Efraín Barrera (likely not the name he had at the time of his Embrace) is a tlahuelpuchi residing in northern Mexico.
Biography[]
Little is known about the majority of Efraín's unlife; save for rumors that prior to being in bed with the Camarilla, he was a prominent member of the Sabbat, likely defecting at the onset of the Gehenna Crusade's mass-migration to the middle east.
Efraín is currently a major player in human trafficking operations along the northeastern border to the United States, possibly as part of the Circulatory System. He draws victims in with the promise of employment in shell corporations that vanish overnight, only for their workforce to show up as blood dolls months later.
Conflict with Hunters[]
As of recent years, Efraín has attracted the ire of a large amount of Hunters due to the brazenness of his operations. Three independent cells have attempted to confront him: Two in Tlaxcala, the supposed homeland of his bloodline where he owns a rancho, and another in rural Monterrey. Of the thirteen total Hunters that comprised these cells, three are known to have survived encountering him. His haven proper is supposedly now in the town of Villaldama, in Nuevo Leon: A small town full of nice people, delicious bread, and blooming mesquite trees; probably bad for the allergies. They say he has everyone there in his pocket, and with the Camarilla on his side, it’s probably more than just the town.
The DAAE, an org backed by the Mexican government, have been attempting to capture Efraín in order to determine how he functions and whether or not he is the only one of his kind, as well as to gain standing with FIRSTLIGHT.
Camarilla Dealings[]
Wielding strange powers and eschewing his kind's traditional aversion to fire, Efraín has managed to become a powerful local player in the Camarilla hierarchies, rising in rank and power at a fast pace. He wants to continue this ascent, keeping a firm hold on the seat he’s managed to obtain, all while searching for allies for an oncoming conflict that he’s certain looms in the horizon. Efraín is paranoid of other vampires, especially those from the Camarilla, since he’s convinced they want to end him like they did his ancestors. This often results in tense dealings with them, and bloody territorial disputes that he has so far managed to resolve without provoking an all-out war, but the old guard isn’t happy with his presence, as is the case with many former Sabbat bigwigs that jumped ship when the sect became too hard to control.
Ultimately, Efraín wants to gain enough power and influence to resurrect his bloodline and reclaim the Mexican territory from those he deems as invaders. He still has a long way to go before he’s able to dethrone the Camarilla, however, so in the meantime he plays nice with them, following their rules and rituals as much as possible to avoid getting on their wrong side, just as he did with others before them. Even though outwardly he works for them and follows their hierarchy, Efraín despises the Camarilla and will do everything he can to see them cast down from their thrones, including helping Hunters directly or indirectly, as the situation allows. Some local Hunter cells have been tempted to join Efraín’s side out of fear, but most of them outright refuse to even look in his direction, deeming him too dangerous a threat to take by Hunters alone.
Appearance[]
At first glance, Efraín looks like a youthful and healthy man in his early twenties, with medium-brown skin, dark hair and eyes, and prominent cheekbones that give him an air of unyielding dignity. But closer inspection reveals his undead nature, looking gray and sickly around the eyes and lips, markers that worsen and become more apparent the longer he goes without feeding. He’s never seen without a cowboy hat on, and the rest of his dress usually includes patterned shirts unbuttoned down to the chest, large belt buckles, and sharp-pointed snakeskin boots.
In conversation, Efraín comes across as genial, someone living a simple life and just doing what he can to fight for the little guy. He’s passionate about his goals and actually believes his own rhetoric, conveying and justifying his actions as necessary and ultimately more humane than the alternatives. This charisma has afforded him many of the alliances that he has, as well as kept him consistently on the good side of those in power.
Due to suspicions against others of his kind, he’s almost always surrounded by a personal guard made of Sicario ghouls armed to the teeth, and he has extended his influence enough to have the support of drug cartels and other paramilitary groups. While he’s as much of a predator as other vampires, he has built an unlife for himself where he rarely goes hungry, and will only really set out to attack someone if they threaten him or any of his endeavors directly. He can be particularly brutal when this happens, always showing outsized force and making it a point to leave someone barely alive to send a message.
References[]
- HTR: 5th Edition Core Book, p. 170-172