I'm currently running a Vampire the Masquerade chronicle using the 5th Edition rule-set for a small group of fellow role-players. These are the chronicles of their adventures.
Our chronicle is set in Los Angeles and features a small group of Camarilla agents sent into the 'Free States' to bring them back under Camarilla control. After a year of plotting, the coterie now controls the three North-Eastern Baronies and has successfully weakened several others. Unfortunately other Barons have used the chaos they have created to consolidate their own positions.
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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 as well as links to the first episode of each story in the blog sidebar.
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Chronicle One - 'Infiltrate L.A.'
Welcome to L.A. - Introductory Session
Interlude Session - One
Solo Session - 'The Neillson Library'
Solo Session - 'The Gather'
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Chronicle Two - 'Foothold L.A.'
Solo Session - 'Hostile Takeover'
Solo Session - 'The Anaheim Assassination'
Story Eleven - 'Predators and Prey' aka 'The Blount Sisters' - Part Three
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Chronicle Three - 'Incursion L.A.'
Solo Session - 'A Gathering of Roses'
Story Sixteen - 'The Southern Solution' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seventeen - 'The Baker Disappearance' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eighteen - 'Inevitable Betrayals' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Story Seventeen - 'The Baker Disappearance' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eighteen - 'Inevitable Betrayals' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
The Storyteller
As Everyone Else...
The PC
Dr Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim - Spymaster and 'Fixer'
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 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. Where particular NPC's have a mention in a faction profile you will be able to reach it by clicking on their name beneath their picture.
Storytellers Note - Daniel's player enjoys the investigative aspect of role-playing so expect a lot of that as I usually indulge that aspect when I run solo sessions for him. His background as an assassin is also difficult to explore in a group setting.
Introduction
The coterie is currently keeping a low profile due to the recent chaos that their manipulations have caused across Los Angeles. With Salvador Garcia's representative Ramirez's disappearance or destruction, Gloria Martinez is now Baron of El Hermandad and Victor Girard has been installed as her adviser and right hand.
Jesus Ramirez - Ventrue, Gloria Martinez - Brujah, Victor Girard - Toreador
The Crypts Sons war with the mortal gang The Blood and the vampire hunters using it as cover has resulted in massive casualties on both sides though a preemptive strike by Hank's ally Priss, has allowed The Crypts Sons to claim a victory of sorts. Priss's reward has been a barony of her own, carved from the Northern portion of Baron Boyd's own domain. Though small by the standards of the the other baronies, it is more than adequate for the five survivors of her assault on The Blood.
The coteries long term plan to weaken the Anarch baronies of the Free States, in preparation for a Camarilla takeover is, now well underway. However, many eyes are now looking in their direction...
Scene One - A Job Offer
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| Victoria - Ghoul of Marius Personal Assistant and Psychopath |
Daniel answered the phone promptly. On previous occasions he had made her wait but as she had recently become slightly better inclined towards him, he decided not to put that in jeopardy. The first time he had worked with the coterie he had experienced the dubious honour of watching Marius's most favoured ghoul Victoria, extracting information from one of the Bartholomew families ghoul chauffeurs by systematically skinning him alive. The enjoyment as she was doing so was obvious to even the most jaded of observers. It was also apparent that Marius often enjoyed watching her work.
He had also seen her use disciplines that were be far beyond the abilities of any ghoul he had witnessed before. Michael had discovered that Marius was not her first regnant and the Camarilla file he had obtained from his contact Carmelita Neillson, indicated that she could be as many as eleven hundred years old.
To say that Daniel was afraid of Victoria would be an overstatement. He was, however, wary of getting on the wrong side of her. The fact that Marius Walker, L.A. 'Fixer' and now Baron of Downtown allowed her to wield his power and influence as she pleased was a concern. Daniel had a well established working relationship with Marius but was under no doubt that the Gangrel Baron would sacrifice him without a second thought if it suited his needs. It's likely that in the same situation Victoria wouldn't even think once.
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| Hallowbrook Apartments - Downtown |
Hallowbrook was a large and quite old building in Downtown owned by Aegis Acquisitions. Aegis was the legitimate business arm of Marius's various business ventures and now owned much of Downtown Los Angeles as well as other businesses around the city. Though neither as tall nor modern as Venture Tower, which was also owned by Aegis, it was significantly more solidly constructed. Marius had once told Daniel that basing himself in Venture Tower would be tantamount to drawing a giant target on his back and that he had no intention of making the same mistake as Sebastian LaCroix had done during his brief stint as Prince of the city. Rumours that Marius had facilitated Smiling Jack's destruction of LaCroix were unsubstantiated, but widely believed by both the Anarchs and the Camarilla.
After parking in the private area of the car-park beneath, Daniel made his way to the lobby where Victoria was waiting. The lower floors of Hallowbrook held both residential and office space though the security was significantly tighter than would normally be expected in such places. Surveillance cameras covered every angle, and all foot traffic was logged both in and out by alert and observant security personnel.
