Crimes of Venetia Childs

[Dreyfus]

Company: Venetia| Thoughts: You wont get away!| Mood: Determined

---

♅ Coming back to life was far worse than when the power first killed him, tearing his body apart from within. Waking up in that bed Dreyfus ran a hand through his hair, and the first thing he noticed was the length, it was shorter now. Looking to the window, he saw a glimpse of his reflection in it, his hair was short and darker hue like the blonde hairs were coated in blood. He wasn't sure what happened but he knew he didn't look the same, which for him was probably a good thing.

Her voice slithered into his ears, and his eyes shifted over in her direction, a strained smile forming on his face. "I wish you could have told me how much painful dying and coming back to life would be, my head is spinning. Oddly enough I feel famished." he groaned, sitting up in the bed, his eyes falling onto her cup, the red within it mesmerizing him as he stared at it.

Breaking away from the glass, Dreyfus eyed the room he was in, it was unfamiliar to him, and he wasn't sure where he was. The last thing he remembered was dying within a dome of fire, the pain of his body being destroyed filling his last memories. Looking to his aunt, he eyed her with confusion and a little bit of suspicion. "So what happens now? Where have you absconded with me?"

He strained himself to get out of bed, using the wall to brace himself as he got up, and moved to look out of the window. Whatever happened to him, he would need to learn from her. "What have I become Aunt Veronica?" he inquired, piercing blue eyes looking back at her. ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

“You rotted to death and rebuilt your body using the same amount of energy it took to destroy it.” Venetia eyed Dreyfus up and down. “All things considered, you are perhaps one of the most level headed to awake following their rebirth.”

“Venetia.” She spoke flatly, tipping the glass back so that she could drink from its contents again. “Veronica died a long time ago.”

Her tone dipped downward, a note of sadness entering it before she shook herself and gestured to a nearby table. Resting there was a crystal decanter with another glass right beside it. It swirled with the same ruby red liquid as what Venetia was sipping on. She waited for Dreyfus to pour himself a glass and help himself before speaking. When it was before it, it was very clear what the liquid was. Blood. Though it seemed to contain a bit more than just blood. The subtle misting implied that there was some element of aether mixed into the drink. While Dreyfus natural instinct might have been to be repulsed by it, there was a siren’s call that came with the smell. A mouthwatering aroma. The promise of power. The promise of life. The promise of euphoria. It filled his senses, urging him to taste, to drink.

“Drink. It will not satisfy you. Not this early on. But it will be enough to give you some focus for the tasks ahead of us tonight.” Venetia leaned back into her chair.

She watched him carefully for a moment before pressing on.

“Many are the stories of us. Nightlords. Crimson Stalkers. But the most common term is Vampyre.” She brought the glass to her lips once more, sipping lightly. “I will answer your most obvious questions.”

She looked out the window into the night sky, her expression pensive.

“The first thing that you should know is that sunlight will not kill you but it will make you uncomfortable. At least until you are more settled into your new form. Secondly, you will need to learn how to Feed. To consume blood from a living source. Your body now requires it to remain fit and healthy. You will have to learn how to gauge the limits of your endurance but do not ignore the Thirst. To ignore it is to invite death and madness. We will hunt shortly. When you are more steady on your feet.” Her scarlet eyes continued to glow like twin fires in the shadows of the corner. She watched Dreyfus, allowing him some time to process the new information.

“To answer your earlier question…” She gestured to the window. “It has been seven days since our stroll through the park. A search has gone out for Dreyfus Monteliyet but already they are beginning to assume that he is dead. Killed, bravely defending his fellow soldiers and Reconciliators from the Red Witch. We are currently in a village halfway between Zaichaer and Kalzasi. Where you go from here will be up to you after tonight. Though the opportunity to start your life anew…well…”

Venetia took a sip from her glass.

“I suggest you look in the mirror.”

[Dreyfus]

Company: Venetia| Thoughts: Im a what now?| Mood: Confused & HUNGRY!!!

