Byleth

> "*There are many ways to thrive (...). Contributing to a meritocracy wasn't my idea of doing it*"
>
>

Byleth -Briar Eisner- is a player character, a Neonate vampire from clan Gangrel, sireless at the moment. Very recently Embraced, they have just arrived on the Barony of Connachta, lost and confused and willing to find their footing on these nights. They're also one of the children of an infamous Hunter.

## Byleth Eisner

### Occupation

Psychology student (former)
Forest ranger auxiliary (former)

Anarch scout

## Biological information

### Relatives

Jeralt Eisner (father)Alois Eisner (older brother)

Marietta Eisner (twin sister)

## Physical appearance

Because their Embrace has happened very recently, Byleth looks like very much their age, perhaps even a little more boyish on purpose so people underestimate and lower their guard around them. They have disheveled, short and dirty blonde hair, with a little undercut that can be appreciated on the left side of their head, the ends of it dyed teal green and dissipating. They like to dress more according to goth trends, with baggy shirts and hoods and jeans torn at their knees, so they also look more on the scrawny side than they really are, with quite strong arms and back. Perhaps the most otherworldly feature they have for now, apart from the pale complexion, are their eyes, which look more like those of a cat, yellowy green with an elongated pupil and a black sclera. They also have a snake bite piercing below their lower lip.

## Personality

Byleth has a very curt, standoffish demeanor. They don't approach anyone lightly neither have any time for small talk or nonsense, at least as far as the first contact with anyone go, wanting to always go straight to the point. Rather than uncapable of feeling, is that they have numbed themself to the reality they're currently facing, and they also have a hard time expressing emotions. However, the more relaxed they are or the more trust they have with someone, they gradually loosen up and is even capable of smile or making dry jokes with a straight face.

Even with the struggles they have with socializing and being blunt more often than not, they have a natural magnetism and are very clever. Their logical thinking and ingenuity has managed to put them and their companions on the right path, even making some tactics for them. However, when it comes to their own graces, they tend to downplay them a lot.

## Background

### Mortal years

Byleth comes from a family of hunters of the supernatural, mostly vampires and demons, fewer times ghosts or even werewolves or fae, ranging with many other kinds of monsters in between. Their father is quite infamous for being relentless in the hunt, especially when that creature is being particularly troublesome, but he acts mostly because someone else is paying him to get rid of a specific creature at a time. As such, they have always been on the move with their older brother and their twin sister, tightly-knit as they came, especially after their mother's passing.

Despite being very close to their family, especially to their twin Marietta, Byleth had been the least involved family member in any hunts. Of course, they know the basics of how to defend themselves in a fight, how to get advantage of the terrain and the best way to ambush, but other than managing logistics and sometimes even tactics, they weren't very knowledgable onto the supernaturals their family were hunting. In fact, they didn't really have a particular interest in continuing the family business, wanting to pursue a mundane lifestyle instead, and even if they had been homeschooled most of their life, they worked hard to get a scholarship in a good university. Instead of getting any reproach, everyone in their family supported Byleth to get their goal.

They got their actual name out of their nickname in forums on the Internet, and eventually they sticked to it as they were constructing their own identity. Apart from their studies, Byleth's interests include birdwatching, which was an activity they pursued since very young and helped them with their observing capabilities. They were also on part-time jobs to pay their tuition, one of them being a forest ranger auxiliary around Galway. That was when they got into the unfortunate accident that led on losing their life; at that point, a creature keeping tabs on them and their work ended up turning them into a vampire, the motives of that still unknown to Byleth. They can only especulate, but they think maybe it has been someone with a grudge on their family.

### The Embrace

It took a little while for Byleth to understand what had happened to them, but they were only thankful for their own survival instincts to kick in and survive the worst of being a newly fledged undead creature lost in the middle of the wilderness. That got the attention of another like them, who immediately took them under their proverbial wing and taught them the basics of what they were. Even if they were still confused and annoyed as the realization came in, Byleth were quick to resign to their fate and learn whatever their master taught them. They also understood that it was the best for their family, as painful as it was, to make them believe they had died completely, so unable to communicate with any of them, they tried and planted false evidence for them. Up until these nights, it has been the worst conundrum they had to face, as they still miss them all a lot and are afraid of the lengths any of them would be willing to go to if any of them learned of their true fate.

