Greyhawk Wiki: Knights of the Chase

 

 

Greetings!! I just put to bed my initial offering to the Greyhawk Online Wiki. The entry is an introduction to the Knights of the Chase.  You can read the full entry HERE.

 

The Greyhawk Online wiki can be found at  http://greyhawkonline.com/greyhawkwiki/Main_Page.

 

Alternate New Orleans XV

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.

Kindred Liberation Front (KLF)
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 Angels
Members: (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.

Creoles
Members: 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.

The Setites
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.

The Tonton Macoute
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.

The Sabbat
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 Ahrimanes
Members: 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.

Manuel's Pack: The Baratarians
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.

Alternate New Orleans XIV

Chapter Fourteen: The Ghouls

The ghouls of New Orleans have an active culture of their own. To begin with, they are very numerous. Most vampires in New Orleans have several ghouled retainers, so even ignoring the secret blood-bound spies in various agencies, ghouls outnumber the vampires by nearly 3 to 1. In addition, the vampires send these ghouls to deliver messages and packages to other vampires, take their ghouls to parties, and use their ghouls to spy on other kindred. The net result is that the ghouls of different vampires have many opportunities to interact.

The interaction between ghouls and kindred are rather complex. Of course, the most common relationship between a ghoul and its master is that of slavish devotion. However, because the ghouls of New Orleans speak to each other, most of them are aware of the basics of vampiric society, including the power of the blood. Though emotionally bound to their masters, most ghouls have mixed intellectual ideas about the relationship. There have been a number of instances of ghouls rebelling despite the bond (though this situation is still very rare, and often instigated by another vampire).

Generally speaking, when ghouls and kindred other than their master interact, there is still a large amount of deference on the part of the ghoul. The ghoul of the most powerful master still has less social status than the weakest vampire. While it is a capital crime to kill a vampire, the murder of ghoul is more like property damage, and kindred have been known to take out their anger on the ghouls of their enemies. A vampire can kill just about any ghoul arbitrarily with little in the way of real punishment.

While kindred look down on ghouls, they interact with them more frequently than they realize. Many vampires will send their servants to deliver a message rather than going themselves. Vampires encounter ghouls guarding havens, ghouls catering parties and the ghouled spies of their enemies. In fact, vampires interact with ghouls more often than they do with other vampires; it is only because they dismiss the importance of these servants that they are unaware of this fact.

The fact is not lost on the ghouls, however. For them, each encounter with a vampire is a life-threatening event. The ghouls move at the edge of a world they barely understand, and it is only a matter of time before something will kill them. Their master may grieve for a time, but they will be replaced. Despite the power of the blood, ghouls usually have shorter lifespans than ordinary humans.
To maintain their dignity, the ghouls of New Orleans have developed a society of their own. It helps if they can lord it over others, even those trapped in the same situation. The ghouls assign themselves status by various means. The status of their master, the trust their master places in them and their age are all major factors in how well ghouls are regarded. Strangely, normal human status symbols like wealth and political power are of little import. Ghouls are judged primarily by their interaction with the vampiric rather than human worlds. Ordinary humans are below all but the weakest ghouls. The ghouls often take pleasure in the dark secrets they are privy too, even while envying the freedom and innocence of mortal folk.

Various types of ghouls are listed below, generally varying from those with the most status to those with the least.

Ghouls of Janus
The most influential ghouls in the city by far are the dozen ghouls in the Krewe of Janus. These ghouls receive blood from all the various members of the Krewe. As a result, they are bound tenuously, if at all, to their vampiric patrons. Still, they are extremely loyal, almost fanatical, and believe strongly in the importance of maintaining the Masquerade.

The ghouls in the Krewe of Janus have a different viewpoint on the purpose of the Masquerade. They feel that the Masquerade is to protect mortals from vampiric excess. Since vampires are too powerful to destroy, and are by nature paranoid and power-grabbing beasts, they will always seek to control human society. Only the self-imposed check of the Masquerade keeps them from seeking total domination, and fighting an open war with mankind. By protecting the Masquerade, they are protecting mankind.

