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Would you like a drink? Something to eat? I have some fresh bread, some cheese... or I can cook! I do love cooking. I cannot eat any of it, myself, but the labor...
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— Herself
Annette is a vampire elder who generally keeps to herself. She is known to provide information in exchange for hunters and slayers leaving her alone. She has a neutral policy in that she will provide information to anyone as long as it does not compromise House Dracula. It is also generally known that she does not kill when she feeds, and is not cruel. It is also known in many circles that she is hospitable and some may even know that she is a master chef! Her mortal "servant" and lover Elsa is ever present at Annette's mansion.
Personality
Annette is a regal vampire who carries herself as an old world noble. Even as an elder she has the capacity to feel very strongly, especially love, as eternity is very lonely. This love extends to House Dracula as well and she would never do anything to betray her House. As an elder she is jaded to many things but she has not allowed herself to stop feeling. She keeps her word to those she respects but can be very manipulative to those who have proven themselves to be enemies. Overall she still retains enough of her humanity to not succumb to demonic levels of evil. She does not kill when she feeds.
Background
Annette Grimaldsdottir was born in the year 1472 to Grimald, a French court scholar who knew many languages, and to Claudia, a German born woman of aristocratic descent. Annette was taught languages and how to read. Grimald was determined that his daughter would be educated. His decision to send her to the royal court in Transylvania is what ultimately damned her however. At the age of 17 she was sent to be educated there and that is where she met a daughter of Dracula. Unfortunately the court in France was not accepting gentry born subjects and despite her mother's noble blood, it was not enough.
She did not know that her tutor was a vampire and indeed she would have become just another meal, her death explained as an accident, if not for Livia being impressed with her intelligence and wit. This is what initially kept her alive. Livia decided to continue teaching her out of curiosity. Their conversations got deeper and deeper. After three years Livia got permission from Dracula to embrace Annette. And so it was done.
Annette proved to be a fast learner after being turned and did not complain about not being allowed to see her family again. Yes it was difficult but survival was at the front of her mind. She grew to love Livia even though she had been deceived initially. This stamped out any loyalty to her mortal loved ones entirely. After sixty years, enough time for them all to be dead, Annette was allowed to venture out of Transylvania. She was not a daughter of Dracula after all, and indeed rarely saw him. Livia trained her and took care of her exclusively. She had no special relationship to Dracula whatsoever.
Annette first took up domain in France for two hundred years before taking passage to one of the American colonies. In this time she made a few childer although only one of them has survived into modern nights. She engaged in court intrigues, simpered to older vampires, and orchestrated the downfall of rivals. She even learned to fight, becoming quite skilled in swordplay, and hand to hand combat. However as she got older she fought less, acting more and more through manipulations. Once she reached America, she went into torpor willingly, having grown tired of the world.
In 1999 Annette chose to come out of torpor. She was able to remain aware of her surroundings via astral projection and so was not shocked by the state of the world when she woke up. She made her way west and ensured that her resources were intact. Eventually she met and seduced Elsa, her mortal servant, initially intending to use the woman as a mere tool. But she grew to love Elsa romantically and has every intention of turning her one day before she loses her beauty to age. For now however she needs a daytime courier. She has become an information broker to those who know of her and know of her tendency to know things. Astral projection allows her to spy and Elsa also keeps an ear out. When awake her senses are incredible and she can detect a great many types of information through her senses. This has allowed her to remain neutral for the most part in supernatural affairs.
Annette remains loyal to House Dracula and will aid her House in any way she can.
SKILLS
Annette is very old and has not had to fight very often over the centuries. She retains quite a bit of her knowledge but she is nowhere near what she used to be. She can hold her own but tends to rely on her powers more than her skill.
Annette is a master chef. While she does not consume mortal food herself, she does enjoy preparing it, and serving it. Indeed should one visit her mansion, she will ensure that they are treated to an incredible culinary experience!
