Sphinx

Ptolemy Thutmose is a freshman at Burrstone Academy for the Magical Arts. He comes from a solitary life as a sphinx, and has entered the Academy in search of his mentor after his mysterious disappearance. Learned in Artifice Magic from a young age, Ptolemy has high hopes for his own creative achievement - perhaps a bit TOO high. Equipped with knowledge, a quick wit, and his mentor's hand-me-down sketchbook, he plans to breeze through the Academy's curriculum and find his missing teacher once and for all. But as a socially-awkward sphinx attempting to navigate a bustling campus full of strangers, perhaps his search will turn out more harrowing than he thought.

Main Character

Year 1: Thutmose

Year 2 Onward: Ptol, Ptolbooth, Ptolemony Snicket, etc.

Year 1: She/Her

Year 2 Onward: He/Him

Gay

Trans Man

16

5"5 (Average)

Dark brown and purple.

Short, thick and a bit messy. Bottom layer is dyed purple. Usually wears a beanie.

Dark brown

Light brown (fur)

Rectangular glasses and a black beanie. Black long-sleeved shirt layered underneath a dark purple jacket and a striped scarf. Dull-purple pants with a black belt, and no shoes.

Starts off simple and casual with a lot of layers, almost hipster-like. Eventually, outfits will subtly move towards a gothic/punk style.

Glasses, lion-like ears, lion tail, down-turned spotted wings. Usually wears the colors purple and black.

INTJ-T: The Architect

Extraversion: Low
Agreeableness: Low
Conscientiousness: High
Emotional Stability: Low
Openness to Experience: High

Chaotic Neutral

Books, poetry, history, making and executing plans, experiments, "what-ifs", revealing the unknown, punctuality, being prepared

People who are willfully ignorant of certain things, not being taken seriously, knowledge being withheld from him, wasting time, unexpected events, being late, heights

Doesn't let anything get in the way of his projects. Can focus on his priorities without much distraction. Does exceptionally well academically. Can stay on-task even with a full schedule. Polite, but not a pushover; speaks his mind whenever it's necessary. Is good at making and executing a plan in a timely manner.

"Smart and good with people– once he gets comfortable with them. Often considers what other people fail to, and he’s got a lot of ambition. A great memory, too." (Arc Profile, 2022)

Can sometimes be stalled by long trains of thought. Focuses too much on work, sometimes to the point of fatigue. Puts academics and his own projects above most things in terms of priority. Sometimes bottles up negative emotions. Can be overwhelmed by too much social interaction. Occasionally speaks with brutal honesty.

"Is ambition not the snake that eats its own tail? He’s a pessimist who calls it realism, and fails to utilize his leadership skills by letting fear stop him from talking to people at all. In fact, Ptolemy is, deep down, a scaredy-cat– willing to go through hell just to avoid something he’s convinced himself he can’t do, even if he knows he shouldn’t be as scared of it as he is. And because he refuses to leave his inner code of rules behind, he can take this out on other people, or become vindictive in the same way he takes it out on himself." (Arc Profile, 2022)

Practicing Artifice Magic, reading, researching unfamiliar topics, playing piano

Knowledge, preparing for the future, finding his missing mentor, honing his Spark

Tendency to fidget. Chews on things when in thought. Talks quickly and verbosely.

Abilities as an Artificer are currently unknown.

Dark purple

Éclair cake

Classical

His mentor's old sketchbook, which he uses to draw in himself.

Volunteers at the Academy's library, doing research and organizing books and files. Also does paid tutoring sessions for those who ask.

Cottonberry:
Thinks she is easy to get along with and a good listener, but is somewhat taken aback by her lazy, carefree attitude, believing that someone of her status could benefit from being more responsible. Usually looks to her for advice and emotional support.

Blaise Pyrenaria:
Is in somewhat of a friendly rivalry with her, and thinks her to be too impulsive and cynical at times, not like he's one to talk. Despite this, he admires her heart and determination.

Dawn Valentine:
While supportive of her endeavors, doesn't quite understand her thought process regarding most things. Is looking to find a logical answer to her sporadic behavior. Tries to keep her in line, making sure she doesn't get herself in serious trouble.

Iceblade:
Admires her always polite demeanor and caring nature. Is somewhat intimidated by her boundless creativity and its magical potential.

Quality Time

Pisces

Comes from a family of sphinxes in a land similar to ancient Egypt. Name pending.

Grew up with parents, but was kicked out at an early age (a normal occurrence for sphinxes). Was left to fend for himself at ~10 years old with nothing to his name. Eventually, he started living independently and grew a fondness for Artifice Magic through the old books and scriptures he would find.

