don’t realize that the call has been made and then proceed to

investigate the basement, they could find themselves trapped

Dialogue
and surrounded. You will have to judge how the story continues The characters arc most likely to try to fast-talk their
if this occurs. way past the police. When the characters first approach the door
During the search of the headquarters, the characters of the building, they may not even realize that there are police
will be able to find very little of interest other than the large block inside if the rear of the building was not inspected and the squad
that’s been moved aside for easy entrance to the basement and car found.
the newspaper clipping the officers have tacked to the wall. The
There is a sliding peephole on the door that a police
clipping will quickly attract the attention of any who see it as the
officer will use to see who’s outside. As he walks to the door,
headline reads, “Bloodless Animal Man Seized by Police.” The
though, he might call out, “Is that you, Bob?” He will sec that
police hung it up as a bit of a joke about what they found here,
it obviously is not, and he will be wary of the characters unless
though they are concerned with how the reporter got news of the
they are nicely dressed. Otherwise, he’ll assume they live in the
body when the department requested that no one talk about it.
neighborhood, or if they are dressed like punks, he’ll assume
The news article is from a yellow journalism domi­
they are members of the cult not taken during the initial raid.
nated rag similar to the “National Enquirer” that is published in
This officer and his reactions to how the characters are dressed
Chicago. Called the “Tell it All,” the paper is usually nothing but
will set the tone for the entire encounter.
hype and ridiculous exaggeration. For once, they got it partially
right.

BLOODLESS ANIMAL MAN SEIZED BY POLICE

by star reporter Scottie Cartwright

Despite an attempt to cover- absolutely no blood in i t ! The

u p one of the most fascinating insiders refused to speculate, but
police raids in years, west-side dedicated readers of The Truth will
district officers captured a very know without hesitation that this
strange corpse in a recent raid. must be the work of v a m p i r e s !
But this star reporter caught the Further information about
police red- handed in this cover- the body revealed that the as yet
up. Or he would have if the corpse unidentified man had extremely hard,
hadn't been completely drained of almost petrified skin, in the words
blood. of an informant, and ha d several
Even though this reporter features indicating that the man
was armed with the information of was obviously a cross-breed between
very reliable sources, which shall a snake and a wolf. My informant
remain nameless, Police Chief George further reports that the body was
O'Malley of the west-side district fully naked, except for a strange
refused to corroborate the story. saber-toothed pendant. The tooth
When asked about the incident, and was 3 inches l o n g ! ! Most startling
specifically how the officers in was reportedly his four canine
charge of the case were proceeding incisors, two along the top and two
wi t h the investigation, Chief more along the bottom. Much yet
O'Malley refused to comment. needs to be learned about this
However, this star reporter mystery, and this reporter is de ­
refused to cease burrowing toward termined to get to the bottom of i t .
the heart of the matter and gained If you have any information
some more information from police on the origin of this body, please
ins i d e r s . The date the corpse was contact either the police or this
seized has yet to be released, but reporter at the "Tell It All"
reports indicate that the body had offices — just call (404) 292-1819.

40 Ashes to Ashes
 If the characters are nicely dressed, they will have a The room is squarish and about fifteen feet wide. The
better chance of tricking the officer using Manipulation + ceiling is rather high (twenty feet) so this means a significant
Subterfuge. If fooled by a plausible story, the officer will invite drop is involved from above the reach the floor. On the floor in
the character(s) in. the back comer is a dusted outline of where the police found the
If the officer thinks the characters are from the neigh­ body referred to in the article by Scottie Cartwright. The only
borhood, then he will scare them away, “Get the hell out of here furnishing in the room is a straight-backed wooden chair and a
or I’ll show you what pain is all about.” If hassled, he’ll say, low table that holds a small assortment of chemistry equipment
“Would you rather have cult maniacs or policemen in here? Now like beakers, lest tubes and pipettes. The equipment is well-
move along.” organized but none of the containers hold any substances.
However, if the officer thinks the characters arc return­ It will be difficult to find (Perception + Alertness
ing cultists, he will try to take them into custody with the help of difficulty 8), but there is also a stone drawer recessed into the
his partner. If there arc a lot of characters, then the partner may wall away from both the chalk outline and table. Without a light
call for help as mentioned above before moving to help the source, the characters will completely overlook the drawer even
officer at the door. if they can see in the darkness. The drawer pulls out smoothly
and contains a rolled up satin cloth. The cloth protects an
extremely valuable resource— a vial of old, very old, Blood! It
Characters is potent Vita; indeed.

The only characters in this Scene are the policemen and

information for such mortals can be found in Vam pire (p. 187). Drama
The first obstacle the characters face is getting down
SceneEleven:PotentBlood into the basement. This is not a difficult chore for most Kindred,
especially those with the Potcncc Discipline. Characters should
roll Strength (difficulty 4) in order to break their fall. Two
Plot successes are needed for a complete success. With only one
success, the character will take a level of damage only if
In this Scene, the characters learn that the body described currently injured (she wrenches the hurting area some more).
in the article they justread was very likely found here. They will The major action of the Scene (except when arguments
probably think they have stumbled onto the solution of their break out when the characters find the vial of Blood) occurs
troubles! Since Lodin wore a sabertooth pendant similar to the when a Kindred attempts to investigate the area where the body
body in the story, they will probably draw the conclusion that he
of the Methuselah was found with Auspex. The incredible
was here until the police raided the building. But they’re wrong,
power of the Methuselah has permeated the area and it will
of course. The Methuselah who was the source of Roarke’s overwhelm any character who opens his senses up to it so
power for so long and the source of his current troubles was completely. The net result is that the character loses control and
seized here by police. The block of stone was placed over the
enters Frenzy. The Frenzy is of the rage variety and the character
basement trapdoor by Roarke to make sure that members of the will attack the nearest being.
cult would be unable to descend to that area.
The other interesting item which requires a response
While here, the characters will gain an impression of from the characters is the vial of Blood that they may find in a
the power of the Kindred they are dealing with, and may find the stone drawer. The description of the unveiling of the Blood is
vial of Blood that Roarke hid as an emergency supply. Hope­ extremely important and you must concentrate to pull off this
fully, after arming themselves with the discoveries made here, part of the story. Basically, you must describe the Blood inside
the characters will pursue the leads and attempt to locate the the vial in such a way that it sounds delicious, not only to the
body they believe to be Lodin’s. characters, but the players as well. Lower and soften your voice
and comment on the Blood’s glistening, ruby red color and how
its thick juices roll invitingly back and forth in the vial as a
Setting character examines it. The raw power of the Kindred who wept
Though this Scene still takes place inside Roarke’s old this Blood is obvious and very seductive.
headquarters, the kinds of events are substantially removed Every character who sees the vial, and what Kindred
from interacting with mortal police officers. The action takes wouldn’t want to look at such a delicacy, must roll Self-Control
place in a room that can only be reached by dropping through an (difficulty 6) or immediately grab for the vial and try to gain it
opening in the ceiling that is normally covered by a very heavy so a taste can be taken. Characters with less than three Blood
stone block.

Ashes to Ashes 41
Points will automatically succumb to this temptation and you If the entire vial of Blood is imbibed, then the character
may even decide to penalize characters who are not full of blood will experience an explosion of power within her body and enter
by increasing the difficulty of the roll. Another general brawl Frenzy unless Courage (difficulty 7) is rolled. As noted above,
will break out among the characters if a couple characters fail the character will also lose a point of Humanity. The benefits of
this roll. doing this, however, are extraordinary. Not only will the
The penalty may be worse for any character who drinks character gain temporary increases in three Disciplines, but her
of the Blood. Much of this is left to your interpretation of the current Blood Pool will temporarily increase to fifteen. These
character’s reasons for drinking the Blood, but if you feel it was extra points in the Blood Pool will fade at the rate of one per day.
done solely for the pleasure of tasting it or a desire to gain power, Each time the character loses a Blood Point due to the passage
then the character must roll for Humanity loss. Any character of time, one of these additional Pool points is lost instead. If the
who grabs the Blood and drinks the entire vial should automati­ point was currently full of Blood, then the Blood is lost as well.
cally lose a point! It is very important to keep track of how many times
The Blood is indeed amazing and is certainly worthy of each character drinks the blood in this vial. Though the
desire. A single taste of the liquid will restore an entire Blood Methuselah from whom it comes is in Torpor, the Blood Bond
Point. If larger amounts of the Blood are ingested, then not only that may form could cause complications later in the story.
will the character regain up to ten Blood Points, but the character It is the attack of individuals in Frenzy on the others in
will also gain a temporary increase in a Discipline. The vial the cellar that was the object of the Premonition described in
contains about three large swallows of Blood and one such gulp Scene Seven: Abandoned Haven. Tell the player who had that
is required to gain this temporary increase. This amazing Premonition that they feel deja vu, that for some strange reason
increase will occur in the character’s most advanced Discipline, they recognize this hole, that this is “THE PLACE! ” Hopefully,
though a Discipline may not be increased over five this way. In you can give it away just an instant before one of the other
such a case, the next highest Discipline will be heightened by characters (who drank from the vial) frenzies and attacks the
one. This higher level of ability will fade away as soon as the character.
character falls below a level of four Blood Points. Multiple
swallows will increase a like number of Disciplines by one
point. Dialogue
There is no conversation in this Scene to speak of, except
among the characters themselves (hopefully there will be a lot
of that).

Characters
No additional characters are encountered in this Scene,
though a character who scores a phenomenal success (5 successes)
while using Auspex on the chalked area may realize that the
power of the Kindred who rested there had been “asleep” for a
long, long time and is therefore probably not Prince Lodin.

42 Ashes to Ashes
 C m p r r e p . J Z b u p .: K j n q 's
Q ^ m e ir :

Scene Twelve: Setting

Set the Scene with a description of a typical police
Downtown Precinct station, varying it depending on the time of night that the
characters arrive. Squad cars are pulling in and out; calls for
back-up will send one, two or more cars screeching out into the
Plot streets with sirens blazing; off-duty officers hang around the
parking lot recounting any interesting events of the day; and men
Once the characters learn that the body that was found
in the “Ghoulie man’s” headquarters was seized by the police, and women are hauled into custody.
they may decide to pursue the matter to see how much in formation The police precinct that organized the raid on Roarke’s
they can piece together. The news reporter, Scottie Cartwright, headquarters is in the heart of a poor section of the city, but the
who wrote the article found in the previous Scene may be sought presence of the station has cleaned up the streets within a couple
for questioning as well. Scottie is dealt with specifically in the blocks. Outside this area, crime is commonplace.
next Scene, though the characters may well decide to seek clues
there first.
If you really want your players to experience this
Drama
Scene, you can finagle things so that the police somehow pick The effectiveness of the characters’ entrance into the
up the characters and bring them down to the precinct for police station is up to your discretion, but a forceful entry is
“questioning.” Smart characters will not break the Masquerade absolutely the wrong way to do it. The characters are in enough
by resisting. However, this can be a bit manipulative. The best trouble if they are already on the run from the Elders because of
idea is probably to subtly insert the idea of going to the precinct an escape from Bclthazar. Ballard wants to use them as
through your banter with the players. Hints that you give them scapegoats so he has little need to capture them again. Their
(as long as they are not obvious) are frequently picked up by the escape and attempts to hide in the city only make Ballard’s job
players and employed without them ever consciously realizing of showing them as guilty that much easier. However, no
what they did. You will be amazed by what you can get your Kindred of the city, not even the Anarchs, will tolerate such a
players to do in this manner. horrendous break of the Masquerade. Therefore, there should be
The most important piece of information that the no physical confrontations in this Scene.
characters can learn from the police is the current status of the
body that was seized. Ultimately, they will uncover the location
of the body and continue their investigation. There is an Dialogue
additional bit of puzzling news that the characters may happen
upon as well. Basically, they will be unable to determine who Instead of force, the characters must use their Social
exactly ordered that the cult headquarters be raided in the first Attributes and Disciplines to make their way around the station.
place. That should start them thinking! They can pose as news reporters or even police officers if they
arc skilled enough in Disciplines like Obfuscate and Dominate.
The characters will learn that the body of the Kindred
they probably assume to be Lodin has been turned over to a If they do this successfully, then they will eventually be
“medical specialist” by Special Agent Shepard of the Chicago able to find their way to the officer in charge of the raid,
FBI. The extent to which you wish to involve Shepard in the Lieutenant Brick. Depending on how complicated you desire
story and his connection with Kindred the characters already this information gathering Scene to be, you may either allow Lt.
know is completely up to you. In this story, he is never actually Brick to be on duty very late and therefore be accessible to the
encountered, but as ever, you are free to alter this. characters, or they may have to visit him at home where he’s
probably sleeping the night away in his house with his wife and
children. Better yet, they may have to come up with a good
enough story to get the night duty sergeant to call Lt. Brick up

Ashes to Ashes 43
and get him to come down to the station in the middle of the
night.
Lt. Brick will not willingly speak about the body and
will not even admit that a body was seized. If a character brings
up the article from “Tell It All,” Brick will only laugh and tell the
characters that they shouldn’t believe everything they read. He
will be very officious and demand to see identification from the
characters if they claim to be with a newspaper, etc. In any event,
they will have to get tough with Lt. Brick in order to learn
anything.
If the characters are able to cither Intimidate Brick or
use Disciplines like Dorn inate or Presence, then he can relate the
following details:

• C aptain W allabash o rdered that the raid take

place. T hough the police had been aw are for som e tim e
that cult-like activity had been going on in the building,
the lack of solid pro o f and the failure of an undercover
agent to pen etrate the organization d id not give the police
a chance to investigate m ore thoroughly.
If the characters follow up by speaking with Captain
Wallabash for any reason, they will learn that he ordered the raid
after receiving notification from Lt. Brick that they had solid
evidence of unlawful activity by the cult. Obviously, these two
explanations do not jive, but no amount of further investigation
will reveal anything further. Unfortunately for the characters,
both men are telling the absolute truth.
learned just today that the Special Agent had the body trans­
ferred to some sort of medical specialist for a complete exami­
■During the raid, Brick and his men rounded up seven nation. He does have an address for the facilities of the
cultists. The men and women were arrested, but they refused to specialist.
talk to the police or the court appointed attorney. To the dismay Even if shown a picture of Lodin (who knows where
of all involved, all seven men and women were found dead the they could get such a thing!), Lt. Brick would be unable to
following morning in their various and widespread cells. They identify the man they found. The only description he can give
seemed quite normal in their manner of dress, but after being is, “He was hard like a stone and bloodless, just like that article
around them for a time, more and more weirdness emerged. said.”
Around the station, one of the characters, one who
• No worthwhile evidence or information was uncov­ hasn’t done anything for a while, will overhear a conversation
ered during the raid (other than the body, of course), so Lt. Brick among 3 police officers. They are talking about things like
decided to keep a few men posted at the place in case other “How stiff the body was. Like a damn lump of stone.” and
cultists returned. This is also why they tried not to let the news “Yeah, but that’s nothing anyone outside the force would
slip to the media. believe, except perhaps those kooks over at the T ell It All.’”

