Lilah Fox (WoD)

SchreckNet Data File

• Real/Birth Name: Delilah Foxe
  
• Known Identiy/Mortal Alias: Lilah "Mustang Sally" Fox
  
• Place of Origin: Brookeborough, Fermanagh, Ulster, Ireland
  
• Height: 5'4"
  
• Occupation: Saloon owner/Madam
  
• Apparent Age: Mid-20s
  
• Embraced: 1787
  
• Kindred Status: Ancilla
  
• Sire: Jeb McEntire
  
• Clan: Brujah
  
• Clan Status: Respected Individualist
  
• Sect: Camarilla
  
• Sect Status: Respected Ancilla
  
• Player/Type: NPC

Appearance

Lilah Fox

Lilah is a striking woman with very long, naturally wavy dark brown hair and sapphire-blue eyes. She has a slender but fit figure, formed from a mortal life of constant physical toil in her youth, and much dancing, exercising and fighting in adulthood. She is fond of wearing make-up to accentuate her features - one of the little pleasures she was able to have when young, and a useful tool as an adult - and tends to favor dark eyeliner and eyeshadow, and blood-red, crimson or burgundy lipstick. Her hair is typically kept naturally loose and wavy, although she keeps it shorter than it's natural length, typically around shoulder-length rather than reaching to the small of her back as it naturally would. On normal given days, she will favour casual clothing (that nonetheless accentuate her figure - she knows her sex appeal is a big part of the draw her business has for truckers and bikers) such as tight denim jeans, shorts or miniskirts, with a blouse or t-shirt to match, maybe even a denim or leather jerkin. Sometimes this is paired with a cowboy hat or baseball cap (of the Ashford Armadillos, a gift from Cindy Walker) and, most likely, cowboy boots.

But Lilah is flexible. That is clothing that both appeals to her and works for her current image as the Madam of the Rusty Forks Saloon that caters predominantly to truckers and bikers, but she has been around a long time and fashions change; and she is capable of adapting as needs require. More than one Toreador has been surprised to see her turn up at Elysium in a gorgeous black gown, with her hair somewhat straightened glamorously, and less "vampy" make-up than might normally be expected from her, making her look like she just stepped off the red carpet of some celebrity event.

Regardless of her current appearance style, Lilah walks with a swagger and confidence that could only be possible from someone with an over-inflated opinion of themselves, or the developed self-confidence of a Brujah elder who has survived everything the world has tried to throw at her. Although most cannot deny Lilah's striking looks, it is often her confident swagger and natural, rustic charms that are attributed as her main sex appeal.

Lilah's tattoo and personal emblem

Lilah has a tattoo of a coiled rattlesnake on her right breast. It is coloured in the manner of the Timber Rattlesnake which is common in the mid-to-east states, especially Tennessee where she spent the majority of her mortal life and "became" Lilah (in more ways than one, she will say). Underneath the rattlesnake are the words "DON'T TREAD ON ME". Most Americans, especially those with any knowledge of the American Revolutionary War, will recognise both the snake and motto as being stylised versions of the Gadsden Flag which is often considered the first flag of America, used by American revolutionaries during the Revolutionary War. Lilah feels that she connects morally with both the motto and the rattlesnake (a common symbol of the US sprit of independence).

Background

Immigrant & Slave

Delilah was born on an Ulster plantation to a family of Protestant Presbyterian Lowland Scots that had migrated there from Ayrshire, Scotland as part of the planned Plantation of Ulster in order to flee the 1690s famine in Scotland. Life on the plantation was hard as they were legally disadvantaged by the Penal Laws and the disharmony in Ulster, especially after the enforcement of Queen Anne's 1703 Test Act. By 1767 her father made the decision to migrate to the colonies of British America in order to seek better fortunes away from the politics of England and Ireland for his wife, two sons and daughter Delilah (oddly named for a Protestant Presbyterian, by having a biblical hebrew name - but her father would say that the name meane "Delight", which Delilah was from the moment she was born). Like another estimated 200,000 Ulster Scots (or Scotch-Irish as the Americans would call them), they left for America via sea passage.

Modern-nights Lilah would recall that fateful sea passage when she was only 6 years old, stating that describing it as arduous would be like describing a hurricane as a gust of wind. The passage was teacherous by any standard. They were crammed en-masse into the holds of small wooden ships, which were constantly rolling and rocking at the mercy of the sea. Whilst the journey itself took approximately 7 weeks, it felt like several years. Lilah recalls the misery, stench, fumes, horror and vomiting that was their daily lives. Many kinds of seasickness, fever, dysentry, headaches, heat, boils, scurvy and the likes came from old and sharply-salted food and meat and foul water. Many died in misery. Later in the journey, lack of provisions, hunger, thirst, anxiety and other troubles such as lice made the conditions worse. Women, especially, suffered the most, kept in confinement to bear with their children, their fates sealed together, with few surviving. Lilah recalls one woman who was to give birth, and it was judged she could not give birth under the circumstances, was pushed through a loophole in the ship into the sea.

Few of the children Delilah's age survived. A smallpox epidemic claimed the lives of many of them, children and women especially - Delilah's mother amongst them. Delilah only barely survived herself after contracting the same smallpox as her mother; and her father said that she survived out of sheer will and an absolute refusal to die. Her mother was discarded into the sea along with the other corpses and Delilah told to just be grateful she was not also being thrown into the sea with her. Delilah turned 7 towards the end of the journey, and she would say that the only gift she got that year was life.

Eventually the ship landed at Philadelphia but her family were not allowed to leave. They were too poor to pay for their passage (which included that of their mother, despite her death) and so they were forced to the Philadelphia market, where rich Englishment, Dutchmnen and High German people came to purchase the best of the latest passangers - paying their passage fee debts in return for indentured servitude. Those that were too sickly or unworthy of sale were kept in the ship until they recovered enough to actually convince someone they were worthy enough to purchase, or until they succumbed to disease, or hunger, and would be discarded in the most cost-effective manner. Many families were broken up by these purchases, but the Foxe family were fortunate that a western North Carolina tuckahoe plantation owner purchased the father and both his sons. Had Delilah been 10 years of age, she would have been forced into servitude, but as she was only 7 was not considered old enough and simply part of her father's property.

Although the Ulster plantation was different to the new one they were indendured to, the Foxe family were used to hard work on plantations and adapted quickly. A scant 3 years later her father struck a deal with the plantation owner, agreeing to sell the pretty young Delilah into servitude until she was 21, in exchange for early release for himself and his sons, 2 years early, and some extra funds. Delilah was devastated by this, what she saw as a betrayal, but her father promised her that they would invest the money they were making into leasing a small farm and become cohee farmers, and they would be able to pay off her debt after just a few years, well before she was 21.

