Olakai Vampire Family
ToC
Who They Are
The Olakai family came to Ptolus only a few years ago, but they’ve been quite successful in the meantime. Setting up the Morana Merchant House, the family has established a foothold in the trading business. However, they are nowhere near the level of the more prestigious merchant enterprises of the city, at least not yet. The Olakais are Night Merchants, a practice very much in vogue in their homeland of Uraq. Essentially, this means they are open 24 hours a day. Their competition argues that by spreading the same sales across more time will cost them more money. The family is comprised of six members, some with more interest in their merchant business than others.I just don't understand how the Olakai family maintains their business, they have a family of six mouths to feed and yet they never seem to want. Well no I am not saying they are rich, maybe well off.
Blood Behind the Veil
The reality is that the Olakai Merchant Family are in fact a "family" of vampires under the leadership of Volker Olakai, their eldest and most powerful. Prior to arriving in Ptolus their was an incident that caused the death of his mortal wife Kira. As she accepted Volker for his vampire nature and helped him control his beast her death was a devastating blow that almost broke him and split the family. Volker "adopted" her two children as his own and relocated his "family" to the city of Ptolus. Using their range of years, experience, skill and supernatural talents they have established the Morana Merchant House as a successful business and strong mortal mask for themselves.Questions of Lineage
Vampires like the Olakai "family" or Horava create a strange and troublesome revelation amongst the Kindred. Many believe that they are not the true spawn of Vecna which would explain their lack of clans and covenants.
Olakai Family
Type
Family
Leader
Location
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Living Between
the Cracks
Whilst the Olakai family strives to maintain their merchant business and sufficient income, they must maintain a steady balance as to not draw attention to themselves. Volker and the other members of the family often argue in that regard, with the younger members knowing they could gain greater business, wealth and possible minor noble status with but more effort. Volker will not have it knowing they would fall under greater scrutiny. That is not a risk he is willing to take.
Volker Olakai 01 by Graylion on MidjourneyAI
Volker Olakai
Volker is the family patriarch, ruling over the Morana Merchant House. Tall with slicked-back black hair and a well-cared beard, he stands out in any room. His wife Kira died before he came to Ptolus, and he doesn’t like talking about her, even to his friends.
Volker can usually be found in the Merchant House, ensuring everything is in good order. He speaks with a low voice, the kind one has to give their full attention to in order to hear every word. He is almost entrancing in the way he talks, and people can rarely turn away from him once he opens his mouth.
Volker is the one who has ensured his family’s rise to relative wealth, but he also seems to be the one most content with their current standing. Many of the Merchant Houses’ contacts and frequent shoppers have attested to this – there are stories of Volker’s children and relatives telling him about business opportunities, only for him to refuse to even consider them.
Why Volker does this remains a mystery, and each person has a different theory – mostly depending on if they like Volker or not. Some believe him an idiot, somebody who stumbled into a modicum of success and doesn’t know how to react to it. Others believe he is simply content – his business makes enough money to support his family, and that is enough. Still others believe him a genius who turns downs those offers because he knows they will lead to failure.
Blood Behind the Veil
Being the oldest of the family, Volker has the greatest strength of vampiric powers and the greatest control over those powers. The rest of the family has various levels of strength and control over their abilities. Some only have limited or instinctual control over their powers. Being the eldest vampire, the rest of the Olakais are predisposed towards obeying Volker without much issue. In the rare moments of dissent, Volker enforces his commands through presence of will which sometimes means using dominate on his family. His greatest power is Dominate allowing him to enforce his will when he must, in addition he can display incredible feats of strength, speed and resilience.
To Volker, maintaining the Masquerade is the most important thing. Acting as the leader of his family his rules are strict – no breaching of the Masquerade, no killing without his consent. When it comes to his own feeding, Volker tries to be as discreet as possible. He takes blood from homeless folk, drunks, and others who wouldn’t remember or recognize him, or whose words wouldn’t be heeded. In the rare cases where he wants to treat himself, he uses Dominate to feed from more important people.
Volker knew that Torish and Chessia would always be considered inferior outsiders in the vampire family, so he gave them a choice to truly "join" them. He embraced them both before arriving in Ptolus. Volker is content with the size of the family, and knows that if another Olakai were to appear out of the blue it would raise suspicion. Still, others in the family have been pushing for an expansion.
