The first weeks

Prelude

It´s mid summer in the year 1197. I left Salerno, Italy, in search of a better place to live and a new practice as a doctor. Little did I know of the adventures I would take part of. But I should have expected some. It´s not easy being a vampire. It´s not easy being a jew either, and the combination is sometimes a hell.

I was born in 1176 in an old jewish settlement outside Salerno. My parents was farmers in a community mostly inhabited by traders and merchants. Early I showed great interest in taking care of others, especially after the plague in the winter of 1188 that took so many lifes including my two sisters. Already at that time i knew I would one day become a healer, a doctore.

It´s just one year since I graduated at the medical school of Salerno. It happened I had the foremost medical school in the Roman empire next door. I can say, not without pride, that I made a success as a student – one of the youngest ever to graduate – and have already a very good renommé around my hometown.

I planned for a journey to Constantinople. But just a month before my leaving I met someone.

And from here on my memory is somewhat dim. In the end I had become a vampire, shunning the sun, walking the streets in the darkest hours, hiding i cellars and underground dwellings.

There are memories, or at least dim visions, of a gathering. The number of seven echoes my mind and the picture of a chalice sits behind my eyes. Chanting of people around me and the taste of blood. And the darkness, pain, cold and feeling of being lost.

Soon I started having dreams in which I got the knowledge I have to today that make me survive one day at a time. I´m bound not to tell who the mentor is. And a lot of what I´m told is for my eyes only.

This and much more have happened since my graduation and one year have gone since then. The last months I went on a journey for Constantinople. Today I saw it for the first time and in a dream I got a task to fulfill. I will know tomorrow what´ll happen.

The first night – The gargoyle givaway

This day I dreamt. My mentor came to me and told me to go get a slave, travel ro an inn outside Constantinople, and give him to someone. I would know who when the time was right. When the night came I rose and met a group of guards surrounding the most hiddeous of creatures. Standing over two meters high, muscles rippling all over and with a grin filled with needlesharp tuscs my legs went weak. I was sure the guards wouldn´t matter if this monster got into frency. But I did as I was told. Took the lead and pointed out the direction towards the inn.

Some hours later we stood outside the small inn. Inside I met the most astonishing group of people I´ve ever met. I knew at once these where the people I should talk to and so I introduced myself. There was William Cavanaugh, a former physician, and Rupert, with a face of an angel. The latter radiated heaven and for the second time my heart trembled. Later I came to understand these two where of the clan Tremere. We took the stairs up to a meetingroom. I passed over the beast known as a Gargoyle, to Rupert.

Soon the next vampire arrived. I will sure have nightmares after breathing the same air as him. Tagelito of clan Cappadocian looked like a hideous dried out corp. The skin stretched close to the skull and with a deadly grin all over he made me hide close to William, the only one looking somewhat normal.

Then something weirder happened. A small gnollish thing walked over the floor, opened a door in it at vanished. There where no sign of a door left. And where did he come from.

Next the windows flung open. A pitch black nightmare with huge wings settled on the window frame and then jumped over to Rupert. Now he had two gargoyles. Well. He had with him some small gargoylish animals too. Must have some stone addiction or something.

And as that wasn´t enough Simon von Lichthausen stepped thru the door with an aura of a kaiser. He radiated power enough for me to start thinking of maybe leaving before he found out that I was a jew, on the other side of the social scale. I had very bad experiences with his kind of people. Bur when he introduced himself talking about us meeting sometime in the future together with someone he with a smile called Hitler I started to think he maybe wasn´t so bad. At least we would stand in the same era together.

Now we where all together. And we started to move on for Constantinople. Just a couple of hours away, before the sun would rise, we had to settle in the city. How strange didn´t we look this night travelling in the dark. Only the humans had torches. Well. I can tell you my nightvision have grown pretty good as a vampire.

Soon we saw the huge Walls of Constantine rising 20 meter high i three elevated steps. We stopped outside the Golden gates and asked to be let in. When the guard refused I had to try to command him to open. It didn´t work. Strange as it have done so many times during my llast year. Simon showed an invitation from one of the nobles in the city and that opened the gates. This was the easy part. We soon came to the second wall, the Wall of Theodisius. This gate was also closed.

I can just sum up what happened. A massacre. You just don´t shoot with crossbows at a noble group as ours. It all started with lightnings frying the guard captain. Guards where running all around up at the walls screeming at something and later in agony and death. Something black with huge wings flew around helping people leave the battlements with a haste. I felt glad he was on my side. William showed himself as a cunning bowman hitting men many hundred of meters away in the dark, probably at the spots he targeted. It all ended with silence. I had to taste some of the grilled captain just to see if he had been ok. When we left there was no trace of any soldiers what so ever. Members of our group know how to make flesh into dust. And so we opened the gates, went thru, and closed them behind us. At last. We had entered the city it self.

