Bio.
IMAGE COMING SOON; THIS TEXT IS A PLACEHOLDER!

GENERAL INFO.

Full Name: Ayşe Sultan
Aliases: Nomad, Nomad of Many Faces, Ayşe Şahin, Sirin Hanim Sanli, Kythereia Castañeda, Cátia Corte-Real, Grażyna Kamińska, Idalia Fürst, Terezilya Nikitovna Timoshkina, Aisha Sadeghi, Phyre, and various other aliases she conjures
Gender and Pronouns: Cis Female; She/Her
Place of Birth: Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (Istanbul, Turkey)
Heritage: Byzantine-Albanian (Turkish-Albanian)
Date of Birth: March 27, 1588
Age: 37 (Time of Embrace); Elder Vampire (6th Generation)
Parents:

Siblings: Over a Hundred (Deceased)
Children: N/A
Other Family:

Allergies: N/A
Addictions: N/A
Mental Conditions/Disorders: N/A
Physical Conditions/Disorders: Xeroderma Pigmentosum (Inability to Heal from Sunlight/UV Exposure)

APPEARANCE INFO.

Features: Gaunt, angular features with prominent cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a strong, straight nose. Phyre has thick brows, and has a short but deep scar through the right arch. Similarly, her body is adorned with ritualistic markings mirroring healed tattoos or carvings, with the most prominent being a crudely carved eye on the back of her right hand.
Voice Claim: Hara Yannas
Eye Color: Red-Brown
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Hairstyle: Medium-length, straight hair worn in a wolf cut style.
Build: Lean but athletic; primarily muscle and residual fat from her undead state. Phyre has broad muscular definition, and a rounded hourglass shape.
Height: 5 feet and 11 inches (approx. 180 cm)
Weight: 169 pounds (approx. 77 kg)

SOCIAL INFO.

Connections:

Relationship Status: Single
Sexuality: Polyamorous Queer (Unlabeled)

MISC. INFO

Powers:

Silence of Death — Passive. Phyre's actions become entirely silent for a period after feeding.

Mute — Cast. Any sounds the target produces, from screams to gunfire, are completely undetectable to others.

Split Second — Cast. Time appears to stop around her, but to others she moves with impossible speed.

Bladed Hand — Cast. Phyre slashes swiftly in front of her, beheading all mortal opponents within her direct line of sight.

Unseen Aura — Cast. Phyre becomes temporarily invisible to enemies and civilians, but she can still be heard unless she combines the ability with Silence of Death (aka: unless she casts this post-feed).

Unseen Passage — Passive. Phyre can sprint while crouched, and will run like a bat / run on all fours to stabilize herself.

Phyre can also learn the powers of other clans and disciplines, and has in the past. However, her torpor and The Mark have weakened her to a state where she only retained her innate abilities.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Bane: Blood Addiction

Banu Haqim are drawn to feed from those deserving punishment. This is especially true for vampire Blood, the very essence of transgression. When one of the Judges tastes the Blood of another Cainite, they find it very hard to stop. If the test of their will is failed, they attempt to gorge themselves on vampire Blood, sometimes until they diablerize their Kindred victim. This presents many problems as the Banu Haqim integrate with the Camarilla, who tend to see the Amaranth as anathema.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Compulsion: Judgment

Banu Haqim are compelled to punish anyone seen to transgress against their personal creed, taking their blood as just vengeance for the crime. Her moral compass is rigid, and she has no qualms being judge, jury, and executioner if she personally believes a moral wrong has been committed.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Many details of Phyre's background are based on loose historic research; I am not a historian, nor is the timeline set forth by the Vampire: The Masquerade entirely accurate. Some liberties have been taken, and any mentions of real individuals are (hopefully) handled with care.

Additionally, I have greatly summarized the histories of her international travels due to the amount of research it would take to write it all out in-depth, especially given her reputation as The Nomad. Expansions may be made in the future.

