Chapter 4 – Elyzium
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5th March, 2021.
Act 1
Scene i: Meridian, North Seattle.
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Further investigation into the odious doctor that had requested the university documents (Lymphogene-H trial) led Elwin to the tree lined avenues of Meridian, North of Lake Union. The numberplate details given to him by Shaun were registered to a Doctor Clayton alongside his home address in the manicured suburbs of respectable society, a large double storey residence behind a garden’s foliage screen.
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Keeping flat to the shadows of tree boughs and the attached garage, the Tremere traced the perimeter of the unlit home, climbing a rose trellis to gain access to an unlocked window on the upper floor. The rancid musk of death stung his nostrils as soon as he had breached the window’s seal.
Following the odour to the stench of the study, Elwin turned on the light, revealing the grisly sight of a man seated near his desk, their right eye weeping with the stain of decomposition, having been shot through by some unknown assassin that had slain the doctor in his own home.
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Paperwork was scattered on the desk and floor, the study ransacked with desperate efficiency, drawers and filing cabinets upended to find whatever prize they had been searching for. Disturbing some of the papers with the tip of his shoe, Elwin crouched down to pick up a document with the bold letterhead “Kaiser Permanente”, a health care consortium he was aware of, located in Seattle.
Scene ii: Holly Park.
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Meanwhile in the struggling neighbourhood of Holly Park, Ed had been waiting under the cover of night, observing the barren plots of recently demolished homes through the other side of the cyclone fencing. The lights were on inside the demountable office near the gate, as well as luxury automobiles parked on the street.
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Soon other vehicles arrived, from which council members exited to join their growing number at the office door. Among them was Sebastian Green, greeting the new arrivals with his polished shark smile before ushering them into the limited space of the demountable’s single room.
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Keeping his camera close to his chest as he dared to get closer to the corrupt meeting, Ed paused at the outside line of the fence, uncertain he would be able to approach any further without being caught by the security lighting and chauffeurs smoking nearby.
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Raising the viewfinder to his eye, an open suitcase of banknotes on the table came into the frame, surrounded by the domino business suits of those whom had come to debate the future of Holly Park’s neglected streets.
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Capturing the office scene in a series of images until the door closed, Ed, wound back the film and surreptitiously made his exit, faithful beagle waddling alongside him as they faded into the maze of rain obscured parkland.
Scene iii: SeaTac Police Dept.
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The night after the incident of the motorcycle crash in Burien, Mikhail paid a visit to the local police department, easily gaining a private audience with the Captain as they discussed the deliberate collision and any possible suspects that Johnson (the Capt.) felt could be involved.
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To help the Captain’s men working on the investigation, Mikhail offered the first letters of the partial number plate that Elwin had been able to recall from his window view that night (Chap 3, Act 3: i), as well as a description of the Porsche whose occupants had fired at the yet ‘unknown’ biker and his girlfriend whom was now recovering in hospital.
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Excusing himself to screen the sports car’s details with any detectives still working the late shift, Capt Johnson left Mikhail alone in his office, returning shortly with the good news that a burnt out vehicle matching the description had been found further north in Delridge.
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Photos from the scene revealed a strange symbol on prominent display beside the ruined frame of the Porsche, an inverted crux ansata carved into a nearby tree trunk. The “gang” symbol was unrecognized by Johnson, whom asked Mikhail if he had ever seen the design near his restaurant business. Confessing that he was ignorant of the stylized ankh, the Ventrue bade the officer good luck in finding the culprits before they caused further harm to the southern districts of Seattle.
Act 2
Scene i: Stanley’s Exchange & Loans, Rainier Vista.
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Closing out the noise from the street, the shopfront door returned to its seal after the arrival of the femme fatale Aurore. Looking up from the paper he was reading, Stanley Weiss greeted his friend and regular business customer, the attractive blonde that often came in to exchange a month’s worth of suitors’ gifts for cash.
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Aurore herself felt something of a paternal presence with the old man, someone whose wise advice she could respect, so she took note when he mentioned that a mutual friend of theirs, Andy Tibble, had been recovering in hospital after a confrontation with unknown antagonists. Almost a decade earlier, Aurore had met Tibble through the criminal circles she had once socialized in, before the fateful night she had been crossed over into the eternal nights of undeath.
