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[Drakilian]

Mortals

Prague

Otakar I: The most important mortal in Prague is arguably her ruler, King Otakar Premysl, who rules from Prague Castle. As the first acknowledged king of the Czechs, ruler of Bohemia and Prague, Otakar's decisions affect not only the city, but also other parts of the Holy Roman Empire. Although rumors proliferate concerning the eccentricities of the Premysl family, no one speaks openly against the king. Otakar's chief worries are to keep trade moving briskly in the kingdom and to guard against the avarice of the empire, which has tried to undermine Bohemia's independence — most recently by
attempting to have the Archbishop ofPrague (a member of the Premysl family) declared unfit for the position. Otakar is ambitious — he wishes nothing less than for Prague to assume a position as the chiefcity of the Holy Roman Empire. Nothing — not even the perversions of his family or their Cainite masters — will come between the king and his goal. To this end, he wishes to minimize the involvement of Libussa and her torpid mistress. Otakar is clever and well aware of the city's nocturnal denizens; Cainites who dismiss the king as "merely another mortal" may well find themselves the victims of a rude awakening.

Libussa: Although she hardly counts as "mortal" anymore, Libussa, whose death was faked centuries ago, remains the Tzimisce Shaagra's attentive servant and ghoul. Unbelievably strong after centuries of feeding from the sleeping Methuselah, she is a major power behind the throne. The struggles between Libussa and the irritatingly strong-willed Otakar trickle down into the doings of the Premysls as a whole, Libussa believes, as does most of her family, that she could take on many Cainites and win. Libussa occasionally walks the streets—sometimes by day, but more often by night. Pale as the moon, with waist- length wheat-straw hair, she might be found almost anywhere, watching and listening to the pulse ofher city. Should anyone threaten Shaagra, Libussa would instantly know. The revenant Premysl, having recently received the command from Libussa, have been picking off any Tremere found in the city and feeding them to their Methuselah, who shows signs of awakening.

Rabbi Mordecai ben Judah: A community leader in the Jewish Quarter, Kabbalist and magus, Rabbi henJudah is also the creator of the golem, a man like creature of great strength. Though not affiliated with any magical tradition, the rabbi is aware that other mages visit and reside in the city. He is particularly concerned since his discovery that some members of the Order of Hermes' House Tremere have apparently become "undead." Primarily involved with the safety of the Jewish Quarter, he is considering speaking to the king regarding these vampyrs. Meanwhile, he guards his own home, placing garlic at the doors and windows and spreading salt on the window sills.

Grand Prior Pierre de Varreau: Leader of the Knights of St. John in Prague, this French knight has traveled to the Holy Land and throughout much of Western Europe. A grizzled veteran, the surprisingly well-educated de Varreau takes his monastery's duty seriously as guardians ofPrague's left bank. He insists on regular arms practice to keep his men in shape and oversees patrols through the Little Quarter to keep the peace. A man of True Faith (as are a few others under his command), he has a knack for showing up wherever trouble is brewing. He has even been known to lead armed contingents through the streets after dark, in response to strange noises or screams. The knights under his command are the true rulers of the Little Quarter.

Krakow

Casmir Piast, Prince of Malopolska: As the latest scion of the Piast dynasty that has niled Krakow since its elevation to a bishopric, "Prince" Casmir claims rulership over Malopolska in fact, but still considers himself King ofPoland. In actuality, his control over the city is tenuous at best, contested often by his advisors and other nobles, who feel that he is not doing enough to reunite Poland and recover her former standing.

Bishop Stefan: Counted among Casmir's adversaries is the Bishop of Krakow, Stefan Stwosz, who sees the prince as a weakling unable to support his claim to the Polish crown. Mindful of the fate of outspoken bishops, however, Bishop Stefan works quietly to undercut Casmir's authority without implicating himself. He serves as a useful tool for the Ventrue Konrad in his bid to overthrow the current Tzimisce ruler.

Ludmilla the Clever: Now in her late 60s, this elderly hedge wizard serves as the leader of Krakow's small, but ardent, pagan community. She is a priestess and healer to those who refuse both the Christian and Jewish faiths. Ludmilla divides her time between the city, where she lives with her son and daughter-in-law above their pottery shop, and the Niepolomice Forest, where she has a small cottage and herb garden. Here she conducts services to honor and propitiate the old gods of Poland. She has made alliances with the Cainite Jolanta and a pack of werewolves, believing them to be remnants of the old religion who have come to aid her in preserving the sanctity of the ancient traditions.

Transylvania

Anonymus, the Chronicler: A humble scribe in the service of Bela III, Master P (popularly known as Anonymus) is the quintessential observer. Dressed in a simple, dark monk's robe, his face shadowed by the robe's cowl so that none may see it, he moves throughout Buda-Pest, Esztergom and even Transylvania's most dangerous territory, chronicling what he witnesses and hears. He has written the first history of the Hungarian people, the Gesta Hungarorum. By scribing in the Low (rather than the ecclesiastical) Latin, Anonymus makes hiswork accessible to all scholars rather than just to churchmen. Some Cainites claim that he writes in that language because it is his mother tongue, whispering that he has lived since the Roman Empire first rose to power. As he seems to fear nothing, quietly emerging from battles, captivity and other life-threatening situations unruffled and intact, many Cainites (and a few mortals) whisper that he is immortal—perhaps the Wandering Jew. At least a few Cainites believe him to be Caine. As his aura is as anonymous as his name, none can say for certain.

