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Jebediah (Jeby) Godfrey (of) Lankis
Born: 10 February 1227 A.D.
Saying: Crazy like a fox.
What Of ‘Em: Jeby is any things, one of which is a vampire. As a vampire he is basically normal, no ‘chosen one’ helm to bear or such things. He is, at times, thoughtless and stands on the verge of stupidity, and he seems to be just below the norm when it comes to strength. What he lacks in sheer intellect and physical prowess, however, he makes up for in guile and cleverness. At our story’s beginning he is somewhere between 75 and 76 years-old. Although he can appear cute, harmless and rather clueless at times, Jeby’s motives almost always come from his self-centered and vain tendencies. That said, he has rare moments of sincerity and thoughtfulness, though these are often brought on by the actions of those he cares for. He is Liz’s junior by a year and although they pick at one another almost constantly, he knows she is always willing to help him, however reluctant she may act. Jeby shares his sister’s beliefs on vampire-nonvampire relationships, but he tends to be more lax in taking these ideals to task (i.e. his relationship with Mercutio). If asked about this he would undoubtedly say it was the work of his father, Lord Jamus Godfrey of Lankis, who told both of his children to always keep open minds about love. Despite their differences in beliefs, Liz, Jeby and their father have no real anger towards one another. Jeby has never been able to solidify a real, intimate relationship with anyone. As a gay man he drinks only male blood and more often than not his lovers become meals once the deed is done. Mercutio is the sole exception to this, a fact that has made Jeby quite awkward when he has the opportunity to bite the younger man. To make things worse, Mercutio’s blood smells better to Jeby than any other vital fluid he has ever tasted or smelled. However, Jeby finds that he sees Mercutio as more of a friend than a meal. While this unusual for him, the relief of having someone to talk to and laugh with who is not family seems to have done Jeby a world of good, according to Liz and Righty. Whether or not Jeby is truly in love with Mercutio seems to depend on whether or not Jeby can, in fact, see other men as having equal importance to his own.
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Elizabeth (Liz) Maria (of) Lankis
Born: 12 March 1226 A.D.
Saying: The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it.
What Of ‘Em: Liz is the exact opposite of what a Renaissance girl should be. She’s big, highly opinionated and loud, abrasive and strong as an ox (in both will power and brute strength). Because of these qualities she spends most of her time at home, reading or helping her father, Lord Jamus Godfrey of Lankis, with his writing. While Liz can be self-serving like her brother she thinks of others considerably more than he does and has a deep rooted respect for those who live life to the fullest. Like the other members of her family Liz is a vampire and, unlike he father, has many of the same beliefs that other vampires do. One of the most paramount of these is that vampire-nonvampire relationships are a catastrophic idea and, for the sakes of everyone involved, should not be. She makes an exception to this, however, when it comes to Mercutio and Jeby. This is, she admits, because Jeby seems to be endlessly happier with Mercutio in his life, and that the change the human has caused has made her brother that much more of a better person. Liz is not to be reckoned with on any other beliefs, however. She, like her brother, has no inhibitions about killing humans, though she only drinks female blood. This is, simply, because she is as gay as her brother. If not more. Liz and Jeby often fight as brothers and sisters do, but when it comes down to the wire Liz would win in any physical or mental combat between the two. While she would get better grades than him in school, if they went to more modern educational facilities, she knows that Jeby can think up better schemes for revenge and will always go to him when she affairs outside the Lankis household become matters of vengeance.
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Mercutio
Born: July 16 1286
Saying: Good humor is the health of the soul, sadness its poison.
