L.A. By Night is a streaming show that follows a group playing the latest edition of the Vampire: The Masquerade tabletop game. The fourth season of the show is underway and the truce between the Anarchs and Camarilla seems to be holding, but all it would take is one misstep and the fragile peace would be destroyed.
In the last episode of L.A. By Night, Baron Victor Temple (B. Dave Walters) and Annabelle (Erika Ishii) received newly crowned Baron Nelli (Cynthia Marie) at Club Maharani. Nines Rodriguez (Luis Carazo) and Mark (Josh Dempster) also arrived to discuss business. The meeting was interrupted by former Tremere Primogen Garrick, as an arrangement was made to deal with the gargoyle beneath Griffith Park.
The Fearless Gargoyle Killers
A night has passed since the meeting at Club Maharani. Jasper (Alexander Ward) and Eva (Josephine McAdam) have fully healed their wounds and are preparing to deal with the gargoyle. They have arrived in the Labyrinth with their gargoyle hunting gear. Jasper has the anti-vampire gun stolen from the Second Inquisition, as well as a sledgehammer, while Eva brought two Essence of Air potions. They have been warded against both fire and other Kindred. Once they reach the black mirror, Jasper contacts Victor and lets them know what they are about to attempt. Eva uses Sense the Unseen, but there is no one hiding in the area. Jasper uses the shadow key to open the mirror and the entrance to the leyline room is open. Eva reveals that Gary Golden has informed her of the location of Maximillian Strauss’ haven, which is a place called the Magic Castle. Jasper promises to destroy it if she falls in battle. Eva prepares a blast of Zeus’ Fury and enters the antechamber beyond the mirror. Jasper uses Unseen Passage and follows her. Eva can see the leylines, but the gargoyle isn’t around. It doesn’t take long for the walls to start rippling, as a huge gargoyle enters the room and spreads its wings. It’s still wounded from their last encounter.
Jasper drops Unseen Passage and they attack as one. Jasper fires the anti-vampire gun and Eva blasts it with Zeus’ Fury. The gun fires an explosive charge, causing a burst of flame to erupt in the room. Jasper and Eva pass the frenzy check as the gargoyle prepares its counterattack. The gargoyle strikes Jasper with a magical spike that erupts from the ground, but he avoids most of the damage before it beats its wings and sends Eva crashing into the wall.
It’s at this point that three figures emerge from the mirror. The first is Eva’s sire, Katya (Shayne Eastin), followed by a man clad in purple and a woman with long brown hair, whom Katya refers to as Bosch and Vera. Katya pulls a knife from her boot and throws it into the gargoyle’s back, while Bosch charges it with a crowbar and Vera summons a ball of magical fire that crashes into it. The gargoyle attempts to flee, but Jasper uses the sledgehammer (combined with a Blood Surge), while Eva uses another Zeus’ Fury. Their assault works and the gargoyle is left suspended in the wall, dead.
Bosch takes electrical damage from Eva’s spell, leaving him wounded. Katya yells at Eva and Jasper for entering such a dangerous place. Jasper agrees as it’s his haven. Vera offers to take Bosch outside and Jasper warns her about the stake traps that he has planted. Vera takes out Jasper’s knife (which he lost when captured by the Camarilla) and returns it to him, before leaving with Bosch.
Eva asks what they’re doing here.w Katya says that they had been warned that someone was messing with the Labyrinth. Jasper says he lives here and has been trying to work it out. Eva thanks Katya for her help, as does Jasper. Katya says that Garrick planted the gargoyle and was acting against orders. He also removed his hand to create the monster they battled last time. Katya has now taken his place as Tremere Primogen. Katya believes that the Camarilla is the best thing to happen to the Anarchs, as they need someone to oppose. Eva says she is neither Anarch nor Camarilla.
Castle Crashers
Jasper wants to know why Katya is helping them. Katya says she works under Strauss but is a Tremere first. Katya says they don’t know what the leylines are capable of and that neither the Anarchs nor the Camarilla should use them, as they can affect the entire city. Jasper points out that it’s a weapon and the Camarilla wants to use it, while he wants it to remain unused. Katya asked him why he fixed the mirror. Jasper says it can be destroyed again if need be. Eva asks who the sleeping Nosferatu who once resided in the chamber was. Katya says it’s Zelios, which is a name they all recognize, as he is a famous member of Clan Nosferatu.
