"Set free your ideas of what a spider should be. The only webs I weave are the fruits of my love for fabric."
Full Name: Sylvain Sergei Aleksander Alexei Ivanov-Chichowski the Eighth
Nickname(s): Sir Chichowski, Lord Chichowski, Lord Ivanov, Lord Sylvain
Species: Mutant Spider-Vampire
Ethnicity: Polish-Russian
Spoken Languages: Russian, Polish, English, German, Romanian, French, Italian
Religion: Unaligned, formerly
Age: 80+ (appears around 40)
Gender: Male
Pronouns: He/Him, They/Them
Sexuality: Bisexual (female preference)
Occupation: Fabrician, Carpenter, Gardener
Eye Color(s): Gold
Hair Color(s): Brown
Height: 8’6”
Weight: 405 pounds
Body Build: Average, lean with some muscle and a shapely figure from corsets
Notable Physical Traits: Height, four arms, stern default expression, glowing eyes
Alternate Forms: Six-armed spider-like form
Faceclaim: None
Voiceclaim: Kelsey Grammer (Vlad - Anastasia 1997)
Phobia(s): None
Mental Disorder(s): None
Physical Disease(s): Cadou parasite
Assistive Devices/Services: None
Medications: None
Parent(s): Alexei Sergei Aleksander Ivanov the Seventh (father, deceased), Mishka Chichowski (mother, deceased)
Sibling(s): Ivan Sergein Aleksander Ivanov-Chichowski (brother, deceased)
Partner(s): Lady Yvonna von Zuckerberg (betrothed, deceased)
Child(ren): None
Friend(s): Maxine Delgado
Allies: None
Rival(s): None
Enemies: None
Content warning for child abuse, physical abuse, and emotional neglect.
A majority of Sylvain’s history has been lost to time and lack of records aside from his pedigree chart which goes back several hundred years. Sylvain is supposedly the descendant of both Russian and Polish nobility, with a lineage dating back to the Russian Tsar era and the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As far as details go, Sylvain knows very little for certain about the history of his bloodline beyond his immediate family. His father was less known for his heritage and heralded as a master of fabric. His clothing, upholstery, linens, and interior decor skills were reveled as being legendary and he brought his family great fortune and prosperity with his gifts.
Growing up, hard work and strong work ethics were instilled in Sylvain, often with negative physical reinforcement. Sylvain learned early on that mistakes were unacceptable. He needed to perfect his craft and lived up to incredibly high standards; a curse given Sylvain was a very gregarious and playful child. Yet he knew very little room for his playfulness and sociability. His diligence (and fear of punishment and failure) eventually led to the family business being passed down to him. Though it was originally to be passed down to his older brother first, Ivan was much more bold and rebellious than Sylvain and was quick to abandon life on the estate if it meant “working himself to death under their father’s hard eyes and heavy hands.” Sylvain was regarded as a prodigy and a perfect master, with many remarking that he even surpassed his father. The senior did not take kindly to this and vented his frustrations on the boy, consistently punishing him for “thinking he was better than his own father.”
Thankfully, Sylvain did not endure his father’s wrath for long. A few short months after it began, his father inexplicably died of a heart attack. His mother had never been close to Sylvain and regarded him as the cause for her husband’s sudden passing. Despite her rejection, Sylvain still did his best to earn her favor and please her, even crying when she shunned him on her deathbed. In his bitterness, Mother Miranda approached the man and offered him the opportunity to be viewed as her own beloved son. Desperate to be recognized, he gladly pledged himself to Miranda and accepted the implant she passed onto him. The mutation led to him developing a second set of arms and in exchange for the gift, he agreed to conduct experiments for Miranda. However, like many of the others, Sylvain soon fell out of her favor after failing to produce results nor take Eva’s place in her heart.
Despite this, and despite the fact that business for him has steadily declined down to essentially nothing, Sylvain has somewhat adapted and coped. He has not become completely jaded by circumstances and continues to find solace in his craft as a fabrician. He resides in his family’s mansion making fantastical products with his gift of fabric-working, though it’s rumored his skillset has since expanded to… other aspects.
At first encounter, Sylvain seems incredibly stoic and cold. He has a very solid stone face as his default. Paired with his imposing height, he can come off as very intimidating without trying. And that is still discounting the fact he had four long arms, the motifs of a spider and the fangs of a vampire. He is not the most talkative or engaged around new people, preferring to listen and observe rather than speak. He’s as polite as he is terse, waiting to be invited in and offering refreshments and food to guests. He seems incredibly closed off without meaning to be, but old habits die hard. Professionalism before anything.
However, once the ice manages to be broken, Sylvain is almost an entirely different person. He is gregarious, friendly, incredibly kind, and very playful. He holds a jolly personality and insists on greeting people with physical contact– especially hugs. He is a devoted and faithful friend, offering advice and gifts wherever possible. He becomes more sociable and his brilliant mind comes to the forefront in the form of sharing thoughts and ideas with those he comes to know and trust. He smiles and laughs quite a bit and displays the general demeanor of a long lanky teddy bear more than anything. He also displays a level of creative eccentricity and even goofiness typical of an artist of his caliber. He is eager to hear about others and share his latest creations with them. His bonds are his inspiration for working and he will regularly dedicate his pieces and lines to those closest to him.
However, his playfulness should not be mistaken for foolishness. On his own, and past the intimidation and goofiness, Sylvain is a well-bred, well-spoken, well-read man. He is incredibly intuitive and intelligent. He operates at a high speed and with a level of efficiency one could only associate with a multi-armed mutant. And just as well, his calculative qualities can be applied to the mean streak he has. He has little patience for intruders, disrespect, and blatant threats. His mansion is laden with traps for the unsuspecting flies that make their way in when they are unwelcome, and he will be certain to exercise full force both creatively and brutally. His prey never realize they’ve been caught in his web until he’s already chewing on them.
STRENGTHS: Deft, agile, stronger than he looks, intelligent, bold, charismatic, spider abilities, vampire abilities, fast, four-arms, excellent vision, keen sense of touch, crafty, creative, innovative
WEAKNESSES: Eccentric, comes off as intimidating without trying, seems unapproachable, imposing figure, has rumors surrounding him
HOBBIES: Making clothing, making furniture, playing with new materials, woodworking, making interior decorations (rugs, curtains, pillows), sewing, needlepoint, painting, sculpting, metalworking, interior design, exterior design, working with plants, working with glass, skating, playing bass and violin, dancing, opera, collecting insects to taxidermy, animal trophies
LIKES: The arts, silk, fine fabrics, style design, making furniture, old Rocco style, gothic style designs and clothes, spiders, plants, opera music, old movies
DISLIKES: Pesticide fumes, grating sounds, loud voice, echoes, large empty rooms, having his things moved around
MAIN - Resident Evil Village
Sylvain mostly stays in his family's estate creating furniture and clothing or tending to his gardens, minding his own business.
Sylvain’s spider abilities mean he has a toxic bite, can spin stick webs, crawl on walls effortlessly, and dissolve into spiders at will.
Sylvain’s vampire abilities allow him to vanish within shadows or darkness, see in darkness, move with superhuman speed and strength, and feed off of people’s blood.
Sylvain is usually fairly gentle unless provoked. He knows his own strength and measures it well.
Sylvain is very touch-sensitive and can easily pick up on vibrations through surfaces. It’s how he detects most people and animals.
Sylvain does not consider himself related to the other lords or a part of Miranda's family. He considers himself his own entity entirely.
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