Karl Kroenen

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* Biography
* Threat Assessment
* Trivia and Notes
* Gallery

## Identity

### Known Aliases

The Puppet (Ops Moniker)
Doctor (claimed), Baron, Mister (Titles)

### Status

Significant Occult Figure and Terrorist — Wanted by ARGUS

### Relatives

Azazel (Infernal Father)
Naamah and Asa (Infernal Sister)
Anung Un Rama (Infernal Brother)
Belphegor (Infernal Benefactor)
Grigori Rasputin (Coven Brother)
Ilsa Haupstein (Coven Sister)

### Affiliation

Grigori of the Golden Gaze (Member)
The Thule Society (Former Member)

## Biographical Information

### Education

Doctor of Medicine (Claimed)
University of Munich (Unverified)

## Physical Description

### Karl Kroenen: ~1880 - 1903

Karl Ruprecht Kroenen was born around 1880. By his own claims, it was in the fall but any further details have yet be verified. He claims to have been raised by a single father after the tragic murder of his mother while a young Karl was still a baby. According to some sources, Kroenen was a musical prodigy as a child with angelic features and blonde hair. He appeared in several operas across Europe as a member of a prestigious choir until his voice deepened with puberty, hampering his singing.

In his adolescence, Kroenen felt awkward and ugly. He hardly spoke and became angry as he perceived his natural beauty was being taken from him with every day. When he broke a mirror and cut himself on the shattered pieces, Kroenen felt he could take that same jagged shard and carve something more beautiful than the face in the mirror's remains. Nurturing the deranged thought, Kroenen turned to books to investigate if his idea were possible.

As Kroenen studied medical manuals, artistic journals, and engineering texts, her also began to explore masochistic rituals by engaging in self-flagellation as a way to cleanse him of his sins in case his bodily changes were a punishment from God.

As a young adult, Kroenen went to medical school as his deranged mind developed an extreme form of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. During this time, he also became interested in germ theory. Kroenen designed a bodysuit and gas mask to filter out germs so he would have less concerns about developing an infection as he became obsessed with flaying the top layers of his flesh from his body.

### Karl Kroenen: 1903 - 1918

While on holiday from university, Kroenen has a disturbing dream and woke with the taste of blood in his mouth. The next morning Kroenen woke to find his father brutally murdered in his bed. Believing that he would be blamed for the murder, Kroenen disposed of the body and forged a suicide in his father's hand, claiming to have taken his life by leaping off a nearby bridge.

Kroenen returned to finish his studies. By the time he graduated, Kroenen has begun to study the concept of integrating mechanical constructs in his living body to help attain the perfection he desired. As his infernal magic had began to reveal itself in discreet ways, Kroenen was quickly mastering a primitive form of technomancy and it drew the attention of another.

Gerhardt Gestern surprised Kroenen is his lab one morning and offered to assist Kroenen is his endeavors in exchange for Kroenen becoming his new lab assistant (with Gestern's last one having failed him). Kroenen agreed and the two became a solid team for over a decade, drawing the attention of the Thule Society.

### Karl Kroenen: 1918 - 1944

Both mentor and and pupil joined the secret society upon receiving an invitation from the demon Belphegor. Also joining them was Gestern's wife. Shortly after his joining, Kroenen was called away by Belphegor to take on another operation. It is unclear when Kroenen first met Ilsa Haupstein but this was definitely his first encounter with Grigori Rasputin. Upon learning all three had been given the power of Azazel's blood, they formed a witch coven and pledged their service to Belphegor.

With Ilsa operating as the face of their operation and Rasputin studying sorcery, Kroenen kept himself occupied by fashioning a new body for Rasputin. He and his mentor created several homunculus prototypes over the course of the next two decades, but none were quite suitable. In his spare time, Kroenen continued to make 'improvements' on his own body — such as removing his lips as he favored the skeletal grin and excising his eyelids so he would never need to blink as a way to give him an edge in his extreme fencing training.

Eventually, Kroenen had a breakthrough when German soldiers uncovered some of Gestern's early work. Upon examining the simulacrum's design and the alchemical process through which Gestern constructed a new body for it, Kroenen had an epiphany and used that to finalize a perfect body for Rasputin.

With Rasputin restored, the trio of witches were ready to unleash their dark plan.

