Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Authors: Rose Bailey, Benjamin Baugh, Joshua Alan Requiem players far and wide, and especially everyone who
Doetsch, Liz Grushcow, David A Hill Jr, Steffie de Vaan, Eddy contributed to the open development process.
Webb, Filamena Young The clanbook creators, including Joseph Carriker, Will
Editor: Carol Darnell Hindmarch, and Craig Grant, for setting a sterling example.
Developer: Rose Bailey
Artists: Sam Araya, Mark Kelly
Art Director: Michael Chaney
Layout and Design: Becky McGarity
Creative Director: Richard Thomas
All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf AB
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction
and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.
Check out the Onyx Path online @ http:\\www.theonyxpath.com
Table of Contents 3
CARTHiANS ted
Ano the r thi n g tha t p i sses me off, talk i n g about who sta rWa s
p u n k roc k mu si c. Was i t.. . the Sex Pi stols i n En gla nd? k?
i t.. . the R am ones and the Velve t Under grou nd i n New Yor sta r ted
Who car es who sta r ted i t?! Its mu si c,. I dont know who t we did i t
i t,, and I dont gi ve a shi t. The one thi n g I know i s thamo
har der, we did i t fas ter, and we def i n i tel y did i t wi th re love,
bab y. You cant take tha t away from us.
-Stevo, SLC Pu n k
We founded the Carthian Movement in 1778 right here in New York City.
New York City? (I know that jokes a bit dated. Im a child of the 80s. You cant take that away
from me.)
It was real fucking early in American history. People were feeling out this new experiment in
Western democracy. As some things worked and others didnt, people started organizing into groups
that could achieve greater influence than their component individuals could. The kine formed a
lot of these groups; the one youve probably heard of is Tammany Hall. It drove most of young New
Yorks city politics in the early nights of America. Our Movement came from that model. Its not to
say Kindred had much of a hand in the mortal Tammany Hall. I think maybe there was a ghoul or
two in the ranks. But we liked the design, and we took it. The big difference though between our
Movement and Tammany Hall, was we didnt have much contest.
Back in that time, New York didnt have a lot of old guard. We had a couple Invictus here and
there. They came with the aristocrats from England and France, but they were mostly younger
licks. Their elders looked at America as a slum. Hell, theres some record of Invictus talk of using
Carthians 5
Pine
ir un desira ble s. Th eres an old Gangrel liv ing down in the
ony for the desirables. Hes
the colonies as a prison col one of the ir first experiments, one of those un
. He wa s
Barrens, we call him Jersey
Devil
vem ent . We mi ght not have survived some of the biggest
a friend of the Mo
independent as fuck, but hes
On the Name
Tammanend
We were gonna be called the
that sounded
Movement. A lot of us thought
it the
stupid. Most of the kids called
Tammament Movement. I like it,
Then you had some assholes Of course Cairo knowsrevolution. Fuck, they
ve
trying to say it in Munsee or been having them for millennia. That place is
some other Native American like a hot potato. Except instead of a potato,
they
lang uage they didnt know. throw around rulership. And instead of thro
wing
So we called it the Carthian it because it gets too hot, they typically stake
the
Movement, named after fucker and everyone supporting him.
ered pronoun
Carthage. It lasted a long Sorry to my fellow ladie s for the gend
had a wom an in charge for
damned time, and Aristotle there. But Cairos not
emb ers, whic h is about fucking
as long as anyone rem
thought it was peachy keen. disgusting.
So, it was good enough for us.
Carthians 7
pretty little elections. Maybe Ali Bagher was
a dick. Fuck, he was almost certainly a dick.
fourteen vampires just tells me youre willing But killing
to kill a lot more for very little reason. Cairos
honeymoon phase with our Neglatu Prince. May still in its
be Im wrong. Maybe hell turn out great. Who
knows?
When we heard word of it, it sounded interest
ing. So we (and a few others) sent people to look
Cairo. They confirmed the best and worst of into
it. The city seems stable, aside from the thre
Masquerade. And considering the turmoil righ ats to the
t now in that area, a broken Masquerade coul
absolutely devastating. But its not our place d be
to fix it, and I dont even think we really coul
Best we could do is adopt some new laws to mak d if we tried.
e sure that doesnt happen here.
Law One: The act of creating a revenant is pun
ishable by death.
Law Two: Anyone involved in forcibly deposing
a government official cannot serve in the next
governing body. elected
Now, these arent pe
rfect, but its not ha
someone, dispose of rd to not make reve
the body. Ashes do nants: If you kill
this shit anyway. If nt rise as revenant
you dont want to di s. You should be do
sp os e ing
Mayor Blasio is mak of bo dies, dont fucking
ing our Requiems kill people.
statistics look so ba a whole lot easier. Le
d, so he can keep up ts not make his
running around. W the good work. We
e can all pretty muc dont want Neglatu
isnt black and white h be on the same pa
, though. The Laws ge there, right? Th
in pl is
heard of anyone bi ac e. It should be enforced
ting it because of th . I havent
Neglatu in the sewe is law yet. But, Ive
r system, so who kn heard rumors of a
alligators there too. ow s? Then again, Ive he
ard rumors of
uyen
Co-Authored By: Phuong Ng portant ways.
nh is a rar e exc ept ion to Kindred trends in a few im Kindred
Lieu Ha red yea rs. I cant think of a single
pa rt of fou r hu nd
for the better
First, she ran an Imperium hiatus. This might be some
of my New World
t lon g wit ho ut ex ten de d
who has remained active tha yea rs are rare, and when you do find
them, theyre
over a cou ple hu nd red
privilege talking, but elders variety.
lly of the w ak ing up fro m a million year dirt nap more tolerant to
us ua r blood thickens. We become
old er, we get str on ger . Ou
we get
Context for the kiddies: As he r an d die. Vampires just grow closer
and closer to
not like hu ma ns , wh o wit
influence from the Blood. Its eep. As
igh t of ba da ssi tud e gets to be too much, and they fall asl
entually, the we en
critical mass every night. Ev yr e fre sh , new, and no t so badass. But its like a collag
en they wake up, the
they sleep, the blood thins. Wh y stop being able
tha t pow er wi ll ris e. Wo rse , after a couple centuries, the
e, and imal blood
injection; itll go away in tim a bit alr ead y. Do you know how every night, an
ve probab ly felt thi s
to feed from human blood. You
Carthians 9
ing
g? Th ats how anc ien t Kin dre d are, except instead of eschew
sounds that much less appetizin dred blood.
they eschew human blood for Kin
animal blood for human blood, nt
ha d to be me ga- fuc kin g rid iculous powerful. Since she did
In scientific terms, Lieu Hanh nt is, shes a
du rin g the rev olu tio n eh, Im getting ahead of myself. Poi
meet Final Death
tnam at large.
huge x-factor for Hanoi, and Vie t say she was
mo re or les s a his tor ica l fig ure. She comes up in stories tha
Second, shes stion the
k in lik e the six tee nth cen tury. Maybe. Many people que
a real-world princess bac from
Th is is in par t bec au se the story involves banishing people
storys historical accuracy. cou ld probably make the world thi
nk
l. Bu t she s Me kh et, so she
Earth and her being immorta d of thing we
fro m it. An d you kn ow , vam pire. So immortals not the kin
she was banished
tend to question. huge affair; she
s, she too k ove r the kin gdo m back in the day. It wasnt a
As the story goe conquered
sir e or som eth ing . Wit hin the first century of her rule, she
inherited it from her her influence as the mortal side did
.
me se em pir e, an d spr ead
all Kindred under the Vietna zed much of Vietnams political pow
er
Ng uye n ru ler s wh o sei
Her family wisely sided with the sts, and indeed,
cri tic s acc use d her of sel lin g out her people to French intere
in that era. Her push from
end , the Fre nch we re abl e to conquer the land, thanks to
she may have. In the Kindred world; Lieu Hanh rem
ained
, thi s ha rdl y refl ect ed in the
militant Catholics. However ed to Vietnam to pay
thr ou gh out Fre nch occ up ati on. French Kindred even travel
empowered ce.
to court for her favor and allian
respects to the elder Shadow, e
tim e tal kin g abo ut a ver y lon g period. Im not here to educat
I dont want to spend too much n, one of our
ins and out s of Vie tna me se Kindred history. Phuong Nguye
you about all the cialist.
all abo ut Vie tna me se Kin dre d history if you want. Shes a spe
Ventrue, she can tell you wed all but the
not as a tyr ant , but cer tai nly as an authoritarian. She disallo
Lieu Hanh ruled parison
g Vie tna ms Kin dre d pop ula tion disproportionately low in com
rarest Embraces, keepin e wine of longevity comes from
a
law , as it sta ted , wa s tha t Th
to its mortal populace. Her n as an effort to
we mu st kee p fro m run nin g dry. Critics painted this decisio
small cellar; one r, unilaterally
nim um . Sh e did not hin g to assuage those concerns, howeve
keep dissent to a mi r cases,
and sir e of nea rly eve ry vio lation of her law. In three popula
slaughtering both childe own.
aff air s sur viv e; she kep t the m on as surrogate childer of her
she let the childer in these s, she cut through
ug h, me t wit h fea rso me pub lic destruction. As the story goe
The sires, tho e courtiers
n sw ord one hu nd red tim es before her Court could blink. Th
them with a woode ling to ash.
ply watch ed the ir bod ies slid e apart like cut fruit, before fal
sim ring World
h the Fre nch bec am e the dow nfall of Lieu Hanhs reign. Du
Friendliness wit r of which
an ded Vie tna me se sup por t in both food and troops, neithe
War I, the French dem mo rtal issue, Lieu Hanh remained
vid e. De spi te thi s bei ng a
Vietnam was prepared to pro tnamese Kindred
nt, an d ref use d to reb uk e her French Kindred allies. Vie
decidedly sile speaking up
ly exp res sed the ir dis ple asu re with her rule, while not yet
organized and qu iet
al.
for fear of the ancients repris
Carthians 11
In 1955, Hanoi was still in turmoil thanks to the Japanese, the Viet Minh,
the French, and just about
every other fucking world government, it seemed. Shit was tense, and
the Viet Minh revolutionaries just
kicked France out of the country. With it, Lieu Hanhs council fled as
well, leaving her with almost no
support against her three protges and their gangs.
To resist the crises faced by the region, the North Vietnamese govern
ment instated numerous reforms
that pushed the country toward more Communist rule. These political
campaigns targeted landowners,
with extreme rent and land reform that ultimately led to the executions
of many thousands of property
owners. Some voices in the Southern part of Vietnam disagreed with
this path, and numerous world
powers chimed in to support one side or another. The United States aggres
sively supported the southern
part of Vietnam, as part of a push to reject Communist ideolog y for fear
of the Soviet Unions growing
political influence on the world arena. They thought, at the time, that
if one country fell to Communism,
the world would quickly follow suit. That was pretty much bullshit, but
hindsight is 20/20, right? Its
probably worth mentioning that everything suggests the vast majority
of the population would have
voted in favor of Communist power. Famously, a rigged vote skewed heavil
y in favor of those resisting
Communism. One hundred and thirty-three percent of Saigon voted agains
t the Communists. Thats worse
than Chicago numbers.
Lets not get it twisted, though. The Commun
ist
elections typically ended with 99% or mor
e when they
happened. Shit was fucked up all around.
Thats a lot of words that lead to a pretty reas
onable
response: The people were pissed. The peop
le lashed out.
Since Ngo Dinh Diem won the presidential
election, and
he was super conservative and aligned with
the US and
other powers against Communism, the back
lash came
mostly from Communist forces. He was not
some freedom
fighter GI Joe motherfucker, either. If you
collaborated
against his government, he had you impriso
ned, tortured,
Carthians 13
e
a ru lin g co un cil to lead the Movement. Th
an election for
iate ly af te r Lieu Ha nh left, the three held Ki nd red public. Their first
act in office
Immed e from th e re m ai ni ng
est and with no surpris s in the city
three won with no cont nd re d po pu lat ion tr ipled, as most vampire
st year, the Ki throw future elections.
Ill
s to up en d al l for m er laws. Within the fir tia l dy na st ies , an d to
wa found influen the
ble d to Em br ac e in a desperate attempt to ru nn in g hu ng ry thanks to the famine
scra m vampires we re
u th at rig ht no w in Hanois history, most at pr oblem any better. Now
in addition
remind yo e mix di d no t m ak e th
a ton of vampires to th ions thanks to some ut
terly
region suffered. Adding had to comm it a nu m be r of ex ec ut
pires, our new regime
to a bunch of new vam
d about
egregious Masquerade
issues.
se as we co ul d fin d. It looks like Hanoi ha
t theyre clo d
t be fully accurate, bu hundred thirty Kindre
These numbers may no 85, there are re co rd s of at lea st on e
died
ty Ki nd re d du rin g the revolution. By 19 is is to sa y, ov er ha lf the Kindred in Hanoi
twen r to sixty. Th
Ha no i, bu t th e ac tu al population was close hu nd re d pe rc en t. Th e population doubling
liv ing in rose over fou r
g th os e fou r ye ar s. The actual population cancerous.
or fled durin of gr ow th is nothing short of
bu t th is ki nd cities in Asia
would be troubling en
ough,
To ky o, Se ou l, Sh an ghai, Manila, a lot of
e Kindre d. population
over one hundred activ w per capita Kindred
Tonight, Hanoi holds not a single m ajo r cit y wi th th e ra
rds
pulations. But theres ce the revolution. Reco
have larger Kindred po red Kindred ha ve di ed in Ha no i sin
me
no i. Ru m or s su gg es t as many as five hund co m m en ts ab ou t th e Tree of Liberty or so
of Ha t a lot of petty
nu m be r to clo se r th an two hundred. Ive go
put the es.
th at s a lot of as h, even in the best estimat
shit. Still,
Carthians 15
When a lick overfeeds in a slum, they can
sometimes leave thinking everythings cool
But then one person gets sick, and that lead since everyone survived.
s to one family, which leads to one block,
dire straits. Then you have numerous dead which leaves everyone in
, and an entire chunk of the city thats com
grounds for months to come. pletely worthless feeding
Hanois is a Movement divided. Dung Giang, Khanh Ly, and Huong Do each manage a faction
owing
allegiance to the Movement. Lieu Hanh was Unaligned, but sometimes her childer call her
a Carthian or
an Invictus to suit their particular needs at the time. The childer tell that the covenants
were not so deeply
entrenched in Hanoi until the revolution. Maybe half the Kindred owed allegiance to a covenan
t, and most
Carthian. Later, everyone was Carthian. Well talk about that in a bit. Our information suggest
s limited
membership in others exist, for example, rumors of a Dao Mau Circle of the Crone cult are
common, as is a
faction of Lancea et Sanctum hiding within the ranks of the Carthian Movement, inspired
and perhaps still
mentored by a member of Lieu Hanhs French advisory circle.
Dung Giang was Lieu Hanhs first surrogate childe (or at least the oldest that survived to the revolution).
Hes also the most hard-assed. If you hear about an execution in Hanoi, it was Dung Giang.
Early on, he set his gang up to be the best of the best, and the smallest faction. He set extremely high and
often contradictory standards for those who wanted to hang with him, and demanded intense performance if
Carthians 17
The territories law became controversial over the
course of about five years. So in 2003, Khanh Ly
and Dung Giang supported the law that probably
put the nail in their regimes coffin. Hanoi declared
membership in the Carthian Movement mandatory
without exception. This came with it a few interesting
stipulations:
Membership in other covenants was similarly
outlawed. Even if youre Carthian, you cannot
maintain membership in an additional covenant. This
flies in the face of the Carthians general acumen for
moonlighting all over the place.
Speaking against the Carthian Movement is
considered an act of treason, a high crime that, if
proven guilty, is punishable by death. Proven guilty
changes from case to case. Sometimes, it means hear
from influential members. Sometimes plotting again say
st the regime on camera isnt quite enough. Its one
THOSE laws. of
Carthians 19
e
I should probably note that three shitty laws dont defin
, and
Hanoi. My little story here covers a long span of time
that Im
theres a lot of outrage, beauty, and problems between
not hitting on.
Appropriating Huong Do
In 2005, Huong Do reached out, and we answered the call. Her city was falling
apart. She was the smart moderate, trying to save her home. But ultimately, her
efforts were no more effective than polishing the deck chairs on the Titanic. She
l New York
ice . She got ple nty of offe rs from all over Asia. But, in typica
adv
asked for backup. She asked for we ma rch ed in and offered Huong Do a way
out in
broug ht in a cre w, and
fashion, we opted to roll hard. We utiful democracy.
for m of an arm ed esc ort , pla ne tickets, and a place in our bea gs
the
n a bit lim ited , sin ce our vis it (admittedly with jack-booted thu
have bee
In retrospect, her choice might her look treasonous.
Ko rea s Car thi an Mo vem ent look like a childrens show) made
that would make North
Hey, hindsights 20/20, right? ent. Shes already
s us. She hol ds a res pec ted citi zenship within New Yorks Movem
Now, Huong Do adv ise ht years. Shes bought in comple
tely, and its
gro ups for six of the pas t eig
acted as representative for her has bee n invaluable to the Movement, and
shes a
n her e. He r exp eri enc e
beautiful. Youd think she was bor iev ing . Its like shes got a new lease on
life.
king. She s not sto ppe d ach
workhorse. Shes not stopped wor ely holding
utt erly fuc ked . Hu ong Do wa s the stretched, snapping fabric bar
What about Hanoi? Well, Hanoi is es, but alm ost all have turned their backs on
her.
contact wit h her for me r alli
Hanoi together. Huong has some lines. So we cant
t wit h are afr aid to spe ak ope nly across the Internet or phone
Even those she can connec mo st of her faction is now dead or imp
risoned.
s poi nt. Bu t we kno w tha t
even get solid information at thi n and are now striking preemptively agains
t
lea der s hav e dou ble d dow
We know that the remaining two city s ove ral l defenses. We know outsiders fro
m
drama tica lly hu rtin g the
any potential revolution, which is rces are true) to
er par ts of Vie tna m are loo kin g (and potentially colluding, if sou
Thailand, China, and oth
strike and remove the regime. d or locked
Hu ong Do tell the sto rie s, and list those she thinks are now dea
I sat down and listened to revolution that was
t its un for tun ate , but los ing her might be the catalyst for a
away forever. I tell myself tha l pro bably mean Inv ictus outsiders ma
rching in
fac t tha t the rev olu tion wil
a long time coming. I ignore the gra y is goi ng to come in and act like a prime
r
utiful in the city . Ou tsid er
and dismantling everything bea r the canvas, but what
ng ; the y mi ght be abl e to eve ntually paint something else ove
coat over a flawed painti
ever.
theyve painted before is lost for
Carthians 21
Im a Moustache-Twirling
ns came
The joke we tell is, before the Carthia
into tow n, at least the tra ins ran on
time. With LA, Monster Law
they know
the problem theyre run nin g into is, As vampires, we live by three Traditions.
agree on what
shit has to change, but nobody can We have the Masquerade, the Progeny, and
nge to, or
needs to change, what it needs to cha the Amaranth. Everyone knows those. But
Hes been a
how to change it. Montrose is a shit. we have some informal Traditions that most
a moustache-
shit for a lon g fuckin g time. His Im Kindred live by without being self-aware.
citizen of Los
twirlin g monster law is that every My favorite informal Tradition is the Im
This means
Angeles must attend monthly Mass. a Moustache-Twirling Monster Law. This
thin g where
communion, which is a disgusting Tradition says that if a single vampire holds
e, and you feel
you eat a wafer, and it turns into Vita supreme executive and legislative power in a
tever-the-fuck-
all magica lly tick led by Jesus or wha city, he or she will bring about a law that more
ever ma kes Sanctified sorcery work. or less exists only to cement their status as
but this is
Not going to waste much space on it, a total fucking douche. An excessive feeding
of the Crone,
a giant fucking affront to the Circle restriction is a common example. Disallowing
believe that
and pretty much anyone that doesnt
vampire one group from the Embrace
Longinus was the blah blah king shit
cle didnt take is another. Requiring all
prophet whatever. But fuck if the Cir
Some of the potential witnesses to
all that terrible shit and run with it.
own little cult Masquerade violations die,
members went so far as to start their
thats another. Any time
you force an entire city to
practice a single religion,
thats grade-A fuckstickery.
one of our
be tter th an Lo s An geles, lets talk about
ck for bein g ed it along.
d ourselves on the ba more or less just help
Now that weve patte bling, so from wh er e I stan d, we
iti mate fuck -ups . Ha noi was already crum
leg
it, we hurt Caracas. s was doomed from th
e
But Caracas? Holy sh mpelling ar gu m en t th at Ca ra ca
d so m e coun te r-a rg uments. Theres a co
Ive hear t
ra cy to eleva te an Invictus monarchy, bu rdinand and
start, that it was a co
nspi
. Lets let th em te ll their story. This is Fe
em up
ramble. We fucked th
Actually, I shouldnt . I ca ll them the Marxist Br
others.
changi ng m issives
Cesar Rodrig uez, ex
Carthians 23
Mr. Ferdinand Araujo
678 Broadway, Unit C
Brookly n, New York
11206
United States of America
September 9th, 2013
Dearest Brother,
I write with the utmost hope tha
t this letter finds you. I preface
letter by saying I wish for neit this
her your pity, nor your help.
reconciled my lot, I am workin I have
g within my current means, and
settled regardless of why I am I have
here.
When I left Caracas, when I left
our dear revolution, I left not
my own accord. I left when Ame of
rican revolutionaries waving our
that of our Carthian Movement banner
abducted me and brought me to
New York City. They brought me their
under the pretenses that I coul
their faltering revolution, tha d help
t I could rejuvenate their wan
They did so by robbing me of my ing power.
identity. They restrained me befo
their greatest Ventrue, and over re
the course of one horrendous mon
they shattered everything that th,
made me Ferdinand Araujo. Nearly
years have passed, and I am now ten
my own person again. Finally.
Enough with the lament and melo
drama. Dearest brother, do you
you lead Caracas still in my abs walk? Do
ence? Please, tell me your greatn
not waned since Ive gone. ess has
Sincerely,
Ferdinand Araujo
Senor Cesar Rodrig uez Araujo
Avenida Sanz
Residencias Terepaima, Entrada
D
Caracas 1010, D.F.
Venezuela
September 30th, 2013
Dear Brother,
Hearing from you is a light in
the darkness. I thought you wer
from me; I presumed for years e forever gone
that your disappearance was par
grand plan to conquer Caracas. t of our sires
Perhaps it still was.
I wish that I could tell you of
my greatness, and not of my fail
but I do not walk tall. I wal ings. I walk,
k on my knees; I walk the wal
Sometimes, I wish I walked no k of the meager.
further. Sometimes, I stand on
the suns kiss. Then I realize my roof, awaiting
my soul, my ver y sense of self
and that the sun can never tru is too strong,
ly destroy me the way it could
When you left, Caracas became too our sire.
much to handle. Our revolution
but without you there, the city was beautiful,
fell apart. I had my supporter
supporters loved you so, that s, but your
they could not see the revolut
heart and your fire. They did nt ion without your
revolt. They never revolted. The
y simply stopped
Carthians 25
revolution and the Invictus. It just comes as such a shock to me. Its not
that I dont believe it; its that I dont want to believe it, and I cannot
imagine what her city would look like.
How is her grandchilde? How is your childe? Consuela? Is she fine? Is she
with the Movement now? Or did she follow her grandsires footsteps?
You ask of New York City. New York City is very much a city. Its not
Caracas. Its crowded. Its very loud. The crime is just as pervasive, but
not so obvious. The most dangerous criminals wear white collars. The police
are lying thugs who accost anyone who does not look like them. But many of
the people have strong hearts. They have passion. They have a survivors
instincts. These are people who traveled the world for opportunity,
to escape oppression. They wanted to give their families better lives,
and fought tooth and nail, only to risk everything and land somewhere
frightening and foreign, where they were outsiders in every sense.
Opportunity exists, but in a place with millions of people but only
thousands of opportunities, it can look desperate. America sells stories
of hard work bringing reward. Every one of these immigrants works hard.
People work themselves nearly to death to come here, but most barely scrape
by. If America rewards hard work, these people should all be wealthy,
each and every one. Theyre not. Sometimes, one will find work in theater.
Sometimes, one will succeed in the drug trade. By and large, these are
people who have to miss meals to pay rent. Oh, the rent. Brother, you would
not imagine. Some flats in New York City cost more in a month than most
people in Venezuela earn in a year. Many homes contain multiple families,
many of whose members work two or more jobs so that together, they can pay
for the single apartment. Venezuelas people are poor, but that does not
mean New Yorks are not as well.
I know you are likely angry with the New York City Movement. But I want
you to know that if you decide to seek vengeance, some of the Movement
is honorable. Some are worth saving. The one called Dinasaur, she saved
me. She discovered what happened to me, and she found a Ventrue to free
me from those shackles. Now, shes a good friend. I would not want those
wholesome members of the Movement to come to harm. I know your temper.
Best wishes,
Ferdinand Araujo
Senor Cesar Rodriguez Araujo
Avenida Sanz
Residencias Terepaima, Entrada D
Caracas 1010, D.F.
Venezuela
November 30 th, 2013
Dear Brother,
Ive read your letter over each night for a week. It helped me find sound rest,
knowing you fare well.
