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 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. Having made a few allies unsuspecting of their greater goal they have decided that in order to gain influence they need to acquire a barony of their own.
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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. 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...
'Infiltrate LA' Chronicle
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 and Seven
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.
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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...
'Infiltrate LA' Chronicle
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 and Seven
The PC's
Phil as Michael Tomassio - Toreador
and Hope Romero - Gangrel
Tom as Johnny 'Roach' West - Malkavian
and Marie - Clan Carna
Matt as Dr Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim
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 so you can tell them apart from the more traditional write-up sections and occasionally an obscure Malkavian premonition will turn up in purple. 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...
Storytellers Note - This was yet another substantial session so this write-up is quite long as to a certain extent this is the result of a lot of planning by the players. You might want to make yourself a nice cup of tea, glass of wine or drain a victim of their fluids before you start reading...
Storytellers Note - This was yet another substantial session so this write-up is quite long as to a certain extent this is the result of a lot of planning by the players. You might want to make yourself a nice cup of tea, glass of wine or drain a victim of their fluids before you start reading...
Introduction
The main subject of discussion throughout the kindred community is of the 'Rant' to be held on the next full moon. Though for many years these events were held every other full moon the increasing threat of the Second Inquisition has reduced this to every third one instead.
The increasing size of the Rants has led to a series of venues, each larger than its predecessor. At the moment they are held in a huge abandoned bus terminal, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. 'The Terminal', as the Kindred call it, had briefly been converted to a nightclub, and still has the chairs and tables. It can comfortably hold several hundred people. Security is typically handled by those kindred who have access to their own forces of ghouls or blood-bound personnel and tends to be rotated between them though only kindred are permitted within the venue itself with the exception of the occasional Gangrel or Nosferatu famulus that the owner refuses to be parted from.
This event is to be protected by the ghouls of Louis Fortier though many of the larger gangs will no doubt wish to involve those loyal to themselves it's considered traditional for any such persons to defer to the authority of the chosen protectors. The previous event was secured by Marius Walkers security teams under the command of his ghoul Yukio and the one before that by heavily dominated personnel provided by Therese Voerman.
Interlude - Preparations
The entirety of the remaining members of the Line 20's gang have now been re-born as the Apostles under Reuben Hart and his regnant Roach. The gang operate under strict guidelines laid out by their leaders and are gradually taking over the criminal activities of Pasadena somewhat ironically under the cover of a neighbourhood watch group sponsored by local businesses in general and by the 'Galerie Sanguine' specifically.
Prostitution has been moved from street corners to brothels under their control and have created the illusion of reduced drug traffic by simply moving indoors. A number of properties inherited by Michael from the Vignes estate have facilitated these activities providing homes for the relocated gang members and bases of operations.
The warehouse next door to the gallery is gradually been converted to a clubhouse of sorts and the more difficult to explain items from their armouries have been moved to an underground storage room in their newly installed escape tunnel into the sewers.
Though still in the early stages of their campaign the profits necessary for their legitimate expansion are beginning to roll in partially as a result of drug stockpiles seized from their recently vanquished rival gang. However supplies are now running low and the delivery arriving in Long Beach two days after the rant will be needed to continue their expansion.
In the somewhat random manner that Roach prioritised things he had started to have the bar he'd acquired when Reapers gang ceased to exist renovated so as to create a meeting place some distance from the gallery but had also decided that it now needed a stage. He had also replaced his van destroyed in the shoot out with a new one and it was now painted in a fetching skull pattern rather than the psychedelic unicorns that decorated the former one. Then a moment before claiming the two stone statues donated by Sophia Bartholomew to the gallery as his own he grabbed a bottle of blood imbued wine from their limited supply and slipped it into his jacket.
Storytellers Note - Roach basically never turns Heightened Senses, Sense the Unseen or Scry the Soul off so sees everything slightly differently to his colleagues...
Scene Thirty Three - A Game of Baronies
Daniel had decided that as he was keeping a low profile that turning up to the rant was a bad idea but asked Hope to message him if anything relevant came up. He had however decided that while every-one was away he'd map the area under the gallery near their escape exit so they wouldn't be caught by surprise should they need to use it in a hurry. That left Michael, Roach, Vin and Hope to attend the event.
Storytellers Note - I instructed the players that there would be a lot of background and description but that I'd pause at regular intervals to allow them to make observations and ask for clarifications as well as speak to kindred I'd mentioned.
The parking lot of the Terminal is pretty full by the time you arrive and security personnel in the distinctive tailored suits of Louis Fortier's ghouls are everywhere. Less sharply but far more practical dressed men and women with the look of ex military personnel are chatting to a few of them and it's a good guess that these are Marius's ghoul Yukio's security teams. Evidently the Gangrel 'Fixer' doesn't appear to trust a selection of fashion models in overly tight outfits to do the job unaided.
In Vin's assessment Marius's somewhat negative opinion of Fortier's guards was somewhat unfair. Despite their outfits being selected for aesthetics rather than practicality they still seemed to be observant and with good tactical awareness.
As you head from the parking lot to the Terminal, you are joined by a crowd of figures headed in the same direction. Many of them are dressed as punks in leathers and studs or other counter culture clothing, the leather jackets and chains of bikers, gang-bangers in the traditional gang uniform of baseball cap, T-shirts and jeans as well as few individuals in more stylish outfits from classic suits to exclusive bespoke or designer dresses. As you enter the Terminal, you can see well over a hundred vampires seated around the edge of the huge former waiting room. some of the more athletically inclined ones have climbed up and are sitting in the rafters, looking down; most are sitting in groups and chatting casually with each other while keeping a wary eye on the others both ally and enemy.
Each of the kindred in the coterie had their own priorities for those they deemed important. Michael was scanning for the barons, de-facto barons and other power players so he could prioritise who to talk to. Roach however was more interested in the powers behind the throne such as trusted advisers and those who seemed to be using abilities similar to his own in order to assess the crowd of kindred present. Though his grasp of politics wasn't particularly well developed the coteries enforcer Vin was well aware that few barons did their own dirty work and his own interest extended to those amongst the gangs who might be a threat to his charges and to himself as well as those tactically observant followers paying a little too much attention to the other kindred. Hope of course was mainly interested in those Gangrel she'd met recently at the clans gather.
Allison Maller is with her five vampires, carefully watching Tom Weaver and his own five followers on the opposite side of the room. The statuesque Steve Booth and his twelve surfer Long Beach Boys along with half a dozen Huntington Beach kindred are lounging around with their leader in their centre while his rival David Geduld, the Baron of Torrance is dressed sharply and circulating among the other Kindred, shaking hands and stopping to greet any-one of importance he passes while his own force of about fifteen kindred are seated together watching those around him for potential trouble. Bryce Goodwin and his wife have apparently both recovered from their ordeal at the hands of the Sabbat and are sharing a table with another couple similarly dressed in hardy farm clothing and are chatting away in a relaxed manner.
Without any preamble Roach strolled over to Tom Weaver and introduced himself as a representative of the barony of Pasadena, shook his hand and wished him the best of luck. Michael who had been conspicuously avoiding picking a side in that particular conflict made a mental note to say something to Allison Maller when the opportunity arose so as to even things out a little but imagined that the Malkavian must have some long term strategy in mind.
Storytellers Note - Fuck knows what's going through his head there...
