Volume I A Newsletter for the Riverside Domain Issue 4

In this Issue: Caption This.....................................................1

Review of Ravenloft.........................................2 Fun N' Games: The Store.................................3

Music for a Mass Combat................................4

Review of The Blood........................................4

Gaming and Me................................................5

Socials..............................................................5

Scents of the Damned.......................................6

Justice From Below..........................................7

Games in So Cal...............................................8

Welcome to the fourth issue of the official newsletter for La Maison Du Sanguinaire. Done by for LMDS members, for LMDS members, this month's contributors were: Brodie Aberson, Alicia Aihara, Dominick Balsamo, Sean Mooney, Toniette Holden, Eric Ruiz, Michael Robbins and Robert Telmar, with Rachel Judd as Lead Editor. All members are encouraged to contribute, and submissions are always being accepted at marie.trinopet@gmail.comArtwork appears in this publication which is the intellectual property of White Wolf, Inc., and is gratefully used with their permission for non-profit purposes. Congratulations to Domnick Balsamo, who won the VST Election for Jun's Dojo! Dominick can be contacted for all ST needs at dominick.vst@gmail.com.

Caption This!

About Caption This: * Every issue, the previous“Caption This” will be published with the best responses received, along with the author.

* The captions are meant to be OOC only.

* Teasing is fine, mockery is not.

* Vulgar or overly explicit captions will not be accepted.

* Please adhere to the Code of Conduct

* Send all submissions, along with your name, to caption.me@gmail.com

A ReviewA ReviewBy Robert Telmar

Introduction Ravenloft is a campaign setting for D&D based on the gothic horror genre. First introduced as a campaign setting in 1990, it was recently re-published by White Wolf for D&D 3.5.

Setting Ravenloft is a netherworld consisting of a collection of lands each ruled by a “darklord”, a signature character whose nature shapes each land. For instance, Barovia, the land of Strahd Von Zarovich, is an Eastern European land where the peasants fear the creatures of the night and do not go outdoors after dark. Strahd rules from his castle on a precipice overlooking the village of Barovia.

Many of the Darklords (and other characters in the world) are based on classic gothic horror archetypes as a homage. Examples are: Dracula (Strahd Von Zarovich), Dr Frankenstien (Dr Mordenheim), Van Helsing (Doctor Rudolph Van Richten) and Vlad Tepes (Vlad Drakov).

Each Darklord is given vast powers, but suffers under a personalized curse which prevents them from achieving their deepest desire and is often related to their crimes. Strahd was a warlord who, after a conquest, became re-united with his brother Sergei, who was engaged to a commoner named Tatyana. Strahd soon fell in love with her himself. Searching for some way to regain his youth and achieve immortality, on the eve of the wedding Strahd made a pact with a dark force to achieve his desire. He killed his brother and drank his blood, becoming a vampire.

Afterwards, he met Tatyana on a balcony

overlooking the vast precipice the castle perched on, where he professed his love to Tatyana and told her what he had done. In her grief, Tatyana fled from Strahd and flung herself from the balcony into the mists below. This was generations ago. Strahd still rules Barovia, and every few generations a woman is born who is the reincarnation of Tatyana. Every time Strahd tries to win her love, and every time he fails.

Player Characters are either native to Ravenloft, or are strangers from other lands who have become trapped here. They represent the brave few who challenge the horrors of Ravenloft and their machinations. Theses brave few must be careful, as they are in danger of becoming the monsters they hunt. Much like Dracula, Ravenloft pits its mortal heros against vastly powerful forces of evil. However, although the odds are against them, the heros can succeed.

Mechanics To promote the gothic horror of Ravenloft, the standard D&D rules are altered. Each character class has been altered to reflect this, and mechanics are introduced to deal with fear and madness. Also included is a curse and reward system for evil behavior called Powers Checks. Detect Evil does not exist - instead, characters must judge things for themselves. The typical monsters the characters face are far more powerful, with extra abilities and feats.

Books The main Ravemloft books are the Players Handbook, DM’s Guide and Monster Manual. Other books describe the various domains (The Gazetteer series) and different types of monsters (The van Richten’s guides). While no longer in print, Ravenloft books are still available from resellers like Amazon and Ebay. Prices are reasonable, and sometimes below cover prices.

Additional InformationFraternity of Shadows: The main Ravenloft community on the web. Frequent contributors include several authors of the Ravenloft line. http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/ White Wolf’s Ravenloft website: http://www.white-wolf.com/ravenloft/

Fun N' Games: The StoreFun N' Games: The Store By Michael Robbins

In Lake Elsinore, gaming has a new home. Recently relocated from Temecula to 32245 Mission Trail Road, Suite D-9, Fun N’ Games, once confined to a narrow retail space in a small shopping center, can now be found in a more spacious location.

