Sri Sansa
Sobriquet: The Rakish Mountebank.
Appearance: Sri adopts the eccentric garb of an Indian spiritualist. Although his suits are usually somber black, his white turban often sports a colorful feather affixed by a silver pin. Reputable sorts suspect he is a con artist, yet Sri can blend enough truth with falsehood, or magic with trickery, to prevent exposure. The costume jewelry he occasionally sports holds no mystical power, but the wards he wears against the other supernatural denizens of London are potent. In his attire, as with everything else, he considers walking the fine line between fooling the gullible and exposing the Masquerade - a dangerous and delightful game.
Background: Born into a wealthy family, Sri could never hope to fully capitalize on this family's good fortune. A native of India, he would always be second-best to the British imperialists who claimed his country as a colony of their empire. Even during his years of schooling in Britain, he was treated as an inferior. When returned, he was reluctant to struggle as a functionary in his father's export business. The fortune his family amassed came at the cost of the suffering of his countrymen. At first, he was overwhelmed by guilt, bu the with access to his family's riches, he could afford ways to numb that troublesome emotion. Growing increasingly demoralized by his contact with the British culture, his diversions blossomed into outright hedonism. In the pursuit of pleasure, he became a rake, a degenerate and a scoundrel.
A handsome man, Sri charmed British women who sought an escape from propriety through indulgence in the forbidden. They held certain expectations of him, ones he was all too eager to exploit. Through rumors of Madame Blavatsky's discoveries, India acquired a certain mystique related to the occult, one complicated by misunderstandings of everything from yoga to tantric practices. The women he found most attractive were the ones who repeatedly asked if he had any acquaintance with magic. He sought it with all the passion of a young man eager for a quick tryst. Before long, he traveled in a circle of occult charlatans eager to uncover the mysteries of India, whether real or fabricated. By learning the patter of a drawing room spiritualist, memorizing fragments of Madame Blavatsky's books, cultivating a taste for illicit substances, and parroting a mishmash of topics acquired from other fakers, he learned to play the role of an occultist.
As with other victims of the Embrace, he found what he was seeking. Sri's misfortune began in England, where he sought to ply his criminal trade. The would-be Indian mystic offered his services as a fortuneteller and spiritualist to the wealthy and desperate. Smuggling various substances brought from abroad amply supplemented his already considerable income. It was a role he played all too well, for it enabled him to make gullible acquaintances eager for spiritual advancement. By presenting himself as an expert in Indian mysticism, he made the acquaintance of many curious individuals, including a pale man who hinted at his own occult knowledge.
In a late night rendezvous, the pale man offered to hire the Indian spiritualist as an advisor. Sri feigned insouciance, remaining aloof as he claimed to posses secrets he could never willingly disclose. The pale man lacked the discipline to condition his associate, but by performing a "ritual" masking the first stage of a blood bond, the foolish Tremere made Sri his ghoul. He was sorely disappointed to learn of the so-called expert's fraud, but he found a student eager to learn the intricacies of Thaumaturgy. After ensuring the second stage of a blood bond, he embraced Sri and acquired him as an apprentice.
Sri's talent for deception has served him in good stead. The opportunities afforded by his clan allow him to ascertain the truth behind many of the myths he had previously encountered. Sri still has a fierce addiction to many of the substances he sampled in his breathing days, including an exotic brew he claims to be "soma." By distilling the substance with a small portion of his own blood, he has begun to develop a blood cult fascinated by his false teachings in Indian mysticism. The most benevolent contributors learn of reincarnation, shortly followed by revelations of their mystical and supernatural past lives. They pay for it with their current lives, or at least their blood. He freely dispenses falsehood, but he reserves the truth for himself.
Personality: Sri always appears to know more than he actually does; within the realm of the occult, that isn't difficult. Even among Tremere, he is a con artist, yet the resources he brings to the clan prevent them from actually calling his bluffs. Keep in mind, however, that he must respect a few powerful individuals. It is imperative, for instance, that the Tremere primogen - Edward Bainbridge, allows Sri to continue drawing blood from Sri's extensive cult of followers. If Bainbridge were to find out the illicit substances he partakes of through feeding upon the cult, he might withdrawal his considerable support. Sri refuses to depend on the mystic powers of Thaumaturgy, when he can use the discipline of Dominate, or preferably subterfuge, instead.
Position: Regent of the 1st Circle.
