Cesar Holfield, Childe of the Final Nights

As the second of three brothers, César had a hard time maintaining the attention of his parents. His older brother broke all the rules and received all of their ire. His younger brother got the grades and received all of their praise. César had neither to offer his family. With no criminal record and average grades, he was the invisible middle son. César sought companionship with his schoolmates, but they usually bored him. Nothing they liked — sports, academics, video games, even girls — seemed to hold much interest for him. Most of his peers considered him “odd” at the least, when they considered him at all. Once again, César found himself to be invisible in a sea of people. High school led to college, but little changed for César Holfield. His studies bored him more than before, perhaps, and his attendance showed his lack of interest. César slept late, missed classes, failed tests, and none of it really mattered much to him. No one really seemed to notice at home. It took his parents six months to discover he had dropped out of school altogether. At least life on the street seemed to hold some appeal for César. The act of surviving kept him busy, but entry-level accounting put him to sleep. César abandoned his entire life. He left a message on his parent’s answering machine, explaining that he would be “out for a little while.” Deep in thought about nothing and looking for someone to commiserate with, César struck up a conversation with a young woman. Her name was Jocelyn, and she would talk to him as long as he was buying. With what little money he had remaining, César bought her a drink and they talked for a little while. Eventually, she invited him to her place, a small apartment near the bar. Once there, she revealed her true motives, began kissing his neck — what a strange birthmark, she said — and ran her fingers through his hair. She wanted more cash if he wanted to spend some “quality time” with her. He had nothing left to give, so she promptly ushered him into the hall outside. Penniless and miserable, César returned to the park he had come to think of as a home. He watched the leaves scatter along the sidewalk and tried to stay warm. When a shadow passed over him, he thought the end had finally come in the form of a mugger or psycho. A fierce pain struck his neck, and he felt his life drain away only to be replaced by new life down his throat. As suddenly as it had begun, the attack was over and César once again simply shivered in the dark and watched the leaves scatter on the wind. The next morning César sought shelter in a nearby warehouse. He could no longer stand the rays of the sun. His appetite for food had been replaced by a thirst for blood, but with surprisingly little passion. César realized the attack had changed him into a vampire, and immortality held as little appeal to César as mortality once had. Another major change came over César that winter night. For the first time, it seemed, his peer group could pick him out of the crowd. Jocelyn found him again the following week, only this time her reaction was very different. She was stunned to see what had become of him. She explained that she’d planned to feeding from him but felt sorry for him in the end. Then she explained to him some of the basic rules and details of vampiric society. Jocelyn thought she had made a friend in César, but the following night he disappeared. She began searching for him with little more than a first name and a physical description — his most distinguishing characteristic being a crescent-moon-shaped birthmark at the nape of his neck. No one, of course, had seen him. She continued her search, eventually contacting other Kindred and again passing on his description. The Tremere have long studied the prophecies of Caine held within the pages of the Book of Nod. When word got to them of a vampire bearing a crescent-moon-shaped birthmark, their collective hearts nearly started working again. Certain passages speak of such a birthmark portending disaster in relation to Gehenna. Without hesitation, the Inner Circle was notified and every conclave received a warning to search for a vampire with this mark. César remains oblivious to the entire stir he has caused. He tries to avoid other vampires, not so much preferring his own company as shunning anyone else’s. He finds most “Kindred” to be anything but. Their endless plots and secret agendas are all just too convoluted and a bit pointless for his taste. As such, he has avoided the Tremere dragnet for the time being. César simply continues to wander from city to city, in search of a bit of conversation here and vitae there.