I portray Fabien through Phyre; the two will rarely (if at all) be written separately. I imagine it to be a similar connection to Johnny Silverhand and V from Cyberpunk: 2077. The key difference, though, is Fabien can only "take over" Phyre's physicality if she is mortally wounded or otherwise unconscious. Nobody will be able to see or hear him, unless they can use powers such as Telepathy or Ancestor's Insight (or similar Auspex powers). However, there are signs that he is conversing with Phyre; subtle shifts in her personality, spacing out, her muttering/talking aloud in response to him, etc.

Phyre has a very mellowed personality and relatively flat affect. Because of this, it's very likely she'll appear to be disinterested or even upset in conversations regardless of the context. She's just not very emotive.

Phyre has an odd way of speaking; very brief and formal. One quirk of her speech is that she will rarely, if ever, use contractions (ex: isn't, hasn't, would've, etc). Instead, she will say each word in its entirety.

Similarly, Phyre struggles with Modern English. She is most fluent in Early Ottoman Turkish, Castilian Old Spanish, Middle Polish, and Austrian High German. She did learn Modern English in her years just before Torpor, but even then the dialect is vastly different by 2024.

Phyre keeps a pocket notebook upon becoming the Sheriff of Seattle under Prince Ryong's guidance. This is used to keep track of everything she learns about the Seattle Camarilla, in addition to her investigations into The Mark. It helps her and Fabien make sense of things... even if she tends to write the notes in Early Ottoman Turkish out of personal habit. Many hours of her late evenings are spent verbally translating them for Fabien, and making notes in English when he interjects with ideas.

Phyre loathes the idea of having a Ghoul, as she sees the power imbalance and potential for Blood Addiction as unjust and cruel. She would never take one as her own. As such, she generally prefers to "hunt" alone; she seems uncertain about the possibility of taking on a Childe, but may be open to the idea depending on the circumstances.

BACKGROUND.

LIFE AS NOBILITY (1588-1625)

Born beneath the banner of Murad III (Şehzade Murad) in Constantinople, Phyre—then known as Ayşe Sultan—had inherited a reputation from the start. Her father's reign was shrouded in controversy, from his first orders as new sultan to have his five younger brothers strangled to the conspiracies of witchcraft due to his denial of and impotence when engaging with concubines. Likewise, his legacy would be defined by his wars with the Habsburgs and Safavid. Even still, Phyre found herself comfortably sat within her large family (15 known older brothers, 6 known older sisters). Most of her childhood was surrounded by them in Manisa, and marked by intensive studies led by their teacher, Ibrahim Efendi.

Things changed, though, when her father died of natural causes in 1595. With his death, her brother Mehmed III rose to power and—like his father—would order the execution of his brothers. She would continue her studies alongside her sisters, and grew much close with her mother, Safiye Sultan, as a result of the losses. While her brother's reign was short-lived, lasting a mere eight years, it was these years that would set the precedent for what was to come. In addition to the early fratricide, Mehmed III would create a power vacuum through his idle leadership, leaving the rivalry between his viziers, Serdar Ferhad Pasha and Koca Sinan Pasha, to result in a bloodbath enacted by him. Similarly, large-scale defeats in the Austro-Ottoman war in Hungary would cause Mehmed III to take personal command of the army. While official causes were unclear, Phyre is of the belief the immense pressure led to him having a stroke. She would be 15 at this time, and thus participating more actively in family politics. In addition to presenting herself as a marriage candidate toward other nobility, Phyre would aid in the upbringing of her later siblings, and other prominent children within the family. At times, she would unofficially consult with advisors, but this was kept under wraps due to the still controversial role of education within women's lives at the time. During his reign, she met a lovely man by the name of Kaya Şahin. Kaya was an officer of the Janissary Corps, and the two would regularly cross paths as Phyre attended to the social duties assigned to her. When the idea of marriage was brought up by her mother, Kaya insisted that they would not do anything she did not wish to. They would marry shortly after she turned 16.

