Character fiction from a troupe Vampire: The Masquerade LARP...
San Francisco Retrospective - Personal Notes
by Simon W.
Nyx takes out a notebook and starts writing in a cipher. The translation follows:
This evening was the first official court gathering of the Court of San Francisco, domain of the New Camarilla. I see little evidence that is has deviated very much from the "old" Camarilla.
Nathaniel Black, Prince: The mantle of prince seems to lay very heavily on Nate's shoulders, not because he isn't good at it. In fact he's very effective and probably will be an admirable leader. But it's so clear to me that he hates it. Something about the way he stands. The only time he seemed comfortable all evening was when he was shouting at Jane.
Vex, Nosferatu Primogen: Overly friendly, helpful, and interested in interpersonal connection. These are excellent qualities in a human politician. In a Kindred they are a trap. Almost certainly useful as an ally; he is a scholar and trader of information like the best of his clan. He is probably someone I can work effectively with once we establish some boundaries around the fact that I am not going to be his friend.
Byron Creed, Brujah Primogen: Insecure, frightened, and possibly weak willed. He has too much to prove and is very loud. Of course he is hiding something. Only time* will tell if the rest of the domain finds out what it is before I do. He is playing his part very well but I wonder who is directing the action, his own internal drive or someone else. Clearly I will need to interact with him more.
Felix Stone, Sheriff and Victor Zane, Scourge: Both able and willing to hide themselves with ease. They seem devoted to their particular tasks but otherwise could be entirely ignored. This, of course, makes them exceptionally dangerous. I shall have to find a way to observe them without their noticing me.
The local Anarch Movement is comprised of only 6 members, all of whom are refugees from Southern California. The intelligence we were given is that all of the rest of the Anarchs from Southern California either joined an infernalist cult or died. I will need to verify this independently.
Nyx, Brujah (Sage): Myself. Only notable because for reasons I am still trying to understand, the others elected me to be Advocate. I will do the job temporarily until one of the others is in the proper mindset to take it over. It sits heavily on my shoulders and I hate it.
Reinhard, Ventrue (Crusader): The logical choice for Advocate. He was around during the founding of the sect and clearly believes in the cause (unlike myself). Has some sort of familial relationship with one of the Camarilla Elders. He claims he wishes to "retire" which strikes me as false given that he is both Ventrue and idealistic.
Jane, Gangrel (Coyote): Still has impulse control problems. Still values clan/familial ties more than sectarian/political ones. Develops strong personal relationships and is fiercely loyal to those she cares about. A logical solution would be to encourage her to form a friendship with Kait.
Kait, Brujah: Another true believer in the cause, like Reinhard. A logical choice for his second and enforcer. Emotionally volatile but able to control most of her impulses.
Peter, Clanless: Ambitious, canny, enjoys being underestimated. Could be very dangerous if influenced by antisocial forces. Also logically should be encouraged to form a friendship with Kait.
The Smith, Torreador: I remember them from Southern California. Adept at their craft and seemingly uninterested in politics. Could be a useful person to ground the others into seeking to build something rather than tear things down.
Logical next steps are to encourage the Anarchs to bond emotionally so that they all depend on one another more than they look to me for leadership. With careful planning I may be able to remove myself from a leadership role in a few months and go back to my studies.
There were some other persons of note in the domain.
Roberto Giovanni, Don of the Southwest: Has been a helpful ally in the past. We have an adequate working relationship. He has not yet adjusted to my new limitations (or are they advantages) but he, of all people, will be less put off by my being less emotional than I was previously.
Tiberius Crassus, Ventrue Elder: Has some familial relationship to Reinhard. Carries himself like an apex predator. His attitude toward Anarchs is very specifically hostile which tells me that the stories of the Southern California infernal cult are considered vital enough to relay to elders awaking from torpor very early on in their debrief. Whether this is because the information is factually correct or propaganda is still unclear. More research is needed.
* this is clearly my attempt at humor
Nyx stared at their handwriting for several minutes after finishing. Then they placed it in a file labeled "Sociological Research - SF 2025". After that they wandered over to the window in the room and stared out at the nighttime skyline of downtown San Jose. It was going to be a fascinating year.
