Aldric Reinhardt

Name: Aldric Reinhardt
Age: 306 (turned at 33)
Birthday: January 24
Gender: Cis male
Species: Vampire
Subject/Work: Aldric is a doctor on the academy’s medical staff, every other semester he teaches a college level History of Vampirism class, and he works as a behind-the-scenes academy scout—he doesn’t go on retrieval missions, but researches where potential students might be and then sends field scouts out to find them. Aside from his work at the academy, Aldric also has a medical practice and makes house calls.

Appearance Description:

• General. The problem with being undead is that one looks, well, dead. Aldric’s skin lacks color, as if he has been completely washed out. The fact that he is a vampire is perhaps most apparent when he first wakes up at night, before he has had anything to eat—it’s only after he’s gotten some fresh blood in his system that the color returns to his cheeks. Aldric’s skin is cold to the touch; his body temperature is colder than a human’s, though not quite as cold as an actual corpse, putting him in an uncanny middle ground. (The more blood he drinks, the warmer he is to the touch.)
• Face. Aldric’s blonde hair is long and straight. He has always preferred to wear it long; it reaches a bit past his shoulders, though if it grows further than this he begins to feel unkempt. In the past, he used to simply wear it down, but these days he is more likely to tie it back in a low ponytail so it does not get in the way of his work. His eyes are a cold, icy blue; there is no natural warmth in them.
• Build. Being wealthy before he died, Aldric was never malnourished; there is evidence of his good health in life in his wide shoulders, muscular build, and his height—6’2”.
• Style. Aldric is accustomed to luxury—he was born into it and has managed to keep his family’s fortune intact. $800 cashmere sweater? $500 scarf? Not a problem; money is no object for him.

Personality Description:

• Stolid. Aldric is not a person who wears his emotions on his face or in his voice. He is difficult to read—his demeanor is, by default, neutral in all things. He makes an effort not to let his emotions get the better of him, and discerning whether he’s angry, distraught, or elated can be a herculean task. He likes to keep these things to himself, and he displays his emotions in more subtle ways. He is generally amiable enough to people that it seems as though he just lets everything go, like water under a bridge. This is, of course, not the case, and one can only hide before stoicism for so long—his neutral demeanor makes his rare emotional outbursts even more surprising when they happen.
• Aloof. Though always polite—he has manners after all—Aldric is generally detached from that which is happening around him. This is not exactly intentional; it is perhaps a consequence of his stoicism, though not necessarily. He has always kept emotional distance between himself and others; though he would never turn down the company of people whom he enjoys, and though he has many friends, he lacks the ability to be completely forthcoming with people. He feels that there are just things he cannot, or should not, share with other people, either because it isn’t appropriate or because he doesn’t know how.
• Intellectual. Already a learned man, Aldric never turns down an opportunity to read or to learn something new. He kept a library in his old estate, and after leaving it behind, he has tried to rebuild it in his new home. He hoards scholarly information, and pursues most things with an objective, scholarly interest as the priority. Intellectual and academic conversations are among his favorite. (read: he’s a Big Nerd, who loves Nerd Things)
• Scientific. Being the nerd that he is, Aldric is curious about all things, but he is especially fond of science. He is a doctor because he tried to save someone once and it didn’t work; he devotes his life to it now. More than this, however, Aldric is currently conducting research into the various ways a person can develop powers or become supernatural so that he might try and find any sort of reason behind it.
• Intimidating. Being a wealthy, aloof, intellectual vampire is a combination that tends to intimidate others. He’s not really trying to come off as unapproachable or frightening. He doesn’t bite. Really, he doesn’t.
• Cautious. Aldric is the complete opposite of impulsive. He has never rushed in to anything in his life. Before he acts, he likes to be certain that he is doing the right thing, and that he has considered all potential consequences and results. He is patient to the point of inaction.
• Dedicated. A hard worker to the point of obsession—or perhaps obsessed to the point of dedication—Aldric has a tendency to bury himself in work and responsibility. He likes responsibility, as it makes him feel important. More than that, he can become obsessive over his own guilt for things that have happened in the past, obsessive over his indecision; for example, part of his caution stems from the fact that he obsesses over every detail of what might happen as a result of his choices.
• Moral absolutist. Aldric is old enough to know that the world exists in shades of gray, and he is old enough to have lived in most of those shades. However, Aldric has always tried to do that which is decent. He was raised in a religious household and that upbringing has never quite left him—though no longer deeply religious (that ended soon after he was turned into a vampire), he does believe that there are things that are always wrong, regardless of context, and there are things that are always noble. He has endeavored, his whole life, to stay as righteous as possible.
• An affection for finer things. Blood tastes best coming out of an expensive wine glass. Sleeping is nicer on plush sheets. Aldric really isn’t a snob, nor does he have some superiority complex; he recognizes that he is privileged to have this amount of wealth, and he does donate to good causes and charities—but he feels he’s allowed to collect expensive antiques and use the good china whenever he pleases.

