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World State
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World State
Emmanuel lives in a world that looks and feels like our modern 21st century one; the only difference being that creatures of myth and legend also exist. Some secretly, living side-by-side with humanity. Others preying on it. With these monsters as a reality, there have, of course, arisen cadres of human hunters tasked with protecting humankind. The definition of 'protecting' varies from simply that to the wholesale elimination of all non-humans, regardless of if they're a danger or not. The average person is not aware of either of these groups. Everyone prefers it that way. I have a lot of flexibility as long as the setting bears at least a superficial resemblance to a post-1990s world.
Emmanuel comes from a long and distinguished line of monster hunters. Like many hereditary hunters, he and his twin brother Elijah began training for their dangerous life's work at a young age. This included education on the many and varied kinds of monsters in the world, how to deduce what sort of monster they may be dealing with, and how best to fight and neutralize them. All seemed to go well for their family until a monster they weren't prepared for infiltrated their ranks: a demon targeted and possessed Elijah. Over time, the family began to notice something off about their youngest member. Demon and boy became so intrinsically entwined that separating one from the other was nigh impossible. The family's final attempt to free Elijah resulted in his untimely death.
This incident created a rift between Emmanuel and his parents. While he still embraced his family legacy, he also turned to the Church to better learn how to deal with demons. The eminence of his bloodline brought him to the attention of a certain order within the Church — an order which could put the skills of a hunter to good use, perhaps even hone them into something more fearsome. Perhaps it was fate, God's plan, or just happy coincidence that Emmanuel's faith took deep root long before he ever aspired to the priesthood. Even among the most veteran and accomplished of the Church's exorcists, few could boast what's often whispered of as True Faith.
Now a fully fledged priest, ordained in the service of God and the Church, Emmanuel travels the world, using his skills and knowledge to protect humanity from monsters both earthly and abyssal.
This incident created a rift between Emmanuel and his parents. While he still embraced his family legacy, he also turned to the Church to better learn how to deal with demons. The eminence of his bloodline brought him to the attention of a certain order within the Church — an order which could put the skills of a hunter to good use, perhaps even hone them into something more fearsome. Perhaps it was fate, God's plan, or just happy coincidence that Emmanuel's faith took deep root long before he ever aspired to the priesthood. Even among the most veteran and accomplished of the Church's exorcists, few could boast what's often whispered of as True Faith.
Now a fully fledged priest, ordained in the service of God and the Church, Emmanuel travels the world, using his skills and knowledge to protect humanity from monsters both earthly and abyssal.
He's a prickly pear who is uninterested in getting close to others. He prefers to focus on his mission and doing all he can to further it, be it study or training. Emmanuel takes a somewhat unorthodox view of his faith and even practices theurgy in an effort to better understand God and His mysteries. And, also, to channel spiritual power in his fight against evil (and "evil"). He content in his isolation and singularly driven to protect others from the same kind of tragedy his own family faced. He does not open up easily to others.
While Emmanuel tries not to judge others, he will lean into any apparent pre-conceived notions others hold about his faith and profession. He can come across as thoughtless or heartless. He thinks the latter is closer to the truth, as he has no room in heart for love after losing his twin brother. He doesn't advertise his trauma, but he clings to the loss and the hurt. It inspires him to help others avoid a similar fate. Little does he know that he's more legitimately haunted by his past than he knows: the very demon ripped from his brother is stalking him.
While Emmanuel tries not to judge others, he will lean into any apparent pre-conceived notions others hold about his faith and profession. He can come across as thoughtless or heartless. He thinks the latter is closer to the truth, as he has no room in heart for love after losing his twin brother. He doesn't advertise his trauma, but he clings to the loss and the hurt. It inspires him to help others avoid a similar fate. Little does he know that he's more legitimately haunted by his past than he knows: the very demon ripped from his brother is stalking him.
Emmanuel has trained all of his life in the art of monster-hunting. As such, he is skilled in various fighting styles and martial arts. His personal favorite and go-to is krav maga. He's also proficient with variety of weapons, both actual and improvised. Emmanuel is also able to channel divine spiritual energy thanks to his experience as an exorcist and his practice in theurgy. This will leave him drained and in need of convalescence. In terms of weaknesses, Emmanuel is just a baseline human which means, a the end of the day, he is soft and squishy. Anything involving his brother or his parents are easy ways to manipulate him (a large part of the reason he never tells anyone of them).