Overview[]
Michael
Deo duce ferro comitante - 'With God as my leader and my sword as my companion.' 
Those in the natural world would hardly know Michael. He is a skilled carpenter, a religious man, and a loyal friend. Those in the supernatural world know him as Sir Michael, descendent of Charlemagne, Knight of the Cross and wielder of the sword Amoracchius. He is a true friend to the forces of Good, and a fearsome enemy to all things Evil. He is a Warrior of God.
Sheet[]
Character Sheet
Abilities: Ability
Faith Magic: 6 Guidance
Abilities: Attribute
Enhanced Physique: 3 Willpower: 6
Abilities: Equipment
Amoracchius: 6, Armour: 6, Objects of Faith: 4
Abilities: Faith
Blessing: 2/3, Holy Blast: 4, Holy Touch: 3, Holy Ward: 4
Abilities: Skill
Carpentry: 6, Combat: 5, Religion and Occult: 4
Advantages:
Contacts, Family, Knight of the Cross, Patron Angel, Royal Lineage
Flaws:
Doubt, Enemies, Family, Hate, Higher Authority, Holy Man, Stubborn
Languages: Ancient-Greek, English, Hebrew, and Latin
Abilities
Ability: Faith Magic (6)
Faith Magic covers a range of abilities, resistances, gifts and 'spells' that are empowered by strong belief in a 'Higher Power' (not necessary a god of some kind). This faith becomes a palpable force in the hands and hearts of those who wield it - and Michael's faith magic is among the strongest. His abilities are generally centered around blessings (of strength, endurance etc), healing, warding, guidance, seeing through lies, and spells that do particularly great harm to creatures/beings of evil (or turn them away).
All of Michael's powers are limited by doubt (in himself, in his God, in his purpose/role...), and nullified by hatred.
Harry Dresden has described the 'sense' of Michael's faith as: 'an immovable mountain' and 'a thrum, like the vibrations of music through a thick wall.'
Ability: Guidance
Michael has a habit of showing up where he is needed (rather, where he believes he is needed), even if the need itself is not immediately apparent. He does not have 'all the answers' (or even most of them), by any stretch of the imagination, and often cannot explain why he is in a certain place, or helping a certain person - except that he believes he was 'guided there'.
One way or another, he ends up doing some good, or trying to.
Attribute: Enhanced Physique (3)
Michael is stronger, faster and more durable than a normal human, but he is still basically human. He is no 'Superman', 'Flash' or 'Hulk', but he has managed to triumph single-handedly against foes/monsters far more powerful than he (demons, fallen angels, a dragon, to name a few).
Strength (3/4) Speed (3) Toughness (3/4) Endurance (3/4) Dexterity (3)
Attribute: Willpower (6)
Michael would call it "conviction". His strength of will is as strong as one would expect for a Knight of the Cross, and wielder of Amoracchius. He knows his heritage, and his calling, and this only serves to strengthen his resolve. His willpower and faith are bound together.
Equipment: Amoracchius (6)
Amoracchius is a magnificent broadsword that Michael wields with great proficiency. In addition to serving as a focal point for Michael's faith, the sword does extra damage to supernatural beings/creatures (even those of other cultures and mythologies besides Christianity). It has other abilities as well:
Unbreakable (Toughness 9) - It will cut through most substances, but nothing in the world will break it unless the keeper of the blade uses it without purity of heart and purpose. Even then, it would require a ritual involving the murder of an 'innocent' to unmake the sword. Should the sword ever become vulnerable in this way, it would require a 'trial of worth' by its keeper to restore it - and such trials are not easy.
Untouchable (Heat 3) - Amoracchius burns 'unclean' beings or creatures (i.e. vampires, undead, demons, parademons, Black Wizards...) This, too, can be thwarted if Michael should use the sword unworthily, but there are other exceptions (such as a half-vampire using the sword in defense of her daughter - i.e. out of love).
Sense Evil (Perception 5) - The blade has the tendency to 'buzz' when evil is nearby, and glow - the nearer the evil, the brighter the glow (Light 4).
Holy Aura (Toughness 5) - This is more to do with the wielder than the blade itself. When in combat against supernatural enemies, the sword will passively shield its wielder against damage and malign influences.
Equipment: Armour (6)
Charity Carpenter, Michael's wife, actually made him his suit of armour. It looks much like the mail worn by the Knights Templar in the era of the Crusades, but lighter, stronger (made from titanium), and lined with Kevlar (bulletproof).