Powers:

• Persuasion. Though there are vampires with this power, Aldric’s power of persuasion existed prior to being turned. This isn’t quite mind control—he can’t force anyone into doing as he says—but is, instead, a form of effective suggestions. This power works at its absolute best when Aldric is certain of what should be done and the other person isn’t, and this power is at its weakest when the other person has made up their mind and won’t listen to suggestions. It’s not really something Aldric can turn on and off, though of course, the more adamant he is about a suggestion, the more likely the other person will take heed.

Species Abilities:

• Non-retractable fangs. They’re always in his mouth. They may get longer if he hasn’t fed in a while (as if to encourage him to eat), but they never disappear.
• No reflection. Makes taking selfies impossible.
• No need for oxygen. He’s already dead, so breathing is more of a habit at this point.
• A very slow heartbeat. His heart still beats—just so slow that it’s hard to catch. The blood he drinks needs a way to get through him, after all.
• Drinks blood. Human is most satisfying, but he has lived on animal blood before. Animal blood isn’t as nutritious and doesn’t taste as good; it’s not exactly junk food, but it’s not great.
• Sunlight is bad. Getting caught in sunlight will burn his skin and cause vision problems. He’s been lucky enough so far that this has not happened to him.
• Travels with native soil. He has a couple tiny jars in his home, filled with soil from the grounds around the estate where he was born. He can’t travel to different countries, or across water, without these jars. (He has multiple to ensure that if any are smashed, he has some backups.)
• Heightened senses. He doesn’t intentionally eavesdrop; he can just hear whispering pretty well. Garlic itself doesn’t really affect him, but the smell is pretty awful. If he listens closely, he can hear a heartbeat without a stethoscope. He sense of taste is skewed mostly for blood; he can tell if a person is anemic, has sickle cell, or has any other issue related to their blood.
• Increased strength/speed. He won’t be single-handedly lifting school buses above his head any time soon, but he could probably lift a cart off of a person crushed beneath it (Jean Valjean style).
• Terrified of moving water. He was never afraid of moving water until he was turned. He’s not sure why this happened, but having to travel across rivers or oceans has induced panic attacks in the past and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
• Holy objects when weaponized are dangerous. Aldric can enter churches and other places of worship because they are places, not objects; he can hear Bible verses and read from his own Bible without much harm. However, if a person were to weaponize a holy object (such as coming at him with a crucifix, or pouring holy water on him, or throwing a Bible at him, etc), then that would cause severe burns, even worse than those from sunlight. There has to be intent to hurt for the objects to hurt.
• Can turn into a cat. Just a regular black cat, no special powers.
• Forced counting. If someone spills seeds, staples, paperclips, or any other small objects in large amounts, Aldric is compelled to start counting them. This is incredibly annoying; his siblings often did this when Aldric made a good point during an argument.
• Rapid healing. Small scratches stitch themselves up quickly. Larger cuts take a bit longer. Stab wounds won’t kill him, but he will bleed, and the wound will close on its own after a day or two. Sunburns take a very long time to heal, and holy burns never fully heal—the wound may close, but it will leave a nasty scar.
• Coffin. He doesn’t need to sleep in a coffin, but he has one and he likes to lay in it and brood when he is upset.
• Methods of killing. Decapitation, a wound through the heart (a stake or a bullet or a knife, your choice), being left in sunlight for an entire day, being engulfed in fire.
• Turning others. Aldric can turn others with a transfer of blood, though he has never done this with any success.

