Wednesday, 29 May 2019

V5 Chronicle - Faction Profile - The Hollywood Warrens

During the course of the various stories of this chronicle the coterie has and will meet many characters so I'm therefore creating several profile pages for different groups within my version of kindred Los Angeles to help them keep track. I'll also amend these profiles as new information comes to light and old 'facts' turn out to be less factual than originally thought...
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The stories involving the coteries first meeting with this faction can be found at the following links...
'Becoming Baron' - Part Seven and Eight
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Some of this information is taken from the bloodlines game and other parts have been adapted or added by myself for my own chronicle set in Los Angeles. Should you be looking for canon information relating to the video game then I suggest looking HERE because I take a lot of liberties with source material...
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The Hollywood Warrens
The Sewers below Los Angeles are far more extensive than is necessary for a city even of it's size and scope, as Kindred involvement in L.A. since it's first creation has influenced the layout of the city both above and below. In theory it's possible to travel from one side of Los Angeles to the other without ever needing to see the surface.

Unnecessary sections have been planned, built and then the plans conveniently lost, areas have been scheduled for projects and extensions then abandoned before completion and a whole host of other methods have been used to create a city beneath the city. 

Though the Barony of Hollywood is the domain of Baron Isaac Abrams, the area beneath it has been claimed by Gary Golden, his three Childer and a number of other Nosferatu that treat him as leader and defacto Baron.

Below the extensive sewer network is another set of labyrinthine tunnels known to the kindred who use them for travel and Havens as 'The Warrens'. These are mainly inhabited by the Nosferatu though it's known that at least one area below Downtown contains a small pack of Bone Gnawer Werewolves.

If a particularly brave kindred was to delve even deeper he may find a way into the area known as 'The Labyrinth', but few who have entered this realm have ever returned.

Gary Golden, Former Primogen
Clan
10th Generation Nosferatu
Domain 
The Hollywood Warrens (Chasse 5, Lien 2, Portillon 5)
Haven
The Warrens (Haven 3: Creepy, Postern 2, Security System 5)
Backgrounds
Contacts 1-5 (Too many to list...), Fame 1 (As 'Gorgeous' Gary Golden), Influence 3, Status 4 (Nosferatu), Status 3 (Los Angeles)
Flaws
Repulsive 2
Lore
The Labyrinth (1: Tunnel Access)

When he was a mortal he was a famous movie star, especially during the 30's and 40's. It was around 1960 when he was Embraced and disappeared from the world of mortals, who officially pronounced him dead in 1965. It is likely that his transformation is the reason for his cynicism and bitterness. As he himself states about his face, "I like looking at it in the mirror. Builds character."

Gary become involved in the machinations of Prince Sebastian LaCroix when he sent an agent to him in order to learn the location of the Ankaran Sarcophagus an item that had created much interest amongst the kindred of Los Angeles who believed it to contain the torpid body of an ancient kindred. Gary's price for his information was the rescue of his own agent Barabus who had been captured by hunters of kindred and was being held in Chinatown.

Despite having the rank of Camarilla Primogen while the Camarilla were in power in LA, Gary sold his information freely to the Camarilla's enemies, had no bones about flaunting this fact in LaCroix's face, and had no respect for LaCroix, his fellow Primogen, or any members of the Camarilla whatsoever.

He also has a lot of hatred for the Toreador, who according to him deny their vampiric nature and are nothing more than a waste of blood. He was highly unpopular with the eastern kindred in Chinatown for unknown reasons but with their departure now has few significant enemies. He also has an unusual hobby which involves locating erotic or otherwise revealing photos of various female kindred which he occasionally trades in exchange for minor boons.

Gary is a master of the discipline known as Obfuscate often speaking to visitors while Obfuscated and disappearing and reappearing in an out of their view in order to confuse, distract or simply because he finds it amusing. His childer are Imalia (a classic Cleopatra), Mitnick (a computer expert) and Caleb who acts as guide and messenger. As well as his operative Barabus who is trusted with his most sensitive tasks there are also about two dozen other Nosferatu within the area and it's surroundings who treat him as their leader.

