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Astra-cat — The Penny Dreadfuls - Vincent William
Published: 2018-07-28 12:31:35 +0000 UTC; Views: 928; Favourites: 19; Downloads: 0
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Description
Vincent William
|Current Name| Vincent William (Vin or Vinnie)
|Birth Name| Vasya Demidov
|Age| 137 (turned at 29)
|Height| 5'7"
|Hair-Colour| White blonde
|Eye-Colour| Grey
|Race| Noble Dead
|Nationality| Russian (Russian Empire)
|Current Occupation| Crowner (coroner)
|Alliance / Faction| Denizen
|Attributes|
|Attributes|
- [Strength] - 0 (+2)
- [Fortitude] - 0
- [Constitution] - 0
- [Reflexes] - 0
- [Speed] - 0 (+3)
- [Perception] - 0
- [Presence] - 0 (+2)
- [Willpower] - 0
|Noble Dead Merits|
- Strength: +2
- Speed: +3
- Charm (PRE): +2
- +1 to all rolls if recently fed (within the last two hours) off a victim
- +2 to STR, FOR, SPD when in a Blood Frenzy
|Noble Dead Demerits|
- -5 Fortitude/Constitution when in contact with Holywater, Holy Artifacts, and Blessed items
- -4 Willpower when hungry or surrounded by copious amounts of blood
- -4 Willpower when in the presence of large or unconstrained flames
|Identity|
|Curse| Final Memento
Vincent's curse allows him experience the last 48 hours of a deceased creature's (human or otherwise) life, including all their senses (pain and pleasure included), emotions and thoughts, when in physical contact with part of the corpse. With a full corpse or a large part, there is no limiting factor as to when the person or animal died and Vincent's ability to read them, however bodily fluids become useless one year after being spilt. Noble dead are also affected and Vincent is able to read the last hours of their lives before they were turned.
|Advantages|
- Vincent currently uses the curse to relive the last moments of murder victim's life in order to discover their killer.
- Body fluids can be used if they are under a year old and their owner is deceased.
- There is no limit to the number of times that Vincent can experience the same reading.
- The curse affects humans, animals and Nobel dead. Vincent cannot read himself.
|Limitations|
- Vincent experiences all senses during the reading as if they were his own, including any unwanted emotions or pain. The memories of a painful or haunting reading can be difficult to shake once Vincent stops, causing him to obsess over the person or animal that died.
- During a read, which may take 30 seconds to 2 minutes, Vincent is consumed by the memories and completely unaware of the real-world.
- A reading requires direct skin-skin, skin-bone etc contact to work.
- Effectiveness deteriorates on older noble dead (100 years or under - Vincent experiences the full 48 hours, 100-200 years - he experiences only the last 24 hours of life, 200-300 years - he experiences only the last 12 hours of life and for 300+ year old Noble dead - his readings only experience the last 6 hours of life.)
(Vincent has stolen and preserved his own mementos that are attached to particularly beautiful or interesting readings)
|Personality|
Outwardly cheerful and optimistic, Vincent is rarely serious (except for his work) or stoic, instead preferring to wander around and just experience life. He's a calm man with no sense of urgency or self-accountability who rarely loses his composure. This can irritate his friends and co-workers who may think Vincent lacks investment, motivation or determination, however, this isn't true. Vincent's careless behaviour stems from his absolute faith in God and that he has received the Lord's blessing. This faith allows Vincent to feel as if he can say or do whatever he wishes, usually leading him to stop and talk with strangers or help those in need but also to make unhealthy choices for himself. Unfortunately, it can also lead Vincent to lie and steal, take blood whenever he wishes (even if it kills someone) and take trophies or mementos home from his work.
Most days, however, you'll find he's just an eccentric collector of things and people, someone who enjoys working hard, helping others and good company with a good drink.
When Vincent is truly sad, he drowns himself in the emotions and memories of the dead to keep his own thoughts at bay. Despite his happy attitude, he's the type to avoid problems that would genuinely upset him. And although Vincent loves speaking with people, he feels that the time in which he understands and connects with them the most is when he experiences their last moments and emotions in a reading. A part of anyone who's touched Vincent's heart is likely stored in his house somewhere.
|Strengths|
Personable - Vincent is open and social, preferring to raise spirits rather than bring them down.
