Viktor Stahlschmidt

Gangrel Adventurer/Guerilla

A character for Vampire: The Masquerade®

 

"In 1749, I was liberated from life.  In unlife, now I fight to liberate the living from oppression." - V

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Viktor Stahlschmidt

 

Obvious Habits

Things that one would notice if interacting with Viktor.  Fell free to remind me of them if you are playing a fellow PC in our campaign.

Greeting: Viktor's handshake is very physical.  He clasps the forearm of those he shakes hands with, gripping firmly, but not squeezing hard.  He generally uses this form of greeting regardless of gender.  Bowing to courtly ladies is something he is learning to do.  When greeting the Prince, he will generally stand at a distance and cast his gaze slightly lower than usual, about 30 degrees from horizontal.  He will greet the Prince by bowing his head very slightly and firmly clapping his clenched right fist to his left breast.  It is unclear if this is intended to show a warrior's respect or mock the court proceedings.  Thus far, it has amused the court too greatly to be viewed poorly.

Personal space: Whether unconsciously or not, Viktor does not respect personal space very well.  It is unclear if it is out of disrespect or a different upbringing than most.  He does not press up against people or push them around, but sometimes he stands uncomfortably close to people when conversing with them.  Otherwise, he often stands at an appropriate distance for sword fighting, especially when confronted by strangers.

Hygiene: Viktor does not smell clean or dirty.  His clothes and skin typically have a light layer of fresh dirt on them, but neither are grimy or filthy.  He exhibits no concern about getting dirty.  For court, he actually shaves most of his beard off and cleans him self up [see  "The Faces of Viktor Stahlschmidt" page].

Talking: Viktor tends to be blunt and speak in terms of a hunter.  When hunting of kine is discussed his concerns are more focused on avoiding "depletion of the stock" and maintaining "balance with the environment."

Gaze: Viktor does not look people in the eye when he talks to them.  Actually, it is uncertain at any time that he is actually paying attention to anyone talking to him.  He tends to focus his vision about fifteen degrees below horizontal, essentially looking at the chest of someone if he is standing at a normal distance for conversation.  When his eyes are visible, they seem to be engaged in a "thousand yard stare" not unlike that seen with veterans of protracted wars, especially those that involve close-in fighting and excessive use of ambush tactics.  He casts his gaze lower when addressing the Prince, about 30 degrees below horizontal.  He tends to track motion constantly, which may be distracting for those talking to him.
 

Physical Description (his face)

A man walks into the tavern.  His frame is a little larger than most, but he looks thin, as if he was once quite strapping but is now living lean.  Scandinavian, yes, that's it, he looks Scandinavian.  He looks as sturdy as his clothes.  Rugged brown wool pants are held up by suspenders that are pulled up over a loose white cotton shirt.  The sleeves are rolled up to mid forearm and his hands have a rough look to them.  A traveling cloak completes the picture.  It has a dark reddish brown color to it and his arms pass through slits in the cloak, rather than sleeves.

He looks well-groomed and clean, in spite of the layer of dust on his clothes and hands.  His hair is short and his mustache and tiny chin beard are reasonably well trimmed, groomed roughly in the style of a swashbuckler.  The outline of a saber scabbard can just barely be made out under the cloak.  Piercing, ice-blue eyes scan the room as if the man is looking for a specific person.  His eyes meet yours and dwell for just a moment, then move on.

He moves over to the fire, his steps sounding clearly as the heels of his riding boots strike the planks of the floor.  It's almost as if he is trying to be noticed.  He sits down and pours a small amount of water over his hands, washing away the trail dust and rinses his face as well.  He smoothes his sandy blond hair back and then goes through the motions of warming his hands by the fire.  His leg presses against the cloak and the outline of a tapered rod can be seen.  Is that a stake?  Tension rises in you momentarily as you once again make a mental note of every portal in the room.  A vampire hunter would be a very unwelcome nuisance tonight.  Then you notice that he sits a little too far from the flames for someone seeking warmth.  No wait.  Yes.  He still hasn't blinked.  What a relief; he is just another corpse like yourself.