Delilah never found out if her father actually meant to keep his work. A few years later, during the American Revolutionary War, the Foxe farm was attacked by a Cherokee raiding party that were allied with the British and were attacking North Carolina farms indiscriminately. The farm was razed to the ground and Delilah was left alone and with no hope but swore to herself that she would do whatever it took to ensure she survived until she turned 21 and earned the end of her servitude. And she did. She worked hard and pleased her master, who rewarded her by allowing her to get educated alongside his own daughter; learning literacy, sewing, dancing, piano, cooking, household management and, as she got older, how to entertain guests with polite conversation about local affairs, plus how to deal card games for guests. This was considered a relatively fine education at the time, for a woman. Although this period of her life would forever make Delilah hate slavery as an institution and vow to never again be anyone's slave, she admits that her master was actually a very fair and reasonable man. At least, to her. The negro slaves were not treated nearly as kind. True to his word, on Delilah's 21st birthday her master gave her a legal document declaring her repayment of the Foxe family debt to be fully repaid and, as per the conditions of the contract, gave her an appropriate dress, an elderly horse, and a small sum of money. Delilah is sure that these were negotiated by her father with the intention of getting a little extra he could use for the intended family farm, but thinks of it as a form of inheritance.

Mrs Wilson

Although she was offered a place in the household staff by her former master, Delilah could not remain as she felt the need to make a new start elsewhere. With the American Revolutionary War beginning to swing towards the American forces, Delilah used her horse and limited finance to travel to the city of Nashville, which had been founded 3 years earlier during her servitude, and to which she had followed her master on occasion. A growing city, she figured it was her best, nearest, option to be able to make a fresh start and least likely to be caught up in Cherokee attacks or the Revolutionary War.

But the world was not her oyster. She sold the horse shortly after arrival, for less than it was likely worth even for its age, having spent most of her limited finances just to get to Nashville and gain some accommodation for a while. But soon even this began to run low as she struggled to find anything considered respectable for someone with her limited skills. A fair education (for a woman) apparently meant having much the same skills as every other woman, and few businesses wanted to employ yet another seamstress, nor did she have the money to set up her own business. So, out of desperation, she ended up getting employed at the Wilson Saloon, a known disorderly house (what in the modern nights would be referred to as a bordello) as a dancing girl and waitress. Although she found the soiled doves (as prostitutes at the time were commonly known) made considerably more money and lived more comfortably than dancers and waitresses like her, at least it was enough for her to live by. Almost a different form of indentured servitude, however, but at least she was comfortable, the regulars were nice, and she made friends. And, strangely enough, she found she enjoyed the clientele and liveliness of nights at the Wilson Saloon.

Then the Revolutionary War ended, and the Saloon's new owner returned home from the war. Zebulon Wilson, son of Nathaniel Wilson, had inherited the Saloon on the death of his father during the war. An urbane, respectable man, Zebulon was a socialite who enjoyed using his establishment to host parties for important clients and the high-society gentile. For the most part he left the staff alone or treated them well, with the exception of the negros, of course, who he considered should simply be lucky to be slaves at his Saloon, living an easy life instead of toiling on a plantation. He was nice to the girls, however, especially Delilah, who he at first said he was surprised as she was too beautiful to not be a soiled dove and later apologised, adding a retraction of in actuality, too beautiful to be a soiled dove. Despite her low origins and relative rough-around-the-edgenesss, he seemed to enjoy her company, using her much as a personal assistant/servant at first, until eventually he admitted his attraction to her and asked to court her. Believing perhaps the world was finally throwing some good fortune her way with the young gentleman, Delilah allowed herself to be swept off her feet and soon became Mrs Wilson in a ceremony held at the Wilson Saloon. He then made her officially the manager of the Saloon, in charge of all the staff, entrusting her to run it whilst he worked on improving their fortune and social standing elsewhere.

As Lilah would describe it, "Almost overnight, it all turned to shit." It wasn't long before Delilah discovered that Zeb was a liar and an alcoholic who rarely came home sober, smelling of cheap perfume and covered with lipstick marks. His urbane veneer disappeared almost after he took her virginity and he became verbally abusive, telling her to know her place. To the high society he wanted to impress, he was a gentleman and perfect husband; but Delilah always got to see his other face. In time, so did the Saloon staff, as Delilah and Zeb would argue in front of the staff over some of his increasingly-erratic decisions and would have the negros whipped for even minor transgressions, something that Delilah always struggled against. Whilst Delilah struggled to maintain the Saloon, Zeb quickly spent his family fortune on alcohol and gambling, and Delilah realised that he was bringing financial ruin on them. The final straw for Delilah was when the limited respectable society friends she believed she had begun to turn on her, apparently due to Zeb spreading tales of woe that Delilah was living up to her name, feigning politeness whilst cheating on him and driving him to financial ruin. He even spread the rumour that Delilah had fornicated with one of the negro slaves. It was apparent to Delilah that Zeb had married her because marriage accorded a certain amount of respect in society, and enabled him to get credit and social movement he could not unmarried; but that the actual marriage was a loveless inconvenience to him (though he certainly enjoyed his conjugal rights when it took his fancy) - though a good source of sympathy for him to gather sympathy as a cuckolded war hero, from the ladies he attempted to seduce and the males of the social circles he played cards with and wanted to become a part of.

As laws of the time did not allow women financial independence from her husband and she knew that he could leave her destitute at any time, even if he drank himself to death or got into a duel with someone wanting repayment of a debt - which would leave the creditors as owners of the Saloon, she decided she needed to take things into her own hands. Her entire life the rich and upper-classes had exploited her. They had caused the death of her mother and many desperate Scotch-Irish. They had forced them into indentured servitude - slavery in all but official name. And they had never accepted the Scotch-Irish cohee that married Zebulon as anything other than the working-class immigrant trash she was born to, all-too-eager to believe Zeb's lies because, of course, the upper class were beyond reproach. So she decided to hell with respectable society and decided to take affairs into her own hands. One of the first things she did was publicly change the title she would use as hostess to introduce herself to clients from Manageress of the House to Madam of the House and began hiring herself out as one of the soiled doves, although being more selective over who she would allow to rent her than the other doves and far more expensive. She also emancipated all the negros that Zeb owned, giving them their legal freedom, but re-employing those who wished to stay in the Saloon. She even took one of the negros she'd befriended as a lover (she figured if she was already believed to be, she might as well reap the benefits). She began hosting parties and events to appeal to a subtly different clientele - the working class. She ensured they were well treated, entertained, especially those who were soldiers or lawmen, who would get special treatment for valiantly defending the community. She also took pains to secrete away parts of the earnings she made, placing them in investments or physical locations her husband did not know of and could not touch. Illegal, yes, but Delilah was beyond caring about patriarchal laws. As western North Carolina had recently broken off and become the State of Franklin, so did Delilah begin separating her finances and business affairs from her husband.

Zeb was furious. The loss of his slaves - or at least his inability to now properly discipline them because he was no longer their owner was a blow; but although Delilah had declared a war against Zeb, she was cunning and did not overplay her hand, feigning having done it as a method to encourage more loyalty from the staff and more negro clientele; a decision for which she was derided as a fool, but little else until she declared herself a Madam, taking pains to ensure everyone knew Mrs Wilson was the best and most highly-sought-after soiled dove in Nashville. Delilah would target Zeb's respectable friends, many of who seemed most willing to enjoy the company of Mr Wilson's wife, discreetly of course, as most were married themselves and did not want a scandal - but willing to pay handsomely nonetheless. Although Mrs Wilson was publicly known to be available, she did not reveal her clients, and the discretion made her a highly-sought naughty commodity for those Zeb believed were friends; who would shake hands with him and play cards, but Zeb would come to wonder if their smiles hid a secret affair with his own wife. He became a laughing stock, considered a fool, and his drinking, gambling debts and his lies all becoming increasingly apparent to even those who once called Zeb a friend or supported him.