Bilal al-Hanbal: This Muslim trader owns a stall on the outskirts of Pest's Royal Market. Once a year he leaves the city to make the dangerous journey south and east, where he acquires trade goods and arranges for caravans to deliver whatever he cannot bring back personally. Bilal is a friendly and curious sort who enjoys talking with all the customers who frequent his market stall. Although he retains his Muslim faith, he seeks to learn all he can about Christianity, "to better know and understand his neighbors," so he says. Citizens of Buda-Pest believe he is a spy; some say he is an assassin sent to murder their king. Most people discount such stories since King Bela entered the merchant's stall and emerged unharmed and in possession of a fine new blade some years back. In actuality, Bilal is the ghoul of Fariq the Assamite. He loyally does his master's bidding, including supplying Geza Arpad with potent Eastern drugs that the Prince of Esztergom feeds to his sire, Bulscu.

Delizbieta of the Dark Eyes: Some years ago a small group of dark-skinned, dark-haired people dressed in brightly colored clothes entered the city of Buda-Pest. Many folk claimed they looked tike the depictions of ancient Egyptians shown on old scrolls. Clearly different from the Hungarians in dress, speech and customs, the group lives in a wagon in New Town, just outside the town walls. One of them is a tinsmith who works in the Royal Market; others in the group trade horses at the Cattle Market. However, a particularly striking young woman, has set up a small tent in the Royal Market. There she tells fortunes and predicts the future for any who will make her a gift of silver. It is rumored that those who have lost something valuable, and who are willing to pay to have it returned, may go to Delizbieta and tell her of the missing item. If "God is with her," she can "find" the item and return it to its owner—for an agreed-upon price. Delizbieta is one of the kumpania (traveling companions) of the Ravnos who calls himself lzydor (the reason many of the items in question are "missing").

Sofia

Andras Tibor, Protector of Serdica: In his late 20s, the protector of Serdica (or Sofia) has linked his fortune with that of his brothers-in-law, Peter and Ivan Asen, the liberators of Bulgaria. Andras Tibor projects an air ofutter confidence as he goes about his responsibilities as ruler of Bulgaria's largest city. Privately, however, he worries about the consequences he will suffer if the Asens fail in their rebellion. To this end, he is amassing a private hoard of valuables against the possibility of having to leave the city suddenly. In the meantime, he has encouraged the growth of his city, hoping that it will one day become the capital of a Bulgarian Empire. Andras has begun to suspect that the odd sounds he sometimes hears late at night in his palace may be more than the wind blowing through the lower chambers. He often feels as if someone — or something — is watching him and whispering suggestions in the hours just before daylight.

Brencis Vidor, Patriarch-in'Waiting: In his early 50s, Archbishop Vidor epitomizes the bitterness of his people. Despite his devotion to the Church, he resents the relegation of Bulgaria's former patriarchy to a mere archbishopric. He hopes that if Bulgaria succeeds in shaking off the reins of Constantinople, the new Bulgarian Empire will regain the right to a patriarchy, with himself as Patriarch of the Bulgarian Church. He is considering beginning a concerted search for heretics, apostates, blasphemers and pagans, believing that purging Bulgaria of all non believers (including Jews) will prove his worthiness to ascend in the hierarchy of the faithful.

Father Patryn, Guardian of the Purified: An austere man in his middle 30s, Father Patryn leads his flock ofBogomil Christians by his example. Given to lengthy fasts and many forms of self-denial, Father Patryn strives to lead the perfect life, rejecting the world and all its temptations and holdingonly to the spiritual. If he could live on air, he would do so, considering even the act of taking food or drink as a sin (albeit a minor one). The Dark God is all too real to him, for one of the Evil One's daughters has asked him for sanctuary and forgiveness, which he has granted, but he now wonders if he has given himself up to damnation. Although Patryn has learned much from Amalia about the creatures who call themselves Cainites, he fears that he has bought this knowledge at too great a cost. To this end, Patryn has recently convinced her that both their salvations depend on saving other Cainites from damnation — by any means possible. If it entails staking the unrepentant out in the sun so that their souls may be purified, so be it.

Jorgi the Bear, Proprietor of the House of the Eagle: Jorgi's father and his father before him managed the prestigious baths known as the House of the Eagle. After the Asens began their war against Constantinople ten years ago, Jorgi encountered a charming foreigner who offered him long life in return for the simple act of drinking the stranger's blood. Now, Jorgi serves the Cainite Prince of Sofia, Basilio the Elder, with all his heart. Although he does not understand the precise status of his master, he realizes that it is his duty to listen carefully to all that goes on in the "privacy" of the baths and report what he hears to Lord Basilio.

Lithuania

Father Sergeyev: This elderly Orthodox priest acts as the city's metropolitan, though Kiev no longer has such a position. He was present the night that Darvag Grozny defended St. Sophia from the Prince of Suzdal's soldiers. When he tried to thank the hero who had defended the church through the dark night of the sacking, Father Sergeyev discovered that the holy cathedral had been saved by a monster. Since that time, he has lived in the cathedral and watched each night to see if the "devil" will return. He has spent long hours in prayer and contemplation wondering what it means. He has yet to determine whether he believes that the Church (and his faith) is now corrupted or whether he is supposed to save the soul of the monster whom God called to his service (if only for a night).

