Appearance

Physical Description

Kimber has a lean, toned, physique despite spending a lot of time sitting and reading books. Her metabolism is high, but she also spends a good bit of time exercising and practicing using her staff as a weapon in case a fight should come to close quarters or she be unable to use magic. She has a slender waist and toned abdominal muscles, capped by somewhat large breasts which she takes great pains to hide under oversized robes. She is tall for a woman, especially after a Wild Magic surge increased her height by three inches.

Body Features

Kimber's most notable features are her golden eyes and violent orange-red hair. When not in her robes her chest tends to stand out quite a bit, as well, though oversized robes only do so much to hide this particular feature. She has pasty white undead skin, viciously long pointed Vampire fangs, long vampiric claws, and long pointed ears. Her fingers are long a delicate-looking while possessed of a surprising amount of dexterity.

Facial Features

Kimber's face is a pleasant one that is most often found screwed up in consternation at the world around her. There are many things about the world that confuse Kimber, despite her massive academic knowledge, and it often shows on her face. Otherwise her expressions tend to be neutral, to the point where she appears to be completely without thought. She has learned to make her face blank, widen her eyes, and stare unblinkingly at people to make them uncomfortable when she no longer wishes to engage in conversation.

Identifying Characteristics

Kimber is most notably identified by her golden eyes and orange-red hair. Her oversized robe and large witch hat also point her out in a crowd. Lastly, she is easily spotted due to her being rather tall for a woman. She also has a Vampire bite scar on her neck from where she was turned.

Physical quirks

Kimber tends to fidget with things like her pens or the brim of her hat when she isn't wearing it. Her fingers tend to not stay still for very long, but she disguises this by always writing or sketching in her journal. When her fingers are occupied, usually by holding a book, her heel tends to tap up and down.

Apparel & Accessories

Kimber wears an oversized wizard's robe that is black trimmed in gold. Underneath she wears a bell-sleaved, open shoulder, midriff exposing top with laces over the bust and a long skirt that has a scalloped hem. She is especially fond of her lace-up high-heeled boots and her large-brimmed witch hat. Finally, she wears an especially fancy lace-trimmed choker around her neck in the Ostoyan fashion of never leaving a neck exposed.

Special abilities

Kimber can absorb knowledge at a rapid pace and explain even complicated things in ways anyone, within reason, can understand. She can also understand any written and spoken language, but does not yet possess the talent to reply in those languages.

Mentality

Personal history

Kimber Vex was born Talia Havenwood in the Castenellan city of Toletum. Her father worked among the smiths in the Ember Forge while her mother served an administration position of middling importance within the city itself. With her older brother, William, the half-elven siblings did not find their parents' different races to be anything worthy of comment. Indeed Barnam, their father, was a well-respected smith who had seen many a personal commission from both the Free Swords and the Watchers of the Faithful. Life was relatively good for them, and this afforded an education for William and the beginnings of an education for Talia. The pair were both clever, though they excelled in different areas, with William being especially dedicated to the teachings of Empyreus and the workings of Castinellan law and government. Being that he was several years older than Talia, William was slated to learn law at an academy and properly join the city administration like his mother. Meanwhile Talia excelled in history, mathematical accumen, sciences, and nearly anything that could be put in front of her. Learning to read and write at an exceptionally young age, it was clear that the Havenwoods had an academic prodigy on their hands.

However, success and fame breed jealousy and spite. In the same vein, power breeds corruption. Behind the scenes, Talia's elven mother, Emra, was regularly rejecting the advances of one of her superiors, a man named Kirk who worked several positions above her. Kirk had taken a shine to Emra during her time in the office and he believed his position afforded him the right to do as he pleased with his underlings. Unphased by Kirk's position and feeble amount of power, Emra continued to reject him and even made it a point to remind people around the office of her husband's accomplishments at every possible activity. Seeing the rising success of Barnam as an impediment to his desires, Kirk decided to take action into his own hands. Having overheard Emra talking of Talia's prodigious academic talents, he decided to do a little personal digging into Emra's elven lineage. With very little effort he discovered that there was a vein of magic users in Emra's bloodline and he decided he would use this information to extort what he wanted from his subordinate.

