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A JUMPSTART FOR VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION DARK AGES

Alan Alexander, Andrew Peregrine, Monica Speca, and Monica Valentinelli

Creative Director: Rich Thomas Developer: Monica Valentinelli and Matt M. McElroy Writers: Alan Alexander, Andrew Peregrine, Monica Speca, and Monica Valentinelli Editor: Carol Darnell Art Direction and Design: Mike Chaney Artists: Andrew Robinson, Bryan Syme, Brian Leblanc, Rachel Kahn, Leif Jones, Glenn Osterberger, Lawrence van der Mewe

© 2017 White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of White Wolf Entertainment AB. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the character sheets contained in this book when reproduced for personal use.  White Wolf, Vampire and World of Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. Vampire the Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Mage the Ascension, and Storyteller System are trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Entertainment AB. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.  This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised. Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com Check out the Onyx Path at http://www.theonyxpath.com LEGACY OF LIES

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Introduction 4 Introduction 4 Lexicon 4 Blood and Power 6 Treacherous Rivalries 6 A Prince’s Court 8 Law and Tradition 9 Basic Rules 11 Dice Pools and Successes 12 Failures, Rerolls, and Botches 12 Automatic Successes 13 Types of Actions 13 Contested and Extended Rolls 14 Combat 14 Initiative 14 Attacks 15 Defense 15 Damage 16 Soak 16 Additional Rules 16 Archery 17 Armor and Armor Piercing 17 Bite 17 Cover 17 Disarm 18 Hold 18 Stake 18 Weapon Strike 18 Health 18 Character Traits 19 Concept 19 Nature and Demeanor 19 Backgrounds 20 Clans and Clan Weaknesses 21 Attributes 22 Abilities 22 Virtues 24

Willpower 24 Blood Pool and Feeding 25 Disciplines 25 Animalism 26 Auspex 26 Celerity 28 Dominate 28 Fortitude 30 Obfuscate 30 Potence 31 Presence 32 Protean 33 Legacy of Lies 34 Overview 34 Theme 34 Mood 34 Set Up 34 Plots and Goals 35 The Cast 36 Min-Nefret the Poisoner 38 Scenes 42 Plotting 42 Systems 42 Scene 1 – A Prince’s Request 44 Overview 44 Setting 44 Storyteller Goals 44 Character Goals 46 Scene 2 – Ship to Shore 47 Overview 47 Setting 47 Storyteller Goals 47 Actions 48 Scene 3 – Paint and Ash 50 Overview 50 Setting 50 Storyteller Goals 50

Consequences 52 Scene 4 – Ambushed 53 Overview 53 Description 53 Storyteller Goals 53 Character Goals 54 Actions 54 Fight the Hunters 54 Consequences 55 Scene 5 – Red Summer’s Faire 56 Overview 56 Setting 56 Storyteller Goals 56 A Princely Gift 59 Character Goals 60 Actions 60 Consequences 61 Scene 6 – Reckoning in Chester 62 Overview 62 Setting 62 Storyteller Goals 62 Character Goals 64 Actions 64 Consequences 64 Aftermath 66 Experience 66 Further Adventures 66 Seeds of Bitterness 66 Peace Offerings 67 False-Faced Prince 67 Aisling Doyle 68 Ibrahim Ayoub 70 Ellyn Bennett 72 Tsetseg 74 Gareth Clay 76

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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“Age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill.” - Anonymous

It is the year 1242, and it is an age of darkness. The last remaining vestiges of the Roman Empire have crumbled into dust, and in its stead barons rule where caesars once did. Behind every barony, however, is a web of lies and treachery filled with greedy priests, bloodthirsty warlords, and shrewd vampires called Cainites who prey upon all, fighting to emerge victorious in the War of Princes. Marcus Verus, the vampiric Prince of Chester, secretly prepares to go into torpor. This act, which grants the Prince rest while Britain rebuilds, would not go unnoticed by the Cainites’ subordinates and rivals. Before Verus abandons prosperous Chester, the Prince must ensure the safety of all who have pledged their fealty. Should these plans be made public, the Prince knows the wolves — both real and imagined — would launch an attack, threatening all within his domain. Instead, the dark Prince plans to appoint a council of peers to assume the reins of power, provided each member proves their loyalty unto him. With an empty throne at stake, secrets that lie buried for decades will unravel at Verus’ feet. Will anyone be safe when old rivals, like Robert Durand of Edinburgh, and usurpers are finally revealed? Or, will Verus decide to abandon his schemes entirely, and go to war based on a rumor?

Introduction of Lies is an introductory adventure for Vampire Legacy 20 Anniversary: Dark Ages. It is designed for players th

INTRODUCTION

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who are new to Vampire, and acts as a taste of what you’ll find in the corebook. Storytellers will find all the rules and setting required to narrate this chapter and may use this as the foundation for a chronicle. For the purposes of introducing players to Vampire, only the relevant rules, characters, and setting for this adventure have been included. At the Storyteller’s discretion, Legacy of Lies may be modified or expanded upon with material found in Vampire 20th Anniversary: Dark Ages core rulebook to better fit the experiences of their players. Legacy of Lies is written with the assumption that the players are neonates whose sires owe Marcus Verus, the Prince of Chester, a favor. While Verus’ request is the heart of this story, should the players decide to ally or trade favors with a different Cainite, they are free to do so. Storytellers should note player-driven decisions to narrate the consequences of their actions in the final scene. For experienced Storytellers who are already familiar with the setting and rules, the characters and story begin on page 34.

Lexicon The following terms may be used in Legacy of Lies. Storytellers should review which terms are important and judge their usage accordingly. New players tend to get confused or resist unfamiliar language, because they are intimidated by expansive, lush settings and the need to remember terms. To circumvent this, Storytellers are encouraged to use alliteration and define these terms in context when needed to avoid breaking the mood.

Baron: Another word for Prince, primarily used in Europe. barony: The seat of a Cainite Prince’s power in Europe. A barony may also refer to a mortal baron’s lands as well. Beast, the: The tangible manifestation of a vampire’s Damnation, the hungry monster that lives in her skin and drives her to hunt, kill, and frenzy. Becoming, the: Either a term for a vampire’s Embrace, or the agonizing period just after the Embrace as the human dies and the vampire is born. Blood Oath, the: The bond of blood that enslaves someone who drinks Cainite vitae. Cainite: A vampire. childe: A vampire’s get. The plural of childe is childer. clan: One of 13 great vampire family lines. Each clan has a unique collection of gifts and a unique curse to their blood. This story features five clans: Brujah, Gangrel, Toreador, Ventrue, and Nosferatu. coterie: A group of vampires that live and act together for mutual protection. Damned, the: All vampires in any culture where the Book of Nod is recognized. A society of the dead. domain: A region of land, industry, wealth, and herd ruled over by a vampire. A domain can be as large as the vampire that holds it can maintain. Some are only so big as a building or a farm, while others are whole sprawling city-states. Elysium: A neutral location where vampires gather in a Prince’s domain. Embrace, the: The act of killing a person and birthing a vampire. Generation: How many steps a vampire is from their progenitor, which denotes how potent her blood is. ghoul: A human tool, empowered by and addicted to vampire blood. haven: A safe place a vampire sleeps to escape the ravages of the sun. kine, the: Humanity. People. Anything not a vampire or a ghoul. Kiss, the: The act of feeding, specifically the euphoric feeling in kine when bitten by a vampire. lineage: The family line of a vampire tracing back sire to sire. Long Night, the: The dark, calmer period that took place prior to the War of Princes. lord: A vampire ruler of a domain. neonate: A vampire under one hundred years old. Prince: A traditional ruler of a city, barony, or kingdom who has authority over Cainites in that region. INTRODUCTION

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sire: A vampire who begets another vampire. Traditions of Caine, the: The rules allegedly handed down by the progenitor of vampires through the Book of Nod. The wording and meanings of each Tradition are hotly contested. vessel: Most usually, a kine from whom a vampire drinks. vitae: Blood. War of Princes, the: The current war for territory and control between provincial lords.

Blood and Power T

hough there are many theories that discuss the origin of the vampire, there is one tale that enjoys general acceptance as truth. Caine, from the Abrahamic Bible, killed Abel and was cursed by God for committing the first murder. As punishment, Caine must wander the earth alone for all eternity, and was Damned for this grievous sin. Doomed to walk alone, Caine discovered the means to create progeny and created three other vampires. In turn, that trio of the Damned sired thirteen more between them. These thirteen vampires each carried a unique curse of Caine in their blood, and each birthed an entire clan of vampires who share similar strengths and weaknesses. For this reason, vampires are commonly referred to as “Cainites” during this time. The history of the thirteen clans is awash with bloody struggles for power and, in 1242, their strife is marked by a difference in status that varies based on a Cainite’s location and domain. Some vampires also share a unique and complex ancestry known as a bloodline, and their origins are questionable. Bloodlines, which are found in the V20: Dark Ages rulebook beginning on page 68, are not featured in this adventure. Legacy of Lies takes place in England, Scotland, and France, and features five of thirteen V20: Dark Ages clans: Brujah, Gangrel, Nosferatu, Toreador, and Ventrue. Amongst these, the Brujah, Toreador, and Ventrue are considered aristocratic in this adventure and, in general, they enjoy the benefits afforded to them as “High Clans.” The Nosferatu and Gangrel clans, on the other hand, are often treated as “Low Clans.” Members of both clans are expected, but not required, to defer to vampires of a High Clan lineage in some regions. These attitudes change depending upon the culture and politics in a specific region or barony, and shift from character to character. The power differential between the High and Low Clans in Legacy of Lies adds additional conflict to the story, while forcing members of different clans to work together toward a common goal. However, Storytellers should remember this type INTRODUCTION

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SUPERSTITION VS. FACT olk tales are rife with cures for vampirism and F elaborate procedures to trap and kill vampires. For every myth, however, a tiny kernel of truth exists. Sunlight, for example, is a Cainite’s greatest enemy. They are also vulnerable to fire and attacks both mental and physical, from other Cainites as well. While swords and arrows might physically hurt them, their blood can heal that damage. Garlic and running water, on the other hand, do not affect vampires at all, while sanctified holy sites and believers of True Faith can hurt them.

All vampires share one commonality that cannot be ignored: the need to feed. While a vampire can survive without killing their prey, they must have fresh blood to remain strong and vital. Through their blood, a Cainite can heal wounds and manifest a range of powers depending on their clan. Despite the power of the blood that courses through their veins, all Cainites are Damned. It is the one curse from which they can never recover, and their vulnerabilities remind them they are, and never again will be, human.

of rivalry is not an excuse to punish players whose characters possess a Low Clan lineage. The Gangrel and the Nosferatu clans trade secrets and information with other members more readily than a vampire connected to a High Clan, which gives them the advantage in certain circumstances. Storytellers narrating this event for experienced groups are also encouraged to customize these details to fit their needs. You may drop in additional characters from other clans to broaden the scope of the intrigue, or ignore the dichotomy between High and Low Clans to focus on personality clashes or decades-long feuds between sires.

Treacherous Rivalries The role of each clan during the War of Princes varies widely, and is heavily influenced by their ability to thrive in these dangerous times. It is difficult to be a vampire at a time when mortals believe the supernatural is real, and the dangers Cainites face are many indeed. From religious zealots to vampiric hunters to warring kings, vampires often seek the protection and benefits of their clan, if only to ensure they survive to enjoy more peaceful nights.

In Legacy of Lies, each clan’s position and attitudes impact how they feel about the well-known rivalry between Marcus Verus, the Ventrue Baron of Chester and direct descendant of Mithras, the King of the British Isles, and Robert Durand, the Toreador Baron of Edinburgh sired by Salianna, the ruler of France. The description of the clans serves to underline their identity and attitudes for this story. Clan weaknesses are addressed in the rules section and can be found on page 21.

Brujah Known As: Zealots, Philosopher-Kings, Rabble (derogatory) The legacy of the Brujah Clan traces all the way back to Caine. In ages past, the first Brujah sought to understand the Cainite condition and sired Troile. Sire and childe constantly bickered due to their opposing natures, and Troile committed the heinous act of Amaranth, consuming the founder Antediluvian’s soul. The duality of fiery passion and keen intelligence is a noticeable aspect in almost every Brujah; their social natures grant them the ability to both blend in and rule over larger communities. Clan Brujah is a major player in the War of Princes, and their members are present both on the battlefield and off. Thus, the Brujah have a vested interest in ensuring the balance of power tilts toward their own interests. Often, they rely on spies and usurpers who align with their beliefs to feed them information. If pressed, Clan Brujah would take advantage of the rivalry between Marcus Verus and Robert Durand by rallying Cainites to side with one or the other.

Gangrel Known As: Outlaws, Wolf’s Heads Members of the Gangrel Clan prefer wide, open spaces to the intimacy and repressiveness of court. While often stereotyped as hermits and outcasts, the Gangrel can and do care about political uprisings and territorial disputes when it affects their interests. It is rumored that the Gangrel choose to live apart because they felt rebuked by other Cainites, and have trouble fitting in. Now, however, the War of Princes threatens their havens and domains, and many Gangrel are re-entering Cainite society to ensure their Clan’s needs are not ignored or passed off as a casualty of war. Gangrel throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe are not always privy to the specific politics affecting their clanmates and their feeding grounds, but they are fully aware that whatever impacts Gangrel in one country will eventually touch them too. Thus, most Gangrel feel obligated to help protect the clan’s interests wherever they roam, knowing full well the dangers they face if a more “civilized” clan enjoys unlimited power. BLOOD AND POWER

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In general, Clan Gangrel recognizes that Marcus Verus is a better, more capable leader than his rival. They do, however, work for Robert Durand as scouts in and around Edinburgh, and are loathe to give up control of their hunting grounds.

Nosferatu Known As: Priors Some would say that the Nosferatu are the most accursed of all Cainites, and perhaps the Nosferatu themselves would agree. Every member of the clan has been twisted into a hideous mockery of their former, human identity. Forced to hide in the shadows, the Nosferatu are reviled and often overlooked by Cainite and human alike. For this reason, many Nosferatu act as spies or counselors to those in power, shaping the future and massaging battles from the sidelines. Hunted for their secrets, the Nosferatu are mockingly called priors and are often regarded as a low clan. Most Nosferatu believe they have an active role in the War of Princes as spies, messengers, and scouts, just as they’ve had in every other war to date. Cainites should be advised to treat the Nosferatu with great respect for, despite all appearances to the contrary, this clan tends to act in concert and is a force to be reckoned with. The Nosferatu enjoy an alliance with Clan Ventrue and, as such, they believe that Marcus Verus is the rightful leader of Chester. What Robert Durand does in Edinburgh makes no difference to them, unless they discover members of their clan are suffering. Should that hold true, the Nosferatu will press Verus to ensure their safety in the name of their old and mutually beneficial friendship.

Toreador Known As: Aesthetes, Artisans, Vanitas The Toreador present themselves as the most human of the clans. This self-deception is dangerous for both themselves and their prey, for they are obsessed with the idea of being mortal: the taste of fine wine on the lips, the feeling of being awestruck by a beautiful sunset, the warmth of a lover while in the throes of passion. Tragically, Cainites can never be human and their passions remain unfulfilled. Thus, the Toreador instinctively surround themselves with beauty in every form, and their emphasis on chivalry and “love” tend to be discounted and even derided by the other clans. The Toreador have an advantage, however, for they are a charming lot and can blend in with mortals easier than other clans can. All outside appearances indicate the Toreador are a divided, flighty lot and not fit for rule; within the clan itself, however, members know that in times of war sometimes the best thing to do is wait until a clear winner INTRODUCTION

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emerges from the fray. There is a growing contingent of Toreador, however, who are jealous of Clan Ventrue and would love to see Durand and his sire, Salianna, ascend to greater heights. Other Toreador neonates are unhappy with Robert Durand for many reasons; including that the Baron of Edinburgh hails from France and not Scotland. If Durand can manage to restore Edinburgh to its former glory, the undecided members will no doubt rally for the betterment of the clan.

Ventrue Known As: Power Mongers, Ambitiones, Patricians (derogatory) Derided by other Cainites for their obvious ambition, most Ventrue consider themselves cursed with a terrible burden: the knowledge that they are the only ones fit to rule. Understandably, many others view them as arrogant, and many Ventrue would agree. Their mindset, however, is borne of experience; as history has repeatedly shown that Ventrue make strong and capable leaders. Now, during the War of Princes, the Ventrue rule formidably and leverage their connections to the nobility for power, safety, and security. Though they do not control all of Europe, the Ventrue must balance the needs of their own domains against internal and external threats while expanding into larger territories and more countries. Only time will tell if the Ventrue will one night rule all; a position that has generated no shortage of enemies. The Ventrue hold a clear position, and side with Marcus Verus. Where they disagree, however, is in his handling of his rival, Robert Durand. Verus understands that the allegiances afforded to the clan are courtesy of Mithras, the King of the British Isles, and his ally, Salianna, who rules France. These agreements must be protected at all costs, which is why Verus may not murder Durand outright.

A Prince’s Court Cainites are social to varying degrees, and their need for isolation depends on their personalities and their relationship within their clans. Most Cainites, however, trade gossip and information to fend off the pangs of loneliness and occupy their long, dark nights. To do so, they converge in the presence of a Prince on neutral ground, called “Elysium,” to conduct their business. During the War of Princes, these regions are typically tied to baronies, fiefdoms, kingdoms, and other communities led by a mortal ruler. In addition to the Prince, other Cainites are assigned to supporting roles. They include:

• Keeper: the Cainite charged with looking after the various Elysia. They also act as a form of social secretary and host any formal gatherings of the Cainites. • Chamberlain: The right hand of the Prince. This powerful position grants the Cainite responsibility for the night-to-night running of the domain to keep the Prince free. They are usually more in touch with what is going on than the Prince. • Sheriff: Sometimes, punishment is in order. When that time comes, it is the Sheriff who administers justice. Often they have a small force of Cainites skilled in violence to act as a police force, but the Sheriff is the one who must keep the peace. Here, in the Prince’s court, Cainites are held to a higher standard of behavior and expected to follow protocol. Disrespectful vampires often find themselves subjected to greater scrutiny or punishment doled out by the local Prince or their agents. Within these societies, the Damned struggle to achieve status; find favor; and obtain secrets, domain, status, or wealth. A Cainite’s vampiric age, Generation, identity of sire, clan, etc. are also factors that shape their role in the society of the Damned. Marcus Verus, however, does not care much for the specifics of a vampire’s lineage or birth; an experienced military commander, Verus holds deep respect for vampires who’ve fought alongside him. In fact, Verus is more interested in a Cainite’s deeds than their flowery prose. Robert Durand, on the other hand, is more easily impressed by flattery and amicable gestures. The Baron of Edinburgh needs other allies if he’s to retain power or expand his reach. Though he makes friends easily, Durand is no fool, and only fools mistake his charm for a lack of wits or power.

Many Visions of Elysium For Marcus Verus, an icon within his clan, Elysium can only be held in the one place worthy of his lineage: Beeston Castle. Verus does not typically call every member of his court to his side on a regular basis; Elysium currently occurs on a quarterly basis or when needed to dole out judgment or share important news. A military strategist, Verus has recently called in a few favors to rectify an old rivalry and verify the disturbing rumors he has heard before going into torpor. Though his plan is simple, Verus understands the gravity of the situation and hopes the whispers in the dark are simply the result of bored, gossiping courtiers. Often, Verus conducts business privately within the halls of Beeston Castle at his discretion, and maintains a small staff to ensure the safety and comfort of his guests. When he does call a meeting, his courtiers send out formal

invitations, and the halls of Beeston Castle are decorated with Roman ornaments, glass, and pottery to honor his sire, the legendary Ventrue Mithras. Robert Durand, on the other hand, holds differing views of Elysium’s role in his barony; instead of awe-inspiring majesty, Durand favors beauty and the arts to connect with members of his court and entertain them. His vision of Elysium is a private monthly festival that changes location from fortnight to fortnight, where members of his court enjoy a little revelry and a small group of hand-picked villagers forget their troubles and fears. When he must, Durand makes good use of secret passageways that lead into the bowels of Edinburgh Castle. In part, Durand pushes the boundaries of what Elysium means because of his powerful sire, Salianna. Though Durand can hold his own in a fight, many Cainites fear what would happen if they ran afoul of France’s Cainite regent, which is a detail Durand never lets them forget. Often, the Toreador Prince’s festivals include French bards and painters, as a subtle reminder that he has powerful allies.

Law and Tradition Outside of Elysium, Cainites have varying degrees of freedom in accordance with a Prince’s wishes. Some Princes use a literal interpretation of Cainite law, known as the Traditions, to rule their domain with an iron fist. Others, however, prefer a looser view to give the appearance that they are more benevolent than their peers and rivals. The Traditions are laws that Princes enforce to varying degrees. For the purposes of this adventure, there are added notes to address how both barons regard these Cainite laws.

The First Tradition: The Covenant The First Tradition claims that Caine is the original vampire, and all Cainites owe allegiance to him and God as their progenitors. Some Cainites, such as members from the Assamite and Setite clans, refuse to acknowledge this as fact. Marcus Verus respects the First Tradition but will not enforce it or bring punitive measures for Cainites who hold different beliefs; he considers himself to be the son of Mithras, who regards himself as a god, and follows the Mithraic tradition. A deeply spiritual-yet-pragmatic Cainite elder, Verus is well-travelled and has fought with vampires from varying backgrounds and beliefs. He has seen, first-hand, the trouble harsh enforcements of the First Tradition would bring. Robert Durand will hold true to the First Tradition if it’s within his best interests to do so. Members of his court believe that he has carefully avoided enforcing this tradition BLOOD AND POWER

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by holding festivals that often incorporate saints and other mortal feast days to varying degrees. Though he is not a religious Cainite and his beliefs are unclear, Durand tends to act in accordance with the times.

The Second Tradition: The Domain This Tradition defines a Cainite’s right over territory, and more specifically that ‘might makes right’ with respect to defending and claiming it. A commonly held interpretation of the Second Tradition is that the Prince has domain rights over the whole of a city or barony, no matter which vampire claims individual sections of it. The Barony of Edinburgh is noticeably smaller than Chester, which is an economic hub for that region. Edinburgh is a royal burgh divided up into tofts occupied by merchants, many of whom have already been allocated to Cainites who have proven their loyalty to Durand or his sire. Because of this, domains are scarcer in Edinburgh, and the ones that have been claimed need to be actively defended. In Chester, however, Verus has maintained tight control of the port city ever since he assumed the role of Prince. Vampires within his court can be granted domain, but they must formally request it or be gifted that section as a reward.

The Third Tradition: The Progeny The balance between Cainites and kine is a delicate one, and history has taught vampires the world over what happens when it’s not. Thus, the Third Tradition maintains that a Cainite needs permission from their elders to sire progeny. In most cases, the Prince enforces this Tradition as a means of protecting Cainites in these dangerous times, but also to ensure there’s enough blood to feed them. Marcus Verus is the only Cainite in his barony who can grant the right to create progeny. Of all the Traditions, this is one that he fiercely enforces to maintain the delicate balance between predator and prey in the bustling port. Robert Durand, on the other hand, has allowed this law to lapse with the intent of siring more Toreador to create an army of allied clan members. This, unfortunately, has caused a significant shortage of mortals in Edinburgh, and is one of the reasons why the barony is in disarray.

