Logan Holmes
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Appearance
Logan Holmes towers over the average man. At a standing height of six feet, five inches and an immense dominion of muscle he possesses both height and physique, complementing a complexion of dark, stained oak. However, between the bulking muscle there lies a composure of kindness that offsets the implicit intimidation, as despite the myriad of scarring left by a life of warfare Logan wears with himself a perpetual smile around his lips, frank in it's honesty and reflected in the warmth of his sky-colored eyes. His demeanor often reflects this, remaining lax in it's idle, never bearing balled fists or a terse pace, though there lies an unconscious militaristic briskness to his step no matter where he walks. Much like the rest of him, his hair is darker brown and trimmed close to the skull with a somewhat fashionable fade working down the sides and back.
Matters of Garb change as is necessary. Logan is most often seen in his casual wear, being anything from khaki pants with a red shirt and white neckerchief to a black, leather jacket paired with gold-trimmed, black jeans and a set of black hiking boots; However, at times he is called to fight, and when doing so his wardrobe changes from modest clothes to a striking, steel breastplate - polished - with a golden inlay of Latin prayers trimming around the armor's edge. This extends down both arms and along two matching gauntlets. A white cloak with a red cross emblazoned upon it rests from his shoulders, and from the hips-down his legs are covered in am armored cassock coasted in black and gold cloth. Zadkiel, his blade of choice, rests in it's plain, brown-leather sheathe along his right hip, tied into place by hemp rope.
Personality
Influenced at a young age by the idyllic tenants of the Catholic Church and refined in his adulthood by military duty, Logan posesses a balanced perspective to rival his more peaceful - and oftentimes, rigid - associates. Where the Priesthood often shuns violence and obsesses over leading a life of pure valor, Logan understands that to err is to be Human, and that mistakes do not solely define a person's being. To that end, he often wears his smile regardless of company. Demons. Angels. Misbegotten and charitable all alike. Each are given their opportunity to make an impression in his eyes and rarely then does his ire ever extend into something uncouth. The only ones exempt from this universal regard are the unprecedentedly malicious - those who would, and have, happily put innocent lives before their own in the mad pursuit of power. To this end Logan defines himself less as a force of righteous judgement and more as a defender of the innocent, someone willing to defend others regardless of their personal inclinations.
In more casual times he wears himself as any man would. He's calm, composed, and lighthearted with a particular inclination to cracking wise comments when the opportunity presents himself, often only relenting once requested to stop. Beyond the occasional warning about foul language to youthful heroes religion rarely enters his day-to-day life.
History
The Holme Family made their roots in the rancorous slums of Brooklyn. Led by a Kind-hearted, though troubled Husband and his supportive wife, three children were to follow with Logan being their first, and only son. Two daughters followed in the years, but between the multiple shifts and part-time jobs that their parents had to work, it often fell upon Logan to look after his younger siblings, giving the three a tight bond that permeated through their childhood and into the current day. Even as a general poverty wracked the family's funds on a monthly basis, it did not stop them from enjoying the small, american rituals. Every Sunday they attended mass at the nearby church, followed by a walk to the nearby park,and home by midday for their father to leave for one of his part-time jobs. At first it were the tales that lured young Logan in, but in time and age it was the ethical lessons of the Catholic Church that led him towards an interest in Theology. Days after school would be spent amidst pews and in the company of pastors, either seeking advice or simply enjoying the company that the clergy could offer. When time came to move on to college Logan chose not to pursue a degree, but a vocation. It would not last.
What troubled young Holmes through the first years of his religious study was the overall pacifism of the church, and the hypocrisy that he was quickly becoming aware of with his increasing world view. He saw the gilded splendor of the old-world cathedrals and the populace around them, starving and suffering with hardly an iota of help. He saw the third-world countries that received the blind eye from most international aid. "Thoughts and Prayers" became the motto of his superiors in the study, who themselves contented themselves to exist in one of the less troubled countries of the world, but such pacifism didn't sit right in Logan's gut. By the time he had come upon the second year of his vocation he had learned his place in the world, and hurt as it may to admit, it would not be in the church that helped raise him. While it put tension in the hearts of his parents who had strained so hard to afford his right to higher learning, Logan eventually left the school and swiftly turned his eyes towards that which promised action: The Military.
