Vampire the Masquerade V5 - Session Twenty Eight - The Missing Chantry (Part Four)

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. Now with a barony of their own it's time to consolidate their position and then plan their next move.

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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. If you'd prefer a summary of each session rather than read everything then there's a more detailed link page HERE.
'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, Seven and Eight
'Foothold LA' Chronicle
Solo Session - 'Hostile Takeover'
Story Four - 'Countdown' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Five - 'The Missing Chantry' - Part One, Two and Three

The PC's

Phil as Michael Tomassio - Toreador Baron of Pasadena

and Hope Romero - Gangrel Scourge

Tom as Johnny 'Roach' West - Malkavian Seneschal

and Marie - Clan Carna

Matt as Dr Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim 'Fixer'

Dave as Vincent 'Vin' Ghast - Brujah Sheriff

The player characters stats and backgrounds can be found HERE should any-one be interested. There's also some minor 'house-rules' HERE that have occurred as we went along.

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. Anything covered via player handouts will also be in blue as they're written in the same style as introductions and the like

Introduction

The coterie has been investigating the issue of the missing chantry of Maximilian Strauss for several representatives of House Carna who wish it's secrets for themselves. The various members of the coterie are attempting to establish the difficulties involved in aiding them so an appropriate price can be negotiated. Meanwhile Vin has been negotiating with one of the most deadly members of the commando coterie of Therese Voerman about keeping a secret she's learned to herself...

Scene Twelve - A Trip to Hospital

Marius Walker - Gangrel
'Fixer'

With Marie now having discovered the location of the remnants of the former residents of the chantry in the mountains, Daniel's consultation with the Nosferatu Elder Alonzo confirming much of what she had learned and Michael's search of the Neillson Library providing further clues it has been decided to consult their one remaining source of occult knowledge, Pisha.

Michael had no desire to return to the blood-soaked lair of the cannibalistic Nagaraja and his Seneschal Roach steadfastly refused to enter the abandoned hospital that she called home due to his supernatural senses being able to detect every spirit and tortured soul bound there. Unwilling to pull Vin from his important task of dealing with the formidable agents of the Baron of Santa Monica he decided to instead allocate the job of conversing with Pisha to Daniel. Always interested in anything relating to occult knowledge Marie decided to join him. First of course Michael would have to get the visit approved by the flesh-eating creature's guardian Marius. Michael's call was however intercepted as usual by the Gangrel fixer's ever present assistant, Victoria "What do you want...Baron?".

Victoria - Ghoul of Marius
Vindictive Personal Assistant

Michael's desire to speak to Marius was as was often the case deflected by the ghoul who acted as his 'right hand'. "Marius is currently dealing with an issue in San Diego, he won't be available for several days. What do you want, specifically?". Michael, like many others had learned that attempting to bypass Victoria inevitably resulted in a series of misfortunes so continued with his request for a visit to Pisha. "Why?" was the predictable response.

His attempt to skim over the reason by describing it as "A consultation on an occult matter" fell on deaf ears so he decided to be direct and explained about the Carna representatives and their request for help. "You're aware that one of them annoyed Marius to the point that I told them to leave for their own safety?" Michael confirmed that he was aware of this and Victoria continued "...one of them was particularly vocal but as I didn't need the hassle of cleaning up a massacre in our meeting room I defused the situation." The Toreador Baron whose entourage consisted of a Brujah killing machine, a Banu Haqim assassin and a Gangrel 'Scourge' who the others had started referring to as 'the hand grenade' found himself in the unusual position of being sympathetic with some-one he'd literally seen skinning another person alive. "Very well, send whoever you're delegating the task to to Hallowbrook and I'll meet them with the keys and the most recent map. In half an hours time?". Well aware of the ghouls habit of making things that weren't open to debate sound like a question agreed that thirty minutes would be fine.

Marie sat in the back of Daniel's car as he drove to meet Victoria to obtain the items necessary when visiting the occult specialist who called herself Pisha. As this was Marie's first visit, Daniel explained that certain keys were required to open the gate and hospital doors as well as to activate the lift within and that he had been informed by Roach that these had a definite aura of occult power.

