Ask Bernadette

Bernadette is an Elder Ventrue from Budapest, now residing in Tucson, AZ. Based on our 7-year ongoing VTM Tucson by Night LARP group. V20 System. Unofficial. Banner art Beidak. Icon by Raxtusvtm.

[bernadettevtm]

As the storyteller that makes the story of our game, I have made a LOT of NPCs to fill out the world. This blog will always mainly focus on Bernadette, but there's some side characters that I think would be fun to interact with and flesh out through questions. I will update this as the game progresses IRL. I do have IRL pictures of how they would look like if people are interested in me putting those in while I work on drawings of them. Also-

Feel free to ask the characters listed below anything, unless it says otherwise, since some are dead, or would spoil too much for my players:

Ventrue:

Berandette- She's the main character of the blog, you should know her. Maybe. Keep asking questions to find out more!

Adeline- Bernadette's childer, victim of Elizabeth Bathory, was embraced shortly after the Countess' death. Has the child-like flaw, as she was embraced in her mid-teens, which in the 1500s had a different connotation. Mildly annoyed that she has a curfew when she's 500 years old due to her appearance and the issues it brings up.

Barnabas Locke: Ghouled for nearly 200 years by Bernadette's sire and then gifted to her when she became Prince of Tucson, Bernadette embraced him after Locke proved his loyalty to her. He is a hematologist and often makes deals with other Ventrue to get them the blood types they need. He is also a talent piantist.

Clara Annette- Anarch, works for Baron, 1st wave Ireland feminist. A fiery redhead with a trench coat, scarf, and a newsboy hat that is her signature look. She runs The Red Cage with an iron fist.

Silas Killion- Pallis’ business partner, classic Ventrue, head of the security portion of Pallis’ business in the Southeast (Deceased)

Stephen/Pallis- Bernadette's sire and past, long-term lover, he is utterly protective to an abusive fault. His goals are unknown, but better to have a somewhat ally than get a secondary Methuselah as an enemy.

Toreador:

John Fain- Dada artist, knew the Toreadore primogen of previous Cam, bitter after his art style fell out of favor, likes to wear lounge robes and judge people.

Brujah:

Mahel- Bernadette's older brother and rival to her sire, Pallis/Stephen. Bernadette was his ghoul, but her sire sniped her one evening for the typical rival back and forth. Mahel still holds a grudge to this very night. (Currently torpor'd, unavailable for asks)

Victor “Furlough”: Anarch, and pseudo leader of the Brujah that inhabit the Barrio, he's the stereotypical biker type and is a flirt with anything with a tiny skirt.

Tim Lemond- Furlough's right hand man. Doesn't talk much and tends to stand there with his arms crossed to appear intimidating.

Fiero “Volpiano”- An anarch for hire, he acts like a typical mafioso. He was last employed by none other than Bernadette's sire. These nights? No one knows.

Finley Ngo- Fresh off the vampire presses, this late teen is not taking his change well. Volpiano took him under his wing, as the boy's sire was nowhere to be found.

Jazz Cox (shared NPC with main storyteller)- Absolute b-i-t-c-h, she tends to let her beast guide her steps, secretly adores Furlough

Andy and Goliath Crawford- Andy is scrawny with a temper and mouth to match, older brother of Goliath, whilst Goliath is a quiet behemoth. This dynamic duo follows Cecil around and usually cause him a lot of trouble that he has to get them out of.

Cecil Barns- A soldier from the first world war who was hurt in the Battle of the Somme. He fought valiantly, and his valor caught the attention of an Elder Brujah. Whilst recovering in a hospital, Bernadette and her sire were visiting for awhile, for what reason, he does not know. Bernadette ended up striking a conversation with him each night. Getting attached to this unknown woman, as she was leaving, he caused quite the scene limping after her and confessing as such. Once embraced, he started training and learning Hungarian before he, and his "brothers", made their way to the Budapest Princedom. They were ultimately the reason, with aid from mysterious elders in the shadows, that Bernadette escaped Hungary and ended up, in all places, Tucson. He is fiercely loyal to his clan, but he secretly puts the Elder Ventrue above all else, as she is the last touchstone of his life as a kine.

Tremere:

Fabian- Ally of Bernadette since the war of princes and an extremely talented bloodstone smith. (Will be referenced, but nigh impossible for players to find/interact with in-game, but available for asks)

Gangrel:

Jerome Leroux- Owing Stephen a life boon, this gangrel was forced to do a lot of dirty work for the Prince of Budapest, but after saving his life when Bernadette started besting him in a fight, he was now free of his obligation. He now wanders about, like a Gangrel tends to (Possible encounter if successful patrol roll in designated areas of Tucson)

Malkavian:

Ahrima- Methuselah. Big bad. Not giving more information as players are currently addressing him. (Unavailable because no hints for players, nope)

Pierrot- The only players that will know anything about her are the ones I've been in other RP games with. They will hear her name and probably silently scream. Did I turn one of my most notorious DnD characters in a vampire? I sure did. (Unavailable until reveal)

Nosferatu:

Goblin "Gobbo"- Goblin is Goblin, but he may also be more than Goblin. After all, he was a child-like kindred that tried to diablerize a much older kindred and now their psyches are fighting for control of his tiny, slimy body. Made a mass network of tunnels in the West side of Tucson with elaborate traps akin to those in Codename: Kids Next Door. Has a lot of artifacts dating back 500 years. Has a lot of rat "wats".

