Spellbinder

"As above, so below."

Spellbinder is a mysterious sorcerer who encountered the Supers aboard the HMS Odyssey. Not much is currently known about him, but the Supers decided to agree to his request for an alliance for the time being.

Spellbinder is Benjamin's player character.

Skills and Powers
This is a list of Spellbinder's current skills and powers.

Theurgy
Most of Spellbinder's power comes from his magic. Of these, there are two primary sides to it- offensive magic, which is primarily elemental in nature, and utility magic, which involves information and healing. He has an angelic servitor, a construct of magic energy, to manipulate objects for him or to allow him flight, and he can also create portals when needed.

His other major power involves ritual magic. While more time-consuming, in theory ritual magic could solve a great many problems that Spellbinder can't handle with Theurgy.

Expanded Awareness
Being so in-tune with magic, and about the sources from which it can stem, Spellbinder has an expanded awareness of the world around him. He can sense details about any magic spell or item near to him. He also can get senses of holy or profane things nearby- 'good or bad vibes', as some people call it.

Oratory
Spellbinder got his name not only due to his power to nullify magic, but also because of his rhetorical skill. His voice is mesmerizing, and he can often stop an enemy in their tracks or change the flow of battle simply through his voice. His specialty is misdirection.

Contacts and Connections
Being a semi-renowned theurgist, Spellbinder has a network for former clients, informants, and other occultists on which he can draw support. Usually this takes the form of information in exchange for a favor later, but it cn often provide him with a crucial piece of information that he needs.

Origin
The Kazemde family has its roots in the ancient House of Life, the priestly orders of Egypt who used magic on behalf of the god-kings. They used the power of the gods, and for centuries they advanced the fortunes of the desert nation. However, as time passed, their power waned, and after the founding of the Ptolemy dynasty, they faded into obscurity, quietly serving the people with their rapidly-diminishing resources. The final stroke against them took place during the transfer of Egypt to the British Empire. The McMurray family, as was their wont, went to investigate. There was the equivalent of a magic shadow war, and in the end, the Kazemde family was defeated. Some died, some survived as they had other invaders and intermarried with the invaders, and the rest scattered.

Fenyang learned about this indirectly. His family kept records, but later generations stopped believing it, stopped manifesting those powers. Fenyang discovered those records, kept in papyrus books and codices, and he used those techniques to obtain magical power. There was just one catch... not all of the Kazemde family were 'nice.' And the one he obtained was written by a follower of Set- god of chaos, darkness, and all the magic of foreign lands. The most important, and the one that Fenyang learned, was the dark art of demonic sorcery- Goetia.

Walking on the Dark Side
Fueled with a knowledge of his family's lost prestige, and equipped with his new power, Fenyang took the moniker of the 'Crimson Warlock,' and launched his own magic war against the McMurray family. Primarily, he focused on diminishing their own prestige in the Super community- foiling their investigations, stealing items put under their protection, freeing supervillains they had apprehended, and things of that nature. Using demonic power, the Crimson Warlock was unstoppable- even a fight against Toshiko McMurray ended in victory for him. As his successes mounted, Fenyang grew more and more arrogant... until his conflict with Flarewolf.

Fighting against the Champions of Olde proved too much. His dark magic was opposed by Flarewolf's own, and in the end, he was brought in. The end result? He was given a choice- work on the side of good and renounce Goetia, or get thrown into a high-security prison and never use magic again. It was an easy choice to make.

Standing Alone
After the agreement was struck, Fenyang took his new name- Spellbinder- and turned from the use of Goetia to the use of Theurgy- essentially holy magic. It was more limited in scope, but far less dangerous, and was useful in combating dark forces and threats from other planes. His rivalry with the McMurray family cooled slightly after this, but the stinging defeat from Flarewolf continued to weigh on his mind, as did his loss of power. As Spellbinder, he grew to be an influential problem-solver, particularly in the Middle East, but it still wasn't quite enough. Solo work was taxing and fraught with danger, and he had more than one close call that he escaped more through luck than anything he did. It was fresh off of one such close call that his information network gave him that he was tipped off to unusual activity aboard one ship: The Odyssey.

The Guardians of O.R.D.E.R.
It was aboard the Odyssey that Spellbinder met with the Guardians of O.R.D.E.R. and agreed to work with them to stop the plot that William Newman had concocted. There were some close calls, including one tense moment where Spellbinder and Eclipse faced two Newmans alone, but in the end, the plot was just barely stopped. And, as a result of that, Spellbinder accepted the offer of joining the Guardians, at least on a consultant basis.

It was due to his ritual magic that he was able to bring the Guardians to Black London, and there he once again confronted the Champions of Olde. While his personal duel with Flarewolf ended once more in defeat, Spellbinder chose not to follow through his end of the bargain. The demon responsible was too great a risk to give to someone tempted by dark magic- at the close of that arc, Spellbinder chose to keep the imprisoned demon with him, despite the seductive temptation of Goetia. Only time would tell if he could resist the desire to once again tap into such unlimited power.

Troubled Past
Using demonology is much like being a part of the Mafia- you can never really, fully leave. The marks on Spellbinder's soul are indelible, and so long as he refuses to use that power, he suffers the consequences. Harrowing hellscapes haunt his nightmares, and when the moon is dark, he grapples with those he'd once formed contracts with, sometimes leaving him spiritually drained and despairing. The brand of his first contract is still on his upper right arm, forever a reminder of the power he'd once wielded.

Invocation
In order to use his magic, Spellbinder must invoke his Theurgical contracts- a full six seconds of uninterrupted chanting, or else he can't use magic at all.

Foci
Not only does he have to have his contracts invoked, Spellbinder must also be able to draw sigils for magic-working, and he must also use arcane implements suitable for it. Staves, wands, and two-edged swords and daggers are generally the most useful, though he can also use some tomes- indeed, his scrying is based on the data display of his tablet computer.

Nemeses
===Nemesis: Flarewolf === Ever since their first encounter, Flarewolf and Spellbinder have been locked in a contest not only of who is the better arcanist, but whose path is 'right'. Spellbinder, using Theurgy, is opposed to the dark power that Flarewolf uses, knowing full well how similar it is to Goetia. Likewise, she seems both amused and annoyed at his position on their magic. So far, Spellbinder has yet to defeat her, but the third time might be a charm... ===Rivalry: McMurray Family === While his hatred of the family that dispossessed his own family's fortune has cooled somewhat, Spellbinder still retains a contempt for the McMurrays and an antagonistic streak toward the more mystically-inclined members of the family. He's competed in magic duels with Miss Magic, with inconclusive results, and his victories over Toshiko McMurray have been an embarrassment to the branch family.He's agreed to work with Maxine McMurray, as a member of the Guardians, but it's a fragile truce at best.

None
As of late, Spellbinder remains an aloof figure, with no real personal attachments to any one person.

Miscellanous Trivia

 * Spellbinder is a great lover of coffee, and enjoys sampling new blends and styles from all over the world.
 * In his normal life, Fenyang is a professional gambler- his enthralling speech and his keen bluffing ability, as well as his insight into normal people, gives him a strong edge. He's by no means rich off of it, but he enjoys the lifestyle and the perks that go with it.
 * Both the Crimson Warlock and Spellbinder originally appeared in the series "Spellbinding Tales": the character was brought into the Guardians of O.R.D.E.R. as part of a cross-series promotion.