Post by thedamo on Oct 17, 2014 21:57:27 GMT
Vampire: the Masquerade Character Sheet
Name: Alois Schreiber
Nature: Scientist
Demeanor: Director
Generation: 10th
Haven: Chantry laboratory
Chron.: Birmingham
Clan: Tremere
Concept: Father of the master race
ATTRIBUTES
Physical Social Mental
Strength: 2 Charisma: 3 Perception: 4
Dexterity: 3 Manipulation: 5 Intelligence: 5
Stamina: 3 Appearance: 2 Wits: 3
ABILITIES
Talents Skills Knowledges
Expression : 0 Animal Ken : 0 Academics : 4
Alertness : 4 Drive : 0 Psychology : 2
Athletics : 2 Etiquette : 2 Finance : 0
Brawl : 2 Firearms : 4 Investigation : 4
Dodge : 2 Melee : 2 Law : 3
Empathy : 0 Music : 0 Linguistics : 2 (German, English)
Intimidation : 3 Performance: 0 Medicine : 4
Leadership : 4 Security : 3 Occult : 5
Streetwise : 2 Stealth : 2 Politics : 2
Subterfuge : 4 Survival : 0 Science : 3
Additional-
Surgery: 5
Fleshcrafting: 5
Marksmanship: 4
Camarilla Lore: 2
Gargoyle Ken: 5
ADVANTAGES
Disciplines Backgrounds
Auspex: 3 Age: 2
Dominate: 4 Status: 2
Thaumaturgy: 5 Generation: 3
Vicissitude: 3 Occult Library: 2
Fortitude: 3
Potence: 2
Virtues
Conviction: 4
Instinct: 4
Courage: 4
Path of Metamorphosis: 4
Willpower: 9
Blood Pool: 13
Merits & Flaws
Attuned Taste (2pt Merit)
Emotional Isolation (1pt Flaw)
Clan Authority
Dark Secret (1pt Flaw)
Thaumaturgy Paths:
Path of Mercury : 4
Lure of Flames : 5
The Focused Mind : 5
Path of the Bloods Curse : 2
Movement of the Mind : 3
Path of Blood : 5
Combination Disciplines-
Thaumaturgical Sight (Auspex 2, Thaumaturgy 1)
Name of the Fallen (Auspex 3, Thaumaturgy 1)
See the True Shape (Auspex 2, Vicissitude 2)
Flaying Touch (Potence 2, Vicissitude 2)
Rituals
Lv1
Blood Mastery
Dedicate the Chantry
Bind the Accusing Tongue
Illuminate the Trail of Prey
Sense the Mystical
Feather Stone
Lv2
Deny the Intruder
Blood Walk
Burning Blade
Donning the Mask of Shadows
Extinguish
Craft Bloodstone
Steps of the Terrified
Know the Unnatural Beast
Lv3
Mirror of Second Sight
Blood Allergy
A Touch of Nightshade
Track Transgressor
Hells Calling
Rite of Sorcerous Shield
Quicksilver Eel
Populate Nights Gardens
Lv4
Unweave the Ritual
Bone of Lies
Ward Vs Kindred
Suspension of Incantation
Rend the Mind
Scry
Lv5
Night of the Red Heart
Enchant Talisman
Paper Flesh
The Verdant Blade
Stone of the True Form
Transform the Skin to Stone
At Our Command It Breathes
Variable Level
Ichor of Occult Transmission
*See Dark Ages House of Tremere*
Physical appearance
A tall slender man, meticulously groomed with brown eyes and hair,
shorter on the sides than the top. He always dresses smartly in rich
colours with a preference for dress trousers and shirts, waistcoats and
italian loafers. His wardrobe is no doubt custom made and his buttons and
cufflinks are always polished to a sheen and often display unusual motifs
upon them. A pair of thin framed glasses rests low on his nose and a
perpetually raised eyebrow often signifies his displeasure. His gaze is
unwavering and he very rarely blinks or smiles. His lips are thin and his
voice is always soft.
History
Born to the German city of Braunschweig in the year 1725 a time of
cultural growth and development in sciences and enlightenment. The son
of a chance romance between a merchant and one of his mistresses, Alois
was not a well received child. Despite his unwanted appearance his mother
was determined to make what she could from the situation and extorted
his father for money to care for their child and to keep her mouth shut so
that the merchants wife and friend of the Duke Anthony Ulrich would never
find out about his unfaithful activities. With no choice but to comply and
assured that simply killing her and the baby would do him little good as
she had kept his tokens of love and letters of adoration in a safe place,
Alois father found himself paying a handsome tithe to keep his secret safe.
Sadly for Alois his mother saw his as little more than an investment, one
which could one day be used to her advantage. The child was raised
through proxy as much as could be possible and affection was an alien
concept. Endless strings of tutors and nannies provided all the human
contact Alois would get and whilst he developed well academically,
emotionally he never grew beyond a cold and introverted child.
Disciplined harshly for any attempt to seek contact other than education
and the betterment of oneself in the eyes of his mother and his tutors,
Alois buried his burgeoning emotions and gave himself over to his studies.
