V5 - Faction Profiles - The Barony of Downtown (Kindred)

 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 Kindred of Downtown

The majority of the kindred within Downtown are employees of Baron Marius Walker. Unlike many Barons and Princes, Marius runs his operation more like a corporation than a feudal system. Each of the kindred and ghouls under his influence have a particular area of responsibility. As long as the tasks allocated to them by Marius are accomplished and their areas of responsibility maintained their Baron cares little for how they spend the rest of their nights. As long as, of course, that these activities don't interfere with the smooth running of Downtown.

A number of Marius's childer also operate within Downtown. This included Tilly Kelly, Mistress of the Swarm, the sweepers known as 'The Circle', Emmanuella Booth, Eleanor Braun and Mary, 'The Mother'. Those have their own page HERE. Rumours that other members of his brood are heading towards L.A. may increase that number further.

Marius's Kindred

Bertram Tung

Clan - Nosferatu

Haven - Underground Bunker (Haven 3: Hidden Armoury 2, Library 3, Postern 1, Security System 5+)
Backgrounds:
Contacts 1-4 (Various useful information brokers), Influence 1 (Santa Monica), Influence 2 (Downtown), Mask 3 (Cobbler), Mawla 4 (Jeanette Voerman: Anarch, Malkavian), Mawla 4 

(Marius Walker), Resources 3,  Retainer 4 (Knox Harrington - Ghoul), Status 2 (4 before the 'Voerman' incident, 3 within Downtown)
Merits - Iron Gullet 3
Flaws - Repulsive 2
Lore - Ambrus Maropis (2: Clandestine Information, 4: Back Door Panopticon), Jeanette/Therese Voerman (3: Jeanette’s Favourite)

Bertram Tung is a Nosferatu who was forced for some time to reside in an abandoned oil tank at the SunCo Gasoline facility, in Santa Monica in order to avoid the Baron of Santa Monica, Therese Voerman, whom he feared and no doubt still does. Her close watch on the borders of her territory made escape impossible so he was effectively trapped within Santa Monica until an arrangement was made to lift the contract out on him in exchange for a service. This service put him in considerable debt to the kindred who made it possible, one Marius 'The Fixer' Walker.

Tung was one of the most influential vampires in Santa Monica and a fierce rival of Santa Monica's Baron, Therese Voerman, so being forced out of his home barony was a considerable blow. He has however regained much of his influence and moved what of it he could to Downtown Los Angeles where Marius has provided him with a spacious underground haven and access to the resources he needed to rebuild his information network. Though he now effectively works for Marius he has the same remit as many under the umbrella of the Gangrel's influence which allows him to pursue his own agenda's as long as these don't interfere with any schemes of Marius's own or compromise the operations of his other operatives.

Knox Harrington - Ghoul

He currently resides in the provided haven beneath Venture tower where he can tap into the power and computer lines he needs to run his extensive database in a secure haven that was many years ago a bomb shelter. Knox Harrington, his long serving ghoul has an apartment in the tower itself though spends much of his time with his sire in the underground haven. Having previously been a bounty hunter and now with the abilities of a ghoul, Knox is an expert tracker and locator of individuals who may wish to remain incognito.

He has also recently acquired a Nosferatu assistant named Eric Moore who has shown himself to be a useful if somewhat impulsive computer expert, though he prefers the term 'vigilante hacker'.

Bertram is a specialist in infiltration and is also intimately knowledgeable in the Kindred sects and clans. He is uninterested in politics, stating quite clearly that he never wanted to become the Baron of Santa Monica nor of any other barony for that matter. He is also very intelligent, planning from the shadows, like the majority of the Nosferatu. Tung is possessed of a some-what self deprecating sense of humour and isn't afraid to mock the miserable world he lives in, and the various people in it.

