Post by Storyteller on Nov 20, 2016 18:50:58 GMT -8
***THIS HISTORY WILL BE UPDATED WITH ANY PERTINENT INFORMATION THAT COMES TO LIGHT IN THE COURSE OF THE CHRONICLE***
Camarilla:
Prince Benedic was declared Prince by the Justicariate in the 1950s. This was a rare act for the Justicariate and Inner Circle, declaring Praxis on behalf of a third party in a Camarilla city on the death of the previous Prince. Many assumed he had been installed as a power play to remove him from being a player in larger Camarilla politics.
Benedic's reign was marked by a laissez-faire approach to his duties as Prince. While he instituted a variety of rules meant primarily to keep the masquerade, he did not strictly enforce his rules, leaving many to skirt the rules to try and get ahead.
Chief amongst those skirting the rules were the Giovanni. Led by Schlomo Rothstein, and emboldened by their family's gains in Boston, the Giovanni kept the pressure on Benedic and the rest of the Camarilla, looking to grab and keep as much power in the city as possible. This was a battle of inches rather than feet, and the two sides were wary of each other's motives.
The small amount of common ground between the parties could be found in their common enemies. Constantly on guard against Kuei-Jin from California, Anarchs from Arizona, and Sabbat from Mexico, the few times the Giovanni and Camarilla worked together was in their shared dislike of these groups. Anarchs were not well-tolerated within the domain, due to the little patience the parties had for disrupting their respective lucrative endeavors.
Benedic allied himself with the Nosferatu Geoffrey Montrose, who acted as his Sheriff and Seneschal. Montrose was the hands-on presence within the city, with Benedic preferring to handle (or not handle) the higher-level interactions necessary to run such an exposed and varied domain. Montrose took the lead in defending the city and managing the day-to-day affairs.
This arrangement lasted for nearly 60 years. At approximately noon on May 22, 2015, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Las Vegas. Though the USGS later downgraded it to 4.8, this was inaccurate and motivated by political reasons. At around the same time, a flash of light covered the northern end of the city. This was missed by the mortal population, as the sun was high in the sky, and there were plenty of reasons for people's attention to be elsewhere. This is believed to be the event that led to the death of all the Kindred inhabitants in the city, though it is still unclear what exactly happened.
Investigations by Camarilla and Giovanni authorities independently reached the same conclusion - they have no idea what caused the disappearance of the Kindred within the city. Tremere authorities investigating their chantry found no sign of the seven Tremere registered in the city. However, they did find seven pillars of salt in areas where they would have expected to find the Tremere. The Tremere have not released this information to the rest of the Camarilla, but secrets rarely stay secret for long, and it is believed the rest of the Camarilla is aware of that development. Of the remainder of the city's inhabitants, no trace has been found, whether salt pillars, ash or dust piles, bodies, nor any other trace.
After six months without contact from any of the missing parties, the Camarilla proclaimed the domain's Praxis open. The investigators noted encroaching Sabbat and Kuei-Jin presences in the city. Time was of the essence.
The call stimulated a call to action from all parts of the Camarilla world. Less interested in esprit de corps than they were their own self-advancement, help flooded in from all over the world. In the end, Henri Leclair of Clan Toreador seized and held Praxis long enough for the Inner Circle to proclaim his claim valid and the crisis at an end.
Now, with shunned political rivals and desperate favor-seekers alike populating his domain, Prince Leclair has opened his borders. Is he interested in welcoming all comers to Las Vegas, or simply looking for disinterested allies to help him hold what he has taken? Hard to tell.
Sabbat:
The push into Las Vegas was never a concerted effort. Despite the city's proximity to Mexico City, it was seen as a siege, whereas the low-hanging fruit sat a mere 5 hours west on the California coast. The Anarch Free States and the Kuei-Jin cities were by far the easier target.
