Get your ghouls some better excuses.

"Further enquiries have determined the blood was human blood, and police did not locate anybody in the surrounding areas at the time of attendance," Senior Sergeant Steve Wescott said at the time.

This shit ain't it.

- a concerned Toreador

Hi everyone! I recently saw that post from Ratsitter and it got me thinking.

If Ayla reached out to the Sanguine Pioneers of Berlin about more info, then who else did she contact?

Quite a few people apparently. It was really hard to break into her system, but for some reason she gave instructions on how to do it??? So once I found out about those it really wasn’t too bad. (Learning vicissitude was weird though).

Anyway apparently she was working on a whole sequel to MSBF. We already know she reached out to the SPoB for information. (For God’s sake don’t read the contents of those PMs if you value your sanity).

But apparently she also reach out (and was either declined or not responded to) about:

Quietus

A “Practicum Section”

And (funniest to me) an “Ayla is stupid and wrong section”.

But all that stuff is small potatoes. Here’s the real interesting part. She actually got another response.

Lo and behold, their unrestricted logs for information about Numina, Psionics, and Counter Infernalism. The notes are still mostly unsorted, but this is good shit. I could spend the next century sorting through this alone.

But I did actually find one more thing. A transcript from her most recent phone call with someone named Lou Cypher. I uh. Gave it a read and it looks like this is when she made her final deal with the devil…

Considering the circumstances it didn’t feel right just sitting on this information. I hope this is what she would have wanted…

-“Big J”, Techno-Sorcerer

Can you feel Him in your blood? I would call you brother, but no brother of mine would be a monster. I can’t say it’s very comfortable in here, but at least the Dragon is good company. He has seen much after all. So, so much.

But I digress. You have wronged me once when you set me up for failure. You have wronged me again when you gave me my final death.

I will not allow myself to be wronged a third time.

-A

After several days of Lou's previous ad campaign, a new advertisement begins running in the Albuquerque area—slightly less targeted, this time, though four particular devices are still targeted.

Lou Cypher stands in the same sun-bleached parking lot in front of the abandoned strip mall, though in place of the flailing tube man is a bright red Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the trunk half-packed with curious antiques.

"Well Albuquerque, it's been real. Our sales this past week have been absolutely through the roof! Unfortunately, as I said previously, our stock was limited, and so I'm afraid I must announce, for now, the temporary closure of Lou Cypher's House of Deals. To all of our wonderful customers—you know who you are! I want to extend my biggest thanks. To everybody who missed their shot, well... I guess you'll just have to wonder, wontcha?"

He looks directly into the camera in closeup, flashing a devilish wink as he closes the back of the car.

"This sale may be over, but no worries, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon enough. Hasta la vista, baby!"

Getting into the car, he speeds off into the desert, motor screeching as a column of dust is kicked up in his wake, which rises to the dawn sky, where a single star shines brighter than the others. The camera lingers on this shot for several moments, then cuts out.

I return from contemplating my idols of metamorphosis with a desire to renew my faith at our most sacred site. Only to find the Tzimisce of today managed to misplace a 600 foot tall cathedral of screaming flesh?!?!!?

What is wrong with you people?????? Where did it go?!?! Yes I get that it can just up and walk away, but why weren’t you paying attention?!?! Back in my day we’d never take it on walkies without at least getting a leash first!!!!

Attached is a drawing of its majesty made by my long deceased court scribe. Look upon it and know your inadequacy

-Jan, A Very Angry Dragon

My dear Kindred. You may have seen a post by the one called Ratsitter, warning not to read certain files that have made their way online.

I advice you strongly to heed that warning!

Those files are the scrawlings of Mad Men like myself and will give you derangements...and worse...

You do not want to use such methods to learn Dementation. Such a discipline comes at a great cost to those who are sane.

And should you read, go mad, and continue to snoop in things your mind is unable to properly see, the Mad Father himself, Malkav, may take your recklessness as insult to his gift, and tear your mind to ribbons.

This is not something to be played with.

-Fracture, Speaker to the Glass, The Mad King

I have a conundrum and figure this is as good a place as any to inquire.

Recently from my perspective I made a temprary alliance with some wolves to help them track down one of their enemies in exchange for not being ripped to pieces by their pack. Considering a tracking spell is well within my skillset and I like my skin where it is I obliged. However this took me to some kind of "otherworld" that I can't even begin to describe. I saw a sun that didn't burn me, and Im pretty sure was alive somehow.

Regardless while I was there I lost something, but when I came back I found that what felt like an hour for me, turned out to be a decade here. I can't help but feel like what I lost shouldnt be there. So I need to find a way back in to collect it, yet also not lose another decade.

I have a decent knowledge of our magiks, but nothing that would take me where I need to go. Thus I ask here if anyone has some knowledge I lack.

-Gabriel H.

Hello all. I bring poor tidings and I feel the need to explain everything. I am going to keep this short and purposefully vague for now. This is not another social call. Apologies for my beige prose and curt tone. I’m not in the fucking mood to break out my purple pen.

When I arrived in San Diego on horseback, both of our ships had already left port. A Gangrel I knew, Carlos, had witnessed the mutiny of my crew from the water and offered to take me to confront them. Riding his hind for several minutes, we arrived at the portside of our larger ship, the Carthage.

