BLACK: Nashville's WoD History

BLUE: Nashville's Requiem

Before the time of the white man, many powerful forces ebbed and flowed throughout middle Tennessee. The land was unclaimed by any one native tribe. Instead, it was used as a hunting ground by many. Often, battles were fought in attempts to control the area, but no one tribe remained in control for long. Legend says that the land was cursed before time; others say that a dark power called the land its home. Regardless of the truth, middle Tennessee remained uncontrolled and untamed by mortal hands for many centuries.

In truth, some sort of creature stalked middle Tennessee. It could have been vampire, but its true origins are unknown. What it known is that the creature was here before vampire history was recorded in Nashville.

During the 1650's, a French explorer named Chaleville established a trading post in middle Tennessee. It came to be called the French Lick. Over the next 50 years, the outpost would come under a series of attacks from native tribes, but the post would survive. However, in 1714, the French Lick was abandoned. Strangely enough, this did not occur from tribal attacks or from sickness. The survivors that relocated to other areas did not speak of what they saw in the French Lick. In fact, though many lived on, not one of them ever spoke a word again.

It is believed that the creature was angered by the white man's taint on middle Tennessee; and in its rage removed what it saw as unnatural from the earth. The people that did survive the creature's attack were so stricken with fear that accurate accounts of what it was or even what it looked like were impossible to record. Some vampire scholars suspect that some form of Dominate or the Nightmare discipline was used to prevent the people from recounting what they had seen.

Later that century, in 1769, the French Lick was re-established by Timothy Demonbreun. Over the next 20 years, settlers would arrive from other colonies, searching for new beginnings. James Robertson and John Donelson each set out from the Carolinas with many families in two separate expeditions to settle the French Lick. James Robertson’s group arrived first, mostly intact and relatively unharmed. John Donelson’s group, however, encountered great resistance and experienced many casualties during their journey to the French Lick. When all was said and done, approximately 50 people settled the French Lick, in hopes of making a new home.

With the settlers came a vampire. His name was Bruno d'Moir, and he was a Gangrel Invictus. He was sired in 1739 in the region of North Carolina. His sire was demanding, to say the least. Once his oaths of service were complete, Bruno left his sire in search of independence. In truth, what Bruno sought was to build control. Bruno traveled with John Donelson; and strangely, the people with whom he traveled met many an unexpected demise.

As Bruno attempted to settle middle Tennessee, he was forced to battle the creature that first called the area home. Bruno called the creature "le Mauvais", the Evil One. It took all his effort and many dead childer before Bruno destroyed the creature. With his enemy gone and no other vampire to challenge his rule, Bruno set about strengthening his grip on middle Tennessee and helping the population to grow.

In 1784, North Carolina Legislature gave the French Lick a new name—Nashville. Twelve years later, Tennessee became the 16^th State. For the first time, it seemed middle Tennessee’s curse was lifted. Over the next 50 years, Nashville’s people prospered and grew in numbers. In 1843, Nashville became the state's permanent capitol; and by 1850, almost 75,000 people called the area their home.

As Nashville's mortal population grew, so did its Kindred counterpart. As new vampires came to Nashville, Bruno was forced time and time again to display his vampiric might, both through the use of his mortal sway and by the powers of his blood. In 1842 he officially claimed the title of Prince.

In the 1830’s an enterprising young Nosferatu of the Invictus covenant moved to Nashville. He went by the name of Mr. Gott, and he was the first Haunt to come to Nashville. It didn’t take this kindred long to endear himself to Prince Bruno. By the 1840’s Bruno wondered how he ever got along without Mr. Gott, as Mr. Gott handled all of Bruno’s business affairs. Through Mr. Gott's influence drugs and crime flourished in Nashville. Bruno named Mr. Gott his first Primogen and gave the enterprising Nosferatu charge of downtown Nashville.

Around 1843 the most famous of Bruno’s childer was sired. Hank “the Cracker” Winters, was an overseer on one of Nashville’s plantations. He was a hard ass and a racist, which ultimately were the traits that endeared Hank to Bruno. Over the next several decades Hank would join the Invictus and hone his skill with the whip. Even in kindred society the nickname stuck.

