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Identifying Traits -
His eyes, his black polished cane, and exceptional grace despite being blind.

Occupation - Antique Dealer
Name of Store - Mandrake's Marvelous Antiquities
Current Location - Sunnydale, California.
True Occupation - Magus
Practitioner of - White and Black Magic, Latin based
Alignment - Good

Strengths -
Extensive experience with magic, even if he isn't particularly one of the most powerful. Life experience, and knowledge.

Weaknesses -
Magic, as the more frequently he casts a spell, the more bereft of energy he becomes. Also depends on the power of the spell being cast. Blindness.

Special Abilities -
Magic, and due to the Cardinal's Curse can see the Spirit of an individual, Human or otherwise.

Apparel -
Usually dressed very primly, in casual/formal clothes (dress pants, button down shirt, perhaps a coat occasionally) of dark colors

Weapon(s) -
Cane Sword inscribed with holy runes and blessed by the Vatican Church, Magic

Swordsmanship -
A mixture of Spanish Fencing, Chinese Tai Chi, and Japanese Bujutsu

Accessories -
Black polished cane, wooden and intricately carved, inscribed with miniscule Celtic runes and small Latin phrases. Spell Book Moonstone Focusing Crystals

Biography -
Born Valic Mandrake on March 3, 1685, the Magus began his life in the small yet wealthy village of Culmaly in his native Scotland. Born to a wealthy Scottish family, he was taught all the etiquette and knowledge of a nobleman, but being the second son, and consequently not the heir, he was sent to the Vatican to be inducted into the Roman Catholic Priesthood at the age of 16.

Because of his earlier teachings Valic proved to be a very apt pupil, and was often referred to as the next Archbishop or Cardinal. However, the young boy secretly harbored anger and resentment towards his family, and frustration at his present life-style. He had no desire to be a simple priest! The longer he served as an adept, the more his anger and his restlessness grew. And so it was at the age of 19, feeling rebellious, the brash and arrogant nobleman used his good reputation to gain entrance into the forbidden areas of the church library& and it was there that he began to study the Dark Arts of the Magi. Two more years he studied avidly. His ego growing only larger as his power grew, becoming ever transformed by Black Magic. But now he had a friend who helped him study, a demon sensing Valic's growth disguised himself as a Priest and furthered his teachings. And with devious whispers in the now 23 year olds ear, the demon convinced Valic that his power could not grow any larger, until he removed the one thing that stood in his way: His elder brother, now Lord Valin Mandrake. So he traveled back to Culmaly, recently ordained Priest and demanded that his brother relinquish his position so that he, the true Heir, could rule. Upon hearing his refusal, Valic grew furious. He had traveled all the way from Rome to gain his rightful place and was refused! Livid, and in a fit of rage, the foolish young man cast a powerful hex on his brothers family, eventually killing them, and left again for the Vatican.

But to his great surprise, when he returned, he was met one of the Cardinals, the Archbishop, and an audience of Priests. In Valic's absence, the demon had betrayed him, told him of the hex placed on his brother and had shown evidence of his dealings in Black Magic. The Cardinal henceforth banished the nobleman from the church, to never again return. Enraged once again, Valic used his dark power and immolated the Cardinal! A moment later, when he realized what he had done, he rescinded the spell and knelt by the fallen man, now blackened and mortally wounded by the fire called forth. Valic wept and pleaded for forgiveness, at which point the Cardinal lay upon him a righteous curse:

And so the curse was invoked, upon the holy man's death. Valic Mandrake's sight faded from his eyes, and was replaced by the vision of the aura of each and every life he beheld, good or evil. He fled from the Vatican and from Rome, with his new sight and damned to die slower than any mortal man. He took the riches of his family, and that which he had amassed over his years of secret practice in the church, and faded from his former life almost entirely.

To repent for his sins, Valic threw himself in the study of White and Black magic both, learning the balance of these forces and aiding those in need. He both studied and traveled constantly, living in Africa, then in Spain where, with his magically enhanced senses he learned the art of Fencing. Then he traveled to China and Japan, living in these countries, forever learning more and more about the force of Magic and expanding on his swordsmanship. Occasionally using his powers of foresight to amass great wealth, with which he stored in several different banks across the world. For he discovered that he could affect more lives when he was in positions of power, and money gave him that power. Over the years he grew wiser, in the ways of both magic and humanity, and he discovered that he thoroughly enjoyed helping to increase the good in the world. And after his travels and the passing of many years, Valic Mandrake decided it was time to return to Rome.

It had been 120 years since he left the Vatican, and to return had been painful. He had not been there long, however, before he was met. By the Archbishop of the Vatican, the third since Valic's departure. He recognized the blind man, now physically aged to 46, and explained to him that he had another way to atone for his sins. To battle the forces of Evil, almost directly. Through his study of magic, Valic had learned of the nexus of Evil called Hellmouths, and that if he chose to do this, he would battle Satan's Minions for the rest of his days. He would join the Council of Watchers, who had extensive ties in the Roman Catholic Church. The Magus accepted the offer, remembering the demon that had manipulated him. He asked the Archbishop to craft for him a Sword. Blessed and easily concealed to better fight the Darkness.

And so it was that once more, with a clear heart and new cane, Valic Mandrake left Rome and for over a century battled the forces of evil with his blade and his power. With a new mission, the Magus set forth, concentrating more on Europe and America, serving on the Council of Watchers in a variety of positions: Evaluator, Professor of the Arcane Arts, giving a variety of lectures, two of which were listened to by both a young Giles the Ripper and Ethan Rayne, both of whom served as his pupils at one point. Until finally, at the age of 320, now with white hair and neatly trimmed beard, he arrived in Sunnydale, now with a loose affiliation with the Council, to offer aid to those already dedicated to preserving goodness in the world...

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