Clavo Hernandez

Concept: False ID Maker

Desc: A latino male in his mid-30’s.  Sharp intelligent eyes that are a bit nearsighted. Overweight and moves kind of slow.(although there IS some muscle there.) Long luxurious black hair that he normally keeps tied back while he’s working.  Or worn down when he’s looking to get his swerve on. His body is a storm of ink.  A cascade of Mayan mythology and symbology that is colorful and arresting. Most of it is his own work. Clavo speaks slowly, He’s almost entirely rid of the stutter that used to plague him as a child.

History: Art school is expensive. Did you know that? You grow up dirt poor but with an eye that can both see and capture the beauty of the world.  And you want to go. Your whole family wants you to go.  But you don’t have the dinero de mierda.
It started small. Like a lot of these things do.  Your Primo comes to you with tears in his eyes because the teacher has given him am “F” and you, with a little skill and a good eye for detail, turn it into a “B-“  Sure. You might have gotten caught a time or two, but it usually meant a little extra jingle in your pockets.
   As you got older, your friends were always looking to get into clubs or buy the cheap beer they like. But, so sad, no ID that could make it possible.  But you saw an opportunity.  Hey, That’s what America is all about, right?  Some time, some effort, deft hands with an X-Acto knife and soon you were making money.
    And with an apprenticeship to a guy named Julio, you finally had enough money to take those art school classes. Julio always said that art school was bullshit, but hey, if you want it, and you are willing to work for it, go for it. Julio taught Clavo all there was to know about the fake ID business.  At least he taught him quite a lot before he got busted and went away for “Vacation”          
       Art School ended up being bullshit. But it opened up new revenue for Clavo and he found a couple of like-minded people there who do occasional work for him when things are too full.
    Clavo’s work is now sought after. He has a guy who can handle the digital end of things,He’s heavy into municipal systems, but other than the magnetic strip,which he can do himself, most ID cards haven’t changed a lick. He’s got a few vampire, sin eater, and Werewolf customers and they are his best.  Although they’re constantly trying to tempt him to come work for them exclusively. Clavo declines politely. He knows enough not to get entangled. Plus, on more than one occasion, he's said, he couldn't afford the cut in pay.

Attitude: “I don’t care why.  Some people got great reasons for wanting a new name or background. Trying to get out from under the police,  maybe trying to avoid some asshole who’s been beating you up that you unfortunately married... The less I know, the better I like it.  I’m not interested in answering questions for people who come looking for you.  All I care about is the money and the art. You get that, and we’ll get along fine amigo.

Skills:  Obviously there’s going to be some dots of Crafts and a few specialties. Also, While he’s not super-limber or anything, he’s got serious dexterity dots too in order to do the kind of work he does. He has a part-time job at a tattoo parlor to keep his hand in and, as he’s noticed, he gets a little stir crazy if he doesn’t leave his studio for days at a time.
On the martial side of things, Clavo is no great shakes in a fight. But he knows how to use his weight to his advantage. and while he’ll never be the kind of high flying wrestler, he enjoys watching on TV, He is more than capable of technically wrestling you into the goddamn hospital. Broke his brother’s collarbone once just messing around.  He’s pretty strong and he knows exactly where the body is supposed to bend and where it’s not.

Gear: Most of what Clavo needs to make a first class Driver’s license fits into a handy fishing tackle box. Naturally, his studio kit for that sort of thing is FAR more in depth. He can do birth certificates, library cards, and a number of other ancillary forms of ID there.  He keeps a pocketknife on him at all times. He only carries a gun if he thinks there’s going to be real trouble. But if he does, it’s going to be a shotgun. Clavo’s ride is tricked out and has cool hydraulics and purple under-lighting. The sound system is truly impressive.

Home: Really good Fake ID’s can be serious money. Other than occasional weed, Clavo doesn’t really have anything in the way of expensive vices, and he’s always been pretty good at saving money.  As a result, about a year ago. Clavo bought a tenement building.  He bought it as a distressed property from the state, and he cut in two of his cousins in as superintendent/In-house rehabbers.  As a result, the building itself is starting to be in better shape and the more of the units that have been rehabbed, the more money it brings in. At some point, Clavo will start work on the wall mural he has in mind for the exterior of the building.
Clavo has taken the 4th floor for his own use.  His studio has a steel cage vestibule that one has to pass through in order to enter the floor itself and the elevator only comes up here if you have a key anyway. All the windows are diamond meshed and even the door opening onto the roof has a deadbolt. Clavo’s personal space is pretty small, but his work-space/Gallery takes up most of the floor. He even has a corner dedicated to his own unlicensed tattoo operation. There are surgical theaters that are less scrupulously clean.

Circle: Clavo has a pretty decent client list but he keeps most of that strictly professional, having only 5 or six really good friends. (Most of those are dudes from the old neighborhood, and 1 guy from art school.) He’s a bit shy with women, but he’s not incapable of talking to them.  Once he warms up to a particular girl, He’s usually in there.  He’s figured out that his stutter is endearing to some girls, and he’s found that if he sketches a girl at all, he’s getting lucky that night.  He’ll have Contacts: Street just to stay abreast of what’s going on in the neighborhood.

Story Uses:
“You look like a “Victoria” to me. “Tori” to her friends...”
Clavo is good at what he does.  In fact, he’s a better ID maker than an artist. At some point or other, someone is going to need documents and the ability to get low, If that’s the case, You make contact with one of his people and wait...
You wait because they check you out some. There was at least one vampire who got stupid and nearly wrecked everything for everyone.  He’s dead now.

“Look. The dude never said his name, and I never asked. He paid in cash and did not give me an address to send a Christmas card to. So fuck off and don’t come back.”
Occasionally, you’re going to want to lay hands on someone who has gone Red October. Clavo don’t play that.  He’s found that an attached flame thrower that drops down out of the ceiling of the vestibule is more than capable of dealing with most threats, supernatural or otherwise. In any case, even you make it past that and his shotgun, he really doesn’t know much. He stays carefully ignorant of his supernatural customers especially.  Although, it ought to be said that anybody who messes with him or doesn’t pay, find that their NEW identity is already in the hands of the police and has apparently committed a number of sexual offenses. 

Connections:
*Bonita and Dolores Hernandez, who work at Caligari's are his cousins. Dolores lives in one of the units in the Building. If something goes down, he might call them.
* Aldous Church bought a set of clean documents from Clavo which are sitting in a safety deposit box in Baltimore.
*Dr. Dennis McMurtry likewise has a set that he bought. To his eye, these are professional grade. Langley ought to know about this young man.
*Alejandro Dean of Holmes, Gillis, Baker, Savage, North, and Dean is a regular client and go-between for Clavo and some of his stranger clients. Both men are of an age, and neither guy was in a gang, so they have certain things in common. They are certainly friendly, but not exactly friends. If that makes sense at all.
* Lara X has purchased just enough documentation to be able to purchase internet access in a name that is not her own. When they met to discuss terms, she explained some about why she was doing what she was doing and Clavo found he was intrigued. Now he reads her blog regularly.  He wouldn't mind taking a run at her. He's sketched her and everything.
*Pablo from Bryson Import/Export is one of those friends from the old neighborhood. He's never needed an ID but occasionally comes around for Ink.