Torish Olakai 01 by Graylion on MidjourneyAI
Torish Olakai
Torish is Volker’s oldest child, a man of almost thirty years. He looks the spitting image of his father, only clean-shaven. Apart from looks, Torish has also inherited Volker’s penchant for business.
While he spends time in the Morana Merchant House, Torish also has his own business endeavor – he owns a merchant caravan that imports textiles and jewelry from the south. But whereas Volker abhors displays of wealth, Torish is more than happy to show off.
The local tailors and seamstresses are kept constantly busy thanks to him, since Torish fancies himself a trend setter. Each week, these people churn out clothes in a variety of new and old styles, according to Torish’ wishes. Some clothes are a success, but most are a failure – Torish places the blame solely on the workers, of course.
Despite this wealth, Torish doesn’t really mingle with the nobility and the wealthy folk of Ptolus. Instead, he spends his time in taverns and pubs, tipping excessively. He also frequents brothels, in the days where he doesn’t pick up some girl in the aforementioned dining and drinking establishments.
Blood Behind the Veil
Torish is the son of Volker’s deceased wife, and the two are therefore quite close. Torish was turned just prior to arriving in Ptolus, after his father gave him the choice of becoming a vampire or remaining mortal.Although he is unable to directly call upon his gifts they manifest as influencing peoples hearts and minds. He is exceedingly charismatic and believes people truly fall over themselves trying to become his friend or be in his company. Although he is aware of vampiric gifts and they may help this, he does not believe they are the greatest factor.
Chessia Olakai 02 by Graylion on MidJourneyAI
Chessia Olakai
Volker’s younger child, Chessia is twenty years old, with pale skin and red-brown hair. Chessia Olakai is a smaller, petite woman with the unassuming youthful face of a proper, fair lady. Contrary to her father and brother, she cares little for the family business.
Indeed, Chessia is seldom seen in the Merchant House – and, if she’s there, she’s most likely behind the counter, reading a romance novel or a book about the deeds of noble knights.
In general, where most of her family is gregarious, Chessia is shy, abhorring conversation with strangers. It usually falls to Torish to get her out of her shell, taking her along with him in some of his excursions. Even this fails to cheer her up, as she’s often melancholic and sad, for no apparent reason.
Blood Behind the Veil
Chessia was turned only recently, embraced by Volker only a month before the Olakais arrived in Ptolus. She has not gotten over the fact yet. Although Chessia, like her brother, agreed to become a vampire, she did so under duress. She felt like she had no choice, since the rest of her family had already turned. Now, she regrets the choice.This regret manifests itself with Chessia throwing herself into the illusion of mortal life. She attends gatherings and galas, even going on dates until these go wrong. When she does not tend her hunger properly or a date wants a long term relationship this leads to her becoming withdrawn. She dislikes working in the family business as this is a constant reminder of the vampiric nature she shares with her family. In fact, feeding repulses her still, and it’s only thanks to Torish that she doesn't fall starving to the beast of hunger.
Despite all of this, it seems like Chessia is quite powerful. In the few times where, on instinct, she uses her power, everyone struggles to please her. Her vampiric gifts are even stronger than her brother.
Velon Olakai 01 by Graylion on MidJourneyAI
Velon Olakai
Volker’s cousin, Velon is always seen with a tophat and a black longcoat, even during summer. Sporting a characteristic mustache, Velon is as tall as his cousin, and quite a bit more intimidating.
Velon is responsible for the Merchant House’s weapons trade, which perhaps explains his slight paranoia. He is suspicious of everybody, and always walks around with an escort, which he strangely seems to dislike. In general, those who have had dealings with him describe Velon as antsy at best, quick to accuse others of spying on him.
Still, Velon deals with others fairly. He brings business proposals to Volker often, perhaps trying to up his standing with him – usually to no avail. He doesn’t seem to like Velkor’s children much, although he does his best to be nice to them.
