From: Matthew A Treboni Subject: Atlanta By Night Well, don't expect this to be true to history or the geography of Atlanta. This is just my cheap 5 cent history of the Kindred of Atlanta, just so the NPCs I post will make a little more sense. Hopefully, there will be enough info here, that if anyone really wants to use some of my Atlanta by Night (as opposed to the soon to be released Necropolis:Atlanta), they would be able to without too much trouble. Actually, since, as I said, this isn't too geographically specific, it wouldn't be too hard to adapt this to pretty much any city. Before I go into the NPCs in Atlanta, it would probably be a good idea to lay down some general foundations of whats going on in my WoD Atlanta. (Not the Necropolis) Knowing a bit of whats been going on lately will make the NPCs a bit more placeable. Lets take it back as far as relevant in WoD Atlanta. That would be Sherman's burning of Atlanta in the Civil War. Now, before and during the Civil War, the prince of Atlanta was a southern Ventrue. He, as one would expect, died the Final Death in the flames of the Union. His replacement was a northern Ventrue, known as Walter Carpenter. Carpenter held power for quite some time, with only minor anarch troubles from time to time. His worst troubles came in the wake of the civil rights movement. Small-time riots, and even a few larger riots, due to civil rights demonstrations drew a large swarm of anarchs into Atlanta. This influx of anarchs took its toll upon Carpenter. The Camarilla frowned upon his inability to control and enforce the traditions in his Domain. The Masquerade was being broken left and right. Carpenter sent out a desperate call for help to his clan and sect heads. Aid didnt come for a desparingly long amount of time. When it did come, it was in the form of several significantly powerful Nosferatu who had recently come to the city. They cleaned up the city quickly, taking advantage of passages that connected most of the buildings to the sewer system. These passages, secret backdoors, if you will, also enabled the Nosferatu to take hold of the city for themselves, under the leadership of a young, but powerful Nos known as Lurker. Lurker and his Nosferatu held the city's Kindred in fear. These rats had backdoors into most of the Kindred's havens. Nowhere in the city was safe. Things remained in this state until approximatly 1990. One night, the Kindred of Atlanta awoke to find Carpenter missing. There was no trace of the Prince. The city (at least the Kindred of the city) fell into chaos once again as the local Giovanni (courtesy Coca-Cola) made a bid for power. The Nosferatu, although powerful, couldn't crush the Necromancers outright. Things soon escalated into all-out war. Late that year, just when things were looking especially bleak for the Camarilla, a new representative arrived in town. This new Kindred, who claimed to be sent by the Camarilla, claimed the position of Prince, and had allies and means to back up her claim. Setting up shop in a burned-out, boarded up church that the Nosferatu had no back doors to, she began to clean up Atlanta. Now, six years later (yes, its already 1996 in my chronicle - almost Olympics time! Wont that be fun for the players!) she has managed to build a fairly stable power base. The underground war rages on, however, and all three sides (the Nosferatu, the Camarilla represented by the new prince, and the Giovanni) still fight for power, although not as openly. Recently, the Giovanni suffered a major blow. After a staggering defeat by the PCs (working somewhat for the Prince), the Giovanni attempted to fly in reinforcements from Venice. The plane was bombed, killing all the Necromancers aboard. This bombing was done by a Giovanni experiment gone bad. A recent attempt to summon Caine and unleash him upon Atlanta may have succeeded. A very powerful vampire was summoned, and since then, has already created a large brood to aid him in taking over the city for his own uses. As it stands now (about April 1996), Atlanta is a city in turmoil. "Caine" and his brood have bombed the elysium, destroyed the Church that the Prince was operating out of, and bombed most of the airport. Name: Major Joel Watkins Clan: Nosferatu Generation: 12 Nature: Survivor Demeanor: Architect Sire: Lurker Embrace: 1975 (born 1947) Apparent Age: n/a Physical Description: Mjr. Watkins best resembles a decaying corpse. While his skin does not actually fall off, it does appear to be rotting to that point, with loose flaps of skin hanging off freely. ATTRIBUTES: Physical: Strength: 4 (Deceptively