I'm currently running a Vampire the Masquerade chronicle using the 5th Edition rule-set for a small group of fellow role-players. These are the chronicles of their adventures.
Our chronicle is set in Los Angeles and features a small group of Camarilla agents sent into the 'Free States' to bring them back under Camarilla control. Over a year of plotting allowed the coterie to gain control of two North-Eastern Baronies and a large part of a third. Now they are moving on to the final stage of their campaign and have their eyes on taking over the entire city, either directly or by proxy.
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The now obligatory warning bit - Unlike my other RPG write-ups this one will contain swearing, sexual references and other references that might offend. If you can't tell the difference between real peoples opinions and grown-ups role-playing predators who crave blood then this probably won't be for you. There are however a list of potential triggers listed before the introduction. I've also used actual photographs to represent some characters which I'll give acknowledgements to at the end if I've any idea who they are.
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The introduction to this campaign, the first story and all the other parts can be found at the following links and are in chronological order. If you'd prefer a summary of each session rather than read everything then there's a more detailed link page HERE as well as links to the first episode of each story in the blog sidebar.
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Chronicle One - 'Infiltrate L.A.'
Welcome to L.A. - Introductory Session
Story One - 'Three Murders' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Interlude Session - One
Story Two - 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part One, Two, Three, and Four
Solo Session - 'The Neillson Library'
Story Two Continued- 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part Five, Six, Seven and Eight
Story Three - 'Becoming Baron' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Gather'
Story Three Continued - 'Becoming Baron' - Part Six, Seven and Eight
The now obligatory warning bit - Unlike my other RPG write-ups this one will contain swearing, sexual references and other references that might offend. If you can't tell the difference between real peoples opinions and grown-ups role-playing predators who crave blood then this probably won't be for you. There are however a list of potential triggers listed before the introduction. I've also used actual photographs to represent some characters which I'll give acknowledgements to at the end if I've any idea who they are.
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The introduction to this campaign, the first story and all the other parts can be found at the following links and are in chronological order. If you'd prefer a summary of each session rather than read everything then there's a more detailed link page HERE as well as links to the first episode of each story in the blog sidebar.
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Chronicle One - 'Infiltrate L.A.'
Story One - 'Three Murders' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Interlude Session - One
Story Two - 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part One, Two, Three, and Four
Solo Session - 'The Neillson Library'
Story Two Continued- 'The Pasadena Problem' - Part Five, Six, Seven and Eight
Story Three - 'Becoming Baron' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Gather'
Story Three Continued - 'Becoming Baron' - Part Six, Seven and Eight
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Chronicle Two - 'Foothold L.A.'
Solo Session - 'Hostile Takeover'
Story Four - 'Countdown' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Five - 'The Missing Chantry' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Anaheim Assassination'
Story Six - 'A Meeting of Barons' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seven - 'The Carmelita Situation' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eight - 'The Blount Sisters' - Part One and Two
Story Nine - 'Blood Money' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six
Story Ten - 'Anathema' - Part One and Two
Story Eleven - 'Predators and Prey' aka 'The Blount Sisters' - Part Three
Story Twelve - 'Aftermath' - Part One and Two
Story Thirteen - 'The Messiah Complex' - Part One, Two, Three and Four
Chronicle Two - 'Foothold L.A.'
Story Four - 'Countdown' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Five - 'The Missing Chantry' - Part One, Two, Three, Four and Five
Solo Session - 'The Anaheim Assassination'
Story Six - 'A Meeting of Barons' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seven - 'The Carmelita Situation' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Eight - 'The Blount Sisters' - Part One and Two
Story Nine - 'Blood Money' - Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six
Story Ten - 'Anathema' - Part One and Two
Story Eleven - 'Predators and Prey' aka 'The Blount Sisters' - Part Three
Story Twelve - 'Aftermath' - Part One and Two
Story Thirteen - 'The Messiah Complex' - Part One, Two, Three and Four
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Chronicle Three - 'Incursion L.A.'
Chronicle Three - 'Incursion L.A.'
Solo Session - 'A Gathering of Roses'
Story Sixteen - 'The Southern Solution' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seventeen - 'The Baker Disappearance' - Part One, Two and Three
Story Seventeen - 'The Baker Disappearance' - Part One, Two and Three
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Interlude Session One - After Griffith Park
Interlude Session Two - Divide and Conquer
Interlude Session Three - On the Brink of War
--------------------Chronicle Four - 'Conquest L.A.'