Taking advantage of the only legal financial right available to her from marriage, Delilah began spending indiscriminately on luxury goods and clothing; as Zeb had endeavoured so hard to live the life of a well-to-do gentleman, so was Delilah in the legal right to live the same lifestyle, with and she did. She would ask Zeb to purchase things for her, provoking him appropriately, and he would refuse. This led to her suing him for support from the courts under the doctrine of necessities rule and, whilst waiting for the court's judgment, she was permitted to run up charges at local stores and taverns (which she carefully included her own Saloon), and Zeb was obligated to pay for them. This ensured that Zeb had very little physical finances he could call on and relying increasingly on credit for his drinking and gambling; credit that he became known to be unable to pay off. Whenever creditors demanded payment, however, and Zeb became desperate or angry enough, Delilah would directly pay the creditor herself, typically sweetening and renegotiating the credit amount with her own services, typically on the condition that Zeb be refused further credit. She became renown as a woman that would keep her word and pay her debts, whilst ensuring that the creditors, fed up of Zeb's lies and inability to pay, would refuse him further financing or support. The staff at the saloon, whether dancing girls, barmen, soiled doves and, especially, the coloured former-slaves, were treated exceedingly well. Delilah was highly protective of them and made this obvious, ensured that they did not struggle (allowing the poorer ones to sleep at the Saloon, or grant them loans) and would sell the expensive dresses she bought to the ladies (or the men for their wives) at very low prices - with the condition that, if asked, they would claim that Delilah had gifted them as presents for their wives. This allowed her to secrete the money away into her private fund.

All of these actions served two purposes - the most immediately important is that the Wilson Saloon staff became incredibly loyal to their Madam, not to the Saloon's legal owner. The worst Zeb could do would be fire the staff, which would result in Delilah rehiring them almost instantly. To prevent her doing this, Zeb's only recourse would be to take her to court, something he could not financially afford without incurring further debt. And with the staff loyal to Delilah, they would physically prevent Zeb from getting too close to Delilah, without which Zeb's verbal abuse would surely have become physical. The self-prostitution, loans and secret dress sales (and other illegal activities she began secretly introducing) all kept the Wilson bank account as close to empty as possible, and money hidden away or secret debtors who could return the money if (and she assumed, when) it was needed. As divorce was illegal in the state of Franklin, Zeb could not divorce her, but the status quo and doctrine of necessities effectively allowed her to live a life of relative luxury, whilst ensuring Zeb lived in relative poverty and rely on making credits that he could not himself afford to pay to cover his drinking and gamblind gebts. Ultimately, Delilah intended to push Zed into a desperate enough state that he would break and then they could come to some kind of agreement to live essentially separate lives.

Zeb indeed broke, but not in the way Delilah anticipated. She figured he'd likely crack and give up, or repent and see the error of his ways; or perhaps even drink himself to death, or get shot or beaten to death by someone he owed money to that'd had enough of his bullshit. Instead, Zeb turned up exceptionally drunk, bottle of whiskey in one hand, the Queen Anne flintlock pistol he used during the revolution in the other. Waving both objects around indiscriminately and threatening to shoot anyone who attempted to stop him, he demanded to speak to Delilah. Confronting him, Delilah was unafraid - the worst he could do was kill her, and she'd long ago decided death was a better alternative than letting an asshole like Zeb have abusive authority over her. For every threat he gave, she returned it with a series of damning insults against his honour, his heritage, his courage and even his tiny pistol. She made Zeb so angry, that he moved to strike her. Lilah says that had Zeb fired the pistol instead of trying to beat her, the outcome may have been very different, but Delilah weathered the hit and with a scream of rage grabbed his gun-hand, using her hand to block the hammer from firing and ignoring the pain. In the brief scuffle that ensued Zeb struck Delilah several times, but she succeeded in head-butting him hard enough to stun him and pull herself free of his grasp along with his pistol.

The Sheriff's report of the incident states most witnesses claimed that Delilah then used the Queen Anne pistol to defend herself, telling Zebulon to leave (though the exact wording of what she allegedly told him varied considerably) and he charged her, forcing her to shoot him dead. A minority of reports are more consistent in stating that Zeb raised his hands and began apologising, but Delilah took careful aim, uttered an expletive (on which all these reports concurred), and deliberately shot him in the face. The Sheriff, unfortunately, appears to have lost most of these minority exceptions and, ultimately, declared Zeb's death to be a lawful shooting in self-defence. Some have noted that, like many of his officers, the Sheriff had traditionally gotten along well with Delilah, his wife's favourite dress even being one that Delilah gifted him for her birthday; whilst on occasion had to arrest Zeb when his drunkenness got him into trouble. But the evidence is sound. Having burnt most of his bridges, few people supported Zeb or wanted to see Delilah punished - but there are always some coyotes waiting in the shadows and a few respectable society members tried to pursue independent or deeper investigations over Zeb's death at the hands of his notorious wife. A string of scandalous revelations and evidence of some of these decriers having had sexual relations with Mrs Wilson, who's death would certainly cover up, brought a fairly quick end to that. Some creditors attempted to steal the Saloon, but it appeared that Zeb in his drunkenness must have miscounted the amount of money they had, or concealed it from his wife and the creditors, as Delilah was seemingly capable of financially settling what remained of Zebulon's debts.

Inheriting the Saloon completely and now free from Zeb's shadow, Delilah reverted back to her maiden surname (to the further consternation of respectable society and some of Zeb's remaining cousins, some of whom made legal attempts to have the Wilson Saloon and Zeb's finances return to the Wilson family; but these were mostly rebuffed in court, though a few cousins seem to suffer scandals or a series of unfortunate events that changed their minds) and increasingly was called Lilah by friends and allies, a shortened variant of Delilah, which had been what her family had typically called her, and considered a more common and casual name amongst the working class that frequented her Saloon. Whilst she would occasionally still soil herself with a client, this became increasingly rarer as the Saloon prospered under her name. After Zeb's death, Lilah quickly earnt a reputation a being someone not to mess with - which included her staff. She would defend her staff (especially the coloured staff) with incredible zeal, and ended up becoming good friends with the Sheriff as she got into many, many physical altercations. Famously, as he escorted a drunken punter out of the Saloon, swearing revenge after Lilah broke his nose before throwing his ass out, the Sheriff said "[Lilah] may be called Foxe, but that there dame's a Rattler! Don't tread on her if you don't want to get bit!" This soon spread and led to Lilah Foxe getting the nickname "Rattlesnake Lilah" which amused her, prompting her to change the name of the Wilson Saloon to the Rattlesnake Saloon and get a tattoo variant of the Gadsden Flag Rattlesnake and "Don't Tread On Me" message.

Although this would likely be the best period of time in Lilah's life, it would be short-lived. Literally. A little over a year after events around Zeb's death settled down and she re-opened the Rattlesnake Saloon, a Brujah who had recently arrived in the area caught wind of the legend of the infamous Rattlesnake Lilah and her raucous Saloon, as well as her rags-to-riches story about defiance of hardship, social conventions and her husband. Curious to verify for himself, he went to her saloon and was bemused when he witnessed her beat a man double her size half to death for disrespecting her (by disrespecting one of her girls). The Brujah used his Presence to Entrance Lilah, who believed him a normal client and agreed to a rare, private room with him whereupon he tested her one last time, a test Lilah would not survive - but from which she may still return. During the act of coitus, rather than sink his fangs into her as most kindred would do to disguise the act until the euphoria of The Kiss overwhelmed their victim into submission, he revealed his fangs and made obvious his intention to bite. Whereas most mortals would have been stunned in surprise and fear, then screamed or begged for mercy, Lilah reacted with controlled fear and an survival instinct that impressive him, smashing the candle jar on the bedside table into his face. It did little harm to him, but her last act of defiance convinced him of her worthiness to receive the Embrace, which he immediately forced upon her.

