Wolves of the Sea - Viking Era Vampire: The Dark Ages

Started by Oneiros, June 12, 2013, 08:23:27 PM

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Oneiros

We've got a decent amount of people interested and the game will be starting soonish, but there might still be time and room for another player or two.

Okay, so, this is eating away at me and I decided I have to try and turn it into a game. I simply must.

This is a game set in the World of Darkness universe, during the Viking golden age, around 850 AD. This places it a few hundred years before the usual timeframe of a Dark Ages game. The Tremere do not yet exist as a clan, but do exist as mortal (but powerful) sorcerers in the Order of Hermes. The Salubri are not as feared and persecuted as they will soon come to be, though they are still a reclusive and solitary lot. Caitiff are somewhat rare in the north, because a young, possibly thin-blooded, solitary vampire has very little chance in the harsh Scandinavian wilderness. Werewolves are fairly common in the region, and vampires best stick together and keep clear of them.

Other than that, based on geographic region and societal differences, some clans are far more likely to have embraced vikings than others. This doesn't mean I will absolutely not accept a character with an... unusual clan choice, however, you will have to be very persuasive and have a very good reason (and very good backstory) for choosing that clan.

Update: Because I had missed references to a scandinavian sect of the Followers of Set, I'm upgrading them from 'very unlikely' to somewhere between 'unlikely' and 'somewhat likely'. They're probably fairly rare but not unheard of. I'm not perfect and I can't memorize every sourcebook (and don't have access to some of them at the current moment) so if anyone notices me making a mistake like this, feel free to call me on it. I'm open to corrections, and if I have a reason for making things a particular way (for sake of easiness perhaps), I'll make it known.

List of clans in order of likelihood
Pretty likely:
Gangrel
Brujah
Malkavian
Ventrue

Somewhat Likely:
Assamite
Toreador
Nosferatu
Lasombra
Follower of Set

Unlikely (but still possible):
Tzimisce
Salubri
Lhiannan
Caitiff

Very unlikely:
Follower of Set
Ravnos
Cappadocian
Lamia
Laibon

No:
Tremere, or any other clan or bloodline that doesn't yet exist ;)

I think the setting has a lot of potential. I'd like to draw some inspiration from the show Vikings, but also from various other places as well. Werewolves may be used as antagonists (though I'm not allowing them as player characters right now). I'm thinking that I will allow a mix of humans and vampires, and this game will be LGBT friendly, because I'm like that, though there is a cultural taboo against Viking men taking a bottom or passive homosexual role. Not saying they can't, they'd just probably be sneaky about it.

I'm willing to allow people who are unfamiliar with World of Darkness to create human characters, who can then be embraced by one of the vampires in-story at some point, allowing them to actually learn about their clan and abilities within this universe along with their player. Default generation is around 10-ish. I'm going to roll for everyone's generation after they create a character. I'm not planning on this being a system game, unless there's a lot of interest in doing so. So! Any interest?

Character Sheet. Fill out only what is applicable, and if you need help with anything, feel free to ask. Either post finished sheets here for feedback or PM to me.

Name:
Player:
Clan: Remember, humans or ghouls are available as well (though you might want to pair up with a current character if you want to make a ghoul). Humans may be embraced or ghouled at a later time.
Generation: This will be determined via a public roll once your character is accepted, but will be somewhere between 9-12, with 10-11 being the most common. This will affect your blood pool, how high your discipline skills can go and how often you can use them.

Appearance:
Physical Traits: Use this section to make concise notes of any particularly unusual physical traits your character has - for instance, the exact nature of their deformities if they're Nosferatu, their specific animal traits they've acquired for Gangrel, if they can't retract their fangs, are missing an eye or a limb, et cetera.

Personality:
Mental Traits:  Similar to the physical section, anything particular mental quirks they have - Malkavians (or anyone suffering from a mental illness) should note their specific derangements, any particular superstitions, or if they are a vampire, if they have a feedng quirks or exclusivities (such as only feeding from virgin women, or only feeding from animals, or whatever).

History: A brief history of your character. Remember to include things like how old they are, how/why they were Embraced, a general idea of who their sire is, where they usually retire during the daytime, so on.

Disciplines: Vampires/Ghouls only. Write down the disciplines you would like to have here. No more than three - if your discipline isn't one that is 'standard' for your clan, please provide adequate backstory to explain how your character came to be trained in that particular discipline. Remember that your skill in these disciplines will likely not exceed level 4, and probably not be level 4 in all three disciplines (I'm willing to negotiate, but bring a good story). Thaumaturgy is not available to Vampires at this time. This section is not necessary for humans.
Weapons: Your character's weapon(s) of choice, that they are reasonably proficient in. Only viking-era weapons, of course.
Skills: Any paricularly useful skills your character might have. Feel free to take inspiration from any resource books you might have access to, but remember to account for how your character has a high skill in anything in particular. For instance, if they speak five different languages fluently, please account for how they aquired them, and make them realistic for your character's age and background. Being literate is a skill you should note here - literacy is somewhat uncommon for warriors.
Resources: Any particularly useful resources, such as armor, money, contacts, so on. Once more, feel free to use sourcebooks, but please account for how they acquired these, and make them reasonable.