Interlude Session - Recon
Interlude Session - Damage Limitation
Interlude Session - The Killing Spree
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Michael Tomassio - Toreador, 'Baron of the North East'
Vincent 'Vin' Ghast - Brujah, 'Constable'
Hope Romero - Gangrel, 'Census Taker'
Vincent 'Vin' Ghast - Brujah, 'Constable'
Hope Romero - Gangrel, 'Census Taker'
Eric Moore - Nosferatu, 'Vigilante Hacker'
The Storyteller
Garreth - Everyone else...
The player characters stats and backgrounds can be found HERE should any-one be interested, but be warned that the page is usually several stories ahead of the most recent write-up and may contain some spoilers.
There's also some minor 'house-rules' HERE that have occurred as we went along.
If I think something needs a bit of out of character explanation then those will get a storytellers note that will helpfully be in red. Introductory pieces that I read to the group are in Blue. Where particular NPC's have a mention in a faction profile you will be able to reach it by clicking on their name or faction beneath their picture.
Trigger Warnings for This Session: Blood (Obviously), Bulimia, Imprisonment.
Introduction
Hope and Vin, with Eric providing technical support, have fought their way through the first two levels of the Young Bloods Bunker base. So far their foes have been merely the gangs 'prospects', not yet provided with the vampire blood necessary to turn them into ghouls, and have been easy prey for the two experienced killers. However they are certain that more potent resistance awaits them.
Meanwhile, Michael has received a visitor...
Storytellers Note - This was another long session so you might want to get a nice beverage and some snacks before starting reading.
Scene Sixteen - The Butchers
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| Marie - House Carna Consolidated Chantry of L.A. |
The wards only allowed certain kindred to pass by without serious and potentially fatal consequences.
You vaguely recognise 'Thomas' as one of The Butchers pack who roam the San Fernando mountains.
Specifically he was the one whose ghoul Daniel saved the life of after the Camarilla invasion of San Jose. He has made some effort to tidy himself up, but still looks out of place here.
"Sorry if this is old news now, but it took me a while to get permission from Blanche to share this with you and a bit of time to get here..."
Blanche was the leader of the Gangrel pack known as The Butchers and was also both the sire and biological mother to the four men and three women who made up their membership. Though the butchers were well named, they were also capable of surprising levels of stealth. It was possible then that this childe of Blanche had something useful to share.
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| Louis Fortier - Ventrue Baron of West Los Angeles |
"What were not sure is relevant to you is that The Circulatory System are also moving vehicles and armed guards through the mountain trails in that direction. It's a big convoy too, probably bigger than Fortiers lot. They also have a helicopter in support..."
Michael didn't interrupt as it was clear that he had more to say.
"Given what Daniel did for me I felt that it was only right to let you know about the danger. I had an errand to run in Downtown and Blanche let me make this detour afterwards. I'd have let him know myself but he seems to be off the grid at the moment."
Michael absorbed this news before speaking.
"I thank you for sharing this information with us. I appreciate you honouring your commitment as I'm sure Daniel would have done if he was here. Are Blanche and the rest of your family planning on doing anything about the incursion?" Thomas seemed a little uncomfortable, but Michael was naturally persuasive and so the Gangrel continued.
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| Myranda Maria - Gangrel Pack Leader, The Wilds Pack |
"Much of the San Gabriel Mountains are claimed by us as a feeding ground. We patrol the area up to a certain point but there's some crossover with the area claimed by The Wilds pack and, well...Myranda is a lot higher up the pecking order than us..."
Michael was aware that Gangrel had contests to establish who was at the top of the food chain and wasn't surprised to find that Myranda Marie and her followers had dominated The Butchers at some point.
"...so if we start a fight in a contested area and the Gangrel of the Wilds decide we've crossed a line, well, it's going to get..."
"Messy." said Michael, completing Thomas's sentence for him. His guest merely nodded in response.
"Is it possible for me to get in touch with you, should I have something to share in return?" asked Michael. Thomas handed Michael a scrap of paper with a barely legible number scrawled on it. "Blanche doesn't like phones, but if you ring me I've got a way of getting in touch."
