Santiago

So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
- The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis, 3:24

Race	Vampire
Splat	Lasombra
Title	Bishop and Crimeboss

Physical Description
A large and impressive man with china white skin and hair. Hazel eyes stair dead and emotionless from an equally impassive face. Permanent fangs, though small, can be seen when ever he speaks, and have caused him to develope a slow and measured speech pattern. Santiago dresses almost exclusively in Black robes, rarely if ever donning modern clothing. When he does make such consessions he chooses loose fitting silks and volumous great coats.

Personality
Regal and poised are the two words that first spring to mind when one meets with the Bishop. He rarely bothers to meet your gaze and often spends so long considering his replies while examining his fingernails that people wonder if they are being ignored. His dress and mannerisms speak of the old world of several centuries past, yet his likes and odd items of clothing and jewellery seem remarkably modern. Bishop Santiago is a man of slow ponderous planning who has the ability to erupt into decisive action.

Story
Santiago was a Sabbat recruit rather than a Shovel-head, his ambition and single mindedness made him seek out the Anarch’s in their earliest days when his friend Gratiano first began his plans of treachery against the Clan founder.

His Pack were part of war parties and infiltration waves in the earliest attacks on the cities in the new world and he slower rose to Pack leader in a force with a high turnover of members. When the war to take Gotham was begun, he was given the task of over seeing all the infiltration and scouting missions. He took to the task heartily and spent over a decade making alliances in the most unusual places. Eventually the attack was declared and the Sabbat rushed into Gotham in the middle of a freezing winter. Santiago already knew they would fail. He also had a pretty good idea who would not see the end of that particular October. Like a man playing a hundred games of masters level chess he took out much of the Camarillas power, but not quite enough for a victory. He managed to have most of his Packs avoid the Lupines and he took nearly all of the down town Tactical positions. However the Camarilla were more tenacious than his Bishop expected and the battle began to turn against the sword of Caine. That is when Santiago made his master stroke. Gathering all the packs to him, he went not after the Camarilla, but the Giovanni and the Mortal crime families. Within a week he had cut a swathe through the underworld and left all of Antonio Giovanni’s enemies dead. This left the Independent Necromancers in control of Gotham’s crime cartels. The following night, as Antonio and his family celebrated, the Sabbat paid him a visit.

Now the Giovanni of Gotham are vassals of the Sabbat and the old Bishop is dead, killed by Santiago for weak leadership and for nearly losing Gotham. The newly appointed Bishop Santiago spent months appearing to fight the Camarilla, attacking their businesses and their herds without managing to topple them. The greatest success the Packs managed under Santiago was the final Death of Camarilla Prince Solomon Van Deering. and many of his childer. This coup left the throne empty for Van Deering’s youngest Childe, Sebastian Montoya. In the aftermath, Santiago and Montoya met, not for the first time rumours insist, to discuss terms.

When he took the plans for a treaty he had already fleshed out with Prince Montoya to the Sabbat Priscus and handed them a detailed evaluation on the impossibility of taking and keeping Gotham, the Bishop was granted permission to sign. The Sabbat believed that the treaty would give the Sabbat breathing space and control over the riches and tactical advantages of Gotham until they were strong enough to take the city and hold it. That time has not yet come, and Bishop Santiago still rules over half the city with the Camarilla in power as his equals.