• The body they discovered was gruesome at best. Hard

as stone and completely drained of blood, the man seemed to Characters
have been dead for quite a while, but decay had not set in, so they Treat Lt. Brick as any other mortal police officer, but
presume that he had been in cold-storage or the like until very he’s a large man so his Strength is 4. H e’s also sharp-minded
recently. The hospital never had the opportunity to perform an
(Wits 3) and strong-willed (Willpower 8).
autopsy on the body before the Feds got ahold of it.
Brick explains that a local FBI agent named William
Shepard gained custody of the body when he showed that the
dead man was a kidnap victim several years ago. The Lieutenant

44 Ashes to Ashes
 hard at work on another “brilliant piece of investigative report­
SceneT h irtem : ing.” In a harsh juxtaposition with the orderly offices of the
paper, Scottie’s office is a whirlwind of paper piles, a half eaten
Yellow Journalist donut, computer disks, and letters from both angered and de­
lighted readers. It is a truly disgusting mess, especially in
contrast with the rest of the office.
Plot
The characters are likely to follow up on Scottie’s Drama
article “Bloodless Animal Man Seized by Police” by contacting
the author directly. As indicated below in the Characters There is no need for show-stopping action in this Scene
section, Scottie could become a regular in your Chronicle, so as Scottie is more than willing to talk with the characters. In fact,
have fun playing him this first time. If need be, Neally can if the characters open up to him, the talk would easily constitute
approach the characters at some point in the story, or the the most coveted moments of the writer’s life.
characters can notice the story while walking past a street side
newsstand. It isn’t hard to find the offices of the paper; they arc
located on the edge of downtown. Dialogue
With Scottie’s help, the characters can piece a few
When the characters first walk into Scottie’s office, the
clues together. If “persuaded” to talk with them or if they
writer will at first mistake them for some of his many footpads
exchange information, Scottie will relate information including
who he pays for interesting bits of information. “What do you
identifying the leader of the cult as Roarkc. The most important
have for me?” he’ll ask. When he learns that the characters arc
thing to accomplish in this Scene, however, is to establish that
here on their own business, he’ll gladly listen to their story and
the cult gathering northwest of the city may be important.
prepare himself to help them out. Not for a moment will he be
Hopefully, the characters will decide to pursue more immediate
frightened of the characters, unless they become violent and
clues first, like checking out the “medical specialist.”
actually mess him up a bit. If they insist, Scottie will consider
If it seems likely that the characters will not speak with
the police and instead jump at the hint that the cult activity may
be something important, then you may decide that Scottie has
knowledge of where the body is currently. His sources at the
police station could easily have passed this information along to
him. In fact, he may give the characters a camera so they can
photograph the body when they go to check on it. How hard you
push the characters in this direction should depend on how much
you desire to use the “specialist” in your story.
Finally, this encounter with Scottie Cartwright should
show the characters just how close some mortals are to figuring
out the truth behind the Masquerade. Though many details are
hazy and some of the facts themselves arc wrong, a few key slips
by Kindred could brighten the picture considerably.
If you really want to have the characters go through this
Scene and they aren’t headed in that direction already, all you
have to do is get a copy of the “Tell It All” into their hands —
they won’t be able to not see the cover story.

Setting
The offices of “Tell It All” are shockingly nice. Though
the newspaper is a rag, the organization that owns the paper is
top-notch. The paper has a floor of its own in a downtown office
building, and the offices arc decorated in the latest styles. Large
plants and inspiring colors help establish a mood of cheer.
Scottie Cartwright is a night-owl, so if the characters
simply come to the office looking for him, they will find him

Ashes to Ashes 45
any conversation to be “off the record.” Scottie doesn’t take this
practice seriously, but if the characters really let him in on
Characters
Kindred secrets, then he will not write about it until he learns Scottie Cartwright, though a hack-writer, docs have
more. several contacts and secret sources throughout the city. He
Scottie is a fast talker and has tricked more than one could very well become a regular character in your Chronicle. If
person into saying something that they later regret. Anyone you want him to become a regular, you’ll need to arrange it so
involved in a conversation with Scottie must roll Wits+ Alertness that at least one character becomes fond of Scottie and target
(difficulty 6) to avoid letting some secret fact slip out. A your roleplaying of him so that he becomes the pet of one
character that fails the roll must answer the question, “What is particular character. He would make an excellent dependent
the thing you would least like to tell Scottie right now?” The character, someone who is always tagging along and getting in
number of successes rolled will lower the urgency of the trouble.
information spilled, but three successes are needed to resist
completely. Better yet, do it completely through roleplaying —
it is very difficult to do it right, but by setting the Scene correctly, Scottie Cartwright
it will be easier to get the players to drop their guard, at least at Age: 32 (Bom: 1959)
the start. Description: A tall slender man, Scottie can be
The problem in dealing with Scottie is that the charac­ gruff and grouchy, but he’s actually courteous to those he
ters will never be able to convince him that they were “joking respects or knows well. He typically wears very comfortable
about being Vampires.” He’ll believe the most far-fetched tales clothing like slacks and a sports shirt, though he does have
and then search for more information. clothing for other situations (press conference, outdoor jaunt,
In the end, Scottie will try to make a deal to trade etc.) stored in his office.
information. The characters do know some things that would Demeanor: D eviant
interest him beyond revealing that they are Vampires. Prima­
rily, he would like to hear about the “mystical activity” north­
Nature: Judge
west of the city. However, he will be satisfied with other bits like Notes: Scottie (as he prefers to be called) is a
the mix-up between the police captain and lieutenant about who dedicated writer, though the subject and style of his writing is
ordered the raid. somewhat suspect. Struggling in his writing career shortly after
Scottie has a plethora of important information that he graduation from college, Scottie originally accepted this job to
can provide the characters. This includes the following, though make a little money. However, over the years, the work has
he will make things up if he is trading information on a one-for- absorbed his interestand Scottie now believes too much of what
one basis and has run out of things to say. he writes. He still thinks of himself as a college student, and has
the same enthusiasm, naivete and honor. He will never reveal
• The leader of the cult whose headquarters was raided sources who have asked to remain anonymous and will always
by the police recently is named Roarkc. While the details are keep “off the record” conversations off the record. However, the
sketchy, it seems that he had lived in the gutted 7-11 for several characters will have to make it clear that everything they say is
years before forming the cult. An odd assortment of individuals “off the record” or they will likely read about it in the next
is purported to have gone in and out of the building in these pre­ week’s paper.
cult days. Have fun playing Scottie. H e’s always on the lookout
for a story and since he looks for evidence of the occult in
• Roarke’s cult has also extended to a region northwest everything he does, he could become a foil for comedy and levity
of the city. The police don’t seem to know about this yet, but the in your story. For example, if he’s Dominated by the characters,
cult members have gathered in this area a few times in the past he may use a point of Willpower to shake it off and ask the
for celebrations and festivals. If the characters tell Scottie about Kindred with great interest and admiration, “Did you just do to
the purported “mystical activity” there, the writer will tell them me what I think you did? Do it again, I’ll tell you anything!”
that he’s going to check that out very soon.• Roleplaying Tips: Make your eyes as big as you
can. Pretend that you are scribbling down notes whenever a
• He can describe what little (“little” unless you decide character says anything even remotely interesting. Talk as fast
to change things as discussed in Plot above) he knows about the as you can, and interrupt people’s sentences if you have already
body that the police found. Basically, he can only reiterate that figured out what they are going to say.
what he wrote in his article is the truth. The body truly was hairy
and had nary a drop of blood in it. However, Scottie will admit
that he has no basis for the conclusions that he drew about the
origin of the body, though he suspects that he was right about the
wolf.

46 Ashes to Ashes
 Scene Fourteen: TheHunter
Plot
If the characters are on the trail of the body that was
seized by the police, then they will end up here sooner or later.
This building is owned by an occult investigator turned Hunter
named Michael Standdown. He gained possession of the
Methuselah’s body when Special Agent Shepard managed to
have it turned over to him. Shepard said that the body was that
of a kidnapping (a Federal crime, so Shepard was authorized to
step in) victim and would be turned over to a “specialist.”
Fortunately, Michael did have some medical degrees, so the ruse
was easily pulled off.
With the equipment that had been delivered so con­
veniently just a month before, Michael Standdown began an
examination of the body of what Shepard claimed was a Vampire.
Slowly, Michael has come to agree. Though he had believed in
the occult since his pilgrimages, Michael had never had such
proof to examine so closely. It shook him a little.
In this Scene, the characters will probably kill Michael
Standdown and either recover the body of the Methuselah or
=VAMPIRE believe that it is destroyed in a fire. If the body is saved from the
f Scottie C artw rig h t 1 : flames, then you must refer to the following section for details
of the recovery.
----A<<l*•
il>ll(t_-s------
Physical Social M ental
Clmrisma__________ • • • 0 0
Setting
Strength____________ • • o o o I,ereeptk n • •••(>
Dexterity___________ # • • 0 0 011
M a n ln u la t I ♦ •••< ) Intelligence________ • • • 0 0
Stamlna____________ • • 0 0 0 Appearance,_______ • • 0 o o Wits._______________ • • • O O

= A b I litic s =
Talents
___• • • 0 0
Skills Knowledge Along the very northern part of Chicago proper, only
A ctin g_ Animal Ken_______ OOOOO Bureaucracy________• • • 0 0
A lertness
A thletics.
__ • • 0 0 0
___ O O O O O
Drlw._____________• * 0 0 0
EtiqucUc_ __OOOOO
Computer___________• 0 0 0 0
Finance_________ ooooo
a couple blocks inland from sparkling Lake Michigan (in the
Brawl.________________ O O O O O Fircarn»s_ _ooooo hives tigalkm________ • • • 0 0
Gothic World, anyway), is the old stone warehouse where
D od ge___ fo M O r M elee____ __ooooo law.________________ * o o o o
E inpa thy__________ • m o o Musk*____ _*oooo Linguistics__________ 9 0 0 0 0
Intim idation_______ • 0 0 0 0 Repair----------------- • • o o o Medicine,___________ OOOOO Special Agent Shepard’s “medical specialist” works. The
Leadership________ 000 00 Security__ -•••0 0 Occult______________ • • o o o
Streetwise--------- ------ • •O O O Steal tli____ -•••0 0 I\)lltlcs_ -OOOOO building is three stories high and the entire structure is owned by
Subterfuge fasV Ts\k • • • • o -OOOOO Sciences. -OOOOO
Michael Standdown. The large windows of the bottom two
= A < lvautages=
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues floors are painted over so curious people won’t snoop around,
___________ OOOOO F a m e _________ to o o o Conscience.______
___________ OOOOO .Cttn-tak**-____ •••o o but the top floor’s frames have been refitted with new windows.
___________ OOOOO Resources •••00 Self*Coiitrol_
___________ OOOOO _____________ ooooo
Courage
Michael feels more comfortable in his new line of work with a
___________ OOOOO ____________ ooooo
lot of sunlight wherever he lives.
•*****Othcr T raitsr y U u n ia iiity - H e a lth - The top floor of the building is a personal living
• ••••••OOO Bruised
Hurt -1 apartment, equipped with most modern conveniences. The
Injured -2
■E ’-— Wi 11pow er Wounded -3
middle floor holds all of Michael’s testing equipment. This
• ••••••OOO Mauled 4 includes an assortment of medical devices up to and including
Crippled
Weapon Difficulty Ikunuty. □□□□□□□□□□ Incapacitated □ a Catscan machine. The bottom floor has always been made to
'h»»«B lood P ool—=-=*-
Experience look like a warehouse. Since the building stands in a commercial
0000000000 district, this helps camouflage Michael’s headquarters. Also,

£ Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: It) Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1) the loading dock, interior elevator and pallet-mover came in
very handy when the medical equipment arrived recently.

Ashes to Ashes 47
 Drama
Almost anytime of the night that the characters come to
investigate the “medical specialist,” Michael will be up late
working. His noisy machinery and equipment draws the least
attention during the night when any other proprietors of the
commercial area arc at home in bed.
The first obstacle the characters must overcome is
breaking into the building, preferably without alerting Michael.
The Hunter does switch on some formidable defenses after
sundown. Special Agent Shepard personally acquired and
installed some of the more sophisticated defenses.
First, before he starts to work, Michael seals himself
off on the second floor. The elevator is parked on the second
floor and the doorways from the stairwell are blocked with
electrified barred gates. These gates may be bent to allow
passage, but five successes on a Strength roll (difficulty 4) arc
required. Additionally, anyone attempting the feat will auto­
matically be reduced to Mauled status. Only Potence will help
resist this damage.
Additionally, the roof and the entire bottom floor will
be laced with laser beams that will set off a silent alarm on the
second floor that will alert Michael. The roof is also reinforced
with sheet metal making it nearly impossible to enter that way,
at least without immediately alerting Michael. Again, depending
on the extent to which you wish to involve Special Agent
Shepard, Michael may alert him at any sign of trouble (he’s
across the street in an apartment, waiting for any unexpected
visitors). Characters with Red Eyes (level one Protean Disci­
pline) will be able to see the laser beams and avoid them. Such
a character may also help other characters circumvent them.
Roll Manipulation + the other Kindred’s Dodge (difficulty 6) —
three successes means that she was able to talk her friend
through the beams.
If the characters enter the bottom floor and sound the
alarm, they will have walked into a death trap as dangerous as
any medieval castle. Metal barred gates, as described above,
will slide into place over the sole entrance to the bottom floor to
block any retreat. Then, Michael will converse with the char­
acters by means of a two-way speaker in the comer of the fake
warehouse. He will try to establish who they are, and if not
satisfied, or if he learns they are Vampires, he will move on to
the next stage of the trap — he’ll open a trap door on the floor
of his second story lab and drop a flaming lighter. The boxes
immediately below the trapdoor hide flammable containers of
gasoline (the characters can smell these when they are in the
room with a Perception + Alertness roll at difficulty 6 or
automatically if they possess the level one Auspex Discipline
Heightened Senses).
Caught in the inferno that will ensue in a warehouse full
of empty cardboard boxes (all marked “Ceiling Fan”) and
perhaps their second bonfire of the story, the characters will

48 Ashes to Ashes
discover one reason this story is called “Ashes to Ashes.” Since
the building is made of stone and the walls have been treated
Conclusion
with an anti-flame element provided by Shepard, Michael has no If the characters manage to defeat Michael Standdown
concerns about the fire spreading to the rest of the building. and open the body bag, they will quickly realize that this is not
Besides, there is a sprinkler system that he can activate. Wily Lodin. The Kindred they have recovered seems to be of Eastern
players may be able to use these sprinklers to save themselves if Mediterranean descent, not the European blood of Lodin. Where
the recessed nozzles are noticed. the sun lamp had shone, his skin is very red and is slightly burned
If (and probably when) the characters eventually make in places, but on the whole he looks in good shape.
their way to the second floor, Michael will be waiting standing In the process of opening the body bag, it would be very
by a table. Lying on the table is the body of the Methuselah, easy to touch the body. Roll a die secretly, a 1-4 indicates that
though it is wrapped in a black plastic body bag. Since it is the character did touch the body, unless the player makes it very
wrapped, of course, the characters will have no idea that it isn’t clear that she is being careful. This is important only because of
Lodin. Michael holds a small, but highly-powered, crossbow in the Vampire’s potent powers of Domination which allow him to
each hand. The characters should eye the wooden shafts warily. Dominate others through touch — eye contact is not necessary.
Even more dangerous to the characters is a specially For the purposes of the story, it can be assumed that all those who
designed light that illuminates a fifteen radius around Michael touch the body are immediately under the temporary control of
and the table on which the Methuselah rests. Putting his the Ancient. (Though if want to make rolls, have those who
incredible mind and scientific talents to work, Michael has touch the body make a Willpower roll with a difficulty of 9.
managed to design a light that simulates the effects of the sun on Three successes are required to fully break free, anything less
Vampires. Of course Michael had an advantage over other than that indicates total Domination.)
Hunters who have sought just such a thing — he had the body of Pass a note to the player shortly after you note that they
a Vampire to experiment with! Any characters who enter the have been Dominated, but do not do so in such a way as to arouse
light will be struck by what is effectively direct rays of sunlight, the suspicions of the others. A private meeting where you can
though the strength of the rays is only about 50% of normal. The explain things in detail usually is the simplest for the players, but
first character who attempts to cross into this lighted area
without knowledge of what the light can do must roll Self-
Control (difficulty 5) or enter Frenzy. Also, after the characters
do know the destructive potential of the light, they must roll
Courage (difficulty 6) every turn they are in the light or be
affected by Fear and refuse to go near the light again.
It is possible to shoot the light bulb out or even pull the
plug on the mach ine, but of course Michael will shoot any person
who makes a move to do so. Michael is very cool, calm and
collected with the defense of his laboratory — he has run this
scenario over and over again in his mind. In his voice however,
it is possible to detect the grip of tension and fear.
Michael will make a last stand here and will aim his
crossbow bolts for the hearts of the Vampires. Refer to the
Drama Chapter in Vampire for details on the number of suc­
cesses, etc, required in order for Michael to impale a character.
He will attempt to remain within the circle of light so that
Kindred cannot engage him in close combat.

Dialogue
Michael Standdown will feel threatened and certainly
endangered with a number of Kindred nearby, but he will talk to
the characters if they make such overtures. Conversation will
accomplish nothing for them, though. If the characters wish to
gain possession of the body, then they will have to go through
Michael.

