Roland Plato von Drakenwaltz
Roland never had it easy in life. His father was the successful German industrialist Ludwig von Drakenwaltz and his mother was the British archeologist Elizabeth Clayworth.
After the first World War the Drakenwaltz clan, whose factories produced steel, was ruined and it is said that Roland's grandfather, Otto von Drakenwaltz, died from a heart attack as he saw his lifework shattered in the ashes. Ludwig was the only male descendant and swore at the grave to rebuild the factories of his father, but he studied linguistics and philosophy and didn't know anything about steel or business in general. For about ten years the company barely survived the rough time in Germany and sometimes just bare luck saved it from becoming a target of the political riots.
Until he met Elizabeth Claywort at the opening of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin in the year 1930. It was love at first sight when the shy and melancholic scholar met the quirky and outgoing archeologist who had a hard time in a business that was dominated by vain wannabe-gentlemen.
Only few months later they married and she moved from London to the Drakenwaltz mansion near Berlin where she was able to continue her studies about some ancient stone tablets she found during an expedition to the Library of Alexandria in northern Egypt.
Ludwig, being a skilled linguist, helped her whenever he had time. It turned out that the stone tablet were mostly law texts which had already been old when they were brought to Alexandria.
But one tablet, so he figured out, was an instruction to summon a powerful spirit that will help everybody who was able to call his name.
In one night in the year 1933, when the his company was short before the eventual ruin, he was foolish enough to summon the demon – of course without consulting his wife. No one knows what exactly happened in this night but it is known that on the next morning a well dressed gentleman appeared. He introduced himself as Erik von Weissenfels, a financial genius that heard of the problems with the steel mills of the Drakenwaltz family and offered his help. From there on von Weissenfels managed the business alone and Ludwig had time to dedicate himself wholly to his and Elizabeth's studies while mostly forgetting about politics, isolated from the outside world that they barely noticed the upcoming Nazi dictature. The Drakenwaltz steel mills became one of the biggest companies in Germany and gained many public contracts.
Except that two housekeepers disappeared without a trace nothing noticeable happened to the Drakenwaltz family – until in 1939 Roland was born. But soon turned out that something was wrong with him. His eyes had different colours, one was red and the other one was green and his first children's nurse went mad after few years.
The Drakenwaltz clan barely noticed the second World War and only after they heard nothing from von Weissenfels and officers of the Allied forces came to him to ask him about his involvements with the Nazis. It turned out that von Weissenfels had connections to the highest members of the Nazi party and that Drakenwaltz steel has been used for weaponry and to build concentration camps. To slaughter millions of innocents.
Although Ludwig has been acquited, he and Elizabeth never recovered from that shock. She, herself with Jewish heritage, died few days after that through a shock. Ludwig sold the Drakenwaltz mansion and only their butler Jacob moved along with them to London where he tried to flee from his past. Erik von Weissenfels appeared often Ludwig's dreams and he began to hear voices.
In the summer of 1951, Ludwig von Drakenwaltz cut his own throat in front of his son.
After that incident Jacob was responsible for the education of Roland and he sent him to the best schools of London.
From when he was little, Roland was fascinated with the morbid and fantastical. His favourite hobby was to collect butterflies. But like his father, he was tortured by nightmares every night and more than once he woke up screaming. Jacob, a former vicar, said that evil spirits haunt the boy and that only the love for God could protect him. So Roland embraced his spiritual side and became a soon a medium but not following any specific religion but only his heart. In school he was often bullied for his odd appearance and his German heritage. He became quiet, melancholic and looked often in bewilderment at his fellows because they never understood when he quoted yet another obscure poet but he learned from Jacob that he should always solve his problems without violence.
Although he tends to be reckless from time to time.
After he finished school he travelled to southern China in disguise because he was told that only there he was able to find a master that could help him to find the strength to hunt down von Weissenfels. He eventually found a mentor that would teach him Tai Chi Jian and after he swore to only wield his blade against the forces of evil and years of hellish training, he went back to England where he studied history and sinister cults. He has always been driven and had never time for friends or women.
Few months ago he met Professor Nina Spencer, a high member of The Agency, and she invited him to work for her. Now he works for The Agency but he prefers to perform his missions alone since he is afraid to endanger his companions with the curse that lies on him.
Concept
Mystic Swordsman who hunts a powerful demon
Skills
Swordsmanship – Excellent
Diplomacy – Good
Acrobatics – Good
Guns – Poor
Bonus
Mysticism
Flaw
Cursed [attracts supernatural beings]
