Vampire the Masquerade V5 - Solo Session - The Neillson Library

I'm currently running a Vampire the Masquerade chronicle using the 5th Edition rule-set for a small group of fellow role-players. As certain players have desires for their character which wouldn't really suit a session with other players I've agreed to run solo sessions for those with personal schemes in mind. I've decided that in order to maintain game balance any rewards for these sessions will be in the form of Loresheet dots or similar backgrounds from a pre-approved list so in character upgrades are achieved rather than another 3xp to spend on disciplines...

Our campaign is set in Los Angeles and features a small group of Camarilla agents sent into the 'Free States' to search for ways to once again bring the Ivory Tower to dominance under the pretence of being disillusioned neonates looking for the freedom of the Anarch way of life. Some in-roads have been made but there's still much to do...

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Why LA? - Well it contains a lot of different baronies giving me a lot of interactions to play with, allows me to use some of the more interesting characters from the Bloodlines PC game (which two of the players were familiar with) and is a setting not yet experienced by the players familiar with the Vampire RPG which gives me a chance to keep them on their toes. I've also changed quite a lot and inserted some new characters of my own to make things a bit more interesting...well...interesting for me at least...

The now obligatory warning bit - Unlike my other RPG write-ups this one will contain swearing, sexual references and other references that might offend. If you can't tell the difference between real peoples opinions and grown-ups role-playing predators who crave blood then this probably won't be for you. I've also used actual photographs to represent some characters which I'll give acknowledgements to at the end if I've any idea who they are.

The introduction to this campaign and the first story can be found at the following links...
Welcome to L.A. - Introductory Session 'Zero'
Story One - 'Three Murders' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Interlude - One
Story Two - 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part One, Two, Three and Four

The Storyteller

Garreth as Everyone else...

The PC

Phil as Michael Tomassio - Toreador

The player characters stats and backgrounds can be found HERE should any-one be interested.

As I have written out introductions and dialogue for certain NPC's and some location descriptions I'll post these more or less as I wrote them so they'll be in a 'reading to the group' style and they'll also be in blue. If I think something needs a bit of out of character explanation then those will get a storytellers note that will helpfully be in red...

Introduction

Your phone rings and you hear the distinctive voice of Marius's right hand ghoul Victoria on the other end. As usual she gets straight to the point "Michael...did you have any plans for the next few days that can't be cancelled?"

Michael immediately concluded that probably meant 'cancel all your other plans immediately' and as the coteries plans to move on the barony of Pasadena where currently awaiting other matters to resolve before continuing he did indeed have time to spare.

"Marius has a guest arriving tomorrow, some-one for whom we look after certain interests in between their occasional visits and he'd consider it a personal favour if you were to look after them while they're in town while he's otherwise engaged. Perhaps it'd help with your decision if I showed you just exactly what we look after for them...interested?" "I'll be at the gallery in...oh...about an hour, if that's satisfactory?

Michael's natural curiosity at the vagueness of the statement got the better of him and he agreed to meet with Victoria to discover what Marius's group was protecting.

One of the larger of Marius's vehicles arrives outside and as you leave to meet it the driver gets out and opens the rear door for you. You can see that Yukio is in the passenger seat next to the driver and Victoria is inside the vehicles rear together with a pretty young woman who you recognise as Isabella, the 'cargo' from the missing car you were sent to locate several days previously. Victoria informs you that you'll be taking a drive to Hollywood so you can introduce himself to Baron Isaac Abrams as they'll need to spend some time in his territory and Marius wants the formalities dealt with first.

Isabella - Blood Doll
Marius's 'Herd'

Michael introduced himself to Isabella as he was unsure given the state she'd been in after her ordeal whether she remembered him. "So you're one of my rescuers then?" Michael confirmed that he'd played his part in her rescue but chose not to mention that the box in the glove compartment had actually been prioritised over her or that he'd spent most of the combat outside.

