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ABOUT
APPEARANCE
HISTORY
Obrey was born in 1829 in a tiny village in Alabama called Mooresville, to parents who owned a farm. He had a sheltered upbringing and was a fairly lonely child: he wasn't his parents' first child, but his older sister Patience died at the age of thirteen, six years before he was born, and his mother suffered two subsequent miscarriages before Obrey's birth. He was always quiet, but hale and hearty. His father taught him how to work on the farm, rearing animals and growing corn, and then how to sell the produce at market.
Patience's death was devastating for Obrey's parents. Obrey's birth came late in their lives โ his mother was seventeen when Patience was born, but Obrey wasn't born until almost twenty years later. As a result, during Obrey's youth, his parents were ailing, both already into their fifties by the time he'd reached his late teens. He took over the running of the farm almost entirely, and though it was far too much work for one boy to do alone, he felt a strong sense of loyalty to his parents, who were always immensely grateful for the undertaking.
Life continued in much the same way through his early twenties. While travelling to Huntsville with wares from the farm to sell at market, Obrey came across kin on his mother's side: a cousin of hers, Helen, who informed him when their discussion turned to his sister that Patience's death wasn't a result of an illness as Obrey had been led to believe, but had in fact been a murder. Not only that, but the culprit, a man calling himself Edgar, was staying in Huntsville that night. Though at first Obrey was initially reluctant to act on the information, it weighed on him overnight, and he stayed an extra night in the city, intent to hunt Edgar down and confront him over his sister's death. Seeking not to make a scene, Obrey approached him alone, away from crowds, which was beneficial to Edgar but not so much to Obrey, as it made it all the more easy to bite him.
Obrey survived the transformation into a vampire, though he was horrified by what had happened to him and uncertain as to whether or not he'd been infected with some kind of terminal illness. It took him a week to recover from the effects of the change and learn his limitations, and so it was by night that he made his way back home to the Oake farm, starving and terrified. His parents had been afraid that he was dead, though his arrival hardly soothed them that he'd make a full recovery. Everything they tried to feed him, he spat back up - sometimes his throat would close before he could swallow, and other times he'd simply be unable to stomach the taste, though the food tasted just fine to his parents. Emaciated and weak, Obrey's animal instincts finally kicked in, and he attacked and killed the family horse, bleeding it dry.
Aware that exposure to sunlight would kill him, Obrey was forced to stay indoors and could only look after the farm at night, though the animals were patently terrified of him and it was almost impossible for him to keep up the work while trying to wrangle uncooperative animals too. What produce he could collect couldn't be sold, as markets were closed at night and his parents were unable to travel even to Mooresville's tiny market with no horse to pull their cart. Slowly, the farm began to wither: the animals had to be sold when Obrey could no longer look after them, and crops died due to negligence, as his parents were too old to cater to such a large crop in their old age. With dwindling funds and no sustainable food sources, his parents were dying before his eyes. In desperation, he offered to do to them what Edgar had done to him, but they refused. His mother recoiled from him, weeping, asking why he ever thought she'd want to be what he was. In the ensuing argument, Obrey blamed her cousin Helen for leading him to Edgar in the first place, to which she responded that had no cousin called Helen, and none of the cousins she did have knew anything of the circumstances of Patience's death other than that it had been as a result of what the doctor called smallpox.
His parents died within quick succession of each other, less than six months after Obrey returned from Huntsville as a vampire, and suddenly Obrey was alone, and the angriest he'd ever been in his life. He travelled back to Huntsville and found Edgar, who acted as if they were old friends, ignoring everything that had transpired. Offhandedly, he explained that Helen was a human follower of his, who lied to other humans in order to lure them to him. Obrey despised Edgar and the company he kept, but he was a useful well of information on existing as a vampire for as long as they were companions. The partnership lasted almost a year, but Obrey had always preferred independence, and hated Edgar for what he'd done to him and his family, so one morning he stole into Edgar's room and opened the curtains wide, burning him alive and leaving Edgar's ashy remains to be discovered by Helen and the rest of his human concubines.
