Hedeon Yaroslavich

This thoroughly evil and devious Kindred cares little about anything but his own power. Through the centuries, his schemes have led him to the pinnacle of majesty, only to bring him down again. Hedeon's influence declined drastically when communism fell, for he held many thralls among the communist elite. Now he is reluctantly renewing his contacts with Sabbat packs in the Balkan States in hopes of regaining his former power. Hedeon holds all human life (and Kindred unlife) as useful only in relation to service to him. His chief haven, a castle in eastern Poland, is guarded by szlachta, guardian ghouls altered through Vicissitude. These foul creatures sport claws, have natural armor plating and possess superior physical traits. Workers in Hedeon's mines have likewise been altered to perform more effectively. The villages near his castle are populated to capacity with ghouls who drink from vitaetainted wells, thereby becoming Blood Bound to Yaroslavich. Other less fortunate villagers are taken to serve as guinea pigs in various vile experiments. Some now function as living traps in his dungeons or as living partitions in the rooms of his fortress. Kindred who fall under his power are lucky if they are drained outright, as Hedeon lives up to his clan's infamous reputation for torture. Survivors are Blood Bound to him; along with his half-dozen childer, he uses these victims to further his schemes. One of Hedeon's more recent successes involved tricking the Sabbat into calling a Crusade against Camarilla forces in Szczecin, Poland; this action resulted in destruction for both sides. As a bonus, Hedeon's childe, Elica, became prince of the city during the confusion. A World of Darkness 81 The Inconnu have been moderately successful in blocking Yaroslavich's more obvious plots, but even they have no idea of the scope of his evil. Ironically, other ancient Fiends, especially the Oradea League of which he is a member, are responsible for slowing the expansion of Hedeon's power. With the chaos brought on by the Sabbat invasion, however, his opponents have little opportunity to block him. He is well on his way to controlling the League, and thus Eastern Europe.