Storytellers Note - The events skimmed over here are covered fully in this story HERE.

He did notice that without all the make-up she'd been plastered in when they first saw her she was actually quite petty in a 'girl next door' kind of way though was also somewhat younger than he'd imagined. She did however seem to be much happier in whatever role Victoria had created for her though he could still see several faded bruises here and there from her previous ordeal. Given the depravities he'd heard of being perpetrated on the blood-dolls provided at the Fortier's parties hosted by Catherine Du Bois he doubted she could be any worse off as despite Marius's ghoul Victoria being a complete psychopath she did seem unwilling to waste anything or anyone vaguely useful as a resource and reserved her particular gifts for enemies of which Marius certainly wasn't short.

Scene One - The Baron of Hollywood

Isaac Abrams - Baron of Hollywood

You park outside an exclusive looking jewellery shop and the driver opens the door to let you out but only Victoria accompanies you. You are directed towards a rear entrance with a pair of guards standing watch outside who Victoria addresses. "This is Michael Tomassio, Marius has arranged for him to introduce himself this evening" The first guard steps aside and the other one addresses Victoria "Kindred only I'm afraid, you know how Isaac enjoys the formalities" Victoria nods and takes a step back and you notice that Yukio is no longer sitting in the car but leaning against the wall at the end of the alleyway with her hand resting casually inside her jacket. 

The door is opened for you and you are directed within. Seated behind the counter is a distinguished man in an expensive hand made suit wearing about a million dollars of jewellery including a Patek Philippe watch that you'd estimate cost around quarter of a million dollars on it's own. "I'm a busy man and I dislike Marius arranging visits via his ghoul so make your introduction brief and to the point..."

Michael introduced himself formally by name and as one of clan Toreador which seemed to pique the barons interest if only slightly. He then asked permission to travel though Isaac's domain as he had some business with Marius's ghoul that would require him to be here for the day at least. There was a pause before the Baron spoke in a particularly sarcastic tone "...I suppose I should be grateful that you asked permission at all considering last time you entered my domain you didn't feel that it was necessary"

Michael immediately concluded that he was talking about their visit to Gary in the sewers below Hollywood which they had indeed done without respecting the traditions that Baron Abrams seemed so fond of. It was hard to detect from the tone whether he was genuinely offended by the imposition or was just pointing out that he knew they had been there though Michael suspected it was the latter.

The artist immediately decided to blame the absent members of his coterie as being the uncouth ones and as one was a Malkavian and the other a Brujah this seems plausible. He then changed the subject by stating his general objections to having to enter the sewer system at all to which the baron was entirely in agreement with. After some more flattery, blaming of absent coterie members and bonding over a distaste for Nosferatu's choice of home he was eventually granted rights to travel through Hollywood but was expressly warned against feeding while there.

With the interview now obviously over the artist gave a deferential bow and left by the door indicated by a dismissive wave.

"So what did you think of the Baron of Hollywood?" asked Victoria as they drove off "Exactly as his reputation would indicate no doubt" she concluded. Michael had to admit that he'd been somewhat abrupt or an "arrogant self important prick" as Victoria put it a moment later. Michael enquired if he had any particular reason for his less than sparkling personality and was informed that he was being left behind by technology as he was stuck in the era of film and had failed to embrace other modern media advances. This meant that as his power was primarily based around money made from a very specific set of businesses that others were beginning to eat into his profits with their own enterprises. As she seemed unlikely to elaborate any further he spent the rest of the journey making small talk with Isabella.

Scene Two - Hollywood Cemetery

After a relatively short and uneventful trip you arrive somewhat surprisingly at the gates of the Hollywood Cemetery. The driver is apparently staying with the car but Yukio, Victoria and the girl all get out. It's somewhat of a concern considering your visiting a cemetery at midnight that as she hands you a maglite torch you can't help but notice that Yukio has a suppressed military model FN P90 tucked under one arm. Apparently she notices you looking "just in case..." is all she says...

