Transylvania Chronicles II Son of The Dragon

BY BRIAN CAMPBELL AND NICKY REA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
CREDITS SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Authors: Brian Campbell and Nicky Rea Mike “Sporty” Tinney, for crippling himself in the goal box
Additional Material: Jackie Cassada once again.
Additional Conceptual Design: Justin Achilli Rob “Ginger” Hatch, for being the smart one of the group.
Developer: Justin Achilli Justin “Scary” Achilli, for the tongue thing (even though he
Editor: Cary Goff wanted to be Posh).
Art Director: Lawrence Snelly Greg “Posh” Fountain, for that hideous jacket swiped from
Layout & Typesetting: Katie McCaskill the bellboy at GAMA.
Interior Art: Andy Bennett, Pia Guerra, Fred Harper, Chuck Andrew “Baby” Bates, for demanding attention with regard
Regan, Andrew Ritchie to his experiences with Trinity, frankly.
Maps: Robby Poore, Conan Venus And, of course, Madonna. Will you marry me?
Front Cover Art: Andrew Ritchie NICKY’S SPECIAL THANKS
Back Cover Art: Fred Harper To I Commensali — we really must meet more frequently than
Front & Back Cover Design: Katie McCaskill once a century for dinner.
To the authors of the Giovanni Chronicles for the use of the
Founders and to Daniel Greenberg for the characters from
Children of the Inquisition.
Many thanks to Rob Hatch for his patience and Justin Achilli
for his insight as we search for the truths within the lies in a
time illuminated only by the flickering flames of the Jyhad.
© 1998 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction

without the written permission 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,
Vampire the Dark Ages, World of Darkness and Mage the Ascension are
registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming,
Werewolf the Wild West, Transylvania Chronicles I Dark Tides Rising,
Transylvania Chronicles II Son of the Dragon, The Last Supper, Transyl-
vania Chronicles, Giovanni Chronicles, Children of the Inquisition and
Transylvania by Night are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All
rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark
or copyright concerned.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements
are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
Check out White Wolf online at
http://www.white-wolf.com; alt.games.whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storyteller
PRINTED IN USA.
TRANSYLVANIA CHRONICLES II
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 6
CHAPTER ONE: SHADOWS OF TRANSYLVANIA 12
CHAPTER TWO: BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD 32
CHAPTER THREE: HACELDEMA 50
CHAPTER FOUR: PROPHECY IN AMBER 72
CHAPTER FIVE: CHARACTERS 86
CHAPTER SIX: STORYTELLING THE CHRONICLE OF AGES 102
APPENDIX: THE ROLES OF HISTORY AND DESTINY 110
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
5
6
Here I am noble; I am boyar.
The common people know
me, and I am master.
— Bram Stoker, Dracula
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
7
7
The latter years of the Middle Ages compose one of the
most tumultuous periods of vampiric history, particularly in
the voivodate of Transylvania.
In the “lands beyond the forest,” packs of roaming neonates
pervert the traditional practices of Clan Tzimisce, establish-
ing the first ritus of the Sabbat. Within the secret chambers of
Germanic Ventrue, power-hungry vampires extoll the virtues of
the Camarilla, organizing against the chaos in their midst. And
not far away, as rebellious peasants set the homes of feudal lords
ablaze, anarchs strike the first blows against a stifling oligarchy
of the night. The political sects that the 20th-century Cainites
know so well originate during this time.
The end of the Anarch Revolt ushers in the beginning
of a new age. Clan Tremere was scandalized by the actions of
the treacherous Goratrix. Now, as he rejects their order and
forms his own, the Warlocks are threatened by his youngest
childer. By carefully manipulating and culling the mortal rul-
ers of Transylvania, they recruit new leaders into their ranks.
One of the most promising of these is Vlad the Impaler, the
mortal known as the Son of the Dragon, though he will flout
the Fiends’ attempts at dominance.
For all the clans, the birth of the Renaissance brings new
ideas... and spawns new horrors. Transylvania’s saga continues.
THE CALL OF THE NIGHT

In both our world and in the Dark Medieval world, Tran-
sylvania’s very name conjures up classic images of vampiric
legend. In its dark lands, there is little pretense of a Masquer-
ade. The Silence of the Blood holds no meaning here, for
the kine of Transylvania are fearfully aware of the presence
of the undead. Simple folk shutter their windows and bar
their doors when the sun sets behind the misty Carpathians,
for nocturnal warfare in Transylvania is unashamedly brutal
and bloody. Peasants furtively whisper stories of the terrible
sounds they hear in the night. Superstition is commonplace
here — legend becomes truth, and those who uncover dark
secrets learn to live in fear.
Ancient Cainites have much to fear as well. Caine’s
youngest childer rebel against a millennium of oppression,
uniting against the tyranny of vampiric lords and princes.
Consumed with rage and ambition, they slay their sires
to purchase their freedom. Roaming coteries of the un-
dead defend the boundaries of traditional domains, but
they cannot escape the packs of anarchs and antitribu that
hunt down the elders of their own clans. Clan Tzimisce, in
particular, is caught in the throes of this violent revolution.
Fiendish neonates stalk in the shadows of once great castles,
fighting not for land or honor, but for the fulfillment of their
bestial desires.
By the end of this century (and the end of this segment
of the Transylvania Chronicles), the childer of Caine will
have completely reworked the structure of vampiric society.
Those who side with the fledgling Camarilla vainly attempt
8
to hold onto their humanity while hiding behind the mortal
societies of humans. Opposing them, the most bestial Cainites
— including the childer of Goratrix, the Tzimisce anarchs
and the Cainites who destroyed Lasombra — forsake human
morality and humane concerns, descending into the violent
world of what will one night become the Sabbat. Caught
between these two extremes, Tyler of Clan Brujah leads the
dispossessed and outraged against the leaders of both sects,
beginning the eternal war of the anarchs.
Transylvania reflects this division. This is a land where
corruption is rampant. Here the very earth is tainted with an
ancient and unspeakable evil. The fearful roar of Gargoyles
on the wing, the screams of terror as innocents are victim-
ized — these are the sounds of the call of the night. While
the rest of the world forgets the tales of the Old Country, the
bloodshed in Transylvania is a grim reminder of an evil that
never dies. An age of darkness draws to a close, but another
epoch of desperate tragedy follows in its wake.
NEW LEGENDS OF
THE OLD COUNTRY
This is the second book in the Transylvania Chronicles,
an epic vampiric saga spanning eight centuries. While modern
vampires are easily distracted by night-to-night intrigues, older
Cainites know that surviving the horror of Caine’s curse depends
on schemes that take decades to fulfill. The political concerns of
one city pale in comparison to the saga that can unfold in a na-
tion over centuries. Through your retelling of vampiric legends,
the Cainites of your chronicle become legends as well.
While each of the stories in this series can be used on its
own, this chronicle shows “snapshots of time” to illustrate the
evolution of the voivodate. Each act of this drama is separated
by decades of mortal history. Most likely, your troupe’s saga
will not limit itself to a few scant years of events — we have
compiled 800 years of legend as the background for your story.
This book details Cainite conflicts between 1450 and 1500,
one of the most dangerous periods in vampiric history.
Take what you will and shape it to your sinister designs.
History is at your command.
THE THEME OF IMMORTALITY’S

CORRUPTION
This chronicle slowly taints the protagonists of Cainite
society. Time is a vampire’s worst enemy. The jaded neonates
of the modern age speak all too quickly of the curse of Caine,
but they cannot understand its true threat. The thirst for
blood, the scorn of mortals, the distractions of politics —
these are comparatively minor details of unlife. The greatest
burden vampires endure is immortality itself.
Vampires are static creatures, but the world around them
constantly changes, twisting and distorting their grand ambitions.
Idealism turns to shame. Triumph becomes disgrace. Base schemes
INTRODUCTION
9
turn villains into conquerors, while altruistic Cainites create in the tainted soil of this land. Recall the terrible castle on
nightmares of their own choosing. Time alters all things. The re- the hill, the cry of wolves by moonlight, or forgotten crypts
percussions that vampires’ actions have on history reflect the most where cultists harbor secrets that would destroy the sanity of
sinister aspect of Caine’s curse. As your coterie survives, all that it mortals. Stalking in an endless nightmare, the children of the
achieves only furthers the madness of despair and the fulfillment night continue their saga of despair.
of dreadful prophecies. Destiny awaits, for better or for worse.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
THE MOOD OF LEGENDARY Welcome to my home. Enter freely. Go safely.
TRANSYLVANIA — Count Dracula, Bram Stoker’s Dracula
There are two dominant moods in Transylvania — they are All of the books in this series share a similar structure
as different as night and day. Life in the daylight is relatively safe. for ease of use. Chapter One of this book describes the major
Mortals are strongly influenced by the actions of the supernatural characters and events of the last installment, Dark Tides Ris-
creatures among them, yet throughout Eastern Europe, most are ing. This time, a description of domains and tirsas, summaries
also perfectly capable of creating their own sagas. Vampires think of the Transylvanian Cainites, and a brief history of the three
they control everything, warping history to fit their master plans, major sects of this era are presented for your edification.
but in Transylvania, knowledge of their lords’ true natures prevents Chapters Two, Three and Four present three stories for
this gross manipulation. Shadows reach far in the lands beyond the your chronicle. First, your troupe has the opportunity to traffic
forest, but the Children of Caine are nonetheless relegated to them, with Vlad the Impaler. He’s trapped in a web of Cainite treachery
waiting for the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon. and conspiracy. Your coterie can either sever the threads that bind
Once the sun sets, Cainites rule the night. Don’t be him or witness his… destruction. Next, they’ll participate in one of
afraid to get a little extreme in your nocturnal version of the most important events of Cainite history — the Convention
Transylvania. Many horror fans associate this land with the of Thorns. Once there, they’ll have a chance to discuss ideas that
most enduring clichés of the vampire genre — your task is to lead to the formation of the Camarilla... and inspired the vengeance
overcome their superstitions and recreate them. The archetypes of the Sabbat. Finally, your coterie must travel to Castle Arghes
of vampiric legend brood in your subconscious. Nurture them in Wallachia, where an anarch stalks one of the most nefarious
10
villains of Cainite history, and fate lurks outside the castle walls. OTHER RESOURCES
Destiny depends on your coterie’s actions.
Chapter Five describes the dramatis personae of these stories Several of the most influential vampires during this
and offers more ideas for using them in your chronicle. Clan time are summarized in Children of the Inquisition. That
warfare rages fiercely in Transylvania, but much of vampiric book provides additional ideas for 15th-century chronicles, as
history is shaped by the individuals your coterie will meet. well as detailed essays on Vlad Tepes, Durga Syn, Etrius, Lam-
Chapter Six offers some useful devices for epic Storytellers, bach, Tyler, Rafael de Corazon and many other Cainites of the
including a few more systems for handling the interludes and era. We owe a debt of gratitude to the author, Daniel Greenberg,
events of downtime between stories. for inspiring much of the foundation for this book.
Finally, for the historically minded, the Appendix de- Unfortunately, Children of the Inquisition is long out
scribes some of the events of mortal history that occurred of print. For those of you with Internet access, the book is
during this time. This is contrasted by a series of summaries archived for free download at the White Wolf website at http://
for several prominent Cainites of the late-15th century. The www.white-wolf.com. Individuals without Internet access are
most relevant of these is a brief treatment of the origins of advised to peruse the shelves of used-book and game stores,
Vlad Tepes, the Son of the Dragon. or to improvise. (The continuity police won’t come to your
Wander through the bleak castles we have constructed house, we promise.)
for you. Lose yourself in their dark corridors, and emerge with
further revelations of the Old Country. Enter freely and leave
safely, for when you finish your exploration, you will carry with THE PRICE OF FREEDOM…
you stories of legendary Transylvania.
…Is not eternal vigilance, but the willingness
INSPIRATION AND REVELATION to make modifications to the tale as told.
The Storyteller has a number of choices to make for her The Transylvania Chronicles are rooted in
chronicle right from the start. Will it be a saga of historical rec- vampire history, which maintains that the Camarilla
reation, or will it echo the dark legends of the vampire myth? We ended the Anarch Revolt in 1493 and Dracula was
prefer using a little of both. With that in mind, we have drawn Embraced by Lambach. The story, as presented, as-
from a variety of sources. Transylvanian chronicles can’t survive sumes that Vampire history continues unchanged. The
on history alone. Mortal history forms the inspiration; classic characters are present on a personal level, collecting
archetypes of horror bring them to vivid unlife. The following allies and enemies and building the groundwork for
the centuries of unlife that lie ahead of them.
sources can help guide further research for your chronicle:
But so what? If you don’t like that, adjust it. If
A History of Transylvania by Stephen Pascu
your coterie ends up sabotaging the Convention of
History of Transylvania ed. by Lazslo Nikai, et al.
Thorns and the Anarch Revolt rages on, so be it.
History of the Late Medieval Balkans ed. by John Fine Maybe cunning characters in your coterie end up as
A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester prisci or cardinals in the Sabbat — good for them
Vlad Dracula: Prince of Many Faces by McNally and Florescu (well, sort of…). Don’t be constrained by the story
In Search of Dracula by McNally and Florescu herein — it is only clay in your able hands. Make
Vlad Tepes by Stoiescu your part of the World of Darkness your own.
and, of course, Dracula by Bram Stoker
INTRODUCTION
11
12
I have said that this is a very lonely
place. Judge whether I say truth.
— Sheridan LeFanu, “Carmilla”
SHADOWS OF TRANSYLVANIA
13
13
THE DAWN OF A
awe. Few would be foolish enough to openly revile Tremere,
the Antediluvian leader of the Usurper Clan. Only the most
NEW AGE
suicidal would venture uninvited into the depths of Yorak’s
labyrinth, the Cathedral of Flesh, where fanatic Tzimisce learn
the forgotten secrets of their ancestors.
In the late-15th century, Eastern Europe witnesses Rebellious neonates scheme to usurp the power of these
many changes. Coaches replace oxcarts, drastically reducing two Methuselahs, but they face the competition of other
travel time between distant cities. After gunpowder is per- Ancients. Michael of Clan Toreador watches in horror as his
fected, the brutality of the Renaissance mercenary replaces power rapidly diminishes under Turkish siege in Constanti-
the chivalry of the medieval knight. Feudal responsibility nople. His nights are numbered, for in 1453, the city will be
slowly changes as peasants resist the yoke of oppression. conquered by the Ottoman Empire. To the east, Arnulf, a
By daylight, industrious men and women struggle to drive powerful Gangrel, waits for the night when the Turkish host
back the darkness of the Middle Ages. will overrun Transylvania. Nearby, Assamite Methuselahs also
Once the sun sets, however, even hopeful mortals flee wait for reports on the advance of the Turkish conquerors.
the growing shadows. Fearfully, they keep their hearth fires The Ventrue pose another threat to the freedom of
blazing, barricading themselves inside their homes. The younger Cainites. The Eastern Lords — Ventrue on the
veil separating the living and the dead is gossamer thin. frontier of Eastern Europe — regret that Bulscu, an Inconnu
When it parts, the resultant horrors drive sane men mad. of their clan, has fallen into torpor, but the opportunity to
Ancient creatures rule the night in Eastern Europe, even exploit what he has built in Hungary is still there. The Saxon
in the largest cities. Ventrue are well known in Transylvania, both for their greed
and their tenacity.
WHEN WE LAST WANDERERS IN THE NIGHT
LEFT OUR VILLAINS… Many Cainites haunt and protect the same domains for
Before we descend into Transylvania’s maelstrom of centuries, but they cannot restrain undead who travel wher-
social change, we should summarize some major details ever they please. Anatole is one such creature, a Malkavian
from the last episode in the Transylvania Chronicles. If prophet who seeks visions of God’s plans. In contemplating
you haven’t uncovered the secrets in the first book of the the injustice of the universe, he uncovers prophesies of the
series, Dark Tides Rising, this chapter can help you catch coming of Gehenna. Lucita is a rogue Lasombra assassin who
up on our story so far. If, on the other hand, your coterie has travels in his wake.
survived everything the last two centuries had to offer, this In the last few centuries, several elder Assamites have
section can serve as a quick way to recall the major aspects remained hidden in the major cities of Europe. Now many flee
of the chronicle... and uncover a few surprises. for safety. Husayn’s career has been successful. After fulfilling
Each installment of the Transylvania Chronicles builds his contract in Prague, he returned to Alamut to await his
on the details of the last, creating a cast with centuries of next assignment. Fariq is another story: He once controlled
history behind it. Old rivals return; neonate childer arise; the merchant section of Buda-Pest, but was never called upon
forgotten secrets create new horrors. If you are presenting this to fulfill his assignment. Instead, he gained sympathy for the
chronicle to new players in your troupe, the summary below mortals of Transylvania and has since fled to their realm.
should help bring them up to speed. The nomads and mortal families of Clan Ravnos have
Storytellers are granted permission to photocopy the suffered violence, persecution and prejudice from Europeans
Chronicle Summary for personal use. and Turks alike. Originally, they had hoped to find a new
NOTABLE CAINITES homeland in Europe, but their dreams have been cruelly de-
stroyed. Vassily Taltos was once a diplomat to the Ventrue;
Against the backdrop of mortal history, the undead act now he influences several packs of his fellow Ravnos. He is
out the eternal drama of their passion play. Clan warfare well aware of the suffering of the newly arrived Gypsies in
becomes increasingly common, largely because the eldest eastern Hungary, and will eventually create a childe, Vladislav
Cainites are able to stir their consanguineous brethren Taltos, as the instrument of his vengeance.
against ancient enemies. In the years that follow, the Finally, there is Zelios, a well-known visionary of Clan
schemes of individuals slowly succumb to the treacherous Nosferatu. He has gained notoriety for designing many of
alliances of Transylvanian clans. the major castles throughout Europe. Unfortunately, he has
Neonates may speak of their clans’ elders with scorn, but gained some devious enemies, including a cult of power-hungry
the names of the Ancients of Transylvania still evoke fear and Setites.
14
CHRONICLE SUMMARY: OUR STORY SO FAR
Anyone who wants to greatly simplify the legend of Dark of Eastern Europe. Through fanaticism and an undying lust
MedievalTransylvaniacansumitupsuccinctly:Mostofthetrouble for power, anarchs even assist other neonates in turning
in this land comes from the conflict between East and West. In against their undead masters. Feudal domains are fracturing,
the 12th century, the Western clans tried to organize the domains and the rebellious childer are quickly gathering power. In
of eastern Hungary to serve their selfish purposes. The Eastern 1450, they still refer to themselves as anarchs; over the next
Lord Ventrue were the most ambitious. Eagerly, they schemed to decade, many of these rebels proclaim their packs antitribu,
expand their influence into the voivodate of Transylvania. or “anticlans.” The Anarch Movement has begun.
Their designs were not wholly without merit. One of their Within a few scant years, Transylvania is beset by another
plans helped settle the more remote regions of eastern Hungary enemy. The forces of Sultan Mehmed II move toward Eastern
and Transylvania. After King Geza II of Hungary encouraged the Europe. Answering Allah’s will, the Turkish host conquers
colonization of Transylvania with the proclamation of 1141, the Constantinople, one of the most powerful cities in Christendom.
aristocracy of western Hungary encouraged Saxon settlers from The Assamites watch the Turks’ carefully, noting opportunities
the Holy Roman Empire to establish a network of settlements to expand their realms of influence. All of Eastern Europe lies
in Transylvania. The most prominent of these settlements were before the Assassins. The lands of Transylvania are but a minor
the Siebenburgen, an alliance between the seven most prosper- hindrance to their conquest... for the time being.
ous cities in the region. Western Cainites soon recognized these By the end of the 15th century, the Tzimisce and Tremere
places as the seats of power for major domains. fight at the vanguards of two terrible sects: the Camarilla
There was, however, one major complication to this ambi- and what will soon be known as the Sabbat. Anarchs act as
tious plan. Since the days of Ancient Rome, the local populace of a third faction, seeking to destroy both sides. If your coterie
Transylvania had built a civilization of its own. Romanian families is unified, it has a better chance of surviving this madness;
that descended from the settlers of Ancient Dacia rejected the otherwise, the same forces that tear the Children of Caine
claims of Western invaders. In a similar vein, Eastern Cainites apart will test the alliances within your coterie, possibly to
ignored the dictates of Western vampiric rulers. the breaking point.
The Tzimisce offered the most passionate resistance to the The stage has been set. Childer slay their sires. The Tremere
Eastern Lords’ schemes. The Fiends had always defined their own and Tzimisce are locked in a deadly war. The Turkish host ad-
boundaries, both in politics and morality. The knezi, the esteemed vances as Alamut sends forth its spies and assassins. New orders
princes of their clan, continually enacted elaborate Trials by strive to overcome chaos. The Cainites are taking sides once
War to redefine the boundaries of their domains. They vio- again, and your coterie is caught in the midst of it all. This is
lently fought to maintain control of their ancestral demesnes, the violent world your vampires must attempt to survive.
fervently disregarded the dictates of the Patricians, and ruth-
lessly opposed any who questioned their authority.
THE ANARCH REVOLT’S ORIGIN
As the Tzimisce resisted the schemes of the Western In 1395 an impetuous Brujah named Patricia of Bol-
European vampires, they waged war against another deadly lingbroke opened the door to what became known shortly
enemy: the Usurpers of Clan Tremere. The Fiends and Usurpers thereafter as the Anarch Revolt. After her Embrace, Patricia
nurtured their hatred for ages, enacting the vengeance of a pact took the name of her mortal lover, Wat Tyler, an English
of blood. Clan Tremere first learned the secrets of vampirism reformationist, in honor of his impassioned cause.
by capturing weaker Fiends and using them in diabolical Tyler née Patricia gathered a motley force of her fellow
experiments. The Usurpers of the East built a conspiracy of Brujah vampires and other insurgent “anarchs” to mount
Thaumaturgical power over centuries. Unified, their order a symbolic strike against the elder society that oppressed
slaughtered many Tzimisce vampires. the younger Cainites. The subject of her attack was none
The feudal lords of Clan Tzimisce were too fractious to other than the Founder of the Camarilla, the Ventrue
destroy the Tremere during the Dark Ages, but since then, Hardestadt. In light of Tyler’s success, the anarchs rallied
younger Tzimisce have learned to form fanatically loyal to the cause of ending elder oppression, touching off the
packs of undead. United at last, they respond to the threats nocturnal civil war known as the Anarch Revolt.
of the Usurpers and the Ventrue. Blood calls to blood, and Almost 100 years later, “Hardestadt” called for the Conven-
the bonds of the vinculum have made these childer deadly. tion of Thorns, however. In the time between Tyler’s attack and the
Disaffected vampires of other clans rally to their cause, giving convention, Hardestadt’s childe assumed his sire’s identity, hoping
rise to an army of the night aligned against the elders. to prevent the loss of all the work his sire had done in the interests
The soldiers of this army nurse fervent hatred for their of “Kindred” society. Tyler, embarrassed beyond expression and
elders, threatening and sometimes slaying the Cainite lords discredited among her anarch followers, swore revenge.…
15
THE CAINITES OF THE younger revolutionaries hunt them with fervor and fanaticism.
Wanderers flee, seeking places of safety from the madness around
SEVEN DOMAINS them. Soon, for better or worse, these realms will be ripe for conquest
by younger, more capable vampires. Over the next two centuries,
Despite the current stalemates of Ventrue forays into the East,
the power of the Sabbat grows in northern Transylvania.
the Patricians were once perilously close to completely dominat-
ing all of Hungary, including Transylvania. After thoroughly THE DOMAIN OF KLAUSENBURG
corrupting the mortal rulers of western Hungary, they organized
In the first act of the Transylvania Chronicles, a brutal ruler
the Council of Ashes, a coterie of undead rulers that oversaw the
assaulted a coterie of neonates traveling through Hermanstadt. This
seven domains of the Siebenburgen of eastern Hungary.
assailant was Mitru the Hunter, a Gangrel who rose from his humble
The rulers of Transylvania have since fallen from grace. origins in Klausenburg to enforce his laws throughout a vast domain.
Childer have risen against them, attempting to take their place After the Mongol invasion, Mitru was hounded by other members of
and seize their power. It is said that as a ruler becomes corrupt, his Clan Gangrel for failing to repel the forces of his sire, Arnulf.
lands reflect the torment in his soul. This is doubly true among
Travel through northwestern Transylvania is now especially
the undead, for they have centuries to plunge into despair. The
difficult. Constant conflicts, especially between packs of Gangrel
Cainite rulers of the Transylvanian domains have strong ties
and bestial Tzimisce, steel the local vampires for nightly warfare.
of loyalty to their lands. Now, as their authority withers, their
Mitru has Embraced too many childer, and they savage each other
lands suffer even more. Like starving beasts in a cage, fallen
like beasts to secure alpha status within their packs. Any who
princes exact their frustrations on each other.
travel through this realm should be ready for a fight.
THE NORTHERN DOMAINS OF Far to the east of this domain, Count Vikto Danislav of
TRANSYLVANIA Clan Tzimisce rules over the Danislav Estate. Although geo-
graphically remote, the concerns of Tzimisce politics in Tara
In northern Transylvania, the threat of the Tremere-Tzimisce Maramesului sometimes conflict with Mitru’s desires. Despite
War is not as strong as it is in the south. Other conflicts are far more Mitru’s ploy to convince Danislav revenants to destroy their
critical, however. Antitribu rejoice at the decline of well-respected master Count Florescu, Vikto betrayed his own family and
elders. The rulers of the Council of Ashes are losing power, and received the Embrace as both reward and punishment.
16
THE DOMAIN OF MEDIASCH all that happens in this domain. The bestial creatures controlled
by the Tzimisce Marelle in the tirsa of Tara Fagarasului to the
In the 12th century, the alleged ruler of the Council of southeast are their greatest concern. Marelle is a sinister fiend of
Ashes was Nova Arpad. She served as a Ventrue representative the night who contorts and fleshcrafts entire packs of wolves.
to the Patricians of the Holy Roman Empire. Since then, she
has been deposed as the prince of Mediasch and has fled to THE DOMAIN OF KRONSTADT
Ceoris. She hopes to salvage her reputation by strengthening This is a difficult territory to control, largely because of its
the alliance between the Ventrue and Tremere. Her enemies proximity to Ceoris. A Gargoyle pack patrols here frequently,
are ancient, however, and do not forget the past so easily. and travelers are far more likely to encounter warfare between
Nova’s estate was in Mediasch. Even after her departure, the the Usurpers and Fiends here than in any other region of the
city’s proximity to Hungary made it easy for the Hungarian Ventrue voivodate. Knowledgeable occultists also fear the secrets hid-
to monitor events occurring there. Since then, many younger Tzi- den beneath the Black Church in Kronstadt.
misce have either embraced or used other methods to bring mortal The region is surrounded by three Tzimisce tirsas that war
rulers of this domain under sway. Hungarian and Szekler Tzimisce with Ceoris and each other: Tara Fagarasului is to the west;
contemplate their move westward to seize further power. Tara Bisei is to the east; Tara Romanilor is to the north. Further
THE DOMAIN OF BISTRITZ south is Tirgoviste, the temporary capitol of Wallachia, where
Vlad the Impaler will one day — and night — rule the mortals
The most esteemed member of the Council of Ashes was of Tara Romaneasca.
Count Radu, a talented diplomat who has since become an
anachronism of the worst variety. Caught between the concerns THE DOMAIN OF MULBACH
of the Western Cainites and the ambitions of the Eastern Mortals know of the ongoing struggle of a number of
Tzimisce, he has gained many enemies. Neonate antitribu independent peasant communes in this area. For the undead,
have since overrun his ruling city of Bistritz. The count has this results in Mulbach’s status as a military staging ground for
retreated to a fortress in the Tihuta Pass. Saxons refer to the neonate Brujah and other rebellious Cainites. This domain is
crumbling castle in the mountains as Birkau Castle. also home to a number of Saxon communities that live in fear
Northeastern Transylvania is now home to several alliances of of Turkish attack. The Saxon citizens of Mulbach have erected
bellicose Tzimisce. The packs and knezi of two Tzimisce territories wooden walls to protect their city, which is now considered
now vie for control of Radu’s former home. Tara Maramasului one of the most well-defended areas in the voivodate.
is the first battleground. It is ruled by Count Vikto Danislav, a
tyrant who watches over an estate of revenants bred from werewolf
DOMAIN OF BALGRAD
kin. The second, Tara Hategului, contains a number of smaller A smaller domain in southeast Transylvania is ruled from the
tirsas; no one ruler has emerged to control them all. traditional city of Balgrad. One of the most notable features of this
city is a Roman necropolis nearby. Surviving Cappadocians know
THE SOUTHERN DOMAINS of the area’s significance to the lingering ghosts of the dead; other
The Ventrue have awarded the princedoms of three of Cainites may not be so enlightened. This is also the realm of the
the remaining domains of Transylvania to ambitious younger infamous Dragomir Basarab, a diabolist of the worst variety.
Cainites. If you’ve adapted the stories from the last book to
your chronicle, some of your vampires have probably risen
CEORIS
to these esteemed positions. Depending on how the saga The deadliest and most threatening region in Transylva-
evolves, your coterie might help Camarilla vampires extend nia is not a domain at all, but the independent and fiercely
their influence into the southern domains or betray them to defended refuge of the eldest Tremere. From their fortress in
the Sabbat Crusade. Either way, the Cainites of your saga the Southern Carpathians, the Usurper Clan sends out their
probably have some powerful rivals, as well as several lesser Gargoyles to watch over several domains in Transylvania. They
anarch and antitribu foes. have good reasons for these defensive precautions.
THE DOMAIN OF HERMANSTADT In Ceoris, the Antediluvian Tremere lies in torpor. Etrius
acts as seneschal in his stead. Goratrix has forsaken his clan,
South of the Domain of Mediasch, Marusca once used her Embracing, rather, magi who join his crusade against the Tremere.
Nosferatu Disciplines to command legions of wolves from her Malgorzata still carries out her sire Goratrix’ secretive plans by
haven in Hermanstadt. She has since been summoned by Yorak scheming with factions of conspirators and luring others into
and brought to his Cathedral of Flesh, where she has received the ranks of the Tremere antitribu. Celestyn is a loyal magus
his tutelage. The Eastern Lord Ventrue chose to replace her with working hard at expanding the chantry’s occult library.
the Ventrue Otto. Marusca’s childe, Ruxandra, has learned to
By the 16th century, the Tremere will establish a greater refuge
impersonate Otto, however, and rules in his stead.
in Austria, turning away from the overt warfare of their Transylvanian
Ruxandra, as prince of Hermanstadt, has assumed control origins. Etrius will decide that the constant conflict surrounding Ceoris
of many of Marusca’s spies. A conspiracy of Nosferatu watches
17
oppress the Jewish Quarter in Prague. A golem constructed by
WHERE ARE WE? a long-forgotten Kabbalist once terrorized the streets of that
city. It now waits, dreaming in a museum; one day, perhaps, a
One of the most difficult aspects of learning Transylva-
sinister occultist will control it once again. Shaagra of Clan
nian geography is remembering how names change. Saxons
Tzimisce is another danger. Soon, she will become a terrible
and Romanians have different names for many of the cities in
foe for Camarilla vampires in Prague.
the voivodate. In this book, we’ve used the Saxon terms for
the cities of the Siebenburgen. By the next book, the concept SCHAASBURG
of “seven Saxon cities” becomes less important, especially This city, known as Sighisoara to the Romanians, plays
during periods of Transylvanian independence. Next time, an important role in backstory to this drama. In 1430, Vlad
Romanian names will become more important. Dracul is appointed as the mortal ruler of much of this domain,
Over the next five centuries, some of these place names along with the Wallachian duchies of Amlas and Fagaras to
will change three or four times. The debate over which usage is the south. His son, Vlad Dracula, the Son of the Dragon,
correct reflects the cultural conflict in Transylvania. Using the inherits his legacy.
wrongnameinthepresenceofoneoftheseethnicgroupscanbe
embarrassing; confusing the names in the presence of Ventrue ALLIANCES OF BLOOD
or Tzimisce can be even worse. We have tried to greatly simplify
Geography is one of the more direct ways of categorizing the
this dilemma. For Storytellers who want to keep track of such
complications, the following table should help. Transylvanian Cainites, but over the next two centuries, the divi-
sions between the undead become even more pronounced. Several
Saxon name Romanian name
major sects will contest for control of talented childer, including the
Bistritz Bistria protagonists of your chronicle. The Camarilla, Sabbat and Anarch
Kronstadt Brasov Movement become far more powerful than any individual prince.
Klausenburg Napoca Until the Anarch Revolt incited by Tyler’s assassination of
Mediasch Medias Hardestadt, individual princes controlled their domains (whether
Muhlbach Sebes large cities, a single castle, a town or village), while their lesser
Hermanstadt Sibiu cousins sought influence in the Church, the military or at the sides
Balgrad Alba Iulia of mortal rulers. Some elders created broods of childer to serve
them or provide them with company through the long nights.
Although clan affiliation counted for making alliances (or nam-
jeopardizes the unholy slumber of the Tremere Antediluvian and will
ing one’s foes), the clans themselves were loose confederations of
move to relocate the seat of Usurper power to his own chantry in
like-blooded Cainites rather than cohesive groups working toward
Vienna. During the move, a clever Ravnos nomad manages to see the
a common goal (as is still partially the case). Even when clan
slumbering Ancient and takes a brand to his own eyes after witnessing
members allied, the more powerful princes continued to rule their
Tremere’s rest. Horrific tales of the Usurper’s founder and his diaboli-
territories much as they pleased, regardless of their clans’ “official”
cal… metamorphosis circulate throughout the Ravnos community and
plans for the various areas. Cainites were (as a rule) more visible
soon disseminate into the main body of Cainite society.
in their workings — content that mortals’ fears would keep them
OTHER IMPORTANT REGIONS from challenging those they could not hope to defeat.
A few additional areas are of particular interest to the Transyl- In the late-12th century, the Inquisition unearthed many
vania Chronicles. Each one offers further possibilities for expanding Cainite heresy cells among the other heresies endemic to the early
your saga. If you are curious about the history of neighboring countries, nights of the Church. These cells led Inquisitors to the havens
their histories may very well inspire you to add new dimensions to your of many Cainites, who often bargained for their own unlives at
campaign by investigating other conspiracies in Eastern Europe. the price of revealing the locations of others. Fleeing the Inquisi-
tors’ forces, many elders panicked, throwing their childer to the
WESTERN HUNGARY torturers — and the burning stake — by ordering them to stay
The Ventrue have a stranglehold on western Hungary. Vencel and fight while the elders themselves escaped. Spurred on by the
Rikard is still the prince of Budapest. He inhabits an elaborate series peasant revolts rocking Europe and by the knowledge that their
of chambers buried beneath the castle overseeing Buda. Within this sires had no intention of ever sharing their wealth or privilege,
labyrinth, lackeys guard the torporous war chief Bulscu. Bulscu’s disillusioned younger Cainites (who assumed the name “anarchs”
to show their new commitment to autonomy, though some suspect
fawning servant Roland awaits his return while cultivating a web
it has its roots in the Cainite term “autarkis”) took to banding
of influence and contacts in the slums of the city.
together and attacking their elders. Starting in England with
BOHEMIA Tyler’s attack on Hardestadt and spreading outward, the conflict
Throughout this period, Bohemia maintains its indepen- became known as the Anarch Revolt.
dence. Josef Zvi of Clan Nosferatu preys upon Christians who In response to the need to hide from the Inquisition, yet
cooperate in thwarting attacks from the anarchs, many elder
18
Cainites acknowledged the necessity for a congregation of their
own kind to discuss their options and plan their responses to
the threat posed by their childer. Within the next few years,
like-minded Cainites banded together in loose factions, each
espousing its own philosophies, each with different amounts of
power, but all with roles to play in the centuries to come.
INTEGRATING THE SECTS
Except for the Inconnu (rumored to exist since the fall of
Rome), the various factions detailed below came into existence
(or became known to those outside their own group, in the case
of the Inconnu) about the time the stories in this book take
place. The births of the Anarch Movement, the Camarilla
and the Sabbat are pivotal moments in Kindred history; before
this time, Cainites were united by at least one thing — their
shared existence as supernatural creatures. After the Anarch
Revolt and the Convention of Thorns, things would never be
the same again. From 1493 on, Storytellers may be faced with
troupes that contain characters who belong to different sects.
While it is difficult to integrate anarch, Sabbat and Camarilla
characters into a single storyline, it isn’t impossible. In fact,
creating stories in which internal friction among characters
becomes part of the challenge can be extremely rewarding, as
well as fostering some very intense roleplaying.
A few suggestions may help.
• It may not be apparent to each character what faction the
other characters support (if any). Except for the Tremere antitribu
(who do not yet exist under that name), it isn’t as if vampires have
their sect or faction affiliation tattooed on their foreheads.
• Not every vampire belongs to a sect. Some simply
want to be left alone. Independents may cooperate with
whomever they choose and cease that cooperation when it
suits them. (Of course, those in factions may do that too, but
that’s another story.)
• Remember that the Sabbat and the anarchs are not
necessarily enemies; nor are the anarchs and the Camarilla
(except during the actual revolt).
• Camarilla Cainites may cooperate with Sabbat who seem
reasonable when it is to their advantage and vice versa.
• Different groups may want to accomplish the same goal
for different reasons and be willing to put aside their enmity
until the goal is accomplished.
• Just because people join different political parties, they
don’t throw away friendships or business ventures they’ve been
involved with in the past. Vampires are smart enough to keep
old allies, even if they no longer understand them. You never
know when an old acquaintance may prove useful.
• It may not be apparent that a member of a group has switched
sides or joined a new movement. What better way to spy on the
opposition than to convince them that you’re one of them?
• Occasionally, a sect may send a member to accomplish
a goal that is ostensibly against its best interests. Usually, this
furthers some other goal or turns out to be an underhanded
move that rids the sect of an untrustworthy member (or some
19
such reason). Characters could, thus, work with rival sects so-called anarchs. Though at first they viewed the anarchs as
while not going against their own. disobedient and ungrateful childer, the elder generations realized
Storytellers will undoubtedly find dozens of other reasons why that their own progeny posed a serious threat to their continued
characters belonging to different sects travel together. Advanced existence. Several of those who attended the convocation rec-
troupes might even split along sect or faction lines, running part ognized the need to create an organization that would formalize
of the story from one perspective, then running the other part the Cainites’ traditions and work in the best interests of all the
of the troupe as a counter. Eventually, the two groups will meet Children of Caine. They believed that such an organization would
and must then decide if they are working at cross purposes and bring together all Cainites, thus leading the childer back into the
if they will use deadly force to attain their goals. Further, while fold and ending their destructive rampages.
it’s unlikely that Inconnu characters would be participants in the Seven of the most vocal proponents came together to
stories detailed in Son of the Dragon, if the Storyteller or players formulate the structure and laws for the new organization.
can find a good justification for such, well, it’s your game. They would become known as the Founders. Its founders
THE CAMARILLA consisted of Hardestadt of Clan Ventrue, the Gangrel Milov
Petrenkov, Adana de Sforza of the Brujah, Camilla Banes for the
Ask almost any member of the Camarilla how and why Malkavians, Rafael de Corazon of the Toreador, the Nosferatu
the sect formed and they will answer that the Camarilla came Josef von Bauren and Mistress Fanchon of Clan Tremere. The
into existence to protect vampires from the Inquisition and Founders represented many of the political factions of vampiric
to hide Cainites from prying mortal eyes. While that is the society as well as their clans’ particular interests. The Found-
generally accepted explanation, it is only partially true. In ers set to hammering out a basis for cooperation among the
essence, the Camarilla grew from the thwarted ambitions of Children of Caine and a roster of accepted regulations that
younger Cainites and the fears of their elders. would bind all Cainites.
Unlike human society, in which elders eventually fall A year later, when Tyler attacked Hardestadt, the elders
before the infirmities of disease, injury and age, creating became even more willing to sacrifice some individual power in
openings for younger, stronger mortals to assume positions of the name of greater authority. They planned to crush the anarchs
power, Cainite society remains mostly stagnant. Older Cainites through interclan alliance. By 1435, the Founders had reached an
are generally of lower generation, making them stronger than agreement, and the new organization, known as the Camarilla (to
their progeny. Even those who lack lower generation often denote both that it was a convocation of peers or comrades and
remain stronger than more recently created Cainites due to that it met in session secret from mortal knowledge), was born.
decades or centuries of experience and cunning. The Spanish word camarilla also means to mutually scratch one
Traditions and customs of the time also play roles. Although another’s back, a meaning that would be given expression in the
these centuries bring forth a new middle class and allow for some convoluted workings of prestation throughout the sect.
movement from one social rank to another, society as a whole Though the Camarilla claimed all Cainites as part of the new
has conditioned people to accept their allotted place: Nobles rule organization, not all accepted the honor. The Setites and Ravnos
while peasants work, and children’s lives, training and marriages were too concerned with their own agendas to join as a clan, while
are dictated by their parents or guardians. Even with the heady the Lasombra and Tzimisce were in the midst of violent upheaval,
powers granted to Cainites upon their Embrace, many childer battling their younger members, who had already committed diablerie
accede to their elder’s wishes at first, dutifully assuming the roles upon the clan founders. The Cappadocians found little interest in
assigned them and learning what their sires have to teach. For forming a new organization and would soon fall before their childer,
their part, elders close ranks against any younger Cainite who the Giovanni. The Giovanni were more concerned with consolidat-
would dare question that her elder’s centuries of survival grant ing their gains and asserting their stolen supremacy.
him the right to rule over the more recently “reborn.”
Although the Founders assumed the authority to seek out
RISE OF THE CAMARILLA Cainites who did not bow to the Camarilla’s dictates, their
reach was only so long. When individual Cainites acted against
Eventually, it became clear that there were not enough
the best interests of the Camarilla, the Founders’ punishments
domains available for the younger generations to claim. Like
ranged from ostracism to confiscation of a domain to Final
the younger sons of landed families, lesser Cainites carved out
Death depending on the offense. Many Cainites resented what
domains for themselves in foreign lands or sought influence in
they considered to be the heavy-handedness of the Founders;
the Church, but even these positions taxed the ranks of the more
many refused to acknowledge the authority of the Camarilla
civilized areas of Europe. Further, elders manipulated their childer,
at all. Having appointed the Founders to be their representa-
using them as pawns in elaborate games and ongoing feuds, or
tives, most princes and elders went back to doing what they
sacrificing them to maintain their own power or unlives.
had always done. The Inquisition lost its fire for a time as the
Finally, the childer rebelled. In 1394, elders from the seven immediacy of the threat of witchcraft briefly lessened; witch
clans that would eventually form the Camarilla (as well as many hunts abated and the crisis seemed to be over. While most
others) agreed to meet together to discuss how to deal with the vampires supported the idea of the Camarilla — especially its
20
aims to quiet troublemakers and keep the Church from hunting THE CONVENTION OF THORNS
them — most elders gave it little real thought.
The Founders summoned Camarilla, Assamite and anarch
THE ANARCH REVOLT ESCALATES representatives to a meeting to be held on October 23, 1493,
Then in 1458, the Church distributed the Malleus Malefi- in the tiny hamlet of Thorns, a small village near the town of
carum (Hammer of Witches). Throughout its ranks, priests and Silchester in the neutral kingdom of England.
parishioners alike became alarmed at the idea of witches once From that meeting, a restrengthened Camarilla emerged,
again being within their midst, and the Inquisition rose anew. their Traditions accepted as the norm, and the Masquerade agreed
Determined to crush witchcraft and signs of the devil wherever upon as the response Cainites must adopt to survive. As part of
they might be found, the Inquisitors once more sought out that Masquerade, Cainites agreed to stop referring to themselves
and destroyed vampires. As elders sacrificed their childer to openly as the Children of Caine. Instead, to reinforce the idea that
make good their own escapes, more and more young Cainites all vampires were related by blood, they would henceforth call
rebelled, throwing in their lot with the anarchs and turning on themselves the Kindred. Rule by generations and conservative values
their cowardly elders to punish them for their abandonment. (such as prestation) became synonymous with the Camarilla. In
The Anarch Revolt gained new impetus, and the elders saw the following centuries, the Camarilla would dominate Europe and
that their own response must be harsher and more unified if establish itself in the heartland of North America at the expense
the older Cainites were to survive their childers’ attacks. of the Sabbat, who, in all objectivity, got there first.
Meeting together in the first global convocation of the Camarilla Despite the apparent cooperation among the clans and
in 1486, representatives from the seven clans grappled with their among individual Kindred who made up the Camarilla, personal
response to the anarchs. They temporarily granted sweeping powers animosity, blatant power games, clan maneuvering and elaborate
allowing the Founders to punish any Cainite caught breaking the schemes remained the norm.
Traditions (as set down by the Camarilla). In particular, anyone The Jyhad continued beneath the apparently placid surface.
found guilty of committing diablerie on another Cainite would Further, the Camarilla was not unchallenged. Other factions
receive the most severe punishments the Founders could devise, maintained resistance to Camarilla arrogance or arose from the
followed by Final Death. Now called Justicars (for their just sentenc-
ashes of the Anarch Revolt to carry on the battle that ostensibly
ing of wrongdoers), the seven Founders were empowered to appoint
ended with the Convention of Thorns.
lesser justices (called Archons) to assist them in apprehending and
punishing wrongdoers. Those elders who attended the convocation THE ANARCHS
agreed to meet again in seven years to reassess their progress. Within
Much has already been said under the Camarilla heading
that time, the Justicars, Archons and forces belonging to the elders
concerning the anarchs, and need not be belabored. While
of the Camarilla would win two great victories (against the anarchs
it may seem as though the anarchs were all but destroyed by
and the Assamites) that set the stage for one of the seminal events
the Convention of Thorns, this is an inaccurate picture. The
in Cainite history: the Convention of Thorns.
Anarch Movement was begun by the Brujah, who took heart
THE ASSAMITE PROBLEM from peasant revolts occurring throughout Europe. They were
joined by many of the younger Lasombra and Tzimisce who
Alongside the Anarch Revolt, the elders of Europe also
wearied of constantly fighting for position.
grappled with another problem: Assamites followed in the wake
of the Turks, sweeping into Europe and committing diablerie The anarchs argued for their right to domains of their
on every elder they could capture. If gangs of anarchs bent own and to prove their competence. Failing that, they sought
on burning down their manors and inspiring their peasants to to cut the strings of Blood Oaths that allowed their sires to
revolt were not enough to mobilize the elders, the threat of play them like puppets and they sought to undermine their
dissolution beneath the fangs of ravening Assamites frightened elders’ carefully built power structures and alliances. In hopes
them into a war against the assassins. of achieving their aims, they encouraged rebellion among those
Although the battle raged for several years, the Camarilla who had nothing to lose, and excelled in creating difficulties
was unable to gain the upper hand until a mortal army (and and chaos for those in power. From rhetoric to action is only
one Nosferatu traveling with them) discovered where Alamut, one step; from action to violence only one more.
the great fortress of the Assamites, lay. Bolstered by their new- The Anarch Revolt began with the assassination of Hardestadt
found knowledge, the Camarilla managed to capture several and swept through Europe igniting rebellion among disenfranchised
influential Assamite leaders and threatened to tear Alamut Cainites. Two clan founders, Lasombra and Tzimisce, felt the fangs
itself stone from stone. With their home and clan threatened of their lesser childer at their throats, as the anarchs sought some
with destruction, the Assamites sued for peace. means of increasing their own power enough to battle their elders.
Soon thereafter, the anarchs admitted they could no longer Their diablerie of their clan founders symbolized the anarchs’ message
battle the elders; the price was too high. They too agreed to cease of frustration and their intent to take what the elders denied them.
hostilities and to meet with the Camarilla to discuss peace terms. Their acceptance of the practice of drinking one another’s blood to
strengthen their ties to one another (a refinement of an older Tzimisce
21
ritual) had the added benefit of freeing many from hated slavery to their was bad enough; to then discover that they would have no
sires due to Blood Oaths forced upon them in their earliest nights as chance for power themselves and that older, more powerful
Cainites. Discovered by the Tzimisce, the Vaulderie (the special ritual Cainites slept in hidden tombs waiting to rise and feast upon
that could break Blood Bonds and replace them with ties of loyalty the weaker Cainites’ blood was too much.
to those whose blood was used in the ritual) allowed childer to rebel In a real sense, the Sabbat was born in the aftermath of
against those who had formerly held them in thrall. the Convention of Thorns. Midwived by those anarchs who
Although the anarchs lost the war and had to accept their refused to sign the convention and nurtured through its first
place within the Camarilla in peace negotiations at the Conven- blood-soaked, rebellious nights by younger Cainites and a few
tion of Thorns, they never ceded their right to rebel. Their overt dissatisfied elders, the Sabbat overcame the powers set against
violence was temporarily quelled, yet the anarchs kept alive the it, surviving to become the Camarilla’s greatest rival.
spirit of revolution and freedom that had just begun to surface The Sabbat exists only rudimentarily at this time; the
among mortals and that inspired the peasant uprisings of the time. sect does not truly coalesce until the mid-16th century. After
Further, while many anarchs surrendered to the strictures placed the Convention of Thorns, those who continue the rebellion
upon them at the convention, others violently rejected this role against the Camarilla form into independent anarch/antitribu
and broke away completely to become the Sabbat. Interestingly, packs. Their beliefs and practices will eventually form the core of
the Sabbat would love to recruit the anarchs to its fold, but most Sabbat philosophy and the pack will remain the chief grouping
anarchs value their individual freedom and vision too much to within the Sabbat. Though they do not yet call themselves Sabbat
surrender it to the Sabbat’s aims and causes. (usually), we refer to them that way to avoid later confusion.
Although the Camarilla sees the Sabbat as its enemies and
THE SABBAT uses its powers to destroy the sect, the Sabbat believes that its
To say that the Sabbat grew out of the Anarch Movement real enemies are not the Camarilla pawns, but their masters,
is both true and too easy. While the Sabbat sprang from the the Antediluvians. Should Camarilla lackeys get in their way
anger and repudiation of the elders by younger Cainites who and refuse to move, however, the Sabbat is willing to destroy
refused to give in to the Camarilla, it also grew from their the hapless Kindred to accomplish their aims.
understanding of the place assigned to younger vampires by While the Camarilla concerns itself with maintaining power
the Jyhad. Given immortality only to be a slave to an elder and rule by generation and the anarchs jealously clutch their
22
individual freedom, the Sabbat acts to save all Cainites from Sabbat both removes a potential enemy and makes itself more
the threat posed by the torporous Antediluvians. The Camarilla powerful for the eventual battle.
functions like a shaky alliance of feudal princes and their vassals. Many Sabbat lose themselves in excess, becoming crazed beasts
The anarchs behave as though they are individual merchants and ravaging through the countryside. Due in part to their creation rites
craftsmen brought together by a guild’s common interests. The and partly from the sudden lifting of all restrictions on their actions,
Sabbat first formed and will function throughout its existence the madness claimed so many newly created Sabbat that those who
as an army. In essence, the motivation behind the Sabbat is not overcame it recognized that some sort of philosophy was needed to
for either individual power or freedom, but to achieve those give the crazed Beast something to explain or mitigate the horror
two goals within the structure of a group. The Sabbat is held of her existence. The Paths of Enlightenment grew from the need
together by loyalty to one another (rather than to a prince or to keep new Sabbat from destroying themselves and their packs
ruler) and the need to strengthen itself for the coming Jyhad while in the throes of madness. The insane vampire recovers as
(the beginnings of which were already apparent). she accepts one of the Paths as a guide to her damned existence,
Fearful of the Inquisition, the Camarilla chooses to go un- forsaking the weak tenets of humanity.
derground, hiding the existence of vampires beneath an elaborate At this time, the packs that will eventually come together
Masquerade. The Sabbat, while acknowledging that hiding from to form the sect grope toward an understanding of their purpose
the Inquisitors is necessary for the time being, refuses to completely and try to formulate the Paths of Enlightenment through trial and
submerge itself in the pretense of being human; The Sabbat error while strengthening themselves for the inevitable battle.
believes this pretense makes vampires weak when they need to Whether during Dark Medieval times or later, many Camarilla
be strong. Away from prying mortal eyes, the members of the vampires never see that the Sabbat is not defined by its crazed mem-
Sabbat fully accept their inner Beast, ostensibly reveling in their bers, but embodies an understandable cause for which its members are
powers as dark angels elevated far above their former existence as willing to put their unlives on the line. The despicable acts of cruelty
humans even while their souls are damned for eternity. and the bloody-handed warfare the sect wages make the Sabbat utterly
Rather than shrinking from Blood Oaths, the Sabbat adapts unacceptable to the Camarilla. Since the Sabbat sees the Camarilla
them, indulging in repeated drinking of one another’s combined as a tool of the Antediluvians, they really don’t mind.
blood to forge binding ties with the group. When combined with THE INCONNU
the ritual of the Vaulderie, this has the added benefit of breaking
former Blood Oaths they had with elders, freeing Sabbat members Not “officially” a sect, the Inconnu are said to be the ves-
from the threat of being controlled by elder Cainites who would tiges of Roman, Carthaginian and Dacian Cainites who agreed to
use them in their maneuverings and ultimately sacrifice them withdraw from the Jyhad. If they exist, the Inconnu represent a
to the Antediluvians. Equally important, the Vaulderie forges faction of powerful Cainites (including many Methuselahs) who
bonding ties to one another (known as the Vinculum), rendering have taken a step back from feuding with other vampires. It is said
each participant loyal to the others. As the Vaulderie becomes that they have reached Golconda and that they can teach others
widespread, the Sabbat is free to train for the coming Jyhad and how to reach it as well.
strengthen itself to defend all Cainites on the final nights. Other rumors speak of the group’s pact with Satan or of the
Naturally, “altruism” comes with attendant drawbacks. practice of sending agents to spy on various Cainites. Most vampires
Considering themselves damned or distanced from humans means believe the Inconnu to be no more than fiction, however. A few
that most Sabbat see mortals as useful tools or convenient food dissenters claim that the Inconnu exist and that younger vampires
sources. There is little love for or coddling of humans among ought to seek out and diablerize these weak elders for their potent
Sabbat. Of course, in Dark Medieval times, life was short, brutal blood. The Inconnu make no reply to any speculation.
and subject to the whims of prince or Church; In treating humans INDEPENDENTS
with blatant disregard for their feelings or lives, the Sabbat was
in keeping with their times — not that they changed their views Somewhere lost among the Camarilla and Sabbat are the
when the Renaissance made those views less correct.... true independents. These include clans like the Setites, Ravnos
Embracing their natures as vampires means Sabbat members and Giovanni, who are not part of either sect. Aside from these
conduct horrific rituals and indulge in monstrous practices. New clans, however, individuals from both Camarilla and Sabbat clans
recruits are drained of almost all their blood and buried, forced sometimes claim independent status. Lasombra and Tzimisce
to claw their way out of the grave. This practice makes Sabbat antitribu may disagree with their Sabbat clanmates, but they
fully aware that they are dead creatures who undergo a hellish don’t always see eye to eye with the Camarilla either. Some
rebirth, monsters who must prey upon other creatures to survive. members of the rarer bloodlines feel the same way. Even the most
It also makes them strong. Weak candidates fail to rise and must staunchly Camarilla clans (such as the Ventrue) can have their
spend whatever existence they have left trapped and starving or rebels, Cainites who never signed the Convention of Thorns, but
in eternal torpor. Diablerie is an accepted practice among the don’t leap into the Sabbat either. Most independents are fairly
Sabbat, for in stealing the power of stronger Cainites, the quiet about their non-affiliations, usually letting others assume
they belong to a group, when they actually do not.
23
CAINITE HISTORY HARDESTADT’S PROPOSAL
AND TRANSYLVANIAN
AND POLITICS REACTIONS
As the Dark Ages draw to a close, the Childer of Caine As we have seen, Hardestadt of Clan Ventrue first advanced
completely rework the structure of their hidden societies. As the idea of a unified society of vampires in 1435. At first blush,
we have seen, the birth of a new age has brought new ideas. many Transylvanians rejected the idea outright. Some stated
In gatherings throughout Europe, elders and neonates discuss that the concept had been tried and rejected in the voivodate
a wide range of political issues: how to react to the Inquisition, centuries ago. In the 12th century, the nominal rulers of Tran-
how to oppose the Anarch Revolt, whether to accept the sylvania composed a coterie known as the Council of Ashes to
Founders’ proposal for the Camarilla, and so on. All too often, watch over the vampires of their seven domains.
formal gatherings of vampires break out in heated debates over Of course, the Council failed miserably. Princes who
these vital issues. History tests the ideas they discuss. With thought they would bring order to the voivodate allowed
each major event in Eastern Europe, local politicians apply petty struggles and political differences to tear their alliance
what they learn to support or condemn the Camarilla or the apart. The neonates they ruled rose up against them. After
Anarch Movement. destroying that failed society, the same vampires weren’t ter-
By the end of the century, the rest of the Europe will adapt ribly enthusiastic about letting elders rebuild it under another
these last two ideas, but Transylvania continues to preserve name. The idea of “one unified society” was an amusing theory,
many Old World traditions. As the Tremere and Tzimisce but in the lands beyond the forest, Transylvanian vampires
continue their endless war, the voivodate remains a battle- paid it little notice.
ground for their respective sects. Supporters of the Camarilla Travelers from other parts of Europe insisted that this politi-
influence the major cities, but they are surrounded by domains cal union would be different. The Camarilla could offer benefits
controlled by anarchs and antitribu. There are reasons for this, the council never provided. Nova Arpad’s scheme was little more
reasons that can be traced back to Hardestadt’s first proposals than a coterie of seven vampires forced to report to the Saxon
for the Camarilla in 1435. Ventrue, but the Camarilla would allow hundreds of princes to
History and politics are inextricably intertwined, and watch over Cainite activity in the major cities of Europe. They
major historical events have a strong effect on the political could enforce the Six Traditions and uphold standards of civility
struggles of the undead. The conquest of Constantinople, the that could prevent disputes between Caine’s childer.
Bobolna Revolts of 1437, the anti-Turkish Crusades — these The idea was far ahead of its time, especially in Transylvania.
major occurrences and similar events in Eastern Europe shape For many reasons, the concept was too dangerous to take hold.
the societies modern vampires know so well. Mortals relegate To begin with, the idea of the Camarilla depended on princes
these events to history books, but Cainites remember them who could stress and advance mortal concepts of civility and
in a more personal way — often firsthand. humanity. Historically, Transylvanian princes never had absolute
control over their domains. In the lands beyond the forest, many
POLITICAL DEBATES of the local princes ruled in theory, but not in practice.
The effect history has on ideologies isn’t just theoretical. In some cases, such as the Domain of Klausenburg, the only
The next three acts of the Transylvania Chronicles will test quality that separated a prince from the vampires he allegedly
your coterie’s political savvy and diplomatic acumen. Whether ruled was his ability to defeat them in battle. In the court of
they gather in Count Radu’s drawing room or assemble at Prince Mitru, for instance, Trial by Ordeal was still the most
the Covenant of Thorns, the coterie encounters plenty of common method of resolving disputes. Vampiric rulers made
Cainites who insist on knowing where the characters stand for great figureheads in dramatic ceremonies, but enforcing
on current events. Not everyone is readily identifiable as a their beliefs was another matter entirely.
overly idealistic anarch, Camarilla stooge or potential Sabbat Proponents of the Camarilla faced another severe obstacle.
flunky. Sometimes, political debates and heavy roleplaying are Throughout Transylvania’s history, Western societies had
the only way to figure out who sides with whom. repeatedly tried to impose their laws and culture on Eastern
The information in this chapter can help ambitious Europe. In the same manner, many Transylvanian Cainites
Storytellers flesh out many of the debates that take place in cursed the Saxon Ventrue as a monolithic society established
this book. In addition, any Transylvanian should be able to to rob the Romanian vampires of their independence. Thus,
cite recent historical events to illustrate his political views. the Camarilla initially looked like another scheme that the
If the characters survive Son of the Dragon, they won’t just Germanic Ventrue and other Western clans would use to seize
side with the anarchs, Camarilla or Sabbat for trivial reasons. control of Romanian land. Transylvania had its own traditions,
They’ll have to make an informed decision after weighing all and they did not die easily. The events of the next few years
sides of several political debates. would illustrate that quite vividly.
24
THE BOBOLNA REVOLUTION many realized that the proposed Camarilla was just one more
way for a few to hold power over many. The fate of the Roma-
AND THE ANARCH nians, the descendants of the original settlers of Dacia, showed
MOVEMENT what the Westerners really intended for the Transylvanians.
Vampires weren’t really all that different.
All of these arguments discouraged Transylvanians from In response, elders argued that the Bobolna Revolts were
readily accepting the idea of the Camarilla, but one drastic actually an illustration of Transylvania’s desperate need for stron-
event forced them to reconsider. In 1437, the peasants of ger government. If the Cainites couldn’t strengthen their hold
Transylvania unified to overthrow the masters of the state. over mortal society, it would be all too easy for mortals to root
History books tell us that they revolted to secure rights the them out again. The Bobolna Revolts started because of a lack of
Szeklers and Saxons already possessed. Cainites recall that the Cainite authority, not injustice. Moreover, if the Transylvanian
peasants didn’t rise up against just their mortal rulers. Cainites had upheld the Silence of Blood more rigidly, as the
Many Romanians who fought in the Bobolna Revolts suspected Founders were suggesting, the revolution wouldn’t have turned
that their taras and tirsas were threatened by supernatural crea- into a hunt against unseen vampiric masters. Hardestadt’s ideas
tures. The Silence of Blood was little more than a pretense in encouraged subtle manipulation of mortal history; anarchistic
Transylvania, the least significant of the Six Traditions. As the ideas of absolute freedom did not. In the wake of the rebellion,
houses of mortal rulers were set ablaze, flames spread to the havens conflict between neonates and elders intensified.
of the nobles’ Cainite masters. In an era when witch-hunts were
common, mobs of Transylvanian peasants gathered torches and THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE
pitchforks to destroy the refuges of suspected vampires. AND OTHER CAINITE
In response, the mortal nobility of Transylvania quickly
and brutally crushed the Bobolna rebellion. Mortal rulers gath- CONSPIRACIES
ered in Hermanstadt to discuss the sovereignty of the Three Such debates continued for many years throughout the
Estates of Transylvania. The Hungarian overlords recognized voivodate, but these theories remained little more than intel-
Saxons and Szeklers to be members of independent nations, lectual diversions to many Transylvanians. Then, in 1453, one
but the Romanians were never granted the same privileges. of the most important events in Cainite history shocked the
Instead, the nobility increased taxation on Romanian lands, vampires of Eastern Europe from their complacency. In that
demanded more “voluntary” forced labor from serfs, and reduced year, the armies of the Ottoman Empire began their relent-
the number of independent communes where Romanians less assault on Constantinople. Constantine Paleologus, the
could own their own property. Simply put, the rich became mortal ruler of the city, watched in terror from his palace as
richer, and the poor became poorer. thousands of soldiers crashed through the city gates to pillage,
Rebellious mortals were unable to take further action against loot, slaughter and destroy. The unthinkable had happened —
the nobility, but the undead had no such restrictions. Through- the advancing hordes of the paynim had devastated Christian
out Transylvania, many Romanian Cainites were outraged that Europe’s first line of defense. The Ottoman Empire advanced
ruling vampires could allow such injustice to thrive. How could toward Bulgaria, threatening the security of Eastern Europe.
European nobility reap profits from crops Romanians sowed? Vampires are egotistical creatures, eager to assign praise or
If the Romanians had settled Transylvania over a thousand blame among their own kind for the mortals’ greatest achieve-
years ago, how could they have fewer rights than the Saxons ments. Throughout Cainite society, many elders theorized
and Szeklers who seized their land? And wasn’t it odd that the which vampires were responsible for the fall of Constantinople.
eldest vampires benefited the most from this? Those who knew of the Jyhad — the eternal struggle between
The analogy was obvious. The “princes” who claimed Ancients — believed that a shadowy power had called for
to rule mortal cities used the same tactics as the Hungarian this crusade as part of an ancient grudge against Michael, the
nobility. Hungarian nobles used political power to exploit their Toreador Methuselah who watched over the city.
subjects for financial gain. Transylvanian princes considered Others blamed the Assamites, claiming that the masters of
themselves the rightful guardians of the Six Traditions, but Alamut had designs on the rest of Europe. After all, many knew
vampires who had survived in Transylvania for centuries knew that Arabic vampires traveled in the wake of the advancing
that rulers were corrupted by such authority. Princes passed Turkish host. As mortal kingdoms fell prey to Ottoman raids,
judgment on neonates to oppress and exploit those who did not Saracens used the opportunity to their advantage, stalking
kneel before them. Whenever the disenfranchised insisted on the undead rulers of the adjacent domains. Both the mortal
the same rights as the wealthy, politics and imposed morality threat of the Turks and the unseen threat of the Assamites
became methods for subjugating the masses. forced the Children of Caine to take action.
Elders indifferent to this vituperation incited the Ro- When news of the advance of the Ottoman Empire reached
manian anarchs to further acts of violence. As the youngest Transylvania, the rulers of the voivodate were shocked. For
childer continued to malign the conspiracies of their elders, centuries, they thought the real threats to their freedom came
25
from the Ventrue of the Holy Roman Empire and the other The Transylvanians were jaded. They had seen it all before.
Western clans. Now a new menace arose from the south. Another government was trying to gain support in the voivodate
Ventrue, Tzimisce and Tremere all asked the same question: by questioning the old ways and traditional practices. Transylvania
Could Eastern Europe defend itself against the next assault? already had its own culture, its own religion, and its own law.
Supporters of the Camarilla capitalized on this opportunity. Many elders stressed that they didn’t need the Western clans
The threat of a common enemy made the idea of a unified society to preach to them about the need for an outside government to
of Cainites far more acceptable. Caine’s childer could no longer “civilize” them once again. The old ways had endured.
allow themselves to be isolated by distance and ideologies. Until THE TZIMISCE AND
1453, no one thought Constantinople would fall, but it did.
THE DRACULESTI-DANESTI FEUD
In the same manner, no one believed that any one force could
destroy the secret societies the Cainites had constructed. Now The staunchest resistance to the Camarilla came from
one empire threatened all of Europe. If the Children of Caine Clan Tzimisce. While other countries in Europe respected the
could form an alliance, they could prevent such an atrocity from idea of a society where elders could use prestation to exchange
happening again. As part of this, it was clear that the Saracens boons, the Tzimisce utterly rejected it. The oldest and most
were a threat that had to be stopped. powerful clan in Transylvania did not need to recognize such
Others replied that the real problem was not Clan Assamite, arbitrary ideas. Their own traditions for resolving disputes had
but the Ancients. In fact, some suggested the Assamites had the evolved. They used methods that didn’t depend on princes
right idea. The Saracens destroyed Bulgarian princes and their recognized by the Western Cainites.
lackeys, but they also threatened the Inconnu and others. In Among the Fiends, the strongest ruled. Trial by War and
other parts of Europe, anarchs destroyed the hierarchy of vam- Trial by Ordeal were common practices. Tzimisce practiced
piric power not just to secure their own freedom, but to prevent these traditions openly. From the earliest nights of Hungary,
the manipulation of the elder generations. If the destruction when the Arpads and other nobles attempted to subjugate
of Constantinople was a result of the Jyhad, the formation of a Transylvania, Tzimisce schemed to set them against each
European society of vampires wouldn’t prevent such an atroc- other. In the more remote portions of eastern Transylvania,
ity from happening again. In fact, acting as slaves to the eldest they crushed them or brought them into their clan. Fiends used
Cainites would only encourage further incidents. the mortal lines of nobility in Transylvania as their breeding
stock. Some were cultivated so carefully that they evolved into
ETHICAL DEBATES the many families of revenants known tonight.
AND THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Over time, Transylvanian mortal politics and Tzimisce politics
Another debate concerning the Camarilla relied upon became one and the same. Transylvanian nobles with centuries of
ethical issues. Supposedly, Camarilla princes could pass breeding became pawns in Tzimisce conflicts. An excellent illustra-
judgment on the so-called “moral” beliefs of the Cainites, tion of this from Cainite history was the manipulation of the Basarab
applying human standards of morality to vampires. Civility noble line. For centuries, two families — the Draculesti and Danesti
was allegedly a means to preserve “humanity.” This rapidly — contested for control of Wallachia and southern Transylvania.
became an extremely personal and vitriolic issue. The Cainites The fighting was especially brutal because the rulers of Wallachia
of Transylvania had followed many different Roads during the did not recognize primogeniture. Once a mortal ruler died, there
Dark Ages. Abandoning a philosophy that had kept Cainites was no guarantee his son would succeed him. Instead, dozens of
sane for centuries is not an easy task — spiritual fulfillment is boyars fought to support — or be — the next prince.
not easily sacrificed for political convenience. Controlling nobles and boyars required the Tzimisce to
Once again, Transylvanian history refined this political develop legacies, manipulating mortal rulers over generations.
issue. Other cultures had tried to enforce outside standards of Mortals who were capable of using treachery and threats of vio-
morality in Transylvania long before the Founders’ ideas. Any- lence rose to positions of authority. Their enemies were tortured,
one who had survived in the voivodate for centuries could recall exiled or merely killed. When Vlad the Impaler, a Draculesti noble,
the conflict between the Roman Catholic Church in Rome became a threat to the Tzimisce, Danesti Fiends maintained their
and the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople. ancient grudges against his noble house. According to the Fiends,
Centuries ago, the spread of Catholicism was used in an the other clans had no right to intercede in such disputes.
attempt to unify Eastern Europe with the rest of Christian The Fiends also had no desire to cower and hide like lesser
Europe. To the Romanians, religion became a method of creatures. They openly bred mortals like cattle and orchestrated
eroding Transylvanian culture and dictating ideology. The mortal conflicts to cull these herds. Their victims were called “kine”
Eastern Orthodox Church acted as a contrary force, attempt- for a reason. Human herds were raised in the shadows of terrible
ing to advance Eastern mystical tradition as a way to define castles over generations. In addition, the Tzimisce corrupted and
a common culture in the East. No wonder westerners think suborned mortal Transylvanian nobility more thoroughly than any
of the stereotypical Transylvanian vampire as a creature who other clan, including the Ventrue. The idea of a separation between
recoils at the sight of a cross. the world of the living and the undead was ludicrous.
26
There was no room for the Silence of Blood in the phi- Syn informed Vlad the Dragon about the world of the undead.
losophy of the Transylvanian Tzimisce. Thus, the arguments The Ravnos became his most valuable (if least reliable) advi-
for hiding behind mortal society and erecting the shifting sor. With Cainite guidance, Vlad’s armies easily drove these
mirrors of the Camarilla fell on deaf ears. The elders of Clan warriors from their midst. Vlad kneeled before Durga Syn to
Tzimisce saw no need to accept standards of civility valued receive her immortal knowledge. This was a dangerous prec-
in other parts of Europe. Their opposition was so severe that edent, but in Eastern Europe, few would question the motives
the Ventrue abandoned all hope of gaining their support for of such a powerful vampire.
the Founders’ society of Cainites.
THE ASSAMITES AND
VLAD THE DRAGON HUNYADI’S LAST CRUSADE
AND THE SILENCE OF BLOOD
Of course, the threat of the Turks still remained. No nation
By contrast, the idea of vampires hiding their true nature from resisted the advance of the Ottoman Empire more fervently
mortals was crucial to supporters of the Camarilla. The “Masquer- than Transylvania. While the Founders’ supporters used the
ade” they proposed had its precedent in the Silence of the Blood. “advance of the paynim” to rationalize a unified society in
With the growing threat of the Inquisition, the thought of “hiding Eastern Europe, the vampires of those domains soon grew
one’s presence from those not of the blood” was a simple survival tired of that patronizing argument. There was a good reason
instinct. In Transylvania and Wallachia, however, the idea of the for this. The mortals of their domains had done their best to
Silence of the Blood was a mere formality. Numerous Transylvanian resist the Turks. Their failures in 1444 and 1456 had thoroughly
Cainites preferred to demonstrate their undead strength openly demoralized Eastern Europe.
before the local rulers of Transylvania. In the secret chambers of It didn’t take much vampiric influence to stir up an army
noble estates, they forced the nobility to submit to their will. against the Turkish invaders. Janos Hunyadi, a wealthy merchant
An excellent historical example of this type of alliance trained by once of the finest military minds in Europe, achieved
was the agreement between Durga Syn of Clan Ravnos and that goal without Cainite assistance. With the Transylvanian
Vlad the Dragon, the mortal prince of Wallachia. military at his command, Hunyadi rushed to meet the advancing
In the early 15th century, continuous anarch raids in troops of the sultan. Sadly, his campaign was a disaster. In addi-
Tara Romaneasca not only terrified the local peasants, but tion to using poorly chosen tactics, Hunyadi’s army had grossly
threatened the wily Ravnos’ elder allies. To stop this, Durga underestimated the strength of the Turks.
27
At Hunyadi’s trial for his alleged incompetence, Vlad the evidence of this, he led a pogrom through the countryside to destroy
Dragon stated that the Ottoman Sultan typically went “on a these foul creatures, just as his father had done before him.
mere hunting expedition with more troops than the Christians When the veil that separates the living and the undead is parted,
brought to this battle.” Turkish forces easily repelled the Eastern the result is horror in its blackest form. Obviously, the Tzimisce of
European crusaders. Hunyadi fled; only with the assistance of southern Transylvania had little regard for the Silence of the Blood.
Wallachian peasants was he able to find safety. The resulting Inquisition threatened all the vampires of the region.
Though Vlad the Dragon tried to blame Hunyadi for the fail- In the years that followed, the Impaler’s executioners destroyed
ure of the campaign, Hunyadi’s widespread support as the “White dozens of vampires. Eventually, tales of Vlad the Impaler’s butchery
Knight of Christendom” prevented the Dragon’s scandal from were retold throughout the Holy Roman Empire. These stories
succeeding. In 1456, Hunyadi gathered an army in Hunedoara became the basis of the legend of Count Dracula, the bloodthirsty
and prepared another anti-Turkish Crusade. His ally, St. John of butcher that descended from Draculesti nobles.
Capistrano raised an army of Transylvanian peasants to aid him. The many facets of “the Dracula problem” became a common
Independently, the armies of St. John and Hunyadi moved toward topic among Transylvanian vampires. In fact, the Convocation
Belgrade. Fanaticism proved to be a greater force than sheer force of Hermanstadt in 1472 (shown in Act One of this book) was
of arms, for St. John’s army fared better than Hunyadi’s. The called largely to address this problem. The Tzimisce insisted that
triumph of 8,000 peasants armed with farm implements against they had the right to address the issue on their own; other clans
the Turkish host was nothing short of miraculous. weren’t as willing to trust the Fiends’ sense of justice. Although
Hunyadi’s crusade reestablished the southern border of Wal- the Camarilla wasn’t extensive enough to conduct an actual trial
lachia, but within a few months, it could press no further. Weather of this mortal, the arguments concerning Cainites meddling in
and disease proved to be the two most deadly adversaries to the kine society continued for many years afterward.
gathered armies. Swarms of infected rats followed the carnage
inflicted by the Turkish host. As a result, Hunyadi himself died of
THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS
plague not far from Belgrade. The crusader ideal died with him. In the 15th century, the value of the Camarilla became the
There was no reason for the Transylvanians to blame the Turk- most dangerous topic of debate among Transylvanian Cainites.
ish advance on Clan Assamite. The vampires of Eastern Europe Due to many events in Cainite history — the fall of Constanti-
knew that the Turks didn’t need supernatural allies to lead them nople, the Bobolna Rebellion, the Draculesti-Danesti feud, and
into battle. These Cainites held little hope of Western European Vlad Tepes’ inquisition — Transylvania’s history would continue
nations unifying to rush to their aid. If the clans were unified, it to taint these discussions for centuries afterward.
wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference to the Ottoman Empire. By the start of the next act of the Transylvania Chronicles,
The argument for Cainite unity against the Assamites and the that society was little more than a political theory. The few steps
Turks worked in other parts of the world, but it seemed irrelevant the Cainites had taken to establish it didn’t hold back chaos
to vampires who had seen mortal crusades fail first-hand. and rebellions, as many elders thought it would. The Camarilla
was little more than a house of mirrors, endlessly reflecting the
THE DRACULA PROBLEM AND THE diverse philosophies of the undead. Nowhere was this more
CONVOCATION OF HERMANSTADT true than Transylvania, a realm where vampiric history and
While modern Cainites are familiar with general argu- politics reflected the malignant Jyhad of the Cainites.
ments regarding the Camarilla, these issues take their own
unique slant in the voivodate of Transylvania. The Inquisi-
tion is often cited as a reason for the Camarilla’s formation.
OTHER
When Transylvanians refer to witch-hunts, they often cite
the treachery of one man: Vlad the Impaler. CONSIDERATIONS
As we’ve noted already, Vlad the Dragon, one of the mortal Improvements in technology can drastically affect the
princes of Wallachia, was well informed about the undead. His existence of both the living and the undead. Players who
son, Vlad the Impaler, became even more infamous. During are well acquainted with other roleplaying games will likely
his rule, he was known to demonstrate his authority through want to exploit these developments as rapidly as possible,
acts of severe brutality. Before leading his crusade against the demanding more firepower from weapons, better protection
Ottoman Empire, for instance, he secured his northern border from armor and faster transit between distant cities. At least a
by slaughtering thousands of Transylvanians. His honor guard, passing familiarity with these innovations should make these
the Axes, impaled tens of thousands of mortals and left them elements of your chronicle run smoother.
to rot as an example to any who questioned his rule.
Cainites suspected that the Son of the Dragon had another FIREARMS
motivation. Vlad the Impaler was a noble of the Draculesti line. Veterans of the Dark Medieval world have learned to
Several of the Danesti nobles, the members of an enemy house, conquer using relatively simple weapons, such as swords,
received the support of the unseen vampyr. When the Impaler found daggers and crossbows. If they can make it through the end
28
of the Long Night, they’ll be able to improve their arsenals. This type of weapon was capable of “holding its own fire.” A ser-
The following guidelines should help you represent the role rated wheel spun against a piece of iron to produce sparks in the
of firearms in your game without requiring you to become an chamber. Some areas of Europe outlawed wheellocks for precisely
expert in obsolete technology. Traits for various commonly this reason. The wheel inside is primed by turning a small detach-
used firearms are included at the end of this section. able crank, making these pistols ideal “holdout weapons.”
Technically, characters might use firearms as early as the mid-14th Skill with Archery does not bestow an inherent knowledge
century, but those devices are so primitive as to be almost worthless. of these weapons. Instead, characters wishing to have knowl-
The cannonlock was the earliest form of handgonne. It consisted of edge of handgonnes or other firearms should invest experience
a small handheld cannon, a stock and a touch hole where a heated points in the Firearms skill. For each point a character has in
wire or burning match could prime the gunpowder inside. Firearms, the player should declare a specialization in one of
Although certainly dangerous, this type of armament is ex- the types of weapons listed. For Storytellers who require more
tremely unreliable. A person firing a cannonlock must use one hand detail on 15th-century firearms, further guidelines and informa-
to steady the weapon while using the other to light the powder inside. tion are available in Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade.
This makes aiming nearly impossible, and hitting anything with the Storytellers and players looking for extensive detail and broader
projectile is mere chance. (In game terms, when a character attacks selection (including a few name-brand weapons dating back to the
with a handgonne, the difficulty to hit is always at least a 9!) By 16th century!) are encouraged to check out Michael Hurst’s GURPS:
the early 15th century, this device becomes obsolete. High-Tech. It’s a bit “crunchy” for the Storyteller system, but much
Medieval firearms couldn’t be aimed until someone in- more complete for those who want extensive detail.
vented a mechanical method of igniting the powder inside them.
This led to the matchlock gun, next step in the evolution of ARMOR
firearms. The first schematic illustration of this type of weapon Once your players know that brigands on the road might use
was documented in 1411. By pulling a crude trigger (known as firearms, their natural reaction might be to buy some armor. Role-
a serpentine), a marksman could bring a slow-burning fuse in playing games tend to have extremely liberal attitudes regarding its
contact with a touch hole. Later designs incorporated a shoulder use. In many fantasy roleplaying games, for instance, the thought
stock and a pan cover to protect the gunpowder. of heroes stomping about in full suits of plate mail day and night
Readying a matchlock by priming the serpentine requires is accepted as normal. To address the aspirations of players who
a full turn and a successful Dexterity + Firearms roll. (This prefer their characters to walk about like two-legged tanks, we
ability must be bought as a new Skill; defaulting from Archery should make two points regarding the use of plate mail. In answer
just won’t work.) Once this has been done, the matchlock can to the first question players have: Yes, plate mail is period. In answer
be aimed: After three turns of aiming, the final roll is made to the second question: No, most players really won’t want their
at a -1 difficulty. Generally speaking, reloading a matchlock or characters to use it.
cannonlock requires about 60 seconds of uninterrupted effort. During this period, full plate is used as early as the begin-
Attempting this during combat is futile, so characters with pistols ning of the 15th century — it is typically employed by knights
are encouraged to “fire and forget” them early during a fight. on horseback traveling to war. For a creature of the night, any
The matchlock is the primary type of firearm used until the pretense of subtlety is lost once he begins wandering the woods
end of the 18th century. Various models include pistols, long-guns, of Transylvania late at night girded to the teeth for an all-out
breech or muzzle-loaders and, after about 1475, rifles. In addition, assault on a neighboring domain.
there are various unusual designs that allow multiple shots, but For a Cainite in plate mail, Dexterity and Perception Dice
the vast majority of matchlocks are single-shot weapons. For Pools are reduced by 3. Movement is drastically hindered. Even
simplicity, we have listed two single-shot varieties. Cainites using Celerity are slowed considerably. Stealth is impos-
Readying a matchlock is unwieldy, so the next innovation sible without the use of Disciplines; wearing plate mail increases
in firearms relied on a method of igniting gunpowder without a the difficulty of Stealth rolls by 2. Chainmail offers three extra
match or external source of flame. The first self-igniting firearm, dice for soaking damage with considerably less encumbrance; plate
the wheellock, was invented at the beginning of the 16th century. mail provides five dice, but is not worth the trouble.
Weapon Difficulty Damage Range Reload Time Conceal

