Markus ("the Maimed") - Templar
Quote:
Description/Background: "So, you wanna know how I became a Templar? Look, kid...it ain't for everyone. You've gotta have the heart to look Death straight in the eye and take a swing at him...then, when he knocks you ass over teacups, you've gotta have the balls to get back up and try it again. I guess you could say I started down the road with an incident involving branding irons and barbed wire.
Back seven or eight years ago, I was living in a small town in Utah. Name ain't important - its gone now. Things were pretty good compared to most places after the bombs droppped. I had me a girl (Susan), three squares a day and a job working on the irrigation dam. Not too bad for a wet behind the ears fourteen year old kid...that looks to be about how old you are, ain't it? Oh. You're fifteen. Hell, close enough. Anyway. Things were good until the day we let the woman into town. She came to the gate looking for food, and to be honest she was quite a looker for your typical wasteland scav type. Tom let her in, and she didn't do a thing except be nice and friendly. The next night, though saw her stab old Tom in the back with a big kitchen knife and let the rest of her raider scum buddies in. Things went to shit pretty quick as they killed most of the people in town. It happened so quick, I was one of the few tat managed to put up a fight. They brought me down and lashed me upright to a hitchin' post with barbed wire. Bunch of 'em made me watch as they took turns doin' poor Susan to death. Once in a while I'd pass out and they'd bring me back around with a branding iron from the livery stables. That night was the longest one of my life.
Next morning they just left my carcass tied to the post and took off. It took a while and a lot of blood, but I somehow managed to wiggle loose. Everyone was dead...and poor, poor Susan. She didn't deserve to go out like that. She was the one decent thing in my short life that seemed to make any sense at all. I was so mad...I could feel that wonderful lust for revenge just buildin' up inside me. I buried Susan in the churchyard next to her Granpa and started looking around for some weapons. I found Samuel's gun still lashed to the underside of his bedframe (those Raiders weren't as thorough as they could have been I guess). It waas old, but in good workin' shape. Sam was in the confedaracy during the war and had managed to keep a hold of his old assault rifle. I took it, along with a couple of grenades he had stashed out be the outhouse and set off after the Raiders. Didn't really plan on living. Just wanted to kill as many as I could.
About two days out of town I met a pair of travellers on the road. They took one look at the shape I was in and at what I was carrying and asked where I was off to. I told them about the Raiders and how I planned to open a can of righteous whoop-ass on them. They told me that I was favored by Earp (didn't understand what that meant at the time), so my cause must be a just one, and told me they could help. I told 'em that dying ain't much fun, but they were welcome to come along if they wanted to.
The next night we found the Raider camp, and the two of them asked me to sit tight while they changed for battle. I had never seen a Templar before, let alone actually meet two of them. I watched as they dressed in their tabbards and drew out their swords and other weapons from their hiding places. Suprisingly, they asked me what my plan was (don't ask why they defered to me for strategy...maybe something to do with Earp's blessing again). I told 'em it would be easy: sneak in, get close, lob the grenades, shot the bastards still standing until I run out ammo and then beat anyone left breathing to death with the shovel I'd buried Susan with. They both nodded grimmly and said sure. That was it for the planning as we began to creep forward.
The whole battle is kind of hazy and I don't remember much. There was a lot of killing, screaming and hard dying. At the end, when I finally remember coming around, the grenades were gone, the gun was tossed off to the side and I was standing over the battered remains of a woman, holding onto the broken shaft of my shovel. She had no face. Stumbling around, I noticed lots of the bodies had sword wounds. I think I passed out, as I fell to my knees and puked.
I woke up in the care of the two Templars (disguised again), back on the road. Apparently one of them had carried me quite a ways while I'd been out. The older one's name was Thomas and he asked me if I'd like to be his squire. After some explanation as to what that meant, I agreed having nothing better to do, short of finding the few Raiders I heard had escaped. It was a long, hard road after that. I'm older now, obviously. Got me a lot more scars and learned a few more tricks. Some say I'm not as "judgemental" as other Templars. Guess you can point to Susan for that, if you want to lay the blame somewhere.
Well, I gotta thank you for your hospitality and kindness, kid. The fever I had is just about broken and I've gotta be movin' on. Got work to do. I heard from one of your customers that a guy that might be one of the Raiders I'm looking for is down towards Vegas. He and me need to have a little chat. You keep your job here at your Pa's store, stay out of trouble and live a long life. One day you can tell your kids about the time you healed Markus the Maimed."
Post Mortem Note: Marus was slain in combat with an infiltrator cyborg in Wickenburg, AZ.
Corporeal: D: 3d8, N: 2d10, S: 4d10, Q: 4d10, V: 4d8
Shootin' Rifle: 4d8, Throwin' Balanced: 2d8, Climbin': 1d10, Fightin' Sword (Florentine): 5d10,
Quickdraw Sword: 2d10
Mental: C: 3d10, K: 3d4, M: 1d10, S: 3d8, Sp: 4d12
Search: 2d10, Academia Occult: 2d4, Area Knowledge - Utah: 2d4, English: 2d4,
General Medicine: 2d4, Overawe: 2d10, Scroungin': 2d8, Survival Desert: 3d8,
Faith: 5d12, Guts: 4d12, Disguise: 1d4
Edges: Arcane Background - Templar (3), Brave (2), Nerves of Steel (1), The Voice - Threatening (1)
The Stare (1), Blessing - Earp (3), Belongings (1), Veteran (0) - disfigured (Ugly as Sin)
Hindrances: Templar Oath (5), Big Britches (3), Vengeful (3)
Powers: Guardian Angel (4), Lay on Hands (1), Celerity (1)
Wind: 20 Pace: 10
Gear: Templar sword, tabbard, leather shirt/pants, duster, backpack, bedroll, SA assault rifle