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| Hallowbrook Apartments - Security Precautions |
You note that there now seems to no longer be a direct elevator bypassing the middle two security layers. As you pass through an increasingly sophisticated set of surveillance systems, metal detectors and other scanners you are quite happy that Victoria is there, informing the heavily armed and armoured guards to allow you to pass without checks.
"Marius had all the security protocols re-implemented for everyone after the other Barons insisted he take the title himself." Victoria explains. "The fact that everyone believes he ordered his childe's assault on Ramirez is also a factor, of course."
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| Tilly Kelly - Gangrel 'Mistress of the Swarm' |
Given his profession, Daniel took a particular interest in the security measures in place and noted that every state of the art system currently available was in place somewhere. He also noted that some of the security cameras were very similar to the Chaoscopes and XScopes he'd witnessed in use by the Second Inquisition. Presumable these, or the plans for them, had been acquired when the Mistress of the Swarm and her ragtag army had completed the utter destruction of the L.A. Second Inquisitions operation. The assault had been begun by Daniel and his allies and completed by the swarm as the coterie wisely withdrew and left them to do their thing.
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| Marius's Famulus |
Marius is waiting for you in his roof garden and is alone apart from his overlarge hound which is curled up by the altar like platform in the centre chewing on a large bone. Victoria, leaves you almost immediately without introducing you. After a moment he turns and indicates you should take a seat on one of the stone benches. "I have two jobs that require, expert attention but that I need to remain completely unconnected with. The first is somewhat time sensitive are you're interested?"
Daniel was momentarily distracted when he realised that the dogs chew-toy was in fact a human femur, so paused slightly before replying. "What's the job?"
"You are aware that the Crypts Sons have a 'fight club' that they use both for amusement and resolving disputes?" Daniel confirmed that he had heard it mentioned.
"Brujah from other baronies and occasionally even other domains sometimes use it to test themselves, to elevate their status or just because they're Brujah and that's what they do." "A member of Tara's inner circle named Garrick is in the city for a week or so and is a regular attendee of these matches. I'd like him destroyed, but I need it to be an unfortunate accident, not an outright assassination. However I have no Brujah in my employ who would be willing to kill him 'in the ring' so to speak. In short I want you to infiltrate their little club, lure out this individual and find a permanent solution for me as the majority of the kindred within the city believe you to be of Clan Brujah you are uniquely positioned to do so.."
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| Yukio Hayashi - Ghoul of Marius Assassin and Enforcer |
"Several of the Brujah who frequent The Last Round are members of the club and so you should be able to get an introduction, after that I leave the methodology to yourself though you'll no doubt have to engage in some of the clubs more mundane activities before you get a shot at him. Death matches do occur as does some kindred duelling so a final death is not without precedent."
"Your price?" asked Marius.
Daniel told Marius that his required fee would be personal training in the arts of swordplay by the Fixers ghoul assassin Yukio. Daniel knew that Yukio had at least two centuries of experience and her tutoring should be sufficient to elevate his own skills to new heights.
Storytellers Note - Daniel's player wanted Melee 5 but I have a policy of only allowing fives in Skills if the players do something exceptional to warrant that level of ability. Apparently this was the players solution to that problem. It seemed more than reasonable to me under the circumstances.
"Done." agreed Marius.
Scene Two - The Last Round
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| Dr Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim Claims to be of Clan Brujah |
Storytellers Note - Daniel, though of the Banu Haqim Clan, has convinced the majority of the cities kindred that he is actually of Clan Brujah.
He decided that he'd first visit the Last Round to see if he could get himself some information on the club as well as trying to obtain an invite. He would then see what his Nosferatu friend Alonzo knew about Garrick, the fight club and those who attended it. Though he was strictly apolitical, Alonzo had eyes and ears everywhere in L.A. Finally he'd locate Vin and see what he knew about the place. The hulking Brujah kept in touch with members of his clan from many baronies. It was also likely that he had attended the place himself or knew kindred that did.
With that decided he switched his weapons for some more easily concealed versions. Several of the credit cards in his wallet were actually bladed weapons as was his belt buckle. His karambit knives were concealed within his jacket as were his custom handguns. He also had a folding, double barrelled .380 calibre handgun that had the same silhouette as a mobile phone, tucked into one of his pockets. The latter weapon was illegal in many states but then again so was most of the coteries gear. Daniel was a great believer in being prepared at all times.
Daniel threw the rest of the gear into the various concealed compartments in the back of his covertly armed car and drove to Downtown.
The usual suspects are milling around though a few of the regulars are absent, possibly casualties of the recent troubles in El Hermandad or the Crypts Sons war against The Blood. Your friend and occasional sparring partner Leo Frost is deep in conversation with another regular, a blonde, athletically built Nordic woman you know as Margaret though the Brujah closer to her call her Maikki.