I must first say, you overestimate my temper. It is you, dearest brother, who has
the fire within you. Perhaps that is why I did not struggle when our beloved
sire
conquered Caracas; I did not have it in me to argue her points, or to prove
that
our revolution was a good thing. I will not be rampaging through the streets of
New
York City in your name, unless of course that is your hearts desire. I would
not
disappoint you, after all. But I do not do vendettas. Remember the nights of
the
My Blood,
Hearing from you has been delightful, despite any
negativity in the
comments. Perhaps soon, we should attem pt the telep
hone. It is no more or
less secure than our postal correspondence. I worry
Venezuelan or American
Carthians 27
mortal authorities might intercept one of our messages as part of their
efforts to combat terrorism. It appears anti-Venezuela sentiment has
died down largely since Hugo Chavezs death, but I cannot trust American
authorities. Has the anti-American sentiment slowed in Venezuela? I cannot
imagine a world where that is the case. It has been so very long.
I asked you about Consuela. Im sure you missed that paragraph. I do
apologize, Brother. How is she?
New York is a desperate, frightening place in the way that all cities are
desperate, frightening places. Mortals struggle. Mortals must establish
hierarchies and systems, and in every system, some are on the outs. In
American capitalism, it happens that most of those are those with whom I care
to associate most. For millions, its fine. Its a good days work for a good
days wage. I see hundreds of smiling people at night. The feeding is good.
New York needed fresh ideas, and fresh personalities. I fault their practice
of abducting and indoctrination. Clearly, that policy is not universally
popular, and when someone breaks it, they go unchallenged. They wanted
new spirit, and they couldnt rely on finding some neonate to fix all their
problems. They sought out well-tested hearts and ideas, tempered on the fires
of true revolution. They wanted tried talent. As disgusted as I am with their
actions, I am flattered at their choice.
Now, I work to subvert their past behaviors, and motivate them on to
greatness. My language barrier is waning, but has caused some conflict.
Fortunately, a coterie of Spanish-speaking Carthians has been able to
disseminate my messages to the populace. Theyve been clever enough to act as
intermediaries, as buffers for my worst critics. Im helping to build New York
into something beautiful, and something without the corruption that recruits
through mind slavery.
If you have no place in Caracas, perhaps you should come to New York? My New
York. We could plant the seeds of a new revolution. New York isnt paradise,
but Caracas doesnt seem to want you. I want you, Brother. Please consider.
Always,
Ferdinand Araujo
Senor Cesar Rodriguez Araujo
Avenida Sanz
Residencias Terepaima, Entrada D
Caracas 1010, D.F.
Venezuela
January 12 th, 2014
Brother my Brother,
New York City, you say? You think Id have a place in New York City? Brother,
I am far more conservative than you are. I dont know that I could look an
American in the eye, let alone feed from one. Your new Movement knew this. They
knew what they needed. If they thought Id be valuable, theyd have grabbed me
while they had the chance nearly a decade ago. No, Brother. I am not a valuable
member of anyones Movement. I let the fires of revolution die. That is the only
true Carthian crime.
No, Brother. Im not long for this world. The world turns, and moves on without
me. Im a bygone. Even when you were here, this was your show. The revolution
Ferdinand Araujo
Senor Cesar Rodrig uez Araujo
Avenida Sanz
D
Residencias Terepaima, Entrada
Caracas 1010, D.F.
Venezuela
th
February 24 , 2014
Carthians 29
Venezuela watches its borders. If you have any ideas, I
am listening.
Caridad knows were writing. She knows of our corresponden
ce. She knows you
live. I dont know how she knows these things, but she knows.
This is no warning,
no threat, simply a statement so you understand. She brough
t it up obliquely at
Elysiu m, speaking of those of past crimes, those we though
t dead. She knows
you collude with those within Caracas, and she fancies you
a conspirator against
her regime. She said she seeks to root out the corrupted.
I think she aims to
motivate others to pry into my affairs with this speech.
I wont move yet; I will
remain where I am, to demonstrate innocence and not alert
the dogs.
I did not mean to denigrate myself, only to exalt the
truth of the situation
and praise you. What sort of work do you think I can do
in New York City? I feel
every bit the old man. I dont wish to learn English, nor
do I think I could if
I wished. Im too proud for physical labor; Im no thug
or workhorse. I cannot
imagine a job where I could succeed and flourish in a foreig
n land, but you have
a greater imagination than I do, Brother.
What of my prejudices? I am a man of even temper, but then
again I do not see
the excesses of the bourgeoisie each night in my current
home. I dont know that
I could maintain myself indefinitely around their crimes
and exploitation.
I dont know, Brother. This sounds like a pretty thing, a
possibility for dreams
and hypotheticals. But its one Im willing to entertain
with your support.
Tell me: Do the People have control of their Movement in
New York City? Or is
it a revolution of personalities?
Pensively,
Dear Brother,
Brother, Ill ask only this one last time. Please, tell me
of Consuela. I
wont bother you further on her if you do not respond.
I only wish to know
what happened with her. But I lead with this so it cannot
be mistaken.
You ask of New York Citys Movement? Its democratic. Every
member of the
city has a voting representative. We vote individually for
certain important
issues. City law prohibits any one member of the Moveme
nt from achieving
immense pull within the Movement. Its not perfect, but
it mostly achieves the
goals it set out to. We have nearly one hundred members
in our Movement, and
nearly two hundred citizens in the city at large. While
the Movement rules the
majority and influences constitutional decision-making, they
do not truly rule
in the way Carthians in some cities might.
More importantly, essential laws have a review period. When
voted in,
they take action, but require a follow-up vote by the next
council of
representatives. This way, the bill becomes law largely
through merit; laws
that fail do not fester long. I think this is a very practi
cal way to run such
a collective.
Ferdinand Araujo
Senor Cesar Rodriguez Araujo
Avenida Sanz
Residencias Terepaima, Entrada D
Caracas 1010, D.F.
Venezuela
April 1st, 2014
My Ferdinand,
I am sorr y. Ive read your questions abou
t Consuela. Its a difficult topic,
and one I avoided because I struggled with
putting it into words. Its the reason
for such delay in many of my letters. Ive
drafted dozens of letters in one case,
and multiples in ever y. Ive given long-win
ded explanations of the situation with
Consuela. Each and ever y one, I trashed.
It hurts me just to write these words.
But I owe it to you, Brother. While Consuela
was my childe, I know the two of you
were lovers. She resented me for the Embrace.
While I felt we belonged together, you
were the closest surrogate for me that I could
find. So I fostered that relationship.
Caridad, our dear sire, told a gang of revo
lutionaries to hunt down one of their
more treasonous members. That gang incl
uded Consuela. According to Consuela,
when she confided briefly in me, Caridads
lang uage seemed to encourage her to
commit Amaranth upon her former coterie-
mate as a show of good will toward the
new regime. However, in the hunt, her cote
rie fell. She was the only survivor.
She did commit the dread Amaranth agai
nst her former mate. When she returned
to report, our dear sire took her into
custody, and tried her for breach of
Tradition. During sentencing, Caridad offer
ed Consuela the choice of execution
or of a full Vinculum, and eter nal serv
ice to the First Estate. You remember
our sire, Brother. You cannot say no to
her face. You cannot defy her. Consuela
did not defy her.
Now, Consuela is the single strongest
supporter of our sires rule. Shes a
knight, a warrior for our sires whims.
Shes slaughtered no small number of
revolutionaries unwilling to support the
new order.
When I was exiled, she commuted my sent
ence. She escorted me to Caracas
limits. When I parted, I tipped my hat
to my daughter. She spat on my boots.
Shes completely under Caridads sway. Shes
lost to us.
I want out. Please, Brother. I cannot bear
this place any longer. Youre the
only home I know anymore.
Always,
Carthians 31
Mr. Ferdinand Araujo
678 Broadway, Unit C
Brooklyn, New York
11206
United States of America
April 10 th, 2014
My Brother,
I understand. I hurt for Con
suelas loss. But we cannot
forever. I will come to you continue to mourn
. April 30 th, my friends and
remove you from Caracas. We I will arrive to
will protect you. We will esc
give you a new home, away ort you. We will
from this pain.
My Brother, I love you. I
shall see you soon.
Sincerely,
Ferdinand Araujo
Theres some bias in here. I guess Ferdinand gets to have bias, right? We abducted him. We
brainwashed him. We legit fucked up. Weve got to cop to that. He can never go back home, so well
always make a place for him in New York. Hes a good guy. Hes invaluable. But, hes ultimately
our victim, and we cant forget this, and we have to fight to make sure his voice both exists and is
respected in the future.
Let me finish this story for you. We visited. By visited, I mean we brought eight motherfuckers to
roll on Caracas, and get Cesar Rodriguez Araujo out of that shithole. When we got there, he was dead.
According to the locals, Cesar Rodriguez was wanted for suspicion of treason. One night, he vanished,
never to be seen again. A week after his disappearance, Caridad proclaimed him guilty of evading trial,
and his life forfeit due to his past crimes. Although, the going rumor was that a group of Caridads
thugs found him and fucked him up. Whats the old saying? Its best to not call a blood hunt until after
the target is already dead or in captivity.
We think we found his ashes. Its hard to confirm a strangers remains, even if you have a skilled
Shadow on your posse. But there was enough circumstantial evidence to back it up. We found them
with half the letters youre reading here tonight. Ferdinand gave permission to print the whole lot of
them, to tell their story.
We refused to leave empty handed. I worked with Ferdinand to find Consuela. We cornered her. We
abducted her. We took her home. Now, were in the process of deprogramming her, and getting rid of
all that poison her grandsire fed her. Are we committing the same atrocity we did with Ferdinand?
Ferdinand doesnt seem to think so. He says were liberating her. Of course, we told ourselves we
were liberating Ferdinand. Maybe we did a little too well at assimilating Ferdinand. Maybe I shouldnt
assume we great big American imperialists are so good at erasing people. Thats infantilizing and kind
of shitty. Maybe Ferdinand came to his own fucking conclusions. And maybe, just maybe, were in the
right this time.
Carthians 33
language and the words aren,t ther
e to confuse me. I like feeling out the
and how they differ from what Im subtleties of their interactions,
used to. The way the women tilt thei
is a little more pronounced than in r heads and bat their eyelashes
the States. It makes me aggressive
it makes the Neanderthals at that and hungry; I can,t imagine how
bar feel. It was a real subtle sexy,
couldn,t say no to it. It,s for the bes and if I had to face it head-on, I
t I didn,t: Girl-on-girl is a huge offense ,
get beheaded for thirty steamy sec . I d hate for my meal ticket to
onds.
A few hours later, I don,t know just
when, my bad luck kicked into gear.
stepping out of the elevator, I sensed On the way to my room,
two other Beasts. Footsteps slammed
that direction. I made the quick jud down the hall rapidly from
gment call to just let it be somebo
want to duck back into the elevator dy elses problem. I didnt
and raise suspicion. The chase burs
Two vampires, both dressed in busines t out into the foyer I stood in.
s suits, slammed through. They sma
busted a water fountain. I clenched shed some potted plants and
my jaw, and slowly walked to my room
mistook the path, and diverted. By . At least, I thought I did. I
the time I corrected my course, the
Three doors down from my room, one stom ping stopped.
door stood open. Traces of dust and
my better judgment, I peeked into water led inside. Against
the room. One of the suited men bore
to the bed. He drained the last of his down on the other, forcing him
victim as I watched. As the monster
into nothingness; it was as if he fed, the victim desiccated
aged a decade a second. I put hand
in place. I carried the weight of an to my mouth and watched, frozen
overwhelming, primeval fear. The vict
murderer caught my eyes momenta im crumbled to dust, and the
rily before I could run. He snarled, and
I ran like Id never run before. The my Beast cried out for help.
monster chased me, but I was more
willing to catch me. I realized it was willing to escape than he was
about 5:30am, and people were on thei
I pushed the Blood to my legs, and r ways to their Fajr prayer.
leaped through the fourth-story wind
eyes of all those praying. They gaw ow. As it shattered, I drew the
ked, and my pursuer was unwilling to
I traveled a few blocks, and charme engage, so I escaped.
d my way into a hotel room despite
shouldnt have been able to make the window of prayer where I
a business dealing. I slipped into my
Mahmud with the cliff notes version room , and dropped an email to
of my encounter.
I woke, and shortly thereafter, Mah
mud reached me. He apologized. He
the celebration. He told me I would then told me I couldnt attend
be best to leave Dubai immediately
pressed him for more, and he agreed , and avoid any Kindred contact. I
to briefly meet me so he could esc
He came by the hotel, and picked me ort me to Dubai International.
up by the loading docks. I couldnt
We drove on back streets and alley imagine what that meant.
ways. He explained that my pursuer,
Ishaq, a mover and shaker in the loca the diablerist, was a man called
l Carthian Movement. I asked why the
against him. Mahmud explained that Movement doesnt mobilize
the Movement,s rules permit Amarant
Movement ruled by Meritocracy, h. As he explained, Dubais
which essentially looks like anarchi
devour someones soul, youre enti sm. If youre strong enough to
tled to it. If youre weak, the populat
the closest thing Dubai has to a Prin ion will intercede. Ishaq is
ce, and everyone knows he,s a seri
because, surprise surprise, he,ll diab al diablerist. Nobody stops him
lerize you if you try. This has apparen
Close to the airport, our car crashed tly happened numerous times.
suddenly. Out of nowhere, we wrecked
out, and I felt his words burning in into Ishaq. Ishaq howled
the back of my mind. I felt his voic
life of me. This happened in public, e like leeches, trying to rob the
on a busy city street. His faade gon
monster. Ishaq looked like a djinn, a e, he was every bit the obvious
devil. Mortals panicked. Some fled scre
positions crying. Mahmud jumped from aming. Some fell to fetal
the car, as did I. Ishaq wasnt the
though. Except Erica,s dirty tricks are only one with dirty tricks,
New York style. He snarled at me, tryi
move in for the kill. I taught him som ng to stun me so he could
e new English curse words, picked up
brought it down on the fucker,s hea that old Lincoln Town car, and
d.
He tossed the car off about three
seconds later. Mahmud jumped him,
Mahmud, but I didn,t think twice. I ran. and told me to run. I liked
I didn,t look back, but I heard Mahmud
heard Ishaq rip him apart. Then, I hea scream in the distance. I
rd Mahmud cry out a prayer in Arab
later. Fortunately, that gave me the ic, which cut off a few seconds
time I needed.
So with Mahmud,s help, with Mahmud,
s sacrifice, I fled. I Voiced everyone
money to buy an emergency one-wa I could find until I had enough
y tick et back to New York. I had to stop
didn,t care. in London and stay a day. I
I will never go back to Dubai. If I hea
r of any Kindred willingly traveling ther
public, I will suspect they,re going to e now that my storyis
get away with murder.
at we call them)
ize n Te xx (th at s not the ir real name, thats just wh
issue, cit d below), but
In our last feature of this ue nc ed som e of our public policy (discusse
home, Houston . Th is infl a huge fan
writes about their original licy ca me from wh en they voted for it. Since Im
s just where tha t po
Im sure not everyone know xx to sh are a little ditty about Hous
ton.
electo rat es, I aske d Te
of educated and informed
on. But
Sorry everyone. Im not a writer. Im not an educated pers
I think
I love New York, and I love my new home in the Moveme nt.
learn from
we all have a lot to learn from each other. Maybe you can
a drink to
my exp erie nce. I hope you can. If you cant, Ill buy you
this is a
make up for the time Ive wasted. Actually, I wont because
pse udonym. But Ill make it up to you.
in bed.
In most cities, the Invic tus and Lancea et Sanctum are
e else
They form this weird little political/re lig ious bloc. Everyon
its way
g ets to be outside that bubble, that niche. In Houston,
a Christian
more complicated than that. In Houston, the Carthians are
n doc trin e.
Moveme nt, who mod els their who le thing afte r Christia
Carthians 35
fic ult and imp erf ec t. Bu t relig ion s alw ays that way, isnt it?
This is dif
h. Most of the essential
Its not as hard as you mig ht think, thoug
about the g osp els. The n
doc trin e relates to accep ting som e fac ts
and salvation throug h g race.
theres som e stuff about killing , fidelity,
m doc trin e, thoug h. Thats
Its way different than Lancea et Sanctu
is essentially heretical to
the big g est hurdle. Ironically, Christianity
Lancea et Sanctum teaching.
tely the opposite direc tion
How did a Carthian Movem ent g o comple
easy to understand if you
of its usual, hardcore secular thing ? Its
ent is all about exp erime nting
look at the con text. The Carthian Movem
In Houston, the hum an
with hum an solutions to Kindred proble ms.
ck was there to support the
pop ulation is heavily Christian, so the sto
heart, is a solution for som e
Kindred pop ulation. And relig ion, at its
Lastly, its all about science.
deep, fundam ental proble ms we all have.
but in social sciences, all
Kindred science is a dif ficult concep t,
unts to mag ical creatures, a
thing s need to be tested. For what amo
to test.
little mag ical thinking is a log ical thing
er
g wit h all ow ing Ki nd red to be both Carthian and oth
experimentin
Thanks to Texx, were now Ca rthians who moonlight. There
re always
ction s. Mo st cit ies ha ve
things, openly without restri ion s an d protected information acces
s. But in New
to hig h-r an kin g po sit
restrictions, usually relating Ca rth ian . It do esnt matter if you cross-ide
ntify. You
re Carth ian , you re
York, weve said fuck it, if you fit.
be fre e to con gr egate an d express yourself as you see on our
should d all ows us a convenient loophole
re Ca rth ian vot es, an
have mo
Critics say this allows us to r giv en cov en ants. So, if youre Carthian, Sp
ear,
sus, you count as all you
49% rule. You see, in the cen tha t happen), you count three tim
es. So you skew the
cau se Id lov e to see
and Order (hy pothetically, be the ben efits outweigh the costs. If you
dont want
ism. Bu t fra nk ly, I thi nk
percentages. I get the critic an t if the yr e Carthian. No skin off our
backs. That
let them joi n you r cov en
people moonlighting, dont
en and accepting.
just makes us look more op
Carthians 37
With that, we close out another issu
e. Write me. Mail. Emails. Texts. Tw
Tell me what you want to talk about. itters. Smoke signals. Whatever.
This zine isnt your Movement, but
together. Its just one more avenue it helps to bring your Movement
for organizing this clay into an awe
a big, throbbing you know. some statue of a really hot guy wit
h
I love you all. See you at Rant. Thi
s month, its the 28th at the Double
that still has a Myspace page in 201 Down on Avenue A. Its the one
5. Thats our level of tacky. Good nig
ht everyone.
FUCK THE REVOLUTION!
New Rack
Check out DUMBO. Until this month, a coven of witch
es
ran it. You can see their Melpomene graffiti still aroun
d the
neighborhood. Anyway, they left. Gone. No trace. Now,
its all
galleries, tech firms, and no property owner. Read: Easy
feeding.
It d be political suicide to assign the turf to a Carthian.
So lets
just leave it free for now. Clean up after yourselves.
Carthian
I heard a newbi
e say Carthian Identity
were great, an s are at the he
d thats what it ad of technolo
Nope. Just no means to be C gy and progre
pe. ar thian. ss, thats why
Carthians aren
t the cutting
Theres a lot of edge covenan
Invictus into t. Carthians ar
media and ad tech. The Cir e the self-awar
vocacy. Ordo cle of the Cro e covenant.
D racul are deep in ne has people th
Carthians aren to biot ech and 3D pr at dig social
t always on th inting techno
real. We dont e top of things logy.
lie to ourselve , because were
or woo-woo m s about what w too busy bein
ystical, or dest e ar e. We dont tr g fucking
reconcile that ined, or any sh y to make it so
with our othe it like that. W und noble,
Thats all. That r needs, and ac e drink fuckin
is why were gr cept a slightly g blood. We
ea t. W ere not fuckin al tered hierarchy
-R ashan Maliq g cartoons. of needs.
ue
Carthians 39
D earest D ead Lady, Michael Fallcraft-Minster was in all ways my
elder. He was,
in all ways that he thought mattered, my
enclosed is my experience tall, with broad shoulders, long silken hair,
superior. He was
with Fallcraft-Minster and blue eyes. He was as good looking as anyo
and piercing
ne had right to
the materials I showed to him. be and over the century, gathered enough
wealth to dress
not just well, but perfectly. He was a perfe
I hope it will help prepare his man ners were impeccable but strange.
ct vampire too;
you for his arrival in July. genders tossed themselves at him, letting
People of all
him drai n them
-Regards, Mona. dry emotionally, physicall y, or financiall y.
He commanded
an extensive knowledge of Crac and the sacr
ed trad itions
that he claimed came from Rome. He had
no proof; but
he said it, so people belie ved him. Worse,
he is my great
grandsire, and thought that somehow gave
him rights to
my blood. My work. My city.
At least, thats what his letter said . Michael
had shown me the courtesy of mail ing
six months before he flew into Honolulu
to both cong ratulate me on my budd ing
praxis and to tell me that he would be comi
ng to take over for me. So nice of him.
What I read between the lines was that hed
overstepped in Berli n for the last time
and so he had to throw his weig ht around some
where else for a while. Fucking perfect.
Michael arriv ed at a priv ate airst rip in Haw
aii three hours after nightfall, later
than projected. Just like him to make me
wait arou nd on him in my own damn
city. Compared to my grandsire I am shor
t, thick, and decidedly Hawaiian in skin
tone and upbringin g. The black sands are
in my blood, and I had all rights to it,
but here was Michael Fallcraft-Mins ter with
a retinue of ghou ls and sycophants
getti ng off a priv ate plane to tell me otherwis
e. Id come alone. There was no reason
to expose my cult to his bulls hit before Id
gotten him sorted out.
Deadest of the
Dead, Sacrificial
Material included. the other night, posted
So I got your clever letter
-Mona arrassment or cowardice.
anonymously to me out of emb
-eight tim es, as a goat
You referred to me, twenty
various other forms of
or a sacrificial sex toy and
that because I am a man in
objectification. You suggested
abuse. You also seem to
the Circle, I should be used to
Effortless Damage
day light.
it ha pp en ed in broad
to d ay , ng itself
o th er b o y in the streets st ru ct ur e f al ling apart, eati
T hey shot an the power . I know
e he at , th e storm s, and n b ef o re too long, Mona
B etween th to b ur ire and
g to he ll. Tam pas going ab o ut re volu tion and f
alive, it s all go
in ta lk lf to
K in d re d th in k it s fun to m an it y ri se s up against itse
yo ung urn when hu or even
a lot of yo u en o ugh Kindred b ut it isn t glam oro us
Iv e se en tim e, b
people rising up
. rom tim e to t ignore the
at it m ay b e necessary f o d , o f co ur se, b ut I won
understand th ange is go
s to rebirth and ch o uld do it a d
isservice.
le. C ha o s le ad ha t w , shes been
d es irab
pp en s w hi le we chan ge . T
o ne is su rp ri sed; of co urse . Of
suffering that
ha
f o r M er ed ith tonight. N
o
ve he r th e right to do that
d they cam e . Her gods gi eek it was
It s Tuesday, an aw an d pr ac ticing in public ed at th at point. Last w the
ting the l at
directly f laun so it ge ts a little com plic d th at w as eno ugh. With
d s, was m ortal an ws, and how
ade up her go ther m an who ith changing la
co urse, she m ai n w it h an o t ke ep up w
Erik, I guess he
d l ty m uch can
w ay th ey ar e now, we pret
Spear the eing in the
to us . re th ey ju st declare b
they ap pl y b ef o , b ut Im
it s o nl y a m atter of tim e ia l. T he o th ers are afraid
R aven says d in for tr
a cr im e an d have us all calle
Circle e, and Im
as ki nd of a sp ectacl
no t. S he w iful, and
te ll yo u ab o ut Meredith? an d ki ll he r. She was beaut
D id I ever rag her in level, radio
w ai te d so long to d as , o n an em otional
surprise d th ey n. S he w en ergy and
w al ki ng social distortio o r lo ng . She suck ed
intelligent, an d a und he r f f both,
so rt o f ha rd to be aro lo o d . S he w as a m aster o
static and it w
as e suck ed b to die, if
o f th e ro om the way sh . S he pr o b ably des erved
o ut s she sowed
tho ught right sp ected the chao m e. Far less than
m e.
n w ay , I re le ss th an
and in m y ow an Erik. B ut
ghtm ares and
rituals, yo u
d o , an d ce rtainly m ore th se s b et w ee n ni egun to
any of us h ag o , (tim e com pres d an no unced she d b
a m o nt ti ng an
Last week, or
m aybe pray er m ee isted, it was
sh e m arched into a co ul d dispro ve it ex
o last w ee k e no o ne the Lance
understand.) S hi tf uc k. S he said that sinc
e th at th e d istant god of
nam ed S lif ans
wors hip a god th e sa m e po wer o ver her ty st o p f ee d ing from hum
ved to wield of the ci and the
real, and des er em an d ed th at all Kindred o f f ee d in g from the pigs
Shitfuck d n ere
did. She said o ul d al l f o cu s o ur attentio in th e city ch eered, b ut w
sh ed C arthians
asses and we and oft-ab us eded to sing a
hymn to
in the undercl e ev er -s ile nt he th en pr o ce was
e of th dinals m en. S in one place. It
fat cats. Som o f th e C ar d co nt ai ne d
by the looks ever hear
quickly silenced it h as m uc h profanity as Id in k it was very f
unny.
ly an d w d id n t th
Shitfuck lo ud d the Spear
ul, in a w ay , and clever, an
m asterf
Im getting this off to the post in late afternoon, Mona, but thats getting harder and
harder to do. Since that boy got killed, kine have been marching in the streets. They say
he was a good boy and going to college someday and hed done nothing wrong. I believe
them. The Spear, with their fingers in the police, has started hiding their purging
through extra police presence and riot suppression. There have been no riots. But
when Kindred need to be pulled out into the streets and beaten into torpor,
riots are manufactured. I had dreams again, those dreams. I saw inside myself,
Mona, and looked down to the roots of the magic thats grown inside of
me and I found that they root in no soil. In you, I have seen, the roots are in
blood and passion. Thats not how it is for me. There is nothing inside of me
for the magic to root in. Not just nothing, but a lack of thing. There is an
abyss inside of me, Mona, and that abyss feeds the Crac. I am a cursed thing
and my destruction will unleash something terrible on this city. Pray they do not
catch me soon.
clues to the
el f, ha s le ft us a series of
he rs abou t.
ons known only to do esn t yet know
Melissa, for reas rs that th e C ar di na l
sleeping Choriste
location of a few ducks.
a fas hion, sitting as arguing with
T he y ar e, af te r
id er ab le venom. She w
w it h co ns Survival
rot. R aven said ed surly abou t it.
