Bio

Petrus the Troubadour is an ancilla of mysterious origin and agenda, although he is proud to recite his lineage and plain speaking enough in council. As Guy de Provence’s chief aide-de-camp and advisor, he exists outside of the formal ‘status chain of command’ that would ordinarily limit his authority by virtue of his Low Clan Embrace. In council, his word has become known for advising caution, moderation and fair play in all things- all qualities that Sir Guy appears to rely on Petrus to provide in abundance. In accord with his duties, he is authorised to give orders when his master is indisposed, and also to limit access to Sir Guy as well. In the wake his master’s rage over the intrigues of Sir Geoffrey of Richmond, this made him deeply unpopular with some of the Cainites attached to the crusade. Unlike many of his increasing number of detractors among the Cainite Crusade, however, Petrus has shown no inclination to use his power for anything but the best interests of his friend and the cause.

While he is evasive about his mortal origins, it is known that he was brought across in the middle years of the 11th century and that he is native of the Marquisate of Montferrat. He belongs to the Phadymites, a small bloodline of the Ravnos clan renowned for their sense of honour and dignity. As the direct progeny of the elder Marcia Felicia Licinia, who was quite active in the latter Roman Empire, he carries a good deal of prestige within the bloodline and his status is also recognised by many French and Italian princes as well. He is also a strong proponent of the via equitae, the Road of Chivalry, and has devoted much of his time in the 12th century promoting it throughout southern France and northern Italy.

It is during these travels that he made the acquaintance of the ambitious Ventrue, Guy de Provence, and they soon formed a friendship based on a mutual interest concerning the battles of antiquity. Sir Petrus knows many elders, including his grand-sire, Phaedyme who saw first-hand the battles of Alexander the Great, Gaius Marius, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, Gaius Julius Caeser, Mark Antony, Marcus Agrippa, Constantine the Great, Flavius Aetius & Charlemagne. He sometimes uses these vivid accounts, as well as his command of Chimerstry, to instruct others on military history, or to outline battle plans for future attacks.

They kept up a correspondence for many years, with Petrus using his travels to keep Sir Guy abreast of intrigues throughout the lands of France and Italy and the Ventrue using his growing influence to make the Phaedymites more welcome in the courts of the High Clans. When the 2nd Cainite Crusade was called, Sir Petrus followed the example of Sir Guy and took the cross. However, unlike the combative Ventrue and Sir’s Gunthar and Phillipe, he was far more useful to the cause engaged as a diplomat and spy, and he rarely accompanied the army (a job that he would perform with considerably more success on the 3rd Cainite Crusade as well). His skill with language and subterfuge saw him advance well in front of the crusade, and often lag well behind too. Indeed, Petrus did not make the acquaintance of Gunthar ritter von Wolfgang until the 4th Cainite Crusade, and clearly did not appreciate the attitude of the secretive and proud Gangrel.

The two of them quarrelled over access to Sir Guy when the matter of the saboteur of Zara was brought to a head. Sir Guy had become “indisposed” over the matter of the Lasombra schemer, Sir Geoffrey of Richmond, who had directly managed to pull 3000 men away from the crusade through his manipulations of Baron Simon de Montfort and also a number of Normans who sought egress from Taranto. Petrus assigned his childe, Arnaud le Brave and Sir Martin to assist the Concord, but their help (though useful) was not appreciated by the Gangrel because of the quarrel.

Petrus is ostensibly in charge of Sir Guy’s information gathering sources, and while he readily admits that he has experience in such matters, he finds spying distasteful and against his natural grain. Even so, his services are quite useful to his master as his contacts amongst the mortal troubadours and camp followers allow Petrus to keep an ear to the ground regarding rumours amongst them. It is thought that he has influence with a number of mortal troubadours in the employ of Boniface of Montferrat, and it is certainly true that Petrus has performed for the Marquis on several occasions. Unfortunately, the Phaedymite has been forced to neglect these contacts somewhat in favour of his other duties, and now he must also tread even more carefully than in the past due to the incautious machinations of the exiled Brujah prince of Corfu, Aglaia.

Lineage: Childe of Marcia Licinia Felicia, Childe of Phaedyme, Childe of the “Black Mother” (d), Childe of the Ravnos Antediluvian; a member of the Phaedymite jati.