V5 Chronicle – Faction Profile – The Crypts Sons (Updated)

The Crypts Sons
Mohammed al-Muthlim

Mohammed al-Muthlim - Lasombra Crypts Sons Founder, Destroyed

Mohammed al-Muthlim first appeared on the L.A. scene shortly after the siege of L.A. in 1965, supposedly an Anarch on the run from the Prince of Chicago. He claimed to have fought against the Black Hand during the siege and attracted a large coterie of admirers. His strange habits, including a haven inside a crypt in an old graveyard, initially caused considerable suspicion, but his charisma and apparent support for the Anarch cause eventually won him influence with the younger Kindred.

He formed a gang, originally just of young vampires. As the gang's power in South Central L.A. grew, it attracted mortal followers too, although its Kindred members continue to rule it. Originally calling themselves the 'Crypt's Sons', after their meeting place, the name stuck.

At first the Crypt's Sons was a Kindred gang just like others in Los Angeles, mostly concerned with protecting its turf against poachers and other gangs. Mohammed, however, had much bigger plans. Without violating the Masquerade, he began to attract mortals into his coterie. These new members were typically young black males, dispossessed by the system: they wanted something bigger to give their loyalty to, and Mohammed gave them exactly what they were looking for. Using his Kindred followers as a base, he built one of the largest, most efficient and most dangerous gangs in the world. The gang is divided into neighbourhoods, and some groups even war with one another, but all members ultimately answered to Mohammed and his lieutenants.

Mohammed did come from Chicago, but the rest of his story was actually very different from the official version. Born Walter Johnson, into a middle-class family, he moved to New York when he was fifteen, when his father was transferred to his employer's home office. Lonely and cut off from his friends, Walter fell in with a bad crowd. At first it was just a matter of driving around with them, buying and selling drugs and an occasional gun. As the drug business improved and other gangs began to move in, Walter began to show an unexpected flair for leadership. Under his influence the gang was able to eliminate the competition and considerably increase its profits.

At this point Walter first heard the teachings of Elijah Mohammed and became a fanatical Black Moslem. He quit the gang to devote all of his considerable energies to his new religion, changing his name to Mohammed X. Meanwhile, the Sabbat had begun to put together its War Parties for the siege of L.A., and Mohammed was recommended as a chief. One night he was snatched off of the street and initiated against his will. Mohammed very quickly came to see the advantages of his new lifestyle. Changing his name again to Mohammed al-Muthlim (Mohammed of the Darkness), he threw himself into the Sabbat cause with all the fervour he had previously devoted to Islam. By the time of the disastrous siege of L.A., Mohammed was already a force to be reckoned with in the New York Sabbat. 

When the siege began to unravel, Mohammed suddenly found himself and the remains of his War Party attacked by Brujah on the brink of frenzy. Thinking quickly, Mohammed, who had not yet been seen, snuck around behind the Anarch mob and then helped attack his own pack. 

With the help of the Brujah, Mohammed slaughtered his former companions. When it was all over Mohammed found himself a hero of the young Brujah he had 'supported'. He stayed with the Brujah side, meanwhile helping as many of the Sabbat to escape from L.A. as possible. He quickly moved to re-establish his ties with the Sabbat and establish a beach-head for the final conquest of L.A. 

Reverend John Davis - 'The Blood' Deceased

The gang is heavily into gunrunning and the drug trade, and has tentacles in most major cities in the United States. The growth of the Crypt's Sons has caused considerable concern, not only among the Kindred, but in the mortal population of Los Angeles as well. 

One man, the Reverend John Davis, saw many of his congregation abandoning the church to join the Crypt's Sons, or living in fear of its depredations. The scope and organisation of the gang suggested that some larger force was behind it, and he became determined to find out what it was. By talking to the kids on the street, doing research and engaging in extremely dangerous surveillance, Davis traced the gang back to Mohammed al-Muthlim. When Davis witnessed an attack by a Crypt's Sons lieutenant on a neighbourhood child, he understood the true nature of the gang.

Since no one would believe a minister who went around yelling about vampires taking over Los Angeles, Davis decided to take another tack. He called a secret meeting of those mortal gangs the Crypt's Sons had battled in rising to power.

