Giovanni

Giovanni Bloodline of Cappadocians

In the year 1099, agents of the clan came across a small cabal of mortal necromancers in the city of Venice. This insular coven was composed exclusively of members of one family, a group of Crusader profiteers known as Giovanni, who had defected from the Old Faith Fellowship. The family made vast sums of money by charging exorbitant prices for passage to the Holy land and for delivery of supplies to the war fronts. Debasement and depravity followed their financial success, and the indulgences of the Giovanni family were known throughout northern Italy. The Giovanni ultimately practiced the forbidden art of Necromancy.

These mages were quite adept at their black art, opening new vistas and succeeding where their predecessors did not tread. They were successful in contacting the spirits of the dead, not only questioning them about what lay in the here after, but using them to further add to the Giovanni’s wealth by showing the grieving living the ghost of their lost loved one. Naturally, the Cappadocian clan took new of the coven directly back to the clan elders, where they discussed their find with Japheth, Cappadocius’ second, and the matron Constancia. Japheth, not wanting to rouse Cappadocius from his slumber, preferred letting events develop to see what would come of the Giovanni. Constancia, however, grew very excited at the news and rushed into the mausoleum where the founder slept, and spoke to him through dreams.

Cappadocius, although in torpor, was overjoyed by the opportunity these necromancers presented. He called Japheth to his side and instructed the childe to bleed him, gather the precious vitae in a vessel, and set it aside. Ever loyal, Japheth did so, though he harbored misgivings deep within his heart. Only when Cappadocius made his intentions clear did Japheth object, finding himself at odds with his beloved sire for the first time since his own Embrace. The founder wished to use this blood to bring the Giovanni into the clan. Japheth argued that the mortals had not earned sich powerful blood, that these Venetians were untrustworthy and bore more observation. He alluded to the treachery of the Tremere and begged that the Cappadocians should have no commerce with mortal magicians.

Despite his childe’s misgivings, Cappadocius reached out through his dreams to Augustus Giovanni and entreated the head of the necromancers to come to Erciyes and partake of the gift of immortality.

Upon his arrival, Augustus was confident in his decision to accept Cappadocius’ offer. This ancient temple, filled as it was arcane secrets, was a ripe plum, ready to be plucked. Augustus sought only power, his motives and means were as corrupt as any mortal despot’s. Though his necromantic breakthroughs were impressive, this fool did not seek enlightenment, knowledge or the answer to the eternal question. He merely wished to crushed his opponents. Learning this, Japheth asked Constancia to prepare Augustus for his Embrace. While she did so, Japheth laid a curse on the vessel that contained Cappadocius’ blood:

“He who partakes of this boon shall forever be judged by this blood and by the will of God. Color this vitae with the deeds of its drinker. Let him sup with his soul every time he feeds. Deliver this blight unto him as the founder delivers this stigma unto us.”

Thus, the blood of Cappadocius was delivered to Augustus Giovanni.

As the Venetian lay naked on a stone table, two Cappadocians drained his blood. Before they finished, Constancia stopped them, draining the last bit of Augustus’ blood into a clay jar while she sealed with beeswax. As she finished, Japheth came into the chamber, bearing the blood of Cappadocius. The two looked at each other, faltering for a moment in their task. Yet in the end, loyalty won out as Japheth poured the vitae into the dying body of Augustus. Bloody tears streamed from his eyes, and Constancia turned away unable to watch.

Augustus rose, bloated as a tick, reeling as the liquid fire burned through his once-frail body. He stumbled, giddy as a drunken fool. The two attendants who had drained him earlier recognized the familiar look of hunger smoldering behind his eyes and ran from the chamber, only to have the powerful fledgling suddenly appear in front of them. With mighty blows driven by the blackest of hearts, Augustus beat the vampires with his bare hands, smelled their blood as it coursed beneathed their skin and lapped it up as it flowed in visious rivulets between his fingers. Japheth called to the Lamia men-at-arms, those strong and vibrant Cappadocians who had formed their own bloodline long ago. Through their strength and Japheth’s soothing words, Augustus’s beast-driven fury abated. Constancia order slaves brought in to slake the vampire’s thirst, having taken advantage of the commotion to secrete the vial of Augustus’s mortal blood in a hidden alcove.

“Welcome to the night, Augustus Giovanni,” said Japheth. “You have received the blessing of immortality and the curse of Caine. Please follow me, as our father wishes words with you.” Japheth led Augustus below the temple and into the mountain. They finally stopped at a door which stood almost impossibly deep within the earth, beyond which was Cappadocius. There, the three most powerful members of the clan discoursed on what was to be.

Not long after the Embrace of Augustus, Japheth and Cappadocius both slipped back into torpor, leaving August third-in-command of the clan. However, as Cappadocians are loosely structured, his position carried no real authority. Augustus himself was more concerned with the pursuit of the family necromancy and how it would be best translated into a Discipline for his mortal family. He eventually left the temple and returned to Venice, where he began to Embrace key members of his family.

The Giovanni seem singularly focused on amassing as much money and power as they can. Due to their family's development of Necromancy as a discipline, they are aware of the Umbra and traffic on occasion with wraiths- whether the ghost wants it or not.