Masonry
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
[[Image: |300px|]]
| |
| Masonry in the base. | |
| Masonry | |
| Player: Kill Favored | |
| Origin: | Technology |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Tanker |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Nathan (Nate) Joseph Greene |
| Known Aliases: | War Mace |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 34 |
| Height: | 6’4” |
| Weight: | 262 |
| Eye Color: | Blue |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American/English |
| Occupation: | Prior: Pharmacist |
| Place of Birth: | Boston, MA |
| Base of Operations: | Independence Port, Paragon City. |
| Marital Status: | Single, in relationship |
| Known Relatives: | Father, brother, sister |
| Known Powers | |
| Stone/Mace | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Confidential | |
| Equipment | |
| Confidential | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
[edit] The convoluted life of Nathan Greene.
[edit] First life
Nathan was named after the Revolutionary War general who was a native Rhode Islander. He was always short, heavy set throughout most of his years, and consequently picked on because of it. He was also nerdy, into computers and Dungeons and Dragons.
He was constantly bullied throughout his school years, and never forgot the beatings, the harassment, that the bullies gave him. Many of them ended up in gangs, but some led normal lives after high school, never knowing of the hatred and vengeance carried in Nate’s heart for over 20 years.
Nate became a pharmacist, telling everyone he was looking for a cure for cancer, but in reality he was looking to develop a drug that could help short, heavy set boys and men like him to become large and strong enough to beat back the bullies that plagued them. At the same time his friend Darcy was attempting to make armor made of synthetic granite. The two of them got together and began working on things.
Then Darcy had a breakthrough, and was able to develop armored arms that could generate the synthetic substance on demand. About two months later, Nate also had a breakthrough, and injected himself with a compound of assorted legal and illegal drugs – basically Superdine without the green skin. It did make him densely stupid, easily led, and a gentle giant.
However, the first thing he did was go after his old bullies – and kill them. To atone for this sin, he took the heroic name of Masonry, both after the stone and the mace he carried. He took his maces from Warriors that he beat up in Talos Island.
[edit] Benakasar and Lodestar
This was until the pain of the constant change and the wearing off of the drug became too great that he thought of suicide. A Peacebringer heard of his plight and offered to join with him. The Peacebringer killed him – so they both thought. The peacebringer was actually a Nexus in disguise, a Nexus named Benakasar, an “artist” and master of torture. He planned to bring his own version of beauty into the world, using Nate as the vehicle.
Nate saw what was going to happen and chose to extract the Nexus in an experimental procedure. He thought the creature was extracted forcibly, but it ended up entering the mind of a nearby nurse and taking it over, forcing him to escape to the Isles where he performs his “art” in front of private audiences, and does it in the name of Masonry.
Meanwhile, Nate admitted to the killings he had committed, including the murder of two little girls who were the daughters of one of the bullies he killed. He killed them to silence their screaming, he said, and had hoped being a hero would have made amends for it. Instead he was put in the Zig under consecutive life sentences, being allowed to only come out to assist Guardian Jason Pace, also known as E-VAC.
Enter an old, retired hero, Powerhouse Jack, also known as the Kheldian Lodestar. He heard of Nate’s plight and approached the parole board and Nate with the following: Allow him to enter Nate’s body as a willing host, and he would make sure Nate wouldn’t do any more killings. This was agreed, and Nate became Lodestar’s new host.
However, neither of them knew how angry Nate had become over the years, how he had seen bullies around every corner. Even E-VAC and Fyre Hex, two friends who had tried to help him, he saw them as enemies. In time, he fell in love with one of his team mates, Keen Frost, who accepted him for what he was.
E-VAC’s daughter was wanted by the man who “cultivated” E-VAC, David Styrm (E-VAC’s entry is probably forthcoming). During a moment of weakness, Nate offered up the daughter for Styrm’s use. This changed Nate from friend of his teammates to an enemy in an instant.
He also started going to the Isles, drumming up support among the disenchanted gang members. He grew to power entirely by fear, by beating up or killing his own thugs for pleasure or fun. Eventually the FBSA (Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs) found out about it and threatened to put him back in prison, if he didn’t choose to work exclusively for them. He agreed to do so.
Lodestar, in the meantime, had not had such a tough host to deal with. The host not only lied to everyone, but lied to himself, so even he had no idea what to think. He attempted to take over the host but Nate was too powerful. Lodestar enlisted the help of a StarWyng, an ancient order of soldiers who took and accepted orders without question. Her orders were to kill him if Nate got out of control. This created constant animosity between the two heroes, and they destroyed part of the base during a battle between the two of them.
Finally, it was too much for him and he killed in the Isles again. He was sent to the Monkey Island Asylum for the Criminally Insane, and there found out that Styrm, an old nemesis of E-VAC’s, had broken out of prison. Nate didn’t know if Styrm was going to go after him, and so committed suicide by turning to stone. However his ghost still haunted the place.
[edit] Relationships
[edit] Twisted Twilight
A woman, an embodiment of darkness, found out about Masonry and went to the Island to restore him to life. He now had an admirer who accepted him for what he was, and fostered it. Eventually the two became lovers.
Masonry suffers from Borderline personality disorder, which, in short, means he can’t have meaningful relationships, as he attempts to sabotage them himself because he doesn’t trust the other person. Then he assumes he’s a victim and becomes mournful and suicidal. A motto could be, “I hate you! Don’t leave me!”
In his relationship with Twist, he doesn’t trust when she’s not around. He wants part of her, always, and now has become her servant and does whatever she says.
Technically, he’s retired. According to the Freedom Phalanx, he's dead.
[edit] Keen Frost
Before his relationship with Twist, he had a long relationship with Keen Frost. Their relationship was based on "mutual comfort". Mase wanted to "fix" things that he thought Frost needed help on, Frost refused, knowing Mase needed more "fixing". The two of them cared deeply for each other, and even though Mase could be a cold-hearted killer, around Frosty he was something different, a warm, caring teddy bear.
Frost eventually broke up with Mase, which even Mase knew was for the best. However, Frost distanced himself from society and retreated into his own ivory tower, where he bought low and sold high at Wentworth's and became a very rich man. Mase struggled with wallowing in death and killing, and slowly realized what he had lost with Frosty. Eventually, the two of them got together again.
See Bladeless for a continuation of Mase's story.
