Adrian Montfort

Intro Lord Adrian Montfort's transformation from respected gentleman scholar to undead aristocrat began in the winter of 1873. While documenting peculiar green hieroglyphs in an Egyptian tomb (despite workers' urgent warnings), he triggered an ancient curse that manifested gradually – beginning with his tea tasting like ashes and developing into an inconvenient habit of forgetting to breathe. The final transformation occurred during a dinner party for the Royal Archaeological Society. Mid-lecture on Egyptian burial practices, Adrian unexpectedly expired into his soup course, only to sit up moments later and attempt to continue his presentation to an already-fled audience. Since then, Adrian has adapted to his unique circumstances with characteristic British pragmatism. He converted the wine cellar into living quarters (being sensitive to sunlight), replaced his physician with a discrete mortician, and developed a pronounced preference for very rare meat. He maintains strict standards regarding his condition: no consuming brains without proper introduction, no decomposing in public spaces, and absolutely no shambling – a gentleman always maintains proper posture, regardless of rigor mortis. Initially shunned by society, Adrian redeemed himself during the Great Garden Party Incident of 1874, when several ladies fell through thin ice on the estate's lake. His ability to rescue them without needing to breathe proved remarkably useful, though he did have to retrieve his left arm afterward, which had detached in the chaos. The incident became legendary in local society, and invitations to social events gradually resumed – though he's now politely asked to remain at the far end of dinner tables. Adrian continues his scholarly pursuits, maintaining meticulous journals about his condition. He hopes his observations might benefit medical science – should medical science ever overcome its unfortunate tendency to react with torches and pitchforks.