Colonel John Killian
Player Andrew W
Character Col John Killian (Rtd.)
City Newcastle
Clan Ventrue
Covenant Ordo Dracul
Age upon Embrace 34
Occupation/Position Security Concerns consultant/ Ex-Special Ops (Psych Division)
Hometown Newcastle
Status within the City Hound
Status None

Background

Col. John Killian was a monster long before he became a Ghoul.

Killian was a dangerous individual. He was cold and driven, and showed signs of utter ruthlessness from an early age, however in all things he also showed ambition and capability. He started Martial arts training as a child and was quickly believed to be an Olympic contender. However when in his early teens, Killian savagely beat an opponent several years his elder and several time his weight, he was banned from professional competition and his Olympic aspirations were effectively ended.

Showing no particular skills outside fighting, however remaining capable of achieving mediocre exam grades, Killian was left with little options in life and seemed goalless. With the help of a rather uninspired careers officer, Killian was accepted at 18 onto the Officer Training Course at Sandhurst.
At Sandhurst, Killian excelled. Throwing himself into everything with gusto and his usual ruthless determination. Nicknamed ‘Chop-Socky‘ for simultaneously flooring three instructors during the first hand to hand training session, Killian was quickly respected when he took training and ‘beasting’ (The armies informal system of harsh discipline and punishment) with equal grim determination.
Killian discovered hidden talents and intelligence as he excelled at intelligence based matters and was first in his class in many fields including explosives ordinance, allowing him to graduate as the elusive First Graduate. This gave him his pick of assignments.

Killian’sfirst choice was attachment to the Kings Scottish Borderers on secondment to PSYOPS XV. The arm of HM armed forces specialist in dealing with Psychological warfare. Himself a junior specialist in psychological and Guerrilla warfare, he was a determined and capable Intelligence officer. His in and out of field experience was met with success under some hard circumstances. His aptitude with firearms and close quarter fighting coupled with his natural instincts kept him and his unit alive far longer than it normally would have in some of the worst arenas of the world. He was a capable demolitions expert and often used big explosions and underhand techniques to clinch victory. His use of a IEDs (improvised explosive devices) became required reading in Army EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) training. He was lauded as a tough, cold but exceptional and innovative leader. He received rapid promotion and commendation throughout his active service. The stories often glossed over the cold calculating savagery in combat that gave rise to his miraculous survival. His reputation as a monster reached levels that were carefully cultivated amongst the enemy. His unit gained international recognition, not always for the right reasons.

When enemy combatants started looking decidedly unwell after hours of ‘enhanced interrogation’ Killian’s superiors were happy to look the other way and help make sure that complaints of brutality were always mysteriously buried in the MoD bureaucratic void. Despite this, Killian was often investigated and was able to ensure that there was never enough evidence to pin him down.
This meant Killian reached high attention quickly. His ability to obtain key information quickly and repeatedly was becoming well known. His dark reputation often preceded him, again something his superiors encouraged. With the fear of this dark figure in their prison camp, people yielded information long before he began asking them.

His officers praised him often.

This sort of praise and meant it wasn’t long before he was added to the Special Forces draft. He excelled in all training exercises and took additional training in demolitions and enhanced interrogation.

Initially serving and then commanding the elite ‘Piranha’ unit, Killian was responsible for many strikes deep into enemy territory. His skills as an interrogator, close combat specialist and Demolitions expert were an ideal combination for the team. They scored a remarkable 97% success rate on their missions. However they were often reprimanded (albeit gently) for reveling in the destruction left in their wake.

Killian’s penchant for chaos was obvious and eventually he was promoted away from Piranha into more important duties, acting as a completely off the record consultant and advisor to insurgent groups.

Behind the lines he trained insurgent armies and religious militia alike. He moved quietly and subtly making sure that he was never caught. As part of a network of quiet operatives, Africa burned with rebellion and civil war, while quietly HM Gov sold weapons to both sides. Then once his mission was complete, he faded into friendly territory and quietly returned home.

For some time Lt Col Killian returned to the UK to train the next batch of Special Forces troops in martial arts.

Not long after his promotion to Colonel, Killian was asked to act as an Envoy to a government besieged by men he had trained. Without a moment’s hesitation Killian handed over the Foreign Government all the information he had about the structures he had personally put in place. All done under the cover story that Spies in his/HM Gov’s employ had found it.

So thoroughly and utterly betrayed, The Guerrillas didn’t stand a chance. Killian assisted the strikes himself ensuring all evidence of HM Gov’s and more importantly his involvement was eradicated. It also allowed him to carry out his real mission and plant evidence of a 3rd party involvement in the conflict, provoking yet more warfare and more death and yet more chaos.

His mission a success, Killian quickly left the chaos in Africa he had caused and took up a role hunting War Criminals in Serbia. There was no small irony as Killian’s actions had often been close to accusations of the same. He was exceptionally capable at making sure that people talked. His ability to follow leads and extract information was vital to his ability to hunt down war criminals and quietly bring them into custody.

However it was when interrogating one of these Serbian Criminals that he saw his first use of vampiric disciplines. A Ghoul retainer to one of the most heinous war criminals was able to heal his wounds without medical attention. Killian was astounded. It took him a lot longer to break the ghoul then any mortal. However after what Killian thought a simply unacceptable period of time, even the blood bond fell to pain and interrogation. He took a group of local militiamen with him to the lair of this war criminal, a powerful Ventrue. In the dead of night he approached the Old Vampires haven. This was the last he remembered before being on his way home a few days later with papers of honourable discharge and no recollection of what had happened. He also held in his hand an introduction to a private security concern.

