The Veilleurs

By Raoul "Violence" Borges (paercebal@hotmail.com)

Introduction

Alexis was buried deep in the reading of the ancient tome. It contained the proof that the some Templars worshiped Isis instead of the Christ. The consequences of this was important for the investigations made by the First Team of the Veilleurs. No Mage of any Order would have helped create this kind of worship. Even the Celestial Chorus would have prefered the One instead of a pagan goddess. The Garou weren't immortals, and the fact that Anubis wasn't worshiped was proof that the Silent Striders weren't behind this. Thus remained only the Wraiths, the alien Faeries and, of course, Vampires. Faeries weren't the kind interested by the Templars' banality. The Wraiths were powerful in Paris. But the Templar were involved in all Europe and Orient. From the Vampires, only the Setites were interested by Egypt, and no "sane" Setite would have promulgated the worship of Isis.

Alexis wrote some notes on a paper. He used an alien, unknown writing; it had no alphabet, no character from this earth (and perhaps beyond) matched this writing. Few knew about it and fewer knew how to read it. It wasn't a code, but a real language, with its orthograph, grammar, vocabulary and punctuation. This language was the main reason why no one knew much about the Veilleurs. As it matched with no other language, no cryptograph could even start to decipher it... A strange impression made Alexis raise his head. A shape materialized in the shadow of a bookcase. The Chantry of the Veilleurs was sometimes called the House of Shadows by its inhabitants, and only Alexis knew exactly why. Alexis and this woman, of course.

"The Avatars of Lameth and Anis left Paris with their allies. And Phantomas left too..." A sweet whisper, a little ironic. There was something in her voice that unnerved anyone who talked with her: a strange mix of superiority and childish, impish maliciousness. And the little supernatural edge that belied this impression. A silhouette of medium height, wearing a black silk cloak. Her face was hidden by the shadow of her black hood, but Alexis wasn't surprised: After, she was the Mistress of Shadows. He wrote the final words in his paper and told her:

"You seem to rejoice from this leaving, perhaps more than me, or even Sire Francois Villon." He looked her, waiting her reaction. She walked to the desk, in front of him. She was smiling, her eyes shining in the shadow of the hood which hid her delicate features.

"The powers of Lameth and Anis would have, in time, awakened Nebneferptah... And three powerful Methuselahs warring in Paris isn't a prospect I'd like to live...would you?" she added, as if she was talking to a child. She continued.

"How's the Affair?" The "Affair" was known by all. Pietro Giovanni blamed Francois Villon for is inactivity in front of the "Events." Alexis wished Villon to not interfere, and since, three preferred Vessels of the Prince were killed.

"Sire Francois Villon didn't like the present of the Giovannis. We found one of their secret havens in the western suburbs. But our Prince still waits for more information." The woman moved for the book-shelves. She was completely silent, but her grace still moved Alexis, even after the centuries.

"The Giovannis are a young Clan, full of passion. Pietro doesn't realise that he attacked someone as old as himself. He is wrong to underestimate the Clan Toreador. And Villon liked 'The Prince', of Machiavel..."

Alexis never liked it when she called his Prince 'Villon'. But she was Queen too, in her time...

"I thought you didn't like Machiavel." She looked the titles of the books in the bookcase, book unraveling the secrets of the Occult, so rare that some died to read them.

"Machiavel was a child; so is Villon, and Pietro Giovanni. Machiavel's cooking recipes are true but too simple to awe a true Methuselah... But its true, even Methuselahs read Machiavel..." She turned to face him.

"Villon and Pietro are from the same time but Pietro and his Clan are alone, but the Toreador are backed by all the Camarilla. Pietro thinks too much about his actions, and too little about retaliation, all the contrary of the subtles intrigues of our beloved Villon. I believe inconscient Pietro will be surprised in the Conclave..."

