jeroukooAnd here is the third dude from another Anchor.
- Name: Raymond Harken
- Age: 32
- Appearance:
- Personality: As a ranking member and ordained priest Raymond strives to follow the ethos of the Ordo Sancti Clypeus to the best of his abilities. Be kind and just, bring aid to the downtrodden and punishment only to those who truly deserve it. Protect God's children no matter who they might be. About the closest you could get to a modern day knight. Experience in the less peaceful areas of the Middle East and against the supernatural after he returned Stateside has earned him a level head for when stuff hits the fan.
When not facing off against whatever is threatening to ruin someone's day Raymond can usually be found either at the nearest collection of books or food bank/homeless shelter/blood drive, in an effort to placate his contract partner. He's a pretty good guy, but when you have the Archangel of Benevolence and Mercy constantly whispering in your ear it has an effect on a person's actions. - History: As a former Army chaplain Raymond always believed in the supernatural, at least in the religious aspect. He got a much more practical example when the FOB he was visiting was attacked by some kind of local demon. By the time it had been driven off via copious use of explosives most of the forward operating base was a sand covered ruin and half the occupants were dead. More than a little surprised that monster attacks were a thing and worried at the likelihood that others would also face them he did his best to research the subject. In doing so he caught the attention of the Ordo Sancti Clypeus.
The Order of the Holy Shield was a not-quite ancient paramilitary organization dedicated to the protection of Humanity against any who might do it harm. With roots going back to the first groups of settlers on North America they were not tied to any one church or state organization. Operating primarily on the northern half of the continent with the occasional foray into the more southern regions of the landmass when needed. While they had helped tame the many supernatural beings of the area, in modern times their duties lay primarily in preventing Contractors from getting out of hand. They had first noticed Raymond when he survived the attack in the desert, his continued digging into the subject got him a job offer.
Upon his acceptance Raymond was led through the steps to summoning and contracting with a guardian angel. To both his and that of everyone who knew anything on the subject what he got was not simply a member of the Heavenly Hosts. It was Zadkiel, Archangel of Freedom, Benevolence and Mercy. Nobody is quite sure why the Archangel chose him, Raymond himself suspects that Zadkiel has a specific purpose he wants to accomplish and simply chose the first human he could work with. Whatever the case, Zadkiel isn't giving up any answers on the subject. - Affiliation: Ordo Sancti Clypeus
- Level: Medium
- Primary Contracted Party: Zadkiel, Archangel of Freedom, Benevolence and Mercy (Deity)
- Abilities: While nobody knows the full scope of an Archangel's abilities, Raymond has been given access to only the basics. His contracted partner has said that he will gain more when he shows himself worthy.
Blessing: With a prayer Raymond can bless anything he is in physical contact with. At the moment his blessings are limited to sanctifying objects. Holy water and holy ground being two ready examples.
Healing: A well known form of miracle, with prayer and physical contact Raymond can heal most non-fatal wounds.
Aura of the Archangel: The most unique of Raymond's current abilities. With an effort of will he can emit some of the aura of his guardian angel. While those familiar with the Archangel might recognize it's source all most will feel is an element of his dominion. Raymond can chose which of the three (Freedom, Benevolence or Mercy) to emanate most strongly. - Skills: Even if he was unable to bear arms during his service that didn't stop Raymond from learning from those who could. He left the army with an excellent grasp on most firearms in use by the service. And that knowledge has only expanded after he joined the Order, now including a familiarity with explosives and the more esoteric weapons used by a supernatural paramilitary organization.
Of course a knight can't always rely on his guns. Sometimes you just have to punch the nasties into submission. Raymond is capable in close quarters combat even if he's no genius, specializing in unarmed and small bladed combat.
Ever since he left his post as a chaplain Raymond has been researching the forces of darkness. With access to the extensive secret archives of the Order he is now a veritable expert on most supernatural creatures and entities. Strengths, weaknesses, eating habits...trivia blurbs. If you want to know something about the unnatural things of the world, he's the guy to ask.
A fair hand at it already, with his partner's power Raymond is supernaturally good at getting people to stop shooting and start talking. It's usually his job to talk to the witnesses of supernatural activity and keep police off the backs of his team. - Other: With the growing relevance of Soulflame Raymond Harken has been sent as an ambassador in an effort to try and build an alliance or ceasefire between the two groups. Basically to head off any hostilities before they started. Christianity gained a foothold on North America the same time the first European settlers did. There wasn't a whole lot of point to trying to prevent it from coming back if it was already there. In fact the Order didn't want any of the other Anchors coming to the US any more than Soulflame did. With their goals aligning far more than they strayed it made sense to work together rather than fight.