The Battle

• The coterie plans in great detail for the raid. The three key factors will be (a) building up a good supply of blood so the coterie goes into the battle amped and with full blood supply, (b) Maude’s rituals to prepare and shape the battlefield, and © using animal scouts to gather information on the battle-site and enemy movements and possible strengths & tactics.

• The coterie beings come together in terms of combat teamwork. For the actual ambush, fighting in small teams to overwhelm the key enemies with tactically greater numbers will be what provides victory.

• The feral pack did what was expected. They moved into the prepared ambush area and were immediately unsettled and began searching for the trap.

• The ability of Beltanz, the leader, to call animal swarms was unexpected, but not deadly. It did force the coterie to concentrate on him, though, which left Gunthar’s valued retainer Karliv to hold the line against 3 of the enemy. Needless to say, he fought hard but things did not go well for him.

• The swarms prevented coterie members from aiding Karliv and so he died. Karliv was slain and fed upon by three of the enemy. This blood strengthened them, but not enough to provide any real threat to the fight.

• Jals, the youngest Cainite in the enemy party, fled. He was chased down by Francois, Rossos,
  Mihor and Gunthar; staked, and brought back to answer questions.

• As a result of his wounds, Gunthar’s face was severely deformed by claws and vicissitude. The damage will take Gunthar over a week to heal. He was more distressed by the wounds to his face than any others that his allies have seen thus far.

• Beltans bargained for his life, claiming knowledge of a sleeping elder who could be soul-eaten. He proposed taking the elder’s blood and would help the coterie do so if only he could continue to exist. He also promised wealth, taken in raids from villagers and travelers. Maude was disgusted and argued for slaying him.

• The decision was made to hand Beltans over to the villagers, but only after a proper display had been done.

• The defeated Cainites were executed, with Gunthar and others chopping off their heads. Only Beltanz and Jals were left.

• Francois bled the vampire he staked and drank its blood; as is his way. Everyone was, more or less, fine with this. When Francois tried to do something similar to Beltans, whispering about how he could smell Beltanz’ sweet blood, the coterie was a little creeped out.

• Jals gave his story. He was a hunter and knew the area well. He was made a night-monster and forced to drink the blood of the others so he would obey them. He showed them passes in the mountains and was to take them to the hidden village high in the mountains. He was made to do horrible things, things he wants to forget. He knows little of his nature now, but has learned the basics of Auspex, Protean, Animalism, and Visccisitude. He has family in the village who now spurn him as a dead thing, a demon. Jals expressed a sincere repentance for what he had done and been made to do, and a desire to do and be different. The coterie instantly decided to take him into their care and charge.

• The village refused to let the coterie inside. Sir Alaric tore off the front gate. Jals called for the villagers to come out and meet the new masters. He called in Saxon. Someone answered, saying he was a demon, but refused to come outside.

• Sir Alaric tore off the door to their hut. Gunthar asked them outside. They refused. Gunthar turned on his red eyes and said if they did not come outside, he would come inside and tear out the throats of the little girls in front of the men. They came outside after that.

• Utterly spent by the costs of her Mortis magics, Maude expressed horror at his threats, but said little else.

• Outside, they were directed to the immobile Beltanz, and told that this demon that had terrified them was now ready for their justice. They began to argue amongst themselves, with Jabbanak (younger more proactive and violently minded elder, related to Jals, leader of the raiders) versus Volgan (old and conservative with white hair, who argued that all night-monsters will bring only trouble and so should be shunned).

• The process went on too long, and the villagers began to not fear the Cainites. Veceslav lacked the right language. Iulia could speak Rus and so spoke with them in harsh and imperious tones.

• She later mentioned that she told them we were demons and soul-stealers. She used shadow-magic to draw the shadows to her. Alaric did likewise, drawing the shadows to the red cross on his tabbard abd turning it black. At signals from Iulia, Veceslav and Gunthar brought out their claws and red eyes. Iulia then called forth for the ones called Ugok and Jabbanak were brought forward for our justice. She shoved dark shadows down their throats, saying that she was tainting their souls for the effrontery of challenging the coterie’s power. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth.

• Maude’s horror spilled out once again at this behaviour, but she was quickly hushed by the others.

• A pyre was built to immolate Beltanz. The coterie, as the lords and masters, were asked to stay. The coterie could feel the palpable terror of the staked Beltanz, and he was burned to nothing.

• Ugok and Jabbanak were taken away and back to the Tower site. There justice was done. Ugok, who killed Dildabek the Pecheneg mercenary, was killed painfully by the mercenaries and placed at the feet of Karliv’s funeral pyre. Jabbanak was savagely beaten, had his beard shorn and then raped by Dildabeck’s brother before being sent back to his village.

• Mildak, Jals’ sister, was also returned to the village at this time. Iulia had influenced her with post-hypnotic suggestions and will use her as a tool to control the Pecheneg village. Mildak was influenced to see Jals as still alive, and not as a dead demon.
• ___________________________________________________*
  Attendance: Gunthar ritter (Greg; xp3), Maude (Dave, xp3), Veceslav (Ben, xp2+1 pending), Sir Alaric (Anthony, xp3)

END OF SESSION

Anatole and Lucita

• The coterie speaks with Lucita and Anatole. Some topics are discussed at length, such as the writings of the Antideluvian and what it means. Faith is also discussed at length. As well as the finer philosophies, the Cainites also discuss their backgrounds, lives and travels. Everyone gets along well, though Gunthar and Maude are both incredulous of Anatole’s faith that Cainites are part of “God’s plan”.
• The Cainites also spar with Gunthar ritter. Lucita and Anatole, while young, display great prowess with sword-fighting, especially hen bolstered by their use of Potence and Celerity.
• Anatole’s flock arrives at the tower. They are flagellants, and many are more than a little mad. They appear to view him as some sort of prophet, and follow him around the wilderness hoping to hear his next sermon. He and Lucita feed from them carefully, and protect them as they can, and Anatole is a reluctant leader. Several more of the flock appear to be his ghouls as well as the two already encountered.
• The coterie asks his permission to feed from the flock, as they have been subsisting on too much animal vitae. He allows it, but unfortunately Veceslav frenzies and the Malkavian brandishes his crucifix and drives the Tzimisce away with the power of his faith.
• Veceslav is held down while his frenzy abates. He is deeply embarassed and aplogetic to Anatole, and the Malkavian appears to accept his contrition. Nevertheless he, Lucita and the flock move on the next evening.
  _________________________________________________
  Scouting and Logistics
• Gunthar enlists the services of a local owl. He names the owl Archimedes and exchanges food for information. Through the owl, Gunthar learns about the local area.
• There are 8 villages nearby. One is very high in the mountain. Three the coterie passed near on its way into the valley, and are within 8 miles to the south. Four are further into the valley, within 8 miles to the north.
• A scouting team is sent out to explore the villages further into the valley. The first two are similar. They have well constructed houses where the animals are kept under the house at night for warmth and security. Fires burn inside at night to keep the darkness away.
• The first village (Oncesti) has 8 houses, ploughed fields, about 50 people (half are children), 12 sheep, 3 oxen, 1 old horse, 12 pigs, and some chickens.
• The second village (Albacu) has 12 houses and about 75 people; it also has 4 oxen.
• The third village is a Pecheneg village (Letzav). It is surrounded by a 6’ palisade on an earthen bank. There are watchtowers inside the village. The houses are not as sturdy as the first two villages. The village has about 80 people and 6 steppe ponies. It is later discovered that this village preys on merchant caravans, extorting a toll and raiding at will.
• The fourth village is a similar Pecheneg village (Naizuy) with about 80 people and a similar defensive construct. There are people on watch and the village is about 6 miles from the tower site. It is later discovered that Naizuy genuinely escorts merchants in return for pay, and raids those who refuse.
• The Vlach villages to the south (Cosara, Barsenesti and Voda) seem peaceable and fairly approachable. It is determined that Godwine, Sherazhina and Andrew will meet with the village elders during the day in order to secure their aid.
• The mountain village is not explored on account of it’s remoteness.
• Joachim and his apprentices search the area and assess the site.
• A source of stone is found only a mile away. It is suggested a second camp be built there, but this is quickly dismissed as impractical.
• Lumber (beech, birch and oak) is plentiful courtesy of the nearby forests.
• Water is in ready supply nearby. Gunthar counsels digging wells within the tower grounds in order to lay in a ready supply of water.
• The forests nearby can provide food, but care will need to be taken lest the ecology be damaged. Gunthar suggests planting crops.
• 36 oxen will be needed to move lumber and stone. These can be sourced from nearby villages and the remainder brought from Bistriz.
• The road in the Pass is well-traveled and should supply a good reliable route in and out. This will bring traffic which will (a) provide a source of income in terms of (reasonable) tolls, and (b) ensure news of what we are doing leaks out. It is obvious that the project will not stay silent long.
• The road will be difficult for another month due to rains, but will soon dry out afterwards due to strong winds. For the next month, sleighs will be used on sleds, and after this, wheels
• A camp is established at the tower site. The camp will include wooden huts for workers to sleep in, a kitchen and mess (and entertainment) hall, properly sited and dug latrines, equipment storage, food storage and preparation (and probably a still to brew grog and beer as well), and animal shelters. The Cainites will continue to live in the secret room at the tower. Wood for these buildings is sourced from the forest.
• A ditch and palisade is constructed at the tower site; everyone present helps, including the knights and mercenaries.
  *Work is begun cut and dress the stone for later transport.
• The tower site is pegged out for construction.
• The carpenters, when they arrive, will cut and shape the wood.
• The stone will then be taken from the quarry to the tower site.
• Construction will begin at the site.
  ____________________________________________________________

Diplomacy gains and loss

• The ‘daytime diplomacy’ team is sent out to speak with the local villages and negotiate their assistance in building the tower. A ‘hearts & minds’ campaign is conducted; Godwine, Sherazhina and Andrew represent the coterie in these discussions. The old men of the Romanian villages make decisions in council under a local tree in each village. They see the benefits of the proposed relationship. The deal struck is that the villagers of Cosara (south), Barsanesti (south), Voda (south), Oncesti (sturdy north), Albacu (sturdy north) will provide manual labour and oxen to assist with the building, and in return they will receive (i) a cut of the revenue from the toll, (ii) extra food from the hunters at the tower site, and (iii) medical care from the healers at the tower site. The villages can provide 40 workers for 3 days a week.
• The Pecheneg villages are not approached at this time due to acknowledged linguistic difficulties. Gortav and his mercenaries might be used to bridge this gap.
• Veceslav and Iulia return to Bistriz. Vecslav speaks with Vykos to discuss the terms of the loan and contracts with work-force. Iulia meets with Perlina and invites her to come view the tablets. Veceslav & Iulia return, having made arrangements for the supply of workers (carpenters) and construction materials/tools.
• Gortav and the mercenaries are sent out on six horses to speak to the Pecheneg villages. The first village (Naizuy) ignores them. The second (Letzav) send riders to attack them. The mercenaries are robbed, beaten up and one (Dildabek) is raped then murdered.
• It is decided that vengeance is required. The village is investigated.

