The Louisiana Purchase and the Coming of Doran

The Louisiana purchase of 1803 changed everything. The territory was no longer squabbled over by Spain and France, it was now part of the young United States. Other forces began moving into the area to take control of New Orleans and the territory in general for their own goals and dreams. Among these was Doran.

Doran’s sire had served the Roman Ventrue and had seen the fall of Carthage. He wrote everything that he had known about the Brujah’s utopia in a journal that would later been found by his childe. Upon finding and reading the journal, Doran had became entranced with the idea of recreating the city. He came to New Orleans with his allies (Marcel of Clan Ventrue and Gregor of Clan Brujah) and a plan. Carthage would be reborn.

Doran quickly insinuated himself into several parts of the mortal power structure. The constant warfare between the Cosa, Jonas, and the Garou had left a great deal of it free from Kindred influence until then. Both Jonas and Cosa recognized what was happening and both readied themselves to fight another opponent.

Cosa was surprised to have Doran approach him and offer him the chance to join his coalition. Doran told him of his plans to eliminate the Setite presence in the city and create a New Carthage.

Cosa laughed at him.

Cosa, who was both a scholar and a warrior, found the idea absurd. He didn’t believe in any foolish idea about a utopia, instead he thought that improving the Camarilla itself was a much more realistic goal. He told Doran that he would be foolish to follow this course and try to create a city that the Camarilla would undoubtedly wipe out of existence.

Doran and his allies responded with open hostilities against Cosa. The Brujah elder found himself hard pressed from the beginning of the conflict. He was struggling nightly to hold on to his supporters and influence. Then without warning, his enemies’ assaults suddenly lessened in intensity with no reason. Doing his best to find out why, he could only come up with one answer.

Jonas and the Followers of Set.

The wily old Setite had no intention of letting Doran wipe out Cosa, as it would allow them to concentrate all their efforts on him. Cosa had little option other than to accept Jonas’ aid.

The new conflict became a stalemate.

Then Flavius arrived in New Orleans.

He told Doran and his supporters that he was an elder Brujah from the Roman era and offered support to their cause. The truth of the matter was far more sinister.

Flavius was a member of the ‘True Brujah’ bloodline, who had dedicated himself to destroying all the ‘Carthages’ and other dreams that his ‘bastard kin’ dreamt up. He was a dangerous and powerful force of history. He played a part in Athens falling to Sparta, the Roman sacking of Carthage, the fall of Constantinople, waged secret wars against the Promethean Brujah and their allies during the Dark Ages, and many others before and after New Orleans.

Flavius offered his support to Doran and joined his coalition. Flavius played his part like a Shakespearean actor. He formed his plans to destroy the one he decided was the greatest threat (Cosa), all the while feeding Marcel’s ambition so that he would take care of the other threat (Doran).

After two decades of searching, Flavius found what he was looking for. Jonas’ heart. He decided to put it in the hands that could do the most damage with it.

Marcel’s.

Forcing Jonas out of the conflict on pain of final death, Marcel and the rest of Doran’s supporters went after Cosa with new found zeal. Cosa fought them off for as long as he could, but eventually decided to flee the city. Before he could, Flavius intercepted him and used his temporal powers to help trap Cosa. Cosa was staked and placed in the hollow cornerstone of a building (he and Jonas are some of the few existing Kindred that know exactly what Flavius truly is).

Doran became Prince of New Orleans, but only held his position for two decades. Marcel used the confusion of the Civil War and the grip he had on Jonas to stage Doran’s assassination and frame Gregor for it. Gregor fled. Flavius supposedly had fled as well.