Chapter
Fifteen: Coteries
New Orleans is a city of individualistic vampires, but many groups of vampires exist. Few of them are totally unified in purpose, and much internal bickering takes place.
The Eldest
Members: Accou, Annie, Claire, Jesse, (Francesca), Marie, Virginia, (Slane?)
Meeting Place: Elysium. Only meets as a group in the direst of emergencies.
Perceived Goals: Working to maintain peace and the Masquerade.
Real Goals: Pursuing individual schemes, controlling the new Ventrue clan head.
Though not a proper coterie, the eldest vampires of the city are something of a group. They act in many ways as a Primogen, though they do not take that name. The Eldest have known each other for more than a century, feel that they are the life-blood of New Orleans, and consider most other Kindred beneath them. Many of them have good reason to hate each other, but the caution of age holds them back from direct war.
The eldest slip back and forth in varying alliances, but generally arrange themselves as might be expected along clan lines. Accou, Virginia, and Francesca spoke for calm, order and the Camarilla laws, while Annie, sometimes backed by Jesse, would speak for the younger vampires. Claire and Marie acted as spoilers.
Francesca's death threw the balance off, and much of the elder's attention in the last 10 years has been directed toward determining the next Ventrue clan head. Each elder wanted the new Ventrue clan head to owe their ascension to them and no other, but few of them have a fixed favorite. Annie preferred to see no Ventrue at all. The scheming of the Eldest is the main reason it took so long to resolve this question.
All the elder vampires were shocked when Slane took matters into his own hands, and discredited Rebecca to the point where she could no longer compete with him. With Slane's position as clan head secured, the elders seethed. All of them have been cut out of the loop. Things were simply not done that way. Slane has just made a large number of very powerful enemies.
The Krewe of Janus
Members: Harlequin, Bran, Janine, Jezebel, Marisol
Meeting Place: Elysium and sometimes a residence of Harlequin.Perceived Goals: Protecting the Masquerade.
Real Goals: Maintaining the city in its current state.
The Krewe of Janus was founded by Harlequin through his connections with mortal Mardi Gras krewes. He originally intended it to be a vampiric continuation of his mortal social life, but the group's purpose changed in the chaos of the "New Prince's" arrival. When Accou stopped actively enforcing the Traditions, the Krewe found themselves in the peculiar position of being the only vampires willing to do anything.
Harlequin initially stepped forward to keep things from getting out of hand during his beloved Mardi Gras, and policing this holiday is still the Krewe's best-known activity. As time went on, however, his fascination with masks led him to branch out into other areas, first in conflict, then allegiance with Toreadors assigned to the same task.
Harlequin acts as the Krewe's spokesman and leader. He is the only vampire who is widely known to be a member of the coterie. The Toreadors in the krewe are responsible for handling the media. This also overlaps with their duties to the Toreador clan and the "prince", so they can do so without drawing undue attention to themselves. Janine and Jezebel act as scouts, and the more heavy-handed domination if it is needed. The Krewe also keeps about a dozen well-trained ghouls for muscle, and keeping the lid on things during the day. Their ghouls are among the best trained and loyal in the city, and gives the Krewe a real edge against other kindred.
The only time the Krewe acts openly is during Mardi Gras. They greet the massive influx of kindred into the city, warning the newer and younger ones to keep their feedings clean for the good of the city. Any threats are dealt with swiftly, and the Krewe makes it clear who was behind the retribution. Even so, all the Krewe all wear masks when policing the masquerade, to protect their identities.
The rest of the year, the Krewe works quietly and secretly. Through obfuscation, media monitoring, and detective work, they watch for threats to the Masquerade. Few things escape their notice. Once they spot a threat, they rarely fail to find the perpetrator. Initially, they will leave mysterious warnings for the vampire to cease their activities, such as notes in their havens, "hauntings" created with Obfuscate, or messages delivered by Dominated mortal allies of the target. If the vampire does not heed these warnings, the Krewe quietly eliminates them. Few fail to listen.