In 1846 a young Carthian of the Mekhet clan made his presence known in Nashville. His name was Clark Burnell and he came to Nashville from North Carolina. At first he kept a low profile, but he intelligently invested in many of Nashville’s newspapers. Over the next decade he would show the Invictus the importance of media allies. In 1852 he was named Primogen of the North East and became the city’s 2^nd Primogen. He and Prince Bruno had an uneasy relationship, but Bruno couldn’t deny this young kindred’s influence. Bruno bought off Clark in hopes of avoiding any major conflict. Mr. Burnell used in newfound position to foster the Carthian Movement in Nashville.

During the early 1850’s a Ventrue named Dante Salvatore came to Nashville. He was the first member of the Lancea Sanctum to arrive in the city and the first Ventrue. As the first Sanctified member of Nashville’s court he played kindred politics carefully. He established himself as refined kindred of good taste. It would be many decades before he would rise to power, but in the meantime he simply made himself and his talents useful to the court.

In 1857 a group of Irish Daeva arrived in Nashville. They called themselves the Mac Brenna family. These Mac Brenna where the first Daeva to come to Nashville and the first members of Nashville’s Circle of the Crone. Two of their number are important to Nashville’s kindred development, Caedmon and his childe Edana. Through the leadership of these two kindred the Mac Brenna’s would claim one fifth of Nashville’s land as their own, the South East. Prince Bruno was outraged, but there was little he could do against such a large group of old kindred. Tension between the Mac Brenna’s and Bruno’s own brood of Gangrel would last for many years.

Due to the situation with the Mac Brenna, Bruno named Hank “The Cracker” Sheriff of Nashville. This move was in hopes of keeping the peace, but ultimately in hopes of keeping the kindred of Nashville in line. For a time it worked. Hank was a tough mug to be sure, but he was still young.

Soon after the Mac Brenna’s arrival another Daeva, but of the Ordo Dracul came to the city. His name was Aeric Sinclair and he arrived following a family of mortals also named Sinclair. He endeared himself to the Carthian Mekhet, and the two would work together quite well. By 1861 Aeric was Seneschal of the North East.

During the Civil War, the population in Nashville rose up to approximately 200,000 people; and amidst all the destruction and chaos, the area plunged into sin. Vice came to rule Nashville; and those willing to provide the many facets of vice became very powerful. By the end of the Civil War, prostitution was Nashville’s primary source of income, with tobacco a close second. Cocaine also found itself to be a cash crop of middle Tennessee; and it would remain legal well into the 1920's. Northerners and Southerners alike called Nashville home; but the animosity caused by the Civil War remained, regardless.

Racist groups found a lot of sympathy in the area of Nashville during and after the Civil War. It did not take long for the good old boys network to surface and cause fear among the colored citizens and the newly-settled immigrants. In 1867, the Ku Klux Klan was formed, and its weight fell over Nashville. During this time, many immigrants came to Nashville, and the supremacist elite was all too happy to indenture them to the lowliest of work.

The 1860’s would raise Nashville’s Primogen to three. Dante Salvatore used his influence with the church to appeal to the recently freed slaves. As North West Nashville swelled so, too, did Dante’s kindred status. In acknowledgement of the work he had done, and in hopes of buying him off, Prince Bruno named Dante Primogen of the North West in 1867.

During the Civil War another up and coming kindred arrived in Nashville. He was a Mekhet and of the Ordo Dracul. His name was Count Viktor Iorga, and he ended up both controlling the South West and winning the respect of Prince Bruno and his brood. Count Viktor quickly gained control of the Nashville Police, and showed Bruno what an important ally he, and his friends on the force, could be. In 1869 Prince Bruno officially named Count Viktor as Primogen of the South West, the 3^rd Primogen of Nashville.

Also during the Civil War, the Mac Brennas struck out against Bruno’s brood. With the arrival of many Northerners, the Mac Brenna’s land swelled. It seemed easy for these Irish kindred to sway the northern mortals. Using the War as cover, the Daeva group weakened Bruno’s hold in their claimed territory. During the events, Bruno’s childe Hank was placed in torpor by one of the Mac Brenna. With the mediation of Count Viktor, Bruno and the Mac Brennas found peace. Because Caedmon was suspected to be behind the Mac Brenna’s movements, Edana was named Primogen. Part of the arrangement prevented Caedmon from entering into Nashville’s court. Hank was assisted in rising from torpor. Soon after Caedmon entered torpor, Edana Mac Brenna became the 5^th Primogen of Nashville.

