fall of london

C h apter 6 – Gods & M o n sters

Option 2: Counterstrike Anne as the current Prince, or arrange for a meeting – after all,
(Joining Queen Anne) tell her she clearly needs to work they’re supposed to be working for
harder to reclaim the throne. This him. They might also bring in any
The characters heard Queen Anne may make an ally or an enemy of allies they have to help, as plenty of
is leading an attempt to reclaim Queen Anne, but that isn’t the Kindred want revenge on Mithras
the city with the backing of Jus- point. The point is to emphasize – Gwenllian Arwyn and Chun Hei
ticar Parr. If they choose to be a Queen Anne is not in charge now will both physically commit to a
part of that, they can make contact that the Camarilla felt the need to fight, and Regina Blake (if she sur-
through the number Lady Scarlett step in. vives) can send armed mortals.
gave them.
The characters may have their Pater Thomas is protected
Queen Anne is staying ahead of own ideas about how they can help by five mortal Cultists, who are
Operation Antigen by keeping on the city and, if so, the Storyteller devoted to both him and Mithras.
the move, and the coterie is told should run with that. Meanwhile Beyond that he doesn’t have much
to come to 12 Claremont Square in Queen Anne has a single task for protection – Operation Antigen
Islington. The Georgian terraced them: to take down Mithras. While discovered the Haven Thomas
townhouse is owned by Clan Operation Antigen remains still a prepared for himself, forcing him
Tremere and heavily warded so threat, mortals can be dealt with – to relocate to a secondary and
that mortals will ignore it. It’s also and Queen Anne has plenty of ex- much less prepped location. If the
currently serving as a temporary perience there – but it’s all over if characters seek to avoid a fight,
base for Queen Anne. Mithras regains his power. Queen they can try to use their status as
Anne also knows that any control Heralds of the Sun, or in Alice’s
Waiting in the house, and of the city she has with Mithras out case as Voice of Mithras even, to
arguing about how to proceed are there, is temporary at best. get past them. Once they get close
Queen Anne, Justicar Parr, Edward to Pater Thomas, though, they still
Bainbridge, and Reginald Moore. Already planning ahead, Queen need to take him down. Thomas
Lady Scarlett is there taking notes Anne presents them with two is a powerful elder and even a
and talking on the phone. Several ideas. The first is to capture Pater surprise attack will not give the
low-ranking Kindred, the foot-sol- Thomas, and use him as a lure or a characters much of an edge. How-
diers of the remaining regime, are bargaining chip to force Mithras to ever, if they threaten to destroy
also present. leave the city. The second is for the any of the artifacts, Pater Thomas
character to take the artifacts to surrenders instantly – each artifact
As soon as the characters Mithras, but use a fake seal (Anne is a part of the man he loves, and
arrive, Queen Anne asks them made a copy years ago), so the he cannot bear the idea of losing
to share any further news they ritual will fail. It should weaken any of them.
have about the city and Mithras. Mithras further, allowing the char-
That being done, Justicar Parr acters to destroy him. Queen Anne Once they have Pater Thomas
will step forward and ask the much prefers the second option, subdued, the characters can use
characters if they think Queen but ultimately the choice is up to him as bait, or convince him to
Anne is still fit to lead the city. the characters. help persuade Mithras to leave
This may seem rather brusque, London. Thomas would be willing
but the Justicar wants to put If the characters opt to kidnap to leave London with Mithras, if
the characters on the spot while Pater Thomas, Queen Anne’s spies the characters swear (and con-
simultaneously reminding Queen have located his current where- vince Thomas they mean it) to
Anne of the precariousness of her abouts. The characters can also protect the artifacts to perpetuity.
position. The characters are free call the number they received in It’s even possible the charac-
to say what they please. Whatever the letter from Pater Thomas, in ters will sympathize with Pater
their reply, Justicar Parr will take A Dark and Stormy Night, and
it seriously, and either reaffirm

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FALL OF LON D ON Thomas, since he is the only person who genuinely
loves Mithras as opposed to worshiping him. Wits +
Cultists Insight at Difficulty 3 reveals Pater Thomas’s feelings
for Mithras are genuine, and that he believes Mithras’
■ STANDARD DICE POOLS: for him are genuine as well.
Physical 5, Social 4, Mental 3
From here, this scene could go in one of two ways.
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: The characters might convince Pater Thomas to act as
Health 7,Willpower 4 their advocate. Mithras is furious that Thomas is being
used again, as he hates to see the man he loves manipu-
■ EXCEPTIONAL DICE POOLS: lated and abused this way. However, when Pater Thom-
Brawl 5, Firearms 6, Occult 4, as asks him to leave London so they can be together,
Awareness 5 Mithras ultimately relents. While Queen Anne and
Justicar Parr will not return the artifacts, they sol-
emnly vow the artifacts will be protected – if Thomas
drives a hard bargain, the characters can even persuade
Queen Anne to return two artifacts of their choice to
Mithras. Mithras’s lust for power is boundless, but the
methuselah knows how to wait – eventually, he knows,
Queen Anne will slip up and then he’ll come back for
the artifacts.

As a second option, however, the characters might
use de Camden as bait to set an ambush and attack
Mithras. If so, they need to go through the moves
detailed under Option 1 as if they were siding with
Mithras. Queen Anne gives them a copy of the seal
however, rather than the real one, so the ritual of
rebirth will fail. Mithras will be anxious that Pater
Thomas isn’t present, but instead has the Heralds
anoint the items and dress him – best to regain his
power now, and then find his lover from wherever
he’s being kept. Mithras’ concern for de Camden
makes him incautious, and causes him to miss the
signs of the coterie’s treachery. Rather than a glorious
sunlight, the room remains dim.

Mithras is furious, and now realizes the charac-
ters’ ploy.

“How dare you stand against me, when we stood
together for so many ages as loyal friends? Was the friend-
ship of a God not enough for you? Was the loyalty and
trust I have shown you not what you wanted? I thought
you better than this. Now you will learn the price such a
betrayal has earned you!”

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C h apter 6 – Gods & M o n sters

However, the failed ritual dis- bygone ages – and the characters them. Her demeanor is very me­
turbed Mithras’ psyche, and Monty destroyed him. For what? A Prince thodical and business-like, and the
Coven manages to take control for a who consistently outmaneuvered coterie may find it intimidating
moment. He calls on his pack to end Kindred far older and more power- to meet the person who organized
the methuselah, knowing full well ful than she? What happens when such an effective mass destruction
it will also kill him – Monty will no she decides the coterie is a threat of Kindred. She will not attack
longer have his body be puppeteered too? If they even survive long unless they attack her, or if they
by this monster. He also tries to ex- enough to see Queen Anne turn on turn down her offer.
ert what control he has over Mithras, them, because for now the nights
subtracting 1 success from any tests hold nothing but endless fights Diaz demands the coterie
the Storyteller makes on Mithras’ against Antigen. delivers Mithras to her, and fur-
behalf for the rest of the scene. ther submits to a tracker inserted
Option 3: The Greatest under their skin and to a series
This fight against Mithras Treachery (Backing of painful but not permanently
should be one for the ages, with the Operation Antigen) damaging medical tests. In return,
methuselah believing himself invin- the characters are free to do as
cible even as he fights for survival, Among all the evil creatures who they like, with the exception of
and Monty’s pack as temporary could take charge of London, the killing or leaving London, and
allies. Being less concerned for their coterie would rather see them all no Operation Antigen hunter
own safety, the pack moves closer dead and Operation Antigen the will attack them (they can detect
and takes the brunt of Mithras’ victor. The characters are willing which Kindred have the tracker).
rage, giving the characters a chance to let Operation Antigen eradicate This is not a great deal, surrender-
to survive if they play it smart. the Kindred of London, and even ing their freedom for the sake of
aid them. safety. However, the characters can
Mithras does not relent or flee. get a better bargain by selling out
If the coterie and pack destroy In this scenario, the charac- more Kindred to Antigen. If the
him, the Storyteller should take ters made a deal with Operation characters give Diaz information,
a moment to read the players – if Antigen, either through a contact even on a few minor Kindred they
they’re spoiling for more combat, they made in the scenario – the can get out of some of the medical
the pack turns on the characters; Hunter’s Ball at the British Muse- tests. If they sell out an elder like
otherwise they make a run for it um is excellent for this – or after Queen Anne or any of the Primo-
with their goal completed. their meeting with Sarah Chou. gen, they won’t be tested. If they
Calling their contact and arranging prove their cooperation by deliver-
When the characters return a meeting to surrender themselves, ing a multitude of IC0s, Diaz
to Queen Anne they can ask they are taken under heavily armed promises the tags will be removed
any price for having destroyed escort to meet Commander Diaz. after a year of good behavior. Wits
Mithras – she will grants them Diaz is willing to grant them am- + Insight at Difficulty 3 reveals
domain, status, or safe passage nesty in exchange for the location that Diaz is not completely honest
out of London. Justicar Parr will of Mithras and any other remain- with the coter­ ie. The same test
provide what Queen Anne cannot. ing Kindred in London. at Difficulty 4 lets the character
They might ask for domain and pick up snippets of words between
stay to fight Antigen, or ask for The meeting takes place on a Diaz’ agents that refer to a DI
safe passage out. Either way, the patch of waste ground awaiting Khan who both outranks Diaz and
choice is now theirs. construction in Brixton, and Diaz is extremely skeptical about this
brings her elite team (four com- barg­ ain – a skepticism some of
THE TWISTING KNIFE batants, one doctor) to meet with Diaz’ team incidentally share.

Mithras was a God, possibly born
in Ancient Persia, a testament of

201

FALL OF LON D ON

If the characters agree to the
deal, one of Diaz’ agents inserts the
tracker on site. The tag is implant-
ed with a pneumatic gun and sits
almost on the heart, making it
hard – but not impossible, with
an Intelligence + Medicine test at
Difficulty 6 – to remove without
potentially sending the Kindred
into torpor. The coterie might turn
down Diaz’ offer, at which point she
and her team move to destroy them.
The coterie has an even chance of
winning the fight, though killing
Diaz and her team draws the enmity
of DI Khan, who was skeptical but
willing to let Diaz try her hand at a
deal with IC0s. Unless the coterie
has a powerful Kindred patron to
hide them, such as Mithras, Queen
Anne, or Justicar Parr, they’re un-
likely to survive the personal ire of
Khan beyond a few nights.

Once the deal is struck, the
characters have a few moments to
let what they have done sink in.
They might feel guilty for selling
out their own kind, or elated they
can be part of the plan to destroy
them all. They need to deliver
Mithras to Antigen, which they can
do by using Pater Thomas or the
artifacts to lure him to the Mithrae-
um (as per Option 2) and having
Antigen agents lie in ambush in the
Bucklersby basement. Taking down
Pater Thomas in his home, and then
Mithras at the Mithraeum, allows
Antigen to better pace the fight and
suffer fewer losses. So long as they
do not give Mithras all the artifacts,
though, this is a fight Antigen can
win. The characters can choose
whether to join the fight, or sit this
one out. If they choose the latter,

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C h apter 6 – Gods & M o n sters

they never learn if Diaz destroyed Commander Valerie Diaz
Mithras or took him into custody
– that’s need to know information, ■ EPITAPH: Ruthless Assassin
and the coterie is nowhere near that ■ QUOTE: “Don’t hesitate.Ask forgiveness, not
clearance. If they’re present, how-
ever, they see Antigen agents stake permission.”
Mithras, at heavy losses to them-
selves, and prep him for transport KILLING MACHINE
to ‘a facility’.Given everything – and
everyone – Mithras knows, the Commander Valerie Diaz was recruited to Operation
coterie just kicked off the largest Antigen from within the London police force. She’d
global hunt for Kindred since the witnessed firsthand some of the horrors Kindred had
Medieval era. left behind in the dark corners of the city, and personally
killed two IC0s before even knowing what they were.
Now the coterie must choose It was Diaz’s exceptional killing instincts that brought
whether to lead Diaz to addition- her the Newburgh’s attention as a prime candidate for
al targets. They can find out the recruitment.Antigen honed her natural ability as a IC0
location of Queen Anne and Justi- hunter, and she immediately accepted a place in the
car Parr through the number Lady organization. Diaz will not hesitate to kill if ordered to, and
Scarlett gave them, pretending is extremely loyal to the Antigen cause.
to side with Queen Anne. More
importantly, though, they can give PLOTS AND SCHEMES:
up any number of other Kindred.
They know the current locations ■ FIND ANNE BOWESLEY: Diaz led the attack on
of Najma Elmi (Roti Moto), Queen Anne’s party, and was furious they didn’t find
Ayse Dhanial (Blue Monsoon), Bowesley among the Kindred they captured and killed.
Daria (Mortlake Theatre), Regina It’s Diaz’s personal mission to find this integral target
Blake (The Trunk), Z (well, they and eliminate it.
know the general underground
area he’s at), and they can call ■ PROTECT HER MOTHER: Diaz’ mother Marie is an
Gabriella and Adisa to arrange a aging teacher who volunteers at the Catholic Church
false meeting. The more Kindred on weekends.Whenever Diaz has had a crisis of faith
they give up, the better Antigen about her actions, she relies on the support of her
treats them. Diaz compliments mother to anchor her in the ethical choices she makes.
them, saying even DI Khan is now Diaz’s mother doesn’t know her daughter kills for a
convinced of their usefulness. If living, but believes she’s on an elite police task force.
the Storyteller wants to make
this betrayal feel more personal, ■ THE AMNESTY PROJECT: Diaz is one of the most
Diaz forces them to accompany ruthless killers Operation Antigen has. So when she
an Antigen on a raid to ensure suggested amnesty to select IC0s in exchange for
their information checks out. The information and testing, DI Khan listened. Diaz’ goal
characters receive the equipment is twofold: to immediately use the surrendered IC0s
and Antigen soldiers they need, against other targets, and in the long run to study
and the freedom to slaughter and their behavior (both under controlled circumstances
diablerize as much as they like – and in the wild) to find a cure against the disease that
they’re the hunters now. created them.

WHISPERS:

■ DIAZ IS KINDRED: Many in the Kindred court refuse
to believe that a well-armed and armored human
could kill this many of their kind.There are even

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FALL OF LON D ON

rumors among the Antigen squads that Diaz is not Second Commander Michael Harris
completely human. None of these whispers are
true, but give weight to the deadliness of Operation ■ EPITAPH: The Incinerator
Antigen’s superb training, superior weaponry, and Intel. ■ QUOTE: “Light em up.”

APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR: EX MILITARY PYROMANIAC

Diaz is a tall woman with an athletic build and brown Michael Harris, Diaz’ second in command, has always been a
skin. Her black hair is thick and wavy, but pulled back destructive asshole. He doesn’t have much faith in the world
tight in a practical hairdo.The Antigen uniform is or people, so he doesn’t care what happens to them. Harris
tactical and black, fitting tight to taught muscles ready does have the capacity to feel, but all of those emotions
to explode into action. Diaz’s expression is still, and her have been compounded into a ball of anger inside his chest.
eyes are focused. Her every movement is precise and In his younger years the military was a useful vehicle for this
methodically disciplined. rage, but eventually he committed some brutally violent
crimes the military didn’t want to bring to the attention of
She isn’t very open about her thoughts or feelings. a trial. Luckily, they came to a deal where Operation Antigen
Some take her brutal combat skills to be a sign of anger, offered to take him off their hands, and Harris was quietly
but she is in fact extremely controlled and focused. Her transferred. He has never been happier. Kindred aren’t
fighting technique is violent purely because that is the human to him, so there is even less of an ethical conflict
best way to take down a IC0. She is a very methodical when teams are sent to exterminate them.
leader, giving exact commands. Diaz is excellent at adapting
to new problems or difficulties as they arise in combat, Harris is a weapons specialist, exceptionally good
making her a deadly foe. Nobody on her team feels like with explosives and incendiary tools. He easily adapted to
they know her, but she tells them they don’t need to know the occult weaponry Antigen uses, although he remains
her to obey. skeptical about any supernatural origins to them – all of
this is just advanced science to him. Harris is the biggest
■ AMBITION: To eradicate all IC0s in London. risk taker Operation Antigen has, and so far his dangerous
■ CONVICTIONS: The IC0s are a plague, and I am the cure. battlefield schemes have all paid off, although usually with
■ ATTRIBUTES: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; some loss of life on his side. Neither he nor Antigen seems
to care about these losses, though, only the brutal skill
Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 3; with which he’s able to incinerate Kindred.
Intelligence 4,Wits 4, Resolve 4
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: Health 6,Willpower 7 PLOTS AND SCHEMES:
■ SKILLS: Athletics 4, Brawl (Military Martial Arts) 4,
Drive 3, Firearms 4, Melee 4, Stealth 3; Intimidation 4, ■ ANTIGEN PROMOTION: Commander Harris doesn’t
Leadership (Antigen) 4, Persuasion 3, Subterfuge 2, like the caution that Operation Antigen employs in their
Insight 4;Awareness 4, Investigation 4, attack strategies on the Kindred of London, especially
Medicine (Field) 2, Occult (Vampires) 2 with this new list of targets right in their hands.Why
■ EQUIPMENT: Personal radio, handcuffs, flashlight with should they be subtle when they’ve got these monsters
UV filter, Glock pistol (medium gunshot, +3 damage), where they want them? He wants to take Diaz’ position
HK carbine (heavy gunshot, +4 damage) with laser as team leader so he can exert more influence towards
sight or shotgun (heavy gunshot, +4 damage at close killing all these IC0 bastards now.
range), tactical full-body armor (armor 6), military
knife (medium piercing, +3 damage), snakewood ■ ELDER CAPTURE: Harris led several Operation
stake (light piercing, +0 damage), flash-bang grenades, Antigen experiments on captured Kindred to see how
enhanced coagulant syringes, thermal imaging & night their bodies withstand the various weapons Antigen
vision goggles, breathing masks, flares, first aid kit. developed.These have all been younger Kindred
though, and what Harris really needs is an older IC0
to see what they need to take these ancient monsters
out. He has a couple of leads of both Arwyn and
Rowena that he is keen to follow.