"Sire Francois Villon is anxious about the Red Death, and I've nothing, no information to give him." She seated in front of him, her white delicate hands laid on the desk. She took out her hood revealing black hair, dark blue eyes and bloodless but otherwise perfect lips. Her skin was as white as chalk. She could hardly be mistaken as a living creature. But her beauty was breathtaking, even for the centuries-old, unliving Alexis.

"I believe that it will be over soon. Villon still doesn't trust you?"

Alexis smiled but didn't answered.

"Villon would be stupid to trust anyone, but he loses too much by not trusting you." She smiled too, but her eyes remained cold and emotion-less.

"I would talk to him about you but, I think that even your awing Curriculum Vitae would only aggravate the situation..." She looked at her Knight with some trace of affection and continued. "I will tell you about the Unbeholden, but first, urgent information: The Giovannis have a manor 40km from Paris. There is enough occult material to keep the Veilleurs busy for some months -- and a lot of Giovanni servants. And here is my secret contribution to Villon. It's a copy of a conversation between our illegal Giovanni and Pietro..." She put the tape on.

"An interesting amusement, but much too broad to be practical. The treasures of the Louvre, despite Villon's conceits, belongs to the world, not just to him. Destroying any of them would be counterproductive. We need something with a touch more immediacy. Something personal."

"His Herd? Don Pietro, we know where to find some of his Vessels! Do we call the Assamite?"

"Much better. Villon likes to surround himself with a herd of witless beauties. The egotistical fool believes himself irresistible to women. It is a tiresome motion that needs deflating. Use what resources you must. Demonstrate to the Prince of Paris that beauty is only skin deep."

She smiled at her Knight and added, with a sweet and malicious voice:

"The Giovanni like to surround themselves with a herd of stupid and incompetent brutes. This megalomaniac fool believes himself invulnerable to the other Kindred. It is a tiresome notion that needs deflating. This tape will demonstrate to Pietro Giovanni that the power of money is only paper deep."

Alexis couldn't prevent himself from laughing at the arrogant stupidity of Pietro Giovanni. With this proof in his hands in the Conclave and in front of the Clan Toreador, Sire Francois Villon would make Pietro ridiculous if the big oaf ever tried to attack him publicly...

History

Francois Villon was conscious of the Magickal nature of Paris even before taking the power here. Alexis, his lieutenant, said to him that there were more in the capital than what could be seen first. Why were the lupines weak here? Why were more and more wraiths coming back to haunt the living? The Mages kept quiet but they never were reluctant to defend, no matter the price, the control of their Nodes, nodes so numerous in Paris that it could have been, if not for the Kindred, the capital of Magick. The origin of this influence, of this Aura of Decay and Corruption, as it was named by Alexis, was unknown. And what was unknown was dangerous. An altercation with his Prince made Alexis leave the Great Court (name of the Primogen of Paris) and vampiric society after the 1789 Revolution. He went to Egypt with Napoleon, fellow Kindred and a hundred mortal artists and scientists. Fighting the Setites, he succeeded to came back with copies of the walls of a tomb in Abydos. He reconstituted exactly this tomb below the louvre, as a present to Villon, who never had seen such antiquity.

Avoiding definitively the Parisian court, Alexis tried in secret to decipher some hieroglyghs with the young Jean Francois Champollion. After he had deciphered common ones, the work of this young one was edited and had the success we know. Alexis asked him if he wanted the Embrace but Champollion didn't. He remained a Ghoul for years, until he visited the Egypt and its wonders. Then,when stricken by a disease so powerful that even Ghouldom couldn't prevent his degeneration, Champollion asked for the Embrace.

After his Embrace, and after years of examination, they discovered the hidden meaning behind some hieroglyphs. Crypted, it was simply prayers to Thot and Sechat. Decrypted, Alexis and Champollion had the surprise of their unlives. They came out after years, to give the conclusion of their investigations to Villon. It was the proof of non-Setite Cainite presence in Ancient Egypt thousand years before the Christ. But, more importantly, they discovered occult information about vampiric Thaumaturgy and Rituals four thousand years before the "creation" of the Tremere Clan!

