Caleb Hollows Overview Overview A tormented writer who is haunted by visions he can barely comprehend. As a mortal, he clung between the mundane and the extraordinary. Once, he wrote supernatural tales within the safe confines of his desk and his own humanity intact. Yet, after the incident within the asylum, he must grapple with his own monsters in a twisted game that he isn't sure if he will win. With only his prophetic visions to guide him amongst rough drafts of unfinished manuscripts, and a keen eye to spare, he hopes to find a way to be rid of the Curse of Caine. Basics Basics Name Caleb Hollows Player Dead Chronicle Baltimore After Dark Nature Survivor Demeanor Engima Concept Haunted Writer Clan Caitiff Generation 15th Sire Alan Hollows Attributes Attributes Physical p Strength Specialization 11000 Dexterity 11000 Stamina 11000 Social s Charisma Specialization 11100 Manipulation 11100 Appearance 11000 Mental t Perception Specialization 11100 Intelligence 11100 Wits One Step Ahead 11110 Abilities Abilities Talents p Alertness Specialization 11100 Athletics 10000 Awareness 11100 Brawl 00000 Empathy 11100 Expression Fiction 11110 Intimidation 00000 Leadership 00000 Streetwise 00000 Subterfuge 10000 00000 Skills s Animal Ken Specialization 00000 Crafts 00000 Drive 11000 Etiquette 00000 Firearms 00000 Larceny 00000 Melee 00000 Performance 00000 Stealth 11100 Survival 00000 00000 Knowledge t Academics Journalism 11100 Computers 11000 Finance 00000 Investigation 11100 Law 00000 Medicine 00000 Occult 11000 Politics 00000 Science 00000 Technology 00000 00000 Advantages Advantages Disciplines Celerity 10000 Potence 10000 Obfuscate 10000 Auspex 10000 00000 00000 Backgrounds Fame 11000 Resources 11000 Mentor - Abigail Baker 11000 00000 00000 00000 Virtues Conscience 11110 Self-Control 11111 Courage 11100 Humanity/Path 11111 11110 Path Humanity Bearing Willpower 111 111 1000 00000 00000 Blood Pool 11111 11111 00000 00000 Blood/Turn 1 Merits & Flaws Merits & Flaws Merit Type Cost Oracular Ability Supernatural 3 Blush of Health Physical 2 Without a Trace Supernatural 2 Harmless Social 1 Deceptive Aura Supernatural 1 Friend of the Underground Social       3   Flaw Type Bonus Fifteenth Generation Physical 4 Haunted Supernatural 3 Rituals & Paths Rituals & Paths Ritual Level Path 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 Experience & Derangements Experience Total 15 Spent 15 Notes Green for freebies. Blue for XP.7 freebies point from two flaws (Haunted and 15 gen).                                                                                         15 Freebie Points (+7 from flaws): - Friend of the Underground: -3 - Oracular Ability: -3 -Blush of health: -2 - Without a Trace: -2 - Harmless: -1 - Deceptive Aura: -1 - +4 Willpower: -4 - +1 Self Control: -2 - +1 Consciousness: -2  - +1 Expression: -2                                                                                    Total: 22        15 XP Spend during Creation:                                        - +1 Athletics: -3                                                                    - +1 Occult: -2                                                              - New Discipline, Auspex                                                                                                                                                                     Total: 15                                                                                                   Derangements Expanded Backgrounds Expanded Backgrounds Allies Contacts Fame Famous Horror Writer: Amongst the niche horror community, Caleb’s novels are popular amongst theorists, goths, Supernatural fans, and true crime enthusiasts alike. He has written over twenty novels, but his most famous works are: "The Plague Bride", "Cold Case: Last Nightfall", "Children of Dusks", & "Slasher". Excellent books, but for those who are keenly aware of the supernatural, these books, for some reason, contain near prophetic insight into the future. An odd thing, since Caleb wrote all these books when he was a mortal. Herd Influence Mentor Abigail Baker: A Thirteenth Generation Nosferatu that resides in Baltimore’s sewers, she once resided in Utah before settling down here and later joining the Anarch in Baltimore after defecting from the Carmilla. A former member of a Coterie called “The Outcasts”, these were expendable young Vampires tasked by the Camarilla with slaying a 7th gen elder Sabbath, which by extreme luck and miracle, the group have managed to do so, barely. She is an adoptive sire to Caleb, teaching the neonate in place of his recently deceased father. This is due to a life boon that Alan acquired after saving her from death by the elder’s claw. Resources His career as a successful writer learns him enough money to live a modest middle class lifestyle with a small apartment. Retainers Status Neonate Other Alan Hollows: Sire to Caleb, and also his biological father before his embrace. An FBI agent that went missing during an incident in Chicago. Alan left his family behind, out of fear that this curse will harm his children. He later joined a group of expendable vampires to slay an elder that the Camarilla, in return for any pardons from previous transgressions that the Tower may felt troubling. Afterward, for the past 25 years, he became an Agent of the Carmilla that investigated the strange activity of the Sabbat. His investigation led him to a startling realization that his own son was kidnapped by a Sabbat and he left to save his son from a terrible fate. His final death was by the hands of Doctor Joseph, a Toreador Antitribu who committed diablerie on the caitiff, but Alan’s final act was to save his son. The Dark Jester (Haunted): A nightmarish spirit that has haunted him since he was a child.  