Galatia Karlanova, "Queen of Kiev": Long red hair and blue eyes betray Galatia's Varangian ancestry. She has been the ghoul of Darvag Grozny for over 60 years, though she appears to be little more than 20. Galatia is the owner of The Sign of the Skull, a disreputable inn where anyone can find anything — for a price. Most of the bandits and pirates of Kiev find her inn highly useful and support her "reign" as queen. They would certainly defend her from outsiders. Galatia is one of Darvag's favorites, a pet he has trained to revel in inflicting mental and physical pain on others. She is quite intelligent and a talented actress; most Cainites would never know she meant them anything but goodwill. Galatia would rejoice at the chance to help Darvag capture traveling Cainites (through supplying them with drugged vessels) and watching them writhe under her master's mercies.

[Drakilian]

Cainites

Assamites

Husayn Al Fatin: Husayn Al Fatin is a charismatic Assamite who has become close friends with Basilio. He helps the Lasombra Prince of Sofia in running the city and works with him to help keep the peace, increase trade and stay in power.

Brujah

Dominic - Mercenary Overlord: A legendary methuselah and one of the greatest warriors of the Brujah, Dominic is one of the few remaining survivors of Carthage. It is said that he once led the armies of Carthage against the roman legions and the Ventrue as a ghoul to Samal, himself Brujah Methuselah of importance in the ancient city.

When Carthage fell to Rome and the city lay burning in flames, Dominic went to report that the city had fallen. His vampiric master, it is said, stared blankly as roman armies destroyed his beloved city, the world he had known was ending. The impassioned Methuselah threw Dominic against the marmorean walls of his bedchamber as conflagrations consumed the city. Dominic had served the Ancient One well as his slave, and on that night, their union was violently consummated in blood. Dominic received his Dark Gift, a thirst for revenge against the Ventrue, and a burning hatred that would reside in his breast forever. Mourning, his sire lacked the will to survive and threw himself from the balcony into the destroying fires. Dominic suffered through the rest of that night alone.

The flames sent Dominic into a spree of destruction that lasted for days. Like many deranged Brujah childer, he wantonly slaughtered Roman soldiers, but even these violent acts could not quiet his grief. For Dominic, the epic carnage ended in his violent impalement on the pila of Roman centurions. He descended into torpor and his body was carried to a tomb by Carthaginian soldiers, where it remained for several centuries.

Dominic awakened in the fifth century with a thirst for the blood of the living and a stronger thirst for revenge against the Ventrue. He slowly gained a subtle influence over a small force of mercenaries; this handful of soldiers would be the agents for his vengeance. Following the example of the barbarians, he drove his warriors to Rome. The opportunists sailed across the Mediterranean and pressed to the north. The glory of destroying Rome, however, would belong to Odoacer, the leader of a stronger barbarian force.

Within a few years, Dominic's mercenaries witnessed what Odoacer's troops had done to the city. Rome had been sacked, but many Roman Ventrue had survived. Dominic's quest for revenge had merely begun.

Dominic became a master of military exploitation over the centuries. He sought out Ventrue with power over civilized nations and guided small units of mercenary scum to wealth. Living the life of a renegade, he set the strong against the weak, and he profited by exacting his rage. He had led private campaigns throughout Eastern Europe by the 10th century.

He yearned for a larger triumph. So, the ambitious vampire lord traveled to Constantinople to gauge the threat of the Ventrue there. The Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael of Clan Toreador, realized the threat that Dominic posed, yet he did not want to dismiss such a useful tool. While the Ventrue of his city were an integral part of its growth, the Methuselah bore an ancient grudge with a Ventrue far to the north. The Holy Roman Empire was becoming too powerful, so Michael made an alliance with Dominic to strike against this rival of Byzantium.

Dominic traveled north, gathering mortals and setting them against the empire. He had already learned of the fate of Hungary, a kingdom where barbarians had settled in the Carpathian Basin after rampaging across the steppes of Russia. They had reached a stalemate against the Holy Roman Empire, and Dominic could sense the barbarians' hunger for further conquest.

Through direct intervention, Dominic made the Hungarian armies even more formidable. He enlisted several Brujah to aid him, as they were eager to Embrace the most promising warriors. Ghoul soldiers gained preternatural prowess in battle by consuming Brujah vitae, and their fervor terrified their mortal enemies. Dominic planned to Embrace the Hungarians' mortal leader, Bulscu. His chosen one was a willing ghoul who rapidly gained a fierce addiction to Cainite blood and seemed eager to become one of the seemingly invincible undead.

Bulscu was ready to accept the Embrace — but not from Dominic. During one of Dominic's absences, Bulscu had been Dominated and seduced by the very Methuselah who bore such hatred for the Patriarch Michael. Bulscu drove a wooden spike through Dominic's heart on the eve of a great battle, again sending him into torpor. The betrayal was expertly timed.

Dominic was, as well as for his intense martial prowess, known for his immense beauty. Many considered his handsome demeanor overpowering. Even death had not robbed him of his olive skin, soulful eyes and impressive physique. Success on the battlefield resulted in many statues sculpted in his honor. The Patriarch Michael seized several of them from a Roman Ventrue general centuries ago, and he treasures them.

