General History

Changelings begin to appear in the Medusa Lounge openly, invited by Luke Anaretti. Sightings of lion people stalking the ruinous desolation that used to be Susquehanna State Park begin to appear on crazy conspiracy blogs online. The Kingdom of Baltimore settles down once more, Primogen's construction efforts proceeding, the threat of the Nameless hanging over everyone's heads.

The Kindred of the city one again have nightmares of a wooden box, in a room of crumbling brick. The lid already open, and somehow this is more terrible than anything they have seen before. They creep closer, and closer, edging towards it on feet that are no longer under their control. They reach the side, grasp it with trembling hands, and then peer inside. Nothing. Only soil, and nothing more. And this fact fills them with unquenchable dread. Then they hear a laugh, deep, robust, and bone chilling. It echoes from behind them, and when a twisted hand falls on their shoulder they scream, at once across the city, and awaken.

The Kine go about their day, and all around them Kindred have the terrible dreams of the dead. They dream they are once again being hunted through fog-shrouded streets. Once again, they can feel the Presence as it closes in on them, here its amused laughter as it toyed with its prey. Once again they hear the flapping of wings, and once again they feel it swooping down on them. But this time, they do not wake up. This time they feel terrible claws tear into their shoulders, their sides. And they feel enormous teeth tear away the left side of their neck, the blood gouting down the gullet of a monster they can no longer function enough to comprehend. They try to turn their head, but there is not enough flesh left on the other side of their neck, and their head tumbles from their body. They collapse into ash, and then Kindred across the city have their eyes snap open.

The sun rises. The day goes on, and the nightmares the Kindred of the city have are far worse than ever before. They are lost in them, lost in an Abyss, and a deep, guttural laughing chases them through the darkness. They know there are creatures around them, so many creatures, an endless horde, unseen in the darkness. They know if they are spotted, they will die, worse than die. Be devoured for an eternity, body and soul, and each step carries with it the consequence of forever. They continue to walk, and then it happens. An unseen twig, beneath their feet, felt before the snap, but after it is too late. The noise echoes through the Abyss like a gunshot, and around they awake as ravenous hordes stir into monstrous life around them.

The Kindred, in Baltimore and DC, for once, sleep peaceful. It is a sleep of the dead, as if a great weight has been lifted from the world. The Kine go on about their day, working, like ants in a hive. And then, finally, the sun sets. The night begins, and predators come out to walk the streets.

A few weeks pass by, the mortals scurrying about their lives, going to work, wasting their days bemoaning the troubles of a world far outside their control. Kindred have terrible nightmares the entire time, dreams filled with monsters, terrible hunger, and a yawning, wide Abyss.

The day breaks in the wake of the terrible storm wrought by Martin Isaacs' passage. There is damage Downtown, the water having come up into the city as massive waves pounded the Inner Harbor. Fells Point has been damaged, and there is standing water still in some places. The day itself is clear, bereft of any clouds, and the sun shines bright on the Kine down below. But eventually, it sets, replaced by the pale moon. Wolves begin to prowl, and the dead begin to stir.

The Kingdom of Baltimore presses on into the future. The Kine go about their lives, unaware. Vitel continues to press up the Beltway, and Eleanor continues to strengthen her hand. Dracula does not come home for a second night, and his Brides begin to wonder where he is. But eventually, the sun dies.

The day comes into full bloom, the early days of Spring warm, clear, and healthy. The Kine enjoy their day, despite the rising trouble in the city, and despite continued rumors of the supernatural. People still cannot stop talking about the video made and released by Salem and Mary Aranha. It circulates like the plague, and in its wake interest in such things has been found at all time high.

YouTube, Reddit, and other websites are on fire with video of the happenings at the Harbor. A dozen videos of men flying through the air are seen, each from a different angle. One even shows the Tryat disappearing into the ground. Most people comment on the footage as an extremely convincing magic show, street performers who were incredibly talented. This view is quietly reinforced by Kindred contacts throughout the Kingdom. The ghouls work over time to cover tracks until the sun dies.

Baltimore reels from the fires of the night before. Commuters have to drive around emergency work crews, and heavy equipment. But the fires did not spread far, and the city rolls on. Baltimore has seen worse, likely will seen worse; she can take it, and there is an odd air of camaraderie, people going about their day with the shared sense of 'this is our city. No matter what.'

Winter's last dregs still hold fierce to the beginning days of spring. Cold dew clings during the chilly morning, but it eventually burns off as the day grows hot. Baltimore rolls on, as ever. Reconstruction efforts begin in Little Italy, Fells Point, and Canton, funded by a group of the city's Kindred.

The Kine go on about their days. The news is filled with discussion about the bright light in the sky. Most of the broadcasts center around reasonable explanation, but of the course the Internet is alive with more talk of the supernatural.

The kine go about their day, and the news talks about the green light that shone down on Fells Point. Pundits and scientists debate the source of the lights, and explanations for the recent phenomenon range from military aircraft, UFOs, space debris. A strange energy seems to permeate the city, almost like a tension, a vibration even the sleeping Kine can feel.

Time goes on. The people of Baltimore go about their lives, getting close to one another, or tearing each other apart. Gang activity picks up on the Eastern edges of the city as Vitel's men return to continue the war in earnest. The Black Spiral Dancers have begun to press into other areas of the city, but have largely been contained by Primogen Blackwood's Gangrel forces, at least for now.

