Jim Davenport

Description
Jim Davenport is a small man in his early 20s with curly blonde hair, dark eyes and strong nose. Like most of his kind he is decently quick and clever, and dresses in clean, casual clothes. He is social, but seems slightly sad or troubled. His prize possessions are:
 * an old green pickup
 * a sturdy padlocked steam trunk with his Nest (collection of treasures) inside
 * a large wire box cage his two Raven friends can open themselves
 * a neat green raincoat with a warm fuzzy lining zipped in for the winter
 * classy leather messenger bag or slim briefcase with brass buckles
 * a slim white netbook with skype and a cell card
 * a small collection of tools used to open chests and devices (owned or unattended)

Family and History
Jim comes from a large Ravenkind family in the Northwest. William and Susan Davenport chose their brood name in answer to the Lewis Carrol riddle: "What is the difference between a raven and a writing desk?". That it also sounds distinguished is a nice bonus for the estate auction business they run out of their spawling home/warehouse. With the help of a handful of rotating Aunts and Uncles and William's mother, Jill, they raised 7 children to majority with as little trauma as they could manage in this rotten world.

Unlike his human mother and youngest sister, Jim and the rest of his siblings inherited the sensitivity to spiritual residue that marks a fledgeling who can become a full Raven. His father and grandmother helped him hone that sense, showing how to sense connections to other realms, and how to meld into nests. When his grandmother passed on suddenly, William showed Jim how to use her old ring to summon her ghost to his nest. He flourished in the traditions of his people, training in social skills and the special skills that are their bloodright.

Of particular joy to the young man was assuming the form of a Raven and exploring the natural world near town. He discovered that a raven with the strength and intelligence of a man could take down many animals trivially. One day he stumbled across a large badger digging in a clearing. Approaching the animal to see what it was doing, a tiny voice cried out for help. He tried to drive off the badger only to discover it both intent on it's prey and wielding unusual powers. After a battle that nearly killed the young Corvus, he destroyed the possessed Badger and saved a spirit ridden groundhog. Germlane the groundhog spirit thanked him and taught him how to meld with shadow almost like he melds with his nest. Although shadow sneaking was difficult, he found it increased his ability to ambush certain animals even more, and opened up fun possibilities for pranks.

As he was spending all his troublesome energy on the unsuspecting wildlife, he got the reputation for being responsible and focused. He brought his confidence and killer instincts into being an excellent trader and auction runner for his father's business. Loading and unloading items from auction halls to storerooms to shipping yards gave him a surprising strength of frame for his height. However, some auctions are held in shadier areas of town, and his boldness led him to get involved with small time local criminals when he was out alone on business.

He got TOO close with a thief named Al, and foolishly showed him raven form. When he discovered Al trying to record a change, the betrayal caused him to snap into Deathwing and lethal madness. He broke the camera and left Al's corpse behind. He didn't tell his family (except his Mentor) who told him that it was an object lesson on not trusting humans. His family had warned him repeatedly not to share the secrets of his heritage with anyone, as wether they were human or some other kind of special creature, they would not care for the others of his line as he would. Although they said that sometimes non-family had to pay the price so family would be safe, he felt terrible about his responsibility in the death of his friend.

The days ground on, eating at Jim's sanity. Every look and comment from his parents made him wonder if Grandma's shade had told of his secret shame. Every police car that passed him on the street made him worry that they had gathered some piece of the puzzle connecting the killing to him. Every two bit thug he avoided made him worry that Al had spoken to other's about his secrets. Although he knew leaving town so soon would look bad if suspicion fell his way, he could eventually bear it no longer. He told his family he was leaving to aid in the search for answers about the snowstorm up north and drove off, promising to Skype often, taking only his small nest and his messenger bag of tools and his netbook.

Goals
Jim's main goal right now is to get away from his guilt and fear. What distance and time alone do not accomplish he intends to drown in new people, places, and secrets. He feels the need to prove to himself that he's still a good person and the evil he perpetrated does not define him.

He'd also like to make some nice scores on lost treasures and secrets of the Ravenkind who lived here when the event struck them all down. He has heard his Parents and Aunts worrying about the long term effects of losing such a huge chunk of "the net" at once. Although he is not personally concerned about reconnecting with relatives he never met, it might help his father forgive him when he eventually learns of the Jim's indiscretion.

Sheet: Sheet:Jim_Davenport