Lucky enough to be born into the time of the court of Charles the 1st
where education and the advancement of science was a keen focus for
many, Alois attended many illustrious lectures and seminars and was
amongst the first to enroll in the prestigious Collegium Carolinum, backed
by the money of his mother who still saw him as a solid investment for her
future. An aloof and unfeeling young man, Alois had nothing to distract
him from his studies and none of the squeamishness possessed by so many
delving into his chosen fields of biology and eugenics. With no faith to
speak of other than a cursory show of enough to cause disquiet in others
(his upbringing had left him convinced that no God could exist that would
allow such a world without love), he could and would do that which others
would not. Where many found themselves shamed by their religion and
struggling to come to a compromise between the established strata of
acceptable scientific pursuit and the current zeitgeist of exploration and
discovery at any cost he soon built a considerable reputation as a man of
fierce conviction and unshaking desire for knowledge. Openly criticised
for his increasingly radical experiments but paradoxically applauded for
his results Alois projected a devil may care attitude and continued his
work. Unfortunately the dark rumours of his meddlings became too much
and with his apathetic approach to defending himself his reputation was
soon tarnished so much by those jealous of his findings that his mother
withdrew her funding and the Collegium withdrew his tenency. Suddenly
alone and without any hope Alois found himself at a loss. His entire reason
for being had suddenly and cruelly been ripped out from under him. Such
cruelty was nothing new to him and he knew that the disgusting race that
was humanity was capable of far far worse. At this his lowest ebb he found
himself sitting in a well appointed room in front of a young man with eyes
as depthless and unfathomable as the ocean. Not understanding how he
came to be here or where here was, he found that he couldn't care. In fact
he found that all he could do was look into the eyes of this strange man
and listen to his soothing voice. The Tremere recruited Alois that night,
offering him a chance to continue his research in their name for while they
had many sorcerors amongst their ranks, this new age demanded science
as well and the mysteries of the human body were ripe for exploration.
The fact that the Tremere instigated the rumours surrounding Alois and
manipulated the conditions that led to his ousting from mortal society is
of course one they choose never to share. For Alois it made little
difference. Once the shock and horror of the transformation and
inititation were over he resumed his work in the well appointed chantry
under the watchful eye of his Sire. Only now his heart had truly darkened
and Alois found himself thinking that if he was to be blamed for such dark
acts, then why not do that which he was already damned for? His
experiments accelerated rapidly and it became his vice and his passion.
Tearing, rending and dissasembling every creature he could lay his hands
upon, learning more and more from both the living and the dead. His Sire
encouraged his voracious hunger for knowledge and experimentation and
gifted him all that he desired to continue his research, hoping to claim the
fruits for himself and carry himself higher up the ladder for his own
branches of battle thaumaturgy had gained him no purchase in recent
centuries. Alois was learning at an alarming rate and soon his Sire could
proudly present him at Salons as a rising star amongst his kind, a prodigy
and a gift to the Clan Tremere. This status quo continued for almost two
centuries with Alois learning all his Sire could give and sharing with his
Chantry brethren and those of other Chantries his knowledge of biology,
anatomy and breeding. He had begun to dig deep into the mysteries
surrounding the creation of the Gargoyles of old Ceoris and had produced
many promising if somewhat grotesque prototypes. Then of course a little
matter of the second world war got in the way. Despite the isolation and
solitude offered by the Chantry it was impossible to ignore what was
occuring outside. War had come to their little city for the third time, but
this time it was on a scale unprecedented. When the Social Democratic
Party of Germany took power through a poorly thought out coalition
government and the Freikorps took control of the city, the chantry found
themselves in an untenable position. Discovery was imminent and steps
were to be taken. The elders of the Chantry panicked and decreed the
younger members must suspend their research and turn their attentions
to the control of the unignorable Nazi presence. Alois was less than
pleased by this turn of events, but bound as all Tremere are, there was no
choice for him. Enraged by this turn of events he turned his full focus to
the events of the mortal society, seeing this forced sabbatical as a road
block to his ever growing understanding of the inner workings of biology
and the kindred condition. Braunschweig became a garrison city for the
forces poised in the invasion of Poland and there was no escaping,
eradicating or redirecting the nazi presence through any applications of
Thaumaturgy or other disciplines. Alois and the other ousted members of
the Chantry formed a loose coterie and began to influence the events of
human history the best they could. In doing so they learned a great deal
about the new reich and it's goals, real and imagined. Alois still struggling
to bring himself to terms with his new task and his obsession formed a
dark bond between the two lines of inquiry in his mind and soon a new
passion was born. For some time he had been at work upon the creation of
a superior working beast, a gargoyle soldier for Chantry and Clan. Why
stop there? There was no God, so why not be God? Why not create a
perfect race? These socialists so obsessed with purity and perfection but
cursed with the pitiful perspective of mortals couldn't possibly see what
he could see. They couldn't possibly create what he could create for they
didn't understand the possibilities that were waiting, just out of reach. He
would create the perfect race, the perfect creature. A thing of sublime
beauty and deadly power and he would do it all so that he could become
the new God. Now at least as far as appearances went Alois was embroiled
deep within the nazi party, influencing and effecting their movements and
methods. Many of his coterie brethren became concerned with the new
fire burning in his eyes and his sudden and increased involvement with
mortals. But they had bigger problems and many of them were also
seduced by the promises of power that came with the New Reich. By the
time the old town has bombed to oblivion in 1944 by the Anglo-American
war effort (taking the Chantry and it's elders with it) Alois had already
moved on, vanished into the night, taking with him his new set of twisted
ideals, his prototype gargoyles and his research. Off the radar for over 50
years, Alois reemerged in the year 2000 and presented himself to the
ruling body of House Tremere with volumes of research and a small host of
creatures the likes of which many had not seen in centuries. The elders of
the clan saw his twisted research and new ideology for what it was, but of
what concern was such a thing to them? With the gift he gave them he
cemented his reintroduction to the clan and gained a measure of prestige.