The rule of Mehmed III's son, Ahmed I, did see a brief breath of fresh air when he would mark the end of the fratricide. This fresh air would quickly grow polluted, though, with the rise of the Ottoman-Safavid War, the new War with the Habsburgs, and the Jelali revolts. Support for the Empire's conquests drastically fell, and expansion (particularly that in Europe) was paused to focus on more internal affairs. As Phyre grew older, with Phyre being 29 at the time of Ahmed I's eventual death, she would begin to step back and focus on her own life, and the one she shared with Kaya.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

EMBRACE & EARLY KINDRED LIFE (1625-1633)

The two would live together and present outwardly as a devoted couple, though neither truly shared intimate interest in one another. Rather, they grew close platonically and would share their passions through academics. Kaya encouraged Phyre's scholarly pursuits, and would routinely borrow materials under his name for her. Though, the closer they got, the stranger Kaya became. Phyre would routinely notice oddities in his schedule: He would go out late at night and sleep through the days. He would conveniently miss mealtimes at home and insist that he had eaten elsewhere. Intrigued, she would follow him out one evening and catch him meeting with a group of other Janissary, and it would be revealed through this meeting that he was not a mortal. None of them were.

When the meeting disbanded, Kaya caught Phyre eavesdropping and quickly pulled her aside to shield her from the others. He would whisper to her, asking what she was thinking. When she explained her noticing his behaviors, he knew he had no choice but to explain the truth: He was Kindred. A vampire. He was a member of a group known as the Banu Haqim, and they were one of few Cainite clans to occupy the region and bring order to its supernatural population. He would also explain that now that she knew, her options in the moment were limited: She could turn her back, and he would have to report her knowledge to the others in attempt to maintain their secrecy, and open a can of worms greater than she could ever imagine given her notoriety, or she could join him; allow him to Embrace her and ensure her safety for all of eternity, and continue to maintain their status uninterrupted. Wanting to see her family find some success amidst all of the failure, she accepted, and would be Embraced.

Those early days of her undead life were uneasy, primarily due to the amount she would learn about those she has considered both ally and foe. Many whose paths she crossed would reveal themselves to her as Kindred, often taking on new identities once an acceptable amount of time had passed to allow their "past" selves to disappear and die out. Likewise, tensions within the Ashirra—their equivalent to the Camarilla—were rising alongside those amidst the mortal nobles. Phyre did her best to make sense of it, and would find herself taking on a full-time role as an Ashirran scholar (and judge, should the situation arise). As she fell into this role, things became easier; objective. The simple scales of justice would provide a clarity entirely unfamiliar to her past life, and she would find comfort in this new perspective.

This was, until September, 1633.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

THE CEBALI FIRE & FLEEING CONSTANTINOPLE (1633)

Under the banner of Murad IV, a vast fire broke out in Constantinople. Official records state the Cibali fire started during the day when a caulker burned a shrub and a ship caulked into the walls, however, Kindred within the city knew all too well that this was a guise to cover its systemic targeting and extermination of all unholy beings. The most beautiful districts of Constantinople were ruined, from the Yeniodas, Mollagürani districts, Fener gate to Sultanselim, Mesihpaşa, Bali Pasha and Lutfi Pasha mosques, Şahı buhan Palace, Unkapanı to Atpazarı, Bostanzade houses, and Sofular Bazaar. Many tried to flee—most did not survive. Among those consumed by the great flames was Kaya, who aided Phyre in escaping their haven only for it to crash down upon him.

Knowing she could not stay, Phyre would flee Constantinople and spend time traversing the northern territory of the Ottoman Empire under a new name: Sirin Hanim Sanli. The remainder of her year within the Empire would remain relatively uneventful, with most of her time spent in small towns and quieter cities. Yet even still, she knew that her time would be limited; her prior status as nobility put a target on her back, and returning to Constantinople in her state was not an option. So, she began to plan her escape into Europe.

