Overview:
The Nosferatu live in a vast series of tunnels, branching streams of filth and carved stone cells that together form the sprawling Undercity. But it is more spectacular than any smoothskin topside could possibly imagine. They have built a micro civilization which functions somewhat like an autocratic theocracy mixed with a socialist commune, if you can imagine. Caius, an ancient methuselah, has apparently “ascended” into a higher form, yet still shepherds his giant brood in their constant quest for security and information. Distinctions such as “Georgetown” and “Alexandria” are of little consequence below the streets, or at least were until a psychic ribbon wall tore into the ground and made travel . . . difficult. But for the past decade, Metro tunnels moving under the Potomac have connected Virginia and Georgetown, thus connecting the two Domains topside into one Undercity.
The Nosferatu have a select and elite group of Operatives they send topside to deal with the smoothskins and Camarilla society. Even the “Camarilla” and “Sabbat” are only temporary contrivances necessary to navigate. So, while the Operatives maintain their oaths of absolute loyalty to the sect, their first loyalty is to their commune and to their “Prince of the Undercity,” Caius.
But for many, their lives are spent among the denizens of the deep. There are forests of giant mushrooms, a bestiary of blood which ghouls creatures by the hundreds, an art gallery, a symphony (of sorts) and more . . .
Kindred, desperate humans and rats are not the only creatures who make a home here, though. And the Nosferatu are not the only bloodline of the childer of Caine that might be found lurking below.
One Operative named Bottleneck went rogue and left the commune for Baltimore. The Nosferatu security apparatus is concerned that the traitor most likely spilled many secrets to the Sabbat attacking Georgetown topside. Thus, the decision was made to seal the Undercity as the situation is assessed.
The Metro connects Virginia, D.C. and Maryland and is the most obvious gateway into the Undercity.
Kindred and Cainites
Andrews, Dr. Jamie
Nosferatu of the Undercity. Dr. Andrews is the D.C. Node Manager and one of the Developers of SchreckNET. He is friendly with Henry, who has helped him with the grunt work of repetitive data entry in coding. Through 1990-1994, Dr. Andrews works with Henry in setting up a reliable cell network (as well as networked computers) for the Clan. Henry helped Dr. Andrews set up a reliable cellular network for the Undercity and expand SchreckNET in the early 1990s. Jaime contacted Henry on December 6, 1994 to let him know that there was to be an important meeting in the Undercity.
Architect, The (a.k.a. Pierre L’Enfant)
Nosferatu of the Undercity. Chief Architect of the Undercity and master of the builders. He was regularly seen floating amongst the upper crust of the Undercity as well as attending concerts and galleries that Henry would attend. The Architect was at the emergency gathering of the commune on December 6, 1994 as the Undercity went on lockdown and battle mode.
“Bette”
Nosferatu Operative. Bette is Marcel’s arm candy at Club Euphonia on August 5, 1984. She is in on the job, but it is unknown what her motivations might be or if she is even Kindred. She left the club shortly after Marcel was taken into Desirée’s private chambers. Henry has worked with Bette, also known by any other honeypot name, in various Nosferatu Operative operations throughout the early 1990s.
Bottleneck the Infested (a.k.a. “James”)
Nosferatu antitribu. Bottleneck helped load a torpid Settite into Cylus Pine’s van at the Bowl America Parking Garage on August 6, 1984. Bottleneck posed as a mortal named James and seduced Henry Vasiliev while simultaneously stalking him in October of 1985. He embraced Henry and brought him to the “changing room” in the Undercity. Fully revealed as a disgusting creature with hundreds of bottleneck flies clinging to his neck, Bottleneck tutors his childe in the ways of the Nosferatu as he gives him a tour of the vast Undercity. Bottleneck and Henry became Blood Bound lovers and now Bottleneck is completely obsessed with his childe and will jealously watch over him. He is tasked with getting miles of cords to wire all of the Undercity with Ethernet. Bottleneck, ever the clingy lover, had a Valentine’s Day surprise for Henry on February 14, 1989. He told Henry that he was pulling of a heist of a Texas Instruments truck headed to George Washington University with a group of Georgetown Anarchs (a couple of Brujah, and a Malkavian named Comet). Bottleneck had flown into a rage when Henry didn’t return home. Bottleneck destroyed their underground home, killing Henry’s ghouled insect friends. On February 18, 1989, Bottleneck confronted Henry in the woods near Vitus’ manor. Rose had been following stealthily and struck at Bottleneck in an attempt to stake him. Having not quite hit the mark, Bottleneck moved into Obfuscate and ran, feeling betrayed by his childe who had sent his bees after him. Through the years of 1989 to 1994, Bottleneck sent disturbing “love packages” to Vitus’ manor addressed to Henry: including human body parts (hearts, fingers, et cetera). The Moravignians used their sight-beyond-sight to determine that Bottleneck was sending the packages from Baltimore and had likely joined the Sabbat: betraying the commune’s secrets. Jinx found in her telepathic mind-stealing from a dying Gangrel (German) on December 7, 1994 that Bottleneck’s intel was instrumental in the Sabbat’s victory over the Camarilla.
