nbsp;    A new coterie is formed from the survivors of the Giovanni Manor explosion. Ennui, Lullabye, Rose and Hannelbrecht survey the burning rubble around them, searching for signs of life. Ennui, not seeing Valentine, worries that he may be dead (never guessing that he truly died almost 24 hours previously). She Summons him, hoping that he will heed the call and appear.

     Meanwhile, Lullabye initiates Winslow's last request. Finding the body of ghoul Elysium Keeper Delilah Jackson mostly intact, she sires the first conscript for the war ahead. Rose heals her body as Jackson struggles to shift from death to undeath.

     Valentine's soul, once again kept from Peace by Ennui's Summoning, appears again. This time, he possesses the soulless body of the girl-fledgeling that had diablerized the Prince in her hunger frenzy.

     Valentine explains himself, and what he has become. While the others say farewell to the old sheriff, Lullabye digs deep inside her. Within, she finds the stolen memories of the Giovanni she diablerized. Using them, she connects Valentine's silver cord to the cordless body-shell, instantly reincarnating him into the girl's form. LeRoy "Lucky" Valentine becomes Lola "Lucky" Wright.

     Back in Coeur d'Alene, Hammond-Doyle is informed of Winslow's death. As Seneschal, and through Winslow's last words to him, he is now Prince of the city. Keeping to her last requests, he contacts the other kindred of the city. The Third Tradition of Progeny is lowered, and every kindred is ordered to sire at least three conscripts for the nearing battle. He limits these conscipts to those with military or combat training, or else the ghouls and retainers already a part of the Masquerade.

     Lullabye sires Christopher Fox, a bouncer for a local dance club. Yet the embrace is not a pleasant one, unplanned as it was. Chris awakens disorientated, unwilling to accept the changes that has become to him. He becomes narcoleptic, falling asleep as an escape to any stressful stimuli.

     Rose sires three thieves she finds in her salon. Replacing their blood with ash so that they would never learn Thaumaturgy, she begins to blood bond them. But sinister tidings are foreshadowed when Meredith, one of her childer, begins to show inherited Vicissitude, and an ability to remove her tattoos and her bonds.

     Ennui, unwilling to hunt and combat three experienced fighters, decides to Embrace the remains of Winslow's household. She sires the former Prince's chauffer, boat mechanic, and the cook who made food for the herd.

     Lola returns to Valentine's bullyboy ghouls. After convincing them that she is truly their former master, she embraces each.

     Hannelbrecht's blood is impotable and difficult to use for embracing childer. Instead, he uses a Tremere fetish borrowed from Lullabye (who was lent it by Primogen Black to support her while her blood was ash). He attempts to sire three childer from proxy blood. Yet he documents only two surviving the Embrace: a Brujah and an Assamite antitribu.

     Across the city, the other kindred embrace their own childer.

     The Kindred population of the city bloats to dangerous levels.

     Lullabye discovers that she can barely handle tutoring Chris. She begins to respect Hannelbrecht for his help with the disabled fledgeling. Rose tattoos a map upon the back of one of her childer; the map depicts dozens of vague and unknowable foreshadowings into the near future.

     The other Kindred of the city struggle to control their new childer.

    Lullabye takes Chris hunting. Hannelbrecht uses stolen Sabbat knowledge to bond his two childer to the emerging bloodline (unable to make a blood bond himself).

    Prince Hammond-Doyle calls forth a city meeting in which all kindred are required to attend. The new Elysium is revealed that night, the recently built Promenade Opera House.

    At the meeting, much is discussed. The Prince introduces the new Seneschal, the Nosferatu, Xieng Xu. Lila Domingo is named as new Sheriff, who in turn introduces one of her childer as her supporting SCoeurge. Hepsebah is declared winner of the decade's competition for Harpy. The Malkavian and Nosferatu Primogen council positions remain empty, for there are no remaining Malkavians, nor any trustworthy Nosferatu without title.

    Prince Hammond-Doyle emphasizes the danger that approaches this city. No true Princedom can begin until this great obstacle is solved. If the Sabbat can be repelled from the city, a new beginning shall start. Perhaps the empty Primogen positions may be filled by deserving fledgelings, if they survive.