We now had to find somewhere to hide during the day. Soon we found an entrance down to the catacombs under the city. The guardians where left outside with a huge collection of books, a part of some kind of library the group had left in Prague. We walked the sewers and soon met with a strange ghoulish creature. This day seems to be day of my life filled with monsters. It didn´t say much. Mostly something like: – I´m one of three. Then he invited us to meet his master. This showed to be noone less than Malachite, the leader of clan Nosferatu in this city. He was upset. Something had happened to his soldiers up at a gate in the second wall. It happened to be that this coincided with our arrival there. He claimed that we now where in debt to him. We didn´t dare to disagree. After explaining some basics about the city he left us in a room over day. We got three days to show why we should get permission to stay. And now comes another night. What´ll happen next?

Three nights of running around

The three days have gone by. I´ve been busy finding my way in the city. First night I tried to find out where all jews had their quarters. Of course by the Gate of Hebrew, close to the venetians, in the eastern parts of Constantinople. I took the adress of the rabbi and the sofer, and found a good place underground to rest during daytime. I also found my way to two of the biggest city hospitals, The four martyrs and Orphans.

On the agenda night two stood contacting the rabbi. I had to learn where to find the sick and spread the word about myself. Didn´t work out that well. It´s hard to visit people during the dark hours.

Now my hunger entered the scene. Craving for blood in a city in which I have no hunting ground is hard. I tried to find easy prey like someone in need of a physician, but only found a drunken guy who didn´t respond very well to me when I offered my serivices. So I had to hunt for rats. Not so tasty, but it works. Some so called noble vampires shun this kind of blood. It´s nutricious.

Night three came and I had an idea about start making a couple of guard dog ghouls. I also had plans to contact the city hospitals to offer my services and I wished to try contact my mentor. The last thing is hopeless. I can´t take the contact. I just try to concentrate on wishing the contact when I get to sleep and hope for the best. Not sure if it works. Contacting the hospitals wasn´t easy either. I tried walking the corridors during night but it was to hard hiding my identity. And now I know making ghouls is hard work. Not such a productive day.

Now I just wait for the new meeting with Malachai. In a moment I´ll meet with the others and together we´ll take us down the sewers again.

To teach and be tought

It´s night six. Another three nights have passed by. I had earlier made a deal with Simon von Richthausen to exchange knowledge. I would start teaching him some greek and he would help me learn some self defence. So we have done. Worked out pretty well. I now know how to use a knife and he can do some more but spell his name in greek.

Our gargoyle, whos name is Bael by the way, showed he had some brain. He seems to be some sort of language master. So he taught some of the others greek too. That ugly stoneface is smart. He´s silent but I´ve underestimated him. Bether watch out.

I also had the possibility to sharpen my hunting skills, but I can still do with some more before feeling completely filled up.

In a couple of days we will meet first the military prefect of Constantinople Belisarius and after that the envoy of clan Tremere Abetorius. I´m excited as these two will be the first realy old ones I´ve met. I think.

Oh. And I´ve made my first contact with our rabbi in town. Now I just await the message about what status I will have here. Can´t do much before I know. Wouldn´t like to upset any vampire groups like the Malachai gang. I guess there are more.

A bad introduction

I´m a little bit ashamed. Suddenly I realise my knowledge in etiquette is poor. Things just doesn´t work like they did in Salerno. Yesternight I made a fool of myself, and I didn´t see it coming.

Two nights ago I had to hunt, and as it had gone so bad before I took to hunt rats again. But this time I must have got realy bad blood. My belly started to give away loud noices, and from both ends came burps and… You know! Embarrasing. Even more embarrasing was the fact that we all had to meet with the city prefect Belisarius oc clanVentrue. Simon was happy as he would now have an opportunity to establish himself in town and set up businnes.

We arrived at the palace where Belisarius ruled. Led in thru great korridors flanked with soldiers we soon arrived in a huge hall. Belisarius where awaiting us. On the way I had nearly smashed an ancient urn of some kind, but that was just a minor incident.

We all introduced ourself. Problem was all my body sounds that interupted all time. And when my turn came to tell the prefect who I am I stood up, laid my hand on his sholder and called him friend, like I have always done with people I admire. Belisarius didn´t return the gesture and by the look of Williams face I must have done something wrong. Maybe a little to best friend style to fit the situation. I´ve now been told to treat all these leaders as kings until they say something else. So I didn´t impress much. But Abetorius told us a lot about the power structures in the city. Most important the fact that clans didn´t matter as much as families, congregations of different clans. We also learnt about the triad that had ruled the city since beginning. Three ancient vampires of which one seem to have vanished, one maybe gone mad and one maybe still in town. Next meeting went bether.

