Absynthe Domnivoy

Basic Information
Birth Name: Absynthe Domnivoy
Aliases: Catherine, Katerine, Katjia
Place of Birth: Moscow, Russia
Agereal and apparant) 565, appears 20
Male/Female: Female
Current Occupation: Chemist
Past Occupation: (If different from above) Alchemist, Botanist, Concert pianist.
Appearance
Hair Color: white with purple undertones
Length and Style: Long, usually worn down or in an elegant updo
Eye Color: pale blue with a purple tint around the edges.
Skin Color: ivory
Height: 5' 7''
Weight: 130 lbs
Nationality: Russian
Race: (I.E. Vampire, human etc.) vampire
Body Type: slender
Description (if an NPC) or name of your creator(if a PC): Rasputin
Personal Questions
1. Describe your character's personality Eerily calm, patient, calculating
2. Describe how your character would appear to a stranger (I.E. typical dress, way they carry themselves etc.) Generally wears a mix a of goth and vintage. Lots of lace, gold, and black. She carries herself with confidence, giving off and air of mystique.
3.What does your character like? playing the piano, learning.
4. Dislike? abusive men, idiots
5. (For humans) Describe what abilities you see your character having if they were turned.
6. What are your fears? Being trapped with no hope of escape.
7. What is your character's strengths and weaknesses? Remains calm, is open to new things. she is also very good with plants. However she does not trust easily. She also has a low tolerance for stupidity and can be subtley cruel when irritated.
Hobbies & Skills Plays the piano, enjoys puzzles, riddles, and games of strategy.
Abilities Dreamwalking, Subterfuge, Blending
Flaws Has an attachment to her descendants. Obsession with the safety of her mother's locket which is like a security blanket for her.
Cosmetic Traits(These must be minor, see the rules) purple tint to her eyes derrived from a chemical experiment that reacted with her vampire nature. ( Tells people they are contacts)
Quirks and Habits worthy of mention tends to tap on something when seriously annoyed. This is usually a precursor to her reaching for the poison.
Personal History (Please be detailed, this creates your basis for your character) Absynthe was born in 1440, the same year as Ivan III (the Great). Her father was a wealthy nobleman living in Moscow. Her mother was the daughter of a Moroccan ambassador. Though her parents seemed to get along, or to at least have an understanding, neither seemed to have much use for Absynthe. The exceptions were the times her mother spent teaching her the Moroccan customs and dances, as well as the more traditional arts of nobility. These included learning to play the piano, which Absynthe enjoyed greatly. The rare moments of tenderness from her father came when he was teaching her to read or think for herself.

Just before her 18th birthday, it was announced that a marriage had been arranged for her. Absynthe was feeling betrayed and trapped. On her wedding day, her mother gave her the locket that she herself had always worn. In passing her the locket her mother said the words, " In case you need to escape." After opening the locket, Absynthe saw the small packet hidden within. She came to understand both that it was poison and just how much her mother really cared.

Though it seemed that her mother had made peace with her arranged marriage, Absynthe could not say the same for her own. Her new husband was a brutal tyrant given to fits of violence and cruelty. This would later prove to be a lesson that Absynthe learned well. The only joy for her was the birth of her daughter. A year after the child was born, she was taken from Absynthe and sent away as punishment for some unknown crime. Torn by grief and rage, she found the her mother's locket that she had had enough forsight to keep hidden. However, instead of taking her own life as her mother had intended, she gave the poison to her husband.

As a newly made widow, she pleaded with her husband's family to tell her the location of her daughter. They refused, proving to be just as cruel as her late husband. Rumors began to spread about her involvement in her husbands death. Absynthe had no doubt that they were started by her mother-in-law, however she knew she would soon need to flee. She did not get the opportunity to leave before she was visited by a stranged man that filled her with both fear and awe. In 1460, two years before Ivan III became Czar, Rasputen gave her another means of escape.

The lessons of Rasputen were hard indeed. Absynthe was made to watch as he terrorized the parents of her husband and gained the knowledge she had been seeking. Absynthe discovered the cruelty and subtlety were useful tools. Absynthe went to visit her daughter. Even though she ultimately decided to leave the child with her adopted family, Absynthe continued to keep track of her and her entire line.

Absynthe left Moscow and followed Rasputin, not returning until 1559 during the reign of Ivan the terrible. On Rasputin's orders, she remained in the shadows of the court learning all she could. It became a sport of sorts to assist with both the stability and mayhem of the period, all while remaining unnoticed. She continued in this way for many years. With Ivan's increasing paranoia, it became more difficult to opperate without having a more prominant role. She became a consort to Ivan, but managed not to become one of his many wives. It was also during this time that she met and fell in love with Ivan's son. The affair with the younger Ivan lasted until he was killed by his father in a fit of rage. Angered and heart-broken, Absynthe waited for the right moment to avenge he beloved's death. Slipping Ivan a large quantitiy of mercury, she sealed his fate.

Absynthe left shortly there after. It is also here that she parts ways with Rasputin. Feeling that Absynthe is too unpredictable, as well as shrewd, he ended the relationship. She left Russia and went to Morocco to learn about the other half of her herritage. There she stayed for many years.

She returned to Russia in the late 1750's following a note from Rasputin warning of the unstable Czar and the effect he would have on Russia and her offspring. Her desendant was now the handmaiden for Czarina Catherine II. Absynthe encouraged and assisted in the coup that overthrew Peter. She also encouraged, though did not participate, in Peter's death. Absynthe remained secretly by Catherine's side as an advisor and confidant until her death in 1796.

After Catherine's death, Absynthe left Russia for the most part permanantly. She only returned at the death of one of her descendants. In the years that followed, she worked to increase both her wealth and knowledge. During times when it was difficult for women to receive an education, she did so by whatever means necessary. Later she found the stage offered women a bit more freedom, and became a concert pianist. With the coming of women's rights' she found she was able to study more openly. Through the years she has earned degrees in many fields, particulary science related. She has also maintained and nutured an interest in botany, and in particular natural poisons.

Odd Questions(To help define your character)
1. A stranger at a bar offers your character a drink, what is a typical response? "No thank you, I can buy my own."
2. Your character finds a lost child alone on the streets. What do they do? If it isn't one of hers, more than likely leave it. Though rare moments of kindness have been known to happen.
3. A barfight erupts in the nightclub your character is in, what do they do? Watch until she gets bored, and then leave. In all likelihood 'forgetting' to pay the tab.
4.What animal does your character most identify with? Lioness

OOC Info:

Player name (online is fine) Rae
Other Characters you play Artemis
How you came to SA (Other board, friend, etc) Mai, Mae, TAC