Vitae Summa Brevis

Setting

Vitae Summa Brevis is a Vampire: the Masquerade RPG set in Victorian London.

The name of the Chronicle stems from the 19th century Ernest Dowson poem of the same title:

"They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,

love and desire and hate;

I think they have no portion in us after

we pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:

out of a misty dream

our path emerges for a while, then closes

within a dream."

The year is 1867 and London is flourishing. The domain is growing - both in Kindred population and territory. Everything is changing, everything is evolving... but can all keep up?

The Chronicle follows the adventures of five members of the Clan of Roses, seeking their place among the web of Camarilla politics and petty Kindred intrigue.

The annual Flower Festival - hosted and organised by the Toreador is fast approaching and all are awaiting their place within its theatrics. But not all is as it seems and some are more impatient than others...

Threads

• OOC
• [ IC]

Player Characters

• Sir Theodore Portman of Clan Toreador. Played by NoMessiah.
• Sorcha (Soorka) Connolly of Clan Toreador. Played by Shawn_Hagen.
• Caterina of Clan Toreador. Played by Nepene.
• Mason of Clan Toreador. Played by Sabermane.
• Roderick Ashdown of Clan Toreador. Played by Tyrnis.

Camarilla

• Lord Mithras of Clan Ventrue - Prince of London
• General Henry Stride of Clan Brujah - Seneschal

• Sir Alexander Sinclair - Primogen of Clan Brujah
• Cyan Hespel - Primogen of Clan Malkavian
• Blackfriar - Primogen of Clan Nosferatu
• Mr Sharpe - Primogen of Clan Toreador
• Julian Malone - Primogen of Clan Tremere
• Eleonora 'Nora' Gladstone - Primogen of Clan Ventrue
• Antoine du Bergerac - Primogen of Clan Gangrel

• Scarlet O'Reilly of Clan Toreador - Grand Harpy of London
• Louise Middlemarch of Clan Ventrue - Keeper of Elysium
• Artem of Clan Malkavian - Keeper of Elysium
• X of Clan X - Keeper of Elysium (Position currently vacant)
• X of Clan X - Scourge (Position currently vacant)
• Archibald Green of Clan Tremere - Sheriff

Elysium

• St Paul's Cathedral

• • St Paul's Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present church, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. Its construction, completed in Wren's lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding programme in the City after the Great Fire of London. The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London. Its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominates the skyline. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it is the tallest building in London.
  • Elysium Since: Unknown, London's oldest Elysium
  • Keeper of Elysium: Artem of Clan Malkavian

• Houses of Parliament

• • The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its occupants, the Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London. Its name, which is derived from the neighbouring Westminster Abbey, may refer to either of two structures: the Old Palace, a medieval building complex destroyed by fire in 1834, and its replacement, the New Palace that stands today. The first royal palace was built on the site in the 11th century, and Westminster was the primary residence of the Kings of England until fire destroyed much of the complex in 1512. After that, it served as the home of the Parliament of England, which had been meeting there since the 13th century, and also as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and around Westminster Hall. In 1834, an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament, and the only significant medieval structures to survive were Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen's, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, and the Jewel Tower.
  • Elysium Since: 1805
  • Keeper of Elysium: Louise Middlemarch of Clan Ventrue

• The National Gallery

• • The National Gallery opened to the public on 10 May 1824, housed in John Julius Angerstein's former townhouse at No. 100 Pall Mall. Angerstein's paintings were joined in 1826 by those from Beaumont's collection, and in 1831 by the Reverend William Holwell Carr's bequest of 35 paintings. Initially the Keeper of Paintings, William Seguier, bore the burden of managing the Gallery, but in July 1824 some of this responsibility fell to the newly formed board of trustees. The National Gallery at Pall Mall was frequently overcrowded and hot and its diminutive size in comparison with the Louvre in Paris was a cause of national embarrassment. In 1832 construction began on a new building by William Wilkins on the site of the King's Mews in Charing Cross, in an area that had been transformed over the 1820s into Trafalgar Square. The location is a significant one, between the wealthy West End and poorer areas to the east. The argument that the collection could be accessed by people of all social classes outstripped other concerns, such as the pollution of central London or the failings of Wilkins's building, when the prospect of a move to South Kensington was mooted in the 1850s. From 1837 the Royal Academy has been housed in the east wing of the building.
  • Elysium Since: 1835
  • Keeper of Elysium: Position Currently Vacant

Traditions

First Tradition: The Masquerade

Thou shalt not reveal thy true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood.

Second Tradition: The Domain

Thy domain is thy concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word in thy domain.

Third Tradition: The Progeny

Thou shalt sire another only with permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine elder's leave, both thou and thy progeny shalt be slain.

Fourth Tradition: The Accounting

Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

Fifth Tradition: Hospitality

Honor one another's domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.

Sixth Tradition: Destruction

Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.

The Clan of Roses

Communal Haven and Holdings

"Most of the streets that abut immediately upon the parks, overlooking the greensward, are entitled to the rank of exclusive, although nothing can prevent vulgar wealth at times forcing itself into these favoured retreats of fashion, and becoming an eyesore to the whole neighbourhood. .... Arlington Street, overlooking the Green Park, is one of those dear exclusive neighbourhoods : the fine facade of Lord Spencer's noble mansion here attracts general attention. Park Lane is another, vying with Piccadilly in the intensity of fashion. Grosvenor Square, though in a less degree, approaches exclusiveness; while Portman, Cavendish, and Belgrave Squares, must be content to come within our ultra-fashionable category. Of merely fashionable streets, we boast a profusion; those tributary to the leading squares, borrow from their aristocratic neighbours a lustre not their own; thus George's Street, Hanover Square, on a friend's card or your own, is quite correct, while George's Street, Bloomsbury, is outlawry and civil death!

In nothing should a man who means to be in society in London be so scrupulous as about his address : life and death depend upon it : let a man study morals, characters, dress, equipage, or appointments, manner, deportment, or amiability, as he will..."

- Extract from The World of London, by John Murray, in Blackwoods Magazine, July 1841

Whilst every Rose in the city of London is entitled to petition the Primogen Council for the right of personal domain and is, of course, able to choose their personal haven at will, it is Belgrave Square that is considered the Toreador common feeding grounds and Clan domain. The fashionable neighbourhood was long ago claimed by Leopold for his clan and since then has been a gathering place for all Toreador, who wish to congregate away from the prying eyes and ears of other clans or would like to host a lavish party for all to attend.

Those newly arrived in the city are often advised to take up residence in Portman or Cavendish Squares, also considered fashionable places of residence. They are free to remain within Toreador holdings or procure their own places when they feel ready to do so. It is not clear where precisely Leopold and his own haven. Whilst the lavish buildings seem to be the gathering place, the true place of respite of the Toreador Elder and his kin are only known to those he trusts exclusively, which currently consists of Grand Harpy O'Reilly and Primogen Sharpe.

Faces of the Clan

• Mr Sharpe - Primogen of Clan Toreador

The Toreador Primogen is widely considered by the denizens of London to be a harmless dandy. Whilst his origins are a somewhat murky matter, his integrity was vouched for by his Sire, Leopold, an Elder of the Clan. In fact, it is speculated that out of respect for Leopold Mr Sharpe was installed as the Primogen of the Clan by Prince Mithras. The golden haired young man is energetic and diligent in his duties toward the Clan. He is also considered an unmatched talent in his chosen art form - tailoring. He is a familiar face that the Neonates of the Clan would see often. He is approachable, whilst still commanding the appropriate respect of his station but the steel in his spine can only be felt around other Camarilla officials. Around his own he is relaxed and friendly.

• Scarlet O'Reilly - Grand Harpy of London

The Grand Harpy of London is a petite, chirpy woman with laughter like the gentle chiming of bells and smile as radiant as moonlight. Beneath the harmless, appealing exterior however lays a delicate cruelty the likes of which the younger members of the clan as well as anybody unwitting enough to cross the Grand Harpy become intimately acquainted with. Often referred to adoringly as 'Lady Silvertongue' there are few doors that remain closed to the attractive Rose. It is said that she has the ear of the Prince himself! while she is a powerful ally, her benevolence is often short lived and she is prone to sharp changes of mood when displeased. It is widely known that whilst she is as harsh with Toreador fledgelings and Neonates as she is with those of other clans she is also fiercely protective of the offspring of the clan.

• Leopold - Elder of the Clan

The Elder of Clan Toreador appears rarely in the public eye. Perhaps the several centuries of existence he is rumoured to have behind his back weigh heavy on him or perhaps he simply does not understand this day & age. Still, he resides within London, a bedrock to those of his blood, who are lost, in need of guidance or seeking knowledge of their blood and Clan beyond that, which deems them aloof artists. Leopold, it is said, has resided in London since his mortal days. He has never moved, never travelled far beyond the domain and hungers for knowledge that others, having done so, could bring. To those who have seen him, Leopold appears as a well groomed, if starkly and simply dressed gentleman in his early thirties, with raven black hair that hangs in loose waves over his shoulders and piercing mist grey eyes, which seem to seep into the very soul. He is less bon vivant and more a philosopher, an embodiment of the bohemian nature of the clan without the added debauchery and falsehoods. He has Sired many Childer in his time but he is said to be rather fond of the current Primogen, Mr Sharpe.

The Flower Festival

The Flower Festival is an annual event organised by the Clan of Roses to pay artistic tribute to the monarch of London - Prince Mithras. Albeit old fashioned at its core the idea is to nonetheless allow the Toreador of London creative freedom - each and every member of the clan is allowed to contribute to the festivities as they wish. The event is generally orchestrated by the Primogen of the Clan, although it is said that this year both the Primogen and the Grand Harpy are working tirelessly in tandem to ensure its smooth running.

This is an event that could make or break a Toreador's reputation among their own and is equally important for the standing of the clan with the Prince. It is a grand affair, which generally far outshines any other clan's attempt at public presentation, mainly because it seamlessly integrates the mortal populace of London in the proceedings. The Festival is held in the midsummer nights of June and spans for the best part of a week. It can include anything and everything that the clan would like to present but, as is traditional, an open air stage performance is held in Belgrave Square, which the Prince attends without failure.

All of the preparation, of course, rests on the delicate shoulders of the Clan's Neonate populace, who seem to be the driving force behind all the hard work...