Abetorius seemed a little bit more relaxed, even though his clan don´t have any fixed status in town. During a couple of hours we learnt to know eachother. He told us about clan Tremeres situation in town. For the moment they where on hunt after two persons. The most important is a Salubri. I´ve been told they are souleaters and realy bad stuff. The other is a Tremere gone rough, Teresia Cyrene. We all promised help Abetorius in the hunt. And so I and Bael went down the sewers to talk with Malachai, if possible.

What happened next was that we met a man with a torch in one hand and a sabre in the other. A big crucifix hanging around his neck. He called us a lot of bad names and started to threaten us. Bael that had sworn to defend me attacked. But as he got hit with the torch he screemed like a little girl and fled. So I stood there not sure what to do. Then cam to my mind the idea of drawing my knife and use it. In the fight that followed I gave the hunter some bad injuries. He tried to stab me but I must have gone impenetrable during this last year. And when I saw the end of the battle, Bael reappeared, rushing pass me and tearing the por guy apart in small peices. Those nasty claws worked well as butcher knifes.

 

 

Miracle days Part I – The woman of my life and who I might be

Tonight I met the woman of my life. How mysterious. How wonderful.

It all started with me getting together with our band again. They told me about a fight in the sewers against some strange spectral dogs. Later they met up with Theresa Kymena. William hade read her and told us she was the rouge Tremere we where looking for. We where supposed to take care of her at once, but by not doing that we would have a lot to answere for in from of Tremere later. I agreed by the choice the others did then.

We also got information about a Ventrue helena that had gone against Belisarius. Probably planning to make a coupe against him together with some turkish Gangrels. We believe she´s a generation six or seven. But we are leaving her for now.

When we came together this night we had some time to hunt before walking down the gutters again. I dried some rats, Simon hunted at Gabriels pleasure house and the rest fed the way they usually do. Bael found a cow.

Then on we went. Down the sewers we walked thru tunnels of mud, stone and bricks. In the end of a tunnel we found a door. We opened it, and now it started to become very weird.

We found ourselfes standing on a path thru a field with green grass. The sun shining at us, surrounded by a beautiful landscape. And we didn´t die. The sun didn´t heart us at all. It even made us look more human, more alive.

I tried to find out if this was all an illusion. So I picked up a fist sized stone and read it. It was a miracle. This one stone contained the knowledge of libraries. Didn´t tell much about the reality but it took the breath out of me. As we walked along I tried to find out more about this artifact and so I must have missed a lot. So the others say.

We came in front of a gateway. As someone tried to go thru we where under attack. William cloked us, I was told. Bael and Simon started defending us. I didn´t know we where cloked so I managed to uncloke myself by just waving the torch I held in hand and got attacked. Bael took down two of the attackers. Simon one. These creatures looked like slimmer versions of gargoyles. Trying to hit us with stone clubs. Realy barbarian.

On the other side of the gate we walked along the pathway and soon came to a fork. Two ways to choose between. Now we had a divine interuption. A flaming bush talked to us. It told us to chosse wisely between the three choices we had. We could go back, and then forget all about this day. We could follow his path to the right and try reach Golconda. I´m still trying to figure out what that is. Or we could choose the left path and still leave the life behind, but not in search of Golconda.

We found out by questions that the speeker was noone else but Achmed, a follower of Saulot, a Salubri. I was sure he must be one with Jahwe so I chose the right path. Of course. Theresa Kymena came and joined me. So I understood my choice was the right one. And now I met her for real for the first time in my life. She´s a goddess. How strange those markings in her skin. She´s the girl in my dreams.

This choice of path divided our group. Noone wished to go back, but Rupert with his gargoyle Bael and Tagelito choosed to take the left path. But as we walked down our different paths we soon found ourself standing in the same great hall. A giant library.

A huge figure in a black cloak seemed to hover above the ground holding a huge book. He opened the book and we had to ask him questions about what we wished to find here. Most of us wished to get knowledge about the powers we have. Some in the group where directed to books including knowledge. But instead of answering my wishes I was made sure I had knowledge waiting for me. And so he stuck a book in my hands I had to study.

And now I know who I am and that just give me more questions. I found some hidden powers including the knowledge how to use them. That would later save the day for me. I also had time to talk with Teresa again in the library. What a wonderful day.

