There is something imminently calm about Vivienne. Some inner peace that seems to suffuse her. She exhibits a master’s control on her emotions, and does not often rise to anger, unless it is the righteous anger that she feels in the face of evil. Above and beyond that calm, she exhibits a boundless curiosity about the world, the people in it, and the ways in which it moves and works. She may not have been raised, strictly speaking, in the world, but now that she has arrived, she seems keen in devouring all of the information about it she can find. Though she had great faith, she does not judge others, lest she herself be judged, as they say, but seeks to, even when faced with evil, at least make the attempt to find the good. Should none exist, she will dispatch her duties with relentless zeal.
| Physical Prowess |
| Vivienne has an almost extraordinary amount of agility, stamina, and physical strength. Although it can, and sometimes is supplemented by her gifts, in truth, she is simply a product of intensive physical conditioning. She is a warrior at the peak of her strength and power and her endurance and tolerance for pain are in direct relation to that. |
| The Light Of Truth |
| The divine heritage of The Magdalena allows her to see into the hearts of human and inhuman alike, to know their desires, to gauge their intentions, to see their sins, and to seek for the path to their redemption. In so doing, she can see the truth of their actions, their thoughts, and their intentions. She can use that insight to show evildoers the error of their ways, either leading them to salvation, or reducing them to madness. Only those very few, who are truly at peace with their evil natures, can resist her Light. |
| The Blood Of Christ |
As a direct genetic descendant of Jesus Christ and his wife, Mary Magdalene, The Magdelena’s blood is infused with the divine and can be called on to allow her to perform feats which might well be deemed miraculous. Each use of her blood requires some form of sacrifice, usually offered by way of the pain of the cutting her flesh to release her blood. Although this is normally a conscious choice, if she is injured in battle and bloodied that way, this can serve as a acceptable sacrifice.
Some of the powers of the Blood Include:
Healing:
The Magdalena possesses the ability to use her blood to heal even those injured onto death. In order to perform such healing, she must find a way to bring her blood into contact with the person she wishes to heal. She can even utilize her blood to heal those who have been touched by evil or the demonic, though it comes at a great cost, as it exacts a price of excruciating pain to both the one being healed, and to The Magdalena herself.
Turning:
Any creature that holds evil within its heart, whether mortal, immortal, or demonic, should her blood fall on them will feel pain as intense as though they had been doused with acid. The pain is not only physical, but psychic and spiritual. She can also cause light to erupt from her cut hands, which, much like the light of the Spear, can turn creatures of evil and dark magic.
Levitation:
The Magdalena can call on the power in her blood to allow her a sort of limited flight ability, allowing her to move more quickly, and to rise above the plane on which she resides. She often makes use of this ability in combat, using it to supplement her natural speed and agility.
Translocation:
Although it comes at a great cost of pain to her, the Magdalena can utilize her blood and the power within it to allow her to move between the planes of reality. She cannot, as of yet, use it to teleport anyone but herself. |
| Immunity to the Angelus |
| Although it is unclear how or why this is, The Magdalena is immune to the powers of the Angelus. It may be that their powers come, fundamentally, from the same Light (though whether it is the same divine Light has never been proven) or it may be a side effect of the Magdalena's divine blood coupled with her faith. Whatever the reason, the Angelus may only engage the Magdalena in physical combat. (source: The Magdalena/Angelus #1/2) |
| Intellect |
| Above and beyond her skill with weapons, is Vivienne’s power of intellect. It has served her well as she has a vast knowledge of combat tactics, politics, and history. Owing to her upbringing, she is schooled in myths and folklore, world religions and faith practices, and the creatures and realms of the supernatural. Her quick and attentive mind allows her to often anticipate and react to the world around her with a faster response time than most. In addition to her book learning, owing to her need to travel throughout the world in service to the Church, she is also a polyglot and speaks and reads, in addition to English: French, Italian, German, Russian, Greek, and Latin. |
| Charisma |
| Perhaps it is simply something that the woman naturally carries within her, perhaps it is a reflection of the divine power within her blood, but Vivienne is extremely charismatic. It is not difficult for her to find her ways into the hearts and minds of other people to rouse them to action, or to bring them over to her cause. Much like the Christ from whom she is descended, she seems to have a knack for inspiring faith, hope, and belief in those around her. |
| Unarmed Combat |
| Vivienne is a master of unarmed combat. She has trained all of her life in the physical arts and has skill in a variety of martial arts, including the martial arts of Japan, and China, as well as the fighting styles of Brazil and South and Southeast Asia. She is imminently adaptable and able to adjust her fighting style seamlessly in combat. |
| Weapon Master |
| Vivienne has a master’s grasp of the use of weapons. Though she prefers medieval style weapons, such as swords, daggers, and of course, the Spear, she is no less gifted in the sue of modern weapons such as guns, grenades, and throwing knives. Her knowledge of weapons and tactics allows her an enhanced ability to utilize weapons of opportunity in dire situations. |
| The Spear Of Destiny |
The Spear of Destiny, sometimes called the Spear of Longinus, and in this incarnation being the spear that pierced the side of The Christ, and at others called the Spear of Lugh, being the spear which flew with true aim and burned with divine fire when wielded by Lugh of the Long Hand, a Celtic god of old, has long been the weapon of The Magdalenas. It serves as both a conduit for and an amplifier of the power they carry in their blood, though it possesses powers in its own right, which the current Magdalena, if she has shared her blood with the weapon, can have access to. She does not need to be physically wielding the Spear, but it must be on her person. The power of the spear and the ability of the Magdalena to use it is in direct relation to the power of her faith and conviction. Should her faith falter, the Spear might well find itself sundered, or might abandon her entirely. Should her faith be strong, it will increase in power in relation to that level of faith. Should the Spear be sundered, the Magdalena can reforge it, but only through the strength of her faith and the power of her blood.
The powers of the spear include:
Divine Prescience:
When in possession of the Spear, Vivienne can utilize the spear’s prescient abilities, allowing her to see into the future. In so doing, she can evaluate the potential aftermath of her and others actions and how people and the world around her might be manipulated to achieve the mission to which she has been set. She is not wholly in control of this ability and more often than not, it is the Spear and not the Magdalena herself, who controls what is revealed.
Divine Light:
At need, the Spear will erupt in golden flame, that will burn all but the Magdalena to which it is bonded. When in this form, the Spear emits a light that banishes the darkness and which can turn creatures of evil, human and demonic alike. Once activated in this way, the Spear will continue to burn even if the Magdalena is no longer in contact with it. The light and the fire will only fade if she is incapacitated, or if she wills the Spear to darken.
Divine Might:
The Spear possesses the ability to destroy demons, both in their true forms, and while they are possessing human or other physical forms. This is not simply a banishment from the planes of existence, but true death. This ability also has been shown to include creatures which are born of or possess true magic. Although, in most cases, it will not kill the possessed or the one wielding the magic if the Magdalena or the Spear does not will it, it can be used to sever a creature’s link to their power. |
| The Backing Of The Church |
| Although she has thrown off the veil of ignorance and the blinders from her eyes, Vivienne has not abandoned the Church. She still fervently believes that there is good within the institution, and that her destiny is, not only to save the world from evil, but to save the Church from itself. Although it is often fraught with contention, and she may well find herself, one day, falling out of the good graces of the Vatican, for the moment, she maintains a serviceable working relationship with the institution and can call on their resources at need. |
| The Vatican Library |
| One of the Magdalena’s greatest weapons has always been knowledge. And a vast part of that knowledge comes from her access to the countless tomes, artifacts, and information held by the Vatican Library. Often, when she needs to do research, she will travel to the Library directly. However, when that is not possible, or time is of the essence, she does have access to the legion of scholars who work there. |
| Faith |
| Above all of her gifts, her weapons, her powers, her blood, the Magdalena’s greatest advantage is her faith. It can lift her to greater heights than she’s ever known, it can gift her the ability to work miracles, it can kindle the seeds of salvation in even the darkest of hearts. The Magdalena’s faith is the divine engine that powers all other aspects of her existence. The stronger her faith, the stronger she is in mind, body, and spirit. |
| Weapons Cache |
| Vivienne has a great number of weapons of all kinds, modern and medieval. Her arsenal includes both bladed weapons, from swords to throwing knives, exotic and mundane, to modern weapons such as handguns, grenades, and larger caliber weapons. Although she prefers to carry bladed weapons, and always has the Spear on her person, she does also carry a handgun as well, accepting that there are often threats which respond better to modern weapons than ancient ones. |
| Stipend |
| Though she is not given enough to live a life of luxury by any means, the Vatican ensures that she has enough to live on, including providing for her room and board, and all of the weapons, ammunitions, and resources, including a vehicle, that she might need to complete her missions. At the very least, it ensures that she doesn’t need to work a mundane job. Owing to her austere upbringing, she certainly knows how to stretch a dollar, and how to put what resources she has to best use. |
| Obligation |
| Whatever else Vivienne might be, and most members of the Church might well say that she is nothing else, The Magdalena is an instrument of the Church. She is their sword and shield, and as such is not free to do as she pleases. She is, before all else, at this point in her life, a servant of the Church and she is often called on to conduct missions which they have selected for her. Though she has, in times passed, clashed with the orders given to her, she has, more often than not, sound a way to fulfill the missions set for her satisfactorily enough that she remains in the good graces of the Vatican. |
| Faith |
| As much as her faith is her greatest advantage, it is also her greatest weakness. Much of her power, her skill, and her ability to use the Spear depends on her strength of faith. Should she begin to question her faith, to have doubts about her mission, her powers and gifts will rapidly leave her. She breaks when it does. |
| Small World |
| Raised as she was within the Church, Vivienne has only the small amount of exposure to the outside world that time away from the Vatican and exposure to the places and people she’s encountered on her missions have allowed. She is very much a neophyte, in the world of modernity. Much of technology and society, culture, and convention are new to her. |
| Occult Scholar |
| Need an occult nerd? She's probably your girl. She has a vast knowledge of myths, legends, folklore, fantasy, and the occult. Don't know her well enough to know where to find her? Just check one of the local libraries or repositories of that nature. They will either know her or know of her. You might even run into her! |
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