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Credits Dedication:

Written by: Ian Lemke To all of those who feel lost, lonely, or displaced in this
Edited by: Laurie Zolkosky sometimes cold and dispassionate world. Remember, there are
Layout by: Aaron Acevedo others out there just as strange and wonderful as you. Keep the
Cover Illustration: Aaron Acevedo faith and keep looking for your own kind. I promise they’re
out there somewhere.
Interior Illustrations: Storytellers Vault Art Packs

© 2018 White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Masquerade®, World of Dark-
ness®, Storytelling System™, and Storytellers Vault™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of White
Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved.
For additional information on White Wolf and the World of Darkness, please, visit: www.white-wolf.com,
www.worldofdarkness.com and www.storytellersvault.com.

B Awakenings
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Setting 03
Chapter Two: History 05
Chapter Three: The Story 07
Chapter Four: Allies & Enemies 12

1
Chapter One:
Setting
One day you see a strange little girl look at you
One day you see a strange little girl feeling blue

A wakenings is an introductory story for a series


of narratives set in the city of Baltimore. Each
chapter is a complete story in itself, but all are
part of a larger story that unfolds episode-by-episode.
The ongoing saga forms a chronicle sourcebook in
has plummeted over the past few decades, leaving
entire sections of the city barren and uninhabited.
Large swathes of the city are nothing but block after
block of boarded-up buildings, riddled with dens of
criminal activity. Fictional media has reinforced the
much the same vein as the Immortal Eyes series, while image of the city as crime-ridden and hopeless, and
also providing detailed information for playing your the more Baltimoreans believed that their city was
own chronicles set in Baltimore. nothing but a haven for drugs and crime, the worse
Baltimore is a city of contradictions. It is the home the situation became.
of amazing art museums like the Walters Art Gallery, In 2002 the city’s mayor launched the Baltimore
the Baltimore Museum of Arts, and the American Believe Campaign in an attempt to bolster hope
Visionary Arts Museum. It has been the home of such and faith among the people of the city. No one has
literary luminaries as Fredrick Douglass, Edgar Allen claimed credit, but it is widely believed in the Kithain
Poe, Emily Post, Upton Sinclair, H.L. Mencken, and community that a changeling may well have been the
F. Scott Fitzgerald. Such great musicians as Billie Holi- architect of the campaign. Regardless of who started
day, Tori Amos, Sisqó, and Frank Zappa, have lived or it, the Believe Campaign did seem to have an impact;
studied in Baltimore. Arts festivals such as Artscape crime and murder rates dropped, and the economy even
take over the downtown area every year. The world- rebounded. For the first time in decades, Baltimore’s
renowned Johns Hopkins University and Hospital does population grew and a new wave of renovation spread
its life-saving work in Baltimore. throughout some of its dying neighborhoods. Wood-
On the other hand, it’s also one of the most crime- berry and Hampden, which comprise the Barony of
ridden cities in the United States, often claiming the Flamingos (the setting for this adventure) are among
dubious honor of “Murder Capital of the Nation.” The the districts that have benefitted from this phenom-
city suffers from rampant poverty and the population enon in recent years.

3
The Chimerical City
Throughout much of the ’70s, ’80s and Baltimore was mostly
in the hands of the worst of the Unseelie Court, their actions
secretly directed by several powerful Thallain. Around the turn
of the millennium, a group of Seelie fae led by Sir Pallimyn of
House Fiona uncovered Baltimore’s dark secret and defeated
the Thallain who were pulling the strings of the city’s supposed
rulers. Unfortunately, Sir Pallimyn was slain by a horrific ogre
during a New Year’s Eve battle to save the city from the Thallain,
and Duchess Elena-Anastasia had decreed that Pallimyn would
be made the count of Baltimore City upon the completion of
his crusade. After his tragic death, the Duchess chose to honor
his service in the most unusual manner by raising his stalwart
companion and second-in-command, Lunesta Daggers, to the
rank of the countess. This might not seem unusual given her
status as Sir Pallimyn’s second, but she was a sluagh; one of the
very few to ever be granted such an honor. Countess Lunesta
continues to rule to this day. Under her serve several barons,
each laying claim to regions that roughly correspond to various
neighborhoods throughout the city.

