NAME Sylvan BrunoBIRTH NAME Mono ThalassisTITLES ex Cardinal & Bishop of Constantinople/Istanbul, currently a PriestETHNICITY half greek & italianDATE OF BIRTH january 17thAGE early 50sHEIGHT 180 cm, 5’11”EYES Dark brown, lined with kohl. In exile, he suffered a head injury that caused his pupils to become different sizes. The dilated eye is sensitive to light, and vision in it is impaired and blurry.

HAIR pitch black, shoulder lengthSKIN Cool dusky skin tone. Has a brand on his forearm, his back and buttocks are covered with long-standing scars, his arms and thighs are covered with burns, cuts and sigils inflicted by himself.STATURE slender build, slim and long limbs, a flexible and resilient bodyLANGUAGES italian, greek, latin, turkish, arabic and english; has a more limited knowledge of hebrew and some other languagesSKILLS swordsmanship, alchemy, violin, acting & dancing skills acquired in the school of performing artsOCCUPATION priest, scholarPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION He has a Greco-Egyptian profile, and his facial features give the impression of someone who has stepped into the modern world straight from the depths of antiquity. His former status is still reflected in the way he carries himself and moves. Sylvan is clad in a black robe with wide sleeves, beneath which he wears a fitted cassock, along with red stockings or tights. His fingers were once adorned with rings, and on his chest was a cross shaped like thorn branches, but these were stolen from him at his current place of service. Made a new cross out of nails and wire.PERSONALITY Enigmatic, gloomy, proud. Despite his bad temper and sharp tongue, he is prone to caring and helping those in need, even to his own detriment. He acts according to his principles, regardless of the circumstances, which sometimes has disastrous consequences. A life of self-restraint has exacerbated his masochistic behavior, developed as a result of traumatic treatment in slavery.

LORE
Sylvan excelled as a cleric and scholar, and for his outstanding service and missionary work in Europe and the Middle East he was made Bishop. He gained a storied reputation for establishing shelters and providing aid to victims of abuse, slavery and war, as well as for his adaptive policy that avoided extremes and maintained peaceful relations with other faiths. His background remained obscure and his identity was shrouded in rumors because he had concealed unsightly and unworthy aspects of his origin and past. To those who knew him personally, he was also remembered for ill temper, intrigues, and the ruthlessness with which he pursued his interests. Yet his scandalous nature did not prevent his achievements from being recognized. Bruno was made a Cardinal, grew close to the Pope, and gathered supporters among the Roman Curia. When the time came, Bruno almost got two-thirds of the votes at the Conclave but suddenly dropped out when the mysterious death of one of the Cardinals led to him. Bringing this case to trial would have revealed to the public not only the murder in the Vatican, but also the misdeeds of the murdered man, which the Church failed to control and resolve peacefully, and to which it turned a blind eye. Not wanting to maintain Sylvan’s power after his crime, the new Pope stripped him of his rank, honors, and sent him to serve as a priest far away.To preserve the name of the Church, all in the College of Cardinals took a vow of silence about this incident, and his name became one that is not spoken.

Now he serves as the priest in charge of a monastery in a forgotten land. In this isolated village, smelling of old wood, damp stone, and smoke from chimneys, the air is thick with uncertainty as archaic pagan faith clashes with the teachings of the outsider who has assumed leadership. The people of these lands are wary and hostile, and their reclusive lifestyle has affected the morality of society. The village is surrounded by a dark forest, the subject of many tales, and beyond it lies an ancient town, whose libraries, archives, catacombs, and dungeons preserve the histories of the Old and the New Gods.

EARLY YEARS
Coming from a family of disreputable class, he and his twin brother lived quite poorly, but happily. Their father, who had left a life of crime behind and made a living through fishing, and their mother, a musician, did everything they could for the family.

Their hard but peaceful life came to an end on the day he was abducted during a raid on their village.After months spent in the hands of a slave trader, he was purchased by Francesco Vico, a once-famous actor who ran a school of performing arts, and Mono became one of his students. There he was branded with a mark by which he could be returned to his owner. Vico gave him the opportunity to succeed, exerted a profound influence on his character, and made him ravenous for superiority, but his methods were cruel.Eventually, he escaped as a teenager with the help of a priest who couldn’t remain indifferent to the boy when he learned of his captivity. Faced with the choice of returning to his family or seizing a chance at a better life, he chose to stay with the priest, Agosto Bellomi.Agosto became his guide into a new life, granting him an education he could never have dreamed of, a name with which he could enter society, and a purpose to which he would devote his life. Thus he became Sylvan Bruno and ends up in a seminary, where he becomes acquainted with religion and was imbued by it. The boy who passionately desired to become great dedicated his life to service, so that one day he might lead nations.

