Calebros

Nosferatu -x- Vampires of New York from 1999 to 2022 -x- Vampires of New York from 2022 Onward

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Sobriquet:

Appearance: Calebros seldom mixes with kine or Kindred beyond his warren, so there is little need for him to assume a visage other than that of his curse: pasty, bald head; wide, deep-set eyes accustomed to near or total darkness; mouth full of jagged fangs that rub his gums raw and bloody; hunched back; permanently taloned fingers that, nonetheless, do not interfere with his work at his Smith-Corona typewriter. Calebros' twisted spine and arthritic joints cause him an inordinate amount of pain nightly, whether he is active or, more usual, at his desk. He is capable, however, of speed and decisive violence if pressed.

Behavior: Some of your clanmates call you a pack-rat, but you know that each of the countless reports, photographs, and newspaper clippings crammed into your grotto office is a piece of the larger puzzle and solving that puzzle may mean the survival of your clan. Other Kindred take you for granted, and that's just as well, because ever more terrible things are taking place in the world. Safeguarding your brethren against them is your eternal work. It feels as though you've merely exchanged one unavoid­able responsibility for another, and it would be an unparalleled relief to have your unlife to yourself again.

History: Background: The most influential Nosferatu in New York for the past 50 years since his sire disappeared, Calebros is remarkably anonymous beyond his clan, and that's the way he prefers it. He maintains order in his warren beneath Manhattan while also coordinating plans and information for his brethren across the Americas and parts of Europe. As the reluctant, temporary (and now former) Prince of New York, Calebros hasn't slept well since putting those duties behind him.

Calebros remembers little of his mortal life. As a child, he was snatched away by the Nosferatu and held in prolonged captivity before his Embrace. To his thinking, he has always been Nosferatu, and the indistinct nature of his days as a kine precludes notions of existential angst. He exists as the quintessential Kindred, and his efforts have been rewarded by his steadily increasing status among his clanmates and Damned peers.

In being Prince Pro Tempore of New York City, Calebros did what he felt like he had to do -he acted as a wartime figurehead for a siege effort that needed one. He harbors no illusions about this; he knows that he held the title only to give the Camarilla effort a common cause to rally behind and to give the Sabbat an enemy upon whom to focus. Some would consider this meteoric "rise to power" unheard-of in Kindred circles. Calebros and his fellow Nosferatu, however, understand it for what it was. The Nosferatu consulted with Archons and Justicars, met with coteries of future sect heroes, schemed with the Tremere and Venture and acted as a liaison to the Followers of Set and Giovanni who also call New York their home.

It was with great relief, then, that Calebros abdicated as prince of the domain. He never really wanted the position. He found himself thrust into it by Camarilla powers who wanted a prince weak enough to acquiesce to their tactical needs but believable enough to give the siege effort a sense of credibility (and give the Sabbat a figure to hate while the true architects of the retaking planned behind the scenes).

Calebros knew all along that his tenure would be a short one, but his abandonment of the prince's duties has caused a division among the city's Nosferatu. Several members of the clan understand Calebros' stance and empathize with his decision to leave the princedom. A more radical half, however, resents the Camarilla for its action, claiming that Calebros was used (or allowed himself to be used) as a patsy. This more radical element wishes to place another Nosferatu in a position to claim the domain, citing the artificially short tenure as a man­ date for one of their own to prove himself or herself worthy of the status.

Calebros is tired of the whole affair, of course. He still plays the game as much as is expected of him, speaking with various Kindred who may find themselves among the primogen once a viable prince does emerge, but he longs for the nights when he can put the whole political circus behind him and return to his warren beneath the streets. The matter of the princedom, at least as far as the Nosferatu are concerned, should be secondary at best in Calebros' opinion. Over the course of his stay in New York, he has uncovered traces of what he believes to be a Nictuku, one of the legendary vehicles of the Nosferatu Antediluvian's vengeance upon his loathsome issue. So long as something threatens the entirety of his clan, he has grave concerns with those who would push their own survival aside for temporal power games.

That said, Calebros still carries a great deal of influ­ence among the Kindred of New York City. He is seen by many as a champion of the Camarilla cause, even by those who have their own grievances with the sect. Most of New York's knowledgeable undead believe that no prince will claim the domain without Calebros' approval, if he believes a candidate to be undesirable, he could poten­tially turn the majority of local Kindred against the claimant with but a word. While Calebros remains char­acteristically quiet on the issue, it is potentially true. He will support a candidate he doesn't like personally, if such seems to be the best for the welfare of the domain. He will not support a prince he does not believe has the city's best interests in mind. This isn't to say that he's naive or foolish. Calebros has enough experience with Kindred politics and elder Jyhads to know that no Kindred is likely to take the position wholly altruistically. He understands the Cainite condition fairly well, however, resigning himself to accepting the lesser of so many evils.

Recent Events: Former Prince Pro-Temp of New York. He served as Prince for two years following the Camarilla's victory in the Siege, then stepped down. He now serves as Nosferatu Primogen of New York.

• -- Calebros' Statistics