Sexuality: Orientation and whether they have any leanings towards dominant or submissive, or anthing similar.
Associated Kinks:
Ons/Offs:

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Player:[/b]
[b]Clan:[/b]
[b]Generation:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Physical Traits:[/b] 

[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Mental Traits:[/b] 

[b]History:[/b]

[b]Disciplines:[/b]
[b]Weapons:[/b]
[b]Skills:[/b]
[b]Resources:[/b

[b]Sexuality:[/b]
[b]Associated Kinks:[/b]
[b]Ons/Offs:[/b]


The geographic setting is probably going to start somewhere in southern Sweden/Norway, but the story will probably move the characters around quite a bit. They may head up further north in the winter to take advantage of the long hours without sunlight, and certainly raids and trading journeys to far-off lands will occur. Your character is not required to be Scandinavian, but there should be a feasible reason why they are in the region.

Since there were some questions about it, here's some sex mechanics for vampires in this game. I should note this game will not be 100% centered around sex - I do want there to be story and adventure and whatnot - but let's face it, Vikings screwed almost anything slow enough for them to catch. It's definitely gonna happen, and I encourage everyone to have fun with it.
Vampire sex mechanics

I don't really like the iea of asexual vampires the way they are presented in WoW sourcebooks, where feeding totally replaces sex. I like them to have the option of it, at least. So, vampires in this game can have sex if they want to, and are capable of enjoying it.

Since expenditure of blood is required to warm a vampire's skin or make their heart beat, they require a reasonable amount of blood in their system to be able to 'get it up', so to speak (this includes for women). A significant expenditure of blood isn't required to have sex, but it is required to warm their bodies, say, if they don't want a human to know they're a vampire. Otherwise they'll still feel cool to the touch. A well-fed vampire can become aroused fairly easily, but a hungry vampire will be too distracted by the need to feed from someone to be able to have sex. However, since feeding is so enjoyable, for the vampire and usually for the human as well, they could easily become aroused from the act itself.

Since it can be rather off-putting for a vampire's bodily fluids to all be blood (and blood is an awful lubricant), I'm mostly ignoring that. They do not cry, sweat, spit, or ejaculate blood. They do need blood in their body to be able to produce said bodily fluids, but they are normal. Mostly. There is a slight difference in taste and color - a vampire's fluids would taste slightly like blood, and be slightly red-tinged. Also, unless they've actually spent blood to warm their bodies, it will be rather cool in temperature compared to a human's.

This isn't to say you can't have an asexual vampire, or even a vampire who ejaculates blood if that's what you honestly prefer - just that it will be an unusual feature that you should note in your character sheet, and people may react to it in-character.

Ghouls are still alive and therefore can have sex normally.

Also: Since it's so important to how many things about vampires work, blood pool will probably be something that will be kept track of. This will likely be the only thing imported straight from the system, and otherwise the game will be freeform (unless, like I said, there's a lot of interest in using the system as a whole, but there hasn't been anything yet so it's looking like blood pool will be the only thing kept track of in actual numbers).

OOC thread: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=177150.0

Blythe

My interest is extremely piqued, if you aren't bothered by being in another group with me. I'd be interested in playing a Malkavian, perhaps a skald/bard who believes his mind has been touched by Odin. I'd also be somewhat interested in playing a Nosferatu berserker. Whichever is better for the campaign is the one I'd play, but either way, I'd be interested in my character being male.

Oneiros

Of course I'm not bothered by you wanting to join ;) I think Nosferatu and Malkavian are reasonable choices, though I admit I have a soft spot for Malkavians in particular. ...now I'm randomly sad from remembering that my Malkavian t-shirt vanished when I moved the first time >.> *sniff*

Blythe

A Malkavian skald it is then.  ;D

*feels bad about your Malkavian shirt  :'( *

I did have a question. It's an oddly specific one. Would it be possible for my Malkavian to be a practitioner of seidr? While I know that the practitioners are typically female, the god Odin did practice it himself, and I like the idea of a Malkavian who believes that Odin whispers to him the secrets of "magic." (of course, it could just be his vampiric Disciplines making him think he has "magic" )

EDIT: Oh, thought I should add, if the answer is no, it's no big deal. Just something I wanted to ask about.  :-)

Oneiros

Sure! I see no reason why not. Malkavians aren't known for doing things according to what is expected of them, after all.

