[OOC] Revue of Annihilation

[Click This]

@ERode Yup.

Got it, edited. Workplace productivity is more on-theme for Civilization, so I'll stick with that aspect.

[ERode]

Gotta keep the kiddos in the coal mines, after all.

Toss her in after ya got the changes in.

Will start working on the IC now, probs. Maybe even get it up tonight or Friday.

[ERode]

@Estylwen When the IC starts, you want me to immediately yeet y'all into situations, or would you rather be eased in and do the usual 'arrive at Oratorio, react to first time being there' instead?

[Estylwen]

My initial reaction is the ungodly chant of 'yeet, yeet, yeet.' But ultimately I'm fine either way. I have plans with and without. :> GM's choice.

[ERode]

Aaand whappa.

[SilverPaw]

Theodore Valentin

Theodore Valentin

Dhampir | 26 y/o | Male | 180 cm | 78 kg
0th Circle | Blood

Theodore was born due to the whim and obsession of a rich noble and an old vampire. His father had once been human, and had sought immortality at any and all cost, even if it was a fascimile of it. After having had complex magic performed by hired mages, he had become what he viewed as a higher existence - a (faux) vampire. Once gaining the prolonged life he had desired, he had whittled it away as all those faced with a relative eternity do: he had sought to make it meaningful – or at least, desperately distracted himself from the creeping, ever more insistent dread that it wasn’t. Theodore was his latest projects. The old Count Valentin hadn’t merely wanted to create another vampire, he had wanted to father one.

Dhampirs were a known, if rare existence. Theo happened to come into being with far more planning, intention, and resources spent behind it than most. Theodore, however, had no inkling of his origin until a few years into his life.

Because, desire for siring a child or not, a vampire was a vampire. Losing track of time was easy, and keeping that close of an eye on all the women he’d used in aid of his goals? Bothersome.

And so, Theodore was born in a small town to a local witch of respectable skill. His mother had a dubious reputation, known for her haphazard experiments and eccentricities. Her spells and potions had side effects more oft than not, for ill or good.

She’d have strange visitors once in a while, Theodore’s father having been one of them. As for Theo, he was considered weird from birth, what with his hair and eye colour. Too, he had an unusual fascination for blood, one his mother indulged. Granted, she did restrict him to animal blood, no matter how good he thought people (especially when they were bleeding) smelled.

Once or twice, his mother had hidden him away. Theodore didn’t know, not until when she should have done so again, except she hadn’t known it. On a day like any other, he had been playing outside, when an unknown man suddenly approached him. He had red eyes, just like him. And fangs!

While Theo was busy gaping at the tall, pale man, the man in turn started at and studied him. Then, he claimed he was his mother’s friend, and that he would take him to her since he was visiting. So, the 13-year-old boy was led home, still excitable and trusting at that age. When his mother saw them, she nearly fainted. Theo had never seen her so terrified. Ever.

He wasn’t sure what was going on, but the stranger claimed that he was his father, that his mother had kept Theo from his sire. Theodore asked mother if that was true, and she confirmed it. The man – Count Valentin – gave him two choices, then. Either Theo would come with him freely, and his mother would live, or he would be taken by force, his mother killed. Theodore didn’t want his mother to die. He went willingly.

His new life had many nice things for him. His father showed him as much care as his mother had, if in a different way. Theodore had his own, very large room, a soft bed he could jump on any time, fancy new clothes, and was given almost anything he wanted. Toys, books, swords, a horse, whatever he thought of could be his.

He didn’t have any friends now – but then again, he never really had. And there was one other weird thing; his father didn’t want him to eat human food. He said only humans, their lessers, ate that, and that they, as higher beings, could subsist only on blood. Theo liked blood, don’t get him wrong, but he did wish he could eat different things. However, he didn’t dare accept any gifts from well-meaning servants, or complain to his father. When things didn’t get his way, the count could get very, very mean. His father’s rare outburst aside, Theo thought he had a good life with him. The other people living with the count?

