Ruthven, childe of [Tzimisce]

Anastazi was at one time Danika’s mortal seneschal, whose responsibilities included overseeing Hunedoara Castle and maintaining contact with his counterparts on her scattered estates. Ambitious and clever, he was no slouch at seeing to his own creature comforts as well as his duties. He knew exactly how much bullying he could get away with and how far he could push the bounds of his mistress’ instructions. That he hoped one night to earn the honor of the Embrace was no secret. Still, when Danika announced that he had a week to get his personal affairs in order, he was taken aback by the suddenness of it. But he did as she required and was duly granted the power of the dead water. Then his lady announced she was leaving — going on some kind of silly spiritual quest, it sounded like to him, but in the meantime, she was counting on him to "take care of things" for her while she was gone. Unfortunately, he was now the youngest of three ambitious childer, which meant he also was the weakest of three ambitious childer. Equally unfortunately, Anastazi lacked the political experience to handle this situation adeptly. Not long after Danika left her doLAIR OF THE HIDDEN 82 main, he had to flee for his unlife from his own bloodsiblings, who had this absurd notion that they had the right to order him around, and that they were more than willing to lock him up and torment him until he agreed. Then, to make matters worse, Danika returned in the company of a fierce-eyed warrior and pressed Anastazi into service once again — this time to help her retake Hunedoara Castle from the Tremere who had defeated his siblings who had defeated him. Trying to point out the logical error in recruiting one like himself for the enterprise made scant impression on his sire. Just as he knew it would, his courage failed at a critical moment in the battle; unbeknownst to Danika, who was occupied elsewhere, that failure led directly to Rothriel’s death. Luckily, no one still walking the night knows Anastazi’s perfidy, a state of affairs he’d do nearly anything to preserve. Getting into the Pact: Anastazi had very little choice about entering the Pact. Eleven vampires all older and stronger than he was seemed to think it necessary, and one of them was his regnant and sire. If they couldn’t think of any better way to survive the siege, what chance did he stand? And at the time, the survival of the informal Golconda school was important to him because it was important to his queen, his star. But he’s since found a worthier home for his affections, fully removed from the slavery of blood.… Since Then: With centuries of practice under his belt, Anastazi is now a schemer of the first order; but dwelling in a castle with far too many elders and being bound to a sire he now hates has done nothing to improve his inferiority complex. His situation remains remarkably (depressingly) like it was when he was mortal. So long as he performs his duties and stays reasonably within bounds, he has tacit permission to see to his own pleasures as he likes, of which he takes full advantage. He’s also become the castle’s resident fix-it man and token technology buff. He owns a gas generator, which he uses to power his quarters’ electric lights. He hasn’t acquired a computer because they still intimidate him, but he has a number of cheap electronic handheld games from the 80’s and early 90’s littering one of his tables and a portable stereo with a small CD collection, as well as myriad other gadgets that were cutting-edge at the time he bought them: a Victrola, a tin music-box bank, an electric typewriter, a portable vibrator from the 1918 Sears & Roebuck catalog (for home treatment of ladies’ “hysteria”— an “Aid That Every Woman Appreciates”), etc. Relations with Others: The Inconnu among the Twelve don’t understand how Anastazi can have dwelled here for so many years and never evinced the smallest particle of interest in Golconda… but he hasn’t. Most have concluded that his is simply a shallow, venal soul. Others, notably the charitable Demetrius, put it down to youth. They all consider him a servant who is to be paid in the coin he honors. They treat him politely — especially when they must request favors of Nikanuuranu, who uses Anastazi as its favorite mouthpiece and go-between — but with a subtle hint of disapproval that is not at all lost on the Tzimisce. Danika outright despises Anastazi and has ever since she first returned to Hunedoara. He hates her in return. They usually manage to conjure enough civility to get things done for the castle, but when they do lay into each other everyone else quickly retreats to chambers — not so much from fear or courtesy as to avoid feeling contaminated by the sorry spectacle as their insults reach lower and lower. Zamra would never under ordinary circumstances associate with a man like Anastazi, but occasionally she grows tired of being pariah and seeks him out for a game of chess or some such activity. Mahtiel enjoys the dubious honor of being the love of Anastazi’s unlife. Or at least she does when she’s safely asleep; during the rare times that she’s up, he can barely disguise his terror of her. He tried, once, two centuries ago, to come to Drenis’ chamber and “surprise” her as she lay in bed reading. Her reaction nearly broke the Pact. Abdalkutba’s many hobbies intrigue Anastazi greatly, and the vizier converses with him amiably enough. Outside Influence: While Danika is in ultimate charge of procurement and provisioning, she delegates some of the night-to-night work to Anastazi, and as a result he now has a number of mortal contacts that he can use to work his subtle will, largely in Europe and America. So far he hasn’t pursued many high ambitions using these tools; he mostly uses them for acquiring objects and people of particular interest to him and exacting petty revenge against whomever of the Twelve has most recently offended him. The Deal: Anastazi has asked Nikanuuranu to give him Mahtiel’s heart. This isn’t precisely within Nikanuuranu’s power, but it has done its best. It projects Anastazi’s awareness into Mahtiel’s more erotic dreams of Rothriel and assists him in taking on enough semblance of her long-dead paramour to play the part. The entirely justified fear of what Mahtiel would do if she ever found out his little secrets haunts him, but he can’t help himself. In all honesty, however, he should CHAPTER THREE: MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES 83 be just as afraid of the possible response of Bufo, who has often shed a tear of romantic sympathy as he watched what he assumed to be an authentic dreamtryst between the ancient lovers.

Open by id →