- Invitation Status
- Looking for partners
- Posting Speed
- One post per day
- Multiple posts per week
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Online Availability
- varies
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Prestige
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
- Genres
- low/high fantasy, medieval fantasy, historical fantasy, sci-fi, cyberpunk, solarpunk, grimdark, gothic-horror, supernatural themes, limited fandoms, adventure
✵Bastien d'Este Sauveterre
Age
301
Age Turned
20
Nationality
French
Ability
Miasma
Transformation
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Languages
French (F), German (F), English (F), Italian (C)
✵APPEARANCE
Tall and lean, Bastien presents himself with good carriage though he has a, generally, relaxed demeanor. Dark hair is offset by light blue eyes and pale skin. Customary of his kind, his ears are slightly tipped and his canines are elongated and end in small points. He is long limbed and somewhat broad-shouldered, though he has a generally slim appearance, which is usually draped in loose-fitting apparel. He will oblige by expectations of high society for parties and outings, but he otherwise prefers comfort to fashion.
✵PERSONALITY
Calm and collected, Bastien is known for his even-temper and mild manner. He is soft-spoken and polite, but not unfriendly or overly aloof. He is a romantic at heart—a reader of poetry and a lover of music, and he often spends long hours shut up in the library reading or writing. Another fair portion of his time is spent cultivating the night garden in the inner courtyard of the estate, where he can usually be found humming or reciting poetry to the plants. Despite his quiet and rather placid nature, Bastien isn't reclusive and willingly attends parties and gatherings—though his presence may not be an extended one.
An effort is expended to get along with all members of the family, though there are certain members who take more of his patience than others. Because of his good temperament, Bastien is often left playing peacemaker between feuding family members, which he isn't fond of but views as one of his responsibilities. On the rare occasion his wrath is incurred, he is a force to be reckoned with-- though he is seldom moved to true anger. He also has a rather dry sense of humour that can be easy to miss and is occasionally exercised at the expense of others.
Bastien is a willing teacher for those who wish to learn, including the serving staff of the Estate. Some of the family tend to look down on his behaviour, but Bastien pays them little mind. His beginnings as a servant of the household are not forgotten, and he holds the serving staff in high regard. He also retains his work ethic and is willing to do whatever job needs done. He can also be quite meticulous, which many find to be rather dull.
Some vampires tend towards indulgence, but Bastien is not one of them. He predominantly feeds from willing servants or takes to hunting in the forests around the Estate. Once in a rare while he will feed from an unwilling human, though he seeks out those who have been deemed the dregs of society, as taught to him by Salvadore.
Bastien has great respect for Salvadore, even if he doesn't fully agree with all of his choices concerning family.
Apart from his hobbies, Bastien doesn't speak extensively of himself, though his lowly background is often made public knowledge by Colette—though he hardly seems to mind this. Then again, he can be difficult to read as he has a tendency to internalize his emotions, always striving to present a composed demeanor.
✵BIOGRAPHY
One of the first vampires created by Salvadore at the Sauveterre Estate, Bastien was taken in as a servant at a young age. The sole survivor of his family's brush with the plague, Bastien was left to scratch out a living as a beggar in a small village in southern France. After some nights of observation, Salvadore selected the boy as a potential servant for his household, and Bastien went willingly to the Sauveterre Estate. Elated to have a greater purpose, Bastien became a diligent worker and a keen student of the other servants. His efforts to do his work well also carried over to the basic education he received from the servants as well. His voracious appetite for literature and learning did not go unnoticed by Salvadore, nor did his emerging looks, and he took the boy on as a ward, tutoring him in the liberal arts.
While Bastien was not afraid of the unusual condition that seemed to plague Salvadore, he was curious as to why his teacher was so averse to sunlight and demonstrated a set of rather peculiar behaviours. The other servants had explained that it was rude to plague the man with questions, but Bastien, unable to resist, approached Salvadore with his queries. After careful consideration, Salvadore decided to impart the strange and frightening truth to the young man: how he must never be exposed to the light of day, how he must subsist on the blood of the living, and of the abilities granted to him in his new "life." It had occurred to Salvadore that the young man was an ideal candidate for continuing the bloodline, but he had not yet pursued this endeavor. When Bastien showed intrigue and not fear toward vampirism, however, he was given the choice to join the bloodline. Bastien consented, but waited until his twentieth year to undergo the transformation.
Soon after his turning, Bastien traveled throughout France, Germany, and Britian with Salvadore as he learned to control his new abilities and adapt to his new style of life. Salvadore wished for his protégé to "experience" the wider world, and they took much delight in visiting castles, estates, universities, and even monasteries and cathedrals. Bastien worked tirelessly to learn the languages and general customs of the different countries, though Salvadore also insisted that he learn to present himself in what he called "high society." Bastien was taught the dances popular in each region and how to mingle with other socialites; he learned to effectively manipulate words and gestures to win favour with others, and he learned exactly how much power wealth and beauty held over others.
This was true even for Salvadore.
On one of their outings to Paris, Salvadore became utterly smitten with a young woman who eventually accompanied them back to the Estate. While Salvadore did not ignore Bastien after the new addition to the bloodline, their outings did become less frequent. Not wishing to invoke the jealousy and ire of the new vampire, Colette, Bastien eventually took to traveling by himself, wanting to see new places and, mostly, to collect books to expand the Estate's library.
With the growing influence of theatre and the arts in the later 1500s, Bastien's interest in theatre lead to the acquisition of several establishments in Paris and London. By this time, several more family members had joined the bloodline, and further holdings and wealth had accumulated. Bastien's efforts to expand the library had also resulted in a new construction to house all the books—a sign that, despite his divided attention, Salvadore still cared deeply for Bastien and wished to help him pursue his intellectual interests. Of course, the library was an asset to the Estate as a whole, and many of the residents took to utilizing it as education became more and more valued. And, as Salvadore had less time to spend with individual family members, Bastien took up the mantle of teacher, particularly glad to educate the servants of the household.
In addition to his compiling of books, Bastien also cleared a section of the inner courtyard for a night garden, which he has carefully cultivated for the last six decades. His appetite for gardening isn't as rapacious as that for reading, but he is always happy to find a new variety of night flower that can be implemented into the garden.
Bastien resides predominantly at the Sauveterre Estate and has his own apartments there, though he is known to take occasional trips to Germany.
✵SKILLS AND SHORTCOMINGS
Bastion prides himself on his intellect—namely his prolific knowledge of the arts. He is an adept writer and calligrapher and often pens correspondence for the family. He is a patient teacher so long as he has a willing student, and he has fair skill with horticulture. He can sing, albeit not as well as some, and he can occasionally be convinced to write poetry or songs.
While he knows the basics of combat and swordplay, he does not often exercise this ability and would be sore-pressed to win a duel or fight against a practiced opponent. He possesses the slightly increased strength of all vampires, but he exhibits no extensive physical prowess.
Continued practice in his state of transformation have made him an adept flyer and he often uses his transformation for travel.
Bastien's unique ability allows him to conjure a dark, mist-like substance which he can manipulate. While he cannot use it to interact with inanimate objects, the presence of this sort of miasma can affect living beings. Mostly, it is used as a sort of cover which makes it seem as though Bastien can simply dissipate into thin air. This does not render him completely invisible, though it does make him very difficult to detect in darkness or shadow. It can also be used to restrain or bind others for a short duration, constricting them and making movement very difficult. Restraining another is difficult and exerts considerable strain on Bastien, leaving him in need of rest and blood after its use.
✵MISCELLANEOUS
WIP
Last edited:
