Ola Ordon (WoD)

SchreckNet Data File

Real/Birth Name: Countess Aleksandra Ordonówna
Known Identity/Mortal Alias: Ola Ordon
Place of Origin: Nasielsk, Polant
Height: 5'3"
Occupation: Dance Instructor
Apparent Age: Early-30s
Embraced: 1939
Kindred Status: Ancilla
Sire: Cerek Locke
Notable Descendants: None known
Clan: Toreador
Clan Status: Known
Sect: Camarilla
Sect Status: Harpy
Player/Type: NPC

Appearance

Ola is an an attractive woman whose athletic figure commands more attention than would be expected by her petite frame. A lifetime of dancing to energetic styles has given her the kind of svelte and toned figure common to professional dancers. In public, she wears dresses and clothing that compliment this figure for maximum glamour and sex appeal, although in private is more commonly seen wearing jeans and loose sweaters, or similar comfortable clothing (though typically "cute and complimentary" as well as comfortable and practical). Dancing isn't just an occupation for her, but a way of life, so most of the dresses or other clothing she wears is conducive to spontaneously breaking into dance. When performing, her outfits are often quite glamorous and revealing, with one celebrity once commenting to her "that's the nicest dress I've nearly not seen you in." As can be expected by a Toreador, her outfits in public are intended to be attention-grabbing and avant-garde, especially when at Elysium.

Ola is a natural brunette, but her hair is naturally so light that it usually is considered to be "dirty blonde", especially in the light - but it is rarely seen this way. Her hair is almost always dyed a more obvious shade of blonde, typically golden blonde, though sometimes gearing more towards the brunette range, and rarely towards the lighter shades. At times, she has been known to dye it more chestnut/deeper shades of brunette, but rarely goes into the darker range (ie has never been known to dye it black). She does this mostly because she likes them and thinks they compliment her. Her hair is usually long and loose, slightly wavy and naturally voluminous at points, though she will style it fashionably for an event that warrants it, such as in ponytails when dancing/practicing, and glamorously tied up for a show. She tends to favour light/no make-up for casual/private use, and even in public her makeup is appropriate to the situation and dress she wears - complimentary and bold, but rarely risqué or avant-garde.

Background

Born Aleksandra Ordonówna, Ola discovered at only 12 that she had both a passion and ability for dancing and the performing arts. Under recommendation by her teachers, her parents sent her to a dance school where she excelled. She began her career at age 16 in the Warsaw cabaret Sfinks under the stage name Kasia Ordon, and then the Wesoły Ul in Lublin. Whilst she gained some popularity for both her singing and acting, it would be her dancing ability would always be her most lauded, and her biggest personal love.

When the Wesoly UI closed, she moved to Warsaw and worked at the Miraż, where she was noticed by Fryderyk Jarosy, director of the famous Warsaw cabaret Qui Pro Quo; it was under his guidance that she truly became a star of both stage and movies. The fame opened doors, and she became a beloved socialite. In 1928 she began courting, and in 1931 married Count Henryk Tyszkiewicz (who wrote many of her songs and choreography) in a well-publicised, and grandiouse ceremony at the Church of the Holy Cross.

Shortly after, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis, but rest and medical care let her recover, until in 1939 when she and her husband went to Vilnius to perform a special concert for troops going to fight the Nazis, prompting the return of her tuberculosis. With the war going on, and her husband deported deep into Russia (from which he would never return) she was unable to recover, and her fate appeared sealed until her mentor Fryderyk Jarosy introduced her to Cerek Locke, his patron and domitor, who revealed that he was a Kindred of Clan Toreador. Although his vitae kept her illness at bay, it soon became apparent that he was only interested in having her as a ghoul in his stable of talent, convinced that her marriage and illness had negatively affected her ability as a performer and that she was past her prime, and therefore past his interest in keeping beyond a ghoul.

Unwilling to remain tied to her new domitor's will, not knowing at which whim he would withdraw his patronage and seal her fate, she devised the dance of her life. A performance that combined every skill and talent she had mastered over the years. A showcase of who she was, and could be, and performed it - for the first and only time ever - just for him, only for his eyes. So enthralled did he become by her performance, that his rupture only ended after his blood was already on her lips, and the Embrace already begun to change her.

Whilst she had once been famous amongst the kine, Cerek aided her in faking her death to mortal eyes, and paraded her exclusively in the halls of Elysium for the pleasure of the Kindred. And for a time she was the latest, greatest thing. As the kine mourned her death to lung disease, amongst the kindred she flourished like never before. A social butterfly and socialite in life, she quickly excelled within the clan... and began rising a little too fast for her sire's liking, who began to see that, in time, she would eclipse him in status. Rather than be proud as a patron, he felt threatened. When he proposed to Aleksandra that she move to America, where he would give her a letter of introduction to a prestigious Toreador patron, Ola was not fooled. She understood clearly it was an honourable send-off, and that if she refused she would make an enemy of her own sire. But she was keen anyhow on separating her fortunes from her sire, especially as the situation in Poland and Russia was becoming dire; and so she moved to California, eventually settling in Ashford, where she found fame once again under her new stage name of Ola Ordon.