»
Ashes to Ashes 49
unfortunately it can arouse the most suspicions. Tell the player Once he controls all (or at least most) of the characters,
that they are under the control of the Ancient and that they must the Ancient one will command the characters to take him to a
carry out his wishes. They understand that he wishes for the certain place to rest and continue his sleep through the Torpor (it
others in the group to touch him as well and that the player should is a secret location in the middle of the Wasteland in Gary). The
try to trick the others into doing so. Tell them further that you characters will promptly forget about where they took the
will take away Willpower if they do not do this properly Methuselah, and in fact the characters will not remember even
(“You’re struggling against his Dominance — that isn’t easy”) making a trip. The net result will be the characters being unable
but that you will reward them with one experience point if they to account for their whereabouts during a period of a couple
succeed (to be assigned to Manipulation or Subterfuge). hours and the sudden absence of the Methuselah. Since the
Eventually, if the Methuselah’s plan goes correctly, all of the characters won’t even remember what happened, there is no
characters will have touched and come under his control — need to enumerate what they had to go through to place the body
though perhaps the last remaining character will have to be wherever it is that the Methuselah wanted to go.
restrained and carried to the waiting body before all of them are After the last character touches the Methuselah, the
so Dominated. next thing they know is that they wake up in the middle of the
The sleeping Methuselah is wearing a simple, silver Wasteland and that Damien is moving toward them. If questioned
and onyx necklace with some strange engravings on it (Egyptian why he is there, he simply says that he got a phone call from
hieroglyphs). The onyx is shaped in the form of a tooth (it is the someone “who you don ’t know about yet” to come here because
mate of the one found in Lodin’s Haven). If a character attempts the characters were in desperate straights. He will then try to
to remove it, assume they touched the body unless the player persuade them to continue to pursue Lodin — if need be he will
makes it very clear that she is not doing so. be able to provide them will a few clues or can even lead them
If any of the characters has been Blood Bonded to the to the forest headquarters of the cult. The person who controls
sleeping Methuselah, then that character’s player won’t have Damien wants the characters to find the cultists — that fact
much of a say about what is done from the very start. That should be fairly clear to the characters.
character will immediately do everything in his power to get the If the characters manage to escape the Scene with the
other characters to touch the body of “Lodin” — give them the body of the Methuselah and with their free wills intact, then the
note just as you would the player whose character touches the question arises, “What do we do with this guy?” You will have
Methuselah. to determine for yourself what happens next — the world is a
large and dangerous place, especially with a Methuselah’s body
— make it as interesting as possible.

=VAMPIRE:
Michael Standdown
= A ttrib u (es=
P h ysical S o cia l M ental
Stiencth ••o o o C.ltartouna_________ • • o o o TVn-fiittim Pmbi«yi • • • • n
Dexterity__________ • • • o o Manipulation______* o o o o Intelligence
Stamina__________ • • • o o Appearance_______ • • • o o
=A b i l i t i e s -
S k ills K now ledge
ArUnt? ooooo Anlnm] Ken___ ____OOOOO ••o o o

Hr.twi Investigation_______
Mclcc
Music
Intimidation ______ o o o o o
Ijcodcrdilp Occult_____ __ ^ T
Streetwise Stealth Ib lltiS _____
Sublcrfuge_ Science ■

►*3 =A<fvaiitagcs
D isc ip lin e s B ackgrounds
_________ ooooo frpfttegfc?____ » o o o o
_________ ooooo \W itS________ « o o o o
_________ ooooo ‘ftTftt.________ *1)0(10
_________ ooooo •••o o
_________ ooooo _____________ ooooo Comyge_

•I*—O ther Trui is

<aea«~ris.______ ••o o o
______________ ooooo
______________
______________
ooooo
ooooo
■b— W illp o w e r-
■2 □
______________ ooooo Wounded 2 □
• • • • • • ( ) () O O Mauled 4 □
-C o m b a t- Crippled •© □
□□□□□□□□□□ Incapacitated □
Experience—
M o o d P o o l—
OOOOOOOOOO
iMnituici: 7/3(3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Dirciptitwr 3 RaUtnxirnfc: S Virtuei: 10 Freebie Point*: 15 (7/S/2/I)

so Ashes to Ashes
Characters Notes: Intrigued by the shamanic heritage of his own
people, Michael Standdown became very interested in the
Michael Standdown is the Native American Hunter occult at an early age. Perhaps his own innate sensitivity to such
whom the characters must overcome in this Scene if they wish things contributed to this desire as well. In any event, Michael
to retrieve the body of the Kindred they believe to be Lodin. The wandered North America and some of the Orient in his mid to
Methuselah is described in detail in Chicago by Night. For now, late twenties searching for “places of power.” He left behind
simply assume that the “Black King” is extremely powerful and Johns Hopkins and what his family considered to be a promising
beyond the ability of the characters to harm. career as a physician, but what he found converted him forever
to an unshakable belief in the occult. He has spent the last ten
years as a sort of occult investigator. Since many people have
Michael Standdown expectations of mystical powers from Native Americans, Michael
Birth: 30 (Bom: 1961) found it easy to market himself in his chosen profession.
Description: Michael is a full-blooded Native About six months ago, Michael was contacted by
American. He wears his dark hair long, and though very proud Special Agent Shepard of the Chicago FBI. Shepard asked if
of his heritage, he doesn’t make any effort to dress in “Indian” Michael would like to collaborate and Michael readily agreed.
clothes. Blue jeans and jackets are quite alright with him. They were introduced by another Witch-Hunter, Sullivan Dane.
Just over a month ago, Shepard arranged for a lot of medical
Demeanor: Loner equipment to be shipped to Michael’s building. Michael isn’t
Nature: D irector sure how Shepard made the arrangements, but he suspects it was
illegal so he doesn’t want to pry too deeply.

The beaten road

W hich those p o o r slaves w ith w eary fo o tste p s tread,
W ho travel to their hom e am ong the dead
By the broad highw ay o f the world, and so
W ith one chained frien d , perhaps a jea lo u s fo e ,
The dreariest a nd the longest jo u rn ey to go.
— P.B. Shelly, An Exhortation

Ashes to Ashes SI
 C m p tre p . p iv e : C n e c x .
A M D C T )A C e

C hapter five is the concluding ch ap ter of this story. During this Scene, the characters must simply travel to
this area and begin to look around. The land is fairly inaccessible
— it’s a fifteen minute walk from the nearest road, though jeeps
Scene Fifteen: and other 4-wheel drive vehicles can make the overland trip —
and characters will have to carefully plan how they will travel
H ell’s Pasture here and provide for their safety in the event that they cannot
return to Chicago by the time the sun rises.
While they wander around the land, but before they
Plot begin to strike for the heart where the amphitheater is, the
characters will meet Scottie unless their previous encounter with
The characters will probably come to this area shortly him left him unable or unwilling to follow up on a story here.
after reorganizing following the attack on Michael Standdown.
The clue in Lodin’s office mentioning this place and/or Scottie
Cartwright’s mention of it should make it seem to be a potential
location for Lodin’s body. And they’re right. Roarke did bring
Setting
Lodin here since his other headquarters in Chicago had been This is a small copse of woods about an hour northwest
raided and claimed by the police. of Chicago. The land is owned and maintained by Roarke. This
land is exclusively private and is used for ceremonies and other
celebrations, the sole purpose of which is to continue to make
Roarke look strong to his followers. This is the area that the
characters must penetrate in order to confront Roarke and
retrieve Lodin.
This is a sizable chunk of land, about 50 acres all told.
The property is mostly a flat, wooded area, but there are rocky
regions near the center. By following a sort of gully down into
the rocks, one emerges in a natural, earthen amphitheater. This
feature is the main reason Roarke chose it for his cult’s cer­
emonies. It allows him to be in the amphitheater and direct the
action while the cultists either listen or perform as per his
commands.

Drama
You might have the characters mistake a crouching and
hiding Scottie Cartwright for a sentry waiting to pick them off,
but in general there will be no trouble in this Scene. There’s
enough of that coming later! The idea is for the characters to
scout out the terrain and to plan their next action — likely an
attack.

52 Ashes to Ashes
Dialogue Scene Sixteen:
The characters may talk at length with Scottie if they
desire, but unless they use Disciplines or outright force, the Attack o f the Ram
journalist will refuse to go back without first getting his story.
The characters may have some questions for Scottie, but unless
they revealed a lot of information to him earlier, Scottie is very
Plot
curious about what the characters are doing out here. The characters will meet a byproduct of one of the
ceremonies that Roarke performs twice a year to impress the
cultists. Since any creature can be fed Kindred Blood and
Characters become more powerful, and since the ram is very symbolic of
Satan, Roarke customarily creates a ram “Ghoul” and sets it free
Scottie Cartwright is described in Scene Thirteen.
to rampage around the area. The cultists, in a flurry of mad
behavior, give chase to the beast and kill it so they can return to
the amphitheater area, drink its blood, and then roast it as the
high point to a grand feast. By drinking its blood they thereby
gain some of the Vampire blood, and thus a modicum of mystical
power and potential.

Ashes to Ashes S3
 This huge and powerful ram will crash through the
characters, pause to rip them up a bit, and then dash off again. If
Drama
the characters are thinking quickly and truly desire to make a Though the ram is large, it moves very quietly and
stealthy entrance, then they had best not kill the ram. Otherwise, quickly through the woodland. The chasing cultists must track
the cultists, and shortly thereafter Roarke, will know that there the beast, for it does not give away its presence with grunts and
are intruders nearby. growls. Characters should roll Alertness + Perception (diffi­
The ram has the freedom to roam wherever on Roarke ’s culty 7) to even notice that the ram is coming. If no one detects
land that it desires, but since Roarke Blood Bonds it when the it, then the ram will dash from the woods and absolutely smash
Blood is fed to it during the ritual (he feeds it liny amounts on two into and trample one of the characters (double the beast’s
earlier occasions), the powerful Ghoul is able to keep the ram damage dice when it connects on a full running charge like this).
from straying too far. The victim of the attack should be treated as if surprised.
After this wallop, the ram will remain for several
rounds and combat all of the characters. Describe the immense
Setting and powerful beast carefully as it dishes out pain. Its eyes roll
The characters are still on Roarkc’s land, but they, and and its nostrils flare as it dances around, looking for the oppor­
maybe Scottie as well, have begun to make their way toward the tunity to spring into a character. After a short time, or at the latest
center. They hear a cry go up in the distance, and about three when the pursuing cultists begin to draw near, the ram will
minutes later a monstrosity comes charging at them. attempt to escape, hopefully running through a character in the
process.

2»**H h*
=VAMPIRE Dialogue
r Cultists None but the screams of frightened characters when
—
the ram first shows how fearsome it truly is.
Physical Social Mental
Strength .• • o o o C harism a____ ••o o o Perception •••o o
••o o o •••o o •••O O
••o o o ••o o o •••o o
- i —
X
Talents Skills
Wits

Knowledge
Characters
Alertness .• • o o o Drive ••o o o Computer ____ ••••o The ram has been fed with Blood from Lodin, a
Firearms Investigation Seventh Generation Vampire. As part of the riiual that Roaike
Dodge Melee la w *

Intlmklution
performs on the ram as it drinks the blood from him, the Physical
Medicine*

Streetwise Stealth
Occult __
Poll Lies*
Attributes of the ram are wildly increased.
*C*Ne ^ -t
. L . . . * 1 -
X ------- -
Disciplines
ooooo NveMor
Backgrounds
•••o o
Virtues
Q jn s d e n c c ••o o o
The Ram
ooooo ooooo
ooooo ooooo Self-Control •••o o Strength 6, Dexterity 3, Stamina 6, Brawl 3, Alertness 3,
ooooo ooooo
C ourage •••o o Dodge 2, Athletics 2, Potence 1, Celerity 1, Fortitude 1. The
---- — E horns cause aggravated wounds and provide three extra damage
»fs«j 'Other Traits.- ---* ■ -I I u m ani l \ —w *«
ooooo dice, even when removed from the ram and used as a weapon.
ooooo Io o o o
However, they break and become worthless after any botch.
ooooo
ooooo
ooooo
•••••ooooo
Weapon Difficulty Damage □□□□□□□□□□ Incapacitated □

—Experience
Scene Seventeen:
Blood Pool
OOOOOOOOOO
Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)
Ceremony
Plot
Depending on how quickly the characters move to the
heart of Roarkc’s woodland estate, they may be able to enter this
area before the cultists catch and kill the ram Ghoul. If so, when
they first enter the edge of the clearing, they will see Roarke
standing on the amphitheater floor some 40 yards away. He will

54 Ashes to Ashes
also see them and make a dash into the tunnels behind the Perception + Alertness (difficulty depends on how close the
amphitheater (see the next Scene for details). This is the most characters are, use your discretion) to sense the presence of
likely course of events, though the characters may be afraid of Kindred. “Some among you arc not our kind,” he’ll shout.
being discovered if they continue inward while dozens of “Destroy those who attempt to subvert you from the only true
cultists and a mad ram race around the forest. path!” Roarke then flees into the tunnel. The maddened cultists
Otherwise, the characters will arrive as the cultists are will then run in all directions in search of the intruders, who they
cooking the ram. In this case, the Vampires will either have to will wildly attack until ten of the cultists arc Incapacitated. Treat
battle their way through or sly their way around the revelers to them all like normal mortals, armed with clubs and knives. If
reach Roarke. In any event, it’s likely that Roarke will note the they have feasted on the ram, increase their Strength or Dexterity
presence of the characters and cut his speech short to flee into the by a few points to simulate the effect of Lodin’s Blood on their
tunnel. bodies.
Roarke should gain such a roll anytime one of the
characters move a great distance or moves closer to him. He will
Setting succeed sooner or later.
If the characters arc not noticed because they remain
Near the center of the woodlands is a rocky region that
far enough away, then they will hear Roarke’s mad diatribe. He
descends below ground level and actually extends into a short
speaks of how they have been forced from the city by those who
network of tunnels in the back of an earthen amphitheater. In
will yet believe. He speaks of the true path and how he is the
front of this amphitheater is an open area where about three
harbinger of truth. And finally, he speaks of sweet revenge
dozen members of Roarke’s cult have gathered.
against an old enemy who dared to challenge his power (many
In the center of the area is a large bon fire perhaps a little
of the cultists know that Roarke was away punishing someone
loo close to a massive tree. From one of the tree’s stout branches
who had strayed from the true path while the headquarters was
hangs the ram that the characters ran into last Scene. It has been
raided by the police — obviously, if he had been there, then the
gutted and is roasting over the intense heat of the flames. The
police would have been stymied).
cultists arc in complete disarray as they laugh and joke among
themselves. All of them are dressed in tattered robes and ornate
hoods, and are armed with clubs and some carry machetes as Characters
well. Soon, all of them will feast on the ram and thereby gain the
Blood of Lodin and become Ghouls for a time. Information for a typical cult member is provided on a
character sheet (see the insert).