Capadocians

Kazimierz   the   Silent: Of the cotterie, only Steeple has any knowledge of Kasimierz the Silent. Having been sent to Krakow to inspect the salt mines which his family wished to aquire the rights to, he encountered Kazimierz, who believed that something was wrong dangerously wrong there and sought assistance. Unfortunately, Steeple had to depart before he could investigate the issue any further.

Gangrel

Arnulf - Bestial Force of Nature: Arnulf was once a simple soldier of a Goth army who was turned for unknown reasons by an unknown sire nearly a thousand years ago. He has made good use of his Embrace, bestowing the gift onto many Gangrel throughout the Balkans.

The Shadow Lords both fear and despise him for the barbaric raids he sometimes conducts against them for his amusement, frequently destroying many of their kin folk.

The ascendancy of the Hungarian Kingdom fills him with wrath. Fanners live like grazing cattle, content with the same fields year after year. Organized villagers set up elaborate defenses, waiting to kill the beasts that stalk in the night. The days of tribal glory are gone. Arnulf constantly seeks information about surviving barbarian tribes for this reason. He longs for the night when the kingdom falls and the villages bum. Then the old ways would return, and the simple life of predator and prey would be possible once again.

To this end, Arnulf is beginning to stir up his fractious childer. His message is simple: Prevent the cities from becoming too complacent. Although raising armies is difficult, Arnulf commands great influence over the members of his clan. If the cities are allowed to grow too fast, they will pose a threat to the territories of the Gangrel.

He is powerful in old age - almost god-like, and he commands great influence among the gangrel of Transylvania (many of whom are his childer). Indeed, with but a word half of the Gangrel in the East would rise to his call.

Lasombra

Basilio The elder - Prince of Sofia:

The Lasombra Basilio the Elder has ruled Serdica since Bulgaria came under Byzantine rule. Originally attracted to the area by his interest in the Eastern Church, Basilio left his comfortable surroundings in Rome and traveled to Constantinople. There he established close ties with its Cainite rulers, allying himself with the Magnus family of Lasombra and gaining their favor. When the Byzantine Empire established itself in Bulgaria, Basilio was given the city of Serdica in return for his services.

In order to claim his prize, however, Basilio had to overcome the opposition of Gabor the Bulgar, a Tzimisce voivode who, with his brood, claimed the area as his own. Gabor did not count on Basilio's inherent cunning or political skill. Basilio managed to rally other Tzimisce in the region to his side, playing on their   fears of Gabor's ambitions. A savage battle ensued, which resulted in the death of Gabor's brood. Gabor fled to Constantinople, where he sought to lose himself in the vastness of the greatest city in the empire.

The Tzimisce who had driven Gabor from Serdica returned to their own fiefdoms, leaving the city in Basilio's hands. Although he has shown himself to be a capable leader of Serdica's small Cainite community, he has not fared well under the resurgence of Bulgarian nationalism.
 
In an attempt to create other alliances for himself, Basilio has welcomed an Assamite known as Husayn al Fatin. He has found much in common with this polished and cultured Cainite. Both Basilio and Husayn support order and work toward civilizing the rowdy Bulgarians.

He has sired both the Ashen knight Anton and his brother.

[Drakilian]

Malkavians

Adrojai - High Priest of Kretuva:

Heavily involved with the Unseelie fae from childhood, Adrojai is was caught stealing from a Gangrel how priest and taken to the Krive of Lithuania - at the time a Malkavion known for ingenious methods for settling disputes.

The Krive sat and listened to the boy's life story, and the young man tried to blame the Unseelie for driving him to an unkind fate. So exquisite and imaginative was the story he fabricated that the Krive decided to take him as his own servant. A clever ghoul with a vast knowledge of the fae would be a useful tool.

Ten years of service followed. Adrojai acted as an emissary for the Krive, and he was especially skilled at negotiating treaties between the Unseelie and mortals. He grew confident — indeed, overconfident— in his abilities, and the benefit of never aging was a great reward. On the night that he rescued a young woman from the clutches of a marauding band of Unseelie, thereby averting a violent war between her parent's tribe and the fae, he was rewarded with the Embrace. Before he was at last accepted as one of the undead, however, he received another reward. Stealing the young woman's virginity, he left her with a bastard child.

Within a year, another major event occurred in his life. A caravan of merchants made an encampment not far from the sacred village where the Krive made his home. In the middle of a holy glen of oak, they celebrated their good fortune in the last village by quaffing their way through a cask of mead. The drunken Westerners were unknowingly committing great blasphemy, and the Krive himself decided to intervene.

Four crossbow bolts later, the villagers had defended themselves against an allegedly premeditated attack from an unarmed diplomat. The following night, Adrojai sought revenge. The caravan had moved on another league to the south, and they encamped by a seemingly tranquil glade. Four beautiful young nymphs ran out of the forest into the waiting arms of the merchants, crying that they were being pursued by a terrible monster. Adrojai moved silently through the woods and, aided by the fae, he led the merchants on a Nightmare Ride that would last until they were slain by the Unseelie at dawn.

The story of Adrojai's revenge spread throughout the domains of Lithuania, and the Cainite high priests were so impressed that they accepted Adrojai into their order. He is now the high priest of the terra of Kretuva. His alliance with the fae is so strong that tension between Cainites and Unseelie has abated for a time, and his quick wit has assisted him in mediating countless other disputes.

