Birth and story[]
"I am a sovereign member of the Order, a son of a proud history that is etched on every fiber of Cyrodiil. This is all I ever wanted."'
Draken was the first-born vampire to Aluc Ardius and his mother, Verona, who were both vampires. He was a oddity of nature even among other vampires as he and his sister, Raven, were born pureblooded vampires as a result of a Daedric ritual and pact. A miracle thought impossible by the lesser undead.
Although it was neve truly understood how Draken and his sister came to be born of Cyrodiilic strain, Verona had underwent a ritual to submit to Molag Bal while pregnant, this resulting in the purity of her offspring.
He was born in 3E 131 near the Imperial City in his father's castle. As he grew up, Draken was a tool of mockery of his manipulative younger sister, Raven who often made fun of him and brought out his worst of doubts. Draken often came to express resentment towards her, due to her title as the family prodigy and the favored sibling. The two did harbor mutual care for each another, but due to their earlier conflictions and contrasting views on life and it's goals, they could not manage coexist together without locking horns. Although Draken lived with his sister and his parents, he came to be the "black sheep" of the family. Being horribly chastised and doubted by his father for his lack of subtelty, Draken came to be a man of hedonistic quality with a nature of debauchery.
Often squandering his precious on women and himself, believing he had all the immortal time in the world. However, he still was forcebelly trained under his father who was a former swordsman for the guild of fighters when he was once human. Draken learned to wield the sword and learn Hand To Hand combat. He often sparred with his sister and his father and quickly was able to learn the way of melee. Although this was one section of the long and perilous teachings of how the Order of vampires should operate. Skill in sword and magic was one thing, but Draken was often told that deception and manipulation was a vampires greatest power. Yet he knew his father doubted his ability to eventually be heir to the family heirlooms and tradition.
At the age of nine, Draken is curious, but also intelligent. Aluc Ardius was stern and but not overly sadistic with raising his child. He succeeded under pressure, even as a fledgling. He took great measures to try and please his paternal figure, but always coming short.
Draken was taken to a great lake in Nibenay, where his father explains to him what happens to billions of people who never imagined to do more than what they were born in to. Reffering it to a tragedy of life, without leaving behind a legacy. He compares the wild life as creatures who are born, grow eat and die, living in fear of predators throughout their lives.
Following his first lessons in life, Draken returns to his home in the shadow due to Aluc Ardius having too many shoes to fill. While at home, Draken needed to learn how to maximize all of his physical and mental attributes sans vampirism. What Alucardius does, is instruct Draken that vampirism is their secret and that he is forbidden from ever using his powers or talking about it without his father being present and with his permission.
While not as adept at manipulation and academics as Raven, Draken still became quite smart. He became bitter rival to his sister and tried his best to gain favor from his father as an heir to the treasures and family buisinesses. He began to demonstrate himself as a skilled strategist, able to exploit most situations to his advantage. This spawned sheer animosity towards him and his sister, so much that it began to worry the parents.
Eventually, the two came to be mutual allies and often helped each other with their personal aspirations and problems. The ultimate goal for the "children" was to be members among the Order of vampires in Cyrodiil and be known as political favorites in the Imperial Palace, perhaps even the High Council itself. As the years passed, Draken and his sister learned everything required from Aluc Ardius, the ways of the Order and their tenets and traditions. To his chagrin, it was a strenuous and toilsome process which he took time to adapt.
In learning on how to become a vampire, Draken went on a hunt with his father who would instruct him on the ways of killing and feeding as an undead predator. The lessons were short when Draken foolishly scared off the woman rather than attempting to seduce her. His first lesson to seek nutrition would be a failure, further dragging Draken down a line of self-doubt.
Months later, when his sister was taken to hunt in the social gathering of Castle Skingrad, Draken ventured into the Imperial City and met a woman named Aurelia. He was able to woo and seduce into venturing with him to his home. As they copulated, Draken's vampiric impulse rose and he attacked and fed on her, killing her in his very house. Upon her death, he gazed upon her signet ring and discovered she was the daughter of a local nobleman named Lentulus, a man with considerable influence and who has ties with his father. The young vampire had no choice but to bury the young woman's corpse in the graveyard behind his home.
With a heavy heart, he eventually confessed to his sister of his actions, which caused her to slap him across the face in a furious display of ire. At the death of the human Aurelia, the siblings began to plot their ideals in their very house. Raven set her eyes on the Empire itself, with the the turmoil caused by Emperor Pelagius III, she saw an opportunity to begin her path to power by secretly sneaking away from the safety of her confines to the Imperial City.
Eventually their wishes came to be of success, Draken and Raven began to aspire in their respected goals. Draken joined the Legion as Raven joined the Mages Guild to harness the power of destruction to better improve herself. Their earlier months began bear fruit as Draken was working under the employ of Crassus, a member of the Order who owned an underground cattle cell composed of criminals and lumpen-proletarians.
