A message to the Founders

Oh most "honorable" Camarilla

I care nothing for your views, your goals, or your lofty ideals.  I care nothing for your desire to search for a world under the oppressive hands of the Antedeluvians.  Ours has perished, crushed beneath our might, and you dare think that your vision would burn bright enough to tear away the shadows of the Lasombra?

You were wrong to assume that the revolt would end with the so-called Treaty. 

You were wronger still to assume that your Inner Council holds sway over us the way the Antedeluvians believed as well.  We are all children of the Forgiving God, and we are all meant to be in this world to play a role in His Divine Plan.

Your request is ignored.  I care nothing for the sake of the Anathema you claim that seeks refuge among my people.  I care nothing for these Children of the Conspiracy, nor for the one among their ilk who has found a place in your supposedly intimidating Red List.

Iberia is mine.

The Night will always have shadows.

And my shadows have eyes.

Do not test me.

A.M.

In correspondence between light and shadow

The Lord's blessings upon you.   

The years that have passed have been a merciless trial.    I had long thought that to be denied the warmth of the Lord's very sun was a horrid truth in itself.  But in the passage of years, I have become more aware of the truth to this dark gift we have been given.  It is a Curse.  A true curse of evil and damnation.

In the years that have passed, I have taken it upon myself to care for the youngling.  Her education must be continued if she is to comprehend what has come to pass.  Let the French fool insult the Almighty and the German blasphemer ignore the wrath of Heaven.  I shall not let the darkness reach beyond our defiled bodies and infect the pure.

It is to my understanding that you are close to the young Ratcatcher.  I have never been seen in his favor.  But the angels have whispered to me that you and he have forged an alliance of sorts, with a body of merchants as your arms.  Please tell him that I have kept her safe.  Tell him that I have done what I must to ensure her purity remains intact.

Tell him she is in good hands.

Yours in God's love,

Clement

Clement you idiot!

It was you?  All those years and it was you?

Do you realize what Iakov Mysi could do, nay, WOULD do to you if he were to learn that it was you who took her from the university?  I should have realized it when he mentioned to me that his sister was being courted by an angel.  An angel!

It has been over fifty years, Clement.

What have you done to her?

Where is she now?!?

J

She is well.

That is all I can and will say.

This is my final missive for now.

We are to take a pilgrimage and I do not know when I can write back to you.

But again, have faith in the Lord.

The angel is well.

Yours in the Lord's love,

Clement

Dark Thoughts Or Prophetic Visions?

It has been more than two centuries since I had last seen my "siblings" of the blood - and yet already I feel it has been too soon for a reunion. Trouble seems to follow us as a group as if we were cursed, but I suppose we all knew that to be true since the night we were embraced by the damned Conspiracy.

Yes, we are definitely cursed and woe and misfortune follow us everywhere we go.

But what was more disturbing for me beyond the attack on our vessel was the odd resurgence of memories I had long buried. Why my thoughts have returned to the dark events of the past centuries - the fall of Cathedral of Flesh, the salt witch creature and of course Vlad - I know not the reason. But if I've learned anything since my Embrace, these are visions that I cannot easily dismiss offhand.

Are these warnings about my vulnerabilities? That day I scarcely escaped the salt fiend was a strong reminder of how even as Kindred we remain so fragile. But beyond that, it also reinforced the many ways that even we, with all of our preternatural abilities, can be manipulated and controlled. I still do not know for sure what happened in the five years I "lost", and I certainly do not look forward to that happening to me again.

But beyond all the other memories that have forced their way into my consciousness even during the heat of battle, why Vlad? I have not turned my thoughts to him since the fall of the Cathedral - at least that's as far as I can remember. I can never be too sure about such things anymore. But Tepes was always an individual that put me on edge even among fellow Tzimisce. He was always a strange mix of beauty and brutality in one individual.

And one that I had been asked to Sire.

While immortality is an amazing gift in itself, I can only wonder if the human mind was built to live this long. Can we truly remember everything that happens in more than 200 years of existence? When do years start feeling like mere minutes or even seconds of time in the greater scheme of things? And if the mind can only handle so much, then what dark designs makes one remember some of the most horrific periods of my undead life?

For now I shall bide my time with my siblings, if only to learn more about what they're about at this point. There have been so many changes since the night in the garden and we're all grown in different ways, if we can call it that. But more and more I remain uncertain as to how far I can trust them. There are too many things going on beyond our understanding and once again I feel we are at a point when events are moving us around like pawns instead of us shaping events.

