Gratiano de Veronese

Gratiano de Veronese, the last childe of the Lasombra Antediluvian, was born into Italian nobility, the Veronese family. He had come to know all the advantages of wielding power, which came useful in vampiric politics. After his embrace, he desired immediate respect, hating the thought that high status would take centuries to earn. He became jealous of his vampiric brother, Montano, who was highly popular in the Lasombra Court, due mostly by his military victories.

In the 15th century, when the Anarchs made appeals to Gratiano, he was very tempted. It wasn't until he learned that they could break his blood bond that it compelled him to join their cause. They held a secret midnight ritual which involved twelve anarchs to help break Gratiano's bond with Lasombra, his master. Released from this bond, Gratiano was now in a position to plan a sinister plot to bring down Lasombra.

In 1413, he aligned with the Assamites to setup an anarch assault on his own castle, the Castle of Shadows, in Sicily, where Lasombra was in torpor. Gratiano's well devised plan allowed the Anarchs to succeed in over running the Lasombra Clan's High Court. Most of the elders were killed and anyone left was converted. Gratiano and his men infiltrated the Antediluvian's tomb and destroyed whatever was there. It is unclear whether or not he committed diablerie on his master, as there are no eye witnesses around.

Other than Montano, no one else escaped that fateful night. For Lasombra conspiracy theorists, the mystery deepens when, just after accepting the title of Archbishop, Gratiano and his entire retinue disappear. Perhaps the Lasombra Antediluvian is not dead after all.