The Mesmerist

Restless as his collegiate days neared their end, liberal-arts major James Desmond eagerly volunteered for a semester of independent study in Europe. Once abroad, Desmond’s search for outre and interesting study topics led him to the works of 18th century physician Franz Mesmer. Mesmer believed that skilled individuals em­ploying “animal magnetism” could alter the body’s “vital fluids” and cure all human maladies. Though it led to the development of hypnosis, mesmerism had long been discredited, but Desmond’s desire to escape the crush­ing tedium of paper writing prompted him to experiment with Mesmer’s techniques ... and find them effective.
His newfound capabilities intoxicated him, and made Desmond thirst for fame. Using his uncanny power of illu­sion, he reinvented himself as “The Mesmerist,” a showman capable of seemingly impossible feats and thrills, deliv­ered with Vegas spectacle and glamour. Soon achieving the desired superstar status, wealth followed, leaving little he could not possess—but it was the unobtainable things he now wanted most. Quite capable of rewriting memories and supernaturally concealing his actions, the Mesmerist now steals what he cannot buy, leaving behind mysteries without any clues.

Physical Description

Special abilities

Study and practice of Doctor Mesmer’s theories unlocked the Mesmerist’s gifts, which he mistakenly believes are animal magnetism perfected rather than the magical gifts he truly possesses. Since the Mesmerist conceives of his powers as mesmerism, his mystical abilities emulate feats Mesmer claimed possible. Restoring bodily fluids’ balance (as the Mesmerist visualizes it) produces astounding healing effects—a trick the Mesmerist employed to greatly enhance his core physical and mental capabilities. Visualiz­ing an imbalance in others’ vital fluids inflicts a wide variety of physical and mental alterations including lethal trauma.
By focusing his powers on others’ minds, the Mesmer­ist can induce complex and convincing mirages. When threatened, he uses this ability to distort his precise physi­cal location, making him difficult to target with attacks. Lastly, those whose attention he captures may be com­pelled to obey his commands, such as forgetting his presence at crime scenes.
While the Mesmerist favors affectations such as a top hat and spinning Archimedes spiral, none are strictly neces­sary for his powers to function. They simply help gain his victims’ focus in order for his hypnotic ability to take effect.

Mental characteristics

Intellectual Characteristics

Not truly evil but still quite callow, the Mesmerist is a dazzlingly charming and hazardous mixture of exces­sive youth, beauty, wealth, celebrity, and influence. He is seized by a young man’s passions, and cursed by potent mystic abilities which quickly realize his desires long before reason and morality can intervene.
He savors being widely admired and desired and thus limits his misdeeds to an occasional covert self-indulgence, such as the theft of a rare item or petty act of revenge. His attrac­tiveness and mischievous (rather than malicious) nature make him seem more of a distraction than menace. If caught and chastised, he’d respond with an os­tentatious repentance. However, an enabling celebrity culture combined with increasing self-knowledge of just how powerful he truly is seem destined to tempt him into greater wrongs.

Social

Contacts & Relations

The Mesmerist has the requisite agents, publicists, at­torneys, personal assistants, roadies, accountants, body­guards, chauffeurs, and bootlicks befitting a rich and famous entertainer.