Lyric, The Wandering Vampireicon3.jpg
Name: Lyric White-Hook
Age: ??? (Appears 18~25; Defaults to 18 if asked)
Gender: Androgynous Male
Race: Vampire
Appearance:
While very often in disguise, Lyric is androgynous in appearance often to a fault, being mistaken very often for a women at inconvenient times. Without make-up, Lyric's skin is a cold and unnatural shade of light-grey or white like a corpse. When his hunger for blood stirs, his eyes take on a deep red hue and his pupils bend into vertical slants, reflective of the hungry beast within. His vampiric fangs, both on the top and bottom set of teeth, unfortunately are always present. Ear length black hair is often styled or pulled back so as not to hang in his face. Over all though, above all else, Lyric's great shame of his vampirism leads him to always try and come off as human as he can, usually in the form of various disguises that make use of make up.
Personality:
As a result of his background, much of his personality and mannerisms revolve around secrecy and suspicion. Ever determined to hide his vampiric nature, he's developed an opportunistic and flexible side that tries to make himself come off as well as possible in any situation. He is a frequent liar, ever paranoid that he may be sniffed out, and as a result can come off as trying too hard. This can come off as being embarrassing, or purposefully shameful, knowing that acting vulnerable can actually make others see you as more honest. This, however, is often a ruse to his his actual shame. In truth, he's grown surprisingly calculating. Anything to hide his horrible secret, and find some kind of long-term peace.
When the inevitable hunger for blood becomes too great, it becomes increasingly difficult to his true nature. 'The Beast', this hunger, becomes all consuming and he cannot be at peace the longer it goes on. This is where Lyric is both at his most vulnerable, but also most bold, adopting whatever risky acting and roles that might get him a drink of blood, doing things he otherwise would not think to do (Pretend to be a woman, risky encounters with dangerous strangers, seduction, coercion, bargaining, etc.). Ideally, in a way that he could somehow not be found out. Because of his Euphoric Embrace, this feels intensely intimate and, as a result, often gets his feelings caught and feels further embarrassment afterward.
Because of the risky nature of this, and his huge paranoia, Lyric often leaves under the assumption someone will find him out, and so adopts a wanderer's lifestyle. He remains ever hopeful he'll find the perfect place where he plays his cards perfectly so as to live a regular life, but feels immense shame and embarrassment that weighs constantly on his mind. He holds onto the dream that he'll find the place and role where he can shed this paranoia and embarrassment and carve out his own place in the world, trying his best to remain a kind, regular human he tries to make himself out to be.
Equipment:
Small Traveler's Backpack- This contains mostly clothing and a make-up kit. A variety of lightweight clothing to cover just about everything he's collected over time all goes here, with some room leftover for various accoutrements. Being unable to eat regular food enables him to not need to worry about camping equipment.
Stunted Iron Rapier- A rapier with a short blade, longer than a dagger but shorter than a normal rapier. It has a thin hand guard, and is clearly custom made. For the informed blade enthusiast, it has the craftsmanship characteristic of being from Pre-Eruption Lornius. It is devoid of any signs of use, as if brand new.
Money Pouch- A very small bag, itself hidden apart from the backpack. It looks like it could hold just enough for a person often on the go.
Skills:
Adept Cook- Despite food no longer able to give him sustenance, he seems to have picked up a surprising skill at cooking all manners of food. He uses this to appeal to others and help himself blend in, learning what food could taste good to others by the way it smells and plenty of experience in other's reaction.
Masterful Politician (Undiscovered)- Inexplicably, Lyric has a uncanny ability to tune into political discourse, seeming to almost instantly be able to understand complex situations and identify ways it could be used to further advantage one side over another. Likely born from needing to migrate and reintegrate so often, Lyric would make for a powerful member of any cabinet, yet he himself is not aware of this talent and never seems to stay in one place long enough for others to realize this.
Novice Survivalist- Lyric has developed some very basic outdoor survival techniques on his many migrations and wanderings. However, not requiring most things that regular beings would need, this had never developed beyond some basic camp building and foraging.
