[Aethernaut Collection] Carmilla

The Aethernaut Collection adapts a variety of characters from 19th-century literature into the world of Trinity Continuum: Aether. Here’s the third and final character we’re previewing: the notorious vampire Carmilla.

Countess Carmilla Karnstein

“My dear, sweet rose. Don’t pay any attention to those frivolous men who don’t understand you. Love only your dear friend, Carmilla, and I’ll shower you with adoration for eternity.” 

Countess Mircalla Karnstein was born in 1679 to the noble Karnstein family in Styria, Austria. Back then, she led the life of an aristocratic socialite, unwilling to allow herself to be married off to a man. Her fame drew suitors from Europe and beyond. When she caught the attention of Dracula himself and refused his courtship, he turned her into a vampire out of spite. Carmilla embraced her newfound state of being with delighted enthusiasm — certainly more than Dracula expected — but, as time passed, she witnessed her surviving family fall into ruin. With her family dead and her ancestral home crumbling, her coffin was moved below the old Karnstein chapel by a smitten Styrian nobleman.

In her unlife, Carmilla’s free to indulge in her preference for female companionship. She seeks out beautiful young women to befriend, sustaining her existence on stolen blood until she decides to drain them completely. The beautiful charmer favors making aristocratic women her companions, often sharing her gift of immortality to keep them with her for as long as possible. Carmilla speculates that her rejection of Dracula shaped her curse in a different direction, but she still shares some of the count’s powers and weaknesses: she can take the shape of living shadow, mist, and a large black cat, but she can’t use her gifts in daylight and always feels lethargic until dusk, often opting to rest in a coffin with dirt from her grave until the sun sets.

Carmilla doesn’t care for meddling in the political affairs of her country, opting to frequent social events to soothe her boredom. Using a lazy anagram of her real name to navigate aristocratic circles and deceive her victims amuses her to no end. Engaging in gossip about the up-and-comers and verbally sparring with the aristocracy proves far more interesting to her than whatever Vlad and his court of Immortals are doing. Carmilla frequently rejects visitors sent on behalf of Countess Báthory, preferring to engage with younger and more interesting mortals. Despite being amiable, Carmilla reveals herself to be quite dangerous to those that dare scorn her affections or disrespect her.

Aethernaut Tier: Magog

Primary Pool: 9 (Socializing, Manipulating, Reading people)

Secondary Pool: 7 (Politicking, Dancing)

Desperation Pool: 5

Enhancement: +4 (Socializing, Manipulating, Reading People)

Defense: 4

Health: 6

Initiative: 4

Edges: Aura of Innocence •, Nobility •, Striking ••, Verbal Sparring •••

Inspiration: 4

Gifts: Eschew Mortality (Feeding Requirement, Slumber, Weakness), Horrific Mien, Invisibility, Love Me and Despair, Never a Stranger, Paragon (Manipulation 2, Stamina 1), Rapidity of Flesh, Transformation (Cat, Mist, Shadow)

Scale: Durability 2, Leadership 3

Deviations: Feeding Requirements 1 (Blood), Conditional 1 (Transformation, only at night), Infectious 1, Slumber 2 (Sleep in her coffin), Vulnerability 1 (Sunlight), Weakness 2 (Stake through the heart)