Nosferatu

Zelios - The Master Mason: 

Throughout Eastern Europe, Zelios has gained great renown. After being raised by wealthy merchant parents in the 11 the century, Zelios turned away from pursuing a life of comfortable privilege in favor of developing a useful craft. He traveled Europe and beyond, learning the art and science of architecture, At first, his passion was more of an avocation than a vocation. His insight displayed his talent, for with a few words of advice to an architect or engineer, he could improve both the safety and aesthetics of any design. Soon he was knowledgeable enough to serve as an advisor to wealthy nobles and expert architects.

Zelios's acumen attracted the notice of a Nosferatu with an appreciation for his art. Many Nosferatu lairs were sorely in need of improvements, and the thought of employing an architectural genius to assist the clan was irresistible.

The Embrace affected Zelios in a most peculiar way. To begin with, he gained a talent for subtly influencing the designs employed by mortals, elevating their achievements from mere competency to brilliance. With eternity set before him, Zelios expanded his travels to learn from the greatest architectural artists of the age. Through his influence, a great many castles have been built, and a great many have been drastically improved. Zelios has traveled all over Europe, building fortresses for Cainites whose wealth or whims appealed to him. Moreover, Zelios specializes in constructing hidden rooms, allowing Cainites to remain in torpor by day and avoid the few places frequented by mortals at night. This gives him unexpected advantages over powerful Cainites. He is always aware of weaknesses, secret passages and hidden places, ones of which even the castles' owners remain oblivious.

For the last few decades, he has been traveling throughout Eastern Europe, undertaking several projects in Hungary and Transylvania. There is seemingly never enough time to fully realize his passion for creation, yet Zelios is indefatigable in his efforts. Slowly, the walls of the greatest Transylvanian castles rise.

Marusca - Wild   Woman   of Hermanstadt: Childer of Zelios, Marusca holds a wide domain patrolled by loyal wolf packs, she resides in the fortress that overlooks Hermanstadt. The fortress was originally commissioned by the Ventrue for a Szelker overlord, and was built by her sire, Zelios. Zelios judged her to be a better caretaker, however, and did not stop her when she chose to kill the Szelker overlord and take over the territory for herself.

Ravnos

Vassily Taltos - Diplomatic Advisor and Spymaster

Vassily Taltos is a skilled politician who has served as a diplomatic advisor and spymaster to many Ventrue in the western Balkans. His glib tongue assisted him in negotiating peace between the rampaging Gangrel, the proud Brujah and the elitist Ventrue. By 1180, he hovered around the undead court of Bulgaria. He has recently taken up residence in the court of the Hungarian king.

Toreador

Arianne - Instigator of Tragic Romance

Background:
Arianne was turned in the year 1120 in Paris by an unliving lover. Though she fell madly in love, her sire saw her as a mere amusement. He began to school her in the ways of courtly love, educating her in its intricacies. From there, the couple critiqued the failings of many mortal romances, fascinated by the mysteries of the heart.

Her sire mysteriously died not long after her embrace, his murder was never solved. Suspicion has never been cast on Arianne, she truly loved her sire.

She has often preached the two of the most important rules of courtly love: "jealously increases love" and "love revealed is love diminished."

Returning to the Kingdom of Hungary, Arianne quickly became an important addition to the Hungarian Cainites. She is quite willing to travel, and she regularly visits the courts of Buda-Pest and Esztergom. As an expert on Western culture and fashion, she helps to raise the standards of Hungary, bringing the court to a cultural par with the West.

She has retained one vice: an amusement with courtly love. She has taught the 22 rules of this mortal enterprise to many members of the nobility, including mortals, revenants and Cainites. When she plays this game, however, she does so with a vicious edge. The rules are always twisted to her advantage. The loss of her first love forces her to see flaws in any budding romance, and driving such alliances to destruction fulfills her. Thus is her taste for romance consummated. As the Romans have said, all is fair in love and war.

As time has passed, Arianne's courtly love has became far from fair. Her jaded sensibilities have turned her so-called love into bestial depredation. As she falls further from noble ideas of romance, her suitors are made to suffer more. A lover eats little, sleeps little and, when Arianne is involved, suffers greatly. The greater the love, she reasons, the greater the suffering.

Her latest tryst involves playing two revenants of the Szantovich family against each other. She has been disappearing for months at a time to continue her cruel game, and both she and her lovers are learning more and more each night they play.

She sired Sylvain Bastien Beaulieu - one of her many trysts, abandoned not long after being embraced.

[Drakilian]

Ventrue

Bulscu - The Mastermind: Is revered by some for his heroism and reviled by others for his cowardice. As the founder of the Magyar Ventrue, he has built a family of kingmakers. In his early days overseeing Hungary, he ensured that his domain would enjoy independence from the Ventrue who created him. Despite this, he has slowly been ensnared by others.

In his mortal life, the Man of Blood was a charismatic chieftain who rallied Hungarian warriors against their enemies to the north. His appetite for life was fierce, but after he learned of the existence of the undead, his taste for vitae became even fiercer. In a communion with the unliving, he knelt before the Brujah who instructed him. In reverence, he drank of their blood and was intoxicated by the strength it brought him. Bulscu realized the power these creatures could give him, and he religiously submitted to them. He was chosen to receive the honor of serving Dominic, a Brujah held in great esteem for his role in the clan's revenge against the Ventrue.

