Donnie Tremaine
The Humbold Hacker
Glass Walkers
Full Moon of Nix
Uncle of the Wise Guys
Adren of the Board of Jeremiah Industries
Description
(Homid) ~A shrewd Versace suit rests on Donnie's broad shoulders and engulfs his sturdy physique well. The custom-made attire reflects a preference for bold variations: sharp blacks and whites with bright crimsons and deep blues. Donnie's features come across as cunning and angry, diminishing any attractiveness the man may have. The wily wrinkles of early aging suggest an older man -- mid-30s to early-40s. Despite Donnie's good taste in clothing, he lacks the carriage of a gentleman. Instead, it's easy to believe him to be a wise guy thug of some sort -- Mob maybe. Cruelty is etched across his visage. The unforgiving glint of his dark-brown eyes compliment the simple "neglected" style his short dun-brown hair wears. Donnie's heavy suede-clad steps invent an easy swagger to his own tune. Indeed, the Caucasian displays a tight-fisted air of brutal hunger. Donnie emanates vigorous and unrelenting fury: a hair-trigger psychotic who never regrets. Nobody messes with the Humbold Hacker.~
OOC: Appearance 2; Glory 7, Honor 5, Wisdom 2
(Glabro) ~The psychopath adds fearsome bulk and menace when he shapeshifts to the Near-Man. Donnie's suit stretches and bulges as his body raises a few inches and gains dozens of pounds in sheer muscle mass. The mafioso's hands open and close into fists with heaving breaths of rage. His hair grows even more wild and thick sideburns sheath his ruddy cheeks. The cold glint in his eyes grows more predatory: he's on the edge now.~
OOC: Appearance 1; Glory 7, Honor 5, Wisdom 2
(Crinos) ~The Glass Walker shoots up another two feet in height, towering at nine feet. Several hundred pounds of muscle and brown mottled fur, razor-sharp lupine fang and claw, threaten to rend any enemy to shreds. The beast's war-form is a monstrous amalgam of wolf and man: bipedal with lupine features, down to the wolf snout and tail. The coloration of the wolfman's fur coat is no different than that of his more "natural" lupus form. But the human cunning lurks behind the Rage-maddened eyes, and he is not to be underestimated. Even if his mouth is a little droolie there.~
OOC: Appearance 0; Delirium; Glory 7, Honor 5, Wisdom 2
(Hispo) ~Bigger than a Harley "road hog" poises this massive wolf. Doubling the mass of his more "mundane" lupus form, this war-beast is an impressive killer. His large paws can swat a man dead and his nightmarish jaws can tear a man in half. No less ferocious or terrible than his Crinos form, Donnie wields this shape when all other recourse fails, and he must run his urban enemies down like the born victims they are.~
OOC: Appearance 0; Glory 7, Honor 5, Wisdom 2
(Lupus) ~Unlike many specimens of his urban Tribe, Donnie is no small wolf. His thuggish bulk reflects in his lupus form's dimensions, too. Dwarfing most large dogs and quite capable of kowing such animals into submission, this brown wolf sports a number of cream-colored mottles over his well-kept fur coat. Swift and spurious, the lupus does more than chase cars in your neighborhood.~
OOC: Appearance 2; Glory 7, Honor 5, Wisdom 2
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"Nobody does whatever they want to you. They only do what you let them do."
History
Youth
The Tremaines were Italian-Americans. After World War II, Nathan and Edita agreed to change their family name from Tremano. Many Italian families were still very proud of their heritage. And most of the mafia families didn't change any of their names. But the Tremaines weren't mafia per se. They were just accountants who worked for La Cosa Nostra ("Our Thing"). Of course, the Tremaines were more than associates of the Benitulli mafia family. They were also Kin to the Glass Walker Garou -- they were blood relatives of werewolves. And they were quite aware of their secret heritage, too. Their two children, Donald and Victoria, were made aware of this secret from youth. They kept it well. Donnie was especially proud of his heritage because the Glass Walker "scientists" determined that he would one day become a full-blooded shapeshifting werewolf.
