Javier of Navarre [To the Vile Seem Vile]

[Aceswild]

Javier sat in the confessional booth, the face on the other side of the slide completely hidden in shadows with hushed whisperings seeming to come from the darkness itself. A raspy voice sighed and began to speak in thick Castilian. "Hello, little brother" it suddenly chimed in. "We find it pleasant to talk with you on such a wonderful night, most especially since this will be our last for some time." He could not argue about the reason for the pleasantness as the Cainite who shared his sire in the booth was correct; Javier was being thrown to the proverbial wolves and would have to either embrace the new clan ideals of survival of the most capable or perish, his blood lost as a mere potential wasted. Having prepared everything at the lair of his master for his departure, all that was left to do was to see his 'brother' in Madrid for his parting contribution. Their mutual sire had ensured that Javier was able to have a start in his own survival but also made it clear that he wished that his other Castilian chile played the role of the tenuous connection to be held. There was no love lost between them, two brothers of the clan of the night, and the elder had always been greatly disappointed in the waste of blood of the younger. He had already sired his own childer and adopted many others, most already older than Javier and having taken up the call of their father, that of involvement in the Church and the Path of Night.


"We hear that you are to make quite the fortune if your plans go as intended. Tell us, little brother, of the purpose of such wealth? What are the pleasures of gold when compared to purpose under God and in a lifetime of direction? Why do you insist on compromising your potential on such wastes of unlife? No, little brother, you are a disappointment, but God will show you what he has planned."


A small wince passed Javier's face; he believed in the scripture and held a small amount of respect for the Church and for what his brother and his disciples were doing. But, as many of his time, they were out of touch with the movements of the current age. God was important, but money could buy God's favour. In Italy, wealthy families and Lasombra alike conspired to put favoured sons on the throne of God as either bishops or, as there were whispers, even in the chair of St. Peter. All of this was bought with gold and armies, and it was only with these 'wastes' that such things could be possible. "I will not forget Him, nor my brother, nor my brother's work. There is God in Ireland too and I will do what I can to follow him there. My money will go to helping Him, and us as his agents, as much as it will to our family. Money is a powerful tool, my brother, and it is only the use of money that should be scrutinised for purpose." The shadow on the other side of the confessional booth gave another sigh of practised patience, though Javier was sure that it was hollow. "Do not pretend to dictate to God about intentions and what best helps him. You are foolish, but it is not our place to direct you outside of what we are told to. Keep your vows and ensure that wherever you settle you pay your respects. Your money will have to do, though we assure you that it will gain you no benefit in His eyes. Go."


Javier waited for a few moments in the darkness, almost wanting to argue but shook his head in his practised intellectual patience, a stark contrast to the patience of his devout brother. He made the sign of the cross and slid the heavy door to the booth open. The candles of the cathedral flooded his eyes and stung even as they highlighted the dancing shadows around him. As he stood up, the voice carried in again from the other side of the slide.


"We have faith that God will guide his truly favoured to their rightful destination. Know that our own childer, so much closer to you in experience yet so much more on the rightful path, eagerly await to hear of your results. Many will be watching you, though you may not know it."


Wincing again, though not letting it show as best he could, he took the intended meaning of what was said and knew that if he were to falter or fail at his task too greatly, the waiting mouths of many an eager cainite would be at his throat. The Archbishop made no idle threats; he wanted to see his own childer enjoy the power of the blood that flowed through Javier's veins. With this in mind, Javier left the cathedral and into Madrid to prepare to board the carriage north to his native coastline.


Turning back to the cathedral as he left, he almost felt as if the flickering stained-glass windows were eyes watching him, and he wondered if Moncada were truly that omnipresent... or if his childer were...

 

[Aceswild]

Background:


It was a great time to be alive, at least when Javier was indeed alive. Navarre had ceased being a guardianship of France and had retaken itself as an independent kingdom after nearly 60 years. The Moors were being battled far in the south by the Kingdom of Castile and it seemed as if the fledgling King Phillip III would join Navarre to their fight, ensuring neighbouring support in the future. The English still held nearby Aquitaine and Aragon lay, as always, to the south. It was a great time to be in Navarre and it was a great time to make money.


Javier had never enjoyed the benefit of being a true noble. Oh, his family had a title, but like so many other nobles in Navarre such a thing meant little after so long under French rule. A small estate, some farming land they truly owed and a voice to be heard by the regents (and now king); these were the things that set them apart from the commoners but did little to distinguish them to the multitude of other nobilities in Europe. The family did enjoy one simple luxury that was an ever-increasing bargaining chip: money.


