Kirth Vance

Name:
Kirth Louis Vance

Nickname:
Kris
Vain Kris
Lisping Kris

Age:
15

Gender:
Male

Species:
Vampire

Allegiance to House:
• House Vance of Atranta
(Father’s House)
• House Tully
(Overlord)

Role to House:
Squire to Edmure Tully

Personality:
Kirth Louis Vance is an adolescent of high social standing and elitist upbringing and it shows; like all of the Vance siblings he was given every opportunity his father could fund and received every his heart may desire. In a way it left him to become somewhat of a spoiled brat who lifts his nose at folks of lower standing and looks down on the commoners for being hopeless peasants. From time to time he’s known to make vile comments to the servants at his father’s keep proven to be arrogant and somewhat chauvinist with a condescending nature towards any without a last name that carried some weight in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Humility isn’t his strong suit, something that often clashed heavily with his older brother for whom he squired during their tournament days; on various occasions he’d refuse to bow before a noble as he considered their names beneath him as he somewhat considered himself to be off superior descend. With a surname like Vance of Atranta, a name that weighs importance in the Riverlands and his vampire inheritance he sees himself achieving great things rapidly scaling the social ladders in the Seven Kingdoms; first he’d squire for the overlord of his house, Lord Edmure Tully from Riverrun before getting knighted before seeing his eighteenth winter in this world…

Next to his arrogance Kirth has developed a nonchalant attitude towards all things that are supposed to be taken serious; he’s prefers to do what he wants rather than what’s expected of him to the great frustration of his brothers, his father and several of teachers that attempted to educate him in one trade or the other. His sword master from Bravos often ended up throwing stuff around whenever Kirth refused to follow his precise instructions. He’s incredible stubborn yet determined and persistent, working on his own pace towards the goals he seeks to accomplish; big ambitions he has for life, something most others never even braved to dream off as he first seeks to join knighthood, then perhaps join the Kingsguard but above all he wished to make House Vance claim the Iron Throne under his command. This ideas often leaning very close to megalomania but Kirth has always believed the Riverlands were destined for greatness yet have never managed to do so by the absence of talented knights to claim that elusive victory and the Iron Throne. The four son of house Vance of Atranta however managed to charm others into sharing that idea hoping that by squiring for Lord Edmure Tully of Riverrun he would one day be able to convince the overlord to march out King’s Landing and claim the position they’ve been denied for so long…

The last yet most prominent personality quirk Kirth presents to the world is his chivalrous attitude and courteous nature towards any lady from a proper lineage; his clean appearance, the mysteriously handsome charm surrounding his person like some magical halo grant him that boyish appeal that combines with his sweet-talking ways has led him into the hay with various ladies of decent standing. He’s addicted to the praise of others especially from the female population loving the attention others give him; he favors the delicate womanly tongue with their joyous compliments though the envy in a man’s eye is just as rewarding. Kirth has been viewed as somewhat vain by many who mistake his daily ointment application for the products women use to emphasize their feminine beauty; he does invest time in his appearance, taking his time to get properly dressed, shaving every morning and making sure his body remains fit, healthy and stunning for the spectator’s eye; it’s for that reason also that Kirth masks his species from the beholders who might either experience fear or pity for the fourth son of House Vance of Atranta. He hides his frequent feedings from people by wearing a mask in those nights and going dressed in hooded capes that shroud his identity…

Physical Description:
Kirth is a young adolescent pretty boy from the Riverlands who pays lots of attention to how he’s presented to the world and the way people view him; of the five sons his father Lord Norbert Vance has brought in this world, Kirth is perceived as the most handsome of the Vance children with his athletic charismatic body and those deep green eyes. Shoulder length bistre hair subtly waves freely like the ripples in the water as the prominent masculine bone structure of his face and body give him an irresistible charm that few women can resist. His chest moving to his waist shapes a perfect triangle with broad shoulders, strong enhanced muscle definitions yet nothing beats that radiant smile with perfect white teeth. Kirth possesses that rare cavalier charm, that mysterious ambiance that surrounds his presence due to the nature of his vampire origins…

