Josh "Skull" Raines

"What is our purpose? To be the toys of Olympus, watch ourselves burn as the gods, like spoiled, petulant children, toss us into their hearth for amusement? I don't know about you, Ethan, but I couldn't give a damn for Olympus. Even my father, Phobos, is disrespected there. He not only has no throne, but look here, at Camp! I don't even have a cabin to call mine. And I swear to you Ethan, if I get the chance, I will tear down Olympus: brick... by... brick..."

 - Josh Raines

Early Life
Josh was born to Kelly Raines in 1993. Being an African-American, he was ridiculed at his school about his skin, despite the fact that racism was prohibitted.

It was one such teasing session that Josh finally cracked. Grabbing one of the stronger boy's wrist, he looked hard into his eyes. The boy in question, Jonathan Beznev, started screaming and screaching about strange horrors. Seeing this strange process, the bullies ran away. Soon he earned detention at the hands of the management, but nonetheless, Jonathan left the school soon after.

When his mother learned about the incident, she said that he need not be like his father, before leaving him puzzled. Never having known his father, the comment took Josh by surprise.

For a few months, every thing went well, until his fourteenth birthday. At this day, his house was attacked by two women with snake trunks for legs. His mother died by their hands, and an agonized Josh revealed his true power to the duo, causing them to wail and finally die of fear.

Leaving his home, he joined one of the various street gangs that roamed the town. With his new found powers of fear, he soon found himself the dominant gang leader of the area. His gang operated under the insignia of a grinning skull, earning him the nick-name of Skull.

Soon, he was found by a Satyr searcher who had infiltrated his gang. When a large detatchment of monsters came to find him, the Satyr spirited him away to Long Island, Sound, to Camp Halfblood.