Sylvan’s most loyal, close and beloved supporter. He served as Bruno’s personal secretary when he was a bishop and later a cardinal. Zero was and remains Sylvain’s eyes and ears, able to find out almost anything about anyone for him. Though only a deacon, this responsible young man was the conductor of all processes in the cardinal’s life.The son of an Iraqi official, once living in prosperity with his three older sisters and an Indian mother, he lost his entire family at the age of eighteen, miraculously escaping when armed men invaded their home. The outbreak of war ended his former life; he fled, and the horrors, grief, and cruelty he witnessed shattered his faith. His youth was spent wandering, he took any job, temporarily losing his freedom, and ended his journey where their paths converged.The story of their meeting resembled a dance of destinies, where every encounter led to parting, and every parting to another encounter. Only when Zero’s choice to return to faith led him to the diaconate did he find refuge beneath the wing of the man who became his mentor and his family.

Zero ibn Mustafa ibn Khali al-Nazir
Zero al-Nazir
SECRETARIUS

Nino Thalassis
BROTHER

Nino is Mono’s younger twin brother, a traveler who makes a living through music, fishing, and card fraud. Unlike his brother, Nino is not a believer, and his only divine guide is the Greek Gods. His instruments are the guitar and lute, his voice, his adventurous spirit, and his trickster nature, which often gets him into trouble. Like everyone in their family, he is characterized by vindictiveness and radical principles of justice. Nino’s roguish nature contrasts sharply with his brother, yet very warm feelings remain between them.The family was reunited in their twenties, and since then the young priest made visits to them and supported them financially. The absence of the elder brother during the times when he was needed most created tension between them, but Nino never blamed him for anything. However, that did not stop Mono from carrying guilt toward Nino for the rest of his life for not returning as soon as he had the chance, choosing his future over reuniting with his family.

Their family story began when a love-struck pirate carried off a musician who had captivated him. Nearly killed by her, he begged her to marry him if he could please her and win her smile. If not, he offered his life as payment for his insolence. Intrigued, she offered him a chance, which sparked a flame that quickly ignited their love.The story of a woman who run away from her family for such a man could not have ended well, but he fulfilled every promise he made to her. Once a terror to all who saw his boat, Sotos became a simple fisherman, raising his sons by higher moral standards than those he himself had once lived by. The lovers’ happiness ended when their son was kidnapped. Belladonna did not survive the loss of her child and withered away a few years after the tragedy. Sotos, searching for his eldest son on his own, sank into despair, from which he was pulled by Nino, who had been saddled with the burden of providing for the family during his teenage years.After Mono’s return, the father finally found peace and let go of both his beloved’s death and of Nino, so that his homebound son could finally live his life.

Sotos Thalassis & Belladonna Morena †
FATHER & MOTHER

Francesco Vico
MASTER

The man who owns Mono.Bought him partly out of pity, partly because he believed in his potential.Francesco was once a famous actor who ended his career at its peak due to a leg injury he sustained on stage that left him permanently lame. In addition to performing, he wrote plays, which he later created for his students. When his star faded, he opened a performing arts school where he imparted his knowledge, wanting to cultivate talent. Acting had been his life and after falling from the heights he had earned through sweat, tears and blood, he hardened, becoming incredibly demanding and cruel to his students.He saw Mono as a renaissance for his career and placed great hope in him until he ran away, leaving behind many unspoken and resentful feelings between them.

The man who made Sylvan who he is.Agosto helped him escape when he learned that the boy was in captivity, sheltered him, gave him a new name and an education. He was a significant figure in the religious community and administered a parish cathedral in northern Italy. He placed his ward in a seminary, which also served as a boarding school for wealthy families. However, good intentions ended with the boy becoming an outcast. During winter and summer breaks, he took Sylvan in, allowing him to delve into the duties of a priest and providing him with a far less limited education. Despite his good reputation in his circles, he was considered a dissenter, which affected the views of his protege. Secretly supported the views of figures considered heretics by the church.Bellomi never treated him as a son, yet he protected and guided him. His re-education was difficult, but he recognized Sylvan virtues and gave him direction. For the rest of his life, Sylvan remained grateful for the path he had provided him. Agosto became for him the embodiment of everything noble within the Church.

Agosto Bellomi †
MENTOR