The Cold Ones of Tihuta Pass

• Archimedes reports that a group of 8 ‘cold ones’ come down to Letzav and are fed by the warm ones there.
• A raiding party kidnaps a female villager by the name of Mildak from there. From her the coterie learns that a group of 8 night-monsters (aka ‘cold ones’, aka ‘vampyri’) come down to the village to feed. The vampires are looking for something in the mountains.
• When they first came to the village they demanded blood tribute. The village refused. The vampires broke in, killed many men and took their blood and left. The village sent out hunters. * None returned except Jals the Hunter who was now one of the night-monsters.
• When the crows come to the village in numbers, the village knows to get ready to feed the night-monsters.
• A decision is made to destroy these predators and rivals. The coterie settles in to make their plans.
  ___________________________________________________________________

Attendance: Gunthar ritter (Greg; xp3), Maude (Dave, xp3), Veceslav (Ben, xp2+1 pending), Sir Alaric (Anthony, xp2+1 pending)

END OF SESSION

The Daughter of the Dark Bishop and the Son of the Idiot…

• The coterie rides past the campfire and into the foundations of the tower, scattering a pair of dishevelled but dangerous looking pilgrims. They they find a dirty man with matted blonde hair, blood in his beard, a beatific, knowing smile on his face and a mad, fanatical gleam in his eye. He appears to be using a broken piece of wood as a (rather ineffective) shovel. They quickly take stock of their surroundings, and decide that the man is apparently alone as he drops the plank. He then says:
• “Blessed art those who come in glory to the place of reservations. Greetings, fellows; I am Anatole, seeker of that which was been lost and which will come again into the hands of those who are the chosen agents of God. Your coming is the sign that I have long awaited. The field is fallow, awaiting those who will search for the seed of wisdom buried deep within its hidden places. We must make all speed, for the time is coming when all will have need of words of counsel. Together we shall mark the signposts for the road to salvation.” Anatole that throws his arms wide in friendly welcome, calling out towards the two fearful pilgrims, “Fabiano, Laban, lay aside your weapons. We are in no danger.”
• The general response from the coterie is wary bemusement. Once again they have come upon a Malkavian, and once again they feel like the catspaws of fate. Gunthar ritter von Wolfgang takes the initiative, and introduces the coterie.
• A rich, cultured voice issues forth from nearby as an exotic, sultry beauty steps from the concealing shadows that had been empty moments before: “I too offer my welcome, strangers. I am Lucita d’Aragon, of the Clan of Shadow; Childe of Archbishop Ambrosio Luis Moncada of Madrid, Childe of Sylvester de Ruiz, Childe of Cleobolus, Childe of Boukephos, Childe of Lasombra.” She then drops into a perfect courtsey.
• It is obvious to the coterie that the two Cainites are friendly, and after a short interval of exchanging stories and establishing bloodlines, all get to work under the direction of Sherazhina, who has a good idea where the “Word” might be.
  ____________________________________________
  Dubious Revelations
• After hours of digging, Sherazhina uses the power of the Blood to strengthen herself and opens the secret door under the stairs. Revealed is a room that contains the remnants of a bed, several chests and some partially collapsed book cases holding numerous scrolls (many of them ruined from the damp). Three clay tablets are also found, along with a wrapped bundle.
• The tablets are inscribed with an ancient language, alien to all present. The bundle is revealed to be a golden disk, purposed to translate the unknown scratchings into Latin.
• Maude busies herself performing rituals to save the remaining scrolls while Iulia and Lucita painstakingly start translating the tablets. Meanwhile, Gunther ritter, Veceslav and Laszlo scout the area while Sir-Alaric, Anatole, Agmundir, Mihor, Fabiano, Laban and Benedict stand guard at the site.
• The next night, Maude and Sherazhina reveal the scrolls to be an ancient family tree of the Basarab family. Veceslav and Sherazhina are both pleased with this outcome. Maude then directs her scholastic brilliance at the tablets. By the end of the night, the following translation has been made:

Let the lesser ones war upon the other, each hearkening to the omens that I have foreseen. Fools, all! By my guile, they know not the actual signs, but merely shadows of those things that shall be.

Let the world tremble when I come in my might and majesty, for I shall rule above our Father, above the Mother who gave succor to our Father, above the children of Seth, Yea, even above God himself. Let the reign of blood commence.

• Obviously, the rest of the night was spent in troubled debate over who may have written this madness, for surely it was one of the legendary antediluvians. Gunthar ritter noted that Havnor said not to trust the word of Zaolat, and that Zaolat sounded like Saulot. Maude scoffed at this, not just because the Salubri founder was fabled for his goodness but that he was dead. Veceslav ventured that perhaps this was the work of Malkav, as it mentioned visions and was clearly the work of a madman. Lucita and Iulia ventured that certain literary cues indicated that perhaps their own founder, Lasombra was the author. The Tzimisce founder was also brought up, given the location of the tower and it’s owners. Finally, the author of the golden disk was also speculated upon.
• Lucita asked if anyone knew the power of “psychometron”, the spirit’s touch. If not, perhaps someone else could be found? Surely the impressions left by an antediluvian would remain, even millennia after they were crafted. Maude and Iulia both mentioned that Lady Perlina would have the ability, and the Cainites retired to sleep on the idea.

Attendance: Gunthar ritter (Greg; xp3), Maude (Dave, xp3), Veceslav (Ben, xp2+1 pending)
Absent: Sir Alaric (Anthony, xp0)

End of Session

• 7 more days in Bistritz. The coterie seeks to prepare as best they can for the trip to Tihuta Pass, and integrate Sir Alaric more fully into the team. The Lasombra knight is keen to cross-train both skills and Disciplines, as well to coordinate combat tactics.
• Veceslav spends most of his time with Ilias Cel Frumos, learning the Old Faith and the basics of Kolunism. Gunther ritter continues his martial training also.
• Iulia and Perlina spend much time cross-training with Maude. Iulia spends much of her free time getting to know Seneschal Roslyn Wulf.
• Gunther drills his mercenaries mercilessly (their names are Gortav, Yergali, Zhanbulat, Arslan, Dildabek, Baisal) while Iulia begins their hypnotism.
• Radu and Vykos are deep in discussions, leaving Roslyn Wulf to manage the city in his distractions. Vykos spends much of his time outside of these meetings with Veceslav and Ilias, or preferably Ilias alone.
• Joachim the elder and younger of the Stonemasons guild are met. The Younger will take 7 apprentices to help build the tower and survey. 1 sp/day + 5 sp for Joachim (standard guild rates). Once the area is surveyed, Joachim will return and also contract the carpenters. It will take approximately 6 months to construct the tower, and it will be difficult to start before April.
• An Anonymous monk is met. He draws the coterie’s attention not long after Gunther ritter leaves the Shining Sword to train with the mercs. Veceslav fails to read the monk’s aura (but succeeds in doing so later in the evening)
• He appeared to take note of the coterie by virtue of the strangeness of their appearance and company, and also appears to surmise that they are vampires on account of noticing that they have not broken bread or drunk their wine in the hours that they have spent there (this is later shown to be simply his observational skills at play, and the coterie inadvertently revealed their true nature).
• The monk is extremely observant but comes across as a little smug and nonchalant about his personal safety. He makes some interesting comments regarding the enlightened rule of Burgrave Radu II, as well as the oddness of him having a vlach name and the fact that the city council is extraordinarily compliant with Radu’s wishes. Such cooperation is noteworthy in the extreme.
• Iulia attempts to Dominate the man to remove his memories of the discussion. He proves to be immune, and tells her that she has been impolite and to please desist. She claims that the monk has no name, having given it back to God as a gesture of humility.
• He finishes the discussion on good terms, after being warned by Maude and Veceslav to be more careful, as he inadvertently serves Cainite masters in Esztergom who may not have friends in this part of the world. After he returns to his meal, a hasty council is called by the four Cainites present to deal with the threat that the monk represents.
• Iulia is in favour of reporting the monk’s presence to Radu in order to preserve the Silence of the Blood and to curry favour with the prince. Sir Alaric is uncomfortable with treating a “man of the cloth” in such a manner and offers to talk to him more forcefully. Veceslav and Maude wish to discuss matters further with the monk, in order to more fully assess what, if any, threat Anonymous truly presents.
• When they look over, they find the monk gone, but none remember seeing him leave. Veceslav notes his footsteps in some spilled wine and a frantic search of the city begins.
  Iulia searches the Happy Merchant, Maude the Hospice, Veceslav the Great Northern and the Templar remains at the Shining Sword in case Gunther ritter returns. Ghouls assist their masters. Eventually the monk is found at the Broken Plow, and discussions resume after the coterie confirm their peaceable intentions.
• He is gregarious enough, and freely admits to being a chronicler in the service of King Emeric. He is auditing Bistritz on his King’s behalf, with an eye towards making a report of the Siebenburgen and Transylvania in general. He then aims to head to Halych, beyond the Carpathians.
• Maude realises that this must be the same anonymous monk that served Emeric and Andras’ father, King Bela II, and who has been compiling a great chronicle of Hungary for more than 20 years.
• Anonymous is good at appearing with different faces, and also at moving undetected. He appears to be immune to Iulia’s Dominate, and stated that it was rude of her to attempt it on him.
• He has a strange aura, out of phase. Mixed fear and conservatism, vital and pale at once. He claims to be a “wizard”, showing a faint disdain for the term magus.
• He claims that there are orders, circles and colleges of magic workers, some of them claiming to be magi, sorcerers or wizards. These fellowships are not at all like (his admittedly poor understanding of) vampire clans, being less strict and agenda driven.
• The coterie and the monk reach an accord. He will leave in the morning and they will not report him to Radu. They part ways amicably.
• Several days later, the Herd caravan arrives. They weathered the storm well, on account of finding plenty of fresh meat killed and left for them, as well as fire wood stacked neatly where they could find it. They tried to discover who this mysterious guardian angel was but failed to do so. The aid continued up until two nights outside of Bistritz.
• Arrangements are made for the Pecheneg mercenaries to travel with the retainers and Herd.
• The Cainites, their bodyguards and Joachim the Younger travel to Tihuta Pass. They pass four reasonably prosperous villages on the route within Radu’s territory (with one particularly well-fortified affair right on the edge of his land), and progressively poorer and weaker settlements as they get closer to the pass. In the pass, there are paths leading to settlements off the trail but scouting them is left for another time.
• The Carpathians loom large and menacing on either side of the pass. The western slopes are heavily forested while the central hills are largely bare. Sparse woods cover the eastern side, which gradually gives way to steep cliffs.
• The road is treacherous as they near the tower, with 500 foot drops to a churning stream below and treacherous switchbacks. Finally the jagged foundations come into view. A small campfire is near the ruins, and a pair of torches are stuck in the ground inside them.
• The journey takes 4 days.
• The coterie can hear the sounds of digging and someone tunelessly but merrily singing a hymn…