The Vampire Hunters of 'The Blood'

He asked the gangs to form a group to combat the Crypt's Sons, or at least protect their own neighbourhoods. While some of the gangs rejected the idea, enough stayed and listened to form a 'home protection group.' Originally calling itself 'The Avengers,' this group eventually adopted the name its enemies scornfully used for it 'Vitae,' or 'Blood.' The war between the Crypt's Sons and The Blood has continued unabated. Sadly, John Davis became one of the earliest casualties, found in his study with his throat torn out.

His followers swore to continue the war against the vampires, and they have done so. The Reverend Leon Cutler, the son of one of John Davis' original followers, now leads the group in Los Angeles. While most of its members engage in normal gang activity, its leaders have studied everything they could find about vampires and have developed interesting tactics to combat them. In the process they became a major stumbling block to Mohammed al-Muthlim's dreams of conquering Los Angeles and spreading his influence around the world. As long as the Blood confined its attentions to the Crypt's Sons, the rest of the Kindred in L.A. who are aware of it allow it to continue operating.

In fact, Salvador had very quietly gone about assisting the group in whatever ways he could, mostly by making large donations to the Reverend Cutler's church. He has also taken the dangerous step of Dominating one of the Reverend's lieutenants, whom he used to pass information to the Blood.

Then, without warning, the so called 'Kindred of the East' massacred The Crypts Sons kindred leaders, the majority of the senior gang members and a number of significant mortal assets, then left Los Angeles. This attack was arranged by Salvador Garcia though he himself claimed, and still does, that this is Camarilla propaganda and that whoever perpetrated the attack did it entirely for their own ends. 

This may have been the end for the kindred aspect of the Crypt's Sons if it wasn't for the perseverance of one Henrique 'Hank' Boyd and his Lieutenant Kayne Lowe.

'Hank'
Clan

9th Generation Brujah
Domain

The Crypt's Sons Barony (Chasse 5, Lien 5, Portillon 2)

House in South Central L.A. (Haven 2: Compromised, Hidden Armoury 3, Postern 1: Side Door, Security System 2, Watchmen 10), Ranch in Commerce (Haven 3: Compromised, Hidden Armoury 5, Library 1, Location, Luxury, Postern 3: Secret Tunnels, Security System 5, Watchmen 5)

Allies (Crypt's Sons: Effectiveness 4, Reliability 3), Contacts 1-3 (Multiple Useful Mortals), Herd 3 (Mortal Crypt's Sons), Influence 4 (The Crypts Sons Gang), Mask 3 (Cobbler), Mawla 3 (Gary Golden), Mawla 2 (Mr Hertz), Resources 3, Retainer 2-3 (Ghouled Crypt's Sons Lieutenants, Multiple), Status 3 (Crypt's Sons Baron), Status 2 (Anarch)
Merits 

Linguistics (French)
Flaws

Prey Exclusion 1 (Children)

Descendent of Tyler (3: Tyler’s Mercy), Sect War Veteran (1: Survivor, 2: Active Participant, 4: No Vampire's Land)

One of the survivors of the massacre was a senior kindred Lieutenant called Henrique Boyd, or 'Hank' to his friends. An ambitious individual, he had been attempting to increase his own power within the gang for some time and had his own small but determined set of kindred followers surrounding him as well as a large number of mortals who saw him as an up and coming gang leader, worthy of following. Unbeknown to him, his lack of any connection to the Sabbat was the main impediment to promotion to the higher ranks.

Hank managed to avoid the fate of the majority of his fellow Crypt's Sons kindred by seeking sanctuary with Gary Golden, defacto Baron of the cities Nosferatu within the Warren's below Hollywood. 

Tyler - Ancient Brujah

As the only significant member of the gang with surviving followers and the resources to take back the control that had been lost, he and a former advisor to Mothlem Al-Mothlem, Kayne Lowe, began the rebuilding process. Hanks claim that he was descended from the legendary Brujah 'Tyler' also bought many of his clan to fight at his side. This also happened to be true though the relationship was admittedly a very distant one.

Unfortunately the absence of kindred supporters had allowed his enemies within the 'The Blood' to continue the work of the Eastern vampires and destroy havens, herds and the other remnants left by Mohammed al-Muthlim. Opportunist kindred from the Barony of the Angels had also seen the vacant domain as a gift and had moved into the most favourable of the locations left empty and attempted to bring Crypt's Sons mortal gangs under their own influence.

