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== Additional Information == | == Additional Information == | ||
| − | [http://www.gothambynight.com/DC/PhilipposdeGrecia.html Character Sheet] | + | [http://www.gothambynight.com/DC/charactersheets/PhilipposdeGrecia.html Character Sheet] |
Revision as of 15:21, 20 December 2015
Philippos is not overly noticeable; he is charismatic and pleasant, but not too memorable unless the truth of his background and influence is known. Steady and obviously accustomed to being listened to and indulged, he is a quiet political force that the wise Kindred in Chicago don't fail to court, if for no other reason than his extensive influence in the mortal world. Brief flashes of an intense, unyielding will when it comes to those things he believes in strongly, he is an unknown quantity until an opponent runs into something that matters to him - and at that point, there's no going back.
Mortal Life
Philippos was born to as high a station as is possible in the mortal world: he is the youngest son of King Konstantin II of Greece, a prince born in exile who has never lost his title in spite of his family's removal from power. The inability to actually affect national policy in Greece has never been much of an issue for Philippos, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth anyway, is related to half the remaining crowned heads in Europe, and has never even vaguely wanted for money or prestige when he wanted it.
Like many other wealthy men, Philippos felt that something was missing in his life after a few years of aimless wandering, and decided that he needed a profession, even though this vulgarity was heavily disapproved of by the rest of the family. Seeking an occupation that would allow him to wield very direct power over others - the power that the overthrow of the royal family had denied him - he became a surgeon, the better to very literally hold the lives of others in his hands.
Embrace
It wasn't too long in his practice before Philippos found himself in an interesting quandary: a former rival from medical school, a man who had always attempted to aggravate him and whom he had suspected of trying to ride his coattails, came across his table with a heart condition that needed surgical repairs. While operating, he suddenly realized that the idea of holding someone's life in his hands wasn't metaphorical; he could, right here and now, choose to destroy this man or let him live. He knew the moral choice, but after a few long seconds, he made his judgment: the man was a foolish and cruel person and did not deserve to live. He let a tiny fault go undetected, and when the man died in post-op, he was patted on the back and told that he'd done his best.
After that, Philippos realized that he was judge, jury, and executioner for every surgical case he encountered, and began doing extensive background checks and research into the cases he would operate on, choosing carefully which he judged deserved to live and which deserved an ignominious death. Eventually, his trail of bodies, suspicious for such a gifted surgeon, earned him the notice of a Brujah who was amused to discover, upon investigation, that he was mounting a one-man crusade against anyone he considered corrupt. He was Embraced partly for his innovative method of taking down the establishment and partly because his sire wanted a piece of the Greek royal pie, and with his newfound powers came even more of a sense of being in a position to judge all and sundry.
Arrival in Washington, DC
Lured by the rich pickings of the veterans' hospital network in DC, Philippos moved south in order to practice medicine in a more central and medically relevant location. As a major surgeon for both the Walter Reed Medical Hospital and George Washington University Hospital, he quickly made himself indispensable by running interference for any potential medical breaches of the Masquerade, making sure that Kindred or ghouls injured in public were taken to his unit so that they could be quietly released.
Recently, Philippos has begun to have trouble with his veteran services practice, and suspects that this might be due to the influence of local members of Clan Malkavian who exert their control over psychiatric wards and services. A small rivalry may be developing, although so far he has no real proof of who the perpetrators might be.