Equipment: Objects of Faith (4)
Michael wears an ancient, crucifix medallion around his neck, made of solid silver, skilfully wrought. This, and other objects like it that represent his faith, have the power to repel most unholy, hellish etc creatures (depending on Michael's faith vs their willpower), or burn them. Objects like this can also serve as foci for his more benign abilities (like blessing or warding).
Faith: Blessing (2/3)
Belief/fortitude can be contagious, even if it is not in the same thing/person. Michael can have that kind of effect on people, and inspire them to 'press on' when the going gets tough (2-3 Endurance).
Faith: Holy Blast (4)
Similar to Holy Touch except that it does not burn so much as... blast things away. Surrounded by a mass of vampires, Michael can send bodies flying. This is more a 'Hail Mary' ability and used sparingly.
Faith: Holy Touch (3)
Undead, vampires, demons... other hellish or unholy creatures know better than to lay a hand on Michael Carpenter. Most of them burst into flame on the spot. The potency of this power (as with all others in Michael's 'arsenal of faith') is dependent upon the strength of his resolve in the relevant situation, but is stronger if he channels it through Amoracchius.
Faith: Holy Ward (4)
Michael's home is warded against supernatural incursion (to some extent), and he can do the same for other locations - but to a lesser degree. This is similar to the principle of 'Thresholds' in magical/fae cultures. Oftentimes, Michael's prayers can keep the bad things away as surely as Harry Dresden's spells.
The stronger the 'home', the better.
The holier the ground, the better.
Skill: Carpentry (6)
When Michael is not out and about fighting evil as the 'Fist of God', he makes his living as a carpenter and construction worker - and he is very good at it, well-respected in his field. He takes his work very seriously.
Skill: Combat (5)
Michael is a skilled combatant, and has even outfought military-trained opponents even whilst having suffered multiple injuries. Those in the Church who support/assist the Knights of the Cross have seen to his training in swordsmanship, and he is now a fearsome adversary. Without his sword, Michael is an experienced brawler.
Skill: Religion and Occult (4)
Michael has received the typical education of a devout Catholic priest, with extra studies into the paranormal to further benefit him in his role as a Knight of the Cross. He is not an expert, but has experts upon whom he can call if need be.
Advantages
Advantage: Contacts
Not limited to the Roman Catholic church. Michael has friends all over, and relies on them just as they him.
Harry Dresden - A wizard with a checkered past, and uncertain future, but Michael's best friend, and he believes in him (and prays for his soul on a daily basis - that can't hurt after all, can it?) Harry first called Michael the 'Fist of God'.
Karrin Murphy - A detective who has the distinct pleasure of working with Dresden on various 'weird' cases, but she also a friend, and Michael's contact in law-enforcement.
Father Forthill - Anthony Forthill is the parish priest of the local church (St. Mary of the Angels), and a good friend and confidante to Michael.
Advantage: Family
Even though faith empowers Michael, LOVE gives him purpose - and nothing inspires him more than love of his family. There is more to this than just 'emotional support'; Michael is the Knight of Love (Amoracchius is the Sword of Love), so his family play a powerful role in helping him fulfil his calling.
Wife - Charity Carpenter.
Children - Molly, Daniel, Matthew, Alicia, Amanda, Hope, and Harry (yes, named after Harry Dresden).
Advantage: Knight of the Cross
Anyone with purity of heart and strong faith in something/someone can theoretically become a Knight of the Cross. Granted, there are only three Swords of the Cross, and therefore only three Knights at any given time. There is an argument that royal lineage of some kind might be a factor, but no one is certain. It IS certain that a Knight does not have to be of Christian faith (or religious at all, for that matter). The benefits to being a Knight (apart from the abilities) include:
Sensitivity to the supernatural - Spells, objects, creatures... Michael tends to notice such beings, and they him.
Notoriety among those 'in the know' - The Roman Catholic Church, the White Council of Wizards... other similar organisations have members within who know of the Knights of the Cross, and respect and sometimes aid them.
Advantage: Patron Angel
The guardian angels responsible for endowing the Knights of the Cross with their power tend to watch over their charges... from a distance. In extremely rare instances, a Knight may be capable of incredible feats of strength, healing or holy fire etc that surpass his usual abilities, if the need is dire enough...
Advantage: Royal Lineage
Michael is a descendant of Charlemagne, and possibly an heir to the legacy of King Arthur (some believe that Amoracchius is actually Excalibur). He has heart and soul of a king, and it tends to show. This is not a power, per se, but something of an aura about him.
