Welcome to Providence by Night, the continuing recounting of our tabletop Vampire: the Masquerade chronicle. Providence by Night is a low-powered, “street-level” game featuring a group of very new vampires adjusting to unlife in Providence and the vampiric condition. You can read the whole story so far on our main Providence by Night page.
This update continues with the drama-packed opening night of the coterie’s new club, as Spencer is reunited with an old friend, Nathan is further drawn into the conflict between the biker gang and the mob, and Beth does her best impression of a whirlwind, cutting a major deal with the Toreador, unwittingly putting on an art show, failing to keep her niece a secret, and getting her a surprise of her own from Kate.
Providence by Night – Cannibal – March 13, 2015
After Spencer’s set was finished, he and Ochumere finally had the chance to do some catching up in the meditation room above the Quintessence dance floor. The sound-proofing foam on the walls did its best to mitigate the music from below. Ochumere described how she fled Club Theta following the destruction of the Tremere barony eight years ago. She produced Apollo’s cell phone and explained that she left Milwaukee to seek out Spencer when he called Apollo from Tony’s phone in January. Ochumere described how she visited Elysium at the end of February, and from her description it becomes clear that she mistook Seneschal Gregor for the Prince, an error the Nosferatu had apparently been more than willing to continue, stone-walling the visiting Tremere. Spencer and Ochumere began to wonder when she had been properly presented and acknowledged in Providence.
Meanwhile, Beth paid a visit to the VIP booth occupied by the Toreador contingent. Beth opened polite conversation by bringing up a clothing shop in Newport that happens to have the name of a Toreador who ruled Lyon in the Dark Ages. Patrick took copious notes for Marie-Claire’s benefit when Beth spoke of the shop’s exclusivity. Beth then shifted to spinning a positive comparison to the ancient Toreador style of rule – one of the so-called Courts of Love in the then Toreador-dominated southern France. Marie-Claire dismissed her retainers (and Tony) and explained to Beth that if she were Prince, her subjects would want to serve her in a similar way. Marie-Claire then casually asked Beth if she felt if that would be better than the way Prince Jerome currently ran things. Beth smiled, but evaded providing a real answer to such a delicate question, especially in public. Then the real discussion began, as Beth bluntly brought up the subject of Brown, College Hill, and the Toreadors’ interests there. Marie-Claire stated that it “is obviously a prime hunting ground.” The two bartered and ultimately Marie-Claire consented to champion a shared domain with, with the Malkavian neonate having a smaller portion (of course), but one that happened to include certain areas of import to Beth’s mortal connections. If the proposed arrangement came to pass, however, Beth would owe Marie Claire a significant boon.
Nathan observed this meeting from a distance, witnessing Beth and the Toreador Primogen shake hands to seal an unknown deal. He approached Beth and asked about the conversation but Beth demurred, indicating that it was a private matter. Nathan then asked Beth how she knew Theresa Wong and Rina, pointedly dropping in the “Auntie Beth” remark that Rina had used earlier – much to Beth’s displeasure. Beth explained her niece’s friendship with Theresa and the two Kindred agreed that the coeds should not be permitted further involvement in vampire affairs. Nathan then revealed that he volunteered to introduce the girls to “Holographic Spencer.” Beth dryly observed that this was “a funny way of keeping them away from vampires”. “But Doctor Winston,” Nathan began, “They made me dance! I had to do something!” Barely containing the urge to roll her eyes at the Brujah’s excuse, Beth ultimately agreed to a quick, supervised introduction.
The four ascendd the private staircase and introductions are made. Theresa was less than enthusiastic, but Rina gushes, profusely thanking “Auntie Beth,” as Beth internally counted the rising number of vampires who now knew of her mortal relative. The mortals were dismissed and Spencer and Ochumere explained what is going on. Ochumere was getting visibly anxious about the prospect of non-acknowledgement and Nathan empathized with her. Spencer suggested that Ochumere hide out at his beach house until the next Elysium, pretending then that she had only just arrived. Beth, on the other hand, suggested addressing the problem promptly and informing Caoimhe right away. Beth and Nathan left the room in order to locate the Harpy. On the way, however, Beth is distracted by a gathering of Kindred, sending Nathan on to retrieve Caoimhe.
