Origin

Ericka Norton was born in 1824 in a small, picturesque village nestled in the English countryside. She was the youngest daughter of a modestly wealthy family, known for her striking beauty and fierce independence. Her parents, devoutly religious, raised her with strict moral values, but Ericka always harbored a rebellious spirit. From a young age, she was captivated by tales of adventure, romance, and the supernatural, often sneaking away to listen to stories told by the village elders or to read forbidden books.

As she grew older, her beauty became the talk of the village, attracting the attention of many suitors. However, she found the men of her village dull and uninspiring, yearning instead for something more exciting and passionate. This yearning led her to an affair with a man named Lord William Blackwood, a charming and wealthy nobleman who had recently moved to the area with his wife, Eliza.

William was everything Ericka had dreamed of—handsome, charismatic, and worldly. Their affair was intense and passionate, conducted in secret under the cover of night. Though taken, Ericka believed she had found the love of her life, but what she did not know was that Eliza, his wife, was a powerful witch, well aware of her his infidelity. Consumed by jealousy and rage, Eliza sought to punish both her husband and his lover in the most twisted way possible.

One fateful evening, Eliza confronted Ericka in the woods near the village. The witch, her eyes burning with hatred, cast a powerful curse upon Ericka, condemning her to an eternity as a vampire. However, this was no ordinary curse. Eliza, in a cruel twist of fate, allowed Ericka to retain her soul, forcing her to live with the knowledge of what she had become and to suffer the endless torment of her existence.

The transformation was immediate and agonizing. Ericka felt a searing pain as her body was torn apart and reformed into something new, something monstrous. Her senses sharpened, her strength multiplied, and an insatiable hunger for blood consumed her. When the pain subsided, Ericka found herself alone in the dark, trembling with a mixture of fear and disgust. She knew that she could never return to her former life, not as the creature she had become.

Ericka fled the village, seeking refuge in the shadows, far from the eyes of those who had once known her. The first few years of her new existence were a nightmare. The thirst for blood was overwhelming, and despite her best efforts to resist, she occasionally succumbed to her darker urges, preying on innocent villagers in moments of weakness. Each time she fed, she was wracked with guilt and horror, the weight of her cursed soul becoming almost unbearable.

Desperate to control her urges and avoid harming the innocent, Ericka began feeding on small animals, but it was not enough to satiate her hunger. Eventually, she discovered that the blood of other vampires could temporarily quench her thirst, without the overwhelming guilt that accompanied feeding on humans. One day, a she saw a man in a cloak tracking a lone woman. He cornered her and attacked, pulling a dagger, raising it above his head and threatening the woman, forcing her to engage in sex. Erika grabbed the man and told the woman to run. The man broke free and stabbing at her, multiple times. Momentarily stunned at the viciousness of his attack, the man ran thinking she would fall, but he was overtaken and grabbed, She tore into him, making her revenge as torturous as possible, then she sunk her teeth into him. This revelation marked a turning point in her existence.

Over the next century, Ericka roamed Europe, seeking out and hunting other rapist, murderers, other vampires who hunted humans. She became a predator of predators, using her enhanced strength, speed, and senses to track down and eliminate those who preyed on humanity. In this way, she found a sense of purpose, channeling her curse into something she believed could be considered noble. Her actions gained her a reputation among both humans and vampires, with many viewing her as a relentless and fearsome vigilante.

Despite her new purpose, Ericka could not escape the loneliness and isolation that came with her condition. She avoided forming close relationships, knowing that her curse would only bring pain to those she cared about. As the decades passed, she witnessed the world around her change—wars were fought, empires rose and fell, and technology advanced at a pace she could barely comprehend. Yet, she remained unchanged, an immortal relic in a rapidly evolving world.

In the early 20th century, Ericka made her way to America, seeking a fresh start in a land where she was unknown. She eventually settled in Chicago, a city with a dark underbelly that provided ample opportunities for her to continue her mission. For the past fifty years, she has made the city her home, blending into the bustling metropolis and taking advantage of its size to remain anonymous. She lives in a bare bones basement apartment, working various night jobs to maintain the facade of a normal life. But she also prowls the streets, hunting down violent criminals, vampires and other supernatural threats that dare to prey on the innocent.

Ericka has become a master of her abilities over the years. She can move with incredible speed and stealth, her senses are honed to an incredible sharpness, and she possesses a strength that belies her slight frame. She has also developed a unique ability to sense other vampires, allowing her to track them down with ease. Despite her power, she remains deeply conflicted about her nature, constantly struggling to maintain control and resist the darker impulses that still lurk within her.

Throughout her time in Chicago, Ericka has formed a tenuous alliance with a few trusted individuals who are aware of the supernatural undercurrents in Chicago. These allies include a network of informants, occultists, and even a few supernatural beings and hunters including people like Victor Locke, Decoy and Artema Midnight who, like Ericka, seek to protect the city from the forces of darkness or are simply playing both sides trying to survive. Together, they work to keep the streets safe, though Ericka is always careful to keep her true nature hidden from those who might not understand.

Ericka existence in constant vigilance and solitude. She lives with the knowledge that she can never fully atone for the lives she has taken, nor can she ever escape the curse that binds her. Yet, she continues to fight, driven by a sense of duty and a desire to protect others from the horrors that she herself has endured.

As the years pass, Ericka remains a silent guardian of Chicago, ever watchful and ready to strike against the forces of darkness. She knows that her battle will never truly end, but as long as she draws breath, she will continue to fight, hoping that one day she might find redemption for the sins of her past.

Story Arcs

Erika was introduced in Epitaph: Ultimate Control #1 (reissued as Hexcraft Mechanics: Ultimate Control #1 ) which simply acted as an introduction story, where like in the past, she tracks a predator trying to assault a lone woman, feeds on him and kills him.

In Victor Locke Demon Hunter #2 she is found in the apartment of an evil occultist that had trapped a demon in the dwelling. Ericka came to kill her, but the demon Satsu got to her first and escaped her. Victor expelled the demon and confronted Ericka who filled him in on who the woman was.

Powers and Abilities

Ericka possesses the basic powers and abilities common to vampires, including enhanced strength, speed, and agility far beyond that of a normal human. Her senses are heightened to an extraordinary degree, allowing her to see in complete darkness, hear the faintest sounds from great distances, and detect even the subtlest of scents. She can heal rapidly from most wounds, making her incredibly difficult to kill. Her reflexes are nearly instantaneous, giving her a significant advantage in combat. However, these powers come with severe drawbacks. Sunlight weakens her, burning her skin and sapping her strength, though she has learned to endure brief exposures. She must regularly feed on blood to sustain her abilities and prevent herself from weakening and eventually withering away. Ericka also cannot enter a place without an invitation, and she is vulnerable to holy symbols and objects, which cause her pain and can even repel her especially if wielded by one with strong faith. Despite her strengths, Ericka must always be cautious, as her weaknesses could be exploited by her enemies.