Aroex Xaviar Bastian Valario de la Cruz

From LanceaSanctum

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Father General Aroex Xaviar Bastian Valario Cardinal de la Cruz
Concept:	Patriarch, Diablerist Hunter
Covenant:	Lancea Sanctum
Title:	Cardinal
Clan:	Daeva
Creed:	Westminster Creed
Faction:	None
City:	Washington, D.C.
Player:	Wade Racine
Storyteller:
Apparent Age:	mid-30s
Embraced:	1099

Physical description: Caucasian, 5'8" tall, with short cropped black hair and blue eyes. Clean shaven, speaks with a Spanish accent.

The Father General, as he is called, is rather famous among the vampires of his covenant (Kindred Legend x1). He is known to be fairly genial, though he has a nasty streak that can crop up from time to time, particularly when dealing with enemies or verbally fencing with vampires he feels are stepping too far out of bounds. He is almost always seen wearing trophies from the diablerists he has helped to kill, and though he is known to be flexible in dealing with those who do not follow his faith, he is very devout in his own right. He is known to be the head of the de la Cruz lineage, which is also rumored to be a separate bloodline among the Daeva.

Contents 1 Background 2 Character Inspirations 3 Rumours and Damned Lies 4 Relevant Approvals

[edit] Background

This information can be assumed to be in character for those PCs who would have a reason to know it.

