Vampire the Masquerade - V5 - Solo Session - 'The Salubri Tomes'

I'm currently running a Vampire the Masquerade chronicle using the 5th Edition rule-set for a small group of fellow role-players. These are the chronicles of their adventures.

Our chronicle is set in Los Angeles and features a small group of Camarilla agents sent into the 'Free States' to bring them back under Camarilla control. Over a year of plotting allowed the coterie to gain control of two North-Eastern Baronies and a large part of a third. Now they are moving on to the final stage of their campaign and have their eyes on taking over the entire city, either directly or by proxy.

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The now obligatory warning bit - Unlike my other RPG write-ups this one will contain swearing, sexual references and other references that might offend. If you can't tell the difference between real             peoples opinions and grown-ups role-playing predators who crave blood then this probably won't be for you. There are however a list of potential triggers listed before the introduction. I've also used actual photographs to represent some characters which I'll give acknowledgements to at the end if I've any idea who they are.
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The introduction to this campaign, the first story and all the other parts can be found at the following links and are in chronological order. If you'd prefer a summary of each session rather than read everything then there's a more detailed link page HERE as well as links to the first episode of each story in the blog sidebar.
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Chronicle One - 'Infiltrate L.A.' 

Welcome to L.A. - Introductory Session
Story One - 'Three Murders' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Interlude Session - One
Story Two - 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part One, Two, Three, and Four
Solo Session - 'The Neillson Library'
Story Two Continued- 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part Five, Six, Seven and Eight
Story Three - 'Becoming Baron' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Gather'
Story Three Continued - 'Becoming Baron' - Part Six, Seven and Eight

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Chronicle Two - 'Foothold L.A.' 

Solo Session - 'Hostile Takeover'
Story Four - 'Countdown' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Five - 'The Missing Chantry' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Anaheim Assassination'
Story Six - 'A Meeting of Barons' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seven - 'The Carmelita Situation' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eight - 'The Blount Sisters' - Part One and Two
Story Nine - 'Blood Money' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six
Story Ten - 'Anathema' - Part One and Two
Story Eleven - 'Predators and Prey' aka 'The Blount Sisters' - Part Three
Story Twelve - 'Aftermath' - Part One and Two
Story Thirteen - 'The Messiah Complex' - Part One, Two, Three and Four

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Chronicle Three - 'Incursion L.A.'

Story Fourteen - 'The Rant'
Story Fifteen - 'Ties of Blood' - Part One and Two

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 Nineteen - 'The Marius Contracts' - Part One and Two

Story Twenty - 'The MacNeil Protocols' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five, 

Story Twenty - 'The MacNeil Protocols' - Part Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten

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Interlude Session One - After Griffith Park

Interlude Session Two - Divide and Conquer

Interlude Session Three - On the Brink of War

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Chronicle Four - 'Conquest L.A.'

Story Twenty One - 'Veni, Vidi, Victor' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five

Story Twenty One - 'Veni, Vidi, Victor' - Part Six, and Epilogue

Story Twenty Two - 'The Unbound' - Part One, Two, Three and Four

Story Twenty Three - 'The War Council' - Part One, Two, Three and Four

Interlude Session - Recon

Story Twenty Four - 'Resistance' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five

Interlude Session - Damage Limitation

Interlude Session - The Killing Spree

Story Twenty Five - 'Personal Agendas' - Part One, Two and Three

Story Twenty Six - 'Strange Bedfellows' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six

Story Twenty Seven - 'The Fiorenza Sanction' - Part One, Two and Three

Story Twenty Eight - 'Hunters Hunted' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five

Story Twenty Eight - 'Hunters Hunted' - Epilogue

Solo Session - 'The Barony of the Angels'

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The PC

Dr Daniel Matthews - Banu Haqim, 'Fixer'

The Storyteller

Garreth - Everyone else...

The player characters stats and backgrounds can be found HERE should any-one be interested, but be warned that the page is usually several stories ahead of the most recent write-up and may contain some spoilers. 

There's also some minor 'house-rules' HERE that have occurred as we went along.

If I think something needs a bit of out of character explanation then those will get a storytellers note that will helpfully be in red. Introductory pieces that I read to the group are in Blue. Where particular NPC's have a mention in a faction profile you will be able to reach it by clicking on their name or faction beneath their picture.

Trigger Warnings for This Session: Blood (Obviously).

Introduction.

Daniel has been tasked with acquiring a tome from an allegedly abandoned location in the Santa Monica mountains.

The ancient temple there had been the home of many differing factions over the last century including a coven of Verbena mages, a coterie of Tremere blood sorcerers and a revenant ghoul family to name but a few.

Kalpini - Salubri

A kindred of the Salubri, named Kalpini, had tasked him with finding and securing a book that was of importance to her. In return she has offered to help him restore some of his dwindling humanity. Marius assured him that this was within her power, but unfortunately her circumstances had meant that she now needed to trade on an ability that she once gave freely.

Storytellers Note - Kalpini is Hindu for Night.

The book had been described as bound in leather and likely marked with a symbol which she had drawn for him. Though she had mentioned that there may be other items there, it is only the journal that she required. It should have "Pride of place..." in any display at the target location and therefore "Shouldn't be difficult to identify..." Though she didn't specifically require anything else she has stated that she would be interested in anything related to the Salubri bloodline.

She had also, somewhat cryptically, implied that others sought the item and therefore time was of the essence. The fact that much of the area was claimed by a werewolf tribe called the Black Furies, was an added complication.

Daniel had been given a map of part of the tunnels in which this artefact was supposedly hidden as well as the location of the entrance to this cave network. It wasn't much, but he'd succeeded with far less in the past.

Before he left, Marius handed him a sheathed dagger. Its blade was solid silver and had been sharpened as well as such a metal can be.

Marius's Silver Dagger - A Family Heirloom

"Just a precaution..." he says. "...and make sure I get it back..."

Daniel took the dagger reluctantly and tucked it into his jacket. Though normally armed to the teeth, on this occasion he took with him only the dagger, some binoculars and a night vision scope from one of his sniper rifles. These he placed in a simple satchel.

Resisting the urge to ask to borrow a handgun, an assault weapon and a sniper rifle, he turned and left.

Scene One - The Santa Monica Mountains

The terrain was navigable with minimal difficulty. The easiest path to the former temple was a winding road leading to a small parking area, long disused. It was also the most obvious approach and had little cover.

Santa Monica Mountains - Barony of Santa Monica

A fine rain was falling and though this only had a minimal effect on visibility, it did make it more likely that he would leave tracks. Of course this also meant that any others in the area would be similarly inconvenienced.

Obfuscation Discipline
Cloak of Shadows

Daniel sensibly decided that the path was a poor choice if stealth was his aim and so instead chose a course that moved parallel to it. He did however attempt to keep it in sight so as to observe anyone else who might be using it at this time of night.

