Marcus Provenzano

Marcus Antonio Provenzano is a young member of True Cross and one of the only members to have an individual covenant with the Christian God. His new found abilities are currently being explored by other members of the organization, including Father Thomas O'Grady. Marcus came from a good home and a family devoted to the faith, which is a far cry form most other members of True Cross.

Appearance
Though he was once a rather broad fellow, Marcus has dropped quite a bit of weight, both fat and muscle. Some of it could be attributed to his new training regime, but a majority of this loss can be attributed directly to the sleepless nights, haunted days, and poor appetite the boy regularly suffers through. He just tops 6’ (1.82 meters), and where once he may have hit nearly 195lbs (88 kg), now his breaks just even at 155lbs (69 kg).

The constant bombardment of hellish terrors at night has left him with little appetite during the day, however his trainers and supervising True Cross priests have begun regularly forcing high-calorie and high-protein meals into the boy whenever they can. This has halted the steady decline of his physical health, keeping him at a weight where they are satisfied they can work him in combat routines while not losing any more precious muscle.

Perhaps because of his rapid weight loss, or maybe just from the fact that he never sleeps, the young man shuffles more than he walks, and tends to not hurry anywhere when he moves (though his morning runs are surprising spry for a fellow who appears mostly dead). But his movements in combat are even more surprising, as once he is on the mat (or against an opponent), that shuffling manner turns to a fluid, brutal style. Of course, it lasts only so long as there is a fight to be had; afterwards, he tends to find a bench to hunch on, or a quick place to doze.

And while his heritage is Italian, his skin tone doesn’t reflect a bit of it. Once upon a time, he had a healthy tan, one olive in complexion that wasn’t quite so dark as his Mediterranean relatives (on his mother’s side). But now, that flush of colour has all but vanished, and his skin is a pale shade of, well, pale. Dark circles are a constant beneath his lackluster green eyes (whose happy glint once marked the beginning of trouble for professors and assailants alike), and there is a pallor to his cheeks and a pallid pink to his lips that lends him the look of a man near dead. The few times this young man appears the least bit alive is during his physical training sessions and the long runs he takes in the very early morning light. At those times, a good flush of colour lights up his face, bringing back a spark of life that lends him a rather fleeting, handsome air.

Since his arrival at True Cross, Marcus has favoured a simple outfit that seems to blend him in to the rest of his peers: abutton down shirt, occasionally the one he fell asleep in the night before; slacks that are fitted just enough to give them shape; scuffed wing tipped boots that, while lacking the general polish of a professional shoe, have been with him for some time and he has no intention of letting them go. Everything is in an inky shade of black, including his accessories of a leather belt and moderate tie. (Of course, when in practice, on a run, or a bout of training, Marcus will dress appropriately, normally in a long sleeved compression shirt, shorts or running pants, and track shoes.)

There is also the new addition of a black, leather shoulder harness for his handgun - and two spare magazines - and for his axe, which rests near the small of his back, reversed. It is in a specialty sling that allows him to draw it rapidly, though stowing it back takes a few more seconds (Marcus is currently practicing to make the motion smoother and faster.)

Over it all is his favourite (read: only) coat, black as the norm and heavy enough to give just the right amount of weight. It’s been a part of him almost as long as the boots, and he’s become quite reliant on it to tell him just how much longer he has before needing to cut his lengthy, black hair (which normally means it hits the top of the collar and falls distractingly in his eyes). It was never his attempt to be “edgy” or “gothic”, it just seemed that black was the staple of those around him, and it is fairly easy to make matches out of all black socks.

Personality
Once, Marcus was a live-it-up sort of guy, enjoying life while pursuing his ultimate goal of entering the priesthood. He loved family get-togethers and meetings with friends, especially those that included lively debate about the Church, religion, or 80’s era American film. He would often get a drink near the school with a priest who encouraged and nurtured his walk along the path to priesthood (of course, that would come back to bite him later). He laughed, he joked, and he loved - he has been with a few women, loving them all but realizing he couldn’t love them as much as he loved the Church - and he was rarely without a smile.