Annette believes in hospitality and civilized etiquette. She lived and served in traditional courts for a long time and knows the "ins and outs" like the back of her fangs.
Information Gathering - Expert Level
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Annette keeps her powerful senses to the winds and sounds. She often engages in intelligence gathering, ever alert to things going on around her, especially supernatural things. She is so adept at this that there is little that goes beyond her notice. Sometimes heroes come to her for information and she gladly parts with it UNLESS it will compromise House Dracula. Her loyalty to her House will not be compromised. This willingness to cooperate has kept her out of the feud between slayers and supernaturals to a great degree.
Annette can speak multiple languages: English, Old English, Norman French, Old Frankish, Old Norse, Old French, Modern French, Modern German, Modern Italian, Old Italian, and Latin.
While she doesn't know everything, she does know a lot. It's not so much what she knows exists, because she is aware of the vast majority of things out there, and usually how to kill them, or defend against them. It's more so the details, like where they came from, their culture, that sort of thing that she is unaware of. Many methods by which various creatures blend in with mortals is also unknown to her. If it's not hiding what it is however, she will be able to identify it!
Manipulation - Expert Level
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Annette is a master manipulator. She can lie, spin stories, and take advantage of emotional states to influence another's reactions, and more! She has been doing this for a very long time and such skills are often needed in order to survive undead society!
Annette is a skilled strategist, having learned from more than one master. She is often one step ahead of her enemies, utilizing her ability to gather information, and apply it to whatever situation she may find herself in. While her plans can be thwarted, especially by more skilled opponents, they usually go as engineered. Obviously many heroes are skilled in thwarting such plans. While she is not likely to find herself against them, it is worth noting!
Annette's age has afforded her a great deal of willpower and mental strength. This manifests in being able to resist her fear of holy items that most of her breed has, resisting the urge to feed even when hungry (unless she has gone a very long time without blood), and resisting torture, or pain. She can also resist mental powers up to enhanced level for an extended period of time. Eventually every breaks, however Annette can resist much longer than is the norm.
ABILITIES
Power: Astral Projection - Enhanced Level
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Annette is capable of projecting her consciousness anywhere on the continent without straining herself. Any further and her blood supply will start to rapidly become taxed. She can astral project while sleeping and she primarily uses this power as a way to spy or act as her own watcher during the day since she does not trust mortal servitors.
Power: Claws and Fangs - Enhanced Level
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Annette has the power to shapeshift her nails into claws that fall under enhanced levels. Her canine teeth can also be elonganted into sharp fangs that also fall under enhanced levels: Natural weapons up to the potency of a sword or firearm, such as a rifle or shotgun.
Power: Flight - Enhanced Level
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Annette has learned the power of flight. She can fly at enhanced speed. She can fly as high as she wants to as well.
Power: Immortality - Basic Level
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Vampires of this type will never die from the passage of time alone. Unless their existence is ended by some means specific to their kind, it will continue.
Power: Mentalism - Enhanced Level
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Mental influence akin to overt domination, such as holding another in one's thrall. Such powers can only be resisted by mystic defenses or exceptional (Expert) personal willpower.
Power: Other Physique - Enhanced Level
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Provided they have regular access to blood, vampires of this type enjoy vastly increased speed, agility, and stamina. They are quick enough in short bursts to dodge projectiles or seem to vanish and reappear several meters away, and they can run at low highway speeds for extended periods of time. They are able to fight for hours without needing any rest. Not least of all, they are considerably more durable than any human and are able to take significant damage.
Power: Regeneration - Enhanced Level
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Annette heals very quickly while resting. As long as she has enough blood she can heal from minor injuries in minutes, and severe injuries in hours, although severed limbs will take a few days. Of course if she is destroyed she won't be able to heal from final death! But as long as the majority of her body is still intact and she has enough blood to fuel her, she will certainly recover!
Power: Senses - Supreme Level
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As a very old vampire, Annette has been using her senses for a long time. This has saved her unlife more than once. Senses beyond the ken of nature, such as telescopic or microscopic vision, hearing 100+ times human capability, the ability to analyze chemical compounds by taste or smell, or approximate dowsing magic by touch alone. All of her senses are affected in this way.
