โ WHEN YOU LIVE FOREVER YOU CAN ALWAYS REINVENT YOURSELF TO BE A DIFFERENT SOMEONE UNTIL THAT DOESNโT WORK. โ
NAME: Lorenzo Vicario
GENDER/PRONOUNS: CIS Male, He/Him
DATE OF BIRTH: October 31st, 1647ย
PLACE OF BIRTH: Valencia, Spain
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Manhattan
OCCUPATION: Winemaker & Owner of Sip by Sip.
FACE CLAIM: Alvaro Rico
SPECIES: Vampire
CLAN POSITION: Member
AGE AT TRANSFORMATION: Twenty-Six
Trigger Warnings: Homophobia, Death, Revenge
They say that Lady Luck was an elusive one, that she sprinkles her luck here and there and moves onto the next person, but when it came to Lorenzo well it seems that Lady Luck was drawn to him. He was born as Gabriel Lorenzo de Vicario in 1647, to a high nobility family. His father had tried several times to gain a rightful heir to his vast fortune and after two daughters he finally had that in Gabriel. Even from the moment of his birth he had big shoes to fill, and for a while he had no qualms with it.
ย As he grew in age he was taught by various people about what it meant to be a noble, history, arithmetics, languages, and of course how to lead. While it was not thought that he would one day become king, it was still expected of him to know in the unlikely case that the several others ahead of him were unfit to lead. Lorenzo was a natural study and absorbed all the information that he was taught, which left him often bored. During his free time he would often spend them watching the knights train, though one in particular had caught his eyes, the young knight called Carmelo. He was fierce on the training field and the young noble knew that he just had to get to know him, so he requested him to be part of his team that followed Lorenzo around. From that day Lorenzo didnโt feel the need to watch the other knights anymore as he found a handsome one to look at every day. He would try to talk to him, but the knight never spoke back to him, mostly because they were instructed to never speak to the royals. Lorenzo couldnโt have this though.
ย During a lull in his studies he instructed the knight to assist him in holding the apple so he could paint, to which he complied. Lorenzo started humming to himself to fill the quiet space, but soon he turned his attention to the knight. He started to talk about how easy he makes holding the apple, then quickly went to the subject of how quiet the day has been, and soon after about how he is often bored of his life. This brought a smile to Carmeloโs face, which made Lorenzo only want him to talk about what he was thinking. He informed the Duke of how easily he would want to switch places with him and know a life where his only task for the day was to paint. This of course only led to him making a deal with the knight in which heโll teach him how to paint if he promises to talk to him. From that day on the two would meet in his chambers in the dead of night to paint and talk to one another.
ย Days became months and the two had been close like none other, though one night Lorenzo became brave and decided to share a kiss with the knight. He knew it was forbidden. He knew the risks. He didnโt care about any of that because he had started to develop feelings for the knight and he hoped Carmelo did return. So as they were painting the moon over the town, Lorenzo stole a kiss from the knight who looked at him confused, angry, and scared. The knight could not stick around anymore after what happened so he gathered what little he had and left his chambers. What the pair didnโt know is that Lorenzoโs older sister had seen the whole thing during her travels through the castle and she wanted to knock the favorite child off his pedestal so badly.
ย The next morning while they were enjoying their nourishments she announced to the family that she had seen Lorenzo doing something unspeakable. Flushed with fear, he looked at his sister and asked her what she meant. She told their father that she had seen his precious son kissing another man, to which Lorenzo denied it and said that heโd cut his sisterโs tongue out for blasphemy. But when she ushered Carmelo in she urged him to tell the king what had happened and it was then that the Duke knew that he was done in. His father asked if this were true and with no reason left to lie, he got up from the table and he cursed profusely before admitting to him it was the truth. His father asked the knight for his sword and then he aimed it at Lorenzo saying a long list of vulgarities before plunging the sword into Carmelo. Lorenzo screamed and scrambled to the knight who was starting to choke up a lot of blood. As he took his last breath he told the Duke not to live his life in a cell. Lorenzo was then taken to his chambers and was on constant watch by the knights by his fatherโs orders. He couldnโt do this. He didnโt want to be stuck here anymore.
