forever_young

Name: Renaud Beauregard

Age: Looks 26, but is really just over 300 years old.

Sex: Male

Appearance:

While he died at the height of his youth, Renaud maintained his beauty with the perfect dark hair that falls in his eyes just the right way and smooth skin that avoided the touch of age. Typically he dresses in suits and long jackets, but that's only when he needs to be dressed or not in costume. On his own, Renaud, prefers wearing just enough clothing to keep from being scandalous. It's easier to keep one's clothes free of paint when he's not wearing them. When he's working though, he's dressed in his Dracula costume, completely with cape and garish medallion. He's adept at keeping his fangs hidden and has developed a charming half smirk that he tends to use on victims.

Special Abilities:

Extremely talented painter, capable of using all sorts of paint styles, but he has a preference for still life oil paintings. Fluent in multiple languages including French, German, Italian and English, although typically he sticks to English since he has for the past 70 years or so.

Supernatural Affinity (Species/Group): Vampire (Faryngael)

Supernatural Affinity (Powers):

Standard Faryngael powers, ability to invoke lust and call his victims.

Personality:

Renaud is above all things an artist. Prior to joining the ranks of the undead, he was a talented young up and coming artist, which is actually what drew his sire to him in the first place. Sometimes a little flighty, he has a propensity for admiring the beautiful things and people. He's the type of man who spent his days painting and his nights immersed in society, mingling with the elite. After joining the ranks of the undead his attraction to beauty increased. His victims were lovely women and men, most posing as models before or after satisfying his hunger.

Since being run from his home though he's lost his carefree attitude, mostly in order to ensure his survival. Renaud's developed a chip on his shoulder, not only from having all the grand things in his life taken away but also from being forced to join up with The Ringmaster in order to avoid death (again). Although it takes time for the average person to notice his anger and disgust with his current life, those who are overly perceptive will notice and those among the freakshow itself know to give him a wide berth when he's in one of his "moods". Since he wasn't kidnapped or forced into the show, he's considers those who are below himself and tends to come across as arrogant and snooty.

Last but not least, he gets really really cranky when he's not eaten in a while.

History:

When Renaud turned 26 in the early 1700s he was living the life that most artists only dreamed of. Backed by a wealthy and mysteriously young philosopher Lukas Davenport, his days were spent in his small apartment, painting an array of beautiful models, usually provided by his backer, and his nights spent immersed in Paris high society at parties and events. All he could want was at his finger tips: money, women, men, drink and inspiration.

One night after a long party, Renaud was held back afterward by Lukas, to discuss furthering Renaud's career in the art world. Of course Renaud was quite drunk when he met with Lukas and it wasn't until he was in the mix of it that he realize that not only was his generous backer a vampire but that it was Renaud's night to join the fold. The bite at his exposed collarbone (yes it'd been one of those parties) was quick, but enjoyable and the next night Renaud awoke with new purpose. His life continued to be one of grand artwork, but the critics insisted his art seemed to take a dark turn, this was mostly because not only did his models take on poses of those being tortured, but whereas before his paintings were done with a morning light, they now all took place in a veil of nightfall.

As years passed, he learned the ropes of drawing in victims and spent most of his time surrounded in wealth and beauty with his sire. The two men were beyond close, compatriots in their nightly quest for lust and a lush lifestyle. As time would require, they would move around Europe to the larger cities and then as Europe became industrial they took to the newness of the United States in the early 1900s. The duo settled in New York City as it rose to power and immersed themselves in the city. Fooled by the supposed safety that money could bring, they were caught unawares when a group of crazed citizens attempted to burn down their loft as a result of the scare brought on by the Son of Sam murders in 1977. Renaud was headed home from a nightclub just before dawn when he found their apartment building on fire. When he returned the following night he found all their possessions burned and the charred ashes of his once best friend. Fearing for his own life he fled in the night, headed south, towards a land rich in the supernatural and with strong fear of it.

Renaud would survive like this for years as he headed farther south, developing mounting distaste for human stupidity that went against his bloodline, but was brought on by anger and distrust from their brutal murder of his friend. His riches lost in his hurry to flee New York, he was force to rely on filthy humans for his survival, drinking from dirty beggars and street whores along the way.