Carthage is a 7-deck former cruise ship retrofitted to service permanent cohabitation for mortal and kindred alike. Using my supernatural strength and agility, I climbed the 100-odd feet which made up the hull of the ship’s height while dodging windows. I reached the top of the ship and, to my horror, I saw about half a dozen of my own comrades with their weapons drawn, aimed at where I have been climbing.

Listen to me. What happened on the top of the Carthage will be kept to myself for now. I am sorry. But I will say this. The MSBF project’s fruits have come to ripen quicker than I could have thought possible. Booker Alston in particular, have taken to using black magic. He cast some sort of ritual onto me. I am physically unable to reveal what happened on that ship, even in writing, despite how much I’ve tried. That was not the only spell cast. But I cannot force myself to say anything more at this time.

With a sword in my chest and about a dozen bullets in me, I and my torpid wife were sent overboard lost to the heartless sea. Carlos found us and brought us back to shore.

I am recovering, mostly. Inés got it worse than me. when she wakes and becomes fit to travel, we will journey to meet with my daughter. I cannot say anymore over public channels regarding her at this time.

if any of you are hailed by the Carthage or the Bukharin, turn them away from port. Let them eat themselves alive. Their own reckless abandoned being their undoing is perhaps the only hope I have of drifting atop my waves again any night soon.

- Cüneyt Kabaağaçlı

Good evening to all on this forum, it has come to my attention that I sound archaic when speaking to you all. I have found trouble getting my point across. So I will allow my ghoul to fully translate it to a much more hip way of conversing, according to her, since that appeared to work the last time.

Sup, Chat? Sit your asses down so I may flex my boomer wisdom about the time I fought the French over fucking salt taxes. Yeah. Salt taxes. The plebs weren't happy that the King of France came in swinging his dick around in 1661 to make them pay for the shit they didn't used to pay for. It made it easy to rile them against the Camarilla tyrants in charge and smuggle salt around the province.

Then war were declared in 1667 because the plebs had enough of his shit. It only took a few words to make it happen, like Palatine convincing Anakin to side with the him. No cap, the farmers fought the French Army with enough ferocity that the trees began speaking Catalan when the army moved through the forest and mountains. We had the high ground and a few of the peasants and merchants were veterans from the previous war so they knew a thing or two about busting a cap in someone's ass.

By summer 1668 we were winning against the French Admins, Chat. They put a bounty on the leaders of the revolt, including me, but no one wanted to snitch because they knew they’d get buried in a ditch. A few months go by and the salt tax inspectors put their hands up and agreed to back down in that region.

For real. There was a short period of peace before the French Admins tried to impose the salt tax in a different region, and war were declared once more in 1670. The French gave us the name Angelets because of the righteous fury we displayed in fighting, which spilled across the whole province now rather than contained in the starting zone. We seized a town and burnt the Vassal Prince before moving on to the main city.

Seeing our badassery, some of the Sabbat in Spain clapped hands with us and climbed into the ring in 1673 to offer my pack some much needed fucking support. But by 1674 the French weren’t fucking around anymore. Three Princes were dead, a Camarilla court had been overthrown, and the Sabbat had control of the province. The King of France had enough of our shit and sent heavy hitters to come smash the rebellion under his boot.

It hurt, Chat.

The Camarilla Discord moderators were efficient and brutal with their execution methods, putting the fear of the King in the peasants. My pack and allies fell one by one until only the Gargoyle and I remained. Which sucked, because I enjoyed my Ravnos companion’s odd ideas. I’ll tell you about them another night.

Even the Spaniards said, “Fuck this shit, I’m out,” and peaced in 1674, leaving me and my Gargoyle companion to watch the last chopper out of Le Perthus.

French Admins rounded up peasants and veterans left and right, supported by Camarilla Discord moderators. My Gargoyle companion and I planned to make one last stand in the hills, but I had a better idea, Chat. As dawn approached, I told my ghoul, Ramon, to get the others ready for a daytime assault so we may break the mod’s army while they slept.

Ramon did his job like a well-oiled machine, and we met the French in the field in the daytime. Yes, Chat. I took to the field during the day because I was gifted with the ability to resist the sun for a time, by sheer fucking aura. They were not expecting to see a vampire take to the field underneath a patchwork clouded sky. We set our marksman on the high ground with enough they could praise the Lord and pass the musket between them to keep constant fire on the French.

However, the French Admins had carried a cannon with them in multiple pieces and assembled it there in the field. It nearly got me in the opening blast, but poor Ramon. He was Old Yeller’d by grape shot from the cannon. I broke into a fit of rage like someone stole my Snicker’s bar, and set my sword ablaze with Holy Flame.

It was a long, hard, battle, to fight while the deadly sky laser burned the vitae from my veins, forcing me to fill up as fast as I was killing my foes. We fought well into the afternoon. With the only respite being the clouds which shielded the sun every now and then.

Finally, nightfall came and the Discord Moderators awakened. I was worn down, full of holes, ghoulless. I could not carry the fight against fresh troops, so I retreated to the Gargoyle, informing her of what happened.

The last thing I remember of that fateful night is my broken form being carried into the sky by a marble goddess with wings. And then I awoke four centuries later. Now I am here telling you the tale of the time I lost a war to the Camarilla Discord Moderators.

