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Player Name: Laurence
Player LJ/DW: None at the moment
Contact: Email lorenfurc@gmail.com
Character Number: 2. Rubi is my first.
Name Eugene Curzon and Fujiwara Kichirou are both his birth names. At the moment (since he's been living in the West) he uses Eugene more.
Source Original Character. He shares a universe with another OC in Demeleier (Tatsube) with permission from mun of course. Though he comes from an earlier time period in that universe (1897.) He will also become Tatsube's father later on in his life
Appearance
Eugene is thin, but tall (nearly 6 feet) with a heavy bone structure and wiry, well kept musculature. His features are sharp contrasts--pale skin, almost-white blond hair, soft features and high cheekbones. His complexion, sharp nose, and elongated face are all very European, but his coal-black eyes are unmistakably Asian in shape. They're a bit oversized for his face, which only deepens the contrast. His eyebrows and eyelashes are also very dark.
His hair is kept mid-back length. Usually his bangs run wild (as the hair type is very fine,) but he usually wears the rest in a high plait to keep it out of his work (or play.) His clothes are usually tasteful and expensive, but definitely out of era. He prefers the flowing romantic style to the cut-and-dried gentlemens' attire of his current time period, and he gets away with it based on his foreign looks. He also doesn't keep his clothes in good repair. He'll kneel unconsciously in the dirt to study something, despite how much his cloak/trousers/gloves had just cost him. His appearance in general is like that--well put together, but askew in some way. Sand on his coat, leaves in his hair, etc. At least when he has access to those elements.
His vampiric nature isn't easily discerned. Aside from his pale skin and a man-parasol for the heat of the day, he resembles a human well enough. His two 'feeding' teeth are retracted and hidden behind his regular canines. If he is injured, though, he will heal with unusual speed. So he will often conceal injuries or make less of them. He also has no scars, freckles, or other irregular markings. His nails are sharper and a bit stronger than the human norm, but not extremely so.
Personality
Eugene is fixated by all the mysteries to be found in the world--but he isn't content to keep them at a distance. He must get out there, to study, contemplate, experience different cultures and especially the past itself. Supposedly it's to further his theories and research, but he feels a real passion for exploration, almost to obsession. In turn, people fascinate him. Human, Vampire, Werewolf, or Other. His part-philosophy, part-social theory has the eventual goal of honest coexistence between the three main species on Earth. He feeds his obsession and passion into that goal. If he can change the world as he has altered himself, then not only will it vastly improve the world, but also validate the self-image he has desperately created.
His stubborn curiosity has led him around the world and back again. Though he's been in many dangerous situations, his quick reactions and courage got him out of most of those. He uses that as a backdrop for future ventures. 'After all, I made it through all that in one piece,' he tells himself. That lack-of-fear leads to a lot of other danger for him, though. He's made dangerous, powerful enemies among his own kind--and he doesn't care. His own safety is small to him in comparison with discovery, beauty, truth, and the fun of mocking fools at every turn! In a way it's a fatalistic habit. He feels he has nothing to lose but himself, and he's comfortably willing to risk himself. His own high position in society (as the only heir to a mighty family lineage) has kept most of those enemies from going at his throat. So far...and that only adds to his amusement in baiting them.
And he loves to see their reactions. For him, it's the same with wooing an enemy, a lover, an intellectual friend. He wishes very much to see what they feel, and to create emotions in them with his own words or actions. It's part of his need for other people. If they have a reaction to him, they won't (or might not) turn away from him. He needs their company or at least their conversation to feel sane. Even on his explorations and excavations, he never travels without at least one or two human servants. It's a comfortable tradition (he's a blood drinker after all,) but he does it for his own reasons. Despite being an intellectual, he isn't even comfortable reading or studying in privacy. Even the sound of one person breathing, or if he can look up and be assured of their presence, comforts him a little.
That is also the root of his many flirtations and attendance at high-society parties. Though he despises many of the people he encounters there, it's just too interesting for him to keep away. And it feels ultimately restful to be among so many people--voices, words, beauty and ugliness. He finds a strange peace in it all. He regards all of his trysts the same way, whether it's flirtation, teasing, or physical connection. Even rejection could be fun in some ways. He uses his foreign looks to advantage, but he sometimes picks someone whom he knows will dislike him, just for the fun of the exchange. Nor does he see anything wrong with his advances. Pleasure is pleasure, so what is the harm? Though he hasn't yet sought deep or long-lasting romantic entanglements, and at this point in his life has never been in love.
He's quite patient when it comes to his work and theories. When even the most loyal servant wouldn't follow him into an Egyptian tomb in the dead of midnight, he stubbornly went anyway, and tried speaking to the decaying bodies as if they were alive. That got him through an entire night of research. It's all worth it to him, to read the dusty inscriptions and to see the remnants of time, and to understand more. When he's comfortable with someone, he will sometimes get deeply into conversations about his beliefs, experiences, and theories. At those times he drops the charm, the mocking, and speaks very earnestly and in a focused way. With a close friend, he may behave this way more often then not. He's many good friends, but few intensely close ones. Part of him wishes, desires, even demands closeness despite himself, and so he will allow it to a certain degree. But with the caveat that he keeps the worst parts of his nature from surfacing toward his dear ones. If he believes himself incapable of that with any particular person, he will create distance or (if possible) just leave.