Little Italy finds itself repaired, as do the other ravaged areas of the city. Weeks roll by, and the mortals continue to talk about the supernatural. Such things keep the message boards alight, and still regularly make the news. Disaster crews continue to work on Patterson Park, and the entire area has been sealed down while government scientific teams examine the eruption site. The national guard, however, has been sent home, and Homeland Security has taken over the majority of the work in conjunction with Pentex, who is on a government contract. The Treasury of Amenhotep III is announced by the City Council to be coming to the Walters on the first of June to be put on exhibition, and the town's elite prepare for the opening gala.

The Council also announces that Baltimore will fund universal, free healthcare for all city residents. One merely has to present their city ID at the hospital to receive service.

Finally, the night of May 26, 2021 arrives. It is the night of the Blood Moon, and supernaturals across the city are buzzing about the event, each with their own belief as to what it portends. Andrew Leakey is holding a celebration of the Lesser Mystery of Set within his Temple, with invitations having gone out across the city. The sunsets. The dead wake. And the great Wheel of Time continues to roll on.

Things are.....quiet, at least for Charm City. The Kine go on about their day. There is a major drug raid in Canton, and the fire in Fells Point makes the morning news. But things are peaceful in the city. The first cargo ships from Egypt begin to arrive, bringing the precious artifacts found recently in Thebes, in preparation for exhibit that will be put on display in the next few days. The harbor is clogged with ships, and tourists have begin flocking into the city, increasing the population ever so slightly, at least for now.

The Walters Art Museum is filled with people from near sun-up until well after sundown, precious artifacts from Egypt on display. There are canopic jars, sarcophagi, gold relic upon gold relic. The museum even went all out, and important a few select, rare pieces from other exhibits to enhance the collection, breaking the tide of Khemitian culture with a few Greek, Roman, and Hittite pieces. All Kindred in the city have been invited to the real event, an auction that will take place after midnight, in the second half of the night. Rare, and powerful relics will be put up for auction, and those with the highest bid will be able to purchase them. It is a black tie affair, with a cultured party before hand.

The day is hot, humid, sticky. Dust still hangs in the air from the fire in the Inner Harbor, and traffic in the downtown area becomes absolute murder due to the work crews attending to the apartment collapse. But eventually, the sun goes down.

The city of Baltimore continues on, and the day of the Grand Masquerade comes yet closer. The city's Kindred begin to prepare. But all is not completely well; the mortals have reported a severe spike in nightmares, particularly around Johns Hopkins Hospital. The smell under Old Town completely vanishes, as if overnight. Not that most of the city is complaining. Gang activity continues to be bad in Canton, though it has lessened in Fells Point somewhat. A tense, uneasy atmosphere settles over Baltimore, like the calm before a great storm.

June 11th, 2021 arrives, and the city's Kindred rest unease. They have terrible dreams, awful, racking nightmares. They dream of being hunted by some terrible, hungry thing in a dark jungle far from home. They dream of blue fire. And of a Garden that stretches to the horizon.

It is a day as any other. Nightmares continue to plague the more sensitive in the city, growing worse the closer one gets to Johns Hopkins. The monstrous growths continue to spread under Canton and Old Town, and people have begun to report rumors of strange creatures abroad at night, when the shadows are darkest, when everything else is still. There is a general aura of unease over Baltimore, a feeling of dread, an impending doom that cannot quite be expressed, but that undercuts all. Finally, the sun sets.

Time passes in the city of Baltimore, a few fitful months. The Garou spend there time fighting monsters spawned by Dorian's creations beneath the city. They cleanse each site, but it seems every time they do another pops up. It is like fighting the ocean. The infestation in Old Town is simply too large for a Rite of Cleansing to be done in full, at least not without serious support. Nightmares continue to grow in the city, despite Wolfgang pulling in the Fae.

It has gotten so bad that some people are even driven insane by their nightmares, driven to suicide by the haunting things they see in their dreams. The gang violence in Canton  and Fells Point has only increased, and this sure means Vitel is on the move. The project to clean the Bay  continues apace, drawing young and new volunteers from across the state. The Lesser Mystery of Set is performed, and eventually the night of September 1, 2021 arrives. The sun dips below the horizon, and the dead wake.

The day dawns, with much of the city on a quest in the Digital Realm, a race to find the Ankh of Ra . Life back in Baltimore continues as ever, and so does unlife with it. The war with Vitel continues to heat up, and talk of monsters in the night continues to increase in the rougher neighborhoods. The clouds from last night unleash their guts, pouring rain down on Baltimore like a thick, steady stream. Eventually, the sun sets.

The day dawns on yet more rain. The clouds are dreary and grey overhead, and the Kine go about their business with a sense of lethargy. The water is still coming down when the sun sets, painting the city in hues of yellow as the wet pavement began to reflect back the street lamps. Nightmares are still ruining sleep for people across the city, and the rumors of monsters stalking back alleyways have reached a fever pitch. Construction at City Hall has gone well. Elections are likely to be held soon. Finally, the sun dips fully below the horizon, and the dead wake.

The night ends, and the dawn breaks. Time passes in the Kingdom of Baltimore . Martial law settles down over the city, and the military moves in. They set up checkpoints across the entire county, and every night armed patrols secure every neighborhood, stopping people at random to scan body temperature and other things. Life has gotten hard for Kindred, as they are forced to live underground. They have never had to be so careful when going out, or when hunting. Several reach out with their political connections to try to lift the martial law, but everything gets bogged down in Washington  before they can make much progress. Meanwhile, the growths beneath Old Town and Fells Point continue to spawn monsters, and there are sightings and rumors that are troubling coming from the sewers beneath Downtown. The hot war with Vitel  enters a new stage, one of deadlock, as the government makes it harder and harder to Jyhad. Eventually, October 1, 2021 arrives. The month of Samhain. Magick is in the air, but so is a tension which threatens to boil over across the entire city.