All Character Intro Playlists (luis & alex's coming soon!)
Eve Jung, they/them, 41, Owner of The Ceramic Cup (fc: greta lee)
Xander Young, he/him, 30, Firefighter (fc: jordan calloway)
Shawn Pearson, he/him, 29, Custodian (fc: leo woodall)
Carter Crane, he/him, 33, Screen Actor & Director at the Enchantment Theater (fc: aaron pierre)
Lupe Cardozo, she/her, 27, Barista at the Twilight Cauldron (fc: julia dalavia)
Athena Wolff, she/her, 42, Co-Owner of The Hill Hardware Store (fc: kristin kreuk)
Luis Palacios, he/him, 25, Busboy at Old Mill Diner & Clerk at Mabbit's Magician Supply Store (fc: xolo maridueña)
Alex Valmorida, they/he, 40, Groundskeeper at the Maple Inn (fc: manny jacinto)
Eve Jung:
Born and raised in Cardinal Hill. Their grandparents were actually the ones to make the long journey to the state of Washington when borders were still being drawn by random men in random rooms.
Lives in the same house in Upper Cardinal they've been in all of their life. Both of their parents are witches, quite knowledgeable ones who have taken many people under their wing. Their parents are avid travelers but have been returning home more recently due to the incidents happening all around. After a long stretch of years living alone in the house, Eve is struggling to re-share the space with their parents.
The oldest of two siblings but their brother bolted from Cardinal Hill as soon as he turned 18, not entirely excited about his witch abilities. He lives out in the world pretending he's a regular human and Eve doesn't know how he can stand it.
The Ceramic Cup is probably the only thing that has ever really been theirs and not part of their family's legacy. It's a representation of how their favorite form of magic has always come from potions and enhancements. It's part of what makes their coffee's and teas so delicious. Not that any human would ever know.
Generally a friendly person but always has a hidden agenda. Not entirely great at trusting people outside of the few friends they've had all of their life but they're most attracted to mystery and chaos. Something that seems to be getting them into more trouble than fun lately.
Eve's familiar is a Starling named Amory, after the main character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise.
Xander Young:
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.
Youngest of three siblings but the only one who has actually left his hometown.
Likes to keep to himself but always available to lend a helping hand. A kind and generous soul but does his best to not bring any attention or spotlight on himself.
Left home because of his secret which he believes is actively ruining his life. Convinced himself that by moving far away from home he could somehow protect his family from whatever disaster seemed to follow him. Also convinced if he doesn't allow anyone to get attached or allow himself to get attached then he can keep everyone around him as safe as possible.
Despite it all, his cozy trailer in the trailer park is his safe haven and he's done a lot to decorate it to make it feel like a real home.
Really just a silly dude running from the ghost of his past that may or may not exist.
Shawn Pearson:
Born in Poughkeepsie, New York but "raised" all over, not that anyone really raised Shawn. He was given up for adoption at birth and never met either of his birth parents.
With no living relatives, Shawn was bouncing around from an early age. As a toddler, he had a pretty steady home with an older couple who were probably the only real influence on his life. But they were present just long enough for him to grieve but not long enough to have a family for any of his milestones or real life experience. By his early teens he was really on his own.
The only saving grace had been his foster siblings. The ones who actually took a moment to give a shit about him and one of those siblings was clover fields. One of the first siblings he had that was close in age to him and never made him feel like he had to tell him everything just for them to get along. They were both survivors and even long after they were living under the same roof, they were sure to stay in touch through letters. To this day, Clover is probably the only person who has ever known every place that Shawn has ended up geographically.
Shawn stayed in one place long enough to graduate from high school, proving to be terrible with attendance but wonderful with his academics regardless. He was always most interested in what knowledge could help him survive, make a quick buck and help him get on his way.
This began a lifestyle of scamming and stealing his way through life. Pickpockets were a specialty of his and making bets that were really just manipulating people into money became sort of his self appointed profession.
Until he stole from the wrong target
[Redacted]
So after some long bus rides, hopping on trains he had to hop off of when they realized he had no ticket, he decided what better place to go then where the one person he considers family is?
Has been in Cardinal Hill probably for two to three months. Got a job as a custodian at the community center through one of his AA friends. He's a recovering alcoholic who's still stumbling through his steps but trying his best.
Currently living in a shitty apartment but it's the first place he's called his own in ages.
Carter Crane:
Born & Raised in Cardinal Hill by a very wealthy family. Generational wealth big time. Comes from both of his parents side. Grew up spoiled and had a terrible relationship with his parents, only child and it shows.
Was much more full of himself in his teenage years but he's mellowed out a bit more the older he's gotten and the more he's gotten into his work. He's still annoying, though. Has never met a mirror he didn't want to stand in front of for hours. Was definitely that annoying rich kid in high school, not always well liked but people wanted to be around him regardless.
He was always a bit untrained and unrefined with his magic, considering how little his parents had taught him. They often used their magic for their own personal gain and so in the beginning that was all Carter did.