A life living in New York City's poorer recesses gave Logan an early introduction to guns, violence, and warfare, but even he hadn't been prepared for the rigor of Infantry. Day in, day out, the training had hardened his lithe and athletic self into a more muscled composure. A diet of pure protein saw him grow, and with growth came confidence. With confidence came complacency. Years of simple operation beneath the United States Banner eventually bled into years of simple operation beneath the United Nation banner. The title of 'Infantry' had become the title of 'Peacekeeper', and while the location of sandy dunes had turned into backwater jungle villages, the task was all the same: Stand around, look imposing, and pray that there was never a reason to fire your gun. Scuffles inevitably broke out between the local warlord of the week and the gangs that would always flood around the vulnerable towns, and before his military tour was over Logan had become a changed man. A haggard man. He saw more death and suffering up-close than he had ever seen at home, and grew only more disdainful over the mentality of "Thoughts and Prayers."
Returning from the line of duty, Logan's Regiment had made a brief supply stop in Rome, Italy. With his heart troubled it seemed only fitting that he would take the tattered scraps of his belief and bring it to the most holy seat of the Catholic Church with some hope that it might be repaired. In some ways, he was right. What he found was less an affirmation that everything would turn out well, but rather the far more realistic confirmation that the world was stricken with an illness of violence and discord. Over a week of expressing his feeling of helplessness to it all, Logan was offered an alternative to his complaints - a tried and true opportunity to act. He reached for it, and found it in the comradery of the Knights of the Cross. While not a secretive organization, this subsect of the church remained in the shadows of the Vatican and rarely if ever took credit for it's involvement in the more supernatural threats to the world. As arbiters of a divine purpose and the heritage of the Crusaders from long ago, these men of blessed blades sought to weed out malevolent corruption in the world.
What money Logan had made over his years of service had helped his family climb from the dregs of their society. His younger sisters had already left to begin their own lives, while his parents had thankfully moved to a more peaceful suburb in the bordering state of New Jersey. Himself, though, he was tasked to a new abode to match a new purpose. Months of training, and more of fighting had finally put him in favorable eyes of his superiors, and once crowned as a proper Paladin of the order, he was gifted three things: A relic, Armor, and a Reliquary. The first was but a fragment of bone belonging to the late Saint Emydius - Emidio, as he would later be known. Attached to his blade by string and a secure chamber, it imbued the steel of his weaponry with the divine properties of the order. His armor was similarly treated with holy scrolling, and the Reliquary of Saint Emidio - a modest chapel in Millennium City - would become his new base of operation.
Since then, Logan Holme has made himself frequent around his new city, learning it's ways as well as it's people - both the bad and the good. With a smile he serves with surety that wherever he walks, he is not alone, and when he acts it is with hope to one day change the world.
Powers
By all accounts Logan is an average human of average strength. He bears no powers gifted by birthright, but only a few scarce abilities granted unto him by his walk of life:
Zadkiel, Angel of Mercy - The plain steel of this Hand-and-a-half sword belies a powerful blessing. Infused with the relic of Saint Emidio, this weapon commands a righteous fury within itself. While rarely drawn, it is known to strike fear into the hearts of lesser demons when it is.
- Otherworldly Purpose - Passive Effect - Touched by Divine Powers, this blade can cut through otherwise immaterial foes. Ghosts, demons, and those of a similar, shadowy persuasion.
- Crusader's Aura - Active Effect - After activation, Zadkiel exudes a bright, white flame that consumes both the blade and it's wielder, damaging neither but instead infusing the air around with a holy presence, filling allies with an unnatural boon of morale and filling enemies with an equally unnatural sense of impending dread. Such an ability wears on the body of the wielder for the longer it's active and demands an equal amount of time at rest before it can be activated again.
The Palm of God - Focusing his war-forged devotion at any one given point can give Logan one of three touch-based abilities:
- Flaming Touch - Engulf his hand in a bright white flame that burns selected enemies to the touch.
- Healing Touch - Emit a gentle, golden radiance from the center of his palm that heals minor injuries and reduces pain.
- Soothing Touch - While it comes with no visible indicator, it fills the afflicted with an unnatural sense of serenity.
About the Reliquary of Saint Emidio
This redwood shack of a building sits sandwiched between an industrial apartment complex and a bodega corner store,practically invisible amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy city that has long forgotten it's existence. Despite this, the exterior is well-maintained, it's gates unblemished, and it's paltry lawn always reasonably cut. With doors that never close to the public, the interior is just as tended as it is welcoming, bringing visitors into an immediate complex of academic studies of the church and it's enemies. A modest altar with an accompaniment of pews sits beneath the first flight of stairs, and underneath that still is the ground floor of the chapel, containing access to the towering bookshelves as well as numerous sitting areas all welcome to public suitors.
