(Archive) Father Francisco Cortés

## History

####    Early Childhood

The man who would later become known as Father Cortés was born as the youngest child of a disgraced noble family, one which had had ample contact with celestials in the past. As tradition in his homeland dictated, the youngest child was to be given to the Church, and so, at the tender age of eight, he was taught to live a life of discipline, piety, and compassion.

#### Religious Teachings.

Within the Trinity, every follower chooses one of three paths, equating to the three aspects of the Trinity; the Body, the Mind, and the Spirit.

The Path of the Body is a path of harsh discipline, where the trainee must hone his or her body to a sharp point, always seeking to improve their body as they are taught the tenets of the Trinity. This path is taken by those who will go out into the world and spread the word of the Trinity, as well as those tasked with defending the Church in all its forms, such as Paladins and Warpriests.

The Path of the Mind is a path of constant learning, wherein the trainees cultivate their embers of knowledge into a roaring blaze, ignited by the curiosity and wellsprings left behind by those before them, cultivated by constant teachings, always seeking to go further so as to better enact the Trinity's will. Naturally, this means that the Trinity is an ever evolving and changing faith, growing to adapt to the world that surrounds it without abandoning its core beliefs. The path of the Mind is most often taken by those more scholarly inclined, as some oracles and clerics are

Finally, the Path of the Spirit is a path of introspection, where the trainees look within themselves and at those who came before them, trying to reach a sort of enlightenment, so as to be closer to their aspect of the Trinity. Members of said path are also some of the most important members of the faith, as they are the ones who deal with the departed and their spirits, hoping to guide them properly into the afterlife. This path is normally taken by Oracles, Clerics, and some shamans.

#### Training

Of these three paths, a young Francisco was inducted into the Path of the Body, too unfocused for the Path of the Mind, and too worldbound for the Path of the Spirit. He was assigned to the tutelage of an older priest named Juan, who, with kindness, constancy, and reliability, quickly enshrined himself as Cortés' role model, and Francisco worked tirelessly to achieve the expectations his tutor had for him. However, Francisco never knew exactly what Juan's work involved, his tutor merely noting that he worked day and night to protect the church.

At the age of sixteen, right before the ceremony where most members of the Trinity would finally choose their specialization, Juan took Cortés away to a restricted area of the church, Where he finally revealed the truth. Juan was one of the few Inquisitors of the Trinity, working tirelessly from the shadows to ensure that their more insidious enemies were eliminated before they had a chance to ever make a move. Thus, he was offered a choice, to take direct action against his enemies, or to remain in the church, forever bound to silence.

Cortés chose the former, and he was taken to continue his training, now to channel the wrath of his god over his other aspects alongside constant reinforcement that these teachings must only be used for Good.

#### Missions

With five further years of training, he was fully ordained, and sent on his first mission. Officially, he was sent on missions of peace, to introduce new peoples to the faith. His real orders, however, were to find any traces of chaos and evil within the area and dispose of them accordingly.

His life quickly settled into a rhythm, spending a year out on a mission before returning to the church, where he would rest for a few months before setting off once more, reaching remote corners, both spreading the word of the Trinity and suppressing any evil lurking under the surface.

#### Shattering and reforging.

This routine was shattered upon his return one year, when he found the temple a ruin strewn with half rotten corpses. For a moment, he grieved, his will almost breaking, until he noticed a symbol painted in blood over what used to be the main altar, a symbol that turned his mind to steel. It was the symbol of Rovagug. From here, he scoured the land for any follower of the Rough Beast, and exacted Retribution upon them. He spent ten years upon this task, and while following a lead on one of their subcults, he embarked on a vessel headed for a secluded island. However, in what could be called a twist of fate, or an act of God, depending on one's disposition, his ship was caught in a storm and shipwrecked, and leaving Father Francisco Cortés washed up on an unfamiliar beach...

## Appearance

Father Cortés is a well built man, having trained since youth to improve himself. He is lithe yet not weak, and those who can see his hands may plainly see the many calluses attained by his constant work. His face is normally set in a stern, almost paternal gaze, his dark eyes betraying wisdom seemingly beyond his years. His shoulder length hair is naturally rough and coarse, unwilling to be tamed, a task he has given up on years ago, content to trim its length every once in a while. Cortés, when not working, wears the black cassock that all priests of his Church do, adorned simply with a gold cross. When working or out adventuring, he switches to a longer, yet lighter black coat, which allows him both greater freedom of movement and greater ability to hide his movements.

## Personality

To those he has reservations about, Father Cortés will be polite and civil, yet try to not reveal details about himself. Towards those he judges positively, he will be affable and kind, offering his help without a second thought. Furthermore, he will be compassionate towards anyone in dire need, not hesitating to part with money or volunteer his time to aid those in need.

Father Cortés is a simple man with simple preferences. He is an avid wine enthusiast, and usually has a glass a day, or every other day. However, his true hobby involves food, as spicy as possible, a taste acquired in one of his many missions.

## Friends

His mentors and friends in the Church. Raised him and made him the man he is now, though they are now deceased.

In the Reach, he has become an acquaintance of Thundag over their enjoyment of a proper spicy meal. Furthermore, he has an almost paternal outlook towards Alison, given her overly shy personality.

## Enemies

Any and all followers of Rovagug, the Unmaker. His close friends and teachers were murdered by Rovagug cultists, so he will now attack any followers of Rovagug on sight.

## Aspirations

Looking towards the near future, Father Cortés wants to help as many people as possible for him. To go about this, he has built a Church in Hope's Redoubt, from where he remembers all his fallen friends, and preaches, spreading what knowledge remains of his faith.