Barony of Flamingos
The Barony of Flamingos compromises the mortal neigh-
borhoods of Hampden and Woodberry (known collectively as
Woodberry-Hampden) as well Druid Hills Park. Woodberry-
Hampden is known throughout the city as a place filled with
Glamour. It is the home of filmmaker John Waters (as well as
the inspiration and setting for many of his movies). The former
working-class neighborhood has become gentrified and is now
a hub for art galleries, restaurants, small independently owned
shops, and even a few small performing arts theaters.
Baron Vesta is the ruler of the Barony of Flamingos. He
rules from his Freehold, which is located in Druid Hills Park
near the Baltimore City Zoo. There is some contention among
baronies over the ownership of Druid Hills Park, but fortunately
these disputes have remained mostly political and haven’t spilled
over into violence. The Kithain of the Barony of Flamingos and
especially those who live in and around Druid Hills Park know
that that they share the territory with a pack of werewolves who
live in the deep in the forested part of the park.

Why Flamingos?
The flamingos referenced in the barony’s name are not the
living birds but the tacky, plastic variety that people place in
their front yards. After the release of John Water’s movie Pink
Flamingos in 1972 (not long after the Resurgence and around
the time the barony was established) pink flamingos became
ubiquitous throughout the city, but were especially prevalent
in Hampden. Over the years, the tradition slowly died off
elsewhere, but it remains popular in Hampden to this day. One
of the restaurants located along The Avenue (the shopping
district in the center of Hampden) has a three-story metallic
statue of a pink flamingo in front of their building.

4 Awakenings
Chapter Two:
History
Settlement The end of World War II was the beginning of the
end for the mills that were the center of the region and
The communities of Woodberry and Hampden by the 1970s almost all of them had closed for good. The
were originally settled by workers from the mills and collapse of the mills changed the region forever. Most
factories along the Jones Falls river on the edge of of those who had the means moved away and the rest
Baltimore City. Chief among these were the cotton of the region suffered a terrible depression. The vibrant
mills and sailmakers who made sails for the famous shopping district on 36th Street, known as The Avenue,
Baltimore Clipper ships. These settlers mostly hailed withered and died, and many of the once-happy homes
from the Appalachian hill country, West Virginia, stood silent and empty.
Kentucky, and western Pennsylvania. Most were of
Scots-Irish descent and many Celtic commoners, es-
pecially boggans and nockers, were among them. The
The Resurgence
The re-opening of the trods and the return of the
neighborhoods were officially annexed by Baltimore
sidhe were barely noticed by those who lived in Woodber-
City in 1889.
ry-Hampden. The poverty and depression of the mortals

The Interregnum here meant that the region was mostly ignored by the
fae. The closest the Kithain came to returning was the
Although not an official barony, this region was a freehold and trod located in Druid Hills Park that became
center of commoner activity during the heyday of the the baron’s seat. A few battles took place on the streets
mills and factories. There was a strong tradition of the of Woodberry-Hampden during the Accordance War,
arts among the working-class residents that greatly ap- but little else of importance happened here.
pealed to the fae who made this place their home. Many
nockers found work in the steel mills and foundries and
often spent nights, long after the mortal workers had
departed, tinkering and devising new creations.

Chapter Two 5
The Evanescence with boutiques, art galleries, bookshops, restaurants, wine bars,
It was during the early reign of High King David that new age shops and more.
Woodberry-Hampden re-emerged and came to life once more. Of course, any great success is going to come with its own set
The abandoned mills along the river became popular with artists of problems. Many Hampden-Woodberry locals whose families
and musicians. Baron Vesta had recently been granted rulership have lived here for decades have been forced out by rising rents
of the region and was quick to latch onto this small enclave of and property taxes. Some boggans and nockers who have been
artists and encourage their growth and success. The Barony of reborn time and time again within the region still cling to the
Flamingos quickly became known for its art gatherings, late- old ways and resent newcomers. Flush with success and the re-
night parties, and raves held in the crumbling ruins of the mills surgence of his barony, Baron Vesta has paid little heed to these
and foundries. commoners’ complaints. Other commoners from around the city
Over the next couple of decades, mortals and fae alike flooded have become aware of the plight of the original residents of the
back to Woodberry-Hampden and the Barony of Flamingos be- barony, and there are rumblings of a possible revolt.
came one of the more powerful and influential in the city. The
deserted shopping district, The Avenue, was suddenly packed

