Gris Posted June 1, 2023 Clone Share Posted June 1, 2023 (edited) Marcus "The Phantom" Trapp Nature: Gallant Clan: Nosferatu Demeanour: Celebrant (Music) Generation: 9th Concept: Phantom of the Opera Sire: Anne CooperNosferatu Elder from Atlanta. Embraced Marcus to steal him from Beatrice. Attributes Strength ●●○○○ Charismaelegant ●●●●● Perception ●●○○○ Dexterity ●●○○○ Manipulationcreative lies ●●●●○ Intelligence ●●○○○ Stamina ●●○○○ Appearance ○○○○○ Witsgetting the jump on others ●●●●○ Abilities Alertness ●○○○○ Animal Ken ○○○○○ Academics ●●○○○ Athletics ●○○○○ Crafts ○○○○○ Computer ○○○○○ Awareness ○○○○○ Drive ○○○○○ Finance ●○○○○ Brawl ●○○○○ Etiquette ●●○○○ Investigation ●○○○○ Empathy ●●●○○ Firearms ○○○○○ Law ○○○○○ Expression ●●●○○ Larceny ●○○○○ Medicine ○○○○○ Intimidation ●●●○○ Melee ○○○○○ Occult ●○○○○ Leadership ●○○○○ Performancesinging ●●●●● Politics ●○○○○ Streetwise ○○○○○ Stealth ●●●○○ Science ○○○○○ Subterfuge ●○○○○ Survival ○○○○○ Technology ○○○○○ Advantages Virtues Backgrounds Disciplines Conscience ●●●●○ Status (Camarilla) ●○○○○ Obfuscate ●●●○○ Self-Control ●●●●○ Retainer (Richard Firmin)manages the Savannah Historic Theatre ●●○○○ Presence ●●●○○ Courage ●●●●○ Mentor (Beatrice Gyri)Toreador music enthusiast who unlives in Atlanta. She wanted to embrace him, but was beaten to it by his Sire. She taught him much about social skills and about Presence. ●○○○○ Generation ●●●●○ Humanity ●●●●● ●○○○○ Domain (TheatreTunnels)Eventually, Marcus plans to occupy all of the theatre, but for now, he is restricted to the tunnels under it ●○○○○ Willpower (maximum: 8 ) ■■■■■ ■■■ Bloodpool (Maximum: 14) ■■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■ Weakness, Virtues and Flaws Clan Weakness: Physical horror is the lot of the Nosferatu, and their unsettling deformations are countless. No two Nosferatu share the exact same malformation, and the Clan is a freakshow of snarled limbs, fanged protrusions, hellish countenances, serpentine spines, ruined faces, spasmodic appendages, and even features not usually seen on the mortal stock from which the Nosferatu are drawn. The Sewer Rats often hide these disfigurements under shapeless robes and rags, but some exult in the discomfort their presence causes, and don’t bother disguising them. They may even emphasize them. Marcus skin looks greyish and dead and his ears are oddly pointed. He often wears a mask and white gloves, and is very fond of altering his appearance through the art of Obfuscation. Enchanting Voice (+2): Marcus voice is a resounding basso. There is something about it that others cannot ignore. When you command, they are cowed. When you seduce, they swoon. Whether thundering, soothing, persuading, or simply talking, your voice commands attention. The difficulties of all rolls involving the use of the voice to persuade, charm, or command are reduced by two. Language: Latin (+1): Living with the Trappist monks and preparing to become a monk has left marcus with the ability to read Latin. Personality Marcus is glad to entertain the kindred community with his musical skills. More than anything else, he wants to be liked, which would be easier if he wasn't a Nosferatu vampire. Years with beatrice have told him that being nice is just one way of winning other people's favor. Over the years he has become more and more manipulative. Unfortunately, winning someone's affection with underhanded tricks may foolthem, but it doesn't fool Marcus. There is another reason for Marcus to play nice: There are Kindred out there who are strong, fast, and have vicious claws. He knows he is no match for them. Marcus owes clan Toreador and is willing to go to lengths to pay them back. He still hasn't given up on learning the secrets of the Daughters of Cacophony - and they still haven't forgiven him for the last time he tried. Background In a rainy night, in April 1964, someone left a baby on the church porch of the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit, outside Atlanta. He was an ugly baby with and unfriendly stare and a dig knobbly nose. The monks took in the baby boy anyway, named him Marcus, and raised him with love and care. before long they discovered his interest in music and taught him how to sing and play the organ. Marcus grew up happily and sheltered from life outside the monastery walls. When he turned 21, he asked the prior if he could become a monk and join their community. Before he could take the vows, he had an encounter that changed his life: Helen had not been the first woman to visit the monastery, but the first one he saw who wore tight jeans and had curly 80s hair. She was flattered by the attentions of the novice who secretly called her several times before the prior could warn him against the wiles of women. By then, it was too late. Despite the monks' honest entreaties, he decided