The Center Cannot Hold: The Patrizo

A look at one of the vampire clans of Crux, City of Curses.

Aspect(s): Ours Is The Water;
Invoke When: Near water, underwater, talking about water or working any sort of water magic.
Compel When: To act cold or unfeeling, OR too dry, dehydrated or too warm and must return to the sea for comfort.

The Patrizo are often slandered as Fish-Vampires.  Unlike other vampires, the Patrizo don't fear

running water.  Water is their right, something all Patrizo claim mastery over.

The Patrizo descend from Maliphi Pirates that plagued the Storm Coast starting five to six thousand years ago.  Only one or perhaps two vampires survive from those pirates, but they started the same course their descendants continued.  They were slavers, and rather famed for how despicable they were to those they took.  Later Patrizo would continue the practice, of sorts.

The Patrizo claim their line began with a man called Baron Patrizo, captain of a swift slaving ship called the Dark Lady.  Born in Salira, he sailed the ocean until he fell into collecting slaves in the Maru sea and the Storm Coast.  In the Maliphi slave markets, his slaves always brought the most gold.  Their skin always had a soft, fresh tone.  They smelled of perfume.

Baron Patrizo soaked his catch in a brine.  Almost drowning them, using a perverted transmutation spell to turn his captured slaves to fish.  A few claim he would take maidens to bed- then using water magics turn her into fresh cod for his dinner plate.  One night the maid he took sneered at him.

He scoffed at her.  When Patrizo went to twist her body into a form for his meal, she spat at him.

"I am a daughter of Shraxes, Patrizo.  Seven times she warned you, and seven times you spurned her mercy."  Patrizo's spell failed to change the Shraxes witch, whose eyes glowed with divine fire.  "Saltwater you collect your meal, and you laugh at the meat you take.  Seven times the Caged One curses you, seven times she spits back at you, seven times will you never be free of your precious sea."

From that night onward, Patrizo's body became cursed.  He became a dweller of the sea, his flesh growing gills.  Stinking of fish, the sun would never warm him- only burn him.  The Dark Lady became a ghost ship, and its slaves became meals for its captain.  His belly would never fill, and Patrizo would wander and wander the seas, his blood more seawater but so very cursed.

Patrizo Extra:
Fish-Vampire: This stunt costs 2 Fate refresh, but grants the Patrizo the ability to cast major spells so long as they fall within the flavors of Sea, Water and Fish.  In addition, the Patrizo gains access to the skill Patrizo, which they can use to in place of Sorcery to cast spells, for any form of swimming, nautical knowledge and in place of Athletics for dodging attacks so long as the Patrizo is within arms reach of saltwater.
Drawback: Fish-Vampires always stink of fish, and have a harder time avoiding notice (-2 on the Sneaky approach).  In addition, sunlight causes them physical and mental stress.