Shadows of Austin

For a long time, the small town of Waterloo was not home for many vampires. Rather, it was a place for transients and, for lack of a better word, outcasts from the various Sects to pass through and grab a bite to drink before continuing on their way. The single Kindred who claimed the small town as her domain was a Nosferatu by the name of Camila. She welcomed her fellow Kindred when they came, but overall lived out a lonely Requiem, secluded from others. Not much is known about Camila herself--including covenant membership--save for rumours that have since been twisted and clouded by the passage of time.

All of this peacefulness changed, of course, as the city expanded. With the foundation of the Republic of Texas, suddenly the small village of Waterloo had piqued Kindred interest. While a few members of the Lancea et Sanctum were the first to shuffle in, it was the Invictus that made the first official claim for rulership over the growing domain.

There are varying stories as to how the Invictus did it, in the end. Some claim that they incited the solitary Elder's wrath against the Sanctified who crowded her domain, all while professing an alliance with the church. Others claim that it was they that orchestrated the annexation of Texas to get to the growing city (though, many will point out that it was an inevitability with or without Kindred involvement), and then forced themselves into the city's government. And many more of them don't care how the Invictus claimed dominion, only that they did.

Ultimately, what matters is that Austin grew into a joint-leadership between the Invictus and the Lancea et Sanctum, much like many of the other domains in the area. Prince Samuel Anderson of clan Daeva kept a tight leash on his city, though the rampant favouritism he showed his own childer created a tension that continued to grow, and eventually came to a head when the Great Depression hit.

During the Great Depression, Kindred suffered as much as the mortal populace. Starvation meant thinner blood. Thinner blood meant Kindred needed to drink more -- which lead to anemia and disease, and to more death. The Kindred population of Austin was unable to sustain itself, and when it finally came out that the Prince's favoured Childe, Martha Abernathy, had turned to the Amaranth to slake her thirst, the Sires of her victims revolted.

What followed was a war between Kindred families that threatened to rip the domain to shreds, and resulted in the bloody ends of several of the Prince's line -- including the Prince himself. Those that were there claim that one night, Elysium began and ended with the discovery of the youngest childe's corpse, its stomach stuffed with a mixture made of blood, the ashes of its ancestors, and the petals of a white rose.

The destruction of the rightful ruling line lead to a series of grabs for praxis that lead to a strange tradition forming. Assassination targets were presented in some way, shape, or form, with white roses. To give one--however indirectly--was a declaration of intent. To be given one was a deadly warning. To wear them, it was said, was to tempt death--or perhaps to mock it.

Before long, though, the killing and constant intrigue became too much. Eventually, using these conflicts as an excuse to act out old, forgotten grudges through their childer grew tiresome, but they refused to back down. The childer, for that matter, had grown to resent this bloody status quo and were desperate for a way out. A decision had to be made.

The families each refused to cede power to the other residents, but as fate (or perhaps his own plans) would have it, an outsider by the name of Jonas Rodriguez of clan Ventrue had been forming alliances among the families youngest generations. He was a well-traveled man from Mexico, who claimed to have traveled to more countries in his short unlife than many of the elder Kindred who had been settled in Austin for quite some time. He told tales of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, and planted the ideas he'd discovered there in the heads of the youngest generation -- with, of course, a few details altered here in there to smooth the transition.

When the end of one of the city's tense Elysia was caused by the anonymous presentation of a bouquet of white roses addressed to the Invictus, it was the final nail in the coffin of their praxis.

In the following years, the younger generations banded together and overthrew their elders -- in whatever ways worked. While the revolutionaries, now understood to be the Carthian Movement, expressly discouraged The Amaranth and 'officially' forbade its use, there are still rumours of the act having been performed. Others sought to subdue them politically and pressure them into a surrender. Some of these elders went quietly, as torpor called to them and they were left to their long slumbers. The vast majority, however, simply declared the city of Austin a lost cause, and saw themselves out, heading towards greener pastures and safer nights elsewhere.

Under Premier Rodriguez, rebuilding the city was a slow, steady process. The population of Austin had dwindled to under 20 Kindred, the majority of them being Neonates who had little to no prior experience with politics, and even less so with an undead society that looked anything different from that of the Invictus. However, through Premier Rodriguez's guidance, the small remaining community of Kindred worked to rebuild. The population of Kindred never truly recovered, but over time as word spread of the progressive Carthian rule of the domain, members of the Sect from all over the South trickled in and sought to establish themselves.

