Kyle was the childe of Shelzza, an ancient vampire. He, along with his sire, are shown in depictions at the bottom of the Vampire: The Masquerade First Edition rulebook that follow important points in their unlives. Speculation is that he is of Toreador (highly likely) or Ventrue descent. Kyle appears only in this edition of the Vampire: The Masquerade and is abandoned in subsequent volumes.
Comprehensive History[]
Kyle was an artist with an eye for beauty but lacked the skill to fully express it, although photography served him well enough. Kyle's life was full and happy as he returned home to a beautiful wife and a healthy child. His passion for art stems from his idol's, the Renaissance polymath Michelangelo. Upon attending an exhibit called Midnight Michelangelo, from a flyer. Kyle inadvertently catches the attention of a vampire because of his resemblance to her former lover.
One day, Kyle receives a mysterious invitation in the mail. It promised a private screening of a "lost piece" of Michelangelo. Enthralled by the prospect, he ignored all caution and attended the event. The painting, a stunning depiction of a Babylonian palace, fascinated him. It seemed authentic, yet out of place—why would Michelangelo paint such a scene? As Kyle gazed upon the canvas, his thoughts drifted; he couldn't realise his imminent danger or predation.
At that moment, Shelzza made her move. The centuries-old vampire could no longer resist the temptation Kyle presented. She touched him, and that touch led to the inevitable embrace. Kyle tried to resist, but his body surrendered to her will. He was consumed by the act, his life as he knew it ending in that instant.
He awoke to his new existence, horrified by the hunger for blood that now defined him. Shelzza, ever watchful, led him deeper into the darkness. She attacked a man, and though Kyle was initially horrified, a terrible arousal accompanied his disgust. Tentatively, he followed her example, lowering his mouth to the man's neck. The first taste of blood exhilarated him beyond measure, but it also terrified him, for with it came his first frenzy. His first feeding was a mix of exhilaration and horror, as he frenzied and tasted his first vessel’s blood.
Desperate to cling to some vestige of his old life, Kyle returned to his family, longing to touch his son and confirm that something of his humanity remained. But as he embraced his wife, the illusion of normalcy shattered. He knew their connection could not last. She, the woman who had known him best, was the one who would ultimately judge him. Yet when their eyes met, Kyle felt her will slipping away, as if his very presence drained her of life. He left her for the last time, the weight of his transformation too great to bear.
Wandering through the city streets, Kyle felt like a predator among prey. The scent of blood surrounded him, and he could no longer ignore his true nature. Unable to bear the hunger, Kyle found an old homless beggar singing one night and fed upon him, accidentally killing him. He kept drinking until he was pulled away by an Elder Vampire, who warned him to return to his sire.
Tormented by guilt, Kyle sought solace back at the Midnight Michelangelo exhibit. While trying to understand the horrors of his new existence, the culprit of his woe returned to the scene of the crime. Kyle knew he would accept his new existence, but not with the woman who gave it to him. But his attempts to flee were futile as Shelzza Dominated him. She saw him as her puppet, a plaything to command, but Kyle refused to be bound to her will. He began to plot his escape.
One night, as Shelzza lay dormant, Kyle roused before her. Testing his newfound strength, he grabbed the first wooden object within reach. His delirious mind did not fully grasp what he was doing, but the hatred he felt for Shelzza overwhelmed all reason. With a savage strike, he plunged the wooden stake into her heart, the ancient vampire’s body immobilised by his blow. The terror she felt in that moment, unknown for millennia, was her undoing.
Kyle’s rage had not subsided. He knew his task was unfinished. Torch in hand, he prepared to destroy Shelzza completely, to cleanse the world of her influence. As the flames consumed her, Kyle watched the ashes scatter, marking the end of her reign. The Beast within him had receded, though the memories of those nights—the blood, the violence, the horror—would haunt him forever.
Trivia[]
- Like his sire, Shelzza, Kyle's story is non-canon material.
References[]
VTM: Vampire: The Masquerade Rulebook, p. Ed McKeogh: 78, 84, 88, 90, 94, 100, 105, 118, 123, 130, 138, 141
Joshua Gabriel Timbrook: 81, 115, 117, 126, 133
Richard Thomas: 142, 144, 146, 154, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161, 162, 168, 171, 172, 175, 176, 177, 178, 181, 182, 184, 186, 188, 189, 191, 192, 193, 195, 196, 198, 202, 205, 206, 210, 213, 228, 232, 235, 236, 239, 241