New Legacies (2)

(My apologies for the long delay between installments. I’d intended to post this and the other pieces in the series in early 2020. I wonder what could possibly have distracted me in, oh, say around March of that year.)

The Dracula Dossier Director’s Handbook (DH) covers the present-day Legacies of the main members of the Crew of Light – Billie Harker, Tabitha Holmwood, Thad Morris and the rest, the descendants of the original group who battled Dracula. However, Dracula Unredacted reveals the existence of several other members of this fellowship who, for reasons sinister or editorial, were excised from the narrative. Once the players discover the existence of Kate Reed or Inspector Cotford, might they not try to track down their present-day heirs?

Gwen Parton

The Parton family played a key role in the events of Dracula, although their involvement was heavily redacted in the published version. Sir Robert Parton, the president of the law society, was possibly involved with Operation Edom. It was he who put Dracula in contact with Peter Hawkins of Exeter when the Count asked for a lawyer to be dispatched to Transylvania. Later, Parton’s daughter Juliette was a victim of the Count’s unholy hungers, possibly with Parton’s knowledge. Certainly, Parton helped cover up the circumstances of his daughter’s death, removing witnesses like his brother Quentin (exiled to Scotland for his health), and lying to Inspector Cotford. Juliette’s coffin was never found.

(It’s equally likely that Parton was part of the Satanic Cult of Dracula, of course – Cotford’s cryptic last entry on p. 270 of Dracula Unredacted mentions ‘Parton’ at the unholy banquet at Coldfall house, but it’s unclear if he meant the late Juliette or her father Sir Robert.)

Gwen Parton’s descended from Sir Robert’s brother Quentin, although she has little knowledge of that side of the family. Her branch of the Partons have lived in Scotland for generations. Gwen’s in her early 30s, with innumerable piercings and tattoos; she’s drifted in and out of various punk-rock bands, artistic collectives, fringe political groups and activist circles since dropping out of university. Her secret shame – her family’s still very wealthy, and have helped her out of financial difficulties several times.

Innocent: Gwen’s still looking for the right cause – she’s got plenty of energy and passion, but has yet to find something that she really believes in. Taking down Edom/Dracula might be that crusade, especially once she learns about her family connection to the curse.

While a failed rock musician might not seem to be an ideal ally for vampire hunters, Gwen brings several advantages to the table. Her great-great-grandfather Quentin was sensitive to Dracula’s presence, like Renfield – she might equally be able to detect the count. She’s got access to a network of online journalists and other contacts who might be able to dig up useful intel. She can draw on her inheritance for ready cash. And when all else fails, she’s got a pair of well used and very stompy boots, and has special weapons training in smashing a pint glass into someone’s face.

Asset: If Edom’s running Gwen, it’s at arms’ length. She might be a deep-cover agent – maybe Edom’s worried that the stolen copy of Unredacted will fall into the hands of some troublesome investigative journalist or online conspiracy blogger, and they’ve sent Gwen into that world so she can grab the dossier when it surfaces.

Another option: “Gwen” is actually Juliette Parton, the original Edom vampire. Her appearance is as far as one could get from the respectable young Victorian woman she used to be; she only ever goes out at night, and she’s loud and aggressive enough to deflect suspicion.

Minion: Gwen’s a member of the Satanic Cult of Dracula, like her ancestors before her. Given her relative youth and attitude, she’s likely a low-level talent spotter, recruiting criminals and other useful assets for the Conspiracy. She might be a connection between the vampires and mundane criminality. In this scenario, the Agents run into some low-grade goons, beat them up, get pointed at Gwen Parton – and then spot an old family painting or heirloom/discover the Parton trust fund, and unravel the connections between those low-grade goons and the Parton legacy…

Defining quirks: 1) Stompy boots 2) Goth crucifix that happens to be made of solid silver 3) Shifts accents from Edinburgh punk-rock girl to upper-class Oxbridge as needed

Investigative Abilities: Art History, Intimidation, Streetwise, Urban Survival

General Abilities: Conceal 4, Hand-to-Hand 6

The Dracula Dossier reveals that Dracula is not a novel. It’s the censored version of Bram Stoker’s after-action report of the failed British Intelligence attempt to recruit a vampire in 1894. Kenneth Hite and Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan have restored the deleted sections, inserting annotations and clues left by three generations of MI6 analysts. This is Dracula Unredacted. Follow those clues to the Director’s Handbook, containing hundreds of encounters: shady NPCs, dangerous locations, conspiratorial nodes, and mysterious objects. Together they comprise The Dracula Dossier — an epic improvised, collaborative campaign for Night’s Black Agents, our award-winning vampire spy thriller RPG. Purchase the Dracula Dossier starter kit bundle in print and PDF at the Pelgrane Shop.