A Timeline Of Memphis
1700-2007
17th Century – Otapi embraced in the tri-state area.
1830’s – Danislav family moves into tri-state area. The few Kindred in the area are killed, flee, or pledge fealty to Viktor Danislav and the rest of the family.
1830’s – 1852 – Danislav family rules the tri-state area much like a kingdom in the old world.
1852 – A coterie of Kindred from Atlanta led by the Brujah elder Cedrick Baker, move into Memphis. They war upon the Danislav family for the next year and finally exile all of their family from Shelby county. Cedrick Baker declares himself prince of Memphis. Viktor Danislav vows to take back Memphis and vows to take Cedrick Baker’s head.
1853-1878 – The domain is an insignificant backwater Camarilla domain. A constant state of war exists between Memphis and the Danislav family. Over time the Danislav family is pushed out of all their holdings west of the Mississippi river and from all counties to the east of Memphis. By 1878 the conflict ends with the Danislav family holding onto only Tipton county.
1878 – Yellow fever epidemic in Memphis. Rumors are rampant that Kindred are involved in the epidemic. Several archons investigate the Kindred of Memphis, but no one is ever proved to have had any involvement in the incident.
1892 – A coterie of three powerful elders arrives in Memphis from Norfolk, Virginia: Sian Loren (Lasombra), Gregor (Nosferatu), and Pandora (Malkavian). These three elders are not welcomed warmly into the domain by the prince of any of his allies as they view them as a very serious threat to Prince Baker. Sian claims to just want to live a quiet life.
1895 – Sian publicly claims that she and her coterie have taken over Jackson TN, and proclaims that anyone may visit iregardless of their sect or lack there of.
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1900 – Justin Corso is given protection in the Memphis domain by Prince Baker. It is rumored they have a past together and that Corso once saved the life of Prince Baker. The Kindred of Memphis are very upset with harboring this infamous anarch leader and widely hunted Kindred in their domain.
1903 – Prince Baker is assassinated supposedly by Justin Corso. Justin Corso is blood hunted for destroying former prince Baker by the new Prince of Memphis. Corso refutes this claim and flees the domain. Sian gives her personal protection to Justin Corso in Jackson, saying that the charges against him are false. Sian is banished from Memphis for giving aid to Corso by the new prince.
1903 – 1914 – Memphis goes through a succession of weak princes and constant conflict. The Danislav family tries to take back Memphis. Sabbat packs constantly incur on the domain. As well as constant infighting in the domain between rival factions and rival Kindred claiming to be prince. The Giovanni family first settles into the domain in this period. The gangrel elder Tatianna makes her first appearance in the domain.
1914 – After several serious breaches of the masquerade that reach far beyond Memphis, archon Coll of clan Nosferatu arrives in Memphis with an edict from Justicar Petrodon to put the domain in order and punish those that had committed the crimes. Several Kindred in Memphis are execute for various crimes. Coll and those that work with him push the Danislav’s back into Tipton county, Viktor’s eldest childer Geza is destroyed by Coll in this conflict. Justin Corso is officially exonerated for killing former Prince Baker, but his rampant crimes in other Camarilla domains over the centuries still stand.
March 1915 – The Toreador Desiree Patina arrives from Philadelphia with now former archon Coll as her right hand and within weeks has taken praxis of Memphis and her rivals have disappeared or been destroyed. Desiree is know for her extreme severity & depravity. Sian is allowed back into Memphis along with Justin Corso. It is rumored that Sian was instrumental in Desiree’s rapid rise to power.
1918 - Delassiel (tremere) arrives in Memphis. The Assamite elder, The Marduk arrives in Memphis as Sian Loren’s personal bodyguard. Rumors of The Marduk & Sian’s relationship go back many centuries.
1920 - Prince Desiree starts to show signs of extreme paranoia and insanity. Her actions become very erratic and unpredictable. Prince Desiree begins to kill or exile any she views as a threat. Accusing them of Sabbat sympathies or of various breaches of tradition. First rumours of “The Thorns” being in Memphis begin to surface. “The Thorns” are a mysterious coterie of five Kindred that have traveled over the world for centuries, searching for great secrets. Pandorra disappears suddenly. The Malkavian clan claims that she is dead. Gregor says that she is in torpor and that they are protecting her. Sian is mysteriously silent on the matter.
