Seril Dren

Art by https://miraculan-draws.tumblr.com/

### Family

Andrei Dren (father) (deceased) Ana Dren (mother) (deceased) Jana Dren (older sister) (deceased) Iskren Voznesensk (brother-in-law) (deceased) Mina Dren (niece) (status unknown)

## Description

### Appearance

Seril is a woman of 25 who looks like she has seen soem SHIT (because she has). She stands at 4'11 and about 90lb soaking wet, and my girl is working with -2 strength so she's not exactly packing muscle power.

She is uncannily pale, with white hair she always seems to have up and gray eyes. She has a tattoo of a black raven with white wings on the back of her left hand, which is the brand of the bloodfarm she comes from. It is usually covered by a pair of gunslinger's gloves.

Seril has a permanent vampire fang mark on the right side of her neck, from the frequent feedings she was subjected to growing up. It is usually obscured by her scarf/hood deal she's got going on. Due to her childhood and teen years beinf comprised of severe malnourishment and frequent vampiric feedings Seril's growth was stunted, which resulted in her short stature, concerning lack of body fat, and anemia. She's accumulated a variety of scars from her days as a pirate, as well as her name as a wandering adventurer and her time as a monster hunter back in Barovia. As if the fight at the Old Bonegrinder she has scarring from being hit by the hag's lightning. The scars have taken the form of fractals along the veins on her right side and a bit onto her arm and shoulder.

Seril mends her ensemble (in an exciting variety of greays and black) on her own, and has decorated her best (fabric over reinforced leather) with her own embroidery.

## Biography

### Growing up

Seril was born in an underground 'blood farm' located beneath an abandoned settlement south of Vallaki. The farm was run by Dargova Primorski, a powerful vampire and one of Strahd's generals. The human cattle there were 'farmed' by their vampiric owners; taken in shifts to be drained for a week and then returned and left until the next time. In between feedings the bloodbags lived in squalid conditions, spending their entire (often short) lives underground, subject to frequent vampiric feedings, starvation, disease, and random acts of cruelty. It was into this world that Seril was born, the second child of Andrei and Ana Dren, two born and raised inhabitants of the farm. Seril's older sister and only sibling, Jana, was 13 at the time of Seril's birth, and it was when Jana was 14 , only a year later, that the girls lost both of their parents to a wasting illness that swept through the farm. Seril was thus raised by Jana, who did her best to care for her younger sister and keep her safe. Young Seril lived in terror of the times when Jana would be taken away for a week of feeding, leaving Seril in the loose care of those who could spare it. Seril would spend the entire week period of Jana's feedings convinced her sister would never come back because she had been drained too far and died from the strain. Once Seril was old enough to be fed on herself Jana would try to at least make sure they were taken together, although this wasn't always successful.

Despite the horrendous circumstances, Jana did her best to give Seril what moments of happiness she could; singing to her, telling her stories, making up games that were designed to turn the mundane daily horror of their existence into something make believe, etc. Seril in turn adored and worshipped her big sister.

Seril was a quiet and watchful child who loved stories and sought them out from everyone around her, enjoyed playing make-believe, and really wanted a cat even though she didn't really know what one was.

When Seril was ten years old Jana began a relationship with Iskren Voznesensk, another inhabitant of the farm who was a few years Jana's senior and had frequently stuck his neck out for the sisters whenever he could. Although they were never officially married, Jana and Iskren came to consider themselves a married couple. Seril adored Iskren, and had even before he started a relationship with Jana. Iskren in turn had always doted on Seril; calling her his little sister, braiding her hair, making toys for her out of scavenged scraps, and letting her sit on his shoulders at every given opportunity. Seril came to see him as a guardian angel; a seemingly invincible pillar in her life.

At age 16, Seril learned she was going to have a niece. Jana and Iskren had never intended to have children, not wanting to bring any into their world. However it happened despite their best efforts, and made a half-formed dream Jana had had in her head for many years finally take on a more distinct form; Jana wanted to get her family out of there, escaping into the world topside and hopefully out of Barovia itself.

### Escape

While escape was a perceived impossibility, Jana was also a very stubborn woman. She tirelessly pieced together scraps of information; whispered stories of previous escape attempts, spied on exchanged between their guards, and a whole lot of reconnaissance, aided by Iskren (but not by Seril, who fiercely wanted to help but was forbidden, due to their worries over her safety). Their efforts took months, but Iskren would die before they ever bore fruit. His death was uneventful and without ceremony; an over enthusiastic spawn went too far, and Iskren bled out from a clumsy gash in his neck. Seril and Jana didn't initially learn what had happened; he simply didn't return from his week of feeding. However after frantic searching Seril was the one to learn the truth from one of the other inhabitants who had been fed on in the same shift. She told Seril that she'd overheard a few spawn complaining about a clumsy feeding, and had later managed to catch a glimpse of Iskren's body. The best comfort she could offer was that it might not have been permanently disposed of yet, if Seril and Jana wanted to try and find it and steal it away for burial. When a sobbing and hysterical Seril brought this news to Jana her sister didn't shed a tear, and wouldn't allow Seril to go looking for the body.

Expand on your character here (feel free to replace the "Background" subheading with mulitple sections breaking up their life (e.g. for Seril it might look like "The Blood Farm", "A Pirate's Life", "Back to Barovia" etc.)

## Relationships

### Ireena Kolyan

Seril took an immediate shine to Ireena, admiring her force of will and her bravefront in the face of her difficult situation. On leaving the village of Barovia Seril sought to keep Ireena company and make sure she was alright, feeling heartache over her tragic circumstance of being forced to leave her home and family, and worrying over the toll that would take. As they spent time together Seril began developing feelings for Ireena, and what started out as Seril carrying on with her usual tendency to flirt with (and show off to) women quickly started developing into what she's realized are romantic feelings, a fact which surprises and delights her

I would like to REITERATE that Seril was NOT making that joke to be scummy she was making the joke unthinkingly and then as she said it was like 'oh huh I wonder if Ireena will take umbridge with this' and was curious to see

### Menyn

Seril just genuinely likes Menyn and has from pretty much the start. While she was initially a bit annoyed with his dragging them off on some nebulous 'fate says so' jaunt once she learned more about the situation she came to fully believe in this cause-albeit she is now filled with questions-and sees it as the chance she has been waiting for to find a real possibility of freeing Barovia. Although that's not to say that she is holding out too much hope just yet, especially considering the information they've gotten from Eustace about 'seeing it all before' and all of that.

Returning to Menyn though, Seril likes him immensely. She enjoys his bardic antics, and finds him legitimately hilarious. She also sees him as competent, and a good person to send out as a face when needed. Further, she has been viewing them as sort of a team in terms of keeping things moving, although as the party has gotten more comfortable with each other she's started seeing them all as a more cohesive-albeit messy-whole.

### Lucien

Seril isn't really sure how to deal with a kid but she's doing her best.

## Party Thoughts

### Bogdan

Comedy duo [I will fill all this in properly soon]