Lord Colin Coward (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
occultdisciple) wrote2015-11-03 10:16 am
occultdisciple) wrote2015-11-03 10:16 am
Application for Undergrounds
Player information
Name: Lynn
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
harlequindream
Are you 18 or over? Yes
Other characters played:
Abigail Widdowson -acrookedchild
Sofia "Skip" Hughes -wolfmarked
Character information
Name:
Lord Colin Coward
Age:
155, appears 33
Date of Birth:
July 27th, 1858
Canon:
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Species:
Vampire
Role:
Colin is a politician at heart and, due to falsified family records, has reclaimed the hereditary barony of the Coward line, putting him into the House of Lords. He has also worked politics to get himself the position of Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis1.
In the supernatural world, Colin is a member of the Islington Nest who, on his returns to London, is always happy to get involved in both the political and violent activities of the Nest.
Rank:
3-4
(Earl of Whitechapel or Marquess of Tower Hamlets)
2 -- to match the downgraded level he took for failing his last AC
Background:
Lord Coward was once Home Secretary as well as a (nominal) member of Circle Daybreak and the Witch Representative on the Night Council. He was also secretly involved in a Circle Midnight cult, answering to Lord Henry Blackwood, the illegitimate son of the Chief Justice and President of the Night Council, Sir Thomas Rotheram. The cult practiced vicious human sacrifices and eventually attracted the attention of the supernatural and human community.
Only Lord Blackwood was apprehended. His final words before his execution were "Death is only the beginning."
What no one knew was that Lord Blackwood had received a visitor in his cell the night before, a vampire offering him a chance at immortality. When Blackwood rose from the grave, he sought out Coward first. Using the (all too willing) man's blood to complete his transformation, Blackwood took Coward entirely into his confidence. Together, the two planned a coup to seize control of the Night Council with the other members of Blackwood's cult.
The attempt ultimately failed, as defectors passed information to those who could oppose Blackwood and Coward but not before Sir Thomas and Mr Standish, an American ambassador, were killed. Blackwood vanished before he could be caught, and Coward was taken and tried. He was sentenced to death. The night before the sentence was to be carried out, however, he was visited by Blackwood and given some of his blood in payment for his loyalty. After Coward was killed, he returned as a vampire.
Coward spent a short time abroad, hiding on the Continent, while the scandal surrounding him ebbed away. A younger cousin inherited the barony, and few in London had any reason to believe Coward was alive or, at least, would ever return to England. In time, however, Coward missed his country. As his sire continued to travel, though he sometimes returned to spend a few months or years with his progeny, Coward re-established himself in Cornwall. By removing a few distant relatives, he took his rightful place as being in line for the barony.
Since then, he has moved about the UK (and sometimes other parts of Europe) as it suited him, never staying anywhere long enough for human society to realize he was ageless. Finally, he took the seat owed the barony in the House of Lords and sought to return to London with a fraction of the power he once had. To that end, he secured himself the election of the Commissioner Police of the Metropolis1. Once back in London, Coward presented himself to Millicent, ready to serve the Islington Nest. ...So long as his own ambitions could be realised as well.
Personality:
Lord Coward is a man well used to adapting to many roles and playing each one convincingly, both past and present.
In his former role of Home Secretary, Coward was at the head of internal affairs, citizenship, immigration, national security measures, policing, prisons, and probation throughout England and Wales. He put in all due time and effort to his duties. Of course, being in charge of law enforcement led him to consider himself, even then, as somewhat above the law. He used his influence over the police to extinguish threats he saw to his nation (as was his job) and to himself and his (such as when territory disputes he disapproved of but could not directly intervene in happened in that era). This continues into the present day with his re-emergence into politics. Part of his desire for the position of Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is so that he can do almost entirely as he pleases as well as help protect the goings on and secrecy of the supernatural community he chooses to offer that protection to.
