Konrad Roth

Appearance

Konrad stands 5'10" weighing 158lbs (72kg), with dark blue eyes and sandy brown hair. His chin sports trimmed facial hair and his expression is often relaxed with a heavy brow that gives him a narrow analyzing gaze. He often wears a heavy leather overcoat for concealing items on his person and protecting him from possible dangers, and sneakers to tread lightly.

History

Konrad began his mortal life in Casper, Wyoming in the 1940's. His father, a WWII veteran, worked the coal mines, though the experiences of the war kept him guarded and cold to the man's family. Breaking the illusion of normalcy, Konrad's father would suffer from fits of rage and confusion. Yet despite the domestic anxiety, Konrad experienced a happy childhood, making friends and exploring the Wyoming wilderness.

However, Konrad's father died in a mining accident. His mother, unprepared, tried her best to provide for Konrad. But she developed a drinking problem and often Konrad found himself taking care of her more than often. But it was her smoking habit that led to her to be diagnosed with cancer. By the time Konrad had reached adulthood he was already burying his mother.

Since it was the 60's Konrad found himself caught up in the surge of youth culture. Political protests, narcotics, racial tensions, the war draft, it left him feeling a little directionless, uncertain of his goals. He followed a girl he had met out to Las Vegas, Nevada, which was already the entertainment capital of the world. Surviving off his inheritance, Konrad found his funds drying up quickly.

Everything changed when Konrad found himself called in the draft for the Vietnam War. Having seen the effect war had on his father, he was terrified by the prospect. Either way, Konrad's mortal life came to an end that year.

Konrad's sire had ties with the Las Vegas mafia that ran the casinos. With the population surge, the city came to harbor a large Kindred population. The Embrace brought his world into focus. The uncertainties of mortal life were replaced with the powerful hunger of the Beast. The city was a perfect hunting ground with tourists and unchecked crime. Sin City now had its newest monster stalking its shadows.

A decade passed. As the government began to crack down on the element of organized crime, the risk to the masquerade grew. The unwanted attention caused the Kindred to distance themselves from the mafia. Konrad was one of the Kindred who moved on to what seemed like brighter pastures, Los Angeles. The gang and street violence seemed like a good cover for the Savage to make his home.

In the years that followed, Konrad met a young photographer who, unbeknownst to him, had discovered his true nature. The distortions in his film caused the photographer to become curious about Konrad and followed him around. It wasn't long before Konrad discovered the Kine's folly. Rather than killing the man, however, he offered instead to share the curse, making the man, by the name Cody Marlow, into his Ghoul.

This granted Konrad an unexpected convenience, allowing him options he had never had before. It allowed the Kindred an additional perspective of the world, one that Konrad had grown detached and distant from in his time unliving.

It was then a decade after the turn of the century that Konrad followed his Ghoul, after Cody accepted a new job in Sacramento, California. It would be a new experience for them both.

Since Arrival

Being an Unaligned is tough in a new city. Even after getting Acknowledged by Seneschal Martha Villiers everyone starts at the bottom rung. Konrad's only connections were to his Clan and to the Kine he does business with. The Kine were a simple matter. It's either who you know or how much you've got lining your pocket. Unfortunately Konrad didn't have much to spend. As for the Gangrel, Konrad was fortunate that they'd scheduled a wilderness Hunt. Made breaking the ice easy.

Night Lightning

While hunting through a dive bar, Konrad encountered Chris Wooding and Richard Black on the prowl. While greeting one another they overheard a drunk conversation regarding scientific research into the theoretical topic of immortality. Curious, the three approached only to find an argument break out between two Kine. They helped to break up the fight in order to have a word with the researcher/student named Tom. They introduced themselves as curious investors and Tom arranged for them to meet with Professor Aurora Hitwick at Sacramento University.

When the Kindred arrived at the lab the Professor seemed to doubt their claim to be investors. Instead the Professor made a request of them, offering them a cash payment if they were able to recover a valuable book she is after. They Kindred agree, if only to get their own hands on the book. They are told the book resides at the Saunders family estate within the city.

They arrive at the residence and Konrad approaches with Richard to try and talk their way through the front gate, posing as members of a local charity while Chris slips through the shadows unseen. While inside the two are brought to a library by a butler to wait for the Lady of the house. They begin searching the library for clues and find a record of family members who all seemed to die when their children reached the age of eighteen. Before they can find anything else, Konrad checks the door to find that two of the butlers are positioned outside, one armed with a shotgun. Konrad quickly barricades the door right before a blast shatters through the wood. Unable to escape, the two Kindred fight their attackers, getting shredded by bullet and blade before finally overcoming the butlers.

Then one of the butlers begins to act strangely, contorting itself and its features and claiming to be a deceased relative of the Saunders family named Matthew. He surrenders while Chris appears from a side hallway with the book they had been searching for and they escape the residence with the butler in tow. While driving away they speak with the possessed man, who claims to be the author of the book Hitwick had them recover. He agrees to cooperate with them to stop Hitwick's research.

Weirded out by the whole ordeal, and pockmarked with shotgun pellets, Konrad takes his leave in order to recover his wounds, leaving Hitwick's fate in the hands of Chris and Richard.

