Sebastian Juan Dominguez

Sebastian Juan Dominguez, known colloquially as Don Sebastian, was the Camarilla-backed Toreador Prince of Los Angeles in the late 1800's to the mid-1900's. During his time as prince, he helped codify Los Angeles into what it is in the Modern Nights.

Meeting Christopher
In the early 1800's, Don Sebastian was a rancho owner near the San Pedro Bay. On December 25, 1828, an American brig, Danube became wrecked, and the twenty-eight survivors of the boat sought refuge from the locals. Don Sebastian took in an American named Jack Turpin, owner of a long, coffin-shaped box. The box contained the Don's soon-to-be sire, the Toreador Christopher Houghton, who had sought to flee to distant Cathay from his Boston peers who had forced him to flee the East Coast of the U.S.

Awakened to find his plans ruined, Christopher frenzied and killed his Ghoul Jack Turpin and Don Sebastian's family as the Don fled the house. Once under control again, Christopher sought out Don Sebastian and found him hiding with the chickens. Christopher explained to the Don that he was a Vampire, and consequently turned the Don into his newest Ghoul. For the following thirty-five years, Don Sebastian's rancho had become his master's new home, and the once-pristine site had become a den to Christopher's debauchery.

Princedom
In 1870, Christopher realized a new plan he wished to set into motion, but he was not ready to be known as the master of Los Angeles. On Christmas Day of that year, exactly forty-two years after landing accidentally in California, Christopher took Don Sebastian and gave him the gift of the Embrace, and installed him as Prince of Los Angeles. Working with Christopher and using his still considerable power, Don Sebastian turned Los Angeles from the nation's most debauched town into the city that it is in the Modern Nights.

The Don was seen as a tough yet civil Prince, and as long as the Kindred obeyed his rules, they were welcome to stay. The Camarilla recognized the Don's princedom, and continued to let him run the city, until 1927. An eighth-generation of Clan Tremere named Alonzo de Portola made a run for Don Sebastian's throne, and at first appeared mildly successful in his campaign. One night however, the Tremere and his supporters disappeared without a trace, and still have not been heard from since. Impressed and entirely flabbergasted, the Elders supported the Don's continued rule.

The Don was blood-bound to his sire before even his Embrace. As such, he deeply loved Christopher and found it hard when Christopher would develop crushes on the many men in his life. In 1943, the Brujah Jeremy MacNeil appeared in Los Angeles, and because of his reputation Don Sebastian wanted him gone as soon as possible. Fortunately for MacNeil, Christopher developed yet another crush, this time on MacNeil himself. Because of his admiration for MacNeil, Christopher would not let Don Sebastian remove him from his city.

At this point, Los Angeles had become known for the Kindred living in the city, particularly the rowdy Brujah and the debaucherous Torador. Though most other Princes were not content to let deposed Kindred drift into their cities from others, Don Sebastian let them come freely to L.A., convinced it would solidify his power.

In June of 1943, the Don's leadership began to falter in the eyes of the L.A. Kindred. In an incident with the Mexican Sabbat that led to the Zoot Suit Riots, the Anarch resentment against Don Sebastian grew considerably.

The following year, Don Sebastian had reached his critical point concerning Jeremy MacNeil; while Christopher was in Sacramento, the Don had MacNeil savagely beaten and told him to leave L.A. and never return. This only served to solidify the hatred for Don Sebastian and his leadership. On December 21, 1944, the Anarchs began their revolution, seeking and destroying every Camarilla elder in Los Angeles and the surround cities.

Death
Don Sebastian met his end in the revolution, and his death is the most well known tale from that night. As the tale goes, Salvador Garcia, a ninth generation Brujah, engaged Don Sebastian in one-on-one combat and emerged victor over the vampire three generations below him. However, these were not the true events.

Garcia did indeed go to the Don, leading an Anarch party on the Don's rancho, but when they arrived they encountered a lone Malkavian muttering to himself about a golden-headed demon. Garcia entered the rancho alone, but when inside he found numerous vampires and Ghouls dead inside. He ventured forth, and in the Don's bathroom he found the remains of Dominguez. The Don's body was the one most mutilated, and his head was found by Garcia in the waste bin. Claiming the opportunity to solidify the victory for the Anarchs, Garcia strode out of the rancho, claimed the Don's murder as his, and set fire to the Don's home, effectively ending the Camarilla back Los Angeles and starting the rise of the Anarch Free-State.

Personality
Don Sebastian was a practical but strict leader as the Prince of Los Angeles, but was more concerned with the power that came with being the boss, rather than the politicking that was needed to keep the city stable.

Trivia

 * It's implied that Don Sebastian's Final Death, and that of his coterie stationed on the rancho, were caused by the Don's sire Christopher, presumably after finding out Don Sebastian's plan for Jeremy MacNeil and the Anarchs of L.A.

Appears In

 * VTM: Los Angeles By Night, pg. 20-25