Power: Strength - Supreme Level
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Annette is a very old vampire. While she has been in torpor for a long time, she has retained her power nevertheless. Her age has made her powerful. She has had cause in the past to exert her strength for various reasons and as such it is one of the areas she specializes in. Physical strength sufficient to bend and twist metal girders, smash through armored doors or stone walls, and break through a bank vault with sustained moderate effort. Usually able to push up to 1-2 dozen tons and dead lift a large motor vehicle.
ADVANTAGES
Annette is a vampire elder who can trace her lineage to Dracula. She was in fact sired by one of his "daughters". While she does not often engage in vampire politics, preferring to keep to herself, she does enjoy the prestige, and honor that her age brings. Surviving for so long does have its' benefits.
Annette has a haven capable of hiding her from the sun. It is a small mansion with a security system complete with cameras, laser wires that set off alarms when tripped, and top of the line locks. It is not easy to break in but it can be done if one is skilled enough.
While she does not normally trust mortal servants, there is one that she has bent to her will, promising her immortality one day. She will keep her word, however Elsa will have to prove herself for some time. She treats her well and is always kind. She never shouts or screams at her and ensures that she is well cared for. Elsa is in fact someone who Annette cares for a great deal. She would have turned her already, however does recognize the need to have someone able to look after her mansion during the day.
Annette has above average intelligence. While not reaching genius levels necessarily, she can process information quicker than average.
Annette has kept a vast library over the centuries which is filled with history and lore. It is mostly vampire lore and European history, however it does contain a few books on werewolves, Fae, and magic even though she does not practice magic of any kind.
Annette is old and has a lot of money. She has approximately fifty million dollars across three bank accounts. She already has everything she wants in her mansion so this money is not often spent on anything other than needs.
Annette owns a silver sword which was looted from a monastery in France during the Dark Ages. She followed a viking raid, intending to feed on them. She got her meal and a treasure that she has kept ever since!
WEAKNESSES
Annette cares for Elsa, her mortal servant, a great deal. Initially she was just a tool, however she has grown to love her over the past five years, even romantically. Threatening Elsa is a sure way to get Annette's attention.
Holy symbols are just objects most of the time, however if someone brandishes a holy symbol, or holy water, or some other religious object with true and sincere faith, it will repel her. Without that faith the items are useless. Holy water could even scald her like boiling water! Infernal or "dark" aligned powers do not appear to affect her.
Annette must feed regularly to maintain her strength. If she does not feed each night, she will tire quickly the next night. One week without feeding will cause her powers to be greatly reduced. After one month she will risk entering torpor, a deathlike sleep where she will not be able to wake up again without being fed blood. She can enter this sleep voluntarily to avoid a forced torpor, negating the need to feed, but once awakened she will be at the hunger level she was when she entered the sleep.
Annette is completely neutral in supernatural affairs unless those affairs involve House Dracula. As such she will not get directly involved in supernatural conflicts unless it is providing information. She is not going to side with Angel against demons or side with an evil witch against the Charmed Sisters for example. At the same time she will provide information to anyone, again as long as it does not comprimise House Dracula.
While sunlight itself will not bother Annette, her powers are greatly reduced during the day, her supernatural level powers reduced to enhanced, and her other powers reduced to human levels. She will also appear as a human suffering from sleep deprivation as far as her mental faculties are concerned, not able to focus very well. In short bursts she can summon her supernatural levels of power but this will tax her greatly.
Annette does not show a reflection in the mirror. This makes it easier to tell what she is if one notices.
Annette cannot enter any home without permission from the owner. Public places are fair game! Private dwellings are where this applies!
Spells, barriers, and wards, including detection magic which affect, or sense the undead will affect Annette in the same way! This especially includes Necromancy. Her undead state gives her many advantages but she is still undead!