Living well in the Waylin Heights suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri, Donnie grew up in a good home. The Tremaines owned a nice house and made sure their children were well-educated. Sure, Donnie attended public school. But he also got extra tutelage at home in academics as well as legends of his true race. However, despite the loving care his parents devoted to he and his baby sister, Donnie had temper issues. Chalked up to the werewolf growing inside of him, the Tremaines never sought psychological help for Donnie. Even when his anger built up to levels that caused him to lash out physically did they not seek aid. Donnie began to beat up his own neighborhood and school friends. Sometimes he even hurt Vicky; no wonder she never gave up the secret of the Garou with that kind of fear instilled!
And Donnie's temperamental mentality got him suspended from public school quite often. Finally, he was expelled in tenth grade after slugging his history teacher. Though his parents were disappointed, their employers, the Benitulli mob, saw an opportunity. For the Glass Walkers had influence in this mafia family; indeed, two of their own membered the Benitulli. So they saw this as a chance to induct Donnie into a lifestyle for which he was well-designed. He lacked inhibition and was destined to become a warrior (Ahroun) of the Garou. Donnie sank right into the new life he was given. He became a mafiosa strong arm -- a security guard as it were. He learned this walk of life under the wing of an older Wise Guy werewolf, Nick Carbone.
From Nick, Donnie heard more of the true stories of the Garou and what it was really like being a fully changed werewolf. And of course, Donnie also learned how to direct his anger more skillfully. He learned how to shoot a gun well and how to hit a man properly. Donnie learned all kinds of methods of combat from the Galliard, Nick, as well as stories of his own people. Donnie learned of the existence of the Totem gods and the nature of the Umbral spirit realm. He couldn't commune or visit with such entities yet, but it was good to know. Nick made sure Donnie understood that the Glass Walkers' use of the mafia was to help keep the criminal world from growing out of line. They did not embrace greed or wickedness, but worked to keep other mafia families who did from coming into power. Sure, they made money -- all businesses do. And sure much of that money came from illegal trades, especially prostitution and gambling. They did not deal drugs very much and maintained ties with South American cartels to keep the inevitable drug craze down to a dull roar. The Glass Walkers considered themselves realists, not foolish idealists. People were going to indulge in certain vices no matter what. It was better if the mob policed those activities than letting the police try to hopelessly eradicate them!
Nick also assured Donnie he understood what it was likely to grow up with so much anger pent-up inside. And for the first time, Donnie found a real friend in Nick. The Don of the Benitulli was the only other Glass Walker in that mafia family, named Caeser Benitulli. He overlooked Donnie's early tutelage and made sure Nick taught Donnie right. And for those first few years in service to the Benitulli, Donnie encountered little violence ever. Nor did he witness much criminal activity: the mafia never operated that overtly. Once every now and then, he and several other strong-armed Mafiosos had to help muscle a troublemaker out of the way. He never had to shoot or beat anyone up. And because of this relatively peaceful period in his latter teen years, nothing inspired Donnie's First Change. He just felt more and more bottled up.
First Change & Tutelage
But no peace could last forever in a world of crime. In 1981, a city-wide gang war sparked out. Primarily, it was limited to the mafia families vying for absolute power over the LCN in the city. The Benitulli struggled against the Marconi. While this occurred, other organized gangs capitalized. Black gangs and the Mexican mobs gobbled up what territories they could while avoiding direct confrontation with the much wealthier, better established, and powerful Italian mobsters. Donnie found himself in a shoot-out now and then, but so brief and hurried were they that he felt little stress over it. The war seemed to stalemate and as it did, the Marconi began to hit the Benitulli low. The Marconi targeted Benitulli assets and allies outside the mobsters themselves.
And unfortunately, the Tremaines were hit. One night, Donnie's parents and little sister were all shot to death in their home. Donnie came home to visit his family the very next day. He walked into a massacre. The sight of his parents and sister scattered all over the house at first sickened him so much he vomited. Then the horror turned to fury. It boiled right up from him in a maddening scream of outrage. And that scream became a roar -- the roar of a werewolf frenzied. In Crinos, Donnie ripped the household apart in blind anger. His madness was louder than the weapons used to slay his family, and neighbors called the police. The sound of sirens just outside finally broke Donnie out of his mad fury. Confused but not dazed, Donnie slipped out the window and ran away from his home, naked as his clothes lay torn to shreds. He fled back to the "gentleman's club" where Don Benitulli and his lieutenants all hung out, and where he worked most of the time.