strong) Dexterity: 5 (Slick) Stamina: 2 Social: Charisma: 4 (Fast-talking) Manipulation: 2 Appearance: 0 Mental: Perception: 3 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 4 (Sharp) ABILITIES: Talents: Skills: Knowledges: Search:1 Drive:1 Investigation:3 Brawl:5 Dodge:5 Martial Arts Weapons:4 Area Knowledge:5 Subterfuge:5 Camoflauge: 3 (Atlanta's sewers+ Alertness:1 Stealth:2 streets) Scrounging:2 Disguise:2 Tracking:3 Firearms:3 ADVANTAGES: Disciplines: Backgrounds: Virtues: Obsfucate:5 Generation:1 Self-Control:3 Potence:1 Status:3 Conscience:2 Contacts:4 Courage:4 Merits & Flaws: Foul Blood Putrescent Selective Digestion: Attractive Mortals Taloned Fingers (3 pt. merit - see below) Willpower: 7 Humanity: 5 Joel Watkins was a soldier. He did his job as good as the next guy. When he was on his tour of duty in Vietnam, he was assigned to be a "tunnel rat" - scouting the vietcong tunnels beneath the jungle. He did his job well, and earned some quick promotions. When he was finally called back, Joel had earned the rank of major. Yet even now that he was an officer, he could never forget the combined horror and thrill of crawling through those tunnels. Back in the States, Mjr. Watkins joined the ranks of the many mentally unstable vets. He took to wandering beneath the streets of his home town, Atlanta, and checking out the sewers there. On one of his wanderings he came across a dark shape, only vaguely human in appearance. When he confronted it, Mjr. Watkins was attacked, and soon blacked out. The next thing he knew, Watkins was in the underground stronghold of a beast known as the Lurker. The Lurker soon explained Joel's new nature, and his curse. Joel had takent he appearance of a foul, rotting corpse. Not only that, but his fingers had lengthened and sharpened into talons. He was an inhuman beast. A beast in body, yet his mind was clearer than it had been since before the war. Watkins agreed to serve Lurker unto the Final Death. Currently, Watkins is Atlanta's main Nosferatu above ground contact. He does his best trying to recruit to the cause of the Nos, who are against the city's so-called "Camarilla" prince and her followers. He was the one who did most of the spy work which uncovered the princes true nature, and opposes her and all her rulings. He tries to visit all new Kindred into the city, first aiding them in getting into contact with the prince, then presenting her true nature and trying to recruit them to his side. With the recent developments and problems caused by the one claiming to be Caine, Watkins has taken a more underground approach, making his presence known as little as possible. Taloned Fingers - A 3 pt. merit The kindred's fingers have warped and lengthened upon the Embrace, becoming sharpened talons of bone. It is a very horrifying sight to see (the taker of this merit loses a point of appearance), but the talons are quite powerful. In combat, the claws do (strength) damage plus 1pt of aggravated damage. (Note: App. cannot drop below zero.) THE LURKER - Head of the Atlanta Nosferatu. Not much is known about the Lurker. He (it?) hasn't been above ground for nearly 2 decades, and rarely interacts with even the other Nosferatu. The only person who comes into regular contact with the Lurker is Mjr. Watkins, his childe. He is described as being almost 8 feet tall, with a hunched back and wicked taloned fingers. The beast has 4 inch long fangs, and is said to feed by tearing apart his prey. Watkins describes the Lurker as a quiet man (beast? thing?) who is dedicated to restoring Atlanta to a city lead by a true camarilla member. He also alludes to a horrible temper, which has come to light very rarely, always ending in a horrible killing spree on Lurker's part. Even with such an image, the city's Nosferatu follow Lurker's words (usually passed through Watkins) closely and faithfully. NOTE: Watkins is the only vampire in the city who knows that Lurker is a diabolist. He has diablerized his way from 11th to 7th generation, yet not even Watkins knows all of the Kindred he destroyed. Perhaps the Lurker knows the whereabouts of Carpenter, the previous prince. Name: Wilhelm Tokost Clan: Tremere Generation: 8 Nature: Conniver Demeanor: Traditionalist Sire: Artur Johanssen Embrace: 1794 (born 1751) Apparent Age: 43 Physical Description: Wilhelm Tokost is medium sized, and apparently middle aged, with a few grey streaks in his short black hair. He has a medium frame and carries himself like an academician. He has brown eyes and an almost ever-present monacle on his right eye. ATTRIBUTES: Physical: Social: Mental: Strength:3 Charisma:5 (Friendly?) Perception:4 Dexterity:4 Manipulation:5 Intelligence:5 Stamina:2 Appearance:3 Wits:5 ABILITIES: Skills: Talents: Knowledges: Etiquette:5 Acting:2 Beaurocracy:5 Melee:4 Alertness:3 Occult:5 Stealth:3 Dodge:2 Law:4 Survival:4 Leadership:5 Linguistics:4 Firearms:1 Intimidation:4 Politics:4 Subterfuge:3 Finance:2 Investigation:4 Kindred Lore:3 Werewolf Lore:1 Magus Lore:2 ADVANTAGES: Disciplines: Backgrounds: Virtues: Auspex:5 Generation:5 Conscience:1 Dominate:5 Influence:3 Self-Control:5 Presence:3 Resources:5 Courage:3 Thaumaturgy:5 (blood) Status:3 Lure of the Flames:3 Retainers:4 Movement of the Mind:5 Weather Control:2 Willpower:8 Humanity:4 Wilhelm Tokost was an occultist long before becoming a vampire. In his homeland of Germany, Wilhelm spent his mortal life searching for answers to all questions supernatural and learned quite a bit about it, magic, werewolves and vampires especially. One night, while digging through a tower of books in a library in Austria, a Tremere took this aspiring young researcher into the fold. Since that time, centuries ago, Wilhelm has progressed through the ranks, and helped expand his clan greatly. About 7 years ago, he was granted the position of head of the new Atlanta chantry. Graciously, Wilhelm accepted. As head of the chantry, he was free to do his own research, as long as it did not interfere with the goals of the clan. Wilhelm took up the search that so many of his clan-brothers have taken: the search for the woman with the mark of the crescent moon. Some anonymous information given to him pointed right to his own city of Atlanta. He picked up the search. When the prince dissappeared, Wilhelm was advised not to make a bid for power, but to let the incoming Camarilla representative take over. Despite his own wishes, he did so, but is waiting for the time to make a bid to power. He knows of the true nature of the prince, and of her childe, who he believes may be the woman with the mark he has been striving to find. With the apprearance of the one claiming to be Caine, Wilhelm took a low profile, and, thanks to that, hasn't suffered as the Nosferatu, Giovanni, and other Camarilla of the city have. He believes himself to be unnoticed by the "madman" as he calls him. Whether or not this is true, remains to be seen. The chantry as of 1996 is very small, with only three kindred. One of these two Kindred is Wilhelm's own childe, Bridget Hartford. After siring this bright young lady, Wilhelm managed to convince Vienna that it would be most beneficial to the cause if she were to remain his aide no matter where assigned. He has no feelings for the girl himself, but she sees Wilhelm as a father figure. She is also quite a useful aide in his search for the woman with the mark, and has spoken with the prince's childe, his main suspect. Name: Bridget Hartford Clan: Tremere Generation: 9 Nature: Conformist Demeanor: Director Sire: Wilhelm Tokost Embrace: 1968 (born 1947) Apparent Age: 21 Physical Description: Bridget appears, at first glance, to be a young student, perhaps from a private school. She wears ankle length dresses and long sleeved blouses, both usually tan or brown. (sometimes plaid dresses). He keeps her brown hair in a tight bun, and peers out at the world through small glasses. Her manner is usually that of a gentlelady or a student. ATTRIBUTES: Physical: Social: Mental: Strength:2 Charisma:3 Perception:3 Dexterity:4 Manipulation:2 Intelligence:4 Stamina:2 Appearance:4 Wits:2 ABILITIES: Skills: Talents: Knowledges: Etiquette:4 Empathy:3 Investigation:4 Melee:1 Alertness:2 Linguistics:3 Dodge:2 Occult:4 Leadership:1 History:4 Kindred Lore:4 Genetics:3 Biology:2 ADVANTAGES: Disciplines: Backgrounds: Virtues: Auspex:2 Mentor:3 (Wilhelm Tokost) Self-Control:3 Obsfucate:3 Resources:4 Conscience:5 Thaumaturgy:3 (blood) Generation:4 Courage:2 Fame:1 MERITS & FLAWS: Low Self-Image Eat Food Danger Sense Eidetic Memory Willpower:5 Humanity:8 In England, Bridget Hartford was a minor noble. Her name was recognized by most others in the nobility, yet her family was only of a very minor importance. With nobility came money, and Bridget was sent to all the finest schools. She was studying History at Oxford when she stumbled across a strange sheaf of old papers, written in a language she didn't quite recognize. Further study revealed them papers to be a very small fragement of something called the Book of Nod. When she started to publish her findings, she was approached by Wilhelm Tokost, an nice eastern gentleman. He explained to her the significance of her findings, and then offered her a chance for further research. She accepted, and has been Wilhelm's main aide ever since, as well as finding time of her own for indepenant studies, usually into the whys and hows of her new nature. In Atlanta, Bridget is an active part of the tiny chantry. She devotes nearly all her time to research, either on her assigned project: locating the woman with the mark of the moon. He research has uncovered signs pointing to the prince's childe, but her suspicions, although strong, are not confirmed. In her free time, she also researches her nature, and the history of Kindred in general. She has yet to develop a solid theory, however, but is searching for any clues she can find. The appearance of someone calling himself Caine shocked her, and led her to consider that the legends are perhaps true after all, and that Caine was the first. She has made efforts to locate the man, but has been unable to find him after the chaos he unleashed with his bombing sprees. Name: Miranda Fallcrown, Prince of Atlanta Clan: Tzimisce (antitribu?!?) Generation: 6 Nature: Autocrat Demeanor: Director Sire: unknown Embrace: 1802 (born 1762) Apparent Age: 40 Physical Description: Miranda Fallcrown's appearance hasn't changed much since the Embrace, despite the tendency of those like her to lose thier origional form. But then, she does have a model to work from when she does need to return to her origional form. Miranda commonly wears all black dresses, and a sliver cross necklace (displaying the cross upside-down). She has dark eyes (usually brown) and long jet-black hair, with a lone white streak running through it. ATTRIBUTES: Physical: Social: Mental: Strength:4 Charisma:4 Perception:5 Dexterity:5 Manipulation:7 Intelligence:4 Stamina:5 Appearance:5 Wits:7 ABILITIES: Talents: Skills: Knowledges: Brawl:2 Diplomacy:4 Body Alteration:6 Law:5 Dodge:5 Mimicry:4 Melee:2 Stealth:5 Sabbat Lore:5 Empathy:3 Security:3 Kindred Lore:2 Acting:4 Disguise:5 Computer:1 Intimidation:6 Debate:3 Linguistics:1 Leadership:5 Fast-Talk:4 ADVANTAGES: Disciplines: Backgrounds: Virtues: Vicissitude:7 Generation:7 Callousness:3 (blood of acid, Status:5 Instincts:4 body arsenal) Resources:5 Morale:5 Dominate:7 Influence:3 Presence:5 Obtenebration:2 Auspex:5 Animalism:2 Willpower: 9 Path of Power and the Inner Voice: 4 Miranda Fallcrown is *in control*. She always has been in control of her life. Even in her homeland of Mexico, Miranda was in control. With her twin sister Maria, they were the oldest 7 siblings. When thier parents died of smallpox, it was Miranda who took control and somehow managed to keep all but one of their brothers and sisters alive through the crisis. Miranda's support through the rough times was her twin sister Maria, who would always be at her sister's side, and help whenever necessary. When the twins were in their late twenties, however, Maria disappeared. Miranda was left with such an utter aloneness that would have driven her mad, if not for the fact that the rest of the family needed her. That purpose, that sense of being in control, and being needed kept her going. For ten years, she strived on until one day, while wandering the same fields where Maria had vanished from her side so long ago, Miranda was attacked, and blacked out before she could realize what was going on. Everything was black. The earth pressed in on all sides. Miranda realized she had been buried alive! A frantic need to get out took over Miranda's senses as she tore herself from the ground. Pulling upward towards the ground above, it was hours before she finally broke free. When she broke through, she looked around to see a group of vampires standing around her "grave" as if waiting for her to break ground. "Miranda?" One of the vampires screamed. Miranda looked over and saw Maria standing not too far away, look just as she did a little over ten years before, when she had disappeared. The situation was quickly explained to her. It turned out that Miranda was now a vampire, of a sect called the Sabbat, and a clan called Tzimisce. Her sister was also Sabbat, but of a clan called Lasombra. The pair, reunited, and happy (as close to it as possible) once more, spent the next almost two centuries as loyal and devoted members of the Sabbat. Miranda rose to the level of Bishop, and was being considered as a possible archbishop when one night, she awoke to find a stranger standing over her. She tried to attack the invader, but was unable to resist his Presence. He soon explained that he meant her no harm, and had a deal to make. He would put her in control of the city of Atlanta. Total control. There were only two catches. First, she had to aid him in a long-term project of his. This seemed fairly reasonable. Secondly, she had to defect to the Camarilla. Defect to the Camarilla? That foul batch of antediluvian-puppets? The thought sickened her. Even if they didn't revolt her so much, there was still the matter of leaving the Sabbat. It wasn't something that was done if one planned on a continued existance. The stranger, who introduced himself as Verro, had answers to both problems. First off, he had reason to believe that the Sabbat was aiding the cause of Gehenna more than the Camarilla. While, admittedly, neither knew what was going on, the Sabbat's dark thaumaturgists, and others within the sect aided what Verro suspected to be the slumbering Kindred who would arise and start Gehenna. According to Verro, somewhere, deep below Atlanta, lay a vampire of the 4th generation who alone knew the location of his sire. When Miranda questioned Verro about the clan of the ancient one, he had this to say : "The one that sleeps beneath Atlanta is a grandchilde of the bastard of Caine." She inquired further, but accepted his explanation that further information was best left unsaid until things were certain. As for leaving the Sabbat, Verro and his allies would protect her and secure her position in Atlanta. She accepted the deal on one condition of her own: that her sister come with her. Verro agreed. He also insisted she bring her associate, Ahmed, a powerful member of the Black Hand who he had already spoken to. The next night Miranda left for Atlanta, with her sister and Ahmed in tow. They were confronted several times during their escape, but with the combined might of Ahmed and Verro's mysterious allies (seemingly dozens of anarchs) they made it to Atlanta unharmed. Once there, Verro's outside manipulations secured her credentials as the Camarilla prince. She found a city in chaos and her instincts took over. She immediatly began to take control, and clean up the city. THE PRINCE'S CHILDE Verro came to Miranda one last time, late in 1990. He came to her with a strange woman, tall and thin, with pointed ears. He claimed he had found her where no one else would have thought to look. Miranda was puzzled until he showed her the mark of the crescent moon on the back of the woman's neck. Verro told Miranda to Embrace the girl, and then protect her from those who would harm her because of the mark. He said she would be of importance later in Miranda's reign. Miranda embraced the woman. The blood was odd-tasting, and had a strange almost alcaholic quality. Before he left, Verro told Miranda he had shattered the girl's mind as she knew things which would be dangerous to their plans. He vowed to return in ten years, to check on things, but would come sooner if Miranda found the location of the ancient one beneath her city. Name: Maria Fallcrown Clan: Lasombra Generation: 7 Nature: Praise-Seeker Demeanor: Optimist Sire: unknown Embrace: 1789 (born 1762) Apparent Age: 27 Physical Description: Maria looks just like her sister, only younger. (They were twins, but Maria was Embraced more than ten years earlier.) Maria tends to wear brighter colors - usually bright blue dresses and flowered scarves. Maria usually looks as though she's heading to a party. ATTRIBUTES: Physical: Social: Mental: Strength:3 Charisma:5 Perception:3 Dexterity:5 Manipulation:2 Intelligence:2 Stamina:4 Appearance:5 Wits:5 ABILITIES: Talents: Skills: Knowledges: Brawl:4 Drive:4 Sabbat Lore:4 Dodge:5 Firearms:3 Occult:5 Subterfuge:3 Stealth:6 Kindred Lore:4 Melee:5 Linguistics:3 Etiquette:1 ADVANTAGES: Disciplines: Backgrounds: Virtues: Obtenebration:6 Generation:6 Callousness:1 Obsfucate:5 Status:4 Instincts:3 Potence:3 Morale:4 Celerity:3 Auspex:4 MERITS & FLAWS: Potent Vitae (5 pt merit - see below) Occult Library Willpower: 5 Path of Caine: 2 When Maria Fallcrown was taken from her sister and Embraced, her life was turned upside down. With Miranda around to run the show, Maria was only needed to help out on occasion, and, while she loved helping her sister, she preferred to have fun. After the Embrace all that changed. The Sabbat was no place to have fun, at least in Maria's eyes. She was alone and lost without Miranda, and latched on to the first stable force she could find : An Assamite named Ahmed. Ahmed tought her the basics of her new existance, and also taught her of Caine, and the importance of the search for Caine. Miranda's embrace was an unexpected delight. Her sister was back, and took care of her once more. She could go back to the way things used to be. She laxed up and began falling from