Prologue: Victorian Age London

In the purest sense of the word, London is modern human history. Everything that was important, every development, every conflict and every morale law was first tested by England and no place where these experiments more relevant than in London, the capital of what is in the mid 19th century Europe, the center of everything. Mortal history however does not concern us. Sure lots of stuff happened, the kine are busy bee's, but to the eternal Vampires, one hundred years, five hundred years, one year.. its all the same. Mortals are their food, kine preoccupation with their own self destruction and misery has no bounds and its almost cruel to let them live in their own squalor, gripping with all their might as they do to their insignificant little lives. To concern oneself with these meaningless events beyond the opportunities they offer is to waste eternity.
What is important in London, is Kindred history and the period between the mid 16th century and the rapidly approaching closing of the 19th century, kindred society changed more than anyone could have imagined or predicted and like mortal history, many of those changes were first tested in London.

The Prince of London

Given the turmoil of earlier centuries, it was the most unlikely of candidates that would bring London to heel, a Camarilla Lasombra, a foreigner and a women. It represented the sweeping changes taking place in kindred society, there tolerance, their modernization and in many ways the rebirth of order. Camarilla rule didn't just return to London, it swept across the globe from Europe to the New World.
The Prince of London was instrumental in bringing order to the city, she was also personally responsible for bringing the Lasombra clan into the Camarilla. The credit was all hers and for this seemingly impossible task, Isabella was showered with wealth, power and prestige. Looking back at the last 300 years she is without question one of the most influential kindred in Europe and though the Ventrue discount such notions, claiming her to be their puppet, it is quite clear that her power is her own.
The stories of her participation in the battle to take down the Sabbat rebellion and helping to kill the Methuselah Menele quickly turned to legends about how she accomplished the task entirely on her own. This tale not only solidified her power, but proved to be the inspiration the Lasombra clan needed to stake their claim through the Camarilla process. In these 300 years no less than 20 major cities in Europe and well over 30 in the new world are ruled by a Lasombra prince. The Lasombra went from being a practically extinct clan struggling for survival to the second most powerful clan in the Camarilla bowing only to the Ventrue.
This has not gone unnoticed, but the trend continues, wherever a cities rule is in question their is a Lasombra their to stake the claim and so to is Isabella there to quickly support the shift in power. The Camarilla have created a monster, one that is not only quickly overtaking cities around the world, but becoming major stake holders in ruling the Camarilla itself.
The city itself as it looks today, 1886, has also received a major facelift.
General Sir Arthur Halesworth has been appointed Sheriff of London. When it was initially announced it was quite the shock to the foundation of the city. First and foremost, to select a vampire of such young age was unusual and though choosing a Gangrel sheriff is common, for a Lasombra to make such a selection given their history also raised eyebrows. Perhaps the most problematic element of this choice however is the fact that Arthur is a self proclaimed atheist, a point that does not sit well with either the Vatican, The Camarilla or the Ventrue. It is rumored the choice was made as very subtle "go fuck yourself" to the Ventrue, others simply believe that Sir Arthur Halesworth is a formidable warrior and his reputation does suggest that. If you ask the prince of London, she will explain that all souls must be saved and she believes Siar Arthur Halesworth, is indeed a soul worth saving. Theo Bell was chosen as the hound.
Reginald Moore has been appointed to the Keeper of Elysium which also raised eyebrows. Another young Vampire and one who's history raises a lot of questions. Reginald however does have the charm and diplomatic know how to pull it off and by most accounts has done a reasonable job of running Elysium since his appointment. The Carlton which acts as both nightclub, safe haven for visiting dignitaries and Elysium has become THE place in London as a result giving Reginald a lot of clout in the city.
It has been suggested and perhaps may be true that Isabella has a firm grip on these vampires and their subordinates, creating an impenetrable fortress of disposable soldiers who's loyalty is controlled through blood. The alternative story is that no elder vampire wishes to bow to a Lasombra prince, especially a women. The most likely reason is that it's a bit of both.
Today the power structure of Isabella has a very obvious outer appearance. While she has her Sheriffs, deputies and Elysium Keepers, her true force comes in the shape of the shadows that follow her. The guardians as they are referred to are mysterious cloaked men who wear faceless masks and stand by her in complete silence, presumably vigilantly watching over her, leaving little doubt about their purpose. They are her enforcers and guardians. In Elysium these cloaked men patrol and keep order, though they say nothing, simply indicating their instructions for structured order with silent body language that requires little interpretation thanks to very large sabres hidden under their shrouds of silk that come out when they are not obeyed. Who these guardians are, it's unclear, but what is clear is that Isabella has their undisputed loyalty and since their arrival a few decades ago no one has been foolish enough to test them.