At the same time, manifestations of the Aura had become more and more bold, and more and more frequent. As wraiths appeared even in the Louvre, and even Villon and Alexis were attacked by a strange corruption creature, the Masquerade was really in danger. Alexis asked Villon for permission to create a vampiric organization whose aim was to study those paranormal phenomena. Villon, who had just created the Masques (another organization, the "Masquerade" Police of Villon, whose specialization is "Cleaning the proofs, dead, alive or unliving", whose Master is the dark and violent Ivan) after the 1870 Commune, thought that another counter-power to the Masques would be a good thing. The Veilleurs were created, and resources were given to them to study, or even "cure" paranormal violation of the Masquerade.

It was in the War of Traditions that the Veilleurs showed their utility. They discovered part of the Technocracy's intrigue, and were ambassadors and messengers to the Mages as, in the same, the Masques were fighting them in the streets. Note than even today, it's the Veilleurs who keep an eye on the Mages...

As peace was concluded, The Elders looked at the Veilleurs with a new perspective, and Alexis was invited to take his old place in the Great Court. However, he refused and resumed his studies in shadowed libraries. Some didn't like Alexis' reaction and Villon was one of them. Keep your friend near, and your enemies nearer, says the tradition. Someone who avoided his kindred and worked in secret with other Clan's Cainites was someone to be wary of. Lazlo, and most of all, Ivan were the official voices of the "discontented". Alexis had just finished to show to the Prince the final version of the Veilleur's Thaumaturgy, discovered in the papyrus of the Egyptian tomb. The Path of Blood, the Path of Lightning and a lot of rituals too. Adding the Path of Veille created officially by Criaar and Alexis, the Veilleurs threatened the power of Villon. But, as before, Alexis proved his loyalty to the Prince during World War II by helping save the Louvre's Art and calm down some German vampires.

Since then, the Veilleurs have been in a strange position, as they must keep far from Court intrigues. Their goal is study and research about supernatural. Villon is certain about the Veilleurs loyalty because of the Vinculum shared between the members and Alexis (Villon adds some of his blood in each ritual: Each Veilleur has a Vinculum with him, too). The Veilleurs are, then, as lawful to each other as any Sabbat pack as only he and Alexis know the exact ritual to destroy a Bloodbond. Note that only the Veilleurs know that they share a Vinculum. For other Kindred, all Veilleur are officially Bloodbonded to Villon.

Where the Masques clean up the mess, the Veilleurs became the eyes and ears of Villon, investigating the supernatural and sometimes in the Kindred affairs, for the Prince of Paris (the Masques are all Toreador: Sometimes, Villon needs to have a complete set of powers in a coterie...). If they don't have real power over the Paris' Kindred; they are those called to resolve enigmas and destroy threatening supernatural manifestations. With their loyalty to Villon, they are a sizeable addition to the Masques, helping Villon to keep his power in Paris, and in France.

Goals, Aims and Missions

Their official goal is to investigate paranormal phenomena occuring in Villon's Domain (France, of course...), find reasons and scientific or occult explanations, and if necessary, neutralize them. They don't have, as the Masques, the rights of Police in Paris. They simply have no power (unless personal power of the Veilleur) over the other Kindred. But as Villon hears them, they make dangerous witnesses and even potentially dangerous enemies. Few talk freely around one of them (their mastery of Veille is another reason).

The Mages are their exclusive field of work. In Paris, since the War of Traditions which opposed Vampires and Mages, no Kindred has the right to contact a Mage. It's not saying that no one has a contact (of any type) with a Mage only that Villon keep for himself the right to punish the insolent (he wrote some Edicts about it, and no sane Kindred would try the patience of Francois Villon). Only the Veilleurs have the permanent authorization to keep contact with Mages (they must make a debriefing, of course), as they are the Kindred's ambassadors in Paris for the nine Traditions. The Garou are more difficult to spy, but even the witch-hunters, Arcanum members, are followed, studied and and their fate decided by the Veilleurs and Villon. The Arcanum sometimes has contact with them to exchange informations, but the Veilleurs give them only what they know about other supernatural creatures.