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Sept. 1923 – Delassiel is blood hunted by Prince Patina for breach of the tradition of destruction. Information comes out that Delassiel has become a renegade from his clan, and that Tremere elders threatened Prince Patina directly if she did not aid them in finding Delassiel. Tremere from outside the domain come into Memphis frantically trying to find Delassiel. It is finally found that Delassiel is hiding in the Nosferatu warrens. A large group of tremere from within and outside Memphis go into the warrens to get Delassiel. What exactly happened is unknown, but the Tremere did not leave Memphis with Delassiel. Rumours would circulate of a standoff with “The Thorns”, several Tremere elders, and Sian, Delassiel, Gregor, The Marduk, and Viktor Danislav. These three groups very nearly setting upon one another in an all out bloodbath. And most surprisingly Justin Corso and the Don of the Giovanni family being the ones that stopped a massive bloodbath from occurring. Delassiel disappears from Memphis and is rumored to be in Jackson under Sian’s protection.
1923 – 1929 – Prince Patina continues to slide into madness. Becoming more and more cloistered she continues to spread fear among the Kindred of Memphis. The primogen council is disbanded in 1928, and Prince Patina rules with pure fear and intimidation from then on.
1929 – “The Thorns” depose of Prince Patina and her close allies in a very violent action. Coll is the only survivor of Prince Patina’s advisors. The Kindred of Memphis welcome “The Thorns” as saviors. “The Thorns” promise an end to the oppression of the past years and a return to a more calm time. Within a few months, though, Kindred of the domain start disappearing and “the thorns” reveal themselves as willing to sacrifice every Kindred in the domain as they search for some great secret that has been lost. It is revealed that Red Thorn is a very powerful necromancer as wraiths and other spirits are used and controlled by him. All the members of the Giovanni family and clan are destroyed by “The Thorns” in Sept. of 1929. In November of 1929, the Kindred of Memphis try to overthrow “The Thorns” with help from as many allies as they can get. They are almost all destroyed during the daylight hours as their havens and hiding places are raided or destroyed. The rest of the Kindred in Memphis flee the domain and leave it to “The Thorns”.
1929 – 1937 – The Thorns rule Memphis alone. The only allies The Thorns have are packs of shapeshifters that are under their control. Few Kindred dare to venture into Memphis in this time. The few that do rarely return. It is also rumored that shapeshifters and other supernatural creatures suffer the same fate if they move into the city. No one is able to find out what The Thorns are searching for in Memphis. The Camarilla is unwilling to devote any significant resources to taking back the domain. The former members of the domain move to other domains or bide their time in surrounding smaller cities.
Feb 1938 – A coalition of Kindred retake Memphis. Sian and her coterie including Gregor, The Marduk, Coll, Justin Corso & Dalassiel lead the recapture of Memphis. The Giovanni family destroys Red Thorn and takes away one of The Thorns greatest weapons in their control of the wraiths and spirits in Memphis. The Danislav family unleashes several powerful war ghouls against the shapeshifter allies of The Thorns and destroy them completely. Sian’s coterie take The Thorns on directly and manage to drive them from Memphis. The remaining four Thorns escape the city with their lives.
April 1938 – Sian and coterie formally present the domain back to the Justicar Drusilla Xaviaar at a Conclave in St. Louis. Agreement made with Justicar for more tolerance of Independent Kindred in the domain of Memphis.
1938-1940 – Conflict for Prince of Memphis between several Camarilla Kindred In May of 1940 Daniel Sooketh becomes prince of Memphis when other rivals renounce claim. This marks the first time that a prince has come about due to non-violent actions.
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June 13, 1950 – First Night Of The Ducks. Over 40 Malkavians arrive in Memphis and rampage through the city looking for 4 ducks that were stolen from the Peabody. A Malkavian Named Aasldkngkd successfully locates the kidnapped ducks and returns them to their home. The Kindred of Memphis are utterly baffled by this event, though no explanation was ever offered. In fact, it seemed that even the Lunatics had no idea about their actions.
1951 – Drusilla Xaviaar steps down as Justicar. Camarilla hierarchy in Memphis clamps down on Independents. Sian and the Marduk uncover a plot to assassinate Justin Corso and Delassiel. At the full moon court of June of that year, Sian and the Marduk stood outside of Elysium, guarding the 2 targets, challenging anyone to attempt the assassination. No one took them up on the challenge. Sian and Coterie retreated to Jackson in disgust with the domain of Memphis and the Camarilla at large. The quote is made that anyone from Memphis coming to Jackson will be sent back special delivery in a very small box.