There Nick received him and once more provided much needed sympathy. Furious and overwhelmed, Donnie would never be the same again. His anger turned darker, merciless. Perhaps this change actually came during his Rite of Passage, which afforded him a taste of revenge. Once Nick helped Donnie learn the nuances of shapeshifting and stepping sideways into the Umbra, Donnie was ready for this initiation test. Caesar dispatched the Ahroun cub alone to Little Italy. A bistro there was host to a group of well-armed Marconi guidos that night. They weren't carrying silver bullets, but Nick warned that a half-dozen Uzis could shred even the mightiest of werewolves. Donnie drove into town, then marched down to the bistro with a sledgehammer. He stormed into the restaurant, shapeshifting to his terrifying Crinos form. He sent the maul crashing into his enemies' soft bone, splattering skulls and caving in chests left and right. Some managed to overcome their primeval terror at the sight of the werewolf and shot him with their small arms, but the lack of concentrated gunfire and his intense Rage-borne speed insured their deaths were quick if brutal and messy. Everyone present was slain: fortunately for the public, the Marconi reserved the whole bistro that night, so Donnie killed only Mafiosos and restaurant personnel who were well aware of to whom they catered.
Altogether, Donnie slaughtered eight people. As the cops sped towards the bistro, Donnie simply went into the restroom. He Reached the Umbra through the mirror and made his way home. Since he succeeded in this mission, he was taken before the Glass Walkers' local "Board of Trustees" in the Jeremiah Industries building. He was introduced to the half dozen other Glass Walkers in Kansas City at this moot. Donnie realized only a few of them were like he -- just Nick and Caesar. The others were corporate moguls or computer hackers, with no interest or connections to the mafia. Still, all Garou were treated the same. Donnie was recognized as a full-fledged member of Garou society. Later, Nick helped Donnie learn various spirit-Gifts to aid him in his work as a Wise Guy Glass Walker.
Early Years
From then on, Donnie worked as an enforcer for the Benitulli. He helped the family put down all sorts of rival gangs across town through strength and fear. For several years, Donnie fought other mobsters. And sometimes, he found that other gangsters had supernatural backers of their own: vampires and fomori goblins, for example. But the werewolf fearlessly clashed with them, too: more often than not, those demons infected their patronized criminals with their greed and lust. They could not be allowed to take control of the city's underworld.
By 1986, Donnie racked up enough enemy kills and paid his dues to the Garou and their gods that he was ready for his first promotion. The Ahroun challenged his old mentor, Nick. Nick accepted and decided to begin by testing just how good Donnie was: were his successes a matter of skill or luck? And to test that, he made Donnie pit his firearms marksmanship against his mentor's. At a downtown firing range, the two shot up targets with sidearms and rifles. Unfortunately, while Donnie was good, Nick was better. But the next month, after plenty of extra practice, Donnie challenged Nick again. And this time, his accuracy was several percentiles better than his mentor. His victory was announced to the Glass Walkers Board that month and his second Rank honored. Nick held no ill feelings either, and proved it by helping Donnie learn a more advanced Gift.
A year later, the Benitulli and Marconi finally had enough of their quiet underworld war. They met to begin negotiations for a truce. Concerned that Donnie's volatile and vengeful nature would cause the Ahroun to do something to damage the relations, Caesar sent Donnie away. Donnie was sent on a working vacation to Miami, Florida. There he was to broker a new deal and relationship with Cuban drug-runners. The drugs that the Benitulli did deal in were smuggled up from South America and the Caribbean to Florida and from there to the Mexican mob in Kansas City. However, over the past few years the Mexican mob tried to gobble up some of the Benitulli's territory and they had to be "spanked". The Mexicans wouldn't deal with them peacefully anymore, so Donnie was sent to make new arrangements…minus the Mexican middlemen.
Donnie spent a few months in Miami. He enjoyed the sites and weather and vice. While brokering this deal, he impressed (amused?) the Cubans with his constant and seemingly psychotic behavior towards competitors and enemies. Donnie found that the crime in Miami was much messier, noisier, and cruder. He found that greed and lust weren't tools of the game -- they were the game. The city was rife with villainy and corruption. What the Cubans perceived as competitors, Donnie saw enemies of the Garou. And since fomori were sometimes found among those he slaughtered, he was correct!
