The Story So Far

The Venture Corporation is a multi-national corporation that produces everything from sodas to computer systems. It also happens to be run by vampires. Not all employees are vampires but the ones in charge are. The company has two faces, a public one and a private one. The public one's CEO is a human named Vance Richards who is the ghoul of the Senior Partners. According to some rumors, the ghoul is a double for one of the senior partners, but no one is certain since few ever get an audience with the Senior Partners, and even fewer return from such meetings.

The corporation is primarily run by Ventrue Invictus, and almost all major positions within the corporation are filled with the covenant. The exceptions are few and far between and are often either Ventrue or Invictus or "act" Ventrue Invictus. Each city is controlled by a CEO and each CEO runs their branch differently. The North East is an interesting exception as much of it has no CEO. No one in the area knows why this is the case. Some of the offices are newer ones, but only New York has kept a CEO in recent years. Perhaps everyone got promoted, or perhaps not.

Currently, the area is overseen by the enigmatic Vice President, Ashton Lowe. He has only been seen in person once. The board of directors in the area holds monthly meetings to discuss the events of the previous month and the plans for the next.

Like the other cities in the North East, the Vice President has final authority. However, most employees deal only his assistant, the Chief Administrator, Miranda Price. Ms. Price replaced Harrison Grey, after he went to stabilize a situation in New York. He in turn had replaced Eva Cross, who disappeared mysteriously. It was later discovered that her disappearance was related to a diablerie cult within Venture.

The Cities
There are three main cities in the area, Annapolis, Baltimore, and D.C. Richmond was also considered part of the area until it's destruction by Anarchs a few years ago.

The Story
Like the other cities in the North East, the Regional Manager has final authority. However, no one has met the Regional Manager, only their assistant, the Herald, Harrison Grey. Mr. Grey replaced Eva Cross, the former Herald, and it was later discovered that her disappearance was related to a diablerie cult within Venture.

Until recently, the city of D.C. was controlled by the Ordo Dracul. The Research & Development committee were the reason for this. At the same time, the Mekhet was Eminent. In Annapolis, the city had been controlled by the Carthian Movement. The heads of the movement and of Venture in the city were Jacob Sachs and Niles Peters. Sachs was the Prefect for the Carthian Movement, as well as being the Director of Information Systems for the Tri-City area. His right hand was Niles Peters, Myrmidon for the Carthian Movement and Director of Security for Annapolis. Baltimore meanwhile had been controlled by the Invictus and the Mekhet.

Things were fairly quiet in D.C. until a break-in revealed the presence of a creature called Friend of Shadows, who was possessing one of the accountants for Venture, Richard Larson. After a wild goose hunt that sent them after the local werewolves (and fortunately ended peacefully), the security and research teams hunted down Larson and discovered the possession. After eliminating the Friend of Shadows, it was revealed that a creature called the Azlu had taken up residence under the corporation. The security and research teams worked together to eliminate the threat.

For a brief time leading up to the CEO elections, the Invictus were Ascendant, after the climb to power by Richard Donalds and the arrival of Lord Zhigao Wushang from China.

During the CEO elections in May of 2006, Donalds and Pickman were running for CEO, and Donalds was not favored to win. However, just before the election, one of the other candidates, Jacob Sachs, was killed, and Dr. Pickman and the Ordo Dracul were framed for his murder. As a result, Richard Donalds was elected CEO over Marcus Lobo. Dr. Pickman and the Ordo Dracul were later exonorated for the assassination plot, and it was revealed that the Anarchs, a group of kindred who believe the Masquerade must be broken, were behind the plot.

Shortly thereafter, Lobo's right and left hands, Rottwild and Marion disappeared, and Lobo went into seclusion.

Unfortunately for the Invictus, their troubles didn't end there, and Lord Zhu had a falling out with the rest of the covenant in the area, and was forced to return from China. Shortly after the elections, Mason Locke was promoted to be Donalds Chief of Security, and James Barnum was made the Master of Elysium. With this support, the Sanctified were able to become Ascendant. After his innocence was proven, Dr. Pickman was made Chief Financial Officer.

Again, a short tranquility occurred before it was interrupted by the discovery that a high-ranking member of the corporation, William Bartlett, was involved in a diablerie cult along with Niles Peters and Robert Zucker. After attempting to diablerize Jon Randolph (and successfully diablerizing many others), the cult was discovered and brought to trial. Unfortunately, many Carthians in Annapolis were also implicated as they tried to help Peters (not knowing he was a diablerist). The others involved were sentenced to death, but Bartlett demanded that the Invictus tradition of Monomancy be upheld. The request was upheld by the judge, a visiting Invictus Judex, but under the condition that Bartlett was blindfolded during the fight. He and Richard Donalds dueled to the death, with Richard killing Bartlett.