He has great loyalty towards his clan though pays only lip service to whatever passes for authority having the same scorn for the brief Camarilla leaders of Los Angeles that the other major Nosferatu player 'Gary' did. Tung has considerable respect for Nines because of his charisma and thinks that because of him, many Kindred turn Anarch every day. Though the specifics of his disagreement with Therese Voerman are unknown to any but themselves it is rumoured by many that he undermined a business deal of hers with information obtained from her sister Jeanette Voerman with whom it is implied he once had a sexual relationship.

Blossoms, The

 Tayla Quintana, Karla Bray and Lottie Noble

Clan - Toreador

Havens - Various apartments around Downtown

Backgrounds (All):

Allies (Security Personnel: Effectiveness 3, Reliability 3), Contacts 1-5 (Multiple), Influence 3 (Sex Trade 5), Herd 5 (Multiple, Brothels), Mask 2, Mawla 4 (Marius Walker), Resources 4, Retainers 1-3 (Various), Status 3 (4 within Downtown)

Backgrounds (Lottie):

Mask 2 (Cobbler)

Merits - Beautiful

Lore (All) - The Circulatory System (1: Tap Into the System)

Lore (Karla) - Kindred Duelling (1: Honourable Combatant, 3: Stake Fighter), Occult Artefacts (1: Rowan Ring)

The three Toreador known collectively as 'The Blossoms' ran two brothels and a number of street girls between them in what was then known as 'The Barony of the Angels'. This area was subsequently divided between the neighbouring Baronies and the kindred within found themselves under the rule of Barons not of their choosing.

However the Blossoms were to find themselves amongst the lucky ones when they were given control over the entire sex trade of the Downtown area by their new Baron, Marius Walker. Though they do so on his behalf, the expansion of their operation more than covered the significant percentage of the profits taken by Marius. They also found that they had defence from law enforcement, political influence and physical protection at a level they could have only dreamt of previously.

Tayla Quintana - Toreador

Tayla Quintana has the charisma and presence of a natural leader and it is easy to see why she, of the three, was considered to be in charge. Lottie Noble is the practical one of the group, and deals with the actual day to day business dealings of their empire. Karla Bray however deals with their security and is a formidable warrior when required. Her hobby is the forging of close combat weaponry and when armed with her own creations is even more deadly, first analysing her opponents moves then destroying them with precise blows at speeds that are difficult to see.

Despite the three being commonly described as 'The Blossoms' it is known that to do so in their presence can have unfortunate consequences as Karla has allegedly destroyed at least two kindred who had addressed Tayla and Lottie using that particular nomenclature. Over the last year however they have seemingly given up trying to dissuade use of the title and have instead embraced it wholeheartedly. Much to the annoyance of those who used it as an insult.

In recent months have have begun to liaise with their opposite number in the North Eastern baronies, a Brujah named Vin. They have no formal agreements but exchange information on possible problems, deal with territorial issues due to their sharing of a border and other minor issues.

Cabbie, The

Clan - Malkavian
Haven - Hallowbrook Apartments Underground Garage (Haven 3: Hidden Armoury 3, Luxury, Postern 2, Security System 5, Watchmen 1)
Backgrounds:
Fame 3 (Kindred Only), Influence 3, Mask 3 (Zeroed), Mawla 4 (Marius Walker), Retainer 3 (Ghoul Mechanic), Resources 3, Status 4

Merits: Iron Gullet
Lore: Pony Express (1: Access to the Network, 3: Driver, 5: Passenger Service), The Cobweb (2: Shared Condition, 3: Across the Web, 4: Pluck the Strands, 5: Malkav’s Will) 

Offering a unique service to the kindred of Los Angeles the kindred known currently as 'the Cabbie' (or sometimes 'The Transporter' by younger kindred) offers transport of any-one or anything from anywhere in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas with no questions asked anytime from nightfall to daybreak. Several older kindred speak of a gentlemen in the past known as the coachman who offered a similar service in other cities.

Taking payment in blood, boon, money or valuables he guarantees prompt and guaranteed arrival times and can even be waiting at your chosen pick-up point at the moment you awake at your Haven. It's also been noted by several customers that they can't recall actually asking for a cab or telling him their destination despite the timing of both being perfect. There are also those who complain that they didn't arrive at their specified destination, though they do tend to arrive where they need to be.