As a high-ranking member of Circle Daybreak, Lord Coward sought to protect the interests of his Circle and do all he could to help with rituals and the securing of power. He played the part well, and was considered a pillar of the witch community as well as a powerful practitioner. While his loyalty might have been genuine at first, he faltered when approached by Lord Henry Blackwood. The man belonged to the same coven as Coward, and he was the illegitimate son Sir Thomas Rothram, the High Priest of Circle Daybreak. Blackwood offered Coward not only an intimate relationship but more power. Since he already controlled the police and a great deal of supernatural law enforcement, Coward was easily persuaded into joining the hidden coven of Circle Midnight Blackwood had established, and he participated happily in the dark rituals involved.
As the witch representative in the Night Council, Lord Coward held sway over much of the supernatural aspects of law enforcement, considered right for the task due to his position among the human world. He was a voice for moderation, seeking no drastic changes but also not demanding that politics remain just as they were. He used his position to secure more power for witches while not making any other group angry. As Blackwood's power grew, Coward helped him to identify the members of the government he would need to dispose of in order to seize control for himself. For his part, Coward felt no remorse over what he was asked to do by Blackwood.
After being turned, Coward spent several decades away from England, letting his name fade into relative obscurity. On one of his impermanent visits back to London, he introduced himself into the Islington nest. He ran a few errands and performed a few favours to ingratiate himself to those in power before he went back to the English countryside. Upon returning, he has reintroduced himself and joined the Nest, levying his position in mortal society as a way to make himself even more useful. He promised Millicent his full support in improving Islington's grasp on London and bolstering the numbers of the Nest. Of course, she didn't need to know, in his opinion, of his constant contact with Lord Blackwood and his aims to clear the way to the top should the man ever decide to return and wish to claim London.
Lord Henry Blackwood was the one person to whom Coward could never say no. Almost as soon as they met, Coward was obsessed with Blackwood. Whether it was through magic or simply in his own mind, Coward wondered but never bothered to question. He served Blackwood faithfully in life, willingly offered his blood when the man had been turned, and accepted the offer of being turned when he faced execution. Despite nearly a century apart, having gone their separate ways, Coward still feels a strong loyalty to Blackwood and responds, whether by choice or the power of Blackwood's hold over him as his sire, quickly to anything the man might need done.
Powers & Possessions:
- Telepathic communication with other members of the nest (2 vampires sired while on the Continent)
- Daylight jewellery (disguised as a small jewel in a gold signet ring with an embossed symbol of the zodiac bull)
Samples:
On the test drive
World building
Locations:
Items:
Taming Draught
high level ♦ dark spellbooks
Taming Draught requires a bit of blood from the person crafting the person and the person it is being given to. The draught is capable of numbing an individual's willpower and making them more pliable to suggestion, both supernatural and mundane. The potion must be administered daily to continue the hold, and it is a delicate process to create it. Even the slightest error in mixture turns it into a vicious poison.
Book of Shadows
unique
The Book of Shadows Lord Coward owns is a direct copy of the one on which Lord Blackwood's splinter coven was created. It contains a wide array of dark magics relating to sacrifice, control, and destruction. It was given to Coward to protect when Blackwood departed for further travels. While the spellbook is useless to Coward as a vampire, he keeps it among his personal collection.
Book of the Temple of Four Orders
unique
The Book of the Temple of Four Orders details the old rituals of the extinct coven Coward belonged to under Sir Thomas. It has a list of members, past and present of the time of its writing, and spells regarding protection against dark magic. It also details the positions within the Order.
Magic:
Puppetry
high level ♦ dark spellbooks
This spell allows a witch to take command of a body of a being less powerful than themselves for a brief period of time, usually a matter of hours. The less willpower the controlled shows, the easier it is to maintain control. Use of Taming Draught can make the effect work for up to a month.
Siphoning Power
high level, group ritual ♦ dark spellbooks
A complex ritual requiring several powerful practicioners, this holds the potential to go wrong in many ways. If done correctly, the powers of the victim (who must contain magic) are transferred to the person conducting the main part of the ritual. Any interference can lead to the victim, the leader, individual members of the group, or all of the above going mad.
Aiding Possession
mid-high level ♦ dark spellbooks
Using a summoning circle, a witch can offer a person or animal to a ghost for possession. A ghost more powerful than the caster of the circle might be able to choose which (the victim or the caster) to possess.
1 I am more than happy to remove the Commissioner part of the role. I thought it was a nice nod to his position as Home Secretary in canon, but if it seems like an inappropriate/too high role in mortal society, it's no problem for me to remove it.
