Miguel

Miguel is a Brujah antitribu and Sabbat Black Hand member. Also known as "The Apostle" and "The Bull".

Early Life
Miguel was born in Malaga, Spain, the oldest of three children. His family owned a small farm outside of the city and the first few years of his life were fairly calm outside of a few schoolyard fights. Things changed when his father died influenza and Miguel was forced to take on the role of head of household. While his mother raised his younger siblings, he had to quit school to tend to the farm.

Miguel worked hard to put his brother Joaquin through school where he fell in with an anarchist organization.

For several years there was tension between Joaquin and Miguel, but the brothers put their differences behind them to avenge their sister after she as assaulted by nationalist forces. Miguel and Joaquin hunted down those responsible and killed them, turning them into rebels.

Spanish Civil War
During the Civil War, Miguel and his brothers fought as guerrillas in league with the Anarchists. The three bonded over the conflict although Joaquin and Miguel often came to heated arguments. This all changed when Lucas accidentally was killed by Joaquin and Miguel thinking he was a nationalist creeping up on their camp. Miguel was devastated and blamed himself for his brothers death and his relationship with Joaquin came to a head the night before the battle that took Joaquin's life.

Argentina
After the victory of the nationalists was certain, Miguel lost his will to fight. He chose to flee rather than face death. Miguel booked passage on the first ship leaving the country for Argentina.

Miguel's life in Argentina was largely a five year drunken stupor. It wasn't uncommon for Miguel to get into bar room brawls over politics and his own drunken war stories. He was always itching for a fight and didn't care much where it came from. This is what initially attracted the attention of Silvina Frers. Silvina was a German national and Brujah. She saw in Miguel a rebellious spirit and she watched over him for days before approaching him for the Embrace.

Life as a Cainite
Miguel took to his unlife among the Brujah of Buenos Aires exceptionally well. He could debate politics and get into scraps then hug it out as if he was fighting with his brothers. He spent many nights discussing philosophy with Silvina and although he had had no formal education he understood many advanced concepts naturally. Silvina tutored Miguel in the finer points of rhetoric and debate and he taught her how mortal politics had shifted from monarchy to democracy.

While things went well among the Brujah, the same could not be said for Miguel's relationship with the Camarilla as a whole. Silvina had embraced Miguel without permission and because of this the Prince constantly sought to test him, hoping to prove that his embrace was a mistake and to punish Silvina and destroy him. Miguel defeated every challenge.

Miguel could have put up with the Camarilla's bureaucracy but when Silvina was recalled to Germany in the aftermath of World War II Miguel had had enough and went independent.

Wanderings
After leaving Argentina Miguel spent the next few years traveling throughout South and Central America. Most Kindred are unable to travel so freely but Miguel's years as a guerrilla taught him ways to move unnoticed and any altercations with Lupines were minor.

Miguel always seemed attracted to conflict and he fell in with several communist revolutionary armies, teaching techniques and occasionally fighting himself.

During this time he had several interactions with the Camarilla and met the Sabbat for the first time. In the eyes of Miguel the Sabbat were young and dealt a bad hand while the Camarilla were oppressive and elitist.

El Salvador and Joining the Sabbat
Things changed for Miguel when his travels led him to El Salvador. Like many times in the past he met up with local rebels and began to help were he could. With these rebels however were several members of the Sabbat. Miguel quickly fell into conflict with Tamara, the Lasombra Ductus of the pack, but developed a firm friendship with fellow Brujah Alison.

Alison and Miguel would talk similar to how he used to with Silvina. She told him of Caine, the Antediluvians, and the coming of Gehenna. She urged him to join the Sabbat and fight along side them.

Miguel was on the fence unsure of how he felt about such revelations but after a fateful encounter with the Camarilla, a group of Lupines, and if the story is to be believed a potential Antediluvian, Miguel threw his lot in with the Sabbat joining Alison's pack.

With the Black Hand
The next few years were devoted to research on Caine and the Antediluvians. Miguel became a prominent Noddist in Mexico City and his pack's priest. Tamara felt like Miguel was a threat and tried several times to put him in his place, however his capacity for violence and skill in leadership soon had him displace her as de facto leader of the pack.

