Abella Rose

The Heart of the Triumvirate


{{{Gallery}}}

Abella Rose
Real Name Min Hua
Relatives unknown
Physical Characteristics
Gender Female
Race Methuselah (Kizoku)
Sire unknown
Height 5'5"
Weight 105 lbs.
Eyes Red
Hair Black
Arcgene Cluster Negative
Place of Birth Shanghai, China
Current Status
Citizenship Status Chinese
Marital Status Single
Faction The Triumvirate
Former Factions Covenant
Occupation Triad Assassin
Education Unknown
Hostile Threat

Growing up an orphan, Abella Rose was a member of the criminal underground in China long before she was turned by a Kizoku thrall. After her rebirth, Abella joined the Covenant and a small group of assassins known as The Triumvirate. Under the tutelage of master assassin Aubryn Darkveil, Abella and her compatriots became the Covenant's top assassins.

History

Life in the Underground

Born in rural China, Min Hua was orphaned when her family died from a horrible disease. As was common practice, Hua was sent to a state run orphanage and quickly "adopted" by the Chinese Triad. Working in a sweat shop as a child, Hua did her best to stay under the radar, however after an incident where she attacked another orphan over some food her captors took notice of her. Impressed by her violent streak, the Hung Kwan of her Triad cell saw potential and began to train the young girl as a Cho Hai. Eventually her prowess in a fight gained the attention of one of the Triad's largest benefactors- Xi Zhou Chen. Seeing potential in the teenager, Chen purchased Min Hua from the Triad and arranged for her to be turned by one of his Kizoku underlings.

It was as a thrall of Chen's that Min Hua, now calling herself Abella Rose, first met Sylvester "Spike" Allen and the two quickly became friends. Thanks to her necromantic training Abella was able to ease Spike's physical pain, deadening the pain receptors in his arms. Thanks to her treatments Spike was even able to gain control over his deformations, creating weapons from his own bone.

After several years of acclimating to her new life Abella and Spike were given a chance to become Covenant Assassins- a position in which Abella reveled. Training under the renowned assassin Aubryn Darkveil, Abella and Spike were paired with another would-be killer- Maxi Shadowheart and formed a group known as The Triumvirate. Abella was immediately enamored with Maxi and his charm, much to Spike's chagrin. The Triumvirate became one of the top assassination squads for the Covenant, often sent after high value targets. After Aubryn's defection Abella was determined to cement the team as the Covenant's best and made sure to take the highest ranking contracts available.

The Fall of Shadowheart

During the assassination of a high value human soldier named Langston the team was interrupted by their missing master and her new friends- an opportunity to prove themselves the best by killing their former sensei had fallen into their laps. Unfortunately, the battle quickly turned against the assassins, with Maxi being critically injured by their mentor and the group being forced to flee. Despite his injuries, Maxi was determined to take out the group's secondary target- an accomplished hematologist by the name of Eleanor Webber. Deciding to use his injuries as a cover, Maxi dismissed both Abella and Spike, going after Dr. Webber alone. Unfortunately, the injured Maxi ran afoul of Aubryn's allies once again and did not survive the encounter in Webber's clinic.

Having failed in assassinating both their targets, Abella and Spike were prepared to face execution upon returning to the Three Vipers. To their surprise the information regarding Aubryn, Jonas Hunter and this new group known as OMEGA was considered valuable enough to save the lives of the former members of the Triumvirate. Crushed by the loss of their leader, Abella and Spike vowed revenge.

Shortly after returning to the fold, the Covenant was thrown into disarray after the defection of Kalenn Korpse (technically their commander), and the subsequent deaths of Malcanthet, Xi Zhou Chen, and Arkady Tsargovi at the hands of OMEGA. Taking advantage of the turmoil Spike and Abella defected from the Covenant ranks, deciding to start their own assassination outfit.

Triumvirate Assassination Squad

Despite the third member of the Triumvirate team having been killed, Abella and Spike decided to keep the team name as the name of their new organization. Recruiting several young assassins and training them up to their standards, the Triumvirate eventually began taking contracts as an independent agency. Abella eventually began a relationship with a subordinate assassin named Sliver (again, to Spike's chagrin). Sliver was eventually elevated as the third leader of the Triumvirate.