Knowing they must protect such a valuable resource but also keep it from
the prying eyes of their enemies they relocated him to the Birmingham
Chantry and stepped aside to await the fruits of his labour.
Personality
His focus is absolute and anything but his chosen subject matter is
irrelevant and best or an undesirable distraction at worst. Distractions
are unwelcome. Very unwelcome and the quicker they are gone and he can
return to his research the better. When having to deal with something
other than his research he quickly becomes irritated and snippy, often
glancing at his pocket watch and tutting to himself. Whilst he is never
outright rude and in fact goes to great lengths to maintain a polite
facade his body language gives away his impatience and growing
irritation. He takes his duties very seriously and when tasked with
carrying out his duties as Sheriff he will do everything in his power to
complete his task in order to quickly return to his research. It is not
uncommon for his actions during the completion of his duties to be that
of an inconvenienced man. The longer he is distracted from his research
the more irritated he will become. Any significant delay will bring him
closer and closer to a frenzy. The Sheriff cannot be considered a people
person and has no desire to interact with anyone other than his superiors
in the Tremere or the Camarilla or on rare occaisions his fellow academics
at gatherings or salons. Despite this when he is forced to interact with
other he will remain polite until the point that the distraction from his
work becomes too much of an irritation. His research is his passion and
obsession. In all other matters he is quiet, still and very apathetic. Little
will stir his passions and he always seems to have somewhere better to
be. He comes across very introverted and will not engage in the sharing of
any information about himself or his work.
Reputation
The denizens of the city know him as a force to be feared. A ruthless and
uncaring soul who takes to streets at the behest of the Prince to enact
swift and brutal punishments as required. The fact that he views this is no
more than a minor inconvenience and shows no concerns or emotions
other than mild irritation has led many to question his mental state. The
sight of him incites panic as when he's not working for the prince he is
carrying out his twisted and secretive experiments in the bowels of the
chantry. The Tremere know him as a somewhat radical soul but a valuable
one. One of the few people with concrete knowledge of how to create
functional and obedient Gargoyles in modern nights, his eccentricities and
burning focus are excused. Rumours of where he gains his materiels
abound but are kept firmly within the clan itself for if others were to find
out they could potentially lose a valuable resource.
The Work
The target of his research is the continued creation and perfection of the
Gargoyle process, in particular the creation of Simulacrums, Gargoyles in
the appearance of other things. These gargoyles are not the creatures of
modern nights that haunt the high places of some cities. These are the
magical homonculus structures grafted together from various sources to
create magical beasts of burden. Other Tremere are desperate for these
secrets and will go to great lengths to gain his services or assistance in
their own projects. For his part the Sheriff will on occasion give one of his
creations to another Kindred of the clan in exchange for a considerable
boon or some other required cost. Most usually a relic from Ceoris. Most
often he trades minor scraps of defunct lines of his own research in
exchange for raw materials he requires. The ultimate reason for why he
seeks to master the perfect creation of humanoid Gargoyles is known only
to him and he isn't sharing.
Equipment
Alois carries a Talisman in the form of his silver pocket watch. This is with
him at all times and attached to his waistcoat, shirt or belt by a chain.
There is a ward against kindred attuned to this item and a Bloodstone
crafted into the casing design. In one of his coat pockets Alois usually
carries a small compact mirror with a silver casing covered in intricate
patterns. This is his mirror of second sight and what some take for vanity
when he produces it is probably him checking for creatures in disguise.
Often on his person is a bag of what appear to be red marbles in a small
velvet bag bound with leather. These small orbs are actually the focus of
his ritual suspension of incantation and when thrown with the proper
trigger phrase said aloud they explode into a full manifestation of the
Lure of Flames at it's highest level. Alois always carries a moleskine, finely
crafted pen and other odds and ends such as small pieces of string, old
coins and various small quantities of ritual components. When on the hunt
Alois carries a long stilletto dagger which he enchants with The Verdant
Blade Ritual, in extreme cases he will also provide the Twins with these or
items with the Burning Blade ritual upon them.
Punishments
When called upon to carry out his duty the Sheriff is swift and efficient
and carrying out judgements. There is no reasoning with him and no
chance of convincing him of innocence because he simply does not care.
His only desire is to carry out his task and return to his research. When
carrying out a sentence the Sheriff will use his wide array of rituals or
disciplines to cripple or blight his opponent in any way he feels
appropriate. Repercussions of these actions are of no consequence to
him. The Twins ensure that his intended target finds themselves held in
place for the rituals duration. When a blood hunt is called the Sheriff takes
to the streets with the Twins and unleashes them to hunt his prey whilst
he follows in their wake. The Twins will herd and hamper the target until
finally, run down and weakened the Sheriff can enact a decisive final death
through applications of his Thaumaturgy.
Why is he the Sheriff?