The Fourth Tradition: The Accounting The Fourth Tradition complements the third, as a grave reminder Cainites should not create progeny simply for the sake of doing so. Sires are expected to nurture and teach their childer and, as such, are responsible for them and their actions. INTRODUCTION

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In general, both Marcus Verus and Robert Durand share a similar philosophy about the relationship between childe and sire. Verus believes that a vampire’s lineage is something to be proud of; in the absence of a long and storied lineage, however, the relationship between a sire and childe suffices. It also holds strategic value to the long-term-thinking Verus, who believes favors are the true commerce amongst Cainites, even in times of war. Durand only cares about lineage when a Cainite’s sire has something to offer him. An opportunist, he often pressures sires to rein in their childer. This reduces the need for unfavorable decrees or punitive measures on his part, but also strengthens new bonds between sire and neonate in a way that he cannot. Both Princes will enforce this Tradition regardless of their feelings about lineage. It acts as insurance in the event a childe steps out of line.

The Fifth Tradition: The Destruction The Fifth Tradition bans the murder of Cainites. It has been widely interpreted that the power to execute or order a Cainite’s Final Death remains in the hands of the Prince. Both Verus and Durand outwardly profess the Fifth Tradition represents the most heinous of crimes. Both Princes, however, do understand the reality of leadership and the heavy burdens they face. How they deal with transgressors are very different and reflect their styles of leadership. Verus will hold a tribunal in Elysium, in the Roman military style he’s accustomed to, while Durand will gather information and consult with Salianna privately before doling out formal punishments. Durand is hyper-conscious of his role and the declining status of his barony, and oten defers to his sire to ensure her interests are protected… and he remains installed as Baron of Edinburgh.

The Sixth Tradition: The Silence of the Blood The Sixth Tradition professes that Cainites should not reveal their true natures to mortals. Over time, some vampires have realized that openly revealing their existence will invite disaster and, possibly, their extinction. Verus holds the Sixth Tradition to be of more import than other Cainites do, because he feels it’s one of the ways to ensure their safety despite the growing threats they face. He may not publicly address slights, but he will privately in differing ways, either by messaging a childe’s sire or by delivering a speech in Elysium. Public displays of vampirism are a different matter, and should any Cainite intentionally reveal their true nature, they will suffer harsh consequences.

Robert Durand understands the importance of keeping a low profile, but his attitudes toward the Silence of the Blood have slowly eroded over time. As more and more Cainites are sired in his domain, the mortals they prey upon are fewer and farther between. With less mortals to feed upon, Durand’s vampires now stray into other baronies to find food, not caring to whom they reveal themselves. Now, however, Durand is carefully attempting to rebuild his barony, and is slowly reinforcing the Silence of the Blood in both subtle and overt ways.

Basic Rules I

n Legacy of Lies, you play a vampire in the year 1242 who is embroiled in a conspiracy connecting two dangerous rivals. While you control and dictate the actions of your character, the Storyteller does the same for every non-player character you interact with. You determine your character’s actions through roleplay and, when success or failure might affect the plot, you roll dice to see what happens next. Your character’s strengths and weaknesses affect how many dice you’ll add to your dice pool before rolling to see what the outcome is. To play Legacy of Lies, you will need 10-sided dice. When your character takes an action that affects and shapes your story, you roll a pool of dice to discover what happens next. If success or failure doesn’t impact the outcome of your actions, you don’t need to roll. But, if a failure would build tension or excitement by adding conflict, that’s when the dice matter. The introductory player-characters provided in this adventure, which can be found beginning on page 68, use Traits of variable, or “dot”, ratings. Dot ratings are visible on your character sheet. You combine Traits to build your dice pool, by adding one die per dot in most cases.

Rating X • •• ••• ••••

Description Abysmal, terrible Inadequate, poor Average, competent Good, practiced Superior, expert

••••• ••••• •

Outstanding, mastered Superhuman, miraculous

Dot ratings are on a scale between 0 to 5, and typically used for characters of Eighth Generation or higher. The higher the rating, the better your character’s competency BASIC RULES

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DEGREES OF SUCCESS 1 success 2 successes 3 successes 4 successes 5 successes

Marginal. You barely achieve your goal, and may still endure consequences as a result. Moderate. You get what you want, but the results aren’t ideal. Complete. Your desired action is successful, within reason. Exceptional. You have completed your goal beyond expectations. Phenomenal. You achieve your action with perfection.

is for that trait. Ratings of 6 or higher are typically used for characters of Seventh Generation or lower; those characters have exceptional traits and are very powerful.

Dice Pools and Successes When you roll dice, you roll one die for every dot your character possesses in their relevant traits. Usually, you’ll roll two traits, an Attribute and an Ability. For example, if the Storyteller tells you to roll Strength + Athletics, and you have Strength ••• and Athletics ••••, you’ll roll seven dice. These dice are called your dice pool. When you want to add tension to your story, you’ll tell the Storyteller what you want your character to do. Your Storyteller will then determine which traits to roll and assign a number indicating success. This figure, which is known as a target number, is set by the Storyteller based on the difficulty of the proposed action. For example, the standard difficulty is 6; any die that comes up 6 or higher is considered a success. In this example, Gareth Clay is scanning the village streets to find a mark to steal from. His desire is to pickpocket a villager, but before he can do that he needs to identify which one will make the perfect target. Example: Your character, Gareth Clay, is short of gold and is anxious to find a villager to pickpocket. Your Storyteller indicates that, because your successes determine which character Gareth targets, you’ll need to roll dice to shape the outcome. To size up a target, your Storyteller asks you to build a dice pool by rolling Gareth’s Perception + Alertness. The target number is 6, which is the standard difficulty. First, you count up the number of dots on your character sheet for Perception (3) and Alertness (2). Then, add those two ratings together for a total of five. This is now the number of dice in your dice pool. Once you grab five dice, you’ll roll them together and read the results: 2,5,6,8, and 9. Because three of your results equal or exceed the target number, you garner three successes. The Storyteller then reveals that you have spotted a wealthy trader meandering the main thoroughfare, and his heavy purse jingles with each step he takes.

INTRODUCTION

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TARGET NUMBER DIFFICULTY RATINGS 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Trivial (not worth rolling) Easy (following a clear and present trail) Straightforward (convincing the sympathetic) Standard (most average actions) Challenging (finding something on short time) Difficult (convincing an enemy) Extremely difficult (juggling weapons)

More difficult tasks may require a higher target number, while easier tasks may call for a lower target number. Thus, in the preceding example, Gareth would have gotten four successes had the target number only been 5, but only two successes if it had been 8. Extremely simple (or incredibly difficult) tasks may result in target numbers as low as 3 or as high as 9, but such situations should be rare.

Failures, Rerolls, and Botches Generally, if you don’t roll any successes, your proposed action has failed. At the Storyteller’s discretion, you can make a second attempt; this, and each subsequent attempt, increases the difficulty rating by +1. When the difficulty reaches 10, no further attempts can be made on that action during the same scene. Every result of 1 on your die roll subtracts from the total number of your successes rolled. If there are no remaining successes left, and your successes are exceeded by an additional 1, the result is called a botch. The action does not simply fail, but also results in a more serious and negative outcome for your character. Example: Suppose your roll for Gareth’s attempt to find a mark had garnered the following results instead: 1,1, 6, 8, and 9.

Though three results equal or exceed the target number of 6, you still only receive one success because the two 1s cancel out two of your successes. The Storyteller then narrates the outcome, based on your poor success. Gareth notices the traveling merchant, but it’s clear he’s on high alert and his purse is secured beneath his cloak. If Gareth’s results had been 1, 1, 6, 8, and 1, your roll is a botch. The two 1s cancel both successes, and you have a 1 left over. The Storyteller then decides what form the botch takes. Though Gareth has identified a villager to pickpocket, the knights are now on alert!

Automatic Successes Automatic successes are often at the discretion of the Storyteller, and may occur before or after you roll dice. When the number of dice in your dice pool equals or exceeds the target number, this is often considered an automatic success. Additionally, automatic successes can also be gained by spending Willpower. In cases when your task is very easy to accomplish (e.g. a difficulty rating of 3 or less), the Storyteller might declare you automatically earn a marginal success. In that case, you can choose to roll anyway to get additional successes and a stronger result. For example, if Tsetseg is knocked

prone, they can climb to their feet automatically. However, if they rise and try to pull out their bow at the same time, the Storyteller would require a dice roll.

Types of Actions Generally, events which require dice rolls are called actions. Storytellers should not require a dice roll to pick up a wooden stake off the floor, unless another character is standing between you and the stake. It might require a dice roll to realize that a wooden stake can be used to strike and paralyze a vampire. It would definitely require a dice roll to plunge the stake into a vampire’s chest. There are four types of actions: simple, extended, reflexive, and multiple. If the action takes a single roll and requires a single success to accomplish, it’s considered a simple action. An action requiring multiple rolls and multiple successes is called an extended action. Reflexive actions triggered in response to another action do not count as part of your character’s turn. In some cases, however, you still may be required to roll. For example, if your character is resisting a Discipline, which are found on page 25, you would roll dice to determine the outcome. Remembering an important detail in the heat of battle, BASIC RULES

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however, would also be reflexive, but you wouldn’t be required to roll dice unless your Storyteller had a reason for doing so. Characters must be conscious and aware in order to respond with a reflexive action.

Multiple Actions Multiple actions, or a series of simple actions your character takes on a turn, are possible, but difficult to achieve. Absent supernatural powers, they impose progressively higher difficulty penalties on each successive action taken within the same turn. To perform multiple actions, at the start of your turn you must declare how many actions your character plans to take and in what order. Your character’s first action will suffer a +1 increase to the dice roll’s target number, and a -1 penalty to the size of that roll’s dice pool. Each successive action will suffer a cumulative +1 to difficulty and -1 to the dice pool (+2/-2, +3/-3, etc.). In your multiple action, you cannot include more than one attack. However, you can include as many dodge actions as circumstances allow. Except for reflexive actions, defensive actions, and your character’s first action, all actions that are part of a multiple action occur at the end of your turn.

Contested and Extended Rolls In some situations, two or more characters may take actions simultaneously in opposition to one another. Such conflicts are resolved with contested rolls. Examples of contested rolls might include two characters racing to outrun an angry mob, competing in a game such as chess or poker, or opposing one another on either side of a door. In such situations, each player rolls dice for their character; the one who gets the most successes achieves their desired goal. Example: Once Gareth has found his mark, the Storyteller asks you to roll Dexterity + Legerdemain against a difficulty of 7, resisted by the target’s Perception + Alertness at the standard difficulty. You count the number of dots on your character sheet under those two traits (five once again) and roll that many dice, while the Storyteller rolls dice for the merchant. You achieve three successes compared to only two for your target. Gareth picks the other man’s pocket without getting caught. Had the Storyteller rolled more dice for the merchant, the attempt would have been noticed and further actions would have resulted from that incident. In the event of a tie, the defending character usually wins. An extended roll, on the other hand, generally occurs for actions that are difficult and/or time-consuming like repairing a broken object, researching clues in a library, or climbing up a steep cliff face. When a player must make INTRODUCTION

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an extended roll, the Storyteller declares how many total successes are needed to complete the objective, and how much time each roll represents. Example: Ellyn Bennett is researching the journals of famous artists to cross-reference the names of their patrons. The Storyteller calls for an Intelligence + Investigation roll (difficulty 6) that requires 10 successes, with each roll representing two hours of research. You would then roll repeatedly until you have achieved enough successes, until your time constraints prevent further rolls (such as the sun coming up), or until you suffer a botch. At that time, the Storyteller would either provide Bennett with a false result or intervene to prevent further research. Provided subsequent dice rolls continue to garner at least one success per roll, the +1/-1 penalty to difficulty and dice pool does not apply. If any roll generates zero successes, however, those penalties do apply to subsequent rolls. Finally, a roll can be both contested and extended. Example: Tsetseg is in a race with Krisanthos Ngal. Both characters are on horseback, so the Storyteller calls for an extended Wits + Ride roll. This roll impacts both characters, with each roll representing ten minutes spent riding and with victory going to the first character to reach ten successes. Depending on the circumstances, the Storyteller might require different target numbers to achieve the same goal. For example, Tsetseg might be forced to ride an old nag through the Summer’s Faire crowded with people (difficulty 7) while Krisanthos drives a fresh race horse down a deserted street (difficulty 5).

Combat hen characters are embroiled in combat, the turn order W is structured to ensure everyone takes action for that round. Combat begins by determining Initiative.

Initiative Initiative determines how quickly you move in combat, and the order in which all characters’ actions are resolved. Before combat, determine your character’s base Initiative rating. This number is equal to Wits + Dexterity + Celerity dots. Then, at the start of each turn, roll a single die and add the result to your character’s Initiative rating. Wound penalties subtract from this result. This result is your Initiative for that round of combat. Characters with the highest Initiative rating act first, and continue until all characters have had a turn. In the event of a tied Initiative, the character with the highest base Initiative rating acts first. If that number is also tied, then both characters act simultaneously.

Any player on their turn may elect to hold their action(s) until later in the roster, but they must use that action before the turn ends or else it is considered spent.

Attacks Combat typically involves attacks, and are handled using standard dice pools. The following dice pools are the ones most commonly used for attacks: Close Combat: Dexterity + Brawl (for hand-to-hand combat) or Dexterity + Melee (for close quarters armed attacks). Vampires can use their fangs for Brawl-based bite attacks. Ranged Combat: Dexterity + Archery (for archery attacks) or Dexterity + Athletics (for thrown attacks). The standard difficulty is 6. At the Storyteller’s discretion, the target number may be modified to reflect environmental conditions or other factors. When an attack fails, the character missed their target. A botch reflects a serious misstep that could result in an ally getting hit or an arrow splintering, for example.

Defense Characters may dodge, block, or parry any attack provided they have allocated one or more actions to do so. Each success on the defensive roll subtracts one from the attacker’s successes and, if all successes are eliminated, the attack fails. The three most common defensive rolls have a difficulty 6, unless stated otherwise. They are: Blocking (Dexterity + Brawl): The character can block attacks that cause bashing damage by strategically using their body to deflect the blow. The character can block lethal and aggravated attacks with Fortitude or by wearing appropriate armor. Dodge (Dexterity + Athletics): The character can dodge any attack they’re aware of. If the character has no room to maneuver, the Storyteller may require a block or parry rather than a dodge. When dodging an arrow or other fast ranged weapon, the difficulty of dodge actions increases by 2. Active use of Celerity mitigates this penalty. Parry (Dexterity + Melee): The character uses a weapon to deflect a brawling or melee attack. When parrying an

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COMBAT TURN SUMMARY Initiative

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oll a die and add the result to your Initiative rating. Compare totals. Move down the roster from highest to lowest Initiative, resolving actions.

Attacks Unarmed close-combat attacks use Dexterity + Brawl. Armed close-combat attacks use Dexterity + Melee. Ranged attacks use Dexterity + Archery or Dexterity + Athletics for thrown objects. Before attack rolls, the victim’s player may choose to take a defensive action. Blocking uses Dexterity + Brawl, Dodging uses Dexterity + Athletics, and Parrying uses Dexterity + Melee. Defense successes reduce the attacker’s successes.

Damage Roll damage rating plus the net attack successes. Every success is a health level of damage.

Soak Once damage is rolled, roll soak. Soak rolls depend on the character type and the damage type used, but generally use Stamina + Fortitude + Armor for a dice pool. Successes reduce the damage caused.

unarmed attack, if the defender rolls more successes than the attacker, apply those additional successes as a successful counterattack. The attacker may not roll to defend against this counterattack and can only soak. You can choose to forgo any actions other than defending against an attack, to fully defend your character from harm. Doing so allows you to ignore the normal multiple action penalties. Instead, use your full defensive dice pool against the first attack made against your character during the turn. You will still suffer a -1 dice pool penalty to each subsequent attack. When your defensive dice pool is reduced to zero, your character can no longer defend. There are no difficulty penalties that apply to a full defense.

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Damage If any attack successes remain after defense is applied, add the damage bonus associated with the weapon used to the remaining successes and roll that many dice as damage dice (difficulty 6). Each success on the damage roll causes one level of damage appropriate to the type of attack used, whether it’s bashing, lethal, or aggravated. A damage roll can never botch; treat a botch result as a normal failure. After soak is applied, mark any remaining damage in the Health boxes on the character sheet as follows: Bashing damage is caused by punches, sticks, and other sources of blunt trauma that are unlikely to instantly kill a victim. If your character’s health boxes are filled with bashing damage, any additional bashing damage turns into lethal damage. Lethal damage is caused by bladed weapons and other sources of injury that cause immediate, threatening wounds to mortal flesh. If the character’s health track is filled with lethal damage, they fall into torpor, a supernatural sleep, for a period of two weeks. Mortals simply die. Further lethal damage to a Cainite becomes aggravated damage. Aggravated damage is a damage type specific to Cainites. Mortals treat aggravated wounds just like lethal wounds. Aggravated damage reflects deadly banes to vampiric existence such as the sun, fire, and the teeth and claws of other vampires. This damage may only be soaked with a vampire’s Fortitude dots (if any). A Cainite with a health track full of aggravated damage suffers Final Death.

Soak After the attacker rolls for damage, you can try to soak any damage inflicted. Generally, a vampire soaks damage by rolling Stamina + Fortitude + Armor at a difficulty 6. Vampires are resilient to bashing damage. Halve all bashing damage a vampire takes after soak is applied, and round down. Mortals can only soak bashing damage with Stamina, and cannot soak lethal or aggravated damage. As with damage rolls, soak rolls cannot botch; treat a botch as a standard failure. After soak is applied, any remaining damage is noted on the defender’s character sheet under Health.

Additional Rules Archery Shooting arrows is a ranged combat maneuver and, for this adventure, Storytellers are encouraged to use their

best judgment. As a general guide, longbows have double the range (120 meters as opposed to 60) and do twice as much damage as shortbows can. It is recommended that the attacker take aim as a free action, then fires a single arrow by rolling Dexterity + Archery. The difficulty number is also set at the Storyteller’s discretion, and should reflect the attacker’s position, line of sight, and other, additional factors. The average target number is 6. Dice Pool: Dexterity + Archery Difficulty: Normal Damage: 4/2 L

Bite

Armor and Armor Piercing

Seeking cover makes it harder to hit the character. Consult the chart below for difficulties dependent on cover. Ranged attacks from cover have their difficulty increased by one less than the difficulty increase to hit the covered target.

Armor adds to soak equal to its rating but often imposes a penalty on Dexterity-related rolls. Many ranged attacks carry the Armor Piercing quality which can negate some or all of the defender’s Armor soak.

ARMOR Class Class One (Heavy Clothing) Class Two (Cloth/Textile Armor) Class Three (Composite Armor) Class Four (Heavy Armor) Class Five (Knight’s Armor)

Rating 1 2 3 4 5

Penalty 1 1 2 3

A bite attack is a special combat maneuver that occurs immediately after the vampire has successfully detained the target with a hold attack. Bites to cause harm result in aggravated damage, whereas a bite can also be used to feed. Dice Pool: Dexterity + Brawl + 1 Difficulty: Normal Damage: Strength +1

Cover

Cover Light (lying prone) Good (behind wall) Superior (only head exposed)

Difficulty to Hit +1 +2 +3

Difficulty to Attack None +1 +2

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COMMON WEAPONS Weapon Dagger Broadsword Greatsword Hand Ax Javelin Knife Lance (Mounted) Pitchfork Spear

Damage Str + 1L Str + 2L Str + 4L Str + 2L Str + 0L Str + 0L Str + 3L Str + 1L Str + 2L

Notes Armor Piercing: 2 May be used Two-Handed, with Min Str 2, Str + 3L Two-Handed

Armor Piercing: 3 Armor Piercing: 1, Two-Handed Armor Piercing: 2, may be used Two-Handed, with Min Str 3, Str + 3L

Disarm To disarm requires striking an opponent’s weapon. If successful, roll damage normally. If the damage successes exceed the victim’s Strength dots, the opponent takes no damage but their weapon flies yards or meters equal to the additional successes over the opponent’s Strength. Dice Pool: Dexterity + Melee Difficulty: +1 Damage: None

Hold The attacker grabs and holds the target until the victim’s next action. When that action occurs, roll resisted Strength + Brawl actions. If the subject does not exceed the attacker’s successes, the victim remains immobilized, unable to take other physical actions. Dice Pool: Strength + Brawl Difficulty: +1 Damage: None

Stake The character attempts to plunge a piece of sharpened wood into the target’s chest. With three damage successes, the heart is pierced. A staked vampire is completely paralyzed while the stake remains in place and is considered Incapacitated. Humans die instantly if struck through the heart. Dice Pool: Dexterity + Melee Difficulty: +3 Damage: Per Weapon or Strength +1

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Weapon Strike A standard blow, thrust, or jab with a weapon. Dice Pool: Dexterity + Melee Difficulty: Normal Damage: Per Weapon or Strength +1

Health haracters have a health track with seven levels which C reflects your character’s physical condition. The more damage you take, the more your character’s movements are limited. The restriction of movement and penalty to your dice pool is outlined in the table. If any of the characters drop into torpor, they do so for a period of two weeks. During that time, they do not lose additional blood points. At the end of torpor, the character can spend a blood point to rise in a Crippled state, and must feed immediately.

Blood Oath The Blood Oath is a mystical connection formed when a vessel, be they animal, human, or Cainite, drinks three sips of a specific Cainite’s blood on three separate occasions. The intended recipient is called a thrall, and the blood donor is the regnant. The first sip reduces a victim’s defenses who begins to have intermittent, amorous feelings toward the Cainite. The second further secures this bond, and the thrall becomes more preoccupied with the regnant. The third forges a

FINAL DEATH HEALTH LEVELS Health Level Bruised Hurt Injured Wounded Mauled Crippled Incapacitated Torpor Final Death

Dice Pool Penalty 0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -5 -

Movement Penalty No movement penalty No movement penalty Halve the character’s maximum running speed Character may not run, only walk Character may only hobble three yards/meters per turn Character may only crawl one yard/meter per turn Character cannot move Character is in torpor, and cannot act at all Character dies permanently

supernatural loyalty, akin to a devoted, nign obsessive love, between the regnant and thrall. From that moment forward, the victim is bound to the Cainite and is compelled to do their bidding in every way until the bond fades or that vampire meets their Final Death.

Character Traits

Frenzy

The characters provided in Legacy of Lies are pregenerated, and their Traits have been assigned for starting characters. These Traits include the character’s Attributes, Abilities, and Generation, which are further defined in this section. Certain rules, like the Road of Humanity and Backgrounds, have been omitted to simplify a new player’s experience. Experienced groups may utilize the full extent of the rules at their discretion.

