Wren
"The world was once a place of hope and birdsong. You've taken it from me. You've taken those things and put in their place despair and the snarling of beasts. I no longer dream for the nightmares you've put in my heart."
Appearance
A well-built woman of average height, what Wren lacks for in physical scale she makes up for with an intimidating ambiance. A tried, tested, and distinguished warrior of the elven territories of Loriden, she carries herself with confidence and dignity. Her figure is broader and carries more muscle than her elven kin, belying the heritage of her human father, allowing her to use and wear the heavier armor of his people when the time calls for it. Ears, though pointed, are far shorter than her fairer kin, and eyes not quite so bright and acutely honed.She is of the forest and the mountain, her mother would say. Those eyes baring the green of Loriden, earthy browns of her father's lands, and flecks of gold that hinted to a distant but noble bloodline. The wheaten hair falling just to her shoulders she inherited from her father as well, much to her mother's lament.
Wren might be called a beauty were it not for the hideous scars covering the right side of her face and body - remnants left behind by the beasts she now dedicates her un-life to slaying.
Skills and Abilities
The Vedymin strain of Vampirism is unique in its effect on the infected. Below are the common traits seen in Wren.Survival
The survival rate of infection from the bite of a Vedymin vampire is astronomically low. Most die within the first hours of the bite while others may writhe in agony for days with an infection similar to fatal consumption. The infection is so pronounced that any vampire carrying this strain, who wishes to avoid detection, must take care for their rate of consuming blood. This presents problems due to the high predator drive of the strain, requiring feeding on a nearly daily basis.
Hunter's Sense
Due to their inherent need to sustain upon others of beastly and unnatural persuasion, Vedymin vampires are able to sense the presence of other strains of vampirism nearby, allowing them to effectively track and hunt their prey. This sense extends to other creatures of unnatural origins such as lycans and the like.
Strength, Speed, and Mental Acuity
This strain of vampirism, like many others, improves the infected vampires abilities in strength, speed, perception, and mental acuity. In addition to this, it is not uncommon to gain proficiency in seeing at night.
Long Life and Healing
Though having expected a longer lifespan than her human kin, Wren, like all Vedymin vampires, has improved healing capabilities and extremely long life span. This is not to say that she is immortal or cannot die; grievous wounds can and will kill her. She ages at such a diminished rate that for those with shorter life spans, it may appear as if she doesn’t age at all. Additionally, while she can heal quickly, serious wounds will often form scar tissue as is made apparent by those seen on her face.
Silver Resistance
Contrary to common lore, not all vampires are weak against silver. While the Vedymin has no issues with silver, it is not uncommon for them to carry silver based weapons. For instance, Wren wears armor plated in silver and carries a silver sword to aid in her hunt.
Blood
The origins of blood consumed by Wren changes the effect of the blood on her body; a trait that is uncommon among different vampire strains. The most common advantage for Vedymin Vampires is the consumption of blood from other vampires, which cannot be affected by this strain. This consumption allows Wren to walk in the daylight, a task that is impossible otherwise. However, consumption from other creatures is not as well known. Additionally, consumption of blood from different creatures in too short of a time frame will cause serious illness and could potentially kill Wren.
Addled Mind
The initial infection causes long term amnesia or, in some cases, outright memory loss that cannot be recovered. Wren's change substantially effected her own memory - completely wiping all knowledge of the past several decades from her mind. Compounding this is the side effects of being a young Vedymin which causes Wren to have far less capacity to control her emotions and impulsiveness, making her a loose canon in more delicate situations on her good days and exceptionally unpredictable on her bad.
Burial
Vedymin are quite fond of the ability to walk in the daylight. This allows them some reprieve from the melancholy of a lifetime of eternal darkness. However, those who frequent the day time hours are inflicted by heat exhaustion that can be, and sometimes is fatal. The condition comes to a head, on average, twice a year and requires a weekly long duration of being buried in fresh soil.
Reduced Magic Proficiency
While not entirely understood, Wren's capacity to practice magic has significantly diminished. Where once she had a firm handle on complicated elemental magic as is an attribute of her elven heritage, she can now only conjure small spells on a whim. Anything more than simple, single-use magics requires twice the amount of effort and concentration.
Pronounced Feeding Requirements
Vampire strains vary for the requirements on feeding. For Wren, she can go at most a few days without feeding. The effects of not feeding are noticeable after a single day and fatigue and sickness set in within three days of not feeding. It can affect the mind and the body, causing Wren to go into a brutal rage that precedes debilitating exhaustion.
Last of the Line
As a direct result of the hideous challenge it is to survive the change to a Vedymin, those who endure the process become sterile.
Personality
Those who knew Wren before the change would tell you of her enthusiasm for life and those around her. That she'd been heavily involved in the welfare of those less fortunate, serving once as a warrior and protector, then later as a voice within the leading council of the city of New Miral. She'd been a loyal wife, loving mother of two, and caring member of her community. Smart and quick-witted, amiable and open, and keenly devoted to the safety of her people when threats made themselves known.
This is not the same woman Wren is today because Wren does not remember the woman she used to be. In fact, she doesn't remember much of anything at all beyond her days as a Ranger in Loriden. This loss of memory, however, did not translate to a loss of self and purpose. Wren is aware of the great loss she has suffered only in that she knows she's lost everything that meant something to her - if only she could remember what that everything was. Everything about what she has become wages war with what she believes she should be. It has made her volatile, mentally unstable, and emotionally loose.
Biography & Lore
Still trying to remember who she was so she can become who she's supposed to be. It's not going well.References
A Hunter In the Streets
