To say that things had not gone well for Toronto in the past few years would be an understatement of epic proportions. After the long and stable reign of the city's first Prince, Chelsea of Clan Ventrue, Toronto had seen a total of seventeen Princes since Chelsea's abdication of the throne six years previously. By this point Kindred society in the city was in shambles, and there is no doubt that political scholars and spectators alike will debate for centuries just what caused such turmoil and confusion.
But the city was simply to strategic to abandon. And so the Camarilla undertook a program to repopulate and reform the city. The "new" Domain of Toronto was discussed as a place for Neonates and Ancilla to prove their worth and gain power out of the shadow of the European Elders. But there was little discussion as to who would be Prince of the Domain. It was rumoured that because of the conflicts between the Ventrue and the Brujah, the Gangrel and the Tremere, and the questionable actions of the Nosferatu Clan within Toronto that the next Prince would likely be a Malkavian or a Toreador. It was also suggested that the next Prince would be an Elder powerful enough to hold the Domain against the threats of its past. There were also hints that life in the "new" Toronto would not be as profitable and care free as the Elders have promised and that the fear of what had occurred in the past would cause the Elders to hold Toronto firmly under their thumb.
However, this did not stop several Kindred from moving to the city. Toronto is the financial and industrial powerhouse of Canada, and the temptations were great. Several Kindred sent ghouls to the city well in advance of their own arrival to prepare havens, and make other arrangements for their masters' long term stay in the city. Most of the new residents arrived either the night of the first Elysium of the New Order, or the night before.
And on the night previous to that first Elysium, it was announced that the new Prince of Toronto would be Marcel Falquer of Clan Toreador. He was the child of Francois Villon, the Prince of Paris. It is unknown which Justicar chose this particular individual, as all Justicars stood firmly behind the selection. What was known about Marcel Falquer was not a great deal, but he was not one of Francois Villon's more prominent childer. In fact, Marcel was either the fourth or fifth childer of Francois, and up until this point had not really received much notice in Paris. Prior to becoming Prince he held four status within the Camarilla.
Invitations were sent out to all recently arrived Kindred that Elysium would be held on April 4th in the year of our Lord 2000, at Casa Loma. The tourist attraction was undergoing renovations, and the Elysium proper was held in the unfinished pool and cafeteria. Some Toreador no doubt complained about the venue, but considering the recent arrivals of everyone, especially the Prince, it was likely that it was the best that could be managed on such short notice. But never the less, security was extremely tight, and given the city's recent past, this was hardly suprising. It was rumoured that weapons were not taken at the door, but security personnel seemed to be aware of any weapons brought in.
The newly minted Prince introduced himself to those in attendance early in the evening, and asked that the Clans organize themselves so that he could interview and Recognize their members on a Clan by Clan basis. Some of the questions he asked individuals were fairly probing, and it quickly became clear that simply showing up would not guarantee Recognition, although some said that members of Clan Tremere were Recognized fairly easily. But in the end, everyone who was in attendance was allowed to take up residence in the city.
All in all, this Elysium was remarkably uneventful, something that was virtually unheard of in the old Toronto. A group of Tremere who were passing through the area made an appearance, along with their Nosferatu "associate", but all in all, the evening held no surprises. No doubt those gathered hoped that this was the beginning of a trend.