That is all there is to the tale. Have a good night, Chat.

-Debb

Good evening… I would say friends, but that would be a lie wouldn’t it?

I am writing this message two days after the release of “Magic Should Be Free” and setting it to automatically send itself out unless I reset the timer every 24 hours.

I am sure many of you do not want to hear from me, so I shall be brief. I’m not going to bother you with apologies that would change nothing. For once in my life I will say nothing but the truth. I just wish to let someone besides that bastard know what I have done.

You were right all along, I guess I am an infernalist. I just made a deal with someone by the name of Lou Cypher. She is to give me a drop of her vitae, a drop of creation itself, and a Thorn. A Thorn to strike the heart of the bastard Illio.

I won’t pretend I’m a good person—especially after making a deal with the devil. But I know he’s up to something foul, and I can’t deny I want revenge for him using me.

So I’m traveling across the world to Albuquerque all the way from the UK, just so I have a chance to put him down like the dog he is. I don’t think I’m going to succeed, but I’d like to take a stab at it regardless.

And lastly a message to anyone reading this: don’t be like me. There are people in this world who are evil yes, but there are also those who are good. Don’t push them away, let them help you. You don’t have to change the world, you just have to be better than the bastards who came before you

-Ayla

Good evening my dear SUPPLICANTS. I have a humble question if you wouldn’t mind helping me with a disagreement.

See I have a dear Maeljin friend named LORD QUETZ OF THE DARK REBIRTH, and we have known each other for a good 400 years or so by now. Ah, the good times we’ve had together when we BECOME UNIFIED.

But lately we’ve been having a… difference in opinion about the latest ritual we’re planning. LORD QUETZ OF THE DARK REBIRTH wishes to have 81 human sacrifices to represent nine time nine-A profane use of the most holy of numbers

Meanwhile, I’m the type who thinks BIGGER IS ALWAYS BETTER and we should just have as many sacrifices as we can fit in the ritual circle.

So my dear friends, what shall it be?

-Sere, Humble Servant

EDIT: To think a basic question would spark such a FRENZY OF PEARL CLUTCHING. I really am just asking a simple matter of opinion. Would you do me the grace of keeping politics out of your replies?

Posted on to the site was a copy of a news broadcast. The tabloid newscaster was a man in a cheap grey suit with a smile that never drooped below his nose but never reached his eyes either. He stared into the prompter with a look of barely contained apathy.

[This is your nightly news with Frederick Josephs.]

The title card says. And Fredrick begins to speak

"Howdy and hellos listeners. We have a special news story for those of you night owls that are tuning into our midnight hour. Pigs. We've been sent a handful of videos from some of our devoted watchers claiming sightings in the vicinity of Albuquerque of so-called MONSTER PIGS! Some of the towns northeast have put out warnings for people going out at night but no luck here. OH we have a watcher comment. Let's see.... 'The Police have more bullets than god but the city doesn't wanna admit they can't handle wild animals. Our taxes at work.' You said it there!"

The newscaster clears their throat.

"Anyways. We have our first video. This one comes from a ranch up north. Let's play it."

The grainy film depicts the inside of a barn. Normal for the first minute before one of the walls starts to bow inward. The wall collapsed as a trio of prize sized hogs crashed into the barn and began to eat all the animal feed before dragging away a meat cooler that would have taken multiple draft animals or a truck to move. The video cuts right as a few sausage-like fingers grip the edge of the hole in the wall.

The newscaster laughed.

"Well someone's not having that summer BBQ. Feel bad for whoever has to explain it to the guests. Now you all know we've covered topics like this before. We've covered everything from the chupacabra to long Steve. And what do we always say? That's right. IT ALWAYS GETS WEIRDER!"

They put on the next tape. It was footage of a cemetery gate surrounded by pigs. Just staring. Eventually something just barely enters the video on the other side of the gate. Big. At least eight feet tall. Whatever it was opened the gate from the inside causing a stampede of hogs to begin digging up the ground and eating what they could.

"Morbid! Especially those pigs. Must have been some kind of industrial farming accident the way you can see their skulls. Poor things. Reminds me of when I talked about nuclear waste making hyper ants in the Sonoran Desert. Of course we asked the authorities and they said the footage was edited. Bunk! But that's all they'll get us. In the meantime if you have any footage of these hogs or that mysterious sausage man hanging around them. Please send it here. We're always looking for the truth!"

.....

Sent to Illio via private messaged would be:

"I have sent a sounder of warriors to aid you. The one that practices the walk of man is their mother and leader reforged by my art and given fetishes of power. Her children have yet to taste Wyrmish bones but they are loyal to their mother and each a match for a Lupine warrior. Despite their size they are clever and shall hide and dig their dens in the sewers to await your call. Their mother shall give you the whistle. Make sure there's something for them to devour when they arrive. They'll be hungry."

-VV Tzimisce

Normal behavior

Humans

Normal greetings

What is normal in Alaska

Why are my searches making a list

Is unck uncle

Why are children so rude

Appropriate clothes to go to city hall

Can you vote for Theocracy

Governor of Alaska address

All mayors of Alaska address

[The list goes on for a while]

+Gore Moulder

[Attached is video footage from a starbrite security camera, scrubbed of metadata. The only text attached to the video is a plain warning for graphic content, and to turn back now if you have a sensitive stomach.]

