Gabriel
Alternate Names: The Moon Baron, The Vampire Lord, The First, The Eternal One, Cain, Hades, Adam
Age: Gabriel is said to be one of the oldest vampires ever to have walked the Earth. According to many, he was the very first vampire to be spawned, and he supposedly holds the secrets to where vampires came from. Others say that he's merely one of the more mysterious Oldbloods. His true age is a complete mystery. The first mention of a powerful vampire by the name of Gabriel dates back 500 years, but there are links to comparable beings as far back as Ancient Egypt and China, two of the oldest civilisations ever to grace the planet, and he's been known to state that he's used multiple names.
Capabilities: Like his true name and age, Gabriel's true powers are a mystery. According to some, he formed the inspiration for dracula, and he can transform into beast, hypnotise his opponents, and his only weakness is sunlight. However, many claim that he is capable of turning day to night, switching bodies, calling up the dead from their graves, and performing a whole list of increasingly unlikely acts of magic. Throughout history he has supposedly performed every act of magic known, including the parting of the red sea, and devouring the sun itself. While quite clearly the vast majority of these acts of power are mere fabrication, Gabriel quite clearly spreads deceit and misdirection everywhere he goes, intentionally making his true power and limits unclear. Perhaps the greatest power he possesses is the sheer reputation he has garnered through these acts of misdirection, although those poor fools who attempt to challenge Gabriel, and prove his reputation false, tend to be driven to insanity. Those few who have seen Gabriel truly fight and lived are in no state to tell reality from their own delusions.
History: From the moment of SOLDIER's first founding, Gabriel has been a target of immense interest. Vampires throughout all of history have believed in a 'first', supposedly a being that was the very first vampire. This would be a god among vampires, a religous figure of immense power, capable of wiping out entire armies with ease. Of course, different vampiric religions added multiple details, but this figure was always incredibly powerful, incredibly ancient, and usually aloof from the world. Gabriel seems to have occupied this space, and thus the natural question was whether he truly was the First, or simply an enterprising vampire who wanted the reputation. Of course, researching a vampire that intentionally makes all information about it scarce, and has the power to spread deceit and insanity wherever it goes, is more less futile. For every piece of accurate information, there are a hundred pieces of bullshit, and finding the truth is nearly impossible.
What is known about Gabriel is the patterns in which he moves, and the aftereffects of his passage. Unlike most vampires, he doesn't seek out conflict, and seems completely content most of the time simply walking among men, observing, or perhaps discreetly spreading chaos. He has been recorded performing almost every vice, from gambling to adultery - apparently he's quite the flatterer, although even this is unsure, as the lady also claimed he picked her up in an Apache. The general gist seems that as long as nobody bothers him, Gabriel has no intention of messing with the affairs of the world, at least not in any noticeable manner. He's even purchased a couple of houses, which were then tracked down, and then left alone. SOLDIER rapidly discovered that attempting to spy on the self-proclaimed Lord of Vampires was an incredibly bad idea, because with a few words Gabriel could start a vampiric Holy War.
Currently, it's unknown if he had anything to do with the shattering of the Blood Compact. Dresden, one of the Oldbloods held responsible for spreading a hate for humans among vampire kind, as well as wiping out several SOLDIER outposts, has not been seen to have any real connection to Gabriel. However, Gabriel IS known to be blood related to Mithias, although the amount of generations between is completely unknown.This is one of the reason Mithias was originally accepted into SOLDIER, although it soon became apparent that Gabriel had little interest in his estranged family.
Personality: Again, as with all things surrounding the self-proclaimed Lord of Vampires, his intentions and views of the world are an enigma. However, he's been known to be flamboyant and fickle, quickly turning from friendly to raging. He can be terrifying and cruel when he feels like it, and scenes have been found where he somehow forced a man to eat his own children alive, or drove a small child into a cataconic state of depression just for bumping into him. However, there are also stories of him performing miracle cures to those he liked, supposedly solving cancer as well as a number of other diseases. Some have even sought him out for his supposed capability to cure even terminal illnesses. Lastly, he's been known to enjoy a variety of games and activities. He'll happily engage in games of chess, poker, or any other game of luck or skill, esspecially when the stakes are high. Some people have even won their lives or families by challenging Gabriel to a game of one sort or another.