Leave them to bro ught it up , an d st ay
Of co urse
rac when Fran k ossed her arm s.
m e abou t m y C yo u as k m e. S he cr
at this point, if
of the fittest and his
m ore fit if ok charge ever,
wed all be m uch of gu y w ho to
. Fran k wasn t th
e sort that thes e old
Shu t up R aven sil en ce . M eliss as clues sug gest
ry know
k sh oc ke d R av en into tem pora ow rit ua ls w e don t. T hey m ay
bar ng. T hey m ay kn e
Acolytes are stro ca n, ju st th e th ree of us. If wer
e
nger gods than w eir help.
how to b uild stro na l, w er e going to need th
e C ar di ts. Hed
going to stop th e f ir es of the last few nigh
anged in th
I nodded; hes ch is good.
ng new. Change l. She co uld do
becom e som ethi st roy the C ardina
ho w to de r! R aven
We already know e it w ou ld be hard for he
seem lik jaw set.
it. It do esn t even d I st ar ed her down, m y
at m e an
pointed a finger .
to happ en, R aven
T hat isnt going us , b urned Melissa
for nights
lled a do ze n of elissa
T hat fucker ki sp ec tr al m on ster! We lo ved M
into that fucking . I rem em ber th
e way he
until she turn ed tt en . A nd Er ik
n t fucking forgo at pray er m eetin
g and have
once, if yo u have d m ar ch in to th
e co ul
he tasted and w cowardly to
sm elled, the way w ex ce pt yo ure both too
the fuc k no
our revenge right
Circle of the Crone 49
gant, hotheaded, beau tiful face. I did it so
I slapp ed her. I slapp ed her right across her arro
rs stung and we all stood looking at each other
that Fran k didn t feel like he had to. My finge
ly, weakly. This is what he wants, really, at the
for a while. Were falling apart. Fran k said, final
do all his work for him.
end. He wants us to tear each other apart and
atic. I picked up my bag and headed for the
Fran k wasnt wrong, even if he was a little dram
door of the shitty hotel wed been squatting at.
asked, rubbing her cheek.
Where are you going? Raven sulked while she
even wors e things inside of them than I do.
To find the old dead Cron es. Maybe theyll have
possibilities ran across her eyes like she were
I guess I said something she could get behind, the
thos e eyes absolutely sparkled. Fran k fell in
calculating potential wealth after a windfall, and
.
behind us, and we went to follow Melissas clues
If there
confo undin forgiving, le i s a n ything le
g tha n a n a ss com passio ss
Mona, wha ncient god nate, and m
t we fo un , it s an elder o re
that. Mayb d m ad e th vam pire.
e she plans ings worse.
grievance w to curse u s Maybe Me
ith her if for failing lissa su sp ec
Were doo sh e did. h e r. I dont f ted
m e d f o eel any sp e
Is that dra o ls walking t cial
m atic? Do oward obliv
now, and c n t tak e it a ion.
hange is go s such. Ob
od. liv io n w o uld be a ch
Oaklawn c ange from
em etery on w h e re w e
ghost hunt Harrison is a re
ers from t on e of tho
wo und u p h e In t e rn e se sp o t s t h
b uried the t. T he place is a t wo und u p p
capturing e re. T here old, traditio op ular with
vidence of are several nal, and a lo kids and
of the pla ghostly act d o zen videos t o f p eople w
ces that th ivity there, b o n the web sh it h n a m es
as a result; e C ardinal u t I fo und owing them
t h e bo dy o m a r k e d as them uncon allegedly
wo uldnt b f t h e bo y forbidden vincing. Still
e b uried a w ho h a d b . M o u rn e r s w e re , it w as on e
We m o ved ny way, acc een shot w holding a v
under co ve ording to a o uld not b igil o u tside
sn eak into r o f the m press state e b uried a
the place t o urn ers, tho m e n t ; the police t O a klawn. It
friends I h hat was oc ugh it was had lost
ad m urder casionally p d istasteful, t he body.
ed in sp ect atrolled by it was the
I will agree acular and the C ardin surest way
with the su horrific fa als Paladins. to
if y o u did p erstitio u s shion. Paladins wh
nt know t kin e, that t o se
Fran k wasn hat vam pir he place ha
t the sort e elders sle d a palpable
werent a to tell u s w pt in the so feeling of
priority. O h a t he saw un il, y o u co uld su sp m enace, an
nly the eld less it was ect ghostly d
We co uld est of u s. p ertin ent, an activity.
tak e their d at that p
that Melis power for oint, ghosts
sa had indic o urselves.
at that po ated in her R aven whis
int she n ee riddles. R a p e r e d as w
I was pictu ded to die ven lick ed e ap proach
ring her alr before all h e r lip after sh e d t h e c ry
eady dead, this was o v e spok e, an pt
and I have m a ybe she wa e r, if o n ly for Fran d I r e a liz
tim e confu ed
o ur con ver sed again. E s d ead b y k s sak e. O
sation hap p arlier I had the tim e w r m ay b e
they dont en ed in the a con versat e got to t
exactly lea wrong plac ion with Er he cem eter
v e e in t ik. N o t h is y
Fran k took when y o ur im e. T he pro ghost; ju st
bolt cu tte e d o n e with th b le m with pro t h at
pointed o u rs to a n ew em . p hetic visio
t sigils scra chain, wo ve ns is
terribly da p ed into th n t h ro u g h t h e do o r
ngero u s. S e ston e. H s o f t h e cr
he glanced olding m agic y pt, and R
T he room at m e, lik e in and o u t. aven
inside was she was tea She said.
between o b ig e n o u g sin g m e . I T h e y m u st
urselves an h for the ignored her be
d the thr three of u and step p e
ee m arble s to go in a d inside.
coffins sit nd still gav
ting u p aga e u s a few
inst the w feet
alls under
fals e
50 Secrects of the Covenants
the view.
windows. As if the sleeping or the dead needed
and ash lay scattered thick on the exposed
One of the three coffins was open, destroyed,
red the creature inside, fitful in slumber,
bottom where the stone had brok en open. I pictu
and have it destroy them because it was
waking and cracking the stone, only to see the sun
I always have had an overactive imagination.
that far remo ved from humanity. Of course,
do it.
Your blood is the strongest. Raven told me. You
was right.
Fran k shook his head and looked at his boots. She
lid. It didn t move, which was ultim ately
I went to the middle coffin and pushed at the
out the crowbars to pry it off. It moved
a good sign for us, so Fran k and Raven brok e
cated mess. Its bones had scattered, the
with some effort, and the body inside was a desic
gone. This was no sleeping elder.
conn ective tissue that held them together long
Its a trick, give it blood anyway.
crawl, but Raven wasnt backing down
The idea of bleeding onto a skeleton made my skin
rse. I split my index finger open with a
and Fran k had returned to a state of passive remo
It would not go easily, and as it slid from
pock etknife and willed the blood to leave me.
pad of my finger and down thro ugh the
the lips of my wound, oozing slowly across the
thick er and moved slower than the last
air into the mouth of the corpse, I thought it was
blacker too? Shining less? Dull like a
time I had done something like this. Was it
the consistency alone said that I
starless night? Who can say? But
had changed. Change is good.
while. Raven smeared my blood
Nothing happ ened. We waited a
but nothing happ ened.
around on the skull s teet h,
who had sank even deep er into
Im sorry. I told Fran k
last one.
hims elf. Well try the
investigate the final coffin when
We t u r n e d to
split with a deafening crack. Earth
the ston e behin d us
out of the crack in the stone and
and worm s spilled up
angular, rose up out of the brok en
slowly a figure, bent and
if dancing to a bumping twisting rhythm
stone floor. She moved as
we could not hear. Whe n she stopp ed, she was thin and covered in soil
she hissed, drag ging the words up a dark,
and her eyes glowed red. I smell thick blood,
of her, and inside of her was the void. In
seldom-us ed tunnel. I saw, in that mom ent, inside
me was inside of her as well and that she
that mom ent, I know that what was inside of
dare to wake me, for what? She swept
recognized that horrible kinship between us. You
though her burning red eyes never moved
a pale hand in the air, indicating all three of us,
from me.
Fran k said with quiet deference. But
Were sorry to interrupt your slumber, Mother,
ce will come to your door. It may be
the city is in danger, and we are worried malevolen
best to flee.
boy. She said to Fran k, or to me, it was
Malevolence is already thro ugh my door, little
hard to say. You brought it with you.
and hes almost wiped us all out. Fran k
The leader here, hes, hes a power-mad Spear,
The Beast stirred under his skin and I felt
went on, his hands form ing white-knuckled fists.
and his Beast from overtaking him. Soon,
it, palpable. He work ed so hard to keep his clan
meant nothing.
I thought, all that effort would prove to have
Raven thought that was funny.
Daisy
Beautiful Corpse,
More about Daisy.
Return-Path: <gary@hotmail.COM> Blessed.
X-SpamCatcher-Score: 1 [X]
Received: from [136.555.55.555] (honoluluto
urism.gov) -Mona
by smtp.honolulutourism.gov
2004 11:40:10 -0400
with ESMTP-TLS id 61258719; Mon, 23 Aug
utouri sm.gov>
Message-ID: <4129F3CA.2020509@honolul
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2005 11:40:36 -0400
From: gary <gary@hotmail.com>
.1) Gecko/20020823 Safari/7.0
User-Agent: iphone (IOS; U 5.1; en-US; rv:1.0
X-Accept-Language: en-us, en
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Mona
Subject: Daisy
t=flowed
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; forma
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
like in the movie s.
a bad time to send you an email, but it isnt
Daisys in labor. That probably seems like
-Mona
How I Learned to Let Go
and Love the Movement
Dust Mother,
Nasiriyah What I showed
him next. Be careful
with it.
-Mona
In regard to the events surrounding Nasiriyah:
Dirt Queen,
Tending Gardens
About you, more
or less, so he Had a boy come to my place, he was deliciou s.
knows. Im kidding! I dont think I ate him. He was a real tulip, you know?
-Mona Well, probably you dont. He was tough, and rugged, and arrogan t, and
I bet he would have been deliciou s if I had eaten him. Which I didnt.
He said that the Queen Father of the city had demand ed he observe my
garden to make sure I wasnt up to anythin g. His bravery impress ed
me, so I ate him. No, so I brought him down into the garden.
Youve been, yes? I brought you down, didnt I? Well. The Tulip and I went down into the abandon
train station that served as my garden here. The biolumin escent moss is enough light for me, ed
but Tulip had trouble with that. mind,
Mind the vines, I told him after he tripped in the dark, and I guess he didnt think I saw the glare
he gave me. Because it was dark and he was prettier than he was smart. Or was. Hell, I dont know,
think he survived the visit. Dont ask me about it! I
I told him about the flora, the families of the otherwis e-extinc t plants I tended, the genus, and
I organize d them. He might have yawned; I love when they start to get bored like that. how
Thats when Granny Mae groaned pleasant ly off to our left as we passed the wishbon e flowers. What
the fuck? he said and reached inside his coat, I guess it only sounds like pleasur e if you know the sound.
That would be my great-gr eat-grea t-great-great-gr eat and some other great grandda ughter.
name is Mae. I told him, matter of fact, and took him by his arm. I guess my grip is more than Her
people expect, so when I took his arm, he grimace d. Come on then, theres more than one way to most
garden. I dragged him; he followed, because what choice did he have, and I introduc ed him totend a
Granny Mae. little
She was, as far as I can tell, about eighty-s even years old, and had been in my care for ten or fifteen
years. I made formal introduc tion, Tulip, this is Mae, Mae, this is Tulip, and so on. He stared,
wide so that I could see the white all around the iris. eyes
Bread Crumbs
From the notes of the Voivodes Scribe, Sept
ember The Voi vode
On this night, the twins Jerome and Jewe
l were brought Can you explain your actions then? In the hope
before the Hier opha nt on char ges of s we might
thre aten ing the learn something from
Masquerade and the as-till-now-untried crim your crimes?
es of stealing
Crac and worshiping alien gods. While these Jew el
crimes were
outlined in the papers of assertion written so Lear n some thin g?
many years ago,
the Academy was shocked to hear them brou She speaks up first.
ght up.
The Voi vode, gre at Genius You couldnt learn anything real if I stuffed
the truth right
Since this citys founding, we have existed straight up your...
in a caref ul
balance between our need to experiment Jerome (interrupting.)
and our need to
respect the energies that make this location You
so ideal for our wont listen. You wont hear. So theres no
research. This place, all of this place, is a part reason for
of the greatest us to say shit.
Grand Experiment I have yet to hear about,
and the Acolytes Many in the Academy grumble, and the Voivo
of the Circle of the Crone have had a welc de silences them
ome place in with an offhand wave.
this delicate balance. The rules were clear
and simple. The
worshipers of gods were welcome to practice The Voi vode
their dark arts,
feed freely and happily, and be safe inside Drag Learning is what we do, though I cannot imag
ine your sire
on protection wou
so long as they worshipped only the gods that ld have bothered to teach you that either. I
forgive your
belong to this igno
place. What you children have done could rance of the Order, but ignorance of the law
destroy all of us. cannot be
All of us. And worse still, this great and Gran so lightly forgiven.
d experiment.
As always, our great Genius looked fantastic, Jew el
walking the
floor of the Academys lecture hall, his arms Standing up, folding her arms.
held wide as he
spoke both to those gathered and to the child You learn from book s and labs and, wha
ren where they t, fuck ing
sat. He is as charming as he is brilliant; mak discussion groups? Not one of you lives in
e no mistake. the real fuck ing
Jerome and Jewel sit stiffly, looking at the floor,
showing not the world. You been out there lately? Reality isnt an experiment,
wisdom to watch the Genius as he speaks in order
to glean what its full of real people living, dying, fuck ing, and suffering
lessons they can from his words. Jewel is in her
mid-twenties, with every day.
deep skin and honey-brown eyes. Her nose is aquil
ine, and her whole
face is beautiful despite the ignorance and comm
onness of her dress Jerome
and manner of speaking. Her brother, twin broth
er, is similarly Stays sittin g, looki ng at the floor, but could finish his sisters
handsome but common. Tragically common.
None of us seems thoughts in his own words with no cues
especially forgiving of their history, being from the between the two. They
streets and all. If just know.
I dare to read the mood of the Academy, it is one
of quiet disdain.
s is
iet for a while. T hi
th e fil e ag ai ns t hi s chest, and was qu g?
setti ng in
He fin ished read ing, w far this is spread
es an yo ne ou tsi de of you and I know ho
sig ni ficant. Do internal issue sti ll.
ad . A few , but it remains an
I shoo k m y he this iss here?
ue
l wi th a sig h. And do you have on my knee.
Hi s chest rose an d fel
ee up to m y ch es t and rested my chin
ad, pulli ng my kn
Agai n, I shook my he
got our eyes out. d rebar. S o al l of
Not here, no. Weve th e bu nk er, tra ili ng the concrete an
the ceili ng of
He nodded, eyes on ck of this... issue.
ax is, al l of this, its to keep tra red opened
this, the letters, th e pr
es s th ats wh er e I wound up. Ki nd
that way, no, but I gu began seeing
It didnt start out ma tio n sta rte d to flow more freely. I
Honolulu. The in for
up when I claimed al ized this was ki nd
of an issue.
nd s an d I re chael breathed out,
patterns an d tre
e in for ma tio n wi ll stop flowi ng. Mi
e praxis, th
And if you lose th me . T hi s is a heav y burden
, my girl.
to loo k at
heav y, and turned though.
ve to bear it alone, to stand above me,
I nodded. I don t ha od fro m hi s cot. He moved
tching me, an d th en sto garden that youre
He sat up slowl y, wa ta ke wh at yo u ve groomed here. The
eek. I cannot t it is un iquely your
s.
and touched my ch wi ll pr ob ably destroy you, bu
ou s, an d
nursing is danger read al l those storie
s.
nt to he lp ou t, th ough? You want to
You wa
, and nodded. I do.
He smiled, no teeth
o?
You wanna fuck to
nable. e oldest
He shrugged. Rea so
m, se al in g a pe ril ous bargai n with th
hi
the cot and ki ssed
At that, I got up on
sort of magic.
Invictus 71
could get rich doing this,
Its not about the payment though, not really. I
n over everyones head, but
but I dont care about money. Could hold informatio
teaching discretion. Need me
its not really about the power either. Its about
obviously didnt educate you
once, shame on you. Need me twice, well, then I
Cant get by copying homework,
properly the first time. This aint high school.
this shit, it matters. We need
they need to learn to stand on their own. Cause
n warfare on our asses. Oh, I
to remain unseen or someone is going to go moder
ones faster or stronger than
hear plenty of talk how wed come out on top. No
to be. They carry the day and
we are. Heres the thing though: they dont need
were done. So stay hidden
the world will be a smoking pile of ash by the time
and dont go setting off the apocalypse.
into the alley way that serves
So when Buck thats his actual name FYI walks
h, he opens with Hey J, watcha
as my office, I knew he was in trouble. Sure enoug
that. Hey B, I mimic him,
doin as if we dont both know why hes here. Fuck
inflection. Let him know to
watcha need? I make sure to copy his words and
Some of our kind, theyre
stop bullshitting and tell me the score. So he does.
right, but at least they dont
monsters, but theyre smart. Kill people left and
of bodies in a freezer and has
get caught. I know this girl who kept a whole stack
a month. Others, well, theyre
her shady connections collect and bury them once
people alive, but theyre also
like Buck. Theyre friendly and careful to leave
The issue there is it doesnt
dumb. Buck here got caught making out with a guy.
its a whole lotta sloppier
look like making out. It might feel like sex, but
phone cameras. A lesser man
and Buck got himself caught on one of those shitty
better than that.
might break his neck for being a nuisance, but Im
finding someone is all about
Youve gotta understand that in this day and age,
he was caugh t, hack into the clubs video
having the best toys. I ask Buck where
where now), and have the face of the guy
surveillance (told ya cameras are every
searc hing with a Google Image Search
filming him in two minutes flat. A little
had to hack into the DMV and
beta, and theres his Facebook page. Used to be I
ones on socia l media. Its almost too
hope for a match, but these nights every
whole thing takes less than three minutes.
easy to find his name and address. The
caught Buck and even if I
Now comes the hard part. No way around it. The guy
of course), hes still seen
could stop the video from going viral (which I can
be honest theyre no good.
what hes seen. There are tricks for that; but to
any of that. He has to go. I
There are always hooks and snags and we cant risk
on our hands, one way or
tell Buck to do it. Newbie has to we all have blood
of his way to remain spotless
another, and this way hell learn. Hes gone out
it hurts. I stay and watch.
and I make him throw it away. Im hitting him where
Make sure it gets done, but also make
sure I never take it for granted. SECURE
Sarah:
I let Buck wrap the body in the shower
Lets get this sim on the road.
curtain and carry it outside. I take May the best player win.
it from there Ive got the resources
to make sure it never turns up. Make
sure the neighbors dont see anything Sarah:
either . Im good at my job. It hurts and By which I mean me.
I figur e thats what makes me good. We
mess up and people die. Thats something Mikhail:
that we all need to remem ber. Gotta Put your game where your mouth is, Stinky.
keep the secre t.
Sarah:
Oh, youre asking for it.
Invictus 73
SECURE Bad Blood in Saint Petersburg
Mikhail:
police from the city
Youre trying to separate the nter.
Dear S.,
thin k on my cou
council. Not bad. Lemme
Sarah:
d I hope you dont mind
I blame the Tsar, really. Peter the
While you finish thinking (an
me not waiting for that), I wan
ted to share a letter Great built this city to showcase how
e in St. Petersburg. She is
enlightened he was, while picking up
from an associate of min
of power and instead
eschewing traditional forms
through.
new trade from the West. Pragmatic.
on the ma sse s to see her
calling
st-petersburg.pdf
Mikhail: Opportunistic. It still shows. Saint
You mean shes manipulating
ntio
the masse s. Also , I love
ns the Secret; shes so
Petersburg goes through a new name
nev er eve n me
every time the regime changes. Keep
how she
trol. We need to be on
consumed with regaining con top to focus.
up or get left behind. Were like those
Sarah:
on being in power so much,
little suckerfish, parasites that go
Perhaps weve come to rely
wherever sharks and the tides take us.
it. In that cas e, its not a
that it terrifies us when we lose
tch .
Opportunists surround me. I am one
tool its a cru
myself.
Almost every covenant has had a turn at the wheel in Saint Petersburg. We all
roll in and out on the tide of whomever is in power. Saint Petersburg has been
good to the Invictus traditionally, but these nights the Lancea et Sanctum is the
bigger fish and their control is ironclad.
The Spear holds sway over the church, no surprises there, as well as some of
the more notable hate groups you know the ones who leave a trail of blood all
over YouTube. There is no action too insane or degrading to get some likes. The
Sanctified lack pull with the Organizatsiya though, so thats where we come in.
The Sanctified dictate policy and we carry it out. Sure, we pretend to be Invictus,
Dragons, or Crones, but were all Sanctified by proxy. Leeches waiting for the tide
to turn. Those who dont comply, find themselves devoured by a swarm of locusts
(or whatever the biblical punishment of the week is). No exceptions. We are all
Gods monsters here.
I report to Bishop Borodin and when he tells me to jump, I make sure I get
all the details right when, how high, how often and then I do it. They make
me carry my predecessors knucklebone in my pocket to remind me of the price of
failure. I run a human trafficking ring. Its a streamlined business: snatch women
Invictus 75
job, I have to or theyll kill me (which
is true, ironically), but I dont want to.
can prove it, too I keep exact record I
s of the orders Im given. Who, wha
and where to the T. I let just enough t,
rebels off the hook to spread the sto
of Sanctified-ordered atrocities and ry
to come back. Again, and again, and
The Carthians are like sand getting again.
everywhere you dont want it to and eve
patience of saints (and monsters) is n the
wearing thin.
Ive been doing this for years now, nea
rly a decade, and Ive got both sides
seeing red with built-up rage. The Sa
nctified need me, the Carthians trust
and I make sure to counsel action me
. Ive already sent Bishop Borodin
report recommending a full crackdown a
, lest he risks losing the city to a
ending trickle of Carthians. Meanwhile never-
the Carthians, sick and tired of losing
members, are gearing up for war too
. Both are so eager to tear into eac
other that they dont even notice me h
lurking underneath. When the waters
the Spear and the Carthians will hav clear,
e
devastated each other, and the Invictus
in
Saint Petersburg will rise again und SECURE
er my
leadership. Then I will show everyone Mikhail:
how memo.pdf
a real boss runs her city. Sarah:
- From AK with love Really? Your counter is to enlist priv
never work. Were not talking about
ate forces? That will
killing turbans in
some far-away terrorist country. Wer
e talking about
American citizens. Your bill will neve
r pass. Also, the
Lassiter Group? Way to overreach, little
brother. They
will chew you up and spit you out
even our sire
doesnt know who has their fingers
in *that*
particular pie.
From: Consultant
To: Lassiter Lobby Group
Subject: Responders Mikhail:
our boys in blue, Please. I can handle the Lassiters. Thei
While I have nothing but respect for already in place and I consulted for
r assets were
ce forces. After all,
I fear that we are over taxing our poli
them in the past,
so why not make use of that? Its only
the pay low. My
the work is hard, the hours long and
practical.
Efficient. As for the private security
e of their workload forces American
suggestion would be to funnel som citizens go to prison and those have
of private enforcers been handed
onto private contractors. The concept over to private contractors, too. All
I need to do is
minor scandals,
has been proven abroad, despite a few utter the magic words reduce cost
s and the council
welcome the extra
and I am sure we can get our city to will be falling all over itself to sign.
for which cou ncil
help. I have outl ined a sche dule
sure we can draw
members to contact and when, and am
future.
up and pass a bill within the very near I am wondering though, where your
Mikhail:
video girl is?
Ive sent some people to debunk her,
but shes
untraceable. My commendations on
your
clean up there.
Invictus 77
Lord Nathan,
Inner
I was making my rounds through South
The fi r st City (and part of North since Edward
asked for
time I saw her was in my bedroom. I
literature.
personal time) and found these snippets of
felt something press down on my sleeping
behind
They were in several places, mostly alleys
e. One was
form and pierce my brea st with needles. pubs and bookstores, but a few were insid
Someone is
I woke then and saw her, dar k eyes in red sharpie on a mirror, of all things.
himself,
rising up to meet mine, and pain clearly feeling the need to express herself (or
on a
turned to ecsta sy. I pulled her to but my finely honed instincts are picking up
me and the dra pes billowed around female vibe).
and these
us as even the wind conspired to push The handwriting on all of them matches
bathroom
her sweet perfection into my own body. I musings strike me as a little elaborate for
iration and
surrendered to her, accepting the secrets graffiti. Perhaps a mortal with literary insp
know?
that she bestowed upon me even as she an obsession with a certain muse we both
de to
The colour of her hair changes from blon
already rose. I should
dark, but the eyes remain the same. I feel
that The
mention, though I suspect you know this,
hangouts,
Bleeding Horse was one of Le Fanu's
" in these
so the pattern repeats there, too. If the "she
might
notes is indeed Her Royal Highness, one
leave it in
wonder what she is up to. Either way, I
your good hands.