He hadn't been in the mountains for long when he became sure that he was being shadowed. The group of three were obviously patrolling the area and seemed to be very familiar with the terrain. Deciding he needed all the help that he could get, Daniel activated his supernatural powers and cloaked himself in invisibility, shadow and silence. Such was his skill that he soon lost those on his tail, whoever they might have been.

After some time he moved adjacent to a car park which was as close as traffic could get to the old temple ruins. There was a large off-road truck in the carpark, and a smaller jeep. Two men were keeping watch. Daniel moved a little closer until his preternatural senses enabled him to observe everything. 

The men were well dressed, but in Daniel's opinion were not military. Unfortunately from this angle he couldn't see the license plate of either vehicle and he deemed it too risky to move any closer.

From their stances, Daniel deduced that both were armed. The hands tucked into jackets were obviously gripping something, pistols would have been Daniel's guess. Daniel decided to avoid them rather than eliminate them and continued on his way. Now knowing that others may indeed be on the same mission as him, he became all the more vigilant.

Scene Two - The Temple.

The perimeter still showed the signs of the crime scene it had once been, after the revenant family residing there faked their cults destruction with flame and the corpses of previous victims. The police tape had been torn down in several places but it was difficult to tell when. As it had been over a year since the fire, the tape could have been moved at any time. The winds at this height were strong and made eerie noises as they blew through the remains of the buildings.

On full alert as he now was, Daniel observed a man in hardy clothing and a long coat that was near what would once have been the main gate of the complex. He was smoking a cigarette with one hand, his other was inside his coat. From the position of his arm Daniel imagined he was holding a firearm, but exactly what sort was impossible to tell. This watchmen did however have an excellent view of the approaches to the temple on this side.

Suppressed MP5 Submachine Gun

Daniel observed for several more moments to see if he could discern any other guards. Though he couldn't be certain, he thought he detected the sounds of other men within the perimeter of the area. To be sure though, he would have to move in closer. As he did so he caught a glimpse of the guards weaponry. He was armed with a suppressed MP5, this was an accurate weapon at short ranges for certain, though more effective equivalents now existed. The handgun was a SOCOM pistol, also suppressed.

Deciding that there was nothing else to learn, the Banu Haqim quietly circumvented the guard and moved into the complex itself.

Scene Three - Within the Complex

Three groups of two men were systematically searching the area and marking each cleared location with an 'X' created with a can of luminous paint. All were armed in a similar manner to the observer at the gate.

Their obvious leader was taking no part in the search, but was instead scanning the area for trouble. There was no sign that he was breathing so he was likely to be kindred. As far as Daniel could tell he had no weapons larger than the automatic pistol holstered at his hip. He had features he associated with someone of Sicilian descent, and the suit he was wearing did nothing to steer him away from the 'mobster' trope.

His companion was a short man, he estimated to be about 5' 5", and was wearing an expensive suit that was somewhat old fashioned. His outfit was completed with a bow tie and glasses. A slight bulge at his side, square in shape, was probably an SMG of some type, possibly an Ingram or Micro-uzi. Though his eyes scanned the area, his body and facial expression barely changed at all and the lack of breath in the cold air would indicate that he was also kindred. Despite his unassuming appearance, something about him put Daniel on edge and he had learned to trust his instincts.

Jenna Cross - Caitiff
The Cross Rebellion, Destroyed?

The infiltrator remembered that the hatch leading to the caverns below the abandoned base was towards the rear of the temple. There were tracks in the dirt and some wreckage had been moved. The hatch itself was open as it had been left all that time ago during the 'Cross Rebellion'.

Storytellers Note - The coteries last visit to this place can be read about in Scene Twenty Six of this story HERE.

Two more groups of three mobsters were exploring the tunnel network. These had shotguns instead of SMG's, In Daniel's opinion this was a wise substitution given the narrow corridors, and they were searching with the same diligence as those outside. The leader of these men was taking a more active part in the investigation. Like his counterpart above he was armed only with pistol weapons but these were in shoulder holsters rather than worn on the hip and he had two, not one.

"Hurry the fuck up. Zane wants that book before the Soulsucker comes to retrieve it. They aren't part of the family reunion so she's lost all her privileges to any of that shit. Get a fucking move on, you fucks might have all day but I need to be out of here and back in the city before sun up..."

Though no real expert on accents, it was Daniel's opinion that the foul-mouthed leader was probably Sicilian.

Daniel was also sure that he was definitely not the first person to navigate these tunnels. The side passage that Kalpini indicated, behind a rockfall in the large central cavern, containing the entrance to the hidden storage room showed no sign of recent activity. However, given the thoroughness of the search being undertaken by the other group, it was only a matter of time before it was discovered.

Scene Four - The Chamber

Blood Sorcery - Warding Circle

Two bodies, long dead, lay crumpled on the floor. They looked like they were blown apart from the inside out. A third corpse was slightly further down the corridor and though significantly more intact than the previous two, definitely died in a brutal fashion. Their clothes were burnt like they had been electrocuted.

Though not as experienced a blood sorcerer as many of his clan, he nonetheless had some basic knowledge of occult wards. Explosive exsanguination and electrocution were both common effects of occult defences. As the effect was usually in direct proportion to the skill of their creator these were evidently placed by a sorcerer of great ability judging by the carnage inflicted.

Examining the area more closely, his preternatural senses detected some tiny traces of blood or vitae in cracks and imperfections on both the walls and floor, however he could see none on the ceiling. As the positioning made it unlikely that these traces came from the three corpses, Daniel surmised that they were traces not consumed by the original ritual that created the wards. If he was correct then the ceiling should be free of the destructive safety precautions that took the lives of the three previous intruders.

Level One Blood Sorcery Ritual
Clinging of the Insect

It didn't take long for Daniel to find the unfortunate spider he needed for one of his favourite rituals, though finding a container took a little more time. Though he imagined that the original creator of the ritual hadn't envisioned the potion being created in an empty drinks can, the effect was nonetheless the same and with the ritual complete Daniel scaled one wall and then made his way across the tunnel roof towards the door at the far end. 

A disappointingly mundane door was at the other end of the corridor. It was ordinary in appearance, though looked to be of sturdy wood, held together with bands of iron. A simple, but heavy-duty lock seemed to be the only security measure. Daniel was, of course, very suspicious.

The door did indeed seem quite ordinary, the lock however appeared to be in far better condition than the door, almost as if it hadn't aged since it's installation. Now convinced that the lock was warded against pretty much everything except it's creator, whoever that may have been, Daniel decided to kick down the door instead.

After an embarrassingly badly aimed kick drove his foot painfully into the wall instead, Daniel made a second and then a third attempt. this final blow loosened the hinges enough for the irritated Banu Haqim to remove the door and lean it against one wall of the corridor.

Storytellers Note - His dice totally betrayed him three times in a row. I gave him some token superficial damage.

Scene Five - Three Tomes

Saulot - Salubri Antediluvian

The room was decorated with tapestries, one on each wall. Each of these showed the passage of time, though the lack of direct sunlight had kept their colours vibrant.

