Retainers - Those that serve

Jorum/Falhalah (sp?)
Excommunicated monk of St. John's
Retainer of Maeve
Appearance: tall, arabic, thin from months starving on the streets, shaggy dark brown hair, scruffy beard, a tattoo of intricate symbols on his left shoulder.
Abilities: Occult x3 (religious texts, research), Linguistics x3 (Arabic, Latin, Persian, Greek, French, Italian, Germanic), Academics x3 (translations, research), Medicine x1 (general first aid)

Under the Christian given name of Jorum, he has lived always within the church. His life began in the crusades, far in the lands of Spain. As a young boy, he worked as a farmer with his father, cultivating what little land they had, shepherding flocks, etc. When the men of England arrived, armed with their banners of god and steel, he was taken captive, their flocks decimated for the armies, to become their slave. Repent or die, he followed his father and repented. They never spent much time worrying about religion, far in the hills, but under these men, they would learn so much. Named Jorum, he was given into the care of a monk that prayed over the fallen and mended those hurt in warfare. By his side, Jorum proved a worthy compatriot, trying to ease the suffering of the monk for helping his own father in a time of need.

Following the monk, he continued traveling through the lands as war continued, until they were sent to the churches of Constantinople. Here Jorum began as a true acolyte, taking prays, learning the written word, and finally giving vows of celibacy, prayer, and his undying soul in service.

But as the years progressed, he learned of a horror in the heart of his holy sanctuary. Demons in the guise of man roamed the halls at night. They were no less devout, but strangely so. But the discovery did not go unnoticed. The ghouls working within the library took hold of Jorum for punishment or inclusion into their order. In the meeting, the cainite (Tzimisce librarian monk) that reviewed his mind and secrets uncovered and decided to bind him instead. Through Koldunic ritual, a mark "of the devil" was laid on his flesh to bind him.

As the years past, Jorum found himself tortured by the knowledge he learned. And that was the challenge the cainite placed upon himself and this man. The experiment of the two brought such a wealth of knowledge to the Tzimisce...until he died in the raids of the Latin quarter. Jorum soon became a forgotten piece of a large puzzle, allowed free reign. The deeper he delved into the library, the closer he got to the horrors that finally befell him. What he learned led to excommunication. The mark would destroy the man, killing him slowly. And no one in the world would ever save him or listen to a word. A sinless death.

It was at this time Maeve found him.

Jeeves/Jamet
merchant and seneschal
Retainer of Horus
Appearance: clean shaven head and face, bright brown eyes, amazing smile, medium height and well muscled, often wearing traditional garb of the locale
Abilities: Commerce x3, Seneschal x4 (management), Politics x3, Investigation x2, Academics x2, slick talker, tons of small skills, thief and merchant man

The fine brothel and businesses Horus located to begin his personal empire were not the creation of a single human's master plan. In truth, Jamet cannot remember a time he was not here tending shops and whores alike. As a young street urchin, Jamet had a talent for a fast paced gamble. Dice, cards, thievery, he started young and worked his way through the ranks. Soon enough he hired on to handle an office in port for a caravan merchant. He needed someone to watch and purchase goods, keep up contacts with ship captains and crews, while guarding the local warehouses. With a sly tongue and knowledge of the local haunts, he proved more than efficient and trusted.

So it was an enterprising Ventrue and child of Antonius ghouled the lad. For years, Jamet worked hard at his craft, hoping to one day see a bit more than a slim picking of profit. Yet no matter how he tried, he could swindle his own boss. And then as years passed, he never aged. Neither of them did. Often he wondered if he had sold his soul to the devil, but wouldn't then let him cheat and steal?

The truth was never truly known to the man until his boss died in riots. The wine he left his ghoul with would have to last for years to come, which meant smaller sips, and more care given to learning what it all meant. But soon enough the blood wine ran dry and he was left with no other options. Age would return, his joints would begin to creak, and the thirst for what he had ate at his gut. The love he felt for his master was long lost.

It was such strange luck a new face ambled into his brothel. The fellow egyptian's name was Horus and he revealed himself to be a vampire. It should have rattled the man, but never seemed to. Jamet, now Jeeves, just accepted it in stride. And Horus never quite questioned why the man never once asked him what it meant. Everything just clicked into place about the past.

Jeeves now works diligently for his new vampiric master, no longer afraid or hiding the gifts and skills he learned over the years under another vampire's rule.

Captain Cameron - Black Eyed Devil - Leader of the Grim Scythes
Retainer of Tereza

Abilities: Intimidation x3, Legerdemain x3, Sailing x3, allies x5, Occult x2, Hearth Wisdom x 3, Medicine x1, occult intrigued slaver pirate that has plans to live forever

Cameron was taken as a slave from the northern lands of englishmen, irish, and scottish. He once fought to protect the lands of his people while his fathers were forced into service for the crown in their crusades. So much fodder, he had simple dreams mainly to live and have sons of his own.

But slavery changes a man, and the horror stories he heard in that trip, led to his rising up and killing the quartermaster. By the time they made land, he had replaced the captain and held the position with steel, strength, and promises to do more than just sell slaves. He sold every one of his brothers and countrymen, making deals with other ships else they would be burned down. Those that turned on him would meed the grim reaper. Within a fortnight, he had sunk or set fire to 5 rivals and gained 3 others.

He named them the Grim Scythes, hands of the Reaper himself. No man, woman, or child would be free of their plundering. Slavery remained their greatest business, but this man had vision. He seeks out any with the ability to map, buying and enslaving these cartographers to plot out new courses, find new lands, and create a pirating network.

Yet life grows short. And death haunts him. He has taken to seeking a way to live forever. Every journey to find some fabled fountain of youth had ended in misery. Every demon he thought to make a deal with ended up being some crazed old prophet.

The Grim Scythes have one of the largest slavery and pirating crews roving the seas. Some members do not even realize they pay dues to Cameron. He has suites in many ports of call, has supplied men and weapons to numerous countries, and sold that knowledge to their rivals.

Recently he found a woman with a knowledge far older than he thought possible. He tried to kill her, running her through only to watch her laugh and heal. A black hearted bitch, she offered to give him a dream of eternal life through her blood, but he had to help her with a difficult problem. Leagues upon leagues he took her port to port, dark shadows and sorcery ever walking their ship. Slaves were drunk like so much swill. Gold traded to meet with others like her. Yet never once did she pay up.

Not a man to be tested, he tossed her in a crate overboard into the drink far in the Mediterranean sea during the day. Good riddance.

Now he is working a deal with Tereza while hunting for more vampires to capture and have his crew drink from.

(looks like this but with blonder hair)