Date: Sun, 1 May 94 19:48:05 -0700 From: Steve Gilham@wizards.com (Entropy requires no maintenance) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: London by Night I don't think any of my players read this list, but if they do, they'd better stop now. (though I don't think this gives too much away that they don't already know/suspect). London By Night =============== Important historical events --------------------------- 1666 - Great Fire; the Old King disappears. Prince Edmund and his followers seize control 1885 - Count Dracula visits; is betrayed to Hunters and flees. 1941 - Blitz; the Young King disappears. Anne Bowesley takes charge 1955 - Edmund revives; attempts to regain control. November 1985 - Now The Ventrue ----------- 4th Generation: Mithras (see World of Darkness), with the exception that his disappearance is much earlier. Offstage Chandangac (see Kim Newman's Anno Dracula). A knight of Charlemagne's court; sired during an attempt to re-establish the Imperial might of Rome. Offstage. 5th Generation Valerius (as mentioned in World of Darkness). Roman. Offstage Edmund de Foulque Nerra, the Young King. A knight of the English crown, from northern France, during the Hundred Years War. Once a plain, straightforward man, centuries of scheming have affected his mental balance. He will only drink the blood of foreigners (preferably the French). Sired by Chandagnac, who favoured the English side. 6th Generation Anne Bowesley (see World of Darkness); sired by Valerius Parsifal, seneschal to the Young King. A favourite of Edmund's in his breathing days, he saw himself as a crusader after his time. Loyal to Edmund, if not too swift on the uptake. Will only partake of the blood of those who are not devout Catholics; preferring Muslim blood. Sired by Edmund 7th Generation Sir Henry Fanshawe. Victorian industrial magnate, sired by Anne. Currently he acts as the head of Ventrue on the board of Bowesley and associates, which is how Anne's court Masquerades itself. Will only drink of women. Brunnhilde (offstage) A French noblewoman, great-grandchilde of Chandagnac by a line that remaind French. 8th Generation Lt. Henry Bannerworth. (PC) He fell in the trenches of the Great War; but was saved by Brunnhilde, and had a short career as part of her coterie who fought to save France from the Boche. A shell drove some splinters of wood through his heart; he was encoffined and sent for burial in England; to revive when the splinter was rotted and his torpor complete. An unscrupulous type, son of a Yorkshire manufacturing family. Will only drink of women. 9th Generation Lady Nora (as in P N Elrod's Red Death) A socialite of the 18th century, Embraced by a childe of Brunnhilde's while on her Grand Tour. Entertains a flock of young men who are her herd. 10th Generation Professor Renfield; A man of science in Victorian England, he stumble across things man was not meant to know while seeking out the truth of old stories in the Balkans. Nursed by Dracula (whose hospitality he had previously enjoyed), and sent home to recover. Beaten near to death by Sir Francis Varney (not the Count, as Stoker misleadingly suggested) while trying to prevent his passage; he was rescued into unlife by Nora. Recovered in the shock, he installed himself as prince of Reading, where he has become an eccentric Professor at the University, with interests in haematology. He will now drink only donated blood, from a cup or blood bag. 11th Generation Samuel Gwynne (PC) A research student of the Professor's; embraced about 10 years ago after a fatal lab accident. *there is at least another line of descent of Ventrue* The Toreador ------------ 6th Generation Claudia (from The Moorlake Ball in the July'93 issue of RolePlayer Independent) Head of Toreador at Bowesley's. Wealthy and a poseur, slowly yielding to the beast. A contemporary of Nora. Christine (ibid) Contender for the clan leadership. Another wealthy poseur; though a nicer character Clarence de Ruthven; elder brother in darkness to Christine. He would be clan head if he cared for the job. 7th Generation Julian Clarke: (from The Moorlake Ball) An unprepossessing minor artist embraced by Claudia. A fat balding depraved cherub, addicted to vampiric sex (i.e. blood exchange). Robert Amies: (ibid) A poseur embraced by Christine. He is the Toreador representative at Edmund's court; and organiser of most events. Lianna (as world of Darkness) 8th Generation Sharon (as Chicago by Night) childe of Julian Allicia (as V:tM) childe of Amies Elizabeth Siddal; consumptive beauty of the pre-Raphaelites, embraced by a Childe of Ruthven. A collector of painters and portraits of herself. 9th Generation Michael (as CbN) childe of Shaorn 10th Generation Kathy (as CbN) grandchilde of Siddal. Zaroff (as WoD) (by diablerie) Graf Siegfried von Kirchmoeser (PC) A decadent German aristocrat, embraced by a covent of Toreador anarchs (read Sabbat) in the mid 19th century. Partied away until the 1930s when the Magi of the Circle of Thule and their Garou allies made life unpleasant. Slept until the mid 80's, awoke in communist East Germany; decided that the decadence of "Swinging London" that his first victims had heard of meant that this was the best place for him, being persona non grata in Paris and Berlin. Well advanced in the path of Cathari. Maintains a herd of singers and musicians and servants (as befits an aristocrat). *there is at least another line of descent of Toreador* The Tremere ------------ 5th Generation John Dee (as WoD) Head of Tremere at Bowesley's. A remote professorial figure. 