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Braxton Donahoe (WoD)

SchreckNet Data File

Appearance

Vampire - Senya - Primogen Braxton Donahoe.jpg

Braxton resembles a man somewhere between his late 40s and early 50s. This is a choice, as he is a master of his clan discipline of Apparitionem and can change his appearance at a whim. He chooses to appear this age because he feels that it gives off the right level of matured respectability to gain respect from mortals, and his lack of aging not be as obviously noticeable; whilst not appearing so old that his vigour is questionable. His looks are good enough to be appealing, yet not so striking as to attract unwarranted attention (especially from the Toreador clan). His age, like the rest of his appearance, is a carefully considered construct to suit his aims.

Braxton always carries himself with confidence and charm, and dresses in expensive clothing - whether Armani suits when conducting business or Ralph Lauren for casual occasion. You will not find him wearing common Primark and Wallmart clothing in public. If he wears anything different in public, there's a very specific reason why. Privately, however, he prefers lounge suits and cares little about the price tag (although he admits he has grown to enjoy the finer things in life) - possibly a throwback to his mortal days, where he struggled financially and could not afford the most expensive clothing, but endeavoured to look respectable within his financial means.

Background

Prelude

Braxton was born Pierce Donahoe in 1738 in Drogheda, Ireland. He was the son of a humble carpenter impoverished and fed up of life under the English Protestant Ascendancy. In 1750 (Aged 12) his father took the decision to move the family to America. They survived the arduous journey, but it left the as indentured workers in Lexington, Massachusetts. Despite this, they were safe and content and the hard-working Irishmen worked their debts off within a few years and built a successful business. It was around then that young Pierce met Maria, the daughter of a Lexington Army Colonel. By the time he was 16, the hard-working and charismatic Braxton began courting Maria, to the displeasure of her father. In an attempt to curry favour from Maria's father, Pierce joined the Militia and excelled enough to be made one of the Lexington Minutemen, which allowed him to do military service but remain in the family carpentry trade. His sharpshooting, charisma and strategic cunning made him rise steadily through the ranks. When he was 19 Pierce was voted by the other minutemen to become an officer, earning the grudging respect of Maria's father, who finally consented to their marriage. A year later, Maria gave birth to a son who they named Braxton. Complications from childbirth caused Maria's health to steadily decline and although Pierce did everything he could for her, she ultimately died a few years later, leaving Pierce to raise the child alone.

Despite Maria's loss, Pierce and Braxon prospered, with Braxton never knowing the hardship and relative poverty his father had worked hard to get out of. Braxton remained with the Minutemen until he was considered too old (in his 30s) after which he remained in the family business, although also retained in the militia. The situation changed a couple of decades later when tensions between the colonials and Britain began rising, culminating in the Boston Tea Party in 1773, which prompted Pierce's son Braxton to join the Minutemen shortly after - against his father's wishes. Rising tensions led to the "shot heard 'round the world" on April 19, 1775 when British Light Infantry opened fire on Lexington militiamen killing eight men, including Braxton.

This prompted an outraged Pierce to return to duty as a Captain of the militia, and take part in the engagement against British forces in the Battles of Lexington and Concord. So great was his rage that he was witnessed scalping a British solider hors de combat at the North Bridge. Pierce fought for the revolutionaries during the Revolutionary War, eventually making Lt. Colonel. He was renown for his cunning strategy and fierce fighting, loyal to his men but ruthless against the enemy. It was only after the war ended that the now 45-year old Pierce's rage appeared to finally subside, and he began using his status to help those affected by the war - the injured, widowed and orphaned. It was around this time that Isabela of Clan Senya, who had been watching him with interest, embraced him.

Isabela helped Pierce fake his death and they left Massachusetts. As Clan Senya was undergoing the Great Deception, Pierce took his deceased son's name as his own - both as a tribute to his son, an anchor for his humanity, and a symbol that his life was over - and, like his sire, pretended to be of Clan Ventrue.

Kindred Existence

The newly-named Braxton followed his sire around for several years, learning clan lore. Braxton has always had a natural fluency for languages, but little opportunity. Under his sire's tutelage and their travels, he became a multilinguist and learnt the fine art of politics, which his cunning mind saw as a different form of combat and strategy. After seven years, once she considered his "classical education" over, he was reassigned Kristina Otis as his Godmother - a deliberate clash of personalities deliberately engineered by his sire to help both develop. Although the rest of his adoption period was a difficult one, he admits he learnt much from Kristina, especially regarding combat and infiltration. Once he finished the clan's adoption period, he travelled a lot - settling in places for decades at a time under the instruction of his sire - building up his personal wealth, business and political acumen and personal power.

