L.A. By Night is a streaming show that follows a group playing the latest edition of the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop game. The fourth season of the show has finally begun and the cold war between the Anarchs and the Camarilla in Los Angeles is about to heat up once more.
The last season concluded with both Prince Vannevar Thomas and Baron Victor Temple agreeing to a ceasefire, following a conflict in the Hollywood Hills that threatened to expose the existence of vampires to the world. The ceasefire is just a ruse to allow both sides to prepare for the conflict to come.
The Deep
The story picks up several months after the ceasefire was declared. Both sides have kept their word and there has been no bloodshed in Los Angeles. Annabelle meets up with Kyoko of The Wyrd Sisters and we learn more about Kyoko's backstory. It turns out that Kyoko has only been a vampire for three years and that she was a childhood prodigy. Kyoko ran away from home due to her overbearing mother and was embraced into Clan Tremere against her will. She eventually befriended two other Kindred (forming The Wyrd Sisters) and they fled from San Diego to Los Angeles. Kyoko asks Annabelle to join her on a night out to a club called The Deep. It's believed that a prominent thin-blood runs the club and Kyoko wants to meet her, as she is trying to get in touch with a thin-blood she knew in San Diego. The thin-blood was a guy named Westbrook, who gave Kyoko some kind of magical recipe that she was unable to decipher. Annabelle and Kyoko decide to head to the club and don't inform their friends of there whereabouts, but Annabelle brings a wooden stake for protection.
Annabelle and Kyoko head to The Deep, which is a nightclub that was converted from a bank and is rumored to still have a vault. The Deep is an ocean-themed club and everything about is tinted blue. Annabelle uses the Awe discipline to skip the queue and many people recognize her as Baby B. She introduces Kyoko as "Special K" and they make their way to the club. The head bouncer is a guy named Blake and he sends a message to the owner, saying that two "Cold Ones" are at the door. The owner tells Blake to bring them in.
Delilah & The Thin-Bloods
The Deep has a mixture of bank furnishings and nautical-themed decor, including several fish tanks with tropical fish swimming inside. There are many private booths that are cut off from the dance floor with fishnets. Annabelle and Kyoko are led to a booth where they meet Delilah, the owner of the club. Blake keeps watch at the entranceway to give the group some privacy. It turns out that Delilah is the leader of the local thin-bloods, but she isn't well-versed in Kindred politics. Delilah has the ability to go out into the sun and was doing yoga on the beach that morning. The idea of being able to go out into the sun moves Annabelle to tears, as she hasn't been able to do so in over a year. Delilah still needs to drink blood and she cannot consume human food. She also reveals that she can create special potions. Annabelle brings Delilah up to date with Kindred politics and says that the Anarchs will protect the thin-bloods if they join them in their conflict against the Camarilla. Annabelle also mentions that the reason thin-bloods are hated is because of a prophecy, but she doesn't know the details.
A scuffle near the entrance of the club causes Blake to depart and the group can look out onto the dancefloor. Annabelle spots Carver (her sire) among the revelers and tells everyone who he is. Delilah reveals that she never knew her sire. Kyoko knows Carver, as she met him in San Diego when he was asking about thin-bloods, but she didn't help him because he was an asshole.
Carver is escorted over to the booth. He reveals to them the prophecy regarding thin-bloods from the Book of Nod, as it's believed that the appearance of so many thin-bloods is one of the first signs of Gehenna. Carver reveals that Delilah's ability to walk under the sun makes her both powerful and dangerous to elder vampires. He believes that this power could be the key to saving them all and that he wants Los Angeles to be free. The reason Carver is there is because he wants information about all of the thin-bloods Delilah knows and in exchange, he will make sure that they are ready when the Camarilla comes. Delilah is worried that uniting the thin-bloods will cause Kindred to turn on them. Carver says this is why they need friends. Annabelle says that the L.A. Anarchs have changed and they will protect the thin-bloods. Carver believes that the clans and sires will get involved and the thin-bloods will still be in danger.
A security guard comes over and tells the group that there is a situation. Aurora (the Lasombra Scourge of Los Angeles) has entered the club. Carver doesn't recognize her, but Kyoko does, due to their recent struggle in the Labyrinth. Annabelle leaves the booth and asks Aurora to dance, Kyoko watches them, and Carver & Delilah leave for a private chat.
Annabelle dances with Aurora, who reveals that she is looking for Carver and that she only wants to talk to him, due to the truce. Aurora spots Kyoko watching them and says that she knows who owns the club and that the "duskborns" will be dealt with then truce is over. Aurora asks about her brother, who has been missing for several nights. Annabelle changes the subject and asks what she can get for information about Carver? Aurora says that she has information about Jasper to trade.
