Malachite (Character Questionnaire)

Mandatory Questions

These questions must be answered as part of character creation.

1. Describe your character’s physical appearance.
   Malachite tops six feet and is built like Captain America. His looks are deceptively wholesome: late thirties, chestnut hair, gray eyes, and a nearly permanent smirk. He sports a number of arcane tattoos across his shoulders and down one arm, and he is always wearing a simple torc of some silvery-gold metal.
2. Describe what it looks like when your character’s Nimbus manifests to those with Mage Sight. What does it look like when it bleeds over into mortal perceptions? (The Nimbus can be quite impressive to Mage Sight, but is always subtle to mortal perceptions.)
   Malachite's Nimbus causes everything around him to seem realer than real. Lines and contours become more defined; corners and angles become sharper. Light and sound seem like solid things, and the very air takes on weight and substance. The world evinces new depths, secrets and hidden truths that can be glimpsed, almost touched. To mortals, his Nimbus manifests as a heaviness, an expectant weight, like the air before a hard rain. Or a lightning strike.
3. Describe your character’s preferred Magical Tool, either a Path Tool or an Order Tool. If your character uses any Arcana Tools, describe those as well. Is there a background or back story to this item?
   As Malachite began to learn the ways of magic, he found that he had a particular affinity for metals and stones. His Path Tool is an iron disk stamped with a pentacle. He wears it on a leather strap around his wrist. For his Arcana tools, he uses hematite magnets (Forces), a copper puzzle ring (Matter), and pure crystal rod (Prime).
4. When your character’s Unseen Senses trigger, what kind of sensation does your character experience? (This tends to be individual from mage to mage; some examples include a slight headache, a raising of the hairs on the back of the neck, goosebumps, a sudden change in temperature sensation, etc.)
   Malachite's back teeth start to ache anytime his Unseen Senses are triggered.
5. Describe how your character most often interacts with her Virtue.
   Malachite now works as a bodyguard and "troubleshooter," taking on the most desperate and hopeless of clients, people who normally wouldn't have the resources to hire someone like him. He uses the skills that the Brotherhood taught him to rescue the innocent and give the less-than-innocent a second chance.
6. Describe how your character most often interacts with his Vice.
   Malachite tries to focus on the present and his own second chance, but when he meets someone whose anger, fear, or pain are being used to control or manipulate them, he can't help but identify. He tends to get very angry on their behalf, and it sometimes clouds his judgement.
7. Describe your character’s Mentor, from her perspective. This is the person (not necessarily of the same Path) who brought you into the Order, and taught you the Order’s magical Praxis.
   All the mages of Magnum Opus cabal taught Malachite at one time or another. As an Apostate and former Seer pawn, he simply wasn't trustworthy enough to be apprenticed to just one of them. They all wanted their opportunity to evaluate him, judge him, keep an eye on him. He was okay with that. He considered it more than fair and was simply grateful that they were willing to take him on at all.
8. Choose the Mage Sight your character uses most often. Describe to me how your character interprets the occult information granted by that spell; for instance, some mages perceive various Mage Sights as strains of music, strange smells, memory flashbacks from their own lives relevant to the information gained, physical sensations or other similar sensory input. Each form of Mage Sight usually has its own set of sensory symbols, often in line with aspects of the character’s personality, occult praxis or background.
   Malachite's preferred Mage Sight is Supernal Vision. He perceives resonances both visually and tangibly, with various magics "feeling" hot, cold, wet, dry, oily, smooth, sharp, soft, etc.
9. Choose a song that you think might serve as your character's "theme song."
   "It's Probably Me" by Sting and Eric Clapton
10. Does your character have any family?
    Malachite's mother, father, and brother are all still living, as far as he knows. He hasn't seen or heard from any of them since he was twelve years old.
11. Your character has, at some point in his life, had something to do with the Hotel Regina. It has been out of business since the 1940s, so you won’t have visited it while it was in business. Your character doesn’t even have to had any kind of major interaction at the location — you simply have to have a moment in your character’s history where the Hotel Regina played some role, even if it was just as a backdrop. Perhaps an uncle was a photographer that loved buildings from the Thirties, or your mother had a framed print of the building in the living room over the hearth. Tell me what the Hotel means to your character.
    The first time Malachite felt doubt about one of his assignments, he was in Astoria. The target—a man named Franklin Dent—had fled there, leaving a blatant trail for Malachite to follow in order to lead the assassin away from his family. Malachite realized what Dent was doing, and it surprised him. Dent could have disappeared, could have put his own safety first, but he didn't. Malachite eventually caught up to Dent and killed him, but afterward, he couldn't stop thinking about the man. Dent's selflessness nagged at him. He roamed the streets of Astoria brooding over it, and only vaguely noticed that during his wanderings he kept coming back to the same street and the same grand, old hotel.