Despite his threats, Emra refused to agree to Kirk's continued advances, leaving him with no choice but to report her to the Arcane Inquisition. However, Kirk altered the documents and the story so that it appeared as though the Havenwoods were the ones with magic, making Barnam the target of the Inquisition. His exquisite forge work was suddenly reported as magic by co-workers Kirk had bribed, while teachers were reporting that they believed Barnam used some magical means to alter his daughter's mind, making Talia unusually talented at academics. The Inquisition arrested Barnam and, to Kirk's dismay, Emra and executed them both. In a stroke of pure merciful luck, William and Talia were spared punishment and instead remanded into the custody of their uncle Carmine, who was related to Emra by marriage and had been left a childless widower when his wife died at the hands of a bandit on a traveling expedition. Carmine, with his status as a successful merchant and tax-paying devout follower of Empyreus, was deemed an appropriate foster parent for his niece and nephew.

The Inquisition, in its mercy, failed to catch the real problem.

It started small. Talia would get things she wanted despite being told she couldn't have them. She could tell when the weather would change. But it was when she mended an injury Carmine incurred with a knife at dinner that it became apparent that she was capable of magic. Fearing for the child, and for his illegal dealings with members of the Ebon Syndicate, Carmine immediately devised a plan to get Talia out of Castinella as quickly as possible. The plan was simple and straightforward. Carmine took the children, not wanting to separate them, East from Toletum and through the mountains. From there they traveled to the coast and planned to meet with an Ebon Syndicate member who owed Carmine a couple of favors. While not ideal, the best this unnamed contact could do was get the children aboard a ship to Nov Ostoya and then “deliver” them to an orphanage with the story that they had lost their minds when their parents were murdered in front of them.

The plan was running smoothly until Carmine and the children met with the contact on the coast. The boat was ready to be launched into the water and rowed out to a waiting ship further down the coast when the Arcane Inquisition seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They demanded that Carmine surrender Talia and, without prompting, congratulated William on his dedication to Empyreus. Behind their backs, William had reported the whole situation to the Inquisition and, instead of just arresting them straightaway, they planned to also catch the man from the Ebon Syndicate to squeeze information about the organization from him. But Carmine was not going to give up his niece without a fight. Seeing the only chance for an end that would make his wife proud, Carmine fought with the Inquisition while the contact dragged Talia into the boat and, under arrow fire, rowed them as quickly as possible out to sea. In the process the Ebon Syndicate operative, who told Talia to call him Moss, was struck with an arrow and given a wound that seemed non-fatal.

Brother and Uncle left on the beach to their fates, undoubtedly execution for the both of them, Talia and Moss reached a ship anchoring off the coast and, with them aboard and the captain paid, they set sail directly for Nov Ostoya, putting Castinella behind them hopefully forever. Moss's condition, despite the wound being seen to by a competent sailor, deteriorated over the course of the voyage, leaving him feverish and delirious. They managed to get off the ship in Nov Ostoya just fine, though Moss was barely able to walk the streets with Talia. This delirium caused him to choose to disembark at night, a horrible time for strangers and wounded people to wander the streets of the Soman Capital.

Stopping to rest in an alleyway, Moss became unable to walk further. His distress was commented upon by a man at the end of the alley. A well-dressed man, one Talia would later come to understand was both a noble and a Vampire, made a remark about it being bad for people to pass out in alleys at night in Nov Ostoya. Didn't they know what sort of monsters roamed these streets? Moss did his level best to stand and defend Talia, but he was easily cut down and, after a savage throat-ripping, the monster turned its sights on Talia. In a burst of pure magical instinct, the seven-year-old girl sent the Vampire sprawling down the alley with a wave of force that left her on her hands and knees, completely drained of energy. She cried silent tears, knowing that despite all the efforts of those she loved her life would end in this alley.

Rather than violence, the intrigued voice of the Vampire reached out to her. He wanted to know how old she was. Seeing no reason to lie, Talia stated that she was seven. This seemed to intrigue the Vampire even more. If Talia had known what to listen for, she would have found the Vampire's tone to be both curious and impressed. He asked what she was doing in Nov Ostoya and Talia immediately broke down. She wasn't a clever Ebon Syndicate operative, nor even a crafty liar, and she told the Vampire everything in that alley. When she was done, the Vampire reached down and offered her a white handkerchief with a Noble coat of arms embroidered on it. He told her to dry her eyes, stand, and give him her name. Talia complied and the Vampire, a reasonably handsome middle-aged appearing man with blonde hair and a slightly hooked nose, introduced himself as Lawrence Mortimer of House Mortimer, an “important noble house of Soma.”