Sincerest regards,
Derek.
Invictus 79
FROM: Earl Nathan
TO: Baron Catherine
Dearest Catherine, ition in Dublin, which is
in goo d stan din g. I am ver y pleased with my pos
I hope this letter finds you wel l and and the greater society
hon our . All of us are entrusted by our ow n nature
both a great responsibility and a gre at be lax. It matters not if they
it fall s to me to pick up where others might
we serve to keep the Firs t Tra diti on, but squerade. This is a most
g; it is my gre at dut y to ma ke sure all of them maintain the Ma
are neonate, Duke, or Kin
onsibility.
taxing, but also rewarding resp side s, I find myself thinking of you and the
time we spent
nde d by sec rets on all than I will ever
In these times, when I am surrou frie nd, and so mu ch better at keeping a confidence
and stau nch est has a heavy
in London. You were my sister my con fida nte aga in? Som etimes even a servant of silence
ld you be
be. I almost dare not ask, but wou Please Catherine, assure me tha
t you are my sister still.
not kno w wh ere else to tur n.
heart and I do
Your loving brother,
Nathan.
Lord Nathan,
Ive increased eyes in Inner City as you
suggested and one of them came across this
masterpiece. There is no name attached to
it of either painter or subject, but the rese
striking. This obsession is getting too big to mblance is
ignore.
The good news though, is that I think I
m closing in on our artiste. Ive tracked
Trinitys Languages, Literatures, and Cu her to
ltural Studies and am waiting for a nam
the distinctive writing style and her talent e. Between
for painting, I hope to find her soon. I
the author and the painter could be two realize that
different people, but that isnt the vibe Im
you should like me to widen the net nonethe getting. If
less, please let me know. For now though,
well find her soon so we can hopefully wor I think
ry less.
Sincerest regards,
Derek.
She came to me in truth this time! I was at my desk attempting to write (though I admit
I kept drawing her face!) when she tapped me on the shoulder, light as sunlight falling on
a flower. The sensation is odd to describe, but I knew it was SHE the moment she touched me. I
didn't even start, as one would expect to do when approached alone in her room at night. I merely
turned and, seeing her, fell at her feet. She knelt with me then and, gathering me up in her
arms, carried me to my bed as if I were no more than a child. There, she caressed and kissed
me until my body cried out for sweet release.
After our union, I felt myself slip into a deep slumber and I grasped her hand and begged
her to remain with me. She said she could not and I very nearly burst into tears, but her eyes
narrowed and I knew I must be strong. My angel smiled then, dark wrath disappearing as
night before the day, and when I AWOKE, everything was different.
She left a note on my pillow! A real, tangible note written on paper that still scents of her when
I press it to me. Her words are radiant like the sun and ephemeral like the wind.
"How I have longed to meet one such as you. Your passion and beauty entrance me as surely as
you believe yourself entranced by me. You are more the seductress here and I your devoted slave.
My heart beats only to echo yours. I am yours if only you will be mine."
Invictus 83
e sig ned it wit h her na me . Sh e is real and I remember her
Of COURSE, I am her s! Sh
m
now, as clearly as the da y. Ca ralli
nin g aft er my ang el visi ted . Th e loss of a single day does not matter
I nearly slept until eve rcise
t her , tim e pas ses dar ke r tha n any night. I also admit that our exe
to me though, for withou
left me fair exhausted. did not come. I tried to finish
n wai ted eag erl y for her , but she
I woke in time for dinner and the whe lm me as I considered that she
rib le pan ic thr eat ene d to over
my writing assignment, but a ter the not e tha t my beautiful Carallim
in the dar k, clu tch ing
might have abandoned me. So I sat ce.
d the sec ond s tick awa y. I ha ve nei ther finished my work, nor eaten sin
left, and watche
to that promise.
She has promised to return. I cling
l die!
She mu st return or SURELY, I wil
my an ge l, my mo st bea uti ful Ca rallim, would not desert me. This
She came to me! I knew she spoke. I admit that I did not
t to me an d str ok ed my ha ir as
time she sat on the bed nex
th of her wor ds, tho ug h the pas sion in her sweet voice was clear and
fully under sta nd the dep
true. be. She spoke of eternal
if one as lov ely as her cou ld eve r
She spoke of being a dem on, as e for ces her into hiding, but that
d tha t her own bas e na tur
nights spent in dar kness. She sai a mo rta l dares press a goddess,
on tha t, as ge ntl y as
I ha ve drawn her out. I pressed her a
tha t my wr itin g, wh ich a fri end re ferred to her, reminded her of
and she admitte d
ok en scr ibb lin gs im pr ess one suc h as her! The thought is so
fondness. Ca n you imagine! My br
won der ful , tha t it lif ts my spi rit to the highest hea ven.
ludicrous, yet so
wh en I sle pt. I do not un der sta nd all of it, but here is a part:
She left an other let ter d, dea d hea rt. I cannot
ep an d fee l pas sion sti r in my col
"Beloved, I look upon you as you sle en all
the dr ead I fel t bef ore I me t you . Ga me s of blood matter na ught wh
begin to expre ss eed . I kn ow thi s mu st seem odd to
des ire is a hol low one ind
needs are met, for a hea rt wit hout
an d pr om ise as you rs elf , but one NIGHT I shall explain all.
one as full of lif e
oll y an d com ple tel y. Du ty is a hea vy burden of which I only wish to
I long to be wit h you wh
hol low the fan cies of the nig ht ar e, compared to your ra dia nce and
release mysel f now! How it. Am I that brave? To embrace
lik e fir e an d I lon g to em br ace
love. Passion con sumes me I shall pray for that strength so
we
y obl ig ati on an d sec rec y ali ke ?
the fire, BURNING awa
might be together." great to me as my own. If
ful ly un der sta nd the cau se, is as
Her suffering, though I do not
str eng th, I wou ld bur n the ent ire world to be wit h her.
only I could be her
Lord Nathan,
myself and
Ive put surveillance on Childes like you ordered. Ive been keeping some watches
can feel her
I can tell when the Princess is with her. I never see her enter or leave, but I
Im not sure
presence. Its like strong wine that makes your head swim (or would have, before).
Childes girl
if shes doing it on purpose to let me know that she knows Im watching, or if this
is really getting to her. Maybe removing Childes removes the problem.
by the
I know Belfast wants to wait, but say the word and Im ready. Girl looks terrible
we can sit
way; she must have lost at least a stone since the Princess began visiting. Maybe
back and watch the problem solve itself. Whatever happens though, it has to be quick.
I could not find the transcript of the Princess words Childes refers to.
Sincerest regards,
Derek. Invictus 85
id wi th m e. N ot in the bed this time. I
d la a
ag ai n, at ni g ht - alwa ys at night - an lled me down to her. She m ounted me as
She ca m e and pu bear
e ho w sh e en te rs , bu t she wa s on the fl oor ferocious, primal even, and I will surely e, but
never se She wa s s of her need would re
pel m
do es a st ag an d I surrendered to her. other , the di re ctn es
lion an y
ar k s fo r ni g ht s to come. If she were re s me as much as I de sire her.
the m
on ly en ha nc es th e pa ssion. She de si ca re ss ed m y ha ir as one does a child.
with her, it chest an d
ne ed s we re m et, sh e pressed me to her as sh e re ca ll ed he r experien ce s. Her
When her der m e ile
e of fir e an d de at h, and she trembled un hidden under the veneer of the world, wh
She spok m on s, in
con fu se m e. Sh e te ll s me of a society of de et underground? Her word s seem couched
word s cr
she talking about a se erity as if I should ta ke them literally.
in g on hu m an ity . Is
prey
t sh e de li ve rs th em with complete sinc g th at sh e ch ose m e for this talent.
metaphor, ye claim in
e sit at m y de sk to write down her word s, which they ca nn ot survive. Without them,
She made m ht in
to ex po se th es e hi dd en dem on s to the lig g toget her, but I know her heart beat s as
She wa nt s m e dn't spea k of us bein
ar t an ew . Sh e di fe.
she sa ys, she could st rock upon which she will build her new li
e
true as mine. I am th
Catherine
FROM: Baron
hony
TO: Duke Ant ested.
Dear Duke, hi eu of D ub lin as you sugg
Duke M at ly forcing
re st A nt ho ny , es t re ga rd s, has spoken to pp or t w ha t fate is tragical
Dea with the high al Highnesses
su
hom I consider is and Her Roy
My brother, w pe rs ua de d if H
n?
e Duke could be speak to Our Majesties agai
He believes th se yo u to
ight plea
us to do. If it m
rvant,
Your humble se
Catherine th Belfast .
of R eg en ts Nightclub, Nor
Baron
Lord Nathan,
found her gone. All her belongings
I went to pick up the Childes girl on your order andan abandoned air. I called her
are accounted for; including the diary, but the place has hasnt attended class in days. Guess she
professor and he hasnt seen her, although he admits she
was too busy pining after the Princess.
y. The passion and confusion are
I did an extensive search of the place, but came up emptI found nothing that explains where
but
so thick that they melted into the walls and floorboards,
Childes has gone.
are we left holding a ticking bomb?
Not sure what to do next. Did this just blow over, or
I include her last diary excerpt.
Sincerest regards,
Derek.
Invictus 87
I slept through the day again and when
and wake when she enters. She kissed my I woke, she was there. She is my sun now. I sleep when she leaves
to tell me more about her life and the dem breasts and this time I nea rly fainted with passion. I asked her
as I should have and seeking to alleviate ons that trouble her. She refused, but I, not rea ding her mood
her burden, pre ssed her to tell me. I coul
wrath overcame her, but it was too late to cha d see her face cha nge as
cra cked my lip, but seeing my pain only ng e wha t I had don e. Qui ck as lightning, she hit me. The blow
me close to her hea rt. I begged forgiven reminded her of our love. She kissed awa y the blood and pre ssed
nothings in my ear. ess as she held me. She caressed my hair
as she whi spered sweet
to
I was already hal f asleep when she began
SECURE
had
Mikhail:
talk. As angry as my earlier insi sten ce now.
ma de her, she volunteered the info rm atio n
Can I ask you something? Do you reall
y think the First
Estate can survive without the elite
of
She said she had beg un the great pogrome. I
? We cant possibly
control seven billion people, or even
the three million
her life and laughed as if it were a gam ly
in the San Diego metro area, but we
*can* control
Invictus 89
er,
them, they would at least be safer. I fear their anger, howev
killing them left and right. If I shared this information with burn it to the groun d. Would they stop there?
rafs haven, and
for surely they would march on the Shadow Palace, the Markg
childe r, I must also be mindf ul of protec ting the elders of Berlin. I say this with great reluctance, but
If I seek to protect the
, I could steer Berlin to calmer waters.
perhaps if I reach out to Johan, the de facto neonate leader
I wish things were different, I must do what is right. I am
I look at the hand Ive been dealt and, no matter how much and
up. I include my proof against the Markg raf with this video
meeting Johan later tonight and together we will lift Berlin house in order and then we will find and stop
I will put our
hope future generations and God judge me kindly. Johan and
the source of the attack s. We must. It is our duty.
LLG
LASSITER LOB
BYING GROUP
Mikhail:
ag ain . Th is isnt about
t word
There you go using tha t being ective.
eff
being gentle. Its abou
SECURE
Sarah:
I had that dream again. This time I got close
exit. I think Mr. S. was stand ing there. He
nt
r to the
was
see
holding
it clearly.
Facility 52
something, a metal object, but I could
Mikhail:
That migh t be
Youre dreaming about our sire?
Stockhol m synd rome , you know . From: [redacted]
To: Sarahs Game
of
Sarah: Kamchatka Krai, at the furthest east tip
do thin gs a
Sigh. Im trying to share here. But never
mind then.
Russia, has always been ours. We
tal
certain way here. We control the horizon
y. Wh en the
Mikhail: and the vertical, and people obe
9
Come on, Sarah. Im just kidding! Russians opened the region to civilians in 198
too.
though, other covenants inevitably came in
the
Mikhail:
Sarah?
Sometimes they clash with us. Recently,
tow n noti ced
Carthian enforcer of a no-name
the
a slow trickle of disappearing Kindred in
Mikhail: sent som eon e
Oh fine then. I apologize.
city surrounding facility 52. He
to investigate. We took care of it.
Sarah:
Youre forgiven. This time.
Invictus 91
From: Kai
To: Madeline
Arrived later than I
expected,
at 02 :11, si nc e th e
ro ad w as
horrible. No mobile
reception
or Wi-Fi, something
about ore
in the ground, but foun
d a motel
with Internet. Will be
in touch
tomorrow.
From: Kai
To: Madeline
town a bit. Tried my cell at several
Found a place to stay and walked around
ere. The owner of the motel explained
locations, but theres no reception anywh
t it has som eth ing to do wit h me tal ore in the ground and surrounding
tha
Soviets. Mining is pretty much dead
mountains. Apparently, this ore drew in the
about that later. Going back to the ore
now. As is the rest of the town, but more
le. Weirdest thing Ive ever heard, but
everyone here relies on landlines and cab
ut.
Im sure they know what theyre talking abo
the edge of the abyss. Soviet funds
The town itself is pretty much standing on
alive until 1991, wh en the USSR cru mb led. I think technically its still part
kept it
bothered to revolt. There isnt anything
of Russia, but thats only because it hasnt
ed in Krokodil. Everyone Ive seen has
worth fighting for here unless youre interest
to expose flesh, muscle, and bone. If the
the signs scaly skin that rots in patches
zombie plague ever hits, it started here.
. I know you like that sort of thing. Be
Attached a pic of some interesting graffiti
in touch.
Checked the picture and found no encrypted data. Later pictures did carry messages and Iv e
decoded those. Someone is working to cut this place off from the world. Interference from ore,
indeed.
Decoded Message:
Finally found two of our kind. Or mor e accurate ly, they found me. The
Mary and John, which are no doubt fak e nam es. They agre ed to tell y introduced themselv es as
they dont trust me yet. Appar ently, when the Russians abandon ed thisme about the city, though its clear
the vacuum. They control the city and its only source of revenue, which plac e, the Invictus mov ed into
industry. No one leav es without their say so, neither Kindred nor kin according to John is the drug
with Krokodil, that much is obvious, but Mary and John were coy abou e. They keep the latt er in check
stay. Whatev er it is that clos es the ranks against dissidents, its big. M t how they compel Kindred to
newcom ers an offer that they cannot refuse. I ask ed her for proof and ary says the Invictus mak e all
she will
I promise to tak e them with me when I leav e. get me a list of nam es if
From: Kai
To: Madeline on the
is all around me . This ent ire pla ce the city, its people is standing
Decay life. Not out
to oblivion already, but still clings to
cusp of death. It should have fallen ke up, breathe, do Krokodil, sleep. Its
d you , bu t out of hab it. Wa
of desperation, min
almost mesmerizing.
an endless cycle for these people. Its
Mikhail:
Sorry!
From: San Die
go Citizens Uni
To: S. on Mikhail:
We have people That just came out wrong.
inside San Diego
and ou r hacker s key compani
s have done a es
a to ke n am ou small ru n stea
nt fr om ea ch li ng Mikhail:
money from on . B y co nver ti
e e-currency to ng th e
encr yption, they another while Were under a lot of pressure right now. Its not every
claim to be untr using night that youre asked to run a sim on the future of
big, the local F aceable. Once w
ortune 500 wil e go your covenant. People have expectations. Of course,
That should pu l be the Fortune
t a dent in their 000. were both nervous. But no one is going to kill you.
On a side note, abilit y to buy th
we are now the e city. Weve been at our sim for three years now and weve
a million in bitc proud owners of gotten nothing but good reviews. Youre bright.
oins. I hope yo half
purchases plan u have a lot of Almost as bright as I am. When were done, well both
ned. Im kiddin online
money back in g. Shall we funn be on the fast track. Youll see.
to our operatio el the
n?
SECURE Sarah:
Okay.
Sarah: local
are ready to collapse the
Fair warning. My peeps Sarah:
economy. Did you send me the ent
ire thing? Ill bury it on
darknet and add a timer
Mikhail: in case anyone tries to gra
us. Meanwhile you burn b
e thing. the original. Im sending
to say the sam a cleaner program run you
Funny. I was about it to delete any trace of
thing from your system this
. Then we will never talk
it again. of
Sarah:
t Control?
Think we should contac
Mikhail:
litt le vag ue on what
Well, the handbook is a uld wa ger
act ion, bu t I wo
constitutes irreversible my cou nts.
that collapsing the econo
Sarah: of
n, Mr. Funny Guy. Ill pro
Lets draw up reports the
yours if you proof mine.
Invictus 95
When in Rome
walking
One of my earliest memories is e lights, and the familiar scent of my mother as she gathers
all th ve.
through the house to turn on I insist she leaves the lights on. I hate the dark; always ha
d.
me up and takes me back to be too. W ell , it wa s da ytime, but I was in a coffin so
it
th e da rk
The first time I saw her was in R ome. With security checks, you cant trust any flight to
ed to al
was dark to me. I d just travel are notoriously tardy in everything, so traveling like a norm c
ns ffi
arrive on schedule and Italia k being caught by the sun. Luckily, my sire is part of a tra ss
ris cla
person was out. Dont want to needed to do was climb in a coffin and theyd ship me first- a
I sh
network and he set me up. A ll tly its the way to travel for those with our condition. Sa
ren
cargo. Creepy as hell; but appa during the hours I d be awake. Bring an e-reader or MP3
even gave me tips on what to youve downloaded everything cause you wont have access
do
re t
player, she said, but make su ugh no access to the cloud while in the clouds but she jus
la too
to your cloud. That made me t joking. It was the first time shed made an effort to be nice, e.
sn Be at ric
stared and I realized she wa bra cin g an oth er Ki nd red ). Way to be awkward,
sire em
(she didnt appreciated her/our wa s dr ea ming, too. My sire claims that my memory.
Kindred
, as lee p. I th ink I
So I was in my coffin nig ht wi th
from
the sensation of dreams slipping e sound comes
t I wa ke up eve ry of wings. Th
rarely dream, bu ff an d hear the far-away beating es already all whipping
ing at th e ed ge of a cli cloth
Im stand ug gle against the gale, hair and ath me and my flesh begins
closer as th e wi nd pic ks up . I str ne
es be
off the cliff. Yellow fire emerg up.
forward, and am blown right face flake off and turn to ash as I fall into the fire. I woke ing
of th
to melt as I fall closer. Strips ion in my little box. I wanted to scream, but I didnt. Some was
at I
I could smell death and stagn l it, just like I could feel my sire when he stalked me. Like me
fee ink
was in there with me. I could d the best I could do was be still and hope that it didnt th
very small and insignificant, an
interesting.
st, I th ou gh t it wa s the ye llo w fire from my dream, but
t fir I
Thats when I saw it - her. A s in the dark. They came closer and I knew they were eyes.
po int limbs. I
there were two of them. Tiny thr as h an d thr ow it off me, but I couldnt move myind them
wa nte d to
did scream then and I as th e ey es leaned in and I saw an ashen ew my fight-or-
face beh
ing bu t scr ea m
couldnt do anyth h go ds. Sasha would laugh so ha
rd if she kn
Th en I pa sse d ou t. O
and then
out. But I did.
flight response equals passing an d th e nig ht cre w wa s opening my coffin. I didnt
were go ne out
When I woke again, the eyes my sire and I knew theyd report back to him if I asked ab
for
tell them anything. They work me. This is the first time Ive been away from him since he ter
anyone being in the coffin wi th
on my ow n for a wh ile . N o way was I going back af
ed to be
turned me and I need this. I ne re probably part of the dream. Thats what I told myself.
we
just arriving. Besides, the eyes w cit y, pa sse d pa rti ally with me writing my sire to
in a ne
That night, my first as Kindred my behalf, and thanking the Prince of R ome for his
ge on
thank him for bartering passa e taught me is to always be polite. It seemed that everyone ns
sir
hospitality. The first thing my study the early nights of our covenant. I endured introductio
in
knew that I d come to R ome to iming to be close friends of my sire and offering to help me
al l cla rth ele ss,
to half a dozen Kindred, sha ta ug ht me is th at Ki nd red do nt have friends. Neve
my endeavor. The first thing Sa names and thank them.
th eir
I made sure to remember all
96 Secrets of the Covenants
her
o cla im ed to be my sir es A unt and has lived in R ome all s
wh o wa
Three Kindred stood out: Edda, ogist and offered to proof my thesis; and lastly Giulia, wh
eol
life; Gennaro, who is an arch therefore most like me.
d
the only childe in the group an der a clock
six orbs
tower. It was marked with the ildings
al l ba sem en t un
I spent the night in a sm ha rd ly surpr
lf the bu
ising the Medicis owned ha rt of history.
st, bu t th at wa s ngible pa
of the Medici cre St ill, it was nice to sleep close to a ta t of the stone. Edda,
on e po int or an oth er.
in Italy at ing ou
s feel, as if history is just pour I needed anything before I
to love the wa y old bu ild ing g if
I used off for the night. She kept askin u to
who controls the tower, saw me st be bipolar or something. One moment theyre yelling at yo if
turned in. I swear Kindred mu y (my sire really did that), the next theyre coddling you as
gu
stop being a pussy and kill the de sure to bar the door after she left.
ma
youre a toddler. Its freaky. I
From: Lady Edda
To: Lord Francesco
Dear Francesco,
A quick note before morning comes.
Beatrice arrived safely. She is a darling
girl, very well behaved and clearly
the weariness you spoke of, but Im educated. I could see some of
sure that will pass. A lot has happen
all. You mentioned she majored in Eur ed in her life since she met you, afte
opean History and she seemed to live r
to Professor Gennaro. Im certain we n up quite a bit when she spoke
ll have a grand time here in Rome.
The transporters also performed adm
irably. Ive paid the second half of the
replace the lid, as they claim Beatric ir fee. They charged extra to
e left claw marks on it. Maybe she had
or theyre simply trying to get a littl a sma ll bout of claustrophobia,
e on the top. Either way, the increas
and paid that, too. Ive included the e was nt much so I just went ahead
nota so you can reimburse me at you
but I know how much you hate out r convenience; there is no rush,
standing debts.
I look forward to spending time with
my grandniece.
Sincere regards,
Edda.
Invictus 99
breaking into dig sites rather than using her contacts to get in the proper way. I apologized
again and we left it at that.
I overslept the night after that. Its hard to explain, but I just couldnt open my eyes. I
dreamt that I was standing on a cliff again and birds knocked me off. I hate nightmares
the only good thing about them is waking up. I had a voicemail from Giulia waiting when
I finally rose. She wanted to hang out. I wonder if Edda asked her to keep an eye on me.
Either way, I accepted. I didnt much feel like being alone. Turned out shes as crazy as
I am.
The first part of the night was fine. Giulia showed me the best places to hunt in R ome and
we snuck into a late-night film. It was fun if wed been snacking on tacos instead of people,
it would have been like a regular girls night out. She smells nice, too. Then we were walkin
back across the Piazza Navona and she started talking about how she can hear them. g
I, like some kind of idiot, asked, Whos they? and she said the owls. I laughed. She wasnt And
joking and it wasnt funny, but I thought maybe if I pretend shes joking, shell stop. She
stop. She told me that owls crawl inside her during the day and that they tell her secrets. didnt
was still talking about them, how theyve been around since the first R oman Kings and how She
one of them still sleeps under the [blanked out], when we got back to our drop-off point. Then
she turned to me and said, I know you can hear them too. You shouldnt ignore them it
makes them angry. and she left. I finally met a girl I like and she talks to birds. So I stood
there thinking could my life get any worse? Turns out, it could.
ices phone.
ing, recovered from Beatr
Transcript of audio record sor, for agreeing to this
tal kin g to Pro fes sor Ge nnaro. Than k you, Profes
[blan ked out]
Beatrice: This is Beatrice
. W hich you then cleverly
interv iew .
to an int erv iew . I ag ree d to look over your thesis
lly I didnt agree
Gennaro: Well, technica
tur ned int o an ext ra interview.
her I like clever
Beatrice: Uhm. I apologi- th kn ow yo ur e no t rea lly sor ry. And I am not eit
dont apologize. We bo
Professor Gennaro: Oh,
girls.
an k you? youve learned so far?
Beatrice : Th
me . No w, let s sta rt thi s interview. Tell me what
are welco
Professor Gennaro: You
an interview goes. I where you can ask me
Beatrice: Thats no t ho w
go es. Ill let yo u kn ow when we get to the part
how this interview
Professor Gennaro: Its
questions. about the Camarilla.
: Ye s, of cou rse . We ll, I spoke to Lady Edda
Beatr ice e to its end?
nn aro : Di d she tel l yo u how that covenant cam
Professor Ge nt want to speculate.
e really knows and she did Praetorian Guard?
