The Story of Lucas d'Marabo.:

Lucas was born into a noble French family south of the Lot river, along the Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenees border. Lucas is the 2nd son of a Marquis. As a child he competed for attention. He both admired and despised his older brother, and was jealous of his younger sister. The excessive sibling rivalry made him bitter, manipulative, and possessive, and these traits attracted his sire. His arrogance, bred from his status and used as a defense against his siblings, turned to pride after the embrace. Ignorantly, he thought himself immortal and infallible. Learning better was a hard lesson. After the rise of Napoleon, Lucas had found himself entangled in the business of a much more powerful and influential Kindred. Hungry for more influence, and misinformed about who claimed domain, Lucas began undermining various businesses deals and trades. He succeeded in breaking down the comfortable seat of several vampires, just not the ones he wanted to the degree that he suspected. A prominent Ventrue, hurt by Lucas's meddling but hardly hindered, brought his wrath down on the whelp. Lucas was crippled before he could escape the elder. He fled, and dangerously sought the aid of his Ventrue brothers. He was not as fast as the harpies' gossip, however. Lucas found himself without shelter, and his name turned over to a group of hunters. He was nearly dead when Emelia found him. Lucas was in Russia when he was finally pried from Torpor. It was the end of the 19th century, and the Industrial Revolution was starting. Lucas rebuilt his fortune, but kept a low profile while he agonized over his reputation. Although the scorned Elder had met Final Death, many in Paris still sneered at Lucas's name. The communist revolution eventually shooed Lucas from Russia. Unwilling to face France just yet, he plead with his sire who used an old boon to set Lucas up in Chicago. The fledgling city was cleaning up after the fire, and Lucas settled in nicely. Emelia's boon kept Lucas from being ousted like the other Ventrue not of Prince Lodin's brood. Known for this distinction, as well as his age and Russian wealth, Lucas made himself a cunning harpy, more then happy to side with Lodin on all matters. During the Lupine War, Modius of Gary sought to validate his place as Prince. Lucas was sent with a war party to rake up the power of northwest Indiana, and secure Lodin's hold. When Lodin died in the war, Lucas commandeered the influence and established himself as Prince. As the Camarilla slowly began to lose ground in Chicago, Lucas lent his support for added influence and recognition. Those who once allied themselves with Lodin accepted Lucas's claim as a sign of Lodin's ultimate authority. Though Lucas has tried to settle some disputes, he has taken several of Lodin's enemies as his own. Lucas has since become a name associated with the remnants of Chicago, and on the forefront of the battle with the Sabbat. This exposure has also invited an enemy he did not expect: through the generations, the group of hunters to whom his name had been given so long ago has grown stronger, and they still seek him out. Fearful that they will expose his past sin and undermine his authority, Lucas makes every attempt to see the group's destruction.

A Look at Lucas:

On certain occasions when speaking his native French, particularly when cursing, he will slip back into an antique, rural dialect. Lucas lived during the time of the musketeer, and as any young noblemen from this time, Lucas is accustomed to horseback riding, and fencing. He wears a lovelock or moustache, a historic hairstyle where a lock of hair is tied off from the rest of a coif and draped over a shoulder. Lucas's hair was not long enough at his embrace for his own lovelock, so he wears his older brother's (which has been treated against decay). Along with some of his mannerisms, this braid tends to date Lucas. Elders from that time, or those with an interest in history, will recognize these traits. Kine tend to feel aroused or endangered in Lucas's presence. The beast has left his ear pinched at the tips, which lends itself to his already youthfully androgynous face. Lucas uses this to intimidate people, making them act rashly out of fear for their own fading youth. He only smiles when he knows his confidence is enough to unsettle theirs.

Lucas's Lineage:

"I am Lucas d'Marabo, Childe of Emelia Tochreas, the Oracle of Gaul, Childe of Trismigistus deRoma, Bane of the Gauls, Childe of Antonius, whose reputation precedes him, Childe of Sarai the Persian, Childe of our forlorn Ventrue, the favored grand-Childe of Cain."

Lucas has sired only once, Diamond Reynolds. Emelia Tochreas has two other Childer before Lucas, Andre deGaul and Patricia Belle. Emelia kept the company of a very kind Cappadocian, who fell very late to the Giovanni. After his death Emelia was distraught, and has never spared a Giovanni since. Her Childer have largely taken up the fight as well, and her lineage has been blacklisted by the Necromancers. Lucas has permitted the Giovanni in his domain, but only in limited number for a limited amount of time, and wastes a lot of energy keeping a tight grip on their liberty.

