Jeckteth.
Height:
5'10"
Picture:
Physical Description:
Jeckteth like alot of spirits that even bother to keep a physical form does not really grasp how to look 'human.' His skin is little more then a solid shadow and his eyes are devoid of any signs of life. His short stature was picked out to make him seem less threatening as very few people would be willing to give payment to him in his true form. His clothes are entirely odd , he based them off stories he has heard of witchs and warlocks from humans he has been around tho it is clear at first glance he has no idea that witchs and warlocks dress like normal people for the most part. While he has tried his best to give himself a mouth the eerie and often disturbing fanged smile on his face just drives the point that he is a spirit home. What he could call 'hair' is little more then dark spikes of the same blackness his body is made from.
Personality:
Jeckteth is incredibly playfull for a spirit. Tho he has a tendancy to let his 'pranks' go overboard. He has a near apocalyptic hatred of western grave rituals , finding the idea of burying perfectly good bones in a wooden box to be greatly disturbing. While holding witchs in high regards this is because he has never met one. He has heard storys so fancifull of their magic powers , get ups and rituals that he almost see's them as fellow spirits. Jeckteth is often times wordy and talkative , trying to learn as much about the poeple he is around as he can as it allows him to get closer to people that might be willing to 'buy' his services. Jeckteth is also a outstanding ally towards native americans and blacks as both of them are for the most part , desperate far more then the encroaching white people are and as such they tend to buy his services much more often.
Weapons/equipment:
Aside from Jeckteths clothes he carrys no kind of 'normal' equipment. He relys heavily on spiritual ritual and magic to perform his tasks and the only items he carrys are small animal bone fetishs he uses for native spirit calling.
Spiritual History:
Jeckteth is what has been named as a 'bone buyer' by the white humans that have moved west. His kind are native spirits to the west who , in exchange for their variety of services ranging from curses , luck changes , good fortune , spirit removal and even blessings for warriors buys some of the bones of the one who wished their service. Their payments come in two types the 'spirit' payment is the claim and collection of the sellers bones after they have passed on , not only does this gaurenty safe passage way to the afterlife with a bone buyers blessing but it also means that they need not suffer the grueling task of removing the 'payment' while alive (IE: Serving limbs , fingers or in some cases human sacrafice.). The other form of payment is the 'flesh' payment , the removal of the bones that the seller has promised while they are alive. While this process is grueling , painfull and often times leads to death it insures that the bone buyer not only gives a greater blessing but also by their own contract allows them to complete their task in their real form. Very few people have ever lived to see a bone buyers real form as not only summoning such a creature is incredibly dangerouse but often times they are only ever given such payment when one wishs death on another. Still , as bone buyers will do almost any kind of work for the proper payment they are seen as very nuetral and very trustworthy spirits among the native americans and are often times reveared as a sign of good fortune and luck when they offer their service. While not unheard of a bone buyer offering their service for free is said to be treated with suspition and doute.
Spells/Rituals/Contracts:
Powers: A spirit (such as a bone buyer) consists of the same kind of 'energy' that 'magic' uses. As such they have a very large well of energy to use , much larger then anything a normal human could hope to achieve. The downside to this is that as pure energy they cannot keep themselves in a solid state for very long with out assistance (There are exceptions , such as the ones down in the 'contracts' section.)
Roaring Flame / Arctic Blast: By challening energy through the right hand , Jeckteth is able to give it solid form , in this case fire. In the small moment when it is taking form if he pushs it away from himself it can become something of a flame thrower like effect. Is this requires a constant flow of energy it is quiet draining. In the same sence by using the other hand Jeckteth can summon blasts of ice.
Snap Shot: A simple snap of the fingers after pressing pure energy inbetween them. Using such pressure on it gives the energy nearly the form of a bullet , able to pierce just about as much as a normal rifle shot would. The downside is , what ever it hits need to not only be in the 'snaps' distance but also has to have the sound hit it. As such it is not a very reliable spell in loud situations.
Calling of the old west: No bone buyer likes to admit they sometimes need help (They do not like having to share their 'payments' with others.) but sometimes they need to send out a sort of magical S.O.S and should any friendlier (or greedy) spirits be around they will come to the aid of the user. This can iether be very usefull (In spirit rich enviroments such as graveyards , sanctuarys or ritual circles) or a very large waste of energy if none are around.
Rituals: One of the few known reasons -why- bone buyers , well , buy bones is because of their odd rituals. By using the bones they have obtained through contracts they can do amazing and terrafing things. These events happen in one of two ways. Bones that have been obtained through 'spirit' contracts are known as 'halfs' and will do the normal version of a ritual. However bones obtained through 'flesh' contracts are known as 'fulls' are can make even the smallest Rituals much more complex and powerfull.
Spirit Summoning: It's not only humans who sell their bones for the service of bone buyers , even the animals of the west do this to obtain their help. By using a 'half' of a gotten animal bone the bone buyer can summon the spirit of that animal back to earth for a short time. Using a 'full' bone they can imbue that animals traits on to others (or even on too spells) a example would be giving large wings to a human or making a spell faster with a rabbits bones.
Luck change: Most know the myth about a jack rabbits back legs being good luck. Few know that the bones in the foot are the source of this myth. Using it for payment or a few other 'lucky' bones (Cats tail , snake fangs , human fingers) one can change their own luck with the help of a bone buyer. A popular use for this ritual is too make ones enamys luck much worse. Using a 'full' version of these bones Basicly turns you in to a walking eighty leaf clover , covered in horse shoes and finding a bucket of lucky pennys every step you take , everything falls in to place for you for a short while , alternatively maknig someone elses luck -worse- with a full payment...well , they would be lucky if with in the next three steps they weren't blown up , stampeded over by buffalo or shot six hundred and sixty six times with silver or rock salt bullets.
Contracts: A contract is the defining feature of any spirit that does buissness with mortals. It is not a simple piece of paper with a signature , it is a permanent 'mark' on the soul of the living stating that when the contract is fulfilled payment MUST be payed in the terms agreed.
Spirit Payment: After one comes across or summons a bone buyer , discussing payment is usualy the second thing that comes up (Right after telling them what you want done.) and should the task be deemed worthy one can give payment in the collection of their desired bone of choice after that mortal passes away. This avoids the messy situation of removing bones while alive -and- gaurentys safe passageway to the afterlife as a bone buyer can only collect his payment after the spirit has left the body.
Flesh Payment: A more permanent solution too any problem. By severing the payment while the payer is still alive they sacrafice a very important piece of themselves , that is to say , any magical presence or energy that bone -would- have used or gathered or maintained through life suddenly and instantanuisely becomes the bone buyers property all at once. This not only allows a bone buyer to take it's true form in to the physical realm but also almost gaurentys the completion of the task asked of them. This payment option is popular among waring cults or blood fueds among indian tribes.
Contract Breech: Too go back on a contract with a bone buyer is near suicidal but it happens more then one would think. While one cannot simply 'remove' the stain left on their soul by a spirit contract should the promised payment be removed (Say a hand was the payment , but it was cut off) before death then this officialy means the bone buyer can no longer take their payment for services rendered. Like wise should one die while the removal of a Flesh Payment is uderway it too is a breach of contract and one should be -very- carefull about double crossing any spirit , let alone one such as a bone buyer.
The Summoning: Bone buyers wander eternally , it is how they find people willing to trade. However some mortals , those that know the ways of old magic (Western Shaman arts , Norse runestones , Wicken sister circles) can summon a bone buyer too them. A rather popular idea for those in a bind with no way to contact a spirit otherwise (Not all mortals can see or hear a spirit when it is not in physical form after all.)