Hilda MacAndrews is the Toreador Primogen of Boston and the sire of Emem, one of the protagonists in the video game Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong.
Biography[]
Rebirth[]
Hilda was born in Boston in 1754. Her father, Dr. Aaron MacAndrews, was a professor of chemistry and medicine. Enlisted in the navy as an officer, he was taken prisoner in England during the Revolutionary War and gradually fell in love with the country. After his release, he continued to voyage to the British Isles. He would, on certain occasions, bring along his daughter Hilda, the young painting prodigy, convinced her career would flourish there. This was how Hilda came to take up an apprenticeship in France under the tutelage of Adélaide Labille-Guiard, a great painter of miniatures and pastels.
There she met Marie-Marguerite Carreaux de Rosemont, an apprentice like herself. The two young women fell in love almost immediately. Driven by the fearlessness of her youth, Marie-Marguerite flouted her Prince's authority and sired Hilda only two years after her own Embrace. She lost her unlife for not keeping the Traditions and left Hilda on the brink of destruction. Marguerite's Sire, Adélaide, aware of the young woman's talent, successfully interceded wih the Prince on behalf of Hilda and officially adopted MacAndrews. She became Hilda's mentor by proxy. Adélaide was a strong woman and pioneer in her art. Having faced misogyny and slander, she was an activist for equality between men and women at the end of the American Revolution. She passed on her feminist conviction to her apprentice who, forced to paint under a number of male pseudonyms in Europe, was chomping at the bit for the fame that her gender prevented her from attaining. Hilda nurtured a desire to take revenge on society, both mortal and vampire. She traveled across Europe to meet feminists who rose up during the 19th and 20th centuries. In particular, she marched alongside Emmeline Pankhurst's suffragettes.
Disillusions[]
She met Emem Louis in 1923, and for the first time since Marie's destruction, Hilda finally felt that she was no longer alone. Emem's enthusiasm rekindled the spark of passion within her, and it took little time for her to fall deeply in love with the young woman. Hilda waited three years, however, before revealing her vampiric nature to her. Six years later, she finally Embraced Emem, sealing their fates together forever. The couple lived in Vienna until they were driven by the shadow of Nazi Germany to the French border, where Hilda hoped to find refuge. Alas, the progress made by German troops forced her to reconsider her plan. In 1940, she resumed contact with her Sire Adélaide and begged the London Court for help. Queen Anne Bowesley summoned her. After tough negotiations, Hilda was granted permission to settle in Boston, then under the reign of Prince Quentin King III. The London Court helped her leave for Cape Cod, which was held by a thriving Toreador community. However, if Hilda hoped to be able to reconnect with her art and continue her relationship as they had done in Europe, it was not to be...
Emem won over a new public in New England, and all the Kindred were enraptured by her. Hilda lived in her shadow. As Emem regained a taste for things after a difficult departure from France, Hilda became embittered and somber. The contrast between them increased, and they seemed to become a more mismatched couple day by day. Hilda refused to live apart from Emem, despite their artistic incompatibilities. Nevertheless, she felt the looks from her clan begin to change. She received embarrased smiles and downturned faces as she passed them. Her relationship with Emem finally came to an end in March 1990 amidst resentment and regret. After their separation, Emem left the Court to live on fringes of the Kindred territory, while Hilda remained firmly embedded in Boston's high society. Coping with Quentin King's madness and brutal reign, MacAndrews maneuvered to gain visibility and power. In 2014, as the Beckoning began to win over the city's oldest Licks, Hilda established herself as one of Boston's last figures of power. Along with Berel Underwood and Richard Dunham, she conspired to appoint Quentin King's successor and was made part of the Primogen Council. The cohabitation with Hazel Iversen proved to be more complicated than anticipated. At first convinced that she had found the ideal puppet to dangle over the city's throne, Hilda quickly realized that Iversen is not the young, easily manipulable woman she hoped to infuence.
Current nights[]
When the Malkavian Prince of the city vanished, a hasty power grab occurred among Boston’s vampires for positions on the Primogen Council. Some members retained the positions they held previously, under King, while others ascended to new seats of power.
Description[]
A backroom-dealing, widely connected Diva with a background in artistry, unusually academic and discreet for a member of her clan, MacAndrews took the initiative and seized her place. She now receives the respect of all culture-addicts and creative types for her show of force.
The relationship between Hilda and her Childe has soured over the years, but she still seems to care for Emem. Hilda's position within the Primogen council means she is often at odds with Prince Hazel Iversen.
Gallery[]