Shortly after his arrival in Birmingham Alois ever overzealous in his
acquisition of raw materiels made a fatal error and was caught in the act
by the then Sheriff and the Prince. In attempting to carry out immediate
justice the then Ventrue Sheriff was struck down by Alois in a brutal
display of power. The Prince amused to have the Ventrue thorn removed
from his side offered Alois a choice. Die at the tip of his sword or work for
him. The two of them covered up the death of the Ventrue Sheriff as a
random Garou related incident and the Prince, ever the master
manipulator and political duelist manouvered the pieces just right so that
at the end of the day, the Tremere thought they had won a great victory
in getting one of their own appointed Sheriff, even if they found Alois
sudden interest somewhat odd. Sadly they are still ignorant that the will
of the Prince has been served yet again and he has a faithful executioner
lurking at his beck and call. To this day no one is aware of the true fate
that befell the Ventrue Sheriff and those that suspect foul play know that
without proof they are relegating themselves to ridicule at best and final
death or worse should they speak out. The prince is vaguely aware of
what it is the Sheriff does and very pointedly looks the other way and
even misdirects the attention of those who could find out too much. It
isnot uncommon for the Prince to provide the Sheriff with raw materials in
exchange for a particularly well executed job. Who amongst those loyal to
the Prince or the Tremere know about this dark pact is anyones guess but
the Sheriff will do whatever he must to continue his research, however
unpalateable. Both parties understand that should the Camarilla at large
become aware of what Alois is creating they would slay all involved. Of
Course the Prince has plausible deniability as do the Tremere Elders, Alois,
less so.
The Twins
Whilst no one outside the Chantry knows exactly how many creations he
currently has in circulation The Twins are the ones the outside world see.
The Twins accompany the Sheriff at all times and serve as his personal
assistants, bodyguards and hounds. They are always dressed and
groomed as precisely as their master in public but usually with a much
more functional wardrobe. The Twins are both blonde with blue eyes and
stand a full head taller than their master. Their skin is extremely pale and
upon very close inspection would appear dry and hard. Whilst not
particularly broad or muscled the Twins are well toned and defined for
their size. To date no one has ever heard the Twins speak and surely only
the Sheriff knows if they are capable of speech at all. When working
together the Twins appear to communicate non verbally in order to co-
ordinate their efforts. Both men are fiercely loyal to their master and
creator and are blatantly blood bound and dominated to the extreme.
There are rumours the twins have been killed multiple times during various
blood hunts over the years but these reports always seem to be false or
exaggerations with the twins appearing as pristine as usual shortly after.
The Twins never reveal their bare chests or backs as they do possess
wings which when not in use are coiled tight to their bodies. Without close
inspection or tactile exploration it would be impossible to tell these
functional wings are hiding beneath their clothes. The twins are Gargoyles
in the original sense and not the Gargoyle bloodline common in modern
nights. This means they have a wide range of strange and unknown
abilities which to date remain a mystery as the usual targets of their odd
abilities are those their master has sent them to hunt. If pressed Alois will
always try to pass off the twins as members of the Gargoyle bloodline.
The Twins at a glance
These are Dark Ages Style Gargoyles and as such are Thaumaturgical
constructs and NOT a bloodline variant of Gargoyle. It's an important
distinction. A lot of what applies to modern nights Gargoyle bloodlines
does not apply to the Thaumaturgical construct verions. The rough
outlines of their powers and abilities below are just that. For full details
please see Players Guide to the Low Clans and Dark Ages Vampire
Storytellers Companion.
In addition to the abilities below Alois has on occaision used the Ichor of
Occult Transmission Ritual to imbue his Gargoyles with other terrifying
abilities. This is something he hides fiercely and his creations are
Dominated into never using such power within the sight of any witnesses.
Ansel
Physical Social Mental
Strength: 4 Charisma: 1 Perception: 2
Dexterity: 3 Manipulation: 2 Intelligence: 2
Stamina: 5 Appearance: 2 Wits: 3
Survival: 3
Athletics: 3
Dodge: 2
Brawl: 4
Melee: 3
Tracking: 2
Occult: 2
Disciplines and Gargoyle Powers
Fortitude: 5
Potence: 4
Flight: 2
Talons (Same as Lv2 Protean Power)
Regeneration (Can regenerate without resting, can heal all levels of
bashing for 1bp)
Transform the Skin to Stone -
Hard ritual to perform, extreme circumstances only. The subject adds one
permanent level of armour with no dexterity penalties, ignores one point
of wound penalties at all health levels and takes half the usual damage
from fire prior to soak. The gargoyles skin is visibly rocky after this,
would not pass for human.
Rite of Sorcerous Shield -
The subject of the ritual wears a silver necklace which turns to acrid mist
at the end of the rituals one month duration of effect. The subject gains 2
dice on all rolls to resist any form of non-tremere magic.
Zachary
Physical Social Mental
Strength: 3 Charisma: 1 Perception: 4
Dexterity: 5 Manipulation: 2 Intelligence: 2
Stamina: 3 Appearance: 2 Wits: 2
Survival: 3
Athletics: 4
Dodge: 4
Brawl: 2
Melee: 2
Tracking: 2
Occult: 2
Disciplines and Gargoyle Powers
Celerity: 3
Fortitude: 3
Flight: 4
Fire Breath -
Can vomit gouts of alchemically tainted blood as gouts of burning acid.
Each blast equals one blood point. Can only use every other turn. Each
blast does 3 dice of Aggravated damage plus extra successes on roll as
usual. Maximum range; six yards. Can set stuff on fire.
Heightened Senses (Same as Auspex lv1)
Feather Stone -
Can intone at will, makes the user much lighter, improving effectiveness of
all flight related rolls.
Know the Unnatural Beast -
Allows the gargoyle to make a perception check to scrutinise an animal
visibly and determine whether it is of supernatural origin or not. Eg, a
gangrel in wolf form, a were creature in animal form, a vampire riding an
animal with animalism or similar, a ghoul animal, etc, etc.
