DeepSite - 🧬 RemixA Vampire: The Masquerade V5 One-Shot Scenario
A group of Belleville locals working at a small Chinese restaurant get drawn into the Kindred power struggles of Paris when a simple late-night delivery goes horribly wrong. After witnessing an Anarch attack on a Camarilla gathering, they're Embraced to ensure their silence and must navigate their first terrifying night as vampires.
Explore the intricate web of relationships within mortal society (locals, gentrifiers, workers) and the mirroring hierarchies within the Cainite world (Camarilla vs. Anarch, Prince vs. subjects).
Root the narrative firmly in Belleville's unique identity - its working-class past, waves of immigration, artistic spirit, and ongoing gentrification. Use historical layers to inform current tensions.
Examine tensions through urban geography (gentrified hotspots vs. social housing), socio-economics, and cultural clashes, framed within both mortal life and the Cainite condition.
Weave in Belleville's diverse eateries and bars, Parisian nightlife nuances, the coded language of the streets, and specific anxieties tied to migratory experiences.
Leverage vampires as figures of marginalization, contagion, otherness, and hidden power structures. Connect these themes directly to the characters' pre-existing lives and how the Embrace transforms them.
Works deliveries for rent while trying to make it as an artist. Deeply connected to Belleville's street art scene.
Touchstone: Their aging art teacher at a local community center.
Hook: Owes Jiangshi money for art supplies bought on credit.
Skills: Art, Streetwise, Subterfuge
Torn between family expectations and personal dreams. Knows everyone in the neighborhood.
Touchstone: Their younger sibling who looks up to them.
Hook: Suspects Jiangshi's restaurant is a front for something.
Skills: Socialize, Empathy, Languages
Fights against gentrification but is losing hope. Works at the restaurant to stay under the radar.
Touchstone: An elderly neighbor being forced out of their apartment.
Hook: Noticed strange people coming and going from the restaurant at night.
Skills: Politics, Intimidation, Athletics
Plays gigs in local bars but mostly busks. Works at the restaurant for steady cash.
Touchstone: Their former bandmate who got a "real job."
Hook: Overheard Lamia and Adze arguing about "the shipment."
Skills: Performance, Awareness, Streetwise
Why is this group working together tonight?
"The cramped basement kitchen of 'Le Meilleur Tofu' reeks of soy sauce and bleach. The stainless steel counters are wiped down, the woks cleaned and stacked. Upstairs, the cheerful facade of the restaurant with its red lanterns and smiling Buddha contrasts sharply with this utilitarian space where the real work happens."
Mme. Jiangshi
"Ah, my hardworking little sparrows! One last task tonight, yes? A special delivery for very important guests. So lucky I have such reliable helpers!"
Lamia (whispering urgently)
"You don't have to do this. Make an excuse. Get out of here tonight."
Accept the unusual late-night delivery mission to La Bellevilloise with its exceptional bonus.
Le Vieux Zinc
An old-school Parisian bar with yellowed posters and a zinc counter worn smooth by decades of elbows.
Potential Info: Overheard gossip about strange VIPs at La Bellevilloise.
Chez Rachid
A bustling Maghrebi café with mint tea and honey-drenched pastries.
Potential Info: Rumors of unusual police presence near the venue.
Cantine Zhao
A small, brightly-lit Chinese eatery with plastic stools and steaming noodle bowls.
Potential Info: Seeing Lamia arguing on the phone.
Gather information about the neighborhood's mood and potential clues about the upcoming delivery.
Success grants minor advantages like shortcuts, contacts, or warnings.
"Belleville's streets pulse with nightlife - bars spilling laughter onto sidewalks, the sizzle of late-night kebabs, a busker's mournful accordion. But as you climb toward Ménilmontant, the atmosphere grows tense. Police barriers block the usual routes, officers wave flashlights at idling cars. The air feels charged, like before a summer storm."
Navigate the blocked streets and reach La Bellevilloise with the delivery.
Success means arriving on time with no issues. Failure could mean delays, damaged goods, or unwanted attention.
"The service entrance of La Bellevilloise is a world apart from its elegant facade. Harried staff in black uniforms rush about, radios crackling. Through half-open doors, you catch glimpses of crystal chandeliers, champagne flutes, and impeccably dressed guests who never glance toward the help. The air smells of expensive perfume and something faintly metallic."
Complete the delivery, obtain the return package (receipt + small heavy envelope), and observe the suspicious activities.
