Vampire The Masquerade - V5 - Let The Streets Run Red

DESIGN developed by – Matthew Dawkins written by – Dale Andrade, Matthew Dawkins, Steffie De Vaan, Jose Garcia, Kristina Horner, Klara Horskjær Herbøl, Crystal Mazur, Lauren Roy, Hilary Sklar, Monica Speca, Rachel Wilkinson editing –Heather Rigby

A RT art direction and design – Mike Chaney cover art – Sam Araya interior Art – Sam Denmark, Michael Gaydos, Felipe Gaona, Michele Giorgi , Ken Meyer Jr., Niko Pope, Oliver Spect, Drew Tucker cartography - Ed Bourelle clan symbols, clan fonts, and vampire: the masquerade logos – Chris Elliott and Tomas Arfert creative direction - Richard Thomas

SPECIAL THANKS The backers of Chicago by Night for making this book possible and giving us all kinds of interesting new Kindred for inclusion in this book! vampire: the masquerade creators – Mark Rein•Hagen with Justin Achilli, Steven C. Brown, Tom Dowd, Andrew Greenberg, Chris McDonough, Lisa Stevens, Josh Timbrook, and Stewart Wieck. VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE 5TH EDITION created by Martin Ericsson, Karim Muammar, and Kenneth Hite

©2020 W H I T E WO L F E N T E RTA I N M E N T, A B All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written consent of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire: The Masquerade, and the World of Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. visit white wolf entertainment online at www.white-wolf.com and www.worldofdarkness.com

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

DEBTS REPAID

INTRODUCTION

Guiding You Through the Night Blood will Flow

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POWER PREY

Introduction Story Breakdown Character Advice Prologue Critical Hook: The Sibling The Spouse The Grandparent The Best Friend The Colleague The Fate of Touchstones Chapter One: No Escape The Pariah Hunting with Nash What Now? Chapter Two: Dead Proof The Scene of the Crime Interview the Touchstones Research Who is Walter Nash? Chapter Three: Seek and Destroy The Physical Route — The ID Card Darkhour Security The Social Route — The Bar Meeting Honored Drinks Bouncers Night’s Cross Hunter Josephine Habermann The Mental Route — Deep Net Approaching the House Chapter Four: The Inner Core The House Front Entering Ghoul Alsatians The Hallway The Kitchen The Dining Room Kelvin Hughes The Remaining First Floor The Staircase Paul Jr.’s Room The Ceiling The Guest Bedroom

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Michelle’s Room The Master Bedroom The Office Paul Sterry, a.k.a. “Redwood” Chapter Five: The Final Decision Murder Redwood Our New Ghoul Deliver Him to Walter Nash Off to the Prince Epilogue: The Letter Living Redwood Dead Redwood Undead Redwood

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THE DYING FIELDS

Story Breakdown Willerton, Illinois Last Chance Saloon Hotel Willerton Milford Graveyard Sam’s Motorcycle Shop and Diner Kindred and Kine The Loyalist The Nomads The Congregation of the Harvest God Townspeople The Harvest God Rumors The Dying Fields Chapter One: A Missing Person Research Chapter Two: Welcome to Willerton Meeting the Loyalist Meeting the Nomads Hitting the Town Chapter Three: The Second Night The Library Chapter Four: Into the Corn Getting Lost Judas Tree Magpies Mariangel Scarecrows Chapter Five: Meeting the Other Side Anarchs: Meeting Nazeera Camarilla: Meeting Warrington Either: Revisiting Their Own Chapter Six: Missing at the Willerton

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Table of Contents

Hi, My Name is Bradley 64 Searching the Luggage 65 Chapter Seven: The Congregation Attacks 65 A Coterie One Vampire Short 67 You’re Not Kristen 67 Chapter Eight: All Roads Lead to the Corn 68 We Gather Here Tonight 68 The Ritual 70 Chapter Nine: You Are Leaving Willerton 71 Appendix I: Small Town Dead 74 The Local Hierarchy 74 Scarcity of Backgrounds 74 Influences 75 Appendix II: Antagonist Stats 76 Armed Cultist 76 Bouncer 76 Brawler 76 Hunter 76 Receptionist 77 Appendix III: Blood Sorcery Rituals 77

INNOCENCE IN BLOOD

Gang Members 99 Parovich 100 Anarchs and Other Kindred 101 The Perils of Travel 102 Bushwhacker Hunter 103 Mike Rancher 105 Chapter Two: Indianapolis 105 Indianapolis’ History 105 Indianapolis’ Hierarchy 107 Arrival in Indianapolis 110 L’Italien and Cusick 111 The Lhiannan Club 111 Cultists on the Prowl 113 Center State Hospital 114 Signs of Mortal Distress 115 Springs Eternal Church 115 Garfield Park Conservatory 116 Freddie Montgomery 117 Anarchs and Other Kindred 118 Other Places to Visit in Indianapolis 118 Djedefre 118 Setite Neonates 119 Laura and Emmanuel, Setite Ghouls 119 Cathedral Hunter 120 Making the Decision on Honor 120 Chapter Three: Return to Milwaukee 121 Bargain with J.W. 121 Return with Honor 121 Return to Prince Decker Without Honor 122 Join the Revolution 122 Seize Praxis 122 Fallout and Other Endings 123

Introduction 79 Story Breakdown 79 Character Advice 80 Prologue 80 Chapter One: Milwaukee 84 Milwaukee’s History 84 Milwaukee’s Hierarchy 86 Anarchs and Other Kindred Entering Milwaukee 89 Werewolf Hunting 89 Lupine Warrior 90 Lupine Spirit-Talker 90 Lupine Pack Leader 90 Two Agents in Milwaukee 91 Agent Penny Cusisk 91 Agent Rick L’Italien 91 Honor’s Haven 91 The Mutual Bank 91 Wren 92 Deadly Meetings 93 Sundown 94 Finding Tessa 94 Jones Island 95 Exploring Grant Park 96 Lupine Kinfolk 98 Other Places to Visit in Milwaukee 98

RUSTED JUNGLE

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Introduction Story Breakdown Character Advice Built on Sand, Forged in Steel A Brief History of Gary Picking Up the Pieces Evelyn Stephens Eric Sharpe Allicia The City The Wasteland Northeastern Gary Western Gary

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LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Southern Gary Central Gary Prologue: Hiring the Anarchs Prologue: Hiring the Camarilla Chapter One: Deep Cover Approaching Eric Sharpe and the Camarilla Vanguard Approaching Evelyn Stephens, Baron of the Gary Anarchs Approaching Jessica Flores, Informant Exploring the City Encounters in Gary Louis Williams Margaret Castle Handout #1: Lieutenant Lawanda Moore Chapter Two: The Hunter’s Hunted Pay Dirt Chapter Three: Putting the Pieces Together Getting to Know the Camarilla Vanguard Getting to Know the Gary Anarchs Investigating the Honda Investigating Arthur Caldwell Investigating Clay MacDonald The Ambush Chapter Four: Things End in Blood Attacking the Anarchs Attacking the Vanguard The Aftermath Chapter Five: The Man Behind the Curtain The Aftermath Epilogue Antagonist Stats Bricks, Soldier of the Anarch Movement Seb, Soldier of the Anarch Movement Bree “August” Barnes, Soldier of the Anarch Movement Cassandra Coats, Vanguard of the Camarilla Silk, Vanguard of the Camarilla David Odessa, Vanguard of the Camarilla Aces, Vanguard of the Camarilla Maxwell’s Childer Juan Quintero Armando Rio The (Not-So) Innocent Masses Lt. Detective Lawanda Moore Gary Police Security Guards

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Jane Q. Public

KINDRED BIOGRAPHIES

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Clan Brujah 156 Juggler 156 Maxwell 158 Evelyn Stephens 161 The Caitiff 164 Elizabeth Forster 164 J.W. Blue 166 Clan Gangrel 169 Anton Nettum 169 Mariangel Huerta 171 Honor Mercer 173 Mark Decker 176 Clan Malkavian 180 Arthur Caldwell 180 Dawn Nakada 182 Starchild 185 The Ministry 188 Keisha Phelps 188 “Coach” Tyrone Soros 190 Clan Nosferatu 193 Gabriella 193 Felicia Page 195 The Thin-Bloods 198 Jessica Flores 198 Robert Warrington 200 Clan Toreador 203 Allicia 203 Eletria 205 Modius 207 Marion Davies 209 Clan Tremere 212 Nazeera 212 Tessa Greene 215 Clan Ventrue 218 Eric Sharpe 218 Walter Nash 220 Example Characters 223 Ghoul Chauffeur 223 Ghoul Elder 223 Ghoul Muse 223 Starving Ghoul 223 All-Night Party Person 223 Back-Street Surgeon / Vet 223

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Table of Contents

LORESHEETS AND BACKGROUNDS 224 The Anubi Eletria Kindred Social Media Influencer Juggler Lost Secrets of the Milwaukee Chantry Mark Decker Maxwell The Milwaukee “Null Zone” The Milwaukee “Null Zone” (continued) Modius

READY-MADE CHARACTERS

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Scratch Matthews Veronica Averson Ronald Bog Miss Janice Emerson Day Maggie Richards Eleanor Chang Benny Martinez Anderson

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Ramrod walked across the crowded dance floor. Strobe lights flashed images of writhing serpents on the thick, purple fog around him. A heavy bass riff shook the walls, but it was the erratic symphony of the dancers’ heartbeats that tempted him to join them. Instead, he kept his eyes forward and let muscle memory guide him towards the VIP lounge. There was no time to feed. He was far from the safety of a place like the Succubus Club. The Reptile House was an Indianapolis nightclub, one of the many temples where the Anarch majority came to worship. Ramrod nodded to the guard at the front of the lounge. “I’m here to see Pascal.” The guard let him pass. A man clad only in a white towel motioned Ramrod to sit at his table. “Good to see you, Randy.” The man searched Ramrod’s face for any sign of reaction to his mortal name. Ramrod nodded with no expression. Pascal shook his head and smiled. “Once again, you’ve taken away one of my

joys.” He looked around. “Where’s the rest of them? A little bird told me you even have a new childe. I don’t get to see her?” “Nadine’s outside, with Dread,” Ramrod said. “They’re keeping an eye out. It’s not like your buddies could do anything to us, but better safe than sorry.” Pascal laughed. “Have you told her about the last one yet? About what happened to Jackie?” Ramrod scowled. “There it is!” Pascal slapped his knee. “That’s the reaction I’ve been dying to see!” “Yeah, you got me.” Ramrod looked back to the entrance. Where the hell was Tyrus? “Oh! And while I think about it… have you ever told her why you took her in? About what the Lupines did to your legs? Surely, by now, you’ve said some—” A man sailed through the air and crashed into the table next to them. It was the guard at the entrance. He yelled something to Pascal through a shattered, bleeding mouth. Ramrod

couldn’t understand his words. “My apologies, Winslow,” Pascal said to the guard, “But it seems that my father has finally decided to join us.” Tyrus stomped to the table. “It’s been a while.” “I thought you’d be angrier.” Pascal helped the guard to his feet. “The brave Camarilla soldier comes face to face with his wayward childe in a Ministry shrine, tosses his beloved ghoul like a toy…just to say ‘hi?’” “I wanted you both in the same place,” Tyrus said. “I know the rest of the pack comes to see you every couple of months. I don’t know why. I don’t care. But this time, I needed to come along. I’d have brought Lester, too, but he’s busy.” Ramrod looked at Tyrus. The biker cast his eyes to the floor, an expression he never expected to see from his sire. The tone of regret in his voice scared him. “I’m no good with goodbyes,” Tyrus said to his progeny. “But I’m going to die, and it’ll be real soon.”

The Wolf Pack didn’t want to stop in Gary. As far as Ramrod knew, no one wants to stop in Gary. But the detour into Indiana wasted time and fuel. They should have started the trip from Chicago, and the journey to Seattle needed as few stops as possible. So, they filled up at a momand-pop gas station just within the city. An elderly man, alert and awake, manned the register. While Tyrus and Dread argued over a map and Nadine inflated her tires, Ramrod watched the man talk on the phone. He saw the man counting the four of them through the store window. As the Pack finished up, a faded blue sedan drove up to the station. Its driver pressed down hard on the horn. The noise echoed across the empty lot. Tyrus looked up. “The hell?” Ramrod breathed a sigh of relief. That was the vampire he knew, not the sad, morose man who swore him to secrecy in the VIP lounge. “I’ll talk to ‘em, boss.” Ramrod approached the car, wrench in hand. The driver stepped out. “I think you’re lost, friend.” “Nah,” Ramrod said. “Just passing through.” “That’s what all of Jackson’s scouts say.” The passengers in the car giggled. Unlike the driver, they didn’t bother to hide their pallid skin and hungry gaze. Ramrod chuckled. “I don’t know what Juggler or whoever told you about us, but let’s make a deal. You leave right now, we go back to Chicago and you can tell your buddies that you met the Wolf Pack and lived.” The passengers laughed even harder. “Juggler’s gone,” the driver said, “Modius too. This is Evelyn’s city now. And you’re gonna come with us, and you’ll tell her why you’re sneaking around on our hunting grounds. So get your friends to follow our car, or…” She opened her jacket to show

off her sawed-off shotgun. “Got it?” Ramrod heard the rest of the Pack start up their motorcycles. He tightened his grip on the wrench. “Don’t be stupid,” the driver said. “You don’t want to start shit here.” “I’ve got somewhere to be.” Ramrod swung the wrench at the driver’s head. In an instant, the driver was gone, and the wrench struck the driver seat’s window. It lodged in the glass. Ramrod pulled at it, and hot waves of pain ran up his arm. For a moment, his mind flashed to the first time he felt that pain, when the Lupines mangled him decades ago. Ramrod stumbled back, holding his now limp arm. The driver readied her shotgun. Before she fired, Nadine shot her in the chest. The other passengers climbed out of the car, weapons in hand. She grabbed Ramrod and pulled him back to his bike. “Come on, let’s go!” The Pack fled the station, speeding through a hail of gunfire. As the driver pulled herself back up, she yelled to them, “Cowards! We’ve got eyes on you! You can’t run forever!” Ramrod hoped once they got to Chicago, things would get easier. The mission Tyrus described earlier that night was simple. They’d pick up Darius, one of Prince Jackson’s childer, and escort him to Seattle. There, the Ventrue would meet the city’s Camarilla and the Pack could partake in some of the nightlife. It was practically a paid vacation. That was before Tyrus told him that he believed one of Ben Galura’s predictions, and before the Wolf Pack knew they were being hunted. Their stalker was hard to spot, save for his gray, bloodshot eyes. It was one of Gary’s Anarchs, they knew that for sure, but his intense gaze and dogged persistence reminded Nadine of her brother’s assassin. Once she said that, Tyrus started calling him “the eagle.”

Now, as Tyrus held a man by his shirt collar in Darius’ living room, Ramrod realized that the night would only get worse. “I’m going to ask you again. Who are you, and…” Tyrus held up a letter, a threat printed on computer paper. “What the hell is this letter?” The man kept silent. Tyrus punched him. The man’s hat fell to the floor, revealing his face to the light. Darius’ eyes widened. “Dad?” “Darius.” He refused to look at his son. “They know about everything. I would have just asked you for the money, but I had to follow their instructions or…you can’t leave town. If you pay every month, they can keep silent. But if you’re off in Seattle, they’ll expose you. They’ll expose me.” Tyrus slammed him into a wall. The impact left a dent coated in blood. He let him go, and the man crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Darius rushed to him. “He’ll live,” Tyrus said to Darius. “We’re being followed. Sunrise’s in a few hours, and we have to be on the interstate before the eagle catches up with us.” Darius stood up. “Kevin said I had nothing to worry about. That I’d be safe.” Tyrus glared at Ramrod. “You might’ve been,” he said to Darius, “But the plan’s changed.” “Hey!” Ramrod snarled. “If I hadn’t done something, his dad would’ve convinced him to stay by the time we got here. Don’t put this on me.” “You picked a fight with the Anarchs.” “Oh, that’s bad now?” Ramrod smirked. “Or what, were they supposed to kill you? Is that it?” “I told you to keep quiet,” Tyrus growled. “For their sake.” “Tyrus?” Dread asked. “What’s Ramrod talking about?” “Galura’s vision,” Tyrus answered. “The eagle’s going to finish the job.”

Ramrod slammed his fist against the door. “Tyrus, nobody’s fucking dying tonight!” A shot rang out from outside the apartment. The kitchen window

shattered, and a high caliber bullet whizzed over Tyrus’s head, destroying the lightbulb above him. Darius dove to the floor, crawled to the door, and opened it. A second

shot hit the door’s railing, and he shielded his face from the blast. He entered the hallway, and gestured the Pack to follow.

The roads weren’t safe. The fastest route to the interstate was blocked by a fleet of police, called in after a bomb threat. Their assailant ambushed them as they took an alternate route, following their bikes in a white van that sped faster than its size let on. He pursued them into narrow country roads, surrounded by cornfields. As Ramrod pushed his motorcycle to the limit, he imagined himself on the racing circuits he conquered in life. The van behind them was just another racer, an upstart that needed to learn who ruled the track. Nadine’s voice over his helmet headset shook him from his fantasy. “We can’t shake him.” “We can do this!” Ramrod said. “No.” Dread’s voice was firm. “He’s tailed us for an hour. We can’t keep this up.” Tyrus said, “Follow me.” At full speed, Tyrus swerved his bike to the side of the road and leaped into the cornfields. Nadine and Dread followed suit. Ramrod hesitated. Through the rear view mirror, he saw the van turn toward the

cornfield. He swore under his breath and banked into the field. A sudden turn like this destroyed him once. If it wasn’t for Tyrus’ Embrace, he would have never ridden a bike again. Now, his entire body burned with pain as he hit the ground, every sensation from the Lupines’ claws and bites resurfacing. Behind him, he heard the assassin race into the cornfield. Tyrus said, “Dread, Nadine, circle around with Darius and get back to the bikes. Ramrod, you’re with me. We’re dogpiling him.” Ramrod pulled a tire iron from his jacket. “Hell yeah.” Tyrus found the would-be assassin first, and slammed his forearm into his neck. The grey-eyed gunman steadied himself and blasted Tyrus’ stomach and chest with three pistol shots. He hit the ground, and saw the man pull out a large, tactical knife from a holster. “Short rematch.” Tyrus closed his eyes. Before the man could decapitate him, Ramrod ambushed the Anarch and bashed him with the tire iron.

The man shook his head, and shouldered Ramrod at full force, pinning him down. Ramrod tried to swing his tire iron, but the assailant was too fast. He grabbed the rod mid-arc and pulled it from him. With great force, he stabbed the tire iron through Ramrod’s chest, deep into the earth. “Tyrus! Get back to the others!” Ramrod yelled. There was a moment of silence. The wind carried voices of a group of people somewhere deeper in the field, chanting praises to a blood-hungry god. “Thank you.” That was all Tyrus said, and he was gone. Ramrod could still move, but the tire iron was wedged so deep that he couldn’t get up. He wanted to laugh. After all those years, he only got a simple show of thanks. Then again, Tyrus saved his life with just as little fanfare. Perhaps it was all full circle. “Fuck fate,” Ramrod said to the man, “and fuck you.” The man carved off his head.

“Being Prince has its stresses and its perks. Don’t forget though, little one: I feed just like you. I feel that burn too. No crown gonna diminish that.” — Kevin Jackson, Prince of Chicago

Guiding You Through the Night

Tales of vampires range from the stirringly romantic to the unrepentantly horrific. Sometimes both distinct themes appear in the same novel, film, or game with which you’re engaging. One thing is certain: in stories of vampires, blood flows. Sometimes it serves as a fuel for the desire, other times a vampire or a hunter spills it in malice. People scream, in pleasure and in pain. People die, some tragically young, others long past their time. Stories of vampires might encompass any number of themes, moods, and genres. In Let the Streets Run Red, Red, you are presented with four chronicles, each containing a different tone, setting, and complexity. While the first chronicle keeps a coterie local, grounded in the world of mortals and human loss, the fourth incorporates the heated politics between Princes and the sects of the Camarilla and Anarchs. Every story varies, but they’re all about vampires. Your vampires.

If you are a first-time Storyteller, Let the Streets Run Red will serve you well. Each of the four chronicles contained within are complete stories following an arc suitable for brand new characters. If you are an established Storyteller, Let the Streets Run Red serves as excellent inspiration for your own stories, or should you wish to run a chronicle with minimal preparation, this book has you covered. A Storyteller doesn’t have to follow the chronicles in this book to the letter, use every character presented, or even incorporate the Loresheets and ready-made characters into their game. Protagonists will always go off the beaten track, create their own leads, and pick fights with

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

the wrong SPCs. Let that happen, and allow the content in this book to inspire the chronicles you then go on to tell. While there are crossover elements linking this book to Chicago by Night and The Chicago Folios, you can use this book without either of its two companions. Each book is capable of standing alone, serving a different purpose, and assisting any Storyteller or player in telling fantastic stories about vampires.

G E N E R A L D I F F I C U LT I E S

Some minor characters in this book have what are referred to in their stat blocks as General Difficulties. These come in the form of two numbers divided by a stroke, such as 4/3 or 5/2. The first number is the Difficulty the players have to beat if ever opposing this character in an area they excel. The second number is the Difficulty whenever players oppose this SPC in an area in which they are mediocre or poor. Though each of these characters comes with a stat block too, for those who want to use Attributes and Skills to determine Difficulties, for those who prefer a simpler method, the General Difficulties have you covered.

Blood will Flow The content in the following chapters of Let the Streets Run Red can be used straight from the book or adapted for any other chronicle of Vampire: The Masquerade you choose to run or participate in. We invite you to lift or adjust any of the material in this book, whether it be an encounter, a character, or just a concept from one of the chronicles, and make it your own. This book encourages you to use it as you see fit for Vampire: The Masquerade.

in search of an errant childe split between philosophies and sects.

Rusted Jungle The fourth chronicle introduces the domain of Gary, Indiana, as the coterie of player characters are instructed to investigate and potentially destroy the Barony of the Steel City, or work for it and usher in a new (or perhaps old) rule over Chicago.

Introduction Soon you will be leaving this place.

Debts Repaid

Kindred Biographies

The Wolf Pack, Gangrel Archons and Prince Jackson’s marauders, explore Chicago and its surrounding domains in this introductory fiction.

All key vampires introduced in Let the Streets Run Red are included in this chapter, each with their own biography detailing their mortal days and Kindred nights, along with aims, relationships, and powerbases. Every character has a unique stat block and can be used as supporting characters and antagonists in your games.

Power Prey The first of our chronicles is set in Chicago and asks the question: what would a vampire do to protect their Touchstones? The antagonists here are mortal, and they refuse to play by Kindred rules.

Loresheets and Backgrounds

The Dying Fields

This chapter contains new Loresheets and Backgrounds for player characters to choose, allowing them to connect their characters to interesting vampires, historic moments, local sects, and the occult aspects of Chicago and the surrounding domains.

Our second chronicle introduces the coterie to rural Illinois, folk horror, and a bizarre community of kine and Kindred bogeymen who love to prey on lost and weary travelers out on the road.

Ready-Made Characters

Innocence in Blood

Nine deep and inspiring characters with backgrounds, ambitions, stats, and character sheets are included in this chapter, perfect for any chronicle of Vampire: The Masquerade.

The third chronicle in this book takes our player characters on a journey from the police state domain of Milwaukee to the cultist-run domain of Indianapolis, all

Introduction

“The kine pose many threats, and not just because they have the sun on their side. They can get under your skin and erode your foundations.” — Gabriella, Nosferatu Hound of Chicago

Story Breakdown

The constant reminder of a finite existence pushes and motivates a person to pursue goals. The prospect of infinity opens the world at your feet and provides enough time to attain greatness, but an eternity to idly prevaricate or indulge in base pleasures. Kine and Kindred alike seek to climb the social ladder and implant their footprints solidly into the surface of society. But what happens when the ladder is turned upside down and the bottom of the hierarchy suddenly threatens the top? What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? And most importantly: What extremes will the prey go to when they have power over their predators?

Storytellers, keep this to yourselves. The story starts in the months before the player characters become involved, when a conspiracy theorist named Paul Sterry — whose pseudonym is “Redwood” — discovered enough evidence about vampires to start defending himself from their possible attacks. He reached out to a paramilitary hunter group known as Night’s Cross for assistance, frequenting their bar on Goose Island to gain their trust. On some occasions, he even brought his daughter Michelle along. A vampire named Walter Nash started attending the same hunter bar as Redwood, mainly for the thrill of standing among his enemies, but he gained a predatory desire for Redwood’s daughter, as he had for many young women before her. Without Redwood’s knowledge, Nash and Michelle met up one night and the vampire drained her to the point where she was left in a coma. This was not Nash’s first victim left in such a condition. Redwood put two and two together and sought to ruin Nash’s existence. Rather than merely killing the Ventrue, he accumulated evidence of Nash’s misdeeds and extorted information from him regarding Kindred society, the Beast, and other knowledge both real and

Introduction Power Prey is a Vampire: The Masquerade story influenced by the inversion of hierarchy within vampire society. Characters in Power Prey will see the bottom and top of the societal ladder and ask themselves what they are willing to give up of their Touchstones and Humanity to maintain status and fight their enemies. Players required: 3-5 Duration: 10-12 hours

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

fictional, created by Nash. Redwood only ever approached Nash via letter, call, or discreet message. Thus, the vampire never connected his blackmailer to the father of the girl he sent to hospital. By the time the PCs enter the story, an increasingly manic and fixated Redwood has blackmailed several Kindred around Chicago. The Storyteller is free to name any vampires in this book or Chicago by Night, but it’s advised they choose loner Kindred, as Redwood doesn’t want the full weight of Chicago’s vampires coming down on him. He now targets the PCs’ coterie for similar extortion, moving on from his need for knowledge to money, property, businesses, and anything he feels will ruin the vampires’ existences. He cares little for the gains, and more for what the Kindred have to lose. As the PCs fall victim to blackmail, a Mawla or Primogen points them in the direction of Walter Nash, who seeks assistance to free him from a bind (his own blackmail, though he doesn’t advertise it). Nobody of status would assist a vampire like him, so he finds himself attempting to enlist the coterie in a scheme that serves both their purposes: investigate, locate, and destroy the blackmailers. The trail takes the PCs through Redwood’s various layers of security: Darkhour Protection, who record blackmail footage for him; his website, which is only a front for his true knowledge; Honored Drinks, the a hunter bar Redwood frequents; and likely more leads besides, all eventually pointing to Redwood himself. In the final act, the player characters take the investigation to Redwood’s home. There, they confront the tragedy of what vampires do to frail human lives, and the mania of a man obsessed with causing all vampires great pain. The PCs will need to overcome physical, mental, and moral hurdles, including hunters, Redwood’s pet ghoul, traps, and the

blackmailer’s often-inaccurate knowledge of vampires, before confronting Redwood himself and deciding what to do with him.

Character Advice Although Power Prey looks into the hierarchy of the Chicago Camarilla, players will not necessarily have to create vampires affiliated with the Camarilla. Characters from all sects and clans can engage with Power Prey, and the story offers different outcomes and results depending on the approach the players take.

Camarilla The Camarilla is built on a foundation of and within a rigid system of traditions. For it to function, knowing your place within the system is alpha and omega. Playing Power Prey from the viewpoint of the Camarilla, putting a stick in the wheel of power and changing the matrix from one extreme to another, is a good opportunity to explore what happens when a rigorous foundation suddenly changes.

Anarchs With their constant expansion of territories into Camarilla grounds, the Anarchs are growing stronger than ever in these nights. Where can they gain more fuel for their fire? How can they use the Camarilla to their own benefit without giving any-

thing back? The Anarchs want to dive into whatever intrigues they can to dent the oppressive, elitist sect. They can feel the rush of control washing over them after decades and this sets their motivation alight.

Prologue In this story, the prologue does not take place within the group. Instead, every member of the coterie has their own individual introduction scene. This gives the Storyteller an opportunity to get to know their players’ styles, set the tone of the game, and give each player a good introduction to the character they created. The prologue can take place at any time or any place and should be individualized to each character and their Touchstone. Therefore, the Storyteller must do a bit of preparation before the first game. Use this section as inspiration. During the prologue, each PC is contacted by the Touchstone aware of their vampire existence. They inform the characters they were just blackmailed into providing a service or material goods, or else the blackmailer would reveal the PC’s secrets to the world. They all mention they have 48 hours to provide what the blackmailer requested, or they suffer consequences. How the Touchstones inform the characters is up to the Storyteller, but can be anything from a text, phone call, or in person. Each scene should be personalized for each PC; therefore, the Storyteller needs to be aware who the Touchstones

I M P O RTA N T !

In this story, players have to create at least one Touchstone per character, aware of their vampire existence. This can be anyone from a grandparent to a spouse or a colleague, but they must have at least one Touchstone they confide in and trust with their deepest and darkest secret. Players could create Touchstones for each other’s characters, to provide an interesting mix of personalities in play. Importantly, each Touchstone bar at least one is subject to blackmail. This later enables the blackmail-free Touchstone to fall to the antagonist’s plans.

POWER PREY

“I… Just had the scariest thing happen to me in my entire life. After work, I always take my bike to the basement, you know? But after I parked it, the light went out, and I had to pick up some laundry from the basement too, so I went over to turn the light back on. When I reached for it, I swear to fucking god, someone’s hand was already on it.” She goes quiet for a moment, as if mustering strength to proceed. “There was this guy there. He was standing right at the entrance. He said he knew you, that… that he knew everything about what you do, and he would let the whole world know if I didn’t do what he said. He… he threatened me. And I didn’t do anything. I couldn’t. I froze up. I didn’t want you to get hurt. He said he would come back in a day and finish what he started and as long as I didn’t tell anyone, he wouldn’t hurt you. He punched me in the face! Oh my God, it really hurts. But I grabbed out at him, and I yanked something off his clothes. I was still reeling. God, I’m such a mess. But he got away. He ran past me and out the door.” A successful Charisma + Investigation (Difficulty 3) provides the PC with a physical description of the attacker: The top half of his face was covered by a black hoodie, matching his black jeans. He was a large white male in his mid-thirties. His big, rough, strong hands felt like he’d

are and what role they play in the character’s life. How the blackmailing took place is up to the Storyteller, but there must be at least one face-to-face encounter with the perpetrator. These examples can be used as inspiration for the Storyteller to go through each scene with her players. It is crucial to the plot the Storyteller chooses more than one Touchstone as a victim. One Touchstone must also seemingly be safe and not have been blackmailed. In order to keep players involved in these traditionally one-on-one roleplay scenes, consider whether other players can play the Touchstones with a little Storyteller briefing. The Sibling scene is the only obligatory scene, as it later allows for the characters to investigate a crime scene important to the story.

Critical Hook: The Sibling The player character receives a late call from his sister. It is odd, since she usually always goes to bed early in order to wake up and get to work at the other end of town. After picking up, it takes a while before she says anything. The PC hears only rapid breathing and a distressed whimper in the first seconds of the call. Before long, she finally speaks up in a tone of voice the PC has not heard since they were teenagers.

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been doing manual labor for some time. Tattoos peeked through at the sleeve of his hoodie, but the Touchstone cannot remember what they looked like. She also doesn’t know what came off in her hand, since she dropped it and hasn’t returned to the basement since.

to give up 25% of their income from their company from now on and transfer it through wire at the end of every month, or the blackmailer will tell the PC’s children’s school and wife’s customers about the vampire’s pattern of attacking innocents at nighttime.

The Spouse

The Grandparent

Upon returning home to his home in the suburbs, the player character drops their key in the steel bowl on the desk in the hallway, quietly enough to not wake the kids. It’s 3am, and they know Charlotte will still be awake in the bedroom. She never was good at sleeping alone, so they always make sure to feed quickly in order to return home to her. But tonight, there’s something wrong. The player character can feel it. They hurry to the bedroom, where they find Charlotte shaking, curled up into a fetal position. She is grasping her phone in one hand and a kitchen knife in the other and whirls to her feet when the PC enters. What could have frightened the PC’s brave wife so badly? They rush forward and remove the weapon from her hand, right before pulling her close in a hug. “We have to move. We can’t stay here anymore. They know what you are. They know everything. They left voicemails. They saw you drinking from someone the other day, they say they filmed you. We have to get away,” she sobs. With a successful Charisma + Empathy (Difficulty 2) the PC can calm their spouse and gain information about the call: someone left two voicemails, one right after the other. The blackmailer used a voice distorter in each. A successful Intelligence + Investigation (Difficulty 3) reveals the likelihood of the caller being a woman. The messages are short and explain the couple needs

A message ticks in on the player character’s phone right before she lies down for the day after an intense night of hunting. As she looks at the display, she sees the name of her grandfather pop up. It’s early morning and her grandparents are both early risers, so she decides to put her phone down until she awakes for the next night. She wakes up to five messages: “Good morning, sweetheart. Grandpa and I are heading to the park today and picking up Jerod’s heart medication afterwards. We love you.” “Oh, and grandpa will call Richard today in regard to those donor blood bags. We don’t want you running around outside so late anymore. We’re here for you.” “Hi sweetie, I bet you are still sleeping. Do you owe money to a woman? Grandpa just got a message from a strange lady who told us she would tell the world about your secret if we didn’t find $50,000 before tomorrow. Please call me when you see this.” “Pick up your phone, please.” “We need to talk.” Upon further investigation, the PC finds out when the calls took place, their duration, and the woman wants the money wire transferred in less than 48 hours. With a successful Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 2), she can conclude the phone number is for a burner phone which is no longer in service.

The Best Friend The player character and Meghan have been friends ever since kindergarten and have gone through many highs and lows together. The PC was there when Meghan kicked her heroin addiction and visited her every day at the hospital. Meghan saw the PC die and wake up again after she was Embraced by an ex-boyfriend years ago. They share everything, and Meghan even assists the player character in luring young men into her trap in order for her to survive. Getting ready for another night on the town, Meghan turns up the volume on her laptop and sings along to a pop song blasting through its speakers. The PC curls her hair with a flat-iron, flinging questions across the room about Meghan’s good-for-nothing boyfriend, but no answer returns. When the player character checks the mirror to see what’s distracting Meghan, she sees her friend frozen in place, still bent over the laptop on the desk. The PC goes to check out the laptop, open on an email. Meghan keeps scrolling through the same email: “We know about your friend’s dark secrets and about her victims. We know everything. We have gone through your computer several times and through your Twitter DMs. Everything is logged. We know you are a very popular social media influencer. We want full access to your accounts and for you to only post what we approve within 48 hours. If you refuse, the whole world will see this.” Four pictures are attached to the email, two of which are of the PC walking into a ritzy apartment building with a guy from whom she fed. The next is of the same guy with fang marks in his throat found later that evening, sleeping on a bench in the city park.

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The PC can use a Manipulation + Empathy (Difficulty 2) to calm Meghan down and not get her to respond to the email immediately without thinking. She can also roll Intelligence + Technology (Difficulty 3) to try to track down an IP address from the email. However, the email can only be tracked to the USA.

The Colleague The harbor always meant business to the PC, even before he was Embraced. Back then, he used to arrive on his scooter for his night shift at the Fish & Gills warehouse, where he made sure the fresh fish arriving in the morning was put directly on display for customers at the early morning market. Now, he arrives in a Rolls Royce as the owner of the company. He made his way to the top with hard work and determination… and a bit of discipline, but his father always told him to use whatever tools possible to get what he wanted. One thing is certain, and it is the player character would never have made it this far without his personal assistant Neil. Neil doesn’t just suck up to him like so many other of his employees but tells him the truth as best as he sees it. Without fail, Neil has always been the first at the office for the night shift, has the PC’s bagged blood ready, schedules his day, and makes sure the morning meeting has refreshments for the rest of the staff. But this evening is different. Jacob is not there. He didn’t call in sick or late. Even yesterday’s paperwork is undone and still laid out on his desk. The PC knows something must have happened. As he searches through the papers on his desk, he stumbles upon a piece that seems to previously have been crumbled together and then straightened. The edges are still rugged, and the handwriting seems fast and desperate:

T H E T H R E AT

What one character finds threatening to their interests another might consider a misdirected attempt at intimidation. As Storyteller, you can aim one of these blackmail attempts at something a character cares about, and another at something a character doesn’t, just to mix things up. Therefore, consider how one character might value wealth or anonymity, while another considers family and social standing their important assets.

“Meet me at the Challenger Park fountain at midnight or the whole world will know.” A picture attached with a paperclip reveals a chat log between the player character and a previous employee he told about his vampirism. This was early on in the PC’s career and a few weeks after his Embrace. Neil always covered up for him and made sure no one knew about the PC’s indiscretion. The player character heads to the park and finds Neil sitting on a park bench. His shirt is wrinkled around the neck and cuffs, and his rumpled hair looks like he might have just woken up. He cradles one arm delicately. Neil springs up from his seated position when he sees the PC, and quickly walks over to him, desperately apologetic: “I’m so sorry for not being at my post this morning.” He pauses. “Sir, I’m afraid we have a problem at our hands. There must be individuals out there who know about your… darker sides. They want the company. They want what you’ve spent decades building. Or else… or else, they say they’ll prove to the world what we did to your victim’s body, all those months ago…” With a successful Charisma + Manipulation roll (Difficulty 3) the PC is able to get a description of the situation and the individual meeting Neil in the park. Neil describes a teenager in a black hoodie, with no markings on it. She was white, had a high-pitched voice, and was nervous. She told Neil to hand over confidential papers about the company. When

Neil refused, she pushed him into the bushes, where Neil broke his arm. She told Neil they had 48 hours to hand over the ownership for the company, then fled.

The Fate of Touchstones The PCs now have the opportunity to take measures to protect their Touchstones in order for them to remain unharmed. Let this be up to the players’ own initiative. If they do not take measures to protect their Touchstones, there will be consequences further into the story. The Touchstones can be kept at a safe location, taught how to use a weapon, be guarded by allies, or have the local police keep them under protection, though this takes some influence on the vampire’s part. Teaching a mortal how to use a weapon at short notice might take a successful Intelligence + Firearms or Intelligence + Melee (Difficulty 4). Convincing the local police to take care of the Touchstone might take the use of contacts, Disciplines such as Presence or Dominate, or a successful Manipulation + Intimidation or Manipulation + Persuasion (Difficulty 5), depending on how the PC approaches them. The PCs can promise boons to their fellow Kindred to keep the Touchstones safe in a haven until further notice. If, by their own initiative, the players decide to protect their Touchstones, help them figure a realistic way for their characters to do so.

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Chapter One: No Escape Allow the players to figure out what to do with what they discover about the group of blackmailers, but before they get too far into investigation, have their respective sires, Primogen, or another authority figure contact them. They inform the PCs that they are to meet a vampire outside Crooks’ Lounge — a franchise of dive bars with built-in liquor stores, popular among less prestigious Kindred — in order to help with an issue. The authority figures each owe the vampire a smaller boon from years back, and it is now the PCs’ responsibility to pay up. The vampire in need of help is Walter Nash, a crime boss from the ranks of Clan Ventrue who called himself “Prince of Chicago” for a while until his sire Capone ordered him to shut up. Nash is an ancilla with a past as a former bootlegger and gun smuggler, though in his undead existence he’s taken to influencing the city’s fire department. His uppity attitude, bigotry, and love for everything superficial do not appeal to most Kindred in the modern nights, and the ancilla has declined from being near the top of the Ventrue inner circle to barely touching its perimeter. This is common knowledge for most Kindred inside the Chicago Camarilla, and the player characters can discover this using a Charisma + Politics roll (Difficulty 3) with any of their Kindred contacts. With multiple successes, they can gain more information about Walter’s life and un-life (see p. XX for a full character description). Before leaving to meet Nash, the PCs should introduce themselves to the rest of the coterie and map out different resources, if they’ve not worked together prior to now. Give the PCs time to arrive and greet each other, work out differences, talk the situation over, and perhaps share what their Touchstones just experienced.

The Pariah Walter Nash waits outside Crooks’ a good distance away from the other Kindred enjoying the night. He wears an open long grey coat adorned with silver buttons. Underneath the coat, a black velvet shirt peeks through. Chest hair protrudes from the low-cut V-neck he wears underneath, and around his neck hangs several silvery necklaces in an odd mixture of feminine bejeweled pieces, ebony figures of wolves and bears, and black leather strips. His long thick hair frames his masculine face perfectly and caresses his shoulders. Around his wrists

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hang a few strips of black leather similar to those around his neck. His tight pants are of the same color as his long coat. His ostentatious adornments are no subterfuge, as his personality is arrogant to match. A trained eye is able to spot the Ventrue through all this decoration. A successful Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 3) reveal how nervous the vampire is. His fidgety fingers, darting eyes, and constant shift of weight on his feet give his nervousness away. If the Storyteller chooses to have one or two other SPC vampires attending Crooks’ tonight, a successful Intelligence + Etiquette roll (Difficulty 4) reveals how they avoid including him in conversation, and how they clearly dismiss him with passive body language. From an outside perspective, Walter is not a welcome sight. Give the PCs room to plan their approach using the information they gather about Walter’s current state. As they walk up to greet the ancilla, he takes a few steps back and shoots the PCs a disconcerted, suspicious look. He extends out his hand to greet them: “Nash. How are ya doing?” Although it has been years since he last lived in Atlantic City, his twang is still proof of his East Coast heritage. “Thanks for meeting me here. I haven’t been in this part of town for years. It’s nice to see what the younger ones get up to. I suppose it ain’t much different than what I used to do when I was a neonate…” Walter trails off, reminiscing, before he returns his attention to the group. “My apologies. You must be curious as to my intentions. Let’s sit down. And no, preferably not inside. I ain’t welcome most public places, no more due to some small differences and a past belonging to another century. But that ain’t important right now.” There are some shabby wooden picnic tables with leftover bottles and cigarette butts scattered around them in a small, fenced in, outdoor space beside Crooks’. Nash leads the group over, pulls a handkerchief from his pocket, and wipes off his seat before he takes a seat. He gestures for the group to join him. “It ain’t the classiest place for any sort of meeting, and trust me, if I could change the scenery, I would. For now, we make do with the cards we’ve been dealt.” Thomas folds his hands and places them on the table in front of him. “I’ve a quarrel that’s damn unfortunate. Not only for myself, but for the entire Kindred community as it stands. You see, a few months ago I found myself the victim of blackmail. To provide context, I’ve, uh, done some things that were hurtful to me and my dearest. I ain’t proud of them. This is what constant isolation does to a socialite. I’m sure you understand. Regardless, a group of individuals now have solid proof of some of my errant ways and I’m afraid I can no longer handle this situation on my own. They’ve already taken a lot from me…

Furthermore, if Prince Jackson figures out I’ve yet again done something to harm the great Cam hope, I think he’ll blood hunt me faster than I can crack a whip. So, what I need you to do is to neutralize this threat. For the sake of myself, the city, you, and the community in general.” The group now has an opportunity to ask questions of Walter. The following are examples of questions and the answers Walter Nash may give: WHAT HAPPENED TO MAKE YOU A PARIAH? “Oh, just situations belonging to the past. I’m sure we’ve all said and done things we’re not proud of. But why dwell in times long gone, when we have a serious problem at hand now?” Should the PCs want to further investigate, they can get more information with a successful Manipulation + Intimidation (Difficulty 4) threatening him to open up about his past or Manipulation + Persuasion (Difficulty 5) convincing him it is for the best if they know all of the details of his situation in order to help him. With a success, Nash elaborates: “I was always attracted to indulgences. Whether it be those of the flesh, mind, materials or anything else. I guess you could call it an addiction, if you like. I’m sick; I’ve got a problem. My addiction drove me to perform actions I regret to this very night. You see, before I suspect you were even Embraced, I betrayed my sire, my creator, for a large sum of money, to feed my expanding need for luxury goods. It helped me a while, but the Ventrue certainly do not approve of my appearance in the city. They all see me as a traitor despite agreeing to the necessity of my actions. Ever since, I’ve done my part to once again be accepted into the community. Just ask whomever called you up for this job. They owe me boons for a reason, different favors I’ve performed for them in order to gain allies and, I suppose, in some way, give back to a society I betrayed.” WHY IS PRINCE JACKSON ANGRY WITH YOU? “He wasn’t always Prince. Back when we were a little younger, I might have worked against his territory interests, and he still holds it against me to this night.” WHY ARE YOU NOT ALLOWED IN PUBLIC PLACES ANYMORE? “Oh, well, I suppose it was an overstatement. I’m allowed to go where I want, but not in a social perspective, if you understand. Why go anywhere if all you’re doing is getting ostracized and being judged? I can’t even be in my own haven with my clanmates. What kind of eternity is that?” HOW DID THE GROUP APPROACH YOU? “Actually, it was one of my thralls, Kelvin, who originally got blackmailed. But he’s an extension of me, so I take it very personally. The blackmailers have since produced evidence of a recent indiscretion, which if I’m right, someone in Honored Drinks — a bar on Goose Island, not that

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far away — recorded. That’s where I was the night I made my mistake. I think someone followed me from there.” FOR WHAT REASON ARE THEY BLACKMAILING YOU? “In my desperation for getting enough sustenance, I accidentally fed upon a child. I could sit here with excuses about how that was common back when I was a younger vampire, or how I was on the brink of starvation. I could blame the victim, tell you she looked much older than what I assumed. But I know all that don’t help my case. This group of blackmailers know. They filmed it. Even if people don’t think I’m a vampire, they’ll think I’m a different kind of predator, and I am not. I’m not. I was just hungry… If this comes out, it will not only have crushing consequences on the Masquerade, but on my existence. I won’t survive other Kindred getting wind of this. They all like to pretend they’re so bloody moral.” WHAT DO THE BLACKMAILERS WANT? “They want me to confess on behalf of the entire vampire society. They want me to crawl on the cross and suffer for every sin committed by vampires since the dawning of Caine, naming names and telling everyone everything, I’m guessing online. This’ll be the end of us, do you understand?” WHAT DO WE GET FROM THIS? “Well, hopefully we don’t all get murdered if we get rid of the group threatening our existence. Additionally, I’m prepared to clear your bosses’ debts to me and owe you a major boon for your trouble.” WHY US? “Because we need young and capable vampires to not only lead the way for our future generations but also set an example for threats like this group of blackmailers. Sure, an old dog like me could do it, but what

use am I for the future when I ain’t in touch with the world the same way you young ones are?” IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN HELP US? “Only Kindred I know who might not go straight to the Prince with this is a Sewer Rat named Gabriella. I ain’t approached her though, as she’s one of Damien’s Hounds. She’d help you and expect a favor in return in the future. I’m not taking that risk, with my reputation already on the ropes. All your Mawla knows is I need help and am prepared to pay with influence over the fire department, which is my specialty.”

Hunting with Nash If the PCs have been friendly with Nash, he offers to take them hunting around his regular haunts, explaining that their mutual problem is one step toward making them bond companions, and the next step is to feed together. He’s gregarious about it and attempts to make the offer sound fun and a little dangerous. Tonight, Nash suggests they take the L to the university, as there’s a student union party taking place across campus grounds and plenty of kine from which to feed. If they accompany Nash, they find him charming around

mortals, even without the use of his vampiric influence, and should have a fun time as he introduces them to students with whom he’s already familiar. He appears to frequently retain the company of young women, which may set some of the PCs on edge. Hunting with Walter Nash should all go perfectly well for the first hour or so, until he disappears for a while and then staggers onto the scene, bloated with blood and wiping his mouth. He declares “it’s time to leave.” If the PCs head to his feeding ground, they find a young female student unconscious in her dorm. With a successful Intelligence + Medicine roll (Difficulty 3) it’s apparent from her greyed skin and slow pulse that Nash has drank too deeply. Leaving her there may lead to her death and the possibility of stains, but taking her to the hospital represents a potential Masquerade breach. If pressured, Nash promises to handle the situation and takes her to hospital himself. If the PCs do not escort him there, he drops his victim in a park en route and goes about his night.

What Now? The PCs now have a choice on whether they want to assist Nash or not. Regardless of what they decide

T H E D E P LO R A B L E N AS H

Walter Nash is far from sympathetic, and by the end of this story, the PCs may despise him even more than the blackmailer. His habitual feeding on young women goes beyond a prey restriction, having more to do with what he finds easy and fun. If the coterie wishes to spend their time investigating his actions, they can do so, and may unearth a carefully buried trail of girls and women from their mid to late teens through to their early 20s. In many such cases, he starts fires to consume the bodies of his victims and causes delays to the fire department (with his contacts), allowing his crimes to remain concealed. Nash points the group in the blackmailer’s direction and may be used as a dubious Mawla in the future, due to his connections to the fire department. Ultimately though, remaining in close contact with him is a good way to accumulate Stains through inaction, and few vampires will mourn his destruction someone can prove his crimes to the Sheriff.

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to do, it should be clear for them now that this group is not only threatening their own Touchstones, but they are also not afraid to touch powerful vampires. Before the chapter ends, the first consequence for the players not protecting their Touchstones should occur. This can be any of their Touchstones. As the very last event before the chapter ends, the Touchstone calls the PC and tells them they received a voice message from a withheld number saying: “We see you. Careful with the digging.” Let the PCs discuss the pros and cons of helping Nash. Let them discuss morals of helping a hated ancilla, what kind of light it casts on them, and whether he should take care of his issues himself. Allow them to decide whether they want to forgive him for his wrongdoings. Regardless of what they choose, the story continues, and they still have a common enemy to assess.

Chapter Two: Dead Proof The PCs now must decide how to use the information they have to gather more information about the blackmailers in order to know their enemy. Thus far, the players are not aware that this group only consists of mortals. Instead, they might be inclined to believe that they have a vampiric sponsor, or that a hunter organization controls the group. Let the players find out the truth for themselves.

The Scene of the Crime The PCs know that the blackmailers have directly approached one

of their Touchstones, and perhaps harmed them. They are also aware of the location where the blackmailer appeared. In the only mandatory example used earlier in this story, an attack took place in the basement of an apartment building. In your story, this can take place anywhere that makes sense to the vampire and Touchstone. The basement of the apartment building is in Pilsen, a neighborhood housing students and young people. The PC’s Touchstone gladly shows the coterie around her apartment, the hallway, and into the basement. The basement in itself is smaller in size than the actual foundation of the building. Much of it has never been made accessible and the rest is mainly used for storage and laundry. Entering the basement, a timed light can be activated from the doorway, turning on a couple of fluorescent lights in the ceiling. They reveal a short passage with several numbered wooden doors with locks belonging to the inhabitants of the building. Behind these doors are the tenants’ laundry cupboards. At the end of the hall is the laundry room. The laundry room is compact. There is only one washer and an old dryer in the corner. Fresh laundry hangs on lines running from one end of the room to the other, making it hard to navigate the room without bending down or pushing through sheets and clothing. The room is the only one in the basement with a window, which is just above the industrial washer. A successful Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) allows the PCs to find the ID card the Touchstone yanked off her attacker before he fled. It’s lying on the top shelf just to the right of the entryway, as another tenant picked it up and put it there. The card is for a security company called Darkhour Protection based in Ravenswood, in the city’s industrial corridor, and the name of the cardholder is Steve Jensen. A picture

of a slightly overweight male with a blond buzz cut is printed into the top right corner of the card with an ID number of 633CH in the left corner. With a successful Wits + Craft (Difficulty 3) the PCs find a business card tucked into the split laminate of the ID’s lanyard. The business card displays the website verumdetenebris. org, a website created by the leader of the blackmailing group.

Baby Wants Blue Velvet A thorough investigation of the laundry cupboards in the apartment basement reveals that one contains a video camera setup, an SD card revealing days of surveillance footage from the last two months of the Touchstone carrying laundry to and from the room or parking her bike, and most disturbingly, a little blanket hollow where someone’s been sleeping and watching from inside the cupboard. The voyeur isn’t related to the blackmail but is a neighbor from the apartment next door with an obsession for the vampire’s Touchstone. Of note, the footage does reveal the attacker entering the basement and hiding for 20 minutes before the Touchstone appears and he assaults her. It captures his appearance in clear quality: He is a heavyset Caucasian male with short blonde hair, which he covers with a hood once his target enters the basement. His hoodie bears a printed logo for Honored Drink, a bar on Goose Island, near the city’s downtown. The footage also shows her pulling his ID tag from his belt, and later shows another tenant finding it and placing it on a shelf.

Interview the Touchstones The PCs can choose to further interview their Touchstones. What follows are examples of how the in-

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vestigation can take place depending on the Touchstone and the method of blackmailing. Feel free, as the Storyteller, to create your own version of the story and design it after your players’ wishes.

The Sibling Interviewing the sibling Touchstone can either take place while investigating the basement in her apartment building or separately from the search. She is more than willing to tell the PCs about what happened that evening. WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE? “It was kind of difficult to get a good look at him. First of all, he came up at me from behind and when I turned around to look at him, he grabbed my shoulder and turned me away from him. What little I did get to see was this large guy, probably a solid 6’3” or 6’4”, some tribal tattoos visible underneath his black hoodie, and a pair of sunglasses. Oh yeah, he also wore a silver ring on his left hand. He was white and hit me hard. As I said before, I ripped something off his clothing, but I don’t know where it went.” WAS IT SOMEONE YOU KNEW? “I sure fucking hope not. I can’t recall having ever talked to anyone with ugly tribal tattoos on his neck. I might not be the best catch in the pond, but even I have standards. The only thing that springs to mind was the logo on his hoodie. It said something like “The Honor Club” or “Honor Bar” or something like that. It looked like one of those pub logos, you know?”

The Spouse Charlotte is visibly still shaken. She does not want to tell the PCs about the situation and has to be persuaded into doing so with a successful

Charisma + Persuasion (Difficulty 4). Otherwise, she stays quiet out of pure fear that the information might be used against herself or her children. She seems uncomfortable during the entire interview, crosses her arms in front of her, steps away from the PCs, and looks down into the ground. With the successful roll, she allows the PCs to listen to the voicemails and further ask questions about the blackmailing: HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THIS PERSON BEFORE? “No of course not. I’m a stay-athome mom with my own Tupperware franchise, for God’s sake. Obviously, I don’t recognize the voice since it’s been distorted, but to me it sounds like a woman. I really don’t know who would do this. If this is about my spouse, I will do anything I can to save their reputation, even if that means giving up our livelihood.” DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE PERSON? “The only thing I can conclude is this is someone who doesn’t want to be recognized, which makes this situation difficult. I’m not really a person with enemies, at least not as far as I’m aware.” WHERE DO YOU THINK THE PERSON GOT THE INFORMATION? “I haven’t seen the clip they’re talking about yet, but they described it pretty much like Alex described the situation to me, so I don’t think they’re just bullshitting. The attack took place in a 7-Eleven bathroom in the middle of the night. Alex did promise me they’d never attack someone in a frightening way or an unpleasant place but… it was a rough week. Our daughter had been sick for almost three weeks and I couldn’t keep up with work because of that. So, although it’s horrible, I can understand.” It is clear to the PCs with a successful Wits + Insight roll (Diffi-

culty 3) that Charlotte is becoming increasingly uncomfortable and she is possibly holding back on information. Although she already looks like she wants to escape the situation, something about the last question makes her look even more uneasy. A successful Manipulation + Persuasion forces her to break down into tears and tell the coterie she received an email a few minutes before they arrived with the video clip. She did not want to show the coterie because she has seen it and finds the clip too disturbing. She’s never seen her spouse feed before. Additionally, the message attached to the email reads: “Keep this between us.”

The Grandparent If the coterie approaches the grandparent, she willingly gives them her phone, but when the PCs go to check the messages, they are all deleted. The grandmother apologizes, immediately thinking it’s their fault. With a successful Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 4) the players can figure out the phone has recently been hacked and the messages removed from the phone. CAN YOU RECALL WHAT THE MESSAGES SAID? “Oh dear… the old memory bank isn’t as good as it used to be. I didn’t understand most of what it said, it almost seemed like a coded language to me. I remember words like ‘kindred,’ I believe. But what I am sure of is the tone of the message. It was not a friendly one, I can tell you that much!” WERE THEY FROM SOMEONE YOU KNEW? “No, but it appeared they were from someone who at least has knowledge of her and the side she’s so desperately trying to hide. With good reason, too. Being a vampire is not like what they say make it out to be in the books and movies.”

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The Best Friend Meghan is a renowned social media influencer and a successful Resolve + Etiquette (Difficulty 4) gives the PCs information about her various social media profiles and information about her followers. Her most popular platform is Instagram, where she regularly posts model pictures, garnering thousands of likes per photo. Her second most popular platform is her Twitter profile, where she sends day-to-day updates to her followers. This is also where the blackmailers contacted her. The first thing Meghan does when the PCs arrive is beg them to help her regain control of her profiles. She will not be in a mood to answer questions and will instead throw a fury of questions at the PCs. To get her in a state where she can be interviewed, a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3) is required. WERE THEY FROM SOMEONE YOU KNEW? “What? No! I mean, unless it’s some crazy fan. I’ve had stalkers before or jealous bitches who just wanted more followers than me. But I guess they have something to do with her night stuff and blood things.” WHERE DO YOU THINK THE PERSON GOT THE INFORMATION FROM? “They must have known something was up with her, or else they wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of following her with a camera. I don’t think this is a coincidence.” If the PCs look at the pictures attached to the email, they can discover that the picture of the dead mortal is a police photo included in a case file with a successful Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 2).

The Colleague Because of the attack, Neil is hospitalized when the PCs want to

interview him. In order to get near him and allow the PCs to interview him outside visiting hours (which are typically during the day), the PCs first have to convince the guard controlling the speaker system outside the hospital to allow them to enter the building. They can accomplish this with a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4) to convince him to let them in, Manipulation + Performance roll (Difficulty 4) to act like they are in need of medical attention, or Intelligence + Larceny or Wits + Technology roll (Difficulty 3) to break into the hospital. The PCs must sneak past security and potential cameras if they choose this direction. Neil is located in the intensive care unit. He’s not hooked up to machinery (he only broke his arm, albeit badly), but is sleeping. A nurse taking care of Neil and other patients works on his computer at the nursing station just outside his room. The PCs either have to sneak past him with a successful Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 5), or convince him to let them talk to Neil using Charisma + Persuasion (Difficulty 4). In this situation intimidation fails, as they are in a hospital environment and any threatening behavior makes the nurse call security. WHAT DID THE ATTACKER LOOK LIKE AND WHAT DID HE DO? “Complying to the message, I followed orders and showed up in the park at exactly the right time. I was alone there, except for the occasional passer-by. After ten minutes or so, a young woman in a black hoodie walked up to me. I asked her if she was lost, but she replied by demanding company papers. I refused and she attacked me. I passed out from the pain of breaking my arm, which I landed on wrong as I fell into the bushes.” DID YOU RECOGNIZE HIM? “No, she didn’t have any distinctive facial features I could see.

She looked like any other young white woman. Late teens, maybe? She wasn’t even of a large build or threatening in bodily sense. But she did have a knife. Just a kitchen paring knife, I believe.”

Research The PCs can dive into how the blackmailing group utilizes the internet to exert power over its victims. They can do so in different ways depending on the leads and clues they have gathered. If the PCs lack the raw skills to perform this task themselves, the Contacts Background is useful if they have any friends in the tech industry, just as expending a temporary point of Resources allows them to hire mortal help. They can use Allies or Retainers to spy on Darkhour Protection, and Influence might grant them access to the city’s CCTV, if they have sway over city security or police. They can venture into the technological approach themselves, for example by trying to find IP addresses connected to the online messages sent through email and Twitter DMs. They’ll need to break or bypass several security measures in order to find the IP address. For the most part, the blackmailing group has set up every obstacle to keep their identities safe and have established self-destructive email addresses. However, the group has made a couple of slip-ups, which the PCs can detect with a successful Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 5) in order to break through the protection. The PCs can determine an approximate IP address revealing that the messages are sent from within the city of Chicago.

Verumdetenebris The website clearly lacks a template update and still stands as the day it was created in 1999. A picture of the Milky Way with glittering ani-

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mated stars and a big font reading “Do You Believe?” creates the background for a forum layout with several daily updates. The categories and sub-categories are everything from “What did you have for dinner?” and “Show me your cat photos!” to “Werewolf spotted at the harbor?” and “How to protect yourself against vampires.” The blogposts are for the most part created by the user “DarkDescent,” who, from the looks of the website, is an avid photographer. He has album after album on his profile with everything from potential UFO sights to the Loch Ness monster. A successful Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 3) reveals his focus over the last six months has been on the existence of vampires.

Social Media If the players look at the social media influencer’s profile with a successful Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3), a particular profile that began following her two months ago draws their attention. When looking at their uploads, the only pictures are of a link with a name “verumdetenebris.org” on a red and black spiral background posted every single day since they began following her. The profile was created the same day it began following her.

Darkhour If the players acquired the ID card from basement where the sibling was attacked, they now have an idea of where to find him. On the card is an address, a picture, and a phone number for the company, Darkhour Protection. If the PCs call the number, it goes directly to voicemail. A bland website for Darkhour pops up when searching for the company online. With a successful Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 4), it is clear the website was only set up in the last few months and is full of stock photos and mistakes ill-suited to a professional security firm. If the characters have already looked up the verumdetenebris website, they’ll recognize much of the same web design.

CCTV The PCs can also acquire the security camera footage from the park in which the colleague Neil was attacked. The private company in charge of the CCTV in Challenger Park will not give up their footage without a warrant or a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 5). Alternatively, a coterie might conspire to steal the footage, though it’s all digitally recorded, so it requires hacking

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with an Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 4). Viewing the footage, they see choppy footage of a skinny, young, white woman leaving a bus from Ravenswood. She walks into Challenger Park with her hands in her pockets to talk to Neil, pulls a knife out, and then pushes him into the nearest bush a few moments later.

The Wild Approach PCs with Animalism might talk to park animals to figure out what went on in Challenger Park, the only additional information that can be gleaned is regarding the cold, sterile smell the youth had about her clothes, as if they’d been dipped in bleach.

Who is Walter Nash? The PCs might want to research further into who they are helping, especially after he informed them about his darker past and his quarrel with Prince Jackson. If the PCs search the internet for the name “Walter Nash” with a successful Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3), they find a couple of newspaper articles about an American-Irish criminal of that name, operating on the East Coast and in Chicago throughout the 1920s and 1930s. On a subsequent Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 4), they find an apparently separate Walter Nash responsible for a collapsed pyramid scheme in the 1980s, and his sponsorship of several fire service charities. The charity articles, buried deeper in the internet, include pictures of Walter Nash alongside prominent mortal councilors and fire chiefs up until the mid-1990s. If the PCs research his contro-

versial young victim, they can find a YouTube clip from a local Chicago news station issuing a warning for younger people and children to stay with a responsible adult or near friends if they find themselves on Goose Island. This is where the victim — Michelle Sterry — was reported attacked by a man in his 40s. Sterry has no extant online presence, but if civil records are examined with a successful Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) they find out she died in the last few weeks after spending the last months of her life in a coma. The PCs might also want to look further into Nash’s Kindred background. However, there is no online evidence of Nash being a vampire. In order to find out more about Walter Nash and what he did to offend Kindred society, they have to utilize one of their vampire contacts, a Mawla, or a clan Primogen. The Storyteller can decide if the PCs only need to roll a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 5) in order to get their contact to talk. Depending on how long the Storyteller wants the story to be, this is an option for the vampire to expect a payment in return for this information. If the PCs do successfully convince them to provide information on Nash, they tell the characters about how Walter Nash was probably aware of the age of the victim and enjoyed the fact children were easier targets. Nash has never been known as a discerning Ventrue, often drinking too much and hospitalizing his victims. Additionally, the vampire informant might reveal how Nash directed fire stations local to Kevin Jackson’s Cabrini Green territory to respond slowly to several fires in that area, some years back. This was a power play on Nash’s part, before Jackson made himself Prince. Jackson hasn’t forgiven his older clanmate.

Chapter Three: Seek and Destroy The PCs should now have enough information to dive even further into investigation and approach the main antagonists of the story. Chapter Three is categorized in three different approaches: Physical, Mental, and Social. The players can try to deal with two or even three of the approaches in one night, but more likely, they only have time for one. By now, the first 24 hours have passed. Remind the players of their deadline in order to keep them on their toes and uphold a constant tension.

The Physical Route — The ID Card The address on the ID card leads to Ravenswood, an industrial zone on the city outskirts. Ravenswood is full of small office buildings, car workshops, silos for fodder storage, mountains of containers, and cranes looking like they were just left in the middle of a lifting job. When the coterie arrives, there is not any immediate single sign of life except for a few flickering lamp posts scattered along the main road and the occasional blue blinking lights from security devices above doors and windows. The area surrounding the Darkhour address appears desolate. A Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) allows them to spy three people in an unlit car parked in a lot separate from Darkhour itself. The inhabitants are three security personnel tipped off to the coterie’s approach. They are keeping an eye on things while maintaining phone contact with their

fellow security agent within the small office building. If the PCs approach the car, the guards inside might do one of three things: SPEED AWAY If the coterie approaches the vehicle as a big group or in their car, the security personnel want nothing to do with them, and drive away. They stay on the phone to their companion within the Darkhour building but attempt to evade the PCs. If the characters wish to pursue them, they must make a Wits + Drive roll (Difficulty 4) to keep up. GET OUT OF THE CAR WIELDING WEAPONS If one or two characters approach the car without using Disciplines or immediately acting aggressive, two of the Darkhour personnel exit the car (leaving the driver within). One of the security team wields a baton, the other a bat. They boldly state “Let’s see how tough these freaks are” before rushing to take the legs out from underneath the characters. They don’t believe the PCs are vampires, and won’t, unless they clearly demonstrate their abilities. The guards’ objective here is to disable the characters while the driver records the footage. If they can somehow incapacitate the characters, they take photos with their phones and then climb into the car before attempting to escape. DRIVE THE CAR INTO THE CHARACTERS If the PCs come out guns blazing or using visibly aggressive Disciplines on the car’s inhabitants, the driver resists by attempting to plough the car into the coterie. This is treated as a Wits + Drive (see p. XX for Darkhour personnel stats) vs. Dexterity + Athletics attack, with a +4 Superficial damage modifier, reduced by a cumulative 1 for each subsequent character hit as the driver loses her nerve and swerves away. This move to bowl the characters over is as a result of the driver — the young woman who ambushed Neil in the park, if that encounter took place — being petrified by this situation and how badly things have fallen apart. Her only plan of action is to hit and run, even with her colleagues bellowing at her for her to slow down or stop.

External Security It’s likely that the characters will resist the beating and overpower the Darkhour security personnel. They were hired to spy on and embarrass the characters, but with their employer’s offer of substantial payment, aren’t averse to laying down a beating. They confirm as much if threatened and they feel as if they have no hope for escape. WHY WERE YOU SPYING ON US? “Anonymous hire job. Went by the name ‘Redwood.’ We got paid a bundle to film you and some of your

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Strength + Brawl (Difficulty 6) roll, since the gate is made of solid steel. If the PCs take time out to walk around the building looking in through the blinds, they catch a glimpse of a light being shut off on the second floor just as they walk around the backside of the building. When the characters enter, whether through the front door or one of the windows, they find an almost entirely empty ground floor. Surprisingly for a security company, there are no alarms and the front door remains unlocked. A couple of chairs sit around a table with an old CRT monitor doing double duty as TV and a PC monitor are the only furniture, aside from a mini fridge in the corner of the room and a printer on the floor. All the walls otherwise separating the first floor into rooms have been torn down. A couple of warm, mostly empty beer cans sit beside the chairs on the floor and on the table, and a jacket labelled “Honored Drinks” hangs on the back of one of the chairs.

friends and then send the footage somewhere. Security services are just one part of what we do; we’re P.I.s too when money’s tight.” HOW MUCH WERE YOU PAID? “A grand for every usable photo. Three large for any good moving footage and any face-to-face meetings with named targets. He also built our website and rented out this building for us. We’ve been working from home for a few years, scratching around for work.” HOW DID THE EMPLOYER MAKE CONTACT? “Email. We were paid electronically. A new email address contacted us each time. Only Jensen met him in person, when he initially offered the deal at that bar he always hangs at. You’d have to ask him about what the guy was like.” WHAT WERE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR? “All the photos and recordings were us. We didn’t make the calls, but the employer didn’t want to deal with face-to-face meets, so we handled the basement and the park deals. We didn’t want to hurt anyone. It was just a job. Just a couple love taps.” How the PCs deal with the security after they’re subdued is up to them, but the security won’t report the characters to the police, knowing their own spying, breaking and entering, and blackmailing is all highly illegal. They’re grateful to get away with their lives. If the PCs ask after Steve Jensen — the Darkhour guy from the basement encounter — the security team explain he’s in the offices and was on the phone with them until the PCs showed up.

Digging Through the Emails Stuck on the wall behind the TV are several pictures of the sibling Touchstone. A couple of sticky notes next to some of the pictures read “Laundry between 8 PM to 10:30 PM,” “Arrives home at 4 PM,” “Take liberties,” “Red bike.” Beside the computer are four printed emails from a “Redwood.” EMAIL #1

To: Darkhour Protection

The Darkhour Property

I take it you found the building I provided for you in good shape for the task at hand. I did not include anything other than the bare necessities. You will find a table, chairs, a screen for surveillance footage, a fridge, and beds on the second floor. For now, I will allow you to settle in to prepare for the next two month’s process. Please take this time to research the names included in this list. We’ll take care of doing the calls, but for now, focus on your research. This email will self-delete an hour after it has been sent.

The security office is located next to an excavation side with two cranes that are in the middle of digging out the foundations to a new parking lot. The building is a small two-story facility with a sign presenting the company name on its front gate and on the building itself. There are no dedicated parking sports for the employees nor are there any company cars. A Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) reveals the building signage is still covered with laminate, suggesting it was only recently put up. From the road, it appears as though not a single light is on in the building. The windows have blinds drawn over them. To get near the building, the PCs either have to jump the fence or break the hanging lock on the gate. To jump the fence and land safely on the other side, they need a successful Strength + Athletics roll (Difficulty 3). To pick the lock, they need a successful Dexterity + Larceny roll (Difficulty 2). Brute force might break the gate, but this requires a Strength + Melee (Difficulty 4) or

Redwood

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EMAIL #2

EMAIL #4

To: Darkhour Protection

The surveillance cameras should be with you in the next week or so. Please, do make sure not to miss this next job like you did the last. We need to keep on schedule. Need I remind you there is an entire city of blood-sucking beasts out to destroy everything that is good, and we are the only ones that can stop them?! Get going.

Listen, I don’t know what happened, but they know about us and they know where to find you. What did I tell you about touching the key persons? The most important thing I asked of you, you disobeyed. You have to prepare for an incoming attack. Now that we know they are coming, I need you to await their arrival and be as prepared as possible. Perhaps we can stop their snooping around once and for all. I hear they are all fairly young, so they should be easy to deal with. But take into account they are vampires — powerful monsters with one thing on their mind. Wait for them in the house. They will come for you.

Redwood EMAIL #3

To: Darkhour Protection Your first target is a young woman related to our vampire prospect. Please do not do anything but blackmail her. Do not touch her. Do not harm her. This is only meant to act as a threat. If we actually harm any of these key persons, you best believe they will be standing on your doorstep before you can say “bloodbath.” I know low profile and restraint are not exactly your strong suits, but this is of utter importance. Now that you have a pattern of when she enters the basement, just make sure you approach her when there is little risk of you getting caught. There’s a basement window in the washing room, so see if you can get in through that. I’ll send you the details of the colleague I also want you to approach separately.

Jensen’s Ambush As the characters read the last sentence in the last email, a tear gas grenade rolls down from the second floor. Any mortals present other than Jensen (the attacker) must roll Dexterity + Athletics (Difficulty 4) to get away without effect or Stamina + Survival (Difficulty 5) to operate without the gas blinding and disabling them for up to six turns. Jensen runs down the stairs equipped with a handgun and wearing a gas mask. He’s the only one who takes Redwood’s talk of vampires seriously, and he intends to murder them here and now.

DARKHOUR SECURITY Standard Dice Pools: Physical 6, Social 3, Mental 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Exceptional Dice Pools: Intimidation 5; Investigation 5, Technology 6 Special: Darkhour only have two guns between them: one in the car with the driver, the other in Jensen’s hands. They have no particular loyalty to their employer, but the driver, Yana, is panicked and violent as a result, while Jensen is a new believer in vampires and treats them as a serious threat.

Redwood

General Difficulties: 4/2

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Picking up the Pieces Depending on how they handled Jensen, the coterie may open up several new avenues of inquiry for their investigation into the blackmailers. KILLING JENSEN If Jensen is dead, the coterie’s only clues from here are the bar where he met Redwood — Honored Drinks, on Goose Island — and performing some deep level hacking into verumdetenebris. For the bar, go to p. XX. For the hacking route, go to p. XX. INTERROGATING JENSEN At this point, the Storyteller might make Jensen more or less talkative depending on how long they want the investigation to go on. A helpful Jensen might explain how he followed Redwood back to his residence in Arlington Heights and can even provide the coterie with the address. If he does, the story can proceed to p. XX. A resistant Jensen might only reveal how he met Redwood at the Honored Drinks bar on Goose Island. In this case, the bar is detailed starting on p. XX. A fanatical Jensen might prefer death to helping a vampire, but he’s susceptible to mental coercion via use of Presence or Dominate.

The Social Route — The Bar Meeting During their time together, Walter Nash might have mentioned the Honored Drinks bar, which also came up on Jensen’s hoodie and in his account of where he met the originator of this blackmail plot. Honored Drinks is a relatively small and unknown bar to the Kindred community. It opened four months ago. On the night the PCs arrive, it is hosting an exclusive function. Only invited guests are allowed inside.

Honored Drinks is in the middle of a residential neighborhood and looks like a family home hosting a keg party. A path cuts through the middle of the front yard up to a painted wooden front porch with swinging chairs, a green front door, and a balcony overlooking the lawn. The features give the entire building a homey feel, broken by the thumping music from within. Two bouncers stand outside the door, with a Wits + Firearms roll (Difficulty 4) highlighting the concealed handguns or stun-guns within their jackets. They occasionally chat or speak into their Bluetooth headsets. An eerie green light from a lamp post in front of the building marks the location of the bar, but no sign points patrons toward it.

Getting Inside While the characters may want to find their way inside, what they do not know is the bar is a popular hunter hangout and dangerous for any Kindred to enter. The bouncers can be persuaded to let the PCs in with Disciplines, or a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4) if they want to convince them they have important business inside. Forcing their way in is a good way to spook the hunters drinking within or draw them into action.

HONORED DRINKS BOUNCERS Standard Dice Pools: Physical 5, Social 4, Mental 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 4 Exceptional Dice Pools: Brawl 6; Etiquette 5, Intimidation 6 Special: The bouncers are armed with handguns and permits to carry them. General Difficulties: 3/2

The Bar Layout Honored Drinks was only established recently, and it shows. The house-turned-bar is laid out like a comfortable home where the patrons sit at dining tables, in soft chairs around the television, or lean against counters in the kitchen. Outside of this comfort, the trappings of the bar are crude. The beer kegs in Honored Drinks are on show, the lamps above the drinkers still have exposed wiring from when they were put up, and thrash metal pumps loudly from an admittedly expensive home stereo system to make conversation difficult. Fifteen people occupy the bar at the time the coterie arrive. A couple of mid-twenties punks dance in the corner of the living room, the girl with her hand around the guy’s neck, and his hand around her waist. Their tottering footsteps reveal their intoxication. Small groups of middle-aged individuals chat and laugh with beers and drinks in ubiquitous red plastic cups in their hands. The drinks are the bare minimum of creative and resemble what a friend with no bartending experience might throw together. Two bartenders stand near bottles of liquor on one of the lounge cabinet shelves, while a third chats up guys in the kitchen as she serves beer. A Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 2) reveals that everyone in the bar except for the dancing punks, who may have been admitted accidentally, is armed with a knife, a handgun, or — in one case — a wooden stake in a holster. Many of the patrons bear an insignia of a sword through a skull on their clothing. A Wits + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 5) allows a PC to identify the symbol as that of a paramilitary group of vampire hunters growing in number around Chicago, known as Night’s Cross. This bar appears to belong to the group. As the Storyteller, emphasize

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the change in mood for the PCs, even though the hunters in the bar are still unaware of the characters’ undead natures. Suddenly, they’re standing in the middle of a potential deathtrap.

ing this bar in her own house. Her blonde, curly hair occasionally gets messed up by an attractive younger girl by her side, for as long as she’s sat at the table with her friends. Josephine’s left hand rarely leaves its position on her lover’s thigh, occasionally sliding in between them. The hunter has a lip ring and a septum piercing she plays with when not talking. She wears a black tight-fitting t-shirt with a pack of smokes in her left rolled-up sleeve. One of her teeth glistens silver in the light every time she smiles. A Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3) reveals a handgun strapped to her right thigh. An Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 3) reveals a necklace made from what appear to be fangs hanging under her collar, and the inside of her jacket occasionally opens to show off a row of three stakes attached with elastic bands. The fangs actually belong to dogs and other animals, but Josephine wears them for intimidation purposes.

NIGHT’S CROSS HUNTER Standard Dice Pools: Physical 5, Social 3, Mental 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 7 Exceptional Dice Pools: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Firearms 7, Melee 6; Intimidation 4; Awareness 5, Occult 5, Science 5 Special: These hunters are all equipped with handguns, knives, or stakes. They do not possess True Faith. Their knowledge of vampires is largely based on popular culture interpretations, but they’ve successfully killed three Kindred using a combination of crosses (which didn’t work as intended, but did confuse their victims), staking, gunfire, and sunlight.

ASKING ABOUT NASH She’s suspicious if asked questions about Walter Nash, though she doesn’t recall who let him into the bar or who else he knows there. Being encouraged to remember him clearly troubles her. No rolls are required to get Josephine talking about Nash, as she’s curious herself about why there’s such a gap in her mind surrounding him. Jogging her memories of Nash by describing his appearance or manner of speech suddenly snaps her into recollection — “That bastard hypnotized me! He attacked that girl near here and took the memory of it from my mind! That son of a bitch…” The memory angers her, motivating her to speak about Nash and her realization of his being a vampire just before he removed the thoughts from her mind. Once the scene in Honored Drinks concludes — providing the coterie don’t tip the hunters off to their own undead states — Josephine organizes a hunt for Walter Nash.

General Difficulties: 5/2

Talking to the Guests Most of the guests are cliquish in the extreme or know little about the Nash situation. The drinkers here certainly don’t know Walter Nash is a vampire. However, a Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3) points the PCs toward a woman named Josephine, who owns the property and keeps track of most guests. She’s drinking among a group of friends and proudly wears a Night’s Cross jacket, repping her gang affiliation. A Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 2) reveals Josephine holds court among her gang. When she speaks, everyone else stays quiet. Yet, when she reaches the end of an anecdote, it’s as if every tale she utters is the funniest thing they’ve ever heard. The PCs have to distract the rest of the group from Josephine in order to get her attention, or else she ignores their questions. This can be done in several different ways. The PCs might want to entertain the gang with a Charisma + Performance roll (Difficulty 3) and invite them to dance, tell jokes or stories, or get into an ill-advised drinking competition. The characters may buy a round or draw Josephine’s attention with Disciplines, though this is risky. Overt mental manipulation draws the hunters’ hostility. Ultimately, a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 5) draws Josephine from her group temporarily.

ASKING ABOUT REDWOOD Josephine believes Nash has a connection to Redwood, but no matter what the characters do, she can’t form the link strongly in her mind. She’s more cautious about revealing Redwood-related information but can be persuaded if using Disciplines discreetly or through a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4). Josephine knows Redwood contacted the Night’s Cross organization to gain information about how to protect himself and his family from vampires. His need for information slowly transgressed into how to kill vampires and how to create traps to perfectly ensnare a vampire. As a long-time fan of Redwood’s online blog, Josephine provided him with all the information she had about hunting vampires and where to find them. She also warned Redwood about messing with monsters much stronger than him, but he did not seem fazed by her

Josephine, Vampire Hunter Josephine’s a well-built woman in her mid-thirties, who came to Chicago from Berlin recently, establish-

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caution. With a sufficient bribe (equivalent to a character losing one dot in Resources), she reveals the address for Redwood’s house in Arlington Heights.

•

Tackle and hold them! — Josephine knows how difficult it is to plant a stake directly in a vampire’s heart from experience, so with the benefit of numbers on her side, she orders the hunters to rush the vampires and tackle them to the ground.

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Stake them! — The hunters target any vampires knocked to the ground or held in place with their stakes.

•

Gun down any survivors! — Josephine would prefer to not open fire in a residential area, but she’s more concerned about letting vampires flee her bar. The good news for her is, she ensures members of Night’s Cross all have valid firearms licenses, and she knows a dead vampire crumbles to ash, so the gang risks minimal charges if they discharge firearms and leave no bodies.

•

Light this place up! — As an act of last resort, if Josephine feels her gang are at risk of losing, she orders the hunters to use the alcohol to start fires, then orders them to gun down any fleeing vampires or stake them and throw them into the inferno.

JOSEPHINE HABERMANN Standard Dice Pools: Physical 6, Social 4, Mental 5 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 6 Exceptional Dice Pools: Brawl 7, Firearms 7, Melee 7; Intimidation 5, Leadership 6; Occult 6 Special: True Faith 1 (Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 222)

Talking to the Bartenders The bartenders are open to small talk, but they insist on seeing IDs before serving drinks to young-looking Kindred, following “a recent incident with an underage girl that got way out of hand.” Checking IDs is a way for Josephine and the staff to match patrons against their confirmed list of approved names, held on a list in the living room cabinet. If the PCs haven’t had their names added to this list, the bartenders flag them as unusual. They still serve them, but later will scrutinize those characters as potential spies or recruits. A successful Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 4) convinces the bartenders that it’s the list that’s wrong, and their names should be on it. The staff at Honored Drinks can barely remember Walter Nash, in part due to his use of Disciplines to subdue their memories, but also because he’s only dropped in a couple of times. If thoroughly reminded of him, they only shrug. They just don’t think the guy was memorable, though they can be convinced to check their guest list and find he isn’t on there. They do know the individual named Redwood. They describe him as “a geeky guy who came by regularly for a while who wanted into Night’s Cross. He brought his daughter with him a few times. Nice kid. Then she went and got drunk here without her old man, and hasn’t been back. Redwood came back though. Hired one of our regulars for some security job or other.” With a Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3) the bar staff confirm Redwood hired Steve Jensen of Darkhour Protection.

If the PCs escape this situation, Josephine gives the order to hang back. She remembers what the vampires look like and will arrange their hunt for a future date. The only instance in which the coterie might mollify the hunters, preventing a fight, is if they’re prepared to give up everything on Walter Nash and another vampire of their choice in the city. The hunters require convincing as to the truth of any information, which either takes a Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4) if the intelligence imparted is true, or a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 5) to feed them a believable lie. In either case, Josephine still marks the coterie for death to be

W H Y WAS WA LT E R N AS H AT T H E B A R ?

A question the coterie may be asking themselves is why Walter Nash was hanging out at a bar with a gang of hunters. Nash’s initial reason for hanging at Honored Drinks was to enlist the hunters to go after his rivals while enjoying the thrill of pretending to drink alongside vampire killers. He ended up in a conversation with Redwood — the mortal unaware he was addressing a vampire — and was introduced to the amateur hunter’s daughter, Michelle. Nash being a deplorable and impulsive individual quickly shifted gears toward grooming Michelle, and when her father stepped away, he acquired her phone number. He met up with her again later that night to feed. After taking it far too far, he abandoned her unconscious body near Honored Drinks.

Antagonizing the Hunters It’s possible the PCs might reveal their vampirism to the hunters, inadvertently or otherwise. The hunters do not see the vampires as a curiosity to be trifled with but as a pest in need of destruction. They all defer to Josephine’s commands, with her orders running as follows:

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

delivered at another point. If Josephine is eliminated in a battle, half the rest of the hunters flee, leaving six to stand and fight.

The Mental Route — Deep Net If the players do not wish to confront any of the persons involved directly, they can take a discreet approach and work from the shadows in order to gather information about Redwood and where to find him. Any kind of investigation into the online presence of the blackmailer requires explanation from the players, covering: •

Where are they looking?

•

What are they looking for?

•

How do they intend to obtain this information?

While players do not need to be hackers or IRS agents themselves, it helps establish the kinds of rolls required for accessing Redwood’s personal information via his website, his bank details, or other clues left at the various scenes.

The Online Trail Digging into the online trail requires an Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 6), with the difficulty high because Redwood is incredibly effective at concealing his digital footprint. His website is set up under a pseudonym and paid for with crypto currency. The site shuts down swiftly if hacking is detected, only to pop up again soon after with evidence on public display of the attempts to shut it down. As far as Redwood is concerned, it adds legitimacy to the conspiracy theorist claims on the site. Redwood’s website contingency might instill paranoia in the coterie,

as the new version of verumdetenebris publishes the exact location from which the hack was made, unless the characters took their own technological precautions. Having one’s haven or a cybercafé the PCs frequent open to public scrutiny is not something most vampires desire.

The Financial Trail If the characters successfully bypass Redwood’s online safeguards, they come a step closer to identifying the man and finding his location. On a successful Intelligence + Finance roll (Difficulty 5), the characters find the source of payment behind the hosting of verumdetenebris or extrapolate the intended recipient of blackmail funds from the online payment details provided to the characters’ Touchstones. Hacking someone’s financial records is a risky endeavor liable to draw the wrong kind attention should the attempt fail. The Storyteller should consider who might respond to an attempted hack into personal information relating to bank accounts, whether it be the Chicago Police Department dispatching detectives to interview the PCs, producing a warrant for their electronics due to the suspicion of fraudulent activity, or whether a vampire such as Alan Sovereign (Chicago by Night, p. XX) gets in touch to tell them he helped cover their tracks, but now they owe him big.

External Help Not all coteries are equipped for hacking and financial crime, but several SPCs in Chicago exist who can fulfill that function if the price is right, and the Contacts, Influence, and Allies Backgrounds may find use here. Alan Sovereign is the financial wizard of the city and firmly entrenched in the Camarilla. Likewise,

Bobby Weatherbottom (Chicago by Night, p. XX) is an anonymous hacker of impressive ability with ties to the Anarchs who the Storyteller could introduce to this story if the player characters have met him before. Gabriella of Clan Nosferatu acts as one of Prince Damien’s Hounds, serving as his monitor over vampires committing breaches of the Masquerade via the internet and other media. Gabriella’s skills extend to more than just viewing back hours of recorded footage: she is also an expert when it comes to cybersecurity, and she is a student of the Masquerade’s online enforcer of Clan Nosferatu, Ambrus Maropis. Reaching out to Gabriella is a simple task if the characters ask a Mawla or contacts for the name of someone equipped to mine information from the internet, and Walter Nash might have already given her information to the coterie. She spends her nights at libraries and cybercafés throughout the domain, and tonight is in the Green Capital Café off Lincoln Park. Gabriella’s intensely private about her appearance, a hood tugged up over her ears, which are additionally covered by a set of lime-green headphones. Her eyes intensely follow the first-person shooter she’s playing while she bites her lip in pure concentration. She does not notice the PCs right away, but the owner of the café comes up to them with crossed arms and gives them a hard stare if they hang around her without speaking. He asks them why they are staring at his girlfriend and whether it’s because of the scars on her face. The PCs can explain to her companion that they’re there for business, and not to bully or harm her, on a successful Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 2), though if they fail and he tries to kick them out, Gabriella stops him and pauses her game. Gabriella’s price for helping them on a hack attempt either costs

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them payment equal to one dot in the Resources Background or, if the PCs do not have enough money, she challenges one of them to an online game of Nidhogg, her favorite game for fast-paced competition. If the PC can beat her, using a successful Wits + Technology roll (Difficulty 5), she helps the PCs. The Nosferatu takes an hour to return with a full page of information about Redwood.

Who is Redwood? The investigation reveals Redwood’s real name is Paul Sterry, the CEO of a datamining company named NeverLost. Sterry has a wife named Alison, a fifteen-year-old daughter named Michelle, and a thirteen-year-old son named Paul Jr. The deep dig reveals his address in Arlington Heights, when his website was established (ten years ago), and a picture of him, which might be a driver’s license or a passport photo. Paul Sterry has short black hair waxed into a fixed combover, and thick glasses that make his eyes look like tiny pinpricks. He wears a blue suit in the picture and a pendant around his neck with the Illuminati sign. This photo is from at least five years ago. The information that the PCs uncover about Sterry is sparse, though not for their lack of trying. He’s an individual who despite running a successful company has no social media presence and no personal contact details online. It appears as though his immediate family has the same anonymity, though digging into Sterry’s son and daughter with an Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 4) identifies profiles on a couple of gaming forums and streaming sites that were deactivated shortly after being set up.

R E D W O O D O R S T E R RY ?

Though it’s possible to discover Redwood’s full name of Paul Sterry in the story, this information isn’t mandatory for the story. For the remainder of this story he’ll continue to be known as Redwood.

Approaching the House No matter what route the player takes, they all end up with enough information to locate Redwood’s address. Give the PCs a bit of time to discuss how to approach the house the best way possible before reminding them the 48-hour time limit is slowly running out. If the Storyteller or players have lost track of the timer, tell them they only have five hours left before the sun comes up and the blackmail threat becomes a reality. Before the chapter ends, one of the PCs get a call from an untraceable number. A high-pitched voice, distorted through software, pierces through. “I have your special friend with me. While you’ve been busy, I’ve been working, too. You take something of mine, I take something of yours. I know you’re on your way. Time is running out. Tick tock, assholes.” The Storyteller should decide which Touchstone Redwood captured. Redwood calls the player whose Touchstone is in danger. If the PCs decide to visit this Touchstone’s home, they find it empty and signs of a struggle within.

Chapter Four: The Inner Core Redwood has a love for numbers, systems, and codes. He knows the PCs are arriving and has designed his entire home as one big vampire trap.

He’s been fascinated by the supernatural his entire life, although he only recently grew to fear and loathe vampires following the murder of his daughter by Walter Nash outside of Honored Drinks. Redwood believes all vampires are of the same family, motivation, and bestial nature, and wants to play with the PCs. He wants to prove his superiority to the world by not only defeating monsters but also toying with them.

The House Front The house is a large two-story family home fenced in by a well-kept front yard and an eight-foot-tall wire metal fence. A successful Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 4) reveals a thin electrified cord underneath the wire on the top of the fence. The yard displays several marble statues depicting fight scenes with mythical beasts and monsters. Right outside the entrance to the door, a large statue of Hercules is placed like a sign of warning for anyone who approaches. A large pond on the left side of the property reflects the light of the moon. Occasional rings in the water suggest that animal life dwells beneath the surface. There are a couple of signs this home is used for family living. A bike is tipped over to the left side of the fence and a scummy football bobs on the surface of the pond. A couple of sun-bleached beach chairs with a forgotten magazine on one of them are barely visible from outside the property and a gazebo behind the pond has four chairs and a table with a plastic red-checkered tablecloth, suggesting

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

there are obstacles on top of the fence). It is also possible for the PCs to open the gate through the electrical lock with an Intelligence + Larceny roll (Difficulty 3).

YO U T H O U G H T T H E Y W E R E S A F E ?

If the PCs went to the trouble of safeguarding all their Touchstones during this story, including the Touchstone who wasn’t blackmailed, you don’t need to extract a character from safety via deus ex machina. Reward the characters for their forward thinking by keeping them safe and have Redwood instead kidnap a contact or ally who isn’t emotionally linked to the PCs. After all, he doesn’t know how deep these connections run. Alternatively, remember that you reserved one of the Touchstones at the start of the story, and that they were specifically marked as not being blackmailed. Now, that individual can be the target of the kidnapping attempt. If that Touchstone was forgotten and left unsecured, Redwood has kidnapped that character.

Entering When the PCs cross the front yard, the front door bursts open. Two German Shepherds barrel toward the group with bared canines and froth around their mouths. A Wits + Animal Ken roll (Difficulty 2) tells the coterie the dogs are larger and faster than decent-sized Alsatians should be. Redwood has been feeding the dogs vitae procured through his blackmail scheme. Although he does not want to become a ghoul himself, he has no remorse about beefing up his dogs with vitae.

that a family uses it for eating once in a while. If the PCs circle around to the back yard, they find it devoid of life but for topiary and the ashes of a bonfire with a whole bunch of half-destroyed toys and girl’s clothing within it. Light emerges from a couple of windows on the second floor, and the occasional shadow can be seen walking by. They differ in size and height and interact with each other occasionally. The exterior of the house is a bad mix between an old family home and Roman design: There are red brick walls and robust, supportive pillars around the perimeter. The windows, doors, and trimmings suggest modern facilities and simplicity. Yet the façade is flawlessly painted, and every window is meticulously cleaned without any signs of elemental damage. If the PCs take time out to study the house from different angles before approaching it, they also see two large dog houses in the very right-hand corner of the property. In order to get into the house, the PCs must bypass the fence and gate. If the PCs try to talk to Redwood through the speaker system on the outside of the gate, they can hear his distorted voice through the speaker system. He greets the PCs in a mocking tone and tells them he’ll gladly let them in if they answer a question he created for them. “Tell me this, you bloodsucking bastards: How many pints can a hundred and ten pound fifteen-year-old girl lose before she becomes irrevocably brain damaged?” There’s no definite answer to the question, but Redwood is looking for the vampires to show concern or state anywhere between three and five (more than that would leave the hypothetical girl dead). The gates slide open if they answer in a way that satisfies him, and the PCs have access to the property. Of course, they may want to try and climb or jump the fence. This can be achieved with a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty 4 since

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GHOUL ALSATIANS

RIDDLE ME THIS

Redwood grossly underestimates what vampires are capable of and severely overestimates his ability to make them play his games. He might attempt to confuse them with a riddle, only for them to use a Discipline (the technicalities of which he’s completely unaware) to vault a fence, kick a dog over the house, or boil the blood of his servant. Don’t feel you need to make Redwood a terrible threat: The main purpose to his tricks and traps is to highlight the gulf between knowing and not knowing, the difference in power between vampires and mortals, and the tragedy of this mortal who lost his daughter to a vampire’s hunger. His house is less a threat to their health and more to their Humanity.

