Alternate New Orleans VII

Chapter Seven: The Nosferatu

 
                 Virginia (7th)
                       |                  
William (D)----(Nathaniel) (8th)-----Wyatt (8th)
                                         |           Coleman (D)
                                  Cartwright           
                                         |           Didi (11th)
                                   Jezebel (10th)
 

The Nosferatu of New Orleans are not nearly as unified as the clan normally is. Each member pursues their own plots and plans. The Nosferatu are scattered about in many of the coteries of the city. Still, if push comes to shove, they will help each other out.

Flavius

Flavius is a 5th generation Nosferatu embrace in ancient Roman Africa. He survived for centuries, and controlled much of German Bavaria in the 17th to 18th centuries. It was there he found and blood bound Virginia. He feuded with the Tremere of Vienna, and was forced to flee to the New World. A Tremere spell caused his ship to sink at sea, and with no source of blood, he fell into Torpor. His still lies at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, slumbering restlessly.

Virginia

Virginia was a haughty noblewoman in Elizabethan England, aspiring only to marry well. She was aristocratic and cruel, with no concern for those below her station. She made the mistake of having a peasant beaten for splashing mud on her favorite carriage. The event was witnessed by Blake, an aged Nosferatu, who decided she needed to be taught humility. He embraced Virginia, and laughed at her horror at her transformation.

Virginia fled to the mainland, feeding on the beasts of the land, but lusting after human company. In Bavaria, she fell into the orbit of Flavius, an ancient and powerful Nosferatu who controlled much of the region. He blood bound her to him, but helped raise her back up in society. She was happy for several centuries, but eventually, Flavius crossed the wrong Tremere, and was forced to flee the continent.

Flavius took a ship to the new world, while Virginia arranged to have their wealth sent after them. She arrived in New Orleans several months later, where she learned that his ship had been lost at sea. Distraught, Virginia used her powers to communicate with Flavius, and learned that he had not perished, but was trapped at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. She set herself up in the city, and worked to free him.

With her disciplines, she was able to gather a great deal of information about the other kindred of the city, and what she saw disgusted her. They were mostly low born, though the Toreador of the city were somewhat cultured. For their part, the vampires of the city paid little respect to the hideous Nosferatu. Virginia used her wealth to set up a secluded mansion in the Garden district of the city, and avoided other kindred.

In 1921, her only Get was killed by the vampire hunter Nathaniel Bordruff. Virginia feared for her life, and helped the other vampires seek out the killer. In the process, she began to get a taste of the incredibly complex life the kindred of New Orleans led. She was particularly appalled at Marie Laveau's betrayal of her sire to the hunter, and decided to turn the tables on her. When Virginia, at last, caught Bordruff, she embraced him rather than slay him. Marie and the prince Accou were furious, but there was little they could do. Virginia relished the whole affair.

After this, she began to take a more active role in kindred politics, learning what she could of the other vampire's faults and foibles. As time went on, she became less and less concerned with rescuing Flavius, as her blood bond to him faded. She began finally to earn the respect of the vampiric community she felt she had always deserved. Today Virginia is an influential elder, and with Obfuscate no one needs to look at her deformity. The only thing that mars her pleasure is the fear that one day Flavius will find a means to escape the Gulf and punish her for her failure to save him.

Age: "?", 7th Generation, born 1608, embraced 1645 by Blake

Image: Virginia uses Obfuscate to appear as she did in life: an English Noblewoman. She wears courtly dress from several different centuries. She has a regal air, and can be condescending when dealing with "common folk", but never so much as to be offensive. Her dainty appearance often fools others into forgetting her incredible Potence.

Influence: Virginia has several pawns in the business world, and especially keeps track of oil and fishing industries, or anything else that might unearth Flavius. Virginia supports the status quo more than is typical of a Nosferatu. Her information network is not quite as good as usual, either. She tends to rely on her wealth, and the few secrets she is able to gather personally. She is one of the few vampires in the city that can stand up to Marie Laveau, and even seems to have some hold on her.

Secrets: B+

Habitat: Virginia has a well-appointed house in the French Quarter. She keeps a small herd of servants to feed upon.

Goals: Virginia wishes to further her position in kindred society, and to be recognized as the aristocrat she is. She wants to keep Flavius in torpor, but is afraid to move directly against him.

William

A servant embraced in 1892 by Virginia to protect her, and killed 1921 by Nathaniel.

Nathaniel Bordruff

The infamous vampire hunter, embraced in 1926 by Virginia, he fled and eventually ended up in Chicago (see Chicago by Night).

