One night, a year into his service, his dark owner gave him his letter from the darkness as she usually did, and sent him off.

He never returned.

---

Norman exited the Hedge into France, a place he only vaguely remembered since, he later discovered, it hadn't been a year, it had been almost 70. The changeling fresh from escaping his torment wondered these strange lands, finding memorials and fresh greenery in lands he remembered freshly scathed only a year before. Dazed by that fact, he toured Europe for almost a year, effectively jobless, and homeless, revisiting every area he had been during the war. It was a strange, hazy experience for him, simply getting over the change in eras took a long time, and seeing the changes for himself damaged and helped him at the same time. It was until he finally got a grip on himself that he felt the need to return to his home sink in. So, gaining a certain knack for his abilities over the year, he knocked out a sailor on one of the English trading ships heading to America, and stole his identity for the trip. The ship arrived in the New Orleans harbor in Louisiana, and Norman made a quick escape out into the streets, hit with greater shock by the changes of his own home country.

He was walking through the French District of New Orleans, after having traveled up the Mississippi, when he encountered a souvenir vendor with eyes as black as his, another Changeling. It was nothing unusual, he had seen them in France, Norway, and Germany, but this one took an unusual interest in him, asking him what freehold, or Court he belonged to. The souvenier owner was surprised to learn that, despite a year of aimless wondering, Norman had no idea what a court or freehold was, and in fact, avoided detection by everyone the best he could. With that kind of story, the store owner directed him to someone working a bookstore on Royal Street, a member of the Winter Court.

The Court proved very helpful, and in exchange for a few odd jobs, gave him the location of his fetch, and the means to get there. After so long, he found that his Fetch was in a nursing home, near it's death. So, taking the Court's offer, he traveled to Mississippi to encounter his replacement, taking the form of one of the nursing home assistants. Upon meeting his fetch, he found it hooked up to several wires and a breathing apparatus, and a greeting that made him know it had been waiting for him. There was no need to kill it right away, and the fetch had no fear of death at that point, so the two talked about the life of Norman Mellinger through the eyes of the fake Mellinger. There were a lot of facts that were hard to swallow, the death of his wife only a few months ago, his child growing up to become a successful woman with several successful children of their own. It was in those few moments that Mouse realized how far-gone his life really was, how much of it he had missed, and how he would never get it back. He marked the end of the Fetch's life by pulling the plug on it's life-support systems, and then escaping out before the other attending nurses could catch him on scene.

In the end, Mouse was left much emptier than he was when he first left the Hedge, the whole world just now sinking it's teeth into his pale blue skin. The Court, seeing his business was finished, had found him a place and a purpose in Chicago, in a small apartment complex, to which he complied to and lives reclusively in.

Vital Characteristics

Health: 3[Sta] + 5 = 8
Willpower: 4
Wyrd: 1

• Glamour: 10
• Glamour Per Turn: 1
• Goblin Fruit: 0/3
• Vows: 0/4

Clarity: 7

• Perception Bonus/Penalty: 0
• Derangements: None

Size: 5
Speed: 1[Str] + 4[Dex] + 5 = 10
Initiative: 4[Dex] + 2[Comp] = 6
Defense: 3[Wits]
Armor: 0/0

Inventory

Currency

Wallet: 410 USD

Apartment

Mouse's apartment is very humble with mostly barren cabinets and shelves, save for a neat stack of stolen newspapers. The rooms contain adequate lighting, but he seems to prefer to only have one lamp on at a time, and also has a strange habit of cutting the lights off when he leaves a room, making most of his place dark and dim. He also has a nice couch, which is very comfortable as it's apparently had 30 years broken into it, and a bed that smells rather fresh since a good bit of time(his time) was spent disinfecting it. The nicest quality of the room would be it's flat-screen CRT, which has a tiny tilt in the screen's picture.

Statistics

Attributes

Mental[4]

• Intelligence ●●
• Wits ●●●
• Resolve ●●

Physical[5]

• Strength ●
• Dexterity ●●●●
• Stamina ●●●

Social[3]

• Charisma ●
• Manipulation ●●●
• Composure ●●

Skills

Mental[7] (-3 Untrained Penalty)

• Academics ●●●
• Computer
• Crafts
• Investigation ●●●●●
• Occult
• Politics
• Science

Physical[11] (-1 Untrained Penalty)

• Athletics
• Brawl
• Drive ●
• Firearms ●●
• Larceny (Lockpicking) ●●●●
• Stealth (Moving in Darkness) ●●●●
• Survival ●
• Weaponry

Social[4] (-1 Untrained Penalty)

• Animal Ken
• Empathy ●
• Expression
• Intimidation
• Persuasion
• Socialize
• Streetwise ●●
• Subterfuge (Spotting Lies) ●●●●

Advantages

Seeming Boon: At the cost of one Glamour, Norman can increase dice pools including Wits, Subterfuge, and Stealth by one point for each glamour he spends.. Norman also gains the benefit of the 9 again rule on Stealth dice pools.
Seeming Curse: Norman takes -1 die penalty to all rolls to enact contracts during the daylight hours, and -2 in direct sunlight.
Kith Boon: Norman can, at will, change his features to resemble anyone he's met and gains +3 to Wits + Subterfuge in disguise rolls.
Mantle Boon:

• Mantle 1 - Norman is hard to pick out of a crowd. Subtract one die from Wits + Composure or Wits + (Skill) rolls to notice the character.
• Feast of Ashes - Once per session. With every point of Glamour, Norman can increases willpower by one up to a maximum of his Mantle rating. For the remainder of the scene where this power is activated, Norman's willpower is raised by a number equal to his mantle.
  

