#baron zaslow

[lots-of-little-pink-clouds]

Kashif wasn’t the only one who saw how much difficulty Madelaine was having acclimating to the Anarchs.

Baron Zaslow did too.

Zaslow also used to be Camarilla, so he knew what Madelaine was going through. So he takes the time to get to know her, making sure she settles in and slowly, they build a tentative trust.

Eventually Madelaine starts going on reconnaissance missions (always w/ other Anarchs, of course), but she really starts to prove herself when diplomacy is required to advance their plans i.e. gathering more allies.

It really helps to have someone who can talk to people, and while Zaslow is plenty charismatic, he leans more towards a fire and brimstone approach. Sometimes, you need a subtler hand and Madelaine is perfect for that.

But Zaslow can also tell that Madelaine has doubts, so he continues to keep a very close eye on her (for good reason tbh).

[lots-of-little-pink-clouds]

So here's a thing about Madelaine's relationships w/ Ward, Sevinc, and Hauberk. Everything is under the cut b/c it be a long boi (as all my posts seem to be whoops :/)

Quick Overview:

So Ward, Sevinc, and Hauberk eventually go to Waterloo after being driven out of Ottawa and updated Baron Zaslow on the situation in the city

(I'm thinking Archon Durand has taken over under the guise of stamping out the Anarch threat, but is clearly just amassing power for her own ends)

Naturally, Madelaine learned of their arrival relatively quickly - news travels fast through the Anarch grape vine, and Baron Zaslow's high opinion of Ward was common knowledge

(The only thing Zaslow had a problem w/ was Ward's friendship w/ Arundel. This was also common knowledge, and many of the other Anarchs agreed w/ Zaslow that Ward had been way too close w/ Ottawa's Prince)

(Madelaine kept her own counsel about it, but she still listened and added all the juicy new info to the other rumours she learned when she was w/ the Camarilla)

Robert Ward:

Madelaine's opinion of Ward is fairly neutral. She doesn't know him well and never had much time to form much of an opinion

One thing she does know is that he's an extremist - the constant bombings sort of gave that away - and that's something she can't tolerate

So when Ward showed up, there was a slight dislike, but otherwise, she wasn’t sure what to make of him

Contrastingly, Ward was ecstatic that Madelaine had made her way to Waterloo. He was quick to try and build a friendship w/ her, despite the rough beginning they had in Ottawa, something that she hesitatingly reciprocated

It was tough for them simply b/c they are such radically different people, but they were able to bond over the one thing they had in common: Arundel

Ward told Madelaine about how Arundel always said good things about her, almost like he was a proud sire. And Ward may not be the brightest, but he can recognize the similarities she and Arundel share (and that makes Ward miss Arundel more)

It also makes Madelaine miss Arundel more too (he was sort of a father-figure to her, after all), if only b/c she never got to hear him say those things to her himself

(She doubts that he would've actually done so, but it's a nice thought)

There's also a lot of guilt there too b/c she never tried looking for him and she ends up wondering how things would've been different if she had

Sevinc:

Of course, Madelaine's disapproval of Ward's extremist nature meant that she and Sevinc clash horribly whenever they interact

Sevinc is a staunch Anarch extremist. Her suspicions regarding anyone remotely Camarilla also made her inclined to dislike Madelaine from the beginning. She challenges Madelaine and questions her motives constantly, it’s exhausting

Madelaine, of course, is dealing w/ a lot right now given how it was only recently that she defected to the Anarchs and Sevinc's insinuations weren't helping. So she becomes really passive aggressive and surprisingly petty

But there's also a sort of mutual respect there too? Not much, but it's enough for them to work together for short periods of time

(Really, really short periods of time)

Madelaine grudgingly admires Sevinc for her strong convictions, even if she disapproves of her methods, and the same applies to Sevinc regarding Madelaine

Of course, they would never admit that to anyone else

The night Madelaine and Sevinc ever agree on something is the night that the Antediluvians turn out to be real, awaken, and kill them all

Hauberk:

So to explain Madelaine's relationship w/ Hauberk, I feel like I need to explain the overall dynamic of Madelaine's relationship w/ Corliss, Arundel, and Ward

So Arundel and Corliss are something like a divorced couple that have a co-parenting relationship, and Madelaine is the child being passed b/n them (sort of a 70/30 custody thing at the beginning before changing to Corliss having her full-time (Arundel still pays child support))

Ward is Arundel's new boyfriend that Corliss is resentful of and Hauberk is Ward's adopted kid

Based on that, Hauberk feels threatened when Ward and Madelaine start bonding, and so he takes that frustration out on Madelaine by always being angry and aggressive and always trying to start something

Madelaine is only mostly annoyed by this - Sevinc is better at riling her up, and it's partially thanks to her that Madelaine develops a thicker skin - but one day he manages to hit a nerve and she snaps