The Veilleurs are sure that the Aura around Paris is something darker than imagination, and they work with stubborn energy to discover its source. Rumors of a Mathusaleh is considered possible and other theories are accepted, like a Wyrm Caern. Nevertheless, this creature is powerful beyond imagination, and is visibly a threat to the Masquerade and even the Kindred of Paris.

They have compiled a lot of informations in a library where one can learn about the Garou's Wyrm, Mages' Ascension or even the Oblivion of the Wraiths. Only Veilleurs (and Villon) have access to this library (called by some the Library of Shadow Secrets, or even Library of Shadows....), and few beyond this little sect know about its existence. Information is updated by the files written by Veilleurs after their missions.

Philosophy

Veilleurs are searchers. They must know, if they want to raise themselves in the hierarchy, and then in the personal power and knowledge access, some notions of history, archaeology, et al. But to keep their special and independent status in Paris, they must show their virtues each time they can. As they are at least bounded by vinculum to each other, and more importantly to Alexis and Villon, they are lawful agents of the Prince of Paris.

It's not a surprise that Alexis supported the learning of a new Path of Illumination for the Veilleurs: The Path of the Veilleur. As the Road of Chivalry (see Vampire: The Dark Ages) is used by the Veilleurs, it inspires at least reluctant respect as one know that a Veilleur will always keep his word. Someone talking to the Masques know that their only mission is to clear the mess. And if lying or killing is the mean to reach this aim, then let's go... Someone can, on the contrary, talk to a Veilleur as he knows that their only goal is to learn and solve, and that their Path asks them to be fair and promote a form of Justice. Here is the Path of the Veilleur.

Powers and Influence

The Police, Gendarmerie (french military police) and intelligence service are officially the Domain of Francois Villon by Edict. Alexis was given the responsibility to control two intelligence services: The D.S.T. (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire: Direction of Supervision of the Territory) is the intern Intelligence Service controlled by the "Ministere de l'Interieur";and the R.G. (Renseignements Generaux: General Intelligence), under the supervision of the Police (and again, the Ministere de l'Interieur). Alexis can use the Special Operations squad, a secret D.S.T. SWAT-like squad. To help the Veilleurs, each is officially a member of the D.S.T., under the name "Delta Department." The Veilleurs can have access with relative ease to high technology, be it weapons, electronics et al. They have an alternate mortal identity and some partial immunity which protects them from mortal would-be investigators and, more importantly, top priority access to 'strange' inquiries (where Alexis believes the supernatural could be at work). When one treasure hunter wannabe claimed to have discovered the Templar's treasure below the castle of Gisors, it was the D.S.T. which condemned the castle. (The treasure is now below the Louvre or in the Chantry of the Veilleurs for analysis.)

Furthermore, the Veilleurs have easy access to these Disciplines, Paths of Thaumaturgy and Thaumaturgical Rituals: Hekau Thaumaturgy (Egyptian Thaumaturgy created by Meryt-Neith)
Path of Veille (Primary Path)
Path of Blood (Secondary Path)
Path of Luminescence
Purity of Flesh (1)
Wake with Evening Fresheness (1)
Deflection of Wooden Doom (1)
Blood Walk (2)
Donning the Mask of Shadows (2)
Principal Focus of Vitae Infusion (2)
Shaft of Belated Quiescence (3)

We know that some other rituals exists, but they aren't so easily accessible. Alexis used one time in front of Cainite witnesses his mastery of the Path of Lightning (called first the Path of Set). The Hekau Thaumaturgy is a little different from the Tremere Thaumaturgy. The two are compatible but the verbal, somatic and material components aren't the same. (The Tremere can't say it was stolen from them...). See after for more information.

