Plots, Schemes and Intrigues in the Fief of York

The Garou

Sir John Hughendon-Smythe has never liked the Treaty with the Garou. Because it affected industrialization and cross-Pennine trade, the Ventrue suffered the worst side-effects of the Treaty, as well as, paradoxically, the most benefit. He often argued with de Lascy that the Treaty had become out-dated and the Garou should be 'put in their place'. As Sir John saw it, the Garou recieved all the benefit from the Treaty, without having to do anything other than refrain from killing Kindred. However, de Lascy would never tolerate the breaking of a treaty to which he had put his name.

With de Lascy's death, Sir John has become the Ventrue Council member. He would dearly like to see the Treaty torn up. Unfortunately, the Garou have just been instrumental in saving the fief from a Sabbat invasion. In fact, because the involvement of the Guardians is unknown, the Garou are taking more credit than they really deserve. As a result the argument that the Kindred receive no benefit from the Treaty has been severely damaged. To most other Vampires in the fief, two hundred years of Garou influence in York seems a small price to pay for being saved from Final Death at the fangs of the Sabbat. Sir John is therefore approaching the 'problem' of the Garou rather more circumspectly than he might otherwise have done.

On the Council, he has an ally in Marie. Marie has little personal interest in the Garou. However, she is currently plotting to get Prince Richard back into the fief (see below). She hopes that she will be able to get Sir John's support by promising that should Richard become Prince of the fief, then he will, naturally, wish to 'modernise' the relationship with the Garou.

Thorolf of course, is adamantly against any change for the worse in the terms of the Treaty. As far as he is concerned, the fief owes the Garou a great debt as a result of their help during the invasion. Many Garou were wounded as they tried to destroy bands of fleeing Sabbat and a few killed. An open move within the Council to renege on the Treaty would be the only thing which might make make Thorolf assume the title of Prince. Therefore, the others will have to move carefully.

Gilbert and McCrae take a more central stance over the Garou question. Gilbert tends to support Thorolf because of their common link via the old Council. McCrae tends to side against the Garou, due mostly to their Pagan religion.

Anne Cartwright would prefer to avoid conflict with the Garou if at all possible. She has no personal reason to dislike them and hates violence. Sean Connor is torn over the issue. On the one hand, he respects and likes Thorolf and would not want to vote against Thorolf's wishes. On the other hand, he personally dislikes the Garou a great deal and would like to see their power broken. Robert Shackleton doesn't care especially. He will fight against anything which he feels would threaten Suzanne's safety and that's about it.

At the moment, the largest problem looming for the Treaty is the arrival of the refugees from Newcastle. (see newcastl.wri) This will come up in the next few days, after Jordan's arrival. Sir John will use every excuse to push forward unreasonable demands for apologies and recompense.

The presumed deaths or imprisonment of the Garou sent with the party to meet with Emily has caused even more stress. The Garou are demanding that the characters be handed over to be questioned at a Moot.

Diamond Charlie

Charlie owes a large amount of money to some very nasty Kindred in Manchester. While he can stall them for a while, eventually, they will catch up with him. Their power is already closer than he would like. As gangs from Manchester have begun to move into the Leeds drug scene, the Anarchs who back them have begun to send out feelers into the previously impervious fief of York. They are getting suppport from some of the political factions within the Manchester/Liverpool Brujah who are hoping to get a closer union with York.

At the moment, most of this is unknown to Niccolo. However, when he finds out, he is likely to use Charlie's financial problems against him.

Prince Richard

Marie has always been close to Prince Richard. She liked him because of his estrangement with de Lascy, who's absolute power in the fief made her nervous. However, she did not back the attempted coup against de Lascy by Richard and Elisabeth Mallroye because she accurately forecast that the rest of the fief would stand behind de Lascy. Although rumours abounded of her involvment in the coup, nothing was ever proved against her and it is even believed by those in the know that she was the one who betrayed the conspirators to de Lascy.

Whether Richard is unaware of this rumour or chooses to ignore it, he has remained in correspondance with Marie from his 'voluntary exile'. With the final death of de Lascy, Richard and Marie have decided that it is time for him to return. Richard would like to assume the Princedom as soon as possible. However, there is still a lot of suspicion around him and it is unlikely that he could find the backers immediately.

One person whose support Marie believes she could obtain is Sir John. However, if Prince Richard returned and showed interest in the running of the fief, he might be offered the Ventrue seat on the Council. In that case, Marie would lose her only supporter on the Council. On the other hand, if Prince Richard showed no interest in ruling the fief, it would make his accession to the Princedom more difficult. At the moment, Richard is delaying his return until a suitable moment.

The Assamites

Ibrahim Golamreza arrived in the fief almost twenty years ago. He presented himself to the Prince with an unusual request. He was hunting an Abomination, an Embraced Garou, who he believed had narrowly escaped him in Northern Europe and taken refuge with the Garou of Scotland. He wished to base him in the fief of York during his attempts to find and destroy this monster.

De Lascy was interested by this unheard of request. Initially he considered refusing permission but the tempation of having an Assamite 'on tap' proved to great. De Lascy had met Assamites during the Crusades when he had visited the Near East briefly. He considered that their word was sufficiently binding that he could trust the newcomer's promises. He granted Ibrahim leave to say in the fief, with several provisos. Firstly, his presence was to remain an absolute secret to the other Kindred of the fief. Secondly, he was to report to the Prince at regualr intervals. Finally, he was to carry out no assasinations within the UK without first informing de Lascy.

Although rather reluctant to agree, Ibrahim was forced to by his circumstances. He knew that the hunt for the Abomination would be long and dangerous and he would need a secure base. He had already been turned away from Edinburg, where the Prince had considered his presence too dangerous. Ibrahim himself believed that the fiefs of Glasgow and Manchester/Liverpool were too unstable and that Newcastle would be too small for him to remain undetected.