This entity is the dark voice that questions Caleb's writing, the crippling dread that fills his imagination, the shadowed claws resting on his shoulder every time he writes. This has only intensified ever since he was embraced. Rights & Possessions Rights & Possessions Gear (Carried) Pencil, journal (formerly belonged to his father. Now he carries the journal and continues writing the entries in his honor), & a phone. Feeding Grounds Havens Equipment (Owned) Camcorder: A camcorder purchased during his early days when he was still a journalist for the New York Times. It has a night vision function. Personal Laptop: A basic laptop, usually he keeps it inside of his car or apartment. But if needs be, he can carry it around.                                                                                                                            Vehicles Honda Odyssey: Sometimes, a man need something reliable. The Honda Odyssey got your back (not an ad). Other Blood Bonds/Vinculi Blood Bonds/Vinculi Bound To Rating Bound To Rating Description Description Age 33 Apparent 32 D.O.B. 1992 R.I.P. 2024 Hair Dark brown Eyes Light grey Race White Nationality American Height 5'11 Build Lean Gender Male Face Claim Meek and a bit introverted, the horror writer blends in mortal society as any other average Joe. As a thin blood, he had clung to his humanity the most, he was never a moralist but ever since his embrace, he has found himself questioning what is right and what is wrong for a human. While most kindred are of the creature of the night, Caleb has found himself in between the realm of dusk. Cursed with all the flaws of a kindred, but with only minor powers to invoke in order to aid him in this struggle. Quick on his feet, and just as quickly to improvise a potential situation that is way out of the box. The thin-blood only have his rotting brain, what scrapes of vitae he has in his system, and hopefully some luck to survive another night. History History Glimpses Into the Supernatural As a child growing up in a small town of Nottin in central Ohio, the Hollows family had a peculiar reputation within their small community. Their mother was a freelance artist, though for most folks, her works are rather macabre and quite unsettling works that was said to be both eerie and so real at the same time. In particular, one of his mother's paintings was a portrait of a dark and twisted jester that she had recently painted when he was six. His older sister was no different either, an aspiring musician, with musical talents that seem to stir up the deepest parts of an individual's memory, and cause the blackest of hearts to beat once more. Talented family, but one with a deep curse. A curse that fully manifested after their father's disappearance in Chicago, due to an investigation that went wrong. Shortly after their father’s disappearance, Caleb began having strange visions in his dreams. Vivid, real, and nightmarish. He couldn’t comprehend what was in those dreams, but as each day passed, these visions only grew stronger. Caleb began to write these visions down, in the form of a story, resulting in his very first manuscript and a novel later in his adult life titled, “Slasher”, describing a man’s descent to madness as he begins to see the world around him as monsters and corpses, eventually leading to the protagonist’s downfall as a serial killer. Shortly after finishing the first draft, a string of random murders would unfold around Nottin, leaving the local police puzzled. By the time the serial killer was arrested, a total of twenty victims had been found, and a notebook with scribbled-up words that read: ”Monsters. Monsters everywhere. Don’t trust anybody.” For most readers, the Slasher book was assumed to be inspired by a real-life event near Caleb’s hometown. But none knew that he wrote his first drift many weeks before the serial killer arrived in their town. Best-Selling Novelist As the years passed, Caleb left his small town, moving to New York to become a journalist. While writing daily articles for the New York Times, Caleb continues his pursuit of creative writing. His first novel, “Slasher,” became a popular seller at the time, and he began to write more novels. His most popular novels are a series of books called “Cold Cases”, detailing paranormal and mysterious cases that FBI Agent Alan must uncover. A character based on his own father. With the final novel of the series