Eva approaches the leylines and Katya warns her not to touch them. Eva uses her occult knowledge to locate the Magic Castle - a venue in Hollywood that hosts magic acts. It’s the current haven of many Tremere in Los Angeles. Eva can sense the magic flowing from the place, so she grabs the leyline and squeezes it. Jasper and Katya pull her away, but the damage is done, as a small earthquake strikes the Magic Castle and shatters all of its windows. Katya messages her colleagues to find out if everyone is ok, while Jasper points out that Eva has broken the truce by attacking the Tremere. Katya says they were staying there as part of a deal with (former) Baron Abrams. Katya messages her colleagues by text and tells them that the earthquake was an accident caused during the battle with the gargoyle.
Katya says she needs to talk to Baron Temple. Jasper can make this happen. They head out of the back door and Jasper grabs the duffel bags that were left during the last encounter with the gargoyle. Jasper thanks Katya for bringing his knife back and Eva makes sure it hasn’t been tampered with using magic. They catch up with Bosch and Vera outside and Jasper apologizes for the damage they took. Jasper checks on Bosch’s wounds as Eva and Katya have a private chat.
Katya says that she has been researching Jasper. Apparently, when he was a mortal living in New York he was part of a group called the Blind League and that they did a lot of bad things. Katya is telling Eva this to keep her safe. Eva offers to help Katya with Strauss, but Katya says she needs the rules to live by in order to keep her safe and sane. Katya tells Eva she loves her. They catch up with Jasper, as Bosch and Vera have left. Katya has another appointment to keep, but she wants to speak to Victor first. Jasper takes the duffel bags back inside the Labyrinth before the three depart in Katya’s Cadillac.
No Hufflepuffs Allowed
The three arrive at Club Maharani and Katya immediately notices that the flag out front has the Ventrue symbol. Jasper texts Victor and lets him know he is bringing a Camarilla guest. Victor has both the VIP lounge and the cell in the basement prepared. He lets Campbell know to give him a time check, as he is going to Nelli’s party tonight.
Victor welcomes Eva, Jasper, and Katya to the club. Katya introduces herself as a friend of Eva and Jasper says she helped them with the gargoyle problem. Jasper asks Victor if they can talk in private. Jasper explains that Katya is Eva’s sire and that the gargoyle was put down there by Garrick against orders, which is why he was ousted. Jasper explains the next issue - Eva attacked the Magic Castle and may have shattered the truce. Victor Googles the Magic Castle and the news reports say it was hit by an earthquake, but no one was hurt. Jasper returns the anti-vampire gun to Victor and confirms it works. Victor asks if Katya is here as Eva’s sire or as an official representative of the Camarilla and Jasper doesn’t know. He tells Victor that they returned his knife and Victor starts to suspect the gargoyle situation was planned by the Tremere all along to get in their good books. Victor says they need to prepare for Nelli’s party and they pretend to be discussing flower arrangements as they return to the VIP room. Victor asks Katya if she is coming to Nelli’s party, as members of the Camarilla are welcome. Katya declines and Eva and Jasper depart, under the guise of buying flowers for the event.
Katya and Victor are not alone and they have a problem they need to resolve. Katya admires Victor’s industrious nature and Victor believes diplomacy is the key to solving their problems. They discuss Garrick and Katya calls him an asshole, saying he planted the gargoyle. She asks Victor about the Labyrinth and the two promise to be candid. Victor thinks it’s a Lovecraftian nightmare and doesn’t care for it, but people he cares about care for it, and it’s also in his domain. Katya believes it’s a danger to the city and is everyone’s responsibility. She talks about Eva’s attempts to destroy the Magic Castle and the deal they made with Abrams. Victor confirms that no one was hurt, but he cannot confirm that Baron Nelli will continue their arrangement. If she doesn’t, then Victor could offer them a place in the Valley. Katya wants Victor to keep Eva and Jasper out of trouble, in order to prevent more “earthquakes”. Victor will do his best and he is willing to work with Strauss to keep the truce. The war between the Anarchs & Camarilla almost risked the Masquerade and they need its protection against the real enemy - the Second Inquisition.
