Physical Description

A large and imposing figure of a vampwelf, broader and more heavyset than most of his kin, He certainly leaves an impression. Boris' age has done little to dull his intimidating visage, as while his fur might be grayer than black, and his hair reduced to wisps of gray strands framing his face, his deeply furrowed, nearly constant expression of discontent leave no secrets to his continence, and his form, though flabbier and more wrinkled than in his youth, is no less powerful.

He wears clothes befitting a man of his prestige and station, a fine coat of armor, dyed the red color of his house. When out, he wears a fine black cape with red lining over his shoulders, though it must be said that these days he rarely goes out. He adorns himself in a small selection of adornments, some of a rather macabre nature, but most rather practical.

During times of official business he wears the Von Drakken Crown, a heavy iron thing carved of fluted molding and bat-like ornamentation. On other occasions he contents himself with using his staff of office as a walking stick, though he's adamant that he doesn't truly need one.

Personality

As stubborn and hard a man as has ever cursed any world with his presence. Boris von Drakken is a dour, bitter man possessed of little capacity for love or kindness. Even to his own family he spares little sympathy if they do not meet his standards, and even when they do he is loathe to give them more praise than he feels they've earned.

To his rivals and adversaries he's even less charitable. He cares little for any opinion that cannot be backed by force of arms, and the games that many of the vampwelf nobility play bore and infuriate him. As a consequence vampwelf high society has little love for Boris, not that he cares, for he has little respect for them in return. Relatedly he cares little for 'honeyed words' and prefers to be direct and straightforward, weaseling about an issue will do nothing but annoy him, and one does not want to see an annoyed Boris.

In many ways, he's an overgrown bully in fact, preferring force to diplomacy or even a simple discussion in the majority of scenarios. He is of the mind that any problem can be resolved with sufficient force, and as the leader of the most powerful force on his world, he has had few opportunities to be contested on this matter. He's a man that takes what he wants, and the best people can hope for from him is that they don't have anything he wants.

Despite this some people insist that deep down there is something better and decent in Boris. If this is true, then it is truly buried deep indeed, for Boris shows little indication of it.

History

Boris' history is mostly known through the chronicles of House von Drakken, and those are rather embellished, but what can be gleaned is the following. Boris was the third son of the current Prince von Drakken, Balderick von Drakken. By accounts Balderick was impressively even worse than Boris is, and may go a long way in explaining Boris' behavior. As the third son, Boris was not expected to inherit, and instead was expected to be a great general in the Von Drakken armies, to the extant that he was made to sleep in the garrisons of the household guard rather than his princely quarters. Despite that, he recalls it as the happiest days of his life.

Then something serendipitous happened. Balderick, and Boris' two other brothers suddenly died. By all accounts they were killed when Balderick foolishly led the army into a cleverly constructed trap during their latest war with House von Elzenstein. Boris was spared, as he was assigned to watch Castle Drakkendorf. Suddenly, Boris was the Head of house von Drakken. But more importantly the young Boris, His father and two older brothers had been killed by members of House von Elzenstein, and while Boris did not particularly care for any of them, least of all his father, such a grievance against his house could not stand.

And thus Boris set the tempo for his reign as Prince von Drakken, leading the bulk of the House's army in a grand assault on Castle Elzengradz, which only ended when Boris himself has severed Duke Carlo von Elzenstein's head from his shoulders, and triumphantly speared it upon his banner, cackling all the way in victory march back to Castle Drakkendorf. In the years since, Boris has called and lead many wars, for various reasons, most against his newly discovered rival, the successor to Duke Carlo, his nephew Bela, who in time became the closest thing the unsavory Boris considered a friend.

Special

None.

Trivia

• As a youth Boris reportedly had a fling with an oomn servant girl. Boris does not react well to inquiries of this event, though as a note, oomn do not live very long, so she is certainly dead. Boris does not react well to assertions of that fact.

• Boris went to space once, for a political function. Reportedly he found the occasion very unpleasant and swore to never go into the stars ever again.

• Boris entertains Bela as a guest on a bi-weekly schedule, in which he indulges in the thing he finds enjoyable: Nichtendrakk Racing, Nichtendrakk Jousting, and Wrestling. Boris picks these activities because he knows he's better at them than Bela is.

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