Lord Mykola Volkh
Established
Roleplay posts: 14
Appearance: Six feet and some change, his skin is pallid, making the shadows cast over his gaunt face seem even darker. His ears taper to a point, whether through the Curse or from before his change is unknown. Black hair falls in a straight black waterfall down his back. His eyes, when sated, are red. The longer he goes without feeding, however, his eyes grow darker until completely black and soulless. Has sharp incisors.
Equipment: ----------
Typically wears a series of seven doublets he keeps in impeccable condition. Wears a mantle even indoors and when alone.
With his magical items effectively neutered, Volkh has been searching for a way to subvert the limitations imposed upon him by the Isles, yet finds no such luck. Thankfully his sword has maintained its barest level of enchantment, allowing him to use it with his supernatural strength without destroying it in the process, and preventing it from dulling with sustained use.
Skills and Abilities: --------
Volkh's use of magic has dampened in the presence of the isles, like many others. Yet his keen mind, his ability to withstand severe punishment coupled with an overwhelming strength borne from his vampiric nature makes him a deadly foe.
Though much of his magic was robbed from him, he has centuries of experience in hand-to-hand combat and swordplay at his disposal.
He is capable of transforming into a large bat or wolf, affording him flight or an increased speed.
Last of all is a strange, magnetic aura. An attraction that tends to alert people of his otherworldly qualities. It could manifest as fear, interest, or even desire. Anyone of power finds it resistible, though would potentially feel the attempt to sway them.
Biography: ---------
Aloof and distant. Pleasant company with those he considers friends or worthy of his time, cruel and merciless to those he considers his enemies. He has no clansmen, no surviving vampires that had passed on their curse and no Fledglings of his own.
Registered: Dec 31, 2021 20:09:53 GMT -5
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Post by Lord Mykola Volkh on Jan 3, 2022 15:37:06 GMT -5
Credit where credit was due. These were not a ragtag militia, cobbled together after disaster and forced together through a all-too-human desire of avoiding death. These were soldiers. They would stay side-by-side, shoulder-by-shoulder to protect their homes and their people of that he felt certain. At least he wouldn't have to hunt down any cowards once he started. He was on a tight schedule, after all. He hardly had time to hunt down stragglers. For a moment, as Ava faced him his mantle shifted and billowed almost imperceptibly, pushed by a breeze unfelt. Yet, as her perception slipped from him, the Lord Volkh began turning before she had even made her declaration.
Interesting.
The creatures that revealed themselves were more than their appearances might suggest. He could hear it in their hearts, or lack thereof. Of blood that sounded as if it flowed through jagged veins, eking out a tortured existence in a body not meant to contain it. And the echoing silence of the undead. The human reeked of magic, yet her blood smelled of the smooth, perfumed scent of royalty. True royalty, not just in word but of bearing. A royal existence whose scent was tinged with that of venom. Like a poisoned glass of wine. It was no secret to him that there was more about the woman than beneath her surface.
As for the other. The sour, almond smell of an animal so wounded that it hasn't even realized its own death. A slow, coagulating stench that brushed against the predatory desire to eliminate competition in the Lord, yet was quickly snuffed out. This...thing, was a vampire but it was a begrudging acceptance. As a wolf might consider the family pet.
With a sweeping bow, Volkh grasped the edge of his mantle, raising it behind him as he crossed an arm over his chest. The bow of greeting an equal, rather than a mere show of politeness he had offered Ava moments before.
"Lady Winterlight, it is quite the pleasure. I graciously accept your...invitation." he offered softly, straitening himself as he stole a glance at Alvaro while the young woman extended her offer to him as well. It seemed 'family pet' was an apt description. With a sweep of his arm, he offered them the opportunity to enter before him. If taken, he would follow after. If not, he would continue before, leading the way through those gates.
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Eliza Winterlight
Established
Roleplay posts: 36
Age: 38
Appearance: Eliza is a striking woman of taller than average height. She owns a plethora of extravagant outfits, many of which she was able to take with her to the Mists before the flood, as well as a more practical set of survivalist's vestments.
She has long, wavy black hair, and eyes the color of a lantern's glow.
Equipment: Elizabeth carries little with her, relying on her magic to solve most problems. She does, however, have many items hidden amongst her outfits, including daggers and poisons.
Skills and Abilities: Elizabeth is a fearsome sorcerer, though not many have witnessed her ability first-hand. Unlike her brother, she does not often flaunt her power, preferring to keep others in the dark about her capabilities. She is a skilled manipulator, negotiator, and a known socialite, having taken on many of the diplomatic responsibilities of the Winterlight Estate.
She is learned in many studies typical of Komali nobility, and is highly intelligent, despite her frivolous nature.
Allegiances: The Winterlight Estate
Registered: Oct 17, 2021 21:21:25 GMT -5
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Post by Eliza Winterlight on Jan 5, 2022 17:14:23 GMT -5
"Splendid news, my good Lord. Please, follow me."
