Roger de Camden, born as Rowan, is the Hecata Prince of Edinburgh and Pater of the Cult of Mithras, whom he previously served as Seneschal. Camden is one of the few survivors of the purge of London by the Second Inquisition, and one of the even fewer survivors of the Cappadocian purge.
Biography[]
| “ | Mithras is the dark center of London, and certainly of my existence – a sun so deep it swallows all other light | ” |
| — Roger de Camden | ||
Mortal Days[]
Roger de Camden was born Rowan, in a small area of rural England. Rowan had a gift for communing with the dead and hearing the whispers of ghosts around him. Even as a child Rowan was obsessed with dead things, collecting small animals he found in the fields and streams to listen to the stories of their lives and deaths. He would spend his time in cemeteries listening to those who had passed, and then relaying their thoughts to loved ones who still lived. People were thankful for Rowan’s messages, although some were scared and he fought against some persecution as word of his gifts spread. Eventually he became the town’s soothsayer, and was famously known for his sage advice and ability to speak with the dead. Such was this gift that it caught the attention of a Cappadocian named Constancia, who became his mentor as she took him to see the wider world. After introducing him to the rest of her clan, Constancia Embraced Rowan under the moon of Constantinople.
Kindred Nights[]
As a vampire, Rowan was able to more intimately understand the nature of death and the soul. He could not only hear the spirits of the dead, but command them with the vitae that flowed through his veins. Rowan became obsessed with learning everything he could about the soul, and the various states it could exist in within the body of both Kindred and kine. He went on a pilgrimage through Europe, studying the soul in these various forms of existence. He created many childer in this time, not out of loneliness, but from a curiosity to experiment and collect more intimate data. When he visited Paris, a ridiculous mispronunciation by the local Toreador changed his name from Rowan of Campden to Roger de Camden. He decided to keep the name, and remained in Paris for some time studying the catacombs beneath the city and several Parisian elders who humored his research in return for boons. When de Camden heard the methuselah Mithras returned to London in the 11th century, he felt compelled to learn more about one of the oldest vampires of Europe. He traveled to London with the intention of interviewing the ancient. Mithras received de Camden well, and a rapport grew between them over time. De Camden came to understand how lonely Mithras was beneath his godlike mantle. The two eventually became lovers, and Mithras promoted de Camden to Seneschal. Throughout this all, they kept their relationship secret – love, true love, is a liability among vampires.
Roger de Camden was some sort of a diplomat between the Ventrue and the Cappadocians; his position as Seneschal of London had allowed him to enjoy the riches of the city and experiment with dead corpses at will. He was also a proficient architect and engineer, constructing several secret havens across London to conduct his experiments. He was trusted enough by Mithras to act as his representative in proceedings with the Founders.
Camden had the theory that death occurs when the soul leaves the body, as such, he was a follower of the Road of Bones, and many other Cappadocians waited for his next discoveries. He believed that perhaps everything his clan has done and found about death may be wrong, so every study about the subject must begin with no assumptions. He was also a proficient historian, believing that Lazarus and Japheth, childer of Cappadocius, had been the same person and managed to decipher the location of Lazarus' haven in Egypt.
Around the year 920, Lord Camden met a mortal nun named María Asunción. He was impressed by her True Faith and decided to Embrace her.
When the Giovanni began killing their Cappadocian elders, de Camden became a target. In a letter to Constancia, he made clear that he was tired of being hunted and had accepted the inevitable, but in reality, he invented the Ritual of Transferring the Soul to convince the Giovanni that he was dead when they attacked his haven in 1514. Roger de Camden became Pater Thomas, transferring his essence to a new Cainite body, with only Camden and Mithras knowing the truth. Mithras himself slaughtered the surviving attackers to perpetuate the ruse. "Thomas" continued to lead the Cult of Mithras.[1]
Under Mithras' orders, Roger informed the Second Inquisition about the Camarilla of London.
Following the assassinations of Queen Anne and Monty Coven and the widespread extermination of the London Kindred by the Second Inquisition, Camden is presently Prince of Edinburgh (or possibly acts as Steward of it for the deceased Mithras[2]). He also serves as Pater of the Cult of Mithras, with those Kindred who fled London with him each possessing a vial of Mithras' vitae. Camden's own words imply that Mithras/Coven foresaw the Second Inquisition and warned Camden and the other Mithraic cultists, who then abandoned London at his command.[3]
Version Differences[]
In Beckett's Jyhad Diary, it is revealed that a vampire calling himself De Camden has publicly reappeared in the 2010s. His current agenda is unknown, but he advises the Harbingers of Skulls and seems to be on working terms with Angelique. Though he identifies with the Harbingers, he is clearly not one, as he retains the appearance of a Cappadocian.[4]
Description[]
Few figures among the foundations of the Clan of Death are as ancient and enigmatic as Roger de Camden. Known by many names throughout history, the shadowy Kindred who now rules as Prince of Edinburgh has spent lifetimes studying and honing an intimate understanding of the boundaries between life and death.
A scholar, martyr, and a survivor, de Camden walked among the eldest Cappadocians, his powerful vitae resonating down through the centuries all the way to tonight’s Hecata. To you. Whether through the boasts of your sire or poring over a dusty book of names delivered to your haven, you have discovered that you are a descendant of Roger de Camden himself.
Loresheet[]
Proud Childe: Your grandsire is among the most storied and respected of any to walk among the Clan of Death. While within any Hecata-controlled domain, haven, or social gathering, you have two dots of Status (••).- Corpsense: You follow in your ancestor’s footsteps with a fascination and understanding of the deceased. You gain two dice to any pool for investigating the cause of injury or death of a body. At any time, if a nearby wraith chooses to, they can always communicate to you with ease.
