Also, apologies in advance in places where the info might repeat a little, or if there are grammar issues. This was distilled down from my notes and logs))
Background:
On the surface Miami is the same as it's always been, just maybe a few more police sirens, and the back half of the newspaper speckled with a few more 'gang violence', 'tragic death' and 'disappearance' stories.
Since the power vacuum within the Sabbat formed, many cities that were once firmly under their control find themselves in chaos. The Camarilla is trying to balance a redistribution of forces, something unpopular with the Fiefdoms of powerful Princes who fear a trap. The Anarchs are equally scrambling to seize the opportunity. Where one group is mired down in paranoia and bureaucracy, the later is equally hampered by their lack of organization and inherent bristling at anything that sounds like 'orders'.
Miami is one such contested city. With its existing population of Anarchs, the equally entrenched Camarilla find themselves in a more active battle. The Toreador Prince Gideon has moved Elysium to the shuttered 777 International Mall from the previous Opa-Locka Company City Hall administration building.
Elysium in Miami (some more details):
Elysium in Miami is held in the now-closed 777 Mall for the time being. The prince forced his ghouled real estate mogul to shut it down, giving the Camarilla a large place to meet where any violence would be hard pressed to be easily seen/heard outside. Inside the mall there are subtle indicators on where to go. When passing many of the gated stores - most that still had boxes or displays of furniture/stands in them, there is a feeling of being watched. Eventually the signs lead into the heart of one of the larger department store 'anchor store' areas, which had been cleared out and reset to support a meeting area of the Kindred.
The doors to Elysium are guarded by the Herald, Nora. She has a neutral, no-nonsense way about her, fitting for the traditional court proceedings. When she escorts someone in to be announced, or makes declarations on behalf of the Prince, the room always falls silent in deference to her.
Miami Kindred of Interest
Prince Gideon Wainright:
Status: 5 (Prince)
Influence: 2
Allies & Contacts: Duh
Appearance: 3
Charisma: 4 – when he wants to use it
Intimidation: 3
Leadership: 5
While he dresses fashionably, don’t mistake him for being a pushover. His habit of running Court in a more ‘traditional’ way is well known and sharply contrasts the slightly more relaxed environment of Cacibajagua. How new comers will be treated by other members of the court hinge almost entirely on how well their introduction with Gideon goes. Prefers to be addressed as Prince Gideon, versus Prince Wainright.
Before moving Elysium, it was located in a part of the city notorious for its administrative corruption and cronyism. It hints that while Prince Gideon may be savvy in managing the Kindred of a city, he has more in common with his Blue Blooded title-cousins in seeing Kine as pawns and resources to be used, their short lives mostly insignificant in the grand affairs of Kindred.
Also, in contrast to Prince Sween, Gideon is a little less loquacious, and prefers to ask questions that have simple answers, versus the games that Sween will play with words. Gideon’s verbal reactions are clear indicators for all on his opinion of a person. The pithier and sharper, the thinner the ice. Compliments are not given as salve or manipulation.
Tremere Primogen: Winston McShane
Status: 4 (Primogen)
Appearance: 2
Charisma: 3 (though it’s a sarcastic ‘flavor’. If you tend to be cruel, you likely enjoy watching him subtly – not-so-subtly, needling people)
Manipulation: 4
Subterfuge: 5
The Tremere Primogen has a wry, almost condescending air about him. An often-present smirk of someone who’s always in on a private joke. Expressive eyebrows that will often steeple, accompanied with a quasi-sincere “Ohhh!” when he’s told something that he sees as being blatantly obvious or patently unimportant.
He wears a number of rings, one, sometimes two, to each finger. Each has a sigil, stone, or inscription of some kind on it. Knowing the Tremere, it’s unlikely these are solely for decoration. He carries with him a walking stick made from thick, braided tree roots, topped with a silver pummel. He doesn’t appear to have any kind of limp, and like his jewelry, it’s unlikely just an object of decoration or style.
Winston is not a novice at battle, he puts the War in Warlock. He is keen at Strategy more-so than Tactics, though can execute tactics with focused efficiency and indifference for his enemies. It’s said that any Paths that can be weaponized, Winston has, or is, mastering them.
Malkavian Primogen: John Bakis
Status: 4 (Primogen)
Appearance: 2
If ‘Unsettling’ and ‘Bewildering’ were stats, he’d have a 5 in both.
A man in his early 20s in a checked suit (( https://www.pinterest.com/pin/409123947376087030/ )). He wears wide rimwire glasses. His pupils are not equally dilatated and his eyes flit about erratically, rarely staying in one place for more than moment. He moves more like a stop motion animation or a marionette, in sudden, uneven, quick motions.
Like some Malkavians, John has a problem with speaking plainly. He seems to be an intensely keen Seer, which is likely the reason why the Prince tolerates his coded speak, strange double meanings and analogies. Besides difficulty in any kind of deep conversation, John seems perfectly polite.
Brujah Primogen: Vaughn
Status: 4 (Primogen)
Intimidation: 5 (Normally not something that illustrates itself unless she loses her temper or is in a fight)
Charisma: 4
Appearance: 2
Clan Status: 2 (Vaughn is known for being a brutal, vicious fighter, if it weren’t for her constantly goading or screaming at her opponents, some would say they’ve only ever seen her Beast fight. She goes for maximum damage or crippling attacks every time. Her average frame adds to the mythos, given the punishment she deals out. “Don’t spar with Vaughn unless you have blood to burn.”)
She's average height, a slender build, wearing non-descript clothing - it wouldn't even give her away as a Brujah necessarily, just a casually dressed Kindred. She has a charismatic presence, somehow making her bright blue eyes an attention drawing feature as it contrasts with the rest of her forgettable disposition.
Vaughn has muttered about Camarilla rule in general for years, but also understands that the Anarchs can’t seem to keep their shit together, and her concerns about a massive Masquerade breach make her opt for the ‘safer bet’.
Toreador Primogen: Iago Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Cipriano de la Santísima Ruiz.
Seriously. He will allow you to call him Primogen Ruiz.
Status: 4 (Primogen)
Appearance: 5
Charisma: 4
Manipulation: 5
Subterfuge: 3
Dressed sharply in the latest European style of bespoke suits and sporting classical chiseled Spaniard features and olive skin, Iago always looks good. Unfortunately, this has given him an ego that is easy to bruise.
Surprisingly, he and the Prince are not besties. Iago is much closer to the stereotypes of his clan, and it’s one of the reasons why the Prince keeps Elysium away from and devoid of anything too artistic.
Where the Prince has sunk his fangs into real estate moguls (at Prince Sween’s advice), Iago has taken hold of the avant garde clubs and virtually every museum. Besides being ‘voted in’ as Primogen by his clanmates, he makes himself useful to the Prince by staying connected to the happenings, dealings and gossip that don’t make it to formal places of power, but can shift balances in a city just the same.
Ventrue Primogen and Seneschal: William “Billy the Builder” Dolonson
Don’t use the nickname to his face.
Status: 4 (Primogen / Seneschal)
Appearance: 3
Intimidation: 5 – he looks like he’s in a body building competition with Archer
Charisma: 3
Influence: 1
William may look like a Brujah Brickfucker, and it would be a mistake to treat him as one. Before his embrace William worked in construction, but had an eye for commercial architecture, ambition to be more than a blue collar guy, plus the brains and charisma to get there.
His hard work and general ambition for accomplishments strove him to find ways to ‘destress’ but still achieve things – for him, that meant hitting the gym. And he hit it hard.
His climb up the ranks in the blue collar world (worker > supervisor > project lead > architect) while he earned his MBA and a degree in architecture earned his sires attention and the Embrace.
His physical build made many other Ventrue assume he was a Rook, or a waste of vitae (hence his derogatory nickname). He would make those people regret the decision, usually by outmaneuvering them in business instead of just pummeling them.
He isn’t fond that the Prince has a tight hold on many of the key players in the real estate development game in Miami, or what he sees as gross mismanagement of the Kine, reducing the long-term potential of the city. The Prince appointed him as Seneschal specifically to leverage his business acumen in the Prince's real estate dealings, and by happenstance relies on William's build as physical intimidation to help keep anyone from getting any ideas. Both of these things also needle William.
Nosferatu Primogen: Grouse
Appearance: 0
Status: 4 (Primogen)
Obfuscate: Enough
Charisma: 3
Intimidate: 3
Subterfuge: 5
Manipulation: 5
Grouse, who is currently missing, was master of the communal domain haven in the city sewers. Once he went missing, many other Nosferatu left (with notice) or otherwise disappeared. This has likely been the major factor in the Sheriffs decline in ability to passively gather intelligence.
When he was around, Grouse was comparatively approachable and polite. When he felt his time was being wasted, he would simply say so, starting in kind way if he could. His method of intimidation usually involved casually dropping hints that only the person he was talking to could pick up, indicating he knew things they wished to keep secret. While this likely didn’t earn him any trust, it likely also kept enemies at bay – you don’t use that tactic without a failsafe.
It’s likely no one outside of the Prince, or other Primogen, have seen Grouse without his generic-guy Obfuscate appearance up. He never put effort into tailoring the appearance, and was fine with it being forgettable. He has worked out a system for Nora (and other Keepers) to know who he is with his obfuscate up.
Sheriff: Bridgette (Nosferatu)
Appearance: 0
Status: 2 (Sheriff)
Obfuscate: Not Enough.
Charisma: 3
Intimidation: 5
Subterfuge: 3
Manipulations: 4
The Prince might be a Rose and that clan might stereo-typically not like the Nosferatu on the grounds of aesthetics, but the Prince knows a good resource when he sees one.
Her body is covered with tumors that range in size from marbles to racket ball, including across her face and head. She surprisingly still has a full head of hair, though it’s a stark white color. Her teeth are terribly yellowed and fangs are on permanent display. Outside of that, they are not nearly as gnarled or twisted as some Nosferatu suffer. She wears a nose/mouth mask to hide her fangs, and when questioned by mortals about it, will point out her tumors and say the medication she is on for her cancer severely damaged her immune system. Most people immediately feel uncomfortable enough to get the hell away from her as politely as possible.
She has mastered the art of listening without appearing to hear, and to watch without staring. It’s unknown how much of her investigatory work she does herself. Up until the recent events, she was skilled at finding information. It’s possible the Anarch uprising and disappearance of many of the Sabbat have put holes in her information network.
When it comes to “taking care of issues”, she is very skilled with heavy, large blades, the kind that are good for taking off heads in single (good) swings. Blades like the Bowie knife she carries. She also carries a wooden stake, just in case someone needs to be brought in.
She has a reputation for being a cruel and effective interrogator. An expert at ‘enhanced methods’, which for Kindred includes acts that would kill a normal human, she uses ‘honesty checks’ – questions she knows the answer to, and knows they know the answer – to see if they are likely being honest with other questions. In her mind, this reduces the chance of the other party trying to think of a lie that will make the pain stop, since they will never know which questions she already has answers.
Herald (and likely one of the Keepers of Elysium): Nora Galacteon
Clan: Tremere
Appearance: 2
Etiquette (Kindred Court): 5
She has a neutral, no-nonsense way about her, fitting for the traditional court proceedings. When she escorts someone in to be announced, or makes declarations on behalf of the Prince, the room always falls silent in deference to her.
When she is “on duty” it is all business, and she moves with practiced pageantry precision. It’s unknown if her position is a gift or a punishment, as it’s odd for a Tremere Apprentice to be in such a role. Her Auspex serves her well here. By extension, the reputation of the Tremere give her an indirect Intimidation factor.
Keeper(s) of Elysium: There are always few Kindred around that don’t seem keen on socializing as much as they keeping an eye on the crowd and the doors. Given the active war in the city, it’s likely these folks are, at very least, Keepers of the Elysium and cover for Nora when she is away. Approaching them for conversation will typically be met with a curt redirect to someone else.