Cainites of Milan, 1526
	The Lasombra: Marius dell' Aquila (aka Mario Della Torre), Prince of Milan Handsome, charismatic and bold (if a tad cocky and arrogant), the young Prince of Milan first gained the notice of the Camarilla and its opponents with his impassioned speech at the Convention of Thorns, and then with the daring coup that regained him his ancestral throne. Now he finds himself in the unenviable position of trying to knit a coalition together out of the widely divergent anarch and Camarilla holdouts, while avoiding relegation to the role of charismatic figurehead.   Contessa Alianora dell' Aquila, his Sire Beautiful, aristocratic and wise, the Contessa advises and supports her childe on her sire's ancient throne, yet as an Elder and a conservative, she is uneasy at the prospect of negotiating with anarch rabble (and, worse, her fellow Lasombra elders) – and more than a little concerned over the ability of her childe to to keep things under control.   Doña Teresa de León dell' Aquila, his wife The Prince's lady, gracious, charming, and an anarch from years back, finds herself caught between possibly conflicting loyalties – toward her beloved husband, on the one hand, and her brother and old companions of her darker past, who see her as their way to gain power in the new alliance of rebels, on the other.   Monsignor Francesco Dantini, his brother Shrewd and calculating, the Monsignor is also a true man of God who wishes only for peace, and struggles to balance his sacred vows with his duty to his Prince, his love for his family, and his affection for his dear friend, Etienne de Vaillant of Clan Tremere.   Niccolo Frazzi, his childe A Genoese sea-captain whose stalwart loyalty during Marius' time of exile earned him the Embrace, he feels somewhat out of place among these courtiers and dignitaries, far from the familiar sea; yet his devotion to both Marius and the Lady Teresa and his growing friendship with the Monsignor keep him willingly (if not gladly) tossed on the inland sea of Cainite politics.   Don Matteo de León, Teresa's brother A ne'er-do-well opportunist who has manipulation and sub rosa treachery down to a fine art, he sees his broodmate's rise to power as his ticket to the top. His chief talent seems to be anticipating the winds of change and switching allegiances just in time to save his own neck. However, he did warn Marius about Don Alfonso's Amici-sanctioned bloodhunt, and while he doesn't push the debt, it is still something neither the Prince nor his lady can overlook – nonetheless, his hopes of being initiated into what he senses is some kind of inner family circle have yet to be realized. Never one to ignore his other options, he has also initiated certain alternative contacts that may eventually prove (or so Don Matteo hopes) even more valuable than his relationship to the Prince...   Monsignor Juan-Carlos Montoya, the Cardinal's disciple The personal envoy of Cardinal Luis Ambrosio Monçada, Montoya represents the interests of the powerful, unconquered Spanish Lasombra to their embattled Milanese brethren. Ascetic, humorless, and keen as a fresh knife, the Monsignor is as much a man of faith as he is a diplomat. Indeed, the rites he has witnessed his fellow cleric, Monsignor Francesco Dantini, performing have given him cause to fear for the soul of his clanmate and all those he ministers to...   Bishop Leone Colonna, scion of the Old Regime A son of one of Rome's most illustrious mortal families and a former bishop of the Church, Colonna was chosen for the Embrace by the late Prince Silvio da Valente, predecessor of Ercole, who was in turn Marius' predecessor on the Milanese throne. As Silvio's descendant, Colonna has a dynastic claim on that throne which he is theoretically not here in Milan to press; but careful observers may well wonder why the Lasombra of Rome, who count among their number the leaders of the much-reviled Cainite Heresy, have sent him to negotiate on their behalf with his hated rivals, the dell' Aquilas...   Giangaleazzo Torriani, the prodigal son Long absent from Milan, Giangaleazzo has returned home to find himself – perhaps understandably, given his da Valente lineage – less than welcome. The fact that he arrived in the company of his Sire, the Bishop, whom he claims to despise, lends him no credibility, either. However, while he fully expects his declarations of good intent to meet with skepticism, he still has every intention of earning a position of trust and respectability in the new alliance – no matter what the cost. For only then will he have opportunity to gain what his heart most desires...   