Contention

A dark stormy coastline on the island of Crete sets the stage for the opening of our story. It’s the 1760 and Lady Sara Anne Grey has been weathering the absence from her homeland for a considerable time. Being a Vampire, she had come east to this new island home looking to escape the eyes of man and slide back into the shadows. Having had enough of her self-imposed exile, she wishes to return to her ancestral London home. It is a wish that meets with objections from her human confidant, who instead, leads her on to the British colonies of Boston. Sadly, the colonies are far too young for Sara’s liking. Their only redeeming quality being many Indians with which she can practice her killing skills. Solidly melancholy, Sara returns to London, where she changes her name in an attempt to blend back into society. The change is smooth and works well in the short term, but eventually she runs up against the illusive Brenfield Society, the group who watches the shadowy world of the occult. The group’s leader is intent upon taking possession of the mystical Amulet that she wears. Her constant companion, it’s an ancient jewel with untold dark powers. A request that is out of the question, it ends up driving a wedge between Sara and the Society. The encounter spirits Sara on to learn more about her shiny companion. She recruits the services of her Priest, friend and confessionary, Father David, in a plan to find and study the manuscripts that record the existence of the Amulet. The only problem, they reside in the Secret Archives of the Vatican, in Rome. Undeterred by obstacles, Sara heads for the Vatican and finds that getting in is quite easy. She studies the manuscripts and learns the awful secrets of the Amulet’s history. But, before she can escape the fortified wall of the Catholic Church, she is escorted to an audience with an enigmatic character named Cardinal Falco. The Cardinal turns out to be the head of the occults council for the Holy See, and is more intrigued than offended. Finding that he means her no harm; the two exchange conversation. In the end, the Cardinal points Sara toward a meeting with another Vampire, who holds bad news. Sara escapes the walls of the Vatican and heads for a meeting with a Vampire named Moretti. He informs her that her vampire lover and the one that made her, Antonio, is imprisoned in a fortress, east of the Black Sea. Set to action, Sara and Father David head out to the misbegotten lands of the Russian Steppe to rescue her lover from harm. This unplanned adventure draws the two companions through a land that holds firm to its belief in the olden ways. Being more discrete than normal, Sara hides her vampire nature as best she can, and the two slowly make their way to the fortress. They arrive to find an unspeakable and forgotten place that tortures her kind. Having had enough of man-kind’s demonic views, Sara takes out her anger on the guards of the fortress. The inhabitants are decimated, or turned into vampires and left to feed upon the local inhabitants. Sara frees her lover Antonio, and the other vampires secured in the facility. In the midst of the killing, the amulet leads her toward a book depository, where she finds other manuscripts pertaining to it shadowy past. A find she shares with her new Vatican friends on her return trip. Lady Sara makes her way back to London with both her Priest and lover in tow, where she spends some quiet time reflecting upon their adventures. Shortly, as all quite times are for her, she is drug back into the world of men. An appearance at Court to meet with the new Prince Regent inadvertently leads to a meeting with the new leader of The Brenfield Society, a man with a much dimmer view of her than his predecessor. Sara is informed that a détente will hold for them, only until she is outside the lands of the Crown. Once off of neutral ground, it will be war. It seemed they have had enough of her killing ways. Sara stays to the détente for a time, but finding the need to travel welling up in her, she departs the lands of the King, for the un-traveled streets of New York City. True to their word, Sara finds open war in the New York streets as the Brenfield men attempt to put her in the ground, once and for all. This is good new for Sara since a need to kill has been festering for some time. Blood flows in the streets and as vampires are the more natural killers, the Brenfield Society soon finds themselves in short supply of replacements. The constant war on the Street of New York resurrects Antonio, who has been in South America fighting his own battles with mankind. His campaign has left him transformed into an emotionless killer. Finding the situation more than she can bear, Sara parts ways with her lover, to end up broken hearted and alone. At this point when all seems to be slipping out of control in her life, Sara receives word from home that The Brenfield Society is planning on hauling her out in the Court of the new Queen and expose her for the vampire that she is. Infuriated with the insolent men of the Brenfield Society, Sara returns to London, where she once again changes her name and her appearance. The now, Lady Allison Gibbs, formulates a plan with her old companion the Amulet, and heads for Court. In the end, Sara comes out victorious and the Brenfield Society is left in taters. She retreats once again to her ancestral home in London to contemplate the future.