Michael thanked his guest once more, then asked Lisa to show them out. Now he'd need to pull in some favours before this situation got out of hand.
Scene Seventeen - Levels B3 and B4
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| Eric Moore - Nosferatu Hacker Bypassing Security |
"How far down does this fucking thing go?" asked Hope.
Having seen Hope in action on two jobs now, he was reluctant to say anything that might annoy her. However there was no way to sugar-coat the news. "Nine levels total if it matches the plans, you've done two and the lobby..."
Once Hope had finished swearing, Eric briefed them on the next level.
"Okay guy and gal, early to bed, early to dead. This is clearly where the prospects sleep. There are like thirty bunks, and a shitload of mattresses scattered around. Some lockers, nothing interesting though. Looks like about fifteen total. Nine are fast asleep, another six aren't far off. You could probably sneak past but I'm guessing you won't be..."
"Blood on her hands", both literally and figuratively...
They had both known from the very beginning that they'd need to wipe out the entire gang but Hope, for the first time in years, began to feel genuine regret. Not for what she had done, but for the manner in which she'd done it..
Storytellers Note - Hope's character conviction is "Kill only in fair combat." and this was definitely not a fair fight, so some 'Stains' were acquired.
Access to the level below was sealed off by a heavy duty security door with a code lock over which Eric had already gained control. The hacker theorised that the levels below this one must be of more importance as otherwise there would have been no need to upgrade the security to protect the doorway between this level and the next.
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| The Bunker - Internal Security Doors |
The difference between this level and the one above was immediately apparent. Though it was still somewhat 'rough and ready' it had definitely been equipped with the better items available to the gang. The tables and chairs matched, all the light sockets had bulbs in them and the bar looked to have far better stock.
"Okay people. We have six bikers all chillin' in what looks like an operations centre. If you rush them then you can probably do your thing before they can get to their firepower. Might be some decent intelligence on the boards in there so try not to break too much, okay?"
Eric got no reply. Not that he was really expecting one.
Vin had killed two before they'd gotten out of their chairs, though a third managed to survive a wound that should have been fatal for a normal mortal. Evidently these were full blooded members of the gang and given the variety of kindred from which they extracted vitae, they could have access to any random selection of vampiric disciplines. As the wounded ghoul fell back he pulled a .45 ACP MAC-10 from beneath his jacket and emptied the magazine into Vin at point blank range.
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| "Point Blank Range" |
A moment later Hope entered the fray taking out two with her claws. She also failed to kill all three of her targets, though it was reflexes rather than resilience that saved this one. Before she could evade, the surprisingly athletic survivor had rolled to an assault rifle and came up firing.
She used the power of her vitae to cause her skin to harden. It took on a marble-like sheen, and while still supple it stopped the burst before breaking and reforming as if nothing had happened. While the gunman struggled to load another magazine, Hope stepped forward and tore out their heart.
She turned to assist Vin but it was unnecessary. Vin was pulling his blade from the prone ghoul's chest, having pinned him to the floor with it a second before. Vin pointed at the bloody holes in his shirt, the superficial wounds already healed by his own supernatural abilities.
"Had to happen eventually I guess..." he said with a slight smile. "Luckily we're not exactly short of snacks..."
Though for Vin this was true, Hope had more difficulties in that area as mortal blood gave her basically no sustenance whatsoever.
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| "Just a taste is not enough..." |
The benefit was negligible but at least her hunger had faded, albeit only slightly.
"Can you take some pictures of those and send them to me..." Asked Eric conversationally. "...just in case neither of you survive. It'll save me having to sneak down there and do it myself..."
Hope indicated with a single clawed talon on her middle finger exactly how she felt about that, but nonetheless she and Vin did as they were asked.
White boards are mounted on one wall and appear to be used to plan operations. There are maps of Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego and San Francisco as well as the road networks and terrain in-between. Areas where they have conducted raids are circled though you learn nothing new about their plans as those indicated are where already completed operations had taken place.
A list of names seems to be a members roster, some have recently been crossed out. The name of the gang member taken by the coterie has three Question Mark's written after it. If the information is accurate and up to date then the gang numbers approximately seventy-five members after their recent losses.
"I've got access to the next levels cameras if anyone's interested..." announced Eric.
