SH: Matthew deAngelus

Secondary NPC

Associated Character: Marron

Born: 1701

Physical Age: 28

Age (as of 1894): 193 (entered the city in 1729)

Occupation: Gondolier

Alignment: Conservative Insurgent

Docile or Feral: Circumstantial Feral
Most of the time, Matthew is perfectly docile- unless presented with small, fast-moving objects. If triggered, the instinct to hunt is so strong that it is difficult to resist, and he is compelled to give chase! While typically harmless, the trait is greatly abusable and has led to its fair share of uncomfortable (or even dangerous) situations.

Sybal Form: The Aurelian Tom
Matthew's Sybal stands about 3'6" at the shoulder. Distinctly feline in apperance, he is surprisingly flexible and swift on his small paws, and his retractable claws are sharp enough to draw blood. However, he isn't particularly powerful, either physically or in Sybal Power. This, paired with his circumstantial nature, make him embarassed and even ashamed of his nightly form. This dissatisfaction with his Sybal has cured into a dissatisfaction with the City, though he has never voiced such feelings aloud. It's going to take a little more than the CAC to get him involved in any fight against the Organizer.

He purrs when he is pleased.

Sybal Power: Goldpaw
Matthew has the power to encrust anything he touches with a thin film of gold leaf. He cannot turn the object itself to gold, nor does the leaf he produces linger past daybreak. He is limited to covering an area of some 25 square feet at max, and will need to wait about an hour between 'expending' his Power to its maximum limit before using it again. Other than making pretty (but ephemeral) art, or causing mischief, he doesn't find it to be a particularly useful ability.

Personality:
Confident (cocky), outspoken (loudmouthed), and business-minded (slippery), Matthew has a streak for dishonesty but is generally considered likable. His quick tongue and will to succeed has gotten him far in life, and he sees no reason to think that it won't continue to get him farther.

History/Extra:

-The eldest son of a merchant family from the Kingdom of Sardinia, he married young and struggled to make ends meet. Despite his knack for business, a string of bad harvests and unlucky investments landed him in debtor's prison. His yearning for a fresh start opened his way to the Traveler's Forest.

-Never a particularly devout Christian, he has recently converted to Islam. He was drawn in by the community around Seele's Great Mosque, a sense of kinship with the Prophet (was he not a merchant himself?) and the structure provided to worshipers in the form of daily prayer. By all accounts he is reinventing himself, though some habits (such as his love for beautiful women) die hard.

-He took up the oar out of curiosity rather than out of any real passion, but found it worked well with his knack for people and a desire to branch out into different professions. After earning his license, he went into business with his mentor, Luca Piovene. The two operate as partners within the Guild, rowing a traghetti rather than the small bodied gondola which Marron favors.

-He occupies a strange space in Marron's life as a sort of older brother, even though he is technically about 50 years younger. The two of them are rivals who studied under the same Master Gondolier.

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