Each contained a scene centred upon a noble, almost angelic looking kindred, with a third eye in the centre of their forehead. The first showed this individual healing the sick. The second showed the same kindred observing a fierce warrior, also with a third eye, butchering an army of demonic creatures. The third showed him standing behind three figures, a healer, a warrior and another with Asian features, wearing hardy travelling clothes, their role undefined when compared to the other two.

He imagined that they were quite valuable, though given the subject matter, could be a masquerade breach if traded with a mortal who was unaware of the intricacies of the world of darkness. Deciding they were a bit too hefty to carry out with him past a small army of armed to the teeth search parties, he reluctantly left them alone. Besides which, the centre of the room held something far more important, a multilevel dais on which were three books.

Seeing no signs of wards or traps, Daniel approached the dais.

The centremost book was a diary written in a language he didn't understand. It also contained many drawings of three eyed figures in a variety of situations. Perhaps it could be a chronicle of the travels of some ancient Salubri? He imagine that this must be the tome he had been sent to retrieve, given that it was given pride of place. Curiosity got the better of him and he decided to be thorough and inspect the other two also.

The book on the left was written in English though the language was archaic. Though also formatted as a diary or journal, it seemed to contain descriptions of esoteric rituals and ceremonies, some of which were very similar to those used in Blood Sorcery, though most were beyond his ability to comprehend. It appeared that the author was comparing different ways that occult practitioners achieved the same effect, though utilising different techniques. They were seemingly looking for common threads between the many differing practices of blood sorcery.

Tome of the Salubri Antitribu

The third and final tome was bound in what Daniel was sure was human skin, and had an intricate lock fastening a band of dark metal which kept the book closed. Around the lock could be seen traces of dried blood. The lock was icy cold to the touch, but seemed to be fairly simple. Fortunately Daniel still carried his lockpicking tools and it was a simple matter to open the look. However as he did so, he felt the cold travel through his lockpick, up his arm and begin to sink into his chest. As the lock clicked open, the warmth returned but he felt drained. It was as if the price for opening the lock was his very lifeforce itself.

The third journal was very different from the other two. Though the script was impossible to decipher, the words themselves hurt his eyes to look upon, and he was reasonably sure that they had been written in blood. The sketches within were fairly crude but seemed to mainly depict vaguely demonic creatures. He briefly considered leaving this tome behind, then after a moments thought he replaced the lock and placed it in his bag with the other two tomes he'd retrieved.

Now it was time to leave.

Scene Six - No Escape

His path from the room was blocked by the kindred with the paired pistols and four ghouls who were stationed at the end of the corridor. It was clear that they were aware of his presence but couldn't pinpoint him exactly due to his many layers of supernatural obfuscation.

The kindred addressed the approximate area of the doorway, in which he presumed Daniel was standing, in the same abrasive tone he'd used on his own men earlier.

"There was a journal of occult rituals within that room. Place it on the ground and you can leave with anything else you might have found. On that you have the word of the Giovanni family..."

"Otherwise we'll have to take it from you and I'm afraid that will also come with a price you won't be happy to pay..."

Daniel was enough of a student of body language that he was almost positive that this kindred was lying to him and that he had no intention whatsoever of honouring such an agreement. He also suspected from the way that he said the name Giovanni that based on the level of scorn involved, that this was hardly the attitude one would have to their own family name.

The Black Furies Tribe

While Daniel was considering what to do he heard the unmistakable noise of battle from outside. Sporadic bursts of gunfire were cut short by screams, then silence, then more gunfire. The leader who had spoken to Daniel beckoned two of his men to follow him and left. His instructions to the other two guards were to the point.

"if you see anything moving, or hear as much as whisper, fill it full of fucking bullets."

Daniel scaled the wall once more, made his way down the corridor, over the guards heads and then silently dropped to the floor behind them. The old Daniel would have cut their throats without a second thought, but he was trying to be better, so he let them live.

As he emerged into the night air, Daniel felt the sudden urge to run and hide. Three werewolves, two in a semi-transformed state and one in full warform were butchering the gang in systematic and brutal fashion. Drawn by the screams and gunfire, the two guards that the infiltrator had bypassed emerged and joined the fray.

As the pack leader moved to gut the groups leader, his odd companion appeared between them, blocking the attack with a single arm before slicing into the creatures chest with a sharp, scalpel-like weapon that reflected the silver moonlight. The kindred who he was protecting, retreated back into cover as the short man inexplicably managed to hold off the rampaging werewolf seemingly with minimal effort. Though he had removed his glasses.

Burton Clay and Zane Giovanni

Despite the need to escape, Daniel's professional interest was aroused and he watched the combat for a few more moments.

Soon the creature was bleeding from multiple small wounds, none of which were healing, and the scalpel wielding kindred was yet to be even touched. Despite looking relatively minor, the wounds bled profusely and the werewolf was beginning to slow its onslaught. From a professional point of view it was like watching an artist at work. Each cut hit something vital, an exposed vein or artery, muscle connections and the like. Though even with his preternatural senses it was difficult to see his exact movements. His facial expression didn't change at any point.

The strange kindred had also lost several blades which were embedded in the attacking werewolf, but each time produced a new one from somewhere within his clothing. The frustrated creature took a step back to consider it's next move. The kindred also stepped back into a neutral stance, the blade held lightly in one hand. "We will be gone soon." he said in a completely neutral tone. "Your death would serve no purpose..."

As he heard the sound of an approaching helicopter, he realised that no one here was paying him any attention at all. Daniel decided that running away as fast as possible was his best move.

A few minutes later he saw a small helicopter flying overhead. Next to the pilot was the short man, his clothing bloodstained, though none of it appeared to be his, while the leader of the group was slumped in the back seat. He had a phone in his hand though what he was saying was impossible to hear at this distance, especially over the sounds of the helicopter itself. The vehicle banked towards L.A. and was soon out of sight.

Scene Seven - Almost Human

The Salubri accepted the books, treating the diary with considerable reverence.

"You have fulfilled your part of the bargain, now I will keep to mine. Please relax, clear your mind as best as you can and concentrate not on the negative but on your most worthwhile actions. As I touch your mind the opposite may also be true, but try to focus upon your own self."

Kalpini - Salubri, An Unfortunate Side effect of Her Powers...

As she placed her hands upon his head he felt a strange warmth and Daniels acts of, for want of a better word 'Good' seemed far more significant and the justification for those unworthy actions grew stronger in his mind.

"I'm afraid I can only work with what was there and you have spent much of your on life engaged in questionable acts. Despite all this, and what you may think of yourself, you are fundamentally a good man. Remember that. Killing is in our nature, but choosing when to kill and when to stay your hand is what separates the warrior from the mindless berserker."

The Banu Haqim Clan

Storytellers Note - He got one point of Humanity back.