- Eye to Eye: Roger de Camden’s relationship with the godlike Ventrue Mithras was deep, complex, and the gossip of generations. While the Blue Bloods respect little outside their own clan, they recognize how significant de Camden was to the lonely unlife of one of their greatest. You receive a benefit of two dice to all pools for Persuasion or Intimidation actions when dealing with Kindred of Clan Ventrue, and careful mentions of your lineage could get you through doors non-Ventrue might normally never pass.
- The Way of All Flesh: The bloodline of de Camden screams out to the spirits of the recently deceased, dragging them back to the physical realm long after they should have departed forever. You can perform the Embrace as normal on an old corpse so long as it has not rotted beyond recognition. This rebirth is far more traumatic than usual, and the fledgling is deeply affected by whatever they experienced in their brief time between lives.
- Perchance to Dream: Like your forefather before you, you are forever preoccupied with the world of the dead, their souls so close you can almost reach out to touch them. Occasionally during your daily rest, or indeed when lying in torpor, your spirit wanders into the Shadowlands (see Cults of the Blood Gods). What you may see there, or what wraiths may be drawn to your presence, is anyone’s guess. If you are attacked while in the Shadowlands, you are immediately returned to your physical form, suffering one level of Superficial Willpower damage.
Appearence[]
Roger de Camden has taken to wearing traditional Cappadocian robes while in the privacy of his own Haven. Ceremonial in form, they’re a dark black linen edged with symbolic embroidery with floral and skeletal motifs. His skin is pale and soft, eyes round and hollow with age, hair golden and shoulder length. He’s of average height and slender build, rather unassuming except for the ghostly connections that seem to emanate from him. Thomas dresses quite different in public, keeping with the young professional fashions of the decade to appear approachable, modern, and to fit in with the crowds. Jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket of some sort is his current go-to outfit. This fashion, combined with his unassuming demeanor, allows other Kindred to underestimate or overlook him. Thomas uses this tactic so that he might get close to Kindred, or send his spies to watch them without them noticing.
Character Stats[]
Backgrounds Sheet[]
(Allies 3)
Roger de Camden is responsible for the remaining Cult of Mithras. The organization of meetings and rituals, making sure members are safe and loyal, and continuing the traditions of the cult are all responsibilities de Camden bears. In return, the cult members are valuable allies in the Greater London area, giving him information and resources greatly needed in these dangerous times.
Nina Jones
(Retainers 3)
Nina is one of the most powerful witches in Edinburgh and has devoted her life to studying and caring for the dead and dying. A gentle soul and caretaker, Nina is de Camden’s ghoul and personal assistant, maintaining his flat and experiments while he is away.
Witches
(Herd 2)
Roger de Camden has involved himself with a group of witches in Edinburgh, both to obtain needed herbs and objects for his necromancy, but also to feel a part of a community that isn’t Mithraic. He will often feed on these witches as well.
Trivia[]
- Camden's name is "Roger de Camden" in Dark Ages: British Isles. In the Giovanni Chronicles he is called "Thomas Becket", and in London by Night he is "Thomas Camden". In the Encyclopaedia Vampirica, his full name is given as "Lord Thomas Beckett Camden". Finally, in the V20 and V5 setting he is once again referred to as Roger de Camden.
- The relationship between de Camden and Mithras has lasted centuries, a bond deeper than most Kindred ever get to know. De Camden trusts Mithras completely and would do anything for him, including sacrificing his own life. He sometimes wishes they could be more open in their love but understands Mithras’ ancient enemies would make quick work of him.
- Mithras is ancient, powerful, and supremely arrogant, to the point of believing in his own divinity. The much younger de Camden tries to be there when the Methuselah’s hubris leads him into trouble.
- It didn’t escape the attention of a few very observant Kindred at court how Mithras and Pater Thomas acted around each other. It was the small things—the glances and gestures that were more familiar than just a master and his servant. Perhaps this, more than anything, finally led Valerius to discover his true identity, though he is far from the only one who took note.
- Roger de Camden, as Pater Thomas, is still responsible for several of the cult’s domains and treasures, aside from the main artifacts needed to restore Mithras to greatness. He still has quite some power in London as well, protecting locations like the Mithraeum, and is in control of many spirit agents who spy for him in his absence. The Ritual of Transferring the Soul might be among the most treasured of the cult’s mysteries and resides only in de Camden’s mind.
- There are only a few Kindred who know this secret, carefully tying Thomas’ behaviors and patterns back to de Camden. Valerius and de Worde are two of them, and that proved disastrous.
- De Camden’s curiosity about the soul and how it travels has never died but has only grown stronger over the years. Whenever there is an opportunity to experiment on a soul, he will take it. He’s maintained several tomes of information about his research and experiments over the centuries and has a makeshift lab that he sets up wherever he goes. The Mithraic Cult has helped him perform various experiments on the kine and neonates in London.
- Roger de Camden doesn’t require much in the form of luxury, merely a place to keep his books and his necromantic tools of the trade. This house in London serves as both a place to sleep and work, and is nondescript enough to keep people from bothering him.
- Pater Thomas should have died in the explosion that left Mithras in torpor. Yet, clearly, he did not.
Gallery[]
References[]
- VTDA: Clanbook: Cappadocian, p. 64
- VTDA: Transylvania Chronicles III: Ill Omens, p. 83-84
- DA: Dark Ages: British Isles, p. 91
- VAV: London by Night, p. 26-17
- VTM: Giovanni Chronicles III: The Sun Has Set, p. 73
- DA: Dark Ages: British Isles, p. 91
- VTM: Encyclopedia Vampirica, p. 42
- VTM: Cults of the Blood Gods
- VTM: Trails of Ash and Bone, p. 165
- VTM: Gehenna War
