The Fourth Cainite Crusade The Fourth Cainite Crusade, not
unlike its mortal analogue, is the work of lesser lords rather than
great kings. The first, second and third Crusades were all directly
led by elders of great renown and much status, but this one is led
by ancillae. Granted, all leaders present do indeed serve under the
nominal pleasure of elders in France, Flanders, Lombardy and the
Holy Roman Empire but they have complete autonomy in the
night-to-night congress of the pilgrimage. The leadership of the
Cainite Crusade has sworn to mitigate the supernatural influence on
the mortal counts and barons, hoping to avoid the factious
disasters of previous expeditions. They have pursued the fulfilment
of this oath to the best of their ability thus far, with decidedly
mixed success.Those Who LeadThe Cainite Crusade is dominated by
four major factions: the Lombardic Ventrue, the Knights of the
Sable Rose, the Narsene Lasombra and the Templar Ventrue. These
factions in turn are respectively dominated by the agents of four
powerful Cainite Lords of the night: Dominius of Lombardy,Andrew of
Normandy, Narses of Venice and Geoffroi du Temple. A fifth faction
consisting of a number of Lasombra and Toreador and led by the
neonate Geoffrey of Richmond (childe and servant of the great
Boukephos), left the crusade before the Siege of Zara. Inside these
factions reside a bewildering array of coteries, personal agendas
and agents for individual elders of France, the Holy Roman Empire,
Lombardy, Flanders and the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Over 20 Cainites
have sworn loyalty to Sir Guy de Provence (representative of the
elder Dominius), an influential Ventrue with many connections to
the mortal and Cainite nobles of Provence, Lombardy and the Holy
Land. He has taken the cross for each of the major crusades, and
several of the smaller ones, and despite his relative youth he has
a strong reputation and the approval of the Crusader Ventrue of
Outremer. He remains, at least in principle, the driving force
behind the Cainite Crusade and the other remaining factions follow
his lead. Sir Guy and his supporters have people close to the
nobles of Montferrat, Champagne and Provence. In addition, he can
call on 100 men in his own retinue and can leverage 3 times that
number through his pawns. With the support of his captains and
vassals, Guy can call up perhaps 1000 men, but this support grows
increasingly questionable as the health of the Fourth Crusade
declines.Sir Guy de Provence, Commander of the Fourth Cainite
CrusadeA mere 6 Cainites of the Knights of the Sable Rose currently
travel with the crusade, and 9 more wait in Beirut, Jaffa and
Limasol.Thierry dAmiens (envoy of the Toreador methuselah Angel
Andrew), Godefroi de Caen and Roderick de Rouen are the main actors
on the part of the Sable Rose. Each of them has a Cainite second,
as well as pawns in place amongst the lords and knights of
Flanders, Picardy and Normandy respectively. In addition, they
exercise considerable influence within the Knights Hospitaller
through the secret order that Andrew of Normandy has propagated in
their ranks. In extremis, the 6 of them claim that they can place
roughly the same number of soldiers on the field as Sir Guyand all
his supporters combined. With the backing of their ancient master,
few doubt their power.The Narsene Lasombra are led by Salvatore
Varragine, the representative of the Archbishop of Nod and Prince
of Venice, Narses. His responsibility is to safeguard the interests
of Venice and see that the conditions imposed by the Great Council
are met. 9 other Cainites of Venice follow his loose direction,
some more cohesively than others. As well as descendants of Narses,
several Cappadocians of the Giovanni family have lent their
shipping experience to the effort. When they work together they can
directly influence the crews of many ships, and perhaps more than
1200 marines.The last faction does not currently travel with the
Fourth Crusade, but their influence and promise is certainly felt.
