Lincoln Renfield-Murray

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Lincoln Renfield-Murray

Player Name	Matt
Relatives	Nesta Acheron (Spouse), Jacob Acheron-Renfield-Murray (Son, 18 months), Eleanor Abernathy (Sister, 32), Charlotte Abernathy (Niece, 11), Oliver Abernathy (Nephew, 11), Jacob Renfield (Father, deceased), Allison Murray (Mother, 67)
Languages	Noman, Oldfairen, Hillian
Affiliations	Candela Obscura (former) Newfaire Arts Council, Volunteer Vice President South Soffit Public Library, Literacy Volunteer
Aliases	Linc, The Red Knight (former)
Marital Status	Married (Deceased)
Date of Birth	10/08/06 CR
Place of Birth	Nawfaire, The Fairelands, Noma
Date of Death	12/05/36 CR
Place of Death	Newfaire, The Fairelands, Noma
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Height	5' 8"
Weight	160 lbs
Eye Color	Brown

Lincoln Renfield-Murray was an occultist in the Qandela Obscura campaign and member of the Circle of Mind & Marrow, operating out of Nine Irons. He owned a bookstore, Verbatim, in The Sidle where he lived in the top floor above the bookstore his wife, son, sister and her twin children.

Physical Appearance

Dawning a cool and slightly disheveled look. He sports chestnut brown hair; tousled and falling across his forehead in an unkempt yet intentional manner. The length is moderate, not too short but not overly long.

Lincoln is often expressive, sometimes conveying a weariness through deep-set brown eyes. He has a neatly trimmed beard and mustache.

His wardrobe is simple yet reflective of The Sidle's literary scene. He often wears earthy tones, such as browns, grays, and muted greens, in the form of sweaters, button-down shirts, and a well-worn woolen over coat. The clothing is practical and lived-in.

Personality

Lincoln used to navigate the occult with a quick, nonchalant wit that often gives way to unconventional methods. As an occultist, he was focused and determined to see things through to the end. Though, this was sometimes undermined by a sense of powerlessness in the face of larger forces that even he didn't entirely understand. He often grappled with the existential questions and emotions that his work as an occultist had forced him to confront. In his mind, those who tamper with magick often do so from a place moral ambiguity and corruption, sometimes resulting a world-weary attitude on his part.

In the years that followed the end of his career as an occultist, Lincoln found join in the beauty of a smaller life. Dandling his son on his knee while revising a manuscript for his next novel, and evenings reading while his wife enjoyed an even show on the radio would become a foundation of genuine happiness for him.

History

In 28 CR, Lincoln published his first novel, "Summer Over Silverslip". The novel was a coming of age story in which a veteran, Laurel Michaels, returns to Newfaire after finishing their term of service in the army and learns more about the larger world and its imperfect and grimy nature. The book didn't do well but earned Lincoln a small following of readers.

Prior to the winter of 29 CR, Lincoln had lived a quiet, uneventful life as an aspiring author and the proprietor of Verbatim, a bookstore tucked into The Sidle. This tranquil existence was disrupted when he received a letter from his younger sister, Eleanor, who had married Thomas Abernathy and moved with him and their two children, Charlotte and Oliver, to the remote mining town of Dunhurst. Eleanor’s letter, laced with concern, pleaded for Lincoln’s help, as Thomas had begun behaving strangely.

Upon arriving in Dunhurst, Lincoln discovered that Thomas, an esteemed engineer for the Blackstone Mineral Company, had fallen under the sway of an otherworldly power referred to as The Spark. The mine’s workers had unearthed something dark and terrible, and their manager, Heath Keers, led them in rituals to worship the entity. Over the course of a harrowing day, Lincoln uncovered the full extent of the cult’s corruption and the danger posed by the Cindermen—creatures of ash and flame created by the Spark’s influence. Fleeing the town with Eleanor and her children, Lincoln was forced to leave Thomas behind, as he had become consumed by the cult’s dark influence.

Determined to save his brother-in-law, Lincoln immersed himself in the rare and arcane tomes hidden within Verbatim’s exclusive collection. In one ancient text, he found a ritual to forge a covenant with a nameless entity—a master of gates and keys. Desperate, Lincoln agreed to the covenant, receiving the entity’s power to confront the cult and seal the mine. Returning to Dunhurst, Lincoln defeated the remaining Cindermen and sealed the mine, but not before a final confrontation with Thomas, whose body and mind had been consumed by the Spark. Left with no other choice, Lincoln ended Thomas’s suffering and fled the burning ruins of Dunhurst.

The covenant with the nameless entity haunted Lincoln, binding him to serve as its agent. Tasked with ensuring that no unauthorized being passed through thinning boundaries between realms, Lincoln carried out his duties under the entity’s watchful eye, receiving instructions through cryptic means—most often a stray cat appearing at his doorstep.

