Denmark by Night - PDFCOFFEE.COM (2024)

Credits

Special Thanks

Written By: Jacob Klünder Edited By: Dixie Cochran (Chapter 1), Jacob Klünder, Maiken Klünder

To my Beta readers — assume any mistakes and grammatical errors are because I did not listen to them:

Follow my work here:

Anne Christine Tvilum Erichsen, Dixie Cochran, Jakob Søgaard, John Bishop, Jonas Mose, Petra Ann, Rasmus Nicolaj West, and Shannon Barritt

https://www.facebook.com/VikingWrites/ To Lars Rune Jørgensen, who created the cover art for this book. You can see more of his work at http://larsrune.deviantart.com/ This book is dedicated to my first Vampire: The Masquerade group: Thomas, Søren and Bjarne. The days in my parents’ basement are not forgotten. And finally, as always, a special thanks to my wife Maiken Klünder, who is always available for alphareading, inspiration and ideas-sparring.

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Chapter Three: Children of the Kingdom

Denmark by Night

INTRODUCTION

Introduction “Danskjävler!” — Doctor Stig Helmer, Riget (The Kingdom) Greetings, dear reader. My name is Jacob Klünder and in addition to being a Dane, I have been a Vampire player for over 20 years. In that time, I have been fortunate enough to contribute to a few World of Darkness books. I have also always wondered about my own country in the World of Darkness. Denmark has received some mentions through Vampire: The Masquerade’s long history, but never a book dedicated to it; the closest being Wolves of The Sea for Vampire: The Dark Ages. Hardly surprising, really — Denmark is a small country and, in modern times, hardly as important or wellknown as it was a thousand years ago, when my ancestors raided, pillaged and traded across the western world. So, for a long time, I toyed with the idea of writing my own Denmark by Night supplement. And, eventually, I stopped just thinking about it and actually started writing. By pure coincidence, I began my writing right around the time White Wolf announced their Storyteller’s Vault project. And that is the reason why this book is divided into three parts. I decided early on to make Copenhagen its own, separate section and with that, there was no way I could have the entire book ready for the launch of the Storyteller’s Vault.

So, the book got divided into Denmark by Night, Copenhagen by Night and Children of the Kingdom (Storyteller Characters). The other chapters will be added to the book when they are finished. In writing this book, I had to strike a balance between getting enough information and not making it into a textbook. As it stands, the Denmark by Night chapter is 25,500 words and in my opinion, I have only scratched the surface of Denmark’s history and interesting sites. I could easily have added 10,000 words more, but in the end, I had to limit myself to information I thought was pertinent or offered interesting story hooks. If you want to know more about Denmark, there are numerous Internet sites and YouTube videos available — or, Hell, find a Dane or two on social media and talk to them. In the end, I hope I have presented my country in an entertaining, informative and engrossing manner. My idea for this book is that it can be used either as a sourcebook for chronicles set in Denmark or as a new and different area for characters in an already established chronicle to visit and be involved in interesting stories. As mentioned, the book will have three parts. Denmark by Night gives an overview of the country of

Denmark by Night

Denmark, its history, physical geography, culture, politics, laws, etc., as well as presenting Denmark in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade. Copenhagen by Night does the same for Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital and by far the largest city in the country. Finally, Children of the Kingdom has all the Storyteller Characters needed for a chronicle or story set in Denmark, allowing you to pick and choose who and how many you want to use. It also has a little surprise in the form of a new type of supernatural being. What is lacking from this book, when compared to other “by Night” books, is a list of recommended media; books, movies, music, that sort of thing. The reason is pretty simple; with access to the Internet, it’s very easy to find such things with a minimum of effort, through Google, Wikipedia, IMDB and so on. I will, however, make three recommendations.

• Matador (TV Show): No, it’s not about bullfighting. In Danish, a matador is a business magnate or tycoon. This TV show is set in a fictional provincial town in Denmark and by following several key characters and families, charts the changes in Denmark from the interwar period to the end of World War II. The show’s portrayals of small-town Denmark and the societal upheaval of the time are widely praised. • Pusher (Film): Released in 1996, this marked the debut of internationally acclaimed director Nicolas Winding Refn. The movie takes place in Copenhagen’s criminal underworld and pulls no punches in its portrayal of violence and criminals. • Týr (Music): Technically Danish, since the band is from the Faroe Islands. Their music style is Viking Metal, and I have included them here because I listened to them quite a lot when writing this book.

INTRODUCTION

Chapter One : Denmark by Night “Med lov skal land bygges…” (“With law shall the country be built…”) - Start of the Code of Jutland

The smallest, flattest and southern-most of the Scandinavian countries. A place with a rich history, now simply one more European country trying to make its voice heard in the EU. A modern democracy with a queen. A country with a history of acceptance now known for strong racism. Denmark wears many faces and has many contradictions. In the world of vampires, Denmark is a small but strong, country that presents a powerful and united façade to the outside world. It is a place of traditions, ruled by Elders centuries old, but with plenty of opportunity for the young, industrious Kindred. Theoretically Camarilla, Denmark’s connection to the Ivory Tower has at times been tenuous. Even now the Inner Circle knows that should they press Denmark too hard, or interfere too severely in the affairs of the local Kindred, they might find Denmark declaring themselves neutral or defecting to the Sabbat. With Denmark being the gateway to both Sweden and Norway,

the Camarilla can ill afford to lose their foothold in the north and as such, tread carefully. As united as Denmark might seem to the outside, it is far from immune to the intrigues and politicking that characterizes vampiric societies the world over. As small as Denmark is, resources are somewhat limited and battles social, political and even physical are waged constantly between factions and individual vampires. On top of all this, Denmark contains its share of mysteries and dangers. While Denmark has little to no wild nature left, the streets and plantation forests are still home to lupines that will attack vampires with little provocation. And although Denmark is strongly secular, there are still hunters there, remnants of ancient families and religious brotherhoods that know what stalks the night. During the summer, the exceptionally short nights puts extra pressure on the already large Kindred population. And on the island of Bornholm, something is killing any vampire foolish enough to set foot on the rocks.

Denmark by Night

When it comes to Kindred politics, Denmark presents a rather unique power structure; the entire country is under the rule of a single Prince (who prefers not to be called that), with each area being the domain of a lesser Prince.

History What follows is an overview of the history of Denmark, as it pertains to both mortals and vampires.

Flint, bronze, and iron The first humans, Stone Age hunter-gatherers, moved into what would become Denmark around 10,000 BC, when the last ice age began to wane. Here they found a rich natural resource — flint. Flint is normally rare, but Denmark’s geology made it abundant which lead to an explosion in tool making. During this time, it’s unlikely that even the most nomadic Gangrel came to the cold lands of the north. Around 3900 BC the people living in what would become Denmark shifted from hunter-gatherers to farmers. This was probably due to the introduction of grain by migrating farmers coming from the south. This slowly allowed for an increase in population and the establishment of villages and towns, which in turn led to the establishment of a more sophisticated society. Scandinavia entered the Bronze Age relatively late compared to the rest of Europe. However, somewhere around 1700 BC trade with the lands to the south brought the new metal to Denmark. This transition is shown clearly in some of the latest flint weapons and tools found, which had started to copy the style of the new bronze implements. When the Bronze Age finally took hold, it created a golden age of culture, religion, and art. This included elaborate rock carvings, highly decorated objects, and the massive stone burial mounds known as “stone ships” because of their shape. Kindred historians believe that two powerful and ancient Gangrel came to Scandinavia during the early Bronze Age and later awoke from torpor in Denmark during the Viking Age. It’s highly unlikely that any other Clans came through at that point, though trade networks meant that some of them must have been aware of the existence of the Danish Bronze Age culture. Mystically inclined Kindred have found a

few magical artifacts and places of power from this time and they are constantly searching for more. The Iron Age, when the people of Denmark began extracting iron ore from peat bogs, coincided with a change in the climate making it cooler and wetter. This limited agriculture, caused a great deal of migration and ended the cultural golden age. The Romans never made it all the way to Denmark, but beginning sometime around the first century AD they established a solid trade network. This has been evidenced by finds both in Denmark and in the Roman provinces. The population, however, was still not large and centralized enough to attract anything other than nomadic vampires. In fact, there are Elders from Roman times who remember sending ghouls north or paying wandering Gangrel for information about the lands north of the Roman frontier. These vampires recall that the lands were considered unfit for anyone but the savages of Clan Gangrel. During the Iron Age, animal and human sacrifice also became a notuncommon part of ritualistic life in Denmark. Some Kindred historians wonder if this was influenced by vampires setting themselves up as gods or spirits and procuring blood through these sacrifices. Several artifacts and archaeological sites exist from these times, including the Gundestrup Cauldron, the Sun Wagon, and numerous burial mounds. For over two centuries Kindred scholars and esoteric experts from numerous Clans have pored over them. If there is any mystical power left, it is securely in the hands of few Elder vampires. Unlike southern Europe, Denmark saw no invasions or large migrations during this period — instead, Denmark transitioned more or less smoothly from the Iron Age to the Viking Age, with the Viking Age being a great societal upheaval coming from within, rather than from outside.

The Fury of the Northmen “A furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine.” From the fury of the Norsemen deliver us, Lord. This was a prayer supposedly spoken throughout Christendom during the Viking Age, when the warriors of the north raided throughout Europe and beyond. The start of the Viking Age is generally accepted to be the 8th of June, 793. This was the date when Vikings raided and destroyed the monastery at Lindisfarne in England. While this was unlikely to be the first Viking raid, it is the first recorded.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

The Viking Age was a combination of numerous factors; the Medieval Warm Period allowed for better farming, leading to a population explosion, which meant that the lands of Scandinavia could eventually not support all the people. Advances in the technology of shipbuilding, as well as in seamanship, allowed the Norse to sail far beyond their own borders. A strong warrior culture rose in Scandinavia, with most adult males becoming trained fighters. And the growth of trade in all of Europe, bringing wealth to towns and cities, coupled with a relatively weak centralized power, meant that said towns and cities were relatively poorly defended. During the Viking Age, the Scandinavians traveled far in their quest to raid and trade. The Norwegians went to Ireland, Iceland and, eventually, all the way to North America. The Swedes travelled down the eastern rivers and one Swedish tribe, the Rus, founded Kiev and gave their name to what would eventually become the biggest country in the world. Vikings from Denmark, meanwhile, sailed to England, as well as down the coast of Western Europe, raiding Paris and other big cities. Some Vikings made it all the way to Constantinople, where they became the Varangian Guard — the Byzantine Emperor’s personal bodyguard. The Vikings were, generally, an imposing lot in those times. The abundance of food, especially meat, in Scandinavia meant that the average Viking man stood just under six feet tall in a time where the average English or French peasant was a full foot shorter.

What is a Viking? Many people believe that the word Viking describes anyone from Scandinavia during the Viking Age. This, however, is not true. The generally accepted idea is that Viking described both the act of traveling abroad to plunder and trade and what you were when you did so. A man went “a-Viking” and when he did so, he was a Viking. At home, he was a Norseman.

As time went by and a more central authority arose in the northern lands, larger raids were established. Most famously, the Danes took over a huge swath of England, which became known as the Danelaw. They were also granted the duchy of Normandy by the French king as payment for promising not to raid Paris again.

During the Viking Age, culture and society flourished in Denmark and large cities with up to 5,000 inhabitants, such as Ribe and Hedeby, were established. Laws became extremely important, artistic endeavor entered another golden age, and riches, obtained through both trade and raiding, flowed into Denmark. And so, this was when the Clans of Europe began to take notice and move north. Unsurprisingly, Clan Gangrel was the first. In fact, a few Gangrel had already made Scandinavia their home before the Viking Age and some of them decided to establish a more permanent home in one of the new settlements. In addition, two ancient, and unnamed, Gangrel rose from torpor at this point, making their presence felt all across Scandinavia. One of these came into conflict with the Gangrel Methuselah known as the All-High, who had moved to Uppsala when the Roman Empire collapsed. She eventually conceded defeat and moved north, into the land of the Sami people. The second ancient traveled all over southern Scandinavia, especially Scania, in what is now southern Sweden, and Denmark, and sired a number of prominent Gangrel. When Christianity came to Denmark, this unnamed Methuselah disappeared — some believe him destroyed, others think he lies in torpor somewhere in Scandinavia, maybe on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. When the other Clans came to Denmark during the Viking Age, they were surprised to find that there were not only Gangrel present, but that these Gangrel seemed to have shed all of the nomadic nature that most of the southern vampires ascribed to them. They had taken the name Einherjar, after the dead warriors of Ásatrú mythology. These Gangrel were as much drawing power and influence from the Viking civilization as the Ventrue and Toreador of the southern lands were from the nations there. After Clan Gangrel, the most numerous Kindred to settle in Denmark during the Viking Age were the Brujah and Toreador. The Brujah were attracted by many things: the warlike nature of the Vikings, the fact that their religion stood in stark opposition to the Christianity of the south, their strong and, for the times, somewhat fair and just set of laws, and the innovations they displayed in ship design and sailing. Clan Toreador, meanwhile, found themselves attracted by the strong artistic streak running through everything the Vikings produced, as well as their music, poetry, and storytelling. Some Kindred scholars re-

Denmark by Night

mark with scorn that the Vikings’ legendary cleanliness (they bathed once a week, brushed their hair every day, and braided their beards) was a result of Toreador influence. Clan Ventrue also made its presence felt, but they disliked the fact that Clan Gangrel had established themselves as the leaders in Denmark. Eventually, Clan Ventrue would collude with Clan Lasombra in bringing Christianity to the Norse countries in a bid to oust Clan Gangrel, whose members identified strongly with the Ásatrú religion. Clan Lasombra eventually made its way into Denmark along with Christianity, but never in great numbers. Of the rest of the Clans, three others had a minor presence in Denmark. A few Malkavians made their way there, drawn by the stories that the Vikings had powerful divination magic that could foretell the future. Some Nosferatu, especially the more monstrous of their kind, came to Denmark for various reasons. But it was the Followers of Set who would make the greatest impact. Stories of Vikings and their culture made their way far south, both through the Varangians and through a few intrepid merchants and explorers. The Elders of the Setite Clan decided to examine what possibilities lay in Denmark and sent a pair of Clan members to investigate. Among the Norse, they found two legends of destructive serpents that tied into the Followers’ own mythology: Jormundgandr the Midgard Serpent, prophesized to swallow the sun during Ragnarok, the end of the world, and Nidhogg, the serpent that gnawed at the roots of Ask Yggdrasil, the World Tree. The Setites tapped into these stories and formed the Followers of Jormundgandr, made up of mortals, ghouls, and locally embraced Setites. Their aim was to bring about the end of the civilized aspect of Viking culture while simultaneously urging the Vikings on to perpetrate bloodier and more destructive raids upon the Christian world. The Followers of Jormundgandr made their home in Hedeby, and from there they spread their influence. For a while, they were successful, but a young and foolish Follower overextended himself and revealed the existence and plans of the Setites to the vampires of Scandinavia. As a result, the most powerful vampires used their considerable influence to fan the flames of conflict between Denmark and other enemies and made Hedeby a target. In 1050, King Harald Hardrada of Norway sacked the city by sending burn-

ing ships into the harbor and in 1066, eastern Slavs sacked and burned Hedeby. All Followers of Set were either destroyed, driven into torpor or fled south.

Christianization According to legends, Poppo, a Christian priest who would later become Archbishop of Cologne, visited the court of King Harald Bluetooth in 963 in an effort to convert him, and the Danes, to Christianity. The story says that Poppo was challenged to carry a piece of red-hot iron and he did so without suffering any injury, convincing Harald Bluetooth of the power of the Christian god.

Would you like to know more? If you want to know more about the Viking Age in relation to the world of Vampire: The Masquerade, check out the supplement Wolves of The Sea for Vampire: The Dark Ages.

Mortal historians consider this nothing more than a fanciful myth invented later in order to make the conversion of the Danes seem more miraculous. There is no doubt that the conversion happened, however, and it did happen around this time. Proof of that can be found on the famous Jelling Stone, a rune stone explaining that Harald united Denmark and Norway and made Denmark Christian. According to modern scholars, Harald accepted Christianity because it would offer some protection against powerful southern nobles who were themselves Christian, and because it would be easier for Danes to trade with southerners if they were themselves of that faith. Kindred scholars, however, wonder if Poppo was blessed by the power of True Faith or if he was some kind of faithful sorcerer. Whatever the case, the introduction of Christianity led to massive battles between traditionalist vampires and those who supported the new religion. While the battle lines weren’t drawn solely by Clan, it’s safe to say that the pagan side was mainly Gangrel and Brujah, supported by Clan Malkavian and some Nosferatu, while the Christian side was mainly Ventrue and Lasombra from the south. Clan Toreador was more or less split down the middle. In the end, more than a century after Christianity had been accepted by Harald Bluetooth, the

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

nightly battles ended with a tenuous victory for the Christian side and most of the surviving Ásatrú vampires headed further north, to lands where the old ways still held sway. The rest either converted or bent their knee and kept their faith to themselves. This saw the end of Gangrel dominance in Denmark and the rise of Clans Ventrue, Lasombra and Toreador.

The end of an era Most scholars set the end of the Viking Age at the 25th of September 1066, when the last great Viking army was defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, or the 10th of July 1086, when King Canute the Great died and the unifying central power of Scandinavia died with him.

Copenhagen With Denmark united as one country, Absalon saw the need for a central capitol. Due to Danish dominance of the waters between the Baltic and the North Sea, Absalon chose eastern Zealand for his new city. It was a place where the king could dominate the Øresund, the traditional sailing route to and from the Baltic Sea. Absalon recognized the immense wealth and power that came from controlling this sea route and soon, the new city of København (meaning Merchant’s Harbor) was finished.

Of course, the end did not come all at once. The Viking way had slowly but surely become less and less effective with the rise of centralized power in the hands of European kings and nobles, who could fortify towns and cities and raise large armies to repel the Viking raiders.

The Middle Ages After the end of the Viking Age, Denmark was three countries in one. Jutland (along with the island of Funen), Zealand, and Scania. In order to become king of Denmark, the pretender not only had to be of royal blood, but also be acknowledged as king in all three of these lands. This happened by traveling to the central thing (and old word for council) and being acknowledged by the nobles there assembled. In the middle of the 12th century, this led to a crisis, as each of the three things supported a different candidate; Svend, Knud, or Valdemar. The result was a civil war and in 1157, Valdemar won (by virtue of being the sole survivor) and became the unified King of Denmark. He went on to abolish the system of kings being elected by things and instituted the kind of monarchy that we know today, with male primogeniture. With the help of his foster brother, Absalon, Bishop of Roskilde, he went on to unite and rebuild Denmark, reorganize the running of the country to make it one of the more powerful countries in Europe and earning him the name Valdemar the Great. Valdemar would go on to make numerous changes to Denmark, in many ways modernizing the country and bringing it in line with the rest of western Europe.

For the Kindred of Denmark, the unification also had wide-reaching consequences. Naturally, different factions had backed different pretenders to the throne in the hopes of gained wealth, power, and status if their candidate won. With the victory of Valdemar and his centralization of power, the Prince of Roskilde (the old capitol of Zealand) found himself in a very strong position. Slowly, but surely, he extended his reach to the point that when Valdemar’s son, Valdemar II the Victorious, made Denmark an even more powerful nation, the entire country was also one domain, under one Prince. It made sense, really, since Denmark was still not a populous country and its biggest cities could only support so many vampires. The Prince of Den-

Denmark by Night

mark moved his seat of power to Copenhagen and the country was divided into several regions, each of which would have its own Lord or Lady, subservient to the Prince. Each Lord or Lady would also be the Prince of a city and hold court from there. This system exists to this night, although the regions have changed somewhat.

Conquest and Crusades Both Valdemars added substantially to the territory of Denmark and warred with both German and Swedish nobles. Valdemar I conquered the pagan Wends of northern Germany, while his son launched crusades against the heathens in eastern Europe, most notably in Estonia. Legend has it that it was during the Battle of Lyndanisse in Estonia that the Danish national flag, Dannebrog, fell from the sky as a gift from God to show the Danes that their cause was right and just. Whatever the truth, Denmark has the oldest national flag in the world. Denmark settled much of what is now the Baltic Lands, especially Estonia and Lithuania. During this time, the wealth of Denmark grew and so did the vampiric population. There was peace and prosperity, and any disagreements or rivalries were handled with social and political battles, rather than open hostility. Kindred society in Denmark slowly but surely became a mirror of the courts to the south, further securing stability. Near the end of his reign, King Valdemar II created the Code of Jutland, a comprehensive set of laws that were used for four centuries years. This served as further inspiration for the Kindred of Denmark to formalize their courts.

Would you like to know more? For more about the world of vampires in the Middle Ages, see the book Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition.

Problems and Plagues After Valdemar II, Denmark entered a period of slow decline, culminating with the disastrous reign of King Christopher II in the early 14th century. King Christopher was obsessed with winning territory, but he kept losing his wars and needing money. He ended off pawning off most of Denmark to various North German counts and most of the rest of the country to

Sweden. When he died, the counts that owned most of Denmark even kept his son, Valdemar, off the throne for eight years and ruled Denmark more or less directly. For the vampires of Denmark, this too was a bleak time, as it saw the rise of the first Anarchs. Taking advantage of a peasant revolt, the Anarchs challenged the rule of the Elders. Already weakened by their struggles with German and Swedish vampires who wanted to move into Danish territory, the Danish Elders found themselves pushed to the brink. Only savage retaliation managed to suppress the Anarchs, something that resulted in animosity and hostility among both surviving Anarchs and those young vampires who had not joined the fight. A ray of hope for Denmark came in the form of King Valdemar IV, who took the throne after Denmark rebelled against the German counts. Valdemar proved a capable ruler who managed to reclaim most of the pawned territory. During his reign, the Black Death reached Denmark, putting something of a damper on the celebration of Denmark’s Kindred. While territory was being reclaimed, the many deaths strained the resources and to make it all worse, the Inquisition began to stir. The Elders of Denmark closed ranks, letting many of the younger vampires fend for themselves in a time of scarce blood and vampire hunters. In 1360, Valdemar IV made the mistake of conquering the island of Gotland and the city of Visby. Visby was a member of the extremely powerful Hanseatic League, a union of mainly powerful German trading cities, which already resented Denmark for the Øresund toll. The League allied with Sweden and brought Valdemar to his knees, even going so far as exiling him and letting the Hanseatic League control the Øresund. He was allowed to return only after granting numerous rights to the Hanseatic League.

The Kalmar Union Valdemar’s daughter, Margaret, found herself married to the King of Norway. She gave him a son, Olaf, and when King Valdemar IV died in 1375 without male issue, Margaret skillfully maneuvered her own son into position as the heir to both Norway and Denmark. Due to her husband’s connection to the Swedish throne, it was conceivable that Olaf could one day also become the king of Sweden.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Since Olaf was too young to rule, Margaret and her husband became regents of Denmark. When Margaret’s husband died, she proved her political mettle by being named regent of both Norway and Denmark, while still lobbying to have her son made the heir to the Swedish throne. Swedish nobles who were unhappy with their king conspired with Margaret, but in 1387, Olaf died, at 17 years old. Undeterred, Margaret managed to have herself declared ruler of Norway and Denmark and, with the help of the rebellious Swedish nobles, even became ruler of that country, uniting Scandinavia as "Sovereign Lady and Ruler” — all while fending off the Hanseatic League and rebellious nobles of her own. This united Scandinavia became known as the Kalmar Union, after the castle where Margaret was crowned.

skilled politician and managed to invade and conquer Sweden in an attempt to reunify the three countries. Unfortunately, once Sweden was conquered, Christian had 100 leaders of the anti-unionist forces killed in what became known as the Stockholm Bloodbath, effectively ending the Kalmar Union for good.

The meteoric rise of Queen Margaret came as a total surprise to the Kindred of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When it became clear just how skilled a politician she was, the vampire Prince of Denmark declared Margaret off limits to any other vampire. Kindred historians say that he himself met with her, possibly exploring the option of making her his ghoul or at least bring her under his control, but nothing seems to have come of it. When the Kalmar Union became a reality, the powerful vampires of Norway and Sweden initially resisted, but they soon saw the possibilities that the union offered, especially as they could make a common front against the vampires of the Hanseatic League, who had long profited off the League’s dominance in Scandinavia. Under Margaret, the Elders of all three nations presented an outward image of solidarity. Margaret never remarried and never had another son. Instead, she adopted her sister’s son Bogislav under the name Eric of Pomerania, and when Margaret died in 1412 he followed her on the throne. Sadly, Eric lacked Margaret’s political acumen and failed to hold the three countries together. He also got himself embroiled in difficult foreign affairs in Germany. He nearly managed to break up the Kalmar Union and the three countries deposed him in 1349. He was followed by his nephew Christian I, who was elected king of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, despite the misgivings about the Kalmar Union, whose members were growing disillusioned with the Union as a whole. However, both Christian I and his son and heir, Hans, failed to reinforce the Kalmar Union and alienated Sweden. Hans’ heir, Christian II, was a more

Anarch and Camarilla During the early times of the Kalmar Union, the Anarch Movement arose in strength all over Europe. Powered by the scarcity of blood created by the Black Death and the dangers posed by the Inquisition, the Anarch Movement appealed to neonates and ancilla Kindred who resented being used as expendable pawns by the Elders. Numerous Elders fell to the fangs of the Anarchs, and the battles among Kindred alerted the Inquisition, allowing them to strike against even the most secretive vampire. Even Antediluvians were not immune, and a shock went through the Kindred world when it was announced that both the Lasombra and Tzimisce Clan founders had fallen to the Anarchs. Denmark was not immune to the strife. Elders who had thought their position secure either found Final Death at the hands of Anarchs or Inquisitors, were driven into torpor, or fled to other lands. Kindred historians in Denmark mark this time as the first rec-

Denmark by Night

orded reference to the mystery of Bornholm. Until the Anarch Revolt, there was no record of any vampire setting foot on the island of Bornholm. Now, one or more Elders sailed here, either to make this their new domain or as a stopping-off point on their way further east. Whatever the case, none of them were heard from again. When the Convention of Thorns established the Camarilla and supposedly ended the Anarch Revolt, Denmark nominally became a member of the Camarilla. Never a populous country when it came to vampires, the Kindred population had been decimated by the Revolt and the Inquisition, and the remaining vampires just wanted peace. In addition, most of them belonged to the traditional Camarilla Clans, with only Clan Lasombra having any real presence, and most of whom were Elders who preferred the Camarilla to the Anarchs. This, however, was not to last. When the Sabbat formed from the ashes of the Anarch Movement, they found themselves hounded by the Camarilla. Some fled to the New World, but others moved north, to Scandinavia. After a tense number of years, the Kindred of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden decided not to make an issue of the situation. In Denmark, most Camarilla vampires congregated in Copenhagen and the other big cities and left the rest of the country to the Sabbat. These Sabbat vampires, in return, were not warlike fanatics, but rather old philosophers, who saw the Sabbat as a more natural expression of the vampiric condition. And so, for centuries, the Camarilla and the Sabbat managed to coexist in Denmark. For their part, the Inner Circle had bigger things to worry about and never really made an issue of the situation.

War and Religious Upheaval Like most northern countries, Denmark would eventually convert from Catholicism to Protestantism, specifically Lutheranism. In Denmark, this was very much due to one charismatic preacher, the Hospitaller monk Hans Tausen, who preached the teachings of Martin Luther. King Frederick I of Denmark made Tausen his person chaplain in 1526 and instituted a policy of tolerance for Lutherans in Denmark. This led to numerous clashes between Catholics and Protestants, to the delight of many of Denmark’s Kindred. While some of them had their power base within the Catholic Church, the Inquisition was not for-

gotten. The hope was that the Lutheran Protestants would present less of a problem. When Frederick I died, the State Council refused to recognize his son, Christian III, as king, due to Christian’s strong Lutheran faith. Instead, they asked Count Christopher of Oldenburg to become Danish regent. This kicked off a three-year civil war in Denmark between the two pretenders for the throne, each of them championing a different interpretation of Christianity. Ironically, while the Lutheran cause received strong support from Clan Brujah, the Catholics had a large army of peasant rebels fighting for them. The civil war ended with Christian III becoming King of Denmark and instituting the Danish National Church, making Lutheranism the state religion. Catholic priests and bishops could either convert to Lutheranism or face jail and exile. The crown took over churches, abbeys, priories, and cathedrals, as well as church land, giving it to nobles, the new Lutheran church, or keeping it for the king. And the Kindred of Denmark rejoiced. The joy turned out to be short lived, however. The Catholic Church might be broken in Denmark and the Inquisition gone, but Protestant witch hunters became a reality when the 17th century brought on a period of strict Lutheran orthodoxy in Denmark. Even Calvinists and other non-Lutheran Protestants were being persecuted along with suspected Catholics. Witch burnings became a reality, sometimes as a cover for the destruction of vampires. While the witch hunters lacked much of the organization and support of the Inquisition, they were still an ever-present danger.

Wars and more wars Due to the strong Protestant faith in Denmark, Christian IV decided to enter the Thirty Years’ War in 1620 as the champion of Protestantism. However, Christian was soundly defeated and forced to sign a treaty promising to never interfere in German affairs again. The role of champion of Protestantism fell to the Swedish king Gustav Adolph, who proved one of the greatest generals of all time. However, Gustav Adolph was killed 1632, ending any hope of a swift Protestant victory and throwing Sweden into some political turmoil. In 1643, Sweden's armies, under the command of Lennart Torstensson, who had been a general under Gustav Adolph, suddenly invaded Denmark without

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

declaring war. The United Provinces of The Netherlands joined Sweden in order to end Denmark’s stranglehold on the Øresund. The war lasted until 1645 and ended with total Danish capitulation. Denmark lost territory to Sweden and the Netherlands became exempt from the Øresund toll.

The Great Builder While Christian IV lost most of the wars he got himself involved in and more or less bankrupted Denmark, he is still remembered fondly in Demark, due to the many building projects he commissioned, both in and out of Copenhagen. Among these are the Stock Exchange, the Christianshavn city neighborhood, Nyboder row houses, Rundetårn Tower, several churches and castles and the rebuilding of the future Norwegian capitol of Oslo (then Christiania).

In 1657, Christian IV’s son, Frederick III launched a retaliatory war against Sweden (then distracted in Poland). He fared no better than his father and lost all of eastern Denmark (what is today the Swedish provinces of Skåne, Halland and Bleking, as well as the island of Bornholm). However, a mere three months after signing the peace treaty, the Swedish king decided to simply conquer Denmark (who at the point also ruled Norway) and unite Scandinavia under Swedish rule. Copenhagen was besieged, but the unprovoked attack drove the Netherlands away from Sweden and into the arms of Denmark. A Dutch fleet relieved Copenhagen and anti-Swedish forces united in Europe.

The Norway Shuffle Throughout history, Norway has been passed between Denmark and Sweden based on military victories and peace agreements, with periods of self-rule. In 1814, Denmark lost Norway to Sweden for the last time — Norway decided to take this opportunity to make a bid for independence, only to be forced into a union with Sweden. Norway finally gained full independence in 1905.

Frederick III was also responsible for introducing absolutism in Denmark, after he persuaded the nobles

to give up most of their privileges and exemption from taxes, in order to ensure a strong, executive power in the face of Swedish aggression. For a while, there was peace, but then the Third Northern War broke out. Although Denmark technically came out ahead and Swedish dominance in northern Europe was finally broken, the European forces never again wanted a single nation controlling both sides of the Øresund and insisted that all the provinces east of the sound had to stay in Swedish hands.

Awakening In 1644, a village outside of Roskilde was sacked by Swedish mercenaries. The villagers fought back, and when they managed to kill two soldiers, the mercenaries retaliated and slaughtered the entire population of the village. This bloodshed seeped into the soil and awoke an old Ventrue who was sleeping there, in torpor, after she was involved in the battles between pagan and Christian vampires back in the Viking Age. Ragnhild the Just arose that night and drained every single surviving mercenary dry. Then, she made her way to Roskilde, only to learn that her former haven was no longer the capital it had once been. It did not take Ragnhild long to learn the lay of the land and she traveled to Copenhagen, where she presented herself to the city’s Kindred Prince. He remembered her well from older times and it did not take long for Ragnhild to maneuver herself into being named Seneschal. And for 250 years, she served faithfully in this position.

A New Society In 1733, Denmark introduced Stavnsbåndet, a serfdom-like institution. It bonded men between the ages of 14 and 36 to live on the estate where they were born. It was possible, however, to purchase a pass releasing one from this bondage, meaning wealthy sons of estate owners could easily move. This was introduced as a way to counter the great migration from the countryside into the cities. Stavnsbåndet was phased out again in 1788. One of the many reasons for the cancellation was influence by powerful vampires, who very much wanted people to move into the cities and who saw that the agricultural sector of Denmark could survive the loss of workers to the city.

Denmark by Night

The ideals of the Enlightenment swept through Denmark, starting during the late 17th century, along with a wave of nationalism. Censorship of newspapers was relaxed and during the 18th century, reforms took place, introducing free trade and universal healthcare. Civil rights were granted to most levels of society, including the peasants and Denmark gradually moved from absolute monarchy to a more liberal, constitutional form of government. The only speed bump came with the reign of the mentally unstable Christian VII (1766–1808), whose physician was not only a fervent believer in Enlightenment, but also the queen’s lover. He managed to introduce a number of reforms, only to be arrested, tried, and executed as everything he had tried to accomplish was rolled back. In the end, however, the modern times could not be denied. With long years of peace came prosperity and a well-educated population clamoring for rights. These rights were granted with the expectation that a population with more options would lead to increased wealth and, for the most part, this turned out to be right. During this time, there was also a great upheaval among the vampires of Denmark. The old Sabbat vampires congregated in the small cities that had started to grow and isolated themselves, focusing on their philosophy and neglecting to Embrace new vampires. The Camarilla vampires in the big cities, however, fought proxy wars of influence and manipulation. Some supported the liberal changes, embracing the Enlightenment, while others were of a more conservative bent and saw value in retaining censorship and an oppressed lower class. Ragnhild, seneschal to the Prince of Denmark, officially supported her master’s position that too many changes would hurt the Kindred society of Denmark. Secretly, however, she gave support to the Brujah-led forces of the Enlightenment and it was largely through her efforts that the conservative Kindred did not manage to delay the reforms even further. As it was, the Prince resisted any kind of reform in Kindred society, no matter what happened among the mortals.

Colonial Aspirations When the colonial race kicked off in the 17th century, Denmark decided to get in on the action. Colonies were established in India (Tranquebar) and the Caribbean (the Danish West Indies, consisting of the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix), in

addition to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland. Denmark also had colonies, forts, and bases on the West African coast in order to be involved in the slave trade. In addition, Denmark (alongside Sweden) founded an East India Company, which was mainly involved in smuggling tea into Great Britain for huge profit. Eventually, Denmark lost most of these colonies. Tranquebar was sold to the British in 1845, the Danish West Indies to the U.S. in 1917, and Iceland gained its independence during WWII. However, the Faroe Islands and Greenland are still Danish overseas territories. A lot of Danish vampires involved themselves in both the overseas trade and the colonies and made vast sums of money. The majority of Danish Brujah opposed the slave trade, but they made little headway against the amount of profit the slave trade resulted in. However, when Peter von Scholten emancipated all slaves in the Danish West Indian Islands in 1848, as a response to a slave rebellion, the Brujah threw all their influence behind having the man exonerated from charges of treason. They also supported the continued emancipation, much to the frustration of the Kindred who had financial interests in the plantations worked by the slaves.

War, yet again Initially, Denmark tried its best to stay out of the Napoleonic War, citing neutrality. However, Britain was not happy with this, especially since Denmark had much stronger ties to France than to England. In addition, Denmark had a large and strong navy and the British feared that Denmark might put this navy at the disposal of the French. In 1801, the British fleet attacked Copenhagen and destroyed much of Denmark’s fleet — not just the military fleet, but also much of the merchant fleet. However, Denmark decided not to get involved in the war. But when the French lost most of their fleet at Trafalgar, the British began to fear that Denmark might let the French use the remaining Danish navy to invade England. So, in 1807, the British bombarded Copenhagen, causing widespread destruction, and captured the rest of the Danish navy. In addition to driving Denmark into the arms of the French, this also changed the landscape of Denmark forever. Denmark needed to rebuild their fleet, not one ship at

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

a time, but in bulk. As a result, most of Denmark’s forests were cut down and replanted. This also marked a huge change in the Kindred society in Denmark. During the bombardment of Copenhagen, several vampire havens burned down and numerous vampires lost their unlife or were driven into torpor. One of the latter was the Prince of Denmark himself. This immediately kicked off a succession crisis, but with immense political skill and deftness, Ragnhild the Just, long-time seneschal to the prince, quickly took over. She was able to muster support from several Elders from across all the Clans and outsmarted all her rivals. From the first night, Ragnhild declared that she was not just a temporary Prince. Should her former master wake up, he would have to accept her as the new Prince or face a battle. Instead of destroying him, she in fact had his burned, in-torpor body placed in a glass casket in the public Elysium for all to see. Shortly after taking power, Ragnhild led a campaign of destruction against the Sabbat in Denmark, seeing them as an impediment to the expansion of her power. She called upon help from Camarilla vampires in all of northern Europe and promised domain to those who would assist her, but only a handful answered. The battles were extremely destructive, as the Sabbat elders fought hard, and numerous Kindred found

their final death. In fact, several old and powerful combative vampires were eliminated, leaving fewer rivals to Ragnhild’s rule. However, Ragnhild also made it known that Sabbat vampires who decided to move out of Denmark would not be hindered in doing so. In 1848, riding a new wave of nationalism, Denmark went to war against secessionist forces in Schleswig-Holstein, two German provinces that were under Danish rule. The Danish forces won and retained control of these duchies. During this time, the Danish political landscape also changed forever. The citizens of Denmark began to demand a voice in the running of the country and on the 5th of June, 1849, Denmark became a constitutional monarchy, as the king willingly and without revolution abandoned absolutionism and instituted a parliamentary rule. While the king still retained some power and voting was restricted to men of a certain age and with a certain amount of property, this was the first step towards the modern democracy that Denmark would become. Among the Kindred of Denmark, this move was widely applauded. Now, there would be numerous parties and supporters of parties to be influenced, a whole slew of new domains and areas of control for vampires to exploit.

Denmark by Night

In 1864, Denmark yet again faced war over Schleswig-Holstein, though this time, the country faced a strong, united Germany under chancellor Otto von Bismarck. At the Battle of Dybbøl, the unprepared and undertrained Danish forces were soundly beaten by better-equipped Prussian and Austro-Hungarian troops and Denmark lost all of Schleswig-Holstein, a massive blow to the Danish national identity.

A Golden Age Ironically, given the loss in 1864, the start of the 19th century was quite a golden age for Denmark in terms of art, architecture, philosophy, and science. Drawing on the Dutch style, Danish paintings (especially landscapes, character studies, and everyday scenes) reached a new height during this age, with numerous masters emerging. The neoclassical school of sculpture became popular, spearheaded by the international celebrity Bertel Thorvaldsen, who returned to Denmark from Rome in 1838 a national hero. Neoclassicism also influenced the architecture of Copenhagen as it was being rebuilt after the British bombardment. Danish composers began to attain worldwide fame in the 19th century, while August Bournonville raised Danish ballet to international standards. Romantic ideals informed Danish writing, both literature and poetry, and during this time, perhaps the greatest and most famous Danish writer of all times, Hans Christian Andersen, penned his famous fairy tales. Danish philosophy had its own international star in the form of Søren Kierkegaard. On a more national level, the pastor N. F. S. Grundtvig almost singlehandedly revolutionized the Danish education system, while at the same time having a huge impact on the Danish National Church. Finally, Hans Christian Ørsted, a physicist and chemist, became the most prominent Danish scientist in the world since Tycho Brahe.

influence. Working with Prince Ragnhild and other Ventrue financial backers, these two Clans helped fan the flames of culture and science. Towards the middle of the 19th century, Denmark’s golden age began to taper off, while the industrialization forever changed Denmark. Factories shot up and more and more people moved into the big cities. During this time, the last big wave of Embraces happened in the Kindred world, as the vampires of Denmark took advantage of the mass of humanity that was crammed into tiny buildings and all but forgotten. From World War I forward, new vampires became extremely rare in Denmark, as resources grew very slowly.

The last steps Denmark sat out WWI as a neutral power. Even so, enterprising Danish merchants known as Goulash Barons made huge profits on war profiteering, including selling canned meat products of dubious quality to the warring states. After WWI, Denmark was offered Schleswig-Holstein back by the victorious powers. However, the Danish government decided against simply taking all the territory back and a vote was instituted, in which various areas voted whether they wanted to be Danish or German. This vote was used to draw the new border, which gave all of Holstein and South Schleswig to Germany and North Schleswig (called Sønderjylland in Danish) to Denmark. This established the Danish borders as they are today.

If you want to know more about the world of vampires during the late 19th century, check out the book Victorian Age: Vampire and its supplements.

In the years between the world wars, Denmark swung towards the left, with the election of Thorvald Stauning as Prime Minister and his Social Democratic party becoming the largest party in parliament. The Kindred of Denmark, meanwhile, shored up their domains and the foundation of the status quo that exists to this night was laid. There would be no more open battles, only proxy wars of power and influence. New Embraces became very rare. Outwardly, the vampires were faithful to the Camarilla and worked together to strengthen Denmark. Inwardly, long-term plans for gaining new territory were hatched and many vampires consider their loyalty to the Camarilla a mere formality.

During this time, the Toreador and Brujah rejoiced and their patronage of various aspect of the Danish golden age gave them much in the way of prestige and

When WWII broke out, Denmark tried to remain neutral once again. Unfortunately, Germany wanted to invade Norway to gain access to Norway’s heavy water. The best way to invade Norway was to use Danish airfields and thus, Nazi Germany invaded Den-

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Chapter One: Denmark by Night

mark on the 9th of April 1940. At first, the German occupation went relatively smoothly. The Danish government worked with the occupying forces and encouraged the Danish people to do the same. However, resistance grew, as did sabotage and other resistance operations. Dissatisfaction with the occupation grew and culminated in a general strike in 1943. The Germans demanded that the Danish government institute harsh regulations against such behavior. When the government refused, the Germans declared martial law and in response, the Danish government stepped down. Later in 1943, the Nazis also decided to move all Danish Jews to concentration camps. The Danish resistance, helped by ordinary Danes, managed to get more than 90% of all Jews to safety in Sweden, a move that convinced the Allied forces that Denmark was ready to fight against the Nazis. In 1944, the Germans rounded up all Danish police officers and sent them to a prison camp in Germany. Even so, Danish resistance and sabotage continued and on the 5th of May 1945, Denmark was officially liberated. Only Bornholm remained a problem — while the rest of Denmark was liberated by British and U.S. forces, Bornholm was liberated by the Soviets, who wanted to add the island to their nation. It almost caused an international crisis before the Soviet Union finally handed Bornholm back to Denmark.

The Bunkers of the West Coast The Nazis considered the west coast of Jutland to be a very likely target should the Allies invade mainland Europe. To guard against that eventuality, they constructed a line of concrete bunkers along the entire length of the peninsula. Today, most of these lie derelict, filled with sand, tumbled down where dunes have been eroded by the North Sea or simply ignored, used as dangerous playgrounds by kids in the summer. A few are being put to various commercial uses, such as small shops, and some serve as temporary havens for Kindred or safe places to store important valuables. During the occupation of Denmark, the leading Kindred initially encouraged the cooperation with the Germans. The Kindred that supported Nazi Germany made no claims to Danish territory and the vampires in Denmark wanted to avoid the trouble that a large, public resistance movement would cause. However,

after the Danish government stepped down and the Germans tried to deport all Jews, the Kindred of Denmark realized that there was no way to influence the general population. They officially declared that they had no stance on the Nazi occupation and would not use their power to influence the Danish population. After WWII, Denmark slowly but surely moved toward becoming the modern country it is today, joining the UN, NATO, and the EU, modernizing its infrastructure, and establishing a welfare state.

Modern Denmark This chapter is a look at the politics, culture, and geography of modern Denmark as of the summer of 2017. Most of the sections concern themselves with Denmark proper and do not cover Greenland or the Faroe Islands, which will have their own sections.

Geography Denmark lies in Northern Europe and is part of Scandinavia, along with Norway and Sweden. It has an area of around 43,000 square kilometers (16,500 square miles, a little bigger than the U.S. state of Maryland), with a population of just under 6 million people. The biggest city is the capital, Copenhagen, with a population of two million people in the greater metropolitan area.

Climate Although Denmark lies far to the north (about the same latitude as Quebec), the climate is quite temperate, in parts due to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, in parts due to Denmark’s coastal climate and in part due to the shielding effects of Norway and the British Isles. Mean temperatures are 1.5° C in January and 17.2° C in August. Precipitation is common with an average of 179 days a year and flooding due to excessive rain occurs every few years. Snow, especially in quantities that cause trouble, is much rarer. While storms and associated floods occur frequently, especially on the west coast of Jutland, hurricanes are rare and tornadoes are all but unknown. Earthquakes that can be felt are rare enough to be headline news.

Denmark by Night

Denmark consists of the Jutland peninsula and 443 named islands, of which 74 are inhabited. This means that is impossible to be more than 50 kilometers away from the ocean at any time. The beaches of Denmark are all sandy and are quite popular tourist destinations for both Danes and foreigners. Denmark has only a single land border, with Germany, on the Jutland peninsula. It shares sea borders with Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland and the UK. It is also connected to Sweden via the Øresund Bridge.

own unique position, closer to Sweden, Poland, and Germany than Denmark. Denmark is generally flat, with a ridge of hills running down the middle of Jutland, marking the place where the ice sheet stopped during the last ice age. Most of Denmark has been cultured and there’s little original nature left. Much of the Danish land outside the cities is taken up by farmland and this had resulted in streams being straightened and wetlands being drained.

Denmark’s northerly location results in the country having long nights during the winter and equally long days during the summer. On the shortest day of the year, Denmark only has about seven hours of sunlight, much to the delight of the local Kindred. However, during midsummer, the nights are equally short, forcing the vampires to adapt their existence to this.

Physical Geography Denmark is a country lacking in extremes. The highest natural point is Møllehøj, 171 meters above sea level. There are no real rivers (despite what some names might suggest), only large streams that sometimes swell to proper river size with rain or meltwater. Denmark has no huge lakes and even the forests are mainly the result of replanting after the Danish navy needed rebuilding in 1807. The only switchback road in Denmark lies on the island of Bornholm (it has a total of one switchback) and this island is also the only place in Denmark where there is bedrock. Millions of years ago, Denmark was the bottom of an ocean and because of this, Denmark does not have bedrock — instead it sits on limestone and chalk. This resulted in the abundance of flint that was so important for the earliest humans that came to the land, and it means that Danish water is naturally filtrated. In fact, the water used to flush Danish toilets is clean enough to drink; though, obviously, not after you’ve flushed with it. The peninsula of Jutland forms the western part of Denmark, with only a few islands off the west coast. The southern half of said west coast is taken up by the Wadden Sea, a shallow body of water filled with tidal flats and wetlands. To the east lie most of the Danish islands, with Zealand and Funen being the largest. Bridges connect Jutland to Funen and Funen to Zealand, and several smaller islands that lie near the coast are also connected by bridges. Bornholm occupies its

Transportation With Denmark being such a small country, transportation is usually by land, especially since bridges now link all major islands, with the exception of Bornholm. Rail transport is mainly handled by DSB (Danske Statsbaner, meaning Danish State Railways), which once held a virtual monopoly on all rail travel, while minor local railways served areas that DSB did not consider profitable. In 2003, multinational public transport company Arriva won the franchise to service areas in middle and western Jutland. DSB was originally state owned, although it has gone through numerous changes. During the 1990s, privatization reforms resulted in the selling and outsourcing of many railway lines and services across the country. In addition to regional, inter-city and international lines, DSB also operate the S-train metro network in the greater Copenhagen area. Recent years has seen numerous scandals rock DSB, from numerous delays, skyrocketing prices, decaying infrastructure and the farce surrounding the new IC4 trains that were supposed to be in service by 2003 and have yet to take over from the older IC3 trains.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Busses are a common sight in all cities and towns, and also link areas that the train network does not reach. Some bus lines compete with train lines, with varying success. Arriva operates 40% of all bus services in Denmark. Ferry services mainly handle transportation to smaller islands with no bridges, although there are major services between Zealand and Jutland or Zealand and Scania. There are also a number of ferries between southern Denmark and northern Germany. Cars are quite expensive in Denmark, as they have a number of special taxes associated with them, ostensibly in order to strengthen public transportation and protect the environment. However, rising prices and general dissatisfaction with the availability and quality of public transportation has seen a rise in private car ownership. Air travel within Denmark is rare. There are regular routes between Copenhagen and Aarhus and Aalborg, which are faster than even the rapid train, but more expensive. Air transport to Bornholm is also possible, though it has become difficult to maintain financially. When it comes to flying internationally, Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen is the largest airport in all of Scandinavia, with connections worldwide. Finally, bicycles are exceptionally common in Denmark, to the point where a Dane not knowing how to ride a bike is considered somewhat strange. In Copenhagen, there are more bikes than people. Biking to work is quite acceptable even for people in business suits and leisure biking is quite popular. Kindred Elders from the pre-bicycle often struggle to understand just how prevalent this mode of transportation is.

(covering central Jutland) and the North Denmark Region (covering Northern Jutland). Each region is governed by a regional council elected for a four-year period. The regions are subdivided into a total of 98 municipalities, which are also governed by councils elected every four years. Almost all municipalities have at least 20,000 inhabitants.

One country, two songs The Danish national anthem is called “Der er et yndigt land” (“There is a lovely country”). However, at sporting events, you may sometimes hear another song being played. This is because Denmark also has a royal anthem. The royal anthem is called “King Christian stod ved højen mast” (“King Christian stood by the lofty mast”). Sometimes, foreigners get them mixed up. Danes tend not to be too bothered.

Greenland and the Faroe Islands are a separate issue. Each region has home rule and is pretty much autonomous when it comes to local affairs, but they still refer to Denmark in international matters. The debate about whether or not these areas should become their own countries has been long and convoluted, with people for and against separation found both in Denmark and in the regions themselves. For vampires, Denmark is divided slightly differently, as described on page 31.

Danish Politics

Political Geography

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the monarch is the head of state — any law must be signed by the monarch before it can be official and the monarch must recognize a government before it can take office. However, this is all a formality. The Danish people would not be willing to accept a nonelected person wielding executive power, and should the monarch choose to exercise the right to deny a law or a government, Denmark would likely become a republic.

For administrative purposes, Denmark is divided into five regions: The Capital Region (covering all of Copenhagen, northeastern Zealand and Bornholm), the Zealand Region (covering the rest of Zealand and the islands south of there), the Southern Denmark Region (covering southern Jutland, Funen and the islands south of Funen), the Central Denmark Region

The current monarch is Queen Margrethe II, supposedly a direct descendant of Gorm the Elder. She is 77 years old and very popular among the Danes. She also required a change to the Danish constitution. Margrethe’s father, King Frederick IX, never produced a male heir. According to the Danish constitution, the throne should have passed to the nearest male heir, in

For Kindred who expect to travel, owning a car is normal, but not universal — a night train, especially in winter, can usually get a vampire to where they are going before dawn. Kindred who have their haven in one of the big cities may or may not own a car, though many Kindred prefer the luxury of going exactly where they need to be with some speed.

Denmark by Night

this case, Prince Knud. However, both the general populace and the government preferred Margrethe, as both the king and his daughters were extremely popular. A change to the constitution was made, allowing for a female heir only if she was the direct daughter of the king and had no brothers. Currently, a change is being suggested to allow for the eldest child of the king, regardless of gender, to become heir, though it still requires a second vote to pass. Queen Margrethe is married to Prince Consort Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, generally called Prince Henrik in Denmark, and has two sons, Crown Prince Frederick, the heir apparent, and Prince Joachim. In addition to representing Denmark as the monarch, Queen Margrethe is a respected artist, having, among other things, illustrated the first Danish version of The Hobbit and designed costumes for theater plays. Prince Henrik is mostly known for his wines and for sometimes complaining that he is not the king. The monarch’s main home in Copenhagen is Amalienborg Palace, which is made up of four mansions. One mansion belongs to the queen, one to the crown prince, and the other two are open to the public as museums. Denmark has a single-chamber, parliamentary style government, with the parliament being called the Folketing (literally the “People’s Thing,” with thing referring to the old word for a council). Several parties are awarded seats in the Folketing based on the number of votes they receive and whoever can gain the most support forms a government. Greenland and the Faroe Isles each have two seats in the Folketing, which is voted on in those areas. Governments can either be formed as a coalition between parties or by a single party that enjoys enough support. Governments can also be minority, where they do not hold more than 50% of the seats by themselves, or they can be majority, in which case they do. Elections must be held at least once every four years and it is up to the sitting government to decide when they are held, meaning that governments sometimes call a general election after only two or three years, if the polls show they are doing well. Denmark has universal suffrage, with a minimum voting age of 18. The Folketing has 179 seats total, including the four “North Atlantic” seats. Denmark currently has nine parties that are in the Folketing, one party which does not run for anything

but EU elections, and one party that has failed to get more than the 2% needed to gain a seat in the Folketing since 2011. In addition, there are numerous small, local parties that only run in regional or even municipal elections. After the 2015 election, the party Venstre formed a single-party government with the support of the rest of the right-wing parties in the Folketing. However, in 2016, Venstre invited The Conservatives and the Liberal Alliance into the government, though it is still a minority government. The parliamentary parties are: • Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti: Even to Danes, the name of this party is confusing. The name means Left, Denmark’s Liberal Party. However, the party is center-right (liberal is considered a center-right position in Denmark). The party is called Left because it was a merger of three political parties back in 19th century that identified as left-leaning in the context of the times. It is currently the third-largest political party in the Folketing. It is led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the current Prime Minister. • Socialdemokraterne: The Social Democrats. This party was once, as the name suggest, socially democratic, but has moved to a more center-left position over the years. It is also the largest party in parliament. It led the former government under Denmark’s first female Prime Minister. • Dansk Folkeparti: The Danish People’s Party. This nationalistic, right-wing party is currently the second-largest party in Denmark and the main support of the government. Despite their size, they have so far not sought a place in government, much less tried taking the position of Prime Minister. • Enhedslisten: The Unity List, also called the Red-Green Alliance. This is the second-largest left-wing party in Denmark. It started as a coalition of socialist and communist parties, allied with environmentalists, and still represents the far left of Danish politics, but the party has moved slightly towards a more social democratic stance. • Liberal Alliance: The Liberal Alliance. Liberal in the classical liberal sense, the Liberal Alliance had a rocky start, but is now a solid member of the right wing of Danish politics, advocating libertarian ideals with a Scandinavian influence. • Alternativet: The Alternative. This is the youngest party in the Folketing, but despite this, they

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

received numerous votes during the last election, many of them seen as protest votes against the perceived right-shifting of the traditional socialist parties. The Alternative is still trying to define themselves and some people refer to them as the “circus party” because of their antics. • Det Radikale Venstre: The Radical Left, also called the Danish Social Liberal Party. This party, whose names comes from the fact that it split off from Venstre, is currently very centrist, with a tendency to skew left, especially in the debate about immigration. • Socialistisk Folkeparti: The Socialist People’s Party. Traditionally the more left-leaning of the old leftist parties in the Folketing. This party actually left the old government in protest when they believed the Social Democrats had skewed too far right, although by then, they had lost a lot of their traditional support due to their own support of these politics. • Det Konservative Folkeparti: The Conservative People’s Party. A very traditional conservative party, classically liberal and fairly centrist. Folkebevægelsen mod EU (The People’s Movement against the EU) does not run in parliamentary elections, but only in elections for the EU Parliament, where it represents an opposition to the EU project. Kristendemokraterne (the Christian Democrats) are, as the name suggests, a party dedicated to Christian principles. They last had representation in the Folketing in 2010 — 2011 when a member of the Conservatives switched parties. The last time they managed to actually win any seats was in the 2001 election. The last general election was in 2015, which means that the next one must be no later than 2019. While the government can call one earlier, the current political terrain in Denmark is very unstable, making an early election a risky proposition. The Danish government and parliament reside at the neo-baroque Christiansborg Palace, built in 1907 — 1928 after the previous one had burned down (again — this is technically the third Christiansborg Palace). It was originally supposed to contain premises for the royal family, the legislature, and the judiciary, though today, it contains only the parliament and government. However, there are royal reception rooms used by the monarch for official business. When the foundations were being laid, remnants of the old Absalon’s Castle and Copenhagen Castle were found and

these are now open to the public as a museum — though not all of them. There are ancient chambers down there belonging to vampires who remember the castles of old. Christiansborg Palace lies in the center of Copenhagen, just off the busy pedestrian shopping street. Denmark joined the European Economic Community in 1973 and with the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, became one of the founding members of the European Union. However, Denmark is not a member of the Eurozone (although the Danish krone is linked to the Euro) and has three other exceptions to the general EU rules; the military exception, meaning that Denmark does not supply troops or military equipment to EU missions and does not get to have a say in decisions in this area, the judicial exception, meaning that Denmark is not bound by certain agreements between the EU countries on how to handle, for example, divorce and bankruptcy, and means Denmark is not an equal partner in the EUROPOL law enforcement cooperation, and the citizenship exception, which is currently without meaning.

Money Denmark chose not to adopt the Euro, but instead retain its own national currency, abbreviated DKK. This is the krone and øre. Currently, there exists only a single øre-coin, which is 50 øre (half a krone). Kroner come in one, two, five, 10, and 20-kroner coins, while bank notes come in 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000kroner denominations. A quick-and-dirty conversion guide is that six DKK = one U.S. dollar, 7.5 DKK = one euro and nine DKK = one pound. Since wages in Denmark are high, prices tend to also be quite high.

In general, Denmark is one of the more EU skeptic countries and ever since Brexit, there have been some grumblings that maybe Denmark should look towards leaving the EU as well. However, most people agree that Denmark would have some trouble managing on its own, though an alliance with Norway and Sweden in a modern-day Kalmar Union is often mentioned as an alternative. In 1949, Denmark became one of the founding members of NATO and since then, has provided troops and material to the various NATO missions.

Denmark by Night

Denmark also joined the so-called “Coalition of the willing” and entered the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

more influence than he dreamed of, due to an unexpected election.

Denmark is generally regarded as a left-leaning welfare society. Taxes, both direct and indirect (such as sales tax and duties on luxuries such as cars) are quite high and in return, numerous services are free and the general public receives a lot of benefits.

In general, the Kindred of Denmark try to use their powers to push for politicians being as immune as possible from criticism, scrutiny, and sanctions. Once a Kindred has someone in place over whom they have some influence, they don’t want them ousted.

Healthcare (with the exception of dental care after the age of 18 and most elective surgery) is free, as is education, childcare is heavily subsidized, maternity and paternity leave is guaranteed, there are decent unemployment benefits, everyone is entitled to at least five weeks’ vacation, etc. However, in the 2000s and especially after the latest financial crisis, the right wing of Danish politics has been trying to dismantle at least some of the welfare state, both as austerity measures in the face of the financial crisis and as a way to combat what they see as a disincentive to work due to too-high taxes on wages and too good unemployment benefits.

When it comes to the EU and NATO, the Kindred of Denmark have a hands-off approach, since the centers of power in both organizations lie in other domains. Some Kindred siphon off money and a bit of power from their association with politicians and other dignitaries involved with these organizations, but they do not represent the same level of prestige as do the local parties.

Meanwhile, the “old guard” left-wing parties (Social Democrats and Socialist People’s Party) have struggled to find a path that is popular enough with the general population while also satisfying their own socialist ideologies, and have also drifted slightly to the right, being willing to give ground on welfare issues. While Denmark is still a fairly democratic socialist welfare society, there has been several minor and a few major shifts towards a more financially liberal state, with an increase in the populistic aspect of politics. Denmark was the first country to allow same-sex unions in 1989 (though civil only, church weddings were not allowed until 2014) and is generally considered a very accepting country when it comes to LGBTIQ rights. Gay and bisexual people are allowed to openly serve in all branches of the military. Denmark was the first country to legalize pornography and one of the first countries with free access to abortions.

The Kindred perspective Ever since the first introduction of parliamentary democracy in Denmark, the Kindred have had their hooks deep into the political parties. The Kindred of Denmark see the various political parties as instruments and vie for influence and control, trying to use the parties to further their own ideologies. Of course, vampires have no influence over how the voting public decides to use their influence and, as such, many a Kindred has found himself suddenly powerless or with

People and culture The people of Denmark are called Danes. They are in general a tall, pale people, with a larger-than-average tendency towards blue eyes and light hair. The language of Denmark is Danish.

Speaking of Danish Danish is a Germanic language of the North Germanic branch, descended from the Old Norse language. It is more or less mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Swedish (although the people of these three countries are not always willing to admit it). It is not mutually intelligible with Faroese or Icelandic (both of which are much closer to the original Old Norse language), with Finnish (a Finno-Urgric language), or with Greenlandic (an Inuit language). Danish is generally considered very difficult to learn. It has three vowels found only in Danish and Norwegian: æ, ø and å. Danish also has numerous vowel sounds that can be hard for others to distinguish, and it doesn’t help that a lot of words are pronounced slightly differently from how they are spelled. To top it all off, informal spoken Danish often involves chopping off or slurring the end of words or entire sentences. Fortunately for travelers, more than 80% of all Danes, especially those under the age of 50, speak English to varying degrees. And, of course, due to the Vikings, Denmark has had quite the impact on the English language, with around 2,000 English words coming from Danish.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Two of the most defining features of modern Danes are the jantelov and the concept of hygge. The jantelov, translated as the Law of Jante, comes from a 1933 novel, though this merely codified an idea that had already been part of the Danish psyche. The law had 10 rules, but they can be summed up in the sentence; “You are not to think you're anyone special or that you're better than us.” In general, there is a tendency in Denmark to criticize and look negatively on someone rising above the masses with individual success, especially if that person also brags or in other ways draws attention to his success. Communal success and humility are seen as bigger virtues and there is an ideal that one should work for a common good rather than for self-aggrandizement. While the Law of Jante is generally perceived as a negative, it also represents a Danish social ideal; being part of a “the group.” This expresses itself in, among other things, the welfare state. Ever since the 80s, there has been a slow but gradual shift away from the ideas expressed by the Law of Jante, with individual success, and the flaunting of such, being considered more and more appropriate, but even in 2017, there is a subconscious antipathy towards it. The Kindred of Denmark are generally very approving of the ideals of the Law of Jante, believing that vampires who are too forward might threaten the masquerade, although of course most of them strive towards individual success. Hygge is often put forth as something quintessentially Danish, and while many other people have similar ideals, few others have a dedicated word for it. Hygge generally means having a nice, cozy time. It will often involve friends and loved ones and could just as easily be a long walk in the rain as it could be taking in a movie with friends. What hygge signifies is the Danes’ love of free time. Most Danes would prefer more vacation time to a raise, and the pursuit of free leisure time is important to the majority of Danes. This also means that a lot of Danes tend to be open and gregarious once you get to know them. However, many foreigners tend to find Danes rather distant upon first meeting them, whereas Danes just see this as wanting to protect their privacy. One thing that Kindred take full advantage of in Denmark is that weekend partying usually starts fairly late. People often congregate in private homes before going out to clubs and most party areas only really get started between midnight and 1 a.m. Drinking is quite popular in Denmark, so much so that anyone not obviously Middle Eastern will be met with confusion

if they say they do not drink alcohol. This creates good hunting grounds for vampires in even the smaller cities, as long as the vampire in question has a decent hunting technique, which is of vital importance to Denmark’s Kindred during the short summer nights. Denmark has no minimum wage — that is, it has no minimum wage mandated by the government. Instead, wages are decided by negotiation between the various unions of employees and employers. The government usually stays out of these negotiations, only stepping in when they break down into major strikes that seem unresolvable. The full Danish work week is 37 hours (though the average work week is 33 hours, due to many people working part time), with five weeks of paid vacation, as well as maternity and paternity leave. Denmark has 10 years of compulsory education, starting at 0 grade at five and a half to six years of age. Grade school lasts until either ninth or 10th grade — children can move on after ninth grade or stay for 10th grade if they are unsure what they want to do after grade school, or if they want a chance to improve their grades. Grade school encompasses the usual subjects one would expect, including English from first grade on. Most children attend the free Danish People’s School, but parents can place their children in a private school or, with supervision, homeschool them. A few boarding schools exist in Denmark, but a much more common thing is a so-called “efterskole” (literally “afterschool”), which very much resembles a boarding school, but only for kids 14- 18 years of age. Some afterschools follow the curriculum of the Danish People’s School, while others have a narrower focus, such as on sports, music, religion, or roleplaying. After grade schools, a number of education options exist. Gymnasium is a type of preparatory school for further education at university level. Business College focuses on a career in office work or further education in economics or finances at university. Various trade schools focus on learning trades such as auto mechanic, electrician, plumber, etc. Almost all education in Denmark is free and students 18 and over are entitled to free student grants, as well as student loans at very generous terms. Denmark generally has a high number of well-educated adults per capita. Officially, Denmark is a Christian nation. It is written into the Danish Grundlov (Constitution) that Denmark is a Protestant Christian country (specifically Evangelical Lutheran) and that the monarch must be a

Denmark by Night

member of this religion. Denmark still has an official state church, the Danish People’s Church, with a Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs. Although Denmark has freedom of religion, worship, and belief, the Danish People’s Church get preferential treatment and the Danish churches are maintained with general tax money. Any child whose parent (one or both) is a member of the People’s Church is automatically born a member, but anyone can opt out. Members pay a church tax (on average just under 1%) and get free access to sacraments like baptism, confirmation, marriage, and burial.

in Denmark (with the exception being the current debate on Islam) and most Danes give it very little thought. Unsurprisingly, the Danish Kindred are quite happy about this state of affairs and do their best to encourage secularism in Denmark.

Holy (and not so Holy) Days

Jews did not come to Denmark in great numbers until the 17th century, when the king allowed them to settle and practice their religion. The Jews gradually integrated into Danish society and when Denmark was occupied by the Nazis, most Danes did not see Jews as any different from Protestant Danes. This was made obvious when the Nazis tried to deport all Danish Jews in 1943. The Danes got more than 90% of the Jews to safety in Sweden and the attempt seriously damaged the relationship between the occupying forces and the Danish citizens. However, in recent years, two facts have made life difficult for Danish Jews: the rise of extreme right-wing nationalism and a strong core of radicalized Muslims in Denmark. There has been vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, intimidation of people who are openly Jewish and even an attack by a Muslim extremist on the Copenhagen Synagogue, which claimed the life of a guard.

All the common Christian holy days are days off in Denmark, including Easter, Christmas, and Whit Monday. Denmark also observes Ascension Day (and some places, especially schools, are closed the Friday after). A unique Danish holiday is Great Prayer Day, celebrated on the 4th Friday after Easter. Great Prayer Day was introduced in 1686 by King Christian V as a way to consolidate numerous minor holy days into one single day of prayer. Saint John’s Eve (called Saint Hans’ Eve in Denmark) is celebrated on the 23rd of June with huge bonfires, each usually topped with an effigy of a witch, speeches, singing, and, it being Denmark, drinking. Non-religious holidays include New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, May 1st (as International Workers’ Day), and June 5th (as Constitution Day). Businesses may or may not be closed on these; many official institutions such as schools are. Schools have six weeks of summer vacation, starting at the end of June/start of July, a week each of fall and winter holiday, and are closed between Christmas and the new year, as well as for all public holidays. Weeks 28, 29, and 30 are considered the prime holiday weeks; this is when most workers take some of their time off.

