Fabrizio Ulfila
- Ventrue -SPQR- Rome -- medieval
Sobriquet: Praelatus
Appearance: Fabrizio's appearance suggests he was Embraced in his early 50s. He is short and thin, his bald head is usually covered by a simple skullcap and his clothing consists of simple dark robes. His face is thin and angular with a sharp nose and dark intelligent eyes.
Behavior: Even though the Church has been a battlefield for Cainite conspiracies for centuries, Fabrizio has survived them all and still remained steadfastly loyal to the Ventrue principle of dignitas. It has been rumored that Fabrizio has True Faith due to his incredible success within the church, though he never appeared to manifest any of these abilities. It is also rumored that he has learned many of the secrets of Necromancy from the Giovanni which is fueled by his infrequent communications about the events in the Underworld which he describes in a first person perspective.
History: Fabrizio Ulfila has been around since the first nights of Christianity in Ancient Rome. He became one of the most influential members of the Ecclesiasticals, the faction of Ventrue that believed that power lay in the Church. Through his influence, the Catholic Church aligned itself with the Carolingans. During this time, he was forced into Torpor and only reawakened in the late 11th century. He discovered that other Clans, particular Toreador and Lasombra, had infiltrated the institution. Maintaining strong ties with Mithras of London and Alexander of Paris, Ulfila slowly worked to expand Christendom into the domains of the Tzimisce and supported the Crusades.
Recent Events: In May of 1084 Fabrizio had been in the grip of a long torpor when the Norman allies of Pope Gregory VII entered the city and began to sack the city. As the rioting of the incensed Roman citizens reached a fever pitch, and the Normans began to fear for their lives, the invaders set fire to the city. It was the smell of such widespread bloodshed and the fire that followed that brought Fabrizio out of his long sleep. Of course, his first act was to feed on the Norman soldiery as the old city burned. Fabrizio's next step was to march to the Lateran palace and expel Pope Gregory VII from Rome. For the last ten years, he has overseen the election of two successive popes, Victor III and Urban II, and slowly corrected the course of the church. From afar, Fabrizio has observed the Saracen threat and having been contacted by his clanmate Caius of Constantinople, the two have between them concocted a strategy to limit the threat of Islam to the Eastern Empire and Jerusalem.