Members

The Veilleurs are known by their 'Status: Veilleur', and by their Generation, their Clan and their real personal Status in Paris. The 'Status: Veilleur' is, more or less, the trust Villon puts in this Veilleur. If a Veilleur asks someone to let him work in something of the Veilleur's jurisdiction (research, investigation), this person will (in the better situation) obey to save the Kindred security. If he doesn't, the Veilleur has the right to complain to Villon who will always favor the Veilleur if his 'Status: Veilleur' is greater than the Status of the Cainite who didn't obey.

The 'Status: Veilleur' replaces the normal Status when it comes to the Veilleur's jurisdiction.

There's only one "Grand Maitre" (Grand Master) and is the only one who can threaten a Noble (a Noble is a member of the "Grand Cour": Paris' Primogen). The others would require the "help" of a superior Veilleur to threaten a Cainite with a higher Status. Note that Criaar isn't known by all. His 'Status: Veilleur' is known only by the Veilleurs and Villon (his Corax abilities make him a good spy...). Criaar was officially the creator of the Path of Veille. Of the Veilleurs, Chan, Champollion, Criaar and Mary were embraced by Alexis. Mary is his lover.

	Veilleur Status	Generation	Clan	Status	Function
Alexis	4 (Grand Master)	7th	Toreador	3	Occultist
Chan	3 (Master)	8th	Toreador	3	Former Akashite
Champollion	3 (Master)	8th	Caitiff	3	Historian/Linguist/Occultist
David	2 (Chevalier)	12th	Gangrel	2	Commando (Former Sabbat)
Criaâr	2 (Chevalier)	8th	Caitiff	1	Abomination (Corax)/Spy
Cynthia	2 (Chevalier)	8th	Toreador	2	Seductress/Explosives
Merevith	2 (Chevalier)	7th	Toreador	2	Writer/weaponry
Peterson	1 (Veilleur)	10th	Nosferatu	2	Spy/Assassin
Mary	1 (Veilleur)	8th	Toreador	1	Lawyer
Pilate	1 (Veilleur)	12th	Nosferatu	1	Doppleganger (Vicissitude)
Naomi	1 (Veilleur)	12th	Toreador	1	Computers
Kyosuke	0 (Apprentice)	9th	Toreador	1	Young Martial Artist

Note the Pyramidal system: 1 Grand Master, 2 Masters, et al. Villon limited the Number of Official Veilleurs to 1+2+4+8=15. One cotterie was mysteriously destroyed. There's now some vacancies for would-be Veilleurs. Your players?

Havens

Alexis possesses several appartments, houses and manors in Paris and its subburbs. Two Havens are importants for the Veilleurs. The first is the Ruins, a Night Club created by Banshee, a Daughter of Cacophony, inspired by Notre Dame de Paris. Alexis uses the Ruins are reunion place for debriefing: The noise, er -- music is deafening for Auspex users and after that, the Veilleurs' Chambers are protected against electronic and magical spying (like the Chantry). The Dark Sorceress (Meryt-Neith) protected it in the same manner she improved the Magical Protections of the Tremere Chantry in the Ile St Louis (Island St Louis, in the center of Paris).

The Chantry, located in a "Hotel Particulier" (particular Manor, most official buildings in Paris are located in a Hotel Particulier), is protected by even more powerful rituals. There is an occult library with a copy of most occult books known (and some unknown!), like the Book of Nod in one of the most complete copies in the world. All Files are written in a strange alien language. It is unreadable by all (even Virtual Adepts and their powerful computers) but the Veilleurs and Meryt-Neith (who created it).

There is written all the information about the Generation and Sires of all the Vampires who put but one toe in Paris. Then there is studies where one can learn about past civilizations, occult mysteries and even some Thaumaturgical Paths.

There is, too, some cells where even Mages, Lupines of Wraiths would find difficult to enter... or exit. All was foreseen, and all who go in never go out by their own means or powers.

In Conclusion, the Chantry is a place that the Tremere would give anything to explore. There was even an Tremere antitribu invasion which didn't succeed.