Michael enquired how good Roach's relationship with Steve Booth of Long Beach was as he should probably make an introduction as they were shipping drugs through his territory and had effectively sided with him over his neighbour and rival David Geduld by virtue of that arrangement alone. "Sure, I can intro you to my buddy Steve..." was the worryingly enthusiastic reply. After being introduced as "my main bro, Michael" the Toreador spoke to him for a few moments about the situation in Pasadena and him planning on announcing claiming it as his barony.
Steve apparently had no issue with what he was been told either way but as it became obvious that his attention was wandering he was promptly distracted by Roach to arrange another surfing session in the future before handing over the bottle of wine he'd acquired from the coterie stores as a "Thanks for being cool about the drugs and shit...". Michael then made a mental note to leave all future conversations with Steve to Roach as he had absolutely nothing in common with him at all.
Hope spoke briefly to the Goodwins and the Gaspers but the conversation was brief as she'd already covered much of what she had to say to them at the recent Clan Gangrel 'gather' in the Wilds.
Marius and the mistress of his herd Leanna are seated with the members of the Wilds Pack including the hulking figure of Nicodemus wrapped in an enveloping cloak which is doing nothing to diminish the rumours that some arrangement exists between them all. Also in his group is a single Nosferatu who is more than likely Bertrum Tung whose disagreement with Therese Voerman two decades ago resulted in him being forced into hiding for nearly five years. Seated close to them but definitely separate are Nines Rodriguez, his enforcer Skelter, Damsel and a small group of Brujah hanging on 'Nines' every word, which seems to be embarrassing him slightly.
Roach found himself a table near where Steve's surfer bro's were seated and carved himself an area for the others to join him. Unlike a Camarilla Elysium, no entertainment or 'refreshments' had been provided so he lit up a joint and contented himself with observing the assembled kindred.
Catherine Du Bois and Mariel St John are seated together next to Sophia Bartholomew while nearby Archibald Bartholomew her sire is chatting with three others, presumably the rest of his brood. Baron Amethyst of Santa Ana and six of her gang members are here also making an obvious point of pretending not to be interested in Tom Weaver or Alison Maller despite the open-secret that she's supporting Tom. Sitting with Amethyst's group is a very attractive girl who appears to be about sixteen who has her arm around a slightly older looking boy who you would imagine hasn't washed since his embrace, they seem an odd couple.
Sitting alone between the two groups knitting a ridiculously long scarf is a silver haired woman who must be the other Blount sister Enid. Even the most viscous and aggressive looking kindred knowledge her politely as they pass, no doubt due to her and her sisters reputation for generosity with feeding rights.
Michael exchanged pleasantries with the Fortier's as Mariel had pledged her support to him becoming baron in return for his coteries sorting of the Sabbat issue with some discretion and also spoke to Sophia Bartholomew while he was there. Both of their families had significant influence in Los Angeles and he wished to ensure that their good will continued. Roach was watching Michael's progress and as he took in the spectacle of so many kindred decided to turn his powers upon what was apparently the other of the Blount sisters. Either this was the same sister or both twins shared a very similar aura as well has having the same taste for kindred souls as her aura also was riddled with the thick black veins that indicated a serial diablerist.
The second largest single group of some twenty-five kindred is centred around a portly, well-dressed individual who must be Jesus Ramirez the leader of El Hermandad in Salvador Garcia's absence. Gloria Martinez, the baron of Whittier sits close to the El Hermandad group, talking to her own six gang members in a low voice.
Directly opposite them, mostly in the gang colours of the Crypt's Sons are just over a dozen kindred led by a giant of a man in the same gang colours who you suspect is Henrique 'Hank' Boyd one of the survivors of the massacre attributed to Eastern vampire allies of Salvador Garcia but which Garcia claims is "Camarilla propaganda". 'Hank' has been recruiting newcomers to Los Angeles and head-hunting the most aggressive members of gangs from the Barony of the Angels in order to rebuild his forces but is still playing catch-up due to massive losses of territory while the gangs numbers were depleted.
With permission already obtained to transport their shipments of narcotics via Long Beach Harbour it only remained for them to negotiate the rest of the route. Roach and Michael had decided between them that their best bet was to move from the barony of Long Beach through Gloria Martinez's barony of Whittier and then on through Covina which had no baron but whose population was loyal to El Hermandad and from there into what would hopefully by then be their own barony of Pasadena. Michael introduced himself to Gloria and then deferred to Roach to discuss the specifics. The Malkavian was in a direct mood today and simply stated that "They'd like to move a shitload of drugs through Whittier and then Covina...".
Surprisingly, Gloria who had a reputation for lacking a sense of humour was amused by Roach's directness and seemed open to a deal. He also told her about their plan to declare Michael the baron of Pasadena. Michael pointed out that this would put them in a position to support her and the rest of El Hermandad in the future. Gloria enquired about the general nature of the shipment and Roach declared that the plan was to transport a relatively small quantity on a weekly basis to minimise any potential losses and to give them an opportunity to test the route. Baron Martinez assured them that she could make the arrangements and also negotiate with the kindred of Covina on their behalf but would expect any request for an equivalent boon to be reciprocated. As her terms seemed reasonable the deal was made. Though both the Toreador and Malkavian were slightly concerned that this arrangement might look like they were taking sides in any potential war between El Hermandad and their enemies the Crypt Sons they had little option at this point.
The largest group of all number in excess of thirty and are the Caitiff and dusk-born of Jenna Cross though they also seem the least comfortable, surrounding their leader Jenna and constantly moving between her and any who approach. Jenna occasionally waves them away so she can speak with those who wish to meet her but none of the significant powers are amongst them.
The only member of her gang not nestled together is 'Rosa' who is wandering through the crowd silently and seemingly has the uncanny knack of making any but the eldest kindred she passes inexplicably uncomfortable. The other group that might be considered outcasts are the Nosferatu who number a dozen but it is not uncommon for many to avoid the rants so their full numbers are difficult to quantify. As usual 'Gary' is impeccably dressed, the rest, not so much.
Roach was amused by Rosa fulfilling the role for the duskborn that he himself did for his own coterie an was once again fascinated by the way her aura seemed to flow randomly from one colour to another in rapid succession. It almost seemed to pulse with a life of it's own and he could almost discern how the changes coincided with the discomfort felt by those she watched. From the table she now was alone out Hope noted that the Nosferatu elder Alonzo they'd accompanied into the warrens was not amongst Gary's contingent of followers.
Seemingly oblivious to the looks been directed towards her by the duskborn is Therese Voerman, a recent addition to her entourage 'Jane Lane', a kindred who has acted as the barons proxy for the last year and the group of five vampires who form the 'commando' coterie who have been ensuring the integrity of her domain during her frequent recent absences to monitor her empire of clubs. All have been recruited from other cities where she has business interests and have all proven to be formidable if unsophisticated hunters of those travelling within Santa Monica without permission.
As Vin, Michael and Roach approached the Santa Monica baron her commando coterie moved to intercept but a signal from Therese's own Seneschal Jane had them move aside and allow the coterie to approach. Both Vin and Michael perceived the adviser Jane as an ordinary looking woman in a plain suit but Roach's own supernatural perceptions instead saw an attractive, voluptuous kindred in a stylish dress as his abilities penetrated the illusionary appearance that she had cloaked herself beneath. Vin for his part was less impressed with the baron's defenders now he had a chance to observe them as in his opinion their defensive positions were poor and they had relaxed far too quickly when stood down. He imagined they used brute force, weight of numbers or some other talents to fulfil their duties rather than actual tactics as he wasn't impressed with the ones they were currently exhibiting.
