I'm currently running a Vampire the Masquerade chronicle using the 5th Edition rule-set for a small group of fellow role-players. These are the chronicles of their adventures.
Our chronicle is set in Los Angeles and features a small group of Camarilla agents sent into the 'Free States' to bring them back under Camarilla control. Over a year of plotting allowed the coterie to gain control of two North-Eastern Baronies and a large part of a third. Now they are moving on to the final stage of their campaign and have their eyes on taking over the entire city, either directly or by proxy.
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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. There are however a list of potential triggers listed before the introduction. 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.
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The introduction to this campaign, the first story and all the other parts can be found at the following links and are in chronological order. If you'd prefer a summary of each session rather than read everything then there's a more detailed link page HERE as well as links to the first episode of each story in the blog sidebar.
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Chronicle One - 'Infiltrate L.A.'
Welcome to L.A. - Introductory Session
Story One - 'Three Murders' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Interlude Session - One
Story Two - 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part One, Two, Three, and Four
Solo Session - 'The Neillson Library'
Story Two Continued- 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part Five, Six, Seven and Eight
Story Three - 'Becoming Baron' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Gather'
Story Three Continued - 'Becoming Baron' - Part Six, Seven and Eight
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. There are however a list of potential triggers listed before the introduction. 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.
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The introduction to this campaign, the first story and all the other parts can be found at the following links and are in chronological order. If you'd prefer a summary of each session rather than read everything then there's a more detailed link page HERE as well as links to the first episode of each story in the blog sidebar.
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Chronicle One - 'Infiltrate L.A.'
Story One - 'Three Murders' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Interlude Session - One
Story Two - 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part One, Two, Three, and Four
Solo Session - 'The Neillson Library'
Story Two Continued- 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part Five, Six, Seven and Eight
Story Three - 'Becoming Baron' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Gather'
Story Three Continued - 'Becoming Baron' - Part Six, Seven and Eight
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Chronicle Two - 'Foothold L.A.'
Solo Session - 'Hostile Takeover'
Story Four - 'Countdown' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Five - 'The Missing Chantry' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Anaheim Assassination'
Story Six - 'A Meeting of Barons' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seven - 'The Carmelita Situation' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eight - 'The Blount Sisters' - Part One and Two
Story Nine - 'Blood Money' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six
Story Ten - 'Anathema' - Part One and Two
Story Eleven - 'Predators and Prey' aka 'The Blount Sisters' - Part Three
Story Twelve - 'Aftermath' - Part One and Two
Story Thirteen - 'The Messiah Complex' - Part One, Two, Three and Four
Chronicle Two - 'Foothold L.A.'
Story Four - 'Countdown' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Five - 'The Missing Chantry' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Anaheim Assassination'
Story Six - 'A Meeting of Barons' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seven - 'The Carmelita Situation' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eight - 'The Blount Sisters' - Part One and Two
Story Nine - 'Blood Money' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six
Story Ten - 'Anathema' - Part One and Two
Story Eleven - 'Predators and Prey' aka 'The Blount Sisters' - Part Three
Story Twelve - 'Aftermath' - Part One and Two
Story Thirteen - 'The Messiah Complex' - Part One, Two, Three and Four
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Chronicle Three - 'Incursion L.A.'
Chronicle Three - 'Incursion L.A.'
Solo Session - 'A Gathering of Roses'
Story Sixteen - 'The Southern Solution' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seventeen - 'The Baker Disappearance' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seventeen - 'The Baker Disappearance' - Part One, Two and Three
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Interlude Session One - After Griffith Park
Interlude Session Two - Divide and Conquer
Interlude Session Three - On the Brink of War
--------------------Chronicle Four - 'Conquest L.A.'
