Jonathan Kramer

**Jonathan Kramer** or **The Broker** is a major character in *Villainy and Virtue,* created and portrayed by LHudson.

The Broker serves as an information broker, selling information regarding organisations, structures, and people to those whom will pay his price. Using his vast amount of connections in Heartania's infrastructure, he is able to retrieve information or change plans within a phone call.

## Biography

### Background

On the surface, The Broker is a man with almost no past, though he does rare present events in conversation. He admitted that he blackmailed a school bully and destroyed his prized fedora, and also claims to be the root cause of a house fire, but there is little evidence connecting him to the crime.

Under the skin, The Broker is a man running away from his past. During or after he established his network, he became responsible for the death of a family dog. He was also tricked by a liar into selling him information, which was then used to blow of a disability hospital, a memory that effects his attitude towards people.

### As The Broker

The Broker is a well connected man to the point that buying and selling information was his trade. His network of loyal members has successfully infiltrated the city's entire infrastructure. This has allowed him to absorb and adjust information. This has gotten him into trouble several times during his time, from robbing a bank to infiltrating Wild Card's Full House Casino (albeit only temporary).

During the first phase of Jade's conflict with Paige, Broker played an active role to the point of successfully keeping the group mostly intact when notorious murderer Dr. Adrian Cooper wanted in due to his ties with the Blythes. He was successful, but was forced to play a risky card and faked his dead when Paige tried to set up both him and Jade. Little did he know that the act would bite him back during the same week.

#### City In Chaos

The Broker took a commanding role in A City In Chaos, and personally lead the charge with the broken and unfocused police force into the killing fields. Many of them would die, but Jonathan was noted to take a front line approach against the prisoners. He successfully talked Inferno out of the Town Hall assault, much to the annoyance of Reaver, before making his way to the Golden Pineapple nightclub. He successfully orchestrated the city council's escape due to one of his safe-houses being located in the Town Hall itself, and the efforts of The Pursuer and Frequency allowed for at least half of the council to escape. His sister, Claudia, was among those who escaped, but due to Snowflake he quickly lost her. This loss, the loss of the last of his immediate family, caused him to go on a madness streak, which ended when the Ravagers were pushed back by the combined efforts of several allies. While Claudia came back due to Mira's deal, the experience was the start of a near week long life drain.

### As the High Chancellor

The morning following the City of Chaos, The Broker took to the stage on citywide television to announce that he was given full authority due to the rampant corruption in the council, and that he was activating the Citadel. While the High Council did indeed send this order, it is implied to have been intercepted and slightly rewritten in Jonathan's favour. As the High Chancellor, he saw a large gain in resources, but the juggling act of trying to keep the city together pulled him to his limits. He successfully deleted the order to arrest Argent while saving Jason Thompson from certain death, while also building up the city to hopefully return it to it's former glory. His network expanded to include more notable figures, most notably Lilly and Luke Jones, and was able to convince Ragno Salvador to back the official government. But in doing so he nearly lost his sister, and might have done if it wasn't for the snap decision to replace her torn off arm with Dr. Cooper's severed mechanical arm. Major distrust cycles him after losing Kay's confidence, and the strain nearly caused a mental breakdown if it wasn't for Mira and Jade's support. The death of a patient increased the paranoia, and Mira's (not to be confused with Ftangr's ward) betrayal has caused him to nearly indirectly kill her family. His actions with Councillor Paige has caused his psychotic sister to start a hunt for Jade, adding additional stress to an already overburdened Kramer.

#### Insurgency

The takeover of Heartainia angered Relictus "Acchilleus" Libertas, who first tried to get some work at the Citadel. Due to his affiliation with the previous corrupt council, and possibly Michael Paige, he was turned down. This lead to Acchilleus to found a faction that he calls the "Safe Zone", but one that Jonathan calls the "Insurgency". Through the distrust of the Citadel, Acchilleus successfully recruited Kay, while bringing in some support from the city's police chief Monica Johnson. Under the hood, he also recruited the notorious Vipers, and through Mira was able to cause Luke to leave, while also making Lilly Jones and James Witt vanish. While this has caused trouble, Jonathan boosted Claudia's R&D capabilities and allowed her to found The Chasers. While his support for the Inner Circle is backed by the High Council, he fears that even the legal status won't stop the insurgents from trying to take the impregnable Citadel.