One night, after living for a while in a half-feral state, Byleth and their master were ambushed by a pack of stray werewolves. The Elder Gangrel took in stride to distract and fight them, ordering his pupil to run to safety, and so the Neonate did, an unbearable urge to flee the scene taking hold of them. Byleth don't remember much of what happened afterwards, but they think they Hunger Frenzied at some point, as their eyes became more animal-like since then, and then they stumbled upon Ezekiel, who claimed he had finished off the werewolf pack and urged them to come with him instead. Not having much of a choice, Byleth complied, coming into the hold of the Barony of Connaught and civilization proper.

Byleth isn't very thrilled to be one of the very same creatures their family hunts, but as they really can't do anything about it, they adapt to their new environment instead. Still very wary and detached of their fellow vampires, they also understand they need to band with them to survive, and the Anarchs are a good place for them to start, so upon Ezekiel's rescue, they decide to stay around them and work for them.

## Skills and flaws

Despite not being particularly socially savvy nor very strong physically, Byleth has a natural charm upon them and good leadership skills they aren't even aware of. They lean a lot on their intellect and ingenuity, and are the most comfortable assessing a situation with calm rationale, balancing the pros and cons, so it also comes naturally to them to be aware of their surroundings and defending themself and their peers. They're capable of self defense, surviving in the wilderness and even taking the situation to their favor, especially when they have to feed. Byleth also has a good photographic memory, serving them to identify most details on first sight, and also with sketching.

Perhaps due to their training or their general demeanor, most animals aren't scared of them and don't flee upon sensing their presence. Cúchulainn taught them, among other things, to take advantage of that and bind a *famulus*, or familiar, to them in order to aid them in their endeavors. Byleth managed to lure a great horned owl they call Myrkur to make it their ghoul, which aids them in scouting and can even communicate with them, albeit in a very curt and basic manner.

Byleth is in the spectre for autism, struggling with social situations as well as sensory stimuli all their life. That makes them prone to taking a natural hold on the Auspex Discipline, but with every masking they have to do and the more stress they endure, the more frustrated they are and the more Hunger they pile in. As they're very bound into routines, they try to change them on purpose to not give away anything to potential enemies, but that also work on their personal detriment. They tend to overanalyze and think too much of everything surrounding them, which often leads them to mental exhaustion; however, the times where they let themself go and are a bit impulsive, they find themself a bit guilty of it afterwards.

They have also been following a Path of Enlightment derived from the Path of the Beast of the Gangrel, so they have gained some feral traits that can be unnerving or baffling for most, making them more of a curiosity, which the Neonate hates.

## Disciplines

#### Animalism

* Bound Famulus (1)
* Sense the Beast (1)
* Feral Whispers (2)

#### Protean

* Eyes of the Beast (1)
* Weight of the Feather (1)
* Feral Weapons (2)
* Shapechange (3)

#### Auspex

* Heightened Senses (1)
* Sense the Unseen (1)
* Obeah (2)

#### Presence

* Daunt (1)
* Eyes of the Serpent (1)

## Relationships

### Marietta

Byleth's twin sister, a huntress and the person they have been the closest to while alive. She was also their best friend and confidant, so having to deceive her and the rest of their family into thinking they are gone has been the hardest thing they had been forced to do when they were Embraced - then again, they don't want any of them to be put into danger or in the conundrum of having to kill a family member themselves, or worse, getting revenge on their friends. Still, they still miss them badly, especially her, and sometimes they second guess their own decision, wondering if they could have done differently, especially because they know Marietta is headstrong and won't be deterred easily. They send Myrkur, their owl *famulus*, to check on them every once in a while, and soon they learn that their worst fears about their sister not having given up on their search are true, so they decided to confront her alone and tell her the truth. Both reunited, the twins promised to keep being in contact, although not being heavily involved in each other's lives.

