| Ian Alexander Hawthorne |
 |
| Portrayed By: | Tom Sturridge |
| Status: | Active |
| Age: | 230 |
| Occupation: | Occult Artifact Collector |
| Significant Other(s): | Jeff!? |
| Freak Factor: | Immortal |
Background
The man who now goes by the name Ian Alexander Hawthorne was born on October 27 in the year 1778. His life was nothing exceptional nor extraordinary given the era he lived in and in fact would probably be considered the kind of life that walked the line between average and positively boring. Suffice to say, the only notable thing of interest about this particular young man was that his head wasn't turned by the lovely lasses of the small town he was from. No, he was far more interested in the young apprentice his father had taken in. A little too interested, according to some of the old women who liked to gossip, but no real important was given to what they said. After all, it was quite normal for two young men of the same age and in the same household to develop a close bond, something akin to brotherhood. If only it were such a thing.
He was 17 when he met Brendan, who was two years his junior. It took him three years to work up the courage to tell Brendan how he really felt. Partly because he didn't have the courage to and partly because he wanted to be sure he wasn't misreading Brendan's signals. The apprentice was far more forward than Ian ever was, but refused to make the first move. Even after Ian's initial confession, things were a bit awkward, and a cat-and-mouse game ensued. The game played on for two more years before Ian made his final move and Brendan was receptive. The apprenticeship continued with no one the wiser, and Brendan and Ian snuck around for another three years, stealing moments together whenever they could. Ian's twenty-fifth birthday came and went. And that's when everything went downhill. Ian had never been familiar with the occult. In fact, he was as much a skeptic as his parents and most of his relatives. Brendan, not so much. Although Brendan was not involved in the occult, he had a great deal more respect for those things that could not be explained. What Ian wrote off, Brendan worried about. Brendan was right about avoiding the ruins that they came across one day. Where Ian wanted to explore, Brendan didn't. How much better it would have been for the both of them if Ian had only listened to his lover.
They called themselves the Order of the Scarlet Hand, and they were less than thrilled that one of their gathering places had been defiled. The local leader of the Order decided that a proper punishment was due. It was called the 'Blessing of Everlife.' A powerful and dark spell that granted immortality at the expense of a loved one. Ian never in a million years imagined that such a thing existed, nor could he imagine the twisted turn of fate that would inflict such a 'blessing' upon him. Brendan was gone, kidnapped, and Ian gave chase. He found them at the ruins and there was Brendan, tied to a post in the center of the outer edge of the ruins. He had arrived just in time, or so he thought. Just in time to watch as one by one, each of the cultists shot an arrow into Brendan's bound body. From behind him came their leader, and plunged a knife directly into his heart. The ritual was complete, and from one moment to the next Ian found his life forever changed.
He opened his eyes to find himself bound, blindfolded and gagged. They taunted him, they tormented him. They told him he could never die. That he could suffer pain upon pain, but that the only way for him to die was for someone to undo the spell, a secret they would never reveal. It was a carefully crafted lie, but he believed them - how could he not? The proof was in the torture. He was burned, he was sliced open, he came close to the brink of death time after time but never crossed over it. He was frozen in time, twenty-five years of life gone by and no more would pass. He endured it for two years before he finally managed to escape. He could never go back to his former life so he simply vanished from one day to the next, disappearing into thin air. They said he had run off with Brendan, forever shaming his family. How he wished it were the truth.
Not only did Ian find himself bereft of the love of his life, but the curse upon him granted him an immortality he could not break free of. Or so he thought, never knowing the truth: that he could die like any flesh and blood being. And so, time passed for Ian. He decided to devote his life to finding a way to end it. Somewhere, someone must know the counterspell to ending the eternal life he never wanted. Along with immortality, the 'Blessing of Everlife' granted two other 'gifts.' One was the realization that apparently vanity had no place among those who could not die. Instead of his reflection, he would instead see Brendan's haunted face in those final moments gazing back at him before it would become distorted. On top of seeing Brendan's visage in reflective surfaces like windows and pools of water, mirrors would crack (although he could see his reflection afterwards, if he tried). Probably the worst, though, was the endless stream of nightmares he could never escape, reliving those last moments before Brendan was lost to him forever. Ian looked forward to those days when his sleep was restful and not haunted by his memories.
As his life continued, his studies began to yield some results. Although he never came close to discovering his true goal, a counterspell with which to end his life, he became an expert on matters of the occult as a result. A man with nothing but time on his hands, he studied endlessly, acquiring knowledge of all sorts. With knowledge comes power, and with knowledge of the occult becomes a similar form of power - magic. He found he was an adept student of the arts, although he kept to good magic as often as possible. Time tempered his mind, creating a solid wall of willpower difficult to break. Along with this knowledge came a steady stream of coin, his wealth also amassing as time went on. Two centuries passed and he found himself in a very different place from where he started. Having lived in most cities in the United States, he found himself venturing to a new locale he had yet to live in - the thriving city of sin itself, Las Vegas.
After years of studying the occult, Ian had found a new obsession. He was a collector of the bizarre and supernatural, trading in items that many would kill for. Having established an extensive network of contacts, it was no surprise that he came into possession of a few items of rarity. Of particular note was a creature he soon became very fond of. It was quite by coincidence that he learned of its existence, and it cost him a pretty penny to acquire it, but soon it was in his hands. The tiny little kitten was perhaps the most bizarre creature he had encountered thus far, namely for its one unique feature - it had two heads. Twice the food, twice the noise, his tiny little Bast was one of his most valuable treasures. He absolutely adored her, and did his best to protect her from the perils of both the natural and the supernatural world, keeping a close eye on her.
Most recently, Ian has found himself having to relocate to a penthouse apartment following the sudden immolation of his manor (no doubt the result of the most recent in a series of attempts by the Order of the Scarlet Hand to push him out of hiding and into their hands), costing him a hefty sum in artifacts and precious books from his library. Fortunately, Bast was among one of the priceless things he saved - primarily thanks to his ever loyal housekeeper, Emma. Emma had long ago adapted to her employer's idioscynrasies and was aware of the nature of the occult, at least as much as she had to be to remain in his employ. No longer having the room to keep any of his household staff living with him, he allowed them to move into small residences scattered across the city for which he paid the rent. Some staff were let go, no longer serving any purpose as he was now without quite as large a home. And so it was that Ian found himself working to build his collection back up, thanking his lucky stars that a good number of his items were being kept in storage - at least business wouldn't suffer.
Relationships
| Name | Relation | Notes |
| Adrian Smith | Golem | He is very dear to Ian, even though the two have recently suffered a series of events leading to some distance. |
| Elias Donovan | Firestarter | Under the guise of his adopted brother, Ian is very protective of the hot-headed boy who continues to frustrate him. |
| Jeff Brown | Geek | Once a thorn in his side, the two have recently gotten into a relationship that seems to be working out rather well. |
Bast
Ian's pet cat, Bast. Acquired at great expense to him, she is a rare two-headed cat whose origins are unclear. Her domicile is the office of his penthouse, where she maintains a nest in the lowest shelf of one of the bookcases.
