Marshall Linton
Marshall Marcus Linton (a.k.a. Shale)
Marshall is one of the major characters in the Angelic Blood Chronicles. This page contains spoilers for Book #1 in the series.
Shale is a fifth-generation nephilim descendent of Archangel Metatron whose family line was established to protect the world against the dread demon Leviathan.
Physical Description
Facial Features
Shale has never liked facial hair and keeps his face cleanly shaved.
Identifying Characteristics
Shale has a tattoo on his left forearm that depicts a forest with a path meandering through it. He got it as a tribute to his desire to get back home.
Special abilities
As a nephilim, Shale has greater agility, endurance, and speed than mortal humans. He also heals faster than a mortal human.
As a descendant of Archangel Metatron, his angelic powers revolve around nature. Most noteably, he can encourage plants to grow, and he has some ability to heal sick or damaged plant life. The healing powers come from his relationship with Rowan Courier. His partners have taken on abilities connected to nature and natural elements of the Earth.
Specialized Equipment
Shale carries multiple small blades, including the dagger that was used by multiple generations of his family. His clothing has also been threaded with angelic essence to make it more protective in a fight, and he wears leather gauntlets when he expects to face a fight of any kind. These also double as sheaths for some of his smaller blades.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Shale was raised by his mother, Meredith Linton, at their family home in the mountains. He has never met his father, but that was never something that bothered him. He grew up living next door to his mother's best friend, Rebecca Courier and her son, Rowan Courier, who was Shale's best friend and eventually became his boyfriend when they were teenagers.
Shale's mother required him to attend college on the opposite side of the country from where Rowan went to school, encouraging him to "meet other people." He took this to mean she either didn't want him to be with Rowan at all, or she wanted him to be sure about their relationship and not settle for someone who was convenient. It wasn't until he turned thirty and learned he was a nephilim expected to fight the dread demon known as Leviathan that he understood.
Gender Identity
Shale always considered himself male, but masculinity itself has never really meant much to him.
Sexuality
Shale always considered himself gay because he was attracted to his best friend, Rowan Courier, but as he's gotten older he's recognized there was more fluidity to sexuality than he had previously thought.
Education
Prior to college, Shale was homeschooled by Rachel Courier. When it was time for college, his mother chose which schools he could apply to, requiring him to be on the opposite side of the country from his boyfriend, Rowan Courier, for most of his college career. He chose to attend school for environmental conservation.
Employment
Shale has had multiple jobs related to environmental conversation, including working with National Parks and universities on projects for varying lengths of time. He changed jobs fairly frequently in an attempt to get closer to where Rowan Courier lived and worked, but could never seem to get away from the west coast.
Mental Trauma
Shale was in college when his mother died in what he thought was a freak accident, along with Rachel Courier. He often feels guilty about how his grief had been tempered by the hope that their deaths might mean he and Rowan Courier could stop being apart, and about how angry he'd been to learn they couldn't inherit the family properties and move home until they reached the age of thirty.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Shale will do anything he needs to do to protect his family. While he does care about the rest of the world, which is why he went into environmental conservation, his family is his first concern. He feels responsible for the fact that his partners now all have his powers and have been hunted by Leviathan's minions.
Social
Family Ties
Parents: Meredith Linton and unknown father
Primary partner: Rowan Courier
Partners who have taken on Shale's angelic powers: Willow
Other partners: Bryce
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