Name: Leone Armati
Class: Bruiser
Appearance:
The first thing that should be said about Leone is that he gives off an uncanny valley-like sensation. Standing at a respectable six feet two and obviously athletic, with sharp features and clear attention to personal grooming, his gruff good looks clash with an apparent ghoulish air to him. Oddly gaunt despite his physical presence, almost sickly pale with a prematurely greyed and wispy mane of platinum blonde hair and amber eyes that seem to shine unnaturally golden, there is a clear sense of otherworldliness to him. Mr. Armati dresses in
an all black getup with silver patterns, in a style akin to what will likely come into vogue once rock music is a global phenomenon, along with a matching flowing long coat and pitch black teashades.
Powers:-Divorare: He doesn’t have to drink the target’s blood to do so, though it remains an option should it ever come up, but Leone can absorb the vital energy of others as one would expect. Hands visibly coursing with hellish energies, palms splitting open to form seemingly fresh yet bloodless and unnaturally deep wounds, he can sap away a victim’s strength by grabbing a firm hold of them or otherwise firmly pressing his hands to the target. A normal human can be quickly reduced to a drained husk, though more powerful entities are entirely able to resist this if not weakened or surprised, and an added benefit is that Leone’s hands turn into weapons capable of contending with the supernatural in this manner.
-Thinblood vitality: While considerably superior to humans and non-combat demons, Leone is neither as strong nor as hard to hurt as most bruisers and lacks their natural weapons or shapeshifting powers. Having said that, his reaction to typical vampire weaknesses is more of an aversion than magical repulsion or deadly effects, and he does still possess considerable stamina and regenerative abilities that render him resistant to poisons and the like. Offensively, he has gone to great lengths to train his speed, agility, flexibility, reflexes and precision. Blisteringly fast, especially in short explosive bursts, and capable of gravity-defying leaps and acrobatics, he moves in such a smooth and dextrous way that he seems to glide and barely touch the floor at times.
-Predator’s instinct: As someone who relies more on personal skill than overwhelming power or magical abilities, and with some help from vampires’ natural affinity for a variety of psychic powers, Leone has trained his mind to be as dependable as his body in his own way. Already a fast learner gifted with rapid reactions, his instincts are so sharp it is all but impossible to tamper or alter his perceptions via arcane means, narcotics or other outside influences, making him dangerous to enemy fixers. And though he possesses excellent eyesight, capable of seeing clearly across great distances or in the dark, he has developed the ability to operate without relying on it by making great use of his other senses
-Artiglio: As a further development from his lifedrain ability, Leone can transmute not just his arms but also his legs into deadly armament. Silvery metal bursts from within and fuses with the flesh into an armored construct vaguely resembling a human skeletal structure, with fearsome spikes and flanges projecting from striking surfaces and extendable razor-sharp nails. An all but indestructible demonic weapon that greatly increases his grip strength, combined with his skills and abilities Leone can batter or tear apart most anything that isn’t magically protected and much that is, as well as cleaving or striking sorcerous energies to fend off mystical attacks.
Weakness: Despite his role and skill, Leone’s at a comparative disadvantage when it comes to contests of sheer strength and widespread destructive capabilities with most other bruiser types. Though he won’t die under the sun it is still bothersome, and blessed stakes of ash, hawthorne, oak or silver through the heart will kill him quite readily if not promptly removed. Finally, and he will never admit to this, he does feel a certain craving towards draining lifeforce and operates at his best when he can do so regularly.
Backstory:A long line of powerful vampire lords claiming early ties to the dark, once upon a time the Armati Family held great sway in matters of both worlds thanks to their mastery of secrecy and brutality both. But all empires, all dynasties suffer the passage of time, even one as unnatural as this. Today the dark legacy of the Armatis lies all but forgotten, sorcerous secrets lost in great purges and their cursed blood ever-thinning as the lineage dwindled, the once proud clan reduced to all but mere mortals struggling to maintain a hold on simple mundane riches. But deep within his soul, the old ways still called to Leone Armati.
It bears saying that Leo, like the last few generations, was entirely unaware of his birthright, by this point the vampiric line so weakened they had little strengths or drawbacks to speak of. But Leone still knew he was to stand above others. Tall, handsome, athletic, the scion of a family that still carried weight with the mob, he would leave his mark on the world with his own two hands and in his own way. Brash and outspoken, taking on the persona of a rebellious outlaw both flaunting his potential criminal connections and distancing himself from actual organized crime, he was poised to become the next big thing in a booming period for boxing. And then, out of the blue, he vanished.
For you see, Leone wasn’t the only one who felt the call of the old ways. Much as every powerful dynasty the Armatis had amassed many enemies throughout the years, and one was not willing to forget their vampiric origins. Just as their prey had melded into human society, a clan of monster hunters with their own legacy and long history known as the Baroni Family masqueraded as a criminal organization. Using their mob activities to support their hunt, The Baronis united many disparate elements with a vested interest in fighting the encroaching influence of Hell, and Leone’s public antics attracted their attention.
Seeking to end an ancient enemy the Baronis made prey of Leone, but by not letting go of the ancient feud the hunters unleashed a more dangerous beast once more. The bite of holy weapons triggered ancient blood pacts and old magic long forgotten, and as his life faded away the current scion of the Armati family saw before him the terrible apparitions of his vampiric ancestors. Risen from the depths of Hell under oath to save their line in its darkest hour, the Armati Dynasty offered Leone a choice: they could take away the last remaining taint on his blood and let him die a human, or he could choose to be one of the damned and they would awaken him to his potential.
Leone did not hesitate, not for one moment, not when the hunters came to toy with their prey and he took his baptism in blood as a newly risen vampire. He did not hesitate when he was dragged down to Hell, his role in the demonic hierarchy foisted upon him, his blood mocked as thin and weak. The scion of the Armati would claim his rightful place in Hell, by his own hands and in his own way. And well, if he got the opportunity to indulge himself and enjoy the high life in both worlds, who wouldn’t take the chance?
