The Tale of Nathan Brazil, the Vampire with the Golden Watch
Once upon a very dark time, hidden deep in the shadowed forests of Eastern Europe, a young man named Nathan walked the earth. Life was simple then, with the world still in its medieval age. But Nathan's fate was anything but ordinary. One cold, moonlit night, he met a vampire and was forever changed, cursed with an unending thirst and a life lived in darkness.
Years passed, then centuries, and Nathan grew powerful, becoming a master vampire. People whispered his name in fear. For Nathan Brazil was no ordinary vampire—he came from a line of bat-controllers, vampires so skilled that they could command creatures of the night to serve their every whim. But Nathan was known for much more than his bats; he was feared for his heart of iron and his mind set on vengeance.
If someone dared cross him, they would pay the price. He was unrelenting, with plans that stretched out for years, even decades. He would find his enemies’ families, their friends, and their loved ones. He would wait until they least expected it, striking with a vengeance so dark and so patient that it seemed to come from the shadows themselves. He was nearly unkillable, with a body that could withstand even the fiercest blows, and a mind sharpened by hundreds of years of pain and hatred.
And yet, this seemingly unstoppable vampire had one weakness. Long ago, he had fallen in love with a witch named Anna, who held a piece of his heart like no one else ever could. Knowing his strength and his thirst, Anna feared what might happen one day if his rage ever turned upon her. So she forged a golden watch, enchanting it with powerful spells. This watch, she told him, would allow her—or anyone who held it—to control him, should he ever lose himself in one of his terrible rages.
Though he hesitated, Nathan agreed, and the watch became his single vulnerability. But then, one dark night, the watch was stolen. For a hundred years, he has searched for it, and every whispered rumor that it might be hidden somewhere in America stokes the flames of his wrath even higher.
Now Nathan wanders the cities and backroads of the United States, searching for the watch, hunting those who might stand in his way, and haunted by the memory of his lost love. He keeps company with a gang of outlaws, letting them serve as his eyes, ears, and willing servants in the human world. They help him search, and together they prowl the streets like wolves, growing stronger with each passing night.
If you ever see a figure lurking in the shadows, surrounded by a cloud of bats, be wary. It may be the vampire with the golden watch on his mind, and if you have something he desires—or even worse, if you try to stop him—be warned: he will find you, no matter where you hide, and he won’t rest until he gets what he wants.
And so, the vampire Nathan Brazil roams the night, searching, plotting, and waiting. The golden watch is out there somewhere, and when he finally finds it, heaven help anyone who dares to stand in his way.
Nathan Brazil: immortal vampire
At nearly 500 years old, Nathan Brazil comes from a famous line of bat-controlling vampires and he is currently in the United States, searching for a powerful magic item as well as plotting his revenge against past enemies (and also looking for new ones). What makes him a excellent foil for your campaigns is threefold. First, he is unforgiving and unrelenting: if you have crossed him or hindered him in any way, he will get revenge, in the worst possible way and at his own time and choosing. Typically this will involve going after family members of your group. Second, as a enhanced master vampire, he is virtually unkillable...... MORE HERE SOON
As a vampire ages, his powers grow, and the longer a vampire has been alive, the more powerful he becomes and the more supernatural abilities he gains. Nathan Brazil is a Master Vampire with all the powers and abilities thereof, and has the following ones as well:
HIS ADDITIONAL POWERS (per Rifter #49)
Blood Scenting
Control Undead
Create a swarm of bats (from within his body)
Flight +80
Impervious to Physical Harm
Improved Speed +80
Improved Strength +30
Move Silently
Summon Bats (from around him)
Summon Fog
Telepathic Link with "Children"
Turn into a Bat (bestial humanoid form)
Unearthly Beauty
HIS CREATOR
Very little is known about the vampires that Nathan Brazil comes from other than the head of the Line is Nicolas Walderson, the Bat-King of Wallachia. This of course gives Nathan all of his bat powers, including the ability to create a large swarm of bats instantly from within his body, to call any nearby diseased bats to his aid, and to turn into a giant monstrous humanoid bat-form. Combined with his Summon Fog ability, this creates a terrifying.... MORE HERE SOON
MOTIVATIONS
Currently, there are three things really motivate Nathan Brazil:
Finding Anna's Watch: Nathan's Achilles Heel is a magical golden watch that his lover (Anna) created to partially control him. She was worried about him biting her during one of his animalistic rages and losing her witchy powers, so she enchanted his watch (with his permission) and whoever owns the watch can physically control him if he is within 10 miles. The watch was stolen a century ago and Nathan is determined to get it back! Rumor has it placed in America somewhere but....MORE HERE SOON
Destroy Vampire Hunter Groups: his primary goal now that his vampire coven has been mostly destroyed by them. MORE HERE SOON
Find a Way to Die: a subconscious thing mostly. MORE HERE SOON
MORE HERE SOON
HISTORY
Born sometime in the latter Dark Ages (records are scarce during that time period), Nathan Brazil is most likely Romanian or Hungarian and he apparently lived a normal life until he was converted into a vampire. For an unknown reason, Nathan hates all Germans with a passion. Some who know him say he believes the Germans caused the 1000 year Dark Ages (they did) and both the world wars (also true), killing millions upon millions of innocent people. With this in mind, he probably sees all Germans as an utterly evil force across history and thus takes great pleasure and his time killing any German soldier or civilian that crosses his path.
His lover Anna refused his immortal bite and died in 1899 AD. Ever since he lost the love of his life he has had an ongoing subconscious death wish. Later, he moved to Brazil and grew a small power-base in the port city of Recife. However, in 1955 AD a group of very experienced vampire slayers eventually hunted down his coven and wiped it out, all except Nathan and two of his more powerful servants. Licking his wounds, he fled to the United States, vowing revenge.
As he has grown in experience and cunning, Brazil's master vampire powers have continually increased and eventually he has gained the potent ability to Control the Undead. He also recently gained the impressive ability to be Impervious to Physical Harm, making him an extremely difficult foe to destroy. Both of these powers make him a very powerful enemy indeed. However, Nathan suffers from depression and grief over losing the love of his life and the majority of his vampire coven in Brazil, and this can make him reckless in various situations. He currently resides in a large unnamed American city, creating a few new minions among a small but vicious drug-dealing motorcycle gang. With many centuries behind him, he is now likely strong enough to survive the destruction of his creator Nicolas Walderson.
FINAL NOTES
Since Nathan Brazil is not created by a Vampire Intelligence, he is perfect for the Nightbane setting. He would also work well as a main villain for the Beyond the Supernatural game, however he is a bit overpowered for the BTS setting so removing his "Impervious to Physical Harm" and "Control the Undead" should bring him down to a more correct level for that game.