Well…many of them had drawn the short straw in life. Some were enslaved, blackmailed, or enthralled by his father.

The rest were either well paid enough, or otherwise affiliated with the count. A few were vampires themselves.

It was a decent life, and despite his father’s peculiarities, it became the new normal for Theodore. Well, as normal as it got being raised as the heir to a noble vampire.

Things became more…bizzare after Theodore reached adulthood. Once in a while, he would have these vivid dreams that he never could quite recall after waking up. He knew they were rather violent, and involved spilling blood, but that was about it. Theo wasn’t sure if they were nightmares, premonitions, or his father’s ‘vampires must hold dominion over man’ ideas finally taking hold.

But that wasn’t all. The count became eerily possessive, oddly fixated on his son. Theo had his suspicions, but he never could have guessed the truth. It was his quarter-of-a-century celebration when it all came to a head. The count wanted to perform a ritual to take over his son’s body – to gain a more perfect, younger form, or some such nonsense. Theodore figured his old man had succumbed to insanity.

But who was he to talk? He was at his most murderous that day, and his urge became uncontrollable; rather, he didn’t care to control it once he learned of his father’s plot. He killed his father – drained him dry, and enjoyed every second of it. Beheaded him, and staked him, and laughed throughout. Theodore didn’t stop there, didn’t stop until almost everyone in that household was dead.

It was freeing. Thrilling. Utterly divine.

And it was only the start.

The next stop? Oratorio.

Path to Ascension

0th Circle Ichor-Blessed

Ichor: 0
Wealth: 0
Followers: 5
Resources: None.
Artifacts: None.
Property: None.

Divine Protection of Blood

Satiated by Blood – Regardless of their species, blood is palatable, nutritious, and safe to consume for his followers.

Starting Benefit

Band of Brothers - 5 Followers. Those you met on the way were moved or manipulated by you to joining your cause.

Arnfinn | Cambion | 14 y/o | Male | 153 cm | 49 kg
Shy | Reserved | Timid
Former blood slave of Count Valentin. Theo saved him because he identified with the kid.

Sana | Human witch | 20 y/o | Female | 172 cm | 65 kg
Curious | Practical | Sharp-tongued
The apprentice Theo’s mother had taken on after her son 'left'. May or may not be Theodore’s half-sister.

Dr. Jaxon | Human physician | 27 y/o | Male | 170 cm | 60 kg
Fastidious | Clever | Germophobic
Follows Theodore for research purposes, has a personal fascination with vampirism.

Maris | Vampire | 166 cm | Don’t ask a lady her age or weight, you fool!
Poised | Refined | Cool
Joined up with Theodore because she was curious about the slayer of the (in)famous Count Valentin.

Ezra | Human criminal | 31 y/o | Male | 185 cm | 82 kg
Selfish | Thrill-seeker | Ambitious
A murderer who had picked the wrong target, and whom Theo had spared for his own amusement.

[Estylwen]

First post is up, please lemme know how it looks.

[ERode]

@SilverPaw
Right, so first off, you got a couple of options here.

1. Vampires existed as a race before the Thousand-Faced God died. They were a long-lived species that drank blood, sorta existing in the same vibe-check as elves did. They, of course, did not turn others into vampires, because magic (and subsequently curses) were not a thing before the Thousand-Faced died. Theodore's dad did some crazy magic in order to become similar to a vampire, using pre-existing ones as a template. Main deal being that that means that dude was maybe 200 years old, rather than being 'ancient'.

2. Vampires exist as monsters after the Thousand-Faced God died. Same pathway for his dad to follow, though once again, dude ain't all that immortal. Just good at being old.

Anyhow, I'm more or less fine with all that ya got. Probably don't get too accustomed to writing small profiles for all your followers, or it'll be a lotta work in the future. Main thing to note is that Theodore's situation in regards to his capabilities is probably a 'big fish, small pond' sorta deal until he gets to Oratorio, in order to justify his backstory antics. Mostly just to prevent min-maxing shenanigans stemming from one's race. With that in mind, he'll mostly be human, but with an extended lifespan, the ability to digest blood, and a slight increase in physical ability compared to like-sized humans.