Attendance: Maude (Dave, xp3), Veceslav (Ben, xp2+1 pending)
Absent: Gunthar ritter (Greg, xp0), Sir Alaric (Anthony, xp0)
END OF SESSION

Session 4 – November 19th, AD 1196
Assault on the Lair of the Children
• The ghoul Agmundir causes problems with Ser Gunthar’s plan, as he states that his and
Haldorr’s orders are to protect Lady Iulia, not hurl themselves into the fray in the front line.
He seems undaunted by the anger of the Gangrel, and stands his ground. Iulia has quiet
words with the impertinent mortal away from the group, and it is clear that he seems to be
unwilling to “interpret” Lady Katerina’s orders. Nevertheless, he finally relents by saying
that when it is clear that the danger to Iulia is minimal, Haldir will be permitted to join the
front line.
• The coterie assaults the former home of the Seraglio Fraternity, now home to the
Children of Calomena. In accordance with the plan, Ratty II scouts ahead, only to be
devoured by an alert mastiff inside the walls.
• Sir’s Conrad and Gunthar approach the Children, intending to parley for their surrender as
the Brujah had hoped. Instead the Carrion attack immediately.
• A desperate melee follows, as the two knights hold the breach in the wall while the rest of
the coterie and their allies catch up. They stand back-to-back, fighting up to nine of the
Children at one point, two of whom are Cainites.
• One of them is a large, broad-chested Bulgarian with a long braid hanging down his back
and a braided beard as well. Both are secured by fine copper bands. He fights with a broad
sword and handles himself like a professional soldier and a capable Cainite warrior, using
celerity to keep up with the Brujah. He has none of the scruples of the chivalrous knights,
backstabbing Ser Gunthar at one point and taking Sir Conrad’s hand as well.
• The other looks like he might be a Thracian, and also sports a beard and mop of unruly
hair. He does not utter a word for the entire fight, even when he falls into frenzy shortly
before Sir Conrad finishes him off. He is skilled with the garrote, and may have decapitated
a less doughty Cainite than the Lexor Brujah knight. When the element of surprise is gone,
he fights skilfully with a sabre.
• The massive Rus and the angry, lame old man are also present at the fight. Both are
revealed to be ghouls rather than vampires, though the Rus is particular hard to take
down, sustaining wounds from 4 arrows and a throwing axe before finally being blinded
and dispatched. The old man is less proficient, spewing invective about the coming Time of
Judgement and Calomena before inadvertantly setting himself alight and fleeing into the
night in agonised panic.
• The rest of the Children also have the strength and resilience of ghouls, but are far less
capable in battle. They are unarmoured for the most part, and their weapons are of poor
quality. Many choose to attack with their torches instead. Both of the knights sustain burns
in the fight, but hold their nerve in the face of Rottschreck.
• As the last of the Children falls, the shower of gore from his mangled body washes over Sir
Conrad, and the knight falls into a blood frenzy. On Ser Gunthar’s advice the rest of the
party clears out of sight, while the Brujah tears into the corpses for their blood. The sight
of the Tower of Arsuf reduced to a mindless, ravening monster unsettles all, and they are
grateful to see his wits recovered when they venture back into the compound.
• In addition to the knights, Haldir, Laszlo and Anna Sgorina distinguish themselves in the
fight. Anna in particular, holds off several reinforcements from joining the fray in a pivotal
moment. Iulia also shows herself to be an expert archer in the battle. The Baron’s archers
perform their appointed tasks well, and even Agmundir runs into the front line when Iulia’s
safety is assured.

Aftermath and Investigation
• Oddly, the two dogs that are seen to leave before the fight erupts are not seen again, and
Anna also states that she saw a man in early middle-age with greying hair and a beard
running up the stairs in the house.
• Anna transforms into a wolf and starts tracking the scent of the dogs, accompanied by
Adriano & Cadmus. Iulia & Agmundir liaise with the Seraglio Fraternity and to find which if
any Children escaped, and discover that three of the brothers were slain minutes earlier.
Note one of the brothers heard so much as a scuffle or growl.
• In keeping with Gabor the Bulgar’s orders (and still short a weapon), Veceslav seizes the
Thracian’s sabre as a trophy of war.
• Veceslav, Ser Gunthar and Sir Conrad head into the house, accompanied by Haldir, Damien
and Cosmas. They expect to find further resistance, but instead find an empty building
rigged with a number of traps.
• These traps include: a stair-case rigged to collapse, plunging the hapless victim down to
the basement, where a number of sharp wooden stakes await; three spiked boards
designed to break the victims back and disguised to blend in with the decrepit walls, the
trigger being a rigged floor board; and an axe on a pendulum in a narrow corridor,
triggered when a curtain is disturbed.
• The following clues are found:
- the fresh corpse of Anselm, Bishop Alfonzo’s missing guard. His throat had been torn
out. Veceslav also found his journal concealed under a bed. The journal is a rambling,
guilt-wracked discourse detailing the confessions of his service to the blood-drinking
demons.
- a cleverly concealed niche, accessed by removing a panel under an actual bed. The
secret haven was immaculately kept, unlike the rest of the house. Inside was a dish
holding a rosary and pallet for sleeping.
- a picture of Calomena on the uppermost floor, as well as a large, beautifully carved
wooden cross on a makeshift altar covered in candle stubs.
-havens for at least 5 other vampires, all of which showed no signs of recent use.

At Loose Ends
• Anna Sgorina returns and regretfully announces that due to all of the interfering odours,
she lost the scent of the dogs in the Latin Quarter. She leaves with her men to report to
Baron Thomas Feroux.
• Raw from his burns, the loss of his hand and his recent frenzy, and cognizant of the danger
to the Legacy of Shadows if he were to turn up in his current state, Sir Conrad elects to
head home and avoid the Seraglio hideout. He instead heads home to heal, reattach his
hand and pray.
• Ser Gunthar, Iulia and Veceslav return with the grieving Seraglio Fraternity to their hideout,
where the promised party is in full swing. They tell stories of the fight, with Ser Gunthar
making much of the Red Wolf and the Tower of Arsuf standing back-to-back against the
hordes. The youngsters and partygoers appear to enjoy the story immensely, but Jason,
his men and their families are rather more reserved. The wailing women are comforted, but
kept out of sight. Both Gunthar and Veceslav feed from the guests, and spend the rest of
the evening having a good time.
• Iulia leaves after an hour or so with Haldir and Agmundir, saying that she must return to
the Saut Aswad and report to Lady Katerina.
• Sir Conrad’s son, Baldwin, sees his father covered in blood and seething with anger as he
stomps into his house. The knight is reasonably sure that Baldwin doesn’t see the stump of
his sword arm, but the shock is enough to drive the boy into histerics. The Brujah has
Anna, his housekeeper, brew a calmative tea while he quickly cleans up and confronts the
panicked boy. He then puts on his father’s voice and sternly orders his son to go back to
sleep as he was having a bad dream. He reasons with his son, knowing that the bookish
Baldwin relies on logic to make sense of the world. Lulled by the tea, the boy eventually
nods off. Sir Conrad heads to the basement to sleep and heal, but knows that damage has
been done which will take some time to repair.

Session 3 – November 18th, AD 1196
At Balto’s Boarding House
• Sir Gunthar returns to Balto’s. He doesn’t wake the others until just before dawn, and
listens to Bernard relate brief stories of his visits to the aqueducts and the Hagia
Sophia. He then instructs Bernard to ensure that Ser Gunthar’s armour is cleaned in the
morning. Bernard is to do this job himself and not pass it on to his manservant; if
Bernard wishes to become a knight, he must learn to care for his armour. Klaus will be
available to help Bernard with regards to technique.
• He then goes on to make preparations for the fight against the Children of Calomena.
He decided that his new ghoul, Ratty II, is worth keeping.

November 19th, AD 1196 – At the Saut Aswad
• The coterie meets Fajr early in the evening. A private room is rented and the
objects/boxes laid out. Veceslav confirms that he can have more several tomes
transcribed for Fajr, so the payment is guaranteed.
• Using his Spirit’s touch, the Assamite handles the items taken from the attic hide-out.
• The whittling knife has strong impressions, and was often used by its owner to carve
crucifixes. The owner of the knife is intensely religious and very angry. He has also been
a ghoul for a long time, and dreams of a great reckoning that will soon to come to pass.
The ghoul is an old man, and walks with a limp.
• The rope with blood on it had few impressions, but the blood that coated the rope gave
Fajr some insight. He saw a large man, a Rus. He is also a habitual ghoul, meaning that
he has received the vitae constantly rather than every now and then. The brute felt
triumphant, having overcome a great enemy (Juliano, obviously) in spite of his
injuries. This man had a tattoo of a black sun at the base of his neck.
• The blankets gave the Assamite an overall impression rather than particular ones. The
men who used them were all ghouls, but not habitual ones, and that they were all
Greeks or Bulgars. Many had in their minds images of a beautiful Slavic man with long
black hair and bloody tears. All were dedicated to Calomena, and had a sense of
community.
• Having no more to offer, Fajr politely excuses himself and says that he will return in a
few weeks to collect his payment. He will also check in at the Monastery of Christ
Pantokrator regularly, to see if they have further need of his services.

At Loose Ends
• With a clear enemy to fight but some hours to wait, the coterie parts ways to hunt, take
counsel with their sires and prepare for battle in their own ways.
• Veceslav heads to the Amalfitan District, only to find that his weapons and have long
since gone to rust from lack of care and use. Gabor admonishes him for his laxity, and
insists that he go into battle armed only with his wits and his fangs so the lesson would
not need to be repeated.
• Sir Conrad quickly heads to the Senate House to report to the Lexor Brujah, finding
them in a rare, full session. Even the elders Theophilus and Dorotheus are in
attendance and listen to his report of the Children of Calomena with great interest.
Procet raises a motion that the Family use the investigation to benefit themselves at
the expense of the Latins and Antonians by calling a Tribunal. The motion is carried.
Procet also argues that the Senate should arrange with the Lord Symeon and the
Baron’s Gangrel to provide the coterie papers of safe passage through the city, the
better to facilitate their service to the Brujah. This motion is also carried.
• Iulia heads upstairs and takes counsel with Lady Katerina, whom appears to be
getting ready for a party somewhere in the Greek Districts.
• Ser Gunthar sits and has a quiet drink with Marcus Musa Giovanni, wishing to improve
their acquaintance and perhaps find some trade opportunities for the Dressler family.
Lucien eventually arrives on the scene, and he and Ser Gunthar excuse themselves from
the Venetian and head to a private room.