Roach could feel a connection to Therese as he had done several times in his existence when other Malkavians had been nearby and recently in LA when a flirty female voice had directed him to the airstrip that Vera Vignes had used to escape them. This connection had many names amongst the Malkavian's including the Cobweb, the Shattered Mirror and the Malkavian Madness Network but by whatever terms they referred to it the fact that it existed was indisputable. As Michael began to make polite introductions to the baron of Santa Monica and one of the most influential kindred in Los Angeles through her and her sisters clubs Roach suffered an odd disconnect as Therese appeared to be talking directly to him simultaneously while she was most definitely talking to the Toreador Michael.
In his conversation with Therese Voerman that may or may not have actually been completely in his head he informed her in no uncertain terms that their intention was to take over LA for the Camarilla as he was inexplicably certain that her sympathies lay with that organisation not the Anarchs. He also let her know that they were going to take Pasadena first and then laid out his own plans to her in complete detail. Michael meanwhile was having what he considered to be a very productive discussion about his plans for the betterment of Pasadena and his hope for the support of her and the other barons towards that goal. As both the physical and mental conversations ended the three kindred went their separate ways with Vin watching their backs. Of more interest to Roach was the fact that as well as a Brujah, Toreador and Malkavian the Commando coterie also contained a Tremere and a kindred who shared the same clan aura as exhibited by Daniel Matthews.
Storytellers Note - That three way Therese conversation was difficult to do without confusing the PC's but it seemed to work and the players went along with it which helped...
As the crowd begins to settle, Isaac Abrams arrives fashionably late along with two other women. The first is a well proportioned red-headed woman with deep green eyes and the second is covered head to foot in a long fur coat. As she enters she removes the coat in a sweeping gesture and hands it to Isaac who places it over one arm. To all intents and purposes she's dressed like a stripper, if strippers wore $5000 lingerie and $2000 shoes and must be Velvet Velour owner of the famous Hollywood exotic dancing establishment 'Vesuvius'. You can only imagine that this is her usual attire as other than a few appreciative glances her appearance causes little comment.
Having dealt with Isaac several times in the past Michael thought it wise to speak to him and he was also intrigued by the two ladies accompanying him. Michael greeted the baron and then offered his hand to Miss Velour and introduced himself though the other woman had already left to mingle with the crowd. The two Toreadors spent a few pleasant moments conversing about various innocuous subjects before the underwear clad lady invited him to come see the dancers at her club and pay her herself a visit "..and please, Miss Velour is so formal, call me Velvet." before moving away far more elegantly than would be normally expected by a woman wearing six inch stiletto heeled shoes.
Scene Thirty Four - Henrique 'Hank' Boyd
The new leader of the Crypt's Sons takes to the stage followed by a pair of his largest gang members who take position either side of the stage. "We're rebuilding, to do that we need space so we'll be taking back the turf that you piss-ant little gangs from the Barony of the Angels took from us after Garcia's paid mercs hit us cuz he didn't have the stones to do it his-self".
There's several shouts from Garcia's followers, mainly insults from those defending their leader but they're quietened by a raised hand from Ramirez. He seems as surprised as many others that only the turf taken by other gangs was mentioned and not the substantial areas taken by his own, however those actually being threatened are not so easily subdued.
As protests are yelled, several Crypt's Sons members stand and several other gangs own kindred stand up themselves as the atmosphere becomes very tense indeed as the gang leaders attempt to bring order to their own ranks and several violent scuffles break out. Oblivious to the noise 'Hank' continues. "You have one month from today to get out of our domains, any-one left inside once that time's up is at war with The Crypt's Sons." With that he storms back to his gang flanked by his two guards.
This speech raised a number of concerns within the coterie particularly as they'd just negotiated a deal with the Crypts Sons enemies El Hermandad which would very much look like them taking a side and might draw them into any upcoming conflict.
The only consolation was that the initial target of the Crypts Sons wrath appeared to be the Barony of the Angels gangs who had taken advantage of their temporary weakness rather than their rival gang. Roach also knew that both the gangs they were discussing used mortal gang members in their wars which could create some problems now he had a criminal gang of his own on the payroll. They decided that they'd attempt to keep their relationship with El Hermandad as limited to their drug route arrangement as possible and keep out of any situations that might drag them into a war that could potentially undo all their hard work up till now.
Scene Thirty Five - Myranda
Myranda, the leader of the gangrel pack who control The Wilds moves to the improvised stage and begins to speak about the consequences for those who enter the packs territory mentioning specifically the fate of three thin-bloods who foolishly ignored their warning which brings several cries of protest from Jenna Cross's followers. Surprisingly they also get some support from one of the independent gang members with the comment "Well who the fuck are you anyway, you've been in LA five fucking minutes and suddenly your in charge?".
Myranda with heavy sarcasm apologies for not listing her bloodline for what she refers to as "Prince no-one of fucking no-where"."I am Myranda Maria of Clan Gangrel, childe of Aviana Maria, childe of Marius Walker, childe of..." Before she can continue further Marius interrupts "That will do grandchilde, there's no need to list our bloodline back to fucking Lilith for this piece of shit. Just make your fucking point..." Myranda concludes by reiterating that they will defend their borders from any intruders and that warnings will no longer be given though seems quite pleased with herself despite the dire warning she's giving. "If you enter The Wilds without invitation you die...permanently..." She's pointedly looking in the direction of Jenna Cross when she makes this final pronouncement.
This explained a lot about the complex relationship that Marius seemed to have with the Wilds Pack but was still somewhat of a surprise. Looking around it was obvious that this was interesting news to many of the younger licks but seemed to be nothing new to the elders amongst the audience though several were amused by Marius's irritation at it being made an issue of. Hope had already had her suspicions as Myranda's heritage as an ancestor of Xavier was already common knowledge and the Autarkis 'Fixers' own relationship with the former Justicar of the Gangrel Clan had been suspected for some time.
Scene Thirty Six - Jenna Cross
The messiah of the duskborn approaches the stage accompanied by half a dozen of her followers. The derisive yells of a few are matched by shouts of support by her own people as she begins to talk. "Many of you here have much to say about where the Duskborn and Caitiff under my protection can or cannot hunt but the fault for any poaching that may occur must be laid at your own doors" The noise level rises considerably and jeers and obscenities can be heard from many quarters.
"You refuse us feeding rights even when you have more than enough, despite the Barony of the Angels being supposedly neutral we are still harried by the gangs there and we are attacked without provocation by the scum employed by Therese Voerman." Her omission of the word 'baron' does not go unnoticed, nor does the word scum by the Malkavians hounds "Despite her spending most of her time elsewhere, an absentee landlord at best" There's a few chuckles at this quickly stifled as those responsible feel the baron's gaze fall upon them.
"If respect is shown to me then I will ensure my own people return that respect. If we receive none then we will be forced to hunt wherever we deem necessary" You hear one of Hank's men yell "Didn't work so well when you tried it in the Wilds did it bitch?"A dozen thin-bloods perhaps friends of the three who met their final deaths at the Wilds Pack's claws or offended by the term used to describe their leader begin to shout abuse and some even step forward as several of the Crypt's Sons draw weapons.
Roach attempted to defuse the situation by shouting out that they had bigger things to worry about with Sabbat invasions on the cards but he was drowned out by the arguments between the duskborn, Crypt's Sons and those siding with Therese.
Rosa returns from her wanderings and as she returns to her fellow kindred rather than gesture for calm she simply glides around them and takes a seat as Jenna, apparently finished returns as well. The Crypts Sons make a few more obscene comments and then put their weapons away...mostly...