Drama
If combat breaks out between the cultists and the
Scene Eighteen:
characters, refer to the following information for game informa­
tion about the fanatics. If Roarke so commands, they will R at Tunnel
sacrifice their lives in order to stop the characters.
Each will have one or two points of Kindred Blood,
probably used on their Strength or Dexterity. Thus it is better if
Plot
the characters attack before the cultists feast rather than after. During the ceremony, when Roarke realizes that there
The characters can sneak around the majority of the are Kindred present or if the characters enter the amphitheater
cultists and therefore have to dispatch only a few before pursu­ before the ceremony takes place, he will hurry down these
ing Roarke if they are successful with Dexterity + Stealth rolls tunnels and prepare for the ultimate showdown with the charac­
(difficulty 4). It’s a relatively easy process because of the chaos ters. As he reaches the rat-room, where he has kept Lodin staked
and darkness. on the floor in plain and terrible sight of the malicious beasts that
Whatever happens, try to sec to it that Roarke gets could pull the flesh from the Prince’s helpless body, Roarke
enough of a head start to logically be able to accomplish the tasks opens all of the cages before dashing through the rough door.
outlined in the next Scene. Meanwhile, the rats, which have been going crazy the
last several days over the intoxicating smell of Lodin’s blood,
Dialogue scurry for his body. The huge numbers quickly begin to
consume the Prince, who cannot even scream the pain he must
If the characters do not arrive until after the cultists feel. In the process, each and every rat in the room gets a taste
have killed the ram and have gathered to cook and devour it, then of Lodin’s blood and they are transformed into the most horren­
they will be privy to part of a speech from Roarke. If the dous assemblage of beasts ever. They all become Ghouls.
characters linger in the area while Roarke speaks, then roll

Ashes to Ashes 55
 When the characters enter the room, the rats all smell Roarke does not use the space back here for important personal
the additional blood that awaits their greedy tongues. The pack matters, rather it serves mostly as a storage area for a variety of
charges. props that Roarke utilizes to make his shows even better. Not
A final note: It is up to the characters whether Lodin that Roarke really needs props to demonstrate that he has
lives or dies in this Scene. However, if you plan to keep pace powers, but the Ghoul has been smart throughout his recent
with the ongoing story that will be presented in the first several existence and has not used his precious supply of Blood for
Vampire products from White Wolf, he needs to live. But then sideshow antics. The empowering of the ram and a few simple
again, the chaos that results in Chicago during the absence of a magic tricks have served quite nicely.
Prince would be an excellent plot element. In the upcoming After a jaunt down a short tunnel, the characters will
Chicago by Night, it is generally assumed that Lodin has lived. arrive in a smallish grotto where this material is stored. The
You’ve got to decide if you want to take it easy on yourself and tunnel continues through the grotto and after sloping downward,
make sure he lives, or let the responsibility lie in the players’ a larger room is reached. Unless they are making a great deal of
hands. noise among themselves, as the characters near this area, they
will plainly hear the squeaking of rats. When they reach the
room, it will be evident that there is a very large number of rats
Setting and they arc all swarming in the center of room.
Along the walls of this room are scores of large cages
An opening in the rear of the amphitheater leads to a
with closely spaced bars, obviously the cages where the rats
short network of tunnels that Roarke has set aside for his
were kept. On the opposite side of the room, beyond the
personal use. No other cult member dares to enter this area.
swarming rats, is a roughly cut wooden door that is shut.

56 Ashes to Ashes
D ra m a D ialogue
Since the combat between the characters and the Rat- While it may seem amazing, it is actually possible to
Ghouls involves a mass of opponents and not single assailants, communicate with these rats. Characters with the Discipline
we will have to step outside the suggestions for combat given in Protean may attempt to communicate with some of the animals,
the Drama Chapter in Vampire. There’s an additional wrinkle though the difficulty should be at least 8 and probably 9 since the
as well — the rats are not really interested in killing or damaging rats are in no mood to stop for small talk. With the level two
the characters, though doing so would help them achieve their Protean ability Call of the Wild, a character will actually be able
goal. No, the rats arc really most interested in the Blood of the to disperse the rats if he can succeed at difficulty 10!
characters, and the Vampires will have to be careful in this
encounter or their Blood Pools will be seriously depleted.
Assume that there are at least twenty rats per character. Characters
In a single round of combat, a character will be able to grab,
There are no new characters in this scene
smash or otherwise kill a number of rats equal to the number of
successes on a Wits + Brawl roll (difficulty 5). If some rats are
still attacking the character after this maneuver (and there
definitely will be for the first several rounds), then compare that Scene N ineteen:
number to the character’s Dexterity + Celerity or Stamina +
Fortitude (player’s choice). The amount by which the number Show dow n
of rats exceeds the character’s Attribute + Discipline total is the
number of dice that you should roll (difficulty 7). The number
of successes is the number of Blood Points that the character Plot
loses due to the numerous bites of tenacious rats. When the This Scene takes place in the same room as the battle
character has run out of Blood Points, the rats will continue to
against the Rat-Ghouls. After releasing the rats thatRoarkc has
rend the character at the rate of one Health Level per round.
bred here for several years, he hurries out of sight into the room
Characters should roll Courage (difficulty 6) when beyond the wooden door. Here is the smallish room thatRoarke
they are initially swarmed by the rats. A failure means that the
has used as a Haven since the beginning of his permanent stay
character is too afraid to defend himself until a Willpower point
here (he likes to think that he is a real Vampire and sometimes
is spent to regain composure. Until the Willpower is spent, the
does sleep out the day). He quickly downs the emergency supply
character will be damaged as outlined above except she will gain
of Blood (8 points) that he drained from the Methuselah and
no attacks against the rats.
prepares to enter the fray outside.
C onclusion 1 (You want Lodin to die) — The In this room are stored 4 rams horns which have been
characters won’t see it until the rats spread out to attack them as cut off of the old rams (all of them are magical and capable of
well, and the figure will probably be unrecognizable when they causing aggravated wounds).
do get a clear view, but it was the staked body of Lodin that the Roarke throws the door open, watches as the characters
rats were swarming over. All that will remain when the arc overwhelmed by the Rat-Ghouls and then in plain sight of
characters get a look is a skeleton with a stake through its rib cage everyone, he transforms into a rat himself and disappears into
and a few chunks of flesh yet clinging to its bones. the swarms of the beasts. He has no interest in being made a
C onclusion 2 (You want Lodin to live) — The victim of the rats as well, and at this point, they will not attack
characters need to destroy all of the rats who are covering them, one of their own kind. The story ends when Roarke is slain.
and then take off the 15 who are attacking Lodin in seven turns,
or else he is so consumed that there is nothing left of him.
Otherwise they rescue him before Final Death, but he is still in
Drama
Torpor and in very bad shape (though he will return to full health At this point in the contest between Roarke and the
in short order— somehow he obtained the Blood of an Ancient). characters, the Ghoul figures that he has little chance of escaping
Obviously, this is a very dangerous encounter for the the characters on foot, so he decides to attack when the odds and
characters. In the early part of the conflict, when the number of numbers arc more to his liking, i.e. he has dozens of rats helping
rats is so great, the characters arc all bound to lose several Blood him.
Points. However, as the fight goes on, the characters will be able
After joining the battle as a rat, Roarke will choose to
to clean up the rats without sustaining much additional damage.
attack the character who seems to be handling him or herself best
against the rats. Roarke will viciously attack this character and
the character will definitely know when he has been attacked by
a “normal” rat and the one that is truly Roarke.

Ashes to Ashes 57
 Once the characters have gotten the rats under control,
but before they are totally free of the inconvenience, Roarke will A fterw ord
spend another Blood Point and shift back into human form to use
his Dominate powers on one of the characters. Therefore, when There are many different ways in which this story can
the characters are ready to assault him en masse, Roarke will be concluded. Everything depends on what the characters do
have at least one ally. He is carrying a ram’s horn which he had and how well their actions work. Therefore, it must be you who
secreted in the room, and will use it to try to stab the characters judges what will happen after the end of Scene Nineteen.
who get too close to him. However, there are some general guidelines we can describe as
From this point on, you must get into the mind of well as a few rewards and penalties to discuss.
Roarke and plan his tactics in whatever manner best suits the First of all, if the characters are able to rescue Lodin,
situation. He will be smart and cunning, it will not be easy to out- they will have made a very powerful ally who owes them a BIG
think him though it should be possible. Make sure you do not favor. Imagine having a Prince on your side. Indeed, he may
make him as omniscient arc you are as the Storyteller. offer to make some of the characters his bodyguards (requiring
a Blood Bond of course), which would go against the decree of
the Primogen (who do not wish Lodin to have anyone Blood
Dialogue Bound). But after what has occurred, he feels confident of
getting away with this. Such a post would involve immense
You may allow the characters to converse with Roarke
status, impressive powers and some interesting responsibilities
after the death blow has been struck or after all of his Blood
(see the Chronicle concept: “Brood of a Prince” in Vampire for
Points have been spent and his true age slowly catches up with
details). If the characters do not accept this offer, they still are
him and he finally expires. The aging starts very slow, almost
much better off than they were when they began the Chronicle.
imperceptibly, but it gradually picks up speed until the point
where he is losing a year a second. Roarke will speak freely with
= V A M P IR E -
the characters, but use this as an opportunity to only hint at some
things that you might include in your Chronicle. Do not hand the
characters outright the information they may seek.
r R o ark e (villain)
1

At any point following the characters’ dispatching of -Attribute*

*-
Physical Social M ental
the rats, Roarke will be willing to talk truce, especially if the Strength___________ •••< > () Cliarism n WNe.Tvx\ • • • • ( ) Perception.
Dexterity (W cV > • • • • O Manipulation_______ • • • o o Intelligence^. •••o
characters explain that they arc only searching for Lodin and are S ta in in a ^ ei£ Q sttv ^ i« • • • O Appearance________ • • • O O Wlls SVw
not out to avenge the ex-Prince. If the characters will be satisfied -A bilities
Skills K nowledge
with picking up what remains of Lodin and leaving, then Roarke Actlng_ Animal Ken Bureaucracy________ OOOOO
Alertness Carek& l • ♦ ♦ • O Drive «0000 O in ijn iU ir

0 0
0 0
0 o
0o
o c
will count himself lucky. He will immediately vacate the A th lc tlc -s _________• •()()() Etiquette SAoegA I'lnancc
Brawl <SfVre€t m • • o Firearms____________• • O O O InwstJgaUon_______ . • • • O O
Chicago area, leaving behind any cultists who are still alive. I>odfcV_&<ta!E*£S&_M• • (i Melee___________ ooo o o
Em pathy # 0000 Music___________ ooo o o Linguistics_________- • O O O O
Intim idation * Repair______________ • • o o o
Ixxidcrsllipfafi'&ViC/-’ • • • • o Security m m nnn Occult BrStltCg L o^'i A. m m m m n
Streetwise An\ATtViS > « • • • Stealth O f P a t t ••••o

Characters Subterfuge--------------•••(> (> Survtvall&flyr

= A « I v a u tJ U < c s =
••• o Science
-- - *

D isciplines B ackgrounds V irtues

Roarke, the villain of this story, is described here. Be ferAi-bAo. •••o o Cotiscicitec ••o o o

sure not to confuse this information about Roarke with that 1sou rces___ •••o o Self-Control •••o o
ooooo
provided in the Villain’s Flashback for the Roarke of twenty ooooo C ourage ••••o

years ago.
O th e r T raits :-*=*?*■* H um an it}— -'’=** I leal i l l -
CMe _____ Bruised
• OOOOO
Roarke Hurt
Injured -2
-l

Wounded -3
H um an Birth: 1875 • • • • • • • O O O
Mauled 4
»C om bat= Crippled
The Embrace: G houl since 1908 Weapon Difficulty Damage □□□□□□□□□□ IncajxtciLated □

Description: O nce a very w ell-groom ed m an, Hb*s=I$lood Pool

Experience

Roarke is a frightening sight at 6'5", now that his hair is

long and w ild. H is eyes also betray that a b it of his sanity : A im btilts: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)

has p erh ap s been lost in recent years.

Dem eanor: M artyr (changed in recent years)
Nature: Fanatic ( changed in recent years)
Notes: See the Introduction and the A dvanced
Storytelling Section for a w ealth of inform ation about
Roarke.

58 Ashes to Ashes
 If Lodin dies, things may be more serious. If they
report to Ballard or Neally immediately, the site ofLodin’s death
can be investigated and the characters themselves will be exon­
erated. However, it is very possible that Belthazar will still be
seeking revenge (if the characters helped Damien) and the best
they can expect is to be escorted back to Gary and told never to
return (until the next crisis at least). If they helped Belthazar, the
characters will be welcome in Chicago and Ballard (the new
Prince) will allow them to present themselves to him and be
made part of Chicago’s Kindred.
No matter what, the characters will be allowed to retain
the ram’s homs as well as whatever information they scavenged
in Lodin’s Haven (which can turn out to be quite valuable).
Simply knowing the names of Havens of many of Chicago’s
Kindred is reward enough for this story.
Experience points should certainly be assigned after
the conclusion. You may also wish to allocate additional points.
This can be based on who did the most to solve the mystery,
which character did the best in combat, or who saved everyone
else’s bacon in a major way. Don’t be too general, for what
rewards you give now will set the precedent for future rewards,
but if the players do well, make sure they feel good about it.
There are many elements of the plot you may want to
weave into future stories, particularly the potential enmity
between Belthazar and Damien, and the Dominance exerted by
the sleeping Methuselah. Indeed, if the characters still possess
Lodin’s pendant, the Methuselah will be able to keep an active
eye on them and may call on them to return to him some day. If
at all possible, he will try to gel the characters to drink his Blood
again until they are Blood Bound to him. He understands the
importance of capable pawns.
At this point, it is up to you to continue the Chronicle.
There are any number of directions you can take it. Just make
sure you pick a route the players seem interested in. You may
wish to purchase Chicago by Night to get a better idea of what
the Byzantine politics and twisted Kindred of Chicago arc like.
Additionally, elements of this plot will be progressed further in
a future supplement, Dust to Dust™.

I am ashes where I was once fire.

— Lord Byron, To the Countess
o f Blessington

Ashes to Ashes 59
rri i

* -V. ■':
■%. -4 -1 A
1 ,\i |
 X 'D V A J s ic e 'D S r r o p y t r e L U N i g
S e c rn o N (O p c io n m )

The Villain’s Flashback; where the flames of revenge are In the secondary story, the players not only have a
stoked chance to meet Lodin, the Prince of Chicago, but they will also
learn why Roarke hates Lodin so deeply. When the characters
discover that the “Ghoulie man” of the primary story is Roarke,
NOTE: This portion of Ashes to Ashes does not have to be
played in order to enjoy the story. This secondary story is they might feel some sympathy for him and his obvious quest for
presented for use by those Storytellers who would like to gain vengeance against Lodin. Plus, imagine how the players will
react to the player controlling Roarke in the secondary story
the most impact out of the storytelling technique employed be
White Wolf in Vampire. See the introduction to this story for when they all learn that Roarke is the enemy in the primary story.
Smile knowingly when Roarke is “killed” near the end of the
more information.
secondary story and the players wonder how he could possibly
This chapter of the story is the first use in a published
be the enemy. This will only contribute to the misconception
Vampire product of a secondary story. These types of stories
that he is a Vampire.
were discussed in Vampire, and include such techniques as
The main purpose of any secondary story is to lend
Parallel stories and Flashbacks. Such a story is meant to be told
strength to the theme of the primary story. As the theme of
in conjunction with the main story and players will control
characters completely different from those they control in the Ashes to Ashes concerns itself with double-dealingand intrigue,
regular, or primary, story. the true hallmark of Vampire society, this flashback will ac­
centuate such schemes by blatantly showing the characters that
In the main story of Ashes to Ashes, players take the they are pawns in a much larger, and perhaps largely insignificant,
role of Vampires struggling for their lives in Chicago. In this
game.
secondary story, they will portray mortals who are Retainers to
a Kindred. These characters do not have to be created by the The difference lies in the fact of the players’ knowl­
edge of the manipulation. In the primary story, as discussed in
players unless there are more than five players. The five
the Theme section at the beginning of the book, the behind-the-
characters provided in this chapter have been specifically tailored
for use here, though it will be a relatively simple matter for you scenes manipulations occur without the characters even realizing
to make room for other characters. If you have fewer than five that it is going on. The conclusion of the secondary story,
however, will show them without mirrors that they are the
players, then allow the players to pick from the characters
playthings of other, greater beings, and perhaps infer to the
offered, but make sure that someone plays Roarke. Yes, this is
the same Roarke that plays a major role in the primary story of players that the same is possible of their real characters.
Ashes to Ashes. The fun in this secondary story is two-fold. First, as in
This secondary story is a Villain Flashback (flashback: all such stories, the players have a chance to play a completely
“the interruption of chronological sequence in a literary or new character. This is a character that they have not developed
theatrical work by interjection of events of earlier occurrence”). or even encountered in previous play, so the players should not
Therefore, the events of this chapter have already taken place in feel constrained to play the characters in a certain way. It’s
the world of Vampire, but the characters still play through the spontaneous roleplaying.
story. It may seem confusing, but it’s not. It’s like those parts The second part of the fun is the dichotomy between the
in books where the author cuts to another scene to let the reader hidden and blatant intrigue. If players understand that the
know more of the background of the events that have already purpose of a secondary story is to highlight the theme of the
been presented. For example, in such a flashback, we may primary story, then imagine how befuddled they will become
discover that the novel’s main character is from a family with a when they arc so obviously used in the secondary story. How,
history of mental illness. Later in the book, when the protagonist they will begin to ask themselves, are we being manipulated in
begins to act a little strange, the reader knows a possible source the primary story? The paranoia created is immense and the
for that behavior. players will start looking over shoulders and questioning the

Ashes to Ashes 61
motives of everyone they meet. That’s how it should be in idea is, “Who wouldn’t want to see the Prince of Chicago meet
Vampire, especially in Chicago. Final Death. I can trust no one but those close to me to see me
safely to my destination.” He will say as much to the characters.
This Flashback is to a time a little more than twenty
S ettin g the Scene years ago; 1969 to be specific. The chaos of the Democratic
National Convention in the city is only a year gone, but the
In this secondary story, the players assume the roles of 1970’s will soon heat up. Watergate is a fiasco waiting to
Retainers (as per the Background Trait) of Lodin, the Prince of happen. In the world of Vampire, Kindred were involved in the
Chicago. They are completely loyal to Lodin, and though they political convention debacle, but did they have anything to do
have all been dominated by him at one time or another, they have with Watergate? That question is not answered in this book, but
come to gain quite a bit of free will. Inform the players it is that kind of atmosphere this Flashback is set in.
immediately that they will absolutely not be allowed to take Not much of the story takes place in America, but you
actions against Lodin. Those who become Prince know well might take some opportunities to populate settings with hippies
who can be trusted, and the characters of the players arc and war-protesters. In fact, you will note that one of the
definitely trusted. characters is a bit of a hippie herself.
All of the characters are mortals, the kind of servants
Vampires require for daytime protection. Since Lodin will be
taking an international journey during the story, the help of such Characters
mortals becomes even more important. This is especially so
Presented here are details of the five characters that are
considering Lodin’s unwillingness to utilize the services of
presented for use by your players. Game information is presented
Kindred who offer safe passage around the world. Lodin’s basic
in the standard character sheet format.