Other Questions

The following questions can be answered as part of further development for the character once play begins. No more than two questions may be answered in between game sessions, and for every two questions answered the PC gains +1 point of Development Experience.

Background

1. Where did your character grow up? Briefly describe his childhood and adolescence.
   Malachite was born to Bobby and Janie Winters, a pair of drug-addicted failed musicians. He grew up on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and his childhood was one of poverty and neglect. His parents could rarely see past their next high, so he and his brother Daniel spent a good deal of time in the custody of Child Protective Services. But Bobby and Janie were always able to regain custody of their sons, at least until Malachite was eleven years old.
   That year, dead broke and desperate to score, Malachite's parents made a deal with a local drug dealer and known pedophile calling himself Tigger. While they shot up in the next room, they allowed Tigger to creep into eight-year-old Daniel's bedroom. Malachite put an end to the deal—and to Tigger—when he cracked open the pedophile's skull with a tire iron. It was his first kill.
   Bobby and Janie went to jail, and Malachite and Daniel were placed into foster care. Child Services tried to keep the siblings together, but they were soon separated, and Malachite lost track of his brother entirely by the time he was twelve. Malachite was shunted from foster home to foster home, all the while racking up an impressive list of juvenile charges. When he was fifteen, he finally gave up on the foster care system and ran away. He spent the next two years on the streets, his criminal record growing ever more extensive and violent.
2. What part(s) of the character's childhood most influenced the person he/she is today? Describe an important lesson your character learned as a child.
   Malachite was left to fend for himself during much of his childhood, whether he was in his parents' custody or in foster care. That neglect taught him that people only look out for themselves, and that he should do the same if he wanted to survive.
3. When the character was a child, what did he/she want to be when grown up?
   Malachite had little time to daydream about the future, but when he did, he always imagined himself in a position of wealth and power—renowned cat burglar, international super spy, gangland boss.
4. What was your character's first, or most memorable, love affair? It can be anything from a pre-teen crush to a memorable love affair. Be sure to describe the object of your character's affection, along with the changes that your character went through in terms of feelings and thoughts about that person. Did it start out as maddening hatred? Instant love? Who fell for whom first? Was love a surprise? Assuming it has, how did it all end? How do all involved (your character, your lover, rivals, observers, etc.) feel about it now?
   When Malachite met Keeper, he fell instantly in lust with her, which is almost the same as love to a 17-year-old boy. She seemed worldly and mysterious, an older woman with dark hair and exotic eyes. Keeper knew the effect she had on Malachite and used it to further entangle him. She flirted and teased, enticing him with the hope that he might one day be man enough for her, but careful never to make good on any of her implied promises.
   Malachite's puppy love for Keeper waned as he became more focused on his training and his place in the Brotherhood. Keeper encouraged this, too, once she knew she had him. Over time, Malachite's feelings for her grew into respect and a deep affection. He was grateful to her. He thought she had saved him.
   Malachite knows now that his relationship with Keeper was a lie. It's like acid in his gut every time he thinks of how she used and manipulated him, and how thoroughly he fell for it. And to make things worse, he also suspects that the woman he knew as Keeper wasn't actually Keeper, but an innocent victim under the influence of a Profane Urim.
5. Assume your character is seeking companionship, and has the opportunity to write a detailed personal ad for an internet dating service (and was willing to do so, without fear of security risks or anything like that). Write the ad. Where would be the character's idea of a good place to take a date?
   Me: Easy-going, athletic, reliable, hopeful. You: Playful, upbeat, adventurous, funny. Meet me for a romantic rooftop dinner or a sky-diving date for two. Or how about both? Your move.
6. What is your character’s most precious pre-Awakening memory?
   The day his parents brought Daniel home from the hospital. Bobby sat him on the couch, and Janie put Daniel in his arms, showing him how to support his newborn brother's head. It's the only time Malachite can remember feeling like they were a real family.
7. What is your character’s most traumatic or grief-inducing pre-Awakening memory?
   Killing Tigger. Malachite remembers every detail of the pedophile's death with awful clarity: The cold weight of the tire iron in his hand. Fear, bitter and metallic on his tongue. Daniel's whimpers and Tigger's sniggering laughter. Hot rage burning behind his eyes. The bone-jarring impact of metal against bone. Coppery blood and sticky gray matter spattering his face and arms. His brother's scream.

