Naomi Stewart
(a.k.a. Empowering Matriarch)
Appearance
Always smartly dressed, Naomi has adjusted her look to fit with the times. These days she dresses mostly in elegant, but practical, dresses with relatively little jewelry or makeup but sporting elaborate braids. Naomi appears to be a beautiful, ageless older African-American woman with skin like dark cherry wood. Most people’s best guess is that she is a well-preserved mid-40s in terms of age.Mental characteristics
Personal history
MORTAL DAYS: HUMBLE RESTRAINT
Naomi Abigail Mawu was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1860. In the first 20 years of her life she saw her family separated, one at a time, until she had no knowledge of the well-being of anyone who was a blood relation to her. One evening, a European aristocrat by the name of Emelian Marculescu came to a gathering held by the Stewarts, the family that owned Naomi. Marculescu, a young Ventrue, came prepared to see a play but he saw in the Stewarts a brutal, twisted, inhumanity he rarely saw outside the Sabbat. He found an opportunity to speak with the slaves afterward and found them to be broken shells, all except for Naomi. Marculescu used his considerable abilities to slowly drive the sadistic Mrs. Stewart mad and caused the death of Mr. Stewart, but first he made Mr. Stewart present freedom papers for all his slaves. On the day she received her papers from Mr. Stewart, Marculescu came to visit her . They talked the night away and before the sun rose he again offered her the Embrace. She refused, saying that she had never walked the world as a free woman and would get as much free dirt beneath her feet and between her toes as she could. The next night, Mr. Stewart had a smoking accident, and the Stewart plantation burned to the ground. Naomi went north to New York where she found getting work as a black woman was difficult to impossible. Marculescu kept in touch with her and promised to help her find her family. He taught her to read and speak multiple languages. Marculescu managed to locate her older sisters in a mining town called Jefferson Courthouse. Naomi found her sisters held by a white woman who had a brothel of captured women of color. Marculescu offered to intervene for her and she turned down the offer. She went to the brothel, with money, to buy her sisters back, only for the madame to try and capture her. Naomi fought back and choked the woman to death. She offered to free the women and many left, though some preferred to stay, her sisters among them. They asked Naomi to guide them. She stayed and formed Stewart-Freeman house, allowing the women to continue to work as they wished. She trained them to be businesswomen and taught them to read. Naomi was a force in suffrage. She had a fire that was threatening to most white women. Others began to speak her words. No matter if they tried to give her credit, she was invisible; the papers only saw the uppity white women. Eventually, the harsh winters of Chicago took their toll on Naomi. Her fate was to die from consumption, but Marculescu intervened. He offered the Embrace again. He told her it would be a crime if she were to perish like a wretch when she was a queen. He promised he would teach her the ways of Kindred, and she would be free of his control.KINDRED NIGHTS: MAWLA TO MANY
Marculescu became Naomi’s Mawla. He showed her how to kill discreetly and selectively. There were always those who deserved death, she just needed to listen and she would find them. Because she was a black woman, he assured that those who deserved death would reveal themselves to her. When she was strong and well-connected, Marculescu was true to his word and offered himself to her in a secret ritual of Amaranth. She devoured his soul, offered willingly and with love, prepared to carry the burden that is the mark of diablerie. Naomi entrenched herself in the politics of the Ventrue, though Lodin refused to recognize her due to his own racism. Her clanmates could all see why Marculescu adored her. She remained in Chicago and involved herself, quietly, in the various equality struggles. She inherited much of Marculescu’s money and the ear of many in Chicago. She established Stewart-Freeman Academy in the Bronzeville neighborhood, where she taught women the skills that had been reserved for men. There was a small sect of women in her inner circle who knew her secret. They spoke for her and carried her words to many politicians. In some cases, they brought back to her those who revealed themselves as people who needed to die. In the early ‘60s, Stewart-Freeman Academy opened to all genders, but the focus was on women of color. Many human femme politicians on the South Side of the city have a connection that goes back to Naomi Stewart-Freeman. She now quietly offers tutelage to Caitiff and thin-bloods who wish to make it in the Camarilla, but do not wish to submit to Critias’ academy right away. Her gentle, patient approach allows for the fledgelings to actually grasp the concepts before they're thrown into Critias's Eternal Academy, graduate or die. .Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Ambition
