Accepted! ~Elle

Your Nickname: Will (evilpizza)
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? third time's the charm
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Heliotrope LeJean, Sissel Jowd
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary


Full Character Name: Philo Falkin
Character Birthday & Age: August 31, 1997, 11
City & Country of Birth: Shrewsbury, England
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn: Halfblood
House & Year: Ravenclaw First Year

Wand: 10.5 inches, Ebony, Phoenix Feather. A standard Ollivander wand with a spiraled shaft, noting Philo’s wits. Adds a tinge of luck to his spells.

Physical Description: Philo Falkin is a gangly, shrimpy boy with dark hair and dark eyes. Philo can be seen wearing second had clothes, often sweater vests, inherited from an older brother. He never goes far without his satchel bag of school equipment. He could be described as homely and has a puffiness around his eyes from late nights of reading. He’s active but unathletic, interested in staying indoors reading or puzzle solving instead of participating in sports. He can run when need be. His skin is quick to freckle or burn if he spends a whole day in the hot summer sun.

His voice sounds deeper then one would think. Otherwise he looks average but kind of gloomy. He’s ambidextrous, useful for when working with intricate parts. To change things up he’ll swap what hand he uses for taking notes in class. As one of his nervous ticks, he’ll tap his fingers on both hands, mirror images of each other.


Personality Description: Philo is interested in all sorts of riddles, puzzles, board games and mental exercises. He’s extra studious too, having read and comprehended an old ancient runes book of his brother’s before he dropped the subject. Philo has a head for numbers as well, performing intermediate math with ease.

Despite his academic prowess, Philo suffers from a slight inferiority complex. He’s the middle son of a large family, separate from his siblings by several years. He feels the need to prove himself against the exploits of his older siblings Foster (7 years senior) a professional quidditch player; Felicia (6 years senior) a XXXX magizoologist; and the attention needed by his younger siblings Penny (7 years junior) and Paul (9 years junior). In fact, most of his family is energetic and outdoorsy. He hates the muddiness and wild nature of the outdoors and would rather bird-watch from afar or keep a pet frog then directly deal with nature. His parents and older siblings were Hufflepuffs yet Philo was sorted into Ravenclaw, further cementing his status as the odd duck. Many people call him a geek and not always as a term of endearment.

Philo is deathly afraid of werewolves ever since his family was attacked by one while camping when he was six. Everyone survived but that triggered Philo’s distrust of nature, outside of his pet frog. He realizes that werewolves are only dangerous during the full moon but they can be ordinary wizards the rest of the month. He does not know any werewolves personally but if he did, he wouldn’t let it get in the way of the friendship, avoiding them during them during that time of the month.

Philo tends to overthink things and while good for a challenging puzzle this not helpful when relating to other people. He can belittle himself in negative cycles of thought, thinking his favorite subjects are boring, that he can’t perform any spectacular feats, or that he’ll never be able to relate to girls. Philo wants an adventure of his own but he doesn’t have the courage for it. He’s also tired of getting things second hand, including a battered pair of Omnioculars, scales with the numbers warn off, and an old tape measure for measuring essays, from when his mum worked as a seamstress.

Philo has become somewhat of a hermit in his own home, as his family often leaves him alone to study or work puzzles if they know they can't get him to join in their activity. He's slow to make friends since he doesn't mind being alone, except for Arlaug's company and the frog is not a conversationalist. But for his faults, Philo is interested in life's little curiosities, the driving trait behind his puzzle solving and intelligence.

Philo actually knows a bunch of mild swear words and will mutter one if frustrated but is quick to apologize if anyone hears him.


History: Although born to a half blood and a muggle born, Philo has lived like a pureblood, fully integrated into the wizarding world. He finds the muggle devices his parents had to use growing up “curious” and once took apart his dad’s telephone. He has a pet frog, Arlaug that he keeps hidden in his room as his one act of defiance since his mother considers it disgusting. Conversely, this is the one aspect of nature Philo doesn't mind. Arlaug likes to sleep in his book bag. The Falkins live near the border with Wales but are several generations removed from the Welsh.

Philo was glad to be sorted into Ravenclaw although this caused some confusion amongst his family. They’re fully supportive, as Hufflepuffs are, but there is a subconscious desync between Philo and the other Falkins. Philo is within the top quarters of his classes (minus Herbology) but never brags about his intellect. In fact, he is the only student to pay rapt attention in History of Magic, long heralded as a genuine snooze fest from the times of the repetitive hauntings of Professor Binns. He’s diligent and often out performs on written work. But he will even pay half attention in class if he was done early and brought a difficult puzzle along. This need for a mental distraction is mild.