The move comes as a result of new ownership and a new vision. With the additional space, the store’s merchandise selection has been expanded and there is now a full gaming area with several tables suitable for CCG tournaments, RPGs and more. According to Andy Courtney, one of the store’s co-owners, this is in keeping with “some of the things that we originally wanted to do with the store when we bought [the one in Temecula]”.

Andy, a self-described late-bloomer to gaming, was busy Friday evening as he worked to organize the store’s weekly Magic: the Gathering event, and it seemed like he couldn’t have been happier. As I talked with him about the bustle of activity in the store, Andy

said, “you kinda want to build that gaming community and give people a place to meet and... play the games that they love in a safe, fun environment.” To foster that community, Fun N’ Games hosts several events every month, including bi-weekly RPGA events, HeroClix, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Warhammer 40k, and even a Family Board Game Night on Monday evenings. They are also hosting a Samurai Edition release tournament of the L5R CCG next month.

The store also responds to gamer interest in new games and supports unofficial customer run events. According to Andy, “if there’s somebody that’s particularly interested in a particular game”, they are happy to provide space to “let that community grow”. Although the White Wolf games tend to be too dark for Andy and for the family-friendly feel of the store in general, he has considered a closed-hours option for tabletop games.

So far the efforts of Andy and his partner, Ken Carpenter (a former contributor to L5R), seem to be paying off. The shop is stocked from front to back with everything you’d expect to find at a gaming store and more. The RPG selection includes product from Wizards of the Coast, AEG (Legend of the Five Rings), White Wolf, Green Ronin (Mutants & Masterminds), and FanPro (Shadowrun 4th Ed.), as well as several others.

Their CCG shelves are also well stocked with L5R, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: the Gathering, Pokemon, and World of Warcraft. Among the store’s other offerings are wargaming accessories (including figures & paints) several shelves of board games like Axis & Allies, Reaper miniatures, and a selection of hobby items like plastic models, darts, and dominoes.

Though they are focused on growing the store and the local community, Andy says they “would like to… open multiple stores” at some time in the future. In the mean time, he is enjoying the experience and the opportunity to get to meet the people, especially the regulars who have found their way into the store.

For more information about Fun N’ Games, visit their website at www.4fng.com.

Music for a Mass Combat:

Part IBy Dominick Balsamo

Love it or hate it, mass combat is always a looming factor of the RP experience. There always comes a time when characters mount up, grab their weapons, and move out with the intent of stopping enemies in the most fatal way possible. The following songs are 5 out of 10 tracks I recommend for helping get into the spirit of simulated violence. Swing away, fighters! Swing away!

"Bad Penny": It's a little known fact that Steve Albini invented anger. It's true! This legendary punk/rock/metal/noise producer and his band Big Black have been responsible for some of the most wrathful, skull-smashing music ever written. "Bad Penny" serves as a shining example of what BB is capable of. From the hard-hitting drums and tightly-wound bass to the scratchy guitar harmonics, this track is ready to beat ass from note one. Play this behind a gunfire-laced motorcycle chase through a city, ending in a glorious and explosive wreck!

"Loco": Coal Chamber is what happens when LA Goth gets mad! The high, droning guitar intro of this song, punctuated with hard bass and drum hits sets the tone perfectly. By the time the simplistic-yet-effective main riff of the song kicks in, the listener's fist is already curled up and ready to spring at a moment's notice. Once singer Dez Fafara's guttural-to-screeching vocals kick in, violence is inevitable. As you listen to this song, picture a building of tension between two rival groups, just before they explode into a barrage of flying fists, feet, teeth and claws.

"Stigmata": Admittedly, Ministry's career has been hit and miss. When you've got 20 years on the scene and have evolved from a cheesy synth-pop act to a crushing industrial/metal band, you can afford to experiment. "Stigmata" is a shining example of Ministry at their best. The format is easy: Take a

drum beat that rattles like a gunshot, add a hypnotically simple guitar riff, then layer a ton of grungy noise over all of it. All together, you've got a recipe for unabashed violence that only a group of industry veterans would ever dare concoct. This song has inspired countless mosh-pits, and serves as a great jumpstart to the heart for any fight scene.

... This Article Continues on Page 7

The Blood: A ReviewThe Blood: A ReviewBy Brodie Aberson

For Requiem players looking to deepen their role playing experience, The Blood is a valuable resource. Written by the minds behind many of the books in the Requiem line, The Blood picks up where the core book leaves off. There is something to learn for

everyone, from new players to veterans of Requiem.

