Rudolfo Ouspensky is one of the leaders of the Conjurer's Cubbyhole Chantry and shop owner in Seattle, Washington.
Biography[]
Quote: "Mastery of the elements is easy. The Siberian rope-and-ladder trick - now that's difficult!"
Rudolfo Ouspekshy was born in 1937, and he's loved magic as long as he can remember. As a child in his native Czechoslovakia, he went to magic shows with his father. After the Second World War, his family moved to America. Entertainment was different there, but watching vaudevillian magicians sparked his imagination, and yearly visits from a traveling circus fanned the flames. As a freshman in college, he voraciously read every book on magic he could find. He never believed magic to be more than clever stage tricks until a fateful day in 1953.
On a cold December morning, Rudolfo sneaked into the workshop of a prominent stage magician to learn some trade secrets. His curiosity demanded answers. He had two choices in life: find the secrets he needed to make his dreams come alive, or expose magic as a sham and put it behind him. Hoping for the best, he caught the performer by surprise.
He found more than he bargained for: the magician opened up a suitcase, calmly stepped in and closed it behind him.
Rudolfo was stunned. He didn't want to disbelieve - in fact, he wanted to find out more. He picked up the suitcase, ran to his dorm room and set it on the floor. Then he waited. Eventually, as Rudolfo expected, the suitcase opened, and a very surprised magician stuck his head out.
"Where am I?" the mage demanded. "Who are you?"
"Your new student!" Rudolfo replied, and the rest, as they say was magic (or magick, as it were).
Five years later, "The Great Rudolfo" was ready to tour the world. He made a career of wowing his audiences with "Amazing Feats of Mystic Wonder!" With style and skill, he pursued the "Acme of Magical Accomplishment" as he traveled from one exotic location to another, fighting Nephandi, Marauders and Technomancers along the way. 15 years later, his youthful vigor and vitality finally began to ebb. He settled in Seattle, and began to create the Conjurer's Cubbyhole.
Since 1973, the Cubbyhole has been a haven for traveling Traditionalist mages who meet with Rudolfo's approval. The store is the same as when it opened, and Rudolfo hasn't changed much either. The Chantry, however, has grown and prospered. If only the Realm didn't keep growing, too....
Though he's a generous man, Rudolfo is no fool; his travels have shown him how dangerous the world can be, and he won't open the red curtain to just anyone. Once he's identified a mystick, Rudolfo had more respect if the prospective performer chooses clever illusions over powerful Effects. (After all, when you know magic, altering the universe would be cheating!) Most traveling mages will usually have to perform a service for the community before Rudolfo will take them into his confidence. He's very open about the fact that he prefers Hermetic magick to all other forms, but doesn't harbor ill will for any Tradition, save for the Euthanatos (whose "Good Death" seems to be nothing less than an excuse for murder). When he meets Orphans, he'll usually offer the talented ones a chance to join the Order of Hermes.
Although he's quite comfortable dealing with Chantry politics, the pressures of his fame within Council circles has influenced his approach to magick. With him, magick is a matter of "all or nothing." He can accomplish minor feats quite easily with simple stage magic, and he's busy enough to leave most essential tasks to his Chantrymates. When he pulls off an Effect, however, he always has to live up to his reputation. For that reason, he doesn't go all-out very often. When he does, he considers anything less than absolute perfection as failure. This leaves him slightly sad: he knows that if he fails, he must do even better next time. For that reason, he usually leaves the major castings to other younger mages, who "need the practice more."
Appearance[]
Rudolfo is a kindly man in his late 50s with a pleasant face and a ready smile. He treats just about everyone as a doting uncle would: finding out what they like and arranging to find it for them. He delights in the strange, and loves simple tricks. Since the store is fully his, he has the option of being as eccentric as he likes, right down to his choices in clothing.
Although his corpulent frame looks most at home when he sports a tux, tails and cloak, he usually prefers slacks, loafers and a sweater. Regardless of his accouterments, his stage presence is always evident. He leads by charisma, not guile. Rudolfo speaks with a slight Rumanian accent.
Sanctum[]
Rudolfo has a small apartment in the Chantry containing everything he holds dear. He can afford the luxury of occasionally living in the past. His surroundings include photos, playbills, posters and newspaper clippings from his days on the stage, a personal library (that he won't risk in the Chantry's library) and other personal mementos. His current apprentice, a young woman named Lisa Yokahama, has an adjoining apartment, and runs the counter of the shop when Rudolfo's not there (she may be run as a player character). Lisa's increasing involvement with Hype, however, has him concerned.
Character Sheet[]
The Chantry Leader
Nature: Architect
Demeanor: Caregiver
Essence: Pattern
Tradition: Order of Hermes
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3, Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3, Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
Abilities: Alertness 2, Awareness 4, Brawl 1, Computer 2, Cosmology 4, Culture 2, Dodge 3, Drive 1, Enigmas 4, Etiquette 3, Expression (stage magic) 4, Intuition (trustworthiness of others) 4, Investigation 3, Law 3, Leadership 4, Linguistics 3, Medicine 3, Meditation 4, Occult 5, Research 5, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 3, Stealth 3, Science 1
Backgrounds: Allies 5, Arcane 4, Avatar 3, Chantry 3, Destiny 3, Dream 1, Library 3, Node 3
Spheres: Correspondence 4, Entropy 2, Forces 4, Life 3, Matter 3, Mind 4, Prime 3, Spirit 2, Time 1
Willpower: 8
Arete: 6
Quintessence: 9
Paradox: 2
References[]
- MTAs: Hidden Lore, p. 36-37