Both Gargoyles possess the following merits:
Blazing Demise
Retractable Wings
Heart of Bone
Name: Alois Schreiber
Nature: Scientist
Demeanor: Director
Generation: 10th
Haven: Chantry laboratory
Chron.: Birmingham
Clan: Tremere
Concept: Father of the master race
ATTRIBUTES
Physical Social Mental
Strength: 2 Charisma: 3 Perception: 4
Dexterity: 3 Manipulation: 5 Intelligence: 5
Stamina: 3 Appearance: 2 Wits: 3
ABILITIES
Talents Skills Knowledges
Expression : 0 Animal Ken : 0 Academics : 4
Alertness : 4 Drive : 0 Psychology : 2
Athletics : 2 Etiquette : 2 Finance : 0
Brawl : 2 Firearms : 4 Investigation : 4
Dodge : 2 Melee : 2 Law : 3
Empathy : 0 Music : 0 Linguistics : 2 (German, English)
Intimidation : 3 Performance: 0 Medicine : 4
Leadership : 4 Security : 3 Occult : 5
Streetwise : 2 Stealth : 2 Politics : 2
Subterfuge : 4 Survival : 0 Science : 3
Additional-
Surgery: 5
Fleshcrafting: 5
Marksmanship: 4
Camarilla Lore: 2
Gargoyle Ken: 5
ADVANTAGES
Disciplines Backgrounds
Auspex: 3 Age: 2
Dominate: 4 Status: 2
Thaumaturgy: 5 Generation: 3
Vicissitude: 3 Occult Library: 2
Fortitude: 3
Potence: 2
Virtues
Conviction: 4
Instinct: 4
Courage: 4
Path of Metamorphosis: 4
Willpower: 9
Blood Pool: 13
Merits & Flaws
Attuned Taste (2pt Merit)
Emotional Isolation (1pt Flaw)
Clan Authority
Dark Secret (1pt Flaw)
Thaumaturgy Paths:
Path of Mercury : 4
Lure of Flames : 5
The Focused Mind : 5
Path of the Bloods Curse : 2
Movement of the Mind : 3
Path of Blood : 5
Combination Disciplines-
Thaumaturgical Sight (Auspex 2, Thaumaturgy 1)
Name of the Fallen (Auspex 3, Thaumaturgy 1)
See the True Shape (Auspex 2, Vicissitude 2)
Flaying Touch (Potence 2, Vicissitude 2)
Rituals
Lv1
Blood Mastery
Dedicate the Chantry
Bind the Accusing Tongue
Illuminate the Trail of Prey
Sense the Mystical
Feather Stone
Lv2
Deny the Intruder
Blood Walk
Burning Blade
Donning the Mask of Shadows
Extinguish
Craft Bloodstone
Steps of the Terrified
Know the Unnatural Beast
Lv3
Mirror of Second Sight
Blood Allergy
A Touch of Nightshade
Track Transgressor
Hells Calling
Rite of Sorcerous Shield
Quicksilver Eel
Populate Nights Gardens
Lv4
Unweave the Ritual
Bone of Lies
Ward Vs Kindred
Suspension of Incantation
Rend the Mind
Scry
Lv5
Night of the Red Heart
Enchant Talisman
Paper Flesh
The Verdant Blade
Stone of the True Form
Transform the Skin to Stone
At Our Command It Breathes
Variable Level
Ichor of Occult Transmission
*See Dark Ages House of Tremere*
Physical appearance
A tall slender man, meticulously groomed with brown eyes and hair,
shorter on the sides than the top. He always dresses smartly in rich
colours with a preference for dress trousers and shirts, waistcoats and
italian loafers. His wardrobe is no doubt custom made and his buttons and
cufflinks are always polished to a sheen and often display unusual motifs
upon them. A pair of thin framed glasses rests low on his nose and a
perpetually raised eyebrow often signifies his displeasure. His gaze is
unwavering and he very rarely blinks or smiles. His lips are thin and his
voice is always soft.
History
Born to the German city of Braunschweig in the year 1725 a time of
cultural growth and development in sciences and enlightenment. The son
of a chance romance between a merchant and one of his mistresses, Alois
was not a well received child. Despite his unwanted appearance his mother
was determined to make what she could from the situation and extorted
his father for money to care for their child and to keep her mouth shut so
that the merchants wife and friend of the Duke Anthony Ulrich would never
find out about his unfaithful activities. With no choice but to comply and
assured that simply killing her and the baby would do him little good as
she had kept his tokens of love and letters of adoration in a safe place,
Alois father found himself paying a handsome tithe to keep his secret safe.
Sadly for Alois his mother saw his as little more than an investment, one
which could one day be used to her advantage. The child was raised
through proxy as much as could be possible and affection was an alien
concept. Endless strings of tutors and nannies provided all the human
contact Alois would get and whilst he developed well academically,
emotionally he never grew beyond a cold and introverted child.
Disciplined harshly for any attempt to seek contact other than education
and the betterment of oneself in the eyes of his mother and his tutors,
Alois buried his burgeoning emotions and gave himself over to his studies.