Thorned Ten

In order to curry favor with Regent Michael Redfill, Konrad takes on a task to investigate rumors of a cult obsessed with death and vampirism. He meets with Edwin Bridges and Juan Cordoba outside an apartment complex where its members are said to frequent. They watch as two Kine exit the building for a smoke. The Kindred surround the Kine, but one appears armed with a sword and cuts deeply into Konrad, revealing his Vampire nature. Instead of disbelief, the two are amazed and apologize for striking a Dark Lord. The Kindred are then invited inside with the promise that more Vampires would be coming.

They come inside and wait, getting to know the misled Kine and hearing their expectations that one day they too would ascend to become Vampires. Then two individuals arrive that are clearly not Kindred, one lean and attractive and the other huge and muscular. The attractive one introduces himself as Armond, the Founder of the Order of Ten, who knows the Kindred for their natures and attacks them using a strangely constructed armband of thorns. The larger man, an apparent bodyguard, takes down Edwin, stabbing him into Torpor while Armond and Konrad struggle. Armond unleashes a aerosol can and flame, taking advantage of the Kindred weaknesses. Juan frenzies and flees while Konrad is left debating on abandoning Edwin or finishing off the hulking bodyguard. His decision comes too late, however, as he too succumbs to Torpor from a knife wound.

Konrad and Edwin awake in a dark basement where they are bound tightly to chairs. They are met by Armond who shows them another corpse of a slowly ashing Vampire. He then interrogates them for information, cutting into them with his thorned armband. It seems to fill Konrad with memories of his past sins when touched by it. Armond also confesses that the artifact can drain Vampires of their essence, which was how he was able to revive them. Since the interrogation fails, Armond leaves to collect more Blood for his purposes. While gone, the Kindred begin to wriggle out of their confinements only to hear another figure descend into the basement. It is the sword-wielding Kine, named Karl. He says that he will help the Kindred escape if they agree to turn him into a Vampire. Konrad reluctantly agrees, though he has no intention of following through with the promise.

Once upstairs, they find a ragged man chained and covered in cuts. The sight of Blood causes the Kindred to frenzy and they gorge themselves on the poor man, killing him in the process. Karl watches and waits until they've had their fill and have regained their minds. He tells them that he's recorded their feeding, blackmailing them into committing to their promise. It is then that Juan Cordoba returns along with Rina Yui in an attempt to rescue the kidnapped Kindred. With the sun due to rise soon the four of them are eager to leave, but Armond is a loose end. So they lie in wait to ambush the would-be Vampire and bodyguard. Together they manage to slay Armond and fatally wound his bodyguard. With the armband recovered, Konrad takes a quick stock of the building, finding notes that describe the origin of the armband before torching the building to the ground to hide the evidence of the whole ordeal.

In the following nights, Konrad and Rina hunt down Karl and are able to purge his files to preserve the Masquerade.

Skeleton Keys

Skeleton Keys

Among the Carthians

Having formed a secret alliance with Rina Yui, the Mekhet requests that Konrad investigate the Carthian presence in the Domain. He meets the only member of the Movement, Ashley Cohen, a Ventrue who he had encountered once before during an Underground Tour. He feigns interest in her Covenant, asking her more about the ideals behind the organization. He finds strangely drawn to the concepts of adapting to the ways of Kine and working together for a common goal. They meet to discuss it at length and Konrad decides to join the Movement as a member. At the next Court gathering he admits this to Rina, telling her that he will act as a spy to keep a closer eye on them. She agrees to this plan and Konrad reports to her every few months with new information on their activities.

The arrival of Gerald Baker and Marco Fernandez is timed with Ashley's disappearance, and Konrad becomes part of a three-man Movement. They talk at length about the future of the Covenant in the Domain, and Konrad shares his ideas, participating as any true Carthian would. They attempt to recruit several members of the Domain, but to no avail. Konrad then suggests a Beach Party to advertise their sense of community. But the party is a fiasco due to the actions of Konrad's Ghoul, and Konrad is thrown into a frenzy along with Marco by a roman candle. Gerald then disappears from the city while Marco and Konrad recover from the embarrassment.

Fortunately more Kindred arrive to the city in place of Gerald, having heard of a Carthian presence in the city. Diana Barnes, Gabrielle dOrleans, and Chloe, each unique in their own ways. After meeting them, Marco and Konrad decide to hold an election to designate members for positions and Konrad is named Prefect by a majority vote. However, when Marco is challenged unexpectedly to a Monomacy duel by the newly named Reeve, Josephine Sterling, the three Carthian women disappear, perhaps out of fear of persecution by the First Estate.

Scenes

Among the Kine

Known among the Kine, he is Konrad Roth Jr., only son of the late Konrad Roth. According to his driver's license he was born in 1982. He supposedly works as a pawn broker employee in affiliation with a local business in Sacramento.

Criminal Affiliations

Mafia Bagman, Fence, & Associate

• Allies ●●●● (Criminals)
• Allies ● (Street)
• Allies ● (Arms Dealers)
• Contacts ● (Criminals)
• Contacts ● (Street)
• Status ●● (Criminals)

Hookups

Ashley Cohen (link)

Elysium Laws and Information