Understandably Michael's response was "In case of what?" but received only a wry smile in return.

Victoria opens the locked gate and once you're all inside the gate is locked behind you and Victoria begins walking purposefully through the paths between the valleys, hills and various impressive monuments, crypts and graves of this vast cemetery eventually reaching what looks like a small home for a caretaker of some description.

Romero - Cemetery Custodian

Evidently you're expected as the door opens and a pale skinned man with short hair, wearing a dark shirt opens the door. He has a rifle in one hand but as soon as he sees your group approaching he puts it just inside the doorway and the girl accompanying you heads towards the structure. Victoria explains that Romero is the caretaker here for the cemetery and works for Isaac Abrams to ensure that the dead "Stay where they're meant to be..." but that as he works all night he doesn't get much company so occasionally they provide him with some companionship as a good will gesture though what he does for them in return she doesn't say.

Isabella gave Michael a wave presumably to assure him she was fine. This left Michael with just Victoria and Yukio to which he asked the question that had been playing on his mind for the last few minutes. "So what exactly does 'stay where they're meant to be' mean in a cemetery?". Victoria explained that the dead didn't always rest easy in this particularly location and it was sometimes necessary for Romero to prevent a messy masquerade breach caused by dead celebrities deciding to go for a stroll though no-one was quite sure why it happened so often here specifically. Even less comfortable after the answer than before Michael kept close to the heavily armed Yukio.

After another ten minutes you arrive at a fairly plain, square structure that appears to be one of the older crypts in the area and are led down a flight of stairs to a large stone door. Victoria opens the door with an intricate looking key from a chain around her neck. It has an unusual purple glow from a section to it's rear and as she turns it within the seemingly ordinary lock the door-frame glows with intricate runes for a moment as the key is turned. 

The Neillson Library - Hollywood Cemetery

Ahead is an antechamber with several sarcophagi within and another flight of stairs leading further down. Yukio somewhat irreverently takes a seat on one of the stone covers as Victoria continues down the stairs...

"Yukio will keep an eye on things while Romero is otherwise occupied, we're nearly at the place I wished to show you..." She opens a second door with the same key as before and this leads into another antechamber with a large archway on the opposite side sealed with a portcullis. Marius's ghoul places her hand on a circular indentation in the wall beside the lowered gate and it begins to raise as she withdraws her hand. You can't help but notice there are a number of bloody marks in a circle around her palm but she seems unconcerned about them. 

Beyond is a spacious chamber filled with books, cabinets containing odd ornaments and several seating areas some of which have books open on the nearby tables. "I really wish people would put things away when they've finished with them..." She mutters before explaining further... "This is what kindred scholars call a Neillson Library. The Toreador archaeologist Carmelita Neillson unearths the past, preserves kindred historical artefacts and interviews Kindred of interest. Over the years shes been chronicling a vast array of vampire history and conversations with vampires as old as two millennia apparently. 

Mi-ka-il - The Dream

As the Camarilla forbids her from archiving any of her findings electronically, she has established several 'Neillson Libraries' in discreet locations. We look after this one for her and make sure that any-one with permission to look through it's archives doesn't abuse the privilege or more accurately Marius hunts down and brutally kills any-one who abuses the privilege..."

Michael who had a keen interest in certain aspects of kindred history particularly Constantinople asked if they had time for him to look around and his guide confirmed that she's be giving the cemeteries guardian another hour or so before they retrieved Isabella.

The library had an extremely well organised index and the Toreador made some notes about various volumes that interested him hoping he'd be able to return and perused several in the short time he had available to him while asking a few questions of Victoria who had completed her brief housekeeping session.

Surprised that he hadn't heard of Carmelita, Victoria explained that she was more or less the role model for those of the Toreador clan that aspired to be more than what according to her Marius referred to as "Pretty but talent-less." Michael had to agree that some Toreador did indeed pick progeny for less than well thought out reasons and beauty was no doubt the cause of the majority of impulsive embraces and mentioned the Bartholomew's in passing.