### Ezekiel

The first "city vampire" they encounter, Byleth felt they had a debt of gratitude towards the Elder for saving their hide, which is why they reciprocated the favor when learning via their *famulus* of the conspiracy the Sabbat was plotting to create chaos among the Anarchs and communicated the situation as soon as they found him. They aren't sure whether to believe or not half of his stories about being a pirate, and they find him too rowdy for their taste; even if they respect him a great deal and value his advices and insights, they aren't very willing to come closer to him anyway.

### Lilith

Given their similarities in personality and quirks, Byleth takes a quick liking onto Lilith, and because she is a Neonate like them with a similar situation (even if a bit more experience), they lean on her a lot. She also reminds them a lot of their sister, whom they miss a great deal, so because of that, they have even slipped and confided to her some things they haven't told any other vampire; they are also very protective of her when it comes to her social phobia, as they relate to it a lot. It's because of her they accept to become part of the Coterie that the Anarch Toreador had formed.

### Aidan

The Gangrel didn't have so much of a good start with Aidan, as they tend to dislike personalities like him at first glance. However, as he is friends with Lilith as well, they had been getting used to him and knowing him better, and they had even come to respect him for his experience and skills. They question the alliances he maintains, however, as it has to be something that ends up biting him and perhaps everyone else in the ass, but other than that they end up appreciating his company and insight on many things.

### Samael

Byleth has talked sparsely to the Anarch leader in the Barony of Connachta, but they already respects him a great deal after seeing that he is much more savvy and approachable that chatter among the runts had made him to be. Then again, they know that he is very old and not to be taken lightly at all, since rage like that burns harsher underneath, but the few times they had met, it had felt quite nice and even calming to them, with the few curious and even silly anecdotes he had spared to them.

### Cúchulainn

Byleth's mentor on vampirism, he has been the closest thing they have to a Sire, as he had taken them under his mantle and taught them the ways of Gangrel, how to survive better and the use of Disciplines. After pushing them away briefly due to the werewolf attack they suffered, they both have met again, and this time, he has agreed to not be dodgy and help them when they or their friends need it. Byleth has asked him if he can track down the identity of their Sire and their possible motivation to have Embrace them, if only to be at peace with that. The Neonate still feels awkward around him, and keeps him on arm's length, but is really grateful he has saved their hide and that he has given something to work with.

### Sylvain

After initially being wary of him by the way he had presented himself and made contact with them (accidentally thinking they were Lilith, as he had been making calls and texts to their number), Byleth has ended up maintaining said contact with the older Toreador, as they're very curious about him and his motivations for helping the Coterie and even managing to join the Anarch's ranks again. They're also intrigued since it seems some of his skills with Presence don't work with them the way they were intended for some strange reason. After more encounters, chance and whatnot, they have been starting developing feelings for him, although they don't want to lose sight of other things that are important and keeps it quiet, for the moment.

### Anathema

Not long after getting rid of the Tzimisce aberrations clodging the sewers, a mysterious person who calls themself "Anathema" had contacted them via text on their phone. Byleth doesn't know what to make of that person, but they're very sure they're another vampire by the way they talk, and it's one that knows of them and their friends in the Coterie. So far, any attempts to try and meet them have been futile, as they refused showing themself yet, stating that they would do that "when the time was right", but has expressed their gratitude on their actions and had been aiding them subtly. As frustrating as it might be, the Neonate admits the help is sorely needed, and very convenient.

### Dirge

Byleth's real Sire. Their suspicions about him having a grudge over their family are not unfounded; it seems their Embrace had been done out of spite, attempting to deal a blow to the Bladebreaker (their father)'s ego that way, just because his mate had been hunted and killed by him. It seems he never intended to take Byleth in on the first place; in fact, he had almost expected they wouldn't survive the first month.