This was put on pause, though, when she encountered some Kindred from the neighboring territory. While they welcomed her at first, it quickly became clear that these Kindred were not like those she had once called family. Rather, they were monstrous vampiric supremacists; a cult set on destroying the very existence of humanity and bringing about a new world in the name of Caine, a Gehenna. They called themselves Sabbat, and would attempt to claim Phyre as one of their own. She refused, and would have to once more flee for her life when members of the Sabbat would infiltrate her haven.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS (1634-1914)

The first country Phyre would find herself in is Spain. Arriving in 1634 by boat, she would assume the identity of Kythereia Castañeda. Her life in the later years of the Catholic Monarchy—headed by the House of Habsburg—would not be much better than those latter years within the Ottoman Empire. The widespread reach of Christianity meant that, as a Kindred, Phyre would have to very carefully navigate her schedule to avoid raising suspicions. Of course, many mortals seemed much more focused on the defensive between French and Dutch forces, besides internal conflicts among Catalans. Still, this did not stop the most dedicated among them would continue their hunts. As such, she would keep her head down and only report to the Camarillan court upon her first arrival. She would not work for them, nor interact with many of its members as to avoid conflict.

Yet after nearly 70 years in the region, Phyre would find herself almost tired of the stability. Uneasy at the prospect and afraid it would not last. So, in late 1700, she would cross the border into Portugal and spend several decades in Lisbon under the name Cátia Corte-Real.

Within the new region, Phyre saw the effects of tensions between the European powers much more directly. For example, in 1703, Sir John Methuen would negotiate a military treaty with the nation, giving Britain an entry when the Bourbon dynastic alliance of France and Spain appeared to threaten such access. The country would establish a widespread wine trade at the cost of its native textile industry. Over the years, the nation’s rulers would grow wealthier and wealthier while its people suffered, both within its borders and abroad (in places such as Brazil). Phyre would once more keep to herself, briefly interacting with the Court out of formality and respect for their control of the region.

Even so, the looming threat of the Catholic Church remained, especially as the Pope took special interest in figures from Lisbon to the point of visiting himself, so Phyre would move along once more, circling deeper into Europe and landing in Austria in 1729. There, she took on the name Idalia Fürst.

Recovering from the Thirty Year’s War prior to her arrival, Austria established itself as a pragmatic state free from both Habsburg and Ottoman rule beneath the banner of Charles III. The country , however, remained involved in several conflicts during Phyre’s visitations—notably the War of the Polish Succession. Phyre would involve herself more with the local Courts, intrigued by the politics practiced by the emerging Empire and its Kindred population. Their early pragmatism showed promise, though that and its emerging period of High Baroque architecture and art. Then, with Maria Theresa’s ascension to the throne, came more war, with Austria and Prussia violently clashing and others joining in hopes of regaining territory. The eventual ascension to Imperial power by Maria Theresa’s husband—and the regaining of control by the Habsburg-Lorraine House—would encourage Phyre to seek new horizons.

She would arrive in Poland in 1758 and assume the name of Grażyna Kamińska. This time, the local courts welcomed her, with news of her Austrian involvement spreading. Some, however, were more intrigued as she fit the description of the mysterious ‘Nomad’, known to some as a harbinger of doom. Given the fact August the III would die just 5 years after, more would believe it to be true. As such, and given her involvement with the court, she would travel the territories rather than stay in one singular location. She also benefited from this because it made her feel more secure, since people couldn’t easily find her.

This was until the Massacre of Uman in 1768.