    Similarly, Prince Hammond-Doyle recognizes that the city has risen to an absurd population in a matter of days. He declares that any Caitiff, thin-blooded vampires, or elsewise unbecoming Cainites shall be destroyed if any survive the coming war. All are common conscripts following a Mass Embrace.

    At the meeting, Prince Hammond-Doyle is also introduced to each and every new fledgeling. From Elias Cage, it is discovered that he chose to embrace artists instead of fighters or retainers. Likewise, Ruperta Haight chose only beautiful women to give the Nosferatu curse. Both these Cainites--and their childer--are sent to the front lines. There, the first to meet the upcoming battle, they shall surely die. It is the Prince's punishment for breaking his law and siring irresponsibly.

    Brett Lancastle, blood bound to Cage, requests to join his Sire. Hepsebah, who has sired suicides to give them one last breath of existence, requests that she go as well. The front lines will make sure that the last breath is not long and agonizing. Prince Hammond-Doyle permits these requests.

    Steven Michaels, Hannelbrecht's Brujah student, is introduced to Lullabye as her new bodyguard. Cole Perrin, the Assamite, is introduced to her as a mentor to aid her in creating a new Discipline. Only after a new Discipline is created can Lullabye's kin be viewed as a Bloodline instead of Caitiff. Fully aware of how Hammond-Doyle may slay them if they do not get official sanction from the Camarilla, this become a personal quest of high priority to her.

    The social affairs of the meeting bring up conflicts, both new and old. Delilah Jackson has sired Winslow's entire herd, and now has thirteen childer. One of them is of the Fifteenth Generation. His Embrace gave him images of the future, and he cannot control his bard's tongue. Two twins were embraced by different sires. One is a Tremere oneiromancer, the other the Malkavian SCoeurge. One of Cage's artists, a toymaker named Dannon, lays name to an image on Rose's map ("The Dragon-With-The-Voice-Of-Father"), and flees the meeting in fear.

    A plan is secretly put into motion by Lullabye, Steven and their peers. They hope to evacuate the front line areas (as indicated by Rose's map) of mortal presence. This will minimalize both the gratuitous slaughter and an antagonistic Mass Embrace (a hallmark of a Sabbat assault). The plan is to create the illusion of a poisonous gas leakage from an abandoned mine.

    Donovan Black reveals his desire to slay Lullabye and her kin. He calls upon prestation due from his previous aid. He requests that Lullabye and her kin protect Elysium from outside of its border. He blatantly hopes that without the Elysium sanctuary, the Sabbat shall slay her.

    Hammond-Doyle does not stop the rightful use of prestation, but does give Lullabye and her kin hope. He requests they be emissaries to the Gangrel independents, to request aid from their coterie. He suggests that perhaps the Gangrel will protect them as Elysium would.

    Primogen Black plans to create a massive ward of protection around the Opera House, thus insuring his own safety within. But he refuses to have Rose enjoy this aid, sending her out with Lullabye and the rest. He claims that Rose has been nothing but an embarrassment to him, and he would like such to be ended. It is hinted that Rose houses a secret that could cost her life and further injure Black's reputation.

    Lullabye frenzies at Black's subtle threats to Rose. Her assault sends him into frenzy. All of his Disciplines could not protect him from the exotic dancer's ferocity, and he is quickly sent into torpor. For her outburst, Lullabye is exiled from the Elysium indefinately. It is an ironic punishment, since the words of Black's prestation forbids her to enter anyway.

    Outside, the coterie and their childer begin to return home. But Lullabye spots a woman she recognizes as Remington's former ghoul. Before she can stop the woman, she triggers a car bomb planted in the coterie's limo.

    The majority of the Coterie is incapacitated by the explosion; two of Lucky's bullyboys perish. The woman escapes in the confusion. Lullabye, dragging Meredith from the wreckage, realizes that the fledgeling has blood in her system instead of ash. Hannelbrecht takes a sample of both Meredith's blood and the bomber's.

    The coterie seeks sanctuary at Steven Michael's farm.

    During the day, one of Ennui's childer was slain as he slept. A blanket covering a sunlit window fell, slaying him instantly. Cole Perrin accepts the responsibility, believing that it was the product of his metaphorical poisonous touch.

