Marcus Aurelius Cotta

"'I have watched the empire my sire built crumble to ashes. The ashes have been gathered and buried, but the fires of Latinus's will burns bright within me, and all who share his dream! Join me, brothers and sisters, and let our fires run hot, so we may forge a new order whose legacy will be remembered for all nights to come!'""-Marcus Aurelius Cotta to the Princes of Italy, shortly after awakening from torpor"Marcus Aurelius Cotta, also known as Marcus Septimus and Marcus Aurelius Nerva, is a fifth generation vampire of the Torvic Clan, and the vampiric ruler of Italy, sired by Latinus himself.

Biography
Marcus Aurelius Cotta was born the third son of a wealthy plebeian in Rome, in the year 80 BCE. As was customary, Marcus joined the Roman legion, when he was sixteen years of age.

Embrace
Some time after Caesar had taken Rome, Marcus and a patrol of fellow legionnaires were set upon by a frenzied Vetala vampire, leaving Marcus as the sole survivor, allowing him to spread tale of the attack. Marcus was then abducted by the Veismar Emmerich, who swiftly slaughtered Marcus's wife and children, who had heard the most of the tales he had been spreading, and then brought him before Latinus for judgement. The ancient Methuselah peered into his mind, and impressed by what he saw, offered him the Embrace. Marcus, seeking the power to one day avenge the death of his family, accepted.