Lucky enough to be born into the time of the court of Charles the 1st
where education and the advancement of science was a keen focus for
many, Alois attended many illustrious lectures and seminars and was
amongst the first to enroll in the prestigious Collegium Carolinum, backed
by the money of his mother who still saw him as a solid investment for her
future. An aloof and unfeeling young man, Alois had nothing to distract
him from his studies and none of the squeamishness possessed by so many
delving into his chosen fields of biology and eugenics. With no faith to
speak of other than a cursory show of enough to cause disquiet in others
(his upbringing had left him convinced that no God could exist that would
allow such a world without love), he could and would do that which others
would not. Where many found themselves shamed by their religion and
struggling to come to a compromise between the established strata of
acceptable scientific pursuit and the current zeitgeist of exploration and
discovery at any cost he soon built a considerable reputation as a man of
fierce conviction and unshaking desire for knowledge. Openly criticised
for his increasingly radical experiments but paradoxically applauded for
his results Alois projected a devil may care attitude and continued his
work. Unfortunately the dark rumours of his meddlings became too much
and with his apathetic approach to defending himself his reputation was
soon tarnished so much by those jealous of his findings that his mother
withdrew her funding and the Collegium withdrew his tenency. Suddenly
alone and without any hope Alois found himself at a loss. His entire reason
for being had suddenly and cruelly been ripped out from under him. Such
cruelty was nothing new to him and he knew that the disgusting race that
was humanity was capable of far far worse. At this his lowest ebb he found
himself sitting in a well appointed room in front of a young man with eyes
as depthless and unfathomable as the ocean. Not understanding how he
came to be here or where here was, he found that he couldn't care. In fact
he found that all he could do was look into the eyes of this strange man
and listen to his soothing voice. The Tremere recruited Alois that night,
offering him a chance to continue his research in their name for while they
had many sorcerors amongst their ranks, this new age demanded science
as well and the mysteries of the human body were ripe for exploration.
The fact that the Tremere instigated the rumours surrounding Alois and
manipulated the conditions that led to his ousting from mortal society is
of course one they choose never to share. For Alois it made little
difference. Once the shock and horror of the transformation and
inititation were over he resumed his work in the well appointed chantry
under the watchful eye of his Sire. Only now his heart had truly darkened
and Alois found himself thinking that if he was to be blamed for such dark
acts, then why not do that which he was already damned for? His
experiments accelerated rapidly and it became his vice and his passion.
Tearing, rending and dissasembling every creature he could lay his hands
upon, learning more and more from both the living and the dead. His Sire
encouraged his voracious hunger for knowledge and experimentation and
gifted him all that he desired to continue his research, hoping to claim the
fruits for himself and carry himself higher up the ladder for his own
branches of battle thaumaturgy had gained him no purchase in recent
centuries. Alois was learning at an alarming rate and soon his Sire could
proudly present him at Salons as a rising star amongst his kind, a prodigy
and a gift to the Clan Tremere. This status quo continued for almost two
centuries with Alois learning all his Sire could give and sharing with his
Chantry brethren and those of other Chantries his knowledge of biology,
anatomy and breeding. He had begun to dig deep into the mysteries
surrounding the creation of the Gargoyles of old Ceoris and had produced
many promising if somewhat grotesque prototypes. Then of course a little
matter of the second world war got in the way. Despite the isolation and
solitude offered by the Chantry it was impossible to ignore what was
occuring outside. War had come to their little city for the third time, but
this time it was on a scale unprecedented. When the Social Democratic
Party of Germany took power through a poorly thought out coalition
government and the Freikorps took control of the city, the chantry found
themselves in an untenable position. Discovery was imminent and steps
were to be taken. The elders of the Chantry panicked and decreed the
younger members must suspend their research and turn their attentions
to the control of the unignorable Nazi presence. Alois was less than
pleased by this turn of events, but bound as all Tremere are, there was no
choice for him. Enraged by this turn of events he turned his full focus to
the events of the mortal society, seeing this forced sabbatical as a road
block to his ever growing understanding of the inner workings of biology
and the kindred condition. Braunschweig became a garrison city for the
forces poised in the invasion of Poland and there was no escaping,
eradicating or redirecting the nazi presence through any applications of
Thaumaturgy or other disciplines. Alois and the other ousted members of
the Chantry formed a loose coterie and began to influence the events of
human history the best they could. In doing so they learned a great deal
about the new reich and it's goals, real and imagined. Alois still struggling
to bring himself to terms with his new task and his obsession formed a
dark bond between the two lines of inquiry in his mind and soon a new
passion was born. For some time he had been at work upon the creation of
a superior working beast, a gargoyle soldier for Chantry and Clan. Why
stop there? There was no God, so why not be God? Why not create a
perfect race? These socialists so obsessed with purity and perfection but
cursed with the pitiful perspective of mortals couldn't possibly see what
he could see. They couldn't possibly create what he could create for they
didn't understand the possibilities that were waiting, just out of reach. He
would create the perfect race, the perfect creature. A thing of sublime
beauty and deadly power and he would do it all so that he could become
the new God. Now at least as far as appearances went Alois was embroiled
deep within the nazi party, influencing and effecting their movements and
methods. Many of his coterie brethren became concerned with the new
fire burning in his eyes and his sudden and increased involvement with
mortals. But they had bigger problems and many of them were also
seduced by the promises of power that came with the New Reich. By the
time the old town has bombed to oblivion in 1944 by the Anglo-American
war effort (taking the Chantry and it's elders with it) Alois had already
moved on, vanished into the night, taking with him his new set of twisted
ideals, his prototype gargoyles and his research. Off the radar for over 50
years, Alois reemerged in the year 2000 and presented himself to the
ruling body of House Tremere with volumes of research and a small host of
creatures the likes of which many had not seen in centuries. The elders of
the clan saw his twisted research and new ideology for what it was, but of
what concern was such a thing to them? With the gift he gave them he
cemented his reintroduction to the clan and gained a measure of prestige.