How he himself manages to arrive at a time that can only be accomplished by travel during the hours of daylight has never been answered but he has yet to fail to keep an appointment. By mutual agreement his vehicle is considered to have the same status as an Elysium and this is honoured by all kindred and is perhaps the only recorded time of a vehicle being granted this status. 

It's rumoured that even the Sabbat and the Lupines honour his status as neutral ground though this may be just wishful thinking from his passengers. There is some truth to this rumour as the cabbie numbers several werewolves, mages and even stranger beings amongst his clients. The manner of payment varies considerably from that used by kindred passengers however.

He has recently been contacted by Paxton, the creator of a delivery service amongst the kindred known as the Pony Express, to enquire about whether he wishes to become part of their network. He has apparently accepted the offer with Marius's approval and has now added an international aspect to his unique delivery service. Despite seeking Marius's permission this latter arrangement is exclusively between Paxton and The Cabbie as Paxton has no intention of letting 'the Fixer' get a foothold in his organisation.

Dillan Fitzgerald

Clan - Malkavian

Haven - A Labyrinth Somewhere beneath Downtown (Haven 5: Cell 5+, Creepy, Hidden Armoury 5+, Laboratory, Luxury, Occult Library 5, Postern 5+, Security System 5+, Surgery, Warding 5+)

Backgrounds:

Contacts 1-5 (Various Aegis Employees), Fame 1, Influence 2, Herd 3 (Those yet to escape from the labyrinth), Mawla 4 (Marius Walker), Resources 3

Lore - Kindred Architect* (1: Sanctuary, 2: Saboteur, 3: On Commission, 4: The Labyrinth, 5: Sense the Ley Lines), The Cobweb (1: A Break in the Static, 2: Step Into My Parlour), The Labyrinth (1: Tunnel Access)

Derangements - OCD (Perfectionism)

*This is just the Descendant of Zelios Loresheet, with a name change.

Dillan was a sought after architect and designer known for his innovative and somewhat quirky creations. Had fate not drawn one of the Malkavian clan to him he might well have become world famous.

After creating a maze in the garden of a wealthy American client he was approached by a strange, pale skinned man who quizzed him on the shapes and angles he'd used. The man apparently seeing meaning where Dillan had simply made a creation that he believed would be pleasing to the eye. Deciding that Mr Fitzgerald had potential of which he himself wasn't aware, the gentlemen embraced him into the clan hoping that the infusion of vitae would awaken the knowledge that he was sure was hidden within their mind. It's possible that he succeeded.

His sire had him creating the same mazes and labyrinths, based on that original design, over and over, believing that some secret was held within. One night Dillan snapped under his constant demands and in a fit of rage drove his wooden, three-sided architects rule through their chest. After dumping their torpid body into the foundations of a nearby construction site, he gathered his few remaining possessions and on a whim he couldn't explain, made his way to Los Angeles.

A few months later, a somewhat surprised Marius found him sitting in the front passenger seat of the Cabbies taxi, where he promptly asked for a job. Even more surprising was the fact that Marius had recently been thinking about hiring a kindred with design experience to expand Aegis Construction's usefulness to his kindred clients. Having dealt with Malkavians before, 'The Fixer' simply gave him the job there and then rather than try to unravel the chain of events that had led Dillan to him.

Mr Fitzgerald now designs kindred homes and havens, and is constantly coming up with new innovations. He does find it irritating however, how few of his clients appreciate what a good security measure a nicely convoluted maze can be. Those test subjects he uses to ensure that the labyrinth surrounding his own haven is inescapable, also inexplicably fail to appreciate the efforts he has made on their behalf and therefore deserve their fate.

The Labyrinth

Deep below downtown Los Angeles there’s an abandoned set of stations that were built but never used. These lead to a series of tunnels that are in various stages of disrepair, since construction on them was halted. Many of these go deeper even than the sewers of the city or the warrens of the Nosferatu for reasons not explained in the original designs. The series of connected stations and places they lead to is known colloquially among Kindred aware of them as 'The Labyrinth.', named after a similar location beneath Chicago.