This book is broken up into three separate, self-contained essays on different aspects of Vampire: The Requiem. The first chapter, Kindred Characters focuses on character creation, including new interpretations of various traits and ideas on how to put together interesting, fun characters.

The second chapter, Properties of the Blood, is a mechanic by mechanic look at the Kindred condition from the Embrace to Diablerie, bringing to life many aspects of vampiric existence which often devolve into simple dice rolling. The third chapter, Vampire Psychology, focuses on the developmental trends of Kindred from neonate to ancient elder, and the ways in which powers of the blood and exposure to the Beast can over time change a character’s perspective. Scattered throughout are excellent short stories which help highlight the dramatic possibilities.

This is not a book for those who are seeking new mechanics, devotions or the nitty gritty of Kindred politics. Rather, The Blood is for players hoping to enhance their experience of the genre on a personal level. A must read for anyone who wants to understand better the games we love so well.

Gaming and MeGaming and Me

By Eric Ruiz

There are a great many things required to run and maintain an effective game. Be it Vampire, Mage, D&D or L5R, there are some key things playersmust keep in mind.

First and most important is to obviously remember that the person running the game is human and will invariably make mistakes. Second is; be aware the person running the game is not able to read your mind. So if you

want something from the game that is not there, consult the ST, see if they can make it happen. Last, always keep in mind your game does not exist in a bubble. There are many things out there that can influence your character.

To put what I am saying into perspective, think of this: if you are a person who is looking for combat and action in a game, you will most likely not have fun in a game that is all politics and intrigue, no matter how in-depth the setting and no matter how involved the ST makes it. If you are not interested, you will not have fun. On the flip side, if you hate combat and want politics, then a high adventure, rough-and-tumble setting with venomous robot ninja from outer space will most likely not interest you.

Though this realization is simple, the solution is not. For that reason I have thought and pondered how would I appease the combat monkeys and soothe the socialites. My solution is what I like to call the Adjusted Antagonist Agenda, or AAA. The AAA is the theory that a plotline and its villains can adjust themselves to suit the nature of the game.

Or, to put it more simply: my Evil Antagonist, Dr. Goldenpussy Von Thunderballs III, is not a fighter. But he is a schemer! So while he surrounds himself by powerful undead cyborg pirates from the distant past, he plots the downfall of his enemies by eliminating their ties to the outside world.

What we now have is one plot with one villain, but multiple methods of resolving the situation. If one was so inclined, they might send a group ofcombat-hardened Hounds to seek out

the good doctor and slay him in manners most foul. Or perhaps the sneaky stealthy types James Bond their way to success using nothing but that ordinary looking wristwatch. Or perhaps the civic-minded types might trace who was the group that destroyed all their resources and turn the tables, making the good doctor an impotent nuisance.

For me the AAA theory helps make a plot line seem more like a plot web that will hopefully allow me to ensnare more players in an interesting situation. I personally think a night at a game should not come down to hanging out and getting XP. It should be a rewarding experience in character development and a good story.

In closing, I would like to say I in no way feel I invented the AAA theory. It is a long standing concept that has taken many names over the ages, simply it is a style of play that I ascribe to.

For the Glory of Socials!For the Glory of Socials!

By Sean Mooney

The Domain of Riverside has been ramping up on Socials for the past few months. For those of you who have not had a chance to attend, here’s a recap of the past two events.

The Who’s Line is it Anyway Social in Garden Grove was a hit. Aside from the truckload of booze that was provided by the hosts and attendees, the partygoers were entertained by Sing Star Rocks, a dozen games of Who’s Line is it Anyway, and an enlightening round of I Have Never. As the night was wrapping up, a large portion of attendees sat out on the patio, having a drunken debate on politics.

... This Article Continues on Page 6

Scents of the DamnedScents of the Damned

By Alicia Aihara

It’s widely known that scent is evocative. It sets off synapses and pulls at memories with incredible emotional intensity. Scents can remind us of grandma’s cookies or an ex-girlfriend’s perfume.

There is a Los Angeles company called Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (who have a website at: www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com) which specializes in perfumes designed to invoke literary and thematic elements. These scents come with interesting titles and descriptions pulled from poetry, literary characters, mythical creatures, gods, and much more. It is, in short, the perfect place to find a signature scent for your character. Think of it this way: if scent triggers strong memories, how quickly can you get into character by smelling a specific perfume? There is also the added bonus of battling the infamous gamer-stench at conventions!