Whether the result of fear, rage, or hunger, a Cainite who enters a state of frenzy is a danger to all. Vampires who succumb to frenzy become mindless beasts, and are vulnerable to slaughtering innocents or other, terrifying acts. Frenzy is a tool the Storyteller uses for dramatic effect, and brings out the worst in any Cainite — which often triggers unforeseen consequences for the character and all those involved. Should you be uncomfortable with this aspect of playing Vampire, be sure to discuss this with your Storyteller before the story begins. The rules for frenzy are intentionally vague. Often, a state of frenzy occurs for the duration of one scene. Provocation can occur at any time the character is vulnerable, and those weaknesses are reflected by a range of difficulty numbers. For example, well-fed vampires who smell blood when hungry will have a lower target number than a starving Cainite would. Systems: When exposed to a frenzy trigger, the Storyteller calls for a Self-Control roll and assigns a difficulty. Each success grants the character 1 turn of self-control; when 5 successes are accumulated, the urge to frenzy fades. Players can spend 1 Willpower to control their character’s actions for a single turn. A vampire in frenzy ignores all wound penalties. Attempts to use the Dominate Discipline or other mind-altering effects against the vampire suffer a +2 difficulty penalty while the difficulty for the frenzied vampire to resist such effects is reduced by -2.

Concept The character concept is a one-to-two word description that encapsulates your identity.

Nature and Demeanor Your character’s Nature is a one-word descriptor of their true inner personality. When your character acts according to their Nature, your Storyteller may allow you to recover spent Willpower points at their discretion. Your character’s Demeanor is a one-word descriptor of how they present themselves to the world. Other than deceiving others to disguise your character’s motivations, Demeanor has no effect on gameplay. In Legacy of Lies, characters possess one of twelve archetypes. An expanded list can be found in the V20: Dark Ages rulebook on pp. 175-179.

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Architect: You desire to build something important that will endure after you are gone. Regain 1 Willpower when you achieve a concrete objective in support of your goal. Bon Vivant: You want only to enjoy the pleasures of life. Regain a point of Willpower when you put your own hedonistic desires above more practical concerns. Chameleon: You blend in effortlessly regardless of your social circles. Regain a point of Willpower when you successfully sublimate yourself into a new social fabric. Conformist: You choose to be part of the crowd and to work for the advancement of the group. Regain a point of Willpower when you put adherence to the group’s goals above personal concerns. Defender: You are stalwart in your beliefs and will do whatever it takes to defend them. Regain a point of Willpower when you take a risk to defend something or someone important to you. Judge: You carefully evaluate all the evidence before reaching a decision. Regain a point of Willpower when reason and careful analysis lead you to a decision that is contrary to the passions and biases of those around you. Mercenary: You will do anything if the money is good enough. Regain a point of Willpower when you put selfish profit above nobler principles. Rebel: We are all enslaved in one way or another, but you will never stop trying to rebel. Regain a point of Willpower when you undermine some authoritarian system in some important way. Rogue: You look out for yourself with little concern for others. Regain a point of Willpower when you selfishly tend to your own needs while leaving others to their own fates. Survivor: Whatever it takes, you will be the last one standing. Regain a point of Willpower when you overcome a threat to your own personal survival. Traditionalist: The tried and true methods are always the best, and innovation is always to be distrusted. Regain a point of Willpower when you cling to a traditional way of doing things despite evidence that there is a better way. Visionary: You have an idea for a better future and will do whatever it takes to achieve it. Regain a point of Willpower when you advance some part of your vision.

Backgrounds Backgrounds describe advantages of relationship, circumstance, material possessions, and opportunities. They expand and flesh out your vampire’s place in the world, and enhance your story in many different ways. INTRODUCTION

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The use of Backgrounds is not necessary to play Legacy of Lies, but have been included for experienced groups. Storytellers should spend additional time discussing how these Backgrounds impact the characters and their stories if they intended to use them. Brief definitions of the varying Backgrounds follow: • Allies: Mortal associates, friends, and family members • Alternate Identity: Who you are passing for, with corresponding backstory • Contacts: Individuals and organizations from which you can glean information • Domain: Feeding grounds recognized by Cainite society • Fame: How far your name and reputation have traveled • Generation: How far removed from Caine the character is • Herd: Those the character may feed upon freely and at will • Influence: The character’s political influence within mortal society • Mentor: The Cainite individual who guides and assists the character • Resources: Income, wealth, and possessions • Retainers: Underlings who serve in a domestic, martial, or other fashion • Status: The character’s position in relation to other Cainites

Clans and Clan Weaknesses Your character belongs to one of five vampire clans featured in Legacy of Lies. Your clan affiliation determines your character’s clan weakness and affects what Disciplines, or vampiric powers present in your blood, are available for your character to use. A description of Disciplines follows on page 25. They are:

Brujah Passionate and intelligent, they are quick to champion a worthy cause. The Brujah often favor largely-populated areas and will side with keen-minded knights or common laborers just as easily. Many Brujah are embroiled in the War of Princes as active participants. Some are kingmakers, while others seek the burden of leadership.

Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence Clan Weakness: Members of Clan Brujah are prone to Frenzy. The difficulty to resist Frenzy increases by +2 and they may not spend Willpower to stave off its effects. Once a character has begun to Frenzy, Willpower may be spent as normal.

Gangrel Driven to crossroads, abandoned shacks, and the wild, the Gangrel enjoy solitude and often flaunt societal expectations. Known for their ability to commune with nature, the Gangrel are a motley clan filled with adventurers and storytellers, loners and nomads. Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean Clan Weakness: When a Gangrel frenzies, the vampire acquires a temporary animalistic trait (e.g. patches of fur, claws for fingernails, etc.). While this trait is visible, the Gangrel suffers an automatic +1 difficulty penalty on all rolls and one automatic failure on some relevant action. The trait and the penalty remain until the automatic failure has been resolved.

Nosferatu Hunted for their monstrous appearance, the Nosferatu are forced to hide in the shadows and cling to one another to survive the long, lonely nights. What others may believe to be a weakness, the Nosferatu regard a strength. Clan members are spies and dark messengers who truck in secrets: valuable commodities other clans gladly pay for. Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence Clan Weakness: All Nosferatu vampires have an Appearance of zero, which can never be raised. First impression rolls result in an automatic failure (unless to intimidate), and the Nosferatu will have difficulty with social interactions.

Toreador Devoted to artistic pursuits, the Toreador often live by their whims and fancies. Believed to be hedonists, the Toreador often stick close to the mortals they secretly envy. Found amongst monarchs and the social elite, the Toreador often charm their way to get what they want. Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence Clan Weakness: All Toreador may become dangerously fascinated by objects (or even people) of great beauty. The player and Storyteller should work together to establish triggers for this type of obsession. When the Toreador encounters this trigger, the player must roll Self-Control (difficulty 5) to avoid being trapped in an enraptured state until the scene ends, or the trigger is removed. CHARACTER TRAITS

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Ventrue Proud and stately, the Ventrue take great pains to record their storied lineage filled with rulers and kings. Natural orators and military commanders, the Ventrue consider themselves to be true leaders of the night. Found in kingdoms, baronies, and immense estates, the Ventrue often rule because they’ve convinced themselves they’re the only ones who can. Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence Clan Weakness: The Ventrue have rarified tastes in blood, and are restricted to feeding upon one type of mortal. The player selects the appropriate feeding restriction subject to Storyteller approval. Examples include: Scots, the elderly, hunters, Catholics, etc. The Ventrue can feed upon mortals who do not satisfy their tastes, but when they do, they are not nourished by their blood.

Attributes The character’s Attributes broadly define physical, social, and mental capabilities. Attributes range from 1 to 5, though exceptionally powerful vampires can go higher. A rating of 1 in an Attribute means that the character is very weak in that area. A 3 is slightly above average, while a 5 represents the peak of mortal development. Attributes are as follows: Strength is a Physical trait that governs feats of raw physical power in every form. A character with a Strength of 1 is a physical weakling while one with a Strength of 5 is a hulking, powerful brute. Dexterity is a Physical trait that governs actions that require grace, quickness, and agility. A character with a Dexterity of 1 is clumsy and prone to falling while one with a Dexterity of 5 can easily walk a tightrope, juggle knives, or dodge attacks with ease. Stamina is a Physical trait that governs actions that require endurance as well as defining the character’s ability to shrug off injuries. A character with a Stamina of 1 is sickly and weak while one with a Stamina of 5 can run for miles and recover from the worst injuries and illnesses with ease. Charisma is a Social trait that defines the character’s charm, likeability, and persuasiveness. A character with a Charisma of 1 is off-putting and likely to cause offense at every turn while one with a Charisma of 5 can talk their way out of a hangman’s noose or into another’s undergarments with equal aplomb. Manipulation is a Social trait that defines the character’s cunning, ruthlessness, and skill at tricking others. It achieves indirectly what Charisma does in a more obvious manner. A character with a Manipulation of 1 is a guileless hick more likely to be the deceived than the deceiver. A character with INTRODUCTION

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a Manipulation of 5 stands a good chance of outwitting the Devil himself. Appearance is a Social trait that defines the character on the spectrum of physical beauty from ugly as sin to as beautiful as an angel. A character with an Appearance of 1 is revolting to most people while one with an Appearance of 5 is so beautiful that the less attractive grovel for the chance to be near them. Perception is a Mental trait that defines the character’s attunement to their surroundings, from noticing a hidden door to detecting a lie to sensing an ambush. A character with a Perception of 1 is oblivious almost to the point of blindness while one with a Perception of 5 can likely read fine print from across a room. Intelligence is a Mental trait that defines the character’s facility for problem-solving and rapid learning and retention. A character with an Intelligence of 1 is a dullard who is likely illiterate and innumerate while one with an Intelligence of 5 could easily find work as a court scribe or an early protoscientist. Wits is a Mental trait that defines the character’s capacity for lateral thinking, for remaining calm under pressure, and for seeing through the deceptions of others. A character with a Wits of 1 is easily deceived and just as easily rattled while one with a Wits of 5 is almost never flustered or taken advantage of.

Abilities Unlike Attributes which are innate and defining qualities of the character, Abilities are acquired through learning and effort. Abilities are divided into three categories. Talents are physical abilities, Skills require training, and Knowledges are learned abilities. Abilities are rated on a scale from 0 to 5, with five being the highest rating.

Talents Alertness allows characters to notice physical changes in their immediate environment. It is usually paired with Perception. Athletics is a catch-all term for all types of physical activity typically associated with sports and includes running, jumping, dodging, and throwing. It is usually paired with a Physical Attribute. Awareness provides insight into the wrongness that accompanies the presence of unnatural things and beings. It is usually paired with Perception. Brawl governs all actions involving hand-to-hand combat. It is usually combined with either Strength or Dexterity.

Empathy allows characters to sense and understand the emotional states of those around them. It is usually paired with a Mental Attribute. Expression defines a character’s ability to speak persuasively. It is usually combined with a Social Attribute. Intimidation represents the character’s ability to induce obedience through fear. It is typically paired with a Social Attribute. Leadership provides the character with the ability to win the respect of others and lead through inspiration rather than fear. It is most often combined with Charisma. Legerdemain is the catch-all term for manual dexterity, including sleight of hand, picking pockets, and even juggling. It is usually paired with Dexterity. Subterfuge is a polite term for “lying” and governs all actions to deceive others with words or to see through such deceptions. It is usually paired with Manipulation.

Skills Animal Ken allows the character to interact with animals of all kinds, from training a pigeon to deliver messages to soothing an irate cobra. It is most often combined with Charisma.

Archery allows the character to handle a bow and arrow, whether for hunting, sport, or assassination. Archery is most often paired with Dexterity. Commerce is the art of buying and selling. It covers every facet of getting goods to market and obtaining the best price for one’s services. Often, it is paired with Social or Mental Attributes. Crafts encompasses a wide variety of creative practices, from the creation of weapons and armor to the production of works of art. Etiquette refers to the ability to navigate social situations, particularly those associated with the nobility and high society. It is usually paired with a Social Attribute. Melee is the measure of the character’s prowess with hand-to-hand weapons, whether staves, swords, clubs, axes, or knives. It is generally paired with Dexterity or Strength. Performance is the ability to entertain an audience and keep them enthralled or distracted. It is often paired with a Social Attribute. Ride describes the character’s ability to ride a horse or care for the animal. This skill is typically paired with Dexterity.

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Stealth is the ability to move unseen and undetected by others. It can be used to hide in plain sight or to tail a target unnoticed. It is usually paired with Dexterity. Survival measures how skilled the character is at moving in, adapting to, and thriving in the wild away from the comforts of civilization. It is most often paired with Physical Attributes.

The closer you are in Generation to the first of your kind, the more blood you can hold and the more blood points you can spend. A high Generation rating usually represents a powerful sire. • Eleventh Generation: 12 points of blood in your pool. You can spend 1 blood point per turn. ••

Tenth Generation: 13 points of blood in your pool. You can spend 1 blood point per turn.

Knowledges

•••

Ninth Generation: 14 points of blood in your pool. You can spend 2 blood points per turn.

••••

Eighth Generation: 15 points of blood in your pool. You can spend 3 blood points per turn.

•••••

Seventh Generation: 20 points of blood in your pool. You can spend 4 blood points per turn and possess Traits at 6 dots.

Academics refers to the pursuit of higher education. Science, mathematics, and literature all fall under Academics, which is usually paired with Intelligence. Enigmas is the ability to solve puzzles and riddles. It also applies to a knowledge of symbolism, history, lore, and cryptography. It is usually paired with Intelligence. Hearth Wisdom is the hard-won knowledge that can only be obtained from wise and experienced elders. What plants are edible or poisonous? How can you tell if it will rain tomorrow? It is usually paired with Intelligence. Investigation allows the character to notice small details and possible clues that can add up to solve a mystery. It is usually paired with Perception. Law grants the character insight into legal proceedings. It applies to royal decrees, common law, and even ecclesiastical law; it typically pairs with Intelligence. Medicine allows the character to perform basic healing and to cure diseases. A medical diagnosis likely pairs Medicine with Intelligence, while surgery might call for Dexterity instead. Occult defines the character’s accurate knowledge of the supernatural world, allowing them to sort superstition from fact. Occult is usually paired with Intelligence. Politics represents diplomacy, governance, and knowledge of ruling personages. Politics is usually paired with an appropriate Social or Mental Attribute. Seneschal reflects all skills and knowledges necessary to maintaining and operating an estate. Seneschal is primarily combined with Intelligence. Theology is the study of religion. Theology is usually paired with Intelligence.

Generation Your character’s generation indicates how many generational steps the vampire is removed from Caine, the mythical First Vampire. When a mortal is Embraced, their generation is one step higher than their sire’s. It should be noted that generation is not an indication of a character’s vampiric age.

INTRODUCTION

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Virtues Virtues define a character’s ethical and emotional framework. In Legacy of Lies, Self-Control has been assigned, should the characters need to resist frenzy. A deeper explanation of Virtues and how they intersect with other rules can be found in V20: Dark Ages rulebook on page 183.

Conscience Conscience represents the character’s moral judgment.

Self-Control Self-Control represents the character’s discipline and ability to remain in control. Characters with low Self-Control are quick to anger and prone to frenzy. Characters with high Self-Control are resolute and unflappable. Self-Control forms the dice pool to resist frenzy. Note: A character may never roll more dice to resist or control frenzy than she has in her current blood pool.

Courage Courage represents the character’s brave resolve in the face of fear, such as from the traditional banes of the vampire such as fire, sunlight, and True Faith.

Willpower Willpower is the measure of the character’s resolve to succeed against unfavorable odds. This Trait has a rating of 1 to 10 and is measured in both permanent Willpower dots and temporary Willpower points. The rating is rolled

or tested, while the pool is spent. The character’s temporary Willpower fluctuates over the course of the game as Willpower points are spent and recovered. Willpower may be spent or lost as follows: Automatic Successes: At the beginning of a single roll, a player may declare and spend a point of Willpower to gain an automatic success. The Storyteller may declare that a Willpower point cannot be spent on a single action. Resisting Automatic Impulses: The player can spend a Willpower point to allow the character to resist an automatic impulse such as flinching away from a fire or sunlight. Ignoring Wound Penalties: The player can spend a Willpower point to ignore the effects of all wound penalties, except Incapacitated, for one turn. Resisting Frenzy: The player can spend a Willpower point to gain an automatic success on a roll to resist frenzy (unless the vampire is a Brujah). Moreover, if the character does frenzy, the player can still spend one Willpower point per turn to keep control of the character. Resisting Mental Powers: Certain disciplines, most notably Dominate, use the subject’s Willpower rating as the target number for the activation dice roll. This difficulty is based on the subject’s current Willpower rating.

Regaining Willpower A character can regain spent Willpower points under the following circumstances: Waking: The character awakens at night. Regain a point of Willpower. Nature: The character acts in a manner that fulfills her Nature archetype. Regain 1-3 points of Willpower, at the Storyteller’s discretion. Achieving Goals: The character achieves some significant goal or objective. Regain a point of Willpower at the Storyteller’s discretion. End of Story: The characters have completed Legacy of Lies. Regain all spent Willpower.

Blood Pool and Feeding The character’s blood pool represents how much blood or vitae currently resides in the Cainite’s body. Vampires replenish spent blood by consuming it from some other source, typically a living creature, and most commonly a human. Feeding from a mortal allows the vampire to regain 3 blood points, which represents 3 liters of blood, per turn. If the vampire takes more than 2 blood points from a typical human, the victim must roll Stamina (-1 for every point taken after the second). Failure means the victim passes out

from the loss of blood; a botch means the victim has died. Vampires can feed from animals, but animal blood is far less pleasant and less potent to consume than that of mortals.

Vessel Vampire Average Human Child Cow Dog Cat Bird Bat/Rat

Blood Pool 10+ 10 5 5 2 1 1/2 1/4

Roll 1d10 to determine a character’s initial blood pool.

Spending Vitae Blood from the character’s blood pool can be spent for any of the following purposes: Awakening: Every night when the vampire awakens, one point of blood is automatically lost. Healing: Vampires can reflexively spend blood to heal themselves of injuries. Imitating Life: By spending one point of blood, the vampire can assume the appearance of a living being for the duration of a scene. She still has no heartbeat, but her skin will nevertheless flush and she will appear to breathe. Disciplines: Some supernatural Disciplines are fueled by spending blood. Any Discipline power which requires vitae expenditure is noted in its description.

Disciplines hile all Cainites benefit from their innately supernatural W nature, vampires can also learn special powers called Disciplines. Each clan has an affinity to certain Disciplines, and further gifts may be learned in certain circumstances. The following is a partial list of vampiric Disciplines relevant to the characters presented in Legacy of Lies. Disciplines are part and parcel to playing V20: Dark Ages, and are fully expanded upon and listed in Chapter Five: Gifts of the Blood beginning on page 188. Storytellers should note that, in some cases, rule modifications have been suggested for the purposes of running this adventure. These can be found under the Discipline’s Systems, and can be used or ignored at the Storyteller’s discretion.

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Animalism

Auspex

Animalism allows the Cainite to summon and command animals of all kinds. At higher levels of mastery, it allows the vampire to influence the Beast that lies within every Cainite to either trigger or suppress frenzy. Animalism is a favored Discipline for Gangrel and Nosferatu.

Auspex confers sensory perception beyond that of lesser beings, whether in the form of improved mundane senses or through the power to see things beyond even the most astute perception. Characters with Auspex have a sixth sense, and often instinctively know when trouble is about to start.

Whispers to the Wild •

Heightened Senses •

The vampire’s Beast reaches out and touches an animal’s mind, facilitating communication between the Cainite and the lesser creature. The vampire speaks or imitates the animal’s native sounds, and the animal understands. The vampire must make eye contact with the animal to communicate with it. System: Persuading an animal to act on the vampire’s behalf requires a Manipulation + Animal Ken roll. The difficulty varies with the nature of the animal and the relative dangerousness of the task (difficulty 5 is the average). Additional modifiers may be added, should the vampire put the animal in harm’s way.

All of the vampire’s senses are now exceptional by a mortal’s standards. System: There is no roll or cost for using this Discipline. While this power is active, the difficulty of rolls using this power is reduced by the vampire’s dots in Auspex.

Call the Wild •• With this power, the Beast instills the vampire’s voice with a deep affinity for a given animal. She howls, shrieks, caws, or otherwise imitates an animal noise. Any animals of the chosen species within earshot are summoned to the vampire, and some will come, depending on the vampire’s raw ability. System: Roll Charisma + Survival (difficulty 6). More successes result in more animals of the desired species appearing; five successes is the maximum required to ensure all animals reach the vampire in a reasonable amount of time for that scene.

Song of Serenity ••• This extension of Animalism allows the Beast to express influence over another Cainite’s Beast, or a mortal’s very will to fight. Song of Serenity washes away all strong emotions, turning a victim apathetic and listless. System: Roll Manipulation + Intimidation if asserting dominance through fear, or Manipulation + Empathy to sooth the victim into complacency. Both rolls are difficulty 7. This is an extended action, requiring successes equal to the victim’s Willpower dots. Failure negates all previously accumulated successes, and the vampire must start from scratch. A botch renders the victim immune to the vampire’s Animalism for the scene. Mortals cannot act, and cannot gain or use Willpower. They may resist once per day, and must achieve a number of successes equal to the Cainite’s Willpower rating. Vampires may resist once per scene. INTRODUCTION

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Read the Soul •• The true color of the soul is laid bare to the vampire with this level of sight. The practitioner’s mind translates the impressions she gets from another’s soul as colors, temperatures, or even scents. System: The vampire must actively and attentively gaze at her subject. When she is ready, roll Perception + Empathy (difficulty 8). The more successes rolled, the more information is gained by the character. This power can be used to scrutinize a single individual or to study a crowd to, for example, detect the “guiltiest person.” The Storyteller should help the player interpret the results of this roll. Read the Soul offers a nuanced perspective into a character, and there are many colors and truths for revelation. The soul of the vampire still exists and is pale compared to the vibrancy of a mortal’s. In Legacy of Lies, the following results are applicable:

SOUL COLORS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION Shade Orange Purple Red Brown Dark Green Black Mottled, shifting colors Rapidly rippling colors

Condition Afraid Aggressive Angry Bitter Envious Hateful Confused Frenzied

All other results should indicate a character is calm, peaceful, and non-threatening. An expanded table with additional results is available on page 196 of the V20: Dark Ages rulebook.

The Spirit’s Touch ••• At this level of proficiency with Auspex, a vampire can read or otherwise experience the traces attached to a given object when she puts her hands on said object. The clarity of insight is influenced by emotional attachment and how long was the item carried by a previous owner. The Spirit’s Touch can be used to gain knowledge about an inert object or corpse, but not from any living thing. System: Roll Perception + Empathy. The difficulty varies at the discretion of the Storyteller. It is influenced by the nature of the object, what it was used for, when it was last used, and who possessed it.

Successes Failure

Information No information of value about the previous owner. 1 success Very basic information. e.g. gender and hair color. 2 successes A second piece of basic information. 3 successes More useful facts. e.g. age and last known state of mind. 4 successes The previous owner’s name. 5+ successes A wealth of information, exhausting all known details.

Invade the Mind •••• The seer now bridges from simple observation to manipulation of the thoughts and minds of those around them. She may glean secrets buried deep in the minds of others and even implant notions that her victim perceives as alien and often unknowable. System: The player rolls Intelligence + Subterfuge, difficulty equal to the victim’s current Willpower points. With only one success, she may implant thoughts into her victim’s mind. Characters with four or fewer Willpower points will believe the thoughts to be her own. Characters above four Willpower points will know without a doubt the thought is not her own. If the Auspex user probes the mind she’s invaded, she may pluck out one piece of surface detail per success her player rolled. Deep thoughts or lost memories can only be accessed through five successes or more. A vampire’s mind is particularly hard to probe, and even attempting it requires the Auspex user’s player to spend a Willpower point.