Geoffroi du Temple (childe of the methuselah Alexander of Paris) is
currently in the valley of Clairvaux in Champagne, attempting to
use his contacts to drum up further support amongst the high
nobility of the French heartlands. His favoured childe, Sir Hugh,
is fortified in a coastal castle near the Cypriot port of
Famagusta. With him wait 18 other Templar Ventrue and more than
1600 men retained from the fallen Kingdom of Jerusalem and the
Emperors Crusade of 1197. Perhaps 6 more ancillae of the Crusader
Ventrue, and several hundred of their thralls, stand ready to
assist the Templars when they sail for Egypt. Together this force
has the power to reinvigorate the ailing pilgrimage. Sir Hugh de
Clairvaux is a rival of Guy de Provence but they have agreed to
joint leadership of the Fourth Cainite Crusade once their forces
are met.Sir Geoffrey of Richmond, a neonate Lasombra of
exceptionally strong pedigree (he is the childe of the Ancient
called Boukephos), formerly led a fifth faction. Sir Geoffrey and
his men presented themselves to Narses in Venice but did not even
bother arguing in council. It would appear that the young Cainite
instead ambitiously sought to use his talents to push the mortal
Crusade towards Palestine, and seemed happy to work beneath the
smokescreen of Tommaso Brexianos bluster and obvious attempts at
intrigue. In addition, it is also rumoured that he worked to
convince certain Barons to take the ports of Marseilles and Apulia
over Venice in order to force the destination of Palestine over
Egypt. He is also blamed for the desertion of nearly 2000 men under
the command of Simon de Montfort. It is rumoured that the Lasombra
is none other than Duke Geoffrey II of Brittany, the late brother
of Richard the Lionheart. If even a portion of these rumours are
true, then his talent for intrigue is truly prodigious. It is
unclear exactly why Sir Geoffrey and his coterie of allied Lasombra
and Toreador sought to derail the pilgrimage in this way other than
the rumoured enmity that Boukephos bears the Cainite Heresy. It has
been said that if Narses and his cronies are involved in something,
then the supporters of Boukephos would appear to stand ready to to
befoul their influence. Whatever the case, Sir Geoffrey and his
supporters were forced to flee the Crusade once their treachery
finally became clear to Guy de Provence and his men.Those Who
WatchThe Ventrue ancilla Lanzo von Sachsen, servant of Lord
Hardestadt of the Holy Roman Empire, does not belong to any
faction. Instead he observes the goings on, and writes numerous
reports to his master. At the same time, Lanzo is far from
impartial and speaks often of the need to push on to Egypt at the
first opportunity. He is nominally allied with Guy de Provence, if
only because the commander has the most Cainites in his camp.Father
Ferox, an ancient ghoul who represents the Ventrue elder Fabrizio
Ulfila, also keeps an eye on the course of the crusade. Ulfila is
greatly influential in the Latin church, and has mobilised certain
of his pawns amongst the abbots and bishops in service to the
crusade. Ferox does not appear to engage in the incessant intrigues
of the crusade himself, but he never misses a council session and
gives advice freely when asked.The Lasombra Iulia of Weissenburg
has chosen to represent herself as the de facto representative of
the Arpad Ventrue of the Kingdom of Hungary, owing to her
connections to Vencel Rikard of Buda-Pest. Her coterie-mate,
Veceslav, benefits from this association as well. They have made
allies among Sir Guys people but are seen as outsiders, and their
status is tentative as Hungary has pulled out of the crusade over
the Zara matter. Of course, as Zara was taken from the Hungarians,
Iulia and her allies serve as a pointed and uncomfortable reminder
for the pilgrims to adhere to their holy mission and avoid further
sin.Those Who FollowSir Guy has a number of captains and assistants
who hold particular status in the pilgrimage. Petrus the Troubadour
is his second and seneschal. Whenever Sir Guy is unavailable, Sir
Petrus makes decisions on his behalf. However, his own status is
not such that he could lead without Sir Guys own standing to back
him up. Sir Guy also has three captains who assist him in managing
the Cainite Crusade. Russel di Casale has long been a supporter of
Guy, and while the two arent allies as such, they maintain a
professional respect and the Cappadocian has sworn to follow his
orders for the duration of the pilgrimage. The loyalty of the
Ventrue Vitalis dAsti and Felix de Vaucluse is less certain. Each
has sworn an oath to him, in so far as those promises do not
violate those given to their sires and Lords in Champagne and
Burgundy respectively. By virtue of her influence over the
ecclesiastical and monastic representatives of France, Burgundy and
Provence, Sister Farancina stands on a roughly equal (albeit
informal) footing to these knights.In addition to Sir Russel and
Sister Farancina, other Cappadocians maintain a marked presence on
the crusade. Carmine Giovanni oversees the 12 ships that his family
has placed at the disposal of the pilgrimage, and he serves as one
of the most ardent advocates for Venetian influence on the crusade.