Merits

• Danger Sense[●●]: With a sense for war and combat, Mouse is cable of detecting signs of trouble when they appear. +2 to Detect Ambush.
• New Identity[●●●●]: Norman's identity is safe from everything but the most scrutinizing of investigations.
• Mantle of Winter[●●]: Norman represents a promising amount of the Winter Court's ideals.
• Multilingual[●]: Norman speaks and understands French and German rather well.
• Perfect Stillness[●]: Mouse is capable of being still as a statue, all rolls to notice or locate him are made at a –2 penalty.
• Tolerance for Biology[●]: Mouse has a strong stomach for violence and receives a +2 bonus to any roll to keep composed when offered scenes of violence or carnage, or when exposed to horrific smells.
• Well-Traveled[●]: In his previous life, Norman was a well-traveled soldier, and gets the 9-Again on Mental and Social rolls relating to foreign cultures.

Contracts

Darkness[●●●]

pg.137

• Creeping Dread:

Cost: 1 Glamour or 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Manipulation + Wyrd – Resolve

Action: Instant

Catch: Norman is using this clause to frighten intruders into her dwelling.

The target or targets feel mild fear and experience a penalty equal to the changeling’s Wyrd to all Resolve or Composure rolls to resist fear or intimidation. If the changeling spends one point of Glamour, this clause affects one target the changeling can see clearly. If the changeling spends two points of Glamour and one point of Willpower, the clause affects everyone within three yards per dot of Willpower the changeling possesses. In both cases, this effect lasts for one scene.

• Night's Subtle Distractions:

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: Wyrd + Stealth

Action: Instant

Catch: The clause is invoked outdoors at night.

This clause affects everyone within 50 yards of the changeling. The changeling is not affected, and can also choose to keep anyone in physical contact with her from being affected. Everyone else within range doubles all environmental penalties to Wits rolls involving perception, including Wits + Composure rolls, as well as Wits + Skill rolls to notice events or Wit’s + Investigation rolls to intentionally search for something. In a quiet, well-lit room or hallway, there are typically no environmental penalties, and this Contract provides only a –1 die penalty to these rolls. This Contract affects perceptions, not actual environmental conditions. Darkness does not actually become darker, and sounds don’t actually become louder. Only the targets’ perceptions are changed. This clause lasts for the next scene and affects the individuals nearby when it is performed. If someone new arrives, she will be unaffected. However, anyone affected will continue to be affected, even if he moves more than 50 yards from the changeling.

• Balm of Unwakeable Slumber:

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: Manipulation + Wyrd vs. Resolve + Wyrd

Action: Resisted

Catch: The target is asleep at home in his own bed, and the Contract is performed between sunset and sunrise.

When this clause is used on one or more sleeping targets that the changeling can see or hear, the target becomes almost impossible to awaken until the time they are accustomed to waking. The targets can be shouted at, picked up or manhandled without waking. However, anything that does one or more points of any type of damage instantly awakens the sleepers — repeatedly slapping targets or shaking them vigorously enough to hurt will also wake them up. Dense smoke, intense heat or other situations causing targets to cough, choke or fight for their lives will awaken them normally. Nothing else, including the screams of a terrified loved one, can break their slumber.

Smoke [●]

• The Wrong Foot

Action: Instant

Catch: Norman licks his thumb and smudges it on a mirror, thereby leaving another mark of his own passing.

When The Wrong Foot takes effect, evidence of the changeling’s passing change to resemble something other than the visitation of a humanlike entity. This may be tracks similar to a bird’s three-toed foot, a bloody mist, drips of lavender extract — whatever the character chooses. Note that this Contract always creates the same result, so the character should think about how he wants this to manifest before the first time he uses it, and should clear it with the Storyteller before it comes into play. This substance or mark supersedes all other evidence of passage, so footprints will vanish but the slime-spray will take its place in every case, whether or not the ground was soft enough to hold a footprint. The Wrong Foot does not change the appearance of previously made marks, however. Therefore, this limits the practical application of the Contract in numerous situations, so many changelings have come to rely on The Wrong Foot to leave a sort of “calling card,” whether or not they wish to obfuscate pursuit. Once activated, this Contract functions for the duration of the scene.

Eternal Winter [●]

• Jack's Breath:

Cost: 1 Glamour

Dice Pool: Wyrd + Survival

Action: Instant

Catch: Norman hears someone shiver or tastes someone’s sweat.

The room cools by a degree decided by the character before the dice roll. See the list of suggested modifiers below for guidelines on how far a character can reduce the temperature, and in how large a room. The cooling lasts for one scene before the room gradually returns to normal temperature.

Other [●]

• Oath to Save the Autumn King's Kin

Passive: +● to Subterfuge, Investigation, and Larceny.

Experience

Total: 11 EXP Spent: 9 EXP Unspent: 2 EXP

Skills:

Streetwise: [1] 3 EXP, [2] 6 EXP