Armando "Nines" Rodriguez is a prominent member of the Anarch Movement in the Anarch Free State, having achieved a great deal of popularity as a leader with the area's Unbound even before being involved in the events surrounding the death of Prince Sebastian LaCroix.[1]
Rodriguez can often be found in the Last Round bar in downtown L.A.
Biography[]
| “ | Rich bastards screwed the country- but did they suffer? No, the little people suffered. | ” |
| — Nines Rodriguez | ||
As one of a poverty-stricken family of nine, Armando learned responsibility at a young age, working hard to support his family at an early age. Still, a series of crises brought about by the state of the world during the Great Depression taught Rodriguez that hard work is not everything when the system itself is working against you. This lesson was reinforced when his younger brother died from an illness because the family could not afford the price the local doctor was demanding for treatment. He came to California to escape the Dust Bowl sometime between 1930-1940. He most likely came from Oklahoma or Kansas, as these were the states that most of the Dust Bowl refugees who migrated to California came from. Like many of these Dust Bowl refugees who came to California looking to be hired as farm workers, he would have only found squalid living conditions and discrimination from California natives. It is unknown whether his migration occurred before or after his brother's death. His Embrace finally gave him the power he needed to fight back against oppression.[2] At some point he began going by the nickname "Nines", possibly as a reminder of his family.
In LA by Night, Nines corrects Victor Temple, who assumed he'd been present during the beginning of the Revolt of 1944; he stated that only Isaac Abrams was there with Jeremy MacNeil from the beginning. Though he has also been stated to have fought in the revolt and is considered a war hero by many for his actions during the revolt. This makes sense as the revolt lasted seven years (1944-1951) and Nines is assumed to be embraced in 1949. This would also explain why many consider him a war hero as he would be fighting and accomplishing great feats in battle as a fledgling. It should be noted that MacNeil is most likely not Nines' sire, who may have been killed shorty after Nines embrace based on Smiling Jack's explanation in Bloodlines that Nines was helping the games protagonist because he was also left sire-less. If what Jack said was the truth, it could be that soon after embracing Nines his sire was killed fighting in the revolt and MacNeil may have taken the young sire-less Nines under his wing.
Nines is a rising star among the L.A.'s Anarchs in the modern nights, the main reason a lot of young Kindred join the Anarch Movement and prior to October 2004 he was considered the unofficial baron of Downtown LA but resisted this as he eschews those sorts of leadership roles. Maximillian Strauss hints that, were it not for his stated political affiliations, Rodriguez would be a useful ally of the Camarilla. It is not until after the events of October 2004 that Nines reluctantly became Baron of Downtown and East Los angles. Even after taking on this leadership role Nines still has no desire to lead an army or have a herd of followers despite others in the Anarch Movement pushing for him to become the next McNeil. His rejection to become the new face of the Anarch Free states is possibly driven by feeling uncomfortable with the degree people idolize him for his reputation as he doesn’t want blind followers fighting for him, but rather people who passionately believe in their joint mission. This reluctance to assume roles of power is only compounded by his experiences with people who gained positions of power and leadership changing. First during his mortal life, during the Great Depression, then after his embrace with Jeremy MacNeil suddenly abandoned the Anarch Free States while other Barons such as Tara Keanrney defected from the Anarch Movement to the Camarilla. In LA by Night, Nines states he only took the position as Baron because someone had to in order to protect those he cares for and the safe haven for "misfit" kindred they fought to create in Downtown.
While he has stated in Bloodlines that he prefers to use guns in a fight he is very skilled in hand to hand combat and has helped train multiple people. His is seen as the top Brujah in LA, a legendary fighter and war hero whose feats include killing a werewolf while it was in Crinos form. The werewolf incident took place in October 2004 when the previous prince of LA, Sebastian LaCroix, attempted to kill him and the protagonist of Bloodlines by setting fire to Griffith Park. As he was attempting to reach the gondola station near the observatory to escape the fire Nines was attacked and dragged deeper into the burning park by an enraged werewolf who may have assumed the fire was a Kindred attack on Griffith Park's Lupine population. In October 2004, Nines seems to be proud of the fact that he killed the werewolf. His friends and coterie mates, Damsel and Skelter, complain to the Bloodlines PC that Nines won't stop talking about the fight and Nines is shown to have taken the mangled werewolf head with him to the Lucky Star hotel room where he is hold up and recovering (both events are only seen in Bloodlines if the PC chooses to side with the Anarchs at the end). Despite this initial pride, Nines appears to have developed reservations about this incident. Nines doesn't seem to regret killing the werewolf but rather that at the time he did not even consider if there was any other options besides killing it.