Interlude - No Safe Haven
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| Carlyle - Brujah Childe of Salvador Garcia |
He was being accompanied by three kindred and half a dozen ghouls, none of which were company he'd have chosen for himself. All were of a revolutionary mindset which was fine when necessary but become tedious when all conversations were turned to that subject. What was the point of immortality if you didn't get some enjoyment out of it?
His musings were interrupted by a knock at the door. "If that fool, Varela, has lost his fucking key again I'm going to stop feeding him and see how he enjoys being seventy years old instead of twenty..." grumbled Carlyle to his bodyguard, who began to laugh.
"Don't worry boss, I'll get it..."
Had he been able to choose his last words, he might have selected something more memorable.
A sturdy SUV crashed through the flimsy walls and door of the cheap motel and struck the guard with the force of a battering ram. Carlyle jumped back and reached for a gun he kept on the side table, before emptying the magazine into the vehicles drivers side.
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| 'Emptying the Magazine' |
Carlyle instantly recognized the face of his ghoul, who moments before he had been blaming for forgetting his key. Though now full of bullet holes that he'd inflicted, it was a slashed throat that had killed them. Someone had tied them to the seat and steering, then wedged down the accelerator.
He felt a wet splat on his back and turned to see his companions head hanging from their shoulders by the merest flap of skin as their corpse fell sideways. As Carlyle opened fire towards the blur that had destroyed his ally, a chain wrapped around his arm and ruined his aim. Before he could free himself, the sickle on the other end of the kusarigama, severed his hand at the wrist.
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| Ornate Kusarigama |
Carlyle dragged himself to his feet and got to see his foe for the first time. The woman was athletically built, and quite beautiful, but had moved before he could get a good look. He also could move with blinding speed, though was too slow to prevent the withdrawn sword from removing the impaled kindreds head with a flick of the wrist.
His foe dodged his powerful blow with ease and countered with an eviscerating slash across his stomach. As he reflexively grabbed at internal organs he no longer needed, the woman ended his unlife with a single precise blow.
The assassin drove away in a vehicle stolen for the job, along with the plates from a completely different vehicle acquired elsewhere, leaving the motel ablaze as she left. Once sure she was in the area of a completely different cell tower, she used the burner phone provided to send the simple message 'It's done' to another burner phone provided by her employer.
Gloria Martinez and Allison Maller - Childer of Salvador Garcia
She dumped the vehicle in the domain of Gloria Martinez along with enough blood evidence from the ghouls she'd killed to tie it to the crime. The burner phone she tucked under the seat, giving the illusion that it had fallen there, the receipt for its purchase from a store in Anaheim, the domain of Allison Maller, was dropped in the ashtray.
She stopped for a moment to anonymously report the abandoned vehicle, then after disposing the second burner phone, she returned to her Haven to sleep out the day.
Tomorrow night she'd make her report in person.
Scene Eighteen - 'The Fixer'
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| Marius Walker - Gangrel Baron of Downtown. 'The Fixer' |
"I have something sensitive to discuss. Is this line secure?" Marius assured Michael that it was and so the Baron of the North East continued.
Michael reclined further into his seat and laid out his problem to Marius.
"I had an offer from Miss Black of the Circulatory System in relation to assisting me with the Young Bloods gang, of which I'm sure you are aware. Though I didn't accept her offer, I didn't exactly turn her down flat either. Our goals differed, but I was trying to avoid causing any offense. It seems, however that she has decided to involve herself in the operation regardless."
Marius was apparently aware of some of this as his reply indicated.
"It was my understanding that you had instead decided to work with Baron Fortier on this project of yours? Perhaps edging your bets might not have been the best strategy considering the influence of those you spurned?" Michael decided to ignore the criticism and instead continued as if there had been no interruption.
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| Marcelina Black - Ventrue The Circulatory System, L.A. 'Farm' |
This was a guess on Michael's part, but an educated one nonetheless. There was more than one Ventrue Baron in the city, and several other elders who would likely have developed feeding restrictions or at the very least, preferences. Marius's lack of disagreement led him to believe that he was probably correct.
"One of Blanche's pack chose to share the Circulatory Systems movements with me, but is reluctant to intervene as his sire is unsure about how The Wilds Pack might react to an attack on an organisation based in their domain. It is my understanding that in the pecking order, Blanche is below Myranda but I believe that she should be given some leeway on this occasion, given the provocation. But my real interest is why exactly The Circulatory System seem willing to burn so many bridges to help fight off a few ghouls and rescue a handful of kindred of no importance?"
