Dark Ages Vampire - Bloodlines

Game Master Dennis Harry

Endymion a Grandchilde of Arikel comes along on the trip interested to see the art and architecture of the eastern world. Endymion discovers that Saulot himself has also decided to come along for the journey though he notes it in his journal he refuses to tell anyone else of this knowledge (rightly thinking that it could be dangerous to his continued unlife to reveal such information).

The campaign begins in Asia Minor with the city of Sardis which wisely surrenders to the overwhelming Macedonian force. The cities Vampiric Ruler was Thraldus a childe of the Byzar, a Cappadocian Methuselah. Of course he held no loyalty to any but his sire and did not see the point in battle with the Warlord Meneleus.

The next major stop on the road was Halicarnassus a stronghold in the mountains. After a brutal siege the city could not be taken and Alexander moved on not wanting to be bogged down. He left an army to blockade the city though as its strategic importance could not be overlooked. Pisindalis childe of the Lasombra Methuselah Boukephos commanded the city. It was odd the author noted that he should have such fealty to Assamite and or Ventrue overlords (it was not clear which if any he served).

After further sieges of coastal cities designed to prevent Darius’ navy from having safe port Alexander (and Meneleus) head to Egypt. At this point the author notes, Saulot clearly has no childer with him which interests him as he believed that such ancients could only feed upon the blood of the Kindred to sustain themselves.

The Setites bow to Alexander and do not challenge Meneleus in fact they invite Meneleus into the greatest of theie Courts which he of course wisely declines. A Setite requests that he be allowed to accompany Meneleus on the journey and bring Setite warriors along with him to share in the glory of Alexander’s conquests. Tetukh a Childe of Izzat takes the role as the leader of the Setite Warriors. It is not exactly clear why the Egyptians take so well to Alexander (or at least not clear to the author). Countess Nehshi petitions Meneleus to construct a Setite court in the newly created Alexandria. Meneleus agrees, he leaves a grandchilde (Petrofet) to oversee the newly conquered territory.

The army set out to the outskirts of the Persian Empire - the Levant and Syria were the next targets of Alexander. Tyre was razed to the ground when the defenders refused to concede. Meneleus ensured that all the Vampires of Tyre suffered the final death for failure to surrender. It was here that the first major loss was suffered by the Kindred of Macedonia, Phillip the Childe of Meneleus was struck down by an Assamite elder. (The author speculates that perhaps this is why all Vampiric residents perished to the last).

The majesty of the mountain ranges known as the Cilician Gates are described in breathtaking detail. The author even stayed up in the morning to behold its beauty by daylight! (No doubt the author spent time learning the tricks of the Gangrel else he would have perished in such an attempt!) After his march through these Gates, Alexander has his first confrontation with the Emperor Darius. The battle takes place by day and thus there is no account of it though it is noted that Alexander’s superior tactics (and perhaps Darius’ lack of will) cause Darius to depart from the field.

The army then proceeded to Gaza laying an enormous siege to the city, in the titanic battle Tetukh the Setite warrior perished. This time though Menele allowed the Kindred of the city to live. Indeed the Ventrue Maltheas even defected to Meneleus’ cause. He indicated to the author that it seemed that the mortal Alexander was destined for greatness and that only a fool would oppose the forces of nature, Vampires inherently are unnatural and to resist the obvious when confronted by it is impractical.

In Jerusalem, Meneleus confronts the Assamite master of Jerusalem in one on one combat and bests him. Thereafter the Kindred of the city submit to the will of Meneleus (much as the human population did to Alexander but without the drama of a one on one duel). The Satrap (Persian Prince) of the city informs Meneleus that Ur Shulgi Assamite supreme Sorcerer has taken to torpor which somewhat explains the lack of magical resistance to Alexander’s March. In this meeting it is exposed that Menele himself is a powerful sorcerer and warlord. This news spreads like wildfire through the east. (The author believes that Saulot leaked this information as very few were privy to the secret – the author was by virtue of the relationship he had been building with Petanaquia).

In Jerusalem Menele is visited by a Kindred named Beshter who in exchange for information regarding the strengths of the Persian strongholds wishes to obtain succor in the Macedonian lands that Menele and his childer control. Menele agrees and it is revealed that there is a large schism between the Assamites and the Ventrue, indeed they war amongst themselves even as Alexander sweeps eastward.

Emboldened by the news Menele’s spymaster Cristo sends falsified information to the east regarding treachery on the part of all the major Methuselahs of Persia hoping to set them against one another. (The author notes that even Menele does not wish to face some of Persia’s most powerful all assembled together). [The list of direct childer of Antedeluvians in Persia is a long one, Mithras, Tiamat, Veddartha all childer of Ventrue; Ur Shulgi, Sha’Hiri, Scriptos all childer of Haquim; Atar childe of Malkav; Vayu childe of Ravnos; Hoama (supposedly a childe of the True Brujah Antedeluvian); and Kishar childe of Gangrel]. There are other Methuselahs of course that dwell in the ancient Persian, Akkadian and Babylonian territories but these are the eldest who wield influence in Darius’ Persia.

The plan works brilliantly Veddartha and Scriptos both are rumored to fall into Torpor opposing one another. Many of the other Methuselahs simply drift away or perhaps enter Torpor when the war leaders become scattered or fall. Mithras takes the field with Darius’ army in the Battle of Gaugamela (though obviously in the night well after it has begun). Seeing the efficiency of his foes Mithras abandons his holdings. He informs Hastrat who has come prepared for battle that he will journey west as he believes that what he sees assembled before him now perhaps makes such a trip worthwhile.

Darius is again defeated at Gaugamela and again chooses to flee. Alexander does not give chase and instead races to Babylon to conquer it (especially now that Mithras has abandoned his stronghold, Menele is pleased with the decision). Upon arrival in Babylon, Menele learns that his onetime human wife Helen is a high ranking member of the Satrapy of Persepolis. Menele seeks Helen at Persepolis while Alexander heads to Susa and its enormous treasury. Menele is seduced by Helen and agrees to give up his conquest of Persia in return for her passage with him back to Macedonia. Petaniqua is outraged but there is little she can do as Menele hands the reins of power to his childe Tithian.

While Darius is killed by a human (ghoul) rival under the control of Sha’Hiri Alexander has himself declared King of Persia at Persepolis. Tiamat journeys to Persepolis to reach a truce with Menele as she believes that without such a truce she shall lose Susa. Once she arrives and realizes that Tithian and not Menele is in control of the army, her tactics change.

The meeting takes place at the top of Persepolis. (The author is a fly on the wall having snuck into the meeting with only stealth to guide him). Tiamat attempts to convince Tithian that there are forces much more powerful at work and that there are other Antedeluvians that would aid them in the fight against their sires and grandsires. Indeed one such Antedeluvian named Lilith visited her on her journey to the eastern kingdoms of India.

Luckily for (or perhaps unluckily) for the author his reliance on common stealth allows him to avoid detection when Saulot arrives. Saulot is enraged that Tiamat even knows of such information and uses his awesome powers (presumably of Dominate to wipe both her and Tithian’s memories). He then starts a fire that burns Persepolis almost to the ground. Even Alexander barely escapes with is life from the fire. The author is terrified that he alone possesses such information, he is not even sure if this information is even true though the reaction of Saulot is telling. The existence of Antedeluvians other than the 13 would be shocking, but to know that one of the Antedeluvians was aware of it would be even more shocking.