Given what happened the last time we all gathered together on that fateful night, I can only hope to find a way to make sure we come out with a different outcome. This time I will take control of my own fate - or at least escape being trapped in the designs of others.

Concerning Lato Destro Augustus

Brothers,

My Childe has found solace playing the role of a destroyer.

Since the fated embrace, my Childe has taken it upon herself to hunt members of the Giovanni Clan that can be reached and giving them the blessings of Final Death.  Much to my surprise, the young society known as the Camarilla has yet to raise their hands against her.    Word has it, the actions of my Childe have been deemed acceptable simply due to the fact she has refrained from tasting the sweetest blood.

I have failed the brotherhood.
I have acted too late.
I should have approached her sooner.  Inducted her to our ways.
But my blindness of her due to her sex had caused my downfall.

She is now in the attentions of Schrekt.
I must withdraw.

Regarding the Scions of the Maiden's Loyal Steel

Masters,

I have taken it upon myself to bear witness to the events that occurred this late Winter of the year 1461.  Seventeen precious years since the embrace of the so-called Children of the Conspiracy, I have taken note of the activities of Anette and Luc de Valois.  As expected, the disappearance of their father, Michel de Valois, has given the Dauphin reason to believe him dead.  And it is only thanks to the kindness of the Dauphin's wife, Marie d'Anjou and Queen Yolande of Aragon that the two children were then welcomed into the household and raised as their own.   Though their family lines were of relation, neither child was fully embraced to be called as one of Charles VII's children.  Louis XI and Charles, Duke of Berry remained the sole children that the Dauphin was known to have.

With the Dauphin's death now near, one which I have discerned to be caused by a lingering sickness which has stripped from him the ability to swallow food or water, both Anette and Luc de Valois stand close to the Dauphin's younger son Charles.  The two have gained in many ways the trust and favor of the young Charles, more to the point when Luc de Valois wisely reminded them of the dying Dauphin's wish to be buried beside his parents in Saint-Denis.

I can foresee the two gaining greater political strength, if not influence, than their father had ever imagined.  I can only wonder how Michael de Valois feels of his children now that both have come to adulthood with greater than meager resources at hand.

My report,

Josef von Bauren

post script:
It has only occurred to me just as I was to seal my missive that I have referred to the late King as a Dauphin in my letter.  I do hope you forgive me for this confusing mistake.  Then again, I have little love for the French.  More so French nobility.  Their penchant of naming most of their children the same way exhausts my reservoir of logic.

A Song From Jerusalem

In song and amber, red and foul,

a vision comes before me

of hungry shadows and flesh that prowls

and hearts that cannot see.

Be watchful and ever vigilant

the monster among you hides well.

Oh knave, oh brother, medicant

your faith best resides in hell.

The younger and the company

will find destruction nearing

for crumbling bone flesh property

shall be the sleeper's feasting.

A letter to Ceoris

I address this missive to two of whom I remain loyal to:

Master Calderon of the Inner Circle
Master Abetorius of the Inner Circle

I am certain that you have, by now, heard of the so-called Children of the Conspiracy of Isaac.  I am aware that you have noted among them there is a childe whose blood flows with the line of Tremere.   I confess that the inept Sire, Lord Casmir, has escape punishment so far, but I am in the process of ensuring his destruction. Of the child, however, Iakov Mysi is under my care and guidance.  There is no need of fearing that our Clan's secrets have been shared to others.

But as to the Children as a whole...

They are dangerous.  Useful.  But dangerous nonetheless.  The fat fool Hardestadt does not realize how dangerous these young fangs  can become.  But I am aware that you do.  I am aware that you can see what I can see when you glimpse at their souls.

They are marked.

The stain upon their souls is different from anything that we have seen before.  Their auras shimmer and dance like the soul fire common among our kind - pale and tinged with the bleed of hunger - but unlike ours, their souls are marked.  And these marks are something we have never seen before.

The childe is both astute and observant.  His ability to look beyond the norm and consider things outside the expected realm of practice astound me.  I have taken it to myself to train him in the ways of our kind, but I once more petition to you my request to have him remain distant from the Clan as a whole.  In many ways, I sense this childe's potential to be useful to the clan will grow only if he is allowed a semblance of freedom.

On Clan matters, however, I would like to extend to you my anticipation.  I have unlocked to some degree the secrets of how the childe's soul has been marked.  I have documented my findings and have included them in this missive.  I am certain you shall find them most enlightening, if not inspiring and possibly even useful in your plans in dealing with the Saracen Situation.

I remain your steadfast servant.

Mistress Fanchon