Pieter van Dorn

Pieter’s origins have been instrumental in shaping his personality. Born in South Africa in 1945, Pieter watched his homeland slowly tom apart as apartheid shifted from a de facto condition to an official government policy. He also saw his father, a domineering racist, take out his frustrations on his cowed wife and increasingly rebellious son. So Pieter began to fight the system, both to save the land he loved and to destroy the man he hated. During his years in college, Pieter began to write. Poetry became a weapon for his rage and a shield for his fears -his fear that he would become another white overlord, like his father. Public reaction to his first collection, The Burning Time, made him the darling of the growing anti-apartheid movement. As his fame grew, so did the government’s hatred of him. He was invited to America to do a book tour, and he jumped at the chance; the moment he stepped onto the tarmac at Dulles in 1968, the South African government pulled his visa and passport, leaving him a stateless exile. Forbidden to return to the land he loved, he began to drift aimlessly through the bohemian culture of D.C., carrying on in the tradition of his rebellious past. His “fame” in D.C. (such as it was) drew the attention of other autocratic groups, such as the FBI and the Tremere. In one of its dark councils, the latter, for reasons that are unfathomable, decided to Embrace Pieter van Dorn. Was it to stop a potential rebel from being Embraced by the Brujah or the anarchs? Did they recognize his interest in the occult and his latent power? Perhaps one among the Tremere hierarchy believed in his cause; or maybe they just wanted to make his existence miserable. Pieter has never had the courage to ask. All he knows is that one day in 1975 he met Helena Taylor, and nothing was ever the same again. When he awoke in her arms the next night, he was in love. But then he discovered what she had done to him, and he swore never to forgive her. It did not take long for Pieter to decide that the Camarilla as a whole, and the Tremere specifically, were no better than the government that had exiled him. He began to plot their destruction. He now has contacts with the anarchs and with the Setites, whom he sees as an oppressed minority in need of his help. For their part, the Setites view Pieter as a pawn to be used for their purposes. He has become the token liberal in the Tremere, tolerated so long as he is harmless, and to be eliminated if he becomes too powerful a force. Unfortunately for him, Pieter is beginning to gain in power. Pieter tends to be suspicious and resentful of the “establishment”  (any vampire who has been inD.C. too long), but always makes friendly overtures to newcomers, both to gauge their usefulness and to protect them from other, more dangerous manipulators.

Pieter is a tall, thin blond man with blue eyes. He dresses well and retains a slight hint of a South African accent.

Character Sheet
Sire: Helena Taylor Nature: Architect Demeanor: Rebel Generation: 10th Embrace: 1975 Apparent Age: 30 Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Acting 4, Alertness 2, Empathy 3, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Etiquette 3, Music 2 Knowledges: Linguistics 2, Occult 4, Politics 4 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Dominate 2, Presence 1, Thaumaturgy 3 (Paths: Movement of the Mind 3, Lure of Flames 2, Weather 1) Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Fame 2, Herd 2, Influence 3, Mentor 2, Resources 3, Retainers 1, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control3, Courage 3 Humanity: 8 Willpower: 6