Dolores Caine

> *"So many focus on the delights of pleasure... They forget that there's infinite delight in pain as well. It is my job to remind them... And it's my **pleasure** to do so." -* Dolores
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### Appearance

Dolores, for the most part, looks much like a human. Key differences, though, are her height, skin and her overall... *unnatural leanness*. She stands at an impressive 6 feet 10 inches (208 centimeters), but rather than look proportionate for that height, she almost looks *stretched*. Her form, while overall appealing to most, is nevertheless vaguely unnerving. Her arms and legs are just a bit too long, a bit too thin. Her skin is pale, almost white, and she often wears makeup to further exacerbate that element of her appearance. Her eyes, though, are a deep, coal black. Where normally in others there would be vibrant or rich color, for her there are only midnight pits. She generally walks around in a long, black silk gown that's surprisingly modest for most Absalom fare. She keeps her hair braided and woven together, often weaving hooks and barbs into the strands that make a soft tinkling noise as she walks.

### Personality

Truly a proper noble, Dolores is pleasant and cordial with most that she meets. She smiles, nods, engages in conversation... but no amount of smiling changes the fact that her eyes constantly look like those of a predator eyeing up potential prey. She views those around her as potential... art pieces. The problem is that *her* view of art and the views of most "sane" individuals are very, very, *very* different. For those who can look past the potential threat she poses, though, she can be surprisingly good company. She enjoys treating her guests, and has been known to throw a party or two when the occasion strikes. The rumors of the occasional guest going missing are clearly hearsay and slander, of course...

### The House of Caine

Originally from Cheliax, the Caine family moved to Absalom nearly 50 years ago. They keep a public face on, as most noble families do, but the movers and shakers of Absalom know what the Caine family are: deal brokers officially, and information dealers secondarily. The reason they have such notoriety for their brokering work is the nature of the arrangements... On top of the fee for arranging deals and contracts, every deal brokered by a Caine family member carries a penalty for breaking the terms: the violating party becomes utterly at the House of Caine's mercy. Most such individuals are simply made examples of, often in gruesome ways. They aren't killed- the dead make terrible examples, after all-, but often their fate is far, far worse than death. Such individuals are often released and serve as walking advertisements for the Caines. If you have a vital deal, and you don't want betrayal to be an option... Make a Pact of Caine.

In the process of punishing those who break their pacts, the family often offers brief reprieves from the pain in exchange for information. It doesn't frequently matter what the information actually *is*, from the gossip of maids to the dark secrets of lords. All information buys momentary relief. This is where the House of Caine makes most of their money. The right bit of information is worth mounds of gold to the right person... and this makes each fool who defies their Pact into a veritable goldmine.