---

♅ The offer of a drink spurred him from his perch against the window, the night sky and the moon illuminating his view of the area they seemed to be held up in. Looking at the liquid in the pitcher, his nose drew it in and he found himself salivating at it. The alluring scent of it spurred him close, and he found himself staring at the cylinder of enriched liquid before taking up a cup and pouring him a glass.

He stared at the cup, finding himself mesmerized by the color and the hint of something special mixed inside of it. He couldn't help himself as he downed the liquid in fast gulps, gasping for air once he was done, and going to pour himself another. Listening to her as she explained what he was now, the word Vampyre rang in his head. She implied that he would be on his own after this night was over, that his fellow countryman would rule him dead, killed in action.

He suppose it was not the best way to go, but maybe it would be better for him if he did start over anew. Looking to her he chuckled as he took a sip, as many questions now flowed through his mind but there was one major question that was pounding his brain relentlessly. "So after we.....hunt, you are just gonna leave to my own devices? I don't even know how to be a...Vampyre? You expect me to conduct myself without so much as notes or anything on this power and how to even wield it properly?"

For a moment he allowed that to sink in before continuing, downing the rest of what was in his glass. She suggested that he look at himself in the mirror, and he quirked a brow as he moved to the reflective surface. He was truly changed, his hair the color of blood exposed to the air, his body was still muscular, but held a bit more stock to his frame than before. His facial structure didn't change, and his eyes remained the same, albeit the fact they held a gaze that could snatch your soul from your body in a single breath.

He then turned to look around the room, seeing that there were clothes laid out for him, as well as a cloak, one of similar fashion to the one Venetia wore. Dressing himself he addressed her in something that had just come to his attention. "You said earlier we would be feeding tonight? This village is to be our feeding ground isn't it?"

Part of him was concerned, almost regretful of that realization if it were true, but he was overwhelmed by the hunger, the sweet call of red nectar that flowered within each vein of every single person in the village. He couldn't help but drool at the thought of bleeding each villager dry. ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

“After we hunt you will have a decision to make.” Venetia tipped back her glass and downed the rest of the blood wine in her grasp. She rose from her seat and in that moment, more than ever before, Dreyfus would be able to feel the raw power radiating off of her.

“Your choice will determine whether we continue down the same path or we part ways. Whether you must flounder on your own or thrive under my guidance.” She handed Dreyfus his cloak as he dressed himself. She arched an eyebrow, a small smirk crossing her lips as Dreyfus remarked upon the village. There was a sharp edge to her gaze as the young man began to lean into the hunger gnawing at his stomach and pressing upon his throat. Reaching out, Venetia touched a hand upon Dreyfus shoulder. In a breath, they were no longer standing within the relative quiet of the room but upon the rooftop of the building. All at once, Dreyfus senses would be inundated with a cacophony of stimulation.

He could hear the laughter within a tavern down the street as clearly as though he were standing in the same room. He could hear the shuffle of a town patrolman scuffing his boot upon the cobblestone. The world’s smells were sharper, the night sky was clearer. It was painful and almost overwhelming. Louder and sharper everything continued to spiral into focus until Venetia stood in front of him.

“Focus, nephew. Nothing you are experiencing is new. It is merely sharper. Clearer. It will become more so after you feed. If you are overwhelmed now, you will never make it through the night.” Folding her hands before her, she spoke calmly and clearly.

“Now, do not flinch away from the senses. Feel them. Process them. You must adjust your perspective upon the world. You are not human. Not anymore. Command your body and mind to obey you. Reach into the blood within yourself. Feel your lifeforce flowing. It is yours. Command it.”

Venetia gave Dreyfus a few minutes to center himself and sort through everything he was experiencing. When enough time passed and it seemed Dreyfus had a handle upon himself, she nodded.

“Veracity. The second of the abilities you just learned. Through it, you master your senses. Touch. Taste. Smell. Sight. Hearing. Mortals live as slaves to their senses. As a vampyre, your senses obey your will. Fully and completely.” She gestured to the town below.