In one occasion, he came across an attractive young woman who a pair of fomori abducted to hold for ransom. Ginger Sanders was the daughter of a wealthy real estate investor. Donnie came to the rescue. The two sparked off a fiery romance. Donnie had women before Ginger and not just "working women". But this was, as far as Donnie was concerned, love. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. Although she was legal, she was a very obedient girl. Only weeks after they fell for one another, "daddy" was dragging her away from Donnie the mobster. Donnie got over it, but refused to admit deep down aside it was just another reason to grow more angry and bitter at the corrupt world. Soon after this escapade, his business was concluded anyway. As as soon as Don Benitulli gave him the green light, Donnie flew home to Kansas City.
War Years
With the Marconi treaty finalized, Donnie settled into an uneasy peaceful interlude. Wealth and respect poured into his life. He was often seen at Don Benitulli's side as one of his most trusted lieutenants. And in the Garou side of life, Nick helped him barter with more urban spirits to acquire more advanced Gift knowledge. Although the mafia families ceased their fighting, the smaller gangs were still trying to grab their own pieces of the pie. The Mexicans were especially in arms against the Italians still. Donnie heard rumors of Pentex -- a mega-corporation whose sole staples were greed and corruption -- were backing the Mexicans' drug-based operations. When fomori assailants of Latino ethnicity tried to kill Donnie on his way home one night, it seemed to confirm this. The Mexicans were furious that the Benitulli went behind their backs in Miami. Thirty-two year old Donnie led the fight to beat this competition back.
And he found that more than Pentex-sent fomori were backing the Mexicans. So were vampires! The fighting was vicious and didn't seem to end. For every mafioso goon that fell, they killed three Mexican thugs. But the enemy seemed to replace their numbers right away. Donnie looked into it and discovered that the Little Mexico district was well-organized (thanks to its supernatural backers) and that new recruits were being tugged straight out of high school to perpetuate the gang's dirty work. Fed up by the bloodshed and disgusted by Little Mexico's residents' willingness and/or apathy regarding the war, Donnie decided to kick it up a notch. With the Don's approval of his plan, Donnie "went biblical" on the Mexicans.
Taking a group of fellow shooters, Donnie went into Little Mexico one night while Nick led a diversionary expedition in the back alleys downtown. While much of the standing Mexican gang clashed with the Benitulli family, Donnie's team went door to door. In every home that a Mexican youth, so long as he was male and old enough to join the gang (roughly around 15 years old), Donnie and his thugs blasted the guy to hell. In every household, they slaughtered the oldest sons and relatives. It didn't matter if they were part of the Mexican gang or not. The past few months proved that there was a damn good chance they would be. Unarmed and defenseless, Donnie wrenched screaming mothers away from their targets, and sent them all to hell. It was the bloodiest, most vicious night of his life. And Donnie didn't feel an ounce of regret.
With that cold-hearted but perfectly legitimate mob tactic completed, the war drew near its end. And once more, Donnie proved his value to the Wise Guys and the Glass Walkers at whole. He was ready to challenge for the next Rank. This time, he issued the challenge to Don Caesar Benitulli himself. The old Philodox agreed, because he had an excellent job in mind for Donnie to complete. Good timing on the Ahroun's part it seemed! A mystical fetish designed as a priceless diamond ring was long lost, but Caesar discovered that humans had kept it stashed naively for centuries. It turned up in the Hoffman's Diamond Exchange in town. So he directed Donnie to break into the exchange, steal the jewel, and bring it back to him…alone.
Donnie took a month to case the exchange, scoping out all of its security strengths and flaws. He memorized where all the cameras were hitched and where all the guards patrolled. Finally, he hit the place. Donnie wore a mask and carried two pistols. But it wasn't lead he pumped into the security guards, just tranquillizer darts large enough to instantly knock any target out in one shot. Everyone present was rendered unconscious as he stormed the place. Of course, the alarm was triggered, but he acted quickly. Using his Crinos strength, Donnie broke into the vault. Using a card key collected from the manager, he obtained the fetish diamond from the lock-box. A small time bomb blew a hole in the outer wall of the building to mislead the cops. Meanwhile, he fled into the Umbra through the reflective steel surface of the vault just as the police stormed and surrounded the place. He returned to the gentleman's club and gave the fetish to Caesar, who congratulated Donnie's efforts. The Ahroun was soon after promoted to the third Rank of Garou society.