Further, that on the completion of each visit the Nagaraja provided a new map of the facility to follow in order to leave and if necessary return subsequently. To emphasise his point he relayed the one time they'd seen some-one not on the approved route being ripped apart by unseen forces and that the Malkavian Roach now refused to enter the abandoned hospital after an attempt to probe ahead mentally rendered him catatonic from the stress of contacting so many of the tortured and trapped souls bound to the facility as the necromancers servants. He however kept to himself his own theory that the elaborate precautions were less to keep Pisha within the hospital than to give the illusion to others who feared her that she was contained. It was Daniel's opinion that if she really wanted to leave then she could do so at will.

Storytellers Note - Daniel's player has decided that despite being an assassin his character has a well developed sense of justice and when operating 'freelance' is particular about his targets. Though the others treat Pisha as the monster she no doubt is, Daniel sees her as a victim of her condition and is far more understanding of her feeding habits than the rest.

Unusually Victoria met them in the hotel lobby rather than in the offices and handed over a tubular leather map case and a pouch containing the necessary keys. She also emphasised that the replacement map inevitably provided by Pisha was to be returned to her rather than left lying around the gallery so the coterie could use the cannibal as some kind of occult technical support line.

Daniel who had only recently clawed his way back into the notoriously vindictive ghoul PA's good books chose to ignore the somewhat patronising tone and instead thanked her for the reminder. As Marie actually lived in the tower she didn't bother to get out of the car. Like most people she avoided Victoria whenever possible as the sadistic creature who managed Marius's affairs in his absence's external beauty couldn't quite hide the predator within.

Obeying the rules as laid out by Daniel , Marie was somewhat amused by his nervousness as she herself was unable to see some of the sights that the Banu Haqim could now detect with his increased skill with the discipline known as Auspex. Daniel was now quite used to being addressed by the severed head hanging from the ceiling in the basement lobby that acted as security camera and intercom for it's inhabitant.

'Pisha' - Nagaraja
Occult Expert and Necromancer

Marie rather than being disturbed merely became curious about what sort of ritual would accomplish such a task. The decaying corpses standing to attention guarding the entrance were however more concerning but as Daniel simply pushed open the door and continued she edged past them and followed behind. As a long time member of Clan Tremere before it's division into separate houses after the destruction of the chantry in Vienna, Marie was familiar with the use of biological materials as ritual ingredients so the partially dismembered bodies were little concern. The catering liquidiser filled with body parts alongside a selection of drinking glasses did however raise a curious eyebrow. Daniel was more interested to note that one of the corpses was a body he himself had provided.

Storytellers Note - Daniel is aware of a location adjacent to the abandoned hospital where if bodies are deposited they 'disappear'. This information was shared with him by the Gangrel Marius in return for services rendered.

The elegant if bloodstained figure of Pisha greeted them in what was once a basement office "Greetings Daniel, what brings you and your new friend to my humble abode?". Daniel made the necessary introductions before laying out their problem involving the missing chantry and those of House Carna who sought it. "As I myself never visited the chantry I couldn't help particularly even if unaffected by this mind-clouding ritual of which you speak. I do however know something of it's former occupants that now reside in the mountains, if that is of help?" Both Marie and Daniel indicated that she should continue.

Vampire - Death by Flame

The necromancer confirmed much of what Marie had learned from the Verbena mages who resided at Hallowbrook about the location of the former commune in the mountains. Pisha relayed to them how after closing off the chantry the regent and former Camarilla Primogen abandoned his former pupils to their fate. She told them how they were driven from a haven within the domain of Louis Fortier after (according to his childe at least) their feeding became a threat to the masquerade.

From there they found their way to the commune in the mountains and massacred the mages there though lost one of their number during the conflict. Once there they turned the mages followers into a blood cult that worshipped them and had remained within what had become more compound than commune for the last decade. "It is said that they also had a 'key' of some kind to their former home that was of course useless without a 'lock' in which to use it. Perhaps they still do?"

