select an NPC Umbriel Delacroix Anaximander Theophilos Cassandra Kastrouni Alondra Sánchez-Fernández Persis Delacroix Tallas Dorn John Goddard Brianna O'Boylan Nephtys Almu-Harten Abimelech Rhys-King Brigitte Peregrine Bilitis Fiennes Hesperos Borne Anna Rinaldi

Umbriel Delacroix

AGL 110 DEX 66 LCK 90 PCN 89 PER 75 STA 100 STR 70 WPR 130

Initiative: 11+1d10

Skills: ARCHAEOLOGIST (M), MELEE COMBAT (T), CHARM (T), ART (T), Martial Arts (T), Pistol (T).

Equipment: Siva SmatSuit, Hyperion MechTitan, S&W Snub, aircraft aluminum anris sticks.

Disciplines of The Art: Sphere of Protection (T), Mental Shield (M), Feat of Strength (M), Restore Stamina (T), Restore Willpower (M).

Loresavant: Sign of Ahura (T), Contact Princeps (S), Summon Guardian (S).

Arcanum: Eye of Uriel (SR 8)

Edges: Destiny, Central Character, Evil Sense, Privilege, Equipment, Reflective.

Drawbacks: Hunted (9), Gothic Romance (2), Dependent (1)

Umbriel Delacroix is the Archon of SAVE’s House Atlantis on the East Coast of the United States. He is an accomplished archeologist and a scholar who taught for ten years at Cornell University. His parents were Carlo Delacroix, a curator at the Louvre, and Ruth Singer, professor of Plastic Arts. Both died on an airplane crash when they moved to the U.S., leaving Umbriel orphan at the age of six. Some U.S. relatives of Mrs. Singer took care of him until he reached adulthood.

While giving a conference on lost civilizations, Umbriel crossed paths with Anaximander Theophilos. The veteran SAVE Archon needed his expertise on some ancient writings found on an expedition at Antarctica. Umbriel’s interest was such that he asked for a leave of absence and accompanied Anaximander to the Amundsen Base owned by the Solomon Knights. It was the nearest base to the dig: about 100 miles away from it. What happened there remains highly classified. After the event, Umbriel joined SAVE part time at first, and full time after a year. “He quickly began to build a reputation,” wrote Anaximander in his diary. “He had a strong sense of leadership hidden behind his quiet manners, and a keen insight on diverse subjects, including our fight against the Unknown. As an administrator he was superb as well, climbing ranks quickly until he, at 36, became the youngest SAVE member ever to be given the position of Archon. Too quick if you ask me. Too quick and too good for comfort.”

Umbriel was eventually noted by the Primus of SAVE, becoming one of the few who have actually talked with and seen the Primus. Soon after that, Umbriel worked on stronger ties with organizations such as the Solomon Knights and the Order of the Taro, and spearheaded the aggressive re-structuring of EmpCor until it became the MegaCorp it is today. “It was as if the guy was Heaven-sent,” wrote Anaximander. “In spite of my suspicions towards him, I have to admit that his presence did much to raise SAVE’s stature. Things have gone so bad that we were all starting to lose hope—so many of our member have been either killed or become Eclipsed . . . With him on board we actually felt we had a fighting chance.”

Recent events, however, made Anaximander suspicious again. On 2888, Umbriel and a group of six SAVE agents went to New Zealand on a secret mission. Umbriel said they were to remain there until “something happened.” The agents were puzzled, and were even more surprised when something did happen: the Knight's Amundsen Base radioed them about a new island that had risen just north of Ross Sea. Umbriel didn’t appear to be surprised. When questioned, he said that the appearance of the island was “predicted” in some of the writings he deciphered while in the Antarctic dig several years ago. They sailed for the island the following day… and disappeared. The rescue teams sent after them couldn’t find traces of the island anywhere.

Delacroix reappeared three years later, gaunt, pale, and with eyes glowing with knowledge that, up to this day, stays unrevealed. He brought back with him a girl, Persis, whom he soon adopted, and a long case strapped on his back that looked as if it were made of stone. Most of what he said became White Access information.

From the Diary of Anaximander Theophilos:

Umbriel said the horror began after the island sank. They were exploring an enormous dark temple of unknown origin when it happened, and the building somehow protected them from the freezing depths of the Ross Sea.

There were others as well, a family whose yacht disappeared off the coast of New Zealand several days ago. It was, in fact, the screams of terros of the family which forced them to enter the temple in the first place. Then, something terrible appeared, an ancient force worse than anything the envoys had ever encountered. All died except him and Persis. The girl allegedly found an artifact that allowed Umbriel to dispel the demon and preserve themselves from the depths.

The Primus seems to be satisfied with all of this. I am not. The boy’s luck is…inhuman.