I'm trying to decide what I want to play still... I don't normally play Brujah or Gangrel. I'm rather enamored of Salubri, but they're tricky to play. And I love Tzimisce but they aren't terribly suited to the setting. I think I might have to go with Gangrel >.>

Lockepick

Loooooove me some Viking action.

Probably interested in exploring the idea/taboo of being a submissive in a homosexual pairing. It sounds interesting plus, well, the obvious appeal of being railed by Vikings. I'm going to do some research on archetypes and I'll get back to you guys.

Like what you see? I am currently looking for new plots!

Detailed List of O/Os and Plot Seeds

All of my image links were previously photobucket and broken -- I'm fixing them as I use the avatars again, or for current games. Please let me know if there is something that needs updating!

Oneiros

Excellent. ;D I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Pumpkin Seeds

Definately interested, but I will have to kinda check my posting schedule.  Also not sure which clan I'd play in a viking setting.  Leaning toward a Brujah.

Blythe

*tries not to do cartwheels of joy when seeing lockepick's and Pumpkin Seeds' names*

So I've got a character in my mind. *ponders* Fedora, is there any particular way you'd like us to submit a character concept?

EDIT:
Quote from: Fedora on June 13, 2013, 10:28:34 AM
I'm trying to decide what I want to play still... I don't normally play Brujah or Gangrel. I'm rather enamored of Salubri, but they're tricky to play. And I love Tzimisce but they aren't terribly suited to the setting. I think I might have to go with Gangrel >.>

Gangrel are awesome. I know Salubri are tricky to play, but you're shooting for pre-Tremere, right? The warrior branch of the Salubri would still be around, wouldn't they? They seem like they'd really fit into a chronicle like this, to my mind, although the healer branch doesn't seem well-suited.

Pumpkin Seeds



Not sure how viking that is but thinking somewhere along those lines.

Oneiros

It's not strictly a historically accurate, but it's Viking enough ;) Welcome aboard!

Quote from: Blythe on June 13, 2013, 04:15:12 PM
*tries not to do cartwheels of joy when seeing lockepick's and Pumpkin Seeds' names*

So I've got a character in my mind. *ponders* Fedora, is there any particular way you'd like us to submit a character concept?

EDIT:
Gangrel are awesome. I know Salubri are tricky to play, but you're shooting for pre-Tremere, right? The warrior branch of the Salubri would still be around, wouldn't they? They seem like they'd really fit into a chronicle like this, to my mind, although the healer branch doesn't seem well-suited.

I'll throw together a character sheet in a bit that people can start filling out and either posting here or PM'ing.

Warrior Salubri would be fairly well suited, though they're very picky about who they embrace, and Vikings are usually 'too violent'. It's up there under 'not impossible'. Though, I'm starting to like the idea of Gangrel. ;)

Oneiros

Alrighty, I have a character sheet template - going to put it up in the first post.

Blythe

Okay, I'm going to give this a go making a character sheet. It turned out....much longer than I thought it would. Er...sorry for my wall of text. If I've screwed up anything, by all means, call me out on it and correct me. Instead of putting in the "Appearance" area, I found a picture I really liked for a character appearance, if that's okay.

Oh, I forgot to mention: I'm open to having my character have a ghoul (would rather like that, actually), and I'd also be willing to have my character Embrace someone, so long as it seemed in character for him to sire.

Rather Long Character Sheet

Name: Eyvindr Einarson
Player: Blythe
Clan: Malkavian
Generation: [To Be Determined By Dice Roll At Later Date]

Physical Traits:  The only real thing to note is that he's maintained a blush of health; he's still slightly warm to the touch and doesn't have that unhealthy pallor of other einherjar.

Personality: Eyvindr is two parts religious zealotry, two parts entertainer, and one part passion. He mostly enjoys his undead existence, seeing it as a blessing of the One-Eye. He's boisterous and fun-seeking, and he enjoys adventure as much as the next man or woman, although he is more of a tactician than an outright brawler. His preference for ranged weapons is rather high; he prefers to save brawling as the rough foreplay he might have with a lover. While many Malkavians are seen as agents of Loki, Eyvindr is offended by the concept of that, and he'll do his utmost to ensure people know he follows Odin.  Eyvindr tends to think of the "bigger picture" of combat and raids nowadays after spending his youth and early years of his Embrace seeking only personal gain. Now life is about honor--not just his own, but the honor of any who follow the Aesir.

Because he was born in 700 AD, during a time of great linguistic change for the Scandinavian culture in general, he tends to sound very "old fashioned" when he speaks, but this only adds to his allure as a wise skald. He's a wordy bastard as a skald--he loves talking and loves language.