Caius
Nosferatu Prince of the Undercity. The One Below. The Prince of the Undercity. The ancient entity that is Caius rules the Undercity as its unquestioned father. He (as a mass of creatures forming into a giant face, hissing with the voices of thousands of rodents, snakes and other creatures) met with Henry on two occasions. Once, shortly after his Embrace to make him a Shepherd, and a second time in 1990 to make him an Operative after another Operative was killed. Caius met with H.B. Kershaw on October 21, 1993 during his presentation to the One Below at the Court of Darkness. Caius, unsurprisingly, made H.B. an Operative.
Celina
Nosferatu of the Undercity. Curator of the Undercity Gallery. Henry would often see her whenever going to a show to support his friend, Droop. Henry has run into Celina throughout the 1990s in the Undercity and occasionally goes to a show.
Cheesehead
Nosferatu of the Undercity. Engineer childe of the Architect. Cheesehead was at the emergency meeting of the commune at the Chamber of Horrors on December 6, 1994. Cheesehead found the refugees Desirée and Thaïs in the upper sewers following the attack at the Smithsonian Zoo on December 7, 1994. He used Animalism on a white alligator from the zoo and sent the majestic beast to Margolis and the Shepherds of the Deep. He then led the two “smoothskins”to Heart Island in the Undercity to meet with Cedric Pine. Once there, he was killed instantly by the psychic force of the Ribbon Wall as he exploded with pink and purple energy. The Wall came up for the first time and bifurcated the island, as it ran right below the Potomac River. Read “Cheesehead’s Final Nights” here.
Darius
Nosferatu Chamberlain of the Undercity. Darius is the Right Hand of the One Below. He manages the night-to-night functioning of the Undercity from the Court of Darkness. He was last seen by Henry in 1990 when he translated for his sire Caius to tell Henry that he was to be made an Operative. Darius led the proceedings at H.B. Kershaw’s presentation before Caius at the Court of Darkness on October 21, 1993. Darius led the emergency meeting of the Undercity on December 6, 1994 in which he determined that the Undercity should be sealed and the Nosferatu prepare for war.
Droop
Nosferatu of the Undercity. Famed Nosferatu artist. Henry’s friend. He’s still doing fine, creating art in the Undercity. He invites Henry to his upcoming show in the Undercity when he sees Henry in the Chamber of Horrors on February 16, 1989. Droop held an art show and Henry attended, however, Henry left in tears when the piece de resistance was a “meditation on the eternal love of Henry and Bottleneck.” Droop was at the commune meeting on December 6, 1994 when Henry and the rest of the Underfolk were informed of the Creature from the Depths stirring as well as disturbing reports of topside events that had the Nosferatu deciding to seal off most passageways to the surface. Droop offered his Undercity apartments (specifically, his nasty couch) to his friend Henry, should he need to stay somewhere other than his own place.
Germaine
Nosferatu antitribu. Germaine was a part of the Sabbat Pack of Bowie and was celebrating the vaudlerie on New Year’s 1986 when the Camarilla’s S’eth Adar led a sneak attack against the Pack at the Skate-O-Rama. Germaine slid away using Obfuscate, and just has they were about to sneak-attack the Gangrel Vandie Rae, they were shot by Jinx. They were later staked by Vandie Rae. Following the battle, Germaine was put through the tortuous resanguination-exsanguination process so that their blood could be used in the feast at the Camarilla’s Elysium. Their husk of a body was likely burned or left for the sun.
Jones, Geronimo “G”
Nosferatu Operative. Information peddler in D.C. He is regularly seen by Henry in the Undercity whenever he is not topside on a mission. Henry was paired with G for his first training mission: a scavenger hunt at the Smithsonian National Zoo on Saturday, February 11, 1989. Henry has worked alongside G in various operations for the Nosferatu Operatives throughout the early 1990s. Geronimo was at the commune emergency meeting in the Chamber of Horrors on December 6, 1994.
