Blackwood, Anthony

Background & History

Served as a Crown Court judge for approximately twenty years, highly respected in legal circles
Widowed five years before his death, no children, lived alone in Kensington
First encountered the supernatural world when his wife was killed by a demon-possessed individual
Her death was officially ruled as a random violent crime, but Blackwood witnessed supernatural elements
This traumatic loss sparked his obsessive hatred of demons and occult forces
Dedicated himself to understanding the enemy that took his wife, initially to combat it
Co-founded the Blackthorn Institute seven years before his death alongside Dr. Eleanor Reid
Gradually transitioned from wanting to destroy demons to harnessing their power
Developed the philosophy that humanity deserved access to demonic abilities without demonic influence
Committed ritual suicide as the culmination of years of preparation to become the vessel for "The Aggregation"

Man in his sixties with silver hair and aristocratic features
Commanding presence that earned respect in courtrooms
Meticulous in appearance, reflecting his ordered mind
Body systematically covered in self-carved ritual sigils and symbols
Earlier sigils were protective, while later ones prepared his body as a vessel
The symbols created a contradictory pattern—protection against demons while preparing to receive their power
Created a decisive, unhesitating wound across his throat as the final ritual act

Highly methodical and precisely organized in both professional and occult pursuits
Transformed from grieving widower to obsessive researcher to power-seeker
Intellectual arrogance led him to believe he could control what demons could not
Developed rationalization that using demonic power against demons was justified
Deep hatred of supernatural entities coexisted with growing desire for their abilities
Believed human consciousness was superior and could dominate demonic essence
Viewed himself as a pioneer creating a new kind of being—human will with demonic power
Increasingly isolated as his work progressed, reinforcing his extremist viewpoints
Willing to sacrifice others but saw his own sacrifice as transcendence rather than death

Initially motivated by revenge and protection after his wife's death
Evolution from wanting to destroy demons to wanting to harness their power
Came to view demons as powerful but flawed, limited by their own nature
Believed humans could wield demonic powers more effectively than demons themselves
Saw his work as elevating humanity rather than corrupting it
Developed the "Aggregation" concept—a human vessel filled with extracted demonic essence
Prepared his own body over years to become the perfect vessel
His ritual suicide wasn't an end but a transformation—the final step in becoming something new
Left his signature mark to claim ownership of this new form of existence

Central to Blackwood's vision for transcending human limitations
Required extraction of demonic essence from various entities
Focused on Cell 7B at St. Catherine's Hospital as the "primary extraction node"
Involved systematically preparing a human vessel (himself) to receive and control demonic power
Required specific binding and anchoring techniques he developed over years
His body was intended to be the template for future vessels if successful
Believed this would create a being with human morality and demonic capabilities
The final ritual (his suicide) was designed to complete the transformation
Carefully timed and executed to maximize chances of successful integration

Developed from amateur bindings (like Raymond Finch) to sophisticated extraction procedures
Used his position as judge to identify potential demonic possession cases
Employed Gavin Saunders to acquire properties and early test subjects
Established the Blackthorn Institute as a legitimate front for his research
Identified and acquired properties at "thin places" for maximum metaphysical effect
Created a network of extraction facilities centered on St. Catherine's Hospital
Documented every step meticulously in journals kept in multiple secure locations
Developed the unique "Silence Binding" technology that would later affect Marchosias
Created various binding objects including the obsidian paperweight

His wife's death created the emotional foundation for his entire occult pursuit
Worked closely with Dr. Eleanor Crane in establishing the Blackthorn Institute
Their relationship evolved from collaboration to competition as their methods diverged
Employed Gavin Saunders for property acquisition and early "acquisitions" of test subjects
Maintained professional facade with colleagues while concealing his occult activities
Grew increasingly isolated from even his closest associates as his transformation approached
His relationship with his deceased wife remained his emotional touchstone, though increasingly distorted by his obsession

Kensington townhouse with hidden occult study containing extensive research materials
South London storage unit containing his most sensitive research
St. Catherine's Hospital, particularly Cell 7B, identified as "primary extraction node"
Various Blackthorn Institute properties marked on his maps and acquired through Saunders
Former home of Raymond Finch at Windridge Tower, site of early binding experiments

His body prepared as the vessel for the Aggregation
Left behind extensive documentation of binding techniques and extraction protocols
Created the obsidian binding object that severed Marchosias from Mick
Maps and research provided crucial information about Blackthorn Institute operations
Established the methodology for creating human-demonic hybrids
Unwittingly provided the counter-binding techniques that might restore Marchosias
His death was not the end but potentially the beginning of something more dangerous

Blackwood represents the twisted reflection of human arrogance and intellectual hubris
His transformation from victim to villain creates a compelling arc
The contradiction between hating demons while seeking their power creates interesting tension
His meticulous documentation provides necessary exposition while revealing his methodical nature
The physical evidence left on his body serves dual purposes—both ritual preparation and storytelling device
His death is deliberately ambiguous—is it truly suicide or the beginning of transformation?
The true horror lies in how logical and reasonable his descent into extremism appears from his perspective

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