Roman Cunning
• Lucien sees a way to turn the presence of the Children in the Greek Districts to the
advantage of his associate, Petronius. As well as the newly founded coterie. If
Byzantine Cainites were slain in a Greek district the response would be sure and clearthe
Quaesitor Tribunal would charge the Baron’s Gangrel to hunt the murderer and
enforce the Codex of Legacies. However, the Codex of Legacies does not have
jurisdiction in the Latin Quarter, and hasn’t since the Eighth Council that was held
eleven years previously, after the Latin Riots. Justice in the Latin Quarter is the strict
purview of the Narsene Lasombra, as embodied by Bishop Alfonzo. In this case, Latin
Cainites (allowed into the city by the Bishop) have murdered their fellow Latins but hide
amongst the Greeks. A complicated situation.
• Alfonzo has failed to keep the Carrion (aka the clanless) out of the city as he favours
allowing as many non-Greek Cainites into the city as possible, but the Baron’s Gangrel
have also failed to effectively police the borders of the Greek districts. All are at fault.
• Lucien wants to help Petronius give the city a kick up the arse and get the Families
working together again. Constantinople is sick, and the old Gangrel has no desire to see
the last vestige of Rome die. To make it better again, the city needs new blood and new
ideas to mix things up a bit.
• A plan is made. Lucien will approach Petronius and ask him to call the Quaesitor
Tribunal. Petronius will have the chance to say that the coterie has secretly been
working for him all along when they give their report, thus increasing his own ailing
status and authority in the city. He will state that as the matter is a special problem it
requires a special solution- have the coterie slay the Carrion as they are neither Latin,
nor Byzantine. Petronius will look good, the coterie will look very good, and everyone
else will walk away with wounded pride and a valuable lesson learned: if they won’t do
their jobs then someone else can, and will…

Resolutions at the Saut Aswad
• Sir Conrad arrives and gives the coterie the good news: Ser Gunthar, Veceslav and Iulia
are free to move about the city with impunity for a full month. The news is received
with considerable plaudits and kudos for the Brujah.
• Ser Gunthar explains the plan regarding Petronius and the Children of Calomena, which
is also met with approval by all.
• The two knights then go over their plan of attack. Assuming the Quaesitor Tribunal is
agreeable, the attack on the house in Seraglio will take place tonight.
• At ten bells, Anna Sgorina arrives with several others of the Baron’s Gangrel to inform
the coterie that a special session of the Quaesitor Tribunal has been called and that
they are to accompany her immediately.

At the Old Senate House
• The Quaesitor Tribunal consists of Petronius of the Michaelite Toreador, Symeon of the
Obertus Tzimisce and Anna Comnena of the Antonian Ventrue. It is a very formal
atmosphere, and much decorum is observed.
• Petronius is an elegant, dignified man in early middle-age with short, dark hair and
intelligent brown eyes. He is so pale that unless he moves, he might be mistaken for a
marble statue. His white robes are of the Byzantine court, and he wears no adornment
other than a golden ring set with a large ruby.
• Symeon is strong and hale, with the aspect of a natural ruler. He has a pale olive
compexion, light brown hair confident, compelling brown eyes. Although dressed in the
finery of a Byzantine aristocrat and dripping with jewels, he looks like a warrior, and
wears a sword and dagger at his belt with practiced ease.
• Anna’s beauty defies description, a platonic ideal of royalty and perfection of line and
form. Her chestnut hair is long, wavy and carefully styled, and her eyes an intelligent,
cool blue. She wears the latest fashions of the Byzantine Court.
• Also in attendance are Natalya Syvatoslav, a Frankish knight with gleaming, cat-like
eyes and a deep scar marring the left side of his face (Baron Thomas Feroux), and a
tall, thin, regal Nosferatu wearing fine robes (Malachite). Also present are a number of
ghouls taking minutes of the proceedings.
• As agreed, Petronius states that the coterie are his agents, which elicits a raised
eyebrow from Symeon (who would clearly know this for a lie). He then asks the coterie
to give its report.
• Perhaps unsettled by the steady gaze of Symeon, Veceslav falls silent. Instead, Sir
Gunther tells the tale, outlining the events of the investigation into the murder of
Juliano and Adrianna by the Children of Calomena.
• At the conclusion of the report, Petronius stands and says that the coterie should be
charged with carrying out the execution of the Carrion, as they are clearly not in either
camp of Latin or Byzantine, they can most ably serve both.
• In response, Anna stands and berates Baron Feroux, claiming that it is the laxness of
his Gangrel that allowed this dangerous situation to develop. For his part, the Baron is
clearly angry but accepts the rebuke of his superior without argument. Curiously,
Simeon does not defend his scion, seemingly content to see how the drama plays out.
• With permission, Ser Gunthar speaks in the Baron’s defence, claiming that it was only
with his assistance that the investigation could be concluded. He is unsure of whether
Anna actually believes him, and Symeon clearly doesn’t but appears to be faintly
amused more than anything. Petronius is clearly pleased at the show of solidarity.
• The Quaesitor Tribunal then turns to each other and falls silent. For nearly a minute
they communicate amongst themselves by some telepathic means.
• At last Petronius rises to his feet once again, and asks the coterie to enact a final
solution to the problem of the Children of Calomena as soon as practical. Baron Feroux
and his Gangrel will assist them and provide supervision in this endeavour, ensuring
that no untoward destruction is wrought upon the city and that the Legacy of
Shadows is observed. With this, the three Quaesitors leave the chamber, and Natalya
immediately follows them too.
• Baron Thomas thanks Ser Gunthar speaking up in his defence, though he is unsure what
effect it really had on the Tribunal. He does not explain the animosity shown towards
him by Anna Comnena, nor does he explain why Symeon chose not to defend him. Sir
Gunther says that no thanks is necessary as Baron Thomas is a knight, and these
things are just done for one another.
• He does introduce the Nosferatu as Malachite, Chosen of Patriarch Michael and the
leader of the Malachite Nosferatu scions.
• Malachite congratulates the coterie on their successful investigation and wishes them
well in their execution of the Tribunal’s decision. He says that he and his people will
endeavour to watch over them in the attack, but their help cannot be guaranteed. He
also congratulates Ser Gunthar for speaking up on behalf of Baron Thomas and then
leaves in the same direction as the Tribunal and Natalya.
• Baron Thomas encourages the coterie to stay in the city after their mission is done. Sir
Gunther good-naturedly talks of swordsmanship and says he hopes to spar with Baron
Thomas at some stage in the future as his friend Justinian has often praised the
Norman’s superior prowess. The Baron is pleased, and says he would welcome the
opportunity, but points out that Justinian is just as good, or nearly so, as himself. He
then appoints Anna Sgorina and her retainers to help the party and leaves.
Rendezvous with the Seraglio Fraternity
• The party assembles, consisting of: Veceslav and his bodyguard, Laszlo; Ser Gunthar
and Sir Conrad; Iulia and her two northmen guards, Agmundir and Haldir; Anna
Sgorina and four of the Baron’s guards called Adriano, Cadmus, Damian and
Haman. Anna explains that her guards are all highly trained horse archers and capable
swordsmen, formerly of the Byzantine hippo-toxitai regiments.
• The twelve-strong armoured party makes its way to the rendezvous. A bright-eyed
energetic child, Adrian, waits for them. Adrian escorts the coterie via back-alleys to the
temporary house of the Fraternity, a large, abandoned military warehouse.
• The party arrives to find that Jason has 12 toughs ready to go, armed with light, quilted
armour, cudgels and daggers. He and his men have a soup kitchen operating, and a
steady queue of pathetic locals waiting for food even at this late hour. Both Ser Gunthar
and Sir Conrad are kind of heart-broken at this and insist that Jason disband these noncombatants
from the fight. Jason seems a little shocked by the request, clearly
surprised that the knights thought he’d be willing to send the sick, desperate and old
under his protection to their deaths.
• He explains that once each week, according to ancient tradition, all of the Fraternities in
the Greek districts (at least, those worth their salt) feed those whom can’t feed
themselves. Even in their current diminished state the Seraglio Fraternity must do this.
• The misunderstanding cleared up, plans are discussed. Form-up points and routes to
the site are planned. The two Crusaders will be in the lead and rest will be the
accompanying back-up. Jason’s men are stood down and relegated to warden duties.
They are charged with tagging and following any fleeing cultists. They are asked NOT to
fight those fleeing, but merely to trail them and inform the combat team.
• Ser Gunthar encourages Jason to get an after-party going to celebrate the coming
victory. The Fraternity is happy enough to do this, and should be able to find a score of
carousers from the neighbourhood even at a late hour because news has spread that
the interlopers will be cast out.

Assault Plan
• The Fraternity members will lead the combat team to the form-up-point (FUP).
• Conrad and Gunthar are the front-men. They will walk up to the Carrion compound and
speak to them, giving them a warning and a chance to flee. Conrad will carry, in
addition to his sword, a javelin with which to engage any Cainites at distance. Once
combat begins, Conrad will concentrate on the mortals, mopping them up while
Gunther takes on the tough-guys.
• Laszlo, Haldir and Agmundir will act in support of Conrad and Gunther with melee and
throwing axe.
• The Baron’s ghouls will act as a reserve. They will use their bows on targets of
opportunity and prevent enemy use of the balcony. If they can get to high ground, they
will. They are to act in pairs. When “the time is right” or when called for, they will
change to melee and engage.
• Anna will stand reserve commander. Should the balcony become occupied, she will
change into bat-form and move to engage. Anna fights in wolf form and will engage in
close combat when the time is right.
• Iulia will cover the attack with her bow and aid in suppression of the balcony.
• Veceslav will act at first as a reserve, and then move in when required.
• Exits from the compound will be watched by members of the Fraternity. These are to
tag and follow any fleeing cultists, and then inform the combat teams. They are to work
in pairs, at least. If engaged, they are to flee and fetch the combat team urgently.
• Ratty is to act as an advance scout, and will be sent to Gunther to count (maybe) how
many people (warm ones and dead ones) and to state where they are (maybe).

