Zakarie Arnaud

*"Why do Kindred have to fight when we can all work together? Sounds more sensible to build an empire of peers than a gathering of enemies."*

Zak isn't necessarily new to New Babylon, but he is just recently released, being seen for the first time without Mercy somewhere near them. He spends most of his time working in the ER at Edgewater Hospital as an on call doctor and sometime surgeon, but when he's not there, he's usually spending most of his time living... a normal life? He goes out to dinner, hangs out with friends, and otherwise, seems like a normal person.

OOC:

Zakarie Damien Arnaud is the name he was given at birth, being named after the saint of doctors and plagues. It was a cruel thing to do to a person that would grow up to be a doctor and a vampire.

Even at the beginning, Zak excelled at school, definitely being swifter, at least, academically, than his peers. Regardless of what parents seem to think, that's not a good thing. You get bullied if you're smart, and Zak was no exception. he was jeered at, bullied, and it was all so much, he did what overachievers do and excelled even more, just to get away from them. This led to him graduating High School at the ripe old age of sixteen, with full honours, which is still a record at his school in Montreal, and they often use him as an example of how to excel and succeed. From there, he went straight into college, once again outperforming and burning the midnight oil, and receiving a doctorate in medicine (With a specialization in Cardiology) when he was only 24. Mensa contacted him, and he told them to take their old boy's club and blow it out their ass, he had people to help. After all of that, and with a degree, he recognized that he was young, and schooling was no replacement for experience, so he went to work, immigrating to America to work at Mt. Sinai hospital's emergency room, which is one of the largest operating suites in the world.

Being young and attractive, it didn't take him long to meet a woman. Her name was Lisa Bisset, also from Montreal in a surprising coincidence, though she was a collector more than anything. She was as smart as him, attractive, and a domme, introducing him to new pleasures that he didn't even know existed. He was smitten, and they started dating pretty expediently. It didn't take her long to want to move out west to a safer locale with her new beau, and Zak wasn't one to argue, and was madly in love with her, so they moved, settling in New Babylon. Zak quickly found a job in Edgewater Hospital, and it was there that Mercy found him. After the Decimation, Prince Thorne made an edict. All kindred in the city are required to sire a childe. Mercy was watching the ER, waiting for a suitable candidate to come through, but he was expecting to nab a patient. What he wasn't expecting was the 24 year old doctor, and being in the Ordo Dracul, it wasn't something Mercy was willing to pass up. If he was that intelligent, then his work with the Ordo, and even more with the Mages would be phenomenal. So, they waited, and Zak was embraced that night, being drug from the parking lot into the swamp.

When he woke up, Mercy did their best to explain everything with patience, but Zak was always intelligent and focused on facts, so Mercy demonstrated what it was like to be kindred and a Nosferatu by sending him to meet with Old Tom. What transpired in Old Tom's grove was a mystery, but Zak came out a true believer, and won't talk about what transpired. What did happen, however, is that Lisa asked him where he had been, and unable to lie, because he'd never lie to her, he told her and broke the masquerade. He had no intention to tell anyone, but Mercy neglected to mention that the Mekhet have eyes everywhere.

It wasn't long before Director Roberts contacted him. Roberts knew that he violated the Masquerade, but gave him a choice. Work for the Carthians as a Night Doctor, young Mr. Arnaud, and continue to live in peace. Zak stated that he had no interest in being a Carthian, but if he was allowed to work with the Ordo, he'd accept the offer. Roberts wasn't willing to pass up possible eyes on the Dragons, and The Cyprian, in particular, so the accord was struck, and Zak became a member of the Carthians, though he's not super happy about it, but his goal in life had always been to help people, and this allowed him to do that, so he holds true to the pact, waiting for the day that Roberts is no longer a thing.

Mercy, however, was fascinated with Zakarie. Not only was Zak able to hold his own with Old Tom, he was also able to speak intelligently and hold conversations with the mages, discussing things like planar theory and even knowing the basics of how to use magic, though he was incapable of it himself. Some of the mages in the Corpus Mysterium posited that Zakarie may have been a sleeper, and possibly Acanthus, but that's not a thing anymore, unfortunately. However, the fact that he was so intelligent pushed Mercy to make sure that Zak joined the Ordo Dracul, so yes, they made sure Zak knew it was his choice, but played up the benefits of being in the Ordo, and made sure that that was the one he joined for real.

Now Zak works, a servant of two Covenants. One he cares about, and the other he begrudgingly respects. He's not looking for trouble, but trouble tends to find you in New Babylon the longer you stay there, and he's young, and has an eternity ahead of him.

Character Hooks:

* Roberts has put out word to the Carthians. There's a new Doctor in town if you need help. Just ask for the 'Hound of Tindalos.'
* Zakarie handles most of the autopsies on God Machine cryptids for The Cyprian, and is always willing to share his findings.
* For Dragons, Zak is a Sworn of the Dying Light, and is happy to teach the Coil of the Ascendant to other dragons looking to learn it. He's also stated that he's developing his own Coil, though that's a work of lifetimes, and he's already started.
* They've spoken to Old Tom and survived the encounter. Even stranger, Old Tom LIKES them.
* If someone needs to contact the mages, you speak to Mercy, and if you need to speak to Mercy, you speak to Zak first.
* Zak is a doctor, and very good at it. He also is willing to use his skills for anyone that needs them, and has performed more than one back alley surgery for the homeless that plague New Babylon, healthcare be damned.
* Is a member of both the Carthian Movement and the Ordo Dracul, which seems to be an odd mashup, but no one knows why he joined the covenant, or how he rose through the ranks so quickly. All hands point to Roberts.
* Zak is almost always under the effects of Blush of Life, and mortals don't ever register that something might be wrong because of it.
* He's really young to be a doctor, and that's made some waves in the city.

((Photo is of the model Tobias Hinchley, found on Google.))