Beyond the veil of sleep, though, another Cainite called to the depths of his mind. Bulscu dreamed of power. The triumph of a strong warrior was not enough for him. He desired the absolute power and influence a true king could command. Heady with the thought of such a fate, Bulscu drove his warriors westward to a fortress he had seen only in his dreams. Dominic's prone body was carried with them to witness the storming of the castle firsthand.

On the eve of battle, Dominic sluggishly arose from his well-secured and heavily guarded coffin. Before he could fully come to his senses, Bulscu drove a spike through Dominic's heart, plunging him into torpor. The Brujah's body was buried in a glen in the shadow of the fortress. Within the castle later that night, Bulscu knelt before his new Ventrue master. His taste for blood became more refined, and his thirst for power grew even stronger. When he at last left the castle, he did so one of the Damned. The betrayal of Dominic was complete. The armies of Hungary traveled onward without Bulscu. Lacking the
guidance of either their mortal or Cainite leader, they were defeated within a fortnight.

Bulscu's body was returned to Buda-Pest via a separate route, and he took up residence deep within the castle of Buda. He rapidly infiltrated the politics of the Arpad family, and the kingdom's collusion with the West was at last assured. In the centuries to come, Western Hungary would no longer acknowledge the authority of Byzantium, but would instead become a Western nation.

Since then, Bulscu has carefully maintained control over the mortal Arpads. Each week, a mortal of the Arpad family is brought before him. After a lively discussion of politics and a delightful evening of psychic abuse, Bulscu dines on aristocratic blood. This is the central act of his existence. He is content to have his childer support him and uses his power over them sparingly so long as his hunger is appeased.

Unfortunately, Bulscu has gained other hungers. His chambers are home to an entourage of beautiful men and women kept for his amusement.  His monstrous depredations are becoming legendary among the Cainites of his kingdom.

Since his betrayal of Dominic, Bulscu has created three childer. His involvement in politics gives him opportunities to watch the aristocracy very closely. Bulscu had one mortal child prior to his Embrace. Zombar Arpad was a cunning diplomat to the court of Byzantium and a promising king. Bulscu rewarded him for his long life of accomplishment by baptizing him in blood. For Zombar, however, the thought of serving his father for eternity was too great a burden to him. After manipulating the mortal Arpads for 100 years, he ended his unlife in a violent suicide.

He has also sired Geza Arpad, the "Archbishop" of Eztergomas.

Bulscu's third childe is not of the Arpad family, but, curiously enough, is the most loyal. Vencel Rikard was a Bavarian knight in life and is now a devoted childe in death. He regularly seeks audience with his sire for advice, even as he watches Bulscu's degeneracy increase. Though he knows his sire lives a tortured life, he holds a great love for him and would struggle until Final Death to save him.

Geza Arpad - Archishop of Eztergom

In his mortal days, Geza engineered a brilliant deception as King of Hungary. While helping to spread Christianity and break the control of rural shamans in his kingdom, he also practiced pagan rituals in secret. When he at last stepped down from the throne and into the shadows, his secretive activities became more elaborate.

In old age, Geza was recruited by Bulscu into the world of the undead. Bulscu considered the Embrace to be a reward for a lifetime of service to die kingdom.

While Bulscu and Vencel control Buda-Pest, Geza has retreated to Esztergom, where he reigns over the city. Esztergom was once the center of Hungary's government, but it has since become a religious capital controlling 10 bishoprics. As with other cities in the East, the mask of civility hides the visage of barbarism.

Roland - Master of Slaves:

Encountered in Buda-Pest when rescuing the Revenant Sherazhina Basarab, Roland is a fairly powerful Ventrue who claims to serve a monstrously powerful being. He was forced to escape after entering into combat with Kiril and Heldric, when Anton, Sylvian and Lucien appeared, scaring the Ventrue off. He swore terrible vengeance against Kiril.

Rudolf Brangl - Prince of Prague:

Occupying a sumptuous suite in the interior of Prague Castle, the Ventrue prince rules the area's Cainites.

To combat the Brujah's support of heretical sects in the city, Rudolf not only supports Christian churches, but has instituted the cult worship of Mithras among soldiery stationed in Old Town. He propagates the worship of the Ventrue known as Mithras rather than the real rites of the ancient deity, which greatly annoys those who worship the god.

Nova Arpad - Hungarian Overlord

The feudal system that brought peace and prosperity to Western Hungary has taken a darker tone in Eastern Hungary. Szekler settlers act as the nobility of Transylvania, while Vlachs and other Romanians who settled the lands over a thousand years ago now live as their serfs. The Hungarian Ventrue have sent a brilliant member of their family to oversee this system. While the mortal aristocracy holds power by day, the sinister hierarchy of the night emerges after doors and windows are barred at sundown.

Nova Arpad hasn't developed that system alone; if anything, she echoes the cruelty mortal Szeklers have visited upon the Vlachs. When she first arrived in Transylvania, she was an idealist. By her mind, the actions of the Hungarians were perfectly understandable. Hungary was a Christian kingdom, and mortals who followed the dictates of the Pope possessed a humanity that surpassed what even the Ventrue could hope to accomplish, The western lands of the kingdom were a challenge to the civilized nation. Transylvania was a land of barbaric pagans, and the very earth was tainted with a primitive evil. Only the civilized could tame it.

