((Out of Character (OOC):
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen
Venue: Mage: The Awakening
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler))
Venue: Mage: The Awakening
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler))
((What follows is some Out of Character knowledge about the Red Lanterns... Iky would know the most about it from being in the city and in the Kindred community for a better part of a decade.))
The Red Lanterns
Without a doubt, the Red Lanterns are the most mysterious
faction that operates within Los Angeles, partly because it is connected to no
major covenant and partly because the leaders of this faction are old and
powerful Asian vampires whose true aspirations and goals remain unknown.
Historians have pointed out that the term “Red Lantern” refers to the more mystical
branch of the Chinese Boxer Movement responsible for the infamous Boxer
Rebellion at the turn of the last century. Reputedly these priestesses, the Red
Lanterns (who dressed all in red down to their foot bindings) worked the magics
that the Boxers believed could make them invincible. Most dismiss such tales
(as such “magic” was certainly unable to save the Boxers), but enough stories
of strange events and powers surround the uprising to make some wonder if
creatures other than the kine were involved.
There is, of course, no actual evidence tying this
historical organization to the vampires who operate the Red Lanterns in L.A., but
the timing is just too coincidental to be a coincidence. Based out of Chinatown
and Little Tokyo, the Red Lanterns answer to a powerful Nosferatu known as Zhuo
Huifeng. The Lord of Chinatown is thought to have ties to the local Tongs and
Yakuza, and perhaps even more homegrown crime organizations. It is known that
he was heavily involved in the smuggling of opium and Chinese laborers in the
1900s. A business that, perhaps, he never left. Beyond this, little is known of
the man and his goals. For now his organization stays within its boundaries,
protecting its own and keeping the covenants at bay. But it is widely thought
that a vast web of spies and informants has been woven throughout Los Angeles
for purposes unknown.
Known Red Lanterns:
Lord Zhuo Huifeng
Lord/Regent of Chinatown
Clan: Nosferatu (Nightmare, Obfuscate,
Vigor, Getsumei)
Bloodline: Burakumin – from the VtR 1st Ed Corebook –
he looks old and almost mummified… sun dried monk look. (http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Getsumei)
Embrace: 1879
Covenant: Unbound
The mysterious Lord of Chinatown, Zhuo Huifeng is something of a
dark horse in the political race of Los Angeles. He is, as the title suggests,
the Regent of Chinatown, but over the years he has expanded this territory to
include some of the neighboring districts. In addition to this he has gathered
a collection of other foreign Kindred and some of the unbound into an
organization known as the Red Lanterns. Beyond this, however, little is known.
Lord Zhuo attends Court on a semi-regular basis (often sending his majordomo or
other representatives when he is unable to attend in person), and has been
offered a seat among the Primogen, but he refused that honor. In many ways both
he and his Red Lanterns stand aloof from L.A. politics, a situation that leaves
many locals ill at ease. Most are convinced that the Lord of Chinatown must
have plans, but what they may be none can guess.
Around the turn of the century, Zhuo
Huifeng arrived in Los Angeles with a small handful of ghouls and two other
Kindred. Almost immediately they established themselves in Chinatown and began
to forge ties to local criminal networks. Within a few months they had begun
smuggling Chinese laborers into the country for vast profits. This network was
apparently built at the behest of Zhuo’s sire, who sought to make use of the
demand for labor overseas to his advantage. The coterie also began to involve
themselves in smuggling of other types, breaking into the opium trade by 1902
and the vastly profitable “Triangle of Trade” that American opium clippers
utilized. The money rolled in. But it would seem that Zhuo’s sire (as the name
of the organization created at his behest suggests) did indeed involve himself
in the Boxer Rebellion, and backed the wrong horse. His childe could never be
certain, but it seemed the elder had likely met Final Death.
However,
Zhuo and his coterie continued on as if things had never changed. Only now, the
wealth was flowing entirely into their own pockets. Rather than accept a place
among any of the local covenants, and abandoning their cultural roots, these
vampires chose to form their own faction by drawing upon the handful of other
foreign Kindred who called the City of Angels their home. This group succeeded
in claiming Chinatown as their own domain, gaining formal recognition from
Prince Hunt in 1927. And when the times changed, the Red Lanterns changed with
them, shifting their operations and changing their focus as new trends rose to
replace old ones. Primarily they seem to be concerned with protecting their
“people” from assimilation by any of the American covenants and preserving
their culture and traditions. Many suspect that Zhuo has larger plans to
increase his own power, but enough divisions exist in his own domain to capture
and hold the elder’s attention for now.
Zhuo Huifeng is a
member of the Burakumin bloodline native to the Orient. Most of the time he
hides his visage behind the cloak of Obfuscate, presenting the image of a
healthy young man of unremarkable features, but beneath this cloak he resembles
a shriveled and desiccated corpse, a gruesome sight to say the least. He is
also a practitioner of the bloodline’s grim necromantic Discipline, and much of
the information he seems to possess doubtlessly comes from the bodies of his
victims and enemies. As such, Zhuo prefers to let others deal with outsiders
and visitors when he needs to make a good first impression. He has a seneschal
to serve this purpose, and some of his followers (particularly mortal ones)
might never even see the man who they serve. But when he must put in an
appearance, Zhuo prefers to dress in regal finery in stark contrast to his
withered frame. When possible, he wears the silks of a Mandarin with the
peacock feather of a civil servant; at other times, hand-tailored suits
suffice..