Those amongst the coterie such as Michael who were more familiar with the far more formal and sedate Camarilla way of doing such things was concerned about how volatile the relationships between the Anarch factions were and realised that they'd need to be exceptionally careful with how they expanded their fledgling empire.
Roach was more concerned that his long-term plan to use the thin-bloods as a weapon against the other gangs was going to be far more difficult to implement if they were at war with the entire rest of Los Angeles. Vin had taken the opportunity to gauge the reactions of those he'd previously mentally logged as the enforcers amongst the LA kindred gangs and was assessing their situational awareness.
The situation was soon defused by an unexpected late arrival to the meeting...
Scene Thirty Seven - 'Atarah'
A mysterious woman dressed all in black enters the hall and the shadows seem to deepen as she approaches regardless of the ambient light and return to normal as she passes, those seated nearby turn to watch as she glides past the kindred present and approaches the stage.
"Which of you holds sway over the area you call West Los Angeles?" All present turn to Catherine and Mariel to see how they respond. Mariel is the first to speak "Baron Fortier rules that domain, I'm empowered to speak on his behalf. What do you require of him?"
The woman was unmistakably Atarah, the former prisoner of the Vignes whose bound essence had been used to create a wraith-like poltergeist who destroyed his and Vera's enemies. The coterie had freed the bound spirit but had failed to take into account that it would be able to inhabit and reanimate it's original vampiric body and were therefore could be perceived as directly responsible for any actions Atarah might make. All of the coterie members involved attempted to look as surprised as every-one else and all with the exception of Vin succeeded. Fortunately his sentiment of "What the Fuck?!?!?" was actually shared by many others there so his outburst went unnoticed.
Atarah Continued "I have been an unwilling guest of those you know as the Vignes for some time, when i regained my freedom I sought refuge at a place familiar to me known as the church of Vincent de Paul which is apparently within the domain of your Liege Lord. I humbly request feeding rights for this location and use of it's patrons as my herd." Her tone doesn't sound like she's making a request but Mariel treats it as one "And what service do you offer your Baron in return for this gift?"
Mariel's apparently fearless response to this obviously powerful creatures tone surprised many present who saw her more as Harpy and less as a representative of Louis Fortier's authority and she gained a measure of respect from the assembled kindred who were awaiting to see how she dealt with the situation. As immortal creatures anything new or a novelty was worthy of attention. The coterie were more relieved that she hadn't revealed their part in her release. Roach was however somewhat disturbed because as in their previous encounter Atarah's own aura and person were hidden by a pulsating shadow creature that apparently only he could see.
"Any task within my abilities would be considered and of course his enemies would become my enemies." This last statement begins to get some reaction from the crowd as the shadows around the stage seem to move of their own volition and become uncomfortable to stare at for even a short time. The aura of menace surrounding her is quite tangible and you can see many present mentally calculating how this might effect the balance of power in LA. "Your terms.." says Mariel "...are broadly acceptable..." "Come sit with us and we can discuss the finer points of our agreement." With that Atarah leaves the stage and does indeed take a seat with Mariel and Catherine to much muttering from many of the baronies adjacent to that of Baron Fortier.
Scene Thirty Eight - Anarchy in LA
Considering his lack of influence the quietening of the crowd for Bryce would be surprising if not for the recent events involving his farm and the Sabbat. He lays out the events as they occurred, including a brief but complementary overview of your coterie's involvement in his rescue. He then informs the crowd that after their 'gather' that the Gangrel of Los Angeles have agreed to share tactical information that might relate to future incursions of the Sabbat regardless of other concerns. It seems that most of the Gangrel at the gather had already informed their barons of this as there's no significant reactions to the announcement...apart from one...
"So how exactly are the least organised clan in existence sharing this important info then?" asks one of the independents, a particularly noisy Brujah who has pretty much interrupted every speaker of the night. Bryce informs him that Marius has agreed to distribute and co-ordinate between the others of his clan, this doesn't seem to please the Brujah at all. "So as well as recruiting the fucking animals from the Wilds pack he's declared himself Primogen of the Gangrel?"
There's a blur of movement barely detectable even by those of you with enhanced reflexes as the unfortunate gobshite Brujah is propelled into a pillar with a crunch of shattering bone by an extremely pissed off looking Marius who has him pinned against it. As he raises his fist his arm is caught in the crook of the elbow of the only slightly slower Nines Rodriguez before it can deliver the finishing blow.
As some of the crowd moved forward to observe, many others moved further away to avoid been dragged into any battle between two of the more formidable fighters amongst the inhabitants of Los Angeles. Michael had finally had enough of the disorganised and volatile nature of Anarch politics and saw an opportunity to either make or break his reputation within the Free States. As he readied himself to make a speech, his adviser Roach felt the unmistakable feeling of an oncoming premonition.
You see several kindred bodies scattered around a city street, Nines Rodriguez twists the head off an unfortunate opponent before drawing a large calibre hand gun and putting three rounds into the back of a Sabbat shovel-head's skull a moment before he can drive a jagged stake through the back of a completely unaware Marius whose ripping the throat out of an enemy vampire with his teeth while smashing another ones skull to smithereens...
Nines and Marius are back to back in a green and wooded area with what looks like an observatory in the background standing over the dead bodies of a pair of lupines. Marius's claws and Nine's fists are covered in blood and they're both bleeding from a number of deep claw marks and gashes, howls can be heard from all sides as they both leap forward into the trio of werewolves in front of them...
The door to a bar, engulfed in flames is torn from it's hinges as a familiar Gangrel, clothes singed and burnt drags out the body of a now equally familiar Brujah. A dozen individuals armed with shotguns and hand weapons are waiting outside. A dozen weapons fire as Marius shields the unconscious Nines with his own body and then is amongst the gunmen before they have time to reload...
Having done considerable research into Anarch principles and the teachings of Salvador Garcia Michael was well prepared to put forward his case for becoming baron but hadn't banked on having to defuse a potential fight so the pressure was considerable. He pointed out the folly of two respected kindred fighting amongst themselves when they had a potential Sabbat invasion to deal with and that this was exactly the disorganisation and petty squabbling that would enable enemies such as the Camarilla to undermine what the Anarchs had achieved. This last remark raised an eyebrow for Roach as Michael was almost too convincing and the Malkavian began to suspect that his fellow coterie member might be in danger of 'going native'. Michael concluded his intervention by tying what he'd said into several quotes of other significant Anarch dignitaries and was skilled enough as an orator to know when he had a crowd within his grasp and even the two fighters were paying attention. Seeing that Michael was no longer in danger Vin moved away from his position of readiness but kept a wary eye on the crowd.
Storytellers Note - I wish I'd taken more notes because this was an amazing in character speech that I've failed to give justice to. I gave him some free background dots in Status (Anarchs) as a reward.
Nines whispers something into Marius's ear and the Gangrel pulls his victim back from the pillar and hurls him some twenty feet across the room where he lands on the table he was previously sitting at which promptly collapses. He nods at Nines with what could be construed as a gesture of respect and walks purposely back to his own table as any kindred in the way sensibly move.
Nines shakes his head in the direction of the humiliated Brujah and then heads directly to the stage. In the Elysium meetings of the Camarilla the situation would be unthinkable but judging by how quickly order returns to the hall you can see that amongst the Anarchs such events must be quite common.
Roach made his way to the collapsed Brujah and helped him to his feet. "You done fucked up there. I'd get as far away from here quick as you can..." before returning to his own table.
