Venice
Name: Cynthia "Cindy" MacKenzie (Alias: Crescent)
Age: 150 (looks 21)
Gender: Female
Species: Vampire
Affiliation/Job: Cindy works for House Calvierri, a House with strong ties to the Church, which serves as the primary suppliers and trainers of monster hunters. She is not a member of the Family, and is told she never will be, but serves as the Family's resident monster. Her job is to help train hunters, and to actually be a huntress if the situation is dire. In exchange, she is allowed to feed on members of the staff and keep a collection of baubles in her own room, located in the basement.
Appearance:
Cindy is a rather petite young woman standing at 4' 10" with a thin frame. She has very pale skin and hair of a very deep black, nearly blue. Her eyes are an icy blue, though they turn blood red when drawing on her abilities. It is worth noting that she always has perfect oral health, and is almost always seen wearing simple dresses and a large cloak.
When wearing her mask, she pairs it with long gloves and more resilient dresses that are easier to move around in, while retaining the cloak.
Personality: Cindy is a very friendly and charismatic person. Although she seems young, she often speaks with wisdom akin to one with years of experience. Her exterior sometimes puts people off, but when they actually talk to her they find she is quite pleasant to talk with, readily sharing facts and swapping stories. She is interested in learning new things and finding old things, and can be easily distracted by shiny objects. She would rather avoid confrontation, physical or social, preferring if everyone was peaceful and happy.
History: Born long ago in the Highlands to the west, Cynthia MacKenzie was the daughter of a merchant. Her childhood was uneventful, and all but forgotten, even to her. Her family moved to Venice after her father acquired a store there, sometime in her early teens. As she grew, she found work as a maid for one of the wealthy Families of Venice. She enjoyed her life, and even caught the eye of the young Lord of the house, a man roughly her age. But one evening, as she was drawing the curtains of her bedroom, she noticed a strange lantern light outside. It seemed to beckon to her, and her curiosity got the better of her.
And like the proverbial cat, her curiosity was her doom. For the light was owned by a pair of ruffians, looking for victims, and one of them was a vampire who couldn't control his appetite. He fell upon Cindy, tore out her throat with his teeth, and drank his fill of her blood. She, in turn, lunged for the second ruffian, a mere mortal. She missed, but her fingers found his wrist, and her new strength allowed her to literally disarm the man. As she drank from the arm, her sire found a crossbow bolt impaling his heart. The hunters soon removed his head, but their leader, the young Lord, recognized the pretty maid under all the blood, and saw the confusion and fear in her red eyes. Pity and mercy won out over fear and hate, and the Lord invited Cindy into his wine cellar, forbidding her from entering the rest of the house.
For years, he kept her locked in the basement, feeding her with the blood of animals. Her mind returned, but her strength didn't. Until the young Lord, who had become the old Lord without her realizing it, offered her a deal. A chance at life, which he had spared all those years ago. She would be allowed to leave the cellar, to see the house again, if she would use her dark gifts to train his hunters. With the alternative either death or this prison, she readily accepted. With her strength at a minimum, all she could rely on was the fighting skills her Highland father had taught her. She managed to survive, and she was sent back to her cellar. "Good work, pretty beast." The old Lord had said. "Get some rest. They will most likely kill you tomorrow."
He said that for five years, but they never could. She grew stronger, and the hunters got better, and one night, she was invited to the Lord's bedchamber. He was on his deathbed, but he proposed a new deal to her. If she swore loyalty to his House, and to train his hunters in earnest, she would be given her life, as he had promised. Not just a monster, but a servant of the House. She could come and go as she pleased, would receive donations of blood from the servants, and could trade her cell for a proper room. In return, she would belong to the Family. She would train the hunters, be a huntress when her abilities were required, and serve the House for as long as she was able. It was the closest thing to freedom a monster could hope for, and the old Lord would finally honor his word to her. She accepted, and has served the Family for nearly a century. It isn't always the easiest of arrangements, but life in Venice isn't always easy...
Powers/Skills:
* Vampire abilities and weaknesses (Enhanced strength, agility, and healing; fangs; disoriented by sunlight; repelled by mirrors, the smell of garlic, or strongly presented symbols of faith; cannot enter private property without a proper invitation)
* Spider Silk Cloak (A magical black cloak that allows the wearer to climb vertical surfaces (such as walls) and move about as easily as a spider does)
Weapons: An elegant rapier with a silvered blade, a backup dagger, and ten throwing knives.