Personality: While her longevity has been a blessing in her work, it has often been a curse in other ways. Imagine knowing you will outlive virtually everyone you love. This is a reality Helen lives with every day. She is painfully aware that she will likely lose anyone she gets close to, either through her work or to age. Perhaps some of her most significant losses were those of James Watson, her partner and colleague of more than a century, and her daughter, Ashley.
Over time, this awareness has come to have a significant impact on the decisions she makes and the relationships she has. It has led to a tendency to push people away, hold them at a distance. This is how she has chosen to guard her heart. For example, in Requiem when she and Will find themselves confined to a submarine, she’s frustrated because she doesn’t understand her daughter, perhaps a disconnect attributed to her advanced age. Will makes the comment then that while she invites questions, she leaves or changes the subject when a conversation turns too personal. When she finally does give him an honest explanation, her response is, “I've buried a lot of friends, colleagues, lovers; more than you can imagine. You asked me earlier how I could relate to people? Well... dinner parties are hell.” She has a unique understanding about how precious life truly is and how short it can be. Few have known so much pain, so much loss. It has made it difficult to relate to others because they lack a similar understanding.
She has adapted to this understanding by keeping secrets, particularly about herself. Helen does not share personal information easily. In the pilot, when Will presses her for answers, she tells him as little as she believes she can get away with while still satisfying his curiosity. And when he continues to push, she grows noticeably frustrated, her tone becoming more brisk. Something similar happens during The Depths when Will questions her about his scholarship, learning for the first time that she had been the one to pay for his college education. It is a matter she clearly does not wish to discuss, and even when specifically asked, there is a significant delay before she answers, as though she is trying to ignore the question.
Though she sometimes appears soft, there is no question Helen is strong, capable, and passionate about her work. We see exactly how far she is willing to go in order to protect her work when we learn about The Five hunting down Adam Worth. It is also seen in the countless times she has risked her life for the Sanctuary. However, upon first meeting her, she can often seem distant. In truth, she is quite the opposite.
Helen is a very guarded individual, as much out of necessity as anything else. The unknown length of her life, and the uncertainty of her work has left her reluctant to open up to another person. Those she allows behind her walls are few, and she selects them carefully. It means a great deal if she is willing to open her heart to you, or even simply be herself in your company.
This is not to say she is shy about intimacy. She is comfortable with herself and her body, and she is surprisingly fond of physical contact, knowing that a simple touch can often mean more than words. Countless times throughout the series, we see her laying a hand on someone’s arm or lightly touching their back in reassurance. This is most obvious when she is with those closest to her, especially with her daughter. Her body language is more apt to voice her thoughts than she is, and if one truly hopes to gain insight into her emotions, they need only learn to pay attention to her eyes.
Helen is confident, occasionally to a fault. As a good friend once said, she’s the type to leap from a cliff, hoping she sprouts wings. She also tends to take others’ burdens as her own. She harbors a tremendous amount of guilt, often blaming herself for circumstances beyond her control. While she makes it a practice not to hold regrets, her mistakes and failures are rarely far from the surface, influencing her methods and actions. Because she does feel guilty so much of the time, she has a tendency to be somewhat reckless, and she would not hesitate to put another’s life ahead of her own. One instance in which this can be seen is during Fata Morgana when they had taken three witches from a crypt, only to realize an organization known as the Cabal had claimed possession of them. Despite her own belief that they were too dangerous to remain free, when the Cabal attack her Sanctuary with the intention of stealing them back, she puts herself at risk, making it clear that should they wish to remain, she would fight to protect them.
Though Helen has lived too long and seen too much to follow any specific religion, she has a great deal of faith. She is very spiritual, in her own way. She does believe there is something greater than herself, and at times, she draws strength and comfort from that belief. Still, what truly keeps her waking up in the morning is her work. She has devoted nearly her entire life to ensuring abnormals are given protection and common courtesy, while also working to protect humans from those abnormals too dangerous to be allowed freedom. She even went so far as to destroy the Sanctuary she had considered home for decades, simply so that she could continue her work in the best way she knew how, without interference for those who would alter the balance.
