The real cause of the fire that started during the night of August 16, 1296 is unknown. Most of the city of Ragusa was burned down and later rebuilt from the ground up. The fire also took out all of the resident Kindred and most of their ghouls.
Of the survivors from that period we know only two: Miho Dišić, Gangrel primogen since the first day of the Republic, who takes residence in the mountains and prefers to move between the small defensive forts. Still active in Kindred society, he is the prince’s Scythian (sheriff). He is widely rumoured to have a pack of werewolves who do his bidding. The mortal Kaboga family are his blood relatives.
Verzo, an ancient Ventrue Kindred, who has since slipped into torpor. All the Ventrue residing in the Republic are of his bloodline. It is said that he was one of the Illiryans who built the first setlement that will one day become Ragusa.
The year is 1647. The Republic is governed by a younger generation of Kindred, who took the lessons and shared the common wisdom of the Kine and are doing things a little differently. Not wishing to stir the pot, the Republic has a formal prince as acknowledged by recently risen Camarilla. The potentially dangerous truth kept under the rug is that the local Kindred have a Small council and an elected rector who changes every six years. The core of the power structure is a triumvirate and a coterie consisting of
- Flora de Resti (Cvijeta Restić) a Toreador.
- Trifun de Bucchia (Trifun Buća), a Ventrue
- Orsat, a Nosferatu
Their position is strengthened by the implicit support of Miho Dišić; and the permanent ambassador from Constantinople Warmaksan, once a Berber warrior, now a Banu Haquim Kindred.
The three of them play to each other’s strengths and are wisely following the trends set by the Kine generations. Namely they managed to create a strong trade organisation for the Kindred that transports and acquires specialised goods. With Orsat in charge they have an espionage network to rival the best of the era. Finally they take care to support the Kine of the Republic in their machinations and actively aid them in defending the sovereignty of the Republic.
Right now, even with the slow decline of Ragusa, the Kindred society is very strong and is able to support more Kindred than the human populace would allow. Hidden shipments, foreign deaths while in quarantine … there are a lot of small ways to boost the feeding grounds as long as some additional laws are maintained.
Lopud
And then there is the colony on the island of Lopud. A small island supporting way more Kindred than it should. But several fractions have villas there used to conduct secret, and private research. Peace, quiet, safety – at a steep price.
The Lopud colony houses anywhere between nine and fifteen Kindred. They are kept by the Small council, and fed by keeping a stock of humans in deep cellars of a couple of villas. The stock is smuggled by boats, and involved Kine are heavily bribed to look the other way. The repercussions of anyone, especially Kine, finding out that some of the ships carry slaves would be enormous and disastrous.
Most rumors depict the Kindred of the island as depraved, old, callous. Talk of the experiments conducted there is as wild as the imagination of a bored Kindred will allow on a particularly boring night. The truth is, as often it is, more complex.
The idea of a secluded place for Kindred to play and research is nothing new. But the Small council executed it with precission only a desperate group could. A group of fairly powerful and influential Kindred took residnece on an island. Security, privacy, and food are provided for a fair price; at the same time their clout is now tied to the fate of the people protecting them.
These are the people of interest:
Astolfo, a Spanish Malkavian.
He believes that all of this is a dream from which he will wake up. Fearless, brash, and reckless to the fullest – all due to his conviction that he will wake up soon. He recounts his mortal life as the real life outside this dream.
Caeria of Lasombra
Caeria joined Camarilla in the first days. No word out of her mouth is unconvincing. A dark haired, sinewy woman in her twenties, her skin a map of ancient war wounds. When alive she was an Illyrian queen.
She took refuge in Lopud due to the rising antagonism many of her Lasombra clan are showing towards the Camarilla. All she wants is peace and quiet for her studies. That and to spread her heretical belief that Lilith is the original vampire, and Cain the first vampire to get embraced. She will never refer to another as Kindred, only vampire.
Wolgang von Eggenberg of Tremere
The Prussian Wolfgang fell under Caeria’s spell hard. He is also in love with Bruni Giovanni.
Miklos a Ventrue
A nobleman and a knight, who believes enough in Caeria’s teachings. e is here to get away from it all, and want to be minimally involved with anoyne and anything. Dresses completely innapropriate for his status.
Black Agnes a Brujah
Brujah whose blood hits her hard.
Possibly a lover of Bruno.
Bruno Giovanni
Member of the Giovanni family, killed as the PC’s arrive. He was presumed by the panicking murdered to be the weakest link of the heretic circle.
The Kicker
Jelena was sent to Lopud for safe keeping. The locals want protection, and sometimes need to do favours like that. Facts of life.
The news spreads that the PCs are arriving. The kindred panic and think they are here to investigate them. Misunderstanding leads to a rash, accidental murder of the young Giovanni.
The Heresy
Long story short – Lillith is the first vampire. She offered her blood to Kain. He drank and was even more removed from God’s light.