As a mortal woman, Nova was the daughter of an Arpad noble. Her education was exquisite, consisting not only of languages and literature, but also of music and horsemanship. The Embrace allowed her unparalleled opportunity. Politics fascinated her, and her acumen attracted the attention of her elders. Her ambition and eloquence won the respect of her elders, and soon she was honored with the chance to serve them in the untamed lands of Transylvania.

The Tzimisce also learned of this brilliant woman, and they countered her ambition with their own treachery. Any powerful leader needs strong servants, and the Fiends had bred one who was ideally suited to such an impressive leader. Olithio Szantovich knew much about the treatment of servants and slaves, and as a member of his infamous family, he had powers unknown to the West.

Once Nova's estate had been built in Mediasch, he traveled there and humbly petitioned to serve her.

Nova became reckless. Her revenant ally also lacked caution, and his cruel treatment of the servants invited retribution. Olithio was killed by one night by a mortal exacting revenge.

Vencel Trikard - Prince of Buda-Pest

Background: The product of a Christian knightly education, Vencel Rikard came to the city when King Geza invited a contingent of Bavarian knights to become his personal bodyguard. Embraced by Bulscu as a reward for his excellent service, Vencel is most concerned with retaining his position, maximizing the profits he reaps from his mercantile interests, and keeping the peace in a city that is potentially a battleground for warring clans. He believes that the best way to do so is to make Buda-Pest the largest, most important city in Hungary (thereby attracting the king back and making it the capital of the kingdom).

He sees the war in Transylvania as destructive, unnecessary and ultimately stupid.

[Drakilian]

Tremere

Yeah, you guys know no Tremere

Tzimisce

Yorak - High Priest of the Cathedral of Flesh: one of Transylvania's eldest Tzimisce, dwells in his labyrinth in the Carpathians, He has become the center of an elaborate cult of Metamorphosists. His Cathedral of Flesh, a mosaic of sinew and bone formed from legions of sacrifices, is one of the most important Metamorphosist shrines in the Old Country.

Yorak stalks his caves freely. Never will he leave his tunnels; instead, he slowly distends his body into forms more suited to darkness. It is said that forgotten things seek his audience, pledging their devotion and praying for his assistance. Yorak expects to be treated like a god because, in a way, he is. His supernal prowess has reached such heights that the fearful whisper of his omniscience.

Even the sacrifices torn asunder to form his unholy shrine worship him. Many of the victims in the Cathedral are kept alive to suffer for centuries through Vicissitude. Several have formed gestalts and group minds, desperately attempting to erect crude defenses against Yorak's psychic rape. A wealth of information is stored in this abominable temple, although trying to retrieve it would drive a lesser mind insane.

Yorak's cult is devout and well defended, and he carries enormous influence among his clan. Vampires may come and go in Transylvania, but Yorak remains.

Noriz - The Corrupter of Legions: Noriz foresees the struggle his clan will have in the centuries to come. Evolution is a religion to him, and he has turned dozens of childer and set them loose upon the night.

Many die, but the strong survive. All are instilled with the same motive: consume the souls of as many Cainites as possible. In this manner, Noriz has declared war against any who threaten his rampant paranoia.

Spawned in the somber hallways of his castle in Moldavia, the childer of Noriz infiltrate and infect the smaller cities that harbor Cainites. Every soul reclaimed by these Tzimisce furthers their sire's crusade against all other Cainites.

Radu - Prince of Bistritz

Radu's family has served the Tzimisce clan since the nights of peaceful Dacia. He was born as a revenant in 1100. Radu gained the favor of a feudal lord through guile and wit and was especially favored for his accurate analysis of the Hungarian threat. He warned that Transylvania was doomed to serve a Christian kingdom, one in which the system of feudalism would serve the West. Although the mortal Voivodate of Transylvania retained some measure of indepence, it was clear that the local populace would one day be oppressed more than the Fiends had ever intended.

This was a bold statement—not only because it spoke poorly of his clan's ambition, but also because Radu's master was not, as they say, a True Romanian. The original Dacian masters of Radu's fiefdom were defeated in a Trial by War by an ambitious Tzimisce of Szekler stock. Romanian Tzimisce harbor a great hatred for the Szekler and Hungarian Fiends, considering them bastard childer of their great and glorious line. Nonetheless, Radu's quick grasp of Szekler and Hungarian culture offered him an opportunity.

Radu became an ambassador to the West, ostensibly for the purpose of diplomatic relations, secretly to gather information. When the Hungarian Ventrue proposed the plan of instituting seven domains and a coterie of Cainites to rule, Radu was in a prime position to exploit them. The Ventrue referred to this Council of Ashes as a way to "resurrect the glory of ancient Dacia from the ashes of a barbarous land."

Radu was given the Embrace and he joined this council. The arrogant Hungarians, swayed by Radu's politicking, ultimately granted him the title of Prince of Bistritz.

Radu regularly conversed with the rulers of the other six domains. He quickly gained a reputation for diplomacy and civility, and he reassured the recognized rulers of Transylvania that certain factions in his clan wished to maintain diplomatic relations with the rest of Europe.