This has much to do with fear. Fear of himself, of his own mind and what terrible things he is capable of as a vampire. His father instilled this in him early on. When he is alone, he can't easily keep his mind from searching itself and pulling out the most awful possibilities of his own nature. He can't handle it. He's decided on the person he wishes to be, and he absolutely refuses the darkest parts of himself and his species. He keeps it all bottled up within him and he throws everything possible at these unwanted thoughts. Company, sex, even his desire to explore and change the world has some roots in this fear. Though it is a genuine desire too, part of him realizes the influence of that fear, and he feels a deep shame. That makes him want to push the thoughts down even further. He unconsciously resists some types of deep bonds with people because he doesn't want to risk them--either what he might do if he loses them, or what he might do to them.
There is another consequence of his bottling and denial--a violent temper that can be cruel and entirely mad when he fully loses it. He has a reputation for small bouts of anger. Fist fights, angry battles of will, which are strangely more common with friends than enemies. Enemies, unless they provoke him with cruel action toward other friends, aren't worth his loss of control. His main trigger is betrayal or disloyalty. He's been known to become violent if he discovers such things, one time to a murderous extent. Yet, afterward, he can't bear to think too deeply about his actions. If the person is a friend, it is very important to him that they forgive him--so that he can stop thinking about it. That is usually more important than any guilt he may (or may not) feel. If they were an enemy, and it was done in revenge, he finds a way to excuse it. Those incidents also reinforce his desire to keep some distance between his darker nature and his loved ones.
Despite that, he generally treats people very well despite class, species, etc. He generally speaks to them on a level with himself. Sometimes others considers this rude, or are off-put by a noble attempting to be genuinely friendly (or irritating in some cases.) He finds interest in all people and finds it difficult to know a person if he sits in judgment of them. Of course, hypocritically, he's very judgmental of closed-minded and stupidly cruel people, or fearful individuals who cling to their status like a lifeline. But...he'll still speak with them, even if it's just for a reaction or to see what they'll say, or to mock them. He can be truly sympathetic and kind, but interest comes first. Curiosity, learning a new perspective, even diversion or self interest. He doesn't see this as selfish, but as honest. As he can't be honest with himself over darker things, he clings to this part of his nature instead and considers it admirable.
He does have a bit of unconscious snobbery, despite resisting the social rules, beliefs, and traditions of his noble birth and species. He throws money at everything because he's wealthy. Then he proceeds to waste it. He'll ruin expensive clothes and accessories with a shrug--he can always get more! And spends more than needed on gambling, parties, sometimes artifacts (which he prefers to acquire himself,) and other people. He's always buying other people things--once again partly to see how they'll act. The pleasure of a gift is different on every face. And he depends quite a bit on his servants. He can rough it (and even enjoys it out in the wilderness,) but when he comes back to civilization, he really wants to simply have wonderful relaxation without arranging much of it himself. He doesn't realize that part of his intense confidence to rebel, and to explore and create, lead back to both his wealth and birth status. He would deny it to the ends of the earth, but it's partly true.
Eugene is highly animated in his mannerisms. He'll move his hands, change posture, and gesture almost dramatically to illustrate a point. His expressions are highly mobile and he shows his chosen emotions quite easily and with pleasure. Much to the chagrin of many stiff-upper lipped 19th century gentlemen. He's at ease--nearly anywhere, and can seem elegant draped in a tree or at the top of a pyramid (despite the man-parasol he may or may not be carrying.) He isn't opposed to sitting in a dirt-garden or dancing in a fine noble home (even if he was just sitting in the garden before hand.) It's all intriguing and he can definitely enjoy if others consider him strange because of it. He's highly conversational and often
He is also an avid reader and is completely fascinated by scientific theorists like Darwin (who he based some of his own tri-species ideas on,) and scientific dreamers such as H.G. Wells. Seeing their work just fuels his own need to explore the world and shake his own version of truth into people, if necessary. He's also fond of artists and artistic writers of his era such as Oscar Wilde, but he can get very impatient with their idea of art being for its own sake. He has a soft spot for humans in general, even despite their many weaknesses. He considers them honest compared to the hidden scornful agenda of his own kind (and somewhat, himself), and therefore more admirable.
World Info
Part of this is taken from Tatsube's world info, as they are of the same world, and expanded on considering the different time period and other details.
Earth has four "dominant" species; Humans, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fishfolk. The majority of humans are not aware or simply deny the existence of the other species. Whereas vampires and werewolves take advantage of human ignorance and try to keep their existence a secret as possible. Fishfolk are considered a myth for the most part and keep to themselves.