Meanwhile, the natives were getting restless in the Sabbat capital. Two recently recalled Bishops upset the balance of power in the city, and the fiends took notice. It nearly came to open warfare before Oriax saw his opportunity. The newly wiped city of Las Vegas was ripe for the taking, and none of the other bishops appeared to have noticed such a jewel.
Feigning defeat, the ancient monster moved his base of operations north. Whether he arrived before or after the returning Camarilla was largely immaterial. He set up shop and sent out the clarion call. He was ready to wrest the city from Camarilla claws and score a great victory - one that may vault him past his competitors...
Garou:
The ancient caerns have stood for many years - Scorched Earth longer than Snake Eyes, but in the collective memory of the young city, it hardly mattered. Neither was weak, or at least not weak enough to encourage an encroachment by each other or outside powers.
The Sept of Dueces, Aces, One-Eyed Faces was called to arms. One of their sister caerns was under attack, and they rallied and clamored onto the moon bridge to help defend them. Their alpha even left with them, leaving a bare defense in reserve. There was no danger stirring tonight, they had little to fear.
The Sept of Thunder and Lightning was not so engaged. Though they had the bulk of their forces in the caern, two established packs were out hunting banes in eastern Nevada.
That day, May 22, 2015, when the earthquake and flash of light claimed every supernatural in Las Vegas. The septmembers returned to find... nothing. No trace of their compatriots was to be found. The Sept of Deuces, Aces, One-Eyed Faces was largely ok. They mourned their presumed dead and readied their defenses for an attack that never came. The Sept of Thunder and Lightning was not so lucky. Nearly 2/3 of their number was gone, and with them most of the leadership.
It was then that Guttooth appeared. Popular theory outside the sept suggests that he took the caern by force, killing the previous Elder in a duel. In reality, he simply appeared one day, and the sept installed him as their leader, which seems a less likely alternative than his sack of the caern, under the circumstances. No one outside the caern knows why the Sept went belly-up at the appearance of the Elder Theurge. Guttooth isn't likely to set the record straight, considering that if he could defeat an entire sept like that in single combat, potential challengers will think twice before picking that fight. Both caerns work feverishly to rebuild in the face of whatever caused that genocide.
Camarilla:
Prince Benedic was declared Prince by the Justicariate in the 1950s. This was a rare act for the Justicariate and Inner Circle, declaring Praxis on behalf of a third party in a Camarilla city on the death of the previous Prince. Many assumed he had been installed as a power play to remove him from being a player in larger Camarilla politics.
Benedic's reign was marked by a laissez-faire approach to his duties as Prince. While he instituted a variety of rules meant primarily to keep the masquerade, he did not strictly enforce his rules, leaving many to skirt the rules to try and get ahead.
Chief amongst those skirting the rules were the Giovanni. Led by Schlomo Rothstein, and emboldened by their family's gains in Boston, the Giovanni kept the pressure on Benedic and the rest of the Camarilla, looking to grab and keep as much power in the city as possible. This was a battle of inches rather than feet, and the two sides were wary of each other's motives.
The small amount of common ground between the parties could be found in their common enemies. Constantly on guard against Kuei-Jin from California, Anarchs from Arizona, and Sabbat from Mexico, the few times the Giovanni and Camarilla worked together was in their shared dislike of these groups. Anarchs were not well-tolerated within the domain, due to the little patience the parties had for disrupting their respective lucrative endeavors.
Benedic allied himself with the Nosferatu Geoffrey Montrose, who acted as his Sheriff and Seneschal. Montrose was the hands-on presence within the city, with Benedic preferring to handle (or not handle) the higher-level interactions necessary to run such an exposed and varied domain. Montrose took the lead in defending the city and managing the day-to-day affairs.
This arrangement lasted for nearly 60 years. At approximately noon on May 22, 2015, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Las Vegas. Though the USGS later downgraded it to 4.8, this was inaccurate and motivated by political reasons. At around the same time, a flash of light covered the northern end of the city. This was missed by the mortal population, as the sun was high in the sky, and there were plenty of reasons for people's attention to be elsewhere. This is believed to be the event that led to the death of all the Kindred inhabitants in the city, though it is still unclear what exactly happened.