Reese Mathers- an albino nos, business partner of Pallis/Stephen, oblong head with jagged teeth, dresses formally (Rare encounter rate)

Samedi:

Kalfu (shared NPC)- Having a cult-like group in town, Bernadette and her seneschal, Bracken, paid this kindred a visit. To secure this vital pawn's alliance with the Camarilla, Bernadette dubbed him the Scourge, his clan's abilities perfect for such a role, which he gladly accepted.

Other:

Edwin (Mage)- Let's not delve into his past, but currently, he is in Tucson as he is an "old friend" of Prince Bernadette and offered his services to Camarilla.

Charlotte Clarice(Ghoul)- Ghoul of her on and off again lover Locke and self-proclaimed best friend of the Prince. This spunky, blonde party girl is not one to take lightly, as her father was a hunter. She did not take it seriously until after his mysterious death, and took on learning from her father's various notes and books. However, when the truth came forth that her best friend and her lover were kindred, she ultimately chose to be a ghoul.

Phillip- Adopted son of our Prince, or rather, a gift from her sire after he realized that he took away her dream of being a mother. Bernadette and her sire raised Phillip in the Victorian Era, along with Damian de Castillo, in the Hungarian country side until he went off to college in Budapest. Ahrima, enraged that Stephen was becoming so lax in his tyranny, alerted the tower on the eve of the boy's graduation, ultimately getting him killed, destroying Bernadette for decades.

[bernadettevtm]

Do there any Giovanni vampires in your city?

"Gabe was extremely intelligent to a dangerous degree, so much so that the "Family" called him back to Italy. He had helped with a lot of my earlier plans, so it was a shame to see him go...especially since he was one of the few competent kindred in this city."

She pauses briefly before adding on, "Though I did not like that he showed me the Shadowlands then attempted to court me afterwards. That was...odd."

((Very "look what I can do, mama"-coded of him imo lol. Gabe was played by a 90s VtM player. It's insanely how different the game plays when you have someone like that in session. Our game truly played like a dark fantasy with court intrigue and complex story plots and relations, everyone played off one another and stayed in-character, then it nosedived when he and his wife moved to DnD energy //weeps))

[bernadettevtm]

Do there any Kiasyd vampires in your city?

"I have encountered them over the centuries, especially in the Victorian Era, and they are quite a joy to interact with...the non-Sabbat ones that is."

[bernadettevtm]

My computer 's crashing a lot. I believe something is loose since I got ran off the road during the move, so it definitely got jostled. BRB as Bernadette brings it to Tek because she doesn't understand technology and I do not like touching the inner machinations of my build.

Have a WIP in the meantime of me redoing another WIP that was lost when my old hard drive kicked the bucket and I lost the original file 👍

[bernadettevtm]

A quick lil meme template because I am in the throws of buying an old house and packing. Pretty sure all mortgage companies are controlled by the Ventrue. I hope to get back to replying to questions in MAY. (Blank)

To elaborate on the "test the loyalty" one, Damian is hedonistic and is on the Path of the Devil, so I cannot blame Bernadette for questioning his loyalty in that regard.

I could argue that she is bigoted, due to her age, but it comes from a place of not understanding and not caring enough about the person or topic TO understand it. If it's not her circus, then they're not her monkeys, pretty much. So, not necessarily bigoted, but indifferent.

[bernadettevtm]

Do vampires especially neonates understand how to operate 3d printers?

"Age does. You may have a 7th generation kindred that has just been embraced. Your generation simply depends on the generation of your sire, but your age is a different matter. But us Elders rarely embrace a new childer these nights, so I suppose most Neonates in this day and age are...young in age and mind as well. Thus, they would be more technologically versed, yes."

((It's a very confusing topic, Generation, because, for example, you can have a 12th generation kindred that was embraced in 1200s, it just depends on how quickly down the generational line your lineage embraces another kindred. It can also mean a recently embraced kindred, which this definition of the term stems from the rarity of an Elder embracing, so most neonates are under 100 years of age in modern nights. For example, Bernadette embracing her ghoul, Locke, was a HUGE deal because we're talking about a fresh, true neonate, but he is 7th generation. So, even with the modern term of neonate of "freshly embraced", it is hard to call him as such since his generation is outside the usual scope.))

[bernadettevtm]

Will you still continue answering questions?

Getting back into it! Just in the middle of, uh, buying a very cheap house in the middle of nowhere, so I'm juggling some things and-

The main storyteller finished his arc, which was killing the abomination and finding out what happened to the previous Princedom, so I had to really focus on the last big bad, Ahrima, before we start a new campaign in the same city!

[bernadettevtm]

There's a certain pride that comes when your 8 year old game is loved so much that one of your players tattoos their VtM clan symbol with a quote their character said right above it.

