Im so happy for Alex that he gets to play Tzimsce in a high profile chronicle. Interviews for years hes been talking about it. Also happy that hes in a better place mentally irl.
I agree with Alex. JK. I pity her poor, deluded, misguided, and confused soul much more than I hate her. Someone show her the way to Golconda, 'cause she be needin' Jesus.
This is the best thing that happened in this interview. I have been clinging to older pronunciations for decades and I will die on that hill. Brujah included.
Alex's thing of sitting down not knowing the voice is pretty interesting, its a good thing because its almost like the character becomes a thing in that moment and its all purely based off the writing and general vibes and feelings of that character in that moment that it comes to the surface as a voice, personality and mannerisms.
So excited to see Alex explore his character! Aabria is amazing in everything I’ve seen her in. I love how 3 dimensional her characters are. Humans develop in the context of their culture and situation. Aabria’s characters do too. I love that!
I love how Aabria sees the Ventrue. That's like the perfect summary of what they are and represent- systems of power that oppress, so overwhelming it's near impossible to see where they begin and end, yet they infect and affect everything we're involved in. Every corrupt system, organization, infustructure etc. embodies the Ventrue clan. Perfect place to start with an idea for this clan.
Honestly, I think her description fits the Lasombra better because they are social darwinists, so the power that they obtain and forge is opressive because they have an in built sense of deserving it and thereby the "rabble" need to be in awe and subservience to them, further developed by the fact that the clan grew within the Catholic Church through the ages. Ventrue by contrast can be more ethical egoists. They can be cartoony oppressive (La Croix in bloodlines or Vannevar in LA) but that is just one simplistic shade of them. Ventrue belive they have a right to power but also understand that it comes with duties. If the common good and a Ventrue's self interest are alligned then they are capable of providing stability, safety and an environment for others to do their thing in peace. They are the Yang to the Yin of the Brujah in that way. The Brujah tear down old systems that are corrupt and ossified but since Carthage they have been unable to build anything back up. Vice-versa the Ventru build and build but have a massive blind spot when it comes to being able to say "I've done enough and now I need to step back and let someone else do their part". If that can be kept in check and the Ventrue in question has a halfway decent set of ethics and personal morals, they are not that bad. Just my 2 cents on all of this
@@Skelli2 Definitely a better way to phrase Ventrue's hunger for power and the contrast with the Lasombra's. Aabria made great points and since Episode 3 her Fuego is really the most intruguing of the coterie so far next to Isaac, but yeah I commend your points more.
@@deeplovelydark Thank you very much. I am quite interested in how Margo develops since we just found out that she was tactically sired just to get a Cam foohold in the Bronx and kind of discarded. The question remains if her Sire asked permission for this because if not shes in big trouble and her sire F'd up.Regardless her making is already highly unorthodox for the Ventrue and it will be interesting to follow. If this was a "classic" Ventrue she would have been schooled like Isaac or a Lasombra/ Tremere neonate since all 4 clans are lineage and hierarchy focused in their culture. Something that I've thought about a bit since my last comment is that Aabria, the OP here (absolutely no disrespect meant) and Margo/Fuego as a character all seem to really have a 21st century understanding of power as fundamentally rotten (true to an extent as absolute power corrupts absolutely) whereas clan Ventrue culture is deeply rooted in benign paternalism. If you thought about it biblically it becomes a bit ironic that clan Ventrue, by and large is the one that seeks the most to be like God the Father and always falls short because of the Beast. Historically, it also makes sense since the clan developed behind the Roman Republic which survived for 5 centuries on duty and the expectation that those in power would behave according to whats right. Up until Sulla and Caesar every Roman dictator ( a position of absolute power granted in times of emergency) stepped down at the end of the 6 months of dictatoriship (the formal time limit) unless reconfirmed for another 6 months. Furthermore, their high time was the Middle Ages, and with their siring pool being European nobles, the clan had centuries of the principle of "Noblesse Oblige" and the genre of moral literature of "Specula Principum" being hammered into them, both from the outside with new Embraces coming in and from within from their Roman Elders, with authors such as Cicero, Plutarch, Thomas Aquinas, Erasmus and so on. The "best" kind of Ventrue is a marriage between those principles and the realism of Machiavelli and Otto von Bismarck. Such a Ventrue would tend towards making the calculus of their actions based on outcome and how to get there. By contrast Annabelle (not Venrue but still applies) and Margo who grew up with 21st century activism are inclined towards the act itself (think Saul Alinski's "Rules for Radicals"). If the act or goal is "a priori" moral then it is justifiable no matter the outcome whereas old Venture if they are worth their salt would go "the outcome of what I do is the only way to judge if what I did was correct" and therefore justifiable. Here we have "a posteriori" reasoning. A Lasombra, to finish up with them, would be neither as for them the guiding maxim is "Might makes Rright", or to be more precise "Might makes Divine" Sorry this got long winded but I tend to nerd out a lot when it comes to my love of pol sci philosophy and history and it's what really draws me the most to VTM compared to something like DnD.
@@Skelli2 I enjoyed your descriptions, and I can see a little more the distinction of Ventrue "power" vs. Lasmobra "power". I an still a little new to the game myself so I'm always on the lookout for more insights from experienced people.
