Adriana

## Lady Adriana Pierce

"Ours is a cycle of hatred. Alliances forged and broken. We have paid the price for sharing this world, and we have forgotten what makes us strong."

## Character Information

### Affiliations

Barony of Ansbhuel, Greater Morley, Old Scarlet

## Physical Description

### Race

Dhampir (Former)Infernal Vampire (Current)

### Notable Features

None

A Dhampir servant girl, Adriana came from humble beginnings as an orphan in the Barony of Ansbhuel. Though she never knew who her true parents were, Lord Pierce was as a father to her as he was a master, favoring her devotion and loyalty. Thanks to his generosity, Adriana eventually found her footing by marrying one of Lord Pierce's sons. Though outwardly it seemed to be a functional marriage, inwardly it was more of a business relationship to secure her as a trusted member, and in turn allow her to navigate among groups that may not be comfortable speaking so openly in front of the son himself. After years of cultivating her own minor nobility, Adriana has ascended into the ranks of vampires, though her own vampirism is tethered more to Hell than the typical states of undeath found among vampires tied to the Negative Energy Plane. Renewed with purpose, and given strength she had not before, Adriana now seeks to spread her vampiric influence to others, preaching of the wonders of undeath, and the beauty of an immortal existence, and a second chance to walk this world in the shadows.

## History

### Early Life

Born to the orphanages of Greater Morley, Adriana spent much of her early life surviving as most of the living children did in such a place. It wasn't until about her adolescent years that she became employed as a servant to House Pierce in the Barony of Ansbhuel . Due to her diligent efforts, she was often favored as one of the better servants, and treated quite well.

When she wasn't actively serving, Adriana had a love for the theatre, acting in particular. On nights she could afford to, she would finish her duties early and scamper off to watch the various plays and other acting performances put on in her town square. Sometimes when she was by herself, she would pretend to be one of the performers on the stage, often fantasizing about romantic stories in particular involving knights and noblewomen.

A few years of the somewhat idyllic life led to her eventually discussing the idea of becoming more than just a maid. She admired the vampires for their beauty, grace, and strength, and yearned to be one. Her desire would soon be granted, a gift from the master of the House in thanks for her continued service and loyalty.

On her twenty-fifth birthday, Adriana was officially dead, slain by the son of Lord Pierce. She was then brought back as an infernal vampire, making a deal with a contract devil for her new ascension in the process. After her revival, she was officially married to the son, she took the surname of Pierce, and was solidified as a noble within the Lord's court.

Years later, unclear if it was through happenstance or carefully orchestrated plots from Lady Pierce, the Lord and his son both were slain. Officially, it was a "tragic accident", the result of a diplomatic mission gone wrong with a rival house. Still, as the sole survivor, Lady Pierce inherited the wealth, power, and status, becoming a minor noble in the Barony, and beginning her career in the higher politics. In her service were her devoted "Templars", once noble knights seduced by the promises of love and dark power, then turned and raised into Vampiric soldiers under the command of Lady Pierce. Bound through oath and soul, the Templars served her without question, having loyalty to none but her.

### Adventuring days

Adriana's role in the greater world has been largely non-existent. Her only adventuring that she has undertaken thus far has been culling local threats in Old Scarlet, such as masterless undead and wayward zealots. Beyond that, she's not had much motive nor reason to go beyond the borders of the Old Scarlet kingdom, particularly due to the difficulties of being an undead in a world predominately living.

## Appearance

Adriana is 5'3 in height, with a lithe build and only weighing 110lbs. Her hair falls to about her waist, and is often left to hang freely down the back and sides of her body, framing her face. She wears a variety of jewelry, particularly various rings of silver and red. Her hair is jet-black with cool, blue undertones, and her eyes are a steel blue-gray color. Overall she is quite beautiful, and youthful in her image. With a lack of scars and blemishes, she has a comely face and a welcoming smile.

