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 all of the sessions so far on the main Providence by Night page.
In this session, a Justicar arrives to announce the signing of the Chicago Blood Accords. Wait, didn’t that happen a couple of weeks ago? That’s going to be one embarrassed Justicar, and that can’t end well. Tony cracks some tech, Beth finds out exactly how bagged blood tastes now that she’s used to the live stuff, and Spencer has a run-in with a Harpy. Plus, our babes in the woods finally become a coterie!
Session 6 – Hazy Shade of Winter – January 25, 2015
Nathan Frost had been busy actively avoiding Kindred politics during the past few months. Unwilling to owe the Prince a significant boon, and with the help of Jason Dyrell, he had relocated both his haven and office away from downtown to less contentious parts of Providence. He spent more on cabs, but his milk run job of babysitting Mei Theresa Wong had kept him in the black. Finally replacing the batteries on his Camarilla-issue beeper, Nathan was suddenly greeted with a message – mandatory Elysium tonight. He holstered his .38 and heads out into the snow.
Meanwhile, Tony Castiglioni had cracked his beeper. It had almost been too easy. Each beeper could become a transponder to locate its carrier to one of three terminals, two located in the Biltmore and a third in the Nosferatu warrens. Curious, Tony asked fellow Nosferatu Philip about tracking the beepers and Philip tells Tony to mind his own business. Tony made his way to Elysium through the familiar sewers, but was accosted by a menacing humanoid shape. Tony froze and dissolved into shadow as the creature passed by and headed into Nick’s bubbling pit of blood and gooey stuff.
A package was delivered to Beth’s doorstep. She brought it inside and opened it to discover a cache of bagged blood, delivered to the dummy company Beth had created for this purpose. Buying whole blood at market rates wasn’t cheap, but she hoped to be free again of the constant need to hunt among the humans. She bit into one of the bags and hungrily drank the metallic contents, but almost choked at the taste. Before, Beth had lived on these for years, but even after a second bag the Beast was unsatisfied without warm, live blood. And, loathe as she was to admit it to admit it, neither was Beth.
Spencer’s car was still not fixed so he took a cab to the Biltmore. He was responding to the same emergency summons as the other Kindred, and most were running late. Entering the Biltmore, a vision forced its way into Spencer’s mind – he heard a laugh and saw a body impaled by a longsword. Sheriff Tatyana strode by, dragging a reluctant Kevin and some Tremere clanmates into the Biltmore’s Garden Room. Noticing her blade, Spencer recognized it but was overwhelmed, reduced to a desperate desire for blood. Toreador Marie-Claire noticed Spencer’s distress and the Harpy took aim, ensuring that none overlooked his loss of control. Ridiculed, Spencer gorged himself in pity blood.
Talk in the room was on the explosive action on the previous evening and Beth made a good impression on the Toreador, detailing her personal involvement with the incident as Nathan listened in. Nearby, Tony informed Nick and Philip of the sewer monster. The Nosferatu, startled by the news, excused themselves as the Prince and Court arrived.
The Prince introduced the visiting Ventrue Justicar Lucinde, who gave a slight nod to Ventrue Harpy Caoimhe. The Prince assured the court that the Justicar had the full authority of the Camarilla and was here with an important announcement. Lucinde began to explain that only four days ago a ceasefire was called between the Camarilla and Sabbat….
Everyone in the room recognized that Lucinde was repeating the announcement made by Nosferatu Justicar Stafford Warwick the day before. One unfortunate Tremere lick was unable to repress laughter, provoking the Justicar’s embarrassment and the Prince’s wrath. “Sheriff, this stranger to our city refuses to present himself!” the Prince proclaimed. Tatyana dragged the offender out of Elysium kicking and screaming as the Prince stood menacingly. The room went silent as Tatyana returned, sheathing her longsword. Lucinde continued, warning the court to be on guard – it was possible that some Sabbat Packs may not have heard about the Accords yet and might continue to act as they always had. Lucinde finishes quickly and departs as the court is left wondering what just happened.“Did we just have a Conclave?” Allison blurted.
Later that night, Caoimhe gathered the neonates in a small office just outside the Garden Room. Caoimhe explained that, as Kindred, it was their duty to be part of society. It was the judgment of the Primogen Council, and the Prince, that the four vampires be tasked with taking an active part in preserving that society. “After all, if we don’t have our society, what are we left with?” Nathan was uneasy and inquired what the new coterie was to do. Seneschal Gregor arrived silently and while Caoimhe explained their basic task: stop breaches of the Masquerade. She also explains that they are to report any unknown or unpresented Kindred to the Sheriff or Deputy.
The coterie was immediately tasked with investigating rumors of spontaneous human combustion and looking into reports of a string of missing pizza delivery boys. They were also asked to learn what they can about the attack on Justicar Warwick, and located Tremere Primogen Reiss, who had not been seen since walking about of Elysium in protest the night before.
Caoimhe provided the new Coterie with the contact information of Charlie, who could allegedly obtain things difficult to come by, but cautioned that he only dealt in blood and that any deals made with him were of the Coterie’s own making. Later, behind closed doors, Caoimhe informs Beth that she will be the nominal leader of the coterie and is to report progress directly to Caoimhe. Caoimhe admits that Beth is a very political choice for the leader, but also hints that it tickles her to place a Malkavian in charge.
End Session 6