Owain ap Ieuan, also known as Owain Evans, is an elder of the Ventrue antitribu who managed to overcome the supernatural disease known as the "Blood Curse".
Biography[]
In 1053 CE, Rhys ap Ieuan was being crowned king of Rhufoniog (a region of Wales) by the Saxon King Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey. However, the heir fell ill, and sent his brother Owain in his place. Sometime later, it was revealed that the sickness was actually a trap designed to kill Owain, who was in love with Angharad, the bride of Rhys. Owain's assassin was a Ventrue that Embraced him.
Accompanied by his ghoul Gwilym, Owain returned home in 1093 to wreak vengeance. He killed his brother and pitted his two nephews, Morgan and Iorweth, against each other by linking them and then having Morgan murder Iorweth. To prove his virtue and competence, Morgan set out on a quest to slay a monstrous Animal who lived in a cave – a wolf-like creature called Blaidd, who had been ravaging flocks of sheep of the kingdom. Surprisingly, Morgan succeeded by putting a stake through his heart, giving Owain the opportunity to commit diablerie on a powerful elder. After the deed, he quickly lost interest in his family and departed, but not before saying goodbye to Angharad, now an old woman in her 60s who has been living in the abbey of Holywell.
Around 1300, Owain was driven out of Wales by the Norman Ventrue who accompanied William the Conqueror. He took refuge in France, in the midst of Black Death. By this time, he had begun his search for the Holy Grail.
In 1375, Owain left France for England, where he learned that Joseph of Arimathea, the guardian of the Grail, had taken up residence on the Glastonbury Tor. Owain drained Joseph of Arimathea of his blood, but never put his hands on the Grail. The powerful and ancient blood of this mortal made Owain completely forget his passage through England and his knowledge of the Holy Grail.
That same year, a Toreador friend convinced Owain to leave France. He arrived in Toledo, in Spain, during the reign of Ferdinand V. There he met El Greco, a Toreador anarch and Prince of Toledo, who became his friend. Sometime later, the death of Gwilym in 1450 at the hands of the Inquisition plunged Owain into deep despair and he fell into torpor.
Upon his reawakening in the 1700s, El Greco, who had become a Priscus of the Sabbat, told Owain about the events of the last three centuries (the end of the Anarch Revolt and the creation of the vampiric sects). Impressed by the idealism of his friend, Owain joined the Sword of Caine. In the 18th century, Owain met Albert Bowman, a Malkavian who would also become his friend.
Between 1917 and 1927, Owain emigrated to the United States with three new ghouls he had created in Spain. He built a financial empire in the new world and adopted the name of "Owain Evans" joining Camarilla of Atlanta in order to spy for its rivals. Around 1967, Albert joined him in the sect as well – and the two friends decided by mutual agreement to hide their relationship.
By 1997, Owain Evans was a respected elder of the city and the confidant of the Prince J. Benison Hodge to the point that, while not being primogen, he was invited for its meetings exclusively for his advice. Owain was bored and thought often about entering torpor once again until he received the visit in his haven. The Gangrel Nicholas brought him a message from Berlin: a letter from El Greco announcing a movement of one of his pieces on the chessboard that was played by the two friends through correspondence.
This letter sent Owain into a rage because it was the first time that he was beaten by El Greco in the game. In addition, Owain was reminded of his obligations to the Sabbat by El Greco: Miguel, a pack priest of the sect, went to Atlanta to signal Owain. El Greco demanded his presence urgently in Toledo. Before he could leave town, however, Albert asked him to keep a statue in his haven for a while, which he accepted, but not without suspicion.
Owain appealed to the Giovanni to organize the trip. He was accompanied by Ms. Kendall Jackson and one of his ghouls. Arriving in Toledo, El Greco showed Owain that he had written him a great deal of correspondence. From these letters, Owain learned that the Blood Curse originated of Sabbat experiments (conducted by a team under a vampire named Carlos). However, the experiment had gone terribly out of control. The only problem is that, although perfectly imitated, the letters were not from Owain (which is carefully explained to his friend).
The fact that disturbed Owain the most is not the letters, but the experiment's name, Project Angharad, after his old mortal love. El Greco explained to Owain that he did come to infiltrate Carlos' faction. Without saying a word to El Greco, Owain decided to meet Carlos. He then left Kendall in the care of El Greco and wandered the streets of Toledo in search of minions of Carlos and discovered about one with the name of Morgan. Around the same time, he met Kli Kodesh, a Nosferatu prophet. He began to be haunted by visions more and more often, suffering greatly. He was attacked by Nicholas, but the two adversaries were interrupted by members of the Sabbat.
Nicholas and Owain, too weak to fight, were captured by Carlos' henchmen. Nurtured by Carlos who gave him the desired sustenance, Owain concluded two things: first, that the letters of the forger said the truth about the experiments, and secondly, that his friend El Greco went mad: he still believes the city that is leading was in fact ruled by Carlos in the last fifteen years (since 1983). Owain escaped his captors and returned to Toledo to retrieve Kendall, narrowly escaping a raid by Carlos men on the refuge of El Greco, who perished in the subsequent struggle. He returned to Atlanta via a flight chartered by Lorenzo Giovanni.
Back in Atlanta in time to witnesses the execution of his long time friend, Albert Bowman by Prince Benison, Owain could barely restrain his contempt for the ruler of Atlanta, who sent his Scourge, the Brujah Xavier Kline, to check him out. Returning home, Owain broke the statue that was entrusted to him by Albert only to discover that it contained a medallion. Kline had also arrived at home and killed his ghouls before facing Owain himself in battle.
Owain and Kendall fled America, moving from Atlanta to Berlin (again with the help of Lorenzo). It was indeed through a hostel in the city that El Greco and Owain exchanged correspondence since Owain immigrated to the New World. Having understood during his recent trip to Spain that the recent letters were made by a forger, it obviously meant that the real letters have been intercepted. Going to the inn in order to learn more about the identity of the forger (and his intentions), he met the Nosferatu Ellison. The latter, noticing Owain had the same medallion that he, directed him to England where the witch Isabella awaited.
Trivia[]
Owain is the Kinslayer of prophecy, and obtained the power of healing ever since he drank the blood of Joseph of Arimathea.[1] After discovering his ability in 1999, he became known as the Wanderer, and travels the world to release all Cainites from the Blood Curse.[2]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ VTM: Trilogy of the Blood Curse 3: Dark Prophecy, p. 234-235, 299-300
- ↑ VTM: Trilogy of the Blood Curse 3: Dark Prophecy, p. 306-309, 311
- VTDA: Dark Tyrants, p. My Brothers Keeper, p. 163-185
- VTM: Trilogy of the Blood Curse, p. The Devil's Advocate: 4-6, 10-13, 18-23, 28-33, 38-41, 45-56, 71, 74-88, 103-125, 139-147, 151-152, 163, 167-185, 191-207, 225-242, 256-260, 279-286, 312-315, 317-328, 333-340, 342, 344-345, 354-60, 362-369, 372; The Winnowing: 7-12, 14-21, 32-34, 55, 57-58, 82-88, 105-107, 112, 120, 122, 139-142, 146, 159-175, 179-187, 189-191, 197, 204-221, 232-244, 247, 252, 255-261, 263-282, 286-301, 308-315, 323, 329-370; and Dark Prophecy: 7-21, 30-71, 74-106, 113-1301, 134-144, 151-162, 169-214, 216-257, 259, 261-283, 285-302, 306-309, 311
- VTM: Encyclopaedia Vampirica, p. 35