Chapter 9 -- The Betrayal of a Backwoods Bulgarian Voivode -- B.E.Z
The decision of where to begin was an easy one, the Tzimisce Baron who was expelled from Sofia in 2008, had according to Nosferatu intelligence taken possession of a small city in central Bulgaria called Gabrovo Grad. After a year of careful research, I approached the Tremere Regent of Pleven for what data he might have on Baron Marius. That initial discussion resulted in a joint mission to Gabrovo Grad wherein I would approach the Tzimisce Baron as a mercenary for hire shortly before a Tremere invasion; if successful, the invading Tremere would get a chance to gauge the Tzimisce Baron's sorcerous skill and plant an agent close enough to him to discover his political acumen.
Both the Regent Lord Ludwig, and I, agreed that for the ploy to be a successful one, the Tremere invasion force would have to remain ignorant of my identity. I had to legitimately fight the Tremere invasion force on behalf of Baron Marius for the ploy to successfully place me inside the Tzimisce's camp.
The stratagem was far more successful that either the Tremere Regent or I could have imagined, and granted me nearly unlimited access to the Tzimisce stronghold and its defenders. There were only three complications, the first was a thaumaturgically induced blizzard that overwhelmed Gabrovo Province in late December of 2015 through early January of 2016 and that stalled the conflict between the Tremere and Tzimisce, reducing it to a rough stalemate.
The second complication was an ethical one for myself, Baron Marius Egnatius turned out to be neither an elder or an ancilla, but a neonate, who had been an associate of mine in life.
The most difficult and mysterious complication was in part responsible for my success, for reasons unknown, everyone who was associated with Benesj Cherno clearly reacted to me as if I really were the dead Tzimisce. I seriously considered posing as Benesj, but ultimately rejected the idea as too complicated and risky, made particularly difficult by the Lasombra heritage of being non-reflective and immune to photographs. The situation clearly had supernatural overtones, which I would have like to consult a mystical expert upon. Unfortunately, I do not dare take this issue to my warlock superiors for fear of being branded a traitor. For the time being, there is little I can do about the doppelganger effect, but when the chance permits, I may try to consult an Abyss Mystic on the issue. To alleviate the problem, I have gone to a Tzimisce flesh-crafter for a different face.
With my investigation of the Marius Egnatius complete, I informed the Regent Lord Ludwig of the Tzimisce vulnerabilities. But, seemingly before the Tremere of Pleven could take advantage of the Voivode's weakness, the Sabbat swooped in, devastating the city of Gabrovo Grad, and killing all its mortal residents with a potent nerve agent - VX gas. While the current whereabouts and circumstances of Marius Egnatius remain in question, I have come to the conclusion that the Baron may indeed have been a deep cover Sabbat agent and the extinction of Gabrovo the cover for his extraction. Unfortunately, these notions are completely unprovable and are ultimately irrelevant.