The Jean-Luc Factor

Jean-Luc was presumed killed in the London Revolution of 1202 A.D. yet made a surprise albeit brief appearance in the mid 16th century only to vanish again for decades at a time. At this point, Jean-Luc is more a legend then a real person, his status, whether he is alive or dead is a topic of debate by those that never knew him personally. The few that do or did know him, haven't a clue where he goes or what he does, nor any warning when he reappears. Like many vampires that become his age, their motives have become the subject of much debate in particular in London where he tends to appear more frequently than anywhere else, though the theories are just that theories. The rumors and myths about Jean-Luc and his rare appearances have allowed him to enjoy a sort of camouflage that allows him to travel under any number of presumed identities. In modern day London virtually no one has any idea what Jean-Luc actually looks like except of course those elder vampires that where around before he became this enigma.
Needless to say, Jean-Luc's influence even from the shadows and surrounded by mystery has likely remained a constant, if his reputation says anything about him, it's that Jean-Luc does not idle. He has helped to shape and establish clan Ventrue as the rulers of kindred kind in the world and the shadow puppeteers that rule the Camarilla. There are more Ventrue controlled cities in Europe then all other clans combined and the US is about the same and much of that success is attributed to the control the Ventrue have over the Camarilla.
It is presumed that Grimwald, Jean-Luc's long time friend and progeny remains close to Jean-Luc, those looking for the Ventrue would have the best chances of contacting him through Grimwald who makes far more public appearances, though few are brave enough to approach the rather intimidating vampire famed for some of the most high profile fights in kindred history. He too has been absent from London for centuries.
Little more can be said about Jean-Luc with any real facts to support them, like most Methuselah, he is something of a inexplicable shadow, appearing only when it serves him.

The Tremere

If there is one presence in London that is and always has been the talk of the town its the Tremere who as part of the Camarilla takeover have become a staple in London. Though in modern day the chantry that exists here is a mystery to most, those that where around back in the 16th century know that their primary interest in the city is the Lay Line research which has continued for over 300 years. You would think by now they would have simply given up, but in fact over the last few years not only has the chantry had more Tremere dignitaries and visitors then at any time in the history of London, but their have been a number of buildings erected at the site of the original Ley Line crossings in the city. This does suggest the research is either going well, or so poorly that assistance has been called for. With the enigmatic and secretive Tremere, there is no way to tell one way or the other.
Though its not really clear what has caused this increase in activity, what is clear is that the person in charge of this chantry is not a public figure and instead the spokesperson for the Tremere, Edward Bainbridge makes the assurances, and insists to anyone who will listen that the Tremere are just operating as normal as they always have and nothing extraordinary or of interest is taking place. In fact, he has on a number of occasions suggested that the Tremere have already given up on the Lay Lines research, effectively confirming some of the rumors and at this point the chantry is simply a school. This would explain the occasional increase in visitors as various Tremere come here to offer lectures for students, or so it is claimed. The common phrase "never believe anything a Tremere says" pops to mind when one hears such things from the Tremere, but the chantry like all domains are protected by the traditions and hence, outsiders have virtually no chance of uncovering any information without breaking the very strictly enforced law under the Lasombra prince. More the that, the chantry's primary residence and so called school is rumored to be guarded by a virtual army of Gargoyles and spells, no one has in the last 300 years been brave enough to attempt a break in.

The conflicts in the city

There are indeed a number of disputes and rivalries in the city that are apparent to even the most oblivious of vampires. While this is hardly a conclusive list, these are common knowledge among vampires in London.

The Ventrue Power Play

Lady Ann Bowesely is perhaps the most vocal proponent of Ventrue rule and her abrasive personality and harsh reputation for speaking out against the Lasombra prince makes it obvious that in her eyes, the Lasombra not only have no business ruling a Camarilla city, but they have no business in the Camarilla at all. While she has never acted openly against the prince, it's clear that the hostility between Isabella and Ann Bowesely is only increasing with time and indeed most assume its just a matter of time, that something will transpire between those two.