Marconi the Great
Nosferatu of the Undercity. Composer of merit at the Symphony of the Deep. Henry has been to several of Marconi’s performances in the Undercity over the years. Marconi was among the assembled Underfolk at the emergency commune meeting in the Chamber of Horrors on December 6, 1994.
Margolis
Nosferatu Shepard of the Deep of the Undercity. Henry’s grandsire and supervisor/mentor at the Bestiary. Henry sees him regularly in the Undercity. Henry worked with his grandsire to understand his bee infestation better. The Shepherd aided Henry throughout the early 1990s in his biological experiments. Margolis met H.B. Kershaw at the Spawning Pool with his sire, Mary Pine, on October 21, 1993. Margolis was at the emergency commune meeting in the Chamber of Horrors on December 6, 1994 to discuss dangers facing the Undercity from both above and below. Cheesehead sent a white alligator who had escaped from the National Zoo following the Sabbat attack to Margolis using his Animalism on December 7, 1994.
Pepe
Nosferatu Operative. Pepe helped load a torpid Settite into Cylus Pine’s van at the Bowl America Parking Garage on August 6, 1984. Pepe is a Nosferatu Operative who poses as an Anarch in Georgetown (to get their secrets). Henry sees him in the Undercity from time to time. Now that Henry is an Operative, he sees him nearly nightly. Pepe was at Dharma Coffee House following the Texas Instruments heist and met up with Jinx and Allie on February 15, 1989 when Jinx asked for a major favor from the Anarchs. It can be assumed by those in the know, that the Nosferatu are thus now aware of Allie and exactly who helped her to escape. Henry has heard from Pepe’s reports on Anarch activity to the Nosferatu Intelligence Forces. Pepe was at the emergency commune meeting on December 6, 1994 to discuss the closing of the entrances to the Undercity and the threat posed by the Creature from the Depths.
Pine, Alfred
Nosferatu Operative. Alfred was one of Henry’s coworkers. While never worked on a mission together, he seemed friendly enough to Henry. Alfred attended the emergency commune meeting on December 6, 1994 to discuss the threats faced by the Undercity.
Pine, Cylus
Nosferatu Primogen of Alexandria and Georgtown. Voice of the One Below. Cylus attended the Alexandria Elysium on February 18, 1983 and met Desirée. Desirée and Thaïs spoke with Cylus at Elysium on August 4, 1984 about finding out who stole Desirée’s painting. He agreed to find out the culprit for a muscle service of Thaïs and Desirée’s willingness to use her club in Del Ray. He arrived at Club Euphonia the following night and witnessed Thaïs drinking too much blood from one of Desirée’s ghoul servitors. Cylus tells the two that he’ll do as they say after they have staked and beaten Marcel and brought him to a garage in Alexandria. He later revealed that he had engineered the disappearance of the painting for his own purposes. Cylus met Desirée and Thaïs at club Euphonia for its Grand Opening on May 7, 1988. He gave them cash payment for their most recent job: securing a Nosferatu (“Julia Pine”) in daytime passage using Thaïs’ shipping company. He seemed cold with Julia when the two left together. Cylus Presented Henry as his childe, “Henry Pine,” to both Prince Elaine of Alexandria and Prince George of Georgetown on February 10, 1989. Cylus attended the Valentine’s Day Alexandria Elysium wearing his fine suit on February 14, 1989. He called a Clan-friendly car for Henry’s use in his mission. Cylus attended the Alexandria Elysium on February 23, 1989. He introduced Thaïs and Desirée to his “childe,” Henry. Henry met briefly with Cylus when he went to debrief with Mary following the Bottleneck incident. Cylus continues to serve as the Nosferatu Primogen of both Domains throughout the early 1990s. Cylus helped to brief Henry at the Operative center in the Undercity on December 6, 1994. He feared reports (or lake thereof) coming in from Baltimore. Thaïs was finally able to get through to Cylus on December 6, 1994. He told her that he would pay handsomely for information from the goings on at Elysium the following evening . . . he would not be in attendance. On December 7, 1994, Cylus spoke with Thaïs over a choppy line on her cell phone after she descended into the sewer following the Ventrue coup and subsequent Sabbat attack on Elysium. He did his best to give Thaïs and Desirée directions until the phone was cut off from the government during a national emergency (terrorist attack). Thaïs and Desirée met up with him on Heart Island in the Underlake below the Potomac River. Their reunion was short-lived as a psychic ribbon wall cut through the ceiling to the sludge water below and sliced Cylus in half. He did not met final death (like Cheesehead standing next to him), but he was gravely wounded. After a conversation about the extraordinary events, Cylus was hoisted onto the rowboat with Thaïs, Desirée and Broadus and the group went to an intersection to allow the Smoothskins to leave the Undercity. They were asked to send word whenever they had a chance to let the Undercity know what was going on topside.
