Greetings fellow Methuselahs,

This month we have the privilege to begin the letter with this exquisite artwork by Kim Aldau for a new card in the upcoming Path of Power and the Inner Voice Sabbat preconstructed deck. This is the card:

 

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NAC 2025 UPCOMING – WITH VERY SPECIAL PREVIEW EVENT!

Time again for the North American Championship and the Week of Nightmares! Welcome to beautiful Columbus, Ohio and the Origins Game Fair. 13 touraments, including a special pre-release.

Sun June 15: Week of Nightmares event 1
Mon June 16: Week of Nightmares event 2 + 3
Tue June 17: Week of Nightmares event 4 + 5
Wed June 18: Week of Nightmares event 6 + 7 (<---This is the special event!)
Thu June 19: Origins Thurday 1 + Thursday 2
Fri June 20: Origins Friday 1 + Friday 2 
Sat June 21: Origins North American Championship
Sun June 22: Origins Sunday

Please, check the VEKN Event Calendar for details about each of these events.

The Week of Nightmares Wednesday evening tournament is a pre-release event for the new Sabbat preconstructed decks. The time is 6 PM, the place is R Bar Arena, 413 N Front Street. Pay $20 entry fee and you’ll randomly receive one of the four new decks:
– Path of Caine
– Path of Cathari
– Path of Death and the Soul
– Path of Power and the Inner Voice

See the original announcement for more information. 

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REGISTER TO EC 2025 BEFORE JULY 31 – GET A BONUS GIFT!

To give an extra push for early registration (which helps ease event costs), Black Chantry Productions is offering a special bonus: Everyone who registers before July 31 will receive 1 copy of The Unaligned 1 + 1 copy of The Unaligned 2! Yes, that is the bundles from the 2021 crowdfunding, found in the lower basement of the most remote storehouse. This bonus gift in addition to other perks and surprises we’ll be revealed in the coming weeks and months.

Register at vtes-ec2025.org

Again: The early bird deadline is July 31!

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MARTIN WEINMAYER IS THE 2025 CHAMPION OF SERBIA!

This event took place in Belgrade on May 3 with 23 players.

Read the full report: Serbia National Championship 2025

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RATHPEX WINS GRAND PRIX SYDNEY 2025!

This tournament was held at Good Games Town Hall in Sydney on May 18 with 17 players. 

Read the full report: Grand Prix Sydney 2025

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KARL SCHAEFER WINS GRAND PRIX MADISON 2025!

This leg of the North American Cup was played with 14 players in Madison, Wisconsin on May 17. It was the first event in the city in 10 years!

Read the full report: Grand Prix Madison 2025

The North American Cup so far:

• Gap, Pennsylvania January 18: Winner Albert Presto with Tzimisce G6 stealth-bleed.

• Los Angeles, California February 16: Winner Mark Jasper with Unmada stealth-bleed.

• Dallas, Texas March 23: Winner Matt Hodsdon with Banu Haqim Haqim's Law: Retribution stealth-bleed.

• Montreal, Canada April 26: Winner Alexandre Bustros.

• Madison, Wisconsin May 17: See above.

The cup final will be played sometime during the 2025 Week of Nightmares in Columbus, Ohio.

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FIRST ATHENS TOURNAMENT EVER!

We normally show CC, NC or GP level tournament here, but we make an exception for this one: Athens, Greece, has held their first ever sanctioned VTES tournament. This happened with 20 players from Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Denmark on May 31.

The final table was Malkavian Dementation stealth-bleed -> Ministry Nonu Dis stealth-bleed -> Malkavian wall -> Baali The Unnamed stealth-bleed -> Toreador stealth-vote/bleed.

Congratulations to the winner Jan Kočí!

The tournament winning decklist: “Oldschool wall”

Crypt (12 cards)
2x Victoria 5 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
1x Aleph 4 AUS dom Malkavian:1
2x Zöe 3 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
1x Dollface 3 aus obf Malkavian:1
1x Isabel de Leon 3 AUS Toreador:2
1x Watenda 3 obf Malkavian:2
1x Brazil 2 aus Malkavian:1
3x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:ANY

Library (70 cards)
Master (13; 3 trifle)
1x Anarch Revolt
1x Asylum Hunting Ground
2x Direct Intervention
1x Erciyes Fragments, The
2x Madness Network
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
3x Vessel

Action (2)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
1x Constant Revolution

Ally (3)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
1x Muddled Vampire Hunter
1x Ossian

Equipment (6)
3x .44 Magnum
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Ivory Bow
1x Sniper Rifle

Combat (4)
4x Disguised Weapon

Reaction (42)
2x Delaying Tactics
6x Eagle's Sight
4x Enhanced Senses
8x Eyes of Argus
4x Forced Awakening
3x My Enemy's Enemy
4x On the Qui Vive
2x Precognition
1x Spirit's Touch
8x Telepathic Misdirection

Good luck with future organised play Athens!