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 6, Social 1, Mental 1 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 2 Exceptional Dice Pools: Brawl 7; Animal Ken 4, Intimidation 5; Awareness 5 Special: Add +2 to damage done by ghoul Alsatian bites. Ghoul Alsatians possess one dot of Celerity. Any attempts to use Animalism to subdue these dogs comes at +1 Difficulty. General Difficulties: 4/1 The two dogs go for the kill and have no sense of self-preservation. They do not work as a team. Their preferred tactic is to go for a target’s soft bits and parts

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

that fit in their jaws, such as legs, genitals, hands, arms, and throats. One dog might attempt to knock a victim down first before biting down. The other might just bite through the flesh of its target. The PCs must subdue or outrun the dogs, fleeing into the house. As soon as both dogs are subdued, the house’s double front doors swing open to allow the PCs entry, though they can also try to enter through a window, the back door, or the conservatory. It’s possible to break the reinforced glass windows using a tool or weapon, such as with a Strength + Melee or Dexterity + Firearms roll (Difficulty 4), though it’s harder to do so without material assistance on a Strength + Brawl roll (Difficulty 5). Characters might instead use a Dexterity + Larceny roll (Difficulty 3) to break the window lock. The back door is likewise reinforced, requiring the same kinds of rolls but with an added difficulty of +1 to the attempts. If the PCs successfully enter the house without using the front door, skip the Hallway.

Keeping Track Redwood tracks the vampires in his house with hidden cameras and microphones. Paranoid, he’s bugged the entire house. It’s possible to find some of these recording devices using an Intelligence + Investigation or Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 4), though disabling them doesn’t bring Redwood out; he just grows frustrated that he can’t follow the coterie’s progress.

The Hallway Aside from the moon shining through a magnificent skylight, the only light source illuminating the hallway is a chandelier. The gas flames

from its candles cast dancing shapes on the burgundy walls and Persian rugs. A large clock facing the front door lightly ticks on. Looking up, the vampires can see the vaulted roof from within, as there are no rooms directly above the hallway; just thick beams. The hallway seems eerily quiet and gives off an unearthly feeling once the front door closes behind the PCs. If a vampire uses a Discipline to scout out the rafters before proceeding further, jump ahead to The Ceiling on p. XX. A coat hanger stands to the left of the door, and several different types of outerwear for people of different genders and ages hang from it. A scuffed-up skateboard leans against a nearby shoe rack. If the PCs look underneath the skateboard, they see the name “Paul” spray-painted onto the wood. In the middle of the hallway, before the stairway leading to the second floor and before the entrances to the kitchen and living room, Redwood has placed a silk-thin trip wire across the room at knee height. If any of the PCs jump head directly into the house without assessing it first with a Wits + Awareness or Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 4), the clock at the end of the room emits a five second long rapid ticking noise before the main body of the clock opens up and a firebolt shoots towards the PC triggering the trap. The trap is a simple corn flour trap, shooting a cloud of corn flour at a target and igniting it, creating a flash of flame enough to ignite clothing and sear hair. The PC must make a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty 2) to dodge the attack. If not, the vampire who triggered the flame suffers one Aggravated damage and must roll to resist a terror frenzy (Difficulty 3). Disabling the trap takes an Intelligence + Larceny roll (Difficulty 3) to do so without inadvertently setting it off.

Personal Affects The hallway is largely devoid of personal items that might indicate the house owners’ identities. An Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3) reveals a few photos stored in a cabinet near the staircase, showing the Sterry family together. Additionally, a wallet, some house paperwork, and letters surrounding Paul Jr. and Michelle’s home schooling have been stuffed in drawers. It’s apparent that the hallway’s been cleared in advance of the vampires’ arrival, though non-identifying items such as keys, coats, boots, and umbrellas occupy the spaces one might imagine.

The Kitchen The first door on the right side of the hallway leads into a large kitchen. In contrast to the hallway, this room of the house seems completely ordinary and livable. Knives are mounted to the wall above the counter, cabinets are full of canned goods, pots and pans wait to be used inside a lazy Susan cabinet, fresh potted herbs sit in the window above the sink, and someone has abandoned a folded copy of yesterday’s Chicago Tribune on the counter top alongside two crusty mugs that say things like “I’m the Boss” and “World’s Best Dad.” The kitchen island in the center of the room is decorated with a few seasonal vegetables, a couple of cookbooks, and a vase of wilting roses with a card on the side reading “I’ll make it up to you. P.” On the fridge hangs a family calendar flipped to the current month. The names Paul Jr. and Michelle have their own dedicated column with different events throughout the month. Some of them reoccur weekly, like football training every Monday and Thursday, laundry every Sunday and Tuesday, and Wednesday meetings.

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Looking back over the past few months, Michelle’s column of activities abruptly changes to notices of appointments, until it’s finally left blank as of a month ago. A post-it note on the fridge reads: “How many pints must a vampire drink to fill its rotten stomach?” As with the prior question, there’s no set answer. Redwood is attempting to make the characters reflect while pouring out his anguish at what Walter Nash did to his daughter. On the kitchen countertop, inside the newspaper, a couple of words have been circled with a red pen. The words do not make up a specific sentence but are marked to warn and confuse the PCs. The words “Blood,” “Traitors,” “Monstrosity,” “Chaos,” “Hell,” and “Murder” have all been circled at random points throughout the pages.

A MORBID COLLECTION

Where did Redwood obtain all this blood? Some of it is his own, and some belongs to members of his family. He has obtained other blood through blackmail. One of the things he’s been extorting from Nash is his vitae, which he’s been haphazardly administering to his dogs, a kidnapped mortal, and eventually, to his brain-damaged daughter. The vitae wasn’t enough to save Michelle’s life, however. If the Storyteller wants to plant seeds for future stories in this chapter, some of the jars might be labelled with the names of contacts, Touchstones, or other Kindred they’ve met or heard of. Setting up a web of blackmail and having the PCs take it down may earn them favors far and wide — or give them the opportunity to use what Redwood started for their own benefit.

The Dining Room

covered top to bottom with shelves upon shelves showcasing thousands of oddities. A bat taxidermized in its natural upside-down position hangs from a tree branch in the corner of the room. Several organs with different mutated conditions like lungs with too many sections, two hearts merged, and eyes with four irises have been put into glass jars and placed on the top shelves. The only

While the kitchen space is a normal family space, the dining room functions more as storage than as a place for eating. A large mahogany dinner table rests in the center of the room with six chairs surrounding it. Its crocheted table runner divides the wood in a white stripe from one end to the other. A couple of candles flicker in the air conditioning’s breeze. All four walls inside the room are

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

KELVIN PROBLEM #2 Not really feeding him. Not letting him out. Should I kill him? Wife’s terrified. Keeping this from Jr. For the best. Think he’s getting ill. He misses his sister. I miss her too. So much. Got to be strong.

thing normal on the shelves is the large television that is centered on the wall to the left side of the kitchen door. The back wall of the room is a wall-sized cabinet, the interior of which maintains a regulated cool temperature. The cabinet displays jars of liquid. A successful Intelligence + Medicine roll (Difficulty 2) reveals the contents of these jars as blood. Labels on each jar denote the type of blood and name of the vessel, including “vampire,” “werewolf,” “adult male,” and “Michelle Sterry” among others. A Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) reveals Walter Nash’s name on a jar on the very top shelf. As soon as the first one or two PCs enter the room, the door slams shut, splitting the party into two.

KELVIN PROBLEM #3 Kelvin making lots of noise now. Difficult to keep it from Jr. Wife increasingly distressed. Tied him up and gagged him but for essentials. Know this is wrong. What choice is there? Need to work out how to use this servant against his masters. Think think think. KELVIN PROBLEM #4 Know this is wrong. Have fed Kelvin some vampire blood to see effect. None. Claims “it needs to be from the vein.” What good is he? I think I’ve made a horrible mistake.

Inside the Dining Room As the door slams shut, the mounted TV turns on with a static picture of a stream between two hills, and the following audio emerges from its speakers: “It’s all in the blood, isn’t it? That’s what I’ve found out. Your illness. Your disease. It’s all in the blood. You take it and make others die. You give it and make others your slaves. Do you like my collection? I started it years ago, but it’s really come alive in the last few months. Please take your time to look around and enjoy my specimens. I’ve arranged an appropriate video for you to enjoy as you browse, and I’ll send you a man who’s been drinking some of the blood I’ve acquired. He’d love to meet you.” The voice stops and the still image on screen fades away. The audio is replaced by a cacophony of agonized screams from animals and humans, while recordings of snuff footage, war, and corpses flash up on screen briefly, each visible only for a moment before it is replaced by something worse. The bombardment might cause PCs with Humanity of 6 or higher to roll to resist a terror frenzy (Difficulty 3). A vampire checking the books and items around the room finds some rare esoteric tomes with a successful Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 4), though they’re buried among Reader’s Digests, amateur works, and conspiracy theory magazines addressing vampires, werewolves, and other myths. A pad of yellow legal paper which chronicles some of Redwood’s accounts of blackmail and woes surrounding Michelle’s declining condition sits on the table. It also holds an account of a ghoul Redwood took as extortion from one of his blackmail victims, as follows:

KELVIN PROBLEM #5 Not sure to Kelvin’s loyalty. Seems to sniff air as if seeking master. Very affectionate toward me all of a sudden. Wants vampire blood directly from a vampire. Tempted to deliver Nash or one of these new marks. Maybe I can use him as a weapon against them? He doesn’t seem able to answer any of my questions about vampire habits or society. KELVIN PROBLEM #6 Kelvin completely smitten with me. Disturbing. Wonder if he’s just waiting to strike before escaping. Have dressed him in my old gear to dehumanize. Very Pulp Fiction. Makes it easier to not see him as human, chewing his lips off. Still disturbing. What have I done?

Outside the Dining Room Any PCs outside the dining room must make a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 3) or be caught by surprise as a ghoul dressed head to foot in a black leather BDSM outfit creeps up on them. The man was one of Nash’s ghouls who ended up taken captive. Redwood now sends him to pit his “blood powers” against the vampires. The ghoul is uncommunicative, though he can talk if the hood over his head is removed or the mouth part unzipped. All he’ll say is “vampires” and “feed me.”

KELVIN HUGHES Standard Dice Pools: Physical 6, Social 2, Mental 4

KELVIN PROBLEM #1 Kelvin Hughes is his name. Given to me by the one named Nash in exchange for silence. Locked him up in basement to see how these vampire blood drinkers work. Can’t have the outside world knowing. Maybe I can get answers to prevent repeat of what happened to Michelle.

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 4 Exceptional Dice Pools: Melee 7, Stealth 7; Intimidation 5; Awareness 5, Occult 5 Special: Kelvin wields an axe with a damage value of +3. Kelvin possesses one dot of Fortitude. If he

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spills vitae, he drops to the floor to unzip his mouth and lick it up.

stable coffee table inside the study, with two of them currently open on how to hunt and kill vampires.

General Difficulties: 5/2

•

Washing Room: Right next to the bathroom on the opposite side of the staircase in the corridor is the house’s washing room, equipped with a washer, dryer, hangers, dryer sheets, detergent, bleach, and the like. A long, sturdy workbench is next to the dryer, covered in wooden shavings and sawdust. Wooden stakes equal to the number of PCs lie neatly next to each other on the workbench surface, each a different size, shape, and wood type. Rough sketches on a piece of paper above the workbench detail the clock trap and a drawing of the staircase with a swinging spike trap in the ceiling above it.

•

Locked Rooms: The house contains a downstairs bathroom, living room, and conservatory, though none of them contain clues to Redwood’s agenda, other than many personal items having been moved into these places that Redwood designated as safe. These are the only rooms Redwood locked, so the vampires don’t spend time pawing through his family photos or ornaments of sentimental value.

The Remaining First Floor If the Storyteller wants to prolong the play in this part of the house, they can use the following examples in any order they choose, or create their own encounters: •

•

Basement: The house has a basement with a low ceiling, forcing the tallest of the PCs to duck in order not to hit their heads. The basement serves as a feeding ground, as there are several rats hiding behind old barrels, paintings, bottles, boxes, and stored away furniture. A chain hangs over a beam in the basement, where Kelvin Hughes was until recently held captive. Study: A small study filled with books, magazines, and photographs is located at the very end of the hallway next to the exploding clock. Almost every book is based on biology, supernatural phenomena, genetic sciences, anatomy, UFOs, and ghosts. A large pile of books about vampires is stacked on the un-

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

The Staircase Redwood added an elaborate trap to the staircase. The diagrams in the washing room give the PCs a warning about what might await them, but there’s no clue as to how to avoid triggering it. Redwood hasn’t recorded the sequence on paper. Only he and his hired gun, Josephine, know which steps to avoid. If the PCs do not tread on the safe steps, they immediately trigger the trap. The trap consists of three garden rakes suspended with a rope from the top floor. When the PCs step on one of the triggers, the rakes swing down toward the PCs their approximate chest height. A wooden stake is attached to each of the rake’s teeth. The PCs must make a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty 3) to dodge the incoming attack or a Stamina + Brawl (Difficulty 4) if they want to grab the rakes as they come down towards them. If they do not successfully dodge the rakes, they suffer two points of Superficial damage and on a total failure, the stake penetrates the vampire’s heart. Of course, vampires may vault the staircase using Celerity, find innovative ways of preventing the rakes from falling, or find some other way to the second floor. A mortal mind devised the trap and didn’t account for all the ways Kindred might try to circumvent it.

Paul Jr.’s Room The second floor consists of a long corridor stretching around the hallway in a u-shape, with doors along its length leading to bedrooms and further bathrooms. The first room to the left is Paul Jr.’s room and is unlocked. A one-person bed is placed underneath a window overlooking the garden. The Action Bill

covers on the bed indicate Paul Jr. is still of a childlike mindset, but the BB pellets on his desk and the lotion underneath the bed tell another story. A basketball hoop decorates the inner side of the door, and a couple of band posters are stuck to the backwall over the bed. A flat screen TV in Paul Jr.’s room is paused on a picture of a person sitting, bound to a chair with a bag over their head. The remote is on top of the TV. If the PCs decide to push play, they see their kidnapped Touchstone sitting in the chair. Their legs are covered in wounds and lacerations, and as a second person enters the screen, they shudder and pull their legs up on the chair while shaking their head and begging the intimidating individual not to hurt them. He can be recognized, if they’ve seen a photo of him, as Redwood’s identity: Paul Sterry. The room on display resembles a home office, with a desk, bookcase, and computer. A successful Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 3) allows the PCs to hear pleading and begging from the room adjacent to this one.

to this address to serve as bait. The hunters lay still in the rafters of the ceiling, the beams thick enough to conceal them, clad in blacks and greys, unless the PCs are making an effort to scout out ambushes with a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 5) or have the ability to detect life in the dark. Their orders are to open fire on the vampires as soon as even one has ascended to the second floor. There are between four and six hunters in the house, and unlike their potential previous encounter in Honored Drinks, they’re armed with assault weapons that inflict a damage value of +3. Otherwise, use the stats for Night’s Cross hunters on p. XX.

•

Concentrate fire! — When a vampire reaches the second floor, every hunter in the rafters opens fire with assault rifles. This obliteration tactic is designed to eliminate one opponent and shock the rest.

The Ceiling

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Fire in the hole! — The hunters drop nail bombs and take cover on their beams. To any vampires unable to evade the blast of these bombs dropped to the first floor hallway with a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty 3), the bombs inflict two Superficial damage, with any total failures increasing the damage to four Superficial damage as nails pierce eyes and penetrate organs.

Redwood took out a security policy, assuring the Night’s Cross hunter cell that vampires would be heading to his residence and that they would be prime targets for vigilantes such as they. The group didn’t require payment, as they are always happy to act on a reliable tip. The hunters kidnapped the at-risk Touchstone and brought them

The Hunter Attack The hunters have a plan of attack in mind:

W H O A R E T H E S E VA M P I R E H U N T E R S ?

If the characters encountered Josephine and her crew earlier in the scenario and there’s been sufficient time between that meeting and this chapter, they are the security Redwood paid to eliminate the vampires. This kind of linkage rewards characters for making connections, and if they parted from Josephine on good terms, may prevent her from giving the order to open fire. Alternatively, the hunters might act prematurely if they recognize the coterie as the individuals who attended their bar recently.

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•

Drop! — Half of the hunters in the ceiling lower themselves to the first floor using ropes looped around and fastened to the beams, intending to engage the vampires with knives and stakes.

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Pick your shots! — The remaining hunters in the rafters switch to firing single shots at vampires engaging their allies on the ground.

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Burn it down! — The hunters in the ceiling are equipped with Molotov cocktails and can drop them to the first floor and second floor two turns after this order emerges. It’s a measure of last resort, as it renders the skylight their only escape route and will almost certainly anger or kill Redwood.

The Guest Bedroom This locked room at the far end of the balcony hallway is unremarkable, but for its occupants. Alison and Paul Jr. — Redwood’s wife and son, respectively — have been sealed into this room while the vampires prowl around and Redwood torments the Touchstone in his private office. If the vampires break in, the two of them panic, scream, and attempt to escape. Redwood has conditioned his family to fear vampires almost as much as they already fear him. It takes an impressive Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 5) or the appropriate use of Dominate or Presence to calm either of them, with their Willpower treated as 5. They have no other stats as they are non-combatants and won’t attempt to negotiate for anything.

If calmed, Alison and Paul Jr. can both be convinced to explain how Michelle — Redwood’s daughter — was attacked by a vampire outside the Honored Drinks bar, which set his paranoia into a tailspin. He started stalking vampires and ghouls, recording them and blackmailing them, after his daughter ran afoul of Walter Nash. Through his hires at Darkhour Protection, Redwood’s blackmail schemes continued at a safe distance, but his paranoia grew to the point where he blackmailed the PCs. Now, he’s extorting vampires less for profit and more to try to achieve closure for failing his daughter. Alison and Paul Jr. will remain in the room if commanded to do so, but they’ll beg for the vampires to not kill Redwood.

The Master Bedroom

Michelle’s Room

The office can only be entered by walking through the master bedroom, as it is an additional room Redwood built as a hidden section of the house in order to take care of his private business. The office is only a few square meters big and stinks of sweat and damp. Redwood is within, pointing a knife in a shaking hand toward the PCs with the Touchstone in a headlock. “How many pints do you think my daughter lost? Hmm? I swear to God I will murder this one if you get any closer! Don’t fucking push me, or we’ll see how many pints this one has!” The PCs can try to calm him with a successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 6) to make him put his knife down and let the Touchstone go unharmed. Intimidation will make him force the knife into the Touchstone’s abdomen. Alternatively, the PCs can approach him with violence. If they step near the Touchstone, Redwood slits the Touchstone’s throat within one turn,

Until recently, Michelle’s room was a shrine to the family’s deceased daughter, but in the last few nights in a fit of pique, Redwood stripped the bedroom of personal affects and burned them in a bonfire around the back of the house. The room is far from sterile, with wallpaper hanging in strips, a bed overturned, and draws opened and emptied out. With a successful Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3), the characters might find scraps of her possessions in the back of her chest of drawers or under the bedroom’s assorted wreckage. Such items might include a high school yearbook, photos of Michelle with her friends, and even a cellphone. The phone’s battery is dead, but if charged at a later point, it contains a text from Walter Nash’s number from the fateful night when he invited her to meet him and subsequently fed from her.

If the characters heard the disturbing noises emanating from this room, they may be surprised to find merely a well-appointed space containing a queen-sized bed, expensive wall art, and empty closets and dressers. Nothing appears amiss, but a close look with a successful Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3) or listening using Auspex or Wits + Awareness (Difficulty 4) alerts the group to a secret door in the wall opposite the entrance and the sounds of muffled crying from behind it.

The Office

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

although a critical win or a use of Celerity can likely prevent the man from dealing permanent damage. When the PCs have Redwood under control, this chapter ends.

PAUL STERRY, A.K.A. “REDWOOD” Standard Dice Pools: Physical 3, Social 4, Mental 7 Secondary Attributes: Health 4, Willpower 8 Exceptional Dice Pools: Melee 4; Intimidation 6; Finance 8, Technology 8 Special: Redwood wields a dagger with a damage value of +2. General Difficulties: 6/2

Chapter Five: The Final Decision This is the final step on the PCs’ journey. They must decide the fate of Redwood and how to handle the open wound in the Masquerade he left behind. Redwood has no more cards left to play. His fate rests in the hands of the PCs.

Murder Redwood The quickest and the most natural reaction for the PCs is to kill Redwood as soon as they have the chance. This is especially the case for the vampire whose Touchstone was kidnapped and tortured. Murder in any case applies at least one Stain to the killer, unless Convictions mitigate the cost. If the PCs decide to murder the antagonist, the story ends but the PCs are left with the entire mess

in his wake and the possibility of Night’s Cross reprisals, not to mention the question of what to do with Alison and Paul Jr. Prince Jackson contacts the coterie and tells them to use whatever resources they have to make sure no mortal possesses this kind of power over any member of the Kindred in his domain again.

Our New Ghoul The PCs may choose to use Redwood for their own gain. His knowledge and power are not without use, and one of the best ways to clean up after his mess is letting him do it himself. Additionally, the PCs are not murderers if they leave him alive, and they will not leave his wife and child without a husband and father. Redwood does everything in his power not to become a ghoul. He offers the PCs large amounts of money, begs and pleads, and fights back, since being a servant to the creatures he hates and fears is the worst possible outcome for him. The PCs must decide who should own Redwood as a ghoul. This PC gains a two-dot Retainer in Redwood, along with possible Resources through his wealth and Contacts if they utilize his links to Night’s Cross and Darkhour. However, he will undoubtedly attempt to undermine his domitor, repeatedly sabotaging the vampire in minor ways.

Deliver Him to Walter Nash Nash gladly takes Redwood from the coterie’s hands. As soon as he gets Redwood alone, he murders him in cold blood for his extortion. The vampire lives up to his promise and hands the PCs a hand-signed contract as proof of him owing them a major boon.

Off to the Prince The PCs could deliver Redwood to Prince Jackson. The Prince hears Redwood’s case with interest, especially as it pertains to Walter Nash, as Jackson has long sought a reason to call a blood hunt on his fellow Ventrue. If the PCs volunteer to handle Nash themselves, Jackson will not only permit but encourage their dealing with the problem Blue Blood. Jackson decides that he cannot let a mortal this powerful run around in his city, especially when he harbors such a strong hatred for vampires. The Prince orders the PCs to eliminate Redwood unless the coterie convinces him of the mortal’s potential uses, likely taking a Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 5). If they persuade the Prince to preserve Redwood’s life, Jackson begrudgingly sends the mortal and his long-suffering family to Milwaukee, providing them with housing and protection in exchange for Redwood’s investigation into the whereabouts and activities of a vampire group known as “the Sabbat.”

Epilogue: The Letter Redwood’s motivation behind his hatred for vampires may not have been made apparent in the story. The transition from genuine interest to utter hatred could seem like a blurred line without explanation. The story may end in several ways, but for the satisfaction of the players, it’s worth having the truth revealed via Redwood’s wife, son, or even Redwood himself if he survives. Alternatively, Nash might mockingly show them the newspaper headline about

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his attack on Michelle, or a more concerned vampire such as Gabriella might show them her obituary, published a few months after Nash drained her. Optional epilogues might include:

Living Redwood If Redwood somehow emerged free from this scenario, it’s unlikely his hatred for vampires has abated. His paranoia will either be inflamed, resulting in his turning on his wife and son, or subdued through satisfying blackmail, leading to a cooler head in future. If the PCs made the choice to free Redwood and reasoned with him, he may agree to turn over the evidence he has of their undead activities. More likely, he’ll claim to turn

it over and then keep a copy of the footage as an insurance policy. If Redwood escaped, he returns in a later story as a trained vampire hunter. No longer satisfied with simply humiliating and ruining vampires, he’s taking his vendetta to its logical extreme

will now be aware of the characters’ names and other personal details. Additionally, Alison and Paul Jr. may become hunters themselves to seek vengeance for Michelle and Paul.

Dead Redwood

Whether in service to the Prince as an agent in Milwaukee, as a ghoul to the coterie, or even the childe to a sire with a sick sense of humor, Redwood’s existence as a vampire’s property is one that eventually drives him to self-destruction. Until that time, his resources for tracking vampires and his massive cache of blackmail material is usable against several of Chicago’s Kindred. If he can, Redwood does everything in his power to subtly sabotage the vampires lording over his existence. He will even put the rest of his family in danger, as his morality has crumbled to dust.

In a scenario where Redwood ends up dead, the PCs need to contend with a dead man’s switch set up to release all his blackmail footage by midnight the following night, if he fails to check into his account and disable or delay the auto-upload of information. The positive side in this scenario is that the information all ends up on verumdetenebris, and so few people outside of conspiracy theorists see it. Allow the PCs to feel afraid, however, and keep in mind that other hunters

Undead Redwood

When love and hate turn strange / And magpies filch the hours / And Judas limbs betray Know you are a figment / A shadow-sleeper’s dream — Book of the Grave War

The Dying Fields takes the characters away from Chicago and their carefully crafted existence into the town of Willerton. They find a less than warm welcome there with the local Kindred, leaving them without allies, herd, or haven. The vampires must rely on their own might to take what they need while they search for a missing person. The corn grows high in the dying fields and hides much in the October nights.

a happy one, even with vampires among them, who they identify as extensions (or children) of the Harvest God. In Willerton, the power pyramid is reversed. The land is on top, the mortals serve the land, and to exist in the relative utopia of Willerton, the vampires serve the kine. The land provides for the people here, providing the people spread blood across the land. Due to the definite connection between the cornfields and Kindred, the mortals hold vampires in high regard and give up their blood willingly, but are prepared to kill vampires too if the harvest is low one year. Willerton’s other strange feature, perhaps tied to the Harvest God, to sacred geometry, or to the Goblin Roads cutting across Illinois that isolate the town in a mystical cage, results in the vampires of the town being unable to leave without great strength of will (or a Resolve + Composure roll when trying to depart the town, at Difficulty 7) or unless they all leave, which given the town’s willing herd, not every vampire is happy to do. Kindred can visit the town all they like but leaving usually only comes in one form: as a sacrifice to the fields. A vampire named Everett York made the mistake of passing through Willerton en route to delivering a message to Prince Jackson of Chicago. He disappeared in or around the town, and the PCs’ employers want to

Story Breakdown Don’t share this part with your players, Storytellers! Long before the current mortal residents of Willerton came to occupy this land, the Harvest God has been the recipient of regular sacrifices. The Harvest God in the cornfields could be anything from a sleeping elder to the land itself. So much blood has been spilled here as to give the cornfields a carnivorous hunger for living blood, and occasionally, rich vitae. The people of Willerton are a willing cult to their fields and a devoted herd for the few vampire residents of the small town. They make sacrifices to the earth and in return, receive gifts of long life, increased fertility, immunity to illness, and rich crops. The community has always been

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

recover the messenger, or more accurately, the message. Their attempt to find York places the coterie in the mystical town of Willerton, where disappearances and sacrifices are disturbingly commonplace, and with no easy way to leave unless all Kindred go with them to break the bond on the town. After arriving in Willerton, the PCs will discover the town’s few Kindred, one claiming to be Camarilla, another as an Anarch, and a third largely independent. They will each provide a measure of guidance to the coterie in their search for York, while the Congregation of the Harvest God singles out one of the PCs for their next rich-blooded sacrifice. The player characters will need to rescue Everett York (or the message on his person), any of their own who have been taken by the congregation, disable or murder the ghoul leading the town’s cult, and finally depart the town. As mentioned, leaving is easier said than done, with the only realistic options being to convince the town’s vampires to leave on the same night, or destroy any who resist.

Willerton, Illinois The sign reads “WELCOME TO Willerton.” This is a lie — no outsiders are welcome here. Underneath, a second sign reads “Population 665.” This is true, and Willerton has been one soul short of the devil’s number for some time now. The metal signs are both old, a bright coat of paint hiding layers of rust. Cornfields rise on either side of the road, a single scarecrow stares at the coterie with its empty gaze. Welcome to Willerton, indeed. Willerton is emblematic of the empty Midwest. This is a place of

A S C A R C I T Y O F B LO O D

How do Willerton’s Kindred feed on a kine population of just 665 people? The answer is partly visitors — the Anarchs claimed the biker bar and the Camarilla took the hotel, for good reason — but largely due to Willerton’s population being one big willing herd for the town’s vampire residents. As Kindred entering the town become ensnared in the Goblin Roads and find it difficult to leave, they later become sacrifices to the townsfolk of Willerton in part to appease the fields, in part to preserve their own lives. A visiting coterie from Chicago has to work for it though, having no herd or rack to fall back on. The townspeople’s distrust of outsiders and general vigilance from living in a town where people often disappear raises the Difficulty of all feeding rolls by +1 (rounded up) per three Kindred in the coterie. The Storyteller can use this to create a sense of fighting for survival — no matter their standing in Chicago, in Willerton the coterie members must fight for their most basic needs. It should be noted, however, that if the coterie gains the townsfolks’ trust or are recognized as anything other than outsiders, most of Willerton’s residents give up blood willingly.

haunted old farms and abandoned homesteads. The town used to be bigger than it currently is, but it missed the switch to soy and corn is barely profitable nowadays. Too many young people leave for jobs in the big city. Willerton’s town council reluctantly turned to tourism as a possible source of income. One hotel, situated in a renovated farmstead near the graveyard, does business despite the townspeople’s barely concealed hostility toward “city slicks.” Winding roads twist in and out of Willerton — the locals call them Goblin Roads — and it’s easy to get lost even for Kindred. Visitors find cell phone reception and Wi-Fi connections spotty at best throughout town, and downright non-existent in the graveyard and cornfields.

Last Chance Saloon Willerton is a truckers’ stop. Truckers and bikers pass through on the roads to Chicago, gathering at the Last Chance Saloon to trade war stories about life on the road, and enjoy perfectly cold beer and undercooked eggs. The Last Chance Saloon is the

domain of the Nomads, a biker gang mostly consisting of mortals, but led by a couple of self-proclaimed Anarch vampires. The bar is off-limits as feeding grounds to visiting Kindred, nor are they allowed to follow mortal patrons home and grab a bite on the way.

Hotel Willerton To prevent tourists from upsetting Willerton’s normal way of life, the town council passed a ban against letting one’s home out as a hotel and similar set-ups. This conveniently paved the way for the Hotel Willerton, a prestigious renovation project of an old homestead near the cemetery, owned by one of the council members’ nephews. A Tremere named Nazeera claims the hotel as their domain, though they don’t use it as a haven. The sturdy, easily lightproofed wooden shutters and oaken doors make it a practical choice for visiting Kindred to stay. Hotel staff and guests are off-limits for feeding as far as Nazeera is concerned, and the same restrictions about not picking them up outside apply.

They Dying Fields

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Milford Graveyard

Chicago, though only one occupies the town at a time. In reality, despite their epithet, they were all banished by sires, Primogen, or even Prince Jackson himself. At least one of them ran afoul of the Second Inquisition, and was given an option between banishment or execution lest he bring the Inquisition down on all Kindred of Chicago. Another backed the wrong contender in the race for Prince after Lodin’s apparent destruction. Few of them remain in Willerton for long, often ending up grist for the sacrificial mills. Loyalists hold out hope to be forgiven someday, and so the one vampire identifying as such remains in nearby Willerton. They’re adamant about upholding the Prince’s edicts, and indeed remain in contact with the domain via proxy with Sheriff Damien. The Nomads unerringly refers to Loyalists as Exiles, which is probably a truer epithet.

Willerton has a sprawling cemetery holding more than three thousand graves — a macabre peculiarity for a town of 665 souls. The cemetery holds all manner of interesting features, including the grave of a Revolutionary War veteran on the north side, prestigious old family crypts, and many abandoned graves. Willerton’s children scatter seeds on neglected graves to appease whatever ghosts they hold, and a field of purple, yellow, and red flowers covers the cemetery in spring. Occult symbols representing the passage and ephemeral nature of time, as well as several symbols denoting Fox River spirits, mark many of the headstones. A small chapel on the south side serves as secret church for the Congregation of the Harvest God.

Sam’s Motorcycle Shop and Diner

Nazeera Nazeera is a member of Clan Tremere. Or at least, the vampire hopes they still are. Nazeera is a grandchilde to the infamous Carna, and when Carna absconded with the Book of the Grave-War and founded her own House, many within the Pyramid naturally wondered how much Nazeera knew. The Kindred faced a summary visit of their clan’s enforcers, when someone up the chain — Nazeera never learned who — intervened and instead arranged for their exile to Willerton while the Pyramid sorted out the mess. Determined not to waste this reprieve and to prove their worth to Camarilla and clan alike, Nazeera remains loyal to the sect. They have some knowledge of the local oddities, including the Goblin Roads, Willerton’s divine geometry, and the odd, seemingly free ghoul known as Starchild, but won’t share this information with just anyone. They aren’t privy to the sacrifice of Kindred yet, but they do know how easy it is to feed from the kine in this town.

Across the street from the graveyard, clients trickle in and out of Sam’s Motorcycles. The shop has been a town staple for almost as long as the Last Chance Saloon, servicing travelers whose motorcycles break down on the winding Goblin Roads of the Midwest. Next to the shop, visitors can wait for their repairs to finish up in the new Sam’s Diner, created by the brother and sister pair that owns Sam’s to get a stake in the new tourism push. Vera Smith runs the motorcycle shop, and Edward “Big Ed” Smith the diner. The diner is small but clean, and Ed makes a mean cherry pie. Across from the Sam’s buildings on the other side of the T intersection that divides the Smiths’ property from the graveyard stands an abandoned, partially demolished gas station. The Sam’s, gas station, and street together form divine geometry that surrounds the “Harvest God” under the nearby crossroads, though neither of the Smith siblings knows this. Though Kindred of Willerton may assume the Harvest God is a vampire. In fact, it may be the empowered land itself.

The Nomads

Kindred and Kine

The Nomads are a gang of bikers led by a couple of Anarchs whose allegiance to each other is entirely pragmatic. Willerton sits just on the outer edges of Prince Jackson’s reach — which is only a concern to Warrington and Mariangel, the vampires among the Nomads — and staying this far away from Camarilla authority and the big city suits the gang just fine. So far, the Nomads successfully navigate the line between being loud enough for other Anarchs and bikers to hear them, but quiet enough that Jackson can ignore them without looking weak.

Willerton is home to three resident Kindred, several cults, and a mortal population as canny as it is small.

The Loyalist Several vampires have come to occupy Willerton as Loyalists, claiming to seek a “temporary reprieve” from

They Dying Fields

Robert Warrington

still releases a Farmers’ Almanac yearly, noting all the best times to seed, plant, and harvest corn as well as remedies for common crop pests and plagues. A careful reading of the Almanac reveals a certain bent toward Paganism within its pages, with details of sacred harvest festivals. Still, it seems harmless enough with simple references to the “sacred fertilization of the earth.” What the Almanac does not mention, but what farmers pass down to their children orally, is that fertilization involves finely chopping up animals, a process now done by machines, and tilling their blood and ground bodies into the soil. At least, that’s how it was for many generations. A Malkavian preacher took up in Willerton many years ago, and under his guidance, the Congregation moved to using mortals for fertilization. The Congregation of the Harvest God is responsible for picking up Mariangel’s discarded prey, as well as snatching tourists who come to Willerton. Though the Malkavian was subsequently destroyed and fed to the land, his followers gather in the old chapel in the graveyard, led by his former ghoul. They perform their killings at the roots of a Judas tree in the middle of the cornfields.

Robert Warrington was a ranking influencer in the gay Instagram community, and his sire Embraced him to bring her up to speed on “all these social mediums.” While Warrington’s skills indeed served her excellently, something was off about the new childe. Neither Warrington nor his sire put together that Warrington is a thin-blood, but they do know he’s not like other Toreador. Fearing he’d embarrass her in front of her peers, yet not able to bring herself to destroy him, Warrington’s sire instead sent him away from Chicago. He didn’t go very far, and landed in Willerton. Warrington since put his skills to good use building his own cult of personality within the existing herd of Willerton. The clique maintains a robust online presence, in addition to visitors traveling to Willerton specifically to meet Warrington. It even includes four of the normally distrusting locals. Warrington noticed a recent push back on his influence though, and he fears another magnetizing power has come to Willerton. Since he’s still evaluating the threat, he won’t share his concerns at first meetings. Warrington is fully aware of the sacrifices of both kine and Kindred, and frankly, is happy to support them if it means maintaining his influence.

Starchild

Mariangel

Starchild is a ghoul who until recently fed from the Kindred of Willerton, but is now a blood slave of the Harvest God. He’s caught in the entity’s nightmares. He sees a pattern in the Goblin Roads, and in dark veins holding the town in their grasp. Believing the Harvest God gleaned the secrets of death and rebirth and desperately seeking this knowledge for himself, the ghoul pledges his service to the creature. Sensing the Harvest God’s hunger, the ghoul sheds his own blood on the rich soil as well as that of mortal sacrifices. He plans many more, and actively seeks to abduct Kindred so the sacrifices might be rich in potency. For all his fervor and visions though, Starchild cannot coherently articulate whether rebirth means immortality, losing his addiction to vitae, breaking free from the chains of the Blood Bond, or something else altogether.

Mariangel doesn’t know who her sire is. She was never a member of the Camarilla, though two decades of experience taught her the ropes. The Gangrel came to Willerton simply passing through, but then never left. Sometimes she does get on her bike to leave, only to find that a night of travel simply brings her back to Willerton. She doesn’t mind though, as she’s since found a new calling in the One True Way (Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 389). Mariangel hunts the cornfields outside Willerton, snatching up farm hands working late, lovers trysting in the fields, and tourists looking for that perfect selfie amid moonlit corn. She hasn’t realized yet that almost the entire populace is a willing herd. Mariangel hunts to feed and not to kill as part of her philosophy, and leaves most of her victims dazed and traumatized but alive. Recently, her victims have begun to disappear. Mariangel isn’t sure if she unwittingly became more lethal in her feeding, or if someone is snatching up her leftovers.

Townspeople The mortals of Willerton are a force of their own. With only 665 people, everyone connects to each other through friends or family. Not all of them may know “Bobby,” but they do all know “Bobby from the Earl family, out on Church Street.” This also means they, even more than local Kindred caught up in their own ambitions, know exactly how many people have gone missing. They’re well aware that a cult of farmers operated in Willerton for centuries. They’re

The Congregation of the Harvest God Willerton has always been farm country, growing first potatoes and now corn. The local Agrarians Society

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

not willing to speak of this to outsiders though, nor do they mind much so long as the missing people are just tourists and seasonal farmhands.

Vera and Ed Smith Of all the townsfolk, Vera and Ed Smith, by dint of their occupation, have the most contact with outsiders. They’re friendly, if discreet about the town’s secrets, and both excellent at their trade. Vera needs just two minutes with a broken down motorcycle, and three minutes with any other vehicle, to determine what needs fixing. Meanwhile Ed’s pie is so good truckers deliberately schedule their stops in Willerton, and a Chicago pastry shop orders several pies each week. Their cousin Cas — short for Cassandra — grew up with Vera and Ed after her mother sent her to live in Willerton after Cas joined a street gang. Cas since cleaned up her act and joined the army, and both Vera and Ed are in regular contact with her. Vera knows that Cas is a member of some kind of special forces and has mopped up some problems in town before now. What she doesn’t know is that Cas works as a FIRSTLIGHT operative and plans to point her agency’s eyes directly at Willerton the next time she’s on leave.

Rumors •

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The Harvest God is a cornfield grown semi-sentient as a result of centuries of absorbing blood and vitae sacrifices at the center of a nexus of Goblin Roads. Its influence permeates those who consume its fruit, and it has held the townsfolk in its thrall for generations, improving fertility, health, and longevity for those who tend its needs. The Harvest God nearly awoke on May 31, 1888. It brought a reign of terror and sacrificial murders, until it fell (or was forced) back to sleep in September of the next year.

The Harvest God

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According to the now-destroyed Malkavian who claimed to commune with the Harvest God, it is a Shadow-Sleeper, as named in the Book of the Grave War. That does not exactly narrow it down though, nor does The Dying Fields try to — whatever the truth is, it is so vast it could alter a story, and thus is left to the Storyteller to decide. Here are some facts and possibilities though.

The Harvest God is an ancient Caitiff. The creature was Embraced before the clans coalesced into their current forms, or hails from a now extinct clan, and stands wholly outside the ties of blood that bind modern Kindred.

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The Harvest God’s presence is marked by magpies on every tree, streetlamp, and rooftop, and by the limbs of the Judas tree hanging from being so saturated with blood.

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The Harvest God hails from a Drowned Legacy of indigenous descent. If this is true, it may be kin to Nerissa of Chicago. She does not seek it though, indicating she likely believes it destroyed, or never knew of its existence at all.

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The Harvest God lies chained in slumber through natural ley lines enforced with divine geometry. While the Harvest God lies physically bound under the crossroads near the Sam’s Motorcycle Repair Shop though, its blackened veins reach far into the earth and drink any blood spilled in the town and nearby cornfields.

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The original author, predating even the translation Carna uses, wrote the Book of the GraveWar in a trance after being summoned to Willerton. Hidden under the promise of breaking Blood Bonds lies a complex ritual that, once brought to fulfillment, releases the Harvest God from its prison.

•

The recent push to gentrify the town to draw tourists chipped at the chains binding the Harvest God. One building in the divine geometry, the worn gas station, is already partially demolished

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to make room for a larger building. While this on its own can’t wake the Harvest God, shaking those foundations does bring it closer to wakefulness or increased Hunger.

resourceful, Prince Jackson may even commission them directly. The Storyteller should carefully weigh the elder’s status against that of the coterie. The elder should stand high enough above them that the characters can’t say no even if they wanted to (that’s the stick), but close enough that doing this could get them a valuable ally in addition to a boon (that’s the carrot). The elder further instructs that if the coterie is absolutely forced to choose between them, the missive is more important than the courier, and that the letter is not to be opened under any circumstances.

The Dying Fields The Dying Fields is a story for three to five players, though the Storyteller should note the feeding Difficulty is +1 for up to three characters, and +2 for four or five. This scarcity is deliberate, looming over the characters so they never feel quite on top of their game. Characters can be either Camarilla, Anarchs, or unaligned, and the Storyteller can pick and choose from scenario options accordingly. This scenario, while ordered in chapters, offers several ways for the coterie to skip ahead or revisit avenues of inquiry. The Storyteller should remain flexible, and read the entire scenario start to finish during their preparation so they can easily move back and forth as needed. The scenario starts with the characters preparing to depart for Willerton to find a missing person. After questioning the reluctant local Kindred, the even more reluctant kine, and possibly a frightful excursion into the corn, the coterie catches up with the Congregation of the Harvest God. Or, if they’re not careful, the Congregation catches up with them. The characters must fight to save their missing person and themselves. Players required: 3-5 Duration: 9-16 hours

Anarchs The coterie receives a plea for help from Warrington, after a Camarilla messenger went missing in the domain of Willerton. Warrington sees this as an excellent opportunity to make the Loyalists appear incompetent and weaken their ties with Chicago, while grabbing the message for the Anarchs. Unfortunately, no one in the local coterie has the right skills to investigate the matter and not alarm the Loyalists. He offers the characters a boon if they can find York and steal the letter, or if they can bring both courier and message back to Warrington. Discretion is key though, as Prince Jackson will send his Sheriff if he knows the Anarchs took his message.

Either or Unaligned One of the coterie members discovers a Touchstone missing. A quick perusal of the mortal’s calendar reveals a trip passing through Willerton, which is also the last location of their cell phone (if the coterie has access to that information) and social media log-ins. A picture on social media reveals the Touchstone posing in front of the WELCOME TO Willerton sign, corn growing high in the background and guarded by a leering scarecrow. If several coterie members share a Touchstone, or have interconnected Touchstones, the Storyteller can use those. If not, the Storyteller can use a Touchstone of the character who has the most clout to pull the entire coterie into a search and rescue. In this scenario, the Storyteller decides whether Everett York was never kidnapped or whether the coterie discovers him and the missing letter later. This also affects the local Kindred’s reactions to the coterie, as Nazeera and Warrington immediately suspect the Touchstone and York are taken by the same force.

Chapter One: A Missing Person The Storyteller has several options to start the scenario and send the coterie on its search into Willerton. If the Storyteller uses The Dying Fields in an ongoing chronicle, they can also devise a new reason that works for their campaign.

Camarilla Depending on the coterie’s standing in Chicago, an elder or Primogen tasks them with finding a missing courier in exchange for a boon. The courier, a Kindred named Everett York, carried an important missive from the Prince but went missing around Willerton. If the coterie already established itself as exceptionally trustworthy and

Research The characters may want to research Willerton online, which is easily done with an Intelligence + Investi-

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gation roll as they delve into online newspaper archives. The Storyteller has two options to set the Difficulty for this roll. The first is to let each player make a Difficulty 3 roll, and the Storyteller releases a piece of information for every succeeding player. However, with Storyteller’s permission, the group can choose one player to make an Investigation roll and the Storyteller divulges one piece of information for every die that comes up 6 or higher. Successes

Information

Willerton is a farming community, growing mostly corn, with a population of 665 people. The town holds only one hotel, unimaginatively named the Willerton Hotel, and a cemetery of 3000 graves.

the Storyteller should emphasize how incredibly strange and unlikely it is that even one (let alone three) Kindred maintain permanent havens here.

Willerton counted exactly 665 people since the 2010 census. The Willerton Hotel is new, and the town only just increased its online presence as a tourist draw. The cemetery is moderately popular with self-proclaimed ghost hunters. Before Willerton promoted itself as a tourist destination, it served mainly as road stop to bikers and truckers. The Last Chance Saloon and Sam’s Motorcycles and Diner serve both. Sam’s has old roots: A building has stood on that spot as far back as the town’s records go.

Four people have gone missing around Willerton in as many years, but the local police determined all to be cases of runaways.

There is a gap in the microfilm copies of the Kendall County News, the primary newspaper in the Willerton area, from May 31, 1888 until the September 4, 1889 issue.

Information Successes (Camarilla)

Information (Anarch)

The local Camarilla call themselves the Loyalists, and were all exiled for a variety of reasons.

The local Anarchs form a single coterie, called the Nomads.

Nazeera is the only Loyalist in town.

Robert Warrington is Willerton’s leading Nomad and he makes up one of two Anarchs.

Nazeera resides at the Willerton Hotel.

Warrington is found at the Last Chance Saloon.

Robert Warrington is Willerton’s leading Nomad and he makes up one of two Anarchs.

Nazeera is the only Loyalist in town.

Warrington is found Nazeera resides at at the Last Chance the Willerton Hotel. Saloon.

Chapter Two: Welcome to Willerton The coterie arrives in Willerton. Presumably the characters want to get right to finding their missing person, and asking local Kindred what they know. If they rolled well for their information gathering, they know where to go. Willerton’s Kindred also know the coterie is coming thanks to spies of their own, and they are only too willing to meet with members of their own sect. If the coterie is unaligned, they can seek out either the Loyalists or the Nomads, though after this the other group refuses to receive them. If the coterie failed to gather relevant information, they can roll an Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) to recognize vampire cant graffiti indicating either an Anarch or Camarilla domain, leading to the Last Chance Saloon or Willerton Hotel respectively. This

If the coterie wants to find out about the local Kindred, they can quietly ask around with a Charisma or Manipulation + Subterfuge. The information gleaned depends on the coterie’s sect allegiance, and the Storyteller chooses if the coterie adheres to no sect. As above, the Storyteller has two options to set the Difficulty for this roll. Each player may make a Difficulty 3 roll, and the Storyteller releases a subsequent piece of information for every succeeding player. However, with Storyteller’s permission, the group can choose one player to make an Investigation roll and the Storyteller divulges one piece of information for every die that comes up 6 or higher. If the PCs discover at least one vampire in this community,

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roll gains -1 Difficulty to recognize markings of their own sect, or +1 to recognize the other sect. If this fails too, leaving the characters to wander Willerton aimlessly, their sect (or the Anarchs if the coterie is unaligned) seeks them out. However, the local Kindred now consider the coterie incompetent and all future Social rolls with Nomads or Loyalists are at a +1 Difficulty. Meeting with the opposing sect is out of the question at this time — the local Kindred simply won’t see the coterie. Making visitors wait before you receive them is part and parcel of politics.

Asking about the missing person makes Nazeera nervous, which the characters can glean with Wits + Insight (Difficulty 3). The coterie’s missing person stayed at the Willerton Hotel, though Nazeera honestly doesn’t know what happened to them. Getting Nazeera to open up about Willerton requires a Charisma + Persuasion roll, or a Wits + Occult roll if the character takes the route of “talking shop” with a fellow occultist. Nazeera reveals all information up to the successes rolled. 1-2 Successes: “Take care when you travel here, for these are Goblin Roads. They twist and turn to lead travelers astray. Don’t rely on your cell phones either — you’ll find they get no reception. Curiously the local kine seem immune, but no number of amulets crafted from their hair, skin, and bone seem to transfer their protection. Oh, and I’d hate myself if I didn’t warn you about the Starchild… He’s a ghoul, or was. Somehow he seems to be without a master, and in my book, that makes a ghoul hungry and dangerous.” 3 Successes: “I suspect the Goblin Roads are a symptom of a larger effect. Towns like this come and go, buildings erected from prefab. Yet look at a map of Willerton, and you see some spots always held a building.

Meeting the Loyalist Nazeera is the epitome of grace and a warm welcome, regardless of the first impression the coterie makes. They haven’t abandoned hope of returning to Chicago, and so are extra cordial if the coterie works on assignment of Prince Jackson or Abraham DuSable. Nazeera freely offers use of the Willerton Hotel as the coterie’s haven, and pledges to abide by their sovereignty within their rooms. They do tell the coterie not to feed on the hotel staff or guests, even outside hotel grounds.

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First of wood, and now a container, or in rare cases an actual stone abode. Something always sits in those spots, and I can sense power there. Oddly, I suspect the Kindred of Willerton enforce the rite by their very presence.” 4+ Successes: “I am not the only one to notice the power coursing through Willerton’s winding roads. Mortals revere their Harvest God, and the corn fields reek of blood. Even walking off the road makes me want to fall to my knees in an undignified display. I do wonder if the bewitchment would fade, were all Kindred to leave. I suspect it’s vitae that acts as the binding agent. Still, exile is exile, and here we remain.”

Meeting the Nomads Robert Warrington is the Nomads’ spokesperson, and he meets with the coterie in the Last Chance Saloon. Bikers have parked their motorcycles outside the bar, several bearing logos of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club formed in McCook, Illinois. The FBI raided several Outlaws’ clubs on suspicion of criminal activity, though the Last Chance Saloon is not among them. While the Outlaws have no further bearing on The Dying Fields, they’re offered here to pursue for Anarch characters seeking influence with the underworld. Warrington offers the coterie a perfunctory welcome to Willerton, then gets right to business telling them patrons of the Saloon are off limits when it comes to feeding. If asked for a place to stay, he shrugs and says the Willerton Hotel is as good a place as any. He doesn’t bother to tell them the hotel is controlled by a supposed Camarilla vampire, nor that its patrons are likewise off-limits. Asked about messenger Everett York, Warrington’s voice drops. If the coterie is looking for a kine Touchstone, the Anarch merely shrugs. In

either case, he tells them the person stayed at the Willerton Hotel. He claims to know no more than that. Plying Warrington with flattery or outright intimidating him allows for a Charisma + Etiquette or Persuasion, or Charisma + Intimidation roll. Warrington reveals all information up to the successes rolled. 1-2 Successes: “Willerton is a dump. No reliable phone signal, no decent Wi-Fi, and nothing but corn as far as the eye can see. I’ve carved out a nice following for myself though. Even had a ghoul here for a while before he went and found himself some other vein to tap.” 3 Successes: “I used to get whatever my little undead heart desired — money, clothes, all the pretty boys. But now, it’s getting harder to hang on to my followers. Luckily, the kine here are pretty dedicated to me. Well, and the Warlock over at the hotel. I think they just love a special kiss once in a while.” 4+ Successes: “I don’t know what’s causing the push-back. Could just be there’s another Influencer in town. But I smell blood on the air. It makes me nervous and excited. Lots of passion in those cornfields. And whenever the townsfolk get excited out there, everyone’s blood gets a tiny bit tastier. You should head into the cornfields some night. Everyone gets a little fun.”

Hitting the Town Rather than meeting with local Kindred, the coterie might hit the pavement and see what they can sniff out. All attempts to find a specific place, even with a map, require a Wits + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 4). A single success gets the coterie to where it wants to be. Failure means they get turned around a few times, and don’t even notice it until later. Traveling to Willerton and meeting Nazeera or Warrington, along with

all the prerequisite assurances of not being here to usurp anyone’s domain, take up most of the first night. If the characters did that, all but the bare essentials of finding a haven must wait until the second night.

Talking to the Police Willerton doesn’t have a standing police force, due to its small size. A local state trooper or cops from a city like Chicago might occasionally show their faces or receive a summons if a crime is reported, but for all intents and purposes, the town regulates itself. During this story, the police are absent unless the characters call them in.

Talking to the Townsfolk The coterie might try to speak with bar stewards and patrons, especially at the Last Chance Saloon or Sam’s Diner. It doesn’t take the characters long to realize that despite their recent turn to tourism, the people of Willerton do not like outsiders. After all, it’s just a method of attracting further sacrifices. If any of the Kindred bear military tags or anything else that indicates they served in the US forces, Ed Smith does buy them a free drink in honor of his cousin Cas. Other than that, getting townsfolk to open up is like pulling teeth and requires a Charisma + Persuasion or Manipulation + Subterfuge roll, both at Difficulty 4. Intimidation rolls are at Difficulty 5, and if they fail, they immediately lead to the coterie being forcibly thrown out. The Kindred can resist, which leads to a brawl and someone calling the police. The coterie can also use Presence or Auspex instead of, or in addition to, mundane powers of persuasion. If the coterie is successful in getting answers, the townsfolk only admit that a few people have gone missing over the past years, but they

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claim they’re not worried because the police determined they did not go missing in Willerton. In reality though, they’re not worried because the missing locals were sacrificed for the good of the community, and they don’t much care what happens to travelers, visitors, or seasonal farmhands. The same applies for winding roads turning people around, or cell phone reception constantly failing — it doesn’t happen to them, so why should they care. They also reveal an incident where a woman who had lived in Willerton for six years went missing, but she wasn’t born in the town so that still makes her an outsider.

Talking to Other Tourists Wits + Awareness (Difficulty 2) reveals two other tourists, both kine, wandering Willerton. A few moments of observation and a Wits + Insight (Difficulty 3) lets the Kindred speculate they’re brothers or very close buddies. The pair doesn’t seem to have any romantic or sexual tension between them. If the coterie is looking for a mortal Touchstone, they might ask the men about them. This requires a Charisma + Persuasion or Intimidation roll (Difficulty 3), and the two men, Dillan and Henry Jones from Chicago on a midweek trip to Willerton, reveal they shared a drink with the Touchstone at the bar of the Willerton Hotel. They don’t know anything more but promise to keep an eye out for the Touchstone. Even if the Kindred do not talk to the brothers, mention they see them about — they become relevant in Chapter Six: Missing at the Willerton.

Talking to Animals Charisma + Animal Ken (Difficulty 3) reveals nothing unusual about the local animals. Feral Whispers yields more information, depending

on what animals the Kindred talks to. The local vermin (mice and rats) love the cornfield because there’s always something to eat, even if it smells bad. Meanwhile the local predators (cats and birds of prey) love it because the field always offers good hunting and it smells great. Domesticated dogs don’t like the field, and especially don’t like their humans to enter the corn.

Getting the Lay of the Land Wits + Occult at Difficulty 2 lets the character receive an odd tingle, while the same roll at Difficulty 4 reveals Willerton is built on principles of divine geometry. The character may make another roll after a night of wandering Willerton with a map (note the difficulty in keeping to said map) and jotting down where they feel something. In this case, an Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 4) yields that Willerton’s sacred geometry serves as a cage, and that the Sam’s Motorcycles and the gas station across the road are lynchpins in this design. Visiting either building reveals nothing further though — their existence holds the cage in place, but their function and purpose are irrelevant to the geometric working.

Feeding When the characters enter the Last Chance Saloon, assuming they’re not Anarchs come for a meeting with Warrington, the bouncers stops them. “We don’t serve your kind here,” he says. The coterie can push past the bouncer (see Appendix II for stats, p. XX) with a Charisma + Persuasion or Intimidation roll (Difficulty 4) or the right Dominate or Presence technique. The bouncer does growl, “No drinks for you.” Despite the initial reluctance, however, if the characters bypass the bouncer, they find several willing blood dolls in the bar. This should be highlighted as odd, given

the small populace, and willingness the vessels have for being victims in plain view of other patrons. The very moment the characters enter the Willerton Hotel, a message appears scrawled in blood on the nearest mirror: “Welcome to the Willerton Hotel. Please stay as long as you like — your sovereignty is respected here. Kindly do not bother the staff or other guests though, as I claim them in name of the Camarilla.” The writing disappears immediately afterwards. Nazeera has a simple ward placed on the Willerton Hotel, which triggers when a vampire passes over the threshold. That leaves the Sam’s Diner. Unless it’s early in the evening, before 7 PM, Vera closed the Sam’s Motorcycles for the day and joined her brother Ed at the diner. Ed is in the kitchen preparing food, while Vera operates the counter. The characters can sit at the counter or in any of the more private booths. The diner’s patrons consist of hungry bikers (the diner serves much better food than the Saloon) and locals treating themselves to a good, affordable meal. While it’s not quite as packed as the Saloon, the diner has enough people for the coterie to feed on, which is at the usual Difficulty +1 per three Kindred in the coterie (rounded up). The Difficulty modifier exists due to the inhabitants’ reticence around outsiders, but once the feeding begins, any patrons who notice volunteer their own veins. These townsfolk enjoy their role as a herd and refer to it as “special kissing.” Vera keeps a close eye on the PCs — not enough to hinder their feeding, but enough to let the characters wonder if perhaps she knows about vampires. She does, and while she’s a member of the Willerton herd, she feels a particular enmity toward outsider vampires coming in and draining the local populace. If the PCs use Charisma + Persuasion (Difficulty 3) to prompt her to open up

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

town now. The Storyteller can refer to Hitting the Town (p. XX) also in Chapter Two for things they might pursue. The Storyteller can also suggest they visit the local library for more information on Willerton, as perhaps this holds a clue to the reason for the missing people.

about her feelings, she spits that any outsiders who feed in her diner will pay for the privilege. Her cousin Cas is a combat veteran with Special Intel and Vera has contacted her before about removing problematic vampires from the town. In truth, Cas is with FIRSTLIGHT, known to Kindred as the Second Inquisition, and while she’s previously hunted a couple of solitary vampires who refused to go along with the cultish herd’s plans, she’s planning on pushing FIRSTLIGHT to burn the entire town down.

The Library The coterie can visit the newspaper archives in the Willerton Library which is still, if just, open in the first part of the evening. The size of the library is impressive for a town this small, but it is their pride and joy as a community, having been cultivated since 1898. Visiting needs to be the first thing on the characters’ list for the evening, even before feeding — if not, the library is closed for the night. Breaking in requires a Dexterity + Larceny roll (Difficulty 4). If they didn’t check online sources before departing Chicago, the characters can do so now as per the Research on p. XX of Chapter One: Missing Person. If they did, however, the local archives have several papers on microfiche that the online records don’t hold. As the library closes soon, the Kindred only have time to pursue one topic per character unless they hide until after hours, which requires a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 4) to evade the lone guard. Intelligence + Investigation (Difficulty 4) reveals more about these topics:

Finding a Place to Sleep Wits + Streetwise (Difficulty 2) reveals the Willerton Hotel as a decent temporary haven. The Willerton offers single and double rooms at affordable rate, and the Storyteller should try to separate the characters out a bit — this becomes relevant in Chapter Seven: The Congregation Attacks. The staff currently working the reception, a friendly black woman wearing a name tag that reads Kristen, does not remember the coterie’s missing person, should they ask. Wits + Insight or Scry the Soul reveal her to be truthful, as Kristen alternates one week of work with one week off, and wasn’t working those nights. If the characters take rooms at the Willerton, a Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) reveals sticky patches from duct-tape on the doors and windows of one room, as well as small holes where someone nailed the wooden door and shutters close. Spirit’s Touch reveals a Kindred (Everett York) staying here recently, as well as a brief struggle followed by blissful nothing. The latter is the effect of Sleep of Judas.

•

Willerton as a farming community: The local Agrarians’ Society functions as both a practical gathering of farmers and as a historic society. They publish the Willerton Farmers’ Almanac in physical print to this day. The Kindred can find a copy of every Almanac ever published, including this year’s, in the physical library. The Almanacs are reference books, and therefore are not available for lending.

•

Willerton as a new tourist destination: An abandoned chapel at the north end of the local graveyard was considered and then discarded as idea for a potential tourist draw. One scathing opinion piece by the paper’s now deceased editor mocks it as giving tourists “the Local Witch package.” Another article was written by a local pastor, also now deceased, who opposed the idea of using the Judas tree as a tourist draw, as he claimed it was sacrilege. No location for the Judas tree is given.

Chapter Three: The Second Night Traveling to Willerton and either meeting Nazeera or Warrington or investigating the town takes up most of the first night. The characters can spend the day at the Willerton Hotel, which has oaken doors and thick wooden shutters that are easily hammered closed and light proofed with duct tape. If the coterie opts to spend the day elsewhere though, they must find their own safe place to sleep. Earth Melding into the cornfield yields terrible daymares and a +1 Difficulty on all Mental rolls next night. The Kindred might also want to feed if they haven’t done so yet — the Storyteller can refer to Feeding on p. XX of Chapter Two: Welcome to Willerton. Assuming the coterie met with Nazeera or Warrington on the first night, they might choose to walk the

The coterie may decide to check out the chapel after their visit to the library. The chapel sits at the north end of the graveyard. Strange markings cover three headstones nearby, and an Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 4) deciphers these to mean Harvest, Sac-

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rifice, and Rebirth, respectively. The chapel itself carries the same markings on the peeling white limestone. The small altar at the back of the chapel is cleared of any Christian trappings. Instead, a human skull adorned with deer antlers stares at the characters from the altar — a Wits + Medicine roll (Difficulty 3) reveals both skull and antlers to be real. Offerings of silver coins, seasonal harvest, and a bowl with a dried rust-colored substance sit before the skull. A simple taste reveals the rust-colored substance to be dried animal blood. The graveyard and chapel are eerily silent, and though the coterie feels as if they’re being watched (they are in the presence of the Harvest God here), they can detect no other people. •

The location of Sam’s Motorcycles: This requires an Intelligence + Occult roll rather than Investigation. If the coterie did not glean the town’s sacred geometry yet, they can see its outline now. They also realize pinning down the geometry’s purpose requires feet on the ground to map what exactly they sense and where. See Hitting the Town (p. XX) for more.

•

Missing people: While the official count remains at four missing people, the newspaper carries many more articles about family and friends outside the town claiming a missing loved one was last seen in Willerton. The newspaper spends increasing wordcount on these cases, even writing an op ed titled “What is the town hiding?” on November 4th, 1916. After that though, the paper seems to move on to other topics.

The newspaper’s office closes every day at five, so Kindred

D I V E R G E N T PAT H S

Once the characters wrap up their research, they have different avenues to explore. The Dying Fields assumes they investigate the cornfields first in Chapter Four: Into the Corn, then meet their opposing sect in Chapter Five: Meeting the Other Side, and finally regroup at the hotel for the day in Chapter Six: Missing at the Willerton. They might even still be pursuing options from Chapter Two: Welcome to Willerton. The Storyteller can move chapters around, or skip them entirely, based on their group’s actions.

•

can’t physically make inquiries. Any emails or message left at the paper go unanswered. If they break in with a Dexterity + Larceny roll (Difficulty 4), they can discover that the writer of the op ed was dismissed from the paper’s employ and moved away from Willerton back in 1917.

can try to smuggle it out of the library with a Dexterity + Larceny roll (Difficulty 4). This allows them to check the Almanac at their leisure. They can also flip through it in the library, but again, closing time means they can only check one topic. If the player doesn’t specify a topic, the Storyteller chooses one.

The missing microfilm copies: No amount of researching the microfilms reveals anything new. However, searching the physical library records yields a clipping in an otherwise empty and unmarked Manila folder (a lucky find, really) on a Wits + Academics roll (Difficulty 3). The clipping is dated May 31, 1888 and titled “Speaking Out Against the Blood Orgy.” The article makes frequent references to a blood orgy with no further explanation as to what this entailed, but does claim the celebration got out of hand in Spring of 1888. Surely this, though the article does not explain what “this” is, can no longer remain hidden. Referencing the microfilm paper leading up to May 31st yields only local news (no missing people), obituaries, and a wedding announcement, and announcements for both a school spirit celebration and a Spring feast.

•

Year Calendar: May 1st and October 31st are typically important dates in farmers’ communities, marked by Spring (sowing) and Autumn (harvest) festivals. Willerton celebrates theirs on May 21th and October 14th though, for no discernible reason. If the characters know about the divine geometry cage, an Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 5) lets them know these dates are when the chains of the geometry are at their weakest.

•

Tilling the Soil: Willerton celebrates their Spring festival by tilling the earth with fertilizer and blood, to make for a better harvest. Intelligence + Occult (Difficulty 3) lets a character know that fertilizing soil with blood was not uncommon in pagan Europe. The characters can do a quick flip to the Autumn festival, but nothing unusual is there.

•

The Judas Tree: The characters find a map of the cornfields denoting the location of the Judas tree in the center. Even with this

The Farmers’ Almanac If the Kindred find a physical copy of the Farmers’ Almanac, they

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Judas Tree

map, finding the Judas tree requires a Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 4). The page preceding the map notes the Spring and Autumn festivals are both held at the Judas tree. •

The Judas tree stands in an opening in the field, towering above the corn. Its branches hang downward, as if something thick and heavy drags on them. The Kindred immediately recognize the scent of blood on the air. The soil under their feet is muddy, even though no rain fell today. A closer look at the soil reveals it’s saturated with a thick paste of blood and ground up meat. Cutting into the tree lets red sap run out the limbs — an Intelligence + Survival roll (Difficulty 2) reveals the sap of the Judas tree is not supposed to be red. While the blood in the dirt is mostly animal, it does carry a faint telltale Resonance of human blood, though the Resonances are too jumbled to pick out anyone in particular. The blood inside the tree is sap mixed with blood, specifically the Harvest God’s. This blood does not work as a proper conduit or target for Thaumaturgy, though if drunk in sufficient quantities, it can establish something akin to a Blood Bond. If indeed the Harvest God is a “Shadow Sleeper,” this bloody sap is a key component in the Book of the Grave-War’s ritual for breaking existing Blood Bonds.

Making Fertilizer: Fertilizer can be made all year through, and stored in vats to ripen for use during the growing season.

Chapter Four: Into the Corn The coterie decides to investigate the cornfields after hearing several strange references to Spring and Harvest celebrations or Judas trees. At this point in The Dying Fields, the cornfield offers no confrontation with the Congregation of the Harvest God, nor does it lead them to their missing person. But it does offer other encounters, and the Storyteller can run the group through any they like. The Storyteller might get another chance to run cornfield encounters in Chapter Eight: All Roads Lead to the Corn. Visiting the cornfield now gives the characters a lay of the field and makes things easier for them in Chapter Eight, or when trading information with Nazeera in Chapter Five: Meeting the other side.

Magpies The coterie comes onto an opening in the corn where a large hawthorn shrub grows. Red ribbons, now faded and worn, hang from its branches. The flowers woven into the ribbons have long since wilted, and the small bells tied to them are so rusted they no longer ring. Magpies cover every branch of the hawthorn. They’re utterly silent, staring at the characters. A Wits + Animal Ken roll (Difficulty 3) reveals this is not normal magpie behavior. Using Animalism on the magpies triggers an immediate Hunger Frenzy roll (Difficulty 2) as the Harvest God’s hunger overwhelms the character. If the character resists Frenzy, they can use Animalism as they intended. The magpies watch, they wait, and they hunger for blood and freedom. They serve the blood-soaked land itself.

Getting Lost By now, the characters have likely figured out how easy it is to get lost in Willerton. The cornfield is a great place to introduce the Goblin Roads, their winding ways, and the strange wind that almost sounds like grunts echoing through the corn. The Storyteller should time this event near dawn, so there’s a sense of urgency to finding their way out. The more time then spent wandering lost, the more strongly they can feel something tugging at their veins. This is the Harvest God, hungering for the blood they carry but powerless to take it — for now.

B O O K O F T H E G R AV E - W H AT ?

The tome potentially responsible for Clan Tremere’s recent fracturing and the severing of Blood Bonds all along America’s West Coast is the Book of the Grave-War. Originally written by some manner of Malkavian blood sorcerer, it lays down theories relating to breaking bonds with sires, clans, and domitors, and the waking of ancient vampires known as “the Shadow Sleepers.” Only recently has the book drawn widespread Kindred attention due to Carna of Clan Tremere using it to slip free of her clan’s Blood ties and passing on its content to other inclined Kindred. More information can be found in Beckett’s Jyhad Diary and Vampire: The Masquerade p. 385.

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Mariangel

hand, unconscious. Of the girlfriend, they find no trace. Brought to with a Wits + Medicine roll (Difficulty 3), the farmhand Mona remembers being attacked by something, but no more than that. She is terribly concerned about her girlfriend Becca and goes off into the field to find her, unless the coterie stops her. If the characters stop her from running into the field, Mona goes home instead. If they don’t stop her, Mona does not return.

The coterie finds fresh footprints in the field, which hold a cross between human and large canine prints. If the characters follow the tracks, with a Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 4), they find Mariangel. She is barefooted, with feet closer to a wolf’s than a human’s, and her fangs are fresh with blood. If pressed (Charisma + Persuasion or Intimidation, opposed by her Willpower) she admits she just fed on a farmhand who brought her girlfriend into the field. She denies having anything to do with the disappearances, though reluctantly admits fewer of her prey return home than usual. Mariangel doesn’t think that’s on her, and she suspects that there is a scavenger going for easy pickings but is not entirely sure — mortals are so frail it’s possible she killed a few by accident, she says with a shrug. If the coterie asks Mariangel about their missing person, she says she hasn’t seen them and gets aggressive if the coterie presses or doesn’t seem to believe her. At this point, they need to roll another Charisma + Persuasion or Intimidation (Difficulty 4) to deescalate the situation. Mariangel is truthful, however. The Kindred can follow Mariangel’s tracks further into the field to find one girl in her mid-twenties, the farm-

Scarecrows Several scarecrows stand or slump in the cornfields, but one looms over the corn at nine feet tall. Pelted by Midwestern rains, its body is little more than a lump with four appendages. The sack serving as its head remains leering though, red eyes seeming to follow the characters wherever they go. A farmer cut a slit in the sack for the scarecrow’s mouth, and the entire construct reeks. Near the pole, someone has overturned a mound of earth from a freshly dug grave. Digging it up reveals a fox with its jaw sown shut on a cat’s belly, while the cat’s jaw is sown shut on a mouse. An Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 3) lets the character know this symbolizes the circle of predation — but then who eats the fox? If the coterie investigates the scarecrow, they find a heart stuffed in its

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

straw body. The heart initially appears human, but a Wits + Medicine roll (Difficulty 3) reveals it belongs to a pig.

Everett York

Chapter Five: Meeting the Other Side

If the coterie can frame its search as anything other than “we’re hoping to steal him or his message for the Anarchs,” they can certainly try to broach the subject. Nazeera is not willing to share anything with them, though.

Divine Geometry

The coterie has spent a few nights in Willerton, and while by now they must realize something in Willerton makes people go missing, they’re no closer to their own missing person. They apparently have waited the appropriate amount of time, though, to warrant a meeting with a representative of Willerton’s other sect.

“A cage of sorts, certainly, but not divine. It’s the Goblin Roads keeping Kindred here, or at least making it difficult for them to leave. Oh, the kine can come and go as they please, but Kindred? The few vampires who end up here often don’t hang around for long enough to ask why the resident Anarchs stick to their roadhouse instead of taking to their bikes. I’m of the belief that we all go or none of us go, but then, where do those solitary departures end up…? Anyhow, Willerton was founded in 1880, and the geometry seems to have held since then. Whether the settlers stumbled on something they wanted bound, or if they unwittingly built their houses on top of Meswaki bindings, who knows. I wasn’t here for that.”

Anarchs: Meeting Nazeera Nazeera is distinctly cold to the coterie — whatever else is going on, after the whole mess with their grandsire Carna, they do not want to be accused of aiding Anarchs. Even getting the simplest information from Nazeera requires an opposed roll of Charisma + Persuasion or Intimidation against Wits + Subterfuge, and they’re certainly not interested in helping find the coterie’s missing Touchstone. Hopefully, of course, the coterie is smart enough not to mention its intention to steal York’s message from the Camarilla. However, mentioning Willerton’s divine geometry, the presence in the cornfield, or anything else related to the Harvest God (even if the character didn’t learn its name yet) does immediately get Nazeera’s attention. With regard to this one subject, Nazeera is willing to compare notes — and the coterie may even persuade them to share information about their missing person in exchange for findings about the Harvest God. Nazeera doesn’t necessarily think the coterie found anything new — in fact, that’s unlikely given Nazeera’s occult skills and how long they’ve been in Willerton — but rather views the characters’ findings as a way to verify their own. Likewise, they might not always have new information to offer, but they can confirm (or deny) the coterie’s conjectures. For every piece of information the characters can share, Nazeera answers one question. Here are some of the answers they might give.

The Harvest God “Curious blend of iconography, that. It’s not quite Celtic, nor is it Greek, Egyptian, or Mesopotamian. Yet it borrows from Cernunnos, Persephone, and Tammuz. Possibly it was built on an indigenous myth, buried and appropriated along with the original culture of this land. The farmers swear by it though, despite all their devout Christian pretenses, and believe its presence blesses the earth. They even sacrifice animals to it, led by that itinerant ghoul, Starchild.” If the characters ask if the farmers might be sacrificing more than animals, Nazeera shrugs and admits: “All those missing people must have ended up somewhere, I suppose, and you’ve got to admit, their willingness to give up blood makes feeding a lot easier once you’re accepted.”

The Cornfields If the coterie knows (almost) all of Willerton’s occult oddities, Nazeera opens up about what they believe is buried in the earth. Clearly these are skilled Kindred, even if they are Anarch, and the Tremere figures they might have new insights. Nazeera also, if more reluctantly, shares information if the coterie is pursuing the Book of the Grave-War — they might not like their grandsire at all, but obsession runs in their blood. “Have you ever heard of a creature called a Shadow Sleeper? Folklore on them is scarce, between a few curi-

The Missing Touchstone “Of course I was aware of their presence. This is a Camarilla domain, and I am its enforcer. I didn’t bother too closely though — what is one more kine to me, and they didn’t seem intent on making trouble. They stayed at the Willerton Hotel, but I know nothing beyond that.”

They Dying Fields

Everett York

ous stanzas: When love and hate turn strange / And magpies filch the hours / And Judas limbs betray / Know you are a figment / A shadow-sleeper’s dream. Did you go into the corn yet? Did you see the Judas trees, or any of the magpies?” If the characters haven’t yet ventured into the corn, Nazeera recommends they do so now — the Storyteller can run Chapter Four: Into the Corn for this. If however the coterie confirms (or lies) they saw strange things in the corn, Nazeera continues: “I suspect such a creature lies under Willerton, and I’m worried that it seems more active. I don’t know if your missing friend ties into this, but even if they don’t — tread carefully.” If the coterie presses for information on the Shadow Sleeper, the Storyteller can refer to Rumors on p. XX and pick out two interesting tidbits for Nazeera to share, regardless of whether they’re right about them.

“Who?” This is not technically a lie, as Warrington does not know York’s name. He also tries to obfuscate anything he knows about ‘a vampire passing through’ as he plans to snatch York’s message for the Nomads and is counting on his excellent social skills to lie or deflect as needed. If the coterie successfully presses, Warrington does not know York’s current whereabouts but believes he followed some kine out into the cornfields recently.

Dark Influences This subject is tricky, because Warrington neither knows nor understands anything about Harvest Gods, Shadow Sleepers, or divine geometry, and phrasing it as such only renders a confused shrug. If the coterie phrases it as a more general eerie presence in town, however, Warrington answers. “I’m never one to point fingers, but it started when that ghoul started speaking up. What was their name again, Starlight? At first, I thought he was one of us, until he started begging for vitae. Then the begging stopped and he went on his way. I felt a push-back on my influence ever since he arrived. I haven’t seen him in a while, so hopefully things will go back to normal soon. I can’t speak to what’s going on, but I know the system around here works.”

Camarilla: Meeting Warrington Warrington invites the coterie to a back room in the Last Chance Saloon where they can talk freely. He rarely looks up from his phone despite his constant frustration over his lack of signal, but other than that seems friendly and willing to answer questions. Warrington does not know the deeper meanings behind the town’s occult matters, but he does know about people and how they go missing regularly. Warrington gives one piece of information for free if a character likes, follows, or friends him on social media (Instagram much preferred). Subsequent information depends on the coterie’s behavior. Warrington freely talks so long as they characters are cordial, and deferential to his status as Willerton’s most influential Nomad. If they try to intimidate him, throw around their weight as members of the Camarilla, or ask him to put the phone down, they must make a Charisma + Persuasion or Intimidation, or Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 4) to get anything. As he speaks, he is surveying them as potential sacrifices in future nights.

Crop Festivals “I don’t interact much with the farmers — that’s not my thing. Plus, most of their celebrations are during the day. They do most of their festivals at the Judas tree, but I’m sure they occasionally use the old graveyard chapel too. They’re very intense about their rituals. Such superstition. Or maybe all this hopping around and hand waving really does make the corn grow better, what do I know, I’m not a farmer. Either way, I stay out of it. Occasionally one of your preferred vessels disappears, but everyone seems happier afterward, and blood is never hard to come by.”

Stay in Touch

The Missing Touchstone

If the characters remained cordial throughout the conversation and added Warrington on social media, he offers to stay in touch. Accepting the offer does the coterie’s standing with Nazeera no good, though unless they make a frequent habit of hanging with rabble rousers, it doesn’t translate to loss of Status. Nor is Warrington willing to remain on the down low — he is the Nomads’ representative and turning all manner of people to his

“Yes, I know of them. Had them followed for a little while — this is an Anarch domain, such as it is, and I like to stay on top of things — but they didn’t seem interested in causing any trouble. My Nomads certainly didn’t grab your friend, I trained them better than that. They stayed at the Willerton Hotel, so you should ask there.”

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

side is part of the job. However, it does give the coterie a contact within the Anarchs who is genuinely more interested in a fair exchange of information and favors than in screwing them over. At least initially. Warrington bears no ill will if they decline, though this does remove him as an option to revisit later. He’s quicker to suggest the coterie as a sacrifice, should the townsfolk come knocking, if the PCs and he are on the outs.

worker, who is far more focused on not tripping over the two suitcases than on potential pursuers, requires only a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 2) and automatically succeeds if the Kindred uses an Obfuscate power like Silence of Death or Unseen Passage.

Either: Revisiting Their Own

The hotel staffer, a pimply teenager with a cracking voice who wears a tag that says Bradley, proceeds to toss the suitcases in the dumpster that sits in the alleyway behind the hotel. If the characters approach the teen, he jumps (“Oh! I didn’t hear you!”) but is otherwise unperturbed — the Willerton is a non-smoking hotel and guests occasionally use the alley to smoke. He does indicate he needs to get back to work, but can stay a moment if one of the characters thinks to tip him $20 or more. Otherwise, talking to him requires a Charisma + Persuasion or Intimidation roll (Difficulty 3). He reveals the following, depending on how the conversation unfolds.

Hi, My Name is Bradley

It’s entirely possible a Camarilla coterie might go back to speak to Nazeera again, or that Anarchs want to keep Warrington appraised of their situation. In that case, the encounter runs much as the ones detailed above, with a few differences. Nazeera is more open with a Camarilla coterie, sharing mundane information freely and proactively offering to compare notes about Willerton’s occult nature. The coterie still needs to impress Nazeera for them to open up about the being they believe sleeps beneath the fields, though, and they insist it’ll retain its hold over the Kindred here until all of them are dead or gone. Meanwhile, Warrington is open about most information he has, so long as the clearly capable coterie gives him a way to contact them later. The thin-blood prefers a mutual Instagram follow (“Trust me, a follow from me will give you so much exposure. Your numbers will just be, like, woah.”), but he reluctantly agrees to another form of social media. He visibly scoffs at anything as boring as a phone number or, even worse, an email address, and offers to help them establish a robust social media presence instead.

Chapter Six: Missing at the Willerton That night, as the coterie walks the streets of Willerton, they don’t see the two brothers, Dillan and Henry, anywhere. That in itself is no cause for alarm — they could have cut their vacation short, and they certainly weren’t so close to the coterie they’d feel the need to say goodbye. The characters’ return to the Willerton Hotel reveals more though. When the characters go back to spend the day in their rooms, a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 2) alerts them to a hotel staff member picking up two bright green suitcases from behind the reception desk and taking them out through the back door. Following the hotel

•

Bradley: If a character calls him Bradley, the teen quickly explains, “Oh, that’s my buddy from the day shift. My mom didn’t clean my uniform yet. I’m Chad.”

•

The suitcases: “It sometimes happens, people leave without paying their bills. I’m not sure why we throw away the suitcases — makes more sense to me to keep them — but that’s hotel policy. It’s a fireable offense if I keep them.”

•

Dillan and Henry Jones: “I’m actually not sure why management thinks they skipped. I mean, it’s only been a day? But honestly, I just do what I’m told. I’m saving up for college — mom can’t afford to send me — so I gotta keep this job.”

•

The missing person: “Who? Do you have a picture?” If the characters have a picture, or just a solid description, Chad continues: “I’ve seen them. They skipped too. Huh, we get a lot of those, come to think about it. Anyway, their stuff got tossed last week and it’s probably at the landfill by now. Sorry I can’t help you.”

W E ’ R E N O T S TAY I N G AT T H E H O T E L

Maybe the coterie is too suspicious of the local hospitality and find another place to stay. In that case, the characters can see Chad as he disposes of two perfectly good suitcases, and the Storyteller can take it from there.

They Dying Fields

Chad genuinely doesn’t know that the two brothers were fed to the field, as not everything the cult does is agreed by committee. He does know that people go missing often, the farmers perform all manner of historic rites, and Warrington sometimes comes by to give him a “special kiss,” but none of that pertains directly to Dillan and Henry.

TA K E I T O U T S I D E

As an alternate tip to the Storyteller, run the attempted kidnapping with the targeted player in another room. This way the other players are just as in the dark as their characters when they awaken next night and find their coterie mate missing. Ensure they have something to do in the meantime, such as getting drinks and applying experience points.

Searching the Luggage Chad won’t let the characters search the suitcases while he’s there, as that could get him fired. He doesn’t hustle them back inside either though, and the suitcases are still sitting right on top of the garbage when Chad leaves. Searching the suitcases reveals the usual items: clothes, shaving kit, a Trudi Canavan novel, hiking shoes. The coterie does not find any identifying items — not even a tablet or phone — and one wallet in the suitcase holds cash but no cards. The Congregation of the Harvest God kidnapped the brothers for their ritual, then removed (and burned or buried) anything that reveals who the men were. A successful Spirit’s Touch reveals imprints of cold detachment, with underlying emotions of zealotry, from whomever cleared the luggage. Even without Spirit’s Touch, the coterie can likely put together than something ill befell the brothers, but there’s nothing to do about it now — they can already feel the first rays of sun just behind the horizon. If they check the reception, the name plate reveals an L. Combs currently at work, but they’re not as the desk right now.

A Rude Awakening The attackers prefer to target a Kindred sleeping alone (if the Storyteller convinced them to split up), and with a little insight from the Congregation’s ghoul patron, they are uncannily able to choose the physically weakest target. If none of the characters are sleeping alone, a false fire alarm right before dawn forces them into new rooms, and receptionist Combs, working for the Congregation, separates one target. The attackers count Starchild (see Appendix II for stats, p. XX) and three to four mortal brawlers (see Appendix II for stats, p. XX). Their tactic relies on daylight to overpower and subdue a groggy vampire. The ghoul carries Sleep of Judas in a syringe, see Appendix III p. XX for details. Using the sedative during combat requires 1 damage on a called shot at -2 penalty. The syringe, typically used on cattle and quite sturdy, has a damage modifier of +0.

Chapter Seven: The Congregation Attacks

If the Attackers Subdue the Kindred They shove the character into a heavy-duty garment bag, hoist their body onto a trolley cart, and wheel them away. This definitely looks like an abduction — a garment bag is not a discreet way to move a body — but receptionist Combs ensures the Congregation’s path is clear. The attackers wheel the trolley out back to the dumpster area where Chad disposed of the suitcases, where a dirty farmer’s truck now waits. They throw the character into a large toolbox mounted in the flat of the truck and drive off.

In this chapter, if the Storyteller chooses to run it, the Congregation of the Harvest God tries to kidnap one of the characters. That can go a lot of different ways, and the Storyteller should consider all of them. If the Kindred successfully wards off the attackers, the coterie may have a member of the Congregation to interrogate. This works great for groups who really like to know what trouble they’re heading into, but lessens suspense for groups who enjoy creepy mysteries. Alternatively, the Congregation may succeed, in which case see Solo Play on p. XX. If the Storyteller decides they don’t want to run Chapter Seven as written, they can instead skip right to You’re Not Kristen on p. XX to segue from Chapter Six: Missing at the Willerton to Chapter Eight.

If the Kindred Stand Poised to Defeat Their Attackers The Congregation members attempt to flee or push open the window shutters to let in the sunlight if the Kindred blocks their way to the door. If the Kindred thought to nail the shutters closed, the Storyteller rolls Strength + Athletics (Difficulty 4, or 6 if the Kindred used

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Potence to hammer the nails in) for the mortals to see if they succeed. If both fail, and the Kindred can restrain themselves from killing the intruders, the characters might have a hostage to question. Between their fear of the Harvest God and Starchild’s influence on them, any attempt at persuasion or intimidation is against a Difficulty of 5. HERE IS SOME OF THE INFORMATION A HOSTAGE MIGHT REVEAL: •

Starchild, dark priest of the Harvest God, required the Kindred as sacrifice in his next ritual.

•

The Congregation of the Harvest God is ancient in Willerton, a worship passed down from parent to child since the first European colonists stole the land from the Meswaki.

•

The Congregation of the Harvest God moved from animal to human sacrifices, but these no longer satiate the God.

•

The attackers snatched someone matching the description of the coterie’s missing person, be it their Touchstone or York, a while ago. They have not been sacrificed yet.

•

The attackers took Dillan and Henry yesterday. One of the brothers was badly injured in the attack, probably fatally if left untreated, but neither has been sacrificed yet.

•

The Congregation gathers tomorrow evening near the Judas tree to do worship unto the Harvest God and darken the earth with blood.

The Kindred may use Dominate or Presence to compel their hostage to take them to the Judas tree. This is a fine idea, if not for the sun that’s still out. They can confine their hostage to the bedroom closet until nightfall, but it doesn’t have a lock and they risk the hostage making enough noise to draw attention or escaping when the character sleeps again. The Sleep of Judas is too strong for the mortal body to handle, and the hostage dies convulsing and vomiting as if they suffered a drug overdose if the Kindred administer it. The Kindred can certainly try other drugs intended for humans, if they have them. Dominate and Presence might be an option, but their scene’s duration certainly ends before night falls. The character’s safest bet remains to kill the hostage, stuff their remains in the bedroom closet, and deal with clean up in the morning, though doing so runs the risk of incurring Stains.

They Dying Fields

If the character decides to risk leaving the hostage alive, the Storyteller can either roll a single die or simply choose one of these outcomes: 1

The hostage, neither able to escape nor make noise, bites off and swallows their own tongue. The Kindred awakens at night to find them blue, cold, and dead from suffocation.

2-4

The hostage frees their mouth and starts to shout. The noise re-awakens the Kindred, but not before it also alerts the night staff. Assuming the character can subdue and silence the hostage quickly enough, persuading the hotel staff they were just watching a movie or shouting in their sleep after a nightmare requires a Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3). Charisma + Intimidate also gets rid of the hotel staff, but then the staff member will call the police when they’re safely out of the room again.

5-7

The hostage frees their arms and legs and opens the closet (breaking it down if the Kindred hammered the door shut) to escape. As the Kindred is caught in day’s sleep, the hostage likely succeeds. They return to the Congregation a failure, and Starchild marks them for sacrifice in Chapter Eight: All Roads Lead to the Corn.

8-10

The hostage tried to kick the closet door down but failed, and a lack of oxygen finally caused them to pass out. They’re groggy and have a headache, but remain alive and safely secured.

S O LO P L AY

If one of the characters was kidnapped, the Storyteller should switch between locations every five minutes or so to ensure nobody gets bored while the coterie is separated. The kidnapped victim is wrapped tightly in rope before the stake is removed, and while they can use Strength + Brawl (Difficulty 5) to break their bonds, a cultist holds the stake over their heart to convince them not to struggle. This separate scene could lead to the vampire’s escape and flight through the fields, where they reunite with the coterie as they enter the field or as the victim reaches town. Make any such running scene fraught with tension as the cultists pursue their prey.

Ask the night clerk: Combs is manning the reception, and the Storyteller can move to You’re Not Kristen on p. XX.

•

Ask Nazeera or Warrington: Both felt a darkness stirring in the corn, but Nazeera doesn’t wish to endanger themself and Warrington has no desire to interrupt the sacrifice and fall into bad favor with a town that’s been so good to him. If the coterie takes that clue and heads to the cornfield, the Storyteller can continue with Chapter Eight.

You’re Not Kristen A man named Luke Combs (see Appendix II for Receptionist stats, p. XX) works the reception desk tonight — either Kristen’s work week is up again, or she fell ill. Combs was also the one responsible for ordering the brothers’ luggage destroyed, but if the coterie asks, insists he was only following hotel policy. He’s lying, as either Wits + Insight opposed by Manipulation + Subterfuge or Scry the Soul reveals. Asking about their missing coterie member yields the same. Combs is a low-ranking member of the Congregation of the Harvest God. The coterie has several ways to deal with Combs. No Charisma + Persuasion or even Manipulation + Subterfuge gets him to reveal anything — his zealous dedication to the Harvest God is simply too great for such betrayals. A Charisma + Intimidation opposed by Willpower does not sway him either, though on a success, the characters see him look at the phone as if he’s eager to call someone. If the characters pretend to leave at this point, Combs promptly calls the Congregation and they overhear the following: “It’s me. These people are getting really pushy. Are you sure it’s safe to meet tonight?” The receptionist continues after a moment: “No, I’ll be there. I was just

A Coterie One Vampire Short The coterie potentially awakens to find one of their own missing. This has a major psychological impact, as it means none of them were safe from their first day in the hotel. If any of the characters or their close allies ever ran afoul of the Second Inquisition, this certainly relives that trauma. While this does not carry a mechanical impact, the Storyteller should give the group wide range to role play the trauma of the event before asking them what they do next. •

•

Look for clues: A Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) lets the coterie follow a trail of dirty boot prints to the alley out back of the Willerton Hotel, and then muddy tire tracks to the cornfield. The Storyteller can move to Chapter Eight. The same trail holds if they use Disciplines to follow.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

being careful, that’s all.” Then he hangs up. Combs arranges for Chad to take his place, and heads out. Move to Chapter Eight once the coterie is on Combs’ trail. The characters can also unleash the power of the Blood on Combs. Presence’s Awe does the trick for getting a single answer, and Entrancement prompts the receptionist to share everything. See If the Kindred Stand Poised to Defeat Their Attackers on p. XX for information Combs can share. The Kindred might also use Presence or Dominate to make him take them to the Judas tree. If so, the Storyteller can pick up at the start of Chapter Eight.

Wits + Awareness. Failing the roll does not mean Combs sees them, but rather the coterie loses him in the corn. Now they must find their way to the Judas tree on their own, and the Storyteller can opt for them to arrive at The Ritual rather than We Gather Here Tonight.