ย Lorenzo studied the patterns of the knights and when it came to shift change he noticed there were less of them stationed near his chambers. As one of the changes were steadily approaching he screamed for one of the knights to help him with an intruder that was in his room. He hid behind a statue and when the knights started to inspect the room he slipped out. He could feel his heart beating profusely as he continued down the corridors to the stable. He took his fatherโs prized horse and he raced down the path, only looking back to make sure no one was following him. As he made his way to the town he noticed Carmelo on a pike, being make an example no doubt to everyone about the perils of homosexuality in the land. Lorenzo blamed himself for his death, but vowed that he would come back to bring harm to father for doing this unspeakable thing. While in the town he laid low, exchanging his royal garbs for something more common and even picking up a weapon or two in case the knights found him. When nightfall came he made his way to the docks and he paid someone to smuggle him aboard a ship that was marked for France to give supplies to the Spanish soldiers that were fighting in the war.
ย The supplies would unfortunately not make it that far as a group of pirates boarded the ship and stole whatever they deemed useful, and instead of killing everyone, the captain told the people if they wanted to live they could do so by pledging their lives for him and becoming part of his crew. With little else he could do, Lorenzo joined the ship and thus his life of piracy began. This life of doing whatever he wanted in the name of his captain suited the young noble. No longer did he have to conform his life to doing something he didnโt enjoy or did he have people caring about the kinds of people he was attracted to. All he had to do was pillage ships that passed through and defend against other pirates that sailed the seas. Lorenzo found that he was made for the life of piracy. He was so great at what he did that he soon became his captainโs first mate and often devised plans that were often successful.
ย Eventually the crew sailed upon the New World after hearing of the riches of the lands. After losing a battle with a Spanish war ship, they were held captive and sailed to one of their colonies in the Caribbean. As half of the Armada showed up to the island Lorenzo and the crew were separated and much to his dislike they were eventually taken to Spain. It had been years since Lorenzo had even thought about his home, his family, and the life he used to live, but nothing would make him go back to that horrible life he had. Him and the crew though separated were being held prisoners near the castle, no doubt for their crimes to be tried in public and be made a spectacle for those who thought the life of piracy was a way out of poverty.
ย While he was in the barracks he was visited by a woman who commanded the men around her. She had a presence about her and he was mesmerized by how she was able to make the guards fall into her spell. As she approached his cell she told him that she had followed his buccaneer career closely and was a fan of his work. She then told him that he didnโt deserve to have his life ruined by the fault of others, so she gave him a gift, a vial of her blood. She explained to him what would happen if he were to die with it in his system. Though she expected him to drink it then and there, he had a better idea, to wait until he was being removed from the prison and surprise everyone when he died and came back to life. Either way the woman told him to look her up when the heat blew down so she could get him fitted with something that would keep him alive even with the sun beating down on him. He thanked the mysterious woman and told her heโll be there in two days.
ย The day of his public sentencing he went through with his plan and watched as his crew was one by one being decimated by the gallows. Lorenzo was anything but afraid. After being read his long list of crimes they asked him for any last words, to which he said that he will come back and kill everyone involved. Of course they didnโt think anything of it so he was killed for his crimes and soon everything went darkโฆ.for a momentโs time. Piles of his previous crewmates were atop of him and it seemed as if the execution was over. He so badly wanted to make the men that arrested him pay for holding him in captivity, but he had to let it go. He needed to get out of there and back to safety before they disposed of the bodies that were starting to smell to high heaven. With what little strength he had he broke from the wagon and he slipped away into the night.
ย He sought refuge in a stable that had a few cows and horses, a family that was doing okay for themselves. As night turned into day he had to make sure that he was well hidden from the sunโs toxic rays, which he didnโt know would kill him or not seeing as though he still had not completed the transition. When a woman came into the stable to try and milk the cows, Lorenzo emerged from the shadows and stared the woman down and told the woman not to scream. Surprisingly she complied with his command and he asked her if it were okay if he ate something to which she agreed as long as he didnโt kill her or her family. He told her that she had nothing to worry about, he was just passing through and will not be around much longer. As he approached her the canines in his teeth shifted into something sharp and he drank some blood from her, but made sure not to take too much. He then looked at her and told her that she tried to fight a snake that was in the stable and it bit her, and that she will forget him being here and the thing he did. Just like that the woman swallowed the lies and ignored his presence. As the sun began to set, Lorenzo slipped away from the stable wanting to make sure he kept his promise of not hurting her or her family.
ย After some days had passed Lorenzo finally made it to the woman that saved his life and as promised she had a witch craft him a ring that would allow him to oppertate in the daytime. He owed his life to her and all she said in return is that she will be continuing to follow his career and hoped that this new life of his would not be wasted. And surely it wouldnโt be. There was one last thing he needed to do before he left Spain for good. He rustled up a few men that were interested in sailing the open seas and decided to steal a ship down by the harbor in a few towns over. Once he greased the palms of some of the people there at the docks he and his new crew were able to set sail on the open waters.