Malkavian Derangement: Fantasy. Eyvindr truly believes he hears the voice of the Allfather commanding him to perform certain tasks. These tasks can range from anything as simple as a publicly sung saga to praise another warrior to punishing those guilty of "secret murder" by hanging them by the neck from trees until they're dead.

Mental Traits:  He follows the Road of the Aesirgard (Wolves of the Sea, pg. 73)

One mental trait Eyvindr is known for is that he's kenning-wise; he understands the common sayings and beliefs of the people, having a sensible and worldly wisdom that appeals to the masses.  He sometimes whispers strange things out loud. Sometimes it's just because he's working on his next saga,but other times he's letting slip what he believes Odin is telling him. He's nomadic at heart. It's hard to Eyvindr to imagine settling down anywhere, so he's kind of the opposite of territorial. He simply does not mind other vampires being around, and in fact, he finds the company somewhat welcome.

History: Eyvindr did not initially seem born to great things, but more was woven into the tapestry of his life than anyone might have believed. Initially, Eyvindr was born sickly in the year 700 AD in what is now Norway, in a small coastal town called Ullr; his father, Einar, didn't believe his son would survive. He left the infant to die through exposure to the harsh icy environment, but more than a day later, his woman could not bear losing her youngest child, and she returned to where Einar had left the babe....to find the child shivering and weak...but not dead. Obviously Hel had turned the boy away from her halls, so Eyvindr's mother believed, and she brought him back home, with Einar agreeing that if the babe had survived a sun and moon fully exposed and lived...then surely this "weak" offspring had merit.

Eyvindr grew older, stronger, and he eventually discovered he had a talent for composing sagas and making brags (and upholding those brags). He was a handsome enough young fellow, and soon it was time for him to learn the ways of raiding and war. He had no strong skill with blades or long term brawling (although he was...passable), but he was a clever archer, able to make calculating and tricky shots at a distance, which made him invaluable as a member of any raiding party for his capability to take down fleeing foes and hunt to restock the longship with supplies of fresh meat.  Soon he undertook instruction and learning from priests of Odin when he was eighteen, and he grew wise in the lore of the gods. Eyvindr particularly enjoyed singing the praises of Odin the One-Eye, the Lord Necromancer, the god he believed was responsible for keeping him safe from Hel, and he was devoted. Little did he know that a priest of Odin was one of the blessed einherjar, a dead warrior who walked with Odin's blessing, and the talented youth was deemed worthy of being watched.

During a raid on Ullr from a more aggressive settlement to the north, Eyvindr was given a chance to prove himself in battle. His father was slain, but Eyvindr took his father's bow and swore vengeance on the man who'd killed his father...and with one shot in the dead of night, put an arrow through the killer's right eye. The einherjar watching Eyvindr, a Malkavian by the name of Geir, saw the coup de grace to the eye as a sign from Odin that Eyvindr was a warrior meant to serve eternally. The town of Ullr repelled the raid that night, and Eyvindr thought that he would now truly be a man after surviving his first fight. Except he never lived long enough to tell his mother he'd avenged Einar. Geir took him and Embraced him then, bringing the young man into the ranks of the einherjar. Eyvindr's religious devotion spiraled into a derangement, and Geir explained the will of Odin to him. The two men helped to rebuild Ullr over time, but eventually the fact neither of them aged made the townsfolk ill at ease, even if they never said so, and they left the town to it's own devices (and within two decades, Ullr would succumb to the repeated raids of their more aggressive neighbors).

Geir and Eyvindr traveled together for some time as lovers, with Geir teaching Eyvindr the ways of seidr--special sex rituals and rune reading that normally was only meant for women to know, but both men felt that if Odin had dressed as a woman to learn the secrets of magic, then they were obligated to live by his example and learn women's magic. He learned the songs and chants of magic, and he practiced the making of charms made of rope. (In game terms, this would be when Eyvindr learned his rune rituals--everything else is just him being convinced his Disciplines are actually the magic of seidr).

Eventually Geir and Eyvindr parted ways, with Geir finding himself sinking into torpor and Eyvindr seeking glory in the name of Odin.

[Wherever the chronicle begins, Eyvindr would be travelling as a skald who composes sagas, likely just arriving in the settlement/area the chronicle takes place in. He might have a reputation, since some considerable time has passed, of punishing the ungodly in Norway, but in any other area, he's likely either just seen as some pious wandering bard touched by the gods]

Disciplines: Dementation (4), Auspex (3), Obfuscate (2) (He will use them all equally, admiring the way Dementation opens minds to Odin, Auspex for it's ties with seeing what is hidden, and Obfuscate for...well, frankly, for letting him get closer to people he wants to seduce. This means that as the story progresses, he'll try to increase his abilities in Auspex and Obfuscate)

Weapons: Hunting bow and quiver of black-feathered arrows, longsword.