204

C h apter 6 – Gods & M o n sters

WHISPERS: THE TWISTING KNIFE

■ SECRET EXPERIMENTS: Michael doesn’t take time off Diaz is true to her word, but
with the rest of his Operation Antigen colleagues and behind her looms the threat of DI
they never see him at the bar for celebration drinks Khan who might yet pull the cote-
after a successful mission.There is talk that he uses his rie’s amnesty. If any survivors take
free time to torture Kindred he’s captured on his own, word back to the Camarilla of the
outside the rules and regulations Operation Antigen. coterie’s betrayal, they quickly
He has a secret house where he keeps two Kindred find themselves on the Red List.
captives to experiment on. Several Kindred have heard The greatest knife twist here,
such a place exists, but the few who go looking for it though, should be all the Kindred
are never seen again. they betrayed, especially the ones
who treated them fairly through-
APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR: out The Fall of London.

Michael is a bulky, but average height, middle-aged white Option 4: To Take a City
man with a shaved head. He’s usually wearing tactical (Claim Praxis)
gear, or the practical camo that hunters favor. Michael
smiles a lot, showing many teeth, which to someone who The characters decide they are the
doesn’t understand how much he loves his job appears lesser evil who should rule London.
threatening. Seizing praxis requires a lot of
clever politics from the characters,
Most coworkers are terrified by the joy Michael takes along with removing both Mithras
in killing, except for a few who feel the same as he does. and Queen Anne from London.

■ AMBITION: To eradicate the IC0s with extreme They need to be proactive
prejudice. here – simply laying low until the
dust settles takes years, and likely
■ CONVICTIONS: You can never know enough about sees either Mithras or Queen Anne
your enemies. survive. They can make a deal with
Mithras – they know Pater Thomas
■ ATTRIBUTES: Strength 4, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4; is planning a move to Edinburgh,
Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Composure 4; so they can restore the methuselah
Intelligence 5,Wits 5, Resolve 5 to power and offer to rule the city
as loyal vassals in his absence. They
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: Health 6,Willpower 7 can also strike a deal with Antigen
■ SKILLS: Athletics 4, Brawl (Boxing) 4, Drive 3, and rule the ashes when all is done.
Or, they can try to remove any of
Firearms 5, Melee 4, Stealth 3; Intimidation 4, the elders themselves. The descrip-
Leadership (Antigen) 4, Persuasion 3, Subterfuge 3, tion for this Option assumes the
Insight 4;Awareness 4, Occult (Vampires) 2, latter, but the Storyteller can use
Investigation 4, Medicine (Field) 2 Option 1 to lead to a deal with
■ EQUIPMENT: Personal radio, handcuffs, flashlight with Mithras, or Option 3 to lead to a
UV filter, Glock pistol (medium gunshot, +3 damage), deal with Antigen.
HK carbine (heavy gunshot, +4 damage) with laser
sight or shotgun (heavy gunshot, +4 damage at close If the characters can kill
range), tactical full-body armor (armor 6), military Mithras, they prove powerful and
knife (medium piercing, +3 damage), snakewood immediately put themselves on the
stake (light piercing, +0 damage), flash-bang grenades, list of potential Princes of Lon-
enhanced coagulant syringes, thermal imaging & night
vision goggles, breathing masks, flares, first aid kit.

205

FALL OF LONDON

don. Intelligence + Occult at Difficulty 4 reveals that about, like Najma, Adisa, or Daria, should do nicely. The
giving Mithras a fake artifact might contaminate the coterie should also seed rumors about Bainbridge plan-
ritual enough to leave him weakened. If they do this, ning to betray Moore, and vice versa, with Manipulation
Monty Coven reasserts himself long enough to sabotage + Subterfuge at Difficulty 5, or Charisma + Persuasion
Mithras, either by calling on his pack to kill him, or by at Difficulty 4, though the latter test leads the rumors
using Mithras’ knowledge to glean a contact number for back to the coterie. Calling on Ayse Dhanial to help seed
Antigen and call the hunters on himself. Even so, the rumors amid the Tremere, or Chun Hei to do the same
characters should join the fight to make sure the methu- among the Brujah, reduces the Difficulty by 1.
selah is truly destroyed – Monty’s pack might be enough
to tip the scales, but can’t take down Mithras alone. If the characters remove Mithras, Queen Anne,
Bainbridge, and Moore from contention for the throne,
They can destroy Queen Anne’s ambition with- Justicar Parr backs their claim to London. They’ve
out a fight, by confiding in Justicar Parr they believe proven themselves determined and resourceful, and
she’s unfit to rule. They don’t even need to persuade Parr doesn’t want them to remove any more of the
Parr of their arguments against Queen Anne, because assets the Camarilla needs to reclaim London.
that’s not what convinces Parr. Queen Anne’s claim to
the throne of London relies on two things: she’s not Option 4 will be the most protracted and player
Mithras (who has proven far too difficult for the Ca- driven. It is not up to the Storyteller to hand them
marilla to control) and the Kindred of London follow the city, but it is the Storyteller’s role to reward clever
her. The characters speaking up against her immedi- strategy and give the coterie a fair chance.
ately belies the second, and Parr (and through her the
Camarilla) won’t prop up a weak Prince. This earns the The Twisting Knife: The characters have claimed
undying enmity of Queen Anne, but the elder Ventrue London – a war zone under siege by Operation Anti-
has always been the ultimate survivor – and she knows gen, which shows no signs of letting up. They just con-
she can’t hold off Antigen and the Camarilla. signed themselves to years, if not decades, of nightly
fights and skulking around in the shadows.
Other contenders for the throne are Edward
Bainbridge (Tremere) and Reginald Moore (Brujah). Option 5: Cutting all Ties
Luckily the Tremere-Brujah alliance is a fragile one, and (Making a Run)
it won’t take much for it to break down. The coterie
can sabotage some of the alliance’s missions against The characters may just decide London is far too dan-
Antigen by seeding bad information with Manipulation gerous, and they need to get out of the city. It is either
+ Subterfuge at Difficulty 4, or joining a mission and the sensible option, or the coward’s way out, depend-
scuttling it undetected with the same roll at Difficulty 3. ing on your point of view. Unfortunately, leaving the
If they choose the latter, the Storyteller should run them city at this point is a lot harder than it seems. Opera-
through a mission similar to Spider in a Web (from Red tion Antigen has taken enough control of the airports
Lists and Red Caps), but have them deliberately lose and docks to ensure any coffin sized boxes don’t leave
their rescued target to Antigen – a Kindred they care the country without being checked. Random searches
are also being carried out on any trains, vehicles, and
“Lett’hs bisloJOwINT.” large lorries carrying goods out of the city. Infrared
cameras can detect any IC0s through their lower body
– UNNAMED ANARCH SURVIVOR temperatures. However, Operation Antigen can’t be
everywhere and London is far too large (and economi-
cally important) to cut off completely.

The characters can escape by siding with a power-
ful patron – Mithras per Option 1, or Queen Anne in
Option 2 – and asking for transport from London as
part of their reward.

206

C h apter 6 – Gods & M o n sters

The description below, however, assumes the co- mation is good – they know a lot about Mithras’ plans,
terie seeks to leave London without making any more Gwenllian planning to conquer London for herself,
monstrous bargains. or even any number of smaller secrets they uncovered
during this scenario. If they still have them, any of the
The characters are free to make their own arrange- artifacts serve as a good trade as well. If the coterie
ments, and the Storyteller should run with that. For revealed de Worde’s Blood Sorcery to Clan Nosferatu
example, if the characters try to leave by road they in What Hides Beneath, Anasov even waves payment
will have to avoid numerous checkpoints. London is despite Violet’s protestations.
in a state of “high terrorist alert”, and Antigen agents
are openly checking vehicles at points along most The Twisting Knife: The coterie escaped London.
of the major routes out of the city. The characters Now what? They can’t really believe Antigen will stop
may be lucky (or have a very clever plan) and not get at London – this was just a first staging ground, and
stopped, but if they are, things get messy very quick- nowhere is truly safe. Whichever city they travel to will
ly. Each checkpoint has several armed Operation also have its own Kindred population not keen on tak-
Antigen agents expertly trained to take down any ing in any London refugees – what if the hunters are
IC0 they find as long as it doesn’t endanger civilians. still following them? The real hurt though, comes from
Taking mortal hostages forces the agents to keep their severing all ties with allies, contacts, and Touchstones
distance, though then the characters still need to who are surely under Antigen watch.
shake them later. However, the small size of Britain
aids any escape attempts once past the checkpoints. Aftermath
Once out of the city, the characters can be in a major
city in around two to three hours. Even getting to Ed- For good or ill, the characters decided where their
inburgh takes about seven to nine hours. Back among allegiance lies. However, they still need to answer the
a larger population, the characters can lie low away question they asked at the beginning – who are they?
from Antigen eyes. Even if an elder of the Mithraic Mysteries recounted
their history to them, the still don’t remember it all.
Asking any other Kindred about leaving London, Now, at the end of everything, we get to find out
though, quickly leads to Violet Mary and Oscar what they have become. Have they uncovered enough
Anasov running an escape route. The pair know all about who they were to restore their old memories,
the best ways to slip out of London, and are run- or have they lost themselves to their Elder Drive
ning a very profitable line in smuggling Kindred and become a twisted copy of an ancient monster?
past Antigen checkpoints. If the characters made Perhaps they have found a way to make a balance and
any contacts among the Nosferatu, they can con- become something new.
tact Anasov to make use of this service. Otherwise,
Regina Blake or Lady Scarlett can get them Violet’s The Past
contact information.
Throughout The Fall of London, the Storyteller should
Escape involves walking through the sewers until ideally have noted when a character confronted a sit-
they reach an outflow pipe outside the city. If the uation in a way either their old self or their imprinted
Storyteller wants to roleplay this trip, they can use any elder might deal with it. The players and Storyteller
unused encounters from ‘Additional Encounters in the should also discuss how the characters behaved. They
Underground’ (What Hides Beneath, Scene Three) or can remind each other of moments they may have for-
‘Additional Story Hooks’ (also What Hides Beneath) gotten, which conformed to one personality over the
or ‘The Underground’ (Red Lips and Red Caps, Scene other. Adding up these moments will offer a picture of
Four). Once at the outflow pipe, a small boat waits which personality is asserting itself.
to them round the coast to either Newcastle or even
Edinburgh. However, this service is not free and the
characters will need to have something to trade. Infor-

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FALL OF LONDON

If one personality proved clearly dominant, that is or their Elder Drive, asserted themselves through
the one that asserts itself now. The character can still the chronicle. Eventually, the Storyteller and players
access the other personality’s memories in a Memori- should have enough information to make a decision
am, but at +1 Difficulty (or more if the ‘true’ personali- about what happens to their characters’ personality.
ty is especially dominant, or at odds with the other).
The Future
It is also possible that a dominant personality is
hard to determine. This is a good opportunity to have Once the characters make peace with their past, they
the player ask the Storyteller something about their can look to the future. This last scene offers a snapshot
character’s background they don’t understand, at three years since the events of The Fall of London.
which point they can play out a flashback that answers Several things have changed in the city of London, and
that question in the past. Perhaps that will give the it’s all due to the characters’ choices. The structure of
player insight if the character’s original intentions,

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Kindred London has been permanently affected by anything else they’d like to detail. Thus the ending of
their decisions. What has changed? the chronicle is shared narratively among all players,
including the Storyteller.
The Storyteller should have each player describe
one thing that changed about London in the past Finally, each player can narrate a sentence or two
three years and incorporate it. The Storyteller can about where their character is now and what they’re
ask guiding questions, or use the epilogue After the doing and who they are with. Have any or all of them
Fall as a starting point if the players aren’t sure what continued their coterie, or have they scattered to the
to detail. It could be a particular aspect of night- four winds? Have it relate to the previous discussions,
to-night existence for Kindred in the city, what and potentially bring back the important SPC who
became of Operation Antigen, how the Camarilla is acted as a mirror to them in Scene 1 of this chapter.
currently doing in London, what SPCs still remain, This should help them bring their character’s story to a
fallout from the death or current reign of Mithras, or close, and thus, this chronicle ■

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E pilo g ue – A D esolate C it y

EPILOGUE

a desolate

city

“I don’t believe there is a single person I
loved that I didn’t eventually betray.”

– ALBERT CAMUS, THE FALL

More than seven years on from the events Although Operation Antigen was successful in de-
of this chronicle, the city of London re- stroying over 100 of the Kindred residents of the city, and
mains a dangerous place for vampires. despite many more fleeing the city in fear of their safety,
Common rumors would have visitors a minority – who were either too clever or too inconse-
believe that the domain is now entirely free of Kin- quential to be identified by Antigen – decided to remain.
dred, and that it is too risky a place to stay for long,
but the truth is a little less clear cut. The danger is very They are predominantly thin-bloods, Toreador,
real, but vampires who take the appropriate safety and Nosferatu vampires, some too stubborn or too
measures – and who do not upset the few remaining emo­tionally attached to leave their homes behind
residents – may be able to get by. despite the risk. Others treat the ongoing threat of
Operation Antigen as an intellectual challenge to
outwit, or as a social phenomenon to be carefully
studied. A few have other more esoteric reasons for
staying. They are all, however, united in their skill
at avoiding detection, and their genuine desire to
remain incognito. These Kindred are hard to find, and
entirely unwelcoming of strangers who might upset

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FALL OF LONDON

the current status quo (or who major airports is also most likely never be spoken of in public where
might lead hunters to their door). suicide. Kindred who value their they might be overheard. This idea
own existence will walk, drive eventually spreads globally and be-
One significant factor in the themselves, or will hire a private comes the official Camarilla stance
survival of London’s remaining taxi from a firm that they trust. on this topic.
vampires is a strict code of behav- With these complications in mind,
ior. Beyond the old Blood Laws of most vampires rarely travel to the No Elysium
Mithras, or the Traditions of the city center, and instead stick to the
Camarilla, the more recent Com- suburbs. This leaves the Nosfer- All spaces formerly designated
pact is now an ever present part of atu who know London’s secret Elysium are to be avoided. All other
nightly Kindred existence. pathways underground as the true public buildings with high surveil-
masters of the city center. lance or heavy security are similarly
Rumor has it that one year boycotted. Open gatherings of vam-
ago an enigmatic vampire known No Use of pires are discouraged as a thing of
only as the “King of Shadows” ar- Electronic Media, the past. Non-vital interactions are
ranged a rare meeting of the most and No Open delegated to servitors or interme-
prominent Kindred Landlords of Communication diaries. When Kindred must meet
London, where these rules were face-to-face it is in small numbers,
discussed and agreed upon. Any use of voice, video, text or and in innocuous places which offer
email services also leaves infor­ multiple escape routes.
The Compact mation that can be traced. Ins­tead,
London’s Kindred prefer to commu- No Prince
No Use of Public nicate using dead drops and trusted
Transport couriers. The Nosferatu are especial- The difficulties in traveling or
ly fond of carrier pigeons. Messages communicating over long dis-
London’s trains and buses are are rarely written in plain text tances mean that it is no longer
under constant surveillance and and will instead use code words or possible for any single vampire to
climbing on board carries the risk cyphers that mean little to the un- claim dominion over the entire
of being identified, and of your initiated. Sensitive matters should metropolitan area. Instead, the
movement being tracked. Using territory has become fragment-