There are subtle hints in his physical presentation that give away his vampire origins being infected with Sanguinare Vampiris at a remarkably young age; for one there’s that hidden red sparkle to be found behind those dark green eyes whenever he’s around blood, something of a fleeting moment when his blood thirst gets stirred. The second rather obvious hint comes in the pale complexion of his skin no matter how long he’s exposed to the heated rays of the sun though unlike most of his species he doesn’t burn when exposed to sunlight. A reason why Kirth is nicknamed the Vain Kris is directly associated with this strange phenomenon as his brother Maester Jon Vance at his father’s citadel created a protective balm that needs to be applied every day to permit the boy from walking beneath the sun…

Raised in a noble house of certain importance to the Riverlands it comes to no surprise that Kirth shows the same elegance and prestigious attires that any other higher noble wears on a daily basis. Whenever he doesn’t have to squire for his older brothers, Kirth prances through the city in his finest garments, tailored to his precise measurements by some of the famed tailors of Riverrun; whenever on duty first for his brother and now for the overlord of House Tully, Kirth will be guarded by his own unique suit of armor forged by Ben Blackthumb at Harrenhal. A custom-tailored brigandine with its surface layer made from boiled leather with a variation of a Byrnie chainmail underneath. The craft proves the wealth he descended from for seldom does one find a squire equipped with such superior quality product with purified castle-forged steel…

Powers and Abilities:
Being infected at a young age with Sanguinare Vampiris Kirth Louis Vance had to get comfortable with the associated abilities from the early beginning giving him just that little extra most of his kind don’t have. His speed is phenomenal having begun practicing its usage and applications the moment he could walk; Kirth combined the cursed speed that came with vampirism with agile and accurate techniques his brothers taught him permitting him to become an able swordsman but his brothers’ teachings are too limited for him to truly excel. To aid his quest to become a true master of the sword his father hired one of the Water Dancers from Bravos leaving Kirth to opt for the unconventional choice of a Braavosi Blade instead of the traditional greatsword wielded by the majority of knights…

The strength coming with vampirism is only weakly expressed in Kirth making him not stronger than the average soldier in the Riverrun ranks; there’s no punching through solid walls possible for him, not yet at least as the powers of a vampire seem to strengthen over time leaving Kirth to believe his physical strength will come later on in life. There are brief moments when the vampire’s strength surfaces often right after a feeding giving him that inhumane burst of energy needed to gain such potency that most expect from his kind. The hunger for blood however is also his greatest weakness for the longer it takes to find a source of fresh blood, the weaker he gets first vigor wise, having speed and balance disappear on the long run…

The legendary mind control of vampires is a pure myth according to Kirth who deems those stories to be nothing but drunken bar banter and folklore tales to scare kids with; in truth it’s a real feature available to him though in a limited version of those mythic telling as countless times Kirth has discovered weak-minded men are vulnerable to suggestions from his part. The victims of a feeding are unable to remember the events occurred once they’ve made eye contact with him and men or women whose inhibitions are lowered are susceptible to his words. The first time he noticed this ability was at a banquet hosted at his father’s castle managing to talk his drunken father into having him squire for his oldest brother ser Ronald Vance but ever since people either drunk, in pain, drugged or in ecstasy all yielded to his wishes…

NOTE!
Like all vampires Kirth Vance has an inherited weakness for sunlight permitting him to only walk outside during the night, heavy clouded days or solar eclipses but his younger brother Jon managed to find a way to evade the problems. Maester Jon who earned his silver, pale steel and pewter chain at the age of 12 created an herbal balm that wards Kirth from the sun’s burning light if the product is applied properly; this routine leaves Kirth to look vain amongst the other squires and knights her served resulting in the mocking nickname Kris the Vain…

Strengths:
• Swordsman: swift and accurate Bravos style swordsman
• Mind control: with suggestion he can manipulate feeble minds
• Accelerated healing: like all vampires he heals rapidly without scars