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| Leo Frost - El Hermandad, Brujah The Last Round Regular |
The majority of the talk was somewhat predictably about The Crypts Sons war with The Blood and the changes within El Hermandad. A few others were debating just how big a part Marius had played in El Hermandad's troubles.
The purveying opinion was that Marius's childer rarely acted without some input from him and also that Ramirez had been pushing his luck for weeks anyway as he'd more or less blamed Marius for every recent trouble the barony had. It had only been a matter of time before the Gangrel would have been forced to act or appear weak in front of the other Barons. Whether the swarms mistress had acted at her sires behest or of her own volition was the only real debate though most thought that if Marius had been directly involved then Ramirez wouldn't have had any chance of survival.
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| The Barony of the Angels Now the Barony of Downtown |
Few were aware that it was his Baron's manipulations, along with the ambitions of the Crypts Sons Baron Hank, that were directly responsible for the break-up of the Barony of the Angels. With this in mind Daniel decided to side with Leo but to be fairly diplomatic about it so as to minimise the chances of offending Maikki. He pointed out that not all the Barons in L.A. exerted total control over their kindred population so there were still places one could go without necessarily pledging yourself to one leaders agenda. He spoke of his own Baron was one such kindred, he also mentioned Gloria Martinez and Steve Booth as others with a flexible attitude so as not to seem biased.
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| 'Maikki' - Anaheim, Brujah The Last Round Regular |
Storytellers Note - I have unfortunately had to become an expert on Carthage in order to keep up with Daniels player dropping it into in game conversations...all...the...time...
Attempting to steer the conversation to the Brujah 'Fight Club', Daniel also spoke about challenges both mental and physical being necessary for kindred of their clan to truly develop. This allowed him to neatly segue into his interest in testing himself physically as well as philosophically. Fortunately, Leo took the bait and soon Daniel had learned that there was a meeting soon and that Leo himself often went, though mainly as a spectator. Feeling that he'd done enough to make the request seem organic rather than forced he asked if he could see it for himself.
"Sure, you best come with me though..." said Leo "..Next meeting is tomorrow night. First visit you have to fight someone though, just so you know..."
Daniel agreed that this would be fine, made some small talk and then departed to speak to Alonzo.
Scene Three - The Hollywood Warrens
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| The Hollywood Warrens |
The haphazardly acquired and fitted security cameras installed previously have been replaced by standard models that match those official versions used to monitor the public areas of the underground. As well as these cosmetic changes, several of the previously empty lower areas are now flooded along with some of the previously dried out waterways you were once able to navigate.
The ancient network of traps that previously guarded the approach to Alonzo's inner sanctum has at some point in the recent past been removed and the area has been dug out. The room is now a large tank-like reservoir with a narrow walkway across the centre. The double doors on the opposite side have been replaced with those that you remember, once graced the vault of the long destroyed Nosferatu known as Dexter whose archive of knowledge you helped Alonzo discover over a year ago.
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| 'Eula' - Alonzo's Guardian |
Alonzo's home had also undergone some minor cosmetic alterations. The cages containing his small army of rats had been moved into a large opened out side room and as before contained a wide variety of creatures ranging from normal looking yet oversized rats, to those with extra limbs, parts of other creatures and several that are closer in scale to wolves.
Their cages are all open and the rats are coming and going as they please through various sized pipes and tubes surrounding their lairs. Where the cages once were there are now many rows of shelves containing files, books and paperwork, no doubt extracted from Dexter's vaults.
"Greetings, young one." said Alonzo from the other side of his haven's main room. "What knowledge do you seek this evening?"
Knowing that Alonzo wouldn't be offended if he got straight to the point, Daniel mentioned the Brujah fight club immediately. "Do you suddenly have an interest in pugilism?" asked the Nosferatu elder. "We all need our outlets and hobbies." replied Daniel, somewhat vaguely.
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| Alonzo - Nosferatu Ancient Hollywood Warrens |
Daniel told the Nosferatu elder that this was of course fine as he was most definitely of Clan Brujah. Alonzo, who knew full well that he was not gave the Banu Haqim one of his rare smiles. "Of course, it's easy to forget such details when one spends as much time underground as myself..."
It occurred to Daniel that claiming one was travelling to the club could be an excellent way of sneaking into the city should someone wish to do so. He made a mental note to look into that possibility once he was done with Marius's jobs. Realising that Alonzo was waiting for him to speak, he pushed that particular worry to the back of his mind and asked his next question. "Have you heard of a Brujah from San Diego called Garrick?"
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| Tara - Brujah Baron of San Diego |
Alonzo was sure that Garrick had visited Hank and had been seen heading in the direction of the Barony of Steve Booth, but Alonzo couldn't confirm that he'd actually met with him. This surprised Daniel as the Nosferatu had vermin eyes and ears all over the city which meant that he usually had a firm grasp of the movements of any kindred or mortal in which he had an interest. "Was there a problem?" asked Daniel.