Interlude Session - Recon
Interlude Session - Damage Limitation
Interlude Session - The Killing Spree
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Michael Tomassio - Toreador, 'Baron of the North East'
Vincent 'Vin' Ghast - Brujah, 'Constable'
Dr Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim, 'Fixer'
Hope Romero - Gangrel, 'Census Taker'
Mr Hertz - Nosferatu, 'Seneschal'
Vincent 'Vin' Ghast - Brujah, 'Constable'
Dr Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim, 'Fixer'
Hope Romero - Gangrel, 'Census Taker'
Mr Hertz - Nosferatu, 'Seneschal'
Eric Moore - Nosferatu, 'Vigilante Hacker'
The Storyteller
Garreth - Everyone else...
The player characters stats and backgrounds can be found HERE should any-one be interested, but be warned that the page is usually several stories ahead of the most recent write-up and may contain some spoilers.
There's also some minor 'house-rules' HERE that have occurred as we went along.
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. Introductory pieces that I read to the group are in Blue. Where particular NPC's have a mention in a faction profile you will be able to reach it by clicking on their name or faction beneath their picture.
Trigger Warnings for This Session: Blood (Obviously), Prostitution, Self Harm
Introduction
Michael has decided to accept Fiorenza's offer of a sanctioned diablerie, but with a twist of his own. He has discovered through the archaeologist and archivist Carmelita Neillson that there is more than one kindred within the tomb. Hopefully this means he can preserve the Countess d'Adhemar, though another will need to be taken in her stead...
Storytellers Note - This session will also contain a secondary story for the character of Daniel who is attempting to redeem himself after losing control to his Beast one time too many. These are only short 'solo' sequences but will run parallel to the main storyline.
Scene Ten - Penitence
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| Lia - Gangrel, Childe of Esther Bahari, Children of Ennoia |
Quietening the Beast by depriving it of blood was also a practice adopted by some Bahari, and was a technique she claimed to employ herself on some occasions.
She left the decision about which approach to take to Daniel and offered to assist him with either. However she stated quite clearly that she would require proof of his dedication if starvation was to be his choice as this was the more difficult approach of the two.
Lia also had been honest with him that there would still be some cross-over between the two options as picking the path of abstention might still require the scourging of his undead flesh on occasion. Daniel interpreted this as the choice being more a matter of which he would decided to focus upon first.
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| 'Absolution Through Pain' |
Despite his purpose in associating with the Bahari, he was still fundamentally the same person and so paid attention to what was going on around him. He had picked up three pieces of information which under normal circumstances he might have shared with Michael or acted upon in some way. Given the unusual circumstances he decided to file the information away. For now at least.
He had heard that Vinicius was either a childe or grandechilde of Mary and therefore wasn't as old as he initially thought. This made his victories against multiple foes all the more impressive as they had been accomplished with skill, rather than merely the potency of his blood. Though that was obviously still a factor.
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| Priss - Lasombra Baron of 'The Border' |
Her arrival coincided with one of Marius's visits and whatever they did together, they did in private as they went to one of the rooms in the lower floors. As an aside he had noted that Mary seemed to resent any female company that Marius kept during ceremonies that wasn't her.
During one of the Bahari's ceremonies, Daniel encountered Aida, the only survivor of the coteries attack on the former Barony of the Angels gang known as 'The Purgatory'. He learnt from her that she was sent to infiltrate the gang by Mary as they were associated with another Lilith Cult about which 'The Mother' was curious.
The name used to refer to them was 'Cultivars'. Aida also subtly warned him not to use that term with Mary or Marius though gave no explanation about why.
Daniel had noticed that the other Bahari had become more comfortable around him and were making far less effort to keep their activities concealed. Daniel imagined that this was how Marius had discovered so much information from the various groups that he had infiltrated for his sire Xaviar.
However, he still had much to learn.
Scene Eleven - Forever Cemetery
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| Romero - Elder Ghoul Ghoul of Isaac Abrams |
It was also a beacon for those mortals, kindred and mages with a knowledge of necromancy who sought to unlock the secrets of why exactly the dead rested so uneasily within it's confines.
