Sunday, February 2

Tomorrow I am to be presented to the Camarilla. Viviana took me to meet with a man named Vincent Delacroix, leader of a local covenant of Kindred called the Carthian Movement. Viviana is highly placed in this organization, so much so that she works for the international group, the Commonwealth.

While Viviana and Vincent caught up, I spent some time getting to know Vincent's childe, Celeste. She seems...sheltered. She subsists on blood packs and seemed surprised that I was "allowed out" on my own as young as I am. While relatively innocent and possessing a naivete that I did not expect to find among my new kind, she possesses a wealth of knowledge that will serve me in good stead.

The Camarilla is an organization of Kindred that can be very helpful as long as the rules are obeyed. This includes the Masquerade (which keeps our presence relatively hidden) and a strict no-new-Kindred-without-permission policy. Apparently it took Viviana quite some time and effort to secure the permission for my Embrace.

In terms of Kindred power, Viviana is supposedly higher than Vincent. I'm not certain how this power is measured, but if that's the case, then I seem to have been sired by a particularly powerful vampire. She reaffirmed this by telling me to make certain that when I introduce myself, I make sure to name drop her.

Apparently there are Kindred called Malkavians. This equates to a kind of insanity that many Kindred are forced to tolerate. One such Malkavian is called Apple. I'm not certain how she will take to me, but then again, I'm not certain how any of these powerful Kindred will take to me.

When Vincent returned, he made small talk with Celeste and me for a while as Viviana looked over the rest of the house. He made a small mention of a hunter problem, then confirmed that Nadya had ties to it without naming her specifically. He mentioned this group's ties to the Sheriff's wife, Persephone (not that he mentioned her either, but as I've met the pair...).

I learned a bit of the history of Chicago Kindred. The old Prince initiated a Purge that wiped out a fair few Kindred (as normally, harming other Kindred is forbidden). Then, one evening, she was simply ash and a Prince from Seattle, plus the good Sheriff, were in control.

I've been instructed to capitalize on my sire's friendship with the Seneschal of the court, one Tessa Duquesne. What makes this more interesting is that Tessa, along with Teresa, the leader of the Invictus (another Kindred covenant) are both tied to Marcus Purcell. The man is a spider in a web that is Chicago.

Presently, Vincent pitched the Carthians to me. He mentioned that it was a more modern covenant, for all it is one of the two largest in Chicago. Carthians and Invictus, followed by groups called the Ordo Dracul and the something Sanctum. I was told that I did not need to make an immediate decision, or that I needed to decide at all. (Later, Viviana told me she expected me to follow in her footsteps and join the Carthians. I may still speak with Teresa, if only to get to know her.)


I also found out that I belong to a clan: the Ventrue. The youngest, yet most lordly clan of Kindred. Finally, we discussed the Sheriff. He belongs to something called the Tremere. He is also able to make fire, which seems highly, dare I say "unnatural" for one of my kind.

The politics may be enough to drive me mad, nevermind that the leader of the Covenant I am expected to join has an issue with at least one of my current companions. And at the center of it all is Marcus, the spider, with more secrets and strands of web than a normal person could ever hope to unravel. Yet, he's the husband of the Seneschal, not to mention a good friend of my sire.

I don't think I traded one kind of madness for another, I think I simply stacked another set on top.

 I need to talk to Nadya before tomorrow night, see what she can tell me.