During the Second World War, Braxton used his shape-shifting ability to good effect, working with the Brujah elder Thomas Wingfield to assist the French Resistance combat the Nazis. It was at this time that he met Yvette Bouvier and Nina Williams. He became enamoured with Yvette and embraced her after the war, with Thomas embracing Nina; and in time Yvette become his wife. They settled down in Paris after the war and remained there comfortably until Yvette was murdered in 1988 - an act which nearly broke Braxton. Alleging the murder having been committed (and denied) by Clan Tremere, this began a personal intolerance against the warlocks that would last until Braxton discovered and took justice on the true murderer in 1996.

When Braxton came to Ashford in 1994 he was wealthy, bitter and full of purpose - having decided to make a fresh start and set down permanent roots for the good of his Clan, and to climb the Clan's status ladder for both their benefit. Whilst he was not the first Senya to be in Ashford, he was the first to arrive by request of his sire - a member of the Clan Senya Inner Council - in order to establish a permanent powerbase for his Clan to operate in the region, as for the moment due to the Grand Deception they were scattered and had influences, but Isabela now desired her childer to become pillars of clan Senya's Camarilla. As California was contested by increasing strength of the Anarch Movement around Los Angeles, Sabbat incursions from Mexico in the south, and arrivals of the mysterious and deadly oriental Cathayan vampires in San Francisco, the clan desired more presence in some of the inland regions. Braxton set his resources to bear, and went from being a multi-millionaire on his arrival in 1994 to a certified billionaire in a little over a decade. Though the specifics are not known, he courted the aid of other Senya in town so that all would prosper - good for the individual and good for the clan. Whilst the Final Schism nearly ended all this, Braxton's rise in both Clan and City status has been remarkable.

Shortly after arriving in 1994 Braxton began working closely with Clarissa Jade of Clan Senya, employing her JadeTech company to set up the technological infrastructure of his new business and mansion security. Though still bitter and grieving over Yvette's death, there was an undeniable spark between Braxton and Jade which became an actual relationship within weeks. Renown in mortal society as a playboy, Braxton has been well known to have stated in the media that he has only truly loved three women in his life. Whilst many believe this may be simply pandering to the mortal gossip columns, others believe it an indicator that his Playboy lifestyle is a masquerade cover and that he loves Jade truly as he once did Maria and Yvette.

A respected believed-Ventrue elder until Clan Senya ended the Great Deception after the Second Grand Conclave and officially joined the Camarilla in 1993, he was accepted as Ashford's first Clan Senya Primogen, as well as its Patriarch. As Senya Primogen Braxton was respected (if not liked) by most of the Primogen and the Prince. He was known to be politically neutral between the other Primogen, but foster inter-clan ties. Surprising to many, when Kaimi Condra took over as Tremere Primogen in 2001 they quickly built an effective working relationship (some say even friendship, but both Clan Senya and Tremere deny this) which prospered both clans and helped diffuse some of the ancient animosity between the clans. He was particularly well known to get along with the Nosferatu Primogen. Indeed it is believed that by combining the spying abilities of Clan Nosferatu and infiltration abilities of Clan Senya into one effective alliance was directly responsible for Braxton (and Clan Senya's) rapid rise in Ashford. As Patriarch, he improved the clan's influence, made them successful and made Ashford effectively a staging point for Senya infiltrations into Anarch and Sabbat territories. In time, by extending his influence and gaining status by supporting and aiding clan Phantoms in California and Mexico, he was elected to be First Among Equals.

For a while after the Sabbat Crusade began Braxton was not seen. It was known that he survived the Ashford Opera House Massacre but sources stated he was inconsolable about Jade's murder in the attack, and that he had not left his mansion (or even his personal suite) since. This left many others concerned, especially the clan's children as the clan now appeared to be leaderless and rudderless. Time would tell that Braxton in fact had captured the very Sabbat that killed Jade, ruthlessly dominated him and used his Apparitionem Discipline to turn him into his body double, kept in a permanent frenzy until the ruse was discovered by his prodigal progeny, Valerie Leigh when she returned to aid her sire after hearing of events and his plight and was forced to accidentally kill [who they believed was] Braxton. Secretly, Braxton and the clan's brethren had been in high-gear. Whilst most of the "normal" Senya focused on maintaining the masquerade, the clan's Ippotis (Knights) and Fántasma (Phantoms) were busy tracking down both the local warlords of the Sabbat Crusade as well as who their Sabbat backers were. Using his influence as First, and coordinating with Phantoms in Sabbat territories outside of Ashford, Braxton was able to learn who the Sabbat Bishops backing the assault were and were headhunted by dedicated Crusader Ippotis and Wraith Fántasma pulled from both Ashford and other California domains. Removing the backing of the Sabbat masters behind the scenes left the Sabbat Crusade force in Ashford isolated and without backup, and although it was the Malkavian whip who managed to arrange the meeting with the autarkis Tatjana that led to the identification of the Sabbat Warlord and her safehouse, the actual strike team that took her and her black hand pack down included two Senya - Cassandra O'Neil and Valerie Leigh - with Valerie being the kindred who slew the Sabbat Warlord.