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Soul’s Flight ••••• Whilst in torpor, a Cainite may leave her body behind, and is unable to see or sense what happens to it. She remains tethered to it, no matter how far she travels, by a spiritual silver cord. Should that cord be severed, she becomes like a ghost, and may remain as such if she cannot return to her flesh. System: The player spends a Willpower point, imagines a specific place to “fly” to, and rolls Intelligence + Awareness. Difficulty reflects the character’s ability to bring the place up clearly in her imagination. The successes she receives should reflect her ability to manifest herself in this distant location expediently. Failure means the character cannot pull herself from her body. A botch could be catastrophic, sending her soul flying in a random direction and distance. Any new scene the character wishes to remain in Flight requires a fresh Willpower expenditure.

Celerity Celerity allows the Cainite to move at superhuman speeds, though doing so exacts a prodigious cost in vitae if used for too long. Each additional level improves the underlying power of superhuman speed, up to six dots. Celerity provides the following benefits: • The character adds her Celerity rating to all Dexterity-based dice pools, including their Initiative ratings. • The character adds her Celerity rating to the number of yards or meters she moves in a turn. • If the character reflexively spends one point of blood, she can ignore the difficulty penalties (but not the dice pool reduction) for multiple actions up to her Celerity dots for the turn. For example, a character with Celerity 3 makes three actions before suffering +1 difficulty for the next and subsequent actions. This does not mitigate the dice pool reduction, however. A number of these additional actions equal to half the character’s Celerity (round up) may be attack actions. • By spending one blood point, she may multiply her movement speed by 1 plus her Celerity dots. In combat, this lasts one turn. Otherwise, it lasts the scene.

Dominate Dominate enables the Cainite to enslave the minds of others through verbal commands. One weakness of INTRODUCTION

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using Dominate, is that it cannot affect other vampires who possess a Generation lower than that of the user. A second weakness is that the vampire must make eye contact with the target before using any facet of this Discipline. Characters avoiding the vampire’s gaze can roll Willpower, difficulty equal to the vampire’s Manipulation + Intimidation.

Command • Seizing the gaze of her target with a powerful look, the vampire speaks a single, simple word that her target must obey.The command cannot be dangerous or directly harmful, and it may be hidden in an otherwise innocuous sentence. System: Roll Manipulation + Intimidation, with a difficulty equal to the target’s current Willpower points. More successes mean that the order is clearer to the victim. Conflicting or indirectly harmful orders confer a difficulty penalty of +1 to +3, and a command with a difficulty of 10, or one that goes against the victim’s Nature, automatically fails.

Subjugation •• With this ability, the vampire may give a more complex command to her target by encoding it into the victim’s subconscious. To do this, the vampire must spend an uninterrupted period of time with her subject, and must maintain concentration and eye contact.The vampire decides whether the commandment must be fulfilled immediately or whether it will be triggered by some later event. The subject can only follow one set of Dominated instructions at a time. System: Roll Manipulation + Leadership, with a difficulty equal to the victim’s current Willpower. The number of successes determines how well the orders are engraved in the victim’s psyche. If that Cainite (or another vampire) attempts to give new and different instructions to the victim before the prior orders are carried out, the orders backed by the most successes stand. This power still cannot be used to force subjects to harm themselves or violate their Nature.

The Forgetful Mind ••• With this power, a Cainite can reshape a victim’s memories, by erasing or altering them as desired. This is done through subtle manipulation and suggestions rather than direct, telepathic alteration of the brain itself. Vampires can also use this ability to tell whether a target’s memories have been altered. System: Roll Wits + Subterfuge. Consult the table below to determine the result.

Successes 1 success 2 successes 3 successes 4 successes 5 successes

Result Remove a single memory; lasts as long as one day. Permanently remove, but not alter, one memory. Make slight alterations to the subject’s memory. Alter or remove entire scene from the subject’s memory. Completely reconstruct a period of the subject’s life.

Conditioning •••• Through application of subtle or direct mental pressure, a vampire wholly controls a victim’s mind. The victim’s personality is stripped, and the target is little more than a puppet, tied to the vampire’s will. System: Roll Charisma + Leadership as an extended action. The total number of successes needed is equal to 5 times the target’s Self Control. Any further use of Dominate is at a -2 difficulty while this is in effect. In Legacy of Lies, Conditioning lasts for the duration of one scene or until the vampire releases the victim’s mind. This Discipline cannot be performed on vampires of sixth generation or below.

Possession ••••• At this level of mastery, a vampire may supplant her consciousness into the body of another and assume direct control over her host. While she does this, her own body becomes an empty shell, left immobile and vulnerable where she stood. After the possession, the victim is dimly aware that his body is moving and functioning on its own, but has no power to stop it. This ability may not be used on another vampire. System: The vampire and the target have a clash of wills. The vampire rolls Charisma + Intimidation and the subject rolls Willpower, each at difficulty 7. The net successes reduce the target’s Willpower. When the target’s Willpower is reduced to 0, the vampire invades her target’s mind. Roll Manipulation + Intimidation and consult the chart to determine the strength of her grip on the target’s body; physical Disciplines, such as Fortitude, Celerity, Protean, and Obfuscate, cannot be used while the vampire remains in the host body. In Legacy of Lies, Possession lasts for the duration of one scene, or until the vampire voluntarily leaves the host body.

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Successes 1 success 2 successes 3 successes 4 successes

Result Cannot use Disciplines Can use Auspex Can also use Presence Can also use Dominate

Fortitude Fortitude grants the Cainite superhuman endurance and resistance to injury, as well as the capacity to resist even those damage sources to which vampires are particularly vulnerable, such as sunlight and fire. Like Celerity, Fortitude does not have special powers. Elder vampires with six dots in this Discipline or more have unique abilities that reflect the power surging in their blood. For higher generation vampires, each additional level of Fortitude improves the underlying power of superhuman endurance. It provides the following benefits: • The character’s Fortitude rating adds to all her Stamina-based dice pools, including her soak rating for bashing and lethal damage. • The character can use her Fortitude dice as a soak pool against aggravated wounds against which vampires typically have no recourse. • Once per turn, the Cainite may spend a blood point to automatically soak her Fortitude in damage, instead of simply adding Fortitude dice to her Stamina soak pool. This can be used to soak aggravated damage as well, but not damage from fire or sunlight (which can only be soaked with a Fortitude soak roll).

Obfuscate Obfuscate encompasses the power to conceal one’s presence from the perception of others or to cause victims to see the vampire as someone else entirely. Many gifted vampires use Obfuscate to lurk unseen in the darkness, ready to strike or flee at any time. The monster must be close at hand to accomplish this, no more than five meters per dots of Wits + Stealth from their would-be victims. Note that vampires who possess Auspex may be able to pierce a Cainite’s Obfuscate. Unless explicitly stated, once activated, a Cainite’s Obfuscate powers last for the duration of one scene or until willed away.

The Silence of Death • The Cainite can make the din of noises or chatter fade to silence. Sounds from beyond the vicinity of the vampire INTRODUCTION

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filter through, but anything in his immediate area cannot be heard. In most cases, this nimbus moves with the vampire, but he can will it to stay in a given area while he moves on. System: There is no roll. The power creates a zone of absolute silence around the character, with a maximum radius of 7 meters. No sound occurs inside this zone, though sounds originating outside the area of effect may be heard by anyone within it. In Legacy of Lies, this effect is tied to the location of the vampire. When the Cainite moves, the Silence of Death must be reactivated in a new area. Though this Discipline does not require a roll, it does use a character’s action.

Unseen Presence •• The Cainite can now move invisibly. Shadows cling to her, and mortals and Cainite alike look away, unwittingly ignoring the vampire’s movements. While the Discipline protects her from being seen or heard, any direct interaction with the world shatters the illusion. Mortals will step aside, unknowing, to let an Obfuscated Cainite pass them, but should the Cainite physically disrupt anything in her path, she will be seen. Vampires can also use Obfuscate to conceal coins, gemstones, folded letters, vials, or other items that can fit in the palm of the Cainite’s hand. System: There is no roll to activate this power. Should a Cainite draw attention to herself by sneak attack, blunder, or speech, the vampire must make a Wits + Stealth roll to ensure this power remains in effect. The difficulty rating and number of successes required is variable. If the item a vampire wants to hide is already on their person, no roll is required. To grab and conceal a small, movable object, the Cainite must roll Manipulation + Subterfuge; the difficulty rating and number of successes required should take into account the circumstances of the scene.

victims may, through conversations, the use of Disciplines, and other investigative approaches, uncover the lie while Mask of a Thousand Faces is in effect.

Successes Results 1 success The vampire can alter their facial features slightly. 2 successes The vampire’s face is unrecognizable, and she can alter her gender. 3 successes The vampire’s face is one she chose, provided they are of similar age. 4 successes Victims perceive the vampire acts and sounds like their mask. 5 successes The vampire can make victims see anyone she wishes.

Vanish from the Mind’s Eye •••• The vampire now has so much control over what her victims can and cannot see that she can vanish from plain sight and other senses. Standing before her victims, she wills it so, and she simply vanishes, startling all who were present. System: Roll Intelligence + Stealth against the victim’s Wits + Alertness. If there is more than one victim, use the highest pool to resist. If the player rolls one to three successes, the vampire fades but does not vanish, appearing ghost-like and translucent. With more than three successes, the vampire vanishes from her victim’s senses entirely. If the player achieves more successes than the victim, the victim forgets that the vampire was there to begin with, and tends to not reflect on any conflict in memory that might cause. In Legacy of Lies, Vanish from the Mind’s Eye is in effect until the Cainite has broken line of sight with their victims. Further effects are at the discretion of the Storyteller.

Mask of a Thousand Faces •••

Potence

Cainites can trick the minds of their victims to hide their faces in plain sight. This power allows victims to see them as someone else, altering the perception of their features at will. System: To create a new guise, roll Manipulation + Performance at a difficulty 7. Further modifiers may be added at the Storyteller’s discretion. In some cases, this may require an extended roll to reflect the depth of the lie. The vampire must spend a point of blood for every dot by which the false Appearance exceeds the vampire’s normal Appearance. A Nosferatu must always spend at least one point of blood to use this power. In Legacy of Lies, the duration of this power lasts as long as the vampire is in the presence of their victims. The

Potence grants superhuman strength to those who possess it, allowing the vampire to smash open doors or lift and hurl ox carts with ease. At the lower levels, there are no individual Potence powers. Instead, each additional level simply improves the underlying power of superhuman strength. Potence provides the following benefits: • For each dot of Potence the vampire possesses, add one die to all Strength-based dice pools. • Spend one blood point reflexively to turn the character’s Potence dice into automatic successes for a turn. In hand-to hand-combat, this results in automatic successes on the damage roll. DISCIPLINES

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Presence

Entrancement •••

Presence is the power to influence the emotions of others, whether to impose feelings of adoration or sheer terror. Unlike Dominate, Presence can affect other Cainites regardless of their generation. Despite its many uses, Presence cannot guarantee action; this power affects how vampires and mortals feel, but does not control their wills. Anyone can resist Presence for the duration of a scene by spending a Willpower point and then succeeding on a Willpower roll at a difficulty of 8. The affected individual must keep spending Willpower points until he is no longer in the presence of the vampire. Vampires three or more Generations lower than the wielder need only spend a single Willpower to ignore the Presence for an entire night. In this case, no Willpower roll is needed.

With Entrancement, a vampire temporarily binds a victim into her service. Entranced individuals succumb to the vampire’s desires, because their feelings have been twisted. Victims want to heed her every wish, need, or desire, believing that they do so out of true devotion. Since only the target’s emotions are snared, not their minds, victims are free to use their skills in the vampire’s service. The victim’s actions are unpredictable, and may not produce the desired result. System: The player spends a blood point and rolls Appearance + Empathy (difficulty equal to the target’s current Willpower points); the number of successes determines how long the subject remains Entranced. Subjects can still spend Willpower to temporarily resist, like any other Presence power. This power can be used on the same victim after an effect fades.

Awe • Awe allows a vampire to capture the attention of those nearby. Victims are drawn to the vampire and can’t stop themselves from admiring or trusting her. While Awe is most effective for first impressions, it can also influence those who have formed opinions of the vampire based on rumors or prior interactions. The stronger the opinion, however, the more difficult it is to change someone’s mind. System: The player chooses the impression to be made, which can be summed up in one or two words. Honest, competent, or dangerous are good examples. The player then spends a blood point and rolls Charisma + Performance (difficulty 7). The Storyteller may add additional modifiers to reflect any preconceived notions the victims have. In Legacy of Lies, the number of successes is equivalent to the number of characters this power affects. This power lasts for the duration of one scene, and is not cumulative.

Dread Gaze •• By revealing their predatory nature, such as baring her fangs, snarling, displaying her claws, or crying for blood, the character provokes a mindless terror in others. Victims flee recklessly, freeze with fright, or cower and beg for mercy. System: The player rolls Charisma + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the victim’s Wits + Courage). Success indicates the victim is cowed, while failure means the target is startled but not terrified by the sight. Three or more successes means they run away in abject fear. Additionally, each success subtracts one from the target’s action dice pools for the next turn. In Legacy of Lies, this power lasts for the duration of one turn. The vampire can attempt Dread Gaze on the same victim in subsequent turns. INTRODUCTION

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Successes Botch Failure 1 success 2 successes 3 successes 4 successes

Result Subject cannot be Entranced for the rest of the story. The power fails. One hour One day One week One month

Summon •••• This impressive power enables the vampire to call to herself any person she has ever met. This call can go to anyone, mortal or vampire, across any distance within the physical world. The subject of the Summoning comes as fast as he is able, using the means available to him, possibly without knowing why. System: The player spends a blood point and rolls Charisma + Subterfuge. The base difficulty is 5; this increases to difficulty 7 if the vampire only met the subject briefly. If the character used Presence successfully on the target in the past, this difficulty drops to 4, but if the attempt was unsuccessful, the difficulty rises to 8. The number of successes reflects how eager the victim is to meet with the vampire; the average is three. Summoning lasts for the duration of one night. Provided the Cainite was successful, the victim will come as called.

Majesty ••••• At this stage, the vampire can augment her supernatural mien a thousandfold. The attractive become paralyzingly

beautiful; the homely become hideously twisted. Majesty inspires universal respect, devotion, fear — or all those emotions at once — in those around the vampire. Under Majesty’s influence, hearts break, power trembles, and the bold shake. Wise Cainites use this power with caution against mortal and immortal alike. This power is a favorite amongst Princes. System: No roll is required on the part of the vampire, but she must spend a Willpower point. A subject must make a Courage roll (difficulty equal to the vampire’s Charisma + Intimidation, to a maximum of 9) if he wishes to be rude or simply contrary to the vampire. Success allows the individual to act as normal, although he feels the weight of the vampire’s displeasure crushing down on him. A subject who fails the roll aborts his intended action and even goes to absurd lengths to humble himself before the vampire, no matter who else is watching. The effects of Majesty last one scene.

Protean The vampire physically expresses the wildness in her nature and the dangers of the Beast by shapechanging, brutal natural weaponry, and many other signs of the mythological vampire made manifest. Protean grants limited shapeshifting powers, such as the power to grow deadly claws from one’s fingertips,

to transform into mist or an animal, or to sink into the earth to hide from the sun’s deadly rays. Vampires may use other Disciplines while transformed at the Storyteller’s discretion.

Eyes of the Beast • The vampire’s eyes glow, allowing sight even in pitch blackness. System: No roll is necessary. The vampire wills herself to see in the darkness, and her eyes glow with a frightening power. Mortals who gaze upon the transformed vampire may accuse the vampire of witchcraft or demonic possession. When this power is active, Social rolls are reduced by -1. Intimidation rolls gain a +1 bonus.

Feral Weapons •• The vampire forces bone or cartilage to rip through fingertips, toes, even foreheads to produce sharp talons. These weapons can rip tender flesh, shred leather, or cleave metal and stone with ease. System: No roll is required. This power costs one blood point to activate, and the transformation is reflexive. The vampire’s claws deal Strength +1 aggravated damage. Feral Weapons lasts for the duration of one scene.

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Overview arcus Verus, Prince of Chester, is secretly preparing M to go into torpor, and wants to ensure his house is in order. Verus does not wish to make his plans public, because

he knows the minute he announces his desire to rest, the wolves will be at his door, and all would be threatened within his domain which was entrusted to him by his sire, Mithras, the King of the British Isles. Instead, Verus is assessing who will be worthy to take the reins of leadership once he leaves Chester by appointing a council of peers to rule in his stead. Of course, such a position carries a price: Whomever sits as the Baron of Chester will have to answer to Mithras, himself. First, however, Marcus Verus needs to convince a group of vampires (the characters) to carry out a secret mission on his behalf. Verus, a seasoned warlord, is not a vampire of many words; he will test the characters by asking them to question an informant hiding in Rouen and take further actions if necessary. What the characters do not know, is that Verus is already aware of the secrets the informant possesses. He’s more curious to know what they’ll do next.

Theme Marcus Verus’ preparations for torpor are akin to the descent of an elder ruler who desires to live out his twilight years in peace. The themes that tie into this event tap into Verus’ legacy, and add weight to the story of an elder vampire who sacrifices his position of power for a voluntary rest. As such, succession works well on multiple levels to tap into clan politics, court intrigue, LEGACY OF LIES

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and the relationships Verus has built up over the years. This is a good theme if clan politics are featured in the story. Verus’ prominence and leadership has also netted several rivals. These Cainites, who include Robert Durand, the Baron of Edinburgh, actively work against the Prince’s interests during the War of Princes. Using competition as a theme generates multiple possibilities for internal and external conflict that may have long-lasting reprecussions in the nights to come. This theme affords many possibilities, and teaches the characters that their motley group is a means to an end.

Mood Every Cainite has a secret, and some vampires would go to great lengths to prevent the truth from reaching a Prince’s ears. Every vampire also acts in their own best interests, and their selfishness is a thin mask for vicious ambition. This is a significant moment for both Marcus Verus and Robert Durand and, as such, all actions will be viewed with a certain amount of gravitas. Whispers of treacherous rivals and opportunistic Cainites sets everyone’s fangs on edge, exposing old slights and dangerous allegiances. The appropriate mood to relay the power struggle between the two rivals is paranoia.

Set Up characters are sent to the Barony of Chester to Themeetplayer with Marcus Verus in Elysium, in Beeston Castle.

My Dearest Cainite, I am writing this night to formally invite you to the Barony of Chester. It is my understanding that you have never stepped foot in this domain, and I am relaying information to sate your curiosity and ensure your well-being. Marcus Verus, the Prince, has arranged for you to visit Chester on behalf of your sire with whom he has personally been in contact with. To settle a debt owed, you will perform a favor of Verus’ choosing. Though you may believe this obligation is without consequence, I can assure you that performing such a favor is a chance for you, neonate, to prove yourself to a powerful Prince. The specifics of your task and the rewards you may earn will be revealed to you in your meeting with the Prince, who is currently away on business in Bath. You should know that Verus cares very little for rumors; a former military general and childe of Mithras, King of all Britain, our Prince will assess your worth based on the value of your actions. I suggest setting aside gossip when you meet with him, and comport yourself in a manner befitting a guest. I look forward to your arrival. Should you wish to speak with me further, you may seek my company in Chester. Sincerely, Ahmose II, Chamberlain On Behalf of the Honorable Marcus Verus, Prince of Chester

Though they hail from different clans and countries, they are all neonates whose sires owe Verus a favor. To fulfill their obligations to Verus, the sires have sent the player characters to represent them. This is an errand that tests their loyalties and ambitions, for it grants young Cainites the opportunity to win favor with a powerful Ventrue lord. Thus, the characters have a vested interest in working together, not only at the behest their sires for a powerful Prince, but to reap the rewards of performing such a deed. Though the characters receive very little information on what Verus desires, they should have a general understanding of their characters’ traits and backgrounds. They should also be apprised of the Traditions and the basics of inter-clan politics as well, with the understanding that attitudes are often mercurial. To help new players get hooked on these setting details, Storytellers may send them a letter written by Ahmose II, Marcus Verus’ Chamberlain, that is scented with Merwynn Hayward’s perfume — a sign of her boundless jealousy. This will allow Storytellers to relay background information using an artifact for correspondence.

Further correspondence is at the discretion of the Storyteller, and may include contacts within Verus’ court, a specific question a character’s sire would like answered, or a primer on the region. Be sure to focus on giving the players plot threads that pique their interest, to fully vest them in the story. Other notable facts, such as the rivalry between Verus and Durand, should be revealed over the course of the adventure. Storytellers should encourage interaction between characters, as this is the only way to glean information, pick up on gossip, and propel the plot forward.

Plots and Goals The characters featured in this section are integral to the story. Other characters, who include ranking members of both courts, bodyguards, and hunters, do not affect the plot’s outcome in a significant way. Their condensed rules are included in the scenes they appear in, and may be used to hook the characters into the story if needed.

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The Cast Marcus Verus, Baron of Chester “You have condemned yourself by your own hand.” “Your perception of the truth is...interesting.” “If you think to usurp me, Robert, you are welcome to try.”

Background: Formerly a Roman legionnaire and a childe of the Living God, Mithras, Marcus Verus rules the Barony of Chester ever since he secured that post in the eighth century CE. The former soldier, who was embraced in 192 CE, is over a thousand years old and battles the pull of torpor. A devotee of the Mithraic faith, Verus single-handedly ensured the Cult of Mithras has survived through tonight. He is a calm-but-fierce leader who understands how to maintain the delicate balance between kine and Cainite. Now, as Chester’s prosperity is ensured, the Ventrue lord seeks a like-minded replacement whom he can rely on while he rests. Unfortunately, Verus has good reason to believe that his enemies are plotting against him. Forced to honor old allegiances, Verus cannot always kill his enemies outright. Instead, he must operate from behind the scenes and utilize outsiders whenever possible. A seasoned military commander who helped take several baronies in the name of Mithras, he knows something is amiss. Until Verus can put his suspicions to rest, he won’t leave his post, even if it means staying awake for another hundred years. Description: Marcus Verus appears as a solid and fit man nearing fifty with graying dark hair. He speaks with gruff military formality and, outside of Elysium, is a man of few words. Storytelling Hints: Despite his warlike, blustery exterior, Verus is a learned man who appreciates a keen mind and a quick hand. He does not place much value on causal conversation or gossip, and often relies on others to sort fact from fiction. When he does decide to act, he does so with the confidence of a king.