His cousins Umberto and Justis are also present, the former as an
assistant to Carmine and the latter in an effort to expand the
medical knowledge of both he and his sire, Roberto di Noldo.The
Tzimisce Lando di Durazzo and his Lasombra ally, Remigio del Nero,
serve as the resident occult advisors to Salvatore Varagine and, to
a lesser extent, Sir Guy. They are sometimes called upon for their
opinions, and it is thought that Remigio in particular has access
to certain magics that aid the plots of the Narsene
Lasombra.Numerous mercenaries of the Low Clans and a number of High
Clan Ventrue, Lasombra and Toreador eager for status have offered
their services to the pilgrimage. The most well-known of these is
the Gangrel diabolist, Rollo the Frank, who offered his services to
Guy de Provence in return for promises of sanctuary and forgiveness
for his crimes. However, as the Crusade approached Constantinople
others have sailed to offer their swords and talents as well. It is
thought that nearly 50 Cainites now travel with the
pilgrimage.OrganisationGuy de Provence holds a small council every
night, or second night if time or circumstance do not permit. This
council is held on the third hour after dusk, giving each member
ample time to wake, feed, tour their responsibilities, receive
reports from their underlings and prepare them for council. The
purpose of council is to keep abreast of logistics and news, decide
matters of strategy, and debate where best to devote their
resources. It is not a democracy. Each man has sworn an oath to
follow Sir Guy, and his order is final. Experts on certain matters
like Rollo, Carmine Giovanni, Guilabert dAvignon (the Salubri
physician), numerous Venetians in charge of the fleet (such as
Lando di Durazzo) and clergy operators such as Sister Farancina all
regularly give reports on their various spheres.However, they have
no voice unless it is asked for by Guy or one of the captains. That
said, there is plenty of time to shine when opinions are asked for,
which is often enough. As one might, the council is rife with
intrigue and personality conflicts, but it is military in nature
and by no means is it a farcical enterprise like the Council of
Venice. Public posturing and time-wasting is not tolerated in
council, but no end of back room deals and other intrigues happen
off-stage.The small council includes: Sir Guy de Provence
(Commander of the 4th Cainite Crusade, Knight of the Order of the
Lilly, the Hospital of St. John, and companion-brother of the Sable
Rose); This is Guys 4th Crusade, but the first time he has had this
much authority. He started preparing this cadre around 1198, and
his authority is growing increasingly shaky as the mortals continue
to make one poor decision after another. His sire has commanded Guy
and his vassals to refrain from using their supernatural influence
to direct the pilgrimage, demanding that God alone must direct the
course of the Fourth Crusade. Guys authority stood up to the test
of Geoffrey of Richmonds intrigues, but has eroded steadily since
the Siege of Zara. He is far from a spent force, however, and still
works to bring the crusade back on the road that they intended. He
has nearly 100 men in his personal entourage, and can call upon
nearly 300 more through his ghouls and pawns. Sir Thierry dAmiens
(Knight Captain of the Sable Rose); This Toreador says a prayer
before each meeting; appears quite religious and solemn. Knows Guy
and Petrus well, and is the representative of Angel Andrew and
Master Alphonse des Rosiers. He exercises some influence over the
Count of Perche through indirect means. His opinion is frequently
asked, and Bernhard finds him competent on both tactical and
strategic matters. He and his 6 brothers can call upon 20 ghoul
Hospitalers, and 80 or so sergeants and squires. Veteran of the 2nd
and 3rd Crusades. Sir Godefroi de Caen (Knight Captain of the Sable
Rose); Another Toreador, he hails from Flanders, and through his
pawns, Sir Godefroi has the most influence over Count Baldwin and
through his coterie, also Count Hugh of St Pol. he certainly doesnt
control them by any means, but Sir Godefroi has people he can put
close to them. His manpower is inlcuded in Sir Thierrys. Godefroi
is usually silent in council, following Thierrys lead in public,
though it is thought that they disagree on many matters in private.
He is a veteran of the 3rd Crusade. Lanzo von Sachsen (Hardestadts
agent, observer); The Ventrue is a warrior, but knows well enough
that he is out of his league when it comes to campaigning. His
understanding of Cainite politics is quite profound, and Guy will
ask his opinion on such matters. His personal entourage includes
about 20 men, including several ghouls. Salvatore Varagine (Narses
agent and Chief Advocate for Venice); It is clear that Guy dislikes
him, given his instigation of the foolish and wasteful attack on
Zara, but he tolerates Salvatores presence. The Lasombra carries
the influence of Narses and the Giovanni, and has a very advanced
understanding of the minutiae of fleet operations and logistics.
