Appearance

Apparel & Accessories

Hiram isn't universally loved, or even liked. He is often called a fop or fancy-man by some of the Immigrants. The Unclaimed usually go for gay or "fag" though, which is more to the point. For example, one of the traits his detractors consider womanly is that Hiram has a fantastic eye for fashion. Though it has to be said that he doesn't care for this century's take on clothing beyond the display of flesh. He prefers the delicacy of lace and embroidery and sees that a tailor's skills go into making his clothing, rather than purchasing machine-made clothing. As such, he spends exorbitant amounts to have his clothes, shoes, and hat bespoke and well-crafted. His suits and ties are some of the finest silk and are inevitably just a little retro in their feel, with French cuffs and just a touch of finely-woven lace.

Mentality

Personal history

Hiram doesn't like to speak on his past, and keeps much of it a secret. What is known by his Children, for they know more than anyone else, follows here.

Hiram was embraced in New York while he was working as a doctor in the Army. He kept himself fit by working as a Medic and keeping up with soldiers who were rather physically competitive farm-boys. He commanded respect from them through his strength, wit, and charm. One night, off-base, he saw an old homeless man getting beaten and intervened. He shouldn't have. The aggressors turned their inhuman strength on him and he fought back but lost. They nevertheless ran off, to avoid more trouble. The old man that Hiram had defended was an Elder Vampire, and his younger compatriot an Ancilla. Both were Nosferatu, and of the rather chilling Azerkatil bloodline. As no good deed goes unpunished, the elder Embraced Hiram to save his life. But the damage and the drain from turning Hiram were enough to send the Elder to Torpor. The Ancilla joining them dragged them both to safety and raised Hiram to be his Childe, but the Sire Bond was not there.

Hiram doesn't like to speak on his past, but this much is well documented. While still a Childe and not yet a member of any Covenant, Hiram spent fifty years surmounting the Daysleep and overcoming the depths of his curse through training and willpower. By hard work alone, and the constant expenditure and replenishment of his Vitae, Hiram thickened his Blood. Then came the Great Fire. Hiram saved everything he could, focusing on the libraries, and joined the Ordo Dracul by letter. Through couriered correspondence he was able to pursue his studies and deliver treatise after treatise on the Vampiric Condition with other Chapterhouses across the United States until The Great War broke out.

Hiram doesn't like to speak on his past, but it has formed the basis for everything he fought for when rebuilding Chicago. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that oh-so-unfortunately killed his Sire and Grandsire, Hiram used their resources and much acquired wealth to begin putting the City to rights. On October 11th, immediately after the Fire, Hiram was given leave by the others to take control of the City and its surrounding area. Later that same month Hiram sired a Childe and then penned, instituted, and began enforcing the Laws of Chicagoland. The Laws of Chicagoland were sworn to and obeyed by every Supernatural Citizen within the Princedom, as Hiram made it clear that to break the Laws meant to break their bonds with him. As Hiram had been the one to save the Werewolves and Mages that survived the Great Fire despite the risk to himself, both groups agreed to be self-governing but abide by the Laws of Chicagoland and meet to consider city-wide concerns. This peace and co-existence philosophy gave rise to the governing body of modern nights.

Hiram doesn't like to talk about his past but, when pressed, others do. Hiram saved fourteen people that first night of the Fire: a family of four Wolfblooded, a pack of three Werewolves and two Wolfbloods, a Cabal of three Pentacle Mages, a single Seer, and a single Proximi. Their surviving descendants are still being taken care of today, even if they have no connection to Hiram's Princedom otherwise. The other Survivors know, but get nothing from the inscrutable Prince when they question.

Education

Hiram was given a full education as a mortal and even attended college and continued to become a field medic for the Army of the United States and then a doctor. It was during his tenure as an Army Doctor that he was Embraced. Since then he has meticulously studied his true Sire's journals and texts and the entire libraries of hundreds of others. He has devoured books and medical journals and ancient treatises on alchemy. He believes in medicine, science, and magical art and combines them into his alchemical pseudo-science.

He has many ancient texts and formulas of Kimiya that the Jaliniyya would commit genocide for. He has, through his agents, rediscovered sites across Eastern Europe of potential import for the Ordo that he sends his children and Childer to investigate. He is one of the few Azerkatil that is not only still active, but also understands the blood alchemy of their ancient rivals the Jaliniyya. And no one but a few of his elder Childer know.

Employment

Since 1871, Hiram has ruled Chicago as Prince of the City. At that same time, he became the sole member and thus by default the leader, of the Ordo Dracul covenant within Chicago.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Hiram has been the Prince for 149 years straight and has never had to put a single vampire to Final Death. That's not to say that he hasn't tortured or Torpored mouthy vampires, he just hasn't allowed them the sweet release of Final Death. And many of those imprisoned would beg for it.

person.sexuality

Hiram has been asexual since the death of his beloved wife. He's worked to kill those desires in himself and ruthlessly suppressed that side of his beast. He has sired no mortal or dhampyr children since Charlotte, and regards any question of the matter as a senseless and base issue that he will not speak on outside the Native Haunts.

person.gender_identity

Hiram identifies as "a naturally-gendered" male but possesses certain traits that he would call refined dignity but others would call womanly or gay, it really just depends on the decade.

Personality

Social

Family Ties

Prince Hiram of Chicagoland, known only in the mortal world as the long-dead Hiram Black, may have been forced to miss his daughter's life, but he clings tight to the family he has on both sides of the sunset.

Hiram ensures that the descendants of Charlotte Black, his only daughter from his mortal life, are properly cared for and loved. To them, he is a boogeyman; some say he is a spectre: the kindly ghost of their murdered ancestor. Others swear he is flesh and blood and the devil incarnate. Either way, both sides agree that when they see him, and many have, things change for the better.

Likewise, the Native Haunts, his family in Blood are beloved in the best way Vampires can, and he feels a distinct responsibility to each and every one of them. He helps them in every way he feasibly can, and does his best to shape them into better Vampires and the pinnacle of what it means to be Nosferatu.

To him, his families are his salvation. His IT ghoul gets him a backdoor into all of their digital lives, and he has come to love all of them in a fashion that is, according to his friend, Mae, unbecoming of a Vampire Prince. He doesn't care and will rip apart any who threaten them, walk into the sun to save them, and do anything short of Embracing them to ensure their happiness.