Combat isn't her strong suit, but she doesn't really need it to intimidate him since she has Dread Gaze, and by god it worked (like, Messy Critical worked)

After that, Ward came down hard on both of them (something about not tearing each others' throats out before they take Ottawa), resulting in Hauberk and Madelaine avoiding each other and only interacting when they absolutely had to

Like, they still loathe each other, but they’ve gone from actively hostile step-siblings to “I still hate you, but I’ve elected to ignore you” step-siblings

[lots-of-little-pink-clouds]

So you know how Corliss has three childer: you, Lucca, and some guy called Nathaniel Harris that never shows up? I checked the code and aside from everyone off-handedly mentioning that he exists, there’s literally nothing about this guy. No idea where he is or what he’s doing, never mind what his personality is.

So I guess I’m adopting him? At least until Jeffrey Dean decides to do something w/ him (and maybe we’ll learn something when the DLC eventually drops, but idk).

So Nate was the enforcer of Corliss’ childer. Like, Corliss wanted a trio of childer w/ a wide range of capabilities to help her w/ her endeavors.

There’s Lucca who’s really good at managing Corliss’ businesses and has a lot of technical knowhow, then Corliss embraces Nathaniel b/c she needs some muscle, and Madelaine rounds it all out w/ her political savviness.

But Nate was arguably the most average out of all of Corliss’ childer - Lucca, as the oldest, had a lot of pressure placed upon her so she always pushed herself to meet and exceed their sire’s standards, so Nate was a disappointment in comparison. And things got worse when Madelaine came along.

And Nate wasn’t stupid, he knew that he didn’t measure up to either of his “sisters,” and given their sire’s ruthlessness, he knew it was only a matter of time before Corliss sought to get rid of and replace him.

As a result, he ran and no one in Ottawa knew what became of him.

It was both better and worse for Corliss. She no longer had such an embarrassment for a childe but also his disappearance resulted in a lot of hassle and questions that she didn’t want to answer, so she covered up the whole thing by saying she sent him away to do something for her.

Nate ended up joining a group of Anarchs - not Baron Zaslow, he hadn’t set up his operation in Waterloo at the time - and eventually gained their respect enough to become their leader.

Also, he’s very bitter towards the Camarilla and especially Corliss b/c of the way she treated him. His time w/ the Anarchs further exacerbated this and now he wants to take the Camarilla down a peg if only to prove that he’s more capable than Corliss thought him to be.

[lots-of-little-pink-clouds]

Here’s a list of all my PoK playthroughs so far. Also, can I just say. There are so many variations in how this game can be played. Like. Wow.

Spoilers (TL;DR golden ending w/ Jordan and Qui romances, Bouchard alliance, Corliss wins, unlocking memories early, and helping Kashif) under the cut:

Silas Kuznetsov - Ventrue: I basically got the golden ending on my first go, it was wild. Romanced Jordan and unlocked memories, found Arundel w/ Jordan and Lucca, executed Ward, and was made Arundel’s Seneschal.

Gabrielle Moore - Toreador: Mostly the same as before, but I specifically wanted to romance Qui as a Toreador. Qui broke me out and we found Arundel together. Was made Seneschal, executed Ward again, didn’t unlock memories.

Maxwell Jones - Nosferatu: My rat’s name was Theseus ^^ No romance, this time I allied w/ Bouchard. However, I wasn’t expecting Bouchard to try to kill Arundel. I say tried b/c I got the stake out of Arundel and he killed Bouchard. Later killed Archon Durand, was made Seneschal, didn’t unlock memories.

Julia Martin - Ventrue: My single Corliss wins run. No romance. One stand out moment was that my relationship w/ Gerard was so high that he gave me Arundel’s journal. I read it but never used any of the information. Didn’t unlock memories.

Dawn Biwer - Toreador: At the beginning, I sided w/ the Anarchs and unlocked my memories early. Then I refused to help them storm Elysium. Spoke to Adeline and asked about Grace. In the end, I helped Vivian and Ophelia take down Corliss.

Maxwell Singh - Ventrue: Specifically wanted to help Kashif assassinate Corliss. I actually got the achievement for agreeing to this in my first run, but b/c I romanced Jordan, she and Lucca broke me out instead. Anyways, the assassination worked and we ran away to join Baron Zaslow’s Anarch Rebellion. Didn’t unlock memories.

Dawn Jones - Ventrue: Tried to do Vivian’s alliance, but failed. Helped Kashif again. Memories were unlocked.

Future goals:

Ally w/ Vivian from the beginning.

Do a full Anarch run.

Become Scourge instead of Seneschal.

Complete more achievements (26 left, including 2 hidden ones).