Imalia, Childe of Gary Golden
Clan
11th Generation Nosferatu
Haven
The Warrens (Haven 3: Creepy, Postern 1, Security System 5)
Backgrounds
Fame 5 (As 'Imalia')
Flaws
Repulsive 2

A 'Cleopatra' is a  term for a certain type of Nosferatu, almost always female, Cleopatra's used to be beautiful but generally had terrible personalities, so many Nosferatu believe they deserve the Nosferatu curse.

Imalia was once a supermodel of notorious beauty, featured in various types of media such as billboards, magazines and television. While she was alive, she was immensely popular, however, she was vain and arrogant, and unfortunately for her this brought her to the attention of the vanity despising Nosferatu clan. Imalia remembers the night she was Embraced by Gary well.

She had just won Guy magazine's Most Ridiculously Hot Chick In The Known Universe Award in 2003, and returned to her home only to find Gary Golden sitting on her couch with a martini in his hand.

Before her Embrace, Imalia was a selfish and vain diva; all this changed when she became a Nosferatu. After being Embraced, Imalia soon faked her own death, making it look like her car had been wrecked on a cliff side. Within the car the authorities found a body which was burned beyond recognition and she was declared dead. The source of this body is something she has never revealed. As a Nosferatu, Imalia is miserable, immoral, cold and spiteful. She still hasn't gotten over her lost beauty or the fact that her place in the spotlight had been usurped.

Imalia made her home in the communal haven inhabited by the Nosferatu. Her room was a small one with a computer, a neon sign from 'The Sin Bin', a print of John Collier's Lilith and a mattress for her to sleep on. The most striking feature in the room is her poster of the now deceased supermodel Tawni Sessions, which she has vandalised with criticisms. Imalia hated Tawni because she saw her as an upstart who was nowhere near as good as she was. Imalia seethed at every success Tawni had and constantly criticises her physical features. It is widely believed that she was directly responsible for the scandal which resulted in Tawni Sessions suicide.

Mitnick, Childe of Gary Golden
Clan
11th Generation Nosferatu
Haven
The Warrens (Haven 3: Creepy, Postern 1, Security System 5)
Backgrounds
Fame 4 (Hackers Only), Influence 2 (Online Blackmail), Resources 2 (Hacked accounts, Blackmail)
Flaws
Infamy 3 (Hacker), Repulsive 2
Lores
Ambrus Maropis (2: Clandestine Information, 3: Taught by the Best, 4: Back Door Panopticon)

Mitnick is a Nosferatu hacker in the Warrens under the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. He is in charge of computer systems, Network security, and updating databases, then sharing them on the ill fated SchreckNet. He is now attempting to create a new system to replace the compromised aforementioned Schrecknet.

Before his Embrace, Mitnick was a lone hacker, spending most of his days cracking past systems and stealing coding patterns to better his own. Mitnick once broke into a Government database and stole all of the US' missile launch codes. He then sent them to the president, according to Mitnick this had the FBI 'shitting themselves'.

One day he came across a network which interested him, but as he tried to hack into it he realised it was more than it first appeared. Instead of giving up, he took it as a challenge. Spending days and nights trying to get past the site's security neither eating nor sleeping. After three days he finally cracked into the system, unknowingly to him a Nosferatu system, only to be horrified by what he saw. He quickly unplugged from the site and tried to forget what he had witnessed only for the Nosferatu Primogen, Gary Golden, to show up on his doorstep two hours later.

It is considered that Mitnick was turned willingly, as he has stated, "Are you kidding? I love this shit!" when asked how he felt about his looks and current living conditions in the warrens. He has commented on several occasions that since he was Embraced, he has everything he needs and that "Eternal life is a pretty sweet bonus too."