Session Two – November 17th, AD 1196
The Baron’s Gangrel
• Ser Gunthar returns to Neree’s Rest only to find that Bernard, Stephen and Klaus have gone
into the Greek Districts to “look for fun”. Klaus and Bernard appeared to be having an
argument as they left.
• Following their trail, he quickly finds himself in a district under the shadow of the
Hippodrome and the Great Palace. Asking amongst the inns as to the whereabouts of his
people near the Harbour of Sophia, he appears to draw the attention of some of the
Byzantine Gangrel, who seemed to take his presence out of the bounds of the Latin Quarter
quite seriously.
• He is cornered in a lane by a youth with the looks of a street tough, openly displaying his
claws and fangs, as well as a bandy-legged Bulgar warrior armed with a sabre. Violence is
forestalled at the mention of Lucien’s name but they demand his weapons and escort him
back to the Latin Quarter. Several ghouls armed with bows join them from a roof and a
third carrying a long spear with a fire-hardened, sharpened wooden tip exits a nearby
doorway as they leave the lane.
• Ser Gunthar tries to organise an interview with the youth’s master, Baron Thomas
Feroux, but his Greek cousins are in no mood to be friendly after his transgression. The
youth does mention that he might be willing to talk to the Baron on Ser Gunthar’s behalf in
return for payment, saying, “I’m not proud, Frank, I’ll take your coin”. Ser Gunthar gives
him a few coins and the youth turns his back and walks off without making any promises.
The Bulgar returns his weapons and leaves with the ghouls too.
Neree’s Rest
• Ser Gunthar returns to the inn, only to find it in uproar. The argument between Klaus and
Bernard appears to have escalated in the wake of a beating the three of them have taken
in the Greek district. Stephen in particular looks the worse for wear.
• Neree insists that the party leave the inn because of the disruption to her other guests. On
Ser Gunthar’s request for alternative lodgings, she recommends her acrimonious
competition, Balto’s Boarding House.
• While they pack their effects, Ser Gunthar gets the details of the fight- Bernard appeared to
have made a few imprudent jokes at the expense of the Greeks at a nearby table, who
took offence and pushed him. Stephen then leapt to his defence, and had a bottle smashed
over his head for his trouble. A brawl erupted and the three of them were given a sound
hiding by the larger numbers of Greeks, divested of their coin and thrown out.
• Ser Gunthar approves of Bernard going in hard, saying that it is a knightly quality.
• The four of them pack their goods, and the knight then has a word with Klaus, who claims
that the boy is a fool who won’t listen to instructions.
• Arriving at Balto’s Boarding House, they find it to be a larger inn than Neree’s Rest. It is of
higher quality than Neree’s also, but rather less homely. The four then turn in, with Sir
Gunther’s instruction that he is tired and not to be disturbed the next day.
At the Saut Aswad
• After a long night’s pleasant discussion about matters academic, religious and the occult,
Fejr finally takes his leave.
• Sir Conrad returns home to see to his personal business- checking on the duties of his staff
and preparing a report for his sire and the Lexor Brujah.
• Iulia heads upstairs to report to Lady Katerina, and receive further instructions.
• Veceslav also turns in, considering the repercussions of owing boons to Symeon and
whether it is worth Gabor’s bloodline owing still further favours to the Obertus Tzimisce.
November 18th, AD 1196

At the Saut Aswad
• Sir Conrad briefly appears at the Saut Aswad, telling Iulia and Veceslav that he must report
to his sire and Family as well as attain the letters of introduction that Symeon had
promised. He does not return for the rest of the night.
• Veceslav witnesses Natalya Syvatoslav of the Lexor Brujah and Theodorus Kolettus of
the Antonian Ventrue meeting with Lady Katerina. The implications intrigue him. The Lexor
Brujah Autokrator and the Antonian Quaesitor Secretarius meeting with the envoy
from Adrianople in the Latin Quarter rather than the city proper? Most intriguing.
• Iulia emerges late, in company with not just her own hulking Rus bodyguard but with Lady
Katerina’s also. She comments to Veceslav that they might be needed…
• Andrew and Laszlo both turn up, the former with good news and the latter because he is
bored. Andrew has tracked down his old friend Jason, who wishes to meet Veceslav and his
associates at the edge of the Amalfitan Quarter later in the evening. Apparently, Jason and
his gang, the Seraglio Fraternity, have been driven out of their territory by a rival gang
that seems particularly tough…

At Balto’s Boarding House
• Ser Gunthar emerges to find Balto’s bustling with merchants. His three companions eating
dinner with an arthritic old Greek. Bernard and Stephen are trying to hide their smirks at
the old man’s titanic struggle with his spoon, while Klaus quietly glowers at them.
• The old man is revealed to be Isaac, a retired master carpenter with some influence in the
guild. He explains that work is plentiful in the city, and Ser Gunthar would find no master
willing to travel to Kronstadt. He also expressed doubts about whether the Saxon Guilds
would allow Greek tradesmen into their city. However, if assurances were made perhaps a
journeyman or two would be willing to make the trip.
• After Isaac departs and dinner is over, Ser Gunthar and Klaus teach Bernard some moves.
This ameliorates the guard’s ill-feeling towards Bernard somewhat but it is clear that the
boy and the guard despise each other. The knight then makes his way to the Saut Aswad,
but hearing drums and flutes he decides to investigate the music instead.

The Serpent’s Den
• Ser Gunthar is welcomed by a pair of large Turks, who say that one of those of the “Dead
Water” is welcome at the Silk Road. They seem to be extremely competent.
• He is disarmed as a condition of entry, but is assured that his weapons will be returned
upon his exit.
• The Silk Road is full of a haze of smoke, and many dancers and scantily clad concubines
move among the patrons, offering drinks, more exotic substances, and themselves. Many
of the patrons wear the fine robes of Byzantine nobles and Latin merchants both, and quite
a few also appear to be artisans of one sort or another.
• Ser Gunthar then meets Sarrasine, who offers to take him upstairs to talk further. The
elder appears to run the establishment for his own sire, Khay’tall, First among the
Children of Judas. Sarrasine also reiterates Sir Jules’ earlier offer that the services of the
Children are at the coterie’s service, for the right price…
• As he leaves Sarrasine’s quarters on the third floor, Ser Gunthar spies another Cainite
standing on a balcony overlooking the main floor. He appears to be powerful Nubian, and
wears fine Damask woven with serpentine patterns. The Cainite silently glowers at the
crowd below, judging them all, before turning his burning gaze upon the knight. The
Cainite’s glare is unsettling, even for the seasoned warrior.
Further Investigations
• Iulia elects to spend the night looking into the hospitals, hoping to find a lead on the
assailants whom were injured by Juliano. She reasons that the best healers in the city
would be Jewish or Arabian, so she will head to the Jewish Quarter.
• Veceslav and Ser Gunthar decide to head back to the Bishop’s mansion, this time to
examine the surrounding area. They discover that the streets around the manse are
heavily patrolled by the Bishop’s men.
• After a search, Ser Gunthar discover a rope attached to a chimney near Alfonso’s wall. He
climbs the chimney to recover the rope, and discovers a hiding place large enough for a
lookout. The niche was abandoned, but had clearly seen a good deal of use lately.
• Signalling to Veceslav, he investigates further and discovers an attic window ajar. He
swings into the room and discovers an abandoned lair. Judging from the food scraps and
blankets he guesses that up to eight people spent as long as a week here.
• Using his Feral Speech, he questions a small rat and gives him some vitae, promising more
and lots of food for answers. The rat tells him that lots of “warm ones” and few “cold ones
like himself” were here, but they have been gone for a while. The rat then uses his newfound
strength to attack some of the larger rats in the room.
• Veceslav also climbs the chimney with Ser Gunthar’s help but both come undone when the
the knight slips on a loose tile while trying to negotiate his way back into the attic room. He
takes Veceslav with him and they fall to a bone-jarring landing to the cobblestones below.
• Repeating the climb, they successfully head into the room and search it. Veceslav discovers
a whittling knife that had fallen behind a cupboard, as well as a few wood chips in the
blanket next to it. Finding some old boxes, they assemble the blankets and some food
scraps and prepare to leave.
• Veceslev slips on his way out, then fails to catch a box that Ser Gunthar drops down to him.
The resulting noise draws condemnations from neighbours complaining about the noise,
and a patrol hurries over.
• Ser Gunthar climbs down, and the two are forced to treat with some of the Bishop’s men.
They quickly establish their bonafides and are allowed to leave in peace with the ir boxes.
The Master of the Seraglio Fraternity
• At eleven bells, Andrew takes Veceslav and Ser Gunthar to the edge of the Amalfitan
Quarter. There they meet Jason, the old thief. And he is old indeed, perhaps over seventy
years of age compared to Andrew’s thirty five. Apparently Andrew has been a ghoul for a
while…
• Jason explains that he and his boys, called the Seraglio Fraternity, have fallen on hard
times. About thirteen months ago a new group moved into their neighbourhood and
violently displaced them. They even took over their house!
• The master thief describes the interlopers as unkillable, as they were dealt wounds that
should have been mortal. He says that three or four of them were particularly dangerous.
One of them, a Rus, was extremely large and another was old and lame but quite spry.
• The Seraglio Fraternity (at least, what’s left of them), is spoiling for revenge, but Jason
stresses that he and his boys are thugs, not warriors. He is prepared to draw Andrew’s
friends a map and show them where the house is, but the Fraternity has no interest in
leading a charge into battle.
• Ser Gunthar asks Jason if he can get Greek Fire. Jason says that he might be able, as the
old Byzantine Navy warehouses are in Mangana, of which Seraglio is a suburb. However,
he has reservations about using it because the Fraternity wants its house back, not burned
down. Ser Gunthar replies that a burned house to get their neighbourhood back is a fair
trade, is it not? Jason reluctantly agrees.
• The coterie is to return with their men to the same corner tomorrow evening at the same
time. They are to look for a boy with red hair and green eyes who answers to the name
Adrian. The boy will show them the way to the Fraternity’s temporary home. Jason then
takes his leave.
• The hour growing late, the coterie head back to the Saut Aswad in hopes of meeting up
with Fajr again. There they find Iulia, who says that she has investigated the hospitals in
the Jewish District and spoke to a woman called Miriam, whom appeared to understand
Iulia’s true nature. Miriam indicated that there were other hospitals in the city, but no
others in the Latin Quarter. There was no indication that any of the Jewish healers had
treated anyone fitting the description of the attackers. The lead is a dead end.