Hekau Thaumaturgy of the Veilleurs

This Thaumaturgy was created by Meryt-Neith three thousand years before the Christ. As Meryt Neith was a Mage of no few powers, interested by Necromancy but in a poor health, Japhet (4th Gen Cappadocian) decided to Embrace her. She lost her mastery over Reality (Known to Egyptians as Ra-Hekau) and tried to master the more mundane Hekau praticed by some priests and court magicians. Combining it with the power of her Blood, and some help of Set, she succeeded. For him, She created the Path of Lightning (Set was then the God of Deserts, Storms and Lightning).

Meryt-Neith was Torporous in her tomb in Abydos when Setites came to destroy, in the same tomb discovered by Alexis. Before the beginning of the 20th Century and of the War of Traditions, Alexis showed Villon the results of his research. He asked Villon to teach this Thaumaturgy to the Veilleurs, and Villon accepted. The Tremere were furious. In Contrary of the more Hermetic Tremere Thaumaturgy, this Hekau Thaumaturgy wasn't full of Latin, Greek or Hebraic words or symbols from the Kabbal or another classic occult work. All the components of this Hekau were Egyptian (it was the proof that Alexis didn't steal it from the Tremere). the two forms of Thaumaturgy are equals and fully compatible (with some efforts of Traduction: multiply the XP by 1.5, round up). The Veilleur's Thaumaturgy is, in rule terms, found in the Vampire: Dark Ages. Upon learning the Thaumaturgy, a Veilleur wins a Point of Thaumaturgy, a Point in a Path of the Choice of his Master and a level 1 Ritual. Then, Thaumaturgy and First Path are different. Thaumaturgy is the potential to learn Paths and Rituals and costs 10 XP (never a Clan Discipline). Raising it costs 7 XP per level. Raising the First Path costs 4 XP per level. Learning a new Path costs 7 XP and raising it costs 5 XP per level. Note that the Secondary Paths can't be higher than the Primary, and that no Path or Ritual can be higher than Thaumaturgy.

Notes

This Status is the measure of the trust that Villon puts in the particular Veilleur, and then, his influence in Paris. A Veilleur can replace his Status by 'Status: Veilleur' when confronted by another Cainite when talking (or fighting) over a thing in the jursidiction of the Veilleurs. No matter his actual Status, if the Status: Veilleur is higher than the Status of the other Cainite, the Veilleur can give orders to him. If equals, discussions will decide of the winner. If lower, the Veilleur can always try . . .

Note that for clarity, I've decided:

Status	Power
0	Unknown, Caitiff
*	Neonate
**	Ancillae
***	Elder
****	Primogen
*****	Prince

Any Status over 5 must be divided between Status and Elder Status, introduced in the Elysium supplement.

Only Alexis reached the Level 4, and there is no Level 5 (As in Paris, only Villon has a 5-Status, and Villon is no fool).

Status: Veilleur	Title
0	Apprenti (Apprentice)
*	Veilleur
**	Chevalier Veilleur (Knight)
***	Maître Veilleur (Master Veilleur)
****	Grand Maître Veilleur (Grand Master: Alexis)

The Status: Veilleur is the same as D.S.T. or R.G. Rank: (See: Year of the Hunter: Operation Twilight)

Status: Veilleur	DST/RG Rank	Resources
0	- Veilleur	-
*	Agent Veilleur	**
**	Veteran Veilleur	**
***	Field Agent Veilleur	***
****	Regional Director Veilleur	***

The DST Rank offers some facilities to the Veilleurs, paid by the french contribuable. But the Veilleur can't abuse (or make profit) of it: their status in these intelligence services is classified beyond anyone's security level and other DST or RG agents don't like it (it's their job, after all) and they could start searching... The Veilleur must, then, limit their contacts with other mortals agents, and keep quiet. They must, too, avoid the DST or RG primary building.