6 Awakenings
Chapter
Three:
The Story
Kiasyd was fascinated by the children who live in the
Awakenings park and spent much time watching them from the
Awakenings is a short adventure that introduces windows of his mansion. As they continue searching
the characters to the city of Baltimore and is the first the mansion they uncover more information that
in a chronicle that will unfold over the course of shows that Sebastian may not be responsible for the
several stories. The story easily be played as a stand- disappearance of the children after all. His notes and
alone adventure set in almost any city although the journal tell that during one of his late-night walks in
Storyteller may wish to change certain details that the park he encountered something strange – some-
make the story unique to Baltimore. thing he believed to be a doorway or portal to another
The story opens with the disappearance of a world. His notes show that he witnessed two of the
childing from the Woodberry neighborhood in the children vanishing into the portal. He tried to follow
Barony of Flamingos. Three mortal children have also but couldn’t find a way inside. He tried a few spells
gone missing over the past three months, which has of opening to no avail. He continued his research,
certainly caused some concern in the Kithain com- turning to alchemy in the hopes of finding a way to
munity, but now a Kithain childling has gone missing, reveal the doorway. His journal ends abruptly, just a
creating a sense of urgency. At the beginning of the few days before the childling went missing. It seems
story, the characters are recruited to investigate the that perhaps he found the doorway after all.
cause of the missing children and more importantly While exploring Rockrose Park, either by accident
the missing childling. or through investigation, the characters discover the
The investigation leads the characters to an aban- reason for the disappearances – a trod has opened
doned stone mansion at the edge of Rockrose Park in that leads to a Freehold in the Near Dreaming. The
the Woodberry region of the Barony of Flamingos. As missing children, the childling, and Sebastian have
they investigate the old mansion it quickly becomes all become trapped in the Freehold, unable to find
clear that this is the home of an ancient vampire – a their way home. The characters must enter the portal
Kiasyd named Sebastian O’Toole. At first, the clues and confront the ancient chimera that is its guardian.
the characters turn up do not look good for the
missing children. It quickly becomes clear that the

Chapter Three 7
• Michael was last seen leaving school. He often stopped
Telling the Tale by the community garden in Rockrose Park on his way home
The story, as presented, provides a framework for the from school. He recently lost his dog which left him feeling very
Storyteller to tell this story however they wish. Difficulties for sad and lonely.
performing various tasks (such as searching a room or picking • Kendra is from a broken home. She lived with her
a lock) are not provided but rather left for the Storyteller to meth-addicted mother on Rockrose Avenue, just a couple blocks
determine based on the strengths and weaknesses of the char- from the park and the stone mansion.
acters. Statistics for chimerical monsters and the like are listed
but the Storyteller should feel free to adjust these as need be.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to share a fun and memorable
Scene Two: The Stone Man-
story with the players, not to defeat them. Have fun with it and sion
do what you will! The massive stone mansion looms at the end of the street,
towering over nearby buildings and overlooking Rockrose Park.
Act One: The Mystery Heavy curtains obscure the windows and the old, rippled glass
is covered with a film of dirt. The house was built in the 1840s
The story begins with the characters setting out in search as a home for one of the foremen at the nearby sail mills. It has
of a missing childling and three missing mortal children. How remained vacant since sometime in the 1980s but the local
the characters become involved in this investigation is up to the vagrants and ne’er-do-wells tend to avoid it. Although there is
Storyteller. The missing childling might be a member of their a distinct lack of vandalism, no graffiti or broken windows, the
motley, they might be friends with MacDougal (see below), or building is beginning to deteriorate due to age and neglect. The
they might be tasked to find the childling by Baron Vesta. mortar is crumbling, leaving gaps in the stonework, the paint
around the windowsills is chipped and faded, and the roof sags
Scene One: The Missing in places.
The missing childling is a young raccoon pooka whose The house is surrounded by an old wooden fence that has
mortal name is Leia Martin but she mostly uses her changeling rotted away in many places and backs right up against Rockrose
name, PawPaw. Her mortal parents died in a fire two years ago, park. The children of the neighborhood believe that the house is
and she herself only narrowly escaped. Since then, she has been haunted, and some claim to even have seen a pale face peering
communally fostered at Baron Vesta’s court. She is known to be from the upper levels at twilight.
quite a wild child and rarely spends much time in any one loca-
tion, often staying the night with different Kithain around the
barony. Because of her mercurial nature and habits it was a few Chimerical View
days before anyone realized that she was gone. An old boggan The mansion appears a little different to those with chimerical
named MacGregor, probably the closest thing to family that she sight. The garden in the back of the house is lush and full of twist-
has, first reported her missing. ing vines. Magnificent red roses bloom no matter the time of year
If the characters investigate the missing mortal children and anyone who looks closely notices droplets of blood on the petals
they can learn the following: and oversize thorns. The house dominates the neighborhood and
• Two mortal girls and one boy have gone missing. Their seems to project a palpable darkness. Dark shapes, obscured by
names and ages are Marie Larson (age 9), Michael Thompson the vines and foliage, can sometimes be seen moving through the
(age 11), and Kendra McCullin (age 10). Marie and Michael grounds. At night, a mournful howl, heard only to those attuned to
are from Woodberry and Kendra is from a few blocks away in the chimerical world, can be heard echoing throughout the grounds
Hampden. and the nearby park.
• Curiously, the parents and even the police have almost A knowledgeable character might recognize that the chimerical
forgotten the existence of Marie, the first to go missing. Even nature of the house and grounds mean that either someone with
locating news articles and the like about the child requires the a great force of will once lived here and left an echo of their influ-
use of Kenning. The parents of the second to go missing only ence behind, or that there is still a resident who is impacting the
recall their child if reminded. It appears as if their very existence chimerical world.
is being erased.
• Almost no one remembers where Marie was last seen.
Use of Kenning or Arts may uncover that she was last with her
older brother while he played frisbee with friends in Rockrose
park. If his memories can be jogged, he last remembers her wan-
dering the direction of the old stone mansion at the edge of the
park. Both Marie and her brother live with their grandparents
after their parents were killed in a robbery.