@@Skelli2 I remember reading somewhere that the difference between the Ventrue and the Lasombra is that one " believes they are born to power and the right to rule", while the other believes "one must earn it to have the right to any power". Likely why they each function so well in their respective sects- the Camarilla is like the old grandparent that never changes or sees a reason to unless forced, and the Sabbat is so given to change that they are racked by constant revolt and inner upheaval. Her description of the Ventrue could work for the Lasombra as well for sure, especially when it could come to systems of "Spiritual Indoctrination", seeing how cultish the Sabbat is. I guess both clans are just two sides to the same coin- power expressed in different ways, for "better" or ill. I would really like to see that in some of the new Camarilla characters coming in the next season 😁
Aabria's monologue about monsters is pretty much WORD BY WORD what I recite to people when I explain my love for horror and its wonderful power to reflect our fears as a SOCIETY
Absolutely LOVE how Aabria decided to craft her character based on her own fears. I've never thought of creating a character that way before, but now I'm fascinated by the idea! I also really appreciate Alex's insight into the shift from Nosferatu to Tzimisce and how it reflects his own personal transformation. Looking forward to seeing more of NY By Night and visiting Club Auspex 😁🦇
i aint sure she created the character based on her fears...or she didnt see irony given that she is playing a character in a show promoting a product by a corporation, arguably the thing she just called monsterous in her reasoning to go Ventrue.
@@LordVader1094 No ethical consumption under capitalism. Save from moving out of the states altogether, working to spread good in an opressive system is still important. "You want to improve and look at society, and yet you live in society" is not a gotcha.
It's interesting getting the spotlight into their thoughts and 'show me your mind" has to be the catch phrase now and forever. Also a Tzimitze having minions for certain duties makes perfect sense.
I love these two so much!! I’ve never played or made a character for Vampire the Masquerade but the reasoning behind Aabria and Alex’s character definitely inspired me for mine ^.^
I love how Aabria sees the Ventrue. It is interesting her take on ventrue and how they use their power . It will be interesting to see how her character will handle any real power she get as a ventrue. As will it interesting to see if Fuego will be seduced and corrupted by the power system she will be geting in to or not be corrupted by the systemical power she can have. As this can be interesting story to see play out. As some times the best hero's tales are the one who become a monster unknowingly to fight a monster and try redeem them self seeing them selfs as a monster..
I love this! Seeing that there was going to be an aftershow is honestly what caused me to get off my ass and watch the first episode rather than thinking "I'll get to it eventually, once I've finished LA By Night".
Alex was wonderful in this, thank you for showing his insights into his character. Its great to see someone put so much of their own personality, fears and personal feelings into a character and make them so interesting. More Alex please.
Great to see this become a thing. I think I asked for it and actively suggested it on numerous occasions since the second season of LAbN, especially with guest stars that may or may not interact with the world for the first time.
Oh my, oh my. These two are literally my favorite role players. How I wish to see that. We have Candela Obscura: Blood Mirror now, where Liam is the dm and Alex is one of the players. It’s quite amazing! You should check that out
This is an excellent idea and I love that we get a little deeper dives into players and characters, especially since VtM is so character-driven even down to the game mechanics. Would have loved to see it for LA by Night as well, but really glad to have this now. I suspect there will be some experimentation with finding the time, tone and approach, but it's off to a great start. Both fun and informative conversations and my only "complaint" is that I wish it was longer. ;) True, they are only one episode into this chronicle, but I hope once the cast and characters find themselves deeper into the story, that the discussions can go up to an hour or an hour and a half, schedules and production costs permitting. Off to a great start and looking forward to seeing the next one. :)
This interview was awesome. Ashley is a great hostess. Aabria is also incredible, I'm glad we're seeing her again after Exandria Unlimited. Alex is also *always* a win.
The inherent tone of WoD and the mechanics of Vampire the Masquerade really does lend itself to different kinds of stories than any other system out there.
0:10 club Auspex, 1:03 unswayable mind 2:00 show me your mind, 2:46 switching gears from Jasper to Isaac 4:26 Vtm mechanically, is like a nice weighted blanket 6:39 long form improv 7:13 Margot or Fuego. Being a person of color in the space. 9:42 the right way to say Tzimisce. Alex has spoken. 11:55 all black people are Ventrue? 13:46 being locked out resources 17:33 the solution in vtm is not more power 18:18 discovering Isaac’s voice at the table 19:58 ending question & 21:47 Aabria’s response
Auspex is off to a great start. This show is maybe unique in exploring the intetactive role playing/story telling aspects of TTRP on the acting side. What should we call these folks. "Ractors" (role playing actors). On the GM side I hope we can get Jason and B Dave to discuss how they build their stories, world build and play NPCs. IMHO Jason and cast are trail blazing a new art form as it's presented on twitch or YT. I'm excited to see where they will take things this season.
If I understand the lore correctly, Tzimisce comes from Slavic region, therefore I personally spell it ~"Tschimischcze" (I'm from Poland). The way Alex says it, is how an American would say it, so it appears to me.
Americans tend to pronounce it zih-meesh-ee. Etymology is actually given for their name. It's from the Romanian word zmeesc, but it's the genitive case of zmeu, weird way to name a clan or loan words. In Romanian that word means only dragon. The other etymolgy is speculated by fans that it's from Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes. He was of Armenian origins and his name in Armenian means "short-statured". I think creators just didn't care and didn't research properly. So, spell it as you see fit.
Are fans of Club Auspex called "Spex", or maybe "specks"? I love the show so far and the phrase: "Show me your mind" is very forward, which is a plus to me. In future, it'd be nice to just have the camera dramatically zoom in on Ash's face and have the phrase in VO, possibly with some visual effect. then show the guests eyes as if entranced. Theatrical, yes, but possibly fun.
Iyengar's whole dive into considering current zeitgeist and cultural psychology was really interesting, it's always nice to hear her talk : D big brain thoughts aside i love her lashes here theyre so well done
I am actually pleased to find out that they made their own characters in these shows. I never knew whether they made them or the characters where made for them. So it's interesting to know that their characters were their choice.
