During the 13th century, Ngalo Umbeke was a Nubian sage who acted as an ambassador on behalf of his brethren in the Ashirra to the rest of Clan Lasombra. In Europe, he gained fame by managing to gain partial control over Emperor Frederick of the Holy Roman Empire. This made him an enemy to Montano, who was not happy about the current political developments and tried to topple him and his efforts to influence Frederick. Before this time, he was part of a coterie that used to rule the vampire population of Ravenna, until the group dissolved in 752 after the diablerie of one of its own.