Alonzo explained that many of the creatures he sent to the South Coast, either returned having seen nothing or didn't return at all. "Unfortunately..." said Alonzo, almost apologetically. "...I'm not the only being in the city capable of exerting control over creatures." Daniel's thoughts immediately leapt to the three creatures known as 'The Voiceless Ones' that were rumoured to be wandering beneath what used to be the domain of David Geduld.
Daniel could see that Alonzo was much happier using this method than he had been with a technological alternative. As he made his way through the vault doors and prepared to head back to Pasadena he noticed a ripple in the water. A moment later a long tentacle appeared from the water and undulated strangely. It was a moment before Daniel realised that Alonzo's monstrous guardian 'Eula' was apparently waving goodbye.
Scene Four - Vin's Place
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| Receptionist Vin's 'Gentlemens Club' |
On his way back to his own Haven in Pasadena, Daniel contacted Vin about a meeting. Vin was currently at one of the Brothels that he ran for the coterie so a meet-up was easy enough to arrange, especially as he had secure havens beneath all of them.
Vin spent most of his time at the higher class of his three establishments as this one had a large basement and therefore housed his largest and most secure haven. From the outside the brothel had all the appearance of an exclusive gentlemen's club. It was also the one at which his ghoul Sarah was based. Daniel waved his membership card at the doorman who recognised him but who had asked to look at the card anyway because "Vin gets pissed if we don't check every-time..." Daniel nodded his understanding as a pissed off Vin was something no-one really wanted to have to deal with.
In the outer lobby, an attractive young woman was behind a desk making note of those guests with appointments and particular 'needs' and greeted Daniel as he entered. "He's expecting you, take the back stairway and you'll find his office at the top of the stairs..." Daniel raised an eyebrow at the thought of Vin having an office. Apparently his surprise was evident. "Well, actually it's more Sarah's office than Vin's but that's where he is anyway."
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| Sarah - Ghoul of Vincent 'Vin' Ghast |
Even the street girls had a certain level of safety due to the brutal deaths inflicted on several violent customers over the last year, rumours of which had spread quickly. Vin saw himself as somewhat of a guardian to the downtrodden, which included the homeless who acted as his eyes and ears on the street in return for a measure of protection. He also had a habit of murdering pimps on general principle and because of the inherent dangers of competing with the hulking Brujah, the coterie now had a near monopoly on the sex-trade within Pasadena and it's neighbouring barony of Glendale.
Vin was sitting on a chair in the corner of the office with his feet up on a table, while Sarah was behind the desk running the actual financial considerations of the business itself. "Please tell me you're here to tell me we have to go and kill something..." said Vin. "Unfortunately not." replied Daniel. Vin's disappointment was tangible.
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| Vincent 'Vin Ghast - Brujah'Constable' of the North East |
"Ike runs it though he isn't always there, has a couple of his own guys who do security called 'Row' and 'Rusty'. They make sure the few rules are kept to and Ike matches up any newcomers with their first opponent. He's got a good eye for talent so the first fights are usually pretty even." As Vin hadn't mentioned the name Garrick, Daniel prompted him for any useful information.
"Was there a few nights ago." said Vin. "Big bastard, I didn't speak to him, he wandered around like he owned the place til Ike told him to chill." Reasonably sure that Vin had shared all he knew, Daniel got up to leave though he asked if Vin wanted to come with him tomorrow evening first. Unfortunately Vin "Had some shit to do..." He did offer Daniel access to his own herd if he needed to feed before he left but he declined as he wasn't currently in need of sustenance.
Storytellers Note - Sometimes players get lucky with their rouse tests and go a few nights without needing to feed. However if they make it three nights in a row I usually make them feed anyway as in my opinion the beast within doesn't give a fuck how good your dice roll's are...it...wants...blood...
Scene Five - The Fight Club
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| Daniel's Browning Hi-Power Converted to Full-Auto |
Most of the younger kindred gang members in the city carried firearms to give them an edge against older but more traditional members of their kind. He assumed this wouldn't cause as much attention but was somewhat less of a statement than the suppressed firearms he normally carried.
He had offered to drive both him and Leo to the meeting. Though this seemed like an act of generosity on his part, it was actually to ensure that he could take his armoury with him that was concealed within the vehicle. As he drove, Leo chatted to him about the club though some of what he was saying was incorrect based on Daniel's own enquiries.
"They move about but this is the venue for tonight. It's just a big warehouse but one of the members has an arrangement with the security company. He slips them some cash and they stay out of our way for the night. The guards are off limits by the way."
There are six cars, three motorbikes and an ex-military Humvee parked outside the warehouse. The only figures you can currently see are standing either side of a shuttered loading bay door that is currently closed. Both men are tall, and heavily built wearing leather jackets, jeans and t-shirts. One has a handgun tucked into his waistband, the larger of the pair appears to be unarmed. As you approach, the armed man greets Leo. "New recruit? It's a good job they don't enforce the 'don't talk about it' thing or Ike would kick your ass." The larger man smiled the smile of someone who had heard the same joke a hundred times.