62 Ashes to Ashes
 'v

Roarke
Apparent Age: 33 (Born: 1875 (Ghoul since 1908))
Description: R oarkeisgiantofam anashestands6’5".
His body is lanky, but his movements are athletic and well-
coordinated. His brown hair is nicely trimmed and Roarke
general makes an effort to appear well-dressed.
Demeanor: C onform ist
Nature: P lotter
Notes: A businessman in a still regrowing Chicago at the
turn of the century, Roarke found success representing the
industrial interests of the city to areas across the country. He was
good at play ing hardbal 1, and at using bribes to get projects done,
his skills made him a very rich man. It was during his repping
of one particular client, Lake Michigan Tools and Hardware, AAM PIRE
that Roarke caught the attention of a man who would completely
change his existence. Lodin, the new Prince of Chicago, was the R o ark e (flash b ack )
T
owner of the company and he saw that Roarke’s obvious people ----Attributes
Physical Social Mental
skills and long-term planning proficiencies could be of great use Charisma_________• • • O O Perception________ • • ♦ O O

to him. Roarke has been with Lodin ever since. He is the leader Dexterity •••O O Manipulation______ • • o o o IntgJHgenccIV^ogctiV^eeeeo
• ••O O Appearance_______ • • • o o Wits___________ • • • o o
of Lodin’s Ghouls, and works hard to serve Lodin in whatever -Abilities-
Talents Skills Knowledge
manner is required. For a long time you were Lodin’s contact Acting____ .OOOOO Animal Ken________ • • • O O Bureaucracy________ OOOOO
A lertness .• • o o o Drive_____________ * 0 0 0 0 Computer_________ o o o o o
with the Police department, but when your contact died (the Athletics
Brawl _
••o o o Etiquette ••••o Finance.___________ o o o o o
• ••O O Firearms__________ • • • o o Investigation,_______ • o o o o
chief of Police) Lodin began to use a different means of control­ D odge.
Em pathy
••o o o
______. OOOO
Melee____________ o o o o o
Music______________ OOOOO
Low______________ • • o o o
Linguistics_________ • o o o o
ling the police — you would love to figuree out how he does it. Intimidatlon3l£&fiQ<£«* • • o
Leadership________ • • o o o
Impair_____________ OOOOO
Security___________ OOOOO
Medicine,__________ •OOOO
Occult__________ • • o o o
The Others: You respect the abilities of Natasha, Streetwise_________ • • • o o
Subterfuge__________OOOOO
Steal tli___________ • • o o o
Survival. — ••o o o
Politics____________ o o o o o
Science__________ooooo
struggle to keep Derek in line, call upon Julian’s advice fre­ -----------— —Advantages^
Discipli
Disciplines B ack g ro u n d s V irtues
quently, and have a soft spot in your heart for Amber. V4Vv&EajViouA■ ooooo M e r \W _______ • • • o o Conscience_______ • • • o o
_________ ooooo S f a V s ________ •o o o o
Roleplaying Tips: Speak clearly and firmly, and _
rcAeAdd_______
*0 0 0 0
*0 0 0 0
C oM aote.
_______________
••o o o
ooooo
P ro te a n •o o o o _______________ ooooo Courage.
make sure that your voice always carries the tone of authority.
Leadership comes naturally too you, but it is still something you *+=»*”0 tlier T ra its r^ ^ * • H e a lth — -
have to pay attention to if you want to be any good at it. You ooo B ruised □
H u rt -1 □
have the nervous habit of strumming you fingers. Injured -3 □
—Wil 1[H )w cr-w F Wounded -8 □
M auled 4 □
• • • • • • O O O O
Crijiijled & □
Weapon IXflkxilty Damage □□□□□□□□□□ Incapacitated □

— Experience
-B lo o d P ool—
O O O O O O O O O O

U: Attributes 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/3 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)

JL

Ashes to Ashes 63
 Natasha
Age: 32 (Bom: 1937)
Description: Though Natasha is a slender 5’7", her body
is hardened by extensive workouts and her strength has surprised
many an enemy. Shoulder length, blunt-cut, blond hair frames
a finely sculpted face.
Demeanor: Director
Nature: Cavalier
Notes: Natasha is Lodin’s bodyguard. Though she doesn’t
look like one, she’s very capable of doing her job — keeping
Lodin alive (so to speak). When looks and intelligence don’t
work, she’s not a bad shot either, having been granted Marks­
man status at the FBI academy (where she was one of the first
female students in the early 50’s). She’s also earned blackbclts
in Judo, Tai-kwan-do and Jingitsu. Natasha was attached to
Special Affairs in the Bureau and it was through this branch that
she met Lodin. Natasha didn’t know Lodin was a Vampire at the
time, but he was a lead into suspected para-normal activities in
the Chicago area. However, during the course of her investiga­
tion into Lodin, Natasha’s own Russian ancestry put her under
the suspicion of her own department for so called “communist
activities” (after all, it was the McCarthy era). When she was
fired from her post because of her so called security risk,
=YAMPIRE
N atash a
l Natasha ran to Lodin who had offered her a job when they had
met earlier. He used his connections with the Ventrue Justicar
(who had influence over Hoover) to have Natasha’s name
- A K r ilm lts -
Physical Social M ental completely removed from the FBI files. Natasha has served
Sinaigtli ____ • • o o u Perception________• • • o n
Dexterity NW\VeV'vC • • • • O Manipulation_______ * o o o o Intelligence Lodin faithfully ever since, though occasionally she suspects
Stamina,________ ••••<> Appearance Sfeavy • • • • O wits a * c k R e S V o g •

= A l» U iU c * =
him of setting up the whole deal that got her fired so she would
Talents Skills Knowledge have to turn to him.
A cting______________OOOOO Animal Ken________OOOOO Bureaucracy_________o o o o o
A lcrLncss_
Atlllctlcs_
Drive______________ OOOOO
Etiquette___________o o o o o
Computer__________ OOOOO
Finance_____________o o o o o
You are fairly easy to understand — you are loyal to
B ra w l— 3 Z s\A .g ..
I>cxlge_ _•••OO
Firearm e• •• O
Melee______________ • • o o o
Investigation________* 0 0 0 0
Law.________________ ••O O O
Lodin for one reason, because he lets you demonstrate how good
E m pathy_ _ooooo Music______________ OOOOO Linguistics__________ OOOOO
you are. Above all else, you want to prove yourself, to show that
Intim idation________o o o o o Repair_____________ o o o o o Medicine___________ • 0 0 0 0
lea d ersh ip _________ o o o o o Security,_________ • • • o o Occult;______________ * 0 0 0 0
Streetwise__________ •OOOO Stealth_____________• • o o o Politics---------------------OOOOO you are better than anyone else at what you do — killing.
Subterfuge----------- ooooo Survival____________ o o o o o Science---------------------OOOOO
Nothing equals that in importance to you. You work for a man
= A ilv a id ;ii> e « =
D isciplines Backgrounds V irtues you despise, because he grants you that freedom.
V'Drc’v ooooo jj te a ig •••o o Conscience._______• • o o o
_______
orV A ^A e
ooooo
90000
#0000
»oooo SdFControL.
The Others:
ct'Ace______ aoooo
•oooo Cxiuragc You appreciate the cool resolve of Julian Curry above
all the others. In his own unique way, he has what it takes. You
• fc ^ O th c r Traits **, *st—Iluuuuiily" -H e a lth " despise the empty bravado of Derek who can’t seem to keep his
• • • • • • O O O O Bruised
Hurt •1 hands off of you. His unprofessional ism has made your job more
Injured -8 □
I j ■■ Wi 11|H)\vcr-- ’v b Wounded S □ difficult on many an occasion. Amber is a nobody and you don’t
• •••••OOOO Mauled 4 □
Crippled -5 D understand why Lodin has her around since she serves no useful
□□□□□□O O PO Incapacitated □
WcupKl Diflk-ult) tXui-.u^e
purpose. Roarke is the leader when Lodin is not around. You
Ivxpcrience—
-fw - Blood P o o l- understand that, but there is something about him you don’t like.
O O O O O O O O O O
Roleplaying Tips:
Auribulcsr 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: S Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)

Play the cold blond Nordic siren to the hilt. Gaze at

those who behave stupidly with icy cold eyes, and carry yourself
with grace and precision. Don’t let anyone, especially a man,
boss you around — unless his name happens to be Lodin, your
boss.

64 Ashes to Ashes
Amber
Age: 22 (Bom: 1947)
Description: The archetypical hippie, Amber’s waist
length, dirty blonde hair occasionally needs the help of an iron
to keep it straight. Her cornflower-blue eyes are the highlight of
a rather homely face. Her habitual look of wonder leads many
to believe that Amber is naive, a fact which she often uses to her
advantage.
Demeanor: Hedonist
Nature: Conformist
Notes: You met Lodin while at the Woodstock Music
Festival. He was quite the trip. His manner of speech and old-
fashioned clothing clashed with the tie-dies and flowers every­
one else was wearing. Yet you were inexplicably drawn to him.
You were most amazed at his display of physical prowess,
catching Pete Townshend’s guitar when the musician threw it
into the crowd at the end of the show. For some reason, you have
stuck with him ever since, taking care of him as his personal
attendant and hostess, and providing him with blood now and
then, in emergencies. Lodin takes good care of you though too
— you like that, he supplies you with whatever you need (though
♦ H4
he has cut back a lot on the drugs, except on nights when he’s in H
■YAMPIRL
the mood for it). Someday, you’ll probably move on, but why
mess up a good thing? Life’s much too short and youth
f A m ber 1
definitely doesn’t last forever, unless you get a drink of a ’Attributes^
Vampire’s Blood every now and then. Physical
Strength____________ • o o o o
Social
C.linrlMiialvmQCgftt • • • • »
M ental
Perception__________ •••<><>
Lately, you have begun to deal with some of Lodin’s Dexterity___________ • • • ( ) ( )
Stamina____________ • • o o o
Mantjmlatlon_
Appearance__
Intelligence_________ • • • o < >
Wits____________ • • o o o
political as well as personal affairs. You have an affinity with -Yhimics-
TalenUs Skills Knowledge
people and can use your innocence to get them off guard and in Animal Ken________ OOOOO Bureaucracy.______ ooooo
more of a mood to deal. When Lodin wants to get some A lertn ess_ _««ooo Drive ••o o o
A thletics__ _ooooo HUquetterbm Y C S • •••() Finance
_ooooo Firearms.___________ ••o o o
information out of someone or needs them softened up, he turns D odgc_ _«#ooo Mclec__________ 90000
_*«ooo Music______________ • • o o o Linguistics
to you. Intimldation_ -O O O O O lie pair_____________ o o o o o Medicine
lead ersh ip ___ _ooooo O m .ll
The Others: You and Derek get along very well — for Streetwise____
Subterfuge___
-OOOOO
-••O O O
Security____________ OOOOO
Steal tit_____________ • • o o o
S u r v iv a l___ -O O O O O
Politics

a while you even slept together. Even though that is now in the A d v a n ta g es^ ...X
past, you are the best of friends and conspire together about the D isciplines
ftWul s ooooo
Backgrounds
dor •••o o
V irtues

others frequently. You fear Natasha, since she is much too cold OOOOO
•o o o o
m • •O O O
ooooo Self-Control •••o o
for your taste. You certainly don’t understand her. You like to •o o o o
•o o o o
OOOOO
ooooo Courage ••o o o

tease “poor Julian” because he gets flustered so easily, but you

rather like him despite him pompousness. You can’t help but •***»Other T raits. - ^ -** H umanity" “— H ealth "
Se^ocVvoA ••o o o Bruised
feel sorry for him as well. Recently you read a letter sent to him Xw\r'\yie~ •o o o o Io Hurt *1
ooooo Injured -2
by his sister (well it was just laying around) and found out that ooooo
Wil 1powe r — • Wounded -3
ooooo
he had been disowned by his mother. You don’t understand •fy : Coin bat ■ • • • • • • O O O O
Mauled 4
Crippled -5
Roarke but follow his lead in everything — he’s in charge. In Weapon Difficulty Damage □□□□□□□□□□ Incapacitated □

times of crisis, you tum to him instinctively — he is your pillar •f y —Blood P o o l-w F
=—Experience -*»

of strength. OOOOO OOOOO

Roleplaying Tips: Underplay your role and work on Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)

the subtleties. Arch your eyebrows when you question what

someone says, but don’t contradict them. When you think you
are best person for a job, step right in and take over. You only
seem like a flake because that puts you at an advantage.