being titled, “Cold Cases: Last Nightfall”, which detailed the death of the protagonist and left an ending that has left most readers feeling unsatisfied. Following the negative reception of the series finale, Caleb would pivot to a more supernatural horror element. "Children of Dusks" and "Plague Bride" were two famous novels detailing lost children kidnapped by a supernatural entity and held hostage in a manor for a profane ritual. Though that particular series ended on a cliffhanger for years, as he was stuck in a bind in figuring out a resolution to the series. All was well for Caleb at this point in his adult life. He had a successful writing career, and though his internal demons tormented him, it paled in comparison to what the Asylum will throw at him... The Asylum Incident He didn’t know how he arrived in this wretched manor. One moment, he was signing autographs and promoting his upcoming book, “Final Rites”; the next, he was tied up in a chair and sat in front of a typewriter. He awoke in an Asylum, belonging to Doctor Joseph Hoffman and his faculty team. They introduced themselves as fanatical fans of his books, but felt disappointed when he didn’t finish the series. The Doctor emphasizes very strongly the importance of finishing ‘Final Rites’ with an ending that, as he states, “Ensure a satisfying conclusion to the series for your most supportive fans.” For days Caleb was stuck in that white room, trying to type the final ending to his book. But none of them were pleased with the end result, and with each failed draft, they punished him until he got it right. It started as a few punches and shouts, till knives were brought out, and then the far more horrifying reality set in for him. He wrote for his life, till his nails bled, till his eyes grew red with weariness. There was a moment where he escaped from the White Room, but what he saw outside of that room shattered his own perception of the world. He began to see these people as corpses, monsters with fangs and inhumane expressions. There was so many blood, so many screams and laughters mingled together in his ears. His mind seems to snap for a moment, as reality and fiction distorted around them. He saw the serial killer, the one that he wrote when he was a child. His twisted disfigured face and rusty cleaver. “Monsters, monsters everywhere. Wolves in sheep’s clothings. My vigil is now, all wolves must be cut down.” In his complete psychic breakdown, as monsters from his writings and the monsters that kidnapped him mingle together as one. There was one constant that anchored him. His father. The father that disappeared, the man that Caleb admired. He wrote his final piece, an ending where the Children of Dusks would be saved by the evil Plague Bride. Caleb wrote that the children would be saved by FBI Agent Alan, who was investigating the disappearance of the children. In the ultimate finale resolution of all his previous books, Agent Alan sacrificed himself to save the children. With the final sentence written, Caleb passed out from blood loss. Post-EmbraceThere was a low chance that his son may survive the embrace, but Alan wasn’t sure if it would be successful. But it was a lot better than watching his son die in front of him. Everything was red and blurry, he drifted from consciousness as he heard otherworldly screams. He was being carried out of his chairs by his father and a small group that aided him. It didn’t feel real. He felt fire in his veins fire, something was happening to his body, as if a beast was eating him from the inside. He passed out once more… Caleb awoke once more, just outside a large door. He was laying in the ground, his father was fighting a horrible monster. But he couldn’t get the full picture, as someone began to drag him away from the asylum. A cloaked woman that threw him behind the seats of a car. The last thing he saw was his father being killed by the doctor before passing out from the pain. Days passed, Caleb finally awoken, barely. Underneath the sewers of Baltimore, Caleb barely survived the ordeal of the Embrace. Like a wounded animal, he rested there and consume rats to sate his blood thirst. If it weren’t for Abigail Baker, a Nosferatu under a life boon from his father, he would’ve surely died or turnt feral. A life boon to save a father’s son, a childe’s unlife. The fledging spend weeks under the sewers, drinking blood bags offered to his adoptive sire. By the time he was strong enough to walk, Abigail was under obligation of her life boon to help teach the Fledging how to survive. She taught him all that she knew, it was the least she could do for the childe of an old friend. Teaching him three cruical disciplines to allow him to survive as a thin-blood, celerity, potence & obfuscate, with an emphasis on stealth and escaping more so than combat. Though strangely enough, Caleb would later on develop auspex, mainly due to his pre-disposition to seeing glimpses of the future when he was a mortal. A year passed, and Caleb would be forced out. He was given enough training, now to see if he had what it takes to survive in this new world.