So yes I am returning to vampire after a 3 year break. I have the joy of doing this with a brand new rp group in Leamington Spa in the the UK. Moving has meant that I have left my old roleplay group, Dark_rp, and now started a new sister group, Etheric Labs. As a result I will be revisiting my Manchester chronicle and posting up the details of the game and the characters and episodes here and on Etheric Labs for your enjoyment.

For now a brief introduction, since a lot of this is going into a fan project of mine to make a sourcebook for the city (which means I am retconning a lot of things suggested in the Shadows over the UK book).




City of Darkness: Manchester
Manchester: Endless Waltz

Introduction:
One might think that Manchester is just full of people who complain about the rain, drink pints of Boddingtons and listen to Oasis. A city seen by most of Britain as a line of terraced houses on some soap opera, Manchester is stereotyped and simplified, distilled to its raw components, a city where every street has its tale to tell.
This begins the first is a series detailing the region of the north as part of a pseudo source book for the city where “it can’t rain all the time”. Following in the footsteps of the Dammed come the wilds of the Pennines and more.
Included in this look at ‘Madchester’ will be write ups of the key players of the setting for each game and also sample stories and gaming advice.

Manchester?
The city of Manchester presents many options to Storytellers and players alike. The city is a juxtaposition of ages and architecture, a cosmopolitan city trying desperately to crawl out of its former shadow. Many parts of the city are still under construction or decaying. There is a diversity of cultures present from China town to the Curry Mile. A vast amount of the population consists of students from all walks of life, and business walks side by side with the poor on these streets.
Having such a wide scope of culture allows for games of high society and gang warfare to be played out in the same local with ease. Housing some of the countries greatest clubs and most dangerous districts Manchester is a colourful city for the doom and gloom of the World of Darkness, if anything it embodies everything about this rejuvenated game world. Gothic punk has been reinvented into something sharper and darker; the only thing is this time around the real monsters out there don’t have names.


Theme?
Manchester in the overall sense of the World of Darkness represents a city that has always moved with the times, housing a melting pot of cultures and ideas. If anything Manchester is a place of opportunity and of evolution, the city acting as centre for the advancement of social, religious and scientific advances.
However all these revolutions and changes come with a price, the burden of history. All about Manchester are signs of times past, of stagnating suburbs and council flats, and of vengeance gone unchecked, brewing within the strife of communities clashing head on. In many respects Manchester can be treated like the Boston setting for Mage, where actions in the distant past are still important now as they were then.
Though on an individual basis the city presents three distinct themes for the core games.
For Vampire the focus is upon the Dance Macabre, with the players learning about the concept of power and of who actually pulls the strings in the game of politics.
For Werewolf the theme is of the Hunt, and of being mindful of ones territory and the responsibility that goes with it.
Finally Mage focuses upon the Occult Revolution, and the price that must be paid for progress, let alone the attainment of power and position.

Mood?
For mood we must think of how the city grew, and still grows. It strains at the seems as it moves into the 21st century, As one area grows and flourishes, another dies and becomes a cancerous hole for life in the city.
The city is at war with itself, with what it is becoming, and what it once was.
As the Second City, it never sleeps. Somewhere the lights are on and the music plays, this frenzy fuelling its growth and its cancer, the very things that the undead feed upon. As a vampire this constant balancing act could at any time tumble. The city it self is a reflection of what it means to be one of the Kindred, Werewolf and Mage. It is about the internal war of ones soul and the sacrifices that are made for the growth of ones self.

A Brief Overview of the History of Manchester.
Early Manchester
In the lands to become the county of Cheshire a tribe of Celts known as the Cornovii to the Roman invaders about the year 60 AD. The area was of importance to access to lead, silver and salt.
Around 79 AD Julius Agricola established the fort at the site now known as Castlefields. The name of this location in Latin was Mamuciam, meaning “breast shaped hill”. In 411 AD the site was abandoned. With its defenders gone the town fell to ruin to the predations of Angles, Danes and Saxons.
The lands so were in turn pacified by the Danes and in the 7th century Christianity had begun to spread in the region. The lands of Cheshire were part of the kingdom of Mercia, ruled over by King Offa. In order to protect his lands a Dyke was built from the north of the border with the Welsh, to the south, and past other regions, such a Herefordshire and the town of Kington (more on these places in upcoming mortal ghost stories).
Over the following centuries invasions took place from the lands of Ireland and the Danish lands in York to the east.
It was with the rule of Alfred of Great, whom assumed control of both Mercia and Wessex, that the region was fortified and pacified and by 980 AD had assumed the name of Legecaestrescir or ‘shire of the city of legions’.
In 1066 came the Battle of Hastings and the Normans, yet in the conquest of Britain the north of England put up stiff resistance. Large regions were burned and destroyed. The fiefdom of Manchester was given to Rogier de Poitevin, with the town mentioned in the Domesday Book as an ecclesiastical parish.
Part of the lands controlled by Rogier was given over to Albert Grelly, a region of land not too dissimilar to modern Greater Manchester.
Two centuries past and the cultures of the new and old merged to be that of English, and in 1322 the first recorded sign of the textile industry was made.

The Textile City
The growth and wealth of the city continued well on into Tudor times, with fabrics and flax being sold to the south of England and to France.
The rapid growth of this city though came with problems of it’s own as sanitation declined and outbreaks of plague.
In 1642 the town came under siege from the Royalists during the Civil War, the town being a supporter of the Parliamentary cause.
The 1700’s saw the rise of the town as a major industrial centre as river and road links were improved, the population increased and the lives of its population improved in turn. By the late 18th century the canals were being introduced, and the town of Manchester was the centre of this activity. The end of this century soon saw the new horizon of the steam age.
1819 saw the people of Manchester rise up against the poverty and social climate, with their march on St Peter’s being ended in what became known as the Peterloo massacre, as magistrates ordered troops to disperse the crowd.
Mills were filled with children, working for pittance in dangerous conditions, 14-hour days and left crippled. Housing was unsanitary and mortality rates were high amongst the poor. Employers built ramshackle homes in as little space as possible, 12 or so people shared the same room, 100 shared the privvy, a hole in the ground. Damp rose up the walls and rain seeped in. Cellar helped keep this at bay but this led to subtenants who were the root of most health problems.
It was the need for change that led to the town becoming a centre of radical thinking. Yet the town, despite its size, had no representation in Parliament.
Social reform was led by the British Labour Movement, forerunner to the Labour party. In addition women also had the start of equality in this city, with the foundation of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, winner the right to vote during the general election of 1918.