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| Russell 'Rusty' Holman - Brujah Brujah Fight Club |
Daniel opened his jacket and revealed his handgun before removing it carefully and showing it to the guard. "I thought I should mention this..." said Daniel. Row told him he could keep it as long as it stayed in the holster. Daniel noted that the Brujah's own weapon was a 10mm Glock 20, an old and somewhat heavy pistol. This one had an extended magazine holding twenty, rather than the normal fifteen rounds, a wise precaution when potentially trying to put down a kindred troublemaker. Daniel was a fan of the stopping power of 10mm pistol though preferred his own Colts. He then returned his own gun into it's holster and made a point of fastening the securing clip that he normally left open.
Daniel was particularly interested in the owner of the Humvee figuring that it either belonged to Ike or hopefully Garrick.
There are about fifteen kindred in the warehouse, a number of which you recognise. Some are Crypts Sons, a few more are from Steve Booth's barony, and there are a few who you vaguely recognise from the Rants but to whom you've never been introduced. The only notable attendee is Therese Voermans sweeper, 'Lex' who judging from the blood stains on his clothes has already fought at least once.
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| Henrique 'Hank' Boyd - Brujah Baron of The Crypts Sons |
A red square approximately twenty feet to a side has been drawn roughly on the floor in red spray paint. Within it a a slightly built woman is fighting a much larger, but slightly overweight looking man. As you watch the woman ducks a powerful haymaker punch and counters with a shot to the attackers floating ribs, the sound of splintering bone indicates the success and power of the blow.
As he makes a grab for her with the other arm, she almost casually grabs his hand and viciously pulls his fingers in opposite directions before darting back. Apparently having had enough the large man bends down and taps on the ground with his good hand. "Looks like I owe you a boon, little rat." He says as he forces vitae to his arm and side, to repair his injuries.
Leo taps you on the shoulder. "The girl is 'Kaya', one of The Rats gang from the docks, the guy is one of Steve's lot, I forget his name. Betting between fighters is fine as is betting on the fights, if you tap out then it's over...unless...well...unless, other terms have been arranged." He doesn't elaborate. "She looks like she can handle herself." observed Daniel
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| 'Kaya' Grant - Brujah 'The Rats' - South Coast Barony |
Daniel wandered about a bit more and struck up a few short conversations. It became obvious to him that newcomers were taken very little notice of until they proved themselves. he still picked up a bit more information though.
He learned that Garrick had fought a couple of days ago and beat some Brujah into torpor, which got him a warning from Ike. He's apparently meant to be coming back tomorrow evening as he's apparently "Has got some meeting for Tara to go to tonight..."
Steve Booth: Brujah, Southern Baron - Hector O'Neill: Gangrel, Census Taker
He is also, according to one of Steve's kindred, currently the 'sheriff' of San Diego in all but name and is both a bully and a braggart. Tara has sent him to L.A. as an emissary to meet some of the Barons, but he's been spending a lot of spare time at the club "Trying to show every fucker how tough he is..." as one Crypts Sons Brujah puts it. Another of Steve's gang drops into conversation that Steve Booth didn't think much of him and that "It was a good job he was an emissary as Hector, really wanted to gut him after he made a crack about Steve having Gangrel 'pets'..."
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| Isaac 'Ike' Griffith - Brujah Brujah Fight Club Organiser |
Ike is a muscular, bald headed man, about 5'10" in height, wearing loose casual clothing. He has the upright stance of a military man but despite that seems quite relaxed. When he speaks his accent is English. "Looks like we have two newcomers tonight, which makes things easy." he reaches into his pocket and produces a notebook held open at a particular page by an elastic band. Presumably used to keep a record of whose who. "Daniel and...Maxim? step up and let's see what you've got." He then laid out some of the clubs rules. "First to tap out loses, no bets between fighters first time out, no weapons first fight either whether you want to or not, any physical disciplines are allowed, nothing that effects the mind though. You break the rules and you're out of the club permanently and any boons owed to you by any club members are void. If any of those rules are a problem, fuck off now and don't come back..."
"Seems reasonable to me." said Daniel as he walked towards the ring. Several tables were lined up to one side and a number of weapons were lying haphazardly across it, left there by fighters before their matches. Daniel placed his handgun on the table, but offered his jacket to Leo who slung it over one arm and found a good position from which to watch the upcoming engagement. 'Maxim' entered the ring a few moments later. He appeared to be in his twenties and tied his hair back in a pony tail as he entered the ring, before he then dropped into a classic boxers stance. Daniel wasn't a big boxing fan so couldn't discern whether he was any good or not.