Eventually, things stabilized. They weren't perfect, but the newfound status quo proved to be working. The laws put in place for strict population control and protection of the herd meant starvation was rarely an issue (and if it was, it was never reported). The formerly disenfranchised childer seemed to have found their voice and began striving for more than just survival, as their Requiems deepened and they searched for fulfillment. Most were content, and the aging Premier groomed his domain with a fine-tipped comb, ensuring, above all else, that his citizens were heard, and the health of the state was first and foremost. It was around this time, however, that rumours began to circulate that the Premier may not be as openly benevolent as he claims to be. None of these rumours ever became more than such, however, and the Premier retained a good image and standing among his citizens.

The Premier sunk into Torpor around 2015, and since then it had taken about a year for a consensus to be reached. An intense Ventrue ancilla by the name of Dr. Rachelle Thornton took over the city in a tight election against her competitor, an Ancilla Nosferatu by the name of Aiden Cross, pulling ahead last minute when the votes from Clan Mekhet came in.

Her campaign and early term brought to light several points of tension, however. The new Prince not only was an ex-Dragon, but also one who spoke of the evolution of ideology, and was not shy about her desire to push further reform, and to reintroduce spirituality and the quest for enlightenment. All of this behind her, it was no surprise that when a strongly-worded (to say the least) message was sent to the domain from San Antonio, that Dr. Thornton was more than happy to open the doors of the city once more to the more spiritually-minded covenants. As a show of good will to neighbouring domains, members of the Lancea et Sanctum were encouraged to come visit and plant roots in Austin and encourage spiritual enrichment. The Ordo Dracul and Circle of the Crone, though far more sparse, were extended the same invitation more quietly.

The more intense members of the movement criticized this decision harshly, claiming the Premier was welcoming foxes into the henhouse, and slowly reintroducing the factors that nearly caused the domain to implode so many years ago. Some more progressive members of the movement found it to be appropriate that the domain was striving for equality for all -- not just Carthians, though their votes spoke of a desire and agenda to keep the Movement on top. Plenty of others simply did not care, as long as the population did not grow to a point it threatened the safety of feeding once more.

All in all, Austin exists in a somewhat tense state of affairs, with insiders constantly debating, criticizing, and trying to shape it in their image, to the looming threat of a single misstep drawing upon them the ire of surrounding domains. While the growing Carthian state of Austin in the south is an exciting prospect for many, there are others who are more than a little wary of the ideals being put forth and introduced into the local political ecosystem, and taking both subtle and overt steps to prevent that sort of change from showing itself in their own back yards.

The Carthian Movement -- The ruling covenant, of course. The Carthian Movement have placed themselves in power, dug their claws in, and aren’t letting go any time soon. Viewpoints range from “jingos” who are fanatically loyal to the Carthian state they’ve created, to outspoken critics. Either way, Carthians are treated with the most regard, and given the strongest voice. It’s no coincidence that the Carthians occupy the most positions of power in the government they’ve created.
The Invictus -- To say Invictus membership of any sort is discouraged in Austin is a massive understatement. While they aren’t blood hunted or overtly punished, they tend to be the first people look to when wrongdoing happens. Invictus diplomats who don’t plan on putting down roots, however, are treated surprisingly well, if only to keep the First Estate from finding an excuse to try to take over.
The Lancea et Sanctum -- The Sanctified's viewpoint is far from unpopular, and while the Carthians are largely wary of allowing them too much power, the undeniable pressure coming from Prince Esmeralda of San Antonio causes the Carthians of Austin to walk a very narrow line when dealing with the Sanctified. In fact, the Sanctified are the reason that the more mystical sects are allowed practice within the city, simply because outright oppression would lead to a war between domains that Austin is not prepared for.
The Ordo Dracul -- The Ordo Dracul is few in number in Austin, but valued for their ability and desire to join the ranks of the city's Night Doctors. Overall, they and the Carthians employ a "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to their studies, and so long as they aren't caught violating any rules, that works just fine for everyone.
The Circle of the Crone -- The Circle find themselves in an oddly convenient spot in Austin. While they’re given no special treatment for their ‘religious’ views, they've learned how to operate within the city's laws with ease. It’s an open secret that the Circle does still continue to practice their bloodier rituals past city limits -- operating on the seemingly intentional technicality that crimes committed outside the city cannot be punished within it. They tend to not be given any positions within the government structure, but they don't care much for the respect of secular fools anyway.