Into the 20th Century
By early 20th century the city had begun to improve with civic needs catered for. Schools, libraries, public baths, clean water and electricity, had all been installed.
It was war that saw the decline of the city as a textile centre, removed from its buyers it never returned to its former stature as importers turned to other sources.
Another war and no innovation led to the final death knell of Manchester’s textile industry, unemployment rose and by the 1960’s the industry was dead.
But that’s not the end. The area of Trafford Park, a major industrial centre, grew. Due to its proximity to the docks and the Ship Canal (yes 30 miles from the coast and Manchester has a docks for ocean going ships), many companies took advantage of the existing infrastructure.
However the city came into its own during the Second World War, with many companies adapting to the needs of the country, The Metropolitan Vickers Company produced the Lancaster and Manchester bombers. Radar was also developed and distributed by the very same company.
However during the Blitz around 70% of the Victorian buildings were obliterated, three nights prior to Christmas the city was bombed with incendiaries, setting the city ablaze.
Post war the city was slowly rebuilt, with families moved out of the slums to new residencies, the bombs and flames having given reason to wipe out Manchester more unsavoury background.
The inner city areas were replenished with immigrants, giving certain areas a particular aspect based upon their most predominant cultural background. Rusholme having taken on many Asian aspects.
Two decades saw the rise and fall of high-rise tower blocks for goal of improving living standards while in fact the tower blocks caused a rise in crime and seclusion.
The 1980’ saw worldwide recession and unemployment. Crime rose and drugs spread, and with it the city was embroiled in street riots.

The Bomb: 21st Century Manchester Rises from the Ashes
Saturday the 15th of June 1996 during the peak of the day saw the 3000 lb IRA bomb tear through the city centre. Warnings were given and the centre was partially cleared; yet 200 were injured.
The M&S building stood at the heart of the blast and was subsequently torn down, yet all things have a silver lining. The city was again to undergo another round of rebuilding, defiant of the bomb.
The end of the 20th century saw the end of the regeneration of the city centre and the modernisation of the city, yet with two of the cities oldest buildings, two inns, still remaining intact from the blast; the only true sign of the bomb now being a plaque on the post box that survived the direct blast.
Manchester now stands in the dawn of the new millennium undergoing great changes and rejuvenation, while in the streets apathy and fear rule as people turn inwards and shut themselves away from the world.

Havens of the Damned.
Manchester stands as a juxtaposition of churches and gothic halls, intermingled and crowded by red brick, industrial, buildings; cotton mills and ware houses. Towering spires of concrete stand abandoned and worn and weathered, with new towers of glass and steel rising up amongst a forest of towering cranes.
The peoples of Manchester come from all around, filling the streets with every race and colour, this mix making the city a modern cosmopolitan hub, and a centre for conflict and strife. To the edges of Manchester the business makes way for suburbs of concrete flats, Victorian homes and council estates; the residents sheltered away from the oppressive street violence and fear of others, cloistered in their crumbling homes while the young and rich languish in the inaccessible apartments of the inner city.
The districts of Manchester are wide and ranging; the garish neon lights of the boisterous “Curry Mile”, the forgotten and defensive Victorian past of Victoria Parks, the ravaged streets of Moss Side and Newton Heath, and the town of Blackley, encroached upon by the industry of the city. The centre of the city holds the colour of China Town and the rowdy bars of the “Gay Village”, lining the old canals.
South of the city centre is the university campus of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan, and along this way runs the busiest bus route in all of Europe.
North, past the trendy and bars and clubs of Deansgate, and across the River Irwell, is the city centre of Salford, a city that once claimed Manchester as it own, though soon was enveloped by the city to be, becoming part of the region of Greater Manchester. Salford in comparison is a reflection of Manchester past, a collection of gloomy concrete offices and run down shops.
Towards the west the suburbs run for miles, broken by the odd patches of greenery and fields, and soon one finds that they have passed from the fiefdom of Manchester into that of Liverpool. In the east the suburbs run to the town of Oldham and then onwards towards the mountain range of the Pennines and the dangerous hunting ground of the most feral and ancient Lupines, though in honesty many of the Lupines claim territory about the city, forming a ring about that which is left for the vampires in the city centre.