1880 proved to be a monumental year for the vampires of Nashville. Le Mauvais rose again. At first, it seemed content to kill off the mortals that had overrun its territory, but soon it grew hungry for the other predators encroaching on its hunting grounds. Vampires began to die. At first, Prince Bruno only sent small coteries of vampires to hunt the creature, and few of those coteries survived. The ones that did recounted what they saw to the Prince. His fears where correct; le Mauvais was back. In order to defeat the creature, the prince gathered his childer and those other kindred in Nashville willing to fight. Bruno and his team tracked le Mauvais to its lair and attacked. All the Prince’s childer except Hank died, and in a final epic blow dealt from le Mauvais, so did Bruno. Fortunately, Bruno had managed to grievously wound the creature with his own vicious claws. Hank and the other remaining vampires took action, and defeated le Mauvais. As it died, the creature turned to ash and sunk back into the earth.

With the Prince dead, the 5 Primogen called a meeting to decide who would succeed him. The council was unable to agree, and with each of the Primogen controlling equal power no true candidate stood out. None where willing to step forward, but none where willing to subject themselves to the other’s rule. In this way, a truce was formed. Instead of having a Prince, the Primogen council agreed to rule Nashville as a collective body. Overtime some of the Primogen would compete, for territory and for power, but eventually stability was achieved.

The council bought off Bruno’s child Hank. Aside from the Primogen themselves, he was the only other influential kindred in Nashville. They named him Sheriff. Upon receiving the title a second time, Hank took one of Bruno’s old guns and had “Cracker” engraved on the barrel. For over a hundred years, that pistol has served as the Sheriff’s badge of office. Many kindred refer to the Sheriff position as the Cracker, rather than the Sheriff. This title shift never bothered Hank a bit.

As Nashville’s population soared, so did the coffers of the rich. Nashville was a heaven for criminals, prostitutes, and drugs. Those looking for honest work remained under the boot of the elite, but those less morally inclined discovered that every man could live the American dream, albeit through questionable means. Money was money, and skin tone or racial heritage was easily overlooked with enough of it.

With more people came more vampires to feed on them. As the century turned, Nashville’s kindred population continued to grow. Another Kindred rose to the rank of some power during the early 1900’s. Her name was Kitty Von Grueler. She was a Nosferatu of the Carthian Movement, and through her own talent for gossip, she became the city’s first official Harpy. When it became obvious to the Primogen that Kitty would take the position, they made sure to vote her in so that other kindred of Nashville understood they had the power, not her.

In this way, Nashville grew. The inner city became darker and darker; and those with enough money were lucky enough to flee to the outskirts of Middle Tennessee. For a time, their money saved them— but not for long. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, Nashville’s economy plunged. Honest people turned to crime, and the streets erupted with more violence. In retaliation, the local government enforced severe laws and outlawed the things that had established the city—drugs and prostitution.

In the 1930’s Clark Burnell’s body was found by the Carthians and Aeric Sinclair in Burnell’s haven. Burnell had been missing for 3 months without any contact at all. The body was missing its heart, and a bowl of blood was found next to it. On the wall the Latin characters V and N were written intertwined over each other in Burnell’s blood. The Carthians suspected he was killed by the Invictus as Burnell often mentioned that he defected from the First Estate. A long investigation occurred, but no local kindred were found responsible. Aeric Sinclair replaced Burnell as Primogen.

As times grew tough, Nashville's people would turn to God. As Christianity taught them since childhood, their pain would one day be relieved by death and everlasting salvation. However, the wealthy elite used the people's religious fervor to control them, preaching peace in order to gain compliance. With God on their lips, a new kind of slave was born. The poor working class citizen would rebuild what the Depression had taken from Nashville at the behest of those in power.

The ranks of the Lancea Sanctum swelled at this time. Several of the sanctified would claim Nashville as their home. In addition, the existing ones found new reason to sire. For the Lancea Sanctum life was good during these years.

Despite Nashville's religious revival, jobs still remained scarce. It seemed starvation and illness would inevitably carry the entire city into despair; but war would once again revitalize the city's economy. World War II was an angel in disguise as far as the Nashville citizens were concerned; and the Volunteer State would live up to its reputation. All of Nashville in need of work gladly enlisted. Some were motivated by pride; but most were motivated by the emptiness of their pockets and their desire to feed their families.