With one last smile, Eliza led the way inside, putting some distance between herself and the vampires tailing her in order to speak closely with Ava. Eliza regarded the woman with cold appreciation, and a look in her eye that conveyed a sentiment that Ava had come to easily recognize after years spent in service to the Estate: 'I'll tell you later.'
"Report?"
"All quiet up to this point, save for one outsider. A woman. Most cookie-cutter story I've heard in my life." Ava's face scrunched up a bit. "I don't trust her."
The sorceress chuckled. "You don't, you say? By the gods, stop the fucking presses."
Before long, Eliza had been caught up to speed of the events of the past few days. Under the watch of the Estate's inner circle, everything had proceeded according to plan. Everything, that is, except for the absence of her brother, who had left suddenly in the pursuit of what he had called, 'A promising asset.' A shame that Julius and herself were each rendered indisposed at once, but - ah well. These things happen.
She felt the presence of Volkh against her back as she walked. It was vastly different from Alvaro's, and nothing about the wretch's reaction had suggested a hint of recognition - if her companion had any grand misgivings about the person who stood in front of them, he had masked it well. It did seem unlikely to her that this man was a member of these Correas. In either case, it was difficult not to assume that Volkh was a creature of darkness himself, regardless of the family or creed to which he owed his allegiance. And just as was the case of Alvaro and others of his kind, Eliza had found that such creatures had historically made for excellent allies. Or at the very least, tools.
Eliza spotted Moira before Ava was able to point the woman out to her. Firstly, due to the fact that she was clearly not a Winterlight; And secondly, because Eliza had discovered that her eyes were more than happy to rest on her. My, oh my.
"Moira, was it?" Eliza extended her hand for the woman to take, a smile still spread thinly across her face. "Eliza Winterlight. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, and my sincerest apologies to have kept you waiting. I hope you have been treated well in my absence?"
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Moira Blaine
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: With her red hair, slender build, and big, doll-like eyes, Moira Blaine is pretty by anyone's standard. It's only upon very close inspection that one might notice that her left eye is made entirely of glass.
Biography: A former agent in the employ of Isra's most secret labs, Moira was charged with watching over the workings of the inner government and keeping watch over the government's inner workings.
Registered: Dec 4, 2021 0:31:13 GMT -5
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Post by Moira Blaine on Jan 5, 2022 19:38:00 GMT -5
Moira had spent her time alternating between smiling at the guards and peering out at the rest of the camp, watching as people went by. The guards seemed attentive enough and the fact that there were two of them had prevented her from sneaking away, so she had little choice but to wait until someone came to get her. Thankfully, she wasn't forced to wait very long. She spotted Ava first, then caught the eye of the tall, stately woman walking with her. Even if it weren't for the deferential nods and the way people stepped out of her way, the sheer confidence and command in the woman's step despite her disheveled state told Moira everything she needed to know. This woman was in charge, alright. Rising to her feet, she accepted the handshake with a delicate grasp, giving Eliza a grateful smile.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Lady Winterlight," she said, making a note of how smooth and uncallused the woman's hand was. Clearly, she wasn't one for wielding a sword.
"I certainly haven't been mistreated, although your guards seem unable to tear their eyes away from me. I'm glad to finally see some friendly faces, though. After so long at sea, I was beginning to fear that I was the only one left. The mist made the loneliness almost unbearable."
In truth, the absence of company (with the exception of her dinner guests) hadn't bothered her at all. Without anybody else to have to keep track of, the solitude had offered a chance to rest and relax that she hadn't felt in years. The mist had taken its toll in other ways, however. Her memories had faded, sucked away in bits and pieces by the endless, mind-numbing fog. Her glass eye was acting up as well, and she resisted the urge to try and blink away the blurriness. Perhaps the enchantments were weakening. Still, she could see well enough to flick her practiced over Eliza in an instant, noting all the rips and scratches in the woman's clothes. She'd been up to something, alright. A fight, perhaps? No, she lacked the telltale bruises along her arms and knuckles that would indicate a fistfight. Besides, the bite marks looked suspiciously human. Glancing away from Eliza, she spotted the two men who'd arrived with her. Which one of them had it been? Both, perhaps? It was an amusing thought, but finding out which one had left the leader of the settlement in such a state would be an important thing to find out. Remembering the intel she'd heard about the Empress of Isra, she smirked. No matter how much things changed, some things were always the same.
"I'd be happy to help out in any way I can," she added. "Anything I can do to earn my keep, after all."
She'd have to feel these people out before she decided how much to reveal, she decided. The camp seemed to be managed well enough, but it never hurt to be careful.
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Alvaro Correa
Established
Roleplay posts: 31
Age: 67
Appearance: Like most Correas, Alvaro boasts sharp features and long, wavy, flaxen hair. Though he has a strapping figure, it's easily hidden behind layered blouses, doublets, and embroidered capes. Alvar trims and oils his beard often, keeping a well-groomed appearance where he can. Just below a pair of long lashes, he has a couple of blue eyes that fade to black.
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Equipment: Alvaro is a political man and prefers not to fight if ever he has the chance to avoid it, but he knows his way around a few bladed weapons. This time, however, he has found himself with a singular dagger.