Outside of classes Philo has been involved with the school's Wizard's Chess and Gobstones Clubs, or just playing games in Ravenclaw tower in general. He regularly subscribes to the Daily Prophet and even The Quibbler, which he finds amusing. In the mornings he can be seen tackling the Prophet's fiendishly difficult crossword. He's very keen to sign up for Ancient Runes and Arithmancy classes for his third year.

How Do You Fit Into Your House?: Philo easily has the wits and mental capacity for Ravenclaw and his quite the bookworm, reading mystery novels when not pursuing academic texts. He finds muggle mystery novels fascinating since they have to go through so much more trouble to solve a magic-less crime. He wants to distance himself from his Hufflepuff family. His ability to deconstruct problems as a puzzle or game to solve lets him quickly come up with creative alternative solutions.

Writing Sample:

Sum up your character in one paragraph: A geek with a mind for brain teasers but not everyday relations. If only he could do something special in his life.

Character Stat Sheets:
Physical Characteristics
Sociological Characteristics
Family/Friends Information
Educational Characteristics
Magical Characteristics
The Six Stats
Gear, Possessions, Familiars, Protectorates
What Ifs
In and Out of Character Info

Physical Characteristics

[Name:] Philo Falkin
[Nickname:] Just Philo (FI-low).
[Age:] 11
[Height:] Average.
[Weight/Bodyshape:] Skinny kid, like a rail.
[Ethnicity:] Mixed European with diluted Welsh.
[X] Male    [ ] Female
[Clothing Style:] Hand me downs, usually blue sweaters and vests with matching shirt and trousers.
[Hair Color:] Black.
[Hairstyle:] Bowl cut.
[Eye Color:] Brown.
[Eyewear:] Uneeded.
[Complexion:] Pale from spending too much time indoors, sunburns easily.
[Voice:] Lower and deeper than one expected of his age.
[Outstanding Features:] He’s ambidexturous. You’ll find that his quill or wand is never in the same hand.

Sociological Characteristics

[Emotional Level:] Rather mature for his age, reserved though easily flustered when flung into the thick of things.
[Occupation:] Hogwarts Student, Ravenclaw First Year.
[Income:] The Falkin household has been defined as “Weasley-ish” in monetary matters.
[Transportation:] None yet…
[Interests:] Runes, mental puzzles and problems of any kind, tinkering with mechanical devices.
[Quirks/Vices:] Drums his fingers when nervous. Tends to over think things in spite of his intellect.
[Special Talents:] Can solve puzzles quickly.
[Greatest Strength:] A mind able to find efficient and creative solutions “outside the box”.
[Greatest Weakness:] Overtly cynical at times that leads to hesitation, failure or undesirable consequences.
[Favorite Music Style:] Wrock is okay, the muggles have all that beeping stuff (Electro-harmonica?)
[Band:] None in particular.
[Favorite Place to Visit:] The junk shop.
[Favorite Book:] Wizarding Troubles: Conspiracies of the Magical Sort; especially the part on rumored locations of Lloyd’s Labyrinth.
[Favorite Number:] 13; 7 may be the most magical number, but one shy of double fortune (7 x 2 = 14) is usually the undercurrent to unlucky events.
[Favorite Food:] Mum’s steak and kidney pie.
[Least Favorite Food:] Any tropical fruit that spoils quickly.
[Favorite Color:] Blue, a solid Ravenclaw color.
[Allergies or Physical Handicaps:]  [ ] Yes [X] No
[Chemical Dependency:]  [ ] Yes  [X] No
[Criminal Past:]  [X] No  [ ] Yes
[Educational Level:] 1st Year
[Musically Inclined:]  [X] No  [ ] Yes
[What Instrument:] In fact he’s somewhat tone deaf.
[Extra Information:] Philo is the type to limit himself to the desk, working on puzzles, gadgets, or homework ahead of time.