In terms of attire, Adriana dresses luxuriously almost constantly. Favoring expensive garments, particularly those conjured from a magical object in her possession, Adriana never spares any expense when it comes to fashionable beauty. All of her clothing, even the non-conjured pieces, are of high quality, and border on even theatrical at times. Despite these gaudy displays of wealth, she's able to maneuver with ease while adventuring, aided by magic to ensure she avoids the "wear-and-tear" of a typical adventure.

Adriana's overall appearance looks relatively noble and high quality, which she enjoys, as it reminds her of the garments that were worn in the theatres she watched growing up. She dresses in a manner to reflect her romanticization of nobility, love, and the forbidden love of two darkened souls meeting in the night.

## Personality

Adriana's personality is often described as charming and captivating. While not intentional, Adriana often comes off as flirtatious and direct, sometimes overwhelmingly so to the discomfort of those she talks with. Her episodes of neurotic behavior coupled with her low levels of sympathy can at times leave individuals talking to Adriana as if she was shallow, flighty, or generally uninterested in anyone that wasn't herself or those she loved at the moment. Unfortunate for Adriana, this is far from the truth, as Adriana suffers from an extreme fear of abandonment, and will often go to extreme lengths to keep those she's infatuated with close to her, though nobody knows how far she would truly be willing to go to keep the ones she loves in her circle.

Despite these difficult qualities, Adriana generally tries to be friendly and open to meeting other people, and often goes out of her way to make new friends and connect in new spaces. She especially seems to brighten and light up when discussing topics of interest to her, which are typically theatre, romance, and magic. She also has an interest in philosophy and ethics, though these topics are often discussed as if removed from herself, as she cannot fathom or understand that her own morals and ethics can range from apathetic to psychopathic, particularly when it comes to justifying the behavior she exhibits with those she loves and cares for, such as her 'loyal devotees', as she calls them.

One of the most difficult things for Adriana to grasp is the idea of a true, mutual friend. To Adriana, most people, if not all of them are seen as tools, threats, competition, lovers, or devotees. She has a hard time separating the idea of platonic care from undying devotion and eternal love, and often confuses worship and attraction for love and affection. If these revelations should lead to a negative end to a relationship, Adriana often becomes cold, callous, and can even exhibit sociopathic behaviors, showing no remorse in harming or 'punishing' her 'devotees' for straying from the path of love and worship of their vampress.

Adriana believes in using society and its laws to benefit herself. Structure and organization elevate those who deserve to rule as well as provide a clearly defined hierarchy between master and servant. As a result of this, Adriana heavily supports laws and societies that protect their own concerns. If someone is hurt or suffers because of a law that benefits Adriana, she doesn't hold any specific care or concern, unless the individual(s) hurt are important to her. She's willing to obey laws, often out of fear of punishment. Because of an infernal touch upon Adriana's soul, she is very careful about giving her word, as she could be forced to honor an unfavorable contract or oath she has made. Once given, she can only break her word if she can find a way to do it legally, within the laws of the society.

Adriana generally has little to no regard for the lives of the living, as they exist to her as tools or potential converts to her cause. Despite this outlook, Adriana is capable of love and care for those she favors, but while gaining her favor may be easy, losing it is just as easy, and sometimes the wrath is not worth the admiration in the first place.

## Abilities

Adriana's most predominate skill is her necromancy. Trained by the former Lord Pierce, she has a strong affinity for creature and reanimating a wide variety of undead creatures. Her most favored are her vampiric squires, of which she only keeps a select number of. These are considered her most devoted followers, and she holds them in high regard, as well as being willing to go great lengths for them.

Coinciding with her necromancy skills, Adriana is capable of captivating a variety of people with her leadership, drawing in living and undead alike to serve under her. Her skills of leadership are quite influential, and have been partially responsible for her gaining a number of contacts and servitors.

Beyond such, she's shown an affinity for mending injuries, as well as bonding herself to her templars, able to mitigate injuries suffered between them, and invigorating them with magic and tactical coordination alike.