Suffering a frustratingly profound disconnect after murdering the man who made him, Obrey left Alabama entirely, and started to wander from state to state, feeding only on animals. From time to time, he'd meet other vampires on the way, and travel with them for some time before making his own way again. One such vampire was perhaps one of his closest friends, though he and Obrey cut contact after the other vampire bit and infected another human, something to which Obrey is staunchly opposed. He's existed in this way for almost two hundred years, travelling from place to place, severing ties when they become too binding, and watching the world around him change.
Patience's death was devastating for Obrey's parents. Obrey's birth came late in their lives โ his mother was seventeen when Patience was born, but Obrey wasn't born until almost twenty years later. As a result, during Obrey's youth, his parents were ailing, both already into their fifties by the time he'd reached his late teens. He took over the running of the farm almost entirely, and though it was far too much work for one boy to do alone, he felt a strong sense of loyalty to his parents, who were always immensely grateful for the undertaking.
Life continued in much the same way through his early twenties. While travelling to Huntsville with wares from the farm to sell at market, Obrey came across kin on his mother's side: a cousin of hers, Helen, who informed him when their discussion turned to his sister that Patience's death wasn't a result of an illness as Obrey had been led to believe, but had in fact been a murder. Not only that, but the culprit, a man calling himself Edgar, was staying in Huntsville that night. Though at first Obrey was initially reluctant to act on the information, it weighed on him overnight, and he stayed an extra night in the city, intent to hunt Edgar down and confront him over his sister's death. Seeking not to make a scene, Obrey approached him alone, away from crowds, which was beneficial to Edgar but not so much to Obrey, as it made it all the more easy to bite him.
Obrey survived the transformation into a vampire, though he was horrified by what had happened to him and uncertain as to whether or not he'd been infected with some kind of terminal illness. It took him a week to recover from the effects of the change and learn his limitations, and so it was by night that he made his way back home to the Oake farm, starving and terrified. His parents had been afraid that he was dead, though his arrival hardly soothed them that he'd make a full recovery. Everything they tried to feed him, he spat back up - sometimes his throat would close before he could swallow, and other times he'd simply be unable to stomach the taste, though the food tasted just fine to his parents. Emaciated and weak, Obrey's animal instincts finally kicked in, and he attacked and killed the family horse, bleeding it dry.
Aware that exposure to sunlight would kill him, Obrey was forced to stay indoors and could only look after the farm at night, though the animals were patently terrified of him and it was almost impossible for him to keep up the work while trying to wrangle uncooperative animals too. What produce he could collect couldn't be sold, as markets were closed at night and his parents were unable to travel even to Mooresville's tiny market with no horse to pull their cart. Slowly, the farm began to wither: the animals had to be sold when Obrey could no longer look after them, and crops died due to negligence, as his parents were too old to cater to such a large crop in their old age. With dwindling funds and no sustainable food sources, his parents were dying before his eyes. In desperation, he offered to do to them what Edgar had done to him, but they refused. His mother recoiled from him, weeping, asking why he ever thought she'd want to be what he was. In the ensuing argument, Obrey blamed her cousin Helen for leading him to Edgar in the first place, to which she responded that had no cousin called Helen, and none of the cousins she did have knew anything of the circumstances of Patience's death other than that it had been as a result of what the doctor called smallpox.
His parents died within quick succession of each other, less than six months after Obrey returned from Huntsville as a vampire, and suddenly Obrey was alone, and the angriest he'd ever been in his life. He travelled back to Huntsville and found Edgar, who acted as if they were old friends, ignoring everything that had transpired. Offhandedly, he explained that Helen was a human follower of his, who lied to other humans in order to lure them to him. Obrey despised Edgar and the company he kept, but he was a useful well of information on existing as a vampire for as long as they were companions. The partnership lasted almost a year, but Obrey had always preferred independence, and hated Edgar for what he'd done to him and his family, so one morning he stole into Edgar's room and opened the curtains wide, burning him alive and leaving Edgar's ashy remains to be discovered by Helen and the rest of his human concubines.
Suffering a frustratingly profound disconnect after murdering the man who made him, Obrey left Alabama entirely, and started to wander from state to state, feeding only on animals. From time to time, he'd meet other vampires on the way, and travel with them for some time before making his own way again. One such vampire was perhaps one of his closest friends, though he and Obrey cut contact after the other vampire bit and infected another human, something to which Obrey is staunchly opposed. He's existed in this way for almost two hundred years, travelling from place to place, severing ties when they become too binding, and watching the world around him change.