Carver and Delilah go to her office to talk. He says that he will give her names of thin-bloods who are in hiding (one in Berlin, one in Montreal, and one in Seattle) so long as she promises to keep them safe. Carver shares a rumor that he has been hearing about a cure for vampirism. He also tells Delilah about diablerie and how it's possible to consume another vampire and gain their power. Carver explains that this is secret knowledge and it's dangerous for him to share it. He gives Delilah a means of getting in touch with him and says she can trust Annabelle, but not the people that Annabelle trusts. Carver says he needs to be kicked out of her office and he gives her his beer bottle. He proceeds to try and lick her face, so she smashes the bottle on his head. The two scuffle and the security guard rushes in and drags Carver downstairs.
Bar Room Brawl
Annabelle and Aurora return to the booth with Kyoko, who mentions Carver off-hand. Aurora and Kyoko threaten each other and Kyoko conjures blue flame from her fingers using Blood Sorcery, causing Aurora to look nervous. Aurora gives them both a history of the Convention of Thorns and how the Lasombra were the original Anarchs. A meeting was held between all of the clans in the fifteenth century, as the original Inquisition was wiping out vampires with only faith and fire as their weapons. Two factions were formed with the intention of keeping Kindred safe - the Camarilla and their Masquerade, and another faction formed by the Lasombra called the Sabbat. The Lasombra have learned the error of their ways and joined the Camarilla in order to survive the modern nights.
The conversation is interrupted when Carver is dragged downstairs. The bouncers descend on him and he starts throwing them into the audience, causing a brawl to break out in The Deep. Delilah orders the lights to be turned on and the music shut off, and she tells everyone to get out of the club. Both Annabelle and Delilah use the Daunt Discipline to inflict supernatural fear among the clubgoers and they soon depart. Carver says he needs an alibi and he headbutts Annabelle. Enraged, Kyoko summons her blue flame and incinerates Carver's jacket (and most of his upper body), as he uses Celerity to quickly escape from the club and into the night.
"Wake Up Juice"
The club is empty of patrons and the staff starts clearing things up. Aurora mentions that her clan has unfinished business with Carver and that he is a notorious Anarch ringleader. Delilah asks Aurora to leave. Aurora asks Annabelle to meet her outside.
Annabelle says that the young vampires should stick together, as many elder Kindred have forgotten what it means to be human. Kyoko believes that the truce won't last for much longer. Annabelle, as the head of the revolution, extends full rights to the thin-bloods. Delilah, as the leader of the thin-bloods, accepts, but only because she doesn't have much of a choice. Annabelle says that they can bill Victor for the damages. Delilah tells her staff to add another zero to the bill and wonders if they can put sharks in the fish tanks. The three Kindred share contact information and Annabelle goes to meet Aurora.
Aurora is outside sitting on a fancy sports car. Annabelle asks why she wants Carver. Aurora says that he has harmed her family. Aurora explains that one of the responsibilities of the Scourge is to track down Kindred who have not presented themselves to the Prince of the city and to either bring them in for judgment or execute them. It's also her duty to deal with thin-bloods. Annabelle says that Delilah lives for others and not herself. Aurora questions whether this is a virtue and says Annabelle might feel differently in a century or two. Aurora mentions that Ib has joined the Camarilla and that Annabelle should meet the Prince. Annabelle wants to know what she will get for handing in Carver. Aurora claims that she has sensitive information about Jasper that she hasn't shared with the Camarilla yet. If Annabelle leads her to Carver, then she will keep Jasper's secrets. She also swears to kill anyone who harmed her brother. Annabelle agrees to the bargain and Aurora says she can contact her through Ib.
Kyoko is still talking with Delilah inside The Deep. Kyoko asks about Westbrook, but Delilah only knows the name. Kyoko shows her a piece of paper that has a recipe. The title of the recipe is "Wake Up Juice" and the notes below it claim that it can wake up any sleeping vampire. Delilah takes the recipe and says that this can be used to win the war.
Kyoko leaves the club and meets with Aurora and Annabelle. Aurora says that many of Annabelle's clan joined them during the Convention of Thorns, but none among the Tremere did. She asks if Kyoko is ready to return to the fold, but Kyoko declines. Aurora says she wants to meet her again, as they had done in the Labyrinth, and they all depart. Annabelle asks about Westbrook and Kyoko says that he was the last person she truly connected with before leaving San Diego.
A New Baron
The episode ends with a meeting between Baron Isaac Abrams, Nelli G, and Victor Temple. Abrams says that his time has come and that he has to leave Los Angeles. Victor is unaware that Abrams is under the effect of the Beckoning and asks what he is doing. Abrams names Nelli a Baron to act in his stead while he is away and asks Victor to help her. He gives her a necklace that he picked up Italy and says his goodbyes. Nelli tells Victor that she isn't ready. He assures her that she will be soon and the two fistbump.
The new episodes of L.A. By Night can be watched on the World of Darkness Twitch page.
Source: World of Darkness/Twitch