Lawrence escorted Talia out of that alley. That night, as they walked to his stately manor, Lawrence said a lot of things which Talia did not understand. He spoke of elevated status, of always knowing when an investment would give him great returns, of Vampires and politics, of favor and climbing some social ladder. What Talia did understand was that Lawrence was not going to kill her. It became clear with every step that he intended to keep her alive for reasons he seemed to be explaining in anything but straight words. Eventually they reached the Manor of House Mortimer and Talia was brought inside from the cold. Fires were lit and Talia saw the inside of a noble's home for the first time. She was fed, the cooks woken to see to it, and then servants scrubbed her meticulously while Lawrence dug through some old luggage and managed to find a dressing gown for her to wear to bed. He insisted that Talia would be safe and could sleep as much as she needed.

Talia somehow found sleep, and a lot of it. Despite the nightmares and the fear and the strange environment she slept for sixteen hours. Waking at last to have servants seeing to it that she was fed in the dark and strange house. When Lawrence woke he summoned a tailor and several other people whom Talia would become quite familiar with in time. The tailor was directed to fit Talia in Lawrence's favorite colors of lilac and blue, which brought remarks from the tailor who was clearly a friend of Lawrence as he spoke quite plainly about the Vampire “finding another one.” The other individuals were studious and robed and quite intimidating as they were introduced to Talia. Though when Lawrence introduced her he commented that Talia was a horrible name, terribly Castinellan, and he could not have that in his house. Instead she would be Kimber, after his great-aunt, and Vex because of the manner in which she'd caught his attention.

Kimber Vex was introduced to these robed individuals, magicians with connections and positions at magical schools. They were paid rather handsomely to assess Kimber's academic and magical capabilities. As if the past days hadn't occurred, Kimber remembered all of her education and personal reading, every line memorized and recalled perfectly. Equations and theories and laws of nature and so many other things seemed to flow out of her, the girl's confidence increasing with each new bit of praise from Lawrence and the assessors. When the meeting was done, one of the robed individuals introduced himself to her as Alric, an instructor at Nov Ostoya's most sought-after institution of magical learning. He wouldn't be seeing her soon, Alric said, but he would be most disappointed if he didn't see her in the robes of that school in the near future. With that taken care of, Lawrence showed Alric and the other mages out personally before returning and practically tossing Kimber to the ceiling in joy. He was right, and he loved being right, about her.

The next few years were a blur of study. Kimber had thought the libraries in Toletum, where she was never really allowed to go, had a lot of books. Lawrence buried her in books. There were so many more things out there to learn and there were more books in Nov Ostoya alone than Kimber thought could be contained in all the world. Soon, however, that seemingly endless number of books turned into a shortage. With no actual connection to House Morimer, Kimber had no social obligations in the first few years. Lawrence wanted her to grow and mature and become more educated before her public reveal. This left Kimber with all the time in the world to read, and read she did. When the natural sciences and mathematics, and even politics and social etiquette, were devoured she became completely immersed in everything a person not studying at a magic academy could read about magic. Fearing she would practice on her own, Lawrence quickly hired basic magic tutors to ensure that Kimber didn't blow herself or the house to pieces on accident. This was the spark that really started the fire.

Kimber was, quoted constantly by Lawrence at events, “prodigiously talented” at magic. She was capable of not just casting the spells, but of understanding the theory and practicality of the spells she was taught. Her control needed work, as any mage requires time to properly hone their control of magic, but her power and understanding and ability to learn at relatively quick speeds was remarked upon by her tutors. Lawrence's words about getting a return on his investment made more sense with each passing year. Kimber, she could barely remember when she was Talia, was growing into a young adult destined for more than a mere magical education.

At seventeen Kimber was finally introduced to the social elite of Nov Ostoya. At a dinner celebrating her “birthday,” this being the day Lawrence found her, that surprised the guests as Lawrence was notoriously childless Kimber was introduced as Kimber Vex of House Mortimer and touted as a magical prodigy. None of the guests were slouches in their knowledge, all being anywhere from decades to centuries older than her, and Kimber was able to carefully be impressive enough to wow the guests without insulting them or making Lawrence seem like he was bragging more than was socially acceptable. One of the guests remarked that Kimber was almost the perfect candidate for any magic academy in the city, though her half-elven status may be a barrier.

