Joseph Priestley
Faceclaim: Taylor Zakhar Perez
Pronouns: he/him
Height: 6’0”
Build: Tall and lean
Occupation: Assistant Embalmer
Apparent Age: 30
Date of Birth: April 12th, 1985
Date of Escape: February 1st, 2025
Fetch: James Garza Rodriguez
Relations: Kristy Garza Rodriguez, Paul Barton
Description:
Mask:
At a glance, the man who calls himself “Joseph Priestley” is unassuming: tired-looking, with the distant air of someone who has seen too much but says too little. His dark hair is perpetually tousled, and there’s an unsettling stillness to him, as if he forgets to breathe when no one is watching. His hands are dexterous and quick, but his grip lingers a second too long, as though measuring something unseen.
His clothes are neat but worn, often layered as if to hide the sharpness of his frame. His voice is soft but deliberate, with a cadence that suggests he’s always considering his words carefully before he speaks.
His eyes never quite match the light.
Mien: His hands, once delicate and capable, now move with unnerving precision. They twist and curl on their own when he is not actively keeping them busy. His body is gaunt in a way that suggests more than starvation - it’s as if something hollowed him out and stretched his skin tight and translucent over the frame that remained, like a discarded carapace.
His eyes are empty and dark. The whites have disappeared, leaving only a faint, flickering red line that zigzags in time with a heartbeat that isn’t his own.
The skin across his back and chest bears strange, uneven patches where the flesh seems unnaturally smooth or weathered, as though layers had been slapped on or peeled away to suit his Keeper’s needs. Sometimes when he moves, these patches of skin pull at his limbs, resisting the life he’s returned to. Beneath some of these patches, the remnants of the Crone’s cruelty go even deeper — in the form of ink-black handprints that still press into his elbows and shoulders, ghosts of the hands that guided his work.
Personality: Joseph is methodical, observant, and unsettlingly calm. He doesn’t flinch at pain, but he watches for it, cataloging it with quiet fascination. He’s intensely private, keeping people at arm’s length with dry humor and feigned indifference… though his control frays when he’s exhausted or pushed too far.
He still feels responsible for the suffering of others, even when that guilt is no longer his to bear.
Keeper: The Gnarled Old Crone
Seeming: Wizened
Kith: Chirurgeon/Chatelaine
Court: The Court of Swords
Mantle: None
Visible Effects: Sculptor (Swords, •)
A Sculptor lends their skill and craftsmanship to the Freehold with effortless precision. Whether they are mending broken things, forging tools of power, or tending to the wounds of others, their work always reflects mastery, completed with a quiet grace—like the gleam of polished steel left behind, glowing for just a moment before fading.
Mantle Manifestation: Those who stand near a Sculptor at work feel a cool, metallic sensation lingering in the air, as if the very essence of steel has touched the room.
Those with a shared Keeper may remember:
- The stench of bitter herbs that clung to him like a second skin.
- The steady movements of hands that never hesitated, even when he tried to stop.
- The measured tone of his voice, speaking of suffering as if it were a normal state of being rather than an unending, torturous nightmare.
Roleplay Hooks:
The following may not be known IC, but can be used to help determine what our characters have in common or for setting a scene.
The Quiet Dead
Joseph works as an assistant embalmer, which means he’s one of the last (or second to last) people to handle the dead before they’re buried or burned. Maybe you’ve picked up work in the industry, or maybe you’ve had to bring him a body under less-than-legal circumstances.
Pain is a Language
Joseph has an intimate knowledge of suffering - how much a body can take, how to ease it, how to prolong it. Maybe you’re a fighter, or just someone who’s pushed your limits one too many times, and you need his expertise. Or maybe you’re in pain, and you don’t trust normal medicine. Or maybe you’ve been wondering why he knows so much about the subject in the first place. Just remember: making the pain go away doesn’t mean you’re better. Sometimes it makes things worse.
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