Ho ho ho

And now the annual "checking the new DVDs and Blu-Rays work, by which I mean watching them" begins.

I can now confirm that The Woman In Black (the first TV version) works.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

i love you grogu don't go

From The Ashes 6

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes

Dalton held up his end of the deal, so he could hunt in the gang's part of town and Laura could get bags from a clinic near a college, fresh from poor students.

Ella took Dalton to meet Broughton, the backroom blood seller. He was a thin man with dark rings around his eyes, looking more like a vampire than they did. He jacked up the price for a new face. "Supply and demand, you know how it is."

Ella brought two bottles back to Laura, who drank from them after eating a barely warmed steak and some vegetables. 

"Nothing tastes quite right."

Dalton went into town to a club, meeting up with Rain to make sure he got in. And Rain spotted someone inside. A Camarilla loyalist, maybe looking around the gang's holdings after the attack the night before.

They discussed options. A show of force would mean someone from the Tower knowing Dalton's face. So they decided to follow at a distance.

Laura and Ella talked about how this had happened.

"I feel more alive than I did before. By which I mean I hurt a lot more. But... I hope I stay this way, so I can look after the baby."

"I'd heard this could happen. There was this travelling Church of Cain guy..."

"Caldwell?"

"That's the one."

"He's hunting me."

Dalton trailed the loyalist's car back out of gang territory, and followed further with more care. He went to another club - a much fancier club - and he figured an unfamiliar vampire going into what was probably the Rack wouldn't be a good idea...

From The Ashes 5

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes 

"So, was the idea to let them know this place was burned?" Dalton asked, deadpan.
"I think it was to find out what they were bringing in." Rain shrugged. He braced himself as Dalton sideswiped the pursuing car.
"Must be something valuable..." Dalton grunted as the pursuing car scraped along a road barrier.
"I'm sure these guys will have no idea." Bullets cracked the passenger window.

Ella looked around the restaurant to see if she could spot the woman. She was talking to the wine waiter again. And as she snuck around, she spotted the woman's companion coming out of their car, looking for someone. Could he see her?

The gang car pulled a U-turn and slammed into the car full of gunmen. Dalton could hear groans and smell blood. "They're done. We should move before all this noise gets us noticed."

Ella watched as the waiter handed the woman his car keys, and she stepped out of the employee door, her driver joining her. The woman looked around with bright, alert eyes, and Ella figured better hide even though human sense couldn't see her. All she could do was get the waiter's license plate.

Dalton burned the car out once they were out of town.

Laura, who had been sitting up watching the local news report a car accident and a search for a hit-and-run driver, looked at the new car Dalton and Rain returned in.
"So that was a roaring success, huh?"

Ella made her own way back.

"If nothing else, they lost some gunmen and a drop box."
"And does that lead back to us...?"

Thanksgiving

Turkey sandwich eaten in solidarity. Happy Thanksgiving US-connected folx!

From The Ashes 4

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes 

Dalton left early to go with Rain, Ella and the downtown gang to a restaurant.

"Taking me for tacos?"

"Cam front," the gang leader explained.

"Am I staying in the car?" Dalton asked, making it sound advisory rather than questioning. Ella gave the boss a 'that would be best' look.

"Okay, keep a lookout for our kind of people." The gang left one of their own in their car as well. She didn't seem interested in making conversation.

They headed in through less than obvious routes. Rain looked down through a vent and nodded to one of the kitchen staff and the wine waiter. "Whoever's coming will talk to one of them." They withdrew to the cars. Ella stayed out, unseen.

After about forty minutes, a grey car pulled up. "Second most common car on the road," Dalton noted. "Good choice."

A large man helped a slender woman out, opening doors for her as she strolled in confidently. They sat at the bar and the wine waiter picked up a bottle and approached. The man paid, rather generously, and the woman passed along a note, then got up to leave, the man moving quickly to get the door.

She stopped as the man held the car door for her, glanced around, and looked straight at Dalton.

The gang's driver started their car, redlined it and aimed it at the woman.

The woman threw herself to one side, and sprang up to her feet. The man went for the car, and came back out with a submachine gun.

Dalton started the engine.

A second car rolled up, windows winding down to reveal more people with guns. The gang car pulled a U-turn and made for the road out.

"Fuck," Dalton said, and backed up over the sidewalk to get away, in a different direction. The second car went after the gang, the first after them.

But it didn't get far, two of its tires had been cut while no-one was looking.

The woman got out and took off running, heading for the restaurant, too many witnesses for anything more to happen.

Rain asked if Dalton could catch up with the gang, even that fight up...

VTM Clan Bingo

Yeah, I think Tanith really does get less than she did for Toreador bingo. But hey, she does have a leather jacket!

"Is it Gucci?"

"... Maybe."

From The Ashes 3

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes

Dalton drove Laura somewhere out of the way, and met Rain and Ella downtown. They introduced him to five vampires. Who, inevitably, asked for something in return for hunting rights in their turf. Not right away, but they'd need a driver soon.

He was back before daybreak, and made sure he wasn't followed. Laura, in turn, made sure he was safe from the sun before he fell to the death of the day. Then she went out, needing nothing more than sunglasses, seeking food and supplies for the human side of her life.

The sun set and Laura was there to see Dalton snap back awake and seemingly alive. They shared the last bag they'd stolen from a blood bank for the trip, and he made a note to check with their new allies where they could get more without making anybody mad.

Rain had his own problems that night. One of his sister's kids had had a run-in with the law. Nothing serious, but if the Prince heard about it he could make sure it became so.

"This is what happens when you still care about people," Ella reminded him.

One of the downtown gang had enough pull with the police to ensure Esteban ended up with a warning rather than a sentence. But it meant Rain and Ella would have to help on that job Dalton was already roped into.

At least Dalton could hit a club, long as he knew which were safe. Safe from vampire problems, anyway. He could still get the angry boyfriend mortal problems when trying to persuade a girl to step out for a smoke...

Laura slept during the evening. She'd gotten used to being up during the day as they drove, and her body was still alive enough to get tired even though the vampire side wanted to be up all night.

Dalton felt bad waking her. And worse telling her tomorrow night he'd be fighting...

From The Ashes 2

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes

There weren't many anarchs in Phoenix, though the number was growing. The Prince kept tight control on the city center, he made a show of the hospitality of Elysium but he was old enough to remember what the revolt was like in California.

Rain and Ella brought Dalton and Laura to a motel to meet with Gloria, the de facto leader of the movement.

"We just need someplace to stop for the summer," Laura said.

"And have the baby?"

"Could be. Normally I'd have a couple months but... who knows?"

One of Gloria's men got her a chair.

"One more vampire, not a big ask. Two, okay. But a Thin-Blood and a baby? The Prince hears about that and that could get us all killed." Then she smiled. "I know a place."

Rain and Ella guided the new arrivals to a shuttered doctor's office in one of the westerly neighborhoods.

"No staff, but all the facilities you can ask for. And a storage center to sleep in. And someplace to park a car." Rain shrugged.

"Thanks I hate it." Laura smiled grimly.

"Should we be expecting the father to show up?" Ella asked gently.

"Unlikely." She rested a hand on her belly. "I don't think he'll ever even know. Better that way."

Dalton scouted through the facility, and returned to Rain. "So who else do I need to worry about?"

"Guess I should introduce you to the downtown crew. Just you for now."

"My trust only extends so far."

"You wanna move the girl someplace I don't know first, go right ahead."

"Let's try that tomorrow."

Thin White Rope: The Ghost

 ALL HELL CAN'T STOP US NOW

From The Ashes 1

Vampire: The Masquerade

From The Ashes

Ella, a Banu Haqim street lookout

Dalton, a Brujah getaway driver

Laura, a Thin-Blood runaway

Rain, a Toreador street thief

Dalton and Laura arrived in Phoenix together, heading west from New Mexico in a dusty old Dodge, not wanting to talk about what they saw there. Rain was his contact, Ella working with him to help bring them in safely.

Laura kept quiet as they met, one hand on her belly, the other on the handle of a pistol. She looked young to be having a baby, not to mention that she was a vampire.

VTMtober answers

 Doing the writing version: 

Happy Hallowe'en!

 

i love you trick or treat rat

From The Ashes

From The Ashes 

(Yes, it's set in Phoenix.) 

A Banu Haqim, a Brujah, a Thin-Blood, and a Toreador.

VTMtober

VTMtober, Vampire art challenge.

Doing the writing version...

My answers

OCTOBER

RELEASE THE BATS

Gonna run me some anarchs.

Critical Role Foundation

Be a hero.

I'm an autumn person, but not an Autumn Person.

The long, painful process of naming NPCs begins again.

I may go back to the early first edition Gary and Chicago idea of lots of vampires using nicknames, which didn't stick as the game went on.

Which Vampire clans have you played?

Thanks to New Bremen for several of these.

Talk Like A Pirate Day

May the blessings of International Talk Like A Pirate Day be upon ye!

"I love how many historical pirates had such shit flags."

I love you Baby Yoda

 

The Mandalorian season two trailer

See if you can spot the moment I squeed.

RPGaDAY2020

#RPGaDAY2020 results

1: BEGINNING

My first game as a player, I played an elf. I had a bow. But not a name.

My first game as a GM, I had one player. There was a haunted castle. We didn't get very far.

Jonathan: In the grand tradition of Greyhawk's Melf!

2: CHANGE

I remember what a change Vampire: The Masquerade was compared to games I knew before it, the focus on character motivation and drama, much more what I wanted from RPGs.

There are lots of character drama RPGs out there now, some which focus on it far more, which has been very cool to see.

3: THREAD

Plot threads can be tricky to keep track of. They get some space in the notebook, and some bullet points.

I sometimes bring in red herrings... but if the players focus on it, I usually make it an actually relevant subplot instead.

4: VISION

I like to have a visual reference for my characters, PC and NPC. This can lead to too much time searching for one.

J: I feel like my current meatspace group doesn't appreciate the pictures as much as I do.

Me: Yeah, my use of visuals is often most helpful for me.

J: Right? I write an entire story based on a picture of who that person is.

5: TRIBUTE

If y'all gonna swipe from a thing you love, swipe proudly. (Though check it's cool with everyone at the table.)

6: FOREST

Dark places full of monsters? Beautiful places full of adorable animals? Setting the tone will affect reactions.

7: COUPLE

I'm likely to be more interested in a game with emotional connections than without, depending on the players of course.

My most recent Vampire: The Requiem game was for two , as a vampire and a mortal, called "You're The Only Thing Worth Dying For"...

8: SHADE

I've never played a ghost for an extended period. I once played Wraith: The Oblivion for a few weeks when it came out, and I have an idea for a ghost in a Buffy RPG that I never got to use. Interacting with the living world, walking through walls and trying to be seen, feels more uniquely ghostly than adventures in the world of the dead where everybody's a ghost as well.

9: LIGHT

The game may be dark, but the table should still be a fun place. I don't want to be depressing OOC.

10: WANT

I have a loooooong list of RPGs I want to play, or run. Slightly longer with the ones I want to play, as I can run some of them at least.

(Something I loved about New Bremen was getting to play various things: It's still my only Demon: The Fallen game.)

11: STACK

The Stack I Want to play:

VtM 5, VtR 2, DtD, CofD mortals, VAV, Buffy, non-FFG Star Wars, supers, Trinity, Aeon, TCFBTG!, Delta Green, something 1920s that isn't CoC, Kids On Bikes...

12: MESSAGE

I sometimes have a point or theme or motif in mind for a game or session. It depends on the players going for it. More likely with smaller, familiar groups.

13: REST

One thing I miss from gaming online is the half-hour on the bus into town which makes such good prep time.

14: BANNER

I've never had a character heroically save or capture a flag. Now I kind of want to.

15: FRAME

Evil mirrors!

16: DRAMATIC

I came into RPGs for the drama, and it's what keeps me around even though many games don't have much of it at all.

17: COMFORT

I really have to be comfortable with everybody at the table to play well. In a large player base game like a LARP or chat, I need a group.

18: MEET

I didn't meet other vampire PCs in New Bremen for a couple weeks before getting directions to Elysium (the main gathering point) OOC. Sometimes you just have to use the metagame a little. See above for being with friends in a big game.
(Once there I quickly made a friend by checking the various characters' bios and being the first player to react in-character to the Goth singer Toreador's Fame 4. And I wasn't alone, as the room had "ELYSIUM" in the description.)

J: some other vamp and I had some manner of verbal altercation and you moved to physically Intervene, and then it became a giant f'ng snowball

Me: Setting the bar early.

19: TOWER

Storming the tower is mostly a fantasy thing, but we have skyscrapers and the like.

J: plus the Ivory one.

20: INVESTIGATE

I like to delve deep into settings. I also like to change things to keep them fresh. Players who read the setting material to know everything freak out about this. Good.

21: PUSH

I tend not to push the players through a scene if they're in no hurry, unless it's a one-shot generally. I like characters hanging out.

22: RARE

Getting to play World Of Darkness or Chronicles Of Darkness instead of ST them is a rare thing for me.

I did spur one of my V5 players to ST the next year, though I didn't get to play. So that's a kind of progress...

23: EDGE

If dice fall off the table, reroll them. If you can ever find them again, obviously.

24: HUMOUR

Humour depends on the game, and the group, and it can kill a serious mood. I tend to keep the humour in Vampire out of character, or chilly. I was the comic relief in a recent Mage game, though...

25: LEVER

I like games where the players have a few resources beside what their characters can do directly, as simple as Willpower for rerolls or Advantage to get two shots at something they don't want to mess up, up to narrative flashbacks in some.

26: STRANGE

RPGs lean on fantasy and the like because it's easy to improvise, and for setting creators to make things up and put in books. You can do a straight detective show, but it doesn't need sourcebooks.

27: FAVOUR

The favour-trading of Prestation is hard to keep track of in large group games like LARPs and chats. LARPs often have someone keeping accounts for it. I've seen talk of using physical markers as well, like the favour coins from John Wick.

28: CLOSE

Do you prefer games with open or closed secrets between players? For me, it depends on the game, and the players. I've known some who just can't filter out OOC information.

Bat: Same for me. Some of the people I play with vary their answer depending on genre. Over the years I've met people that will only play in games that match their preference.

Bryon: I'm in a game where my character has secrets. It's been fun watching the other character react as things slip out a little at a time.

29: RIDE

The Combat Wheelchair is very cool, both as an idea and as an encouragement to think about disability representation.

30: PORTAL

Dropping into a fantasy realm or the like can be a fun sometimes thing, if it doesn't break the tone of the game. I've done it with mortal monster hunters, not with vampires.

31: EXPERIENCE

I've had a lot of fun with RPGs, made many of my best friends, and learned as well.

TikTok Teen Witches Hex The Moon

Because...

WoD playlists

Via The Primogen, #Vamily Five songs that represent your WoD OCs.

Birthday!

I am old. I have books, DVDs and pizza. It seems a fair exchange.

My cake was disguised as cake, and also as banoffee pie.

Gorgeous Gary Golden

Something you can't do in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines:

They actually asked us to tell them about our characters

The WODiscord has a "share your OCs" section! So, inevitably...

World Of Discord would work as a setting name.

The opening weekend of the WOD Discord has been a nice convention cafe kind of thing.

Tanith

Early birthday present, Tanith art!

Happy Fourth of July to a nation that still makes me hopeful.

Happy Canada Day, not least to Didi model Ksenia Solo.

Justin Achilli rides again

Justin Achilli returns to the World Of Darkness. Yay!

Summer

Apparently this is "summer". Is that still a thing?

Ray Harryhausen

Ray Harryhausen was born 100 years ago today.

Onyx Path Con rest stop

Post-con wipeout still happens with online cons.

Show me

Onyx Path Convention got through the opening ceremony and almost ten minutes into the first game before a pet came on screen.

Onyx Path Con

An online virtual convention for Onyx Path, for charity!

Happy birthday to Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and Siouxsie Sioux. (And a day after Peter Cushing's)

World Goth Day

World Goth Long Weekend continues.

Important update

Found the Prince for my next VtM game.

(Gwendoline Christie, for a bonus point she's grabbing Oscar Isaac. Have to crop out floral leggings guy though.)

Take me down to the Paradise City

Ever since meeting Claudia I've thought a (not as world-famous as Lestat) rock scene horror game could be fun. Never imagined Bella Thorne playing a metalhead though.

What We Do In The Dark Side

New Star Wars movie from Taika Waititi

(excited Star Wars noises)

May the Fourth be with us!

Mayday! Mayday!

Avengers! ... Assemble.

This band, definitely not vampires.

Right about now is probably my own personal NB20.

New Bremen at 20

"20 years ago today, the New Bremen DigiChat environment launched on the WW site!" #NewBremen20
Ian Watson, who also made this logo:

I was there from week one, and made a character (this one!) who didn't have anything on the sheet that would be banned after week one, damn it. And that was how I ended up being de facto Toreador Whip despite being a Brujah.

Back in the day, TPO Claudia Welles made VTES cards I collected here for characters and some of the more... storied events.

One World Together At Home was pretty much lovely and didn't make me cry at any point, nope.

Denver By Night

Denver By Night episode two is up for VODing. Also:

Happy Easter if applicable

Rise!

VirtualHorror Con

Like a horror game con... virtually.

Happy Good Friday if applicable

The cross is a great bit of brand imagery, but does seem like questionable taste considering why it's important. Bill Hicks on the subject.

Denver By Night

Episode 1

Delilah unfazed by being held captive and tortured, appalled by wearing a jumpsuit.

Forty Elephants

The female pickpocket gang who ruled the London black market for a century. I'd run this game!

Pew Pew Pew

Next game, Star Wars. Recurring villains. Emotional complications. Really big space stations blowing up.

Have just figured out Discord for gaming, so naturally someone wants to use Zoom.

There is no try

Eating cereal and watching Star Wars Rebels. Reverting back to my, er, late 30s.

VTM: Winter's Teeth

A new Vampire: The Masquerade comic series.

My gaming wishlist

Inspired by Christopher Turco, games I've been wanting to play or run for ages:

Playing as opposed to running Requiem 2 and Masquerade 5, a 1920s VtM game, running a Star Wars game with the big emotional impact of the movies as well as the action...

Red Sands: Twenty

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Twenty

Jamie rides with the vampire to a club with flashing lights, a DJ people are expected to have heard of, and a VIP room they have no trouble getting into.

"So, is this the part where you remind me of all the luxuries I'm missing?" she asks as she scouts for possible donors.
"Yes, that's the idea. How about those two, we could share..."
"Possibly. But you know I don't need reminding, how it's very slightly more difficult to grab a bite than it would be in the Tower. So what else is this about?"
"The situation here's unstable. That's bad for us, bad for the gangs, bad for you in particular."
"It would be. Are you asking for our help?"
"Yes."
"Look at that. A straight answer."
"I know. These are strange times."
"So what do you want us to do, and why do think we would?"
"Let's discuss it over drinks."

...

Simon, Louise and Jacob go to see the collective. They note that other gangs are muscling in... because their bagged blood sources are failing.

After 23 years, I still feel welcome on the Hellmouth.

Merry International Women's Day! May Captain Marvel bless you.

Locke & Key

Making the Locke & Key TV series basically family-friendly was an interesting choice.

GM's Appreciation Day

Happy GM's Appreciation Day!

Naturally we skipped tonight's session.

Happy Purge, or whatever February 29th is.

Red Sands: Nineteen

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Nineteen

Simon intercepts the anarchs. They say they're here for business, but they seem rather heavily armed for that. And they're from a different gang than the ones who suggested the place and have tags nearby.

Louise comes out, and the standoff becomes a chase. Simon breaks it off as he realizes it's heading into this gang's domain.

At the hotel, Jamie tells the others about the gang planning on moving into the beach. It's not the same gang, but they are neighbors.

"Sounds like a concerted move." Simon scowls.
"We picked a fun time to arrive..." Louise sighs.

...

On her way out the next night, her Camarilla 'shadow' is waiting, car parked out on the kerb, not in their little declared space.

"I heard you're making friends."
"I'm very personable. So, you playing us against each other?"
"Do we need to?"

She pointedly goes in a different direction.

...

He's still waiting when Jamie comes out.

"Need a ride to the club?"
"Which club would that be?"
"Whichever one you like."
"So not the club you're a member of and want us to join?"
"I wouldn't presume."

They both smile falsely as she goes to join him.

The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari

The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari premiered 100 years ago tonight. Celebrate accordingly!

Happy Mardi Gras!

And a blessed Pancake Day, our salvation.

Red Sands: Eighteen

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Eighteen

Jacob is out the next day, meeting a blood seller, a hospital orderly who can get blood past its use date.

"Whole blood costs extra. That's what your guys want, right?"
"You're already throwing it away."
"But you don't know when or where..."

That night, Louise goes to check out the chop shop. Jamie suggests to Simon that he should go with her. "Just in case."

Jamie and Jacob go to see the gang planning on occupying the beach once the nomads leave. "So the Tower don't get any ideas..."

Jacob checks in with their ghouls, who look pretty shaky. Withdrawal. "This is good hunting. That trickles down..." one of them explains. But he still thinks this gang's keeping them hungrier than they have to. On the drive back, he mentions this to Jamie. She nods, figuring she'll tell the others. Because if she doesn't, Jacob will and she'll look secretive.

Louise makes contact with the car thieves. Simon waits outside. And sees a couple of anarchs from a different gang heading their way...

Wait...

Snow is falling all around me
Children playing, having fun
'tis the season for love and understanding
Merry... Valentine's Day... everyone!

Red Sands: Seventeen

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Seventeen

The coterie head out the next night for an evening out with a purpose.

Louise and Jacob find a street race.

Simon and Jamie go to a club to see how much hold the anarchs have on the Rack.

Jamie spots a couple from one of the scrapyard gangs, giving them a nod and getting one in return. As they head into a club, Jamie suggests that Simon should have asked Louise.

Louise makes a possibly useful connection among the racers, a chop shop.

On the way back, Simon gets a call from the nomads. "We're moving out."

And that means a space in the map. And that means a fight...

The Oscars

Other clans joke about the Toreador holding a special meeting to snark at the Oscars red carpet. It's not true in every city.

One of our own won Adapted Screenplay!

And some would give massive props to Natalie Portman for her cape embroidered with the names of women who didn't get nominated. Queen Amidala don't mess.

Red Sands: Sixteen

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Sixteen

Louise approaches the mortal carefully, not wanting to spook him any more than he already is. He spots her getting closer, recognizes her, and makes a break for it, into the crowd.

The Camarilla vampire circles around the perimeter, watching Louise and smirking.

Simon and Jacob catch him.

"What did you do?" Simon asks accusingly.
"It was broken when I got here." The vampire shrugs and grins.

Louise gets to the mortal.

"You're - "
"And now you know, what do you think I'm going to do?"
"No no, I won't tell anybody, I swear to God!"

She lashes out and grabs his wallet, finding his I.D. She hands it back with a mirthless smile.

Jamie observes where the mortal can't see her, following him out discreetly. She watches him for the rest of the night.

The Camarilla vampire strolls out, not a care in the world.

Simon makes sure to point him out to the anarchs. "We'll see he doesn't come in next time."
"That's all you can do?" Simon asks, appalled.
"For now..."

The Super Bowl

It's just not the same without the big commercials. Of course social media is keeping up with those. (WandaVision looks bonkers.)

02/02/2020

Happy 02/02/2020! Looking forward to the 20th of... Decemboctober...

