Lorenzo Penthièvre

This character is pending approval

Personality

Lorenzo is not what you'd call a warm or particularly nice person. He treats most neonates and curiosities of the modern age with amusement at best, disinterest more frequently. Cold, manipulative and disdainful of most others, it is clear that age has dulled most of his earthly passions. He's seen a great deal of things in his Requiem and it takes something particularly interesting to hold his interest for long... at which point he will go to great lengths to play with or possess it.

Despite this he retains a great deal of religious zealotry, taking very seriously the role of the succubus and tempter, which he believes to be God's chosen role for Clan Daeva. Unfortunately, his 'temptations' rarely are easily resisted, and more frequently end up destroying lives. He also seems to enjoy his job a little too much for most to be comfortable with, taking great pleasure in tearing down the unworthy. After all, when one is damned and exists only to scare mortals back onto the path of God, it is nothing short of shameful not to be good at it.

Lorenzo's heavy connections to the theatre and art world seems almost contradictory to this aim, as one would hardly expect such a fanatic to be involved in the arts. He explains it simply as a means of finding sinners - the arts world is a source of corruption, drugs and sleaze. By controlling this world he can thus bend it to God's intended ends. Nevertheless, it is clear he has a great deal of fondness for fine art, and seems to collect up and coming young artists, musicians and thespians, sometimes including those of the Kindred world.

Appearance

Lorenzo is a regular clothes horse, reportedly having a ghoul entirely dedicated to choosing his wardrobe. As such, although he feels most comfortable in reproductions of the clothing of his era, it is not unheard of for him to dress in any manner of outfits to fit in with the Herd. While it's quite obvious he never actually has a clue about modern fashion, his flair towards the theatrical means that at least amongst mortals he can pull off fashion faux pas as deliberate attempts at costuming. It is one such faux pas which led to him apparently pioneering the - Rococopunk movement which has caught on in some of the wankier alternative communities in Adelaide's art scene.

If there is a common thread it is that his clothes are generally elegant, expensive, and relatively modest, even if they are at times a touch outrageous.

Mortal World

Lorenzo has a strong hand in the arts and theatre worlds of Adelaide, although his influence is generally through proxy and control of both theater line-ups and funding bodies. Building up Adelaide as the Festival State has been a personal project for the last number of decades, and he has spent time garnering influence to make and break careers. While few would think to connect him with the slightly eccentric socialite who seems to frequent opening night parties, there are certainly rumours of someone behind the scenes with a strangle-hold on the funding bodies. There are stories of actors who've angered the powers that be and never found work again, and of companies which had their funding abruptly cut, crippling their budget. But there are just as many stories of an apparently angelic patron who has recognised genuine genius and helped secure roles, provide start-up funds for new companies, and even fund small festivals.

On the whole, Lorenzo's influence on the theatre world has generally been one of patronage. Over the years he has poured millions of dollars into funding, and occasionally even has had the ear of the Minister of the Arts. While he does occasionally take exception to certain actors and destroy their careers utterly, there doesn't seem to be any discernible pattern to it apparent to the human world, and it is therefore written off as the fickleness of the theatre.

Information Known by Kindred Society

Lorenzo is old and has been in Adelaide since the early days of the colony's foundations. He's taken a personal interest in both Adelaide's religious and artistic side. While he once had rather strong connections with any number of church groups, he has since discarded this entirely to focus on the arts, particularly the performing arts. He is rather territorial of this area and anyone wanting to play with 'his' arena generally is treated with some hostility unless they play by his rules.

A proud member of the Invictus, Lorenzo is a Librettist and former Thorned Wreath, having been honourably discharged over a century ago. He still has family members in the Thorned Wreath and still has a great deal of respect for the order. To other members of the First Estate he is generally well-known as someone skilled in dealing with the Herd, and is an occasional patron to younger Kindred with a talent for music or theatre.

While Lorenzo encourages strong First and Second Estate ties, his personal relations with the Lancea Sanctum are slightly strained. While it is clear he has very strong religious beliefs, dwarfing even some of those within the Lance, his exotheist disrespect for the trappings of the Church occasionally causes tension, particularly with House Ward. He has personally been heard saying that he prefers to spend his Requiem carrying out the Longinian ideals rather than wasting time praying. Nevertheless, Lorenzo frequently enjoys debate with members of the Lance.

For someone with his beliefs, Lorenzo is not particularly bothered by the Crone, saying they heretics such as they are already carrying out God's work regardless of what they belief. That said, Lorenzo probably wouldn't invite most of them to parties.

The Carthians and Ordo Dracul seem to personally offend Lorenzo. While the reason for his distaste of the heretical Ordo is obvious, less so is his distaste for the Carthians. Perhaps there is some personal history there?