    The prior half of the night is spent healing and hunting for blood. Steven is able to gather a new haven and weapon ammo from his militia contacts. Hannelbrecht analyzes the blood samples he is given. He reveals that the bomber was truly Remington's sire, who has masqueraded as his loyal ghoul for decades. Dr. Ulrich also documents that Meredith and her siblings are overdosed with Vicissitude taint, predicting a painful and mindless fate if they are not put to merciless death. He also notes that Meredith is not blood bound to Rose.

    The latter half of the day is spent in training. Ennui reveals that she was a master of espionage in her past. Though she has sworn never to return to a life of action, she is willing to teach the others what she has learned.

    In the final hour before dawn, Lullabye, Ennui and Steven go to the Gangrel domain to seek council with the elder Francois. There, they are put into a waiting room while Francois conducts an important diplomatic meeting.

    During the wait, the three Cainites encounter another waiting for them. Due to the subtle and confused word play, the three mistake the guest for a Vampire. She, in turn, mistakes them as Werewolf allies. Francois meets with Uktena Werewolves that night, hoping to gather Native American Unity from them. The girl waiting in the guest room is a half-breed daughter, disallowed from the meeting. She is Werewolf as well, and is yet another Oracle (a "Sibyl" she calls herself).

    When the meeting ends, Lullabye is able to converse with Francois, but not without the werewolves' presence. After many tense arguements, she manages to acquire their support against  the Sabbat. But in return, she must help them find a mysterious Caern they search for. The final price for this Dark Alliance is ownership of the land around the Caern--whatever it may be--once found.

    The deal is struck.

    At noon of that day, Lullabye is awaken from vampiric slumber. The Steven's haven has been compromised; Remington ghouls have attacked the rest of the coterie while they slept. In desperation, feeling the slumber of day still trying to pull her down, Lullabye pleads with the werewolf Sibyl to help them.

    Only upon awakening in the evening does she discover that her plea was heard and accepted. The Sibyl reached the other Cainites and protected them for the rest of the day, keeping back the second wave of armed ghouls. Only one casualty has occurred during the day's battle. Lucky only has one left of his original four childer.

    The coterie discovers that the vehicle they used had been tagged with a transponder. They recover Valentine's sedan and use it instead, trafficking the injured and incapitated to a cleared spot on the reservation.

    Lullabye meets Francois's youngest childe, Jay Little Doe. But the night's complexities are increased when Little Doe and  the Sibyl are introduced to each other. For  it seems, the Sibyl's duty is to slay the Gangrel Neonate.

    The Sibyl explains that she has recieved a vision about the Caern. It must be Shaped into form through the passion of a vampire. Her father, Twelve-Trees, believes that only the dying passion of such could actually shape the Caern; "the strongest passion is last passion." Therefore, the Uktena have made an unshaky allaince with the Gangrel, trading Unity (a return to the times Vampires and Werewolves lived in balance with the Native folk) in return for a willing Gangrel Sacrifice with an acceptable temperament to shape the Caern with.

    The Sibyl, Rose, and Lullabye also discuss the nature of false prophets, and speculate that the Malkavians have had a vision themselves, one which includes Lullabye's death back at the Giovanni manor. Rose's prophesy that Lullabye shall survive to tread the flames must have contradicted that vision. The Malkavians want Lullabye dead at all costs, due to whatever vision they saw. The three wonder if its because the Lunatics have seen a wonderous future in which the Caern is Shaped properly through Lullabye's death (thus they want to kill her) or a horrible future in which the Caern is Shaped improperly by Lullabye (thus they need to kill her to prevent this). Either way, their motivations might just happen to be "for the greater good.".

    The evening's philosophical introspection ends when Rose and Lullabye attempt to heal the wounded by blood-manipulation via Thaumaturgy. The Tremere-Magic goes awry however, when Cole awakes in a frenzy. Before he was brought down, he manages to injure Lucky and challenge even Lullabye in his apprehension, all the while exhibiting a deadly assassin's instinct. After a few tense heart-beats, the sound of a three-burst shot heralded his return to torpor.

    The event reminded the coterie of several things; one is that the unexplainable is a constant shadow, particularly in a city influenced by a Wyld Caern. Cole's actions in his frenzy--his cold and inexplicable martial skill--suggest that there are mysteries to both human blood and vampire vitae that remain to be answered. Where did he learn how to fight? Was it dormant memories of human generations past? Or has the vitae of assassins granted him extra-knowledges? Are past lives involved?

