"Celia" Araceli Rivera, is a 13th generation Lasombra, childe of Clova Haines, residing in the Chicago area.
Biography[]
“ | You should be afraid of the dark. I know I am. | ” |
Mortal Days[]
Araceli Rivera grew up in a peaceful, wealthy household. Her parents were the masterminds of Pulso del Mundo, a Spanish-language multimedia empire dedicated to fashion, cuisine, and gonzo journalism. Though it was sold to the Omni Media Group years ago, the family still had a say in how the company was run, and primed Araceli, better known as “Celia”, to take the reins. She had other ideas. Growing up in the 2000s made her concerned for the state of the world, and she wanted to do something more than sit in a boardroom for the rest of her life. They came to a compromise: she would study public policy and, if she didn’t like it, she’d switch to business and take her place in the company.
Celia studied at the University of Chicago and fell in love with her academic work, to her parents’ dismay. After graduating, she enrolled in the university’s doctorate program. She wouldn’t live to see the first day of the next semester. Three weeks ago, Araceli Rivera went missing. She was last seen at the university campus, attending an orientation session. Her two roommates, Liz Boucher and Eve Kelly, were found dead in their apartment. Both were exsanguinated, with large, visible incisions on their necks. Araceli’s room held signs of a struggle, and detectives identified a mixture of the three women’s blood staining the walls. The news was a national sensation and a brand-new headache for the Kindred of Chicago.
Celia still isn’t sure what happened to her. The first time she suspected something was wrong was when she noticed the shadows at night grew deeper than they should. Then there was the feeling someone was standing over her. She laughed it off as just pre-semester nerves, at least until she looked into the shadows and saw a pair of pale blue eyes. Celia didn’t tell anyone about what she saw. She wasn’t sure if anyone would believe her, and she also hoped that if she just focused on preparing for school, the problem would go away on its own. The last thing she remembered was taking the Blue Line and preparing to transfer, when she felt someone come up behind her. Everything after that was a series of intense, mindless sensations: darkness, pain, pleasure, numbness, nothing, burning, hunger, nausea, rage, relief. When she could finally think again, the first things she saw were the bodies of the friends she made in undergrad, their throats torn open. She fled into the night. She wanted to speak to the police, but a sensation of primal fear kept her running. She found an abandoned house somewhere near Forest Park, where she slept off her first day.
Kindred Nights[]
The past three weeks have been a nightmare for Celia. She quickly learned to feed without killing, despite the growing desire to keep killing for food. Her connection to her clan’s inner darkness developed during the second week. She surrounded herself in shadow, only emerging to hunt. During the third week, a voice within the void spoke to her, speaking of a great legacy of which she was now a part, and of a great work she must accomplish. It was not the darkness speaking to her; it was the twisted culture in her vitae. From the first Lasombra to the last, a sense of manifest destiny inspires from within. She escaped from the darkness, but the voice remained. Her willpower functions like a perverse guardian angel. Against all odds, it makes her feel as if she can triumph over her condition and place in society. Now, Celia is on the run. She runs from the police, as well as the Kindred who seek her out, and takes solace in her mantra of “I can be great. I will be great. I will beat this.” Humanity feels more like a distant dream now. The only comforts left to her are the blissful moments when she drinks blood. Her increasing acts of violence are flagrant, and if nothing is done, her crimes may sink the Lasombra deal with Camarilla of Chicago just through the poor luck of sharing a clan.
There is a rumor that a vampire traveled from Mexico City and wants to meet the Prince. Someone stole her promised chide, and she’s furious.
Appereance[]
Celia is a short, stout woman in her early 20s. Her skin is almost completely gray. She has long, straight black hair that reaches to mid-back, with side-swept bangs. She wears the same blouse and skirt she had on the night of her Embrace, and it’s starting to show wear and tear. She has no mortal identity, and doesn’t yet have the foresight to create one. She has yet to discover the Blush of Life, but once she does, her skin will return to the rich, tawny color she had in life. The Beast overtakes her often, and when it does, her brown eyes are hidden by shadow. The shadows around her come alive in frenzy, and witnesses feel the sensation that someone is standing over her.
Character Sheet[]
Araceli “Celia” Rivera
Sire: Clova Haines
Embraced: 2019 (Born 1997)
Ambition: Overcome this condition
Convictions: I will never be the victim; always atone for my sins
Touchstones: Marisol Rivera — Mother; Nailea “Conejo” Alvarez — Internet pen-pal
Humanity: 6
Generation: 13th
Blood Potency: 1
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 1, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 5
Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 7
Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Craft (Gadgets) 2, Larceny 1, Stealth 1; Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 3, Persuasion (Innocence) 2, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 2; Academics (Media Studies) 3, Finance 1, Politics 3, Science 2, Technology (Broadcasting) 3
Disciplines: Oblivion 2, Potence 1
Gallery[]
References[]
- VTM: Chicago by Night 5th Edition, p. 129-131