The streaming show L.A. By Night follows a group playing the latest edition of the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop game. The fourth season chronicles the uneasy truce between the Anarchs and Camarilla, and all it would take is one misstep to shatter the fragile peace.
The last episode of L.A. By Night focused on the Camarilla side of the war. Baron Nelli G (Cynthia Marie) met the court of Prince Vannevar Thomas (Bryan Dechart), who was being attended to by his Seneschal, Suzanne (Amelia Rose Blaire), Sheriff Ib (Noura Ibrahim) and Tremere Primogen Katya (Shayne Eastin). After a fiery discussion between Nelli and Vannener, the Prince was reintroduced to an old friend. The Tremere had uncovered the slumbering body of a Nosferatu named Zelios, who helped Suzanne and Vannevar escape from Versailles centuries earlier. Zelios discovers the source of the Prince's madness, and the assembled Kindred work out that Therese Voerman is responsible. The Prince decrees that Therese must die.
Target: Therese
The episode begins in Club Maharani, where Baron Nelli G is meeting with Baron Victor Temple (B. Dave Walters), Jasper (Alexander Ward), Annabelle (Erika Ishii), and X (Xander Jeanneret). Nelli catches them up on her recent meeting with Prince Vannevar, including the plan to use the thin-bloods against the Anarchs. Victor says the thin-bloods are under his protection, but Nelli says the Camarilla doesn't consider thin-bloods to be vampires, so they aren't covered by the truce. X mentions that he and Archangel have been running a fortune-telling scam to scare off older vampires, but it may have incited hatred towards the thin-bloods. Annabelle wants to know what they can do and Nelli says they should start by warning thin-bloods. Annabelle texts the thin-blood leader Delilah and asks her to keep an eye out for the Camarilla. Delilah messages her back, asking if she had seen Blake because he never came home after Nelli's party. Annabelle says they need to protect the thin-bloods until they have the time to prepare, but Victor says they don't have time. It took the Anarchs centuries to gather the resources to fight the Camarilla, and the thin-bloods cannot produce more vampires. He quotes the Book of Nod. Nelli mentions that the Prince was also quoting the book and that he asked her to join the Camarilla, but she told him where to shove there. She tells them that they're after Eva, as they believe she has a dark force inside of her. Jasper says she is dealing with something in private.
X asks about the Prince. Nelli says he's acting like a child. Jasper wants to know if he's coherent and why his court still follows him. Nelli thinks it's easier for Camarilla vampires to believe the emperor isn't naked. Jasper thinks Strauss and Suzanne are the ones pulling the strings. Victor wants to get in touch with Strauss and messages a friend of his on the inside of the Camarilla.
Victor and Jasper are discussing the safety of Eva and the thin-bloods when Campbell interrupts, as Ib has arrived. She enters in a fancy gown and Victor brings everyone up to speed on her new position as both a Kindred of Clan Lasombra and the Camarilla Sheriff. Victor gives Ib his prayer beads. Ib tells them that Prince Vannevar has called a Blood Hunt on Therese Voerman, the Baron of Santa Monica. She explains the Zelios situation and recounts the events after Nelli left the meeting. X suspected that Therese was screwing with the Prince's mind and he wants to get her, as does Ib. X says there will be repercussions for going against Therese. Victor uses his Presence to calm X down, but it doesn't work. Jasper and Nelli want to help hunt down Therese, but they know they won't all make it out alive. Victor texts Nines Rodriguez and asks about Therese. Jasper works out that Ib was responsible for keeping him alive during his imprisonment. Victor returns her earring but also reiterates what he said in the past - if she has to hang him out to dry to save herself, she should. Victor takes an old photo from his safe and gives it to her, as cameras no longer work on Ib due to her clan bane. He asks her to pass the word on to Strauss and tell him that he wants to talk. Victor passes the prayer beads on to X, who uses Spirit's Touch on them. He feels Ib's incredible anxiety on them, as she is playing a dangerous game. Nelli texts Lavender (her head of security) and asks her to keep a lookout for Therese. Jasper texts Chloe/Archangel and asks her to lay low.
A Friend In Need
Victor texts Therese and tells her she has a problem and he's willing to help. She responds and thanks him for his courtesy. Victor recounts Therese's original plan during the Baron's Council when she wanted to infiltrate the Camarilla from within. He had no idea she was already doing it. She's still a fellow Baron and Anarch's don't follow Blood Hunts. Nelli says they need a plan, as Therese's death will cause a power vacuum in Santa Monica. X thinks Therese is choking Santa Monica. Victor thinks she is a monster, but she's their monster. X says she is his beast and no one came to help him when he was hurting save for Annabelle. Victor says killing Therese won't free him from his pain. Nelli agrees, as she still hears Chazz's voice. She manages to calm X down and tells him that acting on his rage will only get him killed. Jasper says X was his first friend as a Kindred and he doesn't want to see him dead.
Victor asks Jasper about Zelios. Jasper explains that Zelios built the Labyrinth. Jasper has Zelios' book, which can only be read when Nosferatu blood is spilled upon it. Jasper says that he can't help them with Therese, as bad stuff happens every time he leaves the house. He starts to weep bloody tears. Jasper thinks one of them will die. X thinks people like Annabelle, Nelli, and Victor are born leaders, but it's his job to hide in the shadows. Annabelle says he can't run from life. Jasper snaps and says she hasn't had to give anything up after becoming a Kindred and that every decision has been made for her. Annabelle says she can't walk away when people are suffering and she will die for their cause.
