Masquerade of the Red Death Part 1. Sample file. Based on Vampire: The MasqueradeTM ROBERT WEINBERG

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2 Masquerade of the Red Death Part 1 Based on Vampire: The MasqueradeTM ROBERT WEINBERG

3 ' Bloal War is A product of White Wolf Publishing. All rights reserved. Copyright by White Wolf Publishing. white wolf, Inc. Execs Mark Re4wHagcn and StcwartWiec~oWnrrS Stcphan Wicck, President Wes Harris,Vice mident of Marketing Michael Krausc.Vicc President of Sales Richard Thomas,vicc President of Production and Design KCXI Cliffc, Direaor of Development and Editing BcnjaminT. Monk, Jr., Controller Rebecca Schacfer, Warehouse Manager All contents herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publiihing.This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews. For information address: White Wolf Publishing, 780 Park North Boulevard, Suite 100, Clarkston, GA Disclaimer: The characters and events described in this book are fictional. Any resemblance between the characters and any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The mention of or reference to any companies or products in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights concerned. Because of the mature themes presented within, reader discretion is advised. file Sample Cover illustration by BROM Design by Michael Scott &hen printed in Canada

4 Blood was its Avatar and its sealthe redness and horror of blood. The Masque of the Red Death Edgar Allan Poe Book One 0 BLOOD WAR

5 Dedication To Edgar Allan Poe, for obvious reasons. And To Bram Stoker, who started it all. Author s Note While the locations and history of this trilogy may seem familiar, it is not our reality. The setting of Vampire: The Masquerade of the Red Death is a harsher, crueler version of our world. It is a stark, desolate landscape where nothing is what it seems. It is truly a World of Darkness.

6 VAMPIREMASQUERADEOFTHEREDDEATH PARTI PROLOGUE Rome-June 15, 1992 They met at twelve noon, on a bright Sunday in June, in a small outdoor restaurant a few blocks from the Coliseum. The phone call the night before to an unlisted number in the heart of the Vatican had been sharp and to the point. The unknown speaker stated the place and the time, the person to attend, warned of no tricks, and mentioned an incredible sum of money. But it had been the final sentence of the conversation that had assured the rendezvous would take place. We will talk, declared the mysterious voice in somber, cold tones, of The Kindred. Father Naples arrived first. He was always early for meetings. Especially ones of importance. A big, powerfully built man in his late fifties, with thick, curly gray hair, matching beard, and piercing dark eyes, even in street clothes he looked like a priest. He carried himself with the quiet air of authority, of someone used to giving orders and having them obeyed instantly. A man of unshakable beliefs and determination, Father Naples walked with the absolute conviction of many hundreds of years of Church history. As specified by the late-night message, he came to the meeting unarmed. Not that he was worried. His faith served as his shield. Along with the five other agents of the Society of Leopold in the restaurant, including two women disguised as streetwalkers. All combined, they carried enough firepower on them to start a minor war. And, though he had retired years before as a field operative, Father Naples still maintained his training in the martial arts. An expert at both kendo and karate, he could kill an attacker a dozen different ways. Following the specified instructions, the priest requested a table for two at the rear of the patio, away from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. A hundred yards away, in a rented hotel room, a directional microphone was focused on this 1