Personality & Habits

1. Name five things your character likes to do that have absolutely nothing to do with being a mage.
   When Malachite first began his mage training, he pushed himself constantly, never taking any time off for himself. Albedo, who had called first dibs on teaching/guarding him, came down on him like a ton of bricks when she noticed this. She told him his obsessive behavior would lead him to burn out and lapse back into his old ways, and she wasn't about to allow that. He followed her orders under protest, but soon found that she was right; he actually learned faster when he started taking some time off. Nowadays, his favorite pastimes are jet-skiing, riding his motorcycle at illegally high speeds, reading comic books, going to carnivals and amusement parks, and attempting to cultivate an artistic talent. So far he's tried—without much luck—poetry, water color painting, and playing the guitar.
2. Is the character sentimental about anything? If so, what? If not, why not?
   Sentimentality has been pretty well scoured out of Malachite, by necessity during his childhood and by design during his years with the Brotherhood.
3. What's your idea of getting "dressed up?"
   Malachite prefers casual wear, but when he does dress up, he goes full-on James Bond—expensive tailored tuxedo, diamond cufflinks, Italian leather shoes.
4. Does the character have any catch phrases, nervous tics, or personal habits that would identify him/her?
   Having grown up in California, Malachite will call anyone “dude,” regardless of gender. He also tends to address people by an affectionate diminutive of their name (Mitchell becomes Mitch, Samantha becomes Sam, Rasayana becomes Rasa), whether he's been invited to or not. He chews on his thumb when he's nervous or thinking hard.
5. Does your character believe in true love? Elaborate.
   He believes in magic and ghosts and all sorts of other things, why not true love? But though he believes it happens for other people, he knows it'll never happen for him.
6. Describe three public places that your character enjoys spending time at.
   Malachite loves the bustle and hum of art fairs, local festivals, farmers' markets, etc—any outdoor event where people are showing off or selling handmade crafts and goods. He likes the soothing atmosphere of public aquariums and botanical gardens. And he enjoys the energy and cheer of bars/restaurants that have live musical performances.
7. Describe your personal bedroom space. What might someone poking about find, both in terms of actual things and in terms of what the space says about you?
   Malachite's bedroom is all clean lines and stark contrasts. His bed is a black wrought iron frame with white bedclothes; his tables, shelves, and desk are black metal and frosted glass. On one wall is a huge, well-lit display case containing several large geodes, various other cut gemstones, and a hefty chunk of malachite as its centerpiece. An easel stands in a corner near the window, holding several half-finished charcoal drawings, Malachite's lastest artistic endeavor. Small but powerful speakers mounted in every corner go with his high-end sound and entertainment systems. Shiny, state-of-the-art electronics cover his desk—PC with a huge flat panel screen; wireless mouse and virtual keyboard; charging pad with laptop, smartphone, and MP3 player. But despite the apparent luxury, Malachite's space is oddly spartan. There are no knick-knacks, mementos, or personal photographs. Even his comic books are neatly ordered and organized.
8. What moves your character to anger or violence?
   Malachite hates to see people being manipulated or coerced into doing something they know is wrong. And he can't tolerate the abuse or neglect of children.
9. What moves your character to tears?
   The movie Regarding Henry, though he would never, ever admit it. No matter how many times he sees it, it makes him cry every time.
