Allan Shepard

**Dr. Allan Gregory Shepard** is the only child of Gregory and Eva Shepard and the only surviving member of his family. Born a human, he was sired upon request by a member of the Enochian royal family, Cassandra Morgan, in 2104, but has long since cut contact with them. A qualified and brilliant biologist and medical doctor, he gained great prestige in the mythical town of Alabaster during the rebuilding period of the 2100s.

In 2117, Allan's father Gregory fell ill with terminal cancer and refused emergency siring as a treatment, choosing to die as he lived - a human being. When the Red Death swept across the globe and caused great panic among humanity and mythicals alike, Allan took it upon himself to sell his childhood home in Maine and travel to poorer regions of the world and offer aid as best he could. After reuniting with his partner, Madrigal Morgan, the two worked tirelessly over several years with a team of researchers and were successful in developing a viable vaccine against J19a7, earning them worldwide renown.

Currently, Dr. Shepard resides back in Alabaster with Margra, the duo having opened a clinic and research facility to continue observing and quelling the effects of the Red Death on the world, as well as assisting with repopulation and reconstruction efforts.

He is currently an active character in the storyline.

**Faceclaim**: Jake Gyllenhaal

## Appearance

Upon first impression, Allan is animated, lively, upbeat, and usually seen with a grin on his face. This outwardly jovial appearance only enhances his natural charisma. Physically speaking, Allan is a prime example of a healthy adult male, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 201 pounds. He has a slim jawline and broad chin that is often hidden beneath his notable facial hair, and in a word can only be described as a undeniably handsome. He has an expressive face, each part of it rising and falling according to his mood, making it rather easy to tell how he's feeling at any given moment. Since his transformation into a Vampire, Allan's outward appearance hasn't changed much at all, save for the addition of fangs and growing pale when he hasn't fed in some time.

Although he used to only be around 190 pounds, several months with access to the exercise facilities at Enoch's royal palace led to Allan packing on several pounds of muscle, and he is now much larger than he was before. This, coupled with his vampiric strength, has granted him a strikingly muscular build paired with impressively enhanced strength. With his distinguishable beard and medium length hair, Allan at first glance gives a rugged and humble feel.

Allan tends to wear simple but stylish clothing; he is fond of blazers, plain t-shirts, button ups, flannels, and other comfortable and practical upper wear. He'll usually complete his looks with slacks, khakis, or plain blue jeans depending on his tastes. He doesn't take color into account much, preferring to wear whatever fits and matches.

Allan enjoys earthy and floral scents such as sage, alpine brush, and mahogany.

### Tattoos

* A simple compass design on the underside of his forearm.

## Personality

Outwardly, Allan shows himself to be as friendly and outgoing as his appearance would imply. Even with new people, especially those he has a good feeling about, he is talkative and amiable. Very rarely, however, does he get a bad vibe, and will often make it known (at least to those who know him well) when he feels this way. Ironically in spite of his energetic disposition, Allan is also a fan of occasional peace and quiet, known to often go off by himself into the wilderness to be alone and to study geological samples, one of his favourite hobbies. This duality can sometimes confuse those who first meet him, but they soon relent and get used to his quirks when they've known him long enough. A man of the world, Allan is at home in the wilderness and utilizes his ample intelligence to its fullest when in it.

Inwardly, Allan is likely one of the most morally driven people you'll meet. He dislikes violence of any sort, is a proponent of talking out of situations, and is not one to jump to conclusions. He often attempts to be the voice of reason in a situation, a job he is skilled at due to being very in control of his emotions and of a sound mental state (comparatively). He is also driven by a desire to help others, made evident by pursuing his profession of being a medical practitioner despite having been a human in a world ruled by mythicals. Although not diagnosed and certainly not the case, it can be said that he suffers from a bit of a messiah complex, wishing to "save" anyone in need even if the situation is well beyond his means and, in some cases, none of his business.

Like any person, Allan is prone to certain flaws; he often draws conclusions about negative situations before gathering all the facts, and can sometimes press a matter too much when it's better left alone. For example, as far as dislikes go, Allan vehemently despises cheaters, blatant liars, and anything of the sort. He also has a tendency for blaming himself in situations that have very little or nothing to do with his involvement, and some of his personal relationships can suffer from this.

His views on life and his disposition extend to his friendships and relationships. Within days of arriving in Alabaster, Allan had struck up a friendly rapport with Cassandra, Aisling, and Margra. While his relationship with Aisling flat lined after a time and his time spent with Cassandra diminished, his relationship with Margra Morgan flourished into a highly unlikely partnership, one that became so strong Allan was willing to sacrifice his humanity to be with her. Cassandra, being his sire, is also an important figure in his life, though he ironically spent more time giving her advice than the other way around.

## Species & Abilities

### Vampiric Powers

As a human, Allan possessed no extraordinary or supernatural gifts beyond his gifted intellect and sharp wit. After being sired by Cassandra Morgan, Allan awoke as a Sanguine Vampire, with enhanced physical parameters, acute senses, and a thirst for human blood.

Allan possesses superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes befitting his vampiric nature, which are further enhanced when he has freshly fed. Long periods without proper feeding will weaken these physical parameters somewhat. After his turning, Allan manifested a rare psionic ability in the form of Empathy, allowing him to feel and interpret the emotions and motivations of other people. Beyond this, Allan possesses no particularly noteworthy or exceptional abilities outside the scope of his species.