Ashes to Ashes 65
 Derek
Born: 29 (Bom: 1940)
Description: At 6’5", Derek stands above most men.
His Italian heritage makes him a natural with the ladies. Almost
everyone loves Derek’s good-natured grin and easy-going
manner.
Demeanor: Gallant
Nature: Conniver
Notes: Derek moved to Chicago in the early 60’s, after
a tour of duty in Korea, where he flew helicopters fora M* A* S*H
unit. Soon after he arrived in the Windy City, Derek became a
regular at Daley’s. It was there that he met Lodin. WhenLodin
needed a pilot for a midnight flight to New York, he sought
Derek’s services. Since then, Derek has used his skills to get
M
=VAMPIRE.=
r D e r e k G allen
1
Lodin into and out of many places, from St. Louis to Gary. For
his part, Derek likes Lodin, and besides, the pay is great and the
excitement level high.
:AUributcsi= He is a risk taker above all else, and needs the constant
Physical Social M ental
S t r a ig U i_____________ • • O O O _«»ooo Perception__________ • • • o o stimulation of risking his life. It’s that which gets him in the
Dexterity SVea<l>j Manlpulatlon_ _*#ooo I n te llig e n c e ___________• • • O O
Stamlna_ Appearance__ ••OOO Wits________________ • • • o o most trouble with Lodin, who believes caution is the better part
=A biliU cs= of valor.
Skills Knowledge
Acting ooooo Animal Ken OOOOO
• • •O O
IJureaucracv
Computer
•0000
ooooo The Others: You and Amber get along very well. For
Finance ooooo
a while you slept together, but you quickly bored of it (she’s not
|

Firearms ImestJgation ooooo

Law ooooo
Music good looking enough for you to stick around). You are still
Medicine
Occult____
TVilltlnc
friends though. You lust after Natasha and hate her for her
Stealth
S rleire aloofness. You come on to her every chance you get — if you
- - l - ----- . . . X .
-------— can ’t sleep with her, at least you can make her squirm. Roarke
D isciplines Backgrounds V irtues
\NV\rv\ c^ovxV • ••O O (nttsdence is the boss, but you always make it clear to him that you are your
c
c
•
•
•

OOOOO
ooooo Wives • •O O O
Self-Control • • •0 0
VbWc.e
OOOOO own boss by doing things your own way. You think that Julian
Courage
0
•
•
•
1

is a coward and chastise him for it every chance you get — you
-------------
just hate whimps.
-*s**'Otlicr Traits?1 I Iu m a n ity " — H ealth -
P i \ g V (A\t\vCOfW) 4
ooooo # • • • • • 0 0 0 0
Bruised
H tu t -1
Roleplaying Tips: You are a hot dog, and love the
ooooo Injured -2 excitement and exhilaration of danger more than anything else.
ooooo —Will jx w e r — Wounded -3
ooooo
• • • • • • O O O O
M auled -4 Constantly shoot off your mouth and do things without thinking.
Crippled -5
Weapon IXITktilty Damage
□□□□□□□□□□ However, always let Roarke reign you back in.
■i-a w Blood l)OOlrj»«d'
0000000000
■L
H
Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)

66 Ashes to Ashes
Julian Curry
Age: 36 (Bom: 1933)
Description: Julian stands 5’6" tall, and is slightly
overweight. His thinning hair makes him look much older than
he really is — that and his affection for molchair cardigans.
Demeanor: Director
Nature: Plotter
Notes: Julian Curry takes care of all Lodin’s financial
affairs. He met Lodin through his former employer, Chase
Manhattan Bank, who took care of Lodin’s finances until Lodin
stole Julian away from them. Lodin offered him a far greater
salary and fairly substantial side benefits — immortal life. He
is proud of his education and upper class upbringing, and much
of his pride stems from his family status. However, that is also
a sore point for him, since he began to work with Lodin, he has
not seen his family and recently he was disowned by his mother.
VAM PIRE
This is a secret he is reluctant to share with anyone.
The Others: You and Natasha get along very well —
you respect her and she respects you in return. She is someone
r Julian Curry
= A t t r i l > l l < C S --- r -
whom you and Lodin can trust. A lover of classical music, you Physical Social M ental
Strength____________ • • • O O Charisma_______ #oooo Perception_______ • • • o o
despise Amber’s and Derek’s addiction for “rock and roll.” Dexterity.________ • • o o o Manipulation______ • • • o o Intelligence L o gical ♦ • • • •
Stamina,_________ • • • o o Appearance________• • OO O Wits________________ • •O O O

During the day, you clash constantly over what to play — of ^Abilities=
Talents Shills K n o w led ge
course at night, Lodin insists upon classical, so at least part of the Acting______________OOOOO Animal Ken ooooo Hunviucmrv • •O O O
A lerlness_ _*oooo Drive •o o o o Computer, ••o o o
time you get what you want without a fight. Athletics _»oooo Etkiucttc D ysiness. ••••<> Finance ••••o
Brawl___ _»»ooo Firearms •o o o o Imcstlgulion___ ___ooooo
Dodge__
You obey Roarke’s orders explicitly, but insist upon Empathy_
_**ooo
_ooooo Music
Repair Medicine
private council with Lodin later when you disagree with what Intim idation________OOOOO
Leadership________ » o o o o Security Occult
Streetwise_________ o o o o o Stealth
you have been told to do. You jealously hoard your time with Subterfuge__________6 * 0 0 0

Lodin and pride yourself on the relationship you have built up ..- z .
Disciplines Backgrounds V irtu e s
with the man you adore. ooooo hkeotor •••o o C onfidence ••o o o
_____ ooooo ••••(>
Roleplaying Tips: Carry yourself with the utmost in ;y\v>Ag ~ *0000
_____________ »oooo ooooo
Sell-Control

___ • •O O O ooooo Courage.

dignity and restraint. No matter what happens, you never lose
your cool. You are somewhat pompous and don’t feel a HF***»Other T raits:-* * ^ " H u m a n ity
reluctance to let people know what you think of them. OOO

• • • • • o o o o o
Weapon Difficulty Damage □□□□□□□□□□ Incapacitated □
•+=**—Experience
=Tilood Pool
o o o o o o o o o o
Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)

Ashes to Ashes 67
 we su g gest readin g Carr ion Com fort bv Dan Simmons. Besides,
R u n n in g a chess plays a major role in this book just as it does in this
secondary story, and it’s a Vampire tale.
Secondary S tory
As this is the first secondary story White Wolf has A F in al Tip
printed, and since it’s unlikely that you have run this sort of
additional story in the past, you may be interested in some tips This secondary story is much shorter than the primary
about how to proceed. story. Of course, this only presents another pacing problem.
The most important thing about telling more than one When do you begin the secondary story and where in relation­
story is the pacing. Learning how to pace one story, as discussed ship to the primary story should it end? Since the secondary
in Vampire, can be a daunting task in itself. Now, you need to story opens in a Haven of Prince Lodin, we recommend that you
coordinate two stories, and that’s at least twice as hard. The trick begin this story immediately prior to the Vampire characters’
is knowing when to change from one story to other. In some inspection of the Haven. While this gives the stories a suggestion
cases, like when the secondary story is a Parallel story, this is of being Parallel, the players may later realize that it is a
simple. In such a story you just need to minror the events of one Flashback.
story in another. Also, we recommend that the secondary story be
For instance, in one of the examples cited in Vam pire, concluded sometime around the time that the Vampires in the
a group of high school students out for a drive happen upon an primary story retrieve the body of the Methuselah from the
old mansion. This mansion, years later, is also the site of the clutches of Michael Standdown. While there is not enough
climax of the story concerning the Vampire characters. So when space in this publication to go too deeply into the politics and
the high school students arrive at the house, you would imme­ intrigue of Chicago (check out Chicago by Night for that), this
diately shift to the Vampires and tell that story until those timing of the conclusion should give you and the players
characters arrive at the house. Then shift back and allow the high something of a hint about what’s to come. There is a very big
school students to enter the house and look around. Continue to game being played in Chicago, and who is who’s dupe is very
pace the parallel story in such a fashion. hard to determine.
The secondary story in Ashes to Ashes, however, is a
Villain Flashback. This kind of story is a little harder to
coordinate with a primary story because it calls for more Characters Used
decision-making on the part of the Storyteller. Instead of being
able to respond to obvious cues and shift to the other story, it will
be your call when to make the shift — there are no hard and fast
by the P layers
rules. Listed on page 62 are statistics for the five suggested
Throughout the text of the secondary story arc some mortal characters for use in this secondary story. As noted
suggested points when the shift can be made between the above, only one of these characters must be played, so if you
primary and secondary stories. These suggestions are made have fewer than five players, then make sure that one of them
based on the projected pacing of the story. Your story is likely assumes the role of Roarke. You will need to create additional
to flow differently than any other Storyteller’s because your characters if you have more than five players. Use these five as
players are unique, so simply make the shift whenever you guidelines when creating such characters.
consider the moment to be climatic. For example, when one of
the players’ Vampire characters in the primary story uses the
Auspex Discipline in the hidden basement of Roarke’s old
hideout, you may want to shift immediately. The players will
Scene One:
then eagerly wait for details of the clues they expect you will tell
them when you return to the primary story. Little do they know A t Ease in the Windy City
that the Vampire who used Auspex will be going into a terrible
Frenzy. That’s effective use of shifting between stories.
The model to use when shifting between stories is
Plot
almost any good novel that changes perspectives from character This is a very simple Scene. The only thing of true
to character. Most writers inevitably choose to shift to the importance that must happen is Lodin’s announcement that the
perspective of another character in the novel when a tense characters will accompany him on an overseas trip the following
moment has arrived. To see this technique put to excellent use, night. Otherwise, use the suggestions listed below to keep play

68 Ashes to Ashes
moving and allow the players to become comfortable with their However, you should give the players a moment to
new characters. look over their new mortal characters before asking them what
Lodin will uncharacteristically spend the entire night they are doing to entertain themselves in the luxury suite.
at the Haven. He simply desires to rest before what he refers to Basically, let them have whatever they want here. Remember,
as a very important journey. Don’t let on to the players how they are the private bodyguards of the Prince of Chicago, a
trivial the journey really is. Vampire who happens to have quite a few mortal connections as
One of the main goals of this Scene should be allowing well. Make note of the details of any equipment that Roarke
the players some time to get accustomed to their new characters. might be using so you may make effective use of this in the
It can be difficult, though rewarding, to suddenly play a char­ primary story. Also, have Lodin join Roarke in whatever he is
acter other than your normal one, let alone one that you did not doing if that’s possible. For example, if Roarke decides that he
create, so give some grace time here. One even more important would like to be playing pinball, Lodin will challenge him to a
thing — don’t let the players get frustrated with the new roles. game. Then allow the Vampire characters in the primary story
If you see that your players are unable or unwilling to play this to find a mangled pinball machine in the suite Lodin destroyed
secondary story, then just don’t use it. As noted in the introduction, years ago after the events of the secondary story took place. He
the story is complete even without the Flashback; the secondary demolished it out of anguish, but don’t let the players know that.
story simply provides a little extra depth to the Theme.
One technique that might help the players get into their
roles more quickly is playing the earlier parts of this Scene using
Dialogue
Live-Action roleplaying. You may recall that this same tech­ • Parcel Delivery: This part of the story may be told
nique was recommended at the beginning of Baptism by Fire before or after Lodin has informed the characters of the trip to
when the players were Vampires for the very first time. If the London. It all depends on how well-prepared you desire the
technique worked well then and your group enjoys Live-Action characters to be when they have to make decisions concerning
roleplaying, then you should definitely employ it here. In Live- shipping the package. Without knowledge of the trip, they will
Action roleplaying, players can use body language to accentuate be more prone to make a mistake that will anger Prince Lodin.
the words of their character. Especially if the character played Herman, the doorman of the building, rings Lodin’s
has a strong personality or a personality quirk like the mortals of suite and informs whomever answers that there is a large
this secondary story, Live-Action roleplay can speed the process package in the lobby for delivery to Mr. Lodin. He says the
of familiarity. If a character always cocks her head when she delivery man is requesting a signature for the package and
speaks, then it will help if the player is allowed to do this as well though Herman would normally just sign for such items “this is
when speaking for her. such a large package” that he thinks someone should check it
There are several bit parts that you can play to help the out.
players become comfortable with the characters. Listed below One or more characters should go down to the lobby to
are some ideas, but feel free to add any of your own. check this out. When they get down there, they will find an
impatient, and somewhat rude, delivery man trying to get
Herman to sign for the package. As the characters arrive, the
Setting delivery man is threatening to just reload the package and
This story opens in one of the Havens of Prince Lodin. attempt redelivery tomorrow when “the staff may be a little
This Haven happens to be the very same one from which Lodin more cooperative.”
will later (chronologically, not in terms of how events are Herman will be very relieved to turn the situation over
presented in this story) disappear. See page 33, for details of the to the characters. The delivery man (“ Harold” according to the
layout of this Haven. In general, the Haven is not any different name stitched on his uniform) will try to geta quick signature for
in this story. It will be neater here, and the Vault door will still the package so he can leave. After all, it’s late, this is his last
be intact. delivery of the day, and he wants to go home.
The characters have free reign of the place with one Thecharacters will hopefully take some time toexamine
exception — they may not enter the central vault area in which the package before they sign anything. The parcel is indeed very
Lodin sleeps. It is from within that Lodin conducts his most large. It’s about seven feet long, three feet high, and three feet
secret business, the kind he cannot perform, even in front of wide. Hopefully, players will realize that a box this size could
those he absolutely trusts. It is simply too likely that some other contain a coffin. Actually, the content is not a coffin, but it is a
Kindred could get control of one of the characters and pry large, sealable box that Lodin intends to use on the upcoming
information from him or her. trip.
Begin the secondary story with a bang by having the Alert characters will notice that the delivery label has
vault door open two addresses on it. One is the billing address, which is the

Ashes to Ashes 69
address of the suite, while the other address is a warehouse at The characters should roll Intelligence + Etiquette
O ’Hare International Airport, the true delivery address. Unless (difficulty 4) to recall that Lodin does not like to be disturbed
a player specifically announces that he or she is looking at the while in his vault. In fact, he does not appreciate being bothered
label, they must roll Perception + Bureaucracy (difficulty 5) to while at a Haven at all, though this Haven is his most accessible
notice the two addresses and realize the mistake that has been and public one. Also, an Intelligence + Security roll (difficulty
made. 6) will allow a character to recognize the Kindred as one of
If the delivery man is requested to take the package to Lodin’s Eyes, personally appointed individuals who keep watch
O ’Harc, he will flatly refuse, saying that it is not on his route. over various parts of the city, wary for more trouble from the
Besides, he points out, the package has priority delivery and was Anarchs. After the uprising of Anarchs during the Democratic
shipped via air delivery from Oregon for delivery today. With Convention, Lodin is being very careful. However, the Anarchs
a successful Appearance+ Intimidation (difficulty 8) a character are chaffing at being overseen by these Eyes, so it is a practice
can “convince” the delivery man that a trip to the airport would that Lodin will faze out in another year.
be in everyone’s best interest. However, such a heavy-handed Normally, the characters would have no trouble at all
technique should not be used in front of Herman. Alternatively, recognizing anyone this close to Lodin, but this particular Eye,
you may give the characters a chance to trick the delivery man named Belthazar (as Sheriff was known at this time— see Scene
into taking the package to the airport by using Manipulation + Three of the primary story), keeps watch over the upper class
Subterfuge. districts of the city. It’s a cushy assignment and requires little
If Lodin has already awakened by the time the delivery work on Bellhazar’s part. Anarchs rarely cause trouble in that
man arrives, then the characters can go to him for instructions. area of the city, so the characters have had little need to pay this
He will be very upset about the confusion (in his mind, such particular Eye any notice. Those who pay attention to their job,
mishaps threaten the Masquerade) and demands that the charac­ though, will certainly recall even details like this.
ters see that the package is delivered to the airport, even if they Belthazar will not tolerate being mistreated by any of
have to hail a taxi, stuff the parcel in the trunk, and take it the characters, for they are mere mortals. If one of them yells at
themselves. him at the door, then the Kindred will slug the character in the
The most important dialogue that must take place in stomach and move on by. If that blow is landed, there will at
this Scene is between Lodin and the characters. The Scene least be doubt in the victim ’s m ind that the previously unknown
should begin before nightfall so therefore before Lodin will guest is a Vampire.
awaken, but soon after he is up, Lodin will explain that everyone As Belthazar walks into the suite, he mumbles angrily
must prepare for a trip to London. The Prince demands that under his breath. The characters will catch such comments as
nothing of this trip be mentioned to anyone, for it is very “some crazy Malkavian bitch” and “just like her crazed kind not
important that it remain a secret. to ask for permission.” He demands to speak with the Prince, but
While Lodin truly does desire the trip to be a secret, the after perhaps losing control for a moment when he first arrived,
repercussions of someone discovering the trip or even the nature the Kindred will not cause further harm to the mortals. After all,
of the Prince’s business is not nearly as dire as you should make he realizes, it’s not good policy to hurt those the Prince relics
it seem. The more ominous the reason for the journey, the more upon. However, he will defend himself against attack or
foolish the players will feel when the nature of the business is retaliation. Once things have settled down, he insists that his
revealed in Scene Six. business is urgent and commands that Lodin be informed he is
here. If pressed for details, he will explain that he feels strongly
that an unauthorized Embrace was delivered in the city.
Drama If one of the characters goes to Lodin with news of the
visitor, the Prince will at first tell the character to be silent and
You, and no doubt the players, will recognize Sheriff
that he will be out in a moment. Lodin is inside finalizing plans
from the primary story. The players will dislike him there as
for his chartered plane for the trip to London. After he completes
well. While a significant amount of time (in mortal terms) has
that (about five minutes later), he emerges and immediately
passed between the times of the two stories, if statistics for the
admonishes the character for disturbing him. The only defense
Kindred are needed, just refer to the primary story.
the character has is to mention the unsanctioned Embrace. If the
After the players have had a chance to settle into their
character either did not glean that detail from Belthazar or does
new roles, it’s time for a little action to liven the scene up a little
not mention it, then he or she will be punished for the duration
bit. First, make sure that Lodin is busy doing something on his
of the story by having to do all the dirty jobs.
own.— maybe he has returned to his vault to attend to private
If the Embrace is mentioned, then Lodin will become
matters. Then interrupt whatever is going on by loudly rapping
very interested and praise the character for the wise judgement
on the table to simulate a knock at the suite’s door. Try to startle
call to let him know. Lodin will then speak privately with
the players. Anyone who speaks through the door to the caller
Belthazar in the library. Despite their best intentions not to
will be met by a very surly, antagonistic man demanding to be
overhear the conversation (sure!), the characters will hear
let in. It’s a Kindred and he has business with Lodin.