Michael decided to await a reply to his question. The one he got was not reassuring. "It's likely that she has weighed up the consequences against the potential benefits. Two of The Young Bloods prisoners might be of interest to her." After a short pause, 'The Fixer' continued.
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| Patrick Hodge - Ventrue Controls San Francisco Sex Trade |
"...and the second?" prompted Michael.
"Probably Micky Malone, 'Sticky' to his friends, another childe of someone with influence. This ones sire is possibly the best Nosferatu information broker in San Diego, as well as a close associate of Tara, the cities Baron. Their liberation would give The System the gratitude of both his sire 'Blackwell' and that of Tara herself. Useful contacts should one wish to expand ones operations into San Diego..."
Michael's reply was uncompromising. "They can't have them. I will not see any kindred saved from slavery only to be used as a bargaining chip an hour later. The minor problem is that none of the operatives I've sent are skilled negotiators and I doubt a phone call will do. I need to be there, and quickly."
"Hang on..." said Marius, and called to someone in the background, presumably Victoria. Michael couldn't make out much of the conversation, only catching a word here and there, before Marius returned to the phone.
"There will be a car there in twenty minutes, it'll take you to a local airfield where some swifter transport will be waiting. You contact your new friend amongst the Butchers and I'll make sure Myranda, or even worse Nicodemus, doesn't do something inconceivably violent and fuck everything up before we get there. Yes, I do mean 'we'. I suppose I best come with you to make sure you don't get destroyed. Mainly because if you do I'm bound to get the fucking blame..."
Michael had a certain level of paranoia when it came to Marius's potential involvement in situations, but even he had to admit that Marius couldn't possibly be involved in everything he got the blame for. Some perhaps, but not all. He then retrieved the phone number given to him by Thomas, which he had transferred to a much nicer card, not being able to bring himself to put the one initially provided anywhere near his own rolodex.
"Mr Johnson? I have some news that I need you to pass on..."
Scene Nineteen - Level B5
The security systems protecting camera, alarm and door access to this level were as sophisticated as those on the level above. Fortunately he had a better idea of their format now and so bypassed them in half the time. Annoyingly there was a second layer of security which controlled access to one area of this floor. From the camera view it looked to be an armoury.
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| Eric Moore - Nosferatu Hacker - Problems |
"Okay SEAL team of two. Looks like someone's upped the difficulty settings on us. There are somewhere between ten and twelve badass looking gang bangers on this level. All are wearing body armour or have it in grabbing distance. One of them has blew all his XP on an LMG and some of their rifles have those stake launcher things strapped underneath..."
"But you have control of the usual shit, right?" enquired Hope.
"...Not as much as I'd like. But I'm working on it..." was Eric's reply. Despite being sure that he was trying his best, Hope couldn't resist making a sarcastic comment.
"Have you tried turning it off and back on again?"
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| The Young Bloods Armoury |
Still feeling guilty about the cowardly way she'd disposed of her sleeping victims earlier, Hope decided that she'd be true to her convictions no matter the consequences. As soon as the security door was opened she charged directly towards the rooms occupants as they scrambled for their armament.
5.56×45mm NATO rounds flattened against her flesh as one of the Young Bloods reacted with a speed beyond that which a mortal should have possessed and let rip with an M249 Light Machine Gun. Well aware that her supernaturally invulnerable flesh became far less resilient as it repaired itself after an initial onslaught, the Gangrel dived for cover. She was a moment too late. More 5.56mm rounds, as well as 9mm handgun rounds and a lucky shotgun blast all tore into her as her cover was shredded around her.
Storytellers Note - The fifth dot Fortitude power 'Flesh of Marble' allows a kindred to completely ignore the first source of physical damage each turn. The description of the ability includes the description as "...before momentarily breaking and reforming..." which is how I like to explain the vulnerability that follows.
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| One with the Blade / Scorpions Touch |
Healing what wounds she could, Hope approached these more heavily armed enemies with a little more respect than she had initially. This time she selected her cover with more care, but nonetheless advanced quickly. Staying low, she avoided much of the incoming fire, before emerging close enough to a pair of assault rifle wielding gang members to reach them with a single leap. Neither survived.