to leave the monastery to pursue the young woman. When he showed up on her doorstep, she wasn't particularly thrilled - nor was the man that was keeping her company. It turned out that Marcus had never been more to her than a flirtateous distraction. The wise thing would have been for Marcus to return to the monastery, but his guilt and his pride kept him from going back and admitting that the monks had been right about Helen all along. Instead, he worked as a music teacher in Atlanta, an outcast because of his monkish ways, which he had to learn to leave behind slowly. He applied for a musical production once, but was told in no uncertain terms that, although he was competent, he simply wasn't attractive enough for the role. He never repeated the experience. In 1996, aged 32, he was discovered by a Neonate Toreador vampire named Beatrice Gyri. Marcus was in Heaven - an attractive woman who was interested in him and shared his love for music. Even when she revealed her Kindred nature to him, he wasn't taken aback. He would have made a fine Toreador, but another vampire, the Atlanta elder Anne Cooper, watched the proceedings with spite in her cold undead heart. She appeared to Marcus in beguiling form and convinced him that it was better for Beatrice's soul and her relationship with the Prince if Anne were to embrace him. Only after the Embrace did he realize he had been tricked. Anne took him with her into the sewers and kept him there for two years, using promises, gifts, threats and the blood bond to make him love her. Eventually, she realized that none of this could really win Marcus heart. She returned him to Beatrice in 1998. Beatrice accepted Marcus back and shaped him into the vampire he now is: In the following years, she taught him about charm, manipulation and etiquette. She also shared the discipline of Presence with him. He became a regular at Atlanta's Toreador soirées. It was there that he first learned about the Daughters of Cacophony. He repeatedly asked them to share their musical art with him, but they kept rebuffing him. So in 2022, he abducted a neonate Daughter of Cacophony to make her reveal her secrets. Her Sire quickly found out and freed her Childe.She took matters to the Prince, and demanded Marcus' head. The Atlanta Toreador were angry, but Betrice made them plead mercy on his behalf. The Prince finally announced that Marcus was to leave Atlanta within a month and not to return for 20 years. It was Beatrice who arranged for Marcus to get in touch with the Prince of Savannah. Finding a safe place in a new city is hard for any vampire. To have an easier start, Marcus lured the director of Savannah's historic theatre,Richard Firmin, to Atlanta, were she ghouled him and told him to make the arrangements for her arrival. Firmin prepared the tunnels under the theatre for her. In a rainy night, in April 1964, someone left a baby on the church porch of the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit, outside Atlanta. He was an ugly baby with and unfriendly stare and a dig knobbly nose. The monks took in the baby boy anyway, named him Marcus, and raised him with love and care. before long they discovered his interest in music and taught him how to sing and play the organ. Marcus grew up happily and sheltered from life outside the monastery walls. When he turned 21, he asked the prior if he could become a monk and join their community. Before he could take the vows, he had an encounter that changed his life: Helen had not been the first woman to visit the monastery, but the first one he saw who wore tight jeans and had curly 80s hair. She was flattered by the attentions of the novice who secretly called her several times before the prior could warn him against the wiles of women. By then, it was too late. Despite the monks' honest entreaties, he decided to leave the monastery to pursue the young woman. When he showed up on her doorstep, she wasn't particularly thrilled - nor was the man that was keeping her company. It turned out that Marcus had never been more to her than a flirtateous distraction. The wise thing would have been for Marcus to return to the monastery, but his guilt and his pride kept him from going back and admitting that the monks had been right about Helen all along. Instead, he worked as a music teacher in Atlanta, an outcast because of his monkish ways, which he had to learn to leave behind slowly. He applied for a musical production once, but was told in no uncertain terms that, although he was competent, he simply wasn't attractive enough for the role. He never repeated the experience. In 1996, aged 32, he was discovered by a Neonate Toreador vampire named Beatrice Gyri. Marcus was in Heaven - an attractive woman who was interested in him and shared his love for music. Even when she revealed