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Skills and Abilities: The baron's vampiric curse can allow him to change his form into several distinct shapes: a shaggy black dog, a vulture, and a centipede no smaller than his human form.
Alvaro's senses and natural strength are heightened considerably at night and gutter just as significantly during the day. He has excellent night vision that causes him to be blinded entirely in the presence of the sun. If in direct contact with sunlight, he burns.
The Correa family's shared ability is to create loyal thralls without having to sire them into vampires. Thralls are made with a bite that doesn't kill the victim; instead, using the blood that pours from it, they create a sigil that binds them to the vampire. Thralls share a portion of the vampire's strength and can still walk freely in the sun, though with a newfound disdain for it.
Registered: Nov 3, 2021 16:50:55 GMT -5
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Post by Alvaro Correa on Jan 6, 2022 19:23:01 GMT -5
Alvaro followed in as Volkh presented the entrance, and he made sure to do so beside Eliza. He'd since figured out that the woman was more powerful than him, even if her flesh was twice as soft. Either socially or physically, she was his shield in this situation.
Briefly, Alvaro wondered if he would be the one delivering the news to Maribel about the other vampire or if one of the children would. It was likely that she'd be sending one of the little demons out to find him soon.
... well, perhaps not. The family did forget that he was fast asleep on the boat. Was he really on his own now? A strange feeling, that. There was always someone in the family that stuck around, be it one of the children, Vasco, Elena, or someone else. It had been that way for seventy years. The vampire wasn't sure if that was liberating... or terrifying. As a man, he had plenty: a title, land, a beating heart. Exactly what did he gain by trading it all away?
Sweeping these intrusive thoughts from his mind, Alvaro instead focused on the other new guest. He caught her eye just as she was looking at him, and he regarded her with a flat smile and a nod.
Lord Volkh and Moira. Only one of them was making a concentrated attempt to hide something, and even though he didn't know what it was, there was certainly something strange lurking behind those pretty eyes of hers. He left Eliza to that while he, rather reluctantly, gave his attention to the other shadow.
"An odd circumstance, the end of the world. That two men of our make would find one another in such a short time! Coincidence or fate, do you think?
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Lord Mykola Volkh
Established
Roleplay posts: 14
Appearance: Six feet and some change, his skin is pallid, making the shadows cast over his gaunt face seem even darker. His ears taper to a point, whether through the Curse or from before his change is unknown. Black hair falls in a straight black waterfall down his back. His eyes, when sated, are red. The longer he goes without feeding, however, his eyes grow darker until completely black and soulless. Has sharp incisors.
Equipment: ----------
Typically wears a series of seven doublets he keeps in impeccable condition. Wears a mantle even indoors and when alone.
With his magical items effectively neutered, Volkh has been searching for a way to subvert the limitations imposed upon him by the Isles, yet finds no such luck. Thankfully his sword has maintained its barest level of enchantment, allowing him to use it with his supernatural strength without destroying it in the process, and preventing it from dulling with sustained use.
Skills and Abilities: --------
Volkh's use of magic has dampened in the presence of the isles, like many others. Yet his keen mind, his ability to withstand severe punishment coupled with an overwhelming strength borne from his vampiric nature makes him a deadly foe.
Though much of his magic was robbed from him, he has centuries of experience in hand-to-hand combat and swordplay at his disposal.
He is capable of transforming into a large bat or wolf, affording him flight or an increased speed.
Last of all is a strange, magnetic aura. An attraction that tends to alert people of his otherworldly qualities. It could manifest as fear, interest, or even desire. Anyone of power finds it resistible, though would potentially feel the attempt to sway them.
Biography: ---------
Aloof and distant. Pleasant company with those he considers friends or worthy of his time, cruel and merciless to those he considers his enemies. He has no clansmen, no surviving vampires that had passed on their curse and no Fledglings of his own.
Registered: Dec 31, 2021 20:09:53 GMT -5
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Post by Lord Mykola Volkh on Jan 6, 2022 23:04:30 GMT -5
As the two passed before him, the Lord Volkh followed after, allowing himself to drink in the din of soldiers and workers, moving from place-to place, attempting, after their own fashion, to create some modicum of structure here. His eyes closed for only a moment. How much of his power did he still have? He still felt strong. The smells...yes, the stale stench of sweat, the hazy, acrid smell of burning wood. Beyond that...the sharp odor of blood just beneath the surface. His hearing...the scrape of metal against metal, the clatter of armor. The sound of creaking wheels, of rolling logs, shifting stone. They were building something here. The breath of men in tents, speaking in low voices. It was all the general existence of being surviving in the anxiety of an uncertain situation. No, he wasn't being lied to. This was no trap.
His eyes opened a moment later, stopping before the curious crimson-haired woman before them. This one was human, or human-adjacent. That much was clear...what wasn't was the strange sensations that arose from her. Her blood was a cocktail of scents, and it took a moment to sus out which of these many scents belonged to her. Her lurked beneath, like a spoiled peach. On the surface, perfect and perfumed, with something foul once you bit into its smooth, velvet flesh. He crossed an arm over his chest yet again, giving her the shallow bow he had graced Ava with at the gate. It seemed only Lady Eliza had been worthy of a full display.