Rather than be cursed beings, vampires and werewolves are actually different species from humans. Thus, they don't share the same weaknesses as their fairy-tale counter parts. They do, however, tend to live longer than humans. Their genetic make-up is similar enough that on rare occasions hybrids are born. It's not common for hybrids to live long, due to a number of medical issues, but it does happen.
There are two types of werewolves; changed and natural. Changed werewolves are just as their name suggests. They're humans who have been turned into werewolves. Humans can't he changed by a mere attack but through a blood transfusion. It's the changed werewolves that usually transform under a full moon due to the moon's influence on human bodies. Adjustment to the change often causes human-turned werewolves to exhibit more hostile behavior than natural werewolves.
The creatures who are born from werewolf parents are usually referred to as natural born werewolves. Unlike changed werewolves, natural werewolves transform around the moon cycle they're born under and have the ability to shift into a large wolf. They usually have their first transformation around puberty. It's common for a young werewolf to experience difficulty when turning into a wolf. However, given enough time they'll be able to not only transform into wolves, but also somewhat control their transformation outside their regular moon cycle.
Natural or not, when a werewolf changes it isn't a magical or pretty thing to witness, let alone experience. Their muscles, skin, and bone tear and reform, making the process extremely painful at first. Most werewolves are known to have high pain tolerance due to adjusting to the pain that accompanies their regular transformations.
Vampires, often thought to be the walking dead, are actually living creatures in this universe. Their pale complexion is usually due to their bodies having weak resistance to the dangerous parts in sunlight, making it uncomfortable (and even dangerous) to walk about during the day. Though it is possible with proper precautions. Indirect sunlight is less dangerous, for instance. They do still require blood to live. Their bodies can't retain any nutritional values from other food, so regular consumption of blood is necessary. They can eat human foods without ill effects, but it doesn't sustain them at all.
Unlike werewolves, vampires can't change other beings into vampires. One must have vampiric bloodline to be one. That's one reason why vampires consider their family status so important. The other reason is that certain vampire families are known to have different abilities. Telekinesis, sixth sense, and regeneration are just a few examples of abilities vampires may possess. However, using their "powers" is just as draining as if they were performing physical work. Thus, the more energy they use, the more blood they need to sustain themselves.
Like any other species in the world, vampires are not eternal beings. Though they are very long-lived. If they're without blood for long enough, vampires can slip into a near-death coma-like hibernation state. While in that state, a vampire's reflexes are alert for nearby prey. They'll remain in hibernation until they feed or die. There is no limit to how many times a vampire can hibernate, but as you can imagine, it isn't a healthy way to live.
Since vampires and werewolves are not supernatural creatures, holy symbols and silver have no adverse effects against them. The only time a werewolf may be allergic to silver, is if they have an allergy to it.
World Info--Specific to Time Period
In the late 19th century, both vampires and werewolves still held their habitual niche hidden in human society. However, there was unrest in both species because of the changes in technology and the social order.
A 'pack' of werewolves usually lived together in an entire settlement, that to some extent mimicked its human counterpart. For example there would be an entire village, tribe or small town of werewolves (minus a few human travelers.) That was fine in earlier ages. After all, most people didn't travel within five miles of their home in their entire lifetime. And the ones that did, moved slowly and could be dealt with. However, between trains and the emerging automobiles, travel was becoming more frequent. Werewolf settlements would soon be forced to withdraw completely from settled areas or risk discovery by mingling with humans who chose to live in their territory. Of course, there were lone wolves who traveled and were considered outcasts by the larger groups.
Both vampires and werewolves faced a specific danger in this era (though it had been a concern for the past 500 years or so.) Fertility. Neither species was prolific to start, but inbreeding and distrust for other packs and clans was exacerbating the problem. Many couldn't even produce one child to carry on their bloodline. The problem was even worse among vampires than werewolves. Werewolves at least had entire packs with some genetic variation.
Vampires, though, tended to breed strictly among a strict social order. Nobles with nobles, artisans with artisans, low ranking with low ranking, etc. Distant families were distrusted in the extreme, so that one usually ended up marrying a second cousin (and already be related to them on the other side of their family line, too.) Thus couples could try for hundreds of years with no result, stillbirths, or perhaps one living child (and that one would often be sickly.) If they made it through childhood, regeneration and adult abilities would kick in and reinforce their health, but even so the vampire populations were dropping at an alarming rate.
Unlike werewolves, vampires had no problem with the spread of humankind. They lived among humans to begin with--secretly. They posed as nobles, artists, poor, workers among them, and lived by a set of clandestine rules. They must pretend to be their own descendant and live in different parts of the world when a human lifespan had elapsed. Then, after yet another lifetime, they could return as a pretense of a grandson, nephew, distant cousin, etc of themselves. Others dwelt apart as country lords or farmers, but even those had a human pretense story ready.
Their fear was the growing human technologies and science. Could they live reliably among humans if this trend continued? They feared being found out and increased their vigilance to fit in (in human company at least.) Most clung hellbent to their traditions and age-old cautions, as if that would carry them through the storms that were changing the world. Even when they saw their error (such as the problems with inbreeding,) many were too afraid to embrace change.
