Luke Freeman
Luke was born in 1682 into slavery on a Bahamian plantation, to parents who were sold and separated before he reached adolescence. With his enormous size and muscular frame, he spent long days with the sugar cane, often incurring the overseer's whip for his stubborn and proud attitude. It took years of planning, but eventually Luke ran away to Spanish Florida, where fugitive slaves from British colonies received emancipation. There were few options available to Luke as a freedman, however, so he turned his back on a hostile white society and became a pirate. He lacked naval knowledge, but he was tough and intimidating, and not afraid of using violence. He joined the crew of John "Calico Jack" Rackham, where the met the vampire who would be his sire. Ezra McClelland was a contemporary of the famous Brujah Anarch Smiling Jack, although their exact relationship is unclear, whether Luke knows if he is “related” to the renowned Brujah instigator is a mystery but it is not a rumor he has worked hard to disprove.
Ezra McClelland had a political streak, but an independent one, and had no loyalty to the
Camarilla or the Sabbat. The New World offered him the chance to find isolation on the frontier of the European empires, and his odd sleeping habits lent themselves well to piracy. The power vacuum could not last, however, and gradually both sects established powerful domains in North and South America. Deciding he had more in common with the Caribbean Sabbat, Luke betrayed his sire and led him into an ambush. He asserts he diaberlized Ezra just to prove his loyalty, but the truth is
Luke desired to grow closer to the blood of Caine.
Luke took his knowledge of surprise attacks, hand-to-hand fighting, and battle tactics and applied them to his new pack, assaulting vulnerable Camarilla possessions. He built a reputation as an accomplished veteran warrior and strategist, and a charisma latent in his personality started to manifest. His mastery of asymmetrical warfare on land and sea earned him recognition. He rose to the status of ductus and formed his first pack from the survivors of a successful war party. He claims never to have joined the Black Hand, arguing it is redundant. According to Luke, the entirety of the Sabbat should be devoted to war, not just part of it.
Luke spent most of the 19th and 20th centuries on the front lines of the southern United States, where he took enjoyment in terrorizing the slave-owning class (and their later apologists) there. He did not come to Miami until the 1990s, when the Sabbat was
in the midst of launching Crusades across North America. To the many shovelheads pressed into sect service in huge waves to be sent against Camarilla strongpoints, Luke was an experienced role model. It is a reputation he still deals on today, and his pro-war views have not moderated. He felt an affinity for the Bahamian-American community in Miami and founded a coven, and since its foundation in 2001 the West Grove Family is highly respected by the local Sabbat, especially Miami's Loyalists.
The Loyalist faction of the Miami Sabbat have no formal organization, which is as to be expected. Any informal hierarchy would certainly have Luke at the top. His strength and age aside, he is also a true believer in Loyalist principles. He is not a rebel for the sake of being one; having experienced both bondage and absolute freedom, he sees the struggle against the Antediluvian puppet-masters as a righteous one, and views the navel-gaming, pompous behavior of Mendoza and his sycophants as shameful. To him, every night that passes that the Miami Sabbat are not taking the fight to their hated nemeses is a wasted one. Despite this mentality, Luke would prefer to avoid an intra-sect civil war in the city, as nothing would make the Camarilla happier. He plays the role of the loyal opposition, pushing for more aggressive moves at the top, while ultimately keeping just enough in line to stay alive.
Privately, Luke is extremely well-read and intellectual, well- versed in everything from Karl Marx to Ta-Nahesi Coates. He also studies pieces by Noddist scholars on Caine, written by Sabbat authors. He counts on others to presume he is a boorish thug because he looks like one, at least according to their prejudices.
Overconfident, they reveal their own weaknesses. To him, it is the “rabble” of the Sabbat that are its lifeblood, not entitled elders.
At present, Luke is focused on organizing a war party to launch a raid into Camarilla-controlled Jacksonville. He has selected a well-known Toreador elder, a member of the local primogen, as the party's target. Luke hopes to track down the elder and diaberlize her, as he believes she is closer to Caine than him.
Luke is openly addicted to the blood of his fellow vampires, and increased chances to drain powerful Cainites motivates his clamoring for war. He is not above feeding on Sabbat vampires who get on his bad side, as long as they are not important enough to matter. Packs who cross into Family territory are more likely than not to regret doing so, especially if Luke is feeling ravenous.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Luke is every bit as large and fearsome as he was when he was alive, with a chiseled physique covered in scars and burns. He is too rough in appearance to be handsome, and a history of broken noses have flattened his face.
His presence is commanding and intense. He usually wears casual urban outfits, especially baseball caps, hoodies, and athletic wear. He keeps his head shaved but decorates his ears, neck, and fingers with jewelry. He wears white war paint into battle, a throwback to his pirate days.
Character Breakdown
- Sire: Ezra McClelland
- Nature: Rebel
- Demeanor: Fanatic
- Generation: 9th
- Willpower: 7
- Morality: Path of Caine 5
Species
Life
1682
1710
28 years old
Children
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
Stats
Physical
Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5
Comments