[Medium Sized Model - 25mm Base]
(Two Variants Included - Masked/No Mask)
[Presupported with LYS files in 32mm & 75mm Scale]
Prestigious is a word that barely scratches the surface of the famed reputation of Ferdinand Vandame, a composer widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, hailing from Greypeak’s capital of Vanlund. He is compared to many of the greats throughout the past three centuries of the Third Era, though unbeknownst to his syndicate of fans and patrons, those greats are also him. For Ferdinand has been stricken with vampirism since the Second Era, and has used the time to perfect his craft as a composer, reinventing his identity every half century, experimenting with new styles and genres at each turning.
As a young boy, Evance was awed by the masterful compositions he would behold at the opera house in his weekly family outings. His human father, and elven mother, both savants of the arts, were particular enjoyers of orchestral evenings, a passion that also burned within their children. Whilst the two parents had hoped their children might follow in their footsteps as poets and painters, Evance took his soul and heart into the joy and solace music brought him. The boundless emotions that could unravel when he was lost in song, the joy, grief and relief that his music could bring to people; he saw it as more powerful than any conjurations of paint and prose his parents could muster. Whilst his parents were disappointed with the path he chose, they dare not pry him from it, and for much of his youth he was privy to strict, disciplined tutelage from the most prestigious musicians of Greypeak.
The lavish lifestyle of the Fontaine family would eventually reach its end, however, for the creatures of the night that prowled the wilds of Greypeak would be drawn to the rich blood of the aristocrats, sweetened by honey, fruit and wine. They struck in the night as the family slept, invited in by a charmed servant, whom they quickly struck down thereafter. Evance had been up late composing when he heard the screams of his sisters, and wielding a silver steak knife from his midnight dinner, he bounded through the blackened corridors of their manor to his sibling’s bedchambers. The sight of his sister being feasted upon by a host of ravenous vampires would have sent him to his knees, had he not been bound upon by them a beat later. In staccato they tore at his flesh with razor claws, one sinking its fangs into his neck. Evance would not perish so easily, however, not without trying to avenge his sisters, or parents if they shared the same fate. He plunged the steak knife into the neck of one of his assailants, sending it reeling, whilst the others cowered in fear at its sight. Though he rushed to his sister’s side, his legs gave way as the blood gushing from his wounds sapped his body of any strength. His mind faded soon after.
Later he would awake to a damp stone floor, a cave veiled in darkness, save for the glowing crimson eyes of an Elven man near him. The elf introduced himself as his saviour, regretfully informing him of the deaths of his sisters and parents, though Evance himself was all he could save, having driven the other beasts away. The Elf explained he was of the same kind, but lived by a creed that bound him to not feast upon the blood of the innocent, only the wicked and beasts of Tharador. Those that slew his family were not bound by the same creed, and for that they were slaughtered by this elf, who in turn posited a choice to Evance: live by the same creed, or join his parents in whatever end awaited them. The young half-elf pondered for a time, before deciding that he would carry on his family’s legacy, rather than let them be forgotten to time.
Evance poured his soul, tragedy and grief into his following compositions for years, his hermitude as a newborn vampire explained by grief in the public eye. The works he created in that time cemented the legacy of the Fontaine name forevermore, becoming a household name in Tharador’s north for decades. His symphonies were regularly attended by royal families and prestigious nobles from many of the northern kingdoms, flocking to Vanlund to witness his heart, poured out for all to see. Evance perished thirty years after the death of his family, an apparent heart attack, though his music was beloved by many and his legacy endures even three centuries later.
Yet forty years after Evance’s death, a new prodigy arose, one who composed from the shadows and donned a mask at every performance: Elian de la Clair, a rather rapturous stage name for the mystery performer who drew apt comparisons to Evance Fontaine, and drew crowds just as large until his own untimely death ten years after his emergence. Vanlund saw time and again, over centuries, the rise and fall of these great men, whose stars would shine bright until their sudden deaths at the height of their fame. It was the greatest trick Evance had ever devised: to convince the world he no longer lived, reinventing himself and his music, defining the eras and soundscape of Tharador time after time. Staging his deaths at the peak of his popularity each time, ensuring his personas would be immortalized at the height of their careers, not faded into mediocrity. Now, his latest persona, Ferdinand Vandame, no longer lives his life as a vampire in complete secrecy, for his dark gift was uncovered by Baroness Noctra de Blanc after inviting the famed composer to the maiden masquerade of Castle Beaufax since her return to it.
In exchange for his presence in Beaufax, and entertaining and drawing her guests, Noctra provides Ferdinand with a steady supply of food that adheres to his strict creed. Ferdinand often struggles, knowing his music and its charming properties are leading people to a violent demise, the same demise his family met centuries ago. Yet, he plays himself as wilfully ignorant, as best he can, choosing to obscure the truth from his own mind, and convince himself that their deaths do not lie on his conscience, for he is only an entertainer.