As far as human servants were concerned, vampires played by a set of sympathetic and chivalrous rules (once again based on class.) Only the lowest ranking vampires would stoop to attacking humans. Nobles considered these to be the equivalent of thieves and murderers, except even more dangerous because they could reveal the existence of their species. They did much as humans did to prolific murderers--stamped them out when they could catch them.
They also looked down on nobles who flaunted the rules (such as Eugene...) and blamed them for books like Dracula, which came out around this time period. Though many believed it was based on a true story and that Vlad Tepes had been incautious about his vampire heritage, to his own ruin. It was a cautionary tale, true or no.
Nobles and other well-bred vampires kept willing human servants for their needs. They were treated well (at least publicly) and cared for. The saliva in a vampire's bite could increase the health and life of a human to a small extent, because the regenerative agent in the blood was also somewhat in the bite. The saliva contained a euphoric property as well, so that after the initial 'bite,' the sensation was pleasurable. This and good living, and care kept humans loyal to their Masters--for the most part. Those who betrayed were dealt with. Not usually by killing them, but they would have their memories erased by a vampire with that ability, or if not, they'd be locked away where they couldn't harm vampire kind.
1897 in general
It was a world of change. Automobiles were just becoming the rage among the wealthy, electric lights came about, science was exploding with theory and psychology and air ships, but conventional high society (at least in Britain) clung steadfastly to conservatism. Clothes and manners were often stiff. Exploration and archaeology became far more popular and accessible, especially in Egypt. The plethora of scientists (amateurs or not) into that country coined the term 'Egyptologist.' Eugene would proudly and somewhat mockingly call himself one of those.
Within the last 60 years, offices, shops, and factories had replaced simple town and village living. It was an immense amount of change in a very little time. For instance, in the beginning of the Victorian era, a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took 8 weeks. By 1897 it took closer to a week. Technology was leaping and bounding. The human population in Britain more than doubled in that same stretch of time. Nearly every household with even a bit of money had servants. Railways became prolific and useful for both goods and travel.
There were terrible working conditions in the factories, long hours of work for poor people, while the rich played and watched the new technologies emerge. There was an enormous class gulf. Policemen and detectives were just coming into their own as an actual force.
This was a great time for literature of all kinds--social reform, science fiction, art, rebellion, science. The world was swimming with ideas and even though some parts of society resisted it, change was there and it was a battering ram.
History
Menelaus Curzon had tried desperately for 700 years to father an heir. No true living relatives remained to him, or his line, except watered-blood cousins who couldn't wait for the ancient lineage, wealth, and status to fall into their hands. They all expected it. Menelaus had reached his 800th year, and that was considered far too old to have children. He, however, was both stubborn and bitter, and was determined to give it one last chance.
None of his failed marriages had produced a child, but each of those women had been a cousin, distant, or even a close relative in one case. He decided to do the near unthinkable, to find an alliance in a far-off country. He traveled to Japan and presented his suit to another failing bloodline, the legendary Fujiwara clan. They accepted reluctantly and allowed him to marry one of their few daughters, the 400 year old Fujiwara Mitsuru. Menelaus and Mitsuru disliked one another but managed to do their duty.
Much to the surprise of all, Mitsuru not only became pregnant, but bore twins. One (the girl) remained with the Fujiwara. Menelaus took the boy infant back to Europe with him. He and Mitsuru had their marriage annulled, but parted on good terms. Each had given the other a precious gift and both realized it. Meanwhile, Menelaus astonished all of his relatives by returning home with a son. By then, he had chosen a name--Eugene, though his mother had also given him a name, Kichirou. Despite the awe of his blood-kin, Menelaus had no intention of raising the boy near the influence of his dubious relatives.
Instead, they moved into an isolated manor house in the English countryside. It was far from any heavily populated human city or town. Menelaus took quite a few human servants, doctors, and tutors along with him. He expected the next few years would be difficult. Vampire infants and young children were usually very weak, sickly, and would die unless carefully tended. This turned out entirely different with Eugene. Menelaus was overjoyed--at first.
The child thrived and abounded with energy. Still, he had nursemaids to tend him at all hours of the night. His first memories were of peaceful naps dozing in warm human arms. If he was hungry, he could feed from them, much like a nursing baby. He soaked up his first lessons like a sponge and could read by the age of four. He loved stories, and to play endlessly outside. His only disturbance in those mostly early years were dark dreams. They began with terrible feelings of hunger and dark shapes that seemed to reach out from within him, as if they wanted to strike--formless violence.
When that happened, he would wake and run into the waiting human arms of his companions. Simply being among them dispelled that terrible feeling. It's not real, just a dream, just a dream... He could banish it altogether if he held onto someone, and felt how real they were.
