Declan Gornt
Overview
Overview
A man of few word, Declan is the Stoic silent type when he's not needed to win over a courtroom. Having fought some battles with a blade and others with a pen, Mr. Gornt is always strategic when he has to apply 'pressure'.
But on the occasions he finds time to relax, he lets his shoulders slump and the bags under his eyes to show...
But on the occasions he finds time to relax, he lets his shoulders slump and the bags under his eyes to show...
Basics
Basics
Name
Declan Gornt
Player
Otaku
Chronicle
Baltimore After Dark
Nature
Enigma
Demeanor
Director
Concept
Sketchy Lawyer
Clan
Ventrue
Generation
10th
Sire
Dame Olivia Douglas Scott
Attributes
Attributes
Physical
s
Strength
11000
Dexterity
11100
Stamina
11100
Social
p
Charisma
11100
Manipulation
Persuasive
11110
Appearance
11100
Mental
t
Perception
11000
Intelligence
11000
Wits
11000
Abilities
Abilities
Talents
p
Alertness
10000
Athletics
00000
Awareness
00000
Brawl
10000
Empathy
11000
Expression
00000
Intimidation
11100
Leadership
11100
Streetwise
00000
Subterfuge
Smooth Talker
11110
00000
Skills
s
Animal Ken
00000
Crafts
00000
Drive
10000
Etiquette
10000
Firearms
11000
Larceny
00000
Melee
10000
Performance
11000
Stealth
10000
Survival
00000
Expert Skill: Demolitions
10000
Knowledge
t
Academics
10000
Computers
00000
Finance
10000
Investigation
00000
Law
11100
Medicine
00000
Occult
00000
Politics
11000
Science
00000
Technology
10000
00000
Advantages
Advantages
Disciplines
Dominate
11100
Fortitude
11000
Presence
11100
00000
00000
00000
Backgrounds
Generation
11100
Resources
11111
Domain
11110
Ally
11000
00000
00000
Virtues
Conscience/Conviction
11000
Self-Control/Instinct
11100
Courage
11111
Humanity/Path
11111 00000
Path
Humanity
Bearing
Normalcy
Willpower
11111 11100
00000 00000
Blood Pool
00000 00000
00011 11111
Blood/Turn
1
Merits & Flaws
Merits & Flaws
Merit
Type
Cost
Iron Will
Mental
3
Flaw
Type
Bonus
Uncommon Vitae Preference
Clan
-2
Sleeping with the Enemy
Social
-3
Demon Hounded
Supernatural
-2
Rituals & Paths
Rituals & Paths
Ritual
Level
Path
00000
00000
00000
00000
00000
00000
00000
00000
Experience & Derangements
Experience
Total
37
Spent
35
Notes
Freebie Points: 15 (+7 from Flaws)
Experience Earned: 35 (Neonate)
- Dominate 2 = 5
- Fortitude 2 = 5
- Presence 2 = 5
- Dominate 3 = 10
- Presence 3 = 10
Unspent Experience: 2
Experience Earned: 35 (Neonate)
- Dominate 2 = 5
- Fortitude 2 = 5
- Presence 2 = 5
- Dominate 3 = 10
- Presence 3 = 10
Unspent Experience: 2
Derangements
Expanded Backgrounds
Expanded Backgrounds
Allies
Lillian Matherson - Senior-Partner in the Law Firm and wife of Declan. Possessed by the demon Kyrael, of the House of Devils.
Contacts
Fame
Herd
Influence
Mentor
Resources
Matherson.Gornt Law Firm, 1 South St.
Retainers
Status
Other
Rights & Possessions
Rights & Possessions
Gear (Carried)
Pricey but not too expensive, respectable business suit
Nokia 3310 mobile phone
40 year old pager
.45ACP Colt M1911 service pistol (Licensed)
Nokia 3310 mobile phone
40 year old pager
.45ACP Colt M1911 service pistol (Licensed)
Feeding Grounds
Havens
Penthouse apartment in 1 South St.
Equipment (Owned)
.30-06 M1 Garand Carbine (Service Issued Korean War, Licensed, kept in Declan's office at the Firm)
Vehicles
Bentley Continental GT V8 Coupe
Other
Blood Bonds/Vinculi
Blood Bonds/Vinculi
Bound To
Rating
Bound To
Rating
Description
Description
History
History
Declan Gornt was born on July 11, 1930, to a conservative family near Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in the shadow of the Great Depression and World War II, molding him into a disciplined, resilient man. By 20, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Seabees, where he served with distinction during the Korean War as a Combat Engineer, rising to the rank of Petty Officer E-5. His experiences in combat left him with a rigid sense of duty, but also a hint of disillusionment. Declan’s one claim to fame was partaking in the Seabee’s drunken theft of North Korean trains, where his hands were scarred by a locomotive’s boiler, since which he has hidden with leather gloves [Source]. His desire to shape the future through means beyond brute force led him to law.