While Henrique 'Hank' Boyd and the Reverend Leon Cutler are the true heads of their gangs, the very nature of their forces means these leaders cannot oversee every aspect. These are not focused armies but widely disparate groups who do not acknowledge any one leader. For example, while a Crypt's Son from Los Angeles could seek assistance from the gang in Cleveland, he would have more luck if he had friends or relatives there. This decentralised leadership has resulted in numerous groups seizing control of parts of the gangs. The Ventrue and Giovanni clans, as well as werewolves and others, all have their local allies in the larger gangs. For instance, the Ventrue have taken over a number of different Blood gangs and can rival Cutler for influence, though neither side seems aware of the other's presence.

Kayne Lowe - Lasombra The Crypts Sons and Sabbat

Even in Los Angeles itself the gangs have different agendas based on what part of the city they come from. In other cities this phenomenon has become even more pronounced.

Hank was unperturbed by the uphill struggle facing him and went on an aggressive recruiting campaign of the unaligned LA kindred and frequented 'A Taste of LA' extolling the benefits of being part of an established gang, with mortal muscle and a large number of money making enterprises. 

However with constant pressure from 'The Blood' and those interlopers who were unwilling to give up their stolen territory it took him two decades until he was ready to reclaim everything that he saw as rightfully his. Once ready however his campaign against the invaders was quick, brutal and very well organised. Many abandoned their turf before Hank's forces arrived, the gang of 'Priss' turned on their own neighbours in return for feeding rights in the reclaimed domain and the remainder were rolled over with minimal effort and more than acceptable losses.

Unfortunately this was to be the last bit of good luck that the gang was to experience.

Over the next year they were assailed by enemies both within and without, Hank himself was briefly put into torpor by a Camarilla assault and most recently was betrayed by his most trusted advisor, Kayne Lowe, who wished to bring the gang back under Sabbat control.

His former ally, and now rival, 'Priss', has also caused him significant problems.

Unknown Generation Lasombra
Domain

Chasse 4, Lien 3, Portillon 5
Haven

Apartment Building (Haven 3: Armoury, Hidden Armoury 5, Library: Occult, Postern 3: Linked Basements, Security System 5, Watchmen 3)
Backgrounds

Ally 3 ('Nannie' Grey, Hecate), Allies (Gang Members: Effectiveness 4, Reliability 3), Herd 3 (Building Residents), Influence 3 (The Border), Mask 1, Mawla 4 

(Marius Walker), Resources 3, Status 1 (Anarch)
Merits

Beautiful 2, Bond Resistance 3
Flaws

Despised 1 (Former Barony of the Angels Gangs), Infamy 2 (Unpredictable)
Derangements

Antisocial Personality Disorder (Suspected), Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Psychopathy (Suspected),
Lore

Descendent of Montano (2: Siblings in Darkness, 3: Abyssal Apprentice), High Clan (2: Sway the Low), Kindred Iconography (1: Iconographer, 2: The Writing on the Wall), The Bahari (1: Dangerous Reputation, 3: Sacrifice the Children, 4: The Womb's Blood), The Labyrinth (1: Tunnel Access)

Though the former gangs of the Barony of the Angels would be happy to see Priss staked and left in the sun, her association with Hank had ensured that fear kept them at bay, for a while at least. With the Barony of the Angels gangs now effectively absorbed into other domains, destroyed or disbanded this is now a more trivial issue.

The only two members of her gang not of the Brujah clan are Arbaaz and Ophelia, Gangrel Sweepers inherited from another Barony of the Angels gang who were pragmatic enough to know which way the wind was blowing. Though the rest of her gang doesn't really trust them, they are good at their jobs, so are tolerated. Priss however seems to hold no prejudices against them and treats them as the equal of any other gang member.

Priss, and her new followers, ruled a border barony that acted as a buffer between Hank and his immediate neighbours and was initially well equipped by the Crypt's Sons in the weapons she needed to defend it on their behalf. However as Priss's influence increased, Hanks supposed ally, Kayne, began to poison him against her. This was in spite a number of successful 'jobs' on behalf of Hank which included a pre-emptive strike by her gang which set back the progress of The Crypts Sons rivals, 'The Blood' significantly. Her crippling of a significant amount of their vampire hunting 'cells' is a blow from which they have yet to fully recover.

With the threat of having her hard won domain taken from her she turned to Marius Walker, Baron of Downtown for aid. He was happy to oblige. He also put her in touch with a talented freelance kindred bodyguard, named 'Nannie' Gray, a specialist in close-protection duties with over a century of experience, in return for a small commission.

Currently both Priss and Hank have an uneasy but consistent truce. How long this will last is, however, anyone's guess.