Rattlesnake Lilah (Lilah Foxe)

Lilah Fox

In a way, Lilah considers the timing of her Embrace to be a final stage of her change from "Delilah Foxe" into "Rattlesnake Lilah" (or Lilah Foxe, as she called herself from this point). She had changed from the frightened Scotch-Irish immigrant slave to strong, independent kindred, and her sire stuck around long enough to help her get her undead feet on the ground. He helped teach her not only how to fight properly and use her physical Disciplines, but the value of the more subtle touch using Presence - something he believed Lilah could use to good effect considering her legacy of converting allies to her side and savagely ruining and scandalising those who tread on her. Then a few years later he moved on, and Lilah claims she never saw him again and does not know (or frankly care much) about his ultimate fate.

The first couple of decades were not much different to the last few years. She ran the Rattlesnake Saloon much like always, except now she carried out more personal soiled dove services for clients as a means to feed during the act. Mortals failed to understand that they had been subjected to the Kiss rather than (or in addition to) intercourse, but all knew that Lilah was entrancing and it was the most erotic, powerful and pleasurable experience that no other soiled dove could match, and she built a herd in almost no time. It became a little hard adapting to only night-time activities at first, but making the Saloon open all night, and ensuring she was there all night whilst appointing a ghoul day-manager helped. In time she got into the swing of things, though there were a few mistakes, and frenzies, along the way and Lilah struggled - considering the battle to retain her humanity to be the new version of her lifelong battle to survive; in this case, she considered losing her soul to the beast to be a form of death and damnation, and as usual she was to stubborn to concede defeat or let another (the Beast) control her.

Around her the landscape changed. First the new state of Franklin failed and got re-absorbed into north Carolina. A year later North Carolina apparently decided they didn't really want Franklin back, and ceded it to the US Congress as the Southwest Territory. Then after a few political waves, six years later the Southwest Territory gets incorporated into the Union as the newly-names state of Tennessee. These events caused shifts in politics, people, travellers and local moods in Nashville, which grew exponentially from the small city to which Delilah had moved fourteen years ago. But Lilah adapted and prospered, having to begin taking a more anonymous stance, using a series of aliases and finding ways of encouraging staff to move on when some began noticing that their boss appeared to lack signs of aging, and cosmetics could only be accredited so far. Letting go of what she'd earnt and built up was hard for her, but the Brujah are nothing if not agents of change, and she was up to the task and found ways. The increasing kindred population in Nashville varied from helpful kindred to absolute potatoheads, but ultimately to preserve the Masquerade there was always some way of helping things get done.

Things got exponentially complicated when the Civil War broke out in 1861, which Lilah recalls was around her 100th birthday (and 74th year of unlife). Somehow, she'd gained a reputation as being a reliable, if incredibly hot-headed iconoclastic Brujah ancilla, although she had only sired one person - which had proven a complete disaster that she, unfortunately, had to end to preserve the Masquerade, filling her with remorse and making her wary of taking another childe. But as a respected ancilla younger kindred would frequent her establishment, especially Gangrels and Brujah who would often pass through the area and caught wind that Lilah could help them feed safetly (she would use her soiled doves for this, although she would carefully monitor their health and only allow kindred to feed lightly and not harm the girls). Lilah's political views (if you could call it that considering her absolute dislike and apathy of politics) were more in line with that of the Union than the Confederacy. The last few years had seen a massive influx of black slaves in the state, accounting for 25% of the state's population, with only around 7,300 free black people. Lilah had always refused to have slaves, although when she could afford it (slaves were not cheap) would sometimes purchase some, then emancipate them and give them a job to keep them safe; generally to try to prevent mothers being seperated from their children or similar. But this was something increasingly hard to do in the slave-heavy society and she had to be careful not to attract too much attention to herself. Although Tennessee initially narrowly voted in the Constitutional Unionist John Bell to try to search for a way out of the crisis, there was strong sentinment amongst various regions such as Franklin country which threatened to secede from Tennessee and join Alabama if Tennessee did not leave the union. The attack on Fort Sumter in April, however, followed by President Lincoln's call for volunteers to coerce the seceded states back into line, public sentiment dramatically changed against the Union and Tennessee became the final state to secede and join the Confederacy, to Lilah's great disapproval.

Lilah was actually quite relieved when about a year later Union forces marched into Nashville. Soon after Fort Donelson fell in February, Nashville was evacuated and the Governor made a speech recommending the citizens burn their private property to prevent them being used by the Union. Unsurprisingly, many refused to leave, including Lilah, and Nashville became a Union Army military town, with many Confederate uprisings and guerilla attacks continuing in the city as most of those who remained resisted the enemy. With the black population of Nashville being freed by the Union Army (even though Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation exempted Tennessee, the military authorities ignored this exemption) so many freed and escaped slaves flocked to Nashville, where a prominent black community started up. Throughout this, Lilah was one of the few who did not resist the Union forces and, in fact, welcomed and aided them. Union soldiers found the Rattlesnake Saloon most accommodating and welcoming to them and various former slaves were employed, taking positions vacated by some staff who had chosen to evacuate.

But 1864 proved a turning point when a Union soldier drifted in, calling himself Quincy Gale. Quincy had been one of the union soldiers in the Army of the Cumberland who had fought in the then-ongoing Battle of Nashfield. Although a success for the union, Quincy was involved in a nighttime melee on Granny White Pike against Confederate rearguard cavalry, and his unit was wiped out by a single Confederacy officer with monstrous fangs and claws. For some reason, this monster had overpowered and killed Quincy by draining him of his life's blood, but Quincy had returned from death with the monster nowhere to be seen. He was a fledgeling, recently embraced and abandoned by what Lilah presumed was a Gangrel and also presumed that the Gangrel had been embraced by Quincy's valour or resistance, or else some trait earned him the Embrace rather than the death the rest of his companions had suffered. Lilah found herself naturally taking a mentorship or sire-like role over the fledgeling; perhaps in an attempt to atone for her previous failure. Under her guidance, he let himself be officially declared missing in action and took the name Keith Karloff, an amalgam of two people he knew, a friend back in New York named Keith, and a Nebraskan soldier that he had respected and fought alongside earlier in the war whose family name was Karloff. Lilah helped him get his footing, introduced him to kindred society and he worked as an enforcer for her Saloon. They even occasionally became lovers, though this would eventually be something both would consider to have been a mistake, although they would remain friends for a long time thereafter.