But he was lucky enough to discover that his two best friends, Maddison and Arturo were also witches, and so with their help, he slowly learned how to be less destructive and more focused. Overall he tries to use his magic much less these days, for smaller things around the house or to help him get into a good state of mind for his work. His relationship with magic at this point is complicated. And his experience with it has not always been positive.
Married his best friend Maddison 5 years ago after many years of fucking around and acting like they weren't in love with each other. He's learning a lot about what it means to be a committed person, a committed husband and to really care for another person in the way he cares about himself. Maddi has always been the exception to every rule for him, though.UNDER CONSTRUCTION, tldr; he's divorced now
He's had a mildly successful career, mostly supporting roles. He's been in the pursuit of a movie he can star in and really make his big break for quite some time. He's had a few stand out supporting roles on a recent tv drama but he had a falling out with the director and was grateful that he had never fully moved away from home. He talked his way into getting more involved at the Enchantment Theater and found it to be his way to practice being on the other side of the camera so to speak. He's hopeful that this experience will help him have what he needs to get his big break.
Lupe Cardozo:
If you look up extrovert in the dictionary, there's a good chance you'll see Lupe's face next to it.
Lupe loves life. She especially loves her own life and despite how much her reckless actions get her into trouble, there's not much she would change.n
Only child with tons of family all over. Travels to see a lot of them often, especially her cousin Floyd who she absolutely adores. Pretty sure she'd burn the world down if someone messed with him.
As soon as she graduated high school, she was off on her travels, working odd jobs as much as she could to pay her way through. Her family was comfortably middle class but not in a way where her parents would willingly pour money into her adventures. So she and he trusty backpack went out to see the world.
It was through those travels that she met Tessa Locke and made an instant friend who she has held dearly to her after all these years. Tessa's letters were like her anchor as she moved throughout the world, creating a learning experience for herself that she was certain no university could provide.
She's been stateside plenty of time since, including trips to Cardinal Hill to see Tessa and Floyd and the rest of the Cardozo's there.
Speaks fluent Portuguese, Spanish & Dutch.
Lupe just learned about her powers very recently and has been using them kind of recklessly and liberally. She actually doesn't know where her powers came from and has not been able to have a conversation about it with her parents who she's talked to less and less since she came to Cardinal Hill to settle for a little while. (Has been in town 2-3 years on and off but has actually gotten a place to live in the past year or so after REDACTED happened)
So Lupe is kind of flying blindly into her magic, not even fully understanding yet that it's magic because she doesn't know many witches in general/is kind of oblivious to how many of them are in Cardinal Hill.
The only person she's confided in about it in is Tessa. She feels bad for not telling Floyd but she's afraid her family will find out and see it as a bad thing. Another reason for her parents to be disappointed in their only child.
And yet! Despite her newbie status, she still took a job at the Twilight Cauldron, thinking it was just about teas but the more she comes into her power, the more she's understanding that what she's doing is much more than she thinks. She just hasn't worked up the courage to ask Copper or anyone else for advice.
*Very new character and like Xander this will be updated as I develop her more!
Athena Wolff:
The oldest of four children, born and raised in Afton, Wyoming to a couple who had been deeply in love when they had Athena. Their first born, they poured a lot into giving her a loving home but as the other three came along, their marriage started to feel a real wear and tear.
The eldest daughter and pride and joy of the Wolffs, Athena did her best to do well in school, read as much as she could and stay out of trouble. Which she couldn't say for her siblings since they seemed to take her obedience as permission to be reckless in their various ways. The same could be said for her parents.
The perfect home fell apart just a few weeks after Athena's 16th birthday when her parents sat all four kids down to let them know that they would be getting a divorce. It felt like her entire world had fallen apart but what made it worse was the intensity of the divorce that she hadn't anticipated. Arguments and custody battles and in the end, two of her siblings decided to move in with their father when he left and she and her youngest brother stayed with their mother. A house divided indeed.
Thus began Athena's own string of recklessness. Still, she managed to graduate high school, went to a local college and tried to help her mother move through the days and make sure her youngest brother went to school on time. She tried not to let her resentment for her parents get to her but it was hard not to.
And then one day she walked into the local hardware store, looking for something for her brothers art project and she met the woman who would become her anchor.
She fell in love with Bennie the moment she met her and for the first time in a long time, she saw a reason to stay afloat, a reason to stop just getting by.
So she took her studies seriously again, focused on architecture and let Bennie show her around the hardware store, teaching her the tricks of the trade and allowed her to find therapy in getting her hands dirty.
Her youngest brother finally went off to college and she finally got her mother in therapy, after a lot of push and pull. And though things had been tense for a long time, all four siblings and both of her parents showed up to watch her marry the love of her life.
But of course life doesn't always stay on track. And after some serious heartbreak, she and Benedetta went to Cardinal Hill to find a new life and it was the first time Athena had ever left her family. It was scary but in many ways it felt good. She felt free.
Athena's magic is very cerebral and shows a lot in the way she thinks and approaches problems. It especially becomes evident in her architectural designs and the way she works to bring her clients to life. She loves co-owning the hardware store with her wife and has started to take clients to help them build their dream home or business.