In order to prevent such incidents, a ghoul of Baron Abrams named Romero kept watch over it. Using his skill as a marksmen and with access to a variety of items that allowed him to battle the supernatural, and neutralise dark magics he had kept the area relatively free of events for several decades.
Unfortunately the constant need for vigilance left him little time for socialising and so he could be convinced to allow certain kindred within the cemeteries confines as long as they bought him some companionship.
Being aware of Romero's little foibles, Vin had bought along with him a pretty young lady from one of his brothels with which to occupy Romero while they went about their business. Despite the environment, Vin had little trouble finding volunteers from amongst his girls for this duty as Romero was fairly undemanding, quite handsome, and their boss Vin compensated them very well.
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| 'Skye' - Sex Worker and Blood Doll |
Michael's chauffeur 'Dion' had driven them to the location but was ordered to stay with the car. However, before the pair entered the cemetery Michael asked him something that, for him at least, was out of the ordinary.
"Would you mind if I borrowed that back-up pistol you keep handy?"
Dion removed the .44 calibre snub-nosed pistol from his ankle holster, checked it was fully loaded and then handed it Michael who placed it in his jacket pocket. "Do you need extra ammunition?" asked Dion. Michael shook his head.
After dropping off Skye, along with a particularly nice bottle of whisky provided by Michael, the pair headed towards the mausoleum. Michael had little to worry about with Vin as his protector, but nonetheless felt some trepidation. The task he was here to perform went somewhat against his nature, and the information he had on the layout of the newly discovered tomb area was vague at best.
The mausoleum is of superb workmanship despite being fairly plainly decorated.
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| Resting Place of the Countess d'Adhemar |
At the bottom of the stairs was a stone room decorated with a simple but effective repeating pattern of delicate roses etched into the walls. In the floor a piece of marble had been inlaid with a plaque within it bearing the legend, 'Countess d'Adhemar'.
The slab itself was approximately seven feet long and three across. If Carmelita was correct, there should be a stairway beneath. The slab was going to take some lifting though, it's weight looked to be considerable, perhaps a thousand pounds or more.
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| A Concealed Stone Stairway |
The slab began to pivot at one end on huge metal hinges, cunningly worked into the floor. Once one end of the the slab had been lifted to about five feet off the ground, an ingenious mechanism caused a long metal arm to swing down and locked the cover stone into position.
Ahead was a stone stairway illuminated only by the light from the room they were currently in.
Vin could see perfectly well in the dark, though he only used the ability in kindred company as his eyes took on an unnatural red gleam when he did so. He had to admit that the intimidation aspect was useful though. Conscious that his Baron lacked this, or any equivalent ability, he entered the circular stairway first.
Michael followed cautiously. He had a torch with him but didn't yet activate it.
Scene Twelve - The Tomb of the Countess
As Vin placed his considerable weight on the third step, metal spikes were driven upwards through both his boot and the foot within. As Vin swore loudly, Michael turned on his torch to see what had caused this reaction.
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| An Ancient Spike Trap - Tomb of the Countess |
Now advancing more cautiously, Vin probed ahead with his machete rather than his foot, and he discovered a further four booby-trapped steps. These he allowed to retract, but indicated to Michael which were the dangerous ones so he could avoid them. As Vin was about to step onto the floor below the final stair, it occurred to him that this would be an ideal place for another trap of some description.
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| Spiked Pit Trap |
As he probed this slab of stone in the same manner as he had done with the steps, he felt it give. After further inspection he found a simple 'seesaw' pit trap designed to send the victim plummeting into a pit filled with wickedly sharp spikes of both metal and wood.
Evidently they had been preserved in some way as they hadn't rusted away or become brittle over time. The fact that not all the hazards within this pit were metal spikes led Vin and Michael to conclude that they were designed, at least in part, with kindred intruders in mind.
Fortunately the area contained only one such pit. Now warier than ever they moved towards the portcullis.