Skills: Consider him a very practiced hand at archery, even though it's not a celebrated combat skill for Vikings. He's skilled with sagas and brags, and he's got a talent for rune-lore, the ability to cast and read fate as dictated by the runes. He's a survivalist, since he's nomadic, so he's good with survival skills, particularly involving finding shelter or getting makeshift shelter. He can brawl, but he prefers to dodge. He's passable with his longsword, but he's not that great with other melee weapons. He's also a crafty liar and sneak, although a patient person willing to sift through his words could discern his lies or try to track him down. He's also taking some time out to learn about Scandinavian laws, although he's a novice at best at that.

Unique Ability:Rune Rituals
If Eyvindr is willing to shed some of his blood when he casts and reads his runes, once per night, if any of the following runes appear ["The Self" (Mannaz), "Disruption" (Hagalz), or "Protection" (Algiz)], Eyvindr can use the insight he gains from that reading to either make a fortuitous decision/avoid a bad choice for himself or can aid whomever he's doing the reading for to do something similar. It seems the cursed blood of the Kindred in his veins favors him in this regard...

Resources: Probably not much. Just enough to get him by for about a week. Otherwise, he's really only got the armor he wears, just enough materials to start a fire if necessary, and he keeps equipment to repair his bow and fletch more arrows. As a skald, he's really not got much to trade or barter. He does have a silver holy symbol of Odin around his neck, but he will not trade or barter it. He's probably going to rely on his ability to hunt and sell game or earn a living as a skald just to get by. He tends to purchase instruments for his music as he needs them rather than keep one special one.

Sexuality: Bisexual Switch (his mood dictates his current fancy)

Associated Kinks: Bondage (ropes in particular), dub-con (starts off non-con but due to his seduction attempts, perhaps people give in), Non-con (ask first to determine if it makes sense at the time), Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Bloodplay, Sadomasochism, Ritual Sex

Ons/Offs: The only two set Offs I have for any game are snuff and scat. As for Ons, well, the Associated Kinks list tells you a bit of what I'm looking for in regards to Eyvindr, but I'm open to other kinks if they make sense.

Oneiros

He looks great, Blythe. I like him. :) it's getting a bit late for me so I'll be finishing up my character tomorrow.

For future reference: if anyone wants to use a picture instead of describing their appearance, that's fine with me. Just make sure you note anything unusual if it's not obvious from the photo in the physical traits section.

eBadger

Oh my

Interested, and will put something together in the next day or so.  I shall try not to geek out completely on vikings.  Also, I shall try to remember all the awesome stuff I once knew about them and have now completely forgotten. 

I...think I'm leaning towards a character that's half feral, half mad, so will have to ponder whether malkavian or gangrel works better.  Basically, a very old (in age, meh re: generation) vampire that's misconstrued as a local spirit or elf (pre tolkien!) and both preys upon and protects the local village. 

As to the overall campaign, what's bringing us together/what are we doing?  I'm going to have a very different character to go viking to Ireland or to play politics with the forming kindred-state. 

Oneiros

Hi there! Good to see another person interested. :)

I haven't quite decided what will bring everyone together just yet, but I do know that both politics and viking raids, as well as trading expeditions that may well take them very far from home, will be explored. At some point there will also be some clashing with werewolves.

I'm thinking perhaps the easiest way to bring everyone together would be to start with a powerful, low-generation vampire Jarl calling together the vampires in the region to discuss current business and voyages coming up. He probably lives in a large village, and oversees a lot of smaller ones. He'll be more of a storyteller character than my actual character, someone with a lot of power that everyone in the region is supposed to answer to, who doesn't actually go on raids or trading voyages, so he won't be in a lot of the story, considering most of it will probably take place elsewhere.

I think a feral vampire is an interesting idea (both Ganrel and Malkavian have potential, or even Nosferatu - they could be considered by the village to be a troll, there's a lot of colorful troll mythology in Scandinavia), but they might be somewhat difficult to work into the story on a long-term basis, especially if they have ties to a single village. There may be ways to work around it if you have your heart set on it, I'm just letting you know it might be a bit rough on your vampire to be away from home and around other vampires/humans if they're used to running around alone in the woods. It could be an interesting point of conflict though - perhaps they finds themself without a village, because during the day, when they were unable to protect it, it was attacked and decimated?

eBadger

Hmm, yeah, still some potential, but I'll want a more social creature...will give it a think. 