The trouble began when Eugene reached his eighth year. Before that, his tutors instructed him on various subjects. Mathematics, history, science (as it was in the early 1600s,) and basic facts about vampiric society, as well as that of human and werewolf kind. The child had an insatiable curiosity and soon became fixated on humans especially. He loved their culture, literature, and something in them resonated with freedom to him. He soon was chattering wild scenarios to all his companions--he would grow up to be a human, because they were so interesting!
Menelaus overheard one of these conversations and was horrified. After scolding all of Eugene's tutors, he decided to teach the boy for a few hours a day himself. He began by explaining (gravely) of their responsibility and nature as civilized vampires. Unlike humans, vampires had both strength and cruelty at their core. They could live very fine lives! He tried to assure his son. However, they couldn't go about freely as humans did. They must be very cautious, mindful of what they truly were. They must live their lives rightly and apart from humans--to be in their world, but not of it.
Eugene was shocked silent at first. At the end of the speech, though, he jumped up and denied everything his father had said. Vampires weren't like that! And if they were, well, perhaps they should be like humans instead! He would still go live among humans when he grew up. No matter what. Though the child sounded angry, he was really both stubborn and terrified. He didn't want his father's words to be true--and he wanted the world between the pages of his human books. To be free and happy, not a monster bound in chains. It reminded him very much of his nightmares and that frightened him even more.
Menelaus scoffed at those words immediately. He couldn't believe in the dangerous fancies of a child, and he intended to stamp them out. For the next few years he would try everything short of violence to change Eugene's mind. He tried to woo him with science and literature written by his own kind (though often under a human pen name.) He invited other vampire children to stay for weekends and summer months. Those often ended in disaster and fist fights. He insisted that the boy's tutors not encourage his unnatural attachment to human ideals. Even his servants were ordered to teach him otherwise (and they were humans!)
All of these attempts failed. Eugene clung stubbornly to most of his ideas. He was persuaded that he couldn't become human himself, but that just fueled his desire to live like them. "Someone made the way we live!" he would shout at his father, tutors, human companions. "And, they didn't use any imagination!" The child even went so far as to claim he didn't have a vampire's dark nature, that he hadn't been born with it.
This was the last straw for Menelaus. He began to use crueler tactics to break Eugene's will. He forced the servants to report on his remarks, behavior, attempts to run away, etc. Therefore proving that he had no allies in the home. Euguene flew into a rage each time and threatened the humans, but he also knew they had no choice. He began to keep his own council. After a particularly spiteful and heated argument, Menelaus decided to lock him in his room and leave him there without company for several weeks. He planned to prove the boy's nature to him. He would even sacrifice a human life to do so.
However, Eugene managed to attack his own instincts in those long weeks of darkness. Every fear and horror visited his mind and body. A dark hunger descended on him after a few days and twined itself together with his predatory feelings. The child could only meet the truth--his father's truth--with a terror and denial just as strong as the instincts themselves. He forced his mind to reject everything and to consume itself. When three weeks had passed, Menelaus shoved a human into the room with him. He expected the child to kill mindlessly after so long without sustenance. It was entirely forbidden, but it would (he thought) prove his point now and forever. However, Eugene lay as if dead, sprawled across his bedroom floor and staring mindlessly into nothing. He remained so for another week even if blood was put directly into his mouth.
Eventually he recovered. After that, though, he could no longer feel sane without someone nearby. Dark feelings and instability would creep across the borders of his consciousness and slowly drown it. As for Menelaus, he withdrew his cruel attempts to break his son. For the time being. His child was precious to him and he did not wish to be responsible for his death or ruin, no matter how strange and shameful he seemed. He began to secretly regret his marriage in Japan. Because Eugene existed, he was precious, but Menelaus could not imagine someone like him carrying on the family name.
The two avoided one other mostly until Eugene came of age. His metabolism slowed and powers fully kicked in at about seventeen years. For the next several centuries, he would appear to be in his late teens or early twenties. Adult vampiric metabolisms were extremely slow and strong. But now matters between the two vampires came to a head. Euguene wished to leave and do exactly as he pleased in the greater world. Menelaus objected strongly to this. After several heated conversations, Eugene attempted to leave in the dead of night. His father sensed this and came out to stop him.
It led to an all-out battle across the roof-top of their manor home. Physical force, psychic power, pure rage, disappointment and fear all came to bear between the two. Though Eugene fought bravely, he could be no match for an 800 year old vampire. Menelaus fought until Eugene was drained of his power. Then, the elder vampire held him up as if to throw him off the roof. He very nearly did--and barely managed to avert that rage-born impulse. He put his son down and backed away as if burned by him. He felt as if he had been. Disgusted, terrified, enraged, regretful... He couldn't even look at Eugene.
Eugene was smiling. He knew he had won after all. At sunset the following day, he departed that manor and would never enter it again for the next several hundred years.
The vampire threw himself into world exploration with psychotic zeal. In those first years, no city was too large, no mountain range too cold, no desert too sun-drenched to daunt him. He exhausted himself over and over in foreign locales. He discovered drink, entertainment, and no lack of beautiful humans of either sex. He indulged in all of these--in fact, that's all he did, and over time he grew weary of mindless exploration for its own sake.