Campbell interrupts, as three Kindred have arrived to speak with Victor. It's Olly, Al, and El - the coterie who lives in Sun Valley. Nines texts Victor and says the Asylum nightclub (owned by Therese) is locked up like Fort Knox. Victor asks Campbell to send the guests in as Jasper uses Cloak of Shadows to hide. Olly, Al, and El enter. Victor apologizes for his rudeness during their last encounter... but they were pretending to own a chunk of his domain. He asks for their clans and Olly reveals he is a Caitiff/clanless, that Al is a Brujah, and El is a Malkavian. They apologize for starting out on the wrong foot and have information to give Victor. They saw their neighbors (another coterie of vampires) taking off with Blake the thin-blood after Nelli's party. They took him to a junkyard in Sun Valley. The coterie calls themselves the Junkyard and they are composed of a Gangrel named Rains, a Brujah named Oscar, and another Kindred named Covax. Annabelle appreciates that they've come to them. Victor asks them to stick around the club and they head off to the junkyard, even though X is angry that they aren't following up on the Therese situation.
I Keep Feeding
They arrive in Sun Valley in Victor’s fancy car, with Campbell at the wheel. Victor has his gold-plated gun, a stungun, and a flashlight, Nelli has her usual combat gear, Annabelle has wooden stakes and a molotov cocktail, and Jasper has his knife and a 9mm.
They reach the junkyard, which is filled with wrecked cars and rusting parts, with old machinery everywhere. Victor messages Jeanette and tells her that her sister is in trouble. Jasper and X use Obfuscate to turn invisible and they scout ahead. The junkyard is empty, save for a lone chopshop that has lights on inside. Nelli devours the spider within her ring and uses Blood Sorcery, allowing her to walk up walls and climb onto the roof of the chopshop. Jasper and X circle the building to make sure no one else is around. Victor hides behind some nearby debris and Annabelle approaches the door. Nelli hears someone listening to a basketball game on the radio within the building.
Annabelle uses Awe and knocks on the door. The door is answered by Rain, who is a scrawny man in filthy clothes. He tries to clean himself off as Annabelle asks about Blake. Rain says Blake is busy. Annabelle says she is acting on behalf of Baron Temple. Rain calls out to his friends within the building. He says the junkyard is their turf. Jasper is preparing to break down the back door if trouble starts. Annebelle uses Presence and asks about Blake again. Rain asks her to come inside and he introduces her to his coterie. Oscar is the guy who was listening to the radio. He's an older man with thinning grey hair and a mechanic's uniform. Covax is working on a piece of machinery. He has a ponytail, a sleeveless white shirt, and blue jeans. Blake is also there, but he is unconscious and duct-taped to a chair. Annabelle says she's taking him with her. Covax pulls out a blade and asks what he's worth, as they were paid to take him in. Annabelle asks who paid them and Covax starts swinging his blade, saying that it's three on one, prompting everyone to barge in.
Jasper breaks down the back door (dispelling Obfuscate) and X follows behind. Nelli uses Blood Sorcery to turn her blood into acid, melting the skylight and letting her jump through the ceiling. Victor uses Soaring Leap and he's at the front door within moments. Victor is angry that they spoke to Annabelle in such a nasty tone. Rain runs for the backdoor, Oscar immediately backs down, and Covax takes a swing at Annabelle.
Victor goes to check on Blake, as Nelli Blinks towards Oscar and stops him from leaving with her blade. X uses Compel on Rain, causing him to have a bestial failure. X tells Rain to "Listen", but Rain transforms into a dog in front of his eyes. Annabelle manages to disarm Covax, sending the blade flying out of his hands. Jasper cuts his tongue on his fang and uses Blood Sorcery to spit acid at Covax, damaging him and causing him to back down.
Victor removes Blanke's bonds. Annabelle asks Covax who paid them to capture Blake. X starts chattering madly and activates Dementation on Rain, causing him to howl and roll around on the floor. Covax says the Prince's Scourge paid them and that they can take Blake. Annabelle says the thin-bloods are under the protection of the Barons and that they should spread the word. X uses Dementation on Rain again, causing him to fall even further into madness. X snaps Rain's neck and begins to feed. Annabelle tries to make him stop. X keeps feeding. He drinks the last drop of Rain's blood, which removes his last hunger die. X keeps feeding and attempts to commit diablerie. There is a contested roll, but he fails. X tries to feed on Annabelle and he uses Share the Senses to show images of him stealing her strength and using it to fulfill his plans. Nelli uses Presence to freeze Covax and Oscar on the spot. Jasper rips X away from Annabelle and Victor tries to hit him with the stungun. Jasper pushes X out of the way and the stungun pellet hits the wall, causing a massive electrical discharge. Victor uses Submerged Directive to order Covax and Oscar to spread the word about the thin-bloods being under the protection of the Barons.
Victor leaves the chopshop. Annabelle flees out of the back door and uses Soaring Leap to escape into the night, with Nelli in pursuit. Jasper is alone with X, who is sobbing. He leads them out of the chopshop. Jasper topples a tower of junk onto the building, trapping Covax and Oscar inside for the time being. Victor texts Delilah and tells her that he has Blake and will bring him to The Deep. Jasper takes X back to his haven and Victor waits at the car for Nelli and Annabelle.
Nelli is pursuing Annabelle through the night. Storyteller Jason Carl uses the "Three and Out" rule to determine how the chase plays out. Annabelle and Nelli make three contested rolls and Annabelle wins. She manages to escape into traffic. Nelli texts Victor and asks him to come to pick her up. Annabelle finds an alley and she texts her sire, Carver. She says that he once asked her to come to him for questions when her friends disappointed her. That time has come. He messages her back, saying that he's here for her.
****
Greg (Vince Caso) is still chained to the steering wheel of his car. Ib comes back for him and says she has good news and bad news. The good news is that she will uncuff him soon. The bad news is that the stakeout was pointless and they can go home now.
The new episodes of L.A. By Night can be watched on the World of Darkness Twitch and YouTube channels.
Source: Twitch