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E pilo g ue – A D esolate C it y

ed, with local Kindred claiming the leaders have been summarily major transport hubs continue to be
small domains as Landlords. The executed. Their catspaws have been monitored with infrared cameras,
Compact requires all Landlords interrogated, and they now face a Xscopes and sniffer dogs. All senior
to recognize each other’s absolute lengthy spell in prison without a civil servants, police superinten-
authority, but it also requires public trial. dents, and military commanders
them to assist each other in times are still subjected to regular blood
of need, and to offer no sanctuary While the closing phases of the screens and psychometric tests.
to criminals or malcontents. operation were subject to press GCHQ continues to monitor
scrutiny, the appearance, behavior, public communications and will act
This also means there is no and abilities of the prime suspects upon any suspicious intelligence.
Court, no Sheriff, and no Primo- have been ascribed to a new wave Khan’s ECTU team may be reduced
gen, although in many domains a of illegal synthetic drugs, and in size, but are still vital in track-
single coterie may work together, their motivations put down to ing, apprehending, and destroying
delegating responsibilities to obscure political fanaticism. The suspects revealed by this data.
different members for the benefit tendrils of influence of the New-
of the group. London’s vampires burgh Group spread widely, and The data gathered by Opera-
are fiercely territorial, and with no its members have not been above tion Antigen has been shared on
higher authority to offer protec- the use of intimidation, coercion, secure FIRSTLIGHT channels,
tion, weak Kindred do not last blackmail, and murder to keep the helping to inform the governments
long against their stronger rivals. truth out of the public eye. of other countries how to approach
the same threat. The Arcanum
Operation While the success of the op- and the Sunrise Group have also
Antigen eration has bred a certain level of benefited greatly from the success
confidence within the ranks, the of the operation, and both intend
The success of Operation Anti- operation’s leadership understand to put the secrets they have learned
gen has been quietly celebrated the need for continued and con- researching the IC0 phe­nomenon
in Westminster and Whitehall. stant vigilance. Ultimately the IC0 to good use.
The supernatural criminal con- problem is biological – and like all
spiracy has been dismantled, and diseases, the threat of repeat infec­ Closer to home, the Newburgh
tion remains. To this end, many of Group has started to think about
the protocols instituted during the the wider problem of the United
crisis remain in force. Airports and Kingdom’s national security. The

213

FALL OF LONDON

IC0 epidemic is not restricted to London alone, and In ancient times the Mysteries were populated
evidence collected from Antigen raids identifies names mostly by mortals from all walks of life. While mem-
and addresses in all the major metropolitan centers of bership provided easy access to a new social network,
the UK, with many references to Manchester, Birming- many Cultists were keen to curry favor with, and
ham, and Liverpool. Personnel previously attached to receive the blessing of, the god Mithras himself. After
Antigen in London have been relocated to start similar the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christi-
work in these other cities. Local assets are being anity, the Mithraic Cult persisted as an underground
screened, trained, and put to work. Agents and inform- movement more focused around vampire activity.
ants linked to the conspiracy are being monitored, Levels of membership were still available to mortals
questioned, and arrested. The Newburgh Group’s ulti- but were increasingly used to groom loyal servitors
mate goal is to rid the entire United Kingd­ om of IC0 and future progeny for the Cult’s more senior Kindred
influence and infestation. members. Loyal vampire cultists were tantalized with
the prospect of meeting the Methuselah himself and
These lofty ambitions will, however, be difficult to taking strength and wisdom from the gift of his vitae.
realize. In London, Operation Antigen had the benefit
of surprise, and it also capitalized on the prime intelli- As the centuries passed, the cult spread far around
gence provided anonymously by Mithras and Roger de Europe, and Mithras was forced to rely heavily on
Camden. The Kindred of the other cities of across the trusted subordinates to keep all the cells active. How-
UK are now aware and forewarned of the threat Oper- ever, he continued to play his role in keeping his own
ation Antigen poses and will not be caught unawares. myth resonant, repeatedly leaving his favorite haven
Those that escaped London in time will share their in Britain – also the modern headquarters of the Cult
lessons learnt. Many will deploy new levels of security, – to visit other Mithraic cells located around western
employing false identities, and proxy agents, while Europe and the Mediterranean.
taking care to avoid surveillance and modern commu-
nications. Those Kindred too weak or too foolish to While the Mysteries were in their prime in the 19th
evade capture will be offered up as useful distractions, century, from the 1940s they fell into decline. After
and will not be mourned by their peers. the public announcement and acceptance of Mithras’s
destruction, a large proportion of members abandoned
The Modern Cult the Cult, resulting in a steep decline of power and
influence. Some of the Cult’s more emotional members
of Mithras were too overcome by grief, while other, more pragmatic
members simply took the loss as a sign that perhaps the
Various forms of the Mithraic Mysteries existed long Ventrue wasn’t really a god after all. Others splintered
be­fore the founding of the Roman Empire. With off to form their own independent cult cells, rationaliz-
Mithras serving as god of law, loyalty, and bargains, ing events in their own ways, or using the local temple as
he was popular with soldiers, merchants, bureaucrats, their personal base of power. Only the most zealous and
and custom officials, freedmen, and slaves. The cult loyal members clung to the “true faith”, nurtured by Pa-
prospered in Rome, and different cells have existed ter Thomas in London, who promised them that all was
independently, operating in secret and hidden from one not lost, and that their master would one night return.
another. Even now Mithras prefers to keep his followers Many of these most faithful members were Ventrue of
segregated, with multiple cells operating even in the Mithras’s own lineage.
same cities. Although Pater Thomas may be responsible
for the largest temple – and is clearly favored by the Roger de Camden – as Pater Thomas – continues
methuselah – only Mithras himself has ever known the to lead the largest Mithraic cell in the modern night
full extent of the cult’s membership and influence. from a new temple headquarters in Edinburgh. Loyal
followers and important relics were transferred clan-
destinely from London over a decade ago, before the
events of this chronicle first began. At Mithras’ own

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THE REAL MITHRAEUM underground chamber where the stone foundations
The development of Walbrook Square in central of the original Roman Temple of Mithras are laid
London that began over a decade ago has since out. Visitors are treated to an audiovisual display
been completed. On the site there now stands which attempts to evoke the atmosphere of the
a new building complex owned and controlled original temple at the height of its use.
by Bloomberg, an international corporation and
privately held organization involved in the finance, Originally discovered when the site was exca-
software, data, and media industries. vated in the 1950s, to lay the foundations of Buck-
lersbury House (the previous structure built on the
The site boasts two five-story office blocks site that was demolished a decade ago to make way
that stand separately, but which are joined by a for the Bloomberg development), when that build-
glass atrium which covers a central walkway and ing was completed the ruins were enshrined in con-
the main entrance to the northernmost block. crete in the forecourt and left exposed to the open
Most of ground floor space of both buildings is air. When the site was redeveloped, the temple
otherwise given over to shops and restaurants. All remains were temporarily placed in storage until
the building space above the ground floor is devot- the Bloomberg complex was completed, when they
ed to offices and meeting spaces, most of which were eventually enshrined in their new location.
are used by Bloomberg themselves.
While it is occasionally used for private func-
There is another door at the foot of the north- tions, in the evenings the Mithraeum is normally
ern block, which is the entrance to the Mithraeum, closed, and the door is alarmed and monitored by
a small museum which is open to the public and both CCTV and human security teams. Further-
free to visit every day from 10 AM until 6 PM, ex- more, the Newburgh Group are aware of the site’s
cluding Mondays. Constructed at Bloomberg’s own historical and supernatural significance, and are
expense and incorporated into the foundations of quick to respond to any unusual goings on. There-
the building, the Mithraeum leads visitors through fore, it is a place rarely frequented by vampires,
two layers of basement, and past informational dis- and those that do are likely to encounter consid-
plays and cabinets of archaeological artefacts, to an erable peril.

instruction, Roger has begun seeding rumors that the The Fate of Mithras
ancient Ventrue has risen again to claim the domain of
Edinburgh. Leaders of surviving cult cells around the Depending on how this chronicle has ended for your
rest of Europe are now expected to provide informa- troupe of players, it has the potential to impact your
tion and resources to aid the Mysteries in the battle World of Darkness setting in a variety of different ways.
to come. Followers who return to the fold with regret
in their hearts are to be welcomed. Those who turned Mithras as King
their backs on the true faith are to be punished, along
with the methuselah’s many enemies. If the PCs aided the Ventrue in fully completing the
Ritual of Transferring the Soul, then he is at peak
The cult still maintains a presence in London, Blood Potency, and is therefore an unstoppable force
led by the Toreador Rose Abawi. This cell must be in the Kindred world. He eventually forces all the
especially careful – inviting Kindred to congregate Princes of the cities of the United Kingdom to bend
together in worship is not only a direct violation of the the knee, and those that refuse will be destroyed and
Compact, but it also greatly increases the risk of being replaced. Although London may be too dangerous a
discovered by Operation Antigen. place to inhabit, Mithras still claims the territory as his

215

FALL OF LON D ON

own. With a new order in Avalon, the ancient Ventrue which will cause more dissidents to flock to his side,
eventually turns his attention to Europe. The Mithraic feeding into his plans. Mithras eventually controls
mystery cults will be invigorated, and the most faithful Britain, but it is the outcome of a much harder jour-
will be rewarded. The Camarilla will send embassies to ney, paid for in toil and blood.
honor the methuselah’s authority, and to better under-
stand his future intentions. Mithras as Martyr

Mithras as Kindred If the characters or the forces of Operation Antigen
successfully destroyed Mithras in your story, his
If Mithras survived, but was not given the opportu- memory will survive him. The various Mithraic cult
nity to complete the Ritual of Transferring the Soul cells – led by Pater Thomas – seek to ensure that his
then he is less powerful, and less able to take power name, his plans, and his legacy are not forgotten. True
from the other Kindred of Britain. He appears in believers of the Mysteries will continue to worship
secret to the loyal followers of the Cult, but will not the methuselah as an invisible deity – no longer
declare himself publicly to avoid giving his enemies tangible, but still spiritually present in all things. The
the upper hand. Under the guise of Monty Coven, Kindred Princes of Avalon will still be encouraged to
he gathers allies from the Anarchs to attack and pledge their loyalty to the Cult and will be punished
undermine the Princes of Avalon, one city at a time. if they do not. As the characters will be some of the
The Camarilla will declare Monty Coven Anathema, very few who know the truth, if they do not pledge

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E pilo g ue – A D esolate C it y

renewed fealty to the Mysteries, and to Pater Thomas, Heretics against the Sun
then they will be marked as enemies of the organiza-
tion to be destroyed at all costs. The characters may be angry about being used by
members of the cult for their own ends, and learning
Mithras as Myth more about the Cult’s motives and plans, they may see
a threat to Kindred society that needs to be stopped.
Another possible outcome is that Mithras survives the When the coup begins in Edinburgh, the characters
events of this chronicle, but then abandons his plans, could prove instrumental in stopping Thomas’s cell
his allies, and his home to heed the call of the Beck- from taking full control of the domain. Alternatively,
oning. In this case, events are likely to play out in a they may journey to other domains to stop the work of
similar manner to the last option, except that Thomas other cult cells in these places.
will be proceeding with their plans with the hope that
one night the methuselah will return to reward his Establish Domain in London
followers and claim the spoils of their work.
Rather than getting involved in politics, the characters
Future Chronicles may prefer to keep their heads down and put down
some roots. Staying in London is a risky proposition, of
For the PCs that survive the chronicle described in this course, due to the ongoing work of Operation Antigen
book, there are many possibilities regarding how their and the Newburgh Group. However, the coterie has wit-
story might continue. nessed the work of these hunters already, and they may
therefore be savvy enough to stay off their radar.
Heralds of the Sun
If the characters do decide to stay, then good sequel
The characters were once loyal Heralds of the Sun. If stories can be spun out from their choices and activi-
they proved their worth by aiding Mithras and the cult ties. What area will they claim for themselves? Is that
in their time of need, then they will be welcomed by area already occupied by any vampires? How will they
Thomas and his allies in the Scottish city of Edinburgh, get on with any neighboring Kindred landlords? How
who will have further use for them. will they cope with trespassers? How will they feed and
sustain themselves? What will they do if a hapless vam-
In fact, Storytellers who want to pick up the story pire draws the attention of hunters to their doorstep?
up in real time may wish to embroil the characters in What can they find out about the King of Shadows and
the conflict that quickly descends on this city. When any other prominent Kindred?
the Mysteries first relocate to Edinburgh, the domain
is still a staunch Toreador stronghold. The local Oppose Operation Antigen
Kindred will not take kindly to a coup by fanatics
loyal to Mithras, and they will not go down without After many encounters with the agents of Operation
a fight. Antigen in this chronicle, and the subsequent destruc-
tion of Queen Anne by their forces in 2013, the char-
Alternatively, the characters could be sent away as acters may be genuinely concerned about the growing
ambassadors to renew ties with other branches of the counter-conspiracy in the mortal world that is deter-
cult network located elsewhere in Britain or Europe. mined to eradicate vampires from London and the rest
Or they could be sent to destroy former members in of the United Kingdom. They may feel that it is their
other domains who have gone rogue, and who now duty to investigate these hunters further and find some
refuse to accept the authority of Mithras – or Thomas method of deterring them. Who are the leaders of this
if the methuselah has been destroyed – as the head of effort? Can they be reached? Can they be bargained
the wider organization. with? If not, would their deaths achieve anything? The
coterie may also wish to help spread the news of the

217

FALL OF LONDON

threat to other Kindred domains Adisa
in the UK or abroad – London was
the first city to fall, but it certainly The Banu Haqim survived due
won’t be the last. to her knowledge of London and
combat prowess. She rules as Land-
Work with lord over a middle-sized domain.
Operation Antigen She has no regrets about leaving
the Camarilla behind, as their rules
Another possible outcome of never much suited her anyway.
this chronicle is that the charac-
ters are on favorable terms with Ayse Dhanial
Antigen agents, and that they
have been granted some form of Ayse remains in London as nominal
stay of execution in return for agent for House Carna, though she
the information and assistance has recently turned her thoughts
they can provide in hunting to raising House Dhanial – after
other vampires. They may even all, which Tremere knows more
have been instrumental in Queen about surviving in London that she
Anne’s downfall themselves. The herself?
coterie may find themselves under
continuing pressure to provide Henry Miers
new intelligence, or to face the
wrath of the hunters themselves. A Ventrue Landlord of modest
They may also attempt duplicity, generation who claims to be of
using their work for Antigen as a Mithras’s lineage (although not af-
smokescreen, to allow an ‘under- filiated with the Mysteries). Miers
ground railroad’ of vampires to believes that he has the right to
make it out of the city safely. If inherit the entirety of the domain,
the hunters know their faces and and that the title of Prince of Lon-
their identities, however, then don should be reinstated.
regardless of their intentions they
will never be truly free again. Johnny Gallagher

Surviving An ambitious Brujah Anarch from
Kindred Manchester, Johnny has travelled
of London to London with his crew in the
wake of the fall of the city, with
Below is a selection of vampire plans to carve out a Barony of his
residents that your players could own. He has little experience with
meet if you tell stories in modern Operation Antigen, however, and
London, after the fall of Queen local Kindred do not expect him to
Anne’s court. last very long.

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E pilo g ue – A D esolate C it y

Najma Elmi

Najma survived the Fall of London, collecting most remaining thin-
bloods under her rule. Together they pose a formidable front, and have
claimed praxis of Southall.

Oskar Anasov

Ever the survivor, Oskar’s knowledge of spy craft has helped him evade
capture, and he now maintains the local Kindred communication network
by carrier pigeon. He is also a reliable contact for getting other Kindred
safely out of the city – for a price.

Rowena

The Irish Gangrel warrior survived the purge of London’s Kindred and now
keeps to the Barrens. She has struck up an uneasy truce with some local
lupines, who have been similarly targeted by hunters recently. She and her
allies want nothing to do with Kindred politics, but could be useful in any
future fight against the agents of Operation Antigen.

Rose Abawi

The Toreador progeny of the former Keeper of Elysium, Regina Blake, Rose
is a loyal acolyte of Mithras who spearheads his ongoing interests in Lon-
don. Although her sire is missing and presumed destroyed, she continues to
search, and holds some hope that Blake may be safely found some night.

Z

Z survived in the Nosferatu’s hidden underground, and has even managed to
rise to some importance as courier ferrying messages between Landlords.