her Kindred nature to him, he wasn't taken aback. He would have made a fine Toreador, but another vampire, the Atlanta elder Anne Cooper, watched the proceedings with spite in her cold undead heart. She appeared to Marcus in beguiling form and convinced him that it was better for Beatrice's soul and her relationship with the Prince if Anne were to embrace him. Only after the Embrace did he realize he had been tricked. Anne took him with her into the sewers and kept him there for two years, using promises, gifts, threats and the blood bond to make him love her. Eventually, she realized that none of this could really win Marcus heart. She returned him to Beatrice in 1998. Beatrice accepted Marcus back and shaped him into the vampire he now is: In the following years, she taught him about charm, manipulation and etiquette. She also shared the discipline of Presence with him. He became a regular at Atlanta's Toreador soirées. It was there that he first learned about the Daughters of Cacophony. He repeatedly asked them to share their musical art with him, but they kept rebuffing him. So in 2022, he abducted a neonate Daughter of Cacophony to make her reveal her secrets. Her Sire quickly found out and freed her Childe.She took matters to the Prince, and demanded Marcus' head. The Atlanta Toreador were angry, but Betrice made them plead mercy on his behalf. The Prince finally announced that Marcus was to leave Atlanta within a month and not to return for 20 years. It was Beatrice who arranged for Marcus to get in touch with the Prince of Savannah. Finding a safe place in a new city is hard for any vampire. To have an easier start, Marcus lured the director of Savannah's historic theatre,Richard Firmin, to Atlanta, were she ghouled him and told him to make the arrangements for her arrival. Firmin prepared the tunnels under the theatre for her. XP Log freebies: +4 Willpower +3 Virtues +4 Performance (dots 4 and 5) +4 backgrounds 50 xp spent: 3xp Brawl 1st dot 31xp Presence 14xp Virtues (dots 3 and 4 in self-confidence) 2xp Acadmics (2nd dot) Obfuscated Appearance Marcus uses Obfuscate to move among the living. Although their are different appearances he can assume, he prefers his looks from just before his embrace. As you can see, his stare, his sharp cheekbones and his clubby nose make him rather unattractive. Design notes I was trying to use the idea of the Phantom of the Opera. I was inspired by Lunermist's sheet: She has created a hot Tremere - I am trying to create a socially competent Nosferatu. The Phantom of the Opera deals with the question if people who look ugly have to be ugly inside. I find the discrepancy between beauty and monstrosity fascinating. I've chosen disciplines that are about beauty and ugliness, attraction and rejection. This character's most important competence, Presence Entrancement, directly depends on the character's appearance. Marcus can look positively angelic, thanks to his Obfuscate Mask of a Thousand Faces, but the price in blood is steep. Worse, he will always be aware that any attraction he creates is a short-lived illusion. Edited June 1, 2023 by Gris (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coreal Posted June 1, 2023 Clone Share Posted June 1, 2023 1 hour ago, Gris said: he is restricted to the Sewers under it So Savannah doesn't have traversable sewers like some older cities, however it does have a number of tunnels that were built beneath the historic district for a variety of purposes. So it is quite possible that there is a tunnel that runs beneath the theater on its way from one point to another. Most of the tunnels were used as either part of the pre-war slave trade, the underground railroad, or connections from hospitals to morgues. And some rumored pirate tunnels/caves as well from the very early 1700s before the city was founded when the bluff made a good harboring point for pirates raiding further up the East coast. Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gris Posted June 1, 2023 Author Clone Share Posted June 1, 2023 I've corrected the serwers to tunnels, and I have finished this character. I like Marcus as much as Shirlene. Marcus has hardly any talents that can be used in a fight. This is a more interesting character if this game is about exploring the subleties of the vampiric condition - he can lie, charm and sneak his way out of trouble. Shirlene is tough. She is probably a better match for a game with tough enemies like werewolves. Since her best skill is hitting people, she is easy to predict for a storyteller. I, as a person, am more like Marcus than like Shirlene. If all things are equal, I think I would enjoy playing Shirlene a tad more, because she is so different. Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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