Determine my canon route (either Silas + Jordan romance, Gabrielle + Qui romance, or a run where I help Kashif (haven’t tried this w/ a Toreador yet, but that’s what I’m leaning towards)).

[lots-of-little-pink-clouds]

So Ward did have ulterior motives for becoming friendly w/ Madelaine. And naturally, it has to do w/ Arundel.

Ward loves the guy, so of course he isn't willing to give up looking for him. Sevinc convinced him to forget about it for a short while, but when they arrived in Waterloo and saw that Madelaine was there, it made Ward want to try one last time.

Madelaine was hesitant about Ward's overtures of friendship but ended up giving in. They spent a few months helping Zaslow's Anarchs and getting to know each other. Eventually, Ward asks Madelaine to partner w/ him on a scouting mission.

Now Madelaine, who usually partners w/ Kashif or her adopted childe Derick, is suspicious. Zaslow typically leaves it up to the Anarchs to arrange themselves into teams and Ward usually groups up w/ Sevinc and Hauberk. It was especially strange that Ward only wanted Madelaine to go w/ him, to Sevinc's obvious disapproval.

(Sevinc, of course, knew what Ward was planning. She tried to convince him not to go through w/ it, but Ward does what he wants)

B/c of this, Madelaine has a feeling that Ward is up to something. Despite that, she decides to trust him (only up to a point though, see below). By now, they're somewhat friends, and also, she couldn't see any reason for him to screw her over.

But still. Months w/ the Anarchs taught Madelaine a few things. As a result, she's become more cagey and a bit cynical. So she goes to the one person she trusts most at the moment: Kashif. She lets him know that something is up and promises to fill him in on the situation when she and Ward get back.

(She and Kashif have a whole back-and-forth about it, Kashif even offering to follow at a distance, but Madelaine doesn't want to cause any problems b/n him and Zaslow. Zaslow doesn't really run a tight ship (that's Anarchs for you), but Kashif being gone for too long w/o notice could hurt his standing. And depending on what Ward wants, she wants at least one of them to still be on Zaslow's good side)

Once she and Ward leave however, Ward fills her in on what he hopes to achieve. And Madelaine, who deeply regrets not looking for Arundel, agrees to help.

(How could she not? It's Arundel, practically her father figure)

Even so, what happens if they do find Arundel? Zaslow may think well of Ward, but there is no way in hell he would call off the assault on Ottawa, not now that they have come so far.

When they get to the villa, not much changes from the events of the game. The only difference is that Trevor Haidt isn't alone - the Quebec Tremere planned on moving Arundel back to Quebec City, so there are a couple mortal guards w/ him to ensure the job goes smoothly. But after Trevor and the mortals are dealt w/, Madelaine and Ward get into the villa's basement and find him. Arundel.

Naturally they free him, how could they not?

After explaining everything, Arundel is willing to welcome them both back into the Camarilla. There's no question in his mind about accepting Ward. He missed his old friend (and lover).

Arundel is also extremely proud of Madelaine. She might have arrived later than he expected, but she still came. And after hearing that she and Kashif killed Corliss, he especially admires her for her initiative and loyalty.

But nothing is ever simple.

The Camarilla is barely holding itself together under Vivian's leadership and Baron Zaslow is almost ready to attack Ottawa. Archon Durand stuck around and is prepping the city's defenses - the Anarchs haven't been subtle - while at the same time accumulating power for her own gain.

Also, Ward and Madelaine (and also Kashif, although not many are aware that he survived the Tremere Blood Hunt) were declared persona non grata, so there's no way the Camarilla would accept them back w/o reason.

So Arundel starts plotting. And just like w/ Corliss, Madelaine plays an important role.

[lots-of-little-pink-clouds]

Some stuff about Nathaniel “Nate” Harris and his relationship w/ his younger “sister,” Madelaine:

Pre-Parliament of Knives:

So I’m guessing that Corliss would have all her childer train together on occasion, this way they can learn from and learn how to work w/ each other. So obviously, this means Madelaine, Lucca, and Nate all knew each other prior to Corliss sending Lucca away to handle her businesses and Nate joining the Anarchs.

But before he left, Nate always sort of resented his “sisters.”

Lucca was the oldest, the most responsible, and also the one who had the most pressure put on her. She always strove to exceed their sire’s expectations, and usually succeeded. This in turn set the bar really high for Nate, but he frequently failed to meet that same standard, at least in Corliss’ eyes.

W/ Madelaine, Corliss always treated her differently - a mix of being both the baby and the favourite, and also a healthy amount of resentment that Lucca didn’t pick up on, but Nate did.

(The hot-cold nature of Corliss’ relationship w/ Madelaine was due to Grace’s influence. Madelaine was Grace’s childe and that showed in the favoritism, but Corliss resented Madelaine b/c not only did Madelaine remind her of that time she lost control but also b/c Arundel shoved the responsibility of the dead woman’s childe onto her.)

