Francisco Domingo De Polonia

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

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Sobriquet: Cardinal (polite and official), Pinky, if you dare (stupid).

Appearance: Polonia is exceedingly tall for a Cainite of his years. He stands more than six feet in height, with ramrod straight carriage and large hands that look equally at home grasping a sword or a firearm. He has a black, neatly trimmed beard that matches his short black hair and dark eyes. Perhaps for the sake of contrast, Polonia often dresses in white or gray, though in the field he's more comfortable in fatigues. Unlike many of his venerable peers, Polonia s personal style has adapted to the times. His one concession to his age is a silver crucifix necklace that he has worn unceasingly for over three centuries. It was given to Polonia by his mother, and he treasures it above all things. The only flaw in Polonia's image as the perfect soldier is a cosmetic, yet maddeningly embarrassing, one: He was Embraced while suffering from a severe sunburn. While Polonia keeps a rigid rein on his temper at most times, commenting on his reddened countenance or even star­ing at it is the one surefire way to break this iron self-control.

Behavior: Always keep your calm; it's the key to victory. Analyze situations before acting; take advice into account but don't follow it slavishly. Your own instincts and talents have gotten you this far, and it would be foolish to stop trusting them now. Most successes and defeats roll off you like water from a duck's back; it's always on to the next objective. The loss of New York rankles badly, however, and you are painfully aware of the second­ guessers who are attempting to remove you from your power. You prefer, however, to cut the ground from beneath those jackals by succeeding, rather than wasting your energy dealing with them one by one.

History: Born in Spain but eager for adventure (and profit), Polonia volunteered for military duty in the New World. The only son of a minor and impoverished noble family, Francisco spent the last of his inheritance to secure an officer's commission before boarding ship, and he arrived in Mexico a captain.

While Mexico itself didn't offer much in the way of opportunity for an ambitious young man, the various expeditions heading north to find treasure and territory did. Polonia attached himself to de Onate's expedition, which had as its goal the foundation of a permanent outpost in what is now New Mexico. The expedition was a failure, but one officer in particular distinguished himself by his conduct: Polonia. Such bravery and competence drew attention from several of the Lasombra elders already established on the continent, and the young captain was rewarded for his efforts with the Embrace and a new assignment.

Officially, Polonia's orders were to march north again with de Peralta in an attempt to succeed where de Onate failed. Unofficially, Polonia was to serve as a stalking horse. His presence in the unspoiled lands to the north would be sure to draw whatever enemies lurked there - particularly the region's savage Lupines -into the open. Polonia himself probably wouldn't survive the assault. Then again, he wasn't supposed to.

It took until 1680 for Francisco to accomplish what he unwittingly set out to do. In that year, the local werewolves and their Pueblo kinfolk burned de Peralta's settlement of Santa Fe to the ground. Polonia was one of the few survivors, and he made his way back south with a full report of enemy strength, tactics and resources. Salvaging such useful information from utter defeat impressed even more of Polonia's superiors, and they took an interest in training him properly for use in the long nights ahead.

The next three centuries were a whirlwind of espio­nage, murder and subversion. Under the tutelage of no less a personage than the legendary Medina, Polonia learned tactics and strategies, then put them to use in the field. He operated primarily on the North American continent and went whither his superiors ordered him to work their will with impressive efficiency.

As the centuries have passed, he has risen in both rank and generation - through merit in the former instance and through skillful application of the Lasombra Courts of Blood in the latter. At this point, Polonia has earned command over all of the Sabbat's operations on the East Coast. Of course, success only rarely meets with approval, while failure earns vast atten­tion; the loss of New York City to the Camarilla's desperate counter-offensive tends to overshadow the fact that Polonia has managed to acquire control over Atlanta, northern Florida, the Carolinas and indeed, most of the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. Still, New York is the richest prize of all,and until Polonia can retake it, assuming he is allowed time and resources with which to do so, there will be whispers in the shadows about him.

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