Clover Riley
| Name | Clover Riley |
| Race | Undead |
| Type | Ghoul |
| Faction | Nightbred |
| Premiere | Desideratum: Blood Bonds |
| Relative(s) | Walter Riley, Rose Riley, Margaret O’Reilly |
Contents
Clover Riley
"When Brone told me that you had given up on life, I didn't believe it. Walt, why?"
Biography
Pre-Desideratum: Blood Bonds
The reincarnation of Margaret O’Reilly, Clover was born in Reno, Nevada. She grew up with loving parents and a good life, and constantly had dreams of a man that she never met. However, that all changed one night as she waitressed in a casino. It was like any other evening, guys hitting on her and occasionally pawing at her rear, but as she approached a man at a blackjack table, she almost dropped her tray; it was him- the man she saw in her dreams! He looked up with intense dark eyes, and the smile on his face warmed her heart. They married soon after that night, and the two were like soul mates. It was as if they had known each other forever. Walter became a rookie cop, and Clover quit her job and painted and sculpted, relishing art. Eventually, the pair had a child, Rose, and Walter worked hard to move up at the precinct. He became a detective with the force, and he was the best. They always gave him the hardest cases, and when he was not solving a recent case in record time, he methodically worked on cold cases. As tenacious as a bulldog, Walter would not relent until he had solved the riddle laid before him, but that intuition, intellect, and hard work would be his downfall and affect Clover and Rose, changing them and their family forever.
The Nightbred by an ancient Domnitor named Ivor moved into the area at the behest of the witch, Eleanora Blackwood. The vampires were using an old warehouse as their base and branching out. Humans served as food, slaves, and spies. Walter had no idea that creatures like vampires were real, and as far as he knew, he had stumbled upon an organized crime ring. He had found corruption within his own precinct, a cover up, and he thought he had found a human trafficking slave ring. However, when the big operation went down, the police found only an abandoned warehouse. Dust caked the floor, and clearly no one had used it in a decade. However, Eleanora’s magic was to blame. Through her dark spells, as the vampires fled back to their main lair in Portland, Oregon- she reverted the warehouses into the state that they had been upon their initial arrival.
Because of the debacle, the chief fired Walter. The Nightbred were forced to leave, but not before seeking revenge. Incensed, Ivor ordered the nosferatu, Brone Lorcan, to go and slay Walter and his daughter, for retribution. Known for taking the wives of his enemies, he ordered the nosferatu to return with Clover. Brone did not slay Walter or Rose, his power to resist Ivor having grown strong, but he had no choice in regards to Clover. He promised to watch over her. Hypnotized by Brone, Clover offered no resistance as he turned into a massive bat and carried the woman away, speeding to Portland. Once there, Ivor had Clover chained in the dungeons. He planned to turn her into a ghoul, to corrupt her mind and soul. A ghoul that drinks such blood experiences euphoria beyond any known drug and becomes addicted to their master’s ichors. Ivor forced her to imbibe his dark Nightbred blood, and waited to see her response.
Clover felt no euphoria at all, and to Ivor’s immense surprise, she did not seem mentally shackled to his will. Perplexed and irate, Ivor left and Brone emerged from the shadows. He comforted her and told her the truth, that Walter and Rose were still alive. He asked her if she was magical, and she had no explanation for why Ivor’s domnitor blood would not enthrall her. Unknown to both, it was the true love that she and Walter shared. Like an astral shield, that bond, so long as it remained intact, would keep her soul whole. Still, her body changed to that of a ghoul, pale and tragic, her eyes losing a bright gleam, and her heart wallowing in loneliness.
Desideratum: Blood Bonds
In Desideratum: Blood Bonds, Clover is a ghoul imprisoned by Lord Ivor. She was often visited by Brone. He would visit the woman every night possible and he would sometimes steal away for a day or two, to Las Vegas, to check up on Walter and Rose, once even risking his own life so that she could talk to Walter for mere minutes. He had fallen into destitution, missing his wife and reeling, turning to alcohol to try and spare him even a shred of the immense pain in his heart. She let him know that she was alive and to sober up and take care of Rose. Then, she was gone, returned to the Shanghai Tunnels where she spent night after night in an endless cycle. Until, suddenly, one night after Ivor fed her- she felt different. A new darkness crept into her, and she did not understand why. At first, Brone thought it might be heartsickness, but the effect continued to grow worse nightly. This was due to the fact that a thousand miles away the succubus, Dionyza, was corrupting Walter with her magic, amplified by her artifact, the ring known as Lilith’s Love. As she eroded Walter’s true love, the Nightbred curse in Ivor’s blood began to corrupt Clover’s heart. Soon, she was deeply in lust with Ivor, desiring to be his slave and eternal bride. Brone refused to give up on her, but was repaid by being shackled and held for the summoning of Nuit, where he would be forced to watch Clover marry Ivor and witness Absinthe Van Gothen become slain or converted. However, Abby managed to make her way into the Shanghai Tunnels in a bid to stop Ivor’s evil plans.
Absinthe set about defeating any Nightbred who attacked her, but other evil forces had come to stop Ivor or steal the power of Nuit. Wight Lord Zawisza and Necrolord Ilihana Fernandez were defeated by Abby as she made her way to the summoning. She eventually faced off against the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, but because of Vlad’s interruptions, the skirmish ended in a draw. She slew Sangwen Darkblood and the Jiang Shi Twins as well. She then faced off against Eleanora, but the shadow magicks employed by the witch were too much for her. However, Evelyn Addams and the Anax arrived. Eleanora tricked them all, and the Anax was banished by Eve. Then Eve and Eleanora fought as Absinthe busied Nuit, herself, in battle, until Evelyn finally defeated Eleanora and banished Nuit back to the Outer Darkness.
Evelyn was incapacitated from battle, but Brone and Absinthe charged to Ivor’s throne room. There, Ivor and Clover awaited them. Ivor gave the pair an ultimatum and threatened to kill Clover, but Absinthe attacked and Brone managed to take his friend to safety. Then Ivor defeated Absinthe. However, as he gloated, Vlad gained control over Abby, making her his blood puppet. Now empowered by his unholy might, Vlad attacked Ivor using Abby’s body. Terrified, Ivor called upon his greatest power- the ability to transform into a bat creature. In the ensuing battle, both Ivor and Vlad were injured and Abby regained control over herself. Ivor reverted to his humanoid form, and this time, Absinthe drove an oaken stake into his heart. Clover ran to her master, but as his powers over her waned, she began drinking his blood. As Brone and Absinthe watched in horror, she sucked Ivor dry and become a Nightbred. Ivor died at the hands of his victim, a fitting end for a horrible monster.
Appearance
Clover is a young looking middle aged woman. This is likely a result of being turned into a ghoul while in her twenties. She has pale skin, and blonde hair.
Abilities
- True Love
Notes and Trivia
Walter seems to be Clover's crutch. Anytime she starts to fall from who she is, a reminder of her husband helps bring her clarity again.