The ghouls are divided up into three basic groups: monitors, investigators and shock troops. The monitors in the krewe are well placed in human society, and keep tabs on vampiric activity that might threaten the Masquerade. There is a ghoul in the homicide department, a ghoul in the city hall, and a ghoul in the largest New Orleans hospital. They ensure that the site of any suspicious activity can be investigated by a vampire with Auspex. In fact, the monitors have contacts with other vampires and ghouls in the city, and solicit information about potentially problematic vampiric activities. In such situations, they keep their connections to the Krewe secret, often claiming to by the ghouls of some interested elder.

The investigators follow the leads found by the monitors and kindred members of the crew. They mostly work during the day, when the danger of discovery by other kindred is at a minimum. Many of them are experts at breaking and entering, sabotage and other extra-legal skills since they never know where the trail may lead. The shock troops are the fighting arm of the Krewe. They have been given extensive anti-kindred combat training. All the ghouls cross-train, so they have some knowledge of each other's specialties. Working for the Krewe of Janus is a full-time job, so they have the time to study.

Ghouled Artistes

There is a limit to the number of Toreador the city can support, but New Orleans is a city that attracts artists. Rather than embrace every talented individual they can find, many New Orleans Toreador ghoul their artists first. This serves to preserve great artists without overtaxing the city.

The Toreador show off their artist's talent in society circles, and encourage the thralls to produce more and more work for their regnant. So long as they do well, they can have high status in Toreador circles indeed. Needless to say, the pressure wears on the artist, and their work suffers. As their skill declines, the Toreador loses interest in them, saying "Perhaps they weren't all that good after all." Eventually, the artists burn out, and the Toreador discards them. Very few of them are actually embraced.

The longer an artist has been ghouled, the more likely they are to see this fate befall one of the older comrades. Most eventually realize the fate in store for them. After having been ghouled for so long, many quickly age once they no longer receive vampiric blood, dying gruesome and painful deaths. There is an element of desperation in the artists' work, and this makes it no easier to deal with their situation.

Given the power of the Toreador in New Orleans, they are not the only ones to cultivate artists. Other kindred ghoul artists as well, mostly as a way to impress the ruling clan. The artiste ghouls of other clans are in a situation that is both better and worse. Their regnant cares less for art, and is usually not discriminating enough to realize when it is losing its passion. However, the non-Toreador kindred are more likely to cast off their ghouls for no particular reason at all, having no real commitment to art.


Heralds
Most of the older vampires in the city have a single ghoul that they denote as their official "representative". This ghoul is sent to deliver messages, speak to other kindred, and sometimes even to bargain in their master's name. Since a degree of flexibility is required to perform these tasks, the heralds have great deal of autonomy. They have more freedom than most of the other ghouls in the city.

Despite their importance, most of the Kindred are leary of completely trusting their heralds. They spend too much time in the lairs of the enemy. It would be all to easy for other vampires to dominate or follow the ghoul, or pick up useful tidbits using Auspex. There is also the fear that these independent and knowledgeable ghouls might go rogue. Most vampires tell their heralds only what they need to know, and no more. They are especially careful about revealing any information about their havens.

Given the problems with heralds, most vampires would do without them were it not for their other important function as spies. Heralds regularly meet with other kindred and ghouls. Given the low status of ghouls, Kindred often forget themselves, and let tidbits slip. The autonomy of heralds encourages other vampires and ghouls to see the heralds as free agents, and sometimes they approach the ghoul with offers of power. Who approaches them, and why, can teach a vampire a great deal. Of course, many vampires are aware that heralds make ideal spies. As a result, the heralds of some of the oldest vampires are nothing more than they seem to be.

The heralds definitely do not live a sedated life. They know more about kindred society than any ghoul outside of the Krewe, and are independent enough to do something with that information. They are also aware that the smallest mistake can result in their deaths, either from other kindred or their own masters. Heralds have enough status in kindred society that they will rarely be killed out of hand. If they step beyond the bounds of their official functions, however, retribution can be swift. Despite this, many heralds maintain schemes of their own, bargaining with other ghouls and even other kindred.

Hidden Spies

In addition to the semi-open heralds who double as spies, many kindred keep secret spies as well. They fall into two basic categories: plants and investigators. Plants are spies the kindred places within another vampire's organization, possibly a servant they have managed to subvert. Plants can provide good information, but are limited by the need to avoid discovery. Investigators are mortals the vampire has pry into other vampires' affairs. These ghouls study the organizations of other vampires from the outside, learning what they are able through research and observation.

