Magnum Vagrant
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| Magnum Vagrant | |
| Player: Quentra | |
| Origin: | Natural |
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| Archetype: | Blaster |
| Security Level: | 35 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Minarius de la Rosa |
| Known Aliases: | Mag, MV, Magnum Vagrant, Vagrant |
| Species: | Presumed Human |
| Age: | 37 |
| Height: | 5'10 |
| Weight: | 195 |
| Eye Color: | Grey |
| Hair Color: | Dark Red |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Half-British, half-Chinese |
| Occupation: | Private Investigator |
| Place of Birth: | London, UK |
| Base of Operations: | Kings Row, Paragon City |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | large extended family |
| Known Powers | |
| Temperature control | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Cooking, Quarterstaff proficiency, gunfighting | |
| Equipment | |
| Cybernetic left arm, Model 500 Smith and Wesson .50 caliber revolver, Beretta Ninety-2 handgun, telescoping stunstaff, various investigatory odds and ends | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
Description
Magnum Vagrant doesn't look older than his late twenties. A tanned, slightly Asian face with deep set, storm cloud grey eyes and a high intelligent forehead is sharpened by a more European nose and chin, making his mixed heritage obvious. Short, dark red hair, tousled carelessly, adorns his head and looks recently cut, with faint gold streaks running through it. He looks pretty average in height and weight, but sharply contoured muscles slide under his clothes. He moves with an an almost predatory gait, just a touch too smooth and liquid to be normal. His left arm is simple, banded metal pulsating with a bluish energy, obviously cybernetic. Unclothed, an odd, curving tattoo covers the right side of his body, resembling an Aztec or Incan depiction of a cat, surrounding by nine balls, though the ink on seven of them has mostly faded.
He's usually dressed in a long, floor length leather duster, though a close examination would reveal the subtle armor threads woven through the fabric. A black fedora with a faded red grey band adorns his head, and both of his ears have multiple piercings. A ceramoplast vest covers his chest, usually mostly hidden by a simple off-white dress shirt and dark red tie. Dark, black gloves stretch halfway up his arms, covering his metallic left one. They're made of a material that seems like leather, but is completely seamless. He wears tight, almost hipster style black leather jeans, held up with a simple leather belt sporting a large belt buckle in the shape and colors of the Union Jack. Steel toed cowboy boots cover his legs and feet, and even drag along sharp, studded spurs.
A low-slung holster rests along the side of his right hip, set for a gunslinging quick draw. Another holster rests against the left side of his chest, along with a few extra quickloaders and clips. A small club, tipped on both ends with electroshock tips, is clipped to the back of his belt, as well as several and various utility pouches. A targeting monocle sits in his left eye, glowing with the same, faint blue energy as his left arm.
He speaks in a smooth, controlled tenor with an obvious East End London accent, though he's oddly capable of mimicking various accents without any particular effort.
Personality
Minarius always seem to come off as several widely disproportionate things. First, he's a narcissist, though the belief is rooted in fact. He simply knows he's the best detective in Paragon, and isn't one to hide it. Secondly, he comes off as a charming sleaze, a modern Don Juan. His reputation with women is legendary, though it all depends on whether you ask him or one of his many partners. He is charming, however, part of the de la Rosa family genes, as much as he rebels against them. But underneath the casual sex and arguably over-sized ego, Min has a very strong sense of right and wrong. His morals are an entrenched part of his being, though they don't fall squarely in with society's. He's not against killing someone if they are planning to hurt him or someone he cares about, but he generally tries to avoid killing, unless its in self-defense. Injustice and cruelty are nothing new to him, and he's aware of the futility of trying to change it. Instead, he puts himself deeply into his cases, a sort of defense mechanism he has against any meaningful personal relationships. Min isn't prone to introspection, though he's subconsciously aware of the motivations behind his actions, he just doesn't question them. He's the kind of guy to lie about anything to anyone if he sees that it'll bring some kind of benefit to them in the future, but he governs it with his ethics. His espionage experience had taught him that he can't trust anyone, and that translates into a subtle, almost instinctive paranoia, though he's had cause for it for most of his life. He's not below betraying a close ally, friend, or lover if it was 'the right thing to do', though he would never lie or betray to further himself in any case, partly as a holdover of rebellion against his family's backstabbing ways. He's mildly prejudiced against metahumans (though the argument could be made that he's one himself), though he gives everyone a chance to prove themselves. He is, however, heavily racist against Rikti, and will kill them on sight, regardless of their intentions.
Contacts
Friends and Acquaintances
- Commander TJ - One of the first people Min met when he returned from Praetoria, TJ Hutchinson has turned out to be a staunch ally, if a little on the humorless side.
- Sercilus de la Rosa - The Praetorian counterpart to his dead twin, Min feels a familial connection with the man, though their brief acquaintance leads him to be a bit more reserved than usual.
- Celindra Gigas - A deaf metahuman he met at Pocket D, his feeling about her are mixed.
- Sgt. Maris - A ruthless mercenary, he nonetheless feels attracted to her, though he knows those types of feelings are always bad news.