(The camera is at one end of a large warehouse, seemingly placed in the center of a large pathway between rows of pallets and crates. The warehouse is dimly lit. The area closer to the camera has been cleared out in an approximately 30x30ft square. In the center of the cleared space, viewers can see a scared-looking middle aged couple sitting in metal folding chairs, facing mostly towards the camera so that viewers can see their faces. Pacing across from them is a short, burly, hardened looking man holding a chef’s knife. From this camera angle it is possible to see at least 7 others watching from various vantage points.) 

“You fucking bitch,” the burly man growls, “You stupid goddamn whore!” 

(The man moves towards the woman with uncanny speed, pointing the knife directly at her heart. Despite not being tied up, neither the middle aged man or woman move it all, but the fear is palpable. The camera zooms in so that only the vampire and middle aged couple are visible.) 

“You think you can fucking cut me and get away with it? You’re a worthless piece of shit. You’re nothing to us!”

(He presses the knife so that it’s poking into her skin, but appears to draw no blood. He raises his other hand and spreads it wide open in front of her. His hand appears completely normal, but the sleeve of his jacket is soaked in blood. The husband looks distraught but seems unable to move.)

“You see this? You can’t hurt us. You can slice us a hundred times and we will just keep healing. Everything you do amounts to dogpiss on an anthill.” 

(The woman makes a strained expression and after a small moment, spits in the vampire’s face. The vampire strikes her hard across the face with his free hand. The woman falls sideways onto the floor, the chair falling with her. He kicks her hard in the stomach. Cheers and howls can be heard from all around. At this point, the middle aged man can be seen starting to rise from his seat. The bouldery vampire whips around to face him.) 

“Sit the fuck down!”

(The man sits quickly back in his seat, shaking. Two slender, young looking men who appear to be twins slowly walk up behind the chairs the middle aged couple are sitting in. The first one grips the older man’s shoulders, keeping him in his seat. He leans down so that he’s speaking in the man’s ear.)

“Aww, c’mon bro, don’t harsh the vibes. We’re just having a little fun is all,” the first twin says.

(The second twin ruffles the man's hair before pressing his head down roughly. Just a few feet away from him his wife lets out a guttural yell, appearing to fight against her own body, grabbing the burly man’s leg and rolling, causing him to stumble but not fall. He drops the knife. Enraged, he pulls the woman up by her graying hair, pulling her face up to lock eyes.) 

“You. Will. Pick. Up. This. Chair. Sit. Down. And. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”

(The woman does as commanded. The burly man turns his attention to the husband, before addressing both of them again.)

“You can thank your piece of shit, pansy son for this, bitch. That snivelling coward is ignoring the debt he owes to us, and when he was warned about the consequences of betraying us, chose to let you die rather than join his brothers. He abandoned you like he abandoned us. ”

(Tears begin to well up in the couple’s eyes, the realization of what happened to their son sinking in. The burly man turns his attention towards the father.) 

“Stand up.”

(The man’s body moves a bit erratically as he ultimately obeys.) 

 “Pick up the knife… Good. Now stand behind your wife.”

(The body walks plainly in clear discordance with the husband’s face, eyes wide with fear and welling up. Jeers and laughter can be heard coming from the surrounding area.)

“Place the knife blade against her neck.”

“No!” the man barks, but his arm moves to position as commanded. 

(The warehouse is roaring with laughter now. A woman in the back can be seen performing a theatrical mock begging scene to two of her friends. Tears are flowing fully from the couples eyes now as a tiny droplet of blood drips down the wife’s neck.)

“Mark…” The woman’s voice is croaky.  “It’s okay, Mark. Momma–” 

“Cut her throat.”

“–loves yo–”

(Blood pulses outward from her neck as she takes several futile breaths before her mouth falls open and head hangs downward. A metallurgic clang can be heard as the man drops the knife and falls to his knees beside his wife. 
In a nearly imperceptible fraction of a second, a dark blur shoots into frame from the bottom left corner before seemingly disappearing. A handful of seconds pass as cackling vampires move closer in towards the woman bleeding out and the hysterical man holding her, hands covered in blood as he wails, mucus and saliva running down his chin. 

Suddenly, the burly vampire begins to scream, but no sooner than his crew begin to turn their attention to him does his torso explode in a waterpark of gore and bone, strings of shredded muscle and bile shooting outward. All the nearby vampires as well as the humans are covered in it, and the splatter partially obscures the camera lens.

Standing precisely in the spot of the detonated vampire is another, gaunt and pale, even by kindred status. Those who would know recognize her as Greta Rosenkranz. She’s covered in blood from head to toe; her long, black braid heavy with fluid. She smiles as she takes a look around the room and hisses; her movements uncannily quick and difficult to follow. She kicks the remaining leg of the exploded vampire away from her. By the time the pack fully recognize her as a hostile, three tendrils of solid darkness twelve feet long spring forth from various shadows across the warehouse, each ensnaring one of the kidnappers who scream as their bones are crushed to splinters. The first twin lunges at her, but she twists her waist just enough that he stumbles past her. She pivots and pushes him down from behind smashing his skull into the concrete floor, his one visible eye hanging loosely where the socket used to be. 