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Placing a few items of jewellery on the glass counter, Aurore continued the conversation whilst Stanley examined each piece with a magnifying loupe until he was ready to offer her a price. One ring caught his attention, a gold band with pale amethyst, and he asked her if she was aware of its origins. Aurore recalled that a thin man she dubbed the ‘Poet’ had given it to her in an alternative night club.
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Stanley speculated that the ring was an 18th century heirloom from southern France, with traces of a dedication around the inner band. After some negotiations on Stanley’s first offer for the heirloom ring and the rest of the trinkets, he counted out the sum in bills from the register.
Scene ii: Hoge Building, Seattle.
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The next evening, Mikhail, Elwin, and Ed attended the gathering of the city’s kindred at Elyzium, hosted within the art deco interiors of the Hoge Building’s private chambers. In the subtle glow of frosted light the clans of the Camarilla were represented by an array of sinister beings, engaged in small circles of conversation around the antique furniture as they waited for the official welcome.
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Cautious of the present company, the Burien Coterie bided their time in the company of Elwin’s sire, the Tremere priest known as Patrice Blake, surreptitiously observing the crowd as he (Blake) questioned Mikhail’s past. Shortly afterward the green-eyed Prince himself made an appearance, flanked by his Seneschal Vincent as he welcomed the gathered clans and drew their attention to an auction of shaved slaves.
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As the macabre crowd settled to begin bidding on the kine that had been selected for their ‘flavour’, Prince Oran quickly left the common room in the company of the privy council. Declining to join the banquet that followed the auction, the three kindred remained in the background lamplight until they were approached by Esther Delagny, the Ventrue Primogen whom had initially presented Mikhail with the property deeds to the restaurant (Chap. 1, Act 1:iii).
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Esther asked for an update on Burien and the greater SeaTac region, already familiar with the assassination of Eddie the Anarch outside their restaurant, as Mikhail had immediately informed the Seattle court the same night that Ed & Elwin had driven the corpse away to Tacoma (Chap 3, 3:ii).
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Having little to report since that fateful crash, they listened as Esther explained Prince Oran’s requests that the surviving mortal witness be ‘removed’ to protect the Masquerade. The Prince had also become tired with the trouble the Anarch’s were stirring in the southern neighbourhoods, insisting that they be driven from the region within a month, otherwise he would entrust the task to his cold-blooded Sheriff Brenton Zadock, whose violence was often accompanied by a band of reckless youth that idolized his malicious existence.
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As a final request, Prince Oran wanted to gain the ear of the southern Seneschal Krystal Aguirre, offering her the empty Brujah seat on the Seattle council alongside Leo’s established territories if she should ever betray the false Prince (Leo) and crush the heart of the Tacoma court.
Scene iii: Seattle Underground, Pioneer Square.
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Without an invitation to Elyzium or her sire’s acceptance into the fold of Camarilla society, Aurore wandered the midnight streets of Georgetown near her warehouse loft. A voice called to her from the laneway shadows, to which she approached with initial concern before recognizing the Halloween mask of ‘Spider’, an elder vampire that had guided her in the long nights since her embrace.
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Spider warned the young Cainite that it was unwise to be openly walking the streets during the Full Moon, under whose silver light Lupines often hunted for Seattle’s undead. An outcast like Aurore from the court of Oran, he recommended that she join him in a hidden location under the city, where they would be free to discuss their shared existence on the fringes, and possibly come upon a remedy once they had vocalized their thoughts.
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Leading the way through the labyrinth foundations of the older settlement under Pioneer Square, the Nosferatu (Spider) revealed to her a private world of juxtaposed architecture and water pipes emerging from the walls and ceiling above. In the echo space of a basement the two kindred lamented their pariah fate, Aurore listening to Spider as he outlined the current status of both the Northern and Southern courts.
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It had come to Spider’s attention that Prince Oran had begun testing the resolve of the South by introducing a coterie into Burien, an territory claimed by both factions. It was the Nosferatu’s opinion that the provocative move would renew the conflict between Leo and Oran, possibly even leading to the final death of either Prince so the survivor could claim all Seattle and by extension Washington state. In the coming conflict there would be opportunity for them both to climb the dangerous slope of kindred politicks, elevating themselves back into the Camarilla if they so wished.