I also understand Tremere won´t find our choice of path that wonderful. William is a little nervous about this. I guess Rupert also have his doubts. I know now I must find allies of my own outside our band as everyone else has (except Bael, poor bastard, who is but a dog of Ruperts).

We walked out of the library and in to the normal reality. Found a place to sleep in and soon another day came by.

 

About rats

Nothing wrong with feeding on rats. It works. And that´s ok when there´s no good hunting ground for humans.

I´ve calculated that about 20 rats equals one human. But draining a human that much will probably kill her. And that I won´t do. Problem with rats is it takes time catching them. Sneaky little bastards. I´m thinking of setting up a lab with rats as heard. A good snack bar.

But eventually I´ll have to find better ways of hunting. Human blood is of better taste and quality. But how to minimalise the suffering, to not make the prey getting hurt?

Miracle days Part II – The power of an elder or How to outforce a Tremere chantry

We got 24h to catch an artifact from the chantry of clan Tremere. The artifact, the Phylacterty of Recorded Memory, is made up of a piece of granit bound with two golden threads. It stores the former owners memories so that a new owner can access those.

After a lot of debating and turning plans around we settled with storming the chantry right on. One risky part was tha Rupert realy didn´t wish to do this against the clan of his. The others then became conspicious about wether he would backstab us by telling Abetorius about our plans. We had to trust him. We relied on him to take down all magical defenses agains undead. And we needed Bael that is under his mastership. He would do that and stay away when the attack started. That way his risks would be less than ours but he would still be able to help us and share the victory. That deal was ok. And we got a go from the Michaelites. They would not interfere in our plans.

After feeding and recovering strength we stood outside the Tremere chantry, a small palace. First we found that the magic defenses at the main gate wasn´t taken down. That worried us much. Then someone attacked us from the roof. Abetorius himself stood up there. He hit Bael who got into frency following him. Now there was no turning round. We all jumped up the top of the palace at started following him. The roof was full of holes as if done after a big fight. We found one gaping wound in the roof and jumped in.

Bael have one gift to feel directions to other kindreds in a building. He soon told us in which rooms there was people. We took on what supposedly was Abetorius personal chamber. Before someone had told all to open the door gently Bael kicked it in and we had to run in.

Two gigantic stone dogs met us in fierce battle. And as that wasn´t enough a gargoyle launched an attack on us stabbing with a spear. Tagelito kept watching our backs outside the room. Simon took down the gargoyle with a mighty swordblow after I had tried to stun the creature without success. The two stone dogs where soon taken down.

We searched on and came into a huge room with a green slimy ound in the centre. One body hang chained on two crossing stones. And two persons started shooting at us with crossbows from the other side of the room. I got hit by an arrow but it just bumped of me. It all happened so quick I rely don´t remember who took the first shooter down. All I know is that I ran as fast as I could over to the second one and paralysed him with my touch. How marvelous isn´t this new power of mine. That poor bastard became a small snack for some of us. Enhancing my speed costs blood. So I needed that energy.

We released the chained man, who told us one more kindred was locked in in one of the cages in the room. We helped that one out too. They told us their names and that they where new to the city. One was a gangrel and one a nosferatu by the way. We told them to stay in the room as the rest of the house wasn´t secured.

Now there should be but one left. Abertorius. We found him in a laboratory under ground enclosed in a magical circle. William soon understood shooting arrows didn´t work that good. Some sort of protection surrounded the tremere. We tried different ways of reaching Abertorius without luck, and first we didn´t dare rushing inside the circle. In the room where two gouls that charged us, but something held them at bay. They couldn´t reach us. They dided screeming. I think Simon cleft one and Bael made a nice pile of minced meat at the florr out of one. The magician started throwing fire at us. Some got injured and we got desperate. Simon the Brave then threw himself thru the firewall around Abertorius and pushed him out of the circle. Now that we could hold him down the plan neared the end when William took the soul out of Abertorius. I didn´t see the last part as a diableie is such a sad thing. Fills me with sorrow.

I went over to the two released prisoners and told them that it was safe to go. They gave me their names and we told each other where we could meet later. I also told the nosferatu where to find his own kind.

When the diablerie was over the plan came to an end.

William where to take over Abertorius place with the help of Rupert who know the art of flesh sculpting. The artifact held by Abertorius had the memories of him so William would get a good start acting like him.

In the underground room where also two holy artifacts. We let them be there as noone dared to touch them. I found two bloodstones of which I kept one for myself. I hope to use it in my coming missions.

Now we have established a base of power in the city. Next move? I don´t know about the group, but I must have a laboratory and a hospital for research. Maybe Abertorius Secundus can help me out.