Vlad began his career as an assassin and enforcer for the local mob (the cities in that universe being mostly ruled by local mobs) and then a mob boss for a certain sector of the city when things broke up.

When the human revolt came to the land and Vlad's wife left him, he left the city for adventures (and survival) elsewhere, gaining some measure of wisdom along the way.

And the books went from first person to third person.