* **Empathy**: Allan is part of a very small group of mythicals with the ability of *Empathy*, the ability to perceive, interpret, and feel the emotions and motivations of other people simply by being in their presence. While initially this ability was crippling due to its negative effect on his own emotional state, his ability to control it has improved over time, and he now uses it as a tool to better help others. Because of this ability, Allan is virtually impossible to lie to in any capacity, unless said individual has perfect control over their mind and body.
	+ **Empathic Projection**: While once poorly understood and difficult to control, Allan has mastered his usage of Empathic Projection over the course of several decades, refining it into a powerful tool. Befitting his pacifist nature, Allan can quell the unruly emotions of others and passively control their violent impulses, subduing or erasing them altogether. He can use this ability to project any emotion he wishes onto another, but generally only utilizes it for conflict resolution above all else.
* **Telepathy**: Allan possesses telepathy with his sire, Cassandra Morgan, able to hear and and project thoughts to her.
* **Enhanced Senses & Physicality**: Allan's senses of smell, sight, and sound are supernaturally acute due to his transformation into a Vampire. Likewise, his physical strength and durability have been similarly enhanced. As a vampiric, Allan is undead and biologically immortal, having halted his aging long ago and no longer showing any signs of it.

### Skills & Abilities

* **Science/Medicine**: From training with books and first-hand experience, Allan has established himself through years of study and practice as a fine Doctor in his own right, able to carry out complex and sometimes dangerous surgeries with great success, as well as being able to diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments given the tools to do so. His natural talent and prodigious knowledge in the subject of biology and medicine have been expanded upon greatly over the years, to the point where he could be considered among the top scientific minds on the planet. Such is his skill that, alongside Margra and their team of researchers, he was able to isolate and synthesize an effective vaccine against the Red Death, a biological disease previously thought to be untreatable. He also manufactured a form of synthetic blood that allows him to remain healthy and fed without the need to feed off of human beings.
* **Hand-to-hand Combat**: Although very limited in his experience, his father, Gregory, taught Allan all he could in Hand to Hand combat, specifically Krav Maga. As such, Allan can hold his own in a fight, especially when combined with his enhanced physical stature.
* **Wilderness Survival:** A wildlife hobbyist and amateur geologist, Allan grew up at home in the forests of New England, and this fondness for the outdoors never left him even as he began his adventuring lifestyle. He is adept at surviving in harsh wilderness conditions for days at a time.

## Family & Relationships

### Dr. Madrigal Morgan

His closest confidant and best friend, Allan met Margra when he first came across Alabaster while undertaking travel and good-will work shortly after the war. After becoming acquainted with her and her family, the two soon found themselves to have more in common than they expected, and what began as a working relationship flourished into an enduring romance. Since then, the two have been nearly inseparable save for a period of travel undertaken by Allan. Allan brings out a rare vulnerability in Margra, and she in turn keeps Allan grounded with her practicality and sensibility. As partners, the two enjoy strong communication and trust one another implicitly. In fact, it was he and Margra's budding relationship that initially convinced Allan to sacrifice his mortality in order to be with her. They now live together and maintain a research facility in Alabaster on the grounds of their old clinic, continuing their studies into the Red Death and other ailments even years after curing it.

### Isabella DeAngelis-Firstblood

Allan one had an up-and-down yet amicable relationship with the goddaughter of his partner, Sabella, similar to Margra. As he spent many formative years of his life within Alabaster as she did, the two often crossed paths and got to know one another as the months and years went by. In present day, Sabella has moved on from Alabaster and started life anew, though still occasionally drops by to visit him and Margra with her children. Despite the troubles of their past lives, Allan welcomes these visits and maintains a close and friendly relationship with her.

### Cassandra Morgan

One of the first individuals that he met in Alabaster, Cassandra also happens to be Allan's sire - the one who changed him into a vampire. Even before this, however, the two became close at a rapid pace not unlike himself and Margra. However, his relationship with Cassandra was always one of an almost sibling-like nature, with the two exchanging worries, fears, and concerns and dispensing advice to one another. As time went on and situations worsened, Allan became something of a cornerstone of Cassandra's life a trusted confidant. He even spent several months living at the royal palace in Enoch under her care during the early days of his new life as a vampire, so that she could train and watch over him properly. Eventually, however, he and Cassandra grew apart, due partially to circumstance and conscious efforts on Allan's part. While he has distanced himself from the Morgan family (besides Margra), Allan still possesses an unbreakable bond and telepathic link with Cassandra, and regards her as a good friend despite their lack of communication.

### Aisling DeAngelis †

Although once friendly with Aisling as he was with other residents of Alabaster, Allan eventually grew away from her as her behaviors and motivations became increasingly erratic. Eventually, Allan cut ties with her altogether; he didn't learn for quite some time that she had been tried and summarily executed for treason.

### Gregory Shepard †

His once estranged father, Allan made great efforts in the later portions of Gregory's life to mend the rift that had formed between them. For a time, Allan lived with Gregory at his childhood home in Maine, exchanging stories about his travels to Alabaster and beyond. The two managed to undo many years of unresolved trauma and hardships, emerging from the other end as father and son once more. Tragically, Gregory was later diagnosed with terminal cancer. Allan offered to sire his father in order to save his life, but Gregory refused; he preferred to die a mortal in order to be with Allan's mother again. Respecting his father's wishes, Allan remained by his side until the bitter end. Allan keeps Gregory's ashes as a keepsake and a reminder that not all that's broken is lost forever.