Portrayed By | John Terry |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Status | Registered Evolved |
Ability | Genetic Psychometry |
Age | 57 |
Date of Birth | April 8, 1950 |
Date of Death | N/A |
Occupation | SCOUT Officer |
Family | Parents (living), Madeline Murdoch (wife, deceased) |
Significant Other(s) | Madeline Murdoch (wife, deceased) |
First Appearance | The New Guy |
Last Appearance | N/A |
Vincent Silas Murdoch is an Evolved police detective with SCOUT, gifted with genetic psychometrics.
Character History
Vincent Murdoch grew up in a position of considerable privilege. His family can trace its ancestry back to William d'Normandie's invasion of Britain, where the man who would become Marius of Murdoch fought for the winning side in the Battle of Hastings. A conversion to Puritanism and an allegiance with Cromwell during the English Civil War saw the family fall out of favor in the homeland, and so the Murdoch's were amongst those that called themselves Pilgrims and crossed the Atlantic to found a City on the Hill. For generations, the Murdoch's have sat as one of the oldest families in what became the United States, with all the advantages that entailed. But after more than a century the family fortune was whittled away by time and inflation, and Vincent grew up with a fine house and a sense of noblesse oblige, as well as extensive family connections, but no great fortune.
This suited Vincent just fine. The dust and grandeur of his grandsires did not appeal to him so much as the legends of his Norman ancestry, with all its Arthurian trappings. Though he could have wallowed in his beautiful but time-worn home in Massachusetts, he chose to enter a life of service to the law, with aspirations to chivalry. He had considerable success, working first in MA's homicide division as a detective, then transferring to New York to live with the woman who would become his wife, Madeleine Chester. He was 32 at the time.
His marriage was happy, though there was some grief when it was discovered that Madeleine was unable to bear children, signaling the end of the Murdoch line with Vincent. After so long imagining he would renew the nobility and daring of his family, it was hard for him to grapple with the idea that his would be the last installment, a short lived revival indeed. After a particularly ugly case in which Vincent received a gunshot wound, he decided to recede to a less 'front-lines' job, keeping his investigations to crime scenes and forensic labs. He enjoyed the work, and Madeleine enjoyed the relative safety it provided.
Personality
Murdoch is a high minded individual who hasn't lost his sense that a man (he hesitates to add 'of his station') must dedicate himself to the betterment of the world. His manners are conservative, his demeanor reserved, save for when he finds a need to dialogue on a matter of importance. He had a great sense of the worth of his family line, but extended forays into the dark sections of his bloodline's history has shattered his illusions of Arthurian heroics. He has been, since the death of his wife and the appearance of his condition, a post-lapsian version of himself, a man haunted by what he has learned and what he has suffered. Still, though he understands the failure of reality to live up to legends, he feels that this does not excuse that failure. He aspires to be a chevalier, however mal fet.
Skills
Evolved Human Ability
Genetic Psychometry
Murdoch's ability allows him to experience the memories coded in the biological material of other human beings. With a certain concentration he can use a piece of genetic material belonging to another person to gain sudden, personal insight into their past, specifically emotional events. This usually means moments of extreme anger or fear, which is useful as a policeman, but gives him a rather dim view of humanity at times. The more intense the memory, the more clearly he can experience it, though it is rarely as clear as a vision, usually more a sudden intuition. His own body is much more susceptible, and this means that he can delve into his own memories, including those of his ancestors. This, however, is dangerous for him, since it can overlap into his own experiences, as well as forcing him to relive the worst moments of his life and the lives of his family. To alleviate the affects he takes antipsychotic medication; if he fails to, he can backslide into severe depression and delusional psychosis.
Timeline
January | Title | Summary |
15th | The New Guy | Murdoch pops in for his first day on the job. |
Memorable Quotes
- Something witty here soon.
Media
Trivia and Notes
- Note one.
- Trivia two.