Recently, a new pastime has developed in D.C., known as the coliseum. Run by Mr. Barnum and Mr. Grott, with Mr. Benoit from Baltimore acting as bookie, the coliseum allows kindred to test themselves against each other. They and observers can bet on the outcomes.

Around this time, a corporation named Gilgamesh began trying to court vampires from Venture. Apparently when they couldn't get any to come willingly, they kidnapped the Herald of the Regional Manager, Harrison Grey. Apparently, the owner of Gilgamesh was a former ghoul who had gone rogue. He now wanted to become a vampire, and tried to use Grey to accomplish that goal. Gilgamesh was quietly bought out by Venture and a strike team retrieved Grey.

Over the past year, Mekhet had been disappearing from the Northeast, with the disappearances getting closer and closer to D.C. Eventually, Dr. Nigel Peppers disappeared and it was discovered that a cult of mages known as liches had been hunting down Mekhet to try and become immortal. Chamyle Henderson and the security team destroyed the cult and rescued Dr. Peppers.

It had also been discovered that a cult of Morbus Kindred in D.C. had been plotting to enact a ritual which would infect a large percentage of the mortal population with a disease that would make them violently ill and affected ghouls even more violently. Fortunately this plot was discovered and the plague bearers were destroyed.

Recently, a team of efficiency experts who report to the Regional Manager, The Triad, have come to town to evaluate the offices and determine where there could be improvement. Their findings resulted in multiple employment terminations, and a lot of shakeup.

During a Baltimore gathering, during the grand opening of Zhi Wu Lao's Dragon Ride club, an Anarch terrorist blew himself up, killing some Venture employees and injuring everyone else. After the bombing, a note was found, presumably to a Venture employee who works for the Anarchs, who is dubbed "Shadow Walker". An investigation into the identity of the mole is underway.

At the following Washington, D.C. meeting, the board of directors issued a No Confidence vote in CEO Richard Donalds, which then required all share holders to vote. The vote carried, and Dr. Pickman replaced Mr. Donalds as CEO.

That same night, Mason Locke, the CSO, was impaled on a katana by an unknown assailant. However, it was revealed not be the one CEO Donalds is known for carrying around. It is presumed it was either the mole or an agent working for the mole. Inquisitor Locke was able to fend off the attack, and survived.

Later, it was discovered by Bryssa Spunel, and Jonas Nathan, that Richard Donalds was, in fact, the mole. He was apprehended and later handed over to his sire. However, when a team of investigators went to his ship (he had been planning to flee the area), it exploded, and they were then attacked by some of Donalds fish people.

At the next gathering, Madeline Smith, the former Social Director returned, and began shouting loudly at her former rival, Mason Locke. Locke donned a white mask and took on an unholy appearance. Director Grott grabbed Smith as she attempted to flee, and Locke, Grott, Pickman and Williamette questioned her before Grott bound and gagged her and left with Silent Jim and Williamette.

At the annual shareholders meeting, where visiting shareholders from Japan, London, and India met with the local Kindred. For the first time, the Regional Director appeared, and made some proclamations. He announced that blood hunts would be called on an Anarch called The Sadist, and all former employees, including Dr. Nigel Peppers and Muhammad El-Shabbazz. He also announced two contests, one to track down the Heart of Eliza, and one to test the ability for competitors to overcome their nature.

Things were quiet for awhile, and then shit hit the fan. A group of Anarchs attacked when almost all of the security team was out of the office. Fortunately, everyone made it out alive, and managed to neutralize the threat, but there was obvious tension between Locke and Pickman.

This played out at the next session, where Locke lead an attempt to remove Pickman as CEO. The move boiled over into the public forums as posts from the Sanctified's private forum were made public. This was apparently the result of a Sanctified member betraying the rest of the group. To learn more about that, read the forums.

At the game, the vote was called after some last minute deals were struck, and the vote of No Confidence was approved with some riders that will make Jonas "Nil" Nathan CEO, will require that either Mason Locke or Augustine leave the board, and that no Bloodhunt may be called by the new CEO on Dr. Pickman or Wilhelm Grott, both of whom left the company as soon as the decision was announced.

Despite Pickman leaving, the vote still had to pass in order for Jonas to become CEO and the riders to pass. The vote went through, and so Jonas was made CEO. One of the riders passed made it so that one of the Sanctified board members had to step down. As a result, Mason Locke took over Augustine's board position and leadership of the Legal & Accounting committee, and Augustine has stepped down from the board. Cat Piss has been removed as Social Director, after it was learned that he was a diablerist, but he still lives.