Interestingly, although 75% of all Danes are members of the People’s Church, Denmark as a whole is very secular, both in belief and practice. Very few Danes attend church regularly and most Danes are more culturally Christian than actual believers, with the vast majority being either agnostic or some form of non-denominational deist. Religion is not a big issue

In addition to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Denmark has a minority of Catholics and Protestants of other denominations, such as Baptist. In the People’s Church itself, the movement called Inner Mission still exists. This is a conservative, semi-puritanical movement that seeks to bring the People’s Church back to Bible fundamentalism and the original ideals of Luther.

After Christians, Muslims make up the largest religious group in Denmark. Most of them are either immigrants from Muslim countries or descendants from immigrants. Currently, Islam is one of the biggest hot-button issues in Denmark. While Dansk Folkeparti has traditionally been the “anti-Muslim” party, most of the other right-wing parties have become rather critical of Muslims and there has also been criticism from the center-left parties. In general, the debate centers on integration, the actions of resident Muslims and, lately, the refugee crisis caused by the Syrian civil war. Denmark has gained an international reputation as somewhat anti-Muslim, with some even going so far as to call the country racist, under the current government, due to the laws passed surrounding immigration. Currently, there is some political debate in Denmark regarding religious slaughter practices and reli-

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

giously mandated circumcision. Since these are practiced by Jews and Muslim alike, the more populist right-wing politicians find themselves caught in a quandary — they cannot condemn such practice as Muslims not wanting to integrate when they are also practiced by Jews. In general, there is a broad opposition to non-medical circumcision in Denmark, while the furor surrounding religious butchery has dies down some. Other religions exist in Denmark, chiefly Hinduism, Buddhism, and Forn Sidr, the latter of which worships the old Norse gods. Getting recognized as an official religion in Denmark is not easy and as a result, several religions that might be considered official faiths elsewhere are not recognized in Denmark, such as Scientology. Almost 90% of the people in Denmark are ethnically Danish. Of the rest, western immigrants make up 35%, and non-western immigrants make up 65%. Western immigrants are chiefly Germans living in the south of Denmark just across from the German border and the descendants of Poles that came to Denmark as cheap labor, as well as people from the other Scandinavian countries and refugees from BosniaHerzegovina that stayed in Denmark. The nonWestern immigrants are mainly Turks that came to Denmark as cheap labor in the 1970s (or their descendants), as well as Pakistanis, North Africans, and Somalis. The vast majority of non-western immigrants in Denmark are religiously, or at least culturally, Muslim.

Do you want to play a game? European football (soccer) is Denmark’s most popular sport, with both national and international games drawing huge crowds. Internationally, Danish soccer fans are known for being exceptionally well-behaved. Nationally, the bigger clubs have numerous hooligans among their fans and matches between the two big capitol area clubs FCK and Brøndby always draw a lot of police presence. Denmark’s greatest international football success was winning the 1992 European Cup, after not qualifying (Yugoslavia qualified ahead of Denmark and then had to drop out due to the fact that it stopped being a country). Handball is generally considered Denmark’s number-two sport and Denmark was one of the countries to codify the rules of modern handball. Both the

men’s and women’s handball teams have taken numerous medals in the World and European Championships and the Olympic Games. American football is surprisingly popular in Denmark, not least due to kicker Morten Andersen, the highest-scoring player ever in the NFL, and a Danish national. Outside of America, Denmark has the most televised matches of any country. Tennis, badminton, ice hockey, and various sailing and rowing sports are other popular athletic endeavors in Denmark. Also, Live Action Roleplaying has become one of the bigger leisure activities for kids.

For at least the last decade, there have been growing anti-Muslim and nationalistic feelings in Denmark. Many trace it back to the “Muhammed drawings controversy,” in which the newspaper Jyllands-Posten commissioned drawings of the prophet Muhammed and published 12 of them, in order to show that in Denmark, freedom of expression trumped religious belief. This not only created a very strained relationship between Denmark and numerous Muslim countries, it also affected the attitudes of many Danish Muslims. Denmark also has the much criticized 24year-rule, a law meant to cut down forced marriages and family reunification immigration. The main part of the law means non-resident spouses can be united and thus cohabit with their spouse living in Denmark only when both parties have reached the age of 24 years. Denmark also drew criticism when it reinstated passport checks at borders, some say in violation of the Schengen Agreement, and when it was announced that the police would be allowed to confiscate expensive belongings of refugees in order to offset the cost of their residency in Denmark. The current refugee crisis caused by the Syrian civil war has seen many politicians in Denmark publicly state that the country should severely cut down on the amount of refugees accepted. Debate on the integration of immigrants, especially Muslims, eastern Europeans, and Roma, has become front-page news. To support their anti-immigrant platform, politicians point to high crime rates among those of non-Danish ethnicity, trouble in heavily immigrant communities such as Gellerupparken in Aarhus and Vollsmose in Odense and the various Muslim terror attacks in Europe, including the 2015 one in Denmark.

Denmark by Night

Tensions run high and even some left-wing parties have started adopting a stricter policy towards refugees and immigrants. For the Kindred of Denmark, this represents a prime opportunity to feed from people who are seen as unwanted or outcast by many in Denmark, though a few paranoid vampires foolishly fear that the many Muslim refugees will bring with them the Assamites, who will feast on their blood and take over Denmark.

Media The Danish constitution of 1849 guaranteed freedom of the press and newspapers began to flourish. Today, print media is dominated by a few large corporations; JP/Politikens Hus and Berlingske Media, between them, control the largest newspapers Politiken, Berlingske Tidende, and Jyllands-Posten and major tabloids B.T. and Ekstra Bladet. Denmark also has a free paper in the form of Metro Express, the Danish edition of the Metro International free newspaper. The Kindred of Denmark are constantly scheming to gain as much influence as possible in the print media in order to be able to quash stories as needed. Radio was once very popular in Denmark, but has been overtaken by television. Since few Danes spend a long time in cars, radio has not reached the influence and popularity in Denmark that it has in some other countries. However, there are still news and entertainment stations, as well as several dedicated music stations. Daily television broadcasts began in Denmark in 1954. Until the year 1988, TV in Denmark was a monopoly held by DR (Denmark’s Radio), a government-owned company. The idea was that television had to be a public service and since it was funded by charging everyone who owned a radio or TV a license, all of DR’s channels operated without advertisement. By 1988, several local stations had begun to challenge DR’s monopoly and satellite TV broadcasting from outside of Denmark had more or less rendered it moot. As such, TV2 was launched. In the beginning, TV2 was also government-owned, though it was allowed to run ads between programs. In 2003, it became a government-owned public company and stopped receiving license money. Both DR and TV2 have several different channels, with TV2 News being Denmark’s only 24-hour news channel. DR and TV2 are the only TV broadcasters that operate within Denmark, but through various cable

packages and the internet, Danes have access to a huge number of various channels, several of which broadcast in Danish. However, news in Danish is still solely being broadcast by the two national channels, as no other broadcaster has found it profitable. The Kindred of Denmark have a fair amount of pull when it comes to both DR and TV2 and have gradually managed to shift both of them away from public service information and towards entertainment, in order to prevent problematic news stories from being broadcast.

Law, Order, and Military Denmark’s laws are comparable with that of most western nations. Police are divided into uniformed patrol officers and plainclothes investigators, as well as Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (the Police Intelligence Service, usually abbreviated PET), which handles domestic security. International intelligence and security is handled by Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste (military intelligence). Uniformed officers are armed with compact 9mm pistols with 13 shots, loaded with hollow point ammunition to ensure maximum stopping power and a minimum of over penetration. In addition, a uniformed officer carries a 35-cm baton and pepper spray. If necessary, uniformed officers can be equipped with a 9mm SMG, a 40mm grenade launcher loaded with tear gas grenades, and/or a trained attack dog. Uniformed officers patrol on foot or in marked patrol cars and serve as guards when needed, such as when FCK and Brøndby football clubs clash or during services at the synagogue in Copenhagen. They also move out in force when needed, such as during fires, large-scale vehicle accidents, or riots. When responding to riots, police officers will be in armored riot gear and carry clear riot shields.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Plainclothes investigators, as their name suggests, investigate major crimes, such as robberies and murders, with special divisions handling things like financial crimes or cybercrime. They can carry pistols if deemed necessary. The Danish police also have a SWAT-like special intervention unit (Politiets Aktionsstyrke, called AKS) of 100 officers. These officers are rarely deployed, but are trained to deal with terrorism, hostage taking, and the like.

How old do you have to be to… …drink alcohol:

N/A

…buy alcohol: 16 years to buy light alcohol (beers, hard cider, etc.), 18 to buy hard alcohol …drink any kind of alcohol in bars, restaurants and clubs: 18 …buy cigarettes:

…work as an adult:

…drive a moped:

…drive a car or motorcycle:

…have sex:

…vote:

Judicially, Denmark is divided into County Courts, the two High Courts (the Western in Viborg and the Eastern in Copenhagen), and the Supreme Court (also in Copenhagen). Cases tried in lower courts can, in general, be appealed to a higher court. The Danish military is unified into Forsvaret (literally, the Defense). Theoretically, the monarch is the commander-in-chief, while the Minister of Defense is the commander. De facto, the Danish Cabinet is the commanding authority of the Defense, though it cannot mobilize the armed forces for purposes that are not strictly defense oriented without the consent of parliament. The Danish military is divided into the Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy and Royal Danish Air Force, with Hjemmeværnet (the Home Guard) being a fourth arm. The Home Guard consists of unpaid (though compensated for loss of work, travel expenses, etc.) volunteers who train regularly. Originally, the Home Guard was supposed to be an official militia ready to fight if Denmark was invaded, though these days, they mainly support the military and other

official organizations, such as the police, with crisis management, search and rescue, and the like. The other branches of the military are all professional soldiers. The main weapon of the Danish military, including the Home Guard, is the M/95, a Canadianbuilt version of the M16A2. Members of the Home Guard are allowed to keep an M/95 in their home, though not ammunition. In case of an invasion, members know of ammo depots they can go to in order to be supplied. Denmark has compulsory military service for all men of age 18 or over (the draft can be postponed due to study or other factors). All young men who are not automatically considered unfit must appear before a draft board to be assessed and, if found suitable, can either volunteer or draw a number, which determines whether or not they are called to serve. These days, most of those appearing before the draft board draw a “free number”, that is, they are not called to serve. Volunteers can usually pick their posting; those who draw a number can make requests. Service is four months in most postings, though some postings take longer. Conscientious objectors can serve six months in a non-military posting, such as crisis management or social service Jægerkorpset (the Hunter Corps) is the Danish army’s Special Forces unit. Like all Special Forces, volunteers face grueling tests and training to assess their suitability. The Hunter Corps draws its main inspiration from the British SAS and trains regularly with other NATO Special Forces. The Hunter Corps is generally considered one of the top Special Forces units in the world. The Royal Navy has its own Special Forces unit, Frømandskorpses (the Frog Man Corps), consisting of specially trained SCUBA divers. The identities of the members of this unit are classified as top secret, though it’s known that the current crown prince qualified and served. The Sirius Patrol is an elite naval reconnaissance unit tasked with patrolling the most inhospitable regions of northern and eastern Greenland. Members must have completed their compulsory military service and six months of courses, ranging from Arctic survival to dog-sled driving to sewing. Patrolling is usually done in pairs, sometimes for four months and often without additional human contact. The Danish crown prince took a turn with the Sirius Patrol.

Denmark by Night

Denmark has some of the strictest weapon laws in Europe. All firearms are illegal for civilians to own without a permit and permits are all conditional. In order to own hunting rifles and shotguns, a person needs a hunting permit (which requires taking and passing a course in hunting) or a membership in an appropriate shooting club. Rifles are limited to two shots and shotguns can only be single or doublebarreled, and single-shot (the only exception being people who practice cowboy action shooting; they are permitted period-accurate, lever-action or pump-action long arms). In order to own handguns heavier than a .22, one must have been a member in good standing of an appropriate gun club for two years (for a .22, you still need to be a member of a club, but there is no time requirement). In either case, there are strict rules for how firearms must be kept in a private residence. The carrying of firearms is only permitted at ranges and when transporting guns to and from a range. There are also specific rules for the transportation of firearms to and from ranges. When it comes to handguns, the most powerful calibers allowed are .45s (this includes .357 magnum, but not .44 magnum). Theoretically, a person can own a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun with a capacity above two if they use it for hunting in other countries — several shooting enthusiasts own AR-15s for “hunting in Germany” and shoot them at a range. No fully automatic weapons of any kind are ever allowed in civilian hands, period. Also, it wasn’t until 1986 that smoothbore hunting arms required registration and then only for sports shooters. Hunters did not need registration until 2000 and there are a lot of “forgotten” shotguns in private hands. For melee weapons, a person requires a collector’s permit, which is usually easy to obtain as long as that person has no prior convictions. The permit mainly covers swords and daggers and specifically does not cover easily concealable blades (such as sword canes) or knives that can be opened with one hand (such as balisong knives or switchblades) as they are illegal to own, regardless of permits. The collector’s permit allows transport only with regards to sale. A carry permit can be obtained if a person is a member of martial arts club and needs to transport their weapons. In big cities, especially Copenhagen, the police have special stop-and-frisk zones where they can legally

stop and frisk anyone to see if they are carrying a knife without needing reasonable cause. One exception to the weapon laws are antiques, defined as anything over 100 years of age. Antiques are generally not covered by the above laws, the exception being fully automatic firearms. The police in Denmark tend to take illegal weapons, both melee and firearms, fairly serious and will not hesitate to fire upon anyone drawing a firearm in public. Kindred are discouraged from carrying illegal weapons unless they are very capable of concealing them. Anything else could lead to a serious breach of the Masquerade. Like most of Europe, alcohol and tobacco are legal recreational drugs, while anything else is illegal. Marihuana sees a fair amount of use in Denmark and is the most popular illegal drug in the country — in the hippie commune of Christiania (See Copenhagen by Night), it is even sold openly. Other drugs are available in the Danish night life, courtesy of smugglers and drug dealers. Most drug dealing outside of Christiania is in the hands of various gangs. There is periodic debate as to whether or not marihuana should be made legal, either fully or as medicine. A few Kindred are involved in the smuggling and distribution of illegal narcotics and are vehemently opposed to any liberalization of Danish drug laws.

Greenland and the Faroe Islands Greenland and the Faroe Islands are very different from Denmark proper, both in history, geography, and culture. However, for the Kindred of Denmark, these two overseas territories hardly matter. The Faroe Islands consist of 18 major and a number of minor islands halfway between Norway and Iceland, with their nearest neighbors being the Outer Hebrides Islands of Scotland. The total population of the islands is just under 50,000. The people speak Danish and Faroese, which is much closer to Icelandic than to any other Germanic language. Culturally, the Faroe Islands are more conservative and a lot more Christian than Denmark. Traditionally, much of the Faroese economy was in fishing, but in the early 1990s this crashed, and now the Faroe Islands rely on aid from Denmark for 5% of their GDP. Petroleum found close to the Faroese area gives hope for deposits in the immediate area, which may provide a basis for sustained economic prosperity.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

No vampire of any kind is known to make their haven on the islands, and the Kindred of Denmark do not even have a ghoul there. Greenland is the world’s largest island, but most of it is covered in a thick sheet of permanent ice. It lies close to the east coast of northern Canada. The total population of the island is just over 55,000. The people speak Kalaallisut (Greenlandic Inuit) as the official language, though almost everyone also know Danish. Most of the people on Greenland are Inuits and those living in the smaller villages and camps preserve much of the old Inuit culture. Greenland depends heavily on fishing, but there have been large finds of rubies, minerals, and oil. So far, there have been little exploitation of these resources for fear of contaminating the pristine nature, but it seems that if Greenland is to become independent, these resources must be tapped to give the country a healthy economy. While there are no known vampires on Greenland, the Prince of Copenhagen maintains a single ghoul there with the task of keeping an eye on the development of resource extraction. Greenland and the Faroe Islands each have their own self-governing home rule, but depend on Denmark for military, justice, currency, and foreign affairs. Each territory is also guaranteed two seats in the Folketing and those seats are voted on locally.

The Dark Kingdom For the Kindred of Denmark, mortal politics and culture have played their parts in shaping their society, and have created a situation somewhat unique to the country.

Political Division In the world of the Kindred, Denmark is divided into four domains, each of which is ruled by a Lord or Lady, who is also the Prince of the largest city in that region. Denmark as a whole is considered a united domain, ruled over by the Prince of Denmark (though she does not like to be called that, preferring the Danish title of fyrstinde), who is also the Lady of Sjælland and the Prince of Copenhagen. This divide is old, but makes more and more sense in the modern world. Denmark is a very small country with good infrastructure — travel times are short and mortals who live in towns travel to the big cities for work or to party on the weekend. Kindred can have a haven in a big city and easily maintain a herd in the surrounding area, or have their haven outside a big city and quickly travel to meetings in Elysiums. Officially, the Kindred of Denmark are members of the Camarilla, and ever since the Prince’s pogrom against the Sabbat shortly after taking power, the Ivory Tower has been confident that Denmark supports it. However, most of the leading Kindred in Denmark remember the time before the Camarilla-Sabbat divide and are less than willing to let the representatives of the Inner Circle claim authority. The same goes for Prince Ragnhild, who has unofficially declared that she is a member of the Camarilla only as long as the Camarilla does not try to exert any authority over her. Denmark also has several “minor Princes,” vampires who are recognized as Princes of towns and cities that are not capitals of the major domains. None of these domains are actually that large — the title simply recognizes that particular vampire’s dominion over a certain important domain, granting a little more prestige than would normally be the case.

Battle for resources Denmark is a rich country, with several international businesses and many local domains available to Kindred. Still, it is a small country and there is a constant, low-level political and financial battle between vampires. All of the old, established areas of revenue,

Denmark by Night

prestige, and power are already in the hands of elder Kindred, but young vampires have shown their ability to grasp onto new and emerging domains and make them their own, such as the new political party Alternativet or Skype back when it was being developed. With 5.8 million inhabitants, Denmark should be able to support about 58 vampires by standard reckoning — at the moment, around 80 Kindred are known to make their home in the country. Established Kindred in Denmark almost all have herds, and new vampires, be they recently released neonates or outsiders who have been allowed to settle, are encouraged to establish herds as soon as possible. Some Kindred take advantage of the fact that many areas of Denmark draw in a lot of tourists, especially during the summer. However, blood is scarce and knowing how to hunt is a very valuable skill among Danish Kindred. Right now, there is not any real shortage of blood and the Lords and Ladies of Denmark are considering allowing a few Embraces.

Creatures not of the Night Vampires in Denmark rejoiced as more and more of the nature of the country gave way to fields or tree plantations. After all, Lupines were known to make their homes in the wild places of the world. And for a long time, it seemed that the Lupines had been driven from Denmark, or at least reduced to the point where the Kindred of the kingdom did not need to ever fear to travel outside the centers of civilization. This sense of security was shattered in the early 60s, with no less than three confirmed Lupine attacks in a single year inside the big cities: two in Copenhagen and one in Aarhus. Ever since then, Kindred have, from time to time, been confronted by city-dwelling Lupines that seem to hate them no less than their wilderness kin. Reports from surviving Kindred say that these Lupines all resemble homeless people in their human forms. In their wolf forms, they look more like large and mangy feral dogs, while their dread war form is noticeably tattered. These Lupines are always alone, giving vampires a much better chance of escaping, but they remain a constant source of dread. During the last 10 years, encounters have increased in frequency and the common Kindred of Denmark have begun to complain to the Princes.

Not Garou The werewolves described here are not the tribal, semi-civilized Garou of Werewolf: The Apocalypse. They are mysterious, savage monsters meant to be terrifying antagonists to vampires.

During the Viking and Middle Ages, the people of Denmark told stories of various strange and dangerous human-like creatures: the trolls, jotuns, dwarves, and elven folk. These fae creatures faded away from the modern world as they did elsewhere. However, there are whispered rumors that some of them are not quite gone. The trolls, so it’s said, fled to Bornholm where they dwell beneath the rocks. The elven folk disappeared into their mystical hills and sealed them off. But the jotuns, the traditional enemies of the Viking Gods, did not disappear completely. Some of the jotuns were masters of illusion and transformation magic, and the more mystically inclined Kindred of Denmark claim that a few of jotuns still walk hidden among the mortals of Denmark. What their goal is, however, is not known.

Bornholm — the island of mystery Bornholm is a rocky island far to the east of Zealand. It has a population of around 40,000, draws in more than twice that in tourists each year, and has a geological makeup unlike anything else found in Denmark. It is also probably the biggest mystery among the Kindred of Denmark. Ever since at least the 15th century, any vampire who set foot on the island has disappeared, never to be heard from again. It started with vampires fleeing the Anarchs during the Anarch Revolt and ever since, a handful of Kindred have been lost to the mystery. The disappearances seem to be linked to actually setting foot on the island. The Malkavian Jørgen Steentofte sailed right up the coast and flew over the island in both plane and helicopter without any effect. No vampire can claim to know what the truth behind the mystery of Bornholm is, but four main theories exist. The first is that most of Denmark’s Lupines moved to Bornholm, which still has some areas of unspoiled nature. The Lupines somehow know when a vampire sets foot on the island and attack in force. The second is similar — the trolls and various other fae

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creatures fled here and hid beneath the rocks, and they are the ones killing vampires. The third theory revolves around the story that some Knights Templar fled to Bornholm with all or part of the Templar treasure and hid it on the island. These legends also say that the Templars had been to Bornholm at earlier times to ensure the building of the island’s round churches. The theory is that the Templars used some form of faith magic to protect the island and their treasure from supernatural entities. The last major theory is that an unnamed Gangrel methuselah lies in semi-torpor on the island, rising to feed when another vampire dares to enter his domain. In addition to the four main theories, there are plenty of other theories, but in general, the Kindred of Denmark pay very little attention to Bornholm — Prince Ragnhild has a ghoul posted there to ensure she gains her share of the tourist revenue, but otherwise, it is only the Malkavian Jørgen Steentofte who obsesses over the mystery.

And then, in 2000, the bridge across Øresund opened. Now, traveling to and from Scania did not rely on ferries, but could be done by car. Since then, a few young childer of the old Cainites in Scania have caused trouble in Copenhagen, while zealous Camarilla Kindred have retaliated across the bridge. The unspoken truce is being sorely tested. There is nothing Prince Ragnhild would like more than to send war parties of Camarilla Kindred to Scania, root out the Sabbat, and add the region to the Danish domain once again. But not only is the prospect of a war against the powerful elders of the region a frightening and Masquerade-threatening prospect, mortal borders make taking the region troubling. Ragnhild knows that if she wants Scania for herself, there is no way she can rely on help from Sweden’s Camarilla, which is as aloof from the Ivory Tower as the Danish. She could try to call on help from the Camarilla leadership, but she has no intention of placing herself in their debt.

The Scania Problem The southern part of Sweden is historically called Scania (today, the area in southern Sweden thus named is slightly different). Throughout history, this area has belonged to Denmark longer than it has to Sweden. Sometimes it was conquered, but it always returned to Denmark, so vampires generally considered it a part of the domain of Denmark. Things changed in 1720 — Sweden had conquered Scania decades earlier, but now, a new peace treaty made Scania Swedish. This move was supported by the major European powers that were eager to deny Denmark control of both sides of the vitally important Øresund. The fact that Scania was now firmly part of Sweden emboldened the Sabbat vampires that dwelt in that country, and they led a concerted attack upon the Danish Kindred dwelling there. The Swedish Camarilla remained neutral in the fighting, as the Swedish elders did not want to see Danish Kindred calling Scania their domain. In the end, the few surviving Danes fled and Scania became the biggest and most powerful Sabbat stronghold, first centered on the city of Helsingborg and later moving to Malmö. For almost 300 years, there was an uneasy truce between the vampires of Scania and the Kindred of Copenhagen just across the sound, while the Camarilla Kindred of Sweden simply ignored the whole thing.

The Danish Domains

Below is a description of each of the four greater domains of Denmark, including information about major sectors of influence and areas of interest. The vampires of these domains are described further in the section about Danish Kindred. Copenhagen itself will have its own section, Copenhagen by Night. Note that the population numbers below does not include any Player Characters.

Domain of Zealand Capital: Copenhagen Lady: Ragnhild the Just of Clan Ventrue Domain: The mortal capital and Zealand Region Mortal Population: 2.5 million Kindred Population: 36

Denmark by Night

The island of Zealand centers around the Danish capital of Copenhagen, both in the world of mortals and Kindred. However, the island is much more than that. Outside of the greater metropolitan area of Copenhagen, the biggest city is Roskilde, with around 50,000 inhabitants. Until Valdemar the Great’s unification of Denmark, Roskilde was the capital of Zealand and it contains Roskilde Cathedral, built in the 12th and 13th centuries. This is the traditional resting place of Danish monarchs and several other great Danes have been buried here. While Denmark is itself a rather secular country, Roskilde Cathedral is one of the few areas of strong True Faith — the inside of the cathedral radiates a True Faith rating of 1, while the chapels and altar all have a True Faith rating of 2. In addition to the Cathedral, Roskilde is probably best known for the Roskilde Festival, the largest music festival in northern Europe. It lasts four days, starting from the first Thursday in July, or last Thursday in June, with a four-day warm-up, and draws in around 150,000 people from all over Europe and even abroad. The festival has been declared an Elysium by the Lady of Zealand herself and is considered a prime hunting ground. The prestige and wealth of the festival is considered the domain of one of Zealand’s young Toreador. Outside of Roskilde and the greater metropolitan area of Copenhagen, this domain has an additional cathedral, Maribo Cathedral, located in the town of Maribo on the southern island of Lolland. The cathedral was originally part of Maribo Abbey, the first Bridgettine monastery in Denmark, established on land gifted by Queen Margaret I, whose childhood tutor was Saint Bridget’s daughter. In 1924, the church was officially designated as a cathedral. During the late Middle Ages, the convent was one of the richest and most powerful in all of Denmark, in part due to royal patronage. During the Danish Reformation, the Abbey was dissolved and their lands confiscated, but most of the buildings still stand. This area is of great interest to occultists, as the church was built after specific instructions left by Saint Bridget, including that the chancel should be at the west end of the building rather than the east as was customary. Maribo is the domain of Clan Tremere and the entire island of Lolland is generally seen as its domain, although this is not official. The Clan maintains a safe house in Nakskov, the biggest town on the island.

Near the town of Slagelse lie the remains of the huge Viking Age ring fortress of Trælleborg. It is the best preserved and oldest of the ring fortresses of Denmark and is believed to have been constructed on the orders of King Harald Bluetooth around 980, only to be abandoned scant decades later. The fortress was excavated from 1934 to 1942 and has become an important site for those Danish Kindred that follow the ancient Norse religion. While the peninsula of Stevns south of Copenhagen is probably best known for its white chalk cliff, occult Kindred on Zealand are more interested in a mysterious burial mound. This mound, called Elves’ Hill, has never been excavated and persistent rumor tell that on certain moonlit nights, the elven folk dance around the hill and a portal opens to the land of the Fae. Dragsholm Castle, one of the oldest secular buildings in Denmark, stands on the northwestern coast of Zealand and is considered the most haunted castle in Denmark. No fewer than three ghosts are said to reside there. One of them is supposed to be James Hepburn, fourth Earl of Bothwell, who was married to Mary, Queen of Scots and who fled to Denmark and died at the castle after being chained to a pillar for 10 years (a groove still remains around the pillar, showing where he walked). Today, the castle is a hotel, restaurant, and tourist attraction, owned surreptitiously by an extension of the Giovanni family empire. Herlufsholm and Sorø Academy are considered the two most prestigious boarding schools in Denmark and are both located on Zealand. Sorø Academy was a 12th-century monastery, but was confiscated during the Reformation and served as a place of education ever since, starting as a college for protestant priests before becoming an equestrian academy. Today, it is a boarding school and gymnasium. Herlufsholm also started life as a 12th-century monastery and in 1565, it was made a boarding school for "sons of noble and other honest men" by Birgitte Gøye and her husband Herluf Trolle, two of the most influential people of the day. Both schools have impressive lists of former students, containing the rich, the powerful, and the famous. The age of both the buildings, the educational facilities, and the libraries have attracted Kindred attention, to say nothing of the potential of the men and women graduating. The city of Holbæk, west of Copenhagen, used to hold little-to-no interest for the Danish Kindred; it was yet another old castle and the headquarters of the

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Zealand-spanning bank Sparekassen Sjælland. And then, in 2014, the Scandinavian branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses located its headquarters in the city. Now, some Kindred of Copenhagen look at the city with trepidation, fearing the spread of True Faith, while others see the powerful and wealthy organization as an opportunity for influence and resources.

Domain of Funen Capital: Odense Lord: Asbjørn of Clan Brujah Domain: The island of Funen and the islands of the South Funen Archipelago Mortal Population: 500,000 Kindred Population: 8 Without a doubt the smallest, least populous, and least powerful of the Danish domains, Funen Island itself is often considered by mortals a mere speed bump on the way between Zealand and Jutland. Nevertheless, Denmark’s third-largest city, Odense, lies here and there are quite a few areas of interest to Danish Kindred. Odense has just under 200,000 inhabitants. It has been an important city throughout Danish history and its cathedral is the resting place of Saint Canute, patron saint of Denmark. However, the city is probably best known for Hans Christian Andersen, the worldfamous writer of fairytales. In the world of the Kindred, the city is ruled by Asbjørn, a Brujah Viking traditionalist feared for his temper and fighting skill. The Port of Odense is Denmark’s only canal harbor. It is a commercial harbor that also used to be a very important industrial site, but in 2009, the Steel Shipyard closed, marking the final decline of industrial business at the port. However, in addition to new residential areas, a huge new industrial park has been under construction since 2012, something that is likely to revitalize the area. It has become something of a center for corporations working with robotics technology, an area no Kindred has yet to take an interest in. Odense Cathedral is formally known as St. Canute’s Cathedral and is home to the corpse of King Canute IV, patron saint of Denmark. Odense was a bishopric since at least 988 and a church has stood on the spot since 1095, when it was built specifically to house the remains of King Canute IV. Later, a cathedral replaced the early church, but this burned down in

1247. Around 1300, construction started on the current cathedral, which was finished in 1499. The cathedral survived the Reformation almost completely intact and despite the general secularization of Denmark, the grave of Canute the Saint still radiates a strong aura of Faith. Indeed, the whole cathedral is permeated by it, making Kindred very uncomfortable — the cathedral and its grounds have a True Faith rank of 1, rising to 2 nearer the grave of Saint Canute and 3 directly over the grave. Generally, the vampires of Denmark avoid the cathedral, unless they are exceptionally devout and want to feel the power of God. Prince Asbjørn strongly dislikes the place. The connection to Hans Christian Andersen, who was born in Odense in 1805 and spent his povertystricken childhood in the city, has made Odense quite famous, both in Denmark and abroad. H. C. Andersen still remains a strong tourist draw and his childhood home is now a museum. Unsurprisingly, Clan Toreador has some interest in the man and a member of the Clan serves as something of a curator of all things Andersen in Odense. In addition to H. C. Andersen, Odense has several cultural institutions. Denmark’s second-oldest theater, established in 1796, is located in the city and currently has an attached drama school. The Odense Symphony Orchestra was established in 1946, but traces its roots back more than 200 years. In 1982, Odense Concert House was built to house the orchestra and the Prince of Odense, along with Martin Kold of Clan Toreador and Reinhardt von Stade of Clan Venture, ensured a great deal of Kindred influence over the building. These nights, the concert house is an Elysium and the primary meeting place of the city’s few Kindred. In March of 2017, a new center for music, theater and conferences, Odeon, opened in Odense. This, too, has been influenced by Kindred and is being used as Elysium, though it lacks the historical prestige of the Odense Concert House. When it comes to industry and business, Odense suffered somewhat due to the loss of the Steel Shipyard. Currently, the two largest businesses in the city are the Albani Brewery and GASA. Albani was founded in 1859 and its beer was praised by none other than Hans Christian Andersen himself. While it owns smaller breweries outside of Funen, its main costumer base is on the island and it has a virtual monopoly on beer distribution on Funen. Almost since its inception, Albani has been the domain of Prince Asbjørn. When Albani merged with Royal Unibrew in 2000,

Denmark by Night

Asbørn managed to secure that company as his domain, despite the headquarters being located in Zealand, something that has caused quite some annoyance among Zealand vampires, who desire the resources that the large brewery conglomerate represents. GASA is a company that imports and exports flowers, fruits, and vegetables to and from all of Europe and numerous locations outside. The Ventrue Reinhardt von Stade has substantial interests in this business and uses the many trucks that crisscross Denmark and Europe to offer safe, sun-proof transportation for Kindred. Reinhardt’s other domains include parts of the Port of Odense, the small H.C. Andersen Airport, and the central train station, through which all trains going between Zealand and Jutland have to go and all passenger trains stop. GASA is going to move to a different, less populated area of Odense sometime in 2018, with their current location being sold and earmarked as a new residential neighborhood, a deal that Reinhardt has made quite some money on. In 2017, Facebook broke ground on the creation of a new data center in Odense. While this project is one of great prestige and resources, no Kindred in Odense has yet involved themselves with it. The largest single workplace on all of Funen is Odense University Hospital, which is also the largest hospital in Denmark, counting by number of beds. It has a number of highly specialized units, a large research division, and contains a pharmacy that supplies all hospitals on Funen. Since its founding in 1912, several Kindred have tried to gain influence over the hospital, only to be rebuked by mages, who appear to have a great deal of interest and power there. In modern nights, a relatively young Brujah has claimed some influence at the hospital, though much of it is considered off limits. Of final note is Odense Palace, built on an old Hospitaller Monastery that fell into the hands of the king after the Reformation. It was the second-most important Hospitaller monastery in Denmark after Antvorskov on Zealand. Due to Antvorskov’s fierce opposition to the Reformation, the king targeted that monastery for persecution and it is now a ruin. It is believed that the Hospitallers sent much of their wealth and secret treasures to the Odense monastery for safe keeping. The church at this monastery was often used by the rich and powerful people of Funen and many elderly aristocrats spent their last years at

the hospice. After the Reformation, Odense Palace was built with the monastery as its core, but the expansive graveyard, the final resting place for numerous important nobles, was untouched. Clan Tremere managed to acquire the palace as their domain soon after and maintain their dominion to this night, even as the place has become a local governmental administrative building. One thing that Kindred have noticed about Odense is that it seems to have the greatest concentration of mages in Denmark outside of Copenhagen. What these wizards want is unknown, but they have yet to make any overtures toward the vampires of Funen and have only clashed with them a few times, always to the detriment of the Kindred in question. For now, Asbjørn’s attitude seems to be to ignore the mages and hope they either go away or that their ultimate goals do not intersect with any Kindred interests. On the southeastern part of Funen lies the private estate of Broholm. While the place includes a hotel and an equestrian center, what makes it interesting to Kindred is the Museum of North Antiquities. This collection has 10,000 antiquities from the stone, bronze, and iron ages, as well as the largest gold hoard from the Migration Period ever found in Denmark, weighing in at just over four kg. Historically minded Kindred, as well as those with an esoteric bent, often visit the collection, looking for important pieces. Egeskov Castle on the south of Funen is well known for its numerous museums and several gardens, all of which are open to the paying public. The castle itself is quite an engineering marvel, sitting on oaken piles sunk into a small lake, which is up to five meters deep. The castle was built very much with defense in mind, although it was later made into a modern dwelling. In the world of the Kindred, the castle is the haven and domain of Sørine Krag, an enigmatic Malkavian who serves as chief advisor to Prince Asbjørn. Funen used to have two large music festivals, drawing in thousands of potential feeding victims during the summer months. However, the Midtfyns Festival closed in 2003, leaving only the Langelands Festival on the island of Langeland. This festival is attended by between 30 and 35,000 people each year. For Kindred, Funen is mainly focused on Odense, as the city where much of the island’s population and resources are centered. Cities like Middelfart and Nyborg have steadily declined in importance over the

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years. However, there are still two towns that hold the interest of Funen’s Kindred. The first of these Gudme, whose name means “God’s Home”. Archaeological finds have shown that this was an exceptionally important area during the Iron Age — not only has a great gold treasure been found, but also a structure that was most like a king’s hall. Svendborg is Funen’s second-largest city with just over 26,000 inhabitants. It is also, per capita, the city with the most bars and restaurants in Denmark. This makes it a popular place for hunting among both the Kindred of Funen and those who have business on the island.

Domain of Southern Jutland Capital: Aarhus

of Denmark in the 80s and 90s, launching numerous bands, artists, and creative endeavors. To this day, Aarhus is considered the cultural capital of Denmark, and in 2017 it was selected as a European Capital of Culture (along with Paphos in Cyprus). Clan Toreador and, to a lesser degree, Clan Brujah, is deeply enmeshed in Aarhus’ cultural scene and educational efforts.

Aarhus or Århus? In old times, the letter Å was represented by Aa. During the Danish spelling reform of 1948, this was changed so that Å was always appropriate, but some cities, including Aarhus, resisted this. Long story short, both options are acceptable, but Aarhus is the most common.

Lord: Knud the Elder of Clan Ventrue Domain: The southern half of the Jutland peninsula, with the cities of Aarhus, Silkeborg, Herning, and Ringkøbing defining the northern border. Mortal Population: 1.8 million Kindred Population: 20 Second only to Zealand among Denmark’s four big domains, Southern Jutland is ruled from Aarhus, the second-largest Danish city, and it contains numerous sites and domains that are of great interest to the Kindred of Denmark, not to mention the headquarters of LEGO, one of Denmark’s biggest corporations. Aarhus is the capital and largest city of this domain, with a population of around 270,000, and is not only the second-largest city in Denmark, but also one of the most rapidly growing. The city was founded early in the Viking Age, making it one of the oldest stillinhabited cities in Denmark. The center of Aarhus was once a pagan burial site and unsurprisingly, Aarhus’ first church was built here. The city gained a bishopric sometime in the latter half of the 10th century and in the Middle Ages, the city and its status kept growing. Located on Aarhus Bay, the city was not only a religious, but also a mercantile center of power in Jutland and it kept this distinction for centuries. In the 1980s, Aarhus changed track — service sector jobs overtook industry and students flocked to the city, making Aarhus University the biggest in Scandinavia. The influx of young creative people made Aarhus the center of the cultural and creative renaissance

Aarhus Cathedral, in the center of the city, is the longest and tallest church in Denmark, and is the main edifice of the diocese of Aarhus. It is dedicated to St. Clemens. Construction on the cathedral started in the 12th century around an already existing church and, even before construction was finished, a cathedral school was established. The cathedral (and much of the city) burned down in 1330 and the rebuilding process took until the 16th century. Today, very little True Faith remains in the cathedral, with only the very central parts having a radiant True Faith of 1. Several decent-sized businesses and companies have their headquarters in Aarhus, with Kindred vying for the prestige and resources associated with claiming domain over them. JYSK is a retail chain that started with bedroom goods such as mattresses and duvets, but has since branched out to all manner of household goods. It is Denmark’s largest retailer operating internationally. Danish Supermarket Ltd. is Denmark’s largest retailer and owns several chains of retail stores (Netto, Føtex, Bilka, and Salling). Arla Foods, Scandinavia’s biggest dairy producer and owner of several international brands, has its headquarters in the Viby district of Aarhus. All of these businesses have Kindred associated with them at some level, skimming off money through their involvement. When it comes to industry, Aarhus has, like most big cities in Denmark, seen a decline. However, old industrial areas are currently being transformed, all of them with a great deal of Kindred interest, both in

Denmark by Night

terms of making money, procuring blood, and establishing havens. The former docklands are being converted to a new mixed-use district, and the site of the former Royal Unibrew Ceres breweries is being redeveloped into a residential district with educational institutions. The former DSB repair facilities are being developed into a new business district with high-rise buildings; the main bus terminal is planned to be moved to the central railway station by 2018, and the current site will be made into a new residential district. Aarhus has some of Denmark’s top tourist attractions, among them The Old Town, Tivoli Friheden, and ARoS. The Old Town contains 75 buildings from various points in Danish history, from the 16th century all the way to the very early 20th century, with the museum dedicated to displaying the town life of historical Denmark. Although the museum draws in almost 500,000 visitors every year, most Kindred of Denmark loathe it and refuse to set foot there, while younger vampires from all over Denmark sometimes enjoy going in after dark to “play Elders.” Tivoli Friheden (literally meaning Tivoli The Liberty) is an amusement park in Aarhus. It draws in numerous guests each year, but due to the park closing relatively early during the summer season, no Kindred uses it for hunting grounds. ARoS is an art museum, originally established in 1858, making it the oldest public art museum in Denmark outside of Copenhagen. In 2004, it opened in new, modern buildings somewhat influenced by local Kindred and since then, it has been the city’s main Elysium. It is one of the largest art museums in northern Europe. Another popular Elysium site is the Moesgård Museum, which focuses on ethnography and archaeology. Moesgård contains the Grauballe Man, the world’s best-preserved bog body, large ritual weapon caches from the Iron Age, and seven local rune stones. Copenhagen University may be Denmark’s oldest university, but Aarhus University is the largest, and the influx of students is quite a boon to local Kindred. Several Kindred also hold some form of influence over various parts of the university. In addition to Aarhus University, the city also has the INCUBA Science Park, a research park with four departments in Skejby, Katrinebjerg, Aarhus University, and Aarhus Docklands. It focuses on IT and biomedical research and

on the cooperation between the researchers and corporations. Aarhus is also home to Gellerupparken, the most infamous so-called immigrant ghetto in Denmark. It is a housing project mainly inhabited by immigrants and the descendants of immigrants, usually from the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan. There is an enormous amount of ethnic tension and lots of crime and violence in the area, and many politicians and pundits point to Gellerupparken as an example of the folly of trying to integrate Muslim immigrants into Denmark. While the area’s poverty, violence, and distrust of official interference should make it a prime hunting ground for vampires, most of the Kindred of Aarhus avoid the place, unless they can use Obfuscate to resemble someone not ethnically Danish. Esbjerg is the second-largest city in the domain of Southern Jutland and, depending on how you define population, either the fifth- or sixth-largest city in Denmark, with just under 100,000 inhabitants. The city is also one of the youngest big cities in Denmark, having been founded in 1868. Esbjerg owes its very existence as a city to Denmark’s loss in the War of 1864. When Denmark lost all of Schleswig-Holstein, it also lost the most important North Sea port: Altona. A new harbor was needed and the area that would become Esbjerg was chosen. The port opened in 1874, and the city was designed from the ground up with a city grid. A railway connected the harbor with nearby cities and Esbjerg began growing rapidly. Unsurprisingly, several Kindred of southern Jutland had interests in the establishment and building of the port and the city, but none originally moved there. This all changed in the 1970s. While fishing, shipping, ferry service to England, and industry had all been established at the Esbjerg port, the city did not yet have the resources to attract permanent Kindred residents. And then, oil was found in the North Sea and almost overnight, Esbjerg became a boom town. The city’s location made it perfect as the center for Denmark’s offshore oil drilling, and both wealth and workers began flowing through Esbjerg. The Kindred of Denmark could not ignore this wealth, but Esbjerg still hadn’t grown to the point where it could properly support numerous vampires. But Kindred still moved there and began subtly shaping Esbjerg. Today it is, per capita, one of the most violent and criminal cities in Denmark, with a lot of drug use, prostitution, and drinking. The offshore workers coming back from the

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

oil rigs in the North Sea need to blow off steam, and the vampires that influence Esbjerg are more than happy to perpetuate a night-time climate of excess, violence, and crime. No Kindred has yet claimed the title of Prince of Esbjerg, and it would be interesting to see what would happen if anyone tried. The Kindred that make their havens in Esbjerg have become infected with the very attitude they have fostered in the city and are exceptionally pugnacious. Esbjerg was created as a city of industry and continues to be one today, with the port being a focus for import, export, and offshore industry. Fishing has almost completely disappeared and cheap air travel killed off the ferry service to England. While there are cultural institutions in Esbjerg and branches of the University of Southern Denmark and Aalborg University have been established, Kindred in Denmark focus almost solely on the wealth of the industry and business. South of Esbjerg lies Ribe, Denmark’s oldest town and, at one time, the biggest and richest city in the country. Today, it is a shadow of its former self, overshadowed by Esbjerg, though it’s still the capital of the Ribe Municipality and the seat of the municipality administration. Archeologists have been able to prove that Ribe has been inhabited since at least the year 710, and it is likely that people have lived here for even longer, as the Ribe River forms a fertile landscape with a good, natural harbor. Around 860, the first Christian church in Scandinavia was built in Ribe. This was later expanded into the first cathedral in Scandinavia and that cathedral, heavily rebuilt over the years, still stands in the center of Ribe. The cathedral’s age means that the entire structure has an intrinsic True Faith of 1, while the interior of the building has a True Faith of 2. Ribe Cathedral School dates back to 1154 and is still a place of learning, a gymnasium, making it Scandinavia’s oldest continuous educational institution. Ribe is also home to numerous other historical buildings, including Denmark’s oldest town hall (now a museum) and Saint Catharinæ Church and Monastery. In addition, Ribe has a Viking museum and a Living Viking Village. Kindred are drawn to Ribe because of its age — there are numerous historical secrets located throughout the city and its environs, as well as places of mystery and power dating back to the Viking Age and even before. Kindred of a mystic bent are constantly hoping for

some ancient artifact to be uncovered. The city itself is too small to support a single vampire, even with all the tourists that come through, yet a lone Malkavian named Erik Runemaster is recognized as the Prince of Ribe, and all Kindred who wish to visit must pay their respects and gain his permission. Like Ribe, the village of Jelling was once an important city; in fact, it was the royal seat of the first Danish monarch. Today, it is known for its historical sites: a large stone ship, two large burial mounds, the Jelling stones, and Jelling Church. The Jelling stones are two massive runestones. The bigger and younger of the stones bears the inscription: "King Haraldr ordered this monument made in memory of Gormr, his father, and in memory of Thyrvé, his mother; that Haraldr who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian." This is the first time the name Denmark is mentioned in writing; the stone is often called Denmark’s Birth Certificate and names Gorm the Elder as the first king of Denmark. The two stones are the focus of a massive amount of national pride and belief and radiate a True Faith of 4. Haderslev is yet another old town in Denmark that has been reduced in size and importance over time. In modern times, it is only really notable for containing one of Denmark’s cathedrals, which dates from the 13th century. The cathedral was a hotbed of Reformation ideas and has a True Faith rating of 1, with the altar having a rating of 2. The city of Kolding, centered around the former royal castle of Koldinghus, has in recent years become an almost aggressively expansionistic city. The city administration has chosen to focus heavily on attracting businesses and education to the area with a great deal of success and this has not gone unnoticed by Denmark’s Kindred. So far, only a single Ventrue has any real influence in the city, but that is likely to change. Herning, one of the northernmost cities of the domain, is a young city, founded in the beginning of the 19th century. Today, its main attraction both for mortals and Kindred is Messecenter Herning, the largest fair and exhibition center in Denmark, which includes Jyske Bank Boxen, an indoor arena. In addition to trade shows, the complex hosts sporting events, theatrical performances, and concerts. For the last several years, the huge international names that have played Denmark performed in Jyske Bank Boxen rather than

Denmark by Night

in a venue in Copenhagen, drawing in huge crowds and plenty of attention and prestige. In the western part of Aarhus lies the headquarters of Per Aarsleff A/S, a civil engineering and construction company, and of Europe’s main civil engineering firms. Since its founding in 1947, this company has been involved in almost all major and several minor construction projects around Denmark and has thus been of great interest to the Kindred of Denmark. The Prince of Aarhus has a major amount of influence upon the company and uses this to create secret areas in many of the structures built by the company. The company also does a lot of work outside of Denmark, especially in northern Europe and Britain. The Prince has gained a number of favors from powerful vampires outside of Denmark by letting them use his influence and the expertise of various people associated with the company. The small town of Billund is pretty much unknown outside of Denmark. Not so the company that was founded, and still has its headquarters, in the town. LEGO started out making wooden toys, but it was when they shifted to plastic and invented the interlocking brick that they became an international success. Today, Billund has an airport courtesy of LEGO and the original LEGOland is a major tourist attraction. During the high season, LEGOland and Billund itself become good feeding grounds for Kindred. Bunker 7 (also called the Finderup Bunker), located west of Viborg, was a NATO bunker designed to operate as a command headquarters for Baltic air operations in time of war. It was closed down in 2004, and supposedly, the doors were sealed with concrete, leaving big equipment such as generators behind. Despite Bunker 7 being in the domain of Northern Jutland. The Prince of Aalborg allowed this particular area to come under the aegis of Southern Jutland, at the price of quite a boon from the Prince of Aarhus. Unknown to mortals, several influential Kindred sabotaged the sealing process and the bunker is now a secret meeting place for Kindred in Southern Jutland where they need not worry about acting like vampires — and it’s a fallback location that can easily be defended in case of an attack by the Sabbat.

Domain of Northern Jutland Capital: Aalborg Lady: Julia Marianus Sabinius of Clan Toreador Domain: The northern half of the Jutland peninsula. Mortal Population: 1.3 million Kindred Population: 15 Northern Jutland is the only domain not ruled by a Danish Kindred — the domain’s Lady won her place by coming to Ragnhild’s aid when the Prince called for allies in the battle against the Sabbat in the early 19th century. Aalborg’s former Prince and Lord of Northern Jutland, a Ventrue by the name of Rolf Silverhands, was sent into torpor and Prince Ragnhild granted Northern Jutland to Julia, to keep until Rolf awakens. Aalborg was a thriving Viking settlement and was a town even before the Viking Age. It was granted trading privileges in 1342, a natural step considering Aalborg’s strategic placement on the Limfjord body of water. Today, it is Denmark’s fourth-largest city, with a population of around 115,000. Aalborg lies on the narrowest point of the Limfjord and controls all three permanent links between Vendsyssel (the area north of the Limfjord, which has been an island ever since the ocean broke through the western end of the fjord in 1825, turning it into a strait): the railway bridge, the motorway bridge, and the motorway tunnel. Aalborg’s placement made it a wealthy and important trading port, especially for the trade with Norway. However, a few setbacks in the 19th century saw Aalborg overtaken by Aarhus as the biggest city in Jutland and later, Odense would edge Aalborg out as Denmark’s third-largest city. Just across the bridge lies the city of Nørre Sundby, which is technically its own city, but is for most practical purposes a part of Aalborg. Aalborg has one of Denmark’s cathedrals, St. Budolfi Church, built in the last decades of the 14th century over and around the original St. Budolfi Church. When the Reformation hit Denmark, a Catholic peasant revolt ensured that the north of Jutland remained Catholic much longer than the rest of Denmark. The inside of the cathedral has a True Faith rating of 1, while the crypt containing the founding stones of the original St. Budolfi Church has a rating of 2.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Like so many other cities in Denmark, industry has taken a backseat to service and education, but Aalborg still has some big companies. Telenor Denmark, a branch of the Norwegian Telenor telecommunications and mobile phone company, is one of the city’s biggest employers, and Siemens Wind Power maintains the world’s largest research test center for wind-turbine technology. De Danske Spritfabrikker is the world’s largest producer of aquavit spirits, Aalborg Industries is the world's largest manufacturer of marine boilers, and Aalborg Portland is the world’s largest supplier of white cement. The Port of Aalborg continues to be an important industrial harbor and center for shipping. Aalborghus Castle was built in the 16th century as fortress, but it soon became the seat of the king's provincial governors in Northern Jutland. It is now partly a museum open to the public and partly the seat of the Government Administration Headquarters in Northern Jutland. An ancient tunnel network runs under the castle, which once connected it to two convents (one on the other side of the Limfjord), two churches, and an ancient bridge. None of the other buildings still stand and much of the network has collapsed. To mortals, these tunnels are a legend, a fairy tale of secret ways built by trolls or a mystic society. To Kindred, they are a meeting place. The basements under Aalborghus, expanded and modernized, are still used as an Elysium from time to time and the tunnels have secret exits throughout the city, known only to Kindred. Interestingly, not even the oldest vampires in Aalborg know who originally dug the tunnels. Another Elysium is the Old City Hall, dating back to 1762. The rococo mansion is owned by the Aalborg Municipality and is used for weddings and representative affairs by mortals. Jomfru Ane Gade is perhaps the most ironicallynamed street in all of Denmark. The name means Virgin Anne’s Street, and it is undoubtedly the most famous party street in the country, lined with bars and clubs. Jomfru Ane Gade itself has mainstream clubs and restaurants, while side streets offer more alternative places. While Friday and Saturday are certainly peak party hours, the street draws people all week, especially in the warmer months and it is the prime hunting ground in all of Northern Jutland. The entire street is an Elysium and the personal domain of the Prince of Aalborg, though all recognized Kindred have

permission to hunt there. However, any misconduct is severely punished. Aalborg Carnival at the end of May is the biggest in Scandinavia and one of the biggest in northern Europe, attracting as many as 100,000 visitors, while Hjallerup Market in Hjallerup (20 kilometers northeast of Aalborg) is the largest horse market in Europe. It kicks off in the beginning of June and draws in around 200,000 people. Of final interest to Kindred are the Lindholm Hills to the north of Aalborg. This area is full of burial mounds and other burial sites, some from the Viking Age, others dating back to earlier times. Many of the burial sites are not, as of yet, excavated by archaeologists and are likely to contain great treasures. However, vengeful ghosts haunt the Hills and there are rumors of draugr, walking corpses that dwell in their burial mounds and guard the treasures within. Kindred from the Viking Age remember the draugr, and while they may doubt the magic that created them has survived the centuries, it is a risk to take. Viborg shares a number of traits with Ribe in the south; it is one of Denmark’s oldest cities and the site of a cathedral, but unlike Ribe, Viborg still maintains some of its former glory. Once the city where kings of Denmark were crowned, it is now the capitol of Region Midtjylland and the seat of the Western High Court. Like Ribe, Kindred are drawn to Viborg for its age and connections to a bygone era, but there is also the political power of the High Court and the administration for Region Midtjylland. Viborg Cathedral, originally built in 1150, burned down several times and lost most of its True Faith. However, Viborg was the city where Hans Tausen preached Lutheranism and became the wellspring of the Reformation in Denmark. While Tausen was transferred to Copenhagen by order of the king to serve as the king’s personal chaplain, his influence still lingers. Viborg Cathedral has a True Faith rating of 2 — the original church in which Tausen preached is no more, but the spirit of his belief lingers on in Viborg’s cathedral. In addition to its history, Apple is currently establishing a massive data center just outside the city, a huge investment of money that will not only create jobs, but also bring resources to the city. The city of Randers, with its 63,000 inhabitants, is nothing special, except as the city where Gerhardt III of Holstein, de facto ruler of much of Denmark in the early 14th century, was killed by Danish rebels. How-

Denmark by Night

ever, it is also where the headquarters of Danish Crown AmbA lies. Danish Crown is a food-processing company mainly dealing in meat, with lots of abattoirs around the country. It is Europe’s largest porkprocessing company and Denmark’s single largest agricultural exporter. The potential for money alone is enough to arouse Kindred interest, but the company has access to a staggering amount of animal blood. This potential was realized by an enterprising Nosferatu in the 1970s, when meat-processing firms in Denmark started merging, and she now holds the company as her domain. This allows her to supply animal blood to those Kindred who are willing to drink such low-quality vitae. REGAN Vest is a nuclear-proof bunker that sits 60 meters below Rold Forest in the southeastern part of this domain. Originally designed to house parts of the government, state administration, and royal family as a civilian facility in case of a military attack on Denmark, it was decommissioned in 2012. Since then, the bunker has officially been investigated for use as some kind of museum or tourist attraction by the North Jutlandic Historical Museum. However, the process is being stalled by the powerful Kindred of

North Jutland, who use the bunker complex in the same way as Bunker 7 in Southern Jutland. Throughout Northern Jutland, there are several places where limestone and chalk have been mined in naturally occurring caves. Mønsted Limestone Mines are the world’s largest, with over 60 km. of tunnels. Daugbjerg, Denmark’s oldest chalk mine, is famous for allegedly being one of the bases of operations for the legendary Danish outlaw Jens Longknife. And Tingbæk chalk mine, the youngest, has an exhibition of sculptures. Common to all these mines is that they are currently privately owned, partially opened to the public as tourist attractions, and parts of them are used to mature cheese and sometimes beer. Also, Kindred, especially of the Clans Gangrel and Nosferatu, have long used these mines, carved from some of the only large, natural caves in Denmark, as hiding places from the sun. To this night, all three mines are the domains of Kindred.

Chapter One: Denmark by Night

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night “Before I die I'll stroll through the city one last time That should be my last, modest wish 'll walk on my feet through my city Through Copenhagen” — Dan Turéll, Through the city one last time

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark. With a metropolitan population of just over 2 million, it is the second-largest city in Scandinavia and almost 2/5ths of all Danes live in the greater Copenhagen area. It is the home of the Danish monarch and the Danish parliament, as well as most of Denmark’s most famous landmarks and institutions. For the Kindred of Denmark, it is the seat of the Prince of Denmark and the unquestioned center of power for the Domain of Denmark. Founded as the result of a civil war that unified the country, Copenhagen is relatively young for a European capital, but it has managed to grow in size, importance and fame throughout more than 800 years of history. Today, it is a vibrant and multicultural metropolitan city, though like large cities, it has a shadow side, a dark underbelly where monsters, both mortal and otherwise, lurk.

History Despite Copenhagen’s relative youth, the city still has a long and interesting story, culminating in the modern metropolis of today.

The Founding Tradition hold that the city of Copenhagen was founded by Bishop Absalon of Roskilde in the year 1167, on the behest of his foster-brother, King Valdemar I the Great. Absalon realized that, with Denmark united after the civil war that put Valdemar on the throne, the country needed a single capital and that locating it where it could control the Øresund would allow the king easy access to the wealth provided by the Øresund toll. Absalon chose the location of the small fishing town of Havn and built upon it, creating both a harbor big enough for ocean-going ships and building a castle for

Denmark by Night

himself. He named his new city Købmannahavn, The Harbor of Merchants. Archaeological studies in the 20th century somewhat contradicts this legend. Records show that Havn was already a growing and important town when Valdemar gave the city to Absalon to rule as his own around 1160. There can be no doubt, however, that Absalon was responsible for making the town an important city and a capital worthy of the kings of Denmark. The city’s population increased tenfold in a single year and the extended harbor allowed for huge profits to be made off the herring fishing in the Baltic.

Absalon Foster brother to the king, Bishop of Roskilde, Archbishop of Lund, founder of Copenhagen, warrior, patrician, and politician. Absalon is an almost mythical figure in Danish history. What is known is that he was born around 1128 as the son of Asser Rig, one of the highest-ranking members of the Hvide clan. He grew up alongside the young Valdemar and in his youth, he traveled to Paris to study theology. He returned to council his foster brother during the Danish civil war and remained his foremost advisor during Valdemar I’s reign. He encouraged the Danish crusades against the Wends in northern Germany, led troops and ships in battle and fought in those battles himself. He was Bishop of Roskilde and was later made Archbishop of Lund. With special papal dispensation, he remained Bishop of Roskilde at the same time. Absalon was a very harsh, but extremely effective, ruler and a strong supporter of the Pope and papal authority. When Valdemar died, Absalon continued to serve his son as advisor and chief policy maker. Absalon died at the age of 73, leaving a lasting mark on Denmark. He has a statue in central Copenhagen near the Danish parliament which shows him mounted, armored and wielding an axe.

At the time of Valdemar’s ascension, the Ventrue Gunnarr Mark was Prince of Roskilde, the capital of Zealand. When Copenhagen grew in size, prosperity and importance, Gunnarr sent his childe, Agnete, to establish herself there. Using his skill at politics and manipulation, the centralization of power in Denmark around Roskilde and Copenhagen and his position within those two cities, Gunnarr slowly but surely

expanded his reach to become Prince of Denmark. He wisely allowed the princes of other cities to maintain a large amount of autonomy, but by the death of King Valdermar II the Victorious in 1241, Gunnarr’s lordship over Denmark could not be denied. At this point, Gunnarr moved from Roskilde to Copenhagen and became the Prince of Copenhagen along with the de facto vampire ruler of Denmark. Roskilde became a choice prize among the powerful vampires of Denmark, whose political battles to become Prince of Roskilde kept them from challenging Gunnarr’s rule. Eventually, Roskilde was taken over by the Gangrel Ragnar Silver-Tongue. Ironically, Ragnar later moved to Copenhagen and allowed Agnete to become Prince of Roskilde.

Growth and Destruction While Copenhagen was becoming an established city, Roskilde and Lund continued to be larger and more important — both cities had cathedrals and a history going back centuries. However, the attention of the Bishop of Roskilde and Copenhagen’s status as the de facto capital of Denmark (though, throughout the Middle Ages, the term capital meant less than it does today) slowly and surely increased the wealth, population and prestige of the city.

Copenhagen’s increasing importance was underlined by the fact that in the year 1200, the city’s first cathedral, the Church of Our Lady, was ready for use. Throughout the 13th century, more ecclesiastical

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

buildings were added and by the dawn of the 14th century, Copenhagen had four churches (Our Lady, St. Peter’s, St. Clemen’s and St. Nicholas), as well as two monasteries (the Grayfriars’ and the Augustinian House of the Holy Ghost). The 13th century was also a time of unrest in Denmark. In 1245, Erik IV Ploughpenny took control of Copenhagen, displacing the bishopric of Roskilde as the ruler of the city. This stemmed from a conflict Erik had with the Catholic Church, as the king wanted to tax the church. Unfortunately for Copenhagen, Erik went to war against his brother Abel, who gained the support of the nascent Hanseatic League, specifically Lübeck. While Abel’s troops fought in Jutland and on Funen, the Lübeckers attacked and burned down Copenhagen, igniting what would become a centuries-long feud between Denmark and the Hanseatic League, with Copenhagen and Lübeck being the central parties. The troubled times also led to Copenhagen becoming only the second Danish city, after Kalundborg, to exchange its earth ramparts with a stone wall and towers. From then on and until the middle of the 19th century, when Copenhagen opened up its walls, all traffic entering and leaving Copenhagen had to pass through one of the four city gates or the harbor. While the four gates are now gone, three of them lent their names to three of the most important stations on the S-train line; Østerport, Vesterport and Nørreport. In 1251, Copenhagen returned to the control of the Roskilde bishopric and while it received town privileges in 1254, ensuring stable laws and regulations, these privileges also contained statutes that tied the citizens even closer to the bishop. The unrest of Denmark continued and Copenhagen found itself besieged and sacked on a number of occasions. However, after the interregnum of 1332 — 1340, Valdermar IV Atterdag received the city from Count Johan of Holsten and in 1341, the king became lord of the city. This lent some stability to the city. Sadly, this was not to last — in 1368, Copenhagen was sacked again by the Hanseatic League and almost burned to the ground. It would be decades before the city would truly rise from the ashes. In 1375, the city was given back to the Roskilde bishopric, but Eric VII of Pomerania took it for the crown one last time in 1416. Unfortunately, Denmark’s problems with the Hanseatic League led to Copenhagen being attacked in both 1427 and 1428

and although the city was not taken, there were great losses. The final nail in the coffin for the Bishop of Roskilde’s claim to Copenhagen came in 1443, when Christopher III of Bavaria made Copenhagen a permanent royal residence and greatly expanded the trading rights of the city. This would lead to Copenhagen finally becoming the largest and most important city in the kingdom, eclipsing even Roskilde, Lund and Ribe. In 1479, Copenhagen University, the first university in Denmark, was founded, bringing learning and education to the city, alongside the first members of Clan Tremere to reside in Denmark. The final cementation of Copenhagen as the most powerful city in the realm happened in the early 16th century. In 1510, King Hans founded the Royal Danish Shipyards on a small islet in the Øresund, and later Christian II expanded the trade of the city and allowed Dutchmen to settle on the island of Amager. In fact, Christian II did so much good for Copenhagen that the city remained faithful to him when his son, Frederik I, allied with the Danish nobility to overthrow Christian, leading to an 8 month siege in 1523 — 24. The city finally fell to Frederik I, who took possession and added significantly to the city’s defenses. For Gunnarr, the troubles were a mere annoyance — he, as well as most of the other vampires in and around Copenhagen, took the long view. The establishment of town rights, trading charters, the university and the shipyards all played into the hands of the Kindred that drew their power and wealth from the city. Gunnarr deftly developed whatever contacts were needed to influence whomever held dominion over Copenhagen at a given time, though he did throw a lot of weight behind Copenhagen becoming the official capital and permanent royal residence. When this happened, Gunnarr’s position as Prince of Denmark was ensured. Although Copenhagen was a relatively small city throughout these times, never going far above 5,000 permanent residents, it still attracted a fair number of vampires. By virtue of being Denmark’s capital and being a busy and important port, Copenhagen had a large transient population and every year, people came from all over Denmark looking to make a living in the capital — many of whom ended up as poor outcasts, living on the street. For the Kindred of Copenhagen, blood was never all that hard to find.

Denmark by Night

Changing Times

modern approach to building and architecture delighted Clan Toreador and Brujah.

In 1536, the Reformation swept through Denmark, changing the nation forever. However, even before that fateful year, Copenhagen had felt the winds of change. In 1529, Hans Tausen (see page 14) preached Reformation in the Church of Our Lady. 1530 saw public debates between Catholics and Protestants, as well as the temporary closing of the Catholic-run university. Also in 1530, a mob led by Copenhagen’s mayor broke into the Church of Our Lady and smashed the religious icons.

However, the Kindred of Denmark would soon sour on Christian IV. While he had done well during the Kalmar War against Sweden, his attempt to interfere in the Thirty Years’ War led to a resounding defeat. He raised the Sound Dues in the Øresund, earning the enmity of especially the Dutch merchants, and kept antagonizing Sweden, at this point a more powerful nation than Denmark. The Torstenson War against allied Dutch and Swedish forces led to the loss of several Danish provinces. While Copenhagen managed to avoid attack during this time, Christian IV left the country in deep debt.

Copenhagen was staunchly pro-Reformation, leading to the city coming under siege for a whole year in 1535 — 36. After widespread famine, Copenhagen surrendered, though by this time, the Reformation was unstoppable. King Christian III proclaimed the dismantling of the Roman Catholic Church in Denmark at a huge gathering in the Old Market Square in Copenhagen. In 1537, Copenhagen University was reopened, this time under a more secular governance. As much as the Reformation affected Denmark, Copenhagen’s biggest change came under Christian III’s grandson, King Christian IV, who took the throne in 1596. Christian IV had big plans for both the country and his capital city. He wanted to make Copenhagen the economic, military, religious, and cultural center for the whole of the Nordic region. In order to achieve this, Christian IV greatly expanded first the harbor of Copenhagen and then the land inside the walls, doubling the city’s area in the process. The king also established the first trading companies with sole rights to trade with lands overseas. In order to restrict imports, factories were set up so that as many goods as possible could be manufactured at home. Christian IV also brought in German and Dutch architects and craftsmen, which gave Copenhagen a very modern look for the times. Many of the buildings that Christian IV commissioned are now famous Copenhagen landmarks. For the Kindred of the city, Christian IV first seemed the perfect king. The expansion of the harbor and the city area brought in numerous new feeding opportunities and thrilled Clan Nosferatu, who influenced the creation of several underground chambers and tunnels. The focus on trade brought wealth to those Kindred clever enough to exploit it. And the

Early on, Christian’s son, Frederik III, fared little better. The Dano-Swedish War of 1657 — 58 led to Denmark losing the provinces of Scania, Halland, and Blekinge, relegating Copenhagen to a position at the edge of the Kingdom. Even worse, during the second Dano-Swedish War, Copenhagen was besieged and the areas outside the fortifications burned to the ground. Frederik promised the city’s citizen numerous privileges, effectively putting them on equal footing with the nobility, if they would fight for him. Fortunately for Copenhagen, several other European nations were becoming uneasy with Sweden’s rising power and came to the city’s aid, allowing it to endure the siege. Peace was declared in 1660, after Copenhagen had withstood almost two years of siege. During the battles and, especially, the siege, Copenhagen’s Kindred suffered and Gunnarr’s power over Denmark started slipping. He even lost his favored childe, Agnete, at the time Prince of Roskilde, who fell to a small coalition of Kindred trying to oust Gunnarr from power. It was only the support of such powerful Kindred as Ragnar Silver-Tongue and Ragnhild the Just that he managed to emerge with some semblance of dominance.