Family/Friends Information

[Location:] Shrewsbury, England; in a pointed roof house called “Steeple Underfoot”.
[Marital Status:] Is not interested, thank you very much.
[Children:] Not as many as his parents had.
[Family Information:]
Father – Frederick Falkin, works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office.
Mother – Francine Falkin, homemaker.
Brother – Foster Falkin, Tutshil Tornadoes Quidditch player.
Brother – Paul Falkin, a terrible toddler.
Sister – Felicia Falkin, magizoologist at a Welsh Hippogriff reservation.
Sister – Penny Falkin, a free spirit of a little thing.
[Pets:] Arlaug, a Swear Frog
[Any Family Traditions:]  [X] Yes [ ] No A Christmas day full of winter sports, when Philo would rather come inside for gifts while it was still daylight out.
[Faction:] Hogwarts
[Best Friend:] Peter Marcolf, a brainy Hufflepuff.
[Nemisis:] He prefers not to make them.
[Romance:] When many his age are still frightened of cooties, Philo does get easily distracted staring at a certain polka dotted haired girl…

Educational Characteristics

[Year:]
[Learning Preference:] Philo is the unification of a scholarly mindset with a curiosity driven by puzzles and life’s oddities. He has no qualms spending all day in the library or at a desk working. His intellectual curiosity is rather different from his family that values hard work. Whereas other students would find certain subjects boring, Philo is honestly fascinated. For example, he pays rapt attention in History of Magic. He’s already planned out his third year, having self-taught himself a few of the basics of Ancient Runes or Arithmancy. On practical work Philo is above average, amongst the first half of a class to become proficient with a new spell. The only subject that marrs Philo’s academic record is Herbology because of an inherient dislike/distrust of nature. He doesn’t loathe the subject but is uncomfortable getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty of nature. If Philo is able to turn an assignment into a game or puzzle, he finishes it more efficiently and enjoyably.
[Best Subject(s):] History of Magic.
[Worst Subject(s):] Herbology.
[Learned Skills/Select Expertise:] Interested in magical constructs.
[Clubs/Extra Curriculars:] Is looking to merge the separate board game teams into a single Gaming club, might join up with Pax Wintergreen on his DnD front.

Magical Characteristics

[WAND:] 10.5 inches, Ebony, Phoenix Feather. A standard Ollivander wand with a spiraled shaft, noting Philo’s wits. Adds a tinge of good luck to his spells.
[ERISED:] Becoming a reknowned scholarly figure, his family’s acceptance of that.
[AMORENTIA:] Old parchment, ink, lamp oil.
[BOGGART:] A werewolf; when Philo was young the family was attacked by one during a camping trip.
[RIDDIKULUS:] The werewolf in a head cone, all its fur shaved off.
[DEMENTOR:] Near panic terror, familiar to what he felt when the werewolf attacked during the camping trip.
 [PATRONUS:] Haven’t decided yet…a Badger would show how similar he is to his Hufflepuff family (which may or may not trace ancestry to Helga Huffleuff)…or a Frog, because of his pet.
[FAVORITE SPELL:] Scribblefors, a Transfiguration Spell to turn hand held tools and untensils into quill pens.
[MOST USED SPELL:] Lumos for reading in bed
[BEST OFFENSIVE SPELL:] Rictusempra, it doesn’t hurt and it’s funny.
[BEST DEFENSIVE SPELL:] Immobulus, a Sticking Charm would keep the nasty thing on the ground but Immobulus halts regardless of position.


The Six Stats
Fans of traditional tabletop RPGs will recognize these characters stats which determine strengths and weaknesses. I do not use actual numerical values but rather use them for characteristic definitions.

[Strength:] Sub Average – Philo can shoulder a satchel filled with books and gear but don’t expect him to carry anything massive.
[Dexterity:] Average – Philo can run a lengthy stretch when he needs to but isn’t specially trained. Plus he’s ambidexterous, and can cast spells with either hand.
[Constitution:] Above Average – Has yet to occur on site, but Philo has a unique lucky streak of getting out of dangerous situations with the mildest of injuries.
[Intelligence:] Very High – Philo specializes in scholar matters and puzzles.
[Wisdom "Street Smarts":] Average – Philo is a communicable member of society but doesn’t spend much time outside.
[Charisma:] Average – Philo is a loaner by nature but has a few friends, although he’s confused on how to respond to a crush.

Gear, Possessions, Familiars, Protectorates
The unique items the character has beyond standard (wand, basic school equipment, etc.) and the creatures or people they can call on for help.

[Arlaug:] Philo’s familiar, stows away to lend a nasty word into the conversation.
[Magic Carpet:] A curious artifact that has followed Philo on the Egypt trip.