Each Veilleur of at least Rank one can have access to secret knowledge in the Library of Shadows:




Occult	****
Lore: Kindred	***
Lore: Camarilla	*****
Lore: Sabbat	*** (not how to break a Blood bond)
Lore: Black Hand	**
Lore: True Black Hand	*
Lore: Inconnu	*
Lore: Lupine	**
Lore: Wyrm	**
Lore: Mage	***
Lore: Wraith	*
Lore: Faerie	*
Lore: Church	***
Lore: Inquisition	***

Some say that some secret tomes exists, hidden and their access limited by Alexis, and that some some grimoires talk about secret Sects behind the Camarilla and the Sabbat.

Secret Notes, for Storyteller's Eyes only

Who is behind the creation of the Veilleurs? Who is this mysterious Shadow Sorceress who haunts the halls of the Chantry and protects them from exterior threats (she was there to help the Veilleurs fight the Tremere Antitribu Siege)?

Alexis accepted Laureen's Bargain, in Russia, long before the French 1789 Revolution. He exiled himself in France where, following his Path of Chivalry, he offered his lawful service to Villon. Alexis came back with a copy of Meryt-Neith's Clan, where he discovered that the woman thought to be the Royal Wife of Oudimou was really one of the firsts Pharaohs of Egypt, and the first female one. She was, too, one of the Kindred, of the Cappadocius Clan, and lover of Set. But she was victim of Nefertiti's treason and killed by Setites around -900.

Champollion and himself were fascinated by this Cainite. As Laureen came secretly in Paris after the 1870 Commune, she was pleased to discover that the Veilleurs tomb-raiders were her Knight's creation. As she discovered more and more proof of Setite influence in Paris, she intrigued to be sent here by the Tremere Seven Elders more officially. She was behind the Technocracy's attempt to destroy the Mages and the Tremere. She was behind the disaster of Gustacio, the Tremere Chantry Leader of Paris. And she discovered Criaar and sent him to Alexis.

Then, after the Tradition Wars, she appeared in front of her Knight the first time since centuries. Alexis was horrified to discover the tomb he opened and copied was hers! He was appalled to understand that the Laureen he knew was five thousands years-old and that she was Meryt-Neith/Meryt-Set, lover of Set and Regent Queen of Egypt when the Antediluvian slept in Torpor!

She told her about her nemesis, a supernatural creature named Nebneferptah, former ghoul-mage of Nefertiti. She told him about his powers, and how she believed, perhaps wrongly, to have destroyed him three centuries after the Christ, here, in Paris. As she believed now that the Parisian supernatural phenomena was Nebneferptah's doing. Laureen, with her Tremere alternate identity, would be sent to Paris. She and Alexis decided to raise the power of the Veilleur who would have to fight the more and more powerful manifestations, and perhaps Nebnefertpah himself. She helped him complete the Hekau Thaumaturgy Discipline, the Paths of Blood. Then, with Criaar, they completed his Veille Thaumaturgical Path.

When she came back in the 1980, she presented herself to Villon, and then went back to the Chantry of the Veilleur, saying that Nefertiti was somewhere in Europe (she is in Berlin, see Berlin by Night). She gave the Path of Lightning and won the right to add her Blood to the Vaulderie's cauldron, and have the Veilleur feel a Vinculum for her.

Alexis hated to have two masters in the same time, but if Nebneferptah was as powerful as Laureen/Meryt-Neith (and his own studies) said, and if Nebneferptah was behind all the magickal chaotic manifestations in Paris, it was his duty to find and destroy him. Laureen doesn't participate to the Vaulderie, but is the infinite source of information of the organisation. Always hidden in heavy black silk cloak and hood, some Veilleurs knows her as an powerful and influencial elder who isn't officially a member of the Veilleurs. One of the terms of the Alliance between Laureen/Meryt-Neith and Alexis is that she can add some of her blood in the Vaulderie, without having to drink herself (she had done it sometimes, in front of Alexis and Criaar). Before each monthly Vaulderie Ritual, Alexis verifies that no Veilleur has been Bloodbonded, and that no one is infected by some blood disease.

