Grimler's Dark Ages game has to have been one of my more entertaining role-playing experiences over the years. The group has consisted of all sorts of Kindred over the time which the chronicle has been ran. This chronicle was started up after the previous sabbat chronicle ended with all but 2 of the last group getting butchered at the hands of Karsch in Montreal. I wasn't around for that game, but some of the descriptions I have heard from it bring lots of grins to my face. Our group started out with a menagerie of clans. The group was a split between typical Camarilla clans, Independents, and future Sabbat clans. The game was set in the Siebenburgen where most of the characters ended up being Princes and reforming the Council of Ashes. The pack was as follows.
Gabriel - Brujah Holy Crusader - Whom after several diablerie's developed a few derangements leading him to believe he was one of God's chosen killing machine. Former Prince of Kronstadt.
Ramirez - Lasombra Noble - Ramirez also became a diablerie freak, who had an extreme hatred of Tzimisce and an addiction to diablerie. Former Prince of Tahuta Pass. Town founded to hold Tahuta Pass and establish trade through the Carpathians.
Zechs - Tremere Holy Knight - Zechs never really made any real positive impact to the rest of the group. He always seemed to be around to give everyone a chuckle from his threats to "Fireball each and every one of you." and his selling out Ceores when properly threatened by a couple elder Gangrel and their Mongol horde. Zechs was Prince of Klaussenburg, taking it over after Ramirez and Milena sent Mitru fleeing into the night after his impromptu attack on them.
Matthew - Nosferatu Leper - Matthew didn't really do much aside from cutting a Tzimisce in Horrid Form in half with one ungodly swipe of his broadsword and when attempting the same maneuver against the Prince of Buda/Pest he quickly found out that the chances of rolling that many 10s two times in one chronicle are astronomical. Rikard unceremoniously ripped him in half.
Jeordiza - Malkavian Scholar - Jeordiza was the quiet type. More interested in study than in the actual conquest of land or kingdoms. The player of Jeordiza usually showed up about 2-3 hours late from most gaming sessions so this fit just fine. Jeordiza survived the Night of Indecision. It also kept him alive in the when the rest of the Council of Ashes got butchered in a failed coup against Rikard, Prince of Buda/Pest. Jeordiza was and is still currently Prince of Schlaussberg. Jeordiza is one of the two remaining active characters that can be considered an elder.
Milena Cordova - Ravnos Charlatan - Milena danced around in the shadows throughout the chronicle. Manipulating most things quietly and from afar mostly. Only dirtying her hands when she felt fully assured that she would not get more than a scratch or two on her. Milena survived what is referred to as the Night of Indecision. Milena is known by many faces to many different people. Her greatest heist to date was stealing Prince Rikard's Sensheshal and dialberizing him for entertainment. She did this on the Night of Indecision and escaped the castle with Roland unscathed. She didn't suffer so much as a bruise.
The Night of Indecision
The pack for the most part attempted to function as a well-oiled machine. Sure, alot of the members picked on the Tremere, but for the most part the group worked together very well. This all came to an end on one particular night. The night in question a plan had been put together to assassinate the Prince of Buda/Pest. The Prince had been using us a pawns in his little chess game and even though we all figured it out long ago we had bigger things to attend to. When it finally came down we decided that Rikard would best be served in someone's stomach rather than as an ally or someone manipulating us any longer. The plan was as follows : Milena and Ramirez were to sneak into the castle by going over the wall and getting in from above. All of us had been into the castle on numerous occasions to report to the Prince so we had a good idea of what the layout was. Gabriel, Matthew, and Zechs were to face the prince head on and parlay with him giving Milena and Ramirez plenty of time to get into place. Milena used her Chimerstry to cloak herself and Ramirez in illusion to prevent and detection of their entrance. Once everyone got into position Milena took aim at Roland and Ramirez took aim at Rikard. Hoping to use their superior archery skills to stake him at range before he was so much as alerted to any aggressive action being taken against him. Gabriel began parlay with the Prince and starts airing his grievances against Rikard. Rikard assures him that he has nothing to do with the grievances and accusations that Gabriel brings against him. Gabriel then gives his word of honor as a knight that if Rikard is telling the truth that he will make no action against him, but if Rikard is lying then he will be back to settle the issue. About this time Phelamus comes in, Zechs' Sire. Brief pleasantries are exchanged between he and Rikard and then he and Zechs. Shortly after this he uses Steal Secrets on Zechs and discovers that Zechs has betrayed the location of Ceores, along with all the traps the Zechs