Nature: Judge Demeanor: Defender Generation: 5th Sire: Mithras Clan: Ventrue Attributes: Strength 6, Dexterity 8, Stamina 7, Charisma 5, Manipulation 6, Appearance 3, Perception 5, Intelligence 5, Wits 7

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Abilities: Academics 3, Alertness 5, Animal Ken 4, Archery 7, Athletics 6, Awareness 3, Brawl 6, Commerce 4, Empathy 4, Enigmas 3, Etiquette 2, Expression 5, Hearth Wisdom 3, Intimidation 7, Law 5, Leadership 8, Melee 8, Medicine 2, Occult 3, Politics 7, Ride 5, Seneschal 5, Stealth 6, Subterfuge 6, Survival 7, Theology 2 Backgrounds: Contacts 4, Domain 5, Herd 2, Influence 3, Mentor (Mithras) 5, Resources 4, Retainers 4, Status 5 Disciplines: Animalism 3, Celerity 5, Dominate 5, Fortitude 6, Obfuscate 3, Potence 5, Presence 6 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Willpower: 8 Road of Humanity: 5 Notes: Verus’ sixth dot in Fortitude allows him to shrug off most blows unarmored (Fortitude: The Knight’s Bane). His sixth dot in Presence grants him the ability to bring his opponents to their knees with a single look (Presence: Paralyzing Glance). The player characters will not be able to resist the power of these Disciplines, and Storytellers are encouraged to use alliteration to describe their effects. Experienced Storytellers may refer to the rules for these specific powers on p. 221 and p. 238 of the V20: Dark Ages rulebook.

Robert Durand, Baron of Edinburgh “If Verus is the son of a god, I am the son of the Devil.” “The kine exist only to feed us. Anyone who says otherwise, is either lying or afraid of them.” “May the blood never run dry.”

Background: A well-known rival of Verus, Robert Durand rules a barony in desperate straits. The problem is simple: there are too many vampires and not enough humans and his realm has been slowly starving for many months. Durand’s jealous eyes have been on the Barony of Chester for some time and he has been progressively working towards taking some of Verus’ claim. While seizing power from Verus would advance Durand’s standing amongst the Toreador Clan, his desire to take from Marcus Verus is not just selfish. His followers must be fed and he isn’t shy about making his wishes known. Though Durand knows he has a significant problem, he isn’t sure how to solve it permanently. For this reason, he often relies on the advice of his sire, Salianna, the Queen of France whose allies include Mithras, King of the British Isles, and her Parisian co-ruler, Geoffrey du Temple. Durand instinctively knows he is not widely feared, and that many believe his lack of prowess in combat is surpassed by his ability to generate allies. However, Durand has the uncanny and remarkable

ability to weather any storm. As a matter of personal pride, the Toreador lord will ensure his legacy is filled with stories of successes; which may spell doom for those who think Durand has forgotten what princely powers are at his disposal. Description: Robert appears as a man in his early 40s. He is of average height but well-muscled, and has a fair complexion and red beard. He is intelligent, eloquent, and charming, and can be disdainful of his subjects without their knowledge. Storytelling Hints: The Toreador Prince favors the politics of his clan above the safety of other Cainites, and harbors an old grudge for members of Clan Ventrue. Durand visibly chafes at the thought that the Ventrue are kings and queens, and secretly appreciates displays to undercut members of their clan. As an elder himself, Durand has entertained the idea of torpor, but he finds gossip and intrigue so fascinating he hangs on every word. Despite his petty attitudes, the Baron of Edinburgh is well aware of his role, and revels in those who rightly refer to him as “Lord Robert”.

Nature: Survivor Demeanor: Conformist Generation: 6th Sire: Salianna Clan: Toreador Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Charisma 4, Manipulation 6, Appearance 4, Perception 5, Intelligence 7, Wits 5 Abilities: Academics 5, Alertness 4, Athletics 3, Awareness 5, Brawl 4, Commerce 4, Empathy 4, Enigmas 6, Etiquette 5, Expression 5, Hearth Wisdom 3, Investigation 5, Intimidation 5, Law 6, Leadership 7, Melee 6, Medicine 2, Occult 4, Politics 7, Ride 5, Seneschal 6, Stealth 4, Subterfuge 6, Survival 3, Theology 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5, Domain 5, Herd 3, Influence 4, Resources 4, Status 5 Disciplines: Auspex 5, Celerity 5, Dominate 3, Fortitude 3, Obfuscate 2, Presence 6 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 5, Courage 4 Willpower: 8 Road of Humanity: 5 Notes: Durand’s sixth dot in Presence allows him to mimic the effects of the Blood Oath without binding vampires for the duration of one scene (Presence: Love). The characters will not be able to resist this power, and Storytellers are encouraged to use alliteration when describing its effect. Experienced Storytellers may find the rules for this Discipline on p. 238 of the V20: Dark Ages rulebook. SET UP

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Merwynn Hayward “Enjoy your status now, for it may be mine tomorrow.” “The time for far-reaching plots and plans is over. We must act now!” “Vampires have much to fear...which is why you need me as your ally.”

Background: A Ventrue of considerable power and influence, Merwynn Hayward has fought her way to prominence in Verus’ court. Hayward has misinterpreted Verus’ recent actions, however, and feels betrayed that the Baron of Chester has secretly called in favors with inexperienced outsiders unfamiliar with their local politics and customs. The Ventrue courtier firmly believes she should be the one to succeed Verus and has spent much of her unlife working towards this goal. Though she is a recent addition to Verus’ court, she has been carefully planning her ascension for decades. Ever the consummate courtier, Merwynn Hayward utilizes her own network of spies. She has come to the mistaken conclusion that her thousand-year-old Prince is not fit for rule, for his recent acts are more confusing and erratic than usual. Worse, she has recently gotten word from her sire of troubling news. If Marius’ claims are true, then Marcus Verus does not uphold the Traditions as he should, for he considers his sire to be a god! If the failing leader is reluctant to punish unbelievers who violate the First Tradition, because he himself is a pagan-worshipping fool, Hayward is convinced this blasphemy leaves everyone in Chester vulnerable to attack from heathens and miscreants. Description: Merwynn Hayward is of average height and build, with a pale complexion, blonde hair, and fierce blue eyes. She carries herself with an imperious, regal air and is quick to snipe at her opponents with a sharp, verbal jab. Storytelling Hints: When she’s honest with herself, Hayward believes she must be the one to succeed Verus, and isn’t certain what she’ll do with herself if she doesn’t. When she’s not, the Ventrue courtier concerns herself with learning how a Prince should conduct affairs of state, and believes Verus to be a faulty leader who is too old to deal with his enemies. Jealous to a fault, Hayward has yet to realize how her ambition may one night be her undoing and nothing, not even the Traditions she often recites, will protect her then.

Nature: Bon Vivant Demeanor: Traditionalist Generation: 8th Sire: Marius Avilius Clan: Ventrue LEGACY OF LIES

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Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Abilities: Academics 2, Alertness 2, Athletics 3, Awareness 3, Commerce 3, Empathy 2, Enigmas 2, Etiquette 3, Expression 2, Intimidation 2, Law 3, Leadership 1, Melee 2, Politics 3, Ride 1, Seneschal 3, Stealth 1, Subterfuge 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Domain 2, Herd 2, Generation 3, Influence 2, Resources 3, Status 2 Disciplines: Dominate 3, Celerity 2, Presence 3 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Willpower: 6 Road of Humanity: 6

Min-Nefret the Poisoner “To dance with me is to flirt with Final Death, and I know the proper moves.” “Poison is a charitable gift created by shadow and pain.” “I am the arbiter of death. Do not mistake me for a common assassin.”

Background: Cainites throughout the Baronies of Avalon whisper of the fabled poisoner, the shadow in the dark who makes humans and vampires alike disappear. Min-Nefret approaches her targets in multiple ways, but her reputation precedes her… as do the rumors. It is likely that Min-Nefret is one of many guises the assassin wears to thwart anyone, be they kine or Cainite, who might pursue her. Her origins unknown, the details of Min-Nefret’s unlife are but shadows that follow in her wake. One thing is certain, however: Min-Nefret believes that the role of any Prince carries more responsibility than most Cainites understand. Loyal to no one, Min-Nefret appears before Princes in times of strife, to offer her services. Though many may fear her, the question they should be asking is: “Who has she decided to side with? And, more importantly, why?” A rarity, even amongst members of the Brujah Clan, what little is known about Min-Nefret is that she does not kill with impunity. Rather, she respects the Traditions and pays closer attention to intra-clan politics than most would suspect. What deaths she seeks, she does with the blessing of a Prince. Description: Min-Nefret has wine-dark hair, olive skin, and an unforgiving gaze. She often tests her victims before getting close to them, by engaging them in a battle of wits. Storytelling Hints: A hundred years ago, Min-Nefret tracked the wrong target to a Tunisian marketplace. Believing

she caught her elusive prey, Min-Nefret succumbed to frenzy and diablerized the victim. Though she managed to elude other Cainites who witnessed the crime, to her shame MinNefret never paid the price for her crime. Now, she pledges her services to many Princes, never fully realizing the guilt she feels for betraying the Traditions, the very laws she places all her faith in.

Nature: Traditionalist Demeanor: Chameleon Generation: 10th Sire: Yusef al-Zahrawi Clan: Brujah Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Abilities: Academics 1, Alertness 3, Archery 2, Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Brawl 3, Crafts 3, Empathy 1, Etiquette 3, Hearth Wisdom 2, Intimidation 2, Investigation 2, Legerdemain 3, Melee 3, Medicine 2, Politics 2, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Domain 2, Fame 2, Generation 2, Resources 2, Status 2

Verus. She’s convinced Robert is a poor excuse for a Prince, and his failing leadership threatens to take the rest of the clan down with him. What MacLeann doesn’t realize, is that Durand often plays the fool to appear weak to his enemies. Despite her sire’s many warnings, MacLeann has begun to find co-conspirators who will help her stage a coup. Then, once the throne in Edinburgh is secure, she’ll prepare for war to do what Durand could not: overtake Verus once and for all. After all, she has plenty of fledging childer who’ve already pledged allegiance to her, a detail she believes Durand has forgotten. Appearance: Cait MacLeann is tall and lean, with smooth, auburn hair and dark-green eyes. A hint of contempt can often be heard in her voice. Storytelling Hints: MacLeann knows her elaborate plan to betray Durand and seize power for herself is seconds away from falling apart. She’s stressed, suspicious, and jumpy: actions she attributes to an unsatisfied thirst for blood. Like her Prince, she despises the Ventrue and their pretenses of supremacy. However, unlike Durand she does not share a kinship with Salianna, nor does she understand the consequences her actions would generate. Should Durand get his house in order, no doubt MacLeann would need to rethink her plans.

Disciplines: Celerity 3, Potence 2, Fortitude 2, Presence 2

Nature: Architect

Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 3

Generation: 8th

Willpower: 6 Road of Humanity: 5

Cait MacLeann “What vampire wouldn’t seek power to use for their own ends? “Oh, how the throne mocks my intent. It knows my desire, and thwarts it at every turn.” “If vampires are Damned, then only the Damned are meant to rule.”

Background: A Scottish Toreador recently pledged to Robert Durand’s service, MacLeann has secretly had her eyes on his throne for decades. Though she holds no official position in Durand’s court, the Toreador has made herself indispensable to him, by allying the Scottish neonates unhappy with the fact that Salianna’s “lackey” occupies a throne that should be maintained for their interests, not the French’s. MacLeann believes Durand is an easy mark to betray, as his flowery speeches to induce a sense of clan loyalty always include taking land and power from rival Princes, like Marcus

Demeanor: Conformist Sire: Maiselle of Rochchester Clan: Toreador Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Abilities: Academics 2, Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Commerce 2, Empathy 3, Enigmas 2, Etiquette 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 3, Investigation 2, Law 3, Leadership 3, Melee 3, Occult 1, Politics 3, Ride 1, Seneschal 3, Stealth 1, Subterfuge 3, Theology 1 Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Domain 2, Generation 3, Influence 3, Resources 3, Status 2 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Celerity 3, Fortitude 1, Presence 3 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Willpower: 7 Road of Humanity: 6

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Audrien DuBois “What beauty lies in blood, I seek to capture with my brush for my patrons.” “A rose here... A goblet there... Can you not see what message I paint?” “A painter may study for one lifetime. I am a master, because I have survived for several.”

Background: Everyone who is anyone has heard of Audrien DuBois, the handsome painter. His works of art deck the halls of mortal kings and grace the meeting spaces of several Cainite Princes. He is a whirlwind with a paintbrush and a delight to watch work. Subsequently, his presence is requested at many a political soiree, both mortal and vampiric. What his mortal “patrons” don’t realize is that Audrien’s breathtaking works of art often contain messages encoded into the beautiful imagery. His secret list of clientele hire him for precisely this reason, as his paintings reveal hidden plots and plans that often come to fruition years later. One such painting was recently commissioned for Cait MacLeann from an anonymous source; a decision the Brujah has come to regret. A favorite in any court, DuBois enjoys the benefits normally afforded to a Toreador artiste, while allying himself with other clan dignitaries when he can. DuBois often finds he is the center of attention, and enjoys the rewards that come from being such an important figure more than he’d ever care to admit. Appearance: DuBois is tall and chiseled with depthless brown eyes, light-brown skin, and tightly curled chestnut hair. He loves flattery and gossip, yet cracks easily under pressure if interrogated. Storytelling Hints: The fastest way to anger DuBois is to pretend his work is nothing short of a masterpiece. However, he is not as thin-skinned as many Cainites believe. The secret he keeps closest to his heart, is the name of his biggest patron: the Order of Bitter Ashes. Unbeknownst to all, DuBois is devoted to the Order’s cause, body, blood, and soul, and there’s no telling what DuBois would do if his relationship with them was fully exposed.

Nature: Visionary Demeanor: Mercenary Generation: 9th Clan: Brujah Sire: Simone di Buoninsegna Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 LEGACY OF LIES

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Abilities: Academics 2, Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Commerce 1, Crafts 3, Empathy 3, Enigmas 3, Etiquette 3, Expression 3, Leadership 2, Legerdemain 3, Performance 2, Politics 3, Ride 3, Stealth 1, Subterfuge 3, Theology 1 Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Domain 1, Fame 3, Generation 3, Influence 1, Resources 3, Status 2 Disciplines: Celerity 2, Potence 2, Presence 2, Fortitude 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Willpower: 6 Road of Humanity: 6

Krisanthos Ngal “You think you are fit to rule. I am here to test that theory.” “Never forget that power slips through our cold fingers as quickly as spilt blood.” “Even the Damned must know their place.”

Background: Originally from Nubia, Krisanthos Ngal was a skilled orator who planned on becoming a Christian priest to serve the Kingdom of Makouria. Unfortunately, after making his good-byes to his family, Ngal was beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Unconscious and fading fast, Zosima the Unwanted swooped down upon Ngal and quickly Embraced him. Horrified by his monstrous appearance, Ngal abandoned his identity as a priest and, in time, came to view himself as a necessary evil. For many years, Ngal and his sire traveled up and down the Nile, crowning worthy kings while deposing arrogant rulers. Eventually, the two parted ways amicably and Ngal’s attentions veered further north, far from home. Ngal is a well-respected and controversial figure amongst his clan mates. Like other Nosferatu, Ngal is a competent spy and often works in service to the Prince of his choosing. Ngal, however, believes that even capable Princes need to be taught humility from time-to-time, to remember the importance of their role. Though Ngal currently works for Robert Durand, the Nosferatu is using this position to achieve his own ends. Loyal to his clan, valued for his counsel, and a spy of no small skill, Ngal is dangerous because his confidence never wavers. He believes he is truly doing God’s work. Description: It is unclear if Krisanthos Ngal is tall or short; he is always stooped and moves with a scuttling gait. Between disguises, hoods, scarves, and cloaks, no one knows what his face truly looks like, a fact the Nosferatu often uses to his advantage. Ngal treats fairly with those who would seek his services, but delights in humiliating the haughty. Storytelling Hints: Tattered remnants of Krisanthos Ngal’s old life remain part of the Nosferatu’s identity. Ngal is

of the belief that he was Damned for a reason; by becoming the Devil he once feared, he has the power to set transgressors on a path to righteousness, as he sees fit.

Nature: Defender Demeanor: Architect Generation: 9th Sire: Zosima the Unwanted Clan: Nosferatu Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Abilities: Academics 3, Alertness 3, Animal Ken 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Commerce 2, Crafts 2, Empathy 1, Enigmas 4, Etiquette 3, Hearth Wisdom 3, Intimidation 1, Investigation 3, Law 1, Legerdemain 3, Melee 3, Medicine 1, Occult 2, Politics 2, Ride 2, Seneschal 3, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 3, Theology 1 Backgrounds: Alternate Identity (Common Servant) 3, Contacts 3, Domain 1, Generation 3, Resources 3, Status 2 Disciplines: Animalism 3, Obfuscate 4, Potence 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Willpower: 6 Road of Humanity: 6

Leofred Black “There once was a lady named Constance…” “My dear, your call for vengeance does not become you.” “Oh, sweet knight how I do love thy strong company. Share with me this night.”

Background:. Leofred Black is a Toreador neonate who uses his silver tongue and alluring voice to charm all he encounters. Black’s rakish demeanor and striking appearance have turned many an eye, a fact he revels in and often uses to his advantage. Though the Toreador bard is talented and vain, two traits that are often associated with his clan, he is a mercurial artist and his loyalty can usually be bought for the right price. Embraced only twenty years ago, Black is still figuring out his role in the War of Princes. Often, he travels from domain to domain, carrying messages and secrets from one end of the continent to the other. Currently, he has decided to test the limits of his power and status by aligning his interests with Cait MacLeann. Upset the blood has all but run out, Black feels that siding with a more capable Prince can only benefit him. SET UP

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Of course, Black is so inexperienced he doesn’t realize who’s aware of their plans for a coup; should any other Cainite make the right offer, he cannot be bought easily, for he secretly loves MacLeann and would do anything for the courtier. Description: Leofred Black is slender and comely with close-cropped black hair and striking gray eyes. He dresses at the height of fashion, and manages to make all in his presence feel welcome, even if he poorly regards his company. Storytelling Hints: Black, an insufferable flirt and talented singer, often seeks romantic attention as a means of obtaining information. If he can find a weakness, he will exploit it eventually. Like Durand, Black often plays the harmless fool who is far more dangerous than he appears. In this case, however, Black is a lovesick Toreador bard who has forgotten how dangerous it is to fall in love… especially with a power-hungry Cainite.

Nature: Rogue Demeanor: Mercenary Generation: 9th Sire: Conneach the Gallant Clan: Toreador Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Abilities: Academics 2, Alertness 3, Archery 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Commerce 3, Crafts 3, Empathy 3, Enigmas 3, Etiquette 3, Expression 3, Hearth Wisdom 3, Intimidation 2, Leadership 1, Legerdemain 3, Occult 1, Performance 3, Politics 3, Ride 1, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Domain 2, Fame 3, Generation 3 Disciplines: Dominate 2, Fortitude 2, Celerity 1, Presence 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 2 Willpower: 6 Road of Humanity: 6

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Scenes Plotting Legacy of Lies is a story designed to introduce players to V20: Dark Ages and, as such, its scenes are presented more straightforward than other SAS adventures. The story both begins and ends in Chester, and while the remaining scenes can happen in any order, it is recommended that the player characters visit the Barony of Edinburgh right before the finale. At their discretion, experienced Storytellers may draw upon the setting material found in V20: Dark Ages Companion for the Domain of Bath on pp. 25-41 to enrich the Mithraic aspects of the adventure. Due to limitations and length of time it takes to travel from one location to another, this story takes place over the course of six months to a year. Any additional scenes that follow a major scene are not to be presented in great detail, because the characters’ goals, motivations, and actions affect not only which characters warm up to them, but what their next steps are. Thus, certain aspects, like whether or not Merwynn Hayward corners them in Beeston Castle, are conditional and depend upon the player characters. Like V20: Dust to Dust, the scenes do not progress neatly and in a linear fashion. Each scene presents a setting, character motivations, and sets the stage for the events that require a reaction from the characters. Storytellers are encouraged to customize the scenes further for flavor, and to offer additional interactions. Lesser-powered characters have also been provided should the Storyteller require them.

Systems In the scenes below, the systems are sometimes broken up into “One Success, Three Successes, Five Successes.” This helps save space and provides guidelines for how the differing numbers of successes impacts the narrative. The Storyteller should be able to extrapolate what two or four successes means from these examples. Storytellers should also note that the characters are neonates. Though their generation affords them competency as characters, Legacy of Lies is the first time they’ll be further introduced not only to each other, but older, lower-generation vampires who could spell their doom with a single letter. Though the story is a conspiracy to unseat Verus and, even more shockingly, Durand as well, the characters should be the stars of this adventure. As this may be the players’ first experience with V20: Dark Ages, allow them to test their limits and have fun, while reminding them of the need to feed, the consequences of frenzy, and the long memories of their elders.

A PRINCE’S REQUEST

PAINT AND ASH SHIP TO SHORE

AMBUSHED RED SUMMER’S FAIRE

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Mental •• Physical • Overview This scene introduces the basic plot and gives the player characters an opportunity to get to know one another. Though they share a common goal, the characters are strangers to the barony of Chester, to Marcus Verus, and to each other.

Setting For Marcus Verus, an icon within Clan Ventrue, his affairs of state can only be conducted in the one place worthy of his storied lineage: Beeston Castle, in the Barony of Chester. This iconic landmark was built in 1220s on the ruins of an Iron Age hillfort by a mortal earl named Ranulf. Recently, in 1237, Henry III seized the castle and began reconstruction. It currently remains in royal hands and acts as the seat of power for mortals and Cainites alike. The Barony of Chester holds great importance in the region as well, and its success is partially due to its port and fairs celebrating Midsummer and Michaelmas in the Fall. Visitors, traders, tourists, and dignitaries come and go with ease, and are often surprised to find the bi-weekly open markets well stocked with fresh fish, lumber, jewelry, bronze vessels, and painted jugs available for trade with docked vessels. Chester has been Marcus Verus’ domain to rule for many years, and his influence is clearly seen and felt by those LEGACY OF LIES

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Social •••

Cainites who know where to look. From strategic decisions to an influx of tourists, Chester’s ever-growing prosperity is an example of a just but fair and experienced hand. Now, in January, the bitter cold and strong winds force many mortals to huddle around a roaring fire, bundled in furs. Though Cainites do not feel winter’s chill the same as mortals do, they keep up appearances and wear layers of wool and leather, to thwart the superstitious and maintain their secrecy.

Storyteller Goals Marcus Verus, Prince of Chester Verus does not typically call every member of his court to his side regularly; Elysium is currently held on a quarterly basis, or when needed to dole out judgment or share important news. Often, Verus conducts business privately within the castle’s halls at his discretion, and maintains a small staff to ensure the safety and comfort of his guests. He sticks close to the Barony of Chester, and often leaves the details to his Keeper, a travelling knight named Clarissa of Navarre. In fact, both Sheriff Neville and Keeper Clarissa of Navarre, ranking members of his court, are away on assignment. When he does call a meeting, his courtiers send out formal invitations, and the halls of Beeston Castle are decorated with Roman ornaments, glassworks, and pottery to honor his sire, Mithras.