Chapter Eight: All Roads Lead to the Corn The coterie may arrive at Chapter Eight and the edge of the cornfield through several paths. Let’s go over them to determine what happens next. •

The Kindred used Dominate or Presence on either their Congregation hostage or receptionist Combs to take them to the Judas tree. If the Kindred used a scene-long Discipline, they have to activate it again upon arrival at the cornfield. If that succeeds, the hostage leads them straight to the Judas tree and they arrive at We Gather Here Tonight (p. XX). If the Discipline fails, the hostage runs into the corn where the Goblin Roads quickly hide them from the Kindred. Following the hostage’s trail requires a Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 3). Failure still lets the coterie find the Judas tree, but the Storyteller can opt for them to arrive at The Ritual (p. XX) rather than We Gather Here Tonight.

•

The Kindred followed the van’s tire tracks to the cornfield after their coterie member was kidnapped. The van drove a little way into the corn, and the tire tracks in the mud require no rolls to follow. However, the kidnappers abandoned the van and continued on foot near the magpies’ hawthorn from Chapter Four: Into the Corn (see p. XX for the encounter). Following their trail requires a Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 4). Failure still lets the coterie find the Judas tree, but the Storyteller can opt for them to arrive at The Ritual rather than We Gather Here Tonight.

•

They followed Combs from the Willerton hotel. The receptionist is on edge, and following him requires a Dexterity + Stealth roll, possibly enhanced by Silence of Death or Unseen Passage, opposed by Combs’

•

The Kindred aren’t following anyone, but figured out the cornfield was the most likely place to find the Congregation of the Harvest God and possibly their kidnapped coterie member. Without any boot prints to get them started into the field, navigating the Goblin Roads to the Judas tree requires a Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 5). Failing the roll still sees the coterie arrive at the tree, but the Storyteller can opt for them to arrive at The Ritual rather than We Gather Here Tonight.

•

If the coterie previously met Mariangel in Chapter Four (see p. XX for the encounter), they may try to find her again now. This automatically succeeds on a declaration of intent, even if the coterie got lost in the corn. Mariangel accompanies the Kindred if they tell her they suspect the Congregation is responsible for her prey gone missing. ENCOUNTERS IN THE CORN

If the coterie skipped Chapter Four: Into the Corn entirely, or simply didn’t dally long, the Storyteller can use the characters’ hike to the Judas tree to run any desired encounters now.

We Gather Here Tonight The coterie arrives at the beginning of the gathering and has time to observe and plan before The Ritual begins. The Congregation of the Harvest God all wear burlap sacks over their heads, similar to the Scarecrow on p. XX of Chapter Four, and many more arrive during the ritual, approaching from behind the coterie. If it’s not apparent at this point, make it clear to the players that the number of figures in the corn might amount to half or more of the town’s population. The Kindred can recognize some of them from their posture with a Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 4), or from small things like shoes and watches with a Wits + Awareness (Difficulty 4). Success lets the character spot two Ed Smith, Kristen, two bikers from the Last Chance Saloon, one hotel cleaner as well as receptionist Luke Combs, and one patron of the Sam’s Diner. They can also determine that none of the congregants are Vera Smith or hotel boy Chad. They see one unmasked person, Starchild, leading the Congregation. A wiggling garment bag lies at his feet. The coterie may decide to attack now, or pursue several other actions.

They Dying Fields

Sneaking Around We Gather Here Tonight gives the coterie chances to sneak around, observe the gathering, or try to rescue potential sacrifices. This involves Stealth rolls, which the players might fail. When that happens, if everyone failed their roll, the Storyteller can move straight to The Ritual on p. XX. If only some are detected, Starchild gestures to the discovered characters to come forward and join the Congregation of the Harvest God. “Join us,” the ghoul sings. “My God is great and magnificent. There’s room for each of you at Its feet. You may drink Its enlightenment when It ascends to rule the night. What say you?” Any answer that comes down to “no” immediately sees Starchild call on the Congregation to attack the coterie. But a yes or even hesitation might stall him long enough for any undiscovered characters to attempt one more task: examine the tree, join with Mariangel, or free someone from a garment bag. A Charisma + Etiquette or Persuasion opposed by Wits + Subterfuge to keep Starchild talking could even buy them multiple rounds to act.

Where is Mariangel? Mariangel, if the coterie didn’t pick her up at the start of this chapter, also found her way to the Congregation of the Harvest God, having finally figured out they were killing her discarded prey. She’s not trying to hide from the characters, and a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 3) spots her sneaking in the corn. If the coterie draws her attention and encountered her in Chapter Four, she makes her way over to them immediately. Otherwise she simply watches what happens next. Mariangel’s goal is to destroy Starchild, whom she met once before and whom she rightly blames for the Congregation murdering her prey.

Examining the Tree If they didn’t examine the Judas tree (described on p. XX of Chapter Four), the Kindred might want to do so now. Sneaking close enough to examine the soil requires a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 4), and quickly lets the character determine the ground is soaked with blood. Examining the tree proper requires Unseen Passage, as too many eyes are on the tree. By now the tree is pulsating slightly, which any character can feel if they touch its trunk. The pulsating is akin to a heartbeat, but slightly off — not a living heartbeat, but a faint memory of one. Thick red sap mingled with the Harvest God’s blood oozes off the bark.

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Victims of Kidnapping

W H AT A B O U T B E C C A A N D M O N A ?

Starlight likes the cornfield to fast then gorge itself when hunger finally overtakes. Becca, and Mona if the characters let her run into the corn, served as meals to the fields. An extensive search of the corn later reveals their remains unceremoniously discarded amid the growing stalks — Starchild has grown accustomed to the Congregation cleaning up after him.

A little behind the Congregation, partially hidden by the high corn, lie several other wriggling garment bags, which the characters can spot with a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 3). These are the people the Congregation kidnapped over the course of the week: York, possibly the coterie’s Touchstone, Dillan Jones from the hotel, and possibly one member of the coterie. One of Starchild’s cultists (see p. XX) guards the bags. Sneaking toward the bags requires a Dexterity + Stealth, or appropriate Obfuscate power, opposed by Wits + Awareness. The coterie needn’t worry about the rest of the Congregation though, as they’re all watching Starchild and the Judas tree. Unless the characters have a way to determine which bag holds their rescue target (Auspex’s Heightened Senses might sniff them out), they need to open bags randomly. The Storyteller rolls a dice, increasing the odds of the coterie opening the right bag with each roll: 8-10 on opening the first bag, 5-10 on the second, and either the third bag is the last or their odds are now 2-10 (and then then fourth bag is the last). On their first failed roll, they find Dillan Jones badly injured and near death — only a drink of vitae can still knit his organs together. The kidnapped victims, Kindred and kine alike, are heavily sedated. A single sip of vitae snaps a kine out of it. Bringing a Kindred to their senses requires feeding them a mouthful of mortal or Kindred blood. The nearby guard and Dillan can both provide blood, though the latter surely dies then, and the characters themselves are

full of vitae. If any of the characters were hoping to Blood Bond another, now is a great opportunity to pretend their hands were forced.

The Ritual After the coterie takes two actions (e.g., join with Mariangel, examine the Judas tree, free people from the garment bags), Starchild begins the ritual. Alternatively, if the Storyteller is so inclined, a failed Stealth roll in We Gather Here Tonight triggers the ritual rather than Starchild calling them to join him. The description below details The Ritual if the coterie does nothing. The characters may interrupt at any time by simply stepping forward (Starchild’s first reaction is to invite them to join the cult on p. XX), using the right Disciplines to drive the congregation apart, or physically attacking. If they joined forced with Mariangel, she eagerly helps in an attack and

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goes straight for Starchild, though she needs help bringing him down. The Storyteller should narrate The Ritual slowly, to give players time to declare actions. The ritual begins with all of the congregants, including Starchild, slashing the palms of their left hands and shedding blood on the ground. The Storyteller can check the Hunger frenzy chart (Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 220) to see if this warrants a frenzy roll for the PCs. Starchild unzips the garment bag and lifts a drugged Henry Jones into the air before effortlessly slitting the mortal’s throat. The ghoul, a farmer with long experience slaughtering animals and mortals alike, is coldly efficient as he bends Henry’s head back so the blood can flow more freely. If the coterie is searching for a missing Touchstone, the guard near the remaining sacrifices drags their bag to Starchild next. Otherwise, Dillan Jones goes next instead — Starchild adheres to a strict order of mortal appetizers before the main course. Everett York and any abducted coterie members are sacrificed last. If the characters attack, ten members of the Congregation (see Appendix II for Armed Cultists, p. XX) fight to the death unless the coterie uses Disciplines to force them to lay down arms. The rest panic and flee when the characters kill a handful of targets — the Storyteller can determine a dramatically appropriate number. A physical attack is not the coterie’s only option though. The characters can use Dominate or Presence to turn the Congregation against Starchild, or to make the kine flee — the Difficulty for these are listed with the Discipline, or against Difficulty 5 if opposed. They can also try to mentally subdue the ghoul himself, though his enthrallment to the Harvest God makes that difficult. The coterie can also try mundane persuasion to convince Starchild that these are not worthy sacrifices, and they should combine their forces

to kidnap Nazeera or Warrington instead. Lastly, they could simply free their missing Touchstone or lift the sealed message from York’s inner pocket and make a run for it. If they want to focus on just retrieving the Prince’s message, they could even let Starchild kill York and search his clothes after the Congregation of the Harvest God leaves.

Chapter Nine: You Are Leaving Willerton The coterie freed their Touchstone or retrieved Everett York’ message, but they can’t return to Chicago. The Goblin Roads are still in effect, and their binding power remains so for as long as vampires remain in Willerton. In that regard, Nazeera is correct — the bond between the Harvest God, the Goblin Roads, and Willerton’s Kindred maintains a cage around the town. Either all the vampires leave, or none of them do. The characters will need to see Nazeera, Warrington, and Mariangel to persuade them to leave. •

Finding Everett York (Camarilla): The coterie’s best outcome is saving Everett York and the message he carries, though Prince Jackson is also content if they return just the message. The message carries a Letter Ward (see Appendix III, p. XX, this sorcerer had Intelligence 3 + Blood Sorcery 4) that allows only Jackson to open it. As reading the Prince’s secret missive has far-reaching consequences for an ongoing chronicle, the contents of the letter are ultimately for the Storytellers to decide, but we offer two suggestions here. The letter signed Decker leads to Innocence in Blood (see p. XX), while the one signed E. Sharpe leads to Rusted Jungle (see p. XX).

Prince Jackson, I require your aid. My childe Heather has gone missing. My men can’t find any leads as to her whereabouts, and this troubles me. I call on you to lend me your people. That should reveal if my own agents are merely incompetent, or deceiving me. And perhaps they will also find my Heather. I will compensate you accordingly. — Decker

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they, Warrington, and Mariangel leave Willerton along with the PCs and York (if he’s not destroyed), and can be convinced to do so if the PCs offer to vouch for their good service.

Prince Jackson,

I believe the Anarchs of Gary are responsible for the attacks on your domain. I’m en route to Gary, which has fallen into disorder with the death of Prince Modius and the disappearance of Baron Jug gler. I intend to restore order by any means necessary. If you and yours have any Anarch associates within the city, I would

•

Blackmailing Nazeera (Camarilla, Anarch, or Unaligned): Nazeera does not want word of the Congregation of the Harvest God to reach Prince Jackson, as it makes the Loyalist look incapable of handling their domain. The Tremere is willing to offer the coterie a boon to remain silent and will enact a ritual to temporarily allow the coterie out of Willerton. This avenue is incompatible with Aiding Nazeera, as they do not trust the coterie anymore.

•

Aiding Mariangel (Camarilla, Anarch, or Unaligned): The coterie helped Mariangel by exposing and potentially destroying the Congregation of the Harvest God, though Warrington is unhappy his standing buffet has now been dispersed. Mariangel owes them a boon and is good for it, though neither can leave Willerton due to the Goblin Roads, unless they can be convinced to depart on the same night as Nazeera, the PCs, and York. The Storyteller should give the coterie about half a year to call in their boon before Mariangel leaves under her own force of will — the Goblin Roads finally let her go, implying Starchild’s death or the Harvest God’s disturbed slumber.

kindly sug gest you remove them before my arrival. E. Sharpe.

The coterie also has a chance to partially Blood Bond Everett York, who in an attempt to get into the good graces of Prince Jackson has undertaken the dangerous role of messenger between domains for the Prince. This gives the characters access to an unrivaled source on information, and likely gets them hunted if Jackson ever finds out. If the coterie was neither able to rescue York nor retrieve the message, they had better remain in Willerton until Jackson’s wrath subsides. •

Finding Everett York (Anarch): The Anarchs have Everett York or the letter, and they could do a few things here. They could read the letter (if the characters can’t undo the Letter Ward, Warrington has a contact who does it for a boon) and put it back on a still drugged York and let the messenger continue on his way. Now Prince Jackson doesn’t know they have the information.

Another option is to blood bond York before sending him back, though they’d need a cover story so York does not appear compromised despite being gone so long. If York is dead, Warrington declares the Nomads must act on the information quickly, before Jackson changes his plans. •

Aiding Nazeera (Camarilla, or any character with Blood Sorcery): If the characters impressed Nazeera, the Tremere asks the Camarilla coterie to inform Prince Jackson how helpful they were. If the characters can broker Nazeera’s return to Chicago, they make a lasting ally out of the Warlock. Characters that are not Camarilla, but are knowledgeable in the occult, might also impress the Tremere and they offer to remain in touch as a source of occult information. Nazeera knows the ritual slayings will only come to an end if

If the characters are Anarchs, Warrington calls them out for ruining a perfectly functioning Anarch domain. If they’re Camarilla, he promises the Nomads will make their unlives hell for making his blood dolls afraid of vampires. He will not leave Willerton willingly.

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Blackmailing Warrington (Camarilla, or Unaligned): Warrington asks the coterie not to reveal the Congregation of the Harvest God to Prince Jackson. The thin-blood worries such a large-scale cult might finally prompt the Prince to send a Sheriff or Hound to Willerton, which is bad for the Anarchs. He offers the coterie a boon to remain silent while secretly planning their destruction. Under duress, he leaves Willerton with the coterie and the other Kindred to break the Goblin Roads’ power.

•

Bringing the Second Inquisition: If the characters roused Vera Smith’s ire during their visits to the Sam’s Diner, or a great many of the Congregation were wounded in Chapter Eight: All Roads Lead to the Corn, Vera calls her cousin. And while Vera doesn’t know her cousin’s full affiliation, her description of what’s going on certainly rouses Cas’ suspicion. The hunter (see Appendix II, p. XX) tracks the coterie. If the coterie doesn’t shake Cas or if they convince her they are definitely not vampires, the Second Inquisition will revisit Chicago.

•

Dealing with Starchild (Any): Assuming Starchild is not destroyed, the coterie can ask him for information about the Harvest God. Starchild remains a zealot and resists any pressure to betray or abandon

his God, but enthusiastically shares information if the characters can convince him they also want to serve the Harvest God. While he doles out information piecemeal, thanks to his paranoid nature, he can eventually tell them every fact and rumor listed under The Harvest God (p. XX), including the ones that are contradictory. •

The Cornfields (Any): Unless the coterie murdered nearly all members of the Congregation, or the characters themselves died in large numbers, whatever lurks in the earth or the earth itself remains as it did before: hungry, capable of granting lasting health and fertility to its worshipers, and producing bumper crops of corn. It still stirs, though. The characters can champion the rebuilding of the gas station opposite the Sam’s if they believe the divine geometry of Willerton will put the creature back to sleep, or find a way to sabotage and tear down the Sam’s to do the opposite. However, Nazeera is sure the placement of buildings in Willerton is based more around the Goblin Roads than the cornfields, and Starchild believes the Goblin Roads formed around the cornfields, so the truth is up to the Storyteller. A character with Blood Sorcery or access to the Book of the Grave-War might realize that if there is a “Shadow-Sleeper” in the ground, their

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vitae could break Blood Bonds. The roots of the Judas tree potentially hold enough of the blood to use, once distilled from the sap, but destroying the tree will certainly rouse whatever sleeps beneath. As the ramifications of such an ancient creature awakening are impossible to overstate, the Storyteller should decide on its nature and goals.

but with none of the networks or resources Clan bonds within the Ivory Tower usually bring. Ruled by small fish in an even smaller pond, Willerton is a Straggler domain. Events move quickly in Straggler domains, and a single moment of weakness is enough to set predators on the Prince — if the domain even has a Kindred powerful enough to claim that position. Bold and enterprising Kindred can rise to power quickly in a Straggler domain, but they’ll spend eternity looking over their shoulder for the next comers. Kindred this far removed from the power of traditional Princes find that coterie is a far more valuable resource than sect or clan. One of Willerton’s Nomads is nominally Anarch, left behind after a raid on Chicago, but mainly keeps the company of kine. Nazeera remains loyal to the Camarilla only so long as they hold out hope of a return to the fold — without that hope, they’d likely form a coterie with occult-minded Kindred of any clan or sect. The Storyteller can spend the first few story arcs cementing the bonds between members of such a coterie and let their goals align for a while. Then, introduce a sect conflict and let the characters decide which bonds hold. One Kindred’s clan calls on them to defend the Ivory Tower. Another character’s ductus finds her again. Can the coterie navigate these conflicting loyalties?

Appendix I: Small Town Dead Chicago may be the dark star of Illinois, but small towns like Willerton still hold pull over vampires. Perhaps the coterie found a unique resource in town, like an ancient vampire full of potent vitae slumbering under unraveling chains. Perhaps the Kindred seek to flee the scrutiny of the big city, with cameras and cell phones everywhere, and the Second Inquisition. Or maybe they just need to lay low until the Prince finally is moved to forgive their trespasses. Here are some features a Storyteller can use to make a small town campaign uniquely different from a big city setting.

Nests

The Local Hierarchy

Nests center around a single ancient Kindred, who survived both the Second Inquisition and the Beckoning, and is too old and blasé even for sect politics. Perhaps the elder was Camarilla or Sabbat once, but she left that life behind. The town remains a small pond perhaps, but the elder is a deep trench that devours all hope and light. Around this elder move the other Kindred of the domain, her childer and grandchilder chief among them. Status in the domain depends wholly on a Kindred’s relation to the elder — do they hold her favor, or that of her favorite grandchilder at least? Accomplishments mean nothing, except those aimed at appeasing and pleasing the elder in their midst. Nests are rare since the Beckoning, but they exist still and they are a treacherous hotbed of manipulation and emotion. Where coteries form, they’re either cliques centered around favored childer, or survivors of the elder’s abuse banding together in their trauma. Secrecy and a pleasing smile are critical to surviving a Nest.

The Kindred hierarchy in cities moves like an iceberg: mostly hidden, vast, and capable of sinking anything once it hits. Most Princes are well entrenched, even if some only by the support of Primogen who’d rather deal with the devil they know. Unseating them requires schemes spanning decades if not centuries. Rural domains are not like that though, and can broadly be categorized as either Stragglers or Nests.

Stragglers Straggler domains, a derogatory term coined by city Camarilla, consist of cast-off Kindred. They’re Camarilla, VA M P I R E C A N T

The local hierarchy may be ever moving and shifting, but vampire cant remains largely the same throughout rural America. Unlike urban Kindred protected by street gangs or coteries, rural vampires often travel alone and rely on cant being readable no matter how far they’ve gone. “Beware, werewolves!” is nearly identical whether a vampire scrawls it in Los Angeles County or the New York Catskills, even if that mark in Los Angeles or New York proper is wholly different.

Scarcity of Backgrounds Small towns are small. Some Backgrounds are unaffected by these geographical limits — anyone can get rich online, so an enterprising Kindred can still rack up Resources. Oth-

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er Backgrounds by their nature are more localized, prime among them Contacts, many Influences, Herd, and Haven.

FLAWS

If a player applies a Flaw to their Background, they earn an equal reprieve from the town’s maximum. Applicable Flaws are Despised and Disliked for Influence, and Compromised, Creepy, or Haunted for Haven. If their haven is Haunted, a one-dot Flaw, that lowers the town’s total Haven Backgrounds by one for that player only — they can expand their Haven in an otherwise tight market, when no one else can. This same mechanic applies to shared coterie Backgrounds.

Contacts Everyone knows someone in a small town. All players get one-dot Contact for free and can invest character creation or Experience Points to raise this contact to two dots. Beyond that though, Contacts get scarce — a small town may have only two law enforcement officers, one doctor, or two restaurant or bar owners. Discounting the free Contacts dot, the total remaining Contacts dots available is capped at three times the number of Kindred active in town. Once that cap is reached, players need to whittle down another character’s Contacts before they can increase their own. For example, they might get the sheriff (a rival’s Contact) indicted on fraud charges so the deputy (their own Contact) can take her job. Or they might murder the town doctor (a rival’s Contact) so she can no longer speak out on the dangers of drugs, and their own drug dealer Contact can grow her business. Keeping Contacts secret becomes vital to all Kindred, lest rivals (or unscrupulous allies) find out who they are and take them down. In all cases, the Storyteller refunds the experience point cost of lost Contacts dots, and players still need to purchase new dots with experience points as normal.

Background. A player who wants to defend and grow the same Influence need make only one roll — successes equal to their current dots means they keep it as-is, more successes means they can grow one dot, fewer successes means they lose one dot. In all cases, the Storyteller refunds the experience point cost of lost dots, and players still need to purchase new dots with experience points as normal. Characters may decide to sit out the rat race by neither growing nor defending their Influence. They simply keep what they have. The scarcity of Influences does not hold if the Influence is specifically global, such as Influence (WHO), or online such as Influence (sunburst/occult). Players need not roll to defend or grow that Influence, nor do dots in it count towards the town’s maximum. Coteries can also take a page from Willerton’s Nomads and use the shared Coterie Influence Background to relieve scarcity somewhat. If players roll well to defend or grow their character’s Influence, the total number of Influence dots can grow above the maximum. That’s fine; the cap indicates when players should roll, not how many Influences a town can hold.

Influences Local Influences are likewise limited — Kindred can only pull the town council in so many different directions. The Storyteller limits the total amount of Influence dots to three times the number of active Kindred in town. Once the cap is reached and someone wants to increase theirs, they need to reduce another Kindred’s Influence first. After each story arc, players can choose one Influence to defend and one to grow. The player designs a roll to represent what their character does to achieve this, which includes Attribute + Skill + Background. For example, Wits + Finance + Resources to donate to a politician and increase or defend their Influence (Politics). Or Charisma + Streetwise + Influence (Street) to stay on top of that Influence. The Difficulty is equal to the Influence rating they want to defend, or the new Influence rating they want to grow to — keeping Influence (Street) 2 is a Difficulty 2 roll, but growing it to 3 dots is a Difficulty 3 roll. Success means they keep the defended Influence dots or gain the new dot, while Failure means they lose the defended Influence dots or do not gain the new dot. A player defending one Influence and growing another makes two rolls — one to represent each Influence

Herd and Feeding The herd is large in towns like Willerton where almost all the kine are willing recipients of Nazeera and Warrington’s feeding (and Mariangel’s, if she wasn’t so committed to hunting for her food). In most small towns, however, they’re limited to total dots equal to two times the local active Kindred. Players resolve this as they do Influences, by actively stealing people away from other characters with an Attribute + Skill + Background roll. The characters can also, however, turn to a herd made up of migrating characters, such as bikers or truckers. A migrating herd, be they vagrants, hippies, tourists, or truckers, does not suffer or count towards the town’s cap. But such a herd is also unreliable — it takes just one bad

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review for tourists to stay away, and the downsizing of one trucker company to slow the flow of truck drivers to a crawl. At the start of every story arc, the player rolls one die: 6-10 means the character’s Herd is fine, 3-5 means the Herd loses one dot of rating (to a minimum of 0), 1-2 means it loses two dots of rating (to a minimum of zero). The first two times this happens, non-consecutively, the Herd is temporarily reduced, and the player simply rolls again at the start of the next story. A third downsizing means the problem is permanent. The Storyteller refunds the player’s experience points, and the character must build a new migrating herd. Feeding without the benefit of a herd also comes with added risks. A failed feeding roll means people talk about the character, and a Kindred may develop a reputation for being creepy. Or they might contract a blood disease from their vessel. These consequences are not immediately dire, but do carry a potential future risk. The town’s entire blood supply could be tainted by a disease as it passes from kine to Kindred and back to kine, and the disease could even mutate to harm vampires. In Willerton, all outsiders suffer a feeding penalty due to the town’s distrust. The Storyteller can devise an interesting complication (or in the case of a blood plague, even a story arc) and tally the failed feeding rolls of all players. Three failed rolls activates a prelude event, and five failed rolls kicks off the arc proper.

player may invest one dot in Haven without counting towards the town’s total. Optionally, the Storyteller can offer recluse characters this dot of Haven in lieu of the Contacts freebie. Beyond that first dot though, the total dots of Haven in town is limited to two times the number of active Kindred. Growing Haven beyond this limit requires reducing someone else’s Haven — if you want to move into the house on the hill, you have to get rid of the vampire currently residing there.

Appendix II: Antagonist Stats ARMED CULTIST Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 3, Mental 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Exceptional Dice Pools: Awareness 5, Brawl or Firearms 5, Occult 5 General Difficulties: 4/2

BOUNCER

Predator Type: Roadside Killer

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 4, Mental 3

You belong with the vagabonds, tourists, and truckers of the world — always moving, never at home. You know how to pick out the ones whose deaths are discounted as the risk of a woman hitchhiking alone, or who simply won’t be missed at all. You still have to fight to keep other vampires away from them lest the herd thins too much, though. In life, you either were one of them, or you met these vagrants as they rested at your roadside stop.

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 4 Exceptional Dice Pools: Awareness 5, Brawl 5, Intimidation 6 General Difficulties: 3/1

BRAWLER Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 3, Mental 3

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Add a specialty Survival (the road) or Investigation (vampire cant)

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Add one dot of Fortitude or Protean

Exceptional Dice Pools: Brawl 5, Intimidation 5, Streetwise 7

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Gain two additional dots of migrating Herd

General Difficulties: 3/2

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Gain the Flaw Prey Exclusion (locals)

HUNTER

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 4

Haven

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 6, Social 4, Mental 5 Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 7

Haven suffers from scarcity in much the same way as Contacts: Every Kindred can find some dump to stay in, but the number of mansions with full security is limited unless the small town is Martha’s Vineyard. Every

Exceptional Dice Pools: Athletics 8, Awareness 7, Brawl 8, Firearms 9, Investigation 9, Melee 8 General Difficulties: 4/2

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water) the practitioner has seen before and can mentally recall, when the designated type of individual passes by. System: The sorcerer makes the Ritual roll when enchanting the designated surface. For every success the practitioner rolls, the message will repeat for each new individual of the chosen type who passes the surface. The message clears itself from the surface as soon as it’s been read once. It appears in the handwriting and language in which the sorcerer wrote it.

RECEPTIONIST Standard Dice Pools: Physical 2, Social 5, Mental 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Exceptional Dice Pools: Athletics 3, Etiquette 6, Streetwise 5 General Difficulties: 2/1

Herd Ward

Appendix III: Blood Sorcery Rituals

LEVEL 1 OR 3 RITUAL Ingredients: Scorpion poison, sufficient vitae to provoke a Rouse Check. Process: The sorcerer mixes scorpion poison with their own vitae to draw the ward. The vampire can ward a single kine at level 1, or at level 3 inscribe the ward on a door so all who stay within the ward for that night are protected. System: The sorcerer makes the Ritual roll when another vampire tries to feed on the warded kine. The transgressor suffers one point of Aggravated Health damage if the caster wins the Ritual roll, or three points of Aggravated damage on a critical win. Once the Herd Ward is triggered, a Kindred still trying to drink from the kine must roll Stamina + Resolve against Difficulty 4 for a normal Ward, or 7 for a critical-success Ward.

Letter Ward LEVEL 1 RITUAL Ingredients: Pigeon blood, wax, dog blood. Process: The letter writer, who need not be the sorcerer, pens a missive in pigeon blood and clearly addresses the recipient. The sorcerer then melts wax and mixes it with dog’s blood to seal the letter. System: The sorcerer makes the Ritual roll when anyone other than the recipient opens the letter. The victim suffers one point of Aggravated Health damage if the caster wins the Ritual roll, or three points of Aggravated damage on a critical win, and the letter destroys itself in a burst of flame. Once the Letter Ward is triggered, anyone wanting to open the letter must roll Stamina + Resolve at Difficulty 4 for a normal Ward, or Difficulty 7 for a critical-success Ward.

Sleep of Judas LEVEL 3 RITUAL Ingredients: Blood of Willerton’s Judas tree (though possibly the blood from another mystical landmark), opium. Process: The sorcerer distills and boils the blood of the Judas Tree until only a black tar-like substance remains. They mix this with an equal amount of opium, which can either be used as a paste or re-liquefied with no loss of effect. System: The sorcerer makes the Ritual roll when the target is drugged. On a normal success, the victim may oppose by rolling dice equal to their remaining undamaged Health boxes. A critical success immediately incapacitates a vampire and kills a mortal or ghoul. Sleep of Judas wears off after a number of hours equal to the sorcerer’s Intelligence.

Bloody Message LEVEL 1 RITUAL Ingredients: Mirror, sufficient human blood to write the message, UV light. Process: The practitioner designates a type of individual in their mind — e.g., mortal, ghoul, vampire, male, a child, unemployed — and bathes a mirror in UV light. The sorcerer writes a message on the mirror with a fingertip, using human blood as the ink. The message appears on another reflective surface (a mirror, polished glass,

“If you can believe in vampires, you can believe in the immortal soul, in gods, and in spiritual enlightenment. Seek freedom through faith. There is something beyond all these struggles, and you can find it within.” — Keisha, addressing fledglings of the Ministry learn about different clans and factions within Vampire. While the plot surrounds the capture of a fledgling named Honor, both domains are sandboxes ripe for exploration, introduced newly in this story. The Storyteller has control over which encounters they want to use in their story and can add or adjust anything outlined below. Each city has its own locations, and with a little research into either city, a Storyteller can add even more. The group of Kindred in the story is referred to as the coterie, but an Anarch gang or a group of sectless Kindred are equally viable as player characters. Players required: 3-5 Duration: 10-15 hours

Innocence is hard to come by these nights, especially for vampires, and there are those out there who look to preserve what they find. But is innocence worth the cost? Where is the line drawn when it comes to protecting it? Two domains — Orwellian Milwaukee and theocratic Indianapolis — are pitted in a battle over an innocent and the opportunity she provides. The player characters will tip the scales for one city or the other.

Introduction Innocence in Blood highlights the contrasting cities of Milwaukee and Indianapolis, acting as a toolbox story with a simple tale connecting the two domains. This story focuses on the player’s decisions, which could turn the tide in an unknown power struggle between factions. The story starts off in Milwaukee, then travels to Indianapolis, before returning to Milwaukee. The Camarilla and Anarch sects are both represented in this story and can be handled in many ways depending on how characters interact. New characters and locations are introduced in the story with the history of both cities featured throughout. Innocence in Blood gives characters the chance to explore the depths of each new city and

Story Breakdown This information is not for the players’ eyes. Honor Mercer is a desperate fledgling with an intractable, controlling sire, Mark Decker, Prince of Milwaukee. His imprisonment of Honor, harsh tutelage, and meticulous control over her nightly activities pushes her further and further toward flight. Before she departs Milwaukee on her own terms however, something goes awry.

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Freddie Montgomery of the Indianapolis Ministry ensured Honor fed from one of her blood dolls one recent night and had her filmed. Realizing the compromising position she was placed in, Honor panicked, blood dripping down her face and front. When she was in need of a friend, another Minister named Tyrone Soros offered a helpful ear, because he was directed to do so by Freddie. When Honor arrived in Indianapolis at Tyrone’s suggestion, Freddie suggested her clanmate Keisha oversee her conversion, while Freddie handled the nitty-gritty of personal supervision. The entire thing was a plot orchestrated by Freddie in attempt to hold a dagger over Milwaukee’s staunchly Camarilla heart. The irony is, Decker hasn’t even seen the footage or heard of it; he just knows his childe has fled, and that’s cause enough to send out a hunting party. Decker — or other vampires concerned with Honor’s departure from Milwaukee — enlist the player characters to trace Honor, find out the meaning behind her flight or kidnapping, and depending on the employer, request her return, destruction, or information to destabilize the domain of Milwaukee. As all of this takes place, two FBI agents — Rick L’Italien and Penny Cusick — search for Honor Mercer and anyone involved in her disappearance. The two are partners, but what Rick doesn’t know is that Penny is a ghoul to Camarilla Archon Dawn Nakada. They are only on the case because someone reported seeing Honor — her family having officially registered her with law enforcement as a missing person — in Milwaukee recently. L’Italien just wants to do his job and get Honor back to her family, while Penny needs to eliminate Honor for her domitor and will act to remove anyone in her way. The story may start in Indianapolis or in Milwaukee, with the PCs needing to travel to the other city to discover all the answers. This journey exposes them to radically opposed Kindred domains — one Camarilla, one Anarch — and the conflicting forces that might benefit or suffer through exposure of Honor’s recorded feeding. All the while, the FBI are on the trail of anyone else who looks closely into Honor’s activities. Ultimately, the characters will find Honor in Indianapolis, where the Ministry wish to convert her to their philosophy and use her as a weapon against the Camarilla. Whether they eliminate her, return her to Decker, or encourage her to remain with the Ministry is up to the PCs.

into account the player characters’ motivations. Allow them to negotiate, threaten, or investigate the plot rather than forcing them one way or the other.

Prologue Milwaukee is strictly a Camarilla city, and Indianapolis is an Anarch Ministry-controlled domain. It is not necessary for the characters to have direct ties to those within the story, but it can help provide characters with links to the story. STARTING WITH NO KNOWLEDGE If the characters are brand new to either domain or the players are new to Vampire, give them the following:

Character Advice

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For mortals, Milwaukee is a city mostly known for its breweries and baseball. On the edge of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee experiences bitterly cold winters and humid summers. Milwaukee’s industrial ethos reflects a people known for knuckling down for work during the day and enjoying their drinks come nightfall. For Kindred, Milwaukee is also known for its governing regime: a police state run by the Prince, Mark Decker of Clan Gangrel. Called “Orwellian” by vampires outside the city, Decker’s constant surveillance on other vampires and systems of reporting on behavior have created a secure but paranoid domain. No Second Inquisition operations are known to have been successful here.

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Indianapolis is sometimes called the Crossroads of America, with six interstate highways cutting through and around it. Often seen as a halfway city — most mortals pass through rather than stay in it — Indianapolis actually does a thriving trade in tourism through its scores of monuments and museums, conventions for all kinds of businesses, and acts as the urban center of an otherwise largely rural state. A taste of metropolitan life in a sea of cornfields, Indianapolis acts as a rare jewel for vampires in Indiana. Few Kindred from outside the city travel to Indianapolis on a whim due to the long, unsheltered distances required to reach it, but thanks to the number of noteworthy hotels and sights there, sects and clans occasionally use Indianapolis as a neutral meeting ground. The governing Kindred are of the Anarch Movement, with the Ministry presiding. The clan mixes its messages of freedom from hierarchy with the surging evangelical Christian faith of Indiana.

If the players want their characters to hail from either domain or to have visited regularly, or if they wish to research the cities before traveling to either, the Storyteller should provide any of the following prologue information they see fit.

The players’ chosen sect defines the approach the characters will take to enter this story. Each city has different rulership, so the objectives will differ. Ensure you take

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The Camarilla A Camarilla coterie starts off in Milwaukee, though they may have arrived from another domain such as Chicago before the story starts. At the start of the story, ideally when the characters are involved in a leisurely activity, a tall, suited black man with grey hair and a friendly expression approaches them individually. He introduces himself as J.W. Blue, a messenger for the Prince of Milwaukee, who has requested a meeting. J.W. informs the coterie he recommended them to Prince Decker based on their reputation or anonymity, depending on their past, for a sensitive matter. Should the coterie accept, they are instructed to meet at the Black Rose in Milwaukee, an Irish pub owned by a local Toreador. J.W. provides an attainable time and date for the meeting. MILWAUKEE DECORUM The PCs need to gain permission to remain within Milwaukee if they do not already have it, so making introductions to Prince Decker is essential. A meeting such as this informs the characters the rules within Milwaukee and what the consequences of an infraction are. This introduction might occur before or after the meeting at the Black Rose. If before, Decker is more favorably disposed to the PCs but won’t address matters of business with them ahead of his meeting. If after, Decker holds the coterie in low regard for not following the correct formalities of introduction. GAINING FAVOR There are several ways a coterie can gain recognition within the domain before starting this story. Milwaukee is a contested domain, with werewolves knocking at its doors and penning the city off, and some flare-ups of fanatical Anarch activity. By securing city blocks for the Camarilla, the coterie moves up in esteem of the city’s leaders.

Attending the city’s court — the Milwaukee variant of Elysium which acts both as a court in a feudal sense and a courtroom in a legal fashion —may also help the coterie gain favor with the city’s Kindred. THE BLACK ROSE The bar is in the middle of the Milwaukee college campus area, where gaggles of students wander up and down the street heading to the bars or restaurants. Inside, the bar area is narrow, but toward the back of the establishment it opens to several booths and a larger private back room. Blue leads them into the private room, where Prince Decker waits for them and invites them to join him at his table. “J.W. tells me you’re the people I want to see. Frankly, I’m in a bit of a bind. My youngest childe, Honor Mercer, has gone missing. I need her to be found. I’m not sure if she met final death or if she was taken. It’s important she be located, if she’s still with us, and returned to me. I brought you here to provide you with the information we’ve gathered so far. I’m even willing to offer you feeding territory in the city should she be returned to me. That territory will be exclusively yours, provided you abide by the laws of my domain.” If the PCs decline Decker’s assignment at any point, he’s unafraid to use his clout as an established Camarilla Prince to threaten them with disgrace in any vampire domain over which he holds influence. He didn’t want to have to recruit outside help, but he doesn’t trust his own domain’s Kindred with tracking his childe. He is open to negotiation, but will not be bullied. Decker gives them the information he has on Honor and her last known whereabouts. •

Honor kept a small apartment on the East Side from when she was mortal. Decker’s people have searched the haven, but the only information they found

was a note she wrote with an address and what appears to be a four-digit entry code to get inside a building or room. J.W. states the location in the note is for an old marble Mutual Bank building, down off the lakefront. The instructions make no sense for gaining entry from the outside, based on his investigation. Searching this location might yield more information on what happened to Honor. •

Honor liked to hang out with Tessa, a young firebrand Tremere staying in Milwaukee even after many of her clan left. It is possible Tessa knows what happened to Honor or may have some ideas as to who might have taken her. J.W. hasn’t been able to locate the Warlock but has heard she’s still in the city somewhere around Marquette University.

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J.W. spotted Honor around Jones Island shortly before she disappeared. Not many vampires travel through the area due to the rumors about the dark pull of Lake Michigan and some ancient creature asleep in the depths, so her being in proximity to the lakefront is puzzling. He’s heard she used to enjoy Grant Park, and found evidence of cultish activity there, but no sign of Honor.

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Milwaukee has vast amounts of public park space, so it’s possible she went to ground in one of those areas after a Lupine attack. Werewolves have been encroaching upon Milwaukee for some time, and Decker has locked the city down in order to protect it (the PCs’ arrival being the exception). Grant Park was one of the areas they have been watching closely due to some unusual activity in the area, though nothing so far has escalated.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

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Honor always used to talk about her family, so as a last resort, the characters can approach her mortal relatives. Under no circumstances are they permitted to reveal anything about Kindred society, however.

Once the coterie stops asking questions, Decker excuses himself and leaves J.W. behind to escort them out. J.W. informs the coterie he is their contact for this investigation. J.W. is willing to show the coterie around Milwaukee if needed or to give them directions to locations they can check out. Crucially, they’re to keep the nature of their investigation a secret as far as possible. Decker doesn’t want the embarrassment of his having lost a childe to get out.

The Anarchs The coterie starts in or travels to Indianapolis if they are Anarchs. Emphasize the city’s open spaces and open minds, when it comes to Kindred hierarchy. It’s clear the Movement holds sway in Indianapolis through its relative freedom, but naturally, when it comes time to disagree, fight, or party, the volume shoots up. After making themselves known in Indianapolis, the PCs are invited to meet up with Keisha Phelps, a Minister

and diplomat to the Camarilla. Word reaches them via coded email, letter, or voicemail as follows: In the green Heart land of the Crossroads does the serpent church wish to enlist you. Confirm time and date of arrival by return. A telephone number is marked underneath the note. Nobody answers when it rings; it goes directly to voicemail. A simple Intelligence + Academics roll (Difficulty 3) or explanation from the Storyteller explains the Ministry wishes to meet the coterie in the green space outside the Heartland Church in Indianapolis. Within the timeline of the story, this meeting falls after the initial investigation in Milwaukee concludes. INDIANAPOLIS EXPECTATIONS Indianapolis has a less formal ruling structure than Milwaukee when it comes to introductions and leave to remain within the city, but it’s good manners to make yourselves known to a member of the Ministry when you arrive. Ostensibly, this is so the Ministers can ensure your safety and look out for your interests should something unfortunate occur. In reality, the Ministry is just as concerned about interlopers as any other Kindred regime, they’re just less paranoid. Except in rare circumstances,

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Indianapolis Kindred point new vampire arrivals to a church, bar, office, or other establishment run by one of the Serpents. As word travels piecemeal through the city, any vampires unfamiliar with the newcomers give the same advice to make introductions until it’s clear the PCs have done so or are known by reputation.

K E I S H A’S R O L E

Any Storytellers who have read ahead will know Keisha is fully aware of Honor’s presence in Indianapolis, and is even working to break and remold the Gangrel to become a loyal member of the Ministry. In an Anarch-led story, Keisha is aware of Honor’s location. She wants the PCs to chase up a few red herrings in Indianapolis before going to Milwaukee to learn why Decker considers her so important. Their investigations will allow her to use Honor as potential leverage to get the inside track on Milwaukee’s workings. Keisha eventually admits Honor came to her while the investigation was ongoing, but seeing the usefulness of the coterie’s digging, she decided to allow their investigation to proceed.

COURTING APPROVAL Securing approval in Indianapolis is a simple affair by most domain standards: don’t start any wars, abide by the Masquerade, show respect to the Anarch Movement, and do not Blood Bond anyone in this domain — though the latter rule has been tested more than once, and is almost impossible to enforce. Gaining favor is harder, as the faithful among the Indianapolis Ministry only make close alliances with vampires who work to further the Anarch interests by disrupting Camarilla domains, spreading the word of faith in the Blood, and convincing Camarilla Kindred to pick up the torch of the Movement. In the eyes of the Ministry, there is greater zeal in a convert than someone who buys the Anarch line from the moment of Embrace.

Alternatively, it’s possible she’s in a farm on the city outskirts, of which there are hundreds.

THE HEARTLAND CHURCH Keisha Phelps, a small woman of color in a simple grey dress with a striking red flower in her hair, awaits the coterie in the park outside the Heartland Church. She greets the vampires with smiles and handshakes before settling onto a bench. “My associate in Milwaukee contacted me to ask if we’ve found an errant member of their flock in our domain. Her name is Honor Mercer. An academic type. White girl, brown hair, blue eyes, average height, last seen in jeans and plaid, though obviously she might have changed. Supposedly, she’s a Gangrel. There’s a possibility she came here, as the investigation in Milwaukee points to her fleeing the city. I need you to see if you can figure out what’s going on, and whether it’s more beneficial to us to return this childe to her city or keep her for our own. While it’s always worth scoring points with Milwaukee’s Prince Decker, I’m curious to find out what’s so important about a loose fledgling.” •

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The coterie might be able to reach out to the Lhiannan Club, owned by a Camarilla Toreador named Eletria, to see if she has heard anything about this young Gangrel. She may be able to point the coterie in the right direction of finding Honor, especially if she swung by this popular Kindred nightspot.

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Keisha will pull aside Ministry members of the coterie and tell them she wishes to know more about Milwaukee, and Honor is less important than her defection might pose to the Camarilla. She informs them the Ministry would not be opposed to taking control of another city by disrupting its power base, and their insight would be valuable to her in planning.

From here Keisha takes her leave, but makes sure they have her contact information so they can reach her if needed. Once they track down Honor, Keisha wants them to question her and bring her in. The coterie can bypass Chapter One of the story for now, but the Storyteller should circle back to use some of the encounters and locations if the PCs do eventually visit Milwaukee.

An initial investigation on the Milwaukee side determined she probably didn’t travel to Indianapolis by bus, train, or plane, at least not under her actual name. She could have traveled by private transportation, or on foot if she had places to stay en route, so these leads could be investigated.

Mortal Interests and Archon Commands The FBI is actively seeking Honor Mercer, so a different way of setting the PCs on the path to tracking her would be by other SPCs mentioning her as Decker’s childe in an earlier story, only for the PCs to see her advertised as a missing person in this one. Obviously, Decker hasn’t reported her as missing, but her mortal family has. Two agents are on her trail: Rick L’Italien and Penny

Milwaukee’s sources say Honor prefers parks or secluded areas for her fallback locations and can sleep easily within their boundaries. Garfield Park would be a good place to start, as there are a lot of green spaces accessible for someone traveling into the city.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Cusick. Rick is dedicated to finding her and bringing her home, while Penny serves a Camarilla Archon, who has asked her to remove this troublesome lost fledgling. Working for a mortal agency would be an unusual start to the story, but might provide the PCs with opportunities for influence in the mortal sector. If the characters are of significant status within the Camarilla at the start of this story, an alternative route in is via Dawn Nakada (see p. XX for her full biography), the Archon domitor of Penny Cusick. Currently based in a Winnebago outside Chicago, Dawn is responsible for ensuring Milwaukee does not crumble due to a perceived or real scandal. She’s not above using a coterie as a gang of hitmen, but would prefer they arrange a convenient “accident” to eliminate Honor and anyone harboring her.

M I LWA U K E E F O R M O RTA LS

Milwaukee’s Kindred may exist in a constant state of fear due to their Prince’s Orwellian rule, but for the kine, there are few safer domains. Feeding grounds are firmly delineated, messy feeding is one of the crimes likely to see a vampire punished with exile or final death, and despite the city Kindred’s paranoia, they take pride in how the domain laws translate to a form of moral behavior. Enforced ethics via fear may not be an ideal philosophy, but it works for Milwaukee. Storytellers should emphasize to the players how safe the streets feel for the city’s mortals.

of mortal conflict, using their thralls and vessels to fight wars on their behalf. Only when the region’s werewolves launched a concerted assault on the newly-arrived Kindred during the early to mid-1800s did the vampires start to seriously consider the establishment of a unified domain. An uneasy peace reigned between vampires of Clans Ventrue, Brujah, and Toreador as Milwaukee calmed, the numbers of its resident vampires drastically reduced following the Lupine attacks. The city of Milwaukee grew in population over the decades due to immigration, but the city systematically segregated the migrant populations to selected areas. The Kindred who made havens there declared their loyalty to the Camarilla and created a hierarchy within the city for protection. The Brujah Erik Pointene seized praxis and enjoyed popular rulership in accordance with the Traditions until the turn of the 20th century, when the frequent Lupine marauders tore him apart. His replacement was a Ventrue named Merik, whose inconsistent rule lasted a century but established the city’s Tradition of Defense, which obliged all vampires capable of doing so to take up arms against werewolves whenever they attacked, rather than hiding in their havens or throwing their rivals to the wolves — sometimes literally. Merik and a Gangrel named Decker established a coterie named the Anubi, tasked with the permanent defense of Milwaukee against outside hostility. The Tradition of Defense has since been adopted in other domains that frequently face Lupine assault, such as Cleveland and Geneva. Come the 21st century, Milwaukee is now under the firm rule of Mark Decker, Merik having fallen to suicide or murder — depending on whom one asks — in the 1990s. Decker has taken the Tradition of Defense a step further with the overriding principle of “Decker’s Law,” which adds new rulings and punishments above and beyond the Camarilla Traditions to secure the domain of Milwaukee.

Chapter One: Milwaukee The domain of Milwaukee is small by the standards of many American cities, but important for its position on Lake Michigan, its proximity to Chicago, and its history of driving all Anarch influence out from its borders. While many vampires would question the necessity of visiting a domain such as Milwaukee, the city is home to several mysteries of an occult nature, a unique hierarchy, and history replete with Kindred events of note, not the least of which was Carna’s rebellion against Clan Tremere.

Milwaukee’s History Mortal and Kindred rivalries shaped the Milwaukee of tonight. The European settlers in Milwaukee brought vampires with them who ravaged the area’s Native American peoples. When the Algonquin and Winnebago tried to defend themselves, the colonizers fought back and drove them from the land, clearing territory for French trading posts. Werewolves who watched over the land grew uneasy with vampiric influence within the settlement. The Kindred once present among the Algonquin and Winnebago were nowhere to be found, either choosing to ignore the plight of their people or unable to resist the tide’s overwhelming force. The mortal colonizers divided the settlement that would become Milwaukee into three distinct towns. When the founders could not decide who would rule over the three settlements, angry mobs caused civil unrest and conflict between each. As ever, Kindred rode the back

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LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Milwaukee’s Hierarchy Though many outsiders look at Decker’s Law and believe the Gangrel is a paranoid lunatic, they have not experienced an extended stay in Milwaukee. Anywhere outside the city center is at risk of werewolf incursion, with solitary vampires commonly disappearing by day and night. Communal havens are commonplace, and vampires are expected to continue defending their domain if they wish to remain there. Milwaukee’s Primogen Council steadily fell to outside attacks in the last two decades, with few vampires stepping up to replace their destroyed or departed brethren. With that as the case, Decker formally disbanded the council, considering it a useless decoration unnecessary for a domain on the permanent brink of war. Instead, he rules the domain entirely, though not capriciously. Decker does not find luxury or distraction absorbing. While many nightspots exist in Milwaukee for a Kindred’s leisure, none are exclusively for vampires and all are mortal-run. Decker looks dimly on vampires attempting to monopolize private enterprise as they appear to have done in Chicago and other domains, preferring the idea that Kindred benefit more from rubbing shoulders with mortals in actual mortal-run businesses.

a crown might kill a respected vampire’s good humor and honor.

The Anubi The Anubi act as soldiers on the street and commanders for other Kindred when Lupines and Anarchs make their attacks. While many officers might sit in their havens as they instruct lesser vampires to do this job or that task, the Anubi are frontline commanders by Decker’s order. Most command a great deal of respect for their kills, trophies, and service to the domain. Decker undoubtedly abuses the Anubi’s purpose by using them against Milwaukee’s Kindred populace whenever a troublemaker needs to be made into an example. Each member of the Anubi has their own style and character, making them notorious celebrities among the domain’s vampires. •

The Prince Prince Mark Decker (see p. XX for his full biography and stat block) is the Gangrel who holds Milwaukee in his iron grip. He has no patience for those who would flout his law, act as Anarchs, or imperil Milwaukee. The Decker of tonight is a far cry from the Decker of three decades prior, revealing to some Kindred how

sometimes referred to as “the coward Anubi” by Milwaukee Kindred, but only the ones with brass balls.

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Hrothulf, Clan Ventrue — This ancient warlord has occupied the domain of Milwaukee longer than any other Kindred present. He personally led the charge against the northern Sabbat invasion a decade ago and the fight renewed his spirit, though he feels the Beckoning or torpor will soon snatch him from his role as General. He is known for his combat experience and tired resolution against the domain’s enemies. He often uses mortal agents to eliminate opponents, but challenges impressive foes to one-on-one trials by combat. Rubianna, Clan Nosferatu — A new arrival in Milwaukee, drawn by the reputation of a Prince who governs his people absolutely. Rubianna puts her knowledge of global Lupine behavior to good use as the Anubi’s chief tactician and strategist. She often utilizes mortal agents to eliminate her opposition and is

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Akawa, Clan Brujah — Once, Akawa despised Decker and stood for Anarch freedom. Then he saw the cost of that freedom in terms of lives wastefully lost. He stood by Decker’s side during the Sabbat war and earned his stripes as a respected member of the Anubi. He knows more about the Anarchs and gang activity than any other Anubi, and is one of few Anubi to still hang with younger Kindred, despite his impressive age.

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Thomas Gerhieren, Clan Gangrel — Known as the child soldier, Thomas’s youthful appearance and high voice betray his deadliness. Nobody has served among the Anubi for as long as he and Decker, and nobody knows Milwaukee’s hiding places, secret tunnels, and shortcuts as well as he. Thomas is the Anubi the domain’s foes most fear, as his sadism has escalated to monstrous levels.

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Julia Calvin, Clan Gangrel — Decker’s blood bound childe and preferred assassin, Calvin is perhaps the least well-regarded of the Anubi. She doesn’t wear trophies, doesn’t inspire loyalty, and doesn’t rally the Kindred. She kills. She also despises Honor Mercer as a troublemaker and distraction for her sire.

The Judges Milwaukee’s unique setup permits three vampires to sit as Judges of other Kindred. Similar to a Sheriff role in other domains, but responsible for trials and sentencing, Decker expects all Judges to be without bias except toward the safety of Milwau-

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kee. Judges are permitted to carry out trials without their accompanying peers when a situation demands it, but Decker prefers for the Judges to sit as a panel of three. Prince Decker acts as one Judge, with the other two seats occupied as follows: •

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Anastasia, Clan Nosferatu — Following the disappearance of Parovich, Primogen of Clan Nosferatu and Sabbat informant, his clutch of hunted childer broke free and asserted themselves on the domain of Milwaukee. Anastasia’s prudence, humanity, and mercy appealed to Decker, who favored the idea of a relative innocent on the Judges’ bench. Arjun Shah, The Banu Haqim — Arjun is a new arrival in Milwaukee, dispatched to the domain by London’s Cult of Mithras. In an effort to introduce faith to the militant city and provide the benefit of Mithraic wisdom, Arjun offered his services as one of Milwaukee’s Judges. See The Chicago Folios for Arjun Shah’s full biography and stat block.

The Executioner The role of Milwaukee’s Executioner is an unenviable one. To have the vitae of scores of Kindred on one’s hands is a sure way to earn a horde of enemies. The Executioner, designated to carry out sentences the Judges hand down, wears an elaborate costume comprising three cloaks to hide their body shape and a long hood to cover their face. It is a crime punishable by death to use Disciplines in an effort to identify the city’s Executioner.

The Messengers Diplomats, go-betweens, Harpies, and court entertainers are all classified as the same thing in

Milwaukee: domain Messengers. It is their role to deliver news to the domain’s Kindred and travel beyond the city to pass confidential messages to other vampires. They are among Decker’s most trusted lieutenants, as Messengers are expected to risk their own lives to prevent a message from falling into an enemy’s hands. Several Messengers are employed at any one time, with the most notable being: •

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J.W. Blue, Caitiff — Blue takes great pride in doing an honest job, whether it’s fetching and carrying, delivering a parcel, strong-arming a fleeing fledgling, or simply acting as counsel to the Prince. This Caitiff has been at Decker’s side since the regime change, and the Prince trusts few vampires as much as he does blue collar J.W. See p. XX for his full biography and stat block. Barth, Clan Toreador — Unlike most of Decker’s Messengers, Barth never leaves the city of Milwaukee. His role is as it’s ever been: communicate the news to the Kindred on the street, though it’s no longer via radio these nights. Now, he relies more on a carefully edited podcast and the rare livestream. Barth enjoys himself and has from time to time narrated a play-by-play of the Anubi hunting a werewolf, or the other way around. He relies on calls from other Kindred to acquire his news, and they’re never in short supply.

The Citizens Milwaukee’s Kindred are tightly controlled. According to Decker, nobody exists in his city without his say-so. Anyone who tries finds themselves directed to the nearest exit or punished for their arrogant endangerment of the domain. At the Prince’s last count, Milwaukee acts as haven to 31 Kindred, which is still too

many for his liking. Here are a few of the notable residents: •

Elizabeth Forster, Caitiff — Elizabeth drops in and out of Milwaukee, making her an oddity among many of its vampire citizens. She gained the right to make a haven in the domain following her Embrace, but claims to be hunted by Milwaukee’s witches, sometimes known as the Cult of Isis. Decker is aware of the Caitiff and isn’t sure whether she’s a Malkavian or if there’s something to her talk of cults in the city. He hasn’t ordered her destruction because he wants to know the truth. See p. XX for her full biography and stat block.

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Wren, thin-blood — A thin-blooded outcast in the city who bears the physical brand of a coward following her flight from a Lupine attack, Wren hides most days and nights in a state of shame. She wants to prove herself worthy, but doesn’t feel like her vitae is potent enough in the fight against werewolves.

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Anton Nettum, Clan Gangrel — A former Herald who decided the role of Decker’s Messenger wasn’t for him, this Gangrel still ably defends the domain in times of need. He openly abides by the Prince’s laws, but secretly works with Decker’s childe Honor to undermine him. See p. XX for his full biography and stat block.

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Honor Mercer, Clan Gangrel — Decker’s newest childe, his focus, and his great loss. Honor fled Decker’s “protection” and never wants to return to Milwaukee. She is still recorded as a resident here because as far as the Prince is concerned, she will again be a vampire of this city. See p. XX for her full biography and stat block.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

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Kristian, Clan Nosferatu — Kristian has been observing other Kindred for Decker for some time, reporting back on transgressions and occasionally turning vampires over for judgement based on rumor and innuendo or due to their having insulted him. He was recently driven into torpor by his rampaging sire, the wight once known as Parovich.

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Felicia Page, Clan Nosferatu — Only recently awoken from torpor, Felicia would be vampire number 32, if Prince Decker knew of her and permitted her to stay. Currently her existence is a mystery and any vampires stumbling across her path could benefit by turning her in to the Prince, or make her an ally by directing her to safety. See p. XX for her full biography and stat block.

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Sundown, Clan Nosferatu — A pest to many of the city’s Kindred, but a potent one, the grossly disfigured Sundown spies on vampire meetings, listening to conversations that might oppose Decker’s Law. Sundown makes snap decisions whether to use acquired information to blackmail Milwaukee’s errant Kindred or to go directly to the Judges with his findings. In both cases, he has profited immensely from the informant system in Milwaukee.

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Lucina, Clan Toreador — One of the only former Primogen left in the city and a strong defender of Decker’s regime, Lucina has offered the Prince her advice on diplomatic matters for years, but declines the position of Messenger, preferring to remain aloof from titles for the time being. Some suspect she is in fact the domain’s Executioner.

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Tessa Greene, Clan Tremere — Reclusive, cynical, and a bitter childe of the rebel Tremere known as Carna, Tessa occupies her infamous sire’s former haven and attempts to establish herself as the preeminent blood sorcerer in the domain while assisting Kindred such as Honor Mercer in escaping Decker’s so-called justice. See p. XX for her full biography and stat block.

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D E C K E R ’S L A W

Prince Decker has put into place several laws to help keep those in Milwaukee safe from harm. Any who fail to abide by these rules will be branded, stripped of territory, or executed. 1 The Traditions of the Camarilla all apply here. Do not break them. 2 Any who are not of the Camarilla are enemies of the Camarilla and treated as such. No Anarchs nor sectless Kindred are allowed within the city without invitation from the Prince. 3 No other Kindred but Prince Decker and any with his permission may have influence over any transportation within the city. Movement into the city is strictly controlled. 4 No Kindred may meet in groups larger than five at a time, except by permission from the Prince. Any groups larger than five are classified as “mobs” and shall be dealt with accordingly. 5 Only Camarilla controlled courts may be held within the city. No free Elysia are permitted. 6 Withholding information is considered a crime against Milwaukee. If the Prince or Judges ask you to speak, speak only the truth. 7 All Milwaukee Kindred are expected to work in defense of their domain. If they cannot handle a weapon, they must provide intelligence, morale, or sacrifice of their own assets to defend this city. 8 Any Kindred executed for breaking these rules must never be spoken of again in positive memorial or in jest. Their sins against the Camarilla are too great for their memory to ever be purified. Any who defy this law or hold keepsakes of the deceased will be considered co-conspirators and handled as such.

Milwaukee Defense Milwaukee City proper is only five miles in length, but due to systematic housing discrimination practices and urban development programs, the areas around the city expand and segregate on a regular basis. Ask a local, and you’ll be told Milwaukee expands from the central point north to Grafton, south toward Burleigh, and west out to Butler. Fortunately, Milwaukee’s relatively small size allows its Kindred to defend the domain against outsiders. Anyone turned into Barth’s news network online or in touch with other vampires in the domain soon hear if the Anubi have been dispatched to handle a Lupine incursion. If anything, the city’s defenders attack Anarch flare-ups with more vitriol than the werewolves. Decker’s message of

Dr. Mortius, Clan Tremere — When Carna fled, many Kindred assumed she destroyed Victor and Mortius, two of her fellow Milwaukee Tremere. Only one of those murders happened. Mortius was in Prague exploring the local version of Blood Sorcery when the clan schism occurred, and he returned to find a barely occupied chantry. Mortius cares little for clan and sect politics, being more interested in strengthening and expanding his knowledge, while quietly leading a cult known as the Ashfinders (see Cults of the Blood Gods). He follows Decker’s Law for as long as it remains convenient.

“security first” leads to most of Milwaukee’s Kindred viewing Anarchs as the worst kind of quislings, attempting to drag their safe domain into hell for their own enrichment.

this roll fails, Prince Decker allows their temporary visit in exchange for information from their own city, or their service on the front line against a Lupine pack incursion.

Anarchs and Other Kindred Entering Milwaukee

Werewolf Hunting Once the coterie has decided whether to undertake Decker’s mission, they are able to travel around the city without too much problem. J.W. is quick to warn them that any trips to the outskirts of the city bring with them the threat of Lupines or attacks by their kinfolk cousins, however. Anywhere outside central Milwaukee is a potential hot zone, and while they can call him for backup (and he can get in touch with the Anubi), any immediate action is the responsibility of the vampires. J.W. is willing to meet the coterie wherever they need and to escort them around the city if they choose, but he leaves the fighting to the experts.

Non-Camarilla vampires aren’t welcome within the city of Milwaukee, per Decker’s Law. PCs with these affiliations must convince Prince Decker their presence in the city is important and needed. If the coterie has any sort of message or information from Keisha regarding this, it may help with their case. If the coterie decides to avoid meeting with Prince Decker, they will also need to skirt around any vampires in the city. There are several Kindred within the city who may be bribed to help conceal their presence while investigating. If the PCs decide to ask for permission, they must present their case to Prince Decker himself and make a Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 6) to convince him to let them into his city. If they can convince him, he gives them 48 hours to do their business and then leave. If

Blue’s Advice Milwaukee has a werewolf problem, and J.W. isn’t shy about explaining it. He provides the PCs with advice on

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

and teeth that deal non-halved Superficial damage (+3 damage modifier) to vampires, as well as +3 to all Physical Attributes when shifting to their half-wolf war form.

handling shapeshifters before they part ways. “I can’t say I’ve ever killed a Lupine myself. In fact, I don’t know many Kindred outside the Anubi who have. Truth is, most of our skirmishes are short, bloody, and end with both sides crawling away with wounds that take an age to heal. Sometimes I wonder if it’s more about the display than the actual fight. Whatever, a few things to know are that these monsters are indeed weak against silver, they do indeed lose their shit when it’s a full moon, and they can shrug off most blades, claws, teeth, and bullets without a second thought. They can shift in the daytime as easily as night, though they’re reticent to do so for probably the same inquisitorial reasons we don’t drink blood in the middle of the Avenue. In terms of fighting them, your best bet is to hit the things around them. If they’re in a car, go for the gas tank. If they’re in a building, collapse it on them. If they’re around their less feral family members, fuck them up. You ain’t gonna make a scratch on a werewolf without something silver, and even if you do, their skin heals a lot faster than the dead shit on our bones. Bloody a werewolf’s nose, drop a bomb, nails, an oil spill, or something to slow them, then get the hell out of Dodge. They’ll have your scent for nights, but provided you stick to the city center or the other side of town, they’ll lose interest after a while.” Blue’s advice is sound. The PCs may be able to take down a solitary werewolf, but against a pack they’re unlikely to come away intact. However, engaging Lupines in a fight is a sure way to earn the Anubi’s respect, and in turn, that of Prince Decker. The only time Decker punishes assaults on werewolves is when a vampire starts a fight, riles up the Lupines, and flees, leaving them as someone else’s problem. The following werewolves are designed as extremely hard physical encounters, and a generous Storyteller will remind players that these are creatures to be out-thought rather than out-fought.

General Difficulties: 6/2

LUPINE SPIRIT-TALKER Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Composure 4; Intelligence 5, Wits 4, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 7 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Firearms 1, Stealth 3, Survival 4; Animal Ken 5, Etiquette 2, Insight 3, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 1; Academics (Nature) 3, Awareness 4, Medicine 1, Politics 1, Occult (Spirits) 4, Science 2 Disciplines: Animalism 5, Auspex 2, Celerity 2, Fortitude 2, Obfuscate 1, Potence 2 Special: Werewolves suffer Aggravated damage from silver weapons and fire only. They recover 1 Superficial Health per turn. Werewolves possess claws and teeth that deal non-halved Superficial damage (+3 damage modifier) to vampires, as well as +3 to all Physical Attributes when shifting to their half-wolf war form. General Difficulties: 6/3

LUPINE PACK LEADER Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 6

LUPINE WARRIOR

Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Drive 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 2, Melee 4, Stealth 4, Survival 5; Animal Ken 2, Etiquette 2, Insight 2, Intimidation 3, Leadership 4, Streetwise 3; Awareness 4, Investigation 2, Occult 2

Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 1; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 4

Disciplines: Animalism 2, Celerity 4, Fortitude 4, Obfuscate 2, Potence 5

Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Drive 1, Larceny 2, Melee 4, Stealth 3, Survival 5; Animal Ken 3, Intimidation 5; Awareness 4, Investigation 1, Occult 1

Special: Werewolves suffer Aggravated damage from silver weapons and fire only. They recover 1 Superficial Health per turn. Werewolves possess claws and teeth that deal non-halved Superficial damage (+3 damage modifier) to vampires, as well as +3 to all Physical Attributes when shifting to their half-wolf war form.

Disciplines: Animalism 3, Celerity 3, Fortitude 3, Potence 4 Special: Werewolves suffer Aggravated damage from silver weapons and fire only. They recover 1 Superficial Health per turn. Werewolves possess claws

General Difficulties: 7/3

Innocence in Blood

Two Agents in Milwaukee

worthy. A couple of open-sided bookcases occupy the apartment’s living area, along with a desk, chair, and pad of paper. Honor didn’t own a television or computer, and if she had a laptop or tablet, it must have disappeared with her. The only thing to indicate her status as a vampire is the blacked-out bedroom and the fridge-freezer’s lack of contents. Her kitchen cupboards still contain canned goods from when she was alive. Little in Honor’s apartment tells a visitor about its owner. No photos hang on the walls, and she does not even have magnets, notes from friends, or mementos on her refrigerator door. A simple examination of drawers in the apartment turn up bills and bank statements with Honor’s name on them, however. J.W. has already searched her apartment, and while he’s left it tidy, an Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3) reveals his incomplete job of returning everything to its rightful place. The only thing J.W. found of note, at least to his mind, was the address of the old Mutual Bank building and the four-digit code on the same scrap of paper. If the PCs are Camarilla-aligned, they likely already have this document. If not, an Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) highlights the indentation of someone having written on the desk’s pad of paper recently, and the note from Honor’s apartment can be made out.

A recurring issue for the PCs in this story is the presence of the two FBI agents, Penny Cusick and Rick L’Italien, who like the characters are on the hunt for Honor Mercer. Whenever the player characters do something like enter Honor’s apartment, contact Honor’s family, or even retrace her footsteps to places she commonly frequented, the two agents should approach the coterie soon after with increasing suspicion. Penny will keep a distance if the PCs are serving Dawn Nakada, but Rick can’t be dissuaded from getting in their faces and trying to discover what they know. This persistent mortal threat should escalate from a nuisance to a major problem, as Rick L’Italien is unafraid to get local cops involved, and if Penny has to eliminate her partner to maintain the Masquerade, she’ll expect the PCs to assist in the cover-up.

AGENT PENNY CUSISK Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Drive 3, Firearms (Pistol) 4, Melee 1, Stealth 2; Animal Ken 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 2, Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 3; Academics (Law) 2, Awareness 3, Investigation 4, Occult 1, Politics 2, Technology 2

The Note

Mutual Bank Building (Abandoned) 833 E Michigan St 2-8-4-3

Disciplines: Dominate 1 General Difficulties: 4/2

AGENT RICK L’ITALIEN Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5

The Mutual Bank

Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Drive 1, Firearms 2, Stealth (Tracking) 4, Survival 2; Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Persuasion 1, Subterfuge 1; Academics (Law) 2, Awareness 2, Investigation (Missing Persons) 4, Politics 1, Science 2, Technology 1

Mutual Bank is one of the largest banking groups with branches all over Milwaukee. The address on Honor’s note leads to a closed-down branch in the Lake Emily part of the city, where the earth beneath the buildings is thin and the lake’s water leads to constant damp problems in the structures above. This branch is one of the oldest buildings in the city and preserved under order of the Milwaukee City Council. Its carved marble exterior is considered a part of America’s national architecture, and for that reason, the abandoned bank branch has not yet been torn

General Difficulties: 4/2

Honor’s Haven Honor’s apartment on the East Side is a small, one-bedroom affair containing nothing obviously note-

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

down. However, the rising lake level beneath the bank has prevented anyone else from occupying the building, which has now been empty for two decades. The Mutual Bank resembles a Roman temple stuck in the middle of the city. The roof is fitted with drainpipes feeding into the lake below, preventing any decay from the top down, while scaffolding supports the building’s western wall. Despite its abandonment, the bank has security in place. A night watchman sits in an office just inside the building, while another patrols the perimeter to deter intruders. Neither of the guards are permitted further inside the building due to the health and safety risks. Characters might attempt to sneak by the guards with a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 3) or, if they watch their patrol routes and patterns, the Difficulty can be reduced to 2. If they fail to sneak past, the watchmen confront intruders with harsh words before threatening to call the cops. They’re disinclined toward physical action and are only armed with pepper spray and batons. If the PCs question the guards regarding Honor using a Charisma + Intimidation or Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3 for both), they admit to having seen a young woman matching her description around here once or twice. She always bought them coffee and said she was a student interested in studying the bank’s architecture. One of the watchmen guiltily admits he let her inside once and lost track of her for an hour, before she emerged soaked to the skin and laughing, explaining she’d fallen through some floorboards. They didn’t see her again.

it’s definitely safe from the sun and the last place most people would look for a vampire. Underwater and in the darkness, it takes a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 2) for the coterie to determine the sub-basement has a single hallway with a locked door. An Intelligence + Larceny roll (Difficulty 3) allows the PCs to gain access through this door, if they don’t just choose to break down the flimsy rotten wood. As the coterie enters the central room, which contains the remains of a storage cellar, an Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3) highlights several clear plastic bags ziplocked and containing objects, presumably keeping them safe from the water. These objects include IDs, a copy of The Grapes of Wrath, some rolls of cash, and an unused bus ticket to Chicago dated two weeks ago. The PCs must now succeed at a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 4) or be taken by surprise as a vampire resting in the water lunges at them with a blade. The occupant of this room is Wren, a thin-blood who Honor guided to this place as a form of sanctuary following her branding in Decker’s court. Wren believes the coterie members are here to kill her and is determined to defend herself from this perceived assassination attempt. Any attempts to dissuade Wren from her attack using Charisma + Persuasion are at a high Difficulty 6, as communicating peaceful intentions in an unlit, submerged room is almost impossible. However, it may be possible to wrestle her to the staircase and speak with her, as she’s not a strong combatant. If conscious and able to speak, Wren — who bears a circular brand on both palms and her neck — explains she is Honor’s friend, but she hasn’t seen the Prince’s childe in over a week. She doesn’t know the full details of what transpired between Honor and Decker but does know Honor was planning an escape for some time, deciding against Chicago due to the city’s sectarian ties with Milwaukee. The last Wren heard from her, Honor was going to meet some friends on Jones Island. Wren expected another of Honor’s friends to join the sub-basement communal haven following Honor’s departure, based on Honor telling her to expect a room-mate, but nobody showed up. Wren believes Honor fled the city because Decker’s affections for his childe had entered a perverse realm. When pushed, she admits her theory is probably based on her own prejudices against the Prince.

The Code Finding where to use the code in the bank is a challenge that requires thorough exploration of the building and careful navigation of the rotting structure with occasional Dexterity + Athletics rolls (Difficulty 2 to 4). Failure leads to characters getting their feet stuck in the floor and putting their hands through walls, potentially alerting the night watchmen to their presence. J.W. was unable to find where the code was needed because he didn’t delve deeply enough into the bank. Unknown to him, the note he found wasn’t for Honor, but for one of her friends to whom she wanted to bequeath her hidden haven in the bank’s flooded sub-basement. The digital lock beside the door to the sub-basement staircase still works, but as soon as one opens the door, they’re faced with a rotting, half-collapsed staircase, and a well of black water where the lake has entered the bank’s lowest levels. Entering the sub-basement requires submerging oneself in dark, fetid water. Honor’s hidden haven is nothing to shout about, as personal affects are absent, but

WREN Sire: Peanut Whistle Embraced: 2018 (Born 1997) Ambition: Prove her worth to Milwaukee

Innocence in Blood

Convictions: Always help my friends I N F O R M A N T S E V E RY W H E R E

Touchstones: Israel Rogowski, a personal friend and sometime fuck buddy

Decker’s reputation implies the Kindred of his city are under constant observation for defiance of his law. But the question many vampires ask is how does Decker spy on Milwaukee’s Kindred so effectively? Milwaukee has had problems with rats, mice, raccoons, opossums, and a variety of pest birds for years, but their numbers have increased dramatically in the last decade. Decker has elevated other Gangrel and some Nosferatu to positions of prominence and used their skills, as well as his own, to nurture this wildlife population so his city has a constant surveillance system in force. The Storyteller can have wildlife present in almost every scene with the PCs, making the characters roll a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 5) to notice the hidden creatures. After the PCs spot one, the Storyteller should tell the players that it now dawns on their characters how there’s been an over-abundance of urban scavengers close by every night, and then leave the players to draw their own conclusions.

Humanity: 6 Generation: 15th Blood Potency: 0 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 4; Intelligence 3, Wits 2, Resolve 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 8 Skills: Athletics 1, Craft (Painting) 4, Drive 2, Melee 1, Survival 2; Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 2, Insight 3, Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 1; Academics (Art) 4, Awareness 2 Disciplines: Thin-Blood Alchemy 1 General Difficulties: 3/1

Deadly Meetings One of Decker’s laws sets down that vampires may not meet in groups of larger than five at any time, or else become subject to the city Judges’ charges. This law may interfere with the PCs meeting other Kindred if they don’t split up to make their coterie smaller, or unless they’re particularly careful about where they go to meet other vampires. Notably, meeting with other Kindred to

ask for their opinions doesn’t just endanger those vampires — the system of informants reporting on each other is so ingrained in Milwaukee that the interviewed vampire is as likely to go to the Judges to talk about the large coterie wandering around in contravention of the law as they are to hide their involvement to protect their ass.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

To enforce the feeling of paranoia and observation in Milwaukee, as the vampires take their leave from a meeting with another vampire where they exceeded the allotted meeting size, a Nosferatu named Sundown should reveal himself to have heard and seen everything, and be quite prepared to report their crime to Decker. He either shakes them down for cash and future favors, or, if the coterie is sizeable and threatening, he offers them “a good turn,” explaining he won’t turn them in if they remember how friendly he’s been. Sundown is a creeping pest of a Nosferatu, his distorted yellow skull bulging horribly as his long fingers constantly play with the buttons on his leather jacket. If the PCs attack him, he makes every effort to flee using his skill in Obfuscate. He then reports the PCs to the Judges, setting the Anubi on their tails.

SUNDOWN Sire: Sebastian Marley Embraced: 1934 (Born 1901) Ambition: Get the goods on someone tonight Convictions: Never back down from a deal Touchstones: Dr. Munson — a mortal working on a cure for vampirism Humanity: 5 Generation: 8th Blood Potency: 3 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 5, Stamina 2; Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 1, Craft (Cameras) 3, Melee 1; Animal Ken (Raccoons) 4, Intimidation 2, Persuasion (Blackmail) 4, Subterfuge 3; Awareness 3, Investigation 2, Politics 1

Disciplines: Animalism 3, Obfuscate 5, Potence 3, Presence 1 General Difficulties: 6/3

Finding Tessa J.W. explains he hasn’t seen Tessa Greene (see p. XX) in some time, but believes she hangs out at the Marquette Campus. She only attends the city court when the rulings concern Clan Tremere. Should the PCs be familiar with other Kindred in Milwaukee, they can ask around about Tessa. A successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3) reveals she occasionally likes to party at one of the local clubs: The Cage. If the characters find Tessa, it requires a strong Manipulation + Persuasion or Charisma + Intimidation roll (both Difficulty 5) to convince her to speak up about Honor’s whereabouts.

Marquette Campus The Marquette Campus covers several city blocks off Wells Street, in the north end of Milwaukee. Low income housing surrounds the university, with a mixture of students and migrants making up the foot traffic in this part of the city. There are a couple of dorms on each block and the buildings for the campus are beautiful, even if their style fell out of fashion in the 1990s. Tessa can be found on the campus early in the evening, either studying in the languages library or in her own student housing. Finding out about Tessa’s academic interests takes a Manipulation + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3) when interacting with a Kindred who knows her. Tracing her haven requires an Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3), with the Difficulty reduced if the PCs check university records online or physically, as Tessa has yet to adopt a Mask and still resides under her own name.

If the PCs confront Tessa on campus, she attempts to steer them away from other students and faculty and into the gardens on the campus grounds. She certainly doesn’t want them entering her haven and threatens to call the Anubi if they try to violate her sacred space. It’s a bluff, but likely to make them think twice. If the coterie accompanies Tessa away from the university, the Storyteller should stress Tessa’s concerns about being watched, either by the Prince’s people or Lupines, the latter of which often intrude on this part of the city. Make the players roll a few Wits + Awareness checks to fuel the paranoia. Jump ahead to Tessa’s Thoughts if the player characters convince her to speak about her absent friend.

The Cage The Cage, an LGBTQ+ live music venue, has been a staple of the Walkers Point district for many years. Named aptly for the suspended cages clubgoers can dance in, it has been a highlight of the Milwaukee alternative community for many years. The music in the club varies from hard rock to pop remix, but they do have house DJs and theme nights. If the coterie goes to find Tessa late at night, they find her rocking in one of the club cages, clad in her studded leathers as a pretty girl hangs on her arm. Convincing Tessa to come down from the cage, which is accessible via a narrow gantry, is easier said than done. Her first response is to ignore the PCs, her second is to flip them the bird, and her third is to send her vessel of the evening out to tell the characters to piss off. This is Tessa’s night off, and she doesn’t want other vampires cramping it. A mention of Honor’s name is enough to get her to climb out and angrily address the coterie. She won’t attempt to hold a conversation in The

Innocence in Blood

Cage, suggesting they head to the alley out back. Once there, she shoves one of the PCs against the wall and requires a calming influence, such as via a Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 5). If not, everything she says is hostile and brimming with the threat of violence. Tessa does not like having her private existence being subject to interruption.

Tessa’s Thoughts If the coterie successfully persuades Tessa to open up about Honor, she has the following to say, based on their questions: WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HONOR? “Honor is my girl, okay? She saved me from my Beast more times than I can count. We used to go out dancing, pick up randos for latenight snacks. She put me at ease, which takes some doing.” HOW DID HONOR CROSS THE PRINCE? “You mean other than being the childe of the biggest dictator in North America? From what I was able to piece together from the blood tears and panic attacks, some mortal got her on video doing something funky. I honestly think it could be explained away easily, but with her daddy’s issues and her daddy issues, she’s rightfully worried. Maybe there’s more to it than that, but if there is, she never told me.” WHERE DID HONOR GO? “Listen, asshole. A friend doesn’t just rat out a friend’s hiding place, even if Decker’s tugging your leash. It doesn’t matter, anyhow. I guessed she was leaving, but she never told me where she was going. My guess would be a city close enough where the Camarilla don’t have a strong presence, and somewhere she could reach in a car or bus instead of

a plane or train. Her daddy has those transport networks locked down tight. I guess she could have headed toward St. Louis, though I heard it fell to the Second Inquisition, or the city elders destroyed every other vampire there to resist the Beckoning. There’s always Indianapolis, but I have no clue if she has any friends down there.” Once they are done questioning Tessa, she suggests they get bent and leaves their company.

lake water clean while draining the seasonal rainwater safely out of the city. A quick look around reveals a retention pond, industrial factories, and a large tunnel opening by the shoreline leading toward the city. Because it is a government facility, it is hard to get into the buildings on Jones Island, requiring a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 4) to justify entry or Wits + Stealth (Difficulty 4) to manage it without detection.

Jones Island

The Facility

Jones Island is an industrialized peninsula off the lakefront of Milwaukee, containing waste treatment plants, sanitation facilities, docks, and numerous underground passages rumored to be the old territory of the former Nosferatu Primogen, Parovich. While Lupines target much of the city, the lakefront has not seen as much activity. Access points to the area are few, and it can easily become a tactical nightmare to travel through due to machinery and workers laboring twenty-four hours a day on the docks. The logistics of an assault on Jones Island’s few vampires might be putting the Lupines off, or it could have something to do with the monster stalking this spit of land. The numerous parking lots on the opposite end of the bridge to Jones Island are used primarily by college students and dock workers, the former of whom take a bus to the nearby campus. Jones Island can be reached any time of year, either through the security booth at its bridge entrance, via wading through the sandbar, or walking over the ice floe in the winter months. Jones Island holds the water sanitation plant for the city and entrance to the Deep Tunnel Project, which runs under the city and helps keep the

Mortal workers operate the sanitation facilities and small docks on Jones Island day and night, and perhaps due to the drudgery of their work, they react with alarm upon seeing anyone out of place on the island. A foreman boldly approaches any PCs walking around in plain sight and asks them their business. Unless they succeed on a Wits + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 3) to come up with a convincing lie, she summons security to escort them away. Alternatively, the coterie may opt for stealth, requiring a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 3) to avoid mortal notice. There’s nothing in the way of records or evidence showing that Honor Mercer has ever been here, but speaking with some of the workers with a successful Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 2) or bribing them reveals that they think a group of deadbeats are meeting up in one of the tunnels running underneath Jones Island to shoot up drugs and spray graffiti. They always emerge pale and looking dead, at any rate.

The Tunnels Entering the tunnel indicated by the Jones Island worker requires a Strength + Brawl roll (Difficulty 3) to pry open the safety grating, or the use of

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Potence to smash the grate open. The smell of dampness and mold is prominent inside, even to non-breathing vampires, and the floor is slick with a green slime, making running difficult. The cement pipes have a constant trickle of water flowing through them and debris washes easily past. The PCs arrive at a fork in the tunnel and must decide on which way to go. Graffiti lines the tunnel, but an Intelligence + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 4) indicates they’re Kindred street marks (see Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 322). The art resembles a hole smashed through a door and the tags are stylized anarchy symbols. If anyone succeeds at identifying the marks, they know these ones are commonly used as rallying points for disaffected Kindred. The other tunnel leads to a quiet passage apparently heading into the city. Any vampires heading this way may make a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 2) to recognize the roaring sound of water up ahead. It takes a Dexterity + Athletics or Strength + Athletics roll (both Difficulty 4) to avoid or withstand the tide of dirty water, which will otherwise wash them into an adjacent drain and out to the waste treatment plant. If the PCs decide to follow the tunnel marked with the symbol, they start hearing voices echoing indistinctly through the passage ahead. If they continue forward, they start catching fragments of conversation: “I don’t trust...”, “Decker is out of his...”, “dangerous in the city now...”, and “illegal meeting…” If the PCs choose to advance, they must each make a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 5) to avoid notice in the echoing tunnel. Successful creeping allows the coterie to hear the group discussing the eventual overthrow of Decker and installation of an Anarch Baron. This kind of information is valuable, but not easy to obtain due to the conditions prohibiting stealth here. Any failed attempt gets the group noticed. It is apparent to the coterie that nobody within the room ahead wants a fight. Ten Kindred stand in this underground tunnel, each looking frightened about their discovery. Several questions the group in the tunnel may ask the coterie are “Why are you here?” “What are you looking for?” “What led you here?” “What is your allegiance to Prince Decker?” The group of Kindred are nervous around the PCs and it takes thorough convincing to get them to talk. They calm down if a PC makes a successful Charisma + Leadership roll (Difficulty 3), but won’t answer questions about Honor’s whereabouts without successful threats using Wits + Intimidation (Difficulty 3) of Decker’s reprisals should they remain quiet.

DO YOU KNOW HONOR MERCER? “Honor? Yeah, we know her. Anton Nettum introduced her to us. She came looking for help getting out of the city. We helped however we could, but she endangered our group just by being close. She’s a good kid, but she never should have been Embraced. She’s too innocent.”

TEN IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN DECKER’S LAW ALLOWS, ISN’T IT? “Look, we know we aren’t supposed to be meeting in large groups. But how else are we supposed to organize to keep the city safe? None of these rules make sense.”

Grant Park is right off the lakefront. It features walking paths that meander through the forests and down to the beaches. J.W. can give directions or transport the group to Grant Park, although he lets them know that this area has recently had a lot of Lupine activity, so best to be careful.

WHY DID HONOR MERCER FLEE? “She was deathly afraid of her sire. We guessed he’d turned away from the Camarilla and she figured it out. It wouldn’t take much for that douche to go all out for himself. She never said though.” WHERE DID HONOR GO? (REQUIRES A THREAT) “Jesus, fine! Indianapolis, an Anarch-held city. It’s the safest she could be, all things considered. She’d already hooked up with some Kindred from Indy and just needed to arrange transport. Our coterie has ties to a shipping company and can get people across the Midwest if needed. Go to SVT and ask for Mike if you don’t believe us. He’s in the know. I’ll even let him know you’re coming.” WHO IS MIKE? “A mortal or ghoul, I don’t know. He seems to have a lead on what we are. His payment seems weird, but it’s fair. He takes people where they need to go.” ARE YOU ANARCHS? “Absolutely not. We’re Camarilla Kindred through and through, all introduced to Prince Decker, all with the right to exist in Milwaukee. Don’t worry, buddy: we know calling yourself an Anarch here is a death sentence.” Should the coterie choose to join the secret group and earn their trust, they learn the coterie is made up of many Kindred who were either branded or had their territories stripped from them for infractions of varying weight. Anton Nettum (see p. XX) is one of their number, but they don’t trust him enough to reveal where Honor Mercer went. The PCs may well report the large gathering for Anarch behavior or simply exceeding the limit imposed in Decker’s Law, for which the Prince will show gratitude with a trivial boon. Then, the accused Kindred will find themselves brought before the city court.

Exploring Grant Park

Carved Symbols

The Wolves’ Den

The park entrance has a German-style covered bridge with etchings in it. Upon close inspection, the coterie can see the words, “Enter this wildwood and view the haunts of nature.” As they wander the path, they move farther and farther from the city lights. Eventually, they disappear behind the tree line, leaving their vision engulfed in darkness. The pathway continues through the woods, and rock formations become visible from the pathway. Should the coterie decide to explore their surroundings closely, they must make a Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3). If they are successful, the coterie can see carvings on the trees. Some look like faces carved into the sides, others are signs and symbols. An Intelligence + Craft roll (Difficulty 2) makes it clear the symbols are newly carved, and an Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 4, unless one of the characters is of the Ministry in which case it’s an automatic success) reveals the symbols resemble the Ministry’s preferred iconography. On an Intelligence + Politics roll (Difficulty 4), this information might strike the PCs as odd, as there are no recognized members of that clan in Milwaukee. Though Honor is not present in the park, it’s apparent that someone acquainted with the Ministry has been.

Following the pathways deeper into the park is a dangerous proposition, as Lupines are stalking the area at this time. Luckily for the coterie, their kinfolk are scouting ahead, and werewolf kin are not shapeshifting warriors possessing inhuman strength and endurance. On a Wits + Awareness roll (Difficulty 4), the vampires spy four adults in camos creeping through the park, checking the ground, stopping to look through infrared binoculars, and occasionally blowing into apparently silent whistles. These individuals are kinfolk, though without Auspex it’s impossible to tell them apart from regular humans. Occasionally they whisper to each other, and in the silence of the night it’s possible to hear them say, “Those leeches escaped us last time, but they won’t get out this time.” The kinfolk are specifically looking for any occupants of the park who don’t register on their infrared goggles. They know this park has been used recently by Kindred, and hope to catch some vampires in the act of hunting so they can make an example of an undead leech or two. The coterie will need to use stealth if they wish to evade the kinfolk, with a Wits + Stealth roll (Difficulty 4) most likely, as the vampires are best off hiding and letting these track-

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

ers pass. If the kinfolk spot the coterie, they blow their whistles and summon three werewolves from deeper in the park (use the Lupine Warrior, Lupine Spirit-Talker, and Lupine Pack Leader stats from p. XX). The kinfolk fall back in this case. If the characters evade the kinfolk, they may pass through the park without incident. However, they may choose to murder these werewolf kin to earn favor with the rest of the city or interrogate one on the subject of these other vampires supposedly in Grant Park. A captive kinfolk knows little about their objective, beyond vampires their elders refer to as “snake-heads” meeting here “a couple of weeks ago to lure some desperate new leech away to Indianapolis.” The kinfolk know nothing else and don’t recognize Honor’s name or description. They’ll act proud and defiant until a vampire displays their gifts, at which point the kinfolk lashes out and attempts to flee.

LUPINE KINFOLK Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 2, Drive 2, Firearms 3, Melee 2, Stealth 3, Survival (Urban) 4; Animal Ken 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 1, Persuasion 1, Subterfuge 2; Awareness 2, Investigation 3, Occult 1, Technology 2 General Difficulties: 4/2

Other Places to Visit in Milwaukee Milwaukee has a rich history. Should the coterie decide they wish to stay for some time, they may wish

K A N GA R O O C O U RT

To emphasize the brutality of the Milwaukee police state domain, J.W. should invite the coterie to attend the city court one night that they’re in the city, or, if they’ve not been introduced to the Prince, a coterie of vampires comprising Sundown (p. XX), Tessa (p. XX), and Wren (p. XX) attempts to seize them for a crime against the domain. Once in the city court, held amid cargo containers at the docks, the PCs either witness a character being judged harshly, with nobody asked to speak in the accused’s defense, or are on the receiving end of such a trial. The Judges ostensibly act in the best interests of Milwaukee, with the majority of punishments being brandings, stripping of territory, exile, or destruction. Storytellers should highlight to the PCs how the vampire they witness being tried declares their complete innocence, but Decker’s court doesn’t show an ounce of care. If Sundown, Felicia, Tessa, or Wren have been encountered in this story, one of them makes for a suitable victim. If the PCs are on the receiving end, it’s a good excuse for them to roleplay their justifications for whatever real or imagined crime they’re accused of.

to visit the following locations and explore them. Many of the places in Milwaukee are haunted, or at least assumed to be, but mortal examination of the supernatural in this domain hasn’t reached beyond conspiracy theorists and home-grown ghost hunters. To date, neither FIRSTLIGHT nor any other vampire-killing group have given Milwaukee much consideration.

The Milwaukee Art Museum The Milwaukee Art Museum, also known as the Calatrava, was designed and built by a Spanish architect with the intent to create a building that resembles a bird flying over the lake during the day. The museum hosts a great many works of art, from contemporary and classical pieces to complicated installments which invite audience interaction. The Milwaukee Art Museum was once the city’s primary Elysium, but these nights neutral ground is a myth and only the city’s scant Toreador and Malkavians meet here. The PCs might meet Lucina here, or could find an unexpected Kindred such as Felicia Page (see p. XX) looking for respite in the museum.

The art museum offers stunning views of Lake Michigan, though they are of course at their best during the day. At nighttime, the expanse of blackness captures the Beasts of any vampires who take the time to stare, calming any Kindred close to frenzy. While Lasombra have in the past explained this is a natural communion between darkness and the Beast, one of the city’s former Malkavian inhabitants — the methuselah named Jacob — stated it’s because a vampire possessing great facility to pacify the Beasts of others lurks in the water and stares back.

The Rave The Fraternal Order of the Eagles — a non-profit organization of art patrons established in the late 19th century — constructed and designed this grand building to serve as a ballroom, gymnasium, and meeting place for members of their group. Back then it wasn’t called the Rave, but the Toreador who influenced its grandeur — the now-torpid Louis Detonas — would remember its past even as he manipulated its future. In the 1980s the building fell into disrepair and Louis purchased it

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from the Order. The Toreador modernized it and converted the structure’s many rooms into a six-tiered music venue. The Rave contains two main stage areas and several bars with smaller stages. Bands both local and famous get their start here, and many still return to perform in the venue, irrespective of their star power. A pool area in the Rave’s basement proves popular for parties of inebriated celebrities even tonight. Known in the music community for its unique acoustics, the Rave is said to be haunted, its perfect echoes purportedly the songs of the dead. Every one of the Rave’s interior walls is lined with posters of concerts hosted at the club, some dating back to times before the current ownership. An Intelligence + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 3) even allows the PCs to spot Baby Chorus — Chicago’s chief vampiric musical export — in a pride of place over the main bar. The city’s few Bahari enjoy frequenting the Rave, especially since Louis’ recent slump into torpor. Detonas was apparently so incensed when Prince Decker declared that no club should be controlled by a single Kindred that he spat on the Prince, cursed him in French, and vowed to wake again once this folly of a praxis came to an end. For their part, the Bahari enjoy the music and surround themselves with mortals who can lose themselves to the pulsating beat. This is a good place for PCs to meet Bahari Kindred for the first time, or connect with existing contacts within the group. If the PCs ask the bartenders about Honor Mercer or describe her to them, they acknowledge she used to come in weekly to hang out, always leaving with different guys and girls. She’s not been in for a week, at least.