Now, however, one is lucky to get more than a few words out of him. He tends to keep to himself, not because of some serious lack of social skills, but because his near-constant state of exhaustion has led him to become rather apathetic towards social gatherings and crowd mingling. This isn’t to say that he avoids them at all costs; should he be required to attend a function or participate in class, he will do so with all the energy he can muster.

He is quite capable of conversation and not at all averse to holding a chat with a person willing to put up with his slight awkward pauses and tangential tendencies, all of which stems from his inability to catch more than a few hours of sleep in any one time. Unless a person is speaking from complete ignorance and willing blindness, Marcus has very little issue with anyone; women don’t fluster him and men rarely give him pause.

And it should be noted that Marcus is still very much a studious individual, having always been prone to books over parties (though he did his fair share of those, too), and his current state has done nothing to change that. Indeed, since his arrival at True Cross, his studies have doubled, as he is continuing his college career and devoting every waking (as there are many) minute to learning about the new world he has been thrust into. If not on a run or in training, Marcus can most usually be found in the library or one of the many studies scattered throughout the buildings. Having already published two small papers on the nature of the Church and God (that one was the cause of a small amount of backlash amongst the less progressive thinking in the clergy), marcus had already set himself up to be an outspoken, diligent, vibrant member of the clergy; though he is now in a different form of his Church, he still attempts to continue his trend.

He still retains a bit of that vivacity from his previous life when discussing the future of the Church, the direction of her leadership, and now the myriad of creatures, spells, and incredible Faeth he’s been introduced to. He can become rather animated when discussing any of the former, but that requires a person who is willing to listen and then retort; he has a difficult time with people who simply pretend to listen but in reality are just waiting for him to move on to another topic.

In regards to the undead - or the supernatural in general - Marcus wants to understand them, but only in respect to their nature; he feels no attachment to them in any real form, though some part of him feels empathy for their plight. They are removed from God, and can therefore never feel His presence without pain, and that is a horrible fate above any other. So, he studies them - in depth as he can - to compensate for his lack of history with them.

There is also no love lost (much to the chagrin of God, he’s sure) for humans that judge and condemn other human beings. A person’s lifestyle is their own, and their colour is never their choice, so he will not cast stones at them for it, nor will he deny them brotherly love based on that alone. It pains him to see the bigotry and hatred of the world, but since his induction to True Cross, he has found a much greater foe to direct his disappointment to (that isn't to say he nevermore gets pissed at willful ignorance and bullies).

His morality is less “black and white” and more “does this thing deserve to live as a human lives”. If the answer is yes, Marcus will strive to aid that individual. If the answer is no...well, he will put them down appropriately.

His nightmares have become a constant part of his life, so much so that he sees them at times just behind his eyelids when he blinks. His strength of faith is unwavering, though he fights with the questions of “why” constantly. He knows this is a test of sorts, and embraces that, but there have been times when his tears have flowed freely and his cries have not been in suffering but in begging. It is because of this constant, nightly bombardment that Marcus has taken to drinking heavily before bed (on nights he can get away with it), and most recently, he has been tracking down those whom he’d originally ministered away from drug abuse; he has only fallen to the needle a couple of times, but the glorious bliss of nothing as he passes out is like heaven to him. (This will be dealt with in game as much as possible. If he cannot kick this habit, then consequences will occur.)

(Marcus also tends to wear his harness and holster anywhere he goes, occasionally even on his runs. He wants to make certain everything feels natural to him, in any situation, so when he is finally in the field, he will not be distracted by the weight and the pull. He has decided to mentally condition himself as well as physically.)

History
Stuff

Abilities
Though he has only had little over a year with the True Cross, Marcus has gained a few abilities that set him apart from the average guy, namely his specialty in Faeth. He has found that there are a few abilities innate to him, while others he is still working on (and even a few he doesn’t know about yet). All of these abilities (aside from the innate ones) are bought with Souls. They are in tiers, as in he must first buy This is My Body before he can buy This is My Blood:

 Hand of the Lord  (innate): an object that can be picked up and held (ranging from a sewing needle to a concrete block) is instantly transformed into a holy, blessed weapon. However, the object only remains holy so long as Marcus is in contact with it; once dropped, the object becomes normal once again. Lingering Blessing (costs 1 Soul Point): Similar to Hand of the Lord, except should Marcus drop the object, it remains holy and blessed for three posts after it leaves his hands. (Can only be used on three (3) objects during any one (1) encounter.) Everlasting Blessing (costs 2 Soul Points): After a single word of blessing, the object Marcus holds is holy for all eternity (no matter what that object might be). (Marcus can only do this once in an encounter.)