But her active support of Union troops and supporting the black community caused too much attention, which Lilah underestimated and arrogantly believed she could handle. She knew she would get disgruntled Confederacy supporters causing problems, but she did not anticipate a direct sudden and unprovoked attack by Confederate loyalists against the blacks and union soldiers in her Saloon. An attack that enraged Lilah and caused her to frenzy, during which she slaughtered all the attackers. Keith participated in the slaughter too, using claws granted by his Disciplines to silence those witnesses that remained behind and had not fled when the shooting began or been slaughtered in the gunfire. The Masquerade had held, barely, thanks to Keith's actions (which Lilah regrets the necessity of) and Lilah would be able to call in favours from some kindred she knew who could selectively rearrange the recollection of some who fled the massacre and could pose a masquerade threat. But too much attention had now been thrown on the Saloon; the site of a now-infamous shooting with many dead, Union soldiers, Confederacy loyalists, and innocent bystanders. Questions would be asked and the likelihood of a revelation that the establishment had been run by Lilah for over 100 years was high. With regret, she set fire to her own saloon, effectively allowing mortal society to believe Lilah had been a victim in the attack, and she and Keith left Nashfield.

They would end up travelling across the southern states for over thirty years, spending large periods of time in Texas, where they got wrapped up in the Texas-Indian war more times than Lilah liked. Whilst she and Keith would become good friends and experienced fighters, there was one stark difference between them. Lilah tried to avoid combat and, especially, killing the kind where possible. Whilst she was quick to anger and quite happy to beat anyon who crossed her path, she was no murderer nor did she seek out trouble. Keith, however, enjoyed conflict and the sense of victory. At times, it scared her.

Their journeying together ended in 1889 when she heard a ventrue elder named Kratus and a Brujah elder named Thomas Wingfield call for Brujah and Gangrels (and other Camarilla kindred) to help conquer the town of Bakersfield, which they had already begun the early stages of attack and now needed soldiers to take the fight to the Sabbat. In return for the assistance, the would-be Prince promised generous domain rights. Whilst Keith was happy to take part because it seemed like a good fight that he would enjoy, Lilah didn't relish the idea of combat, but was keen to once again settle down somewhere. Although they had enjoyed journeying, kindred society generally did not appreciate random Brujah ancilla walking in and intending on staying, competing for domain and herd; so she had been unable to find a new home, which is what Kratus was offering. When the smoke settled, she was granted domain over a piece of land in downtown Bakersfield (which would soon be re-incorporated as the city of Ashford), where in 1890 she opened up The Snake Pit saloon under the alias Madame Delilah, using the name Delilah Fox as required - dropping the e from Foxe to make it the more common Fox surname than her more archaic and European variant. For his part, Keith had no interest in settling and continued on his journey, although he would generally remain in California and even over the next century+ would frequently come by to visit his old friend.

Madame Delilah (Delilah Fox)

The 1890s were the latter end what is now known as the Old West. American-Indian wars in California had ended and the construction of transcontinental railroads, and the booming gold mining and oil industry in Kern County had brought settlers from outside and Ashford's population exploded. In particular, the Chinese population of Ashford had grown exponentially to the point that Chinatown was bursting and became known as Old Chinatown as the new wave of Chinese immigrants built what came to be New Chinatown. Positioned in Downtown Ashford just at the edge of Old Chinatown, the Snake Pit was perfectly positioned to cater to the needs of these settlers and workers whilst taking advantage of labour and services available. It was a time of entertainment and prosperity with prostitution a growth industry and houses of prostitution could be found in every mining camp and every other street corner. Lilah's Snake Pit saloon was not the first house to offer prostitution, but it became one of the most renown, employing staff that comprised of integrated Indians, emancipated black slaves and some Chinese in addition to white staff. Appalled by the number of Chinese women sold to slavery by their families and sent to work as prostitutes in these camps, with their earnings being sent home to their family in China, Lilah purchased as many Chinese women as she could afford, with some working as soiled doves and others as staff but, as was her norm, giving them their legal freedom in exchange for a termed work contract and a fair wage (which, she would argue, is how it differed from the indentured servitude of her youth). Although she would usually keep this secret, it gained her the respect of many in the Old Chinatown community and introduced her to Chinese (Cantonese) culture, which she found fascinating.

To many, the Snake Pit was a curiosity (and Lilah will take pride in saying "a leader in equality") because of its staff diversity. Of course, many kine did not approve of Lilah's treatment of these people, almost as if she considered them equal to whites (Lilah will say that, truthfully, as an ancilla, she found it hard to think of any kine as equal to kindred, and so colour and race meant little to her - all were simply people, and therefore either there for her to use to suit her desires, or to hunt), but there was enough booming business that Lilah could afford the dissenters stay away (and she ensured that they did). During this time she was known as Madam Delilah, as she felt her full birth name had a more sophisticated sound (and the biblical reference strangely apt for her role) than the common shorthand variant of Lilah; although, like in her previous saloon, most of her staff and those she got to know would use her preferred Lilah name in casual conversation. Although most of the brothels had, like the Snake Pit, been chiefly run by Madams like Lilah, the 1890s found male pimps begin to dominate and run bordellos and the treatment of the women working in prostitution declined. Lilah ensured that the Snake Pit, although catering predominantly for the working class, was still a higher class than most of the pimp-run bordellos. Her girls were treated well, well cared for and protected, and this was reflected in both the quality of her girls, and how well they worked. They liked their employer (even day-avoiding, elusive and bad-tempered as she was) and were loyal to her and this, combined with a surprising business-savvy (built up by over a century of being a saloon manager and Madam and knowing that, although times change, kine nature and desires rarely did) meant the Snake Pit prospered during this period. It wasn't the biggest and many would say that other kindred with better "business sense" (Lilah translates to: willingness to fuck everyone over and exploit them just to make more money) may have had several businesses and made more riches - but that was never Lilah's intention. She was born to the working class and enjoyed catering to, entertaining, and feeding on the working class (she uses this term to mean anyone that works for a living and does not have a classist stick up their ass; but her clientele was technically working class to middle class, just rarely any higher, which she finds typically arrogant and snobbish). Her intention was simply to enjoy her unlife and affairs, keep actively engaging in her saloon's activities (which she felt by owning multiple businesses would be less likely - perhaps good for the Masquerade, but boring as fuck), and make enough money to ensure a comfortable unlife, keep her staff in good health and out of poverty, and keep the saloon financially afloat.

Lilah's first automobile

Still she was successful enough that in 1907 she bought her first automobile, a 1907 Ford Model K Roadster. The automotive industry was still new around then and typically only the well-to-do could afford them. Although this car was not Ford's cheapest model (that would be the more common Model N), Lilah enjoyed it's aesthetic - and having a more expensive automobile was a social statement (especially amongst the kindred). Having never been much of a horse rider, and kindred frequently having issues around horses (as they innately sense the unnaturalness of the kindred and get nervous), Lilah spend the last century and a half walking or employing carriages; the independence of being able to go further distances faster and more conveniently (without relying on running on Celerity and making the kine wonder how she travelled so fast) appealed to her. She soon discovered that automobiles would become an unlife-long passion.

Within Camarilla society, as one of the original Camarilla occupants, Lilah had her own domain and was respected. Even as, over time, Kratus would prove less generous to the Brujah and Gangrel clans as he was to his own Ventrue clan and the Toreador and Tremere, he could not renege on his promises and Lilah's domain was one of the more economically prosperous amongst the working-class areas, as well as prime hunting ground - something she could use to allow access to others at her discretion, earning her the respect of neonates who lacked domains of their own and had to compete for prime hunting grounds.

Long Wu (Delilah "Lilah" Fox)

But the turn of the 20th century changed things.

