This event was witnessed first hand by Cyrus Mackenize -- a Tremere from the Omaha Chantry who related this story, as is, to his Regent. The story was verified and assumed to be largely accurate by the Tremere.
In 1969, a military base in Omaha had a riot, an uprising that wasn’t widely publicized to the press and the national media. The Prince at the time was a young Toreador named Silas O’Roarke, an Irishman widely suspected of being the puppet Prince of a couple of local Primogen whom the Camarilla wouldn’t have smiled upon as Prince.
A tall, broad man strode into Silas’ court, a local art museum, in front of the rest of the elders. He looked at Silas with a smirk on his face and peered closely at the rest of the elders in the city, who were as silent as could be. Silas, being a young vampire and never knowing the best of judgment, demanded to know who was interrupting his court.
The tall man cocked his head curiously at the young Toreador and walked over in front of him. “Well, are you as dumb as you are impudent? Who the Hell are you to be intruding upon my court without my permission?”
Two words were issued from the tall man’s grinning mouth. “Thank you.”
There was no silence or exclamation from the rest of the room as the man slowly and methodically tore the limbs off of Silas’ screaming corpse (although the tongue and vocal cords were left intact). Right before the head and the body were separated, the intruder replied “I am the Justicar Democritus. Who are you to be intruding upon my court without my permission? You are no longer.”
The removal of the head was simply a formality.
Democritus turned back to the crowd. “This man – Isaac Churchill – is your new Prince. Does anyone have anything to say about that?”
The city’s Ventrue elder frowned and asked “Sir, if I may?”
“No.”
“But, sir, this man is a stranger…..”
The Ventrue died quicker and quieter than did Silas. His second narrowed his eyes at the new Prince slightly.
“Yes, he is a stranger. This city is corrupt and rife with graft and evil. . Isaac is unknown to you, but I trust him – that is what is important. He is your Prince. If he does not serve the amount of time allotted for him, I will come back and kill everyone present. Is there anyone here whose name begins with the letter “A”?”
A few heads turned towards a younger but prominent Brujah, Aristotle. Democritus killed him as well. Random, but it showed the Kindred of Omaha that he was serious. And then he left.