Arrival of Ragnhild The Ventrue Ragnhild the Just arrived in Copenhagen in 1644 and presented herself to the Prince. Though of similar age and closeness to the Clan founder, Ragnhild had spent centuries in torpor and readily accepted Gunnarr as her superior. For his part, Gunnarr remembered Ragnhild from their shared time in Roskilde. Due to the support she granted him, Gunnarr made her his seneschal in 1674.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

The King’s City After the siege had been lifted, King Frederik III used the support of the citizens to break the nobility and introduce absolute monarchy. In order to facilitate this change, the King established a legislature for the priests and citizens in Copenhagen. Soon, common citizens were equal to the nobility in terms of laws and privileges, within the city of Copenhagen. In order to further fortify his city, Frederik III finished The Citadel, a star fortress whose construction had started under his father. Frederik also incorporated the neighborhood of Christianshavn into Copenhagen in 1674. With this expansion, Copenhagen’s population rose to an estimated 40,000 people.

Restructuring The peace and population explosion towards the end of the 17th century led to a new surge in the amount of Kindred that made their home in Copenhagen. Gunnarr decided that this was the time to do a major restructuring of how he ruled the city. He made Ragnhild the Just his seneschal and put her in charge of the practical side of this restructuring. Gunnarr’s first act was to establish a Primogen council with firm rules and a regular meeting schedule. This council contained a representative from the Brujah, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue clan, as well as a single Kindred representing the “lesser Clans”, as Gunnarr put it. He also gave the Sheriff the power to appoint a Hound, established a number of Elysiums and modernized the laws of his domain.

Gains and losses In 1700, the Great Northern War was kicked off when a united English, Dutch, and Swedish fleet bombarded Copenhagen, though without doing any significant damage. Denmark withdrew from the War for a few years, before entering again. The battles never really touched Copenhagen, which continued to be the center of Danish rule. In fact, for the Kindred of Copenhagen, the war was a boon, as it was decided to expand the fortification of Copenhagen, putting even more land inside the walls. However, Denmark and Copenhagen lost big during the peace negotiations. Tired of Danish dominance of the Øresund, the European nations that brokered the peace between Denmark and Sweden insisted that Sweden keep all provinces east of the

Øresund, ensuring that Denmark could never again dominate maritime traffic between the Baltic and the North Sea. Copenhagen would never again lie surrounded by Denmark on all sides, but rather be on the extreme east cost of the country. While plague swept the city during the Great Northern War, killing an estimated 1/3rd of the city’s population, the Kindred did not suffer want for long. After the war, Copenhagen recovered with amazing speed and in 1767, the population had reached 80,000. Fire was the biggest problem in these years, both for mortals and Kindred. In 1728 about 2/5ths of Copenhagen burned down, including the Church of Our Lady and the university library. In 1794, the relatively new Christiansborg Palace burned down (it was rebuilt in 1828, and then burned down again in 1884) and the next year, the western part of Copenhagen was in flames. Some Kindred met their Final Death during these fires, either by accident or at the hands of enemies exploiting the situation, while others profited from the rebuilding efforts. However, not even plague and fires could dampen Copenhagen’s rapid growth during the latter half of the 18th century. After the Great Northern War, Denmark stayed neutral in all European conflicts and trade flourished, allowing Denmark to build one of the biggest fleets in the world at that time. Art and culture flourished alongside trade, and people from the countryside flooded to Copenhagen seeking a better life. The 1801 census revealed that around 100,000 people lived in Copenhagen. During this time, the Kindred population of Copenhagen grew as well, both as the result of new Embraces and due to vampires from elsewhere settling in the rapidly growing metropolis. Gunnarr strengthened his position as Prince of Denmark, though his conservative opposition to the liberal reforms sweeping through Denmark in the 18th century earned him a number of enemies.

The Fall Denmark’s neutrality was not to last, as Britain dragged the country into the Napoleonic War. In 1801, Copenhagen was besieged, but not attacked, while Lord Nelson led a British attack against the Danish fleet anchored just off the city. However, it was the attack in 1807 that truly made its mark on Copenhagen. The British bombarded the city, target-

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ing the civilian population, seized the Danish fleet and surrounded Copenhagen. In the end, most of the city was destroyed. The result was a period of widespread poverty throughout the capital. As much as the British attack changed the city for mortals, it had even greater ramifications in the world of the Kindred. During the bombardment, Gunnarr’s haven was hit by a rocket and set on fire. His ghouls managed to save the prince from Final Death, but not from Torpor. In the wake of this, a political crisis loomed — the powerful Kindred of Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark moved to put themselves in a position to challenge for the throne of Copenhagen and Denmark. However, Ragnhild the Just, seneschal to Prince Gunnarr, moved even faster. She struck deals with a few powerful elders and called on alliances made in secret during her tenure to establish herself as not only the Prince, but also a stabilizing executive power in a time of unrest.

Clan Brujah drew strength from the philosophy and from the political reforms. In 1840, Copenhagen was granted a new municipal constitution and in 1857, the municipal council was established, giving publicly elected officials as much power as state employed civil servants. And 9 years before, in 1848, Copenhagen had played host to the demonstrations that led to the fall of the absolute monarchy and the first steps towards making Denmark a democratic nation.

A Modern City In 1847, Denmark’s second railway line opened between Copenhagen and Roskilde, with a stop at Valby to allow the inhabitants of Copenhagen to take Sunday picnic trips to Frederiksberg. To the Kindred of Copenhagen, this signaled the beginning of an expansion of the city’s territory that would continue until the modern nights.

At first, it seemed Ragnhild would kick off a Kindred civil war — especially since she declared that she was not stepping in as a temporary Prince, but taking over Gunnarr’s position for good. However, calmer tempers prevailed and within a few months, Ragnhild was the undisputed Kindred ruler of Denmark. As soon as she felt her position secure, Ragnhild made her own mark on the power structure of Copenhagen, She changed the way the Primogen worked and rewrote some of Gunnarr’s laws, but left most of her predecessor’s work intact. Her changes to the country as a whole were more far-reaching. Unlike Gunnarr, Ragnhild did not want to allow the Sabbat to remain in Denmark and she called a crusade against them. Interestingly, the poverty that swept through Copenhagen in the years following the British attack helped Ragnhild in securing her reign — with more disenfranchised and ignored people, Kindred had an easier time feeding. While the general population of Copenhagen experienced widespread poverty, the city as a whole saw a flourishing of art and culture in these years, as the European ideals of Romanticism reached the Danish capital. Copenhagen was the home of writer H.C. Andersen, philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, and painter C.W. Eckersberg, just to name a few. This was a heyday for Clans Toreador and Brujah; while Clan Toreador reveled in the arts,

People poured into Copenhagen from the countryside, lured by the promise of work in the factories, workshops and shipyards of the capital. Due to the confines of the city walls, the result was extreme overcrowding — in 1860, the census estimated around 155,000 citizens in Copenhagen. In 1853, an outbreak of cholera killed almost 5,000 people (and caused a fair amount of trouble with regards to feeding). Coupled with advances in artillery, it became clear that the walls and fortifications of Copenhagen no longer served any real purpose.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

The Walls Come Down

Frederiksberg

In 1856, Nørreport (the North Gate) was torn down and the city moved beyond the walls, with the other three gates coming down the year after. While the walls themselves weren’t fully removed until the turn of the century, it did not stop the city from experiencing explosive growth. New neighborhoods sprung up, old neighborhoods expanded and eventually, villages that had surrounded Copenhagen were absorbed into the greater metropolitan area. Later, when the walls were being removed, some parts of the fortifications also became new neighborhoods, while others were turned into public parks. The population of the city swelled with the new areas, resulting in a population of 500,000 people at the start of the 20th century.

In the first half of the 19th century, Frederiksberg was a village outside Copenhagen and a favored place for the citizens of the capital to visit to get away from the cramped and smelly condition of the big city. Green areas and parks were complimented by small restaurants, some of which still exist today.

The Battle on the Commons In 1872, workers in Copenhagen had begun fighting for better working conditions and rights, including the right to vote. A bricklayers’ and workmen’s strike begun in April seemed to have little effect, so the leaders of the International Workingmen's Association called for a meeting on the North Commons outside the city proper on May 5th. When Copenhagen’s chief of police learned of the meeting, he illegally arrested the three socialist leaders. Far from stopping the meeting, it actually escalated to conflict, leading to a violent confrontation between the workers and police, backed up by mounted soldiers. After the Battle, the government sentenced the socialist leaders to three years of prison and outlawed the International Workingmen's Association. However, unions were still formed and in 1878, The Social Democratic Party was formed to ensure the political representation of the workers.

For the Kindred of Copenhagen, the expansion beyond the walls was an obvious boon. The definition of the Domain of Copenhagen expanded, as did feeding opportunities and the possibility for new areas of influence. In the decades following the removal of the wall borders, numerous new Kindred entered Copenhagen, either as new Embraces or outsiders moving to the capital.

When Copenhagen broke through its walls and started absorbing the surrounding villages, Frederiksberg remained independent. In 1857, Frederiksberg became its own municipality under Copenhagen County, due to several politicians with connections to Frederiksberg agitating for it in the parliament. Eventually, Frederiksberg was completely surrounded by the greater metropolitan area of Copenhagen.

Industrialization and Growth With the rapid growth of Copenhagen came even more opportunities for industry and from 1860, numerous factories and corporations sprung up, especially in the newly-opened areas.

Opportunities for work drew in more people and Copenhagen continued to expand its territory — at the start of the 20th century, several parishes and municipalities became part of the Copenhagen metropolitan area. Once again, the Kindred of Copenhagen exploited the new opportunities, establishing new domains and herds and sinking their fangs into the big industries and growing corporations. While Denmark remained neutral during World War one, the city did suffer, due to shortages and the

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1918 flu pandemic. After World War One, the constant stream of people moving to Copenhagen caused a housing crisis — exacerbated by several of Copenhagen’s Kindred, who used their business contacts to prevent affordable housing from being built for several years. While this ensured a good deal of feeding opportunities, it also led to widespread unrest and eventually, new, cheap apartment blocks were raised. During World War Two, Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. As Copenhagen was the capital, the Nazis naturally focused a lot of their forces here. King Christian X rallied the population by not stopping his daily carriage rides through the city despite the occupation and as in the rest of Denmark, sabotage ramped up during 1943, leading to the Nazis imposing a city-wide curfew. The Schalburg Corps (a Danish volunteer corps and a branch of the German SS) responded by blowing up buildings around the city, causing a general strike. Copenhagen was finally relieved, along with the rest of Denmark, by the Allies in 1945. During the occupation, the Kindred of Copenhagen carried on almost as they had before. The curfew affected feeding opportunities, but most Kindred had established herds and those who had not learned to adapt. No German vampires ever made any claims to Danish territory and little changed in the world of the Kindred between 1940 and 1945.

The Metropolis From the Fifties onward, Copenhagen slowly but surely morphed into the metropolitan capital it is today. In the 50’ies, car traffic increased sharply and roads and, especially, bridges were widened. The Strain network (a metro railway connecting the center of Copenhagen with the suburbs) was expanded and modernized and the inner-city trams were replaced with busses. Ragnhild used the S-trains to expand her domain, claiming that anywhere the network reached was part of the Domain of Copenhagen. Tourism also became an important part of Copenhagen’s economy. Hotels shot up and the city’s central shopping street, known as Strøget, was turned into a car-free pedestrian zone. In 1969, Denmark made pornography legal, leading to a whole new rush of tourists and the establishment of the red light district of Istedgade. Unsurprisingly, the Kindred of Copenhagen welcomed this influx of money and, especially, people.

Christiania Towards the end of the 60’ies, hippie culture and the emerging squatters that would become an important part of Denmark’s counterculture in the 1980s united and occupied the disused military barracks at Bådsmandsstræde. They declared it the Free City of Christiania, a city within the city, dedicated to the ideals of unity, community, free love and drug use. Originally, Christiania embraced all drugs, but in the late 70’ies, anything harder than cannabis was banned. Political confusion meant that the illegal occupation of government property was not immediately addressed and eventually, it was decided to let the “social experiment” stand. These days, new laws and agreements have made Christiania a legal borough in Copenhagen and the Free City is now one of Denmark’s biggest tourist attractions. In the wake of the movement leading to Christiania, numerous autonomist and leftist groups, especially made up of disaffected youth, began organizing demonstrations and making demands. As a result, in 1982, the government of Copenhagen gave the House of the People (so named because it had been used as a meeting place for the incipient labor movement in the late 19th century) as a place for these groups to meet. It was renamed the Youth House and stood until an ownership controversy in 2003 — 4.

Crisis and New Development The oil crisis in 1973 led to widespread unemployment, especially among the young, and Copenhagen’s growth almost stagnated. The crisis continued into the 80’ies, which saw numerous upper-middle-class families move out of Copenhagen to the suburbs as soon as they had children. The capital teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. In the early 90’ies, however, new projects helped reinvigorate Copenhagen, especially the establishment of the Ørestad satellite town on Amager, the decession to start construction on the metro subway system and the construction of the Øresund Bridge. Declining traffic at the Port of Copenhagen meant new areas opened up for development and several expensive apartment complexes have been built on land that was formerly harbor territory. The 90’ies also saw Copenhagen affected by the Great Nordic Biker War, between the Hell’s Angels MC and Bandidos MC. The conflict had its roots in the 80’ies, where the first Hell’s Angels chapter was

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

established in Denmark and met opposition by antiHell’s Angels bikers. As several biker clubs in Denmark transformed into criminal gangs, a three year war erupted over the drug trade. Various Scandinavian Kindred had interests within these gangs and spurred on the violence, looking for dominance. On October 6, 1996, an anti-tank grenade launcher was used against a Hell’s Angels clubhouse during a party. Two people were killed, including a woman who was not affiliated with the gang, but simply attending the party. After this, public opinion put pressure on the politicians to take decisive action and in 1997, the war officially ended. In the latter half of 2017, Copenhagen is still a growing city and the focus point for the entire country. However, politically, there has been a great deal of interest in getting some focus on the outskirts of Denmark rather than the big cities, Copenhagen especially. Several government administrations have been moved to smaller cities elsewhere in the country.

er, Helsingør and anywhere touched by the S-train network.

The City and Municipality The City of Copenhagen can generally be said to consist of the Municipality of Copenhagen, plus Frederiksberg. It is located in and around the original walled city of Copenhagen, spreading to the island of Amager. The Municipality of Copenhagen is divided into 10 administrative districts; Amager Vest, Amager Øst, Nordvestkvarteret-Bispebjerg, Brønshøj-Husum, Indre By, Nørrebro, Valby, Vanløse, Vesterbro-Kongens Enghave, and Østerbro.

In August of 2017, gang warfare returned to Copenhagen yet again, once again with feuds over the drug trade, as well as territory. With the police occupied by border control in the wake of the Syrian refugee crisis, they have struggled to contain the problem. There has been gunfire in the streets and civilians have been hurt. These new gangs, some comprised of immigrants, some a mix of immigrants and ethnic Danes, have been ramping up their criminal activity. The Kindred of Copenhagen are less than pleased about the situation — less people out in the nightlife and more police patrolling after sundown makes feeding a lot harder.

The Modern City Copenhagen is not only the City of Copenhagen. Defining Copenhagen is not easy. The name can mean the city itself, Copenhagen Municipality or the greater metropolitan area of Copenhagen. Copenhagen itself is also part of the Øresund Region, which includes the city of Copenhagen, the metropolitan area stretching north to Helsingør and westerns parts of Scania, from the city of Malmö north to the city of Helsingborg. For Kindred, the definition of the Domain of Copenhagen is the central city, all of the island of Amag-

However, the administrative division is just that — administrative. For day-to-day functional use, the city of Copenhagen is divided into 15 city quarters (See the map above): A: Indre By B: Christianshavn C: Indre Østerbro D: Ydre Østerbro E: Indre Nørrebro F: Ydre Nørrebro G: Bispebjerg H: Vanløse I: Brønshøj-Husum

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J: Vesterbro

Frederiksberg

K: Kongens Enghave

Frederiksberg Municipality is only an independent municipality on an administrative level — practically, it is a part of the City of Copenhagen; one can cross a street and go from Copenhagen to Frederiksberg. Frederiksberg used to be a county as well as a municipality, but when the counties were turned into regions, Frederiksberg Municipality became a part of the Capital Region.

L: Valby M: Vestamager N: Sundbyvester O: Sundbyøster In addition to this is Frederiksberg (P), which by virtue of being an enclave within Copenhagen is considered more of a city quarter than its own, separate entity. When not speaking strictly administratively about the various parts of Copenhagen, this is the division of areas that is generally used. Most citizens of Copenhagen would, for example, consider Vesterbro and Kongens Enghave to be separate districts. The municipality is administered by the Municipal Council, known as Copenhagen’s Citizen’s Representation. This is Denmark’s largest municipal council and also acts as the city council for Copenhagen — the chairman of the council is also the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen. The Representation is large enough that it functions in some ways like a parliament. The Lord Mayor (always from the party with most people representatives in the council) has several “lesser” mayors that administer various committees. The Lord Mayor is always in charge of the Committee of Economy. The other committees are the Committee of Culture and Leisure, the Committee for Children and Youth, the Health and Care Committee, the Social Committee, the Technical and Environmental Committee and the Committee for Employment and Integration. Currently, the Lord Mayor is Frank Jensen of the Social Democrats, the largest party in the Representation. In descending order of members, the other parties are the Red-Green Alliance, the Liberal Party of Denmark, the Social Liberal Party, the Socialist People’s Party, the Danish People’s Party, the Conservative People’s Party and the Liberal Alliance. Excluding the Committee of Economy, each of the top six parties chair a committee each, given the Social Democrats two committees. Ever since the tile of Lord Mayor was created in 1938, all elected Lord Mayors have been from the Social Democrats. Briefly, in 2004, the vice-chairwoman of the Representation took over as Lord Mayor when the previous Lord Mayor had to recuse himself from the position to become CEO of Ørestadsselskabet, in charge of building the Metro.

Like Copenhagen, the city and municipal administration is one and the same, with the mayor technically being a magistrate. Since 1909, the Conservative People’s Party has held that position in Frederiksberg. However, the right wing parties have slowly been losing seats in the municipal administration. While the Conservatives till hold more members than the next three parties combined, their position is not as solid as it used to be.

The Metropolitan Area and the Region The greater metropolitan area of Copenhagen is also called the Capital Area (not to be confused with the administrative Capital Region). It originally grew with the so-called “Finger Plan” that extended the S-train network in six “fingers” to the suburbs of Copenhagen for the purpose of commuting to work. Since then, busses and highways have added their own areas. It is also sometimes know, anachronistically, as the HTarea, named for the HT transport company (now Movia). The name comes from the area in which HT operated and thus, the area in which you could travel using a standard HT ticket. The definition of the metropolitan area is somewhat loose. However, Statistics Denmark, the bureau responsible for creating statistics on the Danish society, defines it as the municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Albertslund, Brøndby, Gentofte, Gladsaxe, Glostrup, Herlev, Hvidovre, Lyngby-Taarbæk, Rødovre, Tårnby, and Vallensbæk, as well as parts of Ishøj, Greve, Ballerup, Rudersdal, and Furesø. If one was to draw a line from Faxe on the south-eastern coast of Sjælland, to the south-eastern end of the Isesjord and then up the entrance to Roskilde Fjord, then everything to the east of here would be the Metropolitan Area. Some people living in these areas might say they live in Copenhagen and then only specify exactly where if

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

needed. Others are vehement that they live in whatever municipality, city or town they specifically live in and not in Copenhagen. However, this entire area is linked, either via public transport, motorways, or both, to Copenhagen. The Capital Region, being a political administrative region, is much easier to define. It consists of 29 municipalities, most of which are north and north-west of central Copenhagen. The big outlier here is Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. The Capital Region is administered by the Regional Council, which has its headquarters in Copenhagen. The regional council is dominated by the Social Democrats, which has as many mandates as the next two parties together. The administrative duties of the region are mainly related to health and hospitals — about 90% of the region’s budget goes towards this.

The Domain The Domain of Copenhagen is the area in which the Prince of Copenhagen holds absolute sway and where her rules are the law of the land. As Prince of Denmark, she must somewhat respect the rule of other Lords and Ladies, while as Lady of Zealand, her rule does extend to the entire island, though she exerts less direct rule over parts outside her princely domain.

Originally, the domain was simply everything inside the fortifications of Copenhagen. This obviously changed in 1856, when the walls came down. For almost a century, the definition of the domain was somewhat confusing, but in the 1930s, the S-train

network began connecting suburbs to central Copenhagen. This led to Ragnhild declaring, that the Domain of Copenhagen consisted of central Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, the island of Amager, and anywhere touched by the S-trains, as well as the northern city of Helsingør (better known to English-speakers as Elsinore).

The Kindred Laws For Denmark’s Kindred, the only laws that are universal across the nation are the Camarilla Traditions. Each Lord and Lady is free to make their own laws for their own domains, as long as they do not break the Traditions. Theoretically, the Prince of Denmark could interfere if she disagreed with a particular law, but Ragnhild knows that her rule depends on not interfering too much with how the other Lords and Ladies govern their domains. Ragnhild made few changes to the established laws of Copenhagen when becoming Prince and over the years, little have changed. As of 2017, the Kindred laws of Copenhagen are: • Ignorance of these laws is no excuse for breaking them. • The Prince of the city assigns domains. All official domains are registered with the Seneschal. No Kindred may enter a building that is declared another Kindred’s domain without permission. No Kindred may hunt in another Kindred’s domain without permission. • Only the Prince can give permission for the creation of new Kindred. • Until a Childe is declared free, any action taken by said Childe is considered the action of its Sire. Any action taken against said Childe is considered an action against its Sire. To free a Childe, the Sire must present it before the Prince and Primogen. The Childe must display proper knowledge of the city and its laws and answer any questions put to it by the Prince and Primogen. The Primogen then takes an open vote on whether or not the Childe is to be freed. The Prince does not vote except to break ties. • Any Camarilla Kindred not under Blood Hunt in another Camarilla domain can petition to be granted permission to stay in Copenhagen. The Prince can deny this right only if a simple majority of the Primogen agrees. • Only the Prince can call a Blood Hunt. It is forbidden to destroy any recognized Kindred, Cam-

Denmark by Night

•

• • •

arilla or otherwise, without a Blood Hunt. Any members of the Sabbat entering Copenhagen without an invitation is automatically under a Blood Hunt. Each Clan with three or more members residing in the city may choose among themselves someone to represent the clan in the Primogen council. This Primogen member also represents the Clan as a whole in Denmark. The Prince elects the Sheriff, the Seneschal, the Keeper of Elysium and a Scourge if needed. The Sheriff appoints a single Hound, if needed. A united Primogen can render a vote of No Confidence in any position, requiring the Prince to appoint a new Kindred to that position. It is not allowed for any Kindred to claim the identity of another Kindred, whether through ordinary or supernatural deception. Kindred are not allowed to use their Kindred powers on each other without consent, except in self-defense. Kindred are not allowed to physically fight each other, except in a formal duel that both parties agree to, fought where mortals cannot see.

In addition, there are laws regarding when, where and how the Primogen meets, which are of little interest to the nigh-to-night existence of Copenhagen’s Kindred. As a prince, Ragnhild is generally considered strict, but fair. She prefers hearing justification and defense from anyone accused of breaking her laws and rarely renders a sentence of Blood Hunt. Fines, in the form of retainers, influence or domain, are much more common, as is one or two steps of blood bonding.

and people not wanting to brave the often rainy weather of the city make good use of public transportation. Numerous bus lines go through the city center, with a fair amount serving the suburbs, especially the areas not reached by the S-trains. Some busy lines run as often as once every 5 — 10 minutes during peak hours. Most places also have night busses operating. The S-trains are a system of urban-suburban trains. The S in the name sometimes leads foreigners to believe it is a subway system, but apart from Nørreport, all stations are above-ground (or at least open to the outside). Apart from the F Line, all S-train lines go from some area far outside the city center and then either terminates somewhere in the city or moves through the center and to another extreme destination. The S-trains usually run fairly often, especially during peak hours, with enough lines running during the night that Kindred can use the network for transportation if need be. The Metro is Copenhagen’s subway system — sort of. It currently has two lines, M1 and M2, and some of the stations are above-ground. The Metro is currently being expanded with the so-called City Ring (lines M3 and M4), which are supposed to be ready sometime late in 2018. The Metro feature driverless trains that run at very quick intervals, usually through the night. During peak hours, you only have to wait for a train for more than 3 minutes if you are at one of the terminating stations, while even at night, trains are rarely more than 10 minutes apart.

Public Transportation Copenhagen is a very old city and the closer one gets to the city center, the narrower the streets get. While cars are allowed everywhere except on Strøget, and all roads and streets are toll-free, the Inner City and some of the surrounding areas are a mess of oneway streets and narrow roadways from a time when horse-drawn carriages were the widest things going through them. In addition, parking space is at a premium and congestion is high during peak hours. All of this means that public transportation is highly prized in Copenhagen. While a lot of people use their bikes and the center of the city is compact enough that you can walk everywhere, commuters, tourists

The Metro system started construction in 1996, as a way to not only facilitate rapid public transportation in the Inner City, but also to link areas not served by the S-train network within the Inner City and Freder-

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

iksberg and extended public rail transport to the new Ørestad areas on Amager and the Airport. Originally, the Metro was supposed to be entirely underground, but various complaints resulted in some stations towards the end of the lines being built above-ground. Many Kindred from all over Denmark were heavily involved in the Metro and some continue to influence the construction of the City Ring. Since much of the construction, especially in the city center, took place underground, the Kindred used the opportunity to have secret rooms and corridors placed throughout the tunnel network. These are currently administered by Clan Nosferatu, yet open to be used by all official Kindred in Copenhagen. All public transport uses the same system of zones and the same tickets, meaning you buy tickets to travel through zones, not with specific modes of transport. Most city travelers and commuters have an electronic travel card, rather than purchasing tickets.

The Private Sector As the capital of Denmark, the center of the Øresund Region and the second largest city in Scandinavia, Copenhagen is home to the headquarters of many of Denmark’s largest, oldest and most prestigious business and corporations — something the Kindred

of the domain know full well how to take advantage of. The A.P. Møller–Mærsk Group was originally founded as a shipping company in the city of Svendborg on Funen. It grew to become the largest container ship and supply vessel operator in the world and Denmark’s largest company by revenue. In addition to shipping and logistics, Maersk used to be involved in the energy sector, but in August of 2017, the company sold off its oil and natural gas division. While business-savvy Kindred have long had interests in Maersk, no vampire has ever had any kind of real influence over the company. Novo Nordisk is one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies and the biggest company in the socalled “Medicon Valley”. Medicon Valley lies within the Øresund Region and crosses the border between Denmark and Sweden.

The name comes from the fact that around 60% of Scandinavian pharmaceutical companies are located in the region. The area includes 12 universities, 32 hospitals, and more than 300 life science companies — not just Novo Nordisk, but also other big companies like Lundbeck and Novozymes. Clan Tremere has a lot of influence among these companies, while Clan Giovanni has made some investments.

Denmark by Night

Danske Bank (which literally means Danish Bank) is not just Denmark’s largest bank, it also operates internationally, especially in northern Europe. Unsurprisingly, Clan Ventrue has a great deal of interest here — especially since Danske Bank’s position as the largest in Denmark gives it a fair amount of influence over businesses that have taken up loans, as well as some ability to affect politicians. Carlsberg is as much an institution as a business in Denmark — they have an art and ancient history museum named after them in Copenhagen (Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek), the Institute of Theoretical Physics (also known as the "Niels Bohr Institute") in Copenhagen was created 1921 with significant funding from the Carlsberg Foundation, they sponsor numerous football teams and the old headquarters and factory grounds of the company are being turned into a new city district (see page 66). The brewery business itself dates back to the mid-19th century. Interestingly, while Kindred have certainly tried to gain influence over the rich and wide-spread business that is Carlsberg, they have always been rebuffed by what seems to be arcane means. Rumors are that the founder, J. C. Jacobsen, was a mage of some kind and infused the business with protective spells through the many buildings he commissioned. Some Kindred point to the Elephant Gate, once the main entrance to the Carlsberg compound and still the symbolic entrance to the company. This gate has four concrete elephants with various symbols on them, including a Hindu swastika (put there long before the Nazis corrupted the symbol). After World War II, Carlsberg fiercely and successfully fought any attempt to remove the swastika from the Gate. Clan Tremere theorize that the symbol on the Gate is part of the arcane defenses of the brewing company. Several other companies of less prominence have their headquarters in the Copenhagen metropolitan area, but none are as influential and interesting to Kindred as the ones mentioned above.

The Kindred Court 36 vampires make their home on the island of Zealand and all of them have a haven, main or not, in the domain of Copenhagen. As such, it is the only one of the Danish domains big enough for what one would recognize as a traditional Camarilla power structure. The Prince is advised by a Primogen council, there is a Sheriff, Keeper of Elysium, Seneschal and the like.

Copenhagen has several locations and areas that have been declared Elysium. The Keeper of Elysium also arranges official Elysium parties at one of these locations roughly once per month, where all recognized Kindred are invited. These parties vary in theme, entertainment and attendance, though it’s rare for less than 15 Kindred to attend. In addition to the Kindred who make their haven more or less permanently on Zealand, many of Denmark’s Kindred travel to Copenhagen on a regular basis. The Primogen of each Clan is considered to represent the Clan as a whole in Denmark and Copenhagen is the center of power for both politics and most business. Kindred from the rest of Denmark are not expected to present themselves to the Prince upon arrival. However, it is tradition (but not law) that they let their Primogen representative know. Copenhagen has quite a few areas set aside to be used as temporary havens for such visitors. With a population of around 2.5 million, 36 vampires may seem like overpopulation. However, a number of factors ease the strain on hunting. Copenhagen has always had a large transient population; sailors in times gone by, tourists in modern times. And while tourists usually come in the summertime, Denmark’s early darkness in winter is a boon to Kindred. Add to this that partying and clubbing often goes long into the night, the many festivals that draw hundreds of thousands to Copenhagen and the fact that most Kindred have established herds. In fact, Prince Ragnhild believes that Copenhagen could safely support 4-5 more Kindred before resources become even mildly strained.

The Grand Elysium In 1820, Prince Ragnhild called the first Grand Elysium, a meeting where all of Denmark’s Kindred were invited (and almost all attended). The Grand Elysium was to celebrate the victory of the Danish Camarilla over the Sabbat and was quite the success. Since then, the Prince has gathered such a Grand Elysium once every 10 years, though a few times, a Grand Elysium has been called at different times in order to discuss something of importance to all Kindred of Denmark. The last time this happened was in 1943, to discuss the strained relationship between the occupying Nazi forces and the general Danish public. Grand Elysiums are, as the name implies, grand affairs — usually over 75% of all Danish Kindred attend.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

It is a perfect way to build prestige, make contacts, take down rivals and even, possibly, have a good time. In 2020, the Grand Elysium will have its 200th anniversary — the Prince and Keeper have already started their planning.

The Clans of Copenhagen Several Clans have only one or two members in Copenhagen; Assamite, Followers of Set, Giovanni, Lasombra and Ravnos. These Clans have no representative in the Primogen — instead, they appeal to the Seneschal whenever they need to bring something to the Prince’s attention. Clan Brujah meets whenever a member of the Clan deems it necessary to call a meeting. The Clan often uses locations inside Christiania (see page 61) for their meetings. While the clan has some internal differences, it is generally quite devoted to the ideals of the welfare state, equality among Kindred and mortals and social democracy. The entire Brujah Clan of Denmark also meets once a year, on May 1st. The meeting place is supposed to alternate between the four Danish domains and be hosted by the Brujah of that Domain, but the Lord of Funen has never bothered to take up the responsibility. As a result, the meeting alternates between Zealand, Southern Jutland and Northern Jutland. Copenhagen’s Clan Gangrel only meet if they feel it’s necessary — they are exceptionally individualistic and have little to do with each other. The entire Clan, however, meets every winter solstice in the excavated ruins of Trælleborg (see page 34). Though counting only three members, Copenhagen’s Clan Malkavian has quite a bit of social and political prestige in the domain. The Clan seems to have no united goals and they do not meet. The Clan as a whole in Denmark meets whenever the Primogen for Clan Malkavian can gather them all together, something that happens once every 2-3 years. The three Nosferatu in Copenhagen are united in their effort to teach the Kindred of Denmark humility and humanity — something of a doomed endeavor and not one shared by all of Denmark’s Nosferatu. The Clan does, however, have some support from the Copenhagen Brujah. As the Nosferatu of Copenhagen shares a communal Haven, they do not need to meet at any regular intervals. The Clan as a whole meets every year on the 23rd of June (Saint John’s Eve) in

Copenhagen. Since 2000, this meeting has taken place in the secret chambers of the Copenhagen Metro. Except for Clan Ventrue, no Clan holds more power in Copenhagen than Clan Toreador. Outwardly, the Clan is united in their quest to support the arts and maintain a peaceful domain. Inwardly, there are fierce battles of status and prestige. Any member of Clan Toreador can call a Clan meeting — how many attend will show the current standing of that Toreador within the Clan. The same applies to the Clan as a whole in Denmark. There is a tradition of calling such meetings in Copenhagen, at a location sponsored by the Keeper of Elysium, though the Lady of Northern Jutland hosts her own meetings. Clan Tremere is united under their Master of the Chantry and focus on acquiring whatever arcane resources Copenhagen and Denmark as a whole has to offer. The whole Clan meets on the Spring and Autumn equinoxes. By virtue of holding the positions of Prince and Seneschal, Clan Ventrue is the most powerful Clan in Copenhagen and if there is one thing they can agree on, it is maintaining the status quo. While the Clan has an incredible amount of infighting over resources, they try to do so without it weakening the Clan’s standing. The Ventrue of Copenhagen meet once a month in the Børsen building (see page 59), a meeting chaired by the Seneschal. Any Danish Ventrue can attend this meeting if they so desire. The Clan as a whole meets once a year, on June 5th (Danish Constitution Day) — this meeting used to take place at Børsen as well, but has now moved to the House of Industry (see page 61).

The Factory The nightclub known as The Factory is located in the main shop floor of what was once a machine factory in the Valby quarter (See page 70). It has existed since the early 80s and has always been a counterculture place that has been popular with the disaffectioned and rebellious, as well as members of the middle class wanting to sample the latest in subculture. The defining feature of The Factory, in addition to the raw, industrial feel, is the low prices and rumors of a special, VIP area in the basement. The Factory is owned by Elin Jönsson, a Brujah who established the place as a counterpoint to the more “refined” and “cultured” places that Clan Toreador promoted as Elysiums. Ironically, The Factory has now

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become a popular place for members of all of Copenhagen’s clans to hunt and a respected Elysium The Toreador Keeper of Elysium makes it a point to come to The Factory at least once a month. Originally, The Factory was a punk place, but during the late 90s, it transitioned to more of a goth aesthetic, mixed with industrial and very strong fetish undertones. The main stage has played host to an eclectic mix of underground favorites, the darker side rooms sometimes have people engaging in various sexual acts and the VIP room in the basement does exist, though it’s only open for ghouls and Kindred… and anyone invited down there by a Kindred.

A Dark Domain This section goes through the various districts, suburbs, towns, municipalities and areas that make up the Kindred Domain of Copenhagen, giving an overview of places of interest to Kindred and some idea of the mood and flavor of the areas in question.

Indre By The Inner City is the beating heart of Copenhagen and it is where many of the city’s Kindred find their sustenance, both in the form of blood and resources. It is bordered by the Inner, Copenhagen, and South Harbors, Brokvartererne (the Bro-quarters; Østerbro, Nørrebro and Vesterbro) and Frederikberg. It corresponds pretty well to the area that was inside the city walls of Copenhagen before the expansion in 1674 and is centered around the City Hall. During the day, Indre By is the domain of tourists, shoppers on the pedestrian shopping street and workers in both offices and the shops along the shopping street. At night, it is where most of Copenhagen’s biggest and hottest bars, nightclubs, pubs and discos can be found, making it prime hunting territory. Københavns Rådhus: Copenhagen’s City Hall is the seat of the municipal council and the Lord Mayor. It overlooks City Hall Square, which defines one end of Strøget. The current building, done in the National Romantic Style, was finished in 1905. In addition to its function as an administrative center, the City Hall houses the City Court of Copenhagen and is a popular place for secular weddings. In the world of the Kindred, it is the domain of Prince Ragnhild. Palace Hotel: This residential hotel in the Art Nouveau style dates back to 1910 and was built in part due to the influence of Prince Ragnhild. The owner was

Anders Jensen, alderman of the butcher’s guild, who’d involved himself in the hotel business. Ragnhild wanted a central place for both large-scale and private meetings and Jensen’s plans for a hotel just off City Hall Square suited her perfectly. To this night, Ragnhild maintains a private suite with a commanding view of the City Hall and holds Primogen meetings in the conference rooms of the executive floor. Strøget: This is a network of pedestrian shopping streets. The main street, Frederiksberggade, runs from City Hall Square to Nytorv (New Square). The other streets are Nygade, Vimmelskaftet and Østergade and the network forms a rought triangle between City Hall Square, Kongens Nytorv (The King’s New Square) and Nørreport Station. Strøget houses many up-scale businesses, such as the flagship stores of Georg Jensen silversmiths and Royal Copenhagen porcelain. The squares and side-streets of Strøget have numerous bars, pubs and clubs, making it a favored hunting area from the city’s Kindred. Hovedbanegården: Copenhagen’s Central Station straddles the border between the Inner City and Vesterbro. The award-winning building dates from 1911 and houses 7 platforms and 13 tracks, making it the biggest train station in Denmark (but not busiest; that honor goes to Nørreport, see below). Because of the importance of train travel in Denmark, agents of the Sheriff constantly watch the station after sundown. Other than as a travel hub, the place holds little interest to Kindred. Tivoli: Tivoli Gardens opened in 1843, making it the world’s second-oldest operating amusement park (the oldest is Bakken, see page 70). It is the most visited tourist attraction in Denmark, with almost 4 million visitors each year. In addition to rides, there are also carnival games, restaurants and concert venues, plus the nearby Tivoli Hotel. For most of its existence, Tivoli has been somewhat frustrating for Kindred — while they appreciate the tourists and revenue the amusement park brings in, the fact that the park was only open during the summer limited its use as a feeding ground. However, Tivoli has recently begun opening during the Christmas and Fall Break/Halloween Seasons, giving Kindred more opportunity to use the park after sunset. Churches: The most prominent church in the Inner City is the Church of Our Lady, which is not only the Cathedral of Copenhagen, but also the National Cathedral of Denmark. The current church, in the neo-

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classical style, was finished in 1829, after the previous cathedral burned during the fire of 1728. The Church of Our Lady has seen its fair share of royal weddings and coronations and is the focus of the entire country. The True Faith of the church grounds is only 1, the inside has a True Faith of 2, while the altar and surroundings has a True Faith of 4. Trinitatis Church is mainly known for its tower, the Round Tower, one of Copenhagen’s landmarks. A former observatory, the tower is now a tourist attraction with an observation deck about 45 meters above street level. The church and its tower have no True Faith. The former St. Nicolas church, with its 90-meter spire, is now an arts center. Artistic Kindred enjoy exhibiting and performing there, reveling in the former church space. Frederik’s Church is more commonly known as the Marble Church, for its rococo architecture. Standing across the street from Amalienborg, the church’s main feature is the dome, with its 31 meter span, the largest in Scandinavia. The church’s original construction was abandoned and it sat as a ruin for 150 years, until it was completed in 1894. The church’s interior has a True Faith rating of 1. Other churches include the German-speaking Saint Peter’s Church, the Russian Orthodox Church with its three onion domes and Saint Ansgar’s Cathedral, the principal church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen. All of these three churches have a True Faith rating of 2. Axel Towers: Opened in June of 2017, Axel Towers is a complex of five interconnected towers, the tallest of which is 61 meters high. Located just across from Tivoli, the Towers contain office spaces, restaurants and shops. The entire complex is the domain of the Ventrue Lone Svendsen, who ensured plenty of secret sub-basements during the construction. It is now Copenhagen’s newest Elysium and is set to host the next Grand Elysium. Nørreport Station: This train station is named for the North Gate of Copenhagen, which lay near the station’s current location. Nørreport is completely underground and features three platforms, with two tracks each, serving all but F line of S-trains, both current Metro lines and many regional and intercity train lines. In addition, many busses have a stop here. Nørreport is Denmark’s busiest train station, as its

placement makes it ideal for commuters going to work in the Inner City. During the week-end, it is often packed with revelers going to and from Strøget, making it a good hunting ground. Amalienborg: The royal residence in Copenhagen is made up of four identical, rococo palaces situated around a central square. One palace is a museum, one is sometimes open to the public and two are closed. The Royal Life Guards in their old-fashioned uniforms patrol the square and while the changing of the guards draws in a fair amount of tourist, the soldiers are armed with live ammunition in their assault rifles and given provocation, they will shoot. The royal family and their residence are declared off-limits to Kindred and have been since the days of Prince Gunnarr. Børsen: The Stock Exchange was commissioned by Christian IV in his bid to elevate the status of Copenhagen as a place of business and commerce in Northern Europe. The building is in the Dutch Renaissance style and features a spire made of four dragons intertwining their tails. Today, the building is the headquarters for the Danish Chamber of Commerce. Clan Ventrue as a whole has substantial influence over the building and uses it for Clan meetings. Christiansborg: Built on the small islet of Slotsholmen, this palace is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Several parts are also used by the monarch for official business. It is the fifth structure and third palace built on this location and there are many more-or-less ruined tunnels and rooms underneath the current Christiansborg. Some are open to the public, some are closed off and some are kept a secret from mortals. While the underground areas are maintained by Clan Nosferatu, they are mainly used by Prince Ragnhild for very formal and important meetings. The palace itself is considered off-limits to Kindred, as Ranghild recognizes the potential problems of allowing Kindred unfettered access to the Danish halls of power. Parks: The Botanical Gardens were created by royal charter on a piece of land donated by the king, Christian IV, as a part of the University of Copenhagen, which operates it to this day. The huge collection of medicinal plants are visited by the more occult Kindred, but otherwise, the Gardens are of little interest to vampires. Kongens Have (literally The King’s Gardens) is Copenhagen’s most visited park and contains Rosenborg

Denmark by Night

Castle and Rosenborg Barracks, home to the Royal Guards. Rosenborg Castle is a museum, home to the Crown Jewels of Denmark. The park and castle hold little of interest to the city’s Kindred. Ørstedsparken was laid out on the grounds of the old fortifications after they were taken down. It is named after the brothers Ørsted, the politician and jurist Anders Sandøe Ørsted, and the physicist Hans Christian Ørsted, who both are commemorated with monuments in the park. After dark, the park has long been a popular place for Copenhagen’s gays to meet up and, often, also have sex. This has led to a number of hate crime assaults. For desperate or callous Kindred, it offers a good way to feed. Statens Museum for Kunst: The National Gallery of Denmark was established in 1896 in a huge and impressive building in a Historicist Italian Renaissance revival style. In 1998, a modern extension was added to house the collection of modern art. This extension looks out into the large Østre Anlæg park, which houses another, much smaller, art museum, the Hirschsprung Collection. This collection focuses on Danish art, with emphasis on the Danish Golden Age.

those preying on them, but gentrification has turned the district into a tourist attraction with just a few tattoo parlors and museum ships attesting to the past. H.C. Andersen lived in two different houses here, a fact no tourist guide leaves unspoken. Tourists and Copenhagen natives congregate here in the summer months and after sunset, numerous revelers can be found here, making it a prime hunting territory. The entire area has been declared Elysium. Det Kongelige Teater: The Royal Danish Theater is no longer contained in the imposing buildings on the King’s New Square. While the Old Stage and Starling Nest Box annex hosts traditional plays, ballets and performances by the Royal Danish Orchestra, opera has been moved to the new and no less imposing Opera House, while the Royal Danish Playhouse presents both traditional and modern plays. Both the Opera and the Playhouse are located nearby, in the Christianshavn quarter of Copenhagen. Unsurprisingly, Clan Toreador considers the Royal Theater their domain and often uses both the old buildings and the Opera for Clan meetings, though for some reason they seem to detest the Playhouse.

Music Festivals While the population of Zealand is enough to support a large Kindred population, it is not enough to feed all the vampires of Copenhagen. Tourism is a big help, and one thing that brings a lot of feeding opportunities to the city is music festivals, especially during the summer. Some notable ones are: Roskilde Festival: While it obviously takes place in Roskilde, this festival brings a lot of people to Copenhagen as well. For further information, see page 34. The National Gallery is often used to host Elysium events, especially the Grand Elysium. Copenhagen’s Keeper of Elysium has substantial influence over the Gallery. Nyhavn: The New Harbor is a waterfront and canal district that stretches from the King’s New Square to the harbor front. It was dug by Swedish prisoners of war under the orders of King Christian V, who was inspired by a visit to Amsterdam. The northern side of New Harbor is lined by brightly colored townhouses, while the southern has lavish mansions lining the canal, including Charlottenborg Palace, which houses the Royal Art Library. New Harbor was once notorious for being a rough neighborhood of sailors and

Copenhagen Jazz Festival: Drawing in over 250,000 people, this festival takes place in early July. Distortion: What started as a street party has now grown to a massive, week-long event that draws in an estimated 100,000 people each day. The festival moves through various districts each day and is very popular among Kindred, as it features numerous outdoor music events and lots of drinking.

Det Kongelige Bibliotek: The Royal Library is located on the same islet as Christiansborg. It was founded in 1648, opened to the public in 1793 and in

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1989, it merged with the prestigious Copenhagen University Library. Since then, other collections have been added and the library now holds a truly staggering amount of information in the form of books, journals, newspapers, manuscripts, maps, photographs, music scores, and more. The current main building on Slotsholmen dates back to 1906 and in 1999, it received an extension dubbed, due to its color and shape, the Black Diamond. This extension includes a 600-seat auditorium, exhibition spaces, a bookshop, a restaurant, a café, a roof terrace, and two museums. While the library is declared Elysium and of interest to all the Clans in Copenhagen, no Elysium events have ever been held here.

showroom for green technologies, as well as a series of two-story flagship stores and restaurants. The current ultra-modern glass-and-steel building was finished in 2010. Clan Ventrue have access to a large, underground meeting room here.

Nationalmuseet: The National Museum of Denmark is the largest museum of cultural history in Denmark and houses many important artifacts, most notably the Gundestrup Cauldron and the Sun Chariot. The museum is sometimes used to host Elysium gatherings after hours.

The district is on a number of artificial islands, the result of building up minor sandbanks. The district sits between the Inner City and the larger island of Amager. In the 19th and early 20th century, the area was mainly industry, especially shipbuilding, but this slowly disappeared, leaving behind only the rampant poverty that had plagued the area for a long time. This, however, changed with renovation in the 1970s, when Christianshavn developed a bohemian reputation. Today, expensive apartment buildings and ultrahip refurbished warehouses that offer both residential and office space makes Christianshavn one of the more desired locations for the wealthy upper middle class to live.

Thorvaldsens Museum: Dedicated to the worldfamous Danish neoclassicist sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, this museum was founded in 1838, upon Thorvaldsen’s homecoming from abroad. Sadly, the museum wasn’t finished until 1848, four years after Thorvaldsen’s death. The museum houses numerous original statues, original plaster models used in the making of cast bronze and marble statues and relief work, Thorvaldsen’s personal belongings and tools and his own collection of literature, curiosities and art from half a lifetime spent in Rome. Among this is quite a selection of erotica from all eras of history. Prince Ragnhild is a huge fan of Thorvaldsen’s work and the museum is an Elysium under the direct protection of the Prince herself. Københavns Universitet: The University of Copenhagen has spread out since its inception, with campuses throughout the city and a few faculties have even moved beyond. The original university was located near the Church of Our Lady and today, the main building and several auxiliary buildings are still located here, containing administration, feast hall, museum, library and such. The area around the university is sometimes called The Latin Quarter. Clan Tremere has a great deal of influence over the museum, with Clans Brujah and Toreador also taking an interest. Industriens Hus: The House of Industry is the home of the Confederation of Danish Industries and is set opposite the City Hall Square. It also contains a

Christianshavn As the name implies, Christian’s Harbor was once a harbor district. It was originally commissioned by Christian IV as a fortress town outside Copenhagen, but it ended up becoming home to merchants and craftsmen. It was originally an independent market town, but it was included into the city of Copenhagen in 1675.

Christiania: The Free City of Christiania has changed over the years. Today, it is a tourist attraction and not just because of the open availability of cannabis, despite sporadic police crackdowns. The hippie ideal still permeates the neighborhood, which has normalized its relationship with the city of Copenhagen. Clan Brujah is fiercely protective of Christiania and often uses various locations in the Free City for meetings. Churches: Christianshavn has two churches of note. The first, Christians’s Church, is a beautiful rococo building founded by German traders and craftsmen living in the town in the 17th century. Today, it is a regular parish church, with no True Faith attached to it. The Church of Our Savior is one of Copenhagen’s landmarks — or rather, its distinctive helix spire with an external winding staircase that can be climbed to the top is. The church was finished in 1695, but construction of the spire was abandoned. In 1749, construction on the spire began again, under a new archi-

Denmark by Night

tect, Lauritz de Thurah. De Thurah was the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period and he abandoned the original design for the spire in favor of his own. What’s interesting is that the outside staircase turns “the wrong way” (anticlockwise). There is an urban legend that when it was done, de Thurah jumped to his death from the spire once he saw the mistake. This is quite untrue — occult scholars believe that de Thurah was a high-ranking member of a secret order of magicians similar to, or even a part of, the Masons. The Church of Our Savior has no True Faith, but Kindred with Auspex feel a certain unease upon entering and need to make Self-Control rolls to remain for long (difficulty 4 after 10 minutes, rising by one for each additional 10 minutes). Needless to say, Clan Tremere finds the church fascinating. Nordatlantens Brygge: The North Atlantic House is, like so many buildings in the district, an old maritime warehouse. Today, it is a cultural center and famous for housing Restaurant Noma. It also includes three galleries and a conference facility, which are sometimes used for Elysium gatherings by Copenhagen’s Kindred. The Opera: In Denmark, the Copenhagen Opera House is known simple as The Opera. This impressive and imposing opera house, one of the most expensive in the world, was made possible due to a donation from the A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation and brought tons of publicity to the A.P. Møller–Mærsk brand. It was inaugurated in 2005. The Opera sits across from Amalienborg Palace and dominates the low skyline with its massive steel roof that seems to float out from the building. The aesthetics and artistic qualities of the building have received praise worldwide. Unsurprisingly, Clan Toreador considers this building their territory, although it is not an official domain. Several Elysium events have been held here. Skuespilhuset: Like the Opera, the Royal Danish Playhouse is set dramatically against the inner harbor of Christianshavn. Opened in 2008, it was purposebuilt for, and focuses on, dramatic plays, rather than ballet or the more traditional recital theater of the Royal Theater. The building has all the potential for great Elysium gatherings, but for some reason, the Primogen of Clan Toreador hates it with a passion and he has used his influence to keep the venue out of consideration as an Elysium.

Østerbro Østerbro was one of the first new city districts to spring up after the removal of Copenhagen’s fortifications. It can be divided into Inner Østerbro, the oldest part closest to the city, and Outer Østerbro, which is younger and further out. Especially Indre Østerbro is very fashionable and it, along with Frederiksberg, is the most expensive place to live in Copenhagen. Inner Østerbro is also home to several embassies. Outer Østerbro, meanwhile, saw the establishment of a number of industrial buildings.

Bridges not over water Copenhagen has three quarters with the word “bro” in the name; Østerbro, Nørrebro and Vesterbro. The word “bro” means “bridge”, but in medieval times, it also meant a paved street. These three quarters, collective known as the “Bridge Quarters”, are named after the paved roads outside the three gates corresponding to their names; Østerport, Nørreport and Vesterport (the East Gate, North Gate and West Gate respectively). After Copenhagen grew beyond the walls, some of the first neighborhoods sprang up along these paved streets.

Østerbro has a reputation as being full of wealthy hipsters that uncritically latch unto whatever latest hip fad sweeps the country, from eco-friendly cloth diapers to paleo diets. Den Frie Udstilling: The Free Exhibit is a Danish artists association, founded in 1891 by artists in protest against the admission requirements for the Kunsthal Charlottenborg, the official exhibition gallery of the Royal Danish Academy of Art. It is Denmark’s oldest artists association. Since 1913, it has been housed in a pavilion building inspired by Egyptian and Greek temples. It is sometimes used as a meeting place for Clan Toreador when younger and more radical members of the clan want to make a point, but has not been used for Elysium parties. Københavns Frihavn: Originally, the Free Port of Copenhagen was built in the late 19 century to alleviate pressure on the old harbor of Copenhagen. It slowly grew and now, the original location of the Free Port (called South Free Port) has been released for

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other uses, while the Free Port is located in the North Harbor. The North Harbor, a part of the Copenhagen Malmö Port administrative area, has been under expansion since 2013 in the largest current construction job in Denmark. The idea is to develop the harbor, currently mainly an industrial and shipping area, into its own city district. Several Kindred in Copenhagen have interests in the construction and all of them are aware of the opportunities the new district will bring in terms of feeding and other resources. Langelinie: The Long Line is a pier, promenade and park known for two things; the pier where cruise ships arrive and The Little Mermaid statue. The promenade also contains a number of souvenir shops and outlet stores. Kindred sometimes use this area for hunting, preying on drunken cruise ship tourists. Den Danske Frimurerordens Stamhus: The Danish Order of Freemasons fittingly has quite a monumental building as their headquarters. Construction started in 1924 and King Christian X, himself a mason, laid down the founding stone. In fact, several Danish kings, all the way back to Frederik V, have been masons. Kindred very much avoid this building and the masons in general, who are believed to be mages. Fælledparken: The Commons Park, so named because it was built on Øster Fælled and Nørre Fælled (East Commons and North Commons), is Copenhagen’s second-largest park, after Valby Park (see page 70). It is a popular place for city-dwellers to get some fresh air and see some greenery and it is also used for sports, the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix vintage car race, outdoor concerts, performance during the Copenhagen Carnival and the huge May 1st Labor Day celebration with speeches from politicians. It is also the setting for the world’s largest exercise race, the DHL Relay Race, which draws almost 200,000 runners. Before becoming a park, the East Commons was also used as an execution ground. Several people, including the royal physician Johann Friedrich Struensee (see page 16), died here. The park is undoubtedly haunted, though whether or not it is Struensee or some other, less famous, victim is unknown. Parken Stadium: Officially known as Telia Parken due to sponsorship, Danes just call it The Park. This stadium is the home ground of the FC Copenhagen football club (usually just called FCK) and the nation-

al stadium of Denmark. It has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and can hold between 50,000 and 55,000 people for concerts, depending on stage setup. It is one of the 13 host venues of the UEFA Euro 2020. It will host three group stage matches, as well as a round of 16 match. This is expected to bring much in the way of revenue and publicity to Denmark and the Kindred of Copenhagen are already looking forward to it.

The Rivalry Outside of Denmark, Danish football fans are known to be some of the best behaved in the world. However, the country is not without its hooligans and this is never more evident than when the two top-tier clubs FCK and Brøndby meet. The rivalry even has a name; The Copenhagen Derby, also called The New Firm. Extra police is always on hand whenever the two clubs face off, especially if it’s a championship match. Kindred in Copenhagen know that if they need young men ready to commit violence, they can always recruit from the hooligan supporters of these two teams.

Rigshospitalet: Immortalized as Riget (The Kingdom) in Lars von Trier’s TV show, the name can be translated as the National, State or Kingdom hospital. It is one of Denmark’s biggest hospitals, with numerous specialized units and borders the Panum Institute, the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. Despite what’s shown in the TV show, there seems to be no supernatural forces at work at the hospital. The current location dates back to 1910, while most of the buildings are from 1970. The main Kindred influence at the hospital is Maria Krestensdatter, the Malkavian Primogen.

Nørrebro After the removal of Copenhagen’s fortifications, Nørrebro grew to be a blue-collar working-class neighborhood with scattered industry. Today, it is the most populous of the Copenhagen quarters and the most tightly-packed. In the 1970s, the municipal administration of Copenhagen decided to implement widespread gentrification on Nørrebro, including tearing down several of the tightly-spaced apartment buildings to create airy spaces and green areas. This was met with widespread

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protests and the formation of several citizen associations to encourage less destructive gentrification. These protests set the tone for Nørrebro for the next three decades — during the 80s, militant squatters known as the BZ clashed violently with the police on multiple occasions, in 1993 anti-EU protests turned violent and in 2006 – 7, riots occurred when plans were revealed to demolish the Youth House (see page 50). The conflict arose when the city administration sold the house to a holding company that was then acquired by a Danish evangelical Christian free church. The church tried to assert its ownership, with the radical youths using the house claiming that it had been given to them by the city. The whole thing ended in months-long riots and the demolition of the Youth House to make room for a new building that would hopefully end the conflicts. However, to this day, all that remains is an empty lot. Clan Brujah has long wondered how it could occur that the city administration would sell a building they had previously given away and how the whole mess got so out of hand. They suspect the hand of Clan Ventrue, eliminating a place of feeding for the Brujahs. In addition to the growth of left-wing and youth subcultures, Nørrebro became very multicultural during the 1960s and 70s, as numerous immigrants moved here. This carries on to today, where Nørrebro is seen as the most multicultural, for better or worse, of the city quarters. It is also plagued by numerous social problems, especially unemployment; 24 percent have been without work for at least 6 months or are unable to work. Crime is rampant, especially in the ghetto areas of Blågården, Mjølnerparken and Aldersrogade. Gangs, especially made up of people with Middle Eastern, Pakistani and Eastern European ancestry, have been a problem for a long time, but in 2017, new groups among the gangs have led to gunfire in the streets. If any area of Copenhagen can be considered The Rack, it is most definitely Nørrebro. Assistens Kirkegård: The Assistens Cemetery is known for the many famous people buried here, including Søren Kierkegaard, Niels Bohr and H.C. Andersen. For centuries, it has been a popular picnic spot for the people of Copenhagen and today, it is seen as a park as well as a cemetery. Whatever ghosts might have once haunted the place are long gone and many Kindred of Copenhagen enjoy using the cemetery as an outdoor meeting place. As a result, it has been declared Elysium.

Ghettos: The areas around Blågården, Mjølnerparken and Aldersrogade are considered ghettos, meeting at least two of three criteria regarding employment, crime rates and number of immigrants living there. These areas have produced a number of gangs and are often used by right-wing politicians when pointing out the problems of immigration. Politically influential Kindred mainly try to maintain the status quo of these areas, seeing the crime and poverty as beneficial to feeding opportunities. Nørre Campus: The North Campus of Copenhagen University is home to the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Especially the medical sciences are of interest to some Kindred. Hamad Bin Khalifa Civilisation Center: This Mosque and Islamic cultural center is the first purpose-built Mosque in Denmark and one of the largest in Europe. It serves the Sunni faith, which is the majority faith among Muslims in Denmark. It is relatively new, having been opened in 2014, but as a focus for all of the Sunni Muslims in Denmark, it has already built up a True Faith of 2 in the Mosque part of the building.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Vesterbro Like the other “bro-quarters”, Vesterbro grew from the removal of the Copenhagen fortifications. It became a quarter for the poorest workers, plagued by poverty, unemployment, petty crime, prostitution and drug use. However, in the last decade Vesterbro has become quite the hip place to live — a blue-collar hipness that contrasts with the upper-middle-class hipness of Østerbro. One of the main reasons is that the cheap rent attracted numerous students. These students graduated and got jobs, raising the income of the area. Gentrification has followed and Vesterbro is well on its way to shed the stigma of old. To many people Vesterbro is the quintessential Copenhagen, even more so than the Inner City — the “stone bridge” where good, honest, hard-working people just tried to make ends meet. The quarter has been immortalized in numerous novels, poems and songs. Istedgade: In 1969, Denmark became the first country to legalize porn and this brought in sex tourists from around the world. Istedgade immediately took advantage of this. The street runs straight for one kilometer, from the Central Train Station to Kongens Enghave and its size and proximity to the station made it an obvious place to put porn shops and live sex shows. All of the sex shows and most of the porn shops are gone, but another legacy remains; numerous small and mid-size hotels that grew up catering to the influx of tourists. The area has undergone massive gentrification, especially in 2016-17, but when night falls, some of the old, rough character of the street returns, making it a favored place for some Kindred to feed. Palads and Imperial: Palads is a cinema with 17 auditoriums, the largest in Denmark. Located in the former Central Train Station building, it is immediately recognizable by the bright, pastel colors of its façade. Nearby Imperial Theater has the largest single screen in Northern Europe with 1002 seats. While both cinemas have suffered due to the cinema at Fisketorvet (see below), they still attract numerous cinemagoers. During the winter, evening screenings start, and thus let out, after sundown. Kødbyen: “Meat City” is the name given to the old meatpacking district within Vesterbro. While there are still companies and activities relating to the meat and food industry, the area has been changing into a new creative cluster with galleries, restaurants, nightlife

and small creative businesses. Also situated within the bounds of this district is the DGI-Byen (The DGICity), a large facility named after the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations, containing spa facilities, restaurants, hotels, conference facilities, a bowling alley, flexible multi-centres, sports clubs and a large pool facility. Despite the opportunities for private meetings of a fairly large group of people, the Kindred of Copenhagen have mostly ignored DGI-City. Fisketorvet: The Fish Market is the third-largest shopping mall in Denmark. It has a multi-screen cinema that includes a 3D IMAX auditorium. This has made it a real contender to Imperial’s status as the premiere cinema in Copenhagen. The mall’s main attraction to Kindred is the money that can be made from investments.

Kongens Enghave Usually abbreviated Kgs Enghave (meaning the King’s Meadow Garden), the area is first mentioned in 1632, when it was used for harvesting of hay for the royal stables at Copenhagen Castle. Is has traditionally been one of the poorest areas of Copenhagen and today, it is seen as everything that Vesterbro once was; a poor, hardscrabble, blue-collar neighborhood plagued by homelessness, substance abuse and crime. Vestre Kirkegård: The Vestre Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Denmark, built to take the pressure off Assistens Cemetery. It opened in 1870 and was designed to not only serve as a burial ground, but an open, green space within the city, with lots of aesthetic landscaping. The cemetery has a Catholic section, and next to that is a Jewish cemetery. Unlike Asisstens, Vestre Cemetery seems to have a few ghosts still lingering about. Vestre Fængsel: Vestre Prison is Denmark’s largest jail for pretrial prisoners. It was opened in 1895 and in 2001, a new section was opened to deal with particularly problematic long-term prisoners; originally members of Hell’s Angels, today it mainly houses members of the group Bandidos. The Prince of Copenhagen has enough influence over the jail that it can be used as a feeding opportunity in case of an emergency. Vega: This entertainment center is one of the most popular mid-sized concert venues in Copenhagen. It was originally one of the gathering places for the labor movement, but after a full renovation, it opened as a music center in 1996. In addition to its large and

Denmark by Night

small concert halls (with capacities of 1,150 and 500), it also houses a bar that hosts various events. Numerous international stars have played Vega and it is the domain of Clan Toreador as a whole.

somewhat ironically, used it to house arrested collaborators. However, the ghost of the former Nazi officer still lingered, empowered by his rituals as a mortal and the misery of the prisoners. When the school reopened as a school, the specter began whispering into the minds of kids, teachers and principals. Over the years, the ghost has been the cause of much misery at the school, driving numerous kids, a few teachers and even one principal mad with his whispers. Soon, he will have gathered enough strength to leave the school. Humleby: Literally meaning Hop’s Town, this is a neighborhood of terraced houses situated next to the Carlsberg area; hence the name. They were built between 1885 and 1891 by the Worker's Building Society to provide healthy housing for the workers at Burmeister & Wain, a large shipyard. These three-story houses were once inhabited by blue-collar workers, but now, the area has become the hip place to live for upper-middle-class professionals. It stands in stark contrast to the tall red-brick and concrete housing projects that make up most of Kgs Enghave.

Enghaveparken: The Enghave Park is a small park from the 1920s with a bandstand, basketball courts, street football court and a manned playground. During the day, it is a popular place for kids and families. During the night, the park is taken over by the homeless, prostitutes and drug dealers, much like nearby Enghave Square. For Kindred, this is a good place to feed, as long as they can avoid trouble with the local criminals. Vesterbro Ny Skole: Vesterbro New School was originally two schools within the same massive, redbrick building. In 2004, they were joined into one and given one name. During World War 2, the Nazi occupation used the schools to house captured freedom fighters after Vestre Prison was filled. Unknown to the Nazi command, the officer in charge of this internment was an occultist and he surreptitiously used some of the prisoners for torture rituals and human sacrifice. When the Nazis capitulated, the officer took his own life in a secret room underneath the school, rather than face the consequences of being discovered. The Danish Resistance took over the school and,

Carlsberg City: This area was once the production, storage, logistics center and headquarters of the Carlsberg Brewery, as well as private home of the founding family. However, production, and with it storage and logistics, has since moved elsewhere. With only the headquarters remaining, the rest of the area is in the process of being turned into a new city district. The old production halls have been converted to music and exhibition venues, the formerly private park has been opened up to the public and massive amounts of construction are converting industrial buildings to upscale apartments and laying down new buildings, both residential and commercial. Already, the huge Campus Carlsberg building has been opened. It offers education in teaching, pedagogy, sign language interpretation and other social areas and has 10,000 students. Several business-minded Kindred in Copenhagen have interests in this new district and all Kindred know that the influx of people and jobs in the city can only be a good thing for them

Frederiksberg Frederiksberg is an enclave, a city surrounded by Copenhagen. It is functionally a part of the city of Copenhagen, but administratively separate. With a population of just over 105,000, it is actually Denmark’s fifth-largest city, but is rarely listed as such, due to being seen as a part of Copenhagen.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

In the world of the Kindred, Frederiksberg also stands out; it is one of only two cities on Zealand to have a minor Prince (the other being Roskilde). The Gangrel Ragnar Silver-Tongue received Frederiksberg as a reward for his support of Ragnhild the Just and has made the most of his domain since. Frederiksberg is generally considered a posh, oldmoney area and it is, along with Østerbro, the most expensive quarter of Copenhagen. It has several large houses, mansions and patrician apartments, especially around central Frederiksberg. However, there are also cheaper areas with less expensive apartment buildings and the old money are slowly being replaced by middle-class nuclear families. Central Frederiksbserg: This area contains the Frederiksberg City Hall, Falkoner Center congress center and hotel, Frederiksberg Mall with Frederiksberg Metro Station in the basement, Copenhagen Business School’s main campus, Frederiksberg Gardens Park with Frederiksberg Castle, the Søndermarken Park and the Copenhagen Zoo. Despite several restaurants and, along the central Falkoner Alle, numerous cafés, the area itself does not have that much of a nightlife.

taste something other than humans and ordinary Danish animals. Søndermarken: The name of this park means The Southern Field. It was founded and landscaped at the same time as Frederiksberg Gardens. The park itself holds no interest to the Kindred of Copenhagen, but the old cisterns beneath the park does. The Cisterns is now a museum, one of the more unusual exhibition spaces in Denmark, and whenever a new art exhibit opens, the Keeper of Elysium is sure to host a party there. Frederiksberg Hospital: Dating back to 1903, this hospital is slowly being decommissioned due to the budget savings gained by running just one hospital. By 2020, it is supposed fuse with Bispebjerg Hospital (see page 69), at the latter’s location.