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Spider informed Aurore that one of the Burien coterie was a Tremere whom had been embraced by her own sire, a vampire sibling that still remained close to Blake (sire), whereas she had been driven away. This revelation greatly interested Aurore, convincing her to track down the coterie to try and warn them of the predicament Prince Oran had set for them, and to learn from her blood sibling why their sire had abandoned her.
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For the remaining hours until dawn, Spider recounted the history of the Camarilla in Washington state, describing how the power had shifted from Tacoma and the original Prince (Elijah) to the population rise of Seattle during the Klondike rush. After the disappearance of the first Prince, Oran and Vincent had assumed leadership from their powerbase in Seattle, ruling the North-West coast in an alliance with Portland and Vancouver as the ‘Three Iron Dukes of the West’.
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Aside from the conflict with the Sabbat ten years previously that had divided the courts once again between the two cities, Oran had proven himself a capable Prince during his century of leadership until now. When asked by Aurore whom he thought would remain standing in the coming struggle between Tacoma and Seattle, Spider opined that Oran would remain, toppling his opponents with tactful treachery rather than directly confronting them to ensure his survival.
Act 3
Scene i: 152nd St, Burien.
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The following evening the Burien Coterie met at their restaurant office to discuss the three requests from Prince Oran. Outside on the street the alluring Aurore walked the pavement nearby, searching the building facades for the restaurant that Spider had mentioned.
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Asking a pair of grimy addicts if they knew anything about the reopened business once she had located it along the strip, neither of them could satisfy her request for any details about the new owners. Hesitant to remain out in the open any longer, Aurore turned south to find a late night diner where she could rest, crossing 152nd street to leave the scene.
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From the second storey windows above the restaurant, Ed had been observing the exchange between the mystery blonde and Gary, one of the pair whom she had been speaking with. Ed’s predator gaze had been drawn to the woman as a potential vampire, watching her depart until she had passed under the blind of the shop awnings below his framed perspective.
Scene ii: Redline Diner, Burien.
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Leaving the upper office to follow the unknown vamp, Ed had collected Gary along the way so that he could ask the homeless man why she had approached them.
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Aurore’s trail led them to the all night Redline Diner near the 509, an old haunt that Ed knew well from his years in the city. Paying Gary a small tip in dollar bills for his information after they had entered the diner and recognized Aurore’s distinct hairstyle, Ed slowly approached the table booth to introduce himself and inquire if he might sit with her a moment.
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Inclining her head as she accepted, Aurore ordered a coffee for herself and Ed to continue their act as mortal kine whilst they stared across at one another. Confiding his intentions in following her, Ed stated that he was curious as to why Aurore was loitering outside their restaurant.
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Pausing briefly for the waitress (Lily) to set their coffee on the table, Aurore explained that she had been searching for them to warn of the potential trap set for them by the Prince. Intrigued by her knowledge of who the Burien coterie was, Ed offered her a chance to return with him to 152nd St so she could speak with Mikhail and Elwin also.
Scene iii: The Starter restaurant , Burien.
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An hour later, Ed had guided Aurore to the Burien coterie’s office, Mikhail’s bodyguard opening the door after approval to allow Aurore to enter.
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Ed introduced the Tremere pariah to his colleagues, after which he let Aurore speak for herself. Catching Elwin off-guard with the revelation that Patrice Blake was their mutual sire, she continued with a warning that their position in Burien was near suicide, a trap of Prince Oran’s design to instigate a confrontation with Tacoma.
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Mikhail questioned her reasons for informing them, and was slightly perturbed at her response in wanting to acquire territory of her own, through soft extortion and the charm of her vampiric disciplines.
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Even though she claimed to be Tremere, Aurore was too independent in her mannerism and nature to be a true member. Elwin was suspicious that she was some kind of agent or test from the Northern Court, the timing of her arrival too coincidental coming a night after Elyzium.
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He could prove the truth of her statements, he said, by imbibing a cupful of her vitae so as to ‘read’ which clan she actually belonged to, just as he had been able to read Eddie’s heritage the night of the motorcycle crash. Hesitant to allow any kindred to use her vitae in blood sorcery, Aurore shook her head and wished them luck in holding ground between the two courts, making her own way out of the restaurant.
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The sudden departure puzzled the remaining kindred, becoming another topic in their resumed debate about how they should proceed in dispelling the Anarch influence from southern Seattle, as well as the feasibility of contacting Krystal, the Seneschal of Tacoma...