Adze is a Nosferatu residing in the Chicago area.
Biography[]
Mortal Days[]
Adze was a Wolof boy who was captured and sold into slavery. “Seasoned” in Jamaica, the young man was delivered to the United States in 1806, two years before the United States Constitution Ban. Tall and lanky, yet strong, the boy — now called “Silas” — was sold to the Ward Plantation in Georgetown, South Carolina. First used as a breeding “stud” before being sent to work in the fields, “Silas” frequently attempted to escape the cruelty and brutality of servitude. The last time he was caught, the overseer’s whip licked the right side of his face, causing partial blindness in his right eye.
Imogene worked in the big house. A beautiful light-skinned “house Negro,” Imogene caught the eye of slave, overseer, and master alike. But it was “Silas,” now a young man, she gave her attention to. Imogene's dreams of freedom matched “Silas’” and, in 1822, they fled the Ward Plantation to join Denmark Vesey's rebellion in Charleston. They were heading north to Indiana when they were caught, sodomized, and beaten.
As night fell, so did “Silas.” His wounds were too great for his rage to sustain his beating heart. The smell of his blood brought the predators out. Among them was Adahy, a Catawba Nosferatu who developed a taste for runaway slaves. Upon seeing “Silas” passed out, strung up like a scarecrow, Adahy thought “Silas” was dead, a cruel trick played upon a hungry vampire. Adahy was about to leave when “Silas” coughed. Delirious, “Silas” babbled on about the slave patrol, Imogene, and his desire for justice. Adahy cut “Silas” down from the tree and decided to Embrace him, burying him in the ground as he changed.
Kindred Nights[]
When “Silas” emerged a new childe, the rage in his heart matched his hunger. Imogene watched in horror as “Silas” approached her, thinking that she would be his victim. He tried to calm her as he cut her ropes. But, “Silas” was no longer the man Imogene fell in love with. She did not recognize the beast that stood before her. This was the beast of legend the folks fresh from Africa used to talk about. “Adze!” she screamed as she ran away from the new vampire.
Adze’s anger towards his former tormentors, and all that looked like them, knew no bounds. He targeted slave patrols during his hunts, killing without compunction or restraint. He was reckless and allowed the Beast to rule his actions. Adahy educated his new childe on the rules of survival this new life, but Adze did not want to hide in the shadows. Adze found the structure of Kindred society just as restrictive as the slavery he escaped. He existed on his own terms and by his own code. He used the Masquerade to build a secret empire, operating a number of speakeasies and whorehouses near the Union Stock Yards, waging a quiet war against a Ventrue named Drummond.
As the 19th century made way for the 20th century, Adze found much success with his nocturnal entertainment endeavors. Speakeasies gave way to nightclubs in the Jazz Age, which increased Adze’s fortune and influence in Chicago. This made many Kindred uncomfortable, especially Lodin’s lieutenants Capone and Horatio Ballard. Both men attempted to take control of Adze’s operation, but Adze would not be moved.
As a silent financier of the Warehouse in 1977, Adze was instrumental in giving roots to the emerging house-music scene. In 1982, Adze spotted a young woman controlling the dance floor, entranced by DJ Ron Hardy’s set. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She reminded him of his beloved Imogene. But she was Toreador and would never look at him twice, he thought. He was surprised when she stared back at him. He was more surprised when she approached him to speak. Erzulie was her name and Adze, as they say, was sprung. Already a legend among the Caitiff, she was a mother to the lost and sireless as many of them were LGBTQ+ of color. She saw a world free from labels and roles. She saw a world where the Caitiff would become the face of the Kindred. This would be a new vampire kingdom with Adze and Erzulie as king and queen.
Character Sheet[]
Adze
Sire: Adahy
Embraced: 1822 (Born 1793)
Ambition: Implement a new order in this city
Convictions: Always provide a home to those without
Touchstones: Barney Hubbard — Lost child, offered a place to stay at Red Noº 5
Humanity: 5
Generation: 7th
Blood Potency: 3
Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Composure 4; Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Resolve 5
Health: 6
Willpower: 9
Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Firearms 2, Melee 2, Stealth 2; Animal Ken 2, Etiquette 4, Insight 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 4, Persuasion 2, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 5; Academics 3, Awareness 3, Finance 3, Investigation 2, Occult 2, Politics 4
Disciplines: Animalism 2, Obfuscate 4, Potence 3, Presence 2
References[]
- VTM: Chicago by Night 5th Edition, p. 172-174