The King of Shadows

Rumor has it they ruled London’s darkest places even before the fall of
Queen Anne’s court. If Richard de Worde survived his encounter with the
coterie, this might be him. Otherwise, it must be another Nosferatu now
claiming the underground tunnel network of the city center as their own.
Cleverly working through what seems like a legion of proxies and servants,
few have ever met this self-proclaimed king. They claim no allegiance to
the Camarilla or any other sect, and have little concerns outside of the city
itself. Although commonly thought to be a Nosferatu, nobody really knows
for sure. In fact, if the coterie chose to rule London together, the characters
might be sharing the mask of the King of Shadows ■

219

FALL OF LONDON

Appendix I:
London in Stories

This appendix focuses only on some A DARKER WORLD below includes some standouts
essential details that can help Story- The version of London and some favorites but should not
tellers add authenticity to addition- presented in this book is be considered exhaustive.
al games set in London, or indeed fictional, adapted to tell our
expanding The Fall of London if story, and to better repre- In Print
the coterie wishes to abandon the sent the World of Dark-
charted path. This information has ness. While care has been London by Edward Rutherford, Nev-
been compiled to represent London taken to portray the city erwhere by Neil Gaiman, The Rivers
circa the year 2012, which is the realistically, and real-world of London by Ben Aaronovitch, Un
period setting for this chronicle. organizations and locations Lun Dun by China Miéville, Full
Please bear in mind when conduct- may be referenced, either Dark House by Christopher Fowler,
ing your own research that in the directly or in fictionalized Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens,
last decade the city has continued form, the reader should The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar
to change and evolve. understand that these may Wilde, Dracula by Bram Stoker.
be different in real-life, and
London is one of the largest that no insult or offense is On TV
and most cosmopolitan cities in the intended by the authors.
world. In 2012 a government census The Bill, EastEnders, London’s Burning,
recorded a population of over 8 mil- Providing a high level of detail The Sweeney, Hustle, Line of Duty,
lion people, comprising of well over on every aspect of London’s history Sherlock, Penny Dreadful, New Tricks,
100 different nationalities, with and geography from the point of Waking the Dead, Bulletpoof, Misfits.
many different religious persua- view of a mortal human is well
sions. Boris Johnson is still Mayor. beyond the scope of this book. In Film
However, Storytellers will find no
As well as the political and shortage of resources in print and Performance (Donald Cammell &
economic capital of the United online to further their research. Nicolas Roeg 1970), Raw Meat/Death
Kingdom, modern London is also Line (Gary Sherman 1972), The Long
a world leader in many indus- London in Good Friday (John McKenzie 1980),
tries, including financial services, Fiction Babylon (Franco Rosso 1980), An
business consultancy, data ana- American Werewolf in London (John
lytics, and software development. The city of London is a prominent Landis 1981), My Beautiful Laundrette
Additionally, the city is a cultural setting in many books, TV shows (Stephen Frears 1985), Naked (Mike
treasure trove, boasting some of and feature films. Knowing these Leigh 1993), Nil By Mouth (Gary
the best museums and galleries, references can be useful inspiration Oldman 1997), Lock, Stock and Two
and a rich and varied nightlife. in aid of bringing your The Fall of Smoking Barrels (Guy Ritche 1998),
London’s artistic culture has London chronicle to life. The list Notting Hill (Roger Michel 1999),
remained strong for over a century, 28 Days Later (Danny Boyle 2002),
and many famous authors, paint- Wonderland (James Cox 2003), Creep
ers, and musicians are known to (Christopher Smith 2004), Eastern
have made the city their home. All Promises (David Cronenberg 2007),
of this makes London a hot tourist Harry Brown (Daniel Barber 2009).
destination, with millions of new
visitors flocking to it every year.

220

A ppe n di x

Getting Around RELYING ON MODERN city center, and many people are
TECHNOLOGY forced to wait on platforms until
London In 2019 everyone has a there is room to get on the next
smartphone, and services train. Note that the Night Tube –
Visitors new to London will quickly such as Google Maps are a reduced service that runs all
become overwhelmed with the size only one finger-tap away. night only on Friday and Saturday
and complexity of the city’s land- In 2012 mobile phones nights – is not launched by Trans-
scape. The oldest parts of London were much simpler devices, port for London until 2014.
in the city center are particularly though, and while Google
maze-like, where office blocks of Maps did exist, it was much London Buses
glass and steel jostle for space next more difficult to access
to ancient stone churches and other while on the move. London’s buses are easily distin-
buildings that hail from earlier pe- guished by their distinctive red
riods of history. The suburbs are less Also consider that the color, and many are “double-deck-
densely built, but the streets can pregenerated characters in ers” with additional seating above
seem similar and interchangeable to this chronicle have been in the driver. Currently there are
newcomers. Without a map it can torpor for 70 years. While thousands of vehicles serving
be very easy to lose your bearings. they should know what a hundreds of different numbered
Despite the best intentions of many telephone is, they will not routes, on schedules that stop
who have tried to exert their will have seen a mobile phone every 10 to 30 minutes. The buses
over the centuries, the city has before, and they will have two major advantages. They
never conformed to a plan. Tourists have never heard of the travel through many places that
used to grid or ‘checker-board style’ Internet. When it comes the Tube does not, and some of
city layouts find this particularly to researching their sur- them become Night Buses which
bewildering. roundings, they are much continue late into the night after
more likely to ask for in- most other transport systems have
Exploring the city on foot is formation on the street, or stopped. The buses, however, are
always an option, but it would take to seek out a public library a much slower mode of transport,
all night just to walk the breadth of than reach for an electron- and in the rush hours due to heavy
it. While it is possible to drive your ic device. traffic they can slow to a crawl.
own vehicle on London’s roads,
most people avoid this because runs deep underground in the city London Overground &
public parking spaces are scarce center, over 50% of the network – National Rail
and extortionately expensive. mostly in the outer suburbs – lies
above ground. Services are gen- In addition to the Tube, there are
Most people instead favor erally reliable and run from early more traditional rail networks
public transport options. In fact, morning until around midnight, which reach out into London’s
the city’s continuing prosperity has with individual trains typically de- suburbs. An Overground service
been a direct result of its advanced parting every three to 15 minutes. encircles many outer areas of the
transport infrastructure, much of During the rush hours of 7 AM-9 city in a loop, and other train
which was first designed and built AM and 5 PM-7 PM the services services strike outwards using the
in the Victorian era. are especially busy with commuters national rail network to connect
travelling to and from jobs in the London to other towns outside
The Tube the city limits. For residents who
live south of the Thames river,
The London Underground or
“Tube” is the quickest way to trav-
erse the city quickly. Although it

221

FALL OF LONDON

“I don’t know what London’s coming to –
the higher the buildings the lower the morals.”

– NOËL COWARD

222

A ppe n di x

where there are few Tube services, contactless payment of credit or
this rail system is essential. These debit cards can also be used to pay
trains run from early morning for single journeys. While trav-
until around midnight and, again, elcards valid for any number of
during rush hours these services are journeys in a single day are availa-
jam-packed. They have a reputa- ble, anyone planning to stay longer
tion for being more unreliable, and than a single night should get an
commonly see maintenance works Oyster card or pay contactless.
and unscheduled cancellations.
Taxi Services
Other Public
Transport Options Travelers that do not wish to rely
on public transport – or who are
The Docklands Light Railway out late at night after most public
(DLR) is another rail network transport systems have stopped –
which connects the Docklands may turn to private taxis. London’s
area of east London to London’s iconic black cabs are officially
other transport networks and runs licensed to operate within the
from early morning until around greater London area, with all
midnight. River buses operate to drivers required to pass a qualifi-
carry pedestrian passengers up and cation called the Knowledge, which
down the length of the Thames demonstrates their familiarity with
between 5 AM and 10 PM, and in London’s streets. Although safe and
east London the Woolwich Ferry reliable, these taxis are metered and
transports cars across the river be- are expensive, and for this reason
tween the hours of 6 PM and 8 PM. many people opt for local mini-
In the Croydon area of south Lon- cab services instead. Minicabs are
don there is a Tramlink network usually private vehicles owned by
which runs from 4 AM to 1 AM. In the driver who take contracts from
addition, there is a wide network a licensed booking office. Fares
of stations around London for can be negotiated, are often a fixed
the public hire of bicycles, often fee, and are generally cheaper than
referred to as ‘Boris Bikes’ after the using black cabs. A recurring phe-
mayor of London Boris Johnson, nomenon of late is the unlicensed
who first launched the service. minicab, which is an unregistered
driver using a private vehicle to
Across all services, the transport pick up passersby off the street
network is broken into concentric without using a booking office. In
rings called Zones which expand recent years there have been many
outwards from the city center, reported incidents of unlicensed
which is known as Zone 1. Ticketing drivers ripping off passengers or
is now mostly using the Oyster card sexually assaulting them, and in
system first introduced in 2003, response local authorities now place
where each customer purchases and warnings on posters in public places
tops up a special card used to tap to alert people to these risks.
into and out of the system. Direct

223

FF ALLLL OFF LLOON D ONN

London’s

Nightlife

As described by Edmund Jacobie, club-owner, fixer, and raconteur.

Whatever you want, whatever find bars with ping pong tables drawn along lines of nationality.
your taste, London is the place to and classic arcade machines next Resident expats from a variety
be for a grand night out. Some of to music halls offering cabaret, of countries throng together
the best pubs and clubs are found comedy, and burlesque. It’s a great to watch sporting events and
here. All the best bands play here. area to grab a drink while spotting support their national teams.
Anyone who is anyone in the wild fashion statements and eccen- Pubs and clubs can skew towards
worlds of art, fashion, theater, and tric hairstyles. certain demographics, cut by na-
cinema needs to be here. Celebri- tionality, or by fashion or music
ties who seek fame for fame’s sake Avoid the old City for night- tastes. London’s alternative scene
all flock here. You’re really spoilt life, as the place goes dead by encompasses plenty of choices
for choice. about nine o’clock in the evening. for rock, emo, goth, fetish, and
Canary Wharf and Westminster Lolita aficionados. A particularly
Tourists always start in the are also frightfully dull. To be British phenomenon is the “chap,”
West End, mostly because that’s granted, there are a few nice who embraces an anachronis-
where most of the theatres and old pubs scattered around these tic approach to men’s fashion,
department stores are. Soho has parts, but these are all really areas including vintage tweed suits, and
a seedier reputation, of course, where people work, not where impeccably groomed facial hair.
with a row of strip clubs nestled they go out to play. In addition,
in its heart. As you move further avoid most of the suburbs, where In less interesting areas of
west to Kensington, Chelsea, and most people will be sleeping, not London, you’ll find youths taking
Knightsbridge it gets noticeably partying – unless sleepers are to the street to entertain them-
classier. You need real money to your jam, of course. selves. Some kids hang out in late
go out around there, but if you do, night shopping centers or find car
you’re likely to rub shoulders with Where London gets more inter- parks or pedestrian areas to ride
millionaires, sports personalities, esting is in respect to its subcultures. on their skateboards and scooters.
and film stars. Dig beneath the skin and you will Others congregate around parks,
find the city is like an onion, with fast food restaurants, or go from
For something a little more layer after layer of more delightful door to door among their friends
bohemian you could try the East goings on. Name an activity or a to watch TV or play console
End. Shoreditch, Hoxton, Dalston, pastime and – regardless of how ob- games. More unruly youths will
and Hackney are full of lively, scure it may seem – it will undoubt- engage in petty crime, or form
modern young people looking for edly be happening somewhere. gangs to sell drugs and fight over
a good time, and who are willing local territory.
to stay up all night. Here you’ll Of London’s multitude
of social networks, many are

224

A ppe n di x

Behind closed doors that are many more illegal LAST CALL
goings-on to discover. Many respectable looking hotels Central to London’s social scene – and British
are hiding illegal brothels, drug-dens, or money-laun- culture in general – is the public house or
dering operations. A truly underground entertain- “pub”. The oldest pubs are dark, cozy places
ment scene also exists where you may find street with historic, original decor. More modern
racing, amateur boxing matches, dogfights, and other pubs vary wildly in character but are likely
unsavory things. Most of these activities are owned owned as part of a franchise or brewery chain.
by a myriad of organized crime gangs, who jostle con- Common to all pubs is the open-topped bar
stantly for territory and influence, and funnel money where a variety of beers – a mix of lagers, bit-
back to their leaders, many of which are overseas. ters, ales and stouts – are served on tap from
the barrel. More beers, wines, spirits, and soft
London in the early morning hours before dawn drinks are also served from behind the bar.
can seem an eerie and tranquil place. With most
public transport systems stopped, and most estab- Some pubs only serve simple food snacks,
lishments closed, most residents will be tucked up in while some – dubbed “gastropubs” – seek a
bed. You may find lonely crews of workers cleaning reputation for fine dining as well. While pubs
the streets or performing important maintenance used to be primarily drinking houses, many
work. Perhaps early morning deliveries of industrial now offer different forms of entertainment,
or kitchen supplies to serve the day to come. The oc- such as sports coverage on widescreen TV,
casional straggling partygoer, or wandering homeless, quiz nights, music DJs, live bands, or karaoke.
but these are slim pickings. Those in need of suste- Upstairs or rear function rooms are commonly
nance are better off hunting at the beginning of the offered for lectures, poetry, comedy, bur-
night, not the end. lesque, dancing lessons, and private parties.

On a more topical front, this year London has the The typical closing time of most pubs is
honor of hosting the Olympic Games. Huge swathes before midnight, with last orders normally
in east London have been redeveloped especially for called at 11 PM. Although licensing laws were
this event. The Olympic Park and Stadium provides changed in 2005 to allow pubs to stay open
many facilities for the athletic events themselves, later, many do not, or only extend their open-
while the new Westfield shopping mall complex site ing hours on weekends. As London’s transport
next to Stratford station draws steady visitors. The systems similarly wind down before midnight,
new residential tower blocks of Stratford City offer only a small but dedicated clientele will contin-
accommodation to athletes, press, and other visitors. ue to seek drinks after this time.
Viewing events all over London draw in new tourists,
rising far beyond even London’s usual number of
visitors. The bustle, chaos, and excitement make it
easy to blend into night-time crowds, many of them
getting in an early Olympian celebration. This is a
wonderful new hunting ground that has piqued the
interest of many of London’s nocturnal residents.
Beware, though, that a small army of volunteer staff
for the games oversee everything rigorously, down
to controlling flow of pedestrians crossing the roads
and in and out of tube stations. Some even seem to
have a talent for picking out our nocturnal residents,
though so far none of them reported trouble arising
from this.

225

FALL OF LONDON

Law Enforcement

& CRIME

As described by Detective Inspector Elliot Grant
of the Metropolitan Police.

More informally called “the Met”, Constables patrolling the smoke cannisters and baton-fir-
or “the Old Bill”, the Metropoli- streets (or “on the beat”) will ing grenade launchers. In addi-
tan Police service covers all 32 of wear a working uniform of black tion, the Met maintains a fleet
London’s boroughs, excluding the trousers or cargo pants, with a of specialist vehicles, including
City, which is policed separately white or black shirt and a black bikes, cars, vans, trucks, armoured
by the City of London Police. The or neon stab-proof tactical vest or vehicles, boats, and helicopters,
Met also has many wider-reaching jacket over the top. Male officers which can be deployed in support
responsibilities, including national normally wear a peaked cap, and of its various operations.
counterterrorism, policing the female officers a small bowler hat
UK’s largest airports, and protect- – the famous domed helmets are One of the Met’s primary
ing VIPs – e.g. the Royal Family, a thing of the past, now reserved responsibilities is to respond to
the Government, and foreign dip- for formal events only. Off the reports of recently committed
lomats. However, we don’t cover beat, more specialized officers crimes and crimes in progress. Any
the Tube, the DLR, the Tramlink may be in “plain clothes” (from member of the public can report
or the railways in London, which street-casual to suit-and-tie) or an incident by dialling the emer-
are instead policed by British may wear more specialized gear gency services number 999, which
Transport Police. relevant to their roles. will connect them to a human
operator who will gauge the seri-
Regular police officers like me Tasers and firearms are ousness of the matter and organize
begin on the street with the rank restricted to specially trained the appropriate response. While
of constable, and work slowly up personnel, who will be on call the Met has a target of 15 mins
through the ranks to sergeant, to provide support to regular for first-responder teams to reach
inspector, and chief inspector. officers. Plain clothes detectives the scene of a serious crime in
If you’re lucky, and if you can with suitable training may be progress, recent budget cuts by the
handle the stress and the politics, licensed to carry a Glock pistol. government have meant stretch-
you might go even higher to the Firearms officers in a protection ing resources very thinly over the
ranks to run a station or a special or counter-terrorism role – also capital, and in busy times respons-
unit as a superintendent. The Met including those officers that es can take longer. Similarly, while
isn’t just formed of police officers, guard London’s major airports most non-emergency situations
though – every station and unit – are given a Heckler & Koch should receive a response within
has its own support staff. Civilians or LMT semi-automatic carbine a few hours, often civilians are
can also sign up to assist the police in addition to a sidearm. In riot forced to wait days or even weeks
as volunteer Special Constables. situations the Met may deploy for a follow-up.