It's not exactly what she thought life would be but it's hers and she's happy.
Luis Palacios:
Born & Raised in Cardinal Hill to a family full of witches.
A middle child with an abundance of energy who will do anything for his siblings and his parents. Though he tends to give them a lot of headaches. He usually makes up for it with a smile and snagging a batch of his father's favorite pies and his mother's favorite pastries.
Loves to read and ask questions but did terribly in school because he was always too distracted by something else. It was a miracle he managed to graduate. All of his teachers loved him, they just said he lacked focus. But Luis knows it's just that he lacks real interest. Why would he need to know math when magic could teach him whatever he wants?
His magic is one of the things he's most proud of but it's something he can be a bit reckless with. He's constantly getting scolded by his older sister about misusing his magic and he argues that last he checked no one was making rules.
Luis is a self proclaimed townie, not really desiring life outside of his hometown. Of course he has dreams but he doesn't quite believe in them or himself that much if he were to be honest. Which he rarely is.
Kind of just floating through life. Kind and big hearted but terrible at making logical choices.
Works two jobs so he isn't constantly asking his parents or his siblings for money. Lives in his older sister's spare room because he seems to listen to her more than most people. He also admires her magic and wants to learn from her.
Luis loves people, has lots of friends, loves to be a hype man for the people that he loves. He's definitely a flirt and has probably had some serious relationships since high school. He's a class clown but a decent boyfriend until he eventually does some stupid shit and ruins it.
+more to come as he develops!
Alex Valmorida:
Born and raised in Cardinal Hill. Only child to two parents who adore him and taught him the importance of intentional magic. Of not letting their powers take over their lives. The especially cautioned him because of the legacy his mother’s family had, descendants from a particularly well known with. Or rather infamously known for being a proponent of dark magic and using it in the worst of ways.
It was part of why the Valmorida’s moved to Cardinal Hill a little before Alex was born. So they could raise a child far away from the whispers and rumors. In a place where they could make a name for themselves. His mother is a long team educator at the high school and his father has been a long time employee of the Grimoires though most people probably know him best for the children’s story time he does at Riverside Bookstore.
Alex has always been a quiet but content person, they excelled in school and were often a loner but they didn’t mind it. They took the loneliness and used it to focus and practice their magic. They have a very personal bond with it and even when around other witches is not that eager to show off. He knows what’s in his blood and his mother told him enough horror stories to keep him on the straight and narrow. Even when he was getting bullied in high school, he would take the punches, scared that if he did something he’d end up causing more harm than he was enduring.
He went to college in Portland and loved it, finding a way to get out of his shell more and meeting friends who would help him build his confidence. He was still more on the quiet side but he had explored more of his interests, tried new things, changed his major multiple times and when he graduated he bounced from internship to temp job until his mom connected him to a friend of hers who did equine therapy and needed some people for the summer. And Alex fell in love with it. Or rather he fell in love.
Alex didn’t know it was love at first but they knew the moment they saw Linden that it was something real. It took him a few days to work up the courage but thankfully, with the help of a bottle of lemonade, he saw his opportunity and went for it. And to this day it’s the best thing he’s ever done.
But the worst thing he’s ever done was leave them. It wasn’t the plan. Alex would rather die than give up mornings next to them, afternoons working side by side with stolen glances and rapidly beating hearts. He had never loved someone so much and he was sure he never would. But life had different plans when he got home one night to find his mother panicked and disheveled, partially drained of her magic and more scared than he had ever seen her. She had been visited by one of her cousins who had become so consumed by dark magic he swore vengeance on the family members that had cast him out and the three Valmorida’s were his next targets. Or four, when he learned of Alex’s soon to be nuptials.
Alex had stalled but the entire night he had sat up staring at Linden asleep, knowing that he’d never be able to forgive himself if he let anything happen to them. And so he left.
And so the chase began. What happened over the next decade can only be described as the worst adventure of his life. And yet it was in some ways the best connection Alex had ever had to his own magic. And then [REDACTED]. After years of fighting, Alex finally managed to find an end or at least an extended pause to the fight, even if it had required him to access [REDACTED]. Something that has left him forever changed, something he hasn’t entirely processed.
After years of searching he finally found a rest. Until he started to hear about the dark magic being practiced back home in Cardinal Hill. He hadn’t done all of this fighting just for the home he loved to be jeopardized. He had no choice but to return home.
There’s not a day that has gone back that he hasn’t thought of Linden. Their head is full thoughts of them, heart full of anguish and regret. They felt the urge to go back so many times but they only knew it would keep putting their loved ones in danger. In order to make it through, they wrote Linden letters as much they could, notebooks full of things they wanted to tell them, apologies they felt they’d never be able to give. They were sure that they wouldn’t survive all of this time but they have.
And now they’re back, older, plenty more weary and not entirely ready to reconnect with the people he had left behind but he’s pretty sure he has no choice now.
One hell of a homecoming.