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| 'Maxim' - Brujah South Coast Barony |
Daniel started off carefully, sparring a little and trying to gauge his opponents skill. This proved to be a poor strategy as a vitae enhanced punch caught him in the gut with some force. Deciding that a direct approach was going to be needed, Daniel feinted a punch and then moved in close, trapping Maxim's arm, pulled him down and then kneed him in the ribs, breaking several. As Maxim tried to pull away Daniel drove his leg downward towards his trapped enemies knee, breaking it with a sickening crack, before dropping him to the ground and stepping back. Daniel thought that giving his opponent a chance to recover would be more in character with the 'warrior philosopher' image he'd tried to craft with the Brujah of L.A.
Evidently having had enough, Maxim reluctantly tapped the ground several times before trying to get up on his one good leg. Daniel walked over and offered him his hand, and helped him into a standing position as several of Maxim's friends approached. One of them gave Daniel a nod of acknowledgement before taking Maxim under one arm and helping him from the ring. Maxim then skulks off into a corner where he is commiserated by several of Steve's guys.
You notice that Rusty, one of the two guards, was watching the fight. Leo is as loquacious as ever "Apparently some representative of Tara's is gonna be here tomorrow night, Garrick? something like that, beat some Brujah into torpor a few days ago, big bastard apparently...doubt I'll get very good odds on him though, not like I just got on you..."
"I think that'll do for tonight." said Daniel. "You want a lift back?" Before leaving Leo said goodbye to a few slightly disgruntled looking Brujah whom he'd no doubt just made a fair bit of cash out of. Daniel used the time to walk over to Ike and thank him for the match-up. As Rusty moved to intercept, Ike indicated that it wasn't necessary, with a barely noticeable movement of the head. Daniel noticed the gesture and surmised that these three had been associated for a long time. Ike wasn't very talkative though he politely accepted Daniel's thanks. Deciding not to push his luck he left with Leo.
Scene Six - 'Lex'
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| 'The Brujah Fight Club' |
As before, Ike's security were in place outside the warehouse and a variety of vehicles were parked alongside. The distinctive Humvee that Daniel was now fairly sure belonged to Ike was there but he could see no other vehicles of particular status so doubted that Garrick was here. Hoping this wouldn't be a wasted evening, he entered regardless. As he once again listened in for rumours, he noticed Vin arrive. He wasn't there long before he was approached by one of the other Brujah. "How about a re-match? I reckon you got lucky last time..."
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| Vincent 'Vin' Ghast - Finishing Blow |
Vin doesn't seem particularly interested in the fight and doesn't even reply to the challenge. He simply puts his gear on the table, steps into the ring and waits. As soon as his opponent raises his guard, Vin advances and then with a karate style stepping punch shatters the challengers blocking arms and jaw with one blow. A second punch is all it takes to finish the fight. "Looks like I got lucky again.." says Vin as he leaves the ring without looking back and walks over to you. "Didn't think that hand to hand was really your scene? Thought you were more of a knife man?"
Though fights with weapons weren't exactly rare, they were uncommon enough to provoke a certain level of interest amongst the other fighters and so quite a crowd had gathered. Daniel drew both his blades and twirled them around his fingers casually as Lex entered the ring. Lex's weapon of choice was a large trench knife, a weapon that Daniel was familiar with as his own sire had particularly favoured them. Noting that his opponent only had a single blade, Daniel returned one of his to it's sheaf. 'Lex' seemed surprised at the gesture and Daniel promptly took advantage.
Covering the distance between himself and his opponent in an instant, Daniel ducked beneath his guard and sliced him across the ribs. As Lex moved sideways to create some distance, Daniel cut through his wrist, slicing dead tendons and muscle causing the blade to drop to the ground.
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| Alexander 'Lex' Durham - Brujah 'Scourge' for the Baron of Santa Monica |
Lex's approach was more wary this time having learned that his opponent had more skill than he had given him credit for. He feinted several times, drawing Daniel's guard up then drove his blade deep into the Banu Haqim's stomach. A potentially fatal blow for a mortal, though unpleasant even for a kindred.
As Lex attempted to repeat the blow, Daniel grabbed his wrist only to find that his opponent had done the same to his own hand as he attempted a downward strike. Locked together as they were, and with his options limited he promptly drove his forehead into Lex's nose. Laughing as he did, the Brujah returned the favour just before Daniel broke free from his grip. Moving with supernatural speed he attempted to reengage, but this time Lex was expecting him and cut him viciously twice across the chest.
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| 'Brujah Fight Club' Crowd |
Storytellers Note - I always ask the players to describe their fighters actions in any combat situation. I also try to describe their opponents attacks in a compelling way before relaying the mechanical implications of the damage. I just think it's more fun that way.
Becoming concerned about the amount of vitae he was burning through, Daniel decided that he needed to take decisive action soon. He was however somewhat reassured that Lex had stopped healing the wounds he'd received, hopefully this meant that he too was running on empty. Going all out he charged forward and drove the karambit as deeply as possible under the ribs of his hopefully weakened opponent. As he did so, Lex used his raw strength to throw Daniel to the other side of the ring. As he got to his feet he realised that his blade was still embedded in the side of his foe. Things were not looking good.