Manipulate mortal politics to better my positionConvictions
Never settle for the bottom rungTouchstones
Merriam Brown — City Alderwoman who is positioning herself to become mayor of Chicago in the next election.Social
Contacts & Relations
Merriam Brown (Retainers 3) Graduated Students (Contacts 2) Naomi is a big believer in personal sovereignty. She has little in the way of thralls save for those who actively choose and request to be put in that place. She instead chooses a path of establishing a sense of familial piety among the women of Stewart-Freeman Academy. Those who leave are forever indebted to Naomi’s tutelage and have been slowly infiltrating the politics and systems of the city. Among the women on whom she keeps a close eye, her favorite is Merriam Brown, who is now positioning herself to become mayor of the city, a win that would be phenomenal for the Academy
Relationships
History
Naomi is very uncomfortable with the growing Lasombra presence in the city, which she voices regularly to Prince Jackson. She is a fan of Jackson and sees what he’s trying to do. She is trying to build a closer relationship with him so they can align better and she can help steer him in more productive directions.
History
If Naomi could extinguish one vampire, it would be Balthazar, with his bigotry and brashness still causing trouble even after his fall from power.
History
DuSable's dark magics are, in Naomi's opinion, a powder keg waiting to blow. She doesn’t fully understand what the Tremere offer the Camarilla.
Wealth & Financial state
- The Stewart-Freeman Academy (Haven 3, Fame 2, Influence 2, Resources 2) The Stewart-Freeman Academy is her domain. The school is small but well respected and well-funded. Students go from ninth grade to an undergrad degree. It originally began as a mansion gifted to her by Marculescu that she redeveloped into a learning institution. The south wing is her private quarters and she watches and grooms the women who come to her from this space. Older women return for mentorship and younger women leave with a competitive skillset.
- Hate Groups (Herd 2) Naomi’s feeding preference is for bigoted white women. She has struggled to pin down what exactly constitutes a perfect vessel, but believes her prey has to have committed a hateful act based on prejudice within the last full cycle of the moon for their blood to remain palatable.
Current Location
Species
Date of Birth
1860
Date of Death
1912
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Quotes & Catchphrases
“I’m sorry things haven’t been easy for you. I understand. When you are done whining and sniveling there is work to be done.”
Aligned Organization
Character Prototype
Mask
Naomi’s Mask is under her own name, as she’s sold the story of being her own relative many times. Currently, she’s her own great-granddaughter (Mask 1).
Traits
Humanity: 6 Generation: 12th (through diablerie) Blood Potency: 3 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Composure 4; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 5 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 9 Skills: Brawl 2, Drive 1, Larceny 2, Survival 3; Etiquette 3, Insight (Prejudice) 4, Intimidation 2, Leadership 3, Persuasion (Victims) 4, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 2; Academics (History) 3, Awareness 3, Finance 2, Investigation (Abuse) 3, Medicine 1, Politics 4, Technology 1 Disciplines: Dominate 3, Fortitude 4, Presence 4
Whispers
A Risk to All: Some ultra-conservative Camarilla types look at Naomi as an accident waiting to happen. She’s so fiery and earnest in her views, it’s only a matter of time before she breaks the Masquerade for some “greater good.”
Punching Up: Naomi is angling for the role of Ventrue Primogen. Capone held the role before his disappearance and that seat is now vacant.
Secret Academy: There is a rumor floating among the Nosferatu that Naomi has a special class of thinbloods who she trains to do covert operations for her own power plays.
