Andre Baptiste
NPC · Werewolf
Andre Baptiste
Subdivision Director, Public Relations (PR)
When the Howling Blitzkrieg Pack tore James Kiker apart, there was only ever going to be one candidate for his replacement. Andre Baptiste is the former PR chief for one of the wealthiest agribusinesses in the world, a one-time programmer for one of the largest TV networks in the USA, and a hugely successful spin-doctor for a now deceased state leader. Pentex headhunted him when it became clear he was on the market, and despite his advanced age, Baptiste has shown no signs of losing his edge.
Baptiste gave himself to the Wyrm long before joining Pentex. As a youth in Puerto Rico, he was a runner for a drug smuggling operation. He ended up in charge of his own small narcotics empire. He supplied many rich and famous men and women, and one drug-addled fat cat introduced him to a cult worshiping the Defiler Wyrm.
The desire to increase his power by corrupting and destroying the world around him appealed to a part of Baptiste’s soul. The Wyrm granted him easy access to money and status, leading him to change his identity and ascend to the giddy heights of corporate maneuvering, public awareness control, and selling everything not nailed down. He soon realized that consumers were no different from the junkies he once supplied. They all needed a fix; they all needed to be fed what they thought they wanted, whether that was information, food, or television shows. As long as they got a fix, Baptiste found he could lace his content with whatever foulness he chose.
His job is twofold: he conceals the true reach of Pentex throughout the world, while increasing the profile of its subsidiaries. Baptiste micromanages much of the subsidiaries’ public image, and fancies himself something of a puppetmaster. The Board considers his insight in to public perception vital. The other Directors use his knowledge of consumer needs and wants for their own ends. Baptiste has only been with Pentex for a short time, but is already leaving his mark as a canny and capable head of the corporation. So far he has yet to make any long-term enemies among his colleagues; instead he’s content to curry favor with all of them until it’s time to bring the unscrupulous dealings of any given Director to light.