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| Ancient Portcullis - Tomb of the Countess |
As Vin reached for the lever, Michael shouted at him to wait.
The pattern on the wall was intricate but Michael noticed that a single rose petal was very slightly out of place. Somewhat reluctantly he pressed down upon the petal and heard a click. Fortunately this wasn't a trap activating, but rather a concealed hatch opening. Within was a second lever, identical to the first on the opposite side of the door.
"Is it okay to try this one?" asked Vin. Michael nodded.
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| Repeating Crossbow - Tomb of the Countess |
Beyond the door was a corridor. Once past the portcullis, Michael noticed a recess behind where the 'false' lever had been placed. A peculiar arrangement of seven crossbows was arrayed behind a section of wall. On closer inspection, Michael could see that opposite each was a channel that ended in a thin piece of material, cunningly designed to look like stone from the outside. Though the passing of time had caused one of the crossbows to become inactive, the other six were primed to launch multiple stakes into the chest of whoever pulled the lever.
"Who the fuck thinks up these bastard things?" asked Vin as he saw where Michael was looking.
Michael presumed the question was rhetorical so gave no reply.
Scene Thirteen - The Inner Sanctum
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| Countess d'Adhemar - Toreador Childe of Madame Guil |
The fourth has been cracked open from within, the stone is smashed, it's remnants hurled to one side with some force. Against a wall on the left-hand side is a rack of weapons. though they look functional and well made they are all quite old. There are swords of various kinds, shield's, spears, ornate daggers and the like. One sword and a dagger appear to have been removed at some point.
On the right are several ornate and solidly built wooden chests. One of these is open and you can see clothing within, it is all at least a century out of date.
As Michael stepped into the chamber he was overcome by the uncomfortable, yet now familiar feeling of a premonition.
He saw the land that now contained a vast quantity of graves, mausoleums and monuments, but it was far emptier and he knew that he was looking into the past. Ghouls and other blood-bound mortals were working on completing the building itself. Stonemasons, carpenters and other artisans were lazing nearby.
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| Madame Guil - Toreador Former Justicar, Whereabouts Unknown |
Michael watched as she stepped over the yet to be covered spike and pit traps while an engineer is working upon the crossbow trap that was so near to costing Vin his unlife. Instinctively he knew that none of the workers on this tomb would be allowed to leave, it's secrets would die with them.
Three cloaked figures walked from the chamber where Michael's physical body stood in the present day, but in the vision he walked behind Madame Guil. The cloaked men wore rings, and amulets marked with arcane symbols. Michael's first thought was 'Clan Tremere', but something about the trio made him reject that first thought. The imagery on their jewellery was universally serpent themed and Michael was now convinced that the Followers of Set had been the ones who created the tombs mystical defences, whatever those may be.
As the figures observed, Madame Guil summoned one of the workers to her and commanded them to fetch for her a dagger from inside one of the stone sarcophagi. As they approached, previously concealed runes began to glow red, and the unfortunate individual screamed as their body began to burn from the inside out. Their scream was cut off as they were reduced to dust.
Madame Guil's Ornamental Dagger
Madame Guil walked over to the same stone chamber, picked up the ornate dagger herself and placed it into a scabbard concealed within her clothing. Then the vision faded.
"The sarcophagi are defended against intruders." warned Michael. "But I believe that those of Madame Guil's line are unaffected by the sorcerous defences." or at least he hoped that was what the premonition was trying to tell him.
Nonetheless, Vin readied himself to drag his Baron to safety should it prove necessary.
Scene Fourteen - Why Not Both?
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| Blood Sorcery - Warding |
The weapons also taught him nothing up close that he hadn't ascertained from a distance. Like the clothing, the weapons were well made, but not placed there recently. Also like the clothing they had almost certainly been left for the convenience of an awakened guest.
As Michael turned his attention to the first of the sealed tombs, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand on end, the closer he approached, the greater the feeling of a build-up of energy became. To his relief, the sensation faded once he laid his hand upon the tomb.