One of Helen’s more interesting qualities is her sense of humor. It is very dry and occasionally almost unsophisticated. This is usually only seen when she is in the company of those she considers close friends. We see this with Will in Next Tuesday. After crashing their helicopter in an abandoned oil rig and being stranded at sea, they spend nearly the entire episode bickering. But once the real reason for Helen’s insistence on keeping him nearby is revealed, some of the tension dissipates. In an effort to lighten the heavy mood, Will makes the comment, “It's hard, isn't it? Finding someone worth anything?” to which she replies, “You're kidding, right? I mean, there's plenty of fish in the sea.”
Underneath it all, Helen is caring and compassionate in everything she does, giving to others more than she would ever consider taking for herself. She is a very unique individual who has lived through things most could not imagine, but she takes it mostly in stride. Her work is never finished, and she will not rest until it is.
Flavor Abilities: Helen is essentially your average human, however, she was granted incredibly slow aging due to being injected by vampire blood. This also means she’s been alive for an incredibly long time, and she’s picked up a number of skills in that time, such as several degrees in various fields of study, knowledge of many different languages, and skill in hand-to-hand combat as well as a familiarity with many different weapons and ingenuity to create her own.
Suitability: Helen has lived for a very long time. She’s hunted monsters and fought in wars and been thrown back through time and forced to wait 113 years just to get back to where she was. Being caught up in dangerous situations she sometimes doesn’t fully understand is sort of her element. Which is why, at first, she won’t be too troubled, aside from the how did I get from mid-explosion to sudden arctic and why have I been abducted and by who concerns.
She will definitely want to explore and try to figure out who is behind it and why it’s being done. Helen loves a challenge. She’s also very resourceful and (at least as far as she’s concerned) has been in far worse situations. She knows how to survive when she has to. But she also tends to take risks, especially if it means having a better chance at a successful mission/goal. This is also very true where other lives are at stake. Helen would always rather risk herself than someone else, but the people who follow her do usually end up paying the price while she gets lucky. I’d love to see something play out where she mentors someone or gains someone’s trust, and then something happens to them because of a decision she made or a risk she took.
However, I’d also love to see what would happen should she die because of a decision she made or a risk she took. Because there’s a part of her that is very tired of living, but there’s this other very human part of her that just wants to live. And in some ways, she’s been going like this for so long that there’s still a part of her that’s starting to think she’ll never die.
I also very much expect cabin fever in her near future because she will likely try to set up some kind of home base in the early days after her arrival.
RP Samples:
Network Sample (mentions death of a child, also discussion about an immortal wishing to die at some point in the future and some of the horrible things he’s suffered) Log Sample (some discussion about the Titanic and obviously the deaths associated with that)
Within Setting Sample – Network (For the sake of clarity, I am using the first test drive prompt)
[She’s been here long enough now that she knows to pay attention to the tablets, but she had thought she had time yet. It seems she’d misjudged. If she’d stayed in the building she had been searching or if she hadn’t paused midway back to the next nearest building she remembers because she’d mistakenly thought she saw something to the north, perhaps then she would have made it inside before the doors locked. But she hasn’t been so lucky.]
I suppose I should have expected this to happen sooner or later. Apparently, I’m a rather poor judge of time.
[There are some disadvantages, she thinks, to being a doctor. She knows her chances of surviving a night outside in these conditions are almost nonexistent, and worse, she knows what will happen before it reaches that point.]
I expect I’m in for a rather unpleasant evening, and not likely to survive the night. Under the circumstances, I think I’d like some company while I wait.
Have there been any successful expeditions recently, useful supplies found? I believe we’d all benefit from sharing what we’ve gathered.
[Freezing to death, not the way she’d thought she’d go out. Sighing, she settles back to await the familiar voices coming across her tablet.]
