Abney Park



Abney Park is a large public park in the north of New Manchester. It was commissioned in 1901 in one of the city's ill-advised attempts to ape everything New York did. Believed by many to be the property of the government, it is actually indirectly owned by the Invictus, and as such it is one of the areas of the city marked for Elysium.

Arthur Jermyn, the man who designed the park, had something of an addiction to absinthe and women, and this shows. Many of the paths through the park are overly-complicated and winding, sometimes doubling back on themselves. The statuary is mainly of angels, young girls and women, with a few of them even wearing clothes. Notably, there is the Green Fairy statue in the centre of the park, resplendent in verdigrised bronze.

When Elysium is held at Abney Park, guards are placed at the four main gates, making sure that no-one who isn't a vampire is let in. The set-up varies depending on whose paying for Elysium that night, but the festivities always take place around the Green Fairy, which is far enough away from the borders of the park that eavesdropping is impossible.

Of course, Elysium is only on the first of every month. Any other time, the park is open to anyone, in accordance with the laws set by the Dragon Prince. It's anyone and everyone's feeding territory, and violence between Kindred is strictly forbidden (unless the Prince demands otherwise – they're allowed to pull shit like that). This makes it a good meeting place for opposing parties to make deals.

For feeding, parks at night aren't exactly the best. Hobos, street thugs and the occasional cop are the most common flavours of the night. If you're lucky, you might net yourself a jogger or find a young couple on one of the badly-lit backroads, but the cops keep their eyes out for weirdos following young women around at night.