William Harkness

Clan	Tremere
Position	Seneschal
Status	6+2
Domain	Portland, Maine
Coterie	None
Society	???
Path	Humanity 000
Player	Dave N

Overview

New Orleans, September 2010

Alias(es):

None currently known.

Real Name:

Unknown; Harkness has commented in the past that he attended Yale University, and there are several buildings there named after the once wealthy, but now defunct, Harkness family - whose former estate is now a park on the Connecticut shore. On the other hand, there exist no records of a member of the family named 'William', either in the city of New Haven archives nor at Yale.

Apparent Age:

Late 20's - Early 30's

Concept:

Shy Academic

Physical description:

Generally somewhat unassuming, Harkness stands five and a half feet tall, with dirty blonde hair and glasses. Around the same time he moved to Maine, he upgraded his choice of suits from academic tweed to more modern and fashionable cuts in gray and purple. His carved wooden cane is always to hand, and he often plays with a small orb of some sort of stone.

Detailed Status:

Hartford, January 2009

• Acknowledged by Prince Leopold of Vienna, 1939
• Respected by former Prince Stast of Hartford, July 2008
• Just by former Prince Davenport of Hartford, March 2009
• Respected by former Prince Davenport of Hartford, November 2009
• Admirable by former Prince Joe Evans of Westchester, February 2011
• Steadfast by Prince Andrea McDermott of Portland, February 2013
• Cherished and Esteemed as Seneschal of Portland, Maine, October 2012

• (For Tremere Only: Duelist Reputation: Certamen)

Known History

Professor Harkness teaching a lesson in cosmology in Maine, 2012

William Harkness has spoken on several occasions of learning to dance in Vienna, and his German has a distinct Austrian accent. He has also repeatedly mentioned that he was out of the United States for several decades in the 20th century, and that Hollywood movies like "Casablanca" and "Gone with the Wind" served as his link to american culture. He does not often discuss the circumstances of his embrace, but he has mentioned some involvement with the Spanish Civil war on occasion. In any event, he has made it plain that he was glad to return to New England when the time finally came.

Harkness arrived in Hartford with the New Year in 2008; for the first few months of his time there, he could usually be seen quietly sitting in Elysium with a book open in front of him. He served as a Deputy to various Sheriffs from his arrival until 2010, but as a general rule seemed to be less interested in politics than in his Academic studies.

The Harkness Estate

He supported Victoria Rowlands' Praxis against Stast after it was revealed that the former Malkavian Prince had Diablerized a Sabbat Elder; later, he was involved in a series of strange happenings which culminated in a battle against a spirit of great evil - some called it a demon. When Sariel Sefirot threatened to kill Rowlands in Elysium and take the City for himself, Harkness declared that he would not stand by and allow either to happen. Instead of stay in the city for the political collapse that followed, Harkness left for Portland, Maine.

Arriving in May of 2010, he quickly became first a Deputy, then Sheriff himself under Prince Jerry Bonard. When Bonard was murdered by the Sabbat, Harkness was an early supporter of Andrea McDermott, the current Prince of Portland. Over the past two years he has traveled up and down the Eastern Seaboard, to Milwaukee, and as far as New Orleans, both for Prince Villon's soire and the Convention of Fire.

In October of 2012, he was named Seneschal of Portland.

Coterie

None known, though in past years he was often allied with the Hartford Primogen.

Allies

Harkness VTES, Courtesy Joe Schuster

Clan Tremere, including Dr. Sanlin, Micah Lazarion, Sabine Reya, and Caia Wickham in the Northeast, as well as others nationally, including Randall Scott, Douma Charoum and Hugo Valentine.

Alexander P. Keefe, Ventrue Prince of Lewiston/Auburn, Maine

Andrea McDermott, Ventrue Prince of Portland, Maine

Connor O'Carthy, Ventrue of Portland, Maine

Edmond Dantes, Nosferatu ex-Prince of Westchester, NY

Erin Landen, Deceased Tremere Primogen of Westchester, NY

Gerard Saint Clair, Ventrue Prince of Westchester, NY

Joe Evans, Deceased Gangrel Prince of Westchester, NY

Kate Davidson, Archon to Lucinde

Michael of Cornwall, Nosferatu of Portland, Maine

Natascia, Nosferatu Seneschal of Hartford, CT

Otto, Nosferatu Primogen of Portland, Maine

Tony Maietta, Brujah Scourge of Portland, Maine

Victoria Rowlands, Deceased Ventrue Prince of Hartford, CT

Vincent Velario, Toreador ex-Prince of Baltimore

Zoe Moreau, Deceased Toreador Keeper of Scranton, Pennsylvania

Hesha Ruhadze, Follower of Set

Enemies

Jack Sawyer, off and on Gangrel Sheriff of Hartford, Deceased

Logan, Anarch Assamite

Mica Ashford, Brujah Anarch, Deceased

Sariel Sefirot, Deceased

Sascha Vykos, Tzimisce Noddist

Seth Dolan, infernal Childe of Elias Beecher

Hesha Ruhadze, Follower of Set

Sire

Friedrich Dorner

Childer

• Fredrick Gold
• Eliza Rutherford

Broodmates

None Known

Character Inspirations

Ars Magica, Call of Cthulu and HP Lovecraft in general, The Corpus Hermeticum and John Dee, The Spanish Civil War, Yale University

Soundtrack

1930's Swing, Jazz, Big Band "Spanish Bombs" - The Clash "I am a Rock" - Simon & Garfunkle "Last Kiss" - Pearl Jam

Quotes

To Sascha Vykos at the Convention of Fire:

"Are you enjoying the rare book room at Yale University? One of these days we'll take it back."

When asked about the annual end of the world crisis in Hartford:

"Don't worry about it, its not important. This happens every November."

To Zoe Moreau shortly before her death: "I didn't think there was anyone like you among us...you make me want to show you beautiful things."

Rumors

A Deliberate Comment?

• Harkness had an affair with Laura Rosellini, of Clan Giovanni.
• Harkness has had extensive experience with strange creatures of the night, including Angels, Magi and Faeries.
• Harkness spent a short amount of time on the Assamite Path of Blood.
• Harkness recently defeated an Adeptus Major of House Tytalin in Certamen.
• Harkness would like nothing more than to be an Archon in service to Justicar Lotharius.
• Harkness has been seen to be hobnobbing well above his station at national events.
• Harkness chose his Ravenclaw tie as a deliberate commentary on Elias Beecher and Selene Lazarion.
• Harkness has been pre-emptively banned from his old Domain of Hartford by Anya due to her ongoing issues with the Justicariate.
• Harkness was promoted to Seneschal by Prince McDermott while he wasn't even in the Domain.
• When Gerard Saint Clair informed him of Zoe Moreau's death in Baltimore, he nearly frenzied and needed to be hurried out of Elysium.
• Harkness still considers Elias Beecher an ally?