Punishment
Unfortunately, while the war neared its end, the Mexicans sought revenge. In 1994, they hired a Pentex killer to take out some of the Benitulli lieutenants, including Donnie and Nick at their personal homes. Like Nick, the assassin waited until Donnie got home, then blew up the man's home with him in it! Like Nick, the assassin waited with a sniper rifle loaded with silver bullets in case the werewolf survived. Like Nick, Donnie did survive, and he grabbed an AK-47 from his secret little arms cache as he staggered out of the burning rubble. Like Nick, Donnie was shot by the sniper. But unlike Nick, Donnie didn't shift forms to let his werewolf regeneration mend the bomb-inflicted injuries. The silver bullet thudded in Donnie's chest and dropped him to his knees but it didn't outright slay him…like it did Nick. Donnie returned fire with an enraged scream, and the sustained auto-fire cut through the assassin's cover…and skull.
Only then did Donnie let himself change forms long enough to heal the damage his body suffered. After regenerating, the Ahroun hurried to the restaurant where Caesar safely relaxed. If his house was hit, surely others were, too. And that's where he found out about Nick's death only an hour before. His fury was understandable but Caesar quickly warned Donnie not to let that event send him over the edge. No matter how the Don tried to calm Donnie down, the enraged Ahroun lost his temper once again. He managed to keep from shifting to full-blown Crinos, but he was still psychotic as he changed to the form between human and wolfman: Glabro. The hulking brute flailed and screamed. A few of the smarter restaurant patrons fled right then and there. Others cringed in fear. Even Caesar dared not try to restrain the brutish Ahroun, especially as the Philodox was an aging werewolf and relied on his presence and Gifts to maintain order…and they weren't working tonight.
Donnie's hands ended up on a fire axe and in his savage fury he blindly lashed out. This time he murdered people in the truest sense of the word, hacking nine people to bloody giblets. Caesar avoided death, but even he was injured in the madness. When the gory moment was over, Donnie dropped the axe and collapsed in miserable horror. He lost his best and only friend and dignity and respect all in the same night. He knew he had no one to blame but himself. Caesar regenerated the wounds he sustained and moved to Donnie's side, as patronly as always. He told him he didn't hold it against Donnie for attacking him. But unfortunately, some of the people Donnie killed tonight were more than innocent bystanders. Some of them were Kinfolk…
So Donnie had to be punished and Caesar couldn't let it slide. Donnie was brought before the Glass Walkers' Board. Lady Helena May Jeremiah, the head Glass Walker in Kansas City, rendered judgment. The Rite of Satire was inflicted upon Donnie, stripping him of one Rank. All present Glass Walkers took turns condemning his misdeeds. And he was slapped with the moniker of the Humbold Hacker, so named for the district in which he committed the mass murder. Furthermore, due to his temperamental behavior, the Lady did not want Donnie around the city for awhile. It would bring bad "publicity" from the other Garou Tribes. So she ordered Donnie to turn himself into the human authorities for what would be a lengthy imprisonment.
Grudgingly, Donnie turned himself into the police. He pretended to be guilt-ridden. Despite being under punishment by the Tribe, Caesar made sure Donnie had a good lawyer. Just because Donnie pleaded guilty in court didn't mean he'd get less of a sentence than the Tribe wanted. He was guilty of nine counts of second degree murder! And the judge sentenced him to life imprisonment with parole possible only after twenty-five years of hard time. Donnie was disgusted but he had no choice. The law of the Garou was the only law he would ever obey. At the same time, the judge and police sensed that it was a farce, that Donnie had been given up by his organization. But the law bound them, too. And Donnie was long suspected as a mafia killer -- it would be good for them to get him off the streets.