"Your clan were once judges, as mine were once purely healers. We can be what we were meant to be, we just have to decide exactly what that is..."

Daniel thanked her profusely.

"You are correct of course. My clan were destined to be judges, but I was bought into the clan as a tool for another's ambitions. It is my intention to reconnect with what I should have been and try to do what is right, yet, sometimes my skills with blade and gun have yielded positive results. I can't go back to what I was, but perhaps there is a middle ground, maybe I can use these dark skills for a worthy purpose. whatever happens, I thank you for the chance you have given me."

Kalpini nodded in response and smiled "...now if you'll excuse me, I need to rest..."

Daniel thanked her once more then left to find Marius.

Scene Eight - Epilogue

Daniel handed Marius back the knife he'd been loaned before the missions start. Marius examined the blade briefly before setting it aside. "So there were no complications?"

Burton Clay - Hecate
Freelance Assassin

The Banu Haqim explained about the other group who had used the name Giovanni, and their encounter with the werewolves of the Black Furies Tribe. He also mentioned the stranger who had so casually and emotionlessly fought of the pack leader.

Marius seemed to be in talkative mood so Daniel listened intently and picked out the most important points for future consideration..

"That was probably Burton Clay, One of the top enforcers of the Giovanni Family. I thought he'd been destroyed during the sixth maelstrom when the Giovanni lost control of the spirits they had enslaved, it seems I was mistaken. As the Giovanni diablerised their way through the Cappadocians, he accounted for several kindred of quite low generation. He's what you might call an 'apex predator' and is loaned by the Giovanni to the other families. One imagines that he is now serving the other bloodlines recognised at the so-called 'family reunion' that bought all the clans of death together under the Hecate banner."

"Unfortunately that means he could have been working for the Giovanni, Dunsirn, Milliner, Pisanob, Puttanesca or even the Rossellini's. He has connections to all of them, you see."

"If they sent him to retrieve the journal then Kalpini is in significant danger. I'll get The Cabbie to get her out of the city tonight..."

"The Giovanni still own a mansion in Hollywood, though it's been empty a while. Someone hit them hard during a family get-together, it was apparently quite a massacre, very few survivors, just one favoured mortal and a few servants got away I believe. They were there with Isaac's permission, but not under his protection, perhaps they have petitioned him to allow their return?"

Abandoned Hollywood Mansion - Former Giovanni Stronghold

Marius then abruptly changed the subject.

"Are you ready to re-join the world you left? You have the tools you need and Michael will need you soon. Isaac is plotting something big, and I have no idea what it is which is a concern as I'm meant to be smarter than he is..." Marius smiled so Daniel wasn't not sure if that was a joke or not. 

The 'Old' Daniel...

"...He has summoned me to a meeting tomorrow night so perhaps I'll learn more then..." His grimace at the word 'summoned' told him all he needed to know about how 'The Fixer' felt about that.

Daniel decided to be honest.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'd like to help Michael, but I fear that it's too early to go back to my old profession without being constantly afraid of giving into the temptation to drain more than merely the vitae of those I fight."

Marius offered a solution.

"Go and see Yukio tomorrow and I'll arrange for a meeting with Bertram Tung. With their resources at your disposal then perhaps you can monitor your old domain from afar?"

Daniel accepted the offer. It was, after all, an acceptable compromise while he considered his future.

Interlude - Conspiracy 

Salvador Garcia - Brujah
Anarch Revolutionary Leader

Salvador Garcia sat in the basement of the apartment building that was his hastily created haven of the moment.

Though not the greatest of accommodations, he had definitely endured worse during his years as a revolutionary.

Ramirez arrived a few moments later and took a seat opposite his friend.

"Spit it out old friend." Began Salvador "What exactly have you been trying to avoid telling me?"

"The final death of Carlyle..." replied Ramirez, watching his friends expression harden at the reminder. "...has led us to evidence which puts an unfortunate spin on the whole thing..."

Garcia indicated that his must trusted advisor should continue.

"All the evidence points to a conspiracy between Gloria Martinez and Allison Maller, perhaps in conjunction with their duskborn neighbours 'The Liberated'. But, I'm not entirely convinced. The assassination was perfectly conceived and implemented, yet the cover up afterwards was performed in the most slipshod of manners."

Jesus Ramirez - Ventrue
Seneschal to Salvador Garcia

"You think they were framed?" concluded Garcia. "You have a suspect? Marius perhaps?"

"He was my first thought." admitted Jesus "But it's not his style. The hit itself has many of his hallmarks, but the trail of clues? Not so much. With 'The Fixer' he either wouldn't bother to cover it up at all, or would have done so very thoroughly. Moreover if he had done a frame-up it would have been far more subtle. This smacks of someone intelligent but unfamiliar with the finer aspects of such subterfuge."

Garcia pondered this for a moment. "Carlyle wasn't short of enemies and neither am I or my other childer. Use whatever resources you require, pull in any favours you need to, of mine or your own. I want to know who was willing to go to such lengths just to delay my arrival in L.A."

"And then?" enquired Ramirez.

"Then we'll show them, and any that helped them, that we are not to be fucked with." Replied Garcia.

It was a long time since Ramirez had seen such anger in Garcia. Someone was certainty going to pay for this outrage. Ramirez was just disappointed that it wasn't going to be Gloria or Marius who paid that price. 

Those two he had a grudge to settle with.

To be Continued in 'Methuselah' (Part One)

Storytellers Conclusions

I sometimes 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 session was fairly straightforward and I used it as an opportunity to introduce some new elements to the Anarch Free States. The bad guys could've been anyone but it was a perfect time to add the Giovanni to the mix so I did just that. 

Acknowledgements
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved.”

I've used pictures of real people to represent some of the characters and art for others so in no particular order Dr Daniel Matthews is Mads Mikkelsen, Jenna Cross is Rhona Mitra, Burton Clay is Matthew Rauch, Zane Giovanni is Ulrich Thomsen, Salvador Garcia is Antonio Banderas and Jesus Ramirez is Javier Bardem.

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.

Vampire the Masquerade - V5 - Solo Session - 'The Barony of the Angels'

I'm currently running a Vampire the Masquerade chronicle using the 5th Edition rule-set for a small group of fellow role-players. These are the chronicles of their adventures.

Our chronicle is set in Los Angeles and features a small group of Camarilla agents sent into the 'Free States' to bring them back under Camarilla control. Over a year of plotting allowed the coterie to gain control of two North-Eastern Baronies and a large part of a third. Now they are moving on to the final stage of their campaign and have their eyes on taking over the entire city, either directly or by proxy.

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The now obligatory warning bit - Unlike my other RPG write-ups this one will contain swearing, sexual references and other references that might offend. If you can't tell the difference between real             peoples opinions and grown-ups role-playing predators who crave blood then this probably won't be for you. There are however a list of potential triggers listed before the introduction. I've also used actual photographs to represent some characters which I'll give acknowledgements to at the end if I've any idea who they are.
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The introduction to this campaign, the first story and all the other parts can be found at the following links and are in chronological order. If you'd prefer a summary of each session rather than read everything then there's a more detailed link page HERE as well as links to the first episode of each story in the blog sidebar.
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Chronicle One - 'Infiltrate L.A.' 

