Hoyt Masterson is one of the signature characters from Orpheus, as well as a Storyteller character.
Originally from South Carolina, Hoyt had his first brush with death at age 12, when he was involved with a head-on collision with a drunk driver. He made it, but his parents didn't. After he recovered, he was taken in by his Uncle Luke. It was not out of kindness, however; Luke wanted someone to train to take over his job as one of the best wheelmen in North America. Hoyt, fascinated with cars from an early age, took a shine to the job, running jobs before he was even legal to drive. He quickly became his uncle's equal.
His new career ended when Hoyt was involved in another major accident while running from police; this one ended not only with traction, but a ten year prison sentence for drug trafficking. In the hospital and in prison, Hoyt began to rethink his life of crime, but it was seeing the disappointed ghost of his father after he was stabbed by another inmate that made him carry through on his ideas. When he was released, he avoided his uncle like crazy, trying to seek an honest living. His record made it impossible for him to be hired by any reputable company.
Luckily for Hoyt, the Orpheus Group was far from reputable, even if he didn't know it at the time. He applied there on a whim, and was promptly hired and trained as an agent. His easygoing nature allowed him to make fast friends with many of his co-agents, although his fascination with cars pulled him into the Haunter Shade.
It was not to last; NextWorld took out Orpheus one day. In the attack, Hoyt was badly injured, but managed to escape with help from John Carruthers and Kate Dennison. He went with them into the life of a fugitive, one which he knew all too well. Though he was out of action for a while because of his injuries, he joined in as soon as he could. When they were tired of running and formed the legitimate Lazarus Redux as a replacement for Orpheus, Hoyt was all too happy to join them, even being made a secondary partner along with John.
Unfortunately for Hoyt, it couldn't last; not with Grandmother and her Spectre army pounding at the Stormwall. Hoyt joined the other agents in an attempt to head Grandmother's planned invasion off. While holed up in a hideout, the group was cornered by one of her armies. Hoyt attempted to take out as many of them as he could while the group made their escape. Unfortunately, he got too cocky and ended up impaled on the claws of a Spectre. However, his efforts were not in vain, and between him and Zoe Vitt, the group was able to escape to fight another day.
- Orpheus: Orpheus Rulebook, p. 87
- Orpheus: Crusade of Ashes, p. 6 -11