OFFICIAL VEKN GANGREL-ANTITRIBU NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2 NUMBER 9 SEPTEMBER 99 In This Issue .... FICTION: END OF THE AFFAIR [final instalment of a three-parter about the June Portsmouth Tournament]. DECK: BLEU'S BRILLIANT IDEA, ANTI-GANGREL STYLE. [inspired by Phillipe Richer's AMAZING Untap/Psyche deck with which he wowed us when he visited Legbiterland earlier this year]. END OF THE AFFAIR A carriage clip-clops through the cobbled streets of Old Portsmouth and stops by the Round Tower. Dani, Caitlin and Leon get out, supporting between them a short and wiry figure, who is carrying a cardboard shoe- box. "This way, young Master, if you please. Your sire is MOST anxious to speak with you." They scurry across the wind-swept pavement and knock on an iron door, which opens to let them into the tower. Down they go, following the spiral staircase to the dank chambers, well below the waterline, where the Prince of Portsmouth holds court. Legbiter rises, and with a gesture dismisses his minions. The two vampires gaze long and hard into each other's face, and then Legbiter speaks. "My dear young fellow, i'm afraid you have been a Very Naughty Boy!" "O, but, respected Sire, i was only following your Lordship's Noble Precepts ... you know, kill everybody and then steal all their stuff. Or vice-versa." "Indeed, and if i am not mistaken, your intention was to practise those same Noble Precepts upon our August Person, hmm? But now i have clipped your wings, my little night-hawk. Your minions have all fled, the ones who have not already been fed to my own little fledglings. Can you think of a good reason why you yourself should not be their main course tonight?" "I CAN" A voice speaks from the shadows, and they both jump. Turning, they see Lady Legbiter, Queen Anne and Katerina emerging from the shadows. Before Legbiter can react, they form a female phalanx around Anklebiter. Queen Anne takes his free hand, smoothes his hair, and offers him a scented lace handkerchief from her bosom, with a sotto voce "Wipe your nose, dear". Katerina addresses Legbiter. "Look here, dear brother Prince and all that shit, you are getting WAAAY too big for your undead booties. We think it is time for a little constituency rearrangement here, what with the vampire population rising like a tart's hemline, and your own COMPLETE inability to enforce, or maybe even UNDERSTAND, the Masquerade. In fact, the only thing you've done right recently is teach young Anklebiter here, who's done an EXCELLENT job suppressing your fellow maniacs Coupe, Cantlow and Rebstock. So we've got authority from the Justicars to appoint Anklebiter as Archon of Wessex, and if he finds you up to your old tricks then he has complete liberty to set up a nice friendly visit from the Assamites for you .... are you getting all this, you mad old bugger?" Legbiter bows, smiling tightly. "The clarity of your exposition is matched only by the grace with which it is delivered, Dear Sister Prince." "Alright, well you just hold onto that thought." She turns to Anklebiter. "Heya Handsome, why don't you show me your etchings?" Anklebiter looks a little non-plussed. "Erm .... how about my complete collection of Warhammer Orc miniatures?" The Princess of Glasgow smiles and nods. "They're in this box." "Ah, how lovely ... but i wonder if you could show me them somewhere a little more private, where the light is worse." "OK, i spose." Off they walk, hand in hand. Lady Legbiter and Queen Anne follow, and as they leave, Lady Legbiter glances back over her shoulder to where her mate stands, open-mouthed with astonishment and humiliation. She winks, and closes the door. Legbiter flops down into a leather armchair and with shaking hands lights another cigarette. Ah well, he thinks, you win some and you lose more. For now the Jyhad is resolved, and a sort of peace descends upon the City of Portus Castra. DECK: EARTH-MELD/PSYCHE MULTIPLE RUSH DECK. This is Philippe Richer's idea, and a VERY clever one in my opinion. He solves the slowness of combat decks in a novel way - rush into combat, strike combat ends, untap, then Psyche. Do it again. FUN! CRYPT 12 vampires: 3 x Stanislawa 3 x Zachary 3 x Samantha Huang Sadie Igo the Hungry LIBRARY 90 cards: MASTERS [18]: ToR3 x 2 Haven Uncovered x 2 The Rack The Rumour Mill Minion Tap x 2 Rotshreck x 2 Blood Doll x 2 Direct Intervention Dreams of the Sphinx Dominate Information Highway Sudden Reversal Legendary Vampire COMBAT [36]: Psyche! x 10 Earth Meld x 12 Wolf Claws x 8 Amaranth x 2 Flash x 5 Blur x 6 Sideslip x 3 ACTIONS [15]: 8 x Bum's Rush 4 x Ambush 2 x Govern the Unaligned Covenant of Blood ACTION MODIFIERS [5]: Hidden lurker x 5 EQUIPMENT [4]: .44 Magnum Palatial Estate Sports Bike Leather Jacket RETAINERS [2]: Homunculus x 2 REACTIONS [10]: Deflection x 2 Forced Awakening x 8 This version is not playtested, and is presented as a concept more than something you can go out and whop the local version of Rob Treasure with. Alright, that's it for the back-numbers of the newsletter and the next one will be on schedule, ish, around the beginning of October. See y'all then!