Samuel Vernon

Samuel Augustus Vernon (a.k.a. Stoneteller)

Samuel Vernon is a geologist who, through a twist of fortune, gained a suite of supernatural powers relating to earth and stone. With the aid of his secretary - the geodite, Lavender, called forth from the bosom of Terra Firma herself - Samuel now roams the American West to right wrongs and further study the geo-spiritual 'leylines' from which his power springs.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Samuel is powerfully-built, but the comparative modesty of his dress tends to hide this fact unless conflict is imminent. Part of his power set causes him to absorb traces of metal from ores or ingots he handles, integrating them into his flesh as a sort of subcutaneous plate armor; it would be accurate to describe Samuel as being partially exoskeletal in nature. Excess iron in his blood rises to the surface when he grows angry or uses his power, causing him to 'flush' when this happens.

Special abilities

That wasn't very 'yee-haw' of you, Big Red. Now it falls to me and my associates to set you to rights.

— Mr. Vernon, upon deflecting a revolver round with his (literally) rock-hard abs.

by HeroForge

Samuel's leyline abilities revolve around interacting with, and taking on the properties of, stone. Like Ms. Lavender, when Samuel is using his leyline abilities, they usually manifest in the form of outgrowths of quartz, amethyst, or dark granite that shimmer from within with psycho-spiritual energies. Ever since his near-death experience in the toxic gasses of that mine so long ago, he has been able to sense the presence of the living essences lying within the mineral earth. Through a combination of long meditation and the intense intellectual focus of a scientist, he eventually gained the ability to call those essences forth as physical entites, bringing the so-called 'geodites' into the human world for the first time in living memory. With the exception of Ms. Lavender, however, most of these geodites are anxious to return to the earth once called, performing only a short service before rejoining the current of spirits.
With practice, Samuel later gains the ability to manifest the strength of these entities within himself in the form of hardened flesh and the ability to create and manipulate the destructive accoustic vibrations of geological formations. Using his acumen as a geologist and chemist, Samuel can even create external receptacles for these powers in the form of 'dorjes', shards of quartzite mineral which, when properly attuned by the wielder's own mind, may allow others to make temporary use of specific subsets of Samuel's powers.
The reach of Samuel's psycho-spiritual powers is not contained to his own body or the soil beneath his feet. Within a limited radius which expands as he grows in power, Samuel's allies gain small benefits related to his powers. Some report being able to strike harder or absorb more punishment than their unmodified flesh would otherwise allow, while others experience a renewed sensitivity to vibrations in the earth which, among other things, allows them to sense approaching danger sooner than they otherwise would. These beneficial auras, as well as his superhuman durability, make Samuel a natural choice for a frontline combattant among his compatriots despite his scholarly background and mild demeanor.

Apparel & Accessories

Samuel's personal aesthetic blends scholarly and outdoorsy elements. He is often seen wearing a bowler hat, spectacles, a button-up shirt (often with the sleeves rolled up), trousers, and a pair of sturdy boots. He is slightly near-sighted, so the spectacles can be safely stowed in the event of an up-close tussle.

Specialized Equipment

A consummate geologist, Samuel is almost never seen without his trusty pick and shovel. These tools have often found a secondary use as melee weapons, as Samuel's increasinly stony flesh is sturdy enough to resist many contemporary calibres of small arms fire. He also carries a provisions pack, dynamite for clearing blockages, acids for performing assays, and (usually) several mineral samples he finds interesting.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Samuel Vernon was born around 1840 among settlers travelling through what is now Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He was only moderately more intelligent than the average frontier boy, but his perceptiveness and curiosity about the natural world drove forward his study of the natural sciences. A comparative dearth of educational institutions where he lived did little to dampen his fervor for learning; he spent most of his youth reading and exploring the frontier wilderness for interesting mineral samples between chores on the homestead. He attended college in Oregon to study chemistry and geology, then, once his schooling was done, roamed the West plying his knowledge in the assessment of mining sites and the assay of ore samples for prospectors.

Intellectual Characteristics

Ms. Lavender, mark those samples with this date and time. By-and-by we shall see how fast this fault is moving.

Despite his physical power, Samuel regards himself as a scholar of the natural sciences first and foremost. He isn't so much soft-spoken as slow to anger, preferring to reason his way out of (or into) situations. Samual is also not ashamed to call on the knowledge or talents of others when a circumstance is out of his 'wheelhouse'; as much as she is new to the cultures of humanity, the long-suffering Ms. Lavender has an innate knowledge of stone and the power of leylines and, as such, makes for an excellent research partner to the more academic and socially acute Mr. Vernon.

Mr. Vernon and his secretary, Ms. Lavender, fight as a team.

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Species

Human

Ethnicity

American

Other Ethnicities/Cultures

• German

Age

27

Birthplace

Sweetwater County, Wyoming

Sex

Male

Eyes

Blue-gray; round spectacles

Hair

Light Brown, trimmed; mutton chops and moustache

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Light Tan

Height

6'0"

Weight

190 lbs (240 lbs with crystalization)

Belief/Deity

Catholic

Known Languages

English, Terran, Latin

D&D 3.5 Class

Divine Mind (Complete Psionic)

Divine Mind Mantles

Elements, Physical Power, Energy

Starting Ability Scores

Str 14, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 10

Feat Progression

Hidden Talent (Elemental Steward)(1), Practiced Manifester (1), Psicrystal Affinity (1), Elemental Envoy (geodite)(3), Psymbiot (6), Craft Dorje (9), Dorje Mastery (12), Envoy Cognizance (sonic)(15), Psionic Meditation (18)

Powers known

Elemental Steward (1), Stomp (1)*, Vigor (1), Earth Walk (2), Animal Affinity (2), Energy Bolt (3), Adrenaline Boost (1), Energy Wall (3), Energy Manipulation (5), Crystal Body* (5), Blackstone Hammer (6)

*Swapped from base mantle powers to fit aesthetic