Not all spies are ghouls. Some vampires control their spies through mental powers like Dominate and Presence, but those without such talents are forced to rely on blood bonds. Usually, vampires will do their best to keep their spies in the dark about the rest of kindred society. Most will also take pains to ensure that their spies know little about them as well. Those with mental abilities will cloud the minds of their spies, so they no longer remember who hired them. Some vampires go so far as to plant false evidence on their spies, leading to a third party as a further way of instilling unrest.

The lifespan of ghouled spies is extremely short. If they are discovered, they are almost always killed, though sometimes they are turned into double agents. Even if they perform their job successfully, their masters usually find it too dangerous to leave them alive after they have finished their missions. Most spies for vampires do not outlive their usefulness.


Sorcerers
The vampires of New Orleans have a particular fascination with magick. Outside clan Tremere, magickal power is rare amongst kindred, but New Orleans has a large and active magickal community, some of which have real talent. Vampires can get magickal skill by ghouling mortals capable of it, and using their talents to further their schemes. Vampires rarely embrace such servants, for the change often destroys magical power. Sorcerers could be higher in status amongst ghouls, given their power, but they rarely have much in the way of freedom.

Generally speaking, magicians of true power know enough to be able to avoid, drive off or even destroy kindred. For this reason, most kindred choose sorcerers that are only beginning to learn their craft. These magicians are easier to control and less likely to become a threat. The vampire prefers the sorcerer to develop his trade under the kindred's watchful eye, so there will be no nasty surprises later.

Ghouled magicians are in a precarious position. They must be useful enough that their master will be interested in keeping them alive. They cannot be too strong, however, or their master will see them as a potential threat. Many of these sorcerers are taken early in their careers, and often the power of the vampiric blood flowing through them gets mixed up in their magic. They may find themselves unable to work magick without it. Finally, their change rarely goes unnoticed by others in the magickal community. Other magicians will avoid them, teachers will turn them away, and they may even be accused of dabbling in the dark arts.

Many of the most talented individuals in the New Orleans magickal community are connected in some way with Voudou and other African based religions. There are several vampires interested in this group of mortal magicians. The Brujah watch them as an important part of the Black Community. The Tremere watch them because Marie Laveau was once their queen. The Setites watch them for their connection to Haiti. Others watch them for their power. Each of these groups has successfully turned some of them into ghouls. There is so much kindred attention on the Voudouns of New Orleans that they cannot help but realize it. The more powerful Voudouns try to fend them off, but they are also caught up in the struggles of spirits and true mages, so they are not always successful.

There are other magickal groups in New Orleans as well. There are a few groups of ceremonial magicians, a few satanic cults and a few new-age/pagan groups. Vampires have plucked talented individuals from these groups as well. Because of the lack of communication between these magickal groups, they are mostly unaware of Kindred activity.

Note: to date, no vampire in New Orleans has successfully ghouled a True Mage. Not that they wouldn't be interested in trying.


Servants
Most of the cities ghouls fall into this category. Vampires need people to take care of their homes, and watch their havens by day. Kindred tend to be paranoid about other vampires influencing their servants, and take pains to keep them away from other vampires. Some of them never leave the houses the vampires live in. Servants are among the lowest status ghouls in the city.

This is not to say that servants never interact with kindred society. Most of them have the opportunity to meet with the ghouls of other vampires, and compare notes. Generally speaking, however, ghouled servants know little about kindred other than their master. On the other hand, servants are usually the most trusted ghouls of a vampire, given that they spend so much time in close proximity. On occasion, this companionship can even turn into what passes for love amongst kindred. This trust is occasionally misplaced, and the servant that turns rogue can be the death of any vampire.

The bodyguards of most vampires fall within this category as well. The kindred will take their bodyguards with them out into kindred society, but will always keep them near. This is both for protection, and to make certain no other vampire can influence them. No such precautions can be perfect, however, and bodyguards find opportunities to mingle with others. As a result, they have more status and less trust than other servants.


Pawns
The lowest of all ghouls are mortal pawns of the kindred. These ghouls rarely know anything about vampiric society, and often don't even realize they are ghouls, and their master is a vampire. They have the lowest status amongst ghouls, but rarely interact with anyone other than their vampire's associates. Paradoxically, pawns usually have the most mortal power.