Touch of Christ (innate): Marcus making contact with a supernatural creature cause discomfort and slight nausea, though no outward physical manifestations of this discomfort can be seen (i.e. no burned skin). Lower level creatures feel this discomfort much more keenly, and mindless supernatural are repelled by it. To date, this is an untrained ability that has yet to be forcibly manifest on command.

Sanctified Touch (costs 2 Soul Points): As a willing act, Marcus can make his touch (or any part of his skin) harmful to a supernatural creature. Severe burns, blistering, and heavy nausea can occur, more so to lower level creatures (Upyr and lower). Mindless supernatural are repelled and seek to remove themselves from his presence. High level still feel discomfort and a desire to shy away from him. (Can only be used for four (4) posts within any one (1) encounter.)

 Hallowed Hands  (costs 3 Soul Points): As a willing act, Marcus can fuel his touch with so much divine will that it becomes deadly to supernaturals. Revenants are nearly slain by his hands (if they are damaged previously, then they are returned to the dead); anything else below a Upyr in level - or equivalent - is severely wounded. Anything above is burned but not to a life-threatening degree, and the desire to be removed from his presence is very strong. (Can only use for three (3) posts within any one (1) encounter.)

This is My Body (costs 3 Soul Point): Marcus cannot be infected by the bite (or claw) of supernatural creatures. They can, of course, cause damage as any other attack, however there is no chance of him becoming a Revenant or lycan (or vampire, for that matter). (This is a constant ability.) This is My Blood (costs 3 Soul Points): Marcus’ blood becomes intolerable to any creature attempting to feed on him. Should such a creature attack and attempt to feed, they are dealt serious damage from the equivalent of double-strength Holy Water being drawn from the boy. (This is a constant ability)

Besides these Faeth-based abilities, Marcus is also a decent shot with his sidearm, but nothing much to speak of with rifles, shotguns, and SMGs. He has become rather deadly with his axe, with an ability to utilize it at odd angles and to find openings most couldn’t capitalize on; throwing said axe however is a bit more challenging, as he can hit a stationary target with regular accuracy, though anything moving is more difficult.The knife as well, he is coming along in, responding well to the concept of close quarters, down-and-dirty fighting, and his throwing accuracy is much better with the smaller object.

His instructors are teaching him a mixture of Krav Maga and Silat, working off of his natural ability to simply roll with whatever is at hand (another one of his “tricks” is that the young man is a natural-born brawler, reaching out for anything and everything at hand during a fight should he lose his axe.) Of course, he is working through TACE (Tactical Adaptive Combat Evasion) training, which he is doing rather well at, however he won’t be jumping roof to roof any time soon. But smaller things, like window ledges and awnings are well in play.

Marcus is also a remarkably resilient young man, having been ill not once in his life, and is capable of taking quite the beating without stopping progress (even now, True Cross agents are unclear as to how he isn’t falling over dead from the lack of sleep, and he should have caught at least one of the small colds running around the facilities over the past months.) He is capable of receiving heavy blows, enough to leave deep bruises and lacerate skin, and still persevere; a broken jaw, or a cracked rib and a few broken fingers aren't enough to really truly halt his progress, but other broken bones (arms, legs, neck of course) will slow him considerably (however Marcus will most likely try to run before getting in such a bad shape, because you can't win if you're dead). This isn’t to say that he can NEVER be ill, simply that it is a thing that has never happened, and it confuses the daylights out of the priests.

Additionally, Marcus boasts the endurance of world class distance runner, capable of continuing on with an attack or retreat with an almost non-stop motion. This die-hard determination has been attributed to either his connection to God or to his astounding physical grit by multiple (conflicted) parties, though who is to say it isn’t just both.