Beatrice: She said no on , what do you know of the
sti ng . Te ll me s to the Roman
Professor Gennaro: I see
. Int ere
gu stu s for me d the Gu ard to ser ve as bodyguard the other way
n Guard? Emperor Au n
Beatrice: The Praetoria d the emperors, rather tha
ey eve ntu ally gre w so cor rupt that they controlle no t sur e wh at tha t ha s to do with
Emperors. Th Gr eat dis ba nd ed it in 312 CE. But Im
the
around, and Constantine
Ro me fall? the sacks of Rome
Professor Gennaro: W hen
did
Th e de cli ne of its po we r became apparent with
your view of things.
Beatrice: That depends on
Invictus 101
ed to a
of th e sa me mo tif s as the mi thraeum, but it seemed dedicatI think maybe
The cave held some yb e Li
walls, so
lith. I saw owls carved on the elf to tell me what it
. Isis perha ps. O r ma
female deity gin
r its
g to me like a chorus falling ove then. I knew what the
Lilit h. The sto ne s we re sti ll sin kn ew
me with understanding and I
had witnessed. The song filled trayed the Camarilla, a covenant to which they had sworn ains
Praetoriani did. How they be ddling like leeches in the dark underground to strike barg s.
allegiance. I could see them, hu brought to R om e by th e sa me sol diers that brought Mithra
I
with a demon goddess. Lilith, rage and loyalty, she and her owls bring only darkness. to a
cou
However, where he embodies thing noble about the Invictus. We were not the proud he irs
thought I knew. There was nos who stole the throne through pacts with demons.
great empire; we were usurper roo m th at nig ht. I just remember dreaming of
owls
t ba ck to my
I dont remember how I go
everywhere I went.
their yellow eyes judging me
Invictus 103
From: Edda
To: KoS the phone, obviously, and
ne. No sign of her, but we did find
We tracked the GPS of Beatrices pho
Please take care of them.
her diary. Ive included both items.
From : Control
hail would
To: Future Pane
l a 62 % chance that Mik
nose s sh ow never makes
Re : Team 1 y fo r th ei r endgame. Prog tim e pa ss es (though she
ey are re ad hs favo r as ve. Therefore,
il an d Sa ra h reported that th , th e nu m be rs change in Sara y be co m es m uch more decisi
Mikha gly enough n Mikhails victor
d now. Interestin s from now, whe
win if they clashe ng point) un til five ye ar
at least, remains
as it was. r us to hide shou
ld
it quite be yo nd th e tip pi
ci et y, fo r th is ge ne ra tio n
an d Sa ra h ha s found ways fo
at the natural so ork in our favor,
it would seem th gi ca l id ea s that should w e ripples in
ral tech no lo tions might mak
Mikhail has seve as w e fe el th ei r ac
four years
or ta l st at us quo change. ll co ur se of their simulation, un de rs ta nd ab le af ter nearly
th e m t to run the fu pa rt,
ed their reques ctance on their
We have declin ne fit us . Th er e was some relu
at would not be e speak. First Estate.
the economy th di sm an tli ng their assets as w ll ha ve a br ig ht future in the
ar e they
of work, but they b interviews so
on and Im sure ing out now.
ac ce pt in g jo ag e, which I am send
Both will be ation in a sin gl e pa ck
d all their inform
I have compile
BREAKING NEWS
Armed Militants Kill Twelve
Armed militants forced the
ir way into the San Diego
Lassiter Lobby Group, wh office of the
ere they shot all twelve me
local branch. mbers of the
The militants carried autom
atic rifles and refused to sur
police upon exiting the buildin render to the
g. Two militants have been
hospital, the others were sho taken to the
t dead.
Experts speculate that the
timing of the attack, at a shi
and with the full branch in ses ft in security
sion, indicates an inside job
neither willing to confirm nor . Police are
deny this claim.
The Lassiter Lobby Group,
LLG
a nationwide think tank wit
every major city, is known for h branches in
its pro-employee stance and
wages and living conditions eye on the
of workers. The national Las
Group will be issuing a sta siter Lobby
tement on this tragedy soo
NEWS n.
UPDATE
Two militants previously tak
LASSITER LOBBYING en into custody have died
GROUP
hospital. Police were able en route to the
to extract the name of the
although they have yet to dis militants group,
close it to the media.
BREAKING NEWS
Shoot-out at Militia Ranch
Police met with hostile fire
at the San Diego Citizens
Unions ranch. The SDCU
received instant infamy
for the San Diego Lassiter
killings earlier today.
NEWS UPDATE
The cease-fire at the SDCU
ranch ended in tragedy,
as police reports finding all
inhabitants of the ranch
dead. Cause of death has
not been officially deter-
mined yet, but sources cla
im members of the SDCU
committed mass suicide.
From: Control
To: Future Panel Members
Re : Team 1 ve misled us.
co op era tive at first, it appears they ha ntact with the
While Mikhail and Sarah
see me d
-up cre w fou nd tha t he had already made co
red his assets here, but ou
r cle an or possibly even
Mikhail willingly surrende er go ah ea d wit h the simulation at a later date,
to eith
presume he was planning
larger Lassiter Group. We
go. was thir ty- one while the
expand beyond San Die tot al bo dy co unt for San Diego Citizens Union
d judgment, as the ck the hackers specifically.
Sarah likewise showed ba suspect she is holding ba
me d me mb ers . We u wished to offer
organization had over fift
y co nfir
fut ure in the Firs t Estate. I know many of yo
tly reviewing Mikhail and
Sa rah s ore disloyalt y.
In light of this, I am curren an ce to dis ca rd the ir sim ulation, but we cannot ign
reluct
I have sympathy for their
a position to our pair and
From: Control
To: Oversight
Panel.
Re : Team 1 s sho uld he lp exp lain their disappearance to the
on . Thi
Mikhail and Sarahs rebelli
We have set the stage for cee d with cancellation?
cur ren tly in the ir sires custody. Do I pro
Both are
From: Oversight
To: Control
Re: Team 1
It is a pity. They showed such pro
mise. I liked Sarah especially,
and I appreciate that in a person even if her heart overrode her
. Their sire, likewise, is a great head. She was passionate
Unfortunately, Mikhail was com friend of mine and he will be disa
promised when he received the ppointed to see them go.
Which reminds me : did you find Beatrice file and Sarah when
our leak? Our friends in Rome he shared it.
As for cancellation, make sure consider this a personal affront
Sarah tells you how and where .
inform her sire when its done. she hid the Beatrice file. Make
He requested the privilege of car sure you get all copies. Ill
him that. Perhaps spending som rying out the cancellation himself
e last time with his childer will eas and I am inclined to grant
e the pain, but do politely ask him
for proof when its done.
Invictus 105
The Confession of Prince Augusto Vidal of New Orleans
since my last confession. I hope you will forgive
Forgive me, for I have sinned. It has been too long
directly, but I find a certain clarity in the
me for writing this down instead of speaking to you
takes time and care to express it. Vulgar tongues
written word. Sin is so much easier to see when one
.
are quick to excuse sin. I am not willing to do that
HUBRIS
Embrace , I have found comfort in the rituals
First , I confess to the sin of hubris. Even after my
so-called Kindred call me The Catholic behind
and language of Catholicism. I know that my
they could not reach my ears. I do not flinch
my back , as if by merely whispering the words
subvert the faith of my human life as my
from the title , yet I am not willing to mock and et
fact , let me show you the creeds of the Lancea
brothers and sisters of the Monachal Creed do. In
Sanctum:
s, but not in faith. They emulate everything
The Monachal Creed: Traditionalists in Longinu
everything holy about it.
that the true Church has left behind, and mock
focused on picking and choosing the Word to
The Westminster Creed: English politicians more
e at their convenience.
benefit their ambitions. They pick and choose rita
s who restrict themselves so much that they
The Tollison Creed: A cult of Pentecostal simpleton
s.
have to roam in packs just to nourish themselve
ne Creed, the Exotheists. These stray so far
The Iblic Creed, the Dammitic Creed, the Byzanti
from our beliefs that they are meaningless.
in a union devoted to Longinus. Where does one
Look over our creeds, our divisions of faith with
ere can a man of true faith find a home?
find true devotion to the word of our Lord? Wh
with the Monachal followers because
I cannot find myself here . I bow my head and pray
my heart, I have formed a new creed: The True
it suits them as much as it benefits me, but in
ose for our Holy Damnation, he is not God.
Creed. For as much as Longinus has given us purp
d of God has been handed down to us, and we
He should not replace God in our hearts. The Wor
as much as The Testament of Longinus and The
need to incorporate that into our Requiems just
Sanguineous Catechism.
and sisters in Longinus done better? Even
As I confess to the sin of hubris, have my brothers hide
any who claim to be of the faithful, vampires
with the divisions of faith that give a home to a
own ends. They wear the title of Archbishop as
behind scripture and verse to bring about their our
I the only one who still knows humility before
gilded crown, rather than a call to service. Am
Lord?
I am not my brothers keeper. Forgive me, for I
But this confession is not for them. It is for me.
have sinned.
106 Secrets of the Covenants
SLOTH
Next, I confess to the sin of sloth. Since the nineteenth century,
I have been in conflict
with that loathsome Crone , Baron Cimitiere. He represents every
thing that is dangerous
and disgusting about his heathen religion of voudoun. I am sure
he was behind a number of
the attempts against my life over the centuries, but he smiles sweet
ly and tells me I am
as innocent as an angel. Blasphemer! How dare he evoke the name
of Gods servants in his
own defense? But his standing grew within the Crones, and I could
not ignore him or the
strength of his blood.
Then as the nineteenth century moved into the twentieth, there
was Antoine Savoy.
He cared little of matters of faith , and used the time I was distra
cted by the betrayal of my
own childe to take over most of the French Quarter. His hands are
in many pockets in that
area, and I cannot ignore the fact that he holds the economic contro
l over the city in his
hands.
For years, the rivalry between us stood. Shamefully I, terrified as
I was to preserve my
own Requiem, I allowed power to slip through my fingers. Even as
more and more Kindred
came to the City of the Damned to make their home , I would not
create another childe .
I refused to allow my blood to betray me again, and the other Kindr
ed noticed. I began
to hear the whispers behind my back, plotting for the time when
they believed I would
inevitably fall into torpor. Some even schemed to bring that about
faster.
In truth , I did feel tired. The grace of God was further from me than
it had ever been.
I felt the pull of torpor grow stronger and stronger, like gentle finger
s pulling an invalid
back into his bed. And it was tempting. Had I not earned rest? Did
I not deserve peace after
centuries of hard work and eternal devotion? Was I not ready for
my reward?
Hurricane Katrina proved that it was not time.
Oh, precious few Kindred died in the hurricane itself, but plenty
found the roofs of their
havens torn off in the day, or their walls cracked and bleeding sunlig
ht. Certainly, in my
weaker moments I wished in secret to learn that Cimitiere or Savoy
s ashes were floating on
the water. But so many other Kindred died; Kindred with sires, broodm
ates, and childer in
cities all over the nation. Those familial connections, those very
ties of blood, caused chaos
throughout America. Riots erupted in New York. An entire court
went insane in Missouri.
Ive even heard tales from my legates of drowned victims standing
up and attacking
Kindred on the roads. Many of the surviving Kindred fled, leavin
g the court of New Orleans
in tatters.
And all of it all of it because I had grown slothf ul. Forgive
me, for I have sinned.
MURDER
Further, I must confess to the murder, and the temptation to perfor
m more murder.
Particularly against the Carthians.
Many of those who fled the terror of Katrina found themselves welco
me in Houston,
Texas. In my own indulgent sloth, I had lost track of my corresponden
ce with the Invictus
FEAR
tes. We live
r live in a w or ld of isolated city-sta
ess to th e si n of fear. We no longe s ch ildr en , ev en those who tremble
I conf e are all God
st , w on de rf u l, connected world. W ar e D a mned. This is glorio
us,
in one va the claim th at w e
dred I
fe ar of H is na m e and hide behind t m y ha n d an d touch all the Kin
in stretch ou eard
ta st ic , an d te rr if ying. Once , I could as t k n ew th ei r names, faces, or h
fan but I at le
de d. Th en , th ey grew in numbers, or y, but also in cou
ntries I have
comman ot on ly in hi st
nate n ousands of
actions I take reso inst one another th
of them. Now, the ords and live s ar e se t a ga
.
er se en . I ha ve but to speak the w le , be yo n d th at of any mere Prince
n ev is unimagin ab
es aw ay . Th e po wer at my hands n tin u e. Forgive me, for
I have
mil fact that I m u st co
d of it , and of the
And I am terrifie
sinned.
To: myrmidon
From: s.washburn
Subject: Re: SoL gang activity
> So, when you get a chance, tell me what you
find out about that gang calling
> themselves SoL, since youve got pull in that
scene. Need to know if theyre
> ours or a new bunch of players in Texas.
First off, Im not your fucking secretary. If you
want someone to wear a shor t skirt and serv
the desk, go somewhere else. I hear the Invictus ice you under
go in for that bullshit.
Second, you grossly overestimate the pull I have
here. The Spear has this place really locked
know as well as I do that the Church doesnt down. You
have ever y Bible-thumping town in the Sout
but Galveston is the stereotype in action. I thin h under their sway,
k they keep Carthians around just so they have
to preach at. someone new
That being said, it turns out SoL stands for Sol
diers of Longinus, and theyre a bunch of Kind
extremists spun out from the human JCHC punk red
movement. Since punk genres sub-divide as
ever yone in it outgrows the bar they hate, its soon as
hard to keep track. But these JCHC fuckers
Christian punks, if you can believe that. They are actually
re even a little retro, with leather jackets and
their cute little mohawks, but their faith isnt safety pins and
on the side of the kind, benevolent Jesus, but
whip-car rying, table-flipping Christ. more with the
A bunch of young Longinians took inspirati
on from these assholes and a bit from Maledicti
I was still known as the Bastard to some, and on 7:1: And
others called me the Soldier, and to the Jews
of Satan, and I was pleased, for it meant that I was the Son
they feared me. Guess Bastards of Longinu
enough. Anyhow, they thin k that since Longinu s wasnt catchy
s gave no fucks, they should do the same. Und
rambling and loud music, you can find a vagu erneath all the
e party line of fuck the other covenants, but
Invictus. particularly the
Oh yeah, they have a band, too. They also call
it SoL, but they tell people it stands for Shit
downloaded one of their MP3s from downloa Outta Luck. I
dpun k.com. Its got a lot of old-school flavor
mixed with some
5GQdzwwlMiwZmQCNAi+UeBsA AAEEAMP0kXU7y5NP9JaZfVX8shTU
0taq1k H/UUPkk
ESbCTbGSEExB2ktEPh5//dkfftsKNlzlAugKFKTgBv20tQ9lDKfdbPVR0
HmTLz0e
wVIeqEue4+Mt/Kq7k McQydY/Wxf+5sX2RBAiZTYl0n /JlBUK FUDR
gR4wH9lAAUR
tB5NYXJ0eSBNY0ZseSA8bWFydHlAZnV0dXJlLmNvbT6JAJUCBRA
vlHhGrWQf9RQ+
SSUBAQX+g0dM4ch1n3/l5w4TCH1ngy0U1kuRPUWuGc70terWQBToA
MqDfwPeFlk
K0vFRaiOT3sHPw3MkYbo00FdaBvwB912ysoteUzZHne9X9XwlxaBJH
GeiBcmhAFx
xHg43Cnj60Os8/xYOeZG2PKp/kU91ipOJP1cGkeBiA===ddBN
-END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK -
SUSPICION
ected
fess to the sin of susp icio n. Forgiv e me, for I have sinned. I have long susp
I con years
h the Invictus. I met him once, many
Bishop Solomon Birch of complicity wit believed
th and devotion that I immediately
ago. He spoke and acted with such fai cabre.
wa s a fac ade desi gne d to lur e me int o some oblique part of his own Danse Ma
it seeds of
me, he has also done little for me. The
Although he has done little against gh
oot. This is why they are a sin, althou
suspicion, once planted, are hard to upr
er Kindred.
sometimes a necessary one against oth
Lancea Et Sanctum 111
I attach proof of his devotion. Still, I am suspicious. Still, the demon of doubt and
paranoia gnaws under my skin, eating away at my insides. But it shows the reach of my
Praxis, how far is the rule of New Orleans. A pluck at the web, and Chicago vibrates.
Listen to how Bishop Birch vibrates now. It is a long-held tradition for sermons to take
the Word and apply it to an immediate situation. Usually, these are problems or quandaries
presented to the flock on a tangible level fears and dangers that affect them now. The
priest gives them guidance and succor through the Word. Using a situation so far away from
the flock in questions feels political, even if it benefits myself. And my mind circles back to
suspicion. What does he gain? How does he profit? Where does New Orleans end and Chicago
begin?
I have faith in the Lord. I have faith in the Word. I do not have faith in Solomon Birch.
But I will take his support and smile at him until I know his game.
[thumping sound]
MY LIEGE,
SOMETHING
INSPIRATIONAL
FOR YOU. - F.
Lancea Et Sanctum 113
SUSPICION (II)
Strong words. Powerf ul words. I wo
uld not go so far as to call them sin
certainly sound good. Bishop Bir cere, but they
chs connections with the Invictus
doesnt surprise me that he has che are well known, and it
rry-picked elements of a monastic
even if he uses me as his example rule to validate his point,
to cast off suspicion from his own
plots and schemes.
In fact, it is that very connectio
n to the Invictus that draws me
They have been our allies for a lon deeper into my suspicions.
g time, all the way back to the
believe them. I suspect it was eas Camarilla itself, if you
ier when we were two parts of one
you imagine such an organizatio monolithic society. Could
n coming into existence tonight?
working toward a common goal in One unified society, all
the name of mutual protection an
rubbish , but it is a dream the Inv d harmony? Utter
ictus still hold close to their unbea
be their glorious state church . My ting hearts. And we would
suspicious about our allies grows
wonder what role our faith plays deeper every night, as I
in their plans.
Even our holy word is not immune.
The Testament of Longinus has bee
There were plenty of public reason n revised. Revised!
s, innocent-sounding reasons. Ne
uncovered. We needed a more mo w scripture had been
dern translation to reach out to
on the nature of the material nee new converts. Recent study
ded to be implemented. But what
Henry Matthews, the editor of thi many do not know is that
s glorious Revised Edition, is not
He is, in fact, an Invictus, and ha of the Lancea et Sanctum.
s been for some time. He bought his
way onto the project, with
REV. DR . VICTOR
BALLSDEN,
2 August
Now that my hand has stopped shaking, I should write everything down before the details
escape me.
I am not a wealthy Kindred, but I understand the value of investing in security. The flat
I used to loan to visiting Kindred is on a sub-basement floor that no one else in the building
knows about. One-half of the floor is storage for items that I can t easily keep on the Oxford
ESCHATON 7:11 57
grounds, while the other is comprised of the spartan flat. It makes it easy when I need to
fly in consultants to look over objects of particular interest, but not real value, and it means
that there is no possibility of a human wandering into the area unless they are specifically
invited usually for the purposes of nourishment.
When I arrived at the appointed time, I saw that the door was slightly ajar.
My instinct was to call out for Petronius, but my years as a vampire have taught me
that discretion is frequently the better part of valour. I pulled the shadows close to me,
sharpened my senses, and carefully stepped inside.
On some level, I wished I saw signs of a strug gle. If there were broken tables and chairs
strewn about, perhaps the horror of what I saw would have made more sense, or been valid.
Maybe I could have felt better about what happened to her knowing that she fought to
preserve her Requiem. Im babbling, trying to avoid setting this all down.
When I entered, the flat was much as I usually leave it: a simple open-room plan with
enough furniture and supplies to comfortably house two. In the centre of the room when you
first walk in is the collection of couches and television detritus that comprises the living room
area. Next to the coffee table was a pile of moldering ash and dirt that I have unfortunately
seen too many times. On the wall behind the couch were three letters painted in blood.
VII.
I had heard of VII, of course, but only as anecdotes and rumours. No incident of them
has ever occurred in or near Oxford. Certainly, the death of a scholar would seem to be
3 August
The meeting with Matthews did not go as well as I had hoped.
Professor Matthews notified me that he would be in London to look over the European
second printing of the Revised Testament. The London office of SPLD was nothing special,
just a small rented office containing a few ghouls who handled the business end of things.
It wasn t even in the City of London, but rather in Islington, a little over an hour south of
where I worked. I drove to the building, walked past the ghouls loitering in his front office,
and entered his sanctum unannounced.
Matthews looked impeccable in his dress shirt, sleeves rolled up the elbow. I always had a
desire to lick the hollow of his neck whenever I saw him, urges long repressed by my Embrace
coming up to the surface just by looking at him. Working with Serpents always drives me
mad. He was writing something down when I walked in.
Matthews, I said by way of introduction.
He jumped a little at the word. Childish, I know, but I felt it suitable retribution
for how he made me feel. He looked up and smiled, setting the pen down. You
startled me, Victor. Are you ready to look over the printing proofs?
In a moment. We have a more pressing issue.
He ignored my comments and came around the desk to perch on the corner, looking down at
me. A whiff of Amouage Dia Pour Homme came with him. I heard Caroline was in town
as well. How is she?
I ignored his irritating habit of forced informality. It seems she is dead.
The long pause. The glance away. Matthews was every inch the man shocked by the death
of a colleague, but I didn t know whether that simply meant he was an excellent actor. How
did it happen, he asked.
She was allegedly killed by VII. Presumably over the omission you made in the Revised Edition.
The eyes came back to me, hot with emotion. I don t understand what youre implying.
Eschaton, chapter seven, verses eight through ten. Theyre missing. See for yourself.
4 August
This is my last entry. I must write quickly before I send this all to Prince Vidal.
Matthews never arrived at our appointed time. To be fair, I never expected him to. While
I claimed I was compiling all my notes on the missing verses and the fragment for our
discussion, in reality I was preparing them in a secure location unknown to any other
Kindred. When the appointed time arrived, there was a polite knock on my door. On the
other side was not Henry Matthews, but the short, heavy-set man and the tall woman
with the scarred face. The man slammed into the door as I was opening it, and the woman
rushed by him at incredible speed, slapping a hand over my mouth before I could speak.
It was smart that they learnt from their mistake, but as I said, I was expecting them or
someone like them. I had spent my hours upon wakening preparing a miracle of Theban
sorcery. Much as the soldiers at the Crucifixion whipped and jeered Christ, I was able to call
forth my own whip.
I reached forth my hand, and my own Vitae whipped out across the short mans face.
The barbs of my faith gouged into his flesh, and he screamed. The woman turned to look,
and I sank my fangs into the meat of her palm. Her warm Vitae filled my mouth, and
p o r t a u p r i n c e a t n i g h t . H T
portauprinceatnight.HT
Title: That could have gone better....
Security: Private
Dear Diary (can I call you Diary?),
meeting
Well, I got in touch with one of the Princes secretaries, and arranged for a
always liked Marass a unlike some
with the three of us at the Galerie Marassa. Ive
the Galerie Marassa is a nice, intimat e
of the museum Elysia Ive been to in the States,
amazin g Voudou n flags and Catholi c
place featuring local art, including some
a secular place featurin g religiou s
figurines. It was a master ful touch, really
n, Crone, and Spears sensibi lities. I
iconography perfectly balances the Carthia
guess Bonnefil chooses good people to work under him.
wrap
Anyhow, I met Leila outside. She was wearing an orange dress and head
side gallery
tonight, and my compliment bounced off of her as we were led into a
men in short-sl eeved dress shirts. The walls were seafoam green
by two muscular
images of
and framed pictures and items hung sparsely around the room. Lots of
the lwa and the Madonna.
one sat
In the center of the room sat a folding table and three folding chairs. In
a pure white suit with a matchin g
Raoul Bonnefil, shuffling a deck of cards. He wore
himself as a man of the people ,
trilby perched on his bald head. Our Prince prides
ity will do. If you glanced at him,
and he doesnt stand on ceremony when simplic
g a quiet
you might think he was just another middle-aged Haitian man enjoyin
and authori ty wash over you
game of solitaire. But when he looks at you, power
like a wave. Hes a Ventrue to the core.
us
Good evening, ladies, he said in Haitian Creole, standing up and waving
over to the chairs. Shall we get right to business?
see us,
We sat. Leila crossed her legs. I didnt. Thank you for taking the time to
by our respect ive covena nts
Your Majesty, I responded. Weve been empowered
to discuss the nature of your edict.
Isnt it obvious? he said, smiling. Religion is poisoning our country.
d. We
I paused, and looked at Leila. She was looking back at me, equally confuse
tand, Prince Bonnefi l.
turned back to Bonnefil, and she spoke up. We dont unders
has a rather neutral view
It has always been my understanding that your covenant
of religion.
tish
He giggled at this. It wasnt laughter or even a chuckle, but an almost coquet
believe that religion is the opiate of the masses .
giggle. Im not a Marxist. I dont
out there in the world, and it is angry for what we
I believe there is something
have done.
now
I tried to keep my face neutral. Prince Bonnefil has been known to bluster
about.. . whatev er this
and then, but this was different. He was very calm and jovial
portauprinceatnight.HT
Title: What is Malkavia?