her Path. When the trio (Miranda, Maria, and Ahmed) left for Atlanta, things turned around. The slumbering Metheuselah beneath the city was very close to Caine himself. Perhaps if they found him, they would find a lead to Caine himself. She actually took to her studies again, and that may have saved her from the beast. She still likes having fun however, and helping Miranda will always come before the search for Caine. In Atlanta, Maria serves as Miranda's main assistant and rarely leaves her side. POTENT VITAE - 5 pt. Merit A vampire with this merit has a severe advantage over other Kindred - only two droughts of her blood are necessary for a Blood Bond to take hold. The bond, once formed, is no different than a normal bond, and is no easier/harder to break than a normal bond. Miranda takes advantage of her sister's potent blood by letting her do all the blood-transactions within the city. Whenever possible, Miranda will secure a deal with another Kindred, and the only price being a drink of Maria's blood. Many kindred have fallen into the twins' trap, and those bonds help secure their position in the city. (NOTE: Maria is bonded to her sister, and Miranda will not drink of Maria's blood - or anyone else's, really) Name: Ahmed Clan: Assamite Antitribu Generation:8 Nature: Judge Demeanor: Cavalier Sire: unknown Embrace: 1750 (born 1728) Apparent Age: 22 Physical Description: The most noticable thing about Ahmed is the darkness of his skin, which is almost totally black. His eyes are dark, and his hair, with is about mid-back length, is black as well (and usually in a ponytail.) Ahmed dresses in normal clothing styles, although he usually wears a trenchcoat over his normal attire. ATTRIBUTES: Physical: Social: Mental: Strength:5 Charisma:3 Perception:2 Dexterity:5 Manipulation:2 Intelligence:2 Stamina:4 Appearance:2 Wits:3 ABILITIES: Talents: Skills: Knowledges: Subterfuge:4 Melee:5 Occult:5 Brawl:5 Firearms:3 Sabbat Lore:3 Dodge:5 Stealth:4 Black Hand Intimidation:5 Security:3 Lore:5 ADVANTAGES: Disciplines: Backgrounds: Virtues: Quietus:5 Generation:5 Callousness:3 Celerity:5 Status:2 Instincts:4 Fortitude:2 Contacts: 1 Morale:5 Potence:3 Willpower: 8 Path of Caine: 7 Ahmed was in training at the Assamite's hidden monastary since the age of 13. His everyday life consisted of practice, meditation, and dedication. He was also taught of his future clan, and the curse that had been placed on it. He didn't like the sounds of the curse, and when he heard tales of a separate group of Assamites free from the curse, decided to search them out. His search would have ended before he left the monastery if not for the aid of a ancient Brujah named Verro who came to his aid in Istanbul. Ahmed was cornered by 3 Assamite hunters, and they were about to strike when Verro revealed himself and chased away the assassins. Verro took Ahmed to the New World, and it didn't take long before he had dug up an Assamite from the Sabbat to Embrace Ahmed. Ahmed remained in the Sabbat for years, serving his sect, yet also doing Verro's bidding when necessary. When Verro put him in contact with a young vampire named Maria, Ahmed gladly showed her down the path of Caine. He rose high in the Black Hand, and was possibly about to attain Seraph status when Verro surfaced, and demanded that he accompany Maria and her twin Miranda, who was also a Sabbat member, to Atlanta. Owing his life and unlife to Verro, Ahmed complied. In Atlanta, Ahmed serves as Miranda's enforcer and bodyguard. He also tries to make first contact with any new Kindred in the area. By serving as Miranda's liason, he attempts to either convice or scare new Kindred into presenting themselves and swearing loyalty to Miranda. Ahmed knows about the sleeping Methuselah, too, he doesn't know of the location, either. Were he to find out, it is possible he may even leave Miranda's service to hunt him, with intent to find his sire's location, and then kill them both. Ahmed takes the existance of Caine very seriously. He knows most of the Book of Nod by heart, and has read a fairly complete copy before. When the Kindred calling himself Caine appeared, Ahmed was shocked. Could this be THE Caine? He had his doubts, but, nevertheless, made attempts to contact him. When Ahmed's haven was destroyed in Caine's bombing spree, however, Ahmed was almost killed himself. Unable to comprehend Caine attempting to destroy a devoted follower such as himself, Ahmed came to the conclusion that this man was not Caine, but just another madman. Miranda's stance on Caine is the same, and Ahmed now works to locate and destroy the "pretender".