That was when Lawrence announced that her seventeenth birthday gift was going to be just what she needed to overcome that hurdle. He made a very big deal about it, calling everyone in for a toast. Lawrence announced that he intended to make Kimber into a Dhampir, with the hopes that her talents might one day earn her an elevation to full Vampirism from “someone both suitably impressed and suitably powerful.” There was a heavy implication in that statement that may have slightly offended some of the guests, but Kimber wasn't paying attention to them. She was much more concerned with the fact that she knew how both becoming a Dhampir and a Vampire worked and she was rather terrified of risking dying just so Lawrence could have one more thing about her to brag about to his social peers. Luckily, the deed was not done publicly at the dinner or the interaction between Kimber and Lawrence might have raised some eyebrows.

Privately that night Lawrence gave Kimber a chance to prepare for her transformation. She was hesitant and worried, concerned about her life and whether this was the proper decision. This would be the first time that Lawrence truly exerted his control over her. In what would become a pattern of behavior, Lawrence reminded “Talia” that she had attacked him when they first met and that he was within his rights to kill her at any time or otherwise have her locked up in prison for the rest of her natural life. These unfortunate happenings could be avoided, however, provided Kimber did as she was told. He promised that nothing would change. Rather she would have more time to read more books and grow even more powerful, and being a Dhampir would also elevate her above her simple status as a guest in his house. Kimber didn't like it, but an implication that she could be delivered to the Arcane Inquisition of Castinella finally ended her arguments.

Kimber became a Dhampir that night, and it did indeed help to elevate her socially, though it did much more for Lawrence than her specifically. A Dhampir made by a noble of Nov Ostoya, with exceptional magic talent and academic skill, was far more likely to get into the best magic academy Soma had to offer. Sure enough, Alric got his wish from all those years ago as Kimber became a student in the best academy in the city. She had been prepared for the rigorous academic and practical work, and even for the punishments for failure. What she was not prepared for was the cruelty of her fellow students.

So many of the students in the academy were of noble birth or rich lineage. Sons and daughters of important houses, noble or merchant, in Soma filled the classrooms and halls with even the sponsored students often being of reasonably fine birth. Kimber was none of those things. She was a pet, a toy, a plaything some noble sought to turn into his little source of magical amusement. Kimber was taunted by her peers, especially for her age. Students at the academy had often been studying for far longer than she had even been alive, and they found a lowborn sponsee barely in adulthood, and so recently turned Dhampir, to be an affront to their noble sensibilities. They sought to teach Kimber her place at every opportunity. Unfortunately, her excellence in the classroom, on tests, and in actual application of spells did not help gain her any supporters among the students.

The “Peasant Bookworm” was a common name Kimber heard whispered by most, and spoken aloud by plenty, when she went anywhere on school grounds. The teachers seemed deaf and blind to this torment, and Kimber would not dare tell Lawrence of it lest he think she wasn't actually trying to succeed and give him the proper social fame of having his sponsored mage excel beyond expectations. Other names were used, with some students turning from negative comments about her birth to snide comments about her physical appearance. Kimber's only response was to do everything she could to obfuscate anyone's view of her body and bury herself in books. She spiraled deep into isolationism, hiding behind academics and the simple need to be better faster so she could get out of the school and start whatever life Lawrence had planned for her.

In the second to last year of her education at the academy, one of her tormentors, a boy named Chance, seemed to relinquish his hateful ways. He began to treat Kimber with respect and courtesy, even taking time to speak with her and defend her when she was tormented by others. He was reasonably skilled, much older, and clever while also a bit of a troublemaker. He turned the magical tables on a few of Kimber's tormentors on more than one occasion. Kimber began to think she had a friend and began to open up a little, talking with Chance instead of ignoring him, letting him walk her places, sitting with him and talking after exams or classes. He couldn't get her to skip classes or prank anyone, but he seemed to be developing a connection with her. The troublemaker and the star student made quite the pair for a good eight months. However, things changed toward the end of the year.

