Leon "8-Ball" White is a 9th Generation Ventrue in Oakland.
Overview[]
As a child of Oakland's streets, Leon saw firsthand what money and power could do when his brother, taking the fall for a wealthy white drug dealer, was sentenced to life imprisonment. The dealer, against whom there was a much stronger case, received a suspended sentence and probation. As Leon's father had died some years previous, this left the teenaged Leon as the man of the house. Forced into responsibilities far beyond his years, he cultivated an image of toughness to protect both himself and his family. As tough as things got, though, he never stopped to working for the drug dealers running in and out of his neighborhood. He blamed the dealers and the system equally for what happened to his brother, and while he wasn't stupid enough to make any grandiose plans of vengeance, he wouldn't refuse the opportunity if such came along.
Inevitably, the opportunity did. T.J. McMillan, a local Ventrue looking for an edge on his more established rivals across the bay, saw a tremendous potential in the depressed neighborhoods of Oakland and Richmond. However, he also realized that as a transplanted good ol' boy, he was unlikely to be the one to realize this potential. He needed an agent, someone who could serve as his voice and will in the places he couldn't go, and after six months of observation, he settled on Leon. Intelligent enough to know that a willing ally is always more useful than a resentful subordinate, McMillan made 8-Ball an offer he wouldn't refuse: the power to clean the streets and the opportunity to change the system. His family would still be cared for; McMillan would see to that. 8-Ball leapt at the chance, and has been working with McMillan ever since. The partnership functions reasonably well; McMillan grants 8-Ball the respect he craves, while 8-Ball offers McMillan access to the world he'd never be able to reach otherwise. However, as others of the clan are actually backing the dealers running Oakland's streets (including Blade), 8-Ball's efforts have met with less success than he would like. Leon is growing frustrated with both his lack of progress and, by extension, McMillan as well.
Image[]
With gleamingly shaved head and a corded neck, Leon (or 8-Ball, as he much prefers to be known) is a picture-perfect gangsta. He eschews gang colors, preferring black denim and a cutoff vest of the same materials. Even in the middle of the night, he wears mirrored shades, adding to his inscrutability. He is always strapped, with his handgun (one of many selected from a large collection for the occasion) gleaming prominently. A mere 5'8", 8-Ball has worked hard to bulk up, but it's hard to build muscle after death, and he's not quite as built as he'd like to be.
Personal[]
Leon takes pleasure puncturing others' illusions, particularly those who look at him and simply see a stereotype. Well-camouflaged as a gangsta, he's far more at home in the boardroom than his fellow Ventrue fellows would like to think. His street image is quite useful in maintaining his own power base, and he's content to wait for his plans to come to fruition in the projects before he takes them to the skyscrapers. When he meets others, he plays his role to the hilt, and if people take it at face value, well, they're that much easier to manipulate. If they see through his act, then he either tries to enlist them as allies or liquidates them depending on his gut impression of them. He passionately hates drugs and dealers, and such types will receive absolutely no mercy. He's not a sadist, just a realist; his reality simply includes an awful lot of pain for people who get him angry.
Stats[]
Clan: Ventrue
Generation: 9th
Nature: Director
Demeanor: Bravo
Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3
Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2
Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Talents: Alertness 2, Brawl 3, Dodge 4, Empathy 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 2, Streetwise 3, Sense Deception 1
Skills: Drive 1, Fast Draw 2, Firearms 3, Melee 3, Security 2, Stealth 2
Knowledges: Bureaucracy 1, Law 1, Linguistics 1, Politics 1, Gambling 1, Theology 1
Disciplines: Celerity 2, Dominate 2, Potence 3, Presence 1
Backgrounds: Allies 3, Contacts 2, Generation 4, Mentor 3, Resources 1
Humanity: 7
Willpower: 7
References[]
- CTD: Immortal Eyes: The Toybox, p. 132-133