8 Awakenings
Getting In unstable towers in the corners of almost every room, with various
tchotchkes balanced precariously on top. The walls are draped
There are three clear ways that the house can be entered;
with medieval tapestries and old paintings, which appear to be
the front door, the back door, or any of the windows. As soon as
(and are) quite valuable. The only mirror in the house is located
any Kithain pass through the gate and set foot on the grounds
in a dressing room on the second floor.
they are assaulted by the black hounds that protect the house.
The hounds have manifested from Sebastian’s own mind and do The house’s three stories are a twisting, winding labyrinth of
their best to drive off any interlopers by any means necessary. rooms with no apparent plan. Hallways suddenly come to dead
As a reflection of Sebastian’s psyche, they first try to frighten off ends, and secret doors and stairways are hidden here and there
intruders by using the Fear Rede, but if necessary, the hounds for no apparent reason.
physically attack. As soon as trespassers leave the border of the The first floor consists of an entry hall with a grand stair-
fence they fade back into the darkness of the garden behind the case, parlor, reading room, library, living room, dining room,
house, licking their wounds and awaiting the next intrusion. and kitchen. There are three ways to get to the second floor:
There should be one hound for every two or three characters, the grand staircase, a second staircase in the kitchen that leads
but the exact number of hounds is up to the Storyteller, based to right outside the bedroom suites, and a third hidden in the
on the combat strength of the group. The hounds should be an library that leads to the main dressing room and then up to a
obstacle but a surmountable one, since the story can’t continue hidden laboratory on the third floor.
unless the characters can get inside. The second floor is a warren of rooms, some empty and
Both the front and back doors are locked and chained. some filled with old furniture and rolled tapestries (some dating
Sebastian always uses his secret tunnel when coming and going. back to the Dark Ages) stacked almost the ceiling. The master
The chains are thick, but not fashioned of cold iron, and can bedroom is sumptuously appointed, with a massive, velvet-
be broken with big enough bolt cutters (or possibly using Arts). curtained four-poster bed and a luxurious dressing room. These
The lock on the chain is fairly simple and easy to pick by anyone are in a better state than the rest of the house, and are even
with the right tools. The doors are both locked and observant free of dust. The window in the master bedroom is boarded up
characters might notice that the locks are top quality and fairly and covered in thick, light-proof drapes both inside and out. A
new. The windows on the first floor are barred, again curiously not hidden staircase from the dressing room leads to a secret attic
with iron, but with steel bars. The upper windows are all locked. laboratory that cannot be accessed from the main attic. The
laboratory is where Sebastian conducts alchemical experiments,
including some attempting to uncover the hidden portal in the
Black Hounds park. The hidden staircase also goes down and leads to a secret
These hounds patrol the grounds and guard the house from intrud- tunnel that Sebastian uses for entering and exiting his residence.
ers. These are chimerical creatures, but they are able to make their The tunnel emerges under a bridge that crosses a small tributary
presence felt even by those who cannot interact with chimera. They to the river on the far side of the park.
appear as large, black mastiffs with glowing red eyes, wicked claws The third floor is really a multi-roomed attic. It is filled with
and frothing mouths filled with sharp teeth. locked chests, old furniture, draped paintings, rolled carpets,
tapestries and all manner of curios. Digging through the items
Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Perception 3, stored here could take hours or even days, but at the Storyteller’s
Intelligence 2, Wits 4 discretion the characters might uncover a minor Treasure or
two. The stairs to the attic, located in one of the second-floor
Glamour: 6, Willpower 6
hallways, only lead to the main storage area, from which there
Attack: Bite/5 dice or Claws 5/dice is no access to the secret laboratory.
Abilities: Alertness 4, Athletics 3, Brawl 4, Stealth 4 The Storyteller should take their time in revealing clues. The
Redes: Fear (Can be used to affect the mortal realm by also spend- early clues should cause the characters to suspect the worst. It is
ing a point of Willpower), Fester (Rating 3 and used in conjunction only when they realize that the house’s lone resident, Sebastian,
with its bite) has also gone missing that they may realize that something else
is going on. Many of these clues lie in plain sight but the Sto-
ryteller may wish to require several Ability rolls to successfully
Inside the House complete the search:
The inside of the house is a study in organized chaos. Tall Clues:
shelves are overflowing with all manner of books, many of them • Several rooms on the second floor, and one on the first
quite old. Any remaining shelf space is covered with knickknacks floor, have a chair and small table situated by a north-facing
and baubles of all sorts; ceramic figurines, crystals, old jewelry, window with a good view of Rockrose Park.
statuettes and such. Unlit candles, some of which have dripped
• A notepad has snippets of writing about children playing
melted wax over the shelves and onto the floor, are haphazardly
in the park, with musings on their personalities and home lives,
scattered throughout the room. As each room is entered a candle
a poem here and there, and a few short stories, some of which
somewhere in the room sputters to life without being lit (a small
have bad endings for wicked children.
spell cast by Sebastian a long time ago). Books form perilously