Green Swordplay- Despite owning a blade, Lyric has never actually used it, and as a result has zero experience in combat. He knows how to use it on paper, and can stab a dummy with the best of them, but would very likely be trumped by anyone with any actual experience. It would take a teacher and some actual experience to awaken any potential that might be here.
Excellent Scribe- Lyric can read and write very quickly, with excellent quality handwriting, to the point of noteworthiness.
Malleable Mind- Learns from others very easily. Is easily enthralled by skilled mentors when in a student position, never distracted from their attention (Unless it involves risking discovery of his condition) and ever glad to learn and make fast progress.
Abilities:
Euphoric Embrace- Lyric's 'Embrace', the act of sinking fangs into another to drink their blood, feels intensely pleasant beyond the initial sting of the bite. The embraced feel weakened and relaxed to the point of losing all will to resist, even if that would mean mortal danger. Brings about a feeling of drunkenness and euphoria until the fangs are withdrawn. This is best done stealthily or when they are unaware, as those on high alert or with quick reflexes (and the strength to shove him off) can quickly break this hold before the effects are felt (About 1.5 seconds with fangs-in). This also has no effect on those who do not bleed. This tends to give the mere act of embracing feel unnecessarily intimate and, therefore, can create a lot of uncomfortable exchanges assuming they aren't drained to death. Lyric, tending to feed only when the will of The Beast was driving him, regains full control immediately after getting sufficiently full and, as a result, is horrifically embarrassed his bite has this effect.
Healing Saliva/Tonic of Tongue (Undiscovered)- Lyric's saliva grants rapid healing properties when applied to wounds. This has no effect on those who do not bleed. Lyric himself is unaware of this property, and as a result, likely does not use it purposefully. This naturally occurs when embracing others, keeping them from bleeding out when fangs are withdrawn. Either another more experienced vampire, or someone knowledgeable about vampires, would need to make him aware of this skill before he uses it knowingly.
Obfuscation of Self (Undiscovered)- Makes Lyric's very existence blot from other's minds. When in use, other's minds do not perceive of him, or evidence of his existence. This effectively acts as a sort of invisibility. However, the mind will eventually, naturally, become accustomed to the ruse and naturally fill in the gaps to reveal Lyric again. This is sped up in relation to how difficult it would be to hide his existence from their mind. Things like knowing something is amiss, being in line of sight, or being very close dramatically speeds this up (Less than a second if done directly in line of sight of someone actively searching for him). Things that make hiding Lyrics' existence from the mind impossible, such as direct contact, immediately break the effect. The same mind cannot be fooled twice by this obfuscation. This is not true magical invisibility, but rather a trick of the mind. As a result, those with addled minds (Such as drunkenness) are not actually affected at all, as well as those with non-humanlike physiology. Lyric himself is unaware of this ability, and uses it unknowingly in desperate situations. Either another more experienced vampire, or someone knowledgeable about vampires, would need to make him aware of this skill before he uses it knowingly.
Background / History:
To Lyric, his unlife begins amid a black sky, on a cold ground, and warm blood. To wake on bended knees, mouth and lips dripping in blood, breathing hard and barely cognizant amid an intense fury as a bestial hunger slowly subsides... Yet, feels no heat beating in his chest. Two others, utterly drained of all vitae, at his sides as this terrible fury fades to make way for intense confusion and fear. This scene of murder, and skin so cold, and when his mind naturally rushed to ask what happened... It finds nothing.
This was the start of Lyric's new unlife. Two corpses beside him, wracked with fear and confusion, in a place he did not know, and without memories to inform him of it all. An unfortunate scene; One he would be forever running away from for all of his days. No knowledge of what he was or what he was before it all. Even among vampires, this was not how it was meant to begin. For Lyric, all he saw was this terrible scene, let loose without guidance upon the world to pick up whatever pieces he could of himself. He found very little. A name, etched on a mostly burnt paper: Lyric White-Hook.
It was not meant to be this way. Before this gruesome scene, the corpses here could yet speak...