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RECRUITMENT EXCERCISE: WELCOMING NEW METHUSELAHS IN NIORT, FRANCE

Reported by Christophe Baltazar, VEKN National Coordinatior of France:

Welcoming new players is always a highlight for any gaming community. Thanks to the Virtuel association (association-virtuel.fr) in Niort, 17 new Methuselahs were initiated into Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, facing off in the eternal conflict in an atmosphere that was both friendly and strategic.

Among the participants, several came from the world of role-playing games, which made it easier for them to dive into the gothic universe of the World of Darkness. After a brief introduction to the setting and core mechanics — taking down one’s prey while protecting oneself from a predator — the tables were set and ready for battle.

Event overview: Duration: 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Number of tables: 4. Total games played: 4. Participants: 20. Format: New Blood decks with 25 pool – no time limit.

Each table had access to six New Blood decks, allowing players to choose the clan that suited them best. Every game was guided by an experienced player who helped the newcomers learn the rules step-by-step. A big thank you to Black Chantry and VEKN France for generously sending these introductory decks!

The games started at staggered times, beginning at 9:30 PM for the first table and around 10:30 PM for the last. In total, four tables of five players each kept the night lively.

 
Table 1 – Hosted by Pierre

Antoine (Nosferatu) hunted Antoine (Banu Haqim), who targeted Samuel (Ventrue), who went after Caroline (Toreador), who hunted Fabien (Malkavian), who closed the loop by pursuing the first Antoine.

Caroline (Toreador) made smart use of political actions early on and quickly scored a victory point. Later, the Nosferatu managed to score two points, but the Toreador ultimately dominated with three, showing strong control over political scheming.

Victory Points: Toreador 3, Nosferatu 2.

 
Table 2 – Hosted by Teil

Jade (Gangrel) hunted Valentin (Nosferatu), who targeted Olivier (Tremere), who went after Lucie (Malkavian), who pursued Jérémy (Ventrue), who in turn targeted Jade.

The Malkavian gained the upper hand over the Ventrue, while the Nosferatu, with their rat army, slowly weakened and eliminated the Tremere, already worn down by constant revolts. After letting the Gangrel shine for a moment, the Malkavian seized the tempo and won the final duel.

Victory Points: Malkavian 3, Gangrel 1, Nosferatu 1.

 

 
Table 3 – Hosted by the author

Pierre (Tremere) hunted Patrick (Ventrue), who targeted Romain (Ministry), who chased François (Banu Haqim), who pursued Thomas (Nosferatu), who tried to reach Pierre.

The Nosferatu had a rough start, getting intercepted on every action — even the smallest ones, like recruiting a Underbridge Stray or an Owl Companionl. The Tremere and Banu Haqim punished them severely. Despite being reduced to just 1 pool, the Banu Haqim managed to eliminate the Nosferatu.

Patrick (Ventrue) then used Misdirection smartly to oust Romain (Ministry). After a tense duel with the Banu Haqim, the Ventrue faced the Tremere wall — well-prepared and resilient to the end. The game concluded in a draw.

Victory Points: Ventrue 2, Tremere 2, Banu Haqim 1.

 
Table 4 – Started Later, With Experienced Support

This table included experienced members to round out the initial two players. Telly (Malkavian) hunted Jonathan (Nosferatu), who went after Alexandre (Brujah), who targeted Stoof (Banu Haqim), who pursued Thibault (Toreador), who circled back to Telly.

Telly quickly took control by eliminating the Nosferatu with a well-placed vote and severely weakening the Brujah (down to 1 pool). However, this aggression raised suspicion, and his subsequent votes were all blocked. Alexandre (Brujah) seized his opportunity, won his confrontations with the Banu Haqim, and eliminated the Toreador. As the night wore on, the game was called, with the Brujah ahead.

Victory Points: Brujah 2.5, Malkavian 1.5.

 
Looking ahead

To keep the VTES momentum going, a WhatsApp group was created to connect all interested players and help organize future sessions.

A huge thank-you once again to Virtuel for the event organization and promotion. Given the enthusiastic feedback from many participants, the association’s board is now considering setting up a dedicated VTES section. This activity would complement the regular Friday board game slot, with the medium-term goal of hosting competitive events.

Credit photo: Telly_Shoot

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REMINDER: WELCOME TO THE OPEN PLAYTEST OF TWO-PLAYER VTES!

There is a playtest of 1-versus-1 duel format of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, and YOU can join! Anyone can test and report results and thoughts, and everything you need to know – rules, tournament rules, decklists, lists of cards allowed and feedback form – is at this dedicated playtest site. After some tweaks, we hope this will be both an easy way to get into “real VTES” and an interesting game in itself – please, give it a try, and report what you think!

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BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: MAY 2025

• New Blood Hecata and Lasombra should be in stores when you read this! There was a last minute delay at the print shop, but packs were for sale at the UKGE and should appear close to you now or anytime soon.

• Hugh Angseesing, Luke Greensmith, Mikey Ferguson, Beth Powell and James Freimuller staffed the BCP booth at UKGE, Birmingham. Thanks to all who dropped by for a friendly word, demo or purchase!