PERSONALITY
Obrey is polite and self-effacing, friendly and amicable, and always willing to lend a hand. He'll always doff his hat and shake a hand and call you "sir" or "ma'am" or a gender-neutral honorific (listen, he's old but he's not a bigot), personal feelings notwithstanding. He might think you're just about the most annoying person he's ever met, but he definitely won't say that to your face, or anyone else's for that matter. His personal feelings are his own business and unless he feels that another person's attitude is broaching the barrier between 'an annoyance' and 'a liability' then he's perfectly happy to keep mum and treat them the same as anyone else.
Obrey is fast approaching his two hundredth birthday. He's seen the status quo change in the blink of an eye, absolute truths dissolve into laughable incompetencies, and a generally more tolerable and accepting world begin to form. He has an old soul, but he's not averse to changes. He takes new advancements and patterns of thought in his stride, folding them into his own worldview.
Contrary to his entire existence as a vampire, Obrey is not a violent person. He recoils from feeding on people because it goes against his belief system, and in the case that he does feed from someone, he will always make absolutely certain that they've agreed, and also that he doesn't kill them. He's a highly moral person, with a set of rules about what's right and wrong that only becomes malleable to encompass subjects about which he was previously ignorant (for example, growing up he knew absolutely nothing about the LGBT community, but he's embraced the culture and community as he's seen it grow and develop around him).
On the other hand, Obrey is stubborn as a mule. He's adaptable, sure - he takes everything in his stride - but he still exists in a sort of liminal space, embodying a somewhat rose-tinted view of the time he grew up in while refuting its uglier underbelly. He's prone to retrospective sentimentality, drawing out the best parts of his life in the 1850s before vampirism began to dictate how he lived. He also refuses to step out of his habits, which he's settled into over the years, and it's hard to change his mind on something about himself once he's decided on it firmly.
Obrey's never been the type to associate with his own kind since a disastrous friendship with another vampire shortly after he was turned, and prefers long stretches on his own to company with anyone, vampire or otherwise. He's past the point of finding the fun in his immortality: he's seen those he cares about succumb to mortality while he stays on, unchanging and steady, and he can't say he liked it much. He's not tethered to Alabama, but he likes it there, and however far away from home he goes he'll always make his way back. He likes to travel, and moves from place to place with enough frequency and for enough stretches of time that his return visits to Alabama are only every decade or so. His amicable, easygoing air gives the impression that he's a rambler at heart, and to an extent he is, but his constant moving is also a carefully constructed exit route, as he's determined not to make any lasting friendships with people who aren't as sturdy and reliably alive as he is.
With no constants in his life beside himself, it's often hard for Obrey to see his own faults. People who know him only ever see him in short bursts, so any criticism levelled at him is ignorant of his long-term issues with commitment and resistance to internal change.
Obrey is fast approaching his two hundredth birthday. He's seen the status quo change in the blink of an eye, absolute truths dissolve into laughable incompetencies, and a generally more tolerable and accepting world begin to form. He has an old soul, but he's not averse to changes. He takes new advancements and patterns of thought in his stride, folding them into his own worldview.
Contrary to his entire existence as a vampire, Obrey is not a violent person. He recoils from feeding on people because it goes against his belief system, and in the case that he does feed from someone, he will always make absolutely certain that they've agreed, and also that he doesn't kill them. He's a highly moral person, with a set of rules about what's right and wrong that only becomes malleable to encompass subjects about which he was previously ignorant (for example, growing up he knew absolutely nothing about the LGBT community, but he's embraced the culture and community as he's seen it grow and develop around him).
On the other hand, Obrey is stubborn as a mule. He's adaptable, sure - he takes everything in his stride - but he still exists in a sort of liminal space, embodying a somewhat rose-tinted view of the time he grew up in while refuting its uglier underbelly. He's prone to retrospective sentimentality, drawing out the best parts of his life in the 1850s before vampirism began to dictate how he lived. He also refuses to step out of his habits, which he's settled into over the years, and it's hard to change his mind on something about himself once he's decided on it firmly.