Lucas's Feeding Policies:

Due to the limited size of Portage, Lucas has ruled that Kindred must act as cunctators: draining only what is needed, and saving their victims from death. Lucas is a gentry, cunctator, and casanova - though never completing an act that would threaten the quality of the blood: virgins are his prey exclusion. Paranoid of any threats to his prey in this increasingly explicit world, Lucas comes down particularly hard on other casanova, tramps, and overly sexual Kine. This may lead to some seeing his as a persistent and possesive suitor. In time Lucas hopes to leave a mental trace on all youth in the area of himself as their ideal suitor, then use this against their own carnal desire. He aleady keeps a healthy herd, commonly socializes with those on the verge of sexual encounters, and spends unhealthy amounts of time in the company of children.

On Lucas's Specializations:

Dexterity: Reflex	The fencing has trained Lucas to be very agile. He reacts almost instantly, and is extraordinarily comfortable in his awareness of space. This has made his parries particularly effective.
Charisma: Smooth Talker	Whether mocking his brother, sealing a Russian business deal, or harping on an unruly neonate, Lucas has spent his life oiling the cogs of social engagements. He can plant insults and suggestions in sentences the way a gardener plants roses.
Manipulation: Persuasion	As an autocrat, Lucas will assume the lead in a conversation. This tends to disarm those with whom he converses. He'll Lay out only a few of his target's shortcomings, letting them think about those that he isn't aware of. Suggestions are never made, only the occasional comment, perhaps dressed with an idea of how it might further them in the future. The ideas always come off as irresistible.
Appearance: Androgyny	Lucas inherited his mother's features: a long, narrow nose, sharp eyes and brow, high cheeks. He'll look up innocently through the auburn hair that has fallen just right over his eyes. A life of cheese, bread, and red wine have kept him lean and light.
Intelligence: Logic	Born during the height of humanism, and having made a fortune during the Industrial Revolution, Lucas has a keen awareness of order and reason.
Intimidation: Veiled Threats	Assumptions are the enemy when dealing with Lucas, and he uses them expertly against all who oppose him. The frail, effeminate youth is taken at face value. Then he will cast his cocked grin, and immediately there is a need to go on the defensive. Those with an advantage in size might shout, "Hey, what are you looking at?", most will feel the weight of the predator. The unfortunate will find themselves engaged with fear as Lucas caringly consoles them from all of the terrible things that may shortly happen.
Leadership: Compelling	Lucas learned long ago that nobody acts simply by being told. They act because they know they have to. Kindred and Kine alike are inherently lazy. If they are to do something, they must fear the consequences of their inaction. Grim are the pictures Lucas paints of their failures, and inspired are the hopes he plants in their mind for their success.
Melee: Rapiers	Narrow, double-edged blades were the rage during the 17th Century; quicker to maneuver, lighter to carry, and able to sneak between the seams of armor plating. The French preferred agility over strength in swordplay, and Lucas has won several duels thanks to his nimble wrist. Although the opportunity rarely comes up any more, Lucas was trained to use a shoulder cape as a shield. If desperate, he my grab a curtain or tablecloth in lieu of a cape.
Linguistics: Prying	Lucas speaks 9 languages: French, Spanish, Latin, English, German, Russian, Gaulish, Arabic, and Chinese. French, Spanish, Latin, and German came to him from his Catholic upbringing in the Pyrenees. Russian and Chinese were learned while doing business in Russia. He learned Gaulish from his sire, and Arabic from his Cappadocian Mentor. Necessity kept his tongue sharp in the subtle forms of prying in each language. He knows his way around jokes and puns that will beg for a hint of more information then may be necessary; just enough to give him the edge he needs.
Occult: Witchcraft	During Lucas's life the topics that today are known separately as religion and science fell into one category, particularly for the Catholic church. Heretics were still being burned, and besides the bible often stood the Malleus Maleficarum. Alchemy, Medicine, Astrology, Cosmology all required work with the church. Lucas's sire was a close friend with a Cappadocian who taught him many of these secret studies. It is for this reason that if Lucas ever takes a path, it will be the Path of Bones. Lucas has a keen interest in the topic of witchcraft, a common charge laid against many people of his time.

Lucas's Arsenal:

Lucas will commonly carry a solid black cane-sword with a rapier blade, and a Glock 22 on a chest holster with silver bullets. He may also keep a knife or taser stashed in his boot, and a manrikigusari, a chain weapon, hidden up his left sleeve. A favorite recent trick of his to play is to latch the chain around an enemy, then use the taser to send an electric current through the metal. Lucas's is protected by his Fortitude.

Weapon	Difficulty	Damage	Conceal	Range	Rate	Clip
Rapier	6	S +2	T
Cane Sword	6	S +2	C
Glock 22	Vary	5	J	25	4	15+1
Knife	6	S +1	P
Taser	?	?	P
Manrikigusari	6	S +3	C

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