Dillan is beginning to uncover the secrets of this unusual domain, and has discovered that it has inhabitants of it's own. They don't entirely trust him yet, but he's working on it.

Layton McCall

Clan - Ventrue

Haven - Venture Tower, Downtown (Haven 3: Hidden Armoury, Luxury, Security 5)

Backgrounds:

Allies (LAPD: Effectiveness 4, Reliability 3), Contacts 1-5 (Various Law Enforcement Personnel), Fame 2 (Police Hero), Influence 5, Herd 3 (Access to Marius's Blood Dolls),  Mawla 4 (Marius Walker), Resources 2 (Salary), Resources 3 (Kickbacks), Retainer 3 (Captain Oscar Pennington, Central Community Police Station), Retainer 3 (Lukas Holland, Deputy Chief of Central Bureau), Retainer 3 (Tamzin Schneider, Director LAPD), Status 3

Flaws - Clan Feeding Restriction (???)

Layton McCall was the Director of the Office of Constitutional Policing and Policy until a bomb attack on the vehicle in which he was travelling caused him severe burns and other injuries and resulted in the death of several other officers with whom he was travelling. It was thought that he would never return to active service.

That was until Prince LaCroix had an idea, making the officer an offer that he was keen to accept. After some appropriate mental conditioning, of course. Using his political contacts and extensive powers of domination and manipulation, LaCroix had medical records faked and altered to show that, as a result of the explosion, Layton had developed Solar urticaria, also known as sun allergy, Photodermatitis and Photosensitivity all conditions that required him to avoid sunlight. First the officer was ghouled to increase his rate of healing and then embraced. Given his heroic recovery, the already unpopular LAPD wished to avoid the bad publicity that refusing his request to return to active duty would certainly generate. Of course, he could now only work night shifts for entirely explainable medical reasons.

Layton McCall returned to his old department in LAPD headquarters as second in command to the new director who soon became his blood bound ghoul. As the Office of Constitutional Policing and Policy is responsible for the development of LAPD's policies and procedures, internal auditing and compliance programs, litigation involving the LAPD, the formation and implementation of the LAPDs long-term strategic plan and risk management strategies, as well as coordinating all local, state, and federal governmental and legislative affairs it was an ideal position from which LaCroix, through his protégé McCall could monitor and influence the cities police.

It would have no doubt been a long-term and mutually useful relationship had Prince LaCroix not been blown to pieces with hi-explosives. Sure that his relationship with LaCroix would put him high on the Anarchs 'to-do' list, he contacted LaCroix's ghoul Mercurio only to find that he'd already cut a deal for himself with several of the cities Barons. His last resort was a Gangrel 'Fixer' who he knew had done some work for LaCroix, and who the former Prince had described as "Reliable but unsubtle..."

Marius had thought that LaCroix's plan to put a vampire into a senior position at LAPD HQ was dangerous bordering on stupid but nonetheless accepted that it seemed to have been working up to now. He also revealed to be true, what Layton had always suspected, that it was the Prince himself who had organised the attack that had crippled him and that he had certainly been manipulated mentally to agree to accept. McCall is also reasonably sure that it was Marius who had organised it on LaCroix's behalf but has always been too afraid to ask the question.

Layton McCall has continued in the role created for him and has blood bound and ghouled a number of useful personnel in order to protect his position. Marius still thinks it was a stupid idea but as long as it's no threat to the masquerade or himself, he'll continue to take advantage of the situation. McCall has recently made ghouls of Captain Oscar Pennington of the Central Community Police Station and Lukas Holland, Deputy Chief of Central Bureau and can now pretty much influence any Law Enforcement activities anywhere in Marius's Barony.