I believe the idea Alex is getting at is medieval guest right. It may be interesting if he adds stuff like, being offered food and drink is a promise of safety. Id love to see some proper etiquette and the beast breaking free when someone violates those rules(even if they dont know them).
Having only played Orpheus and Werewolf, it's crazy how different Vampire feels, while the rules are so very similar. Also I am so excited for episode 2!
I always enjoy hearing player's insight, thought process and sources of inspiration for their characters :D Great discussion and I hope the show will keep on going ^_^
You probably don't mean any harm, but please do not refer to Black people as "well-spoken" as if it's unnatural for us to be. There's a horrible racist implication with that "compliment".
@@Septimius_The_Seventh As I understood it that's not what the comment meant either, just pointing out that some compliments will always land wrong because people have heard them used with malice or condescension a thousand times
@@Septimius_The_Seventh How often do you see ANYBODY say the phrase "well-spoken". it's not commonly used, except in this biased sense. It's deserving of a side-eye, at least.
I only recently found LA by Night and NY by Night... and this is the first interview I've watched. And I gotta say that I knew I loved Alex's play style and his characters in general for a reason. Like... almost every one of his answers could have been my answers about any of my characters. I can think of at least three characters that were born of being in a bad place in my life. They've evolved to be better people themselves, but that doesn't mean they weren't initially born to be used as a compass to help navigate the place I was at in life, but also same on loving vampires since I was a kid and researching them to a rather insane level of knowledge, same on the Tzi always being a favorite of mine and why. Everyone around me pronounces it "zee-mee-shay" and it drives me up a wall and down the other side. I've even caught myself pronouncing it that way and I hate myself for it a little. Though I'd only seen Kindred: The Embraced (which clued me into VtM being a thing), played the video games, and done research on the other clans. Until last year I hadn't played the TTRPG. I joined the back half of a VtM game with a new group with a genderfluid Malk who learned Vicissitude for the simple application of wanting to look as androgynous as possible so they could more easily pass for male or female as the situation, or their own mind, warranted it. (I feel like some might read this wrong so I should say the mental illness they suffer isn't being genderfluid because it's not a mental illness. I am genderfluid myself and that's exactly what I'd do if I had the ability to learn to shape my body how I wanted it. I just wanted to play a Malk.) We've finished that and moved on to alternating D&D and Warhammer 40k, but I'm trying to entice them back to VtM. But also... I honestly have very few things to say about Aabria's half of the interview. Not because I don't like her as much as I like Alex... I just don't have as much in common with her. I did have a feeling that was her reasoning for playing a Ventrue, though. I got behind a lot of what she was saying in general... until the very end. Girl... I hope that was the silly answer. XD
Great first show! Alex was definitely a perfect first guest choice. Everyone was; of course; wanting a word from an o.g. cast member. That he really held back was telling in a ton of ways. I have to agree on clan choice and pronunciation though! Aabria was delightful as a new cast member during the game. It is always nice to see how much 'bleed over' there is between a player irl and their character. Add to the fact that they couldn't have found a better host than Ash! She will always be Vi from Long Beach By Night in my head; but that doesn't change the fact that she is even more smoking hot everytime I see her!
As Iben Haqim in cast of vizier, using aupex to detect the lier and guilty is one of our main quest to bring judgment upon the guilty kindred, namely tremere, especially TREMERE.
This series is a cool idea, there are so many things I'd have loved to have gotten a deeper sense of with LA by Night. Alex was always one of my favorites, glad to see he's returned in such a different role. The Tzimisce, Banu Haqim and Nosferatu are the three clans I'd want to play, the Tzimisce because I envisioned them as Alex did, the old clan, the Dracula vampire almost. I love Aabria's work anytime I've seen her, mostly on G4(which I'm not even sure of the status of that show, they were supposed to do a season 2). Not big on the injection of politics about it, as it's just saturated our entertainment so much over the years, but the way she explains the character creation is super well thought out, so I'm sure it will be great to watch unfold. Aabria is going at the Ventrue very differently than B. Dave, who very much embraced being that monster, being hungry for money and power(and he was absolutely great to watch), so this will be a very different experience. I like the nickname and real name duality as well, although it didn't get as expanded on in episode 1 as it could have been, I felt like the other characters were equally confused about it haha. I look forward to NY by Night and where it takes us, hopefully on equally as long a ride as LA and I look forward to getting some insights into the story with this series, hopefully we'll get Jason on here eventually.
Hey, Dracula IS actualy a Tzimisce in the lore of the game. He was a member of the Basarab, one of the Tzimisces favorite ghouls family. Check it on the fandom !
@@jamesgrieves2669 sure, but the inspirations were taken from our own current socio and political issues. I'm not too concerned with it, as long as there isn't someone as over the top as Annabelle again. She could really get tedious at times.
Her existence as a black woman is politicized, she is exploring this aspect of her life within the story. Media has always been "politicized" and have talked about important social issues since forever.
Having played in a Chronicle in which the final, climactic motive turned out to be battling the main...problem...of previous-edition Tzimisce, I also like (and mostly agree with) the changes that have come in this most recent iteration to make 'em a little more classical-old-world, and not as much dominated by - euh, the other thing. I look forward to seeing Alex flex around in this new suit, so to speak. Also, I was gratified to see how each player kinda visibly gelled into their mold during that first episode. I mean, it became visible on my end. For example, enjoyed seeing the steel core of Dominate under what seemed to be deep layers of velvet gloves in Aabria's Margo/Fuego. ... It is taking no small amount of restraint to not say 'Polo' after hearing 'Margo' each time. I am flawed.