Altogether he can call upon 80 men directly, and nearly 1000
indirectly. Sir Martin de Toulon (Guys childe, Knight of Provence);
The young Ventrue is expected to be quiet unless called upon for
his opinion, but to pay attention. He is expected to learn command
tools at these councils, and now takes minutes for them. Veteran of
the 3rd Crusade. Sir Vitalis dAsti (Servant of Lord Michaelis of
Champagne, Knight of Monferrat); Vitalis is a bit of a rogue and a
dynamic force on council, often cracking a joke or telling an
anecdote before proceedings begin. The young Ventrue has little
head for strategy, but is a capable tactician and battle leader. He
has a total of 80 men under his direct command, and can influence a
further 200 through his retainers and pawns. Veteran of the 3rd
Crusade. Sir Russel di Casale (Master of Mercenaries, Knight of
Montferrat); A terse, tacit, honourable and deeply fatalistic
fellow, Russel is a the best swordsman among Monferrats men.
Bernhard would place him above his own level and below Hrothulfs
(5). He cares little for strategy, but something of tactics, and he
excels at adapting broad orders to fluid situations. He has a
reputation for being fearless in battle, as he looks forward to
going to his Final Death. He has a number of ghoul knights under
his command, and about 40 crazy fuckers who make up in fearlessness
what they lack in skill. Captain Sir Russel is a veteran of the 2nd
& 3rd Crusades. Sir Felix de Vaucluse (Servant of Lord Gaius
Fabricius of Burgundy, Knight of Provence); this is Sir Felixs 1st
Crusade. He is ambitious and a bit greedy, and not much of a
soldier (although he knows how to fight well enough), but he does
have wealth, lineage and a total of about 200 trained fighting men
to accompany him into battle. In council he comes across as the
ignorant and arrogant prick that he certainly is, but his status
makes his position inviolate and above reproach. The Burgundian
Caitiff is in his employ. He feeds on prostitutes. Petrus el
Troubadour (Phaedymite, friend and advisor to Guy; Knight of
Champagne); Petrus is gifted with significant powers of common
sense and imagination, and cleaves wholeheartedly to the Path of
Chivalry. While he is no battle commander, he has a very solid
grasp of military history, both ancient and modern. This is
augmented by his ability to use Chimerstry to make battle maps
accurate battle portrayals, and conversations that he has had with
his grandsire and warriors of his bloodline. These accounts include
eye witness accounts of people who fought in the armies of
Alexander the Great, Gaius Marius, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, Gaius
Julius Caeser, Mark Antony, Marcus Agrippa, Constantine the Great,
Flavius Aetius & Charlemagne. Guy values his advice over that
of everyone else. Sir Petrus has only 20 men under his direct
command, but can exercise influence on perhaps 60 more. He fought
on the 2nd and 3rd Crusades.Before the events surrounding the
capture of the exiled prince of Corfu, Aglaia, the neonate Arnaud
le Brave (childe of Sir Petrus) was assigned to take minutes for
the small council. Arnaud was an excellent poet with a gift for
turning a phrase. Alas, Aglaia sent Arnaud to the Final Death and
his duties have been assigned to his grieving friend, Sir
Martin.The great council: A larger, more informal council is held
every week, on the 5th hour after dusk, once the small council
concludes. A short briefing is given by Sir Guy and the captains on
the state of the crusade, and any Cainite may then approach the
leadership in an official and public capacity. Precedence of order
is given in the following manner: those with strong status among
the High Clans, then weaker High Clan status, strong Low Clan
status (basically no one) then weak Low Clan status. Petrus the
Troubadour decides on this order in case of conflicts.Typical
subjects are on matters of disputes of honour, feeding rights and
looting rights. However matters of the Traditions also take place
here (such as ghouling permission, Embracing permission, or
suspicions of breaches etc.) This process takes about an hour most
of the time but sometimes stretches into the entire night, or
several nights, after situations like the Sack of Zara. After the
official business is finished, Guy and the captains break up and
may be approached over the next few hours on trifling matters, for
socialising, occasions of penance or communion or whatnot. This is
also when experts like Rollo teach their hand-to-hand
fighting.Obviously, this system does not preclude private audiences
the rest of the time! Much, or even most, of the intrigue
surrounding the crusade is accomplished in tents, houses, ship
cabins, deserted and barren settlement outskirts, whorehouses,
taverns, alehouses and just about anywhere 2 vampires get together.