Mortal Society

The Rusty Forks lot

Lilah is known as the owner of the Rusty Forks Saloon at 11003 Kern Canyon Rd (SR 178), which physically shares a lot with the Three Dogs Customs garage. Despite the name, it constitutes a few small businesses under the Rusty Forks trading name.

Rusty Forks Saloon

The Saloon appears and is run much like a country biker dive bar but they have a 24-hour unlimited buffet which costs only $10 to access. The buffet is usually a stew of the day and various grilled meats such as burgers, sausages and ribs. There are a few select alternatives, mostly repackaged versions of what is on the buffet, such as their famous "Rattlesnake Burger" which includes a meat patties in a bun, adorned with generous helpings of goats-milk cheese, shredded beef jerky, spicy chilli-cheese sauce, jalapeño peppers, grilled mushrooms, and egg, served with fries. They have no vegetarian/vegan option other than the potato fries, grilled corn-on-the-cob, fried peppers, side-salad and similar which are on the buffet. Vegans just piss Lilah off and anyone getting stroppy over lack of vegan options is likely to end up learning what blood tastes like - their own. Buffet abusers usually find themselves being quite literally kicked out, but this tends to be the exception. The cost of the buffet is waived to regular, known, clients or if sufficient drinks have been purchased. The buffet is not intended as a money-earner, simply a convenience to the truckers who are likely to stop, eat, then spend the night having a few beers and laughs before continuing on their way in the morning.

At nights, there is line dancing and, depending on the night, an "Open Mike" night or Karaoke night, or a live band on Fridays (the Coyotes and Gone Jackals have both been very popular regulars, although Lilah is pissed at the Gone Jackals, who are not allowed back). At night (especially Fridays ) the patrons tend to be rowdy but respectful (brawls are common, but things rarely get "too serious"). There are various serving girls, all typically scantily clad (denim or leather hotpants and cut-off shirts or bras are common in the exceedingly hot summer months) and flirty. Lilah is known to be a very laid-back employer who has no problems with, if not outright encouraging, her girls getting sexually involved with the punters (as long as they don't allow it to distract them from their job TOO much). She sees this as letting the girls have their fun, making clients happy (and if the clients think they have a shot with the girls, it makes them come back more), but it also covers for the fact that some of the girls (only Lilah and Remy know which) are also actually soiled doves, an archaic term commonly used during Lilah's mortal days for Saloon prostitutes. These girls are all exceedingly loyal to Lilah and although to normal perceptions function as barmaids, are actually hirable for sexual favours (though this may be Lilah getting the girls to seduce a client, rather than a client asking to pay for the service; but these are girls Lilah knows she can rely on to have sex with clients at her bequest). New (ie unfamiliar) clients can only request the doves directly from Lilah (this is both for the protection of the doves, and to aid in sussing out vice cops) who is their Madam, and they should expect to have references to vouch for or introduce them, but regulars can deal with the girls directly. This makes it harder for vice-cops to latch on to their operations, as a vice-cop would need to enlist the aid of a regular to hire a dove which, although possible, has not happened in many years because clients know that bad things happen to those people who betray Lilah's trust. The doves are also Lilah's emergency herd, sparingly used typically only if none of her main herd are available and she needs to feed quickly and safely, though Lilah occasionally allows access to desperate Kindred as a boon. Whether kindred or kine, clients had best treat these girls well, as Lilah is extremely protective of them. Each of these girls has Lilah's Rattlesnake emblem tattooed, typically on their neck or breast - a stamp of ownership and warning sign to any kindred who would contemplate harming or feeding off these girls that doing so would most assuredly earn Lilah's wrath.

During the summer, especially, the Rusty Forks holds rallies and parties, typically held in the large outside area with stalls and outside bars and stage areas set up. These become raucous events highly popular with bikers, young adults and party-goers in general (though not-so-popular with the more quiet-loving upper-middle-class pundits that live in the nearby Mountain Meadows community, though Lilah does enough for the local community to offset most complainants). In these events literally hundreds of people turn up and drink hard, party hard and lose their inhibitions.

click here to pictures of a real-life bar "Suck, Bang, Blow" that gives a good idea of what these events, and the staff, at the Rusty Forks would be like - although the physical saloon/bar building would differ

Physically, the Rusty Forks Saloon comprises of a large central table area by the large bar, with (relatively small and basic) kitchen facilities for the staff to produce the buffet and limited menu. There are open side-rooms with some slot and poker machines, a few dart boards and a reasonably-sized dance area with an elevated podium for the live band (or karaoke nights) which can easily accommodate a line-dancing entourage, although as it is open-area many hover by the sides or in the central area and still have a good view of the goings-on of the room.

A side-door near the bar/kitchen opens to a corridor which principally leads to the storeroom (which is adjacent to the kichen and can be accessed alternatively through a door in the kitchen) as well as a small staff lounge/rest area and one staff-only toilet. Stairs at the end of the corridor lead up to Lilah's attic area, which comprises of her office and haven. The office surprises people who somehow expect it to be decrepit and unused considering Lilah's character, but in actuality, it is quite well furnished and comfortable as Lilah has used this office since setting up the building the 1930s as the Roadside Saloon, before it became the modern dive-bar style it presently appears. The office is used by both Lilah and Remy Jung Sing, Lilah's ghoul retainer and the Rusty Forks' manager (especially during the daytime), both of who take the finances side of the business seriously as they are careful to avoid attracting legal attention. Lilah also enjoys using her office as a reading room. The attic area that is dedicated as Lilah's haven comprises of a respectable studio-apartment-like bedroom and relaxation lounge as well as two other bedrooms; one of which is permanently used by Remy and the other reserved for s special guest that Lilah may be entertaining. All of these rooms have been modified with special blinds, window frames and materials to be completely sunproof if required.

A concealed door in the access corridor opens a staircase leading down to a basement lounge with a small second bar (which does not normally have staff), a small beer and whiskey brewery that produces their "Rattlesnake Whiskey" and "Rattlesnake Beer" which is only sold on the premises, and a couple of discreet rooms for her soiled doves to use. It is not common knowledge, but Lilah has had hidden cameras placed in these rooms. Although she is not usually the type to attempt to extort or blackmail clients, she will admit that having a little protective insurance is always a good precaution. Lilah began construction of the building in 1932, during the Prohibition era and the area was set up to provide the ability to brew moonshine as well as conceal the prostitution side of her business; however by the time the bar opened in 1933, Prohibition had ended, making the need for the secrecy somewhat reduced, and Lilah has actually got legal permits to produce her beer and whiskey for sale on the premises (though not for exportation, but her setup isn't big enough for that - although Lilah is considering setting up a fully-equipped brewery as she has more unused lot space than she knows what to do with). Lilah admits that even after the end of Prohibition, times were still difficult for Madams wanting to run a bordello, so the secret area was still employed mostly for that. Even with the looser morals of the modern nights, and more hyper-sexual attitudes meaning that her soiled doves are much easier to conceal in plain sight and less likely to get the attention of the police than they were in the '30s, prostitution is still illegal in California and so having this area for use as a form of VIP area for her soiled doves (or Lilah and select guests) to discretely use away from the eyes of masses or the authorities, is still useful.