ย The years after that were all kind to him and his crew. He reinvented himself and took on the alias John Swann, an Englishman, who sailed exclusively in the Indian Ocean. The spoils were plentiful and the bounties on them were only getting higher, but soon he and his men were captured, though it was on purpose. They heard rumors of a land that had a surplus of valuable items from countless pirates that sailed through and getting caught was the only way they could find out where they were stashed. While imprisoned Lorenzo caught the eye of another pirate Robert Culliford, an English pirate from Cornwall who too fell prisoner. He felt an attraction like no other and drew a deep attachment to the man. When Lorenzo had his fun being prisoner, he drank blood from Robert and soon busted him and their men out of captivity. They stole all the riches from the island and instead of splitting ways Robert invited Lorenzo, who still went by John, to sail with him as partners, to which the vampire complied. There were enough spoils on the seas for both of their crews so of course they did not complain in the slightest. In fact it went on like this for months before the two pirate kings settled on Ill St. Maryโs, an island right off the coast of Madagascar. The two formed a relationship with one another and often went on adventures together. It was mutually beneficial for the crew of both ships as they were able to acquire vast wealth.
ย It went on like this for a year, but soon Lorenzo grew tired of their life together so when Robert urged him to follow him back to the Red Seas and the Indian Ocean, he declined. With the vast riches he earned through his years of piracy, he felt that he did not need to go on anymore adventures and most of his crew felt the same way. He paid for some of them to go on voyage to wherever their hearts took them, though most of them wanted to head to America. It was then that the British Army found their way to the little island and instead of imprisoning the pirates there they were issued a royal pardon and told they were free to do whatever they wanted with their lives. This was when the two lovers officially parted ways from one another. Lorenzo had his sights on the island of Barbados where he heard of treasures being kept there, but unfortunately Robert was still taken prisoner by the British despite him already having been pardoned.
ย Centuries have passed and Lorenzo has seen his fair share of war, famine, and death above all, but still he persevered. He frequently traveled around the world helping people in their times of need, whether that be growing food for the hungry, fighting in rebellions, helping America stand up to the British, protesting the French Government, overthrowing unjust royals, stealing from the rich, you name it he probably lend a hand to the cause of the just. Lorenzo was constantly on the move and made sure not to travel to the same place without there being at least a quarter of a century in between his last visit. Heโs had several centuries of lovers come and leave as quickly as they appeared into his life, but overall he was content with the work he had done over the years. Though he had turned a new leaf of sorts, old habits did die hard. He often did things that were deemed selfish, though often necessary, like keeping a small percentage of funds he stole for himself, or committing arson, arranging for someone to get attacked for witnessing something they shouldnโt have, and even providing funds to groups that had ill-intentions.
ย During the 1990s he decided to give himself an identity once more instead of being a fly on the wall. It had been centuries since he went by it, but he wanted to continue living as Lorenzo Vicario, so he contacted the Clan and told them of his plan. With their limitless resources they were able to create a record of his birth being the same month and date he was born, but of course using the current year of 1994. As the years went on he remained in the shadows, only doing things he saw fit with old aliases until it was time for him to take over his new life. It had taken some time, but the Clan was only trying to authenticate the fabricated life that Lorenzo had asked of them. He was a person of intellect and the high school records the Clan fabricated for him reflected that, so almost no school was off limits to him. He wanted to aim high, so he attended Columbia where he got his business degree after four long years, then decided to go to Harvard Business school to get his masters. A feat he accomplished on his own accord without having to compel or hack his way into doing. Once he had his affairs in order he decided to get into the lucrative and every expanding world of winemaking. He bought out a vineyard in Burgundy valley that specializes more in grapes that will produce pinot noir and chardonnay, two distinctive and very profitable wines that will surely do well in any market.
ย The next few years the production of his brand Culliford started and was a breakout from the new wines that started that same year. With everything in his wine business set on autopilot at this point he turned his attention to setting up another business in the cutthroat city of New York no less. He moved to the city so that he could watch the market closely and figure out the best plan of action for his move. He found the perfect shop in Brooklyn that had been closed for a few months and had the perfect amount of foot traffic in the area. He called up the realtor to drum up the contracts and soon he was the proud owner of the spot he named Sip by Sip. With him having a business here he would be able to sell anything that he desires, of course one of the items being his own brand. Lorenzo was thrilled for the next step of his life by actually earning a legal earning while exploring a city he hadnโt been in centuries.
