Custos (Gangrel)
Biography
As a mortal man in the 19th century, he was part of the aristocracy and took part in big game hunting. In 1855, he sailed with a French-British naval force to Japan, which had recently opened its ports as a result of the Convention of Kanagawa. There, he tutored samurai enthusiastic with European culture. A couple months after, he sailed back to Europe bringing with him a katana as a gift.
Eventually, he began to exchange letters with the Kindred Cuthbert Beckett who invited him to a dangerous expedition at some far-away destination. While several members of their party perished to the harsh conditions, Beckett saw Custos as worthy and embraced him. As a fledgling, he came to live in London until he was forced to flee the city.
He spent a century of solitude wandering around the world and learning to deal with his new nature, eventually coming to reside in Prague. Custos soon became curious about what was happening on the streets of the city, during the Velvet Revolution, which inspired him to interact with the present once more.
With Prince Carlak's usurpation, Custos got a sudden offer to stand in as Keeper of Elysium. The role became permanent and when Carlak stepped down from the throne, the new Prince, Markus, allowed him to continue his work. These nights it is hard to imagine anyone else as the Keeper of Elysium in Prague. Although Custos remains hard to get genuinely close to, he is always polite, social, and fair. He has become the perfect host and Keeper.
I never thought of myself as one who holds Elysium. For a long time I preferred to mind my own business, but as history was suddenly being written all around Prague, I once again felt an urge to explore the world outside. During the autumn of 1989, I began to frequent Prince Vasily's court. Then he was... replaced. My poor predecessor fled the moment Carlak became Prince. Ran straight past me. Carlak's surprised eyes landed on me and, out of nowhere, I got an offer. A gentleman never declines a generous offer, so I accepted the role of Keeper. I believe Carlak sensed my aristocratic upbringing, and as I wasn't dismissed or destroyed, I assume he was also pleased with my undertakings. I realized how much I had missed socializing and how gratifying it felt to offer our kind momentary forgetfulness and peace. I had truly become a Keeper of Elysium and suddenly it was hard to think of myself as anything else.
The First Convention of Prague was supposed to show the world how exemplary a city with both Camarilla and Anarch presence could be run. But it ended in a disaster that truly shook our city to its foundations. Prince Carlak managed to keep the city from collapsing but had to step down in the process. He handed over the crown to the Primogen Markus and wandered into the night. I was sorry to say goodbye. At the time, I had merely been Keeper a handful of years and therefore expected to be replaced. But Markus had me stay and I complied. We set out to repair the social weave of Prague and succeeded. Yet, once again, the ground is now shaking. I had hoped never to experience such turmoil again. But I am where I am. And I am what I am. True to my title, I will keep the Elysium safe for our kind even if it's the last thing I ever do.