Chapter Three 9
• Sketch pads with drawings of children in the park. There
are dozens of such drawings, some quite disturbingly detailed,
The Whisperer
scattered around the house. The whisperer lives in Sebastian’s haven and protects it from in-
truders. It never directly confronts trespassers but rather uses its
• Hidden under a floorboard next to Sebastian’s bed is a
abilities to confuse, frighten and distract. For example, if someone is
journal that recounts his recent activities and his discovery of
about to discover the secret staircase it might use befuddle or create
something “peculiar” in Rockrose Park – a doorway or portal of
the sound of a child crying from another room. The Whisperer can
some kind in an old oak tree near the river. He stumbled across
project any of its powers into the mortal realm by spending 1 point
the portal about three months ago but found it to be locked,
of Willpower in addition to any Glamour cost although it cannot
so he began experimenting with spells and potions, trying to
physically interact with the subject in any way.
open it. His attempts failed, but then over the course of the fol-
lowing weeks, he saw two children vanish by the oak tree. His Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Perception 4,
journal entries end abruptly just after he writes of concocting an Intelligence 3, Wits 3
alchemical substance that he believes will allow him to view the Glamour: 8, Willpower 6
doorway. This last entry is from three days before the childling Attack: Claws 2/dice
went missing. Abilities: Alertness 4, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Stealth 4
• Among Sebastian’s alchemical concoctions is a vial of Redes: Befuddle, Dreamform, Hide
something he recently created to help him find the mysterious
portal he located in the park. There are notes on his workbench
that provide details.
• There is no functional power in the house and the
kitchen and bathrooms are completely non-functional. There
are several coolers stored in the kitchen area, however, as well
as a number of blood encrusted glasses and goblets.
Other Discoveries:
• Sebastian has a wide collection of potions, curios, and
other magical components, some of which may be dross that can
be collected by the characters and transformed into Glamour.
• In the laboratory there is a single extra dose of Sebas-
tian’s Potion of Seeing. It matches the description of the last
concoction described in his journal.
• A few minor Treasures may be stashed amongst his
vast collection of belongings in the attic. Of course, he won’t be
happy if they are stolen, though he may be willing to part with
them as a thank you for rescuing him – assuming he is rescued.
• Sebastian has a fair quantity of human (and other)
blood stored in coolers.