The Hidden: The Kindred of Manchester.
Manchester and the region has always had some form of vampiric influence, however there were never great numbers of these creatures to form any type of society, hindered by the small population of the region.
This all changed in the 18th century as the world advanced and industry and trade expanded across the globe, with Manchester at the heart of this trade. In to this centre of growth came the first true lord of Manchester, the Cardinal James Furlong. In 1745 he came upon the city with his entourage of Inquisitors and scourged the city of unbelievers and feral Damned, all under the cover of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s uprising. Once war had passed the self claimed Cardinal set to work moulding the city about the churches and parishes, bringing faith to these down trodden kine.
As time passed the Cardinal became aware of his alienation from the world about him and sired Jonathan Williams, the son of a world trader in teas and other oddments from the east. Williams had knowledge of the new sciences of this age and of the peoples that were flocking to Manchester from the colonies; he was the perfect liaison with the masses and the neonates.
Time passed and the Second Estate held its divine position with the support of the Invictus. These two saw that the other rivals where kept in place, in the dark amongst the swelling masses. But with all the best laid plans, rot sets in at the core.
1819, the Peterloo massacre saw the beginning of things to come, of revolution. For the Lancea Sanctum the lupines that populated the fields around Manchester were a true beast amongst men that had no place in God’s order, and so the Cursed took it upon themselves to persecute these creatures of the moon. Amongst this growing hatred kindred flocked to opposing sides, with the Circle supporting what lupine allies they had, and the few other kindred acting in support out of spite for the Lancea.
In the massacre many men died, but during the night the conflict still raged, with an eventual truce being drawn up by Williams and his troupe, with aid from the more accepting lupines.
Science surged on in the city with great buildings and universities being constructed, many of which were funded in part by Williams, a legacy that today he now reaps.
The summer of 1839 was the start of the upheaval of the diocese of Manchester. With the Chartist movement in full swing the kindred in power feared for their control if they lost their precious pawns. But no matter how much they aided their human minions the true threat lay right under their noses. In the night of the festival of Ascension, the 24th of May, a band of kindred neonates and Ordo members, stormed the havens of the primogen council and the leaders of the Invictus and the Lancea. In a night of blood shed and rebellion Manchester fell and out of the ashes rose the new council of equality, inspired by their colonial cousins the Carthians had arrived in Manchester and at their head was Williams.
For the next few decades this new group took a grip of Manchester, fearing reprisal from their fallen masters. The Ordo and the Circle heeded this new group seeing how many of their own youth flocked to its banner, both covenants realised the benefit of siding with this sizable political group.
Over time the Lancea Sanctum recovered and played by the rule of this new equality, accepting the benefits of the open climate yet acknowledging the safety gained by this new method of rule. Only the Invictus truly suffered, bolstered only by those who tired of the parliamentary games and sort more direct means to power.
The Prince, or Chairman, as Williams was known, took advantage of the method of equal rights, setting rivals against each others throats, perfecting the trade of boons and votes, but always holding over all parties the fear of the unheard masses if any single one strayed too far from their given position.
The primogen council in turn evolved, acting as board members, one from each covenant and clan, all with equal say in the ruling of the city. However this peaceful game of favours and blackmail can last only so long.
Rumours of revenge spread through the Lancea, seeing that old alliances be made again, that the unclean be put back under the heel of God. The Invictus also hungered power and saw the time ripe to take the stage. Murders and battles rage during the nights of the Second World War, only quelled by luck.
In one nights bombing of the city, the raging fires killed the uprising. Many kindred died in the blaze as buildings and homes where destroyed by the incendiary bombs. However Williams survived secreted away from the devastation. When the dust cleared he quickly went about rounding up the surviving neonates and ancilla, quickly reforming the Carthians to deal with any snap attacks from the other covenants.
The resulting expansion of the city in the following years renewed aggression between the kindred and the lupine, leading to the uneasy borders drawn up around the city centre. Even today the borders are reviewed each year with packs accepting the cordial manner of these Carthian vampires.
The last attempted uprising took place during the recession of the 1980’s. As unemployment rose the police was hindered ever more, and under the guise of unrest and riots the Ordo fabricated the means to attack the very heart of the Carthian movement. In 1983 their plans cam to a head, as they pursued a running battle across the face of Manchester. Many on both sides were put to final death. It was only through the intervention of the Lancea that the tables turned and the Carthians and their old enemies obliterated the Ordo in a weekend of fires and street battles.
The result of this attempted coup is the exemption of the Ordo Dracul covenant from any voting rights for 50 years, and no presence in the Chamber (primogen council). For many of the sects this is a blessing as for the past 20 years all have been making effective use of this power over the Ordo.


Sample of the chapter to my ebook (yes while writing one for Changeling) is here

Vampire chapter sample

So does anyone have any comments on this work so far. Tonight I will be running session 1 of the game.

It's really good so far. I'm based in Chester but spend a lot of time in Manchester and I always find my thoughts wandering to "Wouldn't it be good to set a Vampire campaign here...". Nice work! Keep us posted as to how this turns out.

Excellent. Glad you like it.

On the books for the next update (whether I distribute anymore as it's all part of a big ebook for the big three I have in my head/pieces of paper) is details on the Kindred of Manchester and a a few SAS.

Ok so the file here will be available for one more day.

Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Is there anything missing? Anything else you'd like to know that hasn't been written yet?

I too am based in Chester and this work really is giving me alot of ideas. I have alot of freinds who live in Manc town who go to the Manchester UNI Student RP club who may find this really interesting, and i will be sure to tell them. Keep us posted to new developments.

Well this all came about during my time at UMIST doing my degree and at UoM for my PhD. Glad you like it.

Other sections written cover the geography of the area and the spirits of the city. The next focus after this chapter will be Mage, with Werewolf last and a small chapter on Prmoethean, Changeling and Hunter and other things.

Right well the week is over for the sample. It is now unavailable for download.

Does anyone have any comments ect on what I have made available so far? Any questions?

Finally the write up of the first few sessions of the game

Vampire: the Requiem

City of Darkness: Manchester

The Endless Waltz

 

Prologue: The Depth of Shadow

            It is mid September, 2004. Labour is in it’s second term of office and Tony Blair still holds the office of Prime Minister. The London bombings were still to happen and the “War on Terror” is still in it’s infancy as British and American troops wage war in Iraq.

          In Manchester the Kindred wage a timeless game of politics and intrigue. Currently the Carthians, the democratic Covenant of vampires, holds power over the city, led by the stern and fair Chairman Jonathan Williams. He however is aided in his governing of the city by a Board of Representatives, a gathering of key Kindred representing the Clans and Covenants of the city. As Chairman he acts as judge and overseer of the democratic body that is the Board of Representatives.