Nines wastes no time launching into a passionate speech about how despite the strength created by conflict that ultimately the Anarchs need to stand together so threats like the Sabbat and an increasingly aggressive Camarilla can be dealt with. He elaborates on each of his points and the intensity of his belief is almost contagious and you can easily see why many consider him a worthy successor to Jeremy MacNeil as most of the crowd eats up his rhetoric. Seemingly satisfied that the gathered kindred are once again focused on the business of the evening rather than petty squabbles he returns to his own followers who are clearly in awe of their leader. More surprisingly those of you with extrasensory abilities detected not the hint of the use of the discipline Presence during his speech.
Michael noted with some gratification that many of the points he'd elaborated on had been first raised by himself and several notable kindred present had glanced in his direction when Nines spoke on these subjects. No-one seemed particularly keen to immediately follow such an inspiring speech so they had time to mingle a little before any-one else decided to speak.
Scene Thirty Nine - The Barony of Pasadena
After a brief pause for the crowd to settle Michael decided it was now time to take to the stage to put forward his claim for the barony of Pasadena. He started by announcing that he'd been running Pasadena after the untimely death of Baron Vignes and that in his opinion it was if anything now in safer hands than before under his more flexible leadership. He then built upon their reputation for being able to handle themselves in an offensive manner by talking about how the Sabbat incursion had been dealt with by kindred under his direction potentially saving many of the inhabitants of LA.
He finished by explaining that he and his coterie had plans to expand the resources on offer to kindred of the Free States by creating certain opportunities for them in Pasadena and that he and his people held the Anarch cause dear. He then awaited the reaction of the assembled vampires.
Mariel St John surprises many present by speaking on your behalf "Some of you may be aware that Michael and his coterie recently did a service for the Fortier clan" There's a few surprised grunts from the less well informed of the kindred there "They have shown themselves to be trustworthy enough to honour their boons and in our opinion potent enough to keep Pasadena as secure if not more so than Baron Vignes" "Baron Fortier would therefore be in favour of Michael taking Pasadena as his own instead of another untested candidate." While she is talking you can see the Nosferatu leader Gary speaking to the Crypt Sons leader. Hank cocks his head slightly and nods before elbowing one of his men in the side as he begins to stand and shakes his head. The gang member has a perplexed look on his face but nonetheless returns to his seat. Their leader does however seem suddenly quite pleased with himself. "Perhaps..." continues Mariel "...You'd be willing to put it to the vote?"
You're aware that your in no way obliged to honour the result should it go against you but in the event of it coming down in your favour it will make dealing with other barons simpler. It's up to you...
Storytellers Note - Through the twenty or so sessions of this campaign I'd been noting their dealings with other kindred and how those meetings went. I thought I should mention it as the next bit is based on all those many interactions. It was also fun watching their reactions as the vote progressed...
Mariel and Catherine raise a hand as does Steve Booth whose gang and their allies follow suit, soon followed by the Goodwins and their two table mates. Sophia raises hers a moment after her sire and the other Bartholomews follow their masters lead. A significant quantity of gang members have raised their hands before their leaders and these seem to be mainly Gangrel and those who share their allegiances also show their support in some cases making their own barons agree rather than give the appearance of splits within their ranks. So far you have just about a quarter of the room on your side.
Storytellers Note - I stopped several times to unnecessarily take a drink just to be an absolute arse...I make no apologies though. When you've been building up to something for three months you like to savour the moment...
Marius joins with the others of his clan, as do his allies and a number of younger kindred who must either owe him some boon or foresee a time when they might need him on-side but this still only puts you just over a third of the way as somewhat surprisingly you hear Hank say "Why the fuck not, can't be worse than that fucker Vignes!" and almost as one the Crypt Sons follow suit. You have a brief moment of concern that this might put off the members of El Hermandad from siding with you as currently only the ferals amongst his men have done so. This becomes irrelevant a moment later as apparently the groundwork of Roach has done some good as Jenna Cross and her full compliment vote in your favour. Though a formality now Ramirez finally comes to a decision and for the first time since the revolution the Crypts Sons and El Hermandad agree on something...you doubt it'll last.
It looks like you now have a barony to all your own.
Epilogue
It's now approaching the early hours of the morning and several groups with distances to travel back to their own domains are beginning to leave. This is your last chance to speak to any-one before the rant will begin to drift apart.
Michael spoke to Nines, complimenting him on his speech and was congratulated on his own Anarch principles in return. As the coterie mingled with the departing kindred they extended several invitations to those with whom they wanted to further ingratiate themselves and thanked Gary for whatever intervention he'd made with the Crypts Sons leader. Then they departed to consolidate their position as the new rulers of Pasadena.
To Be Continued in Part One of a New Chronicle after a Solo Session featuring Daniel the Banu Haqim
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...
Well it took twenty one actual sessions, a session zero and several solo ones but they now have a barony all of their own and Michael is the Baron of Pasadena, Roach is his Seneschal and he has a Sheriff and Scourge in the form of Vin and Hope respectively as well as his own assassin just in case.
Of course from my point of view it's time for the real fun to start as they've now taken sides in several conflicts and have something to lose...
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, Johnny 'Roach' West is quite obviously Kurt Cobain, 'Vin' is the actor Scott Adkins, Dr Matthews is Mads Mikkelsen, Hope is Deborah Ann Woll, Marie is Eva Greene, Henrique Boyd is the sadly departed Michael Clarke Duncan, Myranda Maria is a model called Shannyn Visceral, Jenna Cross is Rhona Mitra, Rosa is Mahafsoun and Marius Walker is Tony Curran. 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.
The increasing size of the Rants has led to a series of venues, each larger than its predecessor. At the moment they are held in a huge abandoned bus terminal, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. 'The Terminal', as the Kindred call it, had briefly been converted to a nightclub, and still has the chairs and tables. It can comfortably hold several hundred people. Security is typically handled by those kindred who have access to their own forces of ghouls or blood-bound personnel and tends to be rotated between them though only kindred are permitted within the venue itself with the exception of the occasional Gangrel or Nosferatu famulus that the owner refuses to be parted from.
Interlude - Preparations
The entirety of the remaining members of the Line 20's gang have now been re-born as the Apostles under Reuben Hart and his regnant Roach. The gang operate under strict guidelines laid out by their leaders and are gradually taking over the criminal activities of Pasadena somewhat ironically under the cover of a neighbourhood watch group sponsored by local businesses in general and by the 'Galerie Sanguine' specifically.Prostitution has been moved from street corners to brothels under their control and have created the illusion of reduced drug traffic by simply moving indoors. A number of properties inherited by Michael from the Vignes estate have facilitated these activities providing homes for the relocated gang members and bases of operations.
The warehouse next door to the gallery is gradually been converted to a clubhouse of sorts and the more difficult to explain items from their armouries have been moved to an underground storage room in their newly installed escape tunnel into the sewers.
Though still in the early stages of their campaign the profits necessary for their legitimate expansion are beginning to roll in partially as a result of drug stockpiles seized from their recently vanquished rival gang. However supplies are now running low and the delivery arriving in Long Beach two days after the rant will be needed to continue their expansion.In the somewhat random manner that Roach prioritised things he had started to have the bar he'd acquired when Reapers gang ceased to exist renovated so as to create a meeting place some distance from the gallery but had also decided that it now needed a stage. He had also replaced his van destroyed in the shoot out with a new one and it was now painted in a fetching skull pattern rather than the psychedelic unicorns that decorated the former one. Then a moment before claiming the two stone statues donated by Sophia Bartholomew to the gallery as his own he grabbed a bottle of blood imbued wine from their limited supply and slipped it into his jacket.