Random Ghouls

Vampires are creatures of passion, and not all of them ghoul mortals for pragmatic reasons. Vampires will at times ghoul mortals for all the same reasons they embrace in fits of passion: whim, to prove some philosophical point, sexual attraction or even the raging power of the beast. Such random ghouls do not fit well into the status structure of vampiric society, and other ghouls are not quite certain how to treat them. Sometimes these ghouls will begin to fall into one of the other of the more common niches, and become a more permanent servant of their vampiric master.

More often, however, the vampire tires of the random ghouls, as the reason for their ghouling becomes irrelevant. The vampire simply stops feeding them blood, and the ghouls drift back to mortal society. Many only have a tenuous grasp of what exactly happened to them, so most are unaware of how narrowly they have escaped.

Rogues

The rogue ghoul is one of the greatest fears of vampiric society. A ghoul can do an incredible amount of damage to the kindred. Not only do they have knowledge, but they have the power of blood to back it up. In theory, the bonds of blood should be enough to keep ghouls in check, but mistreatment can build up powerful countering emotions, which can sometimes overwhelm the bonds. Even a well-treated ghoul can slowly grow to resent their master, for even a benevolent master is still that: the master of a slave.

This horror encourages vampires to strike ghouls down at the slightest hint of rebellion. This is a negative reinforcing cycle, as fear of rebellion leads to mistreatment, which in turn encourages rebellion. When a ghoul actually does rebel, they are hunted down with as much if not more fervor than a diabolizing vampire. Such a ghoul is a danger not only to their master, but all Kindred as well.

Despite the dangers, many Kindred play such games with their enemies ghouls. Few ghouls have the power to break free of their master on their own, but with a little help (from Domination or Presence), they can be pushed. This is viewed as a truly heinous act amongst kindred, but the rebelling ghoul rarely survives long enough to be questioned.

Few rogue ghouls survive their act of rebellion. Those that do are usually driven to hunt the kindred they once served. Such ghouls can be motivated by hatred, but others of them miss the power of the blood, and fear to age once more. The strongest motivation for the rogue ghoul is that they now know too many secrets of the night. They cannot go back to the complacent lives they once lead.

Alternate New Orleans XIII

Chapter Thirteen:     

The Ahrimanes

Louisiana is the home of one of the younger Sabbat bloodlines, the Ahrimanes. The bloodline is small, having perhaps two dozen members, half of whom live in the Louisiana/ Alabama/ Mississippi area. The line consists solely of vampires that have gone through a special ritual known as the Rite of the Third Birth.

This ritual was learned centuries ago by the line's founder, Muricia. At her insistence, the ritual has only been used on Gangrel antitribu, and only on women, whom she considers spiritually pure. The ritual grants the recipient a new Discipline, Spiritus, giving the vampire some access to the spirit world. However, it thins the vampire's blood, so that the vampire may no longer sire, create ghouls, or blood bond other kindred.

For more information on the Ahrimanes powers, see the Sabbat Storyteller's Guide. For those of you who do not have this book, a summary of Spiritus follows. Level 1 allows you to see and speak to spirits. Level 2 allows you to summon spirits of animals, that can manifest and fight as if they were normal creatures. Level 3 lets you receive gifts from various animal spirits, e.g. speed from Stag, leaping from Frog, etc. Level 4 lets you consume Spirits to replenish your Willpower. Level 5 allows you to assume a powerful half-cat form, resembling the Crinos form of the Bastet.

The nomadic Sabbat's survival in Louisiana is largely due to Muricia. She is very familiar with the wilds of the region and the shape-shifters who live there. She is often at odds with John Murrell about the priorities of the Sect in this area. Muricia and her Children have long engaged in a war with the Setites, and fears that a Sabbat invasion of New Orleans would be as much an opportunity for the Snakes as for the Sect.

Because of the Ahrimanes inability to bond other kindred, they have some difficulty with Vinculum. Because of Muricia's power in this region, some (though not all) of her children maintain an independent existence, not a member of any pack, thus avoiding being bound to vampires that cannot be bound to her. This is another major point of connection between Murrell and Muricia.

Muricia

Muricia was a young Spanish peasant girl, embraced by a Sabbat Gangrel for their war against the elders and the inquisition. She was among one of the first packs to travel to the new world. Her pack landed in Mexico, and traveled north, attempting to reach the United States. In the land that would become Louisiana, they met a group of Garou, and all but Muricia were slaughtered.