Leanna

Clan - Duskborn
Haven - Hallowbrook Apartments (Haven 5: Cell 3, Hidden Armoury 5+, Occult Library 5+, Laboratory 1, Luxury 1, Postern 4, Resources 5, Security System 5+, Surgery 1, Watchmen 5+)
Backgrounds:
Contacts 5 (Marcelina Black, The Circulatory System), Contacts 3 (Police Lieutenant in Vice), Contacts 3 ('Sin-bin' manager), Contacts 2 (Drug Dealer), Contacts 1 (Weed Dealer), Fame 1 (Former Actress and Model), Herd 5 (Marius's Blood Dolls), Resources 4 (Blood Sommelier), Resources 3 (Kept Woman), Retainer 3 ('Transporter')
Merits - Day Drinker, Discipline Affinity (Dominate, Presence), Lifelike, Linguistics 1 (Spanish), Stunning, Thin-blood Alchemist (Athanor Corporis 3, Calcinato 2, Fixato 5)
Flaws - Bestial Temper, Clan Curse (Toreador), Vitae Dependency
Lore - The Blue Velvet (2: Who's Who), The Circulatory System (1: Tap into the System, 2: Little Black Book, 3: Farm Upstate, 4: Secure Transit, 5: Blood Sommelier)

A model and 'actress' drawn like many to Hollywood in the pursuit of fame who instead found the squalid underground of vice and degradation that so many others have fallen into.

Fed on at a 'speciality' party by a Toreador kindred attracted to her beauty and then again due to a particular sweetness of her blood she fell into the hands of a group of kindred known as 'The Circulatory System'. This group of kindred traded vessels of particular blood vintages between themselves and other interested individuals. After becoming a regular favourite of the self-same Toreador who first discovered her he purchased her for himself and after some time as his ghoul he embraced her.

However all did not go according to plan and she not only exhibited no particular disciplines of his clan but was in many ways barely a vampire at all. In his disappointment he abandoned her and having no place to go she returned to the only kindred she knew namely the very group that had been trading her for years, The Circulatory System itself. Having an intimate knowledge of the organisation from her days as one of it's vessels she became a valued member of the organisation despite her status as one of the duskborn. Unfortunately the loss of a valuable shipment to a powerful kindred in Los Angeles from Chicago threatened her status until an offer was made to her by a local 'Fixer'. In short he would compensate the organisation and the aforementioned kindred and in return she would serve him instead. Her choices being final death or an unlife of service to another she picked the latter.

She now manages Marius's herd of blood dolls, ensuring their health and well being as well as cataloguing any unique resonances for when the Gangrel has a particular preference. He also provides her the weekly infusion of vampiric vitae she needs in order to maintain her own disciplines. In addition to her usefulness as a personal manager of his herd she also left the Circulatory System with a number of other useful resources which she now utilises in Marius's service. She also is skilled at both brainwashing and deprogramming, skills gained during her time with the aforementioned Circulatory System and which she uses both in the service of Marius and on a freelance basis for certain special clients. The Circulatory System is ultimately a pragmatic organisation so with her debt to them cleared she can still interact with them and utilise their services, but at a price of course.

Amongst the wider kindred population she is most famous for her abilities with the preservation of blood and mixing it with wines to make exquisite and very expensive beverages for exclusive kindred clients. She is certainly the most skilled Blood Sommelier in Los Angeles and is widely regarded as one of the best in the kindred world.

Pisha

Clan - Nagaraja
Haven - Beneath Downtown Hospital (Haven 4: Cell 5, Creepy, Laboratory 3, Occult Library 5, Postern 1, Security System 5, Surgery, Warding 5, Watchmen 2)
Backgrounds:
Allies (Bound Spirits: Effectiveness 5, Reliability 4), Infamy 3 (Kindred Only), Retainer 3 (Nikita Taylor, Ghoul), Retainer 3 (Salma Suarez, Ghoul), Retainer 3 (Cassia Tang, Ghoul), Status 3 (Hecata), Status 3 (Sect War Veteran)