Otherwise, iz fine to toss into the tab.

[SilverPaw]

@SilverPaw
Right, so first off, you got a couple of options here.

1. Vampires existed as a race before the Thousand-Faced God died. They were a long-lived species that drank blood, sorta existing in the same vibe-check as elves did. They, of course, did not turn others into vampires, because magic (and subsequently curses) were not a thing before the Thousand-Faced died. Theodore's dad did some crazy magic in order to become similar to a vampire, using pre-existing ones as a template. Main deal being that that means that dude was maybe 200 years old, rather than being 'ancient'.

2. Vampires exist as monsters after the Thousand-Faced God died. Same pathway for his dad to follow, though once again, dude ain't all that immortal. Just good at being old.

Anyhow, I'm more or less fine with all that ya got. Probably don't get too accustomed to writing small profiles for all your followers, or it'll be a lotta work in the future. Main thing to note is that Theodore's situation in regards to his capabilities is probably a 'big fish, small pond' sorta deal until he gets to Oratorio, in order to justify his backstory antics. Mostly just to prevent min-maxing shenanigans stemming from one's race. With that in mind, he'll mostly be human, but with an extended lifespan, the ability to digest blood, and a slight increase in physical ability compared to like-sized humans.

Otherwise, iz fine to toss into the tab.

@ERode

Yeah, either 1 or 2 sound fine, don't mind his dad being 'old' instead of immortal or ancient. And sure, I'm not the type to min-max, the backstory shenanigans relied a lot on 'no one expected him to do that', so yeah, big fish small pond's all good. And tbh I did the profiles for the followers only because he's not really close enough to anyone to have a paladin atm, and I wanna try doing some characterization practice, so we'll see how that goes. But you can bet I won't be doing that for the mass of followers I'm assuming a character can get.

[ERode]

In case it wasn't clear, Est, you can do whatever you want with the dude.

[Izurich]

Why am I seen as a child? I'm near thirty, damn it…

@Estylwen

Frederika: "First time?" 🫠

Also, what a cathartically satisfying read, Est, nice.

[Estylwen]

They're in the same boat, I take it. xD And thank you, Izurich.

[ERode]

Tbh, they're not even in the same dimension as each other. Freddy's 4'10, while Elys is 5'5. Literally more than half a foot's worth of difference between the two.

Though both of them would look like children when placed in a room full off these types of dudes.

[Estylwen]

Hehehe, I feel a bit satisfied now. :>

[Izurich]

Tbh, they're not even in the same dimension as each other. Freddy's 4'10, while Elys is 5'5. Literally more than half a foot's worth of difference between the two.

Though both of them would look like children when placed in a room full off these types of dudes.

@ERode

@Estylwen Here, I made a thing for the heck of it (and because height differences is my guilty pleasure):

Note: Benchmark Joe is 5'10".

[Estylwen]

@Izurich

Wow, props to you, it looks good. Visualization really does help. They're both tiny compared to burly Joe... o-o;;;

[Izurich]

@Izurich

Wow, props to you, it looks good. Visualization really does help. They're both tiny compared to burly Joe... o-o;;;

@Estylwen

Plot Twist: I just used a tool and it did everything for me lol, including the graphics.

Also, Benchmark Joe is meant to represent the average male height in the USA, did I overestimate it? Coz' Elys has dead average female height (5'5") so I didn't expect your reaction for her. As for Freddy, yeah she's tiny, even for average female height standards.

[ERode]

Iz fun and occasionally useful, ye.

[Estylwen]

@Izurich

Convenient tool. Haha, nah, I was over-exaggerating a bit with Joe. :> Now we need a scale of some of the larger monsters to get a true sense of smallness.... o^o;;;;

@ERode

How do you know-

[AzureKnight]

@ERode

Am I right to presume there's still room in this for one more? I'm sort of interested.