But eternal youth is its own curse. Eventually, people began to notice her lack of aging, forcing her to retreat from the limelight. She started a dance company, the Diversionary Academy of Performing Arts, and became a patron instead. She would cultivate promising talents and gain fame as a faceless manager and choreographer, operating through her ghoul staff; saving the best performances - including her own - for the halls of Elysium. Always a socialite, she quickly took to local Kindred social politics and, via providing talent for the Primogen and her progeny, gained their patronage. A few decades later, Ola was officially recognised as one of Ashford's Harpies. She was one of the few present to survive the infamous Opera House Massacre that began the Sabbat Crusade, managing to escape thanks partly to the limited Obfuscate ability she had developed back in Poland whilst hiding from the Nazis that had conquered her homeland.

Mortal Society

Ola owns the Diversionary Academy of Performing Arts in Ashford. The academy is dedicated to providing affordable and professional dance instruction for ages 2-adult. They offer a wide range of classes with a variety of instructors that cover a wide range of dance styles including ballet, tap, jazz, Hiphop, acro, and various ballroom styles made popular on shows such as Dancing With the Stars. Each year culminates with their Annual Dance Showcase, held in a beautiful, professional hall. Lessons are typically held 3pm-7pm.

In truth, the school is dual purpose. Although the school does cover other performing arts - mainly singing and acting - their emphasis is obviously on dancing and musical theatre, and those who have no dance ability will never go beyond training for leisure and fitness. The school has a range of after-school courses that are open to almost anyone, including those with a lack of talent or fitness level that makes Ola cry tears of blood from the horror - but Ola knows that Ashford is not Broadway and, to be blunt, she needs the income to support the lifestyle and pleasures she is accustomed to. Although most of her school's students will simply move on to their pointless lives someday, a few do occasionally show a glimmer of promise. These gold nuggets and diamonds in the rough are usually then slowly primed for greater things, often beginning as early as 2 years of age in life-long careful cultivation of a master dancer, much like a botanist may cultivate the perfect garden.

Although most of the classes are done in the 3-7pm time slots and effectively leisure and fitness courses, they do have a High School-level class dedicated to full-time education in the arts. This class begins at age 14 (though there is a late-entry point at age 16) and provides a full curriculum of dance, singing, theatre acting, math, science, social science, physical education, creative writing and world languages. With a collaboration with Thomas Wingfield's California State University Ashford's School of Arts & Humanities, students who graduate this class are virtually guaranteed to get into CSUA's Theatre program. The best from this class come to Ola's attention as she looks at their reports, tutor's comments, and her ghouls point out those with promise to her. Some of these get private tutelage from Headmistress Ola herself, always after-hours (as the headmistress is too busy to give personal tuition during normal working hours), and close and personal attention from the best tutors. The best may even become Ola's ghouls, or perform in Elysium for Ashford's kindred elite. Someday, perhaps, one may even be good enough to dance themselves into the Embrace.

Personality

No information in database.

Other Notes

Ghoul: James Radner

James is Ola's principal ghoul (ie she takes others short-term as needed, but he is her only permanent one). James runs the dance academy during the daytime, and is Ola's legal husband. He is patently in love with Ola beyond even the forced affections of the Blood Bond, and believes she truly loves and respects him in return. In reality, although she is fond of him, she thinks of him much like a mortal might a favoured pet... He entertains her and is a useful companion, and she enjoys his company and values the work and other things he does for her, but he'll never be close to her or her kind. She will never be able to truly return his affections as he is not kindred, and she has little intention of ever making him one. Still, she treats him well enough overall to encourage the misbelief that she loves him back, such as giving him sexual favours even though she has reached the point where she gets little satisfaction from it herself - which he perceives as an obvious, unselfish act of love, and therefore keeps him on her hook.

James is a handsome man in good physical shape as he was a professional dancer before he began working at the dance academy. He is actually a former student, who Ola groomed from an early age and directed his physical and professional development. She recognised that he was good enough, and trustworthy enough, to be a professional dancer and tutor at her academy - but that he would never be great, never have that certain thing that makes people like Ola stand out amongst the many excellent professionals in the industry. And alongside that, would never have what it takes to either truly steal her heart nor earn the Embrace. What Toreadors would ever stoop for anything less than perfection, after all?

Combat Style

Ola dislikes combat but she's no fool. She was alive during the rise of the 3rd Reich and the subsequent Nazi occupation of her homeland, as well as the worsening situation between Poland and Russia. She knows she is fast, but not powerful, and so relies on this. She much prefers using her limited Obfuscate and agility to hide, avoid or flee from danger (she thinks the concept of bravery is foolish - at least for artists; for bravery we have soldiers - which she respect - but it's a soldier's job to die for people like her, not vice-versa). And ever since the Sabbat Crusade and the rise of the Anarchs, she's taken to carrying a legally-registered Glock 22 in her handbag at all times. For emergency use, she has a tiny CA-legal automatic knife which she keeps concealed in a pocket, stocking or garter belt.

Unfortunately, she has only minimal training in effective use of either of these - a few hours at a gun range, and a few fencing classes - and no actual combat experience. She does have good natural dexterity, however, along with respectable levels of her clan discipline of Celerity, which means she is capable of either very accurate shorts, or rapid shooting at a respectable level about the same or slightly higher level as a typical police officer. Whilst not a serious danger against any supernatural threat or kindred with serious combat ability/experience, she can make good backup fire support, or become a hard target to hit, likely to be able to quickly flee the area and hide using her obfuscate before attackers can give effective pursuit.

Social Style