Copenhagen Business School: Usually just abbreviated CBS, Copenhagen Business School is a public university focusing, unsurprisingly, on economics and business management. It is among the top ranked universities for business management in the world and watched over carefully by Clan Ventrue. Frederiksberg Have and Slot: Frederiksberg Gardens is a public park. It lies at the foot of Frederiksberg Palace on Valby Hill and was once the gardens of that palace. The park is laid out as a romantic landscape garden designed in the English style and attracts numerous guests in the daytime. Since it is closed at night, it holds little interest for Kindred. However, the Baroque Frederiksberg Palace, built by Crown Prince Frederik IV, has since 1869 been the Royal Danish Military Academy. Over the years, a number of ghouls have been recruited from among the most promising graduates. København Zoo: The Copenhagen Zoo was founded in 1859 and is located within both the Frederiksberg Gardens and Søndermarken Park. It is the only zoo outside of Australia to have Tasmanian Devils. Ragnar Silver-Tongue uses it as a supply of “exotic blood”, which he offers to those who would like to

Christian Richardts Vej: This tiny side-street to Falkoner Alle has a grand total of 9 numbered buildings, one of which is a church, yet for historical reasons, it has its own zip code. And in the world of the Kindred, it seems not to exist. This was only recently discovered by a young Tremere interested in sacred geometry, feng shui and ley lines. She was examining Falkoner Alle and noticed that the map showed a small side street that she could not find, one where a number of ley lines supposedly intersected. For now,

Denmark by Night

she is examining the phenomenon herself, but she has made little headway and is considering informing the Master of the Chantry. Her current theory is that a mage lives on the small street, as there is nothing to indicate that the church is anything special. Venues: Frederikberg has three large venues; KB Hallen (The KB Hall), Forum and Radiohuset (The Radio House). The KB Hall is a multi-purpose venue used mainly for sports, but also concerts, flea markets and convention events. It is famous for being the place The Beatles played their only concert in Denmark. Forum is a rentable indoor arena used for concerts, markets, exhibitions and conventions. The original building was destroyed by the Danish resistance in 1943, but the venue was rebuilt. The Radio House, just across the street from Forum, is the former headquarters of national Danish broadcaster DR. The headquarters moved in 2006 and now, the buildings house the Royal Danish Academy of Music as well as the Museum of Music and a concert hall. Of the three venues, only the Radio House is Elysium and used by Kindred. Søerne: The Lakes are a row of three rectangular lakes curving around the western margin of the Inner City, creating a border between that district and Frederiksberg, as well as parts of Østerbro, Nørrebro and Vesterbro. Originally, the area was a single, long stream, but damning and use as reservoirs shape the stream into lakes. It is a favored recreational area and numerous expensive mansions and apartment buildings lie along the Lakes. During week-ends in the summer, a lot of people can be found here after sundown, drinking and partying.

Amager In the time before sewers, Amager gained the nickname of Shit Island. Professional “night soil men” would remove barrels of human waste from the city and cart them to the farms of Amager, where the farmers would use it as fertilizer. While sewers have made this practice obsolete, the name stuck and today, there is a certain prejudice towards Amager from the rest of Copenhagen. The Danish slang for a “tramp stamp” is “Amager license plate”. Amager has three quarters that are part of Copenhagen; Western Amager, Sundbyvester and Sunbyøster, and a number of small-to-midsized towns. Administratively, it is divided between the municipali-

ties of Copenhagen, Tårnby and Dragør. Numerous bridges link Amager with Copenhagen. The island consists mainly of low, fertile land and since the 17th century, it has been enlarged by reclaiming land from the shallow Øresund. For a long time, Amager was the bread basket of Copenhagen and in 1521, King Christian II invited Dutch farmers to grow vegetables and, especially, potatoes on the island. For a long time, the areas outside the Copenhagen city quarters were sleepy little towns. However, the construction of first Copenhagen Airport and then the Øresundbridge brought a lot of life to the eastern part of the island and now, new construction and neighborhoods are shooting up all along the Metro line. Kastrup: Kastrup is Copenhagen’s airport, the largest in the Nordic countries and one of the oldest international airports in Europe, being inaugurated in 1925. It is the third-busiest airport in Northern Europe, and by far the busiest for international travel in Scandinavia. It is also the single largest place of employment in Denmark, with 23,000 people working there. To the Kindred of Copenhagen, Kastrup is a resource to be tapped and a potential security problem — the Prince has several agents watching both the arrival of passengers after nightfall and checking cargo containers large enough to contain a vampire. Kalvebod Fælled: The Commons is a huge, protected nature area on the western side of the island, taking up about a quarter of Amager. It consists mainly of reclaimed seabed. It was originally used as an artillery range, but now, most of it is undeveloped parkland, although the new Ørestad development is slowly encroaching. To the north lies Amager Commons, an original, coastal nature area. Rumors have circulated for a while now that these Commons have become home to Lupines, but so far, this is only rumors. However, the Kindred of Copenhagen are pushing hard for urban development. Den Blå Planet: The Blue Planet is the new National Aquarium of Denmark, opening in 2103, and is the largest aquarium in Scandinavia. For a long time, the only interest it held for Kindred was in attracting tourists and generating revenue, but a single Elysium event has recently been held inside the building to some success. Field’s: This is the second-biggest shopping mall in Denmark. It is located close to the Øresund Metro and regional train station and the E20 motorway that

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

goes across the Øresund Bridge. This ensures easy commuting from both Copenhagen and Malmö and the mall has both employees and customers from both sides of the Øresund. This large customer base makes it a very profitable business. The mall has a few Kindred investors and during construction, a few secret basement rooms were added. Bella Centeret: The Bella Center is Scandinavia's second largest exhibition and conference center (after Messecenter Herning, see page 39). A part of the facility is the four-star Bella Sky conference hotel with its two distinctive, tilted towers. Every year, the Center generally hosts 25-30 large exhibitions. Among the larger annual events is the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair, the main event of Copenhagen Fashion Week held twice a year. The visitors that the various events bring add a fair amount of hunting opportunities to careful Kindred. DR Byen: DR City is the new headquarters of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, replacing the Radio House in Frederiksberg and the TV City in Søborg. It opened in 2010 and gathered both radio and TV production in one place, along with an 1800person capacity concert hall and several recording studios. The construction went massively over budget, resulting in the firing of almost a thousand employees. While the initial budget overrun had nothing to do with vampires, several Kindred collaborated to make it worse, in order to strike a blow against one of the most trusted and respected purveyors of news in Denmark. The Primogen of Clan Toreador has a lot of influence here and is responsible for subverting news stories that might be problematic for the Kindred of Denmark. Royal Arena: This multi-use indoor arena opened in February 2017. It has a capacity of 13,000 for sporting events and up to 16,000 (either sitting or standing) for concerts. Several prestigious concerts and events were scheduled in 2017 and more in 2018 to promote this new venue. Curiously, no Kindred invested in the arena and right now, it is unclaimed territory. Øresundsbroen: In Denmark, the Øresund Bridge is often just referred to as The Bridge. It opened in 2000 and finally realized a century-old idea of linking Zealand with Scania. It is crossed by the E20 motorway and a railway line. The bridge runs nearly 5 miles from the Swedish coast to the artificial island Peberholm in the middle of the strait. The crossing is completed by the 2.5 mile Drogden Tunnel from Peber-

holm to the Danish island of Amager. With it, commuting to work in Denmark from the much cheaper city of Malmö became a real possibility. To the Kindred of both Copenhagen and Scania, the bridge presents a security nightmare. Although it is a toll bridge, checking all the cars, vans and trucks that pass it is a virtual impossibility. It’s even worse for the Kindred of Copenhagen, as the toll booths are on the Swedish side. Prince Ragnhild has made it the responsibility of the entire Primogen to provide agents that can keep a look out on the Danish side, but even then, it would be relatively easy for the Sabbat in Scania to smuggle vampires across the bridge.

The Outer Quarters To the north and west of the previously mentioned quarters lie Bispebjerg, Vanløse, Brønshøj-Husum and Valby, quarters that are far enough from the Inner City that they feel more like suburbs to the city than quarters within it. Bispebjerg: Sometimes also called Nordvest (Northwest) — however, not all of Bispebjerg is Northwest and not all of Northwest lie within Bispebjerg. Through the 1980s, Northwest gained a very bad reputation for two reasons. Firstly, the very cheap buildings so close to the city center attracted numerous long-term unemployed and unemployable people. Secondly, the area was designated by the community psychiatric authorities to house people with mental illness among the regular population (this was done to "normalize" the people with mental illness). The end result was vandalism and violent attacks, exacerbated by the Kindred of Copenhagen using the area as a feeding ground. However, in the last few years, the area has partially shed its unfortunate reputation. It has also become a very ethnically diverse and it now houses the Imam Ali-mosque, also called the Blue Mosque, which serves the Danish Shia minority. Bispebjerg has two other areas of note; Bispebjerg Cemetery and Bispebjerg Hospital. The cemetery is yet another graveyard established to take the pressure off the inner city cemeteries and it has sections are dedicated to Swedish, Russian, Catholic and Muslim graves. There is also a columbarium with a special room dedicated to Buddhist urns. The hospital is currently in the process of being expanded in order to take over the functions of Frederiksberg Hospital as well.

Denmark by Night

Vanløse: This quarter has very few things of interest for Copenhagen’s Kindred. Clan Toreador notes that two international artists have lived here; impressionist painter Paul Gaugin lived here during his brief stays in Denmark, while rock musician Van Morrison lived there for three years with his Danish girlfriend. Brønshøj-Husum: This area is almost entirely residential, with low-rise apartment buildings and detached houses and with 24.6% of the inhabitants having a non-Western background, Brønshøj-Husum is the most diverse district of Copenhagen It has nothing of real interest to the Kindred of Copenhagen. Valby: This quarter is separated from Vesterbro/Kgs Enghave and Frederiksberg by Valby Hill. Both during the civil war leading up to the Reformation and during the Second Northern War, Valby was almost completely destroyed, leading to severe poverty for the area. However, by the late 17th century, Valby was producing enough food to be in competition with Amager. During the 18th century, members of the bourgeoisie began taking up residence in Frederiksberg and soon, that practice began to spread to Valby. The growth of the area really started when the railway to Roskilde was built; not only was a station established in Valby, but digging through Valby hill uncovered a natural spring, which attracted the brew master J. C. Jacobsen to the site and he founded his Carlsberg Brewery in 1847 on the eastern slopes of the hill. Today, the one thing of interest to Kindred in Valby is the headquarters of Nordisk Film (Nordic Movie Company), one of the oldest film companies in the world. Clan Toreador has been involved with the company almost from its inception and still has quite a bit of influence.

Whiskybæltet The Whisky Belt is the more-or-less affectionate nickname for the area north of the Copenhagen municipality, especially Gentofte Municipality. The area is ill-defined, but is often considered to be the residential area around the Coast Line regional railway. This area is characterized by the highest house prizes in Denmark (especially along the east coast of Zealand), highly educated residents and a correspondingly high income level. Several influential Kindred maintain a haven, main or secondary, within this area and many of them also draw influence and important retainers from here. The name refers to the wealth of the people living here and the connotations with expensive drink.

Danmarks Tekniske Universitet: Usually just abbreviated DTU, the Technical University of Denmark was founded in 1829 at the initiative of famed Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's first polytechnic. DTU has numerous scientific departments and ranks as one of the top engineering institutions in Denmark. So far, no Kindred has cultivated any real influence here. Strandvejen: The Beach Road goes from Outer Østerbro all the way to Helsingør, along the east coast of northern Zealand. Along this road lies some of Denmark’s most expensive houses and mansions, with many of the country’s rich and famous living here. Dyrehavsbakken: The Animal Park’s Hill is more commonly referred to as Bakken (The Hill). It dates back to 1583, is the world's oldest operating amusement park and with 2.5-2.7 million visitors per year, it is the second most popular attraction in Denmark. It lies within Dyrehaven (The Deer Park), originally used by the kings of Denmark as a hunting park. Bakken itself got its start when a woman named Kirsten Piil discovered a natural spring that was said to have curative properties. Citizens from Copenhagen flocked there, attracting entertainers and hawkers and, eventually, innkeepers. The reputation of the area grew throughout Europe and attracted some undesirable elements. In 1885, the Tent Owners’ Association was established to clean up and modernize Bakken. Today, Bakken is open daily from the end of March through the end of August. Entrance into the park area is free, but rides and attractions require payment. In addition to the many rides, there are also gaming halls, a music hall, several restaurants and an entire area dedicated to looking like the signature town of the Danish TV show Matador (see page 6). Many Kindred of Copenhagen hunt at Bakken during April and May. Later in the year, a few Kindred prey on drunken visitors returning to Copenhagen from the amusement park. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art: This museum, established in 1958, is the most visited art museum in Denmark. In addition to its permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, the museum also has a comprehensive program of special exhibitions and occasionally stages exhibitions of work by the great impressionists and expressionists. The museum is famous for its fusion of art, architecture and landscape. Louisiana also has a concert hall and a sculpture garden. Clan Toreador has a great deal of influ-

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

ence over the museum and it is the most used location for Elysium events outside central Copenhagen. Hillerød: The administrative center for the Hillerød Municipality, this town is the northernmost stop on the S-train network. It is most famous for Frederiksborg Castle, a Dutch Renaissance palatial complex built as a royal residence for King Christian IV on three islets in the Castle Lake. Today, it is a museum castle. No Kindred has any influence here yet and the castle is not used for Elysium events. Helsingør: Known famously in English as Elsinore, the city of Kronborg Castle, the setting of the play Hamlet. Although outside the S-train network (Helsingør is the northernmost stop of the Coast Line railway), Prince Ranghild has declared the city a part of the Domain of Copenhagen. This has less to do with history and more with the fact that the car ferry line that crosses from Helsingør to Helsingborg in Sweden, the busiest ferry line in the world, is a potential area for the Sabbat to infiltrate. The Sheriff of Copenhagen is tasked with maintaining agents that watch over arrivals. Sankt Olai Kirke: Saint Olaf’s Church, dedicated to the Saint of Norway, is located in Helsingør and is one of Denmark’s cathedrals. The current structure was completed in 1559. In previous times, it was well visited by sailors and fishermen, but the True Faith of the place has dwindled — only the inside has a rating and that only of 1. Kronborg: Literally meaning Crown Castle, this is without a doubt Denmark’s most famous building, due to Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. The castle’s history dates back to a stronghold called Krogen (The Hook), built by Eric of Pomerania to help collect the Øresund toll. Frederik II had it rebuilt from 1574 to 1585, making it a Renaissance castle, unique in its appearance and size throughout Europe. Shakespeare chose this castle as the location for arguably his most famous play and for centuries, Kronborg has been linked to the Hamlet story. The play was performed in the castle for the first time to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and since then, Hamlet has been performed several times in the courtyard and at various locations on the fortifications. Another legend tied to Kronborg is that of Holger Danske (Holger the Dane, also known as Ogier the Dane). He appears in both the Arthurian mythology and as one of the paladins of Charlemagne, wielding a magic sword that is the brother of Roland’s Durendal.

It is said that he sleeps in the basement of Kronborg Castle, ready to awaken when Denmark needs him the most. Kronborg Castle is seen by many younger Danish Kindred as almost a place of pilgrimage, somewhere they have to go and see. The Elders of Copenhagen ignore it, taking their cue from Prince Ragnhild, who has heard enough Prince of Denmark remarks to last her a lifetime and more.

Through the Forest Between what is thought of as the north of Copenhagen and the western area lies the H and A S-train lines that terminates in the town of Farum. The line goes through Hareskoven, the largest green area in the greater Copenhagen area. Hareskoven: More properly Hareskovene, (the Hare Forests), since the forest is divided into two areas by a road. The name is not related to hares; it comes from the old Norse word hörgr, meaning a stone altar or cult site. This refers to the numerous such sites that can be found in and around the forest. Geologically, the area is terminal moraine from the last ice age, making the terrain extremely rough and uneven. The forest is popular as a recreational area, not just for walking and picnics, but also, due to the terrain, for horseback riding, dog exercise, and mountain biking. However, when night falls, mortals only venture deep into the forest if the need is great, as they believe the forest to be haunted. The Kindred of Clan Gangrel, however, tell a different story — it is not ghosts, but the much more corporeal draugr (Norse revenants from Viking times) from the ancient burial sites that walk under the trees at night. TV-Byen: The TV City, in Gladsaxe Municipality, was the headquarters for the TV part of the national broadcasting company from 1966 until the move to DR-Byen (see page 68) in 2007. The most recognizable part, a 14-story office tower, was finished in 1970. The area is now being turned into residential and business properties. The massive office tower, now known as the EY Tower, was rebuilt recently, with some influence from a few Kindred. Farum: In 1985, Peter Brixtofte was elected as mayor of this town and soon, Farum made national news. Through privatization, sale and lease-back deals, tax breaks and reduction in the municipal administration, Brixtofte seemingly created an economic miracle. The city established a new football stadium, an arena

Denmark by Night

and a marina and gave a free PC to all grade school students. Kindred began to take note and a few vampires took an interest in the up-and-coming town. However, it turned out that the economic model did not work and the municipality had run up a massive deficit. The mayor tried to cover this with huge loans. Furthermore, Brixtofte had let the municipality pay for things that the local professional football club, of which he was the chairman, should have paid for themselves. Slowly, more and more corruption emerged and Brixtofte was indicted and, eventually, sentenced to two years in prison. A number of Kindred burned their fingers quite badly on this deal.

many buildings half-finished or unused. Still, further damning created more land and in the new millennium, the area started to grow again. Today, there are plans to expand and modernize it even further over the next 20 years. Currently, many of the buildings are interchangeable, grey concrete blocks, a legacy of the 60s. Ever since its inception, the Kindred of Copenhagen have used the area for numerous things; backup havens, large meetings, hidings corpses, etc.

Vestegnen The area west of Copenhagen is often called Vestegnen — directly translated, it just means the Western Area, though the word “egn” carries a somewhat folksy connotation. Vestegnen generally covers the municipalities to the west and south-west of the Copenhagen municipality; Rødovre, Hvidovre, Glostrup, Brøndby, Albertslund, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, and Høje-Taastrup. Much of this is residential, with many commuters working in the city, though there are some industrial areas, as well as lots of green spaces. Most of the municipalities have a very high percentage of people with an immigrant background relative to the national average. Rødovre and Hvidovre: These municipalities have a reputation for producing lots of young men and women with a low level of education, blue-collar jobs, gymtoned bodies and a fanatic devotion to the Brøndby football team. Both municipalities are predominantly residential areas. Brøndby: In Denmark, if someone says Brøndby, most people immediately think the football team rather than the municipality. Brøndby IF is one of the most successful Danish football clubs, both nationally and internationally, and was the second football club ever to be publicly traded on the stock exchange. The club is also famous for its violent rivalry with FCK (see page 62). Avedøre Holme: This huge industrial area in Hvidovre municipality was established in the 1960s and 70s on land reclaimed from the shallow Køge Bay. Located just south of the city of Copenhagen, the area was perfect for new industrial development, as Copenhagen itself had run out of space. However, economic crisis in the 70s halted development, leaving

To the south Beyond the southern municipalities of Vestegnen lies the southernmost expanse of the Domain of Copenhagen; the municipalities of Greve, Solrød, and Køge. This stretch of land along Køge Bay is relatively sparsely populated compared to the other suburbs of Copenhagen. Solrød: While much of this municipality is used for farming, as it has some of the most fertile soil in Denmark, it also has a very low average age among its citizens and the highest average income in the Zealand Region. Most people living here commute to work in Copenhagen. Køge: The southernmost part of the Copenhagen domain is the historical city of Køge. For centuries, it was an important harbor and the port is still a place of

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

industry, it being connected with the Scandinavian Transport Centre, a large business park on the northwestern outskirts of the town. The town center has numerous old buildings, including the oldest dated half-timbered house in Denmark, which is also the oldest dated non-nobility and non-religious building of the Nordic countries, built in 1527. Several goodsized industries and businesses have their headquarters located in Køge — conveniently close to the port and to the capital, but still away from the overcrowding of Copenhagen. Køge Huskors: From 1608 to 1615, Køge was the site of one of Denmark’s largest and most notable witch trials, called Køge Huskors. It started with rumors of sorcery in 1608 and in 1612, a wealthy merchant accused a local townswoman of being in league with the Devil and during the trial, the woman confessed and named several other women. All in all, during the 4-month period, between fifteen and twenty women were burned at the stake. What is particularly interesting is that, although Denmark was Protestant, the case was interesting enough that the Vatican commissioned a report about it, which still exists in the Vatican archives to this day. The reason for this is not known to mortals, but the Kindred of Copenhagen are well aware of it. The trial was the result of a young Ventrue, the granchilde of Prince Gunnarr, inexpertly trying to gain influence over the prosperous town. His fumbled machinations threatened the Masquerade, brought the attention of the Vatican vampire hunters, and in the end, not only the Sheriff, but the Prince himself had to step in and many innocent women died. The granchilde was staked and left out in the sun.

In the Øresund The Øresund sound between Denmark and Sweden has a few natural island and some man-made ones as well.

pened. There are consistent rumors that a Lupine dwells on Saltholm. Trekroner, Flakfortet, and Middelgrundsfortet: These three sea fortresses were all built on man-made islets in order to protect Copenhagen. Trekroner is open for tourists during the summer and contains a café and banquet facilities. Middelgrundsfortet, after being tossed around between private investors, is now owned by the Danish Scout Council, who intends to develop the island for all Danish youth to use, not just the scouts. Finally, Flakfortet is currently used for recreational purposes such as concerts, and the site has a restaurant and yacht moorings. During the summer, there are five ferry trips per day to the island. There is even an overnight hostel on the island too. Ever since they were abandoned as military installations, the Kindred of Copenhagen have used these artificial islets for meetings requiring privacy. There are also rumors among the common Kindred of Copenhagen that the Prince and Primogen council have a secret, underground haven beneath Flakfortet, the newest of the fortifications, for use if the Sabbat are about to take Copenhagen. Hven: This island now belongs to Sweden and thus, it is more properly spelled Ven. However, Hven’s fame comes from a time when it was Danish and the sole property of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who built two observatories there, Uraniborg and Stjerneborg, during 1576 — 1596. Brahe and his apprentice, Johannes Keppler, have long been thought to have been mages of a kind, and Clan Tremere swears that there are wonderful secrets buried on Hven, protected by astrological magic. However, ever since the Sabbat was driven out of Denmark, the Tremere Antitribu of Scania have had agents on the island, ready to deter any Kindred from exploring it further.

Saltholm: Disregarding Amager, which is functionally a part of Zealand due to a large number of bridges, Saltholm is the largest island in the Øresund. This flat island (the tallest part doesn’t top 7 feet) is fairly large; about 4.5 miles long and 1.5 wide. It has a total population of 2 people in modern times, running the island’s remaining farm. The rest is pasture and, by Danish standards, unspoiled nature. From time to time, there have been plans to extend Kastrup Airport to Salthom or to run the Øresund Bridge across it, but despite Kindred pushing for this, it has never hap-

Denmark by Night

Chapter Three : Children of the Kingdom “If vampires were anything but the abortive fancies of an unbridled imagination, then I must have seen one of these creatures – outwardly living, inwardly lifeless, bodies without soul, lumps of flesh without heart.” — St St Blicher, Tardy Awakenings

This section describes both the various vampires that have their haven in Denmark and other important Storyteller Characters in the country. As you will see, this is quite a massive list; 79 vampires, two ghouls, two hunters, a Lupine and a new race of supernatural beings. The reason for this large amount of Storyteller Characters is three-fold; firstly, I really like writing NPCs. Secondly, this allows you to just plug-and-play; no need to spend time creating Storyteller Characters, you have them all, with full write-ups. And finally, there are a lot of plots that can be created by the goals and interactions of these characters. This list is by no means meant to be inviolate. If you want to create your own characters for Denmark by Night to augment or replace these characters, then by all means, go right ahead – I’m certainly not going to stop you. The Storyteller Characters are arranged by clans first and then by Domain. Caitiff, Bloodlines and nonVampires are at the end.

Clan Assamite For hundreds of years, Clan Assamite’s only contact with Denmark was to take the occasional contract in the Kingdom – certainly, no Assassin settled there. This changed in the 1970’ies, when thousands of Turks came to Denmark as unskilled labor, something Denmark had a shortage of at the time.

Enes Coşkun, Bodyguard for Hire Despite being a Muslim, Enes became one of the Young Turks that eventually toppled the Ottoman Empire’s absolute monarchy and helped institute a secular, constitutional government in Turkey. He joined the movement as a young lieutenant in the army and during the revolution in 1908, he served as a bodyguard for several high-profile members of the movement. Enes was motivated by a deep desire to improve his country and truly believed in the ideals of the Young Turks. So strong was his devotion that when Ottoman loyalists began a counterrevolution in 1909, Enes was one of the people guarding Kemal Atatürk.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Enes’ connection to the top of the Young Turks was what prompted his Embrace. Clan Assamite wanted some influence over the movement and Enes was one of a handful of people chosen to enter the Clan. His sire was a skilled spy and infiltrator and it was decided that her tutelage would benefit the young officer. Enes originally took the transition very hard – as a firm believer, he was intensely uncomfortable with drinking blood and being an undead monster. His sire, however, slowly but surely molded him, to the point where Enes’ faith became almost perfunctory. For decades Enes helped influence the Young Turks and helped Clan Assamite gain a strong foothold in the emerging republic. However, once the new government had become stable, there was little for Enes to do. Instead, he fell back on his old skills as a bodyguard, working for various elders, both Assamite and otherwise. In the 1970s, Enes was given a new mission – to travel to Denmark with the Turkish immigrants moving there. The Clan already had members in Germany and wanted one further north, to handle contracts and report on the lay of the land. With more and more Middle Eastern mortals coming to Europe, Clan Assamite saw a future where they might play a bigger part in the European world of vampires. Enes dutifully moved to Copenhagen and with introductory letters from prominent Assamite Elders, he was quickly accepted. He first established influence among the Turkish workers, but soon began taking jobs for Danish Kindred – not as an assassin, but as a bodyguard. For over 40 years, Enes has strongly associated with first Turkish and later other Middle Eastern and Muslim immigrants and refugees. His Muslim faith has slowly been rekindled and he finds himself beginning to question not only his work, but also his Clan and his own existence as a vampire. It doesn’t help that the political opinion in Denmark has turned sharply against Muslims and that Clan Assamite has informed him that they are ready to establish a greater presence in northern Europe. Sire: Selçuk Nature: Martyr Demeanor: Soldier Generation: 9th Embrace: 1909 Apparent Age: Late 20s

Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 5, Athletics 3, Awareness 3, Brawl 1, Empathy 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 3, Larceny 1, Melee 3, Stealth3, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Investigation 1, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Politics 1, Theology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Celerity 2, Dominate 2, Obfuscate 2, Presence 1, Quietus 2 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Muslim imam), Contacts 5 (Among Turkish and Muslim organizations), Domain 2 (Hamad Bin Khalifa Civilization Center), Herd 5 (Among immigrants and their descendants), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Enes is a short, somewhat stocky man with black hair in a short cut, dark eyes and a neatly trimmed, black beard. He moves with surprising grace and speaks rarely, though his voice is remarkably smooth and cultured. Enes tends to dress in whatever clothes allows him to blend into his environment and is never unarmed – usually he simply carries a fighting knife, but he has a saber and a collection of firearms as his disposal. Roleplaying Hints: You protect your people as best you can, which is becoming a problem. Terrorists and faithless criminals have turned the Danes against your kind and you do not have the influence to sway the mortals. What is worse, you are becoming more and more aware of the monster that you are, unworthy in Allah’s sight. Haven: A basement under a Turkish cultural center on Nørrebro. Influence: Enes wields a lot of influence among Copenhagen’s Turkish community and has a fair amount of pull among other Middle Eastern and Muslim groups, enough that he can have some effect on city politics.

Denmark by Night

Clan Brujah Clan Brujah came to Denmark during the Viking Age and assimilated much of Viking culture. Like Clan Gangrel, they lost much when Christianity came to Scandinavia, since most of the Clan sided with the original religion. However, Clan Brujah has risen from the ashes and is now a very well-integrated part of Danish Kindred society. The elders of the Clan have interests in the educational facilities of Denmark, while the younger members tend to be rebels against conformity and conservatism, involving themselves in the latest trends to sweep the nation; especially anything to do with Information Technology.

Thrugils is a true idealist, dedicated to equality and equity among both Kindred and mortals. He deeply supports the Danish welfare state and the social democratic ideals and constantly works to change the ingrained attitudes of the Danish Kindred. He realizes the irony of the fact that he is Primogen in part due to his age, but his charisma and skill at administration does have something to do with it as well. Sire: Karl Weiss Nature: Caregiver Demeanor: Rebel

Brujah of Zealand

Generation: 8th

Thrugils, Brujah Primogen In 1312 famine struck Denmark. However, the King, Erik VI Menved, had involved himself in expensive wars and spent a fortune on tournaments and so, taxes were high. The king did not relent due to the famine and as a result, the peasants of Zealand rebelled. Thrugils was one of the leaders of this rebellion, a poor peasant with a skill for both oratory and organization. Unfortunately for the peasants, the king’s troops quickly managed to defeat the rebellion and Erik sentenced the leaders to be hanged. Thrugils was saved by his sire, a rebellious Brujah who admired the peasant leader’s dedication. For his part, Thrugils happily accepted the Embrace. He had as little use for the teachings of the Church as he had for kings and readily accepted his lot as being cursed. He also quickly absorbed his sire’s attitude towards the vampiric power structure. Along with his sire, Karl, Thrugils joined the Anarch cause and fought the power of the Elders. However, when the Convention of Thorns was announced, sire and childe found themselves at odds. Thrugils was a big proponent of Humanity and felt the ideals of the Masquerade were worth pursuing, while his sire was focused on ending the reign of the Elders. In the end, Karl joined the Sabbat, while Thrugils became a member of the Camarilla. After the formation of the Camarilla, Thrugils settled in Copenhagen and busied himself with establishing a powerbase. He realized that in order to affect not only mortal, but Kindred society, he needed influence, money and power. It took time, but eventually, Thrugils rose to the top of Clan Brujah in Copenhagen and

during Gunnarr’s restructuring of the city’s power structure, Thrugils was made Primogen, a position he has held ever since.

Embrace: 1312 Apparent Age: Early 40s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Expression 5, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 2, Etiquette 2, Melee 2, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 1, Law 1, Occult 2, Politics 5, Theology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Celerity 5, Dominate 3, Fortitude 5, Obfuscate 1, Potence 5, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (In Christiania and among the left-wing political parties), Domain 3 (The City Campus of Copenhagen University), Herd 5 (People he have helped in the past), Influence 2, Resources 3, Retainers 4, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 5, Self-Control 4, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: In the Middle Ages, Thrugils was a tall man, which makes him average-sized in modern nights. His handsome looks are marred by crooked teeth, an unfashionable haircut and an unkempt beard. Looks, however, are secondary to the magnetic personality

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

that Thrugils radiates, through his ever-ready smile and friendly eyes. Thrugils usually dresses in the clothes of the common man on the street. Roleplaying Hints: Through 700 years, you have seen it happen again and again. In the Middle Ages, it was the nobles and now, it’s the capitalists. There are always those who will tread on others to stand just a little bit taller. The same is true in the world of the Kindred – Elders rule because they are Elders, not because they have deserved it. It needs to change. It can change. And you will make it change. Haven: In the basements under Copenhagen University’s City Campus. Influence: Thrugils has cultivated a massive amount of influence among the left-wing political parties, especially in the Copenhagen Citizen’s Representation. He has a knack for backing up-and-coming young politicians and is currently heavily involved with the Unity List in Copenhagen. His position as Primogen also gives him a lot of pull in the world of the Kindred, though his uncompromisingly idealistic stance works against him.

Elin Jönsson, Club Owner In 1658, Captain Svend Poulsen, who would later be known in popular culture as Svend Gønge, led a group of dragoons in guerilla warfare against the Swedes occupying Zealand during the Dano-Swedish War. Elin was among these dragoons; she had originally disguised herself as a man to join, but after she was found out, her skill at fighting and the desperate times the dragoons encountered meant that they could not turn her away. However, when Poulsen’s dragoons retreated to Copenhagen, Elin found herself cast out, once again confined to what was expected of a woman. As a widow caught in a big city far from her home in the province of Halland, Elin had few choices and she firmly rejected prostitution. Instead, she turned to crime; mugging, pickpocketing, breaking and entering, anything to survive. However, when Copenhagen was stormed by Swedish troops on 1659, Elin stood on the ramparts, firing a rifle alongside the men. Her bravery and skill with a gun made her a minor celebrity and it caught the attention of Thrugils, a Brujah Elder. He was intrigued by a woman who was able and willing to fight as well as any man and he began visiting Elin, interviewing her and learning about her. In the end, he knew that while she might not be the idealist he

was, she could be a valuable addition to the clan and Embraced her. When Elin learned about Kindred society and how little gender mattered, she was overjoyed. She also agreed with much of what her sire believed about changing society, though she did not have his dedication to the cause. However, she did have a desire to learn and for the next several decades, Elin spent her time learning how to read and write and then studying a wide range of subjects. When she joined Copenhagen’s Kindred society fully, she was a force for upheaval and change, a radical speaker that made her sire seem like the safer, more acceptable alternative. She saw that while Kindred might not look to gender, they did keep people down based on other factors and railed against it. At the same time, she sought to foster rebellious attitudes in mortal society, hoping to create a world where no one, man or woman, would be forced to hide who they were or turn to crime in order to survive. As the centuries went by, Elin realized that she had yet to establish any kind of real influence among mortals. Sure, she had contacts and was a known agitator, but she had little to show for it. As such, she began to cultivate contacts among the emerging labor movement and even created a childe from within that movement. This eventually gave her the money needed to move on, leaving the labor movement to her childe and entering politics. For a long time, she joined her sire in influencing the socialist political movements. However, in the late 1970s, she established The Factory (see page 57) as a counterpoint to the overly conservative Elysiums hosted by Clan Toreador, and the place quickly became an institution among both mortals and Kindred. Since then, Elin has focused her attentions on the rebellious and outcast subcultures of Copenhagen. She retains a little of her former political influence and has cultivated contacts in Christiania, making her sphere of influence rather wide. Sire: Thrugils Nature: Survivor Demeanor: Rebel Generation: 9th Embrace: 1659 Apparent Age: Late 30s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3

Denmark by Night

Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 1, Firearms 3, Larceny 1, Melee 1, Stealth 1, Survival 2 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Law 1, Occult 2, Politics 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Celerity 5, Dominate 3, Potence 5, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (In left-wing political parties, major subculture figures and at Christiania), Domain 2 (The Factory), Fame 2, Herd 5 (Factory patrons), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 5, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 4, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: A harsh life means Elin looks older than she was when she was embraced, but she is still an attractive woman. She carries herself with dignity and selfassurance and is always immaculately groomed, her heavily curled, ash-blond hair styled to perfection, make-up done with great skill and her clothing always provocative and appropriate for someone involved in the type subcultes she frequents. Roleplaying Hints: You do what it takes to secure your future. For most of your existence, this meant trying to change society to one that would accept you as an equal to those in power. Now, you have respect and recognition among Kindred as the owner of The Factory and you will do whatever is needed to keep it. From there, you can begin to truly shape mortal society and help those who need it.

Social

Justice

One of Gudrun’s first memories was of her father, a bricklayer, being carried home, bloody and unconscious, from the Battle on the Commons (see page 49). It left a mark on her and when she grew up, she dedicated herself to the cause of the unions. She fought for worker’s rights and, despite being a woman, she managed to become an integral part of the very early union movement in Denmark. She could have risen to the top, but even in an organization dedicated to egalitarianism, the prevailing gender roles of the time worked against her. It was Gudrun’s contacts within the unions the led to her Embrace. Gudrun took the change in stride and continued her work, trying to establish a fairer society. In fact, Gudrun pretty much ignored Kindred society, paying only lip service to Copenhagen’s Kindred court. Instead, she used the influence her sire had, her own powers and her not inconsiderable ability to influence people to keep up the fight. She fought for labor rights, for women’s rights and for the rights of the poor, of immigrants, of anyone she felt was being ignored or trodden down by society. Gudrun is one of the most underestimated Kindred in all of Denmark – her involvement with Kindred society is limited to trying to change the way the vampires of Denmark treat humans and how they use their influence to maintain an underclass that is easy to feed on. However, she has immense influence among the labor unions and through them, various political parties, in both Copenhagen and throughout Denmark. And while there may be those who claim that the fight is over, that equality has been achieved, Gudrun remembers how history has unfolded. She knows the fight is far from over. Sire: Elin Jönsson Nature: Fanatic Demeanor: Perfectionist

Haven: The basement of The Factory Influence: Widespread, but unfocused. In the mortal world, Elin’s influence extends mainly to various more-or-less fringe subcultures; punk, goth, fetish and the like. She also has some degree of influence in Christiania and among the left wing of Danish politics. Among Kindred, The Factory gains Elin quite a bit of unofficial status and prestige, something that requires a degree of subtlety to exploit.

Gudrun Pedersen, Warrior

Generation: 10th Embrace: 1895 Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 4, Wits 2

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Talents: Empathy 5, Expression 4, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Crafts 2, Etiquette 3 Knowledges: Academics 3, Finance 1, Investigation 1, Law 4, Occult 1, Politics 5, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 2, Potence 2, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Union official, party secretary for The Alternative), Contacts 5 (Among unions, left-wing parties and support organizations for women), Herd 3 (People she has helped), Influence 3, Resources 2, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 5, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 8 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Gudrun is an unassuming woman, heavyset with mousy brown hair and matching eyes. She dresses in simple clothes, never giving anyone reason to give her a second look. However, nothing can dull the power of her personality and when she speaks, people listen. Roleplaying Hints: You remember. You remember how those in power fought every step of the way not to give anything to those without. You remember the labor union fights, the oppression of women, the vilification of the poor and the outsiders, the way homosexuals were treated. And you see that it’s still happening. Not as bad, but then, not gone. And you will continue to fight. Haven: No fixed haven; she mostly sleeps in abandoned factory buildings at Avedøre Holme. Influence: Gudrun has a lot of influence among the labor unions in Denmark – sadly, the current political climate has slowly hamstrung those. She has a lot of influence among the left wing parties, especially The Alternative – however, they are not in power right now.

Lasse Vinter, Edgy Writer Lasse grew up in an upper-middle-class family in the suburbs. His performance in school was middling at best and dropped out of university, where he studied poetry, after deciding that he needed to break with the mindless conformity. He joined the punk and squatter

BZ movements, first writing poetry and then, in the mid-80s, transitioning to novels. Lasse always believed that he had a unique talent, a way of writing the unvarnished truth that would both shock and amaze. He wrote stories about life on the street, about drug use, criminals and prostitutes. However, despite his claims that these were scenes from his own hardscrabble life, Lasse actually lived decently enough in an apartment rented for him by his parents. However, he was obsessed with the idea of catching the big break, of being recognized not only as the genius he believed himself to be, but also as a cool, hip and edgy writer, willing to shine a light on the harsh truth. His stories became more lurid, more exploitative, containing gratuitous scenes of rape and torture that Lasse insisted were inspired by the stories he heard on the streets. He gained a small, but loyal following, though he never gained the big break he was looking for. Lasse’s sire, Mark, was a beat poet who had been Embraced by Juliana Stjernfeldt (see page 89) as a way to cause a scandal among the conservative and staid artists among the Danish Kindred, especially Clan Toreador. Mark had moved to Copenhagen soon after being released and he was taken in by Lasse’s claim of having lived through the things described in his books. When Prince Ragnhild granted Copenhagen’s Clan Brujah the rights to Embrace a childe in 1992, Thrugils awarded that right to the clan’s youngest member, Mark Olsen, who chose Lasse. When it became clear to Mark that Lasse was not the hardened street thug and rebellious semi-noir writer that he had portrayed himself as, Mark quickly released Lasse and wanted nothing to do with his childe. Mark was one of the Kindred who invested in Farum (See page 71) and lost big. When that happened, Mark’s compounded shame made him leave Denmark and settle in Hamburg instead. The Embrace came as a boon to Lasse, who saw this as a way to truly become the dark and edgy author he knew he was. He originally joined the Free Company (see Rosa Schmidt, page 109), but dropped out after a few years, claiming that the others felt intimidated by him. He continued to write, maintaining the masquerade that he was alive all the way up to the start of the new millennium and gaining some fame for only appearing at book signings after dark. His stories, both the written ones and the ones he told of his life, grew more outrageous. However, fame and recognition still

Denmark by Night

eluded him. And slowly, surely, the reason has crystallized in his mind; society simply isn’t capable of accepting his true genius. Critics call his hyper realistic scenes of torture and death “gratuitous” and “nothing but shock value” because the vast majority of literary critics are soft, left-wing wimps. Women who decry his rape scenes as “exploitative” and “misogynistic” are nothing but feminazis wanting to reshape art to fit their image. His books are failing because of political correctness gone mad. For the last 10 years, Lasse has established himself online as a famous men’s right activist and anti-PC figure, fighting to debunk the myth of the pay gap and white male privilege. Lasse has finally found an outlet for his frustrations at not being recognized as a genius. He desperately wants to be seen as cool and edgy and the fact that he is not, drives him forward. His books are becoming more and more gratuitous and he is unable to accept any criticism that the dark and disturbing scenes are there for mere shock value rather than to drive a story. To him, they are proof that he is cooler and edgier than other writers. He has even gone so far as to claim that other Kindred are holding him back; the Prince, the Keeper of Elysium and Rosa Schmidt, all women, are the targets of rants that have made Lasse a bit of an embarrassment in Clan Brujah. Sire: Mark Olsen

Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 4 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 10/1 Image: Lasse is a tall, rangy man with dark blond hair in a flat-top crew-cut. He wears a leather jacket, ragged jeans, biker boots and a pair of sunglasses. He has various tattoos on his arms and chest; skulls, a Chinese dragon, a dagger dripping venom, barbed wire around one wrist and wears two simple, silver earrings in his left ear. Roleplaying Hints: The world, mortal or Kindred, simply isn’t willing to accept the truth and recognize your talent. Misandrous feminists and overly-PC social justice warriors are trying to distort the narrative of reality and you don’t fit into their vision. But you will expose them. You have the facts on your side and you will make people see how smart, how cool and how edgy you really are. Haven: Basement apartment in the Kgs Enghave quarter. Influence: Under the name LVinter, Lasse is a very well-known blogger and on-line debater when it comes to Men’s Right Activism and anti-PC discussions. His followers, while not fanatics, are willing to act in his name, potentially to the point of breaking the law.

Nature: Conniver Demeanor: Curmudgeon Generation: 13th Embrace: 1992

Brujah of Funen

Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 1, Expression 2, Intimidation 2, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Larceny 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Investigation 1, Occult 2, Politics 1, Science 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Celerity 1, Potence 1, Presence 3

Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (Other important MRA activists in Denmark), Fame 1, Herd 1 (A small group of fans who knows what he is), Resources 2, Status 1

Asbjørn, Lord of Funen and Prince of Odense Asbjørn was born the son of a huscarl for a jarl living near Ribe and raised to be a warrior. The boy grew up tall and strong and soon joined the men on Viking raids. He excelled both at fighting and trading and quickly became a wealthy man. Asbjørn married a beautiful woman, bought a large farm on Funen and sailed on his last raid at the age of 30 before settling down as a free and influential farmer. He honored the gods, learned the laws and became a well-respected man whose advice was often sought. One spring, Asbjørn returned from a trip to the regional thing to find that his farm had been attacked by outlaws. Much of his family had been slain, his fields

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

burned, his livestock stolen. Asbjørn flew into a rage. An axe, shield and hauberk of mail that had lain unused for almost a decade was brought forth and Asbørn hunted down the raiders by himself. On a moonlit night, he descended on their camp like a vengeful ghost and laid about him with his axe. The outlaws fell like wheat before the scythe, but there were far too many for Asbjørn to kill without opposition. In the end, all the raiders lay dead, but Asbjørn himself had also fallen, his life-force bleeding out. From the forest came Widsith, an ancient Germanic Brujah who had been following Asbjørn for a while. He had been impressed with Asbjørn’s transition from warrior to scholar of law and he did not want to see Asbjørn die that night. Widsith offered the Viking immortality as a vampire, holding nothing back, explaining everything. And Asbjørn said yes. He joined the other vampires on Funen, quickly becoming a respected and valued member of the Einherjar. But trouble came in the shape of Christianity and the vampires that followed it. Asbjørn joined the side of the Ásatrú, fighting for the old ways. His sire, meanwhile, seeing history repeat itself, left for other lands. In the end, the battle was lost, Christianity established as the law of the land and the Lasombra, Ventrue and Toreador becoming preeminent. Asbjørn settled in Odense under the rule of a Lasombra Prince and maintained contact with the remaining Ásatrú vampires. He also supported the remaining pagans in Denmark, but as time went by, Christianity swept away the old beliefs and Asbjørn became something of a recluse. He lost touch with the times, his knowledge of the laws and customs of the land lessened and he only emerged when there was a chance to fight. Only the formation of the Camarilla managed to rouse him and Asbjørn saw an opportunity to get rid of the hated, Christian Prince of Odense, who had managed to avoid the ire of the Anarchs. The Prince, however, declared himself antitribu and remained Prince of Odense. This did not last long, however, as a few packs of the nascent Sabbat attacked Odense, infuriated that a traitorous elder Lasombra served as a Camarilla prince. Asbjørn did nothing to defend his supposed liege, but he did join the battle as soon as the Prince of Odense had found Final Death; when he finally joined, he completely annihilated the enemy. He then declared himself the Prince of Odense and received the support of the Prince of Denmark.

For almost 500 years, Asbjørn has served at the Prince of the smallest domain in Denmark and has done surprisingly little to consolidate his power. Asbjørn is a brooding man lost in the melancholy of longing for a time that can never come back. His temper has become legendary in Denmark and he has shown a willingness to let it take him over – no other Kindred in Denmark have killed more fellow vampires than Asbjørn. He may remain calm quite long for a Brujah, but once the dam breaks, nothing holds Asbjørn back. However, in the last decades Asbjørn has found a new purpose. The rise of a new faith in the old gods, of the Ásatrú religion, of Forn Siðr, has emboldened Asbjørn. He sees a new chance to bring some of the old ways back, the honor and glory of the Viking Age. Asbjørn knows full well that he has no chance of becoming the Prince of Denmark – he lacks the political acumen and support. While he would love to become the Kindred ruler of Denmark and use his position to influence the politics and beliefs of the land, he has realized the impossibility of that dream. Instead, he and his allies focus on weakening the Christian Kindred of Denmark, as well as the mortal Christian institutions, while lending their support to Forn Siðr and the other pagans, especially Ásatrú, in Denmark. Sire: Widsith Nature: Traditionalist Demeanor: Bravo Generation: 6th Embrace: 809 Apparent Age: Late 30s Physical: Strength 6, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 5, Awareness 2, Brawl 5, Empathy 1, Expression 2, Intimidation 6, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 2, Etiquette 2, Melee 6, Performance 1, Stealth 2, Survival 2 Knowledges: Finance 1, Investigation 1, Law 2, Occult 1, Politics 1, Theology 4

Denmark by Night

Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 7 (7 standard levels and the Projectile power), Dominate 2, Fortitude 5, Obfuscate 2, Potence 7, Presence 7 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Forn Siðr priest), Contacts 3 (In the government of Odense and the South Danish Region and in Forn Siðr), Domain 6 (technically, all of Funen is his Domain, these dots merely represents what he can reasonably exploit), Herd 3 (Ásatrú worshippers), Influence 2, Resources 3, Retainers 5, Status 5 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 3 Willpower: 9 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 30/6 Image: Asbjørn looks almost like a stereotype; he is tall and broad-shouldered, with dirty-blond hair hanging just below his shoulders and a well-groomed beard. Faded scars adorn his body and his left hand is tattooed with knotwork symbols. Asbjørn generally dresses in dark clothes made of tough materials, such as denim and leather. He always carries a hand axe with him and if he expects trouble, he has a Dane axe and several throwing spears at his disposal. Roleplaying Hints: The change in the world infuriates you. You remember the days of thing-meetings, holmgang-duels, honor and glory won in battles, beliefs in gods that made sense rather than some distant and unknowable father figure. You are shaking off centuries of lethargy and you battle a temper that burns hot even for a Brujah, but you have plans. Long term plans. You are old and you have patience. Haven: An old farm-turned-large house on the outskirts of Odense proper. Influence: In the mortal world, Funen is in the Region of Southern Denmark, which is governed from Vejle, even though Odense is the largest city. This, along with Asbjørn’s centuries-long disinterest in politics, limits his political pull quite a bit – he has a single agent in Vejle, but she is only tasked with influencing legislation affecting Funen. He is still recognized as Lord of Funen and has a fair amount of influence over the island, especially the city of Odense. His influence in the officially recognized church of the old Norse gods, the Forn Siðr, is uncontested by anyone else in Denmark. .

Flemming Hansen, Righteous Freedom Fighter When the Nazis invaded Denmark, Flemming had just started his studies at Odense University Hospital. One night in 1943, his cousin woke him up and asked him to come tend to a sick man – who turned out to be a heavily wounded resistance fighter. Flemming managed to patch the man up and then promptly asked to join the Odense resistance. He was accepted and spent the next 2 years engaging in sabotage against the occupying forces. As the Nazis suffered defeat after defeat in the war, Flemming’s group grew bolder, until one night, they became the victims of their own overconfidence. Most of the resistance fighters were killed by Nazi soldiers and the rest were captured. Flemming was heavily wounded, which, ironically, saved his life. The Nazis wanted to execute him as a warning to others and they had him nursed back to health – a process that took so long that Denmark was liberated before Flemming was executed. During the months after Denmark’s liberation, Flemming became a minor leader among Odense’s resistance fighters, helping them round up collaborators and people suspected of harboring Nazi sympathies. He developed a skill for oration and gave fiery speeches that drew large crowds. This devotion was what drew Hans Tonning to Flemming. Hans had been a knight in life, devoted to chivalry and honor, and he saw in Flemming another passionate firebrand who cared about humans and despised tyrants and bullies. Hans had gotten permission to create a childe and chose Flemming. Despite his initial shock, Flemming adjusted quite quickly to being a vampire. He rapidly understood the nature of Kindred society and although he disliked the idea of “status by age, not merit”, he also realized that there was little he could do to change it as a mere neonate. Instead, he focused on three things; supporting his sire, gaining mortal influence and returning to his study of medicine. The last thing was actually the easiest; Hans’ wealth allowed Flemming to purchase whatever textbooks he needed and even hire tutors that were willing to teach after sundown. Mortal influence came in the way of former resistance fighters, many of whom went on to civil service or politics. And supporting his sire simply meant putting whatever status and influence Flemming had behind Hans’ efforts to influence both mortal and Kindred society.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

In the 1970’ies, Flemming began to change his approach. He saw potential in the various rebellious youth groups, most of who were on the far left and anti-authoritarian, and he began fostering influence among them. Over the years, the groups might have changed, but their central belief has not and Flemming still supports and influences them. He also began looking at Odense University Hospital – through the decades, he had maintained some contacts there and now, Flemming very carefully cultivated influence at the hospital, careful not to get into any conflicts with the mages. In 1979, Flemming’s sire travelled to Copenhagen to appear at a major Elysium event. Unfortunately, he was attacked by one or more Lupines in the streets and met final death. Since then, Flemming has seen himself as one of the preeminent champions of equality among the Kindred of Denmark. His plans are twofold; he wants to pressure the elders of Denmark to give more recognition to younger Kindred and he wants to support the left-wing movements in Denmark in their efforts to combat fascism and right-wing politics. He has only recently come into contact with Nicolai Hanssen (see page 83) and the two have realized that they share much of the same outlook. Sire: Hans Tonning

groups), Domain 1 (A simple house in Odense), Herd 5 (Access to OUH), Resources 1, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 12/1 Image: Flemming is tall and thin, with sand-colored hair in an old-fashioned cut and a trimmed moustache. His green eyes are usually hidden behind thick glasses. His demeanor is one of nervous energy and intellectual curiosity – right up until he begins one of his impassioned speeches, when his entire being seems to light up from within. Flemming dresses somewhat old-fashioned and prefers beige-colored clothing. Roleplaying Hints: You remember. You have seen what happens. And you never again want racist, fascist, nationalist people ruling Denmark. While you are not a wide-eyed radical, you do believe that left-wing politics can succeed, as long as the fascists and capitalists are not allowed to interfere. You also see possibilities in Kindred society for more egalitarianism, though you lack allies. Nicolai, however, is a good start. Haven: His parents’ old house in Odense, near the University Hospital. Influence: Flemming is the only Kindred with any influence at OUH, though this does not extend to any of the research or specialized areas. He also has tremendous pull among most of Denmark’s far-left political and social organization, though they are all very grass-roots, with no influence in government or administrations.

Nature: Idealist Demeanor: Caregiver Generation: 11th Embrace: 1946 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Talents: Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 1, Larceny 1, Performance 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 3, Computer 1, Investigation 1, Law 1, Medicine 5, Occult 1, Politics 4, Science 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Celerity 1, Potence 2, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Doctors at Odense University Hospital and members of various antifa

Brujah of Southern Jutland Nicolai Hanssen, Radical Thinker

Nicolai’s father was a printer in the city of Odense, a shrewd businessman who invested wisely and grew in wealth. He sent his firstborn son to Copenhagen to study, hoping that Nicolai would be able to add some respectability to a family that, despite its wealth, would always be seen as working-class. The young man was bright and eager to learn and in Copenhagen, he fell in with the Enlightenment crowd and became a member of the group of progressive intellectuals that formed around Johann Friedrich Struensee, King Christian VII’s personal physician. In 1770, Nicolai’s father took ill and Nicolai returned to take over the business, while still espousing the ideals

Denmark by Night

of Enlightenment. A circle of progressive nobles and scholars formed around Nicolai, their ideas challenging the staid and traditionalistic aristocracy of Denmark. Then, in 1772, Struensee was arrested and suddenly, anyone supporting progressive ideals was a target. Nicolai’s friends all quieted down, but Nicolai himself would not be silenced. He was a true believer and he used his father’s printing business to publish a liberal newspaper supporting freedom of expression and other radical ideas. Not surprisingly, Nicolai eventually found himself arrested and charged with treason – given his status, he was offered a plea bargain, but he refused and found himself facing either execution or prison for life. Nicolai was rescued from this fate by Asbjørn, the Prince of Odense, who saw in the man a rebel somewhat after his own heart, a rabble-rouser, an orator and, most importantly, someone who had no time for the Christian religion. So one night, Asbjørn snatched Nicolai from prison and Embraced him. For the first decade, it seemed Asbjørn had gotten what he had wanted in a childe, someone who could speak with fire and conviction. But Nicolai soon grew disillusioned with Kindred society, where age, generation and lineage counted for more than merit and skill. He fell out with his sire and began deriding the whole system of the Camarilla. However, after a century of trying to enact change, Nicolai became convinced that there was nothing to be done. For a while, he toyed with joining the Sabbat or declaring himself anarch, but then he realized that the key to influencing Kindred society lay in changing mortal society. He began building up contacts and influence in the mortal world and in 1928, when the University of Aarhus was founded, he moved to that city and directed all of his attention there. For almost a hundred years, Nicolai has been using his power and influence to strengthen education among mortals. While his main focus is on the liberal arts side, he does not neglect other studies. He has an idealistic ideal; not only the creation of a mortal population of enlightened and well-educated people, but also ensuring that new vampires are chosen from this crop. He fully believes that education will lead to an embrace of progressive attitudes, which will lead to a more equal society. He is a staunch ally of, and frequent correspondent with, other Kindred in Denmark with similar ideas – he has recently come into contact

with Flemming Hansen and the two are slowly becoming staunch allies. Sire: Asbjørn of Odense Nature: Celebrant Demeanor: Pedagogue Generation: 7th Embrace: 1773 Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 2 Talents: Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Expression 5, Intimidation 1, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Performance 1 Knowledges: Academics 6, Computer 1, Finance 1, Investigation 1, Law 4, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Politics 4, Science 1, Theology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Celerity 2, Potence 5, Presence 6 (Love) Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Member of Aarhus University board), Contacts 5 (Throughout higher educational facilities in Southern Jutland), Herd 5 (Students), Influence 1, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Nicolai is a heavyset man with shoulder length, chestnut hair and a clean-shaven face. There is very little about him that is remarkable, until he starts to speak, when his strong, confident voice commands attention. Nicolai usually dresses in simple, slightly out-of-date clothes, though he does have a very stylish suit for special occasions. Roleplaying Hints: The world needs to change and knowledge is the key. Equality and equity for all is the goal and you will do whatever it takes to steer both mortal and Kindred society in that direction. You are a consummate intellectual and have trouble fathoming that other do not share your love of knowledge or indeed the ease with which you learn new things.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Haven: A small, well-furnished and completely secret room in a sub-basement under the main campus of Aarhus University. Influence: When it comes to the higher education facilities in the Southern Jutland, no Kindred and few mortals have more influence than Nicolai.

Sire: Nicolai Hanssen Nature: Visionary Demeanor: Scientist Generation: 8th Embrace: 1935

Vibeke Gjørring, Dedicated Scientist

Apparent Age: Mid 20s

When Aarhus University established its Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Anatomy, female students weren’t exactly unknown in Denmark. What was rare to see was a woman who not only wanted to study physics, but whose grades and knowledge was at the very top of what was to be expected.

Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3

Vibeke was the daughter of an engineer whose wife had died giving birth to Vbeke’s younger sister. Her father never remarried and raised the two daughters with the help of a house maid. They both grew up intelligent and inquisitive and he had no qualms about sending them to university – Vibeke to Aarhus to study physics, her sister to Copenhagen to study engineering. At university, Vibeke excelled, though she constantly faced prejudice and harassment because of her gender. Her professors were unwilling to give her the grades she deserved and her fellow students resented a girl being better than they were. It all culminated one dark evening, when Vibeke was making her way home to her dorm room. One of her fellow students had not only found himself outdone in the classroom by Vibeke, but she had also rebuffed his sexual advances and he followed her home. Fortunately, Vibeke’s skill and dedication, coupled with the fact that she was a woman, had attracted the attention of Nicolai Hanssen, who saved Vibeke from rape. And then, he turned her into a vampire. At first, Vibeke was distraught at what had happened to her. But then her sire promised her that she could still study, though, of course, not in ordinary classes during the day. The young woman quickly turned to science as a way to deal with her condition and for several decades, she almost isolated herself. But as time wore on, Vibeke began to involve herself more and more with the mortal world. She remembered her own struggles and began taking an active interest in promoting women in science. In addition, she has recently turned to the study of medicine and biochemistry, hoping to apply scientific methods to the understanding of the vampiric condition.

Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 5, Wits 2 Talents: Awareness 1, Empathy 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 1 Knowledges: Academics 3, Computer 1, Medicine 4, Occult 3, Politics 1, Science 5 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 1, Dominate 1, Obfuscate 2, Potence 1, Presence 2 Backgrounds: Contacts 4 (Scientific and medical faculties at Aarhus University and female members of student organizations), Domain 1 (the physics departments of Aarhus University), Herd 2 (Female Students), Mentor 3 (Nicolai), Resources 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 2 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: A short, slight girl with dark-blond hair in a pageboy cut and pale, blue eyes behind thick glasses, Vibeke embodies the “cute, nerdy girl” look. It doesn’t help dispel that image that she prefers to wear light blouses with ankle-length skirts. Roleplaying Hints: The secrets of the universe and how it works are yours to unlock. Quantum physics, string theory and now, the mysteries of the vampiric condition, examined through biochemistry. You have little time for those who are not explorers like yourself and you absolutely hate those who would hinder scientific progress. Always encourage the pursuit of knowledge. Haven: A small, half-forgotten basement apartment in central Aarhus. Influence: Very little, even in the scientific community, as Vibeke refuses to publish any papers for fear of threatening the Masquerade. She does have some

Denmark by Night

influence among female science students, whom she mentors and encourages.

Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3

Kim Cassens, Underground Promoter

Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4

Kim’s family moved to Esbjerg when oil was discovered in the North Sea and the city faced a massive building boom. Kim’s father was a civil engineer and he set the family up well. However, Kim was never happy with his middle-class upbringing and constantly sought out whatever rebellious elements he could find. He resisted his father’s plans to send him to university and was disowned because of it. Undaunted, Kim fell in with the emerging punk and squatter movement that was slowly growing in Denmark. He even joined a punk band and began touring all over Denmark. Kim’s sire was a Copenhagen Brujah who was fascinated with the rebellious attitudes expressed by the punk movement. She had looked for a childe that was dedicated to the punk ideals, but at the same time not too high-profile to be missed and in Kim, she saw both. However, the young man’s rebellious attitude was not lessened by the Embrace and as soon as he was released, he ditched his sire and Copenhagen and returned to Esbjerg, which was still a fast-growing city. Drawing on his contacts, he set himself up as a promoter of concerts and various counter-culture events. He met Christina Willows (see page 93) and they quickly developed quite a business partnership, with Christina dealing drugs at Kim’s events, for which he received a cut of the profits. These nights, Kim is one of Denmark’s premiere promoters of anything dark, underground and counterculture. While his base of operations is in Esbjerg, he does business anywhere in Denmark, from goth clubs in Odense to BDSM dungeons in Copenhagen and gigs with obscure bands in the side-streets of Jomfru Ane Gade in Aalborg. While Kim is still a rebel at heart and one of the closest things Denmark has to an anarch, he cannot but enjoy the money and blood his position is bringing him. Sire: Elin Jönsson Nature: Rebel Demeanor: Rebel Generation: 10th Embrace: 1980 Apparent Age: Mid 20s

Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Empathy 2, Expression 1, Intimidation 4, Leadership 1, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 2, Firearms 1, Melee 1, Performance 2, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 1, Finance 2, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 1 Disciplines: Celerity 1, Potence 3, Presence 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Promoters, club owners and various artists), Domain 3 (Esbjerg’s most notorious club/concert venue/sex dungeon), Fame 1, Herd 5 (Club goers and desperate artists), Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 4 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Kim is a big guy who mixes equal parts muscle and fat. He cuts his Mohawk down to stubble every night and shaves the slight beard on his cheeks. Usually, he is dressed in black pants, black t-shirt and a black jacket, but he can vary his wardrobe according to the circumstances. He is never without a switchblade and a 9mm pistol. Roleplaying Hints: Established society sucks. You are a vampire and you are not bound by the traditions and mores of mortal society. Rebellious music, shocking art displays and taboo sex is where you belong and the world would just be a much better place if everyone gave in to their dark desires. Haven: Underneath his club. Influence: Kim has a lot of pull in the more obscure subcultures of Denmark and with counter-culture artists, rebellious bands and small clubs catering to niche tastes.

Brujah of Northern Jutland

Johanne Larsdatter, Rebel Without a Cause From 1534 to 1536 a civil war called the Count’s Feud (named after one of the chief instigators, Count

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Christopher of Oldenburg) gripped Denmark. The war was, at its core, fought to determine whether Denmark should remain Catholic or become Protestant and during the war, Count Christopher, supporter of the Catholic faith, called upon the former privateer Skipper Clement to raise an army of peasants to defeat the nobles of North Jutland, who were mainly supporters of the Protestant King Christian III.

she was still the result of an illegal Embrace. However, Johanne thrived in adversity and she set her sights on bettering the life of the downtrodden – be it mortals or Kindred. Many elders came to curse her name as Johanne became the first real Anarch in Denmark for quite some time. However, she had the candid support of several old Brujah in Denmark and as time passed, she grew from an impassioned firebrand to a dedicated politician.

For many peasants, the opportunity to fight the nobles was cause enough and a lot of them couldn’t care less about religious or political motives. Skipper Clement managed to raise quite the peasant army and, with the support of professional soldiers, they defeated the army of Jutland’s nobles. However, politics intervened and King Christian III came to terms with Count Christopher. As a result, he could turn his entire focus on the rebel army and in December 1534, the king’s army defeated Clement’s rebels, who had retreated to the city of Aalborg (the war would still drag on for two more years, though, as there was still Catholic support among other powerful people in Denmark)

For almost 500 years, Johanne fought. As time passed, she began to soften her Anarch ways and while she never became a part of the establishment, she has come to see a little of the wisdom in the rule of the Elders. These nights, she acts more of a mentor to younger Kindred, shepherding them so they do not make mistakes that might threaten the Masquerade or the stability of Denmark’s Kindred society. As for her involvement with the downtrodden, that, too, has changed, even more dramatically. Johanne remembers a time when peasants starved to death, where lords could kill the poor without consequence and when women were treated as chattel. While she recognizes that there are still poor people, and still those who rule, she has trouble reconciling her memories of the past with the way poor people live in the Danish welfare state. She has lost much of the drive she once had to better the lives of the more disenfranchised mortals and now, finds herself without a purpose or a goal in her unlife, unsure of where to go next.

Johanne was among a small handful of women who had joined the peasant army. She was a widow whose husband had been killed by a young nobleman’s runaway horse, leaving her with three children to care for on her own. Two died of starvation, with only her eldest son surviving to adulthood and she joined Skipper Clement’s army alongside him. Johanne’s son was among those slaughtered by the royalist soldiers in the sack of Aalborg and Johanne herself was mortally wounded. She would have died had it not been for her sire. Albrecht was a Brujah from Lübeck who had joined the professional soldiers originally sent to reinforce the peasants. The idea of a peasant rebellion against the nobles warmed the old anarch’s dead heart and among the rebels, he found many promising childer. However, when Aalborg was sacked, Albrecht had to choose quickly and he chose Johanne, Embracing her rather than seeing the spirited woman die. Unfortunately, Albrecht did not have permission and once the furor of the civil war died down, he was forced to flee, a Blood Hunt called down upon him. Johanne, meanwhile, found herself quite enjoying being a vampire. True, she was only barely tolerated, because while the Lord of Northern Jutland decided that she was not to blame for her sire’s misconduct,

Sire: Albrecht Nature: Caregiver Demeanor: Rebel Generation: 9th Embrace: 1534 Apparent Age: Mid 50s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 1 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Empathy 4, Expression 3, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 1, Melee 3, Stealth 2, Survival 1 Knowledges: Investigation 1, Law 3, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Politics 4, Theology 1

Denmark by Night

Disciplines: Animalism 2, Auspex 1, Celerity 5, Dominate 2, Fortitude 2, Potence 5, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 2 (Social services in her area), Domain 1 (A small part of the poorest area of Aarhus), Herd 2 (Homeless people), Resources 2, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Johanne is a short, stout woman with prematurely graying hair and deep lines of sorrow and harsh living etched upon her face, making her look over a decade older than she was when she died. However, there is a fire inside her that shines when she speaks and her voice is not that of an aging woman. Johanne prefers plain clothes, often just jeans and a t-shirt and cares little for make-up or jewelry. Johanne rarely goes anywhere without carrying a dagger, just in case. Roleplaying Hints: You want to help people, make a better life (or unlife) for all, but you also know the reality. There will always be poor people and the way Denmark is now, nobody starves to death just because their harvest fails. And while a meritocracy is a good thing, the rule of Elders helps keep Kindred society together. There was a time when there was all the reason in the world to fight the established power structure, but now it seems there’s no need anymore. Haven: A small house on the outskirts of central Aalborg. Influence: Johanne used to have a lot of influence in the social services in northern Jutland, but she has let much of that slip away from her.