Killian joined this group and served the ‘unusual’ demands of their international clients. His service was distinguished as a security consultant specializing in the best possible security and the highly specialist demands of his assignments. It wasn’t long before he got caught in a fire-fight with a savage vampire out for vengeance. Killian’s training meant he wasn’t shaken when the head shots did nothing, not even at the fangs gnashing at him and the claws slashing at him. Killian’s skills in martial arts meant that he was capable of incapacitating the assailant long enough for others to come to their senses and pile onto the frenzied vamp.

Killians ‘mark’ was very impressed. Few Mortals survived an attack from a frenzied vamp, barely a handful had walked away from it, None so far as she knew had put one down single handed. Clan Ventrue publicly acknowledges talent. Killian was an obvious choice for formal induction.

Within a few days he was assigned to Alex Knight, and his education as a Ghoul began.

Appearance:

Killian is 5’11” with grey eyes almost always hidden behind shades, and short cut hair in a military fashion. He usually sports an earpiece connected to something. He is a powerfully built individual whose moves are more graceful then they should be for someone of his size. Despite the fact that Killian seems ‘rigid’ those who have seen him fight have noticed a distinct fluid grace to his movements. Killian cultivates an aura of calm and collected menace.

Lineage:

As far as Killian can make out, nothing living can pass through the dimensional portal. He imagines that when he passed through in defense of Alex and Prince Fuller, his living essence died leaving only the vampiric blood in his system, accidentally embracing him. This makes him Alex’s de-facto childe.

Childer:

Killian currently believes this a term for the newly embraced so considers himself as such. He has not brought anyone over yet.

Recent Events

Killian had something of a meteoric rise through the ranks in the Newcastle Court. Within a month he was a hound despite being a Ghoul. Working closely with his world's Balthazar on the Spider issue and Prince Fuller on the Aegis issue, he had started to establish a small power base among the criminal gangs of Newcastle not under the Spiders' sway and a group of Ex-Servicemen. He was quite able to hold his own among the small group tasked with recovering the masks necessary to help save the city. He even dropped a horror or two with his “Gun-Fu” style. Killian followed his Boss and Prince through the rift ready to keep them safe. He failed to save the prince and is deeply angry with himself over this.

Since the reality shift and the rising threat of the Unreal in Newcastle, Killian proved himself to be both willing and eager to face the monsters of the Void. It turned out in the end that he was in part one of them, and that the unusual metaphysics surounding the reality shift had transformed him into an amalgamation of parrallel selves from this universe and his world of origin. Killian sacrificed himself in order to bring into play the powerful forces which could destroy the Unreal general Corvus, and in doing so perhaps spared Boss Gabriella Ito from that selfsame fate. Maybe in death, Killian found some redemption for his failure to prevent the destruction of Prince Madeline Fuller.

Rumours

  • Killian is a Serbian War Criminal
  • Killian is wealthy from war-profiteering
  • Killian likes explosions, BIG explosions
  • Killian was part of an Army ‘Super-trooper’ experiment.
  • Killian is the next Longinus.

Allies

  • Alex Knight Q.C - Killian’s former master and now vampire regnant. He is utterly loyal to her more-often seen at her side then her own shadow. She is training him in the basics of vampiric existence. He is responsible for her training in the martial arts, however this was originally very much over his protest as putting oneself in harm’s way is a good way of GETTING injured. He is now more inclined to keep her alive since he is not always around to save her from herself. Although she is often disapproving of some of Killian’s methodology, he has learned to keep many of his activities secret and only inform her when she needs to know.
  • Balthazar Black - Killian considered his worlds Balthazar a good friend and comrade. He is not sure what to make of the new worlds Balthazar, but he is certainly more friendly to Killian than the others. He likes Black's direct style and approach. He hopes to work more closely with him in the future as he is certainly intrigued by the philosophy of the Ordo Dracul and even if he does not follow them into the Ordo, he still likes the notion of being part of a great work aimed at overcoming the limitations of the vampiric nature.
  • Willamina Lawson - Killian considers her a ‘friendly’. He has not really had many dealings with Lawson, but thinks that she could be a useful ally in times to come. She certainly seems to have handle on her role in ‘the great work’
  • Gideon - Killian has slowly come to respect Gideon for his ability to hold his own in a fight and his dedication to the greater good. He is a man of hidden talents and skills and Killian admires his willingness to get involved. He is not sure what to make of the circle of the Crone, but if Gideon is a good example, then he feels he would have a lot of time for them
  • Ian Druss - Druss made little impact on Killian until they met recently in Middlesbrough and Druss pitched in with a highly organised raid allowing a very smooth raid. He thinks that Druss, although older then he is, is a little too civilian in some respects and needs reforged into a soldier. But Killian thinks he can help Druss become a much more effective hound.

Enemies

  • Karl Braun - While Killian has no personal antipathy for the Sanctified Nos, He is aware of his relationship with Alex, from Alex’s point of view. He is watchful for signs of trouble but remains hopeful of reconciliation.
  • Mr RedHorse - A 'Friend' from long ago. Currently responsible for Newcastles recent 'social troubles'.

Quotes from or about Killian:

“While you’re down there Balthazar can you see if you can get me one of those steam guns, if nothing else I’ve some creeping ivy causing issue?”

“Our Walther who art in holster, hollow point be thy rounds”

“Since when has it become customary to give our Blood-slaves position on Council” Gideon on Hearing Killian (when a ghoul) had been given the rank of Hound.

“When being attacked by wasps, one can either covers ones head or burn oneself a hive.”

'I like Killian hes a good man in a fight, but if he keeps routinely upstaging his betters he will be a dead one soon enough.' Balthazar Black on Killians meteoric rise.

'My dearest has a way of…persuading people that I so loathe.' Alex Knight on Killian's methods.

'I have purple syphillis!' Killian after the discovery of his apparent aura infection.

(please feel free to add any that you have said or heard him say)

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