Graf Marcellus Von Karsh

Son of the German Hanseatic Ambassador to British America, nobility is all that protects Marcellus von Karsh from the many dark rumors surrounding his name. It is known that he was sent at a young age to train for three years in the permanent darkness of the Black Forest to become a Nachtjaeger, the noted hunters of the dark. He was expected to return to the Hanseatic embassy in Jakarta after his training was completed. However, he instead appeared in British America not long after he was slated to return to Jakarta. Unconfirmed rumors whisper that during a storm in the Black Forest, von Karsh suffered æster exposure and murdered his entire camp. It’s been theorized that he fled for fear of internment in the legendary Howling Houses of the former state of Germany. He now occupies his time prize hunting in the outlying regions around the St. Louis City of Light. This volatile and unpredictable individual is hidden behind not only his distinct breathing mask, but also amongst swirling rumors of his heritage, activities and even his sanity. Many question the truth of his nobility, but none dare confront the unstable Graf directly. Challenging him publicly or privately on that issue has lead to the very public death of one noble, and the rumored deaths of many unknown people in the darkness outside the city. It's whispered that the meat and leather he sells are from unlucky human victims. If one chooses to confront him, they may become part of the grisly products he sells at the trade houses in St. Louis. In the city, his eccentric presence is interrupted for long periods of time in which von Karsh vanishes from the public eye, presumably on hunting trips. He reappears later with large hauls of hides and meat that he sells to tanners and butchers throughout the city. Few can confirm if the man behind the signature mask is even really von Karsh, as he has never been seen in St. Louis without it. Recently, the Graf’s erratic behavior has brought him into scrapes with the law. In the latest incident, he shot down another noble at the man's own dinner party when questions arose about the contents of von Karsh’s hauls. As no one really knows where he vanishes to when he leaves the city, the assumption is that he makes his way out into the darkness to hunt. But rumors abound that he actually never leaves the city, simply removes his distinctive mask and walks amongst the citizenry. It’s been rumored that he’s been seen in the sewers and amongst the Aeroplex Piers.