Security: Private
Dear Diary,
component of humanizing a brand or
Its weird. I know all about the psychological
and yet weve been writing to our diaries
a technology to make it more approachable,
uries. Now I have this image of a three-
and journals as if they were people for cent
over a massive journal with guttering
hundred-year-old vampire in robes leaning
the dreamiest guy.
candlelight writing Dear Diary, today I met
h when Im scared too, but since the
Sorry. I babble when Im terrified. Usually I laug
laughter. That s weird, right? I admit I
meeting with the Prince, Im scared of my own
er with Leila didnt help me freak out
havent been thinking about it too much. Dinn
over.
any less. It wasnt Leila, but... let me just start
ts, the kind of clothes anyone in Haiti
I didnt bother dressing up: tank top, shor
ic places: shopping, at museums, even
would wear. I spent the entire evening in publ
d buildings. The point was to avoid
around road crews knocking down destroye
reminded me just how far Port-au-Prince
getting jumped without witnesses, but it also
about how some families are getting
needs to go. Ive even been hearing stories
show up to knock their homes down.
eviction notices minutes before the crews
red supposed to be able to influence
How did we let things get so bad? Arent Kind
s? Watching trucks push rubble around,
human institutions and prevent these thing
point.
I began to wonder if Bonnefil didnt have a
Of course, she looked amazing in
When it was time, I met Leila at Cest Si Bon.
yone around me thought I looked hot in
pastel green. Even though I know that ever
like a slob next to her. She had a natural
the crappy clothes I was wearing, I still felt
cial sensuality I conjured up. We got a
beauty and grace that felt superior to the artifi
visible to most people, and she launched
table that was away from the crowd but still
right into things.
Have you heard of Malkavia?
I shook my head.
a disease that drives vampires crazy.
I talked to some of my sisters. Turns out its
I blinked. I didnt know diseases affected us.
Just not in the same way that they
Of course they do, she said, dismissively.
affect humans.
So you think hes insane?
She looked at me. Dont you?
drink around on the table. I guess I
I leaned back into my chair, and moved my
er, would
was hoping that maybe reason, or even pray
Dont.
portauprinceatnight.HT
Title: Worst. Meeting. Ever.
Security: Private
Of all the places to have a top-secret meeting,
I never expected it would be in a
parking lot. I mean, I guess it makes sense no
one will think to look for you there,
especially in the middle of the night. Plus its hard
to sneak up on you when you can see
in pretty much every direction. But I guess I still
had visions of James Bond in my head.
Sorry, Diary. Babbling again. I should probably
delete all this crap, but I want to
get it all down first. Im scared if I dont just keep
pushing through that Ill never do it.
Anyhow, I called the other Primogen. Jean-Clau
de Ambrose is the one I called
first. I figured hes Gangrel, so hell know the best
way to make sure we survive this
meeting. Hes the one that suggested the parki
ng lot, the one by the airport that was
devastated by the earthquake. Le Satin of the
Nosferatu wasnt a hard sell, either. I
debated for an hour whether I should call Villar
d Brsil. Hes not a direct relation to
Bonnefil, but hes still Ventrue, and I was worried
that they would stick together. But
hes also Invictus, and thats what won me over.
I figured I could play the alliance
card between our covenants enough to at least
get a fair hearing before he ran back
to his clanmate with the news.
m o r e t o this
Ad d
III. Introduction enburg,
y, at the request of the Ordo Dracul of Goth
I have conducted a number of studies previousl Such a desig n would
onal religious thought from Kindred.
with the design of reducing or removing irrati attem pts focu sed on
on and strife in our society. Previous
be applied to the lodges goal of reducing tensi study, it was decid ed
which proved inconclusive. For this
purely psychological and psychiatric methods, . The brain of Subj ect
brain structures would be necessary
that a strictly physical analysis of the affected produced
tial avenues for exploration, although again it
C provided some enlightening insight into poten
additional subjects will be required.
no conclusive evidence. It is my opinion that
IV. Methods e. It is
re examination room of the Gothenburg lodg
Context: The study was conducted in the secu in isola tion. The
investigators to perform examinations
soundproof and has no windows, allowing
typical array of medical tools was available. subject
ine the brain of Subject C, and then induce the
Design: The design is simple: physically exam ). Give n that Subj ect C need ed to
after faith reactions
to perform outward manifestations of faith (here ned to keep Subj ect C alive and
on, the study was desig
actively practice their faith during the examinati s and Kirli an phot ogra phy were
es noted that CAT scan
conscious for as long as possible. Previous studi val
chan ges in the Kindred psyche (see 34.5/2010). As such, remo
insuf ficient for studying fine-grain n is nece ssary. Cons idera tion for
with instr umentatio
of Subject Cs scalp to directly observe the brain that the pain woul d incre ase the
ed as lead researcher
the amount of pain was discussed, but I decid
ions, and thus was not a factor that needed to be reduced.
possibilit y of necessary faith react fled to
g as a mendicant) from New Orleans who
Subject: Subject C is a nomad (self-identifyin ident ifies as a
t by Hurricane Katrina. This Kindred
Sweden in 2005 after the disaster brought abou Long inus was
following the faith that the mythological
male Kindred, as a Gangrel, and as a creat ure ect C recen tly
stian context (hereafter Longinian). Subj
the inciting vampire in a pseudo-Judeo- Chri to cond uct
Dracul, and as such, the lodge was given leave
physically attacked a Carthian ally of the Ordo
(see 37.1/2013).
this study by the Queen-Elect of Gothenburg
g st r a t e g y , st u d y v ariables,
Add samplin e d u r e , a n d analysis
data collec t io n p r o c
is b a r e ly h a lf - w r it t en!
methods! This study
Lancea Et Sanctum 137
V. R esults seventeen distinct faith
the Fin al De ath, I was able to document
Before Subject C suc cum bed to nginus!), while others
ally var iati ons on the phrase Save me, Lo
reactions. Some were voc aliz ed (ty pic h reaction was par ticularly
sin g the eye s and sub-vocalizing). One fait
were physical reactions (ty pically clo on his chest. During one
jec t C had a scar in the shape of a lance
strong, and worth docum ent ing . Sub tinct lance. Application
an to glo w and rise out of his chest, becoming a dis
faith reaction, the scar beg
in aborted the faith reaction.
to the pain sensors in the bra tha t par ticular faith incident, but it is
my opinion that
any que stio ns abo ut nian-based
Subject C ref used to answer stu dy the Kin dre d brain during the use of Longi
e been abl e to useful data. The
this is the first time we hav is inc ide nt has pro vided the most potentially
heban ). Th in activit y in the
faith sorcer y (hereafter T but to sum ma riz e, there is a marked decrease
tion IX , nt decrease
detailed logs are listed in Sec er fait h rea ctio ns had a negligible and inconsiste
erience . Oth subsequent
parietal lobe during this exp rea ctio n cor res pon ded exactly to the decrease and
eban fait h iversit y of
in such activit y, but the Th res pon ds to the find ings of Andrew Newburg (Un
y. Th is cor
ret urn of parietal lobe activit t a nd
Sec tion IX ).
s a r e ir r e le v a n
Mortal studie this reference.
Pen nsylvania ; see
142
the
ditioned, I assure you. Except for
perception. Theyre perfectly con
An experiment in cognition and h hery ou hav ent sign ed the waiver.
hy around strangers.. Dont approac
Florida panther, shes still a bit touc
[Mire laughs.]
[pause] and a meal the same
gm enta l of you , Mis s Black. All she wants is safety
Savage? Thats rath er jud for my kind, but I dislike
ng thin g or oth erw ise. Yes , I know its what passes for a title
as any other livi
the term.
[pause] into doing almost
ld see it. But that s thei r gift, isnt it? They can talk anyone
Thats how the Lor ds wou the proper control of
do the sam e to any hum an if you had the right setup, and
any thing. Really, you cou ld elay, or to trigger more
y. Ma ybe you d nee d something to replicate the time-d
their innate neuroc hem istr every day. And who has
but org anis ms do mo re devious things to each other
complex motor fun ctio ns, d-bending power to edit
-hu man life ? Not the Lor ds, I can tell you that much. The min
mastery of all non
ones own memory.
[pause] ld completely. What
as to beli eve the Em bra ce removed me from the living wor
No, Im not so arro gan t its come up with the
has bee n con sum ing oth er life for billions of years, and
would I gain if it had ? Life see the big pict ure, but
edit ing the pro ces s. Ma ny of my kind completely fail to
most ingenious way s of exp n dismal for decades.
now is it? The edu cati on system in this country has bee
thats not entirely thei r fau lt, in the violence, I admit,
won der in eve ryth ing onl y the violence. Theres an appeal
They dont see the ion.
nt. At best, its a pleasant dist ract
but its not whats truly importa
[pause] just that sometimes
se gift s nee d not stri p me of my mental faculties or civility. Its
Why than k you. The
I smile with a great many teeth.
_____
143
E
E
TH
GROTE S Q U eatre
The Orpheum Th
Tonight Only!
Midnight They
are
horrible
ful. horrible
The beauti nything
an to n. beyond a e
The w rrible. age. a gin
g of the te
im
ng and Sav you ca n
S o m et h in th Haunti onderful.
o
NY!
ta cl e b but w
NCAN
spec
Witness a t one for
BEHOLD THE U
They haun still
a w ards. I am
perience in s a ft er
hour ey
gions of ex ha t th
re g at w
the fu rt h er shudderin
flights into showed. n, Chicag
o
Experience ei rd Pageantr
y:
Samue
l Lovema
e Revue
night of W ROI ig ht lif
NTO MO E N
re at h le ss M E IP TEAS
B
S O F FA T E M E
E M O B IUS STR
THE PAT
H A *TH
IC OPER INFERN
ALIS
A B Y S S OPELAG TEUTHIS
THE F VA M P Y R O
SQUE O e audience
.
THE MA fu ll view of th
in
!
s
ESQUE
Forget orphosi
And Dont LIS ing metam
E E P IN G CHRYSA
il l u n d er go a shock
L E S Q U E G R O T
THE BUR
THE CR s and Guis
ers w
e o f Mummer
Ou r tr o u p
ou saw admitted
e n t v o i d y d w i l l b e
di or
Tell the au who speak the passw
ose
only th
will go
in g yo ur ni b in that ink, or it e All
di pp r th
u have to keep or mance ar t fo
To: knine
t a sp ec ta to r spor t, Keyes. Yo e Burlesque Grotesque. Perf
is no to th
The Cacophony u should be accompanying me the signal
dr y. Take to ni gh t. Yo
I kn ow . ve of st iff s. Th ey are an echo in flap into
la
Nighter s no
t your scene t thats still a co
nc e flyer s; they just man.
la ve of fla ke s and freaks, bu e ev er se es who puts up th w. Transhu
co nc
They might be a e countr y. How do they do it?
N o on
er s. I ha ve on e in my hand no
ss th -zone of cloist t a few laughs .
that sounds acro even pop up in the mos t dead be aw ful. Maybe Ill ge than all the othe
rs
th ey ise s to n to do it better at not hilarious?
town. Heard n. G oo d go d, this prom
ph . W e w ill le ar
fashio ement will tr ium Did you know that , Keyes? Is
th
Pos t-mundane at s how the Mov ny .
th e th in g. Th e C ac op ho
The signals came up with th ith teeth!
iracy of Silence it. Samizdat w
do. The Consp t we will perfec t
ro ug ht it, bu
They w
. __ __ __ __
Ear to the echo
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Walter __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __
__ __ __ __
144
From: discord
_scholar
To: knine
The show, K
since I died. T eyes . The show! C Adence
he Burlesque in
Alien. Hideo Grotesque, K theglow. Ah. Fumbling fin
us beauty. eyes . Chthon
The biolumin ic vaudeville. gers . Touch screen. Han
Ghastly. Volu d
hat saying, S es ce nt scripture. ptuous. Gaud s havent trembled
afe home, dea T h e gl ow y. Fantastic. Del
Not just spec r fr iends, and had cadence, Keyes . Then ir ious.
ta cl e, Keyes . co m e ag ai n ! it w as o ve r. The bar ker
the same per
son who wal More. I have to see more bowed in his
tall top
I am so hung ke d in to the theatr . W ill w ri te
ry. e. u p a proper revi
Ear to the ec ew for the fo
ho. rums later. Im
not
_________
_________
_________ _________
_ _
_________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_________ _ _________ ___
____ _________ _________________
_________ _
From: discord _________ __________
_scholar _ _________
_
To: knine
What state am
I in?
I dont know
isnt obsessio w h en Ill be
n. Its due dili back, Keyes . I dont care
Everyone sho gence. what Helen
u ld said last mee
Keyes . Intuitio st u d y the Cacopho ting. Dull-too
n before the ny on the ro thed troglod
the old ones analytical. Su ad. The flavo yte. This
used to do it ch gems in th r of the echo
, sc ra tching symbo e tr u ck es ch an
The flyer s fla
p into towns ls into stone. stops, on the bathroom st ge. You have to feel it o
Tweets that to al ut,
Ear to the ec
ho.
like swar ms o
f bats. I catch ok centuries l walls . Imagine, Keyes, ho
th em , but I keep m to fu lfill. Contemp w
_________ issing the sho late that .
_________ w . Ill find it . I mus
_________ _________ t see it again.
_ _
_________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_________ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ __
____ _________ _________________
_________ _
_________ ________
_________
From: discord
_scholar@alln
ight.com
To: knine @al
lnight.com
Found it , Key
she handed m es . Went to a used record
e a flash drive shop, reques
The show w . ted the correc
as in a t album from
innovation o p o o l. Under water. a girl with mis
n the black b B la ck matched eyes
o x th eatre. The no as p it ch . Sensory dep , and
We waited velt y! rivation tank
blood in the . M in u te s? H fo r
water, Keyes . ours? Sightless zones . Star an intimate au
dience. An
Something K I could taste ved senses st
indred. I detec it . Something fis retched. Min
were my sens te hy ds tr
es so puissan d ever y nuance. A pre-sho . Then something from th anscended. They put dro
The hallucina t. Never such w fo r th e taste buds, e Suidae fa ps of
womb. Thus tions . The lit tle box was an
sagacity. a silent sonnet mily? Something kine.
pri en on the tongu
wales . Wher med, the real show began dless sea. Reefs . Cities. e. Never
e did depriva . T h ey d an ce P la n et s. I w as
ti o n delir ium en d w in a
They had to d and stage-e ith liquid gr ace. The writh prehis toric ocean. I was in
through lum be Haunts and Savages, ffec t begin? I
dont know.
ing dreams. B
ellows of reve the
inescent pat te K
flesh? I dont rns, like scho eyes . Mutations . Body m nant
know. ols of deep-s odifications .
ea fis h. LED? Black M et am
The Beast no light? Strange orphosis. Communicatio
I swear, Keyes ticed, Keyes. But it didnt ho evolution of n
. wl. It stopped bes tial corpse
Judy show m The Beast became conte p ac ing its ca
eant for the B mplative. I re
Then out of east . alized we wer ge, stopped beg ging for blo
e just in the w o
glis tened wet the water. Then the bar ay. This was a d. It justwatched.
ly, like a mar in ke primordial Pu
_________ e mammal, an r, Safe home, dear fr ien nch n
_________ d a slit ted eye d s, an d co m e
winked at me agai
_________
_
_________
_ from its crow n! His black leather top
_________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n. hat
_________ _________ __
____ _________ _________________
_________ _
_________ ___________
_________
___
145
From: discord_scholar
To: knine
Im inside, Keyes. They didnt see me. t connects them?
Rum or says ther es a post -sho w for the selec t VIP following ever y burlesque. Wha
Followed the echoes. maybe apprehensive.
act. She was just as mystified by the troupe,
Rumor says Dragons. Spoke to Dragon cont six rooms, each lit a
t elab orat e thea tre yet. As a pre-show, the barker led us through
I saw the show tonig ht. The mos room. No water this time.
a diffe rent mim e show . Then the seventh room, the black box, the chok ing
different color, each lightless pool.
um-s ealed room . No brea thab le air. An odd feeling, more subtle than the
Some kind of vacu er breather had fooled
leap t up, clutc hing his thro at. Fell to the floor, gasping like a dying goldfish. Some hipst
A young man
made faces . Then the show
ever yone and snuck in. We all laughed and
it.
I almost had it this time, Keyes. I near ly saw -show. Through the blue room,
, they ushe red ever yone out. But I hid! Going to see the post
Have to go. After the show whit e room, the violet room , and back to the chok ing room.
gree n room , the oran ge room , the
the purple room, the
Have to see. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
From: knine
To: discord_scholar
Walter,
?
Where the fuck are you? What happened
Keyes ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
From: discord_scholar
To: knine
Mr. Keyes,
joined the show.
We delight to infor m you that Walter has
Safe home,
The Management
Have you heard of the Jiang Shi? I hadnt, either, until I came to the Triangle. Theyre one of the most
fascinating developments Ive encountered to date so much like us, and yet so different. They may well be
a sixth Clan, forming right before our eyes.
[pause]
Yes, its Chinese. Some of them trace their Blood back there, but others dont. Some are from Iceland, others
are from Italy, or Greece, or Turkey, or a hundred other places. If they were uniquely Chinese, then we could
pinpoint a place of origin, and look into what exactly made them and that would be too easy, now, wouldnt
it? Instead, theyve left us to with more questions than answers. Are they a separate lineage, becoming more
like the Kindred due to similarities in ecological niche? Are they a new offshoot of the Kindred, gradually
stabilizing into a form wed recognize as one of us? Does their evolution reflect our own, or is it completely
different? Were the five Clans separate lines that converged over time? If so, why?
[pause]
Convergent evolution the tendency for things to adapt to the same role in similar ways, regardless of
ancestry. Forgive me for stretching the metaphor, but I think its appropriate.
[pause]
If it is the case for us, I dont know if its the case for the Jiang Shi. Still, theres so much that we take for
granted, the Clans for example, and all the myriad offshoots we call Bloodlines. We give them names, and
pretend that theyre something akin to families, or noble lineages. Its all so very neat and tidy, and it helps
keep us from thinking about how it all ties together. Have you ever met one of the Moroi, for example?
[pause]
Hah, point. However, would you believe I have an account from one of them? Regrettably, the man who
collected it didnt survive long after.
146
n. You are the land.
You are the Voivode. You are the Drago
al.
I am Shrike. I am Moroi. The Moroi are loy
Click-clack-crack.
is. He no lon ger can . I wil l wr ite th is. I am not a good scrivener.
Confessor Jacob was to write th
ht me let ter s. He bro ug ht me a boo k of riddles. I like riddles. I leave
But Confessor Jacob ta ug
you a riddle for when you wake.
The one who built it did not want it.
The one who bought it did not use it.
The one who used it did not know it.
it fro m th e sho es of th e liv ing . Con fessor Jacob calls that
I was stuck, until I thought of
er me for em pat hy. You tri gg ere d me for the only thing I am good at.
empathy. You did not trigg ot . I ju st see the solution. I make
ar ith me tic pro ble m or a kn
M is for murder. Every murder is an
them undone.
Screech-scritch-scratch.
d I ha d pur pos e, I nea rly we pt. Bee n so long, in the House of Waiting.
When Confessor Jacob sai
e winters ago.
The others sleep. My music box broke nin
Twelve knots.
C is for children. Your twelve children. nd pieces of it. I stick
tim on ial . He did not fin ish . I ha ve fou
Confessor Jacob was to write his tes
them here.
148
beasts know your name.
You are the Voivode. You are the land. In the city, all birds and
Jacob gave me Beowulf to
Some helped me. I harried your children. I felt like Grendel. Confessor
read. I felt sad for Grendel.
Shriek-shrike-scythe!
ke, but unmoving. Mouth
W is for Walden. He had a great fall. Then the rats ate him. Awa
with rooting rats beneath.
opened and closed, opened and closed, but no scream. Skin writhing
I know Walden held a special place in your esteem, Lord. Know that he died well. Know
that watching
these deaths has been the single bitterest chord of my Requiem. Know that I carry
on, unblinking,
for you.
R is for Rayna. I put a tiny fear in her head. I wrapped myself in Not-Knowing. I followed
her for
three nights. The tiny fear grew. Laughing, she threw herself to a train. The sleepy crows
laughed too.
They got the joke.
V is for Vanija. Head dashed with a claw hammer. Pulled her into Not-Knowing. She
screamed, but
her ghouls, just two arms away, did not see, and did not hear her.
C is for Caleb. Eaten by bravery. Confessor Jacob used Dragon magic and bright lights,
until day was
night. I came with the noon. Caleb had Dragon magic too. He did not fear fire or
sun. Your oldest,
strongest. I reached inside. Down under my bed. I let out a howl so unspeakable, the
plants withered,
and even I felt uneasy. Caleb fled outside, to the sun he did not fear.
S is for Sachiko. Eaten by bad memories. Your cleverest. Hid in a Perilous Nest. The
house had
many bad memories. The walls whispered nursery rhymes that boiled my blood. It ran
from my ears.
The shadows ate my flesh. I kept forward. I hugged Sachiko to me. The shadows ate
our flesh. When
I walked out, I was naught but bone and gristle. She was naught but ash.
I ate none of your children, Voivode. Confessor Jacob says I must not let the Monster
Under My
Bed out. Confessor Jacob knew so much about your children. At first, squeamish,
but then excited.
At first, his mouth was always clamped shut, but then, it was always open.
er the
to wh ich yo ur ch ilder. They squand
neracy in , you will
ion, I am di sg us ted with the dege ur bloo d. I th in k, when you wake
On further reflect r granted the mira
cle of yo they? Are
go n. Th ey ta ke fo t m ake m e ju st as close to you as
teachings of the D
ra d no
ystery of your bloo
is wa s al l for th e best. Does the M dr ick . Th ey do not!
see th
ey do no t ap prec iate it, Hro
Th
we not connected?
149
One more thorn.
Click-clack-crack.
ssa. We fou nd her at hom e. She shed her skin . I saw . Like a snake. It fell away pale.
O is for Ode
ath ing. Bea ting hea rt. She hel d a bab e. It fed from her breast. I could
She was pink. Warm. Bre
smell sweat milk.
ed my fist s. Rea dy for the scre am. She did not scre am. She sang. No one ever sang
I crept. I rais
g and rocked.
to me. My music box broke nine winters ago. She san
ob screamed. Abomination! He foamed. Had
Confessor Jacob yelled. Kill them all! Confessor Jac
the babe.
the Monster Under His Bed come out? He lunged for
Shriek-shrike-scythe!
Con fess or Jac obs jaw . I tw iste d off his hea d. He was softer than your children were.
I pulled off
Voiv ode . You are the Dra gon . You are the lan d. I leave these scrivenings for you.
You are the
e, and I wil l lea ve. You wil l nev er find us. I am Shrike. I am Moroi. The Moroi
Odessa , the bab
are loyal.
Z is for Ziva. Secrets and secrets.
150
eens Race, Miss Black?
Have you heard of the Red Qu
deer,
[pause] and a rabbit, or a wolf and a
, tha ts wh ere it cam e fro m. Suppose that you have a fox e rab bits are fas ter
Yes generation, som
oth er pre dat or and pre y youd care to name. In each e the fox . The se rab bits
or any suited to sur viv
ouflaged, or otherwise more
than others are, or better-cam nex t generation. The fox, meanw
hile, has
e, rep rod uce , and pas s on their traits to the are mo re like ly to get
sur viv chasing prey
ing of its ow n, and tho se whore better at spotting and stat us quo doe s not.
offspr nge, but the
The rab bit get s fas ter, and so does the fox. The traits cha
a me al.
y can just to stay in place.
Theyre run ning as hard as the
s.
[pause] humans. That much is obviou
yes , you can say we re a for m of selective pressure on are exe rtin g sele ctiv e
Well, parasites,
at I wa s get ting at is this what predators, and what
But wh
pressure on us?
t
[pause] x predator, but the truth is tha
yre out the re. A lot of our kind fancy ourselves the ape Bla ck, tha t loo k at
Oh, the re are things, Miss
ust ecosystem of the dead. The
were just one hunter in a rob Som e of them were not. They are out
there,
e of the m mig ht hav e bee n human, once.
us prey. Som y are out there.
our delusions of grandeur. The
and they could care less about
[pause] uld know. Its just that Im not
not as if the yre her e, in this room. If they were, I wo
Oh, its in.
self at the top of the food cha
enough of a fool to thin k of my
[pause] re are many things out there
yd fit the bill . But even ignoring them, the
Well, yes , of cou rse the to have their own niches
t and tidy my tho logy of the Blood. They seem e
that dont fit into our nea remember ah yes, I do hav
sys tem , and som etim es, their own habitats as well. I the sou rce is far
in our eco speak. Regrettably,
of one of those habitats, so to
it filed. A firsthand account against us. I would kill to have an account from
a more
e, and tran spa ren tly bia sed
from reliabl
respectable observer.
151
r ye ars in Pe ori a , one nig ht . B ega n with ice cream. Ended in the
I spent fou
Weird.
rre d ki d in th e dri v e-t hru wi n do w sai d , Hey, arent you? I nodded.
The acne-sca h all my bi t par ts, goons, and B-movie
He reg ale d me wi t
Oh man! I cant even - rat e de at h sce nes. Ive died so many
an wo rk , all th e ela bo
heavies, all the stunt-m all my na me . No one ever does.
ed my mu g, bu t co uld nt rec
times. He recogniz ha nd s. I passed one to my
loo ke d co mi c ally sm all in my big
The ice cream cones he r ove rsi z ed red hoodie. T hank you,
th e ba ck sea t, swi m mi ng in
little girl, sitting in just rig ht , because Acne Kid all but
tle R ed sai d , and she sai d it
Daddy, L it
went, Dawww!
my ch ang e and sai d, W ha ts in th e box? pointing at the curio
He gave me
occupying the front passenger seat.
d.
Gwyneth Paltrows severed head, I sai o, but she didnt do it
. I lau gh ed . L it tle R ed lau gh ed to
Acne Kid brayed be d, then ducked back inside,
A cn e K id sud de nly loo ke d di stur
right, because d. A nd a mu ffl ed voice from the box
we re on th e roa
closing the window. Then we
said, T hat wasnt funny.