After a particularly joyful afternoon of laughing at Chance's overblown impressions of some of their professors, he managed to convince Kimber to accompany him to a secret spot he knew about on the school grounds. He said only clever and sneaky students ever managed to find it and he wanted to share the spot with her. They managed to skulk around the academy, reaching the hidden spot, which turned out to be a windowed alcove in an abandoned, and technically off-limits, tower. There Chance decided to tell Kimber about how he had been watching her ever since she came to the academy, how he thought she was brave and amazing and a million other pretty things Kimber had never been seriously called by anyone. She was most definitely drawn in, having become a little hooked on the positive attention Chance gave her, and in a moment of bad judgment she was subjected to a horrible prank. A prank that spread a vile rumor through the entire academy, though it seemed to disappear once one got into the city. Kimber was unable, or unwilling, to tell anyone what had happened. Not Lawrence, not Alric, not any of the teachers who supported her or had become confidants. The events of that afternoon remained an inflamed horrendous collection of jokes, rumors, and namecalling, while Kimber wouldn't even defend herself. She instead fled into the safe sanctity of books. She couldn't even bring herself to take revenge on Chance, as any action she took would make things worse and he was a noble, while she wasn't.

Hiding in her books, vanishing into a life of written words and diagrams, Kimber became an unreachable target for everyone in the academy. Test scores aside, Kimber's abilities in academics and magic were untouchable compared to students in her peer group, and it was even said students above her peer group were being outdone by her achievements. Following Lawrence's advice, she diverted from Necromancy, as he believed everyone who wanted to get noticed would study it, and she instead studied Abjuration. Kimber's versatility was immense, but when focusing on this school of magic she proved to be as exceptional as ever. Teachers at Lawrence's parties joked to him and other guests that if they ever wanted some time off they would just have Kimber teach their classes. As much as this was a joke, it pushed Lawrence's greed for renown to a new level.

Without consulting her, and knowing she would bend to his wishes, Lawrence drafted a petition. A very specific petition. He, brazen in his confidence in her abilities and magical excellence, sent a request to the Grand Duke himself. The request detailed the power and skill and talent and absolute loyalty of this young woman he had sponsored. She was destined for greatness, the petition insisted, and he believed that the next natural step in her elevation toward that greatness was in forging a Pact with the Grand Duke. After all, if anyone were to be able to truly see the hidden potential and talent of this prodigy, surely it was the mighty and wise Grand Duke. While some would simply send off the petition and forget about it, no doubt the Grand Duke received countless similar petitions all the time, Lawrence was so certain of their success that he decided that the petition alone was not going to be his stopping point.

At the very next event where people of his status could hope to even passably interact with the Grand Duke, Lawrence dressed Kimber up and brought her along. The process was a nightmare, as Kimber's discomfort with her appearance had only grown since the incident with Chance. She couldn't explain this to Lawrence, who insisted a beautiful young woman built “as nature intended” should look her best at all times. Her paper-thin argument of being comfortable was no match for his wishes and she was brushed, styled, painted subtly, and stuffed into a gown that made her terrified to move so much as an inch. Then she was hauled off in a carriage with Lawrence to the event in question. The whole ride Lawrence gave constant, some would say nervous, instructions. Some of the directions even contradicted each other. Be confident, but don't act as if you're at his level, and so on and so forth. The relief she felt at the end of the ride vanished the moment she saw the castle. There would be no turning back, not with Lawrence there to drag her along to her fate.

Kimber and the Grand Duke nearly didn't meet. Lawrence's attempts to wave the girl in front of the Grand Duke failed at every turn, as it turned out he was barely important enough to even be at the event. However, Kimber managed to get away from Lawrence for a few moments and find herself on a balcony to get away from the people. The stress of the event and everything had thoroughly gotten to her at this point and she knew, having failed to get her physically before the Grand Duke, Lawrence would be furious. Facing away from the party, and thinking she was silent and alone, Kimber began to cry. She could never have known someone had also come out to escape the sycophants and party-goers, nor could she have detected him in a million years. When the voice asked if he should be offended by her crying at his party, Kimber nearly leaped off the balcony in fright, but was steadied by the confident hands of a man who's face she couldn't immediately comprehend. She had seen the Grand Duke in paintings, in books, from a distance at events, but up close was different. She immediately snapped to her senses and clumsily curtsied, doing her best to wipe her eyes and apologize.

