1. Prologue
2. First Movement
3. Second Movement
4. Third Movement
5. Fourth Movement

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Fourth Movement: The Cacaphonous Sounds Build For One Final Note

Session 15 - Canon

During a particularly calm point in the chaos in September 2004, some few of the remaining Cainites of Detroit gathered to decide what to do next. A major topic of discussion was the "Gehenna Radio" broadcast by a pair of Black Hand operatives in DC, one of the few sources of news of the outside world that the Sabbat of Detroit possessed. Adam Gray, in particular, was adamant that they fulfill the request of the operatives; when asked why he felt he had to do so, he revealed that he, himself, was also a Hand member. After some discussion, a target station was determined and the Cainites of Detroit set off to the building where the transmitter was located.

Upon arrival, it was readily apparent that the tower had at least some power, as some lights were visible. Amara of Vorare Praedatori utilized her command of beasts to send a group of rats into the building to investigate, who reported that there were "normal people" on the top floor, and "smelly people" on many of the other floors, which they assumed to mean shambling dead.

Armed with this information, the Cainites made their way carefully towards the top of the building, but were stopped several floors shy of their destination by a crude but effective barricade. Not wanting to make their presence too well known, they resolved to seek another path, eventually settling on the service ladder in the eleveator shaft. However, it was quickly discovered that the ladder had been greased, as William Walker of Vorare Praedatori nearly fell down the shaft before being caught by members of Earth's Corps. With some care (and use of rope), all of those in attendance were eventually able to reach the top floor, where the controls for the station were located. Finding the door blocked by a heavy bookcase, members of Nike and Earth's Corps worked to clear it while members of Vorare Praedatori and Legacy attempted to clear the floor of shamblers. While the zombie strike team was successful with little trouble, the group entering the control room was assaulted by a hunter who appeared out of nowhere, attacked, and vanished just as quickly when he realized he was outmatched. The group also discovered a pair of terrified office workers, who were able, after some coaching and use of persuasive powers, to direct the vampires in how to operate the basics of the system. Armed with this knowledge, the Cainites were able to set up a repeater to echo broadcasts from Gehenna Radio.

Having succeeded in this task, most of the Cainites dispersed, but members of Earth's Corps took Joseph Martinelli of Nike to meet Lyla, the dhampyr with whom the Blood Brothers had met the previous month. After some brief, cautious conversation, the two sides again agreed cautiously to continue exchanging information, and then parted ways.

Of course, that's only one way of looking at things; here's what some other people thought:

Session 16 - Sforzando

Near the end of October, some few of the remaining Cainites of Detroit gathered together to discuss the future. Most, particularly the members of Earth's Corps and Joseph Martinelli of Nike, had reached their limit in dealing with the truancy with the Archbishop, and so planned to confront him. Martinelli also wished to speak again with Lyla, as his study of vampiric texts indicated that she might be of dire import to the resolution of the now-evident Gehenna.

However, before any such things could be resolved, the Blood Brothers were called away to deal with some matters of import by their Ductus Tweedle, and so Martinelli and members of Vorare Praedatori were forced to deal with things alone. First, a meeting with Lyla revealed a pair of possible solutions to his newly-enhanced feeding restriction (which prevented him from feeding from anything but Ventrue and Brujah), one of which involved forsaking his Ventrue antitribu heritage and become a Caitiff, and the other of which was becoming a sort of Lilim. Not wanting to make such a decision immediately, the assembled Cainites left to confront the Archbishop.

Discovering him to be unrepentant, Martinelli challenged him to monomacy. The rules of the challenge involved the two being in a ring, surrounded by the other Cainites with firearms. Anyone who left the ring became fair game for the surrounding shooters. Martinelli took advantage of this by Dread Gazing Anastacio, who, badly injured by the shots, attempted to call upon Obtenebration to protect himself, but this action proved to be his undoing: something emerged from the Abyss that he could not control, which dragged him back with it, to his demise.

Not long after, the Blood Brothers returned, looking a bit worse for wear and with a now three-eyed Tweedle in tow. When asked what had happened, it was revealed that, in fact, the Blood Brothers had been visited at their new haven (having abandoned their previous monster-haven due to its instability) by Pritchard's sire, Vasantesena, who informed them that she, Tweedle, and one other Malkavian were all that remained of that heritage, and that the time for "unification" had come. She then asked for information about her "Granddaughter," and eventually decided to offer herself to Tweedle, to give her a better chance of defeating the other claimant. Tweedle, who then snapped to something resembling lucidity, took them to the landfill where their monstrous haven had resided. There, they encountered an anchient and evil Malkavian known only as Ankheru, who raised an army of unusually quick and skilled zombies to hold of the Blood Brothers while he and Tweedle attempted to settle who the Final Malkavian would be. After Earth's Corps had ground their way through most of the zombies, however, a giant beast burst from the trash-heap: the monster that was once their haven. Clearly outmatched on their own, they utilized their powers of Sanguinus (briefly restored by Vasantasena/Tweedle's magics) to form a Coagulated Entity, and engage the creature. They were eventually victorious, as was Tweedle, who consumed Ankheru's soul and, through it, those of the rest of her clan.

