Yancey (Masque)

## Synopsis

A street magician who hides his face so that he may hide in plain sight and be judged for his skills and persona rather than his appearance.

## Important Character Information

* Street Magician by trade
* Interchangeable mask with multiple faces
* 6'7
* Mask Cobbler
* acquired haven from Cornelia
* reluctant Nosferatu Whip on the Council of the Valley
* unmasked twice: once by Vannevar Thomas in Elysium, once by Cassius in Sweet Tooth.

## Important Relationships

* Anole — first friend in the Valley
* Cornelia — former Nosferatu Speaker, constant adviser
* Jezebelle — closest Friend who helped him to embrace himself for the person he is
* Erato — friend turned lover(?) who helped him become comfortable with his emotions
* Jenny — Met during encounter with Vannevar Thomas. Playful scorn interactions turned into a surrogate father-daughter bond.
* Brandy — surrogate daughter-figure
* Winter — surrogate daughter-figure
* Artemis — trusted friend and crocheter of clothing
* Cassius — first Nos met in his role as Whip; shared background, brief butting of heads

## Background

A traveling performer from a young age, Yancey moved from city to city in Reconstruction-era America, practicing his crafts and earning a living. His tall frame and natural showmanship made him a hit, particularly in the circus spheres. Sometimes on the stage, sometimes on the street, in groups or solo, legally or otherwise. It was an unpredictable life, but it was life. That is, until it wasn't.

Life was pulled away from Yancey one night when what he thought was a mugging turned into an unwilling Embrace. The transformation was devastating at first, but luck was on Yancey's side: other Kindred found him in time and brought him into the fold. With this new understanding and family, Yancey began to make his new unlife work for him, adjusting his performances to suit his new parameters and restrictions, operating in the busy cities at night, and hiding in plain sight (much to the chagrin of fellow Nosferatu) by gravitating towards masked performances.

The mask became a fascination and fixation with Yancey as a medium to keep some sense of normalcy. Over time, he integrated the masks fully into his persona, adopting the stage name of Masque and gravitating towards biàn liǎn and its mask-changing performances, eventually constructing his own version for everyday use. This further spiraled intoa fascination with identity, and over time his larceny extended from lockpicking and basic theft to identity theft and crafting. While he still reaches for a sense of the way things were, the talents that come with the Nosferatu Clan are too enticing for his performances (and other freelance illegal works) to let go.

Yancey continues his performance and larceny, moving freely through the years. He'll freelance for higher-ups and others who need his skills, but mostly: Yancey lives his unlife. That is, until his travels took him to the Valley of Los Angeles. Here, Yancey found himself in a whirlwind of Kindred, Garou, Mages, and more, operating the Valley as both Safe Zone and War Zone. He attempted to make his place and fly under the radar, making friends and giving corner performances. Encounters with the Council of the Valley, Vannevar Thomas, the Second Inquisition, and others have pushed him more towards taking sides, however, and soon he found himself in the position of Nosferatu Whip to support his first friend in the Valley, Nosferatu Speaker Anole.

A Boon redemption from the Toreador Hazel resulted in a minor blood bond and a frame-of-mind shift for Yancey, who suddenly was confronted by a more emotion-based side that he had pushed away. Coupling this with a chance encounter by the Tzimisce Elder Petru in an alley of the Valley one night, Yancey found himself opening up to people (somewhat against his will) more: expressing his feelings to friends, pushing Kindred (such as Brandy and Jenny) towards less-destructive life paths, uncovering an emotional aptitude (with Erato and Jezebelle), and chipping away at the shell he had created for himself over the century. Yancey is more comfortable in and out of the mask now, though the mask still remains his chosen appearance.