At the next gathering, the night started off normally in the conference rooms of the D.C. office, with covenants meeting to discuss plans. However, Mason's fashionably late entrance dragging the Sadist behind him shook things up. He proceeded to interrogate the Sadist, who informed everyone at the gathering that Madeline Smith, the former Social Director, was working willingly with the Anarchs. Mason then announced he was going to demonstrate a concoction Dr. Hawthorne had been working on, and poured a liquid from a glass jar into the Sadist's mouth. The Sadist went into convulsions before eventually dying and crumbling to dust. Mason then declared he was leaving the area, and his post as Chief of Security, to work the Regional Manager to destroy the Anarchs.

Things seemed to calm down some as Mason and Augustine disappeared. However, they soon returned with Madeline Smith to interrogate her. As the interrogation began, Smith attacked Mason, and appeared to have developed more physical prowess than when she was active in the area. A fight erupted, and ultimately Smith had to be knocked into torpor to prevent her attacking Mason. During the combat, Mr. Khasturi, a new arrival to Baltimore frenzied after trying to shoot Madeline with an arrow and failing. Eventually, he was able to be subdued.

After the altercation ended, Mason and Nil had a discussion of beliefs (Mason believing the Anarchs needed to be purged and Nil believing that there were other options). Dr. Hawthorne interrupted, causing Augustine to lose his temper at her for sinning against the city (see the Ascendancy rules for the Sanctified), and striking her with his claws. Strangely, this had no affect though disciplines were openly displayed during the earlier altercation. The Hands component of John Smith subdued Augustine, and then Augustine left. Mason finished his discussion with Nil, they agreed to disagree, and Mason left.

Soon thereafter, Kenneth Leshay stood up to make an announcement, but was acting like Dr. Pickman. This raised concerns of Leshay being compromised which have not been resolved. Nil then announced that the Mind component of John Smith would be his Social Director. For those keeping track, this means one of the components is a Board Member, one is Social Director, and one is Nil's adviser in the Carthian Movement. These guys are moving up the ladder. Positions still open are the head of Legal & Accounting (though they need to find a new, active member to fill out the committee first, CFO, and CSO.

The next gathering was an offsite held by Harrison Grey in Baltimore. The night started off with a bang with an announcement from Harrison Grey that a reorganization was underway, and some committees would have increased number of allotted employees and some would be reduced.

He also introduced his guest, Felix Ratford (and there was an intimidating fellow with him named Echo) and said that he was donating a significant amount of money to the corporation. Everyone then seemed to split up for a night of meetings and back room deals. At the end of the night, Cat Piss, a known diablerist had left the city, Zoe Childress was appointed CSO, Salvatore Falcone was appointed CFO, and Kenneth Leshay was appointed head of Sales & Marketing. At the very end of the night there was a struggle between Echo and the Hands component of John Smith over a vial that appeared similar to the one Mason used at the last gathering on the Sadist. Hands claimed Echo was trying to plant it on him, Echo claimed that Hands had it first. Dr. Hawthorne took the tube, but not before it was spilled on Hands shirt. It did not appear to hurt Hands, but the Mind component touched the shirt and then had Dr. Jordan perform surgery on the hand, presumably because he believed he was in danger. The altercation ended when Grey ordered everyone to cease and leave.

At the next gathering, as soon as Echo showed up, John Smith's Hands frenzied and began attacking him. Hands was eventually able to flee, but not before trying to get back in to attack Echo a few times. Felix Ratford and Echo also didn't make many friends, with rumors circulating about insults to Dr. Jordan, Zoe Childress and Jonas Nathan. Apparently, Mr. Grey and Mr. Nathan spoke to Ratford and Echo, but what's going to happen there? Is Hands going to be punished for violating Elysium and Carthian Law? If so, what will the punishment be? Will Felix and Echo be told to piss off? Just how much money is Ratford investing? Stay tuned.

Not to be outdone by this, there was also big news from the D.C. office, that it had blown up! Actually it was just a little explosion that took out a large section of the exterior wall and windows, and apparently little else is known. Security is looking into it.

At the gathering after that, at the beginning of the night, Harrison Grey announced that he was leaving the area to take over as Division Head (CEO) of New York. VP Lowe has appointed Miranda Price as his new Chief Administrator. It was also announced that Trevor Bell, and Zhi Wu Lao had been added to the list of missing employees, and Grey's last act was to call for them to be found and their disappearances to be accounted for. The rest of the gathering was taken up with discussions of the developments and group meetings. There are rumors that Loss Management and Occult Research & Services, the two newest teams, have named their Team Leads. If that's the case, then the board should be finalized soon and the reorganization should be almost complete.

The next gathering was a little more low key. The new Chief Administrator, Miranda Price, announced an initiative from upper management for recruitment. All employees are invited to Embrace new candidates for the empty positions. Those that produce candidates that are selected will be rewarded. Those that produce poor candidates will be punished. Candidates not selected will be destroyed.

Story continues on the Blog.