That was the moment Lawrence appeared, like a hound on a scent, he popped up seemingly out of nowhere and apologized to the Grand Duke if she had offended him in any way. Lawrence was quick to get his name into the mix and just as quick to introduce Kimber. “The girl with exceptional magic talent of which I spoke in my petition.” This changed the interaction somewhat, though it was clear the Grand Duke was less than pleased to have to be dealing with Lawrence. Even now Kimber doesn't know what exactly did it, but something got the Grand Duke's attention that night. He didn't make it apparent, and instead got free of Lawrence almost immediately, but that wouldn't be the last Kimber saw of him.

The next evening a messenger from the castle arrived and delivered an order to Lawrence, insisting that the Grand Duke commanded Kimber's presence at the castle. Per his instructions, Kimber was to come alone. Lawrence nearly went mad with speculation, but once again had her scrubbed, brushed, painted, and stuffed into another revealing dress before sending her on her way to the castle. The ride was mercifully quiet, though Kimber's mind was racing with the possibilities. Had her crying at the event actually offended him? Was she going to be punished? It was a terrifying prospect, but she wasn't about to try making a run for it. She had never so much as traveled outside the better parts of Nov Ostoya. There was no way she would be able to survive trying to outrun the Grand Duke and his wrath.

Kimber was escorted directly to the Grand Duke's throne room, where she waited in absolutely terrified silence. It wasn't a long wait, but it felt like eternity. Finally the Grand Duke came to his throne and Kimber did her absolute best to appear silent, obedient, contrite, and as loyal and polite as possible. Everything she could remember about etiquette came flooding forward and she probably even overdid it a little. The Grand Duke took a closer look at her, but seemed to be aware of her discomfort in her attire. Indeed, if ever someone had seen right through Kimber it was right there in that throne room. She felt like everything she had ever thought and done had been laid bare to be poured over by those deep stoic eyes. Her little moment was broken when the Grand Duke brought out Lawrence's petition for the Pact. He read the lines of praise to her, asking if it was true. Kimber humbly stated that she did the best she could to show her noble patron gratitude for believing in her, but the Grand Duke didn't want that. He wanted to know if she thought she was worthy of that level of praise. Kimber, not being particularly sure of what to say, somehow settled on the statement that her academic records “were a matter of public record.” She got lucky that this was an amusing statement at that moment.

As it turned out, the Grand Duke had bothered to have someone look into her. But only because her name had been mentioned a few days before in passing by a few magicians who just happened to be in the castle. To hear the talented and trained mages of his own court mention a girl by name and then to have her name appear on a petition shortly after was an amusing coincidence. The Grand Duke decided he would indeed forge a Pact with Kimber, who could only agree. Though she found herself more excited when it was explained to her that she would be relocated to the castle to train under the mages there. She would serve whatever purpose the Grand Duke chose, of course, and had best impress him as much as she seemed to be impressing her instructors at the academy. Kimber went back to Lawrence's house and broke the news, which made the nobleman ecstatic. He was readying messages to nearly everyone he could think of by the time she was packed and leaving the estate.

Life serving the Grand Duke in the castle in Nov Ostoya was an upgrade of monumental proportions. Not only did Kimber get to study whatever she wanted, she was also encouraged to study things that the academy never even covered in any part of their curriculum. She was soon mastering languages, deciphering ancient texts, experimenting with spells under certain levels of supervision, and applying her knowledge whenever it was needed. She was given a lot of liberties as she earned herself a quiet place among the castle's wizards. Kimber was never the magician to be called to fancy events or audiences, never for state dinners or war councils, rather she was an academic researcher whose knowledge was called upon when things required someone who possessed not just the knowledge, but a means of interpreting and applying it to situations in ways that could easily and quickly be digested by less academic individuals. Unkempt and often being reprimanded by others to straighten her appearance, actually remember to eat and drink, and even having to be given a bathing schedule so she would actually leave the archives and libraries alone, Kimber proved that appearances (in very specific cases) were not as important as the knowledge a person possessed. Though it has been noted that she attempts to somewhat make herself far more than just presentable when the Grand Duke calls for her personally. She lives a simple life of books and magic and doing whatever the Grand Duke wants, which so far has just been increasing her knowledge and being academically useful.

Education

Kimber was educated at the Royal Ostoyan Academy of Magic, also referred to as "The Belfry" for its various bell towers and the fact that more than a few Vampires work and have learned magic there. In her early life she was tutored privately at the home of Lord Lawrence Mortimer in Nov Ostoya.