He traveled to England (Oxford specifically) and sought to study there. His mind in its own way was hungry for exploration, while he himself wished for a more restful and secure place to re-gather his energy. So he installed himself as a half-Japanese English gentleman of some status and money. He was received well by human circles and the other students in general. The vampire high society was another matter. He began making enemies almost instantly with his flamboyant behaviors, refusal to conform to vampiric courtesies and traditions, and his dangerous ways of almost-revealing himself to humanity in general. He was marked as dangerous, but treated cautiously well due to his bloodline.
Eugene graduated with a general degree after studying philosophy, religion, and history. 'Scientist' didn't even exist as a term quite yet, though he already considered himself something of one. His studies renewed his desire to explore the world. After his years there, he departed for new adventures, much to the relief of the noble vampiric circle.
Winds of whimsy blew him to Japan. He'd never met anyone of his Fujiwara bloodline nor seen the country itself. He was received (a bit coldly) by his mother and extended family. They seemed just as frustrated by his behavior as Menelaus had been. However, they were far more polite about it. Eugene--or Kichirou as he was called by them--was a guest, and family besides. The only person truly kind to him was Fujiwara Hisako, his twin sister.
Hisako proved to have just a bit of his adventurous spirit. She was susceptible to his high charm and energy, and so she offered to be his guide through the country of Japan. The two grew rather close. Too close, in the eyes of their mother. They even attained a mind-bond over distance, which only occurred in a deep, close bond. Though blood often made such a bond easier to achieve. Still, she suspected a romance between the twins. She wasn't far wrong. Eugene did have some feeling for his sister, but he didn't wish to remain in Japan with her even so. He couldn't bear that family's attitudes any more than he could stand his father's. So he parted with her (and the Fujiwaras) with some reticence, before heading off again to parts unknown.
The 19th century began, much to Eugene's joy. The 1800s brought about the most interest, pleasure, science, social amusements, anything wonderful he could think of. It was an age of change in itself, and the vampire adored change. He fell deeply into evolutionary sciences after Darwin's famous book. He formulated his own theory including vampire and werewolf peoples, and how they must be related to humans--perhaps even sprang from them! The theory did little except horrifying all of his vampire contemporaries at parties. Then again, he would have considered it a success even with that result.
He also found his truest exploratory joy in all the world--Egypt. Once hieroglyphics were translated with the rosetta stone, scores of scientists and pseudo-scientists and explorers flooded Egypt, Eugene among them. He passed many a blissful hour exploring pyramids, digging, getting lost, and carousing with the locals. That often meant traveling with grave robbers (since they knew the area best) and gruesome details such as cooking their dinners over the smashed tinder of mummies and their coffins. He found all that interesting rather than disgusting and he took easily to their rough company. As always, company of any kind was solace in and of itself. He would travel back and forth to Egypt countless times during the 1800s. He would happily call himself an 'Egyptologist' despite the bad connotations to the word.
And also to England, which led to more trouble than pleasure (but sometimes both, which he found more irresistible than either.) His scope of enemies and detractors kept widening. Yet, he insisted on showing himself into all their society to irritate them more. He took up with several wives or husbands of these enemies and often wasn't very careful about hiding it. He'd go on and on about his adventurer sciences and philosophies, and would try to win the younger vampires to his strange ideas. Two major events happened because of all this dabbling.
First, he acquired a child. Secondly, a best friend. The first was a result of his usual adulterous forays. He tumbled a woman called Margaret at a party. She seemed more than amenable, and her stolid husband was an enemy of all his intellectual ideas, and of his person entirely. However, the man didn't notice, or pretended not to notice, the infraction. Margaret seemed the kind who took her pleasure when she wished, which Eugene was drawn to. However, even he was shocked at the result--she became pregnant. Many other vampires congratulated her husband, but Eugene knew he was the Father. Soon, the child was born, and named Albert. He was a beautiful, shy blond child who looked quite like him.
Margaret warned him to keep his distance from the child, in case her husband should suspect or notice. But Eugene ignored her good advice and kept setting up moments to 'run into' the child and mother around England. She could only be relieved when a new distraction came up to occupy her former lover's attention.
Around various scornful parties, Eugene kept hearing himself compared to an ostracized Italian scientist called Giovanni Treschi. Supposedly the man was a nobleman, though disparaged because of his research and because he (apparently) shunned the company of other vampires. Which of course intrigued Eugene madly. He booked the next possible ship for passage to Italy. He'd been there before, of course, though never to look up a person in particular. He managed to hunt down Giovanni on the outskirts of the city of Sienna.
He was expecting some kind of ambitious eccentric like himself--but he was far mistaken. What he found was an absentminded, gentle man deeply immersed in the study of astronomy. Giovanni had a dusty sort of beauty--he could have stared into his telescopes for decades, if he didn't have to retreat when the sun rose to hide the stars. He was peaceful and courteous to a fault, only stubborn about his work. Yet Eugene became deeply interested in and attached to him. He also wanted badly to get a rise out of him--any kind of show of temper.