Oneiros

I look forward to seeing what you come up with ;)

Someone asked me some good questions about how vampire sex is going to work in this game, so I'm going to be typing up some basics and adding it to the first post for easy findability.

Blythe

Quote from: eBadger on June 14, 2013, 04:36:26 AM
I...think I'm leaning towards a character that's half feral, half mad, so will have to ponder whether malkavian or gangrel works better.  Basically, a very old (in age, meh re: generation) vampire that's misconstrued as a local spirit or elf (pre tolkien!) and both preys upon and protects the local village. 

If you go with a Malk, let me know. I'd love to bat some ideas around if our Malkavain characters have previously met before or not.  :-)

Quote from: Fedora on June 14, 2013, 10:36:40 AM
Someone asked me some good questions about how vampire sex is going to work in this game, so I'm going to be typing up some basics and adding it to the first post for easy findability.

Oh good. I admit, I was wondering about vamp sex, but was a bit too shy to inquire.  ;D

Oneiros

Whew, finally got my character figured out. ::)

Brandulf
Name: Brandulf (often goes by the nickname Ulfr - 'wolf')
Player: Fedora
Clan: Gangrel
Generation: (TBD)

Appearance: Brandulf is of an average height and weight, with slightly wavy, dark brown hair, and the pale blue eyes that are common amongst Norsemen. He as an atheltic, slightly muscular build, with strong arms and shoulders from swinging heavy swords and warhammers. His body is not smooth, with both a layer of fine, dark hair on most of it, and a variety of old scars from battle, and occasionally from rough sex. People can find his soulful eyes beguiling, at least if they don't catch the light shining in them, and the way he doesn't smile fully mysterious.

His skill in Protean enables him to take the form of a wolf, or a large magpie. He looks like a normal animal in these forms, though his eyes are still the same striking blue color (with the reflective layer behind them). As a wolf, he can only bark and growl, but as a magpie he can actually 'speak' in simple words or imitate other sounds.

Physical Traits:
Tapetum: His eyes shine like an animal's when the light hits them just right. This allows him to see slightly better in the dark, but can be disturbing to humans who catch sight of it.

Canines: His canines, on both his upper and lower jaw, are enlarged and elongated and cannot be retracted. This causes him to speak with a slight lisp that he is rather self-conscious of.

Knot: His penis, while average-sized and mostly resembling a human's, swells suddenly at the base as he approaches orgasm. If he's not careful, he can actually tie with a partner, leaving them both stuck for several minutes while they wait for it to subside.

Personality: Brandulf is fiercely loyal to his allies and vicious to his enemies, though he sometimes comes off as rather impulsive or even slightly dim. People tend to think he's somewhat slow due to his reluctance to engage in conversation, assuming perhaps it's going over his head, but his quiet behavior in social settings is largely related to the fact that he's observing intently. He does have a good sense of humor, but it can be difficult to get out of him, and because of the way he remains very quiet and doesn't smile widely (not wanting to show his teeth), they usually assume he has none at all.

He has a somewhat short fuse, but this seems to only be related to bursts of 'normal' temper rather than full-blown Frenzy, and he seems to calm down just as quickly as he gets angry. There's usually a period of barking and growling, occasionally progressing to brawling and scrapping, but rarely to a point where anyone is in danger.

He is much more comfortable around animals than he is people, and his proficency in the Animalism discipline allows him to speak to them or call them to himself, though he can only do so with willing animals - and he can't guarantee they won't be hostile when they show up.

He has a good memory of specific events, but some problems with the passage of time, sometimes not knowing if an event that happened a week ago happened earlier that night. He is rather math illiterate, and has trouble with cardinal directions - or even telling his left from right. Despite being math-challenged, however, he is somehow able to keep perfect track of his 'pack' - crew, herd, and so on - in his head without counting. Perhaps by a combination of sight and smell, he's able to tell immediately when someone is missing from his group, even if it's a couple dozen people or more, usually before anyone else realizes they're gone. This, of course, has its limits, he can't tell if a single person sneaks out of a larger crowd, for instance.

He behaves in a rather promiscuous manner, having sex with anyone and everyone he finds remotely attractive that will stand still long enough to let him, not really forming strong bonds with any of them. His sense of smell seems to let him know when someone is feeling in the mood, and he's been known to pounce on people and get right to it with very little foreplay (or regard for where they are) if he gets the impression they are receptive. However, he usually takes the hint if someone tries to fight him off, even if he's stronger than they are, and will let them go.

Mental Traits: 
Wolf Behavior: Brandulf is prone to dog-like or wolf-like behavior at times, including howling at the moon, growling, marking his territory (thankfully, vampires don't urinate, so he doesn't piss on everything to claim it), and sniffing inappropriately at unfamiliar people. He's also prone to random distractions (Squirrel!) if he hears or smells something that catches his interest. He also melts if you scratch lightly at his scalp or behind his ears.