It was becoming increasingly apparent that these kindred within the mountains of Santa Monica would need to be investigated if they were to fulfil Ruby's request for assistance and that this would need to be taken into account when their fee for helping was considered. Pisha had one final piece of information to relay. "Being driven from not one home but two has done little for the stability of the House Tremere remnants leader 'Alannah'. Care should be taken when dealing with her lest she...over-react..." After giving their thanks and receiving a new map they made their way back to the surface to report their findings to Michael.

Scene Thirteen - The Seneschal's Solutions

Charlie 'Chick' Abbott - Banu Haqim
Scourge of Therese Voerman

Vin returned to the brothel where he currently based himself and after feeding on one of the unoccupied girls within, rang Michael at the bar. He explained to his Baron that the Banu Haqim known as 'Chick' had agreed to hold off on informing Daniel's sire of his location in Los Angeles but that she'd need a boon equivalent to the price he was offering to remain quiet.

Unfortunately the price offered by Edward Kaya was a lowering of generation though whether this was via ritual of the foul crime of diablerie wasn't stated and Michael steadfastly refused to sanction diablerie as the payment of any debt. Deciding this was a matter that needed to be opened for other idea's he requested Daniel's attendance as the issue would decide his future in LA and then also asked for the input of his Malkavian Seneschal 'Roach'.

Though Daniel was seriously considering leaving the city so as not to risk his fellow coterie members, Michael believed that it was yet too early for such drastic action. Roach as usual had an entirely different idea about how to continue. It was Roach's opinion that Therese Voerman must have considerable control over her own commando coterie and that it might be better to owe a lesser boon to her for reining in her own minion than take the risks involved in matching the price required of the Banu Haqim Scourge 'Chick'.

Jeanette and Therese Voerman
Malkavian

As he voiced the plan he made an unusual but in this case necessary conscious effort to block his thoughts from filtering into the cobweb that seemed to link all Malkavian's to one extent or another for fear that Chick's fellow coterie member and member of Clan Malkavian, 'Jim' might give her advance warning of his scheme to bypass her. As matching Kaya's bounty would be almost equivalent to a life boon, Roach reasoned that even owing a major boon to the Voermans was still a better deal for them.

Storytellers Note - For my needs the 'Malkavian Madness Network' (or 'Cobweb' as I refer to it more often than not) is far more invasive and common than the default setting would have it. The lower the generation and higher the blood potency of the Malkavian kindred the more power they have to pick up the intentions and strong emotions of others and this increases with proximity. In my setting it's even possible for a powerful Malkavian Elder to have a conversation with another of the clan entirely through the network. I just thought that required a bit of elaboration...

It was decided that Roach was the best one of them to put this to Therese and he agreed that as a plan it had far more chance of success coming from him. It was also decided that Daniel needed to find himself somewhere secure and out of the way to lie low until Roach had a chance to implement this plan. Unsure about the level of danger that this 'Chick' posed to them, Roach decided to force a premonition focused upon her. Casting his mind back to the confrontation between her and Daniel he attempted to discover what would have happened had his diffusing of the situation through his mastery of Dominate been unsuccessful.

As Daniel shifted his position and began to reach into his jacket the Malkavian detected not fear but amusement from his opponent, the confidence in her ability to deal with her attacker was tangible to the highly sensitive Roach.

Moving his focus to both the woman and her weapons he watched as a theoretical engagement began, ending abruptly with the supernaturally fast doctor never reaching 'Chick' as a large calibre weapon drawn from beneath her coat put a round neatly through his forehead before he could even draw his own weaponry.

While he still had the premonition under his control he visualised her and the whole of her coterie together and placed himself in the scene cloaked with Obfuscate. Disturbingly all but the Brujah turned to face him despite his shield of invisibility, but then he began to feel the scene fading and rather than struggle to probe deeper he let it go...

Carna - House Carna

His personal curiosity satisfied on the issue of the Banu Haqim he returned to reality as the discussion had returned to their other concern, namely the missing chantry. Though boons were the usual currency amongst kindred, Roach interjected believing that in this case such a payment might not be as useful considering the many complications that having a nominally Camarilla aligned Tremere House within the city could create. After all, House Carna being still nominally aligned with the Camarilla may be useful to them long term but in the short term was a downright liability in the Anarch Free States especially if the coterie became associated with it too closely.