Draken delved into Imperial politics by beginning with investing his coin on tax collecting, trade and stores and was able to climb himself up the ranks with subtle manipulation from his sister. This got him the attention from the upper lords of the Cyrodiil Order of vampires and Draken was counted amongst their own.
Political Ascension[]
"Power? You babble to me of power? You deserve no such thing. You deserve only contempt. Where were you when we took Cyrodiil as our stronghold? Where were you when we eradicated the intruding clans? Where were you when Our nights were filled with treachery, blood and deception? Power belongs to those who earned it."-
The history of the Order was filled with scheming politics and shadowy secrets--the lifeblood of the vampire. During the mid Third Era, many nobles attempted to reach the climax of power in the upper echelon of Imperial society. Treachery hid in around every corner of the Empire's darkest corridors and survival depended on a person's natural cunning and the desire to manipulate and defeat their adversaries and allies alike. He consolidated his power-base by using his sister's web of contacts and allies. He joined the Imperial College of Academics as well as the Mages Guild to increase his knowledge and power, while at the same time forging relationships with key members of the Empire at the time of Pelagius' infamous mental collapse.
Draken came to marry a human woman who was daughter of a known and respected politician for the sole purpose of increasing his own influence. He soon became a man with unblemished history. He became the public image of Order Vampyrum, a wealthy entrepeneur, nobleman and among other influential things. As his sister and the Order pulled the strings that would turn the wheels of society, Draken acted as the driver and put their plans into fruition.
Personality and traits[]
" You can try and fool these people with that grin of yours, but I can see what lies behind the mask. I have read your heart, and I know how dark it is. I witnessed your hatred, and I know how deep it is. I've seen your hunger for power, and I understand how ruthless it is. And all of that will not bring you peace."
A young Draken and his latest prey.
During his earlier years, Draken was a hot-headed and complex young man. He firmly believed an individual strong by fighting for what they desire. He believed conflict and strife bred true strength, that the feeble's life of misery is due to their incopetence to strive for power. His reaction to the perception his surroundings forever bestowed upon him an iron-willed thirst for improvement and inflexible determination. Even though he was intelligent, he was hot-headed, often succumbing to his temper. A life devoid of a maternal figure was a catalyst in molding him into a different man.
Growing into an adolescent stage, he becomes more domineering and assertive, a result of his pureblooded status and upbringing in a famoly of vampires. He disdains working with people he considers are inferior and pathetically challenged in mind, spirit and body. In his belief, hatred and anger would be passions to fuel his strength in any situations, be it martial confrontations or otherwise. He also had a particular taste for virgin women, and often was known as a seductor of the opposite sex.
When he began his journey as a young man attempting to make his way into the world, he adopted a more reasonable persona. Draken forged a different ego of himself which encased his truer one after extensive research and reading; poetry, music, foreign arts, history etc. Many who encountered him described him as an articulate, charismatic young man with quality charm and refined tastes. A magnificent listener, fair-tempered, influentially astute, remarkably well informed for someone who is only twenty years of age. Even so, he was truly alone even when in the company of his sibling, Raven. An individual whose fondness of periodic solitude hinted at a concealed side to his personality. A man trying to make sense of the world around him and a vampire.
As he grew up through the centuries into the Fourth Era, his construstive mindset led him into learning new things that would shape him into what he is in the present day. A man of utopian ideals. His reputation for a genteel yet cruel man increased twice fold. He became a staunch supporter of Man’s place in the world, even if he believed himself above them. While he remained a dilettante of foreign arts antiques, he secretly hated most of he perceived as the “corrupt” Mer in the High Council. He separated society into dual, distinguished categories; threats and assets. The first standing for governmental powers and individuals that would hinder any of his hopes of personal advancement and otherwise would have to be eliminated and destroyed. The latter being for individuals who could aid, or simply be persuaded. By the time of the tension with the Thalmor, Draken knew that the only response for the horrors and the injustices of the world was hate and anger. While often appearing as a civilized and genteel "young" man, Vaultren had no issues with torture or being held responsible for the deaths of various enemies, nor being leader of the clandestine atrocities behind the scenes of the Empire such as torture and executions.
Physical Appearance[]
"Your brother is a handsome one, he's oh so charming. I am willing to bet young adolescent lasses everywhere find him irresistable. I sure wouldn't mind taking a bite out of him."
"I am confident he thinks of you in equal manner."- Noblewoman and Raven exchange words.
Draken was a stoic, four century old vampire. He adopts a regular, serious face and fierce yellow and red eyes which are framed by the locks of his wavy black hair. He has a clean-shaven face, absent scars or bruises. He is physically fit and standing slightly taller, about two inches, than his sister. He is known to be extremely handsome when recently fed, having regular colored skin for an Imperial and a wide smile attempting to seem polite. In the Empire, Draken was often sought after by the daughters of politicians and nobles, mainly due to his looks and his wealth. But even so, he had some skill when speaking to the opposite sex. Often seducing and luring women inside his home or somewhere where he could feed on them. When starved from blood, Draken looked very pale and dead. His skin white as snow and ash-like, his lips dry and greyish. His fangs are often seen when he spears in his fourth stage of vampirism. When well-fed, his fangs are in form of regular teeth which can fool even the most keenest of eyes.