Lorenzo occasionally will overcome his biases with someone with genuine intelligence or artistic talent of some kind, regardless of affiliation, and will sometimes even offer patronage, although this invariably comes with a price of some kind. He tends to rub up Neonates the wrong way as he tends to be somewhat sexist, racist, and occasionally even homophobic, despite the fact he tries to lure most pretty young men into his bed. He also tends to ignore most of them, being of the opinion that if they're still around a few years later they're probably worth talking to.

Timeline

Everything here is pending an age approval and so may be rewritten

• 1708 - Born in Naples
• 1713-34 - Active in the Church, first as an acolyte, later as a member of the clergy.
• 1729 - Ghouled by Gaspare
• 1735 - Embraced, leaves Napoli, joins the Invictus
• 1734-1756 - Travels across Italy in the guise of a nobleman. Most frequently present in Venice, in which he becomes involved in the opera scene.
• 1756 - Introduced to Guillaume, his grandsire, during the Seven Years War. Travels with Guillaume for a few years, studying the sword.
• 1762 - Joins the Thorned Wreath
• 1762-1779 - Travels across Europe, serving as a more nomadic member of the Thorned Wreath, traveling long distances in the call of duty.
• 1780-1789 - Settles in the Court of Austria for a number of years, enjoying and attending the operas of Mozart, who was living and composing in the city at the time.
• 1789-92 - Assists his Grandsire aid members of the First Estate fleeing France during the French Revolution.
• 1792-1804 - Is ambushed in the line of duty and enters torpor.
• 1804-1806 - Lorenzo awakens to find Napoleon to have led the French to conquer Italy. He relocates back Austria in disgust, having learned them to be at war with France, and unhappily learns of the death of many of his favourite composers. He moves to Germany and settles in the Court for a few years as he reorients himself following his torpor.
• 1806-1834 - Resumes traveling across Europe in his line of duty as a Knight of the Thorned Wreath. Grows increasingly discontent in his role in the Thorned Wreath.
• 1835 - Formally resigns from the Thorned Wreath. Learns of the intention to establish the Colony of South Australia. Purchases land there.
• 1836 - Enters voluntary torpor and is transported to South Australia on the Emma by his retainers.
• 1851 - Awakens in South Australia and starts entwining himself in the policy-making of the city, in particular promoting religious tolerance and self-governance.
• 1850s-1980s - Open for ties with other PCs
• 1850 - Influx of Lutherans to South Australia, establishment of the Barossa Valley. Lorenzo becomes increasingly involved in manipulating the mortal church.
• 1890 - Severe economic depression in Adelaide. Lorenzo's art projects are put on hold in view of trying to stimulate the economy.
• 1901 - Federation. South Australia becomes a state of Australia. Lorenzo resumes his involvement in the arts.
• 1914-16 - Travels to Europe during World War I, there to rescue both art and artists from the warzone, many of which end up in his personal collection.
• 1917ish- Ghouls Svetlana during the chaos of the Russian Revolution and spirits her to safety. She is embraced several years later.
• 1940-44 - Again travels to Europe to rescue art from being destroyed during the war.
• 1970s - Lorenzo becomes involved in mortal politics, using retainers to nudge the Dunstan state government towards increasing funding in the arts, despite his disagreement with many of the government's liberal policies at the time.
• 1995-2012 - Turns attention towards the many festivals being founded in Adelaide.

In depth history

This information is here for the purpose of building character ties and is NOT readily available knowledge IC

Lorenzo was born in 1708 in Naples under the Hapsburg Spanish rule. His father was a nobleman, a retainer to House Borbón, his mother the daughter of a noble family of the former Kingdom of Napoli. The third surviving son of the marriage, he was destined for the Church from birth, although his noble birth granted him certain benefits and luxuries. His family's fortunes were waning from before Lorenzo was born: following the war of Spanish succession, Italy was handed over to Austrian rule, and Spanish power in Italy largely withdrew. His family, seeking to hold onto the power accumulated over a century of occupation, built ties with the church, and so from a young age Lorenzo was drawn into the world of intrigue. As the child of an old, wealthy and respectable family, he became the middle-man for a great number of illicit dealings in what proved to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

By the age of fifteen Lorenzo was well-versed in the arts of discretion and politics, and moreover had developed a great talent for seduction and subsequent blackmail of those within the church hierarchy. His beauty and apparent innocence were tools carefully honed to help elevate him, and in turn benefit his family. Moreover, his restraint and careful choice of targets meant his reputation remained untarnished. By the age of eighteen he was a clear up and coming, and there were rumours he'd likely be made a cardinal before the age of twenty-five.