Storytellers Note - Roach basically never turns Heightened Senses, Sense the Unseen or Scry the Soul off so sees everything slightly differently to his colleagues...
Scene Thirty Three - A Game of Baronies
Storytellers Note - I instructed the players that there would be a lot of background and description but that I'd pause at regular intervals to allow them to make observations and ask for clarifications as well as speak to kindred I'd mentioned.
In Vin's assessment Marius's somewhat negative opinion of Fortier's guards was somewhat unfair. Despite their outfits being selected for aesthetics rather than practicality they still seemed to be observant and with good tactical awareness.As you head from the parking lot to the Terminal, you are joined by a crowd of figures headed in the same direction. Many of them are dressed as punks in leathers and studs or other counter culture clothing, the leather jackets and chains of bikers, gang-bangers in the traditional gang uniform of baseball cap, T-shirts and jeans as well as few individuals in more stylish outfits from classic suits to exclusive bespoke or designer dresses. As you enter the Terminal, you can see well over a hundred vampires seated around the edge of the huge former waiting room. some of the more athletically inclined ones have climbed up and are sitting in the rafters, looking down; most are sitting in groups and chatting casually with each other while keeping a wary eye on the others both ally and enemy.
Allison Maller is with her five vampires, carefully watching Tom Weaver and his own five followers on the opposite side of the room. The statuesque Steve Booth and his twelve surfer Long Beach Boys along with half a dozen Huntington Beach kindred are lounging around with their leader in their centre while his rival David Geduld, the Baron of Torrance is dressed sharply and circulating among the other Kindred, shaking hands and stopping to greet any-one of importance he passes while his own force of about fifteen kindred are seated together watching those around him for potential trouble. Bryce Goodwin and his wife have apparently both recovered from their ordeal at the hands of the Sabbat and are sharing a table with another couple similarly dressed in hardy farm clothing and are chatting away in a relaxed manner.
Allison Maller, Baron of Anaheim and Tom Weaver her rival
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| Steve Booth - Brujah Baron of Long Beach |
Michael enquired how good Roach's relationship with Steve Booth of Long Beach was as he should probably make an introduction as they were shipping drugs through his territory and had effectively sided with him over his neighbour and rival David Geduld by virtue of that arrangement alone. "Sure, I can intro you to my buddy Steve..." was the worryingly enthusiastic reply. After being introduced as "my main bro, Michael" the Toreador spoke to him for a few moments about the situation in Pasadena and him planning on announcing claiming it as his barony.
Steve apparently had no issue with what he was been told either way but as it became obvious that his attention was wandering he was promptly distracted by Roach to arrange another surfing session in the future before handing over the bottle of wine he'd acquired from the coterie stores as a "Thanks for being cool about the drugs and shit...". Michael then made a mental note to leave all future conversations with Steve to Roach as he had absolutely nothing in common with him at all.
Hope spoke briefly to the Goodwins and the Gaspers but the conversation was brief as she'd already covered much of what she had to say to them at the recent Clan Gangrel 'gather' in the Wilds.
Marius Walker - Autarkis Gangrel, Leanna - 'Mistress of the Herd'
Marius and the mistress of his herd Leanna are seated with the members of the Wilds Pack including the hulking figure of Nicodemus wrapped in an enveloping cloak which is doing nothing to diminish the rumours that some arrangement exists between them all. Also in his group is a single Nosferatu who is more than likely Bertrum Tung whose disagreement with Therese Voerman two decades ago resulted in him being forced into hiding for nearly five years. Seated close to them but definitely separate are Nines Rodriguez, his enforcer Skelter, Damsel and a small group of Brujah hanging on 'Nines' every word, which seems to be embarrassing him slightly.
Nines Rodriguez, Skelter and Damsel
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| Catherine Du Bois - Ventrue Childe of Louis Fortier |
Sitting alone between the two groups knitting a ridiculously long scarf is a silver haired woman who must be the other Blount sister Enid. Even the most viscous and aggressive looking kindred knowledge her politely as they pass, no doubt due to her and her sisters reputation for generosity with feeding rights.
Michael exchanged pleasantries with the Fortier's as Mariel had pledged her support to him becoming baron in return for his coteries sorting of the Sabbat issue with some discretion and also spoke to Sophia Bartholomew while he was there. Both of their families had significant influence in Los Angeles and he wished to ensure that their good will continued. Roach was watching Michael's progress and as he took in the spectacle of so many kindred decided to turn his powers upon what was apparently the other of the Blount sisters. Either this was the same sister or both twins shared a very similar aura as well has having the same taste for kindred souls as her aura also was riddled with the thick black veins that indicated a serial diablerist.
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| Jesus Ramirez - Ventrue |
Directly opposite them, mostly in the gang colours of the Crypt's Sons are just over a dozen kindred led by a giant of a man in the same gang colours who you suspect is Henrique 'Hank' Boyd one of the survivors of the massacre attributed to Eastern vampire allies of Salvador Garcia but which Garcia claims is "Camarilla propaganda". 'Hank' has been recruiting newcomers to Los Angeles and head-hunting the most aggressive members of gangs from the Barony of the Angels in order to rebuild his forces but is still playing catch-up due to massive losses of territory while the gangs numbers were depleted.
With permission already obtained to transport their shipments of narcotics via Long Beach Harbour it only remained for them to negotiate the rest of the route. Roach and Michael had decided between them that their best bet was to move from the barony of Long Beach through Gloria Martinez's barony of Whittier and then on through Covina which had no baron but whose population was loyal to El Hermandad and from there into what would hopefully by then be their own barony of Pasadena. Michael introduced himself to Gloria and then deferred to Roach to discuss the specifics. The Malkavian was in a direct mood today and simply stated that "They'd like to move a shitload of drugs through Whittier and then Covina...".
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| Gloria Martinez - Brujah Baron of Whittier |
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| Gary - Nosferatu |
Roach was amused by Rosa fulfilling the role for the duskborn that he himself did for his own coterie an was once again fascinated by the way her aura seemed to flow randomly from one colour to another in rapid succession. It almost seemed to pulse with a life of it's own and he could almost discern how the changes coincided with the discomfort felt by those she watched. From the table she now was alone out Hope noted that the Nosferatu elder Alonzo they'd accompanied into the warrens was not amongst Gary's contingent of followers.
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| Jane Lane Therese Voermans Seneschal |
As Vin, Michael and Roach approached the Santa Monica baron her commando coterie moved to intercept but a signal from Therese's own Seneschal Jane had them move aside and allow the coterie to approach. Both Vin and Michael perceived the adviser Jane as an ordinary looking woman in a plain suit but Roach's own supernatural perceptions instead saw an attractive, voluptuous kindred in a stylish dress as his abilities penetrated the illusionary appearance that she had cloaked herself beneath. Vin for his part was less impressed with the baron's defenders now he had a chance to observe them as in his opinion their defensive positions were poor and they had relaxed far too quickly when stood down. He imagined they used brute force, weight of numbers or some other talents to fulfil their duties rather than actual tactics as he wasn't impressed with the ones they were currently exhibiting.