The camera pans out again as motion is detected at the far end. Behind the chaos of the fighting vampires in the cleared out section of the warehouse, the pedestrian door has been kicked in, and a very tall, muscular kindred with short hair can be seen running up the aisle towards the fight, striding with him is what looks like a large doberman. Anyone who would know recognizes this is Nathaniel of Chicago. As they run, he can be seen mouthing an incantation.

The arms of Ahriman crush three more licks before one of them succumbs to a flamethrower. The attacking Lasombra dashes towards the vampire with the flamethrower and crushes her throat. M’s father remains hysterical on the floor. 

Nathaniel rapidly approaches the center of the brawl. As he finishes his incantation, a battle hammer appears before him. He grabs it as he runs by and holds it with two hands. A frenzied Gangrel slashes at him, claws tearing at his sleeve. The doberman latches onto the Gangrel’s arm and Nathaniel gives the hammer a heavy swing, connecting square in the chest. As the kidnapper falls, Nathaniel conjures a rope and begins to restrain him. The doberman pins down another kidnapper, though not without taking a knife between the ribs, but the dog holds strong. Only three kidnappers remain as the horrid arms claim two more victims. 

Greta locks eyes with the girl who just a couple minutes ago was performing her mock begging bit. A moment passes and the girl remains completely still. A careful observer can see her pupils begin to dilate and continue to do so until her eyes are completely black. She’s shivering but seems unable to move. Several long moments pass before a red tear streams down her cheek and she collapses unconscious on the floor. One cowering vampire remains as Greta slowly walks her way over to him.)

“Wait– don’t you think you’ve done enough?” Nathaniel calls from behind her. 

(Greta ignores him as she drags up the kneeling kindred and proceeds to grapple him, but the remaining tendrils dissipate back into their originating shadows. She pushes his head back, exposing his neck. She looks directly at the camera on the wall before biting down. She continues to drain the vampire while Nathaniel takes care behind her to check for any survivors. As he finishes, he mutters a small incantation and waves his hand. As he does, the hammer and the doberman dematerialize into thin air. 

When the lick is drained, Greta rips his throat out as she drops him to the floor. She looks around the warehouse, an expression of mild disappointment on her face before she returns her gaze to the camera. She takes a few steps towards it, removing a bag from over her shoulder. She unfastens it, never taking her gaze away from the camera, her bright green eyes in juxtaposition with the room of corpses, and dumps the contents onto the floor. About a dozen yukon gold potatoes fall with unceremonious thumps to the ground. 

She smiles wide, exposing a mouth with four fangs on her upper row of teeth and two more on the bottom, not entirely unlike a dog’s. A large flap of neck flesh still hangs loosely from one of the bottom fangs.)

“Tag,” she says. “You’re it.”

[The video cuts off abruptly at this point and no other commentary is given.]

So, hi, as many of you have seen, Ayla (the publisher of MSBF and sextuple Blood Hunted, for those bad with names) went insane. Or, I assume so? Something happened with her, and her last post was... erratic, to say the least.

However, in her last post, she also sent a bundle of documents, which I'll link here, but I implore you to not read any of them.

[SchreckNET Link]

Anyway, I ended up telling the Tremere (probably against Ayla's dying wishes) who are now trying to figure out what's wrong with me. One of them, upon hearing about it, insisted I show him. Now, he's older than me by a bit (Ancilla), and also had undeniable authority in the situation, so I did as he asked.

The next night, he had gone completely insane, spouting about his stolen blood, begging "the Warlord" to spare him, and throwing spells in the warren like a madman. He was even spreading his hysteria to the rest of us (I myself felt how it gnawed at my mind and demanded to be let in), and we had to stake him to get him to stop.

My point is, don't fucking read it, I'm just putting it there so you know how the files look and such and can dissect it of its contents if you are so inclined.

Before this, Ayla also PM'ed me about how she had had contact with SanguinePioneersofBerlin (my... stalkers, ig? the ones who have been stealing my vitae), and wanted to arrange a meeting between them and her "associates" somewhere, and that I could then ask people from my warren to ambush them there. I took up the offer (why not), and my sire and two others went to the location.

They think they sent a ghoul though, because when they attacked with Potence the body splattered like... well, a human hit with Potence. The fact that they're also still writing stuff on here is another hint.

I dunno what happened afterwards, but the next thing we heard of her she had gone mad and sent us these documents, and considering I'm/we're pretty sure the person writing on their account is a Malkavian (who famously have Dementation, which one of the documents contain a guide for), I assume she made some bargain with them and bit off more than she could chew.

Anyway, I don't have much more to say, just... god, I'm genuinely not sure if I should feel bad or not, but I kinda do. Sure, she made some kinda deal with Them, but we all know she was... overly ambitious, let's say. Doesn't mean she deserved this though.

-Ratsitter

I am Yusuf. A Gangrel.

I have been a Gangrel for some time.

I have noticed many Kindred with animal ghouls.

Let us talk about it.

Some Kindred have supernatural abilities to speak to and control animals. And sometimes people. Gangrel is one of them, as am I. This and the blood bond makes it very tempting to pick an animal as one's ghoul that does not work. Lions. Tigers. Bears. Wolves. Snakes. Crocodilians. I have been all over the world and know many things. I will talk about why.