Handgonne 8 8 20 1/6 N
Matchlock pistol 7 5 30 1/5 C
Matchlock musket 7 6 35 1/5 N
Wheellock pistol 6 5 30 1/4 C
Wheellock rifle 6 6 35 1/4 N
29
The sight of a warrior in full-plate riding into a domain can be Walking on foot can be difficult between large cities; stating
takenasahostilegesture,andmayresultinanimmediatecounterattack. that a coterie or pack can cover 20 miles in 10 hours is rather
If you’ve played Dark Ages, you’ve probably already conditioned generous. Oxcarts travel at roughly the same speed.
your players to not bring polearms into taverns or draw ballistae
through small towns. The same guideline applies here. THE PASSAGE OF TIME
TRAVELING As time wears on, even the static Cainites undergo subtle,
if significant, changes. Many of the conventions accepted in
With so many dangers on the road, characters will want
the Dark Medieval world have grown outdated, especially given
to travel quickly through enemy domains. The types of wag-
the rise of new technology and new philosophy.
ons used in Dark Ages are, of course, still available during
the time period covered in this book, but they’re notoriously Storytellers who want to illustrate the signs of the times
slow — almost as slow as walking! Beginning with the next are encouraged to begin integrating the systems from Vampire:
act of our story, wealthy vampires may prefer to travel by coach The Masquerade into their chronicles, leaving the systems
instead. As lords of the night, it is entirely appropriate that the from Vampire: The Dark Ages behind.
members of your coterie may choose this mode of conveyance Vampiric Disciplines change quite a bit over time, in name
for their journeys between cities. Additionally, coaches may and effect. Other vampires the characters encounter may speak
be insulated from the baneful light of the sun. in “new” terminology with regard to their mystical powers, and
If one of your stories set during this time relies on travel the “modern” 20th-century effects they have begin to show
times between cities, assume that a coach can cover approxi- up at the end of the 15th century. Members of clans whose
mately 30 miles over 10 hours. Pushing a team of horses for proprietary Disciplines change radically over time — Assamites,
longer than 10 hours is possible, but not advised; horses become for example — would do well to learn the new forms of their
fractious and eventually wear themselves out. powers or risk being obvious anachronisms.
Traveling on horseback is somewhat faster, although In the wake of the Camarilla’s formation, many vampires
vampires must find shelter once the sun rises. Assume that decide to uphold the Via Humanitatis, which they refer to as
characters can cross 40 miles for every 10 hours of travel. Humanity. This should be a fairly seamless change for those
30
already on the Road, but others who wish to join the Camarilla simple ability to steal becomes less important and the cultivation
may have some moral decisions to make — which create excel- of criminal contacts becomes paramount (i.e., Larceny gives way
lent opportunities for in-depth roleplaying. to Streetwise). Hearth Wisdom suffers a true fall from grace, as
Many of the Lost (clans and bloodlines doomed to destruc- the Classical and humanistic mind-sets of the Renaissance push
tion) feel the inexorable weight of time and destiny by this point. superstition out of humankind’s collective consciousness almost
Lhiannan and the Salubri should face almost nightly threats from entirely. Whew; that sounded like it came right out of a Mage
outside sources, and a Cappadocian’s existence should be uncom- sourcebook.…
fortable, indeed. Players of these clans should take their chance The Cainites of the Dark Medieval world are also well on
and meet Final Death in an appropriately dramatic way — that’s their way to becoming the Kindred of the modern nights — see
their reward for playing a member of a terminal bloodline. I sup- the boxed lexicon for more information on the parlance of the
pose if you really want, you could bring a Lost character into the undead at this time.
modern world, but that diminishes the value of their disappear- Storytellers are advised to integrate these changes to il-
ance. None of this “but I’m the last Cappadocian” hooey in my lustrate how times change and how the vampires must struggle
chronicles, let me tell you. (Besides, the remaining 20th-century to maintain their new Masquerade. To hide among human-
Cappadocians are really the… oh, never mind.) kind, one must resemble it, and prancing around town with a
Finally, certain Abilities are changing to meet the inexorable bow and arrows while those who may legally bear arms carry
flow of time. As mentioned prior, the knowledge of Firearms is gunpowder weapons is a bit telling. You can bet the forces of
coming into prominence. As communication speeds increase, the the Inquisition will have their eyes open.
LEXICON
As the dark Medieval nights segue into the modern Kindred — A vampire. Under the Camarilla’s auspices,
World of Darkness, inevitable change overtakes Cainite all vampires are part of one vast society; all Cainites are
— which is rapidly becoming Kindred — society. One of Kindred to one another. Many elders regard the term as
the most common changes among the society of the undead laughable, while supporters of the Camarilla believe it will
is their language. New words have come into vogue while bring a new age of vampire prominence.
old terms vanish completely. Some existing words take on Sabbat — Although the term “Sabbat” does not attain its
new and terrifying meanings as well. Use these new terms political meaning as the title of a sect until the middle of the
as symbols of the grave state of flux in which the Cainites 16th century, many anarchs and antitribu have taken to calling
find themselves — or use them to gauge the age and pos- themselves “sabbats” based on the fearful cries of superstitious
sible power of your rivals. After all, a Cainite who has no peasantry who believe them to be witches, devils and other
knowledge of the “Kindred” is likely very old indeed, or very monsters called forth from Hell. This should be a terrifying word
isolated from the thirsty fangs of the anarchs. to encounter for the first time — it signifies that those among
Anarch — A vampire who opposes the rule of elders the “sabbats” have utterly turned their backs on humanity.
in favor of a more egalitarian system of domain. Vaulderie — A practice based on ancient Tzimisce
Antitribu — A vampire who rejects the traditions koldunic ritae, whereby vampires perform a ceremonial
of her clan; literally an “anticlan” or “antitribalist.” Most ritual over a vessel of the commingled vitae of their peers
antitribu actively seek the destruction of their elders and and drink it. The Vaulderie, when performed correctly
the elders of other clans, seeing them as servants of the has the power to break existing Blood Oaths, though it
Jyhad and the Ancients. By the middle of the 16th century replaces them with vinculi. (See below.) The Vaulderie
(beyond the scope of this book), the antitribu will have is not, as many anarchs believe, simply mixing a volume
united under the banner of the Sabbat (q.v.). of different vampires’ blood together and drinking it — it
Elysium — A concept put forth by proponents of the is a mystical ritual, of which partaking of mixed blood is
Camarilla; an Elysium is a “neutral zone” where Cainites only one part. Many young Cainites, almost exclusively
put aside their hostilities and agree to act as civilized in- among the anarchs and antitribu, practice the Vaulderie,
dividuals. Elysium is a radical concept to many Cainites, which ensures their loyalty to one another.
who view others entering their domains with discomfort Vinculum — A kind of multifaceted Blood Oath, though
and antagonism. For the most part, Elysium dictates that it applies to multiple individuals as opposed to one. Each
one not stoop to physical violence in an area so endowed; vampire whose blood is mixed in with the Vaulderie receives
vampires will always be social monsters, stabbing each a mystical loyalty from those who drink from the vessel.
other in the back, breaking their promises to one another Needless to say, those who practice the Vaulderie ensure that
and committing other innumerable treacheries. everyone who contributes vitae takes their draught.
31
32
“Tell me, my friends, who lives in
the castle on the hillside?”…
“Silence, stranger. God forbid that
he should hear.”
— Frederick Cowles, “The Vampire
of Kaldenstein”
BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

33
33
STORY
the Middle East, it resulted in the death of Janos Hunyadi by
plague and the defeat of Vlad Tepes, the Son of the Dragon.
BACKGROUND
In fact, Vlad was eventually captured by the Hungarians and
falsely imprisoned for allegedly aiding the sultan’s cause.
Now it is 1472, and the mortal Dracula has been released
In the late-15th century, one of the most important schemers from captivity. His trusted ally, Prince Steven of Moldavia, has
among the Transylvanian Cainites isn’t a vampire at all. His infamy bargained for his freedom. King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary
is so great that he will one night become a legend among mortals. now believes that Vlad Dracula could be Eastern Europe’s last
When tales of his treachery are retold in Germany, they appear as hope for retaking Constantinople. While imprisoned in the fortress
horror stories. These crude examples of late-medieval “pulp fiction” of Visegrad, Dracula had the occasion to meet with visitors to the
form many stereotypes about the undead in Eastern Europe. As king’s summer home. Some Hungarian nobles profess that the man
early as 1471, Viennese scandal sheets describe the cruelty and once known as “Vlad the Impaler” has changed. He’s converted
viciousness of a Transylvanian nobleman named Dracula. to Catholicism and even married the king’s sister.
Surprisingly enough, Dracula is real. “Vlad Dracula” is Fall is fast approaching, and Vlad is en route to his home in
the son of Vlad the Dragon, a scheming ruler who was a vil- Mediasch. From there, he intends to lead another crusade against
lain to those he oppressed and a hero to the Romanians he the Ottoman Empire. He’s changed all right — more than the
defended. His family, the Draculesti line, had been elevated to king will ever realize. He has found powerful allies, and through
the status of nobility in 1431 when he, as prince of Wallachia, them, knowledge that even the king does not possess. Just as his
was invested into the Order of the Dragon. In Romanian, the father learned of the activities of the Transylvanian anarchs from
word dracul means “dragon”; to the enemies of the Draculesti Durga Syn years ago, Vlad now knows of the conflicts between the
line, the word also means “demon.” Assamites of the Middle East and the Transylvanian Cainites.
Vlad the Dragon had three sons. The eldest brother, Mircea, Unfortunately for him, uncovering the secrets of the Silence of
led numerous crusades against the Turks in Wallachia. The second, Blood has a terrible price. Vlad knows too much, and several Cainites
Radu, was an attractive youth who eventually became known as have formed conspiracies to change the course of his destiny. One
Radu the Handsome. Vlad, the youngest son, was the darkest of faction of Tzimisce wants to Embrace him so that it may aid him
the three children. By the 1450s, his enemies called him Vlad in his crusade, seizing Bulgaria and Constantinople in the process.
Tepes — Vlad the Impaler. To the Romanians who praised him, Another faction wants revenge for his destruction of its brethren,
he was remembered as the son of Vlad Dracul. Thus, they referred Dan III and Vlad the Monk, during the Inquisition of 1460. While
to him as Vlad Dracula, “the Son of the Dragon.” some Fiends want to use Dracula as a figurehead for unifying their
This infamous figure plays a major role in this Transylvanian clan, other knezi want him destroyed. As usual, the members of the
story, “Blood Calls to Blood.” A passing familiarity with Vlad the clan cannot agree on a common course of action.
Impaler’s life can help make running this story easier. For your conve- Your players’ coterie is about to be drawn into this po-
nience, a quick summary of his mortal life is included in the Appendix. litical maelstrom. An old ally of theirs, Count Radu, has his
Even if you aren’t familiar with late-medieval history, though, this own plans for Dracula. Of course, he cannot achieve them
story should acquaint your players more thoroughly with political without their help....
dangers and treacherous schemes within the voivodate, preparing
them for further chapters of the Transylvania Chronicles. SCENE ONE: AN INVITATION
FROM COUNT RADU
ACT I: Our story begins in a fortress in the Tihuta Pass. In 1197, a
THE SERPENTS’
valiant coterie of Cainites fought long and hard to lay its founda-
tions. The completion of the project was financed by Myka Vykos,
a Tzimisce from Constantinople. Since then, he’s used his financial
LAIR (1472) leverage to help the Fiends seize control of the estate. Count Radu
now uses the fortress as his refuge. At night, he stalks the parapets,
Transylvania is once again under assault, this time by the looking out over the domain he once protected.
armies of the Ottoman Empire. Nineteen years have passed The players’ coterie is invited to an audience with Count
since the Turks conquered Constantinople. During that time, Radu. If they’ve survived the events of the last book, Dark Tides
Sultan Mehmed II has repeatedly sent his armies on raids into Rising, chances are good that the characters are on favorable
Eastern Europe, preparing the Bulgarians, Transylvanians and terms with him. If not, then you may need to contrive a reason
Hungarians for conquest and subjugation. for the coterie to be indebted to him. If all else fails, Radu offers
Western Europe is too demoralized to launch another a boon in return for the characters’ cooperation.
crusade against the Turks, especially after the disastrous anti- Of course, the journey to Bistritz is not an easy one, particularly if
Ottoman campaigns. The last time the Europeans assaulted the vampires in the coterie have gone their separate ways since the last
34
chapter of the chronicle. Fortunately, Radu can ensure the safe arrival sengers inside, but the coachman has traveled this route for
of his guests. He sends his Gangrel lackey, Tiberiu, to fetch them by centuries. Before long, the coach approaches the formidable
coach. Tiberiu has traveled through the dark woods of Transylvania for iron gates of Castle Bistritz. Tiberiu cracks his whip again over
centuries, often with nothing but his Wolf’s Claws and wits to protect his monstrous steeds as they charge into the courtyard. When
himself. Now he travels by coach, driving a team of fell beasts before the Gangrel coachman finally pulls back the reins, the coterie
him with his harsh mastery of Animalism and the sting of his whip. sees Count Radu illumined by torchlight at the front door of
You may choose to compose some formal message to his estate. His clothes are slightly out of date, corresponding
convey the intent of Radu’s summons; otherwise, simply state to the dress of a Saxon count or burgrave of a century ago.
that Tiberiu arrives at the vampires’ havens one by one, invit- “Welcome,” he says. “Welcome to my home, the last refuge for
ing them to Radu’s castle. Regardless of which you prefer, the the old ways of the Tzimisce. Welcome to Birkau Castle.”
first scene begins with our protagonists riding in a coach along Radu offers the travelers an opportunity to recover from
the road to Castle Bistritz. The road to the mountain fortress their long journey, extending his hospitality to his guests. If any
is as treacherous and winding as the coterie remembers it in ghouls are present, they are easily won over by his offer, especially
centuries past. A yawning abyss waits hungrily mere inches after they are led to a sumptuous banquet. Count Radu has also
from the window of the carriage. Wolves howl in the distance, prepared a number of... drinking vessels... for the coterie. A recent
and the valley below is hidden in darkness. raid on a village in Bucovina has provided a number of slaves for
The journey is much the same in the 15th century as it the travelers to exsanguinate, should they so choose.
will be in the 19th century. This is the same route that another Once the guests have been put at ease, Count Radu has
traveler, Jonathan Harker, will take in the beginning of Bram a chance to casually converse with the characters about their
Stoker’s novel. Storytellers who enjoy using other media as journey. Sitting in a luxurious, antique chair, he feigns an
part of their games may choose to show one of the cinematic insouciant air. He is eager to talk about current events. (If
portrayals of this journey to set the mood. The aforementioned any of your players are the sort who love to talk about their
passage from Dracula also conveys the ambiance suitably. characters’ grand achievements, encourage them. Radu loves
Tiberiu drives the horses at a breakneck pace. The coach to listen.) He is able to discuss a wide range of topics, including
tips slightly on the tightest turns, no doubt startling the pas- the most recent antitribu raids on Bistritz, the mounting threat
35
CASTLE BISTRITZ
It is possible that one or more characters may take offense
at Radu’s occupation of the Castle Bistritz, especially if they
helped build it over two centuries ago. If they make remarks
about it and press the point, Radu tries to be as diplomatic
as he can. He points out that the castle would never have
been finished without Myka Vykos’ financing. In addition,
he remarks that the Tzimisce still technically control this
domain, even though it has been overrun by their rebellious
childer. Finally, he makes a somewhat surprising remark: The
castle is also owned by the mortal Vlad Tepes, who received
it as a gift from Count Mihaly Szigaly of Bistritz. He mentions
in passing that the clan is currently negotiating with Dracula
for further control over the surrounding territory.
If Tzimisce ownership of the fortress conflicts
strongly with the story you’ve established so far, feel
free to arrange some other reason for Count Radu to be
hiding here. The castle may have changed hands during
the last interlude, or perhaps the Tzimisce Count has
an alliance with the faction of Cainites that owns it in
your chronicle. Any way you choose to justify it, Radu
never leaves the safety of this fortress, especially since
antitribu rampage through the countryside below it.
of another Turkish invasion, and the usual scandals involving

