Conquest of Albion Game 1068 AD. The Trapped Ravnos...

Clan: Ravnos

Known Name: Ramiro I of Asturias

Status: Elder

Current Residence: Dering Manor, outside London

Era: Summer 1068 AD

Position: Entertainer and unwilling servant of the Manor

Ramiro I of Asturias is an Elder of Clan Ravnos whose long nights have carried him from the mountains and courts of northern Iberia to the distant shores of Albion. Whether the name Ramiro I is truly his own, borrowed from the ninth-century King of Asturias, or simply another identity worn by the wandering Ravnos is a matter Ramiro seems perfectly content to leave unanswered.

For all his age and power, Ramiro presently finds himself in an unusual position. He is bound by a considerable debt to Dering Manor, the site of a recurring Elysium for the Kindred of the London area. Until that debt is judged paid, Ramiro is expected to remain available to the Manor and provide his particular talents for its gatherings. An Elder may command respect, but even an Elder must sometimes honor the obligations he has incurred.

Ramiro's greatest contribution to Dering Manor is his mastery of Chimerstry. Rather than employing the deceptive Discipline solely for trickery or battle, Ramiro has refined it into an art. During Elysium, empty halls may suddenly fill with the sound of distant Spanish guitars, hand drums, pipes, bells, or voices singing songs no mortal musician is present to perform. He can create the illusion of entire groups of musicians, complete with movement, clothing, instruments, and sound, transforming a quiet chamber into the court of an Iberian prince or a moonlit festival beneath foreign stars.

His performances can be beautiful, haunting, humorous, or deliberately unsettling. A guest might hear a favorite melody seemingly played just for them, watch spectral dancers move through the hall, or see the walls of Dering Manor appear to open upon some distant landscape Ramiro remembers from centuries before. Those familiar with the Ravnos know better than to assume that everything witnessed during one of his performances is truly there.

Ramiro carries himself with the confidence of a Kindred who remembers kingdoms that have already vanished. He is courteous when courtesy is deserved, mischievous when opportunity presents itself, and particularly sensitive about anyone suggesting that his service at Dering Manor makes him a common minstrel. He is an Elder paying a debt, not a servant, and he is quick to remind younger Kindred of the distinction.

Exactly what Ramiro owes Dering Manor—and what happened to create such a substantial debt—is not commonly known. Selene, the Manor's owner, does not speak openly of the matter, while Ramiro usually answers questions with a smile, another story, or an illusion designed to change the subject. Rumors naturally flourish: that the Manor once provided him sanctuary, that Selene paid a debt that should have destroyed him, or that Ramiro lost something far more dangerous than coin during a wager.

Whatever the truth, Ramiro honors the agreement.

For now.

Thus, whenever Elysium is called at Dering Manor, guests may find an ancient Ravnos sitting comfortably near the edge of the gathering, apparently without instrument or troupe. Ramiro raises a hand, gives the smallest motion of his fingers, and music begins to drift through the chamber.

Those newly arrived sometimes ask where the musicians are.

The older Kindred simply answer:

“There are no musicians. There is only Ramiro.”