like so many other poor souls seeking a better life, the seo family packed their things and sailed to the united states from their homeland in the 1870’s. they settled in california and took on low income jobs, hoping that one day with hard work and time, their fate would provide with good luck. yet fate had other things in mind. after the passing of the chinese exclusion act in 1882, banishing all asian immigrants from entering the country and hate crimes on the rise, their new home was no longer safe. they hid from authorities and attackers alike, living amongst the ghettos of los angeles and taking on any jobs they could find.

then in the early days of a cold wintry february of 1898 was their son, john seo, born. already starving and living on the streets after eviction, the couple could simply not bear to curse their child to suffer alongside them. thus his mother wrapped his newborn body into the only blanket she owned and left him upon the local orphanage porch, leaving only a trail of tears behind as she disappeared into the night.

a mere five years ticked on by before the fortunes of fate finally were bestowed upon young john. the wealthy couple, famed french film producer jacques de la fayette and his wife marguerite, could not conceive their own child and one eve stopped by the orphanage. marguerite was instantaneously enchanted by little johnny, in love with his “exotic” oriental look. naturally the spoiled trophy wife always got what she wanted and soon john became the their spoiled trophy som from the far east.

once the adoption settled, he took on the name john de la fayette and moved right into his new home at long island, new york. there within his new parents’ palace on the waterside did he learn to enjoy the finer things in life. he received only the absolute best governess, education, and of course a never ending wheelhouse of gifts. the boy adored his lifestyle so much that he didn’t mind all too much when his father was away and left him to be shown off by his mother like a pretty new toy any chance she got.

just prior to his thirteenth birthday, his father decided it was high time that johnny became a man and be exposed to working life. thus he found himself yet again on the move, this time his destination being the big romantic city of paris. there were the lafayette film studios where every day john would work as his father’s personal assistant and apprentice. whenever he was not busy with his academic studies, the boy was seen dashing about the studio fixing costumes, assembling sets, learning the art of what it took to produce excellent films.

as he grew bigger and older, he fell passionately in love with the silver screen just as much as his father had been. finally when he was fifteen john caught a massive break when one of the lead actors fell ill, john volunteering himself as a replacement. knowing every line of script, having had a hand in the craft of the entire film set, mr. lafayette granted his son’s wish. that year his film became a bix office hit and kickstarted john’s career into the world of acting.

as johnny made a name for himself as a young and exotic actor, his father jacques grew older and weaker. over time the old man could no longer hold on to life and passed away, leaving john as the sole heir to the lafayette legacy. in honor of the man’s passions did he return to his home of los angeles, california, where he would open up new studios in hollywood and begin a new branch within the booming american silent film industry. there he flourished as both actor and producer, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the hollywood elites, further farming the lafayette fortune into a film empire. by the time he turned twenty he was one of the richest bachelors in the west.

alongside fame, wealth, and lavish living soon came a brand new obsession; death. all things dark, macabre, and horrifically mysterious consumed his world. after witnessing a gruesome murder before his own eyes, haunted by memories of a full moon and a blood thirsting creature of the night, john went full force into his desperate fascinations.

by the 1920’s business was as roaring as the fans and flappers who frequented his company. while the man became a notorious star in his own right upon the silver screen, so did the dark lusts within. he wasted away his money on lavish things, grand parties, and secretly acquiring a massive collection of anything to do with the monsters he’d grown obsessed with.

perhaps his biggest secret was the real life monster he bought and kept hidden away in the cellars of his estate. it was a poor, lost, hungry creature with which he kept as his most prized pet. he loved his monster with every ounce of his being, spoiling it with whatever it wanted, but he could never give it true freedom. it remained the shackled secret in the dark for years until finally the creature escaped. then his secret was starting to come out. there were witnesses, maids and employees who saw him chasing after a monster in his own home. john couldn’t afford to be outed as a freak and lose his entire empire.

one by one, the witnesses all disappeared. no one knew what happened or ever saw them again. they all simply disappeared like phantoms vanishing into the night. police opened a long investigation and soon began to suspect johnny of foul play. they were hot on his trail and soon he knew he’d have no choice but to face the music. finally in 1927 on a cold october evening, one of his famous parties became his very last. fireworks filled the sky right in his backyard, but there was a malfunction, and soon the entire estate was in flames. in the aftermath, many bodies were found dead and charred from being caught with no escape. john de la fayette was pronounced dead and the world never questioned it.

except there would be a sickly sweet twist. john hadn’t died that night in the fire. instead he was reborn into the very sort of monsters he so admired. what he hadn’t known was that a vampyre by the name shim changmin had been in attendance, seeking out young souls for reasons unknown, and stumbled upon john in the flames by pure chance. the blood craving shim struck a deal which johnny could hardly refuse; he would feed upon the mortal’s body and grant him everlasting life in return for eternal loyalty.

thus he agreed and became a bonafide monster with many gifts, a vampyre to last forever in the dark. after escaping death he was brought to arcani heights where he’d live out many decades to come, abandoning his past life of riches and immersing himself into a world he had only ever dreamt about. ever since he’s reveled amidst evenings of occasionally mixing drinks at the club as a regular bartender and slaying the lycan kind as a death dealer, embracing his immortal status in thick blood.