Hardestadt’s political aspirations.
This sets the scene for his proposal. The conversation
turns to dwell on the amount of danger in the voivodate,
and soon thereafter, Radu makes a show of taking the coterie
into his confidence. Dramatically, he stands up and remarks
that Transylvania is at a turning point in its history. He paces
over to a portrait hanging on the wall. It is a portrayal of Vlad
Dracula, the former mortal prince of Wallachia.
(Centuries later, the painting he is standing beneath will
be known as the Ambras portrait and displayed in a gallery in
Innsbruck. Twenty minutes in a library and 30 seconds at a Xerox
machine should get you a copy to show to your players.)
“I have a grave topic to discuss with you,” he declares.
“We must do something about this upstart Dracula.” The
conversation that follows shouldn’t be one-sided — give
the characters ample opportunities to ask for more details
and question Radu’s intentions. The count has a thorough
understanding of “the Dracula problem,” and summarizes the
salient points for the characters.
Simply put, few Tzimisce agree on what to do about Dracula,
especially now that he has been released from prison. Some
believe that his crusade should be supported. Even the Ventrue
want to repel the Turkish invasions (and their attendant As-
samites), for the advance of the Ottoman Empire threatens the
safety of all of Europe. Other Tzimisce are appalled by Dracula’s
actions. They want revenge for his atrocities, especially his
attacks on newly Embraced Fiends. In fact, several Tzimisce
36
in the western knezates have called for his destruction. As a Radu has greater plans. He does not want to watch; he wants
diplomat, Radu can argue either side of the debate. to act. His request is simple: Travel to Hermanstadt, speak
The first argument proceeds like this: Each time the Turks with Dracula, and bring him back to Castle Bistritz.
raid Transylvania, the anarchs and antitribu use the situation Tiberiu has been busy convincing several of the eastern
to their advantage. The cities suffer, and the Transylvanian Transylvanian Tzimisce to side with Radu in resolving the
princes must use their resources rebuilding instead of control- Dracula problem. The Western Fiends have too many personal
ling the anarchs. If the mortals cannot defend Transylvania’s issues at stake. By the time the coterie returns, the gathering
southern border, everything the Cainites have supported over of Eastern Tzimisce will have decided whether to Embrace
the last 300 years could be destroyed. The last hope for stopping Dracula or kill him. If the coterie has strong feelings on the
the advance of the Ottoman Empire is Vlad Dracula. For that topic, especially after having traveled with him for two weeks,
reason, the Cainites want to give him what support they can the Fiends are quite willing to entertain them. Until then,
in his next crusade. With the cursed power of the Embrace, he the coterie should use whatever means it can to convince the
could possibly even retake Constantinople — for the benefit Son of the Dragon of the benefits of the Embrace. In fact, the
of the Eastern Cainites, of course. A man of such talent could characters may say that Count Radu himself has offered him a
be molded into a great tool… er, leader. high-ranking position within Clan Tzimisce. If Vlad Dracula
The contrary argument is rather straightforward: Dracula accepts, his conquest of Wallachia is assured.
is too devious to be controlled by any individual. If Dracula had Radu offers the coterie a chance to prepare for the jour-
such power, Radu maintains, his actions in the past indicate that ney. In addition to his hospitality, he offers them the use of
he would abuse it. He was a magnificent leader, to be certain, his study. They are free to research whatever they think will
and embodies many traits valued by the Tzimisce, but it wouldn’t prepare them for the trip. His political expertise is also at their
be safe to Embrace such a tyrant. Without Caine’s curse, he has disposal. He offers to tell them what he can of current politics,
already killed several Tzimisce. If he should manage to diabler- the factions involved in Transylvania, possible guests present,
ize an elder or two, who knows what he might do? A man who and some of the debates that may ensue. Some Cainites may
has butchered tens of thousands of Transylvanians cannot be consider this opportunity enough of an incentive to take up
trusted with the power granted by Caine’s curse. Radu’s offer and do what they can to help him.
Of course, there are other variations on these two ideas. Some It should be evident now that Radu’s casual discussion of cur-
say that if Dracula ascended to power in Cainite society, he would rent events earlier has been an attempt to see how conversant the
have the authority to subjugate the Transylvanian anarchs and characters are in politics. If your players feel a little overwhelmed
antitribu, just as he demonstrated absolute authority over his at this point, they may need to fall back on some Politics rolls
mortal domains. Others point out that if the Tzimisce do not later on. If they’re to survive such a treacherous journey, they’re
Embrace him, another clan might. The thought of the Saxon going to need all the political savvy they’ve got.
Ventrue or the Assamites forcing the Son of the Dragon into
a Blood Oath and using him as their pawn is too terrible to A BRIEF INTERLUDE IN THE STUDY
consider. Radu retires to his study to give the coterie time to decide
Radu stresses that the debate is not purely theoretical. how it will prepare. Let the characters discuss their opportunity
In fact, the issue will become crucial within a few weeks. An at length. Do they trust him? Do they need further assurances?
exclusive fete is being held in the city of Hermanstadt. The Will they require further research to prepare?
gathering promises to be memorable, as many prominent When they are ready to speak to Count Radu again,
Cainite princes and courtiers are expected to be in attendance. they find he is not in the library as he suggested he would be.
He offers this information as though he is doing the coterie a Instead, they encounter the szlachta Cierna, who guesses that
favor, even though any prince who is present may have already her master is in the study. With a little bit of prompting, she
heard of the event (at the Storyteller’s discretion). takes them there. Quite abruptly, she throws open the door
The host, Prince Otto of Hermanstadt, has scored a signifi- and says, “Master! Your guests wish to speak with you!”
cant diplomatic coup. Radu has learned that at least 15 Cainites Count Radu has been relaxing, thinking over Transylvania’s
will be present. Prince Otto, who has always had a rather liberal problems. His most recent intellectual distraction is the art of
attitude toward the Silence of Blood, has encouraged his guests sculpting. Radu does not use clay, however. A hapless young
to bring any mortals they wish to introduce to Cainite society. man sits on a footstool, remaining absolutely still. The count
A small faction of Tzimisce in western Transylvania has seized is carefully resculpting the bones of his subject’s face. On the
this opportunity by inviting Dracula himself. opposite wall hangs a portrait of Julius Caesar. Radu has done
Of course, Radu cannot attempt the journey to this con- a rather poor job, but is struggling admirably. Count Radu leaps
vocation, since packs of antitribu in the city below are howling to his feet. “Cierna!” he shouts. “You must knock when you
for his blood. Thus, he offers the coterie a chance to act as his enter a room!” He then turns to his guests. “Forgive me,” he
proxy for the event. Normally, he would send Tiberiu to simply states, “I was merely meditating.” He throws a sheet over his
gather information about what’s going to happen there, but model, then escorts the characters to the library.
37
Once there, he is willing to negotiate the terms of their Tiberiu alights from the coach and opens the door. As he
deal, speak with them further, brief them on local politics, directs the coterie to the front door, he makes a passing remark
and do whatever else is necessary to close the deal. Once about the castle being in a state of Elysium. The concept is
Radu has fulfilled the coterie’s concerns to your satisfaction, a somewhat recent one, but he’s encountered this type of
have him bid his guests goodnight. situation before: Anyone committing an act of violence will
face retribution. As for anyone attempting obvious use of
SCENE TWO: CASTLE Disciplines... well, this is a prestigious party with guests who
HERMANSTADT AWAITS probably won’t take it too kindly. He wishes them good luck
and leads the horses to a nearby stable.
The start of Scene Two should see the coterie completing
its preparations for the task ahead. Radu stands in front of SCENE THREE:
the gates of his castle with the most prominent member of
the coterie. The terms of the prestation have been discussed,
PIECES ON A CHESSBOARD
and an agreement has been reached. Tiberiu waits beside the Two ghouls stand waiting in the doorway to the foyer
coach. Fell beasts of incredible strength stamp the ground of castle Hermanstadt. These doormen are obsequious in
and champ at their bridles, eager to stretch their muscles the extreme. When the vampires of the coterie approach,
over the long journey ahead. the ghouls humbly petition them for their names. Unless
The journey from Castle Bistritz to the outskirts of the there are any princes present, the ghouls look quite puzzled.
nearby town takes up most of the evening. The first few A quick reference to Tiberiu or Count Radu is all that is
hours of the trip are quite uneventful, but as the characters necessary to get them inside. One even jumps at the chance
approach Bistritz, they notice signs of antitribu activity. The of leading the coterie to the ballroom. Crashing the party
occasional sight of a building in flames, the brief outline of a seems a little too easy. One of the characters may catch on
pack of vampires crucifying an enemy on a monstrously mis- that security isn’t very tight.
shapen tree, or the remains of a fleshcrafted peasant discarded The route to the ballroom is somewhat Byzantine, lead-
by the side of the road should be enough to convince the ing through two spiral staircases, a door behind a bookshelf,
characters why Radu does not travel abroad. and several winding corridors. If anyone states that they’re
If you like, you may even choose to have a group of anarchs paying close attention to the path, make sure to acknowledge
waylay the carriage on a dark road not far from the city. A it succinctly. After describing a labyrinth of dimly lit pas-
pack of 15 antitribu forms a barricade across the dirt path and sages and the echo of footsteps, have the ghoul open a huge
levels its firearms at the carriage. Unless this leads to a brutal set of wooden double-doors. Now contrast the emptiness of
(and pointless) fight, the anarchs demand to know what the the hallways with the opulence of the gala. Hidden behind
travelers are doing in “their domain.” If necessary, they’ll even the maze of dreary corridors is a grandiose ballroom. The
search the carriage to see if Count Radu is inside. As long as ghoul who led the coterie makes a stentorian announcement
no one does anything stupid, they’ll let the coach go. If you proclaiming its arrival, adding extra emphasis if any of the
choose to play out this interlude, don’t spend to much time on characters are princes. Fifteen Cainites stop their conversa-
it — the real story waits for the coterie in Hermanstadt. tions and turn to examine the coterie briefly.
The rest of the journey from Bistritz to Hermanstadt takes Count Radu has grossly understated the grandeur of
roughly two weeks and proceeds without further incident. As this meeting. A wealth of different impressions assaults
the coach approaches the city, the characters can see a fortress the characters’ senses. On a raised dais nearby, a group of
on a great hill in the distance. Silhouetted against the nacreous Parisian musicians demonstrates its artistic brilliance. A
moon, the castle defends a countryside that has been raided by fabulous ice sculpture melts slowly in the middle of the
Romans, barbarians, Mongols and Turks. Some Cainites may room. Obscenely expensive tapestries and paintings adorn
consider it to be much more than part of the city’s defenses. It the walls. A sumptuous banquet has been laid out for the
is a symbol that the Childer of Caine have survived the Dark mortal guests, though no one dares to touch it.
Ages, and that their power will endure. All these distractions overwhelm the coterie briefly,
The fortress is a relic from the 13th century. Mortals until one impression overpowers all these sensations: There
believe that the Saxons erected it to protect their interests is a monstrously powerful vampire in the room. When
in the region. Cainites may be more familiar with its hidden a fifth-generation Cainite uses Majesty, everyone damn
history. Zelios, the Nosferatu master mason, acted as the fore- well knows it. An aura of fear and respect for this ancient
man for its construction. The kine who reside here have been vampire hangs in the air. He stands in a far corner of the
thoroughly Dominated by the local Cainites into submission, room, maintaining the anachronistic posture of a Roman
and they know little of the secret rooms and passages within centurion. He is far more than that, however. Over the
the fortress. centuries, he’s become accustomed to powerful mortal
rulers kneeling before him.
38
Depending on the clans present within the coterie, the Wise characters may ignore this and scope out their ob-
next feeling may be one of imminent danger. The mysteri- jective right away. Vlad Dracula stands two feet from Count
ous noble is a paragon of Cainite potency. He does not Rustovitch. He does not look like he wants to wander far from
need to even look at the characters — it is obvious that the voivode, and it is obvious that he enjoys the protection
he can speak with the wisdom of the Inconnu. Methuse- of the Tzimisce. As a whole, the Fiends do not appear to be
lahs don’t just stop by to say hello: It is likely something overly concerned with the other vampires in the room. In
is very, very wrong. fact, they are quietly debating among themselves. They seem
Before the characters react to this, tell them that their continually on the verge of turning on each other, but still
attention is immediately drawn to Count Vladimir Rustovitch struggling to make some show of solidarity. Dracula looks as
in the opposite corner. He doesn’t need Presence; raw cha- though he isn’t terribly impressed by this.
risma and an entourage of Fiends are enough of a substitute. To reduce the characters apprehension, the host of the
The pillar of ice stands between the apparent Inconnu and event, Prince Otto of Hermanstadt, approaches them to wel-
the voivode of the Tzimisce. The two never look at each other, come them personally. He is saddened to hear that Count Radu
but the resulting tension in the room is overwhelming. The is still uncomfortable with the thought of leaving his domain
two leaders are like magnetic poles, instantly repelling each and makes a disparaging remark about some Tzimisce having
other and affecting the reactions of everyone within their trouble controlling their own. His Ventrue haughtiness is just
spheres of influence. short of being offensive, but he is quick to offer the coterie
Ask for Manipulation + Etiquette or Perception + Empathy his assistance if they need it. He is more than willing to make
rolls if you like. Anyone who is perceptive in social situations introductions where necessary.
may sense that the convocation has only begun. As for the Combat-ready Cainites may feel decidedly uncomfortable
rest of the coterie’s impressions, it doesn’t take five dots in in this environment. There’s a good reason for this. They prob-
Etiquette to notice that the gala is not doing well. The polar- ably have no problem standing up to mortal mobs or fervent
ized feel of the room has encouraged the guests to stay near Inquisitors. Big deal. The players should realize one thing if
the individuals they trust most. It takes courage and diplomacy they survive this evening: When powerful vampires gather in
to cross the no-man’s-land between the Ventrue side of the one place, the danger is much greater than any enemy they
room and the Tzimisce corner. would face with claws and fangs.
39
PRINCE OTTO? DOMINUS, VENTRUE INCONNU
At the beginning of the event, Prince Otto should Paint a portrait of this Ancient One with broad
seem as though he’s very influential... and very foolish. strokes: He speaks little, preferring to impose his
The gathering is a disaster waiting to happen. If he’s grandeur upon lesser creatures who nervously stutter
lucky, the Ventrue and Tzimisce will find some reason their obsequious reports to him. His use of Majesty this
to take offense at some minor event and rationalize evening is a slight strain against the concept of Elysium,
an act of revenge later, far away from the castle. If, on but who the hell is going to tell him that? Dominus is
the other hand, one person gets close to a frenzy, there six foot four, with alabaster skin gained from spend-
could be blood on the walls within minutes. Why would ing over a millennium away from the sun. As a regal,
Prince Otto do such a thing? Why indeed... aristocratic and vastly wealthy creature, he speaks with
If you’ve read through the last book, you may remem- the authority of a once-mighty empire. Although his
ber that the Cainite formerly known as Ruxandra, the decisions are made with the assistance of a small cabal
Mistress of Disguise, has taken Otto’s place. She’s gone of fellow Inconnu and warmasters, he directly takes
beyond merely using the Obfuscate Discipline. She’s rent credit for over 1,000 years of Western history.
Otto’s face from his body and had it fleshcrafted it onto Here’s a good guideline when portraying a creature
her own. Now he’s more of a puppet ruler than ever. of such epic stature: Individuals who really have power
Ruxandra plays both ends against the middle. As long never need to flaunt it. As part of that, don’t use any
as the Fiends and Patricians have fresh reasons to hate each of his hidden Disciplines unless they’re absolutely,
other, she can gather more allies among the Ventrue by acting positively necessary. When a 1,000-year-old vampire
as Otto. After doing that, she sends her spies to offer more is forced into a situation where he must show off his
secrets to the Tzimisce. What better way to foster hatred strength, something has gone very wrong. In that case,
between clans than putting them in the same room? “Prince rolling dice is a waste of time. The walking god must
Otto” is eager to introduce Cainites of vastly different factions solve the problem quickly and decisively, then walk
to each other, but secretly, she sides with her Nosferatu spies, away as the lessers around them slowly realize that
the Tzimisce, and any antitribu willing to support them. such awesome power could have easily destroyed them.
Again, don’t do this unless the story needs it.
No Traits are provided for Dominus; simply let him do
what is necessary. Anyone foolish enough to pick a fight
ROOK TAKES PRINCE’S PAWN with him (provided they somehow overcome his Majesty),
Curiously enough, the tiles on the floor of the ballroom form a well, dies... graphically. Dominus’ air of overpowering menace
checkered pattern, rather like the squares of a chessboard. Figuring should serve as enough warning to anyone with ill intent.
out who really controls the various pieces on the board may take
a little work. Once the vampires venture forth from their starting
squares, the amount of tension in the room slowly increases. the Tremere are happy with what the Ventrue say. As for the
The current state of the board at the beginning of the rest of the people in the room, they’re potential enemies for
convocation is summarized below. It’ll stay that way for about the Ventrue and Tremere. Nova postures as a staunch ally of
20 minutes into the party. For about 10 minutes after that, each the Warlocks, though this is a ruse. (See Chapter Five.)
faction will send out “scouts” to offer diplomatic platitudes to If you own Transylvania by Night, the two Tremere she’s
the other Cainites. Once the introductions are over and the talking to are Malgorzata and Celestyn. If you don’t have that
political discussions are underway, the different factions begin book, then cut two Warlocks from whole cloth. Anyone who
their heated arguments. They’ll gather in the center of the room, knows Tremere politics should realize something about these
but the lines of battle will remain clearly drawn. magi: Although they’re important to the clan, the Usurpers
For most of the evening, Dominus, the Ventrue Inconnu, aren’t stupid enough to send anyone vital to such a dangerous
does not need to leave his corner of the room. Anyone who gathering. Etrius has a “previous engagement.”
wishes to approach him must do so with extreme courtesy. The Usurpers’ attitudes suggest that they are almost ready to
He radiates certainty that all of Transylvania will one day be act as bodyguards. Anyone who can get away with using Auspex
under the control of a new Roman Empire. (or better yet, Empathy) senses that the Tremere anticipate an
A few feet away, two Tremere converse with Nova Arpad. outbreak of violence. Anyone reaching psychic tendrils into their
Nova weighs her words very carefully, for she knows an ex- mind is in deep trouble, though — imagine two Tremere elders
tremely powerful Ventrue is watching her closely. She mouths and a Ventrue Methuselah turning and looking at the transgressor
the party line as best she can. Her main goal is to make sure in unison. If this happens, Dominus advances one square toward
the Tzimisce and the tension in the room rises a few notches.
40
Closer to the ice sculpture, Arianne of Clan Toreador regards She likes the idea of Count Rustovitch taking Vlad under his
her surroundings with cold appreciation. She obviously doesn’t wing, hopefully using the Son of the Dragon to stem the tide of
give a damn about politics — she just finds the sight of so many Western influence in Eastern lands. If the Tzimisce are unified,
uncomfortable Cainites in one room to be delightfully entertain- after all, that makes it easier for her to understand them.
ing. If anyone can charm her with wit or gloat over someone’s Vintilla, a minor Tzimisce the characters have never seen
misfortune, she is able to give the most accurate account of who’s before, avoids Razkoljna. He looks as though he can barely
hating who. She even makes a few brief suggestions on where contain his rage. If anyone gains his temporary confidence, he
the best place to spark an argument (or light a fire). gladly regales his listeners with tales of Vlad Dracula’s butchery.
Opposite Arianne, Stanislaus of Clan Brujah looks vastly out He provides the most dramatic retelling of Dracula’s slaughter in
of place. He is obviously here as some token gesture to his clan. He Kronstadt, decapitation of Dan III, and impalement of Tzimisce
looks as though he’s stoking his courage, getting ready to charge in forests of stakes. Occasionally, he fires a hateful glance at
into Ventrue territory and give them his best rant. If anyone talks Dracula, but is quickly repelled by Rustovitch’s glare.
to him at length, he remarks that the Tremere look like they’re A few other minor Tzimisce are here as well. Have fun with
preparing for conflict, and Dominus looks like he’s going to try them. They don’t quite blend in with the rest of the crowd, they
to get away with something. Before he can have his moment of argue with each other incessantly and they have quite a few amusing
glory, the events of the next scene humiliate him. remarks about what they’d like to do with the two Tremere. Prince
If you’ve read Transylvania by Night, Gutka of Clan Nos- Otto chose them wisely. There isn’t a chance in hell they’ll walk
feratu walks slowly from one axis of the room to the other. She’s away from this respecting the Ventrue or Tremere.
got power and prestige, and she isn’t afraid to demonstrate it. Her Eventually, the coterie needs to approach Count Rustovitch,
status outside Transylvania allows her to make somewhat gross the voivode of the clan. He never lets Dracula out of his sight. His
generalizations about local politics. Her status within her clan main interest is that the Son of the Dragon should learn about
allows her to get away with just being Gutka. Terrible rumors Cainite society as quickly as possible. He visibly demonstrates to any
of her preference for Cainite vitae circulate among the guests. uncertain parties that this wild card is under his control. Occasionally,
Storytellers without Transylvania by Night should create a he whispers remarks about various occurrences in the room.
suitably grotesque emissary for Clan Nosferatu. Several mortals drift about the room, blissfully unaware of
Zelios is here as well. Inviting him was the easiest and least who hates whom. They are all potential candidates for either
offensive way to include more Nosferatu. He is the most polite the Embrace or life as a ghoul. One is a Saxon merchant; a
person in the room, and has a reputation that allows him to second is wise old man from a Romanian commune; a third is
graciously approach anyone else present. On the other hand, a politician from Hermanstadt. At one point, have a mortal
the only subject that truly engages his interest is architecture, chat with one of the characters. An amusing subplot could
and he makes small talk about it all night. develop when the kine’s intended sire takes offense.
Anatole and Lucita wander about, and are here mainly If the characters charge into the Tzimisce section of the
to observe. Anatole, the only Malkavian in the room, is bold room at the beginning of the party, they will find it more difficult
enough to make remarks to just about anyone here. He always to gain sympathy from the Cainites lurking on the opposite side
begins his conversations seeming quite rational, but eventu- of the room. If they’re smart, they’ll split up immediately. None-
ally his dialogue becomes offensive: When he starts to remark theless, the battle lines have been drawn, and other Cainites
about God’s plans for the Cainites, it gets to be a bit much. want to play the factions against each other.
Lucita looks concerned for his safety. Her primary thought is
Let the games begin. The pieces begin to maneuver for
making sure her friend has an escape route. Lucita’s deadly
position.
reputation as an assassin precedes her, however, and the other
Cainites afford her a wide berth. SCENE FOUR:
If you like causing trouble, have one or two Nosferatu spies
Obfuscate about the room while listening to private conversa- A LIVELY DISCUSSION
tions. If they remain undetected, “Prince Otto” will gather The coterie may feel rather nervous about a meeting
even more information. If they don’t, then Gutka or Zelios may with so many prominent Cainites, particularly if they have
take grief from the other Cainites. Ruxandra doesn’t mind, as attended such meetings in previous years. The conversations
long as all of the Nosferatu get out of the room alive. range from trivial to profound. The members of the coterie
Clan Tzimisce is ostensibly holding its own gathering in may soon find themselves talking to vastly different Cainites
their section of the hall. Anyone approaching Count Rusto- about various pressing matters: Hardestadt’s plans for the
vitch must make it successfully through the pack of Fiends. Camarilla, the threat of the Anarch Revolt, the activities of
Razkoljna of Krakow is here as the most objective of the Fiends. the Transylvanian antitribu, the dangers of traveling through
(Again, those without Transylvania by Night should create the voivodate, and so on. Check out Chapter One for issues
an appropriately anti-Germanic Fiend.) She favors the idea of plaguing Transylvania currently — that’s why it’s there.
Embracing Dracula, but does not voice her opinion too strongly.
41
While many of the guests have rather vociferous reactions
to the events in Transylvania, most are cautious enough to test
SCENE FIVE:
the youngest Cainites present for their reactions, particularly A HEATED ALTERCATION
if they are princes by this time. Each of the elders present
Several guests raise their voices in their conversations. The
has an agenda of his own. If the characters really want to
tension builds. It finally breaks when a pack of five vampires
circulate, they can gather this information quickly, offering
throws open the doors suddenly. One of them holds the head of
some opportunities for heavy roleplaying.
the poor ghoul who escorted the coterie here. The pack charges
The experience should be something of a novelty. While
into the room, screaming war cries. With weapons drawn, they
20th-century vampires have the luxuries of transportation
surge into the gathering, splitting up immediately. In an instant,
and communication that allow them to gather practically
violence breaks out as the band assails the assembled guests.
at will, not many 15th-century Cainites are comfortable
As this occurs, Dominus stands at the far end of the room,
in this sort of soiree. A brief word of advice for running it:
doing nothing. He has no real urge to leap into the fray, instead
Improvise as many subplots as you want, but make sure the
he amuses himself by seeing how the lesser Cainites react. If
characters feel as though they are at the center of the ac-
a member of the coterie is near the door, that unfortunate
tion. Indulge them in their urges to wander into dangerous
character is also one of the first victims attacked. Vintilla,
territory, but if they decide to hide from others, maneuver
our minor Tzimisce, is an ideal candidate for victimization.
another chess piece to threaten their position. If a player
Remove a few of his body parts and let him bleed a bit.
gets really stuck talking about local politics, mention her
character’s evening in the study with Count Radu. If all ANARCH GATECRASHERS
else fails, the more dots a character has in Politics, the more
Generation: 11th
she remembers from her preparation.
Nature: Fanatic
The coterie’s ultimate objective, Dracula, never ventures
Demeanor: Rebel
far from the Tzimisce. He is taciturn, observing far more than
he says. In fact, anyone with Auspex or familiarity with the Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3
Empathy Talent can sense that he is trying to hide his fear. Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2
He is used to being in positions of absolute power, but now Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 3
he is the weakest creature in the room. Talents: Alertness 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 3
Eventually, the characters will get around to the mo- Skills: Melee 3
ment of truth: making Radu’s offer to Dracula. First, they Knowledges: Politics 1
must ask Rustovitch if they can speak to Vlad alone. If they Disciplines: For each anarch, divide three points between
don’t offer this courtesy, the count hovers nearby and casts a Celerity, Potence and Fortitude.
pall over the conversation. If, on the other hand, at least one Virtues: Conscience or Conviction 3, Self-Control or Instinct
member of the coterie has been able to survive the heated 2, Courage 4
discussions of the Tzimisce, the Fiends grant him the honor Road (Humanity or Beast): 6
of speaking to their guest.
Willpower: 6
When roleplaying the Son of the Dragon, be polite,
Notes: Of course, the anarchs have Traits other than
but brief. Lead the coterie into talking more than you
these. There’s no chance of other Traits being used in this
do. There’s a reason for doing this. As long as the offer is
encounter, however.
reasonably polite, Dracula surprises the coterie by acced-
ing to the argument quite readily. Anyone who can read The melee does not last long. Give the coterie a few turns
between the lines will sense that he wants to get out of here to brawl with the anarchs (just long enough to let the combat
as quickly as possible. monsters show off). One of the mortals is grievously wounded in
the fray. This enrages the eldest Cainites in the room. Through
As the evening progresses, characters may notice that
Thaumaturgy, Celerity and other undead means, the anarchs are
the gala is starting to deteriorate. The conversations linger
quickly slaughtered. One bursts into flame; a second is lifted off
at a point just short of physical violence. Though no one
the ground and smashed into a wall; a third watches in horror as
would be gauche enough to force the use of Disciplines or
his flesh is shredded by shadowy apparitions, and so on.
intimidation at a gathering like this, the divisiveness in
the room is about to bring the evening crashing to a halt. Shortly thereafter, Otto directs the ghouls present to clean
Some roleplayers hate dragging out these sorts of discussions up the chunks of meat and ashes soiling the floor of his ballroom.
for too long. They may even try to stir up the pot a bit by A silence falls upon the room. Give the characters a chance to
grandstanding or doing something stupid with Disciplines. quip something, if they’re bold enough. At the opposite end of the
If the characters have had their conversation with Dracula, room, Dominus laughs uproariously. The sight of anarch rebels
wait for the moment when all hell is about to break loose. using such crude tactics amuses him to no end. Following this
Then hit ‘em with the next scene. macabre display, the other Cainites jeer derisively as well.
42
It appears as though the tension in the room has been dispelled, Let the words hang in the air for a moment. Dominus
if only briefly. The conversations resume, and this time, every discus- casually fades out of view, using his Obfuscate Discipline as a
sion immediately shifts to the topic of the Anarch Revolt. (“If this is graceful way of leaving an unpleasant situation. The crowd is
their idea of a revolution,” one Cainite quips, “I think Hardestadt’s baffled. There is no sign of a fire. A few elders make perfunc-
Camarilla has nothing to fear!”) The general attitude in the room tory remarks and walk slowly to the front door. One laughs
is one of superiority. For a brief moment, everyone in the room nervously, obviously concerned for his unlife. Vintilla, our
can agree on one thing: The anarchs must be taught their place. wounded minor Tzimisce, is the youngest Cainite present.
Stanislaus storms out of the room, choosing a tactical retreat. He runs for the door at full speed.
This leads to a heated debate on Cainite ideology — ev- If the characters hesitate, they do so at their own peril.
eryone agrees that the anarchs need to be put down, but before The moment the first vampire in the coterie walks into the
long, the finer points of the issue ignite the crowd. Some favor hallway, he sees that the fire is somewhat more dangerous
extinction of the anarchs; others demand subjugation or Blood than previously anticipated. The hallway is a raging inferno.
Oaths; a few consider them an insignificant threat. The con- Vintilla has already succumbed to Rötschreck and in his
versation, of course, foreshadows the upcoming schism between frenzied flight he lashes out like a madman at any unfortu-
the Camarilla and Sabbat. The characters should be encouraged nate guest near him. Witnessing this is quite demoralizing;
to participate in this debate. The elders present try to elicit the increase the difficulties of further frenzy and Rötschreck
coterie’s stance on the issue as quickly as possible. rolls by one.
Dominus continues to show his derision for the Anarch Vlad Tepes is quite at a loss for how to regard this im-
Movement, laughing off the matter as a mere distraction mediate danger. He waits to see if anyone escorts him from
from larger issues. The Patrician’s opinion, however, visibly the room. The coterie should move quickly. If they do not
changes when he sniffs the air rather contemptuously. immediately think of rescuing Dracula, one of the Tzimisce
“May I have your attention, please?” the Roman remarks offers his help first. If this occurs, the characters may have
with cold nonchalance. At his merest utterance, the room to convince the Fiend of their more pressing need to ensure
falls deathly silent. “At this moment, I should remark that Vlad’s safety. Let them win, but let them also realize that
the castle is on fire. I shall take my leave of you. Thank you they’ve earned the Tzimisce’s animosity. Either way, Dracula’s
for a most amusing evening.” getting outside the building.
43
THE CONFLAGRATION career. (Florescu’s books have plenty of these.) Possibilities
include the time he nailed turbans to the heads of visiting
By now, the corridor immediately above the ballroom is Turkish emissaries, the occasion on which he boiled a Gypsy
in flames as are all apparent exits around them. Call for Wits spy alive, his joy at feasting before forests of impaled victims,
+ Alertness rolls (difficulty 4) all around. This might startle the details of tearing a servant’s womb open with a dagger to
the players; they may think they’re gearing up for a combat prove she was not pregnant — anything that establishes his
encounter in a burning castle. That’s not the case, however: violent sense of humor. Then remark that he is silent and
The member of the coterie with the most successes on the introspective for the rest of the journey, occasionally chuck-
roll notices a rather unusual person testing stones along one ling at similar fond reminiscences. Apparently, his wedding
of the walls. Examining this stranger’s aura reveals that the and conversion to Catholicism did not change him much. It
mysterious figure is a ghoul. The clock is ticking, though, so is important, however, to maintain an air of Dracula’s feral
just give him a chance to speak. charisma amid his tales of depravity. This is a fierce man with
“I know another passage out of the castle,” he calmly an indelible code of honor and sense of duty.
states. “I was one of the men who helped build it. For three Before too long, announce the sight of Tihuta Pass in the
phials of your blood, I will get you out of here safely. Would distance. Dracula is delighted by the scenery. Staring up at the
this be acceptable?” castle, he is singularly impressed by it. Although he technically
The ghoul, Nicholae Olahaus, can indeed show the char- owns it, he has not yet had a chance to visit. He’s eager to
acters a secret escape route out of the castle. If the characters walk through the corridors of his castle. Your description of the
refuse, the alternative is leaping through the flames, possibly gates opening, the wolves howling, or the sinister moonlight
making several dangerous soak rolls (if the characters have is probably losing its dramatic effect by now, but feel free to
Fortitude), and riding out a frenzy as they run down a fiery linger on the moment that Dracula crosses the threshold of
stairwell. You shouldn’t feel obligated to kill the entire coterie, Castle Bistritz for the first time.
but don’t let the characters know that — they might choose Radu greets Dracula warmly, showing deference while
to take this devil’s deal. mouthing platitudes. He makes the expected remarks about
Either way, the scene ends with the coterie watching how his clan eagerly awaits the day when Constantinople
Castle Hermanstadt in flames from its surrounding courtyard. will be reclaimed, etc. It is obvious, though, that something
Many of the servants die in the conflagration. By morning, has decreased his enthusiasm. A brief exchange occurs in
the citizens of Hermanstadt will have to start rebuilding the hallway. Count Radu invites Dracula into the next
their castle. With Zelios in the neighborhood, though, this room for a quick discussion. Radu states that he will return
shouldn’t be too hard. momentarily, then escorts the Impaler into the library.
In a few minutes, Radu returns, saying that his conversa-
SCENE SIX: tion with Vlad must wait a few moments. The coterie should
RETURNING TO BISTRITZ be surprised by this.
“I must speak to you privately,” he says. “Our decision
It’s four a.m. Dawn is an hour away. The castle is gutted, has been made for us.” Clever vampires may now notice that
there are no buildings for miles, and a man who’s butchered there are no other Cainites inside the castle. “Someone more
tens of thousand of innocent people is standing in front of your powerful than the Eastern Tzimisce will decide Dracula’s fate.
coterie. No problem. They’ve been through worse. Tiberiu is to leave within the hour to deliver Vlad Tepes to
If the troupe has been diplomatic, they’ve already convinced him. You are encouraged to accompany them on the journey,
Dracula of the benefits of meeting with Radu. Vlad has been as a measure of security. I am guessing that you have never had
traveling toward Mediasch over the past few weeks, enjoying the the honor of seeing the interior of the Cathedral of Flesh.”
sights of his native land after years of imprisonment. He’s quite If this isn’t the first session in your chronicle, the words
willing to delay his trip. Tiberiu has hitched up the hellhorses “Cathedral of Flesh” may have come up in conversation be-
(or substitutes thereof) and is ready to escort Vlad Dracula and fore. If they haven’t, an Intelligence + Occult roll (difficulty
the triumphant coterie back to Radu’s domain. 8) should identify it immediately. It is the lair of Yorak,
After the journey proceeds for several days of downtime, a Tzimisce Methuselah. Several prominent Cainites have
Dracula leads the characters into a topic they’re familiar with: descended into that Metamorphosist’s lair, never to return.
the benefits of the Embrace. He wants to know everything. If The words “Hell on Earth” should come to mind.
the characters meet up with him in a few centuries, they’ll find Count Radu asks the coterie to wait for him for about 10
it rather surreal that they once knew more about Caine’s curse minutes. He states that his hands are tied in this matter. Yorak
than he did. He is eager to know more, and pursues answers has either chosen his childe or determined his victim’s method
like a predator stalking his prey. of execution, and he will enforce it, one way or another. Radu
If you’re familiar with the life of Dracula, this would can oppose the will of the Tzimisce who wish to destroy him,
also be an excellent time to have him relate a story from his but he cannot deny Yorak. In fact, he says that he’s surprised
44
Cathedral is a great honor, one not to be refused. The temple
“HEY, RADU! upholds the ancient practices of the ancient Metamorphosist
cults. Although the demon Kupala seeks to spread its tendrils
I EMBRACED DRACULA!” of corruption through Transylvania, the ritus of the koldun
If some hyperactive player wants to Embrace Drac religion has maintained the purity of the land. Radu is dispas-
and tries to circumvent the whole story, it’s possible, sionate as he gives this description, as though his opinion of
but not advisable. First off, Vlad the Impaler’s got a few it does not really matter.
powerful contacts in Clan Tzimisce who wouldn’t take The coterie could respond to this in any number of
to it very kindly. Chalk up a few dozen Tzimisce enemies ways. They might decide that the cathedral is the last place
right away. Next, Radu’s been sculpting a revenant in they want to go. If so, they can run for their unlives now
his study. (Remember that?) If it’s absolutely necessary, and try to make it to a house in Bistritz before dawn. There’s
Count Radu can fleshcraft the ghoul into Dracula’s not much chance of that. They might decide that receiving
image. Vlad can then have the slave impersonate him Yorak’s gratitude is actually a good thing. If so, they’re fools,
by day and continue his mortal career. since Yorak doesn’t really give a damn about them. Another
If the coterie Embraces Dracula in the carriage, possibility is that the characters may want to warn Dracula,
continue with the plot as normal. Upon returning or perhaps accompany him to the cathedral to watch out for
to Count Radu’s castle, the coterie’s patron reveals his best interests and theirs.
that Yorak insists on acting as Vlad’s mentor. The If any of the characters are from Kronstadt or Mediasch,
coterie’s little blood toy is eager to go. Once that’s they might secretly be chuckling by now. Vlad Tepes has
done, you can either: a) kill Dracula in Scene Eight butchered thousands of people there, and anything Yorak
and have the thoroughly conditioned revenant replace does could be much worse than anything they could devise.
him, or b) have them both travel back to Mediasch If that’s the case, they’ll probably want to go along just to see
and carry out the events of the interlude. Neither
him suffer.
option is as satisfying — or as sensible — as the story
Radu looks as though he is growing increasingly para-
presented here.
noid. He whispers a remark to any Tremere or Malkavians
Oh, and don’t forget the third significant point:
in the group, “Protect your minds, my friends, for His powers
Dracula later becomes fascinated with the concept
are strong.” The count is struggling to maintain his defenses
of diablerie. If Vlad concludes this story as a char-
against psychic assault. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to
acter’s childe, sooner or later, he’ll gain a coterie of
probe his mind is met with rage, fear, and as much Willpower
his own. They’d love to help him consume his sire’s
as necessary before he flees from the room. Hopefully, such a
soul. So much for escaping fate....
shameful display will not be necessary.
If one of your players absolutely must Embrace
The count grants the coterie a chance to convene in the
Dracula, go ahead. Just make sure you’re prepared to deal
with the attendant discrepancies and plot concessions next room to discuss how bad things are. When they get back
you’ll need to make as Storyteller. It’s your game. from this private discussion, you’ll know how to sell them on
this idea instead of railroading them. Regardless of which
motivation they choose, Dracula seems enthusiastic about the
that this creature of such power didn’t just reach out across trip. He thanks Radu for his assistance, and asks the coterie to
the leagues to Dominate his mind. accompany him on this journey. The coach proceeds toward
Just as those words leave his mouth, Count Radu stops the Cathedral of Flesh the next night.
in mid-sentence. He clenches his fists and bows his head. He Vlad appears to regard Radu’s suggestion with equanim-
shakes ever so slightly. A wine glass on a nearby table shatters. ity. He is eager to get underway, and states that he would be
Then, in an instant, the pressure is released. most grateful for the coterie to accompany him. He is certain
“The legends of Yorak’s prowess,” Radu states, “are indeed that he can find some way to... compensate them... for their
most impressive.” Abruptly, he leaves the room for his private assistance. If this offer is advanced correctly, the coterie should
conversation with Dracula. be too curious to refuse.
At this point, the characters’ relationship with Dracula
SCENE SEVEN: becomes pivotal. If they confide in him that Radu has little
THE WILL OF ELDERS choice, and that they’re doing this by dictate rather than de-
sire, Dracula may believe them. He’ll consider them as allies
Ten minutes pass. Radu returns again. He apologetically compromised by fate. If the coterie gladly carries him off to
states that Yorak will no doubt be grateful to the coterie for the Cathedral, however, he may get suspicious of their motives
their assistance in escorting his honored guest. He seems and never forget this display. Not that the characters should
somewhat unnerved, as though he has resigned himself to care — the Son of the Dragon’s about to get offed, right? Pos-
fate. Speaking rather softly, he states that an invitation to the sibly. Nothing is quite what it seems....
45
SCENE EIGHT: Hopefully, someone’s got a spine. A few feet into the
cavern, visitors to the cathedral notice something growing on
THE CATHEDRAL OF FLESH the stone walls. The amorphous mass seems like plant mat-
ter, but it appears to shiver ever so gently. Veins in the walls
Tiberiu’s carriage rolls through a bleak wasteland in
sluggishly propel fluids with a faint luminescent glow. Anyone
southeastern Transylvania, not far from the city of Deva.
with medical expertise can see various… organs… illuminated
The locals have a legend regarding this blasted heath: A
in the chunks of tissue. As the cathedral’s sobriquet suggests,
sinister witch once fought an ancient demon here, and the
the walls are actually crafted from human flesh, shaped and
battle tainted the soil forever. Within a few miles is a cone
distorted to form a tapestry of viscera. The tainted fluids churn
of volcanic ash. On that site, the spirits of the earth suppos-
through a complicated network of capillaries, arteries and
edly fought with the spirits of the air. Both tales are not far
veins as they provide faint illumination.
from the truth. Anyone familiar with Tzimisce occultism
knows of Kupala, the ancient demon of corruption who has Characters who travel through these faintly glowing
despoiled much of the land. corridors can discern only faint outlines of the shapes within
them. For this, the coterie should feel grateful.
The legion of spirits who serve Kupala poisons the earth,
ravaging it to bring power to its lord and master. While Fiends Two red eyes peer from the darkness. Anyone with Wit-
must sleep in the soil of their native land by night, earth that ness of Darkness detects two misshapen figures loping toward
has been befouled by Kupala’s servitors gives no comfort. them. These figures are servitors of Yorak. They do not speak,
Through koldun sorcery, the Tzimisce have learned how to but hiss in some forgotten form of communication. A tendril
repel this infestation, preserving the purity of their homelands of psychic energy leaps from one mind to the next as the
in Transylvania. The most sacred night for this task is Kupala’s servitors speak, bringing on painful headaches and testing
Night (which may hold other significance for young Tzimisce the limits of the coterie’s willpower.
or characters who played through Act Three of Dark Tides Twenty feet further, the mass of tissues spreads across the
Rising). The ceremony is performed here monthly. Near the floor as well, absorbing the coterie’s footprints with moist, sick-
cathedral, however, Kupala’s strength is incredibly strong. ening sounds. Some sculpted forms protrude from the wall, but
Tiberiu’s carriage crests a large hill, showing a godforsaken not all of the body parts represented here are identifiable... or
valley of barren soil. The horses immediately stop. They are even human. The tapestry of flesh periodically surges, indulg-
obviously afraid, and will go no further. The blasted heath ing in a brief rippling of peristalsis. At any given moment, the
extends for several miles in every direction. At the center of vestiges of a head or face may emerge to the surface, twisting
it is a cave that yawns like the maw of hell. Tiberiu dares not in a glorious expression of ecstasy and horror.
breathe a word. He alights from the carriage, opens the door The Metamorphosists have had millennia to sacrifice
for their coterie, and motions to the entrance to the cave. victims to the tapestry. Now all who remain her are sustained
Anyone watching him can see that he is desperately trying by small amounts of vitae, trapped into eternal worship of the
to use what command of Animalism he has left to keep the vile Yorak. The two servitors lead the visitors onward, escort-
horses from bolting. ing them to a fleshy gateway crafted into the shape of a vast
Dracula calmly approaches to the entrance to the cave, human orifice. The threshold is guarded by two monstrous
showing no fear. “Yorak!” he cries out. “You seek me! Here I szlachta warriors. It is uncertain where the guardians end and
am!” The coterie can choose to tremble like Tiberiu or follow the walls begin.
Dracula. (The options for characters who watch from outside The servitors whisper in a forgotten tongue, then lick
the cave are described at the end of this scene.) If necessary, the softest portions of the szlachtas’ skins to placate them. As
Vlad turns to them and says, “My friends, you are vampires, the servitors pass, they dip their fingers in a communal bowl
are you not? Come with me.” of brackish fluid, then drip the congealing liquids onto the
If the coterie insists upon behaving like craven cowards, ground. The fleshy tapestry eagerly absorbs its nourishment,
have a remarkably human-shaped Yorak show up at the entrance responding favorably with delightful bursts of luminescence.
of the cave and greet them heartily. He offers them his bless- Other horrors in the walls groan in perpetual hunger. If blood
ing, carries a wondrous gift for them that they cannot possibly is spilled near them, the tapestry eagerly soaks it up — even
refuse — a tiny coffin lined with supple infant skin — and bulging forth to do so — and exudes an aura of satisfaction.
motions for the beasts to draw the carriage toward the cavern. Thousands of bodies have been woven into the tapestry,
Failing all else, if no one in the coterie has the courage to but the minds trapped within have knit together. They show
enter the cathedral, send Tiberiu and the ghouls in their place the moods of their crude gestalt through the different colors
to shame them. Once he’s ejected (see below), he’ll describe of their glow. Anyone using Auspex can detect hundreds of
everything, lingering on the grisly details he witnessed. This minds sharing the same joy and fear. With a little more effort,
isn’t as exciting, but that’s what the characters deserve for the thoughts of these slaves can be heard echoing through
letting poor Tiberiu do their dirty work. their minds: “Yorak... Yorak... Yorak...”
46
As the journey into the abyss proceeds, the petitioners can
still hear the dull roar of vitae churning in the walls around them.
The hypnotic sound becomes louder as they proceed, calling to
something bestial inside them. Blood calls to blood. Anyone who
wishes to harm the tapestry in some way must overcome this
chant of vitae. (The player must roll Willpower at a difficulty
of 9.) No one should be planning a fight scene with this Stygian
village of the Damned any time soon, though.
The thought of so much blood close by preys on the coterie’s
eternal hunger. If a Cainite is close to a feeding frenzy, she’s in
deep trouble; she’ll descend on the protuberances with orgiastic
abandon, glutting herself on the heady vitae. If this happens,
the unfortunate victim is occupied for the rest of the scene. You
should only occasionally refer back to her ecstasy — she’ll keep
feeding even as she sweats the excess blood through her pores
and the rippling walls of flesh slowly engulf her.
Anyone who can see in the dark can note the expression on
Vlad’s face. It is contorted into a rictus of reverence and joy. He
is overwhelmed, and has no qualms about proceeding further. As
the flood-beat grows louder, the coterie notices that it’s entering
a large chamber. The arteries in the wall are several feet around.
Blue and red cables spiral up toward the ceiling.
Suspended from the web of veins and arteries in the middle
of the cathedral, Yorak awaits. He revels in obscene biology,
expressing his satisfaction in a melange of atavistic shapes. Long
ago, evolution rejected the thousand forms of Yorak. Portions of
his body are sculpted into limbs nature never intended. Gradu-
ally, the rippling viscera transforms, shrinking in upon itself and
compacting into a vaguely anthropomorphic guise. When the
transmogrification is finally complete, an elderly man stoops in
the center of the cathedral’s narthex.
Yorak throws his arms wide. Dracula obeys. The count slowly
marches toward his new master, advancing like a bride to the altar.
The fleshy tapestry shivers in anticipation. Yorak throws back his
withered head, displaying serpentine fangs. As Vlad helplessly
stumbles into the Ancient’s embrace, Yorak lovingly strains
to reach Dracula’s throat. The tip of one of his fangs punctures
Dracula’s skin. The Methuselah hesitates. Something is wrong.
A single drop of Dracula’s blood falls to the floor.
The flesh of the cathedral cannot resist its excitement
any further. The walls ripple in an excited shudder of orgasm.
Bilious fluids weep from every orifice, coating the floor with
a marsh of viscous liquids. The floor grows unsteady. Anyone
failing a Dexterity check (difficulty 8), stumbles as the tapestry
surges in the first throes of vomitus.
For centuries, Yorak has bound the thousands of bodies of the
Cathedral of Flesh in eternal torment. Each time blood has been
spilled, the tapestry has eagerly devoured it. Now, after countless rituals,
the mass of bodies has formed one vast organism and one intelligent
gestalt. It has watched helplessly as many powerful Cainites have
been sacrificed, but its awakening mind senses the aura of destiny that
surrounds Vlad Dracula. While Yorak is distracted by the catharsis
of having acquired such a promising mortal, the Cathedral of Flesh
decides to exploit the opportunity for all it’s worth.
47
The entrance to the narthex closes like tightened sphinc-
ter. Yorak screams. He lifts his head and hisses at the trap that
has been sprung. A thousand mouthlike lesions erupt from his
body, exuding a charnel odor and emitting keening cries of
rage. He is terrified as he realizes that the Cathedral of Flesh
is poised to strike, channeling its willpower into one massive
act of rebellion against the godlike creature who tortured it for
millennia. From all directions, fanged tendrils leap out from the
walls of the cathedral, affixing themselves to various portions
of Yorak’s anatomy. Chittering maws of canine teeth devour
his twitching muscles, sinuous eel-veins entwine his limbs,
arrays of crustacean pincers gnaw at exposed bone, and tubular
proboscis with violently eager cilia suck vitae eagerly.
The diablerie of Yorak has begun! Damn it, man, call for
a Rötschreck roll (difficulty 8), and do it now! All who fail are
spared conscious thought as their senses are assailed by the tap-
estry’s myriad forms. Cainites indulging in this reverie cry out in
gibberish, reverently extolling the Cathedral’s glory in displays
of blasphemous ecstasy. See the sidebar for more details.
For those who succeed, enough reason remains for them
to be assailed by a horrid revelation: How many bodies have
been sacrificed here? Have they allied to rise up against their
master? Then reality comes crashing in: The rippling walls of
the cathedral have formed a crude hive mind, becoming one
ravenous vampire thirsting for Yorak’s very soul!
The tapestry vomits again, hurling the coterie down an
esophagus of the cathedral. Any who want to fight the flow
of bile may do so, but they’ll soon notice the sphincters of the
Cathedral continue to open and close. Bowels surge, forcing them
upward and evacuating them into the land above!
The coterie is spewed from the uppermost chambers of the
cathedral. After being ejected through countless corridors, the
vampires are hurled through the air about 10 or 20 feet, then
fall to the ground. Tiberiu is behind them, praying fanatically.
Merely watching the experience has been to much for him.
He kneels on the ground before the entrance to the cathedral,
eyes open, mouth covered in bloody froth. He mutters one
word over and over. “Kupala... Kupala... Kupala...”
Anyone who ran outside, or never entered the cathedral in the
first place, misses all the fun. Instead, they watch as their comrades
are purged by the massive intestinal tunnel of flesh. They can as-
sault the cathedral, run screaming, call down lightning bolts — any
damn thing they want. Assaulting a fourth-generation Tzimisce
with as much bulk as Zelios’ last castle is futile. Flesh is weak, but
the cathedral’s Fortitude is incredible.
Once the terror ends, have the Cainites roll against
Rötschreck to avoid frenzying into their first instinctive re-
sponse. Any who can hold on to their reason long enough may
rush to attend to the wounded. The entrance to the temple is
walled over with chitinous flesh, rejecting all further attempts.
Yorak has reached his Final Death. Now the cathedral is one
unwholesome organism, one incredible, utterly inhuman
vampire. It has one mind, one body, and a thousand different
forms. The diablerie of Yorak is complete.
48
the characters heartily for their assistance so far. He even uses
the following words: “You have protected me on a treacherous
TEMPORARY INSANITY journey. I am in your debt. I thank you.” The coterie may be
It may seem as though the insanity brought on by somewhat stunned by this. Granted, some of them may not
Yorak’s diablerie may prevent the characters from reacting believe it, but the legendary vampire Dracula is indebted to
properly to this scene. In fact, the opposite is true. Let the them. They may need to collect that debt later. Dracula mounts
roleplayers in your troupe describe their vampires’ most his unholy beast, preparing to ride off on his own.
extreme reactions. Temporary insanity shouldn’t inhibit There are several actions the coterie may take at this
action — it encourages absolute freedom of action, allow- point. We should address the foolish ones. If anyone acts out
ing indulgences unrestrained by mere reason. any violent hatred for the Butcher of Brasov at this point,
The vampires may think they are fighting for their the fleshcrafted beast of burden defends its rider. Anyone
unlives. Encourage their instinctive use of Disciplines tactless enough to use Celerity to jump Vlad Tepes gets a
and pervert them into the most horrific responses you twisted hoofprint smashed in his face, right before Dracula
can imagine. Anyone who wants to shred the tapestry flees off into the night. Anyone wanting to Dominate him
with demonic abandon may do so, tearing into layer can attempt to do so, but the beast speeds off anyway. After
after layer of soft flesh. The outburst is to no avail. all, the coterie has had several weeks to mess with Vlad, so
Anyone who tries to reach the soil beneath the walls if they’ve waited until the final scene to do anything foolish,
of flesh with Earth Meld gets to experience the rest of they shouldn’t feel too cheated.
the scene from inside the Cathedral’s walls. No doubt your players’ coterie has a little more tact and
Does anyone want to Walk of Flame? The surging a better sense of drama. As Dracula flees from the Cathedral
conflagration chars an entire wall of raw flesh, overpower- of Flesh, the coterie bids him farewell. The Son of the Dragon
ing everyone with a sickening charnel odor. Celerity? In an rides off to meet his destiny.
instant, the fleeing Cainite leaps into a gigantic collapsing
diaphragm. Within moments, he’s wriggling and vibrating
DENOUEMENT
as quickly as he can within the soft moist tissue. Don’t deny There is one more event to foreshadow before the con-
the vampires the chance to attempt drastic measures — just clusion of this story. Anyone with Auspex, Occult or some
twist it to amuse the cathedral’s victims instead of killing their similar potential may feel something sinister surging within
spirits. If anyone screams in mock terror, it’s working. the cathedral at the end of Scene Eight. Though they may not
realize it at first, what they’re feeling is the presence of Kupala.
If they have a chance to experience this sensation again later,
Once the frenzy has subsided, give everyone a chance point out that it matches the evil they sensed at the end of
to breathe deeply and towel down. Several of the vampires this story. By that time, the coterie should be ready to do just
present can see only a red haze before their eyes. This takes a about anything to drive it from the voivodate of Transylvania.
few moments to pass. After everyone has recovered, the next Until then, Kupala controls the Cathedral of Flesh. This time,
impression they receive is the realization that Dracula is not for a change, the demon wins one small victory.
here. Don’t discourage them from searching frantically for a Pass out the blue-books, if you like, and give the coterie a
body. Then again, don’t be too surprised if they walk up to chance to consider their reactions to all this. During the interlude,
the entrance of the labyrinth and mourn the Impaler’s death. one of the characters may decide to lead an assault on the cathedral.
Once the curiosity in the room is as thick as London fog, tell As you’d expect, that’s a monumental task. Kupala’s cathedral
the players that someone behind them is chuckling softly. becomes a spawning pool for horrid things, the least of which are
Cresting the hill and advancing toward the coterie, Metamorphosist monstrosities. Within a year, an honor guard of
Dracula is silhouetted against the harvest moon. His clothes Kupala’s demonic spawn (see Transylvania by Night, or improvise
are dripping with gore and viscera. He leads one of Tiberiu’s suitable Traits) occupy the area around the cathedral.
horses behind him as he grips a pair of severed reins. Though Before the next act begins, the players have earned a
the characters may be in a questionable state of mind, Vlad description of what occurs during the downtime between
Dracula desperately tries to retain his composure. stories. In the years that follow, Count Radu does indeed aid
“No more,” he states. “If I decide to join your kind, I must Vlad Tepes on his crusade. With the help of Prince Stephen
do so on my own terms. But not like this.” His next statement of Moldavia, Vlad returns to Wallachia, but does not rule
becomes essential for foreshadowing Act Three. He thanks for long.…
49
50
Haceldema is the Field of Blood, the
Potter’s Field of the gospels which the
chief priest bought from the silver they’d
paid Judas to betray Christ... [it is] a field
of retribution and vengeance.
— P. C. Doherty, A Tournament of
Murders
HACELDEMA
HACELDEMA
51
51
This story places the characters at a pivotal moment in between them), the story actually covers a vast canvas of Eu-
Cainite history, allowing them to participate in — or merely ropean geography. The early scenes involve the preparations
observe — the events surrounding the Convention of Thorns. for, and journey to, England from Transylvania — no mean
On October 23, 1493, near the village of Thorns, in the County feat in the centuries before rapid transit. Characters have the
of Southampton, in southern England, members of the recently option of traveling overland across the face of Europe, with a
formed Camarilla and the rebellious Cainites of the Anarch short sea voyage across the English Channel; undertaking a
Movement meet together for the purpose of declaring an end to sea journey from Transylvania to the English coast; or combin-
the Anarch Revolt. The decisions that arise from this gathering ing land and sea travel in a number of ways. Each provides
not only establishes the Camarilla as a firm controller of Cainite advantages and disadvantages, though all methods allow the
society, but also results (eventually) in the formation of the characters a variety of experiences.
Sabbat as its prime opponent. Additionally, the Convention of Although Storytellers need to have some familiarity with
Thorns marks a profound change in the nature of the Assamite the general setting (15th-century Europe), the most detailed
Clan and creates an irrevocable rift between the Camarilla’s scenes occur in southern England. Brief descriptions of the
supporters and those who choose to remain outside it. towns of Silchester, Thorns and the Abbey of the Sacred
Crown are provided here in order to give Storytellers an idea
STORY of the physical surroundings of the story.
SILCHESTER
BACKGROUND The town of Silchester, located approximately 30
The Anarch Revolt is over. Overpowered by the strength miles north of England’s southern coast, originated as the
and potency of their elders, the rebellious Cainites who dared Roman town known as Calleva Atrebatum. Built upon an
to attempt to change the established order of Cainite society even earlier Celtic defensive structure, the town sits on a
now face the prospect of paying the price for their actions. The slight elevation (300 feet), providing a “high” ground from
victorious Camarilla, less than 50 years old (young by Cainite which to view the flat, dense woodlands that surround it.
standards), looks forward to solidifying its power base and A series of narrow roads wind through the forests to the
putting into action its plans for protecting Cainites from the town, leading to the main thoroughfares that traverse
prying eyes of mortal society. Some Cainites, as always, remain Silchester. Remnants of the walls that once enclosed Cal-
on the outer edges of the conflict. Despite their official stance leva Atrebatum still remain, demarcating four gates at the
of neutrality, these independents acknowledge that the end of north, south, east and west sides of the town. A central
the Anarch Revolt signifies a new era for all Cainites. square (once a forum) serves as the principal marketplace
for the residents of the town. Houses and small shops radiate
In the mortal world, a century of peasant revolts in the 14th
outward from the town square in a haphazard fashion. The
century has transformed the nature of European monarchies.
most prominent building in Silchester is its church, which
Near the end of the 15th century, the numerous principalities
and duchies of Germany lie ripe for conquest by the Hapsburgs lies at the easternmost end of the town. Ideally situated in
of the Netherlands, while the city-states of Italy struggle to terms of farmlands and water supply, Silchester boasts a
resist (mostly unsuccessfully) Spanish invaders. In France and thriving population of about 1,000 people — mostly peas-
England, powerful monarchs have succeeded in establishing a ant farmers and crafters.
stable power structure, while to the east, the Ottoman Empire THORNS
looms as one of the strongest political factions in the world.
The hamlet of Thorns lies four miles southwest of
The various states of Eastern Europe (including Transylvania)
Silchester. Like its sister city, Thorns stands upon the ruins
exist in an atmosphere of perpetual uncertainty, vulnerable to
of an earlier Roman settlement, in this case, an outpost
the ambitions of both the Ottoman Turks and the Muscovites.
once linked with nearby Calleva Atrebatum. Smaller in
On the eve of the Renaissance, Church and state stand poised
size than Silchester, Thorns contains a little over 300
for a great power struggle.
inhabitants. The town’s name comes from the prolifera-
These general trends toward consolidation of small
tion of thorn bushes that grow in the vicinity. Villagers
states into larger ones and the emergence of strong temporal
harvest the thorns, which range in size from slender ones
governments as rivals to the authority of the Church mirror
suitable for use as needles, to larger, thicker thorns capable
the events of the Convention of Thorns.
of serving as utensils and tools. Stripped of their natural
SETTING weaponry, the supple branches of the thorn bushes make
excellent material for woven baskets and mats. Thus, de-
Although the heart of Haceldema takes place in a
spite its small size and its proximity to Silchester, Thorns
relatively circumscribed area (the towns of Thorns and
has managed to prosper without becoming assimilated into
Silchester and the Toreador-controlled abbey that lies
its larger neighbor.
52
THE ABBEY OF THE SACRED CROWN
Situated midway between Silchester and Thorns, the
Abbey of the Sacred Crown rests atop a small rise (150 feet)
in a clearing surrounded by a mixed growth of forests and
thorn bushes (some as tall as small trees). Built in the early
12th century, the abbey consists of a complex of buildings
enclosed by a sturdy stone wall; a gatehouse marks the main
entrance of the Abbey while a small postern gate provides
a rear passage through the walls. Inside the walls, a church,
monastery, abbot’s manse, kitchen and guest house surround
an inner courtyard and adjacent vegetable garden. Despite its
small size, the abbey possesses several advantages that make it
suitable as a site for the Convention of Thorns.
The most amenable feature of the Abbey of the Sacred
Crown consists of a series of underground cells located beneath
the monastery. These small rooms, intended for use as medita-
tion areas or as penitence chambers, provide adequate resting
quarters for visiting Cainites. While the abbey lies near enough
to both Silchester and Thorns to provide Cainites with access
to a consistent food supply, its relative isolation ensures that
the activities of those within its walls remain private. Finally,
the head of the abbey, Father Samuel, is a Toreador and acts
as the de facto “prince” of Southampton. Seeing an advantage
(possible contributions to the monastery’s coffers and a chance
to speak with several influential, learned and talented Cainites)
Father Samuel has offered his abbey as the site for the peace
negotiations between the Camarilla and the anarchs.
The Abbey of the Sacred Crown takes its name from
a legend that attributes the origin of the thorn bushes to
Joseph of Arimathea’s arrival to England in the first-century
A.D. An early follower of Christ and the owner of the tomb
that held the body of the crucified Jesus, Joseph became one
of the earliest Christian missionaries to the distant reaches
of the Roman Empire. Popular belief states that he bore with
him the crown of thorns that Christ wore on the cross; local
embellishments state that some of those thorns, quickened by
the blood of Christ, took root in the soil near the hill upon
which the abbey now stands.
ADAPTING THE STORY