Weaknesses:
• Sunlight: only when not wearing his brother’s medicinal balm
• Blood Thirst: requires regular feeding to secure his strength
• Verbally: speaks with a lisp at the letters ‘s’, ‘c’, ‘p’ and ‘b’

Weapons of Choice:
Having begun as a page to his elder brother ser Ronald Vance, Kirth began his training to become a knight one day starting with blunted weapons. When reaching adolescence Kirth became a squire to his second brother Ser Hugo Vance who trained him in the way of the sword against his father’s wishes. Kirth however showed exceptional promise as a swordsman being faster than his brother, better balanced and within two months in his training Kirth began to beat his brothers in duels…

At age eleven his father accepted Kirth’s ambitions to join knighthood by hiring a master of the sword from Bravos; a Water Dancer the man was called training the fourth son of the Vance lineage in the ways of the Braavosi Blade. Being a slender variety of the typical swords wielded in Westeros, Kirth requested the forging of his precious Joyeuse. In the fashion of a rapier this slender blade, with only a single sharpened edge Joyeuse was crafted for the thrust rather than the cutting motions of the traditional swords…

Joyeuse was a sword imported from Bravos on Kirth’s request; its blade reaches four feet 3 inches and is about 1.5 inches wide, slightly longer and wider than the average Braavosi Blade used by the Water Dancers. The grip is decorated in the traditions of Seven Kingdoms’ swords with a typical pommel in the Riverlands style; the guard is a three leaved metal construction with two thorns to opposite sides protecting Kirth’s grip on the sword in heavy parries or skilful blocks. The blade however is remarkably flexible permitting the slender blade to block even a much heavier greatsword with ease…

When his younger brother and Maester Jon Vance sought to earn his pale steel chain for smithing, he turned towards his brother Kirth who’s vampirism offered a new opportunity for his craft. Together with Kirth they developed a new variation of the existing daggers that apply his unique fighting style with reevaluated craftsmanship. A pair of blades was designed to function as parrying daggers with the distinct feature to lock in an enemy blade during a block; the unique guard like a bear trap springs shut on impact…

With the blades linked together on the initial stage, the parry knife when locking a blade dislodges in two symmetrical halves; moving the separate halves across the opponent’s locked sword will dull the blade and induce metallic strain that might cause it to fracture. Kirth loves these fancy trinkets his brother crafted for him yet seldom uses them in the application they were designed for due to the hazards associated with the function; Instead he wears them separately using them as common parry knives. Many people seeing these blades are reminded of a kris dagger leading to the nickname Kirth is given by the knights and squires he encountered along his travels…

Armor of Choice:
When Kirth’s ambitions to become a knight were proven to his father, Lord Norbert Vance commissioned the blacksmith from Harrenhal, Ben Blackthumb to make a fitted suit of armor for his son. At first the younger Maester Jon Vance requested to make it on behalf of his brother but their father ensured his sons that every knight needed armor forged with castle-steel if they ever wish to be taken serious in the knighthood circles of Westeros. The armor was an expensive purchase demanding a significant chunk of the Vance treasury as Lord Norbert Vance has already bought three suits of armor, three tournament horses and three warhorses for his first three sons who’d each joined knighthood beneath the Riverlands’ banners; still his father wished to secure the finest quality of craft his money could buy as he watched another of his sons venture out into the journey to knighthood…

Ben Blackthumb however faced a horrendous task when accepting the fourth suit of armor requested from the lord of Vance of Atranta as Kirth wasn’t the easiest of customers to work for. The first version of the armor was a heavy plate cuirass crafted for a member likely to join the cavalry like his brothers yet Kirth refused to wear such encumbering equipment. The second armor crafted from him was similar to the lighter equipment of the Northern men using chainmail and steel protective elements but Kirth believed the loose fit limited his mobility which was most valued by a man using the Bravos styled swordsman. On the third attempt the blacksmith hit the mark with a custom-tailored brigandine with its surface layer made from boiled leather with a variation of a Byrnie chainmail hidden beneath; rather than using regular riveted rings however he used a scale variation shaped like ellipses which avoided the noise effects of regular chainmail and offers a denser protection compared to plated armor…

