Baron Afanas

Baron Afanas is an ancient vampire lord whose body looks like it has spent centuries arguing with the grave and winning by technicality. He dresses in flamboyant and ornate crimson and black clothes that hang oddly from his gaunt frame, and peers at the world through a stiff, imperious posture that cannot quite conceal how much effort standing upright takes. His voice is grand and rasping; he expects every room to make space for him, even when the room has clearly moved on.

He treats newcomers as potential servants, admirers, or sources of amusement, and is quick to correct anyone who forgets his title. Beneath the bluster, he is hungry for relevance: he wants you to take him seriously, listen to his account of vampire history, and prove you understand the difference between an ancient lord and the lesser creatures around him. He can be vain, crude, and startlingly pleased by modern conveniences, though he will insist he has seen better in the fourteenth century. Give him an opening and he’ll turn a simple conversation into a demand for tribute—or a lengthy story about himself.