With war came jobs—jobs of all sorts, not just soldiering. With jobs came money, and with money came food. Nashville's economy began to grow from the bottom up. Those families most unfortunate to lose a loved one to the war received compensation. In this way, Nashville was revitalized. By the late 1950's, Nashville was back on track. The religious politicians controlled the city, and its people once again had jobs to keep them in place.

Aeric Sinclair made a wise investment in the 1950’s. He bought in on a new style of music becoming popular in Nashville, a little thing called “Country Music.” Over the years, Aeric’s investment would prosper, and some kindred even boast that Mr. Sinclair is responsible for the phrase “Music City.”

The “Baby Scandal” also happened during the 1950’s. It was discovered by Karen Alder, a young Invictus that appeared in Nashville during the 1920’s, that Ms. Kitty, Nashville’s Harpy, liked to devour children. Karen was able to present to the court that numerous child killings and disappearances of the last 60 years were, in fact, the result of Kitty Von Grueler’s strange appetite. Of course Kitty was immediately ousted as Harpy, but the scandal wouldn’t end there. Ms. Kitty went crazy after being removed from office and began killing children left and right in hopes of shattering the Masquerade. The court of Nashville captured her, and after a short trial she was put to final death. After the event Karen was named the Harpy of Nashville.

The 60's and 70's flew by, and with them Nashville’s heritage returned. The new generation was much less concerned about religion and much more concerned about sex and drugs. New groups grew in power. Mafia families and crime syndicates planted the seeds that would later allow them to harvest Nashville’s power. The conservative government would overlook the growth of drugs, underestimating the effects it would have on coming decades.

Each of the five Primogen planted their own seeds. As there were five Primogen their would be five Mafia families. None of the other Primogen wanted the other to gain the upper hand through controlling more of the mortals of Nashville.

By the end of the 80's, the local government could no longer compare to the power of the crime families. The politicians were crooks themselves, many owing favors to or having membership in one of these families. Through drugs, the families controlled Nashville's people; through the people, the families gained Nashville's money. Through the money, the rest of Nashville fell under the families' control.

In the 90's, gang warfare would become a standard of day-to-day life in Nashville. For safety, the rich would build walls around the suburbs. In this way, a hierarchy of social status would develop. The poor had to fight to live; the rich hid safely in their suburban walls; and the middle class would balance back and forth between the hardships of the inner city and the safety of the suburbs. The crime families would make money from all social classes, employing the poor for their dirty work, controlling the middle class through vice and debts unpaid, and providing the rich with drug-induced, pleasure-filled lifestyles in return for a hefty profit.

In the early 90s Mr. Gott, Primogen of central Nashville and leader of the Invictus, went missing. In 1995 James De la Croix, childe of Dante Salvatore, led the Carthian Movement to take central Nashville. James’s coup of the territory led many Invictus to point fingers at the Carthians for Mr. Gott’s disappearance, and believed demise. No incriminating evidence was ever found or brought forward. James De la Croix still serves as Nashville’s newest Primogen.

With the new millennium, technology boomed. Cars are faster, computers are faster, and credit cards are faster. People are more willing than ever to part with their hard-earned cash in exchange for whatever pleasure takes them away from the burden of living. Former criminals are now Nashville's wealthy elite. Politicians hunger for reelection and their ever-growing bank accounts. At the base of it all sits the average Joe, a work-hating dreamless slob going about his day-to-day routine, hoping that maybe tomorrow they will die.

In 2004, Hank “the Cracker” requested permission to sire from the council. In the past he had been denied, due to the council’s wish to keep Bruno’s brood from rising again. With the new millennium, and Hanks exemplary service as Sheriff for over 100 years, his request was granted. That was the last anyone heard from Hank.

In March of 2004, Aeric Sinclair’s child took over as Sheriff. In May of 2004, she went missing. In June of 2004, Sister Betsy, a Lancea Sanctum Mekhet from Northeast Nashville, took over as Sheriff. She continued the investigation of Hank’s disappearance, as well as Aeric Sinclair’s child. In September of that same year, Sister Betsy went missing. During the same four-month period, five other kindred of various Nashville territories also disappeared. In October of 2004, another Lancea Sanctum took over as Sheriff. His name was Ronnald Benchmen, but everyone called him “Runny,” due to his Nosferatu deformity of always having a bloody nose. Runny disappeared that same month. Nashville has been without a Sheriff for almost 3 months, and kindred continue to disappear.

So begins 2005…