Returning stateside, Declan pursued pre-law at Johns Hopkins University, eventually earning a law scholarship to Yale. During his studies, he met Cillian Matherson, a fellow aspiring attorney who shared his vision for justice—and his ambition. They became fast friends, bonded by shared ideals and long nights of rigorous study. Declan earned his law degree at 29, celebrating a future he believed he’d carved with his own hands.
That same evening of October 31st, 1959, as others celebrated Halloween, his life took an unexpected turn. Dame Olivia Douglas Scott, a dignified and centuries-old Ventrue, saw immense potential in him. She Embraced Declan, welcoming him into the world of the Kindred with a calculated sense of mentorship. Adjusting to vampiric life was challenging; Declan's ambitions grew, yet he now understood the rules were far more rigid and perilous than any mortal could imagine. Under Dame Olivia’s guidance, he refined his instincts and developed the poise expected of a Ventrue, masking his predatory nature behind impeccable manners and an unfaltering smile.
With his sire’s support, Declan co-founded Matherson.Gornt Law Firm with Cillian. The firm aimed to be a cornerstone of influence, a place where Declan could wield power quietly, pulling strings behind the scenes. Yet the 1970s and '80s were tumultuous for them, and Cillian's unexpected passing in the late ‘90s while overseas left Declan reeling. He mourned his friend’s death, and, with some detachment, watched as Lillian, Cillian’s daughter, took her father's place at the firm. Surprisingly, Lillian proved to be a formidable partner, and together, they revived the firm's fortunes.
Now, Matherson.Gornt Law Firm has established itself as a powerful player in the legal and political underworld. Declan continues to expand his influence, balancing the demands of his Ventrue lineage with the ruthlessness needed to thrive in the vampire elite. Driven by ambition, loyalty to his sire, and a deeply ingrained sense of duty, Declan sees himself as a new breed of Ventrue—a modern architect of power, willing to play by the old rules but always seeking new ways to bend them.
Declan Gornt built a legacy over decades, transitioning from ambitious lawyer to an influential figure in both mortal and vampiric realms. For years, his law firm with Cillian Matherson's daughter, Lillian, became a quiet powerhouse in the East Coast legal scene, thanks to Declan's subtle use of Dominate and meticulous documentation that allowed him to "inherit" his own position when needed.
But around 2010, Declan’s fabricated identities began to strain his relationship with Lillian. Though he manipulated the memories of many, Lillian's suspicions persisted, her mind somehow resistant to Kindred tampering. After Declan relocated temporarily to New York, Lillian’s curiosity led her to her father’s occult archives, which he had accumulated on his many overseas trips. One fateful night, she opened a text she should not have touched. Drunk and impulsive, she inadvertently summoned a weak demon from the Abyss. With no proper protections in place, the demon seized upon her vulnerable soul, merging with her and creating a new, complex entity: Lillian Matherson, bound with Kyrael, a demon of the ancient House of Devils.
When Declan returned to Baltimore, he found a transformed Lillian, vibrant and youthful as she had been in her mid-twenties. Yet her eyes held a fiery depth that even his vampiric senses recognized as something unnatural. Kyrael's fiery presence heightened Lillian's emotions, particularly her long-standing infatuation with Declan. For his part, Declan felt drawn to her in ways he had denied for decades, especially considering the godfatherly bond he shared with her since childhood. But Lillian’s allure, now intensified by Kyrael’s demonic energy, shattered his carefully cultivated restraint. Their reunion led to mutual confessions of their feelings and an unveiling of each other’s true natures.
This revelation marked a profound turning point in Declan’s unlife. Loving Lillian meant embracing a paradox: a vampire, a creature bound to eternal darkness, drawn to a demon-possessed mortal whose existence defied mortal and Kindred logic alike. Together, they now navigate the dualities of their relationship, masking shared tenderness behind witty jabs. Their bond has grown even as Declan remains engaged in Camarilla politics and Ventrue affairs, balancing his ancient obligations with the passionate partnership that now defines his existence.
In late 2024, Declan finally returns to Baltimore with a renewed sense of purpose. He intends to establish his position among the local Kindred, reclaim his influence, and finally make things official with Lillian/Kyrael, hoping that love—or something close to it—might sustain them both through the chaos and secrecy of unlife.