With the trio completed once again, Abella decided it was time to go after OMEGA and finally get vengeance for the death of Maxi Shadowheart. During one of Jonas Hunter's personal missions to recruit new "Prodigals" the Triumvirate prepared to attack. Unfortunately, the demon Methuselah Testament had other plans. Intercepting the Triumvirate assassins, Testament prevented the group from interfering with his planned ambush of Hunter. Although the trio was able to hold its own against Testament for a bit, the beast was eventually able to overpower the Triumvirate with sheer force and hellfire. During the battle Abella almost fell to the might of Testament however Spike saved Abella by pushing Sliver in the way of the attack. Unfortunately, Sliver did not survive the encounter as his head was crushed and subsequently melted off by Testament's hellfire. Abella and Spike quickly fled after the death of their partner.

A New Tactic

After the failed attack on Hunter, Abella lashed out at Spike for his perceived betrayal. After Abella threatened to dissolve the Triumvirate over his actions Spike finally came clean to Abella regarding his feelings for her. Unfortunately Abella had little use for Spike's feelings, deciding to leave the Triumvirate instead of dissolving it.

Abella spend the next several years finding moderate success as a solo assassin, targeting only humans in order to prevent any further interaction with OMEGA, Hunter, or anyone else from her former life. She eventually found herself regularly employed by her former "family", the Chinese Triad, and made quite a lucrative living as their personal hit-woman. It was in the Triad's employ that Abella eventually came back into contact with the Triumvirate which attempting to fulfill a contract on Angela Maxwell in New York City.

An Alliance of Necessity

While scouting the mission Abella quickly noticed she wasn't the only one hunting Ms. Maxwell- a trio of other assassins seemed to be involved as well. Confronting the competition Abella was surprised to discover that they were the new Triumvirate, lead by Spike and accompanied by two new assassins- Zero and Alessandra Beaumont. Since both Abella and the Triumvirate had contracts out on Angela Maxwell, the decision was made to work together to ensure the contract was completed as ordered, much to Spike's chagrin.

The first sign that the assassins were not fully briefed on their target came after the reformed Triumvirate sent several lower level assassins in to take care of the target. The assassins carved their way through the office, killing all they encountered until Angela herself arrived. Instead of running at the sight of her dead colleagues, Angela leapt at the assassins. Before Abella and the Triumvirate leaders could react, two of the would-be assassins were thrown through to 30th story safety windows and a third was beaten to death with Angela's own hands. By the time Abella and the others reached the office their second surprise had arrived- Jonas Hunter. Realizing they were not prepared for an encounter with Hunter, the Triumvirate fled the scene.

Regrouping at a Triumvirate safe-house, the group contacted the client for a full debrief. The client informed the team that Maxwell was not human after all, but the Dhampyr daughter of the former Akikage sovereign, Kalenn Korpse. With this new information, along with the knowledge that the team would also have to deal with Jonas Hunter, the assassin's formed a new strategy- divide and conquer.

Tracking Hunter and Maxwell to an OMEGA facility in New York City, Abella and the Triumvirate put their plan into action- Abella and Spike would run interference, keeping Hunter busy while Zero and Beaumont would deal with the Dhampyr. Although Abella and Spike were successful in separating Hunter form Maxwell, the Triumvirate did not prepare for the fact that Hunter had time to get Maxwell turned, resulting in a new threat- Samikara Kain, Scion of Samael. Zero and Beaumont quickly fell to the raging might of this new Methuselah resulting in Abella and Spike retreating to lick their wounds once again.

Servitude to the Triad


Having failed in her mission, Abella was at the mercy of the leaders of the Triad. Expecting to be forced to fall on her sword for her failures, Abella was surprised when she was brought before The Incense Master of the Triad, discovering him to be Yuesheng Jun, her former Hung Kwan. In exchange for the subservience of Spike and the remaining members of the Triumvirate Abella would be granted leniency for her failures. Although Spike was hesitant to join the Triads, his own failures had also caught up to him and serving the Incense Master would protect him, so he accepted. Once again the Triumvirate was reformed as an elite group of Triad assassins, now under the leadership of Yuesheng Jun, Abella and Spike.

Detailed Assessment

Abella is a woman with a strong character and cold, detached attitude, usually trying to ward off potential friends or feelings, preventing any sort of attachment due to previous betrayals and losses. Although she typically speaks her mind, Abella is also a master at subterfuge and keeps many secrets, particularly when it comes to her life prior to her being turned into a Methuselah.