This victory by Cassandra and Valerie was particularly notable as Cassandra was an Aderfi (Sister) and Valerie a Pythias Kóri (Prodigal Daughter). In recognition of their actions throughout the crusade, Valerie's Pythias status was lifted, and she was welcomed back into the clan. Additionally, she was granted Kóri (daughter) status although she had only been kindred for 15 years, ending her Adoption period half a decade early. In the case of Cassandra, already an Aderfi and with aspirations of being an Ippotis (Knight), her actions were recognised as proof of her suitability and she was granted Ippotis Paladin status - the youngest in the clan's history.

Mortal Society

Donahoe Group of Companies (DGC)

Braxton has a reputation of being a playboy entrepreneur. He is seen at elite events, rubbing noses with politicians, businessmen, judges and partying with A-list celebrities. He is the sole owner of the Donahoe Group of Companies - a disparate range of scattered and independent businesses that have little in common except that he owns them and then lets them run themselves with little interference. Additionally, he is a minority partner/silent shareholder in various other businesses - often helping other set up the business he believes have merit by contributing start-up capital in return for sizeable shares - and therefore investment on his returns as well as, even more importantly, making connections and influences in various fields. In the case of kindred-owned businesses, it also gains him the gratitude (and boons) from those he aids. One newspaper referred to him as "Ashford's Hugh Hefner" - Braxton simply replied "ah... but Hugh only owns one business..."

He is a proliferate and casual big-spender, renown for his love of fast cars, bikes and flying. It is said that the only vehicle type he does not own is a tractor. Much of this spending, however, is charitable. He provides financial aid to many local charities, educational establishments and the police force. This makes him popular in Ashford (and may explain why he never gets a speeding ticket). It is known that every year he holds a big high-society New Years ball at his mansion which helps raise money for charity, although it was cancelled for one year after the Christmas 2016 Opera House Massacre which resulted in the death of his wife and marked the beginning of "The Riots" - but was back again the following year, raising record amounts of money for charity, highlighting the need for community spirit and rebuilding after the riots.

The main companies owned by the Donahoe Group of Companies includes:

The Bronx

Once a legendary theatre and now the hippest dance club in Ashford, the Bronx is one of the best nightclubs in Ashford with the astounding vibe, live music, best DJs, cleanliness, and beverages. It is famous as a place for singles, with an atmosphere and bar incentives to encourage hook-ups. This was Braxton's first business venture in Ashford and he has taken great pains to encourage the hookup vibe as it is his principal hunting ground. The manager's office used to be his personal office and, even though the Donahoe Group now has its own corporate premises, and a respectable office and conference room in his own mansion, Braxton still enjoys coming to the Bronze and using the office on weekends as he enjoys its view over the crowd (and it being located in his principal hunting ground).

Group 6 Security

A private security firm providing various personal protection and security services in Ashford. G6 is one of the biggest security firms in Ashford, although limited so far to operating within Ashford, they predominantly employ ex-servicemen (police and military especially) and have regular training that keeps them at least as proficient as army regulars. Detractors have pointed out that they are over-trained and equipped for a security group, operating more as a paramilitary group and locally-operating mercenaries, making them effectively Braxton's personal army. Nevertheless, their excellent record for success, regular support of the Ashford Police Department (which includes security support as well as training) keeps them being the top security firm, if not the largest and certainly not the cheapest. Group 6 also hires out professional drivers, which function both as personal chauffers as well as security if need be. It is rumoured that Braxton has used the connections he has built up through this business to be able to source equipment and ammunition that would be at best dubiously legal, if not some outright highly illegal, such as silver and incendiary rounds, which seem to make their way to the Knights and Phantoms of his clan, amongst others.

Emerald Holdings

Although Braxton does not have a construction company of his own (some say "yet") he actively employs both Kliethermes Consult and Azevedo Construction to build new properties such as his Emerald Inn hotels, Emerald Pubs, and various housing communities. Emerald Holdings is the company within the Donahoe Group that does the Real Estate, which covers both normal commercial selling of properties as well as renting/leasing to both public and corporate clients, and being subcontracted by the Donahoe Group to handle the real estate and construction of upcoming properties. Indeed, Braxton has learned from McDonald's and made a fortune simply by Emerald Holdings buying up prime land and developing on it, then leasing the land to communities or businesses who wish to operate on it. This also means that Braxton has many holdings scattered around Ashford which can be used as alternate/emergency havens for himself or allies, especially when he wants to use a new cover identity.

