The Beast Within

The Beast Within is a 1994 fiction anthology based on Vampire: The Masquerade. Each of the thirteen short stories examines kindred living in San Francisco. The publication includes illustrations from Timothy Bradstreet . 

Several of the characters highlighted in these short stories also appear in "Dark Prince" (1994), "Prince of the City" (1995), "City of Darkness: Unseen" (1995) and "World of Darkness: Strange City" (1996).

Published in 2000, the second edition of The Beast Within included a mix of new material and reprints from the original anthology. 

Summary

From the Back Cover:

Unseen, The Kindred Move Among Us
Many human fears are realized in the World of Darkness. Among them are the vampires, who call themselves the Kindred because they are a breed set apart from man. But these vampires are not just mad beasts or solitary hunters. Completely hidden from human eyes by a plan the Kindred call the Masquerade is an entire society of vampires. The disputes and alliances that have formed this society have also built powerful nations and drug great men to their graves.
No place in the world of vampires is quite like San Francisco. It's a melting pot set outside the always arcane and dangerous dynamics of Kindred politics. But because of San Francisco's position as neutral territory, countless plots and mad plans are dreamt in and executed from The City. Herein are the beginnings and players for some of those unspeakable schemes.
The Beast Within contains stories of the Kindred in the World of Darkness by S.P. Somtow, Lois Tilton, Matthew Costello, Lawrence Watt-Evans and nine other authors, including several authors who have contributed to the development of the World of Darkness.

Contents

  • “The Scarlet Letters” by Scott H. Urban*+

A young woman discovers that her favorite poet has a close connection to the dark subject of his poems. 

A former priest takes it on himself to hunt down vampires that prey on the innocent.

Awoken from torpor, an Aztec priest comes to terms with the modern world and an old enemy. 

A Ventrue forensic scientist uses her position in the morgue to gain influence in kindred society. 

Tremere Don Benedict is tasked with maintaining control over Chinatown, in opposition to an invading Cathayan vampire. 

An elder monster tours San Francisco while looking for new prey to torture. 

A Toreador artist seeks to embrace a young painter before her poseur rivals can do it. 

Anastasia must return to the Tremere in order to save her lover from the Sabbat.

A homeless Caitiff finds himself introduced into kindred schemes and rivalries. 

Nosferatu Jeremy Wix returns from exile, but to be accepted he must confront old enemies.

  • “Undercover” by Matthew J. Costello*

A San Francisco police officer gets more than she expected when she makes contact with a vampire gang. 

  • “Prisons” by Shane Hensley

A police officer pursues a suspect right into The Alexandria Club. 

  • Lexicon
  • Tales from the Pack
  • White Wolf Signs Michael Moorcock

'*' Also included in the 2000 edition.

+Included in the "Strange City" (1996) anthology.

Background

The following short stories would be continued in the following anthology:

  • "The Art of Dying” to "Eye of the Beholder" by Lawrence Watt-Evans, “Interesting Times” to "Reconciliation" by Matt Forbeck and “Homecoming: Affairs of the Heart” to "Ruins" by James Moore in City of Darkness: Unseen.

Continuity

The first Vampire short story anthology, featured numerous stories set at least partially in San Francisco. These stories introduced an error in continuity, however, as some stories referenced Prince Vannevar Thomas while others named the city's prince as Jochen Van Nuys. Several of these stories were reprinted in World of Darkness: Strange City, which attempted to reconcile this error by changing references to Jochen Van Nuys into references to Vannevar Thomas. However, in the Revised era, a different solution was found in San Francisco by Night, in which Van Nuys was revealed to have replaced Thomas as prince in 1996, and he himself was in turn later replaced by Sara Anne Winder. The Beast Within Revised Edition retained the references to Van Nuys as prince that were found in the original versions of the stories, implying that those stories happened after Van Nuys' coup.

Characters

  • Corrinda (Female Toreador)
  • Ambrose Bierce (Toreador, Virgil's Sire)
  • Virgil (Toreador, Corrinda's Sire)
  • Prince Vannevar (Ventrue)
  • Father Paul Able (Vampire and Vampire Hunter)
  • Randy Elwood (Vampire)
  • Al (Vampire)
  • Jesse Nicht (Female Vampire, Paul Able's Sire)
  • Lodin
  • Tex R. Cainen (Toreador)
  • Sebastian Melmoth
  • Tony (Vampire)
  • Jasper (Vampire)
  • Mikey (Vampire)
  • Huitzilopotchtli
  • Nezahualcoyotl (Vampire, Hortator's Sire)
  • Hortator (Vampire)
  • Travis (Vampire)
  • Emily Grange (Female Ventrue)
  • Jean-Claude (Follower of Set)
  • "Doc" Michaels (Venture)
  • Don Benedict (Tremere)
  • Honerius (Tremere)
  • Dowager (Female Nosferatu)
  • Harris (Tremere)
  • Feng Sha, the Wind Killer, of Clan Yin Shan (Chinese Vampire)
  • Delfonso (Vampire)
  • Juan (Delfonso's Ghoul)
  • Domingo (Vampire, Delfonso's childe)
  • Grandfather (Chinese Vampire)
  • Sullivan (Vampire, Grandfather's childe)
  • Bethany (8th Gen. Toreador)
  • Allanyan Serata (5th Gen. Toreador Primogen, Poseur, Stefan's Sire)
  • Stefan (Toreador, Poseur)
  • Anastasia (Female Tremere, Etrius' childe)
  • Selena (Sabbat, Female Tremere Antitribu)
  • Jeremiah (Toreador)
  • Tabitha (Tremere)
  • Etrius
  • Princess Victoria (Vampire)
  • One-Who-Walks, "Zarastus" (Worshipped by Selena, Demon/Spirit)
  • Kyle (Tremere)
  • Fang (Kyle's dog ghoul retainer)
  • Vika (Female Nosferatu)
  • Hervi (Tremere, Kyle's Sire)
  • Sion (Tremere)
  • Jeremy Wix (Nosferatu)
  • Dawson (Vampire)
  • Joseph Cambridge (Nosferatu, Jeremy's Sire)
  • Donna Cambridge (Female Ventrue, Sire is Vannevar)
  • Carlotta (Female Vampire)
  • Darrius Stone (Follower of Set)
  • Dirk (Anarch Vampire, leader of the gang; The Gutters)
  • Joe (Anarch Vampire, The Gutters)
  • Little Mick (Anarch Vampire, The Gutters)
  • Veronica (Anarch Vampire, The Gutters)
  • Philip Van Vermeer IV (Malkavian; guises: James, Philemon, Christine and Don Juan)
  • Nickoli (Ventrue Primogen)
  • Tobin Van Tuys (Venture)
  • Giancarlo Giovanni (Human, Clan Giovanni)
  • Tomaine (Brujah Primogen)
  • Christine (Sabbat, Female Tzimisce)
  • Brandt, "La Bamba" (Sabbat, Lasombra)
  • Katie (Sabbat, Female Malkavian Antitribu)
  • Spike "Wilfred" (Sabbat, Toreador Antitribu)
  • Morgan (Sabbat, Panders)
  • Maria Rodriguez (Female Vampire)
  • Mac (Vampire)
  • James Slatter (Vampire)
  • Giuseppe Renaldo, "Virus" (Vampire)
  • Seraphis (Vampire, Giuseppe's Sire)

Terminology

Previous book:
VTM: Vampire Diary: The Embrace Buy it from DriveThruFiction! 		Fiction
Vampire: The Masquerade books		 Next book:
VTM: The Eternal Struggle: A Players Guide to the Jyhad
This article is issued from Whitewolf. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.