10. What makes your character very happy?
    Currently? Samantha Albrecht. Generally, though, Malachite is a happy guy. He has, in essence, been to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him. He's alive and free of the Brotherhood and has a chance to atone for his sins. What's not to be happy about?
11. What makes your character depressed or hopeless?
    When he fails to help someone he's promised to help. It's those times that he wonders if he really deserves his shot at redemption.
12. What sorts of situations make the character feel awkward or ill-at-ease?
    Malachite isn't comfortable in social situations, though he can often bluff his way through. He wasn't exactly encouraged to make friends outside the Brotherhood, so dealing with normal people in normal situations still feels a bit alien to him.
    He also doesn't like discussing his past in any detail. While he will freely admit who he was and what he did, he doesn't want to talk about the specifics of his kills—names, dates, methods, etc. His memory might be disturbingly unreliable in places, but he can clearly remember the names and faces of every person he ever assassinated.
13. What's the best way to persuade the character to do something?
    By appealing to either his sense of justice or his sense of guilt.
14. Choose five adjectives to describe the character.
    Laid-back, amicable, confident, tough, penitent.
15. Give me some reasons why someone might reasonably dislike your character on first impression. Why might someone come to hate them in the long term?
    Malachite can be blunt and impatient and isn't afraid to show his exasperation with people he thinks are wasting his time. He's often overly familiar with people he's just met, talking to them as if they're long-time buddies. Many people find it off-putting, and sometimes that's exactly why he does it.
    As for why someone might hate him . . . well, he's a murderer. He's killed dozens of people, many of them entirely innocent, yet he's running around free in the world. Sure, he's reformed and trying to make amends, but there are those who would say he should do that by going to prison or even being executed. And that's not even counting the families and friends of his victims.
16. How would your character react if he or she was publicly humiliated by a total stranger? What if it was a private humiliation? What if it was a friend and not a stranger?
    Malachite would do nothing. He would just take it. Samantha may have taught him that no one deserves to die, but humiliation? Guilt? Degradation? Shame? He deserves those things in spades.
17. If your character could have one object for himself or herself (and not to turn around and sell), regardless of price, what would it be?
    A time machine, so he could go back and prevent himself from ever joining the Brotherhood.
18. What kind of music does your character like? Does he or she like different kinds of music in different circumstances?
    Malachite likes music that complements his mood: heavy and alternative metal when he's angry, blues and grunge when he's down, 80s pop and alternative rock when he's happy, New Age and classical when he's relaxing.
19. What is the character's favorite food?
    Rare steak with all the fixings.
20. What's your character's favorite color? Any particular reason?
    Green, because it's the color of malachite, his favorite gemstone and the one he named himself after.
21. What is your character's routine when he or she is not tending to Awakened business/crises?
    Malachite avoids routine. He lived a very disciplined, regimented life in the Brotherhood, and he knows now that was one of the ways they controlled his thinking and behavior. He only has two daily habits. He showers after he wakes up (be it morning or afternoon), and he works out before going to bed (be it night or morning). He usually doesn't decide what he's going to do for the day until he's in the shower.