Emerald Inns

A small chain of 120-room 3-diamond hotels at key locations around Ashford, aimed predominantly at short-stay guests, typically weekend getaways and the many overnight travellers and stop-over tourists in Ashford. Although rated overall 3-diamond by the AAA due to lack of overall amenities, the rooms were rated 4-diamond quality, with each hotel having free self-parking for guests, a night-time cocktail lunch that during the daytime functions as a cafeteria with full-day continental breakfasts and buffets, as well as a complimentary fitness centre, outdoor pool, on-site business centre, free WiFi and a bookable meeting room.

Emerald Pubs

A small, but growing chain of sports bars with authentic Irish vibe serving cold Guinness, beers like Hefeweizen, Heineken, and Newcastle lager on tap, alongside six local brews and thirty distinctive packaged lagers from everywhere throughout the world. The air is agreeable and welcoming, and their Sunday lunches and game nights are very popular with locals.

Emerald Bank

This originally began as Donahoe Group's finance department, but grew as the organisation began giving out loans and grants. Eventually, Braxton opened the Emerald Bank as a formal, if small, bank. It provides most traditional banking services but has only one physical branch in Ashford's financial centre as, via collaboration with JadeTech, the bank provides the best Online Banking facilities, support and experience in Ashford. Virtually all its services can be accessed via its award-winning software platform. The bank branch itself is open 24 hours, to cater for those with "daytime commitments" that find it hard to use banking facilities during normal working hours.

Emerald Wines

Braxton owns a small vineyard just outside Ashford which produces some red wines, which are sold locally and tend to be the house wine at the Emerald Inns as well as for events thrown by the Donahoe Group. They have a special vintage that is known to only be sold to special, VIP clientele - officially due to its scarcity, although no-one has been able to figure out what exactly the criteria for this clientele is, as it is not based on financial wealth or social status. This vintage is well known by the kindred as it is in fact vitae. Via connections with local slaughterhouses, it is actually predominantly bovine blood with a chemical process developed by Anastasia Nikolaevna, a member of Braxton's clan and leading expert on the Kindred condition. This "Chateau Donahoe" vintage tastes to all but the most discerning kindred like human blood - although it ultimately is only as satisfying to kindred hunger as dead bovine blood (ie, not much). It has become popular amongst the kindred, however, because it can be drunk at social events such as Elysium, without the complexities of "sourcing" kine vitae for the event, or worrying about possible contaminants in the blood (such as unscrupulous hosts pouring some of their own vitae into the available blood). It also has the advantage that the Beast responds to it like normal blood, which means it can help temporarily stave off a frenzy by indulging the Beast. An entire bottle of wine is approximately equivalent to one Vitae Efficacy Unit (VEU). The bottles are also a lot more discreet if stumbled upon by the kine than blood bags, or other typical ways of storing blood.

Emerald City

Originally started in 2004 as a cover for one of Braxton's cover identity as a Cantonese chef, in order to attempt to ascertain if the Cathayan vampires had began infiltrating Ashford after the fall of Oxnard, the restaurant began doing better than Braxton originally anticipated and is still a popular restaurant to this day. Although there are many Chinese-cuisine restaurants in Ashford, this one is aimed more towards the Chinese community and (by design) has become a popular place for Ashford's tongs to hang out - which, in turn, has pulled them into Braxton's sphere of influence.

Emerald Sports Group (Sam Lynn Ballpark)