Vicissitude? Some people really hate it. I loved it. Though Souleaters are... meh. Asakku do the same thing better. But I just keep Vicissitude-as-Tzimisce (the Antediluvian), since that's enough.
@@baduizt Bah. Vicissitude didn't need anything else layered on top of it. You have overlord vampires who take anything that they decide they want to own and uses mind control and flesh control to make their domains and the kine upon it into anything they want, no matter how grotesque--where is the value in removing the horror away from that already compelling focal point? There was this trend in 2e vampire to ignore the 'personal horror' aspect of vampire in favor of cosmic elements that, frankly, were in the wrong game. Magical superpowers that are actually a cosmic entity with ambitions of conquest? That's perfectly in place in Mage. Or even Werewolf if a spirit realm thing. But Vampire? Wrong game.
@@FlawlessP401 I think it is a good thing that each group has its own playstyle. At least you are playing the game. Also I think that this is like 70% ttrpg 30% tv show, and I think Jason too has some bg work, then you add in all the setup for the live stream (cameras, lights, makeup, costumes...).
Ohhhh wow... Cool... What a coincidence... I just last night just happened to find NY by night... and started season 1 just last night... And now... I see this today... I like it
@@JnEricsonx Exactly ! Loved that game : flawed, but still a masterpiece. Too bad that sequel was dropped, it was my most anticipated game in recent years.
Personally I always try to find the origins of a word in WoD to find out how it "should" be pronounced (i.e. Tzimisce should be "Tsaw-mih-shay", not the official pronunciation of "Zih-mee(t)-see"; same with Brujah being "Broo-hah" not "Broo-juh"). Then, knowing the way it "should" be pronounced... I proceed to ignore that and customize how I say it to the specifics of my character. A rural American vampire isn't going to care that in its original langauge, Tzimisce is "Tsaw-mih-shay", they're going to look at the word and say "zuh-mish-ee?" and call it a day. Or, they'll conform to the most common pronunciation they hear. Really, how you choose to pronounce the foreign words in Vampire (Cam-uh-ree-uh vs Cam-uh-rill-uh) is more of an exercise in character building than it is an exercise in finding the "right" way to say a fictional word.
Im so happy for Alex that he gets to play Tzimsce in a high profile chronicle. Interviews for years hes been talking about it. Also happy that hes in a better place mentally irl.
Aabria dropping the Twilight bomb fucking ENDED me. That was perfect.
very courageous of her admitting that. When these abominations came out i had to rename my favorite Nosferatu...and a 7th Sea character as well...
I agree with Alex.
JK.
I pity her poor, deluded, misguided, and confused soul much more than I hate her. Someone show her the way to Golconda, 'cause she be needin' Jesus.
I love the tiny "I hate you" from Alex immediately afterwards...
@@dmen89 I so agree
@@nomoretelekom Please tell me that the Nos was named Bella! That would be so lovely. 😆
Aabria knew she was gonna kill the rest of the show with one word at the end there so i love that she said to Alex you have to answer this first lol
Its pronounced "Tzimisce" and anyone who says it differently is wrong. Strong words Alex i agree
Now... are you saying it like it's spelled, or saying it like it should be pronounced... which is zhi-mee-see :P
This is the best thing that happened in this interview. I have been clinging to older pronunciations for decades and I will die on that hill. Brujah included.
@@bledthebest6084 It's these Western fledgelings I swear.
@@bledthebest6084 Bruhahahaha
@@Desiremademanifest i prefer see-me-she, learned that from a moldavian fiend eh friend
Alex Ward has brought a young Anton Ego from Ratatouille into the WoD through Isaac and I love him for it.
Alex's thing of sitting down not knowing the voice is pretty interesting, its a good thing because its almost like the character becomes a thing in that moment and its all purely based off the writing and general vibes and feelings of that character in that moment that it comes to the surface as a voice, personality and mannerisms.
So excited to see Alex explore his character! Aabria is amazing in everything I’ve seen her in. I love how 3 dimensional her characters are. Humans develop in the context of their culture and situation. Aabria’s characters do too. I love that!
I love how Aabria sees the Ventrue. That's like the perfect summary of what they are and represent- systems of power that oppress, so overwhelming it's near impossible to see where they begin and end, yet they infect and affect everything we're involved in. Every corrupt system, organization, infustructure etc. embodies the Ventrue clan. Perfect place to start with an idea for this clan.
Honestly, I think her description fits the Lasombra better because they are social darwinists, so the power that they obtain and forge is opressive because they have an in built sense of deserving it and thereby the "rabble" need to be in awe and subservience to them, further developed by the fact that the clan grew within the Catholic Church through the ages. Ventrue by contrast can be more ethical egoists. They can be cartoony oppressive (La Croix in bloodlines or Vannevar in LA) but that is just one simplistic shade of them. Ventrue belive they have a right to power but also understand that it comes with duties. If the common good and a Ventrue's self interest are alligned then they are capable of providing stability, safety and an environment for others to do their thing in peace. They are the Yang to the Yin of the Brujah in that way. The Brujah tear down old systems that are corrupt and ossified but since Carthage they have been unable to build anything back up. Vice-versa the Ventru build and build but have a massive blind spot when it comes to being able to say "I've done enough and now I need to step back and let someone else do their part". If that can be kept in check and the Ventrue in question has a halfway decent set of ethics and personal morals, they are not that bad.
Just my 2 cents on all of this
@@Skelli2 Definitely a better way to phrase Ventrue's hunger for power and the contrast with the Lasombra's. Aabria made great points and since Episode 3 her Fuego is really the most intruguing of the coterie so far next to Isaac, but yeah I commend your points more.