Welcome to L.A. - Introductory Session
Story One - 'Three Murders' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Interlude Session - One
Story Two - 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part One, Two, Three, and Four
Solo Session - 'The Neillson Library'
Story Two Continued- 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part Five, Six, Seven and Eight
Story Three - 'Becoming Baron' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Gather'
Story Three Continued - 'Becoming Baron' - Part Six, Seven and Eight

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Chronicle Two - 'Foothold L.A.' 

Solo Session - 'Hostile Takeover'
Story Four - 'Countdown' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Five - 'The Missing Chantry' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Anaheim Assassination'
Story Six - 'A Meeting of Barons' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seven - 'The Carmelita Situation' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eight - 'The Blount Sisters' - Part One and Two
Story Nine - 'Blood Money' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six
Story Ten - 'Anathema' - Part One and Two
Story Eleven - 'Predators and Prey' aka 'The Blount Sisters' - Part Three
Story Twelve - 'Aftermath' - Part One and Two
Story Thirteen - 'The Messiah Complex' - Part One, Two, Three and Four

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Chronicle Three - 'Incursion L.A.'

Story Fourteen - 'The Rant'
Story Fifteen - 'Ties of Blood' - Part One and Two

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 Nineteen - 'The Marius Contracts' - Part One and Two

Story Twenty - 'The MacNeil Protocols' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five, 

Story Twenty - 'The MacNeil Protocols' - Part Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten

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Interlude Session One - After Griffith Park

Interlude Session Two - Divide and Conquer

Interlude Session Three - On the Brink of War

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Chronicle Four - 'Conquest L.A.'

Story Twenty One - 'Veni, Vidi, Victor' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five

Story Twenty One - 'Veni, Vidi, Victor' - Part Six, and Epilogue

Story Twenty Two - 'The Unbound' - Part One, Two, Three and Four

Story Twenty Three - 'The War Council' - Part One, Two, Three and Four

Interlude Session - Recon

Story Twenty Four - 'Resistance' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five

Interlude Session - Damage Limitation

Interlude Session - The Killing Spree

Story Twenty Five - 'Personal Agendas' - Part One, Two and Three

Story Twenty Six - 'Strange Bedfellows' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six

Story Twenty Seven - 'The Fiorenza Sanction' - Part One, Two and Three

Story Twenty Eight - 'Hunters Hunted' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five

Story Twenty Eight - 'Hunters Hunted' - Epilogue

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The PC

Michael Tomassio - Toreador, 'Baron of the North East'

The Storyteller

Garreth - Everyone else...

The player characters stats and backgrounds can be found HERE should any-one be interested, but be warned that the page is usually several stories ahead of the most recent write-up and may contain some spoilers. 

There's also some minor 'house-rules' HERE that have occurred as we went along.

If I think something needs a bit of out of character explanation then those will get a storytellers note that will helpfully be in red. Introductory pieces that I read to the group are in Blue. Where particular NPC's have a mention in a faction profile you will be able to reach it by clicking on their name or faction beneath their picture.

Trigger Warnings for This Session: Blood (Obviously).

Introduction

Marius Walker, Baron of Downtown, has contacted Michael to inform him that he needs there to be a meeting of the Anarch Council. He hasn't informed the Arbiter what he wants to discuss, but 'The Fixer' actually bothering to speak to the Anarch Council rather than just do what he was going to do anyway, is definite progress.

Scene One - Venture Tower

Michael decided to indulge Marius and call a meeting of the Anarch Council though he decided not to mention that it was Marius who had requested it. That way if it was something that annoyed any or all of the other Barons, he wouldn't be guilty by association. Enough had gone on in Los Angeles recently that a meeting was probably a good idea anyway.

Los Angeles Skyline - Dominated by Venture Tower

The Anarch Council of the Free States met in a meeting room on the top floor of Venture Tower. The tallest building in Los Angeles at exactly one hundred floors, it had previously been the headquarters of Sebastian LaCroix. LaCroix had been the last Camarilla Prince of Los Angeles, though his reign had been abruptly ended by a coffin full of explosives left there in an elaborate hoax by the notable Anarch Smiling Jack.

Venture Tower - Downtown

Marius had acquired many of LaCroix's business interests after his destruction, via Aegis acquisitions, his legitimate business empire. When the need for a meeting place for the newly established council became apparent, Marius, with uncharacteristic generosity, offered the top floors of the building to them.

As well as the meeting room itself, there are also several offices provided for the Barons on the three floors below. Though few use them as anything other than waiting rooms before meetings, they are there for them to utilise nonetheless.

The meeting place itself offered amazing panoramic views of the city and contained a large table, around which were twenty six chairs divided into thirteen pairs. The more elaborate of each pair was for the Baron, while the other was meant to be for their Seneschal or whatever they referred to their advisor as. In the centre of the table was carved a large map of the city and before each Baron there was a circular plaque containing a rendition of their own Barony and the symbol of the Clan of the Baron who currently controlled it.

Gloria Martinez - Brujah
Baron of El Hermandad

There was also seating around the outside of the room for guests and onlooker's on which to sit. The only regular user of this area was Amara Martins, who represented the Caitiff and duskborn of The Liberated, whom Baron Gloria Martinez invited to every meeting as an observer. Gloria had granted them some territory in return for their assistance and it had been generally decided that they should, at the very least, be allowed to see the decision making process that effected them.

A few of the Barons had initially complained that the whole set-up was worryingly similar to that of a Camarilla Primogen council but Michael had pointed out at their first meeting that this table was circular, with no seat that could be considered the 'head of the table'. In short, they were all equals here, none had a position that could be considered to be equivalent to a Prince.

Of course now that was slightly less true. Since the position of Arbiter had been created so that the meetings could be guided more smoothly, it could be argued that one Baron stood above the others. To counter this criticism it had been agreed that the Arbiter would only be allowed to vote in the event of a vote that was tied, six votes to six.

Michael Tomassio, Baron of the North East, was the current holder of the position of Arbiter as he was the closest the Baron had to a neutral party who had also shown a previous tendency for diplomacy. Or at least, that was the image he had struggled to maintain.

Scene Two - The Barony of the Angels

There were no surprises when it came to Seneschal's or guards, as each Baron was accompanied by their favourites in this regard. Though at earlier meetings there had been more variation, it seemed that as time had gone by, the most suitable kindred had become more or less permanent fixtures in these roles.

Marius Walker - Gangrel, 'Fixer', Baron of Downtown

Once a few minor issues had been discussed, Marius rose and began to address the council.

