Character Name:

Aaron Artell

Independent

 Position:
Independent Vampire

Personal History:
Born as a Welsh duke in the year 1488, Aaron led a relatively 'normal' life for a warrior lord of that era. His family for a few centuries before his birth, had served the Welsh Royals with deep conviction and loyalty. Aaron was no different, taking his duties to crown and country quite seriously.

He swiftly rose to even greater power, coming to be known amongst his fellow lords and adversaries as 'the black knight of Wales'. Amazingly fair and considerate in his mercy and treatment of others in general, that trait earned him the loyalties of his lands and people. However, when it came to battles of all sort, Aaron was renowned for being 'blacker than the night itself'. When the steel sang and glistened on the battlefield, or voices spoke of various business around quiet tables in grand halls...Aaron was there, his black gauntlet fist holding ever firm to what was his by right of steel and birth. When threatened either openly, or covertly, Aaron's unmerciful wrath unleashed with a bloody and abyssal darkness.

His family line though was strongly strewn with those not 'human' in nature. From the very beginning, a group of Welsh bred, born and transformed vampires had known safety and much more amongst those of the Welsh royals. It was an incredibly unique, and highly unusual, association by most ways of thinking (even now in modern day era). But in a time greatly riddled with rampant genocide, assassinations, plagues, plus open bids of war for power and money...the deeply rooted bonds and pacts made between the Artells and Grenadiers was in fact the key to truly understanding each other...it was also a ways and means of ensuring the survival of their two houses.

By ancient dictates in place long before even his birth, the Artell lineage had stood side by side with the true ruling faction of Wales and the hidden away lands of Caer Sidi. That ruling faction being the Bards. Many mortal Artells who would birth those of the highest quality for future generations of vampires, knew lives of prosperity and good fortune under the protection of the bards. Just as the bards knew the same in return from the vampires the Artell lineage created to act as the royal family's loyal shadowy guards, fellow co-rulers; and often open nighttime companions, lovers and confidants.

Together, they stood at each others sides, ensuring the continuation of both families. As such, Wales and the hidden away homelands of Caer Sidi remained mostly safe and untouched. From relatively behind the scenes, the bards and Welsh vampires ruled the island country of Wales from its very beginnings...in Caer Sidi though, both the Artells and Grenadiers would forever rule openly together, side by side, in the public eye.

The ancient vampire Gristal though had managed to almost completely destroy this ancient compact. Fortunately, he was stopped before that could happen. The cost was exceptionally high though to both the bards and Welsh vampires. In the end though, they had stood firm and survived the atrocities and horrors Gristal had unleashed. Few would ever come to know the full depths of that bitter truth.

At the age of 16, the human mortal Aaron had earned his full knighthood. When he reached the age of 25 (in the year 1513), Aaron willing and with deep pride, accepted his immortal embrace into the ranks of what many in the Isles called 'the Children of the Night'. Within a year of his turning, he had earned the highly coveted title and rank of Crowned Regent amongst the mortal royal family. A title he would continue to hold even 500 years later when the last survivor of the royal line sat the throne.

Mere months though before he took his new and lasting title, events turned even darker and more dangerous in the world. It was then that Aaron found himself being whisked away to Caer Sidi by the bards, for not only his safety, but the safety of the now endangered Welsh royals he would soon become a distinct member of.

As the centuries passed by, Aaron passed large amounts of time outside of Caer Sidi when it was necessary to do so. Always, he disappeared as silently and without a single trace as he had first appeared. In his wake though on those brief deadly sojourns, Aaron left definite chilling and cold 'marks' reminding some that their dangerous follies and foolishness could not, nor would not, be ignored nor tolerated beyond certain 'acceptable' points as the nature of each separate situation dictated.

Then the day came that the Welsh bardic king, Bernard Grenadier, had called him into the birthing chambers just mere moments after the birth of what would be the king's only child. Aaron had been handed the tiny infant with loving trust. When his eyes had met those of the infant princess, Aaron knew instinctively, on some level that defied explanation; that he was gazing into the brilliant eyes of the one who would one day be his Queen in all manners of speaking.

A deep fear also consumed the elder vampire's heart and soul...if he did the unthinkable and one day turned her...what in the name of all that was both holy and unholy would happen to not only her; but him and the lands of Wales and Caer Sidi as well? As it turned out, that fear would become more and more pronounced with the passing years as the infant turned into a beautiful young woman.  

Face Representation:

Miles McMillan