          It is the 18^th of September, a Saturday night. The cool and suave Dimitri, a Daeva, awakes in his apartment in central Manchester, in the exciting and fashionable area of the Northern Quarter. Dimitri spends his day in the on suite bathroom of the main bedroom, the room lacking any windows and so is easily sun-proofed. Speaking with his ghoul and aide, Karl, they discuss the plans for this evening. Dimitri is to hold a party and so Karl must gather guests, drinks, food, and of course an adequate herd. However, to begin the night Dimitri heads to one of the largest alternative clubs in Manchester, Jilly’s Rockworld, to find his first juicebag of the night. But before Dimitri leaves Karl hands him a letter. It reads that Dimitri has been invited to Elysium tomorrow evening at the Urbis building where he will be formally presented to the Kindred of the city.

          At the other side of town in a partially built block of apartments Kane awakes. A brooding, long haired figure, well built and somewhat feral, and a member of the Gangrel, Kane is an Unaligned Kindred, but such is the way of the Carthians, this neonate has been provided a haven. There is a rap at the door and Kane opens the door to another vampire, the Carthian in charge of the communal havens that are located in the building, Alexander du Prais. Alexander is a well dressed and handsome young man, though with a touch of arrogance and self importance. Alexander hands Kane the letter of invitation to Elysium, just as Dimitri received.

          The Nosferatu known as Stella awakes in her dilapidated Victorian house in Salford. She clambers out of the basement, dressed in tattered black clothing and immediately heads out into the night to hunt. She watches patiently in the inner city streets of the city of Salford (a city consumed by the city of Greater Manchester) and timing the moment lures a hooded young man to her before launching herself at him, restraining herself when feeding. Returning to her haven she finds waiting on the doorstep the Constable (the Manchester term for Sheriff) Ihram, a dark featured man wrapped in loose black robes, much like those of Arabic descent in the city. Ihram hands her the letter inviting her to Elysium.

          Chuck Taylor, a Gangrel, awakes in the basement store room of the gym that he owns in the east of central Manchester. Chuck is a muscled ex athlete who conducts himself in a military manner. His ghoul, Dean, greets him as Chuck heads upstairs. Before Chuck goes for his nightly run he is given a letter of invitation by his ghoul.

          At Rockworld Dimitri, having already got the attention of a number of girls and guys, inviting them back to his flat for his late night party, finds his Beast is arosed. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and he feels a deep growl in the back of his throat. He looks about the dark club and finally spots a man with scruffy short hair, a slim build and in a blue shirt. He casually smokes a cigarette as two girls sit next to him chatting. He pays them no attention and beckons Dimitri over. He introduces himself as Zahred Zilber and it is clear that he is a vampire. Dimitri leaves him on good terms, even inviting to his after party later that night.

          On the Sunday night before the Elysium gathering Stella sits in her study, water dripping down from pipes, walls lined with a large collection of books, candles flickering in the cold Autumn breeze, and prepares a ritual. As a member of the Circle of the Crone, the Covenant of eclectic pagan vampires, Stella is already trained in the basic arts of Crúac, and keen to have an upper hand at Elysium, while also being quite worried and afraid of her presentation, she performs a small ritual. Forming a ritual circle and filling a bowl with water, Stella slices her hand and allows a few drops of her vampiric blood to drip into the water. Concentrating and focusing on the spiraling patterns of blood she is able to read the patterns. Her growing experience allowing her to see the patterns of chaos. It is obvious there is some form of disharmony in Kindred society that will make it self known at Elysium. Finishing her ritual Stella prepares to make her way to the centre of Manchester.

          In the cool dark of the night Chuck arrives at the Urbis building. The glass slope of the building reflecting the gothic spire of the nearby cathedral and the rotating white beams of the Manchester Wheel. All about steel and glass stands next to Victorian and Gothic architecture. Chuck approaches the rear doors of the building where two guards await and Constable Ihram watches. Chuck is welcomed in and asked to wait, but is first padded down for weapons. The next arrival is Kane who is likewise checked for blades and guns and then asked to wait for the others to arrive. Stella makes her entrance, having previously been waiting in the Cathedral gardens watching people arrive at the Urbis building. Finally, almost 10 minutes late Dimitri makes his way in. All of them are then greeted by Spokesman Mathew Rain, a charismatic and sharply dressed man, and also the sire of Dimitri. He explains what will happen upstairs, and then together they take the lift to the top of the Urbis building. The lift exits out onto a clean white corridor that then leads to a darkened room, lit by minimal lamps set into the ceiling. The room is completely exposed, windows all looking out on to the city about them. Against the lights of the city many others are silhouetted and at the other end of the room, the room tapering, is a single desk lit by a lamp. At it is sat a man with a goatee and short hair and dressed in a fine mourning coat and loose shirt. His stern features are made ever more so by the shadows cast by the lamp. Mathew Rain and Constable Ihram walk forward and stand next to the desk, Rain on the left and the Constable on the right hand side, next to another figure who has long hair and is also dressed in a long mourning coat.

A single light above illuminated an area in the middle of the room and Dimitri, Stella, Kane and Chuck stepped forward into the light. The Chairman, Jonathan Williams, stood up and walked around the table and stood before them, studying each closely before asking for each to announce their name, their Clan and their sire. Once that had been done the Chairman went about informing them of the nature of the democratic system of the city, of the three traditions, and the additional laws known as the fourth tradition and the fifth freedom. These laws, the executive powers of the Office of the Chairman, allows the Chairman and his officers to break all traditions and human rights so that ultimately all are restored. The Chairman then goes on to explain that as members of the city they may always ask for the aide of the Carthians so long as they support the city when needed.