The Tremere Dispute

Edward Bainbridge has also become less and less cordial when it comes to inquiries and investigations into the activities of the Tremere by the prince, the Camarilla, the Vatican and just in general in more recent years. There have been a number of denied requests and obviously forged lies when it comes to information about the Tremere's activities in the city and the number of complaints and concerns voiced in Elysium has been slowly increasing and becoming more assertive as more and more Tremere visitors arrive in London. Edward insists that people are just being paranoid and that the Tremre are not asking for any special treatment, but rather being offered the courtesy and privacy all vampires enjoy under Camarilla rule. In a recent Elysium meeting when hostility against the Tremere by certain groups boiled to the surface, Edward stated the Tremere's position very plainly. "The Tremere ask for nothing than what is offered by the Camarilla and what all Vampires in the city receive. Privacy. Being singled out as some sort of special exception to the rule is against the Camarilla, the traditions and kindred society." He furthered demanded that either London is a Camarilla city and the privacy of domains is respected, or the entire thing is a sham and the Tremere will simply leave the Camarilla.
The bold statement certainly did not help to quell tensions, but it was clear that Edward was speaking on the behalf of the highest authority of the Tremere and he was not kidding. Camarilla promised to send a representative to the city to help defuse the situation and since then while tensions have been high, there has been something of a cooling off and waiting period as all parties involved wait for the dispute to be settled at the highest levels of Camarilla power. Currently everyone is treading lightly, as its not wise to take a position to strongly before a Camarilla decision comes down, else one might find himself being made an example of.

The Methuselah Factor

One fairly notable difference between the 16th century and the 19th century is the absence of ancient Methuselah vampires. While it was still quite rare even back in the earlier centuries, in modern day even the word Methuselah has been largely lost, so rare are the appearances of such vampires. In London in the last 300 years there has only been one of these figures who has crept up according to rumor and even that is known only by a few who are unlikely to speak of it. The reality is that a vampire these days is considered an elder when he is more than 200 years old . 6th, 7th and 8th generation vampires are few and far between and the average vampire today is of 9-12th generation.
The blood has gone thinner and the ancient powers and disciplines of these very old vampires are largely unknown to vampires of this modern age.
In the same token, elder vampires of today have a tough time of the fast paced and ever increasing acceleration of technology. From the steam engine to electricity, the inventions of modern man are practically magical to vampires who have lived in earlier centuries. More than that mortal society has also shifted in a way that makes simply being a vampire difficult in a whole new way. Where once a vampire could easily make a nuisance official or officer of the law disappear, today even the disappearance of the homeless beggar or prostitute can trigger a Scotland yard investigation and mankind has become very good at investigating crime. Its more than just murder too, evading taxes has become increasingly complicated, owning properties comes with a wide range of technicalities and there are even laws today that require an individual to appear in public in the day time or forfeit whatever holdings are being disputed in courts of law. Vampires who can adapt to this life are typically younger and from the centuries in which such mortal constructs are the norm, but for elder vampires, the world is strange and unpredictable.
This may indeed explain the absence of elder and ancient vampires like Methuselah. How can a man born in 800 B.C., function in a society that has advance and developed as has the 19th century. It can only be assumed that such vampires simply choose to sleep through the centuries, hoping for better times in some distant futures where perhaps things go back to normal.

The Church and Royals

While the era of church and kings ruling all is over, exchanged for parliaments, courts and the capitalist machine, god still plays a role in the lives of mortals and vampires alike even if the Monarchs of past centuries exist only as figure heads. In this century the rule of the church is different and most certainly worse. The split between the age of reason and the age of Christ has resulted in a never ending political battle that plays itself out everywhere from people's homes to the courts of the highest levels. Whatever the church did for humanity in the past, today it is an organization grasping for control, re-writing its own beliefs to match the fact based world of science and trying to make sense of it all. Where once the word of a priest was holy, today its questioned and not just by scholars and philosophers, but by the average dock worker who has nothing to fear from the limp control the Vatican holds over the world it once enjoyed with impunity. The separation of church and state is perhaps the most grievous wound to the control of the church, as they no longer have any legal recourse to enforce their ideology and indeed the concept of freedom in the US that have boiled over to the UK means one can boldly proclaim himself a devil worshiper with nothing to fear.
For vampires however its a very different story, after all, they are immortal beings defying the laws of science and are in a sense living proof of the supernatural on which the churches word rely's. Still even the modern vampires religious views have become diluted. In part because most vampires are relatively young, too young to know the real church but mostly because it's become clear nothing good ever came of the church being in charge anyway. Despite this modern development however, over vampires, the Vatican kindred still rule as they always have. The expectation to adhere to the strict code of conduct the bible and god himself demands is expected and enforced to a large degree, in particular in London where the prince is deeply religious and clearly has ties to the Vatican that run deep. London Elysium's start out with church services and its common for Isabella to consult vatican vampires on matters of punishment and moral ambiguity in London. The kindred church in many ways has become even more vigilant and aggressive than ever before, as the mortal realm is often a foreshadowing what will follow in the world of vampires, they resist.
The days of the inquisition are not over, not by a long shot at least for vampires. Kindred society can thank the Camarilla for that, as it continues to maintain close ties to the church and the Vatican maintains a great degree of control over the highest seats of power in the organization. So much so that its presumed by most that the members of the inner circle are deeply religious, dragging the rest of kindred society down with it.
There may be other logic and reasoning, but suffice to say, Vampires are expected in particularly in London to be members of the Catholic church, to attend mass and to give thanks to the god that made them immortal. Not everyone does of course, but doing so brings with it a certain air of legitimacy and failing to makes one appear insincere and untrustworthy. It's a dubious circumstance especially if you consider the fact that while the Camarilla is many centuries old and the Vatican twice that, the vast majority of vampires it rules over aren't old enough to know a time before either power ruled. To them, the Vatican and the Camarilla may as well have been here since the beginning of time, yet they are both relatively alien and disconnected from the average vampires lifestyle which is usually preoccupied with sin and survival.

Mortal Threats

There is absolutely no question that the kine are a bigger threat to vampires today then at any other time in history and it has nothing to do with the church, inquisitions or their armies and everything to do with the clandestine loose organization known as "The Hunters". Vampires even 300 years after the organization was discovered are still trying to come to grips with exactly what hunters represent, how they come to be and where they came from in the first place.
What is commonly believed is that while Hunters appear organized, part of a larger structure, they function more like independent cells. It's unclear how a mortal becomes a hunter, but it is clear that they aren't simply mortals and that their training isn't simply a matter of exercise. They are supernaturals in their own right and the most freighting of their abilities is their total immunity to powers of blood. They cannot be blood bonded, Majesty and Domination are completely useless against them and they often exhibit incredible strength and speed matching most modern vampires. No thought is more freighting then being caught in the open by a hunter determined to end your existence and their proficiency and skill at murdering vampires is second to none.
Worst of all however is that three hundred years later, vampires are no closer to understanding or developing a strategy for combating these mortal vigilante's. They claim the lives of vampires seemingly at random and in London their have been a number of murder spree's presumably perpetrated by a hunter over the years, enough times that more are always expected in the future.
The threat of hunters is always present and no one is ever safe. The only correlation that has ever been made about hunters is that the more vampires that live in a city, the more hunters there are in that city as well. Some, its believed have made contact and come to arrangements with hunters, though such dealings have been known to end badly and it is a foolish vampire who seeks out such trouble. They live in the back of the minds of most vampires, this constant ever present problem to which a solution is never forthcoming.

The Anarchs

While the Anarch as a movement and an organization have been firmly squashed with no cities of control or even spokesperson to represent them, the animosity towards the old guard and philosophy of the Anarch movement very much still exist in the vampire youth today. They might not meet in secret rooms and plot against the Camarilla, but there is no denying that there are plenty of vampires who would not shed a tear if the Camarilla simply ceased to be anymore. To modern Anarchs however, the philosophy is more like utopian thinking then anything worth perusing and in the last 300 years the few upstarts that became vocal quickly and very publicly disappeared. There is simply no place for the Anarch movement to exist, not even in the secrecy of a vampires own mind. The Camarilla has clearly learned their lesson and in modern day their is a strict, zero tolerance policy when it comes those who think their is something outside of the Camarilla. The Camarilla no longer act as one option of several when it comes to how vampire society can function, it is simply the only way their is and anyone who disagree's can expect a very violent and immediate reaction. In fact there has even been talk of creating a modern addendum to vampire tradition that would state clearly that there is only the Camarilla, there is nothing else.

The Sabbat and the Brujah

The Sabbat movement was completely and decisively crushed in the 16th century and the Camarilla have even less tolerance for the sentiments of the Sabbat than the Anarchs, or anyone else for that matter. This however has been largely unnecessary, the movement has died along with Menele and in the last 300 years there has been no sign of its return.
Unfortunately for the Brujah however, the Sabbat has forever become associated with the clan and while they remain in the Camarilla, they are without question the outcasts of the organization, in most cases treated worse than the Tremere and the Malkavian. Brujah in power are rare and far between and though most still tread carefully around their temper, the punishments for Brujah losing their shit are ten times as harsh as anyone else. In fact, the Brujah has had it so bad that special rules in cities have been created preventing them from gathering out of fear of Brujah enclaves forming and reforming the Sabbat.
This paranoia is particularly high in London where Brujah have historically been a problem on a number of occasions. It's gotten so bad in some places that the default assumption about the Brujah is that they are unfit to remain in existence and should be eradicated all together. The common phrase "A brujah is only good for two things, killing and dying on your behalf" has become a common joke.

The Giovanni Family

While over the last three centuries the Giovanni has quietly worked from the depths of Italy expanding their little clan by an inch for every mile the Lasombra and Ventrue took, their is one thing the Giovanni do exceptionally that no other clan has managed particularly well, the establishment of loyalty. Members of the Giovanni are virtually incorruptible and their is no question that the reason for this is their uncanny ability to build impenetrable defenses not even the likes of Dominate and Majesty can break. In part is it is because they are masters of these disciplines themselves, but far more reasonable explanation is their there bottomless knowledge of the undead condition and the ritualistic practice of Necromancy. Their strongholds in Italy are warded to a degree that to even privately consider acting against them from the comforts of your own haven in London can get you killed and their reputation to apprehend and make people disappear without a trace is legendary. While the Giovanni are not respected, they are feared and rightfully so.
Fortunately for the prince of London, the Giovanni have never saw any reason to stake a claim outside of Italy, most likely because they are not members of the Camarilla despite centuries of attempts to bring them into the fold by the inner circle. It's clear that having them as an enemy would be terrible even though the relationship with the Camarilla today can be described as cool. Having them as a friend however is preferable and so the Camarilla has tried, perhaps harder then with any other clan to induct them into the order.
It is rumored that because Isabella, the prince of London had so much success in getting the very resistant Lasombra into the organization, that she may perhaps be the key to convince Augustus Giovanni to do the same. Further rumors suggest that the negotiations are already ongoing and that in time London will become the place where a treaty will be signed. This has given Isabella considerable clout both in the Camarilla and in the city of London, but the rumor has also afforded her enemies as the sentiment towards the Giovanni by many is that they are unfit and unworthy of the honor. Rumors however are just that, rumors and there is little actually known. To date, no Giovanni has been seen in London.

The Assamite Expansion

While most vampires in your Europe are neither concerned or even aware of it, the fact is that clan Assamite is at least as powerful if not more so in strength as the Camarilla. Much like the migration of European mortals and vampires, so it is with the middle-east Assamite and while they are still a rare sight in any recognizable numbers in the old world or the new, they are very clearly expanding. It's unclear whether this expansion is as part of a coordinated effort by the clan or if this is simply vampires spreading out because there is an opportunity to do so. Suffice to say their reputation as assassins and diablorists follows them and indeed even in Europe there have been some very high profile assassinations that have taken place over the years that suggest themselves to be the work of an Assamite. Again, it's unclear if these assassinations are the work of the clan as part of a plot, or if they were simply hired guns performing their duty on the behest of the ambitions of a power hungry local vampire.
In either case it's clear that the Camarilla have become at the very least concerned about the situation. The Assamites ability to get in and out of European cities unhindered not only means they are very good at hiding, but their is active participation on the local level with vampires working from the inside to assist these unwelcome visitors. In London the ever watchful old world vampires must reign in the locals as well as keep these foreigners outside of the city. To date there are no known vampires to have either visited or lived in London since the Camarilla rose to power, either because they did so undetected or the local prince is just that good.

The Followers of Seth

The plundering of Egypt by the British has created a cold war between European and Egyptian vampires. The Followers of Seth have warned that incursions into their society are an act of war and though vampires are not always able to control the actions of mortals, it's clear that these events are not simply the work of mortal imperialism. Like the Assamite there is no evidence that the Followers of Seth have been active in London at least, though recorded incidents in England have been reported, but like the Assamite, its uncertain if this is because there have been no incursions into London or if the prince is again, just that good.
One major difference between the Followers of Seth and the Assamite is that they appear to have no real interest in migration, in a sense they are isolationist and simply wish to be left to their own devices, something the new world at least so far has refused to honor.