The QotD O.C. List: Boston

Queen of the Dead was my first real foray into serious fan fiction, and serious writing in general. Because of that, it presented a lot of firsts to me, and paramount among them was the infamous Original Character. The Ravens, Bevin and Ciara were my very first. But since then, they've come in droves, and I've had to fight them back with a stick. This post will serve as a guide to readers, and a 'casting list' of my significant original characters, in order of appearance, and updated as I go along with the series.

Bevin - Wereraven, Boston
Bevin is the Corvus, or male dominant, of the Cathu Bodva flight of Ravens. He resides in Boston, with Angeline and serves as one of her chief guards and advisers, as well as her friend. They have spent many years together, having met originally before Angeline left her station in Ireland. The power of the Ravens leans highly towards death magic, and towards metaphysical in general. Along with shifting at will, and calling power (especially through song - his name takes root from a word that means 'melodious') Bevin has demonstrated talent at crossing into 'the other realm', communicating with the dead, and reading minds. While he's spent years at Angeline's side, he is a mated, monogamous pair with Ciara.

Ciara - Wereraven, Boston
Ciara is the Morrigan, or femail dominant of Angeline's flight of ravens, and mated with Bevin. Her name, meaning 'spear', is evident in her pointed features and sharp with. She's rather flinty, and stand-offish, but it is an effect of her gift - the gift of visions. She can see into the future, a short distance, and Jason appears to throw her visions into overdrive for some reason. By the time they leave Boston, she has warmed to Anita and the others.

Rhoswyn - Vampire, Boston
Rhoswyn is Angeline's second. She was made by Angeline, and is therefore of Belle's line. Her tastes for sexual entertainments run towards the exotic, and often painful for her chosen partners. She's a white-blond bombshell, with a head for business. Lions are her animal to call, and she was quite taken with Haven, to his chagrin.

Angeline - Vampire, Master of Boston
Angeline is around four centuries old. She was made by Asher, and is a vampire in Belle Morte's line. Her power forte is that of charm and persuasion. She uses these skills mercilessly to garner political sway and is an expert at the game of diplomacy. Of course, she is beautiful, tall, slender, blond and statuesque, dressing at the height of fashion. Anita takes an instant liking to her, and they form a kinship over the duties and trials of being a female in a position of power. Anita respects and admires the way Angeline handles herself. Angeline's secondary powers are that she is also a Night Hag - able to feed off of fear, and that the wereravens are her animal to call. Her power to feed off of fear is minor, but contributes to her taste for S&M which has become renowned. Her mansion in Boston is known as 'The House of Pain'.

Angeline has known Asher and Jean-Claude for many years, having been made by Asher. Her lingering feelings for him were also made apparent when she saw him again in Boston. She also spent some time in Moroven's castle, learning to use her skills as a Night Hag, and in the course of that stay, did meet Damian, though he is very tight-lipped about the nature of their relationship, if any.

Angeline's thirst for power is evident in the way she handles her business. She gained control of Boston by forcing the old Master to resign to her, using both her political plotting and the power of the wereravens as a very serious threat. She has also bolstered her status, becoming a prominent political socialite and building a strong kiss of more than one hundred vampires, plus wereravens. By the end of Part III, Anita has also blood-oathed the local church members to her, giving her another boost in power.

Alexandre - Vampire, Boston
Alex, was my most important original character, as is later revealed, when he is the key to Anita's final triumvirate. He's a few centuries old, and was turned when he was older, nearing fifty. He has an olive complexion and wings of silver hair at his temples. He's a scholar in every true sense of the word, and an accomplished composer and musician. His studies have focused on the occult and metaphysical and it is his avid curiosity about Necromancy that first draws him to Anita, while it is his piano music that draws her to him.

As it turns out, Alex gets along quite well with the others, who welcome him into the fold. Upon meeting, he falls head-over-heals in love with Asher, and his feelings are later validated by the other vampire, with whom he spends one night before leaving. He takes on a fatherly role in Anita's life, something that she had been needing, and even wished for. His powers are that of mind control and telekinesis. These are heightened after he forms Anita's final triumvirate with Haven. He also gains some connection with lions through this bond.

Detective Peter Cornell - Human, Boston
Det. Cornell is brought in to investigate Angeline and her Ravens, who are suspects in a murder case in Boston. He is generally rude, and has a clear dislike for preternaturals - later telling Anita that he knows she and the monsters are involved, and he plans to reveal it. But, in the end, he proves a necessary catalyst for an important realization for Anita.

Alan Turner - Vampire, Boston
Alan Turner is the head of the Church of Eternal Life in Boston. He's a fanatical believer, who thinks he is truly 'freeing' people by converting them to the Church. His resistance to being bound to Angeline is finally squelched when Anita arrives.

Part III: Boston Minor Characters
Mayor Dean Shea - Mayor of Boston
Sarah Winters - Human murder victim, recruit to the Church of Eternal Life
Deacon Stanley Smith - Deacon of the Church of Eternal Life
Senator Charles McGavvie - Mass. Senator backing a bill for paranormal immigration rights.