Monsignor Paul Hill
Name: Monsignor Paul Hill
Tradition: Celestial Chorus
Nature: Crusader
Demeanor: Idealist
Paradigm: It’s All Good – Have Faith – The world and all of creation is inherently good. Evil is the act of working against creation and the divinity created by God for all people. Those who do evil sow disorder and chaos, which in turn causes harm against their fellows. Magic is the process of either restoring order by undoing evil acts, or celebrating the love and divinity that exists.
Practice: Faith – Through Faith, all things are possible. When one submits to God, and accepts His (or Her) plan, it is possible to become an instrument of the Divine. Evil is acting in opposition to the natural universe. Faith allows a Mage to either correct this opposition, or perhaps become part of what is supposed to happen.
Avatar: Grandfather (Dynamic Avatar) – The figure stands 7 feet tall and is draped in a black robe. The hood falls forward to completely cover his face, and his sleeves fall low enough that one cannot see his hands. When he speaks, the voice is old but strong, and possesses both an affection and patience, like an honored Elder speaking to a young child.
Burden: Paul Hill is not his name. He took the name Paul from the apostle, a persecutor of Christians who became a follower of Jesus. The name Hill refers to a location in Bosnia where he witnessed the massacre of a village by Serbian troops. Though ethnically Serbian, Father Hill was born is Bosnia and spent his life trying not to drown in the hatred that has consumed the region since before World War I. When the war broke out he tried to offer sanctuary to all who needed it, but after one betrayal after another, with Croats, Serbians, Bosnians constantly using him to lure in the vulnerable, he snapped.
Just as God whipped out Pharaoh’s army for Moses, Monsignor Hill wiped summoned an angel to wipe out the armies of the Balkans, making no distinction between man, woman, or child. The blood spilled in his name, in God’s name at his words, haunts him to this day. He recognizes it as evil, and yet he feels no guilt or remorse.
Prized Possession: A Bible given to him when he took his vows from his mentor. The cover is worn and old, the spine broken from multiple readings. The book contains hand-written notes in some of the margins, with passages underlined or highlighted. There are multiple ribbons for page markers, and it’s stuffed with papers with some of Hill’s favorite homilies given by men he’s admired.
Drive: Monsignor Hill is seeking a personal resurrection. The war, killing, atrocities in the Balkan’s have left him spiritually unclean, and he desperately wants to find a way to cleanse the guilt he feels for actions he’s not sure were even wrong. In the face of genocide, is there any sin greater than inaction? He’s come to Phoenix to replace Father Decklin, hoping that moving away from his homeland will allow him to find himself.
Pride: Father Hill has a daughter. Breaking his vows of celibacy, he had a relationship with a married woman when her husband went off to war. Together they had a child, and though she does not know who he is, she has been a source of hope in times of sorrow. He recently made arrangements to get her and her family out of Bosnia, moving them to Phoenix. She has a full scholarship waiting for her when she turns 18 at ASU.
Relationship with the Traditions: The Celestial Chorus recognize that Father Hill is a man in need of help. While he has made questionable choices, many are hesitant to judge given what he has been living through. Arrangements were made to secure him a spot at Phoenix Rising as the chantry welcomes a new class of Acolytes, hoping that perhaps his wisdom can help a new generation of Mages, and that generation can help him.
Relationship with the Community: New to the city, Father Hill is seen as something of a mystery by those outside of Phoenix Rising and Serenity Valley. Ravenscore, the Camarilla, and the Desert Shadow Sept recognize a man of power and will, capable of great and terrible things. They just don’t know what exactly that means.