    The incident with Cole also reminded them the importance of weapons. Feeling that they are not appropriately armed for defending themselves from their own Coterie, much less a Sabbat invasion and various other antagonists, Lullabye, Steven and Lucky make a quick spree to Valentine's old apartment in the slums. They return smelling of gunmetal, leather, and excitement, presenting their new toys, knowing that beneath the shine of black, they hold items of the desperate (handout here)

    Lullabye had sent an email out to her Sabbat contact, Antigone, and they only had to wait for a response to know when the War Packs would strike. In the meantime, Lullabye explored another area of concern: the Camarilla's policies on bloodlines. Scrambling to gain sanction within that austere Sect, Lullabye discusssed with Cole and Hannelbrecht her insight into a new Discipline. Her bloodline from the beginning had always been rogues. It was no surprise that from Lorenzo's soul, she stole the beginnings of Necromancy.

    Still waiting, Lullabye, Cole, and Jay Little Doe took their mind off the stresses at hand by dance, flaunting their preternatural grace for the movement and motion of the mind swept up in body. Their activities were interrupted by Antigone's call; a dark one at best: the Sabbat's war cries should be heard that very night.

    Cole had done well in his assignment to prepare a toxin to place into the sewers. A sulferous compound, nonlethal by itself, but was naturally formed in the same place as a much more troublesome gas. Armed with new clothes and new gear, the group split in four to distribute the chemical into the four corners of the front line neighborhood.

    Though the initiation of the plan began without problem, Lullabye and Steven soon discovered that they had somehow gained the attention of Remington's sire, Thalia. With hidden gunmen to ensure that the two Kindred would not escape, Thalia distracted the two long enough to bait in her true catch: Rose.

    As the Malkavian antitribu had planned, Lullabye's best friend was the first to come to Lullabye's rescue. On the other hand, Lucky's recent mastery of Mask of a Thousand Faces caught her off-guard, particularly as he used it to return to his original semblance. His presence also caught her off-guard in another way; catching her eyes with a Protean gleam, he Dominated her to speak the truth.

    The truth was far stranger than any of her confusing lies. She was born nondescript, cursed to be unnoticed and forgotten. She had suffered the Werewolf Change without any Lupine Tribes' aid, not even the Black Spirals. Confused and lost in her changing reality, she began her life of lying--both to protect herself and to delude herself.

    Yet finally something did notice her. She named it only as Greshikahal, an entity who had "all the answers she sought." Yet according to this entity, her mind was unprepared for such knowledge. It had her Embraced, and then fed her the very vision that had united all of Malkav's childer.

    The exact specifics of this vision were only alluded to, but seemed to be a more benevolent, painless--and possibly wonderful--death for Gaia. Greshikahal had shown her all the endings, and she had seen this one as the only reCoeurse. She had dedicated her unlife to bringing about this destiny.

    But even after she had set everything up, her pieces came tumbling down with Rose and her tattoos. Thalia forced Rose to reveal her dark secret, which had ostracized her from her Sire as a young Neonate: the tattoo of a third eye. Thalia believed that this symbol of infernal insight--the symbol of the soul-thieving Salubri--granted Rose the ability to destroy Thalia's vision. The Malkavian believed that Rose had opened the door to a dormant evil fragmented into every Tremere's blood: and that the evil now sought to insure Gaia's fall to the Wyrm.

    Lullabye's sense of danger was faster than any Oracle's postcognition. "Rose, run!" she screamed, pulling out her weapon. Thalia commanded her hidden gunmen to fire. But one refused, switching sides. The other only got a few rounds out before silenced by a well-aimed manhole cover tossed by Steven.

    In fury, Thalia revealed what had only been hinted at: her Abomination nature. Shifting to a nine tall monstrocity, Lullabye's own bullets did little against her solid undead flesh. Ignoring even a grenade, Thalia charged after Rose's fleeing form. Lullabye got onto her motorcycle and followed, while Valentine ran to his sedan.

    In the pursuit that followed, Lullabye tossed her remaining two grenades at the Abomination. In the glare and blast, she managed to get ahead of the charging creature, swinging Rose onto the back of the bike. Meanwhile, Valentine, resuming her form as Lola, picked up Steven and the defected gunman--a Cainite named Robert "Bobby" LeMont.