Victor wants to keep everyone safe and Katya agrees, but she doesn’t agree with Ventrue flags or live streaming. Victor does things intentionally to keep the Inquisition off their back. Katya says the Inquisition was once a threat when they only had swords and now they have computer hacking and bombs. Victor needs technology to maintain his empire, as he cannot use quills like Prince Vannevar, and Katya admits she has an Instagram account. He hasn’t broken the Masquerade on a live stream yet. Katya agrees to disagree and Victor asks if he can follow her on Instagram. Katya wants Victor to help convince Nelli to let them stay in the Magic Castle. Victor says that if they are kicked out then they will need to be housed elsewhere and Nelli understands the value of stability.
Victor asks Katya about Eva. He says that Eva said that her sire had been killed by Strauss, but she is here. Katya says she sired Eva without permission and they lived happily together for years. They were caught and Strauss did terrible things to her, which is why Eva believed she was dead. Strauss is traditional and Eva respects that. She just wants the Tremere to be safe. Victor is glad she shared that with him and suggest that Katya is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome with Strauss. This is a person who tortured Katya so horribly that Eva wants revenge, but she is advocating for him. Katya starts to cry and says Strauss isn’t so bad and that she believes in the safety of the Tremere. Victor wants to ask Strauss if he will free her and she says not to, as then he’ll know, causing her to cry even harder. She says it’s her first day on the job and she has done everything wrong. Victor disagrees, as she has advocated her position and protected her child.
Campbell appears and says they have half an hour to go. He has also received a text message from Therese Voerman who wants to know if she can visit. Victor says yes, but not to bring her up without giving Katya a chance to leave. He asks if Katya has any other business and she discusses Prince Vannevar’s behavior, which she is working on a solution for. Victor doesn’t care about Prince Vannevar’s title, but he doesn’t want him harmed if possible, as they share the same blood. Katya says she doesn’t like harming people, but if Victor hurt someone she loved, then he would wish for the Final Death. Victor lifts his shirt and shows her the scars he received from the werewolf battle. He feels the same way about Jasper and would do the same. Katya tells Victor about Jasper being involved with a cult called the Blind League when he was alive and that he may have been involved with a murder. She writes down the name of the cult and gives her phone number to Victor.
Victor asks Katya to pass on a message to Strauss saying that he wants to meet him, as he wants to make sure the truce stands. He asks what Strauss is doing, now that he is no longer the Keeper of Elysium, but she doesn’t know the details. Katya doesn’t want to discuss it with an Anarch, even though she enjoys working with him. Victor says he has nothing against the order, but he doesn’t want to take commands from elders. The anarchs are a Meritocracy - they have whatever they can hold. Campbell interrupts and says Therese is coming and that they have 15 mins before they need to leave for the party. Victor sends Katya out through a secret door to the garage. He reiterates the invitation and she refuses, as she cannot dance. Katya leaves.
Victor hears high heels on the dancefloor as Therese Voerman enters the club. Victor welcomes her as Baron Therese. She asks about Nelli’s appointment as Baron and Victor asks if she would prefer Jeanette to take the spot. Therese has respect for Nelli as an artist and a businesswoman, but not as a Baron. Therese and Fiona aren’t crazy about the idea. Victor says Nelli has both his and Nines’ support, outnumbering them on the Baron Council. Therese offers Hollywood to Victor and he refuses. He says he will do what needs to be done if Nelli proves to be incompetent, but she has to be given a chance. Therese is glad she knows where he stands and they promise to meet up at Nelli’s party.
The episode ends with Greg (Vince Caso) and Ib (Noura Ibrahim) still on their stakeout. Greg notices a light flashing from within the building they are watching and Ib thinks it might be Morse code. Greg says it could be, but the letters that are being spelled out are creating gibberish words.
The new episodes of L.A. By Night can be watched on the World of Darkness Twitch and YouTube channels.
Source: Twitch