The Ambassador Hotel The Ambassador Hotel is right down the street from the Rave and bears a dark history. In the 1980s,

the hotel served as the location for at least one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s murders. The hotel is still in use today, though most of the rooms Dahmer occupied are closed to the public. The hotel itself is rather small, not much bigger than a three-story apartment building. The hotel was restored in the early 2000s and reflects Milwaukee’s history in its stylings. It serves as a good location for traveling Kindred to use as a temporary haven, as it is low-key despite its grisly reputation. Anastasia of Clan Nosferatu sleeps in the hotel laundry room and has in recent years hired a series of construction crews to connect her haven to the city sewers through a series of tunnels and drops. Anton Nettum (see p. XX) also stays here when residing in Milwaukee for short durations. He recognizes the value of sharing a haven. Mortals and vampires report hearing music from the hotel walls every night. While most ascribe this to the nearby Rave, when checked, the music doesn’t line up and often seems to come from a different time or genre. To date, no one has determined the source of this phantom music.

bridges for large boats to pass underneath, rowing teams practicing in the summer, and families of migratory birds making their way through the city. Naturally, the Riverwalk also has its fair share of thieves and vandals set on ruining the businesses and the feeling of safety this area attempts to exude. One gang reports to Akawa of the Anubi, as the Prince has rewarded his long service with part of the walk as territory. Akawa hasn’t yet realized that his servants’ actions are depreciating the area’s value. The coterie has a good chance of meeting Lucina, a Toreador who owns a gallery off the Riverwalk and who sponsored some of the art along the pathway. She is always willing to help if the price is right. She has ties to some of the other businesses in the area and can help make connections with influential mortals. Lucina does know Honor and has an interest in keeping her safe. “Her innocence is something this city needs. With as vulnerable as the city is currently, sometimes you need someone who has a soft touch to give a better perspective on things.” In the Third Ward area of the Riverwalk, the coterie may be able to smell burning gunpowder and feel the earth tremor beneath their feet.

Milwaukee Riverwalk

GANG MEMBERS

The Milwaukee Riverwalk was built to encourage new businesses to open in the lakefront area. Many local artists contributed to the walk, making it a visually appealing area to explore. Aside from a Bronze Fonz, there are also statues of one of Milwaukee’s longest surviving family line of ducks and their matron, “Gerdie.” The Riverwalk stretches from Brewer’s Hill, where several brewing companies have their headquarters, through to the Theatre District and into the Third Ward. It’s a long walk, but there’s a great deal to explore along it. People also still use the river itself to travel through the city, with raising

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 5, Social 2, Mental 4

Secondary Attribute: Health 6, Willpower 4 Exceptional Dice Pools: Brawl 6, Larceny 6; Intimidation 5, Streetwise 4 Special: Akawa’s gang members tend to equip themselves with knives and chains (both +1 damage). While they’re distant from their vampire master, his edict has always been “no guns on the Riverwalk.” General Difficulties: 3/1

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

The Wight of Milwaukee

Mitchell Park Domes

There have been rumors of a wight loose in the city for some time, but this terrifying creature has never been captured or identified. Some talk about a mad Kindred who tried to Embrace a rat to see what would happen to it, only for the rat to transform into a madman and run off into the city. There are also rumors that one of the original Kindred to travel here sleeps under the city after being driven to the point of insanity by the invention of technology. While none of the rumors have ever been proven true, they still arise occasionally to the chagrin of longtime residents. Former Primogen Parovich of Clan Nosferatu recently lost the last shreds of his morality and self-control when he joined the Sabbat in their assault on the city and found himself without allies when they were driven back. He had always hunted his descendants, but now his tastes have expanded to Kindred of all clans. He occupies the tunnels that riddle the earth beneath Milwaukee, appearing from drains to drag his victims down or hunting vampires through the winding labyrinth of sewers he knows so well. Parovich’s Beast steers his every move. It is only a matter of time before someone tracks him down and ends him.

The Mitchell Park Domes are three half egg-shaped structures in the middle of the Clarke Square neighborhood. Constructed in the 1950s, the domes used some of the most cutting-edge structural technology of the time to create their uncommon shape. The domes host several shows throughout the year and the gardens around them attract visitors for their rare flowers and beautiful landscaping. The domes’ gardens were instrumental in helping to cultivate the Calatrava Rose, which is named after the Calatrava Art Center off the lakefront. Prince Decker spends some of his time in contemplation in this part of the city. He likes to walk among the flowers, deep in thought. He recalls how his predecessor Prince Merik would walk here with his wife Erica and present her with a bouquet of fresh flowers every night. It was a simpler time. On one hand, meeting Decker here is a way to catch him at his most honest. On the other, he does not react at all well to being confronted by unexpected company when he feels vulnerable.

PAROVICH Sire: Boronisk Embraced: 1467 (Born 1411) Ambition: Feed the Beast Convictions: None Touchstones: None Humanity: 0 Generation: 7th Blood Potency: 4 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5; Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Composure 0; Intelligence 5, Wits 3, Resolve 1 Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 1 Skills: Brawl 3, Survival (Sewers) 5; Animal Ken 3, Etiquette 4, Intimidation 5, Leadership 2, Persuasion 4, Subterfuge 5; Academics (Bureaucracy) 4, Awareness 3, Investigation 3, Medicine 3, Occult 4, Politics (Sabbat) 4 Disciplines: Animalism 5, Celerity 1, Obfuscate 4, Potence 4 General Difficulties: 7/4

The University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee Campus The UWM campus is much more accessible to Kindred than the Marquette Campus. Many Kindred use the library, which is open 24 hours a day and does not require a campus card for entry. There are other locations on campus, such as the ball field, the lecture halls, and the always-buzzing dorms, that also attract Kindred from all over the city. The 8th Note Coffee House is on campus and tends to be open most of the time, run by students working into the night. College students tend to congregate here between classes or after long nights working at the Union Food Court upstairs. It’s become something of a modern Socratic forum, where philosophy and modern culture meet in an eclectic college setting. Certainly, the students here love the sounds of their own voices. To Kindred such as Anton Nettum and Rubianna, the vitality of these youths is refreshing. To others, such as Tessa Greene, it reinforces their cynicism. The UWM campus is also home to one of the major LGBTQ+ organizations within the city. A group of college students started the social club, called Glamazons, to reach out to their community and educate them on community issues. From hosting fashion shows to fundraising and helping to provide safer sex products, the Glamazons are a force to be reckoned with on campus. They are under Rubianna’s protection as her retainers and herd.

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Though nobody here has seen or heard of Honor Mercer, Rubianna’s servants report back to her, and in turn, she reports back to the Prince if the coterie asks questions too brazenly. As a new arrival to the city, the Dragon wishes to impress her monarch.

The Witch’s House The Witch’s House is one of Milwaukee’s oldest houses, and while it serves as a museum tonight, it was once was a wise woman’s home. Throughout her life in the 19th century, the lady collected statues from internationally renowned artists and displayed them in her yard. The statues remain there to this night, and each has an otherworldly feeling to it. Many young children dare each other to go touch one, but few manage the feat. The house sits on Lakefront Drive and rests on a cliff right over Lake Michigan. The house has fallen into disrepair over the years. When the old woman passed away, the city decided to turn it into a museum. One of the local urban legends says that if the statues are moved from the site, something bad will happen to the city. There was once talk of moving the Witch’s House to Sheboygan County, but outside forces swiftly halted that action. If the coterie explores the area, they find the Witch’s House is now a meeting place for Tremere and other occultists. Mortius has reached out to representatives from the Cult of Isis, and as they don’t wish to meet on Tremere territory and he doesn’t wish to enter their temple (at least, not without certain safeguards), the two sides meet at the Witch’s House to discuss mysteries such as vampires in Lake Michigan, the whereabouts of former Primogen Edward Scott, and the null zone of magic in Marquette University.

C U LT O F I S I S

The Cult of Isis is comprised of blood sorcerers and mortal will-workers dedicated to a version of Lilith they equate with magic, transformation, and transcendence. The cult has cells all around the world, but one of their largest is based in Milwaukee, where they study an area known as “the null zone” at Marquette University — a place where magic of all kinds fails. Though their role in this story is minor, Decker observes them through his spies, just as they observe his actions. For now, the two groups haven’t come into conflict, but they act as a suitable entry point should any player characters be interested in affiliating with the Bahari. They’re not interested in tipping the scales of power yet, but with Kindred religions gaining ground in many domains, it may just be a matter of time before conflict heats up in Milwaukee.

If the PCs offer Mortius or the Cult of Isis assistance in solving one of their long-standing mysteries, they can expect aid in return. Dr. Mortius believes he can track Honor Mercer with just a scrap of her clothing, should the PCs be willing to retrieve some from her haven. The Cult of Isis, meanwhile, can conduct a ritual to identify the forces battling for Honor’s allegiance. They describe visions of snakes, wolves, and a grinning skull.

Miller Park While the Miller Park baseball park was being built, the crane used to move the large building blocks collapsed, killing several workers. To this night, Mark Decker salutes the fallen workers by pouring a beer out in the parking lot before every game. Miller Park is a favorite of many around the Milwaukee area and draws crowds in the thousands for each game. Baseball often plays well into the night, so Kindred make their way to visit it when they can. It is one of the few places in the city where Decker relaxes his prohibition on no more than ten Kindred attending a gathering at one time. Miller Park is one of the areas Mark Decker controls, and he often holds meetings with Kindred in his

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VIP room to help them relax while he talks to them. Most end up too distracted by the game to focus on what they are talking about and tend to let more information slip than they intended. While Prince Decker brought Honor Mercer to several games, she never showed an interest in baseball. This disappointed him far more than it should have, driving him to frenzy on one occasion when she disparaged the Milwaukee Brewers. Only the presence of J.W. and Julia Calvin prevented Decker from lunging at his young childe.

Anarchs and Other Kindred Should an Anarch or other Kindred wish to use the information gathered in this chapter to garner favor with the Prince, this is the time to do so. Coteries doing this can move to Chapter Three of the story (p. XX) and go from there. Any coterie wishing to travel back to Indianapolis may do so, but they face the trials presented in Perils of Travel below. They may also have to avoid being caught by any Milwaukee’s vampire locals looking for Kindred who do not belong in the city.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

The Perils of Travel At this point, the coterie may decide they need to travel to Indianapolis to continue their search for Honor. All methods carry some measure of risk, with a series of encounter options listed below to highlight the perils of traveling between domains in Vampire. Many of these encounters are interchangeable between transportation methods.

Planes If the PCs attempt to fly from Milwaukee, they find their flight grounded for an hour, ostensibly due to a replacement part being required. While they wait, all the usual torments of air travel when stuck on a runway become apparent. Crying children, complaining adults, bad smells from the restroom, shoulder-to-shoulder seating, and the steadily spinning minute hand on their watches remind them of where they are and how long they’ve been there. Storytellers should push characters toward frenzy in a pressurized situation such as this. It’s mundane, but hell for a bloodsucking predator. After the hour on the runway turns into two and then three, an apology from the pilot explains that the flight will be grounded and all passengers rebooked on the next morning’s flight, with free accommodation at one of the airport hotels. Flying in the day is no appealing prospect for vampires, however. They may realize their error as they disembark the plane and find Julia Calvin — Mark Decker’s eldest childe — waiting for them in the departure lounge. She explains no vampires are permitted to fly in or out of Milwaukee due to concerns surrounding Inquisition monitoring stations and personnel. The following examples exist as ways to add turmoil to a Kindred’s flight, successful or not. THE ANGRY CHILD Not all children are well-suited to flying, and this one is kicking the back of the vampire’s seat, constantly wailing at a high pitch, and at one point, opens up a bottle of cola that explodes over the top of the PC’s head. This provides the character with a cathartic use of their powers, to silence the source of aggravation, but such an outlet could pose a massive Masquerade risk. THE SCARED FLYER This kine is scared of something. Maybe it’s flying, perhaps it’s claustrophobia, or maybe they think the PC is ill and contagious. Quickly, this individual becomes hysterical and might even accuse the PC of trying to silence or assault them. Their behavior may result in a flight being grounded.

I KNOW YOU… The vampire gets a tap on their shoulder and hears a throat cleared behind them. A person in the row behind them asks after the vampire by name, sure that they’ve met. This may be awkward if the vampire is now using a new Mask or if they faked their own death. It may be a happy reunion if the vampire lost touch with their mortal self and needed a fresh connection. It may be damn peculiar if the last time they saw this mortal was nearly a century ago. STARES Increasing the coterie’s paranoia, this encounter sees a suited individual staring at the characters for minutes on end, without any pause to look away. It’s possible this individual is another vampire, but they may instead be a hunter, waiting for the right moment to call out the monster or plan their murder. Of course, the stares could be creepy but innocent, as the staring mortal might just attracted to the vampire they’re watching so intently. SECURITY RISK Whether departing or arriving, having security take you aside for a pat-down and asking “who packed your bag,” “do you remember packing this”, and “could you please come with us into this office” is enough to rattle vampires and mortals alike. It could be a spot check, a tip-off from a rival looking to screw with the PCs, or Prince Decker’s influences at play, making it clear vampires will not fly to or from Milwaukee without his authority. BOMB SCARE The biggest risk on any flight these nights is a bomb scare. Whether a legitimate bomb came on board, a sick prankster decided to call in a hoax, or the security services got overzealous with their profiling, the plane will be grounded for hours into the following day, making the vampire’s existence difficult indeed.

Trains An Amtrak train station runs a line from Milwaukee to Indianapolis, and while the journey only lasts eight hours, the number of security cameras might make a paranoid Kindred concerned over who’s on the other side of the lens. Of course, if the train gets delayed for any reason, the travelers risk being caught in a carriage in daylight hours, which can cause other, major issues. Being in such close quarters to this many mortals awakens the Beast, and the desire to feed is hard to control in the train. The rattle of the carriage along the line sounds like a heartbeat. All Kindred must make a Hunger frenzy check at least once on the journey, as the press of humanity rouses their thirsts.

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THE INQUISITIVE NEIGHBOR This mortal won’t stop asking questions of the vampire, wanting to know who they are, why they’re traveling, where they’re from originally, and what it is that’s making them look so ill. This character may be a nuisance or it could be an elaborate cover for a vampire hunter looking to catch a suspected Kindred out.

through private travel, toll roads still capture the images of drivers and their license plates. Travel in this manner also opens a vampire up to ambushes set by Lupines and hunters, who take advantage of vampires’ relative isolation. THE AMBUSH A vampire driving a car looks much like any other motorist, but Lupines have effective methods of detecting Kindred, and hunters might have been deployed to intercept the PCs if they crossed an influential group in a prior city. Decker might not do it himself out of paranoia, but one of his Anubi may set hunters off to track the coterie, with a description of their car and appearances. Either potential attacker might take the tactic of having broken down to coax vampires from their vehicles or pose as cops to pull vampires over. For werewolf antagonists, refer to p. XX. For hunter antagonists, see below.

THE TICKET COLLECTOR This individual has to deal with customers pretending they’ve lost their tickets, drunks on their way to or from the last big game, and violent passengers who take exception to being asked for a valid ticket. In this case, the ticket collector believes the vampire’s ticket is invalid, forcing them to pay a surcharge or get off at the next station. The collector may be incorrect, but they’re too tired of shit from passengers to give in tonight. THE CARDIAC ARREST As the train rumbles along, a passenger keels over directly beside the vampire. It’s clear this mortal is dying, maybe from a heart attack, possibly from a brain aneurysm, but either way it puts the vampire in a bind. Does the PC attempt to save the passenger’s life or get the hell away in case any blood makes itself visible, stirring Hunger into a frenzy?

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 6, Social 2, Mental 5

WHAT WAS THAT? The train travels so fast, it’s sometimes hard to see what’s outside the window. Not this time, as the vampire spots a figure in a field, pointing and glaring directly at them. What does it mean? Why did this mysterious figure look so angry? They were definitely making eye contact with the vampire as if waiting for the train to go past.

Special: These hunters are equipped for ambushes, often using disguises and simple weapons to take down their enemies. They do not possess True Faith.

BUSHWHACKER HUNTER

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Exceptional Dice Pools: Firearms 7, Survival 7; Intimidation 4, Subterfuge 6; Awareness 6, Technology 6

General Difficulties: 4/1

DERAILMENT Leaves on the line, a signal failure up ahead, or cattle lost and blocked the upcoming tunnel: all lead to severe delays and the risk of being burned to death by the dawn. Looking out the train windows, the vampire can see a farmhouse around 30 minutes’ walk from the train. They could leave and head in that direction now, but then how would they reach their destination?

THE FLAT TIRE It could happen to anyone, but tonight it happens to the PCs. The tire bursts as the car runs over something in the road. Was the obstacle placed there on purpose, or was the accident exactly what it appears to be: an accident? Either way, the tire needs replacing and the nearest gas station isn’t for miles around. Better get walking fast or make room in the trunk for a whole coterie to outlast the day.

AGGRESSIVE DRUNKS A bunch of drunk sports fans shamble past the vampire, but one of them comes back to accuse the player character of staring at them funny. The drunk becomes increasingly incensed no matter the response, requiring either the use of Disciplines or violence to quiet the loud cretin, who draws everyone’s attention to the conflict.

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS? The vampires come across a scene they’ve no doubt seen in the movies or read about in books: an attractive individual standing next to a steaming car on the side of the road, with no other drivers in sight. The breakdown victim tries to hail the characters. If they help, the motorist is either grateful for the assist, paying them handsomely, or plans to hold them up with their hidden gang. If the vampires drive on, the motorist runs after them for longer than should seem possible, before disappearing into the night. They don’t know why the motorist wouldn’t let them out of their sight.

Automobiles While Indianapolis is a five-hour drive by car, it is dangerous to travel openly. Though the security risk is lessened

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PILE-UP On such an isolated stretch of road, accidents as bad as this shouldn’t happen. A pile-up of between four and ten vehicles blocks the road. Did a semi-truck lose control and plow into another car? Did the next cars in the collision not see the debris in the road until it was too late? All the screams for help and the injured travelers in the road beg the vampires to get out and help them, but the smell of blood is overpowering. GOBLIN ROADS In Illinois, the so-called Goblin Roads crisscross through the corn. There, a driver might get turned around and arrive in a town so small, it hardly appears on the map. See The Dying Fields story starting on p. XX for more on the Goblin Roads. THE HITCHHIKER Everyone knows you don’t stop for hitchhikers these nights, and yet, this one has a sign that reads “Vamp heading in your direction.” It’s an unusual sign to be sure, and the hitchhiker has one hell of a story to tell. Whether they’re actually Kindred or simply a seductive individual brazenly calling themselves a “vamp” is a matter to be discovered. Of course, they could also be the serial killer hitchhiker everyone’s talking about on late-night A.M. radio.

HIT AND RUN? They appeared out of nowhere. There shouldn’t even be pedestrians this far away from the city. Yet, the vampires hit the pedestrian and are now left with a dent in their hood and a streak of blood up their windshield. But where is the body?

SVT Shipping Should the coterie decide to use SVT Shipping as advised by the tunnel Anarchs on p. XX, the headquarters is in West Allis. The company has a dock where they park their vacant fleet trucks and a warehouse where they load everything and ship it out. The night warehouse manager is named Mike, and he is easy enough to find should the coterie ask around. Mike has built a reputation for transporting Kindred around the Midwest. He recognizes the vampires for what they are and takes them to a part of the warehouse where they can talk in private. Mike is a biracial Algonquin and African American man with a shaved head, a rough, tan face, and a big smile. He is tall and muscular, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt while at work. The courier (as many vampires call him) is happy to help the coterie out in exchange for one

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vial of blood from each of the Kindred looking to travel. Mike promises he will not use it against them in any way. He doesn’t need the money and he doesn’t do boons, so this is the next best thing for him. An Intelligence + Insight roll (Difficulty 3) determines he genuinely has no interest in drinking or selling the vitae, and when pushed with a Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4), he admits he keeps a vast store of vampire blood that he feeds to his friends and relatives whenever they get sick. Yes, they sometimes display signs of addiction, but it’s the next best thing to a miracle cure for some illnesses. Should the coterie agree to his terms, Mike will take them to Indianapolis as soon as they are ready to travel. Mike takes them to one of the trucks being loaded and sneaks them into the back. Waiting within are several empty metal crates Mike explains are lightproof and lockable from the inside. The crates are toward the back of the trailer and the weight is distributed throughout to make it even.

MIKE RANCHER Standard Dice Pools: Physical 3, Social 4, Mental 6 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 6 Exceptional Dice Pools: Drive 6, Survival 6; Persuasion 5 General Difficulties: 4/1

Chapter Two: Indianapolis Indianapolis has always been a city of interest to America’s Kindred, with many coming here to trade services and information even while it was under the Sabbat’s control. Now that the Ministry have claimed the domain, the doors open ever wider. No longer do visitors need fear packs of diablerists, who frequently stymied convocations in the domain. The city falls within both the Rust Belt and the Bible Belt, making it a particularly appealing gem for the so-called Clan of Faith.

The trip in the back of the truck is a long one. While it may take five hours by car, trucks move more slowly and the trip takes a good chunk of the night to make it into the city. The driver is under orders from Mike to stop for a rest break at the Motel Heaven on the Indianapolis outskirts, allowing the Kindred to get a room for the day or try to travel into the city on their own before dawn. The driver then leaves to finish up his trip.

Indianapolis’ History

The Tale of Mike Rancher

White settlers seized the land that would become Indianapolis from the Potawatomie, Wea, Delaware, and Miami people in 1818, claiming for themselves a fertile basin of land on which their settlement could grow. While the township took several decades to grow into a city of any note, largely lost as it was in a state dedicated to agriculture, a solitary vampire named Melvyn Ramsay established himself as the de facto Kindred ruler of nascent Indianapolis. This Follower of Set believed the positioning of the city, almost dead center on the American map, would hold importance for his clan in years to come. Eventually, all roads would flow through this domain. Growth proceeded slowly. Agricultural trade drew farmers and laborers to Indianapolis, but they soon moved on after finding work or claiming land. Indianapolis played a vital role in the Underground Railroad, eventually holding a greater population of black people than any other northern city of its time. It was only with the Civil War and later the rise of the steel industry that the city boomed. All the while, Melvyn monitored the traffic from east to west, south to north, and ultimately, the beautiful expansion of the city he held dear.

Mike was one of Hrothulf’s mortal servants for fifteen years before the Ventrue cut ties with him. Despite Hrothulf’s position as one of the Anubi and Decker’s expectation for the old Ventrue to abide by the Masquerade at all costs, his apathy (increasing with age) led to him send Mike Rancher on his way without so much as a warning not to talk about Kindred society. Mike bore his former master no ill will: he’d learned a lot in his time shipping resources for the taciturn vampire. Never addicted to vitae nor hypnotized to the point of illness, Mike used his newfound freedom to apply his skills across the Midwest, ferrying vampires from point A to point B. Milwaukee is a strategic place for him to set up because most of the vampires don’t talk to each other there. None of his vampire customers want to risk losing out on a good thing by ruining Mike’s trade with a Blood Bond or Embrace. If a vampire starts pushing him around too much, Mike can speak with his regular customers to ensure his bully finds themself tied to cement blocks and sinking into the deepest part of Lake Michigan. Supposedly, this is what happened to the last of the Milwaukee Anarchs, a Caitiff named Turk.

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Indianapolis’ identity in the 20th century skewed between commercial and cultural growth and societal blights. The automobile industry swelled in the city and its economy exploded following the discovery of oil and natural gases in the earth upon which the city rose, drawing representatives of Clan Ventrue like bees to nectar. Throughout the city’s growth, and even with Ramsay as the city’s nominal leader, naming himself “Father” Ramsay for the kine, there was no single governing clan. It was perhaps this instability that allowed the Sabbat to swoop in and tear Melvyn Ramsay’s fragile society apart. Kindred fell to final death or torpor, some fleeing, others going into hiding as they hoped the Sabbat would march on. Instead, they remained in Indianapolis for the latter half of the 20th century, terrorizing mortals and vampires who would not bend to their monstrous ways. It was the Setites who turned the tide. Under the leadership of Ramsay, who had never left the domain, they were able to find their way into the church organizations with deep roots in the city. Many Hoosier Setites believed in God-as-Set and felt that their path to redemption was to reclaim the city from its devils and install a glorious theocracy of enlightenment in their place. The Setites used the mortals’ own fearmongering and tribalism to establish their hold, then pointed the evangelists and Catholics at the Sabbat’s thralls and sleeping vampires. The religious zeal that grabbed Indianapolis and its broader state was never self-aware. The kine didn’t know the buildings they were tearing down “for the city’s betterment” were vampire havens, nor did they know the fires they started to collapse old farmhouses and “enrich the land” were the Sabbat’s outposts. The Setites pointed select individual mortals in the direction of vampires

I N D I A N A P O L I S F O R M O RTA LS

An ostensible utopia for vampires is no paradise for the kine. Vessels in Indianapolis find themselves indoctrinated into cults to satisfy vampiric masters, often not understanding the depths of what’s taking place other than to know they’ve been “chosen for a special purpose” that involves kissing, light-headedness, and orgasmic pleasures. That may sound fine, except that Indianapolis’ Kindred take their predation too far, often draining their vessels to the point of hospitalization or death. Other Kindred eschew the cult model and just feed freely, launching home invasions, preying on less affluent city inhabitants, and attacking tourists. Many such vampires still pose as religious figures, such as angels, devils, or even God visiting a victim in a dream, but they feed with little to no restraint. Indianapolis is hemorrhaging blood due to the Ministry’s ordained freedoms.

with stake in one hand and flame in the other, but for the most part, the Serpents orchestrated a secret crusade that resulted in a purge of the Sabbat on a massive scale. In many ways, the Second Inquisition started early in Indianapolis, a microcosm of what was to come the world over in the next decade. The next years saw a change to the Setites’ clan identity as they embraced their role as the Ministry. Melvyn was prepared to name his city the first Camarilla Ministry domain, and then the betrayal in Paris occurred. The Ministry was not permitted to join the Camarilla. They were left among the Anarchs. Melvyn made the best of a troubling situation. He continued to encourage faith among vampires, especially if that faith became a belief in Set and Ministry ideals. In fact, he found this far easier under the free auspices of the Anarch Movement than it was under Camarilla strictures. While religion and tribalism hold the mortal side of the city together, the Ministry views on the Kindred soul are what drive others to travel to Indianapolis. One does not have to believe in God or Set to find a home in Indianapolis, as the Ministry is not the only organization in the city. Younger vampires who chafe under Camarilla laws come here to exist

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without the restraints the Camarilla demands they adhere to. Several Ministers who follow the clan’s traditional ways hold temples throughout the city, but these members are few. Most vampires, including Melvyn Ramsay, believe that the Church of Set should sink underground while the broader Ministry attracts the flock. These Setites are still important to retain the hold the Ministry has over the city and offer a unique approach to those who may be uncomfortable reaching out to the evangelical types throughout Indianapolis.

Indianapolis’ Hierarchy Indianapolis is the first Ministry-controlled American city, a fact which often rubs other clans the wrong way. The Ministry works hard to maintain control and order within the city, using religion as a form of guidance and structure. There is a common misconception that the Ministry only Embraces criminals and deviants. In fact, the Ministry looks for those who can be shepherds to others, helping to lead them to the right path.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

The Dignitaries The Indianapolis Ministry has two representatives to those outside the clan and Anarch sect, called Dignitaries. These Dignitaries report the arrivals and departures of other Kindred to the rest of the Ministry. Dignitaries are also the members of the Ministry who help to deliver the clan’s will to the rest of the city, informing Kindred of certain dangers or even trying to help others in the Ministry achieve a certain goal. •

•

Keisha Phelps, Minister — Keisha is the city’s face as far as most Kindred are concerned. She’s often the first vampire a newcomer meets, a friend and counsellor in times of stress, and a worthy diplomat for her clan. Despite her Anarch ties, Keisha garners considerable respect with Camarilla emissaries. See p. XX for her full biography and stat block.

foot in each camp, shaking hands with visitors as he takes a read on their purpose in the domain.

The Shepherds The Shepherds within the clan can take many forms and are there to help guide Kindred back toward their humanity. The Shepherds do not use just one approach. They adhere to many forms of religious and spiritual belief, too: one might be traditionalist and follow Set, while another might worship the Christian God. While the theological differences can at times cause dissent, the clan recognizes the importance of diversity among the Anarchs. Anyone who tries to help a Kindred and their soul is a Shepherd within the Ministry. •

Zayne Morales, Clan Brujah — Zayne performs double duty as diplomat and monitor of foreign vampire activity. Though Indianapolis has relaxed laws surrounding the comings and goings of outsiders, he uses his status as a convert and a Brujah to keep a

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Melvyn Ramsay, Minister — For the longest time, Father Ramsay was the vampire in charge of Indianapolis, though he never used those words himself. The recent shift in Ministry alignment bothered him more than he felt it should, causing a minor crisis of faith. Ramsay disappeared under suspicious circumstances shortly after confessing this to Freddie Montgomery, one of his fellow Ministers.

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•

Djedefre, Church of Set — A Setite of the old school, Djedefre is conservative, orthodox, and wholly dismissive of the so-called Ministry. His Indianapolis temple at St. Isaac of the Runes in Beech Grove has never boomed with adherents, but his followers are perhaps the most fanatical in the city. While he dislikes the Ministry’s methods, he holds great respect for Melvyn Ramsay. If he finds out Ramsay was murdered, Djedefre would be unafraid of using his blood cult to immolate whoever was responsible.

The Guides Everyone else in the Ministry is a Guide within the city. The Guides’ job is to keep their eyes and ears open for any Kindred in need of help finding the path back to stability. If they don’t recognize a group of Kindred in town, they work to find out who they are and what they are doing there. Guides help protect the Ministry by being the eyes and ears for the rest of the clan, allowing the Shepherds and Dignitaries to focus on their tasks. •

“Coach” Tyrone Soros, Minister — Ty is one part spiritual guide, two parts motivational speaker, and the rest is all sizzle. Ty knows how to hook a potential convert with just enough proof of the Ministry’s power over spirit and flesh. See p. XX for his full biography and stat block.

•

Freddie Montgomery, Minister — Claiming to have once been a wight, Freddie is earnest in her speech and testament to the power faith can have over one’s Beast. She has won over thin-blood and Caitiff by the score, providing them reassurance and direction in the city’s temples. Some speculate that she’ll soon make a play for the role of Shepherd.

•

Fortune, Clan Malkavian — The voices in her Blood told Fortune to follow the road to the center of America, and this is where the voices stopped their song. She believes something dreadful is going to happen in Indianapolis, that a convergence of this many Snakes cannot be a good thing. Has everyone forgotten who the Ministry were? Who they still are?

•

Eletria, Clan Toreador — An ancient Toreador with a new lease on life, Eletria recently established the Lhiannan Club in Indianapolis with the Ministry’s approval. Ostensibly a Camarilla vampire, Eletria could be swayed to an Anarch way of thinking if she thought it would irritate her sire. See p. XX for her full biography and stat block.

•

Marion Davies, Clan Toreador — Eletria’s right hand and hardcore player on the party scene, Marion keeps the Lhiannan Club buzzing, the drinks flowing, and the bands performing. She is living her best life in this Ministry-controlled domain. It seems to her that nothing is taboo here, and that suits the Toreador just fine. See p. XX for her full biography and stat block.

Enlightened Guidelines The Kindred of Indianapolis like to espouse that like other Anarch domains, Indianapolis is a place free of hierarchy and laws. It’s a domain where vampires can do what they want on a personal or political level, provided they don’t endanger the city’s other vampires. The truth is a little more nuanced, and the relaxed nature of Indianapolis’ Traditions leads to wights emerging, vampires acting without regard toward kine safety and the Masquerade, and frequent instances of vampiric over-indulgence. Indianapolis is an all-you-can-eat buffet, and despite the vampires being full, they keep going back for more.

The Flock Though the Ministry espouse the Anarch ideals of freedom to act as thou wilt, the Guides and Dignitaries keep a close watch on Indianapolis’ Kindred numbers. Not a massive city on the American stage, the Ministers find just the right time to ask new converts to move on and spread their faith elsewhere, keeping the domain humming with around forty Kindred within its limits. •

spiritual enlightenment in this domain is the real deal.

THE MASQUERADE The Masquerade is still important in Indianapolis and is one of the toughest laws the Ministry follows. Otherwise, most Kindred can do as they please. Those who slip too close to their Beast find the Ministry helping to shepherd them back toward stability, if not humanity. This has less to do with altruism or ethics and more to do with societal responsibility: a domain filled with baying monsters endangers everyone. The Ministry keeps tabs on all the Kindred in their city and protects their flock fiercely, but in truth, mainly focuses on vampires of their

Bruce Schechter, Clan Gangrel — As a representative from the Anarch Free States, Bruce wants to gain a read on what the Ministry could do for L.A. and San Francisco. So far, he’s split between excitement and horror. He feels the need to go undercover in a Ministry temple to see whether the Ministry is brainwashing prospective Anarchs or whether the

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own clan. The Shepherds are not afraid to turn away those who put their city at risk, with exile a common form of punishment. Indeed, some vampires claim the Ministry allows a select few vampires to devolve in a bestial state before shipping them off to Camarilla cities. RESPECT THE SPIRIT One of Melvyn Ramsay’s rules in this Ministry-governed city is that one must never interfere with another vampire’s spiritual journey. Even if a Kindred is indulging in practices another might find vulgar or obscene, they must be left to pursue their own path. Whether they succeed or fail is down to the strength of their will and the guidance of their Shepherd. If a vampire is discovered to have deliberately corrupted a peer deemed close to Golconda (or some other, harmonious state), the Ministry declares the responsible party anathema and subject to hunting and eventual sacrifice. Some Kindred pair the nebulous term “corruption” with the Ministry, but they view the ruination of a vampire’s spirit without intent to rebuild a grievous sin. This guideline has been flouted for as long as it’s been in existence, including by Ramsay when he was still present in Indianapolis. Many Ministers claim it’s the most important rule but treat anyone not of their clan or faith as lower on the ladder and actively seek to strip these individuals of their respective faiths, replacing them with all manner of heresies and desires. FREEDOM OF THE BLOOD Kindred may not Blood Bond each other in Indianapolis, and the Ministry acts to separate those vampires who already have a bond in place. The governing clergy believe the Blood Bond acts as a hard stop on any spiritual path, and that enlightenment and closeness to Set (or God, or Allah) can only come through free will. Any vampire found to have

UTOPIAN HELL

To those who catch the domain of Indianapolis at a glance, it might appear as some kind of free-thinking utopia. The reality is far worse. The city’s vampires introduce heresies to the lives of Kindred and kine alike, in attempts to liberate them from faith, addiction, distraction, and purpose and leave them empty. This behavior isn’t restricted to Ministers either: it’s a function of Indianapolis Kindred society that the domain’s vampires strip newcomers bare and leave them with nothing. In mechanical terms, vampires are encouraged to give up their Convictions and Touchstones, with promises of great wisdom and enlightenment on the other side of such sacrifice. If a vampire is unprepared to divest themselves of their former lives in exchange for service first to the Ministry and second to the Anarch Movement, the city is a hell in disguise. Such vampires are kept constantly at a lowest rung of status, mocked, and often prevented from obtaining even basic needs such as territory, ghouls, resources, and tutelage in Kindred society. This doesn’t prevent Ministers from punishing such bottom feeders, as after all, the way into acceptable society is right before them if they’re prepared to sacrifice for it. Indianapolis needs to be a hell in disguise — its Kindred introduce heresies to liberate people from faith and leave them empty. Maybe it was once utopian in the start, but as the Ministry encourages Kindred to give up their convictions and Touchstones, ever more wights and low Humanity vampires appear in Indianapolis.

blood bound another must submit to drink the vitae of a vampire named Merenhor, who the Ministry call “a god in human flesh.” The Ministry claim this drinking is no Blood Bond, but a spiritual forging to the Shepherd of Shepherds, a title given to Merenhor. Who or where Merenhor is, if they exist, and if the vitae belongs to them, is a mystery outside the ranks of the city’s Shepherds. Certainly, the only outcome of this law — when enforced — is a city of vampires dedicated to the Ministry. THE GRACE OF INTRODUCTION All Kindred visiting the city must speak with the Ministry’s appointed Dignitaries. The most prominent among them is Keisha Phelps (see p. XX). A devout Catholic woman and yet a proud member of the Ministry, Keisha is there to make sure those entering the city are neither Sabbat nor representatives of other destructive elements. She keeps note of the number of Kindred in the city and organizes places of diplomat-

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ic neutrality for meetings between vampires. Keisha greets all newcomers warmly and welcomes them to the city, reminding them that a storm is coming from the east and that they should prepare themselves to accept it. Though it seems a petty informality to make introductions in a domain as free as Indianapolis, vampires who do not go through the routine find their existences uncomfortable as the city’s resident Kindred shun them and Ministers send cultists to disturb feedings, spy on interloper activity, and even organize blackmail to bring attention to how unwelcome the new vampire is in Indianapolis.

Arrival in Indianapolis If the coterie arrives discreetly, they only receive an invitation to meet with Keisha or Zayne after they’ve encountered some of the city’s Kindred, most of whom ask

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whether they’ve met a Dignitary yet. It’s possible to negotiate Indianapolis without a formal introduction, but the Ministry provides no alms to vampires rude enough to stay without following their relaxed rules. They steadily increase the pressure to do so by sending their mortal cultists to interfere with attempts to feed or sleep. If the coterie negotiates their arrival, Keisha meets them as they are heading out for the evening or sends a coded message (see p. XX for an example) which invites them to meet her at the Heartland Church. Keisha introduces herself and asks to speak with them privately about their presence in the city and her expectations of their behavior, laying down the city guidelines. Once out of sight of any mortals, Keisha questions them about their intentions. If the coterie tries to hide anything from Keisha, they must succeed on a Composure + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 4), else she quickly loses her smile. She reminds them that the Ministry is an open clan and Indianapolis is an open city, but insulting the hosts is a good way to find oneself dead in a foreign domain. If they are open about their search for Honor, Keisha asks their intentions with the Gangrel should they find her. If they want to take her back to Milwaukee, Keisha will tell them that if she is here, she’s under Ministry protection. They will not allow a fledgling to just be snatched up and taken away. If they just want to speak with her, Keisha offers to look into her whereabouts while the coterie relaxes in the city. She suggests checking out the Lhiannan Club, a new, popular establishment in the area, but also points them at good places to feed such as the convention centers that are constantly full of tourists and the student housing surrounding Center State Hospital. She also directs them to comfortable places to rest. Indianapolis city center contains more hotels than homes, a few of which have interior, windowless rooms at moderate cost.

If they’re religiously inclined, the player characters are welcome to rest at a Ministry temple such as Springs Eternal Church in Spring Hill. She presses the latter option as a valuable place to learn about the city, as “Coach” Tyrone Soros (see p. XX) runs his enlightenment initiative there. She believes Coach is the perfect blowhard front man to give outsiders a simplified view of how the Ministry works.

Pressing Keisha Keisha knows all about Honor Mercer and where she’s taking sanctuary in the city, but is more interested in squeezing the coterie for information about the reasons behind Mark Decker’s possessiveness and some of Milwaukee’s secrets and rumors, along with news of any hierarchical splinters in that domain. The PCs must succeed on a Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 6, as Keisha’s no slouch) to see from Keisha’s verbal cues that she does know where Honor is, but persuading her to give this information up requires a Charisma + Intimidation roll (Difficulty 5) or use of an appropriate Discipline. If pressed in such a way, Keisha explains that Honor has been spending the last week at the Garfield Park Conservatory, under the mentorship of Minister Freddie Montgomery. Keisha responds poorly to being threatened and rushes to inform the other Ministers about the coterie’s action, leading to the possibility of Honor being moved (probably to St. Isaac of the Runes, under the care of Djedefre) and the city Anarchs acting to obstruct the PCs at every turn.

L’Italien and Cusick If the two FBI agents haven’t been shaken off Honor’s tail yet, they are

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also present in Indianapolis, following different leads but sure the missing person came to the city recently. They encounter the player characters again, and Rick makes efforts to pin at least one PC for questioning. He may even attempt an arrest if he has evidence of illegal activity. If the PCs can separate the two agents, Penny Cusick takes the opportunity to explain she’s working for someone higher up in the PCs’ organization (she doesn’t know the difference between Camarilla and Anarchs) and will drop the name Nakada, which the PCs will only recognize if they have three or more dots in Status (Camarilla), or with an Intelligence + Politics roll (Difficulty 5). If they’re not stopped, this isn’t the last occasion the agents show up. As with Milwaukee, they should appear when inconvenient, possibly even getting entangled with Ministry cultists if the clan’s mortal followers start stalking the coterie.

The Lhiannan Club Any characters familiar with the Succubus Club recognize a similar feeling when entering the club, the main difference being the club name and the famed Asylum lighting and sound systems. Loud music, flashing lights, and dark corners make this club an inviting place to go for vampires. If the PCs enter the bar using the Blush of Life or otherwise successfully imitating mortal behavior with a Composure + Performance roll (Difficulty 2), they go without immediate notice from the club’s Kindred patrons. Otherwise, before the PCs get too far, the Kindred bartender — Marion Davies (see p. XX) — notices them and waves them over. Despite the music she speaks quietly, just close enough for the PCs to hear.

“I haven’t seen you around here before. New to the area? All fine, darling, just make sure you respect our establishment, okay? I’m Marion, bartender and co-owner. Don’t shit where you hunt. Take your food back someplace private. You’re welcome to stay, though those frocks you’re wearing are something to be desired, and frankly, you need to do a better job of blending in with the kine.” Marion is happy to trade information with the coterie if they offer her payment equivalent to a dot in Resources or secrets she can trade at a later date. It doesn’t matter if Marion has already heard the rumors the PCs tell her; she likes to make sure her information is correct.

fall in with the Ministry crowd looking for redemption. That kind of shit.” WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HONOR? “If you want my take, Honor’s young, scared, and honestly should have never been Embraced. If you’re looking for her, I seriously suggest letting her make her own path. Taking her back to Milwaukee will get her killed in the end. Do you really want to destroy such an innocent girl?” WHAT DO INDIANAPOLIS KINDRED THINK OF MILWAUKEE? “It’s a foreign land, darling. Islands in the darkness, except the light from Milwaukee’s island is pretty fucking dim. I don’t get why anyone would choose to make a haven there, worrying about werewolves in one hole and Decker in the other. I prefer to be on top for my gang bangs.”

HAVE YOU SEEN HONOR MERCER? “Yes, Honor was here, the silly darling. She came in here a few times last week looking to see if someone was hunting her. She stopped swinging by about… three nights ago? Poor baby was looking tired, that’s for sure. Life on the lam isn’t much fun.”

WHAT IS A MINISTRY-RUN DOMAIN LIKE? “The Ministry around here is protective of the Kindred in the city, at least the ones of their clan. Thankfully, they haven’t made too much of a stink about our club. My partner and I are theoretically Camarilla Kindred and the Ministry let that slide. Just don’t fuck with them. They look all happy clappy bible bashy, but wait until you see them mob up to crucify the next martyr. Oh, and don’t let them try and strip you of your mortal connections, okay? They do that kind of shit, saying it’s good for the soul. It ain’t.”

WHERE COULD SHE BE HIDING? “Indy’s full of fun places to hide, but most of the young Anarchs hang at the Center State Hospital, or near there. There’s a campus, lots of ready victims, and a constant party scene. Not as constant as in here, but you know, if you want a buzz in your drink, you grab a med student. Those kids are doped up to the eyeballs on amphetamines. The hospital’s been closed for some time, but it’s still where the medical housing is. All that said? She never struck me as the party girl type. More likely to

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Private Party

WHO RUNS THIS PLACE WITH YOU? “If she wants to introduce herself, she will. Are any of you from Chicago? If so, you might have run into her once or twice if you know the Succubus.”

If the coterie heads downstairs, they see the private club is far different to the parties up above. The thick stone floor and cork lining muffles the noise entirely. Eletria (see p. XX) is seated at a table set off toward the farthest point from the entrance and several other Indianapolis Kindred sit and stand around, some drinking from the kine, others in conversation. Some ghouls here are being used as art, decorated in high fashion clothing, tattoos, and piercings, living sculptures occasionally moving to a new position. Eletria pays no mind to the group as they enter, as she’s engrossed in conversation with Zayne Morales. The coterie is welcome to stay as long as they like, feeding from one of the blood dolls or admiring the art, so long as they do not start a fight. None of the patrons of these private club know specifically about Honor Mercer, though most have heard of a dramatic new arrival from Milwaukee. Ministers in the private club stay quiet on the subject, but Eletria muses that the presiding clan has almost definitely taken her for their flock. Eventually, Eletria asks the PCs if they would be willing to perform a task for her, since they are traveling. She wants them to deliver an invitation to the Prince in Chicago, should they head in Chicago’s direction. She’s having an anniversary party at her club and would be delighted if Prince Jackson would join her. She offers a major boon to the coterie in exchange for this favor, which can form the basis of a future story. Before the PCs leave the underground club, a muscular, handsome vampire named Tyrone (see p. XX) invades their personal space and offers to make all their dreams come true. He is willing to help the coterie out if they are willing to listen to him. He offers to take them wherever they need to go in the city, and all he asks is for their company at the Springs Eternal Church (see p. XX).

The Club Layout The busy club hums with positive energy as patrons dance, sing, and drink. Inside the Lhiannan, there’s plenty of hard drinking and people getting high on ecstasy and speed, provided it happens in restrooms, enclosed booths, and the rear half of the club. In the garden out back, plenty of customers smoke pot to take the edge off. The club’s main chamber has a stage on which people are dancing, and a long bar runs along the right-hand wall from near the front door to the stage. A glass mosaic wall behind the stage and to the left of it opens out to the rear end of the club. All around the club’s interior edge, excluding the bar area, booths and private rooms shelter drinkers, partiers, and lovers on dates. Each can be closed for privacy behind red curtains emblazoned with the Lhiannan Club logo. The glass buffer between the front and back of the club neatly divides the music being played in each. The front plays happy, poppy house music, while the rear end of the club houses a rave. The only signs of the rave through the mosaic glass wall are the shadowy bodies jumping up and down, the glowsticks refracting through the glass, and the vibration of bass through the floor. Everyone is dancing and enjoying themselves, some a little too much, and this might pull at the PCs’ Hunger if they haven’t fed in some time. The side rooms in the rave end of the club all have green curtains drawn across them, each emblazoned with the Lhiannan. Peeking in, the PCs can observe that the people in these booths use the strobe lighting, pulsing music, and ingestion of vodka or cocaine to fuel sex parties. The dichotomy between the two rooms is dizzying but seems to work well for the club. There are hundreds of people on both sides. The club has no upper floor and is instead opened up with a vaulting ceiling on both sides of the glass barrier. Balconies reachable via staircases allow people to watch the parties from above, but drinks aren’t allowed upstairs. Toward the back of the rave, a set of stairs leads downwards but is guarded by a bouncer. If the coterie wishes to try to go downstairs, the bouncer tells them they must get on the list first, so talk with Marion. A successful Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 4) persuades him that they are on the list, making him stand aside. Alternatively, a brief conversation with Marion informs them the downstairs club is her co-owner’s private bar. She can get them on the list for a price, equivalent to a dot in Resources. Membership lasts for a lifetime.

Cultists on the Prowl Preachers wearing sandwich boards, holding placards proclaiming this or that verse from the Bible, or otherwise screaming in the faces of anyone adopting a visibly alternative lifestyle, are common in Indianapolis. While some are genuine in their beliefs, others use it as the perfect cover for spying on other mortals, and some even work for the Ministry in keeping an eye on vampires such as the player characters. Ministers know nobody goes up to these aggressive evangelists, making them an odd form of perfect spy. The Storyteller is encouraged to have these religious fanatics a common sight throughout Indianapolis’s streets, pledging damnation for everything

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from homosexuality, to drug use, to vampirism, not that anyone listens to their words. Ministers also use mortal cultists for fetching blood, usually in the form of drunk or lost kine. Player characters can roll Wits + Awareness (Difficulty 3) to observe strange goings-on, for the Storyteller to describe how several times over the last night the PCs have spotted well-dressed kine in their periphery helping less capable mortals into unobtrusive vehicles, side alleys, and even rikshaws. At first it appears these folks are just good Samaritans, but some of these cultists make eye contact with the PCs and give deferential nods to those who made introductions, while others glare angrily at unintroduced interlopers.

There is still some medical equipment scattered around the old hospital, along with crumbling plaster, broken concrete, smashed glass, and graffiti decorating the interior. Any vampires who make a successful Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty 4) recognize some of the symbols as connected to the Ministry, and an Intelligence + Brawl roll (Difficulty 3) indicates that this old hospital has been used as a staging area for fights and training. Some of the marks on the walls come from fists, feet, and probably skulls. As they are investigating, the PCs run into Anton Nettum (see p. XX), a Gangrel who is also looking for Honor. Anton is concerned about her safety and holds no love for Prince Decker. Anton assisted Honor in her escape but had no idea as to her destination. Anton offers to help the coterie find her if they are trying to keep her safe.

Center State Hospital

WHAT THE NATURE OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HONOR? “After Honor was Embraced, I kinda took her under my wing. Prince Decker expected her to be able to cope with everything and learn all of the rules right away, but that isn’t how this works. Then she got herself in trouble and I did what I could to help.”

This hospital stands near the city center and was built in the late 1800s, initially used as an asylum for the insane. The building sits near the edge of the city campus and part of the estate is closed, while the other part is now student housing. Shady deals, improperly trained staff, corrupt administration,and inhumane treatment of those sent to the hospital all led to some disturbing accounts of the building being used for human experiments. The occupancy by a vampire named Clowacki didn’t help expel these rumors, though he’s not been seen since the Ministry took the city back from the Sabbat. The hospital closed its doors in 1994. If the PCs are seeking Honor here, they may ask nearby students if they’ve seen a girl of her name or appearance. It takes a successful Charisma + Insight roll (Difficulty 4) to get anyone to remember Honor Mercer, though a student smoking outside recalls a young woman turning up covered in blood four or five nights ago. She had no injuries of her own — a bunch of medical students checked in the brief time she allowed anyone close to her — and she disappeared into the night, apparently confused and distressed. She kept crying, “They made me do it again. I didn’t want to. They made me do it again.” If the PCs follow up on the girl covered in blood rumor online, an Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 3) digs up a blog reporting on a bloody young woman showing up on Shelby Street near Garfield Park three nights ago.

WHY DID SHE NEED TO FLEE MILWAUKEE? “She’s in major trouble. Even if we can get her name cleared, I doubt Decker will just walk away. Once he makes a decree, he’s firm in following it through. I bet those fucking Judges tried her in absentia. Problem is, she got caught feeding in the Cage, with someone filming her with blood all around her mouth and down her neck. Decker’s a prick, but any Prince would be thinking the same way about Honor right now. She needs protection or an Anarch domain.” HOW DID YOU GET HERE? “Slowly. I traveled a lot as a mortal and have my own ways of getting between cities. I keep a lot of contacts in the wild.” WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHERE HONOR MIGHT BE? “She’s got to be with the Ministry, and that wouldn’t be so bad but for how impressionable she is right now. They prey on that kind of thing, and the childe of a Prince would be one hell of a weapon in their arsenal, whether they use her for blackmail, pump her for information, make her a poster child, or all three. She won’t be in one of their temples; that would be too obvious. They’re keeping her someplace neutral.” Anton is happy to share information about Honor to the coterie if he believes they want to help her. If he thinks they’re going to turn her over to Prince Decker, he races

Urban Exploration The old hospital is broken down and boarded up, but looking closely, it’s apparent urban explorers and college students have broken in over the years to see what was inside. Telltale signs of drug use and homeless living smatter its floors.

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against them to reach her first. In this case, he will appear again if the PCs find her and will attempt to fight them or cause a distraction to allow her to escape.

Signs of Mortal Distress Indianapolis is a torment for many of the kine who live here. Tourists can just pass through, but the city’s residents are often pulled between faith and politics, with evangelism and Catholicism on the rise in this domain. The major issue as far as Kindred are concerned is the Ministry’s local dominance, with kine selected for membership in cults, of which there are many, and expected to give up significant parts of their lives to the extortionists claiming to be their saviors. Mortal residents of Indianapolis therefore appear gaunt, as if fed from or malnourished, and they are stressed and twitchy due to the constant buzz of preaching in their heads. Some are aggressive, due to the dogmatic approach many churches in this domain adopt. Though the mortal behavior in Indianapolis is no obvious indication as to Honor’s whereabouts, the Storyteller should use it to highlight the haggard nature of a religious Anarch city.

Springs Eternal Church Springs Eternal Church in Spring Hill, northern Indianapolis, currently serves as the pulpit for “Coach” Tyrone Soros (see p. XX), one of the Ministry’s Guides and one of their loudest voices in Indianapolis. When the PCs arrive, his inspirational, motivational, and to his mind, sensational service is in full swing. The small, white, wooden church is filled with a congregation of clapping, smiling followers. Ty paces back and forth before the church altar, bellowing his words into a microphone strapped to his lapel. He sounds like an evangelical preacher but dresses like a sports coach, occasionally throwing punches and kicks to emphasize his points. A few of his winning lines, riddled with mixed metaphors and fueled with Presence, include: “Do you know how you spell recovery? I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you there’s no “I” in that word. You need mentorship, companionship, and God’s own ship, his ark, your ark, to cross that Nile!” “I was once a no-hoper. A loser. I drank. I smoked. I took drugs. Do you know what lifted me from my funk? Was it therapy? No! Was it television? No! Was it antidepressants? Heck, no! It was God! It

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was God — and I call that big fella Sutekh, because he came to me and told me in a dream that was his name — who told me ‘stop being a loser, Ty, and start winning!’ Now I’m giving you that same message! The message Sutekh gave me! Start winning by believing in yourself!” “I met a girl the other night. She was lost. She was broken. She ran away from a terrible home situation with an abusive daddy. It made Ty shed a tear, yes it did. Did I send her to some shelter to get counselling and then get sent back home? That would have been stupid. A loser thing to do. Did I send her to a hospital to get patched up and hit with a medical bill that might bankrupt her? That would have been irresponsible. No, I brought her into the flock. Our flock. Your flock. She is one of you now. She is your sister, your daughter, your niece, your girl next door. The world turned its back on her, but we will not!” The last of Tyrone’s diatribes refers directly to Honor Mercer. If the PCs stick around to the end of his session and speak with him, Ty’s initial response is to write the girl in his speech off as metaphor or parable. A Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 3) reveals he’s lying and said too much to his congregation. If pushed, Coach Ty explains how Freddie Montgomery pointed him in Honor Mercer’s direction while he was briefly in Milwaukee. Recognizing her distress, he invited her to visit him in Indianapolis if ever she was in need of a safe place. His offer was sincere, even though he was unaware of the risk of taking in the Prince’s childe. When Honor showed a couple of weeks ago, Ty panicked and turned her over to Keisha for stewardship. He doesn’t like Keisha much, but she’s in a more capable position to deal with political dynamite. He doesn’t know how Freddie knew about Honor in the first place and never questioned the older Minister.

INDIANAPOLIS WIGHTS

It should come as no surprise that in a domain where vampires are encouraged to sacrifice their Convictions and Touchstones, Humanity drops faster, Stains accumulate, and wights emerge from the remains. Some Ministers are cautious about their targets for conversion as a result — they don’t want Indianapolis crawling with homicidal maniacs. There’s a lack of willing Mawlas in Indianapolis, with many vampires holding the belief that if they were able to cling on after they lost everything, then those who can’t don’t deserve utopia. This callous disregard for other Kindred leads to a new wight appearing in Indianapolis at a rate of at least one per month, with the problem now a full-on epidemic that the Ministers are only just beginning to acknowledge. The Ministry has shown willingness to tutor vampires of their own Blood, but they’ve still yet to enact any protection or guidance for vampires outside their clan, Anarch or not. Storytellers are encouraged to set up a couple of wight ambushes for the player characters when they’re in Indianapolis. One should be set up as a random strike from an alley or rooftop, whereas another wight might lure the PCs to a remote location before attacking, or be found savaging a group of tourists. Highlight the disparity between the Ministry’s “noble” beliefs and the savagery taking place out of their sight. Wight stats can be found on p. 375 of Vampire: The Masquerade.

Ty is deeply regretful if he hears how Honor has been suffering, and volunteers that the clan has been keeping her at Garfield Park Conservatory. Keisha has been overseeing her indoctrination into the Ministry while Freddie Montgomery handles the Gangrel night to night.

Garfield Park Conservatory The Garfield Park Conservatory is a beautiful green space in the city of Indianapolis. It hosts several buildings where flowers are grown and displayed year-round, as well as several outdoor gardens and paths nature lovers walk through, winding through the different themed gardens and small forests on the grounds. Unless the PCs have arranged via Tyrone, Keisha, or another Kindred in the know to meet with Honor, finding her here is a challenge but not an insurmountable one. One of the

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park gardeners remembers seeing a girl resembling Honor last night on a successful Wits + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3), while a pair of distressed dogwalkers report seeing a girl with blood on her face just an hour ago near the MacAllister Amphitheatre deep inside the park, if they can be convinced to stop with a Charisma + Persuasion or Charisma + Intimidation roll (both Difficulty 4). Alternatively, a coterie might attempt to track her if they have some of her belongings and the ability to pick up a scent using Auspex. When they finally meet Honor, sitting on a bench outside the amphitheater, they notice she has been crying and her face is caked with blood. She is terrified and shaking, which makes for an uncommon sight among Kindred. When they ask her questions, she looks to the ground and refuses to make eye contact with any of them. If Keisha is there, she holds Honor to try to comfort her. Freddie Montgomery stands nearby, in case the PCs attempt to harm her

Innocence in Blood

new convert. Honor tells her story on a Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4), but attempts to flee if intimidated or coaxed with Disciplines. “It wasn’t my fault. I always had to feed in his presence. He always told me, ‘if I’m not there to help you, you’ll get it wrong.’ I guess he was right. I went out with Tessa to let off some steam and got talking to a nice girl in the Cage. She seemed nice, anyway. Tessa left me alone with her and we headed to the restroom. It wasn’t anything sexual. Not really. I just wanted to see if I could feed without Mark glaring at me. It was going absolutely fine until someone burst into the toilets with their phone out. They were recording me. I swear I didn’t spill a drop of her blood until I panicked. I think they wanted me to panic. I think they wanted me to fuck up. I got the hell out of the club, and then I got the hell out of the city. I’m sorry. I know I fucked up.” It is now up to the PCs to decide what to do about Honor. If they try to take her back, Keisha and Freddie try to stop them and make the coterie members enemies of the city. If they overpower the Ministers who are present, others will declare the PCs anathema and subject to hunting and sacrifice. If Tyrone is present, he can be convinced to assist on either side. If the coterie decides to leave Honor in Indianapolis and return to Milwaukee, they are welcome to do so with no interference from any of the Ministers, though Anton Nettum suggests she migrate further, accompanying him to San Francisco. Questioning Honor on various points after she’s opened up reveals a selection of interesting truths: DOES YOUR SIRE KNOW WHAT YOU DID? “I… I don’t think so. I mean, he knows I’m missing, but as far as I know, he never found out about the recording. I was just trying to be safe.”

O R GA N I Z E D “AC C I D E N T S ”

Archon Nakada has been keeping track of the PCs’ activities if they’re Camarilla Kindred. Likewise, if they’re Anarchs and have been obvious about their actions, she is monitoring them. Nakada’s specialty is in using mortals to spy on her behalf and to engineer accidents. If the coterie is proving to be a nuisance, she’ll happily have their car towed, have their daysleep constantly disrupted, or have them accused as shoplifters, jaywalkers, or any manner of minor criminal, just to slow them down. Nakada wants her agent Penny Cusick to find Honor Mercer first and extinguish the problem. If they persist in their activities, accidents escalate to car bombs, hotel fires, and armed holdups. If the PCs have a powerful Camarilla Mawla, they may be able to reach Nakada and ask the Archon to lay off. For her to do so would require an impressive amount of persuasion, and not in the sense that she requires charming or intimidation: Nakada needs to know why it’s better for the Camarilla for Honor Mercer to continue to exist.

DO YOU KNOW WHO WAS FILMING YOU? “I have no idea. A woman. Tall. Wore a black dress. That’s all I can say. I just panicked and got out of there.” DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THE MINISTRY? “I’m coming around to their way of thinking. I need to find some inner peace, and I’m not going to find it in a Camarilla city. I’d rather be free to find a path on my own where it’s safe to do so.” WHY WERE YOU COVERED IN BLOOD THE OTHER NIGHT? “Part of Freddie’s tutelage has me reliving my most shameful moments so I can handle them differently. We went through that feeding again, this time with her filming me. I tried to handle it better. It didn’t work out…” DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO MILWAUKEE? “Abso-fucking-lutely not.” The coterie now needs to decide on their plan of action. They may have started picking up on the trap Honor Mercer fell into and the rat’s maze put in place to guide her to Indianapolis and the Ministry. Any accusations of manipulation are laughed down by Freddie, and if

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Honor is convinced to split off from her Mawla, the Minister threatens the coterie with severe reprisals for taking “my imperfect Honor.”

FREDDIE MONTGOMERY Sire: Melvyn Ramsay Embraced: 1982 (Born 1954) Ambition: Use Honor Mercer as a weapon against the Camarilla Convictions: Always indulge one’s vices when possible Touchstones: Stacy Willis — mortal aide to Freddie’s church Humanity: 3 Generation: 11th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Composure 4; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 7 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Melee 3, Stealth 2; Animal Ken 2, Etiquette 4, Insight (Weaknesses) 4, Intimidation 3, Leadership (Cult) 4, Persuasion (Lovebomb-

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

ing) 5, Subterfuge 3; Academics (Psychology) 3, Awareness 2, Investigation 1, Medicine 3, Occult 2, Politics (Anarch) 2

intruder to the White River to dispose of them. Beyond the hallway, the temple of Set is an opulent, pseudo-historical building bearing genuine antiques transported from northeast Africa, comfortable seating, and sufficient vessels to feed the entire church. The church’s head is Djedefre, an elderly black man who uses a wheelchair. Though irascible when faced with intruders, Djedefre can be convinced to talk shit about what he calls “the Ministrification of our faith.” “The Ministry is a dilution of what our faith is about. We exist to oppose the Aeons, what some clans call the Antediluvians, and their servants. We are not Anarchs. We are divine champions, chosen by Set to save the world from the selfish desires of the great and dire vampires who lead their clans into an eternity of hell. You may think I evangelize, but understand I am old and remember when we stood as the one true Clan of Faith.” If asked about Honor Mercer, Djedefre can be convinced to turn over her location as the Garfield Park Conservatory, where she is under Freddie Montgomery’s protection. He believes she’s been brought here as one of Freddie’s elaborate blackmail plays, and frankly, he feels the politics of the Camarilla and Anarchs will bring ruin to his clan. If Honor is already here due to threats made against Keisha earlier, Djedefre changes his tune. He will not abide by betraying his clanmates if they’ve sworn him to a task, and he sets his fellow cultists against anyone who would snatch Honor away.

Disciplines: Animalism 2, Presence 3, Protean 3 General Difficulties: 6/3

Anarchs and Other Kindred If the group started off in Indianapolis, they should proceed to Chapter One for their investigation in Milwaukee. Anarchs and sectless Kindred are known to not be welcome in Milwaukee, making introductions a necessity as described on p. XX.

Other Places to Visit in Indianapolis There are many places within the city of Indianapolis the coterie can travel to if they wish to spend some time there. These are mostly side plots, though any can feed into the story or expand into their own stories.

St. Isaac of the Runes If the coterie find out about the Setite temple at the stone building known as St. Isaac of the Runes, they have the possibility of witnessing genuine Church of Set ceremonies and learning more about the clan and its internal politics. St. Isaac of the Runes is an unassuming grey stone building in Beech Grove, perfectly cubic in shape but for a sunburst above its gold-painted doors. Locals believe it’s some kind of Masonic temple, as they’ve seen welldressed individuals turn up at irregular times during the night for who knows what purpose. St. Isaac’s is a temple of Set. The entrance hallway is the only part of the building unadorned in any of the Egyptian trappings that adorn the rest of the building. When one enters, it appears as if the structure is similar to a sauna or steam bath, as members disrobe in the hall and step into the deeper chambers nude or wearing their underwear. The hall bears a constant guard of two ghouls, Laura and Emmanuel, both of whom are armed and legally licensed to carry concealed handguns. They are indoctrinated sufficiently into the cult that they will shoot anyone attempting to enter without invitation or successful persuasion, with one ghoul remaining to guard the building as the other drives the injured or deceased

DJEDEFRE Sire: Poisoned Lion Embraced: 1697 (Born 1629) Ambition: Return the Followers of Set to their former glory Convictions: Never allow a challenge to my faith to go unanswered Touchstones: Arnold Warner, mortal nurse and caregiver for Djedefre Humanity: 5 Generation: 8th Blood Potency: 4 Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 1, Stamina 4; Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Composure 5; Intelligence 5, Wits 2, Resolve 4

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The Eiteljorg Museum

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 9 Skills: Athletics 1, Firearms 2, Melee (Dagger) 4, Stealth 3, Survival 4; Animal Ken 3, Etiquette 3, Insight (Vice) 5, Intimidation 4, Leadership (Cult) 5, Persuasion 3, Subterfuge 2; Academics (History) 4, Awareness 3, Occult (Church of Set) 4, Politics 1, Technology 1

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art tells the story of the indigenous Americans and their history in the area. It depicts the rich history of the Miami people and their forced relocation to Oklahoma when colonizers took the land. The exhibits change frequently to maintain a living tale of those tribes from the region, and include artifacts and stories of indigenous people from all over North America. The building is designed to evoke the storytelling aspects of the indigenous American people, and to invite everyone to enter and learn. An adjacent art gallery hosts many different local Native American artists and their works, from earliest preserved works all the way to modern day art pieces. Browsing through the art hanging on the walls, the coterie may notice a painting of a man who looks familiar to them. With an Intelligence + Investigation (Difficulty 3) they are able to tell the man they are looking at in the photo is Mike from SVT Shipping in Milwaukee. The painting they are looking at is dated from the 1990s, and his appearance is appropriately younger. There are many other interesting art pieces, historic weapons, and different exhibits running in the building at all times. The Ministry enjoy hosting meetings between clans here, due to the museum’s hushed reverence having a calming effect on visiting diplomats.

Disciplines: Obfuscate 4, Presence 4, Protean 3 General Difficulties: 7/4

SETITE NEONATES Sire: Djedefre Embraced: Between 1950 and 2010 Ambition: To loyally serve the Church of Set Convictions: None Touchstones: None Humanity: 5 Generation: 9th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 7 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Melee 2, Stealth 1; Etiquette 1, Insight 3, Intimidation 2, Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 4; Awareness 3, Occult (Church of Set) 2

Union Station

Disciplines: Obfuscate 1, Presence 2, Potence 1

Union Station is a historic hotel in Mile Square, the trendy, metropolitan heart of Indianapolis. It is used as a function space for business meetings and events and is the delight of train enthusiasts, since the hotel uses old cabooses as meeting and hotel rooms throughout the building. The hotel is large and can be difficult to navigate, however, leading to Fortune of Clan Malkavian regarding it as “a modern H. H. Holmes murder hotel.” Most Kindred in the city know where Union Station is, so it makes for a good neutral ground when going into a meeting not knowing everyone there. This is also a good location for accessing the city’s public transportation and cabs, as well as the skyway from the Union linking to the city’s vast convention centers and neighboring hotels.

General Difficulties: 6/2

LAURA AND EMMANUEL, SETITE GHOULS Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Charisma 1, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 4 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Firearms (Handgun) 3, Melee 2, Stealth 1; Etiquette 3, Intimidation 2, Subterfuge 2; Awareness 3, Occult (Church of Set) 1

The Monon Trail

Disciplines: Potence 1 General Difficulties: 4/2

Should the coterie need to feed while in Indianapolis, one of the best locations to do so is the Monon Trail.

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Locals know it as a high crime area, and the chances of coming across any mortal authorities there are rather low. The trail cuts through the middle of the city following an old, disused train line. Sculptures line the trail, making it hard to distinguish between people hiding and carved rocks. This environmental subterfuge comes in handy while feeding and hiding. There are plenty of trees and undergrowth to conceal oneself in as well, and on Honor Mercer’s first night in Indianapolis, she found herself digging a hole in the ground beneath these shady bowers to last out the following day. The Monon Trail is frequented by several Anarch gangs in the area, making it a good place to head for information, too. Should the coterie decide they wish to seek out these gangs, they easily find one of their mortal counterparts hanging out. It requires a successful Charisma + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 3) to make any criminals among the kine summon their undead associates. The dominant Anarch gang on the trail is the City Children, who as the name implies all appear to be under the of 20 or so. Their youthfulness at the time of Embrace allows them to blend in with the college students in the area. They can help the coterie with the lay of the land, information about the Ministry and what they do for the city, or lend a hand searching for Honor. “Yeah, we saw Honor a few nights ago across town. She was headed toward Tyrone’s church, but she was acting strange. She kept talking about a storm coming and she needed to prepare herself.”

mortals to be a center of occult activity. It is modeled after old baroque cathedrals and has large stained-glass windows throughout the building. The cathedral has a small cemetery in the back where the high-ranking members of the lodge are buried. The cathedral is also the place where the few vampire hunters in Indianapolis go to start tracking down monsters in the area. The hunters in this city are driven more by faith than ability, lacking any kind of paramilitary setup. The cathedral hunters, as they’re sometimes known, believe it’s important to redeem the vampire before sending its soul to its final reward, but they acknowledge this is easier said than done. Only one vampire begged forgiveness before meeting their end, and even that Kindred appeared to be mocking the hunter applying the holy water to his head.

The Melody Inn

Making the Decision on Honor

CATHEDRAL HUNTER Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 5, Mental 6 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 8 Exceptional Dice Pools: Firearms 5, Melee 5; Intimidation 6, Leadership 6, Persuasion 6; Occult 7 Special: Cathedral hunters possess variable ratings of True Faith up to ••• General Difficulties: 5/2

If the coterie is looking for a club to go to not owned and operated by vampires, the Melody Inn is very much that. This club is in a nasty neighborhood, so there is little foot traffic outside. The club has been around since the 1970s and has kept its aesthetic since, making it one of the oldest punk rock bars in the Midwest. The bar no longer allows smoking, but the lingering smell of old smoke still permeates the wood throughout the building. Old posters of bands that played at the bar and graffiti all over the place marks this as a certified punk establishment. The coterie may be able to find someone to feed from at the bar, though no blood dolls frequent this place. It seems the Kindred of this city ignore the Melody Inn for some reason, though the Ministry are not forthcoming with their reasons for leaving the place alone.

The coterie needs to decide how they want to deal with Honor. They have a couple of options. By now, they know what happened and they have a directive of what they should do from the Prince of Milwaukee if they are Camarilla Kindred, or from Keisha if they are Anarchs.

Taking Honor If the coterie wishes to take Honor back, they will need to kidnap her away from Keisha and try to make it out of the city safely. They might try to seize Honor when they first meet her, risking a fight with Keisha, Freddie, and possibly Tyrone in so doing. Alternatively, they may hang back and wait to steal Honor from her sanctuary in the Garfield Park Conservatory or whichever temple she’s been stashed in. If the PCs make an aborted attempt at taking Honor away, Keisha houses the fledgling in her own temple while mobilizing the city’s Anarchs to drive the coterie out of the city, authorizing deadly force if necessary.

Scottish Rite Cathedral The Scottish Rite Cathedral is a beautiful Masonic lodge just north of Mile Square which is rumored among

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Should they enter Keisha’s church, they must navigate several rooms containing congregants (see Setite Cultists on p. XX) and the large chapel: a beautiful open room with church pews, stained glass windows, and golden statues throughout. Honor is not in this room, but Keisha is inside praying. If interrupted, she swears to revisit these betrayals ten-fold, but does not physically obstruct the characters from reaching Honor. She is no combatant, and will work on crushing them politically. Within the cloisters of the building, the coterie discovers a small private chapel, and Honor kneeling before an effigy of Set. They can hear her whispering “The storm comes from the east.” If they wish to convince her to follow them, they must make a Manipulation + Persuasion roll or use Disciplines (Difficulty 6). With a failure, Honor screams for help and alerts anyone in the building. If the coterie is successful, she will come with them willingly. Otherwise, they will need to restrain and kidnap her.

will shoot her partner if it looks as though he might successfully rescue the fledgling. Until that point, she will do her best to keep up appearances while also sparing herself from any significant peril in the conflict that ensues.

Chapter Three: Return to Milwaukee Should the coterie travel back to Milwaukee, they may easily do so by heading to the SVT Shipping headquarters right outside the city. If the coterie took other means of transportation to Indianapolis, they can use SVT Shipping on the way back, but they must talk with Mike over the phone, which the warehouse manager can arrange. Most Kindred in Indianapolis are aware of the SVT Shipping routes and how to access them. Travel back to Milwaukee using means other than via SVT Shipping is just as perilous as traveling to Indianapolis. The following scenarios are strong possibilities on how things may transpire if the characters return to Milwaukee. As Storyteller, you are always able to elaborate, change things around, or make your own ending.

Abandoning Honor If the coterie wishes to leave without Honor, it will make for an easier exit from the city but may lead to problems in Milwaukee, as outlined in Chapter Three. Honor is grateful for the PCs granting her a reprieve and swears to repay their decency when she’s grown and has settled her spiritual conflict. The Ministry is likewise thankful for the PCs not causing a stir in Indianapolis, and Keisha promises to make them welcome any time they wish to return, whether to visit Honor or make permanent havens in the domain. If the coterie wishes to stay in Indianapolis for a while, they are welcome to do so. This may include some fallout from the city of Milwaukee and Prince Decker. Failure to follow the orders of a Prince has some nasty consequences, which can include blood hunts or ejection from the Camarilla.

Bargain with J.W. The coterie is aware of J.W.’s affinity for Honor and his willingness to help keep her safe. The coterie may try to bargain with J.W. to ask for his help saving or protecting Honor. To convince him, they must make a Manipulation + Persuasion versus J.W.’s Intelligence + Leadership. If unsuccessful, J.W. sadly admits there is nothing he will be able to do to help her or the coterie at this point. Prince Decker is a man of his word. If the coterie is successful in convincing J.W. to help save Honor, J.W. takes her into hiding while the coterie meets with Prince Decker. J.W. uses his connections with the Port of Milwaukee to get her out of the city as fast as he can in an industry he controls. Once she is on a ship and out to the water, she will be hard to prevent from leaving. Should the coterie fail to lie to the Prince, J.W. will also fall under suspicion. See Returning Without Honor for the scene.

FBI Intervention Unless the player characters dealt with the agents in some way, L’Italien and / or Cusick have been tracking their activities and confront them after they’ve decided what to do about Honor Mercer. If she’s in their company, the two agents take cover, draw their weapons, and call for backup before demanding that the coterie step away from the kidnapping victim and demand that Honor step away from the gang. Everything might go horribly wrong at this point. Penny Cusick is under orders from her domitor to murder Honor Mercer. Therefore, if Rick is with her, Penny

Return with Honor When they reach the city, J.W. Blue meets them to help escort the group to where Prince Decker is waiting for them. He takes them to the top of the Hyatt Hotel,

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where there a rotating restaurant which slowly turns to allow each diner to view the entire city from their seat. Honor is separated from the PCs at this point. If the coterie passes on any of the information they gathered about Indianapolis and the secret group in the sewers planning to overthrow him, Decker thanks them for the information and takes it into consideration for payment. Should the coterie plead Honor’s innocence to Prince Decker, he will listen to them solemnly as they speak. The coterie will even notice that they are the only ones in the room with the Prince. Not even J.W. is there. He lets silence weigh down as he processes their story. “You’ve said your piece. Your services are no longer required. West Allis is your feeding territory. Y’all take it and leave. I keep my promises. I’ve already had Honor punished.” Once Decker is finished with the meeting, J.W. and three ghouls escort the group out of the tower. Honor has been branded. She slumps weeping in the otherwise empty hotel lobby. They can hear her crying as they leave. After the coterie leaves, there are no signs that Honor ever existed in the city. No Camarilla Kindred will talk about her; all signs of her life and undeath are gone. It is as if she has been erased. Not even J.W. acknowledges her existence and sternly reminds the coterie of the rules. While she still exists, she is firmly under Decker’s care. If the group told Prince Decker about the group under Jones Island, all Camarilla citizens are required to attend a court hosted by Prince Decker at his suite in Miller Park Stadium. There, he demands the PCs execute every member of the group under Jones Island as a display of what happens when you do not follow the rules he has in place.

Return to Prince Decker Without Honor Should the coterie decide to return to Prince Decker without Honor, they have a lot of explaining to do. J.W. escorts them to the Prince in the Hyatt restaurant, where they have their meeting. If the coterie tries to lie to Prince Decker and say Honor is dead, they need to make a Manipulation + Subterfuge against Prince Decker’s Resolve + Insight to make the lie convincing enough for him to believe it. Should they succeed, Prince Decker believes them and will not question them further. As a reward, he gives them the Riverwest neighborhood as feeding grounds for the coterie. Prince Decker will call upon them to help keep the city safe from any Lupine incursions and to continue investigating incidents around the city. If they fail to sell their lie, Prince Decker coldly tells the coterie they are no longer welcome in the city. He strips any territory they held in Milwaukee from them. If they attempt to remain, they will be branded, and if they insist on staying, they will be executed. Decker seems saddened by Honor’s absence, but whether this is genuine affection or resentment over losing something valuable that belonged to him is difficult to ascertain. A Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 4) reveals Decker is on the edge of frenzy.

Join the Revolution The coterie can work with Keisha in Indianapolis to help the Ministry take over Milwaukee. Her plan is to become entrenched within the

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religious orders of the city, gathering up mortal influences from under Prince Decker’s grasp. She wants to systematically dismantle his reign over the city, starting with the church and the mortal populations in those circles. Keisha intends to further the existing fears of segregation in the domain, segregation fears, causing a greater divide within Milwaukee. It’s a long game, but she believes with the insight into Milwaukee’s operations and the blackmail material Honor has given her to use against Decker, she can make it happen. Before accepting their aid, Keisha will require the coterie to leave the Camarilla and join the Anarchs in loyalty, if they are not Anarchs already. From then on, they would only pose as Camarilla Kindred to help the cause. She requests the coterie become members of her church but accepts if they wish to remain free agents. The coterie would be sent back to Milwaukee to help pass information about the city, about who influences which areas and industries and to what extent, and about any Anarch sympathizers within the city. This is a long-term plot which may take time to build up but is a great option for the Anarchs and other Kindred trying to take over the city. Prince Decker will not be unseated easily. He has a firm grasp of power in the domain and keeps tabs on everything in the city.

Seize Praxis The coterie may also wish to work with those under Jones Island to seize praxis from Prince Decker. This will need to be done with care and precision because the Lupines continually assault the city, making it dangerous to leave the city without a strong leader. The group under Jones Island already has a plan in place to bomb the next court session which all three

Innocence in Blood

Judges attend, but for that to succeed, they need a vampire to commit a crime grievous enough to summon all three. The coterie beneath Jones Island stresses that someone will need to pick up Decker’s mantle of city protection if he falls. They’re not stupid; while they hate the Prince, they acknowledge that he does protect the city from outside forces. Whether a PC or an SPC steps up, they’ll need significant backing in order to successfully take over the city.

Fallout and Other Endings Changes in leadership always are rough, no matter how well anyone plans for them. If Mark Decker is overthrown from his praxis, Milwaukee falls into turmoil, resulting in chaos and possible lingering damage. It is up to the coterie members to decide how best to handle crisis.

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The Anarchs are hoping for the Camarilla in Milwaukee to tear itself apart. As much as Honor Mercer is sympathetic, many Anarchs would feel no guilt over releasing the footage of her messy feeding and blaming it on the failings of her sire. The disgrace could lead to Decker’s stepping down due to this evidence of his failure at the Tradition of Accounting.

“Kick a dog enough times and you’ll feel its teeth around your fucking throat.” –– Evelyn Stephens, threatening that Gary, Indiana won’t remain quiet for long

Introduction

Chicago’s shining example of Camarilla dominance in the United States comes at its neighbors’ expense. Southeast of the Windy City along the southern coast of Lake Michigan, Gary clings to life by its fingernails. Like many Rust Belt cities, Gary prospered on a single industry: steel. With the breakdown of American manufacturing, cities built on the backs of steelworkers eroded from the inside out. Thanks to massive waves of layoffs following the restructuring of the steel industry and the intensive racial segregation that the city was built upon, Gary began its fall in the 1960s. Today, block after city block downtown holds only blighted, abandoned buildings. It has become a rusted jungle. Stretches of empty, derelict factories haunt Gary’s miserable populace with its once prosperous past. Twothirds of the population is gone, leaving behind roughly 80,000 resilient people to try to find access to jobs, health care, housing, education, and opportunity. Yet even within the blight of poverty, a few Kindred claim residency. In an area dominated by wayward Anarchs, the Camarilla fights for territory while hunters wait in the wings for one side or the other to slip.

Rusted Jungle is an exploration of Gary within the World of Darkness and an expansion of the Chicago by Night setting. This story focuses on the vampire factions competing for sway over Gary. As undercover Camarilla or Anarch Kindred, the players will infiltrate the city and unearth its secrets. The story will force the player characters to question their beliefs and determine what they are willing to sacrifice for their allegiances. While the story exists in the shadow of Chicago by Night, the bulk of the story and its characters are in Gary. Rusted Jungle introduces new characters and locations, and although the story follows a set timeline and chapter development, it opens Gary for exploration and interaction with its residents. Players required: 3-5 Duration: 10-15 hours

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Story Breakdown

of the Lupines who decimated the city twenty years ago. However, an investigation into the explosion quickly points to Gary’s Kindred as the culprit, not Lupines at all. Competing parties seek to hire the player characters to investigate, with sponsors looking for Kindred who have served their respective sects well in the past but who have not gained enough of a reputation to receive immediate recognition on an undercover operation.

Storyteller’s eyes only! It would be fair to say Chicago’s Kindred have always felt superior to those of Gary, while those of Gary have always borne a heavy chip on their shoulder toward the Kindred of Chicago. Every couple of decades, there’s a new attack from Gary on the Windy City, or some Chicago Kindred push down on the less fortunate vampires of Gary. It’s a cycle, but one that needs to be stopped considering fresh Inquisitorial scrutiny in the region and the new praxis in Chicago. In this story, some of Gary’s Kindred launch an attack on Chicago which targets a Circulatory System — a human trafficking organization set up by and for Kindred — stash house with an explosive attack. Their successful onslaught disrupts trade and exposes both Camarilla and Anarch activities in the domain, since Kindred from both sects take advantage of the System’s supply. A sponsor from one of the sects recruits the PCs to investigate the source of the attack and nip the issue in the bud, even snuffing out sectarian allies if they’re causing too many disturbances in Gary and Chicago. The Kindred of Gary are embroiled in their own kind of conflict, since their age-old warring rulers — Modius and Juggler — have disappeared, leaving Evelyn Stephens of the Anarchs and a newcomer named Eric Sharpe of the Camarilla leading the opposing forces that seek to dominate the domain of Gary. The PCs will need to investigate which of them is responsible for the attack. By tracing a car from Chicago to Gary, the PCs can discover the Honda Civic that carried the passengers responsible for the attack on the Circulatory System in Gary’s Anarch territory. All is not as it seems, however, as the player characters may find evidence of the attack being ordered by an “E.S.” This could be Eric or Evelyn. Tensions come to a boil as the Anarchs and Camarilla of Gary demand the PCs to take a side. War breaks out with the coterie in the middle. Depending on how it ends, which side they take, and whether they follow all the clues, the player characters may discover that the sponsor of the attack was a Brujah named Maxwell, once named Prince of Chicago, who is using the permanent state of conflict as a distraction to weaken Kevin Jackson’s praxis and swoop in as the next Prince. The PCs may aid him or seek to stop him. He offers them a great deal of support should they flock to his banner, but that part of the story comes after Rusted Jungle concludes.

The Camarilla Damien, the Sheriff of Chicago (see Chicago by Night, p. XX), approaches several Camarilla Kindred local to the area. Damien is aware that Gary has turned into a battleground with Evelyn Stephens of the Anarchs pitted against Eric Sharpe of the Camarilla. Chicago doesn’t want a war along its southeastern border. Incursions into the Windy City must be isolated, identified, and stopped. Damien asks the player characters to infiltrate the Anarchs of Gary to prevent further attacks.

The Anarchs While the Center and the Barony of Gary are on the same side, they have never really gotten along. Juggler always placed himself and his own desires above those of the Movement. Since his disappearance, Gary has begun to destabilize. Anita Wainwright, de-facto Baron of Chicago and head of the Center (see Chicago by Night, p. XX), reaches out to a small group of Anarchs local to Gary and asks them to undertake a dangerous mission. She is aware of a small group of Camarilla, led by a Ventrue named Sharpe, who have pushed their way into Gary. Wainwright needs the Anarchs to infiltrate the Camarilla under Sharpe and determine who, or what, is responsible for the attacks on Chicago.

The Others Independent Kindred, be they mercenaries for hire or part of a vampiric cult, are of great value to both the Camarilla and the Center as they have few political ties and everything to gain. Either Damien or Wainwright can hire such player characters. No matter which sect the player characters belong to, the PCs can assume they have knowledge of one another before they embark on their mission. This is necessary for the sake of the length of the story and will assist the players in creating deeper relationships within the time frame. Use the relationship map in Vampire: The Masquerade p. XX when creating your coterie.

Character Advice After the most recent of a series of attacks on Chicago, the Windy City fortified its position, fearing a return

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Built on Sand, Forged in Steel It’s Bricks. That’s right. It’s like Rick. But with a B in front of it. And an S at the end of it. You can picture it, right? Back in the night, some big conclave in some European country. All the big muckety-mucks gathered in some big fancy room. You’ve got all the Inner Circle members. You’ve got all the Justicars. And then you’ve got this row of Princes. Come roll-call, each one stands up and announces who they are and what city they rule, accompanied by ten fucking minutes of titles and childe-of-such-and-such. Francois Villon, Prince of Paris. Anne Bowesley, Prince of London. Lodin, Prince of Chicago. And then you have Modius, Prince of Gary, Indiana. Gary-Fucking-Indiana. You can just picture them laughing their asses off. Cause really, who would want to be Prince of Gary? Truth is, Modius was Prince because that’s exactly where Lodin wanted him. Far enough away that he couldn’t really interfere with Lodin’s night-to-night activities, but close enough, should he get out of line, to stick a Lupine’s head in his bed. Or coffin. Or whatever. So, Gary started as the industrial cornerstone of the Midwest. Some guy with the same name founded the United States Steel Corporation there in 1906. Things were going well, at least for white folks, until 1919, when you’ve got the steel workers’ strike. After 110 days, things broke into a full-scale riot out on Broadway. Governor Goodrich declares martial law and sends four thousand troops, under the command of Major General Leonard Wood, to restore order. Heads are busted, people die, and in the end, workers go back to work. We’re chugging along, and then in the late 1960s, it all goes to shit again. The steel market collapses. Businesses go bankrupt. Unemployment skyrockets. White folk leave the city, but black folk can’t. And really, not much has improved since then. You went from a population of 180,000 in 1960, down to 80,000 by 2010. You’ve got rampant political corruption. You’ve got a stretch during the Clinton and Bush years where Gary has the highest per capita homicide rate for nine years straight. Now, there’s hardly anybody left to kill. You think that happens by accident? You think those dumb fucks in Gary are just, what, unlucky? Of course not. It happens cause the vampires in Chicago want it that way. Cause they’ve got this hundred-year-old grudge against Modius and everything he tried to do. Cause when you fuck with the Prince, you better believe the Prince is going to fuck you right back. See, Modius and Lodin were rivals. Modius tried to take over Chicago back in 1913 and ended up getting pushed back into Gary. So, in 1921, Lodin began what he called his Interdiction. He sent two of his kids, Horatio Ballard and Alfonse I-shit-you-not Capone, to deal with the problem. Suddenly, they’re auditing businesses. Mafiosos are leaning on the unions. City officials take bribes and turn eyes. And over the next forty years, this beautiful industrial town transformed into the piece of shit it is today. Finally, Modius bent the knee. And while he got to keep the crown, he essentially handed his balls on a steel platter to Lodin.

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Fast forward to the War of Chicago. The Sabbat roll in. The Lupines roll in. The Anarchs rally under Juggler. Modius sits back sipping his Toreador blood tea, watching Chicago go up in flames. He thinks this is his chance to take the city. Problem is, everyone thought it was their chance. Modius, Juggler, fuck, even Maxwell comes out of the woodwork to drop his dick on the table. In the end, after the Primogen hold court for close to two decades, Joseph Peterson pulls in every favor he ever collected to take praxis. Which lasts for about three seconds before Jackson takes over. But the struggle didn’t end there. It bled outward, and I guess Juggler thought if he couldn’t have Chicago, he’d settle for Gary. Modius and Juggler go at each other for years, causing enough of a ruckus for the hunters to get wind of it all. Sullivan Dane rolls through, taking out vampires left and right. The FBI’s Special Affairs Division starts snooping around. Fuck, even Gary P.D., in the form of Detective Moore, protégé to the semi-infamous Commissioner Greg Stephens, starts going to town. Everyone hits the deck and when the smoke clears, Modius is dead, Juggler is gone, and the rest of us are left picking up the pieces.

A Brief History of Gary I am afraid your intelligence is quite out of date, my young friend. However, since you paid my fee, I will elucidate you. It is true Modius was Prince of Gary, in name at least. Having lost multiple gambits against Prince Lodin of Chicago, the Toreador found himself indebted to the Ventrue. This was the culmination of a failed political gambit wherein Modius called in several boons from the Toreador Justicar to arrange a Conclave in Gary. It ended in disaster and reconvened in Chicago the next evening. In a backroom of the Succubus Club and in the presence of the same Justicar, Modius finally ceded to Lodin’s strength. Thereafter, Modius only took actions after first consulting with Lodin. However, this was often done by way of his sire Annabelle, who sits as the Toreador Primogen to this night. By 1999, the Camarilla population of Gary was quite small: Modius, his childe Allicia, myself, young Charlie, and a scant few others. Lucian died a horrible death. Liev too. Miserable ends. Juggler and his cohorts populated the rest of the city. Juggler is, or perhaps was, a typical Brujah Anarch. Dramatic, bold, and charismatic in his own fashion, Juggler spent the past decades building an army, drawing from the young, disenfranchised Anarchs of Gary and Chicago. But Gary is and remains a dead city. The private war between Modius and Juggler only succeeded in bleeding it dry. Those Kindred who found themselves here struggled to survive draining the blood of their victims from night to night or engaged in petty feuds over territory. Violence begat violence, and the city has become a reflection of that chaos.

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Then Juggler suddenly found himself an audience beyond the meager borders of Gary. Filmed in Gary during the winter of 2012, a Hollywood zombie movie depicted the overthrow of the aristocracy and the general fall of civilization. The protagonists, a group of young and rebellious anarchists, fought off the zombies and saved the day. Given the film’s subtle stab at the Camarilla, the movie garnered the attention of Anarchs in the West Coast Free States, who spotted Juggler’s metaphorical fingerprints all over it. As a result, the Hollywood Anarchs requested Juggler gain full recognition for his efforts and ensured that he took the mantle of Baron of Gary. This act emboldened the local Anarchs, which resulted in even more bloodshed. Oddly enough, the Anarchs up in Chicago did not fall into line, viewing Juggler as too arrogant and self-serving. What followed was altogether tragic, but not entirely unexpected. Modius dispatched his ghouls to target Juggler’s followers. Corrupt police found themselves torn between the two elders. The two major gangs within the city, the Glen Park 45ers and the Knights, shot at each other on the city streets in broad daylight. And once again in 2013, Gary earned the bloody notoriety of being the Murder Capital — per capita — of the United States. Both Modius and Juggler reached out to their allies in Chicago, but none of them wanted to involve themselves in the fray. So, Modius escalated the matter. Through a series of cut-outs and go-betweens, Modius sent word to the great vampire hunter, Sullivan Dane, and placed a box of intelligence in his proverbial lap. Names, dates, locations, the works. All marked with a big red X and a tied up in a lovely black bow. During the summer of 2014, Dane wiped out Kindred left and right. Zakariah. Travers. Eloise. He was relentless. Most of us went into hiding, waiting for the storm to pass. But then a mouthy ghoul let it slip that Modius was the one responsible. Support for the pauper Prince of Gary evaporated overnight. Rumor has it that his own childe, Allicia, handed Modius over to Juggler. Most people believe the Anarchs killed him right then and there. But that is not the truth. In a surprising display of cunning and foresight, Juggler secretly reached out to Modius’ sire, Annabelle, and worked out a deal. In exchange for a series of boons and the promise Chicago would not interfere with the Free City of Gary, Juggler swore to spare Modius’ life. She agreed, and the Anarchs placed Modius under arrest. That is how Juggler managed to claim the mantle of Baron of Gary. Right up until he disappeared, too. That was a month ago. Juggler’s childe, Evelyn Stephens, has filled the void and runs the Anarchs in Gary. As for the rest of the usual suspects, Charlie vanished. Lucian migrated east. Most of us presume someone executed Modius without Juggler to protect him. And a young blood Camarilla by the name of Sharpe showed up on the west side of the city, claiming a chunk of territory for himself. And as I exit the stage, never to return to this rusted carcass of a city, Sullivan Dane, the hunter of legend, continues to stalk the streets of Gary. — A. Danov

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Rusted Jungle

Picking Up the Pieces

The City

With Modius presumed dead and Juggler missing, the city has broken into two camps. While the Anarchs control the vast majority of the city, a small group of Camarilla have managed to seize sections of Black Oak, West Side, and Brunswick. Their loyalties remain a mystery, but their agenda is undeniable.