This story assumes that the characters have played
through the events of the previous story and are located
in Transylvania or some other part of Eastern Europe.
If the characters hail from elsewhere in Europe or have
not participated in Act One: Blood Calls to Blood or
the events of Dark Tides Rising, the Storyteller should
adapt the early scenes to reflect this. In particular, the
early scenes that involve travel may need to be adjusted
to account for the geographic location of the characters
at the beginning of the story.
HACELDEMA
53
ACT II: OF CAINITE
than usual, stroking his clothing and whispering about “Blood, blood
between and among us all!” If they previously parted on good terms,
BONDAGE (1493)
Lucita addresses the characters warmly; if the parting was less than
cordial, she apologizes for the misunderstanding and says she hopes for
a new rapport to come from their visit. (Lucita is a currently staunch
supporter of the Camarilla and will suppress her own desires to some
SCENE ONE: A CHOSEN FEW extent to encourage Cainites to attend a convocation she considers
For over a century, war between elders and their rebellious vitally important to the future of Caine’s children.)
progeny has overshadowed Cainite affairs in Europe. Although She tells the characters, “We came to speak to you concern-
much of the bloodshed and carnage has taken place under cover ing a great meeting of Cainites to be held in England. I know
of peasant uprisings and petty wars, enough rampant violence has you will feel that since this is so far away it has no meaning to
occurred to draw the attention of the Inquisition. Already alert you, but you would be wrong. The troubles caused by the anarchs
for evidence of witchcraft, heresy and diabolism, the Church has and the antitribu are almost over! A convocation of Cainites
become sensitive to the possibility that supernatural forces are at calling itself the Camarilla seek to end this destructive civil
work, undermining the established hierarchy of temporal power. war among our kind. This convention is the key to doing so.
The threat of exposure has finally brought Cainites from both We are threatened by so many outside forces — the Inquisition
sides of the Anarch Revolt to the bargaining table. After months and mortal superstition, the tides of war that sweep over us from
of delicate discussions between emissaries representing the warring time to time — the Camarilla sees the need to eliminate the
parties, the leaders of the Camarilla and the anarchs have agreed threat we can control, that posed by internecine warfare.
to a cessation of hostilities. For the anarchs, this is tantamount to “Surely, you have experienced some of the destruction
an acknowledgment of their defeat. For the Camarilla, the fact wrought by this fighting among ourselves? Many nights have
that the anarchs have conceded the need for parley means that passed since last we spoke; I do not know your minds concern-
victory lies within their reach. Those Cainites who have man- ing anarchs and elders. You might support the anarch cause
aged to remain apart from the hostilities know that the end of yourselves. Whether you now be prince or antitribu, your voices
the Anarch Revolt signals a new era for Caine’s children. are needed at the convention. Everything we do, everything
This scene begins in the early months of 1492, when the we become from this moment on will be colored by the deci-
characters learn of the proposed Convention to be held near sions made at this convocation. I know it is a long and arduous
the village of Thorns. journey, but as you can see, Anatole and I travel frequently
from west to east and into the northern lands as well. We have
If the Storyteller has a plausible way of bringing all the characters
survived. It is not so difficult. Say that you will attend.”
together, Anatole and Lucita send word of their imminent arrival
via messenger, and reach the characters’ lodge the next evening. In Should the characters agree, she can tell them other details:
this case, the Storyteller should read or paraphrase Anatole’s and “I have come to you now so that you may make adequate
Lucita’s words to the characters. If they are not together, each receives preparation for the journey. The convention will be held in the
a letter from Lucita delivered via messenger to whatever abode he third week of October in 1493. Near Silchester, England, lies the
or she inhabits. In that case, skip the dialogue and give the players hamlet of Thorns, which boasts a monastery called the Abbey of
copies of the letter (not the short note) given below. the Sacred Crown. Its abbot is a Toreador and he has promised
us secure havens during the day and privacy by night.”
GATHERED TOGETHER At this point, Anatole interrupts; his voice suddenly grows
If the characters are together: in volume beyond his earlier incoherent mumbling:
As the characters talk or interact, a messenger approaches “Lo! The Dragon returns, wreathed in blood, and after him, a
them, note in hand. It reads: raging torrent of flames and destruction follow. The earth cannot
I hope this missive finds you well. hold him, nor the fires of the sun contain his fury. Darkness claims
Anatole and I once again find ourselves traveling the lands all who challenge the Dragon’s will. From the eastern mountains
nearby. It is our intention to join you at your current location to- his anger rises; a tide of woe drowns the faithful of Byzantium as
morrow eve. We bring news! Should you not wish to see us, please the ravages of war bring the old cycle to an end.
send word by our messenger, else we shall come to you some hours “Too much carnage! Beware the field of blood. Let the
after moonrise tomorrow night. young bow down before the old lest the Dragon consume
Lucita them all in disarray!”
The characters have an evening to speculate concerning Lucita looks distinctly uncomfortable throughout his
the news Lucita brings. They might also catch up on things if tirade. When he has finished, Anatole seems unaware that
they have not seen one another in some time. he has spoken aloud. If questioned, he remembers nothing of
The next evening, some three or four hours past moonrise, what he said, nor can he speculate on his statements’ meaning
Anatole and Lucita arrive. Anatole seems even more distracted (except with a vague Malkavian non sequitur).
54
Lucita seizes the initiative again to urge the characters to
attend the Convention of Thorns. She is as persuasive as she can MOTIVATIONS
be. Once the characters have agreed to go or have stated absolutely
that they don’t wish to attend, Lucita and Anatole turn to other While it is fine to have another Cainite invite
topics — the Turks, rumors they have heard and other gossip. After them to attend the convocation, some characters
a night’s visit and a day’s haven from the sun, they take their leave, may feel that they have no real reason to go nor any
explaining that they have other Cainites to call upon. say in how things turn out. The Storyteller may wish
to sweeten the pot by any of the following methods
SEPARATE MESSAGES that seem to make sense (i.e., it is unlikely — though
If the characters are not together, each receives a copy not impossible — that a prince would receive a
of the following letter: summons to defend his anarch leanings, but quite
Salutations, Old Companion; within reason for him to be asked to attend as a
We have not spoken in some while, but I hope that you will representative of his clan). Common sense should
remember both Anatole and me. I write to you tonight to urge your dictate which might be useful.
attendance at a great convocation that promises to forever change • The characters receive a summons (or an
our kind’s existence. You will be aware of the many disruptions invitation) to attend the meeting as representa-
and dangers posed by the fighting between the anarchs and elders. tives from Transylvania (or whatever region they
Surely, you have seen evidence of this in your own lands. Perhaps currently inhabit).
you even support the anarch cause. • Characters who support the elders or who have
The troubles caused by the anarchs and the antitribu are almost attained some status within the fledgling Camarilla
over, however! A convocation of Cainites calling itself the Camarilla may participate in the Convention to argue the de-
seek to end this destructive civil war among our kind. This convention mands of the victorious elders.
is the key to doing so. We are threatened by so many outside forces • Anarch characters may be asked by their peers
— the Inquisition and mortal superstition, the tides of war that sweep to attend in support of the Anarch Movement, bearing
over us from time to time — the Camarilla sees the need to eliminate instructions to make a final attempt to gain the best
the threat we can control, that posed by internecine warfare. terms possible for their rebellious comrades when they
Whether you now be prince or antitribu, your voices are surrender to the will of the Camarilla.
needed at the convention. Everything we do, everything we become
• Some anarchs may anticipate that the victors
from this moment on will be colored by the decisions made at this
will insist on their surrender; those who attend the
convocation. I know it is a long and arduous journey, but Anatole
Convention with no intention of admitting total defeat
and I travel frequently from West to East and into the northern
may hold out some hope for rallying last-minute support
lands as well. We have survived. It is not so difficult. Say that you
for their cause. (These die-hard anarchs will form the
will attend; let your thoughts be heard.
core of the Sabbat, which emerges as a distinct sect op-
The meeting is to be held in the third week of October in 1493.
posed to the Camarilla shortly after the Convention of
Near Silchester, England, lies the hamlet of Thorns, which boasts
Thorns.) Such sentiments might not ever be expressed
a monastery called the Abbey of the Sacred Crown. Its abbot is a
without the characters there to do so.
Toreador and he has promised us secure havens during the day and
• Since the clans unaffiliated with the Camarilla
privacy by night. Although the journey will take many months, I
realize the importance of this meeting for all Cainites,
believe you shall find worth in having a voice in the governance of
they also seek to send observers and, perhaps, delegates
our kind from this night onward.
to the Convention. Characters belonging to any of these
Should you choose to come, I have found it of use to travel in
clans may attend as observers or rabble-rousers.
the company of others so that we are mutually protected. Anatole
is not always the most comfortable with traveling companions, yet • Some attendees may simply be true independents
he has never failed me in a bind. whose own curiosity (or that of their elders) drives them
May you journey safely. I look forward to seeing you at the to travel to Thorns to witness the event.
convocation. • In such an important meeting, neutral characters,
Lucita especially those who have attained high status within
Post-Scriptum — Anatole has told me to warn you of the Cainite society, may attend as moderators and arbitors,
rise of the dragon from the eastern mountains. It will be followed with the responsibility of hearing arguments, recom-
by a rain of blood and destruction, so he claims. He warns you to mending judgments and enforcing decisions.
beware the field of blood and says that the young must bow to the • In addition to representing either the elders or the
elders. As our purpose is to bring an end to this conflict, perhaps anarchs, characters may also represent their particular clans,
this bodes well for us. As to the dragon — I confess I am unable geographic regions, or factions such as the Eastern Lords.
to discern his meaning. Perhaps his words hold instruction for you
of which I am unaware.
HACELDEMA
55
Storytellers should decide for themselves how to best mo- ings, fresh horses, adequate blood supplies and other amenities to
tivate the characters to attend. Perhaps their sires or vassals ask be waiting for them. It would be unfortunate for the characters to
it of them; perhaps they have other business in England and use reach England only to find they have no covered coach in which
the convention as an excuse to go. Whichever reason they use to travel and the sun is due up in five minutes....
to justify the journey, the characters should be aware that they In addition, once the characters make it known they are
need several months to travel to England from Transylvania. traveling to Thorns, they receive from the Camarilla sponsors
For example, a sea voyage from Venice to Alexandria in Egypt guarantees of safe passage through Cainite domains otherwise
(which simply crossed the Mediterranean, a rather quiet sea) inimical to them. Of course, if the characters have appointed
usually took a merchant ship about 65 days at this time. The themselves as delegates to the convention and told no one they
distance from Eastern Europe to the south of England presents are going, they must secure these sureties of safety for themselves.
a formidable obstacle for mortals; for Cainites, the problem of Whether or not any such promises hold true — particularly with
long journeys holds special terrors and uncertainties. regard to Tremere traveling through Tzimisce lands or vice versa,
MAKING PREPARATIONS or Setites journeying through anyone else’s territories — remains
in the hands of the Storyteller. In general, however, the point
Few Cainites travel without a retinue. Characters may garner is to get the characters to the Convention of Thorns, not to so
a group of servants, ghouls and retainers using experience points as bedevil them along the way that they miss it altogether.
described in Chapter Six under Background or may use Resources
to purchase the services of servants and mercenary guards. If they WAYS AND MEANS
have no ghouls, they still need someone to look out for them during Characters should choose whether they will travel by sea, use an
the day no matter how they travel. Therefore, characters who lack overland route or combine the two methods. From Transylvania, most
their own retainers may (at the Storyteller’s discretion) acquire es- characters seeking an overland journey must travel to Krakow or into
sential personnel from their sires (or mentors or allied Cainites) as a Russia in order to go west by land. Though it may take longer, the
boon or an incentive. In addition to personal servants and security characters could take advantage of a less arduous sea journey by traveling
providers, characters may realize the wisdom in taking along a guard overland to Constantinople, sailing for Italy and, from there, around
or two to protect them from enemies or curious mortals (who may Europe to make the crossing from France to England. Of course, once
wish to know what’s inside the big box). Wise characters may have in Italy, they might travel overland through Germany and Flanders
the foresight to send someone ahead of them to arrange for lodg- and take ship from there. Consult the trade route map below.
56
Later in the year, the seas — especially the northern ones — not know of the existence of Cainites, one of these ignorant
get rougher and more perilous due to storms and ice floes; sailing humans might get curious about the nocturnal habits of his
also limits the characters’ blood supply unless they travel with a fellow travelers. Someone may inadvertently chance upon a
sizable herd or make frequent stops. Overland travel, while provid- character in the act of feeding, or a cheeky merchant might
ing more opportunities for feeding, also makes it easier for those take offense at an imagined (or intentional) slight and chal-
who might want to harm the characters to locate them. Anyway lenge a character to a duel. Shipboard or caravan romances and
you look at it, however, the journey is both long and hard. intrigues might draw the characters into all sorts of interesting
After the characters have made their preparations for complications. Of course, attacks or ambushes by pirates or
the journey to Thorns and have decided on their route and bandits always provide a break from the humdrum routine
method of travel, the Storyteller should proceed to Scene of travel. Several small territorial wars plague Europe at this
Two (if the characters choose sea travel) or Scene Three (if time and might enmesh the Cainites in other plots and plans.
they opt for an overland journey). If characters combine the Even feuds between barons might cause problems for groups
two forms, the Storyteller may use appropriate parts of both moving from one area to another. (“Spies, milord! Shall we
Scenes Two and Three. shoot them first and question the survivors?”) Feel free to make
unlife interesting for the travelers, just not so interesting they
A NOTE TO STORYTELLERS forget about the convention.
Players who seem reluctant to involve their characters in
this scenario may need more incentive than usual. Personal SCENE TWO:
requests from allies or sires, demands to repay a boon through TIDES OF FORTUNE
attending the convention, or hints that their standing in their
clans might be enhanced should they attend are only a few of Two major sea routes exist at the end of the 15th century:
the ways of gaining their cooperation. Blackmail (threatening the Hanseatic (northern) and Venetian (southern) trade routes.
to reveal certain skeletons in the closet), promises of payment If the characters elect to travel by sea, they must take one or
or reward of some kind, even flattery (“We must have you there; the other of these routes in order to get from Eastern Europe to
your political acumen is legendary...”) might be used to draw England. Each possesses its own advantages and disadvantages,
reluctant characters into the story. If all else fails, take the and the Storyteller should either leave it up to the characters
members of the troupe who are willing and dismiss the others to choose which route they prefer or else arrange matters so
from play for the time it takes to run the scenario. Do not feel that only one route is practical.
that you must give equal time or experience points to those THE HANSEATIC TRADE ROUTE
who refuse to attend; they have simply lost out on a chance to
play and gain experience. Maybe next time they’ll feel more The traders of the Hanseatic League (based in the Nether-
like cooperating — even if it does move their characters out lands) control most of the sea traffic along the northern coast
of familiar surroundings and expose them to the dangers of of Europe. Their cooperation with the Venetian merchants of
long travel in the 15th century. Southern Europe ensures a steady flow of rare spices, precious
silks, wine and fruits from Southern Europe in exchange for
SPEEDING THE JOURNEY the rich stores of metals, furs and textiles prevalent in France,
Nothing loses a player’s interest more quickly than nights Germany and Eastern Europe.
and nights of tedious travel. In order to avoid boredom, the To take advantage of the northern route, characters must
Storyteller should compress time by using snapshot vignettes first travel overland to Danzig or one of the other ports on the
to give the impression of an eventful journey without running Baltic coast. Such a journey takes at least a month (if not more).
the risk of “over packing” the travel phase of the story. In From Danzig, the journey to England takes the characters along
addition, a few descriptions of notable places and landmarks the northern coast of Europe with possible stops at Stralsund,
can add to the illusion of long-distance travel. Travel books Wismar, Rostock, Oslo, Hamburg, Kampen and Bruges before
that feature the areas characters will be traveling through are finally arriving on the English coast at Southampton or con-
invaluable — especially if they include pictures of the terrain tinuing up the Thames to London. The frequency of such stops
or coast. A quick read-through can tell a Storyteller what was depends on whether or not the characters are traveling on a
in the area during the time period (usually castles, old Roman commercial ship that needs to visit several ports to load and
ruins and such). Obviously, modern buildings, highways and unload their cargo of trade goods. If the characters have man-
such will not be present during the time in question, but even aged to charter a ship from the Hanseatic League for their sole
a single picture or the description of a small village overseen use, they may be able to get by with fewer stops (although they
by a castle can make the journey seem more vibrant. may need to put into port frequently in order to feed).
Storytellers may also want to throw in a few possible events Characters should be aware of the problems with taking the
with the potential for combat or challenging roleplaying. If the northern route, particularly during the latter months of the year. In
characters choose to travel in the company of mortals who do cold weather, the northern seas are susceptible to great ice storms
HACELDEMA
57
and rough waters, not to mention icebergs and floes that can block themselves while the characters are awake. When the vampires
passage of ships for months at a time. The best time to use this route retire at dawn, however... Alternatively, when they reach port,
is during the late spring, summer and early fall. At best, the total survivors may alert the authorities — including the Inquisition
journey from Eastern Europe to the Baltic Coast (overland) and — if they are able to do so. Aside from these considerations, it
from there to London (by sea) should take 60 to 90 days. simply doesn’t make sense for characters to drain their own crew
to the point of exhaustion or collapse; if they do so to more than
THE VENETIAN TRADE ROUTE one crew member, the Storyteller might have several crew jump
Alternatively, characters may opt to take advantage of the ship at the next port, fleeing the mysterious malady on board.
trade routes used by the Venetian merchants. From Transylvania, Delays and the trouble of replacing lost crewmen should serve
characters must either travel overland to Constantinople or else to convince characters it isn’t wise to dine on board.
make an even more arduous trip across the whole of Eastern Europe Once the characters have reached the channel between
(and across the mountains) to Venice itself. Storytellers may as- France and England, the Storyteller should proceed with
sume that this land route takes about four weeks, with allowances Scene Four.
for delays making up the difference in time between the shorter
journey to Constantinople and the longer one to Venice. SCENE THREE:
A ship from Constantinople traverses the entire coastline OVERLAND TRAVELS
of Mediterranean Europe, putting into port along the coast of
Greece before crossing the narrow waters that lead to Italy’s Characters may decide to travel overland for the entire
journey (except for the necessary short trip across the English
boot. Some ships sail up the eastern coast of Italy to Venice
Channel). From Transylvania, the easiest route with regard to
before retracing their path and continuing onward along Italy’s
passable terrain involves traveling to Krakow and, from there,
western face toward southern France, making port at Nice and
journeying across the middle of Europe (above the Alps) until
Marseilles. The next leg of the journey traces the Spanish
they reach the northern coast of France. This trip takes ap-
coastline, with stops at Barcelona and Valencia before pass-
proximately eight weeks.
ing through the Straits of Gibraltar and putting in at Cadiz.
The last stretch involves a journey up the western coast of While the cumulative time appears shorter than a sea
voyage, characters traveling overland must take into account
Spain, leaving the relative calm of the Mediterranean for the
the political tenor of the various regions through which they
unpredictability of the Atlantic Ocean. The journey ends on
journey. In addition, the weather (particularly when passing
England’s southern coast at Southampton.
through mountainous regions) may make land travel nearly
While this route does not suffer from the extreme sever- impossible during some parts of the year. Characters traveling
ity of weather common to the northern sea, the waters of the in a caravan or as a small party are also vulnerable to attacks
Mediterranean can sometimes become turbulent. The passage from bandits, rival Cainites and the terrible Lupines of Europe’s
between Spain and Africa might become a difficult leg of the eldritch forests. In short, Storytellers, pass the journey unevent-
journey as Moors cast out of Spain seek pirate’s vengeance fully or add an encounter that suits your troupe’s tastes.
against Europeans. The final phase of the voyage, skirting
the Atlantic coast of Spain and France, can prove every bit SCENE FOUR:
as perilous in colder months as the icy Baltic journey. The
length of the journey varies with the number of stops made,
MATTERS OF IMPORT
but, in general, Storytellers may assume that the characters This scene encompasses several smaller scenes, since it
will spend approximately eight weeks at sea in addition to the comprises the various meetings and discussions that result in the
four-week land portion of their journey. agreement known as the Treaty of the Convention of Thorns.
The format of the gathering consists of a series of councils at-
FEEDING tended by the delegates, followed by periods of discussion in
The main problem for Cainites who travel by ship lies which attendees engage in lobbying for their views. Storytellers
in the difficulty of obtaining blood on a regular basis. Unless should feel free to alter the number of meetings (perhaps simply
characters bring along a sizable retinue of mortals from whom summarizing some of the less important ones) if players seem
they can feed, they must rely either on the ship’s crew (which restless at the prospect of “too much talk, not enough action.”
could prove disastrous) or on frequent stops along the way. On the other hand, if the troupe enjoys roleplaying the conflict
Feeding while in port should present most characters with little of ideas that eventually results in the peace treaty, the Storyteller
difficulty. If the characters resort to preying upon members of should allow the players to indulge themselves. After all, this
the crew, their actions will likely expose their true natures; the gathering is a landmark in Cainite history, and the characters
sailors may lack sophistication, but they are not stupid. have a rare opportunity to help shape their own destiny.
Of course, in the event that the crew does realize that their Characters have the chance to debate and, if they are
passengers are vampires, there is little they can do to protect actual delegates, vote on several issues. If their votes do not
58
agree with the outcome as set out in Vampire: The Masquer- ARRIVAL
ade and its sourcebooks, the other delegates simply outvote
them. In any case, the characters’ opinions and votes are The Storyteller should plan to have the characters arrive on
noted by both allies and rivals. Should Storytellers wish, or just before October 17, 1493. This takes into account several
they may allow the characters’ votes to “change” vampiric months of travel and the time spent preparing for the journey. Delays
history. Doing so significantly alters the future, but hey — it’s caused by bad weather, changes in route due to local wars or physical
your game. The rest of this book assumes that Storytellers barriers (passages blocked by avalanches, mudslides, flooded rivers,
do not allow their players’ characters to fly in the face of etc.) can help keep the characters from arriving too early and facing
established events. the prospect of waiting around for things to happen.
During the meetings, the characters may meet with im- Characters who seem surprised that the convention is taking
portant leaders of the Camarilla and the Anarch Movement place at a religious site have their suspicions allayed almost imme-
as well as with the individuals who are destined to found the diately upon their arrival within the abbey’s walls. A pair of monks
Sabbat. The presence of so many influential Cainites provides greets them on behalf of their “master,” the prince of Southampton,
an ideal situation for characters to make valuable contacts or and offer to stable the characters’ horses and see to their belongings.
persistent enemies. Another monk guides the characters to their quarters in the complex
Don’t feel you must adhere too closely to the script. of underground cells below the monks’ dormitory and inquires if the
Characters will undoubtedly become interested in certain honored guests require sustenance. If the characters are in need of
Storyteller characters and wish to interact with them at greater blood, the monks will provide them with goblets of vitae; Should any
length or more frequently. Philosophical discussions, social of the Cainite characters question the origins of the blood, the monks
salons, midnight mass, hunting parties (in search of deer and reply that it comes from donations freely given by the residents of the
the like), card or gaming parties and numerous other activities monastery or through bleeding the peasants (a common medicinal
(including romances and “friendly duels”) may all be a part of practice). In addition, animal blood from herds of cattle is in plentiful
the convention. Even vampires can’t just feed and talk all the supply for those characters who prefer nonhuman vitae.
time. Try to vary the activities enough to maintain interest Once the characters have settled in, they are conducted
while not losing sight of why the characters are there. into the presence of Father Samuel, the abbot of the monastery
as well as the prince of Southampton.
HACELDEMA
59
PRINCELY GREETINGS other delegates who might hold drastically opposing views. He
reminds them that this is a meeting of peace, not another stage
Father Samuel receives the characters in a small room in the war between the anarchs and the elders.
on the ground floor of the two-story manse that serves as his He has offered to host the gathering because, while he ostensibly
residence. A servant (not a monk) ushers the characters into follows the principles of the Masquerade, he is not officially affiliated
a small waiting room and informs them that the abbot will see with either the Camarilla or the anarchs. His neutrality during the
them as soon as he has finished with a previous visitor. conflict has made it possible for him to offer a safe place for the
After a few minutes, the door to an inner room opens and convention and he intends to make certain that nothing happens
the abbot’s visitor takes his leave. Characters may recognize Myca to violate the truce. Father Samuel finishes his audience with a
Vykos from earlier encounters with him though he has modified his warning that individuals who prove obstructive or who succumb to
appearance with Vicissitude. Vykos seems upset and does not deign frequent frenzies will be staked between sessions in order to ensure
to recognize or speak to the characters unless they, too, are anarchs. the safety of the other delegates. He wishes the characters well and
(He has just had an argument with Father Samuel over security dismisses them so that he may greet the next arrivals.
precautions for the anarch delegates and he fears that the Camarilla FATHER SAMUEL, ABBOT OF THE
may intend hostility despite the truce agreements currently in force.)
If the characters are part of the Anarch Movement, Vykos indicates
ABBEY OF THE SACRED CROWN,
that he will talk with them later, then leaves. Once Vykos has left, PRINCE OF SOUTHAMPTON
the characters are allowed in to see Father Samuel. An ascetic, yet handsome, Toreador, Father Samuel has
The prince greets the characters warmly, asks about their surrounded himself with a coterie of fanatically devoted monks
journey and inquires if their rooms seem suitable. He then informs — ghouled retainers — as well as a small army of soldiers to
them that they may feed discreetly in either the town of Thorns protect him from his enemies. He retains his power and influ-
or Silchester but cautions them to practice frugality, since the ence in Cainite society through acting as a diplomat and offering
sheer number of delegates puts a significant strain on the available his monastery as a haven for Cainites in the area. He has allied
food supply. He warns them to avoid unnecessary expenditure himself with the other Cainite princes in England and hopes that
of vitae and cautions them to exercise restraint in dealing with this will help him avoid his enemies (Cainite or clerical).
60
Samuel is a tall, gaunt man who appears to be in his late beliefs that led to this state of war between generations be al-
40s. His pallor accentuates the ascetic features of his face — lowed to proliferate, and if so, how can this happen without a
thin lips, piercing black eyes and high cheekbones. His dark return to bloodshed? Should Blood Oaths be required of those
hair is styled in the monk’s tonsure. He wears dark-brown who recant their rebellion and, if so, who should hold those
robes secured by a braided rope belt. Despite his deliberately oaths? What guarantees shall the Camarilla accept to assure
understated appearance, Samuel’s fine bones and aristocratic the future behavior of those formerly in rebellion?
bearing give him a handsome, almost regal look. While his “There can be only one authority among Cainites, and that
clothing suits a monk, it is made of fine materials and his rope authority is the Camarilla. Your presence here testifies to your ac-
belt is actually made of twisted strands of fine linen. quiescence to that fact.” (Murmurs of dissent become audible from
RUNNING THE CONVENTION OF the anarch delegation at this statement, since some of them have
actually come to express their disapproval of the proceedings.)
THORNS “Should a general amnesty be granted to those whose
The Convention of Thorns takes place over six evenings, actions led others astray, or should the leaders surrender
from October 18 (when the gathering is called to order) to October themselves to the judgment of the Camarilla’s Founders and
23 (when the articles of peace are proclaimed to the gathering). their Archons?
The following outline should help in organizing the events of the “The actions of Clan Assamite require stern measures to
convention. Storytellers should feel free to exercise the snapshot curtail.” (She nods in the direction of the four Assamite delegates
technique to avoid too much repetition for troupes that do not who stand apart from the main groupings.) “The commission of
wish to roleplay every debate at the convention. diablerie practiced by their members must stop. Recently, the
• October 18: First Meeting — Eleanor de Valois (the Camarilla has discovered the location of their stronghold of
moderator chosen for the convention) explains the issues Alamut, an action that has convinced Clan Assamite to engage
to the assembled delegates. The Founders are introduced by in negotiations as to their status within Cainite society.
name and clan. The predominant attitude of most of those “Should Clan Assamite remain independent of the Cama-
attending is of cautious probing of the enemy position while rilla and refuse to subject themselves to its rulings? If they do
readying for an attack. There is a feeling that violence is barely remain apart, how may we ensure that their practices pose no
restrained and the smell of suspicion and the barest hint of future threat to us? We must seek some sanction or control over
trust permeates the meeting. Afterward, the attendees break up the Assamites if they do not join with the Camarilla.
into smaller groups to discuss what they have heard. As each “Finally, the Founders of the Camarilla,” she indicates
group relaxes its stance somewhat, the individual members the seven individuals led by Hardestadt, “have been acting as
become more willing to speak with strangers. Justicars for the Camarilla and taking on assistants to act as
THE FIRST MEETING their Archons. Shall this system of governance continue? If we
agree to abide by the adjudication of a council of Justicars, shall
The Convention of Thorns officially begins the night the current holders of that office remain in their positions? If
after the characters arrive. The first meeting takes place on the not, who will be the new Justicars? How will we select future
evening of October 18, in the courtyard of the abbey (which Justicars and what will be their duties and responsibilities? Will
is the only space large enough — aside from the church — to we appoint a council to oversee the Justicars or shall those
accommodate all the delegates, their retainers and interested justices serve as the highest authority of the Camarilla?
observers). All seven of the Founders are present as well as “For the next four nights, we shall hear arguments on all
Myca Vykos and other leaders of the Anarch Movement. sides of these issues. Your voices are welcome in peaceful discus-
This is perhaps the single largest gathering of Cainites to sion. We shall convene every evening for a formal accounting
date, comprising at least 50 individuals representative of all of the previous night’s discussions. Afterward, you may talk
the clans, factions and geographical regions. among yourselves and attempt to reach a consensus. By this
Once all the delegates have gathered together (with the time, five nights hence, on the 23rd night of October, in the
Camarilla supporters arranged on one side of the courtyard year of Our Lord 1493, we must reach a decision on each of
and the anarchs on the other), a slender young woman steps the issues presented. Thank you for your attendance.”
up to the speaker’s dais located in the center of the courtyard. When she has finished speaking, Eleanor de Valois leaves
Introducing herself as Eleanor de Valois of Clan Brujah, she the dais and returns to her place in the retinue of the Founders.
declares the formal opening of the Convention of Thorns and The gathering breaks up into smaller groups as Cainites on both
outlines the three issues that face the delegates. In a clear voice sides of the conflict attempt to find allies for their viewpoints
that commands the attention of all who hear it, she delivers the and begin the process of canvassing the other attendees.
following statement of the aims of the convention. Storytellers
• October 19: Second Meeting — The results of the pre-
may use the text as given or adapt it as necessary.
vious night’s discussions are summarized for the assembly. Myca
“The first decision we face regards the return to the fold Vykos makes an impassioned speech in favor of the goals of the
of those Cainites who have declared themselves anarchs. How anarchs: “For too long have we suffered the yoke of the elders’
should this be accomplished in a peaceful fashion? Shall the
HACELDEMA
61
outdated rulership. We are not children to be forever told to mind After a moment, Hardestadt sits up clutching his wounded
our elders and punished when we step outside the bounds they chest. While hurt, he is obviously in no danger of Final Death.
consider proper. We are thinking beings, powerful beings, and if Tyler curses and flees the hall. A few delegates start to give chase
we are not accorded what we deserve, we will take it by force.” only to find themselves (along with the characters) blocked
Hardestadt counters with an insistence on the necessity from following her by a line of anarchs. If the characters wish
for discipline within the clans and demands a return to the to speak with Tyler later, they may make arrangements to do
hierarchy of rule by age and generation: “Let pups like Vykos so through one of the anarchs accompanying Myca Vykos.
yelp and posture. It is age and wisdom that deserve to rule. Unfortunately for Patricia, handgonnes are so new to Cainites
He is fit only to bow down before us, beg our forgiveness for that she had no idea they would have so little effect on Hard-
daring to question his betters and receive a good whipping estadt; they’re very effective against mortals!
for his impertinence! We are here because we have already • October 21: Fourth Meeting — A statement of progress
crushed the anarchs’ insignificant movement. They have opens this gathering. The ancient Malkavian Unmada calls for
sued for peace for they cannot stand against us. There will cooperation and warns of disaster should this initiative fail: “I
be punishment, for the anarchs have acted like unruly and foresee a rain of blood and fire that consumes us all if we do not
destructive children. Still, they are our childer and we shall unite. My clan, the Children of Malkav, shall perish utterly if we
forgive them — but only when they agree to proper restitution do not make common cause with those who seek to end senseless
and to cease their foolish rebellion!” warfare and destruction. We must overcome our blind, unreasoning
He goes on vociferously about his disdain for mortals: hatred for those different from ourselves and accept our childer
“Some here have argued that we are met together because we back into our hearts, lest we destroy them and destroy ourselves
fear what the mortals may do to us with their Inquisition and by our unthinking cruelty to our younger brethren.”
superstitions. Some otherwise intelligent Cainites counsel An open forum provides the characters with an opportu-
that we ought to take responsibility for leading the mortals. I, nity to make their statements to the entire group of delegates.
for one, shall not! Why should we better the lives of mortals? (Outside this chance to speak, characters who wish to address
Do they not hound me and strike at me at every turn? I owe the convention must petition for the right to do so and be added
them nothing but ashes and spite and would not stoop to help to the roster of speakers. Players who make that effort but who
them even if we all became safer for it!” fail to organize their thoughts into coherent and somewhat
• October 20: Third Meeting — After a summary of the brief arguments should be shouted down by impatient delegates
previous night’s progress, Husayn al Fatin, a delegate from the or asked to surrender the floor to other speakers.)
Assamites, speaks for his clan. A heated discussion follows, Rafael de Corazon shares his vision of the importance of
during which Mistress Fanchon and the other Tremere, in the Masquerade and the necessity of the Camarilla. At first, he
particular, call for strong measures to prevent the continued is ridiculed and almost forced to step down. His impassioned
practice of diablerie. Myca Vykos and some of his anarch arguments gain converts, however, and the Masquerade is
companions greet her words with derisive comments in oblique adopted: “The Fifth Tradition commands us: Thou shalt not
reference to Tremere’s diablerie of Saulot and the Giovanni reveal thy true nature to those not of the blood. Thou shalt
ascension within the Cappadocian clan. not reveal thy true nature to those not of the blood! Do not
While the battle of words rages, the anarch leader Tyler seek to drag me from the speaker’s stair! You elders, who seek
bursts from the assembled delegation in a desperate attempt to force me to silence, you are to blame for abandoning our
on Hardestadt’s unlife. The gathered anarchs rally and issue sacred traditions. It is your fault that mortals seek to slay us,
a collective, impassioned cry, supporting Tyler’s gesture with reviling us for our excesses! You are to blame as well, Hard-
all the fervor they drew from her attack on him a century ago. estadt. We are to blame. We have lost our claim of blood by
However, this assault fails. She comes at him from the flank, living so conspicuously among mortals. Living openly among
throwing back the hood of her cloak and brandishing a pair mortals has been our ruin! We violated the spirit of the Fifth
of pistols as Hardestadt dismantles Vykos’ argument. Leaping Tradition, and we pay for it in blood!
toward him, she screams out, “May your arrogant, black heart “How many of us have lost a childe or an ally to the fires
be sundered and your soul sucked down to Hell, Hardestadt! of the Inquisition? How many have had to flee, leaving behind
And this time, stay dead!” Tyler thrusts both guns close to everything we valued? Mortals are too numerous and too jealous
his heart and fires them. Two loud cracks of sound issue forth of our power. They will try to destroy us as long as they know of
as each handgonne flashes. Hardestadt staggers back and falls us. We must hide from their envious eyes. From this time forward,
under the impact of two pistol balls entering his chest from we must no longer live openly, but remain hidden, pretending
a foot away. Smoke boils upward. At first, Tyler is overjoyed, to be no more than mortals when we must interact with them.
believing that this new weaponry has killed her enemy. The We must adopt a Masquerade, pretend that we are not vampires,
Camarilla assembly stands shocked; things seem to move ridicule the idea that there ever were such creatures as ourselves.
in slow motion. The characters may take actions, but Tyler This is the only way we will survive the Inquisition’s incursions.
manages to elude their grasp. We must disappear if we are to remain in existence.”
62
At the end of the discussion, Etrius and several senior Tremere
excuse themselves to begin the ritual that will prevent the As-
samites from drinking Cainite blood. If the Storyteller wishes,
rumors may circulate that anarchs or the Assamites themselves
may try to disrupt or taint the ritual, making it necessary to place
a guard on the Tremere. Should the characters volunteer, they
might be assigned one shift (about 4 hours) worth of duty. It is up
to the Storyteller whether that shift is boring or whether someone
actually is out to disrupt the Tremere. (It might even be Tzimisce
trying to embarrass the Tremere by befouling their ritual.)
• October 22: Fifth Meeting — Durga Syn is already in
place on the speaker’s platform when the rest of the delegates
arrive. She makes the case for non-intervention: “Rafael de
Corazon has proposed that we hide from mortals, making them
forget that we ever existed. Many of you now agree with him
that this is the best course of action. Others among you think
we should crush mortal opposition. I would argue for a third
course. Let us leave mortals alone. We shall not hide from them,
nor shall we seek to revel in their fear of us. You who want to
compel their obedience, what fools you are! You cannot even
govern your own childer, much less thousands of mortals. And
you who seek to bury the knowledge of our kind and hide your
faces from mortal scrutiny, you, too, are fools. Once known,
always ready to be rediscovered. But play your game, indulge in
your Masquerade. It shall serve you — for awhile — and be all
the worse when our true nature is revealed. No mask lasts forever.
Take care, lest when the Masquerade is over, the mortals hunt
you again — not because they fear you, but because you have
lied to them and made them look foolish. I call for leaving the
mortals alone, but I am only one woman and a Ravnos at that.
No doubt you tired of listening to Gypsies long ago.”
The issue of Justicars and their succession takes up the first
half of the discussion once Durga Syn has left the platform.
The delegates make their final arguments to the assembly and
cast their votes. The attendees disperse, with some taking part
in drafting the Treaty of the Convention of Thorns and others
(the unrepentant anarchs) finalizing their plans for a statement
of protest. The Tremere continue casting their ritual.
• October 23: Sixth Meeting —The gathering listens to
the reading of the treaty. (See Scene Seven.) The delegates
who agree to its terms sign the document. The Tremere con-
tinue the ritual begun three nights before, ending just before
sunrise. The convention ends.
INTERLUDES
The characters may now mingle with the other delegates.
While the characters may wish to engage the Founders in
conversation, these bastions of the Camarilla are unlikely to
alter their beliefs to any significant degree. (Further, unless
the characters are particularly well known, the Founders have
little to say to them; they’re simply not in the same league.)
Likewise, Myca Vykos remains adamantly opposed to the
surrender of the anarchs, though he may attempt to enlist
anarch characters in his plans for a “grand spectacle” meant
HACELDEMA
63
to embarrass the elders of the Camarilla and demonstrate the
anarchs’ contempt for that organization. He proves uncom-
municative to characters who attempt to convince him to
accept the Camarilla’s authority over him.
Other Cainites in attendance may change outlooks because
of their interactions with the characters or may influence the
characters’ own opinions by the strength of their arguments.
Storytellers should use any or all of the following vignettes (and
feel free to invent their own Storyteller characters and scenes)
during the meeting breaks to provide the characters with a
good sampling of the arguments held by the delegates to the
Convention of Thorns. Paraphrasing the speeches will make
them sound more natural, and Storytellers should attempt to
work in these vignettes naturally rather than present them one
after the other like set pieces. Reading through the characters
in Chapter Five should give Storytellers better insight into
many of the delegates and allow them to be presented via ap-
propriate scenes rather than simply walking up to unfamiliar
Cainites (the characters) and conversing with them.
THE PEACEMAKERS
A pair of delegates, one wearing the distinctive robes of a
Dominican priest and the other dressed in the clothes of a French
nobleman, approach the characters after the first meeting on
October 18. The priest introduces himself as Father Jean-Marc of
Clan Toreador; he indicates that the noble accompanying him is
his cousin, Gilbert d’Harfleur, of Clan Ventrue. The two wish to
discuss some of the issues with Cainites they have not met before.
The characters fit that bill. If the characters seem reasonable and
look as though they support the Camarilla, Jean-Marc and Gilbert
come in the spirit of solidarity. They hope to find like-minded
Cainites who also share their views on protecting humankind from
vampiric domination. Should the characters appear to be anarchs,
the priest and the warrior-monk want to sound them out, discover
their grievances and urge them to accept the peace initiative so that
all may benefit. They do not tell the characters they are Archons
unless asked. Father Jean-Marc opens the discussion:
“Our sires Embraced us in an emergency, and we have deter-
mined not to allow our clan differences to alter our previous ties of
blood. We have come here in the entourage of the Founders and
seek to garner your support for a lasting peace among Cainites.”
Gilbert nods to the characters, greeting them respectfully
if distantly.
“My cousin and I hope that we can convince you to approach
the matters under discussion in the spirit of charity and compas-
sion — regardless of whether you side with the anarchs or with the
Camarilla. We have a need for the mortals whose lives frequently
depend on our whims. They should be allowed to enjoy what we
have been denied without fear of being taken in the night to serve
our appetites. Too many of them have died while we sort out our
political differences. The time has come to put an end to all that
and to seek a different forum for arguing our beliefs.”
Father Jean-Marc asks if any of the characters feel the need
to confess their sins. “I believe God has not totally abandoned
us and that there is still some hope of ultimate redemption. I
64
remain a priest, and have found my faith strengthened since Before he finishes his speech, however, a second Assa-
my Embrace. Before that, I sought power and influence; now mite joins Husayn and adds his opinion. Karif is a very angry
I seek merely to do God’s will, for there is no other reason I delegate. While he joins the discussion in an attempt to make
can divine for my continued existence.” other Cainites understand that they are to blame for the As-
If any of the characters wish to take advantage of Father samites’ attacks upon them, he does not truly believe that his
Jean-Marc’s offer, he can take them to the church and hear their words will even be understood, much less cause any Western
confession. He does not press them on the matter, however. Cainite to agree with his point of view.
If any characters come from Templar backgrounds, they may “Forgive my interruption, honored delegates, but I could
recognize Gilbert’s mannerisms and realize that the Cainite not hear such weak phrases voiced by my clanmate without
belongs to that now extinct order of militant monks. adding my own exhortations to his pitiful pleas for understand-
ing. Understand this; I have come here under duress and do
THE PRICE OF HONOR not intend to accept the rulings of this gathering of infidels as
A dark-skinned Cainite approaches the characters after binding.” He pauses and surveys the characters, as if marking
the meeting on October 20th and introduces himself as their faces for future recall. “My name is Karif al Numair. I
Husayn al Fatin, a member of the Assamite Clan. If charac- have served my clan faithfully for seven centuries and do not
ters have had a prior association with him (see Transylvania intend to see the walls of our holy fortress crumble under the
by Night), his greeting takes into account the circumstances weight of foreign demands. It was not we who first began the
under which they last met. If he and the characters parted as fight, but you Europeans who came into our lands, slaughter-
friends or under terms of respect, he addresses them amicably, ing our people in the name of your God. We but respond to
as potential sympathizers. Otherwise, he couches his arguments that offense.
with wariness and prefaces his speech with a request that the If you do not wish to become the next victims of your lead-
characters preserve an open mind in listening to him. ers’ shameless desire for unlimited power over all Cainites, you
Asking for a minute of their time, he outlines his clan’s will support our insistence on complete and unfettered freedom
position with regard to the “Assamite question.” to conduct our affairs. You will demand that the Camarilla
“This talk of the behavior of my clan suffers from gross withdraw their forces from our lands and seek not to meddle in
exaggeration. We but carry out a necessary service for those of our traditions or customs. There can be no compromise between
our kind who do not wish to soil their hands with Cainite blood. your rulers and our clan.” He delivers a scathing look at Husayn
Our traditions are both ancient and honorable, and we govern and strides back to the other two Assamite delegates.
ourselves with rigorous discipline in order to prevent spurious and Husayn shrugs. “Even such as we have our dissidents and our
unauthorized killings. We do not wish to submit to an authority we firebrands,” he says. “Let us hope that your Camarilla understands
neither recognize nor comprehend. Can you blame us for exact- the dangers it faces in dealing too harshly with us.”
ing payment in blood for the services we perform? We consider
such a price appropriate to the risks we take as well as a means of THE ETERNAL CYNIC
paying respect to the essence of a worthy adversary. Unless the characters have noticed him before and
“Our position is, however, precarious. The survival of our sought him out, sometime after the meeting of October 21,
clan depends on our willingness to accept the terms dictated a Nosferatu delegate approaches the characters — although
by this gathering. I ask your assistance in our attempt to gain he appears no more monstrous than the abbey’s monk to the
the most favorable decision possible. Would you have us placed characters due to his masking of his true appearance through
under the rule of those who might order us to serve their own the Obfuscate Discipline.
purposes? Or would it not be preferable for us to conduct our
He may approach them because of something they said
own affairs unaffected by the politics and concerns of the Cama-
during the meeting or because he overheard them talking
rilla? There may come a time when you may need the services
among themselves while he was Obfuscated. He may simply
of one of my clan. Would you rest content with the suspicion
be curious who they are and from where they come.
that one of your enemies might hold power over us?
The Nosferatu introduces himself as Federico. Characters
“We do not oppose your Camarilla. We wish, however,
may note that he appears to be one of the Archons traveling
to remain outside it. Do you truly desire to have an army of
with the Founders. If they ask, he claims Josef von Bauren as his
holy slayers under the command of your masters? Think on my
patron. While Federico does serve the Founders, he has a mind
words and consider carefully before you voice your opinions
before the assembly.” of his own and is not hesitant about expressing his opinions.
Although he acts as an agent provocateur for the Founders,
If the characters seem sympathetic to the Assamite cause,
he also understands the anger of the anarchs at the excesses of
Husayn continues to explain his clan’s position, emphasizing the
their elders. He attempts to assess the characters’ positions and,
regulations that govern accepting contracts for assassination and
if they are supporters of the Camarilla, to caution them against
the absolute discipline of the clan members. He does not reveal any
placing too much power in the hands of the Justicars.
of the clan’s secrets to anyone other than a fellow Assamite.
HACELDEMA
65
“The Founders make pretty speeches, don’t they? I have “They tell me I belong to a clan of philosophers, but I see
heard Hardestadt wax poetical about his achievements and an unfortunate trend toward bestial violence surfacing among
we all just heard de Corazon praise the brilliance of his Mas- my clanmates. My sympathies lie with those who desire free-
querade. So much talking, so little said. Still, it’s better than dom; it is something that is very important to me as well. But
no organization at all. In my mortal life, I was a soldier — a I cannot countenance recklessness or rash behavior.
mercenary, in fact. I understand the need for order and method “I had to suffer many indignities in my mortal days from
even in our sordid existence. But good soldiers also know those who did not believe that a woman could be educated,
how to think for themselves. I support the Camarilla, but I and so I understand the arguments of the anarchs who feel
do not blindly subject myself to its whims. Test everything by that their sires do not grant them the respect they deserve.
your own standards before you accept anything. Listen to the Even before my Embrace I sought that respect, and fought for
anarchs as well. They have a point to make. We cannot enjoy it when newly Embraced as vigorously as the anarchs now do.
the loyalty of our childer and use them as pawns in our petty I have been known to rebel merely for the sake of proving I
schemes. We cannot prey haphazardly upon mortals without had the right to disagree with my elders. Still, I would counsel
diminishing what is left of our humanity. The Founders have you to prudence.
made a start, but do not expect them to carry the entire burden “I have read the works of the Greek and Roman philoso-
of responsibility. That way lies slavery.” phers as well as the writings of theologians and mathematicians.
If the characters are anarchs, he seeks to assuage their All wise thinkers counsel moderation and self-control over
anger by counseling patience and subtlety in their actions. sheer self-indulgence and extremes of behavior. I see neither
“I did not ask for the gift of immortality; it was forced of these virtues arising from anarchy. I do believe that the
upon me to create a diversion so that my sire could survive. Camarilla is an attempt at self-control and that the Masquer-
I have never forgiven her for that, but I have come to terms ade provides a way for us to walk the middle road set forth by
with my hellish fate. Do not permit yourselves to act in anger. Aristotle. I hope that you, too, can envision the virtue that
You have made your point by demonstrating your refusal to lies in containment and responsible government.”
cower before your elders. They have called this meeting out
of respect for your position. They may posture and insist that
FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
they have won, but yours is the true victory. Never again Near the final nights of the Convention on October
will they disregard their progeny, thanks to your struggle for 22nd, a delegate from the anarchs approaches the characters
recognition. If the terms are harsh, remember that they are a and introduces himself as Gabriel Baruch, a Lasombra. If the
measure of your strength — not your weakness. characters side with the Camarilla, he graciously acknowledges
“There are many ways to voice your opposition; consider their position as “victors,” while hoping to win them to his
the subtle ones first, for they will stand you in good stead in cause with one more appeal to the value of diversity.
the long years to come. I have heard rumors that some anarchs “I concede that you have amply demonstrated your power
plan a demonstration of their contempt. I would advise you to to dictate terms for us. However, you must understand that
stay well away from such a blatant bid for attention. It can only some of us will not bow to your rule. We do not wish to draw
hurt your cause and jeopardize everything you have worked so an irrevocable line between us, but if we must do so in order
hard for. Do not give in to your baser impulses. Fate has made to preserve our freedom, we shall take whatever means are
us monsters, but we need not submit willingly to our inner necessary to remain outside your authority. There are issues
Beasts. Then again, who am I that you can trust me? Do what at stake that you do not fully understand; the most important
you must do. Just bear in mind that your own leaders are as of these is the need to break free of the chains that bind us
hungry for power as any of the Founders. Ask yourselves who to the sleeping ones, the ancient founders of our clans. The
really profits in any precipitous action you might take.” dangers inherent in an organization like the Camarilla,
which attempts to keep younger Cainites enthralled to their
CONTAINED REBELLION elders, cannot be overstated. You are making a mistake if you
At the after-meeting interlude on October 19th, a young believe that you will find safety within such an organization
woman seeks out the characters — particularly if any are female of puppets.
or if they have made any statements in support of the anarchs. “Please, reconsider your motives for quashing the actions
She wants to know their reaction to Myca Vykos’ speech. Fur- of those of us who disagree with you. Whose hidden schemes
ther, she has noticed (if this is so) that one of the characters dictate your actions? Do you know who your masters truly
seems particularly intelligent or thoughtful and wants to speak are? Think on it before you destroy your only chance for
with a like-minded or scholarly individual. While she is totally responsible freedom.”
loyal to Federico, Gilbert and Jean-Marc, she sometimes yearns If the characters are anarchs, Gabriel greets them as brothers
for secular companions who are also versed in philosophy and and sisters. If they still labor under Blood Oaths, he offers them
learning. She introduces herself as Lilika and says that she serves a chance to escape that. While he does not come right out and
as an Archon for Adana de Sforza. say it at this point, he also hopes to warn the characters not
66
to become mixed up in “spectacles” that serve the purposes of
others rather than the true aims of freedom (as he sees it).
“They think they can destroy what we have built. We must
SPILLING THE BEANS
not let them do so. Prepare yourselves to reject their terms, par- If they have played through the other parts of the
ticularly if they involve surrendering your free will to an oath of Transylvania Chronicles, the characters possess certain
blood. Some of us have already agreed that we will not submit information regarding one of the major players of the
ourselves to the decisions of these so-called Justicars. Whose Jyhad. They may wish to make that information known
justice do they represent? Not ours, surely, but their own. to the gathering, especially if any delegates mention
“We have learned how to break the Blood Oath, so if (as Gabriel does) the sleeping Antediluvians. Should
you feel you must make a pretense of submission, come to us they reveal what they know publicly, the overall reac-
later and we will rid you of your dependency on the elders of tion from the Camarilla delegates is one of disbelief
the Camarilla. Loyalty cannot be bought, it must be earned. and derision. How might such lowly pawns come by
That is one lesson we have learned during this costly war. information they claim is so important?
The other lesson, of course, is that slaves do not make the Though most delegates do indeed react this way, a
most dedicated warriors. We seek to form a brotherhood of few realize what it is the characters have stumbled onto.
free soldiers, ready to do battle against our elders when the At least one Camarilla delegate (Maltheas, a Ventrue
time is right. If you believe in freedom and loyalty, find me Methuselah monitor pretending to be of much younger
and my comrades when this farce is finished.” generation) notes everything the characters do and say
INVITATION TO A SPECTACLE from then on. He attempts to speak with the characters
himself while posing as a somewhat provincial younger
If the characters have not already sought out Myca Vykos, Cainite named Maltheas who is overawed by all the pow-
he also finds them after the October 22nd meeting. By this erful vampires in attendance — including the characters.
time, it should be clear that the Camarilla intends to exact Once he latches onto them, he attempts to stay with the
some fairly harsh terms of surrender from the anarchs. Many characters, acting as if he needs their protection and hang-
rebellious Cainites have indicated that they will not accept ing on whatever advice he can elicit from them.
the decisions of the Camarilla. If the characters support the From this time forward, though they may not realize
Camarilla, Myca delivers the following warning to them.
it, the characters will be under constant surveillance from
“Do not believe that you have conquered us just because you the Methuselah’s agents. Naturally, those agents may
have brought us to the bargaining table. We are here because we occasionally lose track of the characters, but it is safe to
want an end to this stupid struggle, not because we relinquish our say that the Methuselah will be made aware of any plans
belief in the justice of our cause. If you treat us with contempt, and travels the characters make in the future unless they
we shall answer you in terms you cannot ignore.” actively notice the spies, seek out the agents and slay them.
If the characters belong to the Anarch Movement or are For now, the Methuselah is content merely to watch; that
sympathetic to its cause, Myca greets them warmly and voices won’t always be the case. Maltheas is searching for Cain-
his sentiments as follows. ites he can win to his side in case the Jyhad catches up to
“What a mockery! These strutting peacocks truly believe him. Ostensibly a member of the mysterious Inconnu, he
that by enforcing their pretense of a Masquerade and ruling the has attempted to influence events in Eastern Europe for
actions of their childer with fists of iron that they can delude centuries from his secret haven in Germany.
the world into ignoring our existence. Or do they think that Further, certain anarchs who have made it their business
by pretending to be mortals they can regain that status? They to learn everything they can about the Antediluvians will seek
are fools and imbeciles to the last! out the characters and try to question them about every aspect
“Nevertheless, our cause is lost. They will seek to crush of what they know. Should the characters prove reluctant, the
our spirits and tame our actions so that we are once again mere anarchs (who will shortly become Sabbat) have no qualms
extensions of their power. We will show them how wrong they aboutusingcoercionandbrutality.Eventually,theywillrelease
are. How can we return like lost lambs to the sheepfold when we the characters, but only in the hope that the characters will
have known the glory of living like the predators that we are?” learn more in the future. Of course, the characters may always
If the characters express interest in Myca’s cause and wish choose to freely share their information too, especially if they
to commit themselves to achieving freedom from the Cama- join the Sabbat. Conversely, the proto-Sabbat may rue their
rilla, he goes on to explain his plans for the evening after the actions when they discover that the characters are tougher
convention, provided that events go as he expects and the than anticipated; this might provide some welcome relief (a
anarchs lose their independence from the elders. chance for some righteous butt-kicking) from all the talk as
“Some of us are planning a grand spectacle to celebrate the characters show the upstarts what centuries-old Cainites
our refusal to submit to their decrees. If you wish to join us in can do when annoyed.
exposing the fragility of the Camarilla’s pitiful Masquerade
HACELDEMA
67
and striking terror into their hearts at the expense of a few Additionally, the elders explain that the Assamite
mortal lives, come to Silchester tomorrow evening and share Clan has been ordered to undergo a Thaumaturgical ritual
in our revels. We will never surrender! We are drinkers of to prevent their practice of diablerie. If one of the char-
blood and monsters of madness. Tomorrow night, everyone acters is a Tremere, she may have already participated in
here shall see the truth of our existence revealed in all its the group ritual that curses the Assamites who agree to
horrid splendor.” it. Should a character be an Assamite, she must decide
before the ending of the ritual if she will accept the curse
FEEDING DURING THE CONVENTION placed upon her clan or break with them in favor of con-
Unless characters have brought their own vessels with tinuing rebellion along with those anarchs who refuse to
them, they need to feed upon the local mortal population. be reigned in.
The towns of Thorns and Silchester are each about an hour’s
walk (faster on horseback) from the abbey. Since Father
ENDING THE
Samuel has given permission for the delegates to make use CONVENTION OF THORNS
of the residents of those towns, the characters may do so After the signing of the treaty and the cursing of the
with little difficulty. Like most peasants and craftsfolk, the Assamites, the delegates disperse. Since the ceremonies
villagers tend to remain indoors during the evenings except have taken up most of the night, most Cainites plan to
for visits to the local taverns. leave the following evening.
Cainites who visit either the Stinging Thorn in If characters succeed in a Perception + Alertness roll
Thorns or the Six, Eight and Eighty in Silchester may find (difficulty 7), they notice that not all of the anarch delegates
some locals to slake their thirst or they may happen upon were present for the signing and the enforced drinking of
a vagrant or beggar. The presence of wild beasts in the elder vitae in token of their submission to the Camarilla.
countryside makes it possible to excuse a few accidental Three or more successes also allow characters to notice that
kills with the pretense of animal attacks, but too many only three of the four Assamite delegates are in attendance;
eventually arouse the suspicions of the villagers. Karif al Numair has disappeared.
The Storyteller should keep track of the characters’ Camarilla characters may wish to report their observa-
feeding habits in order to decide if they remain within tions to the Founders or one of their Archons. They can
the bounds of discretion or if their actions betray their find Gilbert, Jean-Marc or Lilika among the delegates, but
supernatural origins. In general, if the characters are not Federico is nowhere to be seen. The Founders brush aside
down a few Blood Points or if they feed every evening, the characters, busied with sundry affairs, saying that they
they are taking too much. Most delegates feed just often are aware of the situation and that it is being looked into.
enough to keep themselves from frenzying and to have Unless the characters are themselves among the Founders’
a small reserve at need. Anarchs who plan to stage a retinue, they get no further information from the seven
protest will try to keep themselves as full as possible. A elders of the Camarilla.
delegation of concerned villagers may visit the abbey to
The three Archons who have previously met the char-
voice their concern over the number of “disappearances”
acters are more approachable. They listen carefully to the
of townsfolk, adding a little excitement and suspense to
characters’ information and ask them to remain at hand
the Convention.
in case their help is needed. They imply that Federico is
SCENE FIVE: exercising his clan’s talent for intrigue and that they expect
him to return with more news of what the missing anarchs
PEACE AND RETRIBUTION are up to. Upon hearing the missing anarchs’ account from
This scene takes place on the evening of October 23, the Archons, the Founders request that no other delegates
1493 and depicts the actual outcome of the debate. The leave the grounds of the monastery — on pain of Blood
issues have been decided and all that remains is the formal Hunt called on any who disobey.
announcement of those decisions and their implementa- Dawn approaches; Federico has not yet returned and
tion. Eleanor de Valois reads aloud the document known no other information is forthcoming.
as The Treaty of the Convention of Thorns and places Should the characters wish to join the anarchs in
the parchment upon a table for the delegates to sign, thus their “grand spectacle,” they are approached by one of the
acknowledging their acceptance of its decisions. anarchs who ostensibly agreed to Camarilla demands. She
The terms of the Convention require all anarchs who asks the characters to accompany her to a hidden refuge,
agree to end hostilities to drink the blood of all the elders a hidden root cellar beneath a house in Silchester. Once
present (including that of the characters, if they qualify as there, the characters may sleep through the day. Scene
Camarilla elders). If the characters are anarchs, they must Eight then becomes either a chance for them to indulge
decide if they will drink the mixed blood of the elders or themselves in a full vampiric rampage or to abstain from
refuse and remain in rebellion. such an action.
68
SCENE SIX: Tzimisce assume truly horrific visages, while Nosferatu simply
show their true faces), the attackers lay waste to the town.
THE FIELD OF BLOOD Characters who participate in the savagery automatically
lose at least one point from their Humanity or Road scores un-
This scene, rather than the signing of the treaty, forms
less they follow the Road of the Beast or the Road of the Devil.
the true climax of Haceldema and offers a possible explanation
Rampaging characters must also make a Self-Control roll to
for one of history’s puzzles — the disappearance of the town
avoid frenzying, unless they deliberately choose to loose their
of Silchester before the end of the 15th century. Characters
Beasts. If they are considering joining what eventually becomes
who are unrepentant anarchs or who have allied themselves
the Sabbat, the characters probably won’t be too concerned
during the convention with the still-rebellious anarch delegates
about lost Humanity or succumbing to frenzy anyway.
awaken in the root cellar and are briefed by Myca Vykos. He
If the characters belong to the Camarilla, either as
explains that Silchester is to be destroyed as a lesson to the
elders or as anarchs who have returned to the fold and have
arrogant Camarilla; the characters may choose whether or not
accepted the dictates of the Camarilla, their first awareness
they wish to be part of the assault on Silchester. Characters
of what is going on in Silchester comes with the approach
who refuse to participate may try to save those mortals they
of one of the Archons. (The Storyteller should choose the
can or may leave. Should they leave the scene, they later hear
Archon to which the characters are best disposed.)
a full report of what happened in Silchester that night. Other
“Federico has returned from Silchester. The rebels are
characters — those not contacted by the anarchs — find out
slaughtering the villagers. Will you help us save what we can of
about the attack on the village after it has already begun.
the townspeople?” Without waiting for a response, the Archons
As soon as the sun has set on the evening of October leave for the town. The characters may accompany them, if they
24th, the anarchs who refused to sign the treaty and who left are quick, or they may proceed on their own to the town.
the Convention of Thorns before the closing ceremonies
Alternatively, if the characters have not met the Ar-
rampage through the streets of Silchester. These proto-Sabbat
chons and have not promised their help, a small delegation
vampires run wild through the town, slaughtering any mortal
of townsfolk arrives at the abbey. They appear haggard and
they encounter — in some cases not even bothering to drink
desperate. Gasping for breath, they cry out to anyone within
their blood in the process. Displaying fangs, claws, red eyes and
earshot that “Devils have come to Silchester and are murder-
any other signs of their nature they care to assume (some of the
HACELDEMA
69
THE TREATY OF THE CONVENTION OF THORNS
Storytellers may wish to present the document confiscated from them. In return they must turn over
known as the Convention of Thorns to their players as any war gains taken during the conflict by giving them
the culmination of this scene. Although the Storytellers to their sires or any recognized clan elder.
Handbook to the Sabbat contains the text of the treaty, it Know also that if the Anarchs are further warred
is reprinted here for easy access. Props can go a long way upon, this open jyhad invalidates their responsibility to
in establishing mood in a game. Copying the document maintain peace with their attacker. They may act freely
onto light brown or cream colored parchment with sepia without fear of reprisal from nonactive members of the
colored ink may help players feel its reality more fully. Camarilla. Anarchs are guaranteed the freedom to act as
The text of the document is as follows: they please, short of breaching the “Masquerade” imposed
Many years have passed since the start of our current for the protection of all Kindred from the kine.
conflict, now called the Anarch Movement. Be it known It is also noted that any member of any other self-
that on this night of 23 October, 1493, the Jyhad has proclaimed sect must openly declare this before his elders
ended. The time for self-destruction is over. and renounce this relation. Failure to do so will result in the
This Convention, bound in the Covenant of destruction of any deemed guilty. No Kindred may be sent
Caine by sacred vow, represents an unyielding, vigilant unknowingly to his death by an elder or sire, unless the security
truce between the Kindred known unto themselves as of clan or Camarilla outweigh the possible loss of unlife.
the anarchs, the Clan Assamite, and the free-standing From this night forward, the Assamites shall hence-
Kindred bound under the title of Camarilla. Henceforth, forth no longer commit diablerie upon members of other
the parties shall be recognized by faction as the Anarchs, clans. The Assamites must commit themselves to this
the Assamites and the Camarilla. acceptance by a mark of assurance placed upon them in
Each of the parties agrees to the responsibility of the form of a thaumaturgical limitation. All members of
maintaining peace. Each shall lay its censures upon any the Assamites shall become unable to drink freely of the
who breech or oppose this sacred Agreement. Account- vitae of other Kindred from now unto forever. In addition,
ing will be made of all parties for violations by them to the Assamites shall pay the Brujah elders of Spain two
either the letter or the spirit of this Agreement. This thousand pounds of gold, in ransom of the five Assamite
document is legally binding under the accepted Lexta- elders captured committing diablerie. Also, the Assamites
lionis of all Cainites as it has passed through the ages. may no longer participate in Blood Hunts.
All Kindred are entreated to accept and gain pleasure Be it also known the Assamites are guaranteed complete
from this peaceful accord. independence from Camarilla demands. The Assamite
Be it known that the Anarchs will enjoin with the fortress, Alamut, shall be free from any further assaults.
Camarilla as an accepted part, making it whole. An- Assamites are also granted, out of respect of their beliefs,
archs are expected to work peacefully to achieve their the freedom to commit diablerie within their own clan
own ends. They must become defenders of all, and they without restraint and the right to commit diablerie upon
shall receive full entitlement to all rights and privileges all Kindred not recognized as holding membership within
belonging to all Camarilla Kindred. All Anarchs shall the Camarilla.
be accepted back unto their elders and their formerly It is rendered that all parties involved and all showing
denounced clans without any fear of reprisal. Only the allegiance to any of these parties shall be held responsible
most vicious of atrocities shall not be forgiven. These for all aspects of this Convention brought forth here, in
shall stand written for the Justicars to hear within one the neutral Kingdom of England, outside the hamlet of
year, after which all allegations are no longer valid. All Thorns, near the town of Silchester. May Caine hold
Anarchs shall reclaim all remaining and rightful property truth and peace for us all.
ing the whole town!” They beg the monks — or anyone they backs and in their arms. Bestial creatures with glowing red eyes
meet — for help for their families and friends. and long fangs and claws pursue helpless victims down the center
By the time the characters get to the town, the “sabbats of of the streets, pulling them down and ripping their throats open
devils and witches” have been at work for nearly three hours. The to drink the blood spurting from severed arteries.
town itself is in ruins, fires rage in several of the thatch-roofed If the characters arrive with the Camarilla con-
houses and spread quickly throughout the streets. Throughout tingent, they can try to rescue people, herding them
the town, people flee in terror, some of them laden with their to a safe place outside the town, or they may try to
possessions, others carrying small children in bundles on their take the attackers into custody or slay them outright
70
(since reprisals for killing other Cainites are unlikely Hardestadt and Rafael de Corazon take charge of the
to be forthcoming under the circumstances). They can mortal survivors, using their combined Disciplines to erase the
recognize Myca Vykos among the ringleaders of the as- memories of “demons” from the minds of the humans in the
sault (at least until he assumes zulo form), but fail to find interests of preserving the Masquerade. Once that has been
Gabriel or any of his companions. (Gabriel has already left accomplished, Hardestadt and Adana de Sforza vow to follow
the area, believing that Myca’s scheme is a self-indulgent the trail of the attackers. If the characters offer to help, Hard-
and wasteful exercise.) estadt “requests” that they return to their homes and spread
The Storyteller should allow the characters the leeway word of what the Convention of Thorns has achieved.
to engage in combats or conduct rescues according to what With this, he and the other Founders take their leave
they prefer to do. Hardestadt and the other Founders ar- of Haceldema — the field of blood. The characters are free
rive shortly after the characters and join in the attempt to obey Hardestadt’s command or mount their own hunt for
to put down the attack. In the end, however, Silchester Vykos and the other anarchs. Unless they intend to join
lies razed and the surviving attackers flee into the night. the Sabbat, that hunt will be unsuccessful for now. The
Among those who escape is Myca Vykos. If the characters characters may choose to remain in England for a short time;
participated in the slaughter of Silchester, they may flee longer stays elicit visits from English Cainites who really
along with their allies or be captured by Camarilla forces don’t need the competition from foreign blood-suckers.
(though the Storyteller is urged to be fair in allowing the The characters may return home to Transylvania only
characters a chance to escape). Any Cainites who are if they take a southern sea route. The winter of 1493 proves
captured are executed after painful questioning reveals a harsh one, closing the northern sea routes and most of the
that they don’t know the hiding places of the rest of the passes through the land routes. This chapter of Kindred history
unrepentant anarchs. is closed — for now.
HACELDEMA
71
72
What need is there for interpreta-
tion when the Scripture is entirely
clear? But if it is so clear, why have
such eminent men groped so blindly
and for so many centuries in such an
important matter, as our adversar-
ies claim? If there is no obscurity in
the Scriptures, what need was there
for prophecies in apostolic times?... I
hardly know whether, like the gift of
healing and the gift of tongues, this
gift of prophecy has not also ceased. If
it has not ceased, it should be asked to
whom it has passed.
— Erasmus, On Free Will
PROPHECY IN AMBER
PROPHECY IN AMBER
73
73
STORY A QUICK NOTE ON
BACKGROUND HISTORICAL ACCURACY
According to history, Dracula was assassinated in 1476,
The year is 1495, two years after the Convention of his head cut off and sent to the sultan, and his body interred
Thorns. In those years, the world has discovered (via the near the altar in the Snagov Monastery. Then again, Bram
voyages of Christopher Columbus) that a new passage across Stoker has him undead and active in Borgo Pass in the
the oceans has opened. Thought to be the fabled shortcut to 1800s. Our story tells the tale of how Dracula became
India, it instead leads to a wholly new land that will come to a vampire in the year 1495. How can we reconcile that
be known as America. Ushering in an age of exploration, this with history? First, we can’t really. Chalk it up to cooler
discovery also provides the means for overpopulated Europe roleplaying opportunities if Dracula is Embraced after
to send her native sons and daughters to carve out new lives the Convention of Thorns. Second, unless your players
in the wilderness — a pioneering effort that gives rise to a are dyed-in-the-wool historical accuracy police, they
new spirit of independence and self-reliance. probably won’t know the difference and couldn’t care
In like manner, unrepentant anarchs who refused to sign the less so long as they have a good time playing. If you
compact have banded together with other rebellious Cainites must go for the rational approach, however, here are
into independent roving packs that will eventually call them- two of the best fudges.
selves the Sabbat. Officially, the Camarilla denies the existence The In-Game Explanation
of the Antediluvians; the rebels who will form the core of the Dracula lived to be Embraced in 1495 because the man
Sabbat dedicate themselves to fighting the Ancients, whose killed some 20 years earlier was not really Vlad Dracula, but a
existence the Camarilla denies — a force training for their part flesh-crafted revenant made into his double and sent by Radu
in the Jyhad. Despite their differences, both sides vie for copies of to take his place. Learning that his double had just been as-
the Book of Nod hoping to learn the signs leading to Gehenna sassinated, Vlad let people believe he was dead and used the
and, thus, prepare themselves for the final nights. opportunity to give Tzimisce assassins the slip and disappear.
If the characters played through the previous stories in Thus, it was the revenant’s head that was removed and
Dark Tides Rising (Book One of the Transylvania Chroni- Dracula survived to be Embraced another day... er, night.
cles), they already know something most other Kindred don’t: Even at over 60 years of age, Dracula’s physical condition was
Prophecies other than those found in the Book of Nod exist. fine; as a revenant, the Cainite blood in his veins enabled
Several of the characters’ travails have brought them into him to remain active longer than normal mortals.
contact with those prophecies. One such contact occurred The Real-World Explanation
almost 100 years in the past, when the characters attempted Transylvania and Wallachia held to the Orthodox
to perform a service for Nova Arpad, then prince of Mediasch. calendar rather than the Roman one. Discrepancies
Sent to find several pieces of jewelry stolen from her by Gypsies, encompassing decades were not uncommon during a
they likely returned some items, but were unable to recover time when communication was often a matter of getting
all of them. Among those they may have brought back were a letter through within several months time — if it got
a gold pectoral that contained etched writing the characters through at all. Now, this is actually a double fudge, since
were able to translate with a translation key they had (and the Orthodox and Roman calendars were used mainly to
hopefully still have) in their possession. schedule Church functions (such as the date when Easter
Though they did not realize it at the time, another item of occurred) rather than having any difference of opinion
jewelry — a companion piece to the pectoral — also contained regarding what month or year it was. Chances are, though,
important information. This jewel, a gold brooch set with a that your players won’t know the difference between a
piece of amber, can be opened, though this is not readily appar- secular and a canonical calendar. If the explanation satisfies
ent without good eyes and a detailed appraisal of the brooch. them, that’s the only thing that matters.
Inside, on each half, faint scratchings can be seen, but are It is still better than the treatment accorded Dracula’s
impossible to read. Removing the amber from its setting and wife, the princess who threw herself into the river (an event
looking through it (flat side down) at the scratchings makes lionized by Coppola’s movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula) rather
them slightly larger and considerably more legible. than face the Turks she believed were on her doorstep.
Nova Arpad never realized the brooch opened and it is History records no name for her. In the movie, she was
unlikely that the characters did either. After losing her control given the moniker Elizabeta and players familiar with
of Mediasch and fleeing to the Tremere, Nova found it neces- the film may be surprised to find that we call her Livia.
sary to sell some of her jewelry. Bought by a Saxon merchant Since nobody knows one way or the other, we decided
of Brasov, the brooch became one of his greatest treasures. to go with the name Livia because it is a Romanian
During one of Dracula’s punitive actions against the Saxon
74
merchants, Followers of Set whom Dracula never suspected
were there “liberated” much of the merchants’ wealth. Some of
that wealth was funneled into the Wallachian prince’s coffers,
but the Setites kept the brooch. Studying it, the Setites found
its properties, but could not discover the language in which it
was written. Thus, the brooch has lain forgotten in a Setite
stronghold for many decades. Now it becomes once more an
important piece in the ongoing Jyhad as the Setites give it
and a companion tome they discovered in Egypt to Zelios in
an attempt to influence the great Nosferatu architect.
The following story assumes that the characters played
through prior portions of the Transylvania Chronicles —
specifically through the scenarios in Dark Tides Rising in
which the characters uncovered the translation key in the
tower at Tihuta Pass and the one in which their sires sent the
characters to recover Nova Arpad’s jewelry from the Gypsies
who stole it. If they did not play through those stories, the
Storyteller will have to make some major adjustments to this
scenario. She will need to provide some means for the group
to translate the markings inside the brooch and to find some
reason why Zelios would ask the characters for their help and
offer them the brooch and book as payment.
THE REAL DRACULA;
THE ROMANTIC DRACULA
While the Saxon merchants that Dracula bedeviled and
the boyars of Transylvania and Wallachia feared the wrath of
the Son of the Dragon, many of the common people cheered
him as their champion and savior. Tales of Dracula’s cold
cruelty and stories of his great intelligence and undeniable
personal charm exist side by side.
So which Dracula will the characters meet? That depends
on their attitude going into the story. Vlad Dracula grew to
maturity in the climate of myriad convoluted political games
played out by the canny double-dealing of his grandfather and
father. Both made alliances with Christian and Turk alike; both
reneged on such alliances when it suited them. Dracula was sent
as a hostage to the Sultan Murad’s court as a young boy where
he was subjected to the Turks’ cruelly sophisticated practice
of older men training young boys. The older men took them
as their lovers and trained them for warfare and leadership.
As a foreign (and Christian) hostage, Vlad was treated more
harshly than was normally the case. His experiences undoubt-
edly molded his interest in tortures such as impalement and
dismemberment (common practices among the Turks). Yet, he
also learned much concerning warfare, philosophy, rulership
and the arts of love from the Turks.
Dracula is not a cartoon figure, but a complex, deeply pas-
sionate man, a man driven to claim the throne he sees as rightfully
his, to expel the Turks from his homeland and to punish the
boyars who murdered his father and brother. To maintain the
power to rule, he knows he must keep others off balance. Thus,
he plays games with people, seeking to trap them with words.
Those unfortunate enough to stumble beneath his rapier-thrust
questioning find themselves firmly seated atop the end of a blunted
PROPHECY IN AMBER
75
ACT III:
stake, sliding down toward the ground as their entrails are slowly
pierced. Others who evince wit or acknowledge that Dracula is
IN THE DRAGON’S
the absolute ruler of all who enter his domain, fare well. To those
guests, Dracula shows his great personal charm and magnetism,
conversing at length with them and offering them the best food,
wine and comforts of his castle. Dracula tolerates no disrespect or
challenge to his rule. Those who offer him none should find their
DEN (1495)
personal interactions with the prince stimulating and no more Ideally, the Storyteller should set up Act III in a short prelude
dangerous than, say, stepping between two striking cobras. before beginning the actual story. The prelude takes the form of
One detail the characters may not know is that Dracula a messenger bearing a letter informing the characters that Zelios
is part of the Basarab revenant family. Born with the blood wishes to meet with all of them in Brasov (deep within the bowels
of Cainites in his veins, the Prince of Wallachia has always of Bran Castle, actually). If the characters are already together,
been stronger than normal, more ferocious in battle, driven they need merely travel to the castle and follow Zelios’ directions
by greater passions and harder to kill than a normal human. to enter. Should they not be together, however, having a letter sent
Because he was sent from his family before his heritage was to each character allows them to gather at the castle and enter
explained to him, Dracula does not know what he is. He without wasting a great deal of time on travel and non-essential
discovers how powerful he can become only when he drinks distractions. On the other hand, if each player deserves (or wants)
the blood of a captured Cainite. a little individual attention for her character, she can now have
DRACULA LATER that through a short, customized vignette that occurs on her way
to meet her allies, courtesy of the Storyteller.
Since the death of his wife Livia, Dracula has also been a very
Whether as a group or individually, the characters receive
lonely figure. He seeks companionship from one who can truly
the following letter, brought by paid messenger:
understand him — and who better than a vampire, a creature
whose arrogance and loneliness match that of the Dragon’s son?
Unlike those he rules, Dracula is sophisticated and sybaritic in My Allies,
his lovemaking. He is not constrained by the morals that gov-
You have helped me in the past and now I find that
ern Transylvanian peasants; instead, he takes his pleasure from
whoever attracts him, be they male or female. Should one of the I must beg your indulgence again. You well know of the
characters stimulate his interest, the prince of Wallachia seeks to ritual I have sought to complete in order to hold the demon
promote a romance between them. Whether his attentions prove Kupala from rising. In recent months, I have discovered
welcome or not depends on the character or the player. that a key to completing the ritual lies elsewhere. I would
Dracula’s main concern at this stage in his life is his quest ask the favor of your assistance in bringing this site into
for the immortality the Embrace brings. Coached by Durga alignment with those already marked.
Syn, Dracula knows that he wants to become a vampire, yet
he wants no entanglements that will force him to cede his For your trouble, I offer the following: two items of
power to his sire. He desires independence from both a Blood exceptional beauty and value that also contain informa-
Bond and the new Camarilla. Should he become romanti- tion related to the golden translation key you found
cally involved with one of the characters, Dracula becomes so many years ago in Tihuta Pass. I give them to you
uncertain: He wants his lover to provide the blood that will freely in hopes that you may find them useful.
change him, yet he does not wish to jeopardize what they have
together. Dracula’s pleas for blood and the Embrace coupled Please come in secret to Bran Castle above the
with his insistence that there be none of the usual sire-childe city of Brasov, where I await you. Come to the east
bonds may destroy whatever fragile love has developed between facing of the castle and there you will find a gallows
the two. Whether the character and the Son of the Dragon tree that grows over a forgotten barrow. Remove the
continue their love affair after Dracula becomes a vampire is stone that covers the earthen tomb — this passage leads
up to the player and Storyteller. Eventually, as all things do
over time, the love may fade. Conversely, it may remain and
to a stairway that descends into the rock below the castle
become one of the underlying story threads woven through itself. Follow the stairway until you reach the bottom
the Transylvania Chronicles. Regardless, Dracula eventually and you shall find me there, where I have constructed
leaves his lover and strikes out on his own. a temporary haven.
Needless to say, this is a very progressive concept, and I look forward to meeting with you again.
not to the tastes of every troupe. Use Dracula as a romantic
element only if your players and their coterie seem to be
Yours,
receptive to the idea. Otherwise, just leave it out rather than Zelios of Clan Nosferatu, Master Mason
risk offense or discomfort.
76
SCENE ONE: I have heard from reliable sources that you have had deal-
ings with this prince once before and are therefore known to
GUESTS IN DEATH him. Those same informants have warned me that it is quite
dangerous for strangers to approach the former Wallachian
Bran Castle is the quintessential spooky Transylvanian castle.
prince for he sees all such as enemies, impaling them first and
Dozens of pictures of it abound and it is usually (incorrectly) identi-
questioning their motives later. It is my hope then that you
fied as Dracula’s castle for 20th-century tourists. A picture of the
will consent to travel to his keep and persuade Dracula to al-
structure’s soaring towers among the Carpathian peaks can set the
low you to place runes upon his foundation stones similar to
scene for the players more effectively than any description. Such
those you have emplaced elsewhere.
views are readily available in guidebooks on the region.
“While I do not know if you parted as enemies, I hope that my
Once at the castle, the characters need only follow the
offer of a future favor extended to the prince and this small coffer
instructions in Zelios’ letter to successfully find the barrow
of gold given to him as surety of that promise will persuade him
and reach his hidden haven. If the characters approach
to agree. Perhaps he may even agree if you tell him the purpose
secretly, no one among the small crew manning the castle
of the runes. They are there to protect him and all of us from
notices them.
the ravages of Kupala. Then again, I have heard that Dracula
The characters must provide some sort of illumination is called the Son of the Devil as often as he is called Son of the
or have the Protean Discipline Witness of Darkness to see Dragon. If he has infernal connections, it would be quite danger-
once within the barrow-haven. Chancing the stairs without ous to explain the runes. You must be the judge of the truth and
a light source is possible, but certainly disorienting. It feels as decide what you will tell him. I would counsel against attempting
though the stairs wind down forever into the dank darkness, to place them there secretly, for I have learned that an ancient
with a great yawning gulf open to the characters’ right side. wise woman tells him her visions of the future and you would be
Small stones kicked into that gulf seem to fall and fall with discovered. That would go ill for you indeed.
no sound, while a chill breeze wafts upward from far below.
“In return, I offer you two treasures. A brooch of amber
Several stairs are badly in need of repair and should characters
set in gold and a golden tome.”
not have some way of seeing, they will need to roll Dexterity
+ Athletics (difficulty 7) at least twice while descending. This Zelios pulls forth a brown leather pouch just large enough
will need to be done in order to stay on the stairs rather than to fit in the palm of a hand. Inside the pouch, wrapped in a
tumbling off the open side and falling several hundred feet to small square of silk is a piece of jewelry. Made of gold, the oval
the chamber below. Those who fall sustain so much damage brooch holds a large golden amber at its center. Set into the
that they will probably be in torpor for a long, long time. (See gold, the amber has been smoothly polished into a dome on
Falling in either Vampire rulebook.) Of course, any character the upper side, while the underside is flat.
who can change into a bat has plenty of time to do so.... Though it is not evident, the brooch opens into two
As they near the bottom, the characters can discern a halves. Unless the characters look for such an opening, they
faint light from below. It is provided by dozens of candles will not notice it until after speaking with Zelios.
in glass holders. They are set haphazardly around the large Zelios displays the gold and amber brooch to the characters.
chamber in which the stairs end. Seated at a plank table “Curiously, this jewel was once owned by Nova Arpad. My
watching the characters descend is Zelios. The master informants tell me that you once recovered it for her when it
mason is surrounded by what looks like a moving fur carpet was taken by Gypsies. When she found it necessary to sell some
and table covering. Closer examination reveals these to be of her jewelry, the brooch became the property of a merchant
hundreds of rats. of Brasov, and from there, found its way into my hands.
Zelios calls out to the characters, “Have you dined? My “You will understand that I speak with many worthy
little companions are full of vitae they are willing to share, scholars and so have learned much lore regarding this treasure.
should you so desire.” Perhaps you already know of it, but should you not, I repeat
Should any characters wish to feed, they may catch enough it here for your pleasure.
rats to gain two Blood Points worth. If no one wants to imbibe, “I call your attention to the seam along the side of the
Zelios makes a silent gesture and the rats disperse. brooch. If prodded, the brooch opens into two sides, each
After pleasant greetings, Zelios explains why he asked inscribed with faint, small writings. These cannot be read
the characters to come. except by sliding the amber from its setting and laying it atop
“I have recently discovered another key point in my grand the markings. When such is done, it enlarges the script in
design to bind the demon Kupala. It lies not in Transylvania, much the same manner as the magnifying lenses from the
but Wallachia, in a castle once occupied by Vlad Tepes, the East. Though the script itself becomes clear in this fashion,
mortal prince of that land. Although he is rumored to be dead I must confess that I have been unable to find a translation
from an assassin’s arrows, I believe the Son of the Dragon may for the odd characters that make up the writing. Perhaps the
yet live, and that he once again resides within the walls of translation key you retrieved from Tihuta Pass so long ago
Arghes Castle. may assist you in this.”
PROPHECY IN AMBER
77
Zelios gives the characters a crafty look as he waits to see
if they will comment on his knowledge.
“Once you inscribe the runes on the castle, I shall know.
Return here and I will give you the brooch and its companion
volume. Rather than the small scratchings herein, the tome
contains a much longer piece of writing. Aside from their
obvious value and beauty, I believe that these items may hold
much information concerning the prophecies surrounding
Kupala. I give them to you. Will you accept them as payment
and do as I ask?”
Should any characters ask where the book is, Zelios
tells them it is elsewhere. “I thought it best to keep it safe
separately from the brooch. I will fetch it when your return,
never fear.”
If the characters agree, they can travel to Wallachia and
Castle Arghes. Zelios provides them with detailed drawings
of the markings they need to make.
SCENE TWO:
DRACULA’S CASTLE
To reach Arghes Castle, the characters must travel to
Wallachia. Highest of the Transylvanian peaks, the Transyl-
vanian Alps have been sculpted by wind and water into weird
and twisted rock formations. Several passes wend their way
through these forbidding reaches, among them Bran Pass, the
main road through from Transylvania into the Wallachian
plains. It should be a fairly easy journey to cross through Bran
Pass (a major trade route), follow the road to Tirgoviste, then
travel along the Arghes River until the characters reach the
small towns of Curtea de Arghes or Arefu. From either town,
the menacing castle can be seen crouched on the cliffs above,
almost as if hovering, ready to throw itself several hundred
feet down into the river below.
The castle itself is a little harder to reach. A set of 1400
steps is cut into the rock of the mountain leading upward to
the castle. One person at a time can negotiate the steps with-
out falling. A plunge from the stairs throws whoever falls into
the river several hundred feet below. Except that they do not
wind, these stairs are very reminiscent of those the characters
negotiated in Zelios’ hidden lair beneath Bran Castle. Some
characters might question whether the similarity in design is
purely coincidence. It is, but if the characters want to speculate,
let them. Anyone carrying a torch up the stairs is visible for
miles and easily spotted from the castle above.
The castle itself is Romanian in style rather than Teutonic. It
has five towers that flow upward into the dark sky, connected by thick
walls. It seems to arise from the rocky bones of the mountain itself.
By the time the characters reach the top of the stairs,
several men at arms block their way, asking their business at
Arghes Castle. Should the characters answer in a civil manner
that they are there to meet with the master of the castle, they
are allowed up, though a soldier is assigned to guard them.
Dominating guards or using Presence to smooth the way might
78
also be successful. Rude answers lead to attempts by the guards He isn’t quite so mercenary as he seems, however. Dracula
to use their pikes to knock the characters from their precarious has been very lonely ever since the death of his wife Livia. He
positions on the stairs. Each character struck in this manner may tell characters the sad story of her suicide by leaping into
must make a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 8) to main- the river below from the battlements when it looked as though
tain his footing or plummet into the river below. Whether the the Turks would overrun the castle. Wishing for another love
characters win or lose such a confrontation, Dracula is highly like that he had with his wife, Dracula seeks someone who
displeased with their boorishness and seeks to capture and will love him in return, unreservedly.
stake them as soon as possible unless they can make amends This may grow naturally out of the interactions among
quickly and convince him of their sincere regret. the characters and the prince during the course of play, or the
Assuming the characters behave themselves, they are allowed Storyteller may need to (forgive the pun) vamp the character
into the castle and shown to an interview with Dracula. a little, playing up Dracula’s attentions and emphasizing
how attractive and compelling the man is. If the player of
SON OF THE DRAGON said character is not made too uncomfortable by Dracula’s
The master of Castle Arghes remains the picture of health attentions, the Storyteller might push it as far as things can
and vigor despite his advanced age: His revenant blood grants him go. The prince sits near the character, stroking his or her
a longer life span than most mortals. Dracula is above average in arm, gazing into the character’s eyes and being as erotic as
height. He has long, flowing black hair and a mustache, a high possible while in public (in the privacy of his bedchamber is
forehead, long aquiline nose and very large, piercing green eyes. another story). Any character who tries to take advantage of
Though mortal, he has an indefinable air of dignity and power the prince’s gazing into her eyes is doomed to disappointment:
that would be the envy of many vampire princes. Dracula exhibits an inexplicable, mystic invulnerability to
Whether they parted as friends or enemies, Dracula politely the Dominate Discipline.
welcomes the characters to his home and asks if they have GETTING TO THE POINT
supped. If they indicate that they have not had sustenance,
the prince calls forward several men-at-arms and bids them to The characters may wish to explain what they want from
offer themselves. The men obey without question, obviously Dracula and get to it. Dracula is amused that they have come
more afraid of displeasing Dracula than of baring their necks or all this way to carve runes into his castle walls, though he
arms to vampires. Should they accept his hospitality, Dracula does not dismiss the seriousness of their claims. Rather, he
eagerly watches how the characters feed, noting techniques tells them that he wishes their company for several nights,
and the orgasmic lassitude that comes over their victims once invites them to stay as his guests and refuses to discuss the
the Cainites begin feeding from them. matter further until they have had time to enjoy one another’s
If they refuse the offer, Dracula merely shrugs and invites company first.
them into his sanctum where they may sit in comfort as they Their enforced company is not unpleasant. Each is
speak. Even if they parted as enemies, Dracula is curious to given a sumptuous room built along the inner walls of the
know why the characters have come to him. While his sur- castle (i.e., they have no windows to let the sun in). Their
vival and residence in the castle are not entirely secret, he wishes are seen to by Dracula’s servants. He provides them
also hopes to discover who knows about it and who told the with fine clothing if they lack it and offers them delightful
characters he would be here. He also wishes for the charac- mortals on whom they may dine (so long as they refrain from
ters to help him in his quest to become immortal. If he can killing the vessels). Well versed in certain lore concerning
convince one of them to Embrace him while forswearing the Cainites, Dracula knows what will most probably please the
usual bonds between sire and childe, he is willing to help them characters and make them feel like honored guests.
with whatever is they need. He spends the next few evenings learning all he can
There are a few complications: Durga Syn has warned about the characters and their vampiric existence. He does
him against accepting the Embrace from either a Nosferatu not reveal that he has a captive vampire staked in his dun-
or a Malkavian. Dracula has no wish to appear as a monster geon. He had considered waking that vampire (a spy sent
or to lose his intellect to madness. He also has no wish to join by Lambach to ferret out Dracula’s secrets and force him
either the Camarilla or the anarch bands that oppose him; he into union with their pack, which they call a Sabbat) and
requires strict and utter independence. forcing the spy to Embrace him, but felt he needed to know
With his goal in mind, however, Dracula sets out to woo more first. What he is learning from the characters (even
the characters, acting as a gracious host, regaling them with if they tell him nothing, he is a keen observer) has helped
amusing stories, listening carefully to all they tell him in return him decide to proceed with his plans. Now, however, he may
and providing them with whatever they need. He also focuses have fallen in love with one of the characters and wants that
his not-insignificant charm on one character in particular, person to Embrace him, yet he is reluctant, for he knows that
lavishing his attention upon that person and making clear the sire has a hold of blood over the childe and he fears this
his sexual interest in him or her. will destroy their love — and his ambitions.
PROPHECY IN AMBER
79
During the next few nights, he proposes games of chance, the group and report to him of their activities. He invites the
weaponry practice, listening to musicians or watching mum- characters to remain at the castle until the resolution of the
mers brought from the towns below — anything to distract matter of the intruders. If the characters insist on leaving,
his visitors and make them stay a little longer. Depending Dracula does not stop them, but makes it clear that they have
on how jaded the characters seem, he arranges for erotic disappointed him in doing so. In any case, the lateness of the
vignettes, sessions of sadomasochism and other sophisticated hour prevents the characters from leaving immediately.
entertainment. While these pleasures occur, he strengthens the The following evening, the characters awaken to the
bonds between himself and his lover, constantly touching his sounds of combat just outside the castle gates, on the small
beloved, offering him or her special gifts, and both mastering plateau at the crest of the mountain. The Sabbat has arrived
and surrendering to his loved one in lovemaking. and the battle has begun.
Eventually, however, Dracula gives his permission for
the characters to make the marks on his castle. Carving the
COMPLICATIONS
glyphs takes them several hours, ending just before sunrise. Unless the characters decide to join in the battle immediately,
Unlike the spectacular effects that occurred when they marked they have a few moments to view the scene unfolding in front of
Basarab’s castle in Transylvania, there is no shaking of the the castle. The Sabbat pack consists of 10 vampires. In addition,
earth or outward sign that anything has changed at all. As a second group of vampires has joined the fray, ambushing the
they finish marking the castle, the characters notice a man Sabbat as it completes its ascent of the stairs leading up to the
pushing himself to the limit, climbing the many, many stairs castle. Dracula’s forces are conspicuously absent.
from the town below. Dracula’s guards also notice the man and If the characters attended the Convention of Thorns, they may
summon the prince. The stranger arrives about 10 minutes recognize two of the eight individuals in the second group as Justicars.
before the sun rises. Nervous characters may have already Savvy Cainites may assume that the other six Cainites are Archons.
retired to their chambers inside the castle. A successful Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 7) reveals Lucita’s
presence among the vampires attending the Justicars.
SCENE THREE: The Camarilla vampires clearly have the advantage over
THE DRAGON’S BITE the poorly organized Sabbat. As the characters watch, three
of the Sabbat pack go down under the disciplined assault by
If the characters fail to remain and hear the messenger’s the battle-hardened Archons led by Lucita. Milov Petrenkov,
news, they can simply be told when they awaken the next the Gangrel Justicar, proves particularly formidable in combat
evening that a pack of vampires calling itself a “Sabbat” is and brings down another member of the Sabbat, rending that
on its way to the castle. Those characters who are willing to unfortunate individual in half with his claws.
brave the sun learn the following: One of Dracula’s agents, the
Without warning, Dracula’s forces ride out from the
man toiling up the steps, arrives bearing an urgent message
castle, swinging their mounts around to assail the Camarilla’s
for his master, which he gasps out.
forces from the flank. The battle changes course almost im-
“A band of demons and witches has entered Wallachia, mediately, as the Sabbat enjoys an unexpected reprieve. From
milord. They are headed for the castle.” his position in the midst of the battle, Dracula calls out to the
From the messenger’s description of the invading group’s characters to join him.
actions, the characters — and Dracula as well — can ascertain “Wallachia allows no one to trespass upon its borders!
that the intruders are Cainites. The agent estimates that the Join with me now and bring honor and glory to your names!”
group will arrive at the castle on the following evening. he exhorts, his challenge ringing out above the clamor of
In addition to Dracula’s queries, the characters may wish to battle.
ask their own questions about the nature of the invading force.
The messenger informs his master — and the characters — that THE DILEMMA
the group travels only by night and that they seem to possess Once Dracula has committed himself to the battle, the
supernatural strength and quickness. He calls them monsters, characters have four options. They may remain within the castle
saying that he has seen their blood-red eyes and hideous fangs. and watch as the bloody three-way battle involving Dracula’s
“They feed upon the lifeblood of the people, ripping their army, the Justicars and the Sabbat concludes in a decisive,
victims’ throats and drinking blood from them while their hearts though costly, victory for Wallachia’s prince. The characters
still beat. I have heard that they call themselves a Sabbat and that may join in the battle on the side of Dracula, attacking the
they claim to bow to no master,” the messenger reports, his voice Justicars and ensuring their host’s victory; they may side with
filled with horror and awe. He adds that he has heard only the the Justicars (and, therefore, the Camarilla), or they may assist
names Lambach and Tabak mentioned in connection with the the doomed Sabbat pack.
group and assumes that these two are the leaders of the band. If the characters choose to remain neutral, they may watch the
Rather than sending out a force immediately to intercept Impaler in action as he and his troops slaughter their enemies.
the group, Dracula instead orders his agent to keep track of
80
The Storyteller should pull out all the stops in describing of their repudiation of their host by doing so. In any case,
the gory battle. Dracula lives up to his reputation as a ruth- Dracula’s force far outnumbers the Justicars easily, even with
less and skilled warrior as he severs heads, lops off arms and the addition of the characters to the latter’s ranks. At best the
legs and uses his steed to trample his enemies after they have characters can help the Justicars make a judicious retreat with
fallen. Although the Justicars and Lucita escape the carnage, what is left of their forces. If they side with the Justicars against
fleeing from the battle after it is clear that they have no hope Dracula, however, the characters had better retreat along with
of surviving otherwise, the rest of the Camarilla’s forces fall them as Dracula is quite unforgiving of traitors — even ones
to Dracula and his troops. Two of the Sabbat, Lambach and he has grown to love.
Tabak, are literally run through with wooden pikes and carried, Should the characters decide to aid the Sabbat (and, if they
immobilized but still conscious, into the castle. are themselves members of that fledgling group, they may feel
If the characters aid Dracula, they do so with the knowl- obligated to take this course of action), they find themselves decid-
edge that their actions may very well destroy their reputation edly outnumbered and must battle both the Camarilla forces and
in the eyes of the Camarilla. This may not pose a problem for Dracula’s army. Even if they survive the battle, they cannot prevent
some characters, particularly if they are anarch sympathizers Dracula’s capture of Lambach and Tabak or the slaughter of the
or if they have enemies among the leaders of the Camarilla. It other Sabbat members. The Storyteller should make one attempt
is also possible that one or more of the characters may join in to encourage the characters to retreat once it is clear that they have
the battle to give the appearance of supporting Dracula while, no hope of surviving (except as prisoners of their former host). If
in actuality, aiding some of the beleaguered Camarilla forces in characters ignore this hint, they must accept whatever fate lies in
making their escape. Since it is imperative that Lucita survive store for them — most likely not a pretty one.
this encounter, Storytellers may allow characters to assist in Regardless of what the characters decide, the Justicars
her escape by pretending to engage her in battle and using the and Lucita escape with their unlives, while Dracula seizes
opportunity to allow her to slip away from them. Unless some both Lambach and Tabak as prisoners.
such action is undertaken, Lucita notes their presence among The following Traits can be used to simulate any Archons or
Dracula’s forces and regards them as enemies from then on. Sabbat the characters might fight. If the characters are particularly
If the characters see no other course of action except powerful, the Storyteller should feel free to toughen up these folk. Just
to support the Justicars, they must accept the consequences remember they’re terminal characters, fated to meet Final Death.
PROPHECY IN AMBER
81
ARCHONS/“SABBAT”
Generation: 8th
Nature: Defender/Deviant
Demeanor: Tyrant/Rebel
Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4
Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2
Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
Talents: Alertness 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Leadership 2, In-
timidation 2
Skills: Firearms 1, Melee 3, Ride 2, Stealth 2, Survival 2
Knowledges: Linguistics 1, Occult 2
Disciplines: The Storyteller is encouraged to showcase any
Disciplines or occult powers would best heighten the drama
in the scene. To hell with rules!
Virtues: Conscience/Conviction 2, Self-Control/Instinct 4,
Courage 4
Road: Humanity or Chivalry /Beast, Humanity or Devil 7/6
Willpower: 7
Lambach and Tabak are given no Traits as the charac-
ters will not interact with them. They are taken out of the
fight and staked.
Milov Petrenkov and Mistress Fanchon (the two Justi-
cars) are detailed in Chapter Five, as is Lucita. While Traits
are not given for the Justicars, such can be found in The Last
Supper, Book One of the Giovanni Chronicles. In essence,
however, they are simply too tough to fall to the characters
and should escape the carnage, likely leaving casualties and
carnage in their wake.
SCENE FOUR:
INTO UNDEATH
After the battle, the characters will either have fled
or will be free to go. If one of them has become involved
with Dracula and did not betray him during the battle,
that person is free to stay with the prince, though Dracula
asks for several nights alone to conclude his business with
those who attacked him. If that isn’t acceptable to the
character, he or she may assist the prince in becoming one
of the undead. If all the characters proved their loyalty to
Dracula, all may assist him if they so choose.
While the characters may not know it, Vlad escaped
the manipulation of the Tzimisce and held onto his throne
through Lambach’s incompetence. The vampire prisoner is
one of Lambach’s spies. Now Dracula has Lambach and his
more potent pack leader Tabak. Two nights after the battle,
Dracula gives Lambach a choice: Embrace him and forswear
any further contact or die. The cowardly Lambach agrees.
Watched over by a few faithful servants (or the characters),
Dracula forces Lambach to Embrace him. Dracula then turns
on the defenseless Sabbat pack leader and diablerizes Tabak,
thus becoming equal in generation to his sire. True to his
82
Dracula’s lover refuses to leave, that person may stay if he or
she begs enough. The others should accede to Dracula’s wishes
WHAT’S GOING ON and go. This will not be the last they hear of Dracula.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Though the characters may not know it, Dracula’s
SCENE FIVE:
prisoner is a member of the Sabbat pack that has come RETURN TO BRASOV
to attack the castle. Their enmity toward Dracula stems
Once the characters have concluded their busi-
from his practice of capturing Tzimisce vampires by ness with Prince Dracula, they can return to the barrow
impaling them and drinking their potent blood before beneath Bran Castle for their reward. True to his word,
destroying them. The Tzimisce favored the Danesti Zelios is waiting for them with both the brooch and the
claimant to the throne of Wallachia rather than Drac- tome. He doesn’t mention that he didn’t actually have
ula and plotted against him while he ruled. His actions the tome before because a group of Followers of Set had
against them were in retaliation for that treachery. not yet given it to him. Zelios is treading a very fine line,
Dracula may or may not choose to reveal this to the concerned with containing the demon, yet making pacts
characters. It would certainly help them understand with those who are little better than tools he needs to
why the pack is attacking Arghes Castle. complete his geomantic ritual.
While the individual Fiends Dracula drained Once within the inner chamber, Zelios hands over
and killed before had no allies concerned enough to the brooch and tome. He reiterates what he said about
try to rescue them, this time the prisoner has allies the brooch in Scene Two to remind them how to work
bound to him by the vinculum. Lambach and his pack the brooch. Should they not understand that they need to
hope to overrun Dracula’s castle, free their captive slide the amber over the gold pages of the book as well, he
packmate and use the fortress as their stronghold. can also explain that to them. If the characters have the
Pity for them they’ve been caught between a group translation key with them, they will be able to read the text
of Justicars and Archons bent on their destruction of the brooch and the tome now. Otherwise, they must wait
and Dracula, who sees their arrival as the answer and read it when they have the key. Whenever they have
to his dilemma over being Embraced. the translation key, brooch and tome together, they may
No one (except the prince and his trusted mes- discover the following:
sengers) knows that Dracula has arranged the whole
thing. Warned far in advance of his “messenger’s” ar-
INSIDE AMBER’S HEART
rival that a pack of slavering anarchs were coming to Once the characters open the brooch and slide the
kill him, Dracula sent secret messages to the Justicars amber over the writing inside, they can translate the words
informing them where they could find the “Sabbat.” within through use of the translation key they found in
After waiting for the Justicars to do much of his work the tower of Tihuta Pass. Using the translation disk, they
for him, Dracula plans to swoop down, destroy the can make out the following text:
Justicars and take the Sabbat for his own use. Who said I am the key. Within the heart of my twin shall I reveal
mortals couldn’t be as devious as vampires? the truth. No more shall our father’s lies entrap us. All shall
now know the black rot that lies behind his fair face. Read of
his betrayal and weep for us all.
The book itself is a rounded tome. Its cover appears
word, Dracula allows Lambach to go free and his sire flees to be made of two thin sheets of amber with multiple
into the night. Storytellers should heighten the drama of inclusions, giving it a mottled look. They enclose pages
the scene by describing Dracula’s Embrace at Lambach’s of beaten gold. Bound around the tome and keeping it
hands and his diablerie of Tabak thereafter. Play up the shut is a heavy band of metal. Centrally located on the
horror of vampirism; let the horrid dungeons of Castle band’s front is an oval depression. Fitting the brooch into
Arghes set the mood for this blasphemous act. it unlocks the band, allowing the book to be opened. The
Once Embraced, Dracula seems to change somewhat. gold pages inside have been deeply etched.
While he is still attentive to the characters (if they remain The markings on the gold can be read by sliding the
at the castle), he seems more distant. He plans to leave his amber from the brooch and moving it across the writing.
castle and make himself known to the other Tzimisce soon. When enlarged by the amber, the etchings look as if they
As he has much to do, the prince asks that the characters were filled in with some sort of blood-red liquid, making
now leave — even his beloved. He assures them that he is the marks themselves look as though they are on fire. The
still their ally (and lover), but explains that he must travel characters’ translation key will be needed once again to
a different road for now. If the character who has become decipher the story told within, which is as follows:
PROPHECY IN AMBER
83
My Brothers and Sisters,
I write this warning to you knowing it may be that I shall never see any of you again. If it must be that my words reach you
from beyond my Final Death, then I accept that it is so. I do not fear death itself, only what my dreams tell me may await my soul
beyond that portal. Yet my heart retains its hope; I can imagine nothing more hideous than that which has already befallen me, and
so I pray for true death, for a peace that admits no torment, no nightmares.
They will come for me soon, I think. I have but little time to finish, and so, must make a start. Think kindly of me in the nights
to come if this should preserve you from the horrors that have stripped my existence from me. May you see the truth in my words and
flee that which would destroy your souls.
[Here the text grows illegible, the gold having corroded and greened beyond recognition.]
…Shu made us welcome with great feasting, summoning forth slaves whom his attendants tortured and slew in such hideous
fashion that we, who had seen many terrible things inflicted on the helpless who displeased our own kind, shuddered with revulsion
at their savagery. In the following nights they tempted us with riches and the most succulent of babies’ flesh and blood. They offered
us powers beyond any dreamed of by Caine himself. Again and again, they enticed us to partake of their rituals, to swear oaths with
demons, and to inflict the most cruel tortures on innocents.
And then Karesh fell to their seduction. He denounced the rest of us and the wicked fell upon us like the very hordes of Hell.
Vekis, Madiel and I were made captive and by the most agonizing of torments, forced to Embrace the mortal leaders of the Ba’al.
Then Madiel was slain, his blood drunk and his essence taken by his own newly made childe. Vekis and I were left alive so the
Ba’al could question us.
I shall not tell you of all the terrors and degradation visited upon us in our captivity. Vekis died in torment, vainly trying to
hold back information the Shu desired. I was questioned over and over, each time with new and more horrible tortures. My flesh
was laced with worms and maggots set to eating their way out of my body, my thirst was like a red shroud that enwrapped me in
unbreakable torment. But the worst times were those when my former brother came to me, whispering seductively and offering me my
freedom and peace if I would but join him. He told me terrible secrets that broke my mind and shattered my sanity. I feared I should
be kept thus forevermore, a pitiful remnant, a broken toy the evil Shu refused to put down.
Then in the midst of a moment of clarity, I found a way to escape. All I could recall was that my brother had betrayed us to
the Ba’al and that they now possessed the gift of immortality. Somehow, I found my way back to the City. Kneeling before our
Father and Grandsire, I told them what I had learned and begged for protection and for blood. Our Father seemed crazed by the
news I brought. He urged Caine to make immediate and total war upon the Ba’al. With our Grandsire’s approval, he called forth
our clan’s warriors. I was too weak to go with them.
Each day I slept uneasily, dreaming of Karesh’s whispers and the horrors that he told me. Each evening I awoke, covered in
blood sweat, unable to recall what he told me, but knowing it portended disaster for us all. I went to our Father, begging him to
help me unlock the secrets held within my dreams. He seemed distracted by the war and promised to assist me later. Our messengers
returned night after night with news that another of my warrior brethren was dead, slain by jade devils. Though Shu suffered
devastating losses, it seemed the war was not going well. Our Father became ever more determined, sending out his warrior childer
until none existed any longer. Then he turned to our healers, asking that they pick up the slayer’s sword as well.
That day as I slept, I dreamed again — and I remembered what had twisted my mind to madness. I saw again Karesh
coming to me, searing my flesh with heated metals while he whispered to me these words:
“Ah, my foolish brother, I take such delight in watching you writhe at my touch! And yet, this torment is as nothing before
the knowledge I tell you now. You were betrayed, but not by me. I but followed the wishes of my sire. He sent us here, not to
learn the plans of the Baali, but to see if they would make worthy children of our line. For many years now our sire has been
disappointed with our clan. He has grown weary of waiting for us to awaken to his true teachings, to throw off the pitiful
84
constraints we have placed upon ourselves, to reach beyond the idea of Shu’s guidance to the font of true power. Peace and inner
harmony are for weaklings, and that is what our line has become — a clan of puling fools who have forgotten that we are the
accursed of God. Our Father remembers and revels in it. Let the weak believe the lies he spins for them; when our time comes,
they shall fall before us like wheat to the scythe.
Do not believe that our Father’s first line will survive. Most of us have proven too peaceful, too willing to enter the search for
Golconda rather than to rip out the hearts of any who deny us our rightful heritage as the overlords of the Earth. They shall be swept
away in the red tide of battle, slain by his new children, the Ba’al of Shai. Those among the new who survive will be the strongest
and the most cruel. None shall know of our ascension until it is too late to turn aside our wrath. And on the night that the last of our
sire’s first children bleeds his life into the mouths of his newborns, I shall rise to sit by our Father’s right hand and command all who
dwell upon the Earth.”
I have remembered. I am afraid. This have I written to warn those of you who are left. Heed not the words of our Father, for he
is a liar. He seeks only your deaths. The Ba’al are not his enemy, but his tool for our destruction. Flee if you can. I shall bury this
beneath the floor of my room and hope that our Father does not find it. The key to reading it, and my warning not to give the key to our
Father or his minions, flies even now to one of our sisters who rests far from here and is, thus, safe for the moment.
It is almost dawn. Though awake, I am once again tormented by the nightmares that give me no peace night or day. My
warning is finished. I hear our Father’s footsteps as he comes toward my room. Unknowing, I asked him to unlock my dreams
and he has done so. Now he knows that I know the truth and he cannot allow me to exist with such knowledge. He knocks upon
the door and gently tells me to ready myself. It is come. I do not know if I am more afraid to greet the sun or to look upon our
Father’s face, knowing him for the first time as what he truly is. I shall bury this now and hope he does not find it when the
sun’s kiss sears my flesh and brings me, at last, to peace.
Javaniel, Second Bone Dragon
Childe of Yavok,
Childe of Zao-Lat
AFTERMATH
Will the characters sell it or broker it for power? Will
The characters have Javaniel’s journal and the knowledge they refuse? If they refuse, how will they keep the book safe
it contains. Now they must decide what they will do with from discovery or theft? Do they want to warn other Kindred
such knowledge. In the nights to come, several people might and share what they’ve learned? Though most will not believe
contact them wishing to buy the tome or trade it for something them, a few will. Eventually, should they survive, the characters
of great value to the characters. Goratrix would love to pos- will stand upon the very brink of Gehenna; they must decide
sess the tome, as would any Tzimisce or Tremere. The Sabbat whose side they will be on.
leadership would find the writings most useful, while pawns of
the Jyhad in the Camarilla might seek to destroy it.
PROPHECY IN AMBER
85
86
Come, fools ; throw yourselves at
me. Fall upon me in legion, and die by
the score. I am eternal, immortal. I am
invincible!
— Lord Jurgen von Verden, deceased
CHARACTERS
CHARACTERS
87
87
Hereafter are located the players, major and minor, in the drama
that is Son of the Dragon. Many of these character descriptions
are presented in the abbreviated format. This is intentional, for
two reasons: First, space constraints prevent full expositions of
their Traits — the story’s what’s important, here, not who has what
level of Dominate. Second, very few of these characters should come
into actual physical conflict with player characters. Most of their
interactions with the coterie should be social, and should require
no rolling of dice, so a list of Traits would be unnecessary.
Those who insist on full character treatments are encouraged
to locate the appropriate characters in other White Wolf books,
or to create Traits they deem appropriate to the story and their
troupe’s power level.
As always, the Golden Rule applies: If you don’t like some-
thing presented here, change it or throw it out.
ASSAMITE
KARIF AL NUMAIR
Background: Born into a family that provided servants to
human assassins, Karif learned the value of silence and obedience
early. As he went about his daily tasks, he watched the slayers,
picking up their mannerisms and imitating their actions. By the
time he was 12, Karif knew how to wield the knife, garrote and
sword. He had also come to the attention of an Assamite named
Wasim who saw in the boy the sort of dedication required of
In the wake of the Anarch Revolt, Karif received word that
those who could bear the curse of undeath.
Alamut was under attack from the European jackals. As he turned
Eventually, Wasim came for him. Waiting until the boy was
his steps toward his home to defend it, he heard that an accord had
sent to fetch wood beyond the confines of the assassin’s stronghold,
been reached. Karif was summoned to a meeting of those slayers who
the Assamite cut off his return and hunted him. Karif quickly
did not agree that they should bend the knee to the Europeans. They
realized that someone was after him. Understanding that he
sent him to the Convention of Thorns to speak for their views, even
would not make it back to the stronghold, Karif quickly gathered
against the express wishes of the Old Man of the Mountain. Karif
whatever makeshift weapons he could to defend himself from his
found no ears willing to listen to him at the convention and joined
unknown stalker. It was a doomed effort from the start.
with those anarchs who also refused to yield to the Camarilla.
Throughout the night, the Cainite played cat and mouse with the
Image: Karif has dark skin and eyes. He has long, black
servantboy,testinghisreflexes,intelligence,courageanddetermination.
hair, which he wears bound into a queue. He disdains Turkish
At one point the boy even managed to set a trap for the Cainite and
finery in favor of easy to move in desert robes and keffiyah.
wound him slightly with a sharpened stick. Wasim was pleased. Ending
Although he rarely raises his voice, his tone is grating and
the game by capturing the youth, Wasim took him to Alamut.
seems filled with bitterness. The look in his eyes immediately
When he realized the honor being paid him, Karif willingly tells all who see him that they stand in the presence of an
accepted his role as servant to Wasim. Seven years later, he became unrepentant killer.
an apprentice. From the rudimentary training he had absorbed as
Roleplaying Hints: You are filled with anger over the
a boy, he then graduated to full-scale assassinations.
treatment these Christian dogs have inflicted on your people.
For the next seven centuries, Karif faithfully served his clan, Now they seek to subjugate you once again. So they have
fulfilling the contracts assigned to him and paying his tithe of blood discovered Alamut. Why do the others give in? You will never
to his sire. He fought against the infidels who came to force Chris- surrender so long as there is blood within you and rage in your
tianity upon his homeland and learned their barbaric tongues. heart. Let the Europeans tremble, for your knife will twist in
Following the road he had been taught, Karif was among those their sides and your scimitar shall remove their arrogant heads
who swarmed into Eastern Europe with the Turks, diablerizing as you lap their blood from their unbeating hearts.
those he could. He also wanted to punish the arrogance of those Haven: During the characters’ encounter with him in
who had invaded his home with the crusades. Taking their lands Son of the Dragon, Karif makes his haven at the Abbey of
and feasting upon their blood satisfied that desire. the Sacred Crown as a guest.
88
Secrets: Karif knows of the attack planned on Silchester and
CAINITES AT
of a secret meeting place arranged by those who plan to participate.
They shall meet there afterward to discuss future plans.
THORNS
Influence: Currently, none since he is acting against his
clan’s wishes and is very far from home.
Destiny: In nights to come, Karif will help establish
the Sabbat, becoming one of the first members of the Black The Cainites with whom the characters may meet
Hand. Though he will never lead the Black Hand, his views and interact with at the Convention of Thorns are listed
will temper the group’s philosophy. below. Only a few are detailed in full under their respec-
Clan: Assamite tive clans. Storytellers should feel free to assign Traits as
Sire: Wasim needed to these Cainites, should they become absolutely
necessary in the course of the story. The Founders of the
Nature: Director
Camarilla are described completely in The Last Supper,
Demeanor: Fanatic Book One of the Giovanni Chronicles.
Generation: 6th
THE FOUNDERS OF THE CAMARILLA ARE:
Embrace: 717
Apparent Age: mid 20s Hardestadt, Ventrue
Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4 Adana de Sforza, Brujah
Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3 Milov Petrenkov, Gangrel
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Camilla Banes, Malkavian
Talents: Acting 2, Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 4, Dodge Josef von Bauren, Nosferatu
2, Intimidation 3, Subterfuge 2 Rafael de Corazon, Toreador
Skills: Archery 4, Etiquette 2, Herbalism 2, Melee 4, Stealth Mistress Fanchon, Tremere
4, Survival 3 THE ARCHONS
Knowledges: Academics 2, Investigation 2, Linguistics (Arabic, Though they act as Archons for the Founders, the four
French, Italian, German) 3, Occult 3, Politics 1 Kindred detailed below are not under Blood Oath to their
Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 3, Fortitude 2, Obfuscate 4, respective Justicars. Hounded by more powerful Cainites during
Potence 1, Quietus 3 the first nights of their new unlives, they learned of the power
Backgrounds: Allies 2, Contacts 2, Generation 4, Mentor 3 of the Blood Bond and opted to bond to one another through
Virtues: Conviction 3, Self-Control 5, Courage 4 sharing their blood. Each Archon is under the Blood Oath to
Road: Blood 6 another, who has in turn sworn the oath to yet another. The
bonds that exist within this coterie are its greatest secrets, yet
Willpower: 8
also a source of strength it can depend upon in times of crisis.
BRUJAH THE ARCHONS’ BLOOD OATHS