@@deeplovelydark Thank you very much. I am quite interested in how Margo develops since we just found out that she was tactically sired just to get a Cam foohold in the Bronx and kind of discarded. The question remains if her Sire asked permission for this because if not shes in big trouble and her sire F'd up.Regardless her making is already highly unorthodox for the Ventrue and it will be interesting to follow. If this was a "classic" Ventrue she would have been schooled like Isaac or a Lasombra/ Tremere neonate since all 4 clans are lineage and hierarchy focused in their culture.
Something that I've thought about a bit since my last comment is that Aabria, the OP here (absolutely no disrespect meant) and Margo/Fuego as a character all seem to really have a 21st century understanding of power as fundamentally rotten (true to an extent as absolute power corrupts absolutely) whereas clan Ventrue culture is deeply rooted in benign paternalism. If you thought about it biblically it becomes a bit ironic that clan Ventrue, by and large is the one that seeks the most to be like God the Father and always falls short because of the Beast.
Historically, it also makes sense since the clan developed behind the Roman Republic which survived for 5 centuries on duty and the expectation that those in power would behave according to whats right. Up until Sulla and Caesar every Roman dictator ( a position of absolute power granted in times of emergency) stepped down at the end of the 6 months of dictatoriship (the formal time limit) unless reconfirmed for another 6 months. Furthermore, their high time was the Middle Ages, and with their siring pool being European nobles, the clan had centuries of the principle of "Noblesse Oblige" and the genre of moral literature of "Specula Principum" being hammered into them, both from the outside with new Embraces coming in and from within from their Roman Elders, with authors such as Cicero, Plutarch, Thomas Aquinas, Erasmus and so on. The "best" kind of Ventrue is a marriage between those principles and the realism of Machiavelli and Otto von Bismarck. Such a Ventrue would tend towards making the calculus of their actions based on outcome and how to get there. By contrast Annabelle (not Venrue but still applies) and Margo who grew up with 21st century activism are inclined towards the act itself (think Saul Alinski's "Rules for Radicals"). If the act or goal is "a priori" moral then it is justifiable no matter the outcome whereas old Venture if they are worth their salt would go "the outcome of what I do is the only way to judge if what I did was correct" and therefore justifiable. Here we have "a posteriori" reasoning. A Lasombra, to finish up with them, would be neither as for them the guiding maxim is "Might makes Rright", or to be more precise "Might makes Divine"
Sorry this got long winded but I tend to nerd out a lot when it comes to my love of pol sci philosophy and history and it's what really draws me the most to VTM compared to something like DnD.
@@Skelli2 I enjoyed your descriptions, and I can see a little more the distinction of Ventrue "power" vs. Lasmobra "power". I an still a little new to the game myself so I'm always on the lookout for more insights from experienced people.
@@Skelli2 I remember reading somewhere that the difference between the Ventrue and the Lasombra is that one " believes they are born to power and the right to rule", while the other believes "one must earn it to have the right to any power". Likely why they each function so well in their respective sects- the Camarilla is like the old grandparent that never changes or sees a reason to unless forced, and the Sabbat is so given to change that they are racked by constant revolt and inner upheaval. Her description of the Ventrue could work for the Lasombra as well for sure, especially when it could come to systems of "Spiritual Indoctrination", seeing how cultish the Sabbat is. I guess both clans are just two sides to the same coin- power expressed in different ways, for "better" or ill. I would really like to see that in some of the new Camarilla characters coming in the next season 😁
Aabria's monologue about monsters is pretty much WORD BY WORD what I recite to people when I explain my love for horror and its wonderful power to reflect our fears as a SOCIETY
I cant wait until episode 3 where Fuego says "its Morbin time"
Truly the series of all time.
It's a great time to be a fan of the World of Darkness!
@@BrooklynFirstTeam seem to be bad management - they make a lot of weird decisions.
Absolutely LOVE how Aabria decided to craft her character based on her own fears. I've never thought of creating a character that way before, but now I'm fascinated by the idea!
I also really appreciate Alex's insight into the shift from Nosferatu to Tzimisce and how it reflects his own personal transformation. Looking forward to seeing more of NY By Night and visiting Club Auspex 😁🦇
fear creates the most powerful reactions and memories - 'reptilian brain' as some call it - look it up. its survival over all
i aint sure she created the character based on her fears...or she didnt see irony given that she is playing a character in a show promoting a product by a corporation, arguably the thing she just called monsterous in her reasoning to go Ventrue.
@@Apressadinho That's usually the case. People conveniently ignore the things they like fitting the power structure and system they supposedly hate.
@@LordVader1094 No ethical consumption under capitalism. Save from moving out of the states altogether, working to spread good in an opressive system is still important. "You want to improve and look at society, and yet you live in society" is not a gotcha.
Alexander Ward is fantastic
I myself want to play vampire the masquerade again , it's been 15 years since my last session.
So happy to see Ash again! Love that y'all are able to do something like this for this series.
It's interesting getting the spotlight into their thoughts and 'show me your mind" has to be the catch phrase now and forever. Also a Tzimitze having minions for certain duties makes perfect sense.
I love these two so much!! I’ve never played or made a character for Vampire the Masquerade but the reasoning behind Aabria and Alex’s character definitely inspired me for mine ^.^
I love how Aabria sees the Ventrue. It is interesting her take on ventrue and how they use their power . It will be interesting to see how her character will handle any real power she get as a ventrue. As will it interesting to see if Fuego will be seduced and corrupted by the power system she will be geting in to or not be corrupted by the systemical power she can have. As this can be interesting story to see play out. As some times the best hero's tales are the one who become a monster unknowingly to fight a monster and try redeem them self seeing them selfs as a monster..
