Petruccio
Background
B. Petruchio (Hacker/Boss) Real name: B. Roselyn Actual age: 80, Apparent age: 30-something [b 4037 (80yrs), vamped in 4077 (age 40), joined Karve in 4087] Sub-species designation: Vampire, Ventrue Union: Merchants Origin: Sheltered Elite (Politics, Subterfuge) Home System: Resurgence
House Roselyn
Motto: “Flore Aedificetur” (Bloom and Rebuild). A wealthy family of bankers on Resurgence, the roots of which were founded in rebuilding their planet in the wake of the Thurisaz War. They began as bankers to the Multitude who sought to rebuild homes and businesses, and in addition helped re-establish the banking system with effective encryption. When they made a profit on interest and transaction fees they started buying interest in other banks and some Megacorps, and eventually became bankers to the Aristocratic houses. Finally they made enough money over the years to become Aristocratic themselves and swear fealty to House Lok, which had long observed their rise with curiosity, and clearly had further use for their resources in their rivalries with the Megacorps.
-Exerpt from An Introduction to the Elite Families of Insurgence [1]
History
It seems like your strange spate of bad luck started before you were even born, although you didn’t know the full story until you were well into adulthood. Your grandfather was Bas Lok, so originally your father Gratz was also born into House Lok. Unfortunately, Bas was very unkind to his wife Portia- originally of House Roselyn and who’s own mother was a common programmer that backstabbed her way up into Elite society. Married for her wealth, bred for heirs and then discarded, Portia sadly killed herself. Unfortunately Empyrial media companies keep remaking her sad story into obviously politicised tv movie propaganda every few decades, which is also how you first stumbled upon the family tragedy.
After her death, Bas was eager to find a new trophy spouse, and thus disinherited Portia’s children to make himself a more attractive bachelor. At least your father and his siblings were adopted back into House Roselyn by their own grandparents, to maintain their Elite standing, and took on their mother’s name to reflect this. Cora and Hen Roselyn were kind to their blood, but secretly quite ruthless to everyone else, and Gratz Roseln raised his own children in much the same tradition. Dinnertime stories of goings-on at school could easily influence underhanded or hostile takeovers of other companies and holdings over the next few months. You quickly learned that in life one must utilize every advantage to get ahead and keep what you have.
After growing up and graduating from some of the finest schools in the Core for finance and computer science, you were unfortunately not in line to be the next head of House Roselyn, so instead you coordinated with the family to take your talents into the Expanse and see what kinds of corporate espionage you could work out for the good of the family. And potentially connive your way back into House Lok if possible. For better or worse, this got the attention of a Ventrue Vampire that went by the name Tamia, and when you politely declined her offer of immortality she forced the issue by Dominating your will. It was a few years before you discretely came out to your father about this … problem, but he was surprisingly supportive along. The Roselyns don’t discriminate against Supernaturals when there’s money to be made, although the most recent family head is starting to depart from tradition. Father recommended you make the best of your circumstances. So you set up “Mx Petruchio” as a new persona to try living outwardly as a Kindred, and if anyone in the Core tries investigating your Roselyn name then presumably they’re just a mortal in deep cover in some Megacorp or other. You moved over to Idun System for it’s greater tolerance of Supernaturals, and to learn what it was to be Kindred among your new people.
Identity forgery wasn’t exactly in your wheelhouse back then, but through various darkweb contacts you found a rather odd hacker to help you out- Nerissa Flax. Instead of exacting a monetary fee, she bartered her services for Favors, and your agreement to join the Conservators Union. Overall she’s proved far more useful and informative than your own sire, which is most surprising considering Nerissa is a Mage.
But being a vampire isn’t all fun and immortality. About ten years after moving to Idun, Tamia made the terrible decision of trying to pull a coup on the Prince of the system. You were not actually involved, but when she and another childe of hers were caught red handed, the immediate order from the local Sheriff was to shoot first and ask questions later. Luckily, you were raised to be an upper-class survivor, so when you went into hiding on Idun you had a wide range of skills and resources to draw on until you could escape out of the system and start over somewhere else. You kept this game up for about a month before the Sheriff caught up with you, but despite their obvious frustration they didn’t immediately try to kill you. Instead you were dragged into your first meeting with Prince Tilda herself, at which you figured you’d be executed. Nope, wrong again. Instead she explained some details about your lineage that Tamia hadn’t told you before, and being somewhat impressed by your skills as a sneak offered you an interesting new job to prove yourself. The Supernatural Suppression Act had been in effect for almost 30 years, and given how Idun was founded as a safe haven for all peoples, the Prince and other local supernats were in the process of developing an underground-railroad of sorts to get people out of the Core more easily. And you had exactly the kind of skill set she was looking for in the management of said venture. Thus began Karve Tourism Ltd.
In the years following, you’ve done a pretty good job at maintaining both the official, legal company and discretely ferrying supernats and other escapees from the Core to parts-abroad. Under the table your company also offers a “new profile package” for those who need a whole new persona created, and once in a while you ask your Mage friend for help with those. You work for cash or Favors, depending on the client, and some “itineraries” require a more hands-on approach when customers find themselves in a tricky situation. Your company doesn’t have it’s own ship thus far, so how convenient that there’s a veritable army of “shipping specialists” (pirates) that uses Idun as it’s base of operations. Sometimes you get to pick your own employees, at other times your “investors” will point your towards people they deem useful or worthy. Now that many parts of The Expanse are falling into the same prejudices as The Core, Karve extends it’s services out into The Verge as well. Hopefully Idun stays tolerant, because you don’t fancy having to move your operation entirely to The Verge.