To avoid giving away which was his sword arm, Kirth agreed to wearing symmetrical pauldrons made from sturdy steel while having requested to extend the existing tassets with three more inches and an additional strap to fasten it ‘round the upper legs above the knee. Maneuverability is the most required trait of his armor so to Kirth’s precise instructions the blacksmith ensured no piece of the armor moved loosely or made any sound other than the shifting of air by his movements. The colors were kept natural, allowing the beauty of the craftsmanship to give the armor its praise rather than adding additional decorations to give it a more aesthetically appealing look. The armor has its flaws but like most Kirth simply learned to compensate for the defects in design by adapting his technique to the small windows in his defense; being a vampire also gives him the peace of mind that any minor injuries sustained would heal at an accelerated rate so they don’t debilitate his performances…

Background History:
In the Riverlands the noble family of Vance of Atranta is a well-established House sworn to House Tully of Riverrun; there are two separate branches of this family each led by their own patron yet all loyal to their overlord. In Atranta lord Norbert Vance, an elder blind man led his family with five sons all ambitious and destined for greatness. Ser Ronald Vance, his eldest son and heir to the family’s fortune and keep is a sturdy knight with various victories on his belt and countless trophies earned in knighting tournaments; Ronald is a robust lad with broad shoulders and a cold heart focused entirely on bringing honor and glory to his father’s House. The second son came just two years later as Ser Hugo Vance entered this world; Hugo was a chubby fellow skilled on a horse yet horribly lazy and bored when it came to the political matters of the family. Third came Ser Ellery Vance with almost five winter between him and his older brother; Ellery was a handsome fellow with a preference for male companions in his bed rather than the elegant company of women. Then came the fourth son, a black sheep in the family who’d become a blemish on the Vance family tree when the incident occurs. The fifth son would come as well, a brilliant mind becoming one of the most promising Maesters in the Seven Kingdoms as Maester Jon Vance would earn his three chains before his twelfth winter...

The incident occurred when Kirth Vance was barely old enough to walk between his first and second winter where he’d already proven to be quite a handful for his father, brothers and the caretaker who watched him in his mother’s absence. There’s a prelude to the story yet like most of these tales go in noble houses it involved the lord of the House bedding a servant, in this case Kirth’s caretaker and the relation ending when the infidelity came to the court’s attention. Lord Norbert Vance ended his amorous affair with the woman deciding to discard her from his services yet the woman wouldn’t permit such a regrettable decision; Marcia Valances the caretaker who’d raised the four sons of House Vance carried a macabre dark secret being one of the Night’s Children infected with the wretched bane of Sanguinare Vampiris known in general as vampirism. On the day of her resignation she snuck back into the infant bedroom where she fed the boy Kirth Vance her blood to infect him with the same grievous affliction as the one coursing through her veins. The child was infected and in that dreaded night the infection spread throughout young Kirth’s body cursing him with the sinister blight of Sanguinare Vampiris before being drenched in the blood of his caretaker taking her own life. Lord Norbert Vance would forever regret the day he confessed to his adultery as now his treasury would have to fund the preservation of his fourth son’s curse…

Growing up being considered the blemish on the family crest by his affliction, Kirth Vance became a classic over-achiever doing whatever was needed to gain his father’s favor again as the old man since the incident had denied him any attention. His oldest brother was the first to show interest in Kirth’s enhanced abilities, finding him an interesting object for study yet his plan was masked with an offer of apprenticeship. Ser Ronald Vance took Kirth under his wing as his personal page, beginning to train the ambitious fellow in the ways of the knight. With wooden practice swords they fought every day in the backyard giving careful instructions regarding Kirth’s footing and poise which often fell on deaf ears; Kirth tended to do what came natural to him, defying his brother’s directions on many occasions. The fourth son lacked his brother’s sturdy build leaving his swordsmanship with the greatsword heavily flawed and with many distinct weaknesses left exposed to his opponent; Kirth’s perseverance however was what set him apart as with each defeat he began training harder until the midst of night. His lack of strength was compensated with swift and agile moves learning to work his way around his brother’s superior might; in the duels to follow Kirth would triumph time and time again in duels leaving his other brothers to join in yet none could any longer with the fourth son’s gift that was enhanced by the curse he had to bear…