The elders are fond of this group, because it handles the daily maintenance of the Masquerade, leaving the elders time to scheme. Most of them would love to control this coterie, and each has made subtle attempts in the past. Harlequin is aware of this, and tries to play the elders off each other. His true goal is to maintain the city in its lawless state, which he enjoys, and which gives him his current power.
The Wrecking Krewe
Members: Jordan, Millarca, Wyatt, supported by other Gangrel
Meeting Place: The Bayous and the Audobon Zoological Park.
Perceived Goals: None (this is a secret group).
Real Goals: Stopping environmental depredations in Louisiana.
Jordan Petrowski formed the Wrecking Krewe because he could no longer stand to see his beautiful state go to waste. He found a sympathetic ear in the Nosferatu Wyatt, and had embraced Millarca for this very purpose. Though initially, they tried to act politically, some of the groups they worked against were adamant about profit over pollution. In time they moved into more violent industrial sabotage activities.
Typically, the Wrecking Krewe will concentrate on a single corporation at a time. Wyatt will use obfuscation to move in and investigate the physical site, while Jordan will study the corporate records of the company. Millarca will look for any kindred influence, to avoid unpleasant surprises. When they have gathered enough information, they engage in a small, careful campaign of minor sabotage, aimed at slowing production. Once they have the company's attention, they move in with a major strike, destroying important equipment (though careful not to release any pollutants into the environment). Along with their final strike, they leave a list of grievances the company must rectify or face further attacks.
The Wrecking Krewe keeps their activities secret from other kindred because they regularly risk breaking the Masquerade. They do have allies, however. The Wreckers and the Snake Hunters exchange favors on occasion, and each helps the other group out on particularly tough missions. Beagle also approves, and allows them to meet in the zoo. The Gangrel elder Jesse secretly supports their activities. He cultivates them in the hope that someday they will prove to be a useful tool in his own plans. Virginia is also becoming aware of their activities, and fears they will uncover her and Cartwright's control of the oil industry, and perhaps the reason for it.
Snake Hunters
Members: Isis, (Horus), Charlie, June, Cleo
Meeting Place: No set place.
Perceived Goals: Hunting Setites.
Real Goals: Hunting Setites.
The Snake hunters have formed more or less spontaneously, though Isis acts as their nucleus. Each of them has individual reasons to hate the Setites, and they find that hunting as a group is safer. Two of their number, June and Cleo, only come into the city to hunt Setites. In the last 10 years, it seems that there have been more snakes than ever.
The Snake Hunters spend most of their time watching the standard feeding grounds and zones of control that Setites go for. They look for kindred influence amongst drug dealers or satanic cults. Once some kindred activity is spotted, they seek its source. Often they find their prey, though on occasion they have crossed other kindred of the city.
Once they find their targets, the Snake Hunters move swiftly, to prevent the Setites escape. Isis will ghoul a large number of mortals to use as cannon fodder, and the Hunters will swarm into the temple, guns blazing. Usually, this is enough to destroy the hapless Snakes, but their last attack backfired painfully. There were three Setites in the temple, rather than the usual one, and they were stronger than any the hunters had encountered before. The hunters were forced to retreat, and all of their ghouls and one number (Horus) were killed. When they returned, the Snakes were gone, and the hunters still seek this group of powerful Setites.
The elders approve of the Snake Hunters activities because it saves them the trouble of hunting the snakes themselves. Annie, in particular, has been working to control the group, turning it into a strike force of their own, though she has had little success so far. Because the elders have left Setite hunting to this group, they are not aware of how common the snakes have become. Nearly everyone would be surprised to learn that half the members of the Snake Hunters are actually Sabbat.
Anarchs
Members: Bastian, Eris D., Scheherezade, Simon, Amanda, Dolores, Black Francis, Didi, Jonah, Joey Stern (Alejandro)
Meeting Place: None.