With the ceremony over the Chairman takes his seat again and the lights come up and the new neonates of the city are presented to the Board of Representatives. There is Prefect Arken, a shaved head but dressed in the most fashionable of modern suits, a Daeva and also the representative of Carthains on the Board. Priscus Stewart, a spectacled shabby fellow who represents the Mekhet and is a member of the Carthians. Priscus Kollins is a brutish dreadlocked man of Clan Gangrel and the Carthians. Priscus Max Neils of the Daeva and the Carthians is a large framed man, ruddy cheeked and long beard. Judex Lord Peter Hawkins, Viscount of Northern Manchester is the Ventrue leader of the Invictus. Hawkins is dressed like a military officer, a dark uniform bearing medals and a red sash with bears the Invictus emblem. The Good Alder Lady, Natalia Kerkoft, Viscountess of Southern Manchester, is the Ventrue Priscus and is red headed and wears numerous jewels and a long green gown. Bishop Michael Kenner, a Venture, is the leader of the Lancea Sanctum. Dressed in the purple robes of his position, he is steely eyed and has a shaved head and a well kept moustache. Priestess Amanda Heath is an emaciated figure, leathery skin and wrapped in red robes befitting of her position in the Lancea Sanctum and is the Priscus for the Nosferatu. Finally there is Magus Gregor of the Nosferatu, representative of the Circle of the Crone, and also head of the local Crone cult, the Cult of Cernunnos. Gregor is a truly ancient vampire, a pallid skinned figure, tall and sneering with a lipless smile of piranha-like teeth.

Once all the formalities were over Dimitri, Stella, Chuck and Kane were free to stay and meet other members of the city or leave if they had other things to do. Dimitri casually approached the fiery blond, Lady Tabbitha Gao, Harpy and Daeva of the Invictus, a politely asked if he may sate his thirst on one of her herd. This of course caught the attention of a number of Carthians vampires. But before leaving the group is approached by the charming and discerning Ventrue, Patrick Falken of the Carthians. An intelligent and polite business man, he offers the coterie employment and his patronage and suggests that he will call them soon.

 

 

Episode 1: Blood Ties

Since their presentation at Elysium the coterie has been pursuing a number of things.

Kane has been scouting the city for a new haven, in particular looking for abandoned houses or warehouses at the edges of the city.

Dimitri has been following his profession as a blogger and photographer, using his vampiric abilities to stalk and photograph celebrities.

Chuck has been looking up what he can find on Patrick Falken while Stella has been attending to her grandsire at hierophant, Magus Gregor. The Hall of the Hunt, a warren of caves and tunnels in a hillside north of Manchester out towards Bolton. With the nights growing long, and the feast of Samhain approaching, the Cult of Cernunnos, some half dozen Kindred, study and follow the rituals of the

The coterie is summoned to Patrick Falken’s office at Ship Canal House in the financial heart of the city of Manchester. Patrick has a simple task for them to perform. He has some files, photographs, which are being analyzed by Rizor Systems, a computer data analysis company based halfway across the city centre. Falken has given the company strict instructions to not keep any electronic copies and so physical transfer is the only way possible to retrieve the files.

On arrival to the Rizor Systems, based in a small block of offices, the coterie is directed up to the third floor where they would be greeted. However, upon arrival, they find that the offices have somehow been broken into. The man they were to contact is dead in his office, the back of his head caved in. A quick sweep of the office shows that the computer hard drives have been ripped out. The files are gone and so are any possible prints. After some snooping about and use of Majesty by Dimitri they were able to find the video footage from the CCTV for that evening. The camera over looking the corridor. The footage shows an image freezing and not changing. Going back to the camera itself they find that it had been tampered in order to show a still of the last image. The CCTV also showed that the fire escape door opened and closed by itself, suggesting that something invisible entered. Following this up Kane spoke to a rat in the alleyway outside the fire escape and discovered that a man with ragged teeth and blood red lips had passed that way. Also within the corridor they found a book of matches for the Sugar Lounge, a club on Deansgate Locks, and with a few calls it was discovered that a man, who also works at the Sugar Lounge as a DJ, is the most likely person to have sold the device attached to the cameras. It seems as if that was where they were going next if they were to get these files back for Patrick. Stella, wanting some sort of advantage, performed a quick ritual to see if she could gain some insight into what was happening. Taking the blood of the deceased programmer and her own she used a clean coffee mug to act as a vessel for her magic so that she would be able to see into the future. She could taste molasses, see a battle field with dead Romans lit up by lighting, and the smell of mercury and the sound of loud drums.

The troupe made their way to the Sugar Lounge club, up on Deansgate Locks. On the way they called Partirck Falken and explained what had happened so far. Patrick was not impressed and demanded they find the hard drives. Arriving at the club Dimitri and Kane headed in, these two being the best dressed for the venue. Dimitri simply stated his name and who he works for and both himself and Kane were let into the bar, an dark, leather and acrylic decorated place filled with guest with far to much monet to spend. Heading upstairs they found the DJ, Benjamin Caren, but also found their Beasts stirring. Another vampire was present. Looking about they spotted someone who waved them over, a woman dressed in a blue dress with platinum hair. She introduced herself as Lauren Esten and asked quietly if they were here on business or pleasure, but somehow knew that Kane was hiding their motive. She also stated that she was a member of the Carthians. Speaking with Benjamin Caren Dimitri posed as an intervierwer before Kane confronted him with the device that was attached to the camera in Rizor Systems. Caren, keen to not get drawn into this tells them that he did make such a device and that he sold it recently to a guy who owns an internet cafe in town. The man works as a fence for stolen eletronics and data.

Leaving the bar Kane and Dimitri are followed by four well built men, and so Chuck and Stella hang back and then follow after them. Knowing that they are being followed Kane and Dimitri lead the men into a dark carpark where the trap is sprung. As an argument breaks out between Kane and one of the gangsters, it seems these men represent a gang that wants to muscle in on the upcoming auction, Chuck lifts up and hurls one of the men, the man landing in a crumpled mess on top of one of the others. Chuck then easily lays into the other while Dimitri intimidates the other, Stella emitting an aura of dread which saps the gangsters resolve. As they question the man about who he works for and then knock him out, Chuck takes one of the other unconcious men and feeds. And feeds. And feeds. Killing the man in a savage manner. Dimitri walks over to where Chuck had gone to feed and finds the corpse and Chuck crouched over te man, blood dripping from Chucks mouth. Chuck cleans up and dumps the body in a dumpster nearby, hoping that no one will find it.