    As soon as Lullabye had gotten ahead, Lucky attempted to shoot at the Abomination. But his aim was imperfect due to the angle. In typical Valentine fashion, he ignored all sense of reason and swerved his car sideways--still at top speed--allowing him and his occupants to fire at a better angle out their side windows. Unfortunately, the recoil of Valentine's shotgun sent Lola flying to the other side of the car, away from the wheel. The car went out of control, and began to roll on its side.

    Sonja's daredevil blood got a hold of her, and she kicked up speed, leading and baiting the Abomination around a block and then stringing her right into the rolling sedan. The three Cainites within survived (though Steven was incapacitated). All of the coterie managed to get out of the car when the wounded--but not destroyed--Thalia sundered the vehicle in two in her rage.

    With police sirens flashing around her, and the distant war cries of Sabbat Packs echoing through the streets, Thalia rose from the wreckage. She made one desperate lunge at Rose. Yet, as she soared above Lullabye, the dancer took a stake and landed a chance blow, paralyzing the creature in midair. With the cops on their heels, they fled the scene. The wrecked Sedan exploded when a squad car tried to plow through it, igniting the fuel and detonating with a comatose Thalia in the focus of the blast.

    The Sibyl and two of her Pack saved the group from the police pursuit, where some of Bobby's history was detailed. Yet the appearance of a sudden strange red star in the night's sky halted everything.

    The night ended on less than hopeful terms. The following handout goes into story-detail.

     The evening begins with three oracles and a stripper. Lullabye, Rose, Bobby and the Sybil begin the night out by trying to influence changes in the plans of both the Gangrel and the Lupines. Lullabye and Bobby are both uncomfortable with the upcoming sacrifice of the Outlander Neonate, Jay Little Doe. The Oracle, who started off on the wrong foot with the childe, does not want to be the murderess. They seek to find an alternative to sacrifice that isn't so permanent.

     Lullabye's idea is to use dancing to generate passion. But her ideas are for nought. Jay Little Doe has already prepped herself for the sacrifice. She sees her chance to merge into something as powerful as the Wyld Caern not an act of death, but an act of further immortality. A part of her will exist forever as one of the most powerful places on Earth. Her sacrifice will not only grant her this, but her vision immortalized will seal the pact between Coeur d'Alene Gangrel and Uktena, forging a bond which harkens of the glorious past that both tribes seek.

     Despite Jay Little Doe's acceptance, the Coterie and the Sibyl promise to help each other. The Sibyl communicates via phone silently, informing Lullabye on the Uktena's progress to find the Caern. The intent is that Lullabye will reach the Caern first and be able to Shape it herself. This way, Jay Little Doe does not have to die.

     Lucky, Rose, Ennui and Bobby begin shadowing the Lupine pack. Eldritch Point has already been ransacked and pillaged, blatantly and vulgarly violated by transitory Sabbat knowing that the Camarilla will have to struggle with covering it up long after they are gone. In the rubble, a lone surviving Sabbat kindred is discovered. Abandoned by his master, his circle slain by Camarilla frontliners, William Bratovich is pulled from the wreckage of a burning car and is awakened.

     With the translucent flesh semblance to a jellyfish and the sad eternal eyes of the Damned, William relates some of what had happened. It is revealed that he is the Chosen, and the Coterie suspects that he is the one who must Shape the Caern (or else be kept from it). Allowing him to follow, he allowing them to follow him, they tentatively allow him to join their coterie despite his affiliation.

    With the help of the Sibyl's emails, they are begin exploring the parts of the suburb which have not been ruled out by the investigating Lupines. Their search takes them to the Remington Politicia Agency, the old lair of Remington and his Sire associate. Knowing that its presence in Eldritch Point could not be coincidence, the group of five investigate deeper.

    Within they find the macabre remains of some sort of ritual. Twelve men lay dead in a semi-circle, and one more is crushed into the back wall. Bobby's necromantic powers give him insight into the last living moments of the ritualist, percieving Greshikahal himself, summoned from his prison/haven by twelve Marauders and one Marauder Barabbi. The twelve are servents, the thirteenth a undercover slave to the Wyrm. Within his eye, Bobby discovers that Bratovich was once the Chosen of Greshikahal. But now, another has been given that title. Seared with the Sigil of Caine, this Cainite has now become the perfect host for Greshikahal, and he will live within her insanity forever. The Marauders give their souls to him, for him to cast the sigil. The Nephandus is slain.