This is a gathering of the Children of Caine, after all.The
following is a roster of those who have taken the cross for the
Fourth Cainite Crusade. This list is not exhaustive.Montferrat,
Champagne & Provence Guy de Provence (6th gen Ventrue ancilla,
Childe of Dominius); Commander of the 4th Cainite Crusade, and a
servant of Dominius, Prince of Nice and the Lord of Lombardy. He is
a veteran of each major crusade and several smaller ones. He is a
Scion. Petrus el Troubadour (7th gen Phaedymite Ravnos ancilla,
Childe of Macia Felicia Licinia); Chief aide-de-camp to Sir Guy, he
is unofficially second in command despite his relative lack of
status. He is known for his common sense and chivalric behaviour,
and is a student of military history. A vocal advocate of the
chivalric ideal, he is a Paladin. Martin de Toulon (7th gen Ventrue
neonate, Childe of Guy de Provence); aide-de-camp to Sir Guy, he
takes minutes at all small councils and runs errands on his sires
behalf. In mourning for his boon companion, Sir Arnaud le Brave.
Veteran of the 3rd Crusade. He is a Paladin. Sir Vitalis dAsti (7th
gen Ventrue ancilla, Childe of Robert du Pont-Adhemer); Captain of
the 4th Cainite Crusade, and a servant of Michaellis, Lord of
Champagne. He is a charismatic joker, and a fair officer but he has
little real military skill. Veteran of the 3rd Crusade. He is a
Paladin. Sir Felix de Vaucluse (8th gen? Ventrue ancilla, Childe of
Prince Rudolf of Besanon), Captain of the 4th Cainite Crusade, and
a servant of Gaius Fabricius, Lord of Burgundy. He is an arrogant
elitist and an inexperienced officer, but a good fighter and quite
wealthy. He is a Scion and secret diabolist (according to Drenis,
though Lotario could see no evidence of black veins in his aura).
The 4th Crusade is his first pilgrimage. Sir Russel di Casale (8th
gen? Cappadocian ancilla, Childe of Marcus), Captain of the 4th
Crusade and master of mercenaries. He is a great swordsman, who
revels in death and destruction in war. He walks the Road of Bones,
but is also known to be deeply honourable, despite being a secret
diabolist (according to Drenis and Lotario). Veteran of the 2nd and
3rd Crusade. Sister Farancina di Montferrat (7th gen Cappadocian
ancilla, Childe of Clovis); advisor to Sir Guy, and uses her
ecclesiastical and monastic influence on his behalf. She is
unofficially on par with the captains. Farancina is in charge of
the health of the 4th Crusade, though she is an inferior physician
to Maude. She is one of the Faithful. Sir Bertrandus dApt (9th gen
Ventrue neonate, childe of Felix); aide-de-camp to his sire, and a
bit of an elitist. He is not half so villainous as his sire,
however, and is noted for treating his retainers and vassals with
great respect. He is a Prodigal. Sir Guilabert dAvignon (9th gen
Salubri Warrrior ancilla, childe of Sir Robert Berenguer [d]); a
warrior-medic of the Knights Hospitaller, he is also sworn to
protect and serve Sister Farancina. Sir Guys respect for him
ensures that the Tremere find no purchase on the pilgrimage. He is
one of the Faithful. Sir Aribert de Carpentras (10th gen Brujah
ancilla, Childe of ); a knight of Provence who was saved by Sir Guy
on the 3rd Crusade. He is a Prodigal, and a bit of an outsider, but
he serves out his life boon dutifully. Sir Jean de Toulon (8th gen
Ventrue ancilla, Childe of Father Raimundus); a devoted Crusader
who came into Sir Guys service in the 3rd Crusade. He is stalwart
and competent, but not particularly gifted at war. He is a Scion.
Father Thibald (8th gen Ventrue ancilla, Childe of Jacme [d]);
Chaplain of the 4th Crusade who spent many years in the Holy Land.