The Sam Lynn Ballpark is a historic baseball ballpark with a history of financial instability. Braxton purchased it in 2012 after a series of wranglings and manipulation of Kern Country politics of which Braxton is very proud of achieving. It has undergone a major refurbishment and is now home to the Ashford Armadillos, a Pecos League Baseball team. Secretly, Braxton was saddened by the mass-exodus of the Gangrels in Ashford and sought a way to retain some of them and improve his ties with them. One of the most influential (or at least most sociable) Gangrels was Cindy Walker who had exerted influence over the Ashford Blaze baseball team for a while, being a former KASH CBS 29 Sportscaster and lifelong baseball fan. Under the umbrella of the newly-formed Emerald Sports Group (ESG) company, Braxton bought the Ballpark and offered Cindy a job - he asked her to be the CEO of the ESG and both run the ballpark (with appropriate staff to handle all the legal and financial burdens, of course) as well as build a new Ashford baseball team, which would have the Ballpark as its guaranteed home. This was like achieving a life's dream for Cindy - being able to run the team and stadium as she saw fit, without having to seduce corrupt old managers to exert influence over the team. Construction and building the new team was delayed a little by the events of the Sabbat Crusade, in which Cindy proved loyal to the Camarilla and ensuring several other Gangrel remained so too, proving Braxton's instincts and intentions about the Gangrels to be correct. As the Ashford Blaze team was owned by the previous owner and unwilling to sell to ESG, the Blaze played their last game in 2016 after which ESG did a major refurbishment of the Sam Lynn Ballpark and built a new baseball team - the Ashford Armadillos. The new team and refurbished Ballpark were ready in time for the first games of the Pesos League in May the following year. Although Braxton sees this venture mostly as both a form of community charity, and a way to have a connection (and influence) with Cindy (and, by extension, the remainder of the Gangrel clan loyal to the Camarilla), under Cindy's leadership the Armadillos have done surprisingly well and, by extension, local Ashford support for them has grown, resulting in the Ballpark not being the financial drain he was fearing - at least drawing even if not proving profitable, especially with the Ballpark being employed as the venue for a variety of other events such as concerts, dog shows, and drive-in movies.

Emerald Motors

Braxton is a renown aficionado of exotic cars and other vehicles, having a personal collection of over 20 vehicles in his own garage, which includes several Ferrari's, of which he is a fan and on the list to automatically receive first chance to purchase the latest model, which he always does. He also have various other vehicles for different occasions (and cover identities), as well as a helicopter, Learjet and luxury yacht. So it was no surprise to anyone when he opened his own car dealership, selling exotic and sporty luxury cars, which began as a way for him to sell off the vehicles he no longer wanted from his fleet - all-too-often having relatively low mileage due to the fact he has too many vehicles and not enough free time to get a lot of mileage out of them.

Ashford Speedway

Formally known as Kern Country Raceway Park, the Speedway is a half-mile oval asphalt speedway just off Interstate 5 in the greater Ashford metropolitan area. Braxton purchased the old Mesa Marin Raceway in 2013, replacing it with the new raceway park. Although it is not the oldest raceway/motoring park in Ashford - there are various - it is one of the best known with a standard seating capacity of 5,000 for fans, with the capability of being expanded to 17,000 seats for various events, including 21 suites in the grandstand along with 18 concession stands. Northwest of the track is also a motocross motorcycle track. The Speedway hosts events with NASCAR's NASCAR Weekly Racing Series along with a ARCA Menards Series West race since 2013. His motivations for the purchase - other than financial - are his renown interest in fast vehicles. Braxton always said "having fast cars is no fun if you have to drive slow" and now he has his own professional-level racetrack in which he (and those he invites) can drive his vehicles as fast as they like or even race, without breaking local traffic laws and worrying about legal repercussions (including potential risks to the Masquerade).

Partners

Businesses not completely owned by the Donahoe Group, but in which they are a major shareholder - typically a silent partner - include:

The Padre Hotel

The Padre Hotel is owned by a venture company of which the Donahoe Group is the minor partner, with the majority-owner being the Ventrue anarch Lisa Polarine who Braxton is renown (in the halls of Elysium) as having had an affair with, and still has a close working relationship with. Although Braxton's Emerald Inns are nice earners and good for their purpose, he agreed with Lisa's vision for the benefit of a luxury hotel in Ashford that would offer more than a pleasant stay for transients, but offer facilities not available in (or better than) other Ashford hotels and be a reason to visit. It is Ashford's only 4-diamond AAA-rated hotel, and the Donahoe Group frequently uses it to accommodate visiting VIPS, as well as hold conferences and events.

JadeTech

Although Braxton is a minority partner in many businesses, JadeTech has the distinction of being around before Braxton's own company. The personal enterprise of Clarissa Jade (aka "Jade") of Clan Senya, who would eventually become Braxton's third wife, JadeTech began as a small IT company which grew exponentially. By the time Braxton met Jade, and employed JadeTech to set up the IT and security in Braxton's mansion when he first moved to Ashford, JadeTech was one of Ashford's premier IT companies - although small in size. As they got to know each other, Jade often talked about her aims for JadeTech's expansion but, at the time, Braxton's fortune was not yet as stratospheric as it would become and he had his own concerns. Several years later, Jade accepted his offer to invest capital into JadeTech for expansion, insisting that the company remain under her sole control and he a silent partner, to which he agreed. With this capital, JadeTech expanded to become an Internet Service Provider (ISP) providing its JadeNET internet services to both residential and commercial clients. JadeNET has built a reputation for reliability, security and ease of use - and they are known to prove subsidised or free internet to those in need, as well as free (or Donahoe-Group Sponsored) WiFi spots around Ashford. Although not owned by the Donahoe Group, in practice, JadeTech is effectively the Donahoe Group's IT wing. All the Group's IT needs are handled by JadeNET, who remotely operate the Donahoe Group's servers and maintain and supply their equipment in a long-term outsource agreement at favoured pricing. JadeNET also hosts several SchreckNET nodes and, just like the Nosferatu have SchreckNET areas that only they can access, JadeNET hosts SchreckNET areas that only members of Clan Senya can access.