Sophia Bartholomew

He commented that of the ones he was aware of Sophia Bartholomew seemed to have some talent though Victoria claimed she found her work dull and uninspiring despite her regnant's liking of some of her landscapes. It occurred to the artist that a kindred would probably show more interest in a painting of a sunset than a person who was capable of observing one directly whenever they pleased.

Victoria interrupted his musing "I think we've given Romero enough time..." "...and I suppose you'd like to know what we actually require of you..."

"Carmelita herself is arriving tomorrow to add some archives to this repository and will no doubt wish to explore the mortal museums and places of learning to see if anything kindred related has accidentally found their way into them." "Marius would like you to accompany her and make sure she has some companionship on her travels...she's quite loquacious once she gets into a subject and you seemed an ideal candidate to keep her occupied...who knows...you may learn something of interest at the very least it's got to be more stimulating than your usual companions..." "If she finds you agreeable she may even give you continued access to this particular library but that's her decision, not ours"

The ghoul once again put her hand over the indentation in the wall and the room sealed leaving once again a circle of bloody pin pricks on her palm. "I gather that wouldn't work if I attempted that?" queried Michael and was told that it would in fact be more than likely fatal and that attempting it would be a very stupid idea. "Many of these libraries are secured purely based on their obscure locations but this one contains enough sensitive and rare materials to warrant occult defences." she explained "Should you be given access to this place after your meeting the wards will be modified to allow you to access this place without your blood boiling"

Victoria suggested that Michael use one of the Hallowbrook Apartments 'dayrooms' tomorrow so he could make an early start in the evening and seeing the wisdom in it accepted the offer graciously. They picked up Isabella on the way who seemed none the worse for her experience but he imagined that considering what a liaison with a Fortier client for a night entailed, an hour with a lonely caretaker couldn't be anywhere near as traumatic. He decided to briefly return to his own haven in order to pick up a change of clothes and carefully selected an outfit that he calculated was somewhere between 'smartly dressed' and 'doesn't think too much of himself'in order to impress Carmelita as much as possible.

Scene Three - Sleepover at Hallowbrook

Natisha - Blood Doll
Marius's 'Herd'

The 'Day-room' is an extremely well decorated apartment that could pass for luxury accommodation anywhere if it wasn't for the fact that all the windows have been bricked up. "I imagine you're an early riser?" "I'll have refreshments sent to you in the morning and then you can meet up with Yukio for the actual meeting with Carmelita" said Victoria as she left Michael in the luxury apartment.

Michael woke up an hour or so before darkness as was his habit to a polite knocking on the rooms door. A beautiful dark-skinned girl is at the door. "My name is Natisha, Victoria sent me to see to any needs you might have before you're taken to Yukio in about half an hour"

Though not particularly hungry it seemed foolish to turn down a free meal so the Toreador bit into the girls neck and took a small quantity of her blood before dismissing her. Though he usually fed via seduction it seemed a wasted effort on this occasion.

One of Marius's security people escorts you to a floor you've never been to before. There's a small lobby area with a door on each side. It appears that the entire floor has been divided into a mere two apartments. 

You are directed towards one of these apartments by the escort who then leaves. Yukio's apartment has been created in the style of a traditional Japanese home with Tatami flooring, sliding wooden panels and all the classic features. You note that the area in front of the apartment door has a Genkan area for removing footwear.

Michael removed his footwear and placed them next to the others facing the same direction as he presumed this was the correct thing to do.

Yukio greets you at the entrance wearing a kimono and directs you to a short low table with several thin pillows around it presumably for sitting on. The apartment is equipped with all the modern conveniences though the majority have been cunningly designed to appear as traditional as possible. 

The only exception to this are a number of gun and weapon cabinets along one wall next to a table equipped for servicing and maintenance of firearms. Several of the cabinet doors are open and each one contains a bewildering selection of firearms with racks of bladed weapons between. 

