Lachlan Wemyss by Night's page

Lachlan and Lorcan were born minutes apart during a bone rattling winter storm in the Wemyss ancestral keep on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. Twin sons of the laird of the keep and chief of Clan Wemyss, theirs was a blessed event as their father already had two fine sons born three and five years before and there would be no dispute on primogeniture. A first son to inherit, a second to serve the Church and two more to be knights, assisting their family holdings and making their own names. Truly, the Lord smiles upon the Wemyss family.

The boys grew up at the hip with one another. They were never parted and shared their mannerisms and speech. They constantly upset their family and fellows with their uncanny ability to sound and act alike as well as finishing each other’s sentences. To the consternation of their tutors, they would play pranks nearly every day. It got to the point where one of the priests tied different colored strings to each of their wrists to tell them apart so he could be sure of which one he was punishing. When they continually removed or switched them, the tutor went to their father in supplication. After hearing the priest’s concerns, he replied, “Your problem is in thinking that you are dealing with two different boys; they’re not. Treat them as the single creature they are.” After that, he beat them both for anything either of them did.

They grew up well and true, alike in all of their aptitudes. They rode well and were terrors in the ring with a sword. Both lithe and spry, they danced through their maneuvers, each nimbly avoiding the blows of their opponents. If this was sport to the boys, when they fought together, it was murderous. They fought in absolute concert, each knowing exactly how the other would move, perfectly complementing one another.

Grown and provided with arms, armour, horses and gear, they headed out into the small tourney circuit of Scotland. While either of them could do well in the joust, in the grand melee they excelled. Their combined fighting style quickly overcame their opponents who fought singly. It was this martial acumen which drew the attention of a certain bystander.

Brought to the attention of Lady Adaira na Darach, a Toreador in residence in Stirling. She arranged to meet the young men at a feast held in the royal castle after one such tourney. Captivating the knights took naught but a glance and by the next night, they were swearing their undying love to the beautiful woman. She enthralled them with her own preternatural charm and poise not needing to lean upon her powers of persuasion. In a fortnight, they were bound to her and learning their way as her new ghouls.

For thirty years, they served her, learning the ways of her household and beliefs. She instructed them on the Knights of the Sable Rose, an order founded by her own grandsire, Andrew. They were taught to uphold the tenets of chivalry and to conduct themselves as befitted knights. It was during this time that she also began to enact another facet of her plan.

She began having the twins switch their personal schedules. She would always have one or the other awake during the night to act as her bodyguard while the other was up during the day to act as her household seneschal. One would safe guard her nocturnal activities while the other would conduct the necessary daytime business and social functions. She kept alternating them so they would both be comfortable in each role and learn how to more effectively communicate the goings on to each other and keep abreast of the duties and functions of each position.

When news came of the demise of Baron Julian, Lady Adaira kept up correspondence with her ally John, to monitor the situation. When Mithras declared Gerard Cerialis to be the new baron over John, she rose up with other of his supporters and headed south. Lachlan, being in the role of bodyguard that night, attended to her while Lorcan remained as seneschal, looking over the household and domain of his mistress.

Upon arrival, the Scottish Toreadors employed their considerable clout to tip the scales to favor John over Gerard and helped secure the barony. His primacy assured, Baron John thanked his allies for their help and offered places in his court to all who supported his claim. When John came to her, Lady Adaira forestalled the new baron’s offer saying that she had only done her chivalrous duty to an ally and must needs return to her own holdings in the north. Baron John acceded to her wishes and bade her safe journey.

Upon the night of Adaira’s departure the lupines, having sensed a shift in the power of the vampires, made their largest raid to date. As the entourage was heading out of the bar of the Layerthorpe Gate, the lupines sprang their ambush. Literally appearing out of the shafts of light from the full moon, they descended on their hated enemies. A terrible melee ensued. In the midst of the battle, Lady Adaira, seeing Baron John’s own ghouls being overrun, ordered Lachlan to protect his rear. Leaping into the press, Lachlan cut down one of the beasts as he made his way to the baron. Fighting back to back, he kept the Ventrue ruler safe from flanking attacks until the creatures fled back into the night.

A cry of triumph rang out from all those gathered outside the gate. Baron John turned to the ghoul knight, clapping him on the shoulder in praise of his prowess. The young knight did not acknowledge him. Chagrined at the apparent snub, he made to reprimand Lachlan’s impudence when he noticed that he was staring off in the distance. Following his gaze, he saw the reason for the ghoul’s preoccupation. There at the foot of an ancient oak tree just this side of the river, lay the Lady Adaira. The knight broke away from the baron and ran to his domitor. Falling to his knees, he scooped her up and cradled her limp body in his arms.

She was dead. Her throat had been savagely torn out, her blood spilled across the gold embroidered samite gown. Her once pale flesh was now the pallor of unblemished marble. The tightly curled ringlets had spilled from her wimple those auburn tresses shining in the moonlight. The knight hanged his head in despair as defeat is cruelly snatched from the jaws of victory.