Throughout it all, Lorenzo hated it. Not the power, the dizzying, intoxicating power, but the fact it was not his to keep. He envied his brothers their freedom, and resented being shackled to an institution dedicated to worshiping a God he did not believe him. Nor, for that matter, did most of the rest of the clergy apparently. The church was a corrupt machine, and while he could manipulate it masterfully, his was a life not of his own choosing. Freedom was the luxury of the powerful, and within the stifling hierarchy of the Church he would not likely gain true power until an old man.

An unexpected opportunity came in the form of his first knowing encounter with one of the Kindred. Gaspare, an Invictus Kallisti of the Court of Naples, was unimpressed with the Austrian rule continuing to deny Naples autonomy, and of the influx of Austrian Kindred, and so likewise sought to utilize the power of the Church. Seeing it as nothing less than a corrupt entity in need of destruction, his meeting with Lorenzo did nothing but reinforce this view. Nevertheless, Lorenzo proved a wily and willful servant, quite happy to work with a monster to further his own ends. Groomed as an eventual embrace, Lorenzo juggled his three allegiances, which eventually came to fruition as Don Carlos resurrected the Kingdom of Naples in 1734.

The initial pleasure of success was tempered by the sudden and abrupt orders to leave the city with his regnant. It seems that minor scandals in the church and disruption of the social order rather irritates Kindred who've invested time and effort in grooming them, and Gaspare was very politely but firmly told never to come back. What followed was an exciting couple of decades for Lorenzo, for in return for his useful service, as well as for being a thoroughly sinful, manipulative little bastard, he was deemed worthy of Gaspare's blood and was embraced. The pair traveled across the various Italian kingdoms and states, with Lorenzo enjoying the freedom he'd never had as a mortal. Furthermore, and rather surprisingly, Lorenzo found religion at the moment of his death. Despite a lifetime of belonging to the church, it wasn't until he died that he truly understood his place under heaven. Elevated from mere sodomite, fornicator and blasphemer, he had come home to his true calling - tempter of mankind. Nevertheless, he opted not to join the Lancea Sanctum, having grown thoroughly disgusted with the trappings of the church as a mortal, and wanting no part in a Covenant that made use of its rituals. Instead, he joined the Invictus, for it resembled the ranks of nobility that he'd coveted for so long.

It was while in Venice that Lorenzo was introduced to what would prove to be a life-time obsession: the theatre, and in particular, the opera. Convinced that music was indeed a gift by God, he was disgusted to learn of the thoroughly sinful culture attached to it. Endeavoring at first to save some of the more talented singers from his fate, he realised this a lesson in futility - not all could be saved - and so instead sought to immortalise some of the more beautiful sinners, for if their souls were already damned it did no further harm to the state of their being to belong to a monster.

As time passed, Lorenzo built for himself a small but respectable household of ghouls and servants. With wealth stolen or gifted from the higher ranking members of society he seduced and blackmailed, it was well within his means to emulate the trappings of nobility. Not content with merely playing the part, he sought an education in the skills he'd have been taught from birth had he been born eldest. An opportunity arose too good to resist, as Gaspare brought news that his sire, Lorenzo's grandsire, Guillaume, has awakened from Eclipse and was traveling with the French invasion force invading Milan.

Meeting Guillaume was something of a revelation for Lorenzo, as to that date he had not yet considered what to do with his life as a Kindred, instead remaining preoccupied with the trappings of his mortal life. He studied the blade under Guillaume, and was drawn to the Thorned Wreath, which to his cloistered eyes seemed romantic and thrilling. He soon learned a few hard truths, but nevertheless was a loyal knight over half a century, traveling across Europe as directed, and in turn taking in the local culture and theatre traditions.

As his Kallisti bloodline quickened in him, Lorenzo became increasingly dissatisfied with the life of a Knight, for it was in his nature to try and test and tear down mortal society. Not wanting to turn these destructive urges towards the Thorned Wreath, which he held in great regard, he took to enacting his self-proclaimed religious duties more seriously. The charming knight soon led a trail of sin, suicides and broken hearts behind him, as he focused his attentions on local mortals in whichever city he visited. Eventually, Lorenzo was forced to choose between his Knightly duty and duty as a monster. The latter won out for a variety of reasons. Firstly, because he'd never been entirely satisfied with serving others, and had pursued the ideal of a knight for his own ego. Secondly because he was tired of being a nomad and of an age in which he wished to settle. Thirdly because he rather enjoyed having power over mortals, and secretly thrilled over destroying sinners as much as he causing the good to return to the flock. And finally, because he would be better placed to pursue personal power when no longer a Knight, for they always had to place others first.

