Victor Temple is the current Baron of the San Fernando Valley.
Biography[]
Victor wasn't born wealthy or famous, but managed to climb the social ladder with a promising career in the NBA. Even when an unfortunate injury derailed his sports stardom, Victor simply switched gears to his other passion: music. He founded the Temple of Boom record label in Los Angeles and quickly rose to prominence once again, this time as a club owner and music mogul. This meteoric success was likely what attracted his future Ventrue sire in the first place.
At some point before the Embrace, Victor was married and had three children: twin boys Isaiah & Marcus, and an unnamed daughter. After becoming a vampire, Victor deliberately let his children see him as an absentee parent in order to both protect them and maintain the Masquerade. He still visited them often, but always removed their memory of the encounter via his powers of Dominate after the fact.
Despite his loyalty to the Anarch Movement, Victor was on surprisingly good terms with his clanmate Fiorenza Savona. The two Neonates corresponded often, with Fiorenza even lending Victor support in the form of the ghoul Ib and the occasional political favor.
Victor originally worked under Baron Isaac Abrams, having established domains in Hollywood in both the Griffith College campus and the hot-ticket Club Maharaja - the latter of which he personally owned and operated. Likely because of this, Victor's coteire was tasked with looking after the Fledgling Annabelle Li after she was initially discovered poaching on Abrams' turf. However, after a series of attacks perpetrated by the Brujah crime boss Bobby Blaine, Victor would managed to twist Baron Abrams' arm into giving him a barony of his own over the San Fernando Valley. Shortly after becoming "undisputed" Baron himself, Victor would personally execute Blaine in front of a crowd of Kindred at a local debut of the Succubus Club.
Ironically, even after Blaine was ashes, Baron Temple's vast new domain remained very much in dispute. After rescuing a refugee coterie known as the Wyrd Sisters from the clutches of the Camarilla, he was dragged over the coals by his fellow Barons for very nearly breaching the Masquerade on multiple occasions. Indeed, when it came to maintaining the First Tradition Victor was considered a maverick even by Anarch standards: frequently utilizing live-streams and social media to "get out ahead" of potentially damaging news stories or internet gossip. As punishment, part of Victor's territory was given over to the newly-minted Baron Fiona, much to his disgruntlement.
Regardless, Victor would continue to fight tooth-and-nail on behalf of the Unbound, being at the forefront of much of the Movement's offensives against the encroaching Court of Prince Vannevar Thomas. He became so much of a thorn in the Ivory Tower's side that Prince Thomas even authorized the daylight firebombing of his haven at Club Maharaja, from which the Baron and his coterie only barely escaped.
Still, starting from scratch was nothing new to Victor. He'd go on to build a newer, even grander venue in the heart of the Valley: Club Maharani - which would become his seat of power for the foreseeable future. He'd also enter into extremely tentative negotiations with the Tremere Elder Maximillian Strauss, securing a short-lived truce between the two sects of LA. He spent this nearly year-long reprieve wisely shoring up his own defenses, offering sanctuary to the Thin-Bloods of Los Angeles within his domain and establishing stronger relations with his fellow Barons, in particular Armando "Nines" Rodriguez.
Of course, by 2021 the Camarilla would prove to be the least of Baron Temple's worries. He was among those "priority targets" singled out by the Second Inquisition, weathering a hail of gunfire and barely escaping into the sewers during their initial assault. Never one to back down from a challenge, he'd personally lead the Anarch counter-offensive against their base of operations at the San Fernando Mission. Once the dust had settled, Baron Temple was the first to send out an official proclamation on behalf of the Movement: the Free States of California were here to stay, SI and Ivory Tower be damned.
Description[]
When Victor’s promising NBA career was cut short by an unfortunate accident, he quickly changed gears and founded The Temple of Boom, a recording business that has become a darling of the LA music scene. It was this success that attracted his sire, and tonight the rising media mogul finds himself not only undead but trying to walk a dangerous tightrope between uneasy alliances and conflicting loyalties.
Victor's enterprises include several popular nightclubs and an expanding recording business that promotes his label's talent, like the sensation Chocolate Drop, and also serves to mask his unlife – hiding in plain sight, as he likes to call it. Recently, he has taken the title of Baron of the Valley, claiming domain over the entire San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, with the support of the city's other Barons.
Loresheet[]
But First, Let Me Take a Selfie: You've managed to get close enough to the Baron to take a selfie with him recently or even get yourself into one of his famous live-stream feeds. Your Fame increases by one dot (gain one dot of Fame if you don't have any, or increase your existing Fame by one), and difficulties on Social roles involving Victor or someone connected to him are reduced by 1.- Members Only: You are on the door list for all of Victor's nightclubs, including the newly-opened Maharani, the crown jewel of his LA barony. No waiting in line for you! You are welcome in the VIP areas of these clubs and have access to their Kindred-friendly features, such as secure day-sleeping rooms and secret escape routes. Since you are always welcome, treat this as a one-dot Haven (in addition to any other Haven you may possess).
- Temple of Boom: Whether through normal business arrangements or a personal connection to Victor, you are a visible part of the Temple of Boom family. You have access to the media company's recording studios, including technical and production help, and can use it to produce, record, distribute, promote, and sell original music. Your Fame increases by one dot (gain one dot of Fame if you don't have any, or increase your existing Fame by one).
- This is Fine: Victor thinks highly enough of you to let you "borrow" one of his mortal security details. This team is comprised of four Gifted Mortals who come equipped with an armored SUV, handguns, and communications equipment. They will follow your instructions up to and including taking a bullet for you, but they will not willingly act against any specific orders Victor has given them. This loan lasts for the duration of the chronicle and is the equivalent of four dots of Allies.
- Undisputed Baron of the Valley: Perhaps because you have a positive past association with Victor, or maybe in repayment of a boon, once per chronicle, you and your coterie may claim a haven and hunting rights in the Valley. You gain a Haven with 5 dots to distribute among its features as you wish. This benefit lasts until the end of the chronicle and does not require you to forfeit any other domains you claim. You also gain one dot of Status (Anarch) and the Notorious (Camarilla) Flaw.
Trivia[]
- Victor Temple is the player character of actor and writer B. Dave Walters, a member of the main cast and coterie of the live-play chronicle Vampire: The Masquerade: L.A. By Night. B. Dave also portrays Karsh in the special Memoriam episode S3E6: Beauty and Decay.
- Victor Temple is one of several L.A. By Night characters who possesses their own official Loresheet, released as part of special promotional deal with Dog Might Games.
- Victor's unique relationship with Fiorenza Savona is mechanically explained via his use of the Fiorenza Savona Loresheet, specifically the 1-Dot Merit On Fiorenza's List, which in turn explains how Ib came into his service (as she is the "assigned" Gifted Mortal retainer).
- Victor's Ventrue Bane is that he can only feed off of people who idolize him due to his fame or fortune.