152
Then there was singing. Wasnt the car radio. It was from inside the
box. I leaned left,
keeping my massive bulk as far away from it as possible in that little
car. Sometimes, I
hate my job.
Many miles. All the way up to C hicago and back. Nothing but noth
ing, and the
Woods, and the Weird. Central Illinois has its very own Twilight Zon
e bubble. No
Kindred in or out, save the Savages. Like Little Red.
Dont remember all the miles. The thorns tore them away. Dont reme
mber getting
off I-55 or driving into Peoria. I dont even remember exiting the car.
It was one of those neighborhoods where walking barefoot will get you
an ST D. I
held the box as far from me as I could, followed Little Red into a
small warehouse.
Props. C ostumes. Like a theatre company set up shop and forgot.
Even a cemetery
and park sets. Plastic trees. Styrofoam tombstones. Down the step
s into the
chapterhouse of the Ordo Dracul.
Full disclosure: I dont like the Dragons. Dont like their secret hand
shakes and
code words. Dont like their bullshit Mary Shelley science. Every
Lick in the Four
Fiefs feels trapped, except the Dragons. Theyre happy as clams all
cloistered up. What
the hell are they building in there?
But who listens to the bellyaching of ghouls?
Down below, we got some nervous looks. Even monsters know to be
afraid of my little
red death. We made our delivery.
Hello, Kogaion Jacob, said Little Red.
Greetings, Sherif f, said the Haunt.
Just Jacob? I couldnt believe it. Gaudy names are a fashion statemen
ti
Fiefs. Some Haunts look like Max Schreck took a dump. Not Jaco n the Four
b. Looked
average, save for a ridiculously long scarf wrapped around his face, cove
ring his mouth, just
his nose peeking over. But the scarf never moved when he talked,
and his voice always
seemed to come from other places, muffled by cloth. Dont know
much about these
things, but I think the Haunts have the Weird in their blood.
Jacob opened the box like it was his birthday, pulled out a severed
head - the skin
153
fi ed to an odd blu e-g ree n. He cal led i t Or phe us. No, not that Orpheus, he
mummi
said.
ob gav e Li t tle Re d the gra nd tou r. Re ally tried to impress. I saw some shit.
Jac
ember what I saw in Room Number
I dont remember all of it. The thorns! But I rem
9. Well get back to that.
Woods. The Woods aint woods
Then Little Red gave Jacob the tour of the cities. The desolate fields.
whe re out sid e of our fou r shr iveled cor pse
exactly. Its any in anywhere, like vines. That
Un lit roa ds. Bu t the Wo ods can cre ep
Farm houses.
alle y. Tha t boa rde d-u p fast foo d joi n t. The Wo ods is in the air, that sort of 3
dark
. dre ad. It can cra wl in to you r mi r ror on the wrong sort of night.
A. M
Wo ods lurk s the We ir d. Do nt kno w wh at that is, exactly. All the
In the
c ks are ter rifi ed of the Wo ods and the We ird, all except the Savages. So the
Li
Savages rule.
e. And so Baron Leer sent his
The Dragons paid the Savages something obscen Hau nt had a ledger with a
to give Jac ob a tou r of the We ir d. The
best psychopomp
list of places, called them worms nests. rn-ripped tatters -
at lis t. Pla ce by plac e. M y mem ori es are tho
We fathomed th dow s matched - the truck
sch ool - a cor nfi eld whe re non e of our sha
an abandoned ty by oddity. That night never
hro om whe re wat er dro plet s flo wed up. Od di
stop bat
ended.
Re d guid ed us. Sh e kne w whe re to ste p. Wh ere not to step. What words
Little
say . Wh en to leav e a pi le of stic ks, or bon es, or a saucer of sour milk. She led
to
e she knew all the twists ahead of
the way like shed practiced it for years. Lik
time.
d head. He held it up, like a
No one seemed to notice Jacob carrying a severe nt songs. C ouldnt recognize
Dif fere
lantern, at each stop. Sometimes, it would sing. ger, maybe based on the tone
uag es. The n Jac ob scr ib ble d not es in th at led
the lang
wor ds. Jac ob was afr aid of the We ir d, but he was also getting off on it.
or the
Fucking Dragons.
154
ng rubbery and squelchy
Some places were duds. Some were not. I remember somethi
g it back squealing. Did
rising out of a pond, and Little Red tearing into it, sendin
to it, throwing in
that happen? Do the children really gather there and pray
offerings of hamsters and kittens?
s and shrubs on the
Then, the Brer Patch. Just a tiny patch of stunted tree
Little Red climbed
outskirts of Peoria. Doll heads hanging from the branches.
on. Orpheus sang. We
on my shoulders and added her own doll head to the collecti
es. But it kept going.
entered. Should have come out the other side in thirty pac
shy scarecrows dancing.
Orpheus screamed. I cant remember. Thorns! All over. Fle
with bleeding fountain
Autumn folk. Footsteps that sound like rain. A gaunt man
done. Running.
pen nibs for fingernails. If he signed you into his book, you were hair, my flesh.
my
Thorns! Here, there, and everywhere. Thorns ripping my clothes, mom - stabbing
ng for
Thorns stabbing me now - stabbing me at eight years old cryi
daughter had died in the
me when I woke up in the hospital to find out my wife and
appeared with a counter
crash - stabbing me on my suicide night when Little Red
offer. Ripping.
ked my cheek. Oh
C ame to in the car. Panic attack. Tears. Little Red stro
wrist to my lips and I
my poor C owardly Lion. Her claws were wet. She put her Orpheus wasnt
ken.
suckled, pacified like a sobbing toddler. Even Jacob was sha
making any noise, but his blue mouth still screamed.
The thorns took something from me.
bonfire at a reputedly
Jacob said we had one more stop. It was a dud. We built a
stared into the flame,
cursed campground. Nothing. Orpheus remained silent. Jacob
Savage barons couldnt
his back to us. Jacob said that Old Leer and the other
st the offe ring the Dragons gave the m, but tha t the y probably couldnt afford
resi
to let the Weird become less mysterious.
he said. Is this the
Tonight was more successful than you were hoping, yeah?
part where youre supposed to kill me?
night turned to
No hesitation. Little Red let the Big Bad Wolf out. The
155
fur and teeth, all hurtling toward the Haunt. He stepped closer to the fire,
practically into it. Ive never seen a Lick give so little regard to so much flame.
Little Red couldnt get that close. She paced and growled.
I have a counter offer, Jacob said.
Like a horror film on rewind, the fur and teeth receded. Her hoodie was askew,
exposing pale belly. I caught a glimpse of them, the nightmare menagerie, the
thousand faces of the Beast, all pressing her flesh like its a theatre curtain on
opening night.
Jacob said he could keep what hed seen a secret. He said the Order could
use someone with Little Reds skills. He said that maybe the Order could be
of use to a woman trapped for decades and decades inside a little girl. He held
a flaming brand to his face without a flinch, said that the C urse could be
conquered; change could be achieved. And if Little Red wanted to make her
own independent study in the chapterhouse, he could keep that a secret too. No
one keeps secrets like the Dragons.
Little Red agreed.
I dont like the Dragons. I dont want them changing her. Now I got a crazy
plan. Maybe I had it when I put pen to paper. Going to tear these pages out and
send them to you, Leer.
I know. Youre the big bad baron. Im just a lumbering ghoul. Theres nothing I
love more than Little Red, and the only thing that scares me more than her is
you and your slit-cheek grin. But if youre reading this, and you agree to get her
away from the Dragons, and do it without harming her, Ill tell you everything. Ill
tell you what I saw in Room Number 9. Ive been in the Weird, but Room Number
9 beats all.
Save your childe. Save our little girl.
156
I know you know better, but many of our kind arent so
enlightened. There is more to the Curse
than perpetual stasis, and a body preser ved, forever, at the
moment of its death. I believe the Coils and
Scales arent so much forcing change on an unchanging corpse
as controlling that change and making
it manifest within a time-span that we can perceive.
[pause]
Oh, Ive heard stories. Im sure youve heard stories, too
a few that might hit close to home, even.
The first Mekhet were all like you; but what was once the
norm is now a rare and precious exception.
Thats not even counting records of things that dont map
to any of the moder n Clans. Where did they
go? Were they wiped out? Did they become Kindred, or did
they become something else entirely? And
if so, did they have any say in the matter?
[a low growl, in the distance]
[pause]
Oh. Im sure its nothing. As I said, shes still a little touchy
around strangers. None of the others
have reacted, have they? But yes, where was I? The Coils.
Theyre one means of asserting control, but
theyre by no means the only one. Theres a certain power
in ritual, one that goes beyond humanitys
need to feel things are predictable and safe. In our case, it
offers us a way of dealing with our new state
of being, and as you can imagine, many of us have develo
ped our own methods. Ive kept records of
them, including some that you or I might consider... unorth
odox. Its to be expected, really. The Order
is far-reaching, and therere bound to be little branches
here and there with their own ways of doing
things. I have a number of accounts, but the most recent is
out of Montreal
[pause]
Yes, out of Montreal. I have it right here in my files. It never
reached its intended recipient, but as
touching as it might have been to him, I think it serves a
nobler purpose here.
Dear Scratch,
That diabolic hangover. You slept so
Long time, Spooky. We used to drink out of the same bottle.
Scratch. Beautiful as a wax museum
long. Miss me? Still pretty? You were always pretty to me,
e they pulled me out. Your twisted girl.
fire. My first childhood crush was on a melting face, befor
says it like you, Scratch.
No one says twisted with that kind of adoration. No one
year when that will be impossible.
Anyone living still love you now? Were both coming on the
Howd that happen? We were so young.
limbs break off. Have to drink it
Jeepers creepers! Its cold. The kind of cold that makes dead
t fog for a breath.
away. Have to kiss them so long and savage, you can chea
through the heat. Got away with
Is it cold in Chicago tonight? You bolted up tight? You slept
Scratch? Except the ones behind your
it too. No one can see you. No one can get at you now. Eh,
trust eyes. Cant know which ones see
eyes. Still throttling the dead in your head, Scratch? Cant
aint easy. I know.
the black ribbon wrapping the birthday gift of your soul. That
ng the Devil. Ever do that
Tonight, I ambulated up and down the Rue Saint Paul. Teasi
or leg over bed s edge, daring the
as a squirt, Scratch? I did. Every 3 A.M. stuck an arm
y from home, away from my parents.
Boogeyman to pull me under, down to the all-night town, awa
rules, but everyone knows to keep away.
I teased the Boogeyman tonight. Rue Paul isnt one of its
Bad luck follows.
157
You know about the rules, right, Scratch? They talk about that all the
way in Chicago? R oach
motel Montreal all licks to enter, none to leave. Anyone ever tell you
about the Nameless? The
Devil has six rules.
I. DONT KILL EACH OTHER
II. DONT GAT HER FIVE OR MOR E AT A TIM
E
III. DONT LEAVE THE CIT Y
IV. DONT LOOK FOR ME
V. DONT IMPER SONATE ME
VI. STAY AWAY FROM THE CROSS
I can spy the cross from where I write this, out the pub window. It glows
atop Mount R oyal.
Thats where the one and only Prince died. Anyone who goes up there
dies. I know if I look fast
enough, Ill see the Boogeyman perched up there. Im never fast enoug
h. Think of it, Scratch. Every
monster in Montreal is afraid to go up that hill.
R emember the early nights, Scratch? The roaring nights. Nights of our
idyll. Canines like kittens
teeth. A speakeasy pumping in every chest. The Haunted Hood and the
Flapper Macabre you
and me, Scratch. Course, they didnt call you Scratch back then. R emem
ber the summer nights by
the river? Feeding bread and blood to the ducks. How vicious they turne
d!
I miss that voice. Like flint glass. The best is yet to come. No one can say
it like you, Scratch.
Ive got an itch. Fixing to break rule six. Ill stop at the mailbox first. Then
Ill shove my letter
opener through my palm for clarity. I am Impaled. What can the Devi
l do to me that I have not
already done? Maybe Ill find chrysalis on the cross.
Its been so long, but I wonder if youll feel it, Scratch, feel it like I felt
it when they put you in
the river.
Amelia
Dear Scratch,
r. The real stuff. You can only
Cut a long story short, I didnt go up to the cross. This is terro
ght Id run out of things to fear. Before
squeeze transcendence out of real suffering and fear. I thou
danger you cant flee. The monster you
Montreal. Before the Nameless. The perfect calamity. The
t?
cant hunt. The only way out is to transform. But into wha
y mes since that deranged flapper
To change, you have to know who youve been. Theres been man
just learning to fly. The one you knew.
of his wooden kimono. Drunk on Never-
R emember who you were, Scratch? A skid rogue fresh out
arms, you could do anything. Top of the
Neverland, the copper burn in your gut, the strength in your
. You got to changing. No one warned
world, ma! Higher than an opium den, but then you came down
blood.
you. No one told you about the things wriggling in Haunt
January wind. You came wailing
R emember their laughter, Scratch? Like razor blades and
158
at you r ha nds , afr aid of you r ow n reflection. Their grand joke. No one
into Elysium, staring las t lau gh on that useless tit. Eh, Scratch.
r sire . Bu t you got the
laughed louder than you down and
d lau gh ing wh en I dip ped you an d kissed you deep. I rudely reached
They stoppe t mind
So un- lad yli ke. D idn t kno w you . Didnt flinch from your face. Didn
copped your lot. t suit and down my glad rags. A lwa
ys liked
cra wli ng out of you r dec ay ed zoo
the centipedes
bugs. Mother hated that. ry Kindred eye was on us. Silence.
s jus t a wh elp like you , but eve
A perfect moment. I wa of cal ico like me would go barney mugging
blu sh. Th at a cho ice bit
Gasps. Dead ready to nt cou sin s shu dder. I ate it all up. Tasted like
I cou ld fee l my Se rpe
a spooky grim like you. rov al at my every morbid turn. Felt like the time
y an d da ddy s dis app
freedom. Tasted like momm the pla ns the parents had for me, starting
lon g loc ks, cut aw ay all
I took the shears to my ddi ng da y to the grave. I cut away their doll-
nin g thr oug h eve ry plo
between my legs and run
crafted identity. I cut all my strings. ember,
, we dus ted tha t dea d blo w. Be au ty and the Beast. Perfect exit. R em
Arm in arm
Scratch? s to help me remember. Eight string
s.
e got col ore d stri ng s on my fin ger
Memory is tricky. Iv me etin g with the Order elders. R ed the
x 517 0. A gre en stri ng
Orange visit Post Bo y W est. Pu rple meet with Julien Vasseur.
w me et wit h Tif fan
R ite of the Impaled. Yello go to the cro ss. A white string, caked in gore.
ith out Ey es. Bl ack
Blue meet the Lady W
getting?
What was that for? What am I for x 5170.
the ora ng e stri ng. Ne arl y eve ry lick in the city has a key to Post Bo
Tonight, I cut t society.
am t it up. W e can t ga the r, so we put our words in there. Society withou
Carthians dre l lig ht. By themselves, but never alone.
ath ers do it, trip pin g on dig ita
Just like the bre sav e affectations. Tonight I met
id I tell you tha t, Sc rat ch? I
I collect quirks now. D es on her palms, in magic marker. Zany
ha nds . Th ere we re fac
a girl who talked with her ped her . Th en I snipped those quirks with my
Ca t car too ns. I sip
grotesqueries, like Felix the vey ard in my guts. What do I do with those
m in the sha llo w gra
invisible scissors, buried the
Great Work.
stolen, invisible parts? Its all for the
you into my laboratory.
Write me back, Scratch, and Ill let
Amelia
159
Dear Scratch,
Tonight, I cut off the green string. Gathering of the grey beards at the
Order. Everyone cozy. Everyone
complacent. Just tinkering away in their underground labs below the snow,
below the Nameless. No one
wants to push. Bushwa! The heirs to the wisdom of Dracula, and theyr
e all a bunch of canceled stamps.
Audacity is the only virtue. A finger to the sky is the only prayer. You
know me, Scratch. Bearcat till the
end of days. So I beat my gums and put an interrupt to their static with
something suitably prickly before
blowing out. Maybe I should act my age.
R emember when we first crept to the Orders doors? Two scared kids, skulls
turned to haunted houses. Do
your ghosts still gab, Scratch? Ever look back in on that penny dreadful
hell you call your mind ? Thats
where you heard your sire. Started in one January night and went on
for months on and off till you
put your head through a wall.
R ecall when you first confessed that to me? We were giddy on a hophe
ad s blood behind the Biograph
Theater. Something ate at you. Horrors had dripped like a broken fauce
t till you were bursting full of dead
water and red ruin. Your chin dipped and the words spilled.
Your sire never did adjust to newfangled motor cars. Hard to say what
was wrecked worse, the automobile
or her, but she crawled to you for help. Did you remember her laughter
then, Scratch? Did you say
something snappy before juicing her soul?
Wind back, Scratch. To that moment. Your hand clapped your trap shut.
But the words had already
stained my ears. Your poor eyes, so wide. Did you plot to croak me in that
awful moment? Till I busted up
laughing. Your face screwed into confusion. Then I confessed the same
thing to you only mine was a
broodmate sibling, and I didnt wait for a car. Then we both brayed.
How d you say it? Two can keep a secret if both of them are deadand
in love. No one says it like you,
Scratch. We sealed it blood to blood. A little perversion. A Hungaria
n Wedding.
We had the same dirt on each other. Yin over yang. The perfect friendship.
The only two Kindred in the
world who could be genuine with each other. Two amorous psychopaths
guilty of the same unthinkable crime.
Theres love for you. Eh, Scratch?
The swinging nights. The hungry nights. How much longer did we have
together? Three years? We lived
a lot in those three years ten gallons of revel poured into a one-gallon
jug. You and me, chasing our
dangerous drug. R emember their faces? Every time we said, it would be
the last time.
Then the voices. First your sire. Others followed. Behind the eyes. The ones
you eat remain. Then they eat
you. Dying by bites. Afraid. And who could we tell? We needed some
hoodoo. We went to the Order.
Never telling them why we studied so hard.
We brewed our own solution. Mental thuggee! Our happiest fancy. A
little meditation. A dash of
method acting we learned from that thespian Shadow who was just dying
to get into the silent films. Every
night, we lay on rooftops like fallen snow angels. Guiding each other throu
gh the meditation. Telling each
other, in exquisite detail, how we murdered the voices that night.
Mental thuggee. We got our mitts on the ghosts. Strangling. Electrocut
ion. Decapitation. Boiling in oil.
Feeding to a vat of eels. Every night, a new massacre in our brains. R e-kill
ing the ghosts. Waking up the
Beast and feeding it their bones.
Mental thuggee. You and me. Eh, Scratch?
160
stop, did you Scratch? Always room
We promised each other wed stopped using. But you didnt
sleep, filled your pockets with rocks,
for one more. They made you pay. Beat you down into the big
and threw you into the Chicago R iver. Back in 26.
scabby river water filling my throat.
I felt it, Scratch. In the blood. I was goofy for you. I felt the
nt. I went cold turkey that night. I
I went fluky that night. I tried to find you, Scratch. I could
killed cravings with pain. Then I got Impaled.
dy?
What about you, Scratch? Still riding the D-train, Dad
Amelia
Dear Scratch,
Swear I saw something up on the cross, but it was
gone by the time I got out my pocket binoculars.
Been watching all night. Like the fountain pen ink?
Its freeze-proof. Fancy!
Did the last letter get your dogs growling? Dont
be such a Mrs. Grundy! Everythings Jake.
Snatched three affectations this week. A girl walking
in Parc La Fontaine wore an impossibly
long scarf that flapped like punch-drunk tentacles.
A young poet at an open mic night, in a cramped
bookstore on Sainte-Catherine, sported hair dyed like
a chessboard. Just up the road, at a billiards bar,
a willy crone wielded one fingernail, far longer than
the others, the wicked orange of a pumpkin grown
in Chernobyl. I took out my invisible shears and stole
all three quirks. Buried them in the cemetery of
my guts, just above the voices you and I ate in the
roaring nights.
Now Im in the icy cold. Been watching the cross all
night.
IV. DONT LOOK FOR ME
Does bird watching count? Dont know. Theres no
teachers edition of the rules, just several dozen
Kindred corpses. Im playing chicken with an invisible
bugaboo.
Leeching the warmth off the roof of an all-night pout
ine joint on R achel. Warmed my innards on
spiked blood at a nearby bar. Youd get a laugh, Scr
atch. Its decked out all neo-speakeasy. Gouging
prices just like a blind pig. Mixologists working mad
science in nitrogen fog. Kids playing at being
bohemians. Father times and face stretchers playing
at being kids. Everyone ossified on snazzy coffin
varnish.
I hid the Beast by neurotically tearing the labels
off any dead soldiers in reach and nervously
bouncing my knee. Quirks I stole from breathers. You
forget how much they move till you try to
magpie that shit.
Not a lot of licks in that joint. They do big spectacl
es of juggling flaming shots and fire breathing
in there. But Im good. Got my hound on a short leas
h. Once stole a quirk from a Marlboro Man
who snapped his fingers to light his Zippo. Couldn
t light a lighter that close to my face till I stole the
breathers tick.
Wanna know how?
Scratch that, Scratch. Think I saw something.
Amelia
161
Dear Scratch,
Last night, I cut off the red string. R ite of the Impaled. Night of the question. Whos last off
the spike?
It starts with our mortal followers. You know me, Scratch. Cult of personality. My mouth
is like a circus. I let loose the esoteric on my vintage tongue. The walls echo with their refrain.
Everyones on the trolley. Wisdom only comes from calamity. Transfiguration from agony. Its
an underground boxing society. In Montreal, thats literally under the ground, bellow the snow,
in the sweltering room an abandoned chamber you can only get to through the hidden hole in
the wall of a board game store in the underground mall at the McGill Metro station. One of
our ghouls manages the shop.
After the chin music, blood, and teeth spitting, the floor opens to more rarefied mutilation.
Scarification. Modification. The modern primitives shine. We feed off their clumsy enthusiasm.
We stretch our fleshy limits.
Then its just the chosen, licks, and ghouls. There are three of us fully initiated into the Impaled.
Im the oldest. Wren and Jean-Baptiste round it out. But any Kindred is welcome. The young
Dragons tend to take a shine to me. The Circle digs our style. Carthians wander in, looking for
something to rekindle their fire. The Spear is broken, and the lonesome pieces need some spectacle.
These nights, their prayers dont go answered. The Nameless shut down God. That, at least, I can
respect. Eh, Scratch?
But theres that pesky Rule Two. We keep in tight communication, a guest rotation, so we
dont ever go above that fatal five. Last night, it was a Circle chica crooning to the spirits and a
Carthian named Chad. Hes a dewdropper and gore grubber from way back. Always there for
the free meal. Never put the letters BYOB together.
The rite is a simple thing. Wren played the Impaler. She helped Jean-Baptiste up on the
spike and slid him down. That awful sound. My turn. I waved Wren away. I am the Impaler
and I am the Impaled also. I lifted myself up on the spike. I pulled myself down. Inch at a time.
Howling in whangdoodle tongues.
The Circle chica, infamous for her brutal hoodoo, shivered.
Whos last off the spike? When you succumb to the Beast, blood, or big sleep, its over. Jean-
Baptiste lasted three hours. I stayed up there all night, through the day, and into tonight. In the
dark. Feet off the ground. Sliding down in geological time.
Thats where we find wisdom, Scratch. You see things on the spike. Somewhere between the
Beast, the Woman, and madness. I go inwards. I commune with the souls I ate. I make a
monstrous peace. The young ones think its all about the scars and gashes. Its not where the spear
sticks out from, but where it lays within. Me, and the multitudes within me, are pierced. I am
victim and victimizer, sipping wisdom from both broken cups.
Thats how I murdered the voices. Thats how I killed the cravings. How do you deal, Scratch?
Hanging, scourging, stretching, flaying. What can the Devil do to me that Ive not done? On
the spike, I enter my mind laboratory. I pin all of my nameless fears like a moth collection for
study. And when they wriggle on my cold needle, my fears will be afraid of me.
Amelia
162
Dear Scratch,
Im a new woman tonight. Every time I go up on the
spike, I die. Every time, Im reborn. Step
into my laboratory, Scratch.
On the spike, I go inwards. I sink into the Sheol in
my stomach. I go grave robbing for parts. I
harvest all those quirks and affectations I squirrel
away. I take them up to the lab in my skull and
I rebuild myself. I graft those traits to my psyche.
Big messy stitches. I throw the switch. Sparks!
Something new rises. Im the doctor, and I am the
monster also. Dig my mad science, Scratch?
Let the others toil on the crude clay. My experime
nts are ethereal. R eplace enough parts on a
car, and you have a completely new car.
I must look like a patchwork tonight. Strings on my
fingers. Creepy faces drawn on my palms.
My talking hands. Tapping my teeth with my sing
le, long, nuclear orange press-on nail. My
impossibly long scarf. My chessboard dyed hair. The
staccato laugh I took from a cabbie. The
shuffle-dance walk I took from a vagrant.
Wren and Jean-Baptiste ask me why, if shaking the
shackles of identity is so important, do I still
cling to my slang. Its true, I do. Worse than when
you knew me, Scratch. My mouth is a plastic
clich. Its my mask. Its the level-marked whiskey bott
le a recovering alcoholic keeps in the drawer.
Its the fat before picture in my wallet.
In the shop windows, my reflection is a blurred smu
dge. The people never notice. When I stab a
safety pin through my hand, my focus sharpens. The
reflection clears. I see what the breathers dont.