knew of. This is when things really start to get interesting. Phelamus screams, "You traitorous wretch!" at Zechs and tosses a rather nice fireball at him. Rikard yells for Phelamus to cease as he his breaking Rikard's rule of Elysium, Phelamus continues. Matthew, Zechs, and Gabriel charge Phelamus and begin beating on him. After the Celerity blender was turned on by Gabriel, Phelamus went down pretty quick. Rikard draws his blade and starts into the melee to help take out Phelamus due to his rage. Up to this point Milena and Ramirez had merely watched things with amusement and wonder at what the hell Gabriel was trying to pull. However with Rikard drawing his blade and charging Ramirez took his shot at Rikard, followed by Milena taking her shot at Roland. Milena was unable to hold the illusion that cloaked Ramirez, but had the made the one cloaking her permanent. The arrow that hit Rikard knocked him back pretty hard, but didn't hit its intended target, his heart. Rikard then charged Ramirez. The arrow that caught Roland caught him square but also missed its main target. Roland was knocked back, but couldn't figure out where the arrow came from so he charged the door which Milena was crouched in front of. By the time he got to Milena who was right in front of his escape and unseen she had gotten another arrow notched and was able to shoot Roland point blank range in the chest. Ramirez and Rikard entered a fast and furious melee which Rikard had his outmatched in. Gabriel, Zechs, and Matthew had finished off Phelamus by this time and charged over to the melee between Rikard and Ramirez. Gabriel screamed for the two to stop multiple times but neither heeded his screams as both were in frenzy. Gabriel decides to solve vampire problems in his typical way by staking the people that won't listen. Gabriel tries 2 times to stake Rikard to no avail so he tries Ramirez and stakes him immediately. Matthew and Zechs jump into melee against Rikard at this moment and Rikard's guards rush in through the main door. The ghouled guards start attacking a weakened Gabriel and Zechs while Matthew gets disemboweled by Rikard. Meanwhile just before the guards rush in Roland makes another break for it out his intended exit and gets by Milena. Milena hops up and leaps out the door tackling Roland. Wrestling on the ground for a moment or two with him Milena produces a stake out of thin air and narrowly misses Roland's heart with it. Roland goes into Rottshreck and manages to roll away from Milena and takes off down the hall. Milena catches up to him easily and bashes him into the ground a few times knocking him into torpor. By this time the entire castle seems to be on alert so Milena cloaks both herself and Roland's body in illusion and makes a quiet escape from Castle Buda. Upon getting safely away Milena finds a place to hold up, dialberizes Roland, and collects his ashes for later use. Ramirez, Gabriel, Zechs, and Matthew were in torpor and met their first daylight in several centuries on top of Castle Buda.
Second Generation Pack
Coincidently after the battle with Rikard all the new characters made have Fortitude and some Celerity. New pack members include :
Amal - Assamite child - He's a good kid. He just likes to diablerize a bit too much.
Petruscio - Ravnos - Petruscio seems to get into a lot of squabbles with the new Lasombra that arrived.
Magus - Lasombra - Quiet and wishes to be left alone. Takes great offense at being stalked and has threatened to kill Petruscio for such.
Francois Nevar - Lasombra - Big, dumb, and Gallant. Lasombra warrior who seems to be a walking chivalrous tank.
Brianna - Salubri Warrior - Huge beautiful Nordic blonde. Got Milena's attention immediately as a candidate for ghoul or childer. Unfortunately she turned out to be kindred.
Shortly after the second generation pack made their appearance Milena disappeared. Suspecting that perhaps Rikard had sent the Assamite to kill her. Milena disguised herself and returned as Saphire, a Spanish Toreador. Saphire hadn't much more than introduced herself when Mitru came into Jeordiza's hall. Mitru came offering his help against the Tremere and the Ventrue if they would reveal the location of Milena. Jeordiza told Mitru that Milena had fled and was not there. Seeing the moment too sweet to pass up Milena/Saphire used Horrid Reality on Mitru and harmed him a little. Mitru then used heightened senses and detected a familiar smell in Saphire and eyed her and lunged. Unfortunately for Mitru, Milena/Saphire was standing behind Jeordiza and the rest of the pack thought Mitru was trying to kill their newfound friend the Prince. The battle was quick and furious which Mitru ending up attempting to change into mist but was beaten into torpor before he could flee. Milena/Saphire jumped on along with Petruscio and Amal to dialberize the helpless Mitru. Milena came out the victor and managed to dialberize he former enemy taking his memories with her. Unfortunately for Milena she found that she and Mitru were fighting on the same side from different front and wept tears of blood from the emotion of the diablerie. Milena has sworn vengeance on Nova Arpad, the Tremere, and clan Ventrue for what they have been doing to the people of Transylvania.