Investigations by Camarilla and Giovanni authorities independently reached the same conclusion - they have no idea what caused the disappearance of the Kindred within the city. Tremere authorities investigating their chantry found no sign of the seven Tremere registered in the city. However, they did find seven pillars of salt in areas where they would have expected to find the Tremere. The Tremere have not released this information to the rest of the Camarilla, but secrets rarely stay secret for long, and it is believed the rest of the Camarilla is aware of that development. Of the remainder of the city's inhabitants, no trace has been found, whether salt pillars, ash or dust piles, bodies, nor any other trace.
After six months without contact from any of the missing parties, the Camarilla proclaimed the domain's Praxis open. The investigators noted encroaching Sabbat and Kuei-Jin presences in the city. Time was of the essence.
The call stimulated a call to action from all parts of the Camarilla world. Less interested in esprit de corps than they were their own self-advancement, help flooded in from all over the world. In the end, Henri Leclair of Clan Toreador seized and held Praxis long enough for the Inner Circle to proclaim his claim valid and the crisis at an end.
Now, with shunned political rivals and desperate favor-seekers alike populating his domain, Prince Leclair has opened his borders. Is he interested in welcoming all comers to Las Vegas, or simply looking for disinterested allies to help him hold what he has taken? Hard to tell.
Sabbat:
The push into Las Vegas was never a concerted effort. Despite the city's proximity to Mexico City, it was seen as a siege, whereas the low-hanging fruit sat a mere 5 hours west on the California coast. The Anarch Free States and the Kuei-Jin cities were by far the easier target.
Meanwhile, the natives were getting restless in the Sabbat capital. Two recently recalled Bishops upset the balance of power in the city, and the fiends took notice. It nearly came to open warfare before Oriax saw his opportunity. The newly wiped city of Las Vegas was ripe for the taking, and none of the other bishops appeared to have noticed such a jewel.
Feigning defeat, the ancient monster moved his base of operations north. Whether he arrived before or after the returning Camarilla was largely immaterial. He set up shop and sent out the clarion call. He was ready to wrest the city from Camarilla claws and score a great victory - one that may vault him past his competitors...
Garou:
The ancient caerns have stood for many years - Scorched Earth longer than Snake Eyes, but in the collective memory of the young city, it hardly mattered. Neither was weak, or at least not weak enough to encourage an encroachment by each other or outside powers.
The Sept of Dueces, Aces, One-Eyed Faces was called to arms. One of their sister caerns was under attack, and they rallied and clamored onto the moon bridge to help defend them. Their alpha even left with them, leaving a bare defense in reserve. There was no danger stirring tonight, they had little to fear.
The Sept of Thunder and Lightning was not so engaged. Though they had the bulk of their forces in the caern, two established packs were out hunting banes in eastern Nevada.
That day, May 22, 2015, when the earthquake and flash of light claimed every supernatural in Las Vegas. The septmembers returned to find... nothing. No trace of their compatriots was to be found. The Sept of Deuces, Aces, One-Eyed Faces was largely ok. They mourned their presumed dead and readied their defenses for an attack that never came. The Sept of Thunder and Lightning was not so lucky. Nearly 2/3 of their number was gone, and with them most of the leadership.
It was then that Guttooth appeared. Popular theory outside the sept suggests that he took the caern by force, killing the previous Elder in a duel. In reality, he simply appeared one day, and the sept installed him as their leader, which seems a less likely alternative than his sack of the caern, under the circumstances. No one outside the caern knows why the Sept went belly-up at the appearance of the Elder Theurge. Guttooth isn't likely to set the record straight, considering that if he could defeat an entire sept like that in single combat, potential challengers will think twice before picking that fight. Both caerns work feverishly to rebuild in the face of whatever caused that genocide.