These aren’t your grandma’s perfumes! With scents pulled from Shakespeare, Gaiman, and H.P. Lovecraft, this company runs the gamut of romantic, gothic, and mythic perfumes. Best of all, they aren’t just for girls! Many of the scents are gender-neutral or masculine. Dirty Dracul, naughty Casanova, and sexy The Bow and Crown of Conquest all smell amazing on guys. If you want to smell like Jack the Ripper, then refreshing Whitechapel is for you! A personal favorite is Dorian, which smells incredibly sexy on both men and women.

Perhaps you have a character that comes from a certain part of the world. The Wanderlust series comes in handy; scents like Versailles, Kyoto, London, Cairo, and Manhattan are in abundance. If your character wallows in its Vice, then perhaps try something from the Seven Deadly Sins series.

Do you still need suggestions? Try the Excolo series to find the scent of your favorite god for your

Circle character. Invictus characters might try Lurid or Swank. Ordo Dracul characters might reach for Dracul or Miskatonic. Those of the Sanctified persuasion might try Anathema or Fallen. Carthians could dab on some Libertine or Blood Lust.

The Mekhet might go for Darkness. Daeva would reach for Succubus or Languor. What better scent for a Nosferatu than Nosferatu? A Gangrel might smell like The Raven or Black Forest. Ventrue might like Pride or Wilde.

Give BPAL a try – hit me up at game sometime and I’ll pull out my travel kit of scents. How awesome would it be to come to a Requiem game doused in a scent called “Blood” or “Danse Macabre”? With over 1100 scents, it’s hard not to find something you’d like!

For the Glory of Socials!For the Glory of Socials!

Continued From Page 5

A large contingent of San Diego members came up to represent the Veil of Shadows Domain. Caleb showed up with a straw Corona hat and matching beer. He even put himself forward in the Sing Star Rocks and Who’s Line games.

Dom poured on the charisma in a game of ‘Good, Bad and Worse.’ His impression of Michael Moore had the entire room rolling. The game only got better when Frenchy and his wife joined the fray. Frenchy’s wit and comedic timing made every scene a blast.

Finally, the game of I Have Never enticed laughs and red faces, though details cannot be provided for those who didn’t give up their own secrets ;)

The next social, hosted by Randy in Corona, was a great day of relaxation and fun. Cammies traded in their fangs and trench coats for swim trunks and a barbecue for a few hours. Eric cooked up some fantastic carne asada, London Broil, and burgers while Randy, Priscilla and Ray tore up the pool with cannon balls and flips.

For those of you yet to see the site in Corona, you are truly missing out. I highly recommend visiting the site the next time it 'savailable for us.

Keep your ear to the ground for more Socials, we're just getting started!

Justice From Below: Part IJustice From Below: Part IA Serialized Fiction by Toniette Holden

Reginald looked through the stolen car's dusty windshield, thinking about the house and barn. The property appeared deserted. From the looks things, it was probably abandoned long ago. Once painted a pale color, perhaps yellow, age and the harsh Midwestern weather had leeched most of the color from the wood. The gigantic house was now mostly gray, a shade that matched the color of Reginald's eyes. Flat, dull and lifeless. To Reginald, this was a sign. He turned his flat, gunmetal gaze to the barn. Set off to the left side of the house, it was large enough to hide the car inside.

From the looks of the broken mailbox and poorly maintained driveway, it was obvious to Reginald that no one had not lived here for some time. He started the car and drove up the winding path to the barn. When he found the main door gaping open, he drove the car inside. Dust swirled up from the barn floor and coated the windshield. He turned the car off and sat a moment, waiting for something. The engine clicked as it cooled, and so did his mind as he thought about his discovery. In his hand, his switchblade clicked open, the closed. He clicked it open again, closed, soon matching the rhythmic sounds of the cooling engine.

He climbed slowly out of the car, softly shutting the heavy metal door. The barn interior was divided into three parts. To the left was a long row of doors, spanning the length of the barn, and he found them to be doors into horse and animal stalls. Along the right side of the barn, again spanning the length of the barn was a large open corral, possibly once used as an indoor cow pen. Right in front of his car was a long table mounted to the wall, which stretched from one side of the barn to the other side. Having a workshop, with such a large table would provide him some freedom and space.

He left the barn, pulling the large sliding door almost closed, and walked toward the house. It was two stories, with a double set of front doors. He stepped up onto the front porch, peering through the front windows.

