HELOISE IS A VAMPIRE, sort of. in her world, supernatural creatures are many. heloise is considered a carrion vampire -- a being that is linked inexplicably to an otherworldly symbiote -- and is characterized by their existence in clusters, formed out of a complex system of branching + mating by the symbiote with the newly turned human dna. carrion 'families' often work in teams of five or six, though the strongest and oldest symbiotes can retain families of 12 or more. carrion vampires subsist on both blood and flesh; the symbiote controls hunger (so vampires in one cluster often need to feed at the same time, and are 'drawn' to each other when it is time to hunt -- it can be several years of satiation before this), and gives individuals in said cluster one specific unique mutation, along with increased healing, speed, and endurance. it also provides a mental/telepathic connection between broodmates.

heloise HAS NO UNIQUE ABILITY, but is the second eldest of her cluster and is a deft hand at navigating psychic communication. she is a direct communicator and hates parties. consumption of carrion blood can share genetic memories, that is, memories of either the donor or their entire cluster. knowledge has been passed this way between trusted clusters before, and humans can be folded into the psychic communication for a time. while there are different ways of viewing this exchange in carrion culture, heloise is fiercely protective of her cluster and despises this act of sharing, as she views it as both unnatural and profane. her distrust of humans and monster slayers is high, and she loathes the smell of magic. a carrion vampire's natural weakness to sunlight and holy silver can be mitigated by feeding often. while some vampires can stop themselves draining completely, heloise's coven, as carrion vampires, are obligate cannibals; nothing goes to waste, human and vampire alike. during times of war, they fast willingly, but the cluster as a whole focuses much more on survival rather than excessive power-grabbing or propagation.

throughout her life, heloise has never had children, and considers her broodmates to be the only people in this world worth dying for. she is also in communication with the symbiote that resides within her cluster, whose name is SYZYGY. syzygy is preternaturally intelligent, often speaking obliquely, but always seems to warn her of things to come.