- Viera Rosseau - A redheaded psychic shrink, he almost fell for her the moment they met. Now a couple who have both professed their love to one another, he's hoping that her self-sabotaging ways don't ruin their relationship.
- Diz the Goblin - A partner and trusted ally, her faith in her 'God-Emperor' annoys him, but he'd still rather have her watch his back than not.
- Amelie Girard - His old partner recently returned from France is the only person in Paragon Min trust explicitly.
Enemies
- Provost Moreaux - Despite never meeting the guy, Min has a special set of bullets for him.
- Shadeknight - A meta with powers Min regards as unstable, Min has pegged him as 'shoot-on-sight.'
Abilities and Powers
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Abilities
Min is a human trained to the very peak of human development, though whether he's just genetically lucky or reached his achievements through hard work and dedication is arguable. As such he has several skills that far surpass an ordinary persons.
- Bojutsu Mastery - Even though he was trained in swordplay in a child, and is moderately proficient at it, his real skill lies in his almost intuitive control of a quarterstaff. His movements while wielding one in combat have been described as 'watching a leaf spin in the wind.'
- Marksmanship Excellence - Min has almost uncannily perfect aim, developed to such a point where he could close his eyes, turn around, and squeeze the trigger blindly and still manage to hit the bullseye. He rarely misses, though his best shooting comes with the .50 caliber revolver he packs along. His skill is such with his revolver that he can shoot multiple shots with one hand, disregarding the recoil.
- Photographic Memory - Min's observational skills have been honed by a lifetime of training, whether it was with the SAS or MI-13 or his own time as a detective. His memory is almost perfect, and approaches the level of eidetic. He doesn't forget information once he's gained it, and can string together disparate facts with only a modicum of effort.
- Hand to Hand Combat - During his time in the SAR, he learned a specially developed martial art known as Newberry, focused specifically on neutralizing superpowered opponents regardless of strength or powers. He disdains hand to hand combat outside of sparring, preferring to stick to his gun or staff.
- Stealth - Min can hide. With decades of espionage and detective training and experience, his stealth skills are almost supernatural.
- Intuition - A lot of people 'go with their gut', but Minarius follows that edict a bit more closely than most. He's trained his instincts and intuition to a point that sometimes seems psychic or magical, and often makes major decisions based on a 'gut feeling.'
- Encyclopedic Knowledge - Min knows everything. Well, almost everything. He's got a better-than-encyclopedic database of all threats para/super/preter/extra and etc, so whether its an unnamed helldemon summoned by the Circle or an alien menace, Min's probably heard of it, fought it, and won already. He doesn't let on about his information, preferring to pass it off as chance or trivia to make people under-estimate him. That said, the universe is a big place, and there are plenty of things Min doesn't know.
Powers
Even though he's mostly human, Min has a few preternatural abilities. Namely his cybernetic arm, though he's inherited the de la Rosa family luck as well.
- Cybernetic Arm - When the Rikti first attacked in 2002, Min, already in MI-13, was deployed in numerous cover operations against Rikti movements in Britian. One of those led to his left arm being blown off, and an insane cyberneticist replaced it on-site with a prototype Rikti counterpart. It's no stronger than a normal human arm, though a tad more durable, but it shines with an odd, bluish light. The cybernetic limb gives Min the ability to control the ambient temperatures of a localized area, mostly by removing heat. He usually uses his arm to encase an opponent in ice or create an ice slick on the ground, though he'll use it in any number of ways if the situation seems favorable. He's recently learned how to manifest and hold an ice sword, the only ice 'construct' he's ever been able to produce.
- The de la Rosa Family Luck - Arguably paranormal, as a child he went through an odd South American ritual that had been practiced by the de la Rosa family since the New World had been discovered. The right side of his chest and stomach are covered in a cat tattoo, playing with nine balls. The tattoo seemingly grants him the nine lives and luck of a cat, though magical examination has revealed nothing but the slightest of magical auras. He's also already spent seven of those lives, leaving only two remaining.
- Extreme Mental Fortitude - In Praetoria, Min was an undercover Resistance member in the PPD. However, Seer mindscans were common, so he had to train himself to resist all mental probes. He succeeded, but at the cost of nightmares and memories, as it requires him to literally lock out his real identity in order to pass. The upside is that he's rather strong against psionics. (But not magical brainscanning.)
Weaknesses
Being a human, Minarius still has all the downfalls of being human, ie. bullets can and will seriously injure him, he can't absorb energy blasts, he needs to eat, sleep, breath, etc. He's also somewhat susceptible to psychic attacks, though any in-depth examination of his psyche by ESP will cause his brain to overload and go into seizure, courtesy of MI-13 safeguards against Rikti psi-agents. Oddly enough, he has no such defense against magical psychic intrusions.
Equipment
Min always carries around a number of items.
- Silver plated, ivory handled Model 500 Smith and Wesson .50 Caliber Revolver, with Vagrant engraved along the ten and a half inch barrel - Min doesn't sleep without his revolver under his pillow and a hand resting on the butt of the gun. He got it while serving in the SAS, and it's served him faithfully all these years.