As Alvaro spoke, he tore his eyes away from the curious new creature, looking instead at the man.
"If the world has truly ended, it missed a spot." he remarked coldly. "Our make is one that is infamously difficult to destroy. Yet to find one another here means there may be more of us than I had anticipated left. It is worthy of note. As for fate? The belief all things happen for a reason is the mercy of the short-lived."
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Eliza Winterlight
Established
Roleplay posts: 36
Age: 38
Appearance: Eliza is a striking woman of taller than average height. She owns a plethora of extravagant outfits, many of which she was able to take with her to the Mists before the flood, as well as a more practical set of survivalist's vestments.
She has long, wavy black hair, and eyes the color of a lantern's glow.
Equipment: Elizabeth carries little with her, relying on her magic to solve most problems. She does, however, have many items hidden amongst her outfits, including daggers and poisons.
Skills and Abilities: Elizabeth is a fearsome sorcerer, though not many have witnessed her ability first-hand. Unlike her brother, she does not often flaunt her power, preferring to keep others in the dark about her capabilities. She is a skilled manipulator, negotiator, and a known socialite, having taken on many of the diplomatic responsibilities of the Winterlight Estate.
She is learned in many studies typical of Komali nobility, and is highly intelligent, despite her frivolous nature.
Allegiances: The Winterlight Estate
Registered: Oct 17, 2021 21:21:25 GMT -5
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Post by Eliza Winterlight on Jan 10, 2022 1:33:09 GMT -5
Eliza smiled once again at Moira, releasing her hand. "I daresay with that attitude, you'll have nothing to fear from loneliness ever again. You've arrived at the Winterlight Estate, after all - so long as you are able to prove your worth, in time I trust you will come to know the embrace of our little family."
The sorceress beckoned to a nearby magister, snapping to catch their attention. "Emory! So good to see you, darling. Might I bother you to fetch refreshments for my guests and myself? Bellevue Classic, I think. You know the one."
She moved to dismiss them before adding, "As well as change of attire from my wardrobe, if you would. I'm afraid my current vestments were subject to the savagery of an unruly beast during my little outing," Eliza remarked, winking privately at the magister. "It would hardly do for first impressions, wouldn't you agree?"
"Right away, Lady Eliza." Emory replied, wearing a smile of false innocence in response to her aside. They had more than a decent idea what Eliza had been beset upon by, if the many nights spent bound beneath her her on the mistriven voyage here was any indication. The Lady liked to play rough.
"Now then - Moira, Volkh, I'm almost certain you have questions. If you'll allow me but a moment to freshen up, it would be my pleasure to speak with each of you over a glass of wine." Eliza clapped her hands together, smiling with performative cheerfulness. "Get to know one another, and all that. And we may do so in private, one at a time. So you might feel most comfortable to... well. To be yourselves, of course."
The tail end of her invitation was stated knowingly - if these two outsiders carried with them secrets, there would be little chance to see them brought to light in the company of a third party. She wanted the two laid bare, in all their prospective ugliness. Better to divide and conquer until the day came where they could call themselves one big, happy family.
"Lord Volkh - how about you, first? Come speak with me in the operations tent - just as soon as I slip into something more comfortable." She smiled coyly at the man, turning next to her own vampire. "Alvaro, would you be a dear and keep Ms. Blaine company while I speak with our new guest? As soon as present business with him has concluded, I'll send for her."
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Moira Blaine
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: With her red hair, slender build, and big, doll-like eyes, Moira Blaine is pretty by anyone's standard. It's only upon very close inspection that one might notice that her left eye is made entirely of glass.
Biography: A former agent in the employ of Isra's most secret labs, Moira was charged with watching over the workings of the inner government and keeping watch over the government's inner workings.
Registered: Dec 4, 2021 0:31:13 GMT -5
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Post by Moira Blaine on Jan 10, 2022 3:58:12 GMT -5
As she met eyes with the two men, Moira gave each of them a wink before turning her gaze back to Eliza. They both seemed to be sizing her up, and not just in the usual way. More like one would gauge a dangerous animal. That was interesting, but not nearly as interesting as their conversation. Two men of their make...what could that mean? Rich, perhaps? Noble? Either was possible, and neither was likely. There was something off about them, and Moira wasn't sure quite what. There would be time enough to figure the two of them out later, though. For now, all she had to do was play the part of the wide-eyed, innocent little castaway.
"It seems that I've landed in a lucky place," she replied, stepping back as Eliza beckoned to the magister. She watched as Eliza played the role of the friendly host perfectly, slipping into the smiles and cheer like a silken gown. It was impressive, and Moira wasn't sure if even she would have done as well. Deciding to play along, she nodded, turning to Alvaro. When Eliza stepped away, she smiled at him, sitting down on a crate and crossing her legs primly.
"So you've known Lady Winterlight a while, then?" she asked, the very picture of innocent curiosity. "Tell me, what's she like? She seems very kind right now, and looks to be a woman of exquisite taste. The sort of person you'd cherish and savor, don't you agree?"