22. Assuming they could speak, what would each of your character's parents (separately) say about him/her?
    Malachite's mother Janie: “Y'know, I did time because of Lucas. Child endangerment, they called it. My ass. Five years gone, down the drain, because of that ungrateful bastard. I'm amazed to hear he's still alive. Figured somebody would've offed him by now. Or he would've offed himself. I tell ya, if I'd known how badly he was gonna fuck up my life, I would've aborted the little shit.”
    Malachite's father Bobby: “I was a failure as a father, I know that. Worse than a failure. I'd make it up to Luke if I could, but there's no way he'd forgive me for the things I did. No reason he should. But you tell 'im his daddy would like to see him again, if he could stomach being in the same room with me. And, ah, tell 'im . . . y'know, if he could find it in his heart to, um . . . well, I could really use a little cash. Just a little, just enough to get me by for a coupla weeks, y'know. You tell 'im that, okay?”
23. Who are you important to? Why?
    Malachite was important to his brother when they were kids, because the only love, guidance, or protection Daniel got came from Malachite. Malachite hopes he'll be important to Daniel again someday.
    Though he can't imagine what she sees in him, Malachite is important to Samantha, as a friend and possibly more.
    And after the incident at Mount Angel, Malachite knows he's important to his cabalmates, though he's not sure why. He still thinks they should've left him when they had the chance instead of taking the risk of being railroaded alongside him.
24. Assume your character is plagued with a recurring nightmare that awakens him or her in a cold sweat every time. Describe the dream. (This will not necessarily be the case, though many people do have frightening, recurring dreams.)
    Of all the deaths Malachite is responsible for, Tigger's haunts him the most. Maybe because it was his first murder; maybe because his brother witnessed it. Maybe it's because he didn't mean to kill Tigger. Maybe it's because he's not sure he didn't mean to kill Tigger.
    Whatever the reason, that night replays itself in his dreams far more often than he'd like to admit. Sometimes the events unfold exactly as they did in real life, which is nightmare enough. But the version that wakes him sweating and shaking is one in which Danny doesn't rush into his arms sobbing with relief, but scuttles away from him, staring at him with dawning horror as Tigger's corpse stretches between them, one dangling eyeball bouncing against its cheek as it cracks its broken jaw and laughs and laughs . . .
25. What aspect of him/herself is the character most uncomfortable with? What aspect of him/herself is the character most satisfied with?
    Malachite is most uncomfortable with the violence he is capable of committing. While he's no longer a paid assassin, he knows he still can and will kill, should circumstances call for it. He's most satisfied with his new outlook on life, his abandonment of self-loathing and embrace of hope.
26. Is the character an introvert or an extrovert? How does the character behave in group settings? How does the character behave around someone in whom he/she is interested romantically?
    Malachite is a strange sort of introvert. He enjoys boisterous, energetic crowds, but he prefers to be alone in them. He comes across as an extrovert in social settings with strangers, being loud, cheerful, and friendly, but he doesn't really enjoy that sort of thing. Among friends, he tends to sit back and listen until he has something to say, and when he does, he's not hesitant about voicing it. Around a woman he's just physically attracted to, he's his usual confident self. But with a woman he's romantically interested in, he's much shyer, grinning and blushing a lot. Just ask Samantha.