- Standard model Beretta 90-Two - A more pratical gun when the situation calls for stealth instead of 'splosions. It's equipped with a silencer and gel rounds.
- Telescoping stunstaff - Another legacy of his MI-13 days, Min carries around a simple black club, tipped with electroshock points on both ends. A simple twirl of his wrist extends the small club into a two meter long staff.
- Ceramoplast Vest - A new type of body armor developed by Vagrantech Industries, it uses a ceramic and hardened plastic matrix to effectively stop most small arms fire. It's moderately effective against slashing attacks, though it can be pierced by sharp enough objects, such as magical swords.
- Targeting Reticule - Not long after receiving his cyberarm, he found that controlling its area and aiming it was a tricky and difficult proposition that took too much concentration to be of any use in combat. So he commissioned a Vagrantech Industries sci-lab to create a reticule that would wirelessly link up to the cyberarm's DNI, and they did. It's not implanted, though it can't really be knocked out of his eye, but if broken, his cyberarm's abilities become nearly useless.
- Various odd and ends - Almost any mundane item can be pulled out of Min's voluminous duster pockets, whether its a pack of cigarettes, a tracking device, chalk, or a newspaper, however, he never seems to be able to find matches or a lighter.
Character Bio
Birth and Conflict
Born Minarius de la Rosa on May 18, 1974, to Lidus de la Rosa and Kimberly Chow, in London. Min was the eldest son of an old, respected British family, House de la Rosa, descendants of the conquistadores that had conquered the New World. However, his mixed heritage was seen as a taint to the blood of his family, though after his father's second marriage only produced three sisters, his grandfather was forced to acknowledge Minarius as the heir to the family. What this entitled, besides the wealth and fortune that was a given to the eldest son of a family of rich entrepreneurs, was the application of a magical tattoo, the passage of the de la Rosa family's claim of success. The tattoo imparted the traditional de la Rosa family luck to the applicant, as well as nine lives, like the cat the tattoo resembled. Thus started Min's education, preening, and primping as the heir of Vagrantech Industries.
Childhood
At five years of age, Minarius' grandfather, Asidilius de la Rosa, had already begun readying him for the unenviable task of assuming the head of the family. He was taught by a highly paid assortment of tutors, educated in manners and high culture, and taught the history of his family, like any neo-aristocrat. It drove the little boy quite mad, as could be imagined, since his grandfather had conveniently forgotten that Minarius was still a child. Kimberly, Minarius' mother, had died in childbirth, and his father was always out of the country on business. His stepmother, Judith Hospence, was never much at home herself, though when she was she constantly abused Minarius by 'accidentally' locking him in his room after reading him a story, or 'mistakenly' pushing him off the roof. Thus Min's first life was spent, falling from the six story rooftop of the de la Rosa. His sisters, Apirilia, Maya and Juno, were only a year or so younger than himself, but were constantly doted upon by the staff and most of his family, leading to a growing rift between himself and the other members of his family.
Adulthood
Sent off to a prestigious prepatory academy, it was much the same for Min. However, being away from the 'tender care' of his homicidal step-mother allowed Min to develop fully into his own person, though he was kicked out of more schools than he'd like to admit. At seventeen, his grandfather died of heart failure, and while his father assumed the position of CEO and controlling shareholder, Min opted not to follow in the pre-determined path set for him, instead enlisting in the Royal Army (the only way to get away from his family without being forcibly repatriated.) He quickly distinguished himself in a number of conflicts and joined the SAS as one of Britian's elite soldiers. His unit was put on the forefront of Her Majesty's Superhuman Adjunct Regiment, as tactical support and military liasion for United Kingdom superheroes. It was during his time at the SAR that he was recruited into MI-13, or Her Majesty's Secret Paranormal Services, where he served as a loyal operative for more than a decade. MI-13 is where Min gained his knowledge of the super/preter/and otherwise un-natural parts of human existence, and he was on the front lines of the Rikti War in Britian. As the war ended, Min felt that the Circus (as MI-13 was known) no longer needed his employment, due to many disagreements between him and his superiors.
Recent History
Finally free of all obligations, national and otherwise, Min headed to Paragon City, where he found his taleints to be uniquely suited to investigation work. He opened a private investigations office in Kings Row, Vagrant Investigations, and reassumed an old pseudonym he'd used during his time in MI-13, Magnum Vagrant. He quickly gained partners, and enemies, but his past and his familial duties caught up to him in the form of a hit-squad sent by one of his half-sisters, Juno. Knowing that he and those he cared about would never be safe if he remained in Paragon, Min fled across dimensions, unfortunately ending up in Praetoria, where a whole new host of trouble awaited him. Returning to Primal Earth and Paragon after a two-year absence, Min is a more cautious person, while his paranoia has left him unable to trust even the closest to him. Nonetheless, he's reopened Vagrant Investigations, ready to resume the title of 'Paragon's Best Detective.'