The Call of Torpor Following the hard-fought battles to secure the Baronies of Avalon for his sire, Mithras, Marcus Verus desires nothing more than to enter torpor and leave his barony in good hands. To do that, however, the fifth-generation Prince must decide if his old rival Robert Durand, the Baron of Edinburgh, has enough power and influence to usurp him and act on his boasts. Though he has sent spies to Edinburgh, none have reported anything out of the ordinary; but the Ventrue lord is still not convinced Robert has forgotten their long-standing feud. His decision to rest needs to be evaluated further. Now, Verus believes his best chance of finding out the truth is to employ a group of outsiders who have never set foot in either barony. By calling in favors from sires who owe him, Verus does not have to risk vetting candidates from his own court to act on his behalf. He dare not risk sending any of his ranking officers to investigate, as he is all too aware of Hayward’s ambitions and fears for their safety.

Plots and Schemes Verus’ strategy is avoid tossing the characters into danger without due cause. Instead, he will give them traveling papers,

allowing them to visit Ruoen to track down an informant who contacted him recently. Once they’re within the city limits, they are to meet with Audrien DuBois, who is hiding in a painter’s studio near the open market. There, they must find out what dangerous secret DuBois cannot safely reveal in writing. Following the reception and analysis of DuBois’s message, Verus tells the characters they are to follow up on whatever rumors they believe are worth investigating. Until the Ventrue lord has definitive proof that Durand is preparing for war, he will not move against him. Verus will then ask the characters to return when they have finished their investigation, bringing any witnesses or correspondence they see fit. Once they are back in Chester, they will relay their findings directly to him — and only him.

Merwynn Hayward, Courtier Merwynn Hayward’s presence in this scene is to play a part: the role of a chatty courtier and doting Ventrue protégé. To that end, Hayward will not actively move against the characters unless they catch her off-guard. Her calm veneer and hospitableness is a feint, however, for what she needs most is information Verus isn’t willing to share with her. A PRINCES REQUEST

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Hayward is intimately familiar with the way that Verus conducts business, and uses that to her advantage by spying on him. She wants to know where the player characters are headed, and will do whatever it takes to get that information before they leave. She may even sneak into the throne room to “casually” overhear Verus’ plans. Regardless of her actions, Hayward will approach the group before they leave Chester to try to extract the information from them once again. The courtier is afforded some autonomy and power, thanks to the influence she’s accumulated over the years. However, should she be caught working against Verus, the Prince will judge her harshly. Thus, she will not use her Disciplines against the characters to find their destination. It should be noted that Verus despises gossip and, when issuing punishments or rewards, does so after careful thinking and planning. Thus, should the characters catch and report Hayward’s interest in their activities, Verus will pass off her behavior as that of a typical courtier who cares for the safety of her Prince.

Dice pools involving this character, if needed, are Mental. Experienced Storytellers may, at their discretion, introduce Ahmose II as a Clan member of their choice.

Ahmose II, Chamberlain

Dice Pool: Manipulation + Etiquette or Subterfuge (difficulty 6) Hindrances: Characters have no dots in Etiquette (+1 difficulty); characters have no dots in Subterfuge (+1 difficulty). Help: All — Characters remain pleasant to Hayward, regardless of her words and actions. (-1 difficulty)

Marcus Verus’ most trusted adviser is an Egyptian physician-turned-scholar named Ahmose II. As acting Chamberlain, he often tours the barony at night tending to administrative matters of court. The decision to call in favors and entertain a group of new Cainites was his, as Ahmose II understands full well that sometimes the most treacherous snakes slither near the throne. Ahmose II has tan skin, short brown hair, and brown eyes. He dresses as a British nobleman in fine tunics out of respect for Verus, but wears the amulet of a scarab in memory of his beloved homeland. Intelligent and learned, Ahmose II has studied many languages and cultures. He will go out of his way to be respectful, and does believe in treating vampires differently depending on their clan. A visionary and dedicated historian, Ahmose II has weathered many changes because he is highly adaptable and anticipates cultural shifts with ease. He believes that survival is more important than succumbing to petty slights, and thinks Cainites should work toward a common goal within reason. That said, Ahmose II understands that swift violence is sometimes necessary to quell uprisings before they start. The Chamberlain serves as a font of knowledge for the player characters. As Verus’ ally, he reinforces the Prince’s position while filling in gaps they need to continue their journey. Ahmose II will expertly dodge any personal questions, and ensure they remain focused on their task. If pressed, Ahmose II will gently remind the characters of their status and that, over time, they will prove themselves worthy of their sires. LEGACY OF LIES

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Willpower: 7 Attributes: Manipulation 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Abilities: Academics 3, Awareness 2, Etiquette 3, Medicine 2, Occult 2, Theology 1

Character Goals Impress Verus and do what he asks. This favor is an opportunity to be rewarded by a powerful Prince, and one they should be eager to perform.

Actions Charm Merwynn Hayward

Roll Results Botch: Merwynn Hayward is angered by the characters, and she storms out of the castle. Failure: The characters have made a misstep, and Hayward thinks little of them. One Success: The characters make a good first impression, but does not stop Hayward from asking questions. Three Successes: The characters say something that resonates with the courtier, and Hayward reveals her genuine concern for Verus. Five Successes: Merwynn Hayward takes the characters into her confidence, and tells them she believes Verus is preparing to go into torpor.

Consequences As the opening scene for the adventure, the player characters’ interest should be piqued. The promise of status, gold, or other rewards should entice the neonates. However, Merwynn Hayward’s curiosity should alert them that vampires are not benevolent, and they can expect to encounter other, even more selfish creatures during their travels.

Mental • Physical •• Overview This short scene allows the characters to feed and procure a boat, to travel by river or across the sea.

Setting Ships with triangular sails dot the harbor, while Mediterranean merchant vessels stuffed with precious cargo float expectantly in the dark, waiting to sail at dawn. The pungent smell of rotting fish and seaweed fills the salty evening air, and the occasional drunk stumbles near a barrel filled with sand. Bustling by day and calm at night, the starlit docks have mostly quieted down until the morn. The rickety walkways are the perfect place to find superstitious sailors, petty thieves, and wayward citizens unaware that bloodthirsty creatures are not just the stuff of legends, they linger nearer than they think.

Storyteller Goals This is an active, social scene that provides the player characters with the opportunity to feed, and allows them to test their Disciplines outside of combat to find a ship’s captain. There are plenty of drunken sailors, bored courtiers, and romantic serfs milling around for them to choose from. Storytellers may augment the suggested characters and their rules as needed.

Social ••

THE BLOOD AND ITS PRICE or vampires, feeding is vital to their exF istence, but it is an act of violence. The victim could cry out in fright, alerting the guard.

The vampire might accidentally break the victim’s arm or even kill them. While no two characters will approach feeding the same way, Storytellers should carefully weigh the consequences of failure when they feed. To do so, characters should be aware of their environment. What time is it? Who else lingers near? How well lit are the docks? Are there any guards nearby? How close are the characters to the water? By noting important setting details, the act of feeding will be integrated into the story and help transition from one scene to the next. For example, if the characters suddenly have a fresh corpse on their hands, how do they deal with the body? Do they flee earlier than expected, hoping to outrun further investigation? Though the answers to these questions are variable, they will add additional nuances and the omnipresent sense of danger vampires feel in this time period.

SHIP TO SHORE

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Adventure-Seeking Barmaid A lone figure meanders the docks in search of something. Whether she desires love or a night filled with adventure, the young barmaid knows she is flirting with danger, and it fills her with glee. The sailors always return with such stories, grand tales she would love to be a part of. And they sound so thrilling! Oh, if only she would catch a ship captain’s eye, she could sail away and leave her troubles behind.

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Abilities: Commerce 2, Crafts 2, Empathy 2, Etiquette 3, Expression 2, Hearth Wisdom 3, Intimidation 2, Performance 2, Subterfuge 2 Willpower: 4

Nosy Squire What is the purpose of tending horses and repairing armor when there’s a whole world, waiting to be explored? The nosy squire often comes down to the docks at night, to catch a glimpse of illicit lovers or drunken sailors stumbling home at all hours of the night. Deep down the squire knows he should be sleeping, preparing for his knight’s next journey, but he cannot help himself. It’s exciting to hide and not be caught.

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 1, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 1 Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Brawl 2, Crafts 1, Etiquette 2, Hearth Wisdom 1, Investigation 1, Melee 1, Politics 1, Ride 2, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 2 Willpower: 6

Practical Ship Captain The only city port worth visiting is the one she’s headed to. She has a reputation for working with merchants and unsavory types, because she does exactly what she’s paid to do: get goods from one destination to the other, with no questions asked. Of course, that doesn’t mean the captain isn’t curious about what she’s carrying, but she’s seen enough bloodshed to last several lifetimes and wouldn’t dare put her crew in harm’s way. Though the captain’s sailors may be a supersitious lot, she’s definitely not and doesn’t believe in luck, either. The only thing keeping her and her crew alive, are her sharp wits and uncanny ability to quell trouble before it starts. Note: Once the ship’s captain is firmly under the characters’ influence, either through bribes, manipulation, or the use of Disciplines, she will bring them aboard her ship. LEGACY OF LIES

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Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Abilities: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 2, Commerce 3, Crafts 2, Intimidation 3, Investigation 3, Law 2, Leadership 2, Politics 1 Willpower: 6

Drunken Sailor The freedom of the open sea.... The wind in a ship’s sails.... There is no better life than that of a sailor. Whether sailing to a bustling port or unloading cargo, the drunken sailor lives up to the stereotype. After a hard day’s work, there is no better way to spend the night than to sing a rowdy shanty and drink up, up, up. Note: Since the alcohol present in the sailor’s system is a temporary effect, inebriation is noted in the difficulty rating for relevant actions.

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Appearance 2, Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 2 Abilities: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Crafts 1, Intimidation 1, Melee 2 Willpower: 5

Character Goals Feed. Then, obtain a seaworthy ship that has a large, secure cargo hold and convince the captain to sail for a destination of the characters’ choosing.

Actions Persuade a Ship’s Captain The use of Disciplines, such as Presence or Dominate, may also be used to convince a ship’s captain to sail to a destination of the their choosing. Dice Pool: Charisma + Leadership (difficulty 5) Hindrances: Ship’s captain is not superstitious (+1 difficulty); character has no dots in Leadership (+1 difficulty). Help: All — Characters treat the captain as a business associate (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The ship’s captain backs away from the characters, realizing something is wrong, and calls out for the city guard. Failure: The next Social roll is at a +1 Difficulty. One Success: The ship’s captain will offer to ferry the characters in exchange for a bag of gold.

Three Successes: The ship’s captain regards the characters as an opportunity for information. In exchange for information, she will grant them free passage. Five Successes: The ship’s captain is so impressed with the characters, she offers them her services free of charge. Should they have additional requests, such as a safe place to rest during the day, all subsequent Social rolls with this character are at a -1 difficulty.

Subdue a Drunken Sailor Characters may also use Disciplines to subdue a victim for feeding. Dice Pool: Strength + Brawl or Intimidation (difficulty 4) Hindrances: Character has no dots in Brawl (+1 difficulty); character has no dots in Intimidation (+1 difficulty). Help: Nearby sailors are happily intoxicated (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results

Botch: The sailor dies. Now, the character must deal with the consequences of killing a victim. Failure: The sailor scrambles just out of the character’s reach. One Success: The character has barely managed to subdue the sailor, who continues to squirm. Three Successes: The character has a strong grip on the sailor, and may now feed from the victim. Five Successes: The sailor is as pliable as mud in the character’s hands, and will do whatever the character asks.

Consequences With a ship secure, the characters may sail wherever they wish on the river or by sea. This scene may be re-introduced when necessary. Should they return to the docks to seek passage again, Storytellers should add additional modifiers and characters reflecting the nature of their previous actions.

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Mental ••• Physical •• Overview Acting on a command from Marcus Verus, the player characters have arrived in the city of Rouen to meet with Audrien DuBois and receive his urgent news in person.

Setting Built on the Seine River in northerwestern France, Rouen is a French-occupied city the Romans once called Rotomagus. Its long and storied history stretches back centuries, and its importance has been marked by bishops and kings alike. Many Cainites have exerted their influence here during the Norman invasion in 876 CE, the city’s English occupation, and the recent recapture by French armies funded by Salianna in 1204. Like Chester, Rouen is also prosperous due to its location and the efforts to rebuild the city following the recent change in leadership. Rouen Castle, now occupied by Cainite Prince Eustace of Macedonia, was recently built by Philip II of France. A draw for the faithful, Rouen also boasts many churches; Notre Dame, which has been under construction since 1163, will no doubt be a site for all of True Faith to enter. Understanding this, Prince Eustace takes a measured approach to her leadership. While the faithful who come and go are perfect for a night’s feeding, Eustace has recently survived the French’s invasion and spends her nights trying to LEGACY OF LIES

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Social •••

convince notable Cainites Rouen is secure. Elder vampires, who loathe change, are not convinced the city will remain turmoil-free, and their attitude has had a chilling effect: Cainites tend to come and go more frequently in Rouen, as if they anticipate greater, deadlier conflicts in the months and years to come. DuBois’ studio can be found near an ancient ossuary that has been used since Roman times. The artist often sneaks bones from the ossuary to study anatomy for his paintings.

Storyteller Goals This is a tense investigative scene that gives the player characters an important clue, the first step to fulfilling their obligation to Prince Verus. The characters should assume they can travel freely to and from Rouen, and have the proper identification to avoid being hassled by the city guard.

Min-Nefret the Poisoner Min-Nefret the Poisoner is an assassin of few words. Hired by DuBois as a bodyguard to keep him safe, Min-Nefret has successful fended off two attacks on DuBois’ life so far. She stands between the characters and DuBois, and will not yield unless she is beaten or DuBois commands her to do so, whichever comes first. Unbeknownst to DuBois, Min-Nefret is also working for the Ventrue Clan and has been tasked with spying on the artist and his

correspondence for some time. As such, Marcus Verus is already aware of DuBois’ anonymous commission, but does not know the painting has recently been stolen. Thanks to Ahmose II’s careful observations, Verus has been collecting the artist’s work for some time, and knows that his paintings often carry hidden messages. Beyond that, neither Verus or Ahmose II are aware that DuBois’ biggest patron, the Order of the Bitter Ashes, is involved.

Silent Steps Min-Nefret is dangerous, but she will not murder the characters unless they move to attack DuBois. To protect Ventrue interests, she may later intervene to convince DuBois he must abandon the Order of the Ashes or risk running afoul of a Ventrue lord, but will do that only after the group leaves. At the Storyteller’s discretion, Min-Nefret may secretly follow the characters during additional scenes. Her actions toward them will depend upon whether or not she sees the neonates as friend or foe. The Ventrue who hired the Brujah assassin will either be Merwynn Hayward, if the characters failed to impress her in Beeston Castle, or Ahmose II on behalf of Marcus Verus. If Hayward is Min-Nefret’s employer, the Brujah assassin may be treated as hostile. If Ahmose II hired her, however, she will begrudgingly assist the characters once she realizes they’re in Rouen on behalf of Verus.

Audrien DuBois Covered in paint, DuBois is noticeably distressed. Shredded strips of canvas, spilled jars of paint, and marred sheets of papyrus are strewn about the room. For anyone who knows the expense involved, they should take in the scene as a sign that DuBois may be unhinged and they should tread very carefully. In a fit of passion just minutes earlier, DuBois has faced a horrible truth: he has made a grievous error. A master painter, DuBois counts many Cainite elite, including Marcus Verus, amongst his clientele. His biggest patron, however, is a secret society called the Order of the Bitter Ashes: a fact he will not reveal easily or willingly. This society is so enigmatic, they often commission DuBois to record significant events in paintings using a secret language of symbols and figures cleverly worked into his compositions. Recently, the society’s commissions have trickled to a stop. Short of funds and desperate to maintain his lavish lifestyle, DuBois has broken his own rules and took an anonymous commission. Now, the painter has realized his pride has gotten the better of him, and DuBois has spent the last few hours chastising himself for betraying his biggest patron. How did someone found out what he was up to? Where did he go wrong? And, more importantly, who betrayed him?

Ties to Edinburgh The painting that was recently commissioned was meant to be a gift to Cait MacLeann on behalf of an anonymous “admirer.” While DuBois has had anonymous clients approach him in the past, he typically turns them down, disinterested in plots and intrigue that he’s not personally vested in. This time, however, the bags of gold tossed as his feet were too hard to ignore, an act that would allow him to clear his debts and retain an apprentice for the first time. Unfortunately, the painting was stolen soon after it was finished, and his studio in Chester was burnt to the ground. After careful inquiries, DuBois realized that the painting was for a member of Robert Durand’s court. Knowing this, DuBois attempted to recreate the painting from memory and, for whatever reason, cannot recall every detail. The symbols he can, however, are of a budding rose laid atop a broken crown, a possible sign that Durand, a Toreador Prince, is using Cait MacLeann to usurp a Ventrue Prince. There is no question in the painter’s mind that this Ventrue Prince is none other than Durand’s rival, Marcus Verus.

Escalating Feud Once DuBois tells his story he will pause, waiting to see if the characters understand the gravity of the situation. He will freely add that he has painted a portrait or two for Verus in the past. During his travels, he’s become aware of notable figures and understands the friction between the two Princes may one night escalate into war. He suspects that Verus would love to end the feud for the sake of his sire, Mithras, but that is all but impossible given how many Cainites have long memories. Now that DuBois has realized the painting might be a message signaling an attack on Verus, the Brujah is paranoid that he has just started a war. Worse, he worries that whoever knows who his patron is will use that information against both him and them. Indecisive and fearful, DuBois is in a delicate state; he will beg the characters to visit Edinburgh and retrieve the painting — if not for his sake — for the Prince of Chester’s. Should they identify his anonymous client, he promises to pay them an additional reward once his situation has improved.

Character Goals The characters are to find out what DuBois knows, and treat him as a witness to a grand conspiracy. Then, they must decide on a course of action.

Actions Sneak Past Min-Nefret Note: Disciplines, such as Obfuscate or Celerity, may also be used to get past the bodyguard unseen. PAINT AND ASH

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Dice Pool: Wits + Stealth (difficulty 7) Hindrances: Min-Nefret the Poisoner is expecting an attack (+1 difficulty); characters do not possess Stealth (+ 1difficulty). Help: All – The characters have orchestrated a distraction, allowing one or two characters to sneak past. (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: Min-Nefret the Poisoner will attack the characters and her quarry, Audrien DuBois, will be hesitant to speak with the group. All subsequent Social rolls involving Audrien DuBois are at a +1 difficulty. Failure: Min-Nefret will assume the characters’ intentions are hostile, and openly attack them. One Success: One character has managed to sneak past the assassin. Now, that character must convince DuBois that Min-Nefret must stand down. Three Successes: Three characters have successfully snuck into DuBois’ studio. Upon seeing their writ of travel signed by Verus, the assassin will automatically step aside. Five Successes: The entire party has escaped Min-Nefret’s notice, and she is unaware they’ve entered the studio until DuBois calls her inside.

Convince DuBois to Return to Chester Dice Pool: Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty 6) Hindrances: The painter is afraid of Marcus Verus (+1 difficulty); the character does not possess Intimidation (+1

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difficulty). Help: All — Min-Nefret sides with the characters, and helps convince DuBois to return. (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: DuBois reluctantly signals Min-Nefret, and the painter is immediately killed to prevent Verus from questioning him about the Order of the Bitter Ashes. Failure: DuBois tells the characters he will think about their suggestion, but he’s not ready to make a decision just yet. One Success: DuBois admits that returning to Chester is a good idea. Three Successes: DuBois agrees to head to Chester within a fortnight. Five Successes: DuBois will start packing up his belongings and head for port. He will provide Verus with an account of their meeting.

Consequences At the conclusion of this scene, the characters should know that the painting’s intended recipient is Cait MacLeann, and she is a member of the Baron of Edinburgh’s court. They also have some influence over the unraveling Cainite, and with a strong nudge they should be able to convince the artist to meet them in Chester. To get the evidence they require, however, they will need to travel to Edinburgh and find out what deadly secrets the painting holds. Should the characters’ encounter with Min-Nefret not go as they’d hoped, Storytellers may substitute Min-Nefret the Poisoner for Leofred Black in the final scene.

Mental • Physical ••• Social •• Overview Despite the characters’ best efforts, they have been followed by a small group of hunters who have been alerted to their presence. This scene should be introduced while the characters are traveling between domains, and can be presented more than one time if necessary.

Description The characters have stopped to feed or find haven before the dawn near a small abandoned farmhouse bordered by a forest. Winter is finally beginning to release its icy grip on the land, and the first signs of Spring are now apparent. The ground is muddy, and the air is filled with the distinctive odor of moldy bread, mouse droppings, and rotting corpses. The house is empty, but in relatively good condition. The ground is soft and unfrozen, and the thatched roof grants decent protection from the sun. The farmers who once occupied this humble stead have died from starvation; the lands they sought to tame yielded little grains for them the previous year, and the game they hoped to hunt were not as bountiful as they hoped. Their bodies lie prone in their beds, huddled close together with a small cross and three of their offspring. Before the characters can settle into their temporary shelter, however, they hear and smell signs they are not

alone. The anxious stomp of a horse’s hooves. A burning torch. Frightened whispers. The telltale ring of steel. Then, a rallying cry: “Attack!”

Storyteller Goals This straightforward action scene is designed to introduce the player characters to combat, and highlight the dangers of their role in the story. The Storyteller should add or subtract hunters to challenge, but not overwhelm, the players and allow them to test their characters’ vampiric prowess in battle. If needed, Storytellers may use Mercenary for the mortals’ Natures, or may use a different archetype as they see fit.

Opportunistic Hunter The local hunter sells meats and furs to many of the local merchants. He works long, hard days, year after year after year, and barely scrapes by. How could he thrive, with the king’s tyrannical poaching decrees? So sometimes, our hunter poaches. Sometimes, he steals from travelers. After all, if the locals didn’t expect a caravan of foreigners from the far eastern kingdoms to pass through, would they be missed? Now, our ignoble hunter looks for more and more profitable prizes. He hears tell of witches who take the shapes of animals. Someone’s bound to pay handsomely for one of them.

AMBUSHED

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Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Abilities: Alertness 2, Animal Ken 2, Archery 2, Athletics 3, Awareness 1, Brawl 2, Commerce 1, Crafts 1, Hearth Wisdom 2, Intimidation 2, Investigation 2, Law 1, Leadership 1, Legerdemain 1, Medicine 1, Melee 1, Occult 1, Ride 3, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 2, Survival 3 Willpower: 6

Failure: The characters are unaware an attack is imminent. In the first round of combat, characters suffer a +1 difficulty. One Success: The Characters have a rough idea that danger is near. Three Successes: The characters know they’re about to be attacked by a group of mortals. Five Successes: The characters know how many mortals are waiting to attack them, and gain a -1 difficulty in their first round of combat.

Merciless Cutthroat

Fight the Hunters

Sticking a blade where it doesn’t belong may not be honest work, but it’s better than farming barren lands or serving a greedy baron. If there’s a rival who needs stabbing or a thief who needs to be hunted down, the blade-for-hire will take the job for a bag of gold and a mug of ale. Tales of glowing eyes and blood-drinking fiends out near the forest have recently excited the cutthroat, knowing grand stories may not have a spot of truth to them. Those frightened tales, whether they come from lay-a-bouts or superstitious friars, are profitable indeed.