"I'll get straight to the point. This city is missing something significant, something that made it worthy of the name 'The Free States'. In short, the lack of a 'Barony of the Angels' or some equivalent thereof, undermines what your founders always claimed was the point of this endeavour."

Isaac Abrams - Toreador
Baron of Hollywood

Michael noted two things. Firstly that he used the word 'your' not 'our' when mentioning the founders of the Anarchs and secondly that neither Isaac Abram's, Baron of Hollywood nor 'Priss', Baron of The Border were surprised by this pronouncement. Though all the other Barons most certainly were.

With no interruptions forthcoming Marius laid out his reasoning.

"It's former incarnation was badly implemented, however I think those lessons can be learned from and a new version created that will benefit us all."

The former Barony of the Angels had been the source of many problems for the Anarch Free States which is why it had been divided up between the neighbouring Baronies over a year ago.

"My own Barony of Downtown covers all the territory previously allocated to the Barony of the Angel's so no one here need worry about losing their own domains to this idea. But hear me out..."

This wasn't strictly true. In fact Marius's current domain was actually larger than The Barony of the Angels had ever been, but some areas that it previously covered were now in the territory of other Barons. It was, however, close enough to the truth that no one objected.

"...Nines bar and the newly revitalized Skid Row is a perfect place for the idealistic neonates to learn what it means to be an Anarch from one that we all agree is an exemplar of what that actually stands for. In support of this, I would also be willing to grant the entirety of the area known as 'Skid Row' to Nines as feeding ground to do with as he wishes. As his bar is slap bang in the middle it shouldn't be a problem for him or perhaps Damsel or Skelter to oversee..."

Armando 'Nines' Rodriguez and 'Damsel' - Brujah

Michael had to give Marius some credit for bringing Nines into the conversation. He was held in high regard by the Anarchs in general and those of Clan Brujah specifically. As the Brujah were the most common kindred within Los Angeles this meant that any perception that Nines approved of the plan would bring about a lot of extra support. Michael made a mental note to contact Damsel after the meeting to find out exactly what Nines crew thought of the idea. If his approval had already been gained then stopping Marius's plan would become considerably more difficult. Should he decide to do so that is.

Lyko Wu - Ventrue
Dragons Head of the Blood Dragons

"...Those escaping from the Kindred of the East could find a temporary home in Chinatown..."

This concept seemed to Michael to be a solution to a problem that didn't really exist. After the Kuei-Jin had been driven from L.A., or simply left of their own accord depending on who you asked, the city hadn't heard anything from them since. In fact even globally their presence had lessened considerably though none of the Western vampires had any idea why. Michael just couldn't see how their would be any demand for such a haven from the Eastern Kindred, though at least from a cultural point of view it gave vampires from the Orient a place to call home.

"...The Consolidated Chantry of Los Angeles supported by its sister Chantry in San Francisco, is open to accepting students set adrift by the shattering of the Tremere pyramid..."

This understandably caused several murmurs of disapproval to echo around the table. Many were already concerned about having a group of blood sorcerers, still nominally loyal to The Camarilla, right in the middle of Los Angeles. Marius's childe Eleanor Braun, who acted as liaison between her sire and the Chantry, had done a good job of keeping the relationship between the Anarchs and the Houses within The Consolidated Chantry of Los Angeles cordial. Michael had a contact within the Chantry and was therefore less concerned than the other Barons. If it's members planned any actions against the Free States then Marie of House Carna would be sure to inform him.

'The Nameless One'
Defacto Ruler of Koreatown

"...Koreatown would obviously be off limits but the Nameless One has agreed to give any who accidentally trespass on his domain a single warning and a chance to leave before taking any action, so any casualties would fall broadly under the umbrella of natural selection..."

Michael could see that mention of Koreatown elicited some interest from Baron Fortier of West Los Angeles. This territory was dangerously close to Louis's own borders and no-one liked the idea of having a mass murdering, vampiric vigilante as a neighbour. The fact that 'The Voiceless Ones', a trio of known diablerists, had also made the area their home was hardly reassuring. The Baron of the North East did however have to admit that 'The Nameless One' not killing trespassers on sight might be considered progress.

"...areas beneath my domain are being cleared so any clans who prefer to make their havens beneath the ground rather than above it, may do so. The Swarms mistress will keep her followers out of certain areas and the domains of other subterranean dwellers are clearly delineated..."

Gary Golden scoffed openly at this and Michael had to agree with his assessment. Neither could imagine anyone wanting The Mistress of the Swarms followers anywhere near their Havens. There was also the small matter of the two werewolf tribes that also made their home beneath Downtown

Seemingly on a roll, Marius's next statement focussed the attention of every Baron and their advisors.

Scene Three - Trading Places

Priss - Lasombra
Baron of 'The Border'

"...Priss has also agreed to allow any Lasombra fleeing from the corruption of the Sabbat, and who also have no desire to place themselves under the rule of the Camarilla, to reside in 'The Border'. Therefore I will extend my patrols to encompass that area. Henceforth 'The Border' will be part of Downtown..."

Priss then somewhat melodramatically stood up and leaned her chair against the table on it's two front legs, before walking around and standing behind Marius.

She was followed a moment later by her own advisor, or possibly bodyguard, ‘Nannie’ Gray. Seemingly amused by the chaos he'd caused, Marius continued.

"...this brings me to a related point. With a chair now vacant, perhaps it's time for the duskborn to once more have a place within the politics of this city. I suggest that the territory granted 'The Liberated' be formally declared a Barony. If Amara is willing to take on such a burden?...hopefully, unlike the last Duskborn Baron, she won't try and put a stake through my heart..."

None present, not even Michael, could detect whether Marius's last statement had been made in jest or whether he'd been serious. Gloria Martinez, Baron of El Hermandad made it obvious that she had something to say,  Michael indicated that Gloria should be given an opportunity to speak on the proposal. Needless to say, she didn't seem happy about it.

Amara Martins - Duskborn
Leader of 'The Liberated'

"Your plan does involve me surrendering the substantial feeding ground I have generously granted 'The Liberated' to form this new Barony, without any thought to compensating me for the loss. Suffice to say that neither Amara, nor any of her followers have access to enough boons, influence or even mundane mortal finances to make good on such a debt..."

A few of the more financially astute, or just plain territorial, Barons agreed with Gloria. This was a lot for anyone to be expected to give away. This was also an issue where Amara clearly needed to speak on behalf of those she represented and after quietening down the others, Michael made this point.

"I believe that Amara has the right to talk on this subject. Self determination is the fundamental difference between us and the Camarilla, is it not?"

Amara took this as her cue to address the council and so stood and approached the table of the thirteen.

"What Baron Martinez says is quite true. Though perhaps as it was Baron Walker who cost the Duskborn and Caitiff their last home on Santa Monica Pier, captured our leader and enslaved many of the few survivors of the massacre that he perpetrated, that it is he who should compensate you, not us?"