Perceived Goals: Promote Anarchy.
Real Goals: Varies by the individual.
Most of the younger vampires get lumped in with the Anarchs. There are two large gangs of Anarchs in New Orleans, and they are not on the best of terms.
The KLF is made up of local, older and more powerful Anarchs, but their mistakes during the Anarch Wars have tarnished their reputation. The Lost Angels are younger, West Coast Anarchs who were the most violent and active, but are just barely hanging on. The two groups bicker constantly, but help each other out against outside threats.
There are some "younger" Anarchs that aren't part of either gang. Jonah has drifted away from the KLF, and is only a marginal member now. Joey Stern is friendly with both groups, but remains aloof and is a bit of a mystery (he is actually ancient Alejandro in disguise). The Ventrue, Christophe sometimes makes Anarch noises, but no Anarchs believes him. Christophe's get, Jennifer, has also been interested in the Anarachs. There are rumors of a third Anarch gang in Baton Rouge as well.
Members: Bastian, Eris D., Scheherezade, Simon, sometimes Jonah
Meeting Place: Various "alternative" cafes.
Perceived Goals: Promote revolution.
Real Goals: Varies by the individual.
The KLF (the name is Eris D's idea) is the oldest Anarch group in the city, founded by Bastian. The KLF invited other Anarchs to the city for the Anarch Wars, and their reputation has yet to recover from that disaster. Many Anarchs feel to the Archons of the Gangrel Justicar Alexis, and Anarchs elsewhere are leery of dealing with the KLF now. However, the older vampires of New Orleans consider the KLF to be the only Anarchs that are much of a threat, so they get a great deal of respect locally.
The KLF are mostly old, serious revolutionaries, and look down on other Anarchs as too frivolous. They tend to be extremely cautious, some might even say timid. They have established a fair amount of influence in the mortal world, however, and have undercut some elder power, mostly without the elder's knowledge. The KLF has many ties with the Brujah, and Annie considers them to be in her pocket. All of them are unaware of the Sabbat spy, Simon, in their midst.
The KLF mostly operate by trying to play the elders off each other. They carefully watch the typical areas of elder influence, such as City Hall, the police and the media. Whenever they learn of some elder scheme, they do their best to screw it up, and then plant evidence leading to another elder. Most elders prefer to believe that another elder is blocking their plans, rather than accept the fact that a mere group of Anarchs could give them real problems. The KLF isn't always successful in blocking elder plans, but often that isn't really necessary. The paranoia between the elder that the KLF creates does more for their cause than anything else.
The younger members of the gang sometimes question the group's goals, however. It's all well and good to work against the elders, but how does this really further the cause of freedom for younger vampires. Bastian's standard answer is that it keeps the elders so busy fighting each other that they have no time to oppress their children. This answer is becoming increasingly unsatisfactory.
Lost AngelsMembers: (Susan), Amanda, Dolores, Black Francis, Didi
Meeting Place: Various hideouts known to Amanda.
Perceived Goals: Promote Anarchy. Party.
Real Goals: Survive. Keep the Underground Railroad open.
The Lost Angels was originally formed by Anarchs from LA that decided to stay in New Orleans after the Anarch wars. They did all right until they helped Raymond, the murderer of the Ventrue clan head, to escape to the West Coast. The Ventrue retaliation killed their old leader, Susan. It has taken the groups years to recover from this defeat. They have a serious grudge against the Ventrue, and feel like they are at war with them. The Angels would be insulted to learn that the Ventrue have forgotten the gang in their internal bickering.
Only in the last year or so have the Angels become active again in kindred society. They have been seen in the city more often, and attended this year's Mardi Gras ball for the first time in a while. Most kindred believe they were hanging low out of fear of the Ventrue. The KLF, in particular, give them a lot of grief for this "cowardice". Though the Ventrue are the main reason the Angels have been quiet, things are a bit more complex than they seem.