Michael complimented Yukio on her decor pointing out that he'd almost forgotten where he was until he saw the armoury. Yukio was as upbeat as ever "I just need to change into my work clothes, I'll only be a few minutes" "There's wine on the table if you wish some, I understand you can consume such things" and then she disappeared into a side room and closed the door behind her.

The first weapon cabinet held two of pretty much every model of Glock handgun ever produced which Michael knew were her preferred sidearm though there were also a selection of handguns from other manufacturers as well as ammunition. The second held a variety of shotguns ranging from pump action to fully automatic and as with the first held plenty of shells of a variety of types.

There was also a rack of assault rifles though these were mainly bull-pup configuration weapons including several relative short weapons such as P90's, and an Ultimax 100 LMG presumably as these were more comfortable given Yukio's small build. Several other cabinets were locked and if what was in the open ones was anything to go by he dreaded to think what might be in the others that made them require concealment. Michael poured himself a drink and also one for Yukio out of courtesy then awaited her return.

She returns about fifteen minutes later in an expensive tailored suit though you also note the custom body armour and handguns just before she puts her jacket on and they disappear from view. "Lets go meet Ms Neillson then" "I imagine you have some questions? We can talk on the way"

Yukio - Modern Onna-Bugeisha

"So had did you end up with this task then, Michael?" The Toreador pointed out that it was probably a choice between him, Roach or Vin and as his one companion could be a little standoffish and the other was brash and somewhat boorish he doubted they'd have been a good fit and besides which he was much better at interacting with any none-kindred they may encounter during any excursions Carmelita might wish to make.

When Michael asked about Carmelita, Yukio admitted that this was the first time she'd been given bodyguard duty with her as last time the job was done by Alice. As Alice was a name he hadn't heard yet amongst Marius's various agents he attempted to learn something about her but could tell that Yukio didn't wish to discuss her so changed the subject. "So Yukio, how long have you been in the service of 'The Fixer' Marius then?"

Yukio started with what Michael had learned was the standard line from the more senior of the Gangrel's ghouls "Oh...quite a long time..." and was expecting to get little else so was pleasantly surprised when Yukio continued. "My mother was an Onna-Bugeisha, a female warrior in Japan but the culture was beginning to change and there was a significant transformation in the social acceptance of women. Many samurai viewed women purely as child bearers; the concept of a woman being a fit companion for war was no longer conceivable and my mother was concerned that I would never have the chance to be the warrior she had hoped I'd become" She paused for a moment as if the memory troubled her.

"Travel was demanding and unsettling for many female samurai as they always had to be accompanied by a man, since they were not allowed to travel by themselves. Additionally, they had to possess specific permits, establishing their business and motives. Samurai women also received much harassment from officials who manned inspection checkpoints. Marius told my mother and I that I would always have the chance to be a warrior in his service and that any who impeding our progress from Japan would regret the imposition." She seemed to have reached the limits of what she was comfortable revealing only making one more statement... "To be fair to Marius he kept his promise, I've been a warrior ever since..."

Scene Four - Carmelita Neillson

Carmelita Neillson - Toreador

You have been instructed to meet Carmelita at Los Angeles airport where she is due to arrive on a Gulfstream whose flight plans have been pre-cleared by the noted Ventrue Fiorenza Savona. Yukio collects passes waiting for you to allow runway access provided via Victoria no doubt and has somehow managed to wander through airport security fully armed. As Carmelita leaves the plane the Brazilian part of her ancestry is obvious in both her appearance and dress though the Irish is somewhat harder to detect. She greets Yukio in fluent Japanese before turning her attention to you.

Victoria has informed you that the artefacts and journals in Carmelita's care will be transported from the plane to the 'Neillson Library' by one of Marius's own security teams and that unless Miss Neillson has other plans you merely need to take her where she wishes and keep her entertained before returning her to Hallowbrook Apartments where a guest 'room' has been made available to her.