Those bloodbonded are submitted to a strange magickal ritual by Alexis (who is the only one to knows how to break it and hide it behind magickal rituals and effects) who breaks his bond, and perhaps is punished if he wanted it.

Those diseased are put in Torpor some time in changing climate with magickal antibiotics to destroy the Infection. some years after, Laureen/Meryt-Neith awakens him (Mortis 3) and Alexis verifies his blood.

In each Vaulderie Ritual, Alexis adds Villon's Blood in the cauldron (and Laureen/Meryt-Neith's), if Villon didn't shows up, and anyone drinks it, creating an effective Vinculum between all members. Note that no one with the Merit Unbondable can become Veilleur (Alexis verifies the blood, bloodbonds the Cainite and then verifies if the Cainite is really bloodbonded). In each Vaulderie Ritual, roll a Vinculum for each member with each other member. For Laureen/Meryt-Neith, roll two vinculum and take the higher (Merit Strong Blood).

Author's note

The Veilleurs aren't a Bloodline so I thought a lot before giving it to B.J. Zanzibar's Word of Darkness. But as I gave the Paths of Ligntning and Veille, some people asked me about the Background behind these Paths of Thaumaturgy. One even asked me more and more Background about our version of the Paris by Night (Alex, I hope you'll like it...).

I believe a few of you made a Chronicle in Paris, and then, few will use the Veilleurs as such. But anyone can use the Background as idea to make their own vampiric organisation. It will demand some work, but I've done the the principal and only minor changes will be necessary.

For information, I tell you how this organisation came to my mind. First were the Korrigans, created by a French RPG review. They weren't complete, so I've made the work, changed some names, added Disciplines, all this with the help of my friend's Storytellers. But the most important came after.


If you were a Methuselah, alive since eons, what would you have done all this time?

I created this Methuselah, and added some Background. As there is no better ally, bodyguard and friend for a vampire than another vampire (!!!), Serpentis ***** would help keep loyalty high. As more and more Vampires were created 8th Gen or weaker, why not help them to reach the 7th (the Generation were anyone can create is own level six powers)?

How? By Diablerie, of course.

White Wolf publishers perhaps never thought about that, but any 5th Gen Vampire could raise any weaker vampire to 6th Gen.

For example, Meryt-Neith, created an Order of Knights all 6th or 7th Gen. She encounters a young Vampire she thinks would be a good Knight. But the Vampire is only 12th Gen. Then Meryt-Neith asks him if he wanted to raise in Generation, in exchange of a service: If one day she call him to help defend her, he will come. If the 12th Gen accepts (Meryt-Neith studies him long before asking him, and only asks if she feels he will accept; ever read the Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand?), Then she puts him in Torpor, takes out his heart and awakens him with a drop of her strong blood. Then she gives to him five mortals (his or her enemies?) who were Embraced by her (and are now 6th Gen). Drinking one after the other, the Vampire raises to the 7th Gen. As his Humanity drops, she give to him the principles of the Road of Chivalry (see Vampire: Dark Ages). The young Vampire is now a Knight of Meryt-Neith, unable to threaten her as she can destroy his heart with but a thought. Then Meryt-Neith leaves him to his life. Some die, but others survive, become powerful, and when Meryt-Neith comes back, this Knight is, perhaps, a Primogen or Bishop, a city Clan Leader or master manipulator. Her most devout Knight could be raised to the 6th Gen and participate in Meryt-Neith's intrigues . If she started to create her Knights since -500, then some of them could be very powerful member of the Camarilla, Sabbat, Inconnu or even True Black Hand member.

And if one of them, one of the most lawful vampire even embraced, became one of the Lieutenant of one of the greatest Toreador in the world...? And if this lawful vampire created a powerful organisation...? And if he was one of her most lawful Knights but she couldn't raise him to 6th because of the Prince's powerful Auspex?

I hope it will stimulate your imagination...