Starring back is beautiful grotesque. The stitch mon
ster. Several sets of rotting limbs sewn on. The
post-modern, Model T Promethean bitch let loose on
the world. My Great Work.
On the spike, I find chrysalis.
Im off the D-train, Scratch. Been sober now for
a mortal lifetime. Taught myself to eat souls in
smaller bites. Its all about portion control. The gra
fting process is rarely permanent. Those invisible
parts rot away and die. I steal more parts. I take a
wrecking ball to myself, and I start all over.
Always a new me. A different combination. What
combination will free me from Montreal?
Amelia
163
The Carthians run. Jean-Baptiste runs. I run. Wren is the
last! Her first time. The nerve! I tackled
her and we went down in a cackling heap. Jean-Baptiste joine
d in. Three tangled Dragons eating
each others tails.
For all I know, the Carthians are still running.
Did the Boogeyman notice us? I hope so. Im rattling the
fangs.
Amelia
Dear Scratch,
Tonight, I cut off the blue string
. Woke with my eyes sewn shut.
Savoring the sensation. Didn Im scared, Scratch.
t want to travel on the surface,
Montreal s Nosferatu are un so I went underground.
derworld Ferrymen. They have
theyll guide you so you never the access. For a price,
have to see the cross or sky wh
the city. Theyre the ones who ile shaking your stilts across
gave me the meeting place for
the toll in secrets. the Impaled. Tonight, I paid
R emember, remember the fifth
of November. 1935. Thats wh
the first and last Prince. In th en the Nameless came for
e 70s, the Carthians gathere
the only survivor. She met the d to take power. I went to see
Boogeyman, Scratch.
The Eyeless Woman. Once up
on a time, she was Eva Dubois
.
164
I met with Eva. Put me wise, I sai
d.
She told me about the night. Two doz
en Carthians. Slaughtered. She ret
ripped out, bearing the six rules. Sa urned, eyes
id she could not see the Nameless, but
her ear, told her not to grow her eye it whispered in
s back. She hasnt, Scratch. Not for
Then the Eyeless Woman leaned in all the decades.
and whispered in my ear. The words
Theyre words I wont put to paper. W , Scratch.
riting those words feels too much like
bridge or climbing the cross. Maybe toeing the
Ill record them later.
I went home. I stayed underground
the whole way.
Amelia.
Dear Scratch, s.
. Turns out, it was just a bindle stiff. It happen
Thought the Boogeyman came for me tonight The
wing the rules. Then theyre stuck. Desperate.
Vagabond savages wander into town, not kno
unds.
apple knockers come sniffing your hunting gro
le pun k plu nge d his cla ws into my stom ach , expecting a shriek. But I only grabbed
The bind
and pul led his han ds deeper into me. I am the Impaler and the Impaled. The look on
his wrists
mel ted his grin to goo . The poo r savaged trie d to pull away, but I only squeezed till his
my face
ged. He cried blood.
wrists crunched. He screamed at me. He beg
ugh, that his neck snapped. His head flopped
I gave him a head-butt. Fast enough, hard eno
back, eyes to the sky.
Go chase yourself, I said. .
dispenser. Poor, dumb mutt. Hes stuck here now
He ran down the street, head like a used Pez
et before he scrammed. Its the thing to do.
I slipped a key to Post Box 5170 into his pock
Amelia
Dear Scratch,
Theyre dead. I was late. Fuck
up in communication. How do
Circle Jerks. It was here. It wa you botch that? Fucking
s in our room. Theyre all on th
switched around. Mismatched e spikes. Chopped up. Parts
jigsaw puzzle. Meat kebabs.
A nother R ite of the Impaled
. Wren and Jean-Baptiste ar
Carthians. A nd then two Acol rived first. A nd then two
ytes. Now theyre all dead. Th
Im going to get on the spike wi eir faces. They saw it.
th them. One last time. Going
what to do. into my lab. Then Ill know
Amelia
165
Dear Scratch, Th en I remembered. It was on the finger of
a
gor e-s tai ned wh ite stri ng.
Two more strings. I cut off the pum p sto ppe d. I too k his blood and his quirk.
ish him , but his
janitor I ate. Didnt mean to fin
up the mountain. Going to the cross.
I cut off the black string. Im going wh ispers . You know. When you cant quite
ch? Fa din g till the yre
Do you still get the voices, Scrat Eh , Sc rat ch? Th e odd word. T V static. Dying ghosts.
at s the wo rst.
hear the words. Just murmurs. Th s? But Im strong at Mental Thug
gee.
voice inside its gu ts? Be hin d its eye
Will I end up just a
a faint voice in its own body.
Maybe Ill strangle it, till its just in the riv er. A nother voice. Put your mitts on
it fel t it wh en you we nt
Will you feel it, Scratch? Like
that. I got no strings now. ch. Say it. Listen to yourself. No one
says it
it one mo re tim e. Co me on, Sc rat
Do me a favor and say
like you, Scratch.
The best is yet to come.
Amelia
You new?
Uh huh.
First time trying the steps?
Yeah.
Itll change your fucking life.
it didnt do shit.
They said that when I got baptized, but
he fronted me my first oxycoffin.
Hehe, yeah. My dealer said it to me when
Bet he was right though. h cream.
; the oxy was like coffee with too muc
Nah. I was already so fucked up on meth
166
s made more sense than this.
Sometimes wish it were still drugs. Drug by ever y Invic tus
rough and eating rats. Getting fucked
You just need to do the steps. I was living dve just kisse d the sun one day,
ing to slum. I probably woul
asshole who came down to the burg look It set me right up.
the Steps.
but I met Dr. Pope, and he showed me
Is Pope the heav y with the bust ed up nose?
out for you too. Last
Hes Pope s guy. You start walking right, and hell be looking
Thats Pushkin. kin brok e his legs with a length of
looking for a little action, Push
time my old man came sniffing around, r to Chris t, I neve r laug hed so much. Getting right
plier s! I swea
rebar and pulled out his fucking teeth with re thing s, and you get powerful.
are is part of the steps. You squa
with the ones who made you who you
Nothing can fucking touch you then.
.
I guess. Confidence is a powerful thing dence without
confi denc e like I need another cunt. You walk around with confi
Confidence? I need rful thing . You got a lighter?
the guts out of you. Power is a powe
anything to back it up, and theyll have
Yeah, here. tly what I thought
sire, I went up and told the old fucker exac
When Pushkin was done stomping my s, and then I set him on fire with kerosene.
carrying for year
about him. I unloaded ever ything Id been
Jesus!
out of the deal.
He survived. More or less. But I got this
Pretty nice flask. Silver?
kerosene. Now watch this.
Yeah. It was his, and I filled it up with
Oh man, dont drink...
And this.
you? How are you evening standing that?
What the shit? How is that not burning direc t repr isals to such people as
Nine means you Mad e
This is the ninth step. Dr. Pope says Step
sure to injure them or others.
harmed you wherever possible, making
a taste for kerosene?
And that gives you asbestos skin and y tough before
g thats your s and only your s. I was prett
No, it gives you something new, somethin .
kerosene, fire just tickles a little
I did the ninth Step, but now when I sip
What does that feel like? You ever get the coke
Im screaming and thrashing around.
Its like my skin is a shell, and inside
bugs crawling under your skin?
Shit yeah. couple other steps
bugs, and Im trying to get out. I did a
Its like that, except it feels like Im the tryin g to claw my way out
s I know, and its the same. Its like Im
right too, and theres some other trick
of my own skin.
ds horrible.
Why the fuck would you do it? That soun not, but its
It feels so fine. Its bette r than anything I ever did, breathing or
No, thats the thing. you. Its all you. Its like
toes because he made a slave out of
not drugs, blood, or sucking your sires
getting high off your self. ts first?
s for you. How do you get started? Wha
Well, if it works for you I guess it work your life has beco me tormented.
over your frailties, and that
Step One is admitting youre powerless
to set somebody on fire?
So how do I actually do that? Do I have rmen or the pagan
for services rendered like the shit the spea
Its not like that. Theres no payment y places where you dont
w the Steps, and you walk them to scar
bitches do. This aint religion. You follo you to decid e if youre going to get
or crawl. And the steps force
know whos going to live or die, stand hear t, then what you
the process, and you do it with an open
fucked or be the fucker, and if you work
take back is a...
.
Asbestos skin and a taste for kerosene ? Did you meet Peg
get, but its what youre supposed to get, right
Hehe, yeah. You get what you
when you came in? goat gave me scared
seen some weird shit, but the look that
Was she the little girl with the goat? I
the balls off me. out as a scared little
but Peg worked all the steps. Star ted
Only people in the program know this, ber Two now. I hear d she got Goat when she did
s Popes Num
thing, now nobody fucks with her. She she swap ped her hear t for Goat s
e kind of god. I also heard that
the eleventh step, and the goat is som ble. I also hear d that shes reall y Goat, and the Peg
shes invulnera
hear t, and Goat is now immortal, and a step work, shes the one
on. I don t know . But if youre having trouble making
we see is like an illusi
e beef liver or a marr ow bone for Goat to gnaw.
if you bring som
to talk to. Shes sweet as carrot cake
167
cult
isnt like a cult, is it? I did the
at once. I got to process. This
This is too much to take in all
thing, and it never helped. You been a victim for a
ple tryi ng to help people through their recovery. do the
No way. Its just peo on instead of booze. When you
tim e. Its all ove r you . This is like AA, but for being shit
long
on you again.
steps, nobody is going to shit
ight?
Well what do I have to do ton y too if you want.
d up, tell us who you are. You can tell your stor
You just stan people.
in front of people. Groups of
Im not... I dont really talk Look at me, and talk
igno re eve ryo ne else , and you just talk to me, ok? re you
Hey, Ill be her e. You ause they were all standing whe
You don t nee d to wor ry about anybody else here, bec find you r pow er, to find your
to me.
wan t the sam e thin g for you. They want you to
are now, and they all
to stand.
strength, and to remember how
how to stand.
I dont know if I ever knew
?
You doing any thing after this
ing for a bite or something.
I dont know. Probably look talk or whatever. I really got
a
get tog eth er afte r. We can work on your first step, or just
Lets d ones.
re going to be one of the goo
feeling about you. I think you
Yeah? e is just
and then hang out? My plac
ut after? Get a bite with me,
Yeah. What do you say abo
down the street. ld just talk to somebody who
thin k... no, fuck it. Id love to. Its been years since I cou
I dont y did.
ing, or who gave a shit if the
had any idea what I was say
Then its a date.
g
it meant lookin
ou s so rt , m ys elf, even when us et ts
ri ch
always been a cu o, up in Massa
rsta nd th at w ell enough. Ive dd en . I go t m y star t years ag e, but m y family was
I unde e be st left hi ld ta ke offens
som e fe lt w er ded so ul w ou ul to finally be
for things that ti m e, some small-min . In a way, Im than kf h
Har vard, Yale,
MIT . E ac h nkles li ke th at ong. I just wis
w ay s of sm oo thing over wri
w B oa rd s an d I never got al
had tit utional Revie
old money, and ia. Those Ins
yl ig ht ac ad em
rid of da
dden. random chance
,
it wasnt so... su gs, completely
e of th os e th in m et hi ng I
[pause] just on t, so
e of an yt hi ng I did. It was ng up a va luable shipmen hi ng th at
ca us hi et
Oh, it wasnt be s to pick somet my an kle, som
m or e. I w as at the dock e. I fe lt something grab ok at its eyes as
and noth in g
w hen it foun d m
th e water. I got a lo
to a co ur ie r I knew , I w as in arent; not like
couldnt leave , an d the next thing ad lo oking, but they h
wasnt quite a
hum an ha nd
at shark eyes ar
e co ld an d de nd them. Its teet
Pe op le sa y th gl im m er of in telligence behi
ose. a
it pulled me cl was as much as a great deal of
blood.
gs ey es . I do nt thin k there er . T he re w as
that thin my should
open, and then anyone. All we
ripped my neck that as well as
ow
[pause] ck. You sh ou ld kn well. None of us
se w ho Si re d us, Miss Bla su pp os e, th at s an option as
We cannot choo not, I
ere given... or
is m ak e th e best of what w w e ne ed not be its slaves
.
can do lo od , bu t
ritage of our B our colleag ues
can deny the he I know some of
ur re co rd s? lightened sort.
[long pause] u li ke an anecdote
for yo
se em like a more en
On that subjec
t, w ou ld yo d yo ur pa tr on what it means
its co nt en ts , but both you an us w ith an op posing view of
ve of id e
would disappro , but it does prov
er se lf-c on gr at ulator y, I feel
Its rath
e of ones sire.
to be the child
168
We are the Brides of Dracula.
We are yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We sing of the Son of the Dragon.
We are the wisdom of the dark earth, Call him Vladislaus. Call him Tepes.
and we do such things. Call him Kaziglu Bey. Call him Dracula.
Call us Mara, Anoushka, and Lisette. He who planted the forest of corpses.
We will wear these names until chrysalis. We who perched in its branches and ate of its fruit.
We have sloughed off so many names. We call him husband.
Let us end. Let us begin.
The Impaler Prince, epic hero of damnation.
Let us link arms and dance What a base thing he was when we met.
ring around, mouth to tail. A bloated tick. A gorged grave maggot.
Hear us, O Mother Night! Fallen in battle, risen as a revenant wretch,
Mother who gave us birth, bereft of clan and rational thought.
so that we might drink the living bones How came this grotesque accident?
to defy the tyranny of worms. Where for this cadaverous afterbirth?
Had a corruption fermented in is breast,
Hear us, O Mother Night! planted by the teeth or blood of some past fiend?
To thee do we feast We do not know.
on banished children of Eve.
By our birthright, the immortal gods Writhing like a larvae, in battlefield muck,
may not lay hands on us. gnawing corpses, licking gore-encrusted blades,
We eat not at their table. slicing his tongue in infantile zeal and drinking what he bled,
pushing fingers into the blood-soaked mud
Hear us, O Mother Night! and noisily suckling the vermiculated tit.
To thee do we sing. All hail the Voivode of Wallachia.
We are the ravenous chorus.
We are the Furies chant. Give this piteous grubbling release, we agreed.
Its discord shatters the chains Then we recognized him beneath the filth.
that fetter the soul, Even as he rolled in slime, he screamed at the sky,
destroys the harmony as if in violent argument with God,
that dulls the mind. as if still in pitched battle.
He prattled on about being a better Lucifer,
Let our frenzied song fall upon the ears of angels. a better Judas.
Let the sky rain feathers and tears.
By our fearful art, we weave words. There is an ignorance of such chthonic depth,
By our fearful art, we paint a legend. that it swallows the stars and gulfs of night.
By our fearful art, we sculpt a paradigm. It is a rarefied delusion to assume
that Heaven singled one out for the curse.
Man doth not yield himself to stagnation, decay, or In the dying light, illimitable ignorance becomes power.
the curse, In the malleable universe, what is believed can
save only through the weakness of his feeble will. eventually be.
A man might be tricked into a stronger will. Knowledge brings intimacy with ones limitations.
A man might be fooled into transfiguration. We bear the curse of knowing.
By our fearful art. He does not.
169
The crawling prince bellowed on.
He has been a brute monster,
The sky did not answer.
and sorrowful scholar,
But we did.
and temperate teacher,
and student and prophet.
We locked together in a lusty knot
What he believes, he can do.
with him at our center.
And so we sheer away all memory of boundaries.
Mouth to tail blood in blood out
Should we desire him to soar,
ever returning in to the self-same spot.
we have but to erase knowledge of the earths pull.
Three sires. One nativity.
He ascended from revenant leech to Kindred kind.
He awoke believing he sired us.
He took the best of our far-flung bloodlines.
And so we became his childer.
He knew nothing of clan or inherited limitations.
He woke believing he mentors us.
In himself, he had no borders.
And so we taught him as his pupils.
Potential everlasting.
Our words became his words.
We shape his dreams and the story.
Our creation rose upright,
We influence the storytellers.
gestalt of blood and will.
Verse, like water, requires only time
The origins of his damnation were a mystery,
to carve the mountains.
but we made his damnation our own,
as the sculptor dares presume ownership
We are the Brides of Dracula.
over earth-spawned marble.
Call us legend crafters.
Call us paradigm shapers.
With the gift of lucidity fading fast,
We refine our creation.
he crowed a bitter war laugh
We guide our sleepwalker.
and charged into the gloom for further battle,
Through him, we explore unlit possibility.
set out to corrupt the earth and confound Heaven.
Through him, we fathom forbidden change.
Our deluded Dragon Knight, tilting at gods.
Through him, we subvert the curse and tyrannous stars.
170
need to fortify
I suppose. Im sure you understand the need for security. Ive found the
as both that and a novel experiment
my working space against intrusion, and they double
tell whats legitim ate, and whats a
in animal perception. Sometimes its a bit difficult to
false alarm. You havent seen anything out of place, have you?
[pause]
Youre certain?
[pause]
the faintest
I find it fascinating that even after centuries of experimentation, we have only
ries all the time, and find
idea of how malleable the Curse truly is. We make new discove
Isnt it grand?
out that old ones werent as simple as they looked at first glance.
[pause]
See, you get it. I
hissing
[background noise. The same low growl, in the distance, followed by a throaty,
It continu es until the recordi ng ends.]
bellow, and a cacophony of other calls.
Is someone there?
[pause]
Very funny. Is someone there? Can you see anything?
[pause]
Shut that off. Sa lvaged wh at I could. Eithe
[end of recording] th e ma d docto r kept no tech r
nic
notes, or th ey got up and al
wa lked
of f befo re th e fire, oh so
coy
mysterious. Heres a sa mpler and
of
deepest, most perso na l th ou his
gh
instead. I ho pe youll fo rg ts,
ive me.
--Fra nces
171
r. It casts no
grow ing from the wrec kage of the Cabe Lands Cemetery, by the Eno Rive
There is a tree
shadow. Why?
evol ent entity remains elus ive.
sical evidence of possession by a mal
Surg ery was a complete failure. Phy
Barnaby has begun disposal .
172
The living study is limited, however
. It removes the human too far
can get to observe a human in pre from the rat. The closest these
dato ry danger is by how reck less stud ies
data pure. I can study the infected ly one crosses a busy street. I can
human as prey. For the next few make the
conf irmed as hosts to Toxoplasma months, I will limit my hunting
gondii (with a littl e help from the to those
Friedman would be will ing to co-a Duke University med ical reco rds).
uthor. In a second study, perhap Perhaps
feli ne features. s, I coul d manipulate my body to
demonstrate
There are whole worlds that neve
r see the sun. Movile Cave is one
was cut off from the outs ide, and such world five mill ion years ago,
it remained seal ed until a group it
in the rock. The creatures inside of surveyo rs chanced upon it whi
it were trapped, with no way to leav le digg ing
ecosystems outs ide. e, or to obtain nutrients from the
sun-lit
They didnt die out. They thrived.
Sunlight forms the bas is of most
of the worlds ecosystems, but in
energy pick up the slack. In Mov places it cannot reach, other sour
ile, everythi ng revolves around mat ces of
float upon the water. Much like s of bacteria, no thinner than pap
bacteria in the deep sea, they deri er, that
photosynth esis with far more arca ve energy from inorganic compound
ne chemical reactions. In turn, the s, rep laci ng
that crawl, slith er, and swim thr y are food for the countless inve
ough the dark. rteb rate s
Of course, the bacteria arent so
kind as to produce breathable oxyg
soup of sulfur fumes and carbon en; instead, they turn the air into
dioxide. Breath ers start running a noxious
things in the cave have not only into trouble at around five or six
adapted to this environment, they hours. The
instead relying wholly on senses are thriving in it. Many of them
that are far more useful in comp lack eyes,
things, seemingly transluc ent, but lete darkness. Some of them are pal e,
no less deadly for it. They live, bree thin
And its in Wal lach ia, too. I would d, and die without ever seei ng the
kill for samples of its clay, but sun .
about the place beckons to me, and I doubt that would satisfy me. Som
not just intellectual ly. What else ethi ng
Perhaps it will be my Galapagos. lies down there in the dark?
173
be moving , and I would nt have his useless, torpid body
of my Clan. If Id warned him, then perhaps hed still
lying under my lab bench.
fool see in there that I did not?
Would he have listened to me if I had? What did the
I must find it. I must make it a known quant ity.
Damnation.
e so loosely tethered to their existence couldnt
I shoul dve known better. I shoul d have known someon
up the mess, but things just became much more
withstand even the most cursory autopsy. Barnaby tidied
compl icated.
More security is in order. They cannot find out.
B-2, a site he thought was related to A-3 somehow.
I found the soil sampl es that Friedman brought from
and fell asleep.
Against my better judgment, I mixed up a bed of mud
me from across campus. It knew where I was, and
I dreamed again. This time, it was the eyes, staring at
from it. Barnaby sustained serious injury before I pulled
what Id done. There was nothing I could do to hide
myself out of it, but as before, he will pull through.
ach to this problem is in order. Someth ing trustworthy,
I can see it. Or can I? Perhaps a more novel appro
and more adept at self-defense than Barnaby.
174
Finally, heres th e doctor
at his best, writi ng his
notes for a speech. Maybe
itll ma ke some of th e
previous notes fall into
pla ce.
--Fra nces
175
Each covenant keeps certain tricks close to their chests, With Storyteller discretion, some of the Merits may be used
holding them as edges and advantages. For some covenants, outside their respective covenants. For example, the Carthian
these secrets are expressions of religion, and thus must only be Merit Mobilize Outrage doesnt offer any hard reasons why
shared with believers. For others, these tricks act as recruiting it couldnt be used outside the Movement, or even by human
tools to entice fence sitters. Others still use their trade secrets to characters. Its inclusion here reflects the fact that its generally
ensure loyalty in sworn members. Regardless of the covenant, taught to Carthians, and is an important tool to the Movement.
each uses their unique skills as a method of enforcing hierarchy; While the sections state that such Merits require a dot of
some members are more valuable than others are, and members Covenant Status, use your best judgment for your chronicles.
who are more valuable get the best toys. In some cases, for example Toss That Shit Right Back, it
could apply for non-Kindred characters as well.
Lancea et Sanctum
Religion is two things to the Lancea et Sanctum; faith Effect: This Style requires the character use a hand-to-hand
and organization. The Spear needs numbers, so it needs weapon. Your character gains access to the following effects at
camaraderie. However, it brings those numbers with the raw each subsequent level:
force of its dark miracles. Shield Against Sorcery (): This technique filters a lost Theban
Sorcery ritual into a practice a non-practitioner (even a Sorcerous
Eunuch, see below) can use with a series of military motions. It
Merits renders the characters immediate area something of a null zone
Members of the Lancea et Sanctum have access to the for sorcery. Your character must be armed to enact Shield Against
following Merits. Unless otherwise noted, they have an additional Sorcery. Any magic targeting your character or any character within
prerequisite of Status (Lancea et Sanctum) or higher. her Willpower dots in yards suffers her Merit dots as a dice pool
penalty. This requires your character have full access to her Defense.
If multiple crusaders use this ability, only the highest Merit dots apply.
Crusade ( to , Style) Silence (): The voice is often the seat of sorcery. For this
Prerequisite: Occult , Resolve , Weaponry , character reason, crusaders train to strike for the enemys vocal chords
must have either Theban Sorcery or Sorcerous Eunuch first. If your character targets the enemys throat, she suffers
Your character has learned the fearsome fighting style no penalties due to the targeted attack. If successful, the attack
of Lancea et Sanctum crusaders. Its designed to debilitate silences the enemy, which may prevent him from casting spells
Kindred opponents, and to shut down other dark sorceries or using some Disciplines so long as the damage remains.
quickly.
Chapterhouse ( to )
Prerequisites: Ordo Dracul Status
Wyrms Nests are commonly used as the foundation for
Ordo Dracul chapterhouses. Establishing a Wyrms Nest
chapterhouse with the proper rites allows all within to study
and gather in peace.
Effect: Characters inside a chapterhouse are calmed and
collected. Add the Chapterhouse Merit dots to any rolls to
resist frenzy, or to end a violent course of action.
Additionally, subtract Chapterhouse Merit dots from all
efforts to Lash Out within the chapterhouse.
Note: Only one character contributing to the Chapterhouse
must bear the Status requirement.
Crucible ()
Prerequisites: Occult
The Crucible Ritual is one of the most important uses for a
Wyrms Nest. Once a Wyrms Nest has been consecrated as a
Crucible, members of the Ordo Dracul find themselves more
capable of evolving into their Coils if they study on the Nest.
Effect: Characters evolving into a new Coil find it easier
if committed on a Crucible. Characters learning Coils on
the Crucible buy Coils of their chosen Mystery with two
Experiences, and Coils of other Mysteries at three Experiences
per dot. They develop Scales for a single Experience.
Feng Shui ( to )
Prerequisites: Academics , Occult
Your character has mastered the complex mathematics and
parapsychology sufficiently that she can arrange the items in
her Wyrms Nest in order to focus its ectoplasmic energies and
benefit those within.
Effect: When taking this Merit, choose a single Skill. While
in the Wyrms Nest, characters may take your characters Feng
Shui dots as additional dice when using that Skill.
Perilous Nest ( to )
Prerequisites: Occult
Your character has secured a Perilous Nest. Usually, this
means a haunted place. But other supernatural oddities may
constitute a Perilous Nest. With her rites, she has harnessed
these dangers to endanger only individuals meeting her
defined criteria.
Effect: If a character meets your characters chosen criteria, the
Nest lashes out to show him he is not welcome. This is different