Federico of Padua,
→
LILIKA KAIROS →
Gilbert d’Harfleur,
Nosferatu
→ Lilika Kairos,
7th generation, childe of Maximarius Ventrue → Brujah
Nature: Innovator
Father Jean-Marc d’Harfleur,
Demeanor: Rebel
Toreador
Embrace: 1444
Apparent Age: early 20s OTHER CAINITES AT THE CONVENTION
A Greek merchant, Lilika defied convention by gaining a
Eleanor de Valois, Brujah
scholarly education. Lilika moved to Florence and married an
Father Samuel, Toreador
Italian merchant at a young age, with whom she anticipated a
life as a devoted wife and mother. When she miscarried her first Patricia of Bollingbroke, Brujah antitribu
child, it became clear that Lilika could bear no more children Unmada, Malkavian
unless she wished to face death in doing so. Accordingly, she Durga Syn, Ravnos
instead helped her husband in his business until his death due Myca Vykos, Tzimisce
to plague. As a young widow, she turned the running of the Maltheas, Ventrue
business over to a proxy and used her knowledge to search Karif al Numair, Assamite antitribu
out texts and relics of interest to the Church.
CHARACTERS
89
While on one such expedition, Lilika encountered
Cainites for the first time. Embraced by a cruel Brujah as
PATRICIA OF BOLLINGBROKE,
the expedient solution to a problem, she was thrown to “TYLER”
those who hunted her sire on the first night of her unlife.
6th generation Brujah antitribu, childe of Robin Leeland
She has never forgotten how she felt when so cruelly used
and determined she would never be helpless again. While Nature: Rebel
her Brujah blood calls to the rebel within her, she seeks to Demeanor: Conniver
work for moderate change rather than outright rebellion or Embrace: 1381
destructive anarchy. Apparent Age: unclear — late 20s/early 30s
Among the peasants who rose in support of English rebel Wat
ADANA DE SFORZA Tyler, Patricia became his lover after her husband was murdered.
5th generation Brujah, childe of Losario She marched on London with the rebellion, assisted in the murder
Nature: Innovator of the archbishop of Canterbury, and helped force the king to
Demeanor: Rebel answer to the peasants’ demands. Captured a short while later,
she was in prison awaiting death when a Brujah who admired her
Embrace: 1093
revolutionary zeal, Robin Leeland, Embraced her.
Apparent Age: late 20s
Fleeing England, she became one of the prime leaders in
This 5th generation Brujah is a petite blonde with nar- the anarch cause. Her successful attempt on Hardestadt’s unlife
row blue eyes and sharp features. Adana acts as something helped trigger the Anarch Revolt. Patricia discovered that drinking
of a devil’s advocate, encouraging change — but not blind the blood of an Elder dramatically increased her power. She has
change. She often maneuvers others into declaring their posi- come to the Convention of Thorns to bolster the anarchs and
tions so she may then adopt an opposing stance. Throughout to assassinate Hardestadt the Younger, who has set himself up as
the convention, she speaks out at odd moments, sometimes Hardestadt the Elder, lest others think the Camarilla a paper tiger.
disrupting almost-agreed upon solutions, in order to challenge For more information on Patricia of Bollingbroke (aka Tyler), see
her fellow Cainites’ perceptions and beliefs. Children of the Inquisition and Chicago by Night.
ELEANOR DE VALOIS
6th generation Brujah, childe of Adana de Sforza GANGREL
Nature: Innovator
Demeanor: Judge TIBERIU, DIPLOMAT AND
Embrace: 1407
Apparent Age: mid 20s
MESSENGER
An attractive young woman with long dark hair and Background: As the personal messenger of the former
frank, appraising eyes, Eleanor is the childe of one of Council of Ashes — the coterie of elders that once ruled
the founders of the Camarilla, Adana de Sforza. Despite Transylvania — Tiberiu possessed a modicum of status among
this close affiliation, Eleanor is trusted by the anarchs the members of his clan. Bound by oaths of blood, he betrayed
as a voice of moderation and reason. A philosopher at many of the secrets he was asked to carry to Count Radu, the
heart, Eleanor sympathizes with the anarch position, but Tzimisce who held him in thrall.
privately agrees that the Kindred need the Camarilla’s Tiberiu has since risen in status. He has become instrumental
protective influence to keep them safe from destruction in carrying the plans of Tzimisce elders from knezate to knezate.
at the hands of mortals. As the Fiends become more concerned with mortal politics,
As the facilitator and chief spokesperson for the con- their Gangrel servant not only becomes more useful, but also
vention, Eleanor keenly feels her responsibility to keep the develops diplomatic skills. Mitru, Marusca and Ruxandra still
meetings focused and to prevent the attendant Cainites from consider him a staunch ally, as he periodically gives them choice
lapsing into shouting matches or brawls. While polite, she morsels of information. Ultimately, however, were it not for his
maintains a cool reserve toward everyone at the conven- bond to Radu, his true loyalty would be to himself first.
tion, lest she be accused of playing favorites. Eleanor follows Tiberiu often travels by coach, proudly commanding the
the Road of Humanity and excels in etiquette. She speaks team of fell beasts that draw it. Closer examination of these
French, Italian, German, English and Latin. Although her mounts reveals that their muscular tissue has been sculpted,
best Discipline is Presence, she has impressive fighting undoubtedly by Vicissitude. Most passengers don’t realize
skills augmented by her Celerity and Potence. Her mastery that these beasts have portions of human bodies grafted into
of Auspex allows her to look into the hearts of others and their physiognomy. Once each week, they are fed with vam-
make accurate assessments of their intentions. piric vitae, magnifying their strength and stamina to obscene
proportions.
90
Destiny: One night Radu will learn of one of Tiberiu’s
indiscretions. He will grow furious, exacting his anger on his
servant’s very flesh. After Radu’s torture, Tiberiu will become
stooped and hideous. He’ll learn to fear the kiss of a whip and
the back of his master’s hand.
Clan: Gangrel
Sire: Harnuth
Nature: Survivor
Demeanor: Loner
Generation: 10th
Apparent Age: 23
Talents: Alertness 2, Brawl 2, Dodge 2
Skills: Animal Ken 3, Melee 2, Ride (Drive carriage) 4,
Stealth 2
Knowledges: Investigation 2, Occult 1
Disciplines: Celerity 5, Animalism 2, Protean 4
Backgrounds: Allies 4, Contacts 5, Mentor 4, Status 2
Virtues: Conviction 3, Instinct 3, Courage 4,
Road: Beast 6
Willpower: 6
MILOV PETRENKOV
6th generation Gangrel, Childe of Scendrak
Image: This messenger is tall, pale and scarred. He looks Nature: Barbarian
as though he survived the worst that Transylvania has to offer. Demeanor: Loner
Flowing dark hair trails behind him as he runs through the
Embrace: 974
woods. His demeanor has become increasingly inhuman. His
eyes are bloodshot, and his skin grows more pallid with each
passing year. When he hears the cries of wolves in the night, Milov is a slim, dark young man with shaggy hair and in-
he yearns to follow them. nocent looking eyes that note everything he sees. Quiet, but
with an air of restrained power, he knows himself to be what he
Roleplaying Hints: Across the years, you have become
is — a vampire, the ultimate hunter — and all others are his
cold and uncaring. You no longer consider the results of his
rightful prey. For all his quiet, Milov is exceedingly observant
actions; only your obedience to Radu matters. Nothing shocks
and insightful. Because he rarely wastes words, when he does
you, and you stop at nothing to fulfill your master’s desires.
speak, Milov’s words carry immense gravity.
Secrets: Unknown to Radu, Tiberiu still has occasion
to visit the former members of the Coterie of Ashes. The
viciousness with which they’ve turned on one another does
not surprise him. Still, he occasionally relays a choice bit of
LASOMBRA
news to one of his former allies. This demonstrates a marginal
amount of freedom and allows him a small bit of revenge LUCITA
against those who would try to exploit him. He has also had Background: The daughter of Alfonse I of Aragon, Lucita
opportunities to speak with Lupines. Tiberiu has risked his grew up privileged, but chafed under her responsibility to her father
life by traveling to the Sept of the Night Sky in the southern and family. She thought of patricide many times and often ran
Carpathians. away, only to be caught by the Aragonese guards and returned to
Influence: Tiberiu trades information with a host of her father’s custody. Rather than bother with disciplining the girl
contacts throughout Transylvania. This is a considerable himself (as king, he had better things to do), Alfonse shuffled her
advantage, as he is privy to many secrets others would dearly off to confession each time, trusting that God and Church would
love to know. Much of what he hears, however, is whispered engender penitence in his daughter. The fact that her confessor
to his master, Count Radu. was Ambrosio Luis Monçada made this hope a vain one.
CHARACTERS
91
Although you have studied combat, you most often succeed
through tact and negotiation. Your thirst for freedom is best
satisfied by traveling to distant lands. Let no one tie you down
or force you into anything you don’t want to do.
Haven: Wherever is convenient along the road.
Secrets: Lucita knows many secrets pertaining to the court
of Aragon. She also hears rumors from others of her clan. She
is ostensibly in Eastern Europe to enact Monçada’s will; in
actuality, she is aiding Anatole in one of his endeavors.
Influence: Lucita’s influence encompasses the court of Ara-
gon and, by extension, the other Christian courts of Iberia.
Destiny: Lucita becomes the consummate shadow warrior,
rivaling the Eastern Assamites in ferocity and reputation. As
the Anarch Revolt ensues and the Sabbat forms from its ashes,
Lucita abstains from both sects, becoming one of the most feared
Lasombra antitribu active in the modern World of Darkness.
Clan: Lasombra
Sire: Ambrosio Luis Monçada
Nature: Rebel
Demeanor: Defender
Generation: 7th
Embrace: 1190
Apparent Age: 17
Talents: Acting 2, Alertness 2, Brawl 3, Dodge 2, Leadership
Monçada recognized an indomitability of will in young Lucita —
1, Subterfuge 2
and a fierce independence. These traits — combined with his unholy
lust for her — convinced the bishop that her Embrace was warranted. Skills: Archery 3, Etiquette 3, Melee 4, Ride 2, Stealth 3
After talking with others of his clan, Monçada decided that the La- Knowledges: Hearth Wisdom 1, Investigation 2, Linguistics
sombra would greatly benefit from this individual of high birth. (French, Hungarian) 2, Occult 2, Politics 3, Seneschal 1
After her Embrace, though, Lucita’s relationship with her clan Disciplines: Celerity 2, Dominate 2, Obtenebration 3, Potence 3
was hardly idyllic. She struggled with Monçada just as she had struggled Backgrounds: Allies 2, Contacts 3, Influence 3, Resources 3
with her mortal father, craving autonomy and freedom. Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4
Lucita is a formidable master of martialry, both overt and covert. Road: Humanity 6
Her speed and natural grace aid her in this endeavor, and she can
masterfully whittle down stronger foes before they manage to land
a single blow upon her. When she combines her martial prowess MALKAVIAN
with her trademark Lasombra control of darkness, she becomes a
terrible enemy indeed. By the time of Dracula’s Embrace, Lucita CAMILLA BANES
is working as an Archon for the Camarilla, having found nothing
noble in Clan Lasombra’s destruction of its Ancient. 6th generation Malkavian, childe of Mellandis
Image: Lucita is tall and lithe and has a dusky, classical Nature: Caretaker/Tyrant
tone to her skin. She has black hair like many people of Span- Demeanor: Tyrant/Caretaker
ish descent, but there is no Moorish influence in her features. Embrace: 1063
She typically wears the garb of a noblewoman rather than that Apparent Age: mid 30s
of a warrior (surprise is her preferred MO), but these clothes This dual-personality (one sadistic, the other mothering) 6th-
are often dark and somber affairs that favor ease of movement generation Malkavian is exceedingly tall, and rosy cheeked. Her eyes
rather than stuffy presentability. change between dreamy vagueness and glittering intensity. Her sixth level
Roleplaying Hints: Your patrician birth and upbringing of Auspex allows her access to brief glimpses of the future. She might speak
have given you a natural nobility and carriage. As an Archon, of the bloodbath to come in Silchester, yet she does so in such non-specific
you nominally serve the Camarilla, but you also serve yourself. terms as to be impossible to interpret until the event itself transpires.
92
UNMADA Anatole’s keen insights grant him divine visions. These visions
explain to Anatole what he must do or where he needs to go. In recent
5th generation Malkavian, childe of Brahina nights, Anatole’s visions have commanded him to diablerize other
Nature: Caretaker Cainites. He used to believe this was so those he diablerized might
Demeanor: Judge enter God’s kingdom cleansed of their vileness; he’s no longer certain
Embrace: 369 this is true and has begun to wonder — if God is not controlling him,
who is? This hasn’t endeared him to many others. More information
on Anatole is available in Transylvania by Night.
Unmada appears as an ancient Brahmin, a holy man from
India. A devotee of the mortification of the flesh, his body is
punctured with hundreds of metal wires, wooden barbs and
bone hooks. He carries a pointed wooden staff with him that
NOSFERATU
he uses when he walks. Gifted with the insight of his clan,
Unmada often utters prophetic statements. Accompanied by FEDERICO OF PADUA
his childe Vasantasena, he has met the mysterious vampires Background: An Italian mercenary, Federico fought across the face
of Cathay and traveled throughout Europe. It is by Unmada’s of Europe, eventually joining Janos Hunyadi in his battles against the
urgings that the Malkavian clan has supported the Camarilla Turks. There he met and became something of a mentor (imparting the
thus far, responding to his calls for unity in the face of the reck- wisdom of a realist) to Gilbert d’Harfleur after saving the young knight’s
less violence of the anarchs and the religious zeal of mortals. life. Embraced against his will by a cruel and whimsical Nosferatu, Federico
He and his childe attend the Convention of Thorns in hopes underwent a painful transformation. He has never forgiven his sire for
of tempering the other Cainites’ feelings concerning mortals. his Embrace. Federico has become the eternal cynic. While he believes
More information on Unmada can be found under his childe that the Kindred must work together, he does not blindly follow orders,
Vasantasena in Children of the Inquisition. instead questioning what he is told and judging others by their actions
ANATOLE, HOLY HARBINGER rather than generation or clan. He supports the just claims of younger
Cainites, but will not countenance violence where words should suffice.
9th generation, childe of Pierre l’Imbecile Oddly, he is a deadly fighter, combining his Obfuscate Discipline with a
Nature: Defender prodigious strength and a no-quarter attitude.
Demeanor: Penitent
Embrace: 1193
Apparent Age: 20
Anatole is the earthly conduit for God’s word. His Derange-
ment, a tendency for random hallucination, often causes him
to see symbols, people and objects that do not exist, though to
Anatole’s mind these hallucinations are quite real and reveal
God’s presence.
Lately, however, Anatole has begun to reinterpret his vi-
sions. He’s no longer sure that they reveal the works of God to
him, though exactly what they do reveal is not yet clear. What
powers the Malkavian possesses is unknown, but he has been
known in the past to repel Cainites with powers resembling
True Faith by calling out to angels whom he sees in his frac-
tured mind.
The young Cainite has also picked up appreciable skill with
sword and shield, which, when combined with his impressive array
of Disciplines, makes him quite physically adept. Those Cainite
elders who observe his actions are concerned that a disproportionate
number of his Disciplines are not within the province of the Mal-
kavian clan. As to where he learns them, Anatole isn’t telling.
Anatole typically keeps the company of the Lasombra Lu-
cita, and acts as a strong right arm to her as they move through
Dark Medieval Europe. He has also been seen with an entourage
of monklike pilgrims, who are commonly believed to be either
ghouls in his service or his herd.
CHARACTERS
93
Image: As a mortal Federico was a little above average height
with a strong frame, brown hair, beard and eyes, and a roughly hand-
JOSEF VON BAUREN
some face. He often wore armor, stripping down to underpadding 6th generation Nosferatu, sire unknown
and basic clothing when not in battle. This is the image he usually Nature: Judge
projects when using his Obfuscate Discipline to create a normal Demeanor: Autocrat
face for himself. When in his natural state as a Nosferatu, Federico Embrace: 1006
is hairless, with an elongated nose and a face that resembles melted
Apparent Age: early 60s
candle wax. Somewhat stooped, he bears pustulent sores on all parts
of his body. His brown eyes remain intelligent, amused and cynical. Von Bauren’s frame is stooped and wizened. He stands no
Most of the time, however, Federico has no image, as he spends a taller than four feet nine, and is covered with huge, suppurating
great deal of time invisibly observing those around him. warts. Von Bauren’s sixth level of Obfuscate allows him to hide
large inanimate objects. The Nosferatu is never hasty, weighing
Roleplaying Hints: You are nobody’s fool. Long before be-
his words and options before committing himself. Well respected,
ing thrust into Cainite society, you understood the difference
for he speaks only when he has something important to say, he
between common soldiers and the nobles who supposedly com-
hates waste of any kind, be it gold, Kindred or kine. Von Bauren
manded them. People like Hardestadt may bluster, but those
is the Founder most likely to interact with the characters should
who stand up to them can force them to back down in the face
he perceive them to be intelligent and circumspect.
of true conviction. You fight for the Camarilla because it stands
the best chance of serving the interests of all Cainites, yet does
not advocate enslavement or torture of mortals. You remember
RUXANDRA,
all too well your own treatment at the hands of your sire. RULER FROM THE SHADOWS
Secrets: Because of his penchant for invisible investigation, 8th generation, childe of Marusca
Federico knows many secrets (and guesses many others) of the Founders Nature: Celebrant
and most Cainites he comes in contact with. It is likely that Federico
Demeanor: Autocrat
has at least a passing knowledge of the secrets of any Kindred with
Apparent Age: 17
whom he has been in contact for an appreciable amount of time.
Embrace: 1175
Influence: As an Archon for Josef von Bauren, Federico
has a great deal of influence in the new Camarilla. His views In the early 14th century, Ruxandra of Clan Nosferatu rose
make him a respected figure among anarchs as well, however. to power within the city of Hermanstadt. Her sire, Marusca, fell
He has almost no influence among mortals. prey to one of the greatest failings of a prince: letting her personal
concerns overwhelm her Cainite obligations. A lengthy vendetta
Destiny: Federico survives Haceldema (the Silchester battle),
against a nearby Tzimisce knez led to Marusca’s seduction, abduc-
going on to cultivate significant influence in the Camarilla. He
tion and eventual political decline. As Marusca fell prey to the
establishes himself firmly in the role of Archon, and aids Camarilla
Tzimisce’s scheme, her childe, Ruxandra, became the next prince
Justicars for centuries to come.
of the city. While Marusca wanders the woods of Transylvania
Clan: Nosferatu contemplating the revelations that shattered her sanity, Ruxandra
Sire: Mariennia (adopted sire: Josef von Bauren) now commands more power than her sire ever realized.
Nature: Judge Clan Nosferatu often acts upon a time-honored belief regard-
Demeanor: Survivor ing princes: The most visible Cainite in a domain is not always its
Generation: 7th actual ruler. Both Marusca and Ruxandra epitomized this approach
Embrace: 1444 to leadership. In the 13th century, Marusca began the tradition of
Apparent Age: early 30s? employing many minions to stealthily watch over the lands surround-
Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4 ing Hermanstadt. Several Nosferatu spies, aided by armies of wolves
Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 and bats, kept her well informed. Ruxandra had become accustomed
Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 to leading this coterie on its stealthiest missions of espionage. Thus,
Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 4, Dodge 3, Intimida- when the prince fell, the real power rose to assume her place.
tion 2, Subterfuge 3 In the meantime, the Saxon Ventrue believed that they
Skills: Archery 3, Melee 4, Ride 2, Stealth 3, Survival 3 were still the rightful rulers of the Domain of Hermanstadt. After
Knowledges: Hearth Wisdom 2, Linguistics (French, Hungarian) 2, all, Saxon mortals had originally colonized the city; thus, they
Occult 2, Politics 3 thought it only fitting that a Saxon Ventrue should rule it. In a
formal ceremony before one of the Ventrue of the Holy Roman
Disciplines: Animalism 1, Auspex 3, Obfuscate 4, Potence 2
Empire, Patricians appointed the city’s new prince. Otto the Just
Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Mentor 4, Resources 2, Status 3
was one of the most successful of the Eastern Lords, and the Holy
Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 4, Courage 4 Roman Ventrue were certain this lackey would fulfill their ambi-
Road: Humanity 6 tions admirably. In 1450, Otto assumed control of the domain
Willpower: 7 surrounding Hermanstadt.
94
Otto was convinced of his glorious destiny as assuredly as he was masterworks by drawing upon local ley lines. He dares not
of his birthright. Exhibiting the same egomania that would become explain this to Westerners, however. Many Cainites want the
so popular among Ventrue princes in the Camarilla centuries later, status of living in an estate or fortress redesigned by the master
he also strained the limits of the Silence of Blood. Almost immedi- mason. They don’t give a damn about how he does it.
ately, Otto assumed a mortal persona. He then falsified evidence of Zelios believes that devoting his unlife to the continual pursuit
his relation to the current mortal burgrave of the city. of his craft is the best ethical choice he can make after receiving
Ruxandra cared little for the acquisition of power in mortal Caine’s curse. Little does he know that each project is part of a larger
society, and the Tzimisce of neighboring domains never acquiesced design, one that is not of his own choosing. Under the influence
to Otto’s demands. They frequently traveled in secret through the of a Nosferatu Methuselah, Zelios has placed several castles at the
neighboring tirsas. Ruxandra received constant updates on their nexi of powerful ley lines, connecting them into greater patterns.
activity from her spies. By recognizing the hidden princes within Though he does not realize it, the geomantic energies they harness
her domain, she soon found diplomatic alliances with the Fiends act as a glyph of warding... or possibly one of summoning....
to be far more profitable than Otto ever would.
Ruxandra never rejected the sovereignty of the Tzimisce,
instead offering to unite them against the Saxon Ventrue threat.
RAVNOS
When packs of Nosferatu and Tzimisce worked together to
abduct Otto the Just, Ruxandra performed a formal ceremony DURGA SYN
of her own. The Ventrue was tortured before an assembly of 6th generation Ravnos, childe of Vladovos
Romanian Cainites to pay for his race’s atrocities. Otto lost face
Nature: Caretaker
in more ways than one — especially after Ruxandra used her
newly found powers of Vicissitude to rend his face from his skull Demeanor: Survivor
and graft it onto her own. Embrace: Unknown, sometime around 200
Apparent Age: unclear, at times late 70s, at others mid 20s
ZELIOS, A young priestess of the Mother Goddess, Durga Syn fought
THE MASTER MASON against the mad excesses of Baba Yaga, who cursed her with
ugliness and the semblance of age. Durga Syn continued to resist
7th generation, childe of Hannibal the hag and worked to undo the havoc she wreaked in Russia.
Nature: Architect Fatally wounded by Christian missionaries, she was rescued from
Demeanor: Innovator Baba Yaga’s attempt to Embrace her by Russian Ravnos, who
Embrace: 1020 took her into their clan instead. Eventually, as magic faded from
Apparent Age: early 30s the world, the hag went into torpor. Since that time, Durga Syn
has sought to act as a mediator among Cainites, helping the
Zelios is a master of the science of architecture. Over the
newly forming Camarilla discover what its goals actually are,
centuries, he has watched the construction of the greatest
and should be, while also counseling anarchs in their rebellion
masterpieces of European engineering. By subtly influencing
against their elders. Durga Syn eventually becomes a counselor
the mortal engineers who design these edifices, he alters them to Vlad Dracula; her advice leads the Wallachian ruler to seek
to fit the needs and aesthetics of the local Cainites. Hidden independence when becoming a vampire. More information on
passageways, secret rooms, and chambers inaccessible to mortals Durga Syn can be found in Children of the Inquisition and
are all signature elements of his work. the Giovanni Chronicles.
These innovations constitute just one part of his designs.
With a few choice words, he can critique a competent archi-
tectural design, suggesting improvements to transform it into
a masterpiece. Eternally patient, he has traveled throughout
TOREADOR
the kingdoms of Eastern Europe, constructing a vast network FATHER JEAN-MARC
D’HARFLEUR
of castles to shelter the havens of the most powerful Cainites.
Architecture alone inspires him. Great age has reduced his
enthusiasm for all other aspects of unlife. 7th generation, childe of Count Dravik
His insights often come in brief visions, sometimes dur- Nature: Penitent
ing mathematical reveries. For centuries, he has struggled to Demeanor: Judge
understand the true significance of these revelations. His travels
Embrace: 1444
through the temples of Egypt and the cities of the Cathayans
Apparent Age: early 20s
have shown him glimpses of truth. Zelios has an intuitive grasp
of geomantic principles. Often, the suggestions he advances In many ways the heart of the Archon group, Jean-Marc
to improve a design channel unseen energies, reinforcing his once served as a papal legate. A womanizer and lover of music
and fine things, the handsome young priest (second son of an
CHARACTERS
95
important French noble) sought his own advancement rather Samuel is a tall, gaunt man who appears to be in his late
than his service to Christ and his flock. With his black hair 40s. His pallor accentuates the ascetic features of his face — thin
and startling blue-green eyes, Jean-Marc seemed certain to lips, piercing black eyes and high cheekbones. His dark hair is
advance far in the ranks of the Church. styled in the monk’s tonsure. He wears dark-brown robes secured
While traveling in Eastern Europe, Jean-Marc attracted by a braided rope belt. Despite his deliberately understated ap-
the attention of a sadistic Toreador. Torturing the young priest, pearance, Samuel’s fine bones and aristocratic bearing give him
whose music was one of his greatest joys, the Toreador slashed a handsome, almost regal look. While his clothing is suited to
and broke Jean-Marc’s hands so that he could not play, then that of a monk, it is made of fine materials and his “rope” belt
forced him to try playing through the agony. When his sire is actually made of braided strands of fine linen.
Embraced him, Jean-Marc gained a new understanding of Realizing that England is neutral territory, Father Samuel
himself and those in need of his counsel and comfort. Through offered his monastery as the site for holding the Convention
the very act of becoming a monster, Jean-Marc discovered of Thorns. Although he hopes that the Camarilla can come
his true calling, and soon thereafter found True Faith. With to terms with the anarchs and avoid more bloodshed, he feels
the help of his cousin, who had also fallen prey to a Cainite, that his role in maintaining the secret nature of the conclave
Jean-Marc escaped his sire. and acting as a father confessor for the delegates (should they
A peacemaker at heart, Jean-Marc is often a voice of wish to confide in him) may keep tempers cool and prevent
reason and a proponent of cooperation among Kindred. Both unfortunate confrontations. In the wake of the conclave, when
he and his cousin Gilbert strongly feel it their duty to act as the proto-Sabbat slaughter the people of Silchester, Father
protectors of humankind. Samuel feels that he failed in his duties. Blaming himself for
the bloodbath, Samuel leaves the monastery and disappears.
RAFAEL DE CORAZON No one knows if he survived beyond this time.
5th generation Toreador, childe of Callisti y Callisto ARIANNE, POLITICAL
Nature: Survivor
Demeanor: Gallant CHAMELEON
Embrace: 1389 7th generation, childe of Oliver
Apparent Age: mid 20s Nature: Loner
Gorgeous beyond belief (Appearance 7), this 5th generation Demeanor: Romantic
Toreador has a mellifluous voice to match his looks. Witty and Embrace: 1120
eloquent, de Corazon is credited with being the originator of Apparent Age: early 20’s
the Masquerade. He uses his looks to sway others to his point of In politics, scandal is the deadliest weapon. Arianne
view. His main flaw is his desire to always be the most beauti- began her unlife as an expert on etiquette and culture. After
ful person or thing in any setting. During the Convention of traveling through much of Western Europe, she became a
Thorns, de Corazon makes an impassioned speech in favor of
regular guest at many functions in Eastern Europe as well.
adopting the Masquerade, a suggestion that becomes one of the
Never staying in one court for long, she did all she could to
main goals of the Camarilla in the coming centuries.
bring the local Cainites’ standards of civility up to acceptable
FATHER SAMUEL levels. Her greatest weakness, however, was a fascination with
the concept of courtly love. She twisted the 22 rules of this
7th generation Toreador, childe of Herodian noble amusement to bring suffering to her paramours.
Nature: Caretaker The 13th rule of courtly love tells us that a man in love eats
Demeanor: Autocrat little and sleeps little; when Arianne controls him, he suffers
Embrace: 1333 greatly. She often dominates mortals as puppets in her romantic
Apparent Age: mid 40s dramas, amusing herself by watching their lives self-destruct. Seeing
Abbot of the Abbey of the Sacred Crown and Prince of others in love fills her with envy; destroying a budding romance
Southampton, Father Samuel is a meditative Toreador who justifies her jaded attitudes. While this has earned her a host of
finds beauty in simplicity. Samuel has surrounded himself with enemies, her valuable insights into the people she has destroyed
a coterie of fanatically devoted monks — ghouled retainers have also brought her many allies hungry for the information.
— as well as a small army of soldiers to protect him from his In recent years, these contacts have arranged for her
enemies. He retains power and influence in Cainite society invitations to the many gatherings of the fledgling Camarilla.
through offering his services as a diplomat and his abbey as a She can easily drift into any private function by hanging on
safe haven for the area’s Cainites. He has allied himself with to the arm of an influential, vain or lonely courtier, male or
the other Cainite princes in England and hopes that this female. For some reason, many politicians consider the artistes
will help him avoid acquiring enemies in either vampiric or of Clan Toreador as little more than decoration for their
Church circles. formal gatherings. Arianne loathes that stereotype. Though
96
she appears innocent, she quickly gathers information about the Tzimisce clan. Some time thereafter, the Tremere wizards
the most powerful vampires present. Over the last 10 years, — performing a ritual designed by Goratrix — became Cainites.
she has specialized in hunting down secrets of various high- Once again, Myca was bested by his rival. Hating his clan, himself
ranking members of Clan Ventrue. Over the next 50 years, and the Tremere, Myca fled to Constantinople where he became
she plans to use it as part of her bid for power. a historian and researcher to escape his own past.
Myca would dearly love to learn Thaumaturgy, hoping
TREMERE someday to best Goratrix at the Tremere’s own game. He
corresponds with two Transylvanian Fiends, Lugoj and Velya,
who share his scholarly interests. (These are the same Tzimisce
MISTRESS FANCHON who were involved in the Amaranth of the Tzimisce clan
founder in 1413.) He established cordial relationships with
6th generation Tremere, childe of Shavrael
many other Tzimisce in Transylvania, seeing this as a key to
Nature: Fanatic his eventual return and ascendancy within his clan. Myca has
Demeanor: Judge secretly been a part of the Anarch Movement for some time,
Embrace: 1357 however, and it was his scholarship (combined with informa-
Apparent Age: mid 40s tion from a coterie of Transylvanian Cainites) that pinpointed
Long black hair frames startling green eyes set into the the resting place of the Tzimisce clan founder, allowing his
handsome, middle-aged face of this Usurper. Strong willed friends to diablerize the Lord of the Fiends.
and thaumaturgically talented, Mistress Fanchon seeks to The Turks’ takeover of Constantinople in 1453 results in
disarm opponents by confusing them, commanding verbal Myca having to leave the haven he has long occupied. Moving
trickery and a rapier wit. She prefers to be in control during to a hidden haven prepared for him in Transylvania, he now
any situation. She proposes that the unruly anarchs be blood helps direct anarch strikes against both elder Tzimisce and any
bound both to their immediate sires and Clan Tremere as the Tremere he locates. In 1493, he attends the Convention of
price of their readmission to Cainite society, so that she and Thorns as an outspoken opponent of surrender. Along with
her clanmates may keep a close eye on them. the others who walk out of the conclave, Myca becomes one
of the earliest members of the Sabbat. He changes his name
TZIMISCE
MYCA VYKOS/SASCHA
VYKOS
Background: Scion of the Vykos family, Carpathian royalty,
Myca grew up assuming he would inherit his father’s lands and
title. Soon after he entered puberty, however, he fell prey to
strange dreams and fits. An old herbalist, defeated in her attempts
to cure him, suggested that the family take Myca to see a wizard
who lived nearby. There the boy discovered that he was a magus
and joined the organization of wizards known as House Tremere
of the Order of Hermes. Taken to a local chantry, he quickly
mastered apprentice level magic and became a journeyman mage.
As part of the Vykos family, Myca was able to smooth the way
for the Tremere magi to set up chantries in Transylvania. His
importance to the house led to jealousy, however, and a brilliant
magus named Goratrix soon became his rival. Myca could make
no move without the other wizard challenging him, nor could he
perform any magic without Goratrix seeing it as competition.
One night, as Myca traveled on business for the house, he
was set upon by Tzimisce vampires who hated House Tremere
and saw the wizards as threats. Unknown to Myca, Goratrix had
deliberately let slip where the house’s agents would be, hoping
the Tzimisce would slay Myca. Instead, noting that he was Tran-
sylvanian royalty, they “reclaimed” him by Embracing him into
CHARACTERS
97
TZIMISCE
to Sascha Vykos in honor of a comrade-in-arms who falls
fighting the Camarilla.
Image: In his “original” chosen form (the one in which he
first interacts with the characters), Myca had a dusky African
skin tone, long black hair and large hazel eyes. His face seemed COUNT RADU OF BISTRITZ,
all planes and shadows, with his high cheekbones his most FALLEN PRINCE
prominent feature. Tall and slim, he had very long fingers and
pointed, painted fingernails. For years, he affected robes and 7th generation, childe of Visya
cloaks of the finest Byzantine quality. His voice was cultured, Nature: Deviant
his manner pleasant. Such was his beauty (enhanced by Vicis- Demeanor: Director
situde) that both sexes lusted after him. After the Convention Embrace: 1125
of Thorns, Sascha gradually assumes an alien, androgynous Apparent Age: mid 30s
aspect, refining his wicked Vicissitude and shaping himself The feudal ways of Clan Tzimisce are becoming a thing of the
into a beautiful angel of death. past. Elder knezi are swarmed by packs of ambitious neonate Fiends.
Roleplaying Hints: You are cultured and intelligent and Tzimisce, Nosferatu and Gangrel childer now form antitribu packs.
have spent much of your time building alliances and spying Their alliances are strengthened by communal bonds of blood.
out others’ secrets. Denied a place in your own country, you They have taken the traditions of Kupala’s Night, especially the
spent long years in Constantinople nursing your grievances rite of Vaulderie, and perverted them into a method of enforcing
— grievances most of your acquaintances never hear. You pack loyalty. Even Radu has fallen before these ambitious crusaders,
have bided your time, but the right moment has arrived retreating to a 200-year-old fortress in the Tihuta Pass.
when you can band together with others and overthrow the Nonetheless, the Tzimisce have triumphed in other endeavors.
hated elders. Let them hold their foolish convocation; you To combat the growing political power of the Ventrue in Eastern
are here to show them what their posturing is worth after
Europe, elder Fiends have become more ambitious in their attempts
the talking stops.
to manipulate mortal politics. One result of this is the strengthening
Destiny: “Myca” Vykos ceases to exist after the Con- of ties between the three Romanian empires: Transylvania, Mol-
vention of Thorns. “Sascha” Vykos escapes the Camarilla davia and Wallachia. Mortal rulers have learned to kneel before
retaliation at Silchester and goes on to join the nascent Sab- the unquestioned masters of the night in Eastern Europe. Defying
bat, becoming an important Priscus. the Silence of Blood, knezi now hold audiences with the mortal
Clan: Tzimisce rulers they have groomed for positions of power.
Sire: Symeon Radu knows that he cannot leave the safety of his fortress,
Nature: Monster but through his messenger, Tiberiu, he can still relay messages
Demeanor: Architect to other kingdoms. While taking long walks along the parapets
Generation: 7th of his castle at night, he contemplates the political turmoil
Embrace: 1002 in Hungary, Wallachia and Moldavia. He also occasionally
Apparent Age: mid 20s sees packs of Tzimisce childer running through the streets of
Bistritz, the city he once controlled. Civility has dulled his
instincts, but he still believes that intellect and cunning can
Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 5 help him subjugate the bestial and depraved.
Talents: Acting 2, Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Dodge
2, Empathy 1, Intrigue 3, Subterfuge 3 VENTRUE
Skills: Animal Ken 2, Archery 2, Etiquette 2, Herbalism 1,
Melee 3, Music 2, Ride 3, Stealth 2, Survival 2 GILBERT D’HARFLEUR
Knowledges: Academics 4, Hearth Wisdom 2, History 3, In-
vestigation 1, Law 1, Linguistics (Greek, Hungarian, French, 7th generation, childe of Lady Justania
Russian) 4, Occult 3 Nature: Defender
Disciplines: Animalism 2, Auspex 3, Celerity 2, Dominate Demeanor: Defender
3, Presence 2, Vicissitude 5 Embrace: 1444
Backgrounds: Allies 2, Contacts 3, Resources 4, Retainers 1 Apparent Age: 18
Virtues: Conviction 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Born into one of the Templar families (nobles from whom
Road: Bones 7 many of the Knights Templar arose), Gilbert was destined to
Willpower: 8 become Baron of Harfleur. Following family custom, the young
knight swore himself to the Templar cause, though the order had
been disbanded and its reputation blackened years before.
98
Painfully Embraced by an arrogant Ventrue noblewoman Hardestadt is a tall, strapping man with dark hair and intense
whose favors he spurned, Gilbert’s first nights of unlife were eyes. Arrogant to the core, Hardestadt believes that respect should
spent battling for his own existence and that of his cousin be accorded to those of greater station. Of course, few can rival
Jean-Marc and their sworn companions, Lilika and Federico. his exalted station. He uses bluster and his overpowering will to
Like Jean-Marc, Gilbert is concerned with preventing Cainites attain what he wants. Initially thunderously indignant over the
from abusing or permanently harming mortals — a legacy of anarchs daring and scathingly dismissive of humans, Hardestadt
his Embrace and the anger and frustration he felt during it. realizes at the Convention of Thorns that he must temper his
He defends his companions with equal zeal. excesses of opinion somewhat in order to promote harmony
Since becoming a Cainite, Gilbert has made contact among the members of the newly born Camarilla.
with the remnants of the Templars and concerned himself Of course, this is all a ruse. Patricia of Bollingbroke led a small
with acquiring both treasures and artworks to add to their force of anarchs against Castle Hardestadt in the late-14th century,
legendary coffers and hidden strongholds for the order’s use. killing Hardestadt the Elder in the process. The fallen Ventrue’s
Indebted to a Cappadocian who helped him when Gilbert favored childe, Hardestadt the Younger, knew that with this dreadful
was newly Embraced, the noble Ventrue has also arranged for turn of events, all of his sire’s work was in jeopardy.
the building and maintenance of a remote monastery where With grim resolve, Hardestadt the Younger assumed his sire’s
a few remaining Cappadocians hide from the Giovanni. In visage through his mastery of Presence. He continued the Elder’s
return, they have taught him some of what they know about agenda, pushing for the Camarilla as if nothing had ever happened.
the world of the dead. Obviously, Patricia is leery of “Hardestadt’s” re-emergence in the
Saved in battle against the Turks by Federico while Cainite world, but she has played it careful until this point.
still mortal, Gilbert still defers to the older soldier’s wisdom
and instincts, but otherwise usually acts as the spokesman NOVA ARPAD,
for the group. DIPLOMAT TO THE TREMERE
MALTHEAS (METHUSELAH 7th generation, childe of Gregor
MONITOR OF THE INCONNU) Nature: Architect
Demeanor: Curmudgeon
5th generation Ventrue, childe of Veddartha Embrace: 1050
Nature: Innovator Apparent Age: early 30s
Demeanor: Judge Although corrupt and selfish, Nova is still loyal to her clan.
Embrace: 554 Centuries ago, she had hoped to subjugate the vampiric lords of
Apparent Age: mid 30s Transylvania for the needs of the Eastern Lord Ventrue. That
With his small frame, dark curls and almond shaped eyes, epic scheme has failed utterly, and few of the Transylvanian
Maltheas hardly looks like a Methuselah. Dressed in the most Cainites trust her. Desperation has driven her to flee to Ceoris,
current German fashions, he has come to the Convention of where allies of the Eastern Lords faithfully aid Clan Tremere.
Thorns to oversee what happens for the Inconnu. Supposedly The Ventrue and the Tremere, thus, have a common enemy:
divorced from the Jyhad, Maltheas plays a secret game of control, Clan Tzimisce. Nova has become a mouthpiece for many of the
manipulating many of the Cainites of Eastern Europe as his Eastern Lords, diplomatically speaking on behalf of her clan. Of
unwitting pieces. His ultimate aim is to bring down the Tzimisce course, she realizes that her clan now considers her expendable, for
and open Eastern Europe to his own control. He acts the part if the Tremere really wanted to destroy her free will, they could.
of the wide-eyed neonate while attending the convocation, the Then again, no one north of the Carpathians trusts her anyway,
better to get to know some of those who may end up being his so it is unlikely that she would be a useful pawn.
pawns (or even his rooks and knights). While he would like to
see the Camarilla stabilize relations among Cainites for now,
he also wants to keep a hand in with the anarch faction in case DRACULA: ENIGMA
he ever needs to use them. He may secretly assist either or both
factions, but not in any way that is traceable back to him. VLAD THE IMPALER
HARDESTADT “THE ELDER” Background: Curiously enough, one of the most promi-
nent figures in the vampiric history of Transylvania wasn’t a
5th generation Ventrue, childe of Hardestadt the Elder
vampire at all. Though praised for his defense of the kingdom
Nature: Autocrat
of Wallachia, he was also condemned for atrocities that far
Demeanor: Director exceeded those of the Transylvanian Cainites. After learning
Embrace: 1191 of the existence of vampires, he led a brutal Inquisition in
Apparent Age: early 40s southern Transylvania that would never be forgotten.
CHARACTERS
99
Transylvania. From there, he ruled as a tyrant, using shocking,
bestial methods to prove his authority and rule through fear.
Within a few months, Vlad the Impaler found out that
local boyars had conspired against and murdered his eldest
brother, Mircea. Shortly thereafter, he held a great Easter feast
on the Poenari hills. When the citizens of the city arrived, the
Impaler’s troops surrounded the celebrants and placed them in
chains. For weeks, they were forced to build his fortress there
stone by stone, even as their Easter clothes were torn to shreds.
This became the site of the infamous Castle Arghes.
Vlad later found that his brother had been buried face down.
He summoned the local boyars to test their loyalty. When their
answers were not to his satisfaction, his executioners impaled
them on rows of stakes outside his estate. Later, the Impaler started
the practice of feasting before whole forests of his dying enemies,
dipping his food in their blood to strengthen himself.
After securing his power in the Transylvanian districts of
Amlas and Fagaras, he became increasingly paranoid, search-
ing everywhere for signs of legendary, immortal creatures who
wielded more power than he did. He even sent out messengers
to find the mysterious Durga Syn, but to no avail. When he
finally found evidence that two of his enemies from the Danesti
line of nobles had been accepted into the kingdom of the
undead, he spared no effort to hunt them down.
After capturing one of these Danesti rivals, Dan III,
Vlad and his men bound their captive above a massive stake.
Hours of torture not only proved Dan’s inhuman nature, but
also gathered information on the Transylvanian undead. Vlad
Vlad the Impaler first suspected the existence of the undead immediately staked his victim and slowly drained him of his
during his youth. He had heard legends of how his father, Vlad blood. When the Impaler feasted this time, however, the vitae
the Dragon, had been advised by a mysterious creature of the he drank gave him incredible strength and stamina.
night. That was the mysterious Durga Syn, a cagey Ravnos who Despite the true reasons behind this vendetta against Dan
betrayed information about the Wallachian anarchs to the mortal III, Vlad justified his campaigns of terror as a way to ensure
ruler of the kingdom. Though the Dragon’s sons were too young this security of his northern border. Within the year, Vlad
to accompany him on his skirmishes against these vampires, they Tepes and Janos Hunyadi, his military mentor, led a crusade
were captivated by his stories of fierce battles by moonlight. against the Turkish forces subjugating southern Wallachia.
At the age of 12, Vlad and his younger brother Radu Because of this valiant campaign, Romanians remember Vlad
accompanied their father to a parley with the sultan of the Ot- as a hero for driving the Ottoman armies back to the very
toman Empire. Deep within Turkish-held territory, the Dragon gates of Constantinople. Unfortunately, the Hungarian king
was betrayed and captured by Sultan Murad. After the two eventually withdrew his support of the crusade.
sons were taken prisoner, the Dragon was forced under duress After Vlad retreated to Castle Arghes, he watched in horror
to swear oaths of loyalty to the Ottoman Empire. His two sons as Turks overran the city of Tirgoviste nearby. His first wife leapt
remained as hostages in the city of in Egrigoz. Years of imprison- from the castle’s parapets in defiance of the Turkish host, grace-
ment in the sultan’s court gave young Vlad an opportunity to fully falling into the waters of the Agrish River. Vlad Dracula fled
learn from his captors. He later began his studies in the occult. to Transylvania, where was captured by the king’s envoys and
Before long, he saw evidence of a sinister conspiracy: a secret imprisoned for 12 years on falsified charges of treason.
society of Arabic vampires that covertly influenced many of Vlad’s fame for defending Wallachia was great, but his in-
the grandest schemes of the Ottoman Empire. famy was greater. Transylvanian Cainites have heard legends of
Vlad eventually found favor with the sultan, who decided inquisitions throughout Europe, but few exceeded the butchery of
to support him in a crusade against Wallachia. After forcing Vlad the Impaler. Tens of thousands of mortals had been staked
the Danesti prince Vlad II from Tirgoviste, Vlad realized that to uncover a few Tzimisce vampires. Homes, farms and monas-
the sultan could soon turn against him. He fled to Moldavia, teries were burned to the ground to destroy his unseen enemies.
where he continued his studies. With the aid of Prince Steven of When stories of his butchery were retold in the Germanies, this
Moldavia, he later returned to conquer Wallachia and southern violent Draculesti noble became a legend. Before long, his name
100
was whispered in fear throughout the Holy Roman Empire. From Dracula then retreated to Birkau Castle, near Bistritz.
these stories, the legendary vampire Dracula was born. Enlisting Count Radu’s aid, he forced the Tzimisce anarchs
A more thorough treatment of Vlad the Impaler’s life can into submission. After convincing them to enter the bonds
be found in the Appendix. of Vaulderie with him, he led them on nightly crusades
Image: Vlad’s heritage as a noble of the Basarab line and across northern Transylvania. His first nocturnal crusade
defender of the Draculesti dynasty is quite evident. His dark- achieved some nominal unity for the Tzimisce anarchs,
green eyes are penetrating, instantly searching for flaws in those allowing him to become the first Tzimisce voivode of the
who invoke his disdain. His cheeks are slightly emaciated, and Transylvanian Sabbat.
the deep shadows under his eyes suggest great concern. A long Clan: Vlad is a mortal from 1431 to 1474; he lives as a ghoul
nose, sallow skin, long dark hair and tightly set lips complete from 1474 to 1495; he is finally Embraced by Clan Tzimisce
the image. As a whole, the appearance is both imperious and in 1495.
distant, but undeniably noble and charismatic. Sire: Lambach
Roleplaying Hints: You are ruthless, an amoral genius of Nature: Visionary
epic proportions. You always attempt to negotiate from a posi- Demeanor: Tyrant
tion of strength, demonstrating your authority as an absolute Generation: 5th
ruler through unspeakable atrocities. You are the “cunning Embrace: 1495
fox” that Machiavelli describes so well in The Prince. You
Apparent Age: After 18 years of drinking Cainite blood, he
value quick wit, and you possess a bestial and violent sense
is 43 years old at the time of his Embrace.
of humor.
Secrets: Few know of Vlad Tepes’ proficiency with the
occult. He has begun research into the rites of koldun sorcery, Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation (Machiavellian) 5, Ap-
but is also intrigued by legends of the Tremere magi. He has pearance 3
heard tales of the demon Kupala, though he would dare not Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 4
repeat them. Talents: Acting 3, Alertness 3, Brawl 2, Dodge 2, Subterfuge
Influence: His reputation as the tyrant of Wallachia 5, Leadership 4
gives him the authority to rule through fear. His infamy elicits Skills: Etiquette 5, Firearms 2, Melee 3, Ride 3, Stealth 1,
animosity from some Fiends, but often gains praise from their Survival 2
enemies. Knowledges: Academics 3, Hearth Wisdom 1, Investigation
Destiny: Vlad eventually received the instruction of 1, Law 4, Linguistics 3, Occult 3, Politics 4, Seneschal 3
Count Rustovich and Count Radu. For years, his thirst for Disciplines: In late 1495, Vlad begins with Auspex 2, Dominate
vitae would allow him to live on as a ghoul, though he was 3, Fortitude 2, Potence 2 and Vicissitude 1. He also possesses
curiously immune to the Blood Oath. Years later, he established elementary knowledge of koldun sorcery. This changes within
a haven in Castle Arghes. From there, he sought out a victim a matter of months.
who could grant him the Embrace. Backgrounds: Allies 3, Contacts 5, Influence 4, Mentor 1,
When the Methuselah Lambach sent a Sabbat spy to Resources 3, Status 4
watch over Vlad, he enacted a scheme to exploit them both. Virtues: Conviction 4, Instinct 4, Courage 5
Within a few nights, Vlad had not only received the Embrace, Road: Chivalry (a twisted version, hence the different Virtues) 7
but also diablerized Lambach’s pack leader. Willpower: 9
CHARACTERS
101
102
...for my mind misgives,
Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night’s revels;...
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail!
— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
STORYTELLING THE CHRONICLE OF AGES