The baron bowed in consideration at the passing of his staunch ally. Her support had secured his position and now she was dead at the claws and fangs of the hated lupines. He offered to have her taken back to his court where she may lie in a grand bier as befit her station. Her bodyman looked up with tears streaming down his face. ”Pray thee sire, nay, do not take her from this place. It is fitting that she lies here. She is, was, Adaira. In our tongue it means the ford at the oaken tree.” Looking out, he nodded, ”See there, the river and its ford. Here, the oak tree spreads its leaves out over her. This place is her namesake. From the day of her birth unto this night, this site has awaited her arrival. Here she has met her destiny. Again, I pray thee, lord, let her rest here. I will remain with her until the dawn.”

Baron John was moved by the devotion of the knight to his fallen lady. He acquiesced to the ghoul’s request with a simple nod. As he turned away with his retinue, he stated, ”Present yourself to my court on the morrow.” There Lachlan remained until the first rays of the morning light took Lady Adaira from his embrace in a susurrus of deliquescing ash.

The very next night, he presented himself to the baron’s court. John himself rose from his high seat to greet him and bade Lachlan come forward. ”I have told my council of the vicious lupine ambush and their foul deed. It is with a heavy heart that we bid adieu to the Lady Adaira na Darach of Clan Toreador. She will be missed.” He bowed his head in silent remembrance for a moment before continuing. ”In talking to Calum McLann, her clanmate and my primogen for the Toreador, we are agreed that her loss lies at the feet of Yorkshire’s barony and it is meet that said loss be recompensed.”

Motioning to a retainer, Baron John stated, ”There is a Toreador of note from within our barony who made request to sire a childe.” As he said this, a regal woman was ushered into the chamber. ”Lenore, welcome back. You have been gone from our presence for some time, but fear not, we have not forgotten you.”

The woman looked warily about the court before replying, ”Your grace honors me with such attention.” Nodding, the baron announced, ”Neither has your perfidy in supporting the false claimant been forgotten. You were promised the right to sire a childe by my brother in the blood, Gerard. I intend to honor his late commitments.” Motioning to Lachlan, he said, [/b]”You may Embrace this worthy knight, a ghoul to a noble lady of your own clan who fell to the Final Death just last night. He saved my own unlife at the cost of his domitor’s and I would reward such valiant service.”[/b]

Startled, Lady Lenore looked to Lachlan. Her surprise was quickly replaced with contempt. ”My lord, Gerard gave me leave to Embrace my own beloved Christian. If you would guarantee his largesse, pray allow me my choice in progeny.” Baron John’s face grew dark at the Toreador’s temerity. ”Lenore, such cannot be. Your loyal retainers were struck down, one and all, for your treason. You yet exist as it pleased me to maintain a keepsake of my rise. Frankly I extend this courtesy as your only chance to continue your line. Lady Adaira cannot continue hers and I will not have two such lineages lost. My wizard has assured me that he has a ritual to strike your vitae barren forevermore and before this night is over, it will be so. Now take this last chance and forestall any further justice.”

Lenore went ashen at the pronouncement from the baron. She dropped to the floor, her knees buckling under her. John made a curt motion and her guards grabbed her up. Taking up his own goblet, he approached her drawing his dagger as he did. With a quick slash, he opened the front of her neck and jammed the gold cup into her chest, collecting the vermillion stream. Turning to Lachlan, he bade him come and stand before him. ”Calum.” The Toreador primogen stepped up and grabbed the young knight’s chin from behind, exposing his throat. Coming around with his mouth, he sank his fangs into the ghoul and proceeded to drain him of his life’s blood. At the last drop, swooning in death’s throes, the baron placed the chalice at his lips and commanded him to drink as his world went black.

He awoke on a stone slab in a cold tomb. Calum McLann came to him scant minutes later. ”Rise up, lad. Gird thee in thy raiment and come with me.” Lachlan followed his primogen back to the Cainite court.

Calum presented the newest member of Clan Toreador to the court and its baron. Asked of his plans, Wemyss replied that he would honor his lady and prove his worthiness to complete his training for the Company of the Sable Rose by sitting vigil on the spot of her demise for a full night, praying for her soul, damned it may be. Baron John asked that he did not want to slake his thirst first as he had not yet drank. Lachlan responded that he would first complete his duty. The baron nodded at this and gave him leave to do so.

Lachlan immediately set out acroos the city and through the Layerthorpe Gate to the ford at the River Foss. There he sank to his knees at the old oak tree with his hands grasping the crossguard of his sword as it pressed tip down into the soil. He began to pray. His prayers were for the soul of Lady Adaira na Darach, that she might find some peace in the afterlife and not be consigned to an eternal misery in the fires of Hell. He prayed the entire night, tears of blood streaming down his cheeks to water the ground where her ashes lay.

It was in the moments before false light that he heard a sigh. The sigh recommenced and then in some trick of his hearing, he heard Adaira’s voice. You have done right by me. Your loyalty is a balm to my soul.

Looking around for the source of the voice, Lachlan grew afraid when he could perceive no one else nearby. ”Who are you?”

I am she whom you grieve. Know me in your heart now as you knew me before. I am dead, but not departed. Your grief and love have kept me here away from my final damnation. I am indebted to you for managing to save me after all.

