Maggie Urquidez

Margaret "Maggie" Urquidez is Templar of the Paradigm City branch of the Darklight Society. She lives in Raven's Grove but works in Darkness Falls, where she teaches Native American Studies at Darkness Falls University. She is the third Elder, along with John Blackeagle and Tabitha Rainwater, and Shaman of the White Horse Navajo Reservation in northern Darkness Falls.

Background
Margaret Urquidez' prejudice against whites began when she witnessed the brutal shooting death of her older brother and father at the hands of a security guard.

Her brother Daniel, her senior by ten years, was bitten by a rattlesnake. Maggie's father Andrew rushed his son and his daughter to the local emergency room, where they were confronted by a bigoted guard whom refused to admit them entrance on the supposition that Andrew was drunk.. When Andrew attempted to force his way into the hospital anyway, the security guard drew his service revolver and fired at point blank range. The bullet passed through her brother and into her father, killing them both. The guard was not punished.

The Urquidez family tradition was that the oldest male, in this case Maggie's grandfather, would pass on the secrets of shamanism to the oldest son. Since both the elder and junior Urquidez were deceased, Raymond Urquidez chose instead to pass the secrets on to his granddaughter. She took to her studies well, and developed her psychometric abilities as a teenager.

As an adult and bearing the title of shaman proudly, Maggie enrolled in Darkness Falls University and earned her Masters and then Ph. D in Native American Studies. After graduation she took a year off and disappeared into Wyoming on a series of vision quests that perfected her psychometric talent. When she returned to Darkness Falls she began her teaching career and also began helping fellow Native Americans with paranormal problems, and became a noted paranormal investigator, which brought her to the attention of the Darklight Society.

Skills and Talents
Maggie holds a Ph.D in the lore, customs, and traditions of five Native-American tribes: Apache, Cherokee, Chumash, Sioux, Navajo, and Cree. Her education regarding these tribes has culminated in her being able to fluently speak, read, and write all five languages fluently. She is familiar with the folklore and mythology of these tribes which includes rich and detailed acumen with tribal gods, spirits, monsters, and heroes.

A specialized agent with 30 years of experience with the Darklight Society, Maggie has earned her title of Templar through hard work, tenacity, and many close calls with death. She is a master of the Israeli martial art of Krav Maga, which she can also use in conjunction with her historical and beloved tribal weapons: a pair of tomahawk passed down through her family from her great-grandfather. She is thoroughly trained in the use of modern firearms; her favorite field weapon is a .45 ACP. She is also trained in archery, equestrianism, and fighting from horseback.

Her field vehicle of choice is her Harley, which she can drive with stuntman skill and both aggressive and defensive maneuvers. A beautiful Amerindian with an obnoxious sweet tooth, Maggie relaxes by sometimes cooking her favorite cuisine, Italian, but more often by baking. She can churn out pies, cakes, and other baked goods with professional lvl skill

Shaman Abilities, Knowledge, and Obligations
A recognized tribal Shaman, Maggie possesses the following obligations to her Tribe and is expected to make appearances in the Tribe when called for. She will never ignore her duties to her tribe, even if it interferes with a current active field mission. Because she is a Tribal Shaman, she has access to the following:
 * 1) The authority to offer instruction and advise to Tribal members, and is expected to to speak for the Tribe in instances of conflict with people from outside the reservation. She has the Tribal authority to perform marriage ceremonies, lay blessings, protect the Tribe members and Tribe interests, negotiate with outsiders, and mediate conflicts.
 * 2) As a Tribal Shaman she is expected to identify personal animal totems and spirit guides, protect Tribal members from evil and heal the sick, and to perform, engage in, and lead others into Spirit Quests and Visions.
 * 3) She is obligated to use her expansive herbal knowledge to create poultices, teas, brews, and lotions for medicinal purposes and deliver the finished product to the Tribal family in need.
 * 4) She is expected to act as judge when listening to disputes between Tribal neighbors and preside over criminal court trials, keep and disseminate the Tribal myths, legends, and folklore; and perform as well as lead others through Tribal ceremonies and dances using Tribal regalia.

Mystic Abilities
As a Tribal Shaman, Maggie does have some spiritual power and is expected by the tribe to use this power on behalf of the Tribe and its individual members in the following ways:
 * 1) Perform various rites of prophecy and communicate with the spirit world and the denizens of that world such as nature spirits and elementals.
 * 2) She can enter the spirit world, aka the astral realm, to seek for answers or directly confront an evil spirit plaguing a family.
 * 3) Perform and lead others in Shamanistic ceremonies and rituals such as war dances, rain dances, and hunting dances to ensure success for the tribe.

Appearance and Personality
Maggie Urquidez is an attractive Navajo Amerindian. She wears her dark hair long, often in two elaborate braids. She likes to dress conservatively, with white blouses, jeans, and steel toed boots common. She looks to be about 30 years old but is really 58. She always wears distinctive Navajo jewelry and will wear traditional shaman outfits and body paints when perming her shamanistic duties and responsibilities.

Most of the time, Maggie presents herself as an emotionally cold professional, taking charge at every opportunity but also quick to realize when her insight, opinions, and leadership qualities are best delegated to someone else on the team. She has little patience and even less of a sense of humor, taking her duties and obligations to heart so firmly that she sometimes forgets she's a human being with needs as well.

Howeer grouchy she may be or however much she seems to dislike a person, she can be won over with gift offerings of baked goods or candy, in the case of the latter those in the know knoow that her absolute favorites are KitKat and Milk Duds.

Lance's Nicknames

 * Mags
 * Kimosabe
 * The big chief
 * Running Legs
 * Sitting Boss

Quote
"The spirit of your car is angry. When was the last time you gave her a tune up?"