226

A ppe n di x

A murder will be escalated the Met’s Homicide Command, who will ADAPTING THE MET
assign the investigation to a Murder Investigation Team (MIT) within the TO YOUR CHRONICLE
relevant regional unit. The Directorate of Forensic Services will investigate The infrastructure and
any crime scene, and any bodies will be sent to the nearest Coroner’s office. organization of the Met-
ropolitan Police is always
Other violent crimes may involve personnel from the Met’s Robbery changing. Sometimes this
Unit SCD7 (also ‘Flying Squad’ or ‘Sweeney’), the Counter-Terrorism is the result of budget
Command Unit SO15, or the Specialist Firearms Command Unit CO19. cuts, and in other cases it
Internal investigations of corruption and malpractice within the Met are could be a more strategic
handled by the Directorate of Professional Standard (DPS). All the Met’s attempt to deploy limit-
specialist directorates and subdivisions are headquartered at the Met’s ed resources, or a direct
New Scotland Yard complex situated in Westminster. response to external over-
sight. While this may not
Violent crime is taken very seriously by the authorities. Although matter for the chronicle
guns are restricted and not easily obtained by civilians, between 2,000 described in this book, if
and 3,000 incidents involving firearms are logged by the Met every year. you decide to run other
The Met’s own statistics show that in 75% of cases a gun is used to intim- Vampire games in London
idate but is not discharged. Many of these incidents involve gangs and in the modern nights or in
organized crime, and the Met prioritizes the policing of these offenses. other time periods, please
Most guns in use on the street are smuggled into the country by Euro- bear this in mind.
pean organized crime groups. An ongoing program of intelligence-led
stop-and-searches, and open gun amnesties at police stations, have been
significant factors in keeping any escalation of violence in check.

Civilians may apply to the Met for private licenses to hold sporting or
hunting rifles, or shotguns, but the possession of any type of handgun, auto-
matic or semi-automatic weapon is explicitly prohibited. Firearms appli-
cations require extensive background checks, multiple personal references,
a reasonable justification, and a face-to-face interview. Any person with a
significant criminal record will be prohibited. Any adult convicted of illegal-
ly possessing a firearm can expect a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison,
and any proven intent to endanger life may lead to life imprisonment.

Due to the many difficulties relating to gun ownership, violent crimes
using blunt and bladed weapons are on the rise. Notably in youth culture
and juvenile gangs across the city, carrying a knife is considered normal,
and stabbings as a result of territorial intergang violence are becoming
increasingly commonplace. Many types of knives are entirely prohibited
and being caught and convicted of holding such a weapon can lead to fines
and a prison sentence of up to 4 years.

Organised crime is a huge problem for us. The Met is tracking thou-
sands of different crime organizations operating in the city, many of which
originate from overseas. Commonplace activities include robbery, rack-
eteering, drug distribution, human trafficking, gun smuggling, illegal sex
work, and money laundering. Many operate with cell structures that make
it difficult to map the larger organization. And for each cell we dismantle,
another quickly rises to take its place. It’s an endless, thankless job, that is
only going to get worse if the government’s policy of under-funding law
enforcement agencies continues.

227

FFALLLL OFF LL OON D ONN

POLICE EQUIPMENT Beat Constable
Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) batons are pat-
ented telescopic straight batons, which can be concealed or stowed ■ STANDARD DICE POOLS:
on a belt until they are extended by flicking or swinging the arm. Physical 3, Social 3, Mental 2
They inflict damage as a standard Heavy Impact melee weapon.
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES:
Tasers are lightweight personal weapons designed to issue a Health 6,Willpower 4
short electric shock to incapacitate rather than injure. Tasers are
operated using the Firearms skill and inflict superficial damage to ■ EXCEPTIONAL DICE POOLS:
all targets. If a shot from a taser successfully hits a human then Athletics 5, Brawl 5,
there is no additional damage modifier, but the target is stunned Investigation 5, Melee 5,
– and cannot act – for a number of turns equal to the number of Persuasion 5, Streetwise 5
successes rolled (i.e. margin of the roll +1). Vampires are similar-
ly affected but halve the amount of time (rounding down). If the ■ EQUIPMENT: Personal radio,
target is wearing heavy clothing or non-conducting armor that handcuffs, flashlight, baton or
prevents the weapon from making skin contact, then there is no truncheon (heavy impact, +2
effect. The target can reduce the amount of turns they have been damage), reinforced clothing
stunned by spending 1 Willpower point per turn reduced. (armor 2)

Stun grenades (also known as flash-bang grenades) are os- Sergeant (First Responder)
tensibly non-lethal weapons designed to release a deafening noise
and a blinding light to disorientate all targets within a radius of 5 ■ STANDARD DICE POOLS:
meters. Concussion from the blast can still injure, or can disrupt Physical 3, Social 3, Mental 3
the inner ear, leading to temporary dizziness and balance issues.
Stun grenades are treated as thrown weapons and detonate on ■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES:
the turn after they are released. All vic­tims caught in the blast area Health 6,Willpower 5
will receive superficial damage equal to the margin of the throw,
and are stunned for 3 turns, but may reduce this time by spending ■ EXCEPTIONAL DICE POOLS:
1 Willpower for each turn reduced. Antigen agents carry special Athletics 5, Brawl 6,
stun grenades with an additional effect: vampires caught in the blast Drive 6, Investigation 6, Melee 6,
must immediately roll a Willpower test with a difficulty of 3 to avoid Persuasion 5, Streetwise 6
entering frenzy and fleeing the scene on their next available turn.
■ EQUIPMENT: Personal radio,
handcuffs, flashlight, baton or
truncheon (heavy impact, +2
damage), taser with laser sight

Sergeant (Protection or
Counter-Terrorism)

■ STANDARD DICE POOLS:
Physical 3, Social 3, Mental 3

■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES:
Health 6,Willpower 6

■ EXCEPTIONAL DICE POOLS:
Awareness 7,Athletics 7, Brawl 7,
Drive 7, Firearms 8, Intimidation 8,
Melee 7

■ EQUIPMENT: Personal radio,
handcuffs, flashlight, Glock pistol

228

A ppe n di x

(medium gunshot, +3 damage), Stories Told by Night
HK carbine (heavy gunshot, +4
damage), Kevlar vest (armor 4), The following plot hooks are provided for Storytellers
stun grenades who wish to extend this chronicle into a longer se-
quence of events, or who are interested in telling other
Detective Inspector stories in London prior to the fall of the domain.
(Murder Investigation)
Embassy
■ STANDARD DICE POOLS:
Physical 3, Social 3, Mental 4 The Banu Haqim send a delegation of Kindred to rep-
resent their clan in London, but one of their number
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: soon goes missing. The Banu Haqim question Queen
Health 6,Willpower 6 Anne’s hospitality and reputation, with the full back-
ing of the Camarilla. The characters are drafted by the
■ EXCEPTIONAL DICE POOLS: Court to assist in the matter. Some suspect a plot the
Academics 7,Awareness 6, local Toreador and Tremere hatched to undermine the
Drive 6, Intimidation 6, Ventrue’s authority. Others suspect the Banu Haqim of
Investigation 7, Persuasion 7, staging the disappearance themselves to gain leverage
Streetwise 6 over the Court of London. The possibility also remains
that the lone Banu Haqim has absconded voluntarily,
■ EQUIPMENT: Personal radio, and that they are simply glad to be freed from a regi-
handcuffs, flashlight mented life at Alamut?

Detective Inspector Wildcard
(Flying Squad)
The Scourge of London, Terence Gardener, grows in-
■ STANDARD DICE POOLS: creasingly violent and reckless, and the Court is divided
Physical 4, Social 3, Mental 4 over his future. When Gardener destroys an influential
elder who was trying to defend their unsanctioned chil-
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: de from termination, tensions rise, and the characters
Health 6,Willpower 6 are brought in to investigate the situation and to quell a
wide variety of rumors. It could be that the situation is
■ EXCEPTIONAL DICE POOLS: genuine, and that the demise of the elder was an unfor-
Athletics 6, Brawl 7, Drive 7, tunate accident. If the childe was sanctioned, then the
Firearms 7, Intimidation 7, Scourge could have been unaware or mistaken. Alter-
Investigation 7, Melee 6, natively, they may have been fully aware, and they may
Streetwise 7 have struck anyway for some ulterior motive. In which
case, could it have been vengeance, or were they com-
■ EQUIPMENT: Personal radio, pelled? Who else would be set to gain from the Scourge’s
handcuffs, Glock pistol (medium fall? Who is most likely to replace him?
gunshot, +3 damage), Kevlar vest
(armor 4) Anarchy

A disagreement between the two largest Anarch
groups in London – the Southwark Council and
the Brixton Massive – escalates into more serious

229

FALL OF LONDON

violence. The characters may be drafted in by Sheriff Hunt Club
Marcus Kiley to help keep the peace, or they may
be selected instead by one of the Anarch groups to A venerable Toreador elder creates a new progeny
investigate the cause, or negotiate a truce between without permission, and Queen Anne disavows them,
the two sides. The conflict could be over territory removing the protection of the Court. A variety of
or influence, or it could be a more bitter personal enthusiasts of diablerie surface in London to try and
vendetta. Whatever the cause, it will be important to claim both Kindred as prizes. The same Toreador elder
determine whether the grievance was accidental or will approach the PCs for assistance in protecting
intentional, and if one party is at fault, they will need themselves and their childe, claiming that they were
to offer suitable apology or recompense before the framed, and that they were previously given permission
violence will stop. In addition, Operation Antigen by Queen Anne, who changed her mind on a whim. It
might launch early if the violence gets out of hand is possible that another Kindred may be able to cor-
and draws the hunters’ attention. roborate their story. Alternatively, other vampires may
side with the accused out of principle, even if evidence
points to the contrary. The characters will need to split
their efforts between protecting the Toreador and in-
vestigating the truth. The Scourge may also conduct his
own investigation, which may place him at odds with
the characters. When the characters discover the truth,
what will they do about it? Do the Toreador deserve to
die, or can they offer them a way out? ■

230

A ppe n di x

Appendix II: Loresheets

These Loresheets were designed with an eye to modern chronicles, after the Fall of London. The Storyteller can
adapt them easily to work within the Fall of London scenario.

AGENT OF JUSTICAR PARR

Juliette Parr is the current Malkavian Justicar, given ing over other important evidence. The Justicar continues
the authority to investigate traitors to the Camarilla, to maintain a Haven in her home city of London, and
and to punish those that would flaunt or undermine she can often be found there when she is not attending
its Traditions. Parr has a long-standing association Camarilla matters overseas personally.
with law enforcement; prior to her appointment she
served as one of the Sheriffs of London. Her presence, You are a confidant of Justicar Parr, serving as her eyes
knowledge, and charm are considerable, and her obses- and ears, and given the authority to command Camarilla
sive-compulsive tendencies have served her well when resources in her name. She trusts your observations and
interrogating suspects, examining crime scenes, and por- recommendations, all in the name of the greater good, pro-
tecting the Camarilla from enemies within and without.

LORE

Information Drop: You routinely Request Backup: You are you implicitly, her interest comes with
provide information to Justicar Parr, re- important enough to Justicar Parr that a certain degree of possessiveness.You
porting on the movements and conver- you may call upon other Camarilla may consider Parr a 5-dot Mawla, but
sations of other Kindred, but sometimes assets in her network to assist you in she also makes constant demands of you.
you receive useful information in return. your work. Once each story you may It would be unwise to upset an elder of
Once per story you can ask the Story- call upon a 5-dot Ally to back you up her power and influence.
teller for a piece of information relevant for the duration of a scene.They could
to an ongoing investigation, which could grant you access to places you normally Camarilla Archon:
be reasonably provided by the Justicar’s cannot go, introduce you to people you You are publicly named as an Archon
wider network of agents and informants. would not normally meet, perform a serving the Camarilla under Justicar
task beyond your own expertise and Parr, and you hold a warrant that you
Camarilla Conditioning: experience, or simply provide physical can present to any Camarilla Kindred
Beyond your personal commitment to protection or escape in a high-risk to demand their cooperation in your
the Camarilla, you have also received situation. activities and investigations.Your po-
training and indoctrination that ensures sition taints all your interactions with
your loyalty to the sect.You gain 1 die Favored Protégé: You other vampires for better or worse.
in all Willpower tests performed in the are acquainted with Juliette Parr at a Sycophants will try to impress you,
course of your duties, and you also add 1 personal level, and you have a shared while others may resent you or avoid
additional die to your pool when making history beyond serving the Camarilla in you. Enemies of the Camarilla will
tests to resist any attempts to intimidate an official capacity.You correspond with also consider you a target to make an
or compel you away from your duties. the Malkavian often, while she trusts example of, if possible.

231

FALL OF LONDON

C O U R T O Fhe King of Shadows is a mysterious figure SHADOWS

in London’s supernatural society. Variously agents are never hungry, and never want for a roof over
their heads. The King also offers security and sanctuary –
Tdescribed as a vampire, a criminal kingpin, a many of London’s organized crime syndicates are aware of
champion of the downtrodden, and a ghostly their existence, but few would dare to cross them.
agent of retribution, few know the truth. The darkest and
ugliest corners of London now belong to the King, and
they suffer no insult, and brook no competition.

While the King is not known to foster friendships, they
have many agents and allies that serve them across the city,
both on the street and below it. These agents can be found
everywhere: near train and tube stations, on street corners
and bus stops, outside all-night convenience stores, in hos-
tels, under bridges, and in other more downtrodden places.

Many mortals and Kindred alike are in the King’s debt,
and those that are foolish enough to become their enemy are
seldom seen for long. To be in the King’s favor is considered a
blessing by many, and certainly not something to be scorned.

There are many benefits to serving the King of Shad-
ows. They always look out for their own, ensuring their

LORE

Free Meals: The King of Shadows in return. If you cannot pay in kind, then look. Once per story you may approach
is aware their Kindred associates need you may be asked to perform a service the Court of Shadow to request sanctu-
to remain well-fed, and to this end they for the King instead. ary.You will be blindfolded, and you will
employ mortals across the city as willing not know where you are taken, but you
vessels who can be made available to Contraband: The Court of can be sure that you will be kept safe for
those in need. Once per game session Shadows is also a place where you can as long a time as you need.
you may approach the Court of Shadow find illegal narcotics, weapons, explo-
for sustenance.The vessel will be willing, sives, and other contraband. Once per Favored by the King:
and of a random Resonance with no story you may approach the Court of You are one of the few Kindred in
Dyscrasias. If you have any feeding Shadows for what you need.They will be London who has ever been in the pres-
restrictions, then the vessel is compatible willing to provide, but always at a price, ence of the King of Shadows. For some
with your predilections. which can be paid in hard currency, or reason they have taken an interest in
with barter – either information or other you, and regularly correspond and meet
Rumor Mill: The Court of goods of an equivalently high value. with you.The King wears a mask and is
Shadows encourages a lively trade of in- still an enigmatic figure, but you know
formation and rumors. Once each game Sanctuary: The Court has more about them than many others.
session you may approach the network access to many buildings above ground Once per story you may call upon the
to exchange useful information.The across the city, and many structures King directly for aid.The manner and
veracity and accuracy of the information below ground, all of which are claimed degree to which they respond is left
given to you is left to the Storyteller’s by the King as their domain.The King’s to the Storyteller to determine, but it
discretion, but it should consider the agents know many hiding places, located should materially serve your needs in
value of the information that you trade where few prying eyes would think to some way.

232

A ppe n di x

H U N The organization known CLUB

as the Hunt Club has over the years into baroque and the-
atrical affairs, teasing and taunting
Tbeen operating covertly victims, and using regalia and calling
in London since the end cards that recall mortal Britain’s long
of the Second World War. Highly history of fox and game hunting.
secretive in nature, the organization
is dedicated to the pursuit of hunt- Before London’s fall, the Hunt
ing Kindred for sport and is reputed Club was quick to join in the action
to endorse the practice of diablerie. each time Queen Anne declared a
Members join using pseudonyms Blood Hunt, and the organization
and disguises to protect their own was unscrupulous at identifying its
reputations, and rumor has it that own targets for sport during quiet
some are highly placed within Kin- times. London and the United King-
dred society. dom have proven to be a rich hunting
ground, populated by many reclusive
The nominal leader of the Hunt Club is known simply and antiquated elders with poor defenses but rich vitae
as The Count, a title commonly believed to be a homage for the taking. In modern nights the organization must be
to Count Zaroff, a Russian vampire known to have hunted wary of Operation Antigen, but some members argue that
his peers in the mid- 20th Century, but who has not been getting closer to these mortal hunters may be a way of
seen for decades. The organization’s practices have evolved finding new quarry for their sport.

LORE

Huntsman’s Newsletter: As Huntsman’s Dossier: The The exterior will be subtly armor-plated,
a fledgling member of the Hunt Club, Hunt Club devotes significant resourc- and the interior will be sound-proofed
you are notified when important events es to watching and researching elder and reinforced with metal cage strong
occur, including when Blood Hunts are vampires to assess their defenses and enough to contain an angry Kindred.
declared in the various Kindred domains suitability as a target for sport. Not all The vehicle can be registered to your
in Avalon and in the cities of western these Kindred end up as victims, but name, or one of your Masks. As with
Europe.You can expect to receive such a the information gathered about their any vehicle, you should take care not to
notice once per story, but exactly when movements and nightly habits may still let it get stolen or impounded by the
this might happen is left to the discretion be interesting to other members. Once authorities.
of the Storyteller. per story you may contact the organi-
zation to ask for information regarding Leader of the Hunt:
Experienced Diablerist: You the current whereabouts, or the favorite Your good standing within the Hunt
have previously participated in a hunt, and haunts, of a named Kindred that dwells in Club gives you the right to name any
in its culmination have committed the act the local domain. Kindred as the next quarry for the
of diablerie on another vampire. Due to organization’s sport. Once per story you
your prior experience, you may add 1 Huntsman’s Steed: You may circulate the name of your target,
die to your pool in all future Strength + have acquired and adapted a modern which will cause them to be taunted,
Resolve tests when attempting the same vehicle to perfectly complement your harassed and attacked by members of
act again in the future.This also means hunting pursuits.The exact make and the organization.This will prove to be a
that the signs of diablerie may be visible model are left to the Storyteller’s significant inconvenience and distraction,
in your aura, and you would be wise to discretion, but it will be a plain-colored but whether they survive the assault is
avoid this being detected. van or truck with blacked-out windows. left to the discretion of the Storyteller.

