Preston Changeo Showbiz Wiz

Preston Changeo - "The Showbiz Wiz!"

"And for my next trick, I shall saw YOU in half! Ha ha! Only joking, my good man. Have a nice refreshing puff of Pine Breeze, that'll cheer you up. What was I saying? Ah yes, regarding trigonometry. Oh, that wasn't what we were discussing? Anyway, how about you put the knife down, Carvaux, and we can calculate a few vectors, hmm?"

Phase One

Preston was born to a poor family living in Venice, Italy on January 1st, 1901. He had a large family of two brothers and two sisters, which his parents struggled to support by working two low-paying factory jobs. Preston had very little education, and spent a large amount of time wandering the streets with his friends. He was especially fond of sneaking into magic shows in town to watch the magicians perform. Ever since he was very young, he was transfixed by the showmanship and skill of the prestidigitators on stage: the way that they wowed the crowds and made a living performing spectacular feats of magic. Preston would practice the tricks he saw them preform on his own, to amuse friends and family and make a little extra cash on street corners.

Aspects:
Tougher Than I look
Rabbit in the Hat, Flowers up the Sleeve

Phase Two

Preston's family fled to America when the Great War began, and settled in Maine. He decided to take up real stage magic to help support his struggling parents, and performed few gigs in the city using the tricks he'd practiced and learned. But a funny thing happened while doing a levitation trick one evening in a theater he'd booked a show in. As the ball levitated in the air to the oo's and ahh's of the modest crowd, Preston realized that it was actually levitating. Somehow, through practice, he had developed genuine arcane powers! His show became hugely successful, selling thousands of tickets, as he moved to Broadway with his now rich family. Celebrities from all over the world came to see him preform his unbelievable acts, aided by actual magical ability. It was when preforming for a Century Club party that the Centurion Eleanor Eldritch took notice of his potent yet raw abilities. She met with him afterwards, offering him sponsorship into the Century Club and additional magical training, which he graciously accepted.

Preston technically lives in Baltimore, but has houses everywhere and travels frequently to preform shows all over the world. Living a life of near non-stop parties, Magic Shows, business meetings, sponsorship deals, heavy drinking and more has lead to the development of many eccentric habits, though perhaps this is an understatement. He doesn't really sleep. Ever. When he does, sometimes it's while standing up, or with his eyes wide open. He obsessively locks doors and windows. He is paranoid, impulsive, and borders on OCD and Schizophrenia. While he can be perfectly sane and clear-headed when he wants, sometimes he will simply burst out in laughter at the slightest provocation, stare off into space for a half-hour without noticing, or compulsively plug the product he endorses, (Pine Breeze cigarettes) even in social situations. However he is, as most would say, strangely charming; and is at no lack for friends or contacts.

Aspects:
Showbiz Wiz
Secrets of Eldritch Lore

Phase Three

Preston Changeo and the Sphinx Principle!

Hired by the British Secret Service, Preston must spy on the ex Great War German general, Hektor von Dirge, in London. Suspected of smuggling remaining top secret biological weapons out of Germany and into a stache in England, Preston attempts to discover his secrets during a magic show: via hypnosis! But worse comes to worse when, looking into a nearby stage mirror, he realizes that Dirge has no reflection! The general is a Vampire!

Aspects:
Friends in high places
Eccentric Habits

Phase Four

Preston Changeo and "Lucky" Luke Dynamo in… This Mortal Coil!

Preston is hired for his arcane expertise to travel to Siberia and find the crash-site of a Zeppelin carrying a mysterious package. He gets a little help from Luke Dynamo, fellow Centurion and down-on-his-luck gambler, when a madman begins creating zombies from the citizens of a rural village using the package's contents!

Aspects:
Luke, NO!
"Hey, whatever works!"

Phase Five

Preston Changeo and Rosaline Winters in… The French Drop!

A week before the big show in Paris, Preston is informed by the French government that they have received a death-threat by a group of deadly assassins against the life of the Prime Minister, who will be attending the show. Preston and scientist Rosaline Winters, (aka. Doctor Frostbite) must track down and capture six assassins in the week before the show. Trouble brews when they split up… Will Rosaline discover the group's hideout before they get wind of the investigation and relocate? Will Preston be able to save the Prime Minister's life? Will the Century Club triumph in an epic battle on the Eiffel Tower?!

Aspects:
"Let me handle this…"
Cutting it Close

Skills

Sleight of Hand
Resources, Mysteries
Fists, Rapport, Contacting
Drive, Endurance, Resolve, Art
Investigation, Academics, Alertness, Empathy, Guns

Stunts:

Rare Artifact {Mysteries}
Psychic {Mysteries}
Prestidigitation {Mysteries}
Blather {Rapport}
Stage Magic{Sleight of Hand}

Full List of Aspects:
Tougher Than I look
Rabbit in the Hat, Flowers up the Sleeve
"Hey, whatever works!"
Showbiz Wiz
Secrets of Eldritch Lore
Friends in high places
Eccentric Habits
Luke, NO!
"Let me handle this…"
Cutting it Close

"Well I could put my hands in the air, but I'd like to show you a magic trick, if you don't mind. What do you all think? I call it…" {Whack! Biff! Thump!} "52-guard pickup."

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 License.