Mortal History:Comparatively young by city standards, Raph was only embraced in 2006, dyeing at the mortal age of 23. Born in Australia, and christened Raphael Caspar Vander by an obsessively religious mother, he was one of four boys and a sister that grew up on the family farm land outside of Yass, New South Wales.
His father was killed in a bushfire when he was 12, something he never really recovered from, and more or less as a result, Raph descended into a lifestyle of teenage delinquency and casual drinking that eventually led to drug use and disenfranchisement.
Turning his back on his family and his heritage, he headed for the city and hedonistic delights it promised, inevitably lured into the red light district of kings cross in Sydneys west.
Initially dealing his drug-of-choice marijuana to survive, and maintain his own habit, he eventually began to dabble in prostitution as well as dealing harder drugs like Coke and Ecstasy.
Getting by on his charisma alone; by the time he was 18 he stylised himself a club-hopping star of the sybarite scene.
When Raph first tried heroin at age 20 his glory days began to shrivel up as fast as his veins.
Committing himself to the drug, Raph gave up prostitution and all other vices, and switched his operation to dealing and smuggling. He made a number of successful trips overseas, delivering and receiving.
One such trip ended with an ill fated deal that went very bad very quickly down an alleyway of Ravenblack city…
Turning and Beyond:The embrace was, quite frankly, the best thing that could have happened to Raph Vander; mortal death cleansed his body of the physical need for drugs, and psychologically the act of feeding itself would (eventually) become the most potent rush he would ever experience, quickly turning to his new vice of choice. Vampirism however, did not come without its drawbacks. For the first year of his embrace, Raph was kept as a slave; at best a thrall and servant, at worst a toy and object of torture, for his sadistic ‘Maker’.
Liberty and indeed the beginning of his own un-life in the city only came with the death of his creator in obscure circumstances in 2007, rendering the fledgling a Master Vampire. For the first few months, isolated and stranded, Raph survived as little more than ghetto-spawn, keeping below the notice of the ‘Blood-Gods’ he lived in constant dread of, and as in life, relying on his charisma and good looks to get by. A chance meeting and the subsequent friendship with the Vampiress Lyric late in 2007 lead him to spurn his wretched situation and begin his quest for powers under her mentoring.
City History:2008A self-proclaimed ghetto-Spawn; Raph spent most of 2007 and the early part of 2008 variously questing in the city or lurking around the ghettos, preferring a capricious if not sleazy lifestyle whilst he concentrated on his powers.
In an effort to finance his quests as well as extending his notoriety and social circle, Raph entered the Ravenblack City Auction and slaved himself on the block in the spring of 2008. Purchased by the Vampiress Velvet Kiss, his servitude to her sparked an ill-fated love affair that flared and dwindled within six months.
In August the same year, Raph was sired under the Vampire Jocelyn, but when he became apparent the Vampiress was slipping further and further into Torpor, he opted to pay for his own severance, rather then endure the heartache of watching her slip away (a decision he would ultimately rue).
He entered the halls of Binding on 17th of December 2008. Jocelyn would return to the city 10 nights later.
As a means of recuperating both his monetary and emotional loss, he slaved himself again during the Winter Auctions, during which time he met the Vampiress Gylliyan, a prospective bidder. Whilst Gylliyan never actually bid on Raph, they maintained a close and flirtatious friendship afterward.
Earlier in the year, he was introduced to and taken into the confidence of King Lestat, having been vouched for by Lyric. Raph accepted the mans offer of tutelage and was sired under him in on the 22nd of December, 2008.
Three days later, on Christmas day, he formally ended his relationship with Velvet Kiss so he could pursue a playboy lifestyle… one that barely lasted a month.
2009 Inexorably drawn to the mysterious French/oriental vampiress, Raph realized his infatuation with Gylliyan and successfully pursued a relationship with her through out January, even going so far as to sway the Vampiress into joining the Clan of his Sire and Mentor, L’inconnu.
He himself dutifully followed King Lestat and Lyric into the clan, L’Inconnu, joining in February.
Raph attained full power a week after joining.
On the night of February 28th, Raph and Gylliyan eloped to the Halls of binding and bound to each other, though their honeymoon was soon to be cut short by blood shed.
Raph joined his clan in the Ferrymen/Hells Angels war when L’ Inconnu entered on the side of the Ferryman in April and fought as much as his limited capacity allowed; finance and time being more of a hindrance than the vials of his foes.
Though ultimately grieved that Lyric and King Lestat were defeated in the war, he was relieved when L’Inconnu pulled out of the conflict, allowing him to concentrate on consolidating his new found niche in the city and focusing his attention on his relationship.