A small, heavy envelope or box that Jiangshi insisted must be retrieved "at all costs." Could contain:
"The world explodes in fire and noise. A pressure wave slams you off your feet as glass shatters outward in a deadly rain. Screams pierce the ringing in your ears. Through the smoke, you see figures moving with impossible speed - some fleeing, others attacking. Pain radiates from your side where a shard of metal juts from your ribs. Your vision tunnels as blood pools beneath you."
Each character experiences their mortal life flashing before their eyes, focusing on their Touchstones and unfulfilled Aspirations.
"Cold hands turn you onto your back. A face swims into view - pale, beautiful, terrible. 'You saw too much,' a voice whispers. Or perhaps, 'I can use you.' Or maybe just a fanged smile before the pain of the bite obliterates thought. The feeding is agony, then ecstasy, then something worse. When they force their blood between your lips, your heart stutters... and stops."
"You wake in darkness, curled in a fetal position in some filthy alley or abandoned room. Your body is cold, yet every sense is painfully acute. The stench of garbage makes you gag. Distant sirens pierce your skull like needles. And beneath it all - a gnawing, all-consuming hunger that makes your gums ache and your fingers tremble."
Characters start with Hunger 3 or 4. Describe its physical and psychological effects.
Introduce the Beast stirring within. Potential first Frenzy check triggered by:
Understand their new state (partially), survive immediate threats, begin to grapple with Hunger and the Beast.
Guide the ST on presenting hunting opportunities with moral dilemmas:
Characters must find shelter before dawn using skills like Stealth, Streetwise, or Larceny.
Characters begin investigating their new existence and seeking their Sires:
Locating and confronting their Sire could involve:
Seeking answers from Jiangshi's children could reveal more about the local power dynamics.
Finding the architect of the attack is extremely dangerous and could lead to:
Confronting the Princess herself is likely suicidal for neonates but could result in punishment, a test, or being bound into her service.
"The Princess of Belleville appears as a middle-aged Chinese woman with an ever-present smile that never reaches her eyes. Her restaurant, 'Le Meilleur Tofu,' is both her domain and her hunting ground."
Formerly a courtesan in 19th century Shanghai, Embraced by a visiting Toreador. Came to Paris in the 1970s and carved out Belleville as her domain.
"Jiangshi's 'daughter' moves with unnatural grace, her porcelain beauty marred only by the permanent scowl she wears. She dresses in expensive but understated fashion, always watching, always judging."
A French-Vietnamese woman ghouled in the 1990s. Serves as Jiangshi's enforcer and right hand, but resents her position.
"Jiangshi's 'son' is a hulking West African man with tribal scars and eyes that reflect light like a cat's. He speaks rarely but watches everything."
A former child soldier from Liberia, ghouled by Jiangshi in the early 2000s. Serves as her muscle and intimidation factor.
"The leader of the Belleville Anarch cell is a pale wraith of a man with hollow cheeks and burning eyes. His voice is soft but carries an undercurrent of violence."
A former Communard Embraced during the Paris Commune. Has been fighting the Camarilla for over a century.
"A hunched figure swathed in scarves and oversized coats, their true form hidden beneath layers. Their voice is a dry whisper, like pages turning."
The PCs saw something they shouldn't have. The Archivist Embraced to control the information.
"A tall, muscular woman with close-cropped hair and a permanent scowl. She moves with the precision of a predator, her eyes constantly scanning for threats."
Saw potential in one of the PCs during the attack. Embraced to create a useful ally.
Characters start with Hunger 3 or 4 after the Embrace. Describe its effects:
Potential triggers for the characters' first Frenzy checks:
Suggest Clan-specific Compulsions based on potential Sires:
Options for the first hunt with associated risks:
Keep combat narrative and fast-paced. Focus on:
Suggested Tenets reflecting Belleville's social fabric:
Help new players by:
Key locations to mark on your map:
Include territory boundaries (Camarilla vs. Anarch), safe routes, and dangerous areas post-attack.
Crinkled paper with Jiangshi's elegant handwriting
"La Bellevilloise - VIP Event - 3 crates specialty tofu - MUST deliver before midnight - return with receipt AND package"
Found in the return package or on a dead Anarch
"The sparrows will sing at midnight. Burn the nest. -F"
Headline about the explosion
"GAS EXPLOSION AT LA BELLEVILLOISE - 12 DEAD - TERRORISM NOT RULED OUT"
Evoke Belleville's unique atmosphere:
Ideas for continuing the story into a chronicle: