Session 17

The PCs abandon the caves, and lay low for some time, waiting for the dust to settle. They deliver the jawbone to Lady Dimitra for safekeeping, and she rewards them with a very special gift: the knowledge and components to perform a ritual that will allow them to "change" their kindred clan. They also report to Alexander, who makes it clear they are somehow "bound" to him, for his mercy in letting them live.

A few weeks go by, during which the PCs say their goodbyes to their mentors and to each other, pledging to meet every 10 years back at the Red Lion Inn. Corso spends a few weeks at the court of Queen Esclarmonde, where he joins the Toreador clan and paints a portrait of the Queen. As a token of her appreciation, she presents Francesca, a beautiful dancer of the Black Rose tavern. Corso accepts the girl as a servant, and upon her own request, he makes her a ghoul.

Each PC goes his own way, some returning home, others travelling through Europe or to far away lands. A century will go by before Fate calls upon them again.

Session 16

Halfdan has been causing troubles in Anduze, killing innocents and destroying property in order to attract the Templars' attention. He's abducted by the servants of queen Escalmonde, and let go with a warning to not break any other laws, on penalty of death.

Corso has completed his painting, with the hope it will give him and his companions a chance to disrupt Ioveanus' ritual. The day of the meeting arrives, and the PCs meet with the Conspiracy, and together they travel to the caves of St Timothy.

Ioveanus and Anpeth meet, while the others witness their short exchange of words. Claudius eventually attacks Anpeth, who does not show any will to defend himself. Claudius bites Anpeth, and drains him of his blood and soul.

The Founders arrive at that moment, fighting off Ioveanus' fellow conspirators to get to him. A chaotic battle ensues, with the PCs uncertain on what to do.

The storm of souls begins, a powerful wind of tormented spirits gathered around the two elder vampires. Protected by the tokens received a few weeks back by lady Violetta, the PCs approach the scene, ready to stop Ioveanus from taking control fo the storm.

Two more powerful vampires arrive: Augustus (Claudius' father) and Ankou (Anpeth's father). Augustus wields the jawbone that killed Abel, and attacks Ankou with it. Ankou is subdued, and Augustus begins sucking his blood. Corso unfolds his painting, which contains the holy waters of the caves, and the blood of both Ankou's and Augustus' bloodline. The painting is also charged with symbolism taken from the very first murder, that of Abel at the hands of Cain.

Somehow the painting seems to have an effect, as Augustus is thwarted in his attempt to take Ankou's soul by the arrival of the ghost of Abel. Suprised, he lets go of the jawbone, which the PCs rapidly pick up. Summoning his powers of celerity, Corso runs away with the jawbone.

Session 15

Corso begins preparations for a painting he wishes to create to thwart Ioveanus' plans. The PCs travel to the Caves of St Timothy to recover a few drops of the famed healing waters to be found in the caves, to be used in the painting.

While they're there, they also convince Anpeth to give them a drop of his own blood, also to be used for the painting. Anpeth also informs them that the meeting with Ioveanus has been delayed one week, due to a small setback. It seems someone has alerted the Templars of the gathering, and things need to cool down for awhile.

Seeking help where they can, Matheus teaches Corso a ritual to summon friendly nature spirits; he hopes the spirit can share some information about how to better survive the Storm of Souls. Something goes wrong, and when Corso completes the ritual, a horned gentleman smelling of brimstone appears!

The apparition seems to be aquainted with Matheus, a fact that raises Corso's suspicions. Luckily the devil disappeares without requesting any payment or striking any deals.

The PCs now seek to aquire a drop of blood from Ioveanus himself. When they realise this is out of their capabilities, they settle for someone of his bloodline. Corso challenges Ruben (a knight embraced by Ioveanus himself the same night the PCs were embraced) to a friendly duel to first blood. Thanks to his vampiric powers, Corso manages to wound Ruben with his knife, and gather a few drops of blood.

Session 14

The PCs travel to the nearby town, where Halfdan has secured private lodgings. On behalf of Lord Raphael de Corazon, Corso contacts Esclarmonde, the Black Queen, to spur her to action. Mortals are getting too bold in their fight against the Kindred, and Raphael hopes the Queen will come out of hiding and make her influence matter.

Corso's words have partial success, and the PCs enter the graces of the Queen, which provides them with a few advantages in Kindred's society. 

Session 13

Tensions rises, as the PCs ponder how to handle this revelation, when the sister of the knight, Ecaterina, makes her appearance. She's is a vampire of great power, and she is the master of her ghoul brother. She explains to them that Violetta is an old acquaintance, and that they've fought before. Still, now that she knows she's coming for her, she will make preparations to confront her. She does not seem to be interested in whatever the PCs want to do with Violetta.

In the meanwhile, Halfdan has travelled with his sire to the town where he first encountered the Templars, and through a proxy he delivers a message to them. In the missive, he details the place and time of the encounter between Joveanus and Ampeth, hoping the holy warriors will present themselves in great numbers to destroy the powerful vampires.

The PCs leave the knight's mansion, and spend a night in town to feed and rest. Upon theyir awakening, they find Lady Violetta's carriage waiting for them. They enter the carriage, and exchange a few pleasantries with Violetta. Alas, it is soon obvious that she knows they've visited Ecaterina and that they have warned her. Corso panicks and attacks Violetta. The elder vampire needs only a flick of her powerful wrist to cripple Corso's hand, and instill terror in the others. Still, she does not destroy them, amused by their pathetic attempt. Realising they're no match for her, they bow to her will, and together they reach Ecaterina's abode.

When the two powerful kindred meet, an horrid duel begins. Ecaterina transfroms into a dragon-like creature of bones and skin, while Violetta reveals her through form, an obese, bloated monstrosity oozing fetid pus. The two fight, and Ecaterina gets the upper hand. She cripples Violetta, enough for the PCs to assault her while she's still trying to recover, and finish her off. Violetta's form rots and her flesh turns to ash, leaving behind only a few bones.

The PCs recover her canines, and travel to Alexander's abode to deliver them to Lady Fanchon. She had tasked them to kill Violetta in a previous encounter, and had promised them her favour upon completion of the task.

Session 12

The PCs are directed to Lady Violetta, one of Ioveanus' fellow conspirators, to receive a token that will protect them during the Storm of Souls. They soon realise that the "token" is a diminuitive skull, most probably belonging to a child.

 

Disgusted by her iniquity, and hoping to aquire favour from Alexander and his allies, the PCs plan the assassination of Violetta. They arrange to meet her the following day in the steading of a minor knight not too far from the inn, where Corso will paint the Lady Violetta as per her own desire.

 

The PCs scout the location in advance and, fearing that Lady Violetta plans to kill the knight and his family, they inform him of the Elder vampire's arrival planned for the day after. Something is odd about the knight, and when Mattheus scries his aura, he realizes the knight is in fact a ghoul, his heart and soul bound to a vampire.

Session 11

Back the Red Lion Inn, the PCs report to Ioveanus regarding the meeting arranged with Ampeth. They do not mention Anku, but they do ask for "protection" to endure the Maelstrom of Souls expected in the next few days. Ioveanus dismisses their request for the moment, but he's willing to discuss the matter further before the meeting with Ampeth.

 

The PCs spend the next few days with their Sires, learning what they can during the limited time allotted, while at the same time trying to gather information about the kindred conspiracy, and how to better survive the conflict to come.

Session 10

The PCs leave the abbey, and reach a nearby town to procure a few horses and a new carriage. They then travel to the fortress of Alexander and the Founders, where they report on their discoveries. When he hears about the meeting to take place at the caves of St Timothy, Alexander orders the PCs to return to Ioveanus and make sure he will be present at the meeting, for that is when the Founders will strike.

Before they leave Alexander's fortress, Corso enters the graces of Rafael de Corazon, a powerful ally of Alexander, who gives him a task of some importance. The PCs then leave the fortress, and make their way to Ioveanus and his fellow conspirator. Before reachng their destination, they stop by ancient catacombs where they hope to find Constantia, and elder kindred and an oracle.

Constantia reveals a great deal of information, and clarifies the ongoing events to the PCs. Ampeth and his father Anku are planning to perform a ritual that will send all trapped souls to their final destination. Most probably they plan to perform this ritual during a soon-to-come Maelstrom of Souls. Ioveanus and his clan make much use of these soul, and do not want them to be free, thus they plan on killing Ampeth.

Constantia tells the PCs that they will need Ioveanus' help to survive the Maelstrom, while at the same time they will need a relic of great symbolic importance to oppose his murderous plans. When they ask where they can find such a relic, Constantia is possessed by her oracle powers, and a voice not her own replies "Ask the Lady of Thorns".

Session 9

The PCs arrive at the caves of St Timothy. Through an underground passage, they reach the abode of the acolytes of abbot Ampeth. They're introduced to Ampeth himself, who listens as they bring forth Ioveanus' offering of a meeting.

 

Ampeth is not against the idea, but he decides to summon his father Anku to advise on the matter. Anku arrives, appearing as a powerful etheral creature speaking with a chorus of voices. He gives a chance to the PCs to show their worth, by seeking the priest that attacked them to give him their forgiveness and blessing.

 

Eager to complete their mission, the PCs do just that, retracing their steps to the site of the ambush, and meeting father Clement, who is now alone drinking wine at his campfire. His companions were killed by a supernatural force that he cannot explain, and he's lost his will to fight. The PCs have a short conversation with him, where they both forgive him and bless him.

 

Upon their return at the abbey, Anku shares with them the truth of his plan. He explains that, when Cain killed his brother as described in the bible, he upset the natural balance of Death, by introducing pain and hate in the process. As a consequence, the souls of those that are murdered violently are barred from reaching Heaven (or Hell), but linger in a limbo of sorts. By becoming Death, Anku wants to restore the balance, and make sure souls are delivered to their final destination.

 

Anku seems to be aware of the machinations of both Ioveanus and his opponent Alexander, and asks the PCs to take a side in the struggle to come. The PCs take some time to consider their options.

Session 8

The PCs begin their travel to the caverns of St Timothy, eventually stopping in a nearby town to rest their horses. At a local tavern they have a "chance" encounter with Gabrin, one of Ioveanus' fellow conspirators. Gabrin introduces Berenguer to the others. After further inquiries, the PCs discover that Berenguer was actually sent by Alexander to help them in their mission.

 

Things turn sour when a band of Templars arrives at the inn, and picks a fight with the PCs. They all manage to escape, but they loose track of Rodrigo. They eventually learn that their guide has been kidnapped by Gabrin himself, to teach them a "lesson in survival".

 

The PCs leave town, and continue their travel. On the road they're ambushed by another group of hunters, armed with holy water ampoules and led by a holy man with mystical abilities. Overwhemed by the attackers, the PCs are forced to leave their carriage behind, and to run away into the night.

Session 7

The PCs complete their exploration of the bastille, and leave the cursed place with great haste. On their way to the Inn of the Lion, they avoid an ambush by vampire hunters with a careful use of their newfound vampiric powers.

When they arrive at the inn, they meet Ioveanus and his fellow kindred. Their ruse is successful, and Ioveanus welcomes them back into his graces. Still, he has a task for them to accomplish, in order to prove their loyalty.

He wants them to deliver a message to a powerful vampire named Ampeth. Ampeth is an Elder with an obsession for Death. Ioveanus explains that this obsession has made the Elder mad, and extremely dangerous, as he plans to become Death itself, whatever that may mean. He wants the PCs to meet with him, and arrange for a meeting with Ioveanus, so that they may parley for a truce of sorts, until Ioveanus and his accomplices are ready to strike at Ampeth and destroy him.

The PCs accept the deal, and spend a few days training their abilities with their mentors. Before they leave for the Caves of St Timothy, where Ampeth resides, they learn of the tool the Elders plan to use in order to destroy Ampeth: the jawbone of an ass, the very same tool that Cain, son of Adam and Eve, used to kill his brother Abel. 

Session 6

The PCs explore the bastille, eventually finding Paul, a former crusader who miraculously survived the attack of a few days back. The party enlists his service, and continue in their search for clues.

They secure a few weapons in the armory, and then investigate the rooms of the former guests. In each room they recover a token of importance to its previous occupant, hoping to gather the favour of the kindred when they meet them. 

They also discover papers mentioning a blood ritual, and notes about the importance of some sort of relic shaped like, or possibly actually being, a donkey's jawbone.

In Claudius Ioveanus' rooms they find the well-preserved corpse of a beautiful woman. Believing this to be lord Ioveanus' wife, and possibly a kindred in torpor, they decide to bring her with them as a gift to Claudius.

In lady Violetta's room they find a chest filled with children's skulls, and something even weirder. A  "portal" of sorts can be accessed in the room, opening into an impossible, unsettling grey landscape filled with playing children beyond it. 

Session 5

The PCs leave, accompanied by one of Lord Alexander's ghouls (Rodrigo), who will drive the enclosed carriage where they will be spending their resting periods. They must travel to an inn where Ioveanus and his cronies are known to meet.

On their way they get the chance to test their newfound abilities. The feeling of been hunted or watched follows them wherever they stop to rest, be it the wilderness or a desolate village.

The PCs make a stop at Ioveanus' bastille, in order to find some more clues about their makers. While they explore the palace, a walking dead attacks them. The zombie-like creature is quite tough, but eventually falls to the repeated attacks of the party.

Session 4

One by one, the PCs are interrogated privately about the events transpired in Ioveanus' mansion. Their questioners tease them with tortures both physical and mental, but the PCs are very cooperative, and reveal everything they know, which it's clearly not much. During these interrogation sessions, they also come to terms with the fact that they've become vampires.

 

Alexander and his cronies understand that the PCs are no threat to them, and prepare to destroy them. But the ancient vampire Sinoveah, an oracle of sorts, suggests to use them to strike back at Ioveanus and his fellow conspirators. Alexander reluctantly agrees, and orders one of his ghouls (Rodrigo) to instruct the PCs in the ways of the Kindred.

 

The PCs are allowed to clean up and given new clothes, and their mission is explained to them. They're to return to Ioveanus, telling him they managed to escape Alexander, and offering to join his conspiracy to better spy on him. When the opportunity arises, they'll report to Alexander and await new instructions. With their (un)life at stake, the PCs take this opportunity to continue their existence.

Session 3

The PCs have private conversations with their would-be patrons. Each of them learns that in order to earn their favour, they may have to pay a hefty price. Not in gold, but in humanity.

Eventually they're escorted back to the dining hall, where Lord Ioveanus and his high-born guests reveal themselves as degenerate monsters. The PCs are paralyzed on their chairs, either by fear, physical restrains, or simply the irresistible, unhearthly voices of the gathered lords and ladies, as each lord wounds them at the base of the neck, and starts to drink their blood!

But their unholy feast soon comes to an end, as sounds of alarm reach the hall. Invaders have entered the palace, and are rapidly making their way to the dining hall.

To cover their escape, Lord Ioveanus orders his accomplices to "embrace" the PCs, who are utterly confused by his words. As their patrons nibble at their wounds, the PCs lose consciousness. When they awake, they find the dining hall has turned into a battlefield.

They half-heartedly face the opposition, but are eventually subdued and captured. Thrown into reinforced wagons, they travel for several days in darkness, while each of them feels their very being "change" somehow.

When they arrive at their destination, they're thrown into dark cells. All they can do is wait for their captors to decide their fate.

Session 2

The PCs spend the night at the local tavern, trading stories and experiences with the other guests. The day after, several carriages arrive to pick them up and bring them to Lord Ioveanus' mansion.

The guests are made to wait for a few hours, before being introduced to a sumptuos dining hall, where several nobles and rich merchants wait for them. Lord Ioveanus welcomes the guests, and makes introductions.

One by one, each of the PCs seems to "bond" with one of the high-born guests fo Ioveanus, each of them seeking to gain their heart's desire from their future patrons.

Session 1

The PCs receive an invitation to attend a dinner in the south of France, at the court of a powerful noble, Lord Claudius Ioveanus. Transport to the location is arranged by the Lord, and they travel in great luxury and comfort. 

When they arrive in the domain of Ioveanus, they're told to wait for the Lord's steward to meet them at a local tavern. Inside the tavern, they meet more guests of Ioveanus that have received an invitation similar to theirs. 

After dinner, a steward of Ioveanus, Lothar, presents himself. He greets all guests, while also seemingly "appraising" them. He informs them that a carriage will come and pick them up in the afternoon on the following day.