She would find herself in the crosshairs of the Koliyivschyna movement—a group of Orthodox Christians who were dissatisfied with how the Confederation and Cossacks treated them, while traversing to the well-fortified town, located in neighboring Ukraine, to meet with Bar Confederation contacts. As a result, the Koliyivschyna, too, would find its popularity with Hunters who believed conspiracies of nobility being Kindred. The city would be the center of a multi-day siege, with all inhabitants disarmed and executed. An unaffiliated group of mortals would capture Phyre, and thankfully would escape. Rather than flee, though, she would stay behind to aid the Jewish and Polish children that Ivan Gonta would “free” once they survived the three days of relentless massacre. Upon returning them to Vinnytsia, the nearest large city, she would return to Poland and bid the Court a farewell.

Her next stop would be Moscow, and she would arrive in 1786 under the moniker Terezilya Nikitovna Timoshkina. Yet destruction would only follow.

War plagued Russia’s history, with every year Phyre spent within the vast nation defined by conflict. Upon her arrival, she would find herself rather perturbed by the declarations of war made by and against the Ottoman Empire. The start of the Russo-Turkish war would cause Phyre to lie low, especially as the sentiments echoed by the mortal government rippled through the Camarillan courts. She would avoid most Kindred she came across, and only speak to those who spoke to her. During this time, the Russo-Swedish war would begin as well. 1792 saw the end of the Russo-Turkish war with the signing of the Treaty of Jassy, though many elders within the Camarilla would maintain the sentiment that those involved with the Ashirra—past or present—would find themselves unwelcome within their ranks. It was here that Phyre found herself acquainted with the local Anarch scene, and would make genuine friends again for the first time in centuries.

War continued, and it seemed it was on Phyre’s heels regardless of where she and her allies would travel. This would come to a head as the war between Russia and France escalated to an eerily familiar degree.

With the French Army’s advances came an ultimatum: allow the capital to be taken, or raze it and make it useless to the enemy. Those in charge would find the latter option ideal, and in September 1812, they would set the city ablaze. Phyre, as well as Kindred and mortals alike, would be left to their own and made to flee. She would become separated from the allies she made, and would hear of their deaths in hushed whispers across the landscape as she traversed south. Tiring of fleeing, she would finally return to the familiar embrace of the Middle East, and traverse to Cairo in hopes of finding peace.

She would arrive in 1813 under the name Aisha Sadeghi, and would almost find what she had sought.

Then ruler Muhammad Ali seemed to be pushing toward independence in a manner similar to those of Austria's rank and file, and he did achieve it. This new dynasty would become a challenger to Ottoman-backed countries in the region, especially as escapades further north would result in the European powers force him into conquest with the Ottomans. During her time here, Phyre saw the rapid expansion of the dynasty's resources through the introduction of long-staple cotton, something which she would partake in upon claiming land ownership on the outskirts of the city. This would gain the attention of the Camarilla and remnant Ashirra, whom the latter would soon learn who she was and welcome her back into the courts with open arms. She would accept the offer, though would remain on the outskirts of any official dealings.

In 1882, the British would defeat the Egyptian Army at Tel el-Kebir, and would take control of the country. This, in tandem with Muhammad Ali's successors' spending, would lead to enormous debt to European banks and the faltering of the territory's economy. By 1875, Isma'il Pasha would sell Egypt's share of the Suez Canal to the British Government. Tensions would culminate in the 1882 Battle of Tel el Kebir, leading to the bombardment of Alexandria. Phyre would be in the city at the time on Camarillan business, and would narrowly escape the destruction.

From there, Egypt would be ruled by Isma'il's son, Tewfik, and would secure the region to British rule with his ascension as part of the de facto British protectorate. Phye would leave prior to Egypt's finalized withdrawal from the Ottoman Empire, but the signs were written on the wall as is.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

FINAL MOMENTS & TORPOR (1915-2005)

Her final travels would bring Phyre from Cairo to Damascus, and she would return to using the name Ayşe, though would take the surname Şahin to honor her sire as his family hailed from Syria.