Jenna Cross - Duskborn
'Messiah', Whereabouts Unknown

This statement raised a few eyebrows around the table, not least of which from Marius who was clearly surprised that Amara, who in his eyes no doubt, he was doing a favour for, was now taking the opportunity to openly criticise him.

Michael also theorized that Baron Martinez objection was not solely to do with the territory granted by her. It also reduced her and Allison's power by giving a subservient ally their independence. The returning Garcia would also have much less leverage with The Liberated if they were truly independent.

Marius didn't wait to be recognised and replied anyway. Though Michael knew that Marius quite liked anything that broke the monotony and often gained a perverse enjoyment from surprises, even unpleasant ones, he was also well aware that he also often reacted poorly to direct criticism.

"Let's not forget who had who chained up like a junkyard dog, while she rattled on about being some kind of fucking messiah. The fact that I allowed any to survive was the height of generosity on my part...and none who entered my service that day have any desire to leave it now...I also shouldn't need to remind Baron Martinez that she actually gave them this territory as a thankyou for the help they gave her...however this seems like something we need an Arbiter to mediate..."

As all eyes turned to Michael, the Toreador was unsure whether Marius had done him a favour by acknowledging the importance of his position, or had thrown him to the wolves. With Marius, either was a possibility.

The Arbiter was however sure of a number of things. Firstly that Marius wouldn't really make any compromises that he hadn't already decided to make. 

Duskborn of the Cross Rebellion
Currently Blood Dolls of Marius

Secondly, that he certainly wouldn't release any of the duskborn that had entered his service, even if initially it had been unwillingly on their part. Thirdly, all present knew that the area granted to The liberated by Gloria wasn't a particularly choice domain anyway, which is why she hadn't minded giving it away in the first place.

Michael decided that he needed to do some grandstanding in order to make his point.

"There has been too much water under too many bridges for us to exist in the past. That is the way of the Ivory Tower, not our way. We have been challenged from the outside and from within and we have prevailed. We have done so without the influence and manipulations of elder kindred, we have forged our own destiny and have done so together."

Michael could see that he had the attention of the other Barons. It seemed that his plan to draw attention away from their rivalries by focussing on their combined achievements was working. He then continued. 

"To risk splitting us apart over something as trivial as payment for something previously given freely, goes against everything we as Anarchs stand for. If Amara feels that she owes any debt to those who gave her and her fellow duskborn their independence, then I'm sure that she will repay those debts when she is able. As distasteful to me as the loss of unlife was during the Cross Rebellion let us not forget that she too acted against the principles of The Free States. How many Princes also think of themselves as Messiahs, granted leadership by right of position and title rather than merit? Too many, in my opinion..."

Storytellers Note - The speech was excellent but I made the player roll Persuasion to see if it was good enough to persuade an entire room of very self-interested Barons. A Blood Surge and a Willpower re-roll gave him an impressive total of ten successes. Which was more than enough.

Scene Four - Checks and Balances

Now Michael decided to see how many compromises that Marius had already decided he was willing to make that he could get him to agree to.

Jeremy MacNeil - Brujah
Baron of Los Angeles, Destroyed

"If we are as a Council are to give our blessing to the Baron of Downtowns plan to effectively become overseer of a new Barony of the Angels then we need to ensure that those individual domains within are truly independent. These groups who are to welcome new kindred to the Anarch cause should not be beholden to any Baron. That was, after all Jeremy MacNeil's original intention for that domain, was it not?"

Marius interrupted once more.

"As he's met his Final Death it's going to be a bit difficult to ask him that question. If we really want to try then I know at least one necromancer..."

Michael gave Marius a dirty look. Several Barons had chuckled at Marius's quip, and others were downright offended at the implication. Rallying himself he continued.

"Despite your less than respectful tone Marius. I've known you long enough to be aware that you have the Anarch spirit, even if you deny it to even yourself. Though your interruption does somewhat underline my point. Should these new sub-domains be expected to give fealty to one so mercurial?"

As Marius rose from his chair, several of the Barons bodyguards tensed. Though violence had never broke out at a meeting of the Anarch Council, the Gangrel Baron had shown his displeasure at the Anarch meetings known as 'The Rants', with physical force on several occasions. Of course he wasn't the only Baron or Anarch to do so, but his outbursts had generally been quite memorable.

Marius after one of his 'Memorable Outbursts'

"You have some suggestions?"

The bodyguards relaxed, but not much, as Michael replied.

Venus Dare - Ghoul of Marius
Manager of Club Confession

"Not specifically, no..." Said Michael, much to the Councils surprise who were used to Michael being more specific.

"...but I'm sure that you had already anticipated some of our objections. We require a more balanced environment than the one currently proposed. The only two kindred friendly establishments within this area are yours and it appears that you are still to be the one who decides exactly what is permissible and what is not..."

Marius smiled. 

Michael was aware that one of two things were about to happen. If violence was to occur it would happen almost instantly. If there was a pause, then they'd get a conversation instead.

After a few seconds Marius began to lay out what concessions he was willing to make.

"In order to further balance the opportunities given to new arrivals, I suggest that both Club Zombie and The Taste of L.A. be reopened as I intend to withdraw the impediments to their operation that I had put in place. Once more, Club Zombie will be under the control of Baron Fortier and, in Garcia's absence, perhaps one of his childer would be willing to take on 'The Taste'? It is my understanding that the ghouls of Garcia who previously ran that place are currently under Gloria's protection..."

Salvador Garcia - Brujah, Anarch Revolutionary and Founding Member

Knowing that he wouldn't have made the statement if he didn't already know that this was the case, Michael was sure that Gloria did indeed have access to these ghouls. Gloria indicated that he was correct with a nod of her head.

"...those, along with my own Club Confession and Nines 'The Last Round', should provide a variety of kindred friendly locations where the existing Barons can discuss the worthiness of their own takes on The Anarch cause and recruit any willing to follow them..."

Therese Voerman - Malkavian
Baron of Santa Monica

Baron Voerman interrupted. "As one is reasonably sure that you have no intention of giving up your Barony, how exactly is this like the Barony of the Angel's of old?"

Therese instantly commanded the attention of the other Barons. She rarely spoke at meetings but when she did it was wise to pay heed. Or face the consequences.

"... because, despite my people patrolling to ensure there is no trouble, access across my borders will not require the visitors to introduce themselves or ask permission. If they wish to show me that courtesy, then they are free to do so, but I will not demand it... I will give new arrivals who ask it of me, shall we say, a lunar month of free board in an adequate haven, and access to enough blood to get by?..by then they should have been able to decide whether they wish to stay, leave, or join a particular Barony..."

Michael interrupted to add the stipulation that this generosity should not be used to leverage favours from those who received it. Marius agreed, but Michael could already foresee a number of possible loopholes that could be exploited. From the looks on the faces of the other Barons, many too, had their doubts.