The Angels have in fact been maintaining a secret Underground Railroad for the last 20 years. After the failure of the great Anarch revolts of the 60's, many Anarchs needed to flee West to the Anarch Free States. The Camarilla of the Rocky Mountains, the most vocal opponents of the Anarchs, made the land journey extremely hazardous. Though most Anarchs still travel overland to the West Coast, a few take advantage of the services the Lost Angels offer. The existence of the railroad is a tightly held secret. Not even the KLF know of it, though this is largely because of the stigma that this Anarch gang has.
The Angels have a few contacts in the shipping industry in New Orleans, and can arrange quiet overseas transport, either through the Panama Canal or by more circuitous routes, eventually arriving in the West Coast. Not only that, but New Orleans has become one of the primary ports of call for Anarchs traveling from Europe to the United States. The railroad was not the creation of the Lost Angels; influential Anarchs in the Free States and in Europe set it up originally. The Angels are a crucial link in the chain, however.
The Angels were deathly afraid the Ventrue would uncover the railroad in their hunt for the gang. They were also hard put to keep the railroad moving while dodging Ventrue attacks. This is the real reason why they have been quiet for the last few years. It was primarily Amanda's decision, and her caution doubtless saved the railroad. This has caused some strain in the coterie, however. The other Angels don't like being seen as cowards, and are ready to raise some hell. Amanda can't hold them back much longer.
CreolesMembers: Accou, Marguerite, Bran, Katherine, Marisol, Claire, Harlequin, Virginia, Slane, Walter, Christophe, Tinker, Pinch, Millarca, (Rebecca)
Meeting Place: Elysium.
Perceived Goals: To interact with their social peers.
Real Goals: Varies by the individual.
The Creoles are the vampiric society of New Orleans, and admittance and exclusion can mean everything to the socially conscious kindred. They meet frequently in large social gatherings, having party after party. Some of their larger gatherings are attended by vampires from other areas, for New Orleans' vampiric culture is considered to be the most exquisite outside of Europe. Their most famous gathering is the Prince's Ball, held each year at Mardi Gras. Nearly every vampire in the city attends, including numerous guests from elsewhere, but the prince is unfortunately always occupied, so the party is hosted by Accou and the Krewe of Janus.
The core of the Creoles is the Ventrue and the Toreador, with the Toreador hosting most of the parties. Claire Claremont, Virginia, and Harlequin have also earned a firm place in their ranks. Millarca, Tinker and Pinch often attend the social gatherings, but are not fully accepted. The Ventrue Rebecca's recent unwanted publicity has resulted to her exclusion for Creole circles.
The inner core of the Creoles is made up of the four "Grande Dames" of New Orleans kindred. Marguerite, Katherine, Claire Clairmont, and Virginia fulfill the roles of Harpies (though no one would ever call them that). It is their opinion that carries the most weight, and essentially their decision that allows admittance to Creole society. Once they reach a consensus, most of the other Creoles will follow their lead, including Accou. Things are not quite that simple, however. The four Grande Dames don't think much of each other, and Marguerite and Katherine actively loathe one another. Sometimes other kindred can swing their opinion by playing them off each other, but this is a very tricky game. It can just as easily backfire, resulting in the ostracism of the manipulator.
One thing to remember about the Creoles is that their members have been together for a long time. At one point or another, almost everyone one have been out of favor, but it was only a matter of time before they were able to re-earn their place. Some Creoles have been in and out so many times the other kindred have lost count. Even temporary exclusion from the Creoles is not a trivial thing, though. For most of these kindred, and decade without decent company is a severe punishment indeed.
Members: Lafitte, Dr. John, Julia
Meeting Place: Lafitte haven and Temple.
Perceived Goals: None (secret group).
Real Goals: Corrupting the city and maintaining Lafitte's games.