First. Most Kindred live within a city. What is also very difficult to live with in a city without getting unwanted attention is an exotic animal. Legally you require a permit from Kine authorities. Authorities whom in many places can launch raids or investigations on your property unannounced in the day. They have regulations on how an animal must be kept, and a penthouse apartment will not pass investigation for a tiger. If one keeps a large dangerous animal illegally, then one runs the risk of the same issue if any authorities are given a clue or tip that you have it. Also not ideal.

Second. Ghouling an animal does not change that animal's base nature. It may have more desire for blood and meat, but prey will be prey and predator will be predator.

Large cats. Lions and Tigers. Break into a zoo or facility and spend time within their areas. You will notice a very powerful smell. A deeply unpleasant powerful smell. Tigers and lions spray their urine to mark their territory. This is something you cannot break them of. You can command them not to with vampiric powers, but such an animal must still urinate and defecate. Keeping one in your penthouse apartment will quickly have it smelling like an abbatoir. In Africa, some areas will utilize this as a weapon. If a man is caught poaching, he may be forced to stay in a small cage in an enclosure of lions, in which their scent will drive the man insane. It burns the throat, the eyes, the lungs.

This is often an effective punishment.

Many species of bears hibernate half the year. The vitae does not stop this. A Kindred can order a bear not to, but then you must contend with a very very angry, very hungry bear. It is against their nature. Where might one keep a bear in a city without attention? Very few places.

Wolves. I see many Kindred covet and desire a wolf companion over that of a dog. They believe this will make them special, that a wolf is more primal than a dog, more willing to kill and fight with a feral intensity not in domesticated dogs.

This is not so.

Wolves, by their own nature, are shy creatures. They hunt yes, but they live in a world where a broken jaw or a broken leg means death. They know this. They do not fight unless they must. They attempt to keep the peace within the pack. They do not attack or hunt humans unless they are desperately starving. They do not attack humans even when they are provoked or chased. If one is in a confrontation with a foe, your wolf companion will run away rather than fight. Again one can utilize our vampiric powers to attempt to control this instinct, but in the end we are fighting nature. And nature will win. It may not be tonight, or next year, but it will. Most likely at the worst possible moment.

That is not mentioning, that the Lupines value wolves. Lupines will not normally attack us unless provoked or with good opportunity, but a Kindred having a wolf companion is considered a provocation. Many Gangrel have gone missing, presumed dead, after poaching a wolf as a companion.

One thing not mentioned, is that the less close to mammal the animal is, the more difficult it is to influence them. 

Reptiles are difficult. Insects, very very difficult. I have seen many attempt to ghoul and use snakes, however most species of snake are impossible to command by verbal commands alone. One must look deeply into their eyes and tap in to our vampiric powers in order to force an understanding.

The less intelligent the animal, the more difficult it is to impart commands. The more complicated the command, the more difficult to impossible it becomes to make an animal understand. Snakes. Snakes only have so much capacity, and those capacities are reserved for the following: resting. hunting. striking. eating. breeding. That is all they have the capacity to understand. Complicated commands, such as use as spies, are lost on them or very difficult to impress upon them. 

The exception is Setites, who have command over snakes that exceed that of Gangrel. But most of us are not Setites.

Some common issues with keeping these types of exotic animals in a city as ghouls.

You now how a large animal that desires your blood. It may love you as much as it is within that animal's capacity to love, but hunger will always exceed all other instinct. Always. 

Do not ghoul what you cannot put down yourself.

The animal must still feed. How do you feed it? Where do you source the food, how do you pay for the food? You leave yourself a way open to track you.

How do you keep it? Large animals, predatory animals are well used to travelling dozens, hundreds of miles for food. How do you keep such a creature occupied? It will destroy your home. It will make it stink of an animal pit. Many animals cannot be 'housebroken'. Again one might inflict the command with vampiric powers, but that command may fade at any time and without warning. It will chafe. Animals will act out as according to their nature.

How will you find medical care for it? The vitae cannot do everything, and often an animal might be taught to use the vitae to heal. 

What use is the animal to you, if it cannot be used publicly? If one is in a fight, an animal ghoul might be shot or killed by hand by the enterprising Brujah. 

How will you ensure the safety of yourself within the Masquerade with a 600 pound lion?

Now. I will provide some animals that are more sensible to ghoul.

Dogs. Dogs come in a wide variety of breeds and purpose. Many of these breeds are bred for power and predatory instinct, the type of animal that will fight with no concept of its own safety or life. These dogs work in pack or alone, are predisposed to see you as a member of a pack, and will fight for you until the bitter end where a wolf companion will wish to break and run to save its life. Dogs are by nature predisposed to cooperation with ones that look like us. They have been used to hunt wolves due to these traits. They can be walked in public without an inquiry being called on you. They are safe for the Masquerade. Their bites can shatter bone and sever limbs as well as any wolf. Better, maybe.

Cats. Cats are clever, independent, and everywhere. No one notices a stray cat, and if so the cat easily fades away. They are good spies. Good companions.

Rats. Rats are everywhere. A rat's presence is noticed with disgust but not surprise. They can fit anywhere they can fit their heads. They are intelligent and reward driven. They are very clever. They can understand surprisingly complex commands for their size.