The Council of Ashes was dissolved within a few decades. Though Saxon settlers are still building the seven cities desired by the Holy Roman Ventnie, only four out of seven princes remain, Radu is still on good terms with the other three, and he is secure within his domain. Until the Ventrue decide to abandon their diplomatic relations with the Tzimisce, Radu's authority will be recognized by Westerners and Tzimisce alike.

Marelle - Sculptor of Wolves

While many Tzimisce prefer to maintain their "relations" with humans, Marelle performs her experiments on the wolves of her domain. They serve as her ghouls and she crafts bizarre deformities for them, often combining the skeletons and organs of several at once. Lupine Kinfolk are treasured above all, for the torment of transformation instills the taint of corruption in them. The most loyal of her re-creations become her servants, and the most accomplished journey to the Cathedral of Flesh to meditate on the darkness at die core of the world.

Marelle has made a shocking transformation over the last century. She began her life as a Danislav revenant in northeastern Transylvania. Political strife was a courtly amusement to her; by cautiously playing knezi against each other, she gained a reputation for sage counsel. At last, she was invited to the court of Prince Radu to advise him concerning a dispute with an arrogant Gangrel.

The wolves that served this Gangrel beast as bodyguards had begun to prey on humans not far from Bistritz. A number of infants had been stolen from their mothers' cribs, and the most daring of the packs would run through the streets of the city, causing mayhem. The situation worsened as they began to seek out Radu's haven. When Radu was at last roused from his daily slumber by the troublesome Lupines, the prince took this offense as a declaration ofwar.

Marelle stalked this Gangrel in the forest outside Bistritz to ascertain the cause of his grievance. Radu Embraced Marelleas his childe, certain that she would be a staunch ally against the enemies of his domain, he set her against the gangrel servant. Her ruthless response to the Gangrel assault was impressive. Marelle was fanatical about destroying the Gangrel that threatened her sire from the moment she clawed her way from the grave.

She began with simple warnings: Canine servants were found grafted together in twos and threes around towering pine trees. As the warnings continued, her "messages" became grislier. The Gangrel relented, but Marelle did not.

When she at last hunted down the Gangrel, she fleshcrafted him into a monster and caused him to be devoured by his own Lupine servants. Marelle became so bestial that Radu could no longer stand the sight of her. She enjoyed tormenting other living things and when she abducted a human infant for one of her studies, Radu at last released her from his service. The most diplomatic of Tzimisce had sired a primitive, brutish and vengeful childe.

Undaunted, she traveled south to form her own fiefdom, paying her respects to mighty Yorak in the process. She finally found a realm where Prince Marusca, a powerful Nosferatu, guarded her territory with legions of wolves. Lupine scouts warned her of impending danger. The opportunity to practice her craft had returned for Marelle. Marelle dwells near Marusca's territory still, acting according to her nature and instincts.

Razkoljna - Prince of Krakow


Having spent centuries in torpor, Razkoljna woke and discovered that a bustling trade center had grown up above her, atop Wawel Hill. Claiming the city as her domain, she set about to learn all she could about what had transpired during her slumber. Realizing the town's usefulness, Razkoljna encouraged Krakow's further growth. By the time Krakow achieved prominence as the capitol of Poland in 1083, Razkoljna had established herself as the ranking Cainite in the city, believing herself to be the oldest and most powerful immortal in the area.

Razkoljna exercises power over Krakow's small nocturnal community and, through her ghouls and mortal servants (including Prince Casmir himself), extends her rule into the daytime hours.

Darvag   Grozny, The   Terrible; Butcher of Kiev
Butcher   of  Kiev

The deformed Tzimisce lives in Kiev making his home on a wooded estate between the Lower Town and the Monastery of the Caves. Despite his ability to change his face back to its original shape, Darvag prefers to keep the twisted countenance his sire bestowed him. He revels in the terror it inspires on those who fall victim to his bloodlust.

Darvag has ghouled a number of men-at-arms and about a dozen wolves. He keeps all on his estate; they guard him while he sleeps and accompany him on his hunts. The scattered werewolves who remain near Kiev hate Darvag for ghouling the wolves and corrupting the forest with his midnight hunts. They are too few to risk a frontal assault, though. So they wait.

Darvag is fiercely territorial and unrepentantly pagan. Ironically, when the Prince of Suzdal led his forces in sacking Kiev, Darvag had his men-at-arms surround St. Sophia Cathedral, protecting the church from those who would despoil it. He has sworn an oath to destroy the structure personally and refuses to let anyone strip him of that right.
 
Though there is no one remaining over whom to rule, Darvag occasionally acts as if he is prince of the city (when he remembers or bothers). He sometimes disputes Cainites who set foot in Kiev, considering them trespassers on his territory. Other times he ignores them entirely. He has no contact with the Gangrel, but leaves sacrifices for the Nosferatu who haunt the wilderness. Every once in a while, Kiev comes under attack from raiding Tzimisce looking for sport. So long as they make no move toward St. Sophia, Darvag leaves them strictly alone.

Nonetheless, Darvag has never lost his lust for the hunt, and those who annoy him or earn his displeasure may find themselves as quarry. He also indulges in gruesome taxidermy on those he feels have threatened him. He is helped in this by his one female ghoul, Galatia Karlanova, the self-styled Queen of Kiev. His prowess needs no more proof than the collection of skins hanging in his haven — among them human, Lupine, and (so it is rumored) Cainite. These last he preserves through a variation of the Vicissitude Discipline.