Filippo Doria, Prince-in-Exile His former Highness of Genoa, Filippo has found a ready welcome, if not a warm one, in Marius' court. His ouster provides the cause celebre for this gathering, and he seems willing to ride his fame as victim of the Camarilla's most recent outrages as far as he can – back to his own throne, one assumes, but no doubt other prospects will arise if that one should prove impossible to achieve.   Lucrezia da Valente, Duchessa of Pavia Ruler of the neighboring city of Pavia ever since her husband Silvio's untimely Final Death over a century ago, Lucrezia's relationship to House dell' Aquila has always been that of a dutiful daughter – much to the annoyance of the surviving members of Silvio's House. As pawn and prize in the middle of an ancient family feud, Lucrezia will need to use all her wits and resources to keep the peace – and her throne.   Luciano de Toledo, Master of Shadows Though not yet actually present in Milan, this mysterious Spanish Lasombra Elder (who will one day rule the most powerful capital city in the modern world) has already arranged to keep a watchful eye on what transpires in Milan – and now calculates how these events might be turned to his advantage.
	The Ventrue: Vincenzo Della Torre, gentleman of Milan A cousin of Marius' through mortal blood, and thus close to the dell' Aquila family in past years, Vincenzo has renounced his prior loyalty to the Camarilla (including an unwilling Blood Oath to an English Ventrue Elder), and wholeheartedly rejoined his old allies. Vincenzo serves as diplomat and envoy for his Prince, and a gracious host to Ventrue visiting in the city.   Maria-Grazia del Fiore, his guest One of the refugees from the Camarilla takeover of Genoa, and a houseguest of Vincenzo Della Torre. She appears to be in no hurry to return home, and avoids the company of her former Prince, with whom she seems to have been at odds long before they were forced into exile.   Gianpaolo Bardi, devotee of the Florin Merchant and childe of the late Ercole de Hauteville, and the only survivor of the former Prince's brood. He, too, has switched allegiance from the Camarilla to Marius, although his reasons may be based more on pragmatism than politics – Bardi is a dour man of business, and his business has always been in Milan. As long as his businesses prosper, who rules the city appears to be of little interest to him. The Toreador: Comtesse Jeanne-Maire de Havrecourt, envoy of the Camarilla Here under Marius' personal safe-conduct and protection, the young Countess is an enthusiastic convert to the Camarilla cause, whose mission is as much to find ways of weakening the Shadow Alliance as to bring any other vampires into the fold. She is an idealist, believing whole-heartedly in her Elders' noble intentions, and may even be bloodbound to her distant patron, as well. Her presence in Milan, like that of her Tremere counterpart, is more smokescreen than anything like a sincere attempt at negotiating. Her martyrdom would serve the Camarilla as well as, or better than, anything she might accomplish diplomatically. She is not a neonate, however, nor does she lack experience in the art of the courtier. She was specially chosen for this mission because of her former...close association...with the now-Prince of Milan, during the Convention of Thorns some decades ago. An association of which the Prince's wife may be totally unaware... The Brujah: Sir Hermann Brucke, knight of the Old School: A German knight of the previous century, who cares little for politics, but knows a good fight coming when he smells one. Noble, courtly, old-fashioned, he is one of Jovan's 'lieutenants' in Milan's defense.   