Eventually he would set down some semblance of roots in Savannah, Georgia, burying himself amongst the legends and voodoo that ran the undercurrent of the city. It was there that The Ringleader would find him, barely surviving and struggling to avoid hunters and just crazy people hell bent on killing anything they didn't understand. The Ringleader offered something Renaud couldn't refuse, protection, and so he willingly joined the the traveling show.

Now a major member, as he's been with them since the beginning, he serves as sort of the go-to guy for The Ringleader (and hates taking orders). He provides his own merits, and occasionally will bear his fangs to get a rise out of guests with his own "Count Dracula" style show. In addition he assists The Ringleader with catching and bringing in new meat for the show or serving as an emcee when needed. In addition, the Ringleader lets Renaud work on all the art work for the show, including signs and fliers. Renaud does continue to paint, but his artwork is full of even more anger than before.

Weaknesses:

Bound to the Ringleader - Although he joined the freak show on his own accord, 25 years or so later he's still traveling the country with this group of rag tags freaks and wannabe freaks and he can't leave. Without his sire around to keep him on his feet, Renaud has no idea how to raise the wealth and mystery needed maintain a healthy lifestyle mixed into society. If he leaves he's dead and the Ringleader knows this and uses it to his advantage.

No Concept of Survival - While his sire taught him how to take the most from life, how to control his hunger while surrounded by humans and how to blend, but he never taught Renaud how to actually survive on his own. When Lukas died, Renaud was left with no ideas how Lukas had obtained his wealth, how he set himself up in new cities. Left on his own the best Renaud can do is scrounge to survive which after his life of luxury he considers highly unacceptable and tends to draw the attention of hunters.

Loner - In addition, Renaud is still bitter towards the humans who killed his sire and it's started to seep into his general personality. As a result his persona went from carefree and enjoyable to bitter and standoffish. He has almost no friends, considering himself above most around him. Before his life was turned upside down he used to draw in many people without the extra effort, but now only people he controls want to be in his presence. But he prefers is that way. Other people and creatures just piss him off and no one will live up to the friend he had in Lukas.

Insomniac - As if his mood hadn't already been a mess, Renaud suffers from severe insomnia. It's something that he's suffered from both when he was alive and now that he's of the undead. When he was alive it wasn't a big deal, he could paint all day and party all night and then as a younger vampire it was frustrating but still tolerable, especially once Lukas moved his studio into room free of sunlight. Now though, it's just annoying, and exhausting. Those days when he does manage to sleep it's fitful and puts him in even worse of a mood than he'd be without the sleep.

Addiction - Renaud prefers his humans drunk before he drinks from them. Even before becoming a vampire, he drank too much and after years of sampling most of his meals at parties or soirees where everyone drank in excess he's developed a taste for it. There is nothing quite like young blood tainted with a sharp wine, but he'll settle for an old man blitz on cheap whiskey. As a result, he needs to get almost all of his victims quite drunk before biting them.

Allergy - Blood with a high iron content makes Renaud wish for his second death all over again. Possibly an allergy that was held over from his time alive, it continues to plague him. The downfall of this, is that those suffering from alcoholism (his favorite catch as their blood is almost always saturated with alcohol) also suffer from high iron content. The effects are almost immediate and even a small amount can result in welts along his skin, particularly his arms, chest and neck as well as his throat closing up and eyes watering. It won't kill him because he doesn't need to breathe, but it makes Renaud absolutely miserable and the effects usually last at least a day if not more.

Strengths:

Cunning - Although he hasn't figured out yet how to put it to good use to get him out of his current situation, Renaud is a clever and cunning chap. It's was makes him so good at kidnapping victims for the Ringmaster (when the beast doesn't want to savor in the game himself).

Age - For now he's stuck playing second fiddle to a madman, but in the vampire world Renaud is considered a higher ranking vampire. He's not completely aware of this, as he spent most of his falling under Lukas in the hierarchy, but the other man was only a few lifetimes old when he created Renaud. If he could get himself in good with other vampires he could move up the ranks solely based on his age.

PB: Trent Ford