Jiang Xiumei
Bearer of Red Lights
Clan: Daeva (Vigor, Celerity, Majesty)
Embrace: 1900
Covenant: Unbound
To those who have ever been forced
to deal with him, none can doubt that Zhuo Huifeng is a powerful elder, but
personal power is not always enough. Given his Burakumin blood, social graces
are not one of the Lord of Chinatown’s strong points. The Red Lanterns deal
with a great number of mortals by necessity and the weakness of his bloodline
makes any contact between himself and the kine a potential Masquerade breach.
Therefore, to deal with his mortal contacts and herds, Lord Zhuo has acquired a
skilled, dedicated, and extremely loyal seneschal known as Jiang Xiumei, the
Bearer of Red Lights.
If Lord Zhuo is the head of the Red
Lanterns, Jiang is its mouthpiece. Should they even require contact with the
Kindred, any mortals that are part of the Red Lanterns report to her. Indeed
many mortal contacts, retainers, smugglers, and gang leaders believe that Jiang
is the head of the Red Lanterns and in the community at large she is widely
respected and feared as the head of the local Tongs. Among other vampires she serves as Zhou’s herald, dealing
with Court and covenants when he cannot or will not and relaying orders to the
lower ranking members of the Red Lanterns. Indeed, meeting with Zhou himself is
considered a sign of favor and a great honor, though typically only the oldest
and most powerful Lanterns are given this chance. Yukiko Nakamura is an
important exception to that rule, however.
In truth, Jiang is in many ways Lord Zhou’s revenge. The details
are sketchy, and known to few beyond Zhou himself and perhaps his childer. When
Zhou and his sire began to create the Red Lanterns in Southern China they were
forced to battle other local Kindred in Canton and Macao in order to take
control of smuggling operations there. Jiang Xiumei was the darling childe of
the Lord of Canton. The Red Lanterns
captured her in hopes of using her as a bargaining chip, but her sire was
apparently less attached to his progeny than he claimed. But rather than
destroy her, Zhou realized that a pretty face could be useful in his dealings
with mortals and other Kindred. Jiang remembers none of this, though. She has
been heavily conditioned and quite thoroughly blood bound, ensuring almost
total loyalty to the Lord of Chinatown.
It’s all probably
for the best, though. Although he understands courtly manners and courtesy,
Zhuo Huifeng operates better as a hidden hand crushing his rivals and
extracting information. Jiang, on the other hand, was trained to operate in
social circles as well as the halls of power. Her understanding of social
manipulation is probably on par with Zhuo’s own knowledge of information
management and political control. It would be unfair to claim that the Red
Lanterns couldn’t exist without her, but Zhuo would need a mouthpiece in any
case. Of course, if Zhuo ever suspects that his chains of blood are not enough
to ensure her loyalty... the Red Lanterns will quickly find themselves with a
new Bearer of Red Lights.
Yukiko Nakamura
the Fox’s Tail
Clan: Ventrue (Dominate, Animalism, Resilience, Protean, and Kamen)
Embrace: 1953
Covenant: Unbound
Bloodline: Unknown (Sotoha)
In truth, only a handful of the
Kindred who dwell in Chinatown and Little Tokyo were sired overseas, but each
vampire that was represents a deep mystery. And if the Kindred hate anything,
it is a mystery. Mysteries represent danger, and one thing every vampire wants
to avoid is danger. Yukiko Nakamura is something else entirely, a mystery
within the mystery. Currently she makes her lair in Little Tokyo and is,
ostensibly, a member of the Red Lanterns, but those who have investigated have
discovered a number of strange anomalies. While this “Snow Child” seems to enjoy the protection of Lord Zhuo, she also
appears to be an outsider among the outsiders.
When they speak of her at all, the
other Red Lanterns refer to Yukiko as the “Fox’s Tail,” but what this means is
unknown. Some also spit upon the ground
and refer to her as “nogitsune.” This literally means “wild fox” and is the
name of a creature in Japan’s mythological canon, but in truth this raises more
questions than answers. A member of Clan Ventrue was able to taste her blood,
confirming that she is a member of that clan; not too surprising given the
Disciplines she has been seen wielding. However, there is some evidence that
she might also be part of some obscure Asian bloodline, most notably the
references to her as a “wild fox” and reports of a unique Discipline she is
said to wield.
The truth of the matter is that Yukiko is a nomad from a line of
nomads, though she has traveled far further than most. Embraced in the dark
nights following World War II, as Japan was recovering from its crushing
defeat, she was selected by her sire for her paradoxical traits: a deep sense
of tradition and a mischievous personality she was both willing and able to set
loose. Despite her position as a childe of Lords, she chose a nomadic Requiem,
wandering the country at will, unbound by duty or responsibility. In all
likelihood this was an escape of sorts from the grim reality into which she was
born. Why she choose to risk travel across the Pacific before the turn of the
millennium is likewise unknown. But Yukiko does seem to be something of a
thrill-seeker, perhaps as a way to reconnect with her lost emotions and stave
off the ennui of undeath. Or maybe it is just a holdover from mortal days. In
any case, she now calls Los Angeles her home, though this could change at any
time.
In person, Yukiko
does not stand out. She looks young, almost a stereotypical schoolgirl, with pleasantly pale skin
and slightly crooked teeth. She speaks English well, though has not been able
to completely shed her accent, and other than slightly wild eyes seems most
ordinary. Those who have had dealings with her warn that she is an apple with a
rotten core. Yukiko is a deceiver of the highest order, reveling in dark deals
and taking almost obscene joy in fooling her victims, both Kindred and kine.
And yet she has a talent for getting things that a person wants or needs,
ensuring that more marks will always drift into her orbit.
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