Rusty Forks Gas Pumps & Repair Shop

There is a detached, covered, self-service gas area that has 3 gas pumps in individual lanes (accomodating a total of 6 simultaneous vehicles), each well-spaced out as they were initially built to predominantly accommodate highway truckers and their large rigs in the days before highway motorcycling became popular. Due to the over-abundance of gas stations and companies such as AMCO and SHELL which have various larger stations nearby, Lilah has not seen a need to expand the facilities as the pumps were intended as a convenience for overnight stays to be able to refuel, rest, eat, and carry on their journey. Lilah cannot match the prices of the larger chains, but has made connections with the American Trucking Associations (ATA), American Motorcyclist Association and the Harley Owner's Group (HOG) for discounted motel and repairs. This, plus the convenience and proximity to the Mountain Meadows and City in the Hills neighbourhoods, ensures that she gets enough business that the pumps pay for themselves and draw in a small profit, in addition to helping attract clientelle for the saloon, as intended.

Detached from the pumps is a small building that has the pay area for the gas pumps in addition to a small general store that sells miscellaneous foods (hot pies, rolls, snacks and the likes), automotive parts and accessories, and similar things like in most gas stations shops. Physically attached to this is a small auto-repair shop that can accommodate one big rig, or various smaller vehicles at once (there is plentiful space for others to wait, but not to be actively repaired at once). It is quite well equipped and with capable, trustworthy, and HONEST mechanics (Lilah ensures this as reputation is important to her, especially with her AMA, HOG and ATA deals), but is intended to carry out most common roadside repairs - tyres, blown carboreters, sparkplugs, brakes, and the likes. Whilst in theory the repair shop could rebuilt a crashed wreck, they would need to spend time to order the parts and possibly outsource some equipment. They typically use non-branded, but trustworthy 3rd party equipment that can cater for the needs of most popular brands of motorcycles (including non-Harleys) and trucks. For more serious requirements, Lilah has a working relationship with Mo, which has a more complete workshop in her Three Dogs Customs workshop (although it is intended on full custom motorcycle builds and vehicle modifications, the facilities it has to enable this effectively allow it to carry out repairs of almost any type, on almost any type of vehicle - which they typically do for emergencies, such as accidents or vehicle blow-outs that would require a vehicle being towed several miles to Ashford to a branded dealer. Mo has connections with all major motor vehicle companies and can have even genuine branded parts delivered quickly to her if she has the need. It is an arrangement that has worked well for both women and their businesses, as users of both the repair shop and Three Dogs Customs end up spending their time at the Saloon and/or Motel whilst they wait for the repairs/modifications to be done.

Rusty Forks Motel

This is a detached, 2-storey building near the saloon, but far enough away that stayers can park their vehicles/rigs nearby without disturbing the operations of the Saloon. It has eight rooms in total, as well as a small reception/security area and facilities room, which has a couple of laundry machines, dryers, and ice machines. Each of the rooms has the absolute bare minimum - a double-bed, a sofa and television (the sofa can be quickly converted into a third bed), and a small bathroom with shower. Although the rooms are intended for typically solitary truckers, or biker couples, who would typically only need one bed, each room has a single cupboard which contains two inflatable single beds, an air pump, and a few sheets just in case of the odd occasion that a small group or family may actually spend the night. Due to the proximity to Ashford, Lilah knows that few people will employ her motels as they might other roadside motels along the highway, so the motel is aimed mostly at truckers who stop, refuel, maybe get some vehicle repairs or servicing done, eat and drink at the saloon, then spend the night at the motel (though many just crash on the saloon floor, which Lilah is perfectly ok with) before continuing on their way the next day. Families rarely do this. Cleverly, the rooms have both an overnight and an hourly rate, popular for clients who get lucky with the bar staff or other clients and need to get a room quickly.

Personality

Lilah Fox

Lilah is initially friendly with everyone - she generally like peoples, although she thinks of men as big children, and likes to have a good time with them. She is quick to laugh, dance and even sing. She loves the vibrancy of mortality and being a good hostess enables her to live vicariously through that. What tends to come as a surprise to people, considering Lilah's famed roughness, is that she's quite an active reader - and enjoys classical literature as well as being a student of confucianism. More than one elder has been quite surprised when she has recited Homer, Chaucer or Confucius as a retort to what they believed would be a stinging barb against an unsophisticated Brujah.

When people get out of line or show disrespect, however, that's when the ass-whooping begins. Whilst Lilah has a reputation for being violent, hot-tempered and somewhat mean, she thinks it's a bad rep spread by pussies and social justice warriors. Some people just need to grow a pair. She will say that she ends a lot of fights, but she rarely starts one - although she admits her definition of when the fight "starts" is loose... she often throws the first (and typically the only and last) punch but says that it was the natural development to them being an asshole who deserved it.

People seem to fall into two categories - those who love her, and those who despise her. Amongst the kind, most love her for her charm, fun-loving personality and general likability. Her open-mindedness, honesty and ability to accept everyone at face value (unless they prove otherwise) and with respect has actually made her a friend of the Gangrel clan and she knows virtually every nomadic Gangrel or Brujah in Kern County, if not California. Whilst not as admired by the Nosferatu and Malkavians, even they also respect her. Whilst her Saloon may not (and never will) be considered Elysium, she has a good enough reputation for honesty and impartiality (and fame for knocking sense into those who misbehave - literally) that her Saloon is often used as a neutral ground betwen Clans (and at times, with Lupines). She is known to be a very loyal and reliable friend to those who have earnt it and, although she would never consider herself to be a mentor to anyone, nor even a wise person, many of Ashford's neonates (especially the Brujah, Gangrel and those with Anarch sympathies or allegiance) look up to her and frequently call on her for advice, which she always gives freely without expectation of boons or recompense - even if it's typically "tough love" that may be painful (sometimes, very literally and physically).

The other side of the coin are those that hate her - typically those of the high clans who cannot cope with the fact that Lilah is a free spirit who does what she wants and refuses to allow others to control her, and she is renown for getting physically violent to repay respected kindred who have crossed or insulted her. She has been banned from Elysium on many occasions and sanctioned by the previous Prince and Sheriff multiple times - and it is thought that she was tolerated as much as she was simply because she was a part of Ashford's conquest, and she always knew just where the line was and stopped just short of the point of no return. More than one Ventrue, Toreador and Tremere have underestimated her cunning and crossed her, just to find out why she was once known as the Dragon Fox as she tears down their mortal influences and disrupts their assets like a raging dragon. It is hard to stop her when she has little to lose and intends to simply hurt you, without gaining anything for herself. Most who hate her have learnt to simply avoid her. Since her domain moved from Downtown Ashford to the more remote City in the Hills area in Northeast Ashford, this has made things easier for those she would naturally clash with as their respective interests rarely interact.

At her core, Lilah is a survivor and looks out for herself and those she cares about but won't ever let anyone tell her what to do again. It is rumoured that she has been romantically involved with "Mo", one of the few Toreadors she actually gets along with, but others believe that she has been hurt so many times in the past by the loss or betrayal of those she loved that she is now afraid to let herself again get too attached to anyone who could hurt her.