233

FALL OF LONDON

LONDON UNDER LONDON

T(nosferatu characters only)
he subterranean landscape underneath London’s streets could
be considered an entire and separate city of its own. The tunnels
of the underground rail system, bored over a century ago, worm
alongside crypts and basements of much older structures, and more
modern shafts dug to provide water, power, and telecommunications services
to London’s residents above.

In the city center, within the approximate area marked as Zone 1 on trans-
port maps, the underground infrastructure is particularly dense. New digging
work associated with the groundbreaking Crossrail project – still incomplete at
the time of writing – has come within centimeters of other existing structures.
These underground pathways can be used to traverse the oldest parts of the city
without ever setting foot on the street.

LORE

Tube Safety: While it is not normal- knowledge.The location could be an old derground hideout that you can retreat
ly recommended for Kindred to use the sewer pipe, a maintenance hatch, or a to where no other Kindred can find you,
Tube for transport or feeding purposes, less-used section of the London Under- and where you can store valuable items
your knowledge of this transport system ground tunnel system – the Storyteller that you dare not leave anywhere else.
places you at an advantage.You know the may rule on how large or small your You do not use it frequently, as to do so
layout of each station and where all the hiding place is, and how long you may be would risk its discovery, but here you are
CCTV cameras are placed.While you able to safely stay there. safe from traditional means of discovery
cannot control them, you can take care (and the harmful rays of the sun). Note
not to present your face to them, and you Network of Vermin: You that this entirely mundane location will
know the blind spots in their coverage. As have spent enough time below ground not conceal you from those that would
a result, you may attempt a Wits + Stealth in London to become familiar with use supernatural means to track you –
test at Difficulty 3, which, if successful, the multitudes of vermin and other e.g. Auspex or Blood Sorcery.
allows you to pass through or hunt in any creepy-crawlies that live there.These
tube station undetected. Anyone travelling creatures are more readily available to Freedom of the City:
with you can also benefit from your do your bidding, and more willing to Your knowledge of the subterranean
knowledge, should you choose to share it. defend you from intruders.Your chances landscape of London is enough to let
of finding useful creatures in any scene you travel and access important locations
Somewhere to Hide: Your situated underground are increased, and without ever needing to step above
knowledge of London’s underground you may add 1 die to your pool when ground. Once per story you may transit
infrastructure is good enough to let you using any Animalism powers that con- between two surface locations using un-
hide in desperate situations. Maybe you cern the interaction with other bestial derground routes in a manner that would
are being pursued, or maybe you just creatures below the surface of London, not be detected by anyone watching at
found yourself too far from your haven including Bond Famulus, Feral Whispers, ground level.This could mean accessing
too close to dawn.Whatever the reason, Unliving Hive, and Animal Dominion. a private or public building illicitly – e.g.
you can attempt a Wits + Larceny test at a bank vault, a secure office, or another
Difficulty 3 to find a suitable hiding place Personal Bolt-Hole: Kindred’s Haven – but this would not
below ground that will be overlooked In addition to your regular haven protect you from any security measures
by anyone not in possession of similar aboveground, you maintain a secret un- you might encounter inside the building.

234

A ppe n di x

O P E R A T I O N A N T I G E Nperation Antigen is the name of the coalition of

police, military, and intelligence assets that purged the

Ocity of London of organized vampire influence. Anti-
gen is still active tonight, in a second phase dedicated
to ensuring that supernatural criminal influence does not return. The
success of the operation has led to similar anti-vampire initiatives
being sponsored in other cities in the United Kingdom and abroad.

You carefully cultivated allies and contacts that give you
some insight into Operation Antigen and its ongoing efforts in
London, and to similar activities elsewhere. You may also be able
to exert some limited influence over its night-to-night affairs, to
better protect yourself and the ones you love, or to set them upon
your enemies and rivals. These interactions do not come without
risk, however, as no Kindred can be considered truly safe from
Antigen’s reach.

LORE

Early Warning: You have a trusted Sympathetic Insider: You contact them and successfully blackmail
insider who has made you a simple have a relationship with someone placed them into performing one service for you
promise: if Antigen ever identifies you, or high up on Antigen’s apparatus who once.This is a card that can be played
plans your capture, they will give you ad- knows a great deal about current opera- in the event you are (or someone you
vanced warning.This is a one-time thing: tional activities and targets.This person has know is) captured by Antigen forces, but
they won’t stop or delay the agents, but their own reasons for sharing information it could also potentially be used to deflect
they will do you the courtesy of letting outside the chain of command – perhaps resources or delete sensitive information.
you know that they are coming. they do not agree with Antigen’s methods, Once your leverage is used, not only will
or they are more curious about the it become valueless, but your use of it will
Tactical Dossier: You have ac­ supernatural? Regardless of their motives, place you on Antigen’s watch list.
quired (or been leaked) a dossier which they are also cautious and paranoid about
discusses typical Antigen operating pro­ being caught leaking information by their Official Credentials: You
cedures, covering surveillance protocols, peers. Using suitably clandestine methods, have managed to obtain or manufacture
how to plan raids, and tactical advice for you may reach out to this four-dot Con- false credentials that will give you tempo-
engaging with IC0s. During a scene which tact once per story to ask them questions rary access to Antigen resources.You can
involves Operation Antigen, you can use about Antigen’s current activities. use this identity to briefly take command
the contents of this dossier to predict of Antigen personnel at a location under
and outwit their behavior. If the outcome Get Out of Jail Free: You surveillance, or at the scene of a raid.You
of the scene results in Antigen being have leverage over someone in the upper can also use this identity to take custody
aware that they have been outmaneu- echelons of Operation Antigen.They do of prisoners or evidence, or to infiltrate a
vered (e.g. their agents are killed, or their not know it yet, and what you have can location currently under Antigen control.
mission objectives are thwarted), then only be used once – as soon as the or- How long your cover lasts depends on
they will change their operating methods ganization knows this person is compro- how well you can blend in, and how long it
and the dossier will become useless. mised, they will be cycled out and their takes before people start to ask awkward
clearance revoked.Whoever it is in the questions. Once used, however, the cover
government, police or military, you can is blown and it cannot be used again.

235

FALL OF LONDON

O S K A Rskar Anasov is one of the most influential ANASOV

vampires active in London tonight. He is a choice to serve her or to be executed. For many years,
he remained a loyal, if grudg­ing, servant to the Court of
Oresponsible for the analog communication London. When Anne succeeded Mithras as the Prince of
systems which connect London’s Kindred London, Oskar became her Herald, issuing decrees across

Landlords, and he is a staunch believer and enforcer of the the domain of Avalon on her behalf.

Compact. He can also arrange passage into or out of the Oskar was clever enough to survive the Fall of London,

city safely. and was instrumental in devising the Compact. In addi-

Embraced by the Nosferatu Boronisk in Prussia in tion to maintaining the network of carrier pigeons used

the mid-19th century, Oskar was once a political revolu­ to send messages between London’s Land­lords, Oskar also

tionary, with a hand in the upheavals that occurred in devotes considerable time to studying and monitoring

France, Italy, Germany, and Hungary. After the Russian Operation Antigen.

Revolution, and subsequent purges, he traveled with many Anasov’s services aren’t usually free, and each time you

politic­ al exiles to London. call upon him he will require payment for his efforts. He

Oskar joined with the Anarchs of London and in- typically prefers to receive information and favors over

stigated unrest against the Ventrue rule. He was caught hard currency – in each case the specifics of each payment

painting Anarch graffiti on the walls of Elysium and was are left to the Storyteller’s discretion

hauled before then-Seneschal Anne Bowesley. He had

LORE

Messaging Service: You are Safe Passage: Anasov has the vices. However, this also means that he
acquainted with Anasov well enough means to smuggle mortals and Kindred may call on you at least once per story
to use his messaging network, which is in and out of the city of London without to help him with message delivery, peo-
a reliable method for contacting other fear of detection by other vampires, ple smuggling or another similar activity
Kindred in London, without risk of the or the agents of Operation Antigen. which furthers his interests.
communication being intercepted by Once each story you may call upon the
Operation Antigen. Anasov promises Nosferatu to perform this service for a Landlord Council: Meet-
successful delivery, regardless of how group of up to six individuals. If entering ings of vampires from neighboring do-
elusive the recipient might otherwise be. the city, they will be delivered safely and mains occur from time to time to settle
securely to an address of your choice. debts, resolve disputes, and to recognize
Personal Introduction: For a If leaving the city, then you may name a new Landlords. Larger gatherings of all
higher fee Anasov can also arrange for a destination outside of London’s borders. of London’s domain holders are rare,
face-to-face meeting with any other Kin­ Typically, Anasov will arrange a pickup or and usually mark the need to discuss a
dred resident in London. Once per story drop off in a town or city in the south- great threat or opportunity that might
you can name any Kindred known to be east of the UK. Arranging international affect them all.Through Anasov, you will
in London – regardless of whether they transit is possible for a higher fee, but be notified and invited to any meeting
hold domain or are just passing through Anasov will not vouch for the party’s of Landlords that takes place in London.
– and the Nosferatu will arrange the reception or safety after they have been Once per story, if you have a suitable
meeti­ng after receiving payment. Anasov delivered to the requested destination. justification, you may also ask Anasov
facilitates the introduction, but cannot to use his influence to call the Kindred
vouch this Kindred’s behavior or reaction Mentor: You are person- Landlords of London to a meeting. Note
to meeting you. If a meeting turns violent, ally acquainted with Anasov, and your that these Kindred are paranoid, fickle,
or otherwise ends badly for the Kindred interactions with him are more than just and prideful, and will mark you as a fool
you named, then Anasov will refuse all business.You may count him as a four- or as an enemy if they should decide
your future requests, for the sake of his dot Mawla, and you receive a significant that you are wasting their time.
own reputation. discount when paying to utilize his ser-

236

A ppe n di x

Appendix III:
Playable Characters

The Fall of London provides five pires and how to use their powers USING OTHER
pregenerated characters to allow and abilities. However, as they all CHARACTERS
the players to dive straight into went into torpor around 1940, they This chronicle is written
the chronicle. As the characters will not be familiar with any tech- with the characters pre-
all awaken with very few of their nology invented after that date, sented here in mind. These
memories, the Storyteller can hand such as computers or smartphones. older characters have a
out character sheets and begin the Having said that, some technology direct and personal con-
adventure almost instantly. will still make sense to them even nection to Mithras, making
if they are unfamiliar with it. A them more relevant to the
The player character’s memory digital radio is still a radio, a car is chronicle. However, some
loss, caused by the Blooding, means still a car, and while this may cause players may find the idea of
they have only forgotten their some teething problems, any trou- playing a Kindred that has
background and experiences, not bles they have should not distract been in torpor for over 60
any of their skills or abilities. They from the adventure. years daunting, or they may
are also fully aware they are vam- just prefer to create their
own characters.

If you and your group
decide to create new char-
acters, just use the rules
in the Vampire corebook.
These characters are
abducted by the Cult of
Mithras and forced into
the Blooding. The ritual
bestows upon them the
memories presented in the
story and connects them
to Mithras and his Cult as
the original characters are.
The ritual partially erases
their memories but doesn’t
sever their relationships to
their Touchstones.

In either case, this will
require a bit of tweaking
and additional preparation
from the Storyteller, but it
can be a rewarding option.

237

FALL OF LONDON

Each character is presented in Cult of Mithras, whom they will We present a potential
the following format: meet as the adventure progresses. Touchstone for each character in
Elder Drive details which elder’s their description. The Storytell-
THE CHARACTER SHEET This can traits a character inherited, how er might use these or substitute
be handed straight to the player, this translates into an Ambition their own. They might also allow
although some sections are inten- (the elder’s), and how this drive each player to create the potential
tionally left blank as only the Sto- clashes with the character’s original Touchstone, detailing what their
ryteller knows that information. It personality. As the scenario pro- character finds fascinating about
can be filled in when the character gresses, and the characters remem- them.
remembers that detail, and the ber more about themselves, or start
Storyteller should be generous to question their motivation, they ALLIES & ENEMIES Each player
allowing for remembrance. can recall their original Actual character has some form of ally
Ambition. The Storyteller divulges and enemy from their past who
PLAYER INFORMATION This is this original Ambition when a remembers them. This replaces the
the sum total of the character’s character clearly disavows service player character’s usual collection
memories when they first awaken. to Mithras, has a similar “aha!” of Advantages and Flaws. These
It includes their name and some moment, or has explored sever- allies and enemies might be met at
idea of their past occupation. This al Memoriams. The player then any point in the chronicle as the
should be read or given to each chooses to keep one Ambition over Storyteller decides. Meeting them
player at the start. the other, or integrate both into a may spark a Memoriam experi-
new Ambition to be explored as ence as well. Allies and enemies
MITHRAS While they may not the scenario progresses. can also be used to offer clues
even know who or what Mithras is, or cause problems for the player
the word conjures certain feelings TOUCHSTONES As the characters characters depending on how they
and memories for each of the have been in torpor for so long, are dealing with the chronicle.
characters. These might only be whatever Touchstones they had are An ally might appear at a time of
revealed when they hear or read probably long gone. So, the charac- need to offer aid or a valuable clue
the name for the first time. ters need to make new connections to help move the story forward.
quickly if they are to preserve An enemy might make a simple
BACKGROUND This section is their humanity. situation more complicated, or
initially only for the Storyteller make a conflict more personal.
and tells the true story behind the At the end of the first scene Either might prove a reminder of
character’s human life, Embrace, they will have an opportunity to the player character’s past. The
and their involvement in the Cult do this. Each character might set Storyteller shouldn’t feel a need
of Mithras. The background will off to find someone to connect to to introduce every ally or enemy,
help the Storyteller decide on or they might simply come across they are there to use as they see fit
Memoriam points for the player someone whose life resonates with to help tell the story.
characters to begin to remember theirs. Storyteller should take some
their shattered past. time improvising scenes where the
player characters can find someone
ELDER DRIVE, AMBITION, AND to make a Touchstone connection
with. They need not actually talk
ACTUAL AMBITION The Blooding to them, but they should at least
attempted to overwrite the char- observe them long enough to see
acters’ memories and personality something in them that resonates
with that of a loyal elder of the with their humanity.