"So Marius is avoiding my attempts at an interview yet again. Lets hope he's provided some-one a little more interesting to accompany me than the vacuous blood doll he saddled me with a decade ago." Michael considered this his cue to give a formal introduction and assured her that he had been carefully selected so as to ensure her visit was as pleasurable as possible. He also complimented her on her work and expressed his own interests in similar fields of study.

"Some interesting Native American artefacts from Los Angeles's early history have turned up out of the blue which may be connected to an Elder Brujah I recently interviewed on his emergence from Torpor. I'd like to see them myself to ascertain if this is the case and if they need to be...re-located. I have timed my visit to coincide with their once monthly late night opening event so we should have plenty of time" "I presume that the more sociable of the Gangrel's two pet killing machines will also be accompanying us?"

Michael confirmed that Yukio was to accompany them in order to deal with any complications that might interrupt their trip and that Yukio was the only 'killing machine' of Marius's he'd encountered. The kindred archaeologist pointed out that that was probably for the best but didn't elaborate, further piquing the artists interest in the mysterious Alice but that was a problem for another night. Yukio waited for the pair of toreador to finish chatting before guiding them through the airport via several seemingly unmanned areas to the awaiting car. For all his influence in Los Angeles, Michael doubted that even Marius had the influence to just bypass airport and therefore some powerful sponsor of Carmelita's must be at work here.

Scene Five - A Night at the Museum

The museum isn't particularly crowded and your charge seems interested only in the new exhibit though she does take a tour of the facility on the way to it. Michael took this opportunity to impress Carmelita with his knowledge of antiquities as his mortal father had been an archaeologist himself and some of that knowledge had been passed on. This, combined with his artistic endeavours enabled him to hold his own with the expert Miss Neillson and his empathetic skills seemed to indicate that she was enjoying his company.

The majority of the cabinets are currently empty and contain various versions of 'coming soon' signs with some photographs but one has been filled with a number of worn stone tablets with various symbols on them. She turns to you "Oh dear. I'm going to have to acquire these before they go on display. Too much of the symbolism matches that which a certain group of the Inquisition has on file" She gestures over to a woman in a guard outfit my a security door on the other side of the display "How are you at seducing young women till they do what you want?" "I need a private tour of the restoration area" she finishes with a wink.

Museum Security Officer

Michael sighed as he realised his evening was about to become complicated and turned to locate Yukio who had been doing her usual trick of blending into the background until needed and beckoned her over. It briefly occurred to him that he had completely forgotten about her since entering the museum and that she must be quite formidable at shadowing individuals when necessary. "Yukio dear, how difficult would it be to disable the security cameras in this building?" Yukio who apparently made a habit of planning for just such an eventuality didn't even look up. "Give me fifteen minutes before you do anything impulsive" she said before walking towards the stairs to the second floor where presumably she already knew the security office was from some previous reconnaissance.

After waiting the requested quarter of an hour the handsome artist moved over to the security guard and engaged her in casual conversation before launching a full charm offensive reinforced with his presence discipline and soon had her complete and undivided attention. "You're obviously wasted just guarding a doorway. Perhaps you would be kind enough to give me and my acquaintance the benefit of your no doubt considerable knowledgeable of the museum and give us a private tour of it from 'behind the scenes' so to speak?" Even Michael had to admit that it wasn't his best segue but by this point the young woman was so enraptured by the stunningly attractive man giving her his attention that she just wished to please him and readily agreed.

Storytellers Note - For some reason her three dice pool failed to resist the onslaught of Michael's eight dice one...