He spent days and weeks in his company, chatting his ear off about various scientific theories and questioning him endlessly about his own. The ideas which horrified other vampires only made Giovanni smile in a sort of reserved and awed curiosity. He never expected to find such a personality in one of their own kind. He, too, became close to Eugene. The two even developed a mind-bond, which startled Giovanni (since it was not something known among his line) and Eugene as well. He hadn't realized how much he valued this friendship.
Eugene finally got that bit of temper when he managed to drag Giovanni to Egypt. Between terrible weather, draining sun, and lots of constant travel (not to mention falling into the occasional skirmish between various Arab factions) the Italian vampire was exhausted and harried. After they'd returned to Sienna, Giovanni said in his mild mannered voice (with just a bit of strain) "If you ever invite me to Egypt again, I will bury you there."
Eugene let out a whoop and danced around the room with his surprised and irritated best friend. He'd finally managed to piss him off! Happy day! Which left the other vampire wondering why he put up with him, ever.
The two eventually parted company. Eugene had that wanderlust itch and his friend was the opposite, but they were sure their paths would cross again. Every once in awhile they would reach each others' minds and speak comfortably that way. This helped Eugene if he was ever stuck alone and began to feel not-quite-sane. Several years went by uneventfully enough. Eugene was drawn back into Egypt of course. He was doing his usual blissful excavating work, when a cry of pain rocked his mind. He froze and fell in shock, paralyzed by the strength of it. His mind reached out to and connected with that of his friend's.
Eugene received a stream of images as well as words. Giovanni, laying on the floor bleeding out his life's blood from wounds too terrible for even vampires to mend. He saw images of the human servants who'd betrayed their vampire master for money and promises of power. And, he saw a jealous human astronomer who wished to claim Giovanni's work for his own. Therefore, he'd coerced the servants and had him killed. His friend had managed to reach out with the pain of that, and attempt to find some comfort. Then the vision darkened, and went dead. The bond had severed.
So, too, did Eugene's temper. Smouldering rage rose up and made a wreck of his rational thoughts. He didn't recall traveling from Egypt to Italy, because he didn't have a single thought during the entire journey. His mind was aflame with murderous blood lust. When he reached Sienna, he paused only to weep over and bury his friend's body (which had simply been left there to rot.) Then he set about killing each person who had to do with Giovanni's death. He made sure each one died slowly, horribly, and in great fear. After he finally killed the rival astronomer, the embers of revenge burned away and left its clear results. He had killed, horribly, with a rage only less fearsome than the power behind it. Much as Menelaus had warned was possible.
Yet, stubbornly, Eugene refused to regret his actions. He feared them, but he felt they were just. Greedy small minded creatures had destroyed something essential and beautiful to the world, and to him. He was right in killing them. He believed that.
And then, as usual, he set about burying the events deep in his mind. He traveled to England in order to spend more clandestine time with his son Albert. Eugene craved to be around something as gentle and innocent as a child--the ultimate distraction.
After seeing him, he traveled to Egypt to once again ease his mind in the Land of old.
---Right after these events, Eugene will be pulled into Demeleier--
Specific abilities:
Eugene has, first of all, the most common vampire ability. Regeneration. It's a type of fast-heal that works against wounds and poisons. It's far more effective at night than in daylight hours. It also drains his energy as it heals his body. So if he is in bad shape to start with, it may work poorly or not at all.
He also has an assortment of telepathic abilities inherited from both sides of his family. These are: telepathic communication, telekinesis, and a general type of sixth sense. Each one has its limitations and all of them drain his energy in greater or lesser amounts when they are used.
With the communication type, he can speak mind-to-mind easily over a small area. Within a house, for instance. But, if the other person is a half-mile or more away, the mental 'connection' fades and then drops all together. Except in the rare case of a permanent mental bond, which only occurs with deep love and trust. This has only happened to him twice over his several century lifespan. With those rare exceptions, he can speak with that person over an unlimited distance.
Telekinesis can only be used on objects that Eugene could easily pick up himself. Even though vampires are physically stronger than human beings, that still limits this ability. He could cause a sword to fly into his hand, but he certainly couldn't mentally 'pick up' a train and throw it. As for in-between sorts of objects (ones he could barely lift) those are possible, but will exhaust and strain him very much to try.
His 'general sensing ability' is a sort of aura he can feel around people. He can identify a few things from this. A person's 'power' or inner strength (but not exactly what it is), their species (where humans, werewolves, and vampires are concerned,) and he can recognize members of his own bloodline. As for the whole species recognition bit, all the other species would register as 'everything else ??? unknown' to that sense, until he can get used to picking them out.