Employment

Kimber is Grand Duke Vorgen's personal agent assigned to The Raven Assembly. She serves as the group's political, academic, and etiquette advisor as well as a translator and tutor.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Kimber graduated her magical education extremely early, outperforming other students with more time studying than her. She was hand-selected to be a Warlock of the Grand Duke at the age of 31 and was turned into a Vampire by him personally. She now serves as his personal representative in The Raven Assembly. She has also gained a firm grasp in a new type of magic that she calls Witchcraft as well as a strong grasp of traditional Vistani cooking.

Failures & Embarrassments

Kimber has been told, by the Grand Duke himself, that she needs to learn empathy. Furthermore, Kimber has no life experience outside of Nov Ostoya and, in her first real crisis, she killed Cillian by using dangerous magic in an attempt to free him from Tangle Weed.

During her initial magical education the noble-born students called her "Peasant Bookworm" and started a rumor that she practiced kissing on her dissection frog.

Kimber hates people staring at or commenting on her physical features and takes measures (baggy robes, large-brimmed hat) to hide these features. She prefers to be seen as a mage and scholar rather than a woman.

Thirsting for greater power, Kimber took in the blood of the powerful Vampire Tatyana von Zarovich. She immediately killed a servant in castle when feeding on her. Risking the Grand Duke's wrath, she forged a Warlock pact with Mila von Zarovich in order to have her ressurect the servant. Lelah, the servant, now serves as Kimber's assistant and a constant reminder of her failure to control her Vampiric urges.

Mental Trauma

Kimber has experienced traumatic events as a child, with the execution of her parents and the betrayal of her brother. She also experienced it as an adolescent at the hands of a boy during her magical education. She has experienced trauma as an adult when her actions led to the (temporary) death of Cillian. She experienced further trauma after killing a blood slave in Barovia when she increased her Vampiric power.

Intellectual Characteristics

Kimber is extremely clever and capable of great feats of mental strength. She can understand all written and spoken languages and can understand complex concepts so thoroughly that she can explain them in simple terms to other people. She is able to "translate academic speak" as she calls it. The amount of information retained in her head can be staggering at times and her willingness to begin sharing that information is matched only by her desire to gain more.

Morality & Philosophy

Kimber understands the world as something to be explained. Everything is cause and effect for her, and this leads her to believe that all things are transactional. She doesn't understand a person doing things that do not have direct benefit for them. She has no concept of empathy or even trying to understand the feelings of other people. She believes what is right and wrong is determined by the law and does not fully comprehend the idea of a moral compass.

Her approach to life is extremely academic, often relying on observation of events and reflection upon the results of actions and inactions. Above all else, she serves her Vampiric Sire, Grand Duke Vorgen, in all things.

Kimber has since learned the value of empathy and caring for others, having finally developed a group of friends upon whom she relies and whose morality and opinions have begun to shape her as a person.

person.sexuality

Kimber hasn't really expressed an actual sexuality to anyone in her entire life. She does have a certain... attraction to Grand Duke Vorgen and found herself quite flustered by being intimately close to a young woman upon whom she fed in a Vampire establishment.

Kimber has since developed romantic feelings for the former slave-soldier, now mercenary, Wereshark Harkin, who was attached to The Raven Assembly as an assistant by the Duchess Morgia.

person.gender_identity

Kimber acknowledges herself as biologically female, but views herself as a mage and scholar first with no real desire to express any particular gender identity. She is expressing a bit more of her feminity and focusing more on her appearance now that she has found herself attracted to Harkin.

Taboos

Kimber will not burn books or anything containing information. She will not allow creatures or people that she deems have "special needs" to be mistreated by people who are too stupid or too intolerant to deal with those needs. She also refuses to pray to any of the Arch Seraphs of Etharis.

Known Languages

Kimber speaks Common, Ostoyan, Elvish, Infernal, Draconic, Undercommon, and Sylvan. She can, however, understand and read all written and spoken languages.

Personality

Motivation

Kimber is motivated by her thirst for knowledge and her devotion to Grand Duke Vorgen. He gives her the orders and she follows them, while taking time to solve mysteries and uncover secrets that intrigue her. She believes that all knowledge is good knowledge. Kimber is also motivated, to some personal contradiction, by her new loyalty to her friends and her desire to help them succeed and keep them safe.