Pine, Julia
Nosferatu Operative. “Julia Pine” was the name the Nosferatu operative gave to Desirée and Thaïs when she was smuggled from Richmond to H&H Ranch on May 7, 1988. Julia had been transported in a shipping crate over the day as a way to traverse the stretch without alerting the Lupines. After sating herself on a provided cat, the putrid Nossie transformed herself into a “beautiful” woman and went out with Des and Ty for the Grand Opening of Club Euphonia. There, she met up with Cylus Pine and the two had a terse exchange before leaving the club.
Pine, Mary
Nosferatu Operative. Mary is one of the leaders of the Operatives, at least one who regularly returns to the Undercity. Henry began his training with Mary on Wednesday, February 8, 1989. As an aside, Rose hid in the mausoleum in Bowie where she is supposedly buried, but obviously isn’t (though he will likely never remember that if he were to ever meet her). Mary held a debriefing with Henry following his mission on February 16, 1989. She was intrigued with Henry’s progress, but was disturbed by the behavior of Bottleneck. She ordered Bottleneck to report to her as soon as he could be found. Henry confided in Mary following the Bottleneck incident. Mary took Henry to the Moravignians with Bottleneck’s “present” in tow. Together, they found that Bottleneck has likely joined the Sabbat and was sending the body parts to his former boyfriend from Baltimore. Mary began her “conversations” with ailing Washington Post reporter H.B. Kershaw over the phone on October 17, 1993. She met with Kershaw under Obfuscation at the Old Ebbit Grill and suggested that the pair go somewhere more private to discuss the Brexco/Donovan investigation. Mary cajoled and then threatened Kershaw into descending the ladder into the Undercity to begin his new unlife as her childe. Mary attended the emergency commune meeting on December 6, 1994 where the threats facing the Undercity were gravely discussed. She further briefed Henry on his mission as the eyes and ears of the Nosferatu topside during this time of troubles.
Ro
Nosferatu Operative. Ro is posing as an Anarch of Georgetown. Jinx met Ro at an Anarch gathering at Dharma Coffee House in Southeast. Henry knows that Ro is a Nosferatu operative. Henry has seen Ro among the Nosferatu Operatives throughout the early 1990s. Ro attended the emergency commune meeting at the Chamber of Horrors on December 6, 1994 to discuss the dangers the Undercity faces from above and below.
Taylor, Ariadne
Nosferatu of the Undercity. A Shepherd in the Undercity and Henry’s work buddy friend. She worked as a zookeeper and animal expert in the Smithsonian National Zoological Park before her embrace in 1975. Henry sees Ariadne regularly in the Undercity. She greets Henry in the Chamber of Horrors on February 16, 1989 and notices that something is wrong with her friend. Henry would often see Ariadne whenever he returned to his Undercity home throughout the early 1990s. Ariadne, Droop and Henry all discussed the looming troubles and Bottleneck in the Forest of the Deep together on December 6, 1994, shortly after the emergency meeting of the commune in the Chamber of Horrors.
Vasiliev, Henry “Henry Pine”
Nosferatu Operative. [NOTE: Henry was a Player Character from the beginning through BOOK I, Story 3, Chapter 5, part 2: “Up Against the Wall.” Everything the character has done after that will be listed here. To see Henry’s notes as a PC and read his PC Page, click here.] Operative of the Undercity. He went missing in the attack of the Sabbat upon Georgetown and his fate is unknown. Another agent, H.B. Kershaw, has been sent to find out what became of Henry.
Ghouls
Broadus
Nosferatu servitor. He paddles the boat for Margolis, among many other tasks. He is one of hundreds of ghouls in the Undercity. Henry sees him occasionally. Henry fed off of Broadus, a little too much in fact, just before his presentation before the Princes of the Two Domains on February 10, 1989. Broadus tied up Henry’s skiff when he came to the Chamber of Horrors in the Undercity for a full-commune meeting on December 6, 1994. Broadus was seen rowing Cylus Pine to Heart Island in the Undercity (though Thaïs and Desirée didn’t know who he was) on December 7, 1994 shortly before the Ribbon Wall bisected the island, killing Cheesehead and deeply wounding Cylus. Broadus didn’t even see the ribbon wall and could walk right through it without a problem. This demonstrated that ghouls were unaffected by its power. Broadus rowed the gravely wounded Cylus with Desirée and Thaïs to an intersection in the sewer so that the Smoothskins could leave the Undercity.