1228 A.D. - Court
(August 6th 2004)

It had been a tumultous week in York. The Barony was in chaos. York has just suffered through the worst storm in living memory. Torrential rains and a punishing gale tore at the city, resulting in lives lost, and much property destroyed. Frantic work was already being done to restore the critical bridges in and out of the city. And serfs were busy clearing the wreckage of York Castle. The mighty keep constructed in timber was flattened to the ground during the height of the storm Thursday morning. Several people were killed, although thankfully the Sheriff of York, William de Stuteville, was in Scarborough at the time and escaped the calamity. For the Cainites of York, the storm was ill-timed and ill-omened. Baron John de York had just called his yearly court to assemble the Cainite of the Barony so that he might hear grievances before departing to the Great Council of Mithras in London.

Although Baron John's herald and other staff were in attendance at the Court in Saint Olave's Abbey, Baron John did not arrive. Early in the evening, however, the other three great Elders of the Barony made appearances with their entourages: Keeper Morwyn of Whitby, the Cappodocian, Warmaster Katla, a Ventrue of the same line as Baron John and rival to the Baron, and the aloof Toreador Lady Cynuise of Leeds. The three elders took little time from their schedules to socialize, however, immediately sequestering themselves in the chapel of the Abbey, setting Sigurd Aolfsson to guard the door and let none enter. It appeared the elders had urgent business to discuss, business that apparantly did not require the presence of their Baron...

"The Baron has met the Final Death..." It was not long before even the neonates were whispering the true reason why the Elders were sequestered away in their discussions, and why John de York had yet to make an appearance at his own court. It appears that the Baron was in York Castle when the storm took it down in the early hours of the morning, and serfs working to free those trapped inside accidentally revealed Baron John to the sun's rays. Word circulated amongst the Cainites of several deaths within the past two weeks... Everyone knew of the death by sunlight of Father Simon, destroyed seemingly by accident by the priests of York Minster. But many did not know also that Gerard, the Chamberlain and Childe of John, Ivar Ivansson Childe of Katla, and Connor the deputy Sheriff had also been destroyed through various events over the previous fortnight.

And it appears Baron John de York had much left on his plate when he so rudely allowed himself to be destroyed. Visiting the court were not only his own childe, Eloise of Durham(bringing reports on the Tremere), but Bernard from the Courts of Love in France, as well as an envoy from the Tzimisce Voivodate. Meanwhile, Baron John's Seneshcal, Evelyn de Rocherre, seemed cut out of the decisions being made by the Elders, and it appeared that the resentment she had gathered in her rapid rise in John's court was about to show itself. Baron John's usurper advisor, the Tremere Leland of Durham, merely attended court quietly, waiting to see if anyone would remember he was even there. And of course several of the younger Neonates were causing chaos just to increase the tension...the Franciscan Toreador Hereric was heard screaming of demons assaulting him on at least one occassion.

And then the Elders descended once more, and amongst them was the Baroness...Baroness Cynuise of Leeds. Of course, she would still need to be confirmed in the title by Lord Mithras, but she would first ensure that she had the loyalty of the Barony before she went to the Great Council. She asked for all the court to kneel before her, and demanded that any who would speak against her do so, before she began to announce changes to the Barony... Her grandchilde, Aquitaine, would be the new Chamberlain. And Katla would be made Seneschal and recieve the Fief of Walmgate, in addition to retaining the post of Warmaster. And Keeper Morwyn would recieve the Fief of Beverley, formerly held by Chamberlain Gerard.

Only one major problem presented itself to the new Baroness...Eloise, Baron John's youngest Childe and the lady of Durham, tasked with watching over the Tremere. Eloise took offense to the lack of respect paid to the destroyed Baron, and refused to bow down to Cynuise. As Eloise made to storm out of the court, a confrontation between Eloise, her retainer Thyrdwulf, and Cynuise and Katla began. Katla at one point pummelled a mouthy Thyrdwulf into submission, before Eloise made to get in her carriage and depart. Then a confusing battle took place, as Katla, Sigurd, and Sir Kendrick de Brus tried to storm Eloise's carriage in the middle of the courtyard of the Abbey. The carriage rattled off as Katla and Thyrdwulf tore into each other, neither doing much damage to the other, until the fight was finally broken up by Evelyn de Rocherre's arrival as she used her powers of Presence to make the Warmaster flee...

It appears the Barony has survived John de York's death...but for how long? Will Baroness Cynuise be able to hold the Barony together? Can she keep Katla and Morwyn under her thumb, or is Baroness Cynuise the puppet? And who killed so many Cainites in such a short time...?
 

Quotes

"May I announce you, sir?"
"I am but a mere sinner and worthless wretch..."
"Presenting a mere sinner and worthless wretch!"

"The Prince of Paris had dealings with Baron John..."
"And these dealings were...?"
"Between the Baron John and the Prince of Paris."

"The door is closed. I mean, physically closed."
"If there door was closed, I would not have entered."

"I only wish I could suffer as Jesus did..."
(said reassuringly) "Oh, you will..."

"I just have one question...how does a nun lose an eye?"