As it gets closer to midnight the troupe rush over to the internet cafe at PIccadilly Gardens in the centre of the city. They find the cafe closed but there are lights on both downstairs and up. They head around to the back and find the the back door is open. Heading in, Kane, followed by Stella, with Dimitri and Chuck going upstairs. Dimitri could see someone upstairs through the window and so Chuck tried to break down the fire door but failed and so instead they smashed the window. Stella headed up the stairs and her Beast growled and she was confronted by a man with teeth like a shark and a hairless head that looked as if it was red from being scolded. The man snarled and launched towards Chuck who had got inside through the window, grabbing him and launching both men out the window onto the ground below. Scarmbling about Chuck grabbed the vampire and held him, only to have the Nosferatu look at him with wild eyes. Chuck convulsed, blood seeping from eyes and mouth and fled in terror. Dimitri tried to block any escape while Kane grabbed the vampire, bestial claws growing from Kanes hands. The claws slashed and gouged the vampire before Kane pinned the fiend to the ground. Certain he was not going to fight Kane and the other awaited for Chuck to return, Chuck having gathered himself together. Chuck decided it would be best to stake him, but the vampire protested and said he would tell them anything they needed to know. SO while Stella and Dimitri looked over the cafe some more Kane and Chuck took the vampire away to another back alley where they could interrogate him.

Stella found an answering machine message from a Laurence Panis who had called 4 hours ago to arrange a meeting half an hour ago. Dimitri meanwhile found in the trash a printed email about the auction, that it will take place the following night at Club Quicksilver at 2 am.

Meanwhile the interrogation revealed that the vampire, a Nosferatu called Jacob Lewis, was looking for the hard drive, having arrived late at the offices of Rizor Systems. He followed his leads to the fence but the drives had been sold on and now he was trying to find out who too. He also revealed he works for the Invictus, Vicountess Natalia Kerkoft. Kane and Chuck are satisfied and decide to stake Jacob so they can take him back to Patrick. Jacob of course gets worried, and breaks free but Kane just attacks and slices Jacob to pieces, sending the vampire to Final Death. Kane, caked in blood realises the power he now wields unlike when he was human. He Beast savours the moment. Dimitri and Stella arrive to find the scene and are shocked by what happened. They dump the decaying remains of Jacob, knowing that they have already broken the laws of the city. Dimitri grabs the phone that Jacob had and checks the numbers and texts. There is a Robert Woking, Annabel Barbican, Natalia Kerkoft's ghoul, some others. But these few seem to be used the most and most recently. From the last message Robert Wokin had texted to tell Jacob that Laurence had set up the meeting.

The rest of the evening was then spent by the troupe feeding at various clubs.

The next evening they called Patrick to tell them their plan before heading to the club at 9 pm. Dimitri and Chuck posed as photographers for a local paper and got in easily. Stella kept to the crowds but was generally not having a good night as the music in the club was DnB and trance. Kane took the other option of going in from the top. THe club was located outside the city centre in some unused land, the building being a old cotton mill. Kane sliced open the fence before climbing to the top of the building, his claws cutting into the brick. Once at the top of the building Kane broke in and headed downwards to find where the items were being stored.

Meanwhile in the club Dimitri, Stella and Chuck were overcome with a feelign of unease. There were more vampires present and worse, they were more powerful. Dimitri started to scan the crowd with his camera and found the culprits, a brunette in a fur edged jacket and a well dressed man who also had a camera. The woman held a phone and the one in Chucks bag, taken from Jacob, began to ring. Chuck got out of the way and went to turn the phone off while Dimitri watched the group who had now spotted Stella and started to confront her. The woman, Annabel, slapped Stella round the face before she, Robert and their three ghouls took Stella to a quiet area of the club. Chuck return and watched, and seeing that things were getting out of hand, and that Stella was caught in some trance, picked up a bottle and launched it at Annabel's head. Annabel was staring down Stella, her ability to dominate Stella's mind apparent. But the bottle smashed on Annabel's head and broke her concentration. Annabel frenzied and Robert and the ghouls had to hold her down. Stella then began to create an aura of dread, her Beast stirring up the crowd. The club went nuts and tried to escape the club as Chuck tried to get Stella to safety. Meanwhile, with all hell breaking loose the guards on the floor with the items stored left to find out what was going on, giving Kane enough time to find the hard drives and get out.

End

Welcome back mr Ether.

is all looking good so far. looking forward to the continuation.

Cheers.

I have to be honest I don't read the forums much (real life and other interests get in the way, plus some of the topics are old things previously covered) as I've been writing a SAS for freshers week.

Currently I'm behind on writing stats for Vampire NPCS for WoD: Manchester and stuff for Changeling: Venice Unmasked, oh and of course running Vampire. Things have turned out this time quite different to the first time I ran the game 3 years back.

Your writing style is good, but you kind of throw everything out there.  One thing about vampires is they're mysterious.  Knowing the genealogy write up front changes the mood of things.

You should introduce your characters and let the readers imply what they are, over the course of the story.

That, the once you know what clan a vampire is from, you might know their weakness and how to use it against them.


You also need a map.  I suggest an area map, not city, detailing the rack etc. 

Well I see what you are saying but this from actual play. So this serves the players as a log... not external readers. I have no interest in what another may think of the story as an example of creative writing, as of course I would take a different approach to such a task.

As for the city map, yes I do need one for the ebook. But that map is not required as all my players are familiar with Manchester. Again the map is only of use to external readers of the write up of the actual play. I am more interested in other peoples opinions on the type fo story being run, the play style, the set up of the city. I am not intending surprises for you. This is more of a "here is an example of Requiem in play". If anything new STs can view this as a sort of example and source of inspiration. Everything is up front so that other STs can see how particular character types deal with situations (i.e. the Gangrel characters have been very physical, but in very different ways, while the Nosferatu character is augmented by Cruac, giving the character more options).

