Gray Mourner
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| One of the few photos of the creature | |
| The Gray Mourner | |
| Player: @NeverBorn | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Stalker |
| Threat Level: | 14 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Damien MacNeil (deceased) |
| Known Aliases: | none known |
| Species: | unknown, formerly human |
| Age: | 54 at time of death |
| Height: | 6'10" |
| Weight: | 160 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | none |
| Hair Color: | none |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Formerly a pastor |
| Place of Birth: | Georgetown |
| Base of Operations: | Salamanca, Rhode Island |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Known Relatives: | Ellen MacNeil (wife, widowed) |
| Known Powers | |
| Shadow-based claws and manipulation | |
| Known Abilities | |
| unknown | |
| Equipment | |
| unknown | |
| The Gray Mourner's claws are formed from pure shadow. | |
The Gray Mourner was originally created as the arch-nemesis of Frank Bigelow of The Cerulean Legion, but has grown into my primary stalker alt. He's intended as a brutal and remorseless killer (possibly in need of the mature tag).
Contents |
Affiliations
None. The Gray Mourner seems to have little interest in supergroups or friends.
Origin
The Gray Mourner was once a living person named Pastor Damien MacNeil. Pastor MacNeil lived a quiet life in Salamanca until the Circle of Thorns kidnapped him. MacNeil could not have known that he had Mu blood, nor what that would mean to the Circle. They intended to bind his soul to that of a shadow demon to create a new and powerful entity under their magical control. Before the ritual was completed, their cave was raided by Frank Bigelow and another hero by the name of Fickle. They duo quickly dispatched the mystics, but were unsure how to free MacNeil. (By this time, MacNeil was cocooned in shadow and surrounded by magical energy.) Fickle, supposedly a magical expert, advised Frank to destroy a nearby stone obelisk covered with red orichalcum, thinking it was the anchor for the ritual. Whether this was true or not is unknown, but when Frank destroyed the obelisk, something went terribly wrong.
MacNeil was absorbed into the shadow and twisted by the powerful energies that had been released. The result was a nightmare version of himself, undead and unstoppable. The creature lashed out at its would-be rescuers, killing Fickle and escaping into the shadows.
Since its creation, the creature has gone on periodic rampages. Some theorize that it must rest after expending so much energy taking physical form. Others, though, believe that the creature is gaining strength with every life it takes and note that the rest periods appear to be growing shorter.
In any case, only two things are known for certain about the creature -- that it is obsessed with collecting red orichalcum (killing anyone who possesses it) and that it is terrified of blue energy, such as that from The Cerulean Legion's source shards.
The creature's name was bestowed on it by the Mercy Island newspaper after a dockside rampage.
Powers
The Gray Mourner is a fluid creature of shadow, and it bends the darkness to its own designs.
Claws
The Gray Mourner's primary weapon are razor sharp pieces of shadow that protrude from its hands. The Mourner is methodical and relentless, slinking into and out of shadow as it surrounds and impales its victims.
Shadow Manipulation
The Mourner uses its mastery of darkness to move through shadows and manipulate them to various effects. The few survivors of a Mourner attack have described it using the darkness as a kind of protective armor, suggesting that the creature can indeed be destroyed. To date, it's a theory only.
Other Powers
So little is known about the Mourner that it is hard to know if his full power has been seen or not. Some witnesses claim that the creature can float on the air, or even fly. Others say it wielded other strange shadow weapons. Nothing is known for certain.
Personality
There is debate in the hero community about whether anything human remains in the Mourner's mind. Some have described the Mourner as a "shark", simply moving forward and destorying anything that happens to be in its way. Nothing is known for certain because the Mourner doesn't speak -- ever. He's silent, calm, and inhumanly cruel. Others claim that there must be some kind of purpose to the creature, or else why would it seek the red orichalcum? Again, only questions and so few answers.
Recent History
After a short rampage in Paragon City, the Gray Mourner disappeared only to resurface days later in the Rogue Isles. Frank Bigelow had been hunting the creature relentlessly, but has been forced to temporarily abandon his pursuit.