Lastly, he speaks Italian (native), English (out of necessity) and Latin (out of, of course, his priestly schooling). When in upper secondary school, he took French as a way to keep up with the neighbors, but he isn't as fluent as he would like, and his vocabulary and syntax aren't the greatest.

Equipment
Even though he is now a part of one of the largest (underground) organizations in the world, Marcus is hardly as well equipped as most of his other Trus Cross peers. Partially, of course, due to his unique abilities. Hand Axe: Through much trial and error, the True Cross instructors finally stumbled across a melee weapon that suits Marcus’ (rudimentary) fighting style: a tactical hand axe. The weapon is based on the design from United Cutlery’s M84 Hawk axe. The dimensions a very much the same, with few key differences: it’s length is overall 18 inches instead of the normal 15; it weighs in at exactly two pounds, slightly heavier for the modified materials; 9 inch cutting edge on the axe head; 7 inch cutting edge on the back hand spike. This may not sound like a terribly imposing weapon, but it is easy to swing, allowing Marcus miles of use without tiring him, and the razor edge on both ends is wickedly sharp.

Of course, it is also modified to be wielded against the undead, so along the ridge just above the edges, there is a strip of silver. It must be replaced over time, but it creates a “silver” weapon without compromising the integrity of the weapon itself. The main component of the axe is Anodized AUS-6 stainless steel, corrosion resistant and moderately soft (as far as steel goes), which means it will not shear or break under great pressure. The only downside is that the cutting edge must be looked after on a regular basis.

Marcus has become rather proficient in the use of the axe, using both sides - and even the grip - to great effect, making this weapon more than just a tool for chopping wood in his hands.

Knife: A blade gifted to him by another member of True Cross (his one-time drinking buddy Father O’Grady), this knife (12” overall) is simple yet oddly elegant. It is made from S30V steel, able to withstand harsh conditions and still retain an edge (does need some looking after in that regard). The 6.5 inch blade has a high toughness and ductility, meaning it will bend quite a bit before it breaks. There is a slight silver to the coating of the bald blade face, and it needs to be replaced after heavy use, however his friend didn’t seem to think that would be a problem when he passed it right along

Mobile Phone: Like all True Cross members, Marcus was issued a mobile phone, though after a few “incidents” they decided to give him an Astron Rough Pro phone. It is designed to take fairly well anything that can be thrown at it, and then some. It is, of course, connected to True Cross’ online library of all things supernatural (because some True Cross new kids still need to ask the question “what the hell is that?”)

H&K USP Compact: Carried only because his instructors decided he needed something other than “just a hatchet” (words he really can’t argue with), the USP Compact was the final choice for the young man. Chambered for the .357 SIG - and taking a 12 round magazine - the handgun is small enough to be mostly unobtrusive while still maintaining the effectiveness of a full sized sidearm. It is, of course, coated in an anti-corrosion matte black finish. He also carries two spare magazines.

Small notepads: Neon green to battered black, these tiny notepads follow Marcus wherever he goes. Anything that strikes his fancy - a unique name, a new place to eat, a strange type of Fae - he writes down, including at times the details of his terrorizing nightmares. There are little piles of them in his lonely room, and he is never caught without at least one on his person at all times.

Handy dandy messenger bag: Nothing fancy, just something for him to dump his occasional books, notepads, pens that write just perfectly, wallet, spare magazines, mobile phone on silent and the crumpled pack of cigarettes that always manage to find their way to the bottom of the bag. While it can obviously be worn across the body, Marcus never does so, to keep from binding up the axe harness.

Wallet: Simple, brown, and filled with not a lot: driver's license, a few euro notes, his student ID, and a credit card that sees less action than his bed.

Wooden Rosary: A gift from his family when he graduated from secondary school, this rosary is fashioned from solid wood and corded thread. Marcus usually carries it with him, though never wears it.

Lighter: Because you should never be without one.

Cigarettes: Yes, he smokes. No, not often. Just once in a rare while, when he needs something to keep his hands from shaking.