## Threat Assessment

### Resources

* **Grigori Physiology:** "Grigori" (from the Greek egrḗgoroi meaning "those who are awake") are powerful cambions with dark magic. The term "grigori" is both singular and plural.
	+ ***Alchemy:*** Kroenen is a master of alchemy. He can create homunculi, simulacrums, potions, elixirs, and even knows how to forge and shape using mystical metallurgy.
	+ ***Blood Drinking:*** Kroenen's power can be further accelerated though drinking the blood/ichor of ephemerals, psychics, and other supernatural beings.
	+ ***Emotional Surge:*** When angry, scared or in pain, Kroenen becomes more dangerous than usual as his blood draws in ambient infernal or eldritch energy from his surroundings, giving him an arcane adrenaline boost. This may augment their physical or mental capabilities or exhibit itself in a temporary arcane power.
	+ ***Resistance to Infernal Magic:*** As Kroenen has the blood of Azazel, infernal magic has a diminished effect on him.
	+ ***Sensitivity to Infernal Energy:*** Kroenen can identify infernal energy and sorcery. He can also sense trace amounts of infernal energy in his vicinity. This ability allows Kroenen to recognize other grigori, both by sight and the residual signals left behind at a location where they used their powers.
	+ ***Sorcery:*** Korenen's attention to detail and precision makes him a skilled ritualist.
	+ ***Supernatural Senses:*** Kroenen has the ability to pierce the veil with his basic senses, allowing them to see and interact with ghosts or other unseen forces.
	+ ***Technomancy:*** Kroenen has the luxury of studying technomancy under the world's greatest technomancer. In addition to being a master technomancer, Kroenen is also a highly skilled wardsmith, exorcist, summoner, and bindwight.
* **Infernal Witch Endowments:** Kroenen is a witch, pledged in service to Belphegor.
	+ ***Enhanced Agility:*** Kroenen possesses paranormal reflexes, dexterity, coordination, and reflexes. He can dodge bullets and even deflect them when armed with blades.
	+ ***Enhanced Resilience:*** Kroenen is more resistant to injury than normal people.
	+ ***Enhanced Strength:*** Kroenen is much stronger than his frail frame would suggest.
	+ ***Occult Instinct:*** Kroenen has an innate instinct for the occult and gradually learns new lore regularly, though due to his interests much of these are technomantic formulas and alchemical processes rather than traditional spells and rituals.
* **Body Modification:** Kroenen has performed a number of unconventional surgeries on himself.
	+ ***Alert:*** Kroenen is always conscious. If rumors are to be believed, he can no longer sleep and instead engages in meditation to preserve what is left to his sanity.
	+ ***Immortal:*** Kroenen does not age. In fact, it is quite possible he is no longer alive (at least in the traditional sense) and may simply be some sort of clockwork cyborg. It is said that Kroenen's blood has turned to dust (while other sources claim his blood has been replaced with a metallic fluid known as electrum).
	+ ***Intelligence:*** Kroenen has apparently added adamant filament to the surface of his brain to improve his neural impulses, increasing his intelligence and reaction time.
* **Clockwork Arsenal:** Kroenen has an armored bodysuit, gas mask, and specialized blades — all of which he created himself using adamant, iron, mythril, and aurichalcum. The googles of his mask keep his lidless eyes moist and also provide nightvision and thermal sight.

### Weaknesses

* **Insanity:** Kroenen claims he is beautiful. While beauty is in eye the beholder, he is clearly unstable. He also has a skewed view on other things most view as attractive or breathtaking. He is also obsessed with efficiency and precision.
* **Owned:** Kroenen is usually allowed to freely operate, but most act when called upon by either Azazel or Belphegor or suffer severe consequences.
* **Unmotivated:** If left to his own devices, Kroenen would remain sequestered in his lab, continually "perfecting" himself.

### Analytics

* **Physicality:** 5 — Master / Remarkable
* **Occult:** 5 — Master / Remarkable
* **Weaponry:** 7 — Legendary
* **Expertise:** 5 — Master / Remarkable
* **Range:** 5 — Master / Remarkable
* **Strategy:** 5 — Master / Remarkable
	+ **TOTAL:** 125
	+ **RANKING:** High Threat

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* Kroenen does not mention his father or mother by name. Historical records are not much help. Records state that a Baroness Kroenen and Baron Kroenen died in 1880 and 1902 respectively, the records don't provide their names. Baroness Kroenen's death was ruled "murder by blade" and the baron's "suicide by drowning".
* Ilsa Haupstein provided him with many victims from her husband's prison Karl would need to perfect the creation of Rasputin's new body.

### Notes

* Karl Kroenen is a character from the *Hellboy* series and its related media.
* His backstory is inspired by the movie version of him.

## Gallery

Kroenen.jpgKarl KroenenSponsorship Needed - Male.pngKarl Kroenen (Variant)
## Network Files

Network Files Karl Kroenen 1.pngNetwork Files: Karl Kroenen 1

## Links and References

* Appearances of Karl Kroenen

1. ↑ Network Files: Karl Kroenen 1
2. ↑ Network Files: Ilsa Hauptstein 1