A mixture of Miguel's skills in noddist lore, combat, and leadership made him an ideal candidate for the Black Hand. He was tested, challenged, and tested again and always came out on top. His skills soon became invaluable to the Sabbat and he was inducted into the Black Hand.

Miguel's tenure as a member of the Black Hand has largely involved trouble shooting for the Sabbat. With his assistance the Sabbat were able to firm up control of Tijanna from the Anarchs and make headway in El Paso and Phoenix.

Recently he has been tasked by the Regent herself to go to Seattle to bring it under the dominion of the Sabbat.

Powers and Abilities

 * Empathy: Miguel's most formidable ability is that of empathizing with others. He takes no joy in prolonging suffering. In his mind he is doing what he does for the betterment of all Cainites, whether they deserve salvation in the eyes of the Sabbat or not.
 * Noddist Scholar: Few Cainites have as extensive knowledge of the Book of Nod and history of Caine.
 * Charisma and Leadership: Miguel is a natural born leader and has an intense personal magnetism.
 * Expert Marksman: Miguel is well versed in the use of firearms.
 * Black Hand: As a Dominion of the Black Hand, Miguel has access to the resources of the Sabbat.

Relationships

 * Lucas: Lucas was the middle brother and the most kind hearted of the three. Miguel loved him the dearest and was devastated by his death
 * Henrietta: Miguel was very protective of his little sister and her rape and murder has the driving force behind him joining in the Spanish civil war.
 * Joaquin: Joaquin was the youngest brother. Hot-headed and quick to action, Joaquin was the one that lead the brothers into joining in the Civil War and the died in the conflict.
 * Silvina: Miguel's relationship with his sire was that of peers. Miguel respected her greatly and still often wishes he could consult her wisdom. Another time, another place they may have been lovers but that wasn't meant to be. Even now having gone roughly seventy years without seeing her he considers her a close friend.
 * Alison: Alison is Miguel's closest friend and confidant. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't seek out her advice.
 * Delilah: Miguel and Delilah's relationship is rocky at best. She reminds him of every quality he used to despise in Tamara and thinks she is simply playing at being Sabbat. Delilah on the other hand resents being disposed as Archbishop of Seattle by someone she views as an up jumped neophyte that hasn't put in the time to command her.
 * Tomek: Tomek is Miguel's favorite of Seattle's Sabbat. A fellow Noddist and scholar.
 * Thorstein: In a way Miguel respects Thorstein's skill as a warrior, but he does not like how tactless the viking can be. Miguel feels that Thorstein is a liability in his plans and that might have to be dealt with sooner than later.

Conflicts
Miguel has been a part of each of the following to some extent. Since 1979 as a member of the Sabbat. Since 1985 as a member of the Black Hand. † represent missions on behalf of the Sabbat
 * 1936-1939: Spanish Civil War
 * 1945: Venezuela Democratic Revolution
 * 1947: Paraguay Civil War
 * 1948: Costa Rican Civil War
 * 1948-1958: La Violencia (Colombia)
 * 1956: Cuban Revolution
 * 1960–1996: Guatemalan Civil War
 * 1962–1990: Nicaraguan Civil War
 * 1979-1992: Salvadoran Civil War
 * 1980: internal conflict in Peru†
 * 1989: Caracas Riots of February 1989, riots in Argentina†
 * 2001: December 2001 Argentinean Riots†
 * 2006: civil unrest in San Salvador Atenco
 * 2006-Onward: Mexican Drug War
 * 2008: Prison riot in Mexico, 28 dead†
 * 2010: Riots in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 25 dead†
 * 2011: Riots in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, 17 dead†
 * 2011:  Riots in Nicaragua, 4 dead†
 * 2012: Riots in Mérida state, Venezuela, 12 dead
 * 2014: Venezuelan protests, 43 killed, 5000+ injured
 * 2017: Venezuelan protests, 165 killed, 15000+ injured