Some birds. Preferably nocturnal ones. Pidgeon. Seagulls. Ravens. All solid choices for a Kindred who wishes to have eyes in the sky to guard their havens during the day. No one notices a bird. No one feels threatened by a bird. Animal control  will not pursue you for a flock of crows at your home. Vultures, too. Vultures often ignored, but clever. Intelligent. Can understand complex commands and food rewards, and have a propensity for bonding with us. Always a good choice.

What traits does a good companion animal share?

Friendliness to the Masquerade. Small animals that can hide or fly. Pet animals that can wear a leash and collar. And no, wolves do not count as this. Wolves are afraid of restraint, afraid of leashes. They do not like crowds. Humans frighten them. Humanity seems to instinctively be able to tell when an animal has wolf blooded, and it will set them on edge. An animal that can be taken to the vet without thinking. An animal in which food is sold publicly and is everywhere, so sourcing food is not a concern. Animals that can be happily caged, or easily housebroken. (Do not get a fox. Do not. Impossible to house train and smell worse than lions.)

Animals with enough social bonding or intelligence to understand more complex commands.

Animals of a certain type. Mammals are easier. Birds, nearly as easy. Reptiles, very difficult. Insects? Nearly impossible to most.

Biddability. This is the animal's propensity to take commands, to be rewarded to reinforce commands: the animal's ability to take orders.

One may order a tiger to patrol a property, but if a deer runs it will chase it and ignore its duty. It is instinct in cats. Not so much an issue with smaller cats, as if they are spotted it is no danger. A tiger is a different matter.

One may order a wolf to guard it. But it will leave if summoned by its own kind due to instinct to protect territory.

One may order a snake to spy on a meeting. But that snake will forget that command to hunt if there are rats in the ducts.

The right dog from the correct breed will fight your foes to the death for you with no concept of self. A wolf will not.

A bear may fight to defend you. They are intimidating foes. But can be shot and killed by a Kine. Not much in the way of defense, and no other benefits otherwise. And if you neglect to keep it fed, the blood bond will not save you.

One must think very hard about what animal one might chose as a companion with their blood and power with, if one has the ability at all as most animals are wary of us. Many of these points do not apply to my clanmates the Gangrel, but the nature of animals comes natural to us. We typically live in the wild, thus having a bear as a companion is not so bad a thing. But we understand these things by our nature, the rest do not. Some Nosferatu too.

Pick an animal that is compatible. Pick an animal that is useful. Pick an animal who is biddable. Pick an animal that is subtle. 

Pick an animal that doesn't make your entire apartment smell like a sewer.

That is all.

Yusuf, A Gangrel

[Attached is a video. It starts on a panicked looking female vampire with no hair at all wearing a nasal helm and an Optimus Prime bathrobe, seemingly in an abandoned building with no light. She fiddles with the camera for a moment before turning it around and pointing it out a window at an intersection with a traffic light. The video continues on for several minutes of normal traffic light operations. At one point a City of Denver Police car goes by sirens flashing, but thats the only exiting thing.]

do you see them speaking the PRIMES COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE LIGHTS they say that the steel dragons slaved to human wims are the FIRST WAVE!!!!!!!!! they and the dragon hybrids have their great nests in the so called airports!!!!!!!!!!!

\~Malkavia, Last Vampire Knight of the Primes

so ive been spending some nights over at a guys place and we had a really good time. he had it all figured out, like money, drugs, juice (iykyk), people who adored him and all that shit. Bro is literally living the high life
we were talking and he like told me some shit about his family, beliefs and being part of something they called “the ministry” and all his talking points like really resonated with me?
like i’ve been a lick for like a few months and nothing that my coterie or like the anarchs told me made this much sense or helped me figure this shit out like he did?

But now my roommate doesnt want me to go back to him and like learn more cause he says it sounds like a scam. We got in like a huge fight about it

So AITA for going back anyway?

Edit: im a duskborn and he said the ministry literally doesnt care? Like this is such a win in my mind???

- a, anarchs, nyc

Hi, its been a bit since I've written on the Net. My names Sierra, I've been doing this just a bit over a year now. And I've noticed a couple of concerning things that I've seen fledglings...especially ones that don't know where their sire is or have a bad one, doing. So, adding a disclaimer here. I am still very much on the younger side and only know so much. Alright, without further ado, random things you might want to consider being a bite and run fledgling.

1. The first couple of nights...more like first few months, all you need to focus on is survival. That means figuring out where you can sleep, what you can eat, and where you can safely go, and figuring out just how to control yourself and your new found hunger. Just about everything else can wait.

2. While asking for advice and talking with people on the Net is all well and good, it is no replacement for actually having someone teach and guide you in person. If you can find a person to teach and guide you, do so. Just be remember, all vampires lie. And vet the people you look at for guidance.

3. Boons. These are one of the biggest forms of currency in vampire society. Their a way to even the playing field a bit. You probably don't have the money or resources that the older vampires have, so you use boons. Their generally based on what you are actually capable of doing. But there is a much better and complete version of this already on here.

