Sunday 2 January 2011

Vampire: the Requiem - Return to Manchester

Vampire: the Requiem

The Endless Waltz 

 

            In light of the fact that there are some new players to join the group and thus player pool (plus a new ST in the form of David) I plan to run a short Vampire: the Requiem story. The plan is to allow David and Kat to take part within the group. I am also aware that Chris also wants to play Vampire. So this post will be the start of preparation for the game.

 

            First up what characters can you play? The concept is that the group will be part of a relatively new coterie formed by the recent political mover-shaker Dimitri (Sam’s character) This means it makes sense for all new characters to be members of the Carthians, forming part of a team that works for Dimitri (and their own) interests. As for other details there are no restriction on Clan, but if you want to play a Bloodline then tell me first and I will see if it is OK. As for experience points I think it is fair for everyone to start with 60 xp points to spend.

 

            Now for character concepts I think it is clear nothing too one trick, Mary Sue like. Think human first then vampire second. So remember a Vampire still has a personal life.

 

            Right now with that done I will give a brief description of a number of key NPCs that are worth knowing.

 

First the

Carthians

 

Chairman Jonathan Williams - Ventrue - Carthian

            The Chairman is the ‘Prince’ of the city. However, he is elected to this post, and has been so since the Carthian uprising on the 24th of May 1839 . This gives the sense of him being some form of elected King or tyrant. It was Williams who led the uprising against his own sire, the then Cardinal of the Salford and Manchester diocese.

            In more recent years the Chairman has been losing ground and support amongst his own Covenant, and for this reason he has been exercising more of his executive powers. It is these powers, his direct command over the Lictor of the city, the 4th tradition (to break all traditions to defend them) and the Constable, that have been removed since the election of the new Carthian Prefect. Thus the Chairman is simple a figure head and called upon to break deadlocks in elections amongst the Board of Representatives.

            The Chairman is also well known for his investment into cutting edge biotech research, something that Dimitri and his old coterie have learnt a little about.

 

Chamberlain David Odans - Ventrue - Carthian and Circle of the Crone

            The Chamberlain is the Chairman’s right hand man and deals with executing the orders of the Board of Representatives. The Chamberlain is also a member of both of the Circle of the Crone and the Carthians, and so is a member of the Cult of Hathor.

 

Spokesman Mathew Rain -Daeva - Carthian

            The Spokesman is both Herald and Head of Elysium and also the sire of Dimitri. Spokesman Rain was critical in the election of Prefect Falken, Rain also being a member of the Carthians. However, this is all part of his plan to elevate Dimitri and have more direct influence. In addition he now hates the Prefect for almost causing the final death of Dimitri by setting him and his old coterie up for the fixing of the Carthian election.

Constable Ihram -Gangrel - Circle of the Crone

            The Constable is a Crone, yet is not of either of the main cults of the city, following his own faith. The Constable used to be directly commanded by the Chairman but now reports to the Board. He is currently looking into potential Brood infiltrators and Anarchs breaking the laws of the Board.

Prefect Patrick Falken - Ventrue - Carthian

            The Prefect was only recently elected to his position after a long campaign against his rival Julian Reinhart. Julia stood for a new proportional representation system, while Patrick wanted to maintain the status quo and reduce the powers of the Chairman.

The election campaign was long and led to Dimitri being elevated in power, while fighting against the actions of the Invictus, in particular Natalia Kerkoft, who wished to make use of the ensuing chaos to lead a coup. This has led to Patrick, through Dimitri, uncovering Natalia’s espionage against the Chairman, in particular his biotech research.

Patrick ended his election campaign by trying (so far unproven) of setting up Dimitri and his coterie for the fixing of the election. This ended in the election being rerun and Patrick winning, as fear led the election to favour the current system. However, he did not count on the representative of the Ordo Dracul saving Dimitri and the others and proving that they were framed.

Myrmidon Estabelle Duncanson -Mekhet - Carthian

The Myrmidon acts as adjudicator in Carthian rivalries and was involved in the investigation of the assassination of the
old Prefect. This almost led to the coterie being found to be involved in the illegal final death of one of the Invictus. Rumours suggest that she may be planning to remove the entire Board and Chairman and put in place a new system.

 

Nails -Nosferatu - Carthian

Nails is the Carthian head of the Nosferatu and the self claimed Mayor of the Undercity. He has helped the coterie in their investigations and campaign. Others question his motives as he sees the board as being as bad as the Invictus.

 

The Carthians also claim Priscus Max Neils of the Daeva, Priscus Kollins of the Gangrel and Priscus Stewart of the Mekhet, giving them a total of 4 seats on the board.

Ok so enough of the Carthians, so on with a few others;

Magus Gregor -Nosferatu - Circle of the Crone

Gregor is the cult leader of the Cult of Cernunnos and is considered the oldest Kindred of the city. He apparently was there when the Romans invaded and tool Mamicum, and engaged in battle with the Cult of Mithras brought by the Romans, and the Legio Mortuum of the old Camarilla. Gregor now has awoken after what has been some 300 years, have leap frogged down through the ages. He is feared for his knowledge and he has a representative who attends in his place at the Primogen Board of Representatives.

 The Advisor, the Good Alder Lady, Natalia Kerkoft, Viscountess of the South of Manchester - Ventrue - Invictus

Natalia is from Russian heritage and also spent time in the presence of the last French kings. She is the part of a Dynastic house, and is the current active elder, having joined when she arrived during the reign of the Cardinal over Manchester and Salford. She is the head of the Invictus and so holds the seat on the Board. She is antagonistic thorn in the side of the Carthians, and she was believed to be behind the use of the Ordo Dracul to kill the previous Carthian Prefect. Her domain covers the area of Stockport, the south of Manchester, and she hold court as head of the Invictus as Viscountess, in the Georgian manor house of Fletcher Moss.

The Advisor, the Good Alder Lord, Judex Peter Hawkins, Viscount of the North of Manchester - Ventrue - Invictus

Peter was born around the time of the Reformation. He was offered a place in the dynastic house of Moore, and came to Manchester. Natalia was already present. Peter has risen to the position of Judex, the one who oversees arguments within the Covenant within the city. Partly for this reason he has gained the post of Ventrue Priscus and holds a seat on the Board. His domain covers Salford and he holds court at the Tudor house of Ordsall House.

Thus the Invictus hold 2 seats on the Board.

Archbishop Michael Kenner - Ventrue - Lancea Sanctum

Michael Kenner came to power in the aftermath of the Carthian uprising. He is a constant enemy of the Chairman, and so sides with the Invictus on nearly all votes. However, he knows that attacking the Carthians directly just ensures more power to the likes of the Ordo and the Crone. So Michael has had to exercise patience.He practices the Westminster Creed of the Lancea Sanctum Faith. He holds mass out of the basement of an old electronics factory, a place known as the Abbey of the Fallen.

Zahred Zilber a.k.a. The Grand Wyrm Zacharius Silverman - Gangrel - Invictus

Zahred first infiltrated Manchester as a Carthian neonate, but unknown to others he was in fact a high ranking Dragon from the city of York. Since then he was involved in clearing Dimitri and his coterie of fixing the Carthian election, and bringing the Ordo back to the city and taking their rightful place on the Board. Otherwise little more is known.