"Vin...the wards seem to only shield the resting places, not the chests or the armoury. Throw me one of those spears and I'll try and lever one of these open..."
His Baron was correct and Vin felt no ill effects as he selected a spear and tossed it to Michael. While he was there, he had a better look at some of the other weapons. A bastard sword caught his eye and he contemplated helping himself to it.
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| Carmelita Neillson - Toreador Archaeologist and Archivist |
Though it required a surge of vitae to accomplish, Michael moved the first cover stone to reveal the torpid figure of a female kindred, the Countess d'Adhemar, childe of Madame Guil and descendent of Helena. It was she who he had been authorised to diablerise, but if Carmelita Neillson was correct then he had another option.
The removal of the second cover revealed a male kindred, also deep in torpor. This was Michael Unthur, another childe of Madame Guil, and the candidate that Michael hoped to take in place of the Countess.
He was certain that the Countess would offer the least resistance but, as far as he was aware, definitely didn't deserve the fate of having ones soul drained by another. Unthur on the other hand would be of far stronger will, yet Michael had little doubt that he was far more deserving of destruction.
Both were of lower generation than himself, so whichever one he took the difference made to the potential potency of his blood was non-existent. Of course, if he was to diablerise both then his generation would be lowered even further.
He shook his head to clear it, understanding for the first time how the Beast within could drive even a noble individual as himself to dark acts.
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| Michael Unther - Toreador Childe of Madame Guil |
Vin nodded and went to wait outside in the other chamber. Though he did take the sword he'd been eyeing up along with him.
Once alone, Michael began to speak, though there was no-one in any position to hear, it made him feel better to justify what he was about to do. "It is not my wish to do this but the need is great. Carmelita wishes to one day speak to the Countess about whom little is known, yet your own history is a matter of record and I find myself in the position of having to pick the lesser of two evils. Should the Sabbat learn of this place and commit the act that I am contemplating then the consequences hardly bear consideration. I hope you can forgive me..."
He then began to drink.
He felt his victim begin to resist, but Michael's will was stronger and as he drained the essence of Michael Unthur, new knowledge filled him. Unthur had been a master at forcing those he considered beneath him to bend to his will. Michael Tomassio felt his ability to dominate others increase in power, amongst other abilities that would require exploration when he had more time.
He called for Vin and laid out his plan. A new resting place needed to be found for the Countess but this tomb would still be guarded so as to draw any potential enemies to this place. Though he noted the sword in Vin's hand, he made no comment. If Vin wanted a souvenir then why the hell not.
Michael decided to take some of the clothing with him, as perhaps it might inspire a painting or two, but left the weapons where they were. As the task had taken less time than expected, Michael elected to leave Romero alone with Skye for a little while longer. Vin agreed to have a car sent to pick her up later.
As Dion drove Michael home, the Baron found himself filled with new purpose. Arbiter of the council was just the first step, the next was to control the council in it's entirety. After all, he was far more worthy to rule L.A. than any of the others as he would have the best intentions of it's populace at heart.
This of course meant that any who opposed him were obviously far less noble than himself and their removal would be entirely justified. But he had other priorities. First the Young Bloods had to be removed as a threat and he had just the operative to ensure that. This was a job for Hope and would also give Eric a chance to prove to Michael that he was as skilled as he claimed...
Interlude - Curiosity
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| Velvet Velour - Toreador Dancer and Owner of Club Vesuvius |
A selection of the Barons most beautiful blood dolls sat around the room, their movements were languid, a combination of intoxication, blood loss and minds broken by the shepherdess of Marius's herd, Leanna. Velvet didn't entirely approve, but she was here to persuade Marius to take certain actions that moved Baron Abrams schemes forward, and it was no trivial request. Criticising the gifts of ones host didn't seem like the best way to achieve that.
