A Brief Kindred History of New Covenant

The City of New Covenant has had a predominantly quiet history with a single glaring exception. The city started as a refuge of those early clans which braved the wilderness of the New World. However, steady growth and an influx from Europe has brought members of all clans within the city's borders.
==Early Colonial Times==
The first Kindred to settle inside the city accompanied one of the Norse expeditions in the eleventh century. A Nosferatu by the name of Sigurd Haarstad had taken control of Hans Lindvig, the captain of the expedition, in what is now coastal Norway. Haarstad continued to push his ghoul westward into the unknown until finally reaching the natural bay of Orchard Harbor. While Haarstad wanted to press further, Lindvig fell ill along with several other members of his crew forcing the expedition to a halt. Shortly after establishing a camp, a hurricane came through beaching and destroying the ship, leaving the crew along with Haarstad stranded. While little has been uncovered about what happened to the settlement, after Lindvig's death, Haarstad made his way north until he reached another Norse settlement where he obtained passage back to Norway. While Haarstad told his tale of the harbor and islands to other Kindred after his return, he never made his way back to the New World.
The city would remain abandoned until the early seventeenth century when the Gangrel Zacharia Theobault fled from the Bay Colony. He took refuge in the dilapidated hull of Lindvig's ship. Theobault survived on large animals in the area like deer and bear, though often sought the feed on the Native American tribes when the came to harvest from the shores of the bay. While this haven lasted for some time - protected from Lupine and isolated from other Kindred - eventually, the bay would become a point of contention.
Several waves of Norwegians moved onto the islands and began building in the 1640s. With them came a small coterie of Nosferatu, lead by Hallvard Lerche. Lerche and Theobault regularly attacked one another, though Lerche had the upper hand while operating within the small Norse town. However, Lerche overestimated his power in the wild and Theobault cut him down. Without their leader, several of the young members suffered final death before the coterie recognized Theobault as their leader. With this recognition, Theobault claimed to be the first uncontested prince of the city.
==English Colonialism==
Not long after Theobault cemented his power, The English signed the Treaty of Aberdeen, 1660 establishing complete control over the eastern seaboard from the Spanish claim in the south to the small French claim in the north. Unfortunately, in-fighting, naval defense, and colonization had proved quite expensive, and much of the new territory gained the crown gave away to settle debts. With the Colony of New Middlesex. While the politics of kine do not matter much here, a large number of new settlers and the accompanying Kindred do. Theobault quickly found himself in charge of a thriving Kindred community.
By the late 1690s, New Covenant hosted almost twenty Kindred stalking among their prey. Unfortunately for Theobault, though, the Gangrel brought in one of the princes from the southern colonies to restore their glory and take revenge on Theobault. In a heavily criticized move, Ezekiel Coggeshall moved into New Covenant without addressing the Prince and set up a secret coterie among the Gangrel. The Pack struck quick and almost drove Theobault out of the city. However, once he could regroup and refocus, he proved to be their equals.
Due to both his prior conflict and this new one, Theobault is often referred to as The Reaper among the Gangrel and The Gangrel Slayer by the other clans. However, after several years and six final deaths among the members of The Pack and several lost childer by Theobault, the struggle proved to be a stalemate. In a good faith effort, Theobaujlt sat down with his counterpart, Coggeshall, and the discussed terms.
==The Deal==
With talks beginning in 1698 and continuing into 1699, both sides looked to balance taking control of the city with creating a safe environment. With a decade of lessons behind each side, while they demanded the former, they really sought the latter. After countless hours, both sides agreed upon an amicable power structure. The Prince would be given a fifty-year term, after which it would pass to the representative from the other party. To show how serious he was to these talks, Theobault agreed to step down in March of 1700.
==Living Under the Deal==
With over a decade of turbulence in the world of Kindred affairs, which bled into the realm of the kine, the change in centuries brought a sense of peace and prosperity. In March, just as agreed upon, Theobault handed over control of the city to Coggeshall in a ceremony in Towne Hall. Coggeshall worked on expanding the city and working up its reputation but also worked on befriending Theobault.
