Drew Hays

Drew Hays is an exorcist and ex-Thrall of Abthiel.

Biography

Growing up in white middle-class America, Drew was bored with life. He suffered no hardships and had no interests except skateboarding. He spend all of his spare time - and most of the time he was supposed to spend on schoolwork - out on the park or in the mall's parking lot trying to master various tricks and hanging out with his friends. When he grew old enough to drive, he discovered the joy of mountain biking and backpacking. By the time most kids his age were talking about college, Drew knew that academics held nothing for him. He found work at a local record store and spent his weekends camping in the hills outside of town.

Drew met Lisa on the slopes of Bear Valley, where he was learning to snowboard. The two immediately hit it off and were soon inseparable. They only odd part about the relationship was Lisa' strange obsession with death. Drew had never contemplated his own mortality and never quite understood what it was about death that so fascinated Lisa, but their happiness together in every other aspect meant he didn't spend too much time worrying about it.

They were together for almost a year when the accident happened. The two had awakened before first light to reach the top of the mountain at dawn so they could be the first to enjoy the fresh layer of powder that had fallen in the night. While descending the mountain, Lisa angled out of sight and vanished. Panic-stricken, Drew searched for her. He found Lisa lying against a boulder, her face covered with blood. Her board, still strapped to her feet, was broken in two. Miraculously, despite cuts and abrasions, she was largely unhurt, though she was unresponsive to his frantic questions, peering at him as though she didn't understand what he was trying to say. With effort, Drew managed to guide her the rest of the way down the mountain and drove her to the nearest hospital.

The doctors could find nothing wrong with her physically, and a round of CAT scans ruled out the possibility of brain damage. At Drew's insistence, Lisa permitted herself to be held overnight for observation, but the morning found her as healthy as ever. Still, something about her was different. It became more noticeable to Drew as they spent time together in the days that followed. Some part of her had become almost childlike, as though she was seeing the world for the first time.

The truth came weeks later when the couple had the misfortune to be mugged on the way back from dinner. The attacker lunged with his knife, and Lisa simply touched the assailant, causing him to collapse in a boneless heap, dead before he hit the ground. the act of killing galvanized Lisa, and to Drew's horror the love of his life threw back her head and laughed, a wild, triumphant sound uttered in a voice older than the Earth itself. When she turned her eyes on Drew, he saw the spirit that resided within, coiled like a serpent behind her jade-colored eyes. She reached out to him with a long-fingered hand, and he ran screaming.

That night, Drew was transformed, Lisa's possession shattered his ego and his slacker mentality. Unable to comprehend the true nature of her change, he blamed himself for what had happened. It was somehow all his fault, and only he could make it right.

It was nearly dawn before Drew made his way home. Lisa - or the thing that wore Lisa's body - was waiting for him. She smiled and pulled him into her arms, soothing him with a voice as cold and polished as river stones. He wept for hours, and she held him, telling him that everything would be all right. She would take care of him. She would make him strong. All he had to do was serve her, and he would never be unhappy again. Drew listened, nodding all the while. In the days that followed he never strayed far from her side, paying rapt attention to everything the demon did or said. Lisa - or Abthiel, as she now preferred to be called - accepted the adoration without question. Meanwhile, drew was learning all he could.

In time, Abthiel was true to her word, and Drew became stronger and faster than he'd ever believed possible. The demon sent him on errands, gathering books and other materials for his mistress, and eventually acting as a soldier, attacking the thralls of those demons whom Abthiel opposed. All the while, Drew absorbed everything he experienced about the fallen. Eventually, he learned a great deal about the nature of fallen angels - including how to banish one.

Drew lay the circle of salt while Abthiel slept, and when she awakened to the sound of his prayers it was already too late. With help from a local priest, Drew performed the Rite of Exorcism on the demon that wore Lisa's skin. She begged him, pleaded with him in the voice of the woman he loved, but he pressed on. Finally, as dawn paled the sky to the east, the demon's will finally broke and with a shriek the Slayer was driven from Lisa's body and sent hurtling into the Abyss. The victory was a bitter one, however. Drew had hoped that once the demon was gone, Lisa's spirit would emerge once more, but all that was left was an empty shell, devoid of life.

Now, Drew roams the country, hunting for evidence of the fallen. He is a man with a mission, for in his service to Abthiel he learned of a realm where spirits of the dead go to await their final judgment. He also knows that the angels of the dead can cross into that realm at will, and he intends to find one and compel it to bring Lisa back.

Character Sheet

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 (Hiking), Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 4 (Climbing), Awareness 2, Brawl 1, Computer 2, Dodge 2, Drive 2, Firearms 1, Linguistics 1 (Spanish), Medicine 2, Melee 1, Occult 4 (Demonology), Streetwise 2, Survival 3
Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Fame 1, Resources 2
Virtues: Conscience 1, Conviction 3, Courage 2
Willpower: 5
Faith Potential: 2
Possessions: Various occult tomes containing a number of summoning, binding and banishment rituals, shotgun, beat-up VW van

References

• DTF: Saviors and Destroyers, p. 90-92