All of the crew onboard The Taste of Sugar had been men, and Moira found herself wondering if women tasted any better. Perhaps the extra fat would make the meat less dry...or perhaps the biggest difference would be found between nobles and the working class. Running her tongue along her upper lip, she looked over her companion. Judging by the torn clothing, he'd at least been a part of Eliza's little adventure. Whether the other man had been involved was still up to be seen.
"Did you arrive with them?" she asked, waving vaguely around at the camp. "Or did you come on your own? I just washed up myself, and I really don't know how many people made it. Do you think we could be the only ones left?"
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Alvaro Correa
Established
Roleplay posts: 31
Age: 67
Appearance: Like most Correas, Alvaro boasts sharp features and long, wavy, flaxen hair. Though he has a strapping figure, it's easily hidden behind layered blouses, doublets, and embroidered capes. Alvar trims and oils his beard often, keeping a well-groomed appearance where he can. Just below a pair of long lashes, he has a couple of blue eyes that fade to black.
________________________________________________________
Equipment: Alvaro is a political man and prefers not to fight if ever he has the chance to avoid it, but he knows his way around a few bladed weapons. This time, however, he has found himself with a singular dagger.
_________________________________________________________
Skills and Abilities: The baron's vampiric curse can allow him to change his form into several distinct shapes: a shaggy black dog, a vulture, and a centipede no smaller than his human form.
Alvaro's senses and natural strength are heightened considerably at night and gutter just as significantly during the day. He has excellent night vision that causes him to be blinded entirely in the presence of the sun. If in direct contact with sunlight, he burns.
The Correa family's shared ability is to create loyal thralls without having to sire them into vampires. Thralls are made with a bite that doesn't kill the victim; instead, using the blood that pours from it, they create a sigil that binds them to the vampire. Thralls share a portion of the vampire's strength and can still walk freely in the sun, though with a newfound disdain for it.
Registered: Nov 3, 2021 16:50:55 GMT -5
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Post by Alvaro Correa on Jan 10, 2022 16:56:10 GMT -5
"Perhaps we are all just... very good at hiding," replied Alvaro. He knew of many Correa vampires, but he hardly, if ever, heard of vampires outside their extended family. In fact, in the past seventy years that he'd been one, he couldn't recall having met another. "Dark corners are plentiful, and we certainly know where to find them." Oh Volkh's comment on fate, the man could only grin. He bore no teeth longer than a human's, but that was not surprising for sneaky bloodsuckers. "A sentiment I share."
As Eliza left to sort herself, splitting up her guests as was courtesy with Lord Volkh, Alvaro found himself left alone with the curious ginger. He dusted off his cuffs and crossed his hands at his front. "I have known Lady Eliza for one full day and half a night. She found herself separated from her camp and I escorted her here. Me? I came here with my family, but they have so conveniently gone missing. We were known as House Correa." He put a hand over his heart, hearing Moira's tale.
"How sad. It must have been so hard, you poor thing." His face feigned a pity that tasted of fool's gold.
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Lord Mykola Volkh
Established
Roleplay posts: 14
Appearance: Six feet and some change, his skin is pallid, making the shadows cast over his gaunt face seem even darker. His ears taper to a point, whether through the Curse or from before his change is unknown. Black hair falls in a straight black waterfall down his back. His eyes, when sated, are red. The longer he goes without feeding, however, his eyes grow darker until completely black and soulless. Has sharp incisors.
Equipment: ----------
Typically wears a series of seven doublets he keeps in impeccable condition. Wears a mantle even indoors and when alone.
With his magical items effectively neutered, Volkh has been searching for a way to subvert the limitations imposed upon him by the Isles, yet finds no such luck. Thankfully his sword has maintained its barest level of enchantment, allowing him to use it with his supernatural strength without destroying it in the process, and preventing it from dulling with sustained use.
Skills and Abilities: --------
Volkh's use of magic has dampened in the presence of the isles, like many others. Yet his keen mind, his ability to withstand severe punishment coupled with an overwhelming strength borne from his vampiric nature makes him a deadly foe.
Though much of his magic was robbed from him, he has centuries of experience in hand-to-hand combat and swordplay at his disposal.
He is capable of transforming into a large bat or wolf, affording him flight or an increased speed.
Last of all is a strange, magnetic aura. An attraction that tends to alert people of his otherworldly qualities. It could manifest as fear, interest, or even desire. Anyone of power finds it resistible, though would potentially feel the attempt to sway them.
Biography: ---------
Aloof and distant. Pleasant company with those he considers friends or worthy of his time, cruel and merciless to those he considers his enemies. He has no clansmen, no surviving vampires that had passed on their curse and no Fledglings of his own.
Registered: Dec 31, 2021 20:09:53 GMT -5
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Post by Lord Mykola Volkh on Jan 10, 2022 17:26:21 GMT -5
Civility was in short supply among mortals. It was pleasing to see it had not gone extinct in the time he had remained absent from human affairs. Their host was amicable, but it carried an undertone of having been forced. She was a naturally pleasing person, he suspected. Her true nature coiled in her until it was time to bring it to bare. Yes, he understood well. When invited to her room he gave another bow, as was customary for a special request of your host.