Theodor Jeronimus “T.J.” Hall, Master of Technology Towards the end of the 19th century, phones were really catching on in Denmark and various phone companies were being established in the bigger cities. Professor T.J. Hall was hired from the University of Copenhagen to help establish a phone central in Aalborg, due to his consultancy work on telegraph lines during his earlier years. While Professor Hall was reluctant to leave his position at the physics department of the university, the opportunity to work on telephones on an industrial scale, not to mention the paycheck, lured him north. After finishing work on

the telephone exchange, Hall stayed on as a consultant, becoming a professor emeritus for Copenhagen University and continuing to perform private experiments regarding telecommunications. He even exchanged a few letters with Marconi regarding wireless telegraphy. The Brujah Johanne saw great possibilities in the advancement of technology. She believed that, eventually, it would make life better for everyone, including the poor and disenfranchised, and especially communication was important to her, as she had seen what newspapers could achieve once censorship was relaxed. All this led her to Embrace Theodor, a man she saw as a visionary innovator. Theodor, for his part, took the transition to vampire surprisingly easy. He had been worried about his failing health and now, he had eternity to continue his work. However, he disliked the political atmosphere of Kindred society and remained on the outside, lending no aid to his sire’s attempts at reformation. Theodor has a rare gift among vampires – even at more than a hundred years, he can still keep up with modern technology and the shifting times and trends of mortal society. He was on the forefront when it came to radio and television and now, the internet and mobile technology is what interests him. Almost by accident, he has acquired quite a bit of influence and wealth due to this. He ended up with some interests in Skype and, later, gained some influence with Telenor Denmark and while he has never been a businessman, he has been smart enough to Blood Bond a mortal who is. Theodor’s main interest remains emerging communications technology and especially the Internet and he continues working on new ideas, which he disseminates throughout the mortal world. Among the more dedicated web-users in Denmark, T.J. is known as the “cool, old guy” who was there when it all started. Sire: Johanne Larsdatter Nature: Dabbler Demeanor: Scientist Generation: 10th Embrace: 1897 Apparent Age: Late 50s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 3 Talents: Awareness 1, Empathy 1, Expression 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 4, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1 Knowledges: Academics 3, Computer 4, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 1, Science 5 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Celerity 1, Potence 2, Presence 4 Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Director at Telenor Denmark), Contacts 5 (Hackers, programmers and developers all over Denmark), Fame 1, Herd 1 (Aalborg technophiles), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 5, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Apart from being on the tall side, Theodor looks like a stereotypical professor – white, slightly receding hair, watery blue eyes behind thick glasses, thin and serious-looking. Despite dressing rather oldfashioned, in corduroy trousers, striped shirts, a jacket with elbow patches and bowtie, Theodor is never without the latest technology, from smartphones to tablets to smart watches. Roleplaying Hints: The Internet is the best thing to have ever happened for Kindred and the Masquerade. Modern communications technology makes unlife so much easier. And it is so fascinating. You cannot wait to see what lies beyond the horizon and every new innovation, whether done by yourself or others, fascinates you. Haven: A small, but luxurious apartment in the center of Aalborg. Influence: Although he is almost unaware of it, Theodor wields a lot of influence in a rather specialized area; information technology and its derivatives. However, as IT technology becomes increasingly prevalent and integrated into society, he has the potential to become one of the most influential Kindred in Denmark in regards to the mortal world.

Juliana Marie Stjernfeldt, Undead Party Girl

In the 1920s, beachfront hotels were exceptionally popular among the upper classes of Danish society. Well-to-do and rich people came from the dirty, grimy cities to experience the clean air and water of the Danish coastline, especially the west coast of Jutland. Here, they enjoyed sand, sun and swimming, while also networking and engaging in clandestine affairs. Juliana was the daughter of the nouveau riche industrialist Peter Stjernfeldt, a man aspiring to become a part of the Danish higher classes. Sadly, while he and his wife were models of propriety, their daughter had a huge rebellious streak. A willful bon vivant, she did what she wanted, when she wanted and managed to scandalize the extremely prim and proper society of 20’ies Denmark. A girl of her age was not supposed to have affairs, certainly not without a level of subterfuge and definitely not with lower-class servants, no matter how handsome they were. But Juliana did not care – she loved handsome men and loved sex and she got a thrill out of the reactions of the people around her. She became notorious at the bathing hotel her family visited each year near the town of Skagen, at the very tip of the Jutland peninsula. Indeed, rumors of her behavior made it all the way to Aalborg, to the point where her father began making plans to send his daughter into therapy. Juliana’s rebellious streak caught the attention of Johanne, Aalborg’s oldest Brujah. However, Johanne had too much on her plate to take on a childe and lobbied to give her own childe, Theodor, the right to Embrace. He won that right and one summer night, introduced Juliana to the world of the Kindred. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Juliana took to being a vampire like a fish to water. The freedom, the power, the opportunity to act more or less like she wanted – it all appealed to the young woman. She fit in well with Kindred society, taking with her the rebellious streak she had in life, with enough wits not to challenge the status quo too much. After staying with her sire and grandsire in Aalborg for a few years, she struck out on her own, using her powers and natural charisma to establish a presence with and, eventually, influence over the various society hot-spots along the northern Jutlandic coast. Over the next decades, she became known among both mortals and, especially, Kindred as someone with great skill at arranging parties and securing feeding opportunities. These nights, Juliana spends her summers among the partygoers in Skagen, still one of Denmark’s

Denmark by Night

summer hotspots for well-to-do young partygoers, as well as the site for Denmark’s oldest music festival. The rest of the year, she moves between Aalborg and various cities in the Northern Jutland domain, attending, influencing and arranging parties. She has not lost the desire to shock and cause a scandal, though she does her best not to challenge the Masquerade with her antics. Sire: Theodor Jeronimus Hall Nature: Eye of the Storm Demeanor: Rebel Generation: 11th Embrace: 1928 Apparent Age: Late Teens Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 4 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 1, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 1, Performance 2, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 1, Occult 1, Politics 1, Science 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Celerity 1, Dominate 3, Potence 1, Presence 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 4 (Promoters, club owners and the like all over northern Jutland), Domain 2 (A small, exclusive nightclub off Jomfru Ane Gade), Fame 1, Herd 4 (Lovers and partygoers), Resources 2, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 3 Willpower: 9 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 12/1 Image: Juliana is a pretty, slender young woman with blonde hair in a classic 1920s page-boy cut. While not exceptionally beautiful, there is something seductive and sensual about Juliana, that draws everyone’s attention and the mischievous glint in her green eyes is quite attractive. Juliana always wears clothing just on the right side of scandalous.

Roleplaying Hints: What’s made life worth living, what makes unlife worth continuing on with, is creating a spectacle. You love it when people are talking about you, you care nothing for taboos and you love to be the center of attention. Rules are merely suggestions, social mores are to be challenged and you will deal with the consequences when they come. Haven: A small, but fashionable apartment in the center of Aalborg Influence: Juliana is well known among Kindred in Jutland for arranging spectacular parties with lots of potential for feeding, but this does not translate into much in the way of real influence. The same goes for the mortal world, where Juliana might have a great deal of name recognition among partygoers, but not much else.

Clan Followers of Set According to vampire history, the Setite group known as the Followers of Jormungandr were destroyed or driven from Danish soil in 1066. However, one of their elders survived, although in torpor, and returned in the 18th century. He, along with his childe, now leads the Society of Níðhöggr, a mystery cult that takes its name from the snake that gnaws at the root of the World Tree. This society only has sporadic contact with the Clan as a whole, who relies on a single member to represent them in Denmark.

Followers of Set of Zealand

Håkon One-Hand, Architect of Destruction Håkon was born to a wealthy merchant in Hedeby and grew up in great luxury. He became a hedonist, enjoying everything life had to offer. He learned the art of trading, making deals and even some mathematics and he was ready to take over his father’s business. However, before this happened, Håkon got into serious trouble when he seduced a young lady and got her pregnant – quite a problem seeing as how Håkon was himself married. The young lady’s brother attacked Håkon and cut of his left hand before Håkon managed to get away. Clan Setite’s leader in Denmark, Sutekh-Huser, had been keeping an eye on Håkon for some time and when the attack happened, he was forced to react

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

faster than he would have wanted – Håkon’s life was as risk and Sutekh-Huser used his blood to save it. He then proceeded to induct the merchant into the Followers of Jormungandr. Håkon took quite well to the Society and it did not take him long to earn the Embrace. Unfortunately for Håkon and the Followers as a whole, he was not as subtle as the other Setites and he ended up revealing the existence, goals and power of the Followers of Jormungandr to the vampires of Denmark. As a result, they engineered the destruction of the Followers and their stronghold. Håkon’s sire fled with his other childe, while the rest of the Society met Final Death. All except Håkon. For centuries, Håkon lay in torpor underneath a collapsed house. Then, in the early 18th century, a pair of poachers sought refuge from a storm in the ruins of Hedeby. They removed a large stone and discovered the basement that Håkon lay trapped in. The presence of living mortals awoke the Setite, who slaked his thirst and then emerged into a whole new world. He made his way to Ribe, but saw that this was not the large city of the Viking Age. He did, however, meet Erik Runemaster (see page 111), who was able to explain the changes that had happened in Denmark over the centuries. Håkon now found himself with no allies and few resources. At first, he returned to the ruins of Hedeby, where he rescued what remained of the writings and treasure of the Followers of Jormungandr. Then, he journeyed to Copenhagen, where he petitioned the Prince for permission to stay. Prince Gunnarr was dubious, given that Håkon presented himself as a Setite, but given that Håkon was a Dane from the days before the founding of the Camarilla, he eventually relented. Håkon immediately set about establishing himself. He still had the skills of a merchant and trader, along with the training Sutekh-Huser had given him and with that, Håkon managed to establish the Society of Níðhöggr. Part mystery cult, part hedonistic salon, part gentleman’s club, the Society became a bit of a fashionable fad among the upper classes in Copenhagen. Håkon deftly managed to stay under the radar, avoiding the attention of the rest of Copenhagen’s Kindred. Håkon is still a hedonist, enjoying everything he can about unlife. But at the same time, he has not given up the work begun by his sire a thousand years ago. Håkon seeks nothing less than the destruction of law, order and civilization, starting with Denmark. Over

the centuries, he has worked diligently to undermine civilized society, fanning flames, applying pressure, but always working from the shadows. He remembers what happened the last time he tipped his hand and he is unwilling to take any chances or rush his plans. For now, he is a respected member of Kindred society, known for his influence among the rich and famous. Sire: Sutekh-Huser Nature: Monster Demeanor: Bon Vivant Generation: 7th Embrace: 1030 Apparent Age: Late 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 4, Expression 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 4, Larceny 1, Performance 1, Stealth 2, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 2, Investigation 1, Law 2, Occult 5, Politics 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Dominate 2, Obfuscate 5, Presence 5, Serpentis 6 Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Current mortal head of the Society, high-class drug dealer), Contacts 5 (Among the rich, famous and powerful in Copenhagen), Domain 1 (His haven), Herd 5 (The Society of Níðhöggr), Influence 1, Resources 4, Retainers 3, Status 2 Virtues: Conviction 3 1, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Typhon 7 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Håkon is a vaguely handsome man, tall and lean, with long, blond hair and a well-groomed beard. He prefers to dress in tailored suits with gold cufflinks and a tie pin. He covers the stump of his left hand with a black leather cover and gets uncomfortable if people draw attention to it. Roleplaying Hints: The serpent will devour the world of laws and rules and you will be there to wallow in the excess and pleasure that it will bring. Until

Denmark by Night

then, do the serpent’s work. And make sure noone learns what your ultimate goal is – you have no great desire to spend another couple of centuries in torpor. Haven: A large villa, more like a small mansion, north of Copenhagen, which is also the headquarters of the Society of Níðhöggr. Influence: The Society of Níðhöggr has numerous rich, powerful and influential members, but it lacks directed influence and no high-ranking politicians are members. Håkon can exert subtle pressure behind the scenes, not influence the policy of businesses or political parties.

Eberhardt Lange, Ally of the Jotuns The Society of Níðhöggr reached the height of its power and influence in the second half of the 19th century, when spiritualism and nationalism was very popular in Denmark. During this time, the Jotuns of Copenhagen (see page 171) became aware of the Society and decided to twist it for their own ends. However, upon infiltrating it, they found that the Society was already under the control of a supernatural being. What followed was a long series of tense meetings and negotiations between the Jotuns and Håkon OneHand. It was early in these negotiations that Eberhardt was Embraced. Eberhardt’s father had been a minor player in the political struggles surrounding the establishment of the Constitution of 1849 and Eberhardt had followed in his father’s footsteps; after achieving a law degree from the University of Copenhagen, he went into politics, comfortably supported by the wealth of his family. He joined the Society of Níðhöggr while at University and rose through the ranks with amazing speed. Unlike many of the other members, who were looking for hedonistic thrills or latched on to the new fad of spiritualism, Eberhardt was genuinely interested in the mysteries offered by Håkon and was eventually made a ghoul. A few years later, Håkon petitioned the Prince of Copenhagen for the right to make a childe. Ragnhild gave permission, reasoning that it would not hurt to have Håkon’s gratitude. Eberhardt joined Håkon in dealing with the Jotuns. As it turned out, the goals of the Followers of Set and the Jotuns are surprisingly similar – they both want to break down the current societal structure and civilization. While the specifics differ, there was enough common ground that they could work together. And for more than a century, Eberhardt has been Håkon’s

emissary to the Jotuns of Zealand. At the same time, Eberhardt has kept up his interest in law and politics. He holds some influence within the Conservatives, but more importantly, he has numerous contacts within the higher court system in Denmark and he controls one of the most prestigious law firms in the capital, which was founded by his brother. Sire: Håkon One-Hand Nature: Rogue Demeanor: Traditionalist Generation: 8th Embrace: 1871 Apparent Age: Early 60s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Awareness 3, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 3, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 3, Finance 1, Investigation 1, Law 5, Occult 3, Politics 3, Theology 2 Disciplines: Obfuscate 2, Presence 5, Serpentis 5 Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Jotun chieftain, leader of his law firm), Contacts 5 (Jotuns, Politcians, Judges), Domain 1 (His haven), Herd 2 (Society of Níðhöggr members), Resources 3, Retainers 1, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 2 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Eberhardt is a corpulent man with thinning, black hair shot through with silver, bushy sideburns and a jowly face. He dresses in suits and wears expensive watches and an ostentatious gold ring. His voice is deep and booming. Roleplaying Hints: You serve Set, yes, but you are also fascinated by the Jotuns and the power they represent. You desire that power, to add it to what you already have. One day, society and civilization will crumble, but until then, you will gather as much power as you can within mortal society. Haven: A large townhouse in the Østerbro quarter.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Influence: Eberhardt has a fair amount of influence over the Copenhagen branch of the Conservative People’s Party and is feuding with the Gangrel Ragnar Silver-Tongue for influence over the Frederiksberg branch. He has total control over the law firm his brother founded and they have many prestigious and powerful clients.

Followers of Set of Southern Jutland Christina Willows, Smuggler extraordinaire

During the Victorian Age, Egypt was all the rage amongst well-to-do Englishmen. And when they travelled to that mysterious land, they brought with them their servants. Christina was one such servant, personal maid to the wife of an English country squire with strong political ties. A pretty young woman, Christina was also ambitious and had her sights set on finding a husband of wealth and power. What she found instead was a Setite cult in Cairo. The Setites were always looking to expand their influence and Christina’s employer was a weak-willed man of many vices. The Followers of Set approached Christina and offered her money, power, status and pleasure and the young woman happily accepted. With Christina’s help, the Followers of Set easily subverted her master and mistress, giving them powerful allies in Britain. Christina, however, did not return to her homeland. The Setites had been impressed by the woman’s dedication, skill and ambition. She spent a decade in Cairo as a mortal member of the cult, helping them subvert various target, before earning the Embrace. Only then did she return to Europe, though not to the British Isles. The elders of the Followers of Set were unhappy with the secrecy surrounding Håkon and his childe and wanted another Setite in Denmark. Originally, the plan was to place Christina in Copenhagen, but she quickly realized the potential of Esbjerg and decided, as the first vampire, to settle in the new city. With the amount of shipping coming into Esbjerg harbor, it was easy for Christina, with the aid of other European Setites, to set up a smuggling network. As time went by, drugs became the most important commodity and eventually, Christina became the biggest vampire drug dealer in Denmark, with a network

spanning the entire country. Copenhagen might be a much bigger market, but the police are also keenly aware of this. Christina is happily to let other Kindred take the risk of importing drugs into the capitol, dodging the police and customs all the time, while she can smuggle in her wares through Esbjerg with very little chance of discovery. With her wealth, power and influence growing, Christina has even begun to consider lobbying for recognition as the Prince of Esbjerg, though she realizes that this might be a very problematic domain to hold. Sire: Ardath Nature: Monster Demeanor: Capitalist Generation: 8th Embrace: 1886 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 4 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 4, Expression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 2, Larceny 1, Stealth 3 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 1, Investigation 1, Law 2, Medicine 1, Occult 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Obfuscate 3, Presence 3, Serpentis 5 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Biker boss), Contacts 3 (Drug dealers and a union secretary), Domain 3 (part of Esbjerg docklands) Herd 5 (Addicts), Influence 1, Resources 4, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conviction 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Typhon 6 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: True to her last name, Christina is a slender, willowy woman with long, curly, dark hair and large, blue eyes. She is able to project an air of innocence and grace at will, which makes it even more frightening when she bares her fangs and reveals the monster

Denmark by Night

beneath the façade. Christina always dresses in business casual attire that accentuates her body. Roleplaying Hints: Know who you are talking to. Intimidate the less powerful, flatter those who can be flattered, dominate the weak-willed and always be ready to cut your losses. Pride is a trap and you can always rebuild. Take the long view and use what resources you have to eventually come out ahead. Haven: A huge beachfront house in the Esbjerg suburbs. Influence: Christina has substantial pull among criminals all over Denmark, especially those who deal in drugs. She also has some influence with the city administration in Esbjerg and with the union departments responsible for the workers at the Esbjerg docks.

Clan Gangrel The first Clan in Denmark and for a long time, the ruling Clan. Clan Gangrel may have fallen from their lofty position, they may no longer call themselves Einherjar, but they are still a much less nomadic breed than one might expect. The Gangrel of Denmark rarely seek nature, preferring instead to hold to the remnants of the old ways and the old places. Most Danish Gangrel feel a strong sense of patriotism and wish to do their part in making Denmark a great nation.

Gangrel of Zealand

Einold Wolfslayer, Gangrel Primogen Einold’s early existence as a Kindred never really indicated that he would end up as the Primogen of Clan Gangrel. In life, he was a hunter, a very skilled one, but nothing that would normally catch the eye of one of the most powerful Gangrel in Denmark. Einold was Embraced at the tail end of the battles between the Pagan and Christian vampires in Denmark. His sire, simple known as The Old One, was desperate and Einold became simply another soldier in a lost cause. He quickly realized that the Christian vampires would win and in the end, he betrayed his sire. And the vampire he went to in order to make this betrayal was none other than Gunnarr Mark, who would become the Prince of Denmark a few centuries later.

Einold was one of the first vampires to settle in Copenhagen alongside Gunnarr. The skills he had learned as a hunter served him poorly in the city and he decided to offer his services to the new Prince. Gunnarr, for his part, was happy to have a skilled tracker and warrior serving him and helped Einold gain the skills needed to advance among vampires. At times, Einold served as Hound, Scourge, or Sheriff. Often, he would travel throughout Denmark on errands for the Prince. He never had the political acumen to secure himself a permanent position and he depended on others to help him build a power base and secure resources. However, his loyalty ro Gunnarr was always well-known. In fact, this loyalty was one of Ragnhild the Just’s main concerns as she took over the position of Prince after Gunnarr went into torpor. Fortunately, Ragnar Silvertongue (see page 95) managed to secure Einold’s support of Ragnhild by promising not to challenge for the position of Primogen. Now, Einold has a permanent position of power, but despite nearly a millennium of experience, he is still out of his depth. Einold is simply not a political person. He is far too forthright and honest, unwilling to play the game. He tries, but he is by far the least influential member of the Primogen Council. He also acutely feels the lack of influence and resources. Over the centuries, he relied on handouts and casual advice from Prince Gunnarr, but after Ragnhild took over, Einold decided to manage his own business. Or rather, create a ghoul to do so. However, Einold also wanted to keep his own hand in the management of his resources and this has not helped matters. He pushed for an investment in the city of Farum (see page 71) and lost big when it all came tumbling down. Einold is getting desperate. He knows that Ragnar, the Prince of Frederiksberg, is a much better politician and businessman and enjoys the close council of Prince Ragnhild, even though Ragnar is not the Primogen of Clan Gangrel. He knows that he is the laughing stock of Copenhagen’s political Kindred. And he is starting to lose the loyalty that has been his defining feature for centuries. He has begun talking to the Sabbat across the Øresund. He has been talking to Valdemar Duus-Frederiksen (see page 149) and Anette Gyldenstierne (see page 104). He has even been talking to Clan Tremere. He has no plan so far, but he just knows that he wants a change. Sire: The Old One Nature: Survivor

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Demeanor: Conformist Generation: 6

change. It doesn’t matter what you have to do, who you have deal with, something must change.

Haven: An abandoned factory at Avedøre Holme.

Embrace: 1050 Apparent Age: Mid 40s Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 6 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 1 Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 5, Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Empathy 1, Intimidation 4, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Animal Ken 5, Crafts 3, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 1, Melee 3, Stealth 4, Survival 5 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 1, Investigation 2, Occult 3, Politics 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Animalism 7, Auspex 2, Celerity 1, Dominate 2, Fortitude 7, Potence 1, Presence 3, Presence 1, Protean 7 Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (Hvidovre Municipality administration civil servant), Domain 3 (Part of Avedøre Holme), Herd 1 (Homeless and prostitutes he pays well), Resources 2, Retainers 2, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 30/6 Image: Einold is a tall, broad man with blunt features and shaggy, blond hair. He sports a scraggly beard that he tries to groom every night upon waking. Frenzies over the years have left him with teeth like those of a canine. Einold tries to wear dignified suits, but they never look right on him. He rarely goes armed, as he hardly needs to, but if he expects trouble, he will arm himself with an axe and a very heavy modern compound bow with a selection of arrows, using them when his Disciplines would breach the Masquerade. Roleplaying Hints: You have always done what is needed to survive – you sold out your sire because his cause was a failure, you served Gunnarr because he was the most powerful, you transferred your loyalty to Ragnhild to gain a position that would ensure your safety. Yet things are falling apart all around you. You are losing wealth, prestige, influence and soon, someone will try to take your place. So it’s time for a

Influence: Einold used to have a good deal of influence in Farum, but that is gone. He clings to his influence in the Hvidovre Municipality that lets him affect Avedøre Holme.

Ragnar Silver-Tongue, Frederiksberg

Prince

Ragnar’s father was a Viking, who took his son along as soon as Ragnar was old enough. Although a decent warrior, Ragnar’s skills lay more in trading and making deals. The young man soon decided that raiding was not for him and became a merchant. He traveled to foreign lands to trade for exotic goods and returned with great wealth. Eventually, Ragnar settled down, married and lived in great luxury. He never lost the skills he had learned and now turned his persuasive abilities towards politics, becoming quite a powerful man on Zealand. Ragnar’s sire was a Gangrel from Britanny who had left her home to escape the reach of the Romans. In Denmark, she found a vibrant society and joined the more settled Gangrel that had made their home in the kingdom. She took Ragnar as a childe due to his power, influence and political acumen. Ragnar mourned the loss of his wife, whom he had to leave after his Embrace, but otherwise, took to his new existence quite well. It didn’t take Ragnar long to establish himself as a powerful vampire on Zealand, but unfortunately, the Christian vampires were coming. During the battles between Pagans and Christians, Ragnar fought on the side of his clan, though not on the front lines like his sire. When she was killed, Ragnar entered into tentative negotiations. He realized that the march of Christianity could not be stopped and when the fighting was over, Ragnar was one of the few Gangrel who had a positive connection to the new rulers of vampire society. For the next centuries, Ragnar simply focused on shoring up his power and influence. When Prince Gunnarr moved from Roskilde to Copenhagen in 1241, Ragnar surprised quite a few people by coming up on top in the political battle for Roskilde. He later surprised even more people by giving up Roskilde and moving to Copenhagen after the Reformation, letting

Denmark by Night

Gunnarr’s childe take over Roskilde (and gaining a fair amount of concessions from Prince Gunnarr in the process). When Gunnarr fell into torpor and Ragnhild the Just took over, Ragnar was one of her strongest supporters. They had secretly joined forces during the Enlightenment to support the reforms sweeping the land, as both of them saw the advantages gained. In return for his support, Prince Ragnhild promised Ragnar a major boon, which Ragnar cashed in in 1857, making him the Prince of Frederiksberg. Since becoming a minor Prince, Ragnar has continued to accrue wealth, influence, power and prestige. He is one of Ragnhild’s closest allies and has helped several younger Kindred establish themselves. There are those who believe Ragnar to be a power behind the throne or plotting to take over Prince Ragnhild’s position. However, Ragnar does not want the throne – he knows what a target it would make him and he is comfortable just enjoying his position and power as the Prince of Frederiksberg.

helped to power), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 5, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Almost everything about Ragnar is big; he is tall, with broad shoulders, a barrel chest, a massive beard and big belly, the legacy of a life in luxury; only his hair is cut exceptionally short. His eyes are yellow, with slit pupils. Ragnar prefers to wear casual, but expensive, clothes, but for formal occasions, he will put on a suit and carry and old wooden staff with a wolf’s head carved on it. As a legacy from his times as a mortal, he always carries a small seax.

Nature: Thrill-Seeker

Roleplaying Hints: It’s all about making deals, gathering favors and wealth and power and prestige. You never let a chance to do some wheeling and dealing pass you by. There is no bigger thrill than negotiating high stakes and big deals. You enjoy the spoils of victory, but will always be looking for the next big deal.

Demeanor: Capitalist

Haven: A small mansion in central Frederiksberg

Sire: Luigsech

Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2

Influence: When it comes to the politics and business of Frederiksberg, Ragnar’s influence is more or less absolute. He also enjoys the trust of Prince Ragnhild and a number of younger Kindred owe him boons, favors or money.

Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2

Anders Sand, City Gangrel Antitribu

Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 5

Like his father before him, Anders joined the Danish navy as a gunner. However, Anders disliked the strict discipline and low pay and so jumped ship and became a civilian sailor, taking jobs aboard merchantmen. With a warrant out for his arrest, Anders generally avoided being aboard ships that docked in Copenhagen and this was what sealed his fate.

Generation: 7th Embrace: 827 Apparent Age: Early 40s

Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Empathy 5, Expression 1, Intimidation 4, Leadership 4, Streetwise1, Subterfuge 6 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Melee 2, Stealth 1, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Finance 4, Investigation 1, Law 1, Occult 3, Politics 5, Theology 1 Disciplines: Animalism 5, Auspex 2, Obfuscate 3, Celerity 3, Dominate 3, Fortitude 6, Potence 1, Presence 5, Protean 6 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Among the Frederiksberg administration and the other powerful people in the municipality), Domain 5 (technically, all of Frederiksberg is his Domain, these dots merely represents what he can reasonably exploit), Herd 5 (Mortals he has

Anders was aboard a merchantman that stopped in Helsingborg on its way to Copenhagen and he gained permission from the captain to disembark in the Swedish city. However, he left the ship after sundown and on his way to an inn, was taken by a City Gangrel. Peter Helmer was a member of an extended pack of young Sabbat that was rebelling against Helsingborg’s Cainite power structure and they were in the process of Embracing expendables for the fight. Anders found

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

himself thrust into battle against powerful, undead monsters, goaded by threats from his sire.

Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 1, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2

Fortunately for Anders, he managed to survive the retaliation of the Cainite leaders in Helsingborg, by the expedient of running away when his sire was destroyed. Franticly, he stole a boat and rowed to Helsingør and then, over the next several nights, he made his way to Copenhagen. Here, he was found by Lorenz Barmstede (see page 127), who took Anders before Prince Ragnhild for judgement.

Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 3, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 3, Melee 1, Stealth 3, Survival 1

Initially, Ragnhild wanted Anders killed, but Ragnar Silver-Tongue (see page 95) interceded and after pumping Anders for all the information he had about the Sabbat, he was accepted as a member of the Kindred society in Denmark. For a while, Anders was completely lost. He served as a helper for Lorenz and Copennhagen’s Sheriff, Mikael Stjernekilde, but lacked a focus for when they did not call upon him. With some help from Ragnar, Anders began establishing himself among the sailors at the Port of Copenhagen and after a while, he built himself a nice, little power base, especially among the whores, tattoo artists and petty criminals in Nyhavn. When the area was gentrified, Anders was smart enough to invest and now, he has interests in numerous restaurants in the area – while still maintaining some influence with the prostitutes that have gone from streetwalkers to escort girls. Anders still holds a burning hatred for the Sabbat. They took everything away from him and they put him through Hell. As such, Anders has slowly begun agitating for a more aggressive stance towards the Cainites in Southern Sweden. It has gotten to the point where Prince Ragnhild, unknown to Anders, has become slightly irritated and even a bit worried. Sire: Peter Helmer Nature: Loner Demeanor: Bravo

Knowledges: Finance 1, Investigation 2, Occult 2 Disciplines: Celerity 5, Obfuscate 3, Presence 2, Protean 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (High-priced escort), Domain 3 (A good part of Nyhavn), Herd 5 (Cheap prostitutes), Resources 3, Retainers 1, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 3, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 10/1 Image: Anders is a short man with handsome features married by a number of scars. He has shortcropped, blond hair and stubble to match and his ears are currently large and tufted. Anders wears denim and leather and is never unarmed, usually carrying both a pistol and a dagger. Roleplaying Hints: For over a hundred years, your existence was dictated by others, but now, you have finally managed to establish yourself and be in a position where you can make your own decisions. And what you want is vengeance against the vampires that ruined your life. The Sabbat must be destroyed and frankly, you don’t care if you have to go against the Prince to get it done. Haven: The basement of a warehouse-turnedapartment-complex in Christianshavn. Influence: Nothing goes down in Nyhavn without Anders knowing about it and he has a fair amount of influence among the city’s exclusive escort services, giving him some blackmail material, should he need it.

Gangrel of Funen

Generation: 13th

Freya, Neo-Pagan Fanatic

Embrace: 1862 Apparent Age: Mid 30s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 3

Freya’s birth name was Rosemary Welks, the daughter of a professor of literature at Cambridge University. Rosemary’s mother was a nervous, highly-strung woman and her father cared only for his sons, leaving Rosemary a lonely child. She sought refuge in books and despite a proper Church of England upbringing, she soon began to feel herself drawn to explore mysti-

Denmark by Night

cism and different beliefs. She bounced around various English neo-pagan groups until in 1964, she became one of the first members of the new Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Here, she encountered Merlin, a slightly deranged Gangrel lost in the neopagan revival. He became entranced by the pure faith and dedication that Rosemary radiated and decided to Embrace her. At first, Rosemary hated becoming a vampire, as it cut her off from the life-blood of the Earth. She began searching for a way to express her faith despite her new existence and after a few years, learned of the einherjar of Scandinavia. She promptly travelled to Denmark and soon learned of Asbjørn (see page 80). The two met and the elder immediately gave Rosemary a new purpose in unlife. She changed her name and dedicated herself to the Ásatrú faith. For decades, Freya has been Asbjørn’s closest ally and she is partly responsible for helping the Brujah out of his morose stupor. She is a true believer and much better than Asbjørn at relating to mortals, allowing her to smoothly interact with various neopagan groups. She supports Asbjørn’s plans and is also dedicated to the idea of driving Christianity more or less out of Denmark and restore the old faith. Sire: Merlin Nature: Dabbler

Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 11/1 Image: While Freya is certainly beautiful, she does not really match her adopted name – she is on the short side, with long, curly, black hair and slatecolored eyes. Her body is athletic and toned, though still quite voluptuous and she moves with an unconsciously sensuous grace. Her voice is quite pleasant, with a strong, “proper English” accent. Freya’s Gangrel blood has currently left her with furry, triangular ears reminiscent of a housecat’s. Roleplaying Hints: You believe. You believe in the existence of the gods and you do your best to serve, placate and receive the blessing of the old Norse gods. You hate the White Christ with a burning passion and would love to see his followers destroyed and his temples burned to the ground. Haven: In the soil of Munke Mose Park in Odense or with her mentor. Influence: Freya enjoys a substantial amount of respect among neo-pagans, especially Ásatrú, in Denmark and can nudge their organizations in the direction she wants.

Gangrel of Southern Jutland

Demeanor: Rebel

Eske Tombøl, Sheriff of Denmark

Generation: 12th Embrace: 1965 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 4 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 3, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 1, Expression 2, Intimidation 2 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 2, Melee 2, Performance 1, Stealth 2, Survival 2 Knowledges: Academics 2, Law 1, Medicine 1, Occult 4, Politics 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Animalism 3, Fortitude 1, Protean 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (In Forn Siðr and various neo-pagan groups), Herd 3 (Lovers), Mentor 5 (Asbjørn), Resources 1, Retainers 1 (Ghoul cat), Status 2

Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 4

Eske grew up the second son of a wealthy free farmer in medieval Denmark. When he was not working the fields, Eske’s main joy was hunting. He was a superb rider and an expert woodsman, a great shot with a bow and he loved nothing more than to spend his nights under the stars. His sire, Einold Wolfslayer (see page 94), saw in Eske the makings of a fine Gangrel and for a year, he tested the man’s abilities, stamina and will. Eventually, Eske was Embraced. At first, Eske’s nominal Christianity made him horrified at what had happened, but he soon accepted his fate. Einold was a civilized sire and Eske joined the various courts of Denmark’s Kindred as soon as he was released. Here, he acquitted himself well and soon, he earned a fair amount of wealth and status as a guide for vampires wishing to travel. Eske became quite adept at how to survive outside of cities as a vampire and became an expert on Denmark’s geography and, by necessity, on Lupines.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

For centuries, Eske built his resources and prestige. The Prince of Denmark often called upon him, though he never received a formal title. However, Ragnhild the Just changed this when she took over as Prince. Formerly, the Sheriff of Copenhagen had served as sheriff for all of Denmark, traveling to wherever he was needed. Ragnhild realized that with the growth of Copenhagen, a new solution was needed. She approached Eske and offered him the position of Sheriff of Denmark, with jurisdiction everywhere outside of Zealand. The Gangrel readily accepted. For many years, Eske travelled a circuit throughout Denmark, only altering his pattern if a crime called him to a specific area. However, Eske was quick to embrace new technology and since the 1950s, he has spent his time in Aarhus, ready to be called to whatever domain requires his services. When he is not engaged in the business of being sheriff, Eske has taken upon himself the very dangerous task of figuring out why Lupines have been moving into Danish cities, something that has put his unlife in jeopardy more than once. Sire: Einold Wolfslayer Nature: Thrill-Seeker Demeanor: Soldier Generation: 7

to supply him with blood when on the job), Resources 2, Retainers 2, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Eske is short by modern standards, but makes up for it with a muscular build. His dark hair is long enough to cover his ears, but is always slicked back and he wears a neatly-trimmed beard. Eskes eyes glow a dull red, the mark of a particularly powerful frenzy, which he usually hides behind sunglasses. His clothes are practical when travelling, but he always has a suit ready if need be. Eske is never without a large dagger and keeps a shotgun and a heavy saber in his car. He currently sports a number of nasty scars on his hands and forearms due to a close call with a Lupine. Roleplaying Hints: Your façade is that of the perfect servant of the powerful, dedicated and respectful. But underneath, you serve because of the danger, the thrill of the hunt and the excitement of investigating a crime. You feel almost alive in the chase, the interrogation and the eventual capture and sentencing. Haven: A large, patrician villa in Aarhus, filled with the latest security systems.

Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4

Influence: While Eske has little direct influence, he has a lot of contacts within the police forces of Denmark and could, if necessary, influence an investigation.

Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3

Szymon Jachowicz, Eco-Warrior

Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4

Szymon always preferred nature to the city and so, a job with the Polish forestry service sat well with him. He was a recluse and, if possible, always took assignments that did not involve working with other people.. He loved hiking through nature and sleeping beneath the stars and his greatest regret was the destruction that Communist-era Poland’s industrial policies did to nature.

Embrace: 1189 Apparent Age: Early 30s

Talents: Alertness 4, Athletics 3, Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Empathy 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Animal Ken 3, Crafts 1, Drive 2, Etiquette 2, Firearms 2, Melee 4, Stealth 3, Survival 4 Knowledges: Academics 1, Investigation 3, Law 2, Occult 1, Politics 1 Disciplines: Animalism 5, Auspex 3, Celerity 2, Dominate 3, Fortitude 6, Obfuscate 3, Potence 1, Protean 6 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Skilled Hacker), Contacts 4 (Police all over Denmark), Domain 1 (Large, ultrasecure house in Aarhus), Herd 1 (Princes are required

During the Communist years, Eastern Europe was a battleground between the Sabbat and the Camarilla and Szymon was drawn into it. His outdoor skills, fortitude and all-round resourcefulness caught the attention of a Polish Gangrel, who made Szymon his childe in order to have another soldier in the battle against the Sabbat. And for many years, all Szymon knew was the battle – scouting, infiltrating and some-

Denmark by Night

times fighting, constantly on the movie, taking blood when needed. To Szymon, the Camarilla was a war machine and he was a cog. Then, the Berlin Wall fell. Suddenly, things like freedom of press and a public unafraid to talk about the terrors in the night forced the Polish Camarilla to enforce the Masquerade much more powerfully than before. There was little room for vampires like Szymon and his sire and for a while, they floundered. Then, the Sabbat struck back against their Camarilla enemies and most of Szymon’s acquaintances was killed or driven into Torpor, while he himself just barely managed to escape. And suddenly, he was free. For a while, Szymon was at a loss of what to do, until finally he decided to leave Poland. Germany was an obvious destination, but some of Szymon’s mortal family had managed to get to Denmark in the 1970ies and their letters had spoken well of the country back then. So, Szymon travelled into Jutland. Here, he found an accepting community of Kindred, and one with a rather different approach to the Camarilla than Szymon was used to. With the short distance between towns and cities, Szymon was able to stay in the nature that he loved so much while, at the same time, having relatively easy access to mortal blood when needed. However, more and more of Jutland’s nature was being ruined by the desire for agriculture – trees cut down, streams straightened, marshes drained and lakes poisoned by industrial fertilizer. And so, Szymon found himself with a cause. Never a sociable person, it took Szymon almost 20 years to become an integral part of the various ecological and nature-protective groups in Denmark. He still does not have anywhere near the influence that a more politically adept Kindred would have, but then, he does not want to. He supports restorative initiatives and, from time to time, will perform sabotage against industrial or agricultural projects that threaten to ruin even more of Denmark’s dwindling nature. This has put him at odds with many powerful Kindred, but here, Szymon’s lack of influence works to his advantage – none of these powerful vampires actually consider the Gangrel recluse a suspect. Sire: Andrzej Nature: Loner Demeanor: Fanatic Generation: 12th Embrace: 1985

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Apparent Age: Late 30s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 1, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 4, Brawl 2, Intimidation 2 Skills: Animal Ken 5, Crafts 4, Drive 1, Firearms 2, Larceny 1, Melee 1, Stealth 3, Survival 5 Knowledges: Investigation 2, Law 1, Medicine 1, Science 1 Disciplines: Animalism 2, Fortitude 1, Protean 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (In various eco-groups), Herd 1 (A herd of deer), Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 11/1 Image: Szymon is a short, broad man with blunt features and slightly balding, black hair in a ragged cut. He moves with a smooth agility, deceptively slowly and methodically and speaks slowly as well, with a coarse, low voice. Szymon wears outdoors clothes and carries a woodcutting axe, a hunting knife and an old hunting rifle. His current clan mark is a distinct musky odor. Roleplaying Hints: You love the outdoors, nature, animals and the wild. You hate that it’s being destroyed and while you prefer to be alone and survive by your own skills, you have been forced into dealing with people. Fine, you will do what’s needed to ensure that you will always have beautiful scenery to look at, a sky clear of industrial smoke and a night not spoiled by the sound of motor vehicles. Haven: Anywhere there’s some earth for him to sleep in. In addition, he knows of an old, abandoned shack in the wooded hills near Vejle where he can sleep in the basement if low on blood. Influence: None, really..

Gangrel of Northern Jutland

Henrik Hestehandler, Master of Animals Henrik’s first memories involve helping his father round up horses to be taken to the horse markets in

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Germany. All his life, Henrik was trained to take over the family’s business; raising and selling horses. By the time he and his brother were old enough, the family had become so rich, and their horses so famous, that Henrik’s younger brother could stay home and tend the farm, while Henrik travelled through Denmark and northern Germany, buying and selling horses. His skill with animals, endurance and experience with travelling caught the eye of Pieter Blok, a Flemish Gangrel who frequented the various markets of northern Europe. After meeting Henrik several times, the old Gangrel decided to make the horse trader his childe. Henrik was less than happy about becoming a vampire. He disliked not having a home to go to and he was not pleased about losing his connection to his home. He quarreled often with his sire, but Pieter never imagined that Henrik would betray him. However, one morning, far from any city, Henrik stayed awake just a little longer than Pieter and drove a stake through his heart. The next night, Henrik diablerized his sire and made his return to Denmark. After he returned, Henrik found himself at a loss, unsure of what to do. All he had was his skill with animals and his ability to trade. Fortunately, the Kindred of Denmark still needed horses to ride and hounds to guard their havens and soon, Henrik was trading and training animals for the rich and powerful vampires in the country. He gained a fair amount of wealth and recognition for his work and eventually, became the premier dealer of animals in Denmark, either ghouled or trained to handle a vampire’s presence. For centuries, Henrik’s wealth and status grew, but slowly, inexorably, the march of technology began to reduce the importance of the work he did. His influence over Hjallerup Market, once one of the biggest horse markets in the world and one of the oldest and biggest markets in Denmark, ensured at least some income. However, after a boom in 1930s to 50s, the availability of the motorized tractor almost ruined this as well. Fortunately, Henrik had lost none of his business acumen. He helped invest in a restructuring, making the market as much a fair as just a place to trade and eventually, it became the biggest horse market in Europe, drawing in 200,000 visitors – some to do actual horse trading, others just to enjoy rides, music and fun.

With his finances and status secured, Henrik has turned to long-term breeding and training programs, aimed at creating guard animals for Kindred who want to augment technological security. Several elder Kindred have expressed interest, quite keen to see what Henrik’s work results in. Sire: Pieter Blok Nature: Competitor Demeanor: Architect Generation: 8th Embrace: 1550 Apparent Age: Early 40s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 2, Intimidation 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 5, Crafts 3, Etiquette 2, Melee 2, Stealth 1, Survival 3 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 2, Law 1, Medicine 1, Science2 Disciplines: Animalism 5, Potence 1, Dominate 3, Fortitude 5, Presence 3, Protean 5 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Member of the leadership for Hjallerup Market), Contacts 2 (Horse and dog breeders), Domain 3 (Hjallerup Market, when it is running, as well as his farm), Fame 1, Herd 1 (His animals), Resources 3, Retainers 5 (Some animal, some human), Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Henrik is a broad man of average height, with shoulder length, curly, brown hair and a full beard, shot through with grey. His face is weatherbeaten and his hands are large, calloused and scarred. Henrik usually wears practical clothing, though for formal occasions, he has a business suit. His Gangrel blood has currently given him a short, bushy tail, which he hides when going out among mortals. Roleplaying Hints: It’s all about breeding the best and making the best deals off that. You are not some

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savage wanderer, not some lonely vagabond; you thrive among people, though you have a keen understanding of animals. People tend to underestimate you, seeing some unsophisticated horse-breeder. You use that to get the best deals you can. Haven: A huge farm between Aalborg and Hjallerup Influence: A lot when it comes to horse trading, not much otherwise.

Clan Giovanni The Giovanni first showed an interest in Denmark back when the country had their troubles with the Hanseatic League, an organization that the Giovanni had a lot of dealings with. However, it wasn’t until the establishment of the Danish overseas trading that the Giovanni began seriously investing in the kingdom. Come the industrialization, Giovanni interests were large enough that they sent one of their members to oversee them. However, he soon reported back that someone more skilled at Necromancy might be a better choice for a posting in Denmark.

Isabella Giovanni de Lucca, CEO Necromancer Isabella was born in the city of Lucca, the daughter of a minor patriarch in the Giovanni family. Her father knew little of the family’s darker dealings and thought nothing of it when his daughter was called to Venice to serve one of the powerful matriarchs of the Giovanni family. Isabella became the ghoul servant of one of the clan’s more skilled negotiators and displayed a talent for negotiation herself. After a century of servitude, Isabella was deemed skilled enough to be Embraced. She continued to show skill at business management and also began studying the dark arts. Isabella rose swiftly through the ranks of her Clan, which is why she was rather perturbed when she was selected to become the new Giovanni representative in Denmark. To her, Denmark was a small, unimportant country far from the power center of Clan Giovanni. However, she soon realized what an opportunity this was. Clan Giovanni had substantial interests in Denmark, especially when it came to shipping, and the country’s past provided Isabella with a wealth of subjects for necromantic study.

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For almost a hundred years, Isabella has managed her clan’s interests in Denmark with great skill, growing her business empire’s reach and income. At the same time, she has added considerably to the necromantic knowledge both of herself and her clan. In doing so, however, she has gotten into trouble with Clan Tremere, who is also interested in the occult treasures Denmark has to offer. So far, nothing much has come from it, mainly because Isabella doesn’t consider the conflict too serious. However, Octavius of Clan Tremere (see page 141) has plans to eliminate Isabella from the picture. Sire: Marcella Giovanni Nature: Autocrat Demeanor: Director Generation: 8th Embrace: 1795 Apparent Age: Early 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 3, Empathy 4, Expression 1, Intimidation 4, Leadership 4, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Crafts 2, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Performance 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Finance 4, Law 3, Medicine 3, Occult 4, Politics 2, Science 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Dominate 5, Potence 1, Necromancy 5 Paths: Sepulchre 5, Ash 5 Rituals: Numerous, including a few unique ones. Backgrounds: 3 (High-level business contacts in Denmark and across Europe), Domain 2 (Her ultramodern company headquarters a stone’s throw from the Opera House), Herd 5 (Well-paid prostitutes), Influence 1, Resources 5, Retainers 5 (Includes a single ghost), Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 4 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Image: Isabella looks deceptively young, something she uses to her advantage. She is a bit on the short side, with a slight build and a pretty, but not beautiful, face. She was Embraced with long hair, but enjoys changing it if she has time – these nights, she prefers a very short cut. Her dark eyes match the color of her hair and have a soul-piercing quality to them, which goes well with the predatory demeanor that Isabella exudes. Roleplaying Hints: You serve the Clan and the Clan in turn gives you power and resources. You are a curious person and must carefully balance your occult research with your duties as CEO. You dislike the boring paperwork, but thoroughly enjoy face-to-face deals and love attending Kindred parties, where you do your best to ingratiate yourself with the Camarilla. Haven: A luxuries basement apartment beneath her company headquarters. Influence: Isabella is CEO of a holding company under the broader umbrella of Clan Giovanni’s business empire and the wealth and resources of her company gives her a great deal of business influence in Denmark. In addition, the jobs and money she brings to Copenhagen gives her some pressure to apply to the municipal government.

Clan Lasombra There was a time when Clan Lasombra rivalled the Ventrues for influence in Denmark. They came to the country alongside Christianity, church building and feudalization and built their domains on that. Then came the Anarch Revolt and most of Denmark’s Lasombra perished. Those who didn’t were mainly those who joined the Anarch cause. With the formation of the Sabbat, Denmark became home to groups of relatively old and philosophical Sabbat, many of whom were Lasombra. A few Antitribu swore allegiance to the Camarilla and joined the existing power structure. All this came crashing down when the new Prince Ragnhild ousted the old Sabbat from Denmark. Now, only two Antitribu make their home here.

Lasombra of Zealand Markus Christian Catholic

Jensen, Devout

Markus’ family had always been catholic, and remained so, secretly, even after the Reformation. In 1682, when the religion was re-recognized by the state, the family was once again able to worship openly. The dedication of the individual members of the family varied, but in Markus, born in the relatively secular times towards the end of the 19th century, it was exceptionally strong. Markus’ father was a well-respected lawyer and his older brother went to university to study law. Markus, meanwhile, decided to study theology – not with any intentions of becoming a priest, but rather to learn more about theology and prove the superiority of the catholic faith. His intelligence and skill at debate made short work of most opposing arguments, but his acerbic and confrontational manner did not gain him any friends. It didn’t help that Copenhagen University was a hotbed of liberal attitudes, while Markus was staunchly conservative. However, Markus’ undeniable intelligence and skill made him famous in theological circles and this led to his Embrace. His sire wanted someone who could reestablish her sire’s influence within the Danish church and managed to completely miss the fact that Markus was catholic. It didn’t help that Markus’ fanatic faith and strong conservatism made him somewhat misogynistic and he thoroughly resented having to bow to a female sire. Anette had taken Markus to her home near Aarhus, but the fledgling Lasombra fled back to Copenhagen after only a few years, and threw himself at the mercy of the Prince. Ragnhild declared Markus a free Kindred and he settled in the capital, far away from his sire’s grasp. Since then, Markus has been establishing a strong influence within the Catholic Church in Denmark, an area that had been more or less neglected by the Danish Kindred. His desire is to see Catholicism replace Protestantism in Denmark (and, indeed, in the entire world), though he knows it will take something momentous for this to happen. He also has a desire to pull Denmark in a more conservative direction and has allied himself with other conservative Kindred to make this happen. He is even trying to subtly impose his ideas on Kindred society – he is not exactly happy to have a female Prince. Things aren’t going well, but Markus is patient. And, lately, he has been considering pulling some strings to have vampire hunters from the Church come to Denmark. Sire: Anette Gyldenstierne

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Nature: Fanatic

Danish right wing parties, which has put him into conflict with a number of other Kindred, especially Ventrue.

Demeanor: Traditionalist Generation: 9th

Lasombra of Southern Jutland

Embrace: 1909 Apparent Age: Mid 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 1, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 3, Law 2, Occult 3, Politics 3, Theology 5 Disciplines: Dominate 3, Obfuscate 5, Potence 1, Presence 1 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Catholic priest), Contacts 5 (In the Catholic Church throughout Denmark and in a few right-wing parties), Domain 2 (Saint Ansgar's Cathedral), Herd 5 (Catholic students), Resources 3, Retainers 2, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 2, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Markus is a short, slight man with short, dark hair and deep-set blue eyes behind wire spectacles, set in a narrow face that gives him a constant squinting appearance. Markus favors button-down shirts, vests, pocket watch, and trousers with razorsharp creases. Roleplaying Hints: Catholic theology is the truth and you are an expert. God has a plan for you and you will fulfill it. Some say you are overconfident, but with God on your side, no confidence is too much. Haven: A basement apartment near the Catholic Saint Ansgar's Cathedral. Influence: Markus has a lot of influence among the Catholic Church in Denmark – in fact, he has so much influence and is using it so blatantly that Alexander Sverre of Clan Tremere has started to counter Markus in order not to make the Church too suspicious about the Kindred. Markus has slowly begun to establish influence among the most conservative of the

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Anette Gyldenstierne, Ancient Nobelwoman

Anette was born into the now extinct noble family of Gyldenstierne (named after the seven-pointed golden star of the family crest) at a time when it was at its height of power, wealth and influence. She received an excellent education and was engaged at a young age in order to secure an alliance. However, failing health meant the engagement was broken off and Anette spent several years in one of her family’s estates, under the supervision of a number of physicians. With nothing else to do, Anette started reading and corresponding with members of her family and their friends. She eventually ended up with a haphazard education and a vast network of acquaintances among Denmark’s nobles. One of those nobles was in reality a Lasombra who had come to Denmark alongside Christianity and managed to cultivate quite the influence among the nobles of Jutland. Heinricus was intrigued by the young woman’s obvious intelligence, class and education and he made arrangements to see her. At that point, Anette’s health had deteriorated to the point where death seemed imminent and Heinricus decided to Embrace the young noblewoman. While Anette would never be a strong woman, the Embrace made it possible to enjoy an existence like she had never imagined. Her social skills, practiced only through letter writing, blossomed to full power and she became a darling among both mortal high society and the Elysiums of Denmark. She integrated herself smoothly into high society and after a century, Anette wielded more influence among the Danish nobles than her sire. Heinricus, for his part, decided to focus solely on the church – the Reformation had severely damaged his influence. When Ragnhild took over as Prince of Denmark and declared the Sabbat unwanted in Denmark, Heinricus decided to prove his dedication to the Camarilla by fighting on the front line. And while he was old, he was also not a skilled warrior and ended up in torpor. Anette took possession of her sire’s resources and continued, as she always had, amassing wealth, influ-

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ence and status. She did, however, miss her sire’s connection with the church and decided, sometime later, to embrace a very promising young theology student – who turned out to be a devour catholic with neither the ability nor the inclination to foster influence in the protestant church of Denmark. This setback infuriated Anette, especially since her childe, Markus, fled to Copenhagen and put himself under the protection of the Prince of Denmark. Anette is now slowly making plans to have the Prince unseated. She holds no misconceptions that she herself could take the throne, but she is on the look-out for an ambitious elder, all the while making alliances with other Kindred who dislike Ragnhild.

exceptional grace and dresses with impeccable taste. Her smile comes easy and can light up a room. Roleplaying Hints: You are noble born, Embraced into a Clan of rulers and you are made to lead those below you – which includes most people. You can easily hide your arrogance in formal situations, where your smooth, well-practiced grace comes to the fore, but when in private, you speak your mind and can tear down those who dare offend you. Haven: Anette dwells in a small castle, more like a large manor house, near Aarhus. The castle is privately owned by a minor noble family that is completely under Anette’s thumb. Influence: Anette is a maker and breaker among Denmark’s high society, including the few remaining nobles, and one of the few Kindred who can make an appearance at the official court functions of the queen. While she has little direct influence over Danish politics, regionally or nationally, she is in a prime position to talk to people who have such influence.

Sire: Heinricus Germanicus Nature: Director Demeanor: Gallant Generation: 7th Embrace: 1592 Apparent Age: Early 20s Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 1 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 5, Appearance 5 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 2, Empathy 4, Expression 3, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 5, Melee 1, Performance 2 Knowledges: Academics 3, Finance 1, Law 2, Occult 3, Politics 4, Theology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Dominate 6, Fortitude 1, Obtenebration 6, Potence 2, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (High Society, Court and Nobles), Domain 3 (A small, privately owned castle near Aarhus), Herd 5 (Throughout high society), Influence 1, Resources 4, Retainers 2 (A single, 400-yearold Ghoul), Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Anette is a short, but curvaceous, woman. Her long, blond hair is nearly white and her eyes are startling green. Anette always moves with the most

Clan Malkavian The Lunatics have been a small, quiet, persistent presence in Denmark since the Viking Age. For most of the country’s history, they have not joined the power struggles or the politics, preferring instead to exist on the fringe of Danish vampire society. This changed when Prince Ragnhild enacted her battle against Denmark’s Sabbat and an old Malkavian joined the fight. His skill and determination brought great prestige to his Clan and especially his bloodline.

Malkavians of Zealand Maria Krestensdatter, Primogen

Malkavian

Maria’s mother was a wise woman, an expert in herbs, childbirth and tending to animals. Maria herself learned from her mother and continued the good work. Maria led a long and full life, getting married and seeing her grandchildren born. She was a respected member of her home town near Copenhagen. However, with the reformation came the suspicion of witchcraft. As it swept across the land, Maria was caught up in it and found herself tried and sentenced to be burned at the stake. She was saved by an ancient

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Malkavian who saw in Maria someone dedicated to the wellbeing of others, someone who did not deserve to die simply because people did not understand her abilities. Maria was happy to be saved from the flames, though she was unnerved by her new state and by having to drink blood. However, she eventually adjusted and saw an opportunity to use her new powers and longevity to help people. Her sire had stayed out of Kindred politics, but Maria had been involved in the affairs of her town and since there were no Malkavians in Copenhagen, Maria moved there and soon managed to establish herself with some success. For the first two centuries, Maria cultivated some influence among the physicians and doctors of the capitol, but in 1757, the royal Frederiks Hospital opened and Maria was there to establish it as her domain. From then on, Maria has been a force to be reckoned with in the health care industry of Denmark. Dedicated to healing the sick and tending to the weak and elderly, Maria has used her influence both among the mortals and Kindred of Copenhagen. When Prince Ragnhild restructured the Primogen, Maria was the obvious choice for Clan Malkavian and she has served in that capacity from the beginning. Sire: Dagmar Nature: Caregiver

Virtues: Conscience 5, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 8 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Derangement: Bipolar Disorder (see Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition page 290) Image: Maria is bent with age, her face lined by the years, her long hair gray, but her voice is unbroken and the force of her personality undiminished. She prefers to dress in good, but not flashy clothes with no jewelry. Roleplaying Hints: You have always wanted to help people and now, new technology makes that even easier. You continue to learn as much as you can about medicine and try to steer mortal and Kindred society towards a better world where those who are sick are cared for. Haven: The basement of Rigshospitalet Influence: Maria has a massive amount of influence over all major hospitals in the greater Copenhagen area and a fair amount of pull within the Danish Ministry of Health.

Arthur Sønderberg, Harpy

Demeanor: Director

Arthur was born into a rich and powerful Copenhagen family – his father owned ships and warehouses and his mother’s salons attracted the most famous artists and philosophers of the day.

Generation: 7th Embrace: 1560 Apparent Age: Late 60s Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 1 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 3, Empathy 6, Expression 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 1, Medicine 5, Occult 1, Politics 1, Science 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 6, Dementation 6, Dominate 3, Obfuscate 3, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (At Rigshospitalet, Bispebjerg Hospital, Panum Institute and within the Ministry of Health), Domain 3 (Rigshospitalet), Herd

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5 (The blood bank at Rigshospitalet), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 4

Arthur himself was an intelligent and talented child, who learned philosophy and rhetoric with ease and displayed artistic talent both on the piano and on the canvas. His older brother was set to take over the family business, leaving Arthur to become a celebrated dilettante in Copenhagen’s high society. However, he soon scandalized said high society by openly and brazenly flaunting his homosexuality. Being gay was accepted only as long as it was kept very secret, but Arthur made no attempts to hide his sexual leanings or his conquests. However, his charisma, social skills, artistic talent, family connections and even his brazenly unapologetic manner all combined to somehow shield him from any fallout. For years, Arthur tore through the social scene in Copenhagen, leaving behind him a score of lovers and

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scandals. However, his escapades eventually caught up with him. Arthur seduced the son of an army officer, who promptly challenged Arthur to a duel. Unfortunately for said officer, Arthur was a fine shot with a pistol and he managed to kill his opponent. However, Arthur was seriously wounded and rushed to the hospital. Here, Maria Krestendatter first learned about the flamboyant hedonist and something about Arthur appealed to her. He was so full of life and so joyful. Worried that Arthur might not survive his wound, Maria Embraced him. Arthur adapted quite quickly to his new condition and threw himself into Kindred society with the same flair and skill as he displayed among mortals and after a few years, he found himself counted as one of Copenhagen’s Harpies. Since then, Arthur has been one of the arbiters of status, recorders of boons and, most importantly, one of the biggest rumormongers in the capitol. Early on, he established some influence within his family in order to ensure funds – this paid off very well when the warehouses on Christianshavn began being turned into pricy apartments.

Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Derangement: Obsessive-Compulsive (see Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition page 290); Arthur is obsessed with keeping himself clean. Image: Arthur is tall and slender, with shoulder length, curly blond hair and pale eyes. He dresses flamboyantly yet fashionably, accessorizing with jewelry. The only unfashionable thing about him is his long moustaches, which he prefers to shave each night if he has the time. Roleplaying Hints: You like being noticed and for people to admire your fashion sense, your witticism and your social daring. You never run from the consequences of your actions and laugh off any embarrassment (not that you are easy to embarrass). You take it as a challenge to seduce straight men without the use of Disciplines. Haven: The basement of a converted warehouse. Influence: A lot of informal social influence within Copenhagen’s Kindred society as a Harpy. No real influence in mortal society.

Sire: Maria Krestendatter Nature: Gallant Demeanor: Gallant

Jørgen Steentofte, Bornholm Expert

Generation: 8th Embrace: 1830 Apparent Age: Mid 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 5, Awareness 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 4, Expression 2, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 4, Firearms 3, Performance 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Occult 1, Politics 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Celerity 1, Dominate 3, Dementation 3, Obfuscate 1, Presence 3 Backgrounds: Domain 2 (Apartment building on Christianshavn), Herd 3 (Lovers), Resources 3, Retainers 2, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 3

After getting his degree in geology, Jørgen joined the recently formed Denmark’s Geological Survey and participated in some of the first precise geological survey mapping of the country. A consummate nerd, Jørgen enjoyed the technical and scientific aspects of his work and spent most of his free time reading technical literature. The fact that he managed to meet a woman, woo her, get married and raise two children was quite impressive. Jørgen’s fate was sealed when he was surveying on the island of Funen. Sørine Krag (see page 110), guided by the voice of an ancient Malkavian, argued that Embracing someone with detailed knowledge of Denmark’s geology and geography would be useful. She was given permission by the Prince of Odense and turned Jørgen into a Kindred. Jørgen’s mind completely snapped, unable to deal with what had happened to him. He fixated on his previous work as an escape and found himself almost unable to function in the world of the Kindred. Jørgen left Funen for Copenhagen in order to be close to a family that thought him dead and in Copenha-

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gen, Maria Krestensdatter took care of him. She helped him adjust to his new existence and ensured that he could function in Kindred society. Also in Copenhagen, Jørgen learned about the mystery of Bornholm and his obsessions transferred to the mystery of the island. Since then, Jørgen has spent almost all his time trying to figure out what the great mystery is. He is in debt to several Kindred, both in terms of money and favors. He recently sold himself, in the form of several boons, to Clan Tremere in order to learn Thaumaturgy; hoping he might be able to use blood magic to unravel the secret of Bornholm. And yet, it eludes him. His latest plan is to Embrace someone (illegally, since Prince Ragnhild has repeatedly turned down his request to create a childe) and send them to Bornholm with a lot of cameras. When he is not obsessing over Bornholm, Jørgen advises on building projects that Kindred are involved with. This gives him a bit of resources, but not nearly enough. Sire: Sørine Krag Nature: Fanatic Demeanor: Fanatic Generation: 9th Embrace: 1925 Apparent Age: Late 50s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 4, Empathy 1 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Stealth 1, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Investigation 2, Occult 4, Science 4, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 4, Dementation 4, Obfuscate 1, Thaumaturgy 1 Paths: Blood 1 Rituals: Chime of Unseen Spirits, Sense the Mystical (see Rites of the Blood) Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (In the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Resources 1, Retainers 1, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 2, Courage 3

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Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Derangement: Obsessive-Compulsive (see Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition page 290); Jørgen is obsessed with Bornholm. Image: Jørgen is a thin, balding man with a short beard. Both hair and beard is sandy and shot through with grey. He wears wire-rim spectacles and whatever clothes he can scavenge from donations left outside goodwill stores. Roleplaying Hints: There is a secret out there. A great mystery. And you will unravel it. You will find out what it is. You will learn. Haven: The Metro tunnels dedicated to the Kindred of Copenhagen (in another area than Clan Nosferatu) Influence: None whatsoever.

Rosa Schmidt, Founder of the Free Company Rosa’s family was part of the German minority in southern Jutland. Her father worked as a business consultant, while her mother was a part-time childcare professional. Rosa was the youngest of a flock of 5 kids, all of whom excelled in their chosen fields, be it sports, arts or business. Rosa herself displayed a great deal of intelligence and “people smarts” from an early age and went off to Copenhagen to study at Copenhagen Business School. However, while she still had great interpersonal skills, she did fairly poorly and soon dropped out. For a decade, Rosa drifted from job to job, earning fairly good wages for someone without an education. During this time, she found an interest in history and considered going to university to study. However, before she could, her life changed forever. In 1992, Prince Ragnhild gave Clan Malkavian the right to Embrace a childe and eventually, it was Arthur Sønderberg who received the honors. Arthur had run into Rosa a few times at The Factory (see page 57) and been impressed by her charisma and social skills. He saw her as a good addition to the Clan, but actually approached Rosa and talked to her. After proving that vampires were, indeed, real, Rosa readily accepted the Embrace. She was the lynchpin for the other neonates of that time (Lasse Vinter, page 79; Le Varnby, page 119; Niels Lund, page 132 and Alice Møller

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Beck, page 143) to join together, supporting each other in the knowledge that they were without much power and influence compared to most other Kindred in Copenhagen. It was also Rosa that give this coterie its name; the Free Company, inspired by the fact that a number of unconnected Elders paid the coterie to work for them shortly after their formation

8) to throw anything away. Her Haven is slowly overflowing.

Since then, Rosa has been the undeclared leader of the coterie. She has also become quite the rising star among Copenhagen’s Kindred, aided by the mentorship of her sire. While she has little in the way of influence or resources on her own, she has helped not only her own coterie, but also a few other Kindred in managing their resources. She is especially good at face-to-face meetings. At the moment, she is focusing mainly on helping her sire and the members of her coterie, but she plans to use the goodwill and favors she has gained to establish some kind of powerbase.

Roleplaying Hints: You like interacting with people. You like working with people. You even like helping people. You’ll get around to doing something for yourself any minute now. Just one more project to finish. Or maybe two…

Sire: Arthur Sønderberg

Image: Rosa is of average height, overweight, with a pretty face framed by blond hair. She dresses in a way that plays up her cleavage while downplaying the rest of her body. She tends to wear expertly applied makeup and tastefull jewelry.

Haven: An interconnected set of basement rooms under an apartment building in Kgs Enghave. Influence: None on her own, but she has the ear of a number of Kindred.