”Lady, how can this be? You are lost to me, but your voice sounds in my mind. What is this miracle?”

I am happy to regale you with my transubstantiation, but you have tarried too long. The sun comes and you cannot make it back to the city in time. Hurry! Go to the bank where it becomes steep up from the ford. Dig into the earth under that overhang.

Seeing where the voice was describing, Lachlan dashed for the place and began frantically digging in the predawn light. Quickly! Your time runs short. Dig and push yourself into the hollow. Let the earth collapse over you. Hide you away from the light of the sun. The brush of true light lit the far bank just as the soil covered his face, burying him. The dark void of death enveloped him and he knew nothing more.

That night, he clawed his way out of the ground and returned to the city. Filthy and disheveled, he made his way back to the court. All those present were surprised at his appearance. Baron John, astounded, asked how he had survived. The new Cainite described his night long vigil, leaving out the spectral voice, and his rush to hide in the river bank when he realized that he had overstayed his post. Several of the those in attendance nodded their heads in appreciation of such instincts.

The baron listened to the tale. He accepted it as told and asked what now he would do? Lachlan heard a whisper trilling through his mind and murmured the words. Coming back to himself, he looked to John and told him that he would ask leave to send a missive back to the holdings of Lady Adaira and summon her retainer and goods to him here as he was unable to hold such a domain his clanmates in the north. He went on to describe to his desire to remain a knight in undeath and swear fealty to his benefactor. John, Baron of Yorkshire, was most pleased to hear this and accepted Lachlan’s oath of vassalage. He even agreed to give over Layerthorpe as his new knight’s domain to honor the memory of his ally and his vassal’s vigil.

Lachlan retrieved his brother and treasure from their mistress’s domain and installed him in the home that he now occupied in Layerthorpe. He spent his nights listening to the advice and counsel that Adaira imparted to him. Lately, she has convinced him to release the last shreds of his humanity and embrace the Via Equitum, the Path of Chivalry, as his Road. An initiate to the path, he has much to learn and is learning to find allies of his own to help him achieve his goals.

Libellus Sanguinis II pg. 37) You have access to a mortal who looks just like you. Perhaps she's your twin sister, a long-lost relative, someone who has been Vicissituded or simply very good at disguise. Unless she is ghouled, however, she will age and eventually no longer be your double. Your fetch may move about during the day, conducting your business and keeping up your semblance of a mortal life -- but also commits actions for which you will be held responsible. Remember, your fetch should be kept carefully informed regarding your relationships and business dealings.

(DA:V Players Guide to the High Clans pg. 206) You spent a number of years as a ghoul prior to receiving the Embrace. As such, you have a better understanding of Cainite society and the powers of the Blood. The difficulty of all rolls to recall such information is 2 less than normal. In addition, you may purchase Potence with your starting Discipline dots, although it is not considered a Clan Discipline unless that is normally the case.

(DA:V pg. 307) You have a ghostly companion and guide. The identity and exact powers of this spirit are up to the Storyteller, but it can be called upon in difficult situations for help and guidance.

(DA:V Players Guide to the High Clans pg. 209) You feel a deep mystical connection with the earth and must rest amid two or more handfuls of soil from a place of personal significance. The dirt may come from your homeland or your empty grave, as befits your attachment. Every day of rest that you forgo such contact cumulatively halves all dice pools until all actions use a single die. This Flaw occasionally manifests among blood sorcerers as a result of botched magic, tying a vampire to a grave he violated for a ritual component or the tainted soil of Kupala’s domain. Tzimisce may not purchase this Flaw.

(DA:V pg. 308) You are a newcomer to your chosen road of enlightenment and have yet to face your first moment of truth upon it. Although you understand the road's tenets and teachings on an intellectual level, you haven't put them to the test against the Beast, so you cannot claim the mantle of a true adherent. This may be the result of having only recently been Embraced or having just changed roads, and you face a +1 difficulty penalty in resisting frenzy and Rotschreck, but you have an easier time changing roads if you wish to do so (see pg. 267)

(Ashen Knight pg. 102) Many Cainites leading lives as mortal knights claim to have taken an oath not to see the sun for one reason or another. You may do so as well, but in addition, you have taken a true oath that limits you in another way. This oath must both be important to you and known to others in order to qualify. The limitations imposed on you by your pledge determine the Flaw's point cost. A one-point oath might be to honor a lady with a special gift on her marriage or birthday; a three-point oath might be to wear a hair shirt until Jerusalem is again in Christian hands. Violating an oath can have dire consequences. At the very least it will damage your reputation (gain the Virtueless Flaw). In a chronicle in which faith is real, potent and present, breaking an oath could result in heavenly repercussions (gain any of the supernatural Flaws in Vampire: The Dark Ages). Not the Story tellers can use this Flaw to represent a knightly oath of fealty in a mixed chronicle (2 points). In a purely chivalrous chronicle, everyone will have such an oath, so it is unnecessary to quantify it.

DA:V pg. 306) Your sire dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest opportunity, she actively seeks to do you harm. Your sire's allies also work against you, and many elders may resent you.