    The coterie's speculations are interrupted with the approach of the Lupines. Knowing that they should not be found from their haven, the five cainites seek hiding places. Rose and Bobby climb up a hole in the wall created for the ritual. William steps into the shadows of an adjoining room, Lullabye hides behind some cleared debris, and Lucky uses Obfuscate to vanish

    The Lupines approach, and see the ritual. Noting that the symbols on the floor match a warped version of their own Garou rites, Twelve-Trees concludes that these were Kinfolk trying to summon protection from the undead invaders. The Sibyl points out that the ritual was to summon a Lune, but for some reason, only full-moons were used in the description of the spirit.

    The Garou confirmed that despite this tragedy of garou kin, this was not the location of the Caern. Most left, but the Sibyl remained behind to secretly email the coterie. Becoming invisible with her own werewolf powers, she mistakenly walked into Lucky, also invisible, and both revealed themselves. The noise of their collision brought Twelve-Trees back.

    Lullabye, stirred from her hiding places, leaped for the door ajar, and revealed both herself and William as the Lupines approached. The ensuing situation was terse. Several of the Uktena shifted into battle-forms, ready for Twelve-Tree's signal to strike. William pointed out that Lullabye speaks for herself, though the Garou already see her as an Emissary for the allied Licks. They questioned William's monstrous nature, but kept their blades steady.

    Lullabye spun quick lies and half-truths, hiding her intent to foil their plans and allowing misdirection to protect the coterie and the Sibyl. The Garou saw no emanent need to destroy them, not when they were racing to find the Caern itself. They gave Lullabye and her kin a warning not to interfere with them again. Lullabye almost frenzied, but held it back. William's cold comments toward her during this time did not help, but her self-control won out this night.

    After they were gone, Lullabye directed her frenzy into the door, shattering it from its hinges. William was amused that she held her Beast at bay, and began to tempt and test her with his ancient and lost philosophies. He induced a frenzy without catelyst, enjoying some success at his pedagogy, yet denied her the blood she frenzied for. In the end, both lay recovering, startled.

    The scene bothered the others, who had abandoned the two to their fighting. Rejoining them, though with good-natured spirits now decreased, they went to find Ennui and rendevous with her. Lullabye called Hannelbrecht and had Rose's childer leave the reservation to meet with Ennui as well.

    Lullabye's Sire was waiting for them with blood, from which Bobby and Lucky drank from. She also provided some silver weapons to use in case a Lupine attack became unavoidable. The weapon allotment was interupted by the presence of Rose's childer. They opened the doors to reveal the three of them as hideous monsters. In all appearances, Rose's childer had suddenly and finally succumbed to the soul-eating, flesh-warping disease of the Tzimisce.

    One frenzied and attacked. Another frenzied only after his best friend was slain. The last was removed from her misery by William's keen blade. The combat was swift, emotionally painful, and fiery. It was only after their destruction did Rose discover a tattoo on each that was not of her handiwork. A faulty copy, and a magical tattoo nonetheless. The horridness of these three were illusions. The third to die, the woman, was not Meredith, but one Ennui's two remaining childer.

    Meredith had cursed the three of them with ugliness and sown their lips together. She had watched from the distance as her brother, boyfriend, and ally were all slain for their "own good." She drove away and vanished too quickly to be captured. Phone calls confirmed the horrid truth. Ennui's childer had taken the three from the Reservation. Somehow, Meredith had awoken, overpowered them, and commited these acts of violation. She was gone now.

    The coterie, in shock, returned to the Politicia Agency, seeking Thalia's immense electronic resources to aid them. Digital maps and tracking systems, annotated and encrypted notes, even video tapes provided small aid. The images of the ritual being performed were captured, as well as the images of the Lupines and Cainites in near frenzy from earlier. Meredith's presence was pinpointed to Black Manor, via the bug which was still planted in Lullabye's car.