Name: Lynn
Contact:
Are you 18 or over? Yes
Other characters played:
Abigail Widdowson -
acrookedchildSofia "Skip" Hughes -
wolfmarkedCharacter information
Name:
Lord Colin Coward
Age:
155, appears 33
Date of Birth:
July 27th, 1858
Canon:
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Species:
Vampire
Role:
Colin is a politician at heart and, due to falsified family records, has reclaimed the hereditary barony of the Coward line, putting him into the House of Lords. He has also worked politics to get himself the position of Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis1.
In the supernatural world, Colin is a member of the Islington Nest who, on his returns to London, is always happy to get involved in both the political and violent activities of the Nest.
Rank:
(Earl of Whitechapel or Marquess of Tower Hamlets)
2 -- to match the downgraded level he took for failing his last AC
Background:
Lord Coward was once Home Secretary as well as a (nominal) member of Circle Daybreak and the Witch Representative on the Night Council. He was also secretly involved in a Circle Midnight cult, answering to Lord Henry Blackwood, the illegitimate son of the Chief Justice and President of the Night Council, Sir Thomas Rotheram. The cult practiced vicious human sacrifices and eventually attracted the attention of the supernatural and human community.
Only Lord Blackwood was apprehended. His final words before his execution were "Death is only the beginning."
What no one knew was that Lord Blackwood had received a visitor in his cell the night before, a vampire offering him a chance at immortality. When Blackwood rose from the grave, he sought out Coward first. Using the (all too willing) man's blood to complete his transformation, Blackwood took Coward entirely into his confidence. Together, the two planned a coup to seize control of the Night Council with the other members of Blackwood's cult.
The attempt ultimately failed, as defectors passed information to those who could oppose Blackwood and Coward but not before Sir Thomas and Mr Standish, an American ambassador, were killed. Blackwood vanished before he could be caught, and Coward was taken and tried. He was sentenced to death. The night before the sentence was to be carried out, however, he was visited by Blackwood and given some of his blood in payment for his loyalty. After Coward was killed, he returned as a vampire.
Coward spent a short time abroad, hiding on the Continent, while the scandal surrounding him ebbed away. A younger cousin inherited the barony, and few in London had any reason to believe Coward was alive or, at least, would ever return to England. In time, however, Coward missed his country. As his sire continued to travel, though he sometimes returned to spend a few months or years with his progeny, Coward re-established himself in Cornwall. By removing a few distant relatives, he took his rightful place as being in line for the barony.
Since then, he has moved about the UK (and sometimes other parts of Europe) as it suited him, never staying anywhere long enough for human society to realize he was ageless. Finally, he took the seat owed the barony in the House of Lords and sought to return to London with a fraction of the power he once had. To that end, he secured himself the election of the Commissioner Police of the Metropolis1. Once back in London, Coward presented himself to Millicent, ready to serve the Islington Nest. ...So long as his own ambitions could be realised as well.
Personality:
Lord Coward is a man well used to adapting to many roles and playing each one convincingly, both past and present.
In his former role of Home Secretary, Coward was at the head of internal affairs, citizenship, immigration, national security measures, policing, prisons, and probation throughout England and Wales. He put in all due time and effort to his duties. Of course, being in charge of law enforcement led him to consider himself, even then, as somewhat above the law. He used his influence over the police to extinguish threats he saw to his nation (as was his job) and to himself and his (such as when territory disputes he disapproved of but could not directly intervene in happened in that era). This continues into the present day with his re-emergence into politics. Part of his desire for the position of Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is so that he can do almost entirely as he pleases as well as help protect the goings on and secrecy of the supernatural community he chooses to offer that protection to.
As a high-ranking member of Circle Daybreak, Lord Coward sought to protect the interests of his Circle and do all he could to help with rituals and the securing of power. He played the part well, and was considered a pillar of the witch community as well as a powerful practitioner. While his loyalty might have been genuine at first, he faltered when approached by Lord Henry Blackwood. The man belonged to the same coven as Coward, and he was the illegitimate son Sir Thomas Rothram, the High Priest of Circle Daybreak. Blackwood offered Coward not only an intimate relationship but more power. Since he already controlled the police and a great deal of supernatural law enforcement, Coward was easily persuaded into joining the hidden coven of Circle Midnight Blackwood had established, and he participated happily in the dark rituals involved.