They say places are what you make of them, but it’s hard to make something beautiful out of Gary. Thirty miles outside of Chicago, Gary sits on Lake Michigan in Lake County along the northwestern edge of the state. The city is primary known for producing tons of steel, the Jackson 5, and little else. There are precious few jobs to be found. Access to high-quality education is almost impossible to attain. Racial segregation left black Americans unable to move out of the city or into better homes when white Americans left the city. Now, people are poor. Crime is rampant. Politicians are corrupt. Gary has an airport few people use, a train station with mostly empty terminals, and two interstate toll roads that cut right through the city. A few years ago, there was a series of gang wars and spikes in violent crime. But, after the politicians shoveled enough money into the underpaid, understaffed Gary P.D., the city finally stabilized. In 2016, Gary elected a new mayor on a progressive platform. A few major federal grants help keep the city afloat.

Evelyn Stephens After Juggler’s disappearance, Evelyn Stephens found her purpose. Driven by equal measures of self-loathing and a desire for atonement, she seized the anger of her clan within herself and found a way to use it to her own advantage. As Juggler’s childe, she was firmly aware of his plans, schemes, and designs. Thus equipped, she has acquired his holdings and rallied his followers to her. For all intents and purposes, she is the Baron of Gary.

Eric Sharpe

The Wasteland

Sharpe is part of a new breed of hardliners. A Ventrue through and through, he’s under the employ of a mysterious figure who has tasked him with retaking Gary. Sharpe knows the old ways will not succeed and has adapted to the times. Social media, fake news, surveillance equipment, and psychological warfare are all tools for achieving a specific end. And matched with a coterie of lethal Kindred, Sharpe is confident he’ll succeed.

Though not an official neighborhood, the Wasteland stretches along most of the waterfront and east of the dockyards that look out over Lake Michigan. A jungle of rusted factories and steel, the area is a dumping ground for shady corporations, cunning criminals, and the occasional Kindred. The area includes the barely operational Gary Steel Works and the now abandoned Endron plant. Once used for car manufacturing, the plant fell into disuse in the late ’80s. The Knights, rivals to the Glen Park 45ers, dominate the area. The only other people who frequent this neighborhood are hiding from the law or vagrants avoiding human contact.

Allicia The quiet Toreador remembers little of her life before Modius. She served him well, singing for him when summoned and otherwise playing the role of a dutiful childe. But time and complacency warped into depression and isolation. As nights stretched into months, and then years, and then decades, Allicia considered taking her own life. But as the war consumed more of Modius’s attention, her bond to him faded. As she watched the war between Modius and Juggler escalate, she rallied a modicum of free will and gave the Anarchs the means of removing the pauper Prince of Gary. In the aftermath, she threw herself completely into the Anarch Movement, following Juggler first, and in his absence, Evelyn Stephens.

Northeastern Gary Consisting of Miller Beach and Aetna, the northeastern neighborhoods of Gary are the most affluent. Simply called Miller, Miller Beach is on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan, near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It’s the richest neighborhood in Gary. Along with an entire shoreline of public beachfront property, Miller includes Marquette Park, the Miller Beach Arts and Creative District, and numerous public and charter schools.

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Meanwhile, Aetna used to house the Aetna Powder Company, a munitions manufacturer. After a series of explosions, one of which killed six people in 1912 and another in 1914 which broke all the windows in the surrounding two square miles, the company finally closed. Today Nastrum Solutions, a private security firm, employs most of the area.

home to Indiana University Northwest and the Gary campus of Indiana’s statewide Ivy Tech Community College system. It also includes the Glen Park 45ers, a gang known for their dedication to vandalism, armed robbery, carjacking, and drug dealing.

Central Gary

Western Gary

Accompanied by the neighborhoods of Pulaski, Midtown, Emerson, and Downtown West, Central Gary is the heart of the city. It includes City Hall, the Lake County Superior courthouse, the Gary Police Department, the Gary Public Library, and the Gary Housing Authority. Aside from the Genesis Convention Center, which used to host basketball games and now hosts events and concerts, much of the commercial property along Broadway is now crumbling and vacant. Periodically, Gary P.D. is called in to retrieve bodies found in the abandoned buildings. Just south of the Genesis Convention Center sits the Methodist Church, an urban ruin in the heart of Gary. The church, built in 1925 in the Gothic style, closed its doors after only fifty years.

Home to Black Oak, West Side, Brunswick, and Ambridge Mann, Western Gary is predominantly poor. Complete with single family homes, trailer parks, and a major landfill, most local jobs center around industrial parks and the sewage treatment plant for Gary, located near the Grand Calumet River. The one saving grace for Western Gary is Ambridge Mann, sometimes called Ambridge-Horace Mann or Horace Mann-Ambridge. As one of the more privileged areas in the city, Ambridge Mann is home to Gary’s only hospital, Methodist Northlake.

Southern Gary Glen Park is the most populous neighborhood in Gary. Situated on the city’s far south side, the area is

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Rusted Jungle

Prologue: Hiring the Anarchs

As Anita turns to leave, she says, “If you get hung up, reach out to Jessica Flores. She’s a Gary native and a decent source of info. If you can pay, they’ll point you in the right direction. Word is she hangs out at City Methodist Church. Good luck.”

Prologue: Hiring the Camarilla

Anita Wainwright summons the player characters to East Chicago, a distinct city which, despite its unlikely name, exists in Indiana and serves as home for the Anarch Center. Anita Wainwright, the center of the Center, has quietly invited the player characters to join her in Tod Park. She tells them nothing else in advance of their arrival, save that the business at hand is both urgent and confidential. When they arrive, Wainwright is already there, sitting on a park bench overlooking the playground. She’s clad in a striking red and black suited attire, which is out of keeping for her usual style, and bites at the fingernails on her right hand. As the player characters approach, Anita stands and jerks her head in the direction of an area eclipsed by trees and hidden from general view. Once the group is sure no one will spot them, she explains the problem. “Thanks for coming.” Anita slides her hands into her jacket pockets. “As you’re no doubt aware, Chicago’s been getting hit for a couple of weeks now. Four Havens and three businesses in the space of a month. Camarilla and Anarch alike. There’s a lot of talk about the Lupines coming back to finish the job, but the Center knows better. We managed to pull an Indiana license plate number off a camera. It points straight at Gary. That’s where you come in.” Anita glances over her shoulder. “I figure it’s one of two people responsible for this. It’s either the Gary Anarchs, or it’s this Camarilla Vanguard. If it’s the Anarchs, I need this nipped in the bud before Jackson decides to start another war. If it’s the Camarilla, then I need this nipped in bud before Evelyn decides to do the same. You’re young. Nobody knows who you are. What I want, and what I’m willing to pay you for, is for you to go in undercover, infiltrate the Vanguard, find out who’s responsible for the attacks, and shut it the fuck down. You do that, and the Center will be grateful.” She pulls out a thick envelope from her jacket pocket and hands to the coterie. “That’s a burner phone with my number on it, five grand in cash for expenses, the license plate number, and a Gary address. Couldn’t make out the driver, but we know they’re responsible. Now be careful. You’re gonna need to walk up to someone and lie to their face about who and what you are. I know you do that every night, but frankly, this is more important than your self-preservation. Do not blow your cover, or we’re all in for a world of hurt. You know the drill: uphold the Masquerade, find out who’s responsible, and put an end to it. Everything else is collateral damage as far as I’m concerned.”

The Camarilla characters travel to Avondale, a neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago. There they meet the city’s Sheriff, a Brujah named Damien in an office Prince Jackson provides. He’s a scrawny African American kid who looks no older than fourteen. With his hair cut short, Damien wears a Steely Dan t-shirt, black pants, and Converse shoes, which he has propped on the desk in front of him. “Shit’s going down.” He bounces a ragged tennis ball against the floor and the side wall, punctuating each of his statements with the thump, thump, smack of each catch. “The city’s getting hammered by someone, and Prince Jackson wants you to figure out who’s doing it. Some say Lupines. Some say Anarchs. We think someone’s taking a stab at the crown. After one of the Circulatory System’s stash houses got hit, we managed to pull an Indiana plate off the getaway car.” He switches hands to keep tossing the ball. “Prince Modius is dead. Juggler is missing. So only one of two people are responsible. It’s Evelyn Stephens, the new Baron of Gary, or this new guy, Eric Sharpe, a Camarilla hardliner who’s moving in on Evelyn and her crew. Either way, Jackson wants you to go to Gary, infiltrate the Movement, and put an end to this shit before someone starts another war. You do that, and Jackson will know your names. And in this city, that’s a major victory.” Damien misses the catch and the tennis ball bounces and rolls into a corner of the office. He acts like he missed on purpose, swinging his legs off the desk top and reaches into a drawer. He pulls out an envelope and slides it over. “That’s my phone number, five thousand dollars, the license plate number, and a Gary address. Now, choose your words with care. These Anarchs can smell a rat, so don’t go saying something stupid and blow your cover. Maybe that means taking a beating. Maybe that means knocking over a liquor store. You do what you have to short of violating the Masquerade. Find out who’s responsible and take care of it.” His desk chair squeaks as he leans back. “If you need info on the ground, reach out to Jessica Flores. She’s a thin-blooded runt who hangs out at City Methodist Church. She’s expensive but fair, and she knows almost everything there is to know about Gary. Peace.”

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Chapter One: Deep Cover Give the coterie legroom to haggle with Damien or Wainwright over the price for their involvement. Boons are the preferred currency of most Kindred, but beyond prestation, resources like money, weapons, and introductions to powerful individuals can hold a great deal of sway. Regardless, the player characters should find a means of travel and make their way to Gary. The address they were given depends on their cover. If they are members of the Camarilla pretending to be Anarchs, they should proceed to the Wastelands. If they are members of the Movement masquerading as Camarilla, they should proceed to Jane’s Trucking Inc., located on the west side. If the player characters have the skills or the means to track the license plate down, it was from a 2010 Honda Civic stolen from downtown Gary two weeks ago.

Approaching Eric Sharpe and the Camarilla Vanguard Eric Sharpe is a mysterious new resident of Gary. He runs a coterie

of Camarilla hardliners dubbed the Vanguard. Since arriving in town, they’ve taken over significant portions of Brunswick, West Side, and Black Oak. With Juggler’s departure, the Anarchs haven’t had the time or the organization to reclaim the territory. That won’t last forever, and it’s only a matter of time before the two come to blows. The Vanguard use a series of trucks to patrol their newly claimed streets, monitoring them for signs of Anarch incursion. They can be spotted with a successful Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 3). While en route to Jane’s Trucking Inc., the coterie can engage with the trucks directly or can simply observe their shadowy presence. PCs might also prefer to sneak into the area and bypass the patrols altogether, which can be accomplished with a Wits + Stealth roll (Difficulty 3). Provided the coterie remains polite and non-aggressive, the Vanguard ignores them for now. Jane’s Trucking Inc. is a large, open block of concrete, packed with cargo vans and industrial trucks. A razor wire fence, security cameras, and a pair of ghouls protect the area. Sharpe is only a phone call away, and so if he is expecting visitors, he arrives via his freightliner sixteen-wheeler. He and the rest of his Vanguard, numbering a half dozen, dismount from the cab and the trailer and approach the player characters with caution. They’re dressed casually with thick boots, heavy jackets, and

various weapons. Eric Sharpe is a tall, slim black man with coal-black hair. If it weren’t for the aura of menace, his constant grinding of teeth and emotionless glare, he might seem sickly. He is haggard and appears more tired than an immortal ought, though he masks this by wearing an expensive wool jacket, black turtleneck, and combat boots. Note that throughout the story, if Sharpe or the Vanguard ever suspect the player characters are not true Camarilla, the PCs should make a Wits + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 3) to maintain their cover. If they fail, Sharpe will deal with the coterie violently.

Coterie Options Manipulation: The primary objective of the player characters is to ingratiate themselves to Sharpe and the Vanguard. They can accomplish this with a successful Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4) or a Manipulation + Intimidation roll (Difficulty 4). Eric Sharpe is a cautious individual, but he’s short on manpower, and he knows that if he’s going to continue his campaign, he’s going to need more soldiers. He interrogates the player characters, asking who they are, where they are from, who sired them, and more importantly, why they are in Gary. If the player characters ask about the license plate, Sharpe will grow suspicious, and all Difficulty rolls will increase by 2.

D O U B L E AG E N T S U B P LO T

This story allows for one of the player characters to act as a double agent. This may put the coterie at cross purposes but lends itself to enhanced drama and outcomes that are more variable. If the players are Anarchs attempting to infiltrate the Camarilla, implement this via a private text to one of the players from Damien, the Brujah Sheriff of Chicago, which reads simply: “Jackson knows you met with the Center and why. Deal with this problem in Gary and report to me instead. Jackson will double whatever Wainwright is offering.” The player can choose to share this counteroffer with the other players or keep it to themselves. Conversely, if the players are Camarilla attempting to infiltrate the Anarchs, Wainwright can text instead, if she would have their number. “The Center is aware of Damien’s plan. If you don’t want your cover blown, investigate the situation in Gary and report back to me.” Wainwright can also offer the double agent a similar deal to the one listed above. Again, the double agent can choose to share this new information with their fellow players or keep it secret.

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Ultimately, Sharpe gives them an assignment to prove their worth and loyalty. He instructs them to acquire the hard drive of Lieutenant Detective Lawanda Moore (p. XX), which sends the PCs to Chapter 2. Bribery: Sharpe’s mysterious benefactor keeps him flush with cash and provides him with access to plenty of weapons and equipment. What Sharpe doesn’t have is muscle and information. If the player characters want to persuade the Ventrue of their usefulness with information, he’ll listen carefully. If accompanied by good intelligence, standard Charisma + Persuasion rolls or Manipulation + Intimidation rolls will decrease by 1. However, Sharpe still wants the player characters to retrieve Moore’s hard drive. Combat: This is not a viable option for the player characters. To maintain the coterie’s immersion, stress how they are on a powerful kindred’s home turf, outnumbered and outgunned, and that this is unlikely to result in anything but the loss of lives and failure to maintain their cover.

+ Intimidation roll (Difficulty 4). Evelyn still struggles to fill Juggler’s shoes but has proven herself far more diplomatic than her predecessor. She’ll consider a good deal if she hears it and needs all the soldiers she can muster if she plans on retaking the rest of Gary. If asked about Juggler or Modius, she’ll remain tight-lipped. If asked about the license plate, she reveals that someone dumped the vehicle in Anarch territory. She doesn’t know who is responsible for the attacks on Chicago, and no Anarch of Gary would be as stupid as to drive a car with Indiana plates into the city. But, if the player characters are willing to help her deal with the people responsible, then she’s willing to take them on. First, however, they’ll need to prove themselves. If the coterie retrieves the hard drive of Lieutenant Detective Lawanda Moore, she’ll grant them full protection within the Anarchs under her leadership. Bribery: The Anarchs are always strapped for cash. Evelyn accepts bribery in the form of cash starting at least two dots of Resources or higher. The character(s) loses the dots for the remainder of the story, and Evelyn still wants the coterie to retrieve Detective Moore’s hard drive. Combat: Given the situation, this is option is not available. Stress the uneven odds of this situation. The player characters are strangers in a strange land. The Anarchs have more people and more guns. Still, if the player characters choose violence, the Movement attempts to gun them down. Those killed have their ashes delivered to Sharpe and a bulletin goes out to the other Anarchs, blowing their cover.

Approaching Evelyn Stephens, Baron of the Gary Anarchs The Wasteland of Northern Gary is a mass of vandalized steel buildings, abandoned mills, and garbage dumps. Like an enormous shanty town, criminals, vagrants, the destitute, and the Gary Anarchs populate this sprawling, urban ecosystem along with stray cats, dogs, and colonies of rats. The player characters can attempt to infiltrate the area via stealth with a Wits + Stealth roll (Difficulty 3) or they can announce their presence. Either way, it won’t take long for the Anarchs to spot and confront the coterie. Evelyn Stephens is of average height and light build with almond skin and shoulder length dark hair. She’s dressed in a short leather jacket, boots, and carries a sawnoff shotgun slung across her back. Accompanied by half a dozen Anarchs, the Movement surrounds the player characters, demanding to know who they are and what they want. Note that during the story, if Evelyn Stephens or the Anarchs ever begin to suspect that the player characters are not Anarchs, the PCs must make a Wits + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 3) to maintain their ruse. If the characters fail, Evelyn grows violent. The Anarchs aim to stake the player characters and send them back to Chicago with sassy notes pinned to their coats like little lost children.

Approaching Jessica Flores, Informant Established in 1926, City Methodist Church was once the largest Methodist church in the Midwest. It closed its doors in 1975 and has never reopened since. It still stands tonight, surrounded by barbed wire fences, but is beyond any realistic restoration with a partially collapsed roof. Thieves have removed most of the interior light fixtures for their wire or light bulbs and most of the working plumbing as well. Once used as an informal auction house for the Kindred slave trade, it’s now an informal headquarters for Jessica. Sneaking or breaking into the church is not particularly difficult and can be achieved with a simple Wits + Larceny roll (Difficulty 2). The inside is damp and marked by signs of vagrants. All the pews are missing, allowing the empty sanctuary to dominate the space. If the player characters make themselves at home and show signs of being willing to talk, Jessica reveals herself. The thin-blood is 5’4” and on the heavier side. She has royal blue bangs falling into her eyes that she’s always brushing away.

Coterie Options Manipulation: The player characters need to win the Anarchs over. They can accomplish this with a successful Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4) or a Manipulation

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Coterie Options

The Depot (Formerly Known as the Auction)

Manipulation: Jessica is an excellent source of information about the city. For the price of a major boon from each of the player characters, she reveals what she can and allows the coterie to contact her throughout the story for hints on how to proceed. Jessica knows much of the city’s history, but is not privy to the location of Juggler, the true fate of Modius, or the benefactor employing Eric Sharpe and the Camarilla Vanguard. She encourages the player characters to reach out to either Sharpe or Stephens, as they’ll need one or the other to back the group in order to operate freely within Gary. She warns them, however, that each will want something in return for their protection. Bribing: Jessica has little interest in money and politely declines any offers of it, working in favors only. If the player characters are reluctant to offer her a major boon each, have Jessica turn the group away by directing them to either Sharpe or Stephens. Combat: If the player characters attack Jessica, she will do her level best to escape the encounter.

During the 1990s, a ghoul named Williams held a specialized auction in Gary. Every Saturday, Kindred from as far away as St. Louis would gather inside the abandoned City Methodist Church to purchase human slaves. While Williams himself has long since been removed from the trade, his operation has not. The Circulatory System, an international human trafficking network which smuggles important vessels between domains, has replaced the Auction. While they no longer use City Methodist as their base of operations, the Circulatory System uses Gary as one of their transit hubs. They rely primarily upon the Depot, a warehouse in Aetna, and the building which once housed the Aetna Powder Company. The player characters should be able to locate the Depot with a successful Intelligence + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 4). The warehouse itself is empty when unused, and the Circulatory System is very selective, and very careful, about how and when they utilize it. However, a creative Storyteller can build a Circulatory System operative and perhaps even an electronic auction. If the player characters are familiar with Evelyn Stephens and her attitude toward women and children, they may wish to guilt her into dealing with the Depot. She turns a blind eye to these activities despite her hatred of them, simply because she doesn’t want to rock the boat until she thinks it’s likely that she can win a real victory over the people who organize the auctions. It’s a poor excuse for inaction, however, and she can be compelled to take a stand.

Exploring the City The player characters may not follow Damien or Wainwright’s orders immediately. The following are short scenarios the Storyteller can decide to use depending on where the protagonists go.

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The Dive

Critias and Rosa: “Most of our clan resides within the Anarch Movement, and many of them have chosen to call Gary their new home. With the disappearance of Juggler, Evelyn Stephens has stepped up to fill the gap. But I am uncertain how firm her grip is, or who else is pulling the strings.” Marcel, Newberry, Khalid, and DuSable: “Gary is a failed praxis, one now inhabited entirely by rabble. If they are the source of these attacks against Chicago, then the Anarchs are to blame. The Anarch Center here in Chicago has much to answer for. If this is not resolved quickly, then the Prince will need to take punitive action against Wainwright and her cohorts.” Annabelle: “Gary is a dead city and no longer any concern of mine.” Gengis and Maldavis: “This is bullshit. Evelyn doesn’t have the stones to hit Chicago and the Anarchs aren’t stupid enough to start a war with Jackson. Trust me, this is a set up. My guess? One of the other Primogen is at the heart of this, and they’re gunning for Jackson’s crown.” Galura: “I see wolves circling the city. Wolves that walk on two feet and smell of rust and smoke. There is a lie here, wrapped in another lie. You will be required to make a sacrifice in order to pierce the veil.”

Primarily used by the Anarchs, the Dive is a biker bar located in Glen Park. Evelyn Stephens owns the building, using it for private meetings, negotiations, and relaxing. The Glen Park 45ers frequent the bar as well and have an uneasy arrangement with the local Anarch Movement. The Storyteller can use the Dive to challenge the player characters, first with the Glen Park 45ers and possibly as a secondary location for the Gary Anarchs themselves. If they play their cards right, the player characters should be able to attract the attention of an Anarch who can, in turn, escort the coterie to Evelyn in the Wasteland.

Bullseye Nastrum Solutions’ employees are able to use this indoor gun range in Pulaski all day and all night, since it is open twenty-four hours. If the Storyteller wishes to introduce Clay MacDonald, this is a good opportunity. Beyond that, the Bullseye is a good opportunity for characters to practice their firearm skills in a safe environment.

Feeding in the City

Encounters in Gary

While Gary doesn’t have the lavish nightclubs of Chicago, it does have certain advantages. There is a relatively small police force and a large homeless population. Wildlife is easy to found in the Wasteland and around Miller Beach. Most urban hunting utilizes a basic Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) or a Wits + Animal Ken roll (Difficulty 4). For those who prefer social methods of hunting, there are plenty of bars in Gary and the occasional midnight rave. Most of the more affluent homes are in Miller Beach, Ambridge Mann, Pulaski, and Midtown.

To give Gary a sense of life and dynamism, the Storyteller can insert these encounters, each of which is linked to the main story.

Initiations While traveling through Gary, the characters encounter an Anarch initiation. In a deserted alley, two Anarchs, Bricks and Seb, pummel a young initiate. The young blood is Bree “Blue” Barnes, a newly Embraced Brujah who has only recently joined the ranks of the Movement. Bricks and Seb are veterans, seeking to toughen Blue through direct violence. The characters have a choice, depending on their political affiliation. If they’re members of the Camarilla, they can choose to intervene, taking advantage of the distraction. But if the characters are Anarch, or at least pretending to be Anarch, their options multiply. They can assist in the initiation, they can try to stop the fight, or they merely observe. Regardless, if the PCs prevent the beatdown, Blue responds unkindly. She desperately wants to join the Anarchs and is willing to suffer physical harm in order to prove her worth to the Movement. The stats for Bricks, Seb, and Blue start on p. XX. While these new Anarchs know nothing about the attack on Chicago, they do know there’s a war on the horizon between Evelyn Stephens and whomever is in charge of the

Clan Advice Player characters might want to seek out their Mawla or others elders after speaking with Damien or Wainwright. Most of the Chicago Primogen and clan representatives respond to inquiries with curiosity, as many are unaware of the full nature of events unfolding in Gary. Information about the Mawlas can be found in Chicago by Night, pp. XX to XX. Typical responses are as follows: Khadija, Marcel, and Michalis: “We are not responsible for these attacks upon Chicago, though plenty stand to gain something if word gets around that we are. There is no benefit to us in antagonizing our new home. Wanton violence is against our stated goals. Someone is trying to drive a wedge between the Camarilla and the Anarchs, so you must ask yourself, who has the most to gain from striking at Jackson?”

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Vanguard. The small coterie of Anarchs are pumped up about the possibility of getting to claim Gary as their own again and reducing Camarilla Kindred to ash in the process only sweetens the bargain.

Eyes and Ears A successful Wits + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) or a successful Intelligence + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 3) reveals someone is following the coterie. If they’re traveling on foot, they’ll notice a pair of individuals shadowing their stroll through Gary. If they’re traveling by car, they’ll spot an old sedan tailing their movements. The first option available to the characters is evasion. If they’re on foot, they should be able to escape via Celerity or Obfuscate. A successful Strength + Athletics roll (Difficulty 4), a Wits + Stealth roll (Difficulty 5), or a Dexterity + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 4) can assist this. If the players are in a vehicle, they should be able to escape using back alleys and side streets with a successful Wits + Drive roll (Difficulty 3). A second option is for the players to turn around and confront the pair who are tailing them. Silk and Odessa are members of the Vanguard, tasked by Eric Sharpe to keep an eye on the coterie. He’s ordered the pair not to engage in violence, so while they’ll absolutely defend themselves, the duo won’t throw the first punch. If the player charac-

ters are portraying Anarchs, they’ll politely ask the coterie to leave the area. If the player characters are portraying members of the Camarilla, then Silk and Odessa can declare they’re simply following orders, and that Eric Sharpe likes to keep tabs on everyone operating within Gary. The stats for Silk and Odessa start on p. XX. If the PCs question these two Camarilla Kindred about the recent Chicago attacks, they laugh in the characters’ faces and drive off at speed, confirming nothing one way or the other. If the PCs talk with the Kindred on foot and address the same subject, Silk asks, “Why would we want to blow up part of a domain we aspire to emulate, dumbass?” and even with Wits + Insight rolls, her answer appears earnest. Odessa won’t speak up, allowing Silk to answer instead. This is due to Odessa being one of the vampires who did travel to Chicago to attack the Circulatory System stash house. A Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 5) betrays the vampire’s nerves, but Silk will stop Odessa from being questioned out of loyalty to their coterie-mate. Combat might ensue, but the cops should arrive during the fracas (see p. XX).

Loco Lobos Reports of an animal attack circulate in the news. The Indiana Dunes National Park is nearly twenty-five

Rusted Jungle

Stalking and Staking

miles long and encompasses roughly fifteen thousand acres. Home to a variety of wildlife, grey wolves frequent the area and allegedly caused the recent deaths of two hikers. One of the hikers is a relative of a Contact, Ally, or Touchstone, who then asks the characters for help. Investigating the area and the analyzing the bodies reveal signs of a very large wolf or — more likely — an active Lupine. While Lupines do exist in the area, they generally keep a low profile, and tend to give the cities a wide berth. Tracking the beast requires a successful Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 4) or a successful Intelligence + Animal Ken roll (Difficulty 3). The characters make their way to a small encampment along Lake Michigan, home to Louis Williams, a homeless werewolf suffering from PTSD following the violent deaths of all his packmates. The players can subdue Williams by force, or they can try a more diplomatic approach. While Williams is volatile, a successful Manipulation + Medicine roll (Difficulty 5) convinces Williams to get some professional help. Williams isn’t violent toward the PCs unless they attack him, having succumbed to the depths of his mental illness some time ago. He does confirm the Lupines had nothing to do with the attack on Chicago, at least not so far as he knows, as very few Lupines claim Gary as territory these days. Williams knows nothing about the Honda Civic or its passengers but did spy on an exchange of illicit substances in the park some weeks ago. At first, he thought it was a drug deal, except the package was bulky and the dealer told the recipient — a thin black man— to handle it with utmost care. The black man was Eric Sharpe, though Williams doesn’t know the Ventrue to name him.

Marquette Park is the scene of a violent murder. Wickwire, a local Anarch, makes a hurried phone call to Evelyn Stephens, describing a tall mortal with a crossbow. A second later, the phone falls to the ground and goes dead. Wickwire is nowhere to be found and is not heard from again. Within an hour, rumors circulate among Kindred of a hunter in the area. Some whisper Sullivan Dane has returned, while others suspect Detective Moore. The characters can choose to investigate the scene, or their superiors can order to them to do so. Contacts and Allies may reveal other attacks that have occurred in the park. By entering Marquette Park, the characters may use themselves as bait luring the vampire hunter out into the open. A seemingly isolated Kindred makes an alluring target. The Kindred attracts the attention of Margaret Castle, a hunter passing through Gary on her way to Chicago. Castle has nothing to do with the attacks on Chicago but does have a great deal of hero worship for the legendary Sullivan Dane and wants to earn his support through her actions. She’s fanatical about her pursuit, dressing for the hunt in a grey jumpsuit with a holster for crossbow bolts and has successfully staked and burned five Indiana vampires to date. If restrained and questioned, she explains she found Sullivan Dane but her lack of faith disappointed him. She does what she does because a vampire some of her victims described as Juggler killed her best friend to sate his thirst. She isn’t hunting him in particular the one vampire she caught and released — a stocky African American calling himself Garrison (one of Maxwell’s Masks) assured her Juggler was staked and in his possession. For some reason, she believed the vampire and freed him for his honesty.

LOUIS WILLIAMS Born: 1979 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 1

MARGARET CASTLE

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 3

Born: 1984

Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl (Biting) 3, Drive 1, Survival (Camping) 3; Animal Ken 2, Insight 2, Intimidation (Hunting) 3, Leadership 1, Streetwise 2; Academics 2, Awareness 2, Technology 2

Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 3

Disciplines: Celerity 3, Fortitude 2, Potence 3

Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Drive 1, Firearms (Crossbow) 4, Melee (Hatchet) 4, Stealth 2, Survival 3; Insight 2, Intimidation 3, Stealth 2, Streetwise 2; Academics 2, Awareness 2, Medicine 2

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5

Special: Werewolves suffer aggravated damage from silver weapons and fire. They recover 1 Superficial Health level per turn. Werewolves gain claws and teeth that dead Superficial damage (+3 modifier), as well as +3 to all physical attributes when they shift into their half-wolf war form.

Weapons: Castle wields a crossbow (light piercing, +2 damage) and a hatchet (heavy melee, +3 damage).

General Difficulties: 4/2

General Difficulties: 5/3

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Chapter Two: The Hunter’s Hunted

clandestine hunters now operates, backed by powerful governments. One of the men responsible for that evolution is Gary Commissioner Gregory Stephens (mortal brother of Evelyn), a scarred and stern individual who has been hunting Kindred for the past twenty years. In Gary, he created the Special Hazards Division and placed it under the command of his protégé, Lieutenant Detective Lawanda Moore. A former Marine with a criminal justice degree from IU Northwest, Moore has risen through the ranks of the Gary

While Sullivan Dane is the most legendary hunter within the Great Lakes, he is certainly not the only one. With the rise of the Second Inquisition, a new breed of

HANDOUT #1: LIEUTENANT LAWANDA MOORE Name: Lawanda Shay Moore Date of Birth: 9/2/76 Height: 5’10”

Eyes: Hazel

Weight: 180 lbs.

Hair: Brown

Education and History: • US Marine Corp, Sergeant, 1994 – 2000 (Honorable Discharge) • Military Police Officer, 1998 – 2000 • Three USMC Commendation Medals, Combat Action Badge • Expert Marksman Award, Pistol and Rifle • BA in Criminal Justice, Indiana University, 2004 (Cum Laude) Police Record: • Patrol, Gary, Indiana, 2004 – 2006 • Patrol Sergeant, Gary, Indiana, 2006 – 2008 • Vice Sergeant, Gary, Indiana, 2008 – 2011 • Sergeant Detective, Robbery-Homicide, Gary, Indiana, 2011 – 2016 • Lieutenant Detective, Special Hazards Division, 2016 – Present Gary Police Department Medals and Commendations: • Exceptional Merit Commendation, 2006 • Purple Shield, 2007 • Exceptional Merit Commendation, 2012 • Integrity Commendation, 2012 • Gary Police Department Medal for Valor, 2016 Evaluation: Lieutenant Detective Moore is an exceptional police officer devoted to her work (at the expense of two marriages). Her patient, inquisitive quality lends itself well to detective work. Generally a quiet and reserved individual, Lieutenant Detective Moore appears to have the respect of her peers with an above average clearance rate and a below average number of complaints and reprimands.

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Pay Dirt

Police Department. And unlike most of her colleagues, she’s managed to do so without taking a bribe or outright breaking the law. She turns a blind eye to the corruption in the department but remains focused on her singular task — the hunt for, and destruction of, vampires in Gary. While Modius and Juggler were going at each other, the Special Hazards Division took out two newly arrived coteries of Kindred looking to establish a domain in the city. Moore was the tip of the spear during those operations, and the Kindred population of Gary has held a grudge ever since. But no one has quite had the fortitude to take her out. Whether Sharpe or Evelyn gives them Moore’s address, the player characters have a hard task ahead of them. If they paid Jessica, she can provide Moore’s official police file. Otherwise, the player characters need to use Contacts or Allies to retrieve the dossier Moore lives in a small one-story house in Ambridge Mann. It includes two bedrooms, a small backyard, and a security system courtesy of Nastrum Solutions. Characters can bypass the system with a basic Wits + Technology roll (Difficulty 5). The presence of Moore depends on the hour. She works a 9/17 shift, which means she works nine-hour days nine out of ten weekdays, with weekends off. The Lieutenant Detective’s morning alarm goes off at 7:00 AM so she can get her four-year old daughter, Roberta, ready for the babysitter, but her watch doesn’t officially start until she’s arrived at the day’s most recent crime scene. So, depending on the needs of the story, she can return from work as early as 6:00 PM or as late as 8:00 PM. Before 8:00 PM, Roberta and Amma Jordan, a twenty-two-year old neighborhood babysitter, occupy the home. After 8:00 PM, Amma walks home.

Regardless of what route the player characters take, Moore’s computer contains an encrypted file that makes editing it impossible. Decrypting it requires an Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 5). It includes major Kindred locations, including the Succubus Club, the Blue Velvet, and the Dive. It also includes the location of the Hall, an abandoned steel mill used by the Gary Anarchs, along with Break, a pool hall and secure haven used by the Vanguard. Lastly, the file lists the private homes of assets, ghouls, and a few Kindred throughout both Chicago and Gary. Ultimately, the list of targets is up to the discretion of the Storyteller but should include both Camarilla and Anarchs as well as the Hall and Break, since Chapters Three and Four include them as settings. Acquiring the file places the player characters in a difficult dilemma. If they hand the file to the Anarchs, they will be giving the Movement key strategic targets against the Camarilla. If they give the hard drive to the Vanguard, the Camarilla will have access to key locations used by the Movement. If the player characters attempt to warn either side, Sharpe and Evelyn will quickly discover their agents have double crossed them. If the player characters want to maintain their cover, then they’ll potentially have to sacrifice their fellows.

Chapter Three: Putting the Pieces Together

Coterie Options Manipulation: While Moore won’t hand over her hard drive willingly, Amma may be convinced to do so with a successful Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 3) or a successful Manipulation + Intimidation roll (Difficulty 3). Combat: If the player characters attempt to force the issue, they’ll contend with the mortals inside the house. Amma and Roberta won’t be a challenge; however, seriously harming them will add 2-4 Stains. Frightening or harming them will also attract Moore’s undivided attention. If the player characters wait for Moore, they’ll contend with an armed and very dangerous hunter. In addition, should the coterie make too much noise, the Gary P.D. arrive within ten minutes to fiercely defend one of their own. Stealth: The player characters can attempt to retrieve the hard drive via stealth. After breaking into the home, they need to remain hidden with a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 4). Then, they need to retrieve the hard drive with a successful Intelligence + Technology roll (Difficulty 5).

Chapter Three begins after the coterie has successfully acquired Moore’s encrypted file. The coterie needs to rest for the day and lay low given the fallout from the burglary. Let the player characters choose where to hide and use the scenarios described below to determine the outcome. Hotel, Motel, or Abandoned House: Gary has plenty of cheap hotels and motels, and neighborhoods are littered with empty, decaying houses. With a simple Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 4) or an Intelligence + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 4), the player characters can locate a suitable place to rest for the day and acquire the necessary materials to sunproof it during daylight hours. Coterie Havens: If any of the player characters are native to Gary, own a haven in the city, or have an ally or contact whose haven they can use, the player characters can stay there for the day.

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LET THE STREETS RUN RED

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON CHICAGO? “The Anarchs are responsible. We even followed one of their cars, a stolen Honda Civic, back to the Wasteland. But we lost track of the ones responsible. We’re pretty sure it’s still where they dumped it outside Gary Steel Works.” Note: A successful Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 4) reveals he’s being deceptive and knows more than he’s letting on.

Public Space: The player characters might try to find a public space during the day, taken in the form of vans, shelters, or a trusted church. This is risky since pedestrians and vagrants may notice them, but it remains an option. The coterie needs to return to either Sharpe or Evelyn. Handing over the file earns the trust they need and allows everyone to lower their guard. From here, the player characters can take their time and get to know their new partners. This can take several nights or as long as the Storyteller requires.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH MOORE’S FILE? “Once we’ve had a chance to study the data, we’ll hit the Gary Anarchs. You’ve got a night or two to rest but be ready. We’re gonna hit them hard and quick.”

Getting to Know the Camarilla Vanguard

WHAT HAPPENED TO MODIUS? “Modius is dead. His own childe, Allicia, handed him over to the Anarchs. Supposedly Juggler protected him for a while, but after he went missing, the Anarchs strung Modius up on Miller Beach so he could kiss the sun.”

Eric Sharpe leads a half dozen hardliners. They’re not veterans of any major Kindred war but have seen enough action to prove their resolve. Beyond Sharpe, the Vanguard consists of Cassandra Coats, Silk, David Odessa, and Aces. The Storyteller should feel free to create additional Camarilla as needed. If the player characters survived “The Sacrifice” from Chicago by Night, beginning on p. 313, the Storyteller can use Snowman, One-Round, Baggie, or Malort (Chicago by Night pp. 347-348) as new Camarilla recruits. The Vanguard uses Jane’s Trucking Inc. as their base of operations, but their private, secure haven is a pool hall in Black Oak called Break. The front of the building is for public use, but the back room is for the Vanguard and their trusted guests. In fact, many of them use the basement to sleep in during the day. Having earned the Vanguard’s trust, the coterie can ask Sharpe a few questions. The following are examples of possible questions and suggestions for possible answers. Unless noted, Sharpe is honest in his responses, although the Storyteller might require the players to roll with each question they ask to prevent them from detecting when the roll actually serves to determine an outcome. The Storyteller has the final word on his communication, but let the following serve as a guideline:

WHAT HAPPENED TO JUGGLER? “No idea. He just won the war, so I don’t think he would have vanished. Best guess? He ran into Sullivan Dane or one of these other new hunters. But if you find out, you let me know.”

Getting to Know the Gary Anarchs Evelyn leads the Gary Movement, which includes a half dozen Anarchs. They include Allicia, Arthur Caldwell, Bricks, Seb, and Bree “Blue” Barnes. The Storyteller should feel free to create additional Anarchs as needed. As with the previous example, Snowman, One-Round, Baggie, and Malort from “The Sacrifice” in Chicago by Night may also be Anarch recruits. The Anarchs spend most of their time either at the Dive or at the Hall, an abandoned steel mill. The Hall is in the middle of the Wasteland, and serves as the primary base of operations for the Movement. Having earned their trust, the coterie can ask Evelyn and the Anarchs a few questions. The following are examples of potential questions and ideas for possible answers. Unless noted, Evelyn is honest in her answers. As above, the Storyteller might consider asking the players to roll before answering any of their questions to increase the players’ immersion and leave them wondering which rolls mattered with respect to the information they received. The Storyteller has the final say in the communication between the two, but use the below as a guideline:

WHO ARE YOU (REALLY)? “I’m Eric Sharpe. Grandchilde of Seneschal Sovereign, operating on behalf of a third party who seeks to cleanse Gary of its Anarch presence. My crew and I are true believers, devoted to the Camarilla cause and looking to make a name for ourselves in Chicago.” SO, YOU ARE WORKING FOR YOUR GRANDSIRE? “No. While I occasionally do odd jobs for him, this is a private contract. And no, I’m not at liberty to reveal the name of my employer. You’ve proven your worth, but trust takes time. Just rest assured we work on behalf of a Camarilla elder. One who sees the world as we do.”

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Rusted Jungle

WHO ARE YOU (REALLY)? “Evelyn Stephens. Childe of Juggler and Baron of Gary. Despite what you’ve heard, the Anarchs have called Gary home for the past century. This is a free city for anyone who stands against tyranny. We don’t start fights, but we sure as shit finish them.”

The vehicle is parked in an alley behind an abandoned textile plant. There’s been no attempt to obfuscate the car, and although it has a busted driver’s side window and an open trunk, it remains relatively unscathed. A forensic investigation using a Wits + Investigation (Difficulty 4) or an Intelligence + Science (Difficulty 4) roll suggests that the scene is staged, since there was no attempt to hide or destroy the car. If the player characters have Auspex, Animalism, or some supernatural means of investigating the site, they can learn that four individuals parked the vehicle and departed the area on foot. Their actions were methodical, professional, and devoid of emotion. Animalism and Auspex are unlikely to reveal these individuals as members of the Vanguard, but if the coterie shows initiative or creativity in how they approach the investigation, the Storyteller can choose to reveal it.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON CHICAGO? “Like I said before — I don’t have a clue. That said, it’s not Anarchs. We wouldn’t do that, and we’ve got nothing to gain. But make no mistake, someone is trying to pin this on us. After one of the attacks, someone dumped a Honda Civic in the Wasteland filled with weapons, explosives, and a dossier with detailed Chicago targets. An obvious set up. Even the most reckless of my Anarch chuckleheads wouldn’t do stupid shit like that. You can investigate the car if you like. We left it where they dumped it near Gary Steelworks. Or, talk to Caldwell; he found the thing.”

Investigating Arthur Caldwell

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH MOORE’S FILE? “Once we’ve had a chance to look it over, we’re going to push these Camarilla fucks out of our city. And with your help, we’ll win.”

Arthur “Art” Caldwell was the Anarch who found the Honda Civic and investigated it. If the player characters are masquerading as Anarchs, Stephens provides this information freely and suggests they speak with Art. If the player characters are pretending to be Camarilla, then Sharpe can point them in direction of Caldwell as potential proof that the Anarchs are responsible. In either case, Art usually hangs out at the Dark Cauldron, a gaming shop in Pulaski. A traditional fantasy bookstore takes up the store front with a back room that caters almost exclusively to goths and gaming enthusiasts. Art himself is a stocky, bearded white man in his mid-to-late thirties. He wears baggy, loose-fitting clothing along with a heavy coat and a pair of thick sunglasses.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MODIUS? “He’s dead. Anarchs killed him.” Note: A successful Wits + Insight roll (Difficulty 4) reveals Evelyn is being deceptive and knows more than she’s letting on. WHAT HAPPENED TO JUGGLER? “He’s around. That I know for sure. I think the Vanguard must have gotten the drop on him. He wouldn’t have just walked away. And he’s been dodging hunters for more years than any of us have been walking around. No, this motherfucker Sharpe must have gotten him. And I’m going to make sure he pays for it.”

Coterie Options

Investigating the Honda

Bribery: The Malkavian Anarch is true to the Movement and won’t do anything to harm his sisters and brothers. But he is also an opportunist, always in search of an edge. Money gives him that edge. Art accepts a certain number of Resource dots (with a character losing those dots for the remainder of the story) in the form of cash, dependent on the apparent alliance of the coterie. If Art believes the player characters are fellow Anarchs, then the asking amount will be one dot of Resources. If Art believes the player characters are members of the Camarilla, then he will only accept a minimum of three dots of Resources. Bribed thusly, Art explains that he found the Honda in the Wasteland and cleaned it out.

Given the location by either Sharpe or Stephens, the player characters would be wise to investigate the abandoned vehicle used in the Chicago attacks. They’ll find it near Gary Steelworks in the Wasteland, and while the Anarchs have since stripped it of any weapons or equipment, the car remains intact. The PCs can find it with a Wits + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 3). If they have the skills or the means of tracking down information about the car’s license plate, it’s registered to a 2010 Honda Civic which was stolen from downtown Gary two weeks ago. Clay MacDonald, an employee for Nastrum Solutions, is its owner.

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It had spent shell casings, various firearms, and a detailed map of Chicago within. The map includes targets such as the Succubus Club, the Blue Velvet, and other buildings attacked in recent weeks. Art also retrieved a handwritten note which simply read: “Dump the car in the Wasteland when you’re done. — E.S.” Manipulation: True to his nature, Art is susceptible to a social offensive with a Charisma + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4) or a Manipulation + Intimidation roll (Difficulty 5). In either case, a success yields the same answers listed above. If Art believes the player characters are fellow Anarchs, then Difficulty rolls decrease by 2. If Art suspects the characters are Camarilla, then Difficulty rolls increase by 2. Combat: Another option is to simply force the information out of Art. Art may look like an unfit gamer, but he doesn’t appreciate being pushed around and will defend himself. Note that if the player characters are masquerading as Anarchs, harming Art will almost certainly weaken their position with Evelyn Stephens and the rest of the Movement.

Investigating Clay MacDonald Either as an alternative to investigating the Honda or in addition to doing so, the coterie can take a closer look at Clay MacDonald. He’s a lean man who works out on a regular basis. He knows how to handle himself in a fight from his years as a Navy Ensign serving on aircraft carriers during the waning years of Operation Enduring Freedom. He’s since retired and shows his age with touches of grey peppering his short blonde hair. His left ring finger has no ring, imprint, or tan line. Clay’s mechanical engineering skills helped him land a private sector job with Nastrum Solutions, where he installs security systems. However, he never saw direct combat and harbors a dark fantasy about what it might feel like to kill someone. He’s trying to transfer over to the personal security division of the company but has had trouble passing the psych evaluation. So, he spends many of his nights hanging out at the Bullseye and dreaming of the day he can see some real action. Through allies, contacts, accessing DMV records, or the crime report from the stolen vehicle, the coterie should be able to locate MacDonald. He lives in a small apartment in Pulaski with his German shepherd, Clifford. Alternatively, the coterie can find MacDonald target shooting at the Bullseye.

Coterie Options Bribing: MacDonald gladly takes money in exchange for information. The amount will have to exceed one dot of Resources (with a character losing that dot for the remainder of the story) via a direct transfer or cash for him to make a deal with the coterie. MacDonald reveals that a

Rusted Jungle

bearded, heavyset black man with a mane of hair approached him several months ago. Identified as Mr. M, the mysterious figure hired MacDonald to install security cameras and alarms for the Dive in Glen Park as well as Jane’s Trucking Inc. Mr. M also paid MacDonald to allow his car to be stolen and then to file a false police report. MacDonald doesn’t know the name of the perpetrators. While there are many African American vampires in the area, including Prince Jackson, Sheriff Damien, and Sharpe, none of them seem match the describe of Mr. M. Manipulation: If the group takes the social route, trying to either charm or threaten MacDonald, they need to roll Charisma + Persuasion (Difficulty 4) or Manipulation + Intimidation (Difficulty 3). Successful results yield the same information as above. Combat: If the player characters want to force the issue, they’ll contend with MacDonald along with Clifford and any mortals inside the Bullseye. None of them are hardened killers, but all are trained marksmen. If the player characters can subdue MacDonald, then he reveals the arrangement made with Mr. M. The Storyteller should give 1-3 Stains depending on the severity of injury and individual Convictions.

The Ambush After the coterie finishes their investigation, the Gary P.D. ambushes them. This can occur either in the Wasteland or while in transit to another location. Give the player characters a few minutes to decide how to proceed. Now they know E.S. ordered the attacks on Chicago. They may have also surmised that E.S. is linked, in some form, to Mr. M. What they don’t know is that their activities have attracted the attention of Mr. M,

who in turn has informed the Gary police where they can find the people responsible for the Moore burglary. Three patrol cars arrive or pursue and attempt to apprehend the characters, consisting of six officers in total. If Lieutenant Detective Moore survived Chapter Two, she can be included in the assault.

Coterie Options Escape: Escape is likely the best option since it avoids directly assaulting the police. However, the PCs need to act before the police have a chance to surround them, depending on where the ambush takes place. If the player characters are on foot, they should be able to escape via Celerity or Obfuscate. A successful Strength + Athletics roll (Difficulty 5), a Wits + Stealth roll (Difficulty 6), or a Dexterity + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 5) can aid this. If the player characters are in a vehicle, they should be able to escape via back alleys and side streets with a successful Wits + Drive roll (Difficulty 4). Manipulation: Manipulation is nearly impossible. The police are on the warpath, protective of their own and hungry for vengeance. Mundane coercion won’t effect the Gary police, but the coterie can try to scare them off using either direct Disciplines or a straight Manipulation + Intimidation roll (Difficulty 6).

Combat: The Gary police won’t fire first, but they will attempt to apprehend the suspects. If the members of the coterie draw their weapons or do anything that might be misconstrued as a threat, the Gary police will change their stance. The police are armed and well trained, but if they receive enough damage, they will retreat. The Storyteller should make the players aware of the cost of injuring or murdering mortals and give stains appropriately.

Chapter Four: Things End in Blood The player characters need to lay low for the rest of the night using one of the locations described in Chapter Three. They can use this opportunity to contact Damien or Wainwright and fill them in on what they’ve learned. Regardless, even if the player characters suspect one or either party, Damien or Wainwright asks them to continue their infiltration. Unfortunately, the coterie won’t have long to consider their next move, since they receive an urgent phone call. Its content depends on which Sect the player characters have infiltrated.

D O U B L E AG E N T S U B P LO T

The player acting as the double agent needs to decide if and whom they will warn about the impending attack. If the player chooses not to report back as promised, the hiring contact (either Damien or Wainwright) will discover this in the aftermath of the attack. The contact will double-cross the double agent and blow the coterie’s cover. If the player chooses to report the plan of attack, those defending their base of operations will have the foreknowledge to be properly prepared to meet the fight. Depending on how the fight unfolds, the Storyteller may combine appropriate pieces of the six results of the battle provided or create their own. For example, the hiring contact might reward the double agent while taking the rest of the coterie into custody.

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LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Attacking the Anarchs

Attacking the Vanguard

If the player characters have infiltrated the Camarilla, they get a phone call from Eric Sharpe. The Vanguard has reviewed Moore’s file and has acquired the location of the Anarch Movement’s primary stronghold — the Hall. To that end, before the coterie can pursue their newly acquired information, the Vanguard will execute a full-scale assault within the hour. It requires all hands on deck. Sharpe orders the coterie to make their way to the Wasteland, just outside the Hall, and tells them to keep their distance. At this juncture, the player characters have a difficult choice to make. They are Anarchs pretending to be Camarilla who are about to attack fellow Anarchs. If they warn Evelyn, they will blow their cover but save lives. If they maintain their cover, they’ll fight against fellow members of the Movement. If they attempt to contact Damien, Wainwright, or even Jessica for guidance, all will be unavailable. The coterie can approach the Hall in the Wasteland with a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 4). Which Anarchs are present inside the Hall is up to the Storyteller, but it should include most of the Gary Movement. Unless the player characters have warned the Anarchs ahead of time, the Vanguard roll Dexterity + Stealth (Difficulty 2) and each successful character gains a free surprise attack. After the first turn, all attacks are taken as normal. If the Anarchs are surprised, they fight off the attack to the best of their ability. If they begin taking heavy losses, they will retreat further into the Wasteland. If the Anarchs receive advance warning, then based on the numbers alone, the outcome of the battle will be determined by whomever the characters choose to side with.

If the player characters are masquerading as Anarchs, Evelyn Stephens contacts them. The Movement has finished combing through the Moore file and discovered the location of Break. As a result, before the Vanguard have a chance to move, Evelyn pushes for a direct offensive. Evelyn orders the coterie to get to Break as soon as possible. At this point, the player characters have a hard decision to make. They are Camarilla pretending to be Anarchs who are about to assault their fellow Camarilla. If they tip off Sharpe, they blow their cover but save lives. If they maintain their charade, then they’ll end up fighting and potentially killing Sharpe and his Camarilla crew. If they try to call Damien, Wainwright, or even Jessica for advice, all will be unavailable. The coterie can approach Break, located in Black Oak, with a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 4). Which members of the Vanguard are present is up to the Storyteller, but the group should include Eric Sharpe and the bulk of his hardliners. Unless the Vanguards are warned ahead of time, the Anarchs will surround the building and roll Dexterity + Stealth (Difficulty 2). Each successful SPC gains a free surprise attack. After the first turn, all attacks are taken as normal. If the Anarchs catch the Vanguard off-guard, they fight off the attack as best they can. If bodies start to drop, they perform a tactical retreat to Jane’s Trucking Inc. If the Vanguard receives advance warning, then based on the numbers, the results of the battle are determined by whomever the characters choose to fight against.

The Aftermath Ultimately, the fate of the battle depends heavily on the choices of the

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player characters. Following are the six most likely outcomes: Camarilla characters infiltrating the Anarchs maintain their cover and assist the Movement: Evelyn Stephens and the Anarchs, with the assistance of the player characters, destroy the Vanguard. Perhaps a few, such as Eric Sharpe, manage to escape, but the result is the eradication of the Camarilla in Gary. Grateful for the player characters’ assistance, Evelyn Stephens offers them a section of Gary to call their own somewhere in Black Oak, the west side, or Brunswick. If the player characters search the bodies of the Vanguard, they find a burner phone tied to Mr. M. If the player characters fail to search the bodies, Jessica finds the coterie the next night and offers to sell it to them. If the player characters call the burner phone, they reach a ghoul named Geraldine who invites them to a house on Miller Beach. Camarilla characters infiltrating the Anarchs protect the Vanguard from the Movement: Eric Sharpe and the Vanguard, with help from the player characters, annihilate the Gary Anarchs. Evelyn Stephens or Allicia may flee the scene, but the bottom line is that this attack guts the Gary Anarchs. They will need years to regroup. Sharpe is surprised by the presence of the player characters, but grateful for their assistance. He’ll demand to know who hired them and why, but quickly comes to trust them. In the end, he offers to introduce them to the true Prince of Chicago. Camarilla characters infiltrating the Anarchs fail to protect the Vanguard from the Movement: Although it seems mathematically unlikely, if the Storyteller decides to run every round, it is possible for the Anarchs to prevail despite the warning and the player’s assistance. The Anarch Movement all but annihilates the Vanguard. Sharpe gives the order to retreat and manages to escape the fray alongside the player characters.

Rusted Jungle

Confused by who the player characters are, Sharpe demands to know why they helped him. With their cover totally blown, wounded, and on the run, Sharpe takes the coterie to his employer, the mysterious Mr. M, at a private house on Miller Beach. Anarch characters infiltrating the Camarilla maintain their cover and assist the Vanguard: Eric Sharpe and the Vanguard, with the aid of the player characters, destroy the Gary Anarchs. Evelyn Stephens or Allicia may manage to flee the battle, but the Camarilla Vanguard will cut most down. With their cover intact having spilled the blood of their allies, Sharpe shows his appreciation by introducing the coterie to Mr. M and the mastermind behind these recent events. Anarch characters infiltrating the Camarilla protect the Anarchs from the Vanguard: If the player characters choose to show their true colors and defend their fellow Anarchs, the Vanguard fails in their attack. Most of the Camarilla will die in the attempt, though a few may manage to exfiltrate themselves from the situation. Caught off guard by the presence of the player characters, Evelyn Stephens is thoroughly thankful for their assistance. She’ll inquire on their motives and true purpose in Gary but expresses her trust and gratitude. She may even offer them a section of Gary to call their own somewhere in Black Oak, the west side, or Brunswick. If the player characters search the bodies of the Vanguard, they find a burner phone tied to Mr. M. If the player characters fail to search the bodies, Jessica finds them the next night and offers to sell it to them. If the player characters call the burner phone, they reach a ghoul named Geraldine who invites them to a house on Miller Beach. Anarch characters infiltrating the Camarilla fail to protect the Anarchs from the Vanguard: If the player characters warn the Anarchs

ahead of time, they may be able to defend against the Vanguard, especially if they side with them. But if the Storyteller needs the battle to go a certain way or decides to play out every roll, the Vanguard may show strategic mastery and win the day. After the Camarilla defeat the Anarchs, Eric Sharpe acknowledges the coterie’s betrayal and takes them into custody. From there he removes their weapons and personally delivers them to his employer, Mr. M.

Chapter Five: The Man Behind the Curtain Whether on their own or escorted by Sharpe, the coterie makes their way to a fortified mansion overlooking Miller Beach. It’s protected by a high brick wall with security cameras mounted around the perimeter and within the property. The mansion sits on a ten-acre plot dotted with tall trees that surround a three story, five thousand square foot mansion. For all its impressive richness, the home shows signs of disuse including an overgrown lawn, crumbling edifices, and cracked walls. Inside the mansion are two ghouls introduced as Mrs. Geraldine and Mr. Marks and two armed security guards. There are also three Kindred. If Sharpe is with the group, then he can bypass the security system at the front gate. From there, he enters the facility and escorts the characters to the main library. If the player characters are on their own, they can use the intercom to speak with Mrs. Geraldine. The ghoul opens the main gate, invites the coterie into the mansion, and escorts them to the main li-

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brary. A third option is to sneak onto the property with an Intelligence + Larceny roll (Difficulty 4) and a Wits + Stealth roll (Difficulty 4). Regardless of how they arrive, in the main library stands a Kindred legend, Maxwell, with two more resting in coffins. They are Juggler and Modius. Resembling Albert Einstein, Modius is of slightly less than average height with thinning gray hair and a trimmed Van Dyke beard, his pale skin craggy and old. He’s dressed in a tailored blue suit and rests comfortably in an open black coffin. A rosewood stake sticks out of his chest. In the other coffin, with a similar rosewood stake sticking out of his chest is Juggler, the former Baron of Gary. Juggler is a white man of slightly below average height and light build. He has shoulder length dark blonde hair. He’s dressed in a dark wool jacket and gray sweater. The former Prince of Chicago, Maxwell, looms over them. The Brujah elder is a stocky, middle aged man with dark skin, tight hair, and a trimmed facial hair. His tailored black suit could be made for a Ventrue, but he adds a flash of flair to the somber ensemble with a bright red tie and pocket square. Maxwell greets the coterie, addressing them by name, fully aware of their true loyalties. He’s been tracking their movements since they arrived in Gary. He had MacDonald install the security systems for both the Dive and Jane’s Trucking, giving him personal and direct access to both the Vanguard and the Anarchs. He gave Eric Sharpe the Honda Civic and instructed the Vanguard to attack Chicago. When the player characters investigated the stolen car, he informed the Gary police department where the coterie would be. “Good evening.” His voice is as worn as the pages of a dusty old tome. “I am Maxwell, childe of Altamira, and the true Prince of Chicago. In the boxes behind me are Modius, former

WHAT HAPPENED TO JUGGLER? “I asked him politely to join my cause. He refused.” Maxwell gestures to the torpid vampire. “I do not take no for an answer.”

Prince of Gary, and Juggler, former Baron of Gary. Both are my guests. As are you. To that end, please allow me to confirm your suspicions. The Vanguard works for me. And now you have an opportunity to work for me, too.” Maxwell smooths his tie, revealing broad, strong hands with a gold ring rest on his right index finger. “I am not your enemy. Like you, I began with nothing. I sold furs, traversed the Americas, and claimed the city of Chicago in its infancy. I was the first true Prince of Chicago. Even as my mortal ancestors slaved in the fields of this county, I was a leader with command over thousands.” His dark eyes heat with the fire of ambition and righteous indignation. “And I will be again. “I will give you a choice. You can help me regain my throne, or I can remove you from the board entirely.” Before matters escalate, the player characters may wish to continue their dialogue. The following are examples of possible questions and suggestions for answers. Maxwell has nothing to hide and answers all questions honestly. The Storyteller has the final say in the dialogue, but let the following serve as a guideline:

SO, WHAT HAPPENS TO GARY? “Whatever you want to happen. This rusted jungle means nothing to me. I use it only as a means to an end: to secure my praxis in Chicago. Join me, and you can decide the fate of Gary. You can decide who rules it as Prince, Baron, or any such title you require.” AND WHAT HAPPENS TO CHICAGO? “I continue my campaign. While I and mine attack from without, my allies will strike from within. In the end, the city will mine once more.”

Coterie Options Escape: The first option is for the coterie to escape. If they do, Maxwell, his two security guards, and potentially Sharpe attempt to stop them. While Celerity and Obfuscate certainly help, a successful Strength + Athletics roll (Difficulty 5), a Wits + Stealth roll (Difficulty 6), or a Dexterity + Streetwise roll (Difficulty 6) will aid in this. If the player characters get to a vehicle, they should be able to escape using back alleys and side streets with a successful Wits + Drive roll (Difficulty 5), or potentially ramming through the brick wall with a Dexterity + Drive roll (Difficulty 6). That said, if the Vanguard are still operational, Maxwell would mobilize them to begin

WHAT HAPPENED TO MODIUS? “He was in torpor when I found him. Modius and Juggler were sworn enemies for many decades, a struggle that ended when Modius’s own childe, Allicia, betrayed him. Juggler kept him alive as a hostage, a deal brokered with Annabelle. She would never risk a direct attack on Gary knowing her childe would die as a result. I claimed him as my hostage, and he ensures certain elements within Chicago will not interfere with my plans.”

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The Fate of Juggler: Left staked, Juggler serves as a potential bargaining chip for Maxwell or for whomever secures him as a hostage. For example, players could use Juggler to blame the Chicago attacks on the former Baron and drag him before Prince Jackson. On the other hand, if the player characters choose to free him, Juggler rewards the coterie with territory and position in Gary after he’s once again proclaimed the Baron of Gary. The Fate of Gary: The Steel City might be a blighted city, but which Kindred stewards will continue to control it depends largely on the outcome of the battle in Chapter Four. If Juggler or Evelyn Stephens are alive, they re-establish their power base and transform Gary into an Anarch Free State. If Modius is able, he restores his power base, though this is difficult given there are few Kindred left alive who would swear fealty to him. If the Vanguard proves victorious, Maxwell rules from the shadows using Eric Sharpe as his public face. Sharpe won’t claim the title of Prince but will assist in holding Gary as a Camarilla territory. A final possibility is for the player characters to accept the assistance of Maxwell, claim the city of Gary for themselves, and assist the Vanguard in solidifying Camarilla rule. The Fate of Chicago: The Windy City is a bastion of Camarilla dominance and a city fractured by warring agendas, secret schemes, and violent streets. The player characters can return to Damien or Wainwright and tell them the truth. If they can identify the culprit behind the attacks on Chicago and ensure the attacks have ended, their contact rewards them. They can assist in this by handing over the man responsible, be that Maxwell, Sharpe, or anyone the characters choose to pin it on. The Storyteller might have Damien or Wainwright offer personal feeding grounds within Chicago, boons, or free dots in the appropriate Backgrounds as incentives or rewards for their assistance. In the end, the player characters either have Maxwell as a powerful ally or as a deadly enemy. Gary is either theirs to call home or dangerous territory they need to escape.

patrolling the streets. He may also contact the Gary P.D. and have them do the same. The player characters need to go to ground or escape Gary entirely. Combat: If the player characters don’t want to run but don’t want to play ball, they can attempt a direct confrontation. Maxwell and his forces are formidable foes. An intrepid character may attempt to remove the stakes from Modius or Juggler, who each emerge in a state of hunger frenzy and attack the closest target — including Maxwell. If it appears Maxwell is about to be defeated, the Storyteller can choose to have him run instead. While he has no skill in Obfuscate, he does possess Celerity, and escapes with a successful Strength + Athletics roll (Difficulty 2). Manipulation: The final option for the coterie is negotiation. Maxwell can offer a great deal and would be pleased to secure their loyalty. A successful Manipulation + Persuasion roll (Difficulty 4) can assist this. But Maxwell understands how to compromise. If the player characters ask him to lay off the attacks on Chicago, he considers it. Maxwell is also willing to use Modius or Juggler as a scapegoat, blaming the entire affair on either of the two rulers. Incentives which Maxwell might offer the PCs include praxis or barony over Gary, personal territory within Gary, or free dots in any appropriate Backgrounds.

The Aftermath The end of Rusted Jungle depends on the players’ choices and what they’re willing to sacrifice. It also largely depends on whether Maxwell lives and whether he is an ally to the characters or an enemy. The Fate of Maxwell: Extant, Maxwell continues to conspire against the city of Chicago with the intention of reclaiming it. Defeated by the player characters or if he loses the Vanguard, Maxwell regroups and waits for a more opportune time. Should the player characters agree to a deal, Maxwell maintains his position of authority and continues to use the Vanguard to take over Gary. From there, he can continue his campaign against Chicago, using the coterie or other Kindred who may be unhappy with Jackson’s rule. The Fate of Modius: Left staked, Modius serves as a hostage for Maxwell or for whomever acquires custody of him. If freed, he rewards the coterie handsomely. In the aftermath, if released, he fights in Gary to become Prince.

Epilogue Give the players time to vent and talk through the last events. Answer any questions raised if possible and let them discuss if necessary. When every player is ready, present them with the epilogue in the form of a letter delivered via courier to the coterie.

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Handout #2: A Letter Those responsible for events in Gary,

While I am no friend to you or your kind, my battle is not with you. Demons of higher rank walk these streets, warring with one another. I have observed from the outside, warmed by the light of God and fed by His Righteousness. To that end, having witnessed your work, I offer you my deepest thanks. For while your motives may be your own, there are fewer godless monsters today than there were yesterday. I will allow you to walk the streets of Gary unmolested, and I will ensure my fellow hunters do the same. But if you violate one of God’s Holy Commandments, then know I will withdraw my protection. Harm the virtuous or abuse the innocent, and I shall hunt you down and drag you before the sun. For in this secret war of yours, there are forces greater than you know. And in His name, I will not hesitate to enlighten you. Sincerely,

Sullivan Dane

Antagonist Stats

Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 3

While major characters from this story can be found in the Kindred Biographies chapter, chances are, player characters are going to run into some of the domain’s minor Kindred. Gary’s Kindred population has been fluid and transient since the 1960s, but Eric Sharpe has his Camarilla hardliners and Evelyn Stephens has her Anarchs. None are very old or experienced, but in a group, they can do some damage. Use these examples for any Kindred SPCs. In terms of numbers and effectiveness, feel free to adjust as needed.

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Firearms (Pistol) 2, Larceny 2, Stealth 2, Survival 4; Insight 2, Intimidation (Bully) 4, Streetwise (Drug Deal) 2, Subterfuge (Straight Face) 4; Awareness 2, Medicine 1, Technology 2 Disciplines: Fortitude 2, Protean 2 General Difficulties: 4/2

BRICKS, SOLDIER OF THE ANARCH MOVEMENT

SEB, SOLDIER OF THE ANARCH MOVEMENT

Clan: Gangrel

Clan: Gangrel Sire: Rapture

Sire: Rapture

Embraced: 1999 (Born 1970)

Embraced: 2010 (Born 1993)

Humanity: 3

Humanity: 4

Generation: 13th

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Blood Potency: 1

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 6

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3

Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Larceny (Lockpicking) 4, Stealth (Stalking) 4, Survival 2; Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 2, Insight 1, Intimidation 3, Persuasion 2, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 3; Academics (Law) 1, Awareness 2, Investigation 4, Technology 2

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics (Parkour) 4, Brawl (Street Fighting) 4, Drive 2, Larceny 2, Stealth 2, Survival (Scrounging) 4; Insight 2, Intimidation 2, Streetwise 2; Awareness 2

Disciplines: Obfuscate 3, Potence 3 General Difficulties: 5/2

Disciplines: Fortitude 1, Protean 3

SILK, VANGUARD OF THE CAMARILLA

General Difficulties: 5/2

BREE “AUGUST” BARNES, SOLDIER OF THE ANARCH MOVEMENT

Clan: Toreador Sire: Shane Fulorgy Embraced: 1964 (Born 1921)

Clan: Brujah

Humanity: 4

Sire: Jacklin

Generation: 12th

Embraced: 2005 (Born 1982)

Blood Potency: 2

Humanity: 5

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 3

Generation: 13th Blood Potency: 1

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 1, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3

Skills: Athletics 2, Firearms (Pistol) 4, Larceny 3, Stealth 2, Survival 1; Insight 2, Intimidation 2, Performance (Guitar) 4, Persuasion 3; Awareness 2, Investigation 3, Medicine 1, Technology (Hacking) 3

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 4 Skills: Athletics (Quick Step) 3, Brawl (Boxing) 4, Larceny 1, Stealth 2, Survival 2; Insight 2, Intimidation (Well Built) 4, Performance 2, Persuasion 1, Streetwise 2; Academics (Mathematics) 2, Awareness (Ambushes) 3, Occult 1

Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 3, Presence 2 General Difficulties: 5/2

DAVID ODESSA, VANGUARD OF THE CAMARILLA

Disciplines: Celerity 1, Potence 3 General Difficulties: 4/2

Clan: Tremere

CASSANDRA COATS, VANGUARD OF THE CAMARILLA

Sire: Heathcote Pursuit Embraced: 1992 (Born 1960) Humanity: 3

Clan: Nosferatu

Generation: 12th

Sire: Dick Beardsley

Blood Potency: 2

Embraced: 1975 (Born 1923) Generation: 10th

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Resolve 3

Blood Potency: 2

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma 1, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 2, Resolve 3

Skills: Firearms (Pistol) 3, Larceny 2, Stealth 2; Insight 3, Intimidation 2, Persuasion 2; Academics (Linguistics) 3, Awareness 3, Investigation 3, Occult (Witchcraft) 3

Humanity: 5

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Disciplines: Auspex 2, Blood Sorcery 3

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5

General Difficulties: 4/3

Skills: Brawl 3, Larceny 2, Melee (Swords) 4, Survival 2; Insight 2, Intimidation 2, Persuasion 2, Streetwise (Trafficking) 3; Academics 2, Awareness 2, Finance (Laundering) 3, Investigation 3, Technology 1

ACES, VANGUARD OF THE CAMARILLA Clan: Malkavian

Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 3, Potence 4, Presence 2

Sire: Necrophiliac Arthur Chase

General Difficulties: 4/3

Embraced: 1981 (Born 1959)

ARMANDO RIO

Humanity: 4 Generation: 13th

Clan: Brujah

Blood Potency: 2

Sire: Maxwell

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 3

Embraced: 1995 (Born 1971) Ambition: To expunge the lingering Sabbat from Central America

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5

Convictions: Never brook disrespect

Skills: Athletics (Sprinting) 3, Drive 1, Firearms (Rifles) 3, Stealth 2; Insight 3, Persuasion 2; Academics 3, Investigation 2, Medicine (Triage) 4, Technology 1

Touchstones: Nydia Aceveda — a performer at the Lou Conte Dance Studio Humanity: 4

Disciplines: Auspex 2, Obfuscate 2

Generation: 7th

General Difficulties: 5/2

Blood Potency: 2

Maxwell’s Childer

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3

Maxwell, former Prince of Chicago, has Embraced many childer throughout his long and violent existence. As these Kindred are older and pose a definite risk to the player characters’ ambitions, they have expanded stat blocks.

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5 Skills: Brawl 2, Drive (Evasive Driving) 3, Firearms (Handgun, Shotgun) 3, Larceny 4; Insight 2, Intimidation 2, Persuasion 3, Subterfuge 2; Awareness 2, Finance 1, Investigation 3, Technology 2

JUAN QUINTERO

Disciplines: Celerity 2, Potence 2, Presence 2 General Difficulties: 5/3

Clan: Brujah

The (Not-So) Innocent Masses

Sire: Maxwell Embraced: 1912 (Born 1879) Ambition: Help Maxwell become Prince of Chicago Convictions: Survival of the fittest

Mortals occasional pose as great a threat to vampires as Kindred. It need not be left to the Inquisition to put the torch to Kindred society.

Touchstones: Jose Hernandez — a local professional boxer Humanity: 4 Generation: 7th

LT. DETECTIVE LAWANDA MOORE

Blood Potency: 3 Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 3

A former Marine MP with a criminal justice degree, Moore has risen through the ranks of the Gary Police

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SECURITY GUARDS

Department. As Commissioner Stephens’ protégé, she is aware of the existence of Kindred and uses the Gary Special Hazards Division to hunt them down. While dedicated to her job and currently going through a messy divorce, she still manages to take care of her four-year-old daughter, Roberta. Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 2, Mental 4

Either working directly for specific Kindred or as part of Nastrum Solutions, security guards are easy to come by in Gary. They aren’t as hardened as Gary police, but they still know how to get the job done. Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 2, Mental 3

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 5

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5

Exceptional Dice Pools: Firearms 5; Leadership 3; Investigation 5

Exceptional Dice Pools: Larceny 5; Technology 4

Weapons: Like other Gary police officers, Moore carries a heavy pistol (medium gunshot, +3 damage).

Weapons: The security guards in this scenario arm themselves with pistols (medium gunshot, +3 damage) or stun guns (light impact, +1 damage).

General Difficulties: 4/2

General Difficulties: 3/1

GARY POLICE

JANE Q. PUBLIC

Well over half the Gary P.D. are on the take in one form or another. But even underpaid and overworked, they all know how to shoot a gun. The Storyteller can choose to give the police officers different stats and equip them with different weapons. Here is a sample: Standard Dice Pools: Physical 5, Social 2, Mental 3

This example of an average mortal to represent SPCs not otherwise mentioned in the book who act as hindrances to the coterie. They have no combat training and are average citizens of Gary. The Storyteller should alter this template as needed. Standard Dice Pools: Physical 3, Social 3, Mental 3

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 5 Exceptional Dice Pools: Streetwise 4; Investigation 4

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 6

Weapons: The police officers in this scenario arm themselves with pistols or shotguns (medium gunshot, +3 damage) or stun guns (light impact, +1 damage).

General Difficulties: 2/1

Exceptional Dice Pools: Insight 4; Awareness 4

General Difficulties: 3/2

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“I hear there’s hope to be found in the American Midwest, that equality and opportunities abound for young Kindred. That’s right, isn’t it?” – Felicia Page, shortly ahead of her arrival in Chicago

This chapter contains characters spread throughout the domains of Chicago, Gary, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis, with some ranging farther afield. Many have connections to each other and to characters within Chicago by Night, while some stand alone, able to fit into chronicles of in domain. Where any of these characters have clans, powers, or locations that don’t fit into your chronicles, adjust them to suit your own purposes. The following SPCs have a range of power levels, from humble fledglings to terrifying elders. While an aged

vampire may have stats appearing close to those of an ancillae in raw figures, the Storyteller is encouraged to take into account the effects Generation and Blood Potency convey, as per p. XX of Vampire: The Masquerade. We don’t specify the Discipline powers each character has, so the Storyteller is encouraged to use a range of interesting abilities from the core book and sourcebooks such as Chicago by Night and Cults of the Blood Gods. As more books follow, the Storyteller can then customize these characters to take new powers into account.

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“No longer will some inbred Patrician tell a vampire of Clan Brujah what to say or do. The Camarilla is ours! They are the ones who have corrupted it!” — Maxwell, shouting his resentment about the Clan of Kings As ever, the Brujah are a disparate force. Some campaign for rulership in the name of the Anarch Movement, others seek praxis for the Camarilla, while many strike out on their own, tired of the sectarian squabbles that have defined Kindred existence for so long.

JUGGLER Epitaph: Baron of Gary, currently missing Quote: “No Priests. No Kings.” Clan: Brujah MORTAL DAYS: FORTY-EIGHTER Iacopo Manzini was the second son of a prosperous merchant family. He attended excellent schools and graduated from the University of Vicenza in 1840. Fascinated by politics, he enthusiastically participated in the revolutionary movement. His family, disapproving of his dangerous ideas, wanted him to settle down, marry, and work in the family business, but that was not the life Iacopo envisioned for himself. After a series of bitter rows, he insisted upon going his own way and his family cut him off. He walked to Germany in 1845 to work for the revolution, offering his services as a laborer to farmers along the way in exchange for food and shelter. Along the way, he reflected on the hospitality he received and learned about survival and the virtues of the common man. The revolution of 1848 failed in Germany and, along with many of his forty-eighter comrades, Iacopo migrated to America rather than staying to face political persecution. Iacopo was one of many who settled in Cincinnati. Always ambitious, he worked his way toward a position of leadership in the movement. Independence from the British Empire was not enough. Revolution, to Iacopo, was a continuous process of violent upheaval designed to

bring about an improvement in the lot of all mankind. He took part in the Cincinnati riots of 1853 in the course of which he sustained fatal injuries. One of the 100 women who followed the fatal march was Elle, a Kindred who had been wanting a childe for some years. The mortally wounded revolutionary was too good a prospect to pass over. In the confusion, it was easy to drag him into an alley where she Embraced him. KINDRED NIGHTS: LEADER OF ANARCHS Iacopo travelled with his sire, stirring up unrest among the oppressed wherever and whenever they could until Elle met her end during the New Orleans Massacre of 1866. Iacopo survived by virtue of the color of his skin. It was then he changed his name to Juggler, a nickname his sire had given him due, he believes, to his grace and dexterity.

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Juggler came to Chicago soon after Maldavis’s defeat, hoping to channel the Anarchs’ rage into support for himself. They rallied to his side in considerable numbers. However, the size of their group was quickly, dramatically reduced by the savage attacks of the Lupines and Sabbat. Juggler never gave up on his attempts to recruit to the Anarch cause. His success, however, was limited. He lacked the charisma of Kindred like Maldavis, who remained his greatest rival in the race to become the first among equals. Upon Lodin’s supposed death, Juggler entered the contest for the praxis of Chicago, inspired by his intense rivalry with Maldavis, who was a definite candidate. At that time, though, he was blood bound to Tyler who, in her turn, was bound to the Methuselah Helena. Helena wanted Juggler to lead the Anarchs, not to take praxis of Chicago. The subversion of his will may explain why his attempted coup resulted in few casualties. Helena’s schemes protected him but forced him back to Gary where she wanted him. Feeling manipulated, though not able to explain by whom, Juggler stuck to Gary, though he still maintains his old haven on Northside. He proclaimed himself Baron and managed well enough. When Tyler left Chicago, the bond weakened. At first he sought her out ever more desperately, and his followers remarked upon his strange behavior. Then he started to reflect upon his own motivations, wondering why he ever let this individual weave such a web of dependence around him. He concluded that someone else, someone altogether more ominous, forced Tyler to act in this way. He began to wonder if he could discover more about who was controlling him by investigating what was really happening in the Gehenna War. He has not discussed this with anyone. Only Pietr Armstrong, Juggler’s recently created ghoul, knows anything about this planned expedition. About a month ago, Juggler disappeared. His childe, Evelyn, took his place as Baron of Gary.

will find the key to this mystery by following the Beckoned elders. •

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Deserted Ore Smelter (Allies 2, Haven 3, Retainers 3) Before he disappeared, Juggler spent most of his days in this ore smelter in the Gary Wasteland. His gang member retainers continue to defend it.

•

Abandoned King Brewery (Haven 4, Influence 2) Juggler has not abandoned his old haven. It remains secure because the Anarchs who support him keep it in good condition and continue to meet there.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Gary Anarchs and Their Army (Coterie) Juggler still has followers in Gary and, indeed, in Chicago. These include his childe, Evelyn, although lately she has been getting ideas of her own, along with dozens of mortal street-level criminals. None of his allies are currently able to contact him.

•

Pietr Armstrong (Retainer 2) Recently bound to act as a bearer and companion on Juggler’s journey, Pietr knows next to nothing. Juggler is aware the path he is following is dangerous and sacrifice may be necessary along the way. Pietr would, he thinks, be an adequate sacrifice. Equally importantly, no Kindred are aware of Pietr’s existence. Pietr is currently unable to contact Juggler.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Modius (Longtime Rival) Modius and Juggler were contenders for the praxis of Chicago. Both lost. Subsequently, they were rivals for Gary. Juggler won. There is scant chance that these two will ever be reconciled.

•

Maldavis (Rivalry) There has never been any love lost between Juggler and Maldavis. Juggler often makes snide comments about “the Anarch who’d rather be Prince.” As Maldavis is Menele’s tool and Juggler has been Helena’s, it is unlikely the two will ever work together, which is not good news for the Anarchs of Chicago. Unless, of course, they can find a way to break those bonds.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

Naked Ambition: Juggler has become increasingly ambitious, losing the idealism he entertained until the middle of the 20th century. He will do anything to claw his way to power.

•

Petty Jealousy: Juggler has never liked Maldavis, hypocritically criticizing her for using the Anarch cause to further her own political ambitions. He always seeks to undermine her in small ways.

•

Seeking the Truth Behind Tyler: Juggler believes that if he can break his bond to Tyler, he will discover a major secret concerning matters in Chicago. This secret might enable him to unseat Prince Jackson and take Chicago as his Barony. He believes that he

Freedom: Currently, Juggler is a staked victim of Maxwell. He retains sufficient consciousness to crave his freedom, but nobody knows of his whereabouts.

WHISPERS: •

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Finally Dead: Juggler is finally dead. Eric Sharpe told me he’s seen his ashes, though how the Ventrue can

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

•

tell the difference between a Kindred’s ashes and the ash that fell from some mortal’s fancy cigar is beyond me. I look at it this way: Juggler’s always defended the Anarch cause. Why would he just up and disappear and leave us at the Vanguard’s mercy? I can’t believe he’d do that. He must finally be dead.

Sire: Elle

Timing: It was only a matter of time before someone eliminated Juggler. Over 80% of the Kindred in Gary are black. How long were they going to kneel before yet another white elder?

Touchstones: None

Still Baron: Juggler’s not really missing. We know he’s not in any of his usual havens or hangouts, but he’s still very much in charge of his own fate. He’s scheming or plotting something, or laying low until he gets everything in place for his next move. As soon as Juggler is ready, he’ll take his Barony back from his childe.

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3; Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 3

Embraced: 1853 (Born 1819) Ambition: To bring about constant improvement through ongoing revolution Convictions: None Humanity: 6 Generation: 8th Blood Potency: 3

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Firearms 3, Melee 2, Stealth 3; Etiquette (Gangs) 4, Intimidation 4, Leadership 5, Performance (Prestidigitation) 2, Persuasion 4, Streetwise 5, Subterfuge 2; Awareness 4, Politics 3

Strange Disappearance: Some say Juggler heard the Beckoning. He’s close enough to Caine for that. I’m sure he resisted for as long as he could before he succumbed. A pity, that. There are still plenty of elders around, so there must be some way to resist. Maybe if we do enough research, we can track him to wherever it is the elders have fucked off to and persuade him to come back.

Disciplines: Celerity 3, Dominate 2, Fortitude 1, Potence 2, Presence 4

MAXWELL Epitaph: Former Prince of Chicago

MASK AND MIEN: •

Quote: “Revenge is a dish best served cold? No. Revenge is a dish best served white hot accompanied by a fork and a very sharp knife.”

Juggler is slightly below average height and light in build. He has long, shoulder length dark blonde hair and dark grey eyes with green-flecked irises.

•

Juggler constantly fiddles with whatever is to hand, car keys, a pack of cigarettes, a handful of small change. He has practiced prestidigitation and sometimes, whatever he is playing with just disappears between his fingers.

•

Juggler comes across as earnest, intense, and enthusiastic. Some find this charming. Some find it merely indicative of immaturity.

•

Bertrand Koster (Mask 1) was the identity Juggler used among mortals just before he disappeared. Bertrand was a street performer, specializing in prestidigitation and conjuring tricks. Once an audience assembled to watch him pull colorful scarves out of hats and find silver dollars behind children’s ears, he would launch into political rants. Rather than listen, the audience would melt away from this white fool, without putting money into the hat he passed round. Not that he cared greatly for money. Any he earned from his performances he swiftly gave away to the homeless and dispossessed of Gary.

Clan: Brujah MORTAL DAYS: FROM OUT OF THE MIST Maximilien Rousseau was born a slave in 1717 to a sugar plantation in the French colony of Saint-Domingue. His life of forced labor began as soon as he could haul a bucket of water to the sugar cane boiling houses. At ten years of age, he pushed wheelbarrows full of animal manure to the men fertilizing the fields. As a teen, he traded his wheelbarrows for carts loaded with hand cut stems of cane, which he would take to the boiling houses. His whole life revolved around those houses hauling, pushing, and carrying, with no relief to the backbreaking work. He endured deplorable conditions, waking up every day to toil through sickness and pain. It made him strong. That strength made him valuable. In the summer of 1736, slave-traders shoved Maximilien into the overcrowded hull of a transatlantic ship. With the steerage removed, he and other slaves sailed to France packed shoulder to shoulder with crates of sugar, coffee, and tobacco. The boat landed near Bordeaux where the slave traders intended to auction him off to the local wineries.

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kindred biographies

Maxwell. He wasn’t going to leave the seizure to chance or politics. Though Maxwell escaped, Lodin successfully overthrew him as Chicago’s sovereign Prince. After Maxwell left Chicago, he travelled between the cities of Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, and Havana for the next century. On occasion, he would venture further out, visiting the remnants of his past life in Haiti. He also traveled south through Central and South America. Systemically and selectively, he Embraced a number of times, choosing his childer for their combat and tactical talents in preparation for the night he could reclaim his lost praxis. When news of Lodin’s death reached Maxwell, he immediately returned home. Seeking out his few remaining allies, he found them all receptive to the idea of his regaining the praxis if he had the ability to win it. He had the muscle, certainly, but the city had changed in the century he was gone. In Kindred society, victories require strength and adaptability. Maxwell struggled with the latter. As a result, the War for Chicago did not fare well for the former Prince, and his overly cautious tactics proved too little, too late. For a time, Maxwell returned to Central and South America, summoning his childer so he might reclaim Chicago by force. Unfortunately, the elder Brujah became embroiled in local affairs and several longterm skirmishes with the Sabbat. Two decades passed, leaving Maxwell with depleted resources and several dead childer. Abandoning his strategy, Maxwell returned to the United States, plotting, scheming, and dreaming of one day retaking what he believes has always been his.

However, instead of an orchard owner purchasing him, a representative of an ancient Spanish Brujah named Altamira placed the highest bid. For the next twenty years, Maximilien served Altamira as a loyal ghoul, and as promised, earned the Embrace on his thirty-eighth birthday. KINDRED NIGHTS: THE FIRST PRINCE OF CHICAGO Now named Maxwell, the Brujah learned much from his sire. In addition to an extensive classical education, Altamira taught him the clan’s history and how to properly fight. Maxwell took that knowledge and during the early nights of the French Revolution, sailed to the newly born United States. There he built a fur-trade business stretching from New York to Baltimore and from Baltimore to Indianapolis. He travelled westward until arriving in the city of Chicago. After its incorporation in 1837, Maxwell claimed the mantle of Prince. Then came the horror of Devil’s Night in 1871, when flames lit by a suicidal Malkavian swept through the city, burning everything in its wake. The sprawling inferno razed eighteen thousand buildings to the ground, and Maxwell was powerless to stop it. It burned for three days, killing hundreds of people, destroying three square miles of the city, and leaving thousands of families homeless. In the following nights, looting and lawlessness consumed Chicago. During the chaos, while Maxwell was securing Kindred interests across the city, Lodin subverted the Prince’s reign to shore up the support of the Primogen Council for his own ambitions. While he negotiated the price of praxis, he sent a couple of his childer to murder

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

The Crown: Maxwell’s primary objective is to retake the praxis of Chicago. He’s currently working with the city’s Nihilists to achieve this end. Using Sharpe, his agents attack havens throughout Chicago in an effort to destabilize the city. Once softened, Walter Nash and Nathaniel will create a second front. Eventually, the two sides will squeeze Jackson into submission.

•

Show Me the Money: Maxwell accumulates his wealth through an international freight company. Trucks carry containers to the Port of Houston, where his cargo vessels sail them to destinations in the Caribbean or Mexico. This includes the occasional smuggled shipment of weapons, cash, or drugs, depending on the need.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

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Chicago Townhouse (Haven 4, Herd 4, Retainer 2) Maxwell’s primary residence is a town house overlooking Jackson Park in south eastern Chicago.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Geraldine, a dutiful ghoul who has served the Brujah for a century and a half, tends to it.

•

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

•

Personal Guards (Allies 3) Two armed bodyguards, former Chicago police, usually escort Maxwell. Dismissed for excessive force and bribery charges, both Sergeant Victor Paxton and Officer Benjamin Reece stayed out of jail and ended up on Maxwell’s payroll. Merciless and greedy, they are the embodiment of police brutality. Freight Service (Resources 4) Maxwell has a diverse portfolio with heavy investments in the freight and transportation industry. His interests in legitimate business make up the bulk of his financial holdings, though he does oversee smuggling operations out of the Gulf of Mexico. Internal Affairs (Influence 4) Since returning to Chicago, Maxwell has considerable influence over the Chicago Police Internal Affairs Division, which he hopes he can eventually use to control the entire organization.

WHISPERS: •

True Loyalties: Some believe Maxwell joined the Sabbat while in exile. The rumors persist due to his having spent so much time in Central and South America having survived relatively unscathed. Many suspect multiple packs are simply waiting in the wings to strike.

•

Personal Army: Maxwell has a dozen childer operating as guerillas in Central and South America. They are heading north now, at Maxwell’s instruction. The night of the Brujah Prince may soon arrive.

MASK AND MIEN: •

Maxwell’s Mask is Mr. Benjamin Garrison, a private businessman with a freight shipping company (Mask 2). According to his public record, Benjamin Garrison has lived a rags-to-riches story, transforming a local delivery business into a multi-state venture. He has lived in Chicago his entire life all while paying his taxes and never receiving so much as a parking ticket.

•

Maxwell is a stocky, middle aged man with dark skin, tight hair, and a trimmed mustache and beard. Other vampires say that he dresses like a Toreador and speaks like a Ventrue. Maxwell does prefer dark suits with a single pop of color, usually red or violet, though he would be insulted if he ever heard someone malign his affinity for his own clan due to this preference. Like many elders, he has a sense of stillness. He’s patient in his movements and motivations. As a result, his Brujah temperament is largely kept in check; however, when it surfaces, Maxwell is the personification of fury.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Prince Kevin Jackson (Rival) Jackson may be the Prince of Chicago, but he knows others are gunning for his throne. Jackson also knows Maxwell is out there somewhere plotting against him. Therefore, he takes appropriate precautions.

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Walter Nash (Begrudging Ally) The Ventrue may be a bigot, but Maxwell knows a means to an end when he sees it. The two vampires both despise Kevin Jackson and are willing to work together in order to overthrow the Prince. After that, Nash is fair game.

•

Maldavis (Begrudging Ally) While the two have a different view of Kindred leadership, Maldavis and Maxwell want Jackson removed from the throne. In Maldavis, Maxwell believes he has found an Anarch he can work with. In Maxwell, Maldavis believes he has found a potential Prince she can manipulate.

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Nathaniel Bordruff (Useful) This Nosferatu hates Kevin Jackson, and in exchange for several boons, willingly feeds Maxwell intelligence on Chicago.

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Eric Sharpe (Useful) Sharpe is a loyal dog with a bone. He’ll serve Maxwell loyally so long as he feels rewarded.

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Gengis (Hate) The self-appointed Anarch visionary views Maxwell as a traitor to Clan Brujah and will not forgive his continued allegiance to the Camarilla.

Max Galura (Fear) Max Galura had a premonition. He told Maxwell that if he claims praxis again, he’ll find his city divided between five factions and his end will come at the hands of the goddess of the underworld. Maxwell has been dreaming about his prophecy ever since.

Sire: Altamira Embraced: 1755 (Born 1717) Ambition: Take back Chicago Convictions: None may rule over me Touchstones: Geraldine, his devoted mortal ghoul of two centuries Humanity: 3 Generation: 6th Blood Potency: 4

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kindred biographies

Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Composure 4; Intelligence 3; Wits 4; Resolve 5 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 9 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl (Armed Opponents) 4, Firearms 2, Larceny 2, Melee 4, Stealth 2, Survival 3; Etiquette 2, Intimidation (Stare Down) 4, Leadership (Command) 4, Persuasion (Bargaining) 3, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 2; Awareness (Ambushes) 4, Politics (Tyranny) 2, Science 2, Technology (Computers) 2 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 4, Fortitude 3, Potence 4, Presence 4

EVELYN STEPHENS Epitaph: Baron of Gary Quote: “Anarch blood built this city. It’s in the soil. It’s in the bricks of this building. It’s in the steel mills and metalworks you see around you. Never forget that.” their usefulness, she would run out on them. That was until she met Juggler. Infatuated with the immortal, Evelyn stalked him like prey, determined to make him hers. Her spirit, her confidence, and the way she looked at him earned her an invitation into his inner circle. As the two grew close, Evelyn realized Juggler was different from other men, and her interest evolved into insistent curiosity. Evelyn pressed Juggler for weeks before the Brujah finally gave in, revealing his true nature and Embracing the young woman in the process.