He instead suggested that they request something tangible from the chantry as payment. His reasoning was that their presence within the city might be temporary or their long term goals incompatible with their own and the rest agreed that this was definitely an option to be considered.

This was of course all theoretical without the key that Daniel reminded them was allegedly held by the remnants of the chantry that now resided in the Santa Monica mountains. Michael showed those present the drawings he'd made of the chantry that he'd discovered in the Neillson Library but had been unable to locate a building of similar appearance with internet searches of various kinds. Roach reached for the drawing and once again prepared to force his powers of premonition to guide him and his coterie.

The Missing Chantry

Focusing on the picture the Malkavian seer began to fill his mind with all they had learned and then shifted his attention to the Toreador's expertly recreated drawing. Little by little the chantry began to take shape in his mind and as the image became more detailed he attempted to move the perspective of the vision outwards to ascertain a location. Though the chantry began to blur as if attempting to cloak itself from his view, the surrounding area was not so easily concealed and he could see adjacent structures quite clearly.

Unsure of his ability to accurately describe the other buildings he used his telepathic talents to transfer their forms directly into Michael's own thoughts. With the architectural clues firmly within his mind, Michael began to make as many notes as he could and began to research probably locations within the city for these style of buildings.

With his duties to his Baron briefly completed he returned to his own plans to enhance the preserved blood wine provided by Marie with narcotic filled blood taken from willing and some not so willing donors. Marie had assured him that the properties of any drug contained within the provided blood would retain it's effects just as if the kindred had drank it directly from a vessel. He had reasoned that as drug dealing to kine was so profitable that perhaps kindred would pay for such new pleasures in much the same way. Though, once that task was completed he decided to pay the thin-bloods of Jenna Cross a visit to implement another idea of his.

Scene Fourteen - The Complications of Unlife

Vin once more returned to the brothel that was his main source of income and inspected the progress of the work on his basement haven. Work was going well and all the additions he had specified were well underway. The construction wing of Aegis Acquisitions had constructed many such unusual panic rooms and secure, hidden facilities and the like for a number of clients which Marius's retainer Leanna then clouded the details of from the minds of those undertaking the work. Vin had specified a concealed entrance and a secret exit as well as an armoury, training area and separate quarters for himself, his ghoul Sarah and a separate barracks style section where he planned to locate a security team loyal to himself. The Brujah had realised that his growing reputation as a 'giant-killer' now required him to have his own secure facility separate from the operations of the gallery as well as personnel he could trust. He already had four individuals in mind and another to be their nominal leader in his and his ghouls absence.

Susannah - Blood Doll

Michael decided to pay a visit to his increasingly erratic blood doll Susannah as her panicked phone-calls about stalkers and 'being watched' had become an almost constant distraction. Unsure whether it was all in her mind or whether someone was preparing to use her as a weapon against himself he told her to inform him the instant she observed this mysterious stalker and he'd deal with the matter.

He then spent the rest of the evening with her but saw nothing untoward. He began to suspect that his constant attention was feeding her addiction in an unhealthy way and that he'd soon have to make a decision about her future. He also began to look into acquiring a house of his own to use as a personal haven though he required something close to a certain family that he had become interested in almost to the point of obsession. They seemed to him to be a reflection of what could have been had he remained mortal. Finally he got in touch with his scourge and census taker the Gangrel, Hope Romero to enlist her aid when the visit to the mountain was undertaken.

Lord Tremere
House Tremere

Marie had been given access to the additional information gathered from other sources by the coterie and combined it with what she'd learned from the former Verbena Mages of Marius's and the Nagaraja necromancer, Pisha. It was now certain that the key was held by the surviving House Tremere members in their Santa Monica mountain compound surrounded by their blood cult.

She also mused on the possibility that some of the blood bonds within the shattered Tremere pyramid might yet remain and if those House Carna members were originally of higher rank they may yet have some influence over the House Tremere members, of course the reverse was also possible.