70 Ashes to Ashes
Balthazar shout in exasperation a couple of times. “How can you rainy night environment as they chauffeur Lodin to the airport.
allow her, or anyone, to get away with that? Everyone knows Be sure to mention the heavy air traffic as they near the airport
that you of all Princes arc most severe on this count!” and then describe how signs direct the driver to an area away
In the end, Belthazar will storm out of the suite again, from the main huslle-and-bustlc area of departures to the chartered
mumbling under his breath, “Owes her something, he says. international flights zone.
Phahhh, owes her nothing.” Lodin will return to the vault. Lodin has chartered a jet for the trip. Since two of the
Depending on how often you desire to shift back and characters are trained pilots, one or both of them will be
forth between stories and how violent the encounter with responsible for flying the plane. Assuming the characters
Belthazar is at first, you may decide that this is a good time for handled the situation properly in the last Scene, the package that
a shift back to the primary story. However, if a relatively short the delivery man attempted to deliver to the suite will be waiting
amount of time has been spent in this story, then you should in the structure that houses the plane. It has not been loaded.
probably continue with this story for a while longer. From O ’Hare, the pilot will fly the plane to Heathrow.
A flight plan has already been scheduled by Lodin. The fact that
Characters Lodin has taken time to perform such mundane duties should
only heighten the players’ feelings of the secrecy of the London
As noted above, base Belthazar on Sheriff’s stats from business.
The Brewery Scene of the primary story. The delivery man will Because the plane leaves Chicago in the early evening,
be nothing out of the ordinary, but he is anxious to get home. Be the characters arrive in London around 7 a.m. the next morning.
sure to play up this impatience when dealing with the characters. Everything that happens after arrival is the topic of later Scenes.

Scene Two: Drama

The first bit of action occurs in this Scene as the
The Trip characters are cn route to the airport. The driver and any other
players who announce that they are watching may roll Percep­
tion + Alertness (difficulty 8) to notice that they are being
Plot followed. Alternately, refer to the Drama chapter in Vampire
This Scene is fairly straight-forward. It simply details for details on how to add a little excitement to such tailing
the trip across the ocean. Of course, no journey is completely sequences. If the other driver (Heath Quinn) is noticed and
safe, as the characters will realize if they notice the driver tailing Lodin’s driver tries to lose him, then Heath will give chase until
them to the airport and when they find the bomb that has been he feels the characters arc setting him up for capture. He knows
planted on-board the plane. Someone obviously knows that where Lodin is going. For more details about Heath, see Scene
Lodin is leaving Chicago. However, the ease with which the Four.
bomb is found my scare the players even more than the possi­ The only other bitof pulse-pounding excitement occurs
bility of exploding over the Atlantic. Is someone just taunting at the airport when the characters will hopefully discover that a
them? Yes. bomb has been planted on board the plane. Anyone who makes
Unless absorbed with other duties, like flying the jet or a security sweep of the aircraft may roll Perception + Security
looking for more bombs on the plane, the Retainers will be (difficulty 4) to detect the bomb. Two successes are necessary
commanded to get some sleep. Lodin needs them to be fresh and or the character notices the device but passes it over without
alert during his stay in London to make sure that they watch over realizing that it is actually a bomb. On the other hand, anyone
things even more thoroughly than usual. who checks over the aircraft thoroughly prior to take-off
(something one of the pilots should) will automatically find the
bomb. It’s very obviously out of place and almost draws
Setting attention to itself. Say as much to the players, but let them draw
their own conclusions.
This Scene is one of constant transition. The characters Don’t worry for your story if the bomb is not found. It’s
won’t spend a great amount of time in any one location; instead, defective and will not explode anyway. If the bomb is found,
they will leave the luxury suite for O ’Hare Airport and from then this fact may be determined by a character with a Security
there journey on a chartered plane to Heathrow Airport outside of four or more. It looks like the firing mechanism is corroded
London. Descriptions of these locales are extremely important and will not setoff theexplosion. The characters may simply feel
in terms of the story. To give the characters a feeling for the that whoever planted the bomb must be inept.
mood of this portion of the story, you might describe the dark,

Ashes to Ashes 71
 Lodin, of course, will be very concerned when told of
the bomb and he will immediately despair over the fact that Scene Three:
someone must know of his trip. Assuming there is still time
before the scheduled departure date, Lodin will insist that his
Retainers bring the two men overseeing airport operations in the
S e ttlin g I n
building to him. The Prince will then thoroughly interrogate
them with his Dominate powers, but he will be unable to find any Plot
memories relating to the bomb. Before he is done, of course,
Lodin will make sure neither man remembers anything of the The characters must oversee Lodin’s arrival in Lon­
“interview.” don. They will have to deal with a customs official with a few
too many questions and then make sure that everything is
Even though ittum s out to be not much of a danger after
squared away at the hotel. Once in the hotel, the characters can
all, the discovery of the bomb is a good time for a shift back to
make the call to the Queen’s Retainers as Lodin requested.
the primary story.
Some of the events in this Scene may be too boring to play out
in detail (especially details of getting to the hotel and checking
Dialogue in), so in the interest of the story, you may decide to narrate these
sections instead of actually requiring the players to roleplay
As the airplane nears the British Isles and Lodin is through them.
preparing to go to sleep, the Prince will gather those Retainers
who are not busy either piloting the plane or unpacking his
protective box. He says that he must give them details about
Setting
what they are to do during thecoming day while he is defenseless This Scene begins as the chartered jet is cleared for
and asleep. landing at Heathrow International Airport. The airport is about
First, he hands them a packet of information and twenty minutes by train outside of London and like all things
materials. This packet has a map of Greater London, hotel English and European in the world of Vampire, ascribe a sense
reservation information including a request for special handling of old world elegance to them. The dawn is particularly bright,
for a large package, twenty $1000 bills, twenty $100 bills and a the people especially courteous and proper, and the buildings
pamphlet about an auction. The auction is dealt with in more amazingly beautiful.
detail in Scene Four, so look there for more information. From the airport, the characters should go directly to
After any questions have been answered about these the hotel that is expecting them. Since the reservations began on
matters, Lodin decides to turn one of the characters into a Ghoul the previous day, there will be no problem checking in this early
for a short time in case there is trouble in England during the day. in the day.
All of the characters have already been Blood Bonded to Lodin, The characters will have to cart around the large box in
so it won’t make much difference who takes the Blood. How­ which Lodin sleeps. The container is relatively light and Lodin
ever, for the sake of beginning to draw some attention to him, is not a big person (thank goodness Ballard’s not inside!), so the
Lodin should pick Roarke. Lodin will transfer two Blood Points problem is more one of encumbrance. The best bet for the
to the character. The character will also temporarily gain the characters is to simply rent a vehicle at the airport and drive to
Discipline Dominate and may use it for as long as he or she has the hotel in London. Using the maps Lodin provided, the driver
both of the Blood Points supplied by Lodin. won’t get lost unless he or she fails an Intelligence + Drive roll
Finally, Lodin desires permission from the Queen of (difficulty 4).
London (a Kindred, you know) to Feed before he arrives the next
night for his meeting with her. Lodin provides a phone number
and requests that the characters take care of this matter with the
Drama
Queen’s Retainers. This simple matter is dealt with in the next Unless something unforeseen occurs at the airport
Scene. during the proposed customs inspection, there should be no
conflict in this Scene. Heath doesn’t show up again until Scene
Four, so the characters will have little need to use violence.
Characters
There are no additional characters of importance in this Dialogue
Scene. Since it’s unlikely that the characters will detect the
person tailing them to O ’Hare, that character will be completely After the jet lands and is directed to the appropriate
detailed in a later Scene. hangar, the characters may begin to disembark. The crew at the
airport will make all of the arrangements for the storage of the

72 Ashes to Ashes
plane for the three days of Lodin’s slay in London. They clearance by request of the United States government, and the
promise that it will be refueled and ready to go by the scheduled character will even be able to provide a completely bogus sheet
departure time. of paper that is for some reason accepted by the official as
Then the characters will make the acquaintance of a verification of this request.
gentleman who evidently had a very bad night — the customs If the characters are simply unable to prevent the box
official. This is where Lodin, and by extension the characters, from opening, then they will have to quickly explain how it
pays for not using one of the established transport services could possibly be locked from the inside. Some fast-talking and
available to Kindred. These services have ways to arrange for a mention of a special magnetic lock (and reference again to the
certain well-paid and slightly Dominated inspectors to be on U.S. government’s request) may be enough to pull this off.
duty when certain travelers and luggage arrive. Harvey seems While the characters are basically required to succeed
to be a very kind man, for he is well-spoken and mannerly, but in the Scene (after all, we all know that Lodin survives for over
he will absolutely insist on examining every single piece of twenty more years, at least), you should work to make the
luggage that is on the jet. He’ll be especially anxious to look encounter as tense and nerve-wracking as possible. Force the
through the large wooden “chest” in which Lodin peacefully characters to treat the official with the same degree of manipu­
sleeps. lation that the players will later realize is being perpetrated on
Harvey is a sharp and fairly incorruptible man and he their own characters.
will not tolerate any backtalk from the characters. He will ask
them to walk through a metal detector and then stand at least ten The other important item of discussion in this Scene
feet away from the luggage while he goes through it. The occurs when one of the characters calls the number provided by
characters are the first arrivals of his shift and Harvey feels like Lodin. A warm, masculine and very British voice will answer
combing their belongings closely. the phone and say, “Your business, please?” The character
Harvey will notice, for instance, that there is an extra should make a request in the Prince of Chicago’s name for Lodin
suitcase of clothing. As he goes through the suitcases, he will himself to Feed prior to attending this evening’s meeting with
ask each time who it belongs to. By poor happenstance, and for the Queen. With no further ado, the man on the other end will
good drama in the story, Lodin’s suitcase should be the last one say that her Highness gladly extends such permission to her very
he puts on to his table. Whoever quickly claims that it is his (a welcome guest. There is only one stipulation — please do not
woman had better not make the claim) will then be subjected to Feed in the theatre district.
clothing size comparisons and questions as to why the character
didn’t pack all of his socks in one place. Assuming the
characters slip through this situation with a good lie or two, Characters
Harvey will smile and glance at Lodin’s box.
If you need game information for Harvey, then simply
Now is a good time to shift back to the primary story.
assume all Attributes arc two except Perception, which is four.
Leave the players worrying about what is going to happen as the
Also, as noted above, he has a Willpower of seven.
customs official moves toward the box.
If you decide to continue the Scene or when you shift
back to this story, inform the characters that they are inside a
large, open building, the mid-morning sun is slashing through
Scene Four:
the high windows to completely illuminate most of the inside
area. The characters will have to act quickly to save Lodin from The A uction
a lot of pain and perhaps destruction. Their best bet is for the one
who received Blood from Lodin to attempt Dominating the
official. The man is very difficult to coerce (Willpower 7) so the
Plot
player had better roll well. In fact, if the characters have The characters are likely to be divided into two groups
severally antagonized the official, then the man will spend a during the bulk of this Scene. One group is likely to remain with
point of Willpower to resist the absurd idea that he let the the sleeping Prince Lodin in the suite of the hotel. This suite is
characters go on their way. Of course, another Dominate a sumptuous place, but it is not quite as private as Lodin prefers.
attempt will be against difficulty 6, but there is always the It is on the 20th floor of a 22 floor hotel and public elevators will
chance of failure. reach this level.
Alternately, the players may decide to employ trickery The auction that the other characters will attend takes
and manipulation to convince the official not to look in the box. place in a small shop just off of Picadilly Square. Remember to
Since such an approach perfectly fits with the theme of this story, appropriately describe Gothic London. The fog is thick espe­
the characters will actually have a chance of succeeding. With cially at night but even during the day, the gong of Big Ben can
a successful Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (difficulty 8), a be heard throughout the city, and even some horse-drawn taxis
character can convince the official that the box has special may still be operating.

Ashes to Ashes 73
 The auction house is a handsome place and has a very
definite Old World atmosphere — wooden floors, dark interior,
Dialogue
real silver eating utensils, drinking goblets, etc. During a brief The only discussion that is important to this Scene of
lunch, all the guests may enter a viewing area where all items for the Flashback is the characters’ bidding at the auction. Lodin
auction arc displayed under glass cases. After lunch, the auction expects that the cash he has given the characters will be enough
itself begins. The event is held in a large but cozy room that will to purchase the book. He’s wrong. But when the characters
quickly fill with smoke. realize that they are running short of cash, you can remind them
After checking into the hotel and taking care of any that most of them have memorized information about a Swiss
mundane needs they might have, the players must decide what account Lodin has set up. The characters in the know recall not
to do about the auction that Lodin has bade them to attend. The only the account number, but the series of passwords required to
auction begins at 11 a.m. and lunch is served to all who attend. utilize the account’s funds as well. Since Lodin stresses how
They had better not leave Lodin unguarded, so they will have to much he desires the journal, the characters will hopefully use
divide their numbers. Hopefully, Roarke will go to the auction. this account to pay for the book. They should call the bank after
His expertise in the occult should make him the obvious choice the auction and request an immediate transfer of funds.
to insure that the item that Lodin desires is authentic. Before or after dining, but prior to the auction, the
While some of the characters attend the auction, a players may inspect the items that are available. Everything is
Ghoul attacks Lodin’s hotel room in an attempt to slay the stored in glass cases until the auction begins, but when they see
Prince. This is not actually an attempt on Lodin’s life, so if no the book, they can read a couple of entries. Much of the
one was left behind to guard the Prince, then the attack will not information details naval maneuvers made during the days
take place, though obvious signs of an attempted forceful entry leading up to World War I, but a very interesting entry begins on
will be left behind. The idea here is that Lodin and his the very bottom of the right hand page. It says “Mail delivery
bodyguards feel as if they have been targeted. finally caught up with us today and the men were much cheered
At the auction, the characters will make bids on the as usual. My greatest delight, though, was a memo from A
obscure journal that Lodin has expressed an interest in. Actu­ relating that another fragment of the so-called Book of Nod has
ally, the book is full of notes kept by Admiral Tourney, a been” before reaching the end of the page.
member of the Arcanum, an organization described in Vampire Such a journal as this is not a special commodity in the
that fully believes that the occult exists. Just as the players are eyes of most mortals and will therefore go for a relatively low
about to successfully purchase the book, a new bid is entered by price. The characters can thank their lucky stars that the
Heath Quinn. However, Heath does nothing but draw attention Arcanum did not learn of this auction, or else they would stop at
to himself and he does not bid on the book any further. nothing to keep the information it contains out of the public eye.
Of course, the fact that it falls in the hands of a Kindred will
ensure that no other mortal ever learns of its secret, but the
Drama Arcanum would cringe to learn that the monsters they hunt for
have learned some of the puzzle pieces they have put together.
A short time after some of the characters have left for However, a semi-famous English admiral was the
the auction, a Ghoul partner of Heath Quinn prepares to attack author of the book, so some naval buffs are attending to purchase
the Prince’s suite. Though the fight will be dangerous for the the book to add to their collections. Bidding for the book will
mortal characters, they will be able to drive the monster off. As begin at 2,000 pounds sterling. The characters have been
noted above, the Ghoul is only interested in the pretense of an instructed to purchase the book no matter what price they have
attack, so he will retreat when it seems likely that he will be to pay. The naval historians will make counterbids against the
defeated. characters, but they will slowly give up as the price increases.
If there are characters still guarding the Prince, and the All but one will stop at 5,000 pounds, though even this stalwart
Ghoul will know if this is the case, then the monster will wait will relent at 8,000 pounds.
until an opportunity presents itself to enter the suite stealthily. J ust as the characters are about to gain possession of the
The Ghoul’s best option is to wait until the characters order book (“going . . . going. . . a new bid from the gentleman in the
lunch. Then he can knock out the waiter who brings the food lavender tie!), Heath Quinn will enter a bid. He slipped in
from the kitchen and take his place. In such a case, the Ghoul following the lunch and viewing period, so the characters will
will act normally until he is either discovered or until he is ready not notice him until he bids. The characters may recognize him
to leave. He will attack the character who tries to tip him. as the man who tailed them to the airport in Chicago. The bid that
If no characters stay behind to guard the Prince, then Quinn enters in outrageous. He will bid triple whatever the
the Ghoul will simply wait until all is clear and batter the suite characters last offered. When the characters look in his direction
door a bit. As soon as he cracks the frame or door itself, he will to view their new competitor, Quinn will only smile at them.
depart, as if he was interrupted in his attempt to get inside. Quinn will make one counterbid after the characters to
up the ante, but he will not pursue the book any further. His goal,

74 Ashes to Ashes
that of showing himself dramatically to the characters, does not
require the purchase of the book. Quinn does have the money to
buy the book, so the characters will be in hot water with Lodin
if they let Quinn purchase the book.
A limousine waits in front of the auction building for
Quinn, so it will be almost impossible to follow him. If the
characters do attempt to pursue him, then Quinn will use the lead
that his waiting car should afford him to slip out of the limo after
rounding a bend. The limousine driver will then lead the
characters on a merry chase.
If, and hopefully when, the characters purchase the
book, they will have to arrange for the wire transfer before the
auction house will turn the book over to them. The manager of
the auction will explain this policy but will volunteer to leave

Mcwrn
someone here through the night that will be contacted as soon as
the money is received. The manager explains that unless there
are problems with the transfer, the characters can pick up the
book anytime after 7 P.M.