• Another spoiler season has launched – see the top of this newsletter. The fourth playtest round of the Sabbat precons was quick and bloody, and now all the new awesomeness are off for a first printrun to appear at the Week of Nightmares in Columbus. The big European printing will be sometime this summer. Look forward to a steady flow of more previews.

• The New Blood packs for Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce will be in stores AFTER the Sabbat precons, some time in late 2025.

• Please try out the 1-versus-1-variant of VTES in the open playtest – see above in this newsletter!
 

 

• Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, Drivethrucards.com and other stores:
Lost Kindred bundle (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
Promo Pack 4 (For promotion only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Echoes of Gehenna
Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Hecata (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Hecata (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French)

Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

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RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

Things are happening! Let us share this message from WHITE WOLF unedited:

White Wolf Returns, Freshly Embraced as the Official Licensing and Publishing Entity of World of Darkness

White Wolf Working Alongside Paradox Interactive as a Co-Publisher for Vampire: The Masquerade–Bloodlines 2; Tabletop Role-Playing Game Development Moving In-House

STOCKHOLM – MAY 23, 2025 – World of Darkness today announced that it is rebranding to White Wolf and is now the official licensing and publishing entity for all its transmedia properties, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and Hunter: The Reckoning. As part of the rebrand, White Wolf and Paradox Interactive are working together as co-publishers for Vampire: The Masquerade–Bloodlines 2, launching in October 2025. Additionally, World of Darkness tabletop role-playing game and IP development will move in-house, enabling the studio to expand and deepen its commitment to games and gameplay systems that complement its story worlds.

This marks a new era for White Wolf, empowering the brand to work closely with partners to create interconnected stories and develop more products for fans. White Wolf is unifying its vast story worlds and building on its legacy of celebrated entertainment properties that resonate with its audience.

Operating as an independent entity within Paradox Interactive, White Wolf oversees products set in World of Darkness story worlds across all major media, including video games, tabletop role-playing games, board games, streaming shows, and more. All White Wolf projects, licensed or published, will have direct access to the brand’s development resources and marketing support. White Wolf has access to a global network of distributors and partners, ensuring that World of Darkness fans worldwide can experience the brand’s compelling stories.

"The Wolf is back, baby! I’m incredibly excited and proud to bring back White Wolf as an independent business entity, taking the legendary World of Darkness IP portfolio into the future. Establishing a dedicated publishing wing for our internally developed tabletop role-playing games strengthens our already successful licensing business. This lets us develop both classic and new IPs faster and with a clearer long-term transmedia vision, always in collaboration with our passionate fans and partners," said Marco Behrmann, World of Darkness Executive Vice President at Paradox Interactive. "The White Wolf name echoes in eternity, with strong brand recognition across entertainment sectors, including game makers, licensing partners, retailers, and distributors. This rebirth is a huge win for our fans because it empowers us to create the products, experiences, and worlds they want to explore."

White Wolf is led by Marco Behrmann (World of Darkness Executive Vice President), Jason Carl (Brand Marketing Manager), Nikola Filipov (Director of Licensing), and other key members who have been instrumental in World of Darkness’ ongoing success. 

Originally founded in 1991, White Wolf pioneered deep, narrative-driven, and mature role-playing games with the launch of Vampire: The Masquerade, which became a breakout hit. After Vampire: The Masquerade’s success, White Wolf continued to expand its profound lore and worldbuilding, creating more standout properties, including Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Hunter: The Reckoning, and more. As White Wolf enters a new era, the brand maintains its roots with products that are high-quality, mature, and contemporary experiences.

(Link to original press release)

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CALENDAR

Major events coming up:
June 7: Brazil National Championship, Rio de Janeiro
June 7: Philippines National Championship, Manila
June 15-20: Week of Nightmares Columbus, Ohio
June 21: Grand Prix Brisbane
June 21: North American Championship Columbus, Ohio
June 28: National Championship Spain
July 5: Grand Prix Warsaw
July 6: National Championship Poland
July 12: National Championship Switzerland
July 20: National Championship Belgium
August 9: National Championship Norway
August 16: Grand Prix Herne
August 23: Grand Prix Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi
August 30: Grand Prix Auckland
September 6: Asian Championship, Mandaluyong, Philippines
September 6: Grand Prix Sul Americano (Campina Grande, Brazil)
September 13: Grand Prix Harmelen
October 4: Grand Prix New Orleans, Louisiana
October 13-16: Week of Nightmares Aarhus
October 17: European Championship Aarhus
October 25: Oceania Championship, Melbourne, Australia
December 6: Grand Prix Vidor, Texas
December 14: Grand Prix Cearense

Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia x3
Brazil x8
Chile
Czech Republic
Finland x2
France x2
Hungary x3
Italy x2
Mexico
Netherlands
Philippines
Poland x2
South Africa x2
Spain x5
UK
USA x18

For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar. Also, check out the World of Darkness Community Map.

Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!

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CONTACT VEKN

You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.

He who opens a school door, closes a prison.