Merits: Bloodhound, Linguistics 6
Flaws: Obvious Predator, Organovore
Lore: Agata Starek (1: Terrorizing the Powerful), Blood Plagued (1: Detection), Cainite Heresy (1: Let He Who Hath Understanding, 3: Counter-Inquisition), Calling the Family Reunion (2: Updating the Rolodex) , Convention of Thorns (1: Thorns Historian, 3: Convention Secrets), Cult of Shalim (1: Dark Whispers), Fires and Floods and Devil's Night (1: Trivia Buff, 2: Old Bones), FirstLight (1: Evasion Tactics), Flesh-Eaters (1: Viscus, 2: Unseen Spirit, 3: The Perfect Murder), Goblin Roads (1: Night Rider), Golconda (1: Seeds of Golconda, 2: The One True Way), Hesha Ruhadze (1: One of Hesha's Works), Kindred Iconography (1: Iconographer, 2: The Writing on the Walls), Lost Secrets of the Milwaukee Chantry (1: Carna's Primogen Files), Low Clan (1: Thick Hide, 2: Cursed With Pride), Ruins of Carthage (1: Clan Historian), Sect War Veteran (1: Survivor, 2: Active Participant) The Book of Nod (1: Precis, 2: Well-versed, 3: Scholar, 4: Collector), The Church of Set (2: Tap the Secret Vein), The Circulatory System  (1: Tap into the System), The Promise of 1528 (1: Legal Scholar, 4: Faulty Memory), The Labyrinth, Chicago (1: Tunnel Access), The Labyrinth, Los Angeles (1: Tunnel Access), The First Inquisition (1: Mistakes of the Past, 2: Names of the Guilty), The Trinity (1: Constantinople), The Week of Nightmares (3: I Was There)

Pisha is a vampire of the Nagaraja, a bloodline that is twice-cursed as they must consume not only the blood of their prey, but their flesh as well. With the recent unification of many of the so called Clans of Death under the banner of the Hecata, many such kindred have stated that their particular clan banes have weakened or changed completely. Pisha, however still consumes both flesh and blood as she always has.

Pisha is by human standards a monster and is quite unapologetic about it, but in truth Pisha is a survivor and when she eats humans she is in her opinion only doing what any other animal would do in her position to survive. Pisha is at heart a scholar and the majority of her ambitions and goals focus around gaining knowledge particularly in the field of Necromancy. She comes across as a very calm and collected individual who only cares about her intellectual pursuits but is a genuinely terrifying and powerful foe should she consider herself threatened.

Up until a few decades ago Pisha never spent much time in any location but is now more or less a permanent resident of Los Angeles. By arrangement with the few other kindred aware of her existence she was until recently kept sealed within an abandoned downtown hospital by Marius who provides her with occult materials and enough flesh to maintain her existence in exchange for her making her occult knowledge available to him whenever necessary. 

It is the opinion of some of those who have sought her council that the precautions that keep her in place are more to inspire a feeling of security in the kindred of Los Angeles rather than an actually effective way of keeping her contained and that both her and Marius are well aware she could leave if she wished. However for now the arrangement seems to suit them both more than adequately whether it's a fallacy contrived by them both or not.

The hospital is currently undergoing a massive refurbishment and is being gradually turned into a centre for research into conditions of the blood. A special area is currently being constructed beneath the facility to allow Pisha to continue her residence there, though for what purpose, it is best not to linger on.

Rosa

Clan - Thinblood/Malkavian?

Haven -  Hallowbrook Apartments (Haven 5: Cell 3, Hidden Armoury 5+, Occult Library 5+, Laboratory 1, Luxury 1, Postern 4, Resources 5, Security System 5+, Surgery 1, Watchmen 5+)

Backgrounds:

Herd 3 (Regular Clients), Influence 3, Mawla 4 (Marius Walker), Resources 1 (Fortune Telling), Status 3

Merits - Beautiful, Linguistics (All - Rosa always addresses anyone to which she speaks in their preferred language with complete fluency)

Flaws - Infamy 3 (Thinblood Traitor), Suspect 1 (Thinbloods)

Lore - All, any or none depending on who she's speaking to, on what subject and her current level of lucidity.