Characters

The Ghoul
Age: U nkn o w n (Born: p erhaps very long ago) VAM PIRE
The Embrace: none, five Blood Points in system 1
Generation: Blood from 3rd Generation! T he G h o u l
Description: This G houl is the servant of a ’ — -------
Physical Social M e n ta l
very, very pow erful V am pire, an d certainly his a p p e ar­ Perception
Dcxteritv • to c o Manipulation______ _«oooo Intelligence________ . • • • o o
ance reflects this fact. H e is very dashing, strikingly • ••GO •MOO •••O O
handsom e, an d extrem ely fit and m uscular. His excellent X -v—^ v-X
T alents S kills Knoxvledgie
physique alone will give the characters a ru n for their _ooooo ooooo
m oney w hen they fight him , let alone the Blood which F ln n ira
Brawl 6 rd fP \e Firearm s Investigation
flows th ro u g h his veins. Dodge Melee
T.iiijiulsUcs
Intim idation Repair Medicine
Occult,
Mr. Quinn, for all the trouble he causes Roarke, is a Streetwise
Subterfuge
Steal tli
Survival
Politics
Science
mere mortal. But he is, however, very good with a rifle, and not - ?--- - , . . ~v-X
---- x .
too bad behind the wheel of a car either.

Scene F ive:
Fool’s E rran d - Will p o w er- Wbunded -3
••••••••• O Mauled 4

Plot Weapon Difficulty Djunagc □□□□□□□□□□

Crippled
Incapacitated □
Experience
■f w - ;Blood P o o l"
The characters return from the auction house empty- •OOOOO
handed (they must wait for the wire transfer to go through) and Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Frccbic Points: 15(7/5/2/1)

rejoin their comrades who successfully fended off a Ghoul

presumably intent on destroying Lodin. The Prince will then
prepare for the rest of the trip. Since the hotel is obviously not
safe, Lodin will have one of the characters call the Queen of

Ashes to Ashes 75
 London’s Haven again and request permission to join her there
until secure arrangements can be made.
Then Lodin will command Roarke to go pick up the
journal at the auction house and join him at the Queen’s Haven.
Lodin will forget to provide the address of the Haven unless one
of the characters prompts him. Another character should check
out of the room, though Lodin insists that the reservation be
maintained so the room can be used as a last-ditch fallback in
case of an extreme emergency. The Prince and the remainder of
the characters will then depart.

Setting
The events of this Scene take place once again at the
auction house near Picadilly Square. Refer to Scene Four and
recall any embellishments you added so you can detail this
setting at night.

Drama
Storytelling games are the best when the Storyteller
presents a setting or provides information and allows the char­
acters to react to it with free-will. However, this Scene of the
Flashback includes an event wherein you must simply dictate
the action and allow a character no chance to escape from his
predicament. Basically, Roarke must be killed when he returns
to the auction house.
AAM PIRE ►H H This sort of forced action can only be excused because

H eath Q uinn 1 : this character is not actually a player’s real character. Some­
thing like this should never be done to a player’s true character.
~ —

■ ---------- --------- --------- i u u i D u t e s ---------- After leaving the auction house, Heath Quinn circled
P hysical Social M ental
C h arism a Gracious • • • • « .•• •0 0
around to make sure that he escaped the characters, but then he
•••0 0 Intelligence •••0 0
•••0 0
•••0 0 • •O O O Wits •••0 0
returned to the auction house to wait for whichever character
T - , » a . would return to pick up the journal. He waits in the shadows
—

T alents S kills Knowledgie

Animal Ken OOOOO Bureaucracy .•• o o o across the street with a high-powered rifle.
A thletics Finance .ooooo Quinn will allow Roarke to enter the auction house and
1

Investigation
M elee
Music
la w
Linguistics
pick up the journal. A gentleman will be waiting just as the
Intim idation_______ -• • O O O
Leadership -• • O O O
Ifefialr
Security
••o o o
-OOOOO
M edicine_____ -OOOOO
occu lt V aw vfvres - • • • • 0
manager had promised earlier in the day. Only if the characters
Survival
Politics
Science
did not arrange for the wire transfer will there be a problem.
- I ------- -------------------- - - - When Roarke exits the house, Quinn will fire the specially-
D isciplines B ackgrounds V irtues
Conscience_______*®*oo
silenced rifle. One shot through the heart will kill Roarke, but
V lV fth 3 W I •— ooooo
ooooo
•0 0 0 0
lAewtor
R eso u rce
• • • • •
••••0 Self-Control •••0 0
he won’t die until Quinn walks up to him and has his say. Quinn
•0 0 0 0 o o ooo says, “Lodin said he would send you out on your own sometime
•0 0 0 0 OOOOO Courage •••0 0

-----------------
during this trip. I just had to wait for the right time.”
•fc«j-0(her Traite.—
wi* *+=*=— H um anity —eT;E Alternately, you may play this Scene a bit further and
Pilot_____ •••(>() • • • • • • • o o o
________ ooooo allow an actual confrontation to take place. Let Roarke’s player
_____________ o o ooo
_____________ o o ooo
— Wil lpow er—»-ci- feel as if he put up a valiant effort if you desire, but remember
_____________ o o ooo
-C o m b a t- • • • • • • o o o o that in the end Quinn must persevere. If the players complain,
Weapon Difficulty Diunajce
□□□□□□□□□□ Incapacitated □ quickly explain that they are replaying history and history
R d te . 8 (O •f&»g—E xperience • cannot be changed. Roarke was killed in the late 60’s so he must
B lood Pool
• OOOOOOOOO die in this story.
Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities; 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5 Virtues: 10 Freebie Points: 15(7/5/2/1)
t)
76 Ashes to Ashes
 After this dramatic Scene, you might consider switch­
ing back to the primary story. Then you can return later and
Setting
complete the Flashback and leave the powerful Scene that ends This Flashback story concludes as the characters arrive
the Flashback floating in the players’ minds. The players will at the major Haven of the Kindred who controls Greater London,
obviously wonder later how their foe can be Roarke when he was Lady Anne. She is known as the Queen, but that is simply the
slain in this encounter over twenty years ago. Don’t give the name they use for Prince in these pans when thePrince is female.
characters any clues, but for your own sake, we’ll tell you that One event occurs on the way to the Haven, but you may choose
there is a deeper game going on here than the blatant manipu­ a setting of your choice for it (see below). Imagine the largest,
lation of the characters by Lodin. Quinn, though not a Kindred darkest gothic mansion and add some more to it. A tall, rusting
himself, has a vial of Blood from the same Kindred that created iron fence surrounds the place and shadowed gargoyles crouch
the Ghoul that attacked in Scene Four. This Blood is fed to on the roof. Ivy valiantly climbs the walls of the manse and the
Roarke in time to save the man, but the small quantity is not yard is overgrown in general.
enough to awaken Roarke. He sleeps semi-conscious until
Though luxurious, even the interior of the Haven has a
Quinn is able to return to his master with Roarke.
definite smell of age. However, the ancient air is not that of
decrepitude but of an antique. Everything looks perfectly
Dialogue functional and is spotlessly clean, but characters will gain an
unmistakable sense of the history of the building.
No lengthy discourse takes place in the scene beyond
the ad-libbing that you should do at the auction house.
Drama
Characters This Flashback is relatively non-combat oriented be­
cause it is set within a story that has a fair degree of physical
Heath Quinn, described in Scene Four, is the important confrontation. However, if you need some excitement to spice
character in this Scene. up the trip to Lady Anne’s then something with Lodin’s Feeding
can go awry. It’s easy to stage such off-the-cuff events during
sessions of Vam pire when the players are edgy in the first place.
Scene Six: Chase and pursuit can often dominate an entire evening, story or
Chronicle.

Pawns in the Game Perhaps Lodin is overseen from a high window as he

feeds and the man who witnesses the event calls the police. A
patrol is in the area and responds before the characters are able
Plot to get Lodin out. Bobbies (English policemen) in cars and later
on horseback will pursue the characters until lost in the narrow
In this final Scene of the Flashback, the characters streets of the city. Drive rolls should have difficulties of at least
follow Lodin as he hunts for blood in order to be well prepared two higher than normal because the driver must negotiate streets
for his meeting with Lady Anne. lie then continues on to the where you drive on the left side.
meeting and directs the characters to drive him to the outskirts
of London where the Queen has a mansion (one of her Havens)
where she greets important guests. As Prince of Chicago, Lodin Dialogue
certainly qualifies as important.
Soon the characters arrive at Lady Anne’s Haven.
After facing death and struggling through many hair-
Lodin will be greeted at the door by a gentlemen named Pershing
raising situations in the preceding Scenes, the characters dis­
who has the carriage of the stereotypical butler. Pershing will
cover just how trivial Lodin considers this visit to London. If
pay absolutely no attention to the characters but will fawn over
done correctly, the players will feel used and perhaps a little
Lodin. In fact, the characters may note as soon as Pershing opens
betrayed.
the door that they become nonentities to Lodin as well. He will
Before Lodin visits Lady Anne, he commands that he
not speak to them, mention them or otherwise respond to their
be taken somewhere to feed. He will propose an early evening
presence. In his mind, they did their duty — they got him here.
stage show before proceeding to the Queen’s mansion. This is
Now, he’s done with them until he needs them again. Plus, he’s
just a twist to make sure the players are awake. Hopefully, they
in the Haven of the powerful Queen of London. He can’t afford
will explain that Feeding in the theatre district was strictly
to show any concern for mortals when being scrutinized by such
prohibited, though all other areas are fair game.
a potential ally.

Ashes to Ashes 77
 Hopefully, the characters will be at a complete loss odds, he always managed to escape capture, forever delaying
when they suddenly are no longer the center of attention of and postponing the end of the contest. The Black King was
Lodin or the story. If any of them makes a move to go clever and devious, and far more subtle than the White Queen.
somewhere or say something, Pershing will put up a halting Given time, he could convert a pawn to a queen, one powerful
hand without even looking at them and continue his business. enough to combat the White Queen directly. But time was
Not until Lodin has been shown to a reception room will running out. The game’s end was drawing near and many of the
Pershing return and deal with the characters. The butler will most powerful pieces had already been taken off the board. Even
show them to a game room where they can amuse themselves in the end game, however, upset is possible. It is invariably
until commanded by Lodin. fraught with peril, for those who know that, only if they take
As they walk down a hallway, though, the characters risks, can they hope to win.
will catch a snippet of conversation between Lady Anne and Thus the Black King began one of his greatest gambits.
Lodin. If the characters stop, to listen to more, Pershing will His attack would become renowned among the Ancients for its
realize what is happening and will begin to cough to cover the grace and cleverness. Through the treachery of one of the
conversation. Queen’s pieces, a lowly pawn, he was able to capture one of her
Anne: So, Prince Lodin, I'm very glad you have most powerful pieces, the King whom she used to rule many of
arrived. Did you encounter any problems during your journey? the others in her camp. Taking the captured White King and
lj)din:N one, my Lady, that troubled me to any degree. hiding him far from the center of the board, the Black King was
Anne: Excellent. Well, then, what is your business with able to create panic among the most powerful pieces on the
me? White Queen’s side. If his absence became widely known
Lodin: No business. I just thought to challenge you to among all of her pieces, as it must inevitably, given time, it
another game o f chess. I rather fancy I have made a break­ would destroy her hold over them.
through concerning the use o f pawns. The White Queen immediately began a campaign to
discover where her King had been taken. Though she knew him
to be alive, she was not able to detect where he was. The enemy
Characters had taken her king in check, but was not able to pin him down
in a mate. She grew desperate and sent her pieces out in search
Information about characters like the Queen of London
of her King, spending much energy suppressing the news of his
can be found in later supplements for Vampire like “The Old
disappearance as well.
Ones.” The only person the characters will interact with to any
The Black King’s next move was to bring forward five
major extent is Pershing, the “secretary” who spoke with the
of his pawns, new pieces who he had only then brought into play.
characters during any phone conversations early in the story.
These pawns he intended to not only become involved in the
Pershing is simply a mortal and requires no special attention.
enemy camp, but to rescue the King as well. In such a way could
His Nature and Demeanor are Loner and Caretaker, respec­
he place his own pieces in the enemy camp. Though he would
tively.
lose this game, in the next game, he would be in a greater position
of power — and the White Queen would be none the wiser and

E nd-G am e: all the more arrogant. He could not be sure his pawns would
succeed, but even if they did not, he would still keep the King in
check, thereby keeping White off balance.
The Paw n G am bit However, through the greatest stroke of luck, the
White Queen was able to find where the Black King had been
Herein lies the true tale behind the events of this story. forced to hide himself, and was able to use one of her pawns to
However, one should not hope to understand all that happened put him into check (after all, he was very weak and had been
until one knows the characters involved. The match continues forced to use himself as an active piece in the game). Though she
on, despite the results of the story. Neither will resign until one was not able to harm him herself, she had been able to thwart a
or the other of them is dead. Such is the enmity of the ages. Such portion of his plan, or so she thought. She placed him in the care
is the game of the Ancients. of pieces outside of her control, thinking to keep him out of the
They had been playing the game for some time, though fray and hoping that she would have time latter to deal with him
they had never played on even ground. The Black King had long directly.
been on the run, fighting a defensive game against the White Here is where the story must end, for the conclusion
Queen and her arrayed forces. He only had a few pawns left as depends upon the actions of the pawns. The Black King must try
well as a single bishop and knight, while she possessed two to use them to rescue himself (for he cannot risk revealing any
rooks, a bishop, two knights and of course herself— a powerful, of his most powerful pieces), yet in order to win this game, they
formidable and newly awakened Queen. Despite the uneven must still carry out their task and break the check on the White
King. The White Queen is not sure of the depth of the game that

78 Ashes to Ashes
her opponent plays, but she is powerful and her reach is long — The Black King always worked with the tools of
there is little which she cannot influence. For as long as she is treachery, and if his gambit succeeds, he will have more moles
not cognizant of the type of game the Black King plays, he has planted in the enemy camp. When the time of final reckoning
hope, but once she realizes what he is doing, she will be able to draws near, they could prove to be most useful. The White
thwart every move and the pawn gambit will fail. Queen will be in for a surprise, as shall the pawns.

The Chess board is the world; the pieces are the phenomena of the universe; the rules of the
game are what we call the laws of Nature.
— T.H. Huxley, A Liberal Education

Ashes to Ashes 79
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WWW!
 The Forged in Steel Chronicle Continues:
Ordered by Modius, the Prince of Gary, to present them­
selves to Lodin, the Prince of Chicago, a group of neonates
find themselves shoved headlong into a maelstrom of
Kindred Intrigue. While the characters desperately search
for Lodin, the Prince inexplicably disappears, and one of his
lieutenants blames the visitors from Gary. The characters
dilemma - find Lodin or face the termination of an immortal
life-in-death.

Ashes to Ashes is a story supplement designed for use

with Vampire, and it continues the story begun in Vampire:
Baptism by Fire. It includes all the characters and
information you need to tell a complete four chapter story.
This book also presents an Advanced Storytelling
concept-the Villian's Flashback-to accentuate the theme and
mood of the story.

ISBN 0-96627790-7-5
EW<¥TT3
A Renaissance in (James
1298 W inter Place • A nniston, AL