Dexterity - has excellent dexterity with his hands and fingers from playing instruments and autopsies.
|Weaknesses|
Stubborn - Vincent rarely sets his mind to an absolute but when he does, it can be hard (even for Vincent) to alter his course.
Foot-in-mouth - Vincent is frequently known to say or do things that wouldn't be considered polite in another's company. Fortunately his curse is so useful in his current occupation that it keeps him from unemployment.
|Likes|
- Bitter herbal teas paired with sweets or balsams black liquor (with fresh ice cream)
- Snowy days spent inside readings or playing music (violin or piano)
- Collecting useless keys, dried plants, books, glass eye-pieces, broken time-pieces, taxidermy and medical specimens (he's a bit of a hoarder and has stolen 'specimens' from work before)
- his work, working and doing readings
- Optimistic people
- Jewellery and perfume (very picky about the fabric used for his clothes as well)
- Since he's noble dead, he can't visit a church but he still likes to privately pray
- Meeting new people and talking with them
- Christmas
- The 'people' who live with him. He'd fly into a rage if something happened to them.
- Medical drugs. Is currently very interested in and following the research on Chloroform in Edinburgh.
|Dislikes|
- Animals (especially dogs because he was bitten as a child)
- Lycan
- Peer-pressure or judgemental people
- The current orthodox church and most religions in general
- Large bodies of water
- Tight or itchy clothes
- Roses
- People discovering he's noble dead or from Russia (Anti-Russian sentiment would've been pretty strong in 1800's). Vincent has outgrown his accent to avoid this.
- Blood frenzies and the full moon
|Backstory|
TLDR - Vasya Demidov was very religious boy who grew up in Russia nobility and killed his wife when he turned. He wanted to commit suicide but refused to commit another mortal sin under his faith so he travelled around Europe making and selling medicine. Eventually, concluding that since the Lord's hadn't struck him down, he must have the Lord's blessing. Vasya then decides to start committing whatever sins he wishes, and until God struck him down, know that he has the Lord's blessing. Comes to London, changes his name to Vincent William and becomes a coroner.
Born into the Demidov noble family shortly after Peter the Great's cultural and religious reforms, Vasya grew up in an age where members of the Russian nobility were encouraged into academics and politics instead of military service. The Demidov family were practising Russian Othodox Christians, elevated to nobility during Peter the Great's reign, and keen patrons of the arts and sciences. Their wealth and status enriched Vasya's life and he became an arrogant and charming young man, more interested in excelling in science and politics than managing the family's silver and gold mines. At parties and events, he was bubbly and social, enjoying the long nights but always leaving before things became too intimate because of his religious beliefs. Many outside his family thought he shared beds with many but it was just rumours that never bothered Vasya.
At 24 Vasya was enrolled at the newly founded University of Moscow (to which his family where patrons) and left his father's estate to study medicine and chemistry, later becoming an academic there in drugs and marrying his wife, Calina.
Vasya's life was surprisingly easy and happy despite the Russian Empire's involvement in the Seven Years' War, but Vasya was dissatisfied with his life, work and wife and didn't understanding how to fix anything, turning to long nights at the University to avoid Calina. In 1759, Calina had a stillbirth which torn them further apart, seeing Vasya spending even less time at home and Calina feeling too guilty to stop him. It was during this time that Vasya met and fell in love with a charming man. Vasya's religion would never allow him to leave Calina and certainly not for another man, but he longed to.
On their final night together, Vasya told the man that this was their goodbye. The man simply smiled and proposed a final drink together, which Vasya agreed to, barely noting the drink's odd taste. Later, Vasya arrived home to a burglary and was stabbed to death. Calina was crying beside him when Vasya awoke to his new life and she was unavoidably his first kill. When the frenzy had ended, Vasya reached out in shock to touch his dead wife. This started a reading which allowed him to experience Calina's grief when she had found her husband died and the horror and agony she'd felt when he had risen and killed her.