Two vampires, of disparate clans. This, near the end of days, the lands of Lornius had erupted into fire, the sky black with soot. Truly, it felt like the end of days. None were safe. Heralding the end of the sun, it should have been a glorious occasion for these creatures of the dark. Yet, where was there to celebrate among all this death?
The vampire clans of these lands had been so established. Bloodlines, with different abilities and traits, carving out their cursed but often comfortable living. So comfortable, petty things drew tribal lines that made them forget they all shared a common unlife. Perhaps, then, this was like divine reckoning, when the volcano erupted. To put an end to these petty squabbles, among what some would say are already petty creatures. The eruption wiped away all tradition, all familial bloodlines... There was only the matter of survival.
It was here, beneath a burning sky, the two lovers chose their fate. Coming from two clans that would have never conjoined before the flames arrived, came together in common purpose. These were the end of days, they thought. This is where they would die. The sun may not reach them, but starvation would. It would only be a matter of time before The Beast within them both turned them against one another, to rip apart all dignity they had left. Ruination of the only thing they had left apart from the ashes: Each other.
So, the discovery of a fresh corpse of a young adult was a shock. Finally, blood. Blood gone cold, but blood regardless. But wait; They knew, for all this meant for them, it only represented brief respite. Brief respite for only one of them, enough to outlast the other. They debated, endlessly, over vitues of why one should hold on over the other. But, in the end, how could either of them dare ask such a thing? To witness the other fall into madness, and lose everything they were. There was no good ending here. Only horrible death, no matter who took the blood. Despair followed, as sure as the soot: This was merely a taunting, this offering of blood. An invitation to prolong their suffering.
As silence took them both, epiphany struck one of the despairing doomed lovers: This was still a gift. A chance to, while not survive, give their forgotten legacy the slightest chance to live on. This corpse, they said, could be our childe... A thing they had always wanted. Vampires do not reproduce like the living, they must make their own. To drain someone of all their blood, then offer a bit of their own to replace it.
Usually, at least for both their clans, traditionally choosing a childe was a intense process of very carefully choosing someone. Someone with desirable traits, or skills, or whatever the clan demanded. Maybe simply finding someone they actually loved. It was something intimate and important, one not to be taken lightly. But they never had that chance, and never would again. Except right now.
This corpse, this could be theirs. It was not chosen carefully, nothing was known of who this was, and they probably had been dead for too long to hold any of themselves left. But, it was here now. Their only chance. But oh, the cruelty. To bring back an already cold corpse. They could turn them, yes, but they always wake hungry and confused. A fresh, hungry vampire, with no experience controlling their beast. It would be the duty of the parents, them, to mentor and guide their new childe through their new unlife. Yet... How could they? There was no one to feed to them. They'd be simply creating a monster.
Well, no one but themselves.
This was their answer to their plight. This was their remaining dignity. They would give it all to this, their only childe, and go into their final death hoping the poor thing could find it's own way. The gifts from their clans, they give to it. Their remaining blood, they give to it. And they could both go willingly together, comfortable that they need not suffer the sight of each other's deaths for long, with this childe carrying them both.
So they did. They drank whatever was left of the corpse and, mixing both their blood, gave it to this corpse. And, they waited. When it finally stirred, it still was colored like a corpse... Hungry, and ravenous. A monster; A beast. It was time for them to take responsibility for the unlife they brought into this world. In loving embrace, they allowed themselves to be consumed by what they made...
And with no instruction or guidance, together forever within this new born vampire, a new unfortunate soul was let loose upon the world.
Lyric, despite his truly unfortunate start, would somehow survive. While he never would know the corpses that were beneath him when he woke, they together had enough to sustain him long enough to find a way out. The sun, unable to pierce the ashes, never reached him in these lands. With skin as pale as the corpse he was, and no memories left of who he was in life, and growth forever stunted by this new unlife, like so many other survivors who escaped Lornius, migrated to greener pastures in search of a life. He had to learn of his condition and the world anew, trying to find some place to carve out a long term living, and learning the ways of the world at this dramatic disadvantage.
He never would allow the beast to take full control again to this day. But, he also refused to give up the notion that there was a place for him. He would forever try and hide what he was... But, someday, he was sure he'd "live" again in his own way.
