“ | Tell me, child, is my appearance that frightening or is it my knowledge of you that is so unnerving? ―Andrei | ” |
Andrei is a character in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. He is a vampire of the Tzimisce clan, and the Archbishop of the L.A. Sabbat. He is based all over Los Angeles and is responsible for all the Sabbat efforts in the city.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Not much is known about Andrei's background, but it can be assumed that he is a native Eastern European (presumably from Romania or Russia, as the name "Andrei" is a Romanian and Russian form of the Greek name Ἀνδρέας), and that he is very old. He also mentions his "ancestral estate" being far worse than his residence in the Hollywood Hills – 609 King's Way. This hints that he is from one of the Tzimisce Revenant Families. In keeping with his clan's tradition Andrei had decorated the interior of his L.A. residence with the mutated flesh and bones of his victims, human and vampire caitiff
Events of Bloodlines[]
Andrei was the one who created the snuff tape that the fledgling found and delivered to Isaac Abrams. He also created the Hollywood sewer monsters using Vicissitude, an ability to shape flesh and bone, in order to kill or exile the Nosferatu from their "pestilent nests" in order to weaken the Camarilla.
Personality and Traits[]
The archetypical Tzimisce, Andrei is refined and diplomatic, but also brutal and inhumane. He maintains his aristocratic air, but also he has an inhuman, reptilian appearance, and revels in various perversities such as blood magic, sadism, and the Tzimisce's unique Discipline, Vicissitude, the vampiric art of flesh-crafting. He hates the Camarilla, going as far as trying to eliminate the Nosferatu in order to "gouge out the eyes of the Camarilla". Andrei hates the Tremere the same because of how they became vampires; through diablerie and the destruction of a few powerful Tzimisce vampires.
Despite calling the L.A. Nosferatu "sewer rats" Andrei does not seem to actually look down on them like many other vampires would on account of his own monstrous appearance. As he puts it The Beast within all kindred manifests differently in each and every kindred and all have a unique beauty because of it. Likewise, he does not seem to look down on the Malkavians do to their insanity as he is fully aware that their insight is invaluable.
It is obvious from his speech on metamorphosis that he doesn't follow human notions of morality; he is most likely a follower of the Path of Metamorphosis, which is a part of the Tzimisce archetype.
Abilities[]
Being a fairly old Tzimisce and a master of Vicissitude, Andrei is an extraordinarily powerful vampire. He was able to enter the dreaded Zulo form and inflict tremendous damage. He also had the ability to teleport, as implied by how he also used a form of blood magic not unlike the Thaumaturgy. Andrei has also great knowledge about the history of the Kindred. Additionally, he was also an accomplished strategist, knowing that, in order to devastate the Camarilla, his sect must strike the Nosferatu, as they are spies for their hated enemies.
His knowledge and ability with Vicissitude is so great, that he created very powerful and lethal creatures, producing them en masse.
Related Quests[]
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
“ | Andrei: Good evening, Deb.
Deb (a radio host): Yes, I think that's implied by the title of the show. Andrei: (chuckle) Do you ever worry, Deb, that the world is going to end? Deb (a radio host): I haven't felt that way since Brad Pitt got married. Andrei: (chuckle) Do you have any idea how insignificant you are? When they start devouring the world, you will be but a bloodstain on their capes. Deb (a radio host): I bet you say that to all the girls. Andrei: There is a red star in the night sky. The blood of mortals and the blood of ages, all will be consumed. They are coming. These are the final nights. Deb (a radio host): Okay! Well, good luck in the next election, Senator! ―The Deb of Night | ” |
Trivia[]
- Andrei is one of the callers on the radio show, The Deb of Night, he warns Deb of the coming conflict and hints at the return of Caine, the vampire progenitor, and the Antediluvians. He identifies a Red Star in the night sky, the only reference to the Star in Bloodlines. Deb, as usual, treats this call with her sharp wit and sarcasm, but she has to rush off the show quickly, providing another hint that she knows about the supernatural world and probably is a vampire or a ghoul.
- If the fledgling is a Tremere, Andrei will mention the fact that the Tremere are usurpers who stole their immortality. He knows the fact that Tremere Diablerized Saulot.
- If the fledgling is a Malkavian, Andrei will call them a "seer of truth" and ask them if they have foreseen how the Tzimisce clan and Sabbat are the "True Kindred of Caine".
- If the fledgling is a Nosferatu, their first response to Andrei's introduction will be to point out their own frightening appearance. In an act of perverse empathy, Andrei encourages the Nosferatu to be proud of their unique form. He even implies that their current look and state of being can only be improved, likely making allussions to Kindred metamorphosis.
- Andrei is the only named Sabbat vampire in the game, if we do not include the vampires of the Brotherhood of the 9th Circle.
- According to the article Bloodlines Primer by Onyx Path Publishing, the creatures you see in the warrens are szlachta and "vozhd". To create a Vozhd, one needs to have Animalism and Vicissitude, 6 dots in each one, and learn a combinational Discipline called "Birth of the Vozhd". Usage of high-level Disciplines indicates that Andrei's Generation is 7th or lower, and the number of dots he has indicates him being more than 144 years old[1].
- Considering the Tzimisce clan history within the Carpathian mountains[2], it is safe to consider that his name (Andrei) is of Romanian origin.
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ Bloodlines Primer by Onyx Path Publishing
- ↑ Clanbook: Tzimisce Revised
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