----
After Vasya was turned, he fled his family and roamed the Russian countryside, torn between living as he was and committing the mortal sin of taking his own life. Despite what he had become, he was still a devout Christian and the weight of having already committed one mortal sin stayed his hand in committing suicide. Eventually he joined the tale-end of the Seven Year's War against Prussia, hoping to die there but thriving instead.
After the war ended, he travelled to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth working as a drugger in Warsaw. It was 1766 and Polish people weren't kind to Russian's after the January Uprisings. The first years weren't easy and his life in nobility hadn't prepared him for much beyond politics but he managed, only feeding when absolutely necessary. In Warsaw, Vasya changed his name, spending years learning basic English and Polish and discovering a love for music.
It was also in Warsaw that Vasya saw the miracle that changed his perception on life and religion, watching a man who had pushed a lady from a bridge get immediately struck by a cart travelling across the bridge. The punishment had come so swiftly and cleanly that Vasya was sure it was the Lord's work; that God had seen that man's mortal sin and struck him down where he stood. Weeks after that incident, Vasya concluded that if the Lord hadn't already stuck him down for the sins he'd committed, then maybe it was his will and blessing. From that day on, Vasya decided he would commit any sin he so desired and, until God struck him down, know that he had the Lord's blessing.
After the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was dissolved in 1795, Vasya travelled west to avoid the numerous uprisings, living in various countries and indulging in what and whoever he wanted, working various jobs including selling medicine. He fell in love and took two thralls at separate times, killing them both but keeping Mementos of them.
He would eventually come to Great Britain and become known as Vincent Williams, the cheerful yet strange crowner.
ROLEPLAY METHODS - Astra-cat #0181
Methods: Discord or Google Docs only
Style: head-canons preferred first, then paragraph or script style
Status: Slow during the week due to work
Writing style:
A sharp rap at the door interrupted the conversation and Vincent rose to excuse himself. "One moment, Constable-" he straightened his attire "it appears someone is at the door."
"Surely your housekeep can receive them?" The Constable asked, bewildered and a touch slighted. Was the matter of Mrs. Orwell's death less important than a simple door-knocker.
"As I have none, that would asking far too much of them." A smile was flashed and Vincent was away, leaving the Constable wondering what decent man lived alone without a wife or housestaff.
Alone, the Constable inspected the sitting room, taking in the plush couches and lavish curtains drawn closed, the bookcases and shelves cluttered with papers, knick-knacks and medical specimens either in jars or displays. In the corner sat a stuffed peacock missing quite a few feathers and the room stunk of heavy incenses that made the Constable's head ache.
The man wore his madness in every possible way, the Constable mused as he looked over Vincent's belongings. They'd been close acquaintances for years but specimens in the sitting room? Perhaps the job had rotted the Crowner's brain and social etiquette, though the Constable would never know.
"My apologies, it was just the daily mail." Vincent said, re-entering suddenly with his hands filled with papers. "Are you attending Ms. Bateman's Winter soiree?" He asked, flashing a thick embossed invite. "I fear she has invited me this year just to embarrass me in some way or another."
"Very likely. I imagine she isn't fond of you after what you said last year."
"Did the shade of her dress not remind you of a water-ladened corpse in spring time? I thought it was all rather charming." Vincent said, placing the mail aside and seating himself across from his guest. The Constable simply shook his head.
"You'll live alone for the rest of your life if you don't learn to behave."
Vincent chuckled, glancing at the specimens that cluttered his sitting room and thinking of the special few that lived in his sleeping chamber. "I've told you many times, I'm not alone, you just can't hear them speaking."
The Constable remained silent, his distaste apparent. Vincent changed the conversation to avoid a tense argument that they'd had many a time before.
"So, Mrs Orwell. I can tell you she was sexually assaulted and strangled by a rather large man. Roughly 6'3" with dark hair and shockingly green eyes. He looked like he might work by the docks and smelt of irish alcohol and old fish."
"Sexual assa- That bastard..."
"Yes." Vincent said simply, the calm smile never slipping from his face.
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Comments: 7
Yay! Come and play with him. He'd likely get along with Wil or your second when you make them.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
:3 OF COURSE. Does Wil introduce himself with his full first name?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Wil introduces himself with his gun D:
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
STAR WE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THIS
👍: 0 ⏩: 0