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| Jeanette and Therese Voerman - Malkavian |
In his conversation with Therese Voerman that may or may not have actually been completely in his head he informed her in no uncertain terms that their intention was to take over LA for the Camarilla as he was inexplicably certain that her sympathies lay with that organisation not the Anarchs. He also let her know that they were going to take Pasadena first and then laid out his own plans to her in complete detail. Michael meanwhile was having what he considered to be a very productive discussion about his plans for the betterment of Pasadena and his hope for the support of her and the other barons towards that goal. As both the physical and mental conversations ended the three kindred went their separate ways with Vin watching their backs. Of more interest to Roach was the fact that as well as a Brujah, Toreador and Malkavian the Commando coterie also contained a Tremere and a kindred who shared the same clan aura as exhibited by Daniel Matthews.
Storytellers Note - That three way Therese conversation was difficult to do without confusing the PC's but it seemed to work and the players went along with it which helped...
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| Velvet Velour - Toreador 'Dancer' |
Having dealt with Isaac several times in the past Michael thought it wise to speak to him and he was also intrigued by the two ladies accompanying him. Michael greeted the baron and then offered his hand to Miss Velour and introduced himself though the other woman had already left to mingle with the crowd. The two Toreadors spent a few pleasant moments conversing about various innocuous subjects before the underwear clad lady invited him to come see the dancers at her club and pay her herself a visit "..and please, Miss Velour is so formal, call me Velvet." before moving away far more elegantly than would be normally expected by a woman wearing six inch stiletto heeled shoes.
Scene Thirty Four - Henrique 'Hank' Boyd
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| Henrique 'Hank' Boyd - Brujah Crypts Sons Baron |
There's several shouts from Garcia's followers, mainly insults from those defending their leader but they're quietened by a raised hand from Ramirez. He seems as surprised as many others that only the turf taken by other gangs was mentioned and not the substantial areas taken by his own, however those actually being threatened are not so easily subdued.
As protests are yelled, several Crypt's Sons members stand and several other gangs own kindred stand up themselves as the atmosphere becomes very tense indeed as the gang leaders attempt to bring order to their own ranks and several violent scuffles break out. Oblivious to the noise 'Hank' continues. "You have one month from today to get out of our domains, any-one left inside once that time's up is at war with The Crypt's Sons." With that he storms back to his gang flanked by his two guards.
The only consolation was that the initial target of the Crypts Sons wrath appeared to be the Barony of the Angels gangs who had taken advantage of their temporary weakness rather than their rival gang. Roach also knew that both the gangs they were discussing used mortal gang members in their wars which could create some problems now he had a criminal gang of his own on the payroll. They decided that they'd attempt to keep their relationship with El Hermandad as limited to their drug route arrangement as possible and keep out of any situations that might drag them into a war that could potentially undo all their hard work up till now.
Scene Thirty Five - Myranda
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| Myranda Maria - Gangrel Wilds Pack Leader |
Myranda with heavy sarcasm apologies for not listing her bloodline for what she refers to as "Prince no-one of fucking no-where"."I am Myranda Maria of Clan Gangrel, childe of Aviana Maria, childe of Marius Walker, childe of..." Before she can continue further Marius interrupts "That will do grandchilde, there's no need to list our bloodline back to fucking Lilith for this piece of shit. Just make your fucking point..." Myranda concludes by reiterating that they will defend their borders from any intruders and that warnings will no longer be given though seems quite pleased with herself despite the dire warning she's giving. "If you enter The Wilds without invitation you die...permanently..." She's pointedly looking in the direction of Jenna Cross when she makes this final pronouncement.
This explained a lot about the complex relationship that Marius seemed to have with the Wilds Pack but was still somewhat of a surprise. Looking around it was obvious that this was interesting news to many of the younger licks but seemed to be nothing new to the elders amongst the audience though several were amused by Marius's irritation at it being made an issue of. Hope had already had her suspicions as Myranda's heritage as an ancestor of Xavier was already common knowledge and the Autarkis 'Fixers' own relationship with the former Justicar of the Gangrel Clan had been suspected for some time.
Scene Thirty Six - Jenna Cross
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| Jenna Cross - Caitiff De-Facto Thin-blood Baron |
"You refuse us feeding rights even when you have more than enough, despite the Barony of the Angels being supposedly neutral we are still harried by the gangs there and we are attacked without provocation by the scum employed by Therese Voerman." Her omission of the word 'baron' does not go unnoticed, nor does the word scum by the Malkavians hounds "Despite her spending most of her time elsewhere, an absentee landlord at best" There's a few chuckles at this quickly stifled as those responsible feel the baron's gaze fall upon them.
"If respect is shown to me then I will ensure my own people return that respect. If we receive none then we will be forced to hunt wherever we deem necessary" You hear one of Hank's men yell "Didn't work so well when you tried it in the Wilds did it bitch?"A dozen thin-bloods perhaps friends of the three who met their final deaths at the Wilds Pack's claws or offended by the term used to describe their leader begin to shout abuse and some even step forward as several of the Crypt's Sons draw weapons.
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| 'Rosa' - Thinblood Visionary and Seer |
Rosa returns from her wanderings and as she returns to her fellow kindred rather than gesture for calm she simply glides around them and takes a seat as Jenna, apparently finished returns as well. The Crypts Sons make a few more obscene comments and then put their weapons away...mostly...
Those amongst the coterie such as Michael who were more familiar with the far more formal and sedate Camarilla way of doing such things was concerned about how volatile the relationships between the Anarch factions were and realised that they'd need to be exceptionally careful with how they expanded their fledgling empire.
Roach was more concerned that his long-term plan to use the thin-bloods as a weapon against the other gangs was going to be far more difficult to implement if they were at war with the entire rest of Los Angeles. Vin had taken the opportunity to gauge the reactions of those he'd previously mentally logged as the enforcers amongst the LA kindred gangs and was assessing their situational awareness.
The situation was soon defused by an unexpected late arrival to the meeting...
Scene Thirty Seven - 'Atarah'
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| 'Atarah' - Clan Lasombra |
"Which of you holds sway over the area you call West Los Angeles?" All present turn to Catherine and Mariel to see how they respond. Mariel is the first to speak "Baron Fortier rules that domain, I'm empowered to speak on his behalf. What do you require of him?"
The woman was unmistakably Atarah, the former prisoner of the Vignes whose bound essence had been used to create a wraith-like poltergeist who destroyed his and Vera's enemies. The coterie had freed the bound spirit but had failed to take into account that it would be able to inhabit and reanimate it's original vampiric body and were therefore could be perceived as directly responsible for any actions Atarah might make. All of the coterie members involved attempted to look as surprised as every-one else and all with the exception of Vin succeeded. Fortunately his sentiment of "What the Fuck?!?!?" was actually shared by many others there so his outburst went unnoticed.
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| Mariel St John - Ventrue Adopted Childe of Louis Fortier |
Mariel's apparently fearless response to this obviously powerful creatures tone surprised many present who saw her more as Harpy and less as a representative of Louis Fortier's authority and she gained a measure of respect from the assembled kindred who were awaiting to see how she dealt with the situation. As immortal creatures anything new or a novelty was worthy of attention. The coterie were more relieved that she hadn't revealed their part in her release. Roach was however somewhat disturbed because as in their previous encounter Atarah's own aura and person were hidden by a pulsating shadow creature that apparently only he could see.
"Any task within my abilities would be considered and of course his enemies would become my enemies." This last statement begins to get some reaction from the crowd as the shadows around the stage seem to move of their own volition and become uncomfortable to stare at for even a short time. The aura of menace surrounding her is quite tangible and you can see many present mentally calculating how this might effect the balance of power in LA. "Your terms.." says Mariel "...are broadly acceptable..." "Come sit with us and we can discuss the finer points of our agreement." With that Atarah leaves the stage and does indeed take a seat with Mariel and Catherine to much muttering from many of the baronies adjacent to that of Baron Fortier.
