Damien is the illegitimate childe of Critias, the Brujah Primogen of Chicago.
Biography[]
Mortal Days[]
Damien’s first memories were of pain, loneliness, and persecution. He doesn’t remember his parents, celebrated musicians of the Chicago Black Renaissance who sang to him daily, or their tragic deaths. He does remember the rapid blows of a beefy fist to his face and his head slamming into the ground over and over again until a fuzzy adult-sized figure intervened.
Jeremiah, 12, five years his senior and Damien’s personal demon, at Wayward Retreat Orphanage in the Glover Park Neighborhood. The daily beatings preceded Damien being scolded by the staff until he escaped the orphanage at the age of eight.
On the street, he did anything to make money to survive. He sang, recited poems, stole food from dumpsters outside grocery stores, and pickpocketed nightclub-goers. Damien fell in with a small band of other kids like himself, led by an older boy, Taylor Rich.
A year or so later, he was a runner for Policy, the illegal numbers game; his youth and size let him escape most people’s attention. The few times he was caught, Damien would act like a big man, frequently getting a laugh or distracting his captors just enough for a quick escape.
Policy used him less after it came under Mafia control. Taylor, Jen, and Chad were the last of his found family. They all had to make money, or else. Needing more money, he turned to his primary talent—singing for some quick cash or whatever he could use to get by.
Maybe it was his voice, his passion for life at age 14 that drew Critias to him, but Damien would be the next member of his ragtag family to vanish without warning. The ancient vampire Embraced the child, gifting him with immortality—then left him sireless, with no memory of who Embraced him.
Kindred Nights[]
For years, Damien raided Mafia safehouses for cash to pay for his lifestyle—until Capone’s goons started to carry stakes. One raid nearly led to his final death, had it not been for the timely intervention of Johann Keller, a Malkavian elder who believed Damien to be his son. Keller taught the boy about vampiric traditions and the Camarilla. Shortly afterward, Damien befriended Victoria McCoy, a Caitiff actress, and the two became Blood-Bound lovers.
In the 1980s, Damien joined the already-established band Baby Chorus as the new lead singer. The War of Chicago raged on in the streets while Baby Chorus entertained the masses packed into the Cave. Damien leapt down into the crowd to sing when he saw the war firsthand. Fans were cheering their names when Damien turned back toward the band and saw a 10-foot-tall, fur-covered nightmare of death rendering Garwood to ash. A half-dozen more Lupines emerged from thin air.
The fake “little big man” syndrome vanished as Damien’s Brujah blood boiled, and he soared into a blood rage. The battle at the Cave left many dead, mauled, or broken.
The wake of the war left Damien alone again, with no mentor, friends, or band. Johann died at the hands of the Sabbat. Victoria, his Caitiff lover, perished in battle with the Lupines, as did Baby Chorus in the Cave. He saw magic before that death; he yearned to understand it and began researching the occult to better prepare for the next war.
The music called to him, and he knew the only thing that mattered was Baby Chorus. He spent the next decades appealing to Kathy Glens to come back to the band, to no avail. He would restart the band multiple times, only to fail.
“Damien. To protect the city, I need someone who is not beholden to any of the old guard. Someone who will follow his Prince’s orders, who can endure hardships and be my right hand. I could command you to do this, but would rather you choose it. The position shall remain open with the Hounds enforcing the law until a Sheriff is found.”
Damien once again pleaded with Kathy to restart the band, and she refused. With little holding him back, Damien wandered the states, playing music in Anarch and Camarilla cities alike. One night, he heard the first whispers of the Lasombra making moves toward the Camarilla. An Anarch spoke of one of their number in Chicago monitoring an approach of Keeper dignitaries. Unknown to Damien, the Anarch was speaking of Maldavis.
It’s taken him surprisingly little time to start punishing other Kindred to the fullest extent of his power, leaving him to wonder if this was his destiny all along.
Description[]
Damien never wanted to be Sheriff of Chicago, but now that he’s accepted the position, he takes it damned seriously. The Brujah was most content onstage as the lead singer of the punk band Baby Chorus. The War of Chicago tore that away from him, shattering his found family, sending the surviving band members on a long hiatus, and leaving him adrift.
Damien’s lack of allegiance to the likes of Annabelle, Ballard, and DuSable drew Prince Jackson to him. Who better to serve as Sheriff than someone who knew the city and its power players but was beholden to none of them?
Before assuming the mantle, Damien traveled the United States on an unofficial solo tour, playing Baby Chorus’ music and his own in cities across the country. In doing so, he made contacts from coast to coast in both Camarilla- and Anarch-controlled cities.
Tonight, Damien’s loyalties lie with Prince Jackson and the recently reunited Baby Chorus. He keeps dossiers on Chicago’s Kindred and sends his Hounds after those who threaten the Prince’s agenda. In addition to the enforcers he inherited when he took the job, Damien continues to build up the Hound roster with fierce fighters, should the Lasombra prove a problem or his former Anarch associates make a move.
Damien is canny and self-reliant. He carved out a living for himself as a teenager and cobbled a family together out of those he trusted. He did the same after his Embrace, running with the Nihilists. Tonight, he fiercely protects the people he’s closest to. He’s lost enough family over the years. Now that he’s Sheriff, he intends to use that power to keep the ones who remain safe.
Loresheet[]
Fan Club: You’ve been a Baby Chorus fan for decades. You’ve collected their albums and have boxes full of bootlegged tapes and CDs from their shows. Damien recognizes you as a frequent face in the front row, and other fans see you as an authority on the band, giving you Influence (••) among other Baby Chorus devotees.- Patroller: Damien frequently taps you for patrol duty, sending you out among Chicago’s feeding grounds to keep an eye on Kindred activity. Your reports are clear and concise, alerting the Sheriff to potential trouble well before it lands on his — or worse, Prince Jackson’s — plate. Once per story, add three dice to an Insight, Intimidation, or Streetwise roll. While this position grants you some authority, others consider you a snitch.
- Guest Artist: Though its current roster is fairly solid, Damien spent several years trying to resurrect Baby Chorus without Kathy Glens and the other surviving members. You played with the band in one or several of those interim incarnations, and Damien occasionally invites you to open for them, or play a set. Once per story, you may use Damien as a three-dot Mawla in the entertainment world.
- Postcards From the Road: You’ve made a deep connection with Damien. Perhaps you’ve bonded over music, or had his back in a particularly ugly brawl. You have his respect, and Damien acts as your four-dot Mawla. Once per story, you may also ask him to put you in touch with one of his varying contacts around the country.
- Loyal Hound: Prince Jackson handed Damien a crew full of wannabe diplomat Hounds, but the Sheriff wants fighters and you’ve got a reputation for solving problems with your fists. Gain Contacts: Hound’s Agents (••••), Status: Camarilla (••). You may act with the Sheriff’s authority on Kindred matters, and must respond when Damien requires your assistance.
Appearence[]
Damien is a scrawny, overly tall African-American kid with dark brown skin that’s cool to the touch. While eternally 14, he appears a few years older and is malnourished from years of living on the street. His hair is cut short, and he has piercing brown eyes and darkish gray skin. On stage, he sports a Baby Chorus T-shirt, black pants, and Converse shoes. Blush of Life darkens his complexion and makes him warm to the touch.
Character Sheet[]
Fifth Edition[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- VTM: Ashes to Ashes, p. 22-23
- VTM: Chicago by Night, p. 70-71
- VTM: Chicago by Night Second Edition, p. 73
- VTM: Chicago by Night 5th Edition, p. 88-90