Over Coggeshall's fifty-year reign, the two old enemies surprisingly became reasonably close. Coggeshall even went as far as naming Theobault his Seneschal. The city thrived, proliferating in production, population, and Kindred. The early half of the eighteenth century also witnessed the golden age of piracy in the Carribean and New Covenant became a port of call to exchange Spanish gold for supplies.
However, not everyone liked this new arrangement. Several lesser Gangrel left the city, feeling abandoned by Coggeshall in his attempt to court the Nosferatu. Between Theobault's nicknames and a decade of violence, this new found companionship with someone who had slain many of their comrades proved too much. But it was not just the Gangrel who did not like this arrangement. Alyce Coulthurst, the eldest remaining childe of Theobault, remembered many of her siblings facing final death at the claws of Gangrel. And in Kindred society, these trespasses are not quickly forgotten.
By 1750, the small trading village had transformed into a regional port. Despite the temptation and backing of most of the Gangrel, Coggeshall transferred power to Theobault in a similar ceremony. However, Theobault named Coulthurst his Seneschal over Coggeshall. The Pack called for an uprising, and several cases of arson did occur in the early 1750s, but Coggeshall used his influence to calm his fellow Gangrel.
==The Loyalist Rebellion==
While this agreement worked well for the two largest clans within the city, many of the smaller Camarilla circles felt overlooked and underrepresented in the city. While the Conclave worked hard in addressing these issues, some are harder to reach than others.
While there is no direct proof of her involvement, many at the time suspected the Malkavian Edith Latton of instigating a group of loyalists to attack the city. The War of Indpendence had been winding down, and there was little fighting locally for years before this incident which is why most feel Kindred intervention played a role. The story goes, Latton had been walking the streets after dusk when she found a small squad of Loyalists singing songs praising the King. Sensing her opportunity, she shared her madness with them causing them to jump into action.
Whether she had any influence or just happened to be the scapegoat, blamed by later scholars does not change the actual events. The men started a fire in the southern portion of Diligence. The fire quickly spread, engulfing many of the residences along with most of the city's administrative offices. While the death toll was in the hundreds for the kine of the city, more important was the Kindred who were lost. Among them was Theobault, who had yet to rise in the early evening.
==The Turbulence==
With the Prince dead, Coulthurst, his Seneschal, quickly claimed power. With the support of the other Nosferatu and nominally of most of the other clans, she swore in on the burned ashes of Towne Hall. She worked quickly in establishing control over her sire's old holdings and trying to consolidate power, knowing the inevitable challenge looming from the Gangel. And they did not disappoint. After closely examining the original agreement, they determined with the death of Theobault, power should have passed back to them, arguing the fifty-year term was only the max and not the required length of time for each side of the agreement.
So Coggeshall reluctantly started his own campaign against Coulthurst. He himself did not mind waiting less than two decades for power to unquestionably return to him. Unfortunately, he felt his control over The Pack weakening and knew they wanted action. So he decided to challenge Coulthurst was better than possible final death at the hands of his own coterie. His argument swayed some Ventrue and a few Tremere, but before he could cull more to his side, a new claimant arose.
Latton, with the backing of the Bruja and Malkavians, launched a sweeping range of attacks on both Coggeshall and Coulthurst. Her movement here is why many think she may have played some role in the original fires, though some modern scholars have argued she may have just been seizing an opportunity. Whether involved or not, she caused privateers to sink ships leaving the harbor, stockpiles of goods to go missing, police investigations into corruption to spread like wildfire. This culminated with the election of Howard Towers an independent lawyer with questionable loyalties to Britain and a member of the community none thought would win. In reality, Towers was Latton's ghoul who she used to weaken the position of her enemies while strengthening her own. His term saw large-scale reform and targeted attacks on former politicians hidden in the guise of patriotism to the new country. With her power base established and stealing supporters from Coulthurst and Coggeshall, Latton knew all she needed to do was wait.