Again moving with supernatural speed, Vin caught up with two gunmen attempting to flank Hope and killed them both with a single sweeping blow. Before the second body hit the ground, Vin grabbed hold of it and fed upon them with brutal speed, draining them in moments.
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| Indiscriminate Gunfire |
Hope saw the LMG wielding ghoul aiming towards Vin and decided at that moment that they were going to die in as painful a manner as possible. Her first slashing blow severed tendons and muscle causing them to drop the machine gun, her second took off their other arm, mid bicep. The blows would eventually be fatal, but not immediately. Hope observed them for a moment then left them to die.
Despite their military tactics, the last ghouls could do nothing about the hulking Brujah's unnatural speed and were killed mere metres from the door that would have led them to the lower floor, and perhaps safety.
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| "Many Attempts Later..." |
The sealed armoury was even more formidable than the array of weaponry stored outside and as Eric had correctly assessed earlier, the gang was unlikely to run short of weapons and ammunition any time soon, if ever. Several boxes were piled nearby that were yet to be opened. "After you..." said Hope, pointing at the boxes. Vin ripped the top off the largest and looked inside.
The boxes contained a large selection of weapons with one purpose alone, namely the hunting of vampires. There were stake launchers, batons with built in hardwood stakes and several unusual cameras of the type that Hope knew were used by the Second Inquisition. She had seen them when they had infiltrated one of their bases, just before the cannibal horde known as the Swarm had overwhelmed the facility and killed all present. There were also some nets made of a metal mesh, with chains attached to enable them to be attached to something else.
"Can you lock this again?" asked Hope.
"Sure." said Eric. "You want to come back for some of this?" Hope confirmed that this was her plan.
Scene Twenty - Level B6
"We might have better luck on this floor if no-one charged in like a maniac screaming 'please shoot me in the fucking face'..." began Eric. "...cuz there's like seven guys all having a meeting of some description and they don't look like they're expecting trouble. They do, however have all the new toys like the shit we found in the armoury so anyone who doesn't want a stake in the chest might want to listen to my advice for once..."
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| One of Vin's Many Fully-Automatic Shotguns |
Vin checked his shotgun was locked and loaded with solid slugs, prepared a second drum then readied himself for Eric to open the door.
"On three. One, two, three..."
Vin moved from doorway to a firing position some thirty metres away, in a blink of an eye, before emptying a thirty-two round drum into the group at three hundred rounds per minute. The solid slugs were designed specifically for penetrating armour and made a mockery of the protection worn by the Young Bloods. Nonetheless, several of the hardier ones survived the initial assault. However before they could organise themselves Vin was upon them and had finished off the survivors. The few minor wounds were soon healed as he fed two of those he had just killed.
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| Hope Romero - Binge and Purge |
Unfortunately her reliance on kindred vitae meant that draining a ghoul gave her very little sustenance compared to the amount she was forced to consume. Therefore after her last 'meal', she was uncomfortably bloated with blood, yet still hungry. The solution was obvious, but still somewhat disgusting.
Even Vin raised an eyebrow as Hope vomited pints of blood, drained a ghoul dry, then repeated the process as she gradually sealed the significant number of wounds she had sustained up to now.
"That was fucking gross..." observed Eric. "Don't you lot eat rats..." countered Hope.
"That's an offensive stereotype..." replied Eric, though he laughed as he did so, considering how many Nosferatu he knew who actually did have a diet mainly consisting of vermin.
Scene Twenty One - Level B7
"Okay dude and dudette, this one is low on bad guys, but high on nasty machine-guns pointed in this direction. As well as the external security door there's also an internal checkpoint, manned by four gang members. Two have those M249 squad support weapons that puke-girl is so fond of and two have automatic shotguns, having evidently gone to the 'Vin' school of fucking shit up..."
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| "An annoyingly well-equipped enemy..." |
"Okay, pay attention. This level seems to be divided roughly in half. With, comparatively speaking I guess, luxurious living quarters on one side and offices and a meeting room on the other. The offices seem to be mainly unused. There is a second checkpoint on the far side of the room at the end of a central corridor. Judging from the door behind it I imagine that this leads to the cell block as it is the heaviest door we encountered in this bastard of a bunker. I mean it could just be where they keep their stamp collection but I doubt it..."