He is a retiring Cainite, who does not seek a leadership role. He
is one of the Faithful. Sir Vincent de Nice (9th gen Ventrue
neonate, Childe of Ferrand); Great-nephew-in-blood to Sir Guy, Sir
Vincent crusades seeking the land, wealth and status that cannot be
his in Provence. He is a Scion, though he is but an initiate on the
road. Sir Roberre de Toulouse (10th gen Toreador neonate, Childe of
Constance); a landless knight with little chance of advancement in
the Courts of Love, he has sworn his sword to Sir Guy in hopes of
gaining wealth, land and status. He is a Prodigal. Sir Gaspar de
Beziers (10th gen Toreador neonate, Childe of Garsend of
Caracassone [d]); yet another landless hopeful, Gaspar is quite
enamoured of the chivalric ideal. He is a Paladin initiate, and
quite devout. Arnaud le Brave (8th gen Phaedymite Ravnos neonate,
Childe of Petrus); Sir Martin de Toulons best friend and
coterie-mate, Sir Arnaud was formerly an observer on the small
council. He was slain by Aglaia, the former prince of Corfu.
(DECEASED) Sir Carbo di Mondova (11th gen Malkavian neonate, Childe
of Bertramus [d]); perhaps the best swordsman among the neonates,
he is a veteran of the 3rd Crusade and the Crusade of 1197. He has
sworn his sword to Sir Guy for reasons known only to he and the
commander. One of the Faithful. Sir William di Milan (8th gen
Lasombra neonate, Childe of Pippin the Black); an opportunistic and
ambitious young Cainite, whose sire fought with Sir Guy on the 2nd
and 3rd Crusades. He has good connections to the mortal nobility
and is a Scion initiate. Sir Asti di Milan (9th gen Lasombra
neonate, Childe of William Longaxe); a shameless, greedy
glory-hound whose sire long held the post of Seneschal of Milan.
While he is a knight, he is not of the nobility. He was knighted by
Boniface of Montferrat in the war against Naples, and retains ties
to the Marquis. He is a Prodigal, though he seeks instruction on
the via regalis.Flanders, Picardy and Normandy Sir Thierry dAmiens
(7th gen Toreador ancilla, Childe of Sir Alphonse des Rosiers);
Knight Master of the Sable Rose for Picardy, and chief envoy of
Grandmaster Andrew of Normandy. Sir As the agent of a methuselah
thought to predate the founding of Rome, Thierry has considerable
influence not just among his order, but also the Courts of Love and
the Grand Court. He is retiring in public, choosing to make his
politics known behind closed doors. A known Paladin, he is a
veteran of the 3rd Crusade. Sir Godefroi de Caen (8th gen Toreador
ancilla, Childe of Sir Carel van den Dreissche); Knight of the
Sable Rose and envoy for the Master of Flanders, Sir Godefroi is a
godly Cainite who, like his brother-at-arms Sir Thierry, abstains
from engaging in base politics. He has strong links to the ruling
house of Flanders and Hainault. He is a veteran of the 2nd and 3rd
Crusades. Sir Roderick de Rouen (8th gen? Toreador ancilla, Childe
of Sir Charles de Fcamp); Knight of the Sable Rose and envoy for
the Master of Normandy, Sir Roderick is a born slayer who is
perhaps exceeded in the 4th Crusade only by Sir Russel. His ethics
lie along the skewed vision of the Cainite Heresy, and both Drenis
and Lotario account him a secret diabolist. He is a veteran of the
3rd Crusade. Sir Robert of Colchester (8th gen Toreador neonate,
Childe of Sir Thierry dAmiens); a quiet man with a reputation for
dangerous skill with a sword, Sir Robert is one of the Heresys
Faithful. He is an able second to his sire, and a veteran of the
3rd Crusade. Sir Ancelin de Mutrcy (9th gen Toreador neonate,
Childe of Sir Godefroi de Caen); a skilled poet and troubadour,
with a penchant for romantic love most unbecoming a Knight
Hospitaller. While he is faithful to the tenets of the Order, he is
in fact a Prodigal. Sir Ive de Barentin (9th gen Toreador neonate,
Childe of Sir Roderick de Rouen); a master armourer, renowned for
his craft, this knight is also a political animal. He has been
known to disagree publicly with his sire, but he is a trusted
second. He has mortal relatives in the entourage of Baldwin of
Flanders. Sir Ewald of Fairfaix (9th gen Ventrue neonate, Childe of
Prince Alinor de Lisieux); a very young and impulsive Prodigal of