These early years would see much domestic turmoil, with nationalist sentiments rising as a counter to the turkicisation program of the Committee of Union and Progress government established in Istanbul just five years prior. Two years after Phyre's arrival the hangings of numerous individuals by Jamal Pasha, the governor of Damascus, would further stoke these sentiments. Phyre would, unfortunately, be caught up in the middle as her lineage would cast a shadow over her, both among mortals and Kindred. Her reputation as The Nomad would worry the local sects of undead government, and her notable Constantine background would have mortals suspecting her of having suspect intent. She would navigate it the best she could, once more choosing to mind her own and focus on establishing a home for herself after losing hers so long ago.

Then, in October 1918, the Arab Revolt and British Imperial forces would enter the city and would begin firing upon any remaining Turkish troops. Civilians would be caught in the crossfire, and Phyre was among them. As leadership transferred, and the Camarilla made moves behind the scenes to secure their place among the new rank and file, Phyre would hide herself away and enter torpor in the early 1920s.

At some point during her rest, Phyre would be discovered and examined by numerous individuals, including one C. Beckett. Her status as an elder vampire would make hher a rather powerful ally—or perhaps tool—for any younger generation. Through some means or another, her coffin would be shipped from Damascus to Seattle, Washington, in June 2005.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

BLOODLINES 2

In 2024, Phyre awakens from a century-long torpor, blood-starved and fighting the beast within. She rampages through Seattle, violating the Masquerade before regaining control. She discovers a strange, power-suppressing brand etched into her flesh and hears Fabien’s voice in her mind. She learns that the city’s factions are vying for power following the murder of Prince JJ Campbell. Lou, who had long since abdicated, still retains influence through Campbell’s successor, Ryong Choi.

To atone for violating the Masquerade, Choi orders Phyre to stop Sheriff Benny Muldoon, who has been slaughtering Thinblood Anarchs. After she succeeds, Choi names her the new Sheriff. Seeking answers about the brand, Phyre turns to Tremere researcher Safia Ulusoy for help. During her uneasy sleep, Phyre shares dreamlike visions with Fabien, which include cryptic references to a “Gardener.”

Phyre then confronts Toreador Primogen Ysabella Moore, who has been killing mortals and harvesting their blood. Before her destruction, Ysabella reveals that she serves the Sabbat. Phyre visits Willem Axel, a Nosferatu member of the Seattle court and their key archivist, who she believes knows something about the symbol. Willem seems to express regret in aiding the Sabbat, but by the time Phyre can talk him down, Willem’s Sabbat masters remotely detonate the explosive vest he is wearing, killing him.

Fearing a Sabbat resurgence, Choi sends Phyre into the buried ruins beneath Seattle to investigate a series of disappearances. There, Phyre encounters monstrous vampire-like creatures known as the Unbirthed, or “Moonflowers,” and encounter agents from the Information Awareness Office (IAO), a modern vampire-hunting organization investigating Kindred activity. Phyre fights off the IAO agents, and eventually confronts The Gardener, only to discover that he is, indeed, Gideon. Gideon begs Phyre to consume him, but Phyre kills him instead. When she awakens, she finds Gideon’s body, impaled by rebar, destroyed.

Returning to Weaver Tower, Phyre learns that Lou’s visions have ceased, and that she has reclaimed her position as Prince. Phyre also learns that the IAO has become an immediate threat, targeting Anarchs and preparing to strike against the Camarilla. Within the Camarilla court, opinions divide on how to deal with the hunters. Lou argues that killing the IAO leader would scare the hunters away, while Safia warns that such an action would provoke a full-scale purge, similar to what happened in London. Ryong Choi proposes manipulating the hunters by misleading them into attacking the Anarchs and the Sabbat instead.

Phyre is sent to infiltrate the IAO headquarters, where she confronts Agent Baker. Baker insists that killing her will only draw more hunters to Seattle, but offers a deal: if Phyre Embraces her, she can lead the IAO away from Seattle. If Phyre kills her, the IAO will launch an invasion that will wipe out the city’s Kindred. Weighing her crimes to be unjustifiable, and stating that Agent Baker lacks the mindset to make a proper Banu Haqim, Phyre kills her with little hesitation.