103
103
In Book One of the Transylvania Chronicles, Dark Tides
Rising, we outlined some ideas for running an epic chronicle
that spans several hundred years. Some of the information
WHAT TIME IS IT?
given there is presented here for convenience or expanded Several allusions to time turn up in this chapter.
upon. Also covered are suggestions for using Maturation and/ Here’s what each reference means.
or experience points to flesh out characters, buy off Flaws, and Game Time
gain new Merits. Game time is the time that passes in the context
of the game while the troupe is playing. If the coterie
INTERLUDES attacks Ceoris during one of your game sessions, it’s all
happening in game time.
Just as Storytellers use preludes to summarize events Downtime
that transpire before the chronicle begins, they may also use Downtime is the time between storytelling sessions,
interludes, events that occur between stories. Interludes add when it is assumed the characters are doing something. Blue-
versatility to a chronicle like this one, as a long time passes booking, below, is an excellent way of handling downtime
between different parts of the story. For example, the first — the player is not actually portraying his character at the
story in this book occurs in 1472, the second in 1493 and the table, but the character is nonetheless “active,” and will have
third in 1500. While the seven years between the last two accomplished something before the next session.
adventures isn’t very long, the 30-year stretch between the Real Time
first two constitutes a significant amount of time — even for Real time is the player’s time spent away from the
a vampire; much can happen in 30 years. Entire generations storytelling session. Real time is when that whole life
of mortals are born and die in that time, nations rise and fall, thing is addressed.
new philosophies gain adherents and social customs change.
Ideals once highly valued may become virtually worthless over
a 30-year span.
Take for example the craze that occurred among the
aristocracy and wealthy merchants for multi-colored tulips MATURATION AND
during the 18th century. Individuals spent fortunes to ob-
tain a single prized bulb; families paid bribes in tulip bulbs
for royal preferences and favors; painters were obliged to
EXPERIENCE
depict the parti-colored flowers in their portraits of the Storytellers (or players) may wish to dispense with deter-
rich and noble or be dismissed as cretins. After speculators mining interlude events and turn instead to maturation points.
spent several years’ profits on something as ephemeral as Maturation points represent small experience awards made
flower bulbs (which might fail to grow in foreign soil or to the characters for surviving through the interval between
be killed by overwatering or early frost), the craze ended. stories that may be a century or more apart. They are “subsis-
This left investors holding a handful of worthless flowers tence experience points” rather than earned experience points
while the highborn yawned with boredom and looked for given for actually playing through stories; they are, therefore,
new entertainment. less generous than what a character might accrue from several
Clearly, if a troupe does not wish to play through much months of play. Then again, they’re free. The character didn’t
of the intervening period (called downtime) between the really earn them; they were just awarded because the character
planned stories — and who wants to roleplay every night of presumably survived and gained wisdom or craft. Players of elder
an 800-year-old Cainite’s unlife? — some method of deter- characters will find that increasing Traits by simply surviving
mining what happens to the characters during that interval (the lazy method of improvement) becomes progressively
is needed. That method is the interlude. As explained in more expensive. This represents the static nature of vampires
Dark Tides Rising, several methods of handling interludes as well as the fact that the character is not actively seeking
exist. Players may use blue-booking (a method in which to improve herself. Obviously, this experience system lends
players write up schemes their characters plan to undertake, itself to quick-and-dirty storytelling; there’s not much depth
then get together with the Storyteller to determine if they involved with “You manage to stay hidden from the antitribu
actually occurred or were successful) or the Storyteller may for another decade by cowering in your castle.”
contrive a capture scene (one that takes the character out Maturation points are awarded for every period of extended
of the picture for a brief time, but from which her escape is downtime thus:
planned shortly before the next scheduled gaming session). Years of Downtime Maturation Points
Maturation points and Fortune Paths represent other ways 10-100 1-15
of handling interludes. 101-250 16-25
251-500 26-40
104
It is unlikely that any character playing through the Tran- learning becomes increasingly difficult as they move through
sylvania Chronicles has spent over 500 years in downtime. the centuries. New things and new ideas may be harder for
The Storyteller determines how many points within the given them to grasp as they settle into routines. For a more complex
range the character receives. If, for example, the character’s treatment of the Maturation system, see Elysium.
stated aim over the next 25 years is to stay at home, Embrace The cost for raising Traits through Maturation looks like this:
a childe and teach her fledgling what he needs to know, the Trait Cost of Raising Trait
character may be entitled to only 5 Maturation points. The
New Ability 3
character isn’t really learning anything new and is spending
the time instructing her childe, not improving herself. New Discipline 10
On the other hand, a character who plans to travel to a New Thaumaturgy Path 7
remote location in search of a legendary tome, or one who plans Attribute CRx4
to start a mercantile enterprise and who needs to interact with Ability CRx2
mortals and other Cainites in doing so may well garner the Clan Discipline CRx5
full 15 points. Then again, if something akin to the Mongol Other Discipline CRx7
Invasion rolled through the first character’s territory while she
Thaumaturgy Path CRx4
was trying to teach her new childe how to be a Cainite, well,
that might earn a few more points for the character. Virtue CRx2
Once the Storyteller has given a character Maturation Road CRx1
points, that character’s player may use them to raise her character’s CR = Current Rating
Traits. When using the Maturation system, a Trait cannot be For example, Geoffrey the Malkavian spent 20 years holed
raised by more than 1 point for each century that passes. (This up in Kronstadt, and the Storyteller rules that he has earned four
would not, however, prevent a player from also raising Traits Maturation points. Geoffrey’s player spends those four points
using the regular experience rules. Maturation points are awarded to increase Geoffrey’s Academics Knowledge from 1 to 2.
and spent separately from regular experience points.) Maturation points unspent during an interlude are lost.
Storytellers may also choose to make increasing Traits The Background Trait is not listed on the above table since
through Maturation more expensive as a character grows older it is handled in the next section under Fortune Paths. Players
— vampires are stagnant creatures and accumulating more cannot increase Background Traits through Maturation.
105
FORTUNE PATHS
Background dots are relatively cheap because the advantages
they confer don’t necessarily last very long. In 1437, for example, a
character may have an important contact or a loyal retainer, but by
1493, there’s no guarantee that the contact won’t have died, been
destroyed, come to hate the character or simply disappeared. Havens
may crumble, the vagaries of time may erode even the greatest
fortune, status may melt away as new princes come to power and
herds may succumb to the Black Plague. About the only really stable
Background is Generation, but it is also a static one. A vampire can-
not lower her generation using experience points after the character
creation process; to do that, she must commit diablerie.
When things may change precipitously almost overnight in a
short-term campaign, it becomes that much harder for characters
involved in an epic chronicle to keep any stability around themselves
as they try to make lasting changes to their world. Using the system
detailed below does not guarantee that a character will improve his
fortunes. Rather, it is a roll in which the character leaves his fate
to chance. If he loses, well, that’s what happens when you use an
arbitrary chart rather than roleplaying out scenarios.
So why take a chance? First, it is a fast-and-loose method for
dealing with those pesky dots that some players believe will remain
static forever. Wiping out a vampire’s herd when the Black Plague
sweeps through town may inspire the character to get out more
and experience the world a little more personally (sparking new
chances for stories). Rolling on the tables may also give players or
Storytellers ideas for new stories that explain why certain things
happened. This may lead to additional stories or provide a rationale
for how the character spends his interlude — and consequently,
what Traits he is likely to have improved during that time.
Aside from all of that, it provides a method to wean players
away from always spending their experience points on gaining
greater power (“I want Celerity 5 and Thaumaturgy 4! Who cares
about being able to ride a horse?”) at the expense of creating more
well-rounded and believable personas. Win or lose through the
Fortune Paths, each change provides the opportunity for roleplay-
ing and deeper exploration of the character’s personality.
THE SYSTEM
Here’s how the system works: For each 50 years that pass, a
player may choose one Background Path to focus on and roll on
that table. That’s a freebie; it costs nothing because it reflects time
passing, events happening, and whatever else the character is doing.
For an investment of three experience (not Maturation) points, the
player can roll on a second table; for six points, he can roll on three
tables. Furthermore, before making any die roll (even the freebie) the
player may spend up to three experience points to get a die modifier
of +1 to +3 (that is, for each experience point he spends, he gets a
die modifier of +1, to a maximum of +3). By modifying die rolls, the
player can greatly improve his chances of improving his Background
rather than losing something. Naturally, should the Storyteller or
player want to achieve a losing roll in order to simulate something
they’d like to see happen in their ongoing story, they are free to take
negative modifiers or simply assign the loss instead.
106
Sometimes, despite the investment of experience points, INFLUENCE
the roll indicates that things simply don’t change. That’s both
good and bad. It means the character doesn’t lose anything 1-2: Disaster: Lose one point of Influence. If you had no
(keeping his retainer, for example), but he also gains nothing Influence to lose, you now have negative Influence. Mortal
new. Don’t be discouraged by this result. Sometimes the fact institutions in your area either ignore or fear and avoid you.
that nothing changes can inspire its own story. (“Why are To return Influence to 0 or greater, you must receive a result
things so stagnant around here? It’s as if some malevolent force of 6 or greater when you next roll on this table.
was keeping things just the way it wants them!”) 3-5: No change. If you had no Influence before, you still
The Fortune Paths delineated in Dark Tides Rising split the have none.
paths into three headings, showing rationale, result and disaster. 6-9: Gain one point of Influence. Roll a 10-sided die on the
For space considerations, that system is not repeated here. Besides, Influence specialization chart below or (with the Storyteller’s
if you’re clever enough to play a storytelling game, you’re clever permission) choose what area you want your character’s Influ-
enough to justify gaining a dot of Herd, aren’t you? ence to encompass.
Those wishing to do so may create their own rationales for 10: Gain two points of Influence. Go to the Specialization chart
both good luck and bad; if Storytellers need to jump-start their for Influence below and roll a 10-sided die twice. If you achieve the
imaginations on that score, they need merely consult Dark Tides same roll twice, you have 2 points of Influence in that one area.
Rising. Anything too out of date for the time period may be replaced Otherwise, you have a point of Influence in two different areas.
by a more up-to-date version (i.e., instead of “your Tremere ally,” With the Storyteller’s permission, you may choose what area you
it might now be “your anarch contact”). Feel free to improvise want your character’s Influence to encompass instead.
whatever best suits your chronicle. Further, as Storyteller, you Influence Specialization Chart
may ignore, adjust or re-roll any outcome that flatly contradicts Roll a 10-sided die for each point of Influence gained.
common sense or that would throw your story out of whack. 1 Aristocratic: Your Influence comes through your interac-
Finally, you should decide (if you haven’t already) whether tions with nobles, perhaps even mortal princes or kings. This
Background Traits may exceed 5. Before rolling on the tables, connection gains you access to the court (whether local or
the Storyteller must decide what the accepted maximum will royal) and so long as you remain in favor, you are unlikely to
be for the characters in her game. Elder characters and Sto- lose lands, titles or privileges granted by the mortal world.
ryteller characters of lower generation have been known to 2 Church: Your Influence stems from your interactions
have Background scores as high as 10 (especially if they are with the Church. You may control important clergy or endow
Inconnu or Methuselahs). More information on Background monasteries, and that involvement may protect you partially
scores above 5 can be found in Elysium. from the scrutiny of the Inquisition.
The rationales, results and disasters of these tables pertain to 3 Natural Resource: Your Influence stems from your control
the 15th century. Chronicles that continue past this date should over something. This might be a strategic keep, access to the local
modify their natures to reflect the changing times. More infor- water supply, mining interests, ownership of the forest or some other
mation for changing Fortune Paths through time will appear in natural resource. Whatever it is that you control, the mortals in the
Transylvania Chronicles III: Ill Omens. area need it (they may even work for you as miners, foresters, etc.) and
ALLIES you can Influence their actions toward you through this control.
4 Fashion: Whether in the demesne of architecture, cloth-
1-2: Disaster. Lose one Ally.
ing, art, music, dance or sculpture, your tastes influence what
3-5: No change.
people wear and admire. You may act as patron to promising
6-9: Gain one Ally. artists or merely follow the trend while appearing to be out in
10: Gain two Allies. front leading. Your advice is always asked; you are consulted on
CONTACTS matters of taste and propriety. Fashionable and important people
vie for your company. You always know the latest trends.
1-2: Disaster: Lose one Contact. 5 Mercantile: Your Influence encompasses traders, mer-
3-5: No change. chants or caravaners, or it may extend to banking interests.
6-9: Gain one Contact. Whatever your personal resources, you can usually gain access
10: Gain two Contacts. to reasonable loans or fine goods. News from far away comes to
you through traveling merchants and you might even be able
HERD to determine whether or not someone else gets a loan.
1-2: Disaster: Lose one point of Herd. 6 Military: You have Influence over the military. Either
3-4: No change. the soldiers who defend the area are raised and supported
5-7: Gain one point of Herd. through your levies or you may sway an important military
8-10: Gain two points of Herd. commander or noble. In either case, you can count on their aid
107
in defending your holdings and may be able to influence when a political title during the game, for example, he need not roll
and where — and possibly even whom — they fight. on this table every 50 years to bring his Status up; instead, the
7 Political: You are able to influence others in their political dealings. Storyteller should simply raise the Trait to the appropriate level.
You may be the spokesman (or control the spokesman) of a council of Of course, Status is a tricky thing, and Storytellers are within
barons or voivodes or represent the interests of guilds. Secretly, you may their rights to ask those who don’t work at keeping theirs to
be a leader in peasant revolts. In any case, you know the latest scandals see if they lost any.
and whispers from the halls of power and might be able to assassinate 1-2: Reputational Disaster. Lose two points of Status.
someone socially by skewering her reputation among your cronies. 3-4: Disaster: Lose one point of Status.
8 Reputation: Your Influence stems from your personal 5-6: No Change.
reputation. You might be known as a great scholar, a powerful 7-8: Gain one point of Status.
warrior, an innovative artist or a canny diplomat. Whatever area 9-10: Gain two points of Status.
you excel in, the mortals of the area know your reputation and
turn to you for advice — even outside your field of expertise. ON FORTUNE PATHS
9 Academic: You help fund or maintain correspondence with Our goal is not to force anyone into a series of random
scholars at colleges and universities. You may influence developing rolls to determine their character’s fate, but to provide an easy
philosophies, introduce new theories or preserve old knowledge way to discover how things may change over time. Use them to
you don’t want to see lost. You have access to the latest thinking generate story ideas or give the character larger goals. Mix and
among scholars and to learned tomes and ancient texts. match however you like or don’t use them at all. Remember,
10 Choose one or formulate another. it’s your game; do what seems best for it.
MENTOR EXPERIENCE,
1-2: Disaster. Lose your Mentor. MERITS AND FLAWS
3-5: No Change.
Just as a character’s Backgrounds may change over time, her
6-9: Gain one point in Mentor. (If you already had a
Merits and Flaws may change or disappear altogether. People
Mentor, either you’ve gained a new Mentor or your old one may alter their opinions, overcome phobias, learn to read or
has increased her power.) even acquire noble titles. Though more static than mortals,
10: Gain two points in Mentor. vampires also change over time. What constituted notorious
RESOURCES behavior in 1199 may no longer carry such a stigma in 1447.
Why then shouldn’t characters be able to rid themselves of
1-2: Financial Disaster. Lose two points of Resources. Flaws or purchase new Merits through spending experience
3-4: Disaster. Lose one point of Resources. points? How about taking new Flaws to gain extra experience
5-6: No Change. points just as players can get extra freebie points when initially
7-8: Gain one point of Resources. creating characters?
9-10: Gain two points of Resources. The following system is designed to allow players to invest
in new Merits and Flaws during the chronicle of ages — with
RETAINERS Storyteller approval, of course. This isn’t intended as a method
1-2: Total Disaster. All Retainers (up to 5) killed or lost. of creating supercharacters who can never be surprised, fooled or
3-4: Disaster: Lose one Retainer. staked through the heart as they seize control of the Church while
5-6: No Change. using their spy network to manipulate the law courts. Conversely,
we don’t want characters to struggle through the game lame, hard
7-8: Gain one Retainer.
of hearing, blind in one eye and restricted to drinking only the
9: Gain two Retainers. blood of red-haired noblewomen as they flee from hunters whom
10: Gain a special Retainer — The Storyteller should their amnesia prevents them from remembering. Having too many
create a retainer with a unique or special ability. This may be Merits without attendant Flaws to balance them makes a character
anything from a hedge wizard to a fae-blooded sage to a Lupine, unplayable (not to mention boring and annoying), so does having
or anything the Storyteller wishes to use in the context of the too many Flaws. So long as both players and Storytellers keep that
story. This is not an excuse to “load up” on supernatural min- in mind, things shouldn’t get out of hand.
ions; rather, it is an opportunity to introduce a strange — and The system detailed below helps Storytellers determine what
hopefully, a little frightening — new element to the game. sorts of Flaws and Merits can be changed. Point costs for doing so
STATUS are also explained. The Flaws and Merits listed below are detailed
in Vampire: The Dark Ages. While there are additional Merits
A word on status: Using this table in conjunction with and Flaws available in the Vampire Players Guide, most are too
other systems may be confusing. If a character is rewarded with modern for use in a 15th-century chronicle.
108
NEW SYSTEMS FOR MERITS AND of how many they may be entitled to. Eventually, Storytellers
lose track of so many benefits from Merits — especially when
FLAWS each character has six or eight. Nothing ruins a game faster
If it affects only your beginning Traits or is something than springing a surprise on the troupe only to have one player
that cannot be learned or overcome with practice, it can’t whine about her character’s Danger Sense and complain that
be changed. the Storyteller didn’t give it a chance to function. The game
For example, under Aptitudes, a character could train comes to a crashing halt; players feel cheated and Storytellers
herself to become Ambidextrous given plenty of practice, but feel harried by too many details.
she could not become a Natural Linguist or Fast Learner. Those Note that characters need not take advantage of this.
are things that you’re either born with or you’re not. In like They may still choose to sacrifice something else to gain a
manner, it makes no sense to try to take Unskilled any time new Merit, or they may combine the sacrifice of a lower level
except when the character is first created. Merit with their new ability to gain more points to take higher
Physical shortcomings call for extreme measures to level Merits and Flaws.
change them. Common sense rules the night and you can’t get some-
Flaws such as having one arm or being disfigured may only thing for nothing.
be overcome if the character spends the points to do so, and It should be obvious that a deaf character cannot suddenly
also if she possesses or has access to the requisite levels of Vicis- develop an acute sense of hearing (at least not until the advent
situde necessary to make the change. Storytellers are within of modern surgery and even then, ear surgery is unlikely to work
their rights to refuse to allow a character to change herself from on vampires). Common sense should determine any changes
being a Child through this method. Then again, Vicissitude made to Merits or Flaws. Further, those changes that are made
can lengthen bones.... Also, vampires heal prodigiously, and must come from somewhere. A vampire doesn’t simply wake up
it takes a truly grave wound to leave an undead body scarred one evening with the ability to eat food. She must have tried
for any significant length of time. to develop her ability to do so over a period of time — and
Initially, characters are limited to the maximum of seven must play out her attempts either in game or through blue-
points of Merits and Flaws. booking (or other form of interlude). The Storyteller is the
In essence, this means that if the character wants a new final arbiter of how long (or how many story sessions) it takes
Merit, but already has seven points’ worth, she must give up to make any changes.
something else — a Merit equal in points to the new one she Time is relevant
wishes to take. Further, the change must make sense for the Players should not be able to change their Merits and Flaws
character. For example, if a character wants to gain Manse, too often or at whim. It should take several years (at least 10)
a two-point Merit giving her a large manor, she might give for any significant change to occur through the expenditure of
up her two-point Merit of Reputation. As you’ve probably experience points. This does not cover those Flaws or Merits
noticed, this calls for some sort of roleplaying (whether in a Storytellers assign to characters as the result of play.
regular game session or in downtime). The same rule holds Costs
true for Flaws; you can’t take a new Flaw without giving up Acquiring a new Flaw costs nothing, though it does not
an old one of equal value without the Storyteller’s permission. earn the character any additional points. Buying a new Merit
Additionally, a player who wants her character to take a new costs the same number of experience points as if it were bought
Flaw during the course of a chronicle must get her Storyteller’s with initial points. Buying off a Flaw costs two times what the
approval as well. Flaw was initially worth.
Buying off Flaws, on the other hand, can be done with no
other effect than freeing up space to take more Flaws!
For every 100 years of age a character possesses, she DOWNTIME AND INTERLUDES
may add one more point worth of Merits and Flaws than the Systems for handling downtime and a more detailed
seven points initially allowed. discussion of interludes (the periods between “active” game
This means that if a character has weathered a century as time) are covered in Dark Tides Rising. They have been
a vampire and already has seven points worth of Merits (for omitted from this volume due to space constraints, but they
example), she may choose to buy another one point Merit, do provide excellent opportunities for maximizing the time
bringing her total to eight. Alternatively, if the character had away from the storytelling table. Those troupes wishing to
seven points worth of Flaws, she could take a one point Flaw, expand the depth of their chronicles (in ways other than
thereby gaining an extra point to spend along with her regular roleplaying their characters’ every waking moments) are
experience points. advised to peruse the storytelling chapter of the first book
A Word of Warning: We recommend that characters in the Transylvania Chronicles, Dark Tides Rising.
max out at 10 points worth of Flaws and/or Merits regardless
109
110
And as they go on the sacrifice grows.
— Misfits, “This Island Earth”
THE ROLES OF HISTORY AND DESTINY