Don Esteban de Navarre, Rebel with a Cause Scarred and bitter, Don Esteban is a survivor of the Anarch wars in his native Spain, and seems more than willing to carry his fight against the oppressive Elders as far as his sword will take him – but in reality, his mission is far more personal, and even more devious. He nurses a particular grudge against the Lasombra Don Matteo de Leon, and no doubt will seek his revenge when the opportunity presents itself. His scarred visage has proven to be a more than effective mask thus far against his enemy – although it is possible that Don Matteo simply has no realization or memory of whatever it was he did that so enraged Don Esteban – perhaps from the Lasombra's point of view, it was not even anything of real importance... The Malkavians: Petrucchio, the Prince's fool: The resilient dwarf, playwright and puppeteer, who still cheerfully directs his eternal nightly drama in Marius' court, offering plot advice and arranging new scenes for the ever-changing cast of Milan by Night.   Maddelena, his Audience Petrucchio's childe, common-law "wife", and fellow dwarf, a homely deaf-mute whose greatest joy seems to be watching the plays her husband puts on for her benefit, but whose understanding of the reality about her may be far greater than most other Cainites realize.   Alessandra Venite, Methodical Madwoman How hard can it be to imitate the mad? Or is it mad to even attempt such a dangerous deception? Sent on a dangerous undercover mission to Milan by her hidden sire and kinsmen, Alessandra has taken on a Malkavian persona as her cover, hoping thus to avoid close scrutiny and uncomfortable questions about where she came from. Unfortunately for Alessandra, her cause may be aided by the resident Malkavians, who think her impersonation of madness needs a little ...assistance...in order to "play more convincingly." The Gangrel: Philippe Rabonne, Guardian of Pavia Monstrous in form, but noble of spirit, this chivalrous old knight willingly swore a Blood Oath to the Duchessa of Pavia. As her constant guardian and protector, he considers no one as loyal to his lady as himself – not even her dell' Aquila kinsmen. Her trust is his most valued possession and her chaste affection his most cherished reward – as much as any bestial creature like himself can ever hope to gain.   Lothair the Varangian, the Prince's Shield An unwilling Gangrel, the chance-made progeny of a dell'Aquila ally, Lothair hails from the fallen capital of the Eastern Empire, Constantinople. More civilized than the general run of his Clan, he is troubled by many things – not the least of which are the inevitable changes that have taken place within himself, the Beast that claws relentlessly through his soul, and the mission he has most recently taken on. He hopes, somewhat desperately, that his efforts will make the world a better place both for the Kindred and for the mortals he feels compelled to watch over... The Tzimisce: Jovan Ruthven, Warlord of Milan As the husband of Contessa Alianora dell' Aquila, Jovan is considered a member of House dell' Aquila. A Tzimisce koldun and warrior of considerable renown (or infamy, if you happen to be Tremere), he provides his services as Warlord and chief of security as possible allies and enemies cluster around the Prince. Jovan has all but turned his back on the plight of his homeland and his kin; there are those of his clan, however, who are not yet ready to accept his defection.   Gregor Bratovich a'Tzildaris, envoy of the Old Clan By turns oddly charming and chillingly callous, Gregor is the envoy of the surviving elder Houses of the Tzimisce – the less than wholly cohesive alliance of mutual benefit known as the Oradea League. Having rather publicly rejected the overtures of the Camarilla, and having recently been at war with their own younger generations, no few observers wonder what interests his masters could possibly have with the rulers of Milan. Gregor sometimes wonders this himself, especially given the nature of some of his instructions...   Myca "Sascha" Vykos, Anarch Enigma (Constantinople by Night, Transylvania Chronicles) Bitter survivor of the fall of Constantinople, veteran of the anarch wars and delegate to the Convention of Thorns, Myca is an accomplished intellectual, historian and rebel, not to mention the sworn enemy of Goratrix and the Tremere. He has come to Milan to represent the Tzimisce anarch contingent at the express invitation of Marius, whom he met at Thorns – but his real agenda may be more personal than political.   