Quotes & Catchphrases

"Thank you, I read about it in a book on [subject]."

"I want to be seen as a mage and scholar, not a woman."

"Just because you don't understand a creature or person's special needs doesn't mean you have the right to mistreat them."

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Kimber can take difficult concepts and explain them in simple terms. She can learn magic at incredible rates and fire off spells with such efficiency that she can hit multiple targets with a single spell. She also is extremely adept at a large variety of magics.

Kimber is horrible with people. She doesn't understand morality or empathy or the spectrum of sapient emotions. She overshares or says inappropriate things or otherwise commits social faux pas, unless in situations where strict rules dictate behavior. She misses social cues and does not understand general subtlety unless it is in the realm of political schemes.

Likes & Dislikes

Kimber loves learning, books, languages, sciences, mathematics, and basically anything academic. She also enjoys drawing and writing, with an extensive book of sketches and a secret journal full of rather... adult writings that may or may not be about people in her life.

Kimber hates comments on her body or being perceived as anything other than a mage and scholar. She hates dressing up in form-fitting clothes or formal attire. She also greatly dislikes people who put no stock in knowledge. Lastly, she dislikes people who believe certain types of knowledge should be forbidden.

Virtues & Personality perks

Kimber can be surprisingly insightful by virtue of her extreme scrutiny and observation of people and their behaviors. She may not understand subtlety, but she can figure out a lot about a person by observing how they behave and handle situations. This makes her rather helpful when it comes to sussing out unusual behaviors and suspicious individuals. She has a keen memory, especially for things involving magic, and can be relied upon for most things involving academia.

Vices & Personality flaws

Kimber really doesn't understand doing things that have no benefit for her or the people with whom she is affiliated. She doesn't understand empathizing with people, or even how the full spectrum of sapient emotions works. She has developed a taste for sweet blood. She also has a tendency to disregard the advice of older and more wise people when it comes to seeking out power for herself.

Personality Quirks

Kimbers fingers are constantly in motion, tapping on or fidgeting with something. If they're not, one of her heels is tapping. Her face often screws up in consternation or goes eerily blank when dealing with things. She also tends to let out a "hrrrmmmm" sound when presented with things she does not like.

Hygiene

Kimber has a bad habit of not taking care of her appearance physically. In the Royal Archives she had to be put on a schedule, and then basically reminded and forced, to bathe. She tends to barely brush her hair or otherwise take care of her appearance, aside from the particular care and favoritism she shows her boots.

Kimber has since been nudged, coerced, and taught to take care of her body and hair by her friends Astra and Gia. They especially help her with containing the monstrosity that is her hair.

Social

Birthplace

Toletum, Castinella

Current Residence

Trollskull Manor, Salero, Charnault

Contacts & Relations

Lord Lawrence Mortimer - Adoptive father and Noble Patron

Grand Duke Vorgen - Vampiric Sire, Warlock Patron, Direct Superior

Mila von Zarovich - Warlock Patron, Friend

Master Alric the Learned - Mentor

Cillian, Astra, Anna, Gia, Azrael, Harkin - Fellow Members of The Raven Assembly

Harkin - Crush

Emra Havenwood - Mother [Deceased]

Barnam Havenwood - Father [Deceased]

William Havenwood - Brother [Whereabouts Unknown]

Carmine Duces - Uncle [Deceased]

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Mage, Scholar, Academic, Witch

Wealth & Financial state

Kimber possesses no personal wealth.

Family Ties

Kimber has only an unformally adoptive father, Lord Lawrence Mortimer.

Religious Views

Kimber believes in science and magic, not religion. She is, however, giving the Triple Goddess a trial run.

Social Aptitude

Kimber is very bad with people, but can give social and philosophical advice as Lord Mortimer has forced her to read books on the subjects in the past and Kimber never forgets something she has read.

Mannerisms

Kimber fidgets with her feet and fingers. She makes a "hrrrmmmm" sound when something makes her unhappy. She also tends to hide her face with the large brim of her witch hat.

Hobbies & Pets

Kimber's hobbies include writing adult fiction, reading, sketching, and lecturing people on academic subjects.

Speech

Kimber is generally very informative with her speech. She is quick to offer explanations and academic and magical insight into situations. She speaks very openly and her ire can easily be detected when her voice sharpens. Her bluntness, and anger, have been known to cut deeper than any knife.