111
111
A BRIEF HISTORY
• 1443: The fall and winter of this year see the beginning
of a “long campaign” against the Turks. Armies of Southeastern
European troops achieve great victories.
OF TRANSYLVANIA • 1444: An army of knights from various European countries is de-
feated at Varna. Vlad the Dragon blames Hunyadi for this failure.
(15TH-16TH • 1445: Wallachians led by Hunyadi win major victories.
CENTURIES)
Janos Hunyadi overcomes the opposition of the Hungarian no-
bility and is chosen as “governor of Hungary.” He is considered
the “true ruler of the Hungarian kingdom.”
For Storytellers who insist on historical accuracy and mortal • 1447: The alliance between the three Romanian countries
accomplishment in their campaigns, we have included a quick — Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia — grows stronger.
summary of the history of Transylvania and its neighboring • Janos Hunyadi is referred to as the “voivode of Tara Romaneasca”
regions during this time. Nonetheless, game supplements make and “Captain of Wallachia.” Bogdan II, Prince of Moldavia considers him
for questionable history texts; if in-depth research is critical to a “father” and pledges the fealty of all his armies. Bogdan states that Tran-
your stories, we recommended going directly to our sources: sylvania and Moldavia are one, consolidating the anti-Ottoman front.
the books listed in the bibliography. • 1453: Sultan Mehmed II conquers Constantinople.
This appendix offers a secondhand summary of that informa- • 1456: Hunyadi’s army, which includes a great number
tion — the original authors have done a far more thorough job of common people, scores military successes.
of detailing the evolution of mortal Transylvania. The following •• 1465: A rogue branch of the Tremere within the anarch ranks
section is included for ease of reference. Hopefully, it should make its presence known. Descendants from Goratrix, these rogues
make studying the mortal history of this era much less daunting seek protection from the Tremere within the ranks of the anarchs. In the
if you feel further research is required for authenticity. 16th century, when the Sabbat forms, the Tremere antitribu are cursed
Several specific Cainite events are listed in italics and
(much like their sire Goratrix) with the mark of the traitor magically
marked with two dots (••).
branded on their foreheads. Though invisible to normal sight, the mark
TIMELINE is instantly noticeable by any non-Sabbat Tremere.
• 1466: Hunyadi dies.
• 14th century: With King Charles Robert’s approval,
the 20-year rule of Toma Szecheny allows him to extend his • 1467: The Transylvanian voivodes lead a full-scale
jurisdiction to include all of Transylvania. Voivode Szecheny rebellion against King Matthias Corvinus (Janos Hunyadi’s
convenes and presides over a Transylvanian assembly, ruling son). Saxons and Szeklers unite with them. They work to
like a sovereign. This era also establishes true dynasties of unite Hungary and Transylvania and advance Voivode Janos
voivodates. Szentzgyorgyi to the throne as king.
•• 1314: A coterie of Transylvanian Cainites escorts Goratrix • 1476: Vlad the Dragon considers Transylvania and
to face censure at the Tremere chantry of Ceoris. Reprimanded by Moldavia a common country. He dies the same year.
his fellow councilors, Goratrix flees Tremere’s wrath and disap- • 1479: Transylvanian armies led by Voivode Istvan Bathory
pears. and Pavel Chinezul are victorious at Cimpu Piiuii.
• 1382: Voivode Ladislaus of Transylvania joins a coali- • By the end of the century, Bathory states that he is king
tion against Hungary. and voivode of Transylvania.
• 1401 to 1437: The reign of the Csaks dynasty holds • The prince of Moldavia, Steven the Great, leads Szeklers
power in Transylvania. against the Turks at Vaslui and wins. Saxons consider him “sent
•• 1413: A group of anarchs led by younger Tzimisce diabler- by God to rule and protect Transylvania.”
ize the Tzimisce clan founder. • A treaty between Matthias Corvinus and Steven the Great
• 1437: Peasant uprisings in southern Transylvania lead assures free entry and unrestricted travel to Moldavian and Muntenian
to a massacre at Bobolna. merchants. Brasov becomes a central marketplace, an “emporium.”
• 1440: Ladislaus the Posthumous contests with Vladislav • 1492: Columbus “discovers” the Americas while search-
Jagiello for control of the Hungarian throne. Rebellions against ing for a new route to the Indies; his discovery is made known
Hungary break out in Transylvania. to the Spanish court the following year.
• 1442: Iancu of Hunedoara (Janos Hunyadi), the son of •• 1512: Dracula destroys the Gangrel Arnulf.
a southern Transylvanian knezi, becomes voivode. Wallachia • 1514: An antifeudal uprising spreads like wildfire across
and Moldavia form an anti-Ottoman bloc. the voivodate. The resulting oppression will hinder the Magyar’s
• 1442: A Turkish assault against Transylvania is repelled. efforts to raise peasant troops in 1526.
Two armies — one conscripted from the lower classes and one • 1526: Hungarian army routed in August of this year at
led by Vlad Dracul (“Vlad the Devil” or “Vlad the Dragon”) the Battle of Mohacs. They lack the support of the common
— defeat the Turks soundly near Ialomita. people, as the nobles are afraid to call them to arms.
112
SNAPSHOTS OF TIME
During this time, Transylvania gains greater independence
from the kingdom of Hungary. Politically, socially, economically
and culturally, the region became more distinct. By develop-
ing its own administrative infrastructure, the Transylvanian
voivodate gained enough strength to act as a “buffer zone”
against the Ottoman Empire well into the 16th century.
The trend began when King Charles Robert of Hungary
encouraged Voivode Toma Szechenyi to extend his jurisdiction
over all the inhabitants of Transylvania. Over this 20-year
period, Transylvania underwent drastic political and economic
change. Following this tradition of strong rule, several dynasties
of voivodes followed Szechenyi’s example.
Nonetheless, confident Transylvanian leadership brought
conflict between the Hungarian and Romanian aristocracies.
Szechenyi insisted on foreign policy that not only worked inde-
pendently of Hungary’s demands, but sometimes even defied it.
After the death of Louis I of Hungary in 1382, the Transylvanian
voivode joined a Balkan coalition against Hungary. To mortal
rulers (and the Cainite rulers who emulated them), their Tran-
sylvanian kingdom was no longer dependent on the West.
By 1440, the conflict between eastern and western Hungary
was so fierce that it influenced the succession of power in the
kingdom of Hungary. When Transylvanians revolted, they
held enough power to force their views on western Hungary.
That year, Ladislaus the Posthumous and Vladislav Jagiello
contested for the Hungarian throne. Rebellions against Jagiello
in Transylvania were violent enough to facilitate Ladislaus’
ascendance to power.
Transylvania was growing economically stronger, and
the privileged knew that if the vovoidate could find a resolute
ruler, it could determine its own destiny in the years to come.
In 1442, Iancu of Hunedoara (Janos Hunyadi) provided the
leadership Transylvania needed, ascending to power as the
next voivode. As the son of a family of Romanian knez from
southern Transylvania, he enjoyed the support of the common
people of the land. This allowed him to act as the center of a
powerful anti-Ottoman alliance.
Iancu was able to stir up enough popular support to mo-
bilize armies of peasants against an Ottoman invasion that
year. Iancu’s leadership was bolstered by the military tactics of
Vlad Dracul, the father of Vlad Tepes. This led to the famous
“long campaign” of Balkan armies against the Turkish host.
Facing a common enemy, several Eastern European countries
set aside their differences to follow Iancu’s vision. Although
they suffered minor setbacks — such as the defeat of army
of nobles and knights at Varna in 1444 — Iancu eventually
turned these defeats into victories.
By 1447, Janos Hunyadi had forged an alliance between the
three “Romanian countries”: Transylvania, Moldavia and Wal-
lachia. By that time, some even referred to him as the voivode of
Tara Romaneasca and captain of Wallachia. Bogdan II of Moldavia
considered him a “father” and pledged the fealty of his armies.
This alliance would prove crucial in the years to come.
113
Each time the Turks advanced, that alliance grew stronger. to trade in Hungary and the Germanies, most of their exports
The lines of battle were clearly drawn after Sultan Mehmed II went, understandably, to Moldavia and Wallachia.
conquered Constantinople in 1453. The event, which some Despite the open conflict between various social classes
consider to signal the end of the medieval era, also influenced in previous centuries, social stratification was also defined fur-
Hunyadi’s support of Vlad Tepes as the appointed ruler of ther during this time. Both Romanian and eastern Hungarian
Wallachia. Confident that Vlad would be able to develop the peasants continued to serve as serfs. While a few independent
Wallachian armies into a formidable force, Hunyadi gathered peasant communes struggled to survive, they died out by the
support among the nobility of western and eastern Hungary, early 15th century. Although Romanian traditions survived,
the Romanian knezi and the peasants. they were synchretically absorbed by the ruling class.
When nations are dependent on such strong leaders, The Germanic Saxons fared only slightly better. While
however, it becomes difficult to replace them. After Hunyadi’s they generally enjoyed a status only slightly higher than that of
death, fights for succession tore the Romanian alliance apart. A the serfs, their domains were slowly incorporated into the inde-
large scale rebellion against Hunyadi’s son, Matthias Corvinus, pendent feudal structure of Transylvania. Political distinctions
broke out in 1467. The nobility of Transylvania responded by developed among the Saxons as a result: Counts and burgraves
allying with Saxon and Szekler counts to assure the further gained recognition as part of the Transylvanian aristocracy.
independence of the voivodate. Once their differences were Accordingly, Szekler communes also disintegrated. While a few
resolved, they appointed Janos Szentzgyorgyi as the king of Szeklers prospered enough to “buy their way” into the nobility — often
Transylvania. through the spoils of war — most lost social status. The poor remained
In 1479, the Transylvanian armies won great victories indentured to the rich, who developed noble lines that were passed
against the Turks. Istvan Bathory, father of the infamous on from generation to generation. Szekler society evolved into three
Countess Bathory, led many of these raids. After Szentzgyor- classes: the elite, the knights, and the common people.
gyi established Transylvania as an actual kingdom, Bathory’s The strain of this evolving feudal system eventually led to
military successes allowed him to become the next king of antifeudal revolts. The leaders of these rebellions cried out for
Transylvania. By the end of the century, Istvan Bathory re- the reduction of taxes and mandatory labor, the abolition of
marked that any who questioned his authority would need two serfdom, and modification of the feudal system. The largest such
heads, so that when the king decapitated one, the offending revolt occurred in 1514. Bishop Bakocz of Esterzgom called for a
questioner would survive with the other. crusade against the Turks. By late spring, serfs from throughout
Stephen the Great of Moldavia enjoyed even greater Transylvania traveled to Buda-Pest to form an army of 40,000
success. To overcome a common enemy, Stephen enlisted a peasants. The military leader of this army was George Doja, a
diverse army to oppose the Turks. Szeklers and Saxons alike Szekler peasant and veteran of a previous crusade.
fought under Stephen’s command. Many spoke of him as be- The feudal lords were horrified by the thought of so many
ing “sent by God.” Vlad Tepes supported this belief, stating peasants traveling abroad. If the crusade continued past harvest
that under Stephen the Great’s leadership, the three countries time, after all, who would work in the fields? Nobles used force
were one. to prevent more peasants from joining the army. Entire families
This prosperity and optimism had wide-ranging effects were humiliated — some were yoked to carts and wagons, while
upon the development of Transylvania. Alliances between others were subjected to torture. When news of these practices
Saxons, Szeklers and Romanians precluded the need for inde- reached Buda-Pest, Doja decided that the real object of this
pendent communes; instead, the lands were incorporated into crusade should be the Transylvanian nobles.
the feudal structure of Transylvania. Rich local merchants from Peasants and outlaws gathered in other areas of Transylva-
Brasov and Sibiu made major investments in mills, tanning nia as well. When Doja declared war on the nobility, rebellions
shops, fisheries and mining camps. Within a century, neighbor- spread into southeast and northeastern Transylvania. Miners
ing kingdoms would lust after Transylvania’s wealth. from Turda, Rodna and other major eastern cities joined the
In villages, the number of artisans increased, replacing their rebellion. Victories in the Banat and towns along the Mures
areas’ dependence on agriculture alone. Local tradesmen were River encouraged further revolution.
able to meet more of the local demand, allowing small towns Voivode Janos Zapolya replied by rallying the elite and
to ensure their economic independence. In larger cities, the middle nobility to his cause. For the nobility, the thought of so
number of agriculturists decreased dramatically as they were many Hungarians, Romanians and Szeklers allied together was
replaced by merchants and artisans. terrifying. Nonetheless, the peasants lacked organization. The
The development of an increasing number of trades led to masses could not agree on common demands or one leader to
the formation of the first guilds. Consortiums of master craftsmen helped define them. Zapolya concentrated on fighting an army
gathered together to control competition, establish standards of peasants at Timisoara and achieved a sizable victory. Once
of quality, and monitor prices. As supplies eventually exceeded this peasant army was crushed, the others were easier to oppose.
demand, a merchant class developed in Transylvania to assist As was the tradition in Transylvania, Zapolya imprisoned and
in the distribution of these goods. While merchants continued tortured the rebel leaders.
114
Once the peasants’ unity was shattered, bloody massacres Vlad the Dragon betrayed his oath. While pretending to uphold
resulted throughout Transylvania. Meszaros, a peasant leader the emperor’s ideals, he assisted the Turkish sultan on raids against
who had escaped the defeat at Timisoara, tried desperately to Amlas and Faragas. At the same time, he relayed information about
rally an organized force at Cluj, but was defeated soon there- the sultan’s battle plans to his eldest son, Mircea. As he helped the
after. Tens of thousands of peasants died in the months that Turks exploit many minor villages within his domain, his eldest
followed. As a result, oppression of the serfs by the nobility son led a series of counterattacks against Turkish territories. In this
not only resumed, but increased. The laws redefining peasant manner, he set the sultan and the emperor against each other.
obligations, the Tripartium, were described as “written in the By 1438, Vlad Dracul openly led Turkish armies on brief
blood of the serfs.” The amount of required service and taxation raids on the lands near Mediasch. His other two sons, Radu
was drastically increased. History repeated itself again. and Vlad, accompanied their father and Sultan Murad on
one of these assaults. By 1444, the Hungarian king swore to
THE LEGACY avenge these atrocities. Vlad Dracul offered his knowledge of
the Turkish forces to Janos Hunyadi, the general of Transylva-
OF DRACULA nia’s armies. Though the Turks eventually defeated Hunyadi’s