Caleb, Childe of Gary Golden
Clan
11th Generation Nosferatu
Haven
The Warrens (Haven 3: Creepy, Library 4: Maps, Postern 1, Security System 5)
Flaws
Repulsive 2
Lore
The Labyrinth (1: Tunnel Access)

Caleb was an administrative sewer worker tasked with ensuring that plans of the network were kept up to date in order to ensure that workers beneath the city had access to accurate information after a number of worker disappearances. This task was far more difficult than he could ever imagine due to the machinations of various kindred interfering with any attempt to correctly map the warrens that many used as haven.

He later made the unfortunate decision to attempt to tie together various versions of the maps and documents available to him after discovering a plan of an entire fall-out shelter not documented elsewhere. It was there that he encountered Gary.

Deciding on a whim to embrace the unfortunate administrator he was surprised when he found his encyclopedic knowledge of the sewer network included several areas unknown even to himself. After providing Caleb with the vast amounts of paperwork removed from various planning offices over the decades he combined this information with his own knowledge and effectively swapped a career as an administrator for one of a guide.

If a message of importance needs to be delivered personally then Caleb can make his way from any point in the warrens to any other faster than any other inhabitant of the underground. In between these activities he is tasked with intercepting any visitors below Hollywood and guiding them to Gary by the most convoluted route possible or in less hospitable circumstances he leads them instead to Barabus.

Barabus, Spy and Enforcer
Clan 
10th Generation Nosferatu
Haven
The Warrens (Haven 3: Creepy, Hidden Armoury 1, Postern 1, Security System 5)
Merits 
Bloodhound
Flaws
Repulsive 2

Barabus is one of Gary's spies and is the operative who he uses for his most dangerous assignments. Though like many Nosferatu his embrace is a sore subject that he refuses to discuss it can be theorised that he has known Gary for quite some time as he shows him considerable loyalty. This loyalty works both ways as when Barabus was captured by mortal kindred hunters, Gary used what would have become a considerable boon to facilitate his release rather than for his own personal advantage.

Barabus is a powerful vampire who prefers hand-to-hand combat, and relies on Potence to enhance his already great physical strength. He has also shown a talent for other physical disciplines which account for his resilience and speed of reaction. These abilities made his capture all the more embarrassing and it is a subject that if raised is guaranteed to provoke his ire.

The Ancient Warrens
For over a decade vast section of the Warrens had been denied them by the periodic rampages of a vast and powerful creature of the Tzimisce left over from the Sabbat invasion of two thousand and four. This creature and it's master were eventually destroyed at the hands of the coterie of Michael Tomassio in exchange for Gary's support in his scheme to become the Baron of Pasadena.

The ancient area of the Warrens that the Tzimisce had taken for his haven had once been the home of some of the earliest Nosferatu inhabitants of the city and contained laboratories and archives of knowledge of extremely high value. The coterie's ally, an elder Nosferatu called Alonzo has now taken this area to use as his own haven and is gradually unearthing it's secrets. Fortunately for all concerned this elder kindred is quite apolitical so it's newly acquired resources are yet to upset the delicately balanced politics of the Free States.

Alonzo Guillen, Autarkis Elder
Clan
9th Generation Nosferatu
Haven
The Ancient Warrens (Haven 3: Creepy, Hidden Armoury 2, Cell 5, Laboratory 5, Library 5, Postern 1, Security System 5, Surgery, Watchmen 5: Rats)
Backgrounds
Resources 1 (Salvaged Items)
Merits
Iron GulletPolyglot
Flaws
Repulsive 2
Lores
Kindred Iconography (1: Iconographer), Low Clan (1: Thick Hide), Sect War Veteran (4: No Vampire's Land), The Circulatory System (3: Farm Upstate)The Labyrinth (1: Tunnel Access)
Derangement
Paranoia (Mild)

Alonzo was the black-sheep brother of a noble lady whose work in the missions rewarded her husband, Juan Marine, with a huge land grant of fourteen thousand acres in the late seventeen hundreds. Alonzo was born horribly disfigured and had become a Nosferatu while living in his native Spain. The only person who had shown him any kindness during his wretched childhood was the kind-hearted Eulalia, whom he so loved that he sought her from beyond the grave. Making the treacherous journey to California, he was shocked to find that his beloved sister had become totally enmeshed in her service to the Catholic Church.