“Below us is a town filled with Vitale. With blood. The manipulation of this lifeforce is the means by which you achieve your powers. You expand your mind and grasp a hold of the vitality within yourself and in time, that which is within others. That is the first ability you learned. Hemocraft. Reaching into your body and mastering the lifeforce within it.”

[Dreyfus]

Company: Venetia| Thoughts: Im a what now?| Mood: Confused & HUNGRY!!!

---

♅ She could have warned him before moving instantly to the roof, warned him of the bombardment of stimuli that smack him, bringing him to his knees. He was initially overwhelmed, the sounds of everyone in the village below singing in his ears, the smells of food, piss, and who knows whatever else slamming into his nose. It was a lot, and Venetia encouraged his focus to remain as sharp as his newfound fangs.

Taking a breath he tilted his head up to the sky, eyes closed shut as he steadied his breathing, heeding his aunt's clear instructions on commanding his body to his will, to subjugate his senses. It took some moments, but soon with a sigh he stood and folded his arms under his chest as he could bare the onslaught of the stimuli.

"You act as if there is truly a choice, I would be a fool not to stay under your instruction." he murmured to himself as she explained abilities that went with his newfound power. It all began to make sense to him now, and with a chuckle, it soon evolved into a full-blown laugh.

"So that's how you did it, that how you achieved mass murder on that day. I was always curious as to what power could behold such gruesome devastation, and now I possess it." he remarked, kneeling down to look at the villagers enjoying their nightlife.

With the explanation of both Veracity and Hemocraft, he looked to her, locked on her crimson eyes with his blues. "I'm ready to learn....Venetia." he confirmed, both to himself and to her, rubbing at his chin before looking back at the villagers. ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

"There is always a choice, nephew." Venetia left it at that. She quirked an eyebrow at his estimation of power.

"Perhaps one day I will show you how I achieved that spectacle that day. I assure you, regenerating your body and slaughtering others will be the least interesting thing you can do." Her attention shifted to a pair of men meandering down the street, obviously having enjoyed a night of drinking. Venetia nodded her head toward the two of them.

"Your first hunt." She clasped her hands behind her, resting them at the small of her back.

"You have a choice before you." Venetia spoke with a matter of fact tone. "The first hunt will decide what kind of vampyre you are. Rule the thirst or be ruled by it. Neither is wrong. Both paths have their uses."

She showed no signs of judgement in her explanation of the paths. After a moment she spoke again.

"Extend your senses. Listen to what they tell you about those two humans. You are faster. Stronger. You have time. Decide whom you will strike first. Then…then move."

[Dreyfus]

Company: Venetia| Thoughts: Im a what now?| Mood: Confused & HUNGRY!!!

---

♅ "The first hunt will decide what kind of vampyre you are. Rule the thirst or be ruled by it. Neither is wrong. Both paths have their uses." he pondered those words as he focused his senses on the two men. Tapping into Vitalis, his eyesight honed in on them, the clear evidence of intoxication on their faces. the first one, classically handsome in the face, medium length obsidian black hair, and of average height.

Dreyfus sense of smell picked up the faint traces of gunpowder, metal, and sweat. This one was the combative type, the newborn Vampyre inferring that he was at least carrying a pistol and a small blade on his person. The other, a vibrant redhead of average height as well, and youthful face to him. The smell on him was sweet, though there was a hint, a shadow of sadness on him. From what Dreyfus could ascertain, this was a night that was meant to be uplifting for the redhead.

It was a shame how their night was going to end, unaware of what lurked out of sight. Looking ahead of their path, Dreyfus could see an alleyway that would go unnoticed and stood facing that direction. He had an idea of how he would play this out. Without even looking at Venetia, he took off in the direction of the alley to lay his trap.

She was right, a smile affixed to his facial features as he leaped across rooftops without breaking much of a sweat. He was faster now, he could feel the strength that had come with this new life of his, with this new body and power. His grin was uncontrollable as he felt free for the first time. So much so he found himself wiping tears of joy for the first time from his face.