Flaws
Flaw: Doubt
The antithesis of faith. Although some doubt actually serves as a positive influence (inspiring someone to seek answers, for example), if Michael should come to doubt his purpose (in general, or in a specific circumstance), it will lower all his abilities - sometimes with terrible consequences.
Flaw: Enemies
Michael has many enemies, but there is no Order more dedicated to the fall of the Knights of the Cross, than the 'Order of the Blackened Denariius' (Denarians for short). They are the antithesis of Michael's own Order. The Denarians, specifically, have existed since the time of Christ, and is comprised of 30 fallen angels. Each angel is tied to a silver coin (allegedly the same coins used by Judas to betray Christ), and when a mortal touches such a coin... the fallen angel starts to take over - possess them.
Add to these the various vampire Courts, the Fae Courts, Black Wizards, and who-know-what else... Michael has enemies.
Flaw: Family
Loved ones can be used against a hero to devastating effect, and Michael is no exception. In fact, that is how he met his wife, Charity (a dragon had kidnapped her. They do that.)
Flaw: Hate
The antithesis of love. As the 'Knight of Love', Michael must be careful to never act out of hate, anger or bitterness - anything that goes against the purpose of his role and his sword. To do so would drastically weaken all his abilities, and there may be other repercussions:
Raising Amoracchius in anger will allow evil being to touch/wield the sword without harm. If they should kill an innocent with it, the sword will be unmade forever.
Should hate turn to bitterness, Michael may find himself forsaken by his guardian angel - and lose all his abilities (rather than have them simply diminished).
Flaw: Higher Authority
Even though Michael believes in upholding the laws of the land as much as humanly possible, he adheres to a 'higher standard'. Generally speaking, this proves to be a good thing (i.e. he tries to be the best person he can), however, he will go places, interfere in matters, think, speak, and act according to the guidance he receives from his God.
This can (and has) put him at odds with the 'powers that be' in the everyday world. Even if he does 'the right thing', 'the necessary thing' or the 'divinely inspired thing' it does not guarantee it is 'the LEGAL thing'.
Flaw: Holy Man
Michael has a hard time teaming up with beings that would normally be considered in the 'Bad' category. There are demons and half-demons in the world that genuinely try to do good - but it requires effort for Michael to work with them (that said, conflict tends to breed character, and he knows that).
Flaw: Stubborn
Being a person with strong willpower is not always a good thing. Michael can be set in his ways, and his friends sometimes struggle with changing his mind. He has learned that not everything is 'black and white' but that does not mean he likes it.
History[]
Not much is known about Michael Carpenter before he became a 'Knight of the Cross' - keeper and wielder of the mighty sword, Amoracchius, defender of the faith and protector of the innocent. Like the other two Knights (there are only ever three at any given time), and all those who had gone before him, he was tested for his worthiness.
What is known of Michael is that he is a devout Roman Catholic, who comes from a family of devout Roman Catholics, and that his upbringing was simple, religious, and... relatively normal. He is an American, originally from Chicago, who moved to New York City after a dream convinced him he 'was needed there.'
Once Amoracchius was entrusted to him, life changed dramatically. The visions and dreams he had experienced before felt like 'having a toe in the water' compared to what surrounded him now. Empowered and 'called' he became a 'crusader' of sorts - trained by individuals within the Holy Church who were 'in the know' - and sent forth to act as the Knight of Love.
Michael battled vampires, werewolves, ghosts, fae, undead - even dragons. He always seemed to show up where he was needed, and it was this that eventually led him to cross paths with the wizard, Harry Dresden. The two men became fast friends.
Now, some years after his calling began, Michael has a family of his own, friends in the strangest of circles, and plenty of reason to 'keep up the good fight'. He has his own carpentry and construction business, volunteers at the local parish... and fights monsters. Lots of monsters.
Logs[]
The following logs feature Michael:
- 2015.03.11 - Two White Knights
- 2015.04.03 - The City In Hell: Ascent
- 2015.04.07 - The City Thanks You
- 2015.04.26 - Lost and Found: Steven
- 2015.04.28 - Lost and Found: Conclusion
- 2015.09.15 - Hostage Negotiations
News[]
The following news stories feature Michael:
No news stories currently listed.
Associations[]
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Harry Dresden Harry is a wizard. And a good friend. His soul is troubled, but there is too much good in his heart. I should know - I've seen into it, and he into mine. |
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Marc Spector Meeting this 'Moon Knight' seems to have been an act of God. I don't know him well - and he serves a... strange Power - but he fights on the side of good. That's enough for me. |
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[[|Character Name]] Description of Character Association |
Wanted[]
| Michael's Wanted List |