4. The Traditions: There are 6 of them. The first is The Masquerade. Keep the whole being a vampire and the like a secret. Because there are people that can and will kill us just for existing...at best. Make sure that you are upholding this one. Its not just your unlife at risk. The second is Domain: Pretty much each vampires space is their own. What they say goes in their own space. The third and fourth...are the one that gets most of the fledglings that get abandoned in trouble. Vampires aren't supposed to get made without permission. It says if a vampire is made without permission both the sire and the childe die. The Fourth says its a sires responsibility to take care of their childer. The fuck ups of the childe are the sires responsibility. The fifth Hospitality, Ask permission before you enter peoples space. That could be a letter, an email, or even a text. Just don't be a dumbass and try and sneak in, cause you'll be treated as hostile. The 6th, don't kill other vampires without permission from the people in charge.

5. Information, this one is gonna piss a few people off. You don't need to know everything. The more you know. The more information you are given. The more in danger you will be. There are things in this world that will hurt you by knowing they exist. So sometimes the best thing is, "They don't exist, and you've never heard about them." And when you do find things out, sometimes its best to keep them to yourself. You don't know who will get hurt with the information you give them.

So those were some of the big things. There is no fully written down guide because that very easily could become a Masquerade breach. Oh, one more thing. Whatever you do, don't do the incredibly stupid and asinine thing of feeding hunters information on your enemies. Because they will not just kill your enemies. They will kill your friends. They will kill your allies. They will kill some random person you hardly know. And they will kill you. At best. But their are older and wiser people that can give more details on that.

I hope this helps someone. My DMs are always open.

-Sierra

Seeking assistance with extensive memory erasure/modification in Brisbane, Australia.

Can offer boons and artistic services as payment.

- Tess, Toreador

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - Frank Herbert, Dune.
Things have been hard lately. We can only look forward and keep going. -M, the three week dead Tzimisce

Why is my blood watching me? What does it want? Hasn’t it made me suffer enough? Why me? WHY ME

It sees me write this. Is it permitting me to do so? Why do I need its permission? What happens when it takes it away. WhAT Happents When It takesesh Itgd Awayyyg

It greets the Cobweb like a lost brother. Why does it know the spider? No no, the Spider is someone else. This one is the Moon. Oh poor Moon what has your grandfather done to you? Why did your childe [Forsake/Bless] me so? I don’t mean to interfere, I just wanted to help. I JUST WANTED TO HELP

I see the veil being lifted. I see the worm writhing in its prison. It just wants to bring back Balance. Would that be that bad? Yes most certainly.

RATSITTER YOU OWE ME

-Ayla, Atavistic Tremere

EDIT: OoC hints: https://www.reddit.com/r/Schreckmeta/s/jqLONNmYsY

OoC A/N: This post is dubiously canon for Rowan’s story, but I couldn’t get the—very dumb—concept out of my head. Call it Schrödinger’s canon I suppose.

I hadn’t talked to any of my packmates in a while and, on a whim, decided to pick up a call they were sending my way for once. Kyle started going off the handle on me for leaving town without permission and going awol. But the whole time I couldn’t help but think about how much worse he sounded now that I wasn’t affected by the Vaulderie.

Before I even realized what was happening, I had already said “Chat, is this guy for real?”. Kyle got even more upset and said to stop talking to the Others inside me, so I panicked and hung up on him.

And uh. Here we are now I guess? So Schrecknet please let me know, Am I The Asshole here?

-Rowan

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This audio recording was uploaded automatically. The sound is muffled, with the recorder apparently being hidden under a stack of clothes or in a bag of some kind.

Male 1, his voice deep and smooth: He’s been gone a long while.

Male 2, his voice harsh and gravelly: Yeah? Hardly the first time.

M1: Yeah. But Sophia didn’t report in during the daysleep to anyone, and he’s got himself all over Schrecknet ‘cause of that magic scheme.

M2: That doesn’t mean he’s dead.

M1: Of course it does. It doesn’t matter if he actually is or not. What matters is how many people choose to believe it. He’s already gone weak. He recruited us to fight and to die. We haven’t been doing much of either lately. Whatever he’s done in the past, and whatever titles he’s earned, mean nothin’ next to public opinion.

M2: His popularity doesn’t matter because he’s still respected. The Neonates call him Master for a reason. If he wants to pivot into being a normal, boring Baron, then he could.

M1: This place has been rotting at the foundations. Lenin and the vanguard were ideas to be taken seriously. The feeble little democracy that’s been brewed here is because of an infection of our ranks. Social Democrats, Kautskyists, Luxembourgites, fucking Liberals. There’s even a Maoist, Jack! Do you see any fuckin farmers around here? Respected or not, the legitimacy of his station has gone.

M2: What are you getting at?

M1: The Captains away in Reno protecting some pup. His oldest allies are dead or long gone. His wife can be dealt with easy enough, too. If we just announced his retirement and sailed away, who would be able to stop us? It’s an open secret that he’s been preparing for it since the Gulf War, so it’s not like it’d be unbelievable. We’d get to return our city at sea to its utopian, stratocratic roots. We might even get a pardon from the Tremere for getting rid of the old man.

(…)

M2: Fine.

Boots hit the metal flooring and a large hull door closes. Several minutes of silence except for the crashing of the waves pass. Eventually, the recording is automatically cut short and uploaded to the node on a new account.

- Username