Once atop of the roof near the alley, Dreyfus dropped down from the height, expecting to brace for the impact of the fall. To his surprise, there was barely any shock from his landing and he was amazed at how durable his body had become. Tapping into Veracity once more, he hones his ears for the footsteps of the two men, getting into position within the darker parts of the alley as they drew near. When he could hear their drunken laughter without the use of his vampyre hearing, he sprung his trap.

"Help.....someone......please help me!" he cried out, putting on the performance of being in dire need of assistance. When the two men heard him they came to peer into the alley, calling out to him. "Help...I was robbed." he pleaded, trying to get, acting as if his leg was hurt. The two men came closer, the redhead coming to help Dreyfus stand.

The black-haired male ask if he saw which way the criminal went, but Dreyfus shook his head. "By the time I came to they were already gone." with those words the black-haired male turned to see if he could find the trail of the imaginary culprit but it was already too late. With a kinetic push, the poor sap found his head colliding with the brick wall. Dreyfus' grip on the redhead tightened, the look of fear settling in on the male.

It was a look that Dreyfus found wet his appetite even more. With a kinetic pull, then push, Dreyfus ensured there would be no interference with his meal. Taking the redhead male by his scalp, Dreyfus forced his neck to the side, long fang-like teeth forming before sinking them into the flesh. To anyone who could have seen this, it simply looked like two lovers in an alley, when in fact it was a predator feasting on unsuspecting prey.

Moments passed, and in those moments Dreyfus was overcome with such euphoric sensations he found himself somewhat giddy from the experience. When the redhead was drained of all the blood Dreyfus could siphon, he let the body drop to the floor, then set his eyes on the raven-haired male. Standing over him he gripped the male by his hair, lifting him up into his arms as he dined on the lifeforce of this one as well. ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

As Dreyfus dropped the body of the red haired man, Venetia calmly walked into the alley. Her scarlet eyes observed the man as he moved, seeing the ravenous hunger that had made itself evident.

“Now is your choice, nephew.” The shadows in the alleyway seemed to grow darker, concealing them from the view of the outside world. The burning red in Venetia’s eyes became stronger. She gestured to the body of the red haired man on the ground and then to the raven haired one. Within Dreyfus something odd would present itself. The sensation of knowing that he was fed. He was physically satisfied but the thirst was not gone. It was merely a distant memory that remained at the furthest edges of his awareness. If he concentrated on it, he would be able to feel it, calling to him. The more he fed, the stronger he would become. Alternatively, new things opened up to his awareness.

Having freshly drank from the living source of the vitality that was now so important to him, Dreyfus would be able to feel the power in his body. With every pump of the blood through his heart, he could feel it filling his muscles with life. He could feel it fueling his further push toward strength and vitality. He could even dip into the wellspring of aether within his body more readily than ever before. A boundary seemed to have fallen away, truly making clear that he was no longer just a human or a mortal. He was something else entirely. Something more.

The red haired man on the ground was still moving limply. He was pale, disoriented, until finally he was staring up at Dreyfus in horror. One of his hands was slowly, languidly reaching for the raven haired man with an almost pleading desperation. As Dreyfus eyes met his, the blood now within the fledgling vampyre’s body ignited with knowledge and memories.

Two boys wrestling in a cornfield. One with red hair. The other with raven hair. The features resembling both of the men in Dreyfus grasp. The flood of memories snapped, unfocused, from one image to another. It showed a life of growing up together until they were both men. It showed the day that the red haired man rejected a marriage he was set to engage in. It showed the two men together, fleeing what looked to be a distant city…Zaichaer. Until they arrived at this village. And then the memories shifted to show the two men clinging tightly to one another and the raven haired man promising the both of them a life together. Free from a land that would have persecuted them for the crime of loving each other.