Malkavians of Funen

Sørine Krag, Enigmatic Recluse

Nature: Dabbler Demeanor: Pedagogue Generation: 9th Embrace: 1992 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Awareness 2, Empathy 4, Expression 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Drive 1, Etiquette 4, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 1, Finance 1, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Dementation 2, Obfuscate 1 Backgrounds: Herd 3 (Lovers), Mentor 2, Resources 2, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Derangement: Rosa’s Malkavian blood intensified her tendency to collect things into a full-blown hoarder syndrome – she needs to roll Willpower (difficulty

Sørine’s story starts with an ancient Malkavian now only know as The Etruscan. In life, he was a mystic among the Etruscan people and was Embraced by a Malkavian Methuselah. The Etruscan wandered with his sire and returned to his people just in time to see them destroyed by the Romans. The Etruscan swore revenge against Rome and for centuries, he fought against the Roman Kindred. Finally, in an epic battle, The Etruscan was driven into torpor and over the years, he drifted from memory, becoming just a legend among Clan Malkavian. The Etruscan woke again in the 16th century and saw that Rome had fallen. But in its place was the Holy Roman Empire. The Etruscan vowed to put an end to the inheritors of Rome’s legacy and made his way north, intending to find allies in the battle amongst those living outside the borders of this new Rome. In the forests south of Hamburg, The Etruscan was set upon by Lupines and badly injured. He called out to members of his Clan and was found by an elder Malkavian who remembered the tales of this vengeful madman. Instead of helping, the elder drove a stake through The Etruscan’s heart. What followed was a great meeting of all the old and powerful Malkavians of northern Germany in order to determine what should be done about The Etruscan. Most agreed that simply releasing him would have a detrimental effect on the Clan – they did not want a Malkavian waging war on the Holy Roman Empire. But they did not want to end him

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either. They knew that with his age, he might yet be of use. And so, they decide to keep him somewhere safe, against the possibility of his being useful. One of the legends said that The Etruscan could not cross water and one of the gathered Malkavians knew of a relatively new castle that had been constructed in Denmark in the middle of a lake – Egeskov Castle. Margreth Pfeifferin was chosen to bear The Etruscan to Denmark and to ensure his entrapment. Sørine Krag was an aging lady-in-waiting, born to a very minor and impoverished noble family, serving the lady of Egeskov. Upon her arrival, Margreth Embraced the elderly lady, in order for Sørine to serve as a guardian for The Etruscan. The Malkavian blood enhanced Sørine’s social anxiety to new heights, an unexpected benefit that tied her even more to the castle. Margreth stayed with Sørine long enough to teach her about the ways of the Kindred and of Clan Malkavian, impress upon her the importance of guarding The Etruscan and introduce Sørine to the Kindred society of Funen. Then she returned to Hamburg. For a century, Sørine stayed mainly at Egeskov, feeding from servants, visitors and animals and obsessively guarding the ancient Malkavian. However, The Etruscan’s powers were great enough to overcome both a stake and torpor and slowly, he began whispering in Sørine’s mind. He began twisting her, molding her, urging her to once again to interact with Kindred society. Summoning up every last bit of resolve, Sørine began making trips to Odense and soon, she found herself as an advisor to the Prince, due to the insight offered by her connection to The Etruscan. Sørine does not enjoy being forced to interact with other Kindred, but she has developed a twisted love for the ancient Malkavian that fills her mind with strange images and enigmatic words. For his part, The Etruscan has plans. They are the twisted, mad plans of a man whose mind is consumed by centuries of revenge fantasies, plans that might end with a Kindred civil war in Denmark. And to him, Sørine is the queen, Asbjørn (see page 80) the king and all other vampires merely pawns. Sire: Margreth Pfeifferin Nature: Martyr Demeanor: Loner Generation: 8h Embrace: 1560

Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 1, Stamina 5 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 1 Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 5, Empathy 3, Intimidation 3, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Performance 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Investigation 1, Law 1, Medicine 1, Occult 5, Politics 4, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 5, Dementation 5, Dominate 3, Fortitude 3, Obfuscate 5 Backgrounds: Domain 3 (Egeskov Castle), Herd 1 (Tourists), Mentor 5 (The Etruscan), Resources 1, Retainers 1, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 5, Courage 2 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 3 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Derangement: Sørine suffers from crippling social anxiety. Interacting with vampires, or with mortals without the benefit of Obfuscate, costs her 1 Willpower per night. Image: Sørine is an old, thin woman with long, gray hair, startling blue eyes and a face with fewer lines than her mortal age would suggest. She wears the dresses of her mortal days and walks slowly with the aid of a cane. Her voice, however, never quivers and her words come clearly, loudly and without hesitation. Roleplaying Hints: There is only one person you care about and that is the man speaking in your head. You do what he tells you and can even somewhat suppress your fear of others to serve your love. He fills you with purpose and you are at your best when acting in his interests. When not, you simply want to be alone. Haven: The cellars of Egeskov Castle. Influence: Sørine is a treasured advisor to Asbjørn, but on her own, she only has influence over Egeskov.

Malkavians of Southern Jutland Erik Runemaster, Prince of Ribe

Apparent Age: Late 50s

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From a very young age, there was something odd about Erik. His parents called upon the wise women and the priests of the gods and they all said the same thing; Erik had magic in him. Whether it was good or bad was unknown and Erik’s parents gave him to the local goði to be trained as a priest. However, while Erik easily learned the secrets of the runes, he showed little devotion to the gods and little skill with sacrifices. In the end, Erik was cast out and branded a sorcerer. However, his skill with runes meant that many people still sought him out and paid for his magic. For his part, Erik did not worry – he was lost in his divinations, looking towards a darkness in his future that his magic could not penetrate. The darkness turned out to be Tarsa, a Persian Malkavian obsessed with reading the patterns of the world and divining the future from it. She had wandered the world looking for those with the gift of prophecy and Erik became the latest in a long line of childer. However, once again, she found that the Embrace destroyed whatever prophetic gifts her new childe had once had and disappointed, she soon left Erik to fend for himself.

tices and added it to his own growing knowledge of the ways of predicting the future. The only time he denied more knowledge was when members of Clan Tremere offered to teach him Thaumaturgy in return for favors unspecified – obsessed he may be, but Erik is no fool. These nights, he divides his time between Ribe and the Elyssia of Aarhus, where other Kindred discreetly seek him out in order to avail themselves of Erik’s powers of perception. Sire: Tarsa of Ctesiphon Nature: Visionary Demeanor: Eye of the Storm Generation: 7th Embrace: 933 Apparent Age: Mid 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 6, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 6, Empathy 4, Intimidation 3, Subterfuge 4

Devastated at the loss of his magic, Erik moved to Ribe, the biggest city in the area. Here, he soon became a valued member of the vampiric community – he might have lost his gift for divining the future, but he was still blessed with an enormous insight and as the years went by, he honed his vampiric powers of perception. However, Erik was never satisfied. He felt that true prophecy eluded him and he became obsessed with various methods of divination. When the Christians came, Erik dived into the Bible and consulted with priests of the White Christ to learn if their god could offer more insight. When the first Roma found their way to Denmark, Erik was there to interrogate them. When the Jews came, Erik quizzed them about the Kabballah. As Ribe’s strength, power and population faded, other vampires left it behind for richer domains but Erik stayed, lost in his quest. Soon, he found himself referred to as the Prince of Ribe and managed to interact enough with the real world to establish influence over mortal society so that he could honor that title. This influence continues to this day.

Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 5 (Runecarving), Etiquette 1, Melee 1, Performance 1, Stealth 4

To Erik, the years went by swiftly, lost as he often was in the contemplation of signs and omens. Every time new people with new beliefs have come to Denmark, Erik has gleaned what he could from their prac-

Image: Erik is of average height, thin, with shoulder length, blonde hair, blue eyes and a ragged goatee. He could be handsome if there wasn’t something exceptionally… off about his appearance. He has a tendency

Knowledges: Academics 2, Investigation 1, Law 1, Medicine 1, Occult 5, Politics 1, Theology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 6, Dementation 6, Celerity 1, Dominate 5, Fortitude 5, Obfusctate 5, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (Ribe municipality government), Domain 5 (the entire town of Ribe), Herd 5 (various youngsters under his sway), Influence 1, Resources 3, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 8 Willpower: 9 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Derangement: Erik is obsessed with omens and refuses to undertake any important task without first consulting his runes. He also constantly remarks upon the various signs he sees in the pattern of clouds, flying birds, spilled coffee, etc.

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to stare unblinkingly at people and speak in slow sentences with drawn-out words. His clothes are loosefitting and colorful and do absolutely nothing for his looks. He is never without a leather pouch containing numerous chips of human bone with runes engraved upon them. Roleplaying Hints: There are patterns everywhere and you can see some of them. But not them all. The future is in your grasp, but every time you close your hand, it slips between your fingers. It’s enough to drive a man mad. Others may be happy paying for whatever morsels you can tease out of the omens of the world, but you must know it all. Haven: The old city hall of Ribe. Influence: Erik has a lot of influence over the mortal governance of Ribe and a bit of pull when it comes to Ribe municipality. A lot of Kindred throughout Denmark, especially Southern Jutland, owe him boons.

Peter Larsen, Malkavian Councilor From an early age, Peter knew that there was something very different about him. He was born, under the name of Marianne, in a body with a vagine and even though he was supposed to like boys, he only felt attracted to girls. His family insisted that he obey his body and dress and act like a girl and was severely punished for being boyish. At the age of 16, he ran away from home and ended up living with his mother’s brother, an artist in Copenhagen, who was willing to accept the young man for what he was.

ical abuse under his sire and finally snapped, plunging a stake into Lauridtz’ heart. Then Peter fled Copenhagen and returned to the city of his birth, Aarhus. Interestingly, his sire has never been heard from again and Peter has never been officially investigated. In Aarhus, Peter began trying to build an existence. As it turned out, he had remarkable facilities for the Auspex discipline and, with very little training and experience, his skill at reading people, their moods and emotions, was extraordinary. Both the Prince of Aarhus and Eske Tombøl, Denmark’s sheriff, began drawing upon Peter’s help from time to time. And among the Kindred of Southern Jutland, Peter found acceptance. He began to emerge from the selfdestructive depression he had been locked in. He also began to take an interest in the mortal world of psychiatry, psychology and gender identity. He has even set up a small practice where he councils young people who are coming to terms with their sexual or gender identity or who may suffer from depression or similar mental problems. On the surface, Peter is a very well-functioning Malkavian, but it still troubles him that his body is female. Sure, he can do a lot with Obfuscate, but he still knows that beneath the illusion, his body is not quite what he wants it to be. He has heard whispers of what Clan Tzimisce can do and has begun considering contacting the Sabbat in Sweden to see if some sort of deal can be brokered. Sire: Lauridtz Kerning Nature: Masochist

For over a decade, Peter worked menial jobs, living a miserable life. Then, in 1930, Denmark became the first country to have someone go through sex reassignment surgery. Peter was elated – for the first time, there was hope for him. He eagerly discussed the possibility of finally having his body match his mind and soul with his uncle. But sadly, it was never to be.

Demeanor: Caregiver

Peter’s sire was a Malkavian who had followed the sex reassignment surgery case with great interest. He had a fascination with what he considered to be the dementia of transgenderism and when Peter reached out to the doctors who had performed the first surgery, Lauridtz had his new childe.

Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2

Peter did not react well to the Embrace and even less well to his sire’s insistence that he was a woman suffering from madness, a madness to be studied and probed. He suffered endless emotional and even phys-

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Generation: 9th Embrace: 1931 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 5, Empathy 5, Expression 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Etiquette 2, Performance 1, Stealth 2 Knowledges: Academics 3, Law 1, Medicine 2, Occult 2 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Dementation 3, Obfuscate 3

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Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (Among specialists in gender identity and support groups for transgendered), Herd 3 (Young people that he councils), Resources 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 2, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 8 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Derangement: Peter suffers from self-destructive urges. If he fails an important task, he must use a point of Willpower not to spend an hour inflicting pain and a Health Level of damage on himself. If he botches, he must use Willpower not to inflict Aggravated damage on himself. Image: Without Obfuscate, Peter looks like a heavyset, voluptuous woman with a square-jawed face and short, blond hair. He prefers to appear as a vaguely handsome man of the same general build. He dresses casually in jeans, a t-shirt and corduroy jacket. Roleplaying Hints: You understand people, you feel their pain and you will do anything to make sure that nobody has to go through what you did. You gained your status and prestige in Kindred society through your associations with the prince and the sheriff, but you prefer working with mortals. Haven: A small house in the Aarhus suburbs Influence: Both Knud the Elder (see page 156) and Eske Tombøl (see page 99) likes Peter and relies on him for advice from time to time, but he has no real influence.

Malkavians of Northern Jutland Albert Vestergaard, Truthseeker

Albert’s family’s fortune was established early in the days of the Danish colonial empire. A daring sea captain brought home valuable merchandize and managed to invest the profits wisely and within a few decades, the Vestergaard family was rich. By the time Albert was born, the family lived in splendor in a patrician villa outside Aalborg, with a wide-ranging network of trading interests. His uncle was a traveler, deeply fascinated by the mysteries of the Orient, while Albert’s father enjoyed adding to the already massive collection of curious artifacts from around the globe. At a young age, Albert himself was

fascinated by all things Indian and Chinese and he developed a great deal of fondness for the Hindu and Buddhist philosophies. While his father insisted he go to university to study economics, Albert spent much of his time reading about the mysteries of Eastern religions. Albert only just managed to scrape by, graduating with the lowest possible grades. He cared little for the family business, preferring to spend his time reading books about Hinduism and Buddhism and exchanging letters with experts in the field. As time went by, Albert became convinced that there was some greater, universal truth hidden within the more obscure philosophies and sought out religious beliefs from all around the globe. He also began experimenting with mind-altering substances. His father despaired, looking to Albert’s cousins to take over the family business. When Albert’s father died, the will left a substantial amount of money and stocks to Albert, but a controlling interest, as well as managerial positions, to his cousins. Not that Albert cared – all he needed was money to found his research, his purchases of obscure manuscripts and religious artifacts and his growing drug habit. Unfortunately, his cousins were less than willing to let Albert have even the possibility of a voice in running the business. They conspired to oust him from the company and reduce the importance of his stocks and in the end, Albert found himself with quite a large sum of money, but without any real income. Forced to deal with the real world for the first time in over a decade, Albert cast about for an investment opportunity. Fortunately, he had made the acquaintance of the powerful financier and industrialist C.F. Tietgen, whom his father had dealt with. Tietgen was looking for some investors in a deal that would unite numerous Danish spirit distillers, with a headquarters in Aalborg. Albert readily put up most of his money, especially since he had begun to experiment with the effects of highly distilled alcohol, both alone and mixed with other substances. His investment in what would eventually become Danish Distillers, the biggest spirit-manufacturing company in the country, may have saved Albert financially, but it also allowed him to continue his search for a greater meaning in the universe through the use of drugs. Soon, both his mind and body began to show the effects of years of unchecked substance abuse.

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Albert’s rescue came in the form of an ancient Roman Malkavian. Marcus had first come to Denmark during the Viking Age to see what truths could be found in the Viking religion and had stayed in the country since then. He had been a valued advisor to the Prince, but by the end of the 19th century, he felt age affecting him. Knowing that he could not resist the call of Torpor for much longer, Marcus began looking for a childe and found him in Albert. He Embraced the frail drug addict and not only saved him from an early grave, but also gave him a new way to seek the truth. Scant years after this, Marcus passed into age-induced Torpor. Albert has since forgotten where he put the body of his sire. Surprisingly little changed for Albert after becoming a vampire, except that he was no longer hindered by the ravages of his body. He began concentrating on his Kindred powers as a means to understand the secrets of the universe, though he still experiments with druglaced blood from time to time. He has gained a very keen understanding of vampires and vampiric powers, mainly due to the tutelage of his sire, and he is sometimes called upon by the Prince of Aalborg to act as an advisor. Albert also corresponds via email with numerous other people interested in universal truth and philosophy, both mortal and Kindred. Sire: Marcus Corbulius

Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 1, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 4 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Derangement: Albert is obsessed with learning “universal truths”, dedicating most of his time and resources to search for this truth and being willing to risk the health and sanity of himself and others in the pursuit. Image: Albert is a thin man whose body shows the ravages of his drug use – his lank, blond hair is graying and shows a large bald spot, his sideburns and moustache are unkempt, his face lined and his eyes sunken. His voice is shaky and weak, though he has a certain intensity about him. Albert still wears clothing appropriate for a wealthy man of the late 1800s. Roleplaying Hints: There is a greater truth out there, a universal truth that Western religion and philosophy does not even come close to understanding. However, through the use of mind-altering substances, Kindred powers and a deep understanding of non-Western religion and philosophy, you will be able to see the truth. Haven: His old family home.

Nature: Visionary

Influence: Albert has a little influence over Danish Distillers, but he mainly just uses his position as a way to earn money. As a sometimes advisor for the Prince of Aalborg, he has some goodwill with her, though no official position.

Demeanor: Deviant th

Generation: 7

Embrace: 1890 Apparent Age: Late 50s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 1 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 1 Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 6, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 2, Performance 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 4, Computer 1, Finance 1, Occult 5, Politics 1, Theology 5 Disciplines: Auspex 5, Dementation 5, Obfuscate 1 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Danish Distilleries board member), Contacts 5 (All manner of philosophically interested people), Domain 1 (His family’s villa), Herd

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1 (Drug addicts whose habits he feeds), Resources 3, Retainers 1, Status 2

Brian Valdemar Hviid, Paranoid Security Expert Brian joined the Danish army the day he turned 18, convinced that there was nothing for him when it came to further education. Brian had been raised in a hard, blue-collar home with a slightly abusive, alcoholic father and had never been encouraged to study or develop his intellect. However, the military saw potential in Brian and he moved rapidly up the ranks. To his own surprise, Brian showed an intellectual side and he was sent off to a number of courses and ended up with the rank of “chief sergeant”, the Danish equivalent to warrant officer. With a number of classes in electronics warfare, radar operations and other advanced warfare operations under his belt, Brian was

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

assigned to REGAN Vest, the civilian crisis management bunker in northern Jutland. Here, he was the chief NCO, tasked with ensuring the physical and electronic security of the complex. Brian was on the fast-track to becoming an officer, when a freak accident completely derailed his life. He was taking part in a huge NATO exercise when a transport truck blew a tire and went off the road. Brian was hit and was dead for almost a full minute before being revived. He was airlifted to Aalborg University Hospital, died again en route and was revived, before arriving at the hospital. Here, he underwent almost 12 hours of surgery, during which he was technically dead twice more. Brian’s story made national news and it caught the attention of the Malkavian Albert Vestergaard. Albert was fascinated by the report that Brian had died four times and believed that Brian had gained some kind of insight into the deeper mysteries of the universe from this experience. And so, as soon as the media furor had died down, Albert Embraced Brian. Unfortunately, Brian had gained no specific knowledge or insight from his deaths, instead just remembering pain and emptiness. Frustrated and saddened, Albert more or less abandoned his new childe after just one year. This left Brian lost in a world he was only just beginning to understand. He had little to no purpose and a growing paranoia about Kindred society, which he found strange, did not exactly help. For a time, he simply drifted, trying to find something to do, something to be. But then, he met Theodor Hall (see page 88). The Brujah was interested in upgrading the security of his haven and had heard about Brian’s expertise. Soon after, Brian found himself with something to do in the world of the Kindred; haven security. He had extensive knowledge of physical and electronic protection and several rich and powerful Kindred began to call on him to suggest upgrades to their security. However, after a while, all Kindred with enough resources had gotten their havens upgraded and it looked like Brian would once again have nothing to do. Fortunately, at this point, the REGAN Vest bunker was about to be closed down. Aalborg’s prince saw great opportunities for a place where Kindred could meet in a secure and remote location, a place where sunlight would not reach and so she commissioned Brian to help upgrade the place, after ensuring that the decommissioning process was secretly sabotaged. And since 2012, Brian has been the master of RE-

GAN Vest, ensuring the security and comfort of Kindred using the place for meetings, as well as still upgrading haven security for those Kindred willing to pay. Sire: Albert Vestergaard Nature: Conformist Demeanor: Perfectionist Generation: 8th Embrace: 1982 Apparent Age: Late 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Intimidation 2, Leadership 4, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 3, Drive 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 2, Larceny 2, Melee 1, Stealth 1, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 2, Investigation 1, Medicine 1, Science 2 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Dementation 1, Obfuscate 2 Backgrounds: Contacts 2 (Security specialists), Domain 1 (The REGAN Vest bunker, though it’s explicit that others can use it if needed), Resources 2, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 4, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Derangement: Brian is afflicted by a variation on paranoia – he has no specific target for this delusion, he simply believes that he can never be safe enough. He must expend a point of Willpower not to try and remain awake during the day anywhere except REGAN Vest and he might frenzy if someone he does not know enters a place he is going to spend the day. Image: Brian looks younger than he is, with a full head of sandy hair in a military cut, a face almost free of lines and the lean body of a long-distance runner. His body is covered in scars, while his formerly handsome face is marred by one running from his hairline, across a broken nose and splitting into two scars, once going across both lips, the other reaching his chin. Brian likes to dress in practical, dark clothes with a

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semi-military cut and always carries a pistol. He has access to an m/95 service rifle if need be. Roleplaying Hints: When you were alive, the world was a place you understood. Now, you walk among monsters who can become invisible and control people’s minds. How can you be safe in such a world? Only through the most modern security and by being of use to the most powerful among the Kindred, that’s how. You rely on the discipline and routines you learned in the military to remain as calm and functional as possible. Haven: The REGAN Vest Bunker. Influence: The Prince of Aalborg appreciates Brian’s work and all the elders whom he has upgraded security for values this, giving Brian a long list of small, informal favors he can call upon.

Clan Nosferatu Right up until the formation of the Camarilla, the Sewer Rats had a bad reputation in Denmark for reasons unknown. But not a single Danish Nosferatu ever joined the Sabbat and they remained the biggest enemy the Sabbat had, dispelling any former animosity. As the cities grew, so did Clan Nosferatu and when the Metro system began construction in Copenhagen, the Clan gained much status, especially in the capitol.

Nosferatu of Zealand

Rasmus the Holy, Nosferatu Primogen In 1135, St. Peders Priory, later Skovkloster (The Forest Abbey), was founded as a Benedictine abbey by the powerful noble, Peder Bodilsen. One of the first Danish-born monks at this abbey was Rasmus, the third son of a wealthy free farmer who had his lands nearby. Rasmus was a faithful man who believed deeply in the word of the Bible. He dedicated himself fully to doing the good work, helping the sick, tending the old and infirm. For almost 40 years, he toiled in the service of God and he expected to die in His grace. However, things turned out quite different. Julius Nemo was a Roman Nosferatu who had adopted Christianity when the religion was brand new and had dedicated himself to spreading the good word amongst vampires. A traveler, Julius had finally made his way to Denmark to preach penitence and faith to

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the Kindred in the north. When he heard of Rasmus, he made his way to the abbey and engaged the old man in several nights of religious debate. And then, he Embraced the monk. Julius charged Rasmus with spreading the word of God among the vampires in Denmark. Rasmus accepted the damnation of the Embrace, knowing that he could atone by bringing others into the light of God. And for 8 centuries, Rasmus has been a preacher among the Kindred. However, he has also managed to establish influence, resources, and power. When the Reformation destroyed the strength and wealth of the Catholic Church, Rasmus floundered for a while, unable to gain a foothold within the new Protestant faith. However, with the coming of the Enlightenment and the slow, but inevitable, establishment of social programs in Denmark, Rasmus found a new place to establish himself. And when Ragnhild took over as Prince of Copenhagen and established a new Primogen, Rasmus easily maneuvered himself into a position where he became the representative of Clan Nosferatu. These nights, Rasmus is still preaching, letting the Kindred know that they can alleviate some of the punishment they will receive in the afterlife by turning to God. He also tries to influence mortal society, so that social programs are strengthened rather than abandoned, as well as helping the weak, the sick, the outcasts. He is a somewhat extremist presence within the Primogen, always pushing towards limiting Kindred exploitation of mortals. Sire: Julius Nemo Nature: Martyr. Demeanor: Caregiver Generation: 6th Embrace: 1180 Apparent Age: Indeterminate Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 1, Stamina 5 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 3, Empathy 5, Expression 5, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 3, Crafts 3, Etiquette 4, Melee 1, Performance 1, Stealth 5, Survival 2

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Knowledges: Academics 5, Investigation 3, Law 3, Medicine 3, Occult 3, Politics 3, Theology 5

nothing else, most Elders have a goul who knows how to work a computer.

Disciplines: Auspex 5, Animalism 7, Fortitude 1, Obfuscate 7, Presence 2, Potence 7

While Jacob prefers to be left alone with his research and cataloguing, he has found it necessary to interact with mortal society from time to time; obviously when feeding, but also when he needs to research historical periods. Over time, he has cultivated a fair amount of influence within the history and archaeology departments of Copenhagen University and a number of museums, especially the National Museum, as well as the National Library.

Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Within the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health and various governmental social institutions), Domain 5 (A sprawling underground area built alongside the Metro), Herd 1 (Rats, pigeons and other urban animals), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 5, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 8

Sire: Rasmus the Holy Nature: Loner

Willpower: 9

Demeanor: Pedagogue

Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 30/6 Image: Rasmus is a short, slender man bent with age. He is completely hairless, with rough, greenish skin and milky-white eyes that can still see. His nails are long and black. He walks with the aid of a stout, wooden cane and still dresses in the robes of a monk. Roleplaying Hints: You are damned. All vampires are. But you bear your damnation, for you know that you have a greater purpose. You must guide both Kindred and Kine to become better people, to accept God and to help their fellows. It is not an easy calling, it is not a smooth road, but you will walk it, as you always have. Haven: The secret tunnels constructed alongside the building of the Metro. Influence: Rasmus has a lot of influence within those sectors of national, regional and metropolitan administration dealing with health and social affairs.

Jacob the Lost, Nosferatu Historian

Generation: 7th Embrace: 1960 Apparent Age: Indeterminate Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 1, Empathy 1, Expression 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 1, Larceny 2, Stealth 4 Knowledges: Academics 5, Computer 2, Investigation 1, Law 1, Occult 4, Science 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Animalism 1, Dominate 2, Obfuscate 3, Potence 1 Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (University, Museum, National Library), Herd 1 (Urban Animals), Mentor 3, Resources 1, Status 2

Jacob remembers little of his mortal life and, according to his Sire, that is probably for the best. What he does remember is a lot of history – Danish and world history. He is fairly sure that he was some kind of scholar, maybe a teacher or a professor.

Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 5, Courage 1

Rasmus has never fully explained why he made Jacob his childe, but he charged him with learning, cataloging and recording the Kindred history of Denmark. Jacob has spent most of his undead existence doing just that and being quite happy with his mission. The advent of computers has been a real boon, as it allows Jacob to keep his records in a much more efficient manner and interview various Kindred via email – if

Image: Jacob is of average-height, with short, brown hair and brown eyes. He is stick-thin, with brownish skin covered in paler blotches. He dresses in layers upon layers of second-hand clothes.

Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 3 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4

Roleplaying Hints: You prefer your research, your cataloging of current events and your nice, underground haven to actually having to involve yourself in the world. The world is scary. People are scary.

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Haven: The secret tunnels constructed alongside the building of the Metro.

Nature: Rogue

Influence: A fair amount in his very specialized areas, nothing much beyond.

Generation: 8th

Kaja Mikkelsen, the Infiltrator In the latter half of the 18th century, people flocked to Copenhagen from all over Denmark, hoping for a better life. Some prospered. Most didn’t. Kaja was born in abject poverty; her father made a meager living as a night soil man, carting barrels of human waste out of the city, while her mother took odd jobs and turned to prostitution when needed. As a night soil man, Kaja’s father had access to people’s homes and he eventually found himself part of a gang of thieves who exploited this access. As she grew older, Kaja joined this gang, exploiting her small stature and skill at staying quiet. Kaja grew up to become an expert thief, a scourge among the wealthier people of Copenhagen. She took care of her family with some of her ill-gotten gains and spent the rest on living a much better life than she could otherwise have had. Kaja’s sire was of a line of Nosferatu who recognized that they were monsters and who used the powers of their blood to act as spies, thieves and saboteurs. Kaja’s sire was Rasmus the Holy’s chief rival as the most influential Nosferatu in Denmark and in Kaja, he saw the perfect childe. The young woman initially recoiled from what she had become, but after a few months, she came to accept her fate and even realize what her new powers could bring her. However, she never lost her hatred of her sire for turning her into a vampire and when their common haven was hit in the bombardment of Copenhagen (see page 47 – 48), she used the opportunity to stake her sire and leave him to the flames. Since then, Kaja has slowly but surely expanded her reach. While she still uses her powers and natural abilities to conduct spying (mainly on mortals, though once in a while, also on Kindred), she has moved on to manage a small group of highly skilled people. She has thieves for hire, experts in corporate espionage and talented hackers. Kaja sits in the center of a web of secrets, information and knowledge and knows just what price to ask for what she knows. Her ultimate plan is to replace Rasmus as the Primogen of the Clan and, eventually, engineer the fall of Ragnhild, so that a puppet Prince under her thumb can take the throne. Sire: Ole Natmand

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Demeanor: Capitalist Embrace: 1793 Apparent Age: Hard to tell Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 5, Athletics 3, Brawl 1, Empathy 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Streetwise 5, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 5, Melee 1, Stealth 5 Knowledges: Computer 1, Finance 1, Investigation 1, Law 1, Occult 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Animalism 2, Celerity 1, Dominate 2, Obfuscate 5, Potence 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Both criminal and among security companies), Herd 5 (People she blackmails), Resources 4, Retainers 5, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Kaja is all of 5 feet tall and her entire body is covered in very short, very fine, brown fur with small patches of tough, black bristles. She tends to wear simple clothes, and is never unarmed – at the very least, she has a fighting knife on her. Roleplaying Hints: You want it all, but you have patience. Patience and smarts. Being the power behind the throne is a lot safer than sitting on the throne. So you bide your time and collect information, collect secrets, collect favors. Haven: The secret tunnels constructed alongside the building of the Metro. Influence: No direct influence, but Kaja has dirt on a lot of mortal movers and shakers and knows a few secrets about some of Denmark’s more powerful Kindred. She could become very influential, should she drop her subtle approach and flex her muscles.

Ole Varnby, Blackmailer

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Like many boys, Ole dreamed of being a police officer. However, he managed to hold on to that dream and make it a reality. While the whole “upholding the law” was part of it, for Ole, it was more about the uniform, the gun, and the car. And over time, Ole began exploiting his position. Not much, just some free stuff here and there, a blowjob from a prostitute, roughing up some scumbag who hadn’t technically resisted arrest. Despite all of this, Ole was an intelligent man and an efficient officer and he found himself promoted and given more sensitive assignments. It was because of this that Kaja Mikkelsen first approached him. She offered Ole quite a substantial bribe for some classified information and eventually, he relented. Some years later, Kaja was in a position to Embrace a childe and she chose Ole, with whom she’d developed a fair working relationship. While the former police officer was somewhat freaked out about his new appearance, he still took to being a vampire without too much trouble. He took with him contacts among the police in Copenhagen and a fair amount of dirty secrets, which he has turned into a good deal of of resources with the help of Kaja. He also joined Rosa Schmidt’s Free Company coterie (See page 108), putting the skills he learned as a police officer to good use. He uses his contacts and skills to gather damaging information on the rich and powerful and makes a fair amount of money just off blackmail. He has yet to get up the nerve to try that on any Kindred. Sire: Kaja Mikkelsen

Disciplines: Animalism 1, Obfuscate 3, Potence 1 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Officer in the Police Intelligence Service), Contacts 2 (Police detective, court clerk), Herd 1 (Prostitutes), Mentor 2, Resources 3, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Ole is a tall, broad man with short-cropped, light-brown hair, dark eyes and a well-trimmed moustache. His yellowish skin looks like melted candle wax. Ole dresses appropriately to whatever job or occasion he finds himself in. Roleplaying Hints: Okay, so you’re ugly and that sucks. But still, you got eternity, you got powers and you got the opportunity to get yourself set up real nice. You know your sire has plans she hasn’t really told you about yet, but supporting her could probably elevate your position within Kindred society, so that’s the plan. Haven: The secret tunnels constructed alongside the building of the Metro. Influence: Ole has a bit of pull within the police in Copenhagen and his blackmail material could translate into a tiny bit of pull within politics.

Nosferatu of Funen

Eigil Soldat, Terror of Odense

Nature: Rogue Demeanor: Bravo Generation: 9th Embrace: 1992 Apparent Age: Late 30s, maybe? Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 4, Athletics 3, Awareness 1, Brawl 2, Empathy 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Drive 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 2, Larceny 1, Melee 1, Stealth 2 Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 1, Investigation 4, Law 2, Medicine 1, Occult 1

Eigil was an orphan, left in the care of the church. His last name means “soldier”, for he joined up with a band of mercenaries at the age of 16. Already a selfish and brutal young man, the life of a mercenary did nothing for Eigil’s morality and he became a monster. His skill at arms and intimidating presence also made him a natural leader among such people, even if he lacked actual leadership skills. In 1429, Eigil and his band were contracted by a Zealandic noble who was having some trouble with a group of free farmers. The story of the monstrous actions of Eigil’s troops made its way to Copenhagen and to the ears of Rasmus the Holy, a devout and penitent Nosferatu (see page 116). Horrified, Rasmus went to observe the mercenaries and he saw in Eigil a true monster, someone who needed to be taught

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compassion and humility. Granted permission from the prince, Rasmus Embraced Eigil. From the first night, it was clear that Rasmus had made a mistake. Try as he might, he could not change who Eigil was. Selfish, arrogant, brutal and angry, not even the shock of becoming a Nosferatu changed Eigil. While he hated the way he looked, he reveled in his newfound powers and the act of feeding was a favorite of his. Rasmus toyed with the idea of destroying his childe, but he still held out a glimmer of hope. He officially released Eigil, believing that the man would either learn humility or be destroyed. With his education as a Kindred not fully finished, Eigil quickly managed to get on the wrong side of many of Copenhagen’s Kindred, but the former mercenary had a knack for survival and he fled before anyone managed to persuade the Prince to call a Blood Hunt. For the next 350 years, Eigil drifted through Denmark, Northern Germany and Southern Sweden, selling his services to whomever could pay. He became a renowned torturer, hunter of fleeing Kindred, bodyguard and all-round thug, but as the years went on, Eigil began to long for a place to settle down. He wanted a domain, a place to call his own, where he could indulge his darker desires. He specifically stayed away from Copenhagen, but saw in Odense and Funen a small domain with few other Kindred to oppose him. As it turned out, Asbjørn, the Prince of Odense, had no qualms about having the notorious Nosferatu in his domain and happily allowed Eigil to settle. However, Eigil lacked the skills and experience necessary to properly set up a domain and he found himself relying upon his former skills once more, now mainly serving Kindred in Denmark. When Ragnhild the Just called to battle against the Sabbat, Eigil was at the forefront and it was here that he learned of the joys of diablerie. Nobody had their auras examined after the fight and Eigil had a new vice. However, he had also earned some measure of gratitude from the new Prince of Denmark. Eigil held on to this debt for quite a long time, unable to find anywhere that he wanted as his official domain. Then, in the 1960s, the city of Odense began developing a new low-income housing area in Vollsmose. Eigil immediately asked for this to be his domain and both Asbjørn and Ragnhild were happy to grant it to him. Eigil believed that an area designed for poor people would be perfect for him, but he could not have predicted just how perfect. In the 1990s, Vollsmose had

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become something of a ghetto for Muslims in Odense and notorious for crime and violence. Eigil encouraged this at every turn and began building a power base among the immigrant gangs that formed in the housing project. These nights, Eigil is becoming what he once was – a leader of violent thugs. He makes good money and has access to plenty of blood through his domain, but he wants more. He still remembers the sweet taste of Diablerie and although his plans are only half-formed, he dreams of once again tasting the soul of another vampire. And of expanding his territory. Sire: Rasmus the Holy Nature: Deviant Demeanor: Creep Show Generation: 8th Embrace: 1429 Apparent Age: Mid 20s Physical: Strength 5, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 1, Streetwise 1 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 1, Drive 1, Firearms 2, Larceny 1, Melee 5, Stealth 4, Survival 2 Knowledges: Investigation 1, Medicine 1, Occult 1 Disciplines: Animalism 3, Celerity 4, Dominate 3, Fortitude 4, Obfuscate 5, Potence 5 Backgrounds: Domain 3 (the suburb of Vollsmose), Resources 2, Retainers 5, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 2, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 4 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Eigil was a big man in his day, but in modern times, he is on the short side, though still broad and muscular. His skin is an unnatural shade of brown and his short hair and sideburns are grey and bristly, while his eyes are a sickly yellow. He dresses in all-black clothes, including a long coat, jeans and big, heavy boots and always carries a large Bowie knife. If he expects trouble, he can easily get his hands on a poleax and some armor.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Roleplaying Hints: If you can beat someone, they are not worthy of respect. If they can beat you, don’t antagonize them. Get what you want, whatever it takes. And what you want is the joy of feeding and the fun of seeing people beaten, tortured and killed. And all the luxuries the modern world can offer.

establishment of the new residential areas in Aarhus and the expansion of the Metro in Copenhagen. To the Kindred of Denmark, Matthew is a valued asset and seen as the quintessential nerd, interested in only one thing. Sire: Jeppe den Halte (deceased)

Haven: A very well-furnished sub-basement in Vollsmose.

Nature: Perfectionist

Influence: All the gang leaders in Vollsmose know Eigil and fear him. They will do what he says, out of fear, not loyalty.

Generation: 8th

Nosferatu of Southern Jutland Matthew Builder, Master of Secret Ways

During the High Middle Ages, there was a building boom for castles and cathedrals and master builders travelled all over Europe, earning high wages for their expertise. Matthew was one of those builders, born in southern England, but travelling wherever his skills were in demand. In 1449, he came to Aarhus to help rebuild the cathedral that had burned down a century earlier. His exceptional skills as an architect and builder drew attention from Clan Nosferatu and he was made a ghoul of the Clan. For many years, Matthew helped create secret tunnels, chambers and hideaways in various buildings all over Denmark. Things went wrong during the construction of an ambitious extension of the basements under Aalborghus Castle and a massive wooden support crushed Matthew’s back. He would have died had he not been Embraced. Matthew did not take the transition to Kindred well – he resented being limited to working at night, to having to manage projects from the shadows and for a while, he wanted nothing to do with the rest of Kindred society. Finally, his love of building pulled him back in and he became the go-to vampire in Denmark for the design and building of havens and meeting places. Matthew lost himself in his work, constantly keeping tabs on new and improved construction methods. For the last 150 years, Knud the Elder, Prince of Aarhus (see page 156), has been something of a patron for Matthew, giving him access to buildings companies, engineering firms and helping him establish an area of influence. Matthew’s latest finished project was Bunker 7 and he is currently heavily involved with the

Demeanor: Architect Embrace: 1509 Apparent Age: Somewhere in his 40s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 1, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 5, Etiquette 2, Stealth 4, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Law 1, Science 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Animalism 2, Fortitude 4, Dominate 4, Obfuscate 5, Potence 5, Presence 2, Protean 1 Backgrounds: Allies 2 (High-ranking secretary in the Ministry of Transportation, Building and Housing), Contacts 5 (Builders, contractors and architects across the land), Domain 2 (A part of the new residential area in Aarhus docklands), Resources 3, Retainers 2, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Without using Obfuscate, Matthew’s true appearance is as a large man with a seriously bent back and a face full of scar tissue. When using the discipline, he takes on the appearance of a tall, but otherwise unremarkable man with short, brown hair and a beard. Matthew always dresses well, in understated suits. Roleplaying Hints: There is nothing you love more than building and architecture – the perfection in making various elements come together, the perma-

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nence of a good structure, the interplay of stresses and supports. You could talk about it all night. Just as long as no one mention the silly ideas of modern architecture, where practicality has to take a back seat to some new-fangled artistic ideal. Art is ephemeral, stone and concrete is solid and permanent. Haven: A large basement apartment in the Aarhus docklands. Influence: Matthew himself has some influence with contractors, engineers and architects around Denmark and he has access to quite a bit more through his association with the Prince of Aarhus.

Jette Grøndal, Crooked Financier Jette learned everything from her father. Sure, she got a university education, but her father, who had gone from a low-level con artist to venture capitalist, taught her what really mattered.

nesses as possible and draining funds from all of them. She also acts as a financier for Kindred in need of money, as long as they can convince her that whatever project they have in mind can be profitable. Sire: Matthew Builder Nature: Conniver Demeanor: Rogue Generation: 9th Embrace: 1969 Apparent Age: Close to 100 Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation5, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 4, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 4

Fresh out of university, Jette began working as a business consultant. She was a woman in a man’s world and a beautiful woman to boot and it disarmed those around her. She was able to embezzle huge sums without being caught and soon had a lavish lifestyle, all the luxuries money could buy and numerous lovers of both genders.

Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Stealth 2

All of that came crashing down when Jette tried to swindle a construction project headed by Matthew Builder, under the aegis of the Prince of Aarhus. The prince easily detected Jette’s financial subterfuges and, determined to punish her, gave Matthew the right to Embrace her. For his part, Matthew saw it as an opportunity to get himself someone who would take care of his finances, something Matthew found eminently boring.

Backgrounds: Contacts 4 (Esbjerg City Administration and various businesses in the city), Domain 1 (Large villa in the fashionable Hjerting suburb), Herd 1 (Prostitutes), Influence 1, Resources 4, Retainers 2, Status 1

At first Jette absolutely hated becoming a vampire. She lost her beauty and the Prince of Aarhus stripped her of several of her best contacts and power bases, while Matthew expected her to be some kind of glorified bookkeeper. Later, she came to simply resent her fate, as she realized the potential inherent in being a vampire. Jette saw her chance to rebuild some of her wealth and power when Esbjerg became a boom town. Using Matthew’s contacts among contractors and engineers, she ingratiated herself into the building projects and soon, she was able to skim profits from a dozen different areas. Since then, Jette has been a fixture in Esbjerg, sinking her talons into as many legitimate busi-

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Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 1, Finance 4, Law 2, Politics 1 Disciplines: Animalism 1, Obfuscate 3, Potence 1, Presence 2

Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 4, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Jette still has her long, luxurious blond hair. The rest of her appears as a withered crone with long, claw-like fingernails and beady eyes. Nevertheless, she always dresses impeccably and uses her Obfuscate to regain her former beauty. Roleplaying Hints: Wealth, power, status, influence, beauty, all of that was taken from you in the Embrace. Well, you will regain it. You will climb back to power and then, they will all fall before you. Your sire and the Prince of Aarhus will fall, somehow, and you will laugh when it happens. Until then, cultivate allies, create pawns, ensnare others with your wealth

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

and influence and never, ever let an opportunity to advance pass you by. Haven: Large villa in the Hjerting suburb of Esbjerg. Influence: No other Kindred has more influence over legitimate business in Esbjerg than Jette, be it city administration or private companies.

Nosferatu of Northern Jutland

Vest. However, Hjörtur also works well together with Brian Hviid, the Malkavian in charge of REGAN Vest (see page 115), as the two are in charge of the more secure and out-of-the-way places where Kindred can congregate. For the last several years, Hjörtur has been working with various Kindred to hold elaborate Elysium parties in the halls of the chalk mines, gaining him a fair bit of attention. He is spending more and more time in Aalborg, looking for a way to diversify from just being the master of the chalk mines.

Hjörtur Andrison, Master of the Mines

Sire: Matthew Builder

Hjörtur was an Icelandic sailor who got caught in Denmark during the Nazi invasion. In order to survive, he took up work in the Mønsted Limestone Mines, drawing upon his experience as a miner in Iceland before he became a sailor. His work was so good that when Denmark was liberated, he was offered a permanent position and a promotion, something Hjörtur happily accepted. In his time in the mines, he had grown to like the work and he had nothing waiting for him back in Iceland.

Nature: Dabbler

In 1953, Mønsted closed down as a mine. The Prince of Aalborg immediately saw the potential of the place, as well as Daugbjerg, which had been rediscovered two years prior. At that time, the Nosferatu Matthew Builder was in Aalborg, working on improving the secret tunnels beneath the city, and the Prince offered him a chance to create a childe. Matthew accepted and after some months of observation, chose Hjörtur, who showed both dedication, skill and no discomfort whatsoever from being underground. The Embrace and subsequent transformation due to his Nosferatu blood came as quite a shock to Hjörtur and it took him almost a year to recover. During that time, Matthew tutored Hjörtur in the ways of the Kindred and when he was ready, Hjörtur travelled with Matthew until such a time as the younger Nosferatu was ready to be released. Upon Hjörtur becoming a free Kindred, the Prince of Aalborg offered him a position as master of the Mønsted and Daugbjrg chalk mines, something the Neonate readily accepted. In 1960, he added Thingbjerg to the list, when that chalk mine shut down as well. Since then, Hjörtur has slowly but surely become a very valued member of Northern Jutland’s Kindred society. The chalk mines, especially Mønsted, are much more aesthetically pleasing and interesting to look at than the military utilitarianism of REGAN

Demeanor: Conformist Generation: 9th Embrace: 1953 Apparent Age: Difficult to tell Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 1, Intimidation 1 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 4, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 1, Melee 1, Stealth 3, Survival 1 Knowledges: Investigation 1, Law 1, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Animalism 1, Dominate 1, Potence 1, Presence 1, Obfuscate 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 2 (Event promoters), Domain 1 (The three chalk mines), Herd 1 (Bats), Resources 1, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 4, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Hjörtur’s skin is, appropriately, chalk-white. The same goes for his hair, eyebrows and short beard. His eyes, meanwhile, are solid black. He is on the short side, but broad and well-muscled. He speaks slowly, still with a hint of Icelandic accent, but his deep voice carries well. Hjörtur wears tough, practical clothes when in the mines, but has begun expanding his wardrobe for his visits to Aalborg.

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Roleplaying Hints: You are done just being a hired worker. Your skills have grown and now, it is time to expand. You have learned a lot in your time as master of the chalk caves, made some good contacts among mortals and Kindred and, most importantly, gained recognition across the domain. All you need is the chance to prove yourself. Haven: Shifts between all three chalk mines. Influence: Only through the Prince of Aalborg, though all Kindred of Northern Jutland appreciate his work.

Anne Marie Bjørning, Animal Blood Dealer Anne’s father was a butcher with a great nose for business. He took a chance with an investment and ended up owning a small meat processing factory in Randers. With no sons, he began grooming his daughter to take over the business when he grew old, including taking her on tours of the facility when she was growing up. Unbeknownst to him, Anne developed quite the fascination with blood and the killing of animals. Instead of getting an education in economics or business management, she chose to go the route of butcher, something her father approved of. He saw it as a good way for his daughter to get a ground-floor appreciation of the work that took place at the factory. At the same time as Anne trained as a butcher, her father would instruct her in how to run a business. Anne’s sire discovered her completely by accident. Johanne was a traitor, a Nosferatu Antitribu who was part of a pack send to scout out Denmark on behalf of the Cainites of Sweden. She had secretly been in talks with Danish Kindred about defecting, but her pack found out and she was forced to flee. Heavily wounded, she stumbled into the abattoir in search of blood. Anne, meanwhile, was there late at night to indulge in her darker desires. She never saw Johanne, who was exceptionally skilled at Obfuscate, but Johanne saw Anne’s actions and was fascinated by them. She earned the right to make a childe after proving her loyalty to the Danish Camarilla and returned to Randers to seek out Anne. Anne was not shocked by what happened to her. If anything, she was elated. Already fascinated by blood, she reveled in being a vampire, so much so that her sire feared Anne might not make a good Camarilla Kindred. However, Anne’s intelligence meant that she

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was able to play the game and honor the Masquerade and the Prince of Aalborg readily accepted her. Anne quickly turned to her sire to offer a deal – she had seen how meat processing firms had started to unite all over Denmark and she realized a potential for profit there. She was willing to share those profits, if Johanne used her gifts to aid Anne in gaining influence over these new, larger firms. Johanne readily agreed and soon, Anne had substantial investments in what would eventually become Danish Crown. Sadly, Johanne fell to a retaliatory strike from the Sabbat in 2001, but by then, Anne was more than able to handle herself. Ever since gaining a substantial interest in Danish Crown, Anne has been using her influence to sell animal blood. Sure, vitae from animals, cold and preserved in plastic, is nowhere near as satisfying as real, human blood, but there will always be Kindred who find themselves needing blood, either quickly or in large amounts. And Anne can always deliver. Especially now, in modern nights, where she has two ghouls that use specialized vans with enhanced engines and cooling units in the back – she boasts that she can get a delivery of blood to anywhere in Denmark in under 3 hours. Anne is not exactly well liked among Denmark’s Kindred, but she delivers a service few can ignore. When large groups of Kindred congregate, it is a lot easier to place a bulk order with Anne than try and find enough human blood. Anne, for her part, is willing to take payment in cash or favors and these nights, there are few Kindred in Denmark who do not owe her at least a small marker (the exception being the lords and ladies of the big domains, who are smart enough not to get into that kind of debt). Anne, for her part, uses her money and influence to indulge her darker side. Which has grown. To the point where she has tortured and killed three mortals over the last three years. Soon, tormenting animals simply will not be enough for her. Sire: Johanne Pedersen Nature: Deviant Demeanor: Enigma Generation: 13th Embrace: 1970 Apparent Age: Early 30s, maybe? Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Empathy 1, Intimidation 4, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 2, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Larceny 1, Melee 1, Stealth 3 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 3, Law 1, Medicine 1, Occult 1 Disciplines: Animalism 2, Potence 1, Obfuscate 3, Presence 1 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Managers of regional abattoirs and meat processing plants), Domain 2 (Danish Crown factory in Randers), Herd 5 (Animal Blood), Resources 4, Retainers 3, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 4 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 10/1 Image: Anne looks stick-thin, hairless, with fish belly-pale skin through which her enlarged veins are clearly showing. Her belly distends grotesquely whenever she is fully fed. Normally, Anne will wear little more than bra and panties under a butcher’s apron, though she has dresses for formal occasions. She is never without at least one fighting knife. Roleplaying Hints: Other people’s blood, pain and the terror of impending death is what gives you pleasure. You enjoy feeding, sure, and the money and power that comes with your position, but in the end, the only real pleasure you feel these nights is when you are inflicting your torments on an animal… or a human… or maybe, one day, another vampire… Haven: The maintenance tunnels under Danish Crown’s factory in Randers, in a room designed by Matthew Builder. Influence: Very little direct influence, except when it comes to the affairs of Danish Crown. Indirectly, a lot of Danish Kindred owe her a favor or two.

Clan Ravnos Travelling Ravnos passed through Denmark as early as the Middle Ages, but none of them stayed or even made Denmark their primary area of travel. After

World War II, a few Ravnos that had fled with their Roma flocks to Sweden in order to avoid Nazi persecution came to Denmark. The general attitude of the Danish Kindred towards Ravnos has always pretty much mirrored the mortal attitude towards the Roma and most Ravnos left, with some of them making their way through Denmark on occasion. Yet a few still remain.

Ravnos of Zealand Miri, The Exploiter

Miri’s father was a tinsmith in the north-German city of Flensburg. During the rise of the Nazi party, brownshirts firebombed their home, killing Miri’s parents and younger sister. She fled, alongside her two older brothers, to Denmark. However, while Danes were not actively trying to kill Gypsies, they had little love for them. Miri and her brothers eventually found themselves living on the streets of Copenhagen as beggars. Eventually, they resorted to petty crime and fell in with other criminal Gypsies in the Danish capital. Miri’s brothers hated what they had been reduced to, while Miri never questioned what she was doing – all she wanted was a relief from the cold and hunger. When the Nazi party began its genocide of the Roma people, more of them fled to Denmark and with them came a few Ravnos. Miri’s sire, Mirela, was herself a former criminal and she now managed a gang of thieves. She soon absorbed Miri’s little group and found Miri to be of interest. She made the young woman a ghoul and promoted her to one of her lieutenants. Mirela protected her flock when the Nazis invaded Denmark and after the war, she granted Miri the Embrace, before returning to Germany. The years had hardened Miri. She wanted to protect her people, yes, but she also saw them as a resource to exploit. For more than 50 years, Miri has been a corrupting influence within the Roma community of Copenhagen. She has built a small criminal empire of Gypsy criminals who engage in theft, robbery, extortion and other crimes of a similar nature. In doing so, she has made an enemy of Konstantin (see below), who hates that Miri is furthering the image of Gypsies as criminals. Miri dismisses Konstantin as an idiot and con-man, unaware of just how much the man hates her. Sire: Mirela Nature: Conniver

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Demeanor: Rogue th

Generation: 11 Embrace: 1945

Apparent Age: Early 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 2, Intimidation 4, Leadership 2, Streetwise 5, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 2, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 5, Melee 1, Performance 1, Stealth 3, Survival 1 Knowledges: Investigation 1, Law 1, Occult 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Animalism 1, Chimerstry 4, Fortitude 2, Presence 1 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Gypsy gang leader), Contacts 3 (Various high-ranking criminals), Domain 1 (A small Roma cultural center on Nørrebro), Herd 4 (Gypsies), Resources 4, Retainers 5, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 12/1 Image: Miri is a pretty woman, with straight, black hair and dark eyes. She is voluptuous and just a bit chubby, which she hides well with tailored clothing. Miri wears expensive jewelry, carry designer bags and drives a BMW. Roleplaying Hints: Life’s hard and unlife’s not much better. So fuck everyone else, you get what you want and what you need and if you need to turn your own people into gangs of criminals, so be it. They’re not getting a fair treatment anyway. Haven: Under a Roma cultural center on Nørrebro.

ting caught. He never knew why the mysterious woman that travelled with the caravan chose him. She never let him known her name. She never gave him a reason. But she gave Konstantin purpose. And that purpose was the truth. The grand truth of the Path of Paradox and of the illusion of reality. For decades, Konstantin took up the wandering lifestyle, serving his Path and from time to time, instructing others. Yet the prejudice against his Clan meant that he had little success in the latter and he regretted never being able to settle down. Travel meant that he could not focus on the tenets of the Path of Paradox and he despaired. When the Nazis came to power, Konstantin realized that he was called upon to act – he worked tirelessly to guide Roma out of Germany and into Denmark, yet saw his work undone when the Nazis invaded that country. Konstantin sank into a deep depression and asked for permission to settle in Denmark. He was granted this permission by the Prince of Aarhus and for several decades, Konstantin did little with his existence. Then, with the advent of hippie culture in Denmark, Konstantin found that the wisdom of his people, his belief and his long-lost homeland was sought after. The Ravnos almost completely reinvented himself, becoming a guru, a bringer of oriental wisdom far more ancient and insightful than foolish western science. While very few Kindred had any interest in Konstantin’s preaching, he soon drew a large group of mortal followers around him. Slowly, Konstantin is rebuilding his devotion to the Path of Paradox and he will teach other Kindred the truth – or they will fall before him. Bringing down Miri (see page 126) also features strongly in his plans. Sire: Unknown Nature: Pedagogue Demeanor: Guru Generation: 7th Embrace: 1455 Apparent Age: Mid 20s

Influence: Miri has substantial influence among criminal Roma in Copenhagen and little else.

Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3

Ravnos of Southern Jutland

Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 3

Konstantin, Shadowed Guru

In life, Konstantin was nothing more than a gypsy thief just trying to steal enough to eat and avoid get-

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Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 4, Empathy 4, Expression 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 1

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 1, Etiquette 2, Larceny 1, Melee 1, Stealth 2, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Medicine 1, Occult 5, Theology 5 Disciplines: Auspex 5, Animalism 5, Chimerstry 6, Fortitude 5, Presence 3 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Hindu priest), Contacts 5 (among seekers of enlightenment around Denmark), Domain 1 (A simple house in Aarhus), Fame 2, Herd 5 (Followers), Resources 2, Retainers 2, Status 3 Virtues: Conviction 5, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Paradox 5 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Konstantin is a short, slender man with dusky skin and dark eyes. His curly, black hair falls to his shoulders and he sports a slightly ragged beard. Konstantin is vaguely handsome, but his unassuming demeanor and general bearing detracts from that. He eschews more traditional Buddhist robes in favor of bright, loose-fitting clothes and sandals. Roleplaying Hints: You know the truth. You have the wisdom. You walk the one, true path and know the way that others must follow. You were once lost, but the road ahead is clear and you must walk it. Others should follow, lest they be left behind and, ultimately, destroyed. Your vice is patronization – you simply cannot help yourself when it comes to lecturing other and showing the superiority of your knowledge and wisdom.

ier Clan of Denmark. Ever since the Viking Age, the Clan has influenced art and culture in Denmark and members of the Clan continue to be involved to this night.

Toreador of Zealand

Lorenz von Barmstede, Scourge The Knights of Barmstede were a very powerful and wealthy noble family claiming descent from the mighty Henry the Lion. They were powerful enough to go to war against Hamburg and not be destroyed when they lost. Lorenz was born into the family at the height of its power. The fourth son of one of the patriarchs, he grew up with wealth and privilege. He loved swordplay and when he was old enough, he left home to seek out the famous master fencer Johannes Liechtenauer. Lorenz trained under Liechtenauer and quickly became one of his best students. He learned not only longsword, but also dagger, messer, sword-and-buckler and wrestling. When his father died, Lorenz returned to Barmstedt. While there, he participated in a tournament and so impressed people that he was repeatedly asked to demonstrate the skills he had acquired. One of the people he impressed was a Roman Toreador by the name of Livia. In life, she had been fascinated by gladiatorial games and even in death, her love of combat ability remained. She saw Lorenz skill with weapons as a true art and Embraced the knight.

Clan Toreador

Lorenz did not take well to the Embrace. Like most of his family, he was deeply religious and to become damned like this shook him to his core. He spent weeks in isolation, starving himself, looking for answers. In the end, he dedicated his existence to fighting for what was good and right. Lorenz became a scourge of those vampires who dealt with dark powers. Sadly, Lorenz considered Thaumaturgy to be a dark power, while the Prince of Hamburg was quite keen on allying with Clan Tremere. In the end, Lorenz found himself banished from the Hamburg domain.

First the Gangrel. Then the Brujah. And then Clan Toreador. That is how the Clan saw the their poistion in the Viking Age. During the Middle Ages, Clan Toreador found themselves third to the Ventrue and Lasombra. But with the advent of the Anarch Revolt and the formation of the Camarilla and the Sabbat, Clan Toreador came to rival the Ventrue as the prem-

With the formation of the Camarilla, Lorenz spent some time as an Archon, before realizing that he was caught in a political game. He hated the Sabbat and fought for the Masquerade and for Humanity, but all too often, he was directed to act against fellow Camarilla Kindred who were simply acting against the status quo. In the end, he settled in Copenhagen, a Camaril-

Haven: A house in Aarhus that is also the central temple and meeting place for Konstantin’s followers. Influence: A great deal amongst those people in Denmark that seek enlightenment in Eastern religion and philosophy.

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la city that was not caught up in the greater politics of the sect. He served as a fighting instructor to many Kindred and continued his fight against what he saw as the unholy. He was forced to accept Clan Tremere, so he focused on Sabbat infiltrators, mortals dabbling in Devil worship and Jotuns. When Prince Ragnhild called to war against the Sabbat, Lorenz was on the front lines. He still has a reputation amongst those Sabbat that survived, and any Cainite who could kill him would gain a lot of status within the Sabbat. Seeing Lorenz’ worth, Ranghild offered him the position of Scourge. Lorenz accepted, knowing that it would give him better resources in finding the dark forces he opposes, as well as a small stipend that would eliminate any need for him diverting attention to actually making money. He divides his nights between hunting for supernatural evil and instructing a select group of mortals in the art of longsword fencing. When his schedule allows, he also spends time with Rasmus the Holy (see page 116), as both of them are dedicated and conscientious Catholics. Sire: Livia Drusilla Nature: Idealist

Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Lorenz is of average height and in perfect physical condition. His hair is black, with a few strands of grey, he sports a moustache and goatee and his eyes are bright green. Lorenz usually wears tough, dark clothes that can handle a fight and is never unarmed, though he usually only carries a katzbalger shortsword. Should trouble arise, he has a suit of armor and a large collection of weapons, chief among them a longsword. Roleplaying Hints: God has a plan for you. You may be damned, but in your damnation, you will be the scourge of evil. You will serve Him by destroying His enemies and you will protect mortals from those that would see them destroyed. You will be unto this world a perfect knight, even if it means your soul. Haven: A small house in Frederiksberg Influence: None on his own, though both Prince Ragnhild and city’s Sheriff like and depend on Lorenz.

Carl-Erik Fossberg, Toreador Primogen

Demeanor: Perfectionist Generation: 7th Embrace: 1383 Apparent Age: Mid 30s Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Awareness 1, Brawl 5, Empathy 2, Intimidation 4, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 2, Firearms 1, Melee 6, Stealth 1, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Investigation 1, Medicine 1, Occult 3, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 4, Celerity 6, Fortitude 5, Potence 5, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (Denmark’s top paranormal investigator), Domain 1 (Small house in central Frederiksberg), Herd 1 (Elite students), Resources 2, Retainers 3, Status 3

Carl-Erik’s father was a well-to-do merchant who was not exactly happy that his son chose the theater as a way of living. However, theater was becoming a popular and accepted form of entertainment in Denmark and Carl-Erik was not only talented, he was exceptionally handsome. Soon, he was in demand on stage and in bedrooms throughout Copenhagen. Carl-Erik reveled in the fame, the money and the sex. He was a hedonist, but also an artist. And while his looks faded, his talent never did. Carl-Erik’s sire had herself been an actress in ancient Greece. After her sire had succumbed to torpor, she had fled his enemies and ended up in Denmark just as Prince Gunnarr was making Copenhagen the undisputed center of vampire power in the country. Melitta established herself as the premier Toreador in Denmark and when the Prince gathered his first Primogen, she was a member. Gunnarr did not fully trust Melitta however, and it took her centuries to gain the right to sire a childe. When she finally won that right, her choice was Carl-Erik.

Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 5, Courage 5

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At the time of his Embrace, Erik was an old man suffering the woes of age and a life of excess. He readily accepted his existence as a Kindred and became a model Toreador. Shortly after Ragnhild took the throne as Prince of Copenhagen, Melitta succumbed to the torpor of age and Carl-Erik naturally took her place as member of the Primogen. He is very aware that he only holds this position because of the prestige his sire had and takes every opportunity to shore up his own position while cutting down people like Lorenz (see page 127) and Patricia (see page 130), should they angle for his seat. He is careful, however, to take no overt action, merely being preparing for the eventuality. Ever since his Embrace, Carl-Erik has fostered influence within the theaters of Copenhagen and used that as a way into the halls of power. He may not see the artistic merit in movies, radio and television, but as these new technologies came along, he invested and built influence. And now, he is someone who can make or break the career of any actor in Denmark, be it stage, movie or television. In addition, he has, almost by accident, gotten some influence over news media in radio and on TV, allowing him to stop stories that would be troublesome for the Kindred. A snob he may be, preferring Shakespeare and Moliere to the “modern trash” (which, to Carl-Erik, includes Ludvig Holberg), preferring Mozart and Bach to anything written after 1900, but he knows value when he sees it. Sire: Melitta Nature: Bon Vivant

Disciplines: Auspex 6, Celerity 3, Dominate 3, Presence 6 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Theaters, the Opera, Danish Ministry of Culture), Domain 2 (Large patrician house in Østerbro), Herd 5 (Aspiring and established actors), Resources 4, Retainers 5, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 30/6 Image: Even the most well-tailored suit cannot hide Carl-Erik’s expanded waistline and the most wellgroomed beard cannot disguise hos jowls. Still vain in unlife, he wears a hair piece to hide his expansive bald spot and dyes his greying beard. He wears the most expensive clothes, jewelry just on the right side of garish and affects a walking cane. Roleplaying Hints: You were given a second chance to squeeze every ounce of pleasure and enjoyment out of your existence and you are not going to waste it. You love theater, opera, ballet, and music and you will see that the right kind of artistic endeavors are performed for your pleasure. Haven: An old villa in Østerbro. Influence: A huge amount of influence over the theater, opera, ballet and classical music scene in Copenhagen and some influence beyond, especially radio and TV. Carl-Erik also has some pull within the Danish Ministry of Culture.

Patricia, Keeper of Elysium

Demeanor: Gallant Generation: 6th Embrace: 1692 Apparent Age: Early 60s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 2, Empathy 4, Expression 5, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Etiquette 5, Melee 1, Performance 6 Knowledges: Academics 1, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 3, Theology 1

In the middle of the 17th century, Denmark got into the slave trade by conquering a number of forts on the Gold Coast in what is today Ghana. Among them was Fort Christiansborg (now Osu Castle), which became the capital of the Danish Gold Coast. One of the officers of the castle was a young lieutenant who fell in love with one of the native serving girls at the fort. She died giving birth to a daughter and suddenly, the young man found himself alone with a baby girl. Being a man of strong moral character, the lieutenant did not turn away from his responsibility. When the girl was old enough, he had her sent to live with his family in Copenhagen; a rich family that might be outraged by having a mixed-race girl born out of wedlock sent to then, but who nonethe-less raised the girl. As soon as he could, Patricia’s

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father left the Danish army and returned home to Copenhagen. With his family’s wealth and the contacts he had made in Africa, he set himself up as a trader in gold and ivory and became quite wealthy. Wealthy enough to ensure a good life for his daughter. He never married, but nannies took care of Patricia. Unfortunately for the young woman, her father died of a fever when she was 23. His family used lawyers to strip her of any inheritance, even of her name. Fortunately, she had a good singing voice and was able to scrape together a life without being forced to turn to prostitution. Patricia encountered her sire by mere chance. Lorenz certainly wasn’t looking for a childe, but he heard Patricia sing one night and was captivated by her exotic beauty, as well as her voice. He spoke to her and, upon learning of the tragedy that had befallen her, decided to spare her the indignities of growing old in abject poverty – or at least, that is what he tells himself. Patricia blossomed after the Embrace. She had a lot of untapped potential and soon became the social darling of Copenhagen’s Kindred. When Ragnhild took over from Gunnarr as Prince, Patricia supported the new ruler fully and was rewarded with the position of Keeper of Elysium – the old Keeper was exceptionally loyal to Gunnarr and had publicly spoken out against Ragnhild. He left for Norway not long after. Since then, Patricia has ruled the Copenhagen social scene with an iron fist in a velvet glove. She is a skilled organizer of parties, frightfully adept at cutting social commentary and has the ear of the Prince. She fully enjoys being the center of attention and accepts all the praise she gets with good graces. She has also had liaisons with a few of the city’s powerful Kindred, among them Ragnar Silver-Tongue, Jeronimus von Lakskov and Valdemar Duus-Frederiksen (see pages 95, 142, and 149). She would love to add Prince Ragnhild and Octavius to her list of conquests, but she has had no success as of yet. She has also considered challenging Carl-Erik for his position as Primogen, but does not consider herself strong enough yet.

Apparent Age: Mid 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 5 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 4, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 5, Performance 4 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 1, Occult 2, Politics 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 5, Celerity 5, Dominate 2, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Museums and cultural institutions in Copenhagen), Domain 2 (Copenhagen’s most exclusive art gallery), Herd 5 (Lovers), Resources 4, Retainers 5, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Patricia is an absolutely gorgeous woman of mixed race, with long, straight, black hair and darkbrown eyes. While her clothes are always appropriate for the occasion, they are also always flattering to her figure and accentuating her beauty. She wears subtle, but expensive, jewelry and rarely bothers with makeup. Roleplaying Hints: You had a tough life and now, you do what is needed to survive. You’ve clawed your way into a position of power and that’s where you will remain, no matter the costs. Of course, one can enjoy unlife and do it in style while ensuring ones survival. Haven: The basement of the large gallery she owns.

Generation: 8th

Influence: Patricia has no influence in politics or business, but her influence within the world of physical art, such as painting and sculpture, is almost absolute; the only place she lacks influence is Thorvaldsen’s Collection, which Prince Ragnhild considers hers. Patricia has a lot of prestige amongst Copenhagen’s Kindred due to her position and the parties she throws, and her Kindred lovers are willing to support her in her role as Keeper (as well as in any efforts to keep the post, should she be challenged).

Embrace: 1721

Lotte Mose Olsen, Festival Promoter

Sire: Lorenz von Barmstede Nature: Survivor Demeanor: Gallant

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In 1968, Lotte was 21 years old and had broken with her parents living the suburban bourgeoisie life outside of Roskilde. She had become part of the hippie movement and lived in a commune. In 1971, she attended the first Roskilde Festival and was blown away. When she returned the next year, she met Patricia of Clan Toreador, who had come to Roskilde to see this new phenomenon, a rock music festival. Lotte was instantly attracted to the exotic beauty of Patricia, who took the young hippie home to feed on – only to find Lotte an exceptionally adept lover. Kindred may not feel physical pleasure from sex, but there are techniques that can heighten the enjoyment of feeding and Lotte soon mastered them. She also joined some of Patricia’s other lovers and enjoyed the free hedonism of it all. Patricia made Lotte her ghoul and helped her gain influence over the festival, realizing the potential that it had. Lotte turned out to be pretty good at this and as more festivals sprang up on Zealand, she involved herself in those. 10 years later, Patricia won the right to create a childe and Embrced Lotte. While Lotte acted like the perfect childe, she secretly resented what had happened to her – she loved Patricia (even before the blood bond) and she loved the joys of being alive; good food, good drink, good weed, good sex. Still, Lotte threw herself into being a Kindred and continued with her work in festivals. As it stands, she has a great deal of prestige among Copenhagen’s Kindred, as the festivals she promotes bring a lot of hunting opportunities. But Lotte is hollow inside. She tries to fill that hole with drug-laced blood and progressively more outlandish, sexual feedings, yet nothing works. She wants her sire’s love and attention and she wants to be human and she can have neither. Sire: Patricia Nature: Celebrant Demeanor: Bon Vivant Generation: 9th Embrace: 1981 Apparent Age: Mid 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 4 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 2

Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Empathy 4, Expression 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Performance 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 2, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Celerity 1, Potence 1, Presence 3 Backgrounds: Domain 1 (Basement apartment in Østerbro), Fame 1, Herd 4 (Lovers), Influence 2, Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Lotte is a very pretty, young girl, short and slender with shoulder length, curly hair so pale it’s almost white and blue eyes. She has a pug nose and a cute innocence about her. She prefers to wear loose clothing in white or bright colors and hates shoes. Roleplaying Hints: You hide your sadness, your emptiness, behind your smile and your excesses. You long for the time when you were alive and when you were with Patricia. Nothing can bring back those feelings and you know it, yet you try. Haven: A large basement apartment in Østerbro. Influence: No music festival happens on Zealand or the surrounding islands without Lotte having something to say about it and skimming some profits.

