My name.. is Maria Vanderhoff. You might know me better as Prince Vanderhoff or simply "Prince of Amsterdam." I am the sole ruler of the city, with it's many undead inhabitants answering directly to me. Of course, being the most respected and influential Kindred in the area, there are a lot of rumors surrounding me and my history.
So today, I am granting you the opportunity to hear the real story.
Unlike some in our society, I have chosen to maintain my full name given to me as a human child. Maria, born into the well-esteemed Vanderhoff family. My linage goes back centuries, and my forefathers were a substantial element in the prosperity of the region. They didn't own a single field, but dabbled in many, and were thus able to extend their influence far and wide, and grow their fortune.
My family estate was located in Aerdenhout, a small town bordering on Haarlem and Heemstede, which in turn border on Amsterdam. This area is reserved for sizable mansion and vacation chateau's.
I never had a want for anything, as my parents wealth was able to buy me anything my heart desired. Enjoying the best homeschooling money could buy, I was instructed in both the standard curriculum and advanced business and politics. After that, I went to an expensive and well-esteemed private school in Haarlem.
Here, my parents weren't able to keep a close eye on me. Or should I say, my caretakers. I saw my au-pairs and instructors more than I ever saw my mother and father, as they were always working or on business trips. Finally being away from the scrutinizing eye of anyone my parents directly employed, I started to rebel against their morals.
The other 'rich kids' at the school only encouraged this bad behavior, and I quickly fell into a routine of drug-filled parties at night, and amphetamine fueled study sessions during the day.
My poison of choice was always morphine, however. I loved how the drug would pull me under and away from the responsibilities of daily reality. Ideally, I would've liked to state that I handled my addiction well, but the truth is; I didn't.
Eventually, my parents found out after I had to be scraped off the sidewalk and rushed to the emergency room during a severe overdose. They promptly and quietly send me off to a rehabilitation center, to prevent me from dragging the family name through the dirt more than I had already done.
For the following years, I was in and out of rehab. I had an extremely hard time shaking my addictions, as it was my only escape, the only time I felt truly in control of my own existence. During one of my stays at an extended stay facility, I met a young girl, Lorey. She and I quickly became close, and for a long time she was my only friend and confidant. I.. loathe to admit it, but if it were not for her, I might still be struggling with my own escapism.
Lorey was very different from other people I met in these places. She was smart, and very adaptive. She was easily able to deceive and outwit anyone if she wished. Luckily for me, she hadn't been able to outmaneuver the authorities when they caught her in possession of a large collection of psychoactive designer drugs. It was either jail or rehab, and she figured the latter would be easier to slip out of.
Besides being a brilliant con artist, she had an impressive knack for mixing and constructing her own drugs and poisons. Eventually I would help her cultivate these talents as my right hand. But before that, a certain powerful man had taken notice of me. The facility me and Lorey were staying in was located in Amsterdam, the territory of Van Leuwen. Van Leuwen was the Ventrue Prince ruler of all Kindred in the city, which I, as most other humans, had no knowledge of.
Even though my hospitalization and battle with addiction had stayed fairly hidden from the public eye, nothing escapes the sewer-dwelling spies and informants of the Camarilla. The Prince had taken a special interest in me, amused by my status as heir to one of the most influential families in Dutch human society. The irony of taking me on as a Ghoul excited him greatly.
So, he did. He had me pulled out of my bed one night, and revealed himself to me back at his office, proudly detailing his plans. He wore me down for weeks on end, subjecting me to relentless torment and agony, which he took great pleasure in. I.. was but a puppet, for him to manipulate. he deftly pulled my strings, until I only danced to his tune.
But eventually, and maybe inspired by my time with Lorey, I adapted. He took notice of my dominant personality and my lust for control, and carefully polished it to his needs. After only a short time, he took it upon himself to Sire me, to uplift me the position of Childe and assistant of the most powerful Vampire of the entirety of Amsterdam.
My official role, however, was Keeper of Elysium in one of his nightclubs, Amon. My duties included more than just that, as he had me cater to his every need. On the surface, he refined my leadership skills, my ability to manipulate and even my strength in many Ventrue Disciplines. But in private, he kept grinding me down, and his appetite for cruel, merciless sadism only grew. If I had still had the ability to scar, my body would have been a warped composition of his depravity.
I played my part, biding my time while I kept of the facade of a submissive attendant. One day, he even granted me permission to keep a Ghoul of my own to deploy for some of my simpler tasks, and I immediately tracked down Lorey. Reunited, she took to her role quickly, and stayed out of Van Leuwens sight as much as possible. In this time, she was a great support once again, and she eventually caught on to Van Leuwens vicious perversion. Together, we started plotting on bringing my Sire and ruler his Final Death.
With some help from another of the Prince's martyr's, Sebastian Scheffer, Amsterdams Scourge, we formulated a plan to force him to his knees. This.. is a story for another night, but eventually, Van Leuwen was no more.
Finally free of his control, something got unleashed inside of me. Due to my good standing within the Kindred community, I was able to seize control of the Ivory Throne, and take my place as the current Prince of Amsterdam, with all the advantages such a position offered.
And the rest, as they say, is history. Of course, in recent days, there have been many twists and turns, but something tells me you're rather informed about those mhm?
So now you know, the real story of my fall and my ascent. And I think it is only fair I bestow you with a bit of a.. demonstration, of what I am capable of..
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