Now returned but worse for wear, the Blood Brothers relayed this information to the rest of the city, and began to question Tweedle, who now seeming purely lucid, and infinitely knowledgable. After some conversation, it was determine that Lyla was, in fact, an Avatar of Lillith, and that her guardians were members of the Third Generation who had not broken Caine's strictures against embrace but subsequently turned to Lillith instead of Caine. After more was revealed about what the various factions of Gehenna, the group there made some plans, Lyla was consulted, and Martinelli accepted the offer of one of her guardians, the Cainite "Mallory" who had previously visited the city (in actuality, one Mekhet, the spiritual "founder" of the Caitiff), turning himself from Ventrue to Caitiff. The Caintes then adjourned, to prepare for the fast approaching end . . .

Of course, that's just one version of what happened; here are some others, if you'd like:

Session 17 - Fine

The Sabbat of Detroit gathered in December for what would be the last time. Having observed the signs and portents, many suspected that the true Gehenna was at hand, so Joseph Martinelli, the only remaining Cainite of city authority, called what he could of the city together to discuss what they could do about it. This lead to a long discussion of what Tweedle had previously revealed about Lyla, and something resembling a plan was devised: essentially, as Lillith was seeking revenge on Caine for his betrayal, Lyla was to attempt to petition her to leave when she was done; that is, it was agreed that the world would be better off without both of them, and that although the death of Caine would doom all of his childer to destruction, that was a better fate than that which they now faced. However, there was one flaw in this plan: while Caine's death would end the existances of all of his childer, the Antediluvians could escape this fate by diablerizing each other and thus trancending into something no longer Cainite. Thus, it was decided that as many Antediluvians as possible needed to be destroyed before Caine's arrival.

Through Tweedle, the Sabbat of Detroit were aware that a Toreador Methuselah had taken up residence in the city, and was preparing for the arrival of Ishtar, the clan's founder. Following a series of clues as to the potential whereabouts of this creature, went to investigate the DIA, where they discovered a group of mortals under the apparent thrall of powerful Presence. While most of the Cainites were searching the building, members of Earth's Corps caught the Methuselah, Helen of Troy, in the process of devouring her food. The Methuselah used her powers to terrify one member of the pack, and enthrall another, but was subdued quickly through a highly fortunate thrown stake, and summarily dispatched.

The Antediluvian's food supply thus cut off, the Sabbat hunkered down to wait for her arrival. When she appeared, out of nowhere, she quickly utilized her incredible command of presence to immobilize most of the city, and had subdued most of those who remained, when the Withering struck her low, and she was staked by another member of Earth's Corps. She, too, was summarily dispatched.

Flush with victory over one of the hated ancients, the Sabbat headed out towards where Lyla was, only to be interrupted by a building nearly falling on them. The driver was, fortunately, able to evade it, as well as the creature which had caused it: a giant reptile creature, in which Absimillard, the Nosferatu Progenitor, was apparently housed. After evading it, they developed a plan: keep it distracted while Perry of Vorare Praedatori attacked its "weak point" with an improvised explosive. The plan was working, and then another Ancient, called only the Shaper, intervened, claiming the kill as her own, and devouring Absimillard. Her celebration was cut short, however, when the earth opened into a giant maw, devouring her, at the behest of Ennoia, the Gangrel Antediluvian.

Concern over this was short lived, however, as before the Cainites could ponder this turn of events long, they discovered that Lyla was being summoned, presumably by Lillith, back to the alley where they had first met her. Upon arrival, they found a woman who could only have been Lillith herself, along with Mekhet, Narcisse, and a strangely lucid Malakai. Shortly after their arrival, three more figures arrived: one who those who had visited Hunedoara recognized as Saulot, one who everyone recognized as a very haggard but strangely ominous looking Humo, and a sad looking man who would have been unremarkable, had he not exuded an aura of power. Caine addressed Lillith, asking her if this is truly what she desired, to which she responded by ordering her companions to attack.

A being of pure darkness burst from Humo to face Malakai, while Saulot dispatched Mekhet in three quick blows. Narcisse, however, turned her powers back on Lillith, striking at her from behind with the powers of her voice. Before Caine's minions could press the advantage, however, Saulot dropped to the ground in agony, and exploded into a tentacular horror which struck at everyone present. Tweedle moved to defend Malakai, Narcisse was destroyed, and Lillith annihilated Tzimisce/Saulot as the shadow being Lasombra turned on Caine. Then Lasombra was destroyed in a flash of light, as two final actors arrived: an angelic figure, and a ghostly man who was immediately recognizable as Caine's brother. Abel forgave his brother for his long ago crime, at which point Caine lost all will to fight. Abel held out his hand, and Caine took it, crumbling to dust as his curse was finally ended.

For a moment, all was calm. But then, every Cainite felt the power of the curse which had kept them animate begin to leave. For one brief instant, the power of the curse of Caine, which, at its core, is a curse of stasis, locking its victims at the moment of death, slipped away, and only the energies which powered it remained. It was in this instant that those who were strong of will and true to their moralities were able to use the power of the curse to transform themselves into something new, before the energies bled away. Many returned to mortality, while others chose to walk as something else entirely. When the dust settled, there were no more Cainites, nor even Vampires, remaining.

With their enemies finally destroyed, and the curse of Caine purged from the world, the former Sabbat of Detroit decided to celebrate by going out for Italian.

The End.