Knowing they must protect such a valuable resource but also keep it from
the prying eyes of their enemies they relocated him to the Birmingham
Chantry and stepped aside to await the fruits of his labour.
Personality
His focus is absolute and anything but his chosen subject matter is
irrelevant and best or an undesirable distraction at worst. Distractions
are unwelcome. Very unwelcome and the quicker they are gone and he can
return to his research the better. When having to deal with something
other than his research he quickly becomes irritated and snippy, often
glancing at his pocket watch and tutting to himself. Whilst he is never
outright rude and in fact goes to great lengths to maintain a polite
facade his body language gives away his impatience and growing
irritation. He takes his duties very seriously and when tasked with
carrying out his duties as Sheriff he will do everything in his power to
complete his task in order to quickly return to his research. It is not
uncommon for his actions during the completion of his duties to be that
of an inconvenienced man. The longer he is distracted from his research
the more irritated he will become. Any significant delay will bring him
closer and closer to a frenzy. The Sheriff cannot be considered a people
person and has no desire to interact with anyone other than his superiors
in the Tremere or the Camarilla or on rare occaisions his fellow academics
at gatherings or salons. Despite this when he is forced to interact with
other he will remain polite until the point that the distraction from his
work becomes too much of an irritation. His research is his passion and
obsession. In all other matters he is quiet, still and very apathetic. Little
will stir his passions and he always seems to have somewhere better to
be. He comes across very introverted and will not engage in the sharing of
any information about himself or his work.
Reputation
The denizens of the city know him as a force to be feared. A ruthless and
uncaring soul who takes to streets at the behest of the Prince to enact
swift and brutal punishments as required. The fact that he views this is no
more than a minor inconvenience and shows no concerns or emotions
other than mild irritation has led many to question his mental state. The
sight of him incites panic as when he's not working for the prince he is
carrying out his twisted and secretive experiments in the bowels of the
chantry. The Tremere know him as a somewhat radical soul but a valuable
one. One of the few people with concrete knowledge of how to create
functional and obedient Gargoyles in modern nights, his eccentricities and
burning focus are excused. Rumours of where he gains his materiels
abound but are kept firmly within the clan itself for if others were to find
out they could potentially lose a valuable resource.
The Work
The target of his research is the continued creation and perfection of the
Gargoyle process, in particular the creation of Simulacrums, Gargoyles in
the appearance of other things. These gargoyles are not the creatures of
modern nights that haunt the high places of some cities. These are the
magical homonculus structures grafted together from various sources to
create magical beasts of burden. Other Tremere are desperate for these
secrets and will go to great lengths to gain his services or assistance in
their own projects. For his part the Sheriff will on occasion give one of his
creations to another Kindred of the clan in exchange for a considerable
boon or some other required cost. Most usually a relic from Ceoris. Most
often he trades minor scraps of defunct lines of his own research in
exchange for raw materials he requires. The ultimate reason for why he
seeks to master the perfect creation of humanoid Gargoyles is known only
to him and he isn't sharing.
Equipment
Alois carries a Talisman in the form of his silver pocket watch. This is with
him at all times and attached to his waistcoat, shirt or belt by a chain.
There is a ward against kindred attuned to this item and a Bloodstone
crafted into the casing design. In one of his coat pockets Alois usually
carries a small compact mirror with a silver casing covered in intricate
patterns. This is his mirror of second sight and what some take for vanity
when he produces it is probably him checking for creatures in disguise.
Often on his person is a bag of what appear to be red marbles in a small
velvet bag bound with leather. These small orbs are actually the focus of
his ritual suspension of incantation and when thrown with the proper
trigger phrase said aloud they explode into a full manifestation of the
Lure of Flames at it's highest level. Alois always carries a moleskine, finely
crafted pen and other odds and ends such as small pieces of string, old
coins and various small quantities of ritual components. When on the hunt
Alois carries a long stilletto dagger which he enchants with The Verdant
Blade Ritual, in extreme cases he will also provide the Twins with these or
items with the Burning Blade ritual upon them.
Punishments
When called upon to carry out his duty the Sheriff is swift and efficient
and carrying out judgements. There is no reasoning with him and no
chance of convincing him of innocence because he simply does not care.
His only desire is to carry out his task and return to his research. When
carrying out a sentence the Sheriff will use his wide array of rituals or
disciplines to cripple or blight his opponent in any way he feels
appropriate. Repercussions of these actions are of no consequence to
him. The Twins ensure that his intended target finds themselves held in
place for the rituals duration. When a blood hunt is called the Sheriff takes
to the streets with the Twins and unleashes them to hunt his prey whilst
he follows in their wake. The Twins will herd and hamper the target until
finally, run down and weakened the Sheriff can enact a decisive final death
through applications of his Thaumaturgy.
Why is he the Sheriff?