As the witch representative in the Night Council, Lord Coward held sway over much of the supernatural aspects of law enforcement, considered right for the task due to his position among the human world. He was a voice for moderation, seeking no drastic changes but also not demanding that politics remain just as they were. He used his position to secure more power for witches while not making any other group angry. As Blackwood's power grew, Coward helped him to identify the members of the government he would need to dispose of in order to seize control for himself. For his part, Coward felt no remorse over what he was asked to do by Blackwood.
After being turned, Coward spent several decades away from England, letting his name fade into relative obscurity. On one of his impermanent visits back to London, he introduced himself into the Islington nest. He ran a few errands and performed a few favours to ingratiate himself to those in power before he went back to the English countryside. Upon returning, he has reintroduced himself and joined the Nest, levying his position in mortal society as a way to make himself even more useful. He promised Millicent his full support in improving Islington's grasp on London and bolstering the numbers of the Nest. Of course, she didn't need to know, in his opinion, of his constant contact with Lord Blackwood and his aims to clear the way to the top should the man ever decide to return and wish to claim London.
Lord Henry Blackwood was the one person to whom Coward could never say no. Almost as soon as they met, Coward was obsessed with Blackwood. Whether it was through magic or simply in his own mind, Coward wondered but never bothered to question. He served Blackwood faithfully in life, willingly offered his blood when the man had been turned, and accepted the offer of being turned when he faced execution. Despite nearly a century apart, having gone their separate ways, Coward still feels a strong loyalty to Blackwood and responds, whether by choice or the power of Blackwood's hold over him as his sire, quickly to anything the man might need done.
Powers & Possessions:
- Telepathic communication with other members of the nest (2 vampires sired while on the Continent)
- Daylight jewellery (disguised as a small jewel in a gold signet ring with an embossed symbol of the zodiac bull)
Samples:
On the test drive
World building
Locations:
Items:
Taming Draught
high level ♦ dark spellbooks
Taming Draught requires a bit of blood from the person crafting the person and the person it is being given to. The draught is capable of numbing an individual's willpower and making them more pliable to suggestion, both supernatural and mundane. The potion must be administered daily to continue the hold, and it is a delicate process to create it. Even the slightest error in mixture turns it into a vicious poison.
Book of Shadows
unique
The Book of Shadows Lord Coward owns is a direct copy of the one on which Lord Blackwood's splinter coven was created. It contains a wide array of dark magics relating to sacrifice, control, and destruction. It was given to Coward to protect when Blackwood departed for further travels. While the spellbook is useless to Coward as a vampire, he keeps it among his personal collection.
Book of the Temple of Four Orders
unique
The Book of the Temple of Four Orders details the old rituals of the extinct coven Coward belonged to under Sir Thomas. It has a list of members, past and present of the time of its writing, and spells regarding protection against dark magic. It also details the positions within the Order.
Magic:
Puppetry
high level ♦ dark spellbooks
This spell allows a witch to take command of a body of a being less powerful than themselves for a brief period of time, usually a matter of hours. The less willpower the controlled shows, the easier it is to maintain control. Use of Taming Draught can make the effect work for up to a month.
Siphoning Power
high level, group ritual ♦ dark spellbooks
A complex ritual requiring several powerful practicioners, this holds the potential to go wrong in many ways. If done correctly, the powers of the victim (who must contain magic) are transferred to the person conducting the main part of the ritual. Any interference can lead to the victim, the leader, individual members of the group, or all of the above going mad.
Aiding Possession
mid-high level ♦ dark spellbooks
Using a summoning circle, a witch can offer a person or animal to a ghost for possession. A ghost more powerful than the caster of the circle might be able to choose which (the victim or the caster) to possess.
1 I am more than happy to remove the Commissioner part of the role. I thought it was a nice nod to his position as Home Secretary in canon, but if it seems like an inappropriate/too high role in mortal society, it's no problem for me to remove it.