Wyatt

Wyatt Jenkins was a powerful man in the textile industry, and made a great deal of money. One of the ways he added to his wealth was making sure his workers got low wages and worked long hours. Wyatt's treatment of his employees reminded Virginia of her own embrace, which she was only then beginning to understand after 300 years. Virginia told herself that she was embracing Wyatt to use his wealth and influence, but she was reenacting the events leading up to her own transformation.

Wyatt was appalled by his new form, and was forced to hide for several days in one of his textile mills. Forced to face the horrors that he wrought, Wyatt changed dramatically in a single evening. He renounced his former life, and vowed to do something for the workers he had exploited for so long. Virginia was outwardly disappointed that her progeny was no longer of use to her, but was secretly vindicated by his change of heart.

Wyatt met the socialist Brujah Bastian, and learned some useful ideas from him. Wyatt became friends with Bastian, but didn't agree with the conclusions of communism. He felt that the only society in which humanity could find happiness would be a simple agrarian one, and worked to destroy industry in Louisiana. He eventually fell in with the Wrecking Krewe, who find his knowledge of industry very useful.

Age: "40", 8th Generation, born 1880, embraced 1927 by Virginia


Image: Wyatt is a big, beefy man, with a brown handlebar mustache and sideburns, though no other facial hair. He generally wears tattered, turn of the century business dress, though he keeps a gold pocket-watch in good condition as his only decoration. He does not hide his hideous appearance with obfuscate. His demeanor is often quiet bordering on dour, concealing a tortured interior that knows the evil he has done, and longs to atone.

Influence: Wyatt still maintains various contacts in the business world, but does not use them to further his own ends. He simply uses them as sources of information. He has maintained his friendship with Bastian, but isn't willing to become an Anarch, not wishing to upset his good relationship with Virginia.

Secrets: C-

Habitat: Wyatt switches havens regularly, but usually lives in slums and other poor areas. He tries to feed mostly on animals, but takes humans when the hunger is too great.

Goals: Wyatt wishes to destroy local industry for its mistreatment of workers. The environment is only a minor concern to him. Lately he has started to worry about workers in the service industry, but because these groups don't pollute, the other members of the Wrecking Krewe are not interested.

Cartwright

Randolf Cartwright made his money in oil, and was doing quite well for himself when the Nosferatu Wyatt found him. Wyatt hated capitalist exploiters like Cartwright, and decided to embrace the man in the hopes the Cartwright would realize the evils that he had committed to achieve his wealth. Cartwright was horrified, but only at his new form. He had only hatred for his sire. In disgust, Wyatt nearly killed him, but the Nosferatu elder Virginia intervened. She realized that it was only a matter of time before the oil industry started drilling the Gulf, and feared they might unearth her slumbering master, Flavius. Virginia helped Cartwright establish himself, and to maintain and even expand his hold on the oil industry in Louisiana.

Unknown to anyone involved (including Cartwright himself), Cartwright had in fact been an employee of the Wyrm-controlled Pentex corporation, and a bane-ridden Fomor. The shock of his embrace drove off the malignant spirit that was possessing him, but its influence lingered. Cartwright's personality was permanently warped into something that delighted only in bringing pain and having power over others. He is smart enough to put on a good face, especially in front of Virginia.

Enough of his earlier life remains that he seeks to influence and corrupt other vampires, getting them under his thumb. His main method is to lend a vampire more and more money, until they are hopelessly in his debt, and then put on the screws. His biggest success to date is the hold he's developed over the Ventrue Walter, who made some bad business decisions a few decades ago. He's had less success trying to get the Anarch Bastian in his debt, and his attempts to draw in Pinch have so far failed completely. He doesn't really have any plans to use his influence, other than enjoying the feeling of power it gives him.

Age: "40", 9th Generation, born 1902, embraced 1948 by Wyatt

Image: Cartwright is a somewhat portly middle-aged man, with balding grey hair and narrow eyes. He is friendly, especially when doing "business", but others are often uncomfortable in his presence.

Influence: Cartwright owns or influences most of the oil industry in Louisiana, and this gives him a great deal of wealth and power. As a result, even kindred who dislike him are forced to deal with him on occasion. The Ventrue Walter Andretti is deep in his debt, and the Anarch Bastian has used his money a few times to finance ventures. In addition, he has a few secret powers left over from the time when he was a Fomor, which are his "ace in the hole".

Secrets: C-

Habitat: One of the first things Cartwright did as a vampire was to establish several "households". In each neighborhood, he uses Obfuscate to appear normal, and claims to be a businessman who needs to travel regularly. In each house, he keeps a young, beautiful, blood bound "wife", for his pleasure, convenient feeding and to protect him by day. He rotates between "homes" about once a week, and in this way passes his unlife.

