The Winter of Despair
It is September 1890, the city is London. The city, though wholly Camarilla, is contested by two internal Kindred, Medwyn and Fagin, separating the city geographically (the East and West Ends), culturally (rich and poor) and sociologically (well-mannered Victorian nobility and seedy Victorian underworld). Being the jewel of the Empire, London obviously attracts a myriad of Kindred from all over the world, some of whom are detailed below.
The West End
Rich in both affluence and culture, the West End is home to the Victorian nobility: the well-mannered ladies and gentlemen of the era. Curious then, that its Kindred is ruled over by the reclusive Medwyn, of Clan Malkavian. Although Medwyn has been Prince of London for more than seven decades, he rarely makes an appearance to anyone but a select few, and his authority is dictated through his Seneschal, Valerius, of Clan Ventrue, a devious and manipulative individual who, it is obvious to most, is clearly after Medwyn�s throne, though as yet has never been successful. Medwyn�s Council of Primogen claims representation from all the Clans of the city: Marie Lacousse of Paris as Brujah Primogen, Copernicus for the Nosferatu, Edward Raven representing the Tremere (as well as being Regent of the London Chantry), Cleopatra (an individual convinced she is a High Priestess in Ancient Egypt) heading the Malkavians, Lady Anne acting as Ventrue Primogen and German noble Eleanor Vandegard, III representing the Toreador. Other notable Kindred of the city include Indonesia, the head Harpy, of Clan Toreador, and Godfrey Willett, the Gangrel Keeper of Elysium. Designated places for Elysium vary from time to time, but most often it is held at Westchurch, one of many large mansions around the city that are owned by Prince Medwyn. Being civilised and snobbish, the Kindred of the West End very rarely venture east into the rat-infested underbelly of the city, preferring to ignore the �unfortunates� and concentrate on the luxurious and genteel world of their immediate surroundings.
The East End
At the other extreme to the upper-class decadence of the West End is the brash, violent and seedy underworld of the East End, ruled over rather loosely by Fagin, of the Nosferatu clan. Although not officially a Prince by anyone�s standards but his own, Fagin has claimed for the title for himself for the past fifteen or more years, and has been mostly unchallenged by his kin from the West End, who, it would seem, prefer to ignore his and his brood of �Bashers� and �Bullyboys�. Statistically, Fagin�s followers in the East End almost outnumber Medwyn�s two to one, but the �lower-class Kindred� lack discipline, organisation, and experience (in terms of age). Whereas the vampires of the West End indulge in the arts and politics of the city, their Cockney counterparts prefer revelling in the sin and filth that they live in. The majority of the East End vampires come from the ranks of the Brujah and Nosferatu clans, but this is by no means exclusive.
Recent History
Over the past 18 months or so, several Kindred have gone missing, having simply vanished without a word or any indication of where they were going; indeed all evidence thus far indicates that they had no intention of leaving. Lack of amicable communications between the Kindred of the East and West lends uncertainty as to whether this concerning phenomenon is merely affecting those in Medwyn�s demesne, but at least one vampire loyal to Fagin has been confirmed as having gone missing. The most recent, and most prolific, disappearance has been that of Marcus Darius, the Gangrel Primogen for the city, who has not been seen for about three weeks. There are no leads, no evidence, and no suspects other than Fagin, but even Valerius admits that blaming the Nosferatu �Prince� would simply be finding a convenient scapegoat.