Appearance
With fairly simple but finely made clothes alongside a few bangles and baubles, Penelope's clothes are obviously those of a merchant rather than craftsman or farmer. Her skin, once olive, now seems deathly pale and hazel eyes have been replaced with a dull red that seem to grow brighter at night. It is clear to most that she is no longer fully human, though until recently the changes were not so drastic, and she could mingle with others without making them feel uncomfortable. No so anymore.
After her vampirism progressed to its current stage, her once pretty face has been twisted and lengthened, her cheekbones and jawline now unnaturally sharp on a face that seems a little too thin. That is to say little of her hands, which have been changed into vicious claws that regrow no matter how often she cuts her fingernails, and the obvious fangs within her mouth.
Personality
Penelope has a fire inside her that few could match, refusing to back down from confrontation even in situations where her life is at risk. If another had been through what she has, they might have crumbled or fully accepted death at the hands of their betters, but she fought for her life with words and defiance in the shadow of a master vampire who could have ripped her in half.
Her words are as sharp as her fangs, and she has more than once been able to use the perfect argument to get what she wants against the better judgement of those around her, using
Odessa's own words and personality against her at times.
Consuming her mind for months has been the thought of vengeance against
Lucian Mors, the vampire who destroyed her life. To that end she has trained constantly as a mage, put herself in extreme danger, learned blood magic, and even consorted with demons. Few things can stop this woman once she puts her mind to something, though this stubbornness does mean she rushes headlong into peril if she believes there's even the slightest chance it will help her on her quest.
Abilities
Since her transformation and her apprenticeship to Odessa began, Penelope has been developing firstly her arcane talents, and secondly her vampiric skills. She has progressed quickly as a mage, showing extreme determination even when she struggles to grasp certain concepts, and has practically taught herself blood magic after getting a starting point from a demon.
Her vampiric abilities have similarly progressed, as she can now teleport short distances as a puff of smoke, convert any spell to ensure it causes nekrosis, and even drain the power of others through magic instead of needing to wound them with claw or fang. In time she may even learn to hide her horrifying appearance to once again blend in with others. Though all this power has come at the cost of great hunger, and a terrible fear of
Talsia's light.
History
A Merchant's Life
For most of her life Penelope was the merchant daughter of a moderately wealthy family. Based in
Acidon, they would trade jewellery and cloth between neighbouring cities. Her lifestyle was comfortable, and she was surrounding by loving friends and family. It would all be ripped away from her in a single night.
Vampiric Slaughter
Victims of a dark plot by
Corvus Mors to ruin his master's life, Penelope and all around her were attacked by Corvus and his vampires in the first hours of the Underworld attack on Acidon. They were infected by a disease that mimicked the symptoms and abilities of true vampires, and set loose in their hunger to cause more havoc on the city.
A day or two later, Lucian arrived to the half-destroyed city, and went on a rampage to slaughter all of Corvus' brood, Penelope and friends included. The strength of a true vampire lord is difficult to overstate, and he tore through the dozens of lesser undead with practically no resistance. Even coated with the blood of her family and the organs of her friends, Penelope would not go quietly. Defiant despite utter terror setting in, she wounded Lucian's eye and fled into the sunlight where he could not follow.
She found
Kaus walking through the city, assessing damages and hunting for cultists before the day ended and the demon siege began anew. She requested aid, and was brought to a temple where Kaus and his allies debated what to do with her. After Lucian was done killing Corvus and his brood, he demanded Penelope's life, as the only survivor of Corvus' schemes. She had already declared her right to life and threatened to fight any who would hand her over, and so eventually The Exotics convinced Lucian to let her live.
Becoming a Mage
Though her life had been spared, and Acidon eventually saved, Penelope had nothing to return to - everything she once knew had been taken by either demons or Lucian. Odessa decided to take her in as an apprentice, teaching her the ways of magic so that she may control her disease and work towards building a new life.
She joined with The Exotics crew, becoming head merchant for trading, aiding
Markos with finding deals that few without her skillset ever could.
A Bloody Curse
Through the many months that followed, Penelope hungered for blood in more ways than one. Needing to feed at least a few times a month, the role of giving her blood fell on the shoulders of Markos and Kaus. Unknown by all was the fact that she had scarcely been feeding on Kaus, but harvesting his tiefling vitae instead. Odessa had previously requested a cursed tablet, to be used in an enchantment - a task given to Penelope in the hopes that her intense hatred of Lucian could produce a viable curse that would be useful for arcane purposes. Not only was her hatred great enough, but she had written her curse in the blood of a being connected to The Underworld, ensuring something dark would take notice.
Lucian was inflicted with a terrible disease, something he should have been immune to thanks to his undeath. But the curse was strong, and his unlife at risk; The Exotics were told to fix it, and so they did. They conjured the demon who had unleashed the curse, forcing it to unbind the tablet and killing the fiend soon after. During this whole process, it was learned that Penelope had transitioned into a true vampire instead of a diseased facsimile of one, and the demon had written a blood magic spell into her book, beginning a line of study that was illegal and often seen as immoral.
Apotheosis?
After the incident with the curse, more months passed by and Penelope grew more confident with her skills. She did not attempt to deceive her allies again, simply relying on her studies to be enough to one day conquer her foe. But during the Festival of Change, strange, sanguine, potions began to surface, granting supernatural power when consumed. Learning more details about the potion, and that Lucian feared to drink it, Penelope became convinced it was the next step on her journey for power.
With the aid of
Chryssa and
Nereia, a potion was procured. Perhaps having learned from the last incident, she did not drink the potion immediately or secretly; she instead came to Odessa with her plan, and convinced her master to allow such a dangerous experiment. After the Festival ended she drank the elixir and slumbered, dead to the world, for hours.
Eventually she awoke with such a ravenous need for blood that she attempted to trick or enchant both
Soriz and Markos so that she could drain them dry, an act that horrified her even while it was being committed. Clearly more monstrous and more dangerous than she had been before, her plan had worked at incredible cost. Struggling to even think, she begged for help in between unearthly screams and sobbing, and a solution was suggested in
Fearghal - the man had survived the hordes of an Immortal, surely a starving vampire could not kill him? The theory held true, and through Fearghal's blood Penelope was restored to sanity and civility.
She is more powerful than ever, but has developed an intense phobia of daylight, must feed more often, and can't bear to look at her frightening form in a mirror. Time will tell if the trade has been worth it.
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