Session One – November 16th, AD 1196
CONVERGING ROADS AT THE SAUT ASWAD (setting the scene)
• It is a cool, clear night in Constantinople with a strong easterly blowing in across the Golden
Horn. The inn and tavern known as the Saut Aswad does a brisk early evening trade. It is a
sprawling three story affair, with a dark and smoky taproom overlooked by the shadowed
bannisters of the second floor. The gloom is dispelled with a lively, exotic tune played by an
ungainly-looking, balding minstrel (Vaclav) with large, knobbly knuckles and a nervous air, the
skill with which he plays his lute giving the lie to his awkward appearance. Lanterns with thick
glass panes and firmly anchored to stone nooks cast a weird, furtive light across the dozens of
patrons in the taproom. An experienced eye reveals enough Cainites to swamp a lesser city in
this one room.
• Standing at the bar is a handsome Saxon knight (Ser Gunthar), wearing modest but finely cut
attire and openly sporting a well-used broadsword. His short wavy hair is brown and he
maintains a finely trimmed goatee beard. Although his face is fair and his eyes are kindly there
is a wolfish aspect to his features that leads many to offer him surreptitious, wary glances.
Two men watch the minstrel play. One sits at the edge of the lantern light, a dark-haired and
eyed man with a rakish smile (Sanser), dressed in subdued finery except for his gold earring
and a gaily coloured red and green sash around his waist. The other sits next to the bar and is
dandling a cheap courtesan. He is a rougher, more common sort judging by his full beard and
wavy brown hair, both verging on the need for a trim (Ioannes). His clothing is typical of a
poor tradesman and he wears a dagger at his belt. The rake appears to be enjoying the tune
immensely while the tough seems to be enjoying bouncing the giggling woman on his lap in
tune to the music more.
• A large man, a wealthy Venetian by his attire (Markus Musa Giovanni), sits slightly further
away from the minstrel. He taps his sausage-like fingers on the table in time with the minstrel
and wears a broad smile, though his eyes appear more interested in the other Cainites in the
room. A pair of formidable-looking mortal bodyguards watch his back (Beltramose & Falsinar).
Two men sit as far from the bar as possible, close enough to whisper and with their backs to
the wall. Both exude gravitas, and the rest of the room gives them a wide berth. The larger of
the two is extremely pale, and dressed like a German noble or trader. He has short brown hair
peppered with grey (Lucien). The second is a muscular Greek with a pale olive complexion, a
prominent nose and a strong jaw. He is dressed in simple robes of Byzantine cut (Procet).
They seem engrossed in their whispered conversation and appear to take little notice of the
rest of the room.
• Another duo sits in a booth across the room from them. The shorter one has the look of
barbarian royalty from the steppes with his wolf furs, elaborate jewellery and curved sword
(Gabor). He has an edgy, wrathful look to him and appears to be speaking authoritatively and
imperiously in the tongue of the Bulgar’s to his companion. For his part, the subordinate
appears to be absorbing the diatribe with equanimity while keeping his eyes on the room. He
has the look of a Romanian, with long, jet-black hair, broad cheeks and a strong jaw, a look of
practiced interest on his face and his full lips split in a benign smile (Veceslav). Judging by the fine damask robes he wears he is courtier of some sort. A pair of mortals sits at the nearest
table, ready to attend them. The first is a Bulgar warrior (Blagun) while the second is perhaps
a scholar, and clearly a Greek (Andrew).
• A final pair of Cainites, easily over-looked, appear to be engaged in some sort of transaction as far from the light and bustle as possible. Indeed if it weren’t for the loud, drunken complaining of one of them they might escape notice at all. The offending party is clearly drunk, and perhaps has avoided sobriety for some time judging by his shabby appearance. He might be considered handsome if his sneer wasn’t stuck firmly in place, and his hair is lank and as dirty as his formerly fine clothes (Gallasyn). His acquaintance placates him with friendly words and another goblet of the “house special”- blood infused with wine and exotic spices. He is Frankish or a perhaps English judging by his features and accent, though he is dressed in the manner of a Constantinopolitan. He is slender, with long black hair shot through with grey and a scar running down his left cheek (Sir Jules Talbot). In short order a small purse and a paper
envelope trade hands and the men part ways to opposite ends of the establishment- the first
signalling a whore to follow him to a private room and the second to watch the minstrel, his
blue eyes alight with good humour.
• A breeze draws attention to the door as a pair of women let themselves into the room. Both
are dark of hair and eye, and clearly out of place. The first is tall, regal and refined, with an
imperious gleam in her eye. Her hair is long and unbound, and whips about in the wind. She
wears the finest damask robes, and veritably drips with emeralds and rubies (Lady Katerina).
Her companion is shorter, with a rounded, womanly figure and a subdued air. She dresses well
but modestly and her hair is bound into an elaborate braid. Ink stains her fingers, only one of
which is adorned with a elaborate, gold Byzantine wedding band (Iulia).
• The crowd settle in to the music again and the evening gathers pace. Old friends, sires and
childer meet and renew bonds of friendship and family. To Gunthar, Veceslav and Iulia it
eventually becomes clear that while the Saut Aswad is a Cainite meeting place in the Queen of
Cities, tonight is special. The overlord of the Latin Quarter, Bishop Alfonso of the Narsene
Lasombra, has lost his favoured childer to treachery and murder, and he has called interested
parties to the Saut Aswad to seek allies in hunting down those whom have injured his house. If
Bishop Alfonso wants bloody vengeance, could it simply be coincidence that has brought you
all together?
• The door slams open, and the Bishop Alfonso enters the room followed by a pair of Cainite
cronies and half-a-dozen guards wearing his colours. The Lasombra is noted far and wide for
his composure, but tonight he seems close to frenzy. His cronies visit each table and demand
that the Cainites sitting there attend the overlord upstairs. They wait until each of those
present file into the room, and then take up a supportive stance behind their furious sire.

The Meeting
• Bishop Alfonso makes an offer of a boon to any parties willing to investigate the
murders of his two favoured childer, Adrianna and Juliano. His own men have been
scouring the Latin Quarter for a week to no avail, and he wants people willing to risk
travel into Byzantine districts as well as his own territory as he knowsthat his own
people are unwelcome. He does not stipulate the conditions of the boon, merely making
it known that the favour of the Overlord of the Latin Quarter would be a significant
feather in anyone’s cap.
• Vaclav the minstrel states that he will confer with his master at some point, and
services of the Malachite Nosferatu may be offered in return for concessions and
boons. He sits at the back of the room and listens in, saying nothing more.
• Ioannes says that the business of the Latin Quarter is just that, and the Baron’s
Gangrel have no stake in it unless the Bishop would care to submit to the Codex of
Legacies. This is clearly a sore point, judging by his smirk and the Bishop’s frosty glare.
Ioannes asks to be excused from the meeting, and Alfonso holds his temper and lets
him go.
• Gallasyn exclaims that he has no talent for menial work and even less interest. He
looks a little panicked at the prospect of having to do either, and the Bishop excuses
him readily enough.
• Sir Jules Talbot blithely comments that his superiors in the Children of Judas may
agree to his service in the matter, but he is not free to give it without their leave. He
adds that the Children’s services can always be bought for coin of “one sort or another”,
and leaves it at that.
• Alfonso turns in the direction of Sanser, only to discover that he is gone. As you
consider this, you’re not really sure when and how the rogue left the room. The Bishop
grits his teeth and turns instead turns to some of the elders in the room.
• Lucien says that he has prior business in the city that precludes any direct aid that he
might give, so instead he introduces his childe, Gunthar Ritter von Wolfgang, in
return for the aforementioned boon. The younger Gangrel seems to be more than ready
for action.
• The Brujah Procet quickly adds that although it would be unseemly for his direct
involvement as well but, as a boon is offered he will send his very capable progeny, Sir
Conrad de Monreal, later in the evening.
• Lady Katerina of Adrianople also volunteers the services of her childe, Iulia, saying
that she is pleased to aid a fellow clanmate, especially in return for a boon. The
younger Lasombra seems to baulk momentarily, but meekly curtsies to Alfonso.
• Gabor the Bulgar is the last to give his assent, gruffly saying that Veceslav, his
childe, has some experience with getting to the bottom of mysteries and knows the city
well. He looks forward to the boon and will collect it soon.
• Notably, Markus Musa Giovanni is absent from the room. He is the only Cainite
present in the Saut Aswad to be so excluded.

The Crime Scene
• The young Cainites travel to Bishop Alfonso’s lavish mansion in the midst of the Latin
Quarter. It is a three story affair, enclosed behind a 12 foot high wall bounded on 3
sides by other buildings of a less extravagant nature.
• They are greeted by a young man who introduces himself a Matteo. He is the only
servant remaining in the Bishop’s household. He explains that he yet lives because on
the night of the attack, he was out on the Bishop’s errands and did not return until 7
o’clock in the morning. He found the remains of Adrianna and Juliano after finding the
guards and servants dead. Some of the coterie note that Matteo is hiding something.
• The attack was at dawn, when Adriano and Julianna would have been weak and
struggling to stay awake. Adrianna was downed almost immediately but Juliano put up
quite a fight before he too was slain.
• Their haven door was locked. From the inside! Someone must have been in there to
secure it.
• There were at least 4 attackers, mortal by the smell of their blood. One was a big man
and another was lame.
• 6 guards and 8 servants were also killed, garotted at various places around the
mansion and carried to their quarters. Some effort was made to clean the place up to
aid in the element of surprise.
• Owing to the use of a garotte, the newly formed coterie speculates on whom this skilled
assassin might have been. Ser Gunthar mentions the Assamites, and that he had heard
some of them were in the city. Veceslav claims to be ignorant on the matter, but will
contact his clan-mates in the city to find out more.

The Necromancer
• Back at the Saut Aswad, Markus Musa Giovanni joins the table. He tells his two
bodyguards, Falsinar and Beltramose, to get a round of the house specials for he,
Gunthar, Veceslav and Iulia.
• Iulia declines, apparently having taken an immediate dislike to him. She does not
explain why, simply shooting him a hostile glare and leaving the room. Markus says to
Gunthar and Veceslav, “tell the lady that I have no interest in the company that she
keeps. I am no threat to her”.
• He goes on to say that he and his family are mercantile rivals with the Bishop’s sire,
Narses of Venice, hence Alfonso’s desire to keep Markus in the dark.
• The necromancer offers his services, saying that he could call up the spirit’s of the
murdered childer if the coterie gave him treasured keepsakes of theirs. He could also
conduct a ritual to read the items akin to the Spirit’s Touch.
• Giovanni is in Constantinople to extend his family’s interests. He is not, however,
interested in speculative ventures for his resources are limited for now.
• He is however, looking to make friends and contacts, and willing to provide services on
the cheap in that regard. The necromancer and the knight defintely strike a chord of friendship.
• The meeting is politely interrupted by a tower of a Frank. He is middle-aged, and has
the look of a knight about him (Sir Conrad). Markus graciously excuses himself,
allowing the Brujah to make the acquaintance of the Gangrel and the Tzimisce.
The Monastery of Christ Pantokrator
• Symeon is a regal, sombre fellow who wields considerable influence a co-leader of the
Obertus Tzimisce, one of the most powerful family’s in Constantinople.
• He and Veceslav are acquainted, and he comments that “it is a pity that Myca is away
from the city as it is long since Veceslav had visited, and his graciousness has been
missed. He must return soon and renew their old acquaintance.”
• For an acknowledged minor boon, the Quaesitor agreed to contact the secretive
Assamites of the city and have one of them meet the coterie at the Saut Aswad the
following evening.
• He also offered, for another favour, to write them a letter of introduction to Baron
Thomas Feroux, which might smooth their progress in moving about the Greek
districts. The coterie was leery of a accepting a second boon, but promised to consider
it.