"...this does mean that other Baronies would have to allow free passage through their domains to reach Downtown, but that shouldn't be an issue. Unless of course the Free States are, in fact, not 'Free' at all..." Though none of the Barons raised any objections, Michael couldn't help but note that Isaac seemed particularly pleased that there had been no impediments to this 'free passage'.

The 'Original' Barony of the Angels - Divided Between the Barons

"...additionally, the agreement made by us all to allow Michael free access to all territories formally part of the Barony of the Angel's still stands as far as I am concerned. He can therefore monitor the activities within the domain to his hearts content and report back any issues to this council. I see no reason why that shouldn't be a duty that falls under the oversight of The Arbitor of the Anarch Council. Unless Michael feels that the duty is too much of an extra burden?.."

Michael agreed that he was more than happy to comply with this request.

Scene Five - Power Given Freely

Michael Tomassio - Toreador
Arbiter of the Anarch Council

Isaac Abrams, Baron of Hollywood rose as Marius and Michael sat down.

"Since Marius seems to have decided that the job of Arbiter also involves deciding matters outside of a tied vote then I think we need some clarification on the nature of the role..."

"In my opinion, having the position as a none voting one creates more issues than it solves. Now we count allies before considering the actual pros and cons of each decision. We have become no different than a Primogen Council plotting to sway the opinions of a Prince..."

He stopped briefly and addressed Michael directly. "Not that I am in any way comparing your time in this role to that of a wannabe Prince..."

Michael chose to not interrupt.

Isaac then continued. "...With a council of thirteen, decisions will always go one way or the other and Baron Tomassio has demonstrated on multiple occasions that his goal is the betterment of all kindred society, not merely those of us with power. I therefore believe that the Arbiter should be allowed to vote."

"With all due respect Isaac..." interrupted Louis. "...how is that any different?"

Isaac had apparently already considered this. "We are not the Camarilla. Should Michael ever prove to be consistently overstepping the parameters given to the job then one of us will no doubt quietly assassinate him, to which the others with no time for despotism will turn a blind eye."

'Gorgeous' Gary Golden - Nosferatu
Defacto Baron of 'The Warrens'

Though this was true, many were surprised that the usually subtle Isaac had spoken so directly

"Let's put it to a vote shall we?"

Hank Boyd, Harvey Caplan, Karen Anatos, Isaac Abrams, Marius Walker and Myranda Maria all voted 'for' while Amara Martin's, Allison Maller, Gloria Martinez, Louis Fortier and Therese Voerman had voted 'against'.

All noticed that Gary Golden had yet to vote, as all eyes turned to him and he addressed the council.

"Well, Boss's...I have nothing against Michael and normally wouldn't hesitate to vote in his favour...but, on this occasion I'll have to vote no. Not because I actually object, but because this will tie the voting and the thought that The Arbiter gets to decide whether he gets a vote, or not, amuses me no end..."

This was a difficult decision for Michael and he asked for a moment to consider his response. After a few moments had passed he gave his reply.

"By our very nature we resist change, yet change should be something we embrace. The status quo should not merely be accepted. However, with that being said, I will only accept the modified version of the role suggested by Isaac with the full will of the council. So thank-you Isaac for your faith in me, but I must cast my vote as a 'No'. It seems I have much work left to do to unite us all and hopefully over time I can gain the trust of those who voted against this amendment."

With that, the meeting was adjourned.

The urges of his bloodline had been screaming at him to accept but Michael was playing the long game. He would eventually be trusted and adored by them all, even if they didn't know it yet.

Interlude - An Enemy Within

None could doubt the commanding presence of the ancient kindred as he addressed his brood. All focussed their full attention upon him and it was obvious that he thrived on their worship of him.

Most Favoured Childe

All were young men, blonde, and appeared to be in their early teens. Their adoration had been secured by bonds of blood as well as the supernatural charisma of their master. The majority of these worshippers were his, though some were gifts from the traitor.

He turned to another adolescent who hovered at his right hand. This one, like the others was blonde haired and angelic in features, though was far paler of skin. As the most beautiful of them, he alone had been granted the honour of the embrace. He was also the most cruel, but that was incidental.

Another kindred entered the chamber, he too was handsome and blonde, but older than the others, perhaps in his early twenties. 

"My lord, we have received another message from the betrayer. He is preparing for your arrival and assured you of both his loyalty and that the one you seek is still unaware of your imminent visit."

The elder reclined in his chair and beckoned one of the youths over to him and drank deeply from the offered throat. Then he spoke, his voice powerful, and filled with scorn.

"Tell them that we will keep to our bargain as long as he can provide that which he claims to be able to provide. Though also make them aware that we begin to grow impatient. As each night goes by, the percentage of his empire that we will allow him to retain grows smaller. If he fails us then he may well lose everything, including his unlife..."

Ancient Toreador Methuselah
Identity Currently Unknown

As the messenger backed from the room, doubts once more filled him. This was not the kindred whose emergence from torpor he had awaited. He had become cruel and impatient, his desires more intense. No longer did he hold any regard for the needs of his vessels, his own wants had become paramount.

Before he had crossed the threshold, he heard his masters voice, both in person and within his mind. "Wait..." powerless to resist, he did as commanded. Without seeming to inhabit the space between his throne and the doorway, the ancient appeared just in front of him and cupped his chin in one well manicured hand. If not for the vice like grip, the gesture might almost have seemed tender.

"I sense your doubts and I understand why you may have them..." stated a voice that worked it's way into his mind "...but I can have none in my service whose goals are not in sync with mine own. So I need you to awake early tomorrow and walk into the sun..."

The Methuselah returned to his throne. He had put his faith in another childe once before and had been embarrassed in return, Now he held all in his service to the highest of standards and all who failed him would pay the ultimate price.

He turned to his childe and current favourite and beckoned them closer. This one had real talent to match his beauty and would show that talent to the world through the technology of the modern world.

"Let us discuss our plans for the empire that the turncoat will be passing onto you..."

To be Continued in 'The Salubri Tomes'

Storytellers Conclusions

I sometimes 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....

Solo sessions are always interesting, even if as a Storyteller you do burn through material at an accelerated rate due to the lack of conversation between a group of players. The ending surprised me to be honest as I was expecting the player to make a grab for the power offered.

Acknowledgements
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved.”

I've used pictures of real people to represent some of the characters and art for others so in no particular order Michael Tomassio is represented by Matt Bomer, Gloria Martinez is Ariadne Artiles, Marius Walker is Tony Curran, Isaac Abrams is Gary Oldman, Nines Rodriguez is Luis Carazo, 'Damsel' is Irina Delnova, Lyko Wu is David E Collier, 'The Nameless One' is Gary J. Tunnicliffe, 'Priss' is Sofia Boutella, Amara Martins is Indira Varma, Jenna Cross is Rhona Mitra, Venus Dare is Sophie Howard, Salvador Garcia is Antonio Banderas, Therese Voerman is Whitney Moore, 'Most Favoured Childe' is Lucas Till and 'Unknown Methuselah' is Michael Douglas.

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.