Alejandro Hurones
Alejandro Hurones is a Nosferatu Carthian Movement (Prince) vampire from Mexico.
Overview
From a mortal life of criminal penury to the very apex of Kindred power, Alejandro Hurones is a Prince who has climbed the ladder of hardship, rising to conquer his domain so fully and so viciously that none dare to oppose him.
Embraced out of a life of thievery to provide his Carthian sire with a strong, trustworthy right hand, Hurones brought the lessons of 19th-century organized crime to the covenant. A veteran of street warfare and prison politics, he proved invaluable in matters of internal conflict, helping to unify the voice of the local Carthians. Within years, he formed a coterie of physical powerhouses, running it like a gang and fighting to protect his compatriots against the incursions of outsider Kindred. His gang's activities interlaced rapidly with mortal criminal enterprise, and the gang seized control of living operations, recruiting the most promising agents and working to exclude enemy interests. Flying largely under the radar of the then-Prince, a decadent, politics-obsessed Invictus traditionalist, Hurones' gang built a staggering base of power before attracting her displeasure.
By the time she ordered the application of restraint, Hurones and his cohorts were deeply entrenched in their territory. The Carthian Movement was targeted as a whole and attempts at diplomacy were undermined by Hurones' violent response. Two Invictus vampires were beaten into torpor and ransomed in the nights that followed, sparking the call for a purge. Prepared for the eventuality of persecution, Hurones upped the stakes and led his coterie to open war, throwing many of the ruling party off-balance and dragging the Carthians in his wake.
After months of intense battle, Hurones was captured and his coterie all but destroyed. His sire was punished with Final Death, and the territories of the Carthians were divided among the faithful servants of the Prince. For years, Hurones himself was held captive in the city's Elysium site, tortured and humiliated in an ongoing public display meant to cow the remaining members of the Movement. Despite the appalling circumstances of his imprisonment, the young Nosferatu refused to bend to the Prince. Time and again, Hurones was subjected to violent mistreatment and presented with an opportunity to submit. Time and again, he refused. Instead of demoralizing the Carthians, his example inspired them and they organized another violent revolt, freeing him and murdering the domain's Sheriff.
Hurones became both the leader of the revolution and the embodiment of its cause célèbre, re-injecting the movement with his dual ethos of strength and the inviolate loyalty of a downtrodden warrior. For years, he and his Kindred agents fought a pitched battle against the established Invictus rule, grinding away at it (and making use of rapidly growing mortal interests in their own revolution to undermine the ruling Kindred power base). Finally, after decades of unrelenting warfare, Hurones appeared at the Elysium before a shocked and horrified mass of Kindred, throwing the bloody ashes of his persecutor to the floor. The pristine walls of the hall were stained crimson that night, and every loyal member of the Prince's court was sworn to honor Hurones' rule or be destroyed on the spot.
True to form, the rule of terror that he established was even more oppressive than its predecessor. The Carthians assembled around him, dwelling within the domain as favored enforces in a domain of Hurones' absolute law. No activity was permitted without his approval. No gain was made without tribute to him and his organization. No disrespect or dispute was tolerated.
In time, he began to understand that his rule of might would inevitably lead to a counter-revolution. While his Kindred were set to the task of uncovering and destroying dissenters, he turned his attention to building himself an impenetrable fortress. Taking allies in prison, he chose to move into a maximum security facility just outside town, running all operations from within.
Masquerading as an imprisoned crime lord, Hurones took control of the facility rapidly and easily. Within weeks, the guards, wardens and fellow prisoners were all in his hands. Free to come and go as he pleased, he enforced his will with fist and tooth, reshaping the prison in his image. His organization, now by far the largest and most powerful cartel in the domain, ran the building as a base of operations. The corrupt officials in charge funneled power to Hurones himself, allowing him to choose prisoner placement, giving him free reign and full access to all wards and turning a blind eye to the increase in beatings and murders within the walls.
In modern nights, regular visits from his mortal and Kindred lieutenants keep Hurones informed with respect to the night-to-night operation of his domain. On occasion, the Prince leaves the prison freely, walking the city streets or visiting the rare Elysium gathering.
For decades now, his hard-line rule has been unchallenged. His follower wiped out the last vestiges of real resistance some time ago, and those vampires who remain do so at his pleasure. He cares little for the complexities of covenant relations - all that matters to him is that Kindred of the domain pay their respects to him and deliver a "cut" of their power to his cartel every month. Hurones and his organization have made agents of both the local police department and criminal element, using them to keep tabs on both mortal and Kindred interests ( and to enforce rule, if necessary). His spies are everywhere.
It is considered nigh impossible to reach Hurones himself unless without being dragged before him. His prison haven is a labyrinth of windowless concrete and steel, populated by his mortal and undead servants and those who are more than eager to please his organization. Kindred who appear unexpected risk capture or destruction, and several are said to remain in long-term solitary confinement even tonight. Many people never see Hurones except through a barred sheet of bulletproof Plexiglass, and most never see him at all.
Description
Hurones is an imposing physical presence, thick-limbed and writ with the ragged marks of personal war. His leathery flesh is seamed with the deep puckers and scoring of long-healed injuries, each kept as a demonstration of his enduring strength. It is said that he maintains these scars as a memorial to his fallen foes: the more extensive the blemish, the greater his respect for the one who inflicted the wound.
His dark, steely eyes shine with devilish shrewdness, undimmed by age. Those who speak directly with him are struck by the sense of great experience and wisdom, fringed with an ever-present threat of explosive force. The deadly power of his physical strength is forever apparent - his muscles seem permanently knotted in preparation to unleash, and only his abiding intellect keeps them at bay.
Stats
Clan: Nosferatu
Covenant: The Carthian Movement
Embrace: 1808
Apparent Age: 32
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 5
Physical Attributes: Strength 6, Dexterity 3, Stamina 6
Social Attributes: Presence 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 4
Skills: Crafts 2, Investigation 4, Politics 4, Athletics 2, Brawl (Overbearing) 4, Stealth 4, Survival 3, Weaponry 3, Intimidation (Alone with a Victim) 5, Streetwise (Criminal Gangs) 5, Subterfuge 2
Merits: Allies (Drug Cartels) 5, Allies (Prison Guards) 3, Allies (Police) 3, City Status: Prince 5, Covenant Status: Carthian Movement 5, Haven Size 1, Heaven Security 5, Herd 4, Resources 3, Retainer 4
Willpower: 7 (reduced by Embrace, twice)
Humanity: 3 (Paranoia; 6)
Virtue: Fortitude.
Vice: Greed.
Health: 11
Initiative: 7 (8)
Defense: 3
Speed: 14 (28)
Blood Potency: 6 (15/3 Vitae/per turn)
Disciplines: Obfuscate 3, Vigor 4, Nightmare 5, Resilience 3, Celerity 1
References
- CofD: Shadows of Mexico, p. 148-152