Shortly after his arrival in Birmingham Alois ever overzealous in his
acquisition of raw materiels made a fatal error and was caught in the act
by the then Sheriff and the Prince. In attempting to carry out immediate
justice the then Ventrue Sheriff was struck down by Alois in a brutal
display of power. The Prince amused to have the Ventrue thorn removed
from his side offered Alois a choice. Die at the tip of his sword or work for
him. The two of them covered up the death of the Ventrue Sheriff as a
random Garou related incident and the Prince, ever the master
manipulator and political duelist manouvered the pieces just right so that
at the end of the day, the Tremere thought they had won a great victory
in getting one of their own appointed Sheriff, even if they found Alois
sudden interest somewhat odd. Sadly they are still ignorant that the will
of the Prince has been served yet again and he has a faithful executioner
lurking at his beck and call. To this day no one is aware of the true fate
that befell the Ventrue Sheriff and those that suspect foul play know that
without proof they are relegating themselves to ridicule at best and final
death or worse should they speak out. The prince is vaguely aware of
what it is the Sheriff does and very pointedly looks the other way and
even misdirects the attention of those who could find out too much. It
isnot uncommon for the Prince to provide the Sheriff with raw materials in
exchange for a particularly well executed job. Who amongst those loyal to
the Prince or the Tremere know about this dark pact is anyones guess but
the Sheriff will do whatever he must to continue his research, however
unpalateable. Both parties understand that should the Camarilla at large
become aware of what Alois is creating they would slay all involved. Of
Course the Prince has plausible deniability as do the Tremere Elders, Alois,
less so.
The Twins
Whilst no one outside the Chantry knows exactly how many creations he
currently has in circulation The Twins are the ones the outside world see.
The Twins accompany the Sheriff at all times and serve as his personal
assistants, bodyguards and hounds. They are always dressed and
groomed as precisely as their master in public but usually with a much
more functional wardrobe. The Twins are both blonde with blue eyes and
stand a full head taller than their master. Their skin is extremely pale and
upon very close inspection would appear dry and hard. Whilst not
particularly broad or muscled the Twins are well toned and defined for
their size. To date no one has ever heard the Twins speak and surely only
the Sheriff knows if they are capable of speech at all. When working
together the Twins appear to communicate non verbally in order to co-
ordinate their efforts. Both men are fiercely loyal to their master and
creator and are blatantly blood bound and dominated to the extreme.
There are rumours the twins have been killed multiple times during various
blood hunts over the years but these reports always seem to be false or
exaggerations with the twins appearing as pristine as usual shortly after.
The Twins never reveal their bare chests or backs as they do possess
wings which when not in use are coiled tight to their bodies. Without close
inspection or tactile exploration it would be impossible to tell these
functional wings are hiding beneath their clothes. The twins are Gargoyles
in the original sense and not the Gargoyle bloodline common in modern
nights. This means they have a wide range of strange and unknown
abilities which to date remain a mystery as the usual targets of their odd
abilities are those their master has sent them to hunt. If pressed Alois will
always try to pass off the twins as members of the Gargoyle bloodline.
The Twins at a glance
These are Dark Ages Style Gargoyles and as such are Thaumaturgical
constructs and NOT a bloodline variant of Gargoyle. It's an important
distinction. A lot of what applies to modern nights Gargoyle bloodlines
does not apply to the Thaumaturgical construct verions. The rough
outlines of their powers and abilities below are just that. For full details
please see Players Guide to the Low Clans and Dark Ages Vampire
Storytellers Companion.
In addition to the abilities below Alois has on occaision used the Ichor of
Occult Transmission Ritual to imbue his Gargoyles with other terrifying
abilities. This is something he hides fiercely and his creations are
Dominated into never using such power within the sight of any witnesses.
Ansel
Physical Social Mental
Strength: 4 Charisma: 1 Perception: 2
Dexterity: 3 Manipulation: 2 Intelligence: 2
Stamina: 5 Appearance: 2 Wits: 3
Survival: 3
Athletics: 3
Dodge: 2
Brawl: 4
Melee: 3
Tracking: 2
Occult: 2
Disciplines and Gargoyle Powers
Fortitude: 5
Potence: 4
Flight: 2
Talons (Same as Lv2 Protean Power)
Regeneration (Can regenerate without resting, can heal all levels of
bashing for 1bp)
Transform the Skin to Stone -
Hard ritual to perform, extreme circumstances only. The subject adds one
permanent level of armour with no dexterity penalties, ignores one point
of wound penalties at all health levels and takes half the usual damage
from fire prior to soak. The gargoyles skin is visibly rocky after this,
would not pass for human.
Rite of Sorcerous Shield -
The subject of the ritual wears a silver necklace which turns to acrid mist
at the end of the rituals one month duration of effect. The subject gains 2
dice on all rolls to resist any form of non-tremere magic.
Zachary
Physical Social Mental
Strength: 3 Charisma: 1 Perception: 4
Dexterity: 5 Manipulation: 2 Intelligence: 2
Stamina: 3 Appearance: 2 Wits: 2
Survival: 3
Athletics: 4
Dodge: 4
Brawl: 2
Melee: 2
Tracking: 2
Occult: 2
Disciplines and Gargoyle Powers
Celerity: 3
Fortitude: 3
Flight: 4
Fire Breath -
Can vomit gouts of alchemically tainted blood as gouts of burning acid.
Each blast equals one blood point. Can only use every other turn. Each
blast does 3 dice of Aggravated damage plus extra successes on roll as
usual. Maximum range; six yards. Can set stuff on fire.
Heightened Senses (Same as Auspex lv1)
Feather Stone -
Can intone at will, makes the user much lighter, improving effectiveness of
all flight related rolls.
Know the Unnatural Beast -
Allows the gargoyle to make a perception check to scrutinise an animal
visibly and determine whether it is of supernatural origin or not. Eg, a
gangrel in wolf form, a were creature in animal form, a vampire riding an
animal with animalism or similar, a ghoul animal, etc, etc.
Both Gargoyles possess the following merits:
Blazing Demise
Retractable Wings
Heart of Bone