Dice Pool: Dexterity + Melee (if armed), Dexterity + Brawl (difficulty 6) Hindrances: The hunters launched a surprise attack (+1 difficulty); the characters do not have Melee (+1 difficulty); the characters do not have Brawl (+1 difficulty). Help: All — The characters anticipated the attack (-1 difficulty).

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Abilities: Alertness 3, Archery 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Commerce 1, Crafts 3, Hearth Wisdom 1, Intimidation 3, Investigation 2, Leadership 3, Legerdemain 3, Melee 2, Performance 1, Ride 1, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 2, Survival 3 Willpower: 8

Character Goals To win the fight.

Actions Resist a Surprise Attack Dice Pool: Perception + Alertness (difficulty 6) Hindrances: The forest is far from serene at night, with echoes of the sound of hooting owls and the occasional roar of a bear (+1 difficulty); the character does not have Alertness (+1 difficulty). Help: All — The characters have decided to take haven outside of the farmhouse (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The hunters immediately launch their attack, and go first in combat. LEGACY OF LIES

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Roll Results Botch: The hunters have called in two reinforcements, and won’t rest until the characters are dealt with. The characters will not yield any additional clues about their employer, either by interrogating survivors or by searching their corpses. Failure: The hunters have withstood the attack and, at the Storyteller’s discretion, additional combatants join the fray. One Success: The characters have killed one hunter. Three Successes: Three hunters have been killed, and the threat has passed. Five Successes: The characters have detained or killed the hunters in a manner of their choosing.

Interrogate Survivors Dice Pool: Appearance + Interrogation (difficulty 5) Hindrances: The hunters are stubbornly resolute (+1 difficulty); the character does not possess Interrogation (+1 difficulty). Help: All — The hunters respond well to threats. (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The hunters die of fright, and no further clues are discovered. Failure: Survivors pass out, unconscious, unable to speak for 1d10 minutes. The characters will need to interrogate them again. One Success: Survivors confess that someone alerted them to their location, but they do not know who.

Three Successes: Survivors reveal that a vampire hired them, but can’t remember who it was or what they looked like. Five Successes: Survivors tell the characters that a vampire hired them whilst traveling in Chester. They don’t know who it was, or what they looked like; but they will begrudgingly admit they were hired to scare them, not to kill them.

Consequences If the characters have successfully killed one or more hunters, their belongings, bag of gold, weapons, and horses are now theirs for the taking. Further consequences resulting from this scene will be dealt with in Elysium, once the characters return to Chester.

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Mental •• Physical •• Social ••• Overview Understanding they need definitive proof of DuBois’ claims, the player characters travel to Edinburgh to retrieve his painting and, if possible, corner Cait MacLeann.

Setting An ancient site dating back to 8500 BCE, the Barony of Edinburgh is a crucial Scottish landmark rich in history. Once occupied by Celtic tribes, Edinburgh was also used as a Roman military outpost, and was eventually brought under Scottish rule many years later in the latter half of the tenth century CE Thanks to the efforts of King David I, Edinburgh’s future was secured when it was established as well-protected royal burgh in the twelfth century. Now, Edinburgh falls under the protection of the Scottish king and a Cainite Toreador Prince from France, named Robert Durand. The Castle of Edinburgh serves as the seat of royal burgh’s power; the royal fortress is well-defended, and many knights can be quickly summoned to defend the merchants and villagers who’ve built their homes on the sloping lands below the castle. Within the castle walls, St. Margaret’s Chapel attracts many of Edinburgh’s faithful, and many Cainites carefully avoid the castle for this reason. Instead, they mingle amongst the commonfolk, enjoying the peace and security Edinburgh offers them, often forgetting how LEGACY OF LIES

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delicate the balance truly is between predatory and prey. Now, during Summer’s Faire, the cheerful whistle of a flute is carried on a warm, summer’s breeze, and the intoxicating smell of roses mixed with musk hangs heavy in the air. Knights and masked supplicants alike are drunk on mead and cheap wine; the local priests shake their heads and grab another cup of ale as a few young couples dance in circles, with long, colorful ribbons trailing after them. As the moon reaches its apex, a handful of costumed vampires cautiously join in the fun, careful to avoid the bonfires where animated storytellers breathe life into tales adapted for superstitious villages.

Storyteller Goals This is an investigative scene that has many possibilities for intrigue and action. Once the moon hangs high, the mortal celebrants will be quietly escorted away from the faire, and the characters may act, fight, and search the grounds without fear of breaking the Silence of the Blood. None are allowed inside the castle that sits high above the fray, not even the castle guards who patrol its perimeter by candlelight. Including the Storyteller characters, there are approximately a dozen vampires in Edinburgh, and a few dozen mortals. It should be noted that affairs of state will be conducted in the Castle of Edinburgh, and characters are expected to follow Durand’s lead. When they arrive, the Toreador lord’s

receiving chamber is in disarray, a sign that all is not well and hasn’t been for some time.

Robert Durand, Prince of Edinburgh The Cainite Prince of Edinburgh, Robert Durand, has benefited greatly from the region’s prosperity, and revels in the position granted to him by his sire, Salianna. However, Durand is fully aware that his court will die of hunger unless he can replenish the commonfolk who have left to fight in the Crusades, died of strange plagues, or were Embraced by his charges. Recently, a hospital and friary has also been built to draw more merchants, travelers, and nobles to the area. Some mortals are visiting Edinburgh, but they do not stay long. To resolve this, Durand has conspired with local merchants to hold a grand Summer’s Faire which, much to his court’s dismay, he has turned into Elysium. Using his influence and charm, this event brings much-needed revelry to a meager crowd of a few dozen wayward souls, while allowing members of his court to cautiously feed. In anticipation of the event, Durand had tasked his Keeper, George Tailor, to ensure the celebratory bonfires were

lit as far away from the main festivities as possible. Durand’s Sheriff, Mireti al-Wallada, roams the grounds with her knights and escorts “drunk” villagers back to their homes, while his Chamberlain, Gisa Montpelier, is on her way to delivering a report to Salianna, who’s currently in Paris.

A Heavy Crown Often underestimated, every action Durand has taken up to this point was intentional. His court in disarray, Durand realizes that both him and his Sheriff, al-Sayyid, were too lax when enforcing certain Traditions. There are far too many vampires in his court and not enough kine, and he’s aware that may lead to catastrophe. Fortunately, the neonates are primarily Toreador and are easy to distract and, if needed, send to faraway baronies to explore the rest of the continent. The Summer’s Faire is exactly the amusement his court needed, and the Prince is fully aware what might happen if the revelry gets out of control. With the sorry state of his court preying heavily upon his mind, Durand has set a trap for an invisible enemy. Both his Chamberlain and Sheriff have long advised him that neonates often struggle to overcome their attitudes in life. Many still cling to the belief that their Scottish heritage is a birthright RED SUMMERS FAIRE

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in life and in unlife, and only a Scot deserves to sit on the throne. Though the elder has forgotten what it means to be a young vampire, Durand suspects this is true, for he has overheard traitorous whispers himself while touring his lands. Like Verus, Durand understands the need for patience, and has exercised it so far. The seeds of conspiracy need to blossom before the root can be pulled out; the Toreador Prince believes now is the time to expose his traitors for who they truly are. With his Chamberlain gone and Keeper preoccupied, Durand has intentionally left himself vulnerable to attack. Despite appearances, the Prince of Edinburgh is not as weak or foolhardy as he seems. With a little planning, Durand is ready to pitch a net around his enemies.

To Catch a Traitor Durand suspects that Leofred Black is caught up in MacLeann’s affairs, but he views Black as a petty, lovesick neonate who needs to be taught a lesson. Overly ambitious for his own good, Black is not the type of Cainite who deserves the attention or favors of a Prince. Should Durand catch Black with MacLeann, the Prince will exile him from the Barony of Edinburgh. Once Durand is convinced MacLeann is plotting against him, he will treat the players as traveling messengers. Then, he will work closely with his Sheriff to carefully word a writ for Verus’ eyes only, gift them the painting, and send them on their way. The Toreador Prince has fantasized what he might do to the fool who crosses him, and now he’s able to make those dreams a reality, starting with MacLeann’s many childer.

Cautious Inquiry The arrival of the characters will come as a surprise to the Prince. Their actions will determine how he responds. He will, upon noticing them, greet them. Then, he’ll ask his agents to escort them to a shabby chamber inside the Castle of Edinburgh. If the characters present themselves to Durand before tracking down Ngal, Durand will publicly mock their presence. Later, far away from prying eyes, the Toreador Prince will work with the characters to find the traitor. He will be surprised to learn of the painting’s existence, and Verus’ involvement. He will grudgingly admit he is not ready for battle, either, and vaguely refer to ancient pacts between their sires. If the characters have encountered Krisanthos Ngal before presenting themselves to Durand, the Baron of Edinburgh will treat the group according to their actions. Durand will, at first, assume Ngal is an assassin hired to kill him. Should the characters corner or capture Ngal, Durand will believe LEGACY OF LIES

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they are his allies. If not, however, Durand will also assume the characters are in league with the Nosferatu spy. If the characters do not present themselves to Durand, or if they lie to the Prince at any time during this scene, he will treat them as suspect. However, the Prince will not order an attack without just cause, and will rely heavily on his Sheriff for further advice — after he has them arrested.

Cait MacLeann MacLeann suspects someone has stumbled onto her plot, but has yet to discover which Cainite knows the full extent of her plans. Worried her sire, Maiselle of Rochester, has abandoned her in favor of her political connections, MacLeann thinks she is on her own. The courtier mistrusts outsiders, is paranoid to a fault, and is beginning to eye Leofred warily. Admittedly, her lack of allies is one of the reasons why she has sired so many fledgling childer to protect her. Hoping to corner Leofred during the faire, she has decided to accuse the bard of betrayal. She knows that Leofred has recently returned from a tour of the other Scottish baronies, and is confused: he has not come to see her and reveal what he’s learned.

Panicked and Alone Believing there’s a target on her back, MacLeann is desperate and becoming unhinged. She will do anything she can to avoid running into the Prince, and will run from the characters if they try to approach her. The longer the night’s festivities last, the more paranoid — and more dangerous — MacLeann will become. For, at the end of this night, MacLeann is planning to flee to the countryside along with her childer, where she plans to gather Gangrel allies to mount an attack on the Castle of Edinburgh. Unfortunately for MacLeann, her sire has anticipated her descent and has tried to warn her by commissioning a painting from Audrien DuBois. Unbeknownst to all, Nosferatu spies have not only retrieved the painting, but plan on delivering the art to Robert Durand as proof of their competency, not knowing who the patron or intended recipient was. MacLeann will treat the characters as enemy spies, and will run if she believes they’re following her.

Leofred Black As a traveling bard, Black is afforded more freedoms than other Cainites. This allows him to pick up interesting bits of gossip, and learn much about the affairs of state. Black eagerly sided with MacLeann because he believed that Durand was an incompetent leader as the courtier professed. While visiting the countryside, however, Black has encountered many Cainites who knew Durand when he

first came to power and what his sire, Salianna, was truly like. From these testimonies, Black has concluded that Durand has made an honest mistake: which Prince wouldn’t want their court to be filled with members of their own clan? What rival wouldn’t want an army to take their enemies? Now that he’s returned, Black is waiting for the right moment to pull Cait aside and ask her to rethink her plans and, more importantly, heed her sire’s insistent messages that she abandon her foolhardy plans. He does not want to see her harmed, however, for he’s in love with the courtier who’s promised him the domain and status Durand has never given him. Black serves as the characters’ reluctant ally — up to a point. He cares for MacLeann and respects her sire, but believes the Scottish courtier is clearly in the wrong. As such, he will act as Durand’s agent and help the characters track down MacLeann during the faire. If, however, the characters threaten to harm MacLeann in any way, he will become hostile and, if pressed, try to flee with his “one true love.”

Krisanthos Ngal A master spy, Ngal has been hiding in Edinburgh Castle for the past three weeks, picking up the threads of a conspiracy his Nosferatu clanmates revealed to him earlier that Spring. Oft overlooked, the Nosferatu’s eyes and ears are in every city, a lesson Ngal desperately wishes to teach the haughty Durand. Luckily, since Ngal often conceals himself in the servant’s quarters, Durand has never noticed his presence, and won’t until the time is right. Ngal is primarily interested in two things: bringing proud Cainites low and elevating the prominence of his clan. In Edinburgh, Ngal plans to do this in two ways. First, he will monitor the festivities and, when it makes sense to do so, Ngal will introduce himself as an emissary of the Nosferatu Clan. Unbeknownst to the characters, the Nosferatu is a group of vampires Durand has snubbed from time-to-time in the past, and while he will not openly admit his disdain for them, he has never hired or appointed a Nosferatu in his court.

A Princely Gift To show the Nosferatu Clan’s value as spies, Ngal will present the Prince with a leather tube. This gift contains Du Bois’ painting, the same one the characters seek to return to Verus. Once Durand has the painting, Ngal will offer the services of his clan. He is not so foolish as to make demands or tell the Prince what to do, but he will urge Durand to reconsider what he’s missing. Neither Ngal nor Durand is aware that the characters hold a valuable piece of information tying the painting to Cait MacLeann. When the opportunity presents itself, the

characters can supply her name. Then, when Durand realizes that Cait MacLeann is the traitor, he will take matters into his own hands and ask al-Sayyid to arrest her. Durand, Black, MacLeann, and al-Sayyid will assume Ngal is an assassin until his true intentions are revealed. Ngal knows there’s a traitor amongst the fray, and trust is scarce. Thus, Ngal will allow himself to be arrested provided he can speak to the Prince; he will not, however, go quietly if he does not know who is captor is.

Mireti al-Sayyid The Sheriff of Edinburgh, Mireti al-Sayyid, is far from her Spanish estates. She is a recent addition to Prince Durand’s court, and was recommended to him by his sire, Salianna, to replace the previous Sheriff whose body lies staked in the bowels of the Castle of Edinburgh. His name struck from the records, al-Sayyid has since learned of her predecessor’s crimes: the former Sheriff intercepted and manipulated select letters between Salianna and the Prince to undermine Robert’s rule. It was he, and not Robert himself, who planted the idea that more Toreador needed to be created. For his crimes, the Cainite has been tortured, staked, and buried inside a wall. Al-Sayyid is not new to her role, and has served many Princes, both living and dead. She is a devout believer of the Muslim faith, and believes she has been Embraced to exact justice on the Damned and keep them in line. Al-Sayyid acts carefully, and weighs her every word before speaking. Despite her serious demeanor, the Sheriff of Edinburgh is respected and, it is because of these feelings, that the local population of Cainites has not succumbed to their base natures. In fact, al-Sayyid has taken her role one step further by taking neonates under her wing. She has a soft spot for younger vampires, and is painfully aware that many sires toss them out of the nest without much training. Al-Sayyid’s role in this scene is to both keep the peace and prevent a disaster that would be difficult for her to clean up. Both the Sheriff and Durand want whichever conspirators lie waiting in the shadows to come forward, but they would prefer matters to be cleaned up without any bloodshed if possible. Should Durand feel threatened, the Sheriff knows the Prince can fend for himself; she’s greatly concerned that a neonate might frenzy and confirm local superstitions that “blood-drinkers have risen from their graves.” Thus, as a precaution, the Sheriff and her knights have been slowly cornering and extracting fledging vampires from the night’s festivities. The Sheriff will treat the characters as an experienced parent might, knowing any foolish steps they take are likely the result of paranoia or misguided ambition. Like Durand, al-Sayyid is aware of the agreement between Mithras and RED SUMMERS FAIRE

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Salianna, and will actively defend the characters should they mention who they’re working for. The last thing the Sheriff wants is the blood of Verus’ charges on her hands; especially given his unusual and brilliant approach for finding volunteers. Durand cannot afford to risk the ire of several Cainites by attacking a group of neonates whose sires have pledged allegiance to his greatest rival. Dice pools involving this character, if needed, are primarily Physical. Al-Sayyid will assist the players if they race to catch Ngal, Black, or MacLeann and may, depending upon circumstance, arrest all parties involved for Durand’s judgement. Experienced Storytellers may assign Mireti alSayyid a clan of their choosing.

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Abilities: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Crafts 2, Intimidation 3, Melee 3 Willpower: 7

Character Goals The characters arrive seeking the painting that proves a conspiracy is at work in Durand’s court. During this night, as the truth of the plot is revealed, the characters will come to realize that what they need most is proof that Durand is not plotting to usurp Verus — at least, not this year.

Actions Sneak Past Castle Guards Dice Pool: Wits + Stealth (difficulty 6) Hindrances: The character does not have Stealth (+1 difficulty); the castle guards are under Durand’s influence (+1 difficulty). Help: All — The characters have procured disguises. (-1 difficulty); the area is poorly lit, by candlelight (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The castle guards are immediately alerted to their presence, and sound the alarm hailing Sheriff al-Sayyid. The characters will then be arrested and brought to Durand for judgment. Any subsequent Social rolls involving the Toreador Prince are at a +1 difficulty. Failure: The castle guards are on high alert, and believe an attack is imminent. Additional rolls to sneak past them are at a +1 difficulty. One Success: One character has successfully snuck past the guards. LEGACY OF LIES

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Three Successes: Three characters have managed to sneak into the castle without alerting anyone. Five Successes: All of the characters have deftly snuck into the castle. All subsequent rolls to Stealth, while within the castle walls, are at a -1 difficulty.

Find the Painting’s Owner Note: An alternate method of finding the painting, is to use Auspex to expose Ngal. Dice Pool: Perception + Investigation (difficulty 6) Hindrances: The character does not possess Investigation (+1 difficulty); the crowded Summer’s Faire makes it difficult to concentrate (+1 difficulty). Krisanthos Ngal: Ngal will do whatever it takes to put the painting in the hands of the Prince (+1 difficulty). Help: Robert Durand: Like Verus, the Prince wants proof of a conspiracy, and will help the characters by granting them temporary allies. (-2 difficulty). Leofred Black: If Black knows the painting is evidence that could destroy MacLeann, the vampire will help the characters. (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The characters have spooked Ngal. The Nosferatu spy leaps to the conclusion that someone has ordered his assassination. All subsequent Social rolls involving the spy result in a +1 difficulty. Failure: The characters, and their temporary allies, cannot find the painting. It is but one work of art amongst many admirers. One Success: The characters now know that a Cainite possesses the painting. Three Successes: The characters are aware that a Cainite outside of Durand’s court has the painting, and this character has the power of Obfuscate. Five Successes: The characters are aware that the culprit is a Nosferatu spy, and have inferred that the Cainite intercepted the painting with the intent of presenting it to the Prince.

Impress a Cainite Dice Pool: Charisma + Etiquette or Manipulation + Politics (difficulty 5) Hindrances: The character does not possess Etiquette (+1 difficulty); the character does not possess Politics (+1 difficulty). Help: Robert Durand: The characters know how to flatter the Prince (-1 difficulty).

Cait MacLeann: The characters express their admiration for her beauty (-1 difficulty). Leofred Black: The characters ask the bard to sing (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The vampire is not impressed and leaves their presence. All subsequent Social rolls are at a +2 difficulty. Failure: The vampire is visibly bored with the characters. All subsequent Social rolls are at a +1 difficulty. One Success: The Cainite is curious about the characters, and isn’t ready to judge them just yet. Three Successes: The characters have made a positive impression. All subsequent Social rolls are at a -1 difficulty. Five Successes: The characters have impressed the vampire, who is more willing to hear their side of the story. All subsequent Social rolls are at a -2 difficulty.

Catch a Fleeing Vampire Dice Pool: Dexterity + Athletics or Wits + Ride (difficulty 5) Hindrances: The character does not possess Athletics (+1 difficulty); the character does not possess Ride (+1 difficulty). Help: All — Durand has order the Sheriff to treat any fleeing Cainites as suspicious. Sheriff al-Sayyid and her knights will aid the characters to capture them. (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The escaping vampire has successfully ran off to parts unknown. Failure: The characters stumble and fall, and the fleeing Cainite has extended their lead by a great distance. One Success: The characters have closed the gap between them and the fleeing vampire. On a subsequent roll, the characters earn -1 difficulty to finish catching the target. Three Successes: The characters have cornered the panicked vampire, and there’s no way out. Five Successes: Not only have the characters caught up with the fleeing vampire, Sheriff al-Sayyid has successfully subdued the target.

Consequences Consequences resulting from character interactions will depend upon who the characters impress, who their allies are, and how they treat the other characters. At the end of this scene, either the characters will have retrieved the painting to prove Durand was not at the heart of the conspiracy to usurp Verus or they will have a letter from Durand addressed to the Ventrue lord — or both. Once they possess the required evidence, the characters are free to return to Chester where they’ll be expected to provide Marcus Verus with an account of their travels.

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Mental •• Physical •• Overview In this final scene the player characters return to Chester to report their findings to Prince Verus. Here, the final threads of the plot will unravel, rewards will be granted, and punishments will be determined by the Ventrue lord. The character interactions that took place over the course of this story will determine how Marcus Verus proceeds in the conclusion. The Aftermath will wrap up loose ends further; this scene acts as the finale to the story.

Setting Held in Beeston Castle, the characters arrive to experience their first, true Elysium, which has been lavishly decorated. The English castle has now been turned into a Roman Imperial Throne Room worthy of Mithras, himself. Scarlet drapes hang from the ceiling, while toga-wearing ghouls whisk goblets of blood and trays of perfumed oils to an impressive array of guests. Many long-hair Cainites have braided their hair as a Roman noble might, and wear fine silks and ancient jewels reminiscent of a long-lost Caesar. The floor has been covered in colorful mosaic tiles depicting Mithraic bulls, as well, and large pots of fresh ferns stand in every corner.

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Social ••

Dimly lit, the hall glows with an unearthly light, the lamps strategically placed to flatter even the most gruesome visage. At the far end of this spectacle, Marcus Verus sits idly on his throne, dressed in full ceremonial regalia with a gilded crescent of leaves upon his brow. All ranking members of his court stand at either side, including his Chamberlain, Keeper, and Sheriff, and are dressed in the robes of Roman senators or the armor of the Empire’s centurions.

Storyteller Goals This is a social scene that concludes the adventure. At the Storyteller’s discretion, one last surprise is waiting for the characters.

Marcus Verus Fresh from their travels, the player characters arrive in Chester toward the end of the summer to relay their findings to Marcus Verus. In anticipation of their return, Marcus Verus has called every Cainite in his barony to Elysium as a show of strength and friendship to the characters’ sires. The characters are asked to report their findings to him; then hold Elysium three nights later. This gives the Prince the opportunity to investigate loose ends and act swiftly, before guilt-ridden Cainites decide to flee or ally themselves with his enemies.

