TSARS OF TWILIGHT 

“Better the illusions that exalt us than ten thousand truths.”

- Alexander Pushkin

It is October of 1741 in St. Petersburg. A child of barely one year sits upon the throne of Russia. His Regent and mother Anna Leopoldovna is reviled by the nobility. Unrest grows across the newly powerful Empire.

In the shadows, the true architect of this great Empire, a vampire born almost a millennium ago, is brutally killed. 

And you are one of the prime suspects. 

Rurik - vampiric childe of Methuselah Erik Eigermann of the Ventrue, founding Justicar of the Camarilla, former Prince of Moscow, first Prince of St. Petersburg, advisor to every Tsar from Ivan the First to Ivan the Sixth, architect of the Empire of Russia - is dead. 

The details are uncertain, save for that simple fact. The Prince of Princes, the Tsar of Twilight, scion of the Rurikids and patron of the Romanovs, has met his Final Death, and you are being held under suspicion of the crime. 

The thing is, you are innocent. You may have had reason to want Rurik dead, or been one of his closest associates. You may have even been planning an assassination of your own. But you are innocent.

Whether locked into a room in the Winter Palace or being held in a dark cell in the basement of the Peter and Paul Fortress, you are currently being held on suspicion of the high crime of the killing of a Prince and Justicar of the Camarilla - a violation of their Second and Sixth Traditions, ancient laws that must be obeyed if one wants to remain alive (or undead, as the case may be). 

Justicar Yorke of the English Camarilla and a small detachment of her Archons have taken emergency power in the city, and have declared an embargo on any Kindred leaving or entering the city as they investigate Rurik’s final death. Yorke’s reputation is a bloody and formidable one: a survivor of the crusades, the towering ‘Iron Maiden of the Camarilla’ is not known to be merciful or lenient. 

This is why you are surprised when your cell is opened and you are met not with a stake and lethal sunlight, but with a chance at freedom: find Rurik’s true killer, bring proof to the Justicar, and exonerate yourself. You are being given until year’s end, only a little over a month away, at which point if no evidence is presented, you will be dealt with swiftly and efficiently as the Justicar’s reputation would suggest. 

Find Rurik’s killer and save yourself and the Court of St. Petersburg. Fail, and see all he built fall to ruin before you yourself are granted final death. 

—

Tsars of Twilight is a campaign for Vampire the Madquerade revised edition taking place over the course of Russian history from 1741 onwards. A working knowledge of Russian history is not required to join the campaign. 

This campaign is best suited to players who are somewhat familiar with the Vampire: The Masquerade universe and its lore, but players need not be familiar with the Revised Edition mechanics. Players new to the lore and system are welcome, but may need to do some additional reading! 

Characters can be created with the aid of the game master, or independently for those familiar with Revised Edition. All characters and character sheets are subject to GM approval. Pre-generated characters will not be available for this campaign, but character concepts and backstories can be given to the GM for a character sheet to be created. 

The campaign will take place over Roll20, using the Rolldark Discord for voice and video, Wednesday nights 7-11pm. Beginning on the 15th of Jan.