Calen Ardanel

[Imperfect_M]

__________________QUICK STATS
Name: Calen Ardanel
Age: Unknown
Gender: Male
Species: Elf (Vampire)
Ethnicity: Serenian
Height: 7' (Height is a result of transmutation. It's variable)
Occupation: N/A
Residence: Western Fallial, Serendipity

Sauron | by Makay Murakami

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Calen likes to keep his appearance fair and beautiful, strong of jaw and with hawk-like features. The color of his eyes range from the blue-black of a night sky, to burning amber, to a glowing ruby-red; depending on his mood and tastes of the day. While his power over Transmutation can have his appearance vary wildly, there are certain color choices that he enjoys. He keeps his skin and hair a pale, snow-like white unless his situation calls for it to be different. He is of athletic build; tall and lean with chiseled muscle. His vanity shows through his appearance.

Of course... What he truly looks like is much more gruesome. A towering, bat-like behemoth of a creature, with large ears, wings, and a gaping, fang-filled maw. This nightmarish form of Calen's is not something he takes often; it disgusts even the man himself. But this walking stalker of the night does carry a distinct appearance and is much more intimidating to behold. While Calen is loathe to wear it, he also does acknowledge that he can use it to make a point.


Personality
Calen is a man who goes by the saying of, "I like what I like." He is not so uncouth and selfish as to live a manic, hedonistic lifestyle, but he is also slow and resistant to change if he has his mind set on something. Perhaps what is striking for him- as a Vampire- is that he enjoys going outside and traveling the countryside; perhaps some days as a simple adventurer, other days as some kind of wealthy merchant or nobleman. He prefers charm over intimidation; for why have enemies when you can have friends and lovers instead?

Magic/Abilities
Calen has a well-trained mastery over Transmutation magic; he uses it to shape his creations, as well as shape himself. Centuries of near-constant practice have given him an understanding of it that few can compare to. By that same token, he also has an equal understanding of Necromancy; it is something he has wielded or channeled virtually every day since his turning. Evocation and abjuration are not his strongest suits, but he can wield them. He won't go dropping a fireball on a city, but he can use the more destructive and protective magics to keep himself out of danger. Much of his magic and extreme physical might is fueled through Blood Magic, a system of magic that involves using blood as a battery for magical power. One can call on it to perform great feats of magic, or great feats of physical power. While Calen can use his own in a pinch, he much prefers to use the blood of those he has drained or fed upon.

Castle Luna Nova
The ancestral home of the Ardanel line, and Calen's personal fortress. Situated on a mountainside and watching over a valley, Castle Luna Nova is as difficult to besiege as it is to even reach if one does not know the roads. Beneath it lies the Ardanel Library, a vast archive of knowledge collected by every generation of Calen's family dating back to who-knows-how-long ago. Its front gate is, strangely enough, a thick and mighty drawbridge made of steel overlooking a vast, yawning chasm. The mechanism that draws it up and down is usually magical, but one of Calen's ancestors developed a mechanical way to open and close it using counterweighs and machinery beneath the castle. Calen has taken it upon himself to maintain both mechanisms.

For all its intimidating appearance, the atmosphere of the castle's interior is rather welcoming. Soft blue lighting cast by magical lamps and color schemes of reds, royal blues, and royal purples give Castle Luna Nova a feeling of warmth and safety for the weary. Thinblood Vampires and ghouls guard the halls and courtyards, while thrall servants staff and attend to the needs of the residents.


Relationships

The Order of the Iron Chalice – A chivalric order of knights that swore fealty to Calen long ago. They order somewhere around three hundred, and every single one has been turned by the Embrace. They are an elite fighting force of heavy infantry, but their role is twofold; for they also serve as guardians of the land the Ardanel family watches over. They are not a tyrannical lot; in fact it is quite rare for them to draw their enchanted weaponry or even don their magic armor to go to war. They are viewed by the townsfolk on Ardanel land as helpful, for they have sworn fealty to their lord, and that means protecting his people as well.


History
Calen is the last son of an ancient family, one that extends long into distant memory, and the only witnesses to the full history of the Ardanel line are the ancient stones of Castle Luna Nova. Almost a thousand years ago, a shadow fell over the noble house of Ardanel. The then-head of the family had struck a deal with a court of Vampires. What that deal entailed was a regular "tribute" of people to the Court, and in exchange the house of Ardanel would be blessed with the power the Embrace granted. The young Calen Ardanel complied with his grandfather's wishes, not at all knowing the strife that would come afterwards.


A century passed, and Calen watched in silent rage as his people were used, herded, and treated like simple cattle. Selfish as he was, he had standards; and one of those standards is that people, no matter how low they were on the social ladder, were still people. Not pets, not cattle, people. So the Vampire Calen Ardanel bided his time and built up his power in secret. He honed his abilities, built an army, gathered magical implements... And another century later, the last son of Ardanel struck against his forebears. His grandfather and father never saw it coming. Calen murdered both of them as they rested in their lairs. The Knights of the Iron Chalice, the army Calen had spent a century assembling and equipping, besieged Castle Luna Nova. In the battle, Calen and his Knights did battle with and murdered every member of the once-proud and noble family of Ardanel... And as the dust settled and the sun rose over Castle Luna Nova,the last son of Ardanel was all that remained of his bloodline. He was battered, weakened, and beside himself with grief. After all, even if they were warped into monsters, Calen still loved his family dearly. Or perhaps it could be argued, that he loved who they once were, and hated who they became. With the last of his strength, Calen put the Vampire Court that had turned his family to the torch and reformed the lands of Ardanel. His people viewed him and his knights as heroes, never knowing the truth of what had happened on those fateful and bloody nights.

Calen returned to the castle, grievously wounded and grief-stricken. He returned to his lair in its depths and laid his body to rest, where he has slept for centuries. As his knights and servants tended to him, the slumbering Vampire Lord recovered from his injuries, and now they mean to awaken him once again.


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