Dracula is very different creature than they are depicted in media and popular culture. Owing their origin to the same stories that birthed Oberon, Titania, Queen Mab and other Fey, the entity that goes by the name Dracula is ineffably old. No one is sure how old exactly, and their comments on the topic range from the outlandish (throwing Eve a bone in the Garden of Eden for example) to the inscrutable (remembering the sound the dinosaurs made when their world ended, as another example). They have no fixed gender, and fluctuate between male and female bodies as the mood strikes.
They are not a vampire in the sense that the consume blood to sustain themselves, but rather they have the ability to absorb the energy of other living creatures. The more life they consume, the stronger they get, and the more prone to erratic behavior. In ancient times they ruled over blood filled spectacles of death and carnage, basking in the adulation and worship of humans. Something happened around the start of the common era that pushed them back into the shadows, and as a result, they disappeared from history for a time.
During this time, Dracula hid in darkened places around the world and became more adept at using their subtle powers. Magic became a staple power source during this time and Dracula travelled the world, staying out of the public eye. That all changed during the 15th Century. While hiding in Eastern Europe, Dracula became very bored and disillusioned with life, and was somehow bound to a mystical artifact. This fell into the possession of Vlad Tepes, the historical ruler, and that’s where a lot of the confusion begins.
While bound to the artifact, Dracula’s power was used by Vlad to rule Wallachia. His powers transformed Vlad into a vampire and gave him the tremendous power that would make him a figure of awe and terror. Everything that happened after was a result of the transformation that was wrought upon Vlad using Dracula’s power. Eventually, their names became interchangeable. Vlad was apparently slain sometime after this, but the legend lived, and so did his vampiric offspring.
The relic Dracula was bound to was thought lost until it turned up in the hands of a nazi art looter in WWII. After being asleep for so long, Dracula was stirred from his slumber by the sound of violence. Not sure what was happening, Dracula drew power from the looter and ended up freeing themselves from the artifact in the process.
Unbound but ravenously hungry, they tore their way through the nearest nazi base and drew great amounts of strength from the dead and the dying german soldiers. A group of RAF commandos were in the middle of assaulting the position when they found Dracula standing in the middle of the ruins of the command center. A bargain of sorts was struck, and the ancient creature entered the war on the Allied side.
After the war, Dracula travelled to America, eventually finding a place in Port Fontaine. They have been a fixture of the city since the end of the war. In recent times, Dracula has turned away from feeding on humans or animals and has apparently learned how to draw strength from plants and in some cases, the sun itself. Unlike the vampires of popular culture and folklore, Dracula has no vulnerability to sunlight, or silver, or garlic or any such things. They have been a companion to the Society for the Advancement of Sentient Life since its founding, though they frequently clash with Merlin about his abuse of magical power and artifacts.
Dracula’s past has caught up with them numerous times. Though they seem to have a cordial relationship with Titania, they and Oberon are implacable foes, stemming back to some conflict in the past that neither is willing to forgive and forget about. Likewise, Queen Mab is a foe from prehistory. More modern enemies include the offspring of Vlad Tepes, and the host of vampire kind that have been spawned in their wake.
(Character sheet coming soon)
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