While the windows were covered in newspapers, the job had been done quickly, and he could see through gaps in the rotted pages, into the house. Empty. With his eyes pressed so closely to the panes, Reginald could not help but notice the date of the papers. 1976. The year he was born. He took this as another sign that he was intended to have this house. Though the front door was locked, Reginald made quick work of it. "We have a winner.." he muttered under his breath as the lock tumbled free and the door swung open in his hand.

As Reginald stared around the lower level of the house, he had a moment of wonder. Having been raised in a county orphanage until he ran away for good at age fifteen, he had never had a home of his own. His hobby had kept him rambling, moving, across the US. He had always had the ability to feel comfortable even in a stranger's home, yet knew if he intended to really live here, he had to make the place his own........

This story continues in our August issue!!

Music for a Mass Combat: Continued from Page 4

"Gave Up": None can deny the genius of Reznor. In the early 90's Nine Inch Nails spawned a Magnum Opus of sheer malevolence, "Broken." This breakthrough release contained just six tracks (not counting two "secret" tracks) that began with an infamous rising of distortion known as "Pinion," and culminated in a barrage of power-chord guitars, booming and screeching keyboards, and rolling, slamming drum machines entitled "Gave Up." From build-up, to resistance, to explosion this is a musical version of Frenzy like none other.

"Slam": By blending rock sensibilities with the hip-hop format before it was the cool thing to do, Onyx managed to solidify its place as one of the hardest groups in the rap, shining bright in even one of the genre's dreariest slumps ("Whoomp! There it is!" anyone?). "Slam," in particular, serves as a perfect soundtrack to any thuggish group of combatants rolling into battle. The chaotic rhyme delivery atop the grimy beat brings to mind images of shaved heads, clenched jaws, stone-cold glares, and clothes just baggy enough to conceal weapons.

To download a playlist of these tracks, please visit http://necrophonic.absconditus.org/SYFIT/SYFIT01.

zip.

What to do in August

Modesto – Featured Game of the Monthwww.twilighter.nerd-life.com

Venue: Songs from the Ugly Organ (Requiem) On the Doorstep of Damnation (Promethean) ST: (209) 551-2804 or (209) 681-6702Game Dates: August 11th Location: 207 Lane St. Modesto, CA 95354

Riversidehttp://riverside-camarilla .

n etfirms.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

Venue: Jun's Dojo (Vampire) ST: Dominick Balsamo E-Mail: dominick.vst@gmail.comGame Dates: August 4Location: TBD

Venue: Empire of Dust (Vampire) ST: Matt Vallejos (temp) E-Mail: matt.vallejos @gmail.com Game Dates: TBDLocation: TBD Venue: Awakening (Mage) ST: David Trudeau E-Mail: us2004031289@gmail.comGame Dates: August 11, 2:00Location: TBD

Los Angeleshttp://www.d-losangeles.com/contacts.htm

Venue: Los Angeles Domain GameST: Ryan Brandos E-Mail: uratha@gmail.comGame Dates: August 4th

Location: USC (subject to change)

Venue: LA Werewolf ST: Adam Ness E-Mail: adam.ness@gmail.com Game Dates: August 11thLocation: USC (Subject to change)

Venue: Hollywood By Night (Vampire) ST: Eric Blair E-Mail: unseenpresence@rocketmail.comGame Dates: August 11th

Location: USC (subject to change)

Venue: LA After Hours (Vampire) ST: Ian Watstein E-Mail: neumpawsha@gmail.comGame Dates: August 18th

Location: USC (subject to change)

Orange Countyhttp://www.sandiegocam.org

Venue: Black Magic Kingdom ST: Bryan PoirierE-Mail: uofdoom@yahoo.comGame Dates: August 18th

Location: CSUF Campus

San Diegohttp://www.sandiegocam.org

Venue: San Diego By Night ST: Steve Koontz E-Mail: stevebob13@kootnzfamily.orgGame Dates: August 11th and 25thLocation: Hardy Memorial Tower, UCSD

Venue: El Pais Del Diablo ST: Loren Gale E-Mail: damiendisl@hotmail.comGame Dates: August 18th Location: Hardy Memorial Tower, UCSD

Santa Barbarahttp://santabarbaracamarilla.wikispaces.com/

Venue: Reign of Ash (Requiem) ST: Randall Samalot E-Mail: ph4r0@hotmail.com Game Dates: August 18th Location: TBD

Liked this issue of the LMDS Newsletter? Think you can do better? We're always accepting articles,

from any and every Camarilla member, LMDS or not!

Send your submissions to marie.trinopet@gmail.com unless otherwise

specified. If you want to contribute, but can't think of anything, still send an e-mail and you'll get an

assignment for the next issue!