[hider=Maria Mercedes de la Cruz]
[b]Name:[/b] Maria Mercedes de la Cruz


[b]Age:[/b] 42


[b]Appearance:[/b] 

Maria holds herself like your typical Sister Nun of the Faith: rigid posture, joyless  frown, piercing, judging gaze that makes grown men piss themselves. She is never without the thick robes of a Nun, her silver rosary hanging around her neck. Little does anyone know the heavy leather bracers hidden under the sleeves of her habit that show when she raises her arms. Maria is a tall woman, nearly six feet tall. Her hair is dark brown with streaks of grey running through it and her eyes are hazel. Maria is a plain looking woman with few memorable qualities save for her height.


[b]History:[/b]

Maria arrived on the steps of a convent in the heart of Mexico, desperate, hungry, broken when she was barely eighteen years old. She only wanted a clean bed and warm meal. Maria stay for a few days before deciding to move on but before she could leave the Head Sister stopped her and offered her a real home. Maria accepted, swayed by the teachings she could hear through the thin walls, and the logic she had nothing better waiting for her. Maria had much to learn as she was a true “Woman of the World” as her sisters put it. She was a stubborn, petulant girl, bucking the system more than once. In time she may not have fallen into line she did exhibit and pass on the Lord’s teachings. She became utterly devoted to the Catholic faith, to God for saving her life as well as her soul. Maria was sent to study under the Eighth Sacrament under the recommendation of the very Head Sister that had welcomed he into the fold. 

Maria soon developed a gift for the kind of work and was soon accepted into the Burial Agency after she had a runin with a demon, and proceeded to kick its ass. Maria had a tenacity rare among her sisters, while she relies on God to guide her she believes it is the duty of the faithful to make the decision to move at all. She developed a reputation for having controversial ideals soon enough, the loudest of her beliefs being that anyone can be saved, no matter the life they have led. While she’ll kick the ass of any demon who crosses her path, she won’t give up on a human with an intact soul, be they flesh and blood, or spirit given a physical body. Maria, despite her status as excommunicato, still considers herself a Sister of the Faith. Upon hearing of the gathering of vampires in southern France from her old friends and allies within the Church, she will make her way to help join the fight for the living and to drive back the dead, and perhaps save the damned. 


[b]Abilities:[/b]  

[i]Edicts of Binding:[/i] Series of sealing and magical binding spells meant to immobilize beasts, demons, pretty much anything nonhuman. Learned from her years with the Eighth Sacrament. She has perfected these spell to the point they resemble chains made of holy silver.  

[i]Prayers of Healing and Protection:[/i] A skill born from a pious spirit’s belief in God rather than training and acts as healing or shield magecraft would. With a prayer Maria can ask for one to be healed or protected. She can erect mid level barriers and heal broken bones and most any wound not fatal. 

[i]Spearhead Longinus:[/i] Piercing spells based off the spear that stabbed Jesus, Maria conjures blessed lances of light in hand and wields them like daggers. She can shoot them like arrows. However they are fragile like glass and are only effective against an unaware opponent.  

[i]Shroud of Rafael Guizar Valencia:[/i] A Conceptual Weapon that manifests itself as the ability to disguise the wielder from magical and sensory detection. Woven into the underside of Maria’s habit, this Holy Shroud is her greatest weapon and works akin to an Assassin Servant’s Presence Concealment skill at a C Rank when active. The difference being anyone under Maria’s protection are concealed as well. True faithful to God are not fooled by the Shroud but demons and humans lacking any faith in God cannot sense Maria easily. This can drain Maria’s mana reserves like crazy if she isn’t careful.    


[b]Stats:[/b]

[i]Magic Circuits:[/i] C
[i]Mana:[/i] D 
[i]Athleticism:[/i] A+


[b]Other Info:[/b]

Maria loves wrestling. She even knows a few moves herself. 

Despite her whole facade as a classic scare the crap out of you nun, Maria is a spitfire and a half, opinionated as hell and constantly muttering her mother tongue. 

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico of all places 

[/hider]