10 Awakenings
calm him – possibly even offering him some blood, their own
or any they might have collected at the mansion. Giving him
Act Two: The Discovery changeling blood could lead to its own set of problems, although
it is likely that Kiasyd might be able to tolerate it better than
In this part of the story, the characters discover the trod that
other vampires. If they choose to fight him they can probably
the children and Sebastian vanished into. On the other side of
defeat him relatively easily, as he is weak from lack of blood and
the trod, they find a Freehold and the missing mortal children,
disoriented by the Dreaming.
the childling, and Sebastian. They also encounter the slightly
mad protector of the Freehold and they must help her regain her How they deal with Sebastian determines how hard it is
sanity. They may also have to deal with Sebastian who has been to deal with The Lady. The more merciful and honorable they
driven a little mad as well by his interactions with the Dreaming show themselves to be, the more reasonable she is to negotiate
and the fact that he is dangerously low on blood. with. Initially, despite her beckoning, any attempt to approach
is blocked by a movement of the thorny rose hedge. Anyone
Scene One: Exploring the Park stuck by the thorns suffers from a poison that causes extreme
hallucinations. Initially she trusts only childlings and the they
Rockrose Park is a good-sized park, lined on one side by a
are permitted to pass, although when they reach the edge of the
forest on one side that covers much of TV Hill and bordered by
pond Willpower rolls are required to keep from slipping into the
the Jones Falls River. The forest’s edge is dense with blackberry
fugue affecting the other children.
and wineberry bushes, the berries of which children greatly
enjoy picking and eating during the summer months. The park Once the characters have convinced The Lady that they are
has a small baseball field, a community garden, and a walking/ honorable and merciful she allows them to approach, but she is
bicycling path that follows the river. A children’s play area is still hurt and angered at having been locked away and ignored
located close to the road, in the shadow of the stone mansion. for centuries. She may fly into a rage at any moment if they
say the wrong thing. If the characters can calm her, possibly by
The characters might choose to search the park before
promising to spend time in the Freehold to keep her company,
exploring the mansion. If they do this, the Storyteller can al-
she agrees to let the characters and the kidnapped children and
low them to stumble across the trod, although this will bypass
childling leave.
a great deal of the adventure. If the Storyteller wishes to have
the characters explore the mansion first, they can let the search The Protector
be futile while hinting that the characters might want to inves-
The Freehold is protected by a powerful chimera that calls
tigate the mansion.
itself The Lady of the Waters. She wields a great deal of power of
Sebastian’s journal indicates that the children vanished the Freehold and it is she who decides who stays. Unfortunately,
right by an old oak tree that overlooks the river. If the oak is having been cut off from the mortal realms for so long, she is
carefully examined with Kenning (or if one of the characters suffering from something akin to bedlam. She has been asleep
drinks Sebastian’s Potion of Seeing) they see a doorway hid- since the time of the Shattering and was awakened by Sebastian’s
den in the bole of the tree. Once the entrance is located, it’s attempts to enter the trod. Upon awakening, she was overcome
easy enough to enter the trod. Any childlings in close vicinity with a deep sense of loneliness and resentment at having been
hear the faint sounds of music and feel drawn to the tree. The abandoned for so long.
Storyteller may even require a Willpower roll to resist entering
the trod in search of the music. Conclusion
Assuming the characters are successful in calming The
Scene Two: The Freehold Lady of the Waters they are now in possession of their very own
The trod leads directly to the Freehold, although there is a Freehold. Of course, they must get permission from the baron
sense of other paths branching off to other places in the Dream- to keep it, which could be the basis of another adventure. How
ing. The Freehold itself appears as a forest glade with a small they deal with Sebastian will also have an impact on their fu-
pond at its center. The pond is surrounded by a hedge of white ture. Killing him is certainly a possible outcome and frees the
roses. A woman, apparently made of water, stands in the center characters from further worry, although his allies might come
of the pond, beckoning. The three missing mortal children and looking for him one day. Keeping him could mean that they have
the missing childling are playing around the pond’s edge. They an ally, and one who might help them defend their Freehold in
don’t see to notice the arrival of the characters and don’t respond the future. Of course, an alliance with a vampire could create
to hails or attempts to communicate. Their minds are lost in a its own complications.
fugue induced by Lady of the Waters.
Sebastian O’Toole lies outside the hedge or white roses in
a state between torpor and frenzy. The arrival of the characters
awakens him and he struggles to his feet. His eyes are blood-
shot and his lips are curled in a feral rictus as he begs them for
help. How the characters choose to deal with the near-frenzied
vampire is up to them. They can fight him or they can try to