"Simply call when I am needed, Lady Winterlight, and I shall join you." As she left the room, however, he turned his blackened gaze towards Alvaro. The merciless sheen of the dead hardly seemed to move, yet there was the glint of a fellow predator, regarding a rival. A curious specimen...a subspecies, perhaps? The man's lips moved, and Volkh caught the lack of elongated incisors. Yes, it was more than the smell that differed, and he was thankful for that fact. It was only then that he remembered that it was speaking to him.
"Or perhaps," he suggested, shifting closer almost imperceptibly, seeming almost to eclipse what little light they had provided. "others simply know when they are unwelcome." Withdrawing, the pallid lord gave Moira a small nod. As for her: He would explore further at a later date. He had some rather pointed questions. With that, he followed the siren call of his hostess. As she wanted to see their motivations laid bare, so too did he intend to uproot her own.
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Moira Blaine
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: With her red hair, slender build, and big, doll-like eyes, Moira Blaine is pretty by anyone's standard. It's only upon very close inspection that one might notice that her left eye is made entirely of glass.
Biography: A former agent in the employ of Isra's most secret labs, Moira was charged with watching over the workings of the inner government and keeping watch over the government's inner workings.
Registered: Dec 4, 2021 0:31:13 GMT -5
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Post by Moira Blaine on Jan 10, 2022 20:35:16 GMT -5
Moira eyed Alvaro cautiously, dissecting his every word like cadavers on a slab. He'd arrived with his family and lost them, but didn't seem especially upset. Perhaps they weren't close. He hadn't known Lady Eliza for very long at all, and yet they'd clearly had quite a time together indeed. Either she had seen great potential in him, or was just very impulsive. Either seemed possible, but she decided that such a woman's judgement had to hold at least a little weight. If Eliza was right, he'd be a good ally to have. Now, the only thing to do was to find out why. His mention of his family name gave her pause, though. Correa...didn't she know that name? Thinking back to her time in Isra, she recalled a strange young man with an enthralling gaze and a habit of speaking on topics he knew nothing about. Vasco Correa had been his name, and he'd claimed to be a noble of some sort. Were these two related? If so, she'd have to be careful. While the first Correa she'd met had seemed like little more than an idiot playboy, she had no doubt that he had some bite to him.
"Correa?" she said, deciding to tip her hand a little. "Are you perhaps related to a Vasco Correa? I believe I met him once before. He seemed quite the memorable sort of man. Really quite enthralling...I wonder if it's a family trait. As for me...well, I suppose it's sheer luck and providence that I managed to find such accommodating people. People can turn into such savages after a disaster, after all...I could have just as easily been captured and eaten. Oh, but where are my manners? I don't believe I've introduced myself fully. I'm Moira Blaine, of no house in particular."
The false pity in his voice was almost sickening, and Moira smirked. The man was laying it on awfully thick, thinking she wouldn't notice. That was promising, suggesting that she still had some cards up her sleeve. Offering up her own name gave him nothing, as it was a made-up name from an imaginary family. If only she could remember her real one...but what made a name real except use? Her current name was as good as any she had.
"How do you intend to find your family again?" she asked, changing the subject. "Surely they'd be out looking for you. Is there a particular direction or area in which you intend to search for them? I can't imagine coming all this way, only to lose them so quickly. How did that happen?"
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Alvaro Correa
Established
Roleplay posts: 31
Age: 67
Appearance: Like most Correas, Alvaro boasts sharp features and long, wavy, flaxen hair. Though he has a strapping figure, it's easily hidden behind layered blouses, doublets, and embroidered capes. Alvar trims and oils his beard often, keeping a well-groomed appearance where he can. Just below a pair of long lashes, he has a couple of blue eyes that fade to black.
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Equipment: Alvaro is a political man and prefers not to fight if ever he has the chance to avoid it, but he knows his way around a few bladed weapons. This time, however, he has found himself with a singular dagger.
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Skills and Abilities: The baron's vampiric curse can allow him to change his form into several distinct shapes: a shaggy black dog, a vulture, and a centipede no smaller than his human form.
Alvaro's senses and natural strength are heightened considerably at night and gutter just as significantly during the day. He has excellent night vision that causes him to be blinded entirely in the presence of the sun. If in direct contact with sunlight, he burns.
The Correa family's shared ability is to create loyal thralls without having to sire them into vampires. Thralls are made with a bite that doesn't kill the victim; instead, using the blood that pours from it, they create a sigil that binds them to the vampire. Thralls share a portion of the vampire's strength and can still walk freely in the sun, though with a newfound disdain for it.
Registered: Nov 3, 2021 16:50:55 GMT -5
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Post by Alvaro Correa on Jan 11, 2022 17:29:35 GMT -5
Alvaro didn't remember the last time he shivered. Was it the night of his turning, when Maribel sunk her fangs into him? Was it when he felt his heart failing as the blood was drained from his body? Oh, but perhaps it was even farther back than that! When the suggestion was first made and the demon whispered in his ear about surviving the eons and dominating all those who would oppose him.