Having heard of the success of the colony of New South Wales, and learning of the intention to create a free colony, without convicts, Lorenzo decided this would be a perfect chance to claim domain for himself. He arrived at the fledgling colony of Adelaide with his retinue of retainers and was active in helping establish religious tolerance in the burgeoning colony - for what better way would there be to further encourage sinners to flock to the colony?

He entered voluntary torpor in order to travel safely, and awakened some years later in South Australia to find a small colony had built up around him in his sleep. Since then, Lorenzo has played an active part in establishing the art scene, and enjoys a great deal of power over the careers of a lot of people in that area. Over the years he's siphoned money into a number of grants, theatre groups, artists and productions. More than a few musicians owe their schooling at the Elder Conservatorium thanks to receiving one of the scholarships he's established. At the same time, a bit of money and people in the right places means that anyone who has irritated him, regardless of talent tends to fade into obscurity.

Although Lorenzo spends the majority of his time within the city of Adelaide, disliking the terrible disruption to his Requiem that traveling brings, he has been known to travel interstate to attend festivals and performances. He also made two major excursions to Europe doing the two World Wars in order to rescue both art and artists from destruction, having personally seen how many priceless artifacts are destroyed in war-zones. It was on one such venture during World War I that he found himself in Russia during the Czarist collapse and rescued a promising young ballerina that he ghouled, groomed and later embraced.

Lorenzo keeps his bloodline very secretive indeed, knowing full well of his bloodline's reputation. He prefers that others infer him to be Spina due to his family, or Toreador due to his involvement in the art world, but will neither confirm or deny being a member of any Bloodline. He does not tend to flaunt his Bloodline abilities in front of other Kindred, nor does he target them for social destruction, his monofocus being on the sinners of his beloved theatre.

Recent History

Lorenzo has recently been focusing on the Mad March festival season, and is quite delighted in the success of the Fringe Festival. The Garden of Unearthly Delights was something he personally tries to expand each year, and the addition of Gluttony in 2012 was a personal triumph.

At present he is pushing to have Adelaide added to the tour circuit of more international acts, as it is frequently skipped over, something he finds personally insulting.

Lineage

1. Artus Le Jumel (Invictus / NPC founder of the Spina bloodline)
   1. Guillaume de Penthièvre (Invictus / NPC)
      1. TBA - Place holder for Kristian Zirnsak (Invictus / Adelaide)
         1. TBA
      2. Gaspare (NPC) (Lancea Sanctum / NPC)
         1. Lorenzo de Fernandez Salieri y Penthièvre - (Invictus / Adelaide)
            1. Anna - Place holder for Charlie Kay (Invictus / Brisbane)
      3. TBA
         1. Lupo (Lancea Sanctum / Canberra)

Quotes that ring true

• "I want him to live a long life alone with his cowardice." — Westley, The Princess Bride
• "I can't believe what that clown is doing to Leoncavallo! And they call me a murderer!" — Sideshow Bob, The Simpsons

Quotes By

"Quote" - reference

Quotes About

Feel free to add some

• "If Lorenzo actually has any passion, even for the arts I'd be surprised. The business of the arts though? He's... invested" - Sir Lester Crassus
• "Sinners? Listen, mate, when I get a dog to rip its master's throat out, I don't blame the bloody dog!" - Michael Hawtin

Conversations

"Quote" - reference

Rumours

• Is responsible for 80s fashion. Just, all of it.

Tropes

• - Cruel to be kind - What he claims he does.
• - Cruel Mercy - What he actually does.
• - Well intentioned extremist
• - Wicked Cultured
• - Faux affably evil
• - Man of wealth and taste
• - Dissonant serenity

Inspirations and Soundtrack

• Cesare Borgia
• Akio from Revolutionary Girl Utena
• CLAMP (for his taste in fashion)

Boons

• None owed yet. Hit me up for ties?

OOC Information

I'm looking for character ties, so hit me up if you think your PC and Lorenzo would have interacted. Friends, allies, mentors, proteges, rivals and enemies are all welcome.

Please do bear in mind that this PC is still up for approval, and depending on how things go his history may be rewritten a fair bit yet.

Finally, a note regarding the Kallisti bloodline, if I get it approved - I'm not sure of what the status of the Perfidity Discipline is yet, but rest assured that if it is approved for play I do not intend to use any of the higher level Perfidity abilities on PCs unless I've actually had permission to. Frankly, they're mechanically broken and have the capacity to remove hundreds of XP off sheets. I'm not down with that. In terms of IC reasons, Lorenzois an extremely mortal focused Kindred, and believes the Discipline to be given to him by God to test human sinners. As such, there actually isn't any real reason for him to target Kindred or ghoul PCs anyway - you're already damned, what's the point? :P

Member Information
Player:	at yahoo dot com dot au Damien Hunter
Number:	2009020015
Domain:	Adelaide