Marcus Verus will use his show of strength in Elysium to punish transgressors, reward loyalists, and impress a sense of majesty upon the neonates. The decisions Marcus make in this scene have far-reaching effects that Storytellers may use to run further adventures. He will, upon addressing Elyisum, reveal his plans to go into torpor and declare that they have been cut off prematurely. Instead, Verus will remain installed on the throne until he can guarantee the safety of every Cainite in the Baronies of Avalon he helped establish. The characters Marcus Verus will judge in Elysium, should they be present, are listed below, along with their proposed punishments:

Merwynn Hayward Shortly after the characters left Chester, Merwynn Hayward pledged to advance her position and took matters into her own hands. If the characters revealed or hinted they were bound for Rouen to the courtier before leaving Chester, Merwynn Hayward is the Cainite responsible for hiring Min-Nefret by forging the Prince’s hand. If Min-Nefret is not present in Elysium, the truth was revealed to Verus by the assassin herself who, after meeting the characters, sent him a report believing he was her employer. For this crime, Hayward has earned a letter of rebuke to her sire, and her mentorship has been revoked. Should Hayward take this punishment badly, Verus will request that she drink one drop of Ahmose II’s blood. If the characters did not tell the courtier what she wanted, Hayward hired a vampire hunter to follow the group and, when the time was right, stage an ambush. She then used her vampiric powers to cloak her identity, a fact that Ahmose II has discovered in the characters’ absence. For this crime, Verus will treat the courtier’s actions as a slight against the characters and their sires. Hayward’s sire is to be informed, and the Ventrue courtier is exiled from the Baronies of Avalon. The Ventrue lord will then send a letter to Robert Durand, telling him to beware of her treachery, just in case the courtier decides to infiltrate his court in her exile. Verus will indicate there have been other “problems,” but will not go into great detail in front of the characters.

Audrien DuBois The painter’s presence in court will act as further proof of the characters’ testimony, but his arrival comes with a price. Verus will use DuBois to warn the court that nothing escapes his notice, and will punish him for his part in the conspiracy in an unusual way. If the characters convinced DuBois to return to Elysium, Verus’ servants will proceed to display the painter’s works of

art at midnight. His Chamberlain, Ahmose II, will monitor the room carefully, to gauge reactions of all who are present; Ahmose II has also subtly asked certain courtiers to wear or perform strange acts, to confirm which secret society DuBois was working for. Should DuBois spot the courtier tasting a plate of ash, he will noticeably chafe. And, in doing so, has secured his exile from Verus’ court. If the characters were unable to secure the painter’s return, Ahmose II will present DuBois in chains during the proceedings. DuBois has been thoroughly questioned, and has betrayed the identity of his employer. Verus will then use this public display to warn his court of the dangers they face, and expose the Court of Bitter Ashes and send messages to all the Baronies of Avalon, warning them of their existence. The Ventrue lord will then exile the painter, an act which ruins DuBois’ reputation he so readily enjoyed. Upon witnessing this judgment, members of Clan Brujah must resist succumbing to their tempers; they may walk out and take DuBois’ treatment as a slight against the entire clan.

Leofred Black The neonate bard seeks revenge for what happened to MacLeann; he never wanted her to get hurt, he was in love with the courtier. He just wanted the Toreador to reconsider her plans, that was all. What went wrong? If the characters allied with Black, the presence of the bard should come as a shock to the characters. He will attack the them openly, in Chester during Elysium, to punish “Verus’ serfs” for interfering in Edinburgh’s affairs. The characters will have the opportunity to fend of Black’s assassination attempt, right before Verus’ knights-dressed-as-centurions swarm the bard. For openly attacking honored guests in Elysium, Black can choose his punishment: either he is to take the Blood Oath and become fully bonded to the Ventrue lord, or he is to meet Final Death for violating the peace Prince Verus has worked so hard to achieve. Despite any desire to the contrary, Verus cannot afford a public, threatening display in his court, during a ceremony honoring his guests, to go unpunished.

Min-Nefret the Poisoner At the Storyteller’s discretion, Min-Nefret the Poisoner may act as a substitute for Leofred Black. By introducing this character, the truth of Merwynn Hayward’s treachery can be revealed in Elysium. Min-Nefret the Poisoner understands the laws of Elysium, but will no doubt be confused as to why Verus (who she believes hired her) asked her to kill the characters that

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evening. As such, Min-Nefret carries a writ allowing their Final Death; this piece of papyrus is scented with rose-scented oils that Hayward favors. Both Verus and Ahmose II will also detect slight irregularities upon reading the letter, and Hayward will noticeably react when the letter is exposed. To deal with this conundrum, Min-Nefret will intentionally attack the characters out in the open, knowing that Verus will not order her Final Death without a full inquiry. Once Min-Nefret is detained and the writ is revealed, the Chamberlain will ask Merwynn Hayward to come forward. At that moment, the jealous courtier will turn to flee, only to face a visibly angry Prince — a rare and terrifying sight. Out of respect for the Ventrue’s sire, Verus has decided to ask him what Hayward’s just punishment should be. Until he obtains word, the courtier is removed from view and is to be staked and under guard.

Character Goals Reap the rewards they justly deserve for fulfilling a favor to Marcus Verus, and try not to embarrass themselves in Elysium.

Actions Avoid Social Missteps Dice Pool: Perception + Etiquette (difficulty 5) Hindrances: The characters have not satisfactorily fulfilled their sires’ favors to Verus (+1 difficulty); the characters do not possess Etiquette (+1 difficulty). Help: All — The characters have successfully completed their sires’ favors to Verus. (-1 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The characters have made fools of themselves, and their sires will hear of their mistake. All subsequent Social rolls are at +2 difficulty. Failure: The courtiers chuckle whenever the characters pass by. All subsequent Social rolls are at +1 difficulty. One Success: The characters comport themselves properly, and have managed to impress Ahmose II. Three Successes: The characters have noticeably learned how to conduct themselves in Elysium, and have made a positive and lasting impression on Marcus Verus. Five Successes: The characters are the talk of Elysium, and the courtiers are lining up to speak with them and hear stories of their travels. No doubt, their sires will be proud when they hear how well they’ve done!

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Disarm an Assassin Dice Pool: Dexterity + Melee or Dexterity + Brawl (difficulty 6) Hindrances: The characters cannot shed blood in Elysium (+2 difficulty); the character does not possess Melee (+1 difficulty); the character does not possess Brawl (+1 Difficulty). Help: All — Marcus Verus regards the characters favorably. He will secretly use his Disciplines on the target. (-2 difficulty).

Roll Results Botch: The assassin jumps free and combat ensues in Elysium. Further attempts to disarm the assassin are at a +2 difficulty. Failure: The characters miss the target. Additional rolls to disarm the assassin are at a +1 difficulty. One Success: The characters land a blow that forces the assassin to lose their balance. The weapon clatters to the ground. Three Successes: The assassin is knocked to the ground, and the weapon has been kicked out of the way. Verus’ guard quickly arrest the assailant. Five Successes: The characters disarm the assassin in expert fashion. They not only manage to successfully retrieve the weapon, but have also detained the assailant. This act impresses Verus, who will grant them an additional small reward.

Consequences If the characters have successfully identified MacLeann as a conspirator and have procured the painting and DuBois’ testimony as proof Durand is not to blame, the Prince will send a letter of commendation to their sires. The Ventrue lord will then offer them one reward of their choice: gold, domain, a mentorship for one season, or a writ of travel within the Baronies of Avalon. If the characters have returned empty-handed, Marcus Verus will postpone the proceedings until he can hear their testimonies. At that time, Verus may use any means necessary to detect whether or not the characters are telling the truth. In lieu of evidence, the characters may have an idea whom the conspirator is; their reward, however, will be a letter of commendation to their sires and nothing more. If the characters have betrayed the Prince, Verus will send their sires a letter of rebuke. Then, he will force them to drink a single drop of his blood, the first step to securing the Blood Oath. This grave punishment is a significant act,

one that serves as a warning to all those who’ve dreamed of crossing the Ventrue lord. They are then ordered to remain under the tutelage of Ahmose II until the Prince is assured of their loyalty. Following the Prince of Chester’s final judgments in this scene for the characters involved, the characters are free to stay, leave, or perform another favor for the Ventrue lord

who has pledged to defend his throne from all enemies, seen and unseen. Now that the characters have proven themselves, there is no telling what adventures — and deadly rivals — await them should they wish to continue their travels in V20: Dark Ages.

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At the end of Legacy of Lies, the characters have likely fulfilled their obligation to their sires, and have performed a service for Marcus Verus, the Baron of Chester. No doubt, they have also made an impression on all other Cainites they’ve encountered as well, including Robert Durand, the Baron of Edinburgh. Whether or not Verus and Durand revive old grudges will be due, in part, to the actions that take place in this story. No matter the result, the Storyteller should indicate to the player characters that there are, and will be, far-reaching consequences for their actions. If the players wish to continue using these characters, there are threads that lie waiting to be picked up. What, for example, is the mysterious Order of Bitter Ashes DuBois has pledged service to? What paintings did they commission DuBois to create and, more importantly, why? Will Durand quickly put his court in order, now that he has moved to put overly ambitious Cainites in their place? And, perhaps more importantly, how will Mithras, the King of the British Isles, react when he hears this news? Or, his great ally, Salianna, the Queen of France?

Experience

Additional points may be awarded based on the outcome of the story. Some examples are: Success: In the event that the characters’ sires have each given their childer a goal to fulfill, either on their behalf or that of their clan’s, they should be rewarded for completing that goal. Each of the characters should get an extra experience point for this effort. Danger: Surviving the hunters’ ambush (or Leofred Black’s vengeful attack in Chester) should count as dangerous for an experience point award, provided they received no help from other characters. Wisdom: Concocting a scheme to prevent violence or bloodshed whilst in Edinburgh should grant the players an additional experience point as well. Other experience points may be awarded to players at the discretion of the Storyteller for excellent, in character moments that occurred over the course of the story as well.

Further Adventures

egacy of Lies may be completed over the course of two ollowing the conclusion of Legacy of Lies, the StoryL to five sessions. It is recommended that each character Fteller is encouraged to discuss the experience with their receives experience point awards at the conclusion of the players to obtain feedback. Should players wish to continue adventure as opposed to the end of each session. At the discretion of the Storyteller, points may be awarded to help players purchase or increase Traits. The rules for doing so can be found on pp. 184-185 of the V20: Dark Ages rulebook. LEGACY OF LIES

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the story, options for further adventures are as follows:

Seeds of Bitterness By defending his throne, domain, and religion, Marcus Verus has knowingly confronted Audrien DuBois’ patron, the

Order of the Bitter Ashes. Now that the mysterious cult has been exposed, the Order is on the move. Chamberlains from Edinburgh to Jerusalem are sending dire reports of knights who roam the countryside in God’s name. Verus is concerned that the Order of the Bitter Ashes will attack his sire, Mithras, in an effort to quell the pagan religion he founded, Mithraism. Though the Prince of Chester is aware that Mithras can take care of himself, he believes that the best offense is to mount a defense by sending the characters to London with a letter of introduction. How will the religious characters react to Verus’ request? What happens when they discover a confrontation with the Order is nearer than they think? How will the characters clan elders take this new piece of news now that old favors have been fulfilled?

Peace Offerings To most vampires, the characters successfully and definitively dealt with the brewing conspiracy to dethrone Marcus Verus and Robert Durand. Not every Cainite, however, is happy with their meddling. Clan Elders amongst the Brujah, Gangrel, and Toreador believe that Verus should have consulted with them before calling in private favors, and are noticably angry a notable Prince and ally has slighted them in such a manner. Now, much to Verus’ surprise, forces are amassing outside of Bath and are getting ready to lay siege. Caught unawares, Verus is planning to respond with a show of force, unless the characters step in and find out the

real reason Clan Elders are upset. To do so, however, they must race to several domains in order to broker truces and settle old debts. How will the characters react when they receive a nasty letter from their sires? What will they do when they realize they’ve been used as a foil for a much bigger (and nastier) conspiracy?

False-Faced Prince Though the plot has unraveled, Prince Durand can not let sleeping hounds lie. Now that the Toreador Prince has managed to get his domain under control, he has suddenly renewed interest in his rivalry with Prince Verus. Durand has one thought on his mind: expansion. Durand wishes to do for France what Verus did for England, and oddly enough, he wants the player characters to help him do it. The Toreador is so desperate, he’s even signed on to work with the Nosferatu Clan’s network of spies to contact, even kidnap if necessary, to assist the rival Prince in his time of need. Unfortunately for Durand, his actions have not gone unnoticed by those closest to him. Al-Sayyid, the Sheriff, believes the Prince of Edinburgh isn’t himself. His behavior points to a darker, more unsettling thought: an imposter sits on the throne. What are the ramifications of heeding Durand’s call? What happens when the characters confirm al-Sayyid’s suspicions? Worse, will the characters be willing to find the real Prince of Edinburgh by working an imposter?

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Aisling Doyle “I will find out the truth and nothing will stop me.” “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Of whom should I be afraid?” “I find you in contempt of the law. Surrender now, or face dire consequences.”

Background: In life, Aisling Doyle was the daughter of a minor Irish noble. She grew up with stories of Crusaders traveling across the world and fighting to reclaim the Holy Land. These tales lit a fire in her young heart, and when her father wasn’t looking, she convinced his knights to teach her the art of combat. When he learned of this, her father forced her to enter a convent and live her life as a clergywoman. Doyle took to this new life well, excelling at her studies and religious training. The young woman had always carried a burning desire to be part of Christ’s Church Militant, and here she was as close to her savior as she could be without joining Him in heaven. Here, too, she was Embraced at the hands of Bishop Bryan Delauney, who saw a Brujah’s fire in the girl’s passionate-and-violent nature. In unlife, Aisling Doyle maintains her identity as a nun, but her heart burns for another calling. Doyle desires nothing more than to serve as the Sheriff of Verus’ court, but fears her lack of status and vampiric age makes her unfit for the job. The possibility of representing her sire gladdens her heart, and Doyle eagerly heeds Verus’ call to root out his enemies. Unfortunately, Doyle’s goals are divided between what her sire thinks is best and what she wants for herself. As a neonate, she knows she has much to learn. Description: Doyle stands six feet tall with a powerful stance and the confidence of a woman who could kill you. She keeps her curly raven-black hair tied back at the nape of her neck, or pulled into a knot at the top of her head for the ease of wearing a helmet. Her ice-blue stare bores through those she gazes upon with the weight of her judgment. When presenting her identity as a nun, she dressed in the common black habit of the clergy. When filling a knight’s boots, she dons a fine chain shirt, helmet, and the livery of the Prince’s court. Roleplaying Hints: Aisling Doyle is well-educated and eloquent. She’s not afraid to resort to threats, knowing that she’s capable in a fight. When given a task to solve or a problem to investigate, Aisling pursues it without ceasing until she’s reached a satisfying conclusion. She will drag her coterie along with her by force if she must. She also deeply loves the teachings of Christ, though often finds them at odds with her violent nature as a person, her nature as a vampire, and her status as a warrior.

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AISLING DOYLE

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Ibrahim Ayoub “Who is it you’d like to meet? Maybe I can help.” “Tsk, tsk, tsk. It’s not a good idea to waste blood heedlessly.” “Another drink for my friend here! Please, go on, tell me more.”

Background: Ibrahim Ayoub found himself this far north by way of the Silk Road, a string of chance encounters, and the gift of his Embrace. The son of merchants, he grew up around trade, currency, language, and secrets. At a young age, Ayoub learned the value of listening, of making friends, and of using those friends and that knowledge to your advantage. Favors and connections, he learned, can be far more valuable than spices and silk, and as a Cainite who has never been gifted status or domain, Ayoub knows exactly what he stands to gain. Ibrahim Ayoub made his way to the Baron of Chester’s court by way of his connections. Ayoub’s sire, a former Roman senator and close acquaintance of Marcus Verus, contacted his childe to let him know that the powerful vampire requested a favor. Ayoub jumped at the opportunity, realizing there were many contacts to be made, alliances to be forged, and opportunities to be seized. An opportunist and a socialite, Ayoub abhors violence for the sake of violence but knows how to hold his own in a fight. Where others use sharpened steel to attack their enemies, Ayoub prefers the silkiness of words and a softer touch, tools he will need when he journeys to the British Isles for the first time. The Toreador has heard many stories of the English and the god Mithras, and wonders what kinds of favors his childe, Marcus Verus, might award him. Description: Though of average height and build, Ibrahim Ayoub has a lovely face and an enchanting voice. Often, Ayoub wears clothes fit for traveling with just the slightest hint of wealth; a touch of silk here, fine embroidery there, or outerwear dyed rare and beautiful colors. He’s charming and easy to confide in: a mistake many make. The Toreador is a socialite through and through, luring unsuspecting victims with the lure of a charismatic personality and the promise of a good time. Roleplaying Hints: Ibrahim Ayoub loves beautiful people, delicious secrets, and exults in using both. Enchanting and charming, the Toreador neonate is good at obtaining the confidence of others and influencing the lost or confused into doing his bidding. If he sees a social angle he can take advantage of, he won’t hesitate to use it. In combat, the former merchant will use his appearance and enchanting demeanor as a feint to throw his victims off guard. Should the Toreador socialite fall into silence, others should take that as a sign that something has gone very, very wrong.

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IBRAHIM AYOUB

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Ellyn Bennett “If you’re wise, you’ll heed my commands.” “With all due respect, sir, I think I have a better plan.” “Trust no one. Especially not me.”

Background: The daughter of a minor noble, Ellyn Bennett grew up with her mother’s influence near Sussex. She was always whispering in her ear that, one day, she might become as powerful as the men surrounding her. Then, one night, her mother’s prediction came true; a Ventrue lord visited their humble estates in the dead of winter. Feigning illness, the lord and his enchanting vassals were safely tucked away by day, only to emerge by candlelight. For three nights, Lord de Nobara sat with her, questioned her, and enjoyed her company. Then, on the fourth night, she was Embraced, never knowing the arrangement de Nobara made with her mother or the long and storied lineage of her sire. The youngest neonate of the group, Bennett struggles with her past and has yet to come to grips with her role amongst the Ventrue. She is fully aware that she is a descendant of the god Mithras, but has never met him and knows she is expected to do great things — a burden the neonate feels is too heavy to bear at times. Like other Ventrue, Bennett believes only they are fit to rule other Cainites, and has yet to find fault with the rumors she hears about the other clans. Perhaps this is the reason why her sire has been so cruel? Why send her to Chester? Why can she not remain at her sire’s side, instead? Isn’t he as powerful as Verus? Description: Tall and comely, Ellyn Bennett possesses a regal bearing: a proud face, fair skin, chestnut hair, and hazel eyes. She dresses like a courtier of high status, even when attending to more violent affairs, and is fully aware of her beauty and royal stature. Roleplaying Hints: While seemingly haughty, Bennett is also driven by a desire to build structure and bring order. She believes she is fit to rule and rule well, but does not have the experience or the training to know what being a true leader means. In her mind, Bennett has become convinced royalty is in her blood, an assumption that could make her a natural leader or put her at risk of harm.

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ELLYN BENNETT

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Tsetseg “Away with your maps. I have something better to guide you. Me.” “You bicker like jealous lovers. My horse behaves better than you.” “High Clan, Low Clan. What does it matter? We are all vampire.”

Background: Born into a Mongol tribe, Tsetseg grew up on horseback, and learned to handle a bow as soon as they were strong enough to draw the string. While given a gender at birth, they felt neither male nor female, and preferred a life free from the trappings of labels. While many of their peers had a taste for civilized life, Tsetseg preferred the wilderness, the company of animals, and the open air. It was not too long after they reached maturity that their sire Embraced them and made them one of the Gangrel. Life as a Cainite suited them just fine, and their newfound powers allowed them to travel the world and see it through fresh eyes. A Cainite with an adventuring spirit, Tsetseg is well-traveled and has recently visited Jerusalem. Now, they arrive in the Court of Chester to honor their sire, Batbayar, and fulfill an obligation to Marcus Verus. Though they are a neonate, Tsetseg is exceptionally pragmatic and curious to a fault. The Gangrel has had the opportunity to observe the treatment of many Cainites and clans during their travels to several cities, villages, and the lands surrounding them, and gives them an edge other neonates envy. Description: The Gangrel neonate has a unique appearance, and has a half-shaved head and notable tattoos. They are short and thick with muscle, and move with an athletic grace. Though Tseteg is comfortable wearing the garb of the lands they travel in, the neonate prefers to dress as a traditional eagle hunter and always display their bow and quiver, even when it would be better served not to. Roleplaying Hints: Once satisfied with solitude and the company of any horse, Tsetseg has grown accustomed to seeing the wonders of the world. Curious and adventuresome, Tsetseg is new to the British Isles but knows better than to act naïve. As an experienced traveler, the Gangrel will teach other neonates what they know in exchange for knowledge of politics and inner-workings of court.

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TSETSEG

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Gareth Clay “I can tell you what you need to know… for a price” “Of course I can steal something that trivial, but I won’t do it for free.” “Everything floats downstream, my dear, and I’ll be right here to collect it.”

Background: In life, Gareth Clay was an unlikable creature. Even before his monstrous Embrace, Gareth was the type to hoard secrets and valuables, while sticking to the shadows. Dour and cynical, Clay stumbled his way into the clergy, but quickly abandoned it after being caught stealing holy objects from his local friary and selling secrets he heard in confessions. His ability to remain unseen attracted the attention of his opportunistic sire, who Embraced him to broker wealth and information for the betterment of the Nosferatu Clan. Over the course of fifty years, Clay has emerged the spider at the center of a vast web, weaving a network of spies and informants, many of whom are ghouls, to trade favors with him or his clan. Some secrets too precious to sell Clay keeps in a journal, hidden in his London haven. Other details he simply memorizes and keeps to himself. Like all Nosferatu, the former priest is good at uncovering the truth and sharing that information for a price. His penchant for thievery is yet another way he shifts the balance of power by putting important objects into the right – or the wrong – hands. It is, perhaps, only a matter of time before Gareth sells out the wrong Cainite, a fear his sire shares as well. For, despite all his talents, Clay has not yet learned the importance of teamwork and the reason why the Nosferatu are a force to be reckoned with. An opportunistic neonate, Clay knows he’s disposable because he’s simply one spy of many. Thus, he strives to be invaluable, one way or the other, in all his pursuits knowing full well the sacrifices he must make. Description: The taint of the Nosferatu blood marks Gareth Clay’s face; he has a prominent brow and sunken cheeks. His mouth is a thin, bestial slit and his vampiric fangs clip over the edge of his lip. Graying, patchy skin peeks out from the folds of his monastic robes, which are stained and tattered from continuous wear. Clay moves with an unsettling motion, perhaps because his limbs have twisted or rotted. No one has ever peered beneath his voluminous clothing to find out, and likely never will. Roleplaying Hints: Gareth Clay has internalized the price of his sins in life have manifested now in death. He believes he suffers from God’s curse, and his Embrace was a just punishment. Though he is well-educated and secure in the web he’s spun, outside of his network Clay has yet to understand what it means to be a vampire, let alone a Nosferatu. Worse, Clay still values the trappings of mortal wealth, and can be easily bought. A bribe of a rare tome or a fistful of jewels is enough to get him to do any task, much to his sire’s shame.

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GARETH CLAY

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TWO PRINCES. BITTER RIVALS. AND A COTERIE CAUGHT BETWEEN THEM. Marcus Verus, the vampiric Prince of Chester, secretly prepares to go into torpor. Should his plans be made public, the Prince knows the wolves — both real and imagined — would launch an attack, threatening all within his domain. That's where you come in. Legacy of Lies includes: • Basic rules for players and Storytellers • Introduction to the V20: Dark Ages setting • Introductory adventure • Characters for players and Storytellers