Vin and Hope discussed a number of strategies but none bypassed the fundamental issue of distance to the checkpoint. Even utilising his supernatural speed to it's maximum potential, Vin would still have to withstand several seconds of gunfire on his way and with two weapons firing at over seven hundred RPM that was a lot to withstand. Though more resilient, Hope would have to withstand the firepower for a significantly longer period of time due to being much slower.
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| Internal Security Door - The Bunker |
"Technically speaking, we're already dead...." corrected Hope, somewhat pedantically. "...but go on..."
Both Vin and Hope had to agree that the plan wasn't bad, all things considered.
Eric intended to open the security doors behind the checkpoint in order to draw the guards attention behind them. Then, a moment later, he would open the security doors on this level. Hopefully the noise of the doors nearest to their enemies opening would drown out the sound of those further away. Though only a momentary distraction, it might buy them the extra few seconds they needed to get amongst the ghouls, thus rendering their advantage in firepower meaningless.
"Fuck it. Why not?" responded Vin. It was hardly the endorsement of the plan that Eric was looking for, but it was better than nothing. Though 'The Undertaker', as Eric had mentally nicknamed Vin, had at least bothered to reply, 'Tall, blonde and scary' apparently couldn't be arsed to even do that.
Unfortunately these guards had evidently been selected for this duty for good reason. Though they were distracted for a moment, their attention wasn't drawn away for anywhere near long enough and both the advancing kindred took multiple hits from bullet and shot. Both later would be forced to admit that Eric's plan may still have been the difference between success and failure. A few more seconds of overwhelming firepower such as this might well have ended them.
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| Hope's Killing Blow - Arterial Spray |
Hope deliberately aimed for the throats of the two enemies she'd selected but one had been expecting the strike and managed to temporarily fend Hope off, despite being covered in the arterial spray of his fellow guard. As Vin despatched his foe, the Gangrel reached for hers a moment too late and they managed to scream for help. In frustration she hurled them into the wall with all her strength killing them instantly.
"Cats out of the bag..." shouted Hope. Eric attempted to close the doors to prevent help from arriving but this door was apparently equipped with an override activated from the other side. An override not accessible by Eric.
Beyond the door were two guards with their weapons raised. Behind them a third and fourth figure seemed to be waiting to see how those in front dealt with the intruders.
Scene Twenty Two - 'Detainment Level'
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| 'Military Trained Gunmen...?' |
In spite of their fearsome appearance, the attackers stood their ground and calmly fired controlled bursts at the advancing kindred. As Vin reached the first of their opponents he lashed out with his blade, catching them in the shoulder. The weapon was driven with such force that it sliced through muscle and bone, and ended it's journey halfway through it's victims chest. Apparently deciding that now was the time to act, the two mysterious figures lurking in the shadows raised weapons of their own.
The Brujah rolled away, as a wooden stake flew through the location where his heart had been a moment earlier.
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| Engraved Stakes - Vampire Hunting |
As the man who had missed Vin calmly reloaded his stake launcher for a second attempt, Hope was forced back as the other opponent drew a wickedly sharp longsword from a scabbard at their back and attempted to remove her head with it. Eric watched via the security cameras, powerless to help his comrades.
Before his foe had a chance to fire his newly reloaded weapon, Vin drove his machete through their heart, twisted it and ripped it back out again. The look on his opponents face as they received the fatal blow was not one of fear, but of hatred. As they died, their final act was to spit in their killers face.
The Gangrel dodged another swift thrust of the longsword, unable to find a gap between the swings that wouldn't result in her losing one of her own limbs.
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| The Hunters Sword - Society of Leopold |
Hope reached for the weapon but something stopped her. The Beast, that voice that pushed kindred to acts of depravity, screamed inside her to stay away from it. She had known that voice to fear sunlight and fire, but never to be afraid of something as simple as a sword. Deciding to heed the warning, she left it where it was.
"Thanks but I could have handled him myself." stated Hope, shaking the feeling.
"Of course you could..." replied Vin. "...but we're in a bit of a hurry..."
Eric then interjected. "The stairway beyond leads straight into a guard room. It looks like some weird medieval torture chamber. You know, chains, shackles, handcuffs with fucking spikes on them, all sorts of crazy shit. Looks empty of bad guys though..."