What Ifs

[Where does character see herself in 10 years:] Working in the Department of Mysteries (but somehow this seems depressing)
[Oddest thing that has ever happened to them:] Got caught in a cake explosion during a party in Ravenclaw Tower. The smell still seems to linger.
[Personal goal not yet achieved:] Invent an amazing ocular device.
[Biggest Regret Mistake:] Showing off the newly caught Arlaug during Uncle Chuck’s funeral; the family was mortified.

In and Out of Character Info

[Avatar:] Skander Keynes

[Polyvore:] The Scattered Mind Of A Gadget Genius - Collage that supplements the How the Mind Spirals thread, shows Arlaug and the beginnings of Philo's camera project.

Character Name: Philo Falkin
Title Applying For: Gaming Club Co-Presidency (with Pax Wintergreen)
Link to Accepted Biography: Bio

What Experience has Prepared You For This Honor?:

Philo has always as a mind for puzzles and games, up for a game of Wizard's Chess or Gobstones or Exploding Snap whether at the Ravenclaw Tower or on the Hogwarts Express (although those 6th years sure know how to lay the hurt in Snap!).

Philo has never had a leadership type role before but he is a dutiful student on his assignments and coursework. Barring the occasional tinkering, poor choice of pet and an animated rug, many of the Professors think good of him even if he isn't in their classes.

When Philo made the casual comment on how attendance at some of the game groups had been fledgling, he heard how Pax Wintergreen had proposed a D&D group, the two boys hit it off talking about their favorite games and combining their efforts.

When the Falkins had family game night (although this has fallen out of practice with the oldest siblings graduated) Philo usually had to keep score because his brother Foster is a big stinking cheat


What Do You Think the Most Important Aspect of This Job Is:?

The important thing about Gaming Club is that the attendees are having fun, so Philo would work to insure that all the game pieces are stocked, everyone is following the rules and that everyone remembers that these are games for fun, not for points or heated competition or settling a score.

It's important to pick games that others would find enjoyable and refreshing, not the same old fare that could get stale. To this end Philo monitors the interest of games open to play (although he has become intrigued with D&D).

With a head for numbers, fast reading and other skills for picking up new subjects quickly, Philo is able to learn new game rules in a very short time, making him able to see how a fair game should be played.


Tell a Story From Your Past That Has Proven Your Mettle:  From Some Call It Cozy:

"Let's go inside," Philo suggested, as Pax launched into an explanation. Upon entering the house, the kitchen was right, the sitting room left and a little ahead and left before the stairs was a dining room. It could get monstrously hot in the kitchen so meals large or small were often carried into there.

"D&D, huh," Philo said as Pax explained the book. Philo listened to every word the same way the young scholar paid attention in school, which was to say rapt attention. "I'll bet I'm making it sound more complicated than it is again. I do the same thing when I explain Quidditch to my mum."

"No, you haven't lost me yet," Philo replied. If there was ever a perfect model of an audience for Pax's D&D explanations, there could be none better than Philo with his head for numbers. He looked in awe at the materials explanation, bringing up points in turn. "So, modifying the rules, is that this 'Homebrew' stuff back here?" He pointed to paper sticking out from the last pages of the manual. "Or are those potion notes?"

"The die, right, the funny shaped ones. You need to roll the die in combat or when completing a challenge, to determine failure or success? And you want to get as close to 20 as possible?"

"But the thing every player needs to do first is make a character," Philo said, getting to the material he considered the most complex. "You have to pick a job, skills, those feats, and, err, species? Is that like, any species?" He could see why the muggles that played this would have an almost window view into the magical world and the creatures that populated it. If you didn't need to be human, you could maybe be an elf or a goblin or even a centaur, maybe.

He read a view of the Race descriptions. "Though, these Elves aren't short. Do they have masters like our elves?" Given all the detail that went into making a character, Philo had the sudden notion that Drea's friend Heliotrope might be referred to as an 'Optimized Build' a phrase he'd heard tossed about. That actually sounded useful, being able to breath underwater yet still walk on land.

"Alright boys, here you go." Francine Falkin entered the dining room with two portions of steaming spinach pie. She was remarkably slender for a woman with five kids, though a notable feature of hers were hips that looked capable of birthing so many offspring. "What's all this?"

"D&D," Philo explained. "It's a game about adventures and stuff. We're looking to see if a Gaming Club could be started at school."

"Land sakes, looks like there's more rules then all of Wizard's Poker. Holler if you want seconds, there's more in the kitchen."

Philo got back to the topic of the game. "So, miniatures, that means there must be a game board. Like chess?"