March 14, 1956 – 4 hired assamites are returned in very small boxes, torpored and twisted into very uncomfortable positions, along with the bloody remains of a sizeable pack of shapeshifters. Note from Sian and Coterie : Told you so.
1958 – Gregor is banished from the domain of Memphis on accusations of stealing and reading the domain officer’s mail for several decades. It is insinuated that he used this practice to spy on the domain for the Coterie in Jackson. The next evening the sewage treatment plant in Frazier experienced “technical difficulties” and flooded the area. Prince pissed.
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1968 – First appearance of Ravagers. 4 Kindred of the domain die before all the Ravagers are supposedly destroyed. Tremere baffled by these creatures, no explanation is offered as to the nature of the beasts.
1968-1974 – Steady increase in sabbat activity throughout Memphis. November 1973 Prince Sooketh quarantines Memphis and surrounding areas from outsiders as precautionary measure. March 23 1974, the sabbat make a significant attack against the Danislavs on their estate in Tipton County, are unsuccessful but do take the city of Memphis with very little resistance. Prince Sooketh and allies flee to New Orleans.
March 23 1975 – Exactly 1 year later, Jackson Coterie, the Danislav family, the Giovanni, and others in a brutal show of force take Memphis back from the Sabbat. Mortal riots explode in the streets, and numerous Masquerade breeches abound.
July 1975 – Sian and Coterie decide not to repeat a mistake and keep the domain for themselves, signing a declaration of Independence. New government in the works. Independants routinely ignore protests from former Prince Sooketh. Camarilla ignores Memphis in hopes that it will fall on it’s own. Sian Loren declared official leader of the domain under the title of Baroness. Council is formed.
1980-1981 – St. Louis and Richmond form Independent Domains along similar models that are in place in Memphis. Both cities form peacefully without violence. An attempt to form an independent domain in Atlanta is brutally put down by the Camarilla in a bloody conflict. Camarilla begins isolating Memphis and other independent domains and spreads propaganda about them. Rumors of everything from Sabbat sympathies to infernal activity to supporting the Inquisition among many other nasty supposed crimes against the Camarilla.
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1984 – The Camarilla attempts to take back the independent domains that were swept up in the model of Memphis. Memphis alone escapes the wrath, retaining its independence. St. Louis and Richmond re-taken.
1984-1987 – Memphis is isolated from all other domains in the Camarilla. Found impotent politically and partially economically.
December 1987 – In an action that none foresaw, the Kindred of Memphis attack and take Dallas in 1 night. They capture and detain all officers and most elders of the domain. Ritualistically executes Prince of Dallas along with 2 archons of Justicar Petrodon. Over the following weeks many of the remaining Kindred in dallas are detained. Justicar Petrodon comes to dallas to negotiate for the release of the elders and other in Dallas Ft. Worth area.
February 1988 – A treaty is signed for the release of the Kindred in Dallas. Under the clauses of this treaty are also provisions for the recognition of Memphis as their own Independent Domain and the respect hereof. Named the Treaty of Plano. Rumors of a secret treaty with only the Tremere clan in Dallas run rampant.
1990 – First appearance of the ‘Delta Whispers’. Kindred begin hearing whispers in their ears that cannot be attributed to any known supernatural or natural source. This occasional phenomena confuses all Kindred.
1990-1997 – Independent domains formed in St. Louis, Richmond, San Antonio, Las Vegas, and Wichita modeled after the political structure of Memphis. An Independent domain is mysteriously formed in Stockholm, Sweden after a bloody uprising. General Edmond Farifax who was a member of the council of Memphis is elected to the position of Marshall Prince of Stockholm. Camarilla elders in Europe are infuriated by this event and begin taking more notice of North American developments.
April 2 1999 – 2nd Night of the Ducks. Over 100 Malkavians rampage through Memphis searching for 5 ducks that were kidnapped from the Peabody. Repeat of previous actions, the masses leave after the ducks are found and returned. Government of Memphis no closer to isolating cause of incident. Security tightened in the mortal realm as well as by Kindred Law, due to inconvenience of over a hundred Lunatics in the domain at once.
Recent Events – San Francisco becomes Independent. Kindred of San Francisco ask Baroness Loren to come to domain and be new leader. No reply as of yet.