In truth, he only knew it was a very long time ago. Until today. Volkh's presence made him feel as though he'd been stripped of everything he'd gained and thrown bare into a cove of sharks. It was here that he felt a shudder seize his spine, where he fought to contain it and failed. He couldn't even answer him.
It took Alvaro several seconds to recover after the other vampire left, and it was then that his and Moira's conversation started. He smiled at her wryly, but then frowned again.
"Vasco?" he rasped. "How in the nine realms do you know my nephew?" Shaking his head, he thought of the options, then scoffed. "You don't happen to be one of his midnight escapades? Please say no, even if it's true. I don't want to know."
Moving on, he cleared his throat and said "I imagine they will find me. They're very good at that," he mentioned, even though he had his doubts. He brushed his shoulders, trying to shake off the Lord's presence. "I was asleep on the boat. When I woke up, they were gone, and so were most of the dinghies, so I imagine they took a stroll and tried to find food and shelter." He held out his hands, gesturing to her. "As one does. I decided to take the... ship elsewhere and got caught in a storm. When I moored, I found Lady Eliza. We had a nice chat and she offered me safe haven here if I helped her get back to the camp."
Cut and dry.
"You like to ask a lot of questions, curious one."
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Moira Blaine
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: With her red hair, slender build, and big, doll-like eyes, Moira Blaine is pretty by anyone's standard. It's only upon very close inspection that one might notice that her left eye is made entirely of glass.
Biography: A former agent in the employ of Isra's most secret labs, Moira was charged with watching over the workings of the inner government and keeping watch over the government's inner workings.
Registered: Dec 4, 2021 0:31:13 GMT -5
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Post by Moira Blaine on Jan 12, 2022 0:36:37 GMT -5
Judging by his reaction, Alvaro did not seem to hold an especially high opinion of his nephew. This spoke well of his judgement, suggesting that he had at least a modicum of taste in people. Of course, if his "nice chat" with Lady Eliza had gone as she suspected...well, perhaps there was a reason that there were so many Correas running around. Maybe they were just all like that. His answers were telling in their omissions, the carefully bland descriptions suggesting more than perhaps he'd suggested. What sort of person woke up to find their family gone, only to immediately take the ship and flee? It was odd behavior, as though he was running away...but he didn't seem especially concerned about them finding him again. Clearly, this man had a rather complex relationship with his family.
"Questions are the best way to get answers, I've found," she replied, giving him her most innocuous smile. "And I seem to find myself especially short on those these days. More so than anything else, really. You don't seem to like asking them at all, though. As for your nephew...no, he didn't especially impress me. I favor men who have more substance to them, ones who don't speak on topics they know nothing about. If he's here, perhaps we'll meet again. How odd it would be if he was the only surviving person I knew on this island."
Best not to reveal that she knew about Vascos mysterious gaze, she decided. If it was a shared ability among these Correas, the resistance that her glass eye offered to such an ability would be a valuable secret.
"What do you intend to do now, then?" she asked, changing the subject. "If not search for your family, then what? Hide from them? I'd imagine it wouldn't be easy for them to find you if you took their ship."
He'd hesitated when he'd mentioned the ship. Was there something strange about it, or was it simply just a little dingy? The latter was certainly possible, but why would he be so cautious to try and hide the fact that he'd come on such a small boat? Was he perhaps trying to conceal the size of his family? So many questions, and so few answers. Alvaro was right, she was a curious one.
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Alvaro Correa
Established
Roleplay posts: 31
Age: 67
Appearance: Like most Correas, Alvaro boasts sharp features and long, wavy, flaxen hair. Though he has a strapping figure, it's easily hidden behind layered blouses, doublets, and embroidered capes. Alvar trims and oils his beard often, keeping a well-groomed appearance where he can. Just below a pair of long lashes, he has a couple of blue eyes that fade to black.
________________________________________________________
Equipment: Alvaro is a political man and prefers not to fight if ever he has the chance to avoid it, but he knows his way around a few bladed weapons. This time, however, he has found himself with a singular dagger.
_________________________________________________________
Skills and Abilities: The baron's vampiric curse can allow him to change his form into several distinct shapes: a shaggy black dog, a vulture, and a centipede no smaller than his human form.
Alvaro's senses and natural strength are heightened considerably at night and gutter just as significantly during the day. He has excellent night vision that causes him to be blinded entirely in the presence of the sun. If in direct contact with sunlight, he burns.
The Correa family's shared ability is to create loyal thralls without having to sire them into vampires. Thralls are made with a bite that doesn't kill the victim; instead, using the blood that pours from it, they create a sigil that binds them to the vampire. Thralls share a portion of the vampire's strength and can still walk freely in the sun, though with a newfound disdain for it.
