Background
Personality: Harry is a wise-ass with a brilliant sense of humor and timing. This is a trait that can often get him in trouble with wrong people, but it seems to work for him. Harry also possesses a sense of chivalry and right and, despite his constant necessity for a payday, will go out of his way to help a human being in need.
Harry Dresden is a very noble character, looking for love and friendship. He is extremely chivalrous and protective of the innocent. Imagine a Sam Spade style noir detective but dealing in cases of the supernatural.
History:
~HARRY DRESDEN-WIZARD~
Lost Items found. Paranormal Investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or
Other Entertainment
Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever.
There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard living in modern day Chicago as a private investigator. His roommate is a snarky ghost named Bob who is eternally bound to his own skull for crimes of black magick. Harry Dresden is on probation with the High Council (Wizard government) for having killed his uncle, Justin Morningway, five years earlier. Harry had killed his uncle in self-defense after a fight that resulted from Harry learning that his uncle had killed Harry's father and was plotting to over throw the High Council. Unfortunately though Harry is forever mistrusted by his fellow wizards and is an outsider in the magical and mundane worlds.
Strengths: Spells, a brilliant sense of timing and a hardboiled smart-assed attitude. Harry's skill with battle magic has increased steadily and quickly. His shields are the most striking example, initially unable to deal with sufficiently strong attacks, now they can deal with significant attacks without a problem. While the head of the Wardens can use fire magic with a pinpoint laser-like effect that can cut a person in two, Harry can take out a building, fry an I-beam, and has 'upgraded' to a blue-white shot of fire magic strong enough to bore through a Denarian. Harry is also using physics more, using his shields to turn enemies attacks back upon themselves or their allies, and ripping heat away from areas to create ice as well as power fire attacks simultaneously.
Along with an impressive array of spellcraft, As one of the most powerful younger wizards of the White Council, Harry has a large repertoire of magical powers. His skills at evocation, or quick and dirty magic/ "battle magic", lean toward large blasts of fire and force; he originally favored wind, and also has some skill with earth (usually magnetism) and lightning magic. He has considerable magical brute strength, though his control is somewhat lacking - for example, while he could easily shatter a pair of handcuffs, he may also break the wrists of the person wearing them.
A power that all true wizards have is Wizard Sight, or the Third Eye. Using this power is one of the earmarks of Wizardry. It allows a Wizard to see the world as it truly is, on a magical and spiritual level, bypassing all Veils and Illusions. Anything that is witnessed under the Third Eye is remembered perfectly, forever, which leads to reluctance to employ it, as it is often called on in situations to reveal Evil, horrible supernatural harm, and the like, and the weight of such memories can cause significant mental stress over time. Harry's first use of the Sight was on a tree, and he can perfectly picture the gnome-like spirit within it to this day.
Yet another power that all wizards have is the Soul Gaze, a meeting of the eyes that transforms into a highly personalized and revealing look at the other person's psyche and soul, and one of the reasons why people instinctively don't look deep into another's eyes. It is an immediate way to identify someone or something flawlessly. It is notably something he has never shared with Murphy, although he has with Susan. Harry has no idea how people perceive him, although those who have Gazed him tend to have their opinion and respect for him taken up several notches after it happens, as they realize the true nature of who they are dealing with.
Harry has a fairly uncommon magical power he has developed with time and experience, the ability to Listen. This is more akin to a clairaudience effect of limited range then merely enhanced hearing, but the sensitivity of it has risen with time, to the point where Harry can even filter out and discern different heartbeats around corners and in rooms close by. Although it can be stopped by a Veil, it provides an excellent tactical edge against many opponents for him.
Harry also possesses great skill at thaumaturgy - he prefers it, since it gives him more structure and precision for his power. According to Harry his skills lie in "redirecting energy, sending energy out into the world to resonate..." He is particularly well-versed in tracking spells. It should be noted that Harry has summoned spirits across multiple mythos in his time, including faeries big and small, Voodoo loa spirits of knowledge, actual demons, and the like using this skill and thaumaturgic rituals.
Harry can make various alchemical potions to imbue himself with various powers or one-shot effects, though he heavily relies on Bob's knowledge to make them. He likes to put them in plastic sports bottles to better disguise their nature.
Harry's 'final' ability is one possessed by all wizards, that of the Death Curse. While it must be targeted at the being that kills them, it can be incredibly powerful. Harry believes that the force of his curse could wipe every living thing off the island of Demonreach. His mother's curse completely blocked the ability of the King of the White Court of Vampires to feed, a creature that was otherwise immune to magic. He himself has been the target of a Death Curse, although the lesser power of the caster left it open-ended and of vague power.
Weaknesses: Cracking wise to the wrong person. Letting his heart lead his head. Magic itself has an innate power to disrupt technology. A strong wizards' aura interferes with computers, airplane engines, and car motors, severely limiting his use of any modern/electronic gadgets. Among other things, that makes it dangerous for Harry to visit hospitals, where people are on life support.
Weapons: Harry channels his magic through several items. The first are his silver rings (formerly ring) that store physical force, and release it in a linear attack. They are charged by movements of his arms and hands, siphoning small portions of kinetic energy off to be released later. The second is his blasting rod, which gives him much finer control over fire (his preferred form of attack), such that he can chew a ray of fire through a steel beam. The third normal item is his oaken staff, which helps him in wielding other form of energy, particularly air and subtler force effects (and is handy for leaning on and beating people with, incidentally). The fourth item is his shield bracelet, which helps him establish defensive fields. From a mere kinetic deflector, this last effect has been improved to be effective against virtually all attack forms, up to the detonation of hundreds of pounds of C-4 going off almost point-blank (although it still has holes). The pentagram amulet he wears about his neck serves as an impromptu magical focus and often a divination aid to find his brother Thomas and his dog Mouse. Lastly, the leather duster he wears has been charged and strengthened with magic to be able to ward off even military grade gunfire. Unlike any of the other magic users in the series, Harry shouts faux Latin commands to perform spells.
Other Information: Harry lives in the basement of a boarding house with Bob as well as Mister, his enormous grey cat (there are dogs smaller than Mister) weighing in at just over thirty pounds, and Mouse, his giant, loveable Foo Dog.
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