Scene Thirty Eight - Anarchy in LA
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| The Sabbat |
"So how exactly are the least organised clan in existence sharing this important info then?" asks one of the independents, a particularly noisy Brujah who has pretty much interrupted every speaker of the night. Bryce informs him that Marius has agreed to distribute and co-ordinate between the others of his clan, this doesn't seem to please the Brujah at all. "So as well as recruiting the fucking animals from the Wilds pack he's declared himself Primogen of the Gangrel?"
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| Marius Walker - Gangrel Ready to Rumble |
As some of the crowd moved forward to observe, many others moved further away to avoid been dragged into any battle between two of the more formidable fighters amongst the inhabitants of Los Angeles. Michael had finally had enough of the disorganised and volatile nature of Anarch politics and saw an opportunity to either make or break his reputation within the Free States. As he readied himself to make a speech, his adviser Roach felt the unmistakable feeling of an oncoming premonition.
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| The Last Round 'Nines' Rodriguez's Haven |
Nines and Marius are back to back in a green and wooded area with what looks like an observatory in the background standing over the dead bodies of a pair of lupines. Marius's claws and Nine's fists are covered in blood and they're both bleeding from a number of deep claw marks and gashes, howls can be heard from all sides as they both leap forward into the trio of werewolves in front of them...
The door to a bar, engulfed in flames is torn from it's hinges as a familiar Gangrel, clothes singed and burnt drags out the body of a now equally familiar Brujah. A dozen individuals armed with shotguns and hand weapons are waiting outside. A dozen weapons fire as Marius shields the unconscious Nines with his own body and then is amongst the gunmen before they have time to reload...
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| Salvador Garcia - Anarch El Hermandad Baron |
Storytellers Note - I wish I'd taken more notes because this was an amazing in character speech that I've failed to give justice to. I gave him some free background dots in Status (Anarchs) as a reward.
Nines whispers something into Marius's ear and the Gangrel pulls his victim back from the pillar and hurls him some twenty feet across the room where he lands on the table he was previously sitting at which promptly collapses. He nods at Nines with what could be construed as a gesture of respect and walks purposely back to his own table as any kindred in the way sensibly move.
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| Nines Rodriguez - Brujah De facto Successor to Jeremy MacNeil |
Roach made his way to the collapsed Brujah and helped him to his feet. "You done fucked up there. I'd get as far away from here quick as you can..." before returning to his own table.
Nines wastes no time launching into a passionate speech about how despite the strength created by conflict that ultimately the Anarchs need to stand together so threats like the Sabbat and an increasingly aggressive Camarilla can be dealt with. He elaborates on each of his points and the intensity of his belief is almost contagious and you can easily see why many consider him a worthy successor to Jeremy MacNeil as most of the crowd eats up his rhetoric. Seemingly satisfied that the gathered kindred are once again focused on the business of the evening rather than petty squabbles he returns to his own followers who are clearly in awe of their leader. More surprisingly those of you with extrasensory abilities detected not the hint of the use of the discipline Presence during his speech.
Michael noted with some gratification that many of the points he'd elaborated on had been first raised by himself and several notable kindred present had glanced in his direction when Nines spoke on these subjects. No-one seemed particularly keen to immediately follow such an inspiring speech so they had time to mingle a little before any-one else decided to speak.
Scene Thirty Nine - The Barony of Pasadena
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| Michael Tomassio - Toreador |
He finished by explaining that he and his coterie had plans to expand the resources on offer to kindred of the Free States by creating certain opportunities for them in Pasadena and that he and his people held the Anarch cause dear. He then awaited the reaction of the assembled vampires.
Mariel St John surprises many present by speaking on your behalf "Some of you may be aware that Michael and his coterie recently did a service for the Fortier clan" There's a few surprised grunts from the less well informed of the kindred there "They have shown themselves to be trustworthy enough to honour their boons and in our opinion potent enough to keep Pasadena as secure if not more so than Baron Vignes" "Baron Fortier would therefore be in favour of Michael taking Pasadena as his own instead of another untested candidate." While she is talking you can see the Nosferatu leader Gary speaking to the Crypt Sons leader. Hank cocks his head slightly and nods before elbowing one of his men in the side as he begins to stand and shakes his head. The gang member has a perplexed look on his face but nonetheless returns to his seat. Their leader does however seem suddenly quite pleased with himself. "Perhaps..." continues Mariel "...You'd be willing to put it to the vote?"
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| Sophia Bartholomew - Toreador |
Storytellers Note - Through the twenty or so sessions of this campaign I'd been noting their dealings with other kindred and how those meetings went. I thought I should mention it as the next bit is based on all those many interactions. It was also fun watching their reactions as the vote progressed...
Mariel and Catherine raise a hand as does Steve Booth whose gang and their allies follow suit, soon followed by the Goodwins and their two table mates. Sophia raises hers a moment after her sire and the other Bartholomews follow their masters lead. A significant quantity of gang members have raised their hands before their leaders and these seem to be mainly Gangrel and those who share their allegiances also show their support in some cases making their own barons agree rather than give the appearance of splits within their ranks. So far you have just about a quarter of the room on your side.
Marius joins with the others of his clan, as do his allies and a number of younger kindred who must either owe him some boon or foresee a time when they might need him on-side but this still only puts you just over a third of the way as somewhat surprisingly you hear Hank say "Why the fuck not, can't be worse than that fucker Vignes!" and almost as one the Crypt Sons follow suit. You have a brief moment of concern that this might put off the members of El Hermandad from siding with you as currently only the ferals amongst his men have done so. This becomes irrelevant a moment later as apparently the groundwork of Roach has done some good as Jenna Cross and her full compliment vote in your favour. Though a formality now Ramirez finally comes to a decision and for the first time since the revolution the Crypts Sons and El Hermandad agree on something...you doubt it'll last.
It looks like you now have a barony to all your own.
Epilogue
It's now approaching the early hours of the morning and several groups with distances to travel back to their own domains are beginning to leave. This is your last chance to speak to any-one before the rant will begin to drift apart.
Michael spoke to Nines, complimenting him on his speech and was congratulated on his own Anarch principles in return. As the coterie mingled with the departing kindred they extended several invitations to those with whom they wanted to further ingratiate themselves and thanked Gary for whatever intervention he'd made with the Crypts Sons leader. Then they departed to consolidate their position as the new rulers of Pasadena.
To Be Continued in Part One of a New Chronicle after a Solo Session featuring Daniel the Banu Haqim
In Conclusion
Well it took twenty one actual sessions, a session zero and several solo ones but they now have a barony all of their own and Michael is the Baron of Pasadena, Roach is his Seneschal and he has a Sheriff and Scourge in the form of Vin and Hope respectively as well as his own assassin just in case.
Of course from my point of view it's time for the real fun to start as they've now taken sides in several conflicts and have something to lose...
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, Johnny 'Roach' West is quite obviously Kurt Cobain, 'Vin' is the actor Scott Adkins, Dr Matthews is Mads Mikkelsen, Hope is Deborah Ann Woll, Marie is Eva Greene, Henrique Boyd is the sadly departed Michael Clarke Duncan, Myranda Maria is a model called Shannyn Visceral, Jenna Cross is Rhona Mitra, Rosa is Mahafsoun and Marius Walker is Tony Curran. 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.
