Thursday 7 November 2019

The Carmelita Files - Marius Walker

Michael Tomassio, Baron of the North East of Los Angeles has many powerful allies accumulated over his year in the city. One of these is the noted Toreador Camarilla archivist and archaeologist, Carmelita Neillson. Carmelita unearths the past and interviews Kindred, chronicling a vast array of vampire history and conversations with vampires as old as two millennia.
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The Camarilla forbids her from archiving any of her findings electronically though she keeps detailed files. Michael has asked for any file she might have on the Gangrel 'Fixer' of LA, Marius Walker. Apparently he is of interest not only too Michael but to other Camarilla of note as well...
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Marius Walker, Camarilla File XaCh001/IC
Marius Walker
Currently 'Baron' of Downtown Los Angeles
Clan: Gangrel
Sire: Xaviar
Childer: See attached file
Generation: 8th, 7th, 6th
Embrace: 1360's (Estimated)
Apparent Age: 30s, Actual Age: 680 (Estimated)

Current Affiliation
Autarkis, The Bahari (Unconfirmed)
Previous Affiliations
Anarch, Ashirra, Baali, Bahari, Camarilla, Children of Osiris, Sabbat, and no doubt many others.
Note: Many of these affiliations were part of Xaviar's undercover operations, (one hopes.)

Rank
Camarilla Rank - None
Put forward for Archon - Vetoed by Xaviar
Put forward for Praetor - Vetoed by Xaviar
Put forward for Alastor - Vetoed by Xaviar
Put forward for Red Alastor - Vetoed by Xaviar

Status
Blood Hunt - Active, On Hold by order of the Inner Circle
Red List - Secondary Entry List, Implementation Pending

Mutations
Enhanced Senses (All): Seem unrelated to specific changes of appearance, possible Vicissitude alterations, Pheromone Glands: Seem to also effect supernatural beings, Source unknown
Known Derangement's
Claustrophobia, Diablerie Addiction, Paranoia (Mild)

Biographical Information
Marius Walker - Mortal Mercenary
Artists Impression
Carmelita's Notes - Okay, Michael. This first bit was relayed by one of Xaviars other Childer so I'm fairly certain it's accurate. They've subsequently gone missing so it can't be double-checked, Unfortunately.

An English soldier and later a mercenary in what was to become known as the hundred years war and left for dead during an ill conceived raid on a baggage train that turned out to be far better guarded than any of the mercenaries were expecting. His last memory as a mortal man was lying beneath the bodies of his fellow raiders as a hot coppery liquid filled his throat.

Carmelita's Notes - It's a bit poetic but Gangrel are surprisingly like that with oratory.

Awakening with a hunger like he'd never known and with senses far more acute than he ever remembered possessing he found the trail of the caravan and it's hidden guards and this time the unsuspecting mortals faced a creature unlike any they'd encountered before. Finding that their blood was a far greater treasure than the mundane contents of the baggage he drained them all dry in an orgy of violence and depravity. He still took what coin he could find however...old habits die hard...

Xaviar - Gangrel
Former Justicar of the Camarilla
Carmelita's Notes - The tales of him pretending to be a mortal mercenary and assassin have been confirmed by multiple sources. He also might have used other names as similar jobs were attributed to different mercenaries.

As pragmatic in unlife as life the fledgling Gangrel continued with the career he'd left as a mortal, as a mercenary and assassin who only met clients and worked at night was hardly unusual. After two decades of murder, theft and worse he was contacted by the kindred who had created him and for the first time encountered another of his kind who taught him what he was and what he could become. His sire introduced himself as Xavier and began to pass onto his childe the skills he'd learned as a hunter of monsters and later lupines.

Carmelita's Notes - Xaviar was notorious for his talents in dealing with werewolves.

This pattern was to become the norm as his sire would locate him periodically for a hunt of a specific creature or creatures and then abandon him again for anything from years to decades during which time Marius used his skills as a mercenary, though by now his reputation was such that he also numbered many kindred amongst his clients.

Carmelita's Notes - Also confirmed. Considering some of the kills attributed to him it would have been quite obvious to other kindred what he was. I imagine that as he was Autarkis at the time and didn't know much about clans and sects that he probably took out some very important vampires and their thralls without knowing or caring why.

By the early 1700's his sire had become an important member of the Camarilla and the hunts Marius was utilised for instead became missions of infiltration, information gathering and usually ended with his cover being maintained via the violent final deaths of all kindred in whatever place or organisation he'd been sent. Due to the occasionally sensitive nature of these tasks for Xavier he was never officially given the rank of Archon, an omission that still rankles with him and which was partly responsible for their distancing relationship.

Carmelita's Notes - For fuck's sake don't bring that last bit up in casual conversation if you want to stay on his good side.