    Knowing the sun was approaching, the Coterie headed back to the reservation. Their journey was interrupted by a van hitting Rose and Lullabye's motorcycle. The blow destroyed the cycle, crippled Lullabye's legs, and nearly incapacitated both. Rose ended up on the hood of the car, making frenzied attacks against the van-driver. William made swift and sure-aimed strikes at passengers in the van once it was stopped, pulling them out for Lullabye to feed between expert silver strikes of his blade.

    Bobby took a gun to the legs and feet of the attackers, providing time for the others to dispatch them. Shotguns and the musical note of a scything blade foreshadowed the sound of bodies following to the ground. Once the tide had completely turned in coterie's favor, they were joined by new Cainites willing to help.

    This new pack of vampires was led by Lullabye's contact, Antigone Welsh. She informed the others that these Toreador had disobeyed her orders and had attacked them here. She knew not how they knew where to find Lullabye, but apologized for their treachery. She made Rose heal Lullabye some, and then provided blood for both.

    Rose, suddenly gaining awareness, realized that Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus in the Greek fable. The Betrayal of the Oedipic Daughter was far less metaphoric than any had suspected. But questions from here would have to be short. The sun was rising.

    With the help of a ghoul driver and several blankets and van carpets, they abandoned the truck and wrecked motorcycle and took the van and Antigone’s car to a shelter. In route, Bobby and Lucky were able to discover evidense that suggested that everything had been a set up, and that Antigone may not be as trustworthy as Lullabye suspected.

The following handout cites the mortal reaction to the events of this night.

    Bobby and Lucky’s fears were well grounded. During the middle of the day, Antigone’s ghoul attempted to stake all of Lullabye’s allies, throw them in a nearby bonfire, and then bind Lullabye with a vaulderie. William woke up during the procedure, however, and managed to get Lullabye up. The stripper, far too tired to give the situation more than five seconds’ attention, found her uzi, shot the ghoul dead, and then went back to sleep.

    In the morning, however, Lullabye was far more interested. She held Antigone at gunpoint, learning of the Toreador antitribu’s plan to protect her at the cost of her friends. An uneasy truce was made, pioneered by Lullabye, based on the fact that Antigone was at least honestly dedicated to her protection against all odds.

    The group, now burgeoning with Sabbat allies, returned to the Casino only to discover something horrible had occurred during the day. Antigone mentioned that Djuhab, leader of the Assamite antitribu, had a preference for gambling. She found it incredibly likely that he had checked into the Casino as a resident, and wondered if the blood stains and fire was his handiwork.

    In truth, it was not the work of a Cainite, but of a garou. The werewolf pack had decimated those sheltering at the reservation. Steven, Alexi, and Ennui’s last childe were all confirmed dead. There was evidense that some survived. It appeared that one of the kindred had removed the garage door and used it as a shield from the sun to reach a sewer drain.

    An extensive search of the sewers, followed by a Summoning to Hannelbrecht, brought them together with the survivors. Ennui, Chris, and Ulrich had all survived, though only the good doctor had remained conscious enough to be awake—albeit crippled. Ulrich explained that Twelve-Trees had attacked them during the middle of the day. Ennui had been the one who saved them, though it was too late for the others. Cole had ran out into the Casino, and no one knew where he was now.

    Bobby desired to perform a ritual to Damballah for guidance. They seperated for an hour to hunt, but Rose did not return. While Bobby began his ritual, Lullabye located Rose at a Spokane hospital. With the help of Antigone and a stolen herse, she made a daring rescue attempt literally moments before sunrise.

    Rose later explained that Sabbat Assamites lurking around her tattoo parlor had ambushed her. They had used her own instruments to tattoo a message for Lullabye, punctuated with a photograph of Cole. The young Catevari had ran into their hotel room in the thrall of the Red Fear earlier that day. The Angels of Caine found his presence gratifying, and intended to use him as a hostage to ransome Lullabye.

    The Assamites had followed Rose to the hospital, and confronted Lullabye while she tried to escape with her crippled friend. Lullabye negotiated a promise that she would provide them her blood and the fetish from which Cole was created, so that they could create their own member of the nascent bloodline. In return, they let Lullabye escape before the sunrise made things too difficult. They would meet again in twenty-two hours at Black Manor.

    Meanwhile, Bobby’s ritual achieved results. A message from the spirits prompted him to journey to Black Manor, where answers would be found.