The aftermath of Dunhurst strained Lincoln’s relationship with Eleanor. Unable to confess that he had been the one to end her husband’s life, Lincoln carried this guilt as a heavy burden. To cope, he opened Verbatim to clients seeking assistance with supernatural predicaments, gaining a reputation as a reluctant but skilled occultist. Clients like Isabella Hawthorne, Samuel Whitewood, and Lucinda Vale came to him with their burdens, and Lincoln forged bonds with those who understood the costs of dabbling in the arcane.

Years later, Lady Seraphina Ravenscroft of Candela Obscura noticed Lincoln’s talents and extended an invitation to join the Circle of Mind & Marrow. At first, Lincoln refused, unwilling to involve others in his struggles. However, his increasingly narrow escapes and the promise that Candela might help him sever his covenant with the nameless entity eventually compelled him to accept.

In 34 CR, Lincoln joined Nesta Acheron, a fellow investigator with her own storied past, as she ventured into the Oldfairen ruins beneath Newfaire alongside Lula, Silas, and Piers to rescue Nesta’s missing sisters, Feyre and Elaine. The harrowing mission brought the group face-to-face with ancient dangers and a crystalline pillar that had taken the lives of several investigators. With the help of both Nesta and Silas, Lincoln banished the pillar to The Flare. The ritual was fraught with danger and as a result, he was freed with the compact with his master.

The Power Lincoln had gained from the accord with the otherworldly being, who remained nameless, was gone. Lincoln was glad for it.

Shortly after his final assignment Lincoln retired from Candela Obscura and married Nesta in a quiet ceremony of friends and family.

In 35 CR, Nesta gave birth to their first child, Jacob. Their growing family became a source of hope and grounding for Lincoln amidst his tumultuous life. By the end of 36 CR, they were expecting another child, a sign of the life they were building together despite the shadows of the past.

During this period, Lincoln returned to daily operations of Verbatim alongside his sister. He likewise returned to his roots as a writer. Between 34 and 36 CR, he published two novels, “The Day the Veil Was Torn” and “Mud and Bones”. The works were well-received and drew a small following of fans of his work.

In December of 36 C.R., Lincoln was killed along with 12 others at Merrick's Hearth, when the bakery was destroyed in a gas explosion.

A team of investigators from Candela Obscura, dispatched to investigate the appearance of smoldering specters wandering around The Sidle, discovered that the explosion was caused by a group of men of unknown affiliation or intent. This information was gathered through a psychic vision by the investigator, Carmen Baxter. During this vision she saw Lincoln saw the culprits, one of whom was apprehended by the team of investigators while looking into the situation with a spectral entity comprised of fire wandering The Sidle that was eventually determined to be a being known as a revenant. The person that was apprehended, Nikoli Sorell, had been following Lincoln for months as evidenced by myriad entries into a journal he had on his person as well as additional items found when searching his home. The purpose of his surveillance of Lincoln and his daily activities remains unclear.

One such item was a leather bound journal, written in a strange language. The journal was eventually decoded through the determined efforts of several investigators, including Persephone “Percy” Montgomery, Feyre Acheron and Mocking-bird. Once the journal was successfully decoded, it was discovered that Lincoln had been approaching by his old friend and fellow retired Candela Obscura investigator, Jasper Parson, to assist in an investigation to determine the cause of two Candela Obscura researchers, Caleb and Emily Zener. The status of the Zener twins remains unknown, but what is known is that Lincoln had discovered Jasper on the floor of the antique dealers living room, bleeding out.

Jasper uttered, "Flasta nov mora…". Translated from the dead language, Vaelonic, "We've been betrayed...". This revelation told Lincoln that someone was operating within Candela Obscura. But he was unable to determine who had killed his old friend or if they were connected to the disappearance of the twins.

After searching a hidden compartment in Jasper's book case that only the two knew about, Lincoln had determined that Jasper had intended to set course for a set of coordinates marked on a nautical map with no apparent landmass associated with it. Intending to take up the investigation alone, to avoid endangering any of his loved ones or friends, Lincoln noted he would embark on a journey for the island as well. But never made it, having been killed in the explosion before he could leave.

Languages

Noman, Hilian, Oldfairen

Powers and Abilities

Lincoln is well read and possesses a well rounded knowledge about the humanities. He is likewise a skilled researcher and investigator. Prior to his retirement from Candela Obscura, Lincoln also possessed occult powers through performing rituals rituals. All of the rituals he knew required him to channel the magickal energy of the Entity through the sigil scarred into his right hand. This could take the form of bleed detection or containment, warding and a number of other abilities.

Attacks and Weapons 

While Lincoln is not an inherently violent person, his work as an occultist has sometimes required him to get into the occasional scrap. As such, Lincoln keeps a baseball bat in his office that is inscribed with Oldfairen characters and the arcane sigil of the Entity that is also scarred into his right palm.