Other Notes

Political Ambitions?

For a brief period of time Braxton was the Seneschal of Ashford - a position of authority that implies respect and trust by the Prince. Braxton downplays this claiming that he only "kept the seat warm for Genevieve Montclair whilst she and the Prince were having a disagreement" and voluntarily relinquished the role shortly after. Whilst many suspect he wishes to make a play to the throne, the fact that he has had a working relationship with the (notoriously paranoid) Prince Kratus indicates the Prince believes Braxton's claim that he is "much too busy in my position within my clan to be Prince" and that it serves both Ashford and his clan best to keep things as they are.

This view is espoused by others within his clan. Braxon holds the position of First-Amongst-Equals, which is a regional controller for the clan who oversees what other Senya do in other domains. Young, pro-Braxton members of his clan state that "Braxton becoming a Prince would be like a step down for him - why control just one city when you already run the state?"

Majordomo: Alfred Pertwee

Alfred Pertwee, Braxton's loyal ghoul

Those who have had any kind of interaction with Braxton will likely have noticed the presence of a man seemingly in his late 40s going by the name Alfred Pertwee. Alfred always wears smart suits whilst working and those in the know might recognise them as Aspetto suits - tailored suits with ballistic mesh lining. Very expensive - which says a lot about either Alfred's salary or how much Braxton values him. All kindred know that Alfred has been Braxton's ghoul since the Second World War, and is very loyal and knows his master well and serves him with distinction.

The actual truth is a little more intricate. Indeed they have been acquainted since the Second World War. Alfred was a combat medic of the nascent British Special Air Service in 1943 and served under Braxton in deep infiltration aiding the French Resistance, with Alfred pretending to be a medic. Although Alfred was mortal, he was loyal to his officer and they became friends. When Braxton embraced their Resistance contact Yvette, Alfred remained with them as his permanent ghoul - the first time Braxton kept a ghoul with long-term intention, having previously used and replaced them frequently as required. Alfred has been with Braxton and a ghoul long enough that were he kindred, would be considered an Ancilla. Although Braxton has offered Alfred the Embrace various times, Alfred has refused - feeling he can better serve Braxton as a ghoul, and "no desire to relinquish the pleasures of beer and footie under the sun". Braxton has always treated Alfred more like a progeny than a ghoul, training him accordingly and, due to Braxton's generation and Alfred's length of service, Alfred is capable of Discipline levels above most normal ghoul vassals, approximately equal to thin-blooded vampires of the 14th generation. Alfred is capable enough and knows Braxton so well, in fact, that he is capable of using Apparitionem to make himself look like Braxton. Although it is not a flawless reconstruction, it is more than good enough to fool most people and this serves Braxton well as Alfred frequently makes daytime appearances pretending to be his master.

Most people simply know Alfred as the polite British ghoul butler, but in practice, he is closer to an older neonate junior partner. He is quite capable of handling himself and serves as Braxton's chauffeur, butler and household majordomo, as well as a personal bodyguard and head of the household security. He is often "in" on Braxton's secret plans, which he may not sure even with other clan members. He is not to be underestimated.

Sugar Daddy: Lisa Polarine

Lisa Polarine

Braxton is infamous for having a variety of secret identities which he uses for everything from hunting or relating to mortals incognito or liaising with contacts. Many of these identities even have full legal identities. In 2003 he created the persona of Maurice LeRochette, a Toreador neonate and tattooist, as part of an undercover investigation/infiltration of Anarch activities. During this time he ended up having an affair with a Ventrue neonate named Lisa Polarine. Lisa was considered an outcast by the Ventrue clan who did their best to ensure she remained rock bottom. Originally underestimating her, they brought her down low but underestimated her financial wizardry and investments that even the Ventrue could not touch without serious efforts, more than they were willing to put into someone they underestimated. Lisa managed to putchase the historic, though dilapidated Padre Hotel, to the Ventrue's surprise - but they then did everything they could to put her in legal restrictions on operations and ability to renovate the hotel. With most of her financial savings invested in the hotel, Lisa struggled to make ends meet - but was defiant against her clan. Instead of breaking her, the Ventrue Board ultimately pushed her into becoming an Anarch.