238

A ppe n di x

Alice dark hair and features.Your skin and burying the body in the woods.
Mockingdale is weathered from a life outside, As Alice was 16, the villagers
with a dusky cast that reveals a
■ CLAN: Tremere mixed heritage somewhere in your wanted to send her to a convent
■ SIRE: Ashura Shaw ancestors.Your hands, calloused and so the devil could be beaten out of
■ EMBRACED: 1867 (Born 1847) leathery, shows you are no stranger her. However, she was having none
■ AMBITION: To ensure you to hard work. But you know you of it and ran away to London, but
studied magic, and you have inherited there was little work for her and
can delight in the pleasures of a legacy from the ancient ways.You she would have died hungry in the
immortality forever. remember that you have had to streets had Mithras not found her. He
■ ACTUAL AMBITION: To serve do dark things to gain this power, saw her telling fortunes for pennies
Mithras so you might learn more and you would do them again in a and noticed she had a talent for
magic. heartbeat if you had to. magic. He decided she would make
■ CONVICTIONS: The key to a good spy against the Tremere, and
power and enlightenment is MITHRAS: Mithras is one of the set about charming her and binding
magic; the key to magic is Mithras. few people you trust. He gave you her loyalty to him. For Alice, Mithras
everything, and helped you become became everything. He was the sun,
■ SUGGESTED NEW TOUCHSTONE: all you could be. who had saved her from the streets,
A goth teenager is practicing a even a father. She didn’t care who
ritual in her back garden. Her BACKGROUND: Alice was born in believed he was a god; all she knew
knowledge is limited to a teen the mid-1800s in a tiny village in was that he was her god.
witch book, but her heart seems southern England. It was one of the
dedicated to the goddess. last villages to have a “wise woman”, Mithras used his contacts and
and she was Alice’s mother. If you had influence to see to it the Tremere
■ HUMANITY: 6 an illness, needed to prevent or abort noticed Alice’s talent, and while
■ GENERATION: 10th an unplanned pregnancy, or wanted it took time she was eventually
■ BLOOD POTENCY: 5 something really badly, everyone inducted into the clan. Her loyalty to
■ ATTRIBUTES: Strength 2, knew you should go and visit Edith Mithras was such that she continued
Mockingdale, and she’d find a way to to pass him all the secrets she could.
Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, help you. However, she also came to love the
Manipulation 2, Composure 1; Tremere as the family she had lost.
Intelligence 3,Wits 3, Resolve 4 Unfortunately, a bad turn of She saw no conflict in her loyalties,
luck for the village drew suspicion though, believing Mithras could only
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: upon Edith. Harvests were bad and act in the best interests of everyone.
Health 6,Willpower 5 young people were moving away,
making the village seem quieter and While Alice served the Tremere
■ SKILLS: Athletics 2, Brawl 1, emptier.While it was actually the as faithfully as she could, she also
Stealth 3, Survival 3;Animal Ken 2, industrialization and greater work served the Mithraic Mysteries and
Insight 3, Persuasion 1; opportunities in the city that were spent as much time by Mithras’ side.
Awareness 1, Investigation 2, draining the countryside, it was Edith She became known in the cult as
Occult (Witchcraft) 4 that got the blame.While most of the the Handmaiden of Mithras, which
villagers were content just to shun her granted her a certain amount of
■ DISCIPLINES: Auspex 1 (Sense and mutter under their breath, some status. However, it was mainly her
the Unseen), Blood Sorcery 3 decided to take things further.A group dedication that helped her rise quite
(A Taste for Blood, Extinguish of men arrived one night and dragged high in the cult.When Mithras decided
Vitae, Scorpion’s Touch, Ritual – Edith out of her bed, murdering her to perform the Blooding,Alice was
Craft Bloodstone) happy to volunteer, seeing it as a way
to repay Mithras for saving her life.
■ PREDATOR TYPE: Osiris

PLAYER INFORMATION: Your name
is Alice, and you appear to be a
young woman in her early 20s, with

239

FALL OF LON D ON

ELDER DRIVE (SRI SANSA): The Tommy Smith MITHRAS: Mithras is like a general
personality of Sri Sansa is very to you.You know you have fought for
much at odds with Alice’s. She was ■ CLAN: Nosferatu him, but you can’t remember if the
a dedicated follower of Mithras; he ■ SIRE: Slide cause was right.
only paid lip service to worshiping ■ EMBRACED: 1918 (Born 1898)
Mithras.Where he is something of ■ AMBITION: To create your own BACKGROUND: Tommy didn’t get
a hedonist, she is all work and no much of a life before World War I took
play. So the drive Sri has left with empire of Kindred, a new order most of it from him. He was pressured
Alice is the desire to find peace and outside the Camarilla. into joining the army when he was
happiness, coupled with the power ■ ACTUAL AMBITION: To build a barely 16, but as the son of West Indian
to make sure no one can take it world where you never have to immigrants from Trinidad, his options
from you. If Alice can walk a line fight again. were limited. Joining the army would
between her personalities she might ■ CONVICTIONS: Protect those give him a trade they said, it would be
become a well-balanced individual, who can’t protect themselves. over by Christmas they said, and he
understanding the importance of wanted to serve his country, even if
both hard work and taking time for ■ SUGGESTED NEW people hadn’t always been kind. Still, he
yourself. Otherwise she may be in TOUCHSTONE: A young black worked hard to make the best of a bad
constant conflict with herself, trying man is talking to his teenage job and served with valor on the front
to push to one extreme or the other, brother, begging him not to get lines. Plenty of officers took credit for
hedonism or dedication. One way to involved with a local gang. his actions, but the men he served with
balance the two personalities is to knew who had really been there for
focus on family, which is important to ■ HUMANITY: 6 them.While he survived most of the
both Alice and Sri. ■ GENERATION: 12th war without serious injury, his luck
■ BLOOD POTENCY: 1 couldn’t last forever. In 1918 his trench
ALLY: Alice serves as Heliodromus ■ ATTRIBUTES: Strength 4, was hit by one of the last artillery
to Mithras, a prestigious position rounds to be fired and he was nearly
within the cult as she carried Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, blown to pieces. His wrecked body
his word to other acolytes.The Manipulation 1, Composure 2; was taken to a field hospital where no
Storyteller can introduce a mortal Intelligence 2,Wits 2, Resolve 3 one expected him to live.They put him
or vampire initiated into the cult, in a side ward and tried to make him
who recognizes Alice from old ■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: comfortable while he waited to die.
depictions of her at Mithras’ side. Health 6,Willpower 5
This cultist can aid in occult and However, as Tommy lay there, a
academic matters. ■ SKILLS: Athletics 3, Brawl creature that looked worse than he
(Grappling) 3, Firearms 4, Melee 2, did offered to make him immortal.
ENEMY: Edward Bainbridge,Tremere Stealth 2, Survival 1;Animal Ken 1, He had a cause, one that needed
Primogen. Bainbridge was one of the Insight 1,Intimidation 2; Awareness 3 great warriors. Frightened of dying
few Tremere who suspected Alice before he was even 21 Tommy agreed,
was passing information about the ■ DISCIPLINES: Animalism 1 and became a Nosferatu. His Sire
clan to a third party, though he could (Sense the Beast), Obfuscate 1 introduced Tommy to the Mithraic
never prove it. (Cloak of Shadows), Potence 2 Mysteries, where he gradually gained
(Lethal Body, Prowess) status for his dedication to duty, but
never showed the faith required
■ PREDATOR TYPE: Alleycat to see him rise beyond soldier. He
was chosen for the Blooding for his
PLAYER INFORMATION: Your name combat skills, and Tommy agreed to
is Tommy.You appear to be a young
black man in his early 20s. Much of
your body, especially your right side, is
covered in deep burns and scars.You
know you were a soldier, and you are
sure you saw active service.The burns
and scars make that obvious.The
horrors of war sit whispering on the
fringe of your memory.

240

A ppe n di x

the ritual, as he saw it as a way to Tony Castelli of corporate businessman, but
finally pay the debt to his Sire. you know you had a good eye for
■ CLAN: Brujah opportunity.You’re a man, but have a
ELDER DRIVE (RICHARD): Tommy ■ SIRE: Saeth body which society typically assigns
and Richard are two sides of one ■ EMBRACED: 1940 (Born 1918) as a woman.
coin.Tommy has hidden in plain sight, ■ AMBITION: To claim the city as
never causing problems and doing MITHRAS: Mithras is a name that
what he was told. He has followed your own, free of sect or clan. makes you nervous.You know you
orders most of his life, and never ■ ACTUAL AMBITION: To gain owe him, and that he always collects.
been noticed or recognized for much.
Richard has spent a lot of even his enough power to make sure you BACKGROUND: After the horrors
vampiric existence taking part in and anyone you care about are of the First World War,Tony’s family
society. He has been an advisor and untouchable. decided to make a new life in England
leader, but he has wielded power from ■ CONVICTIONS: Everyone should around 1920.They also wanted to
the shadows. So, while both are used be free to be what they truly are. avoid the rise of nationalism and
to being ignored,Tommy is content to fascism embodied in Mussolini.Things
stay in the background where Richard ■ SUGGESTED NEW initially went well for the family, who
wants to rule. However, they both TOUCHSTONE: A young trans built a modest business, until the
share an understanding of what it man has been out clubbing with outbreak of the Second World War.
means to be outcast and forgotten. friends. He appears happy and When Italy joined the German forces,
content with who he is, but he people stopped going to the Castelli
ALLY: Tommy has a regimental is attacked by thugs as soon as shop, and it wasn’t long before they
tattoo on his unburned arm. It would he is alone. It is clear the old had to close.The odd brick through
easily be recognized by any British prejudices haven’t died. their window didn’t help either.While
serviceman who will assume Tommy the family wasn’t arrested and put in
is a grandson honoring their World ■ HUMANITY: 7 an internment camp (as a few of their
War I veteran grandfather. If Tommy ■ GENERATION: 10th cousins were), life wasn’t easy either.
plays it right, these servicemen will ■ BLOOD POTENCY: 1
do their best to help him and can ■ ATTRIBUTES: Strength 2, Tony was born Antonia, but the
provide a safe place to stay. name never felt right.Tony seemed
Dexterity 1, Stamina 2; Charisma 4, a much better fit, as did playing the
ENEMY: A Malkavian called Calico has Manipulation 3, Composure 3; same games as her brothers. But her
been hunting for Tommy for a while, Intelligence 2,Wits 3, Resolve 2 brothers were soon called up for
since Tommy was responsible for active service, leaving Tony to look
executing her sire in 1931 when he ■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: after the family. She had little option
broke the Masquerade and murdered Health 5,Willpower 5 but to turn to the black market and
another Kindred during a frenzy.The put her business skills to use. But few
judgment was rendered by Mithras ■ SKILLS: Brawl 1, Drive 1, Larceny 3, people would take Antonia seriously
and no one but Calico thought the Melee 2, Survival 1; Insight 2, as a dealer and hustler, so Tony began
punishment was unwarranted.Too Intimidation 1, Persuasion 3, presenting himself as male. Initially it
frightened to seek revenge on Mithras, Streetwise (Black Market) 4; was to get taken seriously among the
Calico turned her rage towards the Awareness 2 racketeers, but it soon became the
hand that had swung the sword. only way he truly felt right.
■ DISCIPLINES: Celerity 2
(Cat’s Grace, Fleetness), Tony did well as a spiv, but found
Obfuscate 1 (Cloak of Shadows), he was forced to owe a lot of favors
Presence 1 (Awe) to get the supplies he needed to sell

■ PREDATOR TYPE: Bagger

PLAYER INFORMATION: Your name
is Tony, and you appear to be in your
late 20s, with dark hair, a charming
smile, and Mediterranean features.
You don’t think you were any form

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to earn a living. Unbeknownst to would both have revenge:“wait for young member of a smuggling gang
Tony, a few of these deals were with the right moment”. Tony crossed. Now, into his 90s and
vampires hiding behind ghouls and the leader of the gang, Mickey still
retainers. But another was watching ELDER DRIVE (GWENLLIAN remembers Tony.While Mickey is
him, with a view to offering the bedridden, his mind is as sharp as it
Embrace. Some of Tony’s debts were ARWYN): Tony and ferch Arwyn are is ruthless, and his various sons and
owed to Mithras and the cult, and kindred spirits in many ways.Their nephews have a good description of
in this way Gwenllian ferch Arwyn backgrounds are very similar and Tony and are looking for payback.
came across him. One night,Tony they both refuse to allow anyone However, they might still be very
was badly beaten by a gang, not to push them around. However, surprised to run into him, and see
only for dealing in their territory where ferch Arwyn wants power to he’s not aged a day!
but also for having the temerity to rule on her own,Tony only wants
present as a man.This made ferch power to protect what matters to Lady Catherine
Arwyn decide to embrace him, not him.This means that initially their Montague
just because Tony took a beating, or drives pull in the same direction.
because he fought, or even because The desire to be free, and free to be ■ CLAN: Ventrue
he refused to stop fighting until he who they know themselves to be, ■ SIRE: Angelique Darkwood
was unconscious. It was because is uppermost in both their minds. ■ EMBRACED: 1854 (Born 1832)
Tony found the men a week later The conflict comes when they have ■ AMBITION: To protect the city
and took his revenge with a cricket what they want. Ferch Arwyn is not
bat. Ferch Arwyn knew then she satisfied until Mithras is dead and of London.
had found someone with the will to London hers.Tony will be happy to ■ ACTUAL AMBITION: Find
fight, and the patience to wait for just pay his old debts and walk away
the right moment. with an agreement of no reprisals. Angelique Blackwood, or a new
Interestingly, both Tony and ferch love who reminds you of her.
Unfortunately, before ferch Arwyn are frightened of Mithras and ■ CONVICTIONS: Sovereignty springs
Arwyn could gain permission his power.Together they might find from from breeding and style.
to embrace Tony herself, her the confidence to stand against him.
grandchilde Saeth embraced Tony ■ SUGGESTED NEW
in a misguided attempt to impress ALLY: Gwenllian ferch Arwyn still TOUCHSTONE: A young woman
ferch Arwyn. Saeth was executed likes Tony, and could be a powerful sits alone in a library, studying.
by Mithras for this breach of the ally if she believes her great- She is tired and stressed, juggling
traditions, giving ferch Arwyn one grandchilde retains the fierceness her life, work and a postgraduate
more reason to hate him.Tony was that once drew her attention. Ferch maths course. But she clearly
made a part of the cult so he could Arwyn is unlikely to aid directly, as loves the subject and seems
‘pay his debt’ for being embraced. she believes strength prevails on its fascinated by it.
It was either that or follow his own, but instructs Chun Hei to help
sire into the sunrise. So Tony did in a pinch, for example by providing ■ HUMANITY: 6
as he was told.A year later, when weapons or a place to stay the day. ■ GENERATION: 11th
the cult frantically sought one last Tony can call on this aid two times, ■ BLOOD POTENCY: 2
vessel for the Blooding as the Blitz three tops, before ferch Arwyn ■ ATTRIBUTES: Strength 1,
seemed to bring London down decides he has grown too weak to
around him,Tony again did as told. bother with. Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Charisma 3,
As he descended into torpor, his last Manipulation 2, Composure 3;
thoughts were on the advice ferch ENEMY: Tony’s enemy is Mickey Intelligence 4,Wits 3, Resolve 3
Arwyn offered as she pledged they Harris, who in 1940 was just another
■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES:
Health 4,Willpower 5

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■ SKILLS: Athletics 1; Etiquette 3, the mere idea enraged her father. who kept watch on noble families.
Insight 2, Intimidation 1, He was incensed at the notion of These Ventrue were impressed with
Leadership 2, Performance 2, his daughter doing accounts like a Catherine’s lineage and her skill with
Persuasion(Seduction) 3, middle-class shopkeeper. In an equal numbers. If Catherine agreed, she
Subterfuge 3;Academics 1, rage, Catherine promised she would could not only leave the restraints of
Finance 4 never marry if that meant her mind Victorian London, but human society
would go to waste. altogether. Catherine, after probing
■ DISCIPLINES: DDominate 1 and gaining assurance that Angelique’s
(Compel) Presence 3 (Awe, Even if her father strictly forbade feelings at least had been true,
Daunt, Entrancement) it, Catherine continued to study accepted.
the stock market. Enlisting her only
■ PREDATOR TYPE: Siren brother for assistance, she advised Already a member,Angelique
■ BANE: Can only feed from the rich his dabbling and he in turn set up a soon introduced Catherine to the
bank account to hold her share. It Mithraic Mysteries. Catherine was
PLAYER INFORMATION: Your name wasn’t long before her brother was never as interested in religious
is Catherine.You appear to be in your investing Catherine’s money as well as devotion, but her intelligence and
early 20s and classically beautiful, his, and while Edmund took the credit, finesse at exceeding expectations
with pale skin, long blonde hair, and Catherine’s wealth quickly grew. saw her rise the ranks.When bombs
natural grace.You feel that you were began to fall on London in the
accustomed to wealth, but that it was Pressure to marry only increased Second World War, one hit their
never what you really wanted.You as Catherine grew older, which made communal Haven, sending Angelique
remember your life feeling like a cage, her resist the idea all the harder. She into a deep torpor. Catherine
but one where only you could see was intelligent enough to know that submitted to the Blooding and
the bars. once she was married her husband agreed to put herself into torpor in
would literally own her. She also found the hopes her love would be there
MITHRAS: Mithras is a name that the company of men tedious in the when she awoke again.
means very little to you. He sounds extreme.They only ever wanted to
like just another controlling man. bed her, or make use of her money ELDER DRIVE (VALERIUS): Catherine
and family name. She did her best to and Valerius might actually get on
BACKGROUND: Lady Catherine avoid gentlemen, and threw herself quite well, as Valerius’ prime goal has
was born into the aristocracy at into many charity and church affairs always been the safety and security
the same time as Queen Victoria that catered exclusively to women. In of London, and Catherine has always
ascended the throne. Blessed with one of these charities, Catherine met sought a safe place. Catherine
wealth and privilege, as well as great Lady Angelique Darkwood.The pair actually cares little about the city
beauty by Victorian standards, she became good friends, working in the itself, though, as anywhere is good for
was assailed by marriage proposals evening as Lady Darkwood’s delicate her. For her, safety lies not in power,
when she came of age. However, constitution made her complexion but to be away from power and the
Catherine also possessed a keen very fragile to sunlight. Gradually, their games it brings.
mind and a talent for numbers. She friendship developed into a romance.
would steal the financial section ALLY: Astrid Trevelli, a Toreador fashion
of her father’s paper and amused Unwilling to risk forced marriage designer who Catherine helped to
herself creating an imaginary stock for Catherine, the lovers planned set up her business. Catherine is
portfolio to pass the time, which to escape London – and perhaps actually still a silent partner in the
would have done rather well had it Britain – using Catherine’s secret fashion house, having financed the
been real. She asked her father if she wealth. On the evening before they set up in return for shares.Astrid can
might take a bookkeeping course planned to depart, however,Angelique therefore not only help Catherine
or learn more about accounts, but had a shocking revelation. She was a
member of a group called the Ventrue,

