Lorenz

**Lorenz** ( ローレンツ *Rōrentsu*) was a former member of the Nazi Resistance who took up homeless refuge on the island of Growerth. There, he mentored Traugott Giessendörfer and later Watt Stalf before he was murdered by his own unwitting son.

## Chronology

Lorenz was once an officer in a *ringverein* (gang) when Germany was unofficially known as the Weimar Republic. When the Nazis came to power and began to crack down on gangs, Lorenz and his gang members resisted Nazi influence until the end of World War II – though his gang was in such pathetic shape that they all parted ways in the aftermath.

The first time Lorenz visits Growerth is during the war, when he is "sick of the Nazi bastards." During his visit he sneaks into Waldstein Castle and encounters Viscount Gerhardt von Waldstein, the lord of Growerth.

Lorenz returns into Growerth over the ensuing years, during which time he prevents a mainland smuggling ring from setting up shop on the island. At the age of sixty-five, he impregnates a woman while on Growerth. Fearing for the safety of his lover and their unborn child, he decides to separate from them and become homeless.

More than ten years pass. Lorenz passes on his skills to a boy named Traugott Giessendörfer in the interim, an experience he later recounts as some of the least fun he has ever experienced.

One day Lorenz is lounging about his second favorite haunt (a ruined church) when a young dhampyr named Watt Stalf sneaks into the building. Lorenz soundly thrashes him, only to then encourage him to keep him company and entertain him with conversation.

Watt learns through one such conversation that Lorenz used to be part of the resistance, and demands that Lorenz teach him to become strong. When Lorenz asks why, Watt defiantly replies, *"Why do you think, genius? To mess you up real good"* as he lies spread-eagle on the ground.

Lorenz slaps his thigh, laughing through his false teeth that Watt is the most honest brat he has ever met. However, he informs Watt that he has already passed on his skills to another boy around Watt's age: the Geissendörfer boy. He proceeds to complain about how difficult it is to teach other fighting skills and, after snickering that Watt is quite sturdy for his build, deduces that Watt is part-vampire. As Watt wonders who on Earth Lorenz really is, Lorenz advises that he formally greet the Lord of Growerth, as it is obvious that Watt has none do so already. At some point over the next several days, Lorenz contacts Gerhardt and tells him about his encounter with Watt.

Ten more years pass. On a day as ordinary as the rest, Lorenz sends Watt out from their latest hangout (an abandoned factory) to buy him some cigarettes. While Watt is absent, a young man enters the factory and approaches Lorenz with obvious murderous intent. Lorenz recognizes him as his own son, and lets his son stab him. As the boy pushes the blade down, he says, "Sorry, old guy. Now I'm set to join the gang."

Lorenz, alarmed, realizes that his son does not know they are related. He asks his son to take care of his mother, and warns him against joining a gang who would kill his mother without a second's thought. Shaking, his son accuses him of lying.

Watt returns at that very moment, and is shocked to find the young man in the process of stabbing his eighty-something mentor. He prepares to assault the man, only for Lorenz to grab his leg – giving his son enough time to flee.

Confused and outraged, Watt demands an explanation for Lorenz's behavior before crouching down next to him, intending to call a doctor. Lorenz calmly informs him that it is too late for a doctor, and Watt wonders why Lorenz was stabbed in the first place. From what he saw, the attacker was younger than him and shaking like a leaf.

Lorenz replies that the matter is family business, and Watt should just leave this to the police. Even so, he admits that his attacker was his son and goes on to explain his past with the smuggling ring. As his son had no idea as to his father's situation, he must have resented Lorenz for abandoning the family. His son thus turned to delinquency, and wound up involved with a gang.

The gang had told Lorenz's that if he were to kill the old man who prevented them from setting up base on Growerth, they would accept him into the gang and appoint him go-fer between Growerth and the mainland. They may have also implied he would have a chance of leading the smuggling jobs on Growerth if he did well.

Lorenz finally says that he let himself be stabbed because he assumed his son had wanted revenge over Lorenz abandoning him and his mother. Watt swears, and Lorenz nods and clarifies that he once vowed that if "the son I abandoned came to kill me one day, I would let him take my life." When Watt argues that his logic makes no sense, he counters: *''...If I were a little more clever, or a little stronger... If I had been a little more cunning with the smuggling ring, I never would have had to abandon them in the first place.  Even when the gang went quiet for a while, I didn't know how I'd face my son.  So I never did.  That's why I deserved to be stabbed.''*

With blood spilling from his mouth, Lorenz recounts the short exchange he and his son had as he was being stabbed. He then asks Watt to leave the boy alone - whether he joins the smuggling ring, turns himself in or commits suicide is his own choice, and no one else's. Even so, Lorenz could not allow his own son to be beaten to death – and would not have been able to rest easy if Watt became a murderer on account of his own family.

Lorenz then gives Watt advice: since Watt is neither human nor vampire, he does not have to abandon either side - he can engage with them both. He comments that Gerhardt never stops talking about Watt, so he must be as entertained by Watt as Lorenz is. Seeing his own blood strongly reminds him of the viscount as it is, a remark which he follows with a request for the cigarette pack.

Watt hands over the pack, distinctly put out by the incessant references to Gerhardt. Lorenz lights a cigarette and insists that they should try to be friends, much to Watt's unamusement. As Lorenz smokes, he confesses that he was scared to face his son, and thought that he would make up for the abandonment by looking after children like the Giessendörfer boy - though he now knows that he was wrong. Still, he does not regret his actions one bit.

Lorenz dies with a triumphant smile on his face, his cigarette falling into a pool of his own blood. His death left a lasting impact on Watt, and may have influenced some of Watt's policies during his political career.