Saxon stock, this knight has undertaken the pilgrimage against the
wishes of his sire. Prince Alinor is renowned for her domineering
and vengeful nature. Ewald is a Scion initiate, who backslides
frequently to thinking like the spoiled young man he once was. He
is sworn to Sir Guy. Sir Garcelin de Bruges (10th gen Brujah
neonate, Childe of Anselm de Bruges); an unorthodox knight with
great interest in matters of scholasticism and trade in addition to
warfare, Sir Garcelin considers himself to be a noble adventurer,
and the crusade is the great adventure of the day. He is a Prodigal
and a gallant. He is sworn to Vitalis de Asti. Gerbod the Fleming
(7th gen Brujah ancilla, Childe of Jann Berger); Enigmatic in the
extreme, this Prodigal has not so much undertaken the pilgrimage as
asked to travel in the same direction. He is valued by Sir Guy, who
has benefitted from his skills in the past, for his knowledge of
Cainite and esoteric history. Gerbod has been seen several times by
Iulia (at Corfu and Abydos), but seems to come and go by his own
leave.Holy Roman Empire Lanzo von Sachsen (8th gen Ventrue elder,
Childe of Guntramus); envoy of Lord Hardestadt, a prominent elder
with much influence in Bavaria, Thuringia and Saxony. Lanzo
represented his master on 3rd Crusade and the Crusade of 1197 and
he retains many contacts and safe houses in the East. He uses these
for the benefit of the pilgrimage, but is uneasy about the detour
to Constantinople. Johann von Karlsdorf (10th gen Ventrue ancilla,
Childe Abel von Karlsruhe); a Scion nobleman zealot from Thuringia,
who has sworn to take every Crusade to the Holy Land until it is
free for pilgrims once more. He is socially awkward, as he speaks
little of the French tongues, no Latin and relates only on matters
of faith. He and his swordbrother, Hans ritter, have largely kept
to themselves since joining the Crusade in Abydos. They are
veterans of the Crusade of 1197. Hans ritter von Basle (11th gen
Cappadocian ancilla, Childe of Brother Ludwig); a Faithful knight
of the Kingdom of Burgundy, who speaks no Latin and only a few
words of the languedoil. Hans is thought to have some strange, even
heretical notions regarding the place of the Children of Caine. He
is on an obscure quest to the Holy Land of which he speaks but
little. Like his swordbrother, Johann, he is sworn to the service
of Sir Guy for the length of the pilgrimage.Venice, Naples and
other Italian states Salvatore Varagine (8th gen Lasombra ancilla,
Childe of Tribuno); an excellent maritime administrator and leader,
and a skilled intriguer. He is known to be changeable and
opportunistic in his loyalties, and his primary interest lies in
seeing Venices debts repaid. Like his sire, the Scourge of Venice,
he appears to follow the warped ideals of the Heresys Illuminated.
He leads the Serene Brotherhood. Carmine Giovanni (11th gen
Cappadocian ancilla, Childe of Marianne of Zara [d]); an agent of
the powerful Ignazio, one of the favoured servants of Augustus
Giovanni (who has contributed no less than 40 ships to the
pilgrimage), Carmine represents his familys interests. Iulia
despises him, as he once held the ghost of her husband, George, in
thrall. Remigio del Nero (8th gen Lasombra ancilla, Childe of
Eduardo, e. early 12th century); the most skilled of Narses
extended brood regarding the more obscure and arcane uses of the
discipline of Obtenebration, he also follows the bizarre
pseudo-Zoroastrian philosophies of the Abyss Mystics. He is known
to be an ally of Lando di Durazzo. Georgio di Renzo (9th gen
Lasombra neonate, Childe of Salvatore Varragine); Salvatores strong
right arm, Georgio serves his sire as bodyguard and second. He is a
faithful, if not terribly imaginative, servant who derides Franks
as boorish. He is also one of the Heretical Illuminated. Silvio
Veccio (9th gen. Lasombra ancilla, Childe of Dario Barbolano [d]);
the strongest fighter among the Serene Brotherhood, Silvio is also
an experienced captain of the Venetian marines. He dislikes the
Byzantine families, as his sire was destroyed in the Latin Riots of
1185. Unlike his brother, he is a Scion with little interest in the
tenets of the Heresy. Father Pietro Ancini (8th gen Lasombra
ancilla, Childe of Mario Tiepolo); the spiritual heart of the