Muricia almost certainly would have died, but she stumbled across a group of Qualmi Bastet. Muricia was not old enough to smell of the Wyrm, and the Qualmi had never met Kindred before. They took this strange creature in, for they hated the Garou more than anything else in those days. Muricia learned the ways of the Bastet, and eventually adopted their lifestyle. She lived alone, with a small village of natives as her "protectorate".

The Qualmi had regular moots, and Muricia would often attend. At one of these moots, a strange Bastet arrived, one of the mysterious Bubasti. This Egyptian Bastet knew Muricia for what she was, and spoke with her long into the night. It was then that Muricia first learned the Rite of the Third Birth, and began down her path of Spiritual awakening.

The Bubasti disappeared, and Muricia became obsessed with studying her newfound spiritual powers. There were many secrets still unknown to her, not the least of which was the origins of the Rite. She had some sense that it had been performed before, in ancient Egypt, as part of the war against Set. She had occasional visions of the Egyptian goddess Bastet, the queen of catkind.
While Muricia was occupied, Kindred began to pour into Louisiana, both Sabbat and Camarilla. Eventually feeling forced to choose sides, and believing that the Camarilla were dupes of the Antediluvians, Muricia once again allied with her old Sect. Because of her knowledge of the wilderness, many fleeing Sabbat survived that would otherwise have died the final death. Because of her timely aid, she has much Status with the Sabbat of this region, even to this day.

With Muricia's association with the Sabbat, she began to drift away from the Qualmi. Though she remained free of the taint of the Wyrm, most of her companions were not. During these times, the native tribes began to be slaughtered, often at the instigation of Kindred. Though the tribes allied to the Garou were hardest hit, the Bastet had losses as well. The Bastet never became Muricia's enemies, but many felt she had betrayed them.

For companionship, Muricia began putting other Gangrel through the Rite of the Third Birth. As time went on and the number of Ahrimanes grew, they put others through the Rite as well. Some of them adopted the Bastet lifestyle, choosing a group of people to oversee, as their protectorate. Others joined traditional Sabbat packs. Muricia uses her considerable influence to protect the rights of all her children.

Muricia began to pay more attention to the growing city of New Orleans, encountering Setites for the first time. From that day on, she made it her first priority to drive those foul creatures from her homeland. Though rarely in conflict with them herself, some of her children have always been involved with the fight against the Snakes, even if it meant allying secretly with the Camarilla.

Age: "20", 7th Generation, born 1632, embraced 1653 by Hidalgo

Image: Muricia is a petite Spanish woman, sometimes wearing traditional Spanish dress, sometimes wearing the garb of the native tribes of the region. She is an immensely proud woman, and does not tolerate backtalk. Her views on the world are a complex mix of medieval Spanish Christianity, Sabbat ideology, shape-shifter mythology and the little she has learned about Egypt. Even other Ahrimanes find this somewhat confusing.

Influence: Not many bloodlines deal with their founder on a day to day basis. The Ahrimanes hold Muricia in semi-religious awe. Many of the nomadic packs still rely on Muricia's knowledge for survival. As a result, she maintains her influence with the Sabbat of the area. The local bishop loathes her, however, and some of the Sect leaders in Mexico and New York think she is too independent. Nothing has been done yet to reign her in.

Secrets: A (Muricia knows Alejandro from his days in the Spanish Sabbat. She has recently learned from her spirits his is still alive, and is not certain what to do with this information. Note that Muricia is unaware of the Sabbat's ties to Pentex and the Wyrm. It is unclear what she would do if she learned of it.)

Habitat: Muricia live in the bayou in an august southern mansion. She watches over a nearby town of Cajuns, protecting and feeding from them. She rarely visits New Orleans, but keeps tabs on the city through her children and spirits.

Goals: Muricia wants to see the Setites destroyed. She also does not want to see the Sabbat become too strong in this region, for fear it will curtail her freedom. She believes in the Jyhad, however, and that the spiritual power the Ahrimanes is crucial to winning the war against the Satanic Antediluvians. She believes the Umbra is essential to her goals, and longs to go there. She would also like to learn more about the origins of her Rites. As the time of Gehenna draws near, her quest for the origin grows more desperate.