Romantic Relationships

Due to Abella's closed off personality it can be extremely difficult for her to get close to someone, particularly after her first two relationships ended in the death of her lovers.

Powers

  • Methuselah Physiology: Modern Methuselah are in fact humans who have been infected with the Methuselah Virus. Contact with the virus restructures human physiology and results in Methuselah possessing several superhuman abilities.
    • Semi-Immortality: So long they continue to consume blood, Methuselah will not age beyond the physical state he was in when they are first turned. Methuselah who are pure-blooded (born vampires) generally stop aging in their mid-to-late twenties.
    • Enhanced Durability: Methuselah are resilient to most forms of injury (certain exceptions apply). Bullets, blades and blunt objects do little to their bodies.
    • Regeneration (Type III): In addition to being virtually indestructible, whatever damage a Methuselah does in fact suffer can be healed through the consumption of human blood.
    • Superhuman Strength: A Methuselah's base strength level is several times that of a normal human being and is considered superhuman.
    • Superhuman Stamina: So long as they continue to consume human blood, Methuselah can function tirelessly without rest or relaxation.
    • Enhanced Senses: Methuselah are much more sensitive than those of any human being. These skills can vary depending on each individual. Among the main ways that Methuselah have improved we find the following:
      • Thermal Vision: Methuselah are able to extend their vision into the infrared spectrum, allowing them to perceive heat signatures visually in order to better hunt down their prey.
      • Enhanced Hearing: Methuselah are able to perceive sounds of varying volume or pitch that are beyond the scope or traditional human hearing.
      • Enhanced Sense of Smell: Methuselah have the ability to identify scents with greater precision than the average human being. This ability is particularly useful for tracking prey.
    • Vampirism: In addition to the various mental and physical benefits that Methuselah are heir to, they also possesses the ability to turn others into Methuselah as well. Each new Methuselah is traditionally subservient to the one who "turned" them, but some strong-willed Methuselah have been known to rebel against their masters.
    • Kizoku Bloodline: Due to their heritage, all Kizoku Methuselah have the ability to manipulate the dark mystical arts, and the most powerful of the Kizoku become particularly well versed in the necromantic arts.
  • Necromancy: As a member of the Kizoku bloodline, Abella has been trained in the magical art of Necromancy, giving her the ability to manipulate Animus in a limited fashion.
    • Necrotic Empowerment: Abella is able gain power from the deaths that occur around her, temporarily augmenting her speed and strength.
    • Necrotic Healing: Using her necromantic training, Abella is able to manipulate an individual's Animus in order to heal minor wounds and/or deaden pain receptors.
  • Abilities

    • Expert Martial Artist: Abella has trained for much of her life in the martial art style of Shandong Mantis Style and is considered a master in this style of Chinese kung fu, having achieved a second degree red belt.
      • Weapons Master: Through her martial arts training, Abella has become an expert in the traditional staff forms, the guan dao, and the tai chi blade, adapted for use with a katana.
    • Acrobatics: Abella is a master acrobat. She is highly agile and is capable of performing skillful acrobatic maneuvers in combat.
    • Tactical Analysis: Abella is a capable tactician due to his training from her time in the Triad. She is also skilled in reading the body motions of others, allowing her to to anticipate the actions of multiple armed opponents.

    Strength level

    • Peak Human: Abella is not physically strong when compared to a typical Methuselah, however by using her empowerment powers Abella is able to dramatically increase her strength potentially as high as Superhuman- Class 5

    Weaknesses

    • Blood Consumption: All Methuselah are regularly required to consume a few pints of blood every few nights. Failing to do so would cause the Methuselah to weaken and after an extended period without blood seemingly perish. A Methuselah's ability to metabolize blood and their frequency of feeding usually varies however depending on a number of factors: Length of time between feedings, damage or injury to the body, resurrection from a near death state, and excessive use of their supernatural abilities and strength.

    Weaponry

    • Coldfire Katana: Taken off of Abella's first kill (a Yakuza assassin targeting her Hung Kwan), the Coldfire Katana is supposedly an enchanted blade with the ability to exude cold flames from the blade. Abella, however, has never figured out how to use the enchantment.