Serene Brotherhood, Pietro is a devout walker on the Heresys
perverse doctrines. He is chaplain to the Venetian Cainites, and a
close advisor to Salvatore. His brother-in-blood, Bartolemeo
Giordani, was made prince of Zara in the crusades wake. Brother
Carmichael Mattachio (8th gen Lasombra ancilla, Childe of Guilelmo
Aliprando); more down-to-earth and active than Pietro, Brother
Carmichaels role is unclear. He seems to have many servant monks,
who wear the dark robes of Panteleimon. Lando di Durazzo (10th gen
Tzimisce ancilla, Childe of Mantarci); a wealthy scholar of the
occult with a sideline in ships and timber, Lando keeps tabs on his
mercantile endeavours with the aid of his canny servants, the
Grimaldi family of ghouls. Roberto di Noldo (8th gen Cappadocian,
Childe of Penelope); one of the few true elders on the pilgrimage,
Roberto has undertaken the crusade to watch over his fledgeling,
Justis, as well as to update his own knowledge of anatomy and
battlefield medicine. Justus Giovanni (9th gen Cappadocian, Childe
of Roberto di Noldo); quite possibly the youngest Cainite on the
crusade, Justis is driven to understand the finer points of
surgery. He is under the oversight of Carmine as well as his own
sire, and as such he is a reluctant member of the Serene
Brotherhood.The Kingdom of Hungary Knez Veceslav Basarab of Tihuta
(7th gen Tzimisce ancilla, Childe of Gabor the Bulgar); a
remarkably congenial Shaper who, together with his coterie-mate
Iulia, acts as the agent of the wronged Arpads. Sir Guy greatly
enjoys the company of the exotic and charming knez from the East,
and has asked him to perform as an intermediary with the Trinity
Families of Constantinople. Prince Iulia of Weissenburg (9th gen
Lasombra neonate, Childe of Katarina of Adrianople); an ambitious
and talented Lasombra whose uncanny political observations has led
to much respect both in Hungary and the 4th Crusade. It is said
that she provides the theory behind her coterie-mates elegant
presentations.Mercenaries and other hangers-on Rollo the Frank
(perhaps 7th gen Gangrel elder, originally thought to be 10th);
Chief of Scouts. This elder is a known diabolist, under sentence of
Blood Hunt through many domains in Western Europe. He has taken the
4th Crusade as an act of penance, seeking absolution for his sins.
Many doubt his sincerity, believing that he lusts after the vitae
of weak Byzantine elders. He is sworn to the service of Sir Guy for
the length of the pilgrimage. He is probably a Prodigal, though few
would take the time to find out. Pierre de Burgundy (11th gen
Caitiff ancilla, sire unknown); a Prodigal mercenary who leads a
company of French archers. Pierre is an experienced and charismatic
free captain, and the other mercenary Cainites look to him for
leadership despite his clanless status. He is in the employ of Sir
Guy. Thierry de Villiers (9th gen? Nosferatu neonate, Childe of
Waldo la batte); a treacherous scout who serves Sir Felix de
Vaucluse, this Leper is a Prodigal, if only by default. The gifts
of his blood make him a fine hunter, and both Drenis and Lotario
have observed the black veins of diablerie in his aura. Marcel de
Villiers (10th gen? Gangrel neonate, Childe of Galle); apparently a
friend of Thierry, this Animal brute provides the muscle for the
Lepers wicked schemes. Drenis claims that he too is a diabolist,
although Lotario was unable to discern any black veins in his aura.
Innominatum Stulto (Tzimisce elder? of unknown generation, Sire
unknown); an enigmatic Shaper and koldun who approached Veceslav
Basarab in the city of Chrysopolis. The Nameless Fool has little
love for the Obertus Order, but seeks access (by fair means or
foul) to the closed stacks of the Library of the Forgotten. He
believes his clan-mate can facilitate this access, one way or the
other. He has an unspecified relationship with Lando di Durazzo.The
Ancient Ghoul Father Ferox (Thrall of Fabrizio Ulfila); thought to
be more than 1200 years old, this quiet priest performs as the eyes
and ears of his influential master on the crusade. While it is true
that he is a mere mortal, Father Ferox is granted considerable
respect by those Cainites who fear his Domitors power.