Chapter Three 11
Chapter Four:
Allies &
Enemies
Sebastian O’Toole Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4,
Sebastian O’Toole is a vampire of the Kiasyd Perception 4, Intelligence 5, Wits 4
bloodline and is over 200 years old. He is of a kinder Charisma 2, Manipulation 5, Appearance 1,
and gentler nature than most of his kind and is drawn
Abilities: Academics 3, Alertness, Athletics 2,
to the playful and whimsical. Yet he is still a vampire.
Brawl, 1, Empathy 3, Enigmas 5, Etiquette 4, Expres-
He requires blood to survive and his thoughts often
sion 2, Gremayre 2, Intimidation 3, Investigation 3,
take him dark places. He is fascinated by children
Kenning 3, Melee 1, Occult 4, Stealth 2, Streetwise
and yet this means everything about them, including
1, Subterfuge 3
the blood, bone, and sinew that lies underneath the
skin. Although this was not always the case, for more Blood (Glamour): 15
than the last century he has denied his baser desires Banality: 4
although he still indulges in expressing by expressing Willpower: 7
himself through words and drawings. He is a skilled Equivalent Arts: Autumn 4, Chicanery 4,
alchemist and even possess a little bit of magical Dragon’s Ire 2, Sovereign 5
talent. He is also very much aware of the fae and is Equipment: Top hat, velvet coat, cane, silver
deeply curious about the connections between the knife, A minor Treasure
Kiasyd an the fae. It is this curiosity that led him to
become slightly obsessed with the portal he discovered Lady of the Waters
in Rockrose Park. The Lady is an ancient creature of the Dreaming
Sebastian spends most of his time, alone, exploring – a chimera or perhaps something more – that resides
the mysteries of the universe through books. He also in the Rockrose Freehold. She has existed there since
takes delight in watching children play in the part long before the Shattered but remained locked away
although his window to observe is short, he often finds and dormant for all the centuries until the Resurgence.
himself at twilight, sitting by one of the widows on Even then, she was so lost in her slumber and despair
the second floor of his home watching the children that she did not truly awaken and the Freehold re-
play before they are called home. Sometimes, late at mained lost until the strange Kiasyd named Sebastian
night he wanders the park, collecting lost of forgotten O’Toole came knocking at her door. His persistent
items that the children left behind. magical knocking and poking brought her forth from

12 Title of the Book


her slumber but when she awoke she was overwhelmed with a Although she is in a better state than when she first awak-
terrible sadness and loneliness. ened, she is still quite angry and confused. The presence of
While deep in her despair she began to sing. Her song filled children and the childling calms her but she is also prone to fits
the void of the Freehold, travelled through the trod, and slipped of sudden rage at having been abandoned. It will take quite a
out into the mortal realms. Her song could not be heard by most, bit of convincing and cajoling to return her to her former state.
but struck a chord with some, particularly small children who No statistics are provided for the Lady of the Waters. She is
suffered the same loneliness. As each of the children arrived, she a very part of the Freehold itself and the Storyteller can choose
brought them to her and tried to give them what they needed. As to use her as they see fit. Once the Freehold is inhabited she may
each of them arrived she tended to them but continued her song. go dormant, living quietly in the pond until needed or she may
She was confused by the arrival of Sebastian and did not be an active part of the community. She can take pretty much
permit him to pass the rose hedge. She knows that he is not any form she desires but must remain in contact with the pool
mortal and yet he is not fae – although there is something fae (although she can grow tendrils of water to extend her reach).
about him. She stopped her singing after his arrival, but PawPaw
had already heard the song and managed to find it even so.

Chapter Four 13

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