Y'all. The most petty political move happened today at my #vampirethemasquerade#LARP, and I'm technically the reason why it happened.
Context first: I play an Anarch that works at a radio station in a Camarilla domain of the city controlled by an elder Toreador. Prior to the Toreador's acquisition of the domain, my character struck a deal with one of the local Cam Lasombra to ensure the station would be protected if things ever went to hell, and they could continue their work.
During game last month, the elder Toreador approached my character and told me that he had just been informed of my character's presence and operations in his domain and was going to implement a tax if they wanted to continue doing their job.
Understandably, my character was pissed.
So my plan during this month's game was to approach the Cam Lasombra and ask for assistance with negotiating since she had history with him. If it didn't work, though, I was planning malicious compliance.
Because, see, my character has been operating in this area of the city for YEARS. When the elder Toreador took domain in that area, he didn't seem to have a problem with my character operating out of it up until a recent regime change.
So when he told my character they could either pay the elder a blood tax or let him edit their broadcasts, they were pissed off. They didn't have a herd to give him and they weren't letting him mess with their artistic integrity.
But they wanted to try to handle this "the Cam-approved" way first, especially since Elysium was open this month and the Anarchs were actually allowed to visit.
So as soon as I found the Cam Lasombra I made the deal with in Elysium, my character pulled her aside and asked if she'd be willing to help with negotiations.
To my surprise, her response was, "You provide a necessary service to all kindred in this city and I don't think you should have to pay tax at all."
Now, I stressed that I wasn't trying to cause problems because, really, the elder Toreador is well within his rights to ask for taxes be paid to him. But he was nebulous on the amount of blood tax to be paid, and my character wasn't comfortable with that. They were really just looking for help on the negotiation front.
But the Cam Lasombra assured me she had a plan, and when the elder Toreador arrived in a few hours, we'd talk to him about things.
A few hours later, I found out the Lasombra I had been dealing with had been granted domain over the part of the city where the elder Toreador's haven was.
And when the Lasombra, the elder Toreador, and I sat down to renegotiate, she told him she wouldn't charge him taxes to exist in her domain if he dropped trying to get taxes out of my character.
He was NOT happy about it, but he agreed.
I was trying not to cackle in delight the whole damn time.
This is now a level of pettiness my character absolutely aspires to because that was such a power move and it was DELIGHTFUL.
I suspect the elder Toreador may try to exact revenge later, but that's a future problem for my character.
Now, though, they have to warn another Anarch that the elder Toreador wants to have words with HIM now because it turns out the Anarch has a shop in his domain and my character wants to give the Anarch a heads up about this before someone else does.
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