Obrey's never been the type to associate with his own kind since a disastrous friendship with another vampire shortly after he was turned, and prefers long stretches on his own to company with anyone, vampire or otherwise. He's past the point of finding the fun in his immortality: he's seen those he cares about succumb to mortality while he stays on, unchanging and steady, and he can't say he liked it much. He's not tethered to Alabama, but he likes it there, and however far away from home he goes he'll always make his way back. He likes to travel, and moves from place to place with enough frequency and for enough stretches of time that his return visits to Alabama are only every decade or so. His amicable, easygoing air gives the impression that he's a rambler at heart, and to an extent he is, but his constant moving is also a carefully constructed exit route, as he's determined not to make any lasting friendships with people who aren't as sturdy and reliably alive as he is.
With no constants in his life beside himself, it's often hard for Obrey to see his own faults. People who know him only ever see him in short bursts, so any criticism levelled at him is ignorant of his long-term issues with commitment and resistance to internal change.
LORE
regenerative healing. Can heal almost anything, including injuries that would be fatal to humans. This extends to the cutting off of limbs (including his head): the amputated limb is slowly regenerated over time. The time taken depends on the size or 'complexity' of the appendage, and in the case of decapitation, his head would stay alive and he would be able to speak and eat, and the rest of his body would grow from there.
supernatural agility. Able to combine balance, bodily coordination, speed, reflexes, strength and endurance better than humans.
supernatural endurance. Immensely durable - able to survive without supplies, resources, energy, or other items for an extended amount of time, far longer than humans.
supernatural senses. Better, stronger hearing and smelling than humans. Can also see further into the distance, and can see clearly in complete darkness.
infectious bite. Able to transfer vampirism to another person via a bite, though he has moral objections to this and has never done it himself.
wooden stake to the heart. Being stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake leads to permanent death from which he cannot heal.
blood. Must drink blood (of any origin, animal or human) in order to survive. Other food and drink won't sustain him and usually tastes as if it's gone off, though over the years he's grown to like the new taste of whiskey and carries a hipflask with him everywhere he goes.
running water. Cannot travel directly over running water (i.e. streams and rivers) whether swimming or via a bridge.
dwellings. Must ask permission before entering a dwelling, otherwise he can't step over the threshold.
holy items. Mild "allergic reaction" to prolonged direct contact from holy items such as crucifixes and holy water, though nowhere near fatal as his belief is negligible.
© TESSISAMESSABILITIES
immortality. Infinite lifespan, no visible ageing and no dying of old age.regenerative healing. Can heal almost anything, including injuries that would be fatal to humans. This extends to the cutting off of limbs (including his head): the amputated limb is slowly regenerated over time. The time taken depends on the size or 'complexity' of the appendage, and in the case of decapitation, his head would stay alive and he would be able to speak and eat, and the rest of his body would grow from there.
supernatural agility. Able to combine balance, bodily coordination, speed, reflexes, strength and endurance better than humans.
supernatural endurance. Immensely durable - able to survive without supplies, resources, energy, or other items for an extended amount of time, far longer than humans.
supernatural senses. Better, stronger hearing and smelling than humans. Can also see further into the distance, and can see clearly in complete darkness.
infectious bite. Able to transfer vampirism to another person via a bite, though he has moral objections to this and has never done it himself.
WEAKNESSES
sunlight and UV light. Immediately after contact, any exposed skin will blister and flake as if burned. Extended exposure will lead to permanent death through complete combustion and explosion into ashes. He can last longer outdoors on an overcast day, but not permanently.wooden stake to the heart. Being stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake leads to permanent death from which he cannot heal.
blood. Must drink blood (of any origin, animal or human) in order to survive. Other food and drink won't sustain him and usually tastes as if it's gone off, though over the years he's grown to like the new taste of whiskey and carries a hipflask with him everywhere he goes.
running water. Cannot travel directly over running water (i.e. streams and rivers) whether swimming or via a bridge.
dwellings. Must ask permission before entering a dwelling, otherwise he can't step over the threshold.
holy items. Mild "allergic reaction" to prolonged direct contact from holy items such as crucifixes and holy water, though nowhere near fatal as his belief is negligible.