Originally drawn to the Anarch Free States nearly twenty years ago, Rosa and her thin-blooded friends arrived at a most unfortunate time. The Camarilla had recently declared Praxis over the city and the many portents of the end-times had led to considerable anti-duskborn sentiments. Finding themselves hunted by the Camarilla and ignored by the Anarchs, many, including Rosa gathered what funds they could and left the city. When they heard the rumours of a messiah of sorts, a new leader amongst the duskborn called Jenna Cross, Rosa and others returned.

On her arrival she sought out the 'Fixer' Marius, who had helped her escape in the first place and in return for keeping him informed on Jenna's activities he set her up in business and gave her the funds she needed to establish herself. Her prestigious prophetic abilities made her fortune telling stall one of Santa Monica pier's most popular attractions. From there she watched Jenna's followers increase from a handful to a hundred or more and her abilities as a visionary led her to two conclusions. One, that Jenna was quite, quite mad and two that she was ultimately going to lose. 

Changing sides before the destruction of the members of the so-called 'Cross Rebellion' made perfect sense to even Rosa's fractured mind and so she promptly betrayed them all and went to work for Marius.

Those who can observe aura's have noted that Rosa's flows from one colour to the next and that those colours don't match her moods even closely. More skilful practitioners have also claimed to see the occasional black veins of diablerie within. Her intimate knowledge of those to whom she speaks can be quite unnerving and to some she has a disconcerting aura, though others feel nothing. She's also clearly stark, raving mad, making her condemnation of Jenna for exactly that reason somewhat ironic.

Unlike most of Marius's employees, Rosa has no tasks as such. She informs him when she has a vision she deems relevant, if she remembers to, and the rest of the time is left to her own devices. 

Her visions vary widely in relevance and have included everything from the exact timing of Jenna Cross's attempted uprising and the location of an ancient vampiric artefact hidden beneath the city, to the fact that Marius's ghoul Heather was going to be slightly late back home next Tuesday and everything in-between. However, should she be motivated to force a premonition on a particular subject she has yet to be mistaken even once.

Independent Kindred

Lyko Wu

Clan - Ventrue

Haven - The Red Dragon Restaurant (Haven 3: Hidden Armoury 3, Location, Luxury, Postern 3, Security System 5, Watchmen 3,)

Backgrounds:

Allies (The Blood Dragons: Effectiveness 4, Reliability 3), Domain: Chinatown (Chasse 4, Lien 3, Portillon 3), Herd 2, Influence 1 (4 Within Chinatown), Mask 1, Resources 3, Status 2 (5 Within Chinatown)

Merits - Linguistics 3

Flaws - Clan Feeding Restriction (???)

Lore - Descendent of Lodin (3: Black Sheep of the Family), Lupine Expert (1: Huntsman, 2: Tactician), The Anubi (1: Argent Fury, 3: Brick House)

Lyko was embraced into the Ventrue Clan almost a century ago. His sire wished to use his mixed Chinese and Caucasian heritage to build a bridge into the Chinese community. Lyko has never spoken his sires name claiming that he was without honour and therefore unworthy of being remembered, implying that they no longer exist.

Chinatown was for many years the domain of the Kuei-jin, or 'Vampires of the East' and it was only their departure that allowed Lyko Wu and his two childer to begin to re-establish their presence and power within the area. His control over the areas Triad gang known as 'The Blood Dragons' had given him a significant, but not dominant presence.

The Baron of Downtown and therefore also of Chinatown, Marius Walker had an arrangement with the Blood Dragons regarding his properties and club which was basically a simple pact of mutual none-interference. It was Marius and his allies who drove their Eastern competitors from Chinatown but as he did so for his own needs, Lyko Wu considers him to merely have their gratitude rather than them being in his debt. Especially as Marius's legitimate companies bought up more than half of the businesses in the area vacated by the Kuei-jin which Mr Wu considers to be more than enough compensation for the deed.

After bringing the former Barony of the Angels territory back into the expanded Barony of Downtown, Marius made Lyko Wu an offer. Lyko would guarantee the protection of all his business interests within Chinatown and in return, Marius would declare Chinatown to be Lyku Wu's domain to do with as he pleased. He, of course, accepted.