After approaching the returning Michael with her conclusions she suggested that she be part of the negotiations when they met the House Carna members to discuss both their price for help and what they had discovered. Michael agreed that this might be a wise decision and while she had his attention Marie raised her suspicions that given that there were now four Houses of Clan Tremere that they couldn't be sure that those that had approached them were indeed loyal to Carna.

Amethyst - Caitiff
Baron of Santa Ana

Being of House Carna herself, Marie told the Baron of certain signs used by house members to identify themselves to one another and suggested that he use one to test them before finalising any deal. Seeing the wisdom in this, Michael agreed. Meanwhile Marie began to prepare some useful rituals for the occasion, just in case...

Daniel had of course been instructed to go into hiding until the issue with him, the Banu Haqim of Therese Voerman and Therese herself could be resolved by Roach. Instead he decided to utilise the free time to further his investigations into Tom Weaver, Allison Maller and the shadow war between them in Anaheim, sponsored by the Baron of Santa Ana known only as 'Amethyst'. He of course kept this information to himself, utilising only his loyal pair of ghouls and personal sources he knew he could trust.

Roach had become a regular sight amongst the thin-bloods of Santa Monica pier, selling drugs to those that could gain any effect from them and charming his way into their many social groups and cliques. On this occasion he'd been using the opportunity to begin a slander campaign against the Blount sisters who were Pasadena's neighbours in Glendale.

The Blounts - Toreador
Barons of Glendale

His supernatural senses had seen the multiple dark veins within their aura's that indicated that they were prolific diablerists and his powers of premonition clearly indicated that they were serial killers of epic proportions taking both kine and kindred and torturing them before murdering those that survived long enough to become boring.

Unfortunately the Blount's reputation as being excessively generous in the area of feeding rites had ingratiated them with much of the kindred population of Los Angeles. Also their well crafted image of innocent old ladies fending for themselves while all alone was now a perceived truth to all concerned due to their skilled performance and those disciplines gifted them by via Clan Toreador.

Even those who knew their true age couldn't help but see them as their carefully crafted image. Use of local authorities against them was equally problematic as their family fortune had installed the majority of Glendale's political leaders and law enforcement chief's as well as supporting many of those in powers pet projects and adopted charities. Roach had therefore decided that the only way to reduce their reputation enough so they could be moved against was to damage their public image with a campaign of his own.

Jenna Cross - Caitiff
Duskborn Baron

After dropping a few vague "Have you heard about the Blounts?", "Maybe it isn't true about them being diablerists..." and other similar but juicy comments he continued with his other business with Jenna Cross hoping that the information would spread.

Jenna had returned from whatever business she had been engaged in over the last few weeks and was once again based in the pier's security office. Roach discussed with her his plan to help them find a barony they could call their own and eliminate the need they had for poaching. He admitted that the idea was currently in it's infancy but that he had a few candidates in mind and if his schemes went as intended he'd need her assistance to complete the plan.

Willing to consider anything that eliminated her current overpopulation issues she assured Roach that he would have her support when necessary. While there he also took the opportunity to mention the three thin-bloods that they had been forced to move on from Pasadena as they were there without permission but Jenna told them that it wouldn't be repeated as seemingly the three poachers in question had decided to move to pastures new as they hadn't returned to the pier.

Storytellers Note - They three thin-bloods unfortunately annoyed Hope and then attacked Daniel...three guesses why they won't be turning up at the pier...ever...details HERE.

Scene Fifteen - A Malkavian Meeting

Ellie-May Li - Toreador
Commando Coterie Leader

With his own schemes moved forward he then headed into Santa Monica to meet with Therese Voerman. Despite having made no arrangements to do so he had a strong feeling that she would be available at a time that seemed to have embedded itself in his mind somehow. As he'd spent more contact with the Malkavian kindred of Los Angeles he'd had these experiences more and more often and they were growing in frequency and intensity.

As he entered the Barony of Santa Monica he was intercepted by two of Therese's commando's, 'Lee' and 'Lex' who were seemingly expecting him. After a brief introduction by their Toreador leader they acted as escort to the Asylum nightclub ran by the more stable of the two sisters, as Jeanette now had a club of her own in Hollywood.