Sir Conrad’s House
• the coterie takes shelter in the haven of the Brujah, finding it to be a tasteful, modest
two story house not too far from the monastery. There is a significant Crusader state
flavour to the dwelling, and the knight’s servants.
• A shy boy of perhaps 15 years (Baldwin de Monreal)is seen the next evening. He is a
fine chess player according to the other servants, whom Ser Gunthar finds to be
hopeless at the game.
• The coterie meets Sir Conrad’s squire, William of Norwich, whom guards their rest
during the daylight hours. A young, earnest and serious man he appears to be quite
competent in his duties.

November 17th, AD 1196
A new look at the Crime Scene
• Sir Conrad visits Bishop Alfonso’s mansion, keen to get a handle on the investigation.
• He convinces Matteo to let him take some belongings of Juliano, Adrianna and several
of the guards- Guiseppe, Guilelmo and Anselm. He is given Juliano’s bible, some
jewellery belonging to Adrianna, a broken dagger belonging to Guilelmo, a dice bag
belonging to Guiseppe and a set of rosary beads belong to Anselm.
• He also questions Matteo more closely on the childer. Apparently Juliano, in spite of his
lavish lifestyle, was a firm believer in the Cainite Heresy. He was also a very fine hand
at knife-fighting. Adrianna was a lover of luxury, pleasure and wealth.

The Vizier
• An old man with along white beard and wearing a mix of Byzantine and Arabic styles
seeks out the coterie at the Saut Aswad. He introduces himself as Fajr.
• He is deeply curious by nature, and fond of small talk. He discuss theology and the
occult with Veceslav and Iulia at great length before they manage to turn the
conversation to their needs.
• Veceslav cleverly turns a near-faux pas about “Assamite assassins” to his advantage,
learning from the rambling Fajr that none of the Banu Haqim in the city are assassins,
as a condition of their secret residence is a pledge to the Trinity Families that they keep
their knives to themselves. Furthermore, there were few assassins in the clan at all
until the Crusades stirred things up.
• Fajr does comment that he knows of a secret Christian sect of assassins that has been
active in the east of late. He has heard that they are called the “Sicarius” or some such.
He will look into them if the coterie wishes. Sir Conrad returns at this point.
• The old Assamite will help the coterie, on the condition that Veceslav arrange for him to
either peruse the “wondrous Tzimisce library”, or obtain copies of certain rare tomes for
him. Veceslav agrees on his honour to attempt to gain permission for the former, or
guarantee the latter (albeit with an inward grimace, knowing that another boon will owe
to Symeon and the Obertus!)
• He then reads the items: Juliano was a priest of the Cainite Heresy, and secretly
doubted his sire’s dedication. He was also in love with Adrianna, though he also knew
that she saw him only as a sexual partner.
• Adrianna’s jewellery overwhelms him, leaving Fajr speechless for nearly half-an-hour.
At last, all he can say is, “this one was a very, very naughty girl!”
• Guilelmo was little more than a drone, thoroughly conditioned with Dominate;
• Guiseppe was an inveterate gambler, and secretly a catamite;
• Anselm, new in Alfonso’s service, suffered from deep pangs of conscience over his
service to a devil, feared for his soul and was desperate for a way out.
• Fajr ends the interview at this point, saying he can do little more until he is presented
with more items to read.

Confessions of a wastrel
• Gallasyn invites himself to sit at Veceslav’s table, clearly drunk (at the least).
• He proceeds to rant at the Tzimisce, claiming that he was one of the original Michealite
Toreador of 800 years previous. In fact, he was the original Muse of Sculpture, he says
with a meaningful look, clearly expecting Veceslav to be suitably impressed.
• The wastrel goes on to say that he left the city when Michael started to interfere with
the creative processes of his Muses. “How could we be expected to create with such a
glorious, overbearing presence breathing down our necks?!”
• Gallasyn wandered for centuries before he realised that there was nothing else in the
world like the Dream. He returned, but Michael wouldn’t take him back.
• Apparently, Michael’s overweening pride is causing the Dream to fail. ‘Pride cometh
before the fall. A priest told me that! What would he know? He was never the Muse of
an Archangel, eh?”
• The rant continues, “What does it matter, anyway? I heard a Cainite prophet talking
about Caine’s own twin sister, Kalistheniaor Calinina or some such. She is coming to
purify the evil material world with the cleansing goodness of the Holy Spirit! If you
aren’t a saint by now, it is far too late. Gehenna is nigh, and we’ll all be dead soon…”
• A well-dressed man brushes past the table, and Gallasyn finds himself to be taken with
the fellow’s fancy shoes. Veceslav quite forgotten, he wanders off…
A Serpent in the Garden
• Sir Conrad is approached by Sir Jules, whom greets him as a fellow Englishman
(having failed to correctly place the knight’s accent).
• He proudly mentions that he is a Child of Judas, doing his part by working to bring
down the Dream by providing temptation to Michael’s followers. “After all”, he says with
good cheer, “without Evil, Goodness can’t exist!”
• He goes on to say that he has many slaves and many informants in the Latin Quarter.
• Sir Jules and his sire, Sarrasine, are pleased to sell these services to Sir Conrad and his
new friends. “Slaves, information, ah… entertainment. Whatever you need!”
• He frequents the Saut Aswad for a few hours every night, and Sarrasine can readily be
found at the Silk Road, a more… exotic establishment. With a twinkle in his eye and a
knowing smile, Sir Jules says, “Ask your friend Veceslav, he knows the way!”
• Sir Conrad finds that he likes the disarmingly charming Sir Jules in spite of himself, and
left the conversation feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

My life only really began on the night it ended.

I was barely twenty years old. It was 1066. Far away from my native Saxony, Harold of Normandy was preparing a great invasion of the land that would one day be known as England. I was busy with another war, the war against the Wendt.

My father, Ordulf II, Duke of Saxony, had been warring against the Wendt all of his life. My brother Magnus and I, like any good nobleman’ sons, were war-captains. Our presence on the borderlands, leading raids and managing the lands there on father’s behalf, free him to deal with the politics being his station required. I enjoyed discussing the politics of the land, and of the greater Empire with my father, but more than anything else I loved war.

In the planning of raids, the leading of men and the giving and taking of blows I felt alive. Magnus was the better leader – the soldiers loved him and he was to be the next Duke – but I was the clever one, and good with a sword too! I was proud of my skill and felt my father’s pride. Many of us believed at the time that the true test of a nobleman’s worth lay in his prowess at waging war. We were raised to think that way.

I know differently now what it is to be a man, and a monster.

It was raining in the morning, my last day as a man – a soaking sopping rain that penetrated to the bone. I was moving a column of soldiers forward to one of our border forts. Beside me was Bernhard, a Norse warrior, a mentor and a friend. He was originally my mother’s bodyguard, escorting her as she travelled from the court of her father, King Magnus of Norway and Denmark, to Saxony. I asked my mother once if it was for him I was named; her only answer was an evasive smile. Bernhard had stayed on after mother and father wed. He had taught my brother and I how to fight, how to lead. He was gruff, a hard teacher, and eventually a good friend. I miss him still.

Our hundred strong column slogged through the misty rain, most walking and a few of us on horseback. We came to a river crossing. My scouts, sent on ahead, waved us across. The path was clear. Taking the lead, I steered my horse indo the cold water.

The scouts stood looking back at us, not looking out as they should have been. I made to move my horse ahead, to go and speak with the scouts to redress their sloppiness. I never saw the ambush until it happened.

Without warning, my ‘scouts’ – Wendts in disguise – turned through their bows on us as we crossed the river. From both sides, bursting out from the water, Wendt warriors with their bodies covered in grease to protect them from the cold, sprang to attack us. More Wendt warriors ran from cover to cut my soldiers down.

My horse was killed straight away, a spear thrust into its chest. The blood streamed out, splashing the face of the nearby Wendt warrior-chief. My broadsword in my hand, I threw myself from my dying mount straight at the giant warrior-chief.

I knocked him back into the stream, my blade scouring his bare painted chest. The wound was a minor one. To my left and right, Wendt spearman came at me. I fought fiercely, parrying this way and that in savage strokes to deflect their thrusts. In front of me the giant rose his axe.

I was quicker, thrusting my blade deep into his chest. He roared in pain, cursing me in his devil-tongue. Again, more spear thrusts kept me from finishing the giant off. I was pinked under an arm from a lucky strike. The wound troubled me little, but what I saw in front of me shocked my young red-misted eyes.

The giant, who had staggered backward from my blow, came at me gain. As I parried his axe, I saw the wound on his chest close before my very eyes. What Devil’s work was this? Again, my blade found his bare hide, and again, as I fended off the spearman to my flanks, I watched the wound I had inflicted close, as if the Devil himself healed the harm I had done.

I have never taken defeat easy, not even in the face of witchcraft, and I recall clearly even now my rage. My men were dying around me. The ambush had been well planned and well executed, but I saw the loss of my men as my fault. Only a handful of us would escape with our lives. I hoped I could be one, and that I might take a few of the men with me. But more than anything, I wanted to kill this abomination in front of me.

I threw caution to the wind. I rained a series of blows upon the giant war-chief. His skill was no match for mine. My sword cut deeply, and more than once. A vicious backswing cut the jawbone clean from his face! He fell, down into the cold waters.

But in my rage I left myself open to the spearman to my flanks. Luck, that Blessed Lady who watches over me even now, cursed and loved me in the same breath. One warrior struck before the other, his spear piercing the mail I wore and tearing into my chest. I sank down with the mortal wound. Above my head as I fell, the other warrior’s spear found his ally’s chest, and I was joined in oblivion by the unlucky Wendt.

Death was coming for me. I only laughed at what I had just seen – better to die with a smile on your face than a frown.

My blood mixed with the cold waters of the river, and darkness came to my eyes.

*

I awoke. It was dark. I was not dead – surprised, to be sure, but not dead.

I lay on the bank of the river. I felt… empty. I felt weak and could hardly move. My strength had gone with my blood, and the cold made me numb.

There were bodies around me, some half a dozen of the dying and dead – casualties of both sides of the ambush. I would not die alone, and took some comfort in that. My time would not be long, and I began to wonder what father and mother would say when they heard, if indeed they heard anything. I did not know if any of us had escaped the Wendt ambush.

I heard a sound on the shore. I saw movement, a man walked slowly among the wounded. I watched him, summoning the strength to speak. Was he friend or foe?

The man wore a fur cloak, but was dressed like a traveller from the south, not a Wendt, and a well-dressed traveller at that. He seemed familiar. I called to him. He turned, his hand dropping to a strange short sword he wore at his right hip. As he stepped closer he crossed into the moonlight and I saw his face.

