Janus Hect's Questionnaire

El Paso, Janus' chosen city, offers a laid-back atmosphere where folks mind their own business. This suits Janus just fine, providing a haven where he can keep a low profile and distance himself from the haunting memories of the Hect cult. His apartment, nestled in a quiet neighborhood, reflects his preference for simplicity. El Paso's loose-knit community and its residents' tendency to respect each other's privacy allow Janus to navigate life without prying eyes. The city's relaxed attitude extends to its gun laws, adding an extra layer of comfort for Janus, who values self-sufficiency. In this Southwestern enclave, people value independence, and the vast landscapes surrounding El Paso provide Janus with a serene backdrop to rebuild his life. Amidst the desert sunsets and the city's distant hum, Janus discovers a sense of peace and a chance to carve out a new chapter, far removed from the troubled past of the Hect cult.

Janus currently earns a living as a janitor, a deliberate choice for its isolating nature that aligns with his preference for solitude. His modest income is typically spent on essentials, maintaining a frugal lifestyle in his quiet El Paso apartment. However, the recent mysterious package revealed a monthly deposit into an account for Hect LLC, providing Janus with a significant influx of cash. Initially, he indulged in acquiring new guns and survival gear, reconnecting with the skills instilled by the Hect cult. Now, uncertain of how to allocate this unexpected wealth, Janus contemplates establishing a support network against cults. The funds might be channeled into resources and connections to prevent others from experiencing the trauma he endured, signaling a shift from mere survival to a purpose-driven use of his newfound financial means.

Janus' ambition centers around breaking the cycle of the Hect cult's dark legacy. His past, marked by the cult's ideology, fuels a determination to prevent others from falling victim to such malevolent organizations. His focus is on establishing a support network to thwart the influence of cults, offering assistance and protection to potential victims. The extent of his commitment is significant — Janus is willing to delve into the shadows, confronting the remnants of the Hect cult, and risking his life to dismantle their influence. While he hesitates at the idea of taking a life, Janus acknowledges the possibility, recognizing that in the grim world he navigates, extreme measures might be required to ensure the safety and liberation of others. The haunting memories of his upbringing drive Janus to the edge of mortality, ready to face peril for the sake of breaking the cycle.

The most defining event in Janus' life was undoubtedly the police raid that marked the end of the Hect cult. As the sole survivor, plucked from a life steeped in the cult's dark teachings, Janus faced a tumultuous transition into a foster family. The aftermath, including autopsies and investigations, thrust him into years of therapy to repress the haunting memories of his upbringing. This challenging period delayed his development, but it also molded him into a survivor. Forced to confront the shadows of his past, Janus honed the skills instilled by the cult, particularly the art of smooth talking and coercion. The trauma forged resilience, shaping Janus into a guarded individual, wary of the world's darker facets yet determined to break free from the cycle that had defined his early years.

1. Evelyn "Evie" Martinez: Evie, Janus' closest confidante, is a fellow janitor at the office building where he works. Their bond developed gradually over shared moments of quiet camaraderie during late-night shifts. Evie, a pragmatic and warm-hearted woman, became a source of support for Janus. They share stories, jokes, and the unspoken understanding of each other's need for solitude.

2. Dr. Samuel Turner: Janus' therapist, Dr. Turner, played a crucial role in helping him navigate the tumultuous aftermath of the Hect cult's dissolution. Dr. Turner's patient and empathetic approach facilitated Janus' journey towards mental healing. The therapeutic relationship became a lifeline for Janus as he confronted the suppressed memories of his past, gradually learning to cope with the scars left by the cult.

3. Officer Maria Gonzales: Officer Gonzales was part of the police raid that ended the Hect cult. Her compassion during the tumultuous transition to foster care left a lasting impression on Janus. Over the years, they maintained sporadic contact, with Officer Gonzales acting as a somewhat distant but sympathetic figure in Janus' life, a reminder of the thin line between order and chaos that he treads.

Janus' childhood was a harrowing tale marked by the influence of the Hect cult. His parents were fervent followers of the cult's charismatic leader, Jethro Hect. The cult indoctrinated Janus into a twisted combination of biblical puritanism, occult death worship, and doomsday prepping. Raised in a commune-like setting, Janus' early years were characterized by strict adherence to the cult's dark teachings.

His "parents" in the cult were distant figures, shaped more by the cult's ideology than personal connection. The cult rejected conventional schooling, opting for a secluded, communal life centered around their radical beliefs. Janus' education was limited to the cult's teachings, providing a warped perspective on life, death, and salvation.

The lack of traditional schooling made Janus a stranger to the norms of societal interaction. When he entered the foster care system after the cult's dissolution, attending mainstream schools became a challenge. The disconnect between his upbringing and the outside world created a sense of alienation. Janus struggled to fit in, often resorting to the smooth-talking and coercion skills ingrained by the cult to navigate the complexities of his new environment.