What followed was a masterclass in knife fighting. Neither combatant would back down, but disciplines were now a last resort as both were close to starvation. This left them with only their inherent skill with a blade on which to rely. Daniel felt that he had the edge in skill but Lex's superior strength meant that each of his blows did more damage. Each now with blood dripping slowly from multiple wounds, Daniel prepared himself for a last ditch attack only to find that Lex now stood on the opposite side of the ring having used the last of his spare vitae to disengage.
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| Therese Voerman - Malkavian Baron of Santa Monica |
Not sure if he'd made a friend or a foe, the victorious Banu Haqim once more mingled with the other fighters. Having proved himself a second time, the Brujah were far more receptive to him joining their conversations but he learned nothing that he didn't already know.
Storytellers Note - I gave the player a dot of Status (Fight Club) after his epic battle. This might seem a generous freebie but as Daniel likes to keep a low profile this is somewhat of a double-edged sword.
At some point during his fight, a tall and hugely muscular Brujah had arrived. From the descriptions he'd been given this could only be Garrick. He is obviously quite unpopular, presumably because some of the club attendees were friends of the kindred he'd recently beaten into torpor. As he attempted to intimidate those Brujah who were staring at him, Ike blocked his path. "None of that crap, tonight. I've warned you once. There won't be a second."
Garrick then made eye contact with Ike and tried to stare him down. Daniel had seen his own baron use his supernatural presence as a subtle tool to manipulate others and had also observed Vin use the same talent to intimidate and terrify.
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| Garrick - Brujah Emissary of Baron Tara of San Diego |
It took a while but Garrick eventually found himself someone to fight. The battle was brutal and fairly short, but this time he stopped short of putting his opponent into a state of torpor. After Daniel's own epic engagement against Lex, this was a distinct anti-climax and only the bare minimum of the crowd even bothered to watch. It was quite obvious that this lack of attention bothered Garrick a great deal.
Leo was once again in a good mood having once again bet on Daniel. "No-one thought you were going to win so I got good odds. It was only me and Vin who bet on you at all..." While he was in such good spirits, Daniel made some enquiries of him about Garrick. Leo was happy to talk but indicated that he'd like to do so out of earshot of everyone else in case he was overheard, specifically by Garrick himself.
"I could tell you were interested in him so I made some enquiries." admitted Leo. "I've been told that he has real thing about his physical size and resents having it pointed out as the reason for his wins. It's obviously a huge factor but apparently he likes to think it's his skill that lets him be victorious."
"Duels to torpor or destruction have to be cleared by Ike first. They're rare but they happen. If a challenge is made to someone for a match like that and it isn't prearranged they can turn it down. If they accept, the challenged party gets to pick the weapons used, if any."
"That is interesting..." replied Daniel noncommittally. "Now lets get out of here, I need to feed so I can plug some of these holes."
After dropping Leo and his bulging pockets full of cash at The Last Round, he swung by one of Vin's brothels on his way back to his own haven. Vin was already there having left the club after watching Daniel's fight. "I guessed you'd be hungry this time." observed Vin. "I'll have some understanding members of my herd made available for you so you can heal yourself and stop leaking fluids all over my floor." Not sure if Vin was serious or making a rare joke, Daniel just nodded his thanks and made his way to a private room to feed and heal.
Scene Seven - The Challenge
The venue for this evening is somewhat surprisingly outside, but is in a neighbourhood apparently completely controlled by the Crypts Sons. Leo informs you that "No-one comes here without permission, not even the cops." and that "Ike has a Gangrel pal with a talent for controlling flying creatures that will fuck up any mortal observers, drones or idiots with drones that might be about." Evidently, Ike takes modern problems into account as well as the more traditional ones.
"I thought this was a Brujah only thing?" asked Daniel. Leo confirmed that this Gangrel acquaintance of Leos never fought at the club, though they apparently also sometimes scouted out locations. Leo had never met them or learned their name as they were seemingly quite reclusive. He did however also have one useful snippet of information. It seemed that Garrick was going to be at the club tonight and has a fight arranged for early in the evening against one of Steve's Brujah. This was useful to know as it would help greatly with Daniel's plan.
As he swaggers away, several of the defeated mans friends drag him from the marked out ring and attempt to revive him with their own vitae. You've seen enough battles between kindred to know that it'll take a long time, a lot of blood or both to recover from such a savage beating.
As he came close, Daniel began a loud conversation with Leo about the quality of the fight he'd just seen. "Well that was crap..." began Daniel. "I hoped I'd see some fights involving actual skill but that was awful. I've seen pub brawls between drunk mortals with more finesse than that..." Garrick stopped mid stride and turned to see who was talking about his recent efforts. Seeing that he had the attention of his target, Daniel continued with his comments to Leo.