One day in his early teens, he meets an Artificer by the name of Nicholas Sage (TBC), who sees potential in him and offers to tutor him, to varied success. One day, Sage mysteriously disappears, leaving behind only his sketchbook.

A private dorm room on Burrstone Academy grounds. No roommates - just the way he likes it.

Arcana Mix - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZFsj60fkwEmZdavmxnDCp?si=vDGeMvH0Q3Kk9U4r-D6S0g

Cats, eyes, books, the colors purple and black, piano music, Egyptian symbols.

He has always had a fear of heights, and has never learned to fly because of it.

At first, Ptolemy only hangs out with the other main characters because he believes them to be of help with finding his mentor. Since they were classmates anyway and had already met during the events of the pilot/first episode, he sees it as only natural to let them assist him. After he finds what he needs to know, he originally planned on ceasing any communication with them because they would simply be in the way of his plan afterwards. But eventually, he warms up to them and he realizes how important they are to him.

"In general, i dont want him to come across as humorless or morose. In fact, i think comedy is something really important to him and something he bonds with other people over– it’s just that sometimes his comedy is a little more meanspirited than he thought it was.
Ptolemy isn’t actively malicious when it comes to those moments of meanness. He’s just either bad at measuring out what the appropriate social response is or he’s letting his nerves get the best of him and is trying to shut something down before it shuts him down. These are flaws! But he’s not a bully.
Ptolemy is incompetant socially, but he’s quite good at reading people, and at analyzing art. He just doesn’t know how to apply it, and it can either be really helpful with things like encouraging his friends or settling conflict, or really hurtful with targeted insults or derision.
He loves to help people in general. Early on especially, it can come across as him being a “know-it-all”, but he is just trying to provide assistance—--- often without being asked. EEK!" (Arc Profile, 2022)

Hajime Hinata (Danganronpa 2)

Twilight Sparkle (MLP:FIM)

Dib Membrane (Invader Zim)

Johnny Yong Bosch (Hajime Hinata, Yu Narukami)

Joel McDonald (Briefers Rock)

John Mulaney

Drew Gooden

Civilized Animal - Ptolemy is a sphinx, and while he does look very lion-like, he wears clothes and walks on two feet, unlike the sphinxes from Egyptian myth.

Nerd Glasses - Ptolemy always wears a pair of square, black-framed glasses. He also just so happens to be the most knowledgable out of the main cast.

Adorkable - Underneath his focused, know-it-all demeanor is an anxious bookworm with a bit of a social awkwardness streak.

Vitriolic Best Buds - With Blaise Pyrenaria. They express their friendship by constantly butting heads or competing with each other for superiority. While they may have their differences, they care for each other as friends nonetheless.

Platonic Life Partners - With Cottonberry. Over the course of the series, they become a very tight-knit pair. Anything more than a close friendship would be impossible, since they're both canonically gay.

The Smart Guy - Out of the main cast, he's the one making the most logical decisions and observations, always using his brain rather than his heart. Not to mention his extensive knowledge on... just about anything.

Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life - Self-explanatory.

Determinator - He'll let nothing stand in his way of pursuing knowledge - not even potential expulsion for breaking the Academy's rules.

Friendless Background - Sphinxes are rather solitary creatures, so since Ptolemy was kicked out of the house at an early age, he never had the chance to spend time with other kids. Instead, he made friends with ghosts and the living dead thanks to his Necromeowmicon.

Signature Instrument - The Piano.

Personality Powers - (TBD once plot is ironed out.)

Pastimes Prove Personality - He reads, writes, studies, and plays piano in his free time, hinting at his focused and intellectual nature. On the side, he also tells fortunes using tarot cards, showing that he does somewhat believe in destiny.

Too Clever by Half - Downplayed. Ptolemy is proud of his intelligence, but isn't one to boast about it. As a sphinx, he considers his historical knowledge par for the course, and continues to learn about magic as a personal project, not as something to brag about to others.

Starring Smurfette - Gender inverted and zig-zagged. Ptolemy is the main protagonist and the only boy in his friend group, but this isn't revealed until he comes out as trans.

Workaholic - He is particularly devoted to academics, as well as his personal studies. He tends to follow strict schedules, and often overworks himself, even when he's sick or tired.

Iconic Item - His mentor's sketchbook, Ptolemy's most prized possession and main MacGuffin of the series.

Intelligence Equals Isolation - Played straight at the beginning, but is downplayed as the series goes on and he starts valuing his friendships more.