Anyway if you have some comments on the ebook that would be of help (if it is not available on the link I will make it so once more).

Latest episode

all on http://community.livejournal.com/etheric_labs/

Manchester: the Endless Waltz

Episode 2: Drink Deep

 

            It was a rainy Friday in October, almost two weeks after the events at Club Quicksilver. It was early evening and Dimitri was waiting in the tram station under Piccadilly Train Station, waiting for a tram to Deansgate. On the other side of the station, on the other platform, separated by the concrete barrier between the two tram lines, a woman awaited for the tram to arrive, apparently waiting for someone to arrive on the tram as the Piccadilly station was the last one on this route.

            A screech of metal and clattering of wheels signalled the arrival of the next tram, stopping before the woman, blocking Dimitri’s view. Passengers, of which there were only a few, disembarked, and then the tram headed off. Just before the last car left view there was a shriek and scream and Dimitri could see the woman on the floor, the stench of blood in the air, and looming over her was a shadowy figure, a black form, almost 2 dimensional, made of shifting dark colours. Dimitri, shocked by this tried to clamber across the lines but was too late, and was only able to see the figure move away, flickering not unlike a poor quality film. The woman on the ground was covered in blood and her clothes were in tatters. Taking out his camera Dimitri took some photos and made a quick getaway.

            The next evening Dimitri, Stella (now going by the shadow name of Thessaly), and Kane had received messages inviting them to meet at the museum with Chairman David Odans. Meanwhile two other Kindred had also awoken to the night and received the same message.

            Verity White, a member of clan Mekhet and also a low ranking Acolyte of the Cult of Hathor awoke at her apartment and discovered the message from Odans, her sire. Suiting up in her typical biking leathers she headed out for the meeting.

            Dina, a foul looking Nosferatu of the Carthians, was of course awake in her underground lair, a well maintained sanctum with telephone line taps and a number of computers and servers cobbled together. Dina looked fairly normal, a small woman, but was noticeably different due to the matting of her hair and the way she seemed to glisten with sweat. Checking her emails she knew she could not pass up this chance to make something of herself and gain a better standing within the Carthians.

            After some confusion and paranoia and their respective Beast distrusting the situation, the Kindred arrived at the museum, a faux modern gothic construction that extended from the original buildings of the University of Manchester. They were led in through a side door and led upstairs to an office maintained by Odans’ ghouls. Odans’ office was furnished much like a Victorian collector would, and his attire was also old looking. He welcomed the group, offering around cigarettes before lighting one for himself. He proceeded to make pleasantries, acknowledging his dual membership to the Carthians and the Circle of the Crone, he himself being the head of the Cult of Hathor.

            Odans then got to the main matter. Just an hour before the police had found a murder in the Northern Quarter. There was a body of a woman, but also a second body, that of a desiccated corpse, or so Odans police contact had informed him. Odans explained that normally the Constable would deal with such matters, but that in this case it was felt that in order to prevent a panic within the Board and the Congress it would be best if the issue was dealt quietly without calling upon the Constable.

            Odans then explained that the death was not unlike a similar one the night before, where a woman had been found drained of blood at the Piccadilly train station. Odans feared that both cases could draw the attention of hunters, and that he needed the group to use their skills to remove and destroy evidence while figuring out how these breaches of the Masquerade occurred. Dimitri then piped up and revealed his information, and so Odans then figured that whatever it was that was killing was drawn to the presence of Kindred.

            With a plan organised the group got into action. Dina prepared false ID for Dimitri so that he could get into the Coroner’s office and go to the morgue and look at the body of the first victim. Dina, Verity and Kane would then go to the Northern Quarter and look at the crime scene. During this time Thessaly was performing a diving ritual, Odans offering what space and ritual tools he could.

            In the Northern Quarter Verity and Dina sneaked past the police line and took a look in the tent put up over the bodies and the scene. It was clear that there was a bite mark on the woman. But it was also clear that the desiccated corpse was that of a vampire who had been stopped part way through feeding. They then also noted that near the corpse was a broken wine glass with blood stains, and also a grape stalk. Dina also noted that the ring on the finger of the vampire bore the symbol of the chi-rho. The vampire was of the Lancea Sanctum.

            On attempting to leave the crime scene things went downhill as Dina was spotted by the police and had to flee, with a number of officers in hot pursuit. Fortunately Verity was able to give chase and whisk Dina away using her preternatural speed.

            Meanwhile Kane skulked in an alley and spoke out in the rat tongue, hoping to get the attention of the local vermin. It was not long until a number of the rodents were listening and speaking to him, and soon, in unison, some 4 dozen rats were chanting to him that what had happened to the “tooth red maw” and the “lady lady” was that they were killed by “Shadow Death! Shadow Death! SHADOW DEATH!”.

            At the Coroners office Dimitri had gotten in and was now looking at the body of the dead woman from the night before. The orderly had left the file for him to read. Apparently, even though she was surrounded by blood, it was impossible for that amount of blood to be lost in such a quick way. Also, as Dimitri could see, her chest had been carved into. The Greek letters, in a circle, recited a verse;

            And as I sat, over the light blue hills

            There came a noise of revellers: the rills

            Dimitri had a quick think and knew he had read that before. It was Keats, from a poem about the god Bacchus. It was at that moment the lights in the morgue dimmed and flickered, and the room dropped in temperature. The orderly in the next room who had waited there while watching TV could now not be heard laughing at the late night quiz show. Instead there was only static. Then Dimitri heard two metallic tinkles, and turned to find on the floor two bronze coins, smeared in oil paint, and a feather.

            Back at the museum Thessaly awoke from her ritual. She had prepared a ritual circle and drawn her blood and looked on into the bowl of water as her vitae swirled about. In her vision she saw herself sat on a small island, surrounded by endless dark oily seas. Then, on a boat, arrived a figure, which Thessaly immediately recognised as Bacchus. Then from the seas between them a hand emerged, clutching a dagger, the hilt made of bone and inscribed with Greek. Then the seas changed and formed the screeching face of and owl, and in her head a voice cawed, “Where are the Julii?”

