Damiana

NOTE: Damiana is the chosen name of Damien Kole’s female form. Damiana became one of Damien’s true forms after he agreed to be shifted into a genetic female form by Lydia Lee Cantrell in order to fit into a female-only superhero suit created by Merlin during a mission to the Abyss. After a prolonged time trapped in this form on several occasions, Damien’s body, perhaps his shifting cells,  began to recognize it as a natural state of existence for some reason. Since Damiana doesn’t seem to be going away, Damien resolved to, somewhat shakily, explore this aspect of himself. Damiana is a genetic female. Her brain gender is female, and this has given her a slightly different way of looking at things than Damien. All of Damien’s memories and his personality are completely intact while he is Damiana, just filtered through a different lens and her own unique means of self-expression. Recently, Damiana has begun exploring her own musical sensibilities, writing songs and drumming with the band Temptress.

Occupation: Defender of Animus (Highly placed within the Ministries of Science and Music), Spec Ops Agent (St. James), Musician, SCIENTIST!, Former Master Pilot (Resigned), Founder of the LUMINA Society (Animus), Employee of Massive Dynamic, Member of the Guild Theatrica, Drummer/Vocalist for Temptress, Former Superhero

Father: Known by a very few to be Federation Presidential Assistant Landor Yorke

Mother: Known within his circle of intimates to be the Princess Sunflower “Kingmaker” Angelos

Relatives: Mathilda Kole-Leon (Wife), Jackson Warren (Cousin), Chance Sunflower Kole-Leon (daughter, age 15), Madelyne (sister, largely unknown), William Bell (brother, known by only a few), Michael Adam Kole (twin brother, deceased)

Race: Cornelian

Aliases: Dame Kole, Damien

Known Abilities:

Ability to Hear Powers. Animus Logrus Initiate. Demonologist. Shape Shift (May have demon form). Male true form.

Known Skills: (Student of: the Pilots Guild, Mathilda Leon, Various Fey Musicians, Lydia Cantrell, Jackson Warren, Various Amazon Trainers associated with Olivia North (Diana?), Rupert of the Reich, Priest/ess Karol Morrenson, Belle Morrenson)

Extremely high level of Science!. Master Musician, Producer, and Songwriter. Logrus Guitarist. Expert Mathematician. Amateur runner. Expert Programmer. Tantra Practitioner. Yogini. Dancer.

Inventions:

Sonic Screwdriver Mk. II (psionically-adjustable acoustical transducer, weapon, and tool). Nasty Girl (w/ assistance from Lauren, a modular stun weapon). The Landshark (An earth boring machine, utilizing principles of the sonic screwdriver). SPARK armour. Various sonic disruption weapons. The Starlight Cruiser. (see Damien Kole for full list)

History:

Damien was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on St. James. After the death of his twin brother at an early age, Damien’s father focused a great deal of effort on making sure his remaining son was raised to be tough. Damien’s natural inclinations towards science and music were squashed, and replaced with a seemingly endless variety of sports. Track wasn’t manly enough, so his father pushed him into boxing and football.  Damien threw several major games just to spite his dad.

At Boston University, and finally away from his father, Damien quickly wiggled out of a business major, and pursued his love of music. He played in several local bands, and switched the majority of his classes to reflect his new focus. About a year later, his parents discovered that he’d abandoned his business degree and cut him off financially. Fortunately by this point, Damien was making sufficient money as a musician to easily survive on his own.  It wasn’t until his girlfriend at the time, an occultist named Nell Lawrence, committed suicide by jumping off of the BU library that he decided to drop out of the music program and move to NY.

After  much session work, and many attempts to put together a successful touring band, the line-up of the Hollowmen finally gelled (Anton Kilvorkian – vocals and rhythm guitar, Peter Jekyl – bass guitar, Lee “Beastly” Beester — drums/percussion). The band became the Indie darlings of the NY scene, before signing with Merge Records. They toured extensively to promote their first album, Unhallowed, which earned a best new artist Grammy. One year later, they released “Spiritual Eyes”, which propelled them to full time headlining status, and earned them a best alternative music album grammy.  Rumoured to be “dissolving into an orgy of their own excesses”, they withdrew to an old plantation house in Delacroix, Louisana, set up a recording studio, and began working on their third offering, a double album titled “Chorus and Cacophony”.

At the album release party several months later, a strange event occurred which left several hundred people dead or insane. Damien went mad and was instiutionalized. He was 27 years old. His bandmates never recovered, but six months later, Damien began to show signs of recovery. He spent over a year in the sanitarium, drifting in and out of  a drug-induced stupor. “Chorus and Cacophony” became a best-selling album, fuelled by the bizarre and tragic circumstances surrounding the band.

Eventually Damien figured out that if he ever wanted to get out, he’d have to tell them that the voices in his head had stopped talking to him. Sleeping with his therapist also seemed to help lubricate the wheels (or whatever) of the system. Damien didn’t know that an outside force was also working towards his release.

During Graeme’s command of Spec Ops, Damien was picked up from the sanitarium and drug to a debriefing of a team of seasoned agents. Graeme made it clear that Damien could go right back to the sanitarium, or he could stay and see what the world hidden by the shadows might offer him.

He was still on his meds.

He decided to stay.

Damien would like to think that Graeme (who turned out to be a relative) had his best interests in mind, but recent events have him wondering if he might not have just been exploiting him.

Many missions later, Damien has managed to survive, but not without cost. Several recent careless blunders have him on the outs with several friends, and he’s currently working to rebuild trust.

Damiana has ceased to manifest any traits of the “heroic” mentality instilled in her by the supersuit. She is also not the vulnerable-seeming shadow of a man, trapped in chains of femininity she was when the suit was removed but she was still female. She is much more at ease with her body and persona than Damien is prior to the change occurring.

Damien Kole selected discography: