Reverse the Curse: Boston

One night in October, 2004.

A penthouse apartment, New York City:

"So here you are. Still parked in front the television?" Talley strode into the vast living room. The Archbishop lay sprawled in font of the plasma screen, sharing a leather couch with two semi-conscious, semi-clothed, and drained looking women.

"Its almost over." Francisco replied. "I gave the Yankees my usual special incentives. I'm just making sure my investment pays off. The Sox'll need a miracle to even see game 5."

Talley regarded the screen without interest. "Jacko and some of the boys are talking about taking a war party to Boston when this is over. Tear up Faneuil Hall, rub it in their faces – show those Cammies how we do it in the big city."

Francisco Domingo smiled. "I could approve of that. Not that they'll ask…"

Italy. A villa outside of Milan:

Two women stood on vine covered terrace, looking up a blood red moon. Each held a goblet of warm vitae.

The elder spoke. "So, Lia… tell me the news from America."

"We're making great progress. We're very close now. The tunneling team are now only 600 meters from the main chamber." The young Giovanni spoke rapidly. "Already, we can feel powerful emanations. It feels strange… liberating, somehow. I don't know how to describe it."

Regina Giovanni turned, looked at her knowingly, and smiled. Centuries of anticipation – finally they would see for themselves. "Continue..."

"We have some concerns" Lia Milliner continued her report. "The Prince suspects something. There are others as well."

"Indeed. The Inner Circle itself seems to have taken a personal interest in the recent outbreak of the infernalists in your fair city. No one is sure if your Prince requested their help… or if he might have been the cause of their concern. And Arika may have won that little squabble, but there are rumors that she didn't escape entirely… untainted…

No matter. We couldn't keep our secret forever. We have plans. And we can't stop now." The elder took a sip from her goblet and savored the salty taste. "The fine taxpayers are just about to get their moneys worth."

A cold, damp tunnel more than a mile below the city of Boston:

Shadows flittered against the hard stone wall as small creatures scratched at the thick shale in the darkness. A large section of wall crumbed and a hulking beast emerged, shaking the rocks from his body and extending a huge set of wings from one side of the tunnel to the other.

Just then, a small white mouse can hopping down from the open end of the tunnel and sniffed about. Following it came a man dressed in a white robe. As he reached the end, a blue flame danced about his fingertips illuminating his face and a flowing white beard.

"Hello, Pugfar. I thought I would come check on your progress. You need to pick up the pace. We have a schedule to keep."

The gargoyle picked up a boulder and crushed it into dust in his massive paws. "Yesss…master." The blue flames reflected in his stone eyes.

(Thanks Ben!)

SPECIAL RULES:

In the middle of each table there will be a special card, called "Reverse the Curse", with the following text (I'll fix the graphical version soon):

Reverse the Curse
Event
Gehenna

Requires at least 2 other Gehenna cards in play. There is no Blood Curse. The terms "Infernal", "Scarce", "Sterile", and "Slave" have no effect.

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Further special rules:

  1. Standard Storyline rules apply. 75% of your crypt must be of the same clan, and Recalled To the Founder is banned.

  2. Reverse the Curse takes effect immediately when/if a second Gehenna Event enters play. It has no controller, but may be burned with Black Hand Ritual as an action blockable by any other Methuselah (resolve blocking priority like Eagle's Sight).

  3. When Reverse the Curse enters play, any ready vampire with a Boston or New York title (even if it is currently being contested) fills to capacity, and any vampire in the uncontrolled region with a Boston or New York title (even if that title would contest one in play) gains enough blood to equal half of his or her capacity (round up).

  4. If you are playing a Blood Cursed, Infernal, Sterile, Scarce, or Slave clan, and you get a table sweep (4 vps, even at a 5 player table), you will receive a special prize to be determined later.

  5. Record any quotes, and interesting events or actions of any of the characters in the fiction. "Good stuff" will carry over to the next Boston storyline, as our continuity further diverges from canon :)

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? (Not 100% set in stone yet, but I don't want to change too much from here..)

Josh Feuerstein, jodaff@yahoo.com