Elysium
The old Barnes and Noble.

History: The building that houses the Barnes and Noble bookstore in Silver Spring has been in existence since 1900. It has been through many re-constructions, and additions have been built both in and outside the structure. It changed hands from a "Long Night Booksellers" to a Barnes and Noble in 1995. The three and-a-half story tall building has served as one Elysium since the late 1970’s, and became the main meeting ground of the Kindred, in the late 90’s, right before the blood siege of the east coast.

The old power plant, turned retail book shop is owned and used as primary haven by the Ventrue Keeper of Elysium, Arriana Colchester. Arriana has gutted, and re-vamped the building to suit her tastes, and tactical needs. There are hidden rooms, "offices" on each level, the basement, and sub-basements where secret business is conducted (and the jail cells maintained). The café on the top-most level has a secret stock of Vitae in case of emergency, and god only knows what is in that "smoke stack" that runs through all three and a half floors.

It is well known that many Vampires, both Kindred and foul Sabbat, have met their demises within these walls or upon these grounds. Whenever an execution is to take place, it happens here. The scent of death hangs in the air, and the feeling of absolute authority is never more apparent then during court. Despite the executions, the choke points, the haunting, and the mysterious dissaperences, the Elysium is exceedingly well managed, and maintained.

Arriana keeps a large number of ghouls. All mortal managers that operate the store and see to the employees are ghouls. From those stocks of innocent, unaware mortals, Ms. Colchester’s men and women wait for the right ones to come along. If they meet her standards, (or start asking too many of the right questions about the perpetually locked "employees only" doors) she may choose to ghoul them and add them to her retinue of servants/housekeepers/guards/herd. At any given time during the daylight hours, at least two ghouls roam the floors. From just before the sun sets to just after it rises, the ghoul count goes from a skeleton crew of 6, to a full staff of 12. Arriana also has one Vampire assistant, a former ghoul embraced by another Blue Blood in her extended torpor to fill in her place in the absence of the city’s most respected, and dedicated keeper.

The Elysium is located in Silver Spring, slightly out of the downtown area. This makes the location ideal, if you factor in accessibility/defendability, and obscurity from mortal eyes. The building is conspicuously close to a fire station, a police station, and a sporting goods store.

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Elysium as defined by Vampiric custom:

Elysium is where you gather to touch base, trade tales, swap secrets. Elysium is where the eldest among us makes decrees and settles disputes. Elysium is where you are presented, promoted, and defined. Elysium is a well guarded, hidden place of truths, and lies, where you may be fully able to show your vampiric nature. Elysium, (if you are unfortunate) is where you may meet the final death if you flaunt the traditions.

Elysium as a hard and fast definition:

A place where Vampires may meet without threat of violence to conduct business or discuss art; often held in a place of art or culture.