Powers aside, Eugene has quite a few useful survival skills. He can hunt in dozens of climates using traps, blades, and recently firearms. He also has a good knowledge of plant lore, despite not truly needing that for his own survival. He's also well versed in his particular scientific and archeological crafts including rough star charting, excavation, cleaning off artifacts, etc. He's got a decent hand at sketch drawing and uses that in his field notebooks. He's also learned many languages (some not very well) over his years of traveling. And he's also decent at swordplay in general, though he prefers not to fight that sort of battle.
His most obvious physical weakness is sunlight. While that doesn't burn him to ash or cinder like vampire lore would have it, he is quite vulnerable to the rays. He burns more than twice as easily as a human in direct sunlight. Continued exposure could lead to serious burns or even death. Sunlight also reduces his energy, strength, and power. However, he can be out during the day, as long as he has protection for his skin.
But, if he cannot secure blood within a certain period of time, sunlight becomes more dangerous to him (direct or indirect.) His powers will also become erratic or fail altogether when he's starving. Even his regular physical strengths will decrease to below human levels. The more he uses any power, the quicker he will need to restore himself with blood nutrition.
Inventory: 1 grit-worn but costly pair of traveling clothes, 1 set of fancier clothes in a pack, 1 watered-steel Japanese sword, 2 parasols, several pens and partly-filled notebooks, 1 set of clunky gold-colored binoculars.
Journal Sample:
Good people of Demeleier! This is an emergency...
[Blink. Blink, shifty eyes.]
All right, perhaps not, but I am in dire need of a good craftsman. My only protection against the sun has been quite ruined.
[Though he has an extra parasol. Still, the thought of being stuck indoors during the day is horrifying. And using something like a bedsheet would be just awkward.]
I can pay handsomely in, ah... [Oops except not rich here.] Food! That's quite right, I'll hunt for whomever is kind enough to fix this for me.
[Now he will hold out the sadly broken wooden parasol. It would almost seem as though the top part had been sat on, or otherwise broken nearly in half.]
Sad, isn't it? It was such a fine piece of work...
Prose Sample:
Eugene and his servant scrambled rather awkwardly up the tallest nearby sand dune. A lush green oasis lay spread out beneath them. Shade, relief from the heat--who needed those anyway! The vampire grinned beneath the protective shadow of his parasol. Now, for the object of this little excursion. Discovery! Exploration! He crouched exultantly in the sands and began simply to wait. Every once in awhile, he'd tap a pen to his book not with impatience, but excitement.
His fellow-traveler 'soon' (soon being 2 hours later) began to sigh and mutter to himself. Bernard was a stolid man and quite strong for a human, but had no sense of humor and very little fancy or imagination. The ONLY reason Eugene had dragged him along was this--the man wasn't afraid of anything. Not bandits, not dead Egyptians, and certainly not fabled water monsters that sprang from Oases after a rainstorm.
Yes. Eugene Curzon, Scientist, was chasing after monster stories. Then again, these creatures could turn up to be a separate species entirely (like Vampires.) Someone had to investigate. Meanwhile, the sun continued to climb and Bernard's mutterings grew increasingly louder. Food, entertainment in the nearby town, and pretty women figured prominently in his mutterings.
"'ardly going to see anything out here, sir." Bernard finally groused in full decibel.
Blast it, I hope he isn't going to leave me out here. Eugene signed a bit himself. It--wouldn't be the first time one of his servants had up and walked off during an exploration, excavation, or curiosity. He supposed he could understand why they'd want to, but it was still irritating. Mostly because he'd be forced to follow them back after a few minutes. To face this whole desert alone? No, it wouldn't do.
So he'd need to find a way to...entertain Bernard. The vampire smirked for a moment, but when he turned to face the human, he wore an expression of tragic disappointment.
"I think you're right. Here I was, supposing I'd discover something amazing. We should best pack up and try for the city before dark--"
Then he 'accidentally' took a glance back toward the oasis, and gasped in shock. He pointed a trembling finger toward the thickly shadowed greenery. "There! There! I saw one."
"Saw--" Bernard's mouth dropped open to almost a comic degree. The human surged forward against the sand, peering for a good look.
Eugene held up his binoculars and nodded quite excitedly. "There! Yes, right between the trees. Would you be kind enough to verify it for me?"
"Me, sir?"
"Oh yes. It's less dangerous, you see." He glanced up at the tiny parasol that was between him and the sun.
But luckily, Bernard didn't know him very well. Otherwise he would've balked at that line itself. Eugene, complaining about danger? Instead, he frowned rather toughly and nodded. Then he began charging down the sand in a hilariously awkward manner (given that he weighed quite a bit.) No sooner than he was out of earshot, the vampire started cackling to himself and making notes in his book
Sighting indeed! Creature seems...not to have his Oasis legs yet. He travels at much an awkward clip, as a sidewinder snake might. Sadly, he's quite easy to spot.
At that point Eugene had to nearly collapse in laughter. Afterward, he propped himself on both elbows to eagerly watch Bernard's antics.
"He doesn't look as disheartened now, does he?" The vampire glanced up--yes, he was asking his parasol's opinion on the matter--before laughing again.