Clan: Brujah MORTAL DAYS: ESCAPE FROM MEDIOCRITY Evelyn Stephens grew up in the Pulaski neighborhood of Gary. Of moderate means, she attended public school and competed in sports. She played hooky on occasion and spent many of her weekends attending parties with her friends. Throughout her teens, she lived under the proverbial shadow of her older brother, Gregory Stephens, who at the time was a Gary police officer. And Evelyn has never been someone willing to live quietly. She started to push boundaries and test the limits of her brother’s patience. When another cop caught her drinking underage, Gregory smoothed it over with a favor. When caught in possession of drugs, her brother would make the problem go away. This enabling emboldened her so much that by the time she was in her late teens, she had become an unrepentant juvenile delinquent. The night she overdosed was the night Gregory said enough. He gave her an ultimatum: either get straight or get out of town. He could be there to support her recovery, but he could no longer be party to her slow destruction. Evelyn, willful as ever, left Gary. She went to Chicago to try to make it as a model, but found it difficult to break into the city’s fashion scene. Mostly broke and only booking the occasional job, Evelyn moved from bedroom to bedroom to keep a roof over her head while falling further into a world of meth, cheap booze, and petty theft. The people she was with were only as interesting as the depth of their connections or the wealth in their wallet. As soon as they ran out of

KINDRED NIGHTS: FROM PAWN TO A KING Evelyn’s Embrace was traumatic and terrifying. Horrified by what she had become, she fled to Gary in search of her brother. He had been worried about her since she left home, and they both wished their reunion could have been a happy one. Instead, with relief and dread, she explained what Juggler had done to her. She didn’t spare a single gory detail. Enraged, her brother pledged to find her a cure while hunting down those responsible. Her escape from Juggler didn’t last long. He tracked her down and threatened her. If she came back to him, he’d let her brother live. Evelyn loved her brother and would have done anything for him, especially after all the years he tried to keep her out of trouble. She explained to Gregory how she needed to learn about her new condition from the inside. From those who lived it. She told him she was going back to Juggler. Evelyn left her brother while he cried on a couch, furious at his inability to persuade her to do otherwise. No matter how much heartache it caused her, she had to leave in order to protect him.

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The next decade was a whirlwind of chaos and violence spent in Chicago. Evelyn grew from a naïve girl into a stalwart Anarch, touched by her Brujah nature and prone to fits of impulsiveness. After Juggler failed to turn the city into an Anarch Barony, he moved them both back to Gary so they could build his dream there. Concerned about what might happen with her sire and brother in the same city, Evelyn learned patience, caution, and when to make a sacrifice. But with the sudden disappearance of Juggler, she’s quickly learning to lead. Evelyn stands as the Baron of Gary. Most of the Movement looks to her as Juggler’s spiritual successor. It’s a role she’s unaccustomed to but believes she has the means to play.

back into Gregory’s life and the two have begun a long, awkward renegotiation of their relationship. Gregory is unwilling to hunt his sister, and has even taken steps to safeguard her presence, but it is only a matter of time before Gregory’s convictions are tested. KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS:

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

Juggler’s Legacy: Having spent the past couple of decades by his side, Evelyn has access to Juggler’s network. Dialed into the Anarch cause, Evelyn is at the forefront of a nationwide conversation regarding the future of the Movement. She has picked up the mantle left by her sire, claiming the city of Gary as its Baron. She fiercely defends her territory and refuses to cede it to the Camarilla. Progressive Warrior: Evelyn is part of a new breed of progressive-minded Anarchs. She has no tolerance for extremist hate groups. As Baron, she has instituted a city-wide mandate: independent gangs can operate and sell their wares and can commit some level of violence, but not against women and never against children. To date, the two largest gangs in Gary — the Glen Park 45ers and the Knights — have abided by this rule.

The Dive (Haven 3, Herd 4, Retainer 1) While most of the Gary Anarchs hang out in the Wasteland, Evelyn owns a biker bar in Glen Park called the Dive. She uses the bar for private meetings, negotiations, and as a place to unwind.

•

Anita Wainwright (Respect) While Evelyn generally despises the Anarchs of Chicago, Anita Wainwright is an exception. Their brief interactions have been civil and productive, and the two appear to have a shared vision for the Anarchs of the region. Once Gary has stabilized, she plans to offer her counterpart in Chicago a formal alliance.

•

Maldavis (Disgust) Maldavis represents the old guard of Chicago, and while many believe she is the future of the city, Evelyn isn’t one of them. Maldavis has proven herself to be too unpredictable and too violent, ultimately doing more harm than good. Evelyn’s moderate approach is often viewed as weakness by Maldavis and the bulk of the Chicago Anarchs. As a result, Evelyn worries Maldavis will force the Anarchs of Chicago and Gary into a conflict they might not recover from.

•

Patricide: Evelyn killed Juggler in a gambit to seize the Barony of Gary.

•

Informant: Evelyn has been feeding intelligence to her brother, Gregory Stephens, on rival Kindred operating in Gary.

MASK AND MIEN:

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Juggler (Complex) Evelyn has extremely mixed feelings regarding her sire, both loving and loathing him in equal measure. Should Juggler return, the two will have to sort out Evelyn’s new position and their mutual futures within the Anarch Movement.

WHISPERS:

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

•

Gregory Stephens (Ally 4) The sixty-year-old chain smoking commissioner has seen better days. He is the consummate cliché found with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of bourbon underneath his desk. He has a wife and child in Pulaski, though he rarely sees them given his long working hours. In addition to running the Gary police department, he also supervises the Special Hazards Division, an elite group of detectives dedicated to hunting down and removing vampires. Despite this, Evelyn has recently come

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•

Evelyn Stephens is a black woman of average height and light build. She has gray-green eyes, dark hair, and almond skin. She has long since replaced her short skirts and clubbing attire with black cargo pants and turtlenecks. However, her combat boots and leather jacket remain.

•

Evelyn goes by Evelyn Jones and has a legal ID to back up her claim (Mask 2). For those who don’t know her, she can come off as abrasive, but she’s simply direct and honest. She doesn’t brag, rarely flatters, and has a low tolerance for those who do.

kindred biographies

Blood Potency: 3

She’s carrying the entire Movement on her shoulders, at least in her mind, and overcompensates by being loud and commanding. Sire: Juggler

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3

Embraced: 1986 (Born 1967)

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5

Ambition: To maintain Gary as an Anarch Free State

Skills: Athletics (Chasing) 3, Brawl (Street Fighting) 4, Larceny 3, Stealth 1, Survival 2; Insight 2, Intimidation (Calling the Shots) 4, Persuasion 2, Streetwise 3; Academics 2, Awareness 3, Investigation 2, Technology 2

Convictions: To hurt those who wantonly hurt others Touchstones: Gregory Stephens, her older brother Humanity: 7

Disciplines: Auspex 1, Celerity 3, Potence 3, Presence 3

Generation: 9th

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“There’s no shame in service if you’re on the right side.” — J.W. Blue, arguing for the Milwaukee regime The clanless shift like the wind with their allegiances, which is no surprise given even the Anarchs have a pecking order with the Caitiff near the bottom. In some domains, however, being clanless is a strength. No clan affiliation means no competition for loyalty.

ELIZABETH FORSTER Epitaph: Much desired by dangerous creatures Quote: “Don’t you realize the witches are chasing me?” Clan: Caitiff MORTAL DAYS: AN ACADEMIC LIFE Elizabeth Forster grew up in Milwaukee, the daughter of a hard-working, professional family. She was academically gifted and after college, she began a doctoral program in archeology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There she embarked on a passionate affair with Dr. John Hughes, her academic advisor, but John terminated their relationship when his wife confronted him with evidence of the affair. Elizabeth attempted to blackmail him, but this backfired and either John or his wife circulated pornographic pictures of Elizabeth on the university network, leaving her feeling she had no choice but to abandon her academic career. Back in Milwaukee, loneliness, shame, and increasing dependence on alcohol drove her to hang out in some questionable bars, and it was in one of these where she met Ducas. He courted her, taking her to nice places, buying her good clothes and small pieces of jewelry. She fell under his spell. It was a month before she discovered he wanted more than her company and sex. Ducas asked for Elizabeth’s help in deciphering a manuscript: a strange mix of ancient Greek and Aramaic, with sections as unintelligible as linear A. She became fascinated by the parchment, which was far older than she originally thought despite the clear modern insertions. She became excited by the possibility of uncovering

an occult tradition which could throw new light upon the anthropology of the middle ages. She started to brood less, drink less, and concentrate more on the manuscript, hoping her discoveries would facilitate her return to respectable academia. Her work was going well. And then, the witches came. KINDRED NIGHTS: RUNNING FROM THE WITCHES The Cult of Isis — a cult of mystics and occultists with cells throughout the States — followed Ducas’ trail from Carna’s wrecked sanctum in Milwaukee and descended on Elizabeth’s family home. They slaughtered her parents and siblings, then turned on Elizabeth, leaving her for dead after they found the manuscript they were looking for. Ducas, having failed to contact her by cell phone, arrived just as she was breathing her last. Unwilling to lose his prized translator, he Embraced her so she could finish her work.

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kindred biographies

•

Ducas was deeply disappointed that Elizabeth had lost his manuscript. He had no patience with her mourning but ranted and railed about the evils of the Cult of Isis whom he believed were responsible for the attack. He didn’t give Elizabeth time to attend her family members’ funerals, but insisted that she accompany him to Chicago where, he claimed, his allies would keep him safe. Somewhere near Lake Fox, they were ambushed. Ducas escaped as a bloody mist, leaving his childe to her fate. The assailants set off in pursuit of Ducas, leaving Elizabeth bruised and battered at the side of the road. She climbed into Ducas’s abandoned Chrysler and drove herself to Chicago. Not knowing how to contact her sire or his associates and not feeling inclined to do so due to his ill treatment of her, Elizabeth sought an audience with the Prince. But Jackson did not recognize the name Ducas and declined to grant territory to an abandoned Caitiff. No one at the gathering had any sympathy for her, except for the Tremere, Sun Che, who was friendly. Elizabeth was close to despair. She began to see her life as a mortal as a catalogue of abuse. She resented being dependent upon the whim of one man after another who pretended to be her protector. Getting no help from the Camarilla, Elizabeth sought out alternative, preferably female, company. Sun Che seemed a good start. Together, the two of them make secretive trips to Milwaukee to investigate the witches’ trail. Unknown to Elizabeth, the methuselah Nerissa Blackwater heard of an attack on a fledgling Kindred from Milwaukee and for some reason is keen to recruit her. The Cultivars have approached Elizabeth with tempting offers of a safe place to spend her days and grounds where she can hunt at night, but Elizabeth has not decided whether to trust them.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

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Homeless: Elizabeth currently has no haven or territory in Chicago. This is a situation she intends to rectify. She is dependent on the hospitality of the Cultivars, moving from one to another in order to avoid overstaying her welcome, or occasionally staying in the parks of Milwaukee when Chicago grows uncomfortable, unaware the Lupines have her scent.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Academic Community (Contacts 2, Influence 1) Although Elizabeth dropped out of the academic world, she was credited in a handful of peer reviewed articles and has kept in touch with a couple of her girlfriends from UWM. These brought her into contact with the wider academic community and she has some friends the local archeology department.

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Ben Gomez (Touchstone) is a young man Elizabeth met on the streets of Chicago. He’s never had much money or luck in his life, lives rough, and makes a bare living dealing in drugs and occasionally breaking and entering. Elizabeth finds his observations and opinions fascinating as his high intelligence is uncontaminated by any form of education. He lets nothing stand in the way of his survival, which is what counts.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

Establishing a Place in Society: Elizabeth does not entirely trust Nerissa (whom she has not yet met) or the Cultivars. Even if she did, she is not foolish enough to believe that they will support her indefinitely. She is trying to integrate herself into wider Kindred society. Her efforts to introduce herself to Prince Jackson did not go as well as she hoped, but she continues to attend Elysia when she can. She poses as an Anarch because she does not believe she would be welcome in the Camarilla, but she might be willing to betray her protectors if the price was right.

Steering Clear of the Witches: Elizabeth believes the witches who killed her mortal family might turn up at any moment. She recalls that Ducas called them the Cult of Isis and she has also heard that term from the Cultivars who seem keen to help her. Recently, though, she wonders whether avoiding the witches would be easier if she knew more about them. She has begun to investigate.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS:

Sticking with the Cultivars: The Cultivars seem kind enough and, for now, Elizabeth sees them as a source of shelter and protection. She is not so keen on the way they keep questioning her about this Cult of Isis and the work she was doing on the vanished text. Although they frequently praise her for her bravery in breaking free from the males who abused and dominated her previously, Elizabeth increasingly gets the sense that they are also using her.

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Nerissa (Protector — for now) Nerissa and her acolytes have tried to indoctrinate Elizabeth. She has gone along with their plan on the surface. In truth though, Elizabeth has little time for Nerissa’s theories and hopes to get out from under her influence as soon as she has an alternative source of shelter and sustenance. With this in mind, Elizabeth seeks out Nerissa’s rivals and enemies.

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Sun Che (Potential Ally) Elizabeth met Sun Che at the gathering when she announced herself to Prince

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5

Jackson. The two took to each other immediately and Elizabeth has shared some of her notes with the Tremere. Together they have managed to decipher and practice some of the rituals Elizabeth remembers. Sun is introducing Elizabeth to other Kindred in exchange for continued access to the manuscript notes.

Skills: Athletics 1, Drive 2; Etiquette (Academia) 3, Insight 2, Intimidation (Blackmail) 2, Performance 2, Persuasion 3, Streetwise 1; Academics (Archaeology) 4, Awareness 2, Finance 2, Investigation (Ancient Texts) 3, Occult (Ancient Rituals) 2

WHISPERS:

Disciplines: Auspex 2, Blood Sorcery 2

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J.W. BLUE

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Third Eye: Some perceptive Kindred claim to have seen a third eye in Elizabeth’s aura. Word is traveling around Chicago and will soon reach the Tremere, if Sun Che hasn’t told them already. A Mysterious Manuscript: Elizabeth possesses a fragment of the original manuscript of the Book of the Grave War. It is rumored to be an artifact of great power. The Caitiff has been seen hanging out with the Tremere. No doubt they are cultivating her in order to obtain that manuscript. The Scapegoat: The Cult of Isis, whoever they are, is gunning for Elizabeth. Nerissa and her Cultivars making sure that when the Cult come to finish off the Caitiff, they will be ready for them.

MASK AND MIEN: •

Elizabeth still retains her mortal identity.

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She is a slender woman who dresses modestly and efficiently rather than fashionably. On meeting her, people usually assume she’s an academic or a librarian. She has dreadlocked hair with hints of red and large, brown eyes.

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Elizabeth has a shy, reticent manner. Her passive aggression and learned helplessness appeal to those who like to rescue damsels in distress. Sire: Ducas Embraced: 2017 (Born 1991) Ambition: To establish a place for herself in

society

Convictions: Don’t fight when you can run Touchstone: Ben Gomez, mortal friend and confidante Humanity: 6 Generation: 7th Blood Potency: 3 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 2

Epitaph: Dockworker and Simple Man Quote: “You grossly overestimate the number of fucks I give about your problems. I am just here to make sure you don’t screw up.” Clan: Caitiff MORTAL DAYS: SALT OF THE EARTH J.W. learned from an early age he would have to work hard for everything. Born in 1965, his mother raised him after his veteran father died by suicide when he was five years old. His mother owned little and struggled to take care of J.W. He was a latchkey kid; after all, his mom worked two jobs to support them while he went to school. He’d just turned 18 when she passed, four months before he graduated. He decided to leave school and join the military shortly after. J.W.’s military service was unremarkable and he left after his contract was up. He faced a lot of problems returning to civilian life and grew uncomfortable whenever he was in polite company. He found a job in the Port of Milwaukee and was able to make some money to get himself back on his feet. He reconnected with Aileen, a woman from his high school. Shortly after their reunion, they got married and bought a small house in West Allis. It wasn’t all sweetness and roses for J.W. and Aileen. Their first child took ill and died several days after she was born. Heartbroken, the couple found it difficult to piece their lives back together. J.W. felt disconnected from everything. They fought often, and their screaming matches often ended with J.W. leaving the house for the night. He ran street fighting rings in the shipyards late at night as a quick way to earn extra money and occupy his sleepless nights. In time, Aileen became pregnant again and gave birth to a son. J.W. felt his life was turning around finally, and he tried to work things out with Aileen. Things were still tense between them, but J.W. felt like they might piece their lives together. He started to get some traction on his way up the food chain at work around the same time the company was sold. Dimitri, the new owner, wasparticular about who he left in charge, so J.W. spent the first few weeks with him, learning what processes he should use for handling the business.

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kindred biographies

he heard a soft gasp. Shocked, J.W. turned to see his son watching. It was then he realized the danger his family was in. J.W. made Andrew promise to keep this secret. He left his loving wife, son, and small home, hoping it would protect them. He continues to send as much money as he can to help keep them as comfortable as possible. J.W. made his presence known to the Kindred of the city shortly thereafter, learning Camarilla laws and earning his acknowledgement in the sect. Even while running Dimitri’s business, J.W. started making a name for himself in Kindred society. His working knowledge of Milwaukee along with his straightforward demeanor put him in the good graces of Prince Decker, who employed him as an enforcer and messenger, albeit without an official role in the city. J.W. knows his place in the city and keeps his head down unless Decker calls on him. PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

Dimitri had him exporting different types of cargo and had expectations for how he wanted the cargo handled. J.W. was under strict instructions not to ask too many questions, so he never bothered to dig deeper into what the company was shipping. J.W. would receive empty cargo containers at the port, and it was his job to leave them unlocked after inspections for the evening. In the morning, J.W. sent out the ships with the manifests he found on his desk without inspecting the cargo. KINDRED NIGHTS: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER Dimitri made his own plans for J.W. as he continued to prove his worth. Dimitri was a vampire who traveled to Milwaukee in hopes of expanding his business. He Embraced J.W. because of his ability to follow orders and his discretion while moving cargo. J.W. immediately lashed out at Dimitri for changing him. Right when he was starting to get his life together and start his family, all of it taken from him. He knew he would put his family in danger if he stayed around. J.W.’s anger concerned him so much that Dimitri forced a stronger Blood Bond on him to keep him under control. J.W. tried to maintain his family relationship for a short time, but he was unable to keep his secret for long. At first, he told Aileen and his young son that his working third shift was the reason he was sleeping during the day. One night, his son Andrew followed his father as he walked to work. Andrew watched as J.W. walked with someone down an alley. He snuck to the entrance and heard his father talking with another man. When he turned the corner, he watched his father grab the guy, drink his blood, then set him back on the ground as if he were asleep. J.W. did not realize Andrew was there until

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Family Man: J.W. has kept his family secret from other Kindred, afraid they will come to harm. He sends Aileen money so she can keep the house and live comfortably. Andrew reaches out to him on occasion, despite J.W.’s insistence they not contact him for safety reasons. Should any Kindred find out about J.W.’s family, he will do anything to keep them safe.

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Once a Hound, Always a Hound: J.W. has become an enforcer to Prince Decker, making sure others in the city follow Decker’s rules. While he has no official title within the Camarilla, he is Decker’s Hound and enforces his will. Other Kindred do not trust him and think he is nothing more than a lap dog.

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My Patch: J.W. sees the docks as his own territory, even if they are not his. He watches over them and makes sure nobody interferes with the routine he established when he took over. He will use his gang of ghouls to make sure everyone sticks to the status quo.

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In Her Eyes: J.W. sees his own son in Decker’s childe, Honor. Since her disappearance, he’s concerned about her well-being and wants to find her safe. He’s been hearing rumors about why Honor is missing, and he hopes they are not true. Only time will tell.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

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Port of Milwaukee (Resources 3) J.W. spends a lot of time in the Port of Milwaukee where he runs his sire’s business. He has built up his herd with the dock workers who trust him.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

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Shorewood Duplex (Haven 2) J.W. rents out a small apartment, which he uses for his haven. It is simple, with sparse, secondhand furniture and appliances in case someone stops over. He is only there for the day, sleeping in a bedroom he keeps blacked out.

sleeps in the trunk of a car. For a while, car break-ins spiked, and the rumor was that Lupines were trying to find Prince Decker’s enforcer while he slept. •

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

•

Dock Workers (Herd 2) J.W. has known the local dock workers for years and has built up strong relationships with them. Aside from feeding, J.W. also assists them when they need it, making sure to keep the community strong. Zac Rogowski (Retainers 2) J.W.’s lead dock worker, Zac, is also his ghoul. Zac runs the docks during the day and helps J.W. with other odd jobs. Zac works hard most days and is into the hardcore music scene in Milwaukee when he isn’t doing side jobs. Zac is not afraid to throw a fist or two for a job, especially since the pay is really good.

MASK AND MIEN: •

J.W. is taller than average with a heavy build from years of lifting, pulling, carrying, and walking for a living. His skin is dark brown, and his eyes look tired and show of age beyond his years. His greying hair is thinning on top.

•

J.W. usually wears jeans and a flannel shirt, preferring to be comfortable. When necessary, he will wear a black suit, white shirt, and blue tie, and he looks good in it, but it is obvious he is uncomfortable.

•

J.W. is a stoic man’s man who doesn’t have a lot to say. He tends to sit alone unless with his crew from the docks. Those who are not used to J.W. feel uncomfortable around him and he prefers they stay away. He is rough around the edges and does not like having to be in polite company for too long.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Prince Mark Decker (The Boss) J.W. enjoys working for Mark Decker and has no issue with enforcing the laws Decker has in place. J.W. has seen the good his laws have done for the city and believes Milwaukee needs this structure to thrive.

•

Dimitri Caravello (Controlling Sire) Dimitri only has one use for J.W.: he is in place to make sure the Caravello company makes money. J.W. hates his sire, but cannot act out against him. The Blood Bond makes sure of it. J.W. is cognizant of his will, character, and personality washing away under the steady, constant pressure of the Blood Bond, and he will never forgive Dimitri for it.

•

Sire: Dimitri Caravello Embraced: 1997 (Born 1955) Ambition: Gain recognition for hard work Convictions: Always protect the family Touchstones: Andrew Blue, J.W.’s son Humanity: 5

Honor Mercer (Sympathy) J.W. sees his son in Honor, a bright and intelligent individual who often finds herself into trouble. J.W.’s worried about the rumors he’s heard about Honor and why she left Milwaukee. He believes her reasons for fleeing Milwaukee and hopes everything ends well for her. He strongly disagrees with Decker’s opinions about her disappearance and wants to help protect her if possible.

Generation: 12th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 1, Wits 2, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Drive 1, Firearms 3, Larceny 3, Melee 2, Stealth 1, Survival 2; Intimidation (Physical Coercion) 3, Leadership 1, Streetwise (Urban Survival) 4; Awareness 1, Investigation 3, Technology 2

WHISPERS: •

•

Human Trafficker: Milwaukee is a hub for human trafficking, and its possible J.W. is embroiled in these activities. Dimitri’s company could be a cover operation, and Dimitri did just start using Milwaukee as a base of operations. Has J.W. been supporting traffickers all along?

Hitman: J.W. built up a reputation of being a Hound to Prince Decker and continues to prove he is not above doing dirty work. Stay away from him, or you risk drawing too much attention from Prince Decker.

Disciplines: Dominate 1, Fortitude 2, Potence 3

Car Sleeper: Few have been able to track down J.W.’s actual haven, and there are rumors he actually

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kindred biographies

“I don’t know much about my clan’s culture, but I do know my Blood aches for freedom from this hell.” — Honor Mercer, bemoaning her fate as a childe of Mark Decker

Chicago’s Gangrel population significantly reduced in number when the Wolf Pack — a coterie of Animals acting as Hounds for the Prince — departed for reasons unknown. Now, the biker gang is making its return. Where they’ll fall in allegiance is a source of debate among the city’s vampires.

ANTON NETTUM Epitaph: Negotiator and Information Gatherer Quote: “Look, there is no reason we have to fight.” Clan: Gangrel MORTAL DAYS: WIDE OPEN SPACES Anton grew up in a nomadic family who traveled widely throughout the States during the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Anton learned about surviving in nature from those in his parents’ community and saw parts of the country few had gotten to see at a tender age. His schooling consisted of him learning the classics from the viewpoint of nature and relating them to the natural world. He kept a journal of his travels and started documenting his journey by describing and sketching everything he saw. By the time he was in his early 20s, he had built up a decent collection of writings. He used those to secure himself a job as a traveling journalist, documenting many of the nation’s important events, including riots, worker strikes, protests, and marches. He left his family to continue to travel around the country on his own. He eventually was able to purchase a camera, which he taught himself to use while creating photo documentaries. Anton continued to face challenges while traveling. From his old van breaking down to late night thefts, Anton faced each problem as it came. He eventually purchased a pistol for protection and learned to repair his van. The wilderness presented its own challenges, as Anton frequently encountered wild animals. Anton was thrilled by these

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encounters, and learned through reading and experience how to behave so he wouldn’t provoke an attack. One night, Anton was in the woods of northern Wisconsin, a place he’d grown fond of over the years. He built a campfire to heat his food and to keep the wildlife from getting too close to his van. As night settled in, two wolf packs in the area started howling. Anton, never bothered by this, listened to the sounds of the wolves while watching the shadows dance around the perimeter of his camp. Feeling more at home than he ever felt in the city, Anton fell asleep. In the dead of night, Anton woke to a thud and a crunch as a tree branch landed on the hood of his van. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he caught sight of an unfamiliar, hazy glow nearby. Coming to full wakefulness, he realized with horror that the woods around him were

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

on fire and he would be caught in the inferno if he didn’t move quickly. Terrified, he ran to his van and started it up. Before Anton could even shift the vehicle from park into reverse, he heard a growl from the back.

Prince, or possibly open the door for an incursion from the Indianapolis Ministry. PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

KINDRED NIGHTS: ETERNAL HIPPY The figure behind him had glowing eyes and snarled like a beast despite standing on two legs. This feral man told Anton he would either become a vampire and live eternally or die in flames. The smoke was already starting to choke him, so in a fit of coughing, he agreed to be turned into a vampire. Anton still regrets his choice. The man descended upon him and bit into his neck. Then, everything went black. Anton never saw his sire again. He was left to figure out on his own exactly what happened to him and what it meant to be a vampire. Anton decided it was best for him to start by connecting with other Kindred, so he made his way to Milwaukee, a city he had traveled through but never really stopped in. The number of parks within the city helped him feel a bit more at ease. Through interaction with other Kindred, Anton deduced he was a member of Clan Gangrel, so he entered their tutelage and joined the Camarilla. Anton continued to travel between cities, though doing so as a vampire proved increasingly difficult with hunters and Lupines always a risk. He built up a network of Kindred who were willing to share local political and esoteric information, such as who local rulers were, what rules to obey, and where to watch out for werewolves. In a sense, he and his allies became scouts around the Midwest domains. Anton worked with Kindred from the Anarchs as well as the Camarilla and built trust between both sects in multiple cities. He became known as a mediator between Kindred and eventually served as Herald in Milwaukee for some time. When so many members of Clan Gangrel proclaimed their departure from the Camarilla, he stayed, making the argument he would be able to help ease tensions between the Anarchs and the Camarilla. When the Primogen Council in Milwaukee was dissolved, he was left with no support to perform his job and decided it was best to travel, making sure to keep communication open between the sects. He went to Indianapolis for a short time, observing as the Ministry absorbed the previous weak rulership and installed their theocracy. He kept careful notes on what he saw, prepared to sell this information to anyone who could pay. When he returned to Milwaukee and got word of Decker’s new laws, Anton found he was uncomfortable following the Prince’s new rulings. He set up a group of other Kindred, including Honor Mercer, who could take the city and keep it safe. This group has been meeting in secret in Milwaukee and gathering what influences and power they can to try to remove Decker from his seat as

•

Let it Roam Free: Anton seems like a reasonable vampire for one who spends most of his time in the wild. He spent decades trying to tame his Beast, but the results were never what he hoped for. The more he fought against it, the harder it would lash out. He learned to temper it by allowing it to have some freedom. He travels to remote forests and national parks to hunt and let his Beast have some freedom before returning to the confines of the city.

•

A Murder of Harpies: Anton is slowly starting to build up a Council of Heralds — often known as Harpies — where he can start discussions about Camarilla hypocrisies and discuss them with some clout while protecting the Harpies involved. The group is currently secret, but there has been a lot of movement within this council lately.

•

Traveler’s Journal: Anton has been documenting the history and interactions of those vampires in the cities he visits. He keeps hand-written journals and sketches of everyone and hides them in the forests where he travels. He makes sure to keep himself well hidden, often heading to the woods to record his discussions.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

McCarty Park (Haven 2) This is the best park in the area for Anton, and one of his favorite places to spend time. A large pond in the center, walking paths, wooded forests, and a drainage ditch give him all the cover he needs from an outdoor haven. Anton usually digs a hole and covers himself in soil an hour before the dawn, as he hasn’t learned how to meld with the earth.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Harpy Council (Anton’s Coterie) Anton built a network of Harpies he can call upon for information or advice as needed. He provides them information, fostering a trading system Heralds can use to gather boons for themselves. He holds a good deal of sway with each of these Harpies and is waiting for the right time to swing his political hammer.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

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Honor Mercer (Protective) Anton feels protective of Honor. He does not want to see anyone else hurt by Prince Decker’s actions. Since her disappearance, Anton has been on the lookout for information on where she went in hopes that he can help.

kindred biographies

•

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 2, Resolve 2

Anita Wainwright (Cohort) Anton and Anita Wainwright have known each other for several years. While part of different sects, Anton has always treated Anita with respect, and the two of them work together to try to defuse some of the tension between the Camarilla and Anarchs in Chicago.

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 4 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Melee 1, Stealth 4, Survival (Wilderness) 5; Insight 2, Intimidation 2, Streetwise (Gossip) 3, Subterfuge 2; Awareness 3, Investigation 2, Medicine 2, Politics (Camarilla) 2

Marion Davies (Informant) Anton met Marion during one of his trips to Indianapolis and has brought her into his Council of Heralds coterie, even though she does not hold the position of Herald formally. She trades information with him, and he passes her all the gossip he finds during his travels.

Disciplines: Obfuscate 3, Fortitude 2

MARIANGEL HUERTA

WHISPERS:

Epitaph: Biker and adherent of the One True Way

•

Questionable Lineage: Anton never who turned him into a vampire, so it is possible he is a Caitiff and is hiding within the Gangrel. Sounds like something a Caitiff would do.

Quote: “I don’t give a damn about your congress or your senate, your Anarchs or your Camarilla. The only way off the wheel is to be the apex predator. I just wish I could get the hell out of Willerton.”

•

Long Trips: Anton takes a lot of long trips and often isn’t seen for weeks at a time. Some vampires believe he is an Anarch and spends that time reporting back to his masters.

•

Clan: Gangrel MORTAL DAYS: GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE Mariangel grew up in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis, the middle child of five siblings. Her family spoke Spanish at home and English at work. Her father made good money in construction, and her mother started out as a maid and ended up on reception in a smart hotel. At home, something wonderful was always cooking, and their little house was packed with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents; a large extended family full of warmth and love. The family stuck together. Fabrizio, Mariangel’s next oldest brother, ran with a street gang for a while, but aunt Valentina, who was a cop, gave him a heart-to-heart talk and helped him walk away. She found him work in a motorcycle shop. That’s where Mariangel first got a taste for bikes. She hung out there whenever she could and, when the owner realized she was serious about learning the ropes, he offered her work as well. Just cleaning and running out for coffee and snacks at first, but soon she started helping on the cash desk and ordering parts. She took on another job after school to help save and, with a small contribution from the family, Mariangel bought her first motorcycle on her sixteenth birthday. She learned to ride, maintain, and fix it and passed her tests so she could ride it legally. Her family insisted on it. Every chance she got, she would ride out into the country, sometimes with a group but more often on her own. She was riding with some friends near Yellowwood State Forest when something happened that would change the rest of her life.

Gossip Queen: He is always in the business for gossip, but you do have to pay him for it. His information is solid. Just be careful what secrets you try to slip past him. He can hear whispers for miles.

MASK AND MIEN: •

Anton is a handsome Latino with brown hair and a mustache. He is a tall man with lean musculature. He gives off a calm demeanor when speaking and generally has a smile on his face. He is welcoming to everyone, even when he doesn’t trust them.

•

Anton usually dresses in jeans and a t-shirt with sleeves or a jacket. He wears clothing he’s unafraid of getting dirty. He sometimes wears a cabby hat, scarf, and gloves. He keeps most of his belongings in an old green hiker’s backpack he always keeps close. Sire: Unknown Embraced: 1997 (Born 1951) Ambition: To help the Anarchs and Camarilla find a truce Convictions: To overindulge is the greatest sin Touchstones: Holly Nightchild — one of the children he grew up with in his caravan Humanity: 8

KINDRED NIGHTS: FINDING THE WAY It was a wild party at the campground. Beer and bourbon flowed freely along with the occasional puff of weed. The music was heavy and loud. Mariangel enjoyed

Generation: 13th Blood Potency: 1

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PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

every moment. Not long after midnight, she took a walk to get a breath of air and check on her ride when someone grabbed her from behind. Mariangel kicked and bit and punched, but her assailant seemed not to notice as they dragged her off, away from the light. When she came to, there was a lot of blood around her and she felt a terrible hunger. She made her way back to the campground where she found a group of bikers sleeping. They were enough to assuage her thirst. For those first few nights, she found motels with black out curtains, abandoned trailers, and any number of places to serve as a haven until she learned the trick of sinking into the earth before dawn. By night she rode, going wherever fancy took her, feeding on people she met on the way. Part of her wanted to return to Indianapolis, and another wanted to stay as far away as possible. She spent years that way, learning to survive and how to negotiate hospitality in cities with a Kindred presence. In Avon she picked up a pamphlet called The One True Way, written by someone calling himself the Master of Ravens. From that, she learned how to be a proper vampire. At length, she found herself in Willerton. It was a place she knew. The Last Chance Saloon has a reputation with bikers, and she had partied there more than once. She thought she would drop in, maybe chat with some old acquaintance then move on but… Some nights she gets on her bike, intending to move on, only to find a night of travel brings her back to Willerton. It seems she just can’t leave. It suits her well enough. For the first time since her Embrace, she has fallen in with a group of vampires, the Nomads, a biker gang nominally led by Robert Warrington.

•

The One True Way: Mariangel’s philosophy comes from the booklet she picked up in Avon. It is all about something called Golconda, which is the one true way for Kindred to remove the curse of their existence by becoming apex predators. The book provides instructions on how to do that, but it’s hard work.

•

Get Out of Willerton: Although Mariangel is happy to pursue her journey in Willerton, her inability to leave is a constant source of annoyance. It would be nice to go somewhere else for a change, and it aggravates her to keep getting lost because she always had a good sense of direction. She has heard other Kindred talk about something called the Goblin Roads, but her booklet doesn’t mention them and, up to now, she hasn’t had time or inclination to research them.

•

Keep Out of Kindred Politics: Mariangel has heard about the Camarilla and various Anarch authorities of one kind and another from the Nomads.

She doesn’t like the sound of any of it. She likes her independence. DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Last Chance Saloon (Haven 2, Herd 2) The Last Chance Saloon is Nomad-exclusive feeding territory. This well-known biker bar gets a slow but steady traffic of bikers and travelers. The Nomads are the only regulars.

•

The Cornfields (Chasse 2, Lien 1, Portillion 0)

Mariangel hunts the cornfields outside Willerton and regards them as her personal feeding territory. Not many people go there at night, but they are sufficient for Mariangel’s needs. The method outlined in the One True Way demands she try not to kill her vessels, so she is careful to leave them alive. Of late, though, an increasing number of her victims have disappeared. Mariangel worries about this. Could she have started, however inadvertently, to kill? Or is some other force responsible?

THRALLS AND TOOLS:

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•

The Nomads (Mariangel’s Coterie and Gang, Allies 3) Mariangel is part of this biker gang. It doesn’t mean much to her, but she understands that in a place like Willerton, unity is strength.

•

The Gomez Family (Allies 2, potential Contacts) Mariangel’s extended mortal family would support

kindred biographies

her, if they knew where she was. She has not attempted to contact them, but Fabrizio has heard through biker friends that Mariangel, or at least someone who looks and sounds a lot like her, hangs out in the Last Chance Saloon.

embroidered the words Apex Predator on the back of her colors along with an eagle and a wolf. •

Rather than attempting to look alive, Mariangel tries to avoid situations where passing for mortal is necessary. On those occasions where it is, Robert has dealt with the issue and gotten her out of potentially fatal trouble.

•

Mariangel moves decisively. She comes across as aggressive, and her initial approach to strangers is forceful until she has decided whether she can trust them. She rarely trusts anyone farther than she can throw them.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

•

Robert Warrington (Tolerance) Robert is the theoretical leader of the Nomads. Mariangel respects him, but she doesn’t like him much. He’s not a real biker in her estimation (he can’t fix his own ride) and he spends too much time indoors on the internet rather than riding with the wind in his face. Nazeera (Distaste) seems to be married to the idea of authoritarianism. However, Nazeera has a lot of books, and Mariangel thinks they might be able to help her interpret the One True Way. Mariangel also thinks Nazeera might be able to help with the Goblin Roads or whatever it is that makes it difficult for her to ride out of Willerton.

Sire: Anthius “Dread”

Starchild (Incomprehension) Mariangel doesn’t understand Starchild at all. She thinks this ghoul is some kind of hippie who lost his way back in the ‘60s. Probably too much bad acid.

Generation: 10th

Embraced: 1999 (Born 1971) Ambition: Learn more of the One True Way Convictions: Always behave as an apex predator Touchstones: Fabrizio Huerta, her brother Humanity: 5 Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 4

The Wolf Pack (Hero Worship) Mariangel has heard about the Wolf Pack and would like to join them. They sound like real predators! She hopes they will come through Willerton one night, though this seems less and less likely to happen as time goes on.

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 6 Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Drive (Motorcycles) 3, Firearms (Shotgun) 3, Stealth 2, Survival 3; Etiquette (Biker) 3, Intimidation 2, Leadership 1, Persuasion 2, Streetwise 2; Academics 1, Awareness 4, Finance 1, Occult 2, Technology (Motorcycles) 4

WHISPERS: •

•

Inconnu: Mariangel is a tool of the Inconnu. This is clear from the way she carries around her stupid pamphlet and refuses to join any Kindred sect.

Disciplines: Fortitude 1, Protean 5

HONOR MERCER

Childe of Xaviar: Mariangel lies when she says she doesn’t know the identity of her sire. Her sire is the famed Gangrel Xaviar, and she has been around a lot longer than she lets on.

Epitaph: The Prince of Milwaukee’s rebellious childe Quote: “My sire is a tyrant, but his time is limited.” Clan: Gangrel

MASK AND MIEN: •

Mariangel does not want to wear a mask. She wants to be an apex predator. She wants to look like a predator, like a feral creature who eats people. She doesn’t want to look human, so she very rarely makes the effort.

•

If you look at her sideways, especially on those rare nights when she has combed her hair and put make up on her face, she looks like a biker chick with long wild hair, dressed in denim and leather. She’s

MORTAL DAYS: MAJORING IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENDER STUDIES Honor has vague memories of her father. He was one of Decker’s herd, the herd he killed in a panic when Lupines ambushed him. Decker kept an eye on the fatherless family ever since, ensuring they would never want for anything. Honor’s mother worked, so Honor grew up well socialized through attending after-school activities. Mrs. Mercer employed a succession of women to help around the home but, due to her perfectionism, none of

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of sympathy or guilt, he allowed her to keep tabs on their well-being. She watched them struggle to come to terms with her disappearance, unable to comfort them for their loss. It was particularly hard on Margie, as the sisters had always been close. Decker kept her for five years, fulfilling the Tradition of the Accounting, in order to make sure she would be a credit to him and to the Camarilla. Even before her release, she was able to observe how he ruled his domain with an iron fist. Once free from her sire’s leash, she was able to discuss politics with other Kindred and concluded that everything her sire stood for was wrong. She saw Decker as a betrayer of his clan, the oppressor of Kindred he perceived as weaker than himself. She understood he believed he was acting in the best interests of Milwaukee due to his exaggerated fear of a new Lupine invasion and the Second Inquisition, but she was certain he was wrong. For a while, Honor hung out with Tessa, a Tremere fledgling. Tessa introduced Honor to the clubbing lifestyle many Kindred consider de rigeur. Honor never really took to this, preferring the great outdoors. She swore off clubbing altogether when one of the clientele took a video of her on his cell phone as she was feeding from a half-naked girl in the washroom. Her political opposition to her sire combined with the utter terror of what he might do if he found out she had been caught feeding on camera forced Honor to abscond to Indiana.

them stayed long enough to make an impression on her children. Honor grew up relying on her elder siblings, Tom and Margie, for companionship and support. They loved to go walking and became familiar with the trails through Bong State Recreation Area and Havenwoods State Forest. When Tom left home to attend Yale, Margie and Honor continued their hiking without him. Honor was aiming for a career in conservation. She worked as a volunteer for the Ice Age Trail Alliance and hoped to pick up an internship as part of her major in Environmental Studies at Grinnell College. None of this came to fruition. Decker wanted a childe who would be a paragon of the Camarilla, to prove a Gangrel was capable of being a paragon of the Camarilla. He sought a childe to be a counterpoint to Julia Calvin who, as one of the Anubi, he had Embraced for a different purpose.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

KINDRED NIGHTS: FROM FREE SPIRIT TO DECKER’S DAUGHTER Honor’s sire chose her, but she didn’t choose him. She resented him, and the fact that she was no longer able to take long walks in the sunshine. Having grown up without a father or anyone to fill the role, she found it difficult to adapt to Decker’s tutelage, though she did her best, applying what she knew from her girlfriends and what she had learned in women’s studies classes to her new attempt at a father-daughter relationship. She tried to think of it as putting theory into practice, but she still hated him. For the first year, Decker permitted Honor to have no contact with her mother or siblings, but perhaps out

•

The Praxis of Milwaukee: Honor wants to unseat Decker and deliver the city to the Anarchs. Maybe she will end up as Baron, maybe not. It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t care much for authority figures however, following her experience with Decker.

•

Ditch My Sire: Honor is not ready to return to Milwaukee and she’s determined not to fall back under her sire’s influence. She is wary of anyone she suspects might be in league with him or reporting back to him. This means recruitment to her cause is going more slowly than she would like.

•

Learn the Anarchs’ Ways: Honor is keen to learn about the Anarch Movement, and specifically the Ministry. Her sire kept her ignorant of this, except to insist the Anarchs were a danger to all Kindred. Now she is applying herself to studying their theory and methodology.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

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Mutual Bank Building (Haven 3) Honor has abandoned this haven, and believes few Kindred would find the idea of a haven built over a lake appealing.

kindred biographies

Honor used to sleep in the sub-basement because it was easy to take care of the lake from there. She managed to maintain it as if it were a vast aquarium. The fish she tamed come looking for her sometimes, still hoping their mistress will return to feed them.

faith in old religion with the temptations of her voice and her body. She’s found a way to unite her Beast and her religion somehow, and this interests Honor. Sometimes though, she finds Keisha’s behavior too controlling.

Now that Honor is on the move, she has no domain or haven. She is dependent on the hospitality of Anarchs and capable of sleeping in the earth when need be. She travels on night buses or hitches when she moves from place to place.

WHISPERS: •

Not Really Missing: Julia Calvin finished Honor off in a fit of sibling rivalry. Decker is covering up for his older childe now, but truth will come out. It’s hard to believe the Prince gave Julia right of destruction after everyone saw him doting on his most recent childe.

•

Gone to Join the Anarchs: Fed up with Decker’s oppression, Honor ran off to join the Anarchs. Many who benefit from Decker’s rule consider it to be good riddance, but some worry she is making mischief without a reliable Kindred to hold her in check.

•

Destroyed by Lupines: Everyone knows how much Honor likes walking the country trails. And everyone suspects those trails are Lupine territory. Does anyone seriously expect Decker or the Anubi to admit that Lupines destroyed his childe?

•

In Hiding: Honor fucked up really badly. No one is sure what she did, but Decker is intolerant of the smallest indiscretions. She should never have started hanging out at the Cage; it’s not the right sort of place for a nice girl like Honor.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

•

Margie and Tom Mercer (Allies 2, Touchstones) Since her Embrace, Honor hasn’t been in contact with her sister Margie or her brother Tom. In fact, the two grew so concerned about her disappearance that they reported her as missing, leading at first to the police searching for her and now the FBI. It was due to Margie and Tom’s report that word reached Dawn Nakada of Honor’s status as Decker’s childe. Trail Staff (Contacts 3) Honor knows people who work around the city parks and national parks. Unknown to her, some of them are related to Lupines. Jeremiah Dobson taught her all she knows about forestry and how to keep trails intact without damaging the environment. He was Honor’s mentor when she was volunteering to keep the walking trails open. She’s been to see him once or twice, when he’s been camping out on the trail. He doesn’t know about the change in her circumstances.

MASK AND MIEN:

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS:

•

Honor knows she won’t be able to use her mortal ID forever and worries about the consequences of coming up on some database as a missing person. She tries to fly beneath the mortal radar by not doing anything that involves showing an official ID while she works on getting herself a false identity. Decker offered her one himself, but she declined, not wishing to be indebted to her sire.

•

Honor is of medium height with even features, blue eyes, and long brown hair she usually wears tied loosely back. She still has an outdoorsy look about her, preferring to dress in hiking gear.

•

Prince Mark Decker (Hatred) Honor sees Decker as everything wrong with straight white men. He orders people around; he expects automatic deference and obedience; he demands that Honor must be submissive to his whims. She intends to lead a revolt against him as soon as she can get one organized.

•

Tessa Greene (Confidante) Tessa is a Tremere who used to hang out and go clubbing with Honor in Milwaukee. Honor doesn’t entirely trust Tessa, but she confided in her when she was lonely from time to time.

•

Elizabeth Forster (Kinship) Honor has heard about how Forster is being hunted by a group she never intended to cross and relates strongly to the struggling fledgling. If she could find a way to reach her, she thinks they could forge a close bond.

Embraced: 2015 (Born 1996)

Keisha Phelps (Curiosity) Honor finds Keisha strange, the way she manages to combine her deep

Touchstones: Margie and Tom Mercer, siblings

•

Sire: Mark Decker Ambition: Get out from under her sire’s thumb Convictions: We must protect the environment; Family is vital. Humanity: 7

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Generation: 10th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, Manipulation 1, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics (Marathon) 4, Brawl 2, Drive 2, Stealth 3, Survival (Hiking) 5; Animal Ken (Fish) 3, Insight 2, Leadership 3, Persuasion 3; Academics (Environmental Studies) 4, Awareness 4, Finance (State Funding) 2, Investigation (Poaching) 2, Medicine 2, Science (Ecology) 3 Disciplines: Animalism 2, Fortitude 1, Protean 3

MARK DECKER Epitaph: The Tyrant Prince of Milwaukee Quote: “You clearly didn’t learn the laws of this domain when you arrived. Well friend, ignorance ain’t no excuse.”

KINDRED NIGHTS: HARDENING SPIRIT Decker never found heaven. His sire, a Gangrel named Lucian who intended only to take small mouthfuls of blood from the battle’s wounded, drank too much from the dying Mark Decker and in guilt, Embraced the young soldier. His wounds partially healed through the process, only the tattered scars remaining to viscerally remind him of the battle where he was supposed to meet his maker. Lucian set Decker up in Alabama with a plantation and a herd from which to feed, populated entirely by slaves. His sire left the young Gangrel to his eternity of indulgence, but Mark was restless and unhappy. His family never owned slaves and he saw no humanity in stocking a pen full of unwilling vessels. Yet, he was no saint. Decker’s was no story of emancipation. He profited from the slaves, even though he never fed from them, and while their lives may have been slightly more agreeable than those in some other plantations, they were not freed until the law decreed it so. It was in Alabama that Decker first encountered the Lupines. At first he thought road agents and slavers were raiding the fringes of his land, attempting to kidnap the people living there. He discovered the existence of werewolves much more quickly than he managed to integrate himself into broader Kindred society, learning terms like Silent Strider, Uktena, and Black Spiral, and realizing how much these creatures loathed his kind. He trained his slaves to fight the beasts, but come the close of the 19th century, he had fled the South and settled in the city that would become Milwaukee. He never forgot what he learned though, and soon proved his worth to the then-Prince of the city when Lupines kept badgering at

Clan: Gangrel MORTAL DAYS: THE FIELD OF BLOOD Decker’s youngest days were spent on the frontier with his parents and brothers, forging a life on a stolen land that felt like home to him. He was hopeful and honorable, at least so far as pioneers went, respecting the freeholds of other settlers and learning his letters so as to educate himself in this new world. His father was a fierce American patriot before such a thing was popular, and it was at his urging that Mark took up the musket and led his local militia against natives who objected to his family’s arrival on their land. Eventually, his gun pointed toward the British, from whom the colonies sought liberation. Though many of his fellows from the South resisted the revolution, or came to it later than their northern neighbors, Decker fought bravely and with purpose. It all seemed so simple and almost fun until a British musket shot caught him in the groin, and then the chest, and a blade cut savagely across his face. Bleeding heavily, his right cheek flapping open, Mark screamed out for his mother, who did not reply. He begged God for his father’s strength, but found it pooling in the mud around him as his cries were drowned out by the agonies of other young fighting men. He fell on the field during the Battle of Brandywine Creek, in Pennsylvania. This place, far from his family, was where he expected to die. The soldier closed his eyes as the cacophony raged around him, hoping the next time they opened he would be in heaven.

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his borders, attempting to extend their reach into vampire territory. He drank werewolf blood for the first time, feeling the immense pulse of strength that came with it, and came to understand that one of the only ways to beat these monsters was to devour them and steal their power. For decades, Mark and his coterie — a group of werewolf-hunting vampires known as the Anubi — kept Milwaukee’s borders safe. He developed a reputation as a warlord and stalwart Camarilla supporter, when in fact, Decker wanted little to do with the politics. He just wanted a sanctuary for Kindred, perhaps out of misplaced nostalgia for his search to establish a secure homestead in which his human family. It was most important to him that the Gangrel have a place of their own, but some of Clans Brujah, Malkavian, and Ventrue might reside in sanctuary with them, too. At the close of the 20th century, Prince Merik of Milwaukee is said to have immolated himself in a suicidal frenzy. Though there was a small competition for leadership, Decker was unwillingly positioned in the role of Prince. For the sake of the domain’s safety, he accepted. Finally, the Anubi would receive the official support they needed. For a short time, Milwaukee was the domain Decker wanted. But as Decker has found time and time again, peace never lasts. The Gangrel and Brujah left the Camarilla, but he held firm, seeing no safety in Anarch lies. From the north, the Sabbat launched siege after siege upon his city, making every night a fight for survival. The Second Inquisition rose up, threatening vampires during the daytime as they lay at their most vulnerable. The Lupines never, ever stopped their incursions. When many of the Anubi fled to the Anarch Movement, Decker finally implemented Decker’s Law, better known by his opponents as the Orwellian regime. Mark Decker’s rules have been harsh, uncompromising, and set many Kindred on paths away from Milwaukee. They have purged all known Anarchs from the domain, and ensured a permanent militia remains on hand for dealing with the Lupines. Most importantly, the Second Inquisition have — according to Decker — never made a successful foray into his city. Decker controls his entire domain and the unlife of every vampire within it. Prince Decker takes no pride in his police state, which he enforces via the Anubi, his animal eyes and ears, a constant chain of informants rewarded with trivial boons for intelligence, and each of his lieutenants’ connections to the mortal police force. He doesn’t evangelize or roll his eyes at more relaxed domains. All he knows is that if you give your enemies an inch, they will take a foot. He has been fighting in wars his entire existence, and as far as he’s concerned, you only stop fighting when you’re well and truly dead.

•

Tighten the Noose: Decker’s rules are severe enough for the Milwaukee Kindred, but he plans on making them even more so. The Prince isn’t interested in hangers-on and vampires unprepared to pull their weight in defence of their domain. Anyone in breach of his laws will suffer extreme penalties, starting with a branding, advancing to the complete removal of territory, and finally (for those who will not learn they can’t bend Decker’s Law) with final death.

•

Cut All Ties: Decker sees no requirement for travel between domains. As far as he’s concerned, a vampire’s kingdom is an island in the dark. Interlopers are threats. He’s not paranoid, just pragmatic when it comes to connections with other cities. As a result, he wants to find a coterie of trustworthy Kindred who can monitor the airports, train stations, docks, and roads for any overt signs of vampire comings and goings. He accepts he won’t catch all of them, but any who attempt to arrive without prior notice can expect to be returned in their coffin or destroyed before they wake. Decker would be content if Milwaukee became totally isolated from other Kindred.

•

Recover My Childe: Prince Decker’s desire for isolation conflicts with his devotion — some might say obsession — with his childe, Honor Mercer. Honor disappeared in recent nights, and Decker is personally handling the recruitment of a coterie to find his errant childe. He wants her recovered in one piece. He’s not decided yet whether to forgive her or use her as an example to other Kindred of what happens when someone puts the domain at risk through selfish action.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN:

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•

Milwaukee (Herd 5, Influence 5, Resources 5) Decker sees the city of Milwaukee as his domain and feeding grounds, and while he has easy access to any vessel he desires, he still prefers the thrill of the hunt. He has invested heavily in the Milwaukee breweries and banks across many decades. Though he’s never ostentatious, there’s nothing in Milwaukee Decker can’t afford.

•

Miller Park Baseball Stadium (Haven 4) Decker gave up sleeping in the wild a few decades ago, preferring now to sleep in one of the luxury rooms of the Miller Park Baseball Stadium. Baseball is one of the few mortal activities that still brings him joy, and he can be found every weekend watching late games or recorded footage of the highlights from the day before. To be invited into a VIP box with Prince Decker is seen in Milwaukee as a high honor.

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THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

•

the Lupines, succumbs to the Beckoning (which he believes he’s staved off by drinking werewolf blood), or otherwise disappears. He doesn’t give a damn that J.W. is Caitiff. As far as Decker’s concerned, he’s the most honest Kindred in Milwaukee.

The Anubi (Mark Decker’s Coterie) The Prince’s coterie is small these nights, with many members having died or moved on to other domains. He keeps Akawa, Thomas, and Julia close to act as his personal bodyguard when they are not on assignments against the Lupines.

•

Milwaukee Police Department (Allies 4, Contacts 3, Influence 3) Though not much of a manipulator, Mark Decker frequently whispers into the police commissioner’s ear and pushes the cops around the city as much as he feels safe doing. Decker prevents any vampire other than himself from influencing the Milwaukee police, feeling their control is instrumental to maintaining the domain’s safety.

WHISPERS: •

Not Long for Torpor: Decker is old and has fought his share of wars. Soon, he will sleep for a long time, and before he does, he’ll appoint a successor.

•

The Beast Calls: The reason Decker imposes such stringent rules is because the slightest provocation stirs his Beast in these nights.

•

Secret Anarch: Decker’s eroding faith in the Camarilla in Milwaukee on behalf of his clan. Why else would a Gangrel be such a dick?

•

The Purges: The Prince hasn’t made a secret of his hatred of Anarchs. Anyone self-identifying as an Anarch or implicated as one can expect a public execution.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

•

The Former Primogen (Caution) Few of the old Milwaukee Primogen remain in Milwaukee. Many died or disappeared, and those who remained were stripped of their positions a handful of years back. In these nights, there are no Primogen in Milwaukee. Any who cling to the idea of an advisory council or clan-by-clan representation are in the wrong domain.

Prince Kevin Jackson (Boredom) Prince Jackson has made many overtures to Decker in the past decade, but the Prince of Milwaukee has returned few messages. The politicking of the new Camarilla Prince bores him, and Decker feels confident that with the waves Jackson’s creating in Chicago, it won’t be long before the Inquisition visits the Windy City in the same way it did London and Montreal. The Indianapolis Ministry (Confusion) Decker genuinely doesn’t understand the Indianapolis political setup. The city is an island, perfectly cut off from other domains, and yet the Anarchs claiming to control the domain let all and sundry meet there, stay there, and pass through. He wants none of it and has severe misgivings regarding the religious doctrine the Indianapolis domain appears to spout.

MASK AND MIEN:

Honor Mercer (Obsession) and Julia Calvin (Trust) Decker’s two childer fulfill different needs for the Gangrel. Julia is the older of the two, blood bound to her sire, and a proficient soldier. He permanently keeps her close. Honor though, represents a connection to humanity he feels he lost, or may have never possessed. He tried to raise her right, but found that she only betrayed him without the enforcement of the Blood Bond. She has now escaped him, and he desperately wants her returned. J.W. Blue (Unknowing Lieutenant) J.W. doesn’t know this, but Decker is attempting to instill in him the same mentality and dedication to security he possesses. Decker is grooming J.W. to be his second-in-command, to take over if Decker ever falls to

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•

Mark Decker goes by Carson Vogel (Mask 2) in his mortal dealings and is known as a blue-blooded philanthropist who sponsors the police force retirement charities, the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, and a slew of other private interests that generally lead back to Decker’s wallet getting fatter.

•

Decker’s lank black hair surrounds a pale white face he rarely bothers to infuse with a Blush of Life, despite all his concerns for security. A thick scar runs from the right corner of his mouth to his ear, the lobe of which is missing. His intense gaze often conveys boredom or finality.

•

Decker often wears dark clothing and camouflage when hunting Lupines. In his mortal guise, he goes for comfortable fatigues or a cardigan and slacks. The comfortable appearance of his Mason Vogel persona belies how violent he is.

kindred biographies

Sire: Lucian

Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 7

Embraced: 1777 (Born 1732)

Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl (Lupines) 5, Craft 3, Drive 1, Firearms (Musket, Shotgun) 4, Melee 3, Stealth 3, Survival (Forests) 4; Animal Ken 2, Etiquette 1, Insight 2, Intimidation 3, Leadership (Tyranny) 4, Persuasion 2; Awareness 3, Finance 2, Investigation (Risks) 3, Occult (Lupines) 4, Politics 3

Ambition: Ensure Milwaukee’s safety Convictions: None Touchstones: None Humanity: 3

Disciplines: Animalism 3, Celerity 4, Fortitude 3, Obfuscate 2, Potence 3, Protean 5

Generation: 9th Blood Potency: 4 Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 5, Resolve 5

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“We’re all just passing through.” — Starchild, feeling philosophical about his role in the Willerton sacrifices

The Malkavians occupy their role in Kindred society with thought and purpose. They act as counsellors and observers, spies and hidden powerbrokers. The Oracles of the Midwest maintain a diverse array of roles behind the scenes of the Camarilla and the Anarchs.

ARTHUR CALDWELL Epitaph: Cursed Geek Quote: “The trick to being a vampire is to play the role of a cool, sexy, badass rather than the enormous nerd you actually are.” Clan: Malkavian MORTAL DAYS: IN THE SHADOW OF FANTASY Arthur “Art” Caldwell grew up in a perfectly normal upper middle-class family. Hardly the sort of environment to prepare him for the horrors of Kindred existence. He longed to find some sort of meaning to life and turned to a variety of sources to provide that meaning. Black Dog Games would eventually give him the answer. Immersing himself in the watered-down occult secrets of the book, he spent the next decade obsessively scribbling out stories and characters for his local Revenant: The Ravishing community. After completing college, he worked odd jobs he could quit at any time so his shifts didn’t interfere with living vicariously through the characters and worlds he created. His parents frequently threatened to cut him off for his general indifference to all things but the game. But Arthur didn’t care. His parents had spoiled him his whole life, and he knew that wasn’t going to change any time soon. He was supposed to go on shift for his work-at-home Wonderprises customer service job, but it

was the same weekend as Chicago’s ScaryCon. Of course, ScaryCon won out. He no called, no showed, and got in the car his parents had bought him for graduation. On his way to the gaming convention, Arthur ended up hopelessly lost in Gary, Indiana. He pulled into a gas station failing to notice the security glass or bars in the windows. When he walked in, he discovered a couple of skinheads beating the ever-living hell out of teenage kid. Behind the ballistic barrier protected counter, a frantic woman yelled into her phone. Overestimating his chances from a lifetime of being bullied himself and an abundance of superhero flicks, Arthur attempted to intervene. They summarily wiped the floor with him and beat him to death’s door. As he

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PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

laid there, choking on his own blood, the teenager looked down on him with a beatific smile empty of emotion. “You’re a good man.” He opened his mouth to reveal a pair of fangs. KINDRED NIGHTS: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Arthur ended up missing ScaryCon and found himself Embraced by a Malkavian sire named Charlie, who either could not or would not educate him about his condition. Even though he had all the powers of an undead monster, Charlie’s curse left him with the mind of a child. Indeed, only pop culture kept Arthur alive those first few nights as he entertained his sire with the seemingly never-ending stories of comic books. Arthur found himself serving as his sire’s involuntary caretaker. Whenever Arthur wanted to contact his family, friends, or talk to the authorities, Charlie dominated the impetus out of him. He cleaned up after, fed, and played with his sire like a substitute parent. Protecting Charlie sometimes required Arthur to do things he didn’t think he was capable of doing, but the horror soon faded as well as the memories, leaving only a gradually increasing numbness. Months later, Arthur woke up in their haven apartment covered in blood and ash. In place of his sire, he found $10,000 in cash and a tote bag full of weapons. Someone had wrapped three drained bodies in their shower curtain and stuffed them into the tub. Stapled to the bodies was a list of instructions to follow with a message from “Your friend.” Arthur lost three days of time and to this day has no idea what happened. Nevertheless, he took advantage of the situation to escape, holding onto the note for another week before doing anything it instructed. He didn’t have the stomach for it. Unsure of how to live as a vampire on his own, he blipped on the radar of Gary’s Special Hazards Division. After the police almost killed him, Arthur decided to follow the instructions. This eventually led him to Juggler and the Anarchs. Even though Juggler was an enormous prick, Arthur believed the Camarilla was worse. Over time, he developed a reputation as a dependable messenger for the Anarch Movement. Apparently, even in the business of vampires, everyone starts in the mailroom. The conflict between Modius and Juggler was a shitshow that tested the humanity of everyone involved. Even messengers had to get their hands bloody in this war. When the dust finally settled, Modius was dead and Juggler took over Gary for the Movement. Now, with Juggler missing, the city verges on chaos once more and Arthur does what he can to assist Evelyn Stephens, who has taken over as Baron of the Gary Anarchs.

•

The Search for Juggler: Arthur would very much like to know what the hell happened to Gary’s former Baron. He had nothing but contempt for the man and would be glad to find out he’s met his Final Death but doesn’t want that biting him in the ass. More disturbing though is that Arthur has discovered he has black veins in his aura. He’s diablerized someone and can’t remember whom.

•

Vengeance: Arthur suffers from a derangement forcing him to push down all his worst personality traits until he frenzies. This includes an exaggerated sense of self-importance and an ego that never forgets any wounds. This tends to be a problem in Kindred society where social status is in constant flux. While Arthur’s normal personality is quite affable, his darker one obsesses over perceived offenses and constantly updates a mental list of people he wants to screw over. Usually this includes Elders, but even others among the Movement have managed to join the list as well. Revenge can come weeks, months, or even years after the fact with almost no forewarning. About the only people immune to this are his coterie, which includes Evelyn, Allicia, and the bulk of the Gary Anarchs.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

The Dark Cauldron (Haven 2, Herd 3, Resources 2) After robbing one of Alan Sovereign’s armored cars with a few other Anarchs, Arthur bought himself a game shop in Gary. Divided into two sections, the shop front is a traditional bookstore heavily focused on fantasy. He calls the back of the store the Black Room. There he runs games for Black Dog enthusiasts.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Chicago Anarchs (Status 2) It’s taken a few years of running notes from here to there, but Arthur has managed to build rapport with a few allies who tease him endless for wearing sunglasses at night. His easygoing demeanor and relative sanity for a Malkavian means he can get people to help him out when the situation requires. And, he’s always quick to return the favor to maintain his reputation as a dependable Kindred who can lend a hand in a crisis.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

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Allicia (Unhealthy) Arthur has no idea how to act around the beautiful Jazz Age chanteuse. She has him wrapped around her finger, and he finds himself prone to making decisions he would not normally make when she

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•

asks. Where Black Dog Games used to give him purpose and meaning in life, Allicia has provided him purpose and meaning in his unlife. He would die for her.

Ambition: To be strong enough that no one abuses him again

Evelyn Stephens (Friendship) Arthur has been friends with Evelyn for almost eight years now and the two are quite close. Evelyn considers him pleasant company even though she doesn’t share any of his hobbies or interests. The one subject on which they do not agree is Juggler.

Touchstones: Joseph Suttkus, his best friend and co-owner of the Dark Cauldron

Charlie (Mixed Feelings) Arthur is not fond of his sire, Charlie, due to being forcibly turned and enslaved by the older Malkavian. However, he recognizes the Kindred meant no harm and, while he was part of the reason Arthur’s mortal life ended, he’s also the reason his kindred life began. Charlie saved him, in a way, and there’s no getting around that. Arthur would like to find Charlie if he still exists and find someone to serve as his permanent caretaker. He’s just not sure what Kindred would be willing to agree to such an arrangement.

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 2, Resolve 2

Convictions: Protect his friends

Humanity: 6 Generation: 9th (via diablerie) Blood Potency: 2

Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Craft (Writing) 3, Drive 3, Firearms 3, Melee (Baseball Bat) 3; Insight 3, Performance (Storytelling) 3, Persuasion 3; Academics (Game Theory) 3, Awareness 2, Investigation 1, Occult 2 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Dominate 2, Potence 1

WHISPERS: •

Blood Addict: Arthur is a diablerist of the late Prince Modius.

•

Enigmatic Masters: The Second Inquisition or a powerful Elder of the Camarilla captured Arthur and brainwashed him into being a sleeper agent against the Anarchs.

•

Fight Clubbing: Arthur has a charismatic, super-intelligent, and ruthless personality who takes over whenever he’s in danger. He refers to this person as his friend.

•

Satanic Panic: Arthur has figured out a secret code in Black Dog Games that has taught him Blood Sorcery basics tainted by the Devil.

DAWN NAKADA Epitaph: Irate Camarilla Archon Quote: “It is far better to sin to ensure the survival of our kind than to fall on the mercies of the kine and risk pointless martyrdom.” Clan: Malkavian MORTAL DAYS: LIKE DIRT Like thousands of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War, Dawn spent years with her family in an internment camp for no reason other than American xenophobia. Her time behind barbed wire fences was one of fear, malnourishment, and constant abuse from her captors, who expressed little sympathy toward the incarcerated innocents. An intelligent, at times cunning girl, Dawn attempted to make the best of her troubled childhood by manipulating the guards, local civilians, and even other prisoners. She was an adept puppeteer, but her actions drew some negative attention. One guard showed an unhealthy obsession for the teenage Dawn, and though her parents and three older sisters often stood in the way of his predation, they were unable to prevent all his assaults. They reported his crimes repeatedly, until her father was beaten for spreading lies about lawful Americans. For nearly a year, Dawn accepted the hand she’d been dealt with stoicism and steadily building hatred. She milked the small benefit she could from her position, acquiring food and clothing for her family and friends, but it was never worth the cost.

MASK AND MIEN: •

Arthur goes by Arthur Lakes in his night to night life (Mask 1).

•

Arthur is a stocky, bearded man who someone might guess to be in his mid-to-late thirties. He wears baggy loose-fitting clothing as well as a heavy coat. He also wears a pair of thick sunglasses at all times.

•

Kindred who can see auras notice black veins in Arthur’s. If asked about it, he says he frenzied during a battle with a Kindred suffering wassail. Sire: Charlie Embraced: 2010 (Born 1980)

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beamed and showed her off as one of his three childer. The other two displayed incredible jealousy over the gifts that she received and the accomplishments she earned through her own dedication. Dawn became capable of influence at a federal level, pushing FBI agents to ignore overtly vampiric crime scenes, encouraging civic planners to avoid Kindred havens, and allowing vampires with mortal identities to go without tax examinations. Julius was to head to Kyoto with Dawn to help establish a Camarilla foothold in Japan, but before their scheduled departure in 1995, a rival Tremere destroyed the Malkavian ancilla. While his other two childer despaired at losing such an influential, important Mawla, Dawn flourished. She was finally free of male captors. She was finally able to use her skills without her sire’s supervision. Most importantly, the subtle contact she’d maintained with her family now opened up, as she reached out to her sisters’ children as a distant cousin, re-grounding her Humanity. Dawn might have faded into a comfortable position, but the Malkavian Justicar of the time — Maris Streck — knew of her talents and approached her with an invitation to assume the role of Archon. Reluctantly, Dawn accepted. The status earned through the position of Archon might allow her to break free of all future control. She rankled at the epithet her Blood siblings gave her — “Streck’s Pet” — but worked with the Justicar to maintain the Traditions up and down the West Coast. She rarely acted as an assassin or direct saboteur, instead utilizing her skill at manipulating the kine to engineer accidents that caught dangerous Kindred in their wakes, encouraging two FBI agents to drink her vitae, and making unlives uncomfortable for Kindred in Camarilla domains through such mundane issues as constant construction work, pest control intrusions, and visits from repo men. These nights, Dawn is still an Archon, though her Justicar is now Juliet Parr, for whom she has little affinity. When Parr heard the rumor of Mark Decker’s childe vanishing and the potential of her disappearance being connected to a Masquerade breach, she enlisted Dawn for her talents at making kine turn the other way and having mortal civic agencies and law enforcement disrupt any activities that might see the situation escalate. The more the issue can be scrubbed off the board, the better. Dawn recognizes the collapse of a domain like Milwaukee as being potentially destructive to the Camarilla, but she has no desire to go traipsing around the Midwest on a hunt for a single fledgling and any vampires interested in exposing her crimes. She would sooner wipe all the issues off the map in one easily-explained accident than try to find out the why, who, and where of the situation. She’s prone to irritation and having her servants acting swiftly.

When Dawn disappeared from the camp, her family hoped she’d escaped but were desperately afraid the guard had taken his brutality too far and killed her. Divided between covering for her departure and reporting the potential crime, the Nakada family went to the camp commander and relayed everything that had transpired and how they suspected Dawn’s long-time abuser of abduction or murder. For the first time, they were taken at least somewhat seriously. The guard was charged for many of his crimes but denied knowledge of Dawn’s fate. The Nakadas never discovered what became of their youngest daughter. Dawn, meanwhile, had indeed been abducted, but not by the guard. A vampire named Julius had been preying on camp prisoners for months, and Dawn had caught his eye as a potential childe. She showed great aptitude for sneaking around, deception, and a resistance to being broken down. Julius took her away from the camp and gave her the choice: take my vitae and join me as an immortal servant or try to make it on your own as a Japanese-American teenager in the 1940s. Dawn accepted the former option but was already committed to remaining no one’s slave. KINDRED NIGHTS: ACCIDENT COORDINATOR Julius trained Dawn further in the arts of acting, manipulation, and etiquette, determined to raise an accomplished childe. For her part, she followed her sire’s teachings attentively, only fighting against his dictates when he suggested she do something demeaning. Never again would Dawn lower herself to achieve something for others. She rose to prominence as a dedicated Camarilla Malkavian in the domain of San Francisco, skilled at playing the games of court and mortal influence, all as Julius

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PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS:

•

Mark Decker (Twisted) Decker deserves respect for placing Milwaukee firmly in Camarilla hands; even so, Dawn despises him for his treatment of Honor. It’s his behavior that’s led to the current situation, and while she feels he’s probably the best choice Milwaukee has for Prince, Dawn wouldn’t feel upset if he disappeared in an accident to let one of his Anubi take over.

•

Honor Mercer (Pity) Dawn sees a lot of herself in the stories of Honor Mercer, not that she’s ever met the girl. She feels pity for a childe so abused that she’s forced to run or became a victim to kidnapping, but feels even more sadness at the fact that she’s better off destroyed. Running around, she’s a risk to everyone.

•

Keisha Phelps (Intense Distrust) Keisha is the kind of vampire Dawn reviles. She’s the sort with honeyed words to make a fledgling flock to her side, only to use that young vampire for her own political ends. Keisha plays a good game, and she and Dawn have met once or twice with Keisha fulfilling her role as emissary to the Camarilla, but Dawn dreads what might happen if this golden girl of the Ministry gets ahold of the Prince of Milwaukee’s childe.

•

Snuffing out Honor Mercer: Dawn Nakada has a lot of sympathy for a young woman wanting to escape an abuser, but the Camarilla comes first. She has no interest in reuniting Honor with her sire to placate Decker and further any aspect of their horrible relationship, nor can she allow Honor to roam free as a Masquerade breach. Dawn has determined she needs her mortal agents to eliminate Honor, and any Kindred affiliated with her, cauterizing the wound. Cement Grip: Dawn has moderate influence over mortal federal agencies throughout the Midwest, her powerbase being primarily along the West Coast. If she’s going to be focusing on this region for some time, however, she’ll need to place some pawns in key agencies. This has led to one of her ghouls — FBI Agent David Lazarides — gaining a position of prominence within the Bureau’s Chicago office as Chief of Kidnapping & Missing Persons. From there, she intends to extend her reach further, though she’s doing so tentatively, suspicious the FBI may be an element of the Second Inquisition.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

•

Winnebago (Haven 2, Resources 2, Retainer 2) Dawn finds a permanent haven stifling, especially as her role takes her across America. Her two-story Winnebago has an enclosed room for her to sleep in during the day, as well as hidden compartments in two wardrobes should an over-eager cop decide to stop and search. Her driver is a former roadie for Mötley Crüe named Chazz Andrews, who asks no questions of the apparently wealthy woman who pays him to drive her bus around as she sleeps during the day.

WHISPERS:

Federal Arena (Contacts 3, Influence 4) Dawn has spent the best part of four decades threading her tendrils through the FBI and other governmental domains like property, taxation, and utilities. This influence is eroding with Second Inquisition scrutiny, but she still maintains many contacts in city governments, mainly on the West Coast.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

FBI Agents (Allies 4, Retainers 3) Dawn has a dangerous level of access to the FBI due to the presence of her two ghouls, Penny Cusick and David Lazarides — the second of whom heads up a branch of the Bureau in Chicago, while Penny still operates as a field agent. If they catch wind of any Kindred activities, the two deal with them swiftly or report them back to Dawn. They also act as bodyguards, when they are with her.

•

Seeking Torpor: Dawn Nakada isn’t particularly old by vampire standards but has seen a lot and, frankly, struggles to suppress her irritation these nights. She’s on the verge of losing it in a major fashion the next time she runs up against some fool Anarchs who need to be taught the code of silence.

•

The Worst Breach: Rumor has it this Archon has come clean to her entire mortal family that she’s a vampire, and her Justicar only just found out.

•

SI Tabs: A vampire doesn’t maintain influence in the FBI these nights without drawing Second Inquisition attention. Some vampires believe Dawn is a puppet for the Bureau, with them feeding her just the right amount of information for her to think she’s smart.

•

Upcoming Justicar: Dawn’s results can’t be denied, and Juliet Parr’s tenure as Justicar will be up sooner or later. Dawn would be a fine example of a vampire Embraced within the last century at the top of the Ivory Tower.

MASK AND MIEN: •

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Dawn has multiple false identities due to her influence allowing her to have new or adjusted IDs produced with just a quick phone call. Her favorite is as Mayumi Fujiyoshi, a driving instructor (Mask 2).

kindred biographies

•

Dawn commonly dons conservative dress and wears broad, unfashionable glasses. She has little desire to allure or fit in at some Toreador-led Elysium, preferring to blend in as an average member of the kine. She is only 5’0” and slight of build; though Embraced in her mid-teens, her manner makes her seem older.

•

When Dawn uses the Blush of Life, some of her youth returns to her face. She finds herself smiling and her hair gains a bounce of vitality. Sire: Julius Abrogard Embraced: 1943 (Born 1929) Ambition: To steamroll these Midwest Masquerade breaches Convictions: Never allow a Tradition violation to go unpunished Touchstones: Hanna Nakada — mortal niece who looks exactly like Dawn’s eldest sister Humanity: 4 He reached adolescence at an exciting time. He sat in his or a friend’s bedroom, listening to Bob Dylan and Sgt. Pepper’s, experimenting with pot and booze. Not hard drugs. The zeitgeist dictated drugs existed to heighten consciousness and creativity, which heroin and other opioids could only dull. He read Carlos Castaneda’s book as soon as it came out and determined to get his hands on the special drugs he mentioned. At Woodstock in 1969, Lee took some bad acid. This was his first life-changing event. It opened his mind to new realities: He knew his name was Starchild and he stopped answering to anything else. His family was deeply concerned and took him to a variety of therapists with a multitude of theories. Starchild was having none of it. When things got too difficult with his family, he left home, packing a change of clothes and the books of Castaneda. He travelled from festival to festival, communicating his illuminism to whoever would listen. People fed him and gave him safe places to sleep, either because his preaching interested them or because they felt sorry for him. After the bad acid he would only take unprocessed drugs like weed and peyote. He gatecrashed the infamous Ozark Music Festival in Missouri where he met his domitor. No one, to be honest, is clear about why the Malkavian preacher selected him, but few understand the workings of the Malkavian mind.

Generation: 10th Blood Potency: 3 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 5 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 8 Skills: Athletics 3, Drive (Teaching) 3, Firearms 2, Melee 1, Stealth (Sneaking) 4; Etiquette 3, Insight 2, Intimidation 2, Persuasion 3, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 5; Academics (Civics) 3, Awareness 3, Investigation (Kidnapping) 5, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Politics (Federal) 4, Science 1 Disciplines: Auspex 4, Dominate 3, Obfuscate 4

STARCHILD Epitaph: Original hippie and Priest of the Harvest God Quote: “I used to think drugs were the answer but now I understand they are one of many questions.” Creature: Ghoul MORTAL DAYS: DRUG ILLUMINISM AND FREE FESTIVALS Lee Feldman enjoyed all the usual American kid things. He was good enough at school and at sports — good enough, but not exceptional. He was decent looking. Everything in his world was perfectly average.

GHOUL EXISTENCE: CHOSEN OF THE HARVEST GOD Hallowed Bryan took Starchild back to Willerton. He educated the ghoul in what he needed to know as a good servant. Bryan found his insights fascinating, and they spent long nights talking when he was not studying

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the phenomena known as Goblin Roads. After about a decade, Hallowed Bryan refocused on shepherding the extant herd of Willerton — practically the town’s entire population — in servitude to the Harvest God. Starchild competed with the cult for his master’s affection, but Bryan, like many of his clan, was prone to distraction and only took time with Starchild to feed him vitae and call him a good boy. Starchild studied everything he could about the Harvest God to impress his domitor, but to no avail. In the end, it was with reluctant acceptance that the ghoul helped in delivering his master to the sacrificial fields. Since then, Starchild has offered any vampires in Willerton his services in corralling their herd, if he can but feed a little from their veins. He senses something hidden in the cornfields; the Harvest God is calling out to him just as it did to Hallowed Bryan. This, Starchild decided, is what he has been looking for all his life. He feels the Goblin Roads as lines of power, holding Willerton trapped. The God of the Corn, the Harvest God clearly knows the secrets of death and rebirth. The Harvest God claims Starchild for its own. As a ghoul, Starchild is more about the harvest than the sowing; Starchild has pledged himself to the creature in the corn and knows the fields crave blood, rather than seed, in order to grow.

own brand of illuminism but will not mention the Harvest God, if a Hound comes knocking. He fears discovery as, if Kindred knew his true agenda, they might try to shut him down. TERRITORY AND HOME: •

SPHERES OF INFLUENCE: •

•

Serve the Harvest God: Starchild is feeding the Harvest God. He has given it his own blood and the blood of several mortals under his control. He plans many more sacrifices and is currently preparing the mortals of Willerton with this aim in view. He intends to abduct one of the Kindred so they may serve as a sacrifice just as his original domitor did. Become Reborn: Starchild believes that by serving the Harvest God he can achieve rebirth, though he is uncertain about what form this would take. If pressed, he will describe it as “enlightenment”, taking his terminology from the books of Carlos Castaneda. It might mean immortality, freedom from his addiction to vitae, or an advancement in power. Starchild believes his destiny is something far greater and more significant than any ghoul has ever imagined.

•

Influence the Locals: Under Starchild’s guidance, the Congregation use more mortals than ever before for “fertilization”. These mortals are now the force picking up Mariangel’s discarded prey, as well as snatching tourists who come to Willerton.

•

Avoid Kindred Attention: Starchild is keen to avoid scrutiny from the Camarilla of Chicago, about which he knows little. He will talk to them about his

The Congregation (Allies 3, Influence 3) The Congregation existed before Starchild came to Willerton, but he has acquired influence over them. They follow the almanac which contains references to the quarter and cross-quarter days significant in pagan worship and to the ‘sacrifice’. The congregation know the sacrifice must be blood. They mostly used the blood of animals before Starchild arrived.

• Alvin Thompson (Retainer 1) Alvin is the leader of the Congregation and the one through whom Starchild mostly communicates. Alvin is a pillar of the community which causes Starchild some difficulty in relating to him.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

The Graveyard (Haven 2) The old chapel is where Starchild spends his days. Though he’s not a vampire, he tends to only emerge at night. The chapel is the headquarters of the Congregation who protect Starchild. He processes their blood to make of it a fitting sacrifice.

•

Hank Green (Retainer 2) Starchild recently made Hank into a vitae-addicted ghoul by having him drink from a captive Kindred named Everett York. A farmhand and member of the Congregation, Starchild chose him for his pliant, unquestioning nature and his physical strength.

•

Festival Scene (Contacts 2) The festival scene is not as it was in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, but Starchild keeps in touch with a few regular festival goers, most of them as washed out as he is himself.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS:

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•

Prince Kevin Jackson (Avoidance) The Prince of Chicago is aware that Starchild is “somewhere near” his territory. Starchild’s domitor taught him reasonably well, but the ghoul’s actions are a full-blown Masquerade breach. Only one Willerton resident needs to escape the town and tell their story for his whole plan to come crashing down, and he does not want Jackson aware of that.

•

Nazeera (Envy) Starchild is jealous of Nazeera’s library. Occasionally they talk about the occult, visions, and philosophy, but Nazeera has little patience

kindred biographies

with Starchild’s ramblings. Starchild would happily sacrifice them in order to get his hands on their library. •

Robert Warrington (Revulsion) There is something very wrong about Robert Warrington — with his aura. He’d be a good candidate for sacrifice in some ways, if not for the mysterious flaw in his being. The Harvest God might vomit him back up.

•

Mariangel (Amusement) Mariangel has no idea what is happening to her victims. Starchild secretly finds this amusing. She would make a good sacrifice.

•

Everett York (Disposable) When it comes time for the Kindred sacrifice, York might turn out to be the Harvest God’s chosen sacrifice.

For convenience, Starchild maintains a false identity using a driver’s license and expired credit cards he found in a washroom at a festival.

Agent of the Free States: Starchild just turned up and is causing all kinds of hell next to an important Camarilla domain. It’s not far-fetched to assume he’s an Anarch agent.

•

Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: Yes, he’s “that” kind of ghoul; don’t trust him. He’s plotting to murder and drain a vampire — it could be you.

Starchild’s gaze rarely fixes on anything. His speech is vague; the Congregation spends a lot of time trying to work out what the hell he means by his pronouncements.

First Bound: 1974 (Born 1949) Ambition: Facilitate the upcoming sacrifice Humanity: 3 Blood Potency: 0 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 5 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 8 Skills: Athletics 2, Larceny 2, Survival (Panhandling) 4; Etiquette (Hippie) 4, Insight 4, Leadership 3, Performance (DJ) 4, Persuasion (Preaching) 3, Streetwise 3; Awareness 4, Occult (Drug Illuminism) 5

IDENTITY AND PERSONA: •

•

Current Domitor/s: Nazeera, Mariangel, Robert Warrington

Childe of an Archon: Starchild’s actually a vampire and his sire was an Archon, so it’s only reasonable to assume he is in Willerton for a purpose. Perhaps he’s keeping an eye on Prince Jackson?

•

Starchild is tall and painfully thin with long, dark blond hair worn loose. His preference is to go naked, but, in deference to the Congregation, he will wear tattered blue jeans and a sweatshirt. He refuses to put anything on his feet; shoes of any kind would break his contact with the holy ground.

First Domitor: Hallowed Bryan

WHISPERS: •

•

Disciplines: Auspex 1

Connel O’Donnell (Mask 1) The blood anointed priest of the Harvest God should not need a mask.

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“It’s high time we embraced a higher calling than endless squabbles over this block or that.” — Keisha Phelps, explaining the futility of the Eternal Struggle Indianapolis stands as one of the first Ministry-controlled domains in the United States and has grown as an ostensibly neutral territory as a result. The Ministry are anything but neutral, however. They watch, they listen, and they manipulate every affair.

KEISHA PHELPS Epitaph: Gospel Singer, Temptress, and Dignitary Quote: “How strong is your faith? Strong enough to resist me? What chains bind you? Let me set you free.” Clan: Ministry MORTAL DAYS: THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE Keisha loved to sing, and she loved to praise the Lord. Her father’s work as minister at the Church of the Holy Gospel Spirit allowed her voice to reach hundreds on a Sunday. She wished people wouldn’t make such a fuss about it. She knew her voice was a gift from God, and she knew God didn’t care whether she sang in the choir in the church or in a recording studio; as long as she continued to praise Him, she knew she would be fine. God spoke to her quite clearly and told her so. Her father had one theory about what God wanted and her mother had another. Keisha found her own. God wanted her to tempt the congregation with her voice, to distract them from worship so He could tell who really worshipped Him and who was in church for their own, corrupt reasons. Keisha started to think of herself as a test of faith. As she grew beyond puberty, her body provided worshippers with further distraction. Aluc Romas de Leon, a Follower of Set, had heard of this gospel singing girl and travelled to Indianapolis to hear her. He failed to resist her temptation.

They seem Godless to her. She still hears the voice of God in her head. She still knows she is a test of faith, and God has given her the faithless to punish. Sometimes, she wishes she did not enjoy the punishing quite so much. Her education in Kindred society and the Ministry came from Melvyn Ramsay, leader of the Ministry in Indianapolis. Mel believes the voice of God that Keisha hears is the voice of Set, and Keisha is merely dressing this in the Christian imagery she learned in her youth. He values her highly and believes she is destined for great things. Keisha trusts Mel and will do as he asks. She acts as the Ministry’s Dignitary to the Camarilla, a role she executes with charm and guile. Keisha’s father moved to Florida when he retired and continued to preach on a part time basis until his death, a decade ago, while she stayed in Indianapolis — having since lost contact with the rest of her family. She guesses they must all be old or dead by now. She still attends evangelical services in the evenings and sometimes the Lord inspires her to preach. She preaches of the temptations of the flesh and how the Lord is the only effective

KINDRED NIGHTS: IN SERVICE TO THE MINISTRY The Embrace devastated Keisha, nearly destroying her faith. Aluc was not the kind of sire to have the patience to pull a childe through a difficult time. He gave her to others in the Ministry to raise, though he invites her to parties in Chicago from time to time. She does not enjoy the parties.

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THRALLS AND TOOLS:

armor. She tempts men and women with her voice and her body and punishes those who succumb. She punishes them by feeding from them, draining them almost dry — sometimes, they die. Sometimes, she gives them a tiny taste of her holy self in return. Then, they love her. Melvyn Ramsay disappeared from Indianapolis a year ago, leaving the Ministry with no central authority figure. For her part, Keisha appreciates the devolved state of her new church. Many look to her for guidance on negotiating the matters of politics and faith, and under her the domain strives toward a freer, utopian society. Keisha and her fellow Ministers expect all vampires who remain in Indianapolis to reach for spiritual enlightenment, especially with the Ministry’s warm guidance. To her, the Anarch Movement represents more than just throwing off a corrupt political hierarchy: It represents a revolution of the soul.

•

Church Congregation (Herd 2) Keisha feeds on the congregation at the Church of the Holy Gospel Spirit. She visits other churches irregularly to dine. To her mind, falling victim to her temptation is cause enough to risk her Hunger.

•

Imam Solomon Farooqi (Contact 2, Influence 2, Touchstone) Although he is not of the same faith, Solomon’s utter faith in Allah touches Keisha deeply. She has had long conversations with him late in the evenings, and if she were to confide in anyone about her condition, it would be the imam.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Aluc Romas de Leon (Revulsion) She is frightened by the depths of her sire’s depravity and the lack of respect he seems to feel for those he corrupts. He may be handsome, but there is nothing beautiful about the way he tempts people. Nothing at all. He is Godless.

•

Mel Ramsay (Mawla) Keisha has the greatest respect for Mel, whom she regards as her spiritual guide. She will do anything for him. He lets her drink his blood, and it tastes sweet as nectar. His disappearance troubles her terribly.

•

Honor Mercer (Sympathy) Keisha is highly protective of Honor and does not want her to return to her abusive sire. Keisha understands abusive sires all too well. Honor needs to stay in Indianapolis where she can break her chains; it’s going to take some work, but Keisha is certain she can be set free.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

Breaking Kindred Free: As Dignitary to the Camarilla, Keisha is a valuable go-between. She believes the Anarch Movement is trying to break the Kindred free of the strictures imposed by the wicked Camarilla and is happy to support their cause. Highly regarded among diplomats of other domains, Keisha often facilitates convocations in her city of Indianapolis, where she can keep an eye on everyone.

•

Duty to her Sire: Keisha will act for her sire when required, it is her duty to do so, but she is actively trying to break the bond she has to him. She is more inclined to trust her Mawla, Mel Ramsay, but she believes he’s been Beckoned to Egypt.

•

Protect the Wayward Childe: Keisha is protecting Honor Mercer and trying to tempt her into joining the Ministry. She’s not offering some Faustian pact and she’s no serpent in the desert: As far as Keisha’s concerned, Honor has the choice to accept or reject faith in Set, but if she refuses, she can find her own path to enlightenment beyond Indianapolis. Of course, winning the girl over would be a major weapon in the armory of the Anarch Movement, should the sect wish to make inroads into Milwaukee.

WHISPERS: •

Close to Golconda: Keisha’s relationship with God is very apparent. She must have been working on her approach to Golconda, possibly even before her Embrace. It’s not really what you expect from the Ministry, but the Ministry often succeeds in defying all expectation.

•

Double Agent: Keisha is not committed to the Anarch Movement and is secretly working with Prince Decker in Milwaukee. You can never really trust a Dignitary because they have a foot in each camp. Keep an eye on her, she may try to return his childe.

•

Total Corruption: Don’t be fooled by her “praise the Lord” innocent front. That lick is pure corruption. She’ll bind you to her soon as look at you. Yes, she’s pretty, and she has a nice voice, but haven’t you heard the story of Odysseus and the sirens on the rock?

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Church of the Holy Gospel Spirit (Haven 3, Herd 2) Keisha makes her home in her father’s old church, where she feeds on the congregation. It’s become dilapidated under new management — the new minister does not have Keisha’s father’s conviction, let alone his charisma. She thinks she may have to move on soon and has been eyeing up Heartland Church — a megachurch in the city — as a possible new haven.

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MASK AND MIEN: •

Keisha is a light-skinned woman of color. She is small and neat and wears her hair in cornrows. When trying to pass as human, her skin darkens slightly, with full, red lips.

•

Keisha dresses modestly, but she has an alluring presence even in long skirts and high-necked blouses..

•

She sings whenever she can. In conversation she has an attractive sing-song lilt to her voice. She moves in time to a tune playing in her mind, so she always looks as if she is dancing.

•

Carla de Leon (Mask 1) In mortal society, Keisha has established this identity as a preacher and gospel singer with a unique approach.

a popular young man on campus. Everyone wanted to be friends with Ty. He was always invited to the best parties, had the prettiest girls by his side, and never failed to buy beer for any event. He had a way with words that made people happy to do what he asked. The partying caught up with Ty within a year of it starting. He lost his scholarship because his grades were failing, dropped out of college and moved back with his parents. Ty spent most of his time drinking and smoking pot. The weed smoking drove Ty’s parents to kick him out of the house. They neither wished to support his habit, nor did they want to watch him waste his entire life. His words were failing him. Ty found himself on the street with nothing left to his name, a broken shell of a man. Learning is hard sometimes, and Ty learned drugs, alcohol, and sex did not work for him anymore. Ty soon found the Church of the Holy Gospel Spirit, where the priest offered a hand up from his downward spiral. Ty enrolled in their drug rehab program and was able to get the help he needed. Using their plan to help him find God and come closer to Jesus, Ty was able to build a support structure. Ty spent several years going through the program before becoming an active member of the congregation. He volunteered for missionary work and helped to organize some of their community events. The church hired him to help maintain their building, providing him with a much-needed job. Ty met Keisha when he started working with her on a mission project. She breathed new life into the gospel for him, and he hung on every word she spoke. The seeds of Set worship were planted in his brain, but it was as if she talked to God. They continued to work together, organizing mission work in the city and growing their congregation.