Oh my god Aabria has the most eloquently worded rambles about her characters and I love them SO MUCH
Alex: "I love starting off as a low powered.. eh, low generation vampire"
Yeah buddy, I bet you do :D
I love this idea! But then I'm also a Critter so I'm used to the concept. Keep it up Vamily
sooo many good thoughts on VtM characters and the game. loved it.
and his favourite clan is tzimisce!!!!! what a great dude and a great clan
Aabria! She's a critter and a white wolfer?! Hell yeah!
I love this! Seeing that there was going to be an aftershow is honestly what caused me to get off my ass and watch the first episode rather than thinking "I'll get to it eventually, once I've finished LA By Night".
Tzimisce is the one I LARP! I"m so excited to see one on such a big platform
This was great! And Ash was a wonderful host, really looking forward to more of these as the season continues
One word was all it took to break Alex... we here in the Vamily know which unspeakable word that is...
Alex was wonderful in this, thank you for showing his insights into his character. Its great to see someone put so much of their own personality, fears and personal feelings into a character and make them so interesting. More Alex please.
Great to see this become a thing. I think I asked for it and actively suggested it on numerous occasions since the second season of LAbN, especially with guest stars that may or may not interact with the world for the first time.
Could you imagine Alex Ward and Liam O'Brien at the same table? Having a depressing backstory off
Oh my, oh my. These two are literally my favorite role players. How I wish to see that.
We have Candela Obscura: Blood Mirror now, where Liam is the dm and Alex is one of the players. It’s quite amazing! You should check that out
I've met Liam, and I wanna meet Alex.
@@junezhang6267 I'll have to watch that.
That was really cool, thank you! Now I'm more interested to see Joey and Mayanna in this show
This is an excellent idea and I love that we get a little deeper dives into players and characters, especially since VtM is so character-driven even down to the game mechanics.
Would have loved to see it for LA by Night as well, but really glad to have this now.
I suspect there will be some experimentation with finding the time, tone and approach, but it's off to a great start. Both fun and informative conversations and my only "complaint" is that I wish it was longer. ;)
True, they are only one episode into this chronicle, but I hope once the cast and characters find themselves deeper into the story, that the discussions can go up to an hour or an hour and a half, schedules and production costs permitting.
Off to a great start and looking forward to seeing the next one. :)
This interview was awesome. Ashley is a great hostess. Aabria is also incredible, I'm glad we're seeing her again after Exandria Unlimited. Alex is also *always* a win.
I'm just 4 minutes into the video and I already can tell I really appreciate the insight this series (Club Auspex) gives into NYBN.
I've adored Aabria since she played Tymora on G4's Invitation to Party, so glad to see her again !!!
The inherent tone of WoD and the mechanics of Vampire the Masquerade really does lend itself to different kinds of stories than any other system out there.
I wouldn't say "than any other system", certainly than D20. ;)
0:10 club Auspex, 1:03 unswayable mind
2:00 show me your mind,
2:46 switching gears from Jasper to Isaac
4:26 Vtm mechanically, is like a nice weighted blanket
6:39 long form improv
7:13 Margot or Fuego. Being a person of color in the space.
9:42 the right way to say Tzimisce. Alex has spoken.
11:55 all black people are Ventrue? 13:46 being locked out resources
17:33 the solution in vtm is not more power
18:18 discovering Isaac’s voice at the table
19:58 ending question & 21:47 Aabria’s response
Auspex is off to a great start. This show is maybe unique in exploring the intetactive role playing/story telling aspects of TTRP on the acting side. What should we call these folks. "Ractors" (role playing actors). On the GM side I hope we can get Jason and B Dave to discuss how they build their stories, world build and play NPCs. IMHO Jason and cast are trail blazing a new art form as it's presented on twitch or YT. I'm excited to see where they will take things this season.
Nice concept well done. Looking forward for the next episodes
If I understand the lore correctly, Tzimisce comes from Slavic region, therefore I personally spell it ~"Tschimischcze" (I'm from Poland). The way Alex says it, is how an American would say it, so it appears to me.
Americans tend to pronounce it zih-meesh-ee. Etymology is actually given for their name. It's from the Romanian word zmeesc, but it's the genitive case of zmeu, weird way to name a clan or loan words. In Romanian that word means only dragon. The other etymolgy is speculated by fans that it's from Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes. He was of Armenian origins and his name in Armenian means "short-statured". I think creators just didn't care and didn't research properly. So, spell it as you see fit.
Are fans of Club Auspex called "Spex", or maybe "specks"? I love the show so far and the phrase: "Show me your mind" is very forward, which is a plus to me. In future, it'd be nice to just have the camera dramatically zoom in on Ash's face and have the phrase in VO, possibly with some visual effect. then show the guests eyes as if entranced. Theatrical, yes, but possibly fun.
Iyengar's whole dive into considering current zeitgeist and cultural psychology was really interesting, it's always nice to hear her talk : D big brain thoughts aside i love her lashes here theyre so well done
I love Aabria so much. I finally started watching LA By Night a bit ago and I'm so excited to catch up.
This is a great show, I'm looking forward to the next episodes
Also I LOVE YOU AABRIA
I am actually pleased to find out that they made their own characters in these shows. I never knew whether they made them or the characters where made for them. So it's interesting to know that their characters were their choice.
The players in New York, Seattle, and LA by Night all choose and make their own characters. :)
Awesome Setting a charismatic Host and my two favorite Players in the Series NYbN ! I couldn't wish for more it's a amazing addition to the series
Great format, awesome host and guests, very enjoyable to watch! And they actually came up with a fitting catch-phrase on the spot ^^
I love this, please make more! :)
So here for this!