Goals: Cartwright is a little man, with small goals. His power in the oil industry and his pleasure with his "wives" are enough for him. Still, he delights in influence peddling, and enjoys getting other kindred into his debt.

Jezebel

Jezebel was a pretty young woman from a small Louisiana town, who ran away from a bad situation at home. Unfortunately, when she got to New Orleans she was spotted by the Nosferatu Cartwright, who decided to make her into one of his blood bound "wives". One evening Cartwright got carried away in feeding, and drained Jezebel dry. In one of his few moments of remorse, Cartwright gave her a bit of his own blood. Any pity he had quickly disappeared, however, as Jezebel's beauty was burned away in the transformation.

Jezebel barely escaped his wrath, and wandered wounded in the street, until the Malkavian Harlequin took her in. Something in the distraught young woman moved him, and he spoke with her long into the night about masks, lies, and the nature of unlife. Jezebel took some comfort from his ramblings, and chose to join the Krewe of Janus. Cartwright seethed, but with Jezebel under the protection of the powerful Krewe, he could do nothing.

Despite Harlequin's ministrations, Jezebel is obsessed with her hideousness. She is given to smashing mirrors, and random outbursts of rage at handsome mortals. She was driven to master the discipline of obfuscate, and this has proved useful to the Krewe of Janus on numerous occasions. All of her coterie-mates feel for her pain, but none have cracked her shell.

Age: "25", 10th Generation, born 1943, embraced 1967 by Cartwright
Image: Jezebel prefers to use obfuscate to appear as she did in life, a buxom, well dressed young woman. She is usually quiet, but others sense an intensity in her, for she has yet to overcome her pain. She has a strong dislike of good looking people, in remorse for what she has lost.

Influence: Jezebel is a member of the Krewe of Janus, and as such is respected by kindred society. Her obfuscate and investigative skills have made her privy to many New Orleans secrets.

Secrets: C-

Habitat: Jezebel usually lays low in the slums and poorer parts of town. Lately, she has taken to feeding off frat boys and sorority girls as they hit the bars at night.

Goals: Jezebel wants revenge against Cartwright, but will not endanger herself to get it. Though she will not speak of it, she would dearly love to be an ordinary human again.

Didi

Didi was your stereotypical 50's high school girl: pretty and brainless. It was too much for her Sire, Coleman, to stand, so he embraced her. Amazingly, her transformation had little effect on her behavior. Members of Coleman's Anarch pack found Didi's spaciness strangely charming, and "adopted" her as their gang mascot. She followed the pack to New Orleans, where all of them were killed except her by the Justicar Alexis.

With her pack gone, Didi fell into the orbit of a New Orleans Anarch gang, the Lost Angels. The wars had hardened Didi, and Susan and Amanda found her very helpful in maintaining the secret underground railroad they were in charge of. Didi became quite skilled at getting into places no one else could, and helped alter shipping records and gather material for blackmailing convenient pawns.


Didi was distraught at Susan's death, and never really liked either of the West Coast Anarchs that joined the gang to help Amanda. She was also angered by Amanda's decision not to avenge Susan. She felt alienated within her coterie, but she had nowhere else to turn, and the Ventrue were on her trail.

Didi has come to accept the fact that she doesn't really fit in her own gang, but this doesn't help assuage her loneliness. She has an old romantic streak that runs through her, and longs for a lover or companion. Her standards have changed, however, and she wants someone who can accept her as she is, not a facade. She hasn't the courage to carry through on her convictions, and often hides her face from the world.

Age: "?", 11th Generation, born 1940, embraced 1958 by Coleman, arrived 1965

Image: Didi's obfuscate is not enough to change her appearance. Around strangers, she usually keeps up a ditzy facade, to keep them off guard. She has perfected a charming giggle despite her fangs. Around the Lost Angels and other friends, she can relax, and behave competently.

Influence: Didi knows a great deal about the New Orleans shipping industry, and regularly breaks into various offices.

Secrets: D

Habitat: Didi usually crashes with the other member of the Lost Angels. She tends to feed on animals. She dislikes hunting humans, having nothing but brute strength and stealth to defeat them. Such a feeding makes forces her to face the horror of what she has become.

Goals: Didi is feeling increasingly listless and isolated. She longs to fit in her gang, but is unwilling to change herself. She longs for companionship, but is unwilling to take risks. Surprisingly, it has never occurred to her to seek out other Nosferatu. Even if she did think of it, she might be unwilling to face such a reflection of herself.