Session Zero Primer

Phoenix, Arizona - October 1994

You are a neonate Kindred, newly Embraced or recently arrived in Phoenix. Tonight is the night you will be formally introduced to Kindred society at a Camarilla gathering at Hawthorn Estate, the domain's primary Elysium.

The city sprawls across the Sonoran Desert, a neon-lit maze of strip malls, gated communities, and endless asphalt. In 1994, Phoenix is still growing, still building, still defining itself. For Kindred, it's a city of opportunity and danger—new enough that power structures are still forming, old enough that ancient grudges have taken root.

Prince Solomon Reaves (1973-1994)

Prince Solomon Reaves, a Brujah, has ruled Phoenix for over 20 years. He assumed the Princedom in 1973 after the mysterious disappearance of his sire, Prince Elijah Crenshaw. Under Solomon's rule, Phoenix became a stable Camarilla domain, though tensions with Anarchs and other factions simmered beneath the surface.

In 1989, Prince Reaves brought in Roland Cross, a legendary Toreador Sheriff with over a century of experience enforcing Camarilla law across the Southwest. This move suggested the Prince was aware of growing threats or preparing for conflict.

Tonight at Hawthorne

Saturday, October 8, 1994 — a scheduled Elysium court night (2nd Saturday of the month) and your formal presentation to the Prince's court.

You have been told to arrive at Hawthorne Estate in Northern Scottsdale, behave as Elysium demands, and let your sire or patron vouch for you before the Harpy's ledger. What happens after you cross the threshold is not something any neonate can predict from rumor alone.

The Court

• Prince Solomon Reaves (Brujah) - Ruler of Phoenix since 1973. Prince deep-dive.
• Cordelia Fairchild (Toreador, Harpy) - Has controlled social standing in Phoenix since the 1950s. Her word determines who can participate in Kindred society. Harpy deep-dive.
• Roland Cross (Toreador, Sheriff) - Enforces Camarilla law. Arrived in 1989. Legendary for his precision and lethality. Sheriff deep-dive.
• Eddy Valiant (Malkavian, Scourge) - Hunts unauthorized and unpresented Kindred. The blood tax on those who never stood Acknowledgment. Scourge deep-dive.
• James Whitmore (Tremere, Keeper of Elysium) - Guards Hawthorne’s neutral ground; also spoken of as chantry Regent. Keeper deep-dive.
• The Primogen Council - Representatives from each major clan. You know they exist, but their internal politics are opaque to a neonate. Primogen Council deep-dive.

Power Centers

• Hawthorn Estate - Elysium, located in Northern Scottsdale. Where major Camarilla gatherings are held.
• 24th Street Corridor - Anarch territory, but they steer clear of the Arizona State Hospital grounds (controlled by a powerful Malkavian elder).
• Scottsdale (Camelback Mountain area) - Giovanni family stronghold.
• Mesa - Setite temple talk (nightclub cover story). Neonates are told to avoid casual debt.
• Guadalupe, AZ - Rumored Sabbat pack presence. Creates constant background paranoia.

As a neonate, you've heard names and rumors. These are the figures whose reputations precede them:

Camarilla

• Cordelia Fairchild - The Harpy. Her social judgments are absolute. Cross her at your peril.
• Roland Cross - The Sheriff. Never misses. Never wastes a bullet. His presence means order—or death.
• Eddy Valiant - The Scourge. Hunts the unacknowledged; harboring the wrong childe is expensive.
• James Whitmore (Tremere) - Keeper of Elysium at Hawthorne; also runs the local chantry as Regent. Magic, business, and the house rules.
• Misfortune (Malkavian, Primogen) - Collects boons like currency. Knows everyone's debts.
• Alistaire (Nosferatu, Primogen) - Information broker. Lives in Mesa storm drains (or so everyone says).

Anarchs

• Piston (Brujah) - Hell's Angel enforcer. Runs operations in Surprise. Dangerous and unpredictable.
• Bayside Bob (Toreador) - Owns The Kon Tiki, a tiki bar on Camelback Road. De facto Anarch gathering place.

Other Factions

• The Hospital Elder (Malkavian) - Controls Arizona State Hospital grounds. Even Anarchs respect this boundary. No one knows their name.
• Giovanni - Present in Scottsdale. Wealthy, neutral, and dangerous.
• Setites - Operating in Mesa. Temple disguised as a nightclub. Stay away unless you want trouble.

As a neonate, there are many things you don't know:

• The full extent of clan politics and internal conflicts
• The details of the 1973 disappearance of Prince Elijah Crenshaw
• The true nature of the Nosferatu's information network (Shrecknet)
• The specific plots and schemes of various Primogen
• Who will try to fill any power vacuum — if one opens
• What tonight's gathering will truly become

That's what makes tonight dangerous—and exciting.

Tonight, you will:

1. Arrive at Hawthorne Estate for your formal introduction
2. Be presented to the court and recognized as a member of the Camarilla (if the Harpy accepts your standing)
3. Navigate Elysium etiquette under Cordelia Fairchild's gaze and Roland Cross's watch
4. Choose early alliances and avoid Masquerade mistakes in a room full of predators

The chronicle begins at Hawthorne. Your story begins with how you carry yourself when the court turns.

• 1973: Prince Elijah Crenshaw disappears. Solomon Reaves assumes the Princedom.
• 1981: Bayside Bob arrives in Phoenix, establishes The Kon Tiki.
• 1989: Roland Cross arrives as Sheriff. Betty (Nosferatu) is Embraced.
• Early 1990s: Piston arrives in Phoenix, establishes Anarch operations in Surprise.
• December 11, 1993: Sarah Hansen claims Mill Avenue, forms art coterie with Julien Roche and Harold Ashby.
• October 8, 1994: Game start — Elysium presentation night at Hawthorne Estate.

Elysium Schedule: 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at Hawthorn Estate.