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Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a role-playing computer game played from the first-person shooter perspective and is developed by Troika Games using Valve Software's Source engine. It is set in White Wolf, Inc.'s World of Darkness role-playing game universe. The game allows the player to choose one of several different vampire races and progress through the game according to the different strengths and weaknesses of the player's character. In this manner, the spirit of the game is much like Deus Ex.
IntroductionThe game begins with the creation of a character of one of the seven Camarilla clans, either male or female. Beyond that, the introductory sequence sees your Sire Embrace(To convert into a vampire) your character, and the subsequent capture by the Los Angeles Camarilla for the unauthorized act. During the execution, the leader of the L.A. Anarchs calls out the Prince of L.A., forcing the Prince to spare the protagonist's life as a calculated move to preserve a sense of benevolence. CharactersMost notable NPCs are listed here. This list is by no means complete. Sebastian LaCroixA French Ventrue of at least 180 years of age, LaCroix is the Prince of the L.A. Camarilla, which only recently moved back in. Aside from serving as an officer of unknown rank in the employ of Napoléon, he is also the head of the LaCroix Foundation, and resides in the Venture Tower in Downtown L.A., commanding from his penthouse office. The SheriffThe Sheriff, LaCroix's personal enforcer, towers over everyone else at seven-feet in height, if not already exceeding it. He is of indiscernable clan lineage, closest match being the Nagloper clan of Africa (He uses Animalism early on, and seems to use Vicissitude; the Naglopers have Auspex, Vicissitude and Animalism) but in a particular sequence he has been shown to seemingly teleport, an ability the Naglopers don't have. He never speaks, and has animalistic physical traits, like dark leathery skin. LaCroix recruited him out of Africa about 100 years ago. He carries an extremely large sword used for both combat and execution purposes, and has the ability to shapeshift into a gigantic bat called a Chiropteran Behemoth (The closest matching power is Chiropteran Marauder, a Viccisitude ability, but it seems to have been exaggerated for the purpose of serving as a game boss) . BeckettThe famed intellectual adventurer from the World of Darkness, Beckett appears in L.A. on the genuine pretext of investigating the Ankaran Sarcophagus, hoping to examine it firsthand and debunk any "superstitious nonsense" surrounding it. A Gangrel of at least 300 years of age. MercurioA 60-year-old ghoul that works on the behalf of LaCroix, based out of Santa Monica. He specializes in acquiring contraband goods such as high-grade explosives or weaponry. Physical appearance places him as someone under half his actual age. Nines RodriguezA Brujah that lived through the Great Depression, he is the virtual leader of the Anarchs in downtown L.A. and elsewhere. The Depression era ingrained into him a belief that people in power cannot be trusted at all, and from this stems his intense hatred of the Camarilla. He strives to maintain L.A. as an Anarch Free State. JackA Brujah brawler of the Anarchs, Jack is the one who teaches you the basics during the game's tutorial sequence. Speaks extremely crudely, but his beliefs and willingness to take action make him a likable person. Fiercely independent, he is seen by the common vampire folk as a rockstar of sorts. JeanetteThe game's signature character whose likeness is displayed on the game's box. She can be found in Santa Monica at the Asylum club, which she runs with her sister Therese, Baron of Santa Monica. They share an interesting love-hate relationship. Locations and ObjectsSanta MonicaThe starting area, Santa Monica has seen better days. Thin-blooded vampires roam the beach, werewolves roam the areas just out of reach, law enforcement is poor, among other things. Home to the Asylum nightclub, the blood bank and the haunted Ocean House Hotel. Elizabeth DaneA small-scale cargo-ship, the Elizabeth Dane was discovered by fishermen who received no replies to their radio hails. Maritime law enforcement agencies subsequently discovered signs of an incredibly-violent struggle onboard, but they were unable to locate any remaining signs of the crew. Aside from a cracked container holding the Ankaran Sarcophagus and a stolen package, the police were unable to locate anything else of note. Ankaran SarcophagusA sarcophagus that was previously discovered an untold number of years ago by Church authorities and subsequently re-buried, it was rediscovered by the Norwegian archaeologist Dr. Johansen, and was on its way to an American museum for examination. Bloody handprints on its surface found while onboard the Elizabeth Dane indicates it may have been opened from the inside. The Vampires of Los Angeles circulate rumours that the sarcophagus holds an Antediluvian, a third-generation vampire, one of the eldest and most powerful in existence, and also a sign of Gehenna, the Vampire "end of days" scenario. The vast majority of them believe that it should never be opened, or destroyed entirely. Beckett believes it to hold nothing more sinister than an Assyrian king, a hypothesis confirmed by Dr Johansen, who however brings to note that this king was attributed with 250 years worth of achievements. While he notes that previous royal names were probably just erased, or that the name was passed onto subsequent generations, he chuckles at the idea that the king could have lived to 250 years of age. The surface murals depict figures drinking bowls of blood, which Dr Johansen stipulates was more of a result of rituals or simply the royalty's way of dealing with blood-iron deficiencies, rather than any proof that whatever lies inside is a vampire. Ankaran keyThe lid of the sarcophagus is held in place by a surprisingly-complex mechanical lock which can only be opened using this key. Physically resembles a tumbler with spokes extending outwards from the bottom. DowntownDowntown L.A. is home to the local Camarilla, based in the Venture Tower, and streetside Anarch movement, based in the pub The Last Round. The area is also home to Club Confession, the Empire Hotel, the Nocturne Theatre, Skyline Apartments, the local Tremere chantry, among other areas of secondary interest. HollywoodAnarch territory, claimed by the Baron Isaac. Houses the Asp Hole and club Vesuvius, both owned by vampires. The Nosferatu are also headquartered here, though no one knows where exactly. ChinatownKuei-Jin territory. Almost universally avoided by the native western vampires, Chinatown is the HQ for eastern vampire holdings in L.A. and the surrounding areas. The head of the local Mandarinate is Ming Xiao, a shapeshifter, who rules from the Golden Temple. OrganizationsCamarillaBeaten out of L.A. through brute force by the Anarchs 60 years ago, they have recently returned to the city, with LaCroix at its head. Headquartered in the downtown area, they are having trouble trying to consolidate their power owing to opposition from the Anarchs. A Camarilla who claims domain over an area is called a Prince. AnarchsThe Anarchs believe steadfast that authoritarian control of the sort proposed by the Camarilla is unnecessary, and that self-regulation is sufficient. The majority of Anarchs are Brujah, owing to their naturally rebellious natures. An Anarch who claims domain over an area is called a Baron. There is only one in the game, named Isaac Abrams, and he holds domain over Hollywood. A Toreador, Isaac is far more civil than the typical Brujah Anarch, but nonetheless hates the Camarilla just as much. SabbatDisliked by just about every clan not allied with them, the Sabbat relies heavily on force of arms to achieve goals. This mindless charge into roughly everything they do paints them an image as brutish idiots by the other clans. Their push into L.A. is part of a larger effort to blockade the East Coast and Mexican border. Kuei-JinVampires native to Asia, the Kuei-Jin have pushed into the United States as part of a larger globalization drive spearheaded by their home authorities, and have taken the local vampiric population largely by surprise. The locals look upon them as demons for their wildly-more powerful abilities and differing mindsets. They are seen as little more than incredibly-dangerous invaders. External link
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