All of this came rushing into Dreyfus brain in short flashes almost as if the nerves in his mind were firing rapidly. But the gist of the information managed to come through. When it finally faded, Venetia was still standing there, watching. She moved neither to stop Dreyfus nor encourage him.

“Your third power. Psychometry. Everyone you feed from, you will learn from.” She kept her blood red gaze upon Dreyfus for a moment longer before looking to the young man on the ground. He was limply trying to drag himself toward Dreyfus.

“He likely has only a few minutes left.” She folded her hands together in contemplation. “Unless you decide otherwise.”

Venetia blinked slowly, as though in thought. And she waited. She waited for Dreyfus to make his choice.

[Dreyfus]

Company: Venetia| Thoughts:How invigorating| Mood: Full & Satisfied

---

♅ Watching their lives flash before him, it was an unsettling feeling, like witnessing a biography of a person in quick incoherent pictures. He saw their adolescence, their youth, their rise into adulthood. He saw their love and their escape from Zaichaer. He saw more than he expected to simply from drinking their blood. He felt his aunt's presence as she entered the alley, the darkness conforming to envelop them from prying eyes.

“Now is your choice, nephew.” she spoke, her words echoing into his ear as could feel the invigoration the blood was giving his body. He felt at full strength, even if there was still a lingering need to feed. He was full, there was no need to torment these two in their last moments. "I'm no monster, the least I can do is allow him to die with the one person he loves." he chimed, probing the raven-haired male up in the corner of the alley.

Dreyfus then came to pick the red-haired man up into his arms bridal style, and carried him over to where his dead lover was."I will not blame you if you hate me for what I've done. The least I can do is allow you this peace in your final moments." he comforted as he came to sit the man up against his lover. He clasped their hands together and in the redhead's eyes, Dreyfus could see the man was at peace at least as he took his final moments.

Ripping a piece of the man's shirt, Dreyfus wiped his mouth of the blood that was clinging to it and approached Venetia. "Psychometry could prove useful when investigating matters when normal means are ineffective." he mumbled to himself, taking one last look at the couple he murdered. "I will have restraint, I see no need to take more than what's required to quell the thirst. I may not be human any longer, but I refuse to become a monster." he informed, coming to stand next to his aunt. ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Paragon]

P A R A G O N

There was no judgement in Venetia’s eyes as Dreyfus finished with the two victims of his first hunt. If anything her gaze was somewhat clinical in its appraisal of the events that had unfolded.

“The first feeding is always the messiest. It is also always the most ravenous.” She peered at the two dead men. “You are just entering the infancy stages of being a vampyre. You’re going to need more in order to sate your hunger at first. So I suggest you remain discreet. In about two weeks you will get more balanced. You will only need a liter of blood a day at a minimum after that.”

She gently moved Dreyfus aside and extended her forearm. With a fingernail she made a single cut and drew out a stream of blood. She then flicked her wrist toward the two men. The blood became a mist that swirled around them. It thickened, growing denser until it was a dark red cloud. Venetia tilted her head slightly, watching as the mist flowed into the nose, ears and mouths of the two men. At first nothing happened but then Dreyfus would be able to see the puncture wounds on both men's necks close. Then one after the other, both of them drew in rattling breaths. They looked pale and clearly exhausted but were alive. Venetia turned back to Dreyfus.

“Had you chosen to embrace the ravenous hunger, I would have left them. They will live. They will also remember you. They will likely seek out vampyre hunters.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I am curious to see how you will deal with them when the time comes.”

Venetia took Dreyfus by the arm, the darkness around them receded only to be followed by the jarring weightless sensation of teleportation. From one moment to the next, they went from within the town to within the woodlands on the outskirts. In the far distance, the lights of the town could be seen flickering. She released Dreyfus arm, bringing up a hand.

“One last power.” Venetia bit her tongue. She looked to one of the trees and spit at it. As soon as the blood hit the tree, the bark began to hiss and sizzle. “Corrosion. You have the power to make your blood an acid or a poison. At your current state, it will not be enough to truly kill anyone but it can certainly cause pain or get someone sick enough to incapacitate them once it takes hold.”