Off to prison Donnie went -- Jefferson City State Penitentiary, in fact. And Donnie found a new war to wage -- against his own pent-up Rage. He fought his temper everyday in that dungeon. And he didn't always win. His reputation spoke for himself. Most of his fellow convicts both feared and respected him. But it never stopped him from releasing a bit of his anger on his cellmate or a blockmate. It earned him a private cell at least. And over the years, every now and then, the guards would find a convict mutilated and stashed away. They always looked like a wild animal tore into them, so the guards assumed it was one of their own with a K-9. The corrupt warden overlooked it, too -- they were just slimeball murderers and rapists anyway. Anger management did little for Donnie in jail. In fact, at one point he pinned the therapist under a chair long enough to make the poor man swear that Donnie wasn't crazy, before the guards yanked Donnie off and threw him in isolation. There Donnie remained for many more years. He spent five years in regular prison and the next five in isolation.
Freedom
However, Caesar Benitulli didn't quite agree with Lady Helena May Jeremiah's sentence. He knew the human authorities would put Donnie away for good. And he meant it when he told Donnie he didn't hold any grudges for what Donnie did in that frenzy. Indeed, to run his operation not only steadily but successfully, he needed younger Wise Guys to help. With Nick dead, he had nobody, and over the decade Donnie was gone, the vampire-backed Marconi grew more and more powerful. Territories the Glass Walkers should have seized were lost. New Wise Guys were promised to Caesar over and over but none ever came. Finally in 2003 Caesar took matters into his own hands, defying the Lady Helena. He employed a Random Interrupt -- a Glass Walker that specialized in computer hacking -- to aid him in helping Donnie escape jail. Donnie's lawyer pulled some strings and Donnie was able to see Caesar in prison. Through guarded and subtle language, Caesar impressed upon Donnie his desire to have the Ahroun escape. Donnie was quite pleased that his Tribe finally wanted to rescind this ridiculous sentence.
So for the rest of the year, Donnie put on an extra effort to behave. He quelled his temper as best he could. Finally, he impressed the warden enough to be put back into general population. The next year in 2004, Donnie instigated a riot between mafia loyalists and the Mexicans held there. In the chaos, he slipped by the guards and broke into the offices. He destroyed all hard copies of the personnel files. Meanwhile, the hacker that Caesar employed erased those records electronically. Donnie simply stepped sideways into the Umbra, went Crinos, and charged his way out of the prison, and the spirits that tried to stop him. Once out of the prison, Donnie hopped into the mafia-driven car waiting for him down the road. They cruised back to Kansas City, leaving the police clueless of his escape…or even existence. Donnie was a free man and soon he would be a made man.
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Fetishes
Void Bullets (talens)
Gnosis: 7
Origin: With Clashing Boom-Boom's guidance, Donnie learned how to bind minor spirits into useful items...like bullets. A magazine of Void Bullets is bound with a spirit of Electricity always taken directly from the power plant.
Effects: 1) inflicts aggravated damage
Activation: 1) The spirits he uses serve the Totem, so will only function if fired from a gun he's properly named and decorated in honor of Clashing Boom-Boom.
Significant Other
These two met under unintended circumstances in 2004. Fresh out of prison, Donnie just saw a pretty face and a decent brain in Avery Pomarico's head. He doesn't even realize Avery is Kin and her fatherless son is Trueborn. Although still attempting to reconcile Donnie's temper and bad attitude, Avery enjoys their fiery relationship. Donnie isn't sure yet…but he maybe wouldn't mind being a daddy to Avery's son, Michael. Of course, Avery isn't sure she wants a mobster werewolf as her boyfriend. But their desires for each other cannot be easily restrained and keeps them crawling back to each other for more.
Avery
Significant Other
Name: Bonnie Rays; 2012
Nature: Erotic
Bonnie
Weakness
Psycho
Donnie is hopelessly brutal and impulsive in his behavior and outlook on life. He is eager to be the big bad wolf in charge. And the Ahroun is more than happy to cut down anyone in his path.
Likelihood of Corruption
Average.
His hunger for control and power makes him vulnerable to corruption by the Wyrm's agents. However, his psychotic and impulsive behavior combined with a cunning and wily mind also makes him unpredictable and dangerous to even the most powerful of Banes. Ultimately, Donnie is on the "right" side -- at least in that he carves up the bad guys as readily as people inconveniently in his way.
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Rest in peace, Ray Liotta.