When Kirth came off age to trade his page years for the noble services of an appointed squire, he’d already triumphed over all his brothers in duel disregarding the fact each of them possesses the honorable title of knight in service of the Riverlands and their father’s keep of Atranta. His speed and agility bestowed on him by the Sanguinare Vampiris granted him a brilliant superiority in battle yet the burdening weight of the greatsword seemed to grievously slow him down; his father now convinced off Kirth’s request to join knighthood send out word to various cities within the Seven Kingdoms and beyond to seek the aid of an able swordsman who could teach his son; hundreds of fighters and Maesters presented themselves to the Lord of Atranta yet in each duel they were bested by the swiftness of his fourth son until a remarkable figure from Bravos across the Narrow Sea presented himself to Lord Norbert Vance’s court. Calling himself a Water Dancer, Syrio Forel introduced the young squire of the house to Water Dancing, teaching him the ways of quick graceful movements, stealth and balance could offer a more suited style for a boy afflicted with vampirism. For once Kirth decided to pay attention taking in the careful and specific instructions of Syrio though ever so often he did put the brave swordsman’s patient to the test; often Kirth decided to use the technique he was taught for boasting against the guardsman recruits of their house though by being forbidden to use the Water Dancing for purposes other than knightly defense. His brothers grew more frustrated with Kirth’s arrogance and gloating after each victory claimed refusing to take him as their squire again…

Lord Norbert Vance however wouldn’t permit the young Kirth to leave their keep for the commoners wouldn’t understand the ailment that held his son captive; all could see the obvious distinctions that hinted to his vampire nature, from the sickly pale skin to his remarkable absence of scars though the boy was often struck by his brother’s sword at the start of his training. When the sun hit his skin, the flesh would first begin to fizzle and smoke as if meat placed on a brazier before it would begin to boil and burn like the boy was bathed in wildfire. Kirth was confined to the castle only permitted to wander outside the walls when the sun had descended beneath the mountains where the Tumblestone sprouts. His talent was doomed to remain bond within his father’s halls, never allowing others to see the potential House Vance of Atranta harbored until his youngest brother came with a possible solution. Maester Jon was a brilliant child, not blessed with his family’s aptitude to battle yet set apart by an astonishing brilliance. Before the young child saw his twelfth winter he’d already accomplished what most Maesters could only dream about having earned three chains already with esteemed praise from his peers at Oldtown. His research however was focused on remedial treatments to cure Kirth’s affliction yet all he managed to resolve what the vulnerability to the sun. The medicinal ointment he prepared for Kirth needed to be applied daily across all skin exposed, serving as a film that blocked the burning light resulting in the perception of Kirth being vain…

With his primary problem resolved in regards to his origins, Kirth’s life would once more present the opportunities his father had wished for him at birth; the doors to knighthood had once more opened to his fourth son who’d be able to continue the Vance of Atranta lineage in the knightly services of the Riverlands. The ravens were sent to all other noble houses within their reach, requesting their knights to accept Kirth Louis Vance and train him until the boy was found worthy of becoming knighted himself. Lord Norbert Vance contracted Ben Blackthumb again to heat up his forge and cast another of Harrenhall’s famous armor on behalf of his son; Syrio Forel was requested to return to his homestead in Bravos to collect a sword worthy of Kirth’s remarkable talent whereas Kirth’s brother Maester Jon began the construction of a pair of parrying daggers to aid his brother in battle. All of the Riverlands’ knights found worthy to Lord Norbert’s fourth son received word of Kirth’s search for apprenticeship while the boy simply continued his training with the Water Dancer of Bravos. Three years went by with occasional opportunities taken yet Kirth’s ambitions demanded the boy to reach for greatness, making him dream of standing along Lord Edmure Tully’s side and leading the Riverlands to one day claim the Iron Throne of King’s Landing…

Additional Pictures:

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