Registered: Nov 3, 2021 16:50:55 GMT -5
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Post by Alvaro Correa on Jan 19, 2022 16:13:58 GMT -5
Alvaro could practically see the thoughts swirling behind Moira's eyes as she tried to piece things together. He gave her a light laugh when she said he didn't like asking questions. He laughed again when she commented on Vasco's behavior. "Yes, that's my nephew, alright," he lamented with a sigh, though it wasn't at all serious. He wondered what would happen if she and Vasco were to meet again. The possibilities had him imagining some amusing scenes in his head.
"- what I want to do?" Alvaro said suddenly, the question snapping him out of his daydream. "Oh, there will be no hiding from my family. They're very good at what they do, didn't I say? I'm just going to go where the wind takes me until one of them finds me. Until then, this entire camp and whatever Lady Eliza has in store are the only pieces of civilization I've seen since coming out of the mists and I have no yearning to look elsewhere."
This was entirely the truth and Alvaro didn't need to hold that back. He did, however, not want to be badgered by more questions, so he decided to ask a few of his own.
"I suspect you must have lived in Rondon or Isra if you know of Vasco. Do you know if either city survived?"
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Moira Blaine
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: With her red hair, slender build, and big, doll-like eyes, Moira Blaine is pretty by anyone's standard. It's only upon very close inspection that one might notice that her left eye is made entirely of glass.
Biography: A former agent in the employ of Isra's most secret labs, Moira was charged with watching over the workings of the inner government and keeping watch over the government's inner workings.
Registered: Dec 4, 2021 0:31:13 GMT -5
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Post by Moira Blaine on Jan 19, 2022 16:52:45 GMT -5
What was Alvaro thinking about, Moira wondered, that had caused him to space out so much? His time with Eliza, perhaps? He wouldn't be the first man she'd met to become absent-minded when daydreaming about women. If it was, she'd have to remember it as a useful tidbit about him. It could have been anything, though. She'd have to watch him longer to see what made him tick. Luckily for her, she was in no rush. Time, it seemed, was one of the few things she had in abundance.
"I look forward to meeting them, then," she said. "If they're in the area, I suppose they'll spot the smoke from the camp soon enough and come this way. It's how I found this place, after all. As for me...I lived in Isra before, yes. I was a secretary. I don't know about Rondon, but if Isra was anything to go by, they're both gone. Drowned beneath the waves, leaving only bloated corpses and sunken cities behind. No sense in dwelling on the past though. I was lucky enough to get on a boat, and so I survived. Some others did, more didn't. Where were you from, Alvaro Correa? Were you from Rondon, or did you move to Isra with the others? I suppose you must have been fairly close to them, if you arrived on the same ship."
Asking questions, it seemed, came as easily to Moira as breathing. Your mind is a one-way valve, one of her instructors had once said. Absorb all the information you can, and give away as little as possible. Until she figured out exactly who she was going to throw her lot in with, Moira intended to follow those instructions to a T, ensuring that she held as many cards as possible.
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Alvaro Correa
Established
Roleplay posts: 31
Age: 67
Appearance: Like most Correas, Alvaro boasts sharp features and long, wavy, flaxen hair. Though he has a strapping figure, it's easily hidden behind layered blouses, doublets, and embroidered capes. Alvar trims and oils his beard often, keeping a well-groomed appearance where he can. Just below a pair of long lashes, he has a couple of blue eyes that fade to black.
________________________________________________________
Equipment: Alvaro is a political man and prefers not to fight if ever he has the chance to avoid it, but he knows his way around a few bladed weapons. This time, however, he has found himself with a singular dagger.
_________________________________________________________
Skills and Abilities: The baron's vampiric curse can allow him to change his form into several distinct shapes: a shaggy black dog, a vulture, and a centipede no smaller than his human form.
Alvaro's senses and natural strength are heightened considerably at night and gutter just as significantly during the day. He has excellent night vision that causes him to be blinded entirely in the presence of the sun. If in direct contact with sunlight, he burns.
The Correa family's shared ability is to create loyal thralls without having to sire them into vampires. Thralls are made with a bite that doesn't kill the victim; instead, using the blood that pours from it, they create a sigil that binds them to the vampire. Thralls share a portion of the vampire's strength and can still walk freely in the sun, though with a newfound disdain for it.
Registered: Nov 3, 2021 16:50:55 GMT -5
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Post by Alvaro Correa on Feb 8, 2022 20:40:22 GMT -5
"Looking forward to it. Yes, I suppose you should be," he said with a tint of disdain. As for his background, he huffed. “Originally, I was from Rondon, yes. After the war, I migrated to Isra with the rest of the family. A little more stable, all things considered, and the money was good. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. I was outside of Isra at the time of the flood. It was by luck that I was found, but no one had any answers at the time. I suppose things are starting to come together.” He gazed out into the woods, where the Desmodus was last they saw it.
“Oh. And you can call me Alvaro. I suppose I am no Lord or Marquess any longer. There are no properties or vassals to claim here. Not yet.”
This woman had a piercing gaze and Alvaro couldn’t say he disliked it. Clever women were a particular flavor of his, though it was the one thing that got him in trouble the most. First Maribel, then Maha, Eliza, and now… her? What kind of dark secrets would this woman tie him into, he wondered?
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