about diana

a chibi pixel art drawing of my OC, Diana! they have long blonde hair, a moon necklace, and a sword at their side.

(diana sprite by @FlutterSprite)

??? | they/them | trans & nonbinary

(they prefer no label for their attraction/sexuality situation. please respect this.)

bio:

  • full name: Diana Penumbra Hellebore
  • height: 6'1"
  • birthday: November 18th
  • occupation: archivist
  • a dhampir (half-vampire) that is stoic and intimidating on the outside, but soft and sentimental on the inside. as a scholar at heart, they frequently fixate on studying and research for long periods of time. Diana is rather reclusive, and doesn't have many close friends.

loves:

  • swords (special interest)
  • cooking
  • old computers
  • strategy games
  • pourover coffee
  • Rosemary
a sprite of Diana, slashing with a sword. they are wearing a white button up shirt, black suspenders, and black pants.

(diana sprite by @SeshohoCian)

Dance of Pales
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

background:

born in Germany in the mid-1700s, Diana was raised by their father, Baron Gustav von Bauer, a ruthless vampire feared by locals for his cruelty. their human mother's identity remained unknown to them for centuries. Diana managed to escape their father's clutches as a teenager, and spent many years wandering as a lone adventurer.

in the 1790s, Diana befriended a coven of witches, and lived with them in exchange for protecting the witches from harm. they were quite skilled with a sword, after all. Anna, one of the witches in the coven, was their only lover for over 200 years. the two were nearly inseparable.

that is, until Diana was nearly slain. in 1798, a vampire hunter ambushed them, having heard the rumor that they were von Bauer's child. Diana barely survived the attack, and the only way they could recover was to enter a long slumber. it was not until a century later when Diana finally reawakened, and on that day, they found themself in a world where their beloved Anna had been long dead.

from that day forward, they swore to protect and assist Anna's descendants if they ever were in need. Anna's family had kept Diana's coffin safe for all those years - it only felt appropriate to repay her family's kindness.

by the end of the 20th century, Diana's life had turned around significantly - they were finally able to pursue higher education and academia like they always dreamed of, came out and transitioned, and had more stability in their life than ever before.

their history with Rosemary is far less dramatic - initially, Diana was drawn to her art, and was interested in commissioning a print from her. but the two of them ended up getting along very well, and became good friends. while Rosemary secretly had a crush on them for a long time, it took many, many months for Diana to realize their romantic feelings for her. (they hadn't experienced attraction in nearly 200 years, after all.)

Diana and Rosemary found comfort and mutual understanding in each other. nothing makes Diana happier than listening to Rosemary ramble on about her special interests, and seeing her smile. when Rosemary moved in with Diana, they renovated an old, dusty spare room into an art studio with plenty of room for Rosemary's plant collection.

assorted facts:

  • Diana's interest in swords is mostly from a craftsmanship and historical angle. if they had to pick a favorite kind of sword, it would be a falchion.
  • their sleep schedule is usually 5 AM - 12 PM. being only half-vampire, sunlight is not necessarily lethal to them, but it makes them pretty ill. Diana has a lot of thick, light-blocking curtains in their home.
  • they've picked up a lot of hobbies over the years. Diana's curiosity and desire for learning is insatiable. currently, they're very fixated on refining their cooking techniques.
  • Diana is surprisingly interested in computers. most people may assume that vampires are tech illiterate, but as a weird reclusive nerd, of course they were on Usenet and IRC back in the day.
    • incidentally, their first exposure to genderqueer/nonbinary identities was through early online communities.
    • also, they're obsessed with maintaining spreadsheets.
  • Diana is autistic. "late diagnosed" is an understatement, to say the least. they were at least 250 years old when they found out.
  • they're actually unsure of their exact birthday, due to the circumstances of their early childhood. their best guess is sometime in September, maybe? however, they much prefer celebrating their "rebirthday", which is November 18th - the day they chose their current name.
  • they have gone by many names over the years. a lot of names. most of them are long-dead.
    • "Diana" was picked out with careful thought after they realized they were trans. the name was partially inspired by the goddess Diana, who is commonly associated with the moon and hunting. their middle name "Penumbra" refers to a partial shadow, which serves as a tongue-in-cheek nod to their status as a dhampir. "Hellebore" is a poisonous flower that thrives in cold conditions, and often comes in striking deep purple shades that lean almost black.
    • occasionally they go by "Adrian", as well. it started as an online anonymous alias, but they grew attached to it and came to adopt it as another name for themselves. the inspiration was taken a certain dhampir with long, blonde hair, who also has an affinity for swords, and a hatred of their father.
a bronze gate, with one of its doors opening

the gate can take you back, if you so desire.