Wednesday 12 June 2019

V5 Chronicle - Faction Profile - The Brujah Idealists

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 Brujah Idealists
The Anarch Free States are unique. Never in the history of the Camarilla has a city managed not only to destroy its prince and its Primogen, but also to continue functioning thereafter without any visible form of traditional government. This has fascinated Brujah around the world, and no one more so than the European Idealists, who see in Los Angeles a crucible in which their ideas and dreams for the future of all Kindred will be put to the ultimate test.

Four Kindred scholars have come to Los Angeles to study the Free States up close. Jeremy was aware of their presence. When they arrived in the Free States, they went to Jeremy and asked his permission to observe the situation in LA. He laughed, and gave them their first lesson in anarchy by summarily throwing them out of his house.

Since then, the scholars have taken up residence in Laurel Canyon, which is isolated enough to be safe and yet is close to both Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. Relics of an earlier time, they are relatively safe in the Canyon, but they do not hesitate to slake their thirst by foraying into different parts of the city at the same time as they perform their research. This research has been astonishingly thorough, and the scholars are very well-informed about current goings-on in the Free States.

Those aware of them and who are looking for information would do well to cultivate these Kindred, but should be aware that they have no interest in anyone who does not meet their intellectual standards. Though they are occasionally joined by guests from all around the world the core membership always includes these four.

Sir Ralph Hamilton
Clan
9th Generation Brujah
Haven
House and Compound, Laurel Canyon (Haven 3: Library 5, Luxury, Security System 3, Watchmen 2)
Backgrounds
Contacts 1-4 (Various local officials), Influence 3, Mawla 3 (Dawn Cavanagh, The Ministry), Resources 4 (Personal Wealth), Status 2 (Camarilla, 4 before the fall of London).
Flaws
Dark Secret 1
Lore
Fiorenza Savona (2: Breakfast with Savona), High Clan (1: Peacock)

Sir Ralph was a representative of the London Brujah before the tragic intervention by the second inquisition made such connections meaningless, and is the leader of the group by virtue of his generation and status among the other 'Idealists'. He was, and is, personally opposed to the Anarch movement since he saw it as driving a wedge between the Brujah and the rest of the Camarilla, which could ultimately lead to the destruction of the entire clan. 

Though the clan survived intact his fears about the Brujah joining forces with the Anarchs over the Camarilla were actually quite prophetic. While he would not take any action without the consent of the whole group of scholars and other support, he is suspected of looking for weak points in the Anarch society that can be exploited to help bring down this challenge to his view of an ordered kindred society. He is particularly hostile to Louis Fortier, who he feels betrayed his class.

Sir Ralph is tall, slim and aristocratic looking, with greying hair which he brushes straight back. He has piercing eyes and pale skin. He dresses conservatively, in the most current European styles. He uses his piercing gaze to full effect in debates and will always look directly at the person he is speaking to. He generally gives the impression that he is judging all to whom he speaks, and that they have come up short. He has very little influence with the kindred of the Free States though his considerable financial resources have given him some sway with the mortal authorities and institutions.

Professor Gregory Habersohn 
Clan 
10th Generation Brujah
Haven
House and Compound, Laurel Canyon (Haven 3: Library 5, Luxury, Security System 3, Watchmen 2)
Backgrounds
Fame 1 (Noted Sociologist), Influence 1, Resources 2 (Book Royalties), Status 3 (Anarch Scholars), Status 1 (Anarchs).
Merits
Linguistics 4
Lore
Ruins of Carthage (1: Clan Historian)

Prof. Habersohn was a noted Swedish sociologist who had done some pioneering work in how primitive societies form and govern themselves. His theories caught the attention of Sir Ralph Hamilton, who thought that the Professor would make an excellent addition to the Brujah community.

After his initial shock, Prof. Habersohn eagerly seized the opportunity to continue his work indefinitely, and accompanied Sir Ralph to Los Angeles to study the situation there for himself. True to his academic training, he has not expressed any opinion about the subject of his study, although he is surprised to find himself growing increasingly sympathetic to the Anarch movement. In spite of his European background and advanced age, Prof. Habersohn has been surprisingly well accepted by the local Anarchs, who find him to be an interested and sympathetic listener.

He is the perfect picture of an elderly professor, thoughtful and sympathetic when someone else is talking and when it is his turn he speaks slowly and deliberately. He is rarely judgemental or critical, but always remembers everything that has been said. This deliberate but respectful style of debating and willingness to listen to the others point of view has gained him some influence amongst more scholarly Anarchs.