As they made their way through the security door Michael's phone buzzed as he received a text from Yukio which informed him that the security room cameras were now neutralised and they had an hour and forty five minutes until the shift change. He then told Carmelita that they had to meet their car soon and inserted the time that Yukio had given them subtly into the conversation before turning to their guide and asking her if this was a 'no cameras' area. The intelligent archaeologist easily grasped the message Michael was attempting to relay and as they closed on the restoration area gave him an almost imperceptible sideways nod of the head indicating that he needed to divert their guides attention. "I'm sure someone as interesting as you has some favourite place here in the museum where we could talk privately?" He followed this with a wink and all the effort he'd put into making her obsessed with himself had the desired effect and she led him to a room in a quiet part of the museums depths while Carmelita made her way to the area where the artefacts were stored.

Storytellers Note - A definite 'fade to black' moment I think...

Michael Tomassio - Toreador Siren

An hour or so later Michael emerged from the less than salubrious store-room sure he'd given his fellow Toreador enough time to accomplish whatever theft she'd decided to engage in with an extremely happy security guard in a significantly more ruffled uniform than she had on when they entered. "Our car is meeting us along this side of the building in a few minutes, Is there another exit nearby we could use?"

The now completely infatuated and possibly soon to be unemployed woman escorted them to a rear exit and somewhat optimistically handed her phone number to Michael as they left. So focused on him was she that she completely missed the fact that his companion was carrying a large bag that she certainly hadn't had with her when she arrived. Outside they met Yukio as she dropped from a window a story above them and quickly made their way to the car before the night shift security took over from the incapacitated afternoon shift.

"Well that went quite smoothly all things considering" stated their guest though all she got from their driver Yukio was an eye-roll. Michael chose not to enquire how the security office personnel had been neutralised or how any restoration staff had been bypassed in order for Carmelita to acquire the items she desired as he had a feeling he didn't want to know. He also had a feeling he might well be reading about it in the news tomorrow.

Epilogue

Carmelita Neillson

With his responsibilities for the evening discharged above and beyond the call of duty in his opinion Michael escorted Carmelita back to the Hallowbrook building where Victoria was there to meet them and between them they explained briefly what had occurred. To Michael's surprise Victoria seemed more interested about whether Miss Neillson had been happy with the companion she'd been provided with after as she put it "Mr Walker mistakenly thought that some pretty young thing with a single digit IQ would be adequate company last time" rather than the fact that they'd just burgled a museum. Though he didn't actually dislike Heather, Michael knew enough about etiquette and politics to not leap to her defence in this conversation as this might undo any goodwill he'd managed to accumulate so he joined in with the general character assassination that ensued.

"Thank-you for an unexpectedly enjoyable and productive evening Michael. If you'd care to provide me with a tiny sample of your Vitae I'll have the wards on the library modified to allow you access. Victoria has spare keys and can make one available to you when you require." She paused and then offered some reassurance. "I only need the tiniest amount, nothing that could be used against you I assure you" The Toreador of course readily agreed before making his polite goodbyes.

To Be Continued in 'The Pasadena Problem' Part Five

In Conclusion
I like to do a round-up of how the session went in these features but if you couldn't give a shit what I think then feel free to skip this bit...

It's normally fuller than this...

I'd forgotten how quickly you burn through scenes during solo sessions where there's no real gaps while the players discuss things. I also failed to take into account that normally I make notes during those same conversation breaks so I need to perfect the art of writing about one thing while talking about another, lol.

All in all though both me and the player Phil enjoyed the session so that makes it a success as far as I'm concerned. It also gave him a chance to use some of the many none combat aspects of his character that he sometimes doesn't get to utilise to there full potential.

Acknowledgements
I've used pictures of real people to represent some of the characters and art for others so in no particular order, Michael Tomassio is represented by the actor Matt Bomer, Isaac Abrams was Gary Oldman, the 'blood doll' Natisha is a model called Gracie Carvalho, Isabella was a young actress called Nancy Talamantes and Carmelita Neillson is of course Salma Hayek. Everything else is from vampire related folders and searches and is as far as I know is all of the 'fair use' variety. If there's something that you feel should be attributed to some-one then feel free to let me know and I'll happily add an acknowledgement...

Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.