            Thessaly awoke only to be told by Chamberlain Odans that she had spent the last hour screaming none stop and that he himself had not seen such a violent and spiritually active ritual, for such a simple ritual. He played back the recording he had made. There was obvious EVP.

All of it can be found through here

Vampire: the Requiem

Manchester: the Endless Waltz

Episode 2: Drink Deep – Part 2

 

            Following the escape from the police officers in the Northern quarter Dina, the sweaty Nosferatu, thought it would be best to keep a low profile and so returned to her underground abode where she could be of better use watching the media and news networks and the internet. Meanwhile Verity, the leather clad Mekhet, headed back to the museum where the others would meet her.

            At the offices of Chamberlain Odans, Verity, Dimitri, Kane and Thessaly were able to reveal what they had found out. Dimitri’s discovery of the poem, and of course the coins and feather plus the ghostly like encounter made sense when compared to the things that Thessaly saw in her vision. There was an obvious connection to Bacchus, and of course rituals related to the veneration of that god. But of course there was the image of the blade and the owl. Odans then made it clear that the vampire body from the Northern Quarter crime scene needed to be destroyed, and so reluctantly Dimitri, along with Kane, headed back to the coroners offices. Meanwhile Verity and Thessaly, like true Crone Acolytes hit the books, searching for any clue of Bacchus and links to vampires and the Kindred. With the aid of the books in the library and what books Chamberlain Odans would allow them to looks at the two Acolytes uncovered the myths of the Strix and the legends of the Julii, a vampire Clan that existed in Rome, rumoured precursors of the Ventrue Clan. However most of these stories are simple legends but it all fitted, so maybe there was some truth in the matter.

            Kane and Dimitri got access to the morgue, Dimitri making it the second night he had been there. There were a few officers about since the bodies from the Northern Quarter. It did not take long for Dimitri and Kane to get hold of the files for the bodies and they started to remove the vampire body so that they could destroy it. The preliminary autopsy report for the vampire had copies of emails between the investigators at the crime scene. There was a lot of disbelief related to the case. Most believed the vampire corpse was that of a person suffering a degenerative disease. But more important to the investigators was not the lack of blood in the woman’s corpse, just like the other woman from the night before, but also the second body to have a missing heart without any sign of intrusion into the body. The investigators were stumped. The temperature in the morgue dropped, condensation formed on the lockers. Then Dimitri’s mobile phone began to ring. The screen looked weird, as if corrupted, and it read ‘NUMBER UNAVAILABLE’. Dimitri just pressed the cancel button and ignored the phone, but then, looking at the lockers, he could see his reflection. He could SEE his reflection. And looking back was not just himself, but a snarling beast, lipless fangs and bloodshot eyes. Dimitri held his nerve but it was clear something was not right. Kane then heard something from behind, and he turned about to see a young woman, lank blonde hair, stair down at the floor and dressed in a white shift dress. Her hand suddenly pointed at him and then she walked forward, flickering. She then looked up and Kane and Dimitri stepped back as they saw her throat was ripped open, her tongue hanging from the gruesome wound. She mumbled about the blood, her killer and that they were the same as the beast but not like her killer. She wanted revenge. Then her head tipped back and the neck wound tore open and wide revealing a lamprey like maw and the tongue twitching, bile pouring from its mouth. Dimitri broke, and ran down the corridor until he was far enough away to calm down. Kane however stood his ground and the apparition disappeared, leaving slimy ectoplasm on the tiled floor of the morgue. The Kane’s phone rang. He answered and was met with static and wailing. It then rang again. He had a text from an unknown number. It was a name. Brian Mathews.

            Returning from the morgue Kane met up with Thessaly while Dimitri returned to his haven to recover. Kane told Thessaly that the ghost of the woman had terrified Dimitri to the point of tears, blood tears. Verity headed off to discover more information with regard to the identity of Brian Mathews, as he was a missing person case, and had been missing for 2 weeks already. Thessaly had another task. In her research she had pieced together a ritual that would allow her to summon the ghost, this Brian Mathews if he is in fact the killer. Chamberlain Odans commented that this would be Thessaly’s first ever time communing with spirits, and that such an act should not be taken lightly, but that he would not stop her as it is an important part of the cults of the Crone, and her own progress into the mysteries and her own spiritual progression. He suggested that, as this ritual would hopefully resolve the case, should be performed at a secure temple of the Cult of Hathor. He provided them with transport to it and accompanied them to the temple which lay in the south of Manchester.

            The location of the temple was an old power substation, and arriving there Odans organised a number of ghouls to watch over the temple and provided security (this also meant keeping anything in if it tried to escape). Within the basement, between the pillars was a dark chamber, and from the ceilings hung red drapes. The stench of blood and death was thick and a sandstone altar sat at the north of the chamber, with a statue of Hathor overlooking the altar. Kane and Thessaly disrobed and cleaned before donning ritual robes. Thessaly, with Kane stood next to her, placed the altar to the east and began to outline with chalk a ritual circle and began to start a cleansing ritual. Once complete she began the summoning ritual, her ritual circle included a triangle to the north-west where the spirit would be contained. With a swipe of a dagger she slit her wrist and allowed her blood to pour within the triangle.

            From nowhere a wind began to blow and from a point above the triangle oil and paint began to drip down. From the pool emerged the dark being, the shifting form, long teeth and red eyes. It growled and confirmed it was Mathews and asked why they had summoned him from his slumber and not the others. Then it shuddered and the teeth merged and formed a white beak, the figure began to smoke, the oily substance evaporating and it spoke a tongue never heard on Earth, a guttural language. But one thing did make sense. A single word. Julii. And then with a talon like hand it reached forward and began to past the barrier of made by the protective triangle.