Dr. Takuya Shiraiwa
Clan
9th Generation Brujah
Haven
House and Compound, Laurel Canyon (Haven 3: Library 5, Luxury, Security System 3, Watchmen 2)
Backgrounds
Resources 2, Status 1 (Anarchs).
Merits
Linguistics 1
Lore
Salvador Garcia (1: A Way With Words)

Takuya became a hard-line Communist while a young man in Tokyo. This was not a healthy thing to be in 1939 japan, so he was very relieved when he was offered an opportunity to study medicine at the University of Moscow. There he came to the attention of Leonid Barofsky, a well-known Brujah who had taken part in the Glorious Revolution. Barofsky was taken with the evident sincerity and aggressiveness of the young medical student, and offered him a chance to continue working for the Revolution forever. Takuya accepted, and continued to study at night while serving the Party.

He fought against Yeltsin's rise to power, and schemed with the other Brujah in the 1991 coup. One night, he returned to his haven to find bits of Barofsky strewn everywhere. Takuya fled west to Sweden, where he met up with Prof. Habersohn, who put him in touch with Sir Ralph. Takuya is on this expedition because the European Idealists have a high opinion of his intellectual abilities and understanding of the political process.

Takuya is of average height, is slightly overweight and has black hair which he scrapes back or cuts short depending on his mood. His dress formally consisted of jeans and work shirts though he has of late decided to dress all in black as he likes the image. He sees everything in terms of its effect on the oppressed masses, his passion for whom has only heightened in unlife. Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, he remains true to his Stalinist ideals. 

Needless to say, this makes him guardedly favourable toward the Anarchs, feeling that a true people's government could still arise from the chaos. His support for the Revolt, however, is purely theoretical as he wouldn't harm another Kindred unless his existence depended on it. Takuya is considered a bit dogmatic by most of the Anarchs he has debated with, but his heart is obviously in the right place.

Countess Andrea Visconti
Clan
9th Generation Brujah
Haven
House and Compound, Laurel Canyon (Haven 3: Library 5, Luxury, Security System 3, Watchmen 2), Studio Apartment (Haven 2: Library 2, Location, Luxury, Security System 5)
Backgrounds
Influence 3, Mawla 3 (Carmelita Neillson), Mawla 4 (Count Luigi Visconti), Mawla 4 (Fiorenza Savona), Resources 5 (Generational Wealth), Status 3 (Camarilla), Status 3 (Anarch).
Merits 
Linguist 1, Stunning 1
Lore
Carmelita Neillson (2: The Art of Will), Fiorenza Savona (2: Breakfast with Fiorenza, 3: Friendly Benefits), Jeanette/ Therese Voerman (1: Asylum Membership), The Circulatory System (1: Tap Into the System), Victoria Ash (1: Ashen Kiss, 2: Vermilion Invitation)

Countess Andrea was originally brought along on the expedition as a favour to her husband, Count Luigi Visconti, a powerful Brujah from Milan. Very little was expected of her but, surprisingly, she has turned out to be a very valuable member. Her beauty and flamboyance have made a good impression on the Anarchs, and she has gotten the team into a lot of places where they otherwise would have been refused. In turn, Countess Andrea has fully accepted the Anarch philosophy and has become its advocate on the team.

Although Sir Ralph dismisses her as intellectually inferior, she is a ferocious debater who can hold her own in the frequent arguments that rock the Laurel Canyon house. Her status amongst the idealists has also been elevated significantly by the simple fact that she is the only one of them who has been granted access to the Neillson Library within Los Angeles due to her husband leveraging certain favours with high-up members of the Camarilla.

She is also on first name terms with many important persons within the Ivory Tower through the Count and can rely on them for reasonable levels of advice and assistance. She has made no secret of this to the Anarchs with which she deals stating simply that it would be foolish to abandon the resources at her disposal simply because she and her husband have different political ideologies.

To call Andrea a great beauty is an understatement and she accentuates her figure and classic features with stylish, expensive designer clothing and skilfully applied makeup though sometimes 'dresses-down' if she thinks it better helps her integrate with her target audience. She speaks loudly and vivaciously with a directness that can catch an unprepared debater off-guard. She also wears her emotions very close to the surface, so can change very quickly from happy to enraged, or vice versa. This emotional state makes her very quick to take offence, and equally quick to forgive.

Her influence is increasing among the Anarchs who respect her passion when debating. She also has some pull in the Camarilla through her husband despite seeing him only rarely and it is common knowledge that both consider their relationships quite open.
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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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Acknowledgements
I've used pictures of real people to represent some of the characters and art for others so in no particular order Sir Ralph Hamilton is Pierce Brosnan, Professor Gregory Habersohn is John Hurt, Dr. Takuya Shiraiwa is Masi Oka and Countess Andrea Visconti is Elizabeth Hurley.
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