World Of Darkness on Twitch

World Of Darkness on Twitch - free videos of last night's L.A. by Night and Vein Pursuit premieres! Which is particularly nice as VP started at 7 a.m. here.

Eva has been SHOPPING!

There are some great sire-childe relationships in L.A. by Night. Great in a dramatic sense, not a healthy sense.

We will come home again. Leave a light on.

Red Sands: Fifteen

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Fifteen

The coterie assemble at the Starlight. Seems like everybody's getting offers to pick a side.

"The Camarilla wants me for a sunbeam..." Louise spits.
Jamie smirks. "I got a flyer for a rave at the anarch... I don't want to say 'fight club' but fight club."
"Trade you."

They meet up the next night to drive over to the warehouse. Jamie has gone neon. The others haven't. As a result, Jamie is the one who gets asked if she's selling drugs. Which after a few minutes she is.

She takes time out to meet with the anarchs who invited her, introducing them to the others.

The rave itself seems to be going well... until Simon spots one of the mortals from the gallery opening sneaking around. And once alerted, Louise spots another, and then one of the vampires.

And Louise finds one of the mortals who asked Jamie if she was selling, now staring at her, looking terrified. Looking like he knows what she really is.

This is the kind of night where I really miss ol' New Bremen.

Happy Year of the Rat!

Red Sands: Fourteen

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Fourteen

The anarchs fight amongst themselves.

"This is what the Tower wants!" Simon points out to one of the other gang leaders as they separate.
"Yeah, but we want it too!"

Another vampire approaches Jamie as she shakes her head and goes.

"We're not all like that. We're not even most like that."

He gives her a flyer for a rave.

...

Louise heads to the private backstreet blood donation center, with Jacob waiting getaway driver just in case.

And she spots someone sneaking up on a young couple on their way in. And she recognizes him from the Gaslamp gallery show.

She goes back to Jacob and tells him. "Gonna go bust a head."

The young man smiles affably as she coughs for attention before he can corner the couple.

"So, what, jump the people coming in, get a freebie?"
"That and it discourages people using this place, we prefer to have a good share of the market."
"Yeaaaaah..." She raises her hands and flexes her fingers, nails cracking and lengthening. He smirks, and throws himself at her, fangs out.

...

Simon goes to see the nomads. Looks like they're getting ready to move on.

"Getting crowded here. Too many people looking at the empty chair. You should think about moving too."
"We've only just gotten here."
"All the more reason."

He considers this.

...

The Camarilla vampire reins in his anger as he holds the slashes Louise gave his chest. "You should come join us. We can make this city our hunt. You can be what you are. You never need to go hungry. You're better than that..."

She grimaces in distaste as she lets him walk away.

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Red Sands: Thirteen

Vampire: The Masquerade fifth edition

Red Sands

Session Thirteen

The next day, Jacob looks the scrapyard over in sunlight, and an unfriendly middle-aged man makes sure he knows about him and his equally unfriendly dog. Which could be normal for a scrapyard but he suspects it's more than that.

That night, Louise is up and ready before Jamie can give her any fashion advice.

Jamie's nail polish is immaculate, of course. "It can be very useful to look frivolous."

The man and the dog are there, with some others who might be ghouls or actual mortals. And there are a few clearly distinguished groups - coteries, maybe gangs - of vampires. The nomads nod politely, the gang that invited them smirk and their leader says he's glad they came, but nobody else seems to agree.

They don't take long to get to asking the coterie about Elizabeth and friends, what they offered and claimed they could offer. Simon is upfront about it, even as one of the gang leaders circles around like he's pacing out the fighting pit. But he manages to finish with nobody tackling him.

Instead, one group starts in on another.

First book purchase of the year: Chosen, the sequel to Slayer by Kiersten White.

Redback

Red Sands will return next week. If enough of the players can make it.

Boardwalk Vampire

Yes I'm looking at 1920s Vampire: The Masquerade again now that I have to specify the '19' part.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Looking forward to games, films and TV, plays and exhibitions and stuff. Already starting on books.