At one point rival Anarch faction, referred to as The MacNeils, sets fire to his haven, despite Rodriguez being an ally of Jeremy MacNeil.[3] This may no longer be canon as the Gehenna timeline was retconned.
Despite the Anarchs re-establishing themselves in Los Angeles, the war over the territory continues: the Camarilla, the Wan Kuei of San Francisco, and Tara Kearney of San Diego, and possibly even the Sabbat. While Rodriguez does not believe any vampire should rule another – including Barons – he finds himself needing to assume the mantle of leadership in the wake of MacNeil's disillusionment with the Free State experiment. Still, he is no field tactician, and finds himself uncertain where to direct his forces first.[4]
Quests[]
- Elizabethan Rendezvous
- Calling Dr. Grout (sort of)
- The Enemy Of My Enemy
- Ming Must Die!
- Royal Flush
Background Information[]
- Nines is voiced by Armando Valdes-Kennedy in VTM: Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines , which may be the origin of his first name as revealed in VTM: Beckett's Jyhad Diary .
- Nines is portrayed by Luis Carazo in VTM: Vampire: The Masquerade: L.A. By Night .
- The Malkavian PC in Bloodlines refer to Nines as "he of the numbered name." Nines responds in a manner that implies someone like that actually existed but died, implying he's the ninth leader of the Anarch Free State.
- It's also possible he is simply playing along.
- The fledgling, should they avoid offending Nines and have a Combat skill level of 1-5, may obtain combat skill points from him via dialog.
- +1 to Brawl after the conclusion of Explosive Beginning (up to Brawl level 3).
- +1 to Melee after the conclusion of Elizabethan Rendezvous (up to Melee level 5).
- Rodriguez is not a quest-giver, but rather offers advice and warning. In late game play, Nines defeats a werewolf single-handedly, a rare feat, as solitary werewolves have been known to kill entire groups of Kindred.
- It has been revealed on LA By Night that the werewolf Nines killed was very young, and he referred to it as "a pup."
- In Vein Pursuit, Nines has a coterie track down a courier headed to Seattle. It was later revealed that the courier was Damsel.
- In the Lone Wolf ending, Nines will meet up with, and attempt to recruit the PC to the Anarch cause, only to be coldly shunned via the player's middle finger.
- He works on vintage motorcycles as a hobby, and rides a Harley named Galileo.
- Nines has a penchant for wearing jewelry, of which he seems to have a wide selection though true to his nature tend to be of simpler designs.
- In La by night is also often seen wearing blue, which may just be a reference to his outfit in Bloodlines, but could also indicate that blue is his favorite color.
- He may have gotten his nickname "Nines" from the pair of 9mm pistols he carries, or from being the ninth child in his family.
- PC game Headliner references Nines Rodriguez as the reporter of a story where genetically-unmodified Gary Golden isn't allowed to marry his highschool sweetheart Jeanette Voerman.
Gallery[]
References[]
- VTM: Vampire: The Masquerade: L.A. By Night
- 1x08: Who Can You Trust
- 2x06: The Warning
- 2x08: Innocent Monsters
- 2x09: Embrace the Dark
- 3xE4: Captain of My Soul
- 4x04: The Darkest Places
- 4xE1: Compelled to Injure
- 4xE3: In Praise of Ladies Dead
- ↑ VTM: Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
- ↑ VTM: Beckett's Jyhad Diary, p. 117
- ↑ VTM: Gehenna: The Final Night, p. 45
- ↑ VTM: Beckett's Jyhad Diary, p. 127