Sire: Aluc Romas de Leon Embraced: 1963 (Born 1939) Ambition: Put Honor on the right path Convictions: Break others free from the ties that bind them Touchstones: Imam Solomon Farooqi, local religious teacher and friend Humanity: 5 Generation: 13th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Composure 4; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 6 Skills: Athletics 1, Drive 1, Stealth 2, Animal Ken (Cats) 3, Etiquette 4, Insight 4, Performance (Gospel Singing) 5, Persuasion 5, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 3; Academics (Religious Studies) 2, Awareness 3, Finance 3

KINDRED NIGHTS: NO “I” IN SUTEKH Keisha was so impressed with Ty and his dedication to God that she wanted him Embraced into the Ministry. She groomed him in the ways of the clan, strengthening his belief in the faith. Keisha arranged to have the church to themselves one night, and it was then she baptized him into the Ministry. Ty never was able to recall the details of the night he was Embraced. Keisha maintains Ty is her childe, a lie Ty believes to this night. In fact, another Minister did the deed as Keisha had no desire to take a life, despite desiring a disciple. Ty did not take well to the change and had a tough time reconciling being a vampire with being one of God’s chosen. He grew to believe God did not exist and started to question Keisha and her teachings. Keisha offered no help for Ty, convinced he had fallen from the path. Ty, angered by Keisha’s betrayal, left the congregation. He took his frustrations out on her, telling Keisha she was nothing more than a whore of Babylon who tempted him

Disciplines: Dominate 1, Obfuscate 1, Presence 5

“COACH” TYRONE SOROS Epitaph: Born-again Setite Quote: “You can’t spell ‘redemption’ without ‘I’ ‘mean’ ‘it’, can you?” Clan: Ministry MORTAL DAYS: THE PARTY LIFE Tyrone Soros attended Purdue University on a football scholarship but was unsure of what he wanted to pursue academically. He joined a fraternity, becoming

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storm that cleanses the fields of hunger. Ty also runs several halfway homes, where he helps formerly incarcerated people find jobs, gets them back on their feet, and saves their souls by showing them the ways of Set. PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

away from the Kingdom of Heaven. He cut ties with the Church of the Holy Gospel Spirit and started down what he thought was his own path, speaking with other members of his clan in Indianapolis and farther afield. He followed what he knew of his own clan’s history, hoping to pick up the pieces of his faith. After three years of wandering, examination of his faith, and reflection on what it meant to be a vampire, he made his way back to Indianapolis’ Ministry temples. Ty had discovered the clan was about more than Keisha’s interpretation. The Ministry viewed themselves as the protectors of the Kindred soul and helped those within the city to find a balance with their Beast. Ty found comfort in this and was able to reconcile his existence with the clan’s beliefs. The Ministry convinced Ty their purpose in the city was important, and Indianapolis would not survive without their guidance. Ty started reaching out to the younger Kindred in the city in hopes of helping them follow the ways of the Ministry. It was during one of those outreach missions that Ty met Marion Davies, a bartender for a new club in the city. Ty learned Marion was of the Camarilla, not an Anarch like him, and tried to convert her. Their relationship soon ended as Marion left him, tired of his motivational speeches. Ty loves Marion and is trying whatever he can to get her back. Ty now has his own service, not in a church but as a travelling speaker delivering community outreach programs, school initiatives, and group therapy sessions. He mentors all kine and Kindred, no matter their sect or religious leanings. He helps them try to find their path and teaches them about Sutekh as the great liberator and

•

One and the Same: Ty has been unable to reconcile his relationship with God and the curse laid upon him. While his belief in God has not changed, his approach to God has. Ty believes God and Set are really one and the same.

•

Children, Listen to My Words: Ty continues to minister to those Kindred who need it. He holds regular meetings where he speaks on the Kindred soul and what he has discovered about it and shares some of the messages he believes can work to help save those who need it.

•

Serpent in the Garden: Ty wants to expose Keisha as a harlot, both in her church and within the Ministry. His anger toward her and his goal to expose her as fraud continues to escalate. He is always looking for information on her so he can use it to bring her down, regardless of her political status in the clan and sect.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Coach Tyrone’s Enlightenment Initiative (Contacts 2, Herd 3, Resources 2) Ty has built up a following of mortals and Kindred through his community work. Ty uses his Ministry knowledge and the teachings of the clan to start recruiting to their ranks, keeping any religious aspects close to the message of the Church of the Holy Gospel Spirit. Ty brings a friendly, non-threatening approach to preaching the ways of the Ministry and belief in their god, Set. His work helps to spread the Ministry’s influence in the city and this, in turn, helps the Ministry pinpoint those who would make good thralls. Ty believes Set has his back and he shares his belief with everyone he works with.

•

YMCA (Haven 1) Ty keeps his sleeping quarters within one of the halfway homes he keeps for ex-convicts who are not able to find housing. He keeps a private space in the basement where he has his personal belongings. Ty makes sure there is a lock on his door.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

19 1

Halfway House Residents (Contacts 2) Ty has built up a following of mortals who feel they are lost and invisible in the world. He gives them agency and

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

purpose. They follow any requests Ty has of them, even if it means risking their parole.

short, though sometimes he forgets to cut it every night and lets it go. He has a warm and welcoming demeanor when he is speaking with others. Blush of Life makes his face blush beet red. His smile tends to catch people off guard, but he quickly wins them over by telling jokes and offering his assistance.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

•

Keisha (Disappointment) Ty is disappointed in his assumed sire and her misguided perceptions of the Kindred condition. He sees her for the liar she is, as a politician more than a believer, and wants to make sure others know so as well.

•

Marion Davies (Lover) Marion is the most amazing Kindred Ty has ever met. He does not understand why she left him and has trouble letting go. He is careful to give her space, but he is trying to be friendly.

Sire: Mattathias Embraced: 2000 (Born 1975)

Tessa Greene (Contact) Tessa reached out to Tyrone for some information on Indianapolis a few years back, and they stayed in contact ever since. They pass vital information between Indianapolis and Milwaukee and help to keep both cities in touch with what is going on.

Ambition: Get everyone on board the enlightenment train, next stop redemption Convictions: Always take in the unloved Touchstones: Branden Walker, a volunteer at the first halfway house he opened

WHISPERS: •

Humanity: 7

Fallen Brother: Tyrone is no Christian, but he’s no Setite either. There’s something darker to the words he preaches, and a lot of his initiates disappear after their first few sessions.

•

Blowhard: Ty’s the front man for an insidious operation. No way would the Ministry give someone like this real power.

•

True Love: Considering the amount of time he spends with Marion, it’s likely he’ll attempt to defect to the Camarilla soon.

Ty dresses in button-down shirts with collars, khaki pants or shorts, and usually a baseball cap or visor. He prefers to wear brand name clothing and is always looking in mirrors to make sure his outfit looks clean, if not good. It’s very important for Ty to appear as a man of the people.

Generation: 12th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 1, Wits 2, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 6 Skills: Athletics (Football) 4, Brawl 2, Drive 1; Intimidation 2, Leadership (Congregation) 2, Performance (Orator) 4, Persuasion (Motivational Speaking, Preaching) 4, Streetwise 3; Finance 2, Investigation 3, Occult 2, Technology 3

MASK AND MIEN: • Ty is a stocky white guy with a muscular build. He has straight blonde hair he likes to keep cut

Disciplines: Obfuscate 1, Presence 3, Protean 1

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“If you thought we went offline just because the rest of you chumps did, you underestimate us. Ha! Headshot!” — Gabriella, absently discussing clan strategy while capturing the flag

The Nosferatu capitalize their malleability by occupying important roles in all sects, but if you ask the Sewer Rats, they are and always have been the foundations of the Camarilla. There is no clan for which the Masquerade is more important.

GABRIELLA Epitaph: Cyber Hound Quote: “That was a fun hunt. GG.” Clan: Nosferatu MORTAL DAYS: PROFESSIONAL GAMER Gabriella was a shy girl, far more comfortable in front of her PC than she ever was in front of people. It wasn’t that she didn’t like people, it’s just she found that without the build-up of getting to know someone through the internet — whether through social media or, ideally, through shooting them, blowing them up, or razing their city in online games — she was a terrible read on personalities. Her parents weren’t worried; her grades were good. Besides, her mom was a computer programmer who met her husband while playing Clash of Steel, a grand strategy game in the early 1990s. They knew the kind of girl she was and approved. After all, it worked out for them. Gabriella’s time spent online was lucrative to boot. Her streaming service brought her a regular income from the age of 16. When it came to playing Dota 2, she was ranked in the top ten internationally — she took top prize at the 2015 knockout tournament held in Chicago. While she waited at the bus terminal for her ride back to Milwaukee, a fan approached her pledging eternal love and wouldn’t leave her alone. Worried, she kept checking her phone to see when the bus was due to arrive. For some reason, this set the fan off on a tirade. “How dare you keep checking your phone?” “I was only being nice.” “God, you’re as entitled as they all say.” “I just want-

ed to talk with you.” “I’m not that bad.” “Frigid bitch.” “Stop looking away.” “Look at me.” Look at me. KINDRED NIGHTS: ADAPTIVE INTELLIGENCE Gabriella doesn’t know if the “fan” Embraced her, but she remembers hearing footsteps behind her just before everything went black, waking feeling sated, which she now understands is unusual for most fledglings. The fan was gone, and she was alone at the bus terminal. Just a smear of blood on the sidewalk marked the events of her Embrace. She saw her reflection in the dark glass of a window and touched her face to realize the distortion was real. Whatever had happened to her, had mutilated her. Gabriella never left Chicago. She called her parents, and they were easygoing and understanding — perhaps a little too much so — when she explained she’d met someone in the city and was going to live with him for a while.

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She spent a month on the streets, feeding on rats and dogs, but never finding the confidence to tackle a fullgrown adult. She contemplated finding someone younger, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. A month into her existence as a vampire, she was caught feeding in an alley beside the Blue Velvet, unaware of its status as a Kindred hangout. It was her good fortune that Horatio Ballard discovered her, instead of someone like Bronwyn or Nathaniel Bordruff, allowing her to escape destruction for her misstep Typically, the Ventrue was a vile bully, but he did something that created a place for her in Kindred society: He asked her what she was good at. Realizing this was a job interview and trial all at once, Gabriella ignored her gaming credentials and emphasized her skills as a programmer, modder, and — at a push — cyber security expert. Ballard privately recruited her and kept her on his books for a year before introducing her to the rest of the city’s Kindred. With his blessing, she moved into the role of Hound for the Prince. Gabriella usually hangs out at downtown internet cafés at night, where she always has her own dedicated corner. She plays games for the most part but when asked will perform security tasks for Ballard, Jackson, and the Sheriff. She doesn’t mind, so long as she has access to the best gaming machines and enough money to buy the hottest releases (and all the expansions).

private sanctuary. She never brings a meal back to it. • Downtown Internet Cafés (Herd 1) Gabriella keeps a low profile but enjoys the hum of activity in internet cafés and arcades. She’ll occasionally find a target to feed from in such a place, dosing them with a little of her vitae afterward to make them return the following night for another drink. THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Horatio Ballard (Gratitude) She must be the only Kindred in Chicago who feels this way, but Gabriella has a measure of affection and gratitude for Ballard. He offered her something at a time when nobody else would. In turn, he finds her pleasantness around him endearing, making for a strange alliance.

•

Damien (Moderator) Gabriella and Damien don’t really socialize. He gives her an order, she does it. He tells her off, she makes up for whatever she’s done. She sees him a little like a forum moderator: she values his position but finds him out of touch.

•

“The Hurricane” (Rival) Gabriella doesn’t know the identity of the Hurricane but suspects they’re a Kindred in Chicago. She’s had some of her hacking attempts blocked by their efforts, and on more than one occasion they’ve put viruses on her machines. Her rivalry with the Hurricane is growing into a fullblown cyber war.

•

Ambrus Maropis (Reverence) Not long after Gabriella took on her role as one of Chicago’s Hounds, she received an anonymous, encrypted message online. She decoded itand identified the sender as Ambrus Maropis, the legendary Nosferatu supposedly appointed to safeguard the Camarilla online. She knows little of Maropis but is excited he seems to know her.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

Chicago Cyber Security: Gabriella is an excellent hacker, though she finds doing lengthy hacks into government records dull as hell. Jackson and Damien believe she’s the vanguard of what a Hound needs to be in the modern nights, so she does as they ask: Hunt down risks to the Masquerade online, then point the actual killers like Alexa after the target. Internet Fame: Gabriella’s maintained a small presence online, despite her month or so in the wilderness, but she’s aiming to make her stream profitable again. She’s considering whether to wear a mask or find some other way of representing herself to her audience. Though her life has been twisted out of proportion, Gabriella is determined to set it back on the path it was originally following, with a few modifications.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Sugary Popcorn Army (Contacts 3) Gabriella’s streaming name was “Sugary Popcorn.” A small army of followers would send her money if asked, or grief an enemy if she required it. It’s not in her character to solicit help, but she has the capacity to use her Sugary Popcorn Army as an anonymous force if needed.

WHISPERS:

West Town Basement Apartment (Haven 2, Resources 2) Ballard gifted Gabriella her apartment near downtown Chicago, which she keeps equipped with the best gaming machines and comfortable bedding. She likes to keep the apartment as her own

•

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Masquerade Breach: Gabriella’s too well-known and sooner or later a fan is going to find out about her Nosferatu deformity and blow up the internet. She needs to be eliminated.

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Legions: Gabriella commands more followers than most Princes command ghouls and mortal servants. If she really wanted, she could destroy a Prince with a well-placed message to her legions.

FELICIA PAGE Epitaph: Crimefighting Cockroach Quote: “You cannot break me, you cannot make me disappear, now it’s time for you to pay the price.” Clan: Nosferatu

Boyfriend: There’s a guy going around saying he’s Gabriella’s boyfriend and he’s trying to find her. He seems damn creepy and threatening.

MORTAL DAYS: TRAGEDY BEGETS TRAGEDY Felicia Page’s kid brother, Joey, was addicted to heroin. He died alone, choking on his own vomit in a squalid bedsit. This tragedy inspired Felicia to become a police officer, then a liaison to the DEA. Such was the life of Felicia: Tragedy dogged her every step, altering the path she walked. She studied criminal justice through college, applying to the police academy almost as soon as she graduated. Her father died in a plane crash on the same day as her entrance exam, and she vowed to never fly again. After intensive training and a short period working close to home, she transferred to El Paso. As she refused to fly, she drove down to Texas. On the way, she fell asleep at the wheel and woke following a sickening thud and screech. She’d struck a motorcyclist coming the other way. Rather than stop to check on him, she panicked, driving on at speed. To this night she doesn’t know if she killed the motorcyclist and the thought of it haunts her. Felicia worked in El Paso for many years, becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in ripping the drugs trade out by the root. She attributed this to limited cross-border co-operation and verbally castigated bosses on either side in a joint operations meeting. She was demoted to desk duty. Norman Hayden, a colleague with whom she formed a close relationship, shared her frustration. Norman was on the trail of cartel members when he failed to turn up for work one morning. The briefest of investigations revealed he had been abducted. Attempting to rescue him ended in a gun fight that took Norman’s life, along with the boss of the gang that held him. This didn’t halt the cartel’s operations. Felicia redoubled her efforts to investigate this gang, even bound to her desk as she was. It seemed to her the cartel must have possessed insider knowledge to anticipate Norman’s operation. Her investigation, which included inappropriately accessing the files Norman submitted up the chain, revealed the new cartel boss had contacts within the DEA. Felicia approached the Inspection Division of the DEA with her evidence and was asked to attend a confidential meeting in Milwaukee. Though surprised at the distance she’d have to travel, the clandestine nature of the meeting made it make sense in her mind. For the first time in years, Felicia drove back up north.

MASK AND MIEN: •

Gabriella wears oversized hoodies and often has a gaming headset over her ears. A glimpse at her face reveals the left half of it is covered in twisted scar tissue, with her left eyelid no longer functioning and all the hair on that side of her body apparently seared off. Her right side is flawless, her braided red hair draped down over her shoulder.

•

The Nosferatu speaks quietly, sometimes with a shake to her voice when she’s not happy. If engaged on a subject close to her heart, such as games, she becomes loud, enthusiastic, and can speak for hours on gaming strategy and design.

•

Gabriella has a strong online presence as Sugary Popcorn, but it isn’t a Mask in the normal sense. She can’t uphold this disguise in a normal face-to-face setting. Until she develops her Disciplines further, she remains out of sight. Sire: “Snakeman” Capo Embraced: 2018 (Born 1995) Ambition: Prove her worth as a young Hound Convictions: Never ever lose your temper when losing Touchstones: Her parents, Nigel and Becky Rudge Humanity: 9 Generation: 11th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 4; Intelligence 5, Wits 4, Resolve 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 8 Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Craft (Repair) 3, Firearms 2, Larceny 2, Stealth 1; Etiquette 1, Insight (Text Speak) 3, Intimidation 1, Subterfuge 1; Academics (Computer Science) 3, Awareness 1, Investigation 4, Science 3, Technology (Hacking) 5 Disciplines: Obfuscate 3, Potence 2

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She knows there’s a coterie of vampires playing with her. She suspects there’s corruption within the DEA. The one advantage she has over everyone is nobody, to her knowledge, believes she still exists. Felicia may be a wild card in any chronicle as she seeks allies, knows police procedure, and can still inexplicably access DEA records. She may also be an albatross, as bad luck seems to follow her around. PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

Though she arrived in Milwaukee and found the address she was given, the contact failed to show up and, as she left in frustration, Felicia was fatally shot. Or so the official records say. KINDRED NIGHTS: WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS For many years, five vampires had been closely watching Felicia. This Milwaukee-based coterie, perhaps as a sick joke, or as a way of molding the perfect childe, or just because they were bored, orchestrated many of the terrible events in Felicia’s life. What they hadn’t expected was for a Nosferatu in Milwaukee to find her bleeding body and preserve her existence with the Embrace. Just as they’d been watching her, Kristian of the Sewer Rats had been watching them. Kristian smuggled Felicia away and explained what little he knew of the fates playing with her life. He told her she was in a dangerous city, one with firm laws and restrictions surrounding being a vampire. Bewildered and panicked, she fell into a frenzy that Kristian could only stop with a stake to her heart. Kristian never returned to remove the stake. Whether he was destroyed, fled Milwaukee, or simply gave up on his new childe is unknown to Felicia. What she does know is when a construction worker accidentally set off his explosives in an incorrectly designated sewer tunnel, instead of the tunnel he was supposed to collapse on the other side of town, the resulting blast can catch pockets of methane, incinerate the worker, and dislodge a stake enough to wake a vampire. Waking for the first time in close to a decade, Felicia’s obsession with investigating the gang that killed Norman has not abated with the change in her condition.

•

Drug Investigator: Felicia hasn’t lost her dedication to tracking the trafficking of drugs and believes all her investigations as a mortal lead to some kind of Kindred puppetry. Her resentment has grown to such a degree, she will be unstoppable if she discovers the parties responsible for her repeated misfortune.

•

Search for Kristian: Felicia owes her existence to Kristian, but she has no idea where he is or if he even wants to acknowledge her. She’ll aid any coterie who assist her in discovering her sire’s whereabouts.

•

Delayed Introductions: Felicia recalls being told about how Milwaukee has strict laws surrounding Kindred behavior but has no idea where to go to introduce herself to Prince Decker or his court. She doesn’t want to risk getting caught but has no clue where to go from here.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Modified Van (Haven 1) Felicia uses a modified van as her haven. She doesn’t park in the same location for long, favoring abandoned lots in Historic Third Ward, where there are plenty of rough sleepers. If someone tries to break into her van during the day, they will find it infested with the cockroaches who spend their nights within Felicia’s body. The van contains the files Felicia keeps concerning the drug cartels.

THRALLS AND TOOLS:

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•

The Homeless (Contacts 1, Herd 1) Felicia has a good relationship with the rough sleepers of the Historic Third Ward in Milwaukee, but it’s early nights yet. She helps them when they are in need, in exchange for their blood and information.

•

Elena Heath (Contacts 1, Touchstone) A former colleague at the DEA, now working in Chicago. Felicia contacted Elena soon after recovering from her staking and convinced her she was not dead, just horribly injured, and is now working deep undercover. Elena keeps Felicia up to date with information from the DEA.

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•

Cockroach Intrusion (Retainers 1) Being city-born, Felicia is more familiar with pests living in cities than with wolves. She commands bugs with Animalism, especially cockroaches, which live in her body.

bizarre way, stretching her body, limbs, and face, so when her face is visible, her eyes, nose, and mouth appear to be fixed in a permanent look of horror. She dresses functionally rather than fashionably, favoring a trench coat, plain shirt and pants, and large sunglasses to cover her eyes.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Kristian (Mystery) Felicia has no idea why her sire saved her, other than the fact that he’d been watching the group manipulating her for some time. She would love to know more, but where to find him?

•

Prince Mark Decker (Fear) Felicia knows nothing of Mark Decker other than he’s a hardass and unlikely to forgive her for waiting a decade before making an introduction. She has no idea how best to circumvent this issue.

•

Felicia borrows a succession of identities from her homeless friends and takes great pains to ensure they stand up to scrutiny. (Mask 1) Embraced: 2011 (Born 1976)

Fugitive: Felicia fled to Milwaukee because she killed a government agent in El Paso. She could be in trouble with the Second Inquisition. It’s best not to get too close to her, lest you get painted with the same brush.

Ambition: Find my sire Convictions: I must protect my colleagues whatever the cost Touchstone: Elena Heath, DEA colleague Humanity: 6

Oppose the Circulatory System: Felicia is against the human trafficking and exploitation of the Circulatory System and abhors its clients. She watches them closely and would report them to the mortal police if she had enough evidence to be confident in securing a conviction.

Generation: 9th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Resolve 3

Hit and Run: The person Felicia hit with her car is still alive and has been trying to trace her whereabouts for years. Whether they want to take legal action, revenge, or offer forgiveness is a mystery.

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Drive 1, Melee 2, Firearms (Pistol) 3, Stealth 2; Animal Ken (Cockroaches) 2, Etiquette 1, Insight 1, Intimidation 3, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 1; Academics (Information Systems, Law) 2, Awareness 3, Investigation (Drugs Trade) 3

MASK AND MIEN: •

She has unhealed bullet holes in her chest and abdomen, through which cockroaches can often be seen crawling through her body. She has full control over the roaches’ movement, and it amuses her to gross people out.

Sire: Kristian

WHISPERS: •

•

In her mortal days, Felicia was short, muscular, and prone to being compared to a bulldog, much to her chagrin. The Embrace changed her appearance in a

Disciplines: Animalism 3, Obfuscate 2

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“If you don’t spot us, that’s intentional.” — Jessica Flores, talking down a full-blooded vampire

Often underestimated, some thin-blood believe they are destined to inherit the world, as the elders of Kindred society disappear due to the Beckoning or fall to the fangs of their cannibalistic brethren. All they have to do is wait, and push at the right moments, for thin-bloods to become the ruling majority.

they saw her, they’d chase her off. But as the years passed, they stopped bothering. While she was never part of the gang, she spent most her time on the streets. By the time she was 16, she was on a first name basis with the Wasteland’s homeless and sex workers, helping where she could — with a sandwich, a pair of socks, hand wipes, or anything else they needed that day. Gary’s indigent population became her extended family. After Jessica graduated high school at 19 years old, she got a job as an in-house donation assistant. She helped collect donations and deliver them to homeless shelters. During one of her runs she encountered a Kindred named Farah, who changed her life forever. Farah was stalking the Wasteland streets frantically looking for a meal after an accidental chemical fire burned half her body. Panicked and dancing on the edge of a hunger frenzy, the instant she saw Jessica, she descended on her, nearly killing her in the process. Guilt ridden in the aftermath, Farah Embraced Jessica and transformed her into a thin-blood. Then, realizing her actions would have dire repercussions, Farah handed Jessica over to Alexander Danov before skipping town.

JESSICA FLORES Epitaph: The Street Spy Quote: “When you’re talking on the phone while walking down the street. When you take out your garbage. When you drop your kids off at school. You don’t see us. But we very much see you.” Clan: Thin-Blood MORTAL DAYS: FROM NOTHING, INTO NOTHING Jessica Flores grew up on the outskirts of Gary in a struggling Afro-Hispanic family. After her father’s heart attack when she was eight, her mother raised her along with her older brother alone. While her mom made ends meet as a postal carrier in Gary by day and an office janitor by night, the kids would do what they could to feed themselves and get to school. Neither happened with any regularity. Jessica was smart enough to coast even when she didn’t show up. Her brother, Carlo, wasn’t so lucky. When her mother was home, she’d be too tired and angry from work to be a mom. Instead, drinking became her means of escape, which only made her more shortfused. She’d snap at them, calling them ungrateful. In one of her uglier drunken fits, she said she wished they’d never been born. Carlo’s answer was to storm out of their apartment. Jessica chased after him. He told her he was done with all that. If their mother didn’t want them, fine, he was gone. He was a Knight now. After that, Jessica spent most of her time alone or hanging out with Carlo and the Knights. At first, when

KINDRED NIGHTS: DIRT AMONG THE DOWNTRODDEN Alexander Danov found the thin-blooded Flores useful for her connections to the homeless and ganglands community and set her up as a Gary information source. She built a small but growing network of spies and informants quicker than she expected possible, all the while receiving praise and payment from her Mawla, Danov. Jessica would funnel money back to her family and split some of the proceeds of her night-time work among her street-working friends, but as her largesse grew, the information she obtained started losing its value. Unsure of what had gone wrong, she visited Alexander Danov, who she caught sealing up his haven. He explained: Her generosity made people less desperate, and less desperate people would stop telling the truth and start creating lies

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nate have built a small community and do what they can to assist their neighbors. •

The Gary Homeless Community (Contacts 3, Herd 3) Flores’ primary source of information is the growing homeless population in Gary, who claim small tent cities, soup kitchens, and underpass congregations as their home. She takes care of her people, who in turn plant themselves in key areas throughout Gary in order to spy on targets of opportunity — including key individuals Jessica tasks them to watch.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Carlo Flores (Ally 2) Jessica’s mortal brother and a current member of the Gary Knights. He’s unaware of her Kindred nature and unlikely to find out soon now that he’s in prison. But he’s still able to call in favors for her when she needs them.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: because they knew the green would keep flowing. She would need to tighten her purse and treat this enterprise as a business, if it was to work. When she asked why Danov was sealing up his haven, he held the fledgling’s hand and explained he was hearing the call of his clanmates and could no longer resist it. Somehow, she understood. He hasn’t returned to Gary since that night. Then came the escalating war between Modius and Juggler. Information became less useful than guns and expendable bodies. Jessica hunkered down to outlast the fighting, but its blast still caught her. During its height, as Modius used his police allies against Juggler, the police accidently shot and killed Jessica’s mother. Despite her anger toward her mother for abandoning her and Carlo, her death still had an impact. She was still her mother. Jessica swore vengeance on Modius and now intends to rebuild her information network to find out where the pathetic Toreador is hiding. Information Empire: The thin-blood is slowly building her network of spies and informants, filling the void left behind by the recently Beckoned Alexander Danov. She walks a delicate balance between the Camarilla and the Anarchs, neither of whom perceive her as a threat… yet.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Evelyn Stephens (Admiration) Jessica appreciates the Anarch Baron. While she is not a member of the Movement, she certainly appreciates their ideals. Jessica has purchased the right to operate in Gary but maintains a neutral position politically. Nevertheless, she appreciates a fellow woman in a position of authority and believes she can work with Evelyn Stephens.

•

Wauneka (Appreciation) Jessica coordinates with the Nosferatu information broker on a regular basis and the two have managed to build a professional rapport. Flores sells information on Gary to Wauneka and Wauneka does the same from Chicago.

•

Modius (Hate) Jessica carries a sizeable grudge against the Toreador but hasn’t managed to glean Modius’ true fate. While she doesn’t have the means of exacting her revenge, she is more than willing to take advantage of anyone claiming to be his rival.

WHISPERS:

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

On the Run: Some believe Flores is a former Sabbat agent who fled her former sect in Mexico City.

•

Nosferatu Agent: Flores has a deal with the Nosferatu in Chicago who allow her to conduct business there. She pays them for information, and in turn, passes that information on to others.

MASK AND MIEN:

The Gary Mobile Park (Haven 1) Flores rests her head inside a mobile home park in Black Oak. Among a sea of similar mobile homes, the less fortu-

•

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Jessica Flores stands at 5’4” and weighs about 150 lbs. She has short dark hair, though she sometimes dyes it various shades of blonde or blue. The thin-blood dress-

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

es for the weather with a preference for streetwear. Jeans and t-shirts, leggings and sweaters, whatever helps her blend in with her surroundings. Her ears are pierced multiple times, and she likes to wear different combinations of earrings depending on her mood. •

Jessica Flores carries several fake identities under the names Renee Mollà, Rita Seda, and Luna Velez. Despite her small stature, she carries herself with confidence and a fair amount of patience. She knows how to size up a situation, and prefers to deal with situations diplomatically, rather than through force (Mask 1). Sire: Brom Embraced: 2014 (Born 1990) Ambition: Build a network of spies and informants to rival the Nosferatu Convictions: Protect the homeless, sex workers, and those who live on the streets Touchstones: Officer Nelson, the police officer who accidently shot and killed her mother Humanity: 6 Generation: 14th Blood Potency: 0 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Composure 3; Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 1 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 6 Skills: Athletics 3, Melee 2, Firearms (Pistol) 3, Larceny 4, Stealth 2, Survival (Urban) 3; Leadership 3, Persuasion 3, Streetwise (Gangs, Homeless) 4; Awareness 3, Investigation 4, Politics 1, Technology (Surveillance) 3 Disciplines: Thin-Blood Alchemy 2

ROBERT WARRINGTON Epitaph: Social Media Influencer, Cult Leader, Sometime Biker Quote: “Hey man, you have talent. And I know how to make you a star.” Clan: Thin-Blood MORTAL DAYS: SUCH A CHARMING YOUNG MAN When Robert started his first blog at the age of 13, his family rallied round and helped him promote it. They shared his delight when, three years later, he was able to

monetarize it. No one was surprised when he came out as gay. He had the support of his family and teachers and learned to outsmart the school bullies. By his late teens, Robert was a ranking influencer in the gay Instagram community. Maybe he hung out in too many bars, maybe he made some unwise decisions, but he could always post about his experiences and make a profit. Like many who have never experienced poverty, Robert always considered experiences, being popular and famous, as far more valuable than mere cash in his pocket. The only thing that really distracted him from his online persona was his motorbike, which he loved taking for a spin (usually with a headcam to record his trips around the city). This was part of his appeal to Fiona Duprés. Fiona grasped how social media had become an essential weapon in modern nights and this charming young man understood how to exploit this new thing. His last memory as a mortal is of a refined lady with a slight French accent buying him a drink. KINDRED NIGHTS: A CULT OF PERSONALITY Robert regained consciousness on the cold and spotlessly clean tiled floor of a bathroom he didn’t recognize, the refined lady’s face buried in his neck. Fiona provided enough disposable mortals to assuage her new childe’s initial hunger and her retainers knew how to dispose of bodies. Fiona tried to be nice, explaining to Robert how she had chosen him for his talent and ability to handle her social media presence. But being nice had never been one of Fiona’s talents, and she soon resorted to sarcasm, which might have dented a less assured childe’s self-esteem. Fiona arranged a faked death for Robert. A jealous rival poisoned his drink. His family’s grief was all over the papers and Instagram exploded with tributes to the young social media star. Robert resented this greatly. He was fond of his friends and family, and now he had to abandon them. He seethed quietly, never dropping the charming manner that had always served him well. Robert did not adapt well to Kindred existence. He managed to charm the Primogen when Fiona introduced him. He learned the Traditions and a lot about why his sire was so hostile to the Anarchs, but he had a habit of lingering outside too far into the dawn and never seemed to get the hang of the gifts instinctive to most Toreador. Only mutual arrogance kept sire and childe working together, as neither could admit the possibility Robert was not a real Toreador. Then came the Inquisition and a raft of new Camarilla caveats. Fiona was shocked to learn the Camarilla blamed the use of social media for the rise of the Second Inquisition. Robert was becoming an embarrassment to her and she sent him away. She told him this was the only

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Prove myself: Robert is the leader of the Nomads in Willerton, but his ambition is larger than the small town can accommodate. Willerton is just a springboard for him. Sect is of no importance, ambition is. He has contemplated claiming Willerton as a Barony but decided to save himself for bigger and better things. For now, he’ll just enjoy the permanent buffet on offer.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN:

alternative to destroying him. This turned him against the Camarilla and he now identifies as Anarch. Exiled in Willerton, Robert puts his influencer skills and charm to good use, folded in with some of the local bikers for a little meat-based companionship. He has since built a cult of personality around him while preying on the ripe herd that is Willerton’s mortal populace. He picks up followers over the internet, and a select few travel to Willerton to meet their hero, donating money and blood to keep Robert going. He has even managed to recruit a handful of Willerton locals to his cause, and folded his way into the worship of the Harvest God via the ghoul Starchild. It just makes feeding easier. Overall, he feels, his influence is expanding but, in recent nights, he’s noticed some kind of push back, almost as if there was a competing power in town. He hopes he is just being paranoid and has yet to mention this to anyone.

•

The Miller’s Cottage (Haven 2) Robert resides in a small cottage on the outskirts of town. It has a decent internet connection and an old mill stream, convenient for the disposal of embarrassing evidence. He spends his days in the basement, guarded by his cult.

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Last Chance Saloon (Haven 2, Herd 2) The Last Chance Saloon is Nomad-exclusive feeding territory. This well-known biker bar gets a slow but steady patronage of bikers and fellow travelers. The Nomads are the only regulars.

THRALLS AND TOOLS:

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

Find out what I am: No one ever told Robert about the thin-blood, and Fiona could never sire such a childe. Robert believes there is some great mystery behind his existence and is determined to uncover it. He is certain he has a special destiny — just like his sire told him — though not in the way Fiona intended. Cult Cultivation: Robert’s cult feeds his ego and self-esteem. He enjoys the adulation and is determined to expand his influence. Recently, though, he’s felt something interfere with this natural growth and he needs to find out what this is and combat it.

2 01

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The Warrington Cult (Allies 3, Contacts 3) Robert uses his influencer skills and social media contacts from his mortal days to maintain and expand his cult. He tells his readers he can assist them in promoting their individual creativity. He mainly attracts aspiring writers and visual artists. He praises and encourages their work and generally plays to their vanity. The first lessons are free, then Robert asks for small sums, or a percentage of what they make from their work. The inner circle of his cult give blood rather than money in a secret ritual they believe will unblock the full extent of their creative potential. Robert half believes this himself.

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The Congregation (Herd 3) Robert takes full advantage of the wide array of mortals available to him for feeding. He’s swiftly losing all sense of morality as he becomes aware of the disappearances and suspects the sacrifices, but finds he doesn’t care at all.

•

The Nomads (Robert Warrington’s Coterie) Robert is the leader of this coterie of Kindred and kine. The other members listen to what he has to say, but they are independent-minded and don’t like to take orders. They watch each other’s backs, but their ties to each other are loose.

•

Leeroy Woodward (Touchstone) Leeroy and Robert were friends at school. Leeroy convinced Robert to come out to his family. Leeroy got married in

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Chicago and has three children, twin girls, and a boy, but Robert regards this family as his own. He’s kept in touch with Leeroy who doesn’t really understand how Robert can be dead and alive at the same time, but they are friends, and Leeroy doesn’t question his friends. •

Warrington Family (Potential Allies) Robert misses his mortal family. He knows they believe he is dead, but he intends to show himself to them at some point in the future. He just hasn’t got around to it yet. They are influential in financial business circles in Chicago.

reside in Willerton? No decent Toreador would live there, so isolated from any form of culture. •

MASK AND MIEN: •

Robert is a good looking, fashionably dressed young man. He is confidently camp in his speech and movement and can command a room’s attention without much effort. He is an accomplished DJ and hopes to display this to Chicago’s Toreador some night.

•

Robert is known to be dead. He has not made much effort to alter his appearance and still bears a distinct resemblance to the dead Instagram influencer.

•

He has taken the identity of Bobby Warrens (Mask 2) and one from his inner circle has organized fake documents for him. The nature of the relationship between the real, “live” Bobby Warrens and the dead Robert Warrington is one of the mysteries of the Warrens Cult.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

•

Damien (Admiration) Robert toys with the idea of dumping the Anarchs — with whom he is nominally associated due to his being thin-blooded and exiled — to somehow join the Camarilla fully. He sees Damien as the Kindred most able to manage this for him due to his role in Baby Chorus, a mortal-facing group similar to Robert’s online persona. Robert is not sure whether he can go back to Chicago. His family believe he’s dead, and he’s become quite attached to running his cult, which is much easier to do from the relative isolation of Willerton.

Sired by a Caitiff: This explains why he doesn’t behave like a Toreador. Who knows why Fiona adopted him? Of course, the boy is attractive and charming. Perhaps he will grow out of this Anarch business.

Sire: Fiona Duprés Embraced: 2014 (Born 1996)

Nazeera (Distaste) Nazeera is the face of the Camarilla in Willerton and Robert doesn’t understand them at all. He fears they may betray him to Camarilla forces in Chicago. He avoids them as much as he can — in a small town like Willerton, it’s not entirely possible.

Ambition: To get back into influencing online action

Elizabeth Forster (Pity) Robert watched Elizabeth’s exploitation at the hands of Ducas before he Embraced her. He knows about the slaughter of her mortal family the night she became a vampire, and he guesses she blames herself for this. He doesn’t know what became of her.

Blood Potency: 0

Convictions: Never abandon my friends Touchstones: Leeroy Woodard, lifelong best friend Humanity: 7 Generation: 14th Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 4, Willpower 4 Skills: Athletics 2, Craft (Web Design) 4, Drive (Motorcycle) 2, Stealth 2, Etiquette (LGBTQ+ Community) 4, Insight 4, Leadership 3, Performance (DJ) 3, Persuasion 5, Subterfuge 2; Academics (Art History) 2, Awareness 3, Technology 3

WHISPERS: •

Diablerist: Robert woke up and diablerized his sire. It happens. The real mystery is why Fiona is covering up for him.

•

Colludes with Lupines: Why else would anyone

Disciplines: Thin-Blood Alchemy 1, Presence 1 Merits and Flaws: Clan Curse (Toreador), Discipline Affinity (Presence)

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“We are not merely lushes looking for the next thrill. Experience gives existence meaning.” — Eletria, justifying her decadent behavior The best kept secret among Kindred of the Midwest is how many of the region’s eldest vampires are members of Clan Toreador. More alarming, should any vampires dig deeper into that fact, is how many of them have found ways to resist the Beckoning through everything from diablerie to the mass Embrace of new fledglings.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that Gary, Indiana began to truly suffer under Prince Lodin’s Interdiction. With the city’s economy slowing, speculators looked elsewhere for profitable opportunities. These lean years changed Modius. Even though he was Prince of Gary, he could no longer deny Lodin controlled his city’s fate as well as his own. Allicia watched as Modius was powerless to defend their way of life. At first, she pitied him and tried to help. Each night his bitterness and paranoia grew, and he took out his frustrations on her. By the 1960s, when steel mills throughout the city were going bankrupt, he demanded she use her charms for his agenda. When she refused, he Blood Bonded her to him. Within the week, Allicia loved Modius like she never had before and hoped it would never end. The Prince of Gary used Allicia in numerous ill-conceived attempts to maintain some relevance, including forcing her to seduce Kindred men and women until they were bound to him through her. Yet, the more Allicia sacrificed pieces of herself to the altar of his ambition, the more he would forget about her. He’d become distracted with plots, schemes, and his own delusions. During those times, enough of Allicia’s free will would return for her to score some petty revenge. First, she stopped singing, and eventually she stopped talking altogether — a habit she now rarely breaks. Allicia rebelled several times by taking mortal lovers and patrons, but Modius cared little save for how he could use them. However, these personal revolts would clue him into the fading Blood Bond, and he would force her to drink again. Allicia wilted under the emotional abuse of her sire. By the turn of the 21st century, she had gotten better at hiding their fading connection even if she could never truly leave him. In a last desperate act of will to save herself, she fled from Modius’ crumbling mansion during a night she knew he’d be away. She raced to the only place she thought might help her — the Wasteland.

ALLICIA Epitaph: Accidently Anarch Quote: (Texting) I’m a survivor, not a victim. Clan: Toreador MORTAL DAYS: TABULA RASA Allicia has no memories of her mortal life except those of a smiling woman she believes might have been her mother. Previously, this was a source of comfort to Allicia. It allowed her to focus solely on her Kindred existence. Now, she wonders if her sire obliterated the memories of her past in order to make her a better slave. Attempts to research who she was and if she had any living family have so far failed. KINDRED NIGHTS: A RUSTY GILDED CAGE Allicia’s new life began in 1938 when Modius Embraced her. At the time, he cut a dashing figure and had a large circle of Kindred associates — a sharp contrast to the pauper Prince he would become. While Allicia was not in love with her sire, she did enjoy his company. He was kind, caring, and protective. Through him, she cultivated relationships with men and women in Gary’s high society. Her beguiling singing voice made her a star at parties while others appreciated her refined loveliness. She spent many years enjoying the privileges “new money” afforded her while dining with the daughters of steel titans and collecting lavish gifts from their sons.

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THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Frank Colepepper (Ally 3) Frank Colepepper is the scion of the Chicago Colepeppers, a wealthy, old money family that made its fortune with Falcon Motors (a subsidiary of Endron International). Allicia seduced the executive and turned him into her ghoul, using him to start redirecting the development of technology in Gary towards Kindred-useful ends. Frank’s newfound aggression and viciousness have impressed his superiors. Word has it, he’s up for a promotion. Allicia shamelessly leeches off his fortune.

•

Nina Colepepper (Retainer 1) Allicia has unofficially adopted Frank Colepepper’s precocious 13-year-old daughter, encouraging her music and dance lessons, Nina adores “Aunt Allicia.”

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS:

Arthur Caldwell was the first to discover her as she screamed in the middle of a parking lot so loudly, and ceaselessly, she shredded her vocal cords. He calmed her down, then led her to the Movement. There, Allicia turned on her sire, betraying him outright to join them. She is genuinely committed to the cause. Her abuse by Modius makes her sympathetic to stories of sires torturing their childer and elders treating neonates like slaves. Nevertheless, she is new to the Movement and very much finding her way.

•

Annabelle (Envy) Allicia adores Annabelle and remembers her from Modius’ New Year’s Eve parties. She thinks of her as everything she wishes she could be: poised, powerful, and protected. Annabelle doesn’t know much or care about Allicia, viewing her as one of Modius’ decorations.

•

Modius (Hate) With the Blood Bond gone, Allicia’s true feelings for her sire have surfaced. She cannot forgive the elder Toreador for using her as a plaything for nearly 80 years and is very glad he’s dead.

•

Evelyn Stephens (Respect) Allicia sees much of herself in the young Brujah and has succeeded in befriending her. Allicia is passionately devoted to the Anarch cause of liberation and has placed her love and trust in the Brujah Baron.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

Family Matters: Allicia would do anything to find out about her real family and is only now putting together that Chicago might have better records than Gary. Recently, she’s found a couple of articles about the disappearance of a prominent socialite’s daughter. The family is still active in local politics with strong ties to Endron Oil.

•

Hell Hath No Fury: Allicia murdered Modius in revenge for years of abuse.

•

A Sense of Belonging: After nearly 80 years as a glorified trophy-childe, Allicia desperately wants to belong to a community. She hopes she has found such in the Anarch Movement, but some lingering doubts remain.

Deep Cover: Having infiltrated the Anarchs, Allicia is a deep cover Camarilla operative, working directly for Annabelle.

•

High Notes and Hopes: Allicia is putting together a musical group among the Gary Anarchs to compete with Baby Chorus in Chicago.

•

Missing Persons: Allicia has initiated private negotiations with several prominent Nosferatu in Chicago. She seeks to hire them in order to locate her missing family.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Miller Beach (Haven 4, Herd 4, Retainer 1) Allicia maintains an elegant home in the affluent neighborhood of Miller Beach. A two-story gated home, the building includes a private recording studio and an outdoor swimming pool.

WHISPERS:

MASK AND MIEN: •

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Slightly below average height, Allicia is a dark-haired beauty of European descent. She has jade green eyes,

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and thin lips often curled into an enigmatic smile. In private, she wears anachronistic flapper-style dresses. In public she wears designer jeans, expensive sweaters, and wool shawls. She rarely speaks, save when she sings, preferring to communicate with her expressive face and gestures. Recently, however, she’s learned how to text. •

A furious mob rode to her home and studio, intent on burning it down, destroying her works, and slaying her. They were stopped when a single warrior broke their ranks and drove them away in what appeared to be an attempt at a rescue. The rider revealed herself as a woman named Helena and impelled the artist to follow her, overwriting her mind and forcing the young Spartan to stand guard over the cave where Helena slept. Terrified, Eletria had no choice but to comply. This would only be the beginning of Eletria’s eternal torment, for when the vampire awoke, she found the artist near mad with fear. In a moment of pettiness, Helena decided to simply kill the mortal and be done with it, but Eletria was saved by the timely arrival of Helena’s enemy, Menele, and Helena Embraced the artist instead of ending her. Through the compulsion of the Blood Bond, Eletria has been slavishly loyal ever since.

Allicia barely maintains a cover identity while adjusting to a new and rapidly changing world. Presently she goes by Allicia Gatsby, a rather obvious homage most Kindred snort at derisively. (Mien 1). Sire: Modius Embraced: 1938 (Born 1912) Ambition: To find a real family among the Anarchs Convictions: Freedom above all things

KINDRED NIGHTS: LOYAL FOR UNLIFE At first, Eletria’s loyalty to Helena was unshakable. The Blood Bond held her in perfect thrall; she would do anything and everything to please her sire. What her sire demanded most often was that her childe procure her prey. Eletria would put on an act of defenselessness and lure an unsuspecting target into complacency, only for Helena to attack them. The pair traveled across ancient Europe, luring victims into Helena’s trap. She eventually left for the New World (at Helena’s command) and convinced an old friend, Datura of Clan Ventrue, to join her. She was under orders to find Kindred who would not be missed, as only vitae could satisfy Helena’s hunger. While in America, Datura embraced a young US colonel named Olaf Holte (eventually taking the name Lodin) who Eletria fell in love with — the first strong human emotion she’d felt in centuries of thralldom. The relationship made Datura jealous, and she sent Holte away to the newly formed settlement of Chicago, where he would meet his triumph and ruin many years later. With Lodin “dead” and Helena’s grip weakening, Eletria’s mind freed itself from a long-binding mesh. She sees glimpses of light, flexes in freedom, and sees the present as a perfect time to repair her damaged relationship with Datura. She would like for them to be companions once more, and perhaps even have a partner with which to pass into the oblivion of eternal sleep, before they are both too far gone to care. She has sent messengers, both ghoul and childe alike, to Datura’s stronghold in Veracruz, begging her to come so they can finally heal this old wound and put their struggles to rest. After Helena shattered the Beckoning through mass diablerie, she ventured to Chicago and tried to again force her childe into thrall, but the monster Helena had become was something new. Facing her changed sire, Eletria felt their bond unravel. She attacked the weakened Helena, injuring her grievously before abandoning her in the Succubus Club basement.

Touchstones: Carmen King, a jazz singer in Chicago and a reminder of her past. Humanity: 5 Generation: 8th Blood Potency: 3 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 7, Willpower 6 Skills: Athletics 1, Firearms (Pistol) 3, Larceny 2, Stealth 2, Survival 1; Insight 2, Performance (Singing) 4, Persuasion (Seduction) 3, Subterfuge 3, Awareness 2, Investigation 2, Technology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 4, Celerity 2, Presence 4

ELETRIA Epitaph: An artist in thrall Quote: “This will be a masterpiece.” Clan: Toreador MORTAL DAYS: AN ARTIST’S LIFE Eletria began her mortal life in ancient Greece during the Roman occupation of Sparta. She was an artist of exceptional talent and skill, both a sculptor and a painter, and a prolific creator of works. Her Spartan countrymen disdained her artistry and shunned her for her craft (to say nothing of her gender or the fear of her ability), but the occupying Romans patronized her work. Eventually, the unrest among the Spartans boiled over, and revolution sparked fighting in the streets. For receiving the patronage of Romans, the Spartans saw Eletria as a traitor and guilty of collusion — a charge worthy of her death.

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DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Lhiannan Club (Allies 2, Influence 3, Haven 4) A popular nightclub in Indianapolis frequented by Kindred and kine alike. Eletria established this club as a part of the Asylum franchise, modelling it on the Succubus Club but offering more space, internationally relevant bands, and no overt predation. In truth, Eletria established the Lhiannan to spite her sire, naming it as she has due to an ancient bloodline of vampires her sire loathed.

•

The Sofia Misko Art Gallery (Haven 3, Herd 2, Retainers 3) When she’s not running the Lhiannan Club, Eletria spends her nights curating an art gallery under one of her many aliases. Ghouls upkeep and maintain the building and draw ambitious artists to display their works.

THRALLS AND TOOLS:

Now in Indianapolis, Eletria runs an all new club — the Lhiannan — outside of Helena’s sphere of influence and uses it to shield other Kindred from the predations of her monstrous sire. With the end of her life nearing, she stands at a crossroads: pulled toward her birthplace in Greece but rooted in Chicago. She can’t go yet; there’s too much left to atone for. Maybe slaying her sire will break the call of the Beckoning. This, perhaps, is the only reason she remains in the same hemisphere as the strengthening methuselah.

•

Hannah Elway (Retainers 2) Recently forced into thralldom, Hannah does all the scheduling and networking for the daytime hours of operation for the Sofia Misko Art Gallery. She is very selective about which artists are invited to display their works.

•

Gallery Contributors (Herd 2) A small group of artists hand-picked specifically to appeal to the elder Toreador’s taste.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Atonement and Utopia: To make up for all the evil she has done, Eletria seeks to use her influence via the Lhiannan Club to build a new society for vampires where they can find existences without being forced into thralldom. It might be a fool’s errand, but it is the least she can do for a long unlife ridden with terrible deeds.

Datura (Old Friendship) Though their relationship has been strained, Eletria remains quietly close to Datura despite their physical distance. She has thought about her every day since they separated, and now, with her goal to free herself from Helena, desires to be close to Datura once more.

•

Community Outreach: To spite Helena, Eletria has set up her new Lhiannan Club and invites Kindred to spend their nights in enjoyment there. The more vampires she can bring into her establishment and away from the fangs of her sire, the better. In a way, it makes her feel like a fledgling again. For the first time in millennia she’s free to enjoy her nights, at least for a while.

Helena (Fear and Resentment) Helena has held Eletria in sway from the moment they met, and Eletria is tired of it. She has a rightful fear of the ancient vampire and an equally right sense of burning resentment. Eletria believes if the Beckoning doesn’t get her soon, her sire will, so she’s making every stab at Helena she can before deciding whether to attempt a killing.

•

Lodin (Grief) Eletria has been heartbroken since Lodin’s apparent death. Mortals are blessed with the ability to shed these feelings over time, or to take them to their graves. Kindred are not so lucky.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

Making Amends: After Lodin’s Embrace and the War of Chicago, Eletria’s relationship with her long-time friend, Datura, was severely damaged. Now that she’s fighting to be free of Helena, there’s no time like the present to patch things up with her former companion.

WHISPERS: •

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Breaking Chains: With her newfound desire to create a better world for vampires, rumor has it that Eletria has helped Decker’s childe escape Milwaukee as part of a grand plan to overthrow Decker and consolidate her own power.

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•

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 6

Best Served Cold: Kindred whisper that Eletria has been playing the long game, gradually building up support for one powerful stroke to get revenge for Lodin’s supposed death. She will make every last one of those bastard Lupines and American Sabbat pay.

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Craft (Painting, Sculpture) 5, Larceny 3, Melee 2, Stealth 4; Etiquette (Dealing with Patrons) 5, Insight 4, Leadership 3, Performance (Acting, Music) 5, Persuasion (Sweet Talking) 4, Subterfuge (Appearing Harmless) 4; Academics (Art History) 3, Awareness 2, Occult 2, Politics 3, Technology 2

Rekindling Flames: Word has gone around that, in the wake of Lodin’s fall, Eletria has been solely focused on getting back together with Datura for reasons far beyond “old friendship.”

Disciplines: Auspex 5, Celerity 4, Dominate 4, Fortitude 3, Presence 4

MASK AND MIEN: •

MODIUS

Eletria is exceptionally tall for a woman born to the ancient world, though considered a little above average height for our modern day and age. Her features are those of a woman in her twenties, youthful and attractive; though as her Humanity has decreased, her skin has turned pallid and her eyes glassy. With the Blush of Health, she returns the glow of life to her flesh, restoring its golden tan and warm undertones. She keeps her curly dark hair close-cropped, styling it into whatever short-haired cut is fashionable at the time. Eletria dresses like an eccentric artist, but always keeps a hint of her ancient Greek background in whatever she chooses to wear.

•

Eletria lived for a time in Spain under the alternate identity of Anamaria Garcia Cortez (Mask 1 — deceased). When she chose to move to the New World, Eletria faked the death of Anamaria and moved on.

•

During the 19th century, Eletria posed as a Greek American artist named Sofia Misko (Mask 1). Like most of her alternate identities this was to attract prey for Helena. Sofia has disappeared and reappeared over the years as Eletria sees fit. She currently runs her club under this identity.

Epitaph: Former pauper Prince of Gary Quote: “I’ll see Gary a bustling metropolis once more.” Clan: Toreador MORTAL DAYS: HARDER TIMES While many mortals become vampires while still in the blush of youth, Modius was in his when Annabelle Embraced him. He’d already lived a hard life; marrying twice, raising a few children, holding onto any work he could find. Born to poor French laborers, his family migrated to the New World and he grew up alongside the fledgling nation of America, hungry for the promise of a better life. He craved a taste of the American Dream, to work hard and rise above his station and become something great. This thirst to surpass his current station would never leave him. Never content with his current residence and livelihood, Modius pressed westward into the United States’ untamed frontier. As a young man he was full of pioneer spirit — above and beyond the ever-present feeling lingering in the back of his mind that he must make something of himself. He traded furs, became a guide with the help of native friends, and even settled down to farm. Modius lived a dozen lifetimes in the span of a few short mortal years as he struggled to reconcile the person he was with the person he imagined he could be. None of these things brought him fame, power, or fortune. None of these things fulfilled him. Through one of his many contacts, Modius found himself at a gala back east, finally rubbing elbows with the wealthy and elite. His time had finally come; he’d be able to make a connection and really become something, someone important. While he thought he was going to make business connections, he instead drew the attention of someone far more important and far more dangerous — his future sire, Annabelle. She sensed the raw ambition and hunger for power in him and after a torrid night together, Embraced him.

Sire: Helena Embraced: 86 BCE (Born 114 BCE) Ambition: Become free of Helena Convictions: Always encourage an artist Touchstones: Maria Cole, tortured artist: Maria exclusively displays her work in the Sofia Misko Art Gallery and manages to be at all the night showings. Humanity: 4 Generation: 6th Blood Potency: 5 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3; Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Composure 4; Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 2

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Modius has made desperate grabs for power; even trying to purchase it in the form of human vessels to avoid the scourging eye of the Second Inquisition. He’s since gained a reputation for his desperation, as he ropes neonates into doing these kinds of torrid things for him with empty promises of power. Some of them survive and escape to tell the tale, some do not. The prince has railed against any other vampire with any kind of power, issuing challenges to their hegemony and threatening gruesome violence against their followers. Rumor has it he craves any attention, even the kind that will destroy him. However, in the present, Modius and Juggler have gone missing, both presumed dead. Someone has finally deposed the Prince of Gary. The first and most obvious suspect would have been Juggler if he wasn’t also missing. Did the two enemies finally kill each other, or did a third party ultimately put an end to their decades-long feud? PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

KINDRED NIGHTS: TO RULE GARY This was not the way Modius anticipated he would gain power, but he wasn’t upset about it, either. His first decades of unlife were tumultuous, formative and confusing — as they often are for neonates. Modius’ unending desire for more power and greater station only amplified with the presence of the Beast, and Annabelle encouraged her childe to push the envelope and garner as much territory for himself as possible. Unsatisfied with being a relative unknown and outclassed by his rival, Lodin, Modius broke from the fold and attempted to claim the bustling city of Chicago in 1913. The plan, while bold and ambitious, failed miserably. Lodin and his allies forced Modius out of Chicago, to fall back to his holdings in Gary. Modius refused to give up, continuing to harry Lodin and his claim on Chicago. Eventually, though, resources ran thin and Lodin forced Modius to concede. Head held high, Modius set himself as the Prince of Gary, all-powerful ruler of an industrial suburb. Though he’d never admit it, his rulership of Gary was little more than a paper praxis — a sad consolation prize. So, he ruled for decades, until the War of Chicago. Modius, like everyone else, saw an opportunity to claim the city he craved. During this bloody and brutal conflict, he developed his long-standing rivalry with Juggler. Even as Gary declined, Modius’ struggles and clashes with Juggler sustained the elder vampire. Beneath their endless squabble lies an unsettled debt Modius owed the Anarch, a festering sore spot between them that fed the animosity the two Kindred feel for each other. Despite this, if Juggler and Modius didn’t have each other to hate, what would they have? There were whispers that Modius cared more for his feud with Juggler than he did for his own childe.

•

Political Ambition: Modius can’t stand that his domain has become a ruined, forsaken industrial wasteland. His eyes have always been set on greater things. If he can’t control the city of Chicago proper, he can at least restore greatness to his own praxis.

•

Can’t Let Go: Bent on “winning” a fruitless war against his long-time enemy, Juggler, Modius cannot and will not entertain the idea that maybe he should just let it go. His fangs are sunk into this feud and he absolutely will not relinquish anything to the Anarch.

•

Burning Desire: The Prince of Gary has always had his sights set on Chicago. Though he claims to be content with his holdings in Gary, this is a lie. Modius craves being Prince of Chicago; the thought fills his dreams.

•

Free Us: Modius is staked in one of Maxwell’s coffins and can sense Juggler’s body is nearby. For the first time he’s prepared to work with his rival if the two of them are freed and can oppose Maxwell.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

A Former Prince’s Estate (Haven 4, Influence 3, Retainers 2) A gubernatorial mansion, Modius’ estate used to house the unsatisfied Prince. He spent much of his time there before his disappearance. Those who were loyal to him continue to upkeep the property.

•

Gary Civic Center (Haven 3) Once a place used for cultural events and grand parties, it now languishes and decays. Modius used to haunt it, picking off prey at special events. Now that he’s gone, it’s a safer place to be, but is irregularly used.

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THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Household Staff (Retainers 2) Those who served Modius in his most private residence; an assortment of ghouls and Blood-bound thin-blood Kindred. Modius was desperate for anyone to revere him, so he collected “orphans.”

•

Gary Civil Servants (Herd 3) Under the guise of being invested in the “community,” Modius fed off the unfortunate people employed by the municipality of Gary.

look, one that never left him from a mortal lifetime of labor and hardship. The Prince of Gary always dresses like a wealthy man, in fine suits and designer clothing, which makes him stand out in his impoverished princedom and contrasts starkly with his hard features. When he uses the Blush of Health, he looks less the corpse of a working man in finery and more like a well-dressed laborer who has just gotten off shift. •

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

•

Maxwell (Furious Envy) Maxwell has had everything that Modius desired — a position of rulership in Chicago. Enmity developed between them during the War of Chicago, and Maxwell remained on Modius’ list of enemies while he fruitlessly plotted to reclaim the city he believed should be his.

Sire: Annabelle Embraced: 1806 (Born 1763) Ambition: Claim Chicago Convictions: Always seize a presented opportunity. Touchstones: Eric Johnson, groundskeeper: The groundskeeper of Modius’ personal estate, and the closest thing an elder can have to a mortal friend.

Juggler (Bitter Rival) While others were content to ignore Modius and his empty desires, Juggler actively sought to take Gary from Modius. Always rivals, the clash between the Anarch and Modius has only festered as time went on. If vampires have anything, it’s time. Juggler is Modius’ last connection to human emotion, even more so than Allicia.

Humanity: 3 Generation: 7th Blood Potency: 3

Allicia (Only Childe) Embraced to keep him company more than anything else, Allicia remains eternally loyal to her sire through the thrall of the Blood Bond. Modius has tasked Allicia with seeing to it that his followers remain loyal. It is the only thing they discuss.

WHISPERS: •

•

Final Death: The largest rumor surrounding Modius is that he has met final death. No one knows exactly why or how it happened, though none are surprised that the paranoid, ambitious vampire met his untimely end.

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 5 Skills: Brawl 2, Larceny 2, Melee 3, Stealth 4; Etiquette (High Society) 5, Insight (Lie Detection) 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 4, Persuasion (Fawning Praise) 3, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 4; Academics (American Literature) 3, Awareness 3, Finance 2, Investigation 3, Occult 4, Politics (Local Government) 3 Disciplines: Auspex 4, Celerity 2, Dominate 2, Obfuscate 1, Presence 5

MARION DAVIES

Pauper Prince Eternal: On the flip side, those who didn’t outright hate Modius believe he hasn’t been killed at all and has simply skipped town, finally forced out by Juggler and external enemies. He’s probably hiding out elsewhere, setting up another praxis.

Epitaph: Glam-Grrl Bartender Quote: “I don’t care what is between your legs, honey. I DO care about those knockoff shoes and last season jacket, though. Can we say tragic?” Clan: Toreador

MASK AND MIEN: •

Too proud to ever stray far from his real name, Modius frequently pretended to be descendants of himself, usually going by names like Jean-Luc Modius IV (Mask 1).

Modius appears as a stately white man of average height in his early 40s with wild, iron gray hair flaring out at the temples and surrounding his weathered face. His Einstein-esque hairstyle is complemented by pale skin and slate-blue eyes. He has a haggard

MORTAL DAYS: WALK LIKE A MAN, DRESS LIKE A MAN, SMELL LIKE A WOMAN Legally born Joseph Mueller, she lived an uneventful and unfulfilling life even in the middle of the post-war

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era. She had a wife and two kids and took care to provide them with as much as she could. Her life consisted of work and not much else, which led to her wife withdrawing and her children viewed her as a stranger. While her wife left the house to avoid her and have some fun, Joseph would try on her clothing in secret, dreaming sweet dreams. Joseph made a modest living as a bookkeeper for a company in Chicago. She made decent wages for the time, but with the Wall Street crash, her company folded and she lost all her investments, leaving her and her family with nothing. To ease her depression, Joseph took to drinking. Her wife and children left her, but she was able to save one of her wife’s dresses. With nothing else left, Joseph made her way to the Clayborn Place Bridge wearing her wife’s dress and prepared to jump into the frozen water below. Joseph did not see the beautiful Puerto Rican woman watching her from afar. As she sat on the edge of the bridge, her life flashing before her tear-filled eyes, a gentle hand clasped her shoulder. “You are in pain,” the woman’s gentle voice said. Joseph wept openly. Joseph realized she was not living her true self. The woman who had found him was Erzulie, and she was able to help Joseph find out who she really was. Her new name, Marion Davies, helped her to realize who she had been hiding for so long. Marion spent many years serving as Erzulie’s ghoul and bartending at the different LGBTQ+ clubs in the city.

the Lhiannan Club, which rocked Indianapolis from its first night. Marion worked to create hype for the bar in the area and built an exciting buzz around the club. Marion made contact with some of the local Kindred in Indianapolis, forming a relationship with a handsome vampire named Tyrone. They spent many nights together, either talking in the club or going out around the city. Marion fell in love with Tyrone and the two became lovers. The relationship did not last long. Marion decided Tyrone was trying to gather information on her and Eletria to pass to the Ministry, though even now she wonders if these feelings were just paranoia. Marion toys with the idea of getting back with him but feels like she must move on. Tyrone still pines after Marion and attempts to remain friendly, but their relationship is now strained. Marion continues to act as bartender and part owner of the club and established herself as one of the go-to Kindred in the city for information. She continues to work the club almost every night, preferring to spend her time around beautiful people and beautiful souls. The Lhiannan Club has become Marion’s new love and she will do whatever she can to make sure it is successful. PLOTS AND SCHEMES:

KINDRED NIGHTS: A FABULOUS TURN Marion served Erzulie for ten years before being Embraced into vampiric society. Marion wanted to be a vampire since the moment she learned Erzulie was one and worked hard to earn her prize. Despite the Blood Bond influencing her feelings of devotion, Marion’s resentment toward Erzulie poisoned their relationship. Marion decided it was time for her to leave and make a name for herself. It wasn’t long before she wandered into the Succubus Club and discovered a whole new society of vampires. Marion spent much of her time at the club and became a bartender while Brennan was still the owner. When Brennan died and Eletria took over, Marion immediately caught her attention. Marion and Eletria got along well and the two built up the club’s reputation. Eletria enjoyed Marion’s company and she wanted to take advantage of Marion’s knowledge of the local area so she could stay in touch with the world around them. Soon, Eletria put Marion under her accounting and taught her the social games Kindred play. Eletria eventually decided she was going to leave Chicago. Together they traveled to Indianapolis, an Anarch city controlled by the Ministry. Eletria wanted to escape her sire’s reach and build something unique. She knew Marion had a lot of experience to offer for the endeavor and the two went into business together. They opened their own club there,

•

Bring It: Marion wants to outshine her sire however she can. She sees the Lhiannan Club as the perfect way to accomplish her goal. Marion intends to make her club the go-to location for all Kindred and outshine Chicago’s Red Noº 5.

•

Oh, Do Tell: Marion is always willing to trade information with anyone who has information to share. She is upfront that she trades in information, but, for an extra cost, she can keep a secret.

•

Toppling Thrones: Marion knows Erzulie is trying to build a kingdom with her lover and is holding this information until it is advantageous to release it.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

The Lhiannan Club (Haven 1, Herd 1, Resources 2) Marion has her own office at the Lhiannan Club, which she keeps as a small haven for herself in emergencies. She has several club patrons from whom she feeds.

•

Downtown Condo (Haven 2) Marion keeps a small condo close to the downtown area in Indianapolis. She keeps it modestly decorated and prefers to invest her money in designer clothing.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

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Club Goers (Contacts 2) Marion knows how to work the club and keeps the flow of information moving. She

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the Ministry and is now working as a double agent at the Lhiannan Club. •

Fashion Mogul Marion knows a lot about fashion and in her short unlife has met several fashion designers. She always has such unique clothing and style. It would not surprise anyone if she was a fashion designer.

•

Double-Double Agent If Marion could also be a Ministry spy, wouldn’t it also make sense she is still a spy for Erzulie? Why not pass her sire information on Eletria as well?

MASK AND MIEN: •

Marion usually wears flowing gowns and 1920s inspired jewelry. She will occasionally change it up and wear a trendy club outfit.

•

Marion is a transgender woman with a muscular build and medium height. She shaves her head most nights as a ritual, wearing a wig when she dresses in her club gear. She wears bright-colored makeup and usually has a perfect cat-eye going.

•

Marion goes by the name of Mary Taylor (Mask 1) when she is bartending at the club. Her clothing is long and flowing and stays on trend. She will wear wigs or head scarves to match whatever outfit she has on.

has several regulars in her club who keep their eyes and ears open for her and pass the information along. KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

•

Erzulie (Love/Hate) Marion loves Erzulie and hates her. Erzulie was able to breathe life into the dying Marion but never let her grow into who could be. The only way to make Erzulie see how much hurt she has caused is to make her face it.

Sire: Erzulie Embraced: 1987 (Born 1929)

Eletria (Mawla 3) Marion sees Eletria as her best friend and business partner. They have always had an amicable relationship and work well together. Eletria helped Marion see her full potential and gave her the means to achieve it, but it comes with a price. Marion continues to feel her humanity slip away due to Eletria’s spite. Eletria has high expectations and will punish Marion if she fails.

Ambition: To shine among the stars Convictions: Never lie about your feelings Touchstones: William Mueller. Marion recently discovered her great-grandson lives in Indianapolis. Humanity: 5 Generation: 11th Blood Potency: 1

Tyrone Soros (Distrust) Tyrone Soros was someone Marion met when she first traveled to Indianapolis. She fell in love with him and they had a hot affair, but he hurt her. Marion still likes him but is unsure of what she wants to do going forward.

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 1; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 4, Willpower 5 Skills: Brawl 2; Etiquette 3, Insight (Desires) 3, Intimidation 1, Leadership 3, Performance (Bar Banter) 3, Persuasion (Negotiation) 4, Subterfuge (Seduction) 4; Awareness 2, Finance 2, Politics 1

Honor Mercer (Oh, Child) Marion has crossed paths with Honor and has been trying to help her out when she can. Marion thinks Honor is squandering her power, something Marion is familiar with.

Disciplines: Auspex 1, Presence 3

WHISPERS: •

Camarilla Defector Marion has spent way too much time with Tyrone. It’s possible she has defected to

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“You don’t just abandon a successful structure after 1000 years because of one small crack in its foundation.” — Nazeera, in a letter to Karl Schrekt To the outside world the Warlocks have weathered the schism within their clan, but internally, the Tremere are still reeling from the departure of former allies, friends, and peers. Milwaukee was the source of the crack that caused the clan’s fractures and the site of the infamous Carna’s chantry.

much if they wore boys’ clothing. In those days there was no recognition of non-binary gender but, in Fez it was acceptable (if a bit risqué) for women to wear slacks and compete in the employment market. Nazeera’s dedication to studying paid off, winning them a scholarship to the Université d’Aix-Marseille. It was frightening to be leaving friends and family, but Nazeera was keen to embrace a new way of life. In Marseilles, Nazeera discovered alchemy. The alchemical principle of uniting male and female fascinated Nazeera, it seemed to be symbolic of the way they had always experienced their own gender. In view of this, Nazeera enrolled in university to study the history of science and continued research into the realm of renaissance occult philosophy. It was while buried in obscure texts on such matters that Nazeera ran into the woman who was to become their sire. The Kindred who noticed Nazeera was Annais Mazet, a descendant of Carna. Annais found the studious young North African fascinating. Together, they took their insights gleaned from alchemy and applied them to the nascent field of gender studies. Nazeera rejected female pronouns, insisting they were androgynous. Annais supported Nazeera every step of the way.

NAZEERA Epitaph: Proud upholder of the Tremere Tradition Quote: “I am sure it is possible to restore the Pyramid. Maybe not in Vienna, but it is something we should all be working towards.” Clan: Tremere MORTAL DAYS: AN UNLADYLIKE DAUGHTER Nazeera grew up as part of a large family in Morocco. They attended a French language school where the tutors attempted to teach them to be a lady. Nazeera hated it and was constantly in trouble for their attitude. Their family did not know what to do about them, and their well-meaning father attempted to solve the “Nazeera problem” by finding them a nice husband. From the age of 14, he introduced Nazeera to a succession of older gentlemen. Nazeera’s mother and older sisters told them to act shy and deferent, to serve coffee and sweetmeats and giggle at appropriate moments. Nazeera’s father resorted to corporal punishment when Nazeera responded to suitors with openly challenging glares and insults. Nazeera’s favorite aunt, Jumina, became concerned that Nazeera was at risk of forced marriage or, worse, an honor killing. She sent Nazeera to live with distant cousins in Fez, telling the Nazeera’s fatherfamilias she had enrolled his daughter in a very reputable French finishing school there. Nazeera never attended finishing school. Instead they embarked upon a proper academic education, and they were intelligent enough to benefit from this. Nazeera never felt like a girl and, in Fez, no one minded

KINDRED NIGHTS: UPHOLDING THE PYRAMID It took two years for Annais to bring Nazeera into the Tremere fold, but when she did, Nazeera took to the Pyramid like a duck to water. They felt they had finally found their place where gender was an irrelevance and only study mattered. Nazeera spent half a decade in Vienna, returning to Marseilles in 1986 where they assisted their sire in her duties before receiving their own assignment to Milwaukee in 1995. Nazeera resided peacefully, absorbed in studies, and supporting their great-greatgrandsire, Carna, until the fateful night when Carna absconded with the Book of the Grave-War and founded her own House. The higher tiers of the Pyramid assumed Nazeera must have been party to Carna’s plans. Nazeera expected

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A L E T T E R F O U N D AT T H E M I LWA U K E E C H A N T RY

My Dearest Nazeera, I am sure you are aware how much it pains me that you remain stuck in the past, determined to celebrate your bondage to the Pyramid which, I can assure you, is doomed to fall. I find it incomprehensible that you stand by such a patriarchal structure. I cannot understand why you would follow Herr Schrekt rather than a woman of your own blood. Something, somewhere, must have gone wrong. Annais was always faithful. And where is she now, I wonder? Personal issues aside, I need to you do some work for me in Milwaukee. I fear the library will come under attack. Guard it well for me, Nazeera. Seek help where you can. Many will follow me, most will follow me. So, though I find your betrayal difficult to tolerate, you may still serve me well, childe of my Blood. Your loving ancestor, Carna

inter-library loans and an academic internet account — on which they never discuss matters that might breach the Masquerade.

a summary visit from the clan’s enforcers, but someone further up the chain — Nazeera never learned who but thinks it might have been Annais — intervened and arranged for Nazeera’s exile to Willerton, rather than destruction or enslavement to Vienna. Nazeera was in Willerton when the Tremere chantry exploded and is no longer entirely certain where they stand in terms of the Pyramid or Camarilla society.

•

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

Learn about Willerton: As part of their studies, Nazeera has been applying themselves to the locality. They know a bit about the Goblin Roads and Willerton’s geometry, and are compiling notes to send to what remains of the Pyramid. Nazeera is reluctant to share insights about these matters with anyone other than the Tremere or, of course, representatives of the Camarilla’s authority.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN:

Prove my worth: Nazeera is determined to prove their usefulness to both the Camarilla and the Tremere. They remain in touch with Sheriff Damien via a dead mailbox on the outskirts of Willerton and with their sire, Annais, via coded letters sent through the normal post. Lead the Loyalists of Willerton: Nazeera serves as the face of the Loyalists in Willerton — those Kindred whose wish is to return to the Camarilla fold once they have dealt with whatever issues caused them to be at a remove from sect-controlled lands. Nazeera will act in this group’s best interest and jump to their defense if necessary. The one downfall in this plan? She’s the only Loyalist in Willerton. But she’s prepared to lead if necessary.

•

Chevrefeuille (Haven 3, Retainer 2) An unassuming town house in the village. Gilles Girardot, Nazeera’s ghoul, acts as librarian and deals with anything needing attention during the day, including the procurement of vitae.

•

Willerton Hotel (Haven 3, Herd 2) This is where Nazeera receives guests and houses their herd when they are in town. Loyalists are welcome there at any time of the night and Nazeera does their best to provide suitable entertainment.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

Continue my studies: The library in Milwaukee is both distant and wrecked, but Nazeera continues to study both occult philosophy and gender issues via

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Gilles Girardot (Retainer 2) Gilles came with Nazeera from Marseilles. He poses as a devoted nephew, helps with maintaining Nazeera’s Mask and deals with all routine matters arising during business hours. Exile in Willerton is not to his taste (he enjoys company and society), but his dedication to Nazeera

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

WHISPERS:

is absolute and he is certain they will bring this exile to an end before too long. •

•

Audrey Pendle (Touchstone) Audrey is a mortal librarian in Milwaukee. She obtains the inter-library loans Nazeera needs for study and sends them to an address in Chicago for Gilles to collect. Audrey knows Nazeera as Naseem, and the two were study companions prior to Nazeera’s exile. Nazeera is more than half in love with Audrey, though there is no reason to suppose Audrey reciprocates. Students (Herd 1) Nazeera, using their Mask, provides correspondence courses on gender studies and alchemy (to entirely separate groups of students, for the most part). Nazeera invites some of them to stay in Willerton Hotel and feeds from them while they sleep.

•

In League with Carna: Nazeera was always in on their ancestor’s plan and it is only sensible to interrogate them about Carna’s whereabouts and future intentions. Nazeera also knows what became of the Book of the Grave-War. Could they have hidden it in the library in Willerton? The back of beyond was always a good place to hide things.

•

Biding their time: Nazeera is biding their time and will, when they have assembled enough support, be challenging DuSable for the chantry in Chicago. Or maybe they intend to take over Carna’s former holdings in Milwaukee. One thing is certain: They will not be content to stay in exile much longer.

MASK AND MIEN:

The Congregation (Herd 1) Though Nazeera is aware the populace of Willerton is only too happy to offer their necks, the Tremere is a little wary of anyone so eager to give up their vitality. She feeds mainly from those passing through, only taking a resident when she has no other choice.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

•

Robert Warrington (Disdain) Robert is what passes for a leader of the Nomads, a biker gang that makes existence a great deal more difficult than it needs to be. Nazeera fears any hint of collusion with Warrington will lead to problems with their acceptance back into the Camarilla.

•

Nazeera presents as an androgynous figure of Northwest African origin, slight but not skinny, and dressed in loose fitting white trousers and tunic. Their hair is curly and collar length. Nazeera always looks frail.

•

Naseem (Mask 2) is a non-binary teacher specializing in gender studies, or was, when they were in Milwaukee. They wear jeans and brightly colored shirts. They claim to suffer from a form of xeroderma pigmentosum, which makes them super-sensitive to sunlight. Therefore, Naseem will only meet with their students in person during the hours of the night. Sire: Annais Mazet Embraced: 1981 (Born 1963)

Carna (Resentment) Nazeera feels their ancestor spoiled everything. It was Carna’s fault the Tremere lost footing in the Ivory Tower. Carna’s actions led to the destruction of the library in Milwaukee. It was Carna who killed Victor, and heaven alone knows what happened to Mortius.

Ambition: To gain acceptance for what I am

Abraham DuSable (Admiration) Although Nazeera disagrees with Abraham on some points of both strategy and principle, they feel they are basically working toward the same thing: the re-establishment of Clan Tremere as a stable force within the Ivory Tower. Due to Nazeera’s exile, the breakdown of the stability of the Pyramid, and problems around the use of electronic communications, they are not in close contact.

Generation: 12th

Convictions: Study and books are sacred Touchstones: Audrey Pendle — librarian and object of affection Humanity: 6 Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 4; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 7 Skills: Drive 2, Larceny 1, Stealth 3; Etiquette 3, Insight 4, Intimidation 1, Leadership 3, Performance (Lecturing) 2, Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 4; Academics (Renaissance Philosophy) 3, Awareness 4, Investigation 3, Occult (Alchemy) 4, Politics 2, Science (Chemistry) 3

Starchild (Derision) Broken, even by the standards of the clan that made him, this ghoul is a Masquerade breach waiting to happen.

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Disciplines: Auspex 3, Blood Sorcery 3, Dominate 2, Presence 1

TESSA GREENE Epitaph: Child of the ‘80s Quote: “My eyes are too cruel? I am not your manic pixie dream girl, so get over it.” Clan: Tremere MORTAL DAYS: ISOLATED ACADEMIC Tessa grew up in a small apartment on the north side of Milwaukee; a heavily segregated, low-income area. The television raised Tessa, as her parents were busy working multiple jobs to keep their apartment. She loved her parents, but their absence was hard for Tessa. She grew to resent them and lashed out at those around her. Tessa was smart but unable to focus well in school. Most of her teachers dismissed her as a troublemaker. Tessa pushed back at them and demonstrated she understood the academic material, but her behavior rarely endeared her to others. She decided to challenge herself and graduated with high honors, eventually pursuing a degree from Marquette in the field of ancient languages. Tessa felt as though she had finally found a learning space for her. She loved going to school but saw she was being treated differently. Being a black girl in a primarily white school posed challenges: Tessa found her social circles limited, and there were students who made excuses to avoid working with her. Tessa continued to study diligently, but the constant rejection in her life took its toll. Moving against the face of adversity and challenging the status quo, Tessa caught the attention of several professors. She earned a chance to be part of a research group in Libya, and it was while she was oversea she met Macha, a fellow academic and the first person to really treat Tessa with any affection. Tessa fell down a steep slope of love with Macha and, while she was in Tripoli, they spent as much time together as possible. When Tessa moved back to the United States, she kept in touch with Macha, her lover keeping the often-acerbic American close to her heart. Tessa remained at Marquette to continue her studies following graduation, and to her surprise, one day she found Macha standing in her doorway. Her Libyan partner had made the journey to surprise her for a week of relaxation, but by the end of it, they’d decided to remain together forever.

drive, so the Tremere mentored the young woman in all manner of esoteric studies. She saw much of herself in the resistant, hard-nosed young woman, and knew she needed to have her as a childe. Carna waited for a night when Macha was out of town and Embraced Tessa without seeking consent. She coldly informed the fledgling Warlock that she’d need to dedicate every night to a project of great importance. The Embrace strained and broke Tessa’s relationship with Macha. Love did not conquer all, as Tessa became completely absorbed in Carna’s designated studies, and neglected her partner. Macha couldn’t understand how Tessa was unprepared to sacrifice everything for her, when she had moved halfway around the world for her. Neither party knew, but Tessa was Blood-bound to her sire. Her aloof, cynical nature grew, and she coldly told Macha to get out of their apartment by the following night. Tessa hasn’t seen Macha since, and went on to lose contact with her family too — a move she would later regret. Though Tessa was unaware, Carna planned for her to assist in the creation of House Carna and the breaking away from House Tremere. Tessa continued her work with her sire, trying to become proficient in blood magic and interpret the wisdom of this “Book of the GraveWar.” Her repeated failures frustrated Tessa and her sire to no end. Within a decade of her Embrace, Carna abandoned Tessa for other apprentices, chalking the Tessa experiment up as a failure. The neonate was abandoned with her materials and no-one to call a friend or Mawla. Tessa threw herself into the study of this text that was so important to Carna, and on August 14, 2002, discovered

KINDRED NIGHTS: THE DEATH OF LOVE During her studies, Tessa caught the attention of Carna, a powerful Tremere who made her haven on campus. Tessa impressed Carna with her intelligence and

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how to use the Book of the Grave-War to break her Blood Bond to her sire. Tessa never told Carna of her accomplishment and locked her research away. When Carna left Milwaukee, she did not take Tessa. When Tessa came out from under Carna’s wing, she discovered her mortal life had crumbled. Macha had left her, and she had no easy way of finding her again. Her parents had both passed away while she was studying under Carna. Tessa spends many nights at their graves, a symbolic gesture on her part to spend more time with her parents. Tessa now finds herself completely alone in Milwaukee. She spends more time around other Kindred and learns about all the different clans and their influences around the city, but she feels like a student who’s been held back and forced to repeat years of study. She’s been so wrapped up in the workings of the nascent House Carna that she emerges into Kindred society blinking at the lights. Tessa may well have fallen into reclusiveness, were it not for an overture from Prince Decker’s newest childe, Honor Mercer. The two became close friends in the last year, sharing similar feelings on sires, Blood Bonds, and toxic relationships. Tessa continues to place her life back in order, but it is slow going, and she frequently falls into research projects to keep herself from feeling lonely.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Marquette Campus (Haven 1, Herd 2) Tessa spends most of her nights on campus in her labs or in the library. She conducts several research-based projects while on campus and is involved in mentoring literature and language majors with their research.

•

Personal Chantry Milwaukee Central Library (Haven 3) Tessa has built up her own personal chantry in the basement of the Milwaukee Central Library. A tunnel system runs through it and connects to the Milwaukee Public Museum.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS: •

Carna (Revulsion) Tessa had fallen in love with Carna due to the Blood Bond and gave everything to her. Carna leaving Milwaukee hurt Tessa, and she was finally able to realize just how much Carna had taken from her. Tessa hates Carna and will do anything to stop her.

•

Honor Mercer (Friend) Tessa sees Honor as her best friend and someone who has helped to keep her from falling to the Beast. Tessa owes a lot to Honor and will help protect her, even from Prince Decker.

•

Nerissa Blackwater (Curiosity) Tessa met Nerissa one time while traveling to Chicago’s Natural Gardens. While the woman creeped Tessa out, she was able to start an interesting conversation with her and learned about the existence of the Bahari. Nerissa was able to sense Tessa’s pain and offered her a way to deal with it. Tessa declined at the time but is considering it more and more these nights.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

The Abandoned Student: Tessa is hurt and angry her sire would just leave without her. She has made it her goal to continue practicing Blood Sorcery in hopes of forming her own path of Thaumaturgy. Once she accomplishes her goal, she plans on using her knowledge to start her own family.

•

All Signs: Tessa knows there is something in Marquette uncomfortable to vampires. Sometimes it is physically impossible for her to travel to certain parts of the campus. Other times it confuses and disorientates her, manifesting as extreme Hunger. She knows the Saint Joan of Arc Chapel on the campus is the central point, but she’s afraid to enter.

•

A Friend in Need: Tessa helped Honor leave the city after Honor came to her concerned her sire was going to punish her for something. Tessa cares a lot for Honor, so she secured travel out of the city to the closest Anarch domain she could find.

•

Research Assistants (Contacts 2, Herd 2) Tessa has built up enough pull on campus to have several research assistants at her disposal. She does feed from them on occasion but mainly uses them for finding information she needs and keeping her in the loop on new findings in her chosen academic field.

WHISPERS:

Why Not?: Tessa is aware of the Bahari within Milwaukee and has flirted with the idea of giving in to them and following their doctrine. What else does she have to lose?

216

•

From House Carna: Tessa has known ties to House Carna, given her sire was the one who founded it. She remains in Milwaukee to continue to act as a spy against the city. She is not to be trusted.

•

Failed Accounting: Tessa is so young, yet she is a full member of the Camarilla. She has no interest in local politics. Could it be she doesn’t understand them and failed her accounting?

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•

Secret Keeper: Tessa has been protective over the Marquette Campus as a territory for some time now. She is keeping something secret there and doesn’t want anyone else to know.

•

Sire: Carna Embraced: 1995 (Born 1970)

Masquerade Issue: Tessa hasn’t adopted a Mask, and word is travelling between students and faculty of how she hasn’t visibly aged for years.

Ambition: To put my life back together Convictions: Failure is not an option Touchstones: Macha, her lover from Tripoli

MASK AND MIEN: •

•

Tessa has not cultivated a Mask yet, as she’s still in her tenure as an academic at the university.

Humanity: 7

Tessa is a tall, glasses-wearing black woman in her late 20s. She keeps her hair in a small afro most of the time. While capable of kindness and curiosity, her default demeanor is one of cynicism and irritation. She often peers over her spectacles while addressing someone and has difficulties not sounding sarcastic.

Generation: 9th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 2, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 6

One of Tessa’s pleasures is heavy metal, and on the rare times she’s not on campus she enjoys wearing leather, spikes, and heavy boots. Tessa enjoys the black goth movement and her preferred clothing reflects the style. Even when studying, she wears band t-shirts, shredded jeans, and wrist-tape.

Skills: Athletics 1, Drive 2, Survival 2; Etiquette 2, Insight 3, Leadership 2, Persuasion 3, Streetwise 3; Academics (Languages, Research) 5, Investigation 4, Medicine 2, Occult 3, Technology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Blood Sorcery 1, Dominate 2

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“Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire.” — Walter Nash, planning his revenge against everyone who snubbed him

Throughout America, the Ventrue attempt to uphold the stereotype of corporate unity and direction. They leave many vampires assuming the clan is unassailable, all while they sabotage, snipe at, and murder each other behind closed doors.

Gary in order to properly ascertain the conflict between Modius and Juggler. For five years, Sharpe kept an eye on things, slowly gathering a small group of disenfranchised Camarilla Kindred. Unable to climb the ladder in Chicago, this coterie did what they could to earn a name for themselves — up to and including mercenary work for the Toreador “Prince” of Gary. However, none of their efforts curried any favor with Chicago, and the cohort grew disgruntled. Struggling with his sense of purpose, Sharpe met with his sire outside one of the many abandoned factories in Gary and laid down his concerns. Before Kingston could answer with any kind of alternative or reassurance, a squad of vampire hunters descended on the pair and killed Kingston. Sharpe fled, battered but alive. Someone must have known about their meeting and planned an ambush, but he has no idea who might have been the responsible party. A month later with Sharpe’s coterie in disarray, a mysterious figure approached the young Ventrue. The Brujah called himself Maxwell and offered the veteran a chance for real power, something the Kindred of Chicago never would. They devised a plan that included the overthrow of Gary and the eventual takeover of Chicago. Officially, Sharpe serves as the eyes and ears for his grandsire, Sovereign, but now fully bound to Maxwell, Eric Sharpe and his Vanguard make nightly raids against Chicago, Gary, and other weak locations throughout the region.

ERIC SHARPE Epitaph: Camarilla Hardliner Quote: “I promise you a night you won’t live long enough to never forget.” Clan: Ventrue MORTAL DAYS: BLOOD AND SAND Born in Rockford, Illinois, Eric’s Vietnam veteran father raised him. As such, Eric was a patriotic child who dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps. He joined the United States Marine Corps when he was 18 and suffered a series of unremarkable deployments for the next half decade. Then 9/11 happened. Sharpe fought in Afghanistan and Iraq for five years, familiarizing himself with places like Kandahar, Tora Bora, Fallujah, and Sadr City. After three tours he returned home, disillusioned by the war and searching for something greater than himself. After a series of failed construction jobs, followed by a brief stint as a private security guard, Sharpe numbed his pain with drugs and alcohol. His slow slide into despair culminated in a bar fight in Chicago that left two people dead. This violent act attracted the attention of Eleanor Kingston, a Ventrue socialite and childe of Alan Sovereign, Seneschal of Chicago. Kingston embraced Sharpe, giving him new purpose and direction.

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

KINDRED NIGHTS: TIP OF THE SPEAR With a renewed lease on unlife, Sharpe adapted well to his new state of being. Serving as Kingston’s unofficial fixer, Eric Sharpe traveled throughout the Midwest, sometimes as a courier and, more often, as a private cleaner. One of these missions included an expedition to

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Driven: Under the Blood Bond, Sharpe is devoted to Maxwell and his grand scheme. Sharpe has a singular drive and a two-dimensional way of viewing the world. For him, everything is either an obstacle or an asset. It feels good to put his faith in something powerful, and Sharpe tries to not question his given orders. He takes great satisfaction in executing them flawlessly.

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•

Crisscross: While Sharpe sends monthly reports back to Sovereign, they are devoid of anything that might thwart Maxwell’s plans. Indeed, Sharpe toes the party line well, though behind his smile lives a predator; a predator Maxwell has allowed to hunt freely. Once Maxwell becomes Prince, Sharpe plans on killing his grandsire and taking on the role of Seneschal of Chicago.

DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Oscar-Mike (Haven 2) Sharpe lives out of a fortified Freightliner semi-trailer. Along with the reinforced steel compartment protecting the Ventrue from the sun, it also includes an emergency generator, refrigerator, and small armory. Sharpe doesn’t like to stay in one place for very long, moving the mobile haven every couple of evenings.

THRALLS AND TOOLS: •

•

Lieutenant Mary Matthews (Ally 2) Sharpe is not in contact with many of the people he served with except Lieutenant Mary Matthews. They were together in Fallujah and developed a deep bond. Matthews runs a legitimate firearms business in Gary, willing to sell Sharpe weapons and ammunition at a discount and without asking too many questions.

Chicago mob. True or not, Sharpe has a reputation for being an efficient killer.

•

Maxwell (Loyal) Above all, Sharpe respects authority and confidence, both of which Maxwell possesses. The former Prince of Chicago has delivered on everything asked of him and appears to have a real plan to accomplish his goals. With the Blood Bond firmly in place, Sharpe would do anything for Maxwell.

•

Bloody Hands: Whether or not Sharpe is responsible for his sire’s execution, the killers were all former members of his platoon.

MASK AND MIEN:

Alan Sovereign (Resentment) After his Embrace, Sharpe found renewed purpose. But, he wanted to fight and his sire, Kingston, only tightened the leash. When Kingston died and Sovereign took over, the frustration continued. Relegated to courier duty or investigations, Sharpe grew resentful of his grandsire. He wants room for advancement and there is none. Eventually, Alan Sovereign will pay for that mistake.

WHISPERS: •

Descendant of the Seneschal: Sharpe’s pedigree isn’t a secret. Kindred know that the Ventrue hardliner is a descendant of Seneschal Sovereign. This gives people pause before engaging him and has provided him protection despite Sharpe’s unwillingness to acknowledge it. Suffice it to say, no one wants to upset the Seneschal by messing with his grandchilde.

Dual Bank Accounts (Resources 4) Between the money he gets from Maxwell and the credit line from Sovereign, Sharpe has access to a great deal of cash. He uses it to bribe cops and gang members, purchase weapons and vehicles, and to keep his crew happy.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS •

•

Bag Man: There are rumors that, even after his honorable discharge, Sharpe worked as a hit man for the

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•

On paper, Sharpe goes by Eric Hacker, and has the papers to prove his relatively recent honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps (Mask 2).