Love has been an elusive emotion for Janus, a luxury seemingly out of reach in the aftermath of his traumatic upbringing. The scars left by the Hect cult have created emotional barriers, making it challenging for Janus to fully open himself to others. While he has formed deep connections, particularly with his closest friend Evie, the romantic aspect of love remains unexplored. Janus grapples with trust issues and a fear of vulnerability, hesitant to expose himself to the potential pain that love can bring. His focus on breaking the cycle of the cult and establishing a support network against such malevolent organizations leaves little room for personal relationships, adding another layer to the complexity of Janus' emotional landscape.

Janus' worst fear is that the cult that he came from isn't actually dead and is still out there somewhere. The cults system would dictate that Janus starts a new branch of the cult and continues it's spread but he is staunchly against that happening or any other cult for that matter. He will do everything in his power to root out any traces of the cult and end them regardless of where they might be. 

These fears are compounded by the box of seemingly cursed objects delivered to him as well as the constant influx of cash that he can't seem to stop getting from the presumably the surviving cult members. These new jobs that he's doing seem to be in the same vein as the cults activities. Occult power, unexplained resources, new abilities seemingly coming from no where. It's possible these two things are related, or that this is just a random happenstance, Janus can't really be sure yet. One thing that is clear is that someone out there knows who he is and that person needs to be found and either negotiated with or stopped. Sooner rather then later. 

Janus still has lingering fears about what the cult did to him as a child, torture, confinement, starvation, forced self harm. But these take a back seat to the cult at large re-emerging. 

Janus doesn't really have prized possessions. After coming into the money he outfitted himself with a respectable go bag, top of the line gun and optics, sat phone, police radio, survival tent and gear etc. But all of the stuff is replaceable and doesn't have any specific emotional attachment. 

Janus greatest shame is the box of cult memorabilia that was sent to him mysteriously. All of it still sealed in police evidence bags and no clue where it came from. Janus recognized many of these items, they were all real and all taken from the cult compound. They didn't seem to be fabrications or things that a collector might have gotten, these should have been safe and being used to shut down any future cults bearing the name Hect. Instead they were sitting on Janus' kitchen table and causing him anxiety and trepidation. Twice now he has been infected by the box. Both times it seems to have made him stronger, but at what cost? 

Janus biggest problems right now are surviving contracts and figuring out how to start hunting down cults that are hazardous to people. There are a lot of cults out there but he's not overly excited about the idea of going in guns blazing and dying to some kind of ritual magic or mob with farming hoes. He needs a systematic plan on how to dismantle a cult from the top down and he's currently struggling with that. 

Kill the head and the body will follow is an old saying but that isn't always true. A lot of times there is some amount of redundancy built in so that the lieutenants or son or whatever takes over in the even that the leader falls. The easiest way is probably to discredit the leaders so that the brainwashing snaps and the flock leaves on their own recognizance. Janus would need to look into the best way to diminish people. 

Janus is currently working nights as a janitor so he usually sleeps during the mornings. He has a constant influx of cash so he has thought about quitting the janitorial work but he likes the sense of calm and clarity it brings. Part of his work in the cult was cleaning the horrific aftermaths and compared to that mopping a hall is somehow cathartic. It helps him see that even the same actions can be better if used for good rather then evil. 

Currently he's waking up around noon and he will eat a cold lunch of whatever is left in the fridge, take a shower, do any errands that need doing and then dress for work. There isn't much time to dwell on his past or get distracted by the world and he likes things that way. Keeping himself locked into a course might not be the best long term approach but it has worked to keep him sane and not hurt himself or others. 

These jobs have been getting more and more violent though and parts of Janus' past are starting to leak into his actions in a way that he doesn't care for. 

Janus doesn't leave the house often except for work. In the event that he wanted to go somewhere fancy it might be like a concert or a meeting for escaped cultists. He usually would wear a slightly nicer button-up shirt but still the same jeans and gun on his hip. He might wear a black denim jacket if it's cold out. He usually gets ready pretty fast. The cult was all about rigid order and the lack of possessions so people got ready quick or there were punishments. Those kinds of lessons are kind of hard to get over and Janus still gets ready with military like precision in about as much time. If he was going in public he would still wear a thin bullet proof vest under his shirt, you can never be too careful, and make sure that his place was locked and the security was activated. 

Hopefully still be alive. Janus has been skirting death his entire life and becoming a contractor is only ramping that up not slowing it down. He plans to spend the rest of this year becoming harder to kill, more deadly, and better able to help those that need helping. He didn't realize until recently that he has a soft spot for kids that are placed in unfair situation so he might try to do something to help them. Make sure that no other kid suffers like he did to the hand of some sadistic maniacs. And heck maybe even a cake.