The Milwaukee Chantry was one of the Tremere clan’s most unique and secretive chantries. It accepted only vampires of ancilla rank or higher, meaning there were no neonates. Its particular interest was the null zone of Milwaukee located near Marquette.
When Carna fled, Many Kindred assumed that she had destroyed Victor and Mortius, two of her Tremere companions in Milwaukee. Only one of these killings actually occurred. Mortius was in Prague studying the local version of Blood Sorcery when the clan's schism took place, and he returned to find a sparsely populated chantry. Mortius cared little for clan or sect politics, being more focused on strengthening and expanding his knowledge while quietly leading a cult known as the Ashfinders. He has remained in Milwaukee for as long as it suits him.
The Tremere have not reestablished their presence in Milwaukee, leaving the secrets of their Chantry vulnerable to outsiders. Kindred from Chicago and beyond have been migrating to Milwaukee, eager to uncover its hidden secrets before the Tremere return.
Description[]
The Tremere of Milwaukee were once one of the most exclusive coteries in the United States. Their sole purpose was to unravel the secrets of the strange mystical “Null Zone” near Marquette University, where magic does not function. Then Carna abandoned Milwaukee on the eve of a Sabbat invasion, and her fellow chantry members, Victor and Dr. Mortius, disappeared soon after. The Tremere have not reestablished their presence in Milwaukee, leaving their Chantry’s secrets vulnerable to outsiders.
Kindred from Chicago and beyond flock to Milwaukee to uncover its occult secrets before the Tremere return. Karl Schrekt is assembling an elite coterie to reestablish the Milwaukee Chantry before Carna and her allies can do the same. Interested parties race against time to recover whatever they can before their window closes forever.
Loresheet[]
Carna’s Primogen Files: While nominally apolitical, Carna managed to collect a significant amount of information about her fellow Kindred during her tenure as Primogen. You have access to Carna’s Primogen Files and gain a bonus die on all Politics rolls involving the Kindred of Milwaukee.- Abandoned Real Estate: Carna and Victor maintained numerous havens throughout the wealthier areas of Milwaukee. Your search uncovers one such haven, providing you with access to a two-dot Haven in Milwaukee, equipped with a two-dot Occult Library (Carna) or two-dot Hidden Armory (Victor), and potential clues to the location of additional havens or Tremere secrets (Storyteller’s discretion). Tremere agents are certain to follow, so take up permanent residence with extreme caution.
- Victor’s Grimoire: Victor was the deadly enforcer of the Milwaukee Tremere and had access to a potent array of unique rituals. You have located Victor’s Grimoire and cache of occult rituals. Subject to Storyteller’s discretion, Blood Sorcerers may immediately learn one of the rituals located in The Chicago Folios, p. 174, and have a roleplaying justification to learn additional rituals from The Chicago Folios through the standard expenditure of time and experience. Non-Tremere are hunted mercilessly for mere possession of this knowledge. Learning these rituals still requires Experience expenditure.
- Objects of Desire: You have uncovered the subject of Tremere study in Milwaukee, a strange “Null Zone” where magic does not function, centered on Marquette University. Tremere records indicate that objects of incredible power are located somewhere in the zone and may be possible to recover, but opposition from Clan Tremere, Lupines, and/or Magi is extremely likely. You gain a precarious Haven Background rated at four dots, though with it comes an Adversary at two dots and an Enemy at two dots.
- Dr. Mortius’s Haven: You have located Dr. Mortius’s haven, a “haunted” house near Marquette University. It is a three-dot haven with an awe-inspiring, yet utterly disorganized, occult library. The library grants you a three-dot bonus to all Academics and Occult rolls and is filled with a wide range of other secrets. At the Storyteller’s discretion, these secrets might include: Access to Blood Sorcery; Innocuous magic items; Information about Milwaukee’s magical “Null Zone”; Theories on ancient Kindred in Lake Michigan; A copy of The Book of the Grave-War (though missing half a page or so). At the Storyteller’s discretion, Mortius’s haven may contain a variety of mundane and mystical defenses to penetrate prior to entry.
History[]
The Tremere in Milwaukee were few in number, but they were among the most powerful in the United States. There were no neonates; only Elders and Ancillae of the clan resided in Milwaukee. Initially, their small numbers made the Tremere presence seem weak, but this was far from the truth. The most vigilant among other clans understood that the Tremere only sent their most trusted servants to the city.
The Tremere carefully controlled their clan's population in Milwaukee. Any Tremere in the city was there on a mission from Vienna or was a rogue disobeying the clan’s decree regarding the city. This order, issued by Vienna in 1903, remained in effect ever since. Only powerful Tremere Elders were allowed in Milwaukee, and the few neonates created there were quickly sent away. Any Tremere found in Milwaukee without permission was executed by the clan.
After a Lupine attack on New Year’s Eve in 1901, the Tremere began investigating the Lupines' interest in Milwaukee. The cause of their concern was unclear, but some intriguing facts emerged. The clan discovered the null zone centered on Marquette and shifted their investigations to this location, overlooking the possible connection between the null zone and the Lupines’ interest in the city.
Hindered from thoroughly investigating the site due to the ongoing Lupine presence, harassment from Anarchs, and even a member of the Society of Leopold on Marquette’s faculty, the Tremere made little progress in their studies. Little is known about the nature of this area. Mortal mages seem to understand little of this magical anomaly, despite Richard Fludd’s efforts to study it using many potent mystical artifacts. He left the region 15 years ago and has not returned.
At an unknown point in time, Carna, the Primogen and Regent of Milwaukee, found the Book of the Grave War (secretly aided by the Malkavian Jacob), a Noddist text that revealed how she could break the blood bond tying her to the Pyramid. When the other Primogen suspected her of becoming an antitribu, they staked her and delivered her to Victor. Carna apparently managed to kill her overseer. Gathering a group of followers around her, she left Milwaukee, heading west to the Anarch Free States.
Carna seized the opportunity to diablerize a vampire generationally close enough to Caine to destroy her blood bond. The Milwaukee Chantry was abandoned along with its studies and secrets. After some time, Karl Schrekt began assembling an elite coterie to reestablish the Milwaukee Chantry before Carna and her allies could do the same.
List of Kindreds[]
References[]
- VTM: Milwaukee by Night, p. 49
- VTM: Let the Streets Run Red, p. 229