Braxton claims he never meant to hurt or manipulate Lisa, but he knew he was mutually blood-bound to Jade, and did not reveal this to Lisa, who was foolish and naive enough to share The Kiss with each other - believing they would be mutually bonding which would strengthen their love. The result was that Lisa became bound to Braxton, but not the reverse - a very one-sided relationship. After Braxton's investigations were over, he revealed the truth of who he really was to Lisa and, for a brief time, continued being lovers with her. Until Jade decided she was tired of humouring her paramour's flight of fancy, and stole him back effortlessly thanks to both her charms, their natural love as well as their mutual blood bond.

Although this left Lisa abandoned romantically, their time together had created a relationship between Braxton and Lisa. As a working-class man who built himself up from scratch, and a renown defiant-against-the-odds attitude, he had come to care for Lisa in his own way - despite the efforts of the Ventrue clan, she was still around, in operation, slowly building her finances and mentally defiant. Both valuing her financial wizardry and, privately, enjoying poking the Ventrue, Braxton gave Lisa his patronage - both allowing the Blood Bond he held to break naturally over time and employing her as a financial consultant for a variety of things, which led to the set-up of his Emerald Inn Hotels, a series of 3-star hotels around Ashford known for reliability but low cost, which made him (and by commission, Lisa) a tidy sum. But most importantly, as she worked for Braxton it made the Ventrue back off just enough to give Lisa a fair shot, allowing her to prosper financially in just a few years without expensive legal and obstructive Ventrue-caused issues tying her down. In 2008 she enlisted Braxton's help to partner up and form Padre Partners LLC, majority-owned and run by Lisa, but with Braxton as a holder of significant shares. Padre Partners LLC managed to broker a deal with the City of Ashford for an $18 million renovation of the Padre Hotel as a historic and iconic location - a renovation that began the City of Ashford's urban renewal of Old Downtown (in which the DGC would be involved in aiding) that revitalised what had become a slum area to one of cultural and historic significance and prosperity. The renovations were finished in 2010 and the hotel reopened as a sophisticated Boutique Hotel - Ashford's only AAA-rated 4-diamond hotel. The hotel is majority-owned and run by Lisa, with Braxton's only real input being his original financial capital investment/purchasing of shares that allowed the renovation of the hotel, and now reaping the economic benefits of the hotel's success. Although Padre Partners LLC is not considered a part of the DGC as Braxton is not the majority shareholder, it has a working relationship with them (such as the DGC often employing the Padre Hotel's event and boardroom facilities) - more importantly, as it is known that Braxton is a major shareholder, the Ventrue will not take direct action against the Hotel to risk starting a war with the leader of a Clan that is now in a stronger position than they are.

Since Jade's death, Braxton has been seen spending more time with Lisa and those in the know wonder if they may be rekindling their old flame - something both kindred have denied, especially as Lisa now identifies as an Anarch in defiance to the Ventrue who, allegedly, were impressed enough with her to offer an olive branch and membership in their peerage, which Lisa allegedly defiantly refused and claimed membership of the Anarch Movement.

Combat Style

Braxton generally tries to avoid combat and as his past is not common knowledge, many underestimate his combat prowess. They believe him a businessman with political and social acumen, but forget that for almost the entirety of his mortal life he was a solder and has been tested in various wars. Embraced at age 46, Braxton's agilty and speed are not what they used to be in his youth, but his marksmanship skills are still sharp and a fencing master (both of which he credits to the duelling culture of early modern europe). Additionally, he is known to practice martial arts. Braxton therefore is comfortable using handguns at range or engaging in melee. When expecting combat he takes a British Officer's Saber (allegedly taken from the man he scalped with a hatchet on the North Bridge) that is believed to have been thaumaturgically or magically empowered to deadly effect - and prefers to engage in melee. He states he prefers to use "the minimum violence necessary to resolve a situation - but whatever's necessary." Through the use of his disciplines, Braxton has been known to sprout wings and fly, to gain aerial advantage, or harden his skin to a point where most gunfire and weapons bounce off him. This has led to a reputation of indestructibility if given warning.

Social Style

Braxton is known to be friendly and "to the point." Whilst time has changed him, his roots as an honest, hard-working Irish carpenter are still there and he is honourable in his business dealings, prefers to cut past small talk and fluff and speaks cleanly and openly. He is not naive, however, and is quite capable of playing the games of Elysium as well as any elder - being deceptive when required. He has stated, however, that he prefers "honest dealings with smaller, but long-term benefits, than being dishonest for a larger short-term gain that earns the emnity of someone I'd rather be my ally."

