Dearly Departed
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:45 pm
Name: Richard Dupuis
Apparent Age: Early 60's
Years Undead: ~120
Clan: Brujah
Description: To the indignity of the proper Kindred of Houston, Richard Dupuis has resided in Houston longer than any of them. The old Brujah was Embraced in the city in the early 1920's, the childe of one of the first Anarchs who came west after being banished from the growing Camarilla Domains of the East and Midwest. Ol' Dick Dupuis' life is almost as interesting as his unlife. He grew up on the streets of Houston, one of a considerable number of children left orphaned by the civil war and who struggled during Reconstruction. Dick got by doing odd jobs in the frontier town, but would find his passion in music. Proximity to New Orleans gifted Houston with a thriving jazz scene, and Richard fell in love with the music from his tiny apartment above a jazz speakeasy. He would go on to buy a stolen saxophone at a pawn shop and learn to play by ear, emulating what he could hear of the music below. From there, he began playing corners and was eventually invited inside. Dick Dupuis never made it into a newspaper, but he could pack a small bar on a busy night. His biggest fan would be his sire, a Brujah who called himself Colonel Brown who never wanted him to stop playing. And to his credit, Richard never did.
Richard's early nights in the small, but lively Houston Anarch scene gave way to the arrival of Prince Alderidge and his Court of Houston. The Anarchs initially fought the incoming Camarilla, both Colonel Brown and Richard taking up arms. But they never had a chance. The Camarilla infested the city's workings, and not more than five years in Colonel Brown was shot dead by agents claiming he was a Soviet spy. Grief-stricken by the death of his sire, Dick called a ceasefire and negotiated an end to the hostilities. The Anarchs were granted Beaumont and their lives, and Richard himself was recognized as Baron of Houston. Richard never seemed to enjoy the title, but made his unlife's work preserving a state of relative peace between the Anarchs of Houston and the growing power of the Camarilla. Despite the difficulties on both sides, Richard has kept that peace and even remained popular with the Anarchs despite occasional spats with the Tower. When Prince Alderidge offered the Anarchs the chance to seize New Orleans from a weakened Sabbat, Richard took it and led the charge. With the Sabbat vanquished, he hoped for at least some time to enjoy the peace.
Unfortunately, peace is never with the damned. Almost immediately after the Anarchs claimed New Orleans as a Free City, the Camarilla began to make incursions. Richard tried negotiating some solution, but fell further into the background as he found himself unwilling or unable to stop the Fourth Way Gang from responding to the Camarilla in kind. The old Brujah became despondent for months, fading into the background until May 28th. Baron Richard and his Gang arrived at an abandoned warehouse for a meeting with Robin St. Claire. They found only Henry and his minions waiting for him. In his last moments, Richard struck the would-be Prince of New Orleans before being cut down by incendiary gunfire.
Whatever his failings, and despite his hesitation, Richard died as any true Anarch would want to - he died fighting.
Notable Traits (Talents, Assets, Merits, etc.):
- Makes his Haven at the Little Gem Saloon, where the Anarchs have made their temporary headquarters
- Is the most influential Anarch without question - whatever their mistrust of leaders, the Movement trusts Dick Dupuis (Status 4)
- Has built a mortal identity as local saxophonist Marty Cook, which he has parlayed into some influence (Mask 1, Fame 1)
Everybody Jam (Main theme)
God's Gonna Cut You Down (Death theme)