Marius's Aura as relayed by a Malkavian Seer
Fiorenza's Notes - Xaviar investigated many of his so-called allies and fellow Camarilla luminaries. Plausible deniability was the name of the game and it's generally considered probable that Xaviar used Marius for what would be considered 'suicide' missions to most kindred. He also had a dubious enough reputation so he would have made a convenient scapegoat should Xaviar have needed one. All in all he was poorly handled as an asset and we're in many ways now having to pay the price for Xaviar's shortsightedness.

It was at this time he gained a taste for the souls of other kindred and diablerie became his routine method of clean-up. After all he reasoned that all kindred regardless of age become dust upon their destruction by this method which saved considerable time hiding his activities from mortal authorities and investigating kindred. Unfortunately he had become so prolific a diablerist that the black veins have become a permanent fixture in his aura forcing him to maintain several cloaking disciplines at all times when in the company of Camarilla kindred who were unaware of his background.

The Bahari - Cult of Lilith
Carmelita's Notes - That aura idiosyncrasy is a very rare condition but not completely unheard of. The cloaking of his aura is also only layer one of his defences. He knows some Bahari tricks too so expect a killer headache if you probe any deeper should you get past the obfuscation of his aura. He should also probably be a wight by now so maybe he picked up some tricks from the Children of Osiris as well, some talent with Bardo would certainly explain it.

Fiorenza's Notes - These are as far as our records are concerned 'sanctioned' diableries as Xaviar was, as Justicar, quite within his authority to designate them so, even retrospectively.

Over the centuries he infiltrated many sects of interest to his sire including The Bahari, Baali, Children of Osiris and in later years the Sabbat as he had three talents which Xavier valued him for. He had an impressive talent for subterfuge, no moral compunctions whatsoever and Xavier had discovered he was somehow completely immune to the blood bond.

The Yuki Onna
Defeating Marius in his Hybrid Form
Carmelita's Notes - Given Marius's attitude I imagine Xaviar discovered the blood bond didn't work on his childe when said childe told him to fuck off. The subterfuge skills are unusual too, not very Gangrel at all so maybe he did some spying as a mortal as well? That's just a guess though. His childer and grandechilder are a bit odd too so maybe there's more to the blood thing than we know.

Fiorenza's Notes - Not all his missions were successful, so lets not make out he's unstoppable. Xaviar sent him against something that inspired the legends of the creature called a Yuki Onna. When we were looking at potential ways to deal with the Gangrel we had a Malkavian seer force a premonition about that event. The file includes an artist impression of part of that vision that the seer broadcast straight into their mind. I've also included a brief part of the creatures legend. You can see why Xaviar thought it was a vampire or something very similar.
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Yuki Onna is the irresistible phantom associated with snowstorms. She appears during the storms as a beautiful and tall woman with blue lips and black hair. It's transparent skin makes her blend well into the snowy landscape. She lures the young men to the remote areas with the motive of drinking their blood and freezing them solid.
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Aviana Maria - Gangrel
Portrait Commissioned by Marius
It was during his infiltration of the Bahari that he sired Aviana Maria at their behest and was forced to diablerise her in line with their more extreme teachings some time later. Before he committed this act in a rare moment of compassion he allowed her to embrace her own ghouled daughter Myranda in secret and hid her from the rest of the sect. He has continued to monitor her covertly when he could locate her in between his work for Xaviar and though he has never formally introduced himself as her grandsire it is reasonable to assume she made the connection herself relatively quickly.

Carmelita's Notes - Myranda seems to have no ill will towards Marius but then if you'd been ghouled by your own mother you probably had an odd upbringing anyway. On that note, all his childer and grandechilder are oddly loyal considering what a shitty sire he can be. Myranda he seems to actually care about so maybe he felt something for her mother after all? It's another 'broach at your own risk' subject I'm afraid.

It was on one of his freelance missions between his more 'official' jobs against a Tzimisce Warlord that he acquired his first and for centuries only Ghoul, a resourceful woman named Victoria who the creature had made perfect on the outside and in all honesty a monster on the inside over some four or five centuries of service.

Victoria Anne - Ancient Ghoul of Marius
High Functioning Psychopath
Carmelita's Notes - You've met Victoria so I won't elaborate.
Fiorenza's Notes - She is efficient though, in spite of her hobbies.

Using thaumaturgy rituals learned during one of his many searches for occult knowledge he always ensured that she had enough of his vitae preserved to sustain her during his many absences. During this time she forged her own path indulging her whims as she saw fit using her masters funds which though he still acquired had no real interest in. In the modern nights she fulfils the role that in a more traditional business would be a personal assistant.

Carmelita's Notes - My best guess for Marius's age is around about 680 give or take. That puts Victoria at over a 1000, maybe closer to 1100. We also suspect her regnant may have been as low as 4th generation which means two things that you need to consider. One she will have disciplines to rival most kindred and two, that Marius was skilled enough to beat a Tzimisce Methuselah when he was only 8th generation or so and had strong enough force of will to diablerize them and keep control of his own body. Marius is equivalent to 6th generation now as far as we know.

