The Shadow War

The Shadow War, or Shadow Coup, began in January of 1967 and continued through August of 1968. A great blizzard struck the city of Chicago that January and an Elder kindred saw it as his opportunity to at last unseat Prince Reinhold Fisher and end more than a hundred years of his reign.
In the beginning the conflict took place in back alleys or hidden subway tunnels, so as not to endanger the Masquerade. Some actions related to it even happened on Elysium grounds, political deals and back-stabbings of a less violent nature so as not to violate the Elysian truce. Through spies and intermediaries the Kindred of Chicago sniped at one another from a distance for over a year.
In April of 1968, during the riots surrounding the death of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the usurpers made their push in earnest. Frustrated at over a year of minimal progress, the cold and shadowy war heated up and took to the streets. Kindred began to die instead of their mortal pawns, and that was when all hell broke loose.
With no warning, The Sabbat of Indiana moved to strike as well. Taking advantage of the chaos, of the fact that neither side truly knew who was with them or against them, they eliminated several high value targets and as many foot soldiers as they could get their hands on.
Sensing weakness in their ancient enemies, the lupine werewolves of the wilds decided also to get a piece of the action. They chose June to begin their invasion, slaughtering vampires indiscriminately with no care for sides. June and July were bloody, bloody months in Chicago.
In August the first Archons came to town. It is rumored, though unproven, that even a Justicar eventually joined them. The unrest in "the jewel of the Midwest" risked The Camarilla's entire strategy in the Jyhad and this could not be allowed to continue. These officers of the Ivory Tower simply slew whatever kindred they could find until a winner could be declared by sheer attrition. That winner was Prince Reinhold Fisher.

The Conflict

Prelude

Seneschal Gilbert Hatch was close to Prince Reinhold Fisher, which was really what earned him the second-place chair. For decades under Fisher's reign he faithfully executed his master's will.
As the revolutionary spirit of the 1960s took hold of the mortal populace, however, so too did it find root in Seneschal Hatch's heart. The recognition that Fisher had indeed become his master, in essence, was too much for even an elder Brujah's soul to take. He began planning his moves.

Outcome

Hatch and his surviving supporters were rounded up and brought to The Field Museum. On the marble tiles of that great edifice, all his supporters were granted the Final Death. Hatch himself, due to his standing in the Camarilla, was afforded the humiliating punishment of banishment instead. The Princes of nearby cities in the Midwest supported Prince Fisher's action, resulting in Hatch's effective ban from the entire Midwest. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Aftermath

With kindred numbers in Chicago cut in half, Prince Fisher invited new arrivals to help settle the city and granted quite freely the opportunity to Embrace. Several new kindred were created in the wake of the Shadow War but the population has never quite hit the high it was at before the war started.
The outcome of the Shadow War is largely responsible for the current weakened state of the Sabbat in Indiana.
Brujah Primogen Liesl von Ins blames the Shadow War for the difficult position her Clanmates now find themselves in. Though she may have some legitimate points, most agree that the Brujah have made more than their own share of problems in the interim.

Start Date

January 26th, 1967

Ending Date

August 29th, 1968

Belligerents

Loyalists

Led by

• Prince Reinhold Fisher

Usurpers

Led by

• Gilbert Hatch

Strength

As both sides were roughly evenly matched, the greatest strength the Loyalists had over the Usurpers were the powerful Elders who supported Prince Reinhold Fisher, such as Primogen Liesl von Ins, Primogen Takanashi Kinshi, Primogen Frederick Kijek, and Primogen Hush. Primogen Diego Alejandro Cordova and Primogen Jasmine Ross were not in the city at the time, though they supported Fisher in word and deed from afar.

The greatest strengths the Usurpers could claim were the advanced combat and tactical skills of Seneschal Hatch and the sheer numbers of neonates and fledglings he was able to rally to his banner.

Casualties

• Joe Brown, former Sheriff, Brujah Ancilla, destroyed by usurpers.

• Clara Masterson, Brujah Neonate, destroyed by usurpers.

• Jonah Hanson, Gangrel Neonate, destroyed by usurpers.

• August Sanders, Malkavian Neonate, destroyed by Archons.

• King de la Mer, Nosferatu Ancilla, destroyed by lupines.

• Elsa Worthington, Nosfertu Neonate, destroyed by Archons.

• Witchcraft, a coterie of Tremere, destroyed by usurpers.
  • Mia Hodge, Neonate
  • Eric Lafferty, Neonate
  • Timothy Starshine, Neonate
  • Zidora, Neonate

• Gilbert Hatch, though not a casualty, was banished from the city.

• Dale Fuller, Brujah Ancilla, destroyed by loyalists.

• Edgar Henderson, Brujah Ancilla, destroyed by lupines.

• Alfredo Faraz, Brujah Neonate, destroyed by loyalists.

• Keri Kramer, Brujah Neonate, destroyed by loyalists.

• Kamala Mayadev, Brujah Neonate, destroyed by Sabbat.

• Adam Watkins, Brujah Neonate, destroyed by Sabbat.

• Huda el-Kamal, Gangrel Ancilla, destroyed by Archons.

• Zidanta, Gangrel Ancilla, destroyed by Archons.

• Salwa Bitar, Gangrel Neonate, destroyed by Sabbat.

• Pahana, Gangrel Neonate, destroyed by loyalists.

• Albert Polášek, Gangrel Neonate, destroyed by Archons.

• Zedekiah Klopfenstein, Malkavian Ancilla, destroyed by Archons.

• Joyce Case, Malkavian Neonate, destroyed by loyalists

• Abelina Watkins, Malkavian Neonate, destroyed by lupines.

• Cecil Browning, Nosferatu Ancilla, sire of Emerson Collins, destroyed by loyalists.

• Pelagia Della Valle, Nosferatu Ancilla, destroyed by loyalists.

• Freda, Nosferatu Neonate, destroyed by loyalists.

• Jiang Zhen, Toreador Ancilla, destroyed by Sabbat.

• Christina Blackburn, Toreador Neonate, destroyed by lupines.

• Linette Thrane, Toreador Neonate, destroyed by Archons.

• Leland Beasley, Ventrue Neonate, destroyed by Archons.

Objectives

To maintain the status quo.

To overthrow Prince Reinhold Fisher and install Seneschal Hatch as the new Prince.