Kindred
Lineages - Andersen

Vincent Andersen – Ventrue/Invictus

Arriving in the final years of the eighteenth century, Vincent Andersen brought with him a small brood of American Invictus who continued to support British rule. Driven out by the American Carthians, the young Ventrue sought refuge in the Toronto domain. The Family Compact allowed for a high degree of control to be exerted by the Invictus and the Lancea Sanctum over the mortal populace and guide it to the sort of growth which would allow for greater hunting grounds for the Kindred of York. Because Henry Lange’s arrival seemed suspiciously auspicious, the Prince and his closest kin focused much of their efforts in the Domain towards gaining some semblance of control over the Lancea Sanctum. Braun for a time became obsessed with this potential threat, and paid little attention to the activities of the other members of the Invictus. Andersen directed his lineage towards an accelerated consolidation of power within the city, such that by the time the Prince was satisfied with the disposition of the Lancea Sanctum, Andersen and his kin had become integral fixtures of the domain.

Once the longevity of his lineage had been ensured, and their importance to the Domain highlighted to the Prince and his closest advisors, Andersen disengaged himself from most of the politics of the city. The rebellion warranted attention by all of the Invictus, resulting on his behalf the small mobilization of his lineage’s resources to aid in the dispersion of the rebels. The decades past with Andersen becoming more and more of a recluse, such that it came as no surprise, with the death of Prince Braun at the hands of Henry Lange during the Great Fire, and the praxis seizure by Prince Hollinger, that Andersen had himself interred with his family. While waiting on their founder to wake from his sleep, the descendents have maintained a strong tradition of joining the Invictus and standing firm against encroachments of Carthian ideology. The difference between the descendents of this lineage and the other lineages of Toronto is the pride they take in their American ancestry. They hold this distinction with a certain degree of vindication during interactions with Carthians; they view their continued existence as proof of their strength in surviving the Carthian persecution of the Loyalists.

Leonard Mathews – Ventrue/Invictus

Childe of Vincent Andersen it fell to Leonard in the nights after the Great Fire to keep the lineage together. The founder made an official announcement charging the well being of the line into Mr. Mathews hands. But like his sire the weight of years hung upon his shoulders. The need to fortify the Andersen holdings seemed to be all encompassing; but it was not within his capacity to maintain the firm hand on such activities as necessitated by the changing world. In answer to this Leonard embraced Ambrose Small to oversee the growth of the family holdings, and like his sire sought slumber.

Josephine Crafton – Ventrue/Invictus

The eldest grandchild to survive the fires, Josephine Crafton for some time managed the affairs of the family, acting as the face for most of the family who in imitation of their founder became more reclusive. Time passed, and Josephine clearly illustrated her loyalty to the city, and a desire to live her life by the ideal of justice. It was no surprise when she approached Samuel Morrissey to become an Archon. She carried with her an undeniable respect for all of the members of the court, and was deemed the ‘good cop’ of the Reeve’s Archons. It was a loss to the city when she was destroyed tracking down the creature that had ravaged a New Years Eve party with the guise of Lyta Troy upon its face.

Ambrose Small – Ventrue/Invictus

On the 2nd of December 1919 Mr. Ambrose Small, Canadian theatre tycoon, received one million dollars and vanished on the downtown streets of Toronto. That day after selling his business, the profits of which were deposited in a nearby bank; Ambrose received his second reward being inducted into the ranks of the court. As a child of Leonard Mathews, Mr. Small found himself catapulted in standing due to his lineage and the ties afforded by such relations he, in the time honored tradition of the Andersen line, worked tirelessly to integrate the family into the structure of the domain.

For some 50 years Ambrose was the head of the Andersen line; maintaining their standing and presence in the domain for the eventual day that their founder would return. To Mr. Small nothing else really mattered for his eye was always turned towards this end. While a man of his word the only business which gained his support was endeavors that helped further the influence of the Andersen family in Toronto. Arguably since the downfall of the Jetter line with Prince Braun’s death in 1904, and the stain upon the Lange family, the Andersen line had become synonymous with the city itself.

His preoccupation with the family eventually turned the court against him. Intractable in his wants, and the views he maintained of the dominance the lineage held in the domain, his demands of respect drove those who once called him friend to decry his standing in the court, and in one rare instance a call by Kurtis Clattenburg of the Jetter line for his immediate exile from the Domain. Kurtis maintained that Ambrose’s agenda was no longer simply to ensure the empire of Vincent Andersen, but had instead become an unsettling force in the domain which would eventually lead to destabilization as a result of inter-Covenant warfare.

It came as no surprise that during the FLQ Crisis someone would take the constraints upon night travel as the perfect opportunity to destroy Ambrose. Or at least it is believed he was destroyed. The haven was left with all of his belongings intact. The investigation by the Reeve and his Archons uncovered little. The disappearance of Mr. Clattenburg was never officially linked to Ambrose Small; but some still wondered if perhaps Kurtis took matter into his own hands and fled the domain afterwards.