Yukio Hayashi - Ghoul of Marius
Assassin
Fiorenza's Notes - They're also lovers and may have been from before he destroyed her regnant. Such activities should be beyond a creature of his age but he seems to manage just fine.

His second ghoul Yukio recruited almost a century later was the daughter of an Onna-bugeisha, trained in martial arts in spite of the significant transformation of the social acceptance of women samurai in Japan at the time. When the stranger assured Yukio and her mother that in his service he could ensure that she would always be able to act as a warrior, free from the restrictions now enforced on the female samurai, both accepted his offer and she has served him loyally ever since. She is Marius's enforcer and assassin with a prolific body count of mortal enemies and if you believe the stories several vampires as well.

Carmelita's Notes - They're not stories. She's killed a dozen vampires that I know of. Tread carefully around that one. Marius keeps his inner circle well fed too, I doubt there's more than a drop of mortal blood left in Victoria or Yukio which means they can use disciplines like a vampire does, without ripping themselves to pieces like a normal ghoul would.

Prince LaCroix - Ventrue
Destroyed
With the apparent death of his sire it is unknown whether his basing of himself in Los Angeles was yet another mission for his sire or a project of his own. The loss of not one but two princes during his time there has not endeared him with those few remaining members of the Inner Circle who are aware of his true age and ancestry. He has been reminded by them recently that the blood hunt called upon him by Prince LaCroix was never officially withdrawn and that his activities gave them more than enough justification to add him to the Red List when next a space became available.

Carmelita's Notes - Twenty three kindred met their final deaths trying to stop Marius during that blood hunt, he didn't even bother to hide. We're reasonably sure he diablerised them all.

Carmelita's Notes - Sure, a couple of decent Archon teams might take him but I think the high-ups were bluffing about the blood hunt as a threat. I suppose Marius couldn't afford to take the chance they weren't though as the participants would be better prepared for him this time. Declaring him Anathema is a dodgy move politically though with him being a childe of Xaviar, they might still have done it though.

Fiorenza's Notes - We would most definitely have declared him Anathema, if only to discover how many of the current crop of Alastors are capable of doing their jobs. Also, despite not ending LaCroix himself, he did destroy his Sheriff and most of his guards, which enabled Smiling Jack to spring his 'surprise' which is reason enough in itself. He was also closely enough acquainted with Tara to have assisted her against Jenna Cross, had he been inclined. 

Fiorenza Savona - Ventrue
He has however been given an opportunity to redeem himself in their eyes by establishing three of their agents within the city and aiding them in a new campaign to regain the city. A task he has somewhat begrudgingly accomplished.

Carmelita's Notes - The team of agents they're discussing isn't named in the file but I'm sure you can guess who they were.

Fiorenza's Notes - A team of agents who incidentally we are keeping a very close eye on the progress of...

Carmelita's Notes - The next bit is hearsay but it seems reasonable.

With the vast quantities of blood available to him via his considerable kine and kindred herds he is able to constantly test the limits of his abilities and unusually for kindred actual trains himself in their use. Having mastered the physical disciplines to the limits of his generation, with equal proficiency in the signature disciplines of the Gangrel as well as basic skills in many others gained through the draining of kindred souls he has an impressive amount of tools at his disposal considerable even for a creature of his generation, age and blood potency amongst which is the ability to assume the form of a monstrous bat hybrid similar to that utilised by his sire. Added to many lifetimes dedicated to violence and subterfuge this has created a kindred who in the absence of true elders now has little to fear.

Lilith 'The Dark Mother'
Lilith's Garden
Fiorenza's Notes - Which means we'll probably have to deal with him politically, not physically, which is tedious in the short-term but perhaps a more cost effective option, long-term. I don't really care whether he pledges himself to an antediluvian or a mythical demon as long as he's not against us, I'll accept him not being for us...for now...

He has also amassed a considerable library of occult tomes and items of varying potency that are stored in an unknown location that he is (in theory) holding for his sire Xavier...should he ever return...

Carmelita's Notes - I'd love to get a look on that repository if you ever discover it, hint, hint. He has at least two swords of particular interest to me and I can't imagine either of them being stored far from his person.

His own goals however are known to no-one except himself and possibly his most loyal follower the ghoul Victoria. What the long term plans of such a creature might be don't bear musing upon for too long he certainly has the abilities and resources to accomplish pretty much anything.

Carmelita's Notes - Power is the obvious answer, control of the Gangrel, the spread of the worship of Lilith, etc. Though we're just guessing at this point

Fiorenza's Notes - Fucking with the order of things out of sheer malice is also a distinct possibility. He must know that Xaviar deliberately interfered in his advancement prospects so as to not lose an asset and he definitely knows he's been shortlisted for Anathema status because I told him so myself when I 'requested' his assistance with the current L.A. project.
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Hope that helps,
Carmelita x
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