Flesh Eater: Though he's capable of feeding normally, without killing whomever he's feeding on, he sometimes eats chunks of raw flesh off of freshly slain people or animals, even though it usually isn't necessary to his survival. It seems to be something he is compelled to do, though he can extract a point of blood from a corpse that someone else has drained, as long as it isn't totally mummified and turned into jerky.

Acute Smell: This is both a blessing and a curse. While he is able to use his nose for tracking prey or following someone, this sensitivity can also be a severe hindrance. He is easily distracted by interesting smells, and strong smells can be utterly overpowering and physically uncomfortable.

History: Brandulf grew up in a small village further north, and had a rather uneventful childhood. The oldest child and only son of his family, he grew up protecting his younger sisters from the rest of the world. His father was a hunter, and raised dogs for hunting, something that Brandulf became familiar with as well, though he never really took to a bow. The village was small and peaceful, until one winter night when he was twenty-eight.

While he and his father were out hunting, someone or something came upon the village and slaughtered everyone in it. Returning home to a silent village, his mother and sisters gone, Brandulf and his father were both devastated. Brandulf couldn't forgive himself for not being home when the attack happened, not being there to protect his family, and without saying a word to his father, he wandered off into the wilderness, without taking any supplies with him, perhaps hoping to die.

He made it quite a ways before he realized he was being tracked by something in the night. Rather than flee or submit to the beast, even though he was unarmed, Brandulf fought valiantly when he was attacked by a huge vampire. He was no match for the creature, despite his best efforts, though even as his blood drained away from him and death seemed inevitable, he continued to fight. Perhaps admiring his spirit, the vampire fed him on some of his own blood as Brandulf lay dying, and he rose as a creature of the night himself.

His sire left him in the wilderness after embracing him, and Brandulf spent a full year and a half in the woods alone, living off of whatever he could find, hiding wherever he could find shelter. It was a hectic time, and he wondered what the point of all of it was until he stumbled into another vampire's hunting grounds. The vampire, Arnthor, recognised him as kin, and seeing as Brandulf had survived more than a year on his own (which he now understands was a test of his fortitude), he took him under his wing.

Brandulf spent much of the next thirty years with Arnthor, learning the ways of the Gangrel and how to unlock his new abilities. Though he and Arnthor parted ways as friends some two decades ago, they still run into each other from time to time, and catch up on what the other has been up to before departing once more.

Brandulf occasionally returns to the decimated village he came from, paying his respects to his lost family, and looking for whatever killed them, though he has yet to solve that mystery. He's gradually returned to 'civilization' somewhat, though he still spends a lot of time in the woods, he probably spends an equal amount in towns and amongst people.

Disciplines:  Animalism (level 2), Protean (level 4), Fortitude (level 2)
Weapons: Brandulf is most comfortable swinging something huge and heavy - a two-handed warhammer or broadsword, and not with a shield. He prefers lighter armor that he can move around quickly in as well.
Skills: Brandulf knows the basics of bowmaking and fletching, but is rather bad at it. His most useful skill is probably his above-average ability to track people by scent alone.
Resources: Brandulf has a basic set of light armor and a broadsword that he carries on his back. Since he doesn't need to buy much, he doesn't have much in the way of money, though he does gather pelts from animals that he kills for trading in case he does.

Sexuality: Bisexual, dominant - though he has a wolf-like instinct to submit to someone if they prove themselves to be much physically stronger than he is by pinning him down, this hasn't really come up for him yet.
Associated Kinks: Blood, rough sex, domination/submission, ritual sex, potential for DC/NC (either as a giver or reciever). Plus, as mentioned above, his unusual genitalia.
Ons/Offs: Scat/urine/vomit all do nothing for me. Given the fact that he eats raw flesh occasionally, gore is not entirely off the table.
My O/O thread

Btw, people who might be intimidated by huge character sheets - don't feel obligated to write as much as Blythe and I have! For instance, you don't need a full history, as long as your significant advantages are accounted for in a reasonable fashion.

Blythe

Should I put in what level my character's Disciplines are at..?

Oneiros

If you'd like to. I assume you know exactly what discipline levels he's capable of using, so it's not totally necessary, but might be useful to note down.

Lockepick

And then there's me! I almost named my guy Ulf.

Sheet for Bjarg Eitrailf

Name: Bjarg Eitrialf
Name Root: Bjarg = Rock/Mountain. Eitri = Dvergar blacksmith that created Mjöllnir. -Alf = Suffix referring to a Dvergar that is beneficial/lucky to have around.
Player: Lockepick
Clan: Gangrel
Generation: TBD

Physical Traits: Bjarg was embraced at 20 years old. He has dark hair atop his head, and a dark short beard; as large as the forge will let it grow. His life as a blacksmith has given him a strong chest and arms, but has also taken his left ring and little fingers, and given him a scar on the top of his right thigh. Past frenzies have elongated his canines, sharpened his ears, and added a yellow glint to his otherwise dark eyes.

Personality: Bjarg used to be a nervous man living by the standards set by the warriors who frequented his father's shop. Now he has more confidence. He knows he's not the strongest in every capacity, but physical strength is only one arena. Bjarg has been given a second chance on life, and is going to enjoy this one. Without the threat of a 'natural' death or social norms and expectations to keep him down.

Mental Traits: Bjarg is Rune-Wise in the most basic sense of the word. He has learned to use runes with his own vitae to imbue items that he has personally crafted. Like the Dvergar of old, any object enchanted can't handle the touch of the Sun, turning to dust in its presence. Whether it's from Bjarg's high levels of Fortitude, or from experience facing the Red Fear in his forge, Bjarg is better than most at keeping the Beast at bay in regards to Fear Frenzy. Finally, Bjarg follows the Path of Humanity, though seeks to join the Via Einherjar.

History: Bjarg came from a line of blacksmiths in the Southern part of the continent, born in 804 AD. The sons of the family were raised as blacksmiths, and the daughters were married off to anybody with control over ore or mining. He never considered any other line of work; it's hard to guess if his proclivity for blacksmithing came from being forced into the line of work, or if it was the other way around.

His mother died trying to birth a third sibling for Bjarg, and the previous two siblings died before their twentieth year. Bjarg worked along side his father until an injury made him unable to swing the hammer. His father spent another year offering whatever wisdom he had, before going out into the wilderness to die. Bjarg should have found a wife by this point, but his tastes didn't take him in that direction, and running the forge alone proved enough of a distraction to keep people at odds.

He went drinking with one of his more prominent customers, a famous warrior, after closing up shop one night. After listening to the warrior's stories for the night, the two went off and spent the night together. The next night, the warrior thought it would somehow improve his own station to make his 'conquest' known to the public. Bjarg's honor on the line, even if the conquest was accurate, he was obligated to fight the warrior. He was no match, and lost miserably. He would have most likely died in the streets, if not for a Gangrel named Sven.

Sven offered Bjarg another chance at life. Another chance at proving his strength and courage. Sven saw the potential, even if Bjarg did not. At the time, Bjarg wasn't thinking of how to better his life, only that he had an opportunity to live it. It was a decision made out of cowardice. As he grew into his new life as a Kindred. Gradually, over the course of years, Bjarg began to grow into his new role as an Einherjar. Sven taught him the secrets of the blood, including the Einherjar's power over runes. He learned to care less about the metrics of strength that mortal men, and see the obvious strengths of Einherjar and immortality.

After ten years, Sven simply left one night before Bjarg woke. Sven had left hints that it was time for the two to leave, and Bjarg even knew it was necessary for his growth, but it didn't make it any less painful. He traveled for another ten years before settling down with the Jarl, and has been there ever since.

Disciplines: Fortitude 4, Protean 3, Animalism 0, Potence 2
Weapons: A hand-axe with an over-sized wide back, covered in runes, not showing any of the typical 'pattern-weld' designs that blacksmithing techniques of the time caused. He's got a round wooden shield with heavy leather bolted against the material, also carrying rune markings. He has Claws of the Wild, but typically uses them as a tool more than a weapon.
Skills: Blacksmithing, Commerce, and Business.
Resources: 'Stedhiafli,' Bjarg's Hand-Axe, exceptionally effective as a weapon and as a crafting aid; 'Daudhadagrvol,' Bjarg's Shield, which bolsters Bjarg's stamina after he's been struck in a scene.

Sexuality: Homosexual, Submissive
Associated Kinks: Roughhousing, Blood, Battlefield sex, D/s, Dirty Talk, Humiliation, Power Play.
Ons/Offs: Scat/Vomit.
Like what you see? I am currently looking for new plots!

Detailed List of O/Os and Plot Seeds

All of my image links were previously photobucket and broken -- I'm fixing them as I use the avatars again, or for current games. Please let me know if there is something that needs updating!

Oneiros

Oh, he's cute. I like him ;) and your sheet looks good. I like the enchanting ability he has.

I'm loving the men so far, but I'd also love to get a couple women up in here too. I haven't played one in ages, but I might make one if we don't attract any.

Blythe

I did talk with Pumpkin Seeds over YIM, and she's toying with making a female Brujah, but I'm not sure how sure she was about that.

Also, edited my sheet to reflect my Road and what rank my Disciplines are at.