Being tossed around by so many neighbouring nations for such a long time provided a unique opportunity to profiteer. Land useful one day could be taken the next, so it became useful to invest in more stable enterprises. Brought up to appreciate what coin and debts alike could do, Javier became intimately familiar with the family's accounts. Better still, as the third-eldest son he was free to pursue the better parts of what money could buy. Trips abroad to oversee sales, schooling in Castile... such things were made possible only through wealth and the technicality of his noble status.


It was in Madrid that Javier had earned the attention of his eventual sire. He had taken to the debate and rhetoric quite adeptly and was even considered for academia, though he politely always stated that his other obligations had to be dealt with and that only in time might he take such a role. He knew how to augment his arguments to appease the religious, the learned and the ambitious and he seemed immune to the smut and dirt that was flung often around by those in his arena. Between his learning and his knack for making money, he seemed likely to return to Navarre to make his country and his family rich and powerful, a true golden goose. That was, until his untimely disappearance and implied death.


Instead of being recruited into being an academic, a scion of his family or even a leader in Navarrian or Castilian industry, he was offered a position by a far more exclusive faction. A wealthy benefactor had taken an interest in his budding career and had finally revealed himself to be and Elder within the Court of Shadows, the powerful vampire Silvester de Ruiz. Offered a chance at unlife and a chance to make real difference, rising out of both his station, nation and mortality, he jumped at the chance.


Javier has approached the end of his fledgling years under his sire and he has not done so unscathed. Far from being the catered-too prodigy that he was in his mortal years, Javier has found himself in a clan where his skills are almost a bare minimum. This has led to a small amount of humility on his part, and the once openly arrogant nature that he held has been tempered by patience after eight years of service. He is the scion of an elder vampire now and 'brother' to one of Castile's most powerful Lasombra who has made it clear that he does not believe Javier deserves sharing the status of being Silvester's childer. While he maintains a bare amount of respect for Javier for the sake of their mutual sire (and any repercussions from action), he has made it clear that he will scrutinise Javier's operations and unlife for any possible flaws and failures. Silvester seems to support this situation, holding the belief that if Javier wants to be worthy of what he has become he had best earn it.


He is not to be sent to his immediate death, however. Javier's sire has given him an appropriate challenge and has ordered him to seize upon an opportunity in the North. The Ventrue, he reckons, have left a hole in their almost inviolate hold in Britain, Aquitaine and the German states: Ireland. Stake in a location such as Cork or the court of Dublin would provide an interesting foothold in that area of the world, and with direct sea access to Castile it would be another possible stop outside of Toreador controlled lands in France. Silvester has sent him to accompany the already present Lasombra ambassador and aid her as best he can, all the time increasing their control over the area. The reward for his success, it has been intimated, is both legitimacy in the clan and more tangible benefits.


Moncada lingers in the background, however, and has more than enough leverage over the Church to keep watch on Javier even in Ireland. The price of his failure is more than spelt out: the teeth of more worthy childer are waiting in the dark...

 

[Aceswild]

Character Name: Javier of Navarre


Clan: Lasombra


Gender: Male


Apparent Approximate Age: 24


Actual Age: 32


Generation: 6th


Concept: Cunning merchant and powerplayer


Nature: Survivor


Demeanor: Autocrat


Sire: Silvester de Ruiz


Attributes


Physical


Stength: 2


Dexterity: 2


Stamina: 2


Social


Charisma: 2


Manipulation: 4


Appearance: 2


Mental


Perception: 2


Intelligence: 5


Wits: 3


Abilities


Talents


Alertness: 1


Athletics:


Brawl: 1


Dodge:


Empathy: 2


Expression: 1


Intimidation: 3


Leadership: 2


Legerdemain:


Subterfuge: 4


Skills


Animal Ken:


Archery:


Commerce: 4 (field of expertise: textiles)


Crafts:


Etiquette: 1


Melee: 1


Performance:


Ride:


Stealth:


Survival:


Knowledges


Academics: 2 (trivium)


Hearth Wisdom:


Investigation: 1


Law: 1


Linguistics: 2 (Native: Castilian, Learned: Latin, English)


Medicine:


Occult: 1


Politics: 1


Seneschal:


Theology: 1


Advantages


Disciplines:


Domination: 2


Obtenebration: 1


Potence: 1


Backgrounds:


Contacts:


Generation: 5


Status: 1


Herd: 1


Resources: 3


Retainer: 1


Virtues


Conviction: 2


Self-Control: 3


Courage: 5


Road: Kings (Path of the Merchant) 5


Aura: Command


Willpower: 8


Merits:


Prestigious Sire (VA)


Powerful Gaze (Road of Kings)


BP Spending:


Generation 1-5 (5 pts)


Prestigious Sire (1 pt)


Powerful Gaze (1 pt)


Willpower 5-8 (3 pts)


Status 1 (1 pt)


Commerce 3-4 (2 pts)


Subterfuge 3-4 (2 pts)