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FALL OF LON D ON

with general support, but also help ■ HUMANITY: 6 He was an excellent scholar and
her reclaim some of the profits from ■ GENERATION: 11th dedicated student, even if his odd
her investment in the business. ■ BLOOD POTENCY: 2 habits often caused others to remark
■ ATTRIBUTES: Strength 2 on them. Henry had a fascination
ENEMY: Algernon Magpie, a man with biology to the point of wanting
Catherine was once nearly engaged Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, to take creatures apart to see how
to as a mortal. Coming from an Manipulation 3, Composure 2; they worked.Thankfully, he didn’t
aristocratic family himself, he served Intelligence 4,Wits 3, Resolve 1 go further than frogs or stray
Clan Ventrue as a ghoul for many birds before his father sent him to
years before finally receiving the ■ SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: boarding school in the hopes this
embrace in the 1960s. He has always Health 5,Willpower 3 would channel his interests more
nursed both hatred and jealousy for productively.There he found ways
Catherine, and he still wants her. ■ SKILLS: Etiquette 2, Insight 1, to indulge his passion by studying
While it took years, he found Lady Streetwise 2;Academics 3, medicine, and was especially
Darkwood’s body and has hidden Awareness 1, Finance 2, pleased in later years whenever the
it, hoping he can use it to bring Investigation 3, Medicine resurrection men could provide a
Catherine to him once more. (Anesthetics) 4, Occult 2, fresh corpse for a lesson.
Science 3,Technology 1
Doctor Henry Henry’s intelligence and studious
Banerjee ■ DISCIPLINES: Auspex 2 nature made it easy for him to
(Heightened Senses, Sense the graduate as a doctor.The color of
■ CLAN: Hecata Unseen). Obfuscate 1 (Silence his skin made it hard for him to find
■ SIRE: Lord Winter of Death) and Oblivion 1 (The work as one, though, even with the
■ EMBRACED: 1911 (Born 1876) Eldritch Beacon) English name his parents had given
■ AMBITION: To see Mithras him. So instead of pursuing a career
■ PREDATOR TYPE: Sandman in medicine, his inherited wealth
returned to this throne. allowed him to fall deeper into the
■ ACTUAL AMBITION: Take PLAYER INFORMATION: Your name strange studies he had always been
is Henry and you appear to be a drawn to. He became obsessed with
Mithras apart to see what neatly groomed Bangladeshi man in solving the puzzle of life. He became
elevates a Kindred to a God. his late 30s. Some might say you are convinced that he could master
■ CONVICTIONS: People are a little too neat, but you don’t think the secrets of life and death, and
just like clockwork – intricate, one can ever have too much order. began seeking out obscure lore and
fascinating, and easy to take You were a medical man, maybe a old myths. Eventually his obsession
apart. Never miss a chance to doctor or research scientist.When led him to Hecata and the Cult of
study them. you see a living creature it looks like Mithras, who both offered him the
■ SUGGESTED NEW clockwork to you, and – though you answers he had so dearly sought,
TOUCHSTONE: A newly learned to suppress and manage this for the cost of his utter dedication.
qualified doctor is making his impulse – a part of you longs to take When the cult sought vessels for
rounds at Guys hospital. He it apart like a watchmaker. the Blooding in 1941, Henry eagerly
tries desperately to look as if submitted so he might experience
he has all the answers as he MITHRAS: Mithras is the name of a the half-death of prolonged torpor.
is supervising the whole floor god. He is the keeper of the ultimate
alone, but you can see the doubts secrets and one of the powers of ELDER DRIVE (ROGER DE CAMDEN):
he is trying so hard to hide. the universe.
Roger de Camden and Henry both
BACKGROUND: Henry was always believe Mithras to be a god. However,
a complicated child. Luckily, he was where de Camden wants to see
born into a wealthy family who had
come from Bangladesh to make a
new life in the center of the Empire.

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Mithras return to his rightful place, Memoriam
Henry wants to take him apart to
see what godhood really means The player characters’ memories are a mystery at the be-
from a surgeon’s point of view.The ginning of the Fall of London. However, as the scenario
conflict will come once Henry finds progresses they will have flashbacks that will reveal their
himself close enough to Mithras to true history to them. Not all of these memories are fac-
potentially make a move against him. tual, as the Blooding nips and tears at them, and some
If Mithras is weakened and Henry require a more symbolic interpretation.
has an opportunity to stake him in
the back he may do so, against de The memories below are offered to the Storyteller
Camden’s drive. as the potential results of Memoriam experiences. If
the characters don’t actively try to invoke Memoriam,
ALLY: Henry has donated to and the scenario suggests several places where a character
invested in Guy’s Hospital on the South might spontaneously experience one. In addition to
Bank where he spent many of his these deliberately or spontaneously invoked Memori-
student days. He continued to make ams, the Storyteller can also hand them out in down-
donations in the guise of several of time between chapters, to represent the characters’
his descendants.This means his family agency tearing away at the fog of the Blooding.
name carries considerable weight and
influence in the hospital. He also left a The following memories, grouped by theme rather
ghoul, called Winston Torondo, working than chronologically, number enough to provide one
in the hospital to keep an eye on his per chapter to each character. The Storyteller can add
affairs with a small store of Henry’s more flashbacks and Memoriam points as they desire,
blood.Winston has managed to remain and will find a list with Impressions to serve as prompt
unnoticed by swapping his identity and at the end.
staying in low grade and unobtrusive
jobs at the hospital ever since. Mortal Life

ENEMY: Before undergoing the These memories connect to events in the character’s
Blooding, Henry captured an Anarch mortal life. They relate to the character’s mortal needs,
Gangrel and held him prisoner in a desires, and experiences. They act as a reminder of the
basement in a building he owned. He character’s humanity, for good or ill.
performed several experiments on
the Gangrel to better understand ALICE You are sitting on the filthy pavement of a
the nature of vampirism.These cramped street. Around you, many others huddle
experiments put the Gangrel into together against the cold, reaching their hands out to
torpor, and so Henry walled up the passersby who have nothing to give. The place is dark;
basement and intended to return to the tight buildings crushing together seem to close in
his experiments after the Blooding. on you. You raise your hand to a gentleman walking
However, this all took longer than he past in a fine coat and a top hat.
expected and the Gangrel recently
woke up. Driven mad by hunger “Tell your fortune mister? Just a penny,” you say.
and trauma he finally escaped and is
hunting Henry for revenge. TOMMY The memorial stone in front of you is cov-
ered in blood. You can’t see the blood, but you know
it’s there, blood you have shed, your own and that of
others. The figures on the stone stand frozen in eternal
strife, puppets to those who rule the constant conflict.
You reach out to touch the stone, tracing the words

245

FALL OF LONDON

carved there with your finger “Lest can only note the intriguing way faded away under the monotony.
we forget.” You cannot help but his legs buckle. The cadaver lies on All you really want is an end to the
shed a tear for those you have lost, the table in front of you again, as mud and the cold.
and those who fell. the screams fade away. It is yours
at last, and you lean forward and TONY He is only offering seven
TONY The table you are sitting at climb in to seek its mysteries. shillings but you know you can get
is small, a clean but threadbare ten; it doesn’t matter that it only
cloth covering the hundred knocks Past Occupations cost you five. But if you are going
and scratches it suffered over many to haggle with the tight bastard
years as the center of the home. These memories deal with what you are going to have to be quick.
Your mother brings out a bowl of the character used to do for a The coppers will be around this
steaming pasta. She puts it before living, or at least mainly how they patch sooner or later. Sure, the
you, pinching your cheek with occupied their time. They might bombs and the rubble make it
love, even though she asks about be sparked by encountering some- tricky to find your way around
boys and uses that name again. But one from a similar occupation, or these days, but some of the boys in
the pasta in front of you is warm, by being called upon to use a skill blue are pretty sharp.
and the red sauce dripping over they might have used to pursue
it all makes you feel a hunger you the occupation. You tell him you’ll only take
have never known. twelve shillings and he folds and of-
ALICE The earth crumbles between fers you ten. He must know where
CATHERINE She puts the amulet your fingers as you dig. The damp- he can get a better price to sell it
around your neck and whispers in ness of the morning chills your on, but ten is all you need to make
your ear how much she loves you. hands and you feel the dirt cluster the rest of the rent this month, and
In the mirror, the sapphire’s glint under your nails. Finally, you get a tomorrow is another day.
almost blinds you. It makes it hard grip on the roots and pull the plant
to see her. You turn but she is gone, free. You lay it carefully on the CATHERINE This evening the
nothing but the gentle peel of her cloth with the candle and mutter charity society has brought you
laughter and the memory of her the chants as you greet the dawn. to a workhouse to give food to
breath on your neck. You run after As the sun glows on the horizon the children and participate in a
her, down the long corridor of you see the candle light, and you service. It is all to show the gentry
elegant wood panels, knowing you know the goddess blesses you. that the poor are being dealt
will not find her as much as she is with, and that even if they do not
lost in the darkness. TOMMY There is a rhythm to have much food their souls are
killing. Aim, shoot, clear cartridge, nourished with God’s grace. But
HENRY The body in front of you is chamber the next round, and as you look at the thin faces on
gray and still, its organs laid out so aim again; you do it now with- the benches behind you, it is clear
neatly and cleverly. How beautiful out thinking. You are shooting at that God is not here. You hold
the physical machine is. The doctor shadows in the night, the alarms Angelique’s hand all the tighter,
points out the various organs with only barely audible above the glad that she is with you in this
a cane as you cluster closer, jostling sound of gunfire. Is the enemy even awful place. Although you cannot
with the other students to see. You coming? Somewhere further along help but think how blessed you are
feel them closing together, shutting the trench an officer is shouting that you will be able to leave this
you out, so you reach forward and something. It doesn’t really matter place of misery.
tear a hole through the one in what it is: you’ll soon see if the oth-
front. He screams and falls but you er lads make a move. Even fear has This is not a chapel of course,
the workhouse has only one main
hall, but at least these souls can

246

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receive the holy sacrament. Few of because they know it’s wrong. Ed- wearing trousers, “dressing like
them seem to be listening, though. ith only ever healed, she had noth- a man.” So now these men, who
The men sit on one side, the wom- ing to do with the crops failing, pride themselves on never hitting
en and children on the other, and nothing to do with the young men a woman, are kicking you because
they are both more interested in and woman leaving for the cities. they think you are a woman. Still,
each other than the words of the you took two of them down before
vicar. You are about to tut at such “It’s not her fault” you scream they got you on the ground. You’ll
lascivious behavior, but then you and cry, but no one pays you any come back for the rest, in time.
realize these are families, sepa- attention.
rated by the workhouse except CATHERINE You can’t believe she’s
for this precious moment when a Your father drags you away, gone. You were meant to have
father can wave to his child and back to the house that will never years together, centuries even,
a wife can see her husband again. again be a home to you. perhaps eternity. It had taken
You clutch your basket of bread hours to dig through the rubble,
and cheese for the children closer, TOMMY There was a flash, and the blood powering your limbs
and cannot help but think it is then just darkness with nothing to throw aside stone after stone.
not enough. but the ringing in your ears to To hell with the Masquerade: you
tell you that you are alive. It must needed to find her. Then, all of a
HENRY People are complicated in have been a shell, damn it, it was sudden, there she was, your lovely
so many ways, but much easier to close. You are covered in earth Angelique lying in the dirt of the
deal with when they are dead. You and dirt, the filthy trench water shattered basement, broken and
do not miss your clinical training, creeping into your boots and twisted. Her eyes were staring
with a constant stream of whining clothes. For a moment you think into oblivion, her body unnat-
bodies clamoring for healing and you escaped, been one of the lucky urally bent and crushed. But it
attention. This is the real work. ones. Then the feeling comes back seemed she was alive, somehow,
The body before you will reveal its a little and with it an ocean of deep inside. You promised eternity
secrets; be it by science or sorcery. pain. Your whole side is burning. to each other, now you can only
You finish carving the marks on As your fellow soldiers pull you wonder if you will spend it by her
its skin, and begin the chant one out of the debris you hear them silent bedside.
more time. Was that a twitch of gasp to look at you. You wonder
its hand you saw? Perhaps this why they aren’t putting out the HENRY It was only a cat. It wasn’t
time it will work. fire you can feel burning you. even a very nice cat. It always
Then you look at your crushed hissed when it looked at you. But it
Past Trauma body and see there is no fire, just seems several people had some sort
burn after burn, before you merci- of affection for the nasty creature
Each character has suffered trauma fully pass out. and so father says you must be
or pain. These memories are all the punished. It is unfair. He tells you
stronger for the pain they carry, TONY You taste dirt along with that you need to study, and when
making them easier to rise to the blood as your face hits the ground. you do, he and mother look at you
surface. They began by punching you, but like you are not their son. How can
now they swing wide kicks into you learn the way things work if
ALICE You can hear your mother your face and stomach. You curl you can’t take them apart? It was
screaming, and there is nothing into a ball, try to cover your head, a messy business, but an informa-
you can do about it. They came at waiting for it to end. You never tive one. Yet that look of shame on
night, the cowards, trying to hide should have tried to short change your parent’s faces sears your soul.
them, but that isn’t the real reason.
They think you deceived them,

247

FALL OF LONDON

The Embrace for him. You wonder what else you HENRY It has been a long journey,
might do for eternity, and it seems but you are finally at the last gate,
The embrace is a powerful experi- fitting that the war will never end. the doorway between the living
ence, and one not easily forgotten. So you say yes, and hope once more and the dead. You know how the
Like trauma, this rebirth marks that you will be fighting for the machine of life works, but not what
powerful changes and its imprint right side. drives it. Perhaps in the twilight
remains deep. outside life you can find what fuels
TONY She is beautiful, but not in existence. There is a price, of course,
ALICE Dressed in white you enter any common way. Her features are but then nothing comes for free, no
the inner chamber, feeling the set with power and passion, her secrets offered without sacrifice. If
carved symbols on the floor under grace that of a warrior. Even though this cult asks for nothing more than
your bare feet. Surrounding you she is dressed like anyone else, she your death, the price is a cheap one.
are cloaked figures, killers and is a creature out of time, like some You loosen your collar and the cuff
sorcerers all, but that is not why goddess of war. She walks towards of your left wrist. The well dressed
you are afraid. One of them steps you and slaps you hard across the creature in front of you patiently
forward, throwing back the hood face, throwing you to the ground. waits, assuming you to offer your
of her cloak to give you a smile You leap up, ready to return the right wrist as well. But instead you
that is all teeth. She tells you to blow but she simply isn’t there. pick up a pen and position your
kneel and offer yourself to Clan Then suddenly her hand is at your journal. The creature raises an eye-
Tremere for eternity. You do so throat and lifting you off your feet. brow in amusement.
without hesitation, baring your You stare her in the eye and cough
neck so she can drink. Your vision out that she should do her worst. “Do what you will,” you say,
swims and you fall backwards She smiles and tells you her sire “but I intend to take notes.”
onto the cold stone. You feel will be so pleased with you. Then
blood rush into your throat, and she sinks her teeth into your neck. Mithras
in that moment you feel terror.
Not for what you are to become, CATHERINE If they will not let you Their characters’ involvement with
but fear that this new loyalty marry, you will form your own the Mithraic Mysteries may vary,
will overcome what you feel for covenant. If they deny you a life as may their dedication to Mithras,
Mithras. You close your eyes and together, you will steal eternity. It and this memory helps them un-
drink, and as the assembly chants is frightening to cheat death in this derstand their place in it.
you try to think only of him. way, but there are no depths you
will not cross for her. For a moment ALICE You stand between a god and
TOMMY You are going to die. You you wonder if you can trust her his acolytes, and their worship is
don’t know when, but it is inevi- love. If she means you harm, though, intoxicating. Dressed in white you
table. They’ve moved you to what the choice is still a simple one: you lead the faithful in the rituals of ex-
they call the quiet ward. The pa- would sooner die than be without altation. You are the Handmaiden of
tients here have little strength left her. The coach with darkened win- Mithras, a part of his divine will. His
for screaming; resignation hangs dows sits ready in the drive, the last power flows through you, and you
heavy in the very air. There is even sunset has faded. You lie together on feel his presence besides you always.
a shadow at your bedside who you the bed, gazing at each other until You will never be alone, and never
can only assume is death himself. she whispers quietly know fear, as your lord watches over
He has sat in silence with you for all your works in his name.
three nights now, but only tonight “Are you ready?” You tell her
does he speak. He tells you that he yes, and hold her hand tight as her TOMMY You had been part of the
can spare you, as long as you fight fangs pierce your neck. cult for many years before you

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