He was handsome, regal almost. He was from the south. He had an Italian look to his face. He seemed to smile at me in recognition.

“Help me,” I called.

“I could try, son of Ordulf” he answered in a smooth voice without trace of an accent. “But from the look of your wound, you are beyond help.”

“You know me?” I gasped. He nodded in reply and stepped closer. He was pale and I saw no steam from his breath in that cold night. “Then you know I’m too good looking to die.” I coughed as spoke my jest.

“You laugh at Death, son of Ordulf?” He crouched down beside me. “Does it not scare you?”

“Everyone dies, Stranger. Why be scared?”

The stranger nodded, as if impressed.

“But I do not die tonight,” I continued in my painful whisper. “Help me.”

The stranger shook his head. He bent closer, looking at the hole in my side.

“I cannot heal this wound,” he said. “But I can ease your passing.”

“Death is never easy, Stranger. Besides… not passing,” I whispered. “Not dying. Too pretty. Live forever.”

“And what would you do with Forever, son of Ordulf, it you had it?” The stranger was quite close now. “How would you spend forever?”

I paused, but still said the first thing that came into my mind.

“Kill the bastard who did this, who killed my men.”

The stranger nodded.

“But there is more to life than revenge and war, is there not?”

I was lying dying by the midnight cold waters of a river. My men had been killed. I had watched a Wendt live through wounds that would have slain a horse and heal them before my eyes. Now, some strange Southerner wanted to talk philosophy. I figured I might as well give him an answer. It seemed as good a way as any to die.

“Yes,” I replied. Time seemed to slow and he seemed to understand my whispered answers clearly enough. “More to life. Women. Wine. Family. Keep family safe. Make them strong. Keep them safe. Find a woman. Love her. Life, Stranger, just life; that is enough reason to live.”

The Stranger nodded, satisfied.

“I can give you life,” he said, “but only of a sort, and at a cost.”

The sincerity I saw in his eyes brought home the truth of where I was and what was happening. I was dying, soon to be food for worms. I did not want to die.

“Save me,” I whispered. I was weak in my fear and in the cold. I wanted my salvation.

“I can make you a hunter in the night,” the stranger told me. I didn’t really understand. “You will hunt men, as men hunt game. You will turn from the sun, live only at night. I can give you half a life, but you will live.”

I nodded. I had no strength for talk.

The stranger repositioned himself, crouching closer to my head. And then he opened his mouth wide. He had fangs! Sharp fangs with which he bent down to pierce my flesh. The shock powered my numb limbs. I would not let some fiend take me! My hand went for the dagger in my belt. I drew and struck weakly at him, at the monster this stranger had become.

He faded into mist. My blow, weak as it was, passed right through the cloud of mist that was suddenly in the place of the stranger. If I had had the strength to run, I would have run horror-struck into the night.

Just as suddenly, the mist turned back into the stranger. More Devil-magic! And again, his mouth opened wide to reveal fangs, fangs coming closer! There was nothing I could do. I prayed God to deliver me as the monster bent to tear the flesh of my throat. But no pain came with the bite and instead I felt a wondrous bliss. As what little blood in me was drained away into the mouth of the monster, my conscious mind slipped slowly into a warm pool of blissful rest.

Death, when it came to me, came with a lover’s kiss of oblivion.

*

I awoke. It was dark. I was not dead – surprised, to be sure for a second time, but not dead.

I was still by the river. The stranger stood several metres away, his strange short sword in his hand and some tied-up rabbits at his feet.

I felt… strange. Something was very different. I felt like I was on fire, like a fever raged inside of me, giving rise to a great thirst.

“Welcome back, son of Duke Ordulf,” the stranger said. I stared back at him. After a moment he asked, “Can you hear me?”

I nodded.

“How do you feel?”

“Hungry. No… Thirsty.” My words were spoken slowly, as if speaking with wool in my mouth.

The stranger nodded. He picked up a rabbit. It did not struggle in his hand. He threw it to me. I caught it.

“Drink its blood,” the stranger said.

Drink its blood? I did not understand. But I was hungry. I could feel my hunger and thirst build with the animal so close. I snapped the rabbit’s neck and went to draw my dagger to cut it up. My dagger had gone.

“Drink its blood,” the stranger said again.

For lack of a better plan in this strange time and place, I did as he instructed. I raised the rabbit to my mouth and sunk my fangs into it.

Fangs? I had fangs? Since when did I have fangs?

A reflexive feeding mechanism took over. I sucked the blood from the rabbit like it was a ripe fruit on a hot summer’s day. The blood tasted … bland and poor, but it eased my hunger and thirst. When I dropped the rabbit, now a husk, the stranger threw me another.

“Do not kill it this time,” he said. “Trust me.”

I did as he said, sinking my fangs straight into the rabbits throat. The warm pulsing blood tasted good. Again I drained it dry. Three more rabbits replaced it before my hunger and thirst faded. I lowered the last rabbit from my face and licked my lips. I looked at the stranger. His sword was back into wrong-sided scabbard.

“What am I, stranger? Why do I drink blood? And why do I like it?”

“You have died, son of Ordulf,” he replied. “I drank all the blood from you and stilled your heart. I then gave you some of my blood and made you like me, one of the walking dead. You are a Cainite now, one of the Children of Caine, or the Gangrel clan.”

His words were strange.

“I don’t know what that means,” I said.

“You will in time. I will teach about this new life, or unlife, in time.”

His words pierced the veil of my clouded perceptions, and I knew what was different.

“I have no heartbeat! I do not breath!”

Out of mental reflex I breathed quickly and deep. It did nothing.

“I told you, son of Ordulf,” the stranger replied with a smile. “You are dead. Accept it.”

“And I told you, Stranger,” I said with a smile of my own. “I am too pretty to die.”

He laughed at that, a warm and genuine laugh at my antics. I liked the sound of his laugh. I did not know what was happening to me, or what lay ahead, but I had confidence that this man would be there to help me, that I had found a friend.

“I am Lucien, of Rome,” he said to me, a note of formality in his voice.

“And I am Lord Bernhard Billung,” I replied.

“I know, son of Ordulf. Come. There is much I have to teach you this night.”

*

We moved away from the riverbank, travelling in silence. After close to an hour, the smell of cooking fires and the sound of Wendt voices came to me on the breeze. The Wendt camp! Lucien gestured for us to halt in a hollow, still some distance from the Wendt.

“You will take your revenge tonight, on the one who led the ambush. He and his camp are here. I will put them in your power.”

“You can do that?” I asked. “How?”

“You will see,” he casually replied. “And in time, I will teach you how. Would you like this?”

“Of course.”

He nodded, satisfied.

“There are things you must learn before we begin,” he began. I sat on my heels and listened, eager to learn. “The Blood that is in you now has great power. It can make you stronger, faster, more resilient to damage, and it can be used to heal your wounds.”

“The giant,” I said with sudden realisation. Lucien nodded at me as I spoke. “The leader of the Wendts, a giant warrior, healed the mortal wounds I gave him even as we fought.”

Yes,” Lucien said. “The giant is a ‘ghoul’ a man who drinks the blood of a Cainite. I have watched his war-band. They are my enemies too.”

I saw the pieces come together to make a picture.

“There are other Cainites, aren’t there Lucien,” I said. He nodded as I spoke. “They are your enemies. They feed on the men, not on animals.”

“Yes,” Lucien said nodding. “But feeding on men does not make them my enemies. We too, feed on humans.” Humans, he said, as if I were no longer one. “The one who rules over the Wendts is my enemy, just as the Wendts are yours.” Lucien’s voice grew heavy with hate as he spoke. “The Savage is the enemy of all civilisation. He is a scourge, a weed that must be removed from the garden.”

I let the silence build. I got the feeling Lucien was a bad man to see angry. In the silence, another piece of the puzzle came to me.

“You knew who I was before I said anything.” He nodded. “And you knew about this war-band, about the war-campaign.” Again he nodded. My next few words were an accusation. “Did you know of the ambush?”

He shook his head.

“I did not know. And besides, it was in the day. I could not have helped. The light of the sun burns me, as it will burn you from now on.”

“Sunlight will burn me?”

“Yes, Bernhard,” Lucien replied. “This is the half-life I told you of – feeding on blood, forever banished from the light of day, living a thousand years, unchanging, long after your loved ones have died.”

“Come again? Unchanging? A thousand years?”

“Yes,” he chuckled. “You will never age, Bernahrd. If you don’t get careless and get yourself killed, you will live forever in the half-life.”

Like any young man, I saw nothing wrong with immortality, and grinned at the concept.

“I like the sound of that. Not what about these other things you said – strength and healing?”

Lucien drew his sword. I took a step back.

“Relax,” he said. “I am going to cut you now. You won’t bleed, at least not much, but it will hurt. I tell you this so you don’t attack me. Do you understand?”

I nodded and held out my left arm. Lucien’s sword, razor-sharp, sliced my arm open to the bone. The blood pooled in the wound, but did not flow. There was no heartbeat to push the blood through my body. I stared at my wound.

“Now listen,” Lucien instructed. “I want you to think about healing the wound.”

“How?”

“Just imagine the wound closing up. Picture the blood flowing to the wound and knitting the skin and flesh back together.”

It sounded silly, but too many strange things had happened for me to start questioning now. I did what Lucien said. It worked! It seemed as natural to me as breathing had. The wound closed before my eyes, just like the giant Wendt war-chief. Lucien saw the smile on my face.

“Good. Now I want you to do the same thing, channel the blood in your body. But this time, I want you to concentrate on making yourself stronger, more powerful.” I nodded and concentrated hard. “It helps to move,” Lucien said. “It helps to do something that needs you to be strong. The strength is in you it’s a part of the Blood, you just have to learn to use it.”

I did this for a while, but had no luck. I tried exercises, some athletics to work my muscles. Nothing happened.

“It’s fine,” Lucien said. “It doesn’t matter. The important thing is you can heal. Let’s just stick with that.”

“Okay. So what happened now?”

Lucien had a look on his face like a fox about to steal eggs from chickens.

“Now we hunt!”

Every campaign gets an Adventure Log, a blog for your adventures!

While the wiki is great for organizing your campaign world, it’s not the best way to chronicle your adventures. For that purpose, you need a blog!

The Adventure Log will allow you to chronologically order the happenings of your campaign. It serves as the record of what has passed. After each gaming session, come to the Adventure Log and write up what happened. In time, it will grow into a great story!

Best of all, each Adventure Log post is also a wiki page! You can link back and forth with your wiki, characters, and so forth as you wish.

One final tip: Before you jump in and try to write up the entire history for your campaign, take a deep breath. Rather than spending days writing and getting exhausted, I would suggest writing a quick “Story So Far” with only a summary. Then, get back to gaming! Grow your Adventure Log over time, rather than all at once.