MEMBER NAME: crunchy-dorito
CHARACTER NAME: Samuel "Samhain" Quinn
RACE: Kindred
VAMPIRE CLAN: Ventrue Feeding restriction: Fat people
DEMEANOR: Competitor
NATURE: Survivor
VAMPIRIC AGE: 15
APPARENT AGE: 47
SEX: Male
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Standing at 6'1", Samuel is a pasty man of average build, possessing a well-groomed goatee, sideburns and thinning dark brown hair. He typically dresses casually, sporting jean jackets or flannel shirts, but isn't averse to breaking out his Sunday best when called for.
He he has a few tattoos:
- The Virgin Mary on his lower abdomen with his mother's death date below it (07.29.61)
- The Brannagh family crest on his left bicep (A Celtic knot with the words Aes Sídhe inscribed upon it in runic lettering)
- A nun with a gun (This one he got while drunk)
Note: The concept behind the inscription on the Brannagh family tattoo stems from the old Celtic notion of the fae, or faery folk. "Aes Sídhe" roughly translates to "people of the mound", mythical fae who were said to live below ground. It was a trait that was somewhat analogous to the underground dealings that secured the Brannagh family's position as one of the most influential players in Boston.
Note: The nickname "Samhain" is derived from the Gaelic festival of the dead and celebration of the end-of-year cycle; granted, it arose among the handful of Samuel's Ventrue colleagues who'd found delight in their clan having its own undead Irish mobster.
CHARACTER HISTORY:
Born to Jimmy and Inez Quinn on April 19th 1937, Samuel spent his early years in North Boston, where he and his family were well-known among the various families occupying Charlestown. His father, a failed jazz musician, was a fiend, often drinking away the meager income supplied by his mother's waitressing jobs and the little social security money they were afforded on a monthly basis. This effectively forced Samuel into the racketeering business at an early age, where he'd become an invaluable asset to the Irish mob as an enforcer, collector and drug runner. Always calculated and pragmatic, he never shied away from the challenges laid out by his superiors, with him accomplishing his first hit at twenty-one; however, he'd be convicted and tried for homicide three years later after killing his father when the man had beaten his mother to death during a heated altercation.
Thankfully, after cutting a plea deal, Samuel was released within fourteen months with the help of his new family, among which stood the leader of the Brannagh family gang, Connor Brannagh. He'd taken a liking to the young man over the years, grateful for his loyalty, but also seeing his potential as not just a racketeer, but a businessman as well. Samuel had become well-known for his lucrative deals in the smuggling ring, something which began a long and fruitful career for him as the years pressed on.
Skip to 1976. Samuel was now thirty-nine, and had seized a lot of commercial real-estate in the Greater Boston Area, as well as the fledgling market that had opened in New York by the Brannagh affiliates operating under James Coonan. He'd been promoted from low-end drug running to crack, cocaine and gun distribution as well as laundering millions in unmarked bills. He had numerous operatives working beneath him, as well as the trust of both the Brannagh family and James Coonan himself, not to mention the state attorney whom he had firmly in his pocket. It was the conflict between the Irish and Italian mob in the following years that truly secured his place among the families, however.
By the early 1980s, the balance of power had shifted within the collective Irish gangs-- known as the Westies-- of New York and their war with the Italian Gambino family had reached a crux when several high-level operatives were iced during a bombing at various local meeting areas in Hell's Kitchen. It was soon afterward that Samuel hatched a plan to eliminate a majority of the Gambino family in one fell swoop.
Collecting the Westies' assets from their joint laundering fronts shared with the Italians, Samuel organized a victim's fundraiser for the bombings, hosted by New York's police chief and the district attorney himself. Samuel pooled the funds into it whilst feeding information on the Gambinos to the FBI, something he considered a calculated risk-- the Gambinos would go down for laundering, and if the Westies did too, there would be no way for the cops nor the DA to cover for having accepted dirty money on top of all the leeway that had been given to the crime families over the years.
And so, the fundraiser went off without a hitch; the money was successfully hidden, he was able to grease some legal palms, and the Gambinos were brought to trial within several months. However, the case was soon blown open when both the Westies and the Brannagh family were brought to trial, though all charges were eventually dropped on account of the case "lacking evidence". Needless to say, Samuel's plan worked, and the legal offices of New York State were bogged down with the Gambino case-- which opened hundreds of other indictments-- for years to come. But, it came at a price. Despite his service to the Brannagh family, he was brought before both Connor and the head of the Westies to discuss their concerns for his actions. His plan, though successful, proved reckless not only in all legal senses, but also because it had painted a proverbial target on their backs for any other rival factions. The Irish mob was now forced to pull out of New York as well as Boston. Samuel tried in vain to reassure them, but they maintained that he be punished for leaving them with almost no recourse. Saying their bittersweet goodbyes, each of them shook hands and, though it wasn't expressly said, Samuel knew what was to come.
And swift were the consequences, for as soon as the meeting finished, Samuel was gagged, bound and thrown into the trunk of an '82 Mercedes Benz 450SL by an unnamed associate. The drive was long, every bump and turn nearly causing his heart to seize. It was the first time since childhood he'd truly felt afraid, the same way his father had left him. Eventually, he had arrived in the dead of night, the driver yanking him out of the trunk and into the street. Samuel recognized the area, specifically the tall, narrow steeple that peeked above the surrounding buildings: he was in Boston again, this was Salem Street, and that-- that was the Old North Church. At least, he figured, he'd have the chance to face god before he met his end. Too bad the church was episcopalian; a sick joke, perhaps? Given his catholic upbringing.
So, the two made their way inside and into the church catacombs as the assailant readied himself for the kill. There was no begging, no grovelling: Samuel was ready to face his judgment. But, nothing came. Not the searing pain of a blade, nor the explosive ring of a gunshot. Only a sharp pinch followed by icy numbness.