I have done some digging on my own, and if EmpCor finds out they will surely reprehend me severely or kick me out. I’m not supposed to use my influence for personal quests, but I do not like loose ends, nor people that look too good to be true…

The death of his parents, his raising by relatives, it’s all fake. Well, mostly. An extremely well made forgery, but a forgery nonetheless. Granted, the only solid evidence I have is a small photograph, the rest is pure intuition, but for me that is enough.

There was a plane crash, and the Delacroix couple was there and died. But so was the boy. None of them survived, couldn’t have. The photo shows the three of them, with a young Umbriel in the middle, sitting on a wheelchair right before the flight. And I know it is Umbriel, those eyes that seem to reach out and touch the deepest parts of you, his eyes. He was the victim of that new strain of Polio that appeared 30 years ago. He was crippled.

Even if he survived the crash, nothing about him shows he was ever affected by that terrible disease. I checked his medical records, squeaky clean. There are some anomalous EEG and heartbeat readings, but nothing indicating any disease like Polio. There isn’t even the slightest indication of biogenetic manipulation.

So, it is one of two things. Umbriel is an impostor, a doppelganger maybe, and I the jerk who brought him into SAVE. Or he is really Umbriel Delacroix, that frail, crippled boy with those piercing, and yet sad, soulful eyes. How did he survive? Maybe his dead body was taken by something else; I’ve seen that before. So maybe he is still an impostor, using the grown body of someone who died 30 years ago.

Is there a third option? I do not know. Maybe. Maybe I'm being paranoid and he doesn’t pose any threat to us... and maybe he is the greatest threat our organization has ever had. I will keep both eyes on him.

From the Secret Journal of Umbriel Delacroix:

The apparition came again, as it did the night of the crash. After imparting her instructions, she said I won’t be seeing her again until the Last Days.

Our path is paved with blood and fire. There are some people needing to be SAVEd, and I’ll have to pardon myself the pun, but that is what best describes what I must do. Persis was the first. I'll have to take soon the steps to Awaken her, as much as it hurts me. She and the others will help us in the final struggle with the dark.

The inextinguishable flames of the Antediluvian blade I carry burns all the pestilence that creeps around me, but it also burns a bit of my humanity away every time I use it. However... was I ever human to begin with?

So many unanswered questions. I wonder if it will be all worthwhile.

Notes for the CM: Umbriel is one of those NPCs that should be used sparingly. He is a very powerful ally, but don't let him become a Deus ex Machina, always appearing at the end to save the PC's hide.

The Eye of Uriel

This powerful Preglacial artifact never leaves Umbriel’s sight, and those who aren’t privy to the real nature of the weapon wonder why. It is a longsword that, at first sight, looks like something that belongs in a museum and not in someone’s arsenal. It is chipped and tarnished, and has a faded inscription along the dull blade. The guard is crescent-shaped, and the pommel looks smooth and worn, as if from ages of contact with human hands.

However, when Umbriel whispers a Loresavant phrase with the blade’s secret name, the sword lights up as if some ancient heat has been violently released from the very atoms of the metal, and the immediate air around it ignites with spiraling flames.

The Eye of Uriel is then SR 8, does additional fire damage (SR 4), and can harm incorporeal beings that cannot be hit or take Wounds normally. This poses a threat to beings like vampires that turn gaseous when reaching 0 Con points since, if the blade hits them again while fleeing incorporeally, it will destroy them permanently.

Umbriel may spend WPR points (2d10) to create a sphere of flames radiating 20’ from him in every direction. This acts as a Sphere of Protection to anyone inside it. If a creature of the Unknown is trapped inside the sphere, it receives 1d10 wounds (or 2d10 Con loss if the creature cannot be Wounded) and 2d10 WPR loss for every turn spent within. Obviously, the creature will do its utmost to get out of the sphere, and it would be wise not to be in its way as it does that, unless you are the one with The Eye.

By spending half his current WPR, he can make the blade stand guard on a doorway while he sleeps, and attack any creature of the Unknown that approaches it. Because of Umbriel's connection to the blade, he is always aware of its whereabouts and instantly knows if someone else touches or holds the sword.

He can use this powerful weapon only once per scenario. After that, he must place it in a special case half-filled with holy water. It can be ordinary tap water, since it is the case’s virtue to turn ordinary water into holy water to sustain the blade. The case is as unique, and as ancient, as the blade, and it doesn't look to have any way of being opened (several carved sigils on the case must be touched in sequence for that to happen). Creatures of the Unknown, their Minions, and PCs/NPCs that are Tainted receive 1d10 wounds (or 2d10 CON if the creature cannot be wounded) and 3d10 WPR loss per round if they come within 10 feet of the unattended case. If Umbriel is near the case he can allow Tainted allies to approach it without suffering any harm (however, they will still feel uncomfortable in its presence).

If the sword remains 7 days 7 hours and 7 minutes outside the case, the case will lose its powers and the blade will turn to dust, or simply vanish—the faded inscription on the ancient case is not very clear about that.