Augustine "August" Belfort
| Augustine "August" Belfort | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biographical Information | |
| Age | 150 |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | 1825 |
| Died | 1872 |
| Species | Vampire (European Sanguinarian) |
| Orientation | Bisexual |
| Status | EVS Councillor |
| Occupation | Woodsgrave Livestock Overseer |
| Height | 6'11 |
| Weight | A lot |
| Likes | Adult magazines, cannabis, casual sex, cigars, hunting, orderliness, orgies, raw meat, the housing market |
| Dislikes | Being questioned, Disney's Bambi, George's board game nights, Left-wing politics |
August is a main character in Dancing with the Dead. He is Edgar's employer and a member of Woodsgrave's vampire council.
History
August originates from 1820’s North Yorkshire and was born to a wealthy family. He was interested in hunting from a young age, killing rats with the family dog. This was met with horror and revulsion, especially from his mother, who he states became terrified of him. At an unknown point in his adulthood, August was betrothed his family’s ancestral Hunting Lodge, Dawnwatch. As seen by one of the portraits in his office, he married an unknown noblewoman. They attempted to concieve, but only produced a single son. This, as revealed in Episode 14, would be Clifford. Sometime later, August's wife passed away. During his grieving, August sent Clifford to live elsewhere and the two rarely interacted. This as revealed by August was intentional on his end, although he does not specify why. During this time, he met George and initiated as his fledgling in 1872. Despite this, August maintained relations and he gave Clifford vast sums of money to tour europe. This stopped when Clifford disappeared (and experienced undeath) in Venice.
At some point in his unlife, he married Horace and formed a harem of three vampiresses, these being Josephine, Camilla and Abigail. As seen in the cast page bio for the harem, he turned Josephine in 1895, Camilla in 1914 and Abigail in 1922. August also met and befriended Todd, but their friendship broke apart in 1967. The exact cause for this remains unknown, but August appears to have a hierarchal advantage over Todd. Humiliatingly for the latter, August keeps him as a manservant of some degree. Given the nature of Vampire Politics, this is likely steeped in blackmail or legal complications.
Personality
August is a spectre of victorian masculinity. By default, he is affable and gregarious, eager to play the part of a gracious host. He has a boundless energy for socialising, and will dominate conversations if he’s not caught-up with. Boorish and overbearing, he demands space at all times and will take it if he feels ignored. When his gracious persona is challenged, he can become indignant and bitter. This is most apparent with Rozzlyn, who repeatedly challenges him on his intentions. Even when others satisfy this need for attention, he doesn’t see them as equals, but amusements. With humans, he looks down on them as larval vampires or prey. With characters he’s shown to unapologetically hate, he torments them in increasingly bizarre manners. Above it all, Mr Belfort is a thrill seeker, terminally bored and fidgeting for his next hit of stimulation.
August, on the topic of his ennui, can be unexpectedly tender. He waxes poetic about the nature of vampirism, and appears emotionally attached to it. As revealed in Episode 6, he chose to become a vampire himself. August also possesses a softness for more overtly vulnerable characters, helping Abigail and Camilla in times of personal crisis.. August, unlike his peers, is unwilling to manipulate or mistreat Edgar, as first shown with their initial contract. For every lie, August can tell a truth.
Appearance
August resembles a man in his late forties’. He has short, combed hair. His face has a double chin, a small blocky nose, beady eyes and a prominent underbite. Despite his obesity, he possesses a broad frame and sturdy limbs. It is also noticeably hairy, most commonly seen on his hands. In coloured renders, August has light green skin, light orange hair and yellow eyes.
Extras
Trivia- August is an open man-eater.
- August is a regular patron of sex workers, as seen in "Pointing Fingers". Given his regular attendence of orgies and polyamorous lifestyle, it's likely his partners consent to this.
- August smokes the fictional brand of "Cuba Crowns" cigars, as seen in "Like a Charm".
- August was born with Jacob's Syndrome, as revealed in Episode 11.
- August is openly bisexual, which he reveals to be a common and accepted fact of life in vampire societies.
- August has pierced nipples.
- As shown in Foxtrot: Gone Away, August owns a dungeon underneath Dawnwatch. The dungeon contains several cells and a garrotte chair, which is implied to be Belfort’s primary means of execution.
- August constructs golems from taxidermy and animal bones, which he animates with tamed wisps. These golems guard Dawnwatch from intruders and potential prison escapes from the premises’ dungeon.
- As shown in Episode 14 and Foxtrot, he has a laboratory in Dawnwatch for creating his golems.
- August dislikes EVS safety measures, as shown in episode 16. However, as typical for a man of his demeanour, he dislikes them because the signs he has to display clash with his decor.
- As shown in episode 14, August reads the eponymous “Necks” magazine.
- August is prone to taking heavy drags of his cigar/bong when he’s nervous.
- As stated by Clifford, August built a homemade cemetery for his hunting dogs. The former states these dogs were euthanised via hunting rifle.
- The drink in August’s martini glass consists of an Absinthe/cyanide blend, garnished with a human or pig’s eye. In Foxtrot: Gone Away, it is named “Poisonois”.
- August is implied to swallow some of his meals whole, as he produces pellets, which he suddenly disgorges.
- August frequently smokes cannabis, but does not appear to have a preference for any medium.
- August is an absentee landlord, and feels prideful over having unknowing human tenants.