CLAN: Brujah - Primogen |
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Cameron Delreyes was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the third son of a spice merchant. His father was usually gone for six or eight months whenever he sailed to the far east. The family was successful, which allowed Cameron to attend the Sorbonne in Paris, France. The one figure who impressed him the most was not a professor, but a grounds keeper by the name of Sorrel. Cameron saw him do his gardening at night. When he questioned Sorrel about it, the grounds keeper replied flowers do best went planted and tended at night as such traumatic actions would be too much for them during the harsh light of day. Sorrel seemed to be correct as all his plants thrived. Cameron would keep Sorrel company as he did his nightly gardening and no topic was beyond the grounds keeper understanding or reasoning. He was equally adept in physics as he was in philosophy. Cameron asked how he obtained so much knowledge. Sorrel replied that he was the last true renaissance man left. He also made the comment that his was a dying breed and the younger generations were too rash and bull headed to appreciate to usefulness of such knowledge. Cameron once made the off-hand comment that he wished he could be like Sorrel. Sorrel looked him in the eyes and said that when he came of age, he will.When Cameron came of age, he joined his father's business and sailed to China to conduct trade. The journey was usually treacherous, especially sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. However, this was an adventure. On his last journey, he asked Sorrel to accompany him. He agreed, anxious to see new lands and learn new things. Sorrel stayed below decks during the trip. The journey was a sad one as they lost more than the usually number of crew members due to illness or some just disappeared. Sorrel emerged from below only after the ship docked in port.
China was a place of mystery and adventure. Cameron learned Cantonese but was still ignorant of the other dialects of this vast land. One gentleman that acted as Cameron's guide was FuXiang Lin. Lin was actually was a lead men of one of the most powerful tongs in the city. One evening, Cameron, Lin and Sorrel were walking the streets when they were attacked by members of a rival tong that resented foreign influence in their country. Cameron and Lin expected to be sliced to ribbons and their bodies dumped in the harbor. They did not expect the gardener to dispatch their attackers within three blinks of the eyes. Lin was immediately impressed and wanted to posses such power. Sorrel asked Cameron if given the gift, would it be for the physical strength to crush his enemies or the ability to develop the mind and outwit his enemies. Cameron replied that he would rather outwit his enemies because one cannot always rely on brute strength. That was the correct answer and Sorrel embraced him. He refused to embrace Lin since all he saw was physical strength and did not appreciate the power of the intellect. Lin's embrace is another story but he did rejoin his old friend in San Francisco.
Over the years, Cameron and Sorrel eventually moved to the new world in the land called California. They, and others of their clan, opened a vineyard where the grapes thrived. Then came the Ventrue . . . .