Then pain.
Samuel thrashed and screamed, shaking the other man off as he witnessed him wiping blood from his lips. Naturally, he asked what was going on, to which he was told that the assignment was carried out. Samuel Quinn the mobster was dead, the man told him, and that the family would soon be expecting him. It was the last thing he heard before passing out.
He awoke, still in the catacombs, feeling much like an anvil had been dropped on his head. His suit jacket was dirty, tattered and soaked with a generous amount of blood. It wasn't long before he'd noticed his left sleeve had been torn open around the forearm, revealing a small inscription inked across his wrist. It was an address and a name: Lucius White. So, he left the church, noting that it was still night-- or perhaps that he'd been in the catacombs for at least twenty-four hours. Whatever the case, he was glad no one found him.
He managed to find his way across town to an old prewar flat somewhere down in Jamaica Plain, scanning the entrance's nearby buzzer for a list of tenants. "White" was listed at the top. Samuel rang the buzzer and entered the building, thus beginning his relationship with the Ventrue clan.
Since then, Samuel has been inducted as a valuable asset to the Ventrue cause, with Lucius -- the clan leader in Boston-- vouching for him and his ventures in other Camarilla territory. Many of the old criminal fronts have been seized by the feds, leaving the Ventrue ample opportunity to earn their capital along the East Coast. It's only been in the last few years that Samuel was redirected to Buffalo, one of the last few territories still run by organized crime. With any luck, he'll be able to sway the city over to his clan, but whispers of something big have sprung over the border from the blue collar town of Hamilton, Ontario...
PERSONALITY: Cold, calculating and always to the point, Samuel has always done his best to lean on himself and himself alone throughout most of his life; one of the only good things, he thinks, he picked up from his bastard of a father. He prefers keeping people at arm's length, seeing even his most trusted companions as potential liabilities-- though, it may also stem from a fear of intimacy.
That aside, his criminal nature hasn't left him devoid of humanity. As a businessman, legitimate or not, he still prefers to carry himself as a well-mannered individual, sometimes even to the point of being considered old-fashioned. Beneath his polite exterior, however, lies an unbridled ruthlessness; someone not afraid to cut throats if need be-- and more than willing to show, rather than tell, should anyone ever deign to cross him.
LOVES/LIKES: Samuel loves to read, especially crime-noir; football, specifically the New England Patriots; he collects vintage liquor, despite not being able to drink it; he also has an affinity for candy and some of the old depression era recipes his mom used to throw together for him, like ham hock and potato stew (Once again, he knows he can't eat any of it); trendy clothes, specifically silk suits and leather/snake skin shoes; President Kennedy (as one of the many JFK bandwagoners, he adamantly believes the government was responsible for his assassination)
HATES/ DISLIKES: Samuel truly hates the joker/fool archetype, as it thoroughly annoys the shit out of him; excessive swearing, or bad manners in general; Sabbat; any music after 1978; disloyalty; Italians and Russians; feds, namely the IRS; his father
FEARS/PHOBIAS: He has a subconscious fear of intimacy, which tends to add a certain degree of separation between him and others. Others include his fear of final death, given that his vampiric nature puts him at odds with his faith. He fears the day he'll be brought to judgment before God himself.
He also possesses an irrational phobia of clowns. He's always hated them.
DREAMS/ IDEALS: That he can one day make peace with who he is, though he'll keep hustling as hard as he can until that happens. The best he figures he can achieve is to live comfortably and, one day, without conflict.
MERITS:
Judicial Ties (+2)
Valuable Commodity (+2)
Bargain Hound (+1)
FLAWS:
Hatred (-3): Samuel harbors a deep, burning resentment toward the old crime families of Boston and New York, notwithstanding his prior affiliation to the Brannagh family.
Territorial (-2): Being fiercely competitive as he is, Samuel is predisposed to aggressively defending his turf-- including any prospective turf he MIGHT acquire.
GENERATION: 10th (3 Freebie points)
BLOOD POOL: 13
BACKGROUNDS:
Influence Lvl 4 (3 + 1 Freebie Point) (Has at least one prosecutor in his back pocket, likely the remnants of his days as an Irish gangster or through the Ventrue clans)
Resources Lvl 4 (2 + 2 Freebie Points) (From the money he'd stashed as a mortal as well as the assets built during his time working with the Ventrue)
CONCEPT: Undead Whitey Bulger
PHYSICAL STATS (5):
Strength - 3
Dexterity - 2
Stamina - 3
SOCIAL STATS (3):
Charisma - 2
Manipulation - 2
Appearance - 2
MENTAL STATS (7)
Perception - 3
Intelligence - 3
Wits - 4
VIRTUES (7):
Conscience - 2
Self-Control - 4
Courage - 4
HUMANITY & WILLPOWER:
Humanity - 6
Willpower - 5 (4 + 2 Freebie Points)
CLAN DISCIPLINES:
Dominate - 3 (2 + 7 Freebie Points)
Presence - 0
Fortitude - 1
TALENTS (13):
Acting:
Alertness: 1
Athletics:
Brawl: 3
Dodge:
Empathy:
Intimidation: 2
Leadership: 1
Streetwise: 3
Subterfuge: 3
SKILLS (5):
Animal Ken:
Drive: 1
Etiquette:
Firearms: 2
Melee: 2
Music:
Repair:
Security:
Stealth:1
Survival:
KNOWLEDGE (9):
Bureaucracy :
Computer:
Finance: 3
Investigation:
Law: 3
Languages:
Medicine:
Occult:
Politics: 3
Science:
Other notes: Opened up Security 1 as skill in chapter 5.2 as per Storytellers EXP Award
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