Alonzo attempted to make his presence known to her, but she was repelled by what he had become. Desperate to regain her love, he killed her, planning to bring her into the unlife. Alas, she refused the blood even as she died. Driven mad by what he had done, Alonzo went on a rampage, killing his brother-in-law and everyone on the rancho. Sobbing, he sought refuge at the far edges of the estate, and a distant cousin claimed the land several years later. A succession of owners followed, each carving up the huge estate into what eventually became Pasadena, South Pasadena and Altadena.

Alonzo has continued to live in the hills above Pasadena. His guilt over the murder of his sister and brother-in-law, along with his long-standing sensitivity about his disfigurement, have combined to keep him away from his fellow Kindred. His natural inquisitiveness, however, has caused him to seek out all the information he can, and there is very little that goes on in this Los Angeles that escapes his watchful eye. Recently, Alonzo had made contact with Henry Waters, who strangely enough, was not repelled by the hideous vampire. Grateful for the acceptance he thought was impossible, Alonzo tried to help Henry overcome his Blood Bond to Edward Vignes teaching him a number of disciplines and other skills. Alas this friendship was also to end in disaster as Henry was killed by an ancient kindred who was inhabiting the body of Vera Vignes his lover and he became one of many of her victims as she escaped from Los Angeles.

Alonzo is aware of (and somewhat amused by) the depredations of the Blount sisters but has made no attempt to interfere seeing them as part of the natural order of Los Angeles. He does however strongly suspect the long-standing presence of an elder vampire in the area guiding the fates of those within. Alonzo is aware of pretty much everything that is going on in the Free States, although his knowledge gets correspondingly less detailed the farther a place is from the Los Angeles area. Alonzo is that rare Nosferatu who has managed to overcome his natural diffidence and distrust of other Kindred and make contact with a fellow vampire.

He has recently become something of a guide and adviser to the Banu Haqim Daniel who he has come to enjoy the occasional visits and company of. His complete lack of judgement about the Nosferatu's appearance and the respect he has shown this elder creature after a somewhat shaky first meeting has begun to endear him to Alonzo. He is however currently reluctant to become too involved due to his poor track record in the area of friendships in the past. He is however quite enjoying the role of mentor and asks little in return for the information he gives other than the occasional delivery of materials he is unable to acquire or salvage himself.

Alonzo has restored the laboratories of the Nosferatu 'Boil' who was destroyed during the Anarch revolt. He has begun to use the equipment, breeding pools and storage areas to breed a selection of superior vermin to provide him with messengers, spies and guards and now has a substantial quantity of these at his disposal.

The Tzimisce who had taken the haven for his own had awakened a torpid tentacled monstrosity created by Boil and was using it to guard one approach corridor. Alonzo has moved the creature to the much larger pit within his own haven that previously was the home of the Tzimisce's own war ghoul. Fed on Alonzo's own vitae and a steady diet of failed breeding projects the creature has grown to fill it's new environment and ensures that any visitors behave themselves.

He is also working his way through the vast archive of another former occupant of the ancient Warrens known as Dexter who had kept diaries of events in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas for centuries. As these are written in dozens of languages they are taking some time to decipher but Alonzo is still gleaning much that is useful from between the vast quantities of obsolete gossip.

On his last visit to the elder's domain, Daniel noted that several security systems had been installed and ancient mechanical traps and protection had been restored. Several areas have also been walled off and others broken through into adjacent chambers. What Alonzo has planned is however currently unknown to any but himself. He may simply be making himself at home.
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Should you be interested in the chronicles and stories associated with these pages then links to them all can be found HERE.
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