Though Chinatown is only a square mile, the area that Marius specified as the boundary of their domain extends into a number of residential areas surrounding it. Within three months of the agreement, the Blood Dragons were the only gang remaining in their domain and every business not belonging to Marius came under their 'protection'. It remains to be seen whether this is enough for Lyko Wu and his childer.

The Nameless One

Clan - Unknown

Haven - Somewhere below Koreatown

Backgrounds:

Domain: Koreatown (Chasse 5, Lien 1, Portillon 4), Resources 1 (Scavenging), Status 2 (4 Within Koreatown)

Flaws - Infamy 3 (Destroys trespassers without warning), Obvious Predator 2, Prey Exclusion 1 (Innocents), Repulsive 2, Stigmata.

Lore - Sect War Veteran (4: No Vampires Land), The Labyrinth (1: Tunnel Access)

Derangements - PTSD

The creature without a name has claimed Koreatown as his domain for close to thirty years though it's likely only it's residential centre that he truly controls. However few are willing to put that hypothesis to the test.

When the Barony of the Angels was divided between it's neighbours, Koreatown became briefly part of Louis Fortier's Barony of West Los Angeles and soon after was absorbed by Marius Walkers Barony of Downtown. Marius visited the territory only once, personally and quite alone. On his return he declared Koreatown, both above and below ground, to be the Nameless Ones domain to manage how he pleased.

Casually giving away nearly three square miles of the city, containing over one hundred thousand potential feeding vessels raised many questions. However only Marius and the Nameless themselves truly know what occurred between them. The fact that Marius was apparently unwilling to fight for the area has enhanced the Nameless One's reputation considerably.

For such a densely populated area, incidents of violent crime are remarkably low, in the main because such criminals have very short careers. Petty crime seems to be tolerated up to a point, but rapists and murderers are given no leeway and any that remain in the confides of Koreatown are hunted down, mutilated, then brutally murdered.

Those who claim to have caught a glimpse of the creature describe him as male, wearing a bloodstained suit and shirt and wearing round dark glasses. His skin is criss-crossed with deep cuts, some of which still seep blood. Though no firm evidence to the creatures identity has been gathered, there is at least one theory that seems to have a vague hint of truth to it.

In the late ninety-eighties a vicious gang controlled the area, running protection rackets and controlling both the drug and sex trade. Any who opposed them were tortured with knives and forced to watch their families defiled and killed before they themselves were murdered too. Law enforcement received a tip off that a warehouse off the market was being used by the gang. What they found there was a wholesale slaughter. Seven members of the gang were discovered. Each killed by the gangs own preferred method of execution, some were cut so deeply that little blood remained within their bodies. Chains and shackles were found within a cellar where their victims were beaten and tortured, though one set was found broken in the rooms corner seemingly ripped from it's mounting.

Evidence in a handbag found at the scene led them to a house in the residential district where a woman, and her son and daughter had been defiled then killed in a home invasion. Of her husband there was no trace. The rest of the gang were never seen again, the first vigilante attack occurred six months later. If William Hendricks, estate agent and loving father and husband is indeed the killer known as The Nameless One then his experiences, embrace, or both must have driven him insane as Mr Hendricks hadn't been in as much as a loud argument in his entire life. Of course the timing could be coincidental. If however this origin is true then his sire must have been of low generation for the Nameless to grow so powerful, so quickly.

During the Sabbat incursion of two-thousand and four, a single pack entered Koreatown and was never seen again. Three others followed and shared the same fate. After that, even the Sabbat decided to leave him alone.

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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 Tayla Quintana is Alyssa Milano, Karla Bray is Rose McGowan and Lottie Noble is Holly Marie Combs, Dillan Fitzgerald is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Layton McCall is Al Pacino, Leanna is Leeanna Vamp, Rosa is Mahafsoun, Lyko Wu is David E Collier and the Nameless One is Gary J. Tunnicliffe.
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