OON - Character Spotlight: Caoimhe Lynch

"Push you 'cross that line, just stay down this time..."

Background

Crass, vulgar, and utterly terrifying in that remorseless monster sort of way, Cardinal Lynch is the kind of "holy nightmare" fire & brimstone preachers wish they could be.

Born the fifth of seven children to a conservative Catholic family in 1820s western Ireland, Caoimhe Lynch lived the hard life of a sustenance farmer early on. Pretty enough for her parents to attract a good match, she would have been married, bred a litter of children, and died all without leaving her home county had the Great Famine not hit the nation in 1845. Her family joined the thousands of other Irish seeking to flee the country for the ample opportunities offered by the United States. So many thousands of Irish, in fact, that they were crammed on an aptly named "coffin ship" where only she and her elder sister, Caitlin, survived to arrive in America.

Making it as far as the recently incorporated Chicago in 1847, life was tough but fair to the pair, with both finding seamstress and laundering work, making enough to live better than they otherwise would have in Ireland. Though a "good Catholic girl," Caoimhe enjoyed the night life of Chicago, singing in a neighborhood tavern whenever possible. She developed a reputation for her voice, as well as a legendary temper after being disrespected by a few young men one too many times. It was the latter that lead her to be stabbed in an alleyway late one evening, and the former that convinced her sire, the Ventrue De Laurentis, to bring her back as Kindred. An admirer of her performances, he'd hoped to freeze that moment for his future entertainment, as a novelty in the male-dominated Kindred society of Chicago. Blood bound, per her sire's wishes she spent her early unlife at the bottom rung of the Invictus covenant, kowtowing to the demands of her "betters" for years.

Mortal history records that a cow kicked over a lamp and the Chicago Fire of 1871 was the result. Kindred that remember the time mark it as a reign of terror when hunters sought to cleanse the supernatural from the city by flame. De Laurentis was one such casualty, and were it not for delivering missives on his orders, Caoihme would likely have perished as well. Fleeing hunters, and the fires they brought, she traveled west nightly. By the time she reached Union City, she was exhausted, seeking sanctuary with the only Covenant she thought would aid her: the Lancea Sanctum.

She served faithfully and dutifully through the decades, growing in power and status among the Lancea despite her gender. When not attending to the needs of the Church, she spent time studying mortal and Kindred historical texts, especially those written in Gaeilge or Irish Gaelic, the language of her breathing days. As the oldest extant European language, she was convinced that she would find secrets of the earliest days of the Covenant, when Rome and Roman Christians occupied the Isles. Though it is debatable whether or not the texts she deciphered over the years have led to any Lancea secrets, she has shown remarkable understanding of Cruac blood magic practiced by the heathen Circle of the Crone.

Entering an extended period of torpor following World War II, Caoihme emerged into a city of strife. Women and minorities had risen up to fight for their Civil Rights in mortal institutions and Union City, an Invictus stronghold since its founding, was now firmly in the hands of the Ordo Dracul. Conflict between the Church and the First Estate had weakened both of their respective positions, allowing the neutral Dragons to ease into power. Not harboring ambitions towards it, Caoihme nevertheless stepped into a position of authority with the Lancea bereft of central leadership, Those opposed to the move pointed to the strictures placed against women in the mortal Catholic Church. These arguments were swiftly and easily rebuffed when she, not for the first time, reminded all in the Covenant that they weren't mortals and thus not beholden to any rule of a mortal organization. She emphasized her point with a display of Theban sorcery that silenced, literally, any further objections.

Now generally referred to as "The Cardinal," Caoihme sits on the Baron's Council as a Primogen, advising him on matters of religious import, regardless of the particular religion. Her own night to night Danse revolves around teaching her particular interpretations of gospel to a ghouled deacon so that he may spread it to the mortal masses, as well as continued study into the mysteries of Theban sorcery and the knowledge to be gained from deeper understanding of the Testament of Longinus.

Stats Block (1st Ed VtR)

Name: Caoihme ("kee-vuh") Lynch
Virtue: Justice
Vice: Wrath
Concept: Firebrand Preacher
Clan: Ventrue
Covenant: Lancea Sanctum

ATTRIBUTES
Power - Intelligence: 3 Strength: 2  Presence: 4
Finesse - Wits: 3  Dexterity: 2  Manipulation: 2
Resistance - Resolve: 4  Stamina: 3  Composure: 3

SKILLS
Mental - Academics (History) 4, Crafts 1, Occult (Cruac, Theban Sorcery), Politics 2
Physical - Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Drive 1, Firearms 1
Social - Empathy 2, Expression (Singing) 3, Persuasion 2, Socialize 1

DISCIPLINES
Dominate 3
Resilience 2
Theban Sorcery 4
Majesty 2

MERITS/FLAWS
Haven (St Francis Cathedral) 3
Herd 2
Status: Lancea Sanctum (Primogen) 4
Language: Gaelish 3
Language: Latin 2
Retainer: Deacon Armstrong 3
Allies 2
Contacts 2
Resources 2

WEAKNESS
-2 penalty on Humanity rolls to avoid Derangement after failed degeneration roll

Health: 8 Willpower: 6 Blood Potency: 4 Vitae: 8 Humanity: 8
Size: 5 Speed: 4 Defense: 2 Armor: 0 Initiative Mod: 5 Experience: 204

DEVOTIONS
Veridical Tongue

RITUALS
Sinner Song 1
Theban Inscription 1
Vitae Reliquary 1
Damned Radiance 2
Blood Fire 3
Stigmata 4


Unused Caoimhe Lynch ideas;

Hunter - A "paranormal investigator" that ran into the real thing, and lost three friends that night

Werewolf - Pack Alpha Bone Shadow, with a nose for mystery and a penchant for getting her pack into more trouble than it can handle