He is known to take a shining to well-meaning neonates - especially females - and often mentors or sponsors them.


Signature Equipment

  • Sig-Sauer P229 Nitron Compact pistol
  • Military Saber - Braxton commonly refers to his sword as "EJ" (short for "Excalibur Junior") and treats it in a manner as if EJ were alive
  • Ferrari GTC4 Lusso - Braxton is a long-standing Ferrari fan, and has almost every model ever produced in his garage. The Lusso is his current favourite "normal daily use" car, although he has a couple of others he occasionally uses. It is rare his primary car is more than 4 years old, typically sold off when a new model he likes comes on the market.
  • Harley-Davidson "El Santo" - although Braxton has many motorcycles, and generally prefers cafe racer style motorcycles, this custom-modified and painted (by |Morena Arjona Heritage Softail was a birthday gift to him by Jade, and since her death has special emotional value to him. Braxton is keen on this bike for recreational and "chill out" use.
  • Mercedes S550 Diplomat Edition - Chauffer driven, this armoured stretch Limo is the most common way for Braxton to attend social or business functions, typically driven by his ghoul.
  • Bell 407 GXi helicopter - Braxton is a qualified pilot in various types of civilian propeller and jet aircraft. He employs the Bell 407 for recreational use or when he needs to travel large distances quickly. It is usually parked outside his mansion.
  • Learjet 75 Liberty - kept at Ashford Meadows Field Airport (try as he might, Braxton has been so far unable to get planning permission to build his own runway by his estate) and used for when he needs to travel distances. It is usually piloted by mortal crew (allowing him to use it during the day as he sleeps in the sun-proofed area), but Braxton has been known to fly it himself at nights.
  • "The Colonel's Daughter" - a Princess 82 luxury yacht modified kept in a dock in Los Angeles. It is intended as a way for him to "get away from it all" as well as a temporary occasion for when he has to travel to Los Angeles or San Francisco (he has a company move the ship in advance if this is the case) for business referring to his position as First, which requires personal attention. He typically uses his Bell 407 to get to San Francisco or Los Angeles, though he has been known to speed it in his Ferrari.
  • Emerald Estate
    The Emerald Estate
    - although Braxton has many holdings around Ashford which he can use for his various identities, this is his main Haven, ie place of residence although, curiously, not his Domain (as regards kindred rights as hunting grounds). It is one of the largest mansions in Ashford, situated in a 45-acre plot of land located in the Golden Oaks district of southwest Ashford. The main mansion itself is large and opulent, having grown over the years since originally built in 1993, and comprised around 10 luxury guest rooms with en-suite bathrooms, as well as a large main bedroom, dining hall, ballroom, cinema/games room, outdoor swimming pool, indoor hot tub, basketball half-cour, and wine cellar, amongst other facilities. Behind the mansion is a small arboretum, with a shrine-like area where Braxton's sword "EJ" is prominently placed, though few people understand why it's placed in such a natural and seemingly random environment, rather than displayed prominently in the mansion itself. In addition to the large mansion itself, on the grounds, there are also various other buildings including a "small" (comparative) house which is the personal property of his long-time ghoul majordomo (and some say, actual friend) Alfred Pertwee, a large garage that houses his personal collection of vehicles (known as "the fleet") and a separate building for security, live-in staff and is the data centre for the estate and the Donahoe Group of Companies. The estate has a large body of water which is officially considered a pond, but many argue is in fact a small lake. Braxton prefers to refer to it as the pond, as that gives the impression it will be smaller than it actually is - being large enough that it has its own pier, speedboat, two bridges to cross and sustains enough life that guests can do fishing there. The pond was artificially created but is fed through underground waterways by the nearby Buena Vista Canal. The estate is virtually walled by a thick canopy of trees, and then literally walled by an imposing and thick 20-foot tall wall made out of hardened material that makes it impossible to climb without professional gear. The wall is lined with many CCTV cameras and sensors that can detect the use of such gear, which causes a network of poles to spring up from the top of the wall and open up side-sections for an effective fence extending the height by an extra ten feet of reinforced, electrified fence. The main entry point to the estate has a large double-car width known as "the portcullis" with a nearby security house. It is actually modern in manufacturing and is actually quite silent, which Braxton found anti-climatic, and he had a set of speakers built into a concealed hollow by the portcullis which plays the sound of medieval iron portculis being opened.

Signature Quotes

  • "Veni, vidi, probaverunt eam, et emit eam" ("I came, I saw, I liked it, I bought it")

Gallery

  • Braxton Donahoe

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