Awakening & Beyond

1. Describe your character’s Awakening.
   It was like going blind, at first. Malachite heard what Samantha said: No one deserves to die. And the part she didn't say: Not even you. Then the world went white.
   He couldn't see anything. Couldn't hear anything. Couldn't feel or taste or smell anything but unending, unyielding white. He had gone . . . somewhere else. It was a void, yet it pressed in on him. It was warm and comforting, yet it burned. It was humbling and terrifying, but he'd never felt so safe and welcome and wanted before. And then there came a voice . . .
   No, not a voice but something like one, and the not-voice was his voice and it was Samantha's and it was Keeper's and it was Danny's, except that it wasn't, and it told him—not told told, because it wasn't a voice, not really—it told him something he already knew but couldn't believe.
   And the not-voice said it was alright that he didn't believe this truth now because he would soon, and then the white suddenly resolved into . . . well, white again. But this white had height and breadth and in the distance—now that there was a distance—he could see a white tower, glowing even whiter than all the white around it. He started walking, except sometimes he thought he might be flying or maybe just thinking himself toward the tower. And there were things between him and the tower, things that scared him, things he wanted to run from, but the not-voice wouldn't let him run and told him to look at his hands.
   He saw that he was holding a sword and a shield made of the clearest, purest, most flawless quartz crystal. Swing, said the not-voice, and he swung and the first thing disintegrated into ash and the second thing vanished like fog under a summer sun and the third thing went up in a flash of smoke and flame. And every time he faltered, the not-voice said swing and he would swing, or the not-voice said fight and he would fight, until finally he didn't falter anymore. He didn't even notice when the not-voice fell silent, because he was swinging and fighting because he wanted it now, wanted to reach the tower, needed to reach the tower, needed it more than he'd ever needed anything, more than food or breathe or life.
   Then he was there, at the base of the tower, and it felt like it had taken him centuries to get there and it felt like it had taken an instant. And the not-voice was with him again and it started to tell him what to do, but he knew what to do already, and he knelt down and carefully, so carefully, carved his name into the white, white stone of the tower with the tip of his crystal blade. Then he laid down his sword and he laid down his shield, and the white filled his vision again . . .
   And he blinked up into the eye-watering bright light of a hospital room, and even though he was hooked up to an IV and naked but for a hospital gown and handcuffed to the railing of the bed, he had never been so happy in all his life.
2. How has the Awakening changed your character, other than the obvious kewl powerz?
   Malachite's Awakening was the culmination of all the doubts and uncertainties that had been building up in him for years, and he came out of it utterly changed. For the first time in more than two decades, he could feel something other than rage. He no longer hated himself; he still felt guilt and remorse, but he understood how those could be good things. He realized that not only could he escape the life he was trapped in, he deserved to escape it, to have a second chance.
3. Why did your character choose the Shadow Name he did?
   Malachite was drawn to metals and gemstones as magical tools, so he decided to use a gemstone as his Shadow Name, too. He chose malachite because it's associated with emotional and psychological healing.
4. Name and describe three non-supernatural individuals that your character interacts with on a regular basis (such as a neighbor, best friend, co-worker, and the like). If you have any Contacts or Allies, these can be part of those Merits:

• Samantha Albrecht: After his life-altering encounter with her, Malachite looked her up on the Internet. He joined several online forums that she frequented and started up a friendship with her under the screen name Amethyst (the gemstone associated with forgiveness). He sometimes wonders if she's figured out who he is, but he's unwilling to risk their friendship by asking.
• Bruno Marks: Bruno runs a high-profile personal security firm called Orion Security. His clients are all famous, wealthy people who treat their their bodyguards like fashion accessories as much as employees. Bruno tried to hire Malachite, as Malachite has the kind of looks many of his clients go for. Malachite turned him down, but Bruno doesn't give up so easily. He's still trying to lure Malachite away from freelance work, but in the meantime, he sends a lot of business Malachite's way—people who are in trouble but aren't rich or famous enough for Orion Security.
• Jarod Charles: Jarod is the director of Absent Angels, a charity that specializes in reuniting people with their lost relatives. Malachite does volunteer work for them, mostly following paper trails or doing Internet searches. But Jarod is aware of Malachite's other skills, so sometimes he will casually mention how he needs certain sealed court records to resolve a case or how a kidnapped child has been transported across international borders and there's no legal way to get them back. And if those court records should mysteriously appear on Jarod's desk or that missing child should be dropped off at police station by an unidentified stranger, who is Jarod to question such good fortune? Jarod is also in the process of tracking down Malachite's brother Daniel. Malachite felt oddly hesitant about doing it himself, so when Jarod offered, Malachite jumped at the chance.

The Cell

The organization that Lucas used to work for was organized into a proper cell structure. That is, none of the members of the cell had any idea who else worked in the organization outside of their own three-man cell. They answered to a single authority, who was simply called Keeper (as in, "my brother's keeper"). You were all referred to as "Brothers" and then given a codename. Yours was "Brother Rain." The other two members of your cell were:

• Brother Thunder: A thickly built Caucasian man, Brother Thunder looked like a linebacker. An expert boxer and sniper, Brother Thunder took a great deal of pride in his work.
• Brother Wind: A sleekly muscled Asian man, Brother Wind was both a knife fighter of tremendous skill and a trained smuggler, with plenty of contacts in the smuggler's underworld. He was a master at getting people in and out of places unseen.

Mal wrapping up a relaxing evening with a new friend.