Updated: 24 September 1998
Childeric
10th Generation Common Nosferatu
The Leper Knight / The St Lazarus Knight

	sire:	Unknown (11th/13th Century?)
	Nature:	Cavalier
	Demeanor:	Curmudgeon
	Road of Heaven:	3
	Secrets:	****
	Status:	****
	Esprit:
	Elder Status:	*
	Nosferatu Prestige:	***

Background:

                    Little is known about the past of Childeric. He once claimed to have been Sired by a Nosferatu called Vaaldir, but nothing can be assured. Anyway, he appeared in Paris after the crusades, and was always seen wearing an old, blood and muckstained mail armor witht he symbol of the Leper Knights on his cloak.

He soon joined the Nosferatu of Paris, and witnessed the Anarch War's effects on the Edlers of Paris, finding it truely amusing that Alexandre, one of the Kindred calling for the Crusade (and so, probably indirectly responsible for Childeric's leper desease), soon appeared to loose his mind, and soon after, lost his unlife at the hand of the Anarchs, lead by a Toreador whose Clan have been decimated by the same Alexandre.

Anyway, Childeric, after the ages of Knight had passed (after the destruction of different Orders of Knights, such as the Templars) built his own information network, abandonning his ties with the Knights and the Church, but never forgeting his own past. A fervent believer in God and Jesus Christ, he never accepted to serve the infernal masters of the so-called Kindred, and called around him a ''knighthood'' of Nosferatu like-minded. He soon became the prophet of his little sect whose aim was, to quote him, ''to serve God and Jesus Christ, and help them in their fight against the Devil''.

Hidden in the Catacombs, they secretly fought to remove the influence the Vampires had over the Church and Nobility, as well as protect members of Inquisition when needed. Childeric went even so far as Embracing dieing Inquisitors, showing them that they could still fight the Vampires after their death.

Few Embraced Inquisitors liked the Embraced that was forced upon them: They didn't believed their Damnation was only in the body, as suggested by the Nosferatu Weakness. Half of them committed suicided, the other Half tried to destroy their Sire.

Those who remained began killing in secret was Childeric thought to the be most corrupted Vampires: Those with ties with the Church, those corrupting the Nobility and those who didn't believed in the Curse of God (Among them, the Sabbat and the Anarchs). Even Assamite fell to the Undead Knights of St Lazarus.

But Childeric's actions were soon discovered as an organized Jyhad, and his cotterie destroyed by those who would become the Masques. Childeric never was discovered as the Master of the Undead Knights. He entered Torpor, and awakened in the 19th Century.

Since then, he changed tactics. He reconstructed his information network, and instead of acting himself, gave subtles informations to the Inquisition.

Since he truely believes the Vampire were all cursed, that the Nosferatu were the only one whose Curse was only physical (the others were cursed in their soul), and as such, would be cleaned after their Final Death, he sees the Nosferatu as souls to be saved. He now works hard for his Clan, and to convert them to Christianism (and to the Road of Heaven).

Destiny

                    While at first, Childeric will work closely with any sect of Clan which will weaken the hold the Camarilla has over Paris (including the attacks of the Masques and Veilleurs), signs of the stirring of the Nictuku will disturb him enough to make him change plans.

Childeric, while helping the Assamite in Paris by giving them information, will use his influence to investigate the Nictuku's tomb.

Appearance:

                    Childeric is some kind of tall monster, with a massive skeletton, but almost nothing over it. He hides his slim frame under the ringed metal of the mail armor, and his ravaged face under his helm. Without them, he appears as a yellow-green mummy covered with infectious bandages.

He wears an old but good quality long sword, who took more than its share of heads. Unless for his Obfuscate talents, he would be followed by metal and leather noises, negating any possibility for surprise. Because this same reason, High-Auspex Toreador find his presence distasteful and offensing.

Role Playing:

                    While he believes to have much power (because information is power), he behaves with a relative contempt for other (non-Nosferatu) Kindred. While in the Presence of Toreador, he makes everything possible to offense them by his own bodily odor (moldery scent), appearance, noises and contemptuous comments about art and artists. He knows that if the Toreador come to him, she needs him enough to suffer such treatment. He goes even as far as calling other Nosfertatu or other distateful creatures just for his ''Toreador friend''.

He likes to call himself ''Eric'' as a diminutive for Childeric. As Eric seems to be common among the Nosferatu, it enhance the false knowledge circulating about the Clan.

Notes:

                    Childeric is at the head of the greatest intelligence network of Paris, with ties in the whole France making it very complete (with the ommission of the Cour itself.

The Presence of the Nictuku in Paris bothers him enough to make him consider calling the Masques and the Veilleurs in the Catacombs just to get rid of the monster. After all, it's their job, no?

He has a Retainer, a Ghoul he calls ''Grand-Gaillard'', and who act as his squire. The Ghoul is perhaps as old as he, and his deformation is proof of the centuries of Nosferatu Vitae he ingested. He is as powerful as the average Kindred Noenates, perhaps more.

Childeric has secret contact with other Kindred. The most known examples are Yorgues and Carlo, who gave him sensible information about the Clan Toreador (classified by the Veilleurs). While they were discovered, and they lost all the Prestige they could have had within the Toreador Clan, they won Nosferatu Prestige: Childeric wants it to be known that he won't let down Kindred selling him secrets.

Actual Aim:

                    Find the exact resting place of the Nictuku, and harm the Toreador.

Rumours:

• You're Eric, the Phantom of the Opera (False).
• You have the Discipline Melpominee (False).
• You betrayed the Kindred Laws in the past (True, when he helped the Inquisition, but no one knows).
• You have contacts within the Church (True).

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