The club was as busy as always and Roach was escorted through a side entrance avoiding the crowds outside. As they entered Lex disappeared into the crowd apparently on some other task as Lee headed towards the private elevator that led to Therese's office. The crowd parted before the Toreador leader of the commando coterie as if moved aside by an unseen force. Even those not looking in her direction seemed to have an instinctive need to make space for her with the Malkavian following in her wake.

The Asylum - Santa Monica

After navigating the elevator and the lobby to which it led, Roach gingerly opened the door as directed and entered the unusually decorated office of the Baron of Santa Monica. The back wall was dominated by a painting of a tall, severe looking gentlemen with two young girls presumably the Voermans as children while the rest of the area was divided down the centre into a businesslike office space and a boudoir style bedroom.

Leaning against a dividing screen in the office half was Therese Voerman, to whom Roach for some reason felt the need to bow. He did so almost theatrically though there was no mockery in it, in fact he couldn't imagine any-one daring to mock the woman before him.

The growing feelings of oneness with others of his clan manifested far differently in the presence of the baron, she felt for want of a better term 'heavy' almost as if she was too real for the reality in which she stood and he could both perceive her physically and as a powerful presence within his own mind. His initially attempts to be suave seemed entirely inadequate.

Storytellers Note - As I stated previously, I approach the 'Cobweb' as being far more intrinsic to being a Malkavian than perhaps the lore provides for and far more viable to be weaponized in a variety of ways.

Therese Voerman
Baron of Santa Monica

"I apologise for wasting your valuable time but I need to discuss Daniel..." Roach made a vague attempt to conceal his thoughts from the invasive presence within but it was like trying to hold back the tide so he simply accepted the fact that nothing he knew would be hidden from her and continued "...who it transpires is of the Banu Haqim rather than Clan Brujah as we were led to believe...". Therese waited a moment before speaking and as she spoke each word it echoed within his mind. "Disrespect to one in my service is by extension disrespect to me. If I allow such acts to go unpunished then others may believe them may act in the same manner" The threat in her voice would have been evident even without the connection they currently shared but Roach continued with his task. "Your agents and Seneschal were never in any danger and in light of this I would ask you to please suspend any vendetta that his acts may have incurred. I curbed the yapping pup's potentially foolish act with my own abilities so no real harm was done?" In spite of himself he'd somehow managed to phrase the last part of that sentence as question rather than statement. "I would be grateful of course and would ask that you also refrain from allowing your agent Chick to betray him either..."

Her reply was what Roach expected and to a certain extent had prepared himself for. "Yet, the potential for violence was still there, it seems reasonable then that any task of contrition should also be one of violence. He can put his talents to work for me, one unlife for the one he wished to take, of my choosing, at any time I see fit..." Roach knew that this was essentially a blank cheque for murder but it did negate both the potential for Chick to betray Daniel and any reprisals from Therese that they were ill-equipped to counter. Roach added the condition that the target not be one of his coterie to which Therese agreed. "Fortunately for your friend I have no enemies of note currently so payment will be postponed temporarily...You may go now...I'll be in touch when I deem it necessary."

As far as Roach was concerned this was about the best result they could hope for so slowly backed out of the office and then got out of the Asylum as fast as he could. He was unable to escape the sound of laughter as he did so, coming as it did from within his own mind but after a few minutes this faded away.

To Be Continued in 'The Missing Chantry' Part Five

In Conclusion

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

There was once again a lot of investigation and social interaction within this session and I'm happy to say that the players really got into the role-playing of their characters. A special mention should go to Roach's player Tom who played his terror of Therese Voerman excellently.

I think this story will more than likely be wrapped up next session though some of the aftermath may well drift into the next story and I have a solo session scheduled for sometime in the near future too.

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, Marius is Tony Curran, Victoria is Lilith May, 'Chick' is Lena Headey, Jenna Coss is Rhona Mitra and Therese Voerman is Whitney Moore. 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.