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| Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim Not Taking Garrick Seriously |
"You think you could do better?" yelled an angry voice as Garrick approached the pair. Daniel turned slowly as if noticing the giant Brujah for the first time and then replied with the most scornful tone he could muster. "I could hardly do worse...well...maybe if I had my eyes shut..."
Garrick stepped forward and took a swing at Daniel but it never reached him as Ike's arm hooked around his and stopped him in his tracks. "Fights happen in the ring, not out here." He stated, his voice a monotone. Daniel could see that both of Ike's security men were nearby. Row had the high calibre handgun from his waistband at the ready. It wasn't exactly pointed at Garrick yet, but then it certainly wasn't pointed completely away from him either. Rusty was holding what looked from this angle like a pair of axes of some description.
'Rusty' and 'Row', Brujah Enforcers, Weapons of Choice
Both were obviously ready to defend their boss at a moments notice. Not that Ike looked like he needed the help. "Fight, him? I'll fucking kill him..." yelled Garrick. Seeing that, for better or worse his plan was succeeding. Daniel decided that one more barb should be enough.
"I'll fight you if that's what you want...not that it's really worth it...nobody would want to watch another one of your shit performances..." Judging from the ranting and threats of murder, Garrick was sufficiently enraged to make Daniel's next question a foregone conclusion. "Are you challenging me to a fight to the death?" asked Daniel, trying to sound as incredulous as possible.
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| Daniel Matthews Falcata |
"Where the fuck am I going to get a short-sword from?" said Garrick somewhat incredulously. "I have a selection of weapons available." replied Ike.
When Daniel returned from his car with his falcata, Garrick was already in the ring pacing back and forth. Clutched in one oversized hand was a Gladius style blade that looked like a toothpick in the grasp of his gigantic opponent. Presumably this had been provided by Ike. Daniel knew that Garrick would likely drop the sword and default to his preferred fighting method very quickly. This gave him a very limited window of opportunity to destroy Garrick while the battle was still on Daniel's terms.
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| Garrick - Brujah Ready for his Death Match |
The assassin enhanced his abilities by causing his vitae to surge into his limbs, enhancing his skills before crossing the distance to Garrick in an instant and aiming his blade as he swung precisely towards his neck. Garrick turned momentarily to look at the blade but reacted far to late to the brutal attack. Daniel's falcata sliced through dead flesh and bone, emerging from the opposite side of his opponents neck in a spray of vitae. As Garrick fell backwards, his head tumbled from his shoulders and his body began to rapidly decompose, returning to it's true age as the years caught up with.
Daniel tried his best to look as surprised as the crowd.
Ike approaches Daniel after the fight. "I'm not entirely sure that this fight was strictly necessary, but he challenged you so I'll let it go." "I might be able to put some work your way in the near future if you feel like putting those skills to use. Give your name and number to either 'Row' or 'Rusty' if your interested." He then gave Daniel a wink and returned to his office.
Leo was once again in high spirits. "Thanks to you I have half a dozen minor boons, a major one and more cash than I've ever seen before." He said with a grin plastered across his face. "Of course if you'd lost I'd be leaving here naked, so thanks for the effort." Despite being an incorrigible gambler, Daniel quite liked Leo.
After dropping of Leo, Daniel reported his success Marius.
"While I'm here, Is that other job still available?"
To be Continued in 'The Marius Contracts' (Part Two)
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...
This was my first session since lock-down so I was a tiny bit rusty. Forgot some of the basic things I normally keep handy, such as a generic list of names, for when players inevitably talk to some random person you haven't named or given stats to, lol.
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...
This was my first session since lock-down so I was a tiny bit rusty. Forgot some of the basic things I normally keep handy, such as a generic list of names, for when players inevitably talk to some random person you haven't named or given stats to, lol.
The player seemed to enjoy it though so maybe I'm not as off my game as I thought.
Acknowledgements
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved. For more information please visit white-wolf.com.”I've used pictures of real people to represent some of the characters and art for others so in no particular order Dr Matthews is Mads Mikkelsen, Jesus Ramirez is Javier Bardem, Gloria Martinez is Ariadne Artiles, Victor Girard is Bob Hoskins, Victoria is Lilith May, Tilly Kelly is Anna Paquin, Yukio Hayashi is Jami Chung, Leo Frost is Danny John-Jules, Maikki is Sofia Helin, Sarah is Natalie Martinez, 'Vin' is Scott Adkins, Russell 'Rusty' Holman is Kevin Nash, Henrique 'Hank' Boyd is Michael Clarke Duncan, 'Kaya' Grant is Cynthia Rothrock, Isaac 'Ike' Griffith is Jason Statham, 'Maxim' is Jared Leto, Alexander 'Lex' Durham is Brian Thompson, Therese Voerman is Whitney Moore, Garrick is Bob Sapp 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.
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