Helen Magnus | Sanctuary | Reserved (2/2)
While her longevity has been a blessing in her work, it has often been a curse in other ways. Imagine knowing you will outlive virtually everyone you love. This is a reality Helen lives with every day. She is painfully aware that she will likely lose anyone she gets close to, either through her work or to age. Perhaps some of her most significant losses were those of James Watson, her partner and colleague of more than a century, and her daughter, Ashley.
Over time, this awareness has come to have a significant impact on the decisions she makes and the relationships she has. It has led to a tendency to push people away, hold them at a distance. This is how she has chosen to guard her heart. For example, in Requiem when she and Will find themselves confined to a submarine, she’s frustrated because she doesn’t understand her daughter, perhaps a disconnect attributed to her advanced age. Will makes the comment then that while she invites questions, she leaves or changes the subject when a conversation turns too personal. When she finally does give him an honest explanation, her response is, “I've buried a lot of friends, colleagues, lovers; more than you can imagine. You asked me earlier how I could relate to people? Well... dinner parties are hell.” She has a unique understanding about how precious life truly is and how short it can be. Few have known so much pain, so much loss. It has made it difficult to relate to others because they lack a similar understanding.
She has adapted to this understanding by keeping secrets, particularly about herself. Helen does not share personal information easily. In the pilot, when Will presses her for answers, she tells him as little as she believes she can get away with while still satisfying his curiosity. And when he continues to push, she grows noticeably frustrated, her tone becoming more brisk. Something similar happens during The Depths when Will questions her about his scholarship, learning for the first time that she had been the one to pay for his college education. It is a matter she clearly does not wish to discuss, and even when specifically asked, there is a significant delay before she answers, as though she is trying to ignore the question.
Though she sometimes appears soft, there is no question Helen is strong, capable, and passionate about her work. We see exactly how far she is willing to go in order to protect her work when we learn about The Five hunting down Adam Worth. It is also seen in the countless times she has risked her life for the Sanctuary. However, upon first meeting her, she can often seem distant. In truth, she is quite the opposite.
Helen is a very guarded individual, as much out of necessity as anything else. The unknown length of her life, and the uncertainty of her work has left her reluctant to open up to another person. Those she allows behind her walls are few, and she selects them carefully. It means a great deal if she is willing to open her heart to you, or even simply be herself in your company.
This is not to say she is shy about intimacy. She is comfortable with herself and her body, and she is surprisingly fond of physical contact, knowing that a simple touch can often mean more than words. Countless times throughout the series, we see her laying a hand on someone’s arm or lightly touching their back in reassurance. This is most obvious when she is with those closest to her, especially with her daughter. Her body language is more apt to voice her thoughts than she is, and if one truly hopes to gain insight into her emotions, they need only learn to pay attention to her eyes.
Helen is confident, occasionally to a fault. As a good friend once said, she’s the type to leap from a cliff, hoping she sprouts wings. She also tends to take others’ burdens as her own. She harbors a tremendous amount of guilt, often blaming herself for circumstances beyond her control. While she makes it a practice not to hold regrets, her mistakes and failures are rarely far from the surface, influencing her methods and actions. Because she does feel guilty so much of the time, she has a tendency to be somewhat reckless, and she would not hesitate to put another’s life ahead of her own. One instance in which this can be seen is during Fata Morgana when they had taken three witches from a crypt, only to realize an organization known as the Cabal had claimed possession of them. Despite her own belief that they were too dangerous to remain free, when the Cabal attack her Sanctuary with the intention of stealing them back, she puts herself at risk, making it clear that should they wish to remain, she would fight to protect them.
Though Helen has lived too long and seen too much to follow any specific religion, she has a great deal of faith. She is very spiritual, in her own way. She does believe there is something greater than herself, and at times, she draws strength and comfort from that belief. Still, what truly keeps her waking up in the morning is her work. She has devoted nearly her entire life to ensuring abnormals are given protection and common courtesy, while also working to protect humans from those abnormals too dangerous to be allowed freedom. She even went so far as to destroy the Sanctuary she had considered home for decades, simply so that she could continue her work in the best way she knew how, without interference for those who would alter the balance.