The Alex arc is the best arc so far. 😃
Great start to what'll be a great show😆😆😆
I love how "Twilight" just abruptly ended the conversation. Speaks to the "quality" of those movies. ;)
I believe the idea Alex is getting at is medieval guest right. It may be interesting if he adds stuff like, being offered food and drink is a promise of safety. Id love to see some proper etiquette and the beast breaking free when someone violates those rules(even if they dont know them).
Something like that. Hospitality customs are common to many cultures globally. :)
Aabria, Alexander and Ash on Auspex.. don't tell me this wasn't intentional!
Aaaaah can't believe I missed it! Still, very excited for what's to come. This is heading to an amazing direction, I can feel it!
Thank you for the name explanation! I think I missed it being brought up in the beginning. I thought I was going batty, and really confused.
Having only played Orpheus and Werewolf, it's crazy how different Vampire feels, while the rules are so very similar. Also I am so excited for episode 2!
I always enjoy hearing player's insight, thought process and sources of inspiration for their characters :D Great discussion and I hope the show will keep on going ^_^
So funny, love to see more of this!
Love this after show
Aabria is very well-spoken! I've never seen her in anything before, but I'm liking her whole vibe!
You probably don't mean any harm, but please do not refer to Black people as "well-spoken" as if it's unnatural for us to be. There's a horrible racist implication with that "compliment".
@@mitsiejc1077 dude he didn’t say it’s BECAUSE SHE IS BLACK she was well spoken
@@Septimius_The_Seventh As I understood it that's not what the comment meant either, just pointing out that some compliments will always land wrong because people have heard them used with malice or condescension a thousand times
@@Septimius_The_Seventh How often do you see ANYBODY say the phrase "well-spoken". it's not commonly used, except in this biased sense. It's deserving of a side-eye, at least.
Exactly. It's used so often as a backhanded compliment. People always say it to me and I know exactly what they mean by it. *grrr*
I only recently found LA by Night and NY by Night... and this is the first interview I've watched. And I gotta say that I knew I loved Alex's play style and his characters in general for a reason. Like... almost every one of his answers could have been my answers about any of my characters. I can think of at least three characters that were born of being in a bad place in my life. They've evolved to be better people themselves, but that doesn't mean they weren't initially born to be used as a compass to help navigate the place I was at in life, but also same on loving vampires since I was a kid and researching them to a rather insane level of knowledge, same on the Tzi always being a favorite of mine and why. Everyone around me pronounces it "zee-mee-shay" and it drives me up a wall and down the other side. I've even caught myself pronouncing it that way and I hate myself for it a little. Though I'd only seen Kindred: The Embraced (which clued me into VtM being a thing), played the video games, and done research on the other clans. Until last year I hadn't played the TTRPG. I joined the back half of a VtM game with a new group with a genderfluid Malk who learned Vicissitude for the simple application of wanting to look as androgynous as possible so they could more easily pass for male or female as the situation, or their own mind, warranted it. (I feel like some might read this wrong so I should say the mental illness they suffer isn't being genderfluid because it's not a mental illness. I am genderfluid myself and that's exactly what I'd do if I had the ability to learn to shape my body how I wanted it. I just wanted to play a Malk.) We've finished that and moved on to alternating D&D and Warhammer 40k, but I'm trying to entice them back to VtM.
But also... I honestly have very few things to say about Aabria's half of the interview. Not because I don't like her as much as I like Alex... I just don't have as much in common with her. I did have a feeling that was her reasoning for playing a Ventrue, though. I got behind a lot of what she was saying in general... until the very end. Girl... I hope that was the silly answer. XD
Looking good Alex! And right on the Tzimisce pronunciation for sure.
love it!
D&D Aabria is a delight, but I’m so fascinated with her in VtM. I already love this entire coterie
Great first show! Alex was definitely a perfect first guest choice. Everyone was; of course; wanting a word from an o.g. cast member. That he really held back was telling in a ton of ways. I have to agree on clan choice and pronunciation though! Aabria was delightful as a new cast member during the game. It is always nice to see how much 'bleed over' there is between a player irl and their character. Add to the fact that they couldn't have found a better host than Ash! She will always be Vi from Long Beach By Night in my head; but that doesn't change the fact that she is even more smoking hot everytime I see her!
As Iben Haqim in cast of vizier, using aupex to detect the lier and guilty is one of our main quest to bring judgment upon the guilty kindred, namely tremere, especially TREMERE.
Excellent format. A bit short, but hopefully that could change as we get more story to talk about!
Wonder if we'll see Fiona pop up in this series? Given (I think) she abandoned LA during Season 5.
Canonically there are three different ways to pronounce the name and all are correct. :D
This series is a cool idea, there are so many things I'd have loved to have gotten a deeper sense of with LA by Night. Alex was always one of my favorites, glad to see he's returned in such a different role. The Tzimisce, Banu Haqim and Nosferatu are the three clans I'd want to play, the Tzimisce because I envisioned them as Alex did, the old clan, the Dracula vampire almost.
I love Aabria's work anytime I've seen her, mostly on G4(which I'm not even sure of the status of that show, they were supposed to do a season 2). Not big on the injection of politics about it, as it's just saturated our entertainment so much over the years, but the way she explains the character creation is super well thought out, so I'm sure it will be great to watch unfold. Aabria is going at the Ventrue very differently than B. Dave, who very much embraced being that monster, being hungry for money and power(and he was absolutely great to watch), so this will be a very different experience. I like the nickname and real name duality as well, although it didn't get as expanded on in episode 1 as it could have been, I felt like the other characters were equally confused about it haha.