Niels Lund, Expert Photographer Niels came from a blue-collar family and continued the family tradition by becoming a welder. However, a nasty fall from a scaffold put him out of commission for a full year. Never much of reader, Niels took up photography as a hobby in order not to go crazy with boredom. And then he discovered that he was not only a good photographer, he was an extremely talented one. He went from winning amateur competitions to having his work gaining international recognition. It was Patricia who first brought Niels to the attention of Clan Toreador. She had exhibited some of his work in her gallery and was amazed at the response. Neither herself, not Carl-Erik, had much knowledge of photography, but the reactions of the mortals could

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not be denied. And when Clan Toreador was granted the opportunity to Embrace a new member, Patricia managed to pass that honor on to Lotte Olsen and persuade her to Embrace Niels. At first, Niels was exceptionally confused about what was happening to him. While not stupid, Niels was never all that intellectually curious and while he was never horrified at what had happened to him, he also needed a long time to process it. It didn’t help that his sire was fairly distant. Instead, Niels joined up with Rosa Schmidt’s Free Company (See page 108) and found a great camaraderie within that coterie. He continues to do photography and earns a fair amount from selling his work, while at the same time working with the Free Company. He has no real goals yet, other than help his coterie and stay out of too much trouble. Sire: Lotte Mose Olsen Nature: Conformist Demeanor: Conformist Generation: 10th Embrace: 1992 Apparent Age: Mid 40s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 1, Intimidation 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 3, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Larceny 1, Stealth 2 Knowledges: Computer 1, Investigation 1, Science 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 1, Presence 2 Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (Art Dealer), Fame 1, Herd 1 (Admirers), Mentor 1, Resources 3, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Niels is tall and broad, with sandy hair and moustache, blue eyes and a beer belly small enough to be concealed with the right clothing. He prefers to wear jeans, t-shirt and denim jacket and looks very ill

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at ease in formal wear. A couple of old-school tattoos (a naked woman, a heart with a dagger through it, a scroll with his mother’s name) adorn his biceps. Roleplaying Hints: This whole vampire thing is pretty fucked up and you’re not entirely sure what the Hell to do with it, even after 25 years. For now, you defer to Rosa and just try to get the best out of it. And keep on taking pictures. You really love that. Haven: Just recently moved to a secret room under Axel Towers. Influence: None

Toreador of Funen

Martin Kold, Failed Poet Martin was born in Svendborg on the island of Funen, the 5th son of a wealthy merchant; his mother was the third daughter of a very minor noble. He grew up with a first-class education and was sent to the University of Copenhagen with the expectation of becoming a scholar. In Copenhagen, Martin made friends with student artists and suddenly found himself part of a group of hell-raisers and radicals. He began writing, mainly poetry, and displayed an unpolished talent. Martin decided to leave university and dedicate himself to his poetry and the debauched lifestyle that came with it. As the years went by, Martin’s poetry did not evolve, but his tastes did and in the end, he was completely impoverished and his family had cut of all support. It was at this low point that Martin’s sire found him. She was a Toreador who had been Embraced for her looks alone and now she sought some form of recognition by bringing a true artist into the fold. Sadly, Martin’s talent died when he did and was not reanimated by Toreador blood. Although he could still write verse, it had become completely mediocre; a mere parroting of whatever was currently popular. Martin’s mortal work gained him some recognition, but ultimately, he was not granted the status and recognition among Copenhagen’s Toreador that his sire had hoped for. In despair, she left Denmark for good, leaving Martin without a mentor. For decades, Martin existed as merely one more neonate among Copenhagen’s Kindred, someone with a knack for spotting emerging new trends and artistic directions, but ultimately unable to add anything new. And then, HC Andersen happened. Martin was probably the first Kindred to recognize the genius of the

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

master storyteller and he lent what support he could to Andersen’s early career. While this gave Martin a lot of prestige, especially among Clan Toreador, he realized that it would only last for as long as HC Andersen lived and so, he returned to his native Funen and readied himself. And as Martin had predicted, when HC Andersen died, the city decided to remember and honor its most famous son. Ever since then, Martin has been associated with the legacy of Hans Christian Andersen and derived what status, resources and prestige he could from that. In addition, he has managed to keep up surprisingly well with the changing trend of mortal artistic movements in Denmark, especially when it comes to poetry and, to an extent, music. His own poetry has never been able to rise above mediocre, no matter the direction it has taken, but for now, that is enough. Martin is able to pass for an expert and a patron to young artists and draw some measure of standing from that. Sire: Birgitte Jensdatter Nature: Curmudgeon Demeanor: Conformist Embrace: 1789 Apparent Age: Late 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 2, Empathy 4, Expression 4, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 4, Melee 1, Performance 2, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Finance 1, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 3, Theology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Celerity 1, Dominate 4, Obfuscate 2, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 4 (In cultural administrations and museums in Odense), Domain 3 (The Hans Christian Andersen Museum and surrounding area), Fame 1, Herd 2 (Aspiring poets and writers), Resources 2, Retainers 1, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 2, Courage 3 Willpower: 5

Image: Martin is a heavyset, balding man that looks a lot older than he is. His sandy hair is carefully arranged to hide both his receding hairline and bald spot and he wears his long sideburns as a sign of hipster cred. Martin has always managed to wear whatever clothes makes him fit in with the current avant-garde artist movement. Roleplaying Hints: Things never go your way – you have to rely on the achievements of others to get ahead and it chafes on you. You follow every new trend in the hope that you can rediscover your muse, but every time, you fail. You see mortal artists create the most beautiful verse, the most stirring songs and once the initial infatuation fades, you hate them for it. Haven: Small house in the center of Odense, near the HC Andersen Museum. Influence: Martin has a lot of influence over the art scene in Odense, from museums to young, up-andcoming artists. He also serves as a sort of unofficial Keeper of Elysium and Harpy of Odense.

Toreador of Southern Jutland

Generation: 9th

Morality: Humanity 6

Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2

Eleonora-Marie Hedonist

“Emmie”

Grahne,

The Grahne family became one of the richer and more powerful families in Denmark in the 17th century due to their association with the Danish West India Company. Eventually, the king made the patriarch of the family a baron and elevated the Grahnes to the nobility. When Eleonora-Marie, affectionately called Emmie, was born, the Grahne family had already established themselves among Danish high society. Emmie was the last of 7 children, with 3 sisters, and she became the darling of both her parents and her siblings. She grew up to be a pretty, charming, stubborn and willful girl. Unsatisfied with the education afforded a young lady, she half bullied, half seduced her brothers’ fencing master into training her and stole books from her father’s library in order to educate herself further. When she turned 16, she persuaded her parents to send her on an extended visit to her oldest sister, who was married to a French nobleman living near Paris. Emmie was an instant hit in the French capitol and for almost 2 years, she enjoyed everything the city had

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to offer. Then, a scandal forced her to leave – an affair with an older and married guard captain and a side affair with his wife. Emmie took the long way home, through Rome, Venice and Vienna, before arriving in Denmark to make yet another splash. True, she was scandalous, but she was also gorgeous, charming and brought with her the touch of Europe’s cultural hot spots. For several years, Emmie fended off marriage proposal and exasperated her parents. Finally, they convinced her to become engaged to the young, handsome and quite rich son of one of Denmark’s premiere noble families. Emmie managed to make the engagement last for 2 years… and then, scant days before her marriage, she was Embraced. Johann, Emmie’s sire, was entranced by her beauty and her joie de vivre and justified it by pointing to Emmie’s ability to sing, dance and play the harp… none of which was at an especially high level. Johann had been a church painter and sculptor in life and he was undoubtedly a gifted artist. However, his political skills were quite lacking and his social abilities did not match up to Emmie’s. It took her just under a century to outmaneuver Johann and become the preeminent Toreador in the domain of Southern Jutland. She set about ensuring her dominance by winning the right to Embrace a childe and involved herself quite a lot with mortal artistic movements and high society. Johann eventually succumbed to ennui and sank into age-induced torpor, despite being less than a thousand years old. These nights, nothing can challenge Emmie’s position as the leading Toreador in the domain and no Kindred has more influence when it comes to the arts. Emmie constantly uses her influence and resources to foster artists that she sees as having promise, sometimes even acting as a muse. However, she is stuck in the past when it comes to art – post-modernistic painting, sculpting and poetry does nothing for her, just like modern music. With her influence over museums and other cultural institution in Aarhus, Emmie is the domain’s de-facto Keeper of Elysium and her social influence can make or break younger Kindred. Emmie is a consummate hedonist, constantly searching for new or more intense experiences, be they aesthetic, ephemeral or physical. As a result, she is a frequent client of Christina Willow of Clan Setite (see page 93). She also works together with Kim Cassens of Clan Brujah (see page 86), enjoying whatever taboo-

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breaking events he can conjure up. She also quite enjoys sparring against Lorenz von Barmstede (see page 127), although she finds him exceptionally dour and serious. Sire: Johann Maler Nature: Bon Vivant Demeanor: Gallant Generation: 8th Embrace: 1750 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 5 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 4, Firearms 1, Melee 4, Performance 2 Knowledges: Academics 2, Law 1, Occult 2, Politics 4, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 5, Celerity 5, Fortitude 1, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Member of ARoS Board of Directors), Contacts 5 (Among high society, artists, galleries and museums in the domain), Domain 2 (ARoS Museum), Herd 5 (Lovers), Influence 2, Resources 4, Retainers 5, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Emmie is absolutely gorgeous – slim, with long legs and a lovely face framed by long, honeyblond hair and pale skin accentuated by her dark, almost violet, eyes. She smiles easily, flirts without effort and moves with a natural grace. Emmie always wears clothes to accentuate her looks and whenever possible, carries a rapier. Roleplaying Hints: Life was meant to be enjoyed. You may be dead, but now you have eternity to enjoy. You desire beauty and pleasure and will do a lot to get it. You are also willing to help others gain beauty and pleasure, as long as they are the right kind of people.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Some may see you as a social gadfly, but you have a keen mind and a lot of influence. One day, you will no longer just be some untitled semi-elder, you will take a better position. Haven: Large, luxurious house in the Aarhus suburbs. Influence: Emmie wields immense influence in the more old-fashioned, established and traditional artistic circles of not only Southern Jutland, but all of Denmark. Her social influence in the domain is also second only to the Prince of Southern Jutland.

Julius Svendsen, Musical Master Julius was born into poverty, the son of ship’s carpenter, and without his talent for music, he would have lived in poverty for the rest of his life. Luckily, his gift was discovered and he found himself with a patron in the form of a local nobleman. Julius was sent to the Music Conservatory in Leipzig to study and impressed his teachers with his ability to play any instrument put before him after only a minimum of practice. After 10 years in Germany, Julius returned to Denmark to embark on a great tour of the country as a celebrated artist. He went from salons to theaters to a performance for the king. However, Julius’ fame was also his downfall. Eleonora-Maria (see page 134) had recently won the right to create a childe and she set her sights on Julius. His public profile made it problematic, but she surreptitiously began draining him every night, making doctors think he had consumption. Finally, she was able to cover up his disappearance as death by illness. Julius took to being a vampire surprisingly well – only the act of drinking blood was repulsive to him, though he quickly began equating it with sex. And as a gay man, he suddenly found himself in a situation where he never needed to worry about being judged for whom he chose to have sex with. To this night, Julius has trouble drinking blood if it is not in a sexual situation with another man. For over a hundred years, Julius stayed by his sire’s side in Aarhus, content to practice his art, write music and support Emmie in her endeavors. However, he eventually began to desire more autonomy. He found Emmie too traditional and old-fashioned – music had changed and Julius changed with it. He embraced a childe with connections to modern art movements and while he still was, and is, loyal to his sire, Julius

began establishing his own power base. It was slow going until he realized an untapped potential in the city of Herning. The huge convention center had promise and with support from his sire and Jette Grøndal of Clan Nosferatu (see page 122), he began establishing some influence over first the convention center and then the entire city. His work finally paid off when huge musical names and great theater performances began coming to Herning. Julius’ status, power and prestige rose, but while he is starting to make some serious money, he has found himself outmaneuvered by Jette, whom he owes both a large amount of money and, even worse, a great deal of favors. Julius is becoming slightly desperate, searching for way to get out under the Nosferatu’s thumb. Sire: Eleonora-Marie Grahne Nature: Architect Demeanor: Perfectionist Generation: 9th Embrace: 1870 Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 1, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Melee 1, Performance 5 Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 1, Finance 2, Politics 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 4, Celerity 1, Dominate 3, Presence 4 Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (At the Herning Convention Center and in the city government), Domain 3 (Technically the entire city of Herning, but Julius has limited ability to exploit it), Fame 1, Herd 4 (Julius can always find someone to feed from among the people coming to the convention center), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 12/2

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Image: Julius is a tall, heavyset man with a dour demeanor, though when he shows one of his rare smiles, his entire being lights up. Julius has wavy, blond hair that’s usually carefully combed back from a high forehead and he sports a pair of large muttonchop sideburns. He is normally dressed in modern suits and colored waistcoats and he rarely leaves his haven without a violin, should the desire to play overcome him. Roleplaying Hints: There is nothing in the world like music. Theater and poetry comes a close second, but playing and listening to music is enough to make you feel almost alive again. And you will ensure the best music comes to your domain. You will ensure the best venue for that music and you will reap the benefit and pleasure. Though for the moment, earning enough money and leverage to get yourself free from that damn Nosferatu is the most important. Haven: An old patrician villa in Herning. Influence: While not terribly involved with politics, Julius still has some sway over the city administration of Herning. His influence over Herning Convention Center is far more substantial and any vampire involved in performance art in Denmark knows that Julius can make things happen.

Irene Møller, The Cutting Edge 1968 was a turning point for Denmark. The hippie movement had taken hold along with radical left-wing ideas and the young people in Denmark, especially those attending universities, began to rebel and protest. Copenhagen University was occupied and all across the country, counter-culture happenings were organized. Amidst all this, all manner of arts bloomed and evolved; protest music, performance theater, intellectual writing, all of it driven by a desire to rebel against the establishment. Irene had been born into an almost stereotypically bourgeois family – her father was a doctor, her mother a homemaker. The family had three kids, a dog, a car and a piano. She attended Aarhus University, originally to study Law in order to pursue a career as a legal secretary. But as the hippie, counterculture and feminist movements blossomed, Irene found herself drawn in. She began associating herself with the radical, Marxist elements at the university and it awoke something in the formerly proper, young small-town woman. She attended happenings, smoked pot and began experimenting with poetry.

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As it turned out, Irene had not only the soul of an artist, but the talent as well. Her poetry was not immediately recognized by the establishment, but it became an instant success among the counterculture youth in Denmark. A local band asked to turn Irene’s poems into songs and she agreed, as long as they were sung by a woman. Soon after, she found herself the lead singer of a progressive rock band. From there, Irene transitioned into writing novellas and experimented with theater. At this point, mainstream Denmark was beginning to embrace the new artistic movements and Irene was poised to become one of the darlings of the avant garde art scene. Before she could become too famous, Irene was Embraced by Julius Svendsen, who had seen her potential ever since she published her first poems. He had followed her career and understood that if he were to Embrace her before she became too wellknown, this was the time. Irene herself was initially shocked by the transition to Kindred, but her art kept her from losing her mind. While many mortals lose their creative spark after being Embraced, Irene’s gift not only survived, she was actually inspired by what had happened to her. She wrote powerful, dark poems that were celebrated by artistic Kindred all over Denmark. She experimented with painting with some success and for years, her art was what kept her sane. However, Irene realized that art was always in flux, always transitioning and with the help of her grandsire, she established a presence in the vibrant art scene developing in Aarhus. Irene is surprisingly able to keep up with the shifting trends in art and, in many cases, express herself within it. Under various pseudonyms, she had released poetry, short stories, displayed paintings and even released a CD of her songs, with her sire playing the instruments. Recently, she has involved herself once again with the young people at the university, trying to rekindle in them the spirit of rebellion against the status quo. She has yet to adapt her rebellious beliefs to the Kindred society, but it is only a matter of time. Sire: Julius Svendsen Nature: Celebrant Demeanor: Dabbler Generation: 10th Embrace: 1970 Apparent Age: Early 20s

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 2, Empathy 2, Expression 5, Intimidation 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Performance 3 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Law 1, Politics 2 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Celerity 2, Presence 2 Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (Within the avant garde art scene in Denmark), Herd 4 (Art students), Resources 3, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 2 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Irene is a thin, blond woman of average height, unremarkable except for her large, wirerimmed glasses. She dresses in whatever is the newest, hippest clothes, though the glasses remain the same. Roleplaying Hints: You are on the forefront, the very cutting edge of artistic expression and that is what drives you. You believe that art must challenge the establishment and as such, you encourage the anticapitalist, anti-racist and feminist movements in mortal society and you are not shy about expressing these beliefs. Haven: A condemned warehouse on the Aarhus docks. Influence: Through her work, Irene is quite influential amongst new, up-and-coming and/or avant garde poets, writers and, to a lesser degree, musicians and painters in Denmark. She is slowly beginning to build some influence over the artistic educations in Aarhus.

Toreador of Northern Jutland Julia Marianus Sabinius, Lady of Northern Jutland and Prince of Aalborg

Julia was born in the city of Colonia, what would one day become Cologne, when it was the provincial

capital of Germania Inferior. Her family was rich and powerful, heavily involved with both trade and administration and Julia grew up in the highest luxury the frontier could provide. She grew up to be the most beautiful woman in all of Germania and suitors flocked to her. Julia happily played them off against each other, ensuring not only gifts for herself but also favors for her family. In the end, Julia never got to choose a suitor. Tales of her beauty had spread south and drawn in a Toreador elder, who found the stories to be true. One night, under the full moon, he made Julia a Toreador. The young woman expertly adjusted to her new existence and drew upon her family’s network of contacts to set herself up quite well further south, among the decadent Roman vampires. She became the darling of the various courts and the lover of many a powerful elder. However, the glory of Rome would fade and with it, Julia’s unlife of pleasure and excess. Bitter power struggles broke out and while Julia was an expert politician, she was no warrior. She was driven into torpor and only the swift actions of her ghouls saved her from burning to death in the sun. When Julia awoke, the world had changed and she struggled to comprehend it. New cities had grown up and new vampires were in power. It took Julia more than a decade to establish herself and with her entire power structure destroyed, she had to make do with the status and power her age and generation gave her. She became an ardent supporter of the Camarilla for this very purpose, but even with her skills, she could not take over any established domain. She served as Primogen and Keeper of Elysium in several German cities, but it never gave her the freedom she wanted to enjoy her unlife to the fullest. Then, Ragnhild became Prince of Denmark and promised rewards to any Kindred who would fight the Sabbat. While Julia was still no warrior, she was a powerful Elder and she acquitted herself extremely well in the battles. In fact, her skill, age and social abilities gave her the position of Lady of Northern Jutland and Prince of Aalborg, a position she enjoys thoroughly. She has spent her regency extending her influence, encouraging the artistic development of her domain and sucking as much pleasure out of her existence as possible. Sire: Antiochus Nature: Bon Vivant Demeanor: Dabbler

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Generation: 6th Embrace: 115 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 6 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 5 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Empathy 6, Expression 4, Intimidation 4, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 5, Melee 1, Performance 3, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Investigation 1, Law 2, Medicine 1, Occult 3, Politics 5, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 7, Celerity 7, Dominate 5, Fortitude 5, Potence 1, Presence 7, Protean 1 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Divided among museums, galleries and the Ministry of Culture), Domain 6 (technically, all of North Jutland is her Domain, these dots merely represents what she can reasonably exploit), Herd 5 (Devoted lovers), Influence 2, Resources 5, Retainers 6, Status 5 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 7

Influence: Julia has some influence over governmental administrative affairs in her Domain, but not as much as she could have. Instead, her focus is on the arts and culture of Denmark and here, her influence is widespread and the strongest of all who have influence in this field.

Jonathan Mørk, The Exotic Much is made of the fact that Denmark was the first country to abolish slavery in the new world, but this does not change the reality that for over a century, Denmark did make use of slave labor in the Danish West Indies. Jonathan was the child of slaves, born on the island of St. Croix. His parents were field slaves, but Jonathan’s manners, intelligence and looks saw him promoted to house slave and given the last name Mørk, meaning “Dark”. In 1848, the slaves of St. Croix staged a non-violent revolt, intended to secure them their freedom. Jonathan, by then a respected man among his people, was one of the leaders and one of the people to speak with Governor Peter von Scholten, who eventually emancipated all slaves on the islands. The emancipation, however, led to the near economic collapse of the plantations and while the slaves were free, they mostly continued to do the same work they always had, for a pay that left little for anything other than basic necessities.

Roleplaying Hints: You enjoy the finer things in life… well, “life”. Sex may be gone, but the joy of feeding on various kinds of blood is still there. You find pleasure in art as well, be it sculpture, painting, poetry or music. Anything that can bring you new sensations is to be embraced. You may be the lady of a domain, but you always encourage young Kindred and are never arrogant. Who knows what new fun a neonate may bring your court?

Saddened by this, Jonathan decided to travel to Denmark in order to speak to the king on behalf of his people. He took work on a cargo hauler and eventually found himself not in Copenhagen, but in Aalborg, the ship’s port of call. Here, Jonathan immediately stood out, though he found surprisingly little of the disdain and animosity he had been on the receiving end of from white people in the West Indies. Most people of Aalborg had never seen a black man before and the idea of a handsome, intelligent, Danishspeaking black man seemed exceptionally exotic. Jonathan found himself invited to the homes of some of the city’s elite, where he was asked endless questions about the West Indies. Jonathan immediately took this chance to talk about the plight of the island’s black population and he managed to garner a great deal of sympathy. He also drew the attention of Abraham ben Jacob, a Jewish Toreador who was fascinated by the exotic beauty he saw in Johnathan.

Haven: An old patrician villa in Aalborg, filled with prime examples of Danish art and design.

Abraham gained permission to Embrace the former slave, justifying it by pointing to Jonathan’s good sing-

Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 30/6 Image: Julia is a short woman of impossibly stunning beauty. Her skin is pale and flawless, her almostblack hair falls down her back in perfect curls, her green eyes sparkle, her smile is a subtle invitation and her movements always show off her body to the best effect. She is never dressed in anything less than the perfect outfit for the occasion, offset with subtle but expensive jewelry.

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ing voice. In reality, it was Jonathan’s beauty that entranced Abraham and Jonathan soon became the darling of Denmark’s Toreador. This did not sit well with the young Kindred, who in his mind saw himself once against reduced to some other person’s property. He despised being paraded around like some curio and desperately desired to break with his sire. His chance came when Julia Sabinius (see page 137) took over as Prince of Aalborg. Julia recognized potential in Jonathan and helped him gain some independence. However, it was not until 1943 that Jonathan would be truly free of his sire’s influence. When the Jews fled Denmark, Abraham decided to follow his herd to Sweden and he has never been heard from since. From that night on, Jonathan truly flourished. Already a popular man at social gatherings in Northern Jutland, Jonathan now began to use his charm to ingratiate himself in the world of mortals. Soon, he was a treasured guest at parties, where his wit, manners and, yet again, exotic looks stood him in good stead. Jonathan began using his contacts in high society to act as a sort of patron-finder for aspiring artists. After a while, Jonathan had made enough money to act as a patron of the arts himself and today, he owns the most exclusive art gallery in Aalborg. He makes only sporadic appearances, claiming to be his own son, but his voice carries a lot of weight in the art scene of Jutland. He still remembers his life, however, and secretly, he uses some of his money and influence to try and improve the conditions for non-Europeans in Denmark. Sire: Abraham ben Jacob

Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 1, Law 1, Occult 2, Politics 1, Theology 1 Disciplines: Animalism 1, Auspex 2, Celerity 2, Dominate 3, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 2 (Prominent art critics), Domain 1 (His gallery), Fame 1, Herd 4 (Lovers and aspiring artists), Resources 3, Retainers 2, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Jonathan is an exceptionally handsome black man of West African ancestry with short-cropped hair, a clean-shaven face and dark eyes. He is tall and although he did not work in the field, he is still in very good physical shape. Jonathan’s voice is deep and resonant and he sings with a perfect tenor. Jonathan always dresses impeccably for whatever situation he finds himself in and has recently begun incorporating traditional West African jewelry into his wardrobe. Roleplaying Hints: You are finally free and now, you will enjoy your unlife. Wealth, women, and luxury are yours and you will even take lovers from among the undead if you find them attractive enough. However, it still irks you just a little bit that many people see you as an exotic foreigner and you do remember the struggles of your people. You do your part to help, though with the increasingly hostile environment in Denmark, it seems a lost cause. Haven: The basement of his gallery in Aalborg

Nature: Bon Vivant

Influence: When it comes to painting and sculpting, Jonathan’s influence rivals that of Julia Sabinius. Otherwise, he has little in the way of influence, whether it be in the world of mortals or Kindred.

Demeanor: Judge Generation: 9th Embrace: 1850

Karen Bistrup, Shaper of Stone

Apparent Age: Mid 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 5 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 4, Melee 1, Performance 3, Survival 1

Karen grew up in an exceptionally artistic home; her father was a painter, her mother a classically trained pianist and her brothers grew up to be an actor and painter, respectively. Karen herself also inherited the artistic talent and from a young age, excelled in painting and sculpting. She was accepted to the Jutland Art Academy in Aarhus, where she developed an appreciation for working in stone. Her artistic expression also developed, and became so avant-garde. However, it was the 60ies and with counterculture on the rise,

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Karen’s expression was embraced by those rejecting tradition.

Embrace: 1969

Karen moved to Aalborg to live in an artists’ collective. Here, she participated in happenings and counterculture protests, all the while expanding her craft. Her undeniable talent caught the eye of the Toreador Jonathan Mørk, who managed to give her a greater exposure. As the greater art world of Denmark caught up with the new trends, Karen’s artwork became a hot commodity and she received numerous commissions to create works for office houses and public spaces.

Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2

While Karen reveled in her newfound recognition, Jonathan ingratiated himself with her and, after a while, explained what he was and that he wanted to make Karen his childe. She agreed, elated at the thought of having eternity to work on her art. Also, she was a little bit in love with Jonathan. Sadly, the reality of being a vampire was nothing like Karen’s romanticized beliefs. Jonathan admired her heart, but he did not love her and her love for him quickly withered and died. Worse, she found her creativity stifled and dulled by being a vampire. She was still able to produce stunning works of art, but to her own eyes, these pieces lacked the spark of true creativity. For over a decade, she entered a period of depression, producing only a few works for some of the rich and powerful Kindred in Denmark. Then, she attended Elysium in the Tingbæk Chalk Mines. Seeing the sculptures being displayed in Tingbæk lit a spark in Karen and she became obsessed with carving sculptures out of the rock. She entered into an agreement with the Nosferatu Hjörtur Andrison (see page 123), whose influence ensure the use of the mines for the Kindred of Northern Jutland. Since then, Karen has carved amazing sculptures in secret caves visited only by the undead. She has also recently returned to making smaller works of art under the name KarBis. These are being sold through Jonathan’s gallery and have brought Karen newfound fame. However, the rekindling of Karen’s artistic fire has also rekindled her feelings towards Jonathan. Unfortunately, if the love she feels for him is not soon reciprocated, it might turn to something dark and dangerous. Sire: Jonathan Mørk Nature: Celebrant Demeanor: Celebrant Generation: 10th

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Apparent Age: Early 30s Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 1, Empathy 2, Expression 2, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Crafts 5, Drive 1, Etiquette 2, Performance 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Occult 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 1, Potence 1, Presence 3 Backgrounds: Fame 3, Herd 2 (Fans of her work she has taken as lovers), Resources 3, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Karen is a plain-looking woman, a bit on the tall side, with curly, brown hair and matching eyes. She tends to wear colorful clothing and modern, designer jewelry. Roleplaying Hints: You have rediscovered your passions and now, it is time to express them. You will make great art and you will either make Jonathan love you or make him regret turning you down. Haven: A small, but well-appointed basement apartment in Aalborg, complete with a sculptor’s workshop. Influence: She is seen as a very influential artist when it comes to sculpting, but other than that, Karen has no influence. .

Clan Tremere 1501 AD. That was the year that Clan Tremere gained a permanent presence in Denmark. Before then, individual Tremere had travelled to the country in search of mystical secrets, but in 1501, they petitioned the Prince for permission to set up a Chantry. Originally, the Tremere had their eyes on Lund, where Denmark’s first university had been established in 1477, but the Prince insisted they settle in Copenhagen. Since then, the Clan’s chantry and headquarters

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have been in the capitol, with a few individual Tremere maintaining smaller “sub-chantries” elsewhere. Clan Tremere’s main interest is the history of Denmark, especially the magic of the Vikings and the many mystical places in the kingdom.

Tremere of Zealand

Octavius, Master of the Copenhagen Chantry In life, Octavius was an alchemist of some skill and he was brought into Clan Tremere by another alchemist. Already interested in the idea of immortality, Octavius saw little difficulty in adapting to being a vampire. He continued his alchemical research, but also played the political game within his Clan. When Clan Tremere decided to establish a permanent presence in Denmark, Octavius was chosen to lead the new chantry. Octavius accepted without complaint and proved to be an effective chantry leader. He also enjoyed the power and status that came with his position. He has declined a seat on the Primogen council, officially because his duties and research keeps him too busy. In reality, Octavius has a plan. Since Jeronimus (see page 142) is the official face of the Clan, most Kindred in Copenhagen tend to dismiss Octavius and not realize his abilities. And he is readying a coup. Not right now. Not next year. But soon. Octavius wants to be Prince and gain access to all the resources this would give him. He is in contact with the leaders of the Clan, who have approved this plan. Denmark is so tangentially connected to the Camarilla that there will be little backlash if he fails and should he succeed, Clan Tremere stands to gain quite a lot. For now, Octavius is slowly and subtly gathering allies outside his Clan and making note of Prince Ragnhilds allies and weaknesses. Sire: Therimna

Talents: Alertness 1, Awareness 5, Empathy 1, Expression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 4, Melee 1 Knowledges: Academics 4, Finance 1, Law 1, Medicine 1, Occult 6, Politics 4, Science 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 6, Dominate 6, Fortitude 1, Presence 3, Thaumaturgy 6 Paths: Blood 5, Elemental Mastery 5, Thaumaturgical Countermagic 5, Lure of Flames 1 Rituals: Far too many to list, including a few of his own creation. Backgrounds: Domain 2 (The Tremere chantry, an old house near the central Humanities campus of Copenhagen University), Herd 1 (Blood brought by other Tremere), Resources 3, Retainers 5, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 10 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Dignified is a good way to describe Octavius – while on the short side, he still stand erect, with a full head of silver hair and a short beard to match, intelligent, grey eyes and a stern demeanor. Octavius dresses in old-fashioned suits, accentuated with ritual pieces of jewelry, and carries a staff carved from a lighting-struck oat, enchanted with the Enchant Talisman ritual. Roleplaying Hints: You like to be in charge. You like power. You like having people do what you say. And you are patient. The Prince is weak – her domain stands ready to fall. And when you become Prince, all the occult secrets of the kingdom will be yours. Haven: The Copenhagen chantry. Influence: None on his own, but every Tremere in Denmark is beholden to him.

Nature: Director Demeanor: Visionary

Jeronimus von Lakskov, Tremere Primogen

Generation: 7th Embrace: 1286 Apparent Age: Early 50s Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 5, Wits 3

As a young man, Jeronimus took an interest in astrology and his wealthy father was happy enough to sponsor his youngest son’s education. Jeronimus started at Copenhagen University before his intelligence and talent sent him to France and Germany. He served under a number of high-ranking nobles before returning to Denmark at the age of 40 on the request

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of King Christian IV, who had fallen out with the famous Tycho Brahe. Jeronimus spent some time as astrologer to the king, but fell ill and returned to the care of his family. Here, Octavius (see page 141) Embraced Jeronimus before he could recover. At first, Jeronimus’ strong, Lutheran faith interfered with his existence as a Kindred, but it did not take him long to adjust; his curiosity and thirst for knowledge turned out to overrule his faith in the end. Jeronimus brought many interesting and modern theories to the Danish branch of Clan Tremere and became a valued member of the Copenhagen chantry, to the point where Octavius resisted having Jeronimus reassigned to another chantry. When Ragnhild took the throne and asked for Tremere on the Primogen Council, Octavius sent Jeronimus – now, he has an iron-clad reason to keep his valued childe in Denmark. Jeronimus turned out to be a great choice for the Primogen. While not a natural politician, his upbringing as a nobleman prepared him quite well and he has learned on the job. He enjoys his position, even though it takes time away from his studies, and he does his best to represent his Clan and their interests. At the same time, he has managed to build up quite a bit of influence at his old Alma Mater, Copenhagen University. Jeronimus is loyal to Octavius and has been promised the position of Master of the Chantry when Octavius takes over Denmark – so far, he is the only Tremere who is privy to said plan. Sire: Octavius

Paths: Blood 5, Movement of the Mind 5, Weather Control 5 Rituals: Numerous, especially rituals dedicated to scrying, predicting the future and other forms of magical perception. Backgrounds: Allies 1 (University of Copenhagen Board of Directors member), Contacts 5 (Administrators and professors at the University), Domain 3 (Parts of Copenhagen University), Herd 2 (Students), Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 9 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Jeronimus would be handsome man were it not for a slightly bent back, pockmarks and very bad teeth. His light brown hair is curly and falls to his shoulders and he sports a large moustache and a narrow goatee. Jeronimus dresses in modern suits and when he can get away with it, he carries his Talisman, a rapier. Roleplaying Hints: The future is there to read for those who know how. And the future can be manipulated by those who have the skill. The power is there, as long as one has the resources and knowledge. And you will have that. Haven: The Copenhagen chantry.

Nature: Visionary

Influence: Quite a lot at the University of Copenhagen, not much otherwise.

Demeanor: Autocrat Generation: 8th

Alice Møller Beck, Harpy

Embrace: 1601 Apparent Age: Early 40s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 2 Talents: Awareness 5, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 1, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Melee 2 Knowledges: Academics 4, Law 1, Occult 5, Politics 3, Science 4, Theology 3

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Disciplines: Auspex 2, Presence 3, Dominate 5, Thaumaturgy 5

Alice’s parents described themselves as “recovering hippies”, though they still lived in the Free City of Christiania. Alice grew up amongst the last remnants of the hippie culture and absorbed some of it, taking it with her when she went to university. Here, she studied history, while participating in numerous study groups on mysticism, both eastern and western. And partied. A lot. Her connection to Christiania gave her easy access to weed and made her an instant hit amongst the university crowd. In 1992, Clan Tremere was granted permission to create a new vampire and Jeronimus pointed to Alice. Not only did she have an interest in the occult, but

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

she was also quite socially adept, something he felt could benefit the Clan. Octavius tasked Ingo Eckbert, a German Tremere assigned to the Copenhagen chantry, with Embracing Alice and training her. Alice took surprisingly well to becoming a vampire, almost too well, She reveled in her new powers and the immortality it gave her and while she was studious, she was also less than pleased with the conservative atmosphere of the Copenhagen chantry. When Ingo was reassigned to another chantry, Alice joined the Free Company coterie (See page 108), annoying her Elders ever so slightly. However, she has since shown to be a loyal member of the Clan and both Octavius and Jeronimus are content with her. Recently, two things have become very important in Alice’s existence. The first is her discovery of Christian Richardts Vej (see page 67) as part of her investigation of ley lines, feng shui sites and the sacred geometry of Copenhagen. The second is that her constant presence and general behavior at various Elysium events has seen her elevated to Harpy. Alice is quite elated – she is an outgoing and social person who cannot spend all her nights locked away in the chantry. Sire: Ingo Eckbert Nature: Visionary Demeanor: Gallant

Backgrounds: Contacts 2 (An espert in ley lines, a feng shui expert), Herd 2 (Partygoers), Resources 1, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 10/1 Image: Alice is a pretty girl, tall and slender with long, honey-blond hair and mismatched eyes; one green, one brown. She prefers to wear everyday clothes and has a number of mystical tattoos relating to her fields of study. She wears no make-up, but a lot of arcane jewelry. Roleplaying Hints: Yes, studying is interesting and a way to power, especially the power locked in the paths of energy that flows though the world and is shaped by buildings. But there is also power in knowing the right people. And it’s no fun spending every night with your face in a book. Haven: The Copenhagen chantry Influence: So far, Alice only has influence in the world of the Kindred - the influence that comes with being a Harpy. However, given time, she would probably be able to foster some influence among mortals.

Tremere of Funen

Generation: 13th

Brother Antonius, Former Hospitaller Monk

Embrace: 1992 Apparent Age: Early 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 5, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 2, Performance 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Investigation 1, Law 1, Occult 4, Politics 1, Science 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Thaumaturgy 3 Paths: Blood 3 Rituals: A decent amount, among them Mirror of Second Sight and Sense the Mystical (from Rites of the Blood)

In life, Brother Antonius was a monk at the Hospitaller monastery in Odense. A pious man, he was also intelligent and curious and as such, was put in charge of the library. The work suited Antonius, who worked tirelessly to categorize and expand the monastic library to the point where it had become quite famous in Denmark. When the Reformation hit Denmark, the main Hospitaller monastery made an enemy of the king and they feared the seizure of their assets. While the Hospitallers had never been the treasure hunters that the Templars had been, they still held a fair amount of valuable artifacts, sacred relics and secret texts in their Scandinavian headquarters. This treasure was, in great secrecy, transferred to Odense and the Hospitallers there were tasked with seeking a peaceful resolution to protect the treasure. The monastery managed to find an accommodation with the king in which the monas-

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tery was transferred to a local noble, but the monks were still allowed to live there. And so, they thought their hoard of artifacts and knowledge secure.

Rituals: A wide selection, especially those relating to creating servants and creatures; Blood Contract, Enchant Talisman

However, Clan Tremere had long had their spies within the Hospitaller order and learned of the transfer. Octavius himself went to the newly renamed Odensegård in order to ascertain if the rumors were true and when he learned that indeed, the Scandinavian Hospitallers had moved the bulk of their knowledge, wealth and mystical items to Odense, he Embraced Brother Antonius. Antonius’ faith shattered completely when he became a vampire and after a few nights of frenetic madness, the former monk dedicated himself fully to the Tremere Clan. Since that night, Antonius has had his haven in what would become Odense Palace and acted as the guardian of the Hospitaller hoard. Many of the texts and mystical artifacts have been given to other chantries, while the sacred relics lie mainly untouched. Brother Antonius has read as many of the tomes and scrolls in the collection as possible and protects his charge with numerous rituals and thaumaturgical creations. His knowledge, expertise and experience means that he is sometimes consulted by other Tremere seeking to identify some strange artifact from ancient times or unravel the mysteries of a newly-found tome.

Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (Secretary in the administration at Odense Palace), Domain 3 (Odense Palace), Herd 2 (Workers at Odense Palace), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 3

Sire: Octavius

Willpower: 9 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: A fat, jowly man with a full head of tonsured, gray hair and a wispy beard, Antonius dresses impeccably in suits in dark but vibrant colors. Small, round spectacles perch in front of his hazel eyes and subtle jewelry adorn him; a tie pin, cufflinks, a ring. His talisman is a rapier that he carries with him if expecting trouble. Roleplaying Hints: Knowledge is power. Never give it away without a price. Learn everything you can without letting others know too much. Let others do the talking and take note of what they say. Rely upon the power you have accrued through the centuries, but only use it if need be. Influence: As Odense Palace is now the seat of the administration for Odense Municipality, Antonius has managed to build up a bit of influence over said administration, though he is careful not to step on Prince Asbjørn’s domain.

Demeanor: Enigma Generation: 8th Embrace: 1537 Apparent Age: Late 60s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Talents: Awareness 4, Empathy 1, Intimidation 1, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Crafts 2, Etiquette 1, Melee 1, Performance 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 5, Computer 1, Finance 1, Law 3, Occult 5, Politics 3, Science 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 5, Dominate 5, Presence 5, Thaumaturgy 5

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Morality: Humanity 5

Haven: Secret vaults beneath Odense Palace.

Nature: Traditionalist

Paths: Blood 5, Corruption 4

Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 3

Tremere of Southern Jutland

Carsten Friis-Hansen, Tremere Money-Man Carsten’s father was the director of a local bank and groomed his eldest son to take over the role. However, during his tenure at Copenhagen University, Carsten realized that the time of the small, local banks was coming to an end. Instead of following in his father’s footsteps, Carsten raised as much capital as he could and, with the help of contacts made at university, began investing in up-and-coming businesses. He got his first big break after World War II ended and Denmark needed rebuilding and while he never became one of the richest men in Denmark, he did sit quite pretty.

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At university, Carsten had become involved with a secret society devoted to the occult, a hold-over from the heyday of spiritualism in the late Victorian Era. Clan Tremere had secretly been supporting this mystery cult, using it to scout for people with some talent for magic. And while Carsten was not the most gifted, he had enough ability that the Clan kept an eye on him. Several wealthy and influential men were also members of the society, ensuring that Carsten stayed involved, as he needed the contacts. In the 1950s, Octavius, the leader of Clan Tremere in Denmark, decided that the Clan needed more funds than was currently available and began casting about for a new member of the Clan, who could bring both money and magical ability. And the choice fell on Carsten, who was Embraced by Alexander Sverre, the Prince of Viborg. Carsten took rather well to being a vampire, once the realities of the situation dawned upon him, and with the support of Clan Tremere, he set about expanding his financial reach. As luck would have it, a fire ravaged the LEGO warehouse in 1960 and destroyed their inventory of wooden toys. The company director decided to go with plastic and finances were needed to set up the new production. Carsten was one of the few outsiders contributing funds and although LEGO was, and continues to be, privately held, it gave the young Tremere a foothold that he has been exploiting ever since. When LEGO financed the Billund Airport (now the second-busiest in Denmark) and built the first Legoland Resort, Carsten was there to invest and reap the benefits. While he has made sure to diversify over the years, LEGO remains the biggest source of revenue. And with the growth of Legoland to Denmark’s most popular tourist destination outside of Copenhagen, Carsten found himself with an attractive hunting ground as his domain, especially since the Legoland Hotel and Conference Center was established. Hunting during the peak season is possible for 4-5 Kindred, if they are subtle, and Carsten makes the most of this, trading access for favors or allowing fellow Tremere to hunt. For now, Carsten is content to serve as the “moneybags” for his Clan. However, he also has aspirations. Prince of Billund seems like a silly title, since the town is small and, politically speaking, rather unimportant. However, the nearby city of Vejle, where he has his haven, is another matter. A large (for Danish standards), growing city with a political headquarters, it

would do very nice. And from there, on to bigger and better things in Southern Jutland. Sire: Alexander Sverre Nature: Capitalist Demeanor: Architect Generation: 9th Embrace: 1959 Apparent Age: Mid 50s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Finance 5, Law 2, Occult 2, Politics 2, Science 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Dominate 4, Presence 1, Thaumaturgy 2 Paths: Blood 2 Rituals: Blood Rush, Communicate With Kindred Sire, Domino of Life, Wake With Evening’s Freshness, Principal Focus of Vitae Infusion Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Member of LEGO Group Board of Directors, Member of Billund Airport Management), Contacts 3 (Various small company leaders), Domain 4 (LEGOland), Herd 5 (Workers at LEGO Group, Legoland and the Billund Airport), Resources 4, Retainers 3, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: A keen footballer in his youth, Carsten was still in good shape when he was Embraced. He has a full head of silvered hair with a few strands of light brown still showing through and a clean-shaven face. He wears stylish glasses and projects a casual business look. He always carries the latest iPhone and, usually, an iPad as well. Roleplaying Hints: Clan Tremere gave you the opportunity to become far more rich, powerful and influential than you ever thought possible and you are

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going to repay them – while earning as much money and status for yourself as you can along the way. You love the luxury that comes with the money you’re earning now and are determined to enjoy every minute of it.

Nature: Penitent

Haven: A large villa in the wooded hills outside Vejle.

Apparent Age: Early 30s

Influence: Carsten does not have much in the way of influence, yet. However, with the amount of money and contacts he has, that can soon change.

Tremere of Northern Jutland Alexander Sverre, Prince of Viborg

Alexander was always a bright young man and his father, a wealthy merchant, happily sponsored his second son’s education. Alexander started at the University of Copenhagen, studying the Classics, before spending some years in Paris. Here, he secretly converted to Catholicism before returning to Denmark to take up a position at the university. Instead, he became the first Dane embraced into Clan Tremere. Octavius, newly assigned to Denmark, needed an assistant and Alexander, educated in Paris and displaying a keen mind and great ambition, caught Octavius’ eye. However, he had not reckoned with Alexander’s catholic faith and for years, the newly Embraced Tremere struggled with his conscience, being little use to Octavius. However, the spread of Lutheranism to Denmark gave Alexander a purpose and he promised to faithfully serve Clan Tremere if he was allowed to support the Catholic mortals. Octavius gave him permission, but it turned out to be a lost cause. Despite widespread resistance in the population, Lutheranism became the religion of the land and Catholicism was banned. Alexander continued to give covert support to secret Catholics, as well as serve his Clan well. When Prince Ragnhild called for a crusade against the Danish Sabbat, Octavius sent Alexander to fight for Clan Tremere and for his services, Alexander was offered a minor city as his domain. He chose Viborg, ironically the city where Hans Tausen was first allowed a pulpit to preach his Protestant ideas. Since then, Alexander has split his nights between the continued support of Catholics (especially since they were allowed to establish themselves back in Denmark in 1849) and investigating the mystic sites around northern Jutland. Sire: Octavius

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Demeanor: Perfectionist Generation: 8th Embrace: 1523 Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 1 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 5, Wits 3 Talents: Awareness 5, Empathy 1, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 2, Melee 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 5, Computer 1, Investigation 1, Law 3, Medicine 2, Occult 5, Politics 1, Science 2, Theology 5 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Dominate 3, Obfuscate 2, Presence 3, Thaumaturgy 5 Paths: Blood 5, Lure of Flames 5, Spirit Manipulation 4 (see Rites of Blood page 142), Thaumaturgical Countermagic 5 Rituals: Most of Level 1 – 3 (especially Wards), plus Bone of Lies, Mirror Walk (see Rites of Blood), Ward versus Kindred, Blood Contract, Enchant Talisman and Ward versus Spirits Backgrounds: Allies 2 (High-level administrators at the University of Aalborg and the Cathedral of Viborg), Contacts 1 (In the Catholic Church of Denmark), Domain 5 (the entire town of Viborg), Herd 2 (Various students), Influence 1, Resources 3, Retainers 2, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: A short, scrawny man with a prematurely receding hairline and watery eyes hidden behind thick glasses, Alexander does not make an impressive figure. He compounds this by wearing simple, ill-fitting suits. He does, however, manage to be pleasant in conversation, especially with other intellectuals. He feigns walking with a limp in order to carry his Talisman, a simple cane with a crooked top. Roleplaying Hints: Things must be in order. They must be done right and done well. Attention to detail

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and meticulous planning is important. Do not think about what you have become and what you have had to do. Work for your Clan, learn more, support your faith and hope beyond hope that you are not eternally damned.

for legal advice and she was even called upon to render judgement from time to time. Her rulings were always fair and eventually, she gained the nickname “the Just”.

Influence: Despite being Prince of Viborg, Alexander has no real political influence over the city or the region, preferring to concentrate on the University of Aalborg, the Cathedral of Viborg and the Danish Catholic Church, all of which he has a small amount of influence over.

Ragnhild’s sire was among the first Ventrue to enter Denmark and when he decided to make a childe from someone native to the land, he chose Ranghild. While she lamented the loss of her family, she soon realized the potential of her new life and accepted her fate. She even joined her sire when the battles between Pagan and Christian vampires broke out – though sadly, this resulted in her being sent into torpor beneath a collapsed building.

Clan Tzimisce

She awoke after a blood battle in 1644 to a world completely different from the one she had left. Yet, it did not take her long to adapt and soon, she was the right-hand woman of Prince Gunnarr.

Haven: Secret chambers beneath the Catholic St Kjeld’s Church in Viborg.

Before the Anarch Revolt, no member of this Clan made Denmark their home. After the Revolt, a few settled here alongside the other Sabbat. However, every single Tzimisce perished in the battles that exiled the Sabbat from Denmark and today, no member of the Clan dwells in the kingdom.

Clan Ventrue During the Viking Age, Clan Ventrue found themselves in an unusual situation in Denmark – below not only the Brujah, but also the Gangrel, when it came to influencing the mortals. However, the Ventrue bided their time and struck an unlikely alliance with Clan Lasombra to support Christianity in Scandinavia and break the hold of the pagan vampires. During the Middle Ages, the Lasombra, Ventrue and Toreador Clans fought for dominance, but when the formation of the Sabbat broke Clan Lasombra, the Ventrue were able to emerge victorious. These nights, the Clan unquestionably rules the Kindred of Denmark.

Ventrue of Zealand

Ragnhild the Just, Prince of Denmark Ragnhild’s husband was a wealthy farmer near Roskilde. When he died of fever, Ragnhild took over the farm in the name of her infant son. She also took her husband’s place among the influential people of the area and soon, she was recognized as a fair, intelligent, wise and knowledgeable woman. Many sought her out

Not Hamlet In English, the word “prince” has two meanings; one is the son of a king or emperor; the female form is “princess”. The second comes from the Roman word “princeps” and refers to any ruler, though most commonly to the ruler of a “principality”; this lacks a female form. In other languages, such as German and Danish, there is a difference; the words for a royal child in Danish is “prins” and “prinsesse”, while the word for a minor ruler is “fyrste” and “fyrstinde”. In English, the Kindred ruler of a domain is referred to as “prince”, regardless of gender. In Danish, “fyrste” or “fyrstinde” is used. And while Prince Ragnhild is more than willing to speak English to anyone who does not speak Danish, she does not want to be addressed as “prince”, mainly due to jokes about the Prince of Denmark. Instead, she insists on being addressed by the Danish “fyrstinde” or the German “fürstin”.

Ragnhild never planned to usurp Gunnarr’s throne, but when the Prince was sent into Torpor, she did not hesitate. Ragnhild firmly believes that power belongs to those who can take it and she has proven that time and again. She takes her position very seriously and is very protective of her domain. This is what led to her declaring a war against the Danish Sabbat. Ragnhild recognizes that giving lip service to the Camarilla is currently the best course of action. Perhaps Ragnhild’s

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greatest strength is to recognize talent and loyalty and know whom to ally herself with. This has allowed her to build a strong power base and secure her position against all contenders. Ragnhild can only drink from people who have actively fought in battle.

Haven: Varies, usually Palace Hotel.

Sire: Claudius Verenius

Influence: Vast influence within national Danish and local Copenhagen government, at all levels. She has numerous investments in large, Danish corporations, which furnishes her with vast wealth, but very little influence within these companies.

Nature: Autocrat Demeanor: Judge Generation: 7th Embrace: 835 Apparent Age: Late 30s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 2, Empathy 4, Expression 1, Intimidation 5, Leadership 5, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 3, Melee 3, Stealth 1, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 3, Law 5, Occult 2, Politics 5, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 2, Dominate 6, Fortitude 4, Potence 1, Presence 6 Backgrounds: Contacts 6 (In national, regional and municipal government), Domain 6 (technically, all of Copenhagen and even Denmark is her Domain, these dots merely represents what she can reasonably exploit), Herd 3 (War veterans), Influence 4, Resources 5, Retainers 6, Status 5 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 9 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Ragnhild is on the tall side for a woman, athletically built with subtle, wiry muscles. Her long, blond hair is usually pulled back into a braid. Her face is more striking than beautiful, with hard, blue eyes and sharp features, but her strong personality shines through, making her a most remarkable woman. For night-to-night wear, Ragnhild prefers casual business clothes – for special occasions, she will wear designer dresses with lots of jewelry.

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Roleplaying Hints: A ruler must be firm, but fair. Never waiver, never back down, but always be ready to listen to the advice of others. Never dismiss anyone just because of their age, but also, remind the young that they have yet to earn the experience and wisdom of their elders.

Valdemar Duus-Frederiksen, Ventrue Primogen Valdemar joined the Danish military just in time to be part of Christian IV’s disastrous participation in the Thirty Years’ War. However, the young lieutenant acquitted himself well and quickly rose through the ranks. Valdemar was a consummate politician and easily acquired the necessary backing to reach high command and when he retired, it was to a political position at the king’s court, overseeing the Danish military. Prince Gunnarr originally made Valdemar a ghoul in order to secure greater influence over the Danish military. Due to his exemplary service, Valdemar earned the Embrace just a decade later and continued managing the influence he had built during his time as a ghoul. He soon developed a somewhat one-sided rivalry with the Prince’s new Seneschal, Ragnhild. Valdemar felt that he should hold that position, but Ragnhild had already secured her place and never considered Valdemar a contender. In the years that followed, Valdemar steadily built up his power, influence and resources, looking to gain an official position. Ironically, it wasn’t until the bombardment of Copenhagen and the change in leadership that he got his chance. Originally, Valdemar backed Alexandrine Tolbæk (see page 151) for Prince of Copenhagen, but she lost out to Ragnhild. However, Ragnhild recognized the power, influence and prestige that Valdemar had and offered him the position of Primogen for Clan Ventrue. Valdemar readily accepted. Since then, Valdemar has been Ranghild’s most dangerous and cunning opponent. Since Valdemar represents her own Clan, it is dangerous for her to go

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against him in the Primogen and Valdemar has a fair amount of political influence – it is not as vast as Ragnhild’s, but it is more focused. Everyone who follows the Kindred politics in Denmark knows that should any serious opposition to Ragnhild’s rule arise, Valdemar will be the rallying point. Some 15 years ago, Valdemar hired the Free Company (See page 108) to do some spying for him and he is pretty confident that he has learned what Ragnhild’s feeding restriction is. As such, Valdemar has spent quite a bit of political capital supporting restrictions on immigration and asylum in Denmark. He is well aware that these nights, most immigrants coming to Denmark are refugees from war-torn areas who might have fought, and thus provide Ragnhild with blood. At the same time, he supports policies that are isolationist and keep Denmark out of international cooperation, so that Denmark has to supply as few troops as possible to war-torn areas. Valdemar can only drink from people who have held elected office. Sire: Gunnarr Mark Nature: Conniver

Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 7 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Valdemar is tall and blond, with sideburns and moustache. His hair is thinning and his moustache is shot through with grey, but his body is still fit, the result of a lifetime spent in the saddle. Valdemar wears conservative suits with expensive cufflinks and a gold watch. Roleplaying Hints: You were born to command, bred to lead, trained to be in charge. You are willing to admit that Ragnhild outmaneuvered you after your sire fell to Torpor, but you are still playing the game and you are playing to win. Haven: And small mansion in Østerbro. Influence: No other Kindred wield as much influence over the Danish military as Valdemar does. He also has substantial influence over the Conservative and Danish People’s Parties, and a bit of pull over the other right-wing parties.

Theodor Buchwald, Desperate Investor

Demeanor: Director Generation: 7th Embrace: 1665 Apparent Age: Late 50s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 5, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 1, Etiquette 4, Firearms 2, Melee 3, Stealth 1, Survival 2 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 3, Law 3, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Politics 5, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Dominate 6, Fortitude 3, Obfusctae 1, Presence 6, Potence 1 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Important people in the Danish right-wing parties, the Ministry of Defense and highest level of military command), Domain 4 (A large part of the Copenhagen Free Port), Herd 5 (Officials whose career he’s helped), Influence 2, Resources 5, Retainers 5, Status 4

Theodor was born into a wealthy merchant family. His older brother stood to inherit the business and Theodor was looking for a way to establish his own fortune. Fortunately for the young man, the Railway Company of Zealand was looking for investors. Theodor borrowed a large sum from his father and when the Copenhagen–Roskilde railway opened in 1847, Theodor was one of the owners. At first, the income was nothing much, but in 1856, the line was extended to Korsør and suddenly, the money was pouring in. Theodor paid back his loan and set himself up for the rest of his life. In 1880, the Danish government took over the company and merged it with state-owned railways on Funen and in Jutland to create what would one day become DSB. At the same time, Theodor was Embraced by Valdemar Duus-Frederiksen. The Elder Ventrue had realized the importance of the railroad and wanted someone with influence as part of Denmark’s Kindred. Valdemar used his own political pull to ensure Theodor a great deal of influence within the new state-owned company. After some years, this did put Theodor into conflict with Reinhardt von Stade

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(see page 154), but the two of them managed to divide their interests in the Danish railways between them somewhat amicably. Theodor had no problem with becoming a Kindred. Greed was his chief motivating factor and he had no problems drinking blood or going without sunlight. Over the decades, Theodor diversified his interest slightly, though his main power base and source of income remained DSB. One of the other investments that Theodor made was in the municipality of Farum (see page 71) in the mid-80ies. Seeing an opportunity to establish a solid source of revenue outside of DSB, Theodor put a significant amount of resources into Farum and lost big when the whole thing collapsed. Now in dire straits, Theodor began drawing even more heavily on his interest in DSB. It’s hard to say whether or not the IC4 train fiasco would have happened without Theodor’s embezzlement, but it certainly did not help. Now, Theodor is in deep trouble. The IC4 controversy has severely damaged the reputation of DSB and the company is losing money and customers. Valdermar’s influence is slipping, as is his revenue and Reinhardt von Stade is challenging his influence, looking to push him out. Theodor is desperate and is looking around for anyone who can help him right his ship. Theodor can only drink form people who were born millionaires (in Danish currency). Sire: Valdemar Duus-Frederiksen Nature: Capitalist Demeanor: Conniver Generation: 8th Embrace: 1880 Apparent Age: Mid 50s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 5, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Empathy 2, Expression 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 4 Skills: Drive 1, Etiquette 4 Knowledges: Academics 2, Finance 4, Law 3, Occult 1, Politics 3 Disciplines: Dominate 5, Fortitude 2, Presence 5

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Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (In the DSB leadership and the Ministry of Transportation), Domain 3 (Palads Cinema and the surrounding square, which was once Copenhagen’s Central Train Station), Herd 2 (In the Whiskey Belt), Resources 3, Retainers 3, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 5 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Theodor is a corpulent man with balding, brown hair, massive sideburns and beady, brown eyes. He compensates for this with immaculately tailored suits and subtle but expensive jewelry. Roleplaying Hints: How could you let things get so out of control? Your money is disappearing fast, your main revenue stream is drying up and Reinhardt is pushing you out. Something must be done. You will not be reduced to a pauper. Haven: A mansion on Strandvejen in the Whiskey Belt. Influence: Theodor used to have a lot of control over the executive decisions of DSB, but this influence is slipping.

Alexandrine Tolbæk, Prince of Roskilde Alexandrine’s father was a minor noble who held lands near Roskilde. The Tolbæk family, however, had connections at court and many members held various administrative positions. Alexandrine was groomed from a young age to be married into the halls of prestige and power, but her life took quite a different turn, thanks to Agnete, Prince of Roskilde and childe of Gunnarr Mark. Agnete made Alexandrine a ghoul, in part to gain influence in her family, in part to have a close personal servant. As it turned out, Alexandrine was intelligent, ambitious and capable. She soon became Agnete’s personal secretary and, eventually, her favored childe. Agnete made no secrets concerning the fact that she intended Alexandrine to become her seneschal as soon as the young Kindred had gained some more experience. Sadly, Agnete was dead less than 10 years after Embracing Alexandrine, the victim of a conspiracy against Prince Gunnarr. The selfsame Prince Gunnarr, to the surprise of everyone who knew him, then used all the influence he had to ensure that Alexandrine inherited

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her sire’s position as Prince of Roskilde. It was a dangerous move in a time where Gunnarr’s position was quite precarious, but it paid off in the end. Alexandrine turned out to be an exceptionally skilled leader and a firm supporter of her grandsire.

Demeanor: Enigma

When Ragnhild took the throne after Gunnarr was sent into torpor during the Bombardment of Copenhagen, Alexandrine remained studiously neutral. She refused to involve herself with any political machinations – even going so far as to refuse to publicly support Ragnhild, even when her position of Prince of Denmark was secured. She acknowledged Ranghild, but otherwise simply claimed that her city required her attention.

Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2

To just about every Kindred in Denmark, Alexandrine is a complete mystery. Except for the Roskilde Festival, which Alexandrine allows Lotte Olsen (see page 131) to influence, Alexandrine holds her domain in an iron fist. She allows no other Kindred to establish a haven in the city and only rarely allows anyone to feed (again, the Roskilde Festival is the exception). She is certainly wealthy and while Roskilde is not the administrative center of a region, she has some political clout. But nobody seems to know what she’s doing with it all. She regularly attends Elysium events in Copenhagen and is a known face, but everyone who talks to her goes away feeling like she learned more about them than they did about her. The reason for Alexandrine’s secrecy is simply; she is violating the Masquerade on a massive scale. In the years after becoming Prince of Roskilde, Alexandrine’s belief in the principles of the Camarilla began to deteriorate. She saw no reason why she should not use her powers to live the life, so to speak, of luxury, pleasure and adoration. These days, she is the object of worship of a secret society that exists in Roskilde. Members know that Alexandrine is some kind of supernatural being and the highest-ranking members even know that she is a vampire. She doles out her blood as a sacrament and uses her influence to reward loyal followers, who in turn use the resources and power they accumulate to serve their goddess. Alexandrine is not yet ready to move beyond Roskilde, but she has plans. Oh yes, she has plans. Alexandrine can only drink from people who do her bidding without being compensated for it in money. Sire: Agnete Gunnarrsdatter Nature: Deviant

Generation: 8th Embrace: 1650 Apparent Age: Late 20s Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Awareness 1, Empathy 4, Expression 3, Intimidation 3, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 4, Performance 1, Stealth 2 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 3, Law 1, Occult 3, Politics 4, Theology 2 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Dominate 5, Fortitude 1, Obfuscate 5, Potence 1, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Allies 5 (Highly-placed politicians and businesspeople in Roskilde), Contacts 5 (In key positions around Roskilde Municipality), Domain 5 (technically, all of Roskilde is her Domain, these dots merely represents what she can reasonably exploit), Herd 5 (Cultist), Influence 2, Resources 5, Retainers 5, Status 4 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 3, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 4 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Derangement: Megalomania (Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition page 291) Image: Alexandrine is a pretty woman with long, blond hair, blue eyes and a waifish look. However, overriding her appearance is the sheer force of her personality, which is expressed in her every word and movement. Alexandrine always dresses to impress. Roleplaying Hints: You are a goddess. The powers that be will kill you if they find out what you are doing, so you keep it secret, but soon, you will be able to ensnare other Kindred, convert them to the cause of being worshipped and then, eventually, Denmark will come to kneel at the foot of its vampiric masters. Haven: A small mansion on the outskirts of Roskilde. Influence: Little happens in the city of Roskilde or the municipality without Alexandrine at least knowing

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about it. She can, if she so choses, more or less direct policy for both the public administration and for the major private businesses.

Lone Svendsen, Gifted Architect As long as Lone can remember, she was always fascinated by buildings. How they looked on the outside, on the inside, how the rooms were laid out, etc. Even before she really knew what an architect was, Lone wanted to be one. In school, she dedicated herself to that one goal and although she struggled with the math, she managed to gain entrance to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture. Here she constantly impressed with her combination of artistic and practical designs. Upon graduating, Lone found herself able to pick and choose between prestigious Danish and international architectural firms. She spent some years in New York before returning home and joining a Danish firm. Here, she built up the contacts needed to implement her life’s big plan; her own firm. She left on good terms and set up a small consulting business, employing some of the most promising young architects Scandinavia had to offer. And soon, LS Architectural Consulting was involved with some of the most prestigious building projects in Denmark. Lone’s sire was a self-made man, the son of a typesetter who had grown up to become a wealthy stock broker before being Embraced by the Ventrue Albertus (See page 159). Aage received permission to create a new childe in 1992 and, to many people’s surprise, chose Lone. However, Lone soon turned out to be a valuable addition to Clan Ventrue – she was a skilled businesswoman, a natural leader and her firm’s influence and access to building projects stood the Kindred of Copenhagen in good stead. Lone, for her part, took the transition to being a vampire with good grace. However, her sire unfortunately fell into Torpor not long after Lone’s Embrace after being attacked by a Lupine. Knowing that she needed allies, Lone joined Rosa Schmidt’s Free Company (See page 108), though she has never been a dedicated member and plans to get everything she can out of the coterie before leaving them. Ever since Lone began to understand Kindred society, she has set her sights on climbing the ladder of prestige and status. She knows that her young age means she is unlikely to be able to get any official position in Prince Ranghild’s court, but there are

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other options. Currently, her eyes are set on becoming Prince of Sorø. The town may be small, but it is where the regional council for Region Zealand is located and this could be a good stepping stone for further power down the line. Lone is good at taking the long view of things. Lone only drinks from people who hold at least a bachelor degree in some form of building design. Sire: Aage Bækgård Nature: Architect Demeanor: Visionary Generation: 10th Embrace: 1992 Apparent Age: Late 50s Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Empathy 2, Expression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 3 Knowledges: Academics 3, Computer 1, Finance 4, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 1, Science 1 Disciplines: Dominate 2, Fortitude 1, Presence 2 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (In architectural firms and various government building committees in Copenhagen), Domain 3 (Axel Towers), Fame 1, Herd 1 (Employees), Resources 4, Retainers 2, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Lone is a stern-looking woman whose pagecut hair is dyed a coppery shade of brown and whose signs of age are concealed by expertly applied make-up. She prefers to wear conservative-looking suits, complimented by expensive jewelry. Roleplaying Hints: You don’t just build buildings, you build legacies. Monuments to the vision and skill of you and those who work for you. And now, you must build yourself up in the world of the Kindred. You have the tools available through your influence in building projects and this will be the cornerstone of your power base.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Haven: A luxurious and comfortable basement apartment beneath Axel Towers. Influence: Lone still controls her consulting firm, through a ghoul, and this gives her a lot of information about, and influence over, various building projects in Denmark.

