SchreckNet Data File: Coterie Name
No information available.
Coterie: Background
No information available.
Coterie: Other Information
No information available.
Coterie: Members
At present, believed members of the coterie include:
Member Profile: X1
Full Article: Replace
- Real/Birth Name: No information available.
- Known Identity/Mortal Alias: No information available.
- Place of Origin: No information available.
- Height: 5'8"
- Occupation: No information available.
- Apparent Age: No information available.
- Embraced: No information available.
- Kindred Status: No information available.
- Sire: No information available.
- Clan: No information available.
- Sect: Camarilla
- Sect Status: No information available.
- Coterie Role: No information available.
Background
The infamous Gangrel that would come to be known as Keith Karloff was born in Seneca Village, New York City, to a mother from an Irish-immigrant family, and an American father. He was the youngest of three siblings. His family originally reared goats for a living, but after the 1835 Great Fire of New York and reconstruction, became a a fireman in the reform and expansion of New York's fire service. Although most of the village's residents had lived there for decades, the emancipation of Black New Yorkers in 1827 led to a rise in black property owners in the village. This, in turn, led to young Keith being raised among a mixed immigrant and black population of mostly working class and farmers which led to him being open-minded about race and nationality. As the education system in New York was in deplorable condition, with underfunded common schools that had no formal curriculum or textbooks, inadequate facilities and poorly trained teacher, his family shared the public's apathy towards schooling so he was raised with the expectation of getting a vocation - expected to be after his father. But exposure to Irish and Black cultures led to a discovery of music styles and influences, which resonated to him. By age 9 he was helping and performing with local bands, and he was officially a paid member of a band by the time he was 12. By the age of 17 he had dropped out of formal schooling and was working full-time as a musician, with his then-band performing reasonably well in the economic boom of the growing urban renewal, port growth and pioneering spirit - alongside day-labour in the port or construction. His upbringing, as well as working alongside immigrants and blacks at work, led to him sympathising with the Union cause as tensions grew. So when the Civil War began in 1861, an idealistic Quincy kissed his wife and daughters goodbye and signed up to fight for the Union cause, both out of patriotism and for the cash bounty offered by the state.
He fought in various engagements over the next three years but the fateful night would occur serving with the Army of the Cumberland during the Battle of Nashfield. Although it was a stunning victory for the Union Army, Quincy's cavalry unit was chasing Confederate rearguard cavalry on Granny White Pike when they were attacked by a single man wearing the uniform of a Confederate officer. This being moved fast, like a predatory animal, hard to observe and shoot at - and his deadly attacks with clawed hands tore Quincy's fellow soldiers to pieces. This broke the courage of most of the survivors, who ran - only to get quickly chased down by the monstrous Confederate and literally torn apart. Only Quincy's courage held. Although terrified - he held his position and managed to get a clear shot into the Confederate as it gorged on the blood of one of the soldiers - but it had no effect. The monster just grinned at him and laughed as blood dripped down it's face. telling him to run as it would be more entertaining. Instead, Quincy fixed a bayonet on his rifle and charged the monster, burying his bayonet deep into it's chest. But the monster just laughed and sank its fangs into Quincy's neck.
Quincy awoke to his unlife confused and disoriented. He quickly discovered the Hunger, which he instinctively knew he could alleviate by consuming the blood of his horse, but his first sunrise was nearly deadly to him - the lethargy of the coming dawn saving him indirectly, by making him desire a place to rest. A kindly old couple helped Keith into their home when they saw him on fire, and put out the flames with blankets - only to have their kindness thanked by his devouring their blood. But their blood and house - and the small collection of terrified farm animals they had - gave him the shelter and blood he needed to heal and get his head together, after which he went into Nashville. There, he was fortunate to stumble across Lilah Foxe, the owner of the Rattlesnake Saloon who was commonly known as "Rattlesnake Lilah" - an Ancilla of the Brujah Clan - who took pity on him and took him in. She taught him about Kindred existence, how to hunt (and feed without killing his victims), gave him a job in her Saloon, and became a mentor to him. He left his old life behind - let Quincy be another casualty of the war - and took the name Keith Karloff, an amalgam of two people he knew, a friend back in New York named Keith, and a Nebraskan soldier that he had respected and fought alongside earlier in the war whose family name was Karloff. But truthfully, much of his humanity had died in that war - gone was the idealistic young man who believed in patriotism and community spirit; instead what remained was a hardened predator who accepted that only the strong survive, by preying on the weak. When events forced them to leave Nashfield, they travelled together for a quarter of a century, before eventually participating in the 1889 conquest of Bakersfield for the Camarilla. As reward for their participation, they were granted domain rights by the new Prince, which Lilah accepted and laid down roots - but Keith did not want to get tied down in servitude to another ruler who would decide what conflicts and wars Keith would be dragged into - he accepted that his Clan were members of the Prince's sect, but he didn't have to stay and serve. So he left, and wandered.
Over time Keith would Embrace several times,
Other Information
No information available.
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