Nonetheless Marius wasn't bad company, though somewhat lacking in charisma he always treated her very well indeed and had pandered to her whims for many years. He had a weakness for beauty that Velvet had to admit that she had exploited several times. This however was no mere retrieval task or removal of a potential threat to her person, which is why she had spent the last two nights attempting to put the Gangrel Baron in the best mood possible.
"It's been an extremely pleasant couple of nights..." began Marius, interrupting VV's musing. "...but you've yet to ask me whatever it is that's actually on your mind..."
Velvet pouted, as if offended by the accusation, then smiled. "Something amuses you?" asked Marius
"I must be losing my touch..." replied Velvet. "...as you're the second person to straight up ask me what my agenda is in the last week. The other was of Clan Gangrel too..."
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| Venus Dare - Experienced Ghoul Club Manager, Ghoul of Marius Walker |
"Let's hear what Isaac wants you to persuade me to do then, maybe, I'll let you try and persuade me to do it..."
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Marius ran through all the places he knew Velvet had been having meetings over the last few weeks and mentally cross-referenced them with any unusual changes those domains had made. He added to this mix Isaacs own activities, and what little he knew of Christopher Houghton, and any other power players in Baron Abrams bloodline.
Still unable to create a thread that made sense he added any rumours from within the Camarilla, Anarch and Sabbat hierarchies that might have inspired Isaac to implement a scheme of such complexity.
One idea bubbled to the surface but Marius rejected it arbitrarily. Isaac was many things, but suicidal wasn't one of them, and such a plan had so low a chance of success that it might as well be considered impossible. Unless...
Velvet interrupted Marius's chain of thought. "Well?"
"I'm thinking about it..."
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| Isaac Abrams - Toreador Baron of Hollywood |
"What you ask will take weeks of preparation and require a considerable refocusing of my immediate plans. Not to mention that when I present my plans they will be resisted by at least four members of the Anarch Council, possibly five..."
Velvet noted that Marius said 'when' and not 'if'. "So you'll do it then?"
He waited a moment before replying, but Velvet was sure the answer would be yes.
"Yes, I'll do it. But I'm doing it for you not Isaac, so it's you who owes me a favour in return."
Velvet was satisfied that she could now report back to her Baron that all that she had been asked had been accomplished. The next stage of his plan was down to him.
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Victoria was waiting for Marius when he returned, he had indicated that something important was on the cards and she readied herself for a convoluted list of plans that she'd have to unravel on short notice.
"How was the stripper?" enquired Victoria conversationally.
"She prefers 'dancer', or exotic dancer at a push." replied Marius, though he knew Victoria was well aware of this. He then laid out his requirements. To her surprise the instructions were direct, and far more involved than the usual trivial tasks that the stripper was too lazy to do for herself.
"I need meetings with Priss, Nines Rodriguez, Lyko Wu, Vanessa Rubeus, Tilly, and the Nameless One. They need not be exactly in that order but Priss needs to be the first. I also need to speak to Jan, Death-From-Below, of the Bone Gnawers. I'll have to go to Koreatown for the Nameless One but arrange the other meetings for wherever they feel most comfortable..."
Victoria knew that Marius would explain later, but for now she had some organisation to do. "Consider it done." she replied.
Acknowledgements
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved.”
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved.”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 Matt Bomer, 'Vin' is Scott Adkins, Dr Matthews is Mads Mikkelsen, Hope is Deborah Ann Woll, Mr Hertz is Charles Dance, Lia is Shelly D'inferno, 'Priss' is Sofia Boutella, 'Romero' is Stuart Martin, 'Skye' is Asia Argento, Madmae Guil is Lily-Rose Depp, Carmelita Neillson is Salma Hayek, Michael Unthur is Maximilian Schell, Venus Dare is Sophie Howard, Isaac Abrams is Gary Oldman, Marius Walker is Tony Curran, Victoria Anne is Lilith May and The Nameless One is Gary J Tunnicliffe.
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.
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