Despite her best effort to control from within the city, she did not expect an outsider to appear. A European Kindred from the French territories entered the city with little more than a wagon and a ghoul. But Prince Pierre Legrand would not be turned away from his destiny, like a moth to a flame, he found himself drawn to this particular power vaccuum.. Very few Kindred in the New World has his combination of age and experience. The cunning Ventrue rapidly gained the favor of Latton to the point she said she would name him her Seneschal. He worked for her, learning her supporters among the Kindred, which kine she held sway over, and which properties she could control or manipulate.
It only took Legrand a year to gain her confidence, though he waited for almost two more before moving on his plan. Once she had nearly broken both Coulthurst and Coggeshall, he struck. On one of their walks along the shore, he picked up a large splinter from one of the pier's pylons which had washed ashore. She paid him no mind since he had often picked up flotsam during their walks, only to toss it once the reached the pier back out into the ocean. But this time would be different. From his position behind her, she stood no chance when he drove the spike through her back and into her heart. There is some debate over how surprised she actually was by this betrayal. Most argue she was taken completely by surprise. However, some scholars have pointed out her pet name for Legrand had been Iscariot and call upon the fact that most Malkavians, while not always aware of it, can certainly sense things far beyond the present.
Whatever the case may be, it would catch the rest of Kindred society off-guard. With the sky just beginning to lighten, he threw her into a dingy and rowed out to a ship moored in the bay. He tied the paralyzed woman to the prow atop their tarnished copper figurehead. Once finished he returned to his haven to plot for the coming night. A group of sailor rowing their dingies out at first light saw a flash of flame near their bowsprit, but when the reached the ship, the only thing out of place was excess rope loosely wrapped around the mermaid. It would take months for them to tell their story of the phantom fire and even longer before the story would return back to New Covenant. By the time the tale returned so the Kindred could uncover his dastardly deed, Legrand had already moved into her spot, securing the support of many of her old colleagues.
Where Latton attacked with speed and chaos, Legrand was cold and calculating. He quickly eroded the financials and holdings of any associate of Coulthurst or Coggeshall. With increased pressure in the fragile new economy, Coulthurst and Coggeshall met to discuss options. Despite their best efforts, they knew they could not mount enough of an attack on Legrand or his holdings quick enough to disrupt his grasp on the city. Additionally, with almost all members of the five other clans, the majority of Kindred now supported his claim based on his power alone. Deciding they had little other recourse, Coulthurst and Coggeshall both entered self-imposed exile leaving Legrand the de facto Prince.
==Securing His Base==
After gaining control of most of New Covenant, Legrand issued an ultimatum to any remaining supporters of Coulthurst or Coggeshall. The terms were basic: acknowledge Legrand as Prince, join their leaders in exile or face Final Death. While some opted for exile, most willingly gave their support to Legrand, fearing even in exile they may still be a target for this ruthless killer. With no challenge to his authority, Legrand met the various Primogen to discuss new allotments. While not a necessary step, Legrand offered leading members of Kindred society portions of his personal holding to ensure their loyalty. Of course, a Ventrue never gives something for nothing.
On a cold spring morning just before the dawn in 1790, Legrand and numerous members of Kindred society stood on the steps of Governor's Palace. In a coronation more fitting for a European monarch than a New World Leader, each clan recognized Legrand's claim to the title Prince of New Covenant to be true and without rival. With his power cemented, the city's Kindred watched the pomp and circumstance fade into the first lights of the morning.
Without rival, Legrand worked to ensure his city was the one which everything flowed through. While several other ports existed, few offered the size and depth of Orchard Harbor which boded well for a system primarily focused on exports to Europe. However, by the beginnings of the 1800s, a focus on internal trade began. Legrand's companies and pawns first opted to use the Applewine River to bring goods and materials from the Midwest and Great Lakes east. This option greatly increased the importance of the city, quickly leading New Covenant to becoming the busiest port in the new nation.