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| Heavily Secured Prison Cells |
"Empty of bad guys I said, little miss 'has no faith in her underappreciated guardian'. I didn't say empty of anything. What's beyond might well be what were all here for..."
"Past the guard room is a selection of detainment cells. Of the twelve there are nine which are occupied and there's an area that's been converted into a makeshift surgery. Looks like it's sole purpose is the extraction and storage of blood, well, vitae I guess in this case.."
"There's some bad news too. Each of the other doors has had additional locks welded to them so opening them is going to take some time. I don't suppose your now very dead sparring partners had a bunch of keys on them? No? Well that's a fucking pity..."
Eric's assessment was unfortunately an accurate one. Even Vin had to admit that he would need time to break down these doors as they had apparently been built to withstand supernatural levels of strength. Understandable considering their occupants. There were indeed nine prisoners, but releasing them would take a lot of time and make a lot of noise. Many had shackles and other restraints in addition to the locks on their prisons.
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| Prisoners of The Young Bloods |
A typical biker, with long hair, tattoos and leathers that looked like he'd rolled down a cliff in them occupied cell three. His neighbour was completely naked and might as well have been wearing a sign round his neck with 'Gangrel' written on it. The woman in the next cell couldn't have been more different than the previous two. She was wearing the remnants of an extremely expensive dress and somehow still managed to look aloof despite her predicament.
The sixth cell was inhabited by a tall handsome man wearing a shirt and trousers which, despite being dusty, were still mostly intact. He was the only prisoner who was blindfolded. The girl next door looked to be about fourteen or fifteen though was very petite so could have been even younger.
Nosferatu Prisoner of The Young Bloods
Of the three remaining cells, two were empty. The resident of the third was a weaselly looking fellow in hardy travelling clothes. "We'll be back to free you as soon as we can." said Vin. Some of the occupants acknowledged what he had said, but their recent experiences hadn't exactly filled them with trust, so the response was lacklustre at best.
"Let's find which of the fuckers left alive in this place has the fucking keys..." said Hope.
It was as good a plan as any...
Interlude - The Lingering Kiss
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| Sofia Rivera - Toreador Sweeper for Baron Isaac Abrams |
"Everything went according to plan." Stated Sofia Rivera, matter of factly. "The target was neutralised and all the evidence points to the perpetrator being of his own bloodline."
Isaac acknowledged the report with a smile, before speaking. "You have done an excellent job my dear, the boon you required in return is being prepared as we speak. You understand that neither Velvet nor Michael must ever know that we were involved?..."
There was the vague hint of menace in his tone and despite her skills as a warrior, she instinctively knew that this was no idle threat, Isaac was definitely not a Baron you wanted to cross.
Of course Isaac had left nothing to chance in this regard, Sofia was already bound to his will by blood bond, submerged objectives and the effects of what most Toreador called ' The Lingering Kiss'. She couldn't betray him even if she wanted to.
Now there were only three more threats to his plan to be neutralised. One of these could be bought to heel merely by pandering to their self interests. The other, well, they might need to be removed from the chessboard just like Carlyle had been.
Isaac Abrams - Toreador, Baron of Hollywood and San Fernando
The third, well he was a different issue. If Isaacs plan succeeded then the price for their services would come gift-wrapped as part and parcel of that. If not, then they too might need to become a casualty. There was now too much at stake to let a wild card ruin his scheme.
Acknowledgements
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved.”
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved.”I've used pictures of real people to represent some of the characters and art for others so in no particular order Michael Tomassio is represented by Matt Bomer, 'Vin' is Scott Adkins, Dr Matthews is Mads Mikkelsen, Hope is Deborah Ann Woll, Mr Hertz is Charles Dance, Marie is Eva Green, Louis Fortier is Eduardo Verastegui, Myranda Marie is Shannyn Visceral, Carlyle is Kirk Jones, Gloria Martinez is Ariadne Artiles, Allison Maller is Chloe Grace-Moretz, Marius Walker is Tony Curran, Marcelina Black is Carrie Anne Moss, Patrick Hodge is Eric Bana, Victoria Anne is Lilith May, Sofia Rivera is Eliza Dushka and Gary Oldman is Isaac Abrams.
Everything else is from vampire related folders and searches and is as far as I know is all of the 'fair use' variety. If there's something that you feel should be attributed to some-one then feel free to let me know and I'll happily add an acknowledgement.