The Setites have secretly hidden in New Orleans since the 1860s, smuggling others of their clan through the city and exerting a subtle, corrupting influence on the city. They have used various brain-washed Setites neonates as a smoke-screen to draw attention away from their true activities. As the Camarilla slaughters these throw-away decoys, the true Setites are left in peace. Julia, the latest of these decoys, has been particularly successful, surviving much longer than normal.
The two other Setites in this coterie are powerful and influential within Setites circles. Dr. John is the only one of the two that maintains an active presence in the city, posing as an Assamite assassin. He is the active arm of the clan of the city. He has contracted his services to various kindred in the city, and if the Setites ever need to eliminate someone, Dr. John can always act as if he is under a "contract". His reputation is firm enough that he can almost kill with impunity.
Lafitte is John's master, however, it is his will that drives the Setites. Simple debauchery is not enough for Lafitte. Only century-long seductions are good enough for him, and Lafitte only corrupts mortals out of necessity or to keep in practice. Only kindred are worth his time, and only elders provide a challenge. He has been hidden in the city for as long as most of the elders, and has had a hand in more than one of their falls.
Members: Khalam, Clarise, and Pierre
Meeting Place: Khalam's temple on the banks of Lake Ponchartrain
Perceived Goals: None (secret group)
Real Goals: Taking over New Orleans for the glory of Set.
The Tonton Macoute are a group of Setites recently arrived from Haiti. They were originally the power behind Papa Doc Duvalier's government, and controlled the feared Haitian secret police, also known as the Tonton Macoute. Political changes in Haiti forced them to flee, and they found New Orleans to be to their liking.
The coterie find Lafitte's tactics of slow corruption too timid, and they intend to take a more active role in corrupting the city. As a result, Lafitte and the Macoute have bickered, though they haven't actively fought each other yet. The Macoute have begun to build their power in both mortal and kindred society, despite Lafitte's opposition. The main thing slowing the Macoute down is the Snake Hunters. The Macoute had a violent run-in with this group a few years ago, and it has installed a bit of caution in them.
Members: John Murrell (bishop), the Ahrimanes, Manuel's pack, several other nomadic packs scattered about the state.
Meeting Place: Various, but their main stronghold is Shreveport.
Perceived Goals: Fighting the Jyhad, and conquering New Orleans.
Real Goals: Meeting the hidden goals of the Sabbat leaders.
The Sabbat have controlled the rural areas outside of New Orleans for the last two centuries. Only their isolation, in-cohesion, and lack of support from the rest of the Sect have prevented them from attacking New Orleans in force. The Sabbat of Louisiana are torn between the powerful personalities of John Murrell and Muricia of the Ahrimanes.
The AhrimanesMembers: Muricia, June, Cleo, Gabrielle.
Meeting Place: No set meeting place, though they often meet at Muricia's mansion.
Perceived Goals: Helping the Sabbat survive in the Louisiana wilds.
Real Goals: Fulfilling the goals of the founder of their bloodline.
The Ahrimanes are a Sabbat bloodline originating in this area. All were originally Gangrel, and after undergoing a special Rite, have power over spirits. Their knowledge of the wilderness is useful to the Sabbat, but most are more loyal to Muricia, the founder of their bloodline. The Ahrimanes have engaged in a long battle against the Setites of the city, working through the Camarilla Snake Hunters.
Members: Manuel, Harvey, Moses, Gabrielle, Speck, (Simon)
Meeting Place: They move a great deal, but spend most of their time south of the city in the bayous and islands of the coast.
Perceived Goals: Keeping an eye on New Orleans for the Sabbat.
Real Goals: Staving off immortal boredom.
Manuel's Pack is the group of Sabbat closest to New Orleans. One of their number is secretly a member of the KLF, a spy on that Anarch gang. The rest of Manuel's pack is supposed to keep a low profile, and spy on the city. Being what they are, they often get bored, and go "wilding" in the city, or prank someone. They have yet to be captured, but several New Orleans vampires have guessed who they are.
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