Blood Behind the Veil
Responsible for the family’s weapons trade, Velon is a dour man who rarely laughs. His vampiric gifts grant him supernatural speed, strength and resilience but he is truly at his best when he can use his cunning. Velon desires power above all else. He dislikes Torish and Chessia, and wants to take their place as first in line to the proverbial throne.Lately, Velon has found a new obsession, one he hopes will help him gain what he wants. He has heard of some vampires able to wield magic, and has decided to investigate. For now, his research into this remains a secret from the rest of the family – and he is lucky it is so, as Volker deeply distrusts anything to do with magic. Still, Velon believes that by learning such magical abilities – blood magic – he will one day take Volker's place.
Serra Olakai 01 by Graylion on MidJourneyAI
Serra Olakai
Serra is another of the family’s distant cousins – perhaps more distant than Velon, since she looks nothing like the rest of the Olakais. She is in her late thirties, short, with blond hair.
Serra is a financial genius, and takes care of the family’s ledgers, having working for a large counting house in Tarsi's. She is the one everyone has to go through to get funding for anything, and Volker trusts her implicitly. They make quite a good team, and it’s obvious Volker prizes her highly.
Serra is a social butterfly, and is usually the family’s representative in any and all official functions, be those galas, informal parties, or random social gatherings. She dresses well – better than Torish, usually. Everywhere she goes, she’s accompanied by a handful of gentleman "bodyguards".
Blood Behind the Veil
Volker’s old flame, Serra was embraced by him after a night of passion – an act that Volker deeply regretted. Still, Serra has faithfully kept the Masquerade since then, and seems to enjoy being a vampire. Serra and Volker no longer have intimate relations of any kind, having little desire for such things. However, Serra still enjoys flirting with mortals, turning them to her will. While Volker only suspects Chessia of being able to control peoples emotions, he is certain that Serra wields and control over such an ability.Being the public face of the Olakai Family, Serra makes full use of her powers at all times when outside. She has a constant retinue of followers, most of them star-struck with her. She feeds from them, indulging their desires for a moment in exchange for blood. Serra is content with her current position, enjoying the affluence of the family and the life it affords her. However, she has often talked to Volker about wanting more – more power, more income, more prestige.
Tolar Olakai 01 by Graylion on MidJourneyAI
Tolar Olakai
Tolar is Volker’s brother. Although he’s the younger of the two, it is his hair that has began to go grey. Even so, he doesn’t look to be older than forty. A successful merchant in his own right, Tolar is primarily known for trading in spirits. This has made him quite a lot of money, although Tolar doesn’t really flaunt his wealth like his nephew.
According to gossip, Tolar is something of a black sheep among his family. Rumor says he’s a smuggler, bringing illicit items into Ptolus. The very same rumors say that a reason the entire family came to the city was that Tolar had been a criminal, and is still wanted in various cities down south. The most outrageous of the rumors say that Tolar is even smuggling slaves, using Ptolus as a port to send them to other cities farther away.
If the rumors are true, Tolar has been doing an outstanding job in concealing all of this. Indeed, the city guard has never come calling for him, nor have the Olakais’ merchant rivals ever managed to make any accusation stick. Whether this continues into the future – if the rumors have any substance at all – remains to be seen.
Tolar is something of the family’s loose cannon. Lacking all the social niceties of the others, Tolar is instead the strongest and fastest of the Olakais, to supernatural levels. He is only rivaled by Volker.
Being the family’s muscle, it is Tolar who deals with any illicit, dark deals – although sometimes Torish takes part here too. Apart from being good at such things, Tolar also uses such meetings as an opportunity to feed. Instead of agreeing to some deals, Tolar simply kills and drains the other party, usually thieves of some kind. To him, their crimes mean he’s in the right about this.
In general, Tolar has something of a might makes right attitude. However, he is fiercely loyal to his family, and Volker keeps him close by his side, a trusted confidant from their mortal days. While he has not patience for the long games he does keep an untrusting eye on Velon.
Being the family’s muscle, it is Tolar who deals with any illicit, dark deals – although sometimes Torish takes part here too. Apart from being good at such things, Tolar also uses such meetings as an opportunity to feed. Instead of agreeing to some deals, Tolar simply kills and drains the other party, usually thieves of some kind. To him, their crimes mean he’s in the right about this.
In general, Tolar has something of a might makes right attitude. However, he is fiercely loyal to his family, and Volker keeps him close by his side, a trusted confidant from their mortal days. While he has not patience for the long games he does keep an untrusting eye on Velon.
Olakai Family Cover 3x2
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