6th Generation Montgomery Cavendish; A more flamboyant figure, aloof from politics. Often to be seen at Edmund's court and Toreador events. Avuncular in attitude to the newer undead. Childe of Dee 7th Generation Tracy (as CbN) childe of Cavendish Rafael childe of Caevndish. Diablerised by Crowley, who is thought to be his childe. 8th Generation Garwood Marshall (as CbN) childe of Rafael. The Malkavians -------------- 6th Generation Crowley (as Wod) embraced at 8th generation; diablerised his sire and Rafael and at least one other; aided by a childe, now destroyed. 9th Generation Michael (similar to the character in V:tM) a black child of about 12. 'Crazy Jim' (the Malkie from Baby Chorus in CbN) 10th Generation Nicolai; a Russian Jew Cabbalist, seduced by Crowley, who is his grandsire. Thinks himself a Tremere. 11th Generation Maurice; another pseudo-Tremere occultist, childe of Nicolai. 12th Generation Ryman; childe of Maurice. Ditto 13th Generation Rupert Manners (PC) yuppie dabbler, embraced by Ryman. *there is at least another line of descent of Malkavians* *I shall probably use some of LordArioch's NY Malkies, especially Spinning Jenny and Saint Wanda* The Nosferatu ------------- 7th Generation Baoduin - servant and lackey of Edmund. Danov - as V:tM. The Nosferatu of Bowesley and associates. 8th Generation Nathanial (as CbN) Vampire hunter, childe of Baoduin's Old Hetty - as in Hellblazer &c., only a vampiric inhabitant of the London Underground. *there must be some more of these* The Brujah ---------- 7th Generation Sir Francis Varney - cad and bounder from Yorkshire. Usually to be found in the Principality of York. Was responsible for siring Lucy, and setting the hunters on Dracula's trail. Ernie - East End crime boss, patron of Ron & Reggie Kray amongst others 8th Generation Reggie, Blake, Tel - Ernie's brood of minders. Evelyn (as V:tM) Ernie's latest bird; and his childe. Damian (as CbN) 10th Generation Kerry BDSM leathergirl (from Pat Califia's The Vampire); dresses in tight leather and bomber jacket the colour of dried blood, with black cap. Carries a whip or riding crop. 12th Generation Gengis (as CbN) *there must be some more of these* The Gangrel ----------- 5th Generation Jarl Hrolf of Yorvik - Prince of York. Offstage. 8th Generation Lucian (as V:tM) Fiona McNaughten - heretic preacher of the return of Lilith and the need for diablerie by the young to ensure her survival. Embraced at a much later generation. Well advanced on the Path of Lilith (as Path of Caine). Marked by fur down her spine and a fox-like tail. *there must be some more of these, but possibly not in the big city* The Tszimisce ------------- 5th Generation Tzigane, Sire of Vlad (offstage, if not dead) 6th Generation Vlad Dracula; who still intends to make that trip. (offstage) 7th Generation Mina Harker; who retired to the Carpathians after Jonathan's death. (offstage) 8th Generation Elenya; peasent child, rescued from death by Mina (offstage) 9th Generation Belinda Challis; (PC) doctor's daughter from Hertfordshire; signed on as a VADS in the Great War; rescued from death by Elenya. Now returned as Vlad's agent to find out what really happened. The other Clans --------------- Setites are involved in the yardies (Jamaican gangs). They are moving into to peddling the new drug, crack (which started hitting the headlines at the end of Nov '85). A Chinese vampire of early generation lives in Chinatown (between Charing Cross Road, Shaftesbury Avenue and Leicester Square) installed there by the Lord of Strange Deaths about the turn of the century. Other vampires areadvised not to enter the gates. The Lord of Strange Deaths and his Si-fan assassins can also be found there. The Garou --------- Fianna of the IRA make an occasional appearance Glasswalkers in the City are seeking to undermine Anne's control Simone Gentle (Philodox) is the emissary to Edmund's court; as well as a succesful financier in her own right. William Sanders (Ahroun); financial adviser; cleanser of the streets. The Mummies ----------- Reginald Ramsey (much as per Anne Rice). A frequenter of the Toreador events. The Magi -------- None in London, but the Circle of Avalon, a Hermetic house of Diedne, take Winchester, Glastonbury and Stonehenge as important sites. Vampires going south of the M25/M4 risk being used as walking sources of Corporem vis. The Lord of Strange Deaths is some form of immortal mage. Power groups ------------ Endmund's court is weak; but has some influence. Meeting every Friday in Belgrave Square, he offers his herd to feed supplicants. This increases the popularity of the event, if not his prestige. Edmund, Parsifal and Baoduin are its core. This group has been viciously parodied at Anne's command in the Blackadder TV series; unfortunately Edmund doesn't follow new-fangled things like TV. Anne's court is where the power is. Clan heads have been noted. Crowley and Ernie (with their childer) are virtually independent princelings. The Toreador are rent by the struggle between Claudia and Christine. York has been humbled by Anne (the Miner's strike was crushed); and Varney is an emissary from York, sent ostensibly to make amends, but actually to make mischief. The Setites and the Lord of Strange Deaths are at odds, and both are opposed by Ernie's interest in the drug trade. Meanwhile certain of the Tremere are seeking Egyptian Hermetic information and finding strange links with the magics of Tibet. These researches have arounsed the unwelcome interest of the Setites who want none of the lost secrets of the (they believe extinct) Children of Osiris to be uncovered. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Lives of great men all remind us |We may make our lives sublime |And departing, leave behind us |Footprints in the sands of time.