While steamship has never lost its value for exports, the rise of the steam locomotive greatly enhanced the movement of goods within the country and New Covenant once again remained at the focal point. Most lines on the eastern seaboard routed through the city or offered a connection which could bring the goods there. The Temperance Railyard saw goods move around the clock, with trains arriving and departing near continuously. While still an important terminal for the citywide train system, trucks have largely usurped the trains dominance in moving goods and supplies.
The antebellum period witnessed the beginnings of industrialization of New Covenant. While slight, the rapid waterways around the city offered a power source to many waterwheel industries, from flour production to textiles. Most of these old factories have been lost to time because of rising property values, a few still remain as a testament to this period of history at the northernmost point of the Borough of Chastity.
==The Nosferatu Return==
Sensing a weakness due to the large draws of the Civil War, Coulthurst began creeping back into New Covenant. At first, she would send minions to carry out orders and begin obtaining assets within the city. However, after two years of war ripping the country apart, she made her grand re-entrance into the city.
Knowing many of Legrand's men were fighting in the South, Coulthurst attacked and attacked rapidly. Over the course of two months, six separate attempts were made on Legrand's life, each involving a substantial loss of profits or property. Unfortunately for Coulthurst, the complex underground system which now runs the length of the city was only in the most rudimentary form during the Civil War and provided little refuge once Legrand was ready to parry her thrusts.
Large numbers of Nosferatu, both those who had been loyal as well as those who left with Coulhurst, were rounded up and kept by Legrand at Fort Patience. Each member of the clan was tortured and humiliated, quite a task given their unattractive predisposition. Many were eventually freed from Legrand's holding cells and allowed to re-enter Kindred Society. Those deemed too dangerous faced true torment. Legrand enjoyed hearing the screams of a Nosferatu impaled with a stake through the heart as first light rose over the sandy beaches.
Despite not finding Coulhurst during the initial round up through the city, she could not remain hidden for long. Hoping to catch Legrand unaware, she struck during his torture sessions, though this time in person. Upset about the numerous failed assassins she had sent at him, she attempted to take him down herself. Unfortunately, her attempt failed and the ever-vigilant Legrand saw her coming a mile away. Deciding one final sunrise to be too beautiful of a punishment for such an ugly soul, Legrand had her burned at the stake, personally watching over the execution himself.
The clan of Nosferatu would remain in fairly poor shape for the next eighty years. Legrand often refused any Nosferatu the right to sire and imposed the Masquerade particularly harsh to members of this clan. However, once the need for information rose to center stage in the Cold War, the clan would once again be welcome, at a distance, into Legrand's good graces. The Nosferatu often call the time between the mid-1860s and the mid-1940s The Barrens referring to their inability to sire new members. Since then their numbers have recovered nicely, though most members now are fairly young and inexperienced.
==Legrand and the Rise of New Covenant==
With order returned to the city, Legrand could focus on the future. The need for guns and ammunition turned into nails and hammers once the war ended. In addition to an increase in trade, rapid industrialization changed the city almost overnight. Fields and meadows became factories and warehouses, farms and single-story buildings transformed into high-rises in the late 1800s and skyscrapers around the turn of the century. New faceless corporations quickly moved to occupy the new offices being constructed.
In addition to the huge number of businesses being formed, perhaps the greatest business move was the opening of the New Covenant Exchange, offering a near limitless source of income. The NCE30 is still commonly viewed as the best indicator of how the nation's economy is doing.
Kindred society would mostly mirror that of kine society, with ups and down following stock markets rises and crashes. One exception to note is Legrand's role in the crash which would bring on the Great Depression. Legrand and his associates began cashing out their stocks over the winter of 1928 and 1929. Slowly, Legrand gave up majority shareholdings in numerous business, though often maintained control by instating a ghoul into the President or CEO positions. Once the crash occurred, Legrand - who had been one of the few to post a profit in 9192 - bought back his old companies at a discounted rate.
==The Tremere Uprisings==
==The Modern Night==