•

Sharpe is a tall, slim man with coal black hair and dark skin. If it were not for the aura of menace he exudes, he might seem sickly. He is haggard and appears more tired than an immortal should, despite his attempts to mask this by wearing expensive suits.

•

Eric can only feed from victims in fear for their lives, therefore he usually holds victims up at gunpoint. He sees this as a form of vampiric “erectile dysfunction,” not understanding all Ventrue suffer feeding restriction. Often, he will hold a gun to his victim’s head as he drinks from them. Sometimes, he holds it to his own and screams between drinks.

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Sire: Eleanor Kingston Embraced: 2011 (Born 1970) Ambition: Find a real war to fight Convictions: Never concede to an Anarch Touchstones: Lieutenant Mary Matthews, who fought with Sharpe in Fallujah Humanity: 3 Generation: 11th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 6 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Firearms (Rifles) 4, Melee 2, Stealth (Tailing) 3, Survival (Desert) 4; Intimidation (Interrogation) 4, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 2; Awareness (Ambushes) 4, Medicine 2, Politics 1 Disciplines: Dominate 2, Fortitude 3, Presence 1

WALTER NASH Epitaph: Playing with Fire Quote: “Sure, you can get a manic vampire or a reliable ghoul to start a fire, but I’m the one to call when you don’t want nobody putting it out.” Clan: Ventrue MORTAL DAYS: BOOTLEGGING AND GUNRUNNING Nash was born in Ireland but spent little of his life there — his family migrating to Atlantic City in the early 20th century. While his father performed work on the docks and his siblings all helped to bring in a healthy wage, Walter perpetually hung back, unprepared to dirty his hands with manual labor or honest toil. It was when the Shehan Mob of A.C. attempted to extort money from Nash’s father that Walter found his calling. The Nash family were unprepared to grease the Shehans’ palms with cash, but Walter’s offer of service running numbers and guns to and from the docks was payment enough. So it was for many years, with Walter Nash as the steady climber in the Atlantic City criminal scene. Before long, he was running a host of speakeasies, paying upward only to the most influential criminal presences, and keeping in tight with the city officials. He was adept at his craft, never taking a life with his own hands, rarely handling stolen property, and becoming known for his friendly, courteous manner. His one weakness was his in-

dulgence in luxuries: buying antiques, art, and properties that made him stand out like a sore thumb. Nash’s industriousness took him beyond Atlantic City to Chicago, where he first met Al Capone and his associates. Capone wanted Nash in his pocket and expressed as much, offering the flamboyant Irishman a substantial fee if he would relocate his base of operations to the Windy City. Walter considered for a month before uprooting his wife and children. Life was about to become ever more profitable. KINDRED NIGHTS: FIRE IN HIS HANDS Edgar Drummond knew his sire, Prince Lodin, planned to Embrace Capone. He had no desire to cross his sire, but he feared the rise of Capone as much as he feared the obsolescence of his territory: the city railroad. Drummond watched Capone closely and saw how he fawned over the newly arrived Nash. As a pre-emptive, paranoia-driven move, Edgar Embraced Walter Nash and removed him from Capone’s grasp. Nash despised his sire and loathed how this new existence crippled his ability to socialize and scheme during the day. He hated being driven by hunger and his lack of access to the luxuries he adored. He reached out to Capone but found the gangster — who had yet to receive his own Embrace — wanted little to do with the erratic, night-bound Irish criminal. Walter Nash forged a path for himself, pledging service to Lodin (who handwaved the fledgling as a non-entity), and examined the city’s infrastructure to identify where vampires exerted their power. He spent many months attempting to find holes in criminal enterprises where his talents might fit. Then Capone was Embraced, and organized crime was snatched away. Walter despaired. He examined the map and books he’d painstakingly updated with every Chicago vampire and their sphere of influence, landing on the Chicago Fire Department as the one major area without a Kindred backer. He hurled all resources into opening bars for fire crews, sponsoring charities related to the city firehouses and their personnel, and letting stolen goods slip into the hands of firemen at low cost. Nash carved out a section of Chicago for himself. Other Kindred couldn’t see the benefit of manipulating the fire brigade, but Nash could. He set up a protection racket via mortal associates, threatening to burn down establishments if payment wasn’t made. He discreetly extended this to Kindred, blackmailing weak, unconnected neonates with the threat of fires in their havens or those of their Touchstones, and the lack of an emergency crew to douse the flames. Nash was rich and despised, but Lodin protected him. He was starting to recognize Walter’s ingenuity.

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play nice, make contact with mortal associates, and grease palms where needed. If only he could maintain this behavior, he might rise back to prominence. DOMAIN AND HAVEN: •

Dearborn Manor (Haven 3, Resources 2) Nash has a love of all things ostentatious and luxurious, his haven being no exception. His manor is a sight to behold, clad in artwork both inside and out, with expansive gardens and a permanent staff on hand to keep the grounds in order. Slowly but surely, Walter has been selling off everything from inside the house, as his cash runs out.

THRALLS AND TOOLS:

Lodin’s purported death heralded Walter’s fall from grace. He’d crossed too many Kindred, indulged too often and too vulgarly in Elysium, and importantly, attempted to murder Kevin Jackson with a fire in his Cabrini Green territory. As Nash found himself on the outside looking in, he fell deeper into depravity, feeding from children without compunction, acting out of spite and laziness instead of strategy. These nights, Nash is a shadow in Chicago. When he was ascendant, some Kindred thought he would make a fine successor for Lodin: He had the charm, the connections among vampires and mortals, and the sense to know how to run a successful operation. Now, Prince Jackson cannot even be bothered to call a blood hunt on the fallen Ventrue.

•

Thomas O’Shaughnessy (Retainer 2) Walter only has a single ghoul these nights, being his long-time lieutenant and now permanent butler, O’Shaughnessy. He was forced to trade his other ghoul, Kelvin Hughes, to a blackmailer. Nash sometimes considers murdering O’Shaughnessy just because he’s tired of the old thug’s company, but realizes if he did, he’d have no-one to speak with about the old days.

•

Chicago Fire Department (Influence 2) At a push, Walter Nash can still pull strings with the Chicago Fire Department. He stays in touch with the commissioner, still appears at charity galas, and prefers hanging out at pubs the fire teams frequent. Nash’s own bars have long since shut down or were bought out by Charles “Crook” Dawson.

KINDRED RELATIONSHIPS •

Prince Kevin Jackson (Hatred) Nash loathes the Prince of Chicago, his own bigotry playing into resentment for Jackson’s recent seizure of praxis. If Nash could organize one last fire to consume a vampire in Chicago, it would start under Prince Jackson’s throne.

•

Balthazar (Kindred Spirit) Nash isn’t stupid. He knows how everyone hates Balthazar for being a racist, traitorous prick. Irritatingly, Ewell keeps approaching Nash with offers of companionship and joint reprisals. Nash only needs to look at Balthazar’s status in the city to know how far he himself has fallen.

•

Alphonse Gabriel Capone (Respect) Nash never lost respect for Capone but for a long time resented how the crime boss soared to prominence while Nash was left to play with fire. Nash is determined to find out the truth behind Capone’s supposed final death, as

PLOTS AND SCHEMES: •

•

Leave a mark: Nash has adopted a self-destructive streak, risking Masquerade breaches and pushing the boundaries of societal acceptability. While he experiences pangs of regret and cashes in boons to cover up for his major transgressions, within a week he goes back to being on his worst behavior. He knows his time is almost up, and when it is, he wants to go out with a bang. Perhaps the Succubus Club, Blue Velvet, and the rest of those clubs could benefit from simultaneous fires as a final “fuck you.” Recover everything lost: Once every couple of weeks, Nash wakes up and feels energized. He looks back at his previous behavior with disgust and pledges to reassemble his enterprises. For that entire night, he’ll

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LET THE STREETS RUN RED

through his knowledge of the city’s infrastructure, he believes the old Outfit leader is still out there manipulating affairs. •

shoulder-length. He’s a handsome white man with a seductive smile, but most vampires see him and his motley appearance and wonder if he’s trying to be a pastiche of vampires on television.

Gabriella (Cretin) Nash has zero frame of reference for dealing with the young Nosferatu, except to know she’ll dig up information, sabotage, or safeguard anyone if the price is right and you sound convincingly like a Camarilla loyalist. Nash calls her “Gullible Gabriella,” which amuses him to no end.

•

WHISPERS: •

•

Walter can only take sustenance from individuals who have been baptized into the Catholic faith. He still sticks his fangs in mortals outside his feeding restriction — mainly young women, as they’re easy prey as far as he’s concerned — but gains little benefit beyond the thrill of the feed. Sire: Edgar Drummond

Him and Sweetie Pepper: Some Kindred remember how prominent Nash was up to the early 1990s and seeing the spate of arson attacks on vampires in recent years, tie Walter to Sweetie Pepper, assuming one is covering for the other.

Embraced: 1939 (Born 1911) Ambition: Be seen as more than a liability Convictions: None Touchstones: None

Masquerade Risk: Nash deliberately frequents bars used by vampire hunters and attacks their families just to stir a response. There’s even footage of him feeding from a teenager, which it’s rumored he has done more than once, leading to hospitalizations and even deaths. Sooner or later, someone needs to put him down.

Humanity: 3 Generation: 9th Blood Potency: 2 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 2

MASK AND MIEN:

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5

•

Walter Nash hasn’t adopted a new name but has erected a series of personas under his own name (Mask 1). Most of these Walter Nash’s were used to set up back accounts, procure IDs, and redirect the cops if the heat became too much.

•

Nash is flamboyant in manner and dress. He favors heavy, colorful coats, odd materials, jewelry and other accessories, and keeps his red-brown hair

Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Craft (Moonshine) 2, Drive 2, Firearms 2, Larceny (Smuggling) 4, Stealth 1; Etiquette 3, Insight 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership (Criminals) 4, Persuasion 3, Streetwise (Fire Department) 2, Subterfuge 3; Academics (City Infrastructure) 2, Awareness 1, Finance 3, Politics 1 Disciplines: Celerity 1, Dominate 3, Fortitude 2, Presence 3

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Example Characters

GHOUL MUSE Standard Dice Pools: Physical 2, Social 5, Mental 3

Sometimes, a Storyteller just needs to find a quick stat block for a sample antagonist or supporting character, but they need to reach a little farther than the ones in the Vampire: The Masquerade core book. This section aims to have more of those needs covered. Standard Dice Pools are all you’d roll for this character’s average physical, social, or mental action (i.e., the ghoul chauffeur rolls two dice for any mental action), whereas the Exceptional Dice Pools are all you’d roll for one of this character’s specialized actions (i.e. the ghoul chauffeur rolls six dice when attempting to Drive, but doesn’t add a Standard Dice Pool to it). General Difficulties are a shorthand version of these characters’ dice pools. They take an average (or close to it) of the characters’ dice pools, so the leftmost figure is the dice pool they use for actions they’re good to excellent at, while the rightmost figure is the dice pool they use for actions they’re average to poor at.

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 6 Exceptional Dice Pools: Performance 6 Disciplines: Presence 1 Special: This ghoul turns heads in every Elysium and is the envy of every Toreador. General Difficulties: 4/2

STARVING GHOUL Standard Dice Pools: Physical 5, Social 1, Mental 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 2 Exceptional Dice Pools: Brawl 6, Melee 6, Survival 6; Intimidation 3, Streetwise 3 Disciplines: Fortitude 1, Potence 1 Special: The starving ghoul wields a knife with a +2 damage value.

GHOUL CHAUFFEUR

General Difficulties: 4/1

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 3, Mental 2

ALL-NIGHT PARTY PERSON

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 4 Exceptional Dice Pools: Drive 6; Awareness 5

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 4, Social 4, Mental 2

Disciplines: Celerity 1, Oblivion 1

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 6

Special: The ghoul chauffeur owns a small pistol with a +2 damage value.

Exceptional Dice Pools: Persuasion 5, Streetwise 7 Special: The all-night party person might carry a can of mace, a rape whistle, or a small bag of drugs such as ecstasy or cocaine.

General Difficulties: 4/2

GHOUL ELDER

General Difficulties: 4/2

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 7, Social 3, Mental 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 8, Willpower 5

BACK-STREET SURGEON / VET

Exceptional Dice Pools: Intimidation 5; Politics 5, Occult 5

Standard Dice Pools: Physical 2, Social 3, Mental 5 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 8

Disciplines: Dominate 1, Fortitude 1, Obfuscate 1, Potence 1

Exceptional Dice Pools: Melee 3; Animal Ken 5, Insight 4; Medicine 7

Special: The ghoul elder wields a ceremonial dagger with a +3 damage value.

Special: The back-street surgeon / vet wields a scalpel with a +1 damage value.

General Difficulties: 5/3

General Difficulties: 4/2

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THE A NUBI The Lupine attack on Chicago is a stark reminder of how vulnerable Kindred are to werewolf assault. The Princes of the Camarilla looked to Milwaukee, and its guardians the Anubi, for a solution. Led by Milwaukee’s Prince, Mark Decker, the Anubi are the Camarilla’s premier force of Lupine hunters. They are well organized, well equipped, and determined to repulse every Lupine incursion into the city. Other cities began emulating Milwaukee’s model with mixed results. Many coteries failed due to inexperience or left their posts when Clan Gangrel abandoned the Camarilla. Others overthrew their Princes or became the kingmakers of their domain. A few even sided with the Anarchs, defending the Baronies of the Free States and newly acquired Anarch cities. More successful Princes recruited Gangrel with greater loyalty to their city than to their clan, or built mixed-membership coteries by offering money, special privileges, hunting rights, or boons. Even the legendary Anubi had to offer grants of hunting grounds to young Kindred after many of their members abandoned Milwaukee in the face of Sabbat invasion. These newly formed coteries are as deadly as the Lupines they hunt. Some, like the Sun Devils of Phoenix

or the all-Ventrue “Hunt Club” of Quebec, maintain the Anubi’s militant structure and battle Lupines nightly. Others, like “The Pack” of Vancouver or the mixed Lasombra/ Toreador “Order of Saint Sabastian” in Rio de Janeiro, wield diplomacy as effectively as silver to forge tentative (although not lasting) treaties with their local Lupines.

LORE • Argent Fury: Your connection to the Anubi or a similar organization provides access to hidden caches of silver weapons and/or those who manufacture them. Once per story, you can equip yourself with a silver hand-held weapon or ammunition of your choice. •• What Big Eyes You Have: A Lupine must be located before it can be slain. Your organization has seeded your city with a web of informants, contacts, and surveillance devices to facilitate the hunt. Once per story, you gain two automatic successes on an Investigation roll related to locating Lupines within your domain. ••• Brick House: The hunter often becomes the hunted when Lupines are involved. You spend substantial resources outfitting your haven for just such occasions. You gain four points to spend on Haven and/

or Retainers relating to defense against Lupines. •••• In the City, In the Woods (choose one): War Eternal: Your organization takes the fight to the Lupines. Your advanced knowledge of Lupine hunting grants you two bonus dice to all Firearms and Athletics rolls when fighting Lupines. Strange Bedfellows: Your organization seeks peace with Lupines, forging strained but (mostly) effective truces with the werewolves in your area. Gain two bonus dice to all Persuasion rolls when dealing with Lupines and a two-dot werewolf Ally reflecting your contact in the local Lupine community. Your Ally is unlikely to risk their life for you but will at least listen to your side of the story before the howling starts.

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Most Dangerous Game: Your nightly hunt grants you access to a quantity of Lupine blood that may reflect an unhealthy addiction to werewolf blood. Once per story, you can slake two Hunger via a sip of werewolf blood with all the attendant benefits and drawbacks (Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 376). ••••• Summon the Pack: You are a formal member of the Anubi or a similar Lupine-hunting organization and can call on these Kindred for aid at a moment’s notice when Lupines are near. Situations not involving Lupines may require favor trading and/or boons, depending on your relationships with the individuals within the organization. Your membership grants you a temporary Mawla (•••) and four dots of Allies (Anubi Bikers), representing mortal bikers who follow the Anubi, who can be called on once per story when Lupines are involved.

Lore Sheets

ELETRIA Eletria occupied an unassuming position among Chicago’s Kindred for decades prior to her recent disappearance. Few understood the immense power hidden behind the quiet strength of the enigmatic vampire that dotingly watched over “Portia” all those nights. Fewer still realize that Eletria was once Prince of Veracruz and one of the most talented artists in history. Born of Sparta, reborn of Helena, Eletria travelled the world, drowning herself in life’s myriad pleasures and always returned panting for more. Painting, sculpture, and music came effortlessly to her. The Kindred of Veracruz bent their knees to her will and were better for her presence. Her very passions conquered the hearts of all who met her, ensnaring Lodin’s sire, Datura, then Lodin himself, loving and losing both in the process. Her presence in Chicago had the potential to change everything, but in the end, she changed you. You knew Eletria. It might have been Chicago, Veracruz, or someplace more distant still, but you knew her. Lover, friend, subject, or slave: Her presence haunts you to this day. LORE • Muse: Eletria saw great potential in you and fanned the embers of your talent. All Craft (Painting or Sculpture) or Performance (Music) tests have their difficulty reduced by one. •• Portrait of a Woman: Eletria entrusted you with a rare and precious piece of art of deep importance to her. It could be her cherished portrait of Datura on the cliffs of Veracruz or another painting, sculpture, or piece of music created by her hand. Granting you this piece is a sign of her deepest trust and contains an almost literal part of her soul. Once per chapter, you can spend an hour meditating upon this piece and make a Resolve + Craft (Painting or Sculpture) or Performance (Music) test at Difficulty 4 before resting for the day. If successful, you awaken

having recovered all Superficial Willpower damage. ••• This is Sparta: You served under Eletria in Veracruz during her war against the Sabbat or fought by her side during the War of Chicago. You gain oa bonus die to all Investigation, Academics, and Occult rolls related to defending your city against hostile sect incursions. •••• Ageless Beauty: You shared blood with Eletria and inherited a measure of her ability to see the past. You can see a person as they were at any point in their life (or unlife). If artistically inclined, you can render Kindred as they appeared centuries ago with shocking accuracy. Make a Wits or Resolve + Auspex test (difficulty assigned by Storyteller depending on how far back you

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attempt to see). Success means you have captured a photographic image of the subject in your mind with perfect accuracy and gain two bonus dice to your relevant Craft test to replicate it. This ability can be used once per session. ••••• Conspicuous Consumption: Your search for Eletria leads to Helena. You become part of the circle of vampires used to slake her thirst and keep the Beckoning at bay. This arrangement is not without its benefits, as you gain five dots to distribute between Mawla, Resources, Allies, Herd, and Contacts. You also have access to Helena once per story, although she has compelled you not to reveal her presence. If lucky, your perilous association may reveal Eletria’s fate.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

KINDRED SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER Sometimes it’s worth risking the ire of those elders who have banned social media use, especially for fledglings Embraced in recent nights. Though the Second Inquisition makes having an online presence dangerous for vampires, having a large internet following brings potential benefits: information, influence, money, and food. When the choice is between feeding on a flash mob participant or frenzying from hunger, you pick the one that isn’t a sure breach of the Masquerade. Often, a vampire can entirely avoid mentioning Kindred lifestyles on their social feeds. Maybe their Instagram account is all pictures of books artfully posed beside glasses of wine, or their Twitter timeline consists only of cat memes and dad jokes. Throughout the centuries, vampires have adopted mortal personas that give no whiff of their nighttime pursuits. Tonight’s fledglings aim to do the same, only with more likes, favorites, and followers. Kindred can display authority in all kinds of areas on social media. Some present historical analyses on YouTube so insightful you’d swear they’d been at the events they’re describing. Exquisite Instagram accounts capture the city when most of its residents are asleep. This isn’t to suggest no one’s ever come close to breaching the Masquerade since SchreckNET came down: One scandalous (and highly anonymous) account displays cutting edge Kindred fashion, replete with the clans’ iconography.

Mortal followers like and thumbs-up the posts, believing it experimental fashion or possibly a high-end LARP, while not knowing the messages the outfits send to their Kindred counterparts. Should any elders discover Kindred of their own clan are behind the account, however, it won’t be long before someone is blood hunted.

LORE • Friends Everywhere: You have a small following, mostly consisting of friends and close acquaintances. Occasionally, someone with a larger social media footprint will boost or share one of your posts, bringing you a temporary increase in visibility. Once per chapter, you can crowdsource a solution to a problem, providing you have enough time to consult your followers, allowing you to roll two dice in a Skill you don’t possess or adding two automatic successes in an area you already have familiarity. •• Niche Following: Your knowledge in a specific area grants you a degree of online authority. Your Twitter threads occasionally go viral, and you’ve been paid to write articles for newspapers and websites thanks to your unique voice. Gain two dots of Influence

in your field. Once per story, you may temporarily increase your Resources by one dot when you pen an article or do a video hangout for a small audience. ••• Internet Famous: Your follower count is in the tens of thousands across several social media platforms. Loyal fans provide a small amount of ad revenue and buy branded swag, providing you with an additional two dots in Resources. Once per story, you can arrange a small, local meetup and feed from one of the attendees, granting you one dot in Herd. •••• Collabs and Sponsorships: Everyone who’s interested in your particular subject matter knows your name. Companies offer to work with you to create branded products and attempt to woo you

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with freebies they hope you’ll promote. In addition to two dots in Fame, gain Allies (••) from among your fans and declare a two-dot Contact at one of the companies you’ve promoted. ••••• Superstar: Your social media presence makes you a household name. You set trends and pull in a sizable income from products, promotions, ad revenue, and patron donations. Maintaining your presence and place in the ever-changing hierarchy requires a full-time schedule of recording, posting, promoting. While this grants you three dots in both Fame and Resources, your notoriety also puts you in a precarious position with Kindred elders. Should they (or worse, FIRSTLIGHT) discover your vampiric identity, punishment will be swift and deadly.

Lore Sheets

JUGGLER Juggler has been a pain in the Chicago Camarilla’s ass and a thorn in Modius’s side for the better part of a century. He ruled the Anarchs before Maldavis came along, and he directed much of their activity from Gary. During some of the tensest periods in the War of Chicago, Helena and the powerful Brujah Tyler controlled his actions. Juggler may have a sense of this, especially since Tyler’s disappeared from Chicago, but it’s not something he’d ever let slip to his followers. In recent nights, he’s orchestrated the Anarchs’ takeover of Gary, relishing his rival Modius’s rage as the pauper Prince’s power ebbed away. Rumor had it he’d triumphantly captured Modius — whose own childe turned Anarch and gave him up — and may at last have destroyed his enemy. This move made Juggler the Baron of Gary at last, but a month into his reign, he disappeared. Unlike his disorganized Camarilla counterpart, Juggler understands how to run a revolution. His childe, Evelyn Stephens, was privy to his plans. He kept some secrets, but he ensured that the schemes he’d set in motion could carry on in his absence. As much of a blow as it was

to the Anarchs to lose their leader, Evelyn has stepped up and rallied them right back to the cause.

LORE • For the Cause: You’ve run with the Anarchs in Chicago under Juggler’s direction. Add one additional die to Brawl, Melee, and Streetwise rolls when going up against members of the Camarilla. •• Guns to a Knife Fight: When a Prince starts losing, he blames the Anarchs first and tries to wipe them out. Juggler learned that lesson with Lodin, and in more recent nights, when Modius ratted out his enemies to Sullivan Dane. Once per story, you have access to a weapons cache that Juggler has secreted away in Gary and can buy up to Resources (•••) worth of gear.

••• Rabble Rouser: You have a knack for dirty fighting. Juggler put you in charge of a group of Anarchs who Get Shit Done around Gary. Once per chapter, you can call upon a small group (3-5 people) to sow chaos in Gary’s streets or back you up in a brawl. •••• Coordination is Key: Juggler set you up as a key part of Anarch communications. Other Kindred slip you information about their activities, which you pass along to those who need to know. This grants you significant cachet in the Movement, manifesting as Status: Anarchs (•••) and Influence: Gary (•••). Once per story, ask

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your Storyteller for a piece of intel that’s recently come across your desk. ••••• Rust Never Sleeps: Juggler trusted you with his plans and valued your input in his strikes against the Camarilla and Modius. He is your four-dot Mawla (in his absence, Evelyn Stephens fills this role). Once per story, work with your Storyteller to name a member of the Movement in another city whose skills or access are useful to you. A friend of Juggler’s is a friend of theirs, and they’re eager to help the Anarchs rise. They act as a three-dot Contact for you until the end of that story.

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LOST SECRETS OF T H E M I LWA U K E E C H A N T R Y The Tremere of Milwaukee were once one of the most exclusive coteries in the United States. Their sole purpose was to unravel the secrets of the strange mystical “Null Zone” near Marquette University, where magic does not function (see p. XX). Then Carna abandoned Milwaukee on the eve of a Sabbat invasion, and her fellow chantry members, Victor and Dr. Mortius, disappeared soon after. The Tremere have not reestablished their presence in Milwaukee, leaving their Chantry’s secrets vulnerable to outsiders. Kindred from Chicago and beyond flock to Milwaukee to uncover its occult secrets before the Tremere return. Karl Schrekt is assembling an elite coterie to reestablish the Milwaukee Chantry before Carna and her allies can do the same. Interested parties race against time to recover whatever they can before their window closes forever. LORE • Carna’s Primogen Files: While nominally apolitical, Carna managed to collect a significant amount of information about her fellow Kindred during her tenure as Primogen. You have access to Carna’s Primogen Files and gain a bonus die on all Politics rolls involving the Kindred of Milwaukee. •• Abandoned Real Estate: Carna and Victor maintained numerous havens throughout the wealthier areas of Milwaukee. Your search uncovers one such haven, providing you with access to a two-dot Haven in Milwaukee, equipped with a two-dot Occult Library (Carna) or two-dot Hidden Armory (Victor), and potential clues to the location of additional havens or Tremere secrets (Storytellers discretion). Tremere agents are certain to follow, so take up permanent residence with extreme caution.

••• Victor’s Grimoire: Victor was the deadly enforcer of the Milwaukee Tremere and had access to a potent array of unique rituals. You have located Victor’s Grimoire and cache of occult rituals. Subject to Storyteller’s discretion, Blood Sorcerers may immediately learn one of the rituals located in Appendix II: Tremere Rituals of Milwaukee and have a roleplaying justification to learn additional rituals from Appendix II through the standard expenditure of time and experience. Non-Tremere are hunted mercilessly for mere possession of this knowledge. •••• Objects of Desire: You have uncovered the subject of Tremere study in Milwaukee, a strange “Null Zone” where magic does not function, centered on Marquette University. Tremere records indicate that objects of incredible power are located somewhere in the zone and may be possible to

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recover, but opposition from Clan Tremere, Lupines, and/or Magi, is extremely likely. ••••• Dr. Mortius’s Haven: You have located Dr. Mortius’s haven, a “haunted” house near Marquette University. It is a three-dot haven with an awe-inspiring, yet utterly disorganized, occult library. The library grants you a three-dot bonus to all Academics and Occult skill checks and is filled with a wide range of other secrets. At the Storyteller’s discretion, these secrets might include access to Blood Sorcery, innocuous magic items, information about Milwaukee’s magical “Null-Zone,” theories on ancient Kindred in Lake Michigan, and even a copy of “The Book of the Grave-War” — although missing half a page or so. At the Storyteller’s discretion, Mortius’s haven may contain a variety of mundane and mystical defenses to penetrate prior to entry.

Lore Sheets

M A RK DECK ER Mark Decker prefers hunting Lupines to ruling Milwaukee. He uses the position to protect the city, placing his Anubi in top-ranking jobs and strictly enforcing the Masquerade. In recent nights, he’s grown even more suspicious of the Kindred in his territory — who’s plotting against him? Who’s undermining his agenda? Breaking his strict new laws results in swift punishment, up to and including the final death. He trusts very few people outside of his inner circle, and even those he watches warily. After all, he was unprepared both for Carna’s exodus from Milwaukee and his clan’s defection from the Camarilla. Who else, he wonders, is ready to turn on him? On occasion, he reaches out to Inyanga in Chicago to seek an outside perspective on local matters. These nights, those communications are fewer and longer between. Decker keeps his city on constant high alert against werewolves and Anarchs, and respects those Kindred who display the same vigilance he does. Perhaps some night, if he can push the Lupines back far enough and strike a massive blow to the Anarchs, he’d consider relinquishing

his throne. But that’s a long, long way off, and there’s much work to be done before then.

LORE • Good Graces: Decker has put a small amount of trust in you, assigning you to patrol duty around the city and allowing you to act with his authority in minor breaches of his laws. Still, he requires you to enter a one-step Blood Bond in case that feeling is misplaced. •• Foe to Werewolves: Decker is aware of the body count you’ve racked up protecting Milwaukee. He grants you feeding rights to a small rack, providing you with a two-dot Herd and a one-dot Haven. ••• One Strike: Your penchant for not only upholding but enforcing

the Prince’s laws has caused Decker to loosen his reins on you. It’s still unwise to break them, but once per story he allows you to plead your case if you’re caught for a minor infraction. Rather than the final death, he’ll impose sanctions. •••• The Prince’s Trust: You’ve fought at Decker’s side against the Lupines and rooted out Anarch incursions. You’ve learned how to talk to him without setting him off, or at least how to push those buttons without turning his suspicions on yourself. Decker listens to your counsel, and his trust in you gives you a little leeway in the city. Gain Mark Decker as a five-dot Mawla

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once per story. Additionally, once per story, you may dine with him at the Hyatt or join him in his private suite at Brewers Stadium for an audience. ••••• Childe of Mark Decker (Gangrel Only): Decker granted you the gift of his Embrace and expects you to treat such an honor accordingly. He’s trained you as one of his Anubi and placed you in a position of power in the city. Work with your Storyteller to determine where your authority lies. Decker provides you with a three-dot Haven, and you gain one free Skill Specialty in Athletics, Brawl, or Melee.

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MAXWELL Maxwell’s been off the chess board a long time now. The one-time Prince of Chicago, a Brujah, might have ruled again after Lodin’s death, were it not for Kevin Jackson’s rise to power. He disappeared after that, though wise Kindred know better than to think he’s suffered his final death. In fact, Maxwell still considers himself Chicago’s Prince, and suggests Kevin Jackson’s merely keeping the throne warm. He’s gotten a better handle on the modern world these last few years and dedicated time and resources to quietly shoring up his support. He still holds sway with Chicago PD’s Internal Affairs. In recent nights, he’s focused on building up the Vanguard, a group of Camarilla based in Gary, Indiana, who are loyal to him and his play for praxis. Gary is little more than a staging ground to him, a place from which to launch his strikes against Chicago before he reclaims his throne. Maxwell’s opponents (and many of his supporters) recognize his penchant for violence. Signing on with him is a dangerous and probably bloody endeavor, but he’ll handsomely reward those who help him take Chicago. LORE • Tactician: You’ve studied Maxwell’s strategies as Prince of Chicago and sussed out some of the secrets of his rule. Add two bonus dice to an Academics, Politics, or Subterfuge roll relating to political planning or military maneuvers.

granted you territory in the city, where you have a two-dot Haven and feeding rights. If not participating in Rusted Jungle (see p. XX), this lore gives you standing as a long-time, respected Kindred resident of Gary.

•• Travelling Companion: While Kindred considered him dead after Devil’s Night, Maxwell roamed the world building up allies in other countries. One thing he learned in these hyper-surveilled modern nights is how to evade detection while travelling. You traveled with him during this time, and he’s willing to share his contacts. Once per story, you can call on Maxwell’s allies for reliable and secure transportation between cities.

•••• The Art of Disappearing: If your enemies think you’re dead, they stop worrying about how you’re plotting against them. Maxwell has taught you tricks for staying hidden and working from the shadows. Once per story, he’ll help you create a two-dot Mask under which you can anonymously further a goal. Alternately, he’ll help you convincingly fake the death of one of your current Masks and transfer its resources to a new identity without leaving a paper trail.

••• Vanguard: You’re a member of Gary’s Vanguard, trusted by Eric Sharpe and Maxwell alike. Gain Status: Gary (•••). Sharpe has

••••• The Once and Future Prince: You’re one of the highly placed Kindred Maxwell is

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counting on in Chicago. He’s guided and financed your rise among your clan’s ranks, helped rid you of enemies, and provided you with information about the machinations of Prince Jackson and the Primogen. Gain Resources (•••••); two dots must be spent securing Maxwell’s plans, but the remaining three are yours to spend as you like. You have a list of those Kindred in Chicago who owe Maxwell boons. Once per story, you can call in a minor boon from someone on the list. Once per chronicle, you can call in a major boon. Though you may use these for any purpose that suits you, Maxwell expects you to send him an account of how you’ve spent his favors. Using them foolishly will earn the soon-to-be Prince’s ire. He’s built you up; never doubt that he can tear you back down.

Lore Sheets

T H E M I LWA U K E E “NULL ZONE” The “Null Zone” is a mystical dead zone centered on Marquette University and the surrounding area where magic simply ceases to function. This site was once the location of the final battle between the Lupine Usla and, Hrothulf’s Kindred wife, Chiclena and her allies. With his dying breath, Usla called upon the mighty spirits of his people, transforming parts of his very being into a pair of potent talismans, destroying Chiclena. Almost no one knows these talismans are buried under Marquette University, or that they are responsible for creating the “Null Zone.” Kindred, Lupines, and magi study the Zone with great vigor, but few outside the Lupines know its secret.

• Legends of Usla: You know the legend of the battle between Usla and Chiclena and discern something extremely important to the Lupines is buried inside the “Null Zone.” You don’t know exactly where the item is buried, but you are on the hunt. Gain one bonus die to all Investigation and Occult rolls related to the “Null Zone.” •• Into the Zone: You have access to the Milwaukee “Null Zone” and can linger there for brief periods without observation or being assailed by outside forces. Within the zone, all uses of Auspex have their difficulty reduced by one. Uses of Protean do not require Rouse checks, but you must spend one Willpower per scene to prevent transformative powers like Feral Weapons and Shapechange from activating automatically. All Blood Sorcery rolls require

LORE seven successes to succeed and its attendant rituals fail automatically. Failure on any of the above uses of Auspex, Protean, or Blood Sorcery delivers levels of Aggravated damage equal to their margin of failure. Total Failure delivers the same amount of damage in addition to leaving a mystical mark on your aura that acts as a powerful beacon to all Lupines in the area. ••• St. Joan of Arc Chapel: You discover that a powerful mage had the medieval St. Joan of Arc Chapel moved and reconstructed directly over the center of the “Null Zone” in the 1960s. While ultimately slain by Lupines, his legacy endures. The chapel is surrounded by extremely powerful wards against Lupines and the presence of the Joan of Arc Stone makes it almost unbearable to Kindred (the structure has the equivalent of True Faith

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5). A secret staircase concealed under the stones behind the altar leads to a series of underground tunnels and excavations used by the mage to facilitate his investigation. The chapel is one of the primary reasons Kindred and Lupines have been unable to claim their prize, and it is warded by a variety of sorcerous and mundane protections. Any entrance to the chapel will be opposed by Lupines, magi, or agents of the Society of St. Leopold stationed on the Marquette campus. •••• Church of Isis: Mount Mary College plays host to the Church of Isis, an occult society espousing radical feminist views composed of humans and magick users from the Cult of Isis. They are eager to recover Usla’s talismans and work with Kindred and Lupine alike to achieve their purpose. Formerly affiliated with Dr. Mortius prior

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T H E M I LWA U K E E “ N U L L ZON E ” (CON T I N U E D) to his disappearance, they seek new Kindred allies to further their quest. You forge an alliance with the Church of Isis, allowing you to call upon their aid once per Chronicle. They count as a five dot Ally group that can provide both mundane and sorcerous assistance. ••••• Usla’s Talismans (choose one): Eye of the Coyote: With Storyteller’s permission, you know where to find the Eye of the

Coyote. You have the equivalent of five-dots of Auspex with all related abilities and the difficulty of all Blood Sorcery tests made against you are increased by four while the Eye is on your person. The Storyteller can grant the Eye additional abilities and you are hunted day and night by all Lupines until the Eye is recovered. The Eye is only usable once per story, but the lure attached to it is permanent. Talon of the Eagle: With Storyteller’s permission, you know the

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location of the Talon of the Eagle. All your physical Attributes are doubled (up to a maximum of five), and you have the equivalent of five dots of Protean with all related abilities while the Talon is on your person. The Storyteller can grant the Talon additional abilities, and you are hunted day and night by all Lupines until the Talon is recovered. The Talon is only usable once per story, but the lure attached to it is permanent.

Lore Sheets

MODIUS Modius has never been content. Not in his mortal days, when he yearned toward greatness even as he traded furs and toiled in the fields. Not in all his waking nights, when the throne of Chicago has eluded him at every turn. It’s certainly not for lack of trying — he’s gone to war for Chicago. He vies to lift Gary from the mire Lodin sank it into. He’s yanked the city back from Juggler and his Anarchs time and again. Modius could be transcendent, if only his fellow Kindred opened their eyes. Though many vampires dismiss Modius as a pauper Prince, he’s done his damnedest to revive Gary, even as his enemies in Chicago push it deeper into decline. He’s built up alliances in the city he rules and gathered followers who admire him — or who at least lie about it convincingly. He keeps up correspondence with his sire, Toreador Primogen Annabelle, keeping her abreast of his achievements should she spot an opportunity for him in Chicago. His letters go mostly unanswered. These nights, Modius’s name is most often whispered alongside his long-standing enemy, Juggler. The two revel in their ongoing hostilities, letting their violent conflict add to Gary’s already abominable crime rate. LORE • Followers: You believe in Modius’s capability, even if most others don’t understand why. You’re in contact with a few other like-minded Kindred. Once per chapter, you can call on one of them to do a small favor for you in Gary. •• Windy City Ally: You were one of the few who backed the idea of naming Modius as Prince of Chicago this last go-round. It earned you sneers and enmity within the city, but word of your support got back to the pauper Prince. As thanks, he sent one of his employees to you and permitted you to make them your two-dot Retainer.

••• Keys to the Mansion: Modius values your strategic mind, especially when it comes to out thinking the Anarchs. He’s provided you with keys to the guest quarters at the governor’s mansion (Haven •••) and access to his files, with intel on Juggler’s plans. Once per story, ask your Storyteller for a piece of information on recent Anarch movements in the city. •••• Since 1913: You were part of Modius’s original attempt at seizing praxis and took part in some of the attacks on Lodin’s loyalists. He’s never forgotten your service and made sure the vampires in Gary heard about your deeds. Gain Status: Gary Camarilla (••••).

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Modius has also declared that you may feed anywhere in Gary, though the Anarchs are unlikely to abide by that if you wander into their territory. ••••• Pauper Dynasty: Whatever Chicago’s Kindred think, Modius is a Prince and has been one for over half a century now. He has insight into what it takes to rule and imparts that wisdom to you in the hopes you’ll seize praxis in some other domain — provided it’s neither Gary nor Chicago. Gain Modius as a five-dot Mawla, and gain Influence (••) in a city of your choosing to reflect the groundwork he’s helped you lay there.

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

Ready-Made Characters For players who want to jump straight into a chronicle of Vampire: The Masquerade, these characters have everything you need to start playing. For Storytellers, this cast acts as an additional list of supporting characters of the fledgling variety, perfect for low-level antagonists and street-level SPCs.

SCRATCH MATTHEWS Concept: Secret Weapon Quote: “I don’t need the whole sob story. Just tell me where you keep the explosives.” Clan: Brujah MORTAL DAYS: BORED TO TEARS The son of two hardworking middle-class parents, Samuel Matthews always wanted more out of life. Sure, his house was average size in a moderately nice neighborhood, in a good school district. There was always food on the table, and his parents tried their best to give him everything he needed: a modest, dependable car when he turned sixteen; tuition to a respectable, state college; sophomore year abroad and more. But Sam was bored. He wanted more out of life than a college degree and a decent-paying job to start overbuilding his own mediocre, average life. So, when he returned from his year abroad in Germany, he made some changes, beginning with calling himself “Scratch”. Scratch started hanging out with some kids in school who fancied themselves a group of activists. He didn’t much care about what it was they were protesting, he was just happy to skip class to make signs and yell at people. Global warming? Sure, whatever. Immigration rights? Okay, I guess. What Scratch liked was making noise. Blocking traffic. Getting in fights. A peaceful protest turning into a riot. After a particular political rally at his university turned violent, Scratch got caught in a crowd that was teargassed and in the shuffle was brought into a deserted building to recover. When his eyes cleared enough to see, he realized he hadn’t been gassed by law enforcement but a group of Brujah interested in recruiting. His prospective sire had been watching his school, looking for rebellious people unafraid to get their hands dirty. Scratch, having been hungry for excitement for years, agreed to the Embrace almost immediately.

KINDRED NIGHTS: UNDERCOVER DESTRUCTION After the Embrace, Scratch had to drop out of college and leave his new friends behind, which suited him just fine. He didn’t care about the degree and hadn’t bothered learning most of his new friends’ names anyway. His parents were devastated by his death, but Scratch was so exhilarated by his new life that he didn’t feel too bad about it. After a bit of an adjustment period, his new Brujah family put him to work as a secret weapon. Scratch moved to a rival section of town, posing as a homeless man and taking up refuge in a section of underpass that was a hot spot for criminal activity. There, he volunteered to carry out grunt-work in order to build a strong relationship with both the local criminals and become an ally to many in the homeless community. He’s kept this up for months in order to use their network to learn as much as he can about the local members of the rival sect, waiting for instructions from his own sect. Once his sect needs destruction or chaos, Scratch will be exactly where they need him, able to call in favors with the local underworld to get things like a building burnt down or a drive-by to happen. This has been Scratch’s life since the Embrace, and while he’s having the time of his life, he’s still hungry for more power. His sect isn’t calling on him often enough, not giving him big jobs as promised. He’s getting a little sick of biding his time and waiting for them to take him seriously, so he’s been considering setting off on his own.

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ready made characters

The only thing holding him back is the friend he’s found in the director of the local homeless shelter, a kind-hearted woman who doesn’t ask questions when he chooses to sleep in the cellar during the day instead of the common room beds at night. He finds her goodness annoyingly touching and finds himself wanting to protect her from the dangers she doesn’t know surround her. For now, he waits and protects her. But given a good enough reason (or enough explosives), he’d leave this post behind and never look back.

tip-off that his safe place may have been compromised. Nothing strange has happened yet, but he’s always got the feeling he’s being watched. He’s warned Candace, and dreads the day he knows he’ll have to move on. MASK AND MIEN: •

Growing up with a bowl cut, Scratch now relishes his scruffy appearance. His dark hair is shaggy enough that he can pull it back into a ‘man bun’ if he chooses. He never bothered fixing a tooth that got chipped in a fight. His face is a permanent sneer, one he practiced so long in front of a mirror it started to feel natural.

•

Scratch wears ratty jeans, combat boots, and a leather jacket he picked up at a thrift store in his rebellious college days. The jacket had a few patches on it already when he purchased it, though he never bothered looking up what they stood for.

GUIDE TO PLAY: •

•

Camarilla: Scratch could be so inspired by his friend at the homeless shelter that he would look for a reason to escape the cycle of violence he’s trapped in. He doesn’t want to stop causing destruction entirely, but he’d manipulate his new coterie to move the destruction farther away from the place he’s trying to protect, in an attempt to gain more power elsewhere within the Camarilla.

Sire: A Brujah from a particular sect looking to recruit rebellious youth to carry out their schemes.

Anarch: As an Anarch, Scratch would eventually leave his post out of boredom, severing ties with his old sect. On his own, he will ruthlessly pursue alternate routes to power.

Predator: Alleycat Embraced: 2016 (Born 1995) Ambition: Ensure that Candace’s homeless shelter is a safe space.

BACKGROUND DETAIL: •

•

Candace (Ally 3 — Reliability 2, Effectiveness 1) Scratch befriended the director of the local homeless shelter. Amid all the violence, Scratch was surprisingly affected by the kindness she showed him and touched by her desires to help people without asking too many questions.

Suggested Desire: Prove his worth to his new coterie after months of not being trusted to carry out the kinds of jobs he knows he’s capable of.

Influential (Influence 2) Scratch picked up a number of skills during his time as an activist, the best of which being a propensity for debate. He’s a smooth talker, adept at elevating others with motivation and coercion, resulting in many of his old friends now being in important positions throughout local society.

Humanity: 6

Donovan ‘The Dealer’ (Contacts 3) Scratch has developed some symbiotic relationships during his time on the street. Unassuming homeless people see things, which means they often have information that could be useful to him. Information that can be traded —for drugs. Luckily, Scratch knows a guy: A high-profile drug dealer he used to go to school with, who’s willing to cut him a deal.

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 4

Convictions: Always push your friends to succeed Touchstones: Candace — director of the local homeless shelter Generation: 13th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma 1, Manipulation 2, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Drive 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 3, Melee 2, Stealth 1, Survival 1, Insight 2, Intimidation (Stickups) 1, Persuasion 2, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2; Academics 1, Awareness 2, Finance 1 Disciplines: Celerity 2 (Rapid Reflexes, Fleetness), Potence 2 (Soaring Leap, Prowess)

Compromised (Haven, Flaw 2) After many months seeking refuge in the homeless shelter, Scratch got a

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LET THE STREETS RUN RED

VERONICA AVERSON Concept: Wannabe Performer Quote: “I could have been a star… now look at me. Actually, don’t look at me. That’ll cost you ten bucks.” Clan: Gangrel MORTAL DAYS: LIFE ON THE ROAD After Veronica’s father died when she was very young, her mother sold their family home in the Indiana suburbs and landed a job as an acrobat in the traveling circus, which meant young Veronica spent her childhood growing up on the road. She spent her days learning hula hoop dancing and other tricks from the performers she traveled with. She got particularly close to a fire-spinner named Tabitha who was a little rough around the edges but was one of the few who didn’t treat Veronica like a child. While Veronica’s mother was often too busy being a star to pay her much attention, Veronica and her new friend spent most evenings together, practicing together and talking about the kinds of things a teenaged girl worries about — like her desire for nicer clothes and her hopes for the future. Unbeknownst to Veronica, she was a Touchstone for Tabitha, a Gangrel trying desperately to hold on to her Humanity while fitting herself into night performances at the circus. Despite the way her mother treated her, Veronica dreamed of being a performer herself and practiced her craft diligently, putting aside funds from odd jobs and hoping to one day to be admitted to a performing arts school. However, her plans were halted when her mother took ill and spent nearly a year in the hospital, draining both their meager savings with her medical bills. Seeing the young girl in such despair, Tabitha took it upon herself to save her, giving Veronica something money can’t buy — the Embrace. Veronica had unknowingly helped the Gangrel so much that Tabitha felt she’d be a strong asset to their clan, and it would be nice to have another performer around the night circus.

constant reminder of the life she’ll never have again. Through her new carnival life, she makes enough money to get by and makes a home for herself in a small trailer park where some of the other carnies live. She’s angry at what Tabitha has done to her, resentful she’ll never have a life like her mother, and is trying to hang on to what’s left of her own Humanity. She’s worried if she frenzies too much, she’ll develop so many animal features she won’t even be able to work. This job is all she has left. As she adjusts to her new life, she learns she can use the anger she feels, she can direct it. She thrives off the fear she sees in the eyes of the carnival goers who pay to look at her. She may not be the performer she dreamed of being, but she’s strong. She’s powerful. She will stay balanced, and she will survive.

KINDRED NIGHTS: SIDESHOW ATTRACTION For a while, Veronica tried to keep up a life within the circus, allowing her sire Tabitha to teach her the ways of their society. However, she felt the Beast within her much more strongly than Tabitha, and after just a couple of frenzies, developed a couple of permanent animalistic qualities: cat-like eyes, oversized vicious teeth, and patchy fur. Resentful of everything her mother’s illness and Tabitha had taken from her, she dropped out of the circus in favor of a seedier carnival life, despite her mother’s recent recovery and return to the carnival. She now works as a “carnival freak” — a sideshow attraction at a low-budget fair where people ogle her features in the dark of night, a

GUIDE TO PLAY:

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•

Camarilla: As a member of the Camarilla, Veronica would work a lot harder to tame the Beast inside her. Keeping her job (and as a result, her Humanity) would be a lot more important to her, so she could find better inroads to Kindred society. She would work her connections at the carnival to grow her network as an attempt to improve her life. Maybe she’ll even find a better job someday.

•

Anarch: Feeling resentful of her lot in life, Veronica would fall farther and farther away from her

ready made characters

Humanity. Eventually, even holding the carnival job wouldn’t be feasible, and she’d likely take to the streets, looking for a place to squat or people who might still accept her. Forget about appeasing the Camarilla — Veronica wants to make people pay for what’s happened to her, both living and un-living.

ged floor-length skirts with a bodice top, adorning herself with costume jewelry she picked up at a thrift shop. It’s a bit of a sad look, but people spend money to look at her, so it’s working out. Sire: Tabitha Predator: Sandman

BACKGROUND DETAIL:

Embraced: 2015 (Born 1990)

•

Ambition: Create her own circus for Kindred society, or at least take control of the carnival she already works for.

•

Looks (Repulsive 2) Often overcome by the Beast within her, Veronica’s priorities are not focused on things like her outward appearance these days — except when it means she can capitalize on it. In order to ensure job security, she’s really lets her Gangrel nature take over, permanently affecting her features in ways that tend to only be temporary for others.

Suggested Desire: Make enough money to pay her rent on time this month Convictions: None shall control me Touchstones: Her mother, who she still loves and protects

Tabitha (Mawla 1) Despite Veronica’s feelings toward Tabitha, the elder Kindred still feels a responsibility toward her after her time as a friend and mentor. While Tabitha respects her space now, Veronica knows she would come to her aid in a heartbeat if needed.

Humanity: 7 Generation: 12th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 1; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 2

Carnie job (Resources 1) Veronica makes a meager wage from her job at the carnival, just enough to pay for her crappy apartment. It’s not glamourous, but it’ll do.

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 3 Skills: Athletics 1, Drive 1, Larceny 2, Melee 1, Stealth (Break-in) 2, Survival 3; Animal Ken 2, Insight 2, Intimidation 3, Performance 3, Persuasion 1, Subterfuge 1; Awareness 1, Investigation 1, Occult 2

Mr. Andrews (Contacts 3, Resources 1) Veronica befriends the local hotel owner, a shady man with a fetish for her feline features. He’s happy to turn a blind eye when guests forget to lock their doors — what’s it to him if Veronica feeds on unsuspecting, sleeping people, as long as he gets what he wants? Veronica hardly recognizes her own body these days, and mostly blocks it out anyway.

Disciplines: Animalism 1 (Sense the Beast), Auspex 1 (Heightened Senses), Protean 2 (Eyes of the Beast, Feral Weapons)

RONALD BOG

Lost and Found (Resources 1) Veronica learns very quickly where lost items at the carnival end up, and uses this knowledge to her advantage — pawning watches, jewelry and other discarded belongings for extra income.

Concept: Reluctant Immortal Quote: “See that mintmark? That’s an authentic 1944 War Nickel.” Clan: Caitiff

MASK AND MIEN: • Almost unrecognizable since the Embrace, Veronica’s previously adorable features are now gaunt and fear-inducing. She has deep circles under her eyes, her skin is pockmarked and sallow, and her teeth seem to have… sharpened. She’s also been growing a lot more hair than normal, which she can’t be bothered to remove. Recently she’s also developed a set of feline ears that just won’t go away • Rather than fighting it, Veronica leans in to her new look with a set of curious attire. She wears dark, rag-

MORTAL DAYS: A QUIET LIFE Ronald Bog was a simple man: Married over forty years, he made his modest living servicing coin, vending, and amusement machines across the suburbs of Illinois. This work fostered a love of rare coin collecting that he enjoyed well into retirement. In their mid-sixties, Ron and his wife sold their home and traveled the country in a Winnebago, in search of county fairs in which to enter his ever-growing coin collection. Over the last fifteen years, he won many awards — but that’s not why he did it. He just liked having something to do.

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join his dear Gladys, and now that his time wasn’t coming, he found himself even more disoriented than the first time he lost her. After a few more lonely years watching reruns and polishing his coins, Ronald decided he had to make some use of the time he now had, especially with his body feeling stronger than it had in years. He moved his Winnebago out of the trailer park, finding a spot much closer to the city in a rundown industrial part of town in the hope that he’d never see those brutish teenagers ever again. He picked up some new hobbies, including learning a few languages, and started writing a memoir about his years fighting in the Vietnam war, long ago. Not one to make waves, Ronald continues to keep himself busy, search for rare coins, and casually thinks about doing some more traveling. He still misses Gladys every day and keeps a picture of her in his wallet at all times. GUIDE TO PLAY:

Ron and his wife loved sight-seeing, fishing and visiting national parks together. They loved dancing to old jazz classics in their tiny home on wheels, making homemade pasta on the tiny counter top, and crossing states off their list of places visited. So, when Ron’s wife Gladys died unexpectedly of heart disease at age 76, he wasn’t sure what to do next. They had so many plans left, and he wasn’t sure how to do any of them on his own. At 74 years old, he parked his Winnebago in a trailer park in the Midwest, bought a small television, stocked up on TV dinners — and waited to die. A few years later, halfway through an old Golden Girls rerun, Ronald heard a ruckus outside. His knees were starting to go, but he waddled to the door and swung it open, his posture stooped in the doorway of his Winnebago. A pack of rowdy teenagers were huddled outside, egging each other on as part of some prank. When they saw him standing there, one with wild eyes separated from the group, pushing Ronald back inside and trapping him inside the RV. The next thing Ronald knew, he was waking up in a daze on the old linoleum flooring. The teenagers were long gone but the sounds of their cruel laughter still rang in his ears.

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Camarilla: As a member of the Camarilla, Ronald will be looking for ways to keep himself occupied and establish a new normal within Kindred society. No one will ever replace his dear Gladys, but Ronald craves companionship and routine.

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Anarch: Resentful and sad, as an Anarch Ronald would reject Kindred society, unable to forgive what it’s taken from him. He would continue to travel in his Winnebago, looking for ways to forget what he’s become despite still needing to feed.

BACKGROUND DETAIL:

KINDRED NIGHTS: PASSING THE TIME Unaware of his clan or the workings of Kindred society, Ronald felt more alone than ever after he was Embraced. For years, he resisted his new immortal life. All he wanted was to

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Winnebago (Haven 4 — Hidden Armory 1, Security Systems 1) Ronald’s Winnebago is a safe haven in more ways than one, containing a couple of security cameras and a stash of guns he’s collected over the years.

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Corrine (Contacts 2) Corrine is a junkie Ronald meets in his Winnebago’s new “neighborhood”. She happens to hold a janitorial job at the nearby hospital and agrees to steal him bags of blood in exchange for Gladys’s old prescription meds. He’s not sure what he’ll do when the meds run out, but for now it’s a sweet deal.

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Gladys (Bond Resistance 1) No matter how much time passes, Ronald’s love and devotion toward Gladys doesn’t seem to dim. This makes him particularly strong against Blood Bonds.

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Feeding Merit (Iron Gullet 3) Often feeding on days old blood that hasn’t been refrigerated, Ronald gets

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by. He’s never been very picky — why should the afterlife be any different?

MISS JANICE

Brutish Teenagers (Enemy Flaw 2) Ronald, despite the strength of the Beast within him, is still terrified of the teenagers that did this to him. Even though he moved away, he’s still afraid to go out on the off chance he’ll run into them again. He doesn’t want trouble. He only ventures out when he really needs to.

Concept: Middle school teacher Quote: “Please raise your hand if you’d like to speak, Timothy.” Clan: Malkavian MORTAL DAYS: ART STUDIES 101 Miss Janice was a teacher living alone in a one-bedroom apartment, teaching art classes at the local middle school. Her school was in a rough part of town, which made her feel even more dedicated to her job and her students. With all the budget cuts in her district lately, she worked extra hard to make sure her students had access to creative pursuits and even ran an experimental art club after school. Miss Janice often had a hard time connecting with people her own age, being young at heart and a bit of an eccentric. Her students, however, adored her. Miss Janice had a couple close friends from growing up that lived about an hour away, but her social circle was small enough that she was having trouble dating. She signed up for an online dating service that she tried out on the weekends but spent a long time working up the courage to actually meet someone. Finally, on a whim (and a particularly lonely Valentine’s Day), she decided to go for it and agreed to meet a guy who’d messaged her multiple times. They met late in the evening at an open

MASK AND MIEN: •

Ronald is a black man in his late seventies , and walks with a bit of a hunch. His hair is cut close to his head and went grey long ago. He’s missing his right index finger from the knuckle down, a wound from the war, which he used to scare his grandchildren with as a joke.

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Ronald dresses exactly like a grandfather would be expected to dress — he wears his khaki pants with a belt, dons orthopedic sneakers and owns a surprising collection of graphic button downs. His favorite shirt is one covered with palm trees, because it makes him feel like he’s always on vacation. Sire: Some bastard unknown Kindred Predator: Bagger Embraced: 2008 (Born 1931) Ambition: Hit the remaining six states he didn’t manage to visit when Gladys was still alive. Suggested Desire: Meet another Kindred that gives him faith they aren’t all terrible. Convictions: Always help the needy when asked. Touchstones: His granddaughter, Ellie, who means the world to him. Humanity: 8 Generation: 12th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 1, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 3; Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 4 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 7 Skills: Craft 2, Drive 2, Firearms 1, Stealth 2, Survival 2; Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 1, Insight 2, Intimidation 1, Persuasion 1, Subterfuge 2; Academics 2, Awareness 1, Finance 2, Investigation 1, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Larceny (Lock-Picking) 1, Science 3 Disciplines: Fortitude 1 (Resilience), Obfuscate 3 (Cloak of Shadows, Unseen Passage, Ghost in the Machine)

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mic night, at a wine bar just outside of town and really hit it off. She thought things were going well! He even invited her back to his place, which was exciting — until they got inside, where he immediately locked the doors. Miss Janice got a strange feeling but considering he lived in a bad part of town, brushed it off. She was just rusty at dating. This was fine. He showed her to his living room and offered her a glass of wine. She thought that would calm her nerves and graciously accepted. She just needed to be bolder. Halfway through her first sip of the bottom-shelf box wine, the man attacked her. The wine was the last thing she remembers tasting.

nights and weekends. Miss Janice doesn’t have many goals or plans to leave her school, but if she meets other Kindred, she would certainly invite them to join her class if they were interested. She’s easy-going and a big advocate of following the rules, so learning of the Camarilla could give her more stability and provide her with guidance on how to hide her habits. She could also use some friends and allies, as it’s been a long time since she’s had anyone to talk to besides her sire and her “students”. •

KINDRED NIGHTS: A PLACE TO LEARN She was in no state to be around children once Embraced, so Miss Janice was forced to leave her beloved school behind. She couldn’t bear the thought of resigning and was unable to accept that she’d never have her job back. To keep her happy, her sire (a hot-tempered Malkavian with multiple personalities) faked a doctor’s note to help her take a leave of absence. Some days, he tried to educate her on the ways of the Kindred society; other days, he lashed out and did horrible things to her. Miss Janice begged to be let go, but for years he kept her locked in his basement apartment. He would come and go as he pleased, sometimes disappearing for days at a time while Miss Janice languished. Despite his neglect, he did keep her well-fed… usually. She was miserable in her new life and started seeing the faces of her former students inside the apartment, always asking why she abandoned them. Nearly a decade into her captivity, her sire left on one of his many trysts, only this time he never came back. He was gone so long, Miss Janice was forced to knock a hole through the front door, using an old hammer she found in his closet. She escaped into the night and still doesn’t know what happened to him — or whether he’s still alive. Not sure of the state of her old home, Miss Janice fled to her school. In the time she had been captive, the school had been shut down due to a fire — the building condemned, but she did not notice. Despite the rude graffiti on the scorched walls and the emptiness echoing through the hallways, Miss Janice saw only the welcoming sight of the place she belonged. She returned to her art classroom, where instead of an abandoned, ashen mess, she found a classroom full of eager faces, waiting for a lesson. Now she uses the classroom as a haven, continuing to teach lessons for her imaginary students, leaving the building only when she needs to feed.

BACKGROUND DETAIL:

GUIDE TO PLAY: •

Anarch: After her prolonged isolation and abuse, Miss Janice trusts no one from Kindred society. Suspecting her sire was a vampire of authority, she instinctively rails against it. While she could find a reason to develop relationships with her coterie, she would have little interest in putting trust in most other Kindred again without pursuing some communal rebellion.

Camarilla: Eventually people will find her in the school, and convince her to take breaks on week-

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Elementary School (Haven 4 — Base 2, Library 1, Laboratory 1) Miss Janice resides in the condemned skeleton of her old school. It’s quite large, and she has access to the entire thing. The fire mostly affected the classrooms on the eastern wing, as well as the gymnasium — but the library (full of books, including a few she stole from her sire about the state of her new undeath) is intact, as is the science lab in the adjoining middle school.

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Regina (Mawla 1) A Kindred from the neighborhood starts to notice Miss Janice darting in and out of the old school and finally introduces herself. Miss Janice is wary of her, but so far, Regina’s been nothing but helpful. She has connections to the local Kindred society and is willing to introduce Miss Janice to others like her, when she’s ready.

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Destitute (Resources Flaw 1) Having been held captive for so long, Miss Janice has very little to her name. Her old apartment was foreclosed on years ago, she has no access to her old money or possessions, no real place to live, and the school she resides in is condemned — which means it could be demolished at any time. To add insult to injury, on top of everything, most days she isn’t even sure how to shower.

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Feeding Flaw (Prey Exclusion 2) Miss Janice will not feed on children, nor will she tolerate anyone else feeding on children., Miss Janice isn’t initially quite sure how to feed herself. She’s much too timid to attack anyone, so she takes to sneaking into homes

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Disciplines: Auspex 1 (Sense the Unseen), Obfuscate 3 (Silence of Death, Unseen Passage, Mask of a Thousand Faces)

to feed on those who are sleeping. She always leaves behind some reading material on their nightstand as a thank you, borrowing from the large collection in her school’s library, which are unfortunately marked with her school sticker. In addition to children, she can no longer feed from anyone conscious.

EMERSON DAY Concept: Culinary Rising Star

MASK AND MIEN: •

•

Quote: “Come by the Golden Wok — I work the night shift. The garlic chicken is to die for.”

Miss Janice’s old students and faculty only knew she was sick, so she hasn’t needed to develop a fake identity yet. She doesn’t have much family, so there wasn’t really anyone to get concerned when she disappeared, since her peers were told the story of the doctor note. Eventually, she will need to think of donning a new persona, but for now, she stays inside the old school and isn’t at too much risk of being seen.

Clan: Nosferatu MORTAL DAYS: MICHELIN-BOUND Emerson Day has always been a fan of food. As a young child, he and his sister loved helping their mom in the kitchen, though Sara preferred making messes and licking bowls while Emerson took the lessons more seriously. He enjoyed learning how to cook all manner of different cultural foods, perfecting techniques and experimenting with flavors. As he grew up, he took over making dinner most nights, obsessed with the magic he felt he could make happen in the kitchen. An avid watcher of RED Food, Emerson learned about the coveted “Michelin star”, which from then on influenced his choices of restaurant when his parents let him pick where to eat on his birthday. He made it his goal to get a Michelin star, someday. When his Sara was eleven-years-old, she was tragically struck by a car walking home from the park, leaving her paralyzed and unable to eat solid food. Emerson was particularly affected by this and found himself discouraged by the blended garbage they fed her in the hospital. He threw himself deeper into his studies in order to create a wide range of meals Sara could eat with the family that weren’t as demeaning as what she’d been fed immediately after the accident. Emerson lived at home while attending culinary school to stay close to his sister but eventually landed a job at a high-end restaurant in the city. He dealt with the commute for over a year, but the long drive got to him, and he moved into a small flat of his own down the street from his restaurant. He worked long hours at the restaurant, visiting his family on his days off and bringing leftovers home for them. Emerson was well on his way to his first Michelin star when a Nosferatu with the ability to enjoy mortal food started frequenting the restaurant late some evenings, requesting Emerson’s special, the garlic chicken, each time.

Miss Janice doesn’t have access to working showers as the water at the school has long since been shut off. She sometimes sneaks into the local community center to bathe, but sometimes goes weeks without being able to do so. She wears a long floral dress, bangles on her wrist, and has a head of wild frizzy hair. She lost her glasses long ago and always has a squint about her. Sire: A Malkavian with multiple personalities, one of which is named Erik Predator: Sandman Embraced: 2004 (Born 1972) Ambition: She wants to increase funding for the arts in low-income schools. Suggested Desire: She wants to find more “students” (whether that’s actual children or other Kindred willing to visit her classroom). Convictions: Do not expose children to violence. Touchstones: Donovan, a student that meant a lot to her and she hopes to one night reach out to. Humanity: 7 Generation: 13th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 1, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 6

KINDRED NIGHTS: THE PRIVATE CHEF After the Nosferatu Embraced him for his culinary expertise, Emerson spent many years in his company, completely miserable. Not only had he lost his taste for food, but his family and coworkers believed him to be

Skills: Craft 3, Larceny 1, Stealth (Break-in) 3; Etiquette 2, Insight 1, Leadership 2, Persuasion 3; Academics 4, Medicine 2, Science 1

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to getting his Michelin star. Making friends with food critics or just the Kindred elite could help him. He’s a guy who plays by the rules and would want to develop good connections within Kindred society. •

Anarch: Completely turned off of Kindred society by his own sire, Emerson would refuse to participate in anything with the Camarilla. He’s only focused on his own future, and despite potentially being bribed with the promise of fame/notoriety by future contacts, he would want to earn his Michelin star the honest way — good old-fashioned hard work.

BACKGROUND DETAIL:

dead. Everything he loved had been ripped away from him. He and his sire resided in an old boarded up house with a surprisingly well-maintained kitchen, where Emerson became the private chef of the monster who did this to him. He hardly left the house, surviving on a regular diet of human mortals his sire always made disappear after he fed. His life was a joke, no longer able to eat, yet still cooking for the man who ruined his life. He could have run, but without being able to return to his family, he wasn’t sure where else to go. A few years after his Embrace, while he was out shopping for ingredients for his masterpiece pot roast, his sire was suddenly captured by a FIRSTLIGHT team. Unsure what to do next, Emerson stayed in the house but managed to find an entry level job at a restaurant that would take him. He has spent the past few years working his way back up the ranks of the Chicago culinary scene in hopes of someday, at the very least, earning that dang star. He has made an unexpected friend at the Chinese restaurant he currently works at, in the form of his manager’s young daughter. Shelly sees Chef Emerson as a nice man, while Shelly reminds Emerson of his sister Sara. She likes to draw pictures of them together in crayon, despite his monstrous face. He hides this drawings in case they might fall into the hands of the Camarilla.

Mr. Feng (Ally 3 — Effectiveness 1, Reliability 2) Emerson’s boss is a kind, empathetic man. He truly believed Emerson was the best man for the job, and never questions his odd work hours — in fact, it’s convenient for him to have a night cook, since he runs a 24 hour restaurant.

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Substance Use (Addiction 1) Emerson prefers to feed on kine who have recently ingested fatty foods, typically of the deep-fried variety. Choking down the thick blood of these individuals leaves the Nosferatu with a sense of mild euphoria.

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Known Corpse (Mask Flaw 1) Since his friends and family believe him to be dead, he now goes by the name “Arnold Smith”, professionally. While he looks significantly different, those who knew him well may still recognize him.

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Sire’s House Compromised (Haven Flaw 2) Emerson has nowhere else to go, but since his sire disappeared, he knows it’s probably not the safest place to live. He can’t afford to go anywhere else though, so for now, he sleeps with one eye open.

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Feeding Flaw (Prey Exclusion 2) Emerson is unable to feed from animals, finding their blood revolting to his refined palate. Additionally, he finds himself unable to ingest the blood of any kine weighing under 200lbs.

MASK AND MIEN: •

GUIDE TO PLAY: •

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Camarilla: Emerson would be looking for connections within the Camarilla to help him on his way

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When he was Embraced, Emerson was legally declared dead. Unwilling to give up on his cooking career, he has developed a fake identity in order to continue working in the same industry. He goes by the name “Arnold Smith” and managed to obtain a fake ID and looks different enough just from his new Nosferatu appearance that most wouldn’t recognize him. That Bane distorts his once handsome looks,

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his skin a mass of grease, his features flattened, his eyes too large and round to appear normal. He has to be careful if he encounters any friends or coworkers from his old life. •

MAGGIE RICHARDS Concept: Lifestyle blogger with a secret Quote: “My Instagram gets over 100,000 hits a day. What can YOU do for ME?”

Emerson dresses sensibly in plain slacks and a button down when he’s not in his standard issue chef ensemble. He tries to blend in. He’s not much to look at until you see his face, which he tends to keep trained on the ground when he’s not cooking.

Clan: Toreador MORTAL DAYS: RISING STAR Maggie Richland used to write “Positively Me”, a semi-popular lifestyle blog she started in college about living a positive and healthy life. She had a decent readership but was having trouble breaking into the kind of success she was hoping for to make this her full-time job. She started taking on more sponsored content to pay the bills to afford her one-bedroom apartment in the city, including a bit of modeling for a well-known Instagram fashion brand. In doing so, she met Instagram models Tahara and Melanie — stunningly gorgeous women with hundreds of thousands of followers online. They seemed to get VIP invitations to all manner of important social events and were paid handsomely just for advertising things like bathing suits and expensive watches on their social profiles. Maggie became obsessed with getting into this crowd, becoming one of these women. She shifted her energy away from her health blog and focused on presenting herself as part of the it-scene in Chicago. Her

Sire: A Nosferatu with the eat food merit who considers himself a bit of a foodie Predator: Farmer Embraced: 2011 (Born 1980) Ambition: He wants to be a Michelin star rated chef. Suggested Desire: Find a type of food or flavor that he can still taste. Convictions: Don’t become a monster (Shelly). Don’t let anything, even dying, stand in the way of your dreams (Sara). Touchstones: Shelly: His boss’s daughter. She often plays at the restaurant while they’re working, and she reminds him of his sister Sara. She’s a sweet kid; she’s one of the few who doesn’t shudder when she sees his face, and he loves the drawings she does of the two of them. She makes knowing he’ll never see his sister again a little bit easier. Sara: Everything he does, he does for Sara. The fact that he cannot spend time with her anymore is his life’s biggest tragedy, but it does not stop him from working hard every day in her honor. Humanity: 8 Generation: 12th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, Manipulation 1, Composure 4; Intelligence 3, Wits 2, Resolve 3 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 7 Skills: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Craft 2, Drive 2, Firearms 1, Larceny 3, Melee 1, Stealth 3, Survival (Hunting) 2; Etiquette 1, Insight 2, Persuasion 2, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1; Academics 2, Awareness 2, Medicine 1, Politics 1, Science 1 Disciplines: Animalism 2 (Bond Famulus, Feral Whispers), Obfuscate 2 (Cloak of Shadows, Unseen Passage)

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followers ticked up slowly at first, then more quickly when she threw caution to the wind and started making her content a bit more risqué. Finally, Tahara invited her to an exclusive party in the penthouse apartment of a fellow model. Unbeknownst to Maggie, Tahara had been scrutinizing her for months, analyzing every aspect of this new model’s life. When Maggie arrived, the other girls sat her down with a bottle of champagne and got her very drunk. Amid the laughter, confessions, and games, Tahara whispered an invitation into Maggie’s ear, to meet her alone later than night. The inebriated Maggie staggered to the meeting place, where Tahara sweetly explained the Embrace and existence as a Toreador. Maggie didn’t understand a word but nodded, laughed a lot, and went along with whatever Tahara said. It was only with the cold light of the following evening that Maggie recalled some of the words from the night before. Tahara had commanded her to leave her old friends, family, and life behind. She’d told her that was a small price to pay for fame and immortality. The thing that scared Maggie was that even sober and undead, she agreed: It was a small price to pay.

once she finds out about the hierarchy of Kindred society and the recent lack of elders in town, she sets her sights even higher. Maggie would be very interested in climbing the ranks of the political system and has few qualms using her prowess to do so. •

BACKGROUND DETAIL:

KINDRED NIGHTS: TOTAL REBRAND After being Embraced, Maggie found out her group of Kindred fed exclusively on weak, lazy girls, the wannabe-famous type. Those that pass, like herself, are trained to join the creme de la creme. Maggie felt powerful upon learning this — like the chosen one — having passed the girls’ trial. Very suddenly, Maggie did an online rebrand and changed her persona from a feel-good health blogger to the much edgier ‘MagnoliaByNight’. Thanks to the support of her new friends, she amassed a huge internet following overnight. Not nearly as many followers as her new friends, but it was a start. While many of her old fans didn’t appreciate this new direction, her new following welcomed her as the most recent addition to Tahara’s existing group of models. Though she’s always been driven, her transformation has given her a motivation and hunger well beyond anything she’d felt before. Now that she’s on top, she wants more: more reach, more power, more influence. One-hundred-thousand followers just makes her want two-hundred-thousand, and she’ll stop at literally nothing to get there. They have to be careful of what they say online of course, since the Kindred are always watching. But MagnoliaByNight and her pals are a force to be reckoned with — armed with a keen sense of what’s cool and an invite to any party worth going to.

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Looks (Beautiful 2) Maggie likes to think it’s the result of hard work, but she’s not stupid. She knows her good looks and fit body have a lot to do with her sizable online following. It’s not the only thing that matters, but it helps. A lot.

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Internet Personality (Fame 2) These girls are famous on the Internet, with numbers in the hundreds of thousands. People admire them, recognize them, and want to be them.

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Wannabes (Herd 2) Maggie and her friends have an “entourage”, if you will, of wannabe internet personalities willing to do just about anything to become famous. They often do menial tasks for the girls like editing their photos, delivering lattes, or being a regular supply of blood.

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Feeding Flaw (Prey Exclusion 1) Maggie and her crew are very particular about how and from whom they feed, exclusively preying on the girls who don’t make the cut to join their social clique. They must be beautiful, and they must know how to take good selfies.

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Frankie (Contacts 1) Maggie’s cozied up to a local club promoter named Frankie in order to get hot tips on the best parties and social gatherings to be at, in exchange for the casual date.

MASK AND MIEN: •

For now, Maggie pretends to be her old self, just an edgier and more secretive version. Eventually she’ll need to address the fact that she’s not aging, but she’s very good at makeup, so she’s got time.

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Always having an interest in fashion, Maggie’s merely dialed up her style. It’s easy to do, with all the sponsorships she’s got rolling in. She loves bold

GUIDE TO PLAY: •

Anarch: Tired of the rules imposed by the Camarilla, Maggie’s desire for power could go to her head. Sick of always having her hand slapped for things she says on the Internet, she would potentially break away from her Toreador pals, going rogue in search of more fame and opportunity elsewhere. They may have helped make her who she is, but now that she’s got the power, she’s going to do what she wants with it.

Camarilla: Driven by the promise of power, Maggie knows there’s only one direction she wants to go — up. While an ever-growing social following is nice,

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prints, dark sunglasses, tall heels and tight skirts. She dresses like she’s ready to hit the clubs at a moment’s notice. Old habits die hard, and Maggie couldn’t be more thrilled to have this tanned, toned body for all eternity. Sire: Tahara, fellow Sunagraph model Predator: Scene Queen Embraced: 2017 (Born 1990) Ambition: She wants to catch up to her fellow Toreador social influencers in social reach. Suggested Desire: Pass 100k followers on Instagram. Convictions: Never accept second best when first is on the table. Touchstones: Frankie — a local club promoter and influencer in the bar scene. Humanity: 7 Generation: 13th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 2; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3

didn’t take the news well when she first came out to them but even they’ve come around with time. The legalization of gay marriage didn’t hurt — it wasn’t long after that Eleanor and Margaret were married, bought their first home, and then decided to expand their multicultural little family. They first adopted a cat named Marmalade, and then a couple years later, a young Ghanaian boy they named Bruno. Margaret is a mortgage broker and makes enough for Eleanor to stay at home with Bruno. In her free time, Eleanor runs their neighborhood watch program, is heavily involved with the school PTA, and recently invested in a minivan, just in case. The family eats healthily, volunteers at a soup kitchen when they have time, and loves family game night. Always one to reap the benefits of life’s kindnesses, Eleanor lives an honest, basic life. So, when she was mugged on her way home from the dry cleaners late one night, she just didn’t see it coming. She doesn’t really remember what happened, to be honest. They didn’t even take her wallet. She just knows that when she woke up on the side of the road the next morning, she was covered in blood. And everything hurt.

Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5 Skills: Athletics 3, Craft 3, Drive 1; Etiquette 2, Insight 2, Intimidation 2, Leadership (Club Scene) 2, Performance 1, Persuasion 3, Streetwise 2; Academics 1, Awareness 1, Finance 1, Politics 1, Technology 1 Disciplines: Celerity 2 (Cat’s Grace, Fleetness), Presence 1 (Awe), Dominate 1 (Compel)

ELEANOR CHANG Concept: Stay at home mom Quote: “It’s so lovely to have you in my home! Make yourself comfortable…” Clan: Thin-blood MORTAL DAYS: THE WOMAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING Eleanor Chang had it all. She was born in suburban Illinois to a sheriff and a hospice nurse, and was doted on as an only child. She did above average in school, played the viola and got a full ride scholarship to Loyola University in Chicago. She spent her time in school studying political science and experimenting with her sexuality, where she met her now partner Margaret. Her parents

KINDRED NIGHTS: SUPER MOM WITH A SECRET For months, Eleanor didn’t know what was wrong with her. Food had lost its taste and yet she felt a hunger deep within her. She went about her normal life for a

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time, but she felt… different. Then one night, to her own shock and horror, she fed on Marmalade, having to bury him in the yard before her family noticed. That’s when it started to dawn on her what she was. Disguising it as a new business venture, she talked Margaret into converting the downstairs portion of their house into a bed and breakfast, which they rented out to travelers as a nice, homey place to stay. Eleanor was a perfect hostess, offering suggestions for things to do in town and sometimes even inviting these travelers upstairs for meals — in exchange for their unknowing cooperation in her night-time feedings. Eleanor has yet to meet anyone else from Kindred society, but manages to keep up the facade of her own life thanks to their house-guests, as well as making some extra money along the way. With her family, she wears a mask, but it’s worth it to keep the life she loves.

put-together woman with a nice family. She looks like an honest, hard-working mother — plus, she’s gorgeous. •

House (Haven 2) Eleanor and her family live in a very nice single family home in a safe, well-to-do neighborhood.

THIN-BLOOD MERITS: •

Day Drinker

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Lifelike

THIN-BLOOD FLAWS: •

Bestial Temper

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Baby Teeth

GUIDE TO PLAY:

MASK AND MIEN:

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Eleanor has always been beautiful with dark, almond-shaped eyes that crinkle when she smiles. She is petite and athletic, with effortlessly flawless skin, and her black hair is cut into a trendy “lob” style. She often wears fun earrings as a statement.

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Though she is one of those people who can get away with wearing just about anything, Eleanor is often seen wearing a skirt and blouse combination, with her signature brightly colored pumps.

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Camarilla: Having established a routine in her own life, Eleanor would eventually venture out to find others like her. With the success of her hotel-fromhome business, she often finds herself with more blood than she needs for herself alone, and the family could use the extra money. She sees the Camarilla as the establishment, the hierarchy, and the place to be for recognition and trade. She has the stock of blood and temporary havens on tap. The Camarilla would make an appropriate clientele.

Sire: An anonymous transient Anarch

Anarch: Unwilling to separate herself from the mortal life she loves, Eleanor would be unwilling to participate in any sort of Kindred activities that would put her family in danger. She may even seek out other Kindred “moms” that were looking for a life like hers, creating a sort of support group for those wanting to live outside of the rules.

Predator: None Embraced: 2013 (Born 1978) Ambition: Her deepest desire is to keep her family safe and happy, and no wiser to her secret. Suggested Desire: She wants to find another person like her.

BACKGROUND DETAIL: •

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Convictions: After accidentally killing her cat, she has vowed to never kill anything else ever again (Bruno). Always be honest with her nearest and dearest (Margaret).

Strong Bed and Breakfast Rating (Resources 2) Eleanor has cultivated a very high rating with her online bed and breakfast endeavor. This ensures she has a regular stream of guests, which is convenient both for the extra cash, and the ability to feed regularly.

Touchstones: Her wife and son. Her entire life revolves around these two, and she would do anything for them, and would give anything to continue living her life with them.

Strong Community (Influence 1) Eleanor is well-connected, despite her dark secrets. The people on her street have a “neighborhood watch” program, which keeps everyone a lot safer with everyone working together. That is, except for Eleanor’s house guests, but the neighbors don’t need to know what goes on inside her house.

Humanity: 8 Generation: 14th Blood Potency: 0 Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 2

Looks (Beautiful 2) Nobody suspects Eleanor of foul play with her at-home business, because she is a very

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Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5 Skills: Craft 1, Drive 1; Stealth 1, Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 3, Insight 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Persuasion (Empathy) 3; Academics 2, Awareness 1, Finance 2, Investigation 1, Medicine 3, Technology 2 Disciplines: None

BENNY MARTINEZ Concept: Has-been artist Quote: “My big break is just around the corner. I can feel it.” Clan: Tremere MORTAL DAYS: THE NEXT BIG THING Benny Martinez was an art school prodigy. After graduation, he was swept up by a group of local art aficionados, taken under their wing and brought into their community to continue to learn and grow. Benny was naturally gifted and top of his class, but he still wasn’t exactly sure why this group of artists threw their weight behind him, or why they always seemed to meet at night. But, with their help he quickly worked his way up in the local art scene, landing his first gallery show and managing to sell a few pieces along the way. After a couple of years, Benny learned his mysterious mentors were a circle of well-respected Toreador, and that he was being primed for the Embrace. Benny’s talent made him an obvious choice for Toreador and, in return, was promised fame and notoriety, as well as a permanent spot in a couple of local galleries. It was well-known that a lot of art sold better after the artist had died. A tragic, untimely death would be more intriguing — sure to raise interest. Benny nervously prepared to make this sacrifice for his work. He spent his twenties working on a few different pieces he felt would be his crowning achievements, perfecting them before making the plunge into his new Kindred life. Before the Embrace was set to happen, Benny ran into the girl he’d always had a crush on in art school, who invited him out for drinks. He wasn’t sure what dating would be like once he was changed, and he felt a little bit of harmless fun wouldn’t hurt before his “untimely demise.” Drinks ended up being a covert meeting of her secret society, looking for intellectuals to recruit into their ranks. Benny knew his mentors would find something like a secret society silly and frivolous, so he kept it from them, slipping away to attend multiple meetings as a “last hurrah” of his mortal life. Turns out he should have said something, because after a few nights of drinking and harmless law-break-

ing just for kicks, things changed. Benny woke up in a condemned apartment building on the outskirts of town, confused, sore, and hungry. His new girlfriend showed up a couple hours later with a victim in the form of a drunk art critic, informing Benny the secret society had been a poaching mechanism for her clan, the Tremere. She was so glad they would be able to keep dating. KINDRED NIGHTS: FALL FROM GRACE Benny Martinez’s art career ended with his death, as did his hopes of ever becoming famous. Most of his best pieces weren’t released yet, and he no longer had the infrastructure to do so — his old mentors shunned him. He’s been too miserable to create art, so he’s taken a night job as a museum conservator a few cities over to at least stay close to his passion. He has hopes to one day finish his work and hide them somewhere for the public to find, but he’s not sure when he can muster up the willpower to work on them. He ditched his Tremere girlfriend immediately, unwilling to be a part of the Tremere sect that ruined his life and unlife. He grabbed a dingy apartment out of town where he stores his meager possessions and many unfinished art pieces. Without the type of community he’s used to, Benny isn’t sure what to do, or where to go. All he knows is that he’s depressed, and that this betrayal has sunk his dreams down the toilet.

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GUIDE TO PLAY:

MASK AND MIEN:

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Rather than creating a new or fake identity, Benny takes advantage of his ability to stay hidden in the shadows, utilizing his former fame to continue to make splashes in the art community.

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As a mortal, Benny was clean cut, a little eccentric in his color choices, favoring brights and neons, but he always looked well-put together. He had an image to maintain, after all.

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Now that he cannot go out during the day and is no longer in the public eye, Benny just ranges between not caring and spending an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom getting ready for Elysium. Sometimes he’s found in shabby, old clothing, other times he’s the peak of waxed, gelled, fragranced metrosexuality.

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Camarilla: Benny may try to suck up to the Toreador in an attempt to regain his former glory, or he may cut his losses and try to make the best of his new Tremere existence. Either way, he’s a talented artist with a ton of art and industry knowledge that would make him useful to the Camarilla. Anarch: Benny may feel so strongly that Kindred society has failed him that he turns his back on all of it, rejecting their way of life entirely. Instead of working his art career from the inside, he may try to leave it all behind and make his way on his own, leaking his own works like a Kindred version of Banksy.

BACKGROUND DETAIL: •

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Marco (Contacts 1, Mawla 2) Benny broke his ties to the Tremere after his Embrace, but a few weeks in to his new life there was a knock on the door. Another fellow Tremere who’d also fallen prey to the “secret society” ploy had come by to check on him. The elder vampire pitied Benny, taking him under his wing and teaching him how to handle his new abilities. The two bonded over a love of art, and Marco now often takes Benny out at night to teach him how to do street art.

Sire: An art-history major party girl from his art school Predator: Siren Embraced: 2016 (Born 1985) Ambition: Finish the art pieces that should have made him famous, get them in a gallery. Suggested Desire: Muster up the passion/desire to at least create art again. Convictions: Punish those who destroy art.

Benny’s apartment (Haven 1, Haunted Flaw 1) Benny’s quickly blowing his meager savings on the small, dark apartment he rents. It’ll work for now, but it’s got a weird vibe. Things always seem to end up in different places than he left them, and it’s always cold. Like really cold. He’ll stay until he runs out of money, or the haunted vibes gets to him. Whichever comes first.

Touchstones: Alan Quartermaine — noted art critic and Benny’s first victim. Humanity: 7 Generation: 13th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Composure 2; Intelligence 3, Wits 2, Resolve 3

Substance Use (Addiction Flaw 1) Benny wonders if he partied a little too hard in his final days with the secret society, because now he only seems to feel satiated when he feeds from those who’ve been drinking alcohol.

Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Willpower 6 Skills: Craft (Painter) 4, Stealth 2, Survival 1; Etiquette 2, Insight 2, Performance 3, Persuasion 1, Streetwise 3; Academics 3, Subterfuge (Seduction) 1

His Sire and Her Friends (Adversary 1, Enemy 1) Benny’s girlfriend did not take kindly to their breakup and has a pretty vicious vendetta against him. He doesn’t think it would go well if they ran into each other in the streets and pretty readily avoids her part of town. She’s even turned one of her mortal proteges against him.

Disciplines: Blood Sorcery 2 (A Taste for Blood, Extinguish Vitae), Dominate 1 (Cloud Memory), Presence 1 (Awe)

ANDERSON

Looks (Beautiful 2) Benny is young and has always had that trendy hipster look about him. He’s lying low for now, but his looks used to be a big part of his image. They could prove useful again.

Concept: Very discreet private detective Quote: “You got a problem? I can make it disappear. For a fee.”

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things packed into a suitcase waiting on the front steps of their small suburban home. He promptly checked himself into a motel down the street. He’d call her later. They’d work it out. Anderson was surprisingly unfazed by the breakup, as he found a thrill in his new work — much more than he’d ever gotten from his law books. The secrecy and danger excited him, and the deeper he fell into his new work, the more obsessed he got. One of his clients, widower and real estate tycoon Daisy Klein, offered an enticing deal if Anderson agreed to work for her associates exclusively: She offered to pay him a monthly rate that would keep him set for the foreseeable future, however, he’d need to cut all ties to his old life and focus his effort on the work… “for a while.” The choice was simple. Anderson was honored to have been chosen and agreed immediately. Then he deleted Julia’s number from his phone. KINDRED NIGHTS: FOUND HIS PLACE Along with his handsome paycheck, Anderson was given a one-bedroom apartment in a sleek high-rise that was home to a few other high-profile Ventrue. Now that he was a permanent asset to the group, Anderson regularly completed assignments for these influential Kindred, including covering up “incidents” and making sure other clans in the city weren’t breaching the Masquerade. After a couple of years, Anderson’s workload has expanded, and he’s finding he can’t keep up with all the requests from his fellow Ventrue. He needs help, and he doesn’t trust anyone else to make sure he finds someone capable of doing this work as well as he’d like. After many years staying hidden and only venturing out on assignment, Anderson has gotten burnt out and a little stir-crazy. He’s requested some time off to go in search of a worthy candidate to mentor. Though the Ventrue haven’t yet approved his request for an assistant, they’ve given him the time off anyway, since he’s been doing such good work. It could take months to find someone as good as himself, but that’s alright. It’s just nice to get out of the apartment.

Clan: Ventrue MORTAL DAYS: PRIVATE EYE, AT YOUR SERVICE Anderson was a criminal defense lawyer getting by on semi-regular work when he started picking up some side jobs from a client he met at a bar after work. Not only did Anderson do great work, he was as discreet as they come — and he was getting paid top dollar by the kind of people who had things they liked to make “go away.” Initially, it was rich wives looking for proof their husbands were cheating but as his name got passed around the city’s upper crust, Anderson started being hired for things that were more morally ambiguous. Instead of trying to uncover the truth, he started getting paid to cover things up… things he didn’t always understand. But the money was good, and he amassed a very lucrative set of clientele, so he did the work under the table and kept his mouth shut. His girlfriend Julia didn’t like the side jobs, as they were often messy and kept him out all hours of the night. When his they started paying better than his meager salary, Anderson and Julia got in a massive fight over his decision to quit his job at the firm. She liked the security of his day job, and she didn’t like “those people” he was working for now. Anderson, however, was starting to feel an addiction to the work. When Julia confronted him about planning for “their future,” he suggested maybe they take a little break. The next morning, he found his

GUIDE TO PLAY:

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Camarilla: Well-known throughout Kindred society, Anderson would continue to stay busy with all sorts of requests. His skills are in such high demand within the Camarilla, he’d have a pretty good shot at rising through the ranks, possibly outgrowing taking orders from his sire.

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Anarch: While on leave, Anderson could decide he’s done taking orders from his sire and cut himself loose of the sect he’s been working for, opting to start his own business for drifters preferring to live

LET THE STREETS RUN RED

MASK AND MIEN:

outside the Camarilla. The Ventrue would not take kindly to this decision, and he’d have to deal with them being on his case for some time.

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Anderson already kept a low profile as a private detective, so his change in “lifestyle” wasn’t too hard. It was relatively easy for him to “disappear,” sticking to the shadows and cutting off any connections with old clients. The only person he doesn’t completely sever himself from is Julia, checking up on her (without her knowing, of course) from time to time, just to see how she’s doing.

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In his mid-forties, Anderson is surprisingly fit. He enjoys boxing when he’s not working, wanting to keep his reflexes as sharp as his mind. He maintains a wardrobe of simple dark clothing and often has a camera with a zoom lens hanging around his neck.

BACKGROUND DETAIL: •

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Tobacco addiction (Substance Use Flaw 1, High-Functioning Addict 1) Maybe it’s a holdover from his mortal days, or maybe he’s going for that “cool detective persona,” but even as a Kindred he can’t shake his taste for tobacco. Anderson gets a little cranky when he can’t feed from someone who’s smoked recently. Feeding Flaw (Prey Exclusion Flaw 1) Anderson’s clan Bane restricts his feeding so he can only drink from individuals who committed sexual infidelities while married. He is testing the boundaries of this condition, to determine constitutes as an infidelity, but for now he drinks only from people he knows for sure have had sex with someone behind their spouse’s back.

Sire: Daisy Klein Predator: Sandman Embraced: 2005 (Born 1970) Ambition: Sire his own personal assistant once his business grows large enough.

Fake Identity (Mask — Zeroed 1, Resources 1) After Anderson’s Embrace, one of the Kindred in Daisy’s crew erased his information from all records. His line of work is much easier if he doesn’t exist. He’s got a wealth of fake identities to choose from when necessary. Daisy furnished him with a small bank account topped up with some ready cash.

Suggested Desire: Get an even better apartment in the high-rise he shares with the other Ventrue in his sect. Convictions: Let none of his mortal associates find out about his vampiric nature. Touchstones: His ex-girlfriend Julia, to whom he is still attracted.

Moderate Apartment (Haven 1, Security System 1, Postern 1) The one-bedroom apartment Anderson has been residing in is a huge perk of the job, even though it’s a bit utilitarian for now. The security in the building is top notch, ensuring he has no need to worry about anyone making trouble for him when he’s off the clock. When he needs to get around the building’s security, there’s a convenient secret tunnel in and out known only to the Ventrue. However, he’s seen the views of the city from some of the other Ventrue’s apartments… and he’d like to work his way into a nicer one.

Humanity: 6 Generation: 12th Blood Potency: 1 Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 2 Secondary Attributes: Health 5, Willpower 5 Skills: Firearms 2, Larceny 3, Stealth 4 (Break-in); Insight 2, Intimidation 1, Persuasion (Victims) 3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 3; Awareness 2, Politics 1 Disciplines: Dominate 2 (Cloud Memory, Mesmerize), Fortitude 1 (Unswayable Mind), Obfuscate 1 (Silence of Death)

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References