Living as a vampire of Cyrodiilic bloodline meant not only drinking blood and seeking any means of power, but also meant learning subtle things such as speech and the outfits chosen that made great impressions. As a cultures group of vampires, even their choice of clothing required their own sub-tenets; elegance, dignity, etiquette, and above all, class. Fitted clothing, not excessively tight nor too revealing. Draken wore his black wavy hair smoothened over, in the tradition of Imperial style, and dressed impeccably even when the occasion did not call for it.
During his time in the Legion, Draken sacrificed his prince-like appearance by cutting down his hair to keep it cropped and up to date. He afopted the alias Vaultren Decumus while living in the Fourth Era.
Master Duelist. Accomplished Combatant. Aspirant Assassin.[]
"Draken is a master fencer. The clashing of swords, the spilling of blood. The impaling of an opponent. They are as natural to him as feeding."
Draken was known among one of the most skilled duelists and fighters in Cyrodiil. His competitive spirit drove him toward one of the famous forms of fencing. Though he maintained an expert knowledge of other forms as well. In melee combat he used his blade to redirect and deflect enemy blades, rather than attempting to meet his opponent face-on, fending off opponents with a littlel expenditure of energy before unleashing fast and devastating counter attacks. Draken relied heavily on his footwork to outmaneuver his opponent, basing himself on balance and stance, back-and-forth lunges and leverage, and sudden retreats. Although his hand was of use for combat, Draken was well-taught in the art of "Verbal fencing". A tactic he learned from his sister that focused on disrupting an enemies concentration by the use of psychological negativity. Such as taunting and mocking, bit by bit exposing their inner doubts. Causing their emotions to slowly take over their conscious skill until the point where they make an inevitable fatal move.
When facing larger opponents, such as Mages, he drew heavily his volatile emotions to augment his ferocity. Draken also combined his swordsmanship with martial arts and hand-to-hand combat abilities--a combination which made him a powerful fighter. And whenever he encountered a foe he could not defeat through his martial prowess, he would fall back on his tactical ways, outmaneuvering such enemies with psychological warfare.
Phisically Draken is pretty strong, quick and agile. He is capable of grand physical feats, such as jumping across walls, climbing very quickly, and running far distances in his forth stage of vampirism. He is skilled in martial arts such as the Whispering Fang, Rawlith Khaj and the Goutfang. He was able to break apart incoming wooden weapons like staffs and spears with his hands and legs. He also could disarm, subdue and knock out his foes.
Draken is also proficient at infiltration and stealth but not a master. It is his lesser skill and relies more on his "Embrace Of Shadows" power than his light feet. Due to his dual nature, Draken conceal himself effectively for long periods of time if he gains the power after four days of starvation from blood.
Destruction Magic[]
Throughout his life, Draken learned much in the arts of Destruction magic. As a child, he could only summon small bursts of flame, but by the time he was older in his mid twenties, he was confident enough in his abilities to use them in the open against many students in the Arcane University in the mid century of the Third Era. His fire attacks have became more deadlier as he charges his spell before creating enormous blasts of fire. In his present years, he was able to create a raging inferno around him that could effect a seven feet radious without scorching himself in the process.
With the spell tomes of destruction, Draken's powers where tremendously increased. He was able to use more of his magicka, unleashing fiery sheets of flame. He once engaged in a fight with a battle-mage, fighting with less strain while his opponent was shoved towards exhaustion and growing lack of confidence. He learned several mastering techniques: such as blocking large streams of incoming flames with short blasts of fire.
Draken became a proficient strategist, able to take advantage of most situations by exploitation. He also forms alliances with individuals with amazing skills and influence and uses them to his advantage. Although he shows these traits, he suffers from weaknesses of his own. He has a impulsive nature that caused him not to stop and think about his next actions, almost always resulting in failure.
Religion and Deities[]
To be written.
Trivia[]
- Draken's story is found here.
- Much of Draken's earlier life was devoid of a mother figure.
- His favorite prey is women and young men, he also has a particular obsession with virgins. Much of the cattle in his cattle cells are such.
- During the Fourth Era, Draken went by the alias 'Vaultren Decumus'.
- When a younger fledgling, Raven often referred to Draken in silly names such as "hot-headed leech", "Bugaboo" and "Blood-snorter".
- While Draken was a fierce warrior, he is also trained in stealth, infiltration, and spying (all of which he learned through the Crimson Scars).
- Draken became a pureblooded vampire from birth after two rituals with Molag Bal.
- Raven's and Draken's sibling rivalry blossomed in their youth until their first century.
- In social gatherings of mortals, Draken seldom strays from the company of women.