The Kindred

Although the Kindred are probably the most untrustworthy race on the planet, there are some individuals with whom Louise and the Club have a relationship slightly better than outright hatred (see The Grand Council).  By which I mean that the vampires detailed below would only sell Louise out if it was in their own interest as opposed to doing it for the sheer unholy joy of watching her suffer.

First, Alexander Vargoss.  He is the Prince of London, ostensible ruler of all the eighty or so Kindred who live in and around the city.  In appearance a Tudor gentleman of middle years, he is noted in vampiric circles for always keeping his Darksoul under iron control.  He often acts with a great deal of charm but his eyes are the eyes of a dead man, cold and without any human feeling.

He is of the Sixth Generation, his lineage impeccable and his powers rarely-used but formidable.  It is a poorly kept secret among the Kindred that in his mortal life he was Lord Walsingham, spymaster to Elizabeth I.  Those who ask him about his true identity, however, tend to disappear without trace.  Much the same fate awaits those who note that the influence of the Prince of London has declined in the same fashion as the once-great British Empire.

It is the responsibility of the Prince to thwart any threats to the Masquerade within his domain, whether through his control of mortal institutions like the police and media or by eliminating any Kindred who might strain the deception.  Many, not least other Kindred, have asked how it is that Louise can get away with stretches of this most important law that would condemn any lesser vampire to a swift True Death.  Most believe that Louise holds something over the Prince that prevents him from acting against her, but Louise has never talked about it.  And none dare bring up the subject to Vargoss.

Secondly, Tom Ranway.  A young vampire by European standards (barely 150 years old), he is the owner of the Raven's Wing nightclub and casino in Soho.  This fashionable nightspot, a favourite of the glitterati of London, is also the main meeting-ground for the elder vampires.  It is considered 'Elysium', or neutral ground, by edict of Prince Vargoss; not even the most adventurous anarch has yet tried anything there.

Ranway is a young-looking blond man who speaks with an affected American drawl (most say merely to annoy the more traditionalist elders) and is always dressed in the height of fashion.  His contacts among his fellow Kindred are formidable, to the extent that some say they even rival those of the Nosferatu.  For this reason Danforth, the Nosferatu Primogen of London, is one of Ranway's fiercest enemies.

Thirdly is Monty Coven, another of Vargoss' Primogen (elder councillors).  This dreadlocked Kindred hails from the West Indies, where it is said he was behind many of the more unpleasant santeria cults that practiced there until he left for England in the 1780s.  He is the Prince's chief advisor on matters occult, being a sorceror of no little power as well as a vampire of the Sixth Generation himself.

Coven shares Louise's fascination with magic and the occult, and the two have often shared information in the past.  His own repository of lore is almost the equal of hers, though if he realised that her information was the more complete he would not be best pleased.

The additional link below leads to a document Louise was given by Tom Ranway when she expressed an interest in the history of the Kindred.  I include it here as there may well be elements within that are of some use in the approaching Gehenna.  But be warned, like all matters that involve the Kindred, some or all of this document may be incorrect or even a deliberate falsehood.