That same night, Phyre has a vision of Fabien, who reveals that Lou and Campbell were originally the "Rebar Killers." Every time Fabien uncovered the truth, they used Dominate to erase his memory. The vision also reveals how Phyre was awakened and what became of Campbell afterward.

Soon after, Safia contacts Phyre and asks to meet at the Seattle Conservatory, claiming to have discovered a clue about the blood mark. When Phyre arrives, she finds signs of struggle and blood trails. The Conservatory is overrun by Sabbat and the Unbirthed. Beneath the building, Phyre discovers a secret laboratory where the Sabbat conducted horrific blood and flesh experiments. This is also where the Unbirth were created. Phyre uncovers memories of her own torment in the lab during her torpor, and Safia’s corpse laying among the last of the experiments.

Carrying Safia’s body back to Weaver Tower, Phyre reports what happened. Lou abruptly ends her retirement and declares that the Anarchs are working with the Sabbat, calling for a blood hunt against them. Ryong opposes this, but Lou uses Dominate to force his compliance. Lou then gives Phyre an ultimatum: kill Katsumi or capture the Sabbat leader, and only then will the blood hunt will be called off.

Trying to avoid open war, Phyre searches for Katsumi and receives a lead from Tolly, who personally believes Lou has gone mad. When Phyre confronts Katsumi, she denies any involvement with the Sabbat and refuses to name the person she’s meeting. Before Phyre can act, a sniper shoots at her. Phyre seeks out the shooter, who is revealed to be the Los Angeles Anarach Damsel. Damsel holds Phyre at gunpoint and warns her that the Sabbat framed the Anarchs as a distraction; that neither she nor Katsumi serves the Sabbat. Instead, she reveals that Lou is manipulating Phyre, sending her away so she can assassinate the current prince and seize total control of the Camarilla for herself.

Phyre rushes back to Seattle, finding the city in chaos as Sabbat openly attack civilians. The streets are desolate and riddled with blood, and the air is eerily silent. As Phyre returns to Weaver Tower, she is ambushed by Safia, who reveals that she faked her death. She stakes Phyre, and reawakens her as the sun rises, tied beside Ryong. Safia opens a window, causing the sunlight to burn Ryong to ash, and urges Phyre to join her in killing Lou for her crimes. Phyre refuses, accusing Safia of acting out of obsession with Gideon, whom Lou had kept in torpor for nearly a century.

Safia reveals there is truth in this; that she leads the Sabbat and seeks vengeance against Lou for murdering her lover, Gideon. Safia also explains that Phyre was meant to awaken and consume Gideon’s blood, allowing his consciousness to take over. However, Fabien and Campbell discovered Phyre first.

Fabien’s voice urges Phyre to leap from the tower into the sunlight to stop Safia’s scheme. Phyre hesitates but obeys, crashing into the streets below. Her body burns in the sun as she drags herself into the sewers. Before losing consciousness, In one final memory, it is revealed that Fabien deliberately awakened Phyre, knowing she would kill him and Campbell, avenging Gideon, but inadvertently binding Fabien’s mind inside Phyre. Fabien then appears one last time, explaining that he used his remaining strength to save Phyre. He fades away peacefully, pondering what this new case will bring.

Determined to close the case, Phyre returns to Weaver Tower, and confronts Safia one last time. Safia declares that she will use the Unbirthed to destroy the city and end the Masquerade, and that if Phyre will not obey, then she will simply wear the skin of the Nomad and do it herself. After an intensive battle, Phyre kills Safia by drinking her blood, causing the brand to vanish and breaking the curse once and for all.

Believing that she is too much of a danger to remain, Phyre leaves Seattle. Shortly after, the IAO launches their invasion into Seattle, setting the city aflame and burning out the Kindred just as they were in Constantinople.