I look forward to NY by Night and where it takes us, hopefully on equally as long a ride as LA and I look forward to getting some insights into the story with this series, hopefully we'll get Jason on here eventually.
Hey, Dracula IS actualy a Tzimisce in the lore of the game. He was a member of the Basarab, one of the Tzimisces favorite ghouls family. Check it on the fandom !
Tbf the game about a literal cabal of bloodsucking elites struggles not to be political.
@@tzimiscezhulo920 Figured as much, will do. Information on this game can be a bit hard to come by.
@@jamesgrieves2669 sure, but the inspirations were taken from our own current socio and political issues. I'm not too concerned with it, as long as there isn't someone as over the top as Annabelle again. She could really get tedious at times.
Her existence as a black woman is politicized, she is exploring this aspect of her life within the story. Media has always been "politicized" and have talked about important social issues since forever.
i love them so much 😄
I love the shirt Alex is wearing in this interview. I wonder where he got it from?
Having played in a Chronicle in which the final, climactic motive turned out to be battling the main...problem...of previous-edition Tzimisce, I also like (and mostly agree with) the changes that have come in this most recent iteration to make 'em a little more classical-old-world, and not as much dominated by - euh, the other thing. I look forward to seeing Alex flex around in this new suit, so to speak.
Also, I was gratified to see how each player kinda visibly gelled into their mold during that first episode. I mean, it became visible on my end. For example, enjoyed seeing the steel core of Dominate under what seemed to be deep layers of velvet gloves in Aabria's Margo/Fuego.
...
It is taking no small amount of restraint to not say 'Polo' after hearing 'Margo' each time. I am flawed.
If 5e never mentions.... the other thing... I'll be very very happy.
Might I ask of you to point me towards the *things* you mentioned? I am clueless but intrigued
Vicissitude? Some people really hate it. I loved it. Though Souleaters are... meh. Asakku do the same thing better. But I just keep Vicissitude-as-Tzimisce (the Antediluvian), since that's enough.
@@baduizt Bah. Vicissitude didn't need anything else layered on top of it.
You have overlord vampires who take anything that they decide they want to own and uses mind control and flesh control to make their domains and the kine upon it into anything they want, no matter how grotesque--where is the value in removing the horror away from that already compelling focal point?
There was this trend in 2e vampire to ignore the 'personal horror' aspect of vampire in favor of cosmic elements that, frankly, were in the wrong game. Magical superpowers that are actually a cosmic entity with ambitions of conquest? That's perfectly in place in Mage. Or even Werewolf if a spirit realm thing. But Vampire? Wrong game.
Loving this and NY by Night!! Too bad my ttrpg friends are not into vampires in general, they would never play VTM...
@@FlawlessP401 I think it is a good thing that each group has its own playstyle. At least you are playing the game.
Also I think that this is like 70% ttrpg 30% tv show, and I think Jason too has some bg work, then you add in all the setup for the live stream (cameras, lights, makeup, costumes...).
A low hanging fruit if they ever have a Werewolf chronicle is to call the after show Club Auspice
Like for that TWILIGHT.
Club Auspex-Take a look inside...
The actual super polite monsters are Clan Kiasyd. But they're not in V5 yet.
Good to see Ash again. Liked her as Fiona in LA by Night.
I like the Jyhad/Eternal Struggle throw back of the Auspex symbol
We use those symbols in all our V5 roleplaying game books, too. ;)
Ohhhh wow... Cool... What a coincidence...
I just last night just happened to find NY by night... and started season 1 just last night...
And now... I see this today... I like it
12:43 ngl I want to hear where Aabria was going with this it sounds like a really cool topic
I feel like Alex is teaching me how to be a great Tzimisce ♥
Tzimisce.
Tzimisce.
Someone must play Banu Haqim sooner or later. They can't avoid judgement forever.
Gee, that intro sonds a LOT like Massive Attack's "Angel" !
All the way back to VTMB.
@@JnEricsonx Exactly !
Loved that game : flawed, but still a masterpiece. Too bad that sequel was dropped, it was my most anticipated game in recent years.
Show me your mind needs to stay ahahah
*I hope that B. Dave Walters appears on this Chronicle at LEAST once. **#BringBackVictorTemple*
I think that theres going to be another coterie in this series...
7:11 her body language is so funny.
Thank you for taking about name culture QUIDDIE!
Alexander Ward. An absolute boss.
In the revised core book a pronunciation guide for the word exists "zhi-mee-see."
The sound output on this and NY by Night is very quiet :(
We will see if we can boost the sound! Thank you.
Making me rethink how I’ve been saying Tzimisce for the past decade 💀
Alex clear contempt for this idea was hilarious
9:44 is what you came here for.
thank you
twilight...
me dies xD
♥️🦇♥️
Strong statements and I agree with you
Yes.
Personally I always try to find the origins of a word in WoD to find out how it "should" be pronounced (i.e. Tzimisce should be "Tsaw-mih-shay", not the official pronunciation of "Zih-mee(t)-see"; same with Brujah being "Broo-hah" not "Broo-juh"). Then, knowing the way it "should" be pronounced... I proceed to ignore that and customize how I say it to the specifics of my character. A rural American vampire isn't going to care that in its original langauge, Tzimisce is "Tsaw-mih-shay", they're going to look at the word and say "zuh-mish-ee?" and call it a day. Or, they'll conform to the most common pronunciation they hear. Really, how you choose to pronounce the foreign words in Vampire (Cam-uh-ree-uh vs Cam-uh-rill-uh) is more of an exercise in character building than it is an exercise in finding the "right" way to say a fictional word.