forces, the general’s successes were impressive. By 1447, Janos
Hunyadi became voivode of Transylvania.
Cainite propaganda is infamous. Vampires have composed
In response, Sultan Murad, Vlad Dracul’s former ally,
endless tirades on their manipulation of every imaginable
invited the Dragon to an audience in his court. Dracul imme-
aspect of mortal history. Politics, culture, conquest, religion
diately accepted, crossing the Danube with his two youngest
— the vainest of undead claim that all of these endeavors are
sons. When they arrived, Sultan Murad accused the Dragon of
advanced by Childer of Caine. Many vampires insist that the
disloyalty, placed him in chains and forced him under duress
Assamites led the Turks on their crusade against Tirgoviste,
to swear further oaths of obeisance. To enforce the oaths, the
that the Ventrue created the Holy Roman Empire.
sultan took Dracul’s two sons as hostages. The children were
History is written by survivors, after all, and no one out-
sent to the city of Egrigoz and placed under house arrest. This
lives the undead. The truth, on the other hand, is as elusive
event was to change the lives of Radu and Vlad forever. Vlad
as a Tzimisce fleeing for safety after the first crowing of the
Dracula, the Son of the Dragon, was only 11 years old.
cock at dawn. Cainites witness much of history, but they
As captives of the Sultan, Vlad and Radu learned to survive
later reinterpret it to conform to their beliefs. Each vampire
in the midst of the Turkish court. Radu, the youngest son, was
remembers her own personal legend differently, and each one
considered effeminate and weak-willed, easily submitting to
witnesses history from a different perspective.
the indoctrination of his captors. He soon became a minion
By recalling the sagas of notable individuals, we can piece
of the sultan and a Turkish candidate for the Wallachian
together different stories to ascertain the so-called “truth.”
throne. Vlad, on the other hand, did not share his brother’s
Sometimes contradictory, often egotistical, frequently reve-
weakness. Instead, he gained a reputation for trickery, cun-
latory — these are the histories and destinies of the Childer
ning, insubordination and strong will. The Son of the Dragon
of Caine. Our insights into vampiric history begin with an
quickly mastered the Turkish language, as well as the intricacies
examination of a prominent mortal in their midst.
of Turkish warfare. He became infamous within the Sultan’s
VLAD THE IMPALER harim and even inspired fright in his guards.
Vlad Dracula learned other secrets from his captors. His
The story of Vlad the Impaler begins in 1431. In February Eastern education included Greek philosophy, Sufi mysticism
of that year, Emperor Sigismund, the ruler of the Holy Roman and Arab classics. He had heard legends of the Transylvanian
Empire, invited the Impaler’s father, Vlad the Dragon, to his vampyr from his father; now he deconstructed Arabic supersti-
court. After the Dragon traveled there with his wife and three tion in an effort to understand the occult secrets of the East.
sons, he swore an oath of fealty to the emperor. In addition, He began to notice hints of the machinations of the Assamites,
he vowed to protect the Holy Roman Empire, defend the immortal servants of Alamut who sought to exploit the expan-
emperor’s realm and, most importantly, defend Transylvania sion of the Ottoman Empire for their own gain.
against the Turks. The Son of the Dragon used his time wisely, waiting for
In return, he was granted a hereditary title to the Tran- the day when he would return to the north. The opportunity
sylvanian districts of Amlas and Fagaras. From then on, the finally came when the sultan learned of Vlad Dracul’s assas-
descendants of the Draculesti line were recognized as defend- sination. When the Son of the Dragon heard the news, his rage
ers of the Order of the Dragon, nobles bound by their family’s was boundless. The need for revenge consumed him. Though
pledge. The Romanian word for “dragon” is “dracul”; thus, the sultan could have supported Radu as a puppet ruler of Wal-
Vlad the Dragon was known to the Transylvanians as “Vlad lachia, he was impressed by Dracula’s ferocity. Sultan Murad
Dracul.” In the same manner, his youngest son was soon known released Vlad with a small Islamic retinue and gave him the
as “The Son of the Dragon” or “Vlad Dracula.” means to retake Wallachia.
115
With a fury that could only be born of vengeance, Dracula
led his army to the north and captured Tirgoviste, the capitol
of Wallachia. Vladislav II barely escaped alive. The sultan re-
joiced, confident that his carefully indoctrinated student would
advance his plans. The Son of the Dragon knew of his peril,
however. To the south, Sultan Murad would demand further
control of Wallachia; to the north, enemies of the Draculesti
continued to conspire against him.
The Son of the Dragon’s success was short-lived — he held
power for only two months. Despite his triumph, Vlad still feared
the presence of the assassins who murdered his father. After ruling
briefly over an insecure kingdom, he fled to Moldavia. Allying
with Prince Steven of Moldavia, Dracula formed an alliance with
Hunyadi. Soon, he grew knowledgeable enough to aid Hunyadi in
a campaign to retake Amlas and Fagaras. Triumphantly, Dracula
returned to his father’s Transylvanian domains.
Having restored his freedom and his lands, Dracula returned
to his occult pursuits. Vlad remembered Romanian legends his
father had taught him, and soon sought out further information
regarding the Transylvanian Tzimisce. From conversations
with elderly Gypsies, some of whom were Ravnos spies, Vlad
learned many of the customs of the Tzimisce clan.
Vlad also learned of the struggle between the youngest
and eldest vampyr from Romanian sages — the struggle that
would develop years later into the Anarch Movement. Cainite
legends tell us that Dracula sent men to search for Durga Syn,
who had betrayed Tzimisce secrets to his father. Coupled with
his meager understanding of the Assamites, he began to realize
the implications of the conspiracies of the undead. The thought
of so many unseen enemies terrified him.
The stability of Dracula’s new life was eventually threatened
by the unthinkable. In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Turks.
Constantine Palaeologus died, falling prey to the ambitions of
Murad’s successor, Sultan Mehmed II. Vlad was overwhelmed
with emotion. To force loyalty through fear, he exacted his
anger on the people of his own domain. With a contingent of
20,000 soldiers, Dracula led a raid on Sibiu. His army killed,
maimed and tortured 10,000 of his fellow citizens. The pillag-
ing and looting that resultes were worse than the results of the
Turkish raids of a few decades ago.
In January of 1456, Dracula’s military mentor, the afor-
mentioned Janos Hunyadi, gathered an army in Hunedoara
for another anti-Turkish Crusade. Before the White Knight of
Christendom moved his troops toward the southern border, he
instructed Dracula to remain at Sibiu to defend the city. Hunyadi
also granted Dracula the freedom to move south when he deemed
necessary and lead the offensive against Vladislav II when the
time was right. Once Vladislav and Mehmed’s armies had been
weakened, Vlad would be ready to retake Wallachia.
The Son of the Dragon had gathered an army of his own,
a force consisting largely of mercenaries, outlaws and Gypsies.
Once assured of the Transylvanians’ victory, Vlad Dracula then
led his army into Wallachia and killed Vladislav II in hand-to-
hand combat, driving his father’s sword into the heart of his
116
foe. The Son of the Dragon returned to power as the prince of of Dan III, a Danesti rival of the Draculestis. The governor
Wallachia. His oath of vengeance had been fulfilled. even recognized Dan as the Duke of Amlas and Fagaras, a
Wallachia was secure again. Dracula had used the opportunity title that Emperor Sigismund had given to Vlad the Impaler’s
to return to power, becoming a hero by defying the might of the father. As the mayor of Sibiu joined in an alliance against the
Turkish host. A grateful populace praised him as a savior of the Draculestis, the Saxons of the region plotted to seize control
Romanian nations. The boyars of Tara Romaneasca immediately of Wallachia.
elected him to the throne of Wallachia. For the Romanians, Vlad Unknown to mortal history, there were hidden reasons
Dracula was their greatest hope. If the 25-year-old ruler continued for these crusades. Once again, cabals of Tzimisce conspired
to triumph, he would eventually drive the Turks from Constan- to expand their domains. As part of their traditions, several
tinople. If he failed, however, Transylvania and possibly the rest Tzimisce had Embraced the most successful feudal lords of
of Christian Europe would be destroyed by the Turks. Transylvania. Two rulers in particular had attracted their at-
This began the most... colorful... period in Dracula’s life. tention: Vlad II (an illegitimate son of Vlad the Dragon), and
Prince Dracula initiated correspondence with the mayors of Dan III (a ruler of the Danesti line). Once Vlad the Impaler
Brasov and Sibiu to gain their further support in opposing the learned of this dark secret, he spared no effort to destroy these
Ottoman Empire. He turned to the same strategies his father foul pretenders.
once employed. In order to stay in power, he demonstrated Even with Durga Syn’s support, his father had never secured
his unquestionable authority. To the mayor of Brasov, he sent enough power to go after the elders of the clan; now Vlad the
this message: “Pray, think that when a man or prince is power- Impaler had enough authority to tear the Tzimisces’ conspira-
ful at home, then he will do as he wills. When he is without cies apart. Fearing his undead enemies, Vlad impaled entire
power, another one more powerful than he will overwhelm villages to root out a few Tzimisce vampires. While hunting
him and do as he wishes.” This rationale justified the brutal Vlad the Monk, he burned numerous monasteries where he
events that followed. thought the Fiend was hiding by day.
The prince soon became well known for his demonstra- Vlad’s response to the Embrace of Dan III began in 1459.
tions of absolute law and absolute authority. During his reign, He led an extensive raid on Brasov. His army burned villages,
he strictly enforced his concept of justice. The Son of the forts and towns, destroyed crops, and slaughtered thousands
Dragon enlisted the assistance of the armas, executioners who of men, women and children. Dan fought savagely, displaying
would enforce his laws. Some knew these butchers as “the amazing feats of strength in battle. The prince took as many
Axes.” The group included many foreigners — Hungarians, captives as he could, but still left forests of impaled victims in
Tartars, Serbs and even Turks — who wielded the axe or lifted his wake. In 1460, Dan III led a counter-attack. He arrested
the stake when necessary. Gypsies who were caught for their many of Vlad’s supporters, seized Amlas and Fagaras, and led
crimes were sometimes given the option of joining Dracula’s a skirmish against the Wallachian border. The peasants defied
mercenary forces. him, sometimes even taking up arms against the Danesti ruler.
In other legends, Cainite indiscretions are responsible for When at last Dan was found, Vlad’s allies seized this creature
forcing many of Dracula’s atrocities. Fearing the presence of the of the night and took him to Castle Arghes in Wallachia.
undead in his court (these stories relate), Vlad brutally showed In a private ceremony, Vlad staked the Fiend and drained
them the consequences of acting against him. If hundreds of him of his blood. Intoxicated with the strength of Cainite
mortals were impaled in a small village, there was a chance vitae, he preached his need for revenge before the assembled
that one or two vampires hiding there would be staked in the executioners, extolling his plans for conquest of both the
process. And if, as some suspected, Cainites were responsible living and the undead. Several vials of Tzimisce blood were
for the murder of Dracula’s brother or father, his witch-hunt disseminated among the armas. No longer content to merely
against the undead surrounding him would have been an act of rule the living, Vlad soon dreamt of conquering the kingdoms
revenge, one only slightly more severe than the Inquisitional of the Cainites.
tactics used in other parts of Europe. His fascination with blood blossomed soon thereafter. One
As the son of a Romanian, allegedly one of the descendants account tells us that in the months that followed, Vlad began the
of the original Roman settlers of the region, Vlad harbored a practice of feasting before the impaled Saxons as they died. The
growing hatred for the Saxons of Transylvania. In the summer prince would often dip his bread in the blood of his victims, as he
of 1457, he led a series of raids on Saxon-held territories. believed it would give him strength. This particular practice not
The first raid was against Bistritz, where the Germanic only defied the Silence of Blood, but also became one of the most
Saxons rebelled against Count Mihaly Szigaly. Though the city commonly retold legends of Prince Dracula, one that resulted in
was defended by massive walls, Vlad’s army quickly penetrated many similar stories of his thirst for human blood.
these defenses and burned the homes of the insurrectionists. Dracula led his final Transylvanian raid during the summer
He was rewarded with a gift: Birkau Castle in Tihuta Pass. of 1460. Invading the territory of Amlas, he renewed his pursuit
Brasov was the next major target in his Transylvanian of Vlad the Monk, a supporter of the Danestis. Entire villages
campaign. The mayor of that city had been espousing the cause succumbed to the torch. The Impaler took up the chase with
117
Inquisitionial zeal, using the same tactics already employed responded to other pressures as well. Within a year, an assembly
against the undead in other European realms. Surprising, the of Transylvanian vampires met to address many current issues,
citizens of Amlas did not rally to aid him. The Impaler was including “the Dracula problem”: Should he be Embraced or
appalled. The result was the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. destroyed?
After liberating the town, the Impaler ordered the slaughter Still in control of his destiny, he returned to the city of
of thousands of Saxons. A priest led the citizens on a proces- Mediasch to renew his crusade against the Turks. From Me-
sion to an open field, and the Impaler’s army planted another diasch, Dracula joined Stephen Bathory in an expedition to
forest. Once again, Vlad feasted, reveling at the sight of so “purify” Transylvania and destroy the Ottoman Empire. First,
much spilled blood. they assaulted Brasov, driving a Danesti ruler from the throne.
Once his absolute control of Transylvania had been proven, The army passed through Bran Pass in the south and besieged
Dracula turned his wrath against the Ottoman Empire. As the Bucharest, engaging Prince Radu’s army. Aided by Bathory’s
Hungarian king requested, Dracula led a crusade against the troops, Dracula quickly regained control of Wallachia and
Turkish host. His Wallachian army fought their way to the very Transylvania. The tyrant had returned.
gates of Constantinople. Dracula then dispatched messengers When Bathory’s forces left Wallachia in 1479, however,
to King Matthias to ask for reinforcements. If the king could the mortal Dracula was vulnerable. His defense relied on a
not send his own army, Dracula stated, he should add least send scant force of 200 Moldavian soldiers. Realizing opportunity,
aid from the Transylvanian Szeklers and Saxons. In one mes- the Turks attacked. History tells us Vlad’s last battle was outside
sage, he stressed that the reinforcements would have to arrive Bucharest, not far from the scene of his father’s assassination.
before the Feast of St. George or all would be lost. He needed The Wallachian prince was decapitated at the age of 45, and
more troops to take Constantinople; otherwise, the sultan’s his head was later displayed in Constantinople.
reinforcements would drive them back to the Danube. According to legend, monks from Snagov carried the
The king of Hungary never sent the aid that Dracula headless body to a nearby monastery. Dracula had generously
requested. Instead, after April 22, 1462, Dracula was forced into donated to their order throughout his life, so to protect the
a strategic retreat. Over the next few months, the Wallachian body from desecration, they secretly buried his corpse. The life
army was driven back to Tirgoviste. On June 17th, Dracula of Dracula ended with a mystery, however. Despite numerous
decided to risk his survival on one last night attack in an ef- archaeological excavations within the church of Snagov, the
fort to kill the sultan himself. With a small force, he took the body of the mortal Dracula has never been found.
enemy by surprise, slaughtering all in his path until he arrived Cainites later found out that Vlad Tepes’ death had been
at the tents of the enemy commanders. The sultan fled the carefully staged. A revenant sculpted to resemble him had
encampment, and Dracula’s assassination failed. Resigned to been set loose on the battlefield that fateful day. Through his
defeat, Dracula retreated to his fortress in the Carpathians by contacts in Clan Tzimisce, the Son of the Dragon had learned
the Agrish River. His wife Livia defied the advancing Turks by of the Turkish assault, and by the time his realm was overrun,
leaping from Castle Arghes into the Agrish River below it. he had retreated to Castle Arghes and fed upon the blood
The Turkish army advanced into Tirgoviste. Once there, of Count Rustovich of Clan Tzimisce. Legends of Dracula’s
they witnessed the depths of Dracula’s depravity. As the sultan continued existence persevered for over 20 years after his
led his troops toward the nearest castle, they passed through a death. In truth, Clan Tzimisce hoped to use him as their pawn
forest of the dead. Twenty thousand impaled Turks decomposed during this time.
in the noon-day sun. Flocks of ravens fed on the rotting bodies. Unfortunately for them, Vlad was strangely immune to the
In the heat of mid day, the stench was unbearable. That night, Blood Oath. Nonetheless, he continued to learn from the clan
the sultan ordered his men to dig a deep trench around the city, elders, just as he had learned from Janos Hunyadi long ago. When
hoping to secure the city. The next day, he ordered a retreat. he could no longer tolerate being treated as a mere ghoul, he
The sight had demoralized him so much that he decided the seized yet another opportunity. Using the same tactics he had
cost of victory was too great. used against Dan III (with timely intervention from Camarilla
Nonetheless, the Turks still sought to kill Vlad Dracula. Archons), he captured Lambach Rithven and Tabak, leaders
The Son of the Dragon fled across the Carpathians into Walla- of a troublesome Tzimisce “sabbat.” After forcing Lambach to
chia. He continued to implore the Hungarian king for assistance. Embrace him, he diablerized Tabak to gain the potency of his
Unknown to him, however, a group of Transylvanian Saxons blood, as the wily Durga Syn had told him.
had false evidence of a conspiracy between Dracula and the In the years that follow, Dracula will play the Sabbat and
Turkish sultan. The Hungarian king arranged a meeting with Camarilla against each other, just as his father betrayed Sultan
Dracula, one that led to Vlad’s capture and imprisonment. Murad to aid Emperor Sigismund. He will master the ritae of
Dracula remained imprisoned until 1471, when the koldun sorcery, even as he uncovers the secrets of Thauma-
Moldavian prince, Steven Bathory, convinced the king of turgy. As one of Caine’s childer, he will break all the rules of
Hungary that Dracula was the only real hope of driving back vampiric society, becoming a master of temporal power and
the Turkish host. Cainites that the Hungarian king probably mystical accomplishment.
118
THE DEMON’S PROPHET… …AND THE DEMON HIMSELF
Both Anatole’s and Octavio’s destinies are interwoven Long ago sensing the intrusion of powerful forces into lands
with that of Kupala (introduced in Transylvania by Night). he considers his own, the demon has made it his business to learn
Not much has been said in this book about Kupala, though everything he can about his rival for power, though he has yet
the demon plays a pivotal role in revealing several prophecies to learn that rival’s true name. Kupala’s own actions are limited
of great import to Cainites. Kupala is inextricably bound up to sending out his lesser minions and granting visions to a mad-
with the mysterious land of Transylvania. His black heart lies man who was once a shaman. Through Octavio, the Malkavian
beneath the soil, infusing the very ground — and any creatures prophet, Kupala disseminates knowledge of his rival’s plans.
that touch that land — with his malignancy. Bigotry, hatred, Unfortunately, while the visions he grants are true, they are
unnatural desires, chaos and terror are the demon’s legacies limited in scope; then those visions roil through the fractured
to whoever wishes to possess the lands of Transylvania — landscape of Octavio’s mind before the Malkavian foretells the
and many desperately want that rich and beautiful country. future. Octavio does not always understand (or even remember)
Throughout its existence, successive groups seek to conquer what he sees. This means that signs and portents he speaks of
and hold Transylvania, almost as if compelled to do so. may actually illuminate something quite different than what
Octavio was native to the lands now called Hungary when either he (or those who listen to him) believe. Nonetheless,
Rome’s legions built Aquincum. As a mortal, he was a shaman they remain one of the few ways a coterie can learn of the
who somehow touched upon Kupala’s dark heart and became convoluted machinations occurring around them, hidden just
suffused with madness. He took the name Octavio since he beneath the surface of Cainite society.
firmly believes that eight portents will herald the awakening of Kupala’s chosen prophet Octavio thinks that the visions he
Kupala and the demon’s ascendancy over the world. sees portend the rising of the demon and that entity’s claiming
Embraced by a Roman Malkavian, Octavio subsisted quite well of Transylvania and the lands of Eastern Europe. The prophet
on the soldiers and townsfolk. He staked and diablerized his sire in a hasn’t quite grasped, yet, that the things he foresees are related
murderous rage precipitated by his ties to the land. Octavio found him- to a far larger picture — Gehenna. Eventually, Octavio will
self slipping into torpor when the legions were recalled to Rome. pass on his gift to Anatole, who will understand the meaning
When Obuda began developing around him, Octavio awak- of the visions, making the French Malkavian the Harbinger
ened. Shocked when he realized that so much time had passed, he of Gehenna.
quickly learned the barbaric new language of the Magyars. Driven Though not much in evidence during this time, Kupala
even more insane by the centuries he has slept within the tainted is still around and still working his chaos on the area. Evi-
earth of his homeland, Octavio captured mortals (and any Cainites dence of the demon’s continuing influence can be found in
he can) and put them through elaborate games (physical challenges, the Anarch-Assamite war (see below) in Transylvania — a
riddles, battles, torture), then sacrificed them to Kupala (whether war that makes no sense on the surface of things. The elder
to aid the demon or bind him, even Octavio doesn’t know). Tzimisce still celebrate Kupala’s Night, but they do so more
Soon after awakening, Octavio created a cult around circumspectly now that their clan’s founder was attacked on
himself, hoping to become powerful enough to defeat Kupala. that eve. Octavio himself has fallen into torpor, temporarily
Those who worship him call him Havnor, believing he is an leaving Anatole as the only one available to interpret the signs
ancient Magyar god. He so rarely remembers exactly what his revealed by the demon. Despite the loss of his chief prophet
plans are when his head is afire with prophecy that he must and the maneuverings of the demon’s as-yet unnamed rival,
disseminate to warn the world! In 1416 Octavio again fell into Kupala is far from gone. In fact, by 1500, when many mortals
torpor. Now he dreams his mad prophecies, awaiting the mo- begin to question the very existence of demons, Kupala is just
ment when the demon once again calls him forth. During his getting started.
slumber, Octavio reaches out to Anatole, granting his fellow
Malkavian a glimpse of the hell he foresees. THE ANARCH-ASSAMITE WAR
Octavio will spend the next centuries warning anyone who As the Turks battled Eastern European forces and overran
will listen of the coming of the signs. Most will ignore him, more and more territory on their push toward Western Europe,
putting his warnings down to the ravings of a lunatic. Never Assamites followed in their wake. Soon, Assamites spread across
recognizing that his visions encompass something far greater Transylvania seeking the heart’s blood of elder Tzimisce. Dur-
than the maneuverings of one demon (however powerful), ing the same period, gangs of the dispossessed childer of the
Octavio loses hope in the 18th century, feeling that he has Tzimisce also roamed the wilds of the land, seeking their elders’
failed to have any effect on Kupala whatsoever. Octavio then havens and hidden resting places. Both factions, Assamite and
allows Anatole to diablerize him, making Anatole keeper of Tzimisce anarchs, sought the same thing — the potent vitae of
the mysteries and the harbinger of Gehenna. the voivodes. An alliance between the two groups of diablerists
More information on Octavio is located in Transylvania would have ensured their success, yet they chose to war against
by Night, for those who need it. one another rather than ally against a common foe.
119
THE REVEALED SIGNS OF GEHENNA
Many Kindred believe they know the signs that will signal Before the Transylvania Chronicles
the coming of Gehenna. Those who believe that Gehenna is • Sign One — The Hidden Darkness: the diablerie
real search out copies of the Book of Nod, which is supposed of Saulot.
to contain within it the prophecies of Saulot. Indeed, within Book One: Dark Tides Rising
that work many signs are discussed. Like those omens given • Sign Two — The Threefold Breaking: the destruc-
in Book of Revelations (which portend the end of the world), tion of the Templars; the loss of the Holy Land, and the
these prophecies are interpreted as occurring just before fall of a mighty wizard.
the advent of the dreaded date. That is not, however, the
• Sign Three — The War of the Children: Childer
case. Vampires are unlike mortals; rather than a few, brief
rebel against elders, sparking the Anarch Movement;
decades, they may live for centuries, granting them much
Younger Lasombra and Tzimisce commit diablerie on
time in which to work out foretold events.
their clans’ founders.
Further, they do not have a unifying religion served by a
• Though not an actual sign yet, the geomantic web
single book available to all. The real signs of Gehenna have
Zelios is constructing will become the foundation for
been recorded only in a few, unlikely, hidden places, lest their
another, later omen leading up to Gehenna.
secrets be too easily revealed and cost a warlord of the Jyhad
his advantage. Those foretellings given in the Book of Nod are Book Two: Son of the Dragon
mere shadows of the actual signs — side effects, as it were. • Sign Four —The Rise and Return of the Dragon:
Further, the workings of the prophecies occur over several Although those involved believe this sign foretells the
hundred years, and many have for millennia been planted Embrace and career of Dracula, it, in fact, means something
in fertile soil (some might even say demon-corrupted soil) quite different (though as yet, unrevealed).
waiting for the proper time to blossom. Those omens given • Sign Five — The Making and Breaking of the
below are those that have been revealed to the mad prophet Compact of Kindred: the formation of the Camarilla (and
Octavio. Several more have yet to be made known. later foundation of the Sabbat).
The chaotic tenor of the land itself (a land the Tzimisce Further complicating matters, both the anarchs and the
needed in order to rest properly) worked against them, as did Assamites found assistance from antitribalist rogue Tremere,
the cleverest of the voivodes. Knowing the Assamites’ taste childer of Goratrix (called the Betrayer by the rest of the clan).
for powerful Cainite blood, some of the Tzimisce voivodes Goratrix’s childer used a heretofore unknown Tremere ritual
offered the assassins a deal: If the Assamites would leave the that greatly enhanced the effectiveness of the diablerie each
voivodes alone, preying instead upon their unruly childer, the group practiced. Known as the Ritual of the Bitter Rose, the
elder Fiends would assist the assassins in finding and capturing ritual allowed more than one recipient to benefit from the blood
potent Tremere and Ventrue to slake their thirsts. of an elder taken in diablerie. Suddenly, whole packs could gain
The Assamites agreed, regarding the agreement as a greater power rather than just a single chosen member.
contract they would fulfill. There was always time later to Outraged Tremere and Ventrue, frightened by the pros-
return and drink of the voivodes after the Fiends had foolishly pect of annihilation, called for stronger measures against the
decimated their own ranks. Meanwhile, the assassins had free Assamites and the anarchs, cementing the Usurpers and the
reign against others in the land without fear of retaliation Patricians in an alliance of necessity that would ultimately
from the land’s eldest defenders. For their part, the Tzimisce lead to their clans’ strong advocacy of the formation of the
believed they had successfully deflected a threat to themselves Camarilla. Enhanced with Tremere magics, the fledgling
while finding a curb to their ungrateful childer. That fact that organization became more than a match for the disorganized
it allowed them to set the Assamites on the hated Tremere and weaker anarchs. Further, Tremere magic helped clan
and Ventrue intruders only sweetened the deal. Ventrue uncover Alamut, the secret lair of the Assamites,
The anarchs feared that the Assamites would not only and to capture several important Assamite elders, forcing the
steal all their sires’ vitae (which should, by right of clan, belong assassins to sue for peace. Thus, because of Tzimisce intrigue,
to the childer), but that the assassins would take the voivodes’ those who should have found common cause instead engaged
strongholds and use them as fortresses to buttress the Turks’ in war, while the Usurpers of Clan Tremere whose founders
claims to the land. Wherever anarchs and Assamites met, they committed diablerie upon Saulot, become staunch conservative
violently came into conflict, Nocturnal war raged once again adherents to the Camarilla and bitter foes of those who would
across the land beyond the forest. practice the Amaranth on others. Had he a mouth to do it
with, Kupala would have laughed with demonic glee.
120

Transylvania Chronicles II Son of The Dragon

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Transylvania Chronicles II Son of The Dragon

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Transylvania Chronicles II Son of The Dragon

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BY BRIAN CAMPBELL AND NICKY REA

© 1998 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction

THE CALL OF THE NIGHT

THE THEME OF IMMORTALITY’S

Weapon Difficulty Damage Range Reload Time Conceal

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

of another Turkish invasion, and the usual scandals involving

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

BLOOD CALLS TO BLOOD

ADAPTING THE STORY

BRUJAH THE ARCHONS’ BLOOD OATHS

STORYTELLING THE CHRONICLE OF AGES

STORYTELLING THE CHRONICLE OF AGES

STORYTELLING THE CHRONICLE OF AGES

STORYTELLING THE CHRONICLE OF AGES

STORYTELLING THE CHRONICLE OF AGES

THE ROLES OF HISTORY AND DESTINY

THE ROLES OF HISTORY AND DESTINY

OF DRACULA nia’s armies. Though the Turks eventually defeated Hunyadi’s

THE ROLES OF HISTORY AND DESTINY

THE ROLES OF HISTORY AND DESTINY

THE ROLES OF HISTORY AND DESTINY

You might also like