What Of ‘Em: Mercutio is a young man who stands out from several norms both inside and outside of Dead Men. Originally a humor and plot device created by William Shakespeare he caught my attention when I had to play him in a cheap school play. It was his presence in my mind that brought Jeby out of his first role as a villain and into the role of the vampire we know today. My interpretation of him has, in fact, led to a character who stands apart from Shakespeare’s original man. Mercutio has a troubled family life that brought him from poverty to being the step-son of the Prince’s cousin. Because of his father’s murder and his mother’s remarriage, one would assume that he would be bent on avenging his father. This is not so, for Mercutio believes that his father would not want his only son wasting his life in anguish and bloodshed. Thus, Mercutio devotes much of his time to laughter and living life to the fullest. He is a friend to Romeo and a Montague sympathizer, as well as a suitor of Juliet (though he feels only brotherly affection towards her and is only acting as a suitor at the behest of his step-father). He is considerably calmer and more thoughtful than Jeby. However, his jokes can take a crueler or perverse twist when he gets too into them or is addressing those he does not favor (i.e. Tybalt). Mercutio is, however, rather forgiving and will do his best to be friends with someone, be they downtrodden or otherwise compromised. This creates a happy parallel to Jeby’s one track mind and the two get along well because of their differences. Despite his peace loving nature, Mercutio is something of an accomplished swordsman and, though he is short and seems stringy, he is quick and wiry where it counts. Although he has been in both fist fights and proper duels, Mercutio has never taken a life and does not relish the thought of doing so. Because of Jeby’s sheltered lifestyle and Mercutio’s life experience, the two sometimes resemble Huckleberry Fin and Tom Sawyer. Though Mercutio is not necessarily jealous of Jeby, he will not think twice about scoffing when Jeby encounters something minor in life and overreacts or acts petty over small things that matter only to him. Mercutio, though he has to hide much of his sex life from the prying eyes of Verona and the rest of the world, is gay. While his hiding may label him ‘closeted’ he is very affirmed in his homosexuality and his masculinity, making him easy and free on both subjects, however socially pecked he may be. Mercutio is guarded about feelings that run any deeper than affection and lust. If he is in love with Jeby balances on if he feels he can trust his vampire counterpart.
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Righty
Assigned: July 16 1286
Saying: True religion is real living; living with all one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness.
What Of 'Em: Righty is the personification of all of Jeby's goodness. He is kind, selfless, and a bit awkward. While he acts much more mature and is wiser than Lefty, the two are more or less the same age. He is a fan of Heaven's big-spot angels, one of which is Jeby's father's shoulder-angel, Rightmus. As an angel, Righty is without gender, just as Lefty is as a former angel, but the two are shown as men because their appearance is a slightly altered version of Jeby's own visage. Righty loves his job, and has the personality and speaking patterns of a favorite elementary-school guidance counselor. His favorite animal is a brown rabbit.
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Lefty
Assigned: July 16 1286
Saying: It's hard to be humble when you're so fuckin' big!
What Of 'Em: Left is Jeby left shoulder demon, hence his name. He is a symbol of Jeby's less-than-holy-habits, and as such is very vain, rather mean, and always hungry. He is a young demon, but prides himself on his Hell-street-smarts. He has earned his wings, unlike his counterpart, by convincing Jeby to kill someone without having to physically appear to the vampire. The fact that Righty was bestowed his wings rather than earned them is of great irritation to Lefty. His favorite animal is the wild boar.
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Romeo Montague
The young heir to the Montague family, Romeo is hormonal and impulsive. However, deep down he does want for everything to turn out for the best, despite what fate may have in store. He is the lover and husband of Juliet, a fact that almost everyone in Verona knows. No one has come forward to his father for fear of the Lord’s outrage at finding his son married to the heir of his enemy. Thus, Romeo does not know that almost everyone else is in on his secret. He is a long time friend of Mercutio’s, the two having known one another since Mercutio was three and Romeo two. The fact that Romeo is so much taller than Mercutio is a source of constant aggravation to the latter.
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Benvolio Montague
Benvolio is Romeo’s cousin and a friend to nearly everyone. He is offend nervous, as he has to clean up after his relative and Mercutio when the two get themselves into mischief. Benvolio’s primary jobs are explaining what has happened to either Romeo or Mercutio, and trying to keep them out of trouble. He is very nervous about the ongoing feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, and whenever the underlings of the families try to fight he tries to keep the peace. He really just wants everything to settle down.
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Juliet Capulet
Juliet is a sweet and charming girl, and the sole heiress to the Capulet fortune. She does not frequently think of the future and is similar to Romeo in her impulsive behavior. She is the lover and wife to the Montague’s heir and is under pressure to marry, due to the fact that her parents don’t know of her and Romeo’s tryst. One suitor of hers is Mercutio, who has been pressure from his step-father to marry her and create a common ally between the families. She is very polite and innocent but has deep passions that offend led her astray.
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Tybalt Capulet
Aggressive and power hungry, Tybalt is a proud Capulet and agrees with everything his uncle, Lord Capulet, decrees. He is belligerent and one of the best swordsmen in Verona, and has taken two or three lives in duels. Though he seems raw and cruel, he is very loving to the members of his family, and a good cousin to young Juliet. He and Mercutio have an ongoing rivalry, and the mere sight of the latter is enough to set Tybalt in an even worse mood than the one he seems perpetually stuck in. Despite all his anger and social bile, Tybalt has a sweeter side that he offend hides from Verona, for fear of being teased or losing his infamous reputation. This side only comes out when he is in complete solitude in the city, at which time he leaves food out for local strays such as cats. For this reason, animals enjoy his company and he theirs.
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