Lady Carmilla Volkov, The Mourning Bloom

Born into the minor nobility of the Emerald Folk, Carmilla Volkov grew up amidst the quiet, rolling hills and ancient forests that bordered the wilder territories to the west. Her family, while possessing a respectable lineage and a modest estate, lacked the true power and influence she craved. From a young age, Carmilla was acutely aware of the limitations of her station, and a simmering resentment began to fester within her.   Her marriage to Lord Alaric Volkov, a man significantly older and far more traditional than she, was a union of convenience, designed to consolidate lands and maintain the family's standing. Alaric was kind in his own way, but utterly devoid of the passion and ambition that burned within Carmilla. She found his gentle nature stifling, his routines predictable, and his presence a constant reminder of the mundane life she was trapped in. She yearned for something more, something exhilarating and powerful, a way to break free from the gilded cage of her existence.   It was during a particularly bleak winter, when the veil between worlds felt thin and the nights grew long, that Carmilla's desperation led her to seek out forbidden knowledge. Through whispers carried on the wind and hushed rumors in shadowed taverns, she learned of an ancient, powerful entity said to dwell in the deeper parts of the Shadowfell – a master of the night, perhaps even the progenitor of the vampiric scourge in the Dawn Lands. Driven by a cold, calculating ambition rather than true malice, Carmilla made a pact. She offered her soul, her future, and the life of her husband in exchange for eternal power and liberation from her suffocating life.   The entity, a being of immense and ancient darkness, accepted. The transformation was agonizing, a slow draining of her mortal essence replaced by a chilling, insatiable hunger. When she emerged from the ritual, she was no longer the constrained Lady Carmilla, but something more. Her first act as a creature of the night was to fulfill her end of the bargain. Lord Alaric, unsuspecting and gentle to the last, met his end in their bedchamber, a silent, bloodless affair that left no trace but a faint, lingering chill.   Since then, Lady Carmilla has meticulously crafted her public persona as "The Mourning Bloom." She dresses in elegant, somber silks, her eyes often downcast, her voice a soft, melancholic whisper. She speaks of her profound grief for her departed husband, receiving condolences with a delicate, almost fragile air. Few suspect the predatory intelligence that now gleams in her eyes, or the dark satisfaction she derives from her newfound freedom. She maintains her estate, her noble facade a perfect cover for her nocturnal activities, as she subtly begins to gather influence and seek out others who might serve her growing ambitions in the Dawn Lands. She is a low-level noble, but her ambition is anything but.

Culture: Emerald Folk

Class: Vampire (undead)

APR: 2 (from dexterity and undead state)

Hit Points: 8
Attack: Dagger, Knife, Claws, Bite, short sword, double short sowrd, sythe

Scroll Use: Basic, Spirit

Ghost Talker: Yes  

Abilities

Claws: if Lady Carmilla Volkov touches a target player with her hands (touch, not punch) and call out claws. She thean deals 3 pts of damage. This ignores armor and is considered piercing.

Bite: If Lady Carmilla Volkov touches a target player with her hands and call out bite she deasl 1 point of damage. This ability Ignores armor. If this 1 pt of damage reduces the player to 0 HP then they are now under your control and are considered an undead lesser vampire. Lady Carmilla Volkov also regains 2 HP.

Bat Transformation: Lady Carmilla Volkov may transform into a bat. This allows her to cross river obstacles. She cannot wield weapons while doing this and may only bite or claw for your attacks.

Undead: Lady Carmilla Volkov cannot be healed by divine magic, instead takes that amount of damage. Can also be damaged by a holy bolt. Cannot step out into the sun unprotected or on Holy Ground.

Cannot Cross Running Water: This is while in normal form, but may cross running water in bat form.

Regeneration: Lady Carmilla Volkov Heals to max HP at the end of an encounter, or after 1 minute of non combat. Immune to: Charm, Sleep, Piercing, Backstab