Vampires Are Made #23: Dara the Vampire Queen
Revived HeroMachiner.
The Countdown to One Thousand Posts begins in earnest here, with my...Phoenix (Edition)-like return to HeroMachine, which I used today, in combination with a borrowed laptop and copious amounts of caffeine and sugar (not literally, because that would destroy my friend's laptop and our friendship, and waste perfectly good coffee) to bring you the titular Vampire Queen of my soon-to-be-published light-novel-in-progress, I Reincarnated As Prey In A Fantasy World, So I Charmed the Vampire Queen. When you're doing a Gothic fantasy isekai action harem...thing, a Vampire Queen is a very important place to start, I decided.
I also decided, somewhere between the original chat text and the finished...ish narrative version that making bloodthirsty monsters sympathetic is as hard as it is awkward and necessary. Each is a walking contradiction that I had some measure of fun (?) doing my best to explore and exploit.
Name: Dara
Alias: Vampire Queen Of Crimsonwood Keep
Allies: Lillianna, Mirabelle, Isolde, Elves, Vampires, and Break (maybe?).
Enemies: Any who threaten her rule or her three Brides. The Thirst.
Race: Vampire (former human)
Birthplace: Northern Midlands (human), Tenebrous (vampire)
Powers/Abilities: Immortality and supernatural strength, speed, and senses as a Thirst-afflicted vampire, skilled in swordsmanship, marksmanship, witchcraft, Elven magic (particularly healing), diplomacy, and piano.
Bio: Born millennia ago into a coven of witches residing in the Northern Midlands of her world, Dara became a Vampire by arcane means that were lost to time immemorial. Having since single-handedly conquered the nightmarish central realm known as Tenebrous, she took up residence in Crimsonwood Keep and declared herself Queen Of Vampires and of the Tenebrous realm itself.
Despite her title, Dara the Vampire Queen would only ever sire three more of her kind, not wishing to spread her accursed Thirst more than necessary.
These are her Brides: the sadistic Lillianna (who serves as her right hand when diplomacy fails, and seems to embrace the Thirst as much as desire a cure), the obsessive Mirabelle (who understands her Queen's quest to end their curse, and employs...questionable methods to find answers), and the bookish Isolde (whom she sired first out of eternal loneliness, and loves and dotes on like a daughter). Queen Dara is fiercely protective of them, both as means to her end, and as her twisted family.
Her long existence has led her to treat the needs of her Thirst as a matter of course, keeping such romantic ideals as hope and joy compartmentalized as she rules Tenebrous with an iron fist, holding rival monsters and invasions from nearby human kingdoms at bay. When not negotiating such matters (or dealing with them by force), she spends her time feeding, reading the ancient tomes of her coven, and playing piano (sometimes for herself, sometimes for visiting dignitaries, and sometimes for her Brides).
Despite the often intimidating presence that her monstrous nature, royal standing, and duties imply, Dara has a soft spot for the Elven kingdom to the north, who taught her coven healing magic when she was a mortal witch.
But how will she react when a mysterious mortal man suddenly appears in the halls of her castle?
Big thanks go out to Jeff Hebert and the HeroMachine community (that I plan to try rejoining on an active basis soon) for the new assets I used to make the Queen's dress, and for making the new version of HeroMachine, period.
Next to come will be the sultry, sadistic Lillianna. Yes, I am aware of my phrasing. Can I produce four more characters of satisfactory quality in the next seven days, or will the month end on less-than-hallowed terms? Stay Tuned to find out if I'll wind up in a Dark place because I suck, or if I can catch a Break, next time, on Draggin' My Feetz!
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