Maris Argyros, like many of the Antonian Family, comes from Byzantine aristocratic stock. He was once a ghoul of Caius’, who in centuries past was Caesar Magister. A maritime man for all of his life, and an excellent hand at managing the ports, he was Embraced in AD 797. This was one of Caius’ first acts after declaring himself Basileus after the destruction of Antonius the Gaul, and served as an occasion to display his power to his fellows with much pomp and ceremony. Maris’ duties were originally to administrate the ports, but as Chrysopolis grew on the Anatolian shore across the Bosporus, he was declared Doux of the settlement by his sire. He has existed in that role ever since, never quite a prince but something more than a warden (sheriff).

Over the 12th century, Maris was consistently out-played by the Latins, and the Venetian ascendancy all but neutralised his power over the ports. He still had domain over Chrysopolis, but since nothing of much importance ever happens really there anyway, he had little status and less resources to call upon. What few prestation debts he gathered resulted in safely ferrying visitors across the Bosporus and arranging favourable introductions to his fellow Antonians, who largely see him as a political non-entity.

For his part, Maris tries to rebuild his influence but has always done so in a haphazard manner. He struck up a casual acquaintance with Gunthar von Wolfgang during the Gangrel’s stay in Constantinople. This was based upon their mutual appreciation for the game of chess and also good will over playing on the same team at the Topkapi polo match. It swiftly became clear to Gunthar, however, that Maris was a spent force so he allowed the acquaintance to lapse upon leaving the city.

Years later, he made yet another play for prominence, putting himself forward to work with the Fourth Cainite Crusade during the Imperial Processional of Alexius IV Angelus throughout the latter half of 1203. This was a cynical attempt on behalf of the new emperor to raise funds to pay off the crusaders who had installed him on the throne. Initial success in this endeavour gradually petered out as the treasuries of the available provincial cities proved unequal to the sum. For his part, Maris honestly made attempts to cooperate with and make allies of the Latins in his company, but like his fellow Byzantine advocates on the Processional he apparently found that most of the crusaders were dismissive of his efforts and his Family. When he returned to the capital, the advice he gave the Quaesitor Tribunal was to either find funds from amidst the secret treasuries of the immortals, or prepare quietly for war.

When the walls of Constantinople fell and the enemy army put the city to the sack, he was safely across the Bosphorus in his own city and on his own balcony, looking on in horror. There was nothing left to loot in Chrysopolis, which had been taken and ravaged by the crusaders the previous year, so curiously despite its broken defences it was now far safer than the Queen of Cities. And so it was that Maris Argyros survived the Great Sack to find that his sire, Caius, had not. Rumour had it that the Basileus had entered a great frenzy when the crusaders broke through, slaughtering much of his court in a bloody rage before stalking out onto the streets. There he met his end at the hands of a number of vampire-hunting crusaders.

For the first time in 500 years, he was free of the expectations of his master.

The notion terrified him.

Within weeks he had sought out Nicepherus and declared his allegiance as one of a new camp of Antonians dedicated to putting the old Caesar Magister forward as the new power in the city. Over the following years they sought to bring their new master into preeminence, but Alfonzo of Venice outmanoeuvred them handily, and they were forced to accept his ascension to the throne near the end of AD 1206. In order to keep his vassal city, the Doux Chrysopolis was forced to do homage to the new prince and even accept a ghoul overseer. This was a bitter pill for Maris to swallow, for it was evidence that once again the Venetians had beaten the Constantinopolitans in their own city. Over the many years since that night, he has sullenly attended his duties in Chrysopolis and attended meetings of his Antonians brothers without enthusiasm.

Embrace: AD 797, although it is common knowledge that Maris had existed as Caius’ ghoul for more than a century before his his Becoming.

Lineage: Maris Argyros is of the 6th generation, and possessed of a noble lineage. He is the childe of Caius (d), childe of Antonius the Gaul (d), childe of Ventrue.

(d)= destroyed.