Kotsankovskaia zhena Kachka, Sascha's left hand Passed from a husband's indifferent hands into those of a distracted sire, Kachka has spent most of her existence as a dependable but uncherished tool. Recently, however, the same passion and iron determination that originally won her the Embrace led her to revolt against her Tzildarine kin and their (to her mind) abhorrent stance of neutrality. To have her in the same city with the ambassador of a Tzildarine lord is thus rather like storing lamp oil in a hayloft – but then Milan is becoming full of similarly perilous juxtapositions.   Solvar i'Brankovan-Waivadi, Sascha's right hand A half-grown puppy of a Tzimisce neonate, ablaze with the valiant righteousness of the anarch cause, blinded by hero-worship for his mentor, the arch-Fiend Sascha Vykos. Gifted with a redhead's temper, the Tzimisce tradition of never forgetting a wrong, and a substantial dose of inherited bitterness, he nourishes a private feud with the Warlord of Milan over events that occurred nearly seven hundred years ago... The Nosferatu: Hugo the Hermit, the Master of Spies Like most of his clan, Hugo is a reclusive figure; he never attends court (at least, not that anyone has ever noticed), and rarely speaks to any Cainite other than Jovan Ruthven, with whom he collaborates to protect the security of the Milanese Domain. He has never revealed his origins – left to their own devices, Milan's other vampires speculate that he must have been a shrewd, hard-bargaining (possibly even dishonest) Jewish merchant and usurer in his breathing days, who cheated the wrong customer and was punished for it. What passes for a Jewish ghetto in Milan is under his protection, however, and he is zealous in that duty. Hugo is hardly the only Nosferatu in the city, but he is the only one commonly known by name; and he speaks for the clan as a whole when such communications are considered necessary.   Federico di Padua, Archon of Clan Nosferatu (Transylvania Chronicles) Federico has come in secret, although given who is in charge of security, his secret will doubtless soon be discovered. The Archon will claim to be here primarily to ensure the safety of the Lady Jeanne-Maire, and indeed he has no intention of letting her become a martyr if he can help it. He is an experienced soldier and a born cynic, and while loyal to the Camarilla is not blind to its shortcomings – or the dangers he faces in venturing so deep into enemy territory. However, his real mission is far more personal, and doubtless even more dangerous.... The Assamites: Abu Mansur Harun bin Hazim bin Said al-Hajjaj, holdout against the Curse An old and very angry Assamite, one of the leaders of the Unbound faction who have refused to submit to the power of the Camarilla and the sorcery of the Tremere. He claims to have been around since the time of the Third Crusade, and to have served under Saladin. His hatred of Christians and of "the Franj" in particular might lead some to question whether another ambassador might not have been a better choice, but evidently his standing in the sect is such that he is one of the few who actually has authority to decide whether or not to ally with Marius and his shadow-alliance.   Nasir ibn Hasan, his colleague A young vizier, currently under the protection and command of Harun, whom he serves faithfully, having nowhere else to go. While he has trained in the martial arts, he is a scholar and mathematician, not an assassin – not that that seems to make much difference to outsiders once they learn his clan. His sire Hasan accompanied Harun on the quest to free their brothers of the Tremere's curse. While Nasir, who was too young in the Blood for the journey, remains subject to the Curse, he at least still walks the night – but his sire and many others of their caste, alas, does not.
	The Tremere: Etienne de Vaillant, apprentice and part-time Devil Incarnate On a special safe-conduct from the Prince, Etienne has come from Florence with an unusual offer of possible reconciliation from the Tremere Archon, Lord Marcus (which neither he nor anyone else is likely to believe is truly genuine). Etienne drew this hazardous assignment by virtue of being one of the few Tremere who has ever had an encounter with the Tzimisce Jovan Ruthven and lived to tell of it. Of all his clan, he alone has some hope of entering Milan without being killed on sight – or so he devoutly hopes.
	The Mortals:   Rogero Grimassi, Satan's Valet Rannulf, Tremere bondsman Narda Benucci, condemned witch Darius, major-domo in a House of Cards Tzena Zantosa, scheming protege Hurulf, wretched prisoner and main attraction