Biography:

• Prior to birth. After two distant cousins were convicted of witchcraft in the 1630, the main branch of the Reinhardt family did everything they could to keep their name pristine. They refused to let two distant cousins soil their good reputation, and so they doubled their efforts to appear Christian and to give the farmers on their land no reason for hysteria.
• 1710. Aldric is born. He is the oldest of three siblings: Elisabeth, his sister, and Casimir, his brother, come after him. There are only three years between Aldric and Elisabeth, and so the children grew up as each other’s best friends.
• His ability for persuasion is apparent from early on, though most mistake it for charisma and a natural inclination toward leadership.
• He is not like Elisabeth, who is flighty and rebellious. He is not like Casimir, who is soft and shy. He is patient and steadfast. If Elisabeth is a vine, growing wildly in the garden wherever she should please, and if Casimir is a morning glory who closes and opens, then Aldric is an oak tree: slow growing, but not wily, and always facing the sun.
• When their parents die, Aldric is only 16. He inherits the manor, the farmland, the forest—and his siblings, too, for now they are solely his to care for. Controlling Elisabeth has never been an option, but Casimir at least knows how not to get himself into trouble.
• When Elisabeth tells him of the strange book she found in the library, Aldric bristles. She has been on his nerves all week, and her hunting for things she shouldn’t hunt for is the final straw. “You think it’s a book of witchcraft? Then go ahead and find out if you’re right,” he snaps. He will regret these words for the rest of his natural life.
• Elisabeth does as he says, and whether it was her independent will or whether he persuaded her into it, he never knows. She sells her soul to the devil in exchange for magic. The farmers and the neighboring townspeople begin to talk, and they talk even more when they spot a tailless wolf at the edges of their village. Werewolf, they say, and they’re right: Casimir has given up his soul as well.
• Elisabeth could single-handedly ruin them all; she if flagrant, disrespectful, has no idea what it means to be subtle. Casimir at least has the decency to keep his hellish dealings to himself. Aldric has no idea what to do. He can sense unrest, the beginnings of rumors, a seed of suspicion, and he cannot dispel it on his own.
• 1743. He’d been able to arrange an almost respectable marriage for himself, but after months of living with tuberculosis, Aldric cannot stop coughing. He is bedridden and near to death. Elisabeth keeps watch over him day and night, and then finally, when she worries Aldric’s time will soon be over, she acts. That night, teeth sink into his neck and drain him, and the next night Aldric awakes a vampire.
• “You’re free from your engagement,” says Casimir. “You’re free from everything. We sent word of your death last night.”
• If Aldric is free, he doesn’t feel it; he feels chained. Elisabeth had one of her hellish friends give him eternal life, but the price feels monumental. He is living, but dead, and the sunlight is gone.
• 1745. Elisabeth disappears without word or warning of where she might have gone. Casimir marries, and Aldric must live in secret, at least until the wife and child are lost in childbirth. The loss of the child is not made public; Casimir, despite his loss, knows it’s best for Aldric’s future if he can pretend to be a direct descendant of the family.
• 1795. Casimir dies of natural causes.
• 1799. Aldric hires a handful servants from a far away town for the estate. They do not know he is a vampire, and they do not know he ought to be dead.
• 1800. Johann Dresner, only ten years old, is brought to the manor to work there. Aldric hires a tutor for him, provides for him, and asks only for household chores done in return. He knows the boy wouldn’t have survived long, doing a farmer’s work—his heart is too weak, too fragile.
• The years pass. Aldric wonders whether he ought to offer vampirism to Johann, but he falters ever time he goes to ask. He does not want to suggest it and have the boy say yes because of his powers. He never asks; it never feels the right thing to do.
• 1816. Johann dies—dies despite Aldric trying to turn him. Toward dawn, a servant comes to warn Aldric of the rising sun, and sees him with his mouth at Johann’s throat. The servant thinks Aldric murdered him, and spreads rumor of this through the village. When the funeral is held at night, so that Aldric can properly eulogize him, the strength of the rumors grow. He knows he must leave—and just as he is beginning to pack, he hears stones smashing the windows of the manor, and he must leave with only jars of his birth land’s soil and the family bible.
• Early 1900s. After traveling for a long time, and realizing how unsafe the world is for him, he learns of Manta Carlos and goes there, though the trip across a body of water is paralyzing with how deeply it terrifies him. It is perhaps the only other safe place he can imagine, and he does not leave. He becomes a doctor so that he can help people and do good in the world, he opens his own practice, he begins to work for the academy—and that is where he has been since.

Additional Information: sry you had to read this novel