Other Notes

Lilah is the unofficial leader of the also-unofficial coterie sometimes referred to as the Midnight Motors. It is simply a strong connection between three kindred all of who have a common interest: motors. The other coterie mates currently constitute:

• Morena "Mo" Arjona - a Toreador artiste with a passion for engineering, especially motorcycles and (to a lesser degree). Mo owns the Three Dogs Customs custom modification shop at the northern end of Lilah's lot. Mo is quite introvert and happy to avoid the pitfalls of kindred society and just work on making custom motorcycles and other vehicles, which she sees as works of art.
• Evelynn "Eve" Wren - a Gangrel who works as a courier and scout, who can operate pretty much anything with an engine, including aircraft, but has a particular fondness for motorcycles. Eve frequents the Rusty Forks, frequently employing its repair shop (typically doing the repairs herself if she's not in a hurry) and socialising with Lilah and Mo at the Saloon.

Combat Style

Lilah is a powerhouse. During her mortal days she spent her entire childhood doing manual labour, then in adulthood was a dancer and later Madam of a saloon, frequently getting involved with fights and regularly beating men larger than her. So although Lilah never did any formal physical or combat training, she entered unlife in good physical shape, stronger and tougher than she appeared and able to handle herself. And two centuries of refusing to take any shit from anyone, living by the codes "don't tread on me" and "live free or die" have only hardened her. She has a well-earned reputation of being someone you should simply not fuck with.

Lilah has a level of mastery of her clan's Potence Discipline that higher-generation kindred are simply incapable of, as well as near-mastery of Celerity and some Fortitude she has picked up thanks to being popular with Gangrels. Whilst her toughness level does not rival that of ancilla Ventrue or Gangrels her offensive Disciplines, physicality and incredible unarmed combat skills makes her a deadly "Blitzer" - tough enough to survive taking a few hits whilst delivering blows of her own that can take down almost any opponent. Little short of an elder Gangrel or a Lupine presents a physical threat to her, and she has been known to defeat both.

However Lilah is no common thug relying on pure brute force. She is clever enough to know when to rely on unarmed combat - typically to put kine, neonates, or prissy ancilla in their place, but against serious threats such as a Lupine attack, she will more likely rely on weapons to attempt to minimise taking damage. She typically carries a Colt Python revolver on her person, which has sufficient stopping power to give pause to most kindred and, paired with silver bullets, a deadly threat to most lupines. Although she's no marksman, she has practised (or needed to employ it) sufficient times to be a decent shot, especially when her high natural dexterity and Celerity are factored in. When near her car or at the Rusty Forks Saloon, she keeps a Remington M870 shotgun (and silver pellets) nearby if she needs heavier firepower.

When needing to use lethal force in melee combat, but attempting to preserve the masquerade, Lilah will typically employ whatever is in the area - bar stools, tables or similar. But if deliberately anticipating trouble, she has a tomahawk axe that she picked up during her travels with Quincy Gale (aka Keith Karloff) when they ran across a Cherokee war party whilst travelling across Texas during what would be called the Comanche Campaign, a part of the Texas-Indian wars. It belonged to the party's leader and is kept as a memento, but is sturdy enough that Lilah still uses it when needed.

And yet, all of this, unbelievable, is Lilah restraining herself. When she decides to throw the Masquerade to the wind, her elder-level mastery of Potence enables her to focus the power of her blood (which she refers to as channeling qi as she developed the ability whilst learning Southern Dragon Kung Fu) to be able to apply precise and overwhelming force to objects and destroy them. This allows her to destroy weapons, body armour or shields, cover or even vehicles with relative ease and impressive speed; eliminating the advantage opponents might have. Another application of similar process, but channeling qi energy from her Celerity and Potence disciplines, enables her fists to be almost as deadly as Protean or Lupine claws - shredding opponents flesh with ease in a destructive fury to which only the Discipline of Fortitude or body armour offers any resistance (if she has not already destroyed it, that is).

Social Style

Lilah Fox

Those in polite society will claim that Lilah is a rattlesnake and cannot be approached without fear of receiving a venomous bite. Those that know her say this is utter bullshit made by those too up their own asses to try to understand her. Lilah's "don't tread on me" motto means exactly that and, like the rattlesnake she has taken as her emblem, is not to be feared if it is left in peace and not antagonised. As she points out, rattlers only bite when they feel threatened by an aggressor, or when hunting for food. Most who know her will admit she has a fiery temper - but also shrug and state "well, she IS a Brujah!" as if it's the most obvious revelation ever.

Fact is that most who know her say that Lilah is a highly likable individual who is a great hostess, ensuring those in her establishment are treated well by her staff and entertained; bikers or truckers who are alone are introduced to others for good company. She wants everyone in her Saloon to be happy and have a good time, and this attitude extends outside of business affairs into a general ethos regarding others. Yes, she can be fiery and her potty-mouth would make a sailor blush, but those who can see beyond that find her easy to get along with and quick to make new friends. Her door is always open to those who need help or advice, and she gives it freely without any attached conditions or boons - something few kindred, much the less elders, would willingly do.

That is, unless they screw it up. Lilah will state she has zero bullshit tolerance and this is highly visible. If approached with respect and honesty (she understands the difference between politeness and respect; she is far more likely to lose her temper at a Toreador's polite but subtle put-down, than a kine calling her by a derogatory term out of jest or ignorance) then she reciprocates easily. Those who prove their loyalty and trustworthiness over time (via actions, such as helping her or her friends out when needed) will easily gain her trust and make a powerful ally. Those who attempt to manipulate her or step on her domain... well... they'd simply better hope they get away with it, or they may not regret it for long.

Signature Equipment

Queen Anne flintlock pistol

• Colt Python revolver (.357in Magnum) - Lilah's main sidearm outside her Saloon.
• Remington Model 870 Shotgun - One is kept under the bar at the Rusty Forks saloon and another in the trunk of her Shelby... just in case.
• Tomahawk (Axe) - picked up whilst travelling around America with Quincy/Keith. Usually kept as ornament at the Saloon, but Lilah often takes it when she's expecting trouble and wants to take a melee weapon with her.
• Queen Anne flintlock pistol - Once belonged to Zebulon Wilson, Lilah's mortal ex-husband and the first person she ever killed, using his own weapon. The pistol is kept as souvenir above the bar and, although it is in good condition for display purposes, is likely to explode in the hand if anyone tries to use it after all this time.
• Several classic or custom vehicles, all carefully maintained and modified as required to be able to operate using modern gas. Only the 1968 Shelby is used on a regular basis as transportation, although the Chopper is occasionally used if she thinks it more appropriate, is in the mood, or when going for a motorcycle ride with her Midnight Motors coterie friends:

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  1907 Ford Model K Roadster

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  1932 Ford Roadster Pickup

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  1968 Shelby Cobra GT500KR

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  Custom Chopper "Rattler" created by Mo

Signature Quotes

• "I know that you policemen have to make your money on the side and that we have to pay you for protection, and that's all right. I know that you have to have a raid every once in a while and fine us, and that's all right. But there's one thing I object to. I object to you writing the charge against me for maintaining a disorderly house. I want to have you know that I have the most quiet, respectable, ladylike whores south of the Mason-Dixon Line."
• "Well, I'm clearly not ugly!"
• "I'm a passionate individual, and sometimes when I have strong feelings about a subject, I feel the need to express myself. By breaking someone's face."
• "Hold your head high, and your middle finger higher."
• "I need to hold onto my soul and my integrity, and I can't compromise that."

Gallery

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  Lilah Fox

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  Lilah Fox

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  Lilah Fox

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  Lilah Fox

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  Lilah's emblem and tattoo

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  Rusty Forks lot

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