One of Helen’s more interesting qualities is her sense of humor. It is very dry and occasionally almost unsophisticated. This is usually only seen when she is in the company of those she considers close friends. We see this with Will in Next Tuesday. After crashing their helicopter in an abandoned oil rig and being stranded at sea, they spend nearly the entire episode bickering. But once the real reason for Helen’s insistence on keeping him nearby is revealed, some of the tension dissipates. In an effort to lighten the heavy mood, Will makes the comment, “It's hard, isn't it? Finding someone worth anything?” to which she replies, “You're kidding, right? I mean, there's plenty of fish in the sea.”
Underneath it all, Helen is caring and compassionate in everything she does, giving to others more than she would ever consider taking for herself. She is a very unique individual who has lived through things most could not imagine, but she takes it mostly in stride. Her work is never finished, and she will not rest until it is.
Flavor Abilities: Helen is essentially your average human, however, she was granted incredibly slow aging due to being injected by vampire blood. This also means she’s been alive for an incredibly long time, and she’s picked up a number of skills in that time, such as several degrees in various fields of study, knowledge of many different languages, and skill in hand-to-hand combat as well as a familiarity with many different weapons and ingenuity to create her own.
Suitability: Helen has lived for a very long time. She’s hunted monsters and fought in wars and been thrown back through time and forced to wait 113 years just to get back to where she was. Being caught up in dangerous situations she sometimes doesn’t fully understand is sort of her element. Which is why, at first, she won’t be too troubled, aside from the how did I get from mid-explosion to sudden arctic and why have I been abducted and by who concerns.
She will definitely want to explore and try to figure out who is behind it and why it’s being done. Helen loves a challenge. She’s also very resourceful and (at least as far as she’s concerned) has been in far worse situations. She knows how to survive when she has to. But she also tends to take risks, especially if it means having a better chance at a successful mission/goal. This is also very true where other lives are at stake. Helen would always rather risk herself than someone else, but the people who follow her do usually end up paying the price while she gets lucky. I’d love to see something play out where she mentors someone or gains someone’s trust, and then something happens to them because of a decision she made or a risk she took.
However, I’d also love to see what would happen should she die because of a decision she made or a risk she took. Because there’s a part of her that is very tired of living, but there’s this other very human part of her that just wants to live. And in some ways, she’s been going like this for so long that there’s still a part of her that’s starting to think she’ll never die.
I also very much expect cabin fever in her near future because she will likely try to set up some kind of home base in the early days after her arrival.
RP Samples:
Network Sample (mentions death of a child, also discussion about an immortal wishing to die at some point in the future and some of the horrible things he’s suffered)
Log Sample (some discussion about the Titanic and obviously the deaths associated with that)
Within Setting Sample – Network (For the sake of clarity, I am using the first test drive prompt)
[She’s been here long enough now that she knows to pay attention to the tablets, but she had thought she had time yet. It seems she’d misjudged. If she’d stayed in the building she had been searching or if she hadn’t paused midway back to the next nearest building she remembers because she’d mistakenly thought she saw something to the north, perhaps then she would have made it inside before the doors locked. But she hasn’t been so lucky.]
I suppose I should have expected this to happen sooner or later. Apparently, I’m a rather poor judge of time.
[There are some disadvantages, she thinks, to being a doctor. She knows her chances of surviving a night outside in these conditions are almost nonexistent, and worse, she knows what will happen before it reaches that point.]
I expect I’m in for a rather unpleasant evening, and not likely to survive the night. Under the circumstances, I think I’d like some company while I wait.
Have there been any successful expeditions recently, useful supplies found? I believe we’d all benefit from sharing what we’ve gathered.
[Freezing to death, not the way she’d thought she’d go out. Sighing, she settles back to await the familiar voices coming across her tablet.]