Jens Erik Petersen, Seneschal Jens’ father had one hope in life – that his children would have a better life than he. His father had been a sailor who had earned enough money bringing home his own goods from faraway places to open a general store in Copenhagen and, through thrift and shrewd business management, become fairly wealthy for a mere shop owner. Jens was a bright young boy whose intellect saw him go on to university. Here, he studied law, wanting to become a lawyer. He was a studious young man who kept his head down and who did not fraternize with the radical elements that could be found a Copenhagen University. Jens was staunchly conservative and a royalist, something that stood him in good stead when he graduated. He was taken on by one of Copenhagen’s most respected and influential lawyers, who was himself a conservative. Jens’ talents soon became obvious, as he assisted on several large cases and showed a particular talent for business law. Soon, the young man was handling a lot of contract negotiations between very influential individuals and it was in this capacity that Ragnhild became aware of him. She watched Jens for some years before deciding that he would make an excellent childe. For his part, Jens was shocked by what happened to him, but over time, he adjusted and quickly grasped the nuances of Kindred society. With Ragnhild’s help, he soon began to establish influence amongst the lawyers of Copenhagen. Not long after Jens was released by his sire, Ragnhild took the position of Prince of Denmark. Jens supported her, even though he was just a neonate and had little status to his name. However, when things had calmed down and Ragnhild began restructuring Gunnarr’s old power structure, she named Jens as her Seneschal. And since then, he has served faithfully. Jens is an ambitious man, but his ambition is tempered by equal parts realistic assessment of the situation and conservative loyalty to the system. He has no plans to take a better position; should he warrant it, he is certain that Ragnhild will appoint him to it. He

serves as Seneschal and manages his influence within the most prestigious law firms in Denmark. Over the last 50 years, Jens has also managed to gain a foothold within some of the banks and this has given him even more resources to draw on. Jens only drinks from people who work with the law – lawyers, judges, lawmakers, police officers, etc. Sire: Ragnhild the Just Nature: Traditionalist Demeanor: Conformist Generation: 8th Embrace: 1798 Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 5, Wits 2 Talents: Empathy 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 4, Performance 1, Knowledges: Academics 4, Finance 3, Investigation 1, Law 5, Occult 1, Politics 3, Theology 1 Disciplines: Dominate 5, Fortitude 5, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (In law firms and banks), Domain 1 (Large apartment on Østerbro), Herd 1 (Young laywers he mentors), Influence 1, Resources 5, Retainers 5, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Tall and thin, with prematurely thinning, dark-blond hair and watery, green eyes, Jens looks much like what he is; a nerd, dedicated to his paperwork. The only thing that stands out is his thin moustache and relatively large sideburns. Unable to follow any fashion trends, Jens wears old-fashioned black suits at all occasions. Roleplaying Hints: You have a job to do and you will do it. You take pleasure in rules and regulations, in the law and precisely worded documents. A job well done is its own reward.

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Haven: And old, patrician apartment on Østerbro, updated to protect against sunlight. Influence: Jens has a lot of influence over law firms in Denmark, but very little influence over the courts. His influence in the big banks translates into a bit of political pull as well. As seneschal, he has the Prince’s ear and the respect, grudgingly or not, of all Denmark’s Kindred.

Ventrue of Funen

Reinhardt von Stade, Travel Master Reinhardt was born in the Hanseatic city of Stade, now a part of the Hamburg metropolitan area. Reinhardt’s father was a merchant in the League and Reinhardt was expected to take a part in his father’s business. When Reinhardt fell ill with fever, a young, enterprising Ventrue saw the opportunity and made Reinhardt a ghoul, ensuring that Reinhardt survived. Unfortunately, only 10 years later, during the Great Northern War, Danish troops besieged and shelled Stade, killing Reinhardt’s Domitor. At this point Reinhardt had learned quite a bit about his condition and the world of the Kindred and he began looking for a new Domitor. To his surprise, he found one traveling with the army. Lady Amanda was a Danish Ventrue looking for territory amongst the lands conquered by the Danish army. She never found it, but she did take on Reinhardt as her ghoul. The intelligent, educated and talented ghoul impressed her enough that she Embraced him when she returned to Denmark. Some years later, Lady Amanda left, once again looking for a Domain somewhere else. Reinhardt, meanwhile, remained in Odense, content with what small influence and wealth he had amassed. Reinhardt quickly realized that given the organization of Denmark, travel between population centers was important for the Kindred of the country. However, there were no real organized transportation for Kindred in Denmark at the time and Reinhardt saw an opportunity. He paid a few Gangrel, Eske Tombøl (see page 99) among them, to tell him all they knew about travel between cities and added his own ideas. Soon, he had a small stable of specially-produced coaches available for Kindred travel and he also commissioned the creation of sunlight-proof boxes, most of them shaped like caskets, for the less wealthy Kindred to use.

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The coming of the railroad to Denmark in the middle of the 19th century was a huge boon to Reinhardt, who sunk his entire fortune and most of his influence into this new method of travel, something that paid off almost immediately. Since then, it has been Reinhardt’s modus operandi to invest in whatever new mode of transportation has come along. In addition to his interest in the Port of Odense, truck transportation and railways, Reinhardt owns a small fleet of modified cars that he rents out to the Danish Kindred. With the wealth and influence he has accrued, Reinhardt has begun to wonder if he would not make a better Lord of Funen than Asbjørn (see page 80). Certainly, Ragnhild could not be opposed to a Ventrue holding the domain, especially one who is a lot less volatile than Asbjørn. Recently, Reinhardt has come into conflict with Theodor Buchwald (see page 150), a Copenhagen Ventrue with a lot of influence within DSB. While the two have shared influence in the company for over a century with no trouble, Theodor’s conduct in regards to the IC4-train fiasco has seriously damaged DSB and caused some trouble for Reinhardt, who has begun increasing his influence in the company. A political battle is brewing. Reinhardt can only drink from people who have been outside their home country in the last year. Sire: Lady Amanda Nature: Competitor Demeanor: Capitalist Generation: 9th Embrace: 1722 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Empathy 3, Intimidation 3, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Melee 1, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 1, Finance 4, Law 3, Politics 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Dominate 5, Fortitude 3, Presence 5, Protean 3

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Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Civil servant in the Ministry of Transportation, Building and Housing), Contacts 5 (All related to travel and transportation), Domain 2 (Part of the Port of Odense), Herd 3 (Truckers and train workers), Influence 1, Resources 4, Retainers 1, Status 2 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Reinhardt is of average height and slender build, except for his round pot belly, that makes him look like he swallowed a beach ball. His sandy hair is always immaculately combed back, his beard neatly trimmed and his handsome face is usually brightened by a smile. Reinhardt wears suits when needed, but prefers loose slacks, polo shirts and a sports coat. Roleplaying Hints: Look for opportunities. Do not discount anything simply because it’s “new-fangled”. Listen to the young vampires, for they may have some ideas. Haven: Large, hyper-modern apartment in the Port of Odense. Influence: A very limited amount of influence over the transportation part of the Ministry of Transportation, Building and Housing. He has quite a bit more influence within DSB and a lot of pull in various companies, especially GASA.

Ventrue of Southern Jutland

Knud the Elder, Lord of Southern Jutland and Prince of Aarhus During his life, Knud was many things – apprentice shipwright, Viking raider, merchant and, finally, owner of several large farms. He became a member of the local thing and was soon elected leader. In his 50’ies, Knud wielded immense political power throughout Jutland and was widely recognized for his abilities as a leader and law speaker. Knud’s sire was a Greek Ventrue who had seen himself outmaneuvered by others of his Clan and moved north in order to establish a new domain. He found Denmark to his liking and, with the coming of Christianity and the weakening of Clan Gangrel, he was able to establish himself as the Prince of Aarhus. As soon as his position was secure, Themistius Em-

braced Knud, seeing in the elder statesman both the potential of a good childe and a great amount of influence. Knud for his part took the transition to undeath with dignity. He soon saw the opportunities afforded to him by being a vampire, as well as by the virtue of his Clan and the power of his sire. For centuries, Knud assisted Themistius in ruling his domain. Then, age began to wear on the ancient Venture, who slipped into age-induced Torpor again and again. Knud naturally took over his sire’s position whenever it happened and since the 16th century, Knud has been the Lord of Southern Jutland and the Prince of Aarhus. He has ensured his position both through his own personal power and influence and by skilled politics. His influence is felt throughout mortal politics in his domain and he has interest in several prestigious businesses, as well as some of the faculties at Aarhus University, especially those related to law, politics and business. For a Ventrue, Knud is not overly ambitious. He sees his own domain as paramount and instead of scheming to take the throne as Prince of Denmark, he instead focuses on shoring up Aarhus and Southern Denmark, something he has had a great deal of success with. Knud cannot drink from anyone who has even a single great-grandparent who is not a Danish national, meaning he dedicates quite some time to genealogical research. Sire: Themistius the Thespian Nature: Autocrat Demeanor: Traditionalist Generation: 6th Embrace: 1059 Apparent Age: Late 50s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 5 Social: Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 4, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 4, Intimidation 5, Leadership 6, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 2, Etiquette 5, Melee 3, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 5, Law 7, Occult 1, Politics 6, Theology 1

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Disciplines: Auspex 4, Dominate 7, Fortitude 7, Potence 3, Presence 7, Protean 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Regional governments all throughout his Domain), Domain 7 (technically, all of Southern Jutland is his Domain, these dots merely represents what he can reasonably exploit), Herd 6 (Various charmed individuals), Influence 3, Resources 5, Retainers 6, Status 5 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 5, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 30/6 Image: Knud is a very dignified man with silver hair, a well-groomed beard and ice-blue eyes. His demeanor is usually stern and foreboding and he speaks carefully and methodically, but anyone who can get him to crack a smile will see the dashing young man that he once was. Knud always dresses impeccably in timeless suits. Roleplaying Hints: You are in charge and when you are in charge, things function. Things are done in an orderly manner and people do as they are told. You are more than willing to listen to others and you recognize talent when you see it, but you believe that you know how best to exploit such talent. You are always polite and correct, but have mastered the art of cutting anyone down with biting remarks. Haven: A large townhouse in Aarhus. Influence: When it comes to politics in Southern Denmark, no Kindred has more influence than Knud, who is able to influence decisions both regionally and locally. In addition, he has some pull in various businesses, especially JYSK, in Aarhus, which provides him with most of his income.

Georg Varnæs, Diabolist Georg’s father was a skilled lawyer-turned-politician who managed to get himself appointed to numerous high-profile government positions, despite not having a drop of noble blood. Obviously, he expected his only son to follow in his footsteps. Georg attended the University of Copenhagen, studying law, and despite being a lazy student with only average skill, he managed to just scrape an exam together. After graduating, Georg’s father managed to get him a cushy administrative job with a good pay and a small staff. Georg spent most of his time socializing; party-

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ing, gambling and hunting. His work was fobbed off on underlings, who were fired if things went bad and saw their praise stolen by Georg when things went well. Such was Georg’s skill at seeming competent that he managed to fool a vampire. Reinhardt Schreiber was a German Ventrue who had hoped to become Prince of Altona. However, when the growing town came under Danish rule, he found himself challenged by Danish Kindred. After more than a century of political battles, Reinhardt decided to move into Jutland and see, if there were any opportunities for him there. He managed to carve out a decent domain for himself and after a while, began looking for a childe. Georg was at that point one of the highest-placed government employees in the area and Reinhardt chose the young administrator. It quickly became obvious to Reinhardt that he had made a mistake. Far from being a competent and influential civil servant, Georg was a lazy, petulant, selfobsessed fool who cared more for his own enjoyment than for doing any actual work. Any influence Georg might have had in the local administration evaporated rapidly and Reinhardt was left with an almost useless childe on his hands. He debated simply destroying Georg, but realized the loss of prestige that would incur. Instead, Georg found himself without any support from his sire once he was released. He had hoped that his Clan and lineage would afford him some standing, but his inability to secure much in the way of domain and influence meant that he never amounted to much among the Ventrue of Southern Jutland. Frustrated, Georg sought new ways to claim the position he felt that he deserved. The problem was that he lacked not only the skill and education to establish himself, he also lacked the drive. The first time he ever managed to gain any kind of real influence was when occultism became popular during the Victorian Age. Georg involved himself, looking for some kind of power from the spirit world. To his surprise, he found a mentor – a demonic entity that Georg knows as Yomial, the Master of Days. Yomial offered Georg power for service and Georg crafted a contract that he thought a work of genius. The demon made a few, seemingly inconsequential changes, and agreed. For decades, Georg followed his master’s directions – he grew in power and he made contact with mortals that served Yomial. Through this, Georg slowly began to reach the position he wanted. However, the pace

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

was too slow for his liking. Georg was both impatient and less than subtle and in the early 1970s, he decided to take things into his own hands. He gathered up his closest followers and headed to the remote island of Anholt, where Georg’s cult enacted a massive ritual in order to summon demons to the mortal realm and gain unimaginable power. The ritual failed spectacularly. Since the 70’ies, Georg has been humbly following his master’s orders. While he is still arrogant, petulant and self-serving, he has learned a valuable lesson in patience and for now, he is simply building up resources. Yomial’s endgame is so far unknown to Georg, but it involves elevating Georg to the height of power in the Kindred society of Denmark. Georg cannot drink from anyone who does not see him as a leadership figure. Sire: Reinhardt Shreiber Nature: Rogue Demeanor: Competitor Generation: 9th

Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 3, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 1 Willpower: 4 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 14/2 Image: Georg is a very unremarkable man with slightly too long, brown hair and a beard in an unfashionable cut. His slender frame contrasts unfavorably with his height, making him seem slightly birdlike. His voice is raspy and not as mysterious or intimidating as he thinks. Georg usually dresses in suits as unremarkable as he is, except for ceremonies, where he dons a black robe decorated with silver thread. He always carries a satanic coin on a silver chain around his neck. Roleplaying Hints: Try to remain quiet, calm and respectful, even though you have no respect for anyone. In time, you will rule them all. They are all ignorant and you can manipulate them. Play people like pawns and look for any opportunity to cut them down. Haven: A large, well-appointed apartment in central Aarhus.

Embrace: 1799 Apparent Age: Mid 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Empathy 3, Intimidation 3, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 5 Skills: Etiquette 3, Melee 1, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Finance 1, Law 2, Occult 5, Politics 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Dark Thaumaturgy 5, Dominate 3, Fortitude 1, Presence 3 Paths: Phobos 5, Taking of the Spirit 5 (both are in Rites of the Blood) Rituals: Surprisingly few, but certainly Bind the Accusing Tongue, Blood Mastery (RotB), Devil’s Touch and Pavis of Foul Presence Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Satanists throughout Danish society), Domain 1 (Large apartment in Aarhus), Fame 1 (among Danish Satanists), Herd 5 (Sect members), Mentor 5 (His demonic master), Resources 3, Retainers 5, Status 2

Influence: Amongst those Satanists in Denmark who actually dedicate themselves to demons, no other person, Kindred or mortal, has more influence. Through his followers, Georg has a huge information network and a little bit of pull in a lot of different areas throughout the country.

Naja Kristine Bauer, Prince of Kolding Becoming wealthy was not in the cards for Naja, much less becoming a Kindred. She had a relatively common upbringing in southern Denmark, the daughter of a factory worker and a cashier. The family had little money and her older siblings did not do well enough in school that higher education was deemed the right way to go. Naja, however, broke the mold. She excelled in grade school and moved on to show a lot of promise at the gymnasium. In addition, she had great athletic potential, competing at an international level in swimming. All of this was driven by an iron will and a boundless ambition. Naja was determined to make something of herself, rather than end as yet another blue collar worker in some small Danish city. Naja attended university, where she studied economics and political science, while involving herself

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with the youth organizations of various right-wing parties. After graduating, she moved to Vejle, where she became the youngest ever candidate for the municipal administration. At the same time, she received a junior administrative position with LEGO. Life was good for the young woman, but Naja was never satisfied. She twice failed to win a position with the municipal administration and never moved up enough in the Conservative Party’s hierarchy to secure a nomination to the Folketing. And while she did well at her job, she did not rise in the ranks as fast as she had hoped. In the end, Naja’s ambition got the better of her. She began embezzling at work and spent much of her ill-gotten gains to bribe members of her party. Knud the Elder, Prince of Aarhus and Lord of Southern Jutland, had his own interests in the local branches of the Conservatives and he quickly spotted Naja’s manipulations. For a full year, he held her down to see what she would do and when her ambition was obvious, as well as her ability to act with subterfuge, he allowed her to be elevated. When she showed great leadership promise, Knud embraced her. Naja took to being Kindred like a fish to water. To her, the power and immortality of vampiric existence was perfect and she immediately set out to establish herself. However, she ran up against older and more experienced Kindred and while her sire was more than happy to offer a word of advice here and there, he never gave Naja anything. She had to fight for everything, yet the same will and drive that had pulled her out of poverty now propelled her forward in the world of the Kindred. In her last years as a mortal, Naja had noticed the work Kolding had begun in attracting businesses, education and, in general, growing the city. Now, she turned her skill and vampiric powers towards making the city her domain. After 20 years, Naja is now firmly entrenched in Kolding, with influence over both the city and municipality administration. And just last year, she was recognized as the Prince of Kolding. This, however, is not enough for Naja. LEGO lies in nearby Billund and is under the domain of a Tremere, someone Naja believes she can easily outmaneuver. Kolding itself is part of the so-called Triangle Region, a cooperation of seven municipalities (six on Jutland, one on Funen) and to dominate this entire region would add substantially to her wealth and prestige. From there, Esbjerg is a tempting target and perhaps, one day, taking over the position of her sire.

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Naja can only drink from people who, like herself, dragged themselves out of poverty and into a position of at least some wealth and power. Sire: Knud the Elder Nature: Conniver Demeanor: Competitor Generation: 7th Embrace: 1988 Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Athletics 2, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 1, Performance 1 Knowledges: Academics 3, Computer 1, Finance 3, Investigation 1, Law 3, Politics 3 Disciplines: Presence 1, Fortitude 1, Dominate 3 Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Kolding City administration civil servant), Contacts 2 (Kolding City administration representative, Kolding Municipality representative), Domain 3 (While she holds all of Kolding as her domain, this represents what she can exploit), Herd 2 (Various political staff in Kolding), Influence 2, Mentor 1 (Representing the small amount of assistance Knud is still willing to offer), Resources 4, Retainers 3, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 5, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Naja retains some of her former athletic physique, although she is no longer as lean as she used to be. Her hair has been bleached blonde from its normal medium brown and with her high cheek bones and blue eyes, she has a very stereotypical Nordic look. Naja prefers high heels, short skirts and tightly-buttoned jackets over a blouse, all of it in various shades of white. Roleplaying Hints: A silver medal is never as good as the gold. Winners advance and those who place

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second must improve or be a failure. The only person who will help you in the end is you. Haven: A luxury apartment overlooking Kolding’s Castle Lake. Influence: Outside of the Lords and Ladies of Denmark, no prince has more influence over their city than Naja and she is fast increasing her sway over Kolding municipality as well.

Ventrue of Northern Jutland Albertus, Crime Lord

At the end of the 14th century, King Albert of Sweden conceded Gotland to the allied Teutonic Order and in 1398, the Grand Master of the order led an assault on the island. The purpose was to drive out the Victual Brothers, a powerful guild of privateers-turnedpirates. During this assault, Albertus was a young pirate, an orphan raised among the Bortherhood, who’d shown great promise. When his captain was killed, Albertus took command of the ship and got most of the crew away safely. Along with most of the ship’s treasure. Gerhardt von Hohingen was one of a number of Ventrue with interests in the Teutonic Order and he had actually accompanied the army to Gotland to establish himself there. He was impressed by the stories of the new, young captain and decided to keep an eye on Albertus’ career. After the defeat at Gotland, the surviving Victual Brothers relocated to Friesland, where they took the name Equal Sharers and gave part of their loot to the poor locals. They expanded from the Baltic into the North Sea and grew quite powerful. Albertus grew alongside them, showing great promise as a captain. The organization suffered a setback with the defeat of Klaus Störtebeker and his fleet near Heligoland. Many of the Equal Sharers supported Albertus as their new leader, but he had seen what happened to official leaders and preferred to stay in the background. In 1425, Albertus was 46 years old and beginning to feel his age. He had retired from captaining and managed the selling of loot instead. This was the time when Gerhardt decided that Albertus would make a great childe and he met with the former pirate. For several nights, Gerhardt and Albertus talked and in the end, Albertus agreed to become Gerhardt’s childe. Unfortunately for both Gerhardt and Albertus, the Anarchs of northern Germany held Gerhardt in

strong contempt and when the Camarilla was formed, a number of them joined the nascent Sabbat and attacked Gerhardt. The elder Ventrue was killed and Albertus fled before his sire’s enemies. His flight took him to Aalborg, where his grandsire, Rolf Silverhands, reigned as Prince. Rolf granted Albertus sanctuary and he set about establishing himself. At this point, piracy was almost gone from the Baltic, but ever since his Embrace, Albertus had maintained contacts among smugglers and what pirates remained and it was easy for him to change his focus from the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic. Albertus built up a network of contacts and interests among pirates, smugglers and privateers operating from Danish ports and his skill at leadership and administration stood him in good stead. As times changed, Albertus has changed with them and he is now undoubtedly the biggest crime lord in Denmark. His interests lie mainly in smuggling, be it legal goods avoiding tolls, illegal goods or even people, such as prostitutes from Eastern Europe. He’s careful not to compete with Christina Willow’s (see page 93) drug-smuggling operation in Esbjerg and he has almost no influence in Copenhagen, but his organization does touch places like southern Sweden and northern Germany. Over the last decade, Albertus has slowly been expanding, establishing a presence in things like racketeering and financial crime. His days as a captain, a Victual Brother and an Equal Sharer has taought him the value of treating underlings with repect and as a result, those who serve him show a great deal of loyalty. Albertus can only drink from people who have worked for at least a year aboard a ship. Sire: Gerhardt von Hohingen Nature: Autocrat Demeanor: Conniver Generation: 8th Embrace: 1425 Apparent Age: Late 40s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Empathy 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 5, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 4

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Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 2, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 2, Larceny 1, Melee 2, Stealth 1, Survival 1

bat during his tenure, Vilhelm’s ability as a commander and tactician was remarked upon.

Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 3, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 1

In the year 1804, Vilhelm’s father died and he returned to help his older brother manage the family’s business. His military background and access to some of the most modern trading ideas appealed to the Prince of Aalborg, Rolf Silverhands, who had himself been both a warrior and a merchant in life. Rolf approached Vilhelm and spoke with the former officer at length, explaining to him the ways of the Kindred and offering Vilhelm the opportunity to become a Ventrue. After some deliberation, Vilhelm accepted.

Disciplines: Auspex 2, Celerity 1, Dominate 5, Fortitude 5, Obfuscate 3, Potence 1, Presence 5, Protean 2 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Various smugglers and other criminals), Domain 2 (A small part of the Aalborg docklands), Herd 3 (Sailors), Influence 1, Resources 4, Retainers 3, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 5, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Albertus is a tall, broad-shouldered man with balding and graying hair pulled back into a short ponytail. His skin is weather-beaten, his face and hands scarred and he sports a well-groomed full beard. Albertus’ voice carries the unmistakable strength of authority and he strides with purpose whenever he walks anywhere. Albertus usually wears business casual attire and is always armed with a large knife and a pistol. Roleplaying Hints: You were Embraced into a Clan of leaders and you will lead. It does not matter that you lead a rag-tag organization of criminals, you will forge them into a cohesive, well-functioning association and then, one day, your power will be enough to challenge for a greater position. Haven: A large villa near the docklands.

With his sire’s help, Vilhelm soon established a great deal of influence over his family’s mercantile and banking interests. Unfortunately, not long after Vilhelm’s Embrace, Denmark’s new Prince called for a strike against the Sabbat and Rolf was sent into Torpor in the fighting. Still, Vilhelm was able to carry on. When Denmark began to become industrialized, Vilhelm immediately saw the advantages and invested large sums of money in factories. While the importance of industry has declined, Vilhelm has diversified enough, with shares in banks and venture capital firms that it did not hurt him, and he still has a large interest in Aalborg Industries and Aalborg Portland. With the wealth he has and the influence over a lot of the city’s financial and industrial strength, Vilhelm has begun to wonder if perhaps he would not be more suited than Julia Sabinius to be the Prince of Aalborg. After all, he is the childe of the former Prince. Vilhelm can only drink from commissioned military officers and as such, maintains a herd at Air Base Karup near Viborg.

Influence: Albertus’ bribes have ensured him a fair bit of pull at the Aalborg docks and maritime law enforcement in Denmark. In addition, he is recognized as the master of most smuggling in Denmark.

Sire: Rolf Silverhands

Vilhelm Andersen Højmark, Pretender to the Throne

Generation: 7th

Vilhelm’s family rose from being simple farmers in the 17th century, to wealthy commoners in 18th. They did this through shrewd investments and an ability to understand what would become valuable and desirable. Vilhelm’s father, uncles and older brother were all merchants or bankers, but Vilhelm chose a different path. With his family’s money, he was able to purchase a commission with the newly formed Guard Hussar Regiment. While he did not see any real com-

Apparent Age: Early 30s

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Nature: Director Demeanor: Autocrat Embrace: 1805 Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Empathy 2, Expression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 4

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Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts 1, Etiquette 2, Firearms 2, Melee 2, Performance 1, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 1, Finance 3, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 2, Theology 1 Disciplines: Auspex 2, Dominate 4, Fortitude 3, Presence 6 Backgrounds: Contacts 5 (Board of Directors members in various businesses), Domain 3 (The Aalborg Portland area of Aalborg docks), Herd 2 (Officers at Karup), Influence 1, Resources 5, Retainers 5, Status 3 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Vilhelm is of average height and build with semi-long hair, a well-trimmed mustache and matching sideburns, all medium brown. His eyes match that color and when he is first noticed, there is little that makes Vilhelm stand out. Soon, however, his force of personality shines through. Vilhelm prefers oldfashioned suits and walks with a slight limp after a fall from a horse during his mortal days. This limp is the excuse to walk with a silver-topped cane concealing a sword-blade. Roleplaying Hints: You need to be in charge. When you are in charge, things are as they should be. You are a good leader and you know it. Money is the way to status and power and one night, to the highest office in Northern Jutland. Haven: A huge, luxurious villa west of central Aalborg. Influence: Vilhelm has a great deal of influence over industry, banking and venture financing in Aalborg and throughout Northern Jutland. This influence translates to some political pull as well. In the world of the Kindred, his sire’s name has leant him a great deal of prestige.

Bente Helger, Faithful Former Priest It created quite a stir when, in 1948, the first female Danish priests were ordained. However, just three years later, when Bente herself took her vows, Denmark had somewhat gotten used to the idea. Bente was raised in a very devoutly Protestant home in the north-Jutlandic city of Skive. Her father played

the organ at the church and her mother was a school teacher. Bente grew up with the Lutheran faith as a defining fact of life and from a young age, felt herself drawn to the church. While her parents supported her dream, Bente grew up in a time when women were not allowed to be priests. This changed with a new law in 1947 and immediately, Bente knew what her purpose was in life. She was already studying Theology at Copenhagen University and as soon as she graduated, she applied to become a priest. To her joy, she was ordained by the Bishop of Aalborg in 1952. Bente was assigned to a small parish church in Aalborg and immediately proved herself an expert administrator and keen judge of character, in addition to her faith and skill as a preacher. She was soon transferred to the cathedral in Aalborg, where she took up a leadership position in the parish council and was elected to several key administrative positions. It was her reputation as a leader and administrator that drew Vilhelm Højmark’s attention (see page 161). He had been granted permission to create a childe and was looking for someone to help him administer his holdings, as well as allow him to broaden his influence. While the church does not have much direct influence in Denmark, there is still a lot of prestige and indirect social influence within the People’s Church. Unlike his sire before him, Vilhelm did not talk with Bente before Embracing her. He also failed to notice the power of True Faith flowing through her and therefore, he has not realized the mistake he has made. While Bente’s True Faith did not survive her transformation, her deep belief in God did and while she was able to play the loyal childe, Bente secretly seethes with hatred for what has been done to her. For fifty years, Bente has been using Vilhelm’s overconfidence to hide her hatred of both him and vampires in general. She has maintained a great deal of influence over the bureaucracy of the People’s Church, especially in Aalborg, as well as gaining a lot of insight into Vilhelm’s affairs. Her plan has always been to destroy Vilhelm, but ideally, she would like to eliminate all Kindred in Denmark, herself included. Until recently, however, she has not had any ideas as to how. And then, she began hearing rumors and whispers of a family of devout nobles on Funen, nobles fighting against the undead. Now, she may have allies.

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Bente can only drink from people who have received the Eucharist of Holy Communion within the last week. Sire: Vilhelm Andersen Højmark Nature: Fanatic Demeanor: Visionary

Caitiff

Generation: 8th Embrace: 1958 Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Awareness 3, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Intimidation 1, Leadership 3, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 2, Performance 1 Knowledges: Academics 2, Finance 1, Law 2, Medicine 1, Occult 2, Politics 1, Theology 4 Disciplines: Dominate 2, Fortitude 1, Presence 5 Backgrounds: Contacts 4 (Priests throughout Northern Jutland), Herd 2 (Specially selected parishioners), Influence 1, Resources 2, Retainers 1, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 5, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 9 Willpower: 8 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 15/3 Image: Bente is a thin woman of average height with blond, curly hair that reaches her shoulders and hazel eyes set deep in a prematurely lined face. She wears large spectacles and clothing best described as “frumpy”. However, her voice is strong, carries well and she speaks with determination and conviction. Roleplaying Hints: You have been damned for all eternity and you will exact such vengeance upon those who have damned you. Perhaps God’s love will save you in the end, but if not, you will face Hell knowing you took others down with you. Until you can gain your revenge, however, you must play their game. Haven: A small, church-owned apartment in Aalborg, near the cathedral. Influence: A lot of high-ranking members of the bureaucracy of the People’s Church listen to what Bente has to say and she is able to sway official opinion.

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While the church cannor officially affect policies, there are a few highly placed politicians who are devout and who will follow along with suggestions. In the world of the Kindred, Bente has almost no influence.

Caitiffs have always been rare in Denmark – the lack of resources means that chance Embraces happen very rarely. In addition, the established and influential Kindred of Denmark have never liked the Clanless. As a result, what few Caitiff have been Embraced in Denmark over the years have often moved on and right now, only a single Clanless makes his home here.

Muhammed Fighter

Mehmet

Celik,

MMA

Mehmet grew up in Gellerupparken in Aarhus, one of Denmark’s toughest neighborhoods. With a huge number of residents of non-Danish ethnicity, high crime and poverty, the area was rife with gangs and Mehmet found himself pulled in at a young age. He would skip school to run with his cousins, act as lookout for older kids and commit petty theft. But when he turned 15, Mehmet’s life changed forever, as his oldest brother was brutally beaten to death by a rival gang. This shook Mehmet to the core and he immediately dropped his old lifestyle. Unfortunately, Mehmet ended up with little to fall back on, neither an education nor any real marketable skills. At 18, he took a low-paying job in his uncle’s greengrocers and started training martial arts as a way to gain some discipline in his life. At this point, mixed martial arts was slowly beginning to become known among people interested in martial arts. One of the trainers at Mehmet’s dojo went to the US to compete in the UFC and later returned to Denmark to help organize MMA in the country. To Mehmet, MMA offered a chance for something else. He began training hard and found himself with a lot of support from his family. While the sport had yet to reach Denmark, there were still opportunities elsewhere in Europe and Mehmet quickly showed he had the tools and mindset to become a fighter. And then, right before he was set to compete in England, Mehmet’s life ended. Mehmet never knew his sire. All he knew was that he was walking home from the gym one evening when

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he saw an old woman being attacked by some thugs. He intervened, took a knife in the gut for his troubles and collapsed on the pavement. Next thing he was aware of was drinking the blood of one of the thugs and the words “stay out of the sun” echoing through his mind. For the next week, Mehmet, through painful trial and error, learned the ways of his new condition. Fortunately for him, he was found by Eske Tombøl, the Gangrel Sheriff of Denmark (see page 99). Eske had been checking up on the drained thugs and when he found Mehmet, he soon recognized what had happened. Mehmet was brought before Knud the Elder, the Prince of Aarhus (see page 156), who first considered destroying him. However, Eske offered to tutor the unfortunate Caitiff and for the next several years, Mehmet shared Eske’s haven and learned from the sheriff. When Mehmet returned to interacting with mortal society, MMA had really begun taking off in Denmark. Mehmet saw an opportunity and involved himself, as a trainer and sometimes fighter, being extremely careful not to threaten the masquerade. At the same time, Eske began calling upon him whenever he felt the need for muscle. While Mehmet is young, he is a fighter trained in unarmed combat and specializing in takedowns, something Eske finds very useful. For his part, Mehmet is trying to come to terms with his new existence and reexamine the Muslim beliefs he ignored pretty much his entire life. Sire: Unknown Nature: Survivor

Disciplines: Celerity 1, Fortitude 1, Potence 1, Presence 1 Backgrounds: Contacts 2 (Old friend who is now a gang boss and a high-placed MMA promoter), Fame 1, Herd 1 (Female fans), Mentor 2 (Eske), Resources 1, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 3, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 6 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 13/1 Image: Mehmet is a tall, muscular and handsome man of Turkish descent. His hair is black and kept in a military-style buzz cut and he sports a short goatee. His eyes are surprisingly light and his smile exceptionally charming. He has several verses from the Quran tattooed on his body, as well as his older brother’s name along his right forearm. Along his left are ragged tally marks, one for each victory in the ring. When not ready for a fight, Mehmet wears simple, inexpensive clothes and sunglasses. Always sunglasses. It’s his signature look. Roleplaying Hints: Since most vampires are above you in the hierarchy, you remain reserved and respectful around them. When it comes to mortals, you are quietly confident, knowing that you now have a lot more power than any of them. You are still on a journey of self-discovery and part of that is rekindling your Muslim faith, something that is becoming a bigger and bigger part of your unlife. Haven: Basement apartment in Gellerupparken.

Demeanor: Competitor

Influence: Mehmet knows a lot of gang members in Gellerupparken and many of the important people in Danish MMA; none of which translates into much in the way of influence.

Generation: 10th Embrace: 2002 Apparent Age: Late 20s Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 4 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 3, Brawl 4, Intimidation 3, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Crafts 1, Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Larceny 2, Stealth 1 Knowledges: Computer 1, Law 1, Medicine 1, Theology 2

Bloodlines Various bloodlines have existed in Denmark at various times, but never in great numbers. In the modern nights, only a single bloodline has members in Denmark; the True Brujah.

Mithonashtart, Perfectionist Scholar Mithonashtart is so old that he remembers little of his mortal life. He was some kind of scholar and philosopher in the Phoenician city of Tyre. His sire, Mar-

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cus, chose him because of dedication to the philosophical ideals of logic over emotion, what would later become known as Stoicism. For a time, Mithonashtart studied under his sire, before Marcus moved on. The two kept up a correspondence and Mithonashtart also corresponded with others of his bloodline. He had dedicated himself to the True Brujah ideal of Perfection, uniting the mind and body, letting logic defeat emotions and building the body to its peak conditions and spent much of his time involved in debates and discussions on how to reach Perfection. However, when Marcus called for a battle against the usurpers of the Brujah blood, who had been gathering strength in the city of Carthage, Mithonashtart joined, for once in his existence guided by emotions rather than logic. Sadly, the battle did not go well and Mithonashtart found himself driven into Torpor. He awoke centuries later in a world he did not understand. For a long time, he wandered through North Africa and the Middle East, spending years at universities and other centers of learning. Then, he heard that universities were being opened in Europe and decided to see what this area had to offer. Mithonashtart went to Bologna, Paris and Oxford, but never found a place to settle. Then, after attending the Convention of Thorns as an observer, he went to Denmark to see the newly established Copenhagen University. Originally, Mithonashtart had just planned to spend a few decades there, but there was something about Denmark that appealed to him. He found himself finding new reasons to stay and, in the end, petitioned Gunnarr for permission to settle permanently in Copenhagen. It was also at this point that he revealed his true lineage. Gunnarr granted Mithonashtart permission simply to distract members of Clan Brujah from their rabble-rousing and revolutionary ideas, though none of the resident Brujah had much against Mithonashtart’s presence. For his part, Mithonashtart dedicated himself to his studies and the pursuit of Perfection. And for 500 years, he has been a constant presence in the city, never making much of himself. He deals mainly with other scholarly Kindred, though he will receive anyone who seeks his advice. He has spent quite a long time talking to Jacob the Lost (see page 117). Sire: Marcus the Advocate Nature: Perfectionist Demeanor: Perfectionist

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Generation: 6th Embrace: 538 BC Apparent Age: Mid 30s Physical: Strength 6, Dexterity 5, Stamina 6 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 1, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 5, Awareness 1, Brawl 7, Empathy 1, Expression 4, Intimidation 3 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms, Melee 3, Survival 1 Knowledges: Academics 6, Computer 1, Law 1, Occult 5, Politics 1, Science 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Fortitude 3, Obfuscate 2, Potence 7, Presence 3, Protean 3, Temporis 7 Backgrounds: Domain 1 (His haven), Herd 3 (Students), Retainers 2, Status 3 Virtues: Conviction 4, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Path of the Scorched Heart (see The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra page 55) 7 Willpower: 10 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 30/6 Image: Mithonashtart is a short, muscular, athletic man with a shaved head and dark eyes. His face is usually devoid of any expression. Mithonashtart wears simple and practical clothes that do not stand out. Roleplaying Hints: Emotions get in the way. Perfection is the goal and nothing must distract you from this. Knowledge and physical training is what matters. Over the years, you have learned that teaching others sharpens you own abilities and as such, you will happily share your knowledge and abilities. Haven: In forgotten cellars underneath Copenhagen University. Influence: Mithonashtart maintains some influence over Copenhagen University through the use of ghouls.

Mikael Stjernekilde, Sheriff of Copenhagen Mikael was the second son of a bishop and his father sent him to university at a young age. Mikael had a fascination with classic history and philosophy and his natural intelligence and curiosity made him a great scholar. However, this was not enough to gain the

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attention of Mithonashtart. That only happened after the siege of Copenhagen. Mikael was one of the citizens who fought against the Swedish invaders and he did so with great skill. Upon returning to University, Mikael took up fencing in addition to his studies and showed great promise as a fighter as well as a scholar. Mithonashtart contacted Mikael and, over the next year, spent numerous nights in conversation and debate. In the end, Mithonashtart offered Mikael the Embrace and Mikael accepted.

Talents: Alertness 4, Athletics 4, Awareness 1, Brawl 4, Empathy 1, Intimidation 4, Leadership 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1

For a few decades, Mikael spent most of his nights with his sire, learning everything he could. However, Mikael disagreed with much of Mithonashtart’s philosophy and did not see the merit in pursuing Perfection. Instead, he slowly became part of Kindred society. Here, he saw chaos and unrest everywhere, as Kindred fought against each other in proxy wars and battles of influence and he despised it. To Mikael, Kindred society could be so much more, so much better and he spoke up often and at length. It did little to change the state of affairs, at least until Ragnhild (see page 147) became Prince of Denmark. The former Sheriff of Denmark, a Brujah, was one of the most vocal opponents of Ragnhild and even attacked the new Prince, before fleeing to Sweden and joining the Sabbat. Ranghild made Eske Tombøl (see page 99) Sheriff of Denmark and offered the position of Sheriff of Copenhagen to Mikael. He readily accepted.

Backgrounds: Domain 1 (His haven), Herd 2 (Blood provided to him by the Prince and Primogen), Resources 2, Retainers 5, Status 3

Since then, Mikael’s mission has to bring law and order to Copenhagen’s Kindred society. He firmly believes in an ordered world where everyone has a chance to better themselves without having to worry about anyone trying to break the rules to get at them. His dedication has made him a number of enemies, but every Kindred in Copenhagen know that it is a bad idea to cross him. Sire: Mithonashtart

Skills: Drive 2, Etiquette 2, Firearms 5, Larceny 1, Melee 4, Stealth 2 Knowledges: Academics 3, Investigation 2, Law 3, Occult 3, Science 1, Theology 3 Disciplines: Auspex 3, Fortitude 2, Potence 5, Presence 3, Temporis 6

Virtues: Conscience 1, Self-Control 5, Courage 5 Morality: Humanity 5 Willpower: 9 Blood Pool/Max per Turn: 20/4 Image: Mikael is tall, broad and athletic. His brown hair is long enough to be gathered in a short pony-tail and he sports a well-groomed beard. Mikael dresses in hard-wearing clothing, including a leather jacket, and always carries a kukri and a .45 pistol. He has access to bigger weapons if need be. Roleplaying Hints: Kindred society could be so much more if people obeyed the rules. The foolish desire to have more power, more money, more influence is what drives Kindred to break the law and it is your job to make sure that they are afraid of the consequences. Haven: The basement of an old apartment building in the center of Copenhagen. Influence: All Mikael’s influence comes from his position as Sheriff – he has the ear of the Prince and both the Prince and Primogen will put their resources at his disposal for investigations.

Nature: Visionary Demeanor: Soldier

Free Ghouls

Generation: 7th Embrace: 1660 Apparent Age: Early 30s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3

Most Kindred of Denmark, especially the old and powerful, maintain at least one ghoul. Free ghouls, on the other hand, are very, very rare. Not just because of the rarity of a ghoul freeing himself from his master, but also because of the attitude of the Danish Kindred, who see free ghouls as a threat. However, two such free ghouls do live in Denmark.

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Peder Varning, Freelance Troubleshooter Peder started life as an officer in the Danish military, a skilled leader and a good fighter. Then he became the ghoul of a small group of Sabbat vampires in southern Jutland who wanted someone to manage their affairs during the day. When the purge of the Sabbat came, Peder was unique in that he escaped death, while all of his domitors perished. Suddenly, he found himself free of any master – yet also without a source of blood. Tentatively, he sought out the Kindred of the Camarilla and managed to avoid being snatched up, instead establishing himself as a freelance operator. Peder works for money and blood and is quite careful never to work for blood from the same Kindred twice in the same decade. He takes on any and all jobs and has become quite respected for a ghoul. Most Kindred in Denmark know about him and a fair few have used his services. Peder can make unfortunate evidence disappear, bury problematic news stories and, should it be necessary, arrange for intimidation and even assassination. The only thing he refuses to do is work directly against Kinded. Nature: Capitalist Demeanor: Chameleon Born: 1760 Apparent Age: Late 40s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 5 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Intimidation 2, Leadership 4, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 3 Skills: Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 2 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Finance 2, Investigation 4, Law 1, Occult 1, Politics 1 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Potence 2, Fortitude 1 Backgrounds: Allies 3 (High-ranking judge, lawyers), Contacts 5 (Criminal, Police, Forensics, Computer Security, Doctor), Resources 4, Status 1 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 4, Courage 4 Morality: Humanity 6 Willpower: 8

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Blood: Peder always has 1 Blood Point and is careful not to use it unless he has a replacement ready. Image: Tall, slender and blond, Peder would be handsome if he put a little more care into his appearance. He still sports a very unfashionable moustache that makes him look like he’s from another time and his haircut is simple and unflattering. His blue eyes are hidden behind horn-rimmed glasses and he dresses in cheap suits. All of this hides his true personality, the power of which can be unleashed as a weapon on a moment’s notice, making him anything from a charming seducer to a master negotiator. Roleplaying Hints: Among vampires, be very, very careful and act the consummate professional. Even the youngest of their kind are a danger to you. Among mortals, read the situation and act in accordance, to maximize your opportunities. Haven: A large villa along the coast road of Esbjerg. Influence: Peder knows a lot of people and a lot of people know that he has money. His influence is subtle, but can be felt throughout many layers of Danish society.

Kristine Staunslev, Consultant to the Undead Kristine grew up in a well-to-do home, the daughter of a surgeon and a legal secretary. And intelligent, disciplined and ambitious girl, she made top marks in school and went on to get a degree in business management at Copenhagen Business School. Her interpersonal skills made her a natural at human resources and for a while, she worked in that capacity at some of the biggest companies in Denmark. Kristine was turned into a ghoul by a Ventrue named Aage Bækgård, a former stock broker with a great deal of interest in large companies. He had been impressed by Kristine’s résumé and felt that she would be perfect for keeping his many servants, agents and other ghouls organized. Kristine chafed under Aage’s rule, torn up by the artificial feelings from the Blood Bond, which conflicted with the real ones. Fortunately for her, Aage was not one to strongly enforce the Blood Bond and when he fell to torpor due to a Lupine attack, it didn’t take long for Kristine to free herself from his emotional shackles. However, while she had no intentions of ever falling under the control of another Kindred, she also knew that she was in trouble – she knew about the Kindred and was a

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threat to the Masquerade. Boldly, she reached out to some of Aage’s Kindred business contacts, as well as his childe, and offered to work as a consultant for them, representing them during the day, taking long trips that would be troublesome for a Kindred, etc. She pledged not to reveal what she knew of the Kindred world as long as that world would keep her employed. And fortunately for Kristine, it worked.

options and use all the tools and always know the people you are working with.

Since then, Kristine has made good money as a business consultant for Kindred all over Denmark, though mainly Copenhagen. After freeing herself from Aage, she has begun is raising a family and as a consequence, is not taking payment in Kindred blood. However, lately, she has come to dread the time when her former domitor rises from Torpor. She knows where Aage lies hidden and she is considering whether or not she should go there and end him or if that is too dangerous.

Kindred by Domain

Nature: Competitor Demeanor: Capitalist

Haven: A house in Hillerød Influence: Kristine knows a lot of people placed high in important, Danish businesses and they value her opinion.

The previous section listed the Kindred of Denmark by clan. Below, those same Kindred are listed by domain, should you need it.

Zealand Assamite: Enes Coşkun (page 74) Brujah: Thrugils, Brujah Primogen (page 76); Elin Jönsson (page 77); Gudrun Pedersen (page 78); Lasse Vinter (page 79) Followers of Set: Håkon One-Hand (page 90); Eberhardt Lange (page 92)

Born: 1965 Apparent Age: Early 40s Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Talents: Athletics 1, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 1 Skills: Drive 1, Etiquette 3 Knowledges: Academics 2, Computer 1, Finance 3, Law 2, Occult 1, Politics 1, Science 1 Disciplines: None Backgrounds: Contacts 3 (Various business contacts), Resources 3 Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 3 Morality: Humanity 7 Willpower: 5 Image: Kristine is a striking woman of average height and build, with white-blond hair in a short, modern cut and blue eyes. She has an intelligent face and a body toned by regular exercise. On the job, she wears business suits and subtle, tasteful make-up. Roleplaying Hints: Do your best and you will get by. Be honest and truthful with the Kindred and you will get through this. Never fail to examine all the

Gangrel: Einold Wolfslayer, Gangrel Primogen (page 94); Ragnar Silver-Tongue, Prince of Frederiksberg (page 95); Anders Sand (page 96) Giovanni: Isabella Giovanni de Lucca (page 102) Lasombra: Markus Christian Jensen (page 103) Malkavian: Maria Krestensdatter, Malkavian Primogen (page 106); Arthur Sønderberg, Harpy (page 107); Jørgen Steentofte (page 108); Rosa Schmidt (page 108) Nosferatu: Rasmus the Holy, Nosferatu Primogen (page 116); Jacob the Lost (page 117); Kaja Mikkelsen (page 118), Ole Varnby (page 119) Ravnos: Miri (page 125) Toreador: Lorenz von Barmstede, Scourge (page 127); Carl-Erik Fossberg, Toreador Primogen (page 129); Patricia, Keeper of Elysium (page 130); Lotte Mose Olsen (page 131); Niels Lund (page 132) Tremere: Octavius, Master of the Copenhagen Chantry (page 141); Jeronimus von Lakskov, Tremere Primogen (page 142); Alice Møller Beck, Harpy (page 143) Ventrue: Ragnhild the Just, Prince of Denmark (page 147); Valdemar Duus-Frederiksen, Ventrue Primogen (page 149); Theodor Buchwald (page 150); Alexandrine Tolbæk, Prince of Roskilde (page 151);

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Lone Svendsen (page 152); Jens Erik Petersen, Seneschal (page 153)

Malkavian: Albert Vestergaard (page 113); Brian Valdemar Hviid (page 115)

True Brujah: Mithonashtart (page 164); Mikael Stjernekilde, Sheriff of Copenhagen (page 165)

Nosferatu: Hjörtur Andrison (page 123); Anne Marie Bjørning (page 124)

Free Ghouls: Kristine Staunslev (page 167)

Funen

Toreador: Julia Marianus Sabinius, Lady of Northern Jutland and Prince of Aalborg (137); Jonathan Mørk (page 138); Karen Bistrup (page 140)

Brujah: Asbjørn, Lord of Funen and Prince of Odense (page 80); Flemming Hansen (page 82)

Tremere: Alexander Sverre, Prince of Viborg (page 146)

Gangrel: Freya (page 97)

Ventrue: Albertus (page 159); Vilhelm Andersen Højmark (page 161); Bente Helger (page 162)

Malkavian: Sørine Krag (page 110) Nosferatu: Eigil Soldat (page 120)

Those not of the Blood

Toreador: Martin Kold (page 132) Tremere: Brother Antonius (page 144) Ventrue: Reinhardt von Stade (page 154)

Southern Jutland Brujah: Nicolai Hanssen (page 83); Vibeke Gjørring (page 85); Kim Cassens (page 86) Followers of Set: Christina Willows (page 93) Gangrel: Eske Tombøl, Sheriff of Denmark (page 98); Szymon Jachowicz (page 99) Lasombra: Anette Gyldenstierne (page 104) Malkavian: Erik Runemaster, Prince of Ribe (page 111); Peter Larsen (page 112); Nosferatu: Matthew Builder (page 121); Jette Grøndal (page 122) Ravnos: Konstantin (page 126) Toreador: Eleonora-Marie “Emmie” Grahne (page 134); Julius Svendsen (page 135); Irene Møller (page 136) Tremere: Carsten Friis-Hansen (page 145) Ventrue: Knud the Elder, Lord of Southern Jutland and Prince of Aarhus (page 156); Georg Varnæs (page 157); Naja Kristine Bauer, Prince of Kolding (158) Caitiff: Muhammed Mehmet Celik (page 163) Free Ghouls: Peder Varning (page 166)

Northern Jutland Brujah: Johanne Larsdatter (page 86); Theodor Jeronimus “T.J.” Hall (page 88); Juliana Marie Stjernfeldt (page 89) Gangrel: Henrik Hestehandler (page 101)

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The Kindred of Denmark fear the Lupines most of all, with hunters a distant second. They know mages and ghosts exist, but pay them no heed. And they do not think about the Jotuns much at all. That last one is a big mistake.

Lupines As mentioned, Lupines have become something of a threat to city-dwelling vampires over the decades. Mangy werewolves have attacked Kindred in the back alleys, operating alone rather than in a pack. While most of these Lupines present only a marginal danger to the older and more powerful Kindred in Denmark, they are still a challenge for younger vampires and any battle is a threat to the Masquerade. In addition, in the last 5 years, one particular Lupine has become something of an urban legend; the Rag Lady.

The Rag Lady, Lupine Threat The Rag Lady has been sighted in Odense, Aarhus and Copenhagen. She has killed two Kindred and sent a third, the Ventrue Aage Bækgård (See page 166) into torpor, while at the same time escaping several encounters with powerful vampires. The Prince of Denmark has promised a Boon to any Kindred who take down the Rag Lady, while the Princes of Odense and Aarhus have put up 500.000 Danish kroner each. Attributes (human form): Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 1, Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 4 Abilities: Alertness 4, Animal Ken 2, Athletics 5, Awareness 4, Brawl 4, Empathy 1, Intimidation 3,

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Investigation 1, Larceny 1, Stealth 5, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 1 Equivalent Disciplines: Auspex 1, Celerity 5, Fortitude 3, Obfuscate 2, Potence 3, Presence 2 Humanity: 5

Willpower: 9

Gnosis: 7

Image: The Rag Lady appears as a homeless woman, dressed in layers of ragged clothing and reeking of cheap wine. Her hair is gray and her entire appearance unappealing. In her combat shape, her black fur is patchy, mangy and knotted. Nobody has ever seen her in any other forms.

Hunters Danish secularism means that Kindred have little to fear from hunters – or so most of them think. In truth, they are not far off, as the Catholic Church has not assigned any Inquisitors to Denmark. And while there are certainly Protestants, Muslims and others with True Faith, so far, none of them have learned about vampires. Except for a single family. To the outside world, the Tornhøi family is simply an old noble family that owns a castle on Funen and has made some shrewd investments that allow them to live as modern nobles. However, the truth goes deeper. The founding patriarch of the family was Marius Tornhøi, deacon to the last Catholic bishop at Saint Canute’s Cathedral in Odense. When the Reformation began, Marius rejected Catholicism and, as a reward, was granted the title of Baron and the ownership of Tornhøi Monastery, along with all its lands and wealth, on western Funen. Marius married and, spurred on by the king, began transforming Tornhøi from a fortified monastery into an actual castle. Marius himself was never a very devout man, but he had dealt with members of the shadow inquisition and he knew of the threat posed by the masters of the night. In his old age, he wrote down what he knew and bundled this memoir with documents he’d taken from the Catholic Church and passed it on to his sons. Marius may not have been especially devout, but his children were – devoutly Lutheran and devoted to the King. They swore an oath to defend the kingdom against the unnatural threats that lurked in the darkness and for hundreds of years the Tornhøi family has coverly been a thorn in the side of Denmark’s Kindred as Faithful hunters. While they have not been as problematic as the Catholic Church, they have still ensured that the vampires of Denmark cannot feel

entirely safe. Throughout the years, the fortunes of the family have waxed and waned, especially with the weakening of the nobility. However, the family’s current patriarch has managed to make a number of exceptionally shrewd investments and parley his political influence to the point where the family now ranks amongst the richest in Denmark.

Baron Oliver Tornhøi, Aging Patriarch Oliver was born in 1930, at a time when his family had little more than the prestige of its name. Several peripheral members of the extended family had immigrated or taken up actual jobs, and not just as priests. During World War II, Oliver’s father opened Tornhøi to the Danish resistance, something that gained the family a lot of recognition in post-war Denmark. Oliver’s youngest uncle used this to enter politics, starting a tradition that continues to this day. Oliver was a brilliant young man and he went to university, but instead of studying theology, he focused on economics. After he graduated, his father let Oliver take over the family’s finances and it wasn’t long until the Tornhøi dynasty had regained much of its former glory. It finally came to the point where Oliver was able to take time off from running the family finances and join other family members in fighting the undead threat. These nights, Oliver is retired from active duty, but he still administers the family businesses – both the economic and the esoteric. He has plans to turn over control of the family to his eldest daughter, Evelyn, as soon as she accepts that her heir must be Andreas (see 170). Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 5, Wits 2 Abilities: Academics 3, Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 4, Brawl 1, Drive 1, Empathy 3, Etiquette 4, Finance 5, Firearms 2, Intimidation 3, Larceny 1, Law 3, Leadership 4, Melee 2, Occult 4, Politics 3, Science 1, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 3, Theology 4 Backgrounds: Allies 4 (Younger brother, highly placed in the current government, along with several civil servants), Contacts 5 (Throughout Danish nobility, as well as local and national government), Domain 5 (a castle with state-of-the-art security), Fame 2, Influence 2, Resources 5, Retainers 5 (highly-trained bodyguards)

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Humanity: 8

Willpower: 8

True Faith: 3

Equipment: With his level of wealth, Oliver can get almost anything he wants. In addition, Oliver holds the family’s exceptional collection of occult documents and he wears an old, blessed cross around his neck that contains a single point of True Faith. Image: Oliver is the perfect image of an aging, dignified patriarch with thinning, silver hair, a wellgroomed beard and dark, intelligent eyes. His voice is still strong, though it cracks with age every now and then. Oliver prefers immaculately tailored English suits and while he has grown thin and weak with age he can still walk erect without the aid of a cane.

Andreas Petersen Tornhøi, Illegitimate Heir Baron Oliver’s youngest son, Valdemar, was the black sheep of the family. He lacked faith, he lacked backbone and he lacked fidelity. He was smart enough to use protection most of the time, but not always and he left a few bastards dotted around. His family’s money usually took care of it, except for his last. Monika Petersen was a gorgeous young student who made the mistake of getting too drunk around Andreas. The Tornhøi name kept all accusations of rape away, but after that, Oliver had enough. Valdemar was cut off from the family, officially disavowed and after a failed career as a politician, drank himself to death. Meanwhile, Andreas Petersen grew up to be everything his father wasn’t. He was disciplined, dedicated and determined to make something of himself, despite his origins. After being drafted, Andreas decided to become a professional soldier, after which he qualified for the Hunter Corps and even served a tour with the Sirius Patrol. When Andreas returned from Greenland, Oliver offered Andreas a place in the Tornhøi family. The patriarch was impressed by all the young man had achieved and after a personal meeting between the two, Andreas surprised himself by accepting. Soon after, he was initiated into the secrets of the Tornhøi family and joined their ranks of hunters. Once again, he impressed and it wasn’t long before Oliver decided that Andreas would make the perfect heir in the future. His mother, unaware of the Tornhøi’s secrets, was initially distrustful of the family, but Andreas has managed to talk her around.

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Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Abilities: Academics 1, Alertness 3, Animal Ken 1, Athletics 4, Brawl 2, Crafts 1, Drive 2, Empathy 1, Etiquette 2, Finance 1, Firearms 4, Investigation 1, Intimidation 4, Larceny 1, Law 1, Leadership 2, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Occult 2, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 1, Survival 3, Theology 1 Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Former commanding officers), Contacts 1 (In the Danish military), Resources 3 Humanity: 7

Willpower: 9

True Faith: 1

Equipment: Andreas’ new family has provided him with several illegal firearms, from an SMG to a tactical shotgun, as well as modern combat armor. He also carries with him a relic stole that he wraps around his right arm when going on mission; this stole contains a single point of Faith and allows him to see through Obfuscate. Image: Andreas is a big, well-trained man with short, brown hair and brown eyes. He has the symbols of the Hunter Corps and the Sirius Patrol tattooed on either shoulder. He normally dresses in tailored suits and looks quite ill at ease in them — he vastly prefers sweats or tactical gear. Whenever Andreas is in formal situations, he tends to revert to very strict military behavior.

Jotuns When humans first came to Scandinavia, they found the Jotuns already there. A deformed, monstrous race of sorcery-using inhumans, the Jotuns were fighting the local fae for dominance over the northern lands. The fae allied with the humans and slowly, inexorably, the Jotuns were driven into the wilderness, where they found themselves battling against the newly-arrived Lupines. When vampires established themselves in Denmark, the Jotuns had faded from living memory, becoming nothing more than villains in religious legends. While the Jotuns had been beaten, they had not been broken. In humans, they found a new source for their blood magic and slowly, over the centuries, they began to influence human society. They needed to walk carefully, for not only were they almost as vulnerable to True Faith as Kindred, but they needed magic to hide their true forms from mortals and vam-

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

pires alike. Today, only about a hundred Jotuns call Denmark home. All of them are skilled in either illusion or shape shifting, allowing them to hide among humanity. They all have a single aim; to bring about the fall of civilization, enslave humanity and take their rightful place as tyrannical leaders of all of Scandinavia. Of course, there is some dispute among the Jotuns as to how it should be done and who will be their high king. Jotuns come in four different “races”; giants, fire Jotuns, frost Jotuns and Jotunkin. Giants are the premier sorcerers among the Jotuns and, as their name suggests, are all larger than humans. Fire and frost Jotuns each embody their namesake, while Jotunkin are the result of human/Jotun mating. Jotuns have the following powers and weaknesses: • True Faith affects Jotuns in much the same way as it affects Kindred. Resistance and immunity of the Faithful to Dominate and Presence counts as resistance and immunity to mind and emotion control by the Jotuns, while the ability to see through Obfuscate allows the Faithful to see through any and all Jotun illusions. The roll to avoid fleeing from someone with True Faith 5 is equal to the Jotun’s own Sorcery rating +3. • Jotuns take Aggravated damage from fire (but see Fire Control, below) and the claws and fangs of supernatural creatures. In any shape, Jotuns can soak any damage with their Stamina. Jotuns live roughly 10 times as long as mortals. • Jotuns have both innate powers and sorcery. Innate powers are usually always in effect, although some might need to be activated with concentration and/or the use of Willpower. Sorcery requires magic power, which Jotuns gain through the ritual sacrifice of animals or the ritual torture or sacrifice of humans (or supernatural entities). All Jotuns have a Sorcery rating, from 1 – 5, as well as a pool of Power (which cannot be higher than 10 x Sorcery rating). Activating Sorcery abilities requires a roll of an Attribute + Sorcery and the expenditure of Power. All Jotuns have either the Shapeshifting power or the Illusion sorcery in order to hide themselves in mortal society. • Jotuns can breed with mortals — the result is a Jotunkin child and should the mother be a mortal, the birth will likely kill her. A jotunkin child is deformed from birth and is generally raised by Jotuns until it is old enough to learn Shapeshifting or Illusion.

• All Jotuns are inhuman-looking in their natural form. Jotunkin have an Appearance of 1, and could potentially pass for deformed humans in some circumstances, while all other Jotuns have an Appearance of 0, but gain a -1 difficulty when trying to intimidate humans. • Shapeshifting allows a Jotun to change their physical shape. At one dot, they can merely change appearance (ie., to appear human). At two dots, they can change their size towards human normal, allowing giants and small Jotunkin to appear as ordinary humans (this loses Giants 1 point of Strength and Stamina). Three dots allow for a change to larger or smaller sizes, making enormous giants or tiny jotunkin. Four dots makes it possible to shapeshift into an animal of normal size for its kind, while five dots give access to the shape of mythical monsters or unnaturally-sized animals. Using shapeshifting grants an Appearance of 2 or 3 (chosen when shapeshifting), which can be increased to 4 at the cost of 1 Willpower and 5 at the cost of 3 Willpower. Shapeshifting lasts until cancelled. • Giants are at least 7½ feet tall — in ancient times, most giants were at least 10 feet tall, but these days, giants have been bred smaller to make it easier for them to shapeshift into humans. They have a maximum Strength and Stamina of 6 and an additional -0 Health Level. If using Shapeshifting to grow larger, they grow to about 11 – 12 feet and gain +2 Strength, +1 Stamina, an additional -1 and -2 Health Level. • Jotunkin are usually normal human size, but some of them are around 4½ feet tall. This limits their Strength to 4, but gives them +1 die on appropriate Stealth rolls and makes it easy for them to squeeze into small places. Should they use Shapeshifting to become tiny, they lose 1 Strength and Stamina and a -1 Health Level, but all attacks against them are at +1 difficulty and they get -1 difficulty on all Stealth rolls. • Other powers available to Jotuns include small claws (doing Strength Lethal damage), fangs (doing Strength +1 Lethal damage after a grapple), the ability to make they claws and fangs do Aggravated damage, prehensile tail (acting at Strength -1), tough hide (1 – 3 extra Soak), smell the supernatural (requiring the Jotun to actually sniff a person, as well as a Perception + Awareness roll, but identifies any non-mortal), enhanced sense (-1 difficulty on appropriate sense

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rolls, may track by smell, see infrared or the like), rapid healing (mimicking that of Lupines), regeneration (as rapid healing, plus allows for the healing of Aggravated wounds and amputation with Willpower), feat of Strength (allows for a one-round increase of Strength by 1 -3 points for a point of Willpower), speed of the wind (allows for 1 – 3 extra actions per round for a point of Willpower) and the potential to raise one or more Abilities to 6. • Illusion Sorcery requires a roll of Manipulation + Sorcery. The cost is a base of 1 point of Power, plus 1 point to reduce the difficulty (max. reduction of 3). Appearing human is difficulty 6 (5 for Jotunkin) + the desired level of the Appearance Attribute and lasts for 1 day (it can be extended indefinitely for 1 additional power each day). In addition, Illusion can be used to mimic powers of Chimerstry and Obfuscate; the difficulty of the roll is 6 + the level of the power mimicked and if a roll is required for the power, Sorcery takes the place of whatever Ability used. • Fire Control is the Sorcery of Fire Jotuns and possessing it makes them immune to natural fire, while all supernatural fire can be resisted for 1 Power per round. All other Fire Control abilities require a roll of Stamina + Sorcery. Use the Lure of Flames Thaumaturgy path to represent Fire Control, with a cost of 1 Power per level mimicked — the difficulty of the roll is always 7. In addition, Fire Control can create light. Creating the equivalent of a flashlight costs 1 Power, requires a difficulty 5 roll and lasts for one hour. Lighting up a room like a lamp costs 2 Power, requires a difficulty 6 roll and lasts for ten minutes. Creating genuine sunlight costs 3 Power, requires a difficulty 9 roll and lasts for one round. Each of the last 3 abilities can be renewed when they run out for the original costs, without a roll. • Frost Creation is the Sorcery of Frost Jotuns and possessing it makes them immune to cold, normal as well as supernatural. Using this ability requires an Intelligence + Sorcery roll, always difficulty 6. Lowering the ambient temperature costs 1 Power per 5 degrees Celsius, to a maximum of 20 degrees. Freezing a puddle’s worth of water in one round costs 1 Power, while the cost and times goes up exponentially for larger bodies of water. Creating an icicle (which can be hurled in the same round with a Dexterity + Athletic roll)

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or covering a hand in icy spikes that does Strength +1 Lethal for one scene costs 2 Power, while boosting it to Strength +1 Aggravated requires an additional roll and costs an addition 4 power. • Emotional Sorcery requires a roll of Charisma + Sorcery, costs 1 Power and the difficulty is always the opponent’s Willpower. The duration is a number of rounds equal to the Power used if the roll to activate is successful. An affected target cannot directly resist Emotional Sorcery with Willpower, but can reduce the duration by 1 round per Willpower used. Using the ability, a Jotun can make a target completely unemotional (thus unable to express love, compassion, friendship, etc.), amplify whatever dark and destructive emotions a target is currently experiencing or introduce such emotions to a victim filled with positive emotions. • Mental Sorcery is the art of mind control. In general, a Jotun can only force a target to take actions that are painful or destructive to themselves or others. Use Dominate as a template, replacing Sorcery for any Ability in rolls and with a Power costs equal to three times the level of Dominate mimicked. Jotuns cannot possess people. • Other Sorcery abilities allow Jotuns to call, control and enhance animals, create magical talismans, affect the weather and drain mental and physical stamina from victims.

Young Jotunkin Seducer Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 1 (4 with Sorcery), Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Abilities: Academics 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Computer 1, Drive 1, Empathy 3, Expression 1, Etiquette 3, Intimidation 3, Larceny 2, Leadership 1, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Performance 1, Science 1, Stealth 1, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 5 Powers: Small Size, Fangs Sorcery Abilities: Illusion Willpower: 5

Sorcery: 1

Equipment: Trendy clothes, latest iPhone, cash and credit cards, several joints, some cocaine

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night

Fire Jotun Career Criminal Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 (2 with Sorcery), Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 4 Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 4, Awareness 2, Brawl 5, Drive 2, Empathy 1, Etiquette 1, Firearms 2, Intimidation 4, Larceny 3, Investigation 1, Law 1, Leadership 2, Melee 2, Occult 3, Stealth 3, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 3 Powers: Tough Hide 2, Enhanced Sight and Hearing, Feat of Strength 3, Speed of the Wind 1 Sorcery Abilities: Illusion, Fire Control Willpower: 7

Sorcery: 3

Attributes (in Human Normal form): Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 0 (3 with Shapeshifting), Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 3 Abilities: Academics 3, Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 5, Brawl 1, Crafts 3, Empathy 4, Etiquette 1, Expression 1, Finance 1, Intimidation 3, Law 4, Leadership 1, Melee 3, Occult 5, Politics 4, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 6, Theology 1 Powers: Shapeshifting 3, Smell the Supernatural, Rapid Healing, Enhanced Ability (Subterfuge) Sorcery Abilities: Frost Creation, Emotional Sorcery, Mental Sorcery Willpower: 9

Equipment: BMW, pistol, sawed-off shotgun, burglary tools, several cell phones

Sorcery: 5

Equipment: Magical dagger doing Aggravated damage, amulet containing 2 points of Willpower, ring containing 5 points of Power.

Giant Jotun Master Manipulator

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From the time of the Vikings, to the nights of a small, modern nation, Denmark has changed with the ages. So, too, have the vampires that inhabit this Scandinavian kingdom, creating a unique domain and a peculiar division of power. Denmark by Night is a setting book for the 20 th Anniversary Edition of Vampire: The Masquerade, designed to work both as a sourcebook for a chronicle set in the Kingdom of Denmark, or as setting for already established characters to visit.

Denmark by Night includes: • • • •

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A history of both the Kingdom of Denmark and the capital city; Copenhagen. A description of Denmark’s mortal world, as well as the dark world of the Kindred. Numerous story hooks, chronicle possibilities and Storyteller Characters. A new type of monster to serve as antagonists or allies for daring Kindred.

Chapter Two: Copenhagen by Night