She eyed Dreyfus from head to toe, her scarlet eyes glowing softly like banked coals in the dark of the night.

“Continue north to Kalzasi or return to Zaichaer. Whatever you decide, know that the life you had is gone forever.” Reaching up, Venetia drew up her hood. “I must leave you now, nephew. For now. I have business elsewhere. Before I go however…”

From within the folds of her robes, Venetia produced a plain looking leather bag that could easily attach at Dreyfus hip.

“Take this. Contained within it is enough to get you started in a new life if you want it. It also has some instructions to guide you until I can return for you.” She smirked. “If you survive that long.”

Venetia tossed the bag to Dreyfus. Attached around the leather tie cinching the bag closed was a small slip of rolled up paper.

“Beware of the Hunters, nephew. They are not to be taken lightly. And know that if you have a true need for me…I will hear you if you call for me.”

Turning on her heel, Venetia walked into the dark of the forest. The shadows gathered around her, deepening with almost a rumble until with the ghost of a breath, they receded and she was gone.

The road before the fledgling vampyre was split. He could either turn south and head back to Zaichaer or he could continue north toward Kalzasi.

What would the new vampyre choose? More importantly, who would he choose to be?

Off Topic

XP: 15. Can be used for Vitalis, Kinetics or Negation.
Lore: +10 common lore of your choice in addition to the following:
Vitalis: Initiation Process, Painful and Gruesome
Vitalis: Hemocraft
Vitalis: Psychometry
Vitalis: Corrosion
Vitalis: Veracity
Vitalis: Sunlight will not kill a Vampyre but it will weaken them
Vitalis: Vampyres require at least (1) liter of blood a day

Moving forward, Dreyfus is now authorized to receive knowledge in Vitalis as well as knowledge related to life as a Vitalitasi (Vampyre).

Loot: The slip of paper on the leather bag lists the following.

+1 Featherlight Bag - The magic upon this bag is passive. Enchanted through the use of Traversal magic. The bag contains a liminal space that is self-contained. The opening of the bag has a diameter of 24 in., provided an object can be placed within the bag through that space, it will fit inside of it. The bag can carry up to 600 lbs. (272 kg) of material. No matter how full the bag becomes, it will never weigh more than 2 lbs. (1 kg). The bag is proofed against the natural elements and resistant to tearing, however if the bag is breached, then the enchantment upon it is completely destroyed and all items inside of it spill out of the bag into the material realm. Withdrawing an item from the bag merely requires that the wearer think of the object and it will come to the user’s hand if it can be found within the bag itself. If no such object is in the bag, it will not come to the user’s hand.

+1500 GP

+1 Average Sanguinyte Dragonshard - A Dragonshard that is scarlet in color and swirls as though filled with blood. Contained within it is the equivalent of (1) feeding. Additionally, if Psychometry is invoked while drinking from the crystal, the knowledge of Apprentice level Vitalis techniques can be gained.

+1 Set of Forged Identity Papers - Regardless of whether Dreyfus chooses to return to Zaichaer or move to Kalzasi, his life as Dreyfus Monteliyet is over. According to Zaichaeri records, he has been killed in action against the Red Witch with no hope of recovery. Upon venturing to either city, if Dreyfus presents these papers to the Central Bank, he will have access to new accounts and a new life waiting for him. However, it means that all that he had access to in his previous life is now gone.

-1 Companion NPC (Natasha Gulskie) - Natasha is no longer accessible as a Companion NPC.
-1 Personal NPC (Alistair Crowley) - Alistair is no longer accessible as a Personal NPC.

+1 Companion NPC (Unnamed) - Upon assuming his new life, Dreyfus will be afforded a new servant to assist him in getting situated as a Vampyre. This person is NOT a vampyre but has knowledge of them and has a history of service to Venetia. You may give them a name and background that is suitable for your chosen new life.