(She did want another childe, but she wanted it to be on her terms.)

But while Nate sympathized w/ how their sire seemed to despise Madelaine, he was still envious of how she was able to train w/ Arundel.

(And it had nothing to do w/ Arundel being Prince. Madelaine was embraced in the late-60s. Arundel wasn’t even Ottawa’s Seneschal at the time - he only became Seneschal after Prince Cranston’s coup in the late-70s/early-80s, according to Qui’s profile.)

(No, Nate’s jealousy had everything to do w/ her being able to “escape” their sire for a brief respite.)

Post-Parliament of Knives:

So by the time the game’s events happen, Nate and Madelaine haven’t seen each other in decades. Then Baron Zaslow comes along to where Nate and his Anarchs are holed up in order to form an alliance.

Nate is all for this, since the Baron is planning on bringing the fight right to the Camarilla’s front door - attacking Ottawa directly! - but he wasn’t about to just give into Zaslow’s demands w/o meeting him first.

And Zaslow brings Madelaine to the negotiations so she can learn how the Anarchs make deals, and she and Nate recognize each other immediately.

They don’t say anything, of course, but everyone knows something’s up.

During a break in the proceedings, Madelaine and Nate step away from the others to talk.

Madelaine briefly explains how she came to join Zaslow and promises a more detailed retelling of how she and Kashif killed Corliss, which Nate is very interested in. She also puts her persuasive capabilities to work in order to convince him that allying w/ the Baron would be beneficial.

And it works. Nate and his Anarchs join Zaslow’s forces and Madelaine proves her worth to the cause.

(Of course, there is some doubt regarding what she promised Nate in return, but she quickly clears things up w/ Zaslow. She also lets Kashif know b/c she doesn’t want him to be blindsided by having someone confront him about what they did.)

W/o Corliss there to pit them against each other and them having both changed due to their various experiences, Madelaine and Nate bond over their shared upbringing. This allows Madelaine to grow more comfortable w/ the Anarchs as she now has someone else in her corner and also allows Nate to actually get to know his younger “sister.”

Mind you, she never tells him that she was never actually Corliss’ childe to begin w/. Like w/ Lucca, she feels that it would backfire on her, although for different reasons.

[lots-of-little-pink-clouds]

So Madelaine’s canon route is helping Kashif. Long post ahead (I feel like this is just my modus operandi lol).

Neither of the romances seemed to fit (she and Qui are more respected business partners, and Jordan... Madelaine’s too afraid to turn their relationship into something more) and neither did either of the official alliances (Vivian’s too shady and Bouchard’s too abrasive).

But Kashif? Madelaine didn’t think much of him in the beginning, but she did agree w/ Arundel that welcoming the Banu Haqim would be beneficial. She found the hostility to them to be a bit surprising - there’s a difference b/n hearing about it and seeing it, after all - and even more surprising was her own visceral reaction to it.

Madelaine doesn’t remember anything from her human life, but she’s no stranger to injustice. She’s always chaffed against the Camarilla’s rules, but she was satisfied w/ the way Arundel ran things and as such, was willing to tolerate it. Then Arundel disappeared.

So when Kashif told Corliss that he was receiving threatening letters and she dismissed his concerns, Madelaine spoke up (subtly, of course, she learned the art of diplomacy and manipulation from both the Seneschal and the Prince, and subtlety had always been a key part of her training).

Likewise, Kashif didn’t think much of Madelaine until she agreed w/ his concerns, then he started paying more attention. He started feeling her out, testing her loyalties, but only after she helped him against the Tremere did he become relatively certain that she would be willing to go along w/ his plot to assassinate Corliss.

(Unlike Ophelia. If you ask him about her after killing Corliss, he says that she betrayed his trust. He doesn’t explain how, but it probably has to do w/ how she was working w/ Vivian. Never mind how Ophelia’s willing to throw him under the bus if he fails to kill Corliss and is executed...)

By that point, Madelaine had grown so disillusioned about Corliss’ reign that she was actively speaking out against it. However, she was still loyal to the Camarilla. She was horrified by Ward’s methods and the chaos everything was falling into, and w/ Arundel still missing, she began to think that Corliss taking over was inevitable unless someone stopped her, and no one seemed to be willing to. It didn’t help that Jordan came to her and unlocked her memories - Madelaine’s not stupid, as soon as she realized that Corliss wasn’t her real sire, she knew that her mentor would get rid of her.

Kashif offered her a solution and she agreed. Despite hating violence w/ a passion, it seemed like the only option left. And after they succeeded, they ran off together to join Baron Zaslow’s Anarch rebellion in Waterloo.