• Pre-Crusades: Marcellus Marius Crucis, a student of Cardinal Federico (known as the "Great Cardinal of Spain"), leaves for the Holy Lands to look for long lost treasures and scriptures.
• c. 1150 -- Aroex Xaviar Bastian Valario returns from the Holy Lands, the progeny of Marcellus, and takes the name "de la Cruz." He offers service to Cardinal Federico, and is accepted. He takes up duties to lobby the support of the Invictus in the war by the Christians against the Muslims, particularly in Castile and Leon.
• 1175 -- Cardinal Federico enters Torpor to fend off the beast. He divides his See into five equal parts, to be held by his five progeny: Santiago, Alonso, Geraldo, Eloisa and Ursula. Federico made them promise that they would guide the Lancea Sanctum well, abiding by his wishes and respecting the division of his See. But Archbishop Santiago, to whose lot had fallen the guidance of the Sanctified in the Kingdom of Castile, being the eldest, thought that he should be made Cardinal of the unified See, and he resolved to repudiate his promise, claiming that it had been forced from him. Stronger, braver, and craftier than his broodmates, he cherished the idea of despoiling them of their possessions, and becoming the sole successor of his Sire. He would take Leon from Archbishop Alonso, Galicia from Archbishop Geraldo, Toro from Archbishop Eloisa and Zamora from Archbishop Ursula.
• 1175 -- Archbishop Santiago takes Aroex Xaviair Bastian Valario de la Cruz into his service. De la Cruz assists Santiago in solidifying his claims and in bringing the Sanctified of Aragon under his guidance, allowing him to turn his attention to his broodmates. Santiago names de la Cruz as the Father General of his militant forces.
• 1175-1199 -- Santiago adds Leon and Galicia to his See, receiving oaths of service from Archbishop Leon and Archbishop Geraldo, respectively. Santiago gets a reputation as a shrewd politician, but does not plan military excursions well, with de la Cruz taking those duties for him. Santiago later forces Archbishop Eloisa to cede Toro.
• 1199 -- Archbishop Santiago goes to Zamora to negotiate with Archbishop Ursula, but he is treacherously slain by one of her hounds. It is later discovered that Ursula did not plan this, and the Hound acted on his own. Archbishop Alonso steps forward to lead the unified diocese that Santiago had forced under his leadership, returning from exile in Toledo. However, many within the Sanctified opposed him, believing him to have had a hand in Santiago's death. Particular opposition came from his other male broodmate, Archbishop Geraldo, who rallied many of those who simply objected to a Leonese Cardinal. The Castilian Lancea Sanctum even accused Alonso of being a pawn of the Muslim vampires who were assisting the Moors. Regardless, though no others would step forward to claim the See, none would perform the rite bestowing upon Alonso the office, even among his own supporters, without his oaths that he was not under the control of the Saracen vampires and that he did not plot for the death of Santiago at the hands of Ursula 's Hound.
• 1201 -- The debate regarding Alonso's culpability in the death of Santiago continues until the Synod of Santa Gadea, called to settle the matter. Once again the suspicions were voiced, but none would ask the question directly of Alonso for fear of rousing his anger. But without the question, Alonso could not answer to allay suspicions. Without an answer, none could confirm him and perform the sacred rite. Father General de la Cruz then asked Alonso directly if he had been responsible for Santiago's death, and found no falsehood under the Theban miracles. Despite being cleared, none would step forward to perform the Anointing that would solidify Alonso as Cardinal. De la Cruz finally did so, and reminded Alonso with sharp words that he would have to lead well and truly, or the Sanctified in Spain were doomed due to disunity in their fight against their Muslim vampiric foes. Alonso is anointed as Cardinal of Spain. Despite finally being unified under a single Cardinal, the Sanctified are unable to gain the full acceptance and action of the Invictus in manipulating the mortals to push the Moors out of Spain.
• 1249 -- Rumors begin to spread of a faction within the Sanctified of Spain who want a "Dark Pope" to rule over all the Lancea Sanctum in Europe.
• 1299 -- Cardinal Alonso names de la Cruz as his own Father General, granting him some of his Hounds as well as students among the Sanctified, including his own grandchilde.
• 1342 -- Father General de la Cruz, sent to the Bishop of Seville to collect tribute for the Cardinal, is accused of stealing the tribute. Although de la Cruz denies it and the Dark Miracles confirm he tells the truth, Cardinal Alonso strips de la Cruz of his titles, hounds, students and possessions, banishing him from Spain. De la Cruz disappears into the mountains.
• 1367 -- De la Cruz reappears in Liechtenstein, where he becomes Bishop, attempting to counter Cardinal Alonso's plans from afar. Rumors of Sanctified still attempting to name a Dark Pope resume. From Liechtenstein, de la Cruz joins with others opposing Cardinal Alonso in a long but largely successful campaign of vampiric violence and influence. With the establishment of the Inquisition in Castile and Aragon in 1478, those opposed to Cardinal Alonso use it to strike secretly at those who support the cardinal.
• 1517 -- De la Cruz reportedly enters torpor, giving the Diocese of Lichtenstein to another.
• 1517-1617 -- Sometime during this period, Cardinal Alonso enters torpor, and is replaced by Archbishop Ursula, who then becomes Cardinal.
• 1620 -- Alonso awakens and attempts to displace Cardinal Ursula, who is aided by other vampires from outside Spain. Alonso attempts a reconciliation with de la Cruz, who agrees to return to Spain to meet with him. However, de la Cruz is ambushed in the Netherlands by Alonso's enemies (presumably working for Ursula), causing him to miss the meeting with Alonso. Alonso manages to depose Ursula and reclaim the position of Cardinal, but believes de la Cruz attempted to trick him into defeat, and therefore banishes de la Cruz from Spain yet again. Several of de la Cruz's supporters sent back to Spain ahead of him are killed, put into Torpor, or scattered. Their struggle resumes.
• 1713 -- Cardinal Alonso and his supporters are run out of Valencia. De la Cruz moves in with his own supporters and declares himself Archbishop, continuing to oppose Alonso.
• 1817 -- De la Cruz enters Torpor. As the 1800s progress, the Carlist Wars go into full swing, with a group of pseudo-republican vampires (pre-Carthians) and Crones were opposing Alonso's rule.
• 1857 -- After coming out of Torpor, de la Cruz offers Alonso assistance against the proto-Carthians and Crones, who are being led by a woman named Aspasia. Alonso refuses, but de la Cruz works against Aspasia and her forces on his own.
• 1897 -- Awake and observing for some time, the powerful Federico returns to the eye of vampiric society from Torpor, and despite the long sleep (though there is no guarantee he slept the whole time), he has great power, summoning all his remaining progeny, as well as de la Cruz, to his side. He breaks his progeny to his will, resuming his title of Cardinal of Spain, seizing all their followers and properties. He takes the followers and properties of de la Cruz as well, but spurns de la Cruz's offer of service, citing the war with Aspasia and saying de la Cruz was now poisoned as a tool for him. Cardinal Federico banished Aspasia from Spain and made it stick. De la Cruz left Spain for America later that year, joining his progeny, Miguel Eduardo de la Cruz, in Washington, DC, after playing some small part in turning information over to the Americans that helped them rout the Spanish during the Spanish-American War. He reportedly went into torpor around 1900.
• 1925 -- Miguel awakens Aroex and informs him that most of the Lancea Sanctum in Washington are apparently a coven of diablerists, profaning the Testament of Longinus and the Traditions. This led to the Washington, DC, Diablerie War. Aroex proceeds to lead his family and a host of others in the domain against these diablerists, who go to ground and build up their own strength, sufficient to declare a domain in opposition. The Prince names him the Father-General of the District of Columbia, charged with hunting down those who have committed this ultimate sin, in concurrence with his title of Bishop of Washington. The hunt takes years, and the plans are patient and exacting, hunting them down one by one. By the mid-1930s, most of the diablerists have been killed, though a few do escape to later plague the domain.
• 2002 -- Aroex takes the position of Seneschal to Prince Miguel, and stays as Seneschal when another of his progeny, Garrett Kreuzritter, is named Miguel's successor after Miguel steps down in 2005.
• 2005 -- Aroex joins with four other cardinals to reform the Curia Cruentus.
• 2006 -- Aroex becomes Prince of Washington, D.C., after the abdication of Garrett Kreuzritter.

[edit] Character Inspirations

• Antonio Banderas (for his accent in general and for his role as Alejandro Murrieta in The Mask of Zorro in particular)
• Anthony Hopkins (for his role as Don Diego de la Vega in The Mask of Zorro)
• Ricardo Montalban (for the accent)
• Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid Campeador)

[edit] Rumours and Damned Lies

(please feel free to post rumours you have heard about this PC here)

• Supposedly fond of the exploits of El Cid, and may have known the man.
• According to rumour, Aroex has slept with every single one of his female descendants (and some of his male descendants).
• Supposedly, additional members descended from his mortal family have been similarly embraced and now wander the world as Sanctified.
• It is said that Aroex is getting soft these nights. Some speculate the cause having to do with Crones appearing in his own lineage.
• It is rumoured that Aroex seduced a young lady away from Conrad Van Der Haas, then bragged to him about the events the next evening.
• Gets a cheap laugh out of making others use their brain.

[edit] Relevant Approvals

• USA-EC-RE-0502-42505 Archbishop of Valencia, Spain
• USA-EC-RE-0502-42504 Bishop of Liechtenstein
• USA-EC-RE-0502-42502 Age