The crowd included a large contingent gathered around the arcane image of a door that Beth had once created while in a fugue state. Pickman stood by proclaiming that the painting showed “So much anger. So much rage!” Neonate Toreador Allison tried to figure out what Pickman saw in the image, but ended up commenting that she was also “a fan of Steven King’s Dark Tower novels.” Brujah Deputy Don Coyote commented that he liked it as he was a big fan of Jim Morrison. While the verbal discussion continued, Pickman began a seemingly telepathic conversation with Beth. The older The entire time, Pickman and Beth have a seemingly telepathic conversation. The older Malkavian confessed that “he too, paints.” He continued, seeming to use the word “painter” in place of “Malkavian” and disclosed that there used to be many more ‘painters’ in the city, before a very unfunny joke. Pickman implies that they were destroyed by fire, and seems to indicate Marie-Claire’s involvement, but his communication is cryptic.
Nathan succeeded in locating Caoimhe, and Beth followed them to Spencer’s room, where the whole situation is again explained to the Harpy. Caoimhe pointed out that the coterie was supposed to tell either the Sherriff or Deputy in these situations, but explained that she understands why they came to her since Tatyana wasn’t the most sociable and Don Coyote had shown great resentment of Tremere. Caoimhe agreed to smooth things over (in exchange for favors from Spencer and Ochumere) and explained that Ochumere could be presented at the next Elysium, but only with the Tremere Primogen’s support. Caoimhe tells Spencer that he’s responsible of Ochumere. She then turned to Beth and indicated that she was responsible for the both of them.
After Nathan and Caoimhe left, but Beth lingered unobtrusively, Ochumere spoke with Spencer of a movement in the Tremere where a woman named Carna had seemingly discovered a way to break the bond that Clan Tremere held over its members. Ochumere introduced Spencer to the concept of House Carna and Spencer is excited. Beth, with her own unpleasant history of being bonded, was rather interested as well.
Down on the dance floor, a fight broke out, with Nathan rushing in to stop it. He encounters a large, bearded man in biker leathers knocking the face off of Mark Little, and a small baggie falls out of the biker’s pocket (to later be retrieved by Beth). Nathan clobbers the biker and heaved him out the front door, where ghoul Maurice handcuffed him to a pole. Nathan searched the biker, recovering baggies, a firearm, and cash. He returned to the bar and talks to Little who is nursing a bruised face and, as it turns out, works for the same mob that had Bruno had been hustling for. Little started the beef with the Outlaw Biker because he was dealing drugs on mob turf. Nathan explained that, at least for now, no one is allowed to deal at Quintessence, but the Brujah does not think that the mob will take this well. Nathan assured the dealer that club ownership would be speaking directly to the mob and gave him the cash from the biker to cover lost revenue. Nathan then informed Don Coyote that their concerns had been well placed as the Outlaws had arrived back in Providence. The two Brujah then head out front to have a “talk” with the biker.
With the action inside the club settling into a dull roar, Beth approached Kate, who was in her usual ‘sitting on the sidelines swinging her legs’ position. To Beth’s chagrin, Kate doesn’t seem particularly impressed with what Beth has put together, but does appreciate the assembled collection of blood and violence. Beth comments that she “had hoped to avoid the violence part,” and Kate reminds of her its inevitability – it is not the first time the two vampires have discussed this topic. Beth tells Kate that, while the club would not always be ‘open to the public’ in the way it was on opening night, Kate could just let Beth know if she wanted to partake some other night. Kate said that if this was the only open night, then they should make good use of it, and headed for the dance floor. Beth followed. Not wanting to falter in front of Kate, Beth gave it her all and cut quite the rug on the dance floor. Kate smiled and unexpectedly pulled Beth closer as the two Kindred danced into the night.
End Session 13