Bela Rusenko was the Cappadocian Prince of Sofia during the Dark Ages.
Biography[]
Born and raised in Buda-Pest, Bela knew little of the world beyond his city. He grew up well educated since his uncle was a Catholic priest, and his knowledge of things esoteric and spiritual was impressive. Amalia of Thrace met Bela during midnight mass, and he quickly impressed her as a worthwhile companion. For his own part, Bela's faith in Catholicism was not as strong as his knowledge of the religion, and he took quickly to the life of the "damned." The opportunities for learning far outweighed, in his mind, the prospect of eternal damnation by a God he wasn't even sure he acknowledged.
During their travels, Bela learned a great deal of the world -- and Amalia learned more than she wanted to about her companion. Bela quickly began to revel in his newfound immortality, not the sort of reaction of which his penitent sire approved. Despite a mutual blood oath -- long since faded by 1230 CE -- it took barely 50 years for them to go their separate ways. Amalia returned to her home in Bulgaria and Bela traveled to the wilds of Transylvania. There, he began to learn of the strange powers that dwelt in the land beyond the forest, and his mind began to turn down dangerous paths. Surely, if there were things greater than the Children of Caine hidden in the night, they must have access to knowledge that vampires did not. Bela found himself caught up in several cults, always seeking a being of power from which he might beg enlightenment. He found the "god" Havnor, actually the Malkavian prophet Octavio. From Octavio, he learned of the demon Kupala.
He spent many years studying under Octavio and he has gleaned "the truth" from the mad Cainite's ramblings. Octavio's task is not to thwart Kupala, but to become Kupala himself, grating the demon-god a new form in the physical world. Since Octavio is clearly neither stable enough for the task, nor worthy of the knowledge and power such a transformation would bestow upon him, it falls to someone else to become the demon's host. Bela departed Transylvania to get away from Octavio's cult and because he believes that the magics of the land are part of what keeps Kupala bound. Using contacts and allies formed during his travels with his sire, and taking advantage of the chaos as the Tzimisce of the region warred one another, he was able to step easily into the void left by the departure of Basilio the Elder and become Prince of Sofia. To the Cainites of Bulgaria, he is a driven and commanding -- but ultimately mundane -- prince, made unusual only because his clan is not known for holding such titles.
Behind closed doors, Bela conducts rituals that would make even Geza Arpad cringe. He moves slowly, cautiously, not wishing any of the local Cainites to discover his plans. His intention is to summon Kupala bodily to Sofia, where Bela will become a new host and incarnation for the demon. In an ironic echo of the mad dreams of the Toreador Michael, he intends to sacrifice a portion of his city, including cainites, to do his ritual. It will be some years yet, before his plans come to fruition. With any luck, he won't survive long enough to implement his mad scheme. Amalia and Father Patryn have the new prince very near the top of their list of vampires who must be "purified."
Description[]
He was a Sinner of Via Peccati, but a particularly eccentric species thereof, a reclusive and unsocial scholar who rarely interacted with either the residents of his city or the visitors that he periodically received. He held court infrequently, accepted guests with little fanfare, and delegated the majority of the social tasks of his position to his childe, Lord Ladislav, and Lady Erika. Bela wanted to unleash dark forces, in the form of the demon Kupala and his goal was to become the demon's host.
Character Sheet[]
Name: Bela Rusenko, Prince of Sofia
Clan: Cappadocian
Sire: Amalia of Thrace
Nature: Rogue
Demeanor: Autocrat
Generation: 7th
Embrace: 1044 CE
Apparent Age: Early 40s
Morality: Road of Sin
Gallery[]
References[]
- DAV: Road of Sin, p. 94
- DAV: Dark Ages Europe, p. 122, 135, 139-140
- DAV: Players Guide to High Clans, p. 32, 72
- DAV: Dark Ages Clan Novel 4: Setite, p. 75, 77, 158