[bernadettevtm]

In the beginning of our game, like 7 years ago, Bernadette was once dragged to The Red Cage, a club in Anarch territory with red neon lit cages suspended in the air with dancers in it, by Clarice. I still find it comical to think of a 900+ year old vampire Prince being dragged about by a college age party girl and being forced to wear a modern outfit by said girl to the club.

I imagine her wearing this goth-coded dress now, which is obviously not shown because it is so skin tight that I have to walk like Dexter's Mom. I cannot pose nor stretch my legs. I am actually stuck in it. Help.

Well, minus the obvious Camarilla ankh. Wearing that in Anarch territory is asking for trouble, especially since she was dubbed Prince even back then.

[bernadettevtm]

Emergency Hiatus for this blog.

My Uncle was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and he hid from us that he is now in hospice. I am flying out tomorrow to help care for him and help with the estate. I am unsure how long I'll be gone for, but I will be bringing my android tablet/IBIS. I do not have access to this blog on it just yet, but if want updates on things, here is my modblog @daintydoily

Thank you for your patience.

[bernadettevtm]

On ventrue methuselah mithras

"In most ways, he is a shining example of what our clan can be, but in a few important measures...he's a precautionary tale we must heed to," Bernadette sighs, swirling a bit of her hair betwixt her fingers.

Stephen hums, a small smile tugging at her methuselah sire's face, "A shame what became of him. He was such a valuable asset to the clan."

And a comical addition, just as a treat:

((They listened and most certainly judged, in private and in Hungarian for good measure.))

Referenced Veil(Manga) and, of course, One Punch Man.

[bernadettevtm]

Do any vampires have any desire going to outer space if space travel become feasible, affordable and safe? And live in space colonies?

"With no protection from the sun and the lack of blood...I do not find it feasible anytime soon. I personally have no interest, all my assets are here, after all, but I am sure there are some kindred that are...bold enough to aspire to such things."

((I thought I could transcribe Bernadette into my actual style, ft on my modblog @daintydoily, but she looks too round and cute. Gonna do some more studies, but I'm so used to drawing extremely quick, so taking longer than 30 minutes on a post is something I haven't done in years and it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. Weh.))

[bernadettevtm]

Elysium in our game is the Historical Pima County Courthouse. When we started the game 7 years ago, it wasn't being used, so Bernadette made it into a museum and cultural center. Then, oddly enough, it literally became the Southern Arizona Heritage and Visitor Center a few years later. It was a very odd coincidence and there have been several over the years.

Another funny one was Bee's haven being a luxury condo downtown, and at the time, there really wasn't any, but when a shitton of Californians/New Yorkers/Chicagoans came over, offering 6k/month to local landlords and offering 100k+ over asking for houses/condos a few years back, a luxury skyrise was built downtown, pretty much where I stated Bernadette's was. There is a running gag that whatever Bernadette does in-game will eventually happen IRL at this point.

Sometimes players do point out locations I use when they go by them in their daily lives. It's one of the nice things about a parlor larp is actually being able to see the locations your characters are interacting in.

[bernadettevtm]

Your thoughts on Prince hazel iversen of boston?

"How regrettable," she says rather matter-of-factly.

🤞Ventrue never speak poorly of one another in the presence of other clans, but what Bernadette just said is Ventrue for "She hasn't done anything to warrant my attention." It takes a bit for a near methuselah kindred to pay much attention to such a fresh-off-the-presses, as compared to her, kindred like the Prince of Boston. It's neither positive nor negative, just neutral indifference.

Also, Hazel is a recent V5 Prince, so Bernadette would be more familiar with the previous Prince, Quentin King III🤞

Pose Practice Reference

[bernadettevtm]

Do vampires wish they can own and wield nuclear bombs and missiles?

"Some kindred control aspects of various governments globally, so they would, in theory, own such things by proxy of their ghouls..."

"...I'm not purchasing a missile silo," the Prince states firmly.

"There's one just 30 minutes away!" Cecil attempts to bargain, "It'll be good for the economy!"

"It is in the middle of nowhere...surrounded by Garou."

((It is not common for kindred to know what werewolves call themselves, but with Bernadette's age, she has heard it over the centuries. All the younger kindred in her care started using the term after she used it, which she finds to be endearing, but she would never state so.))

[bernadettevtm]

Further clarification Clarice, when you yapped about Justin Bieber; are you really a big fan of him and his songs? and Bernadette thought you were just talking about a random acquaintance of yours in town.

"I know and LIVED through the Selena Era! But really, I just like celebrity gossip to be honest with ya. "

"Between a celebrity or the Sabbat, I think one has priority over the other. Maybe she would've liked this stuff if she actually got the vacation she deserved. Stupid Archon Josephine..."

[bernadettevtm]

A Very Vampire Friendsgiving since 2021. This year, we planned it a little late into the month, so some of our players were with family, but they were with us in spirit.

We didn't have Friendsgiving the first 2ish years of the game since the we were in a tiny condo, but once we got our townhome, it was waaaay easier to host game and parties.