Alastar's Plans

This page describes Alastar Mac Caoileann's plans. He does not share his plans with simply anyone, so assume that the plans on this page are not known to others. I have marked OOC notes and game-play considerations with respect to plans in italics.

Alastar's plans are set out in three levels of increasing concreteness:

• Overarching Goals - his driving concerns and goals
• Efforts - efforts to support his overarching goals
• Currently Ongoing - current activities, plans and schemes in service to efforts and overarching goals

Some of the plans and schemes are only tangentially related to the overarching goals. Alastar is not a perfect machine of progress. Even though he can exhibit a remarkbly strong single-track mind and drive to achieve something, he sometimes deviates from his plans. Usually to do something that gives a more direct insight or reward, or simply because he thinks it is the right thing to do.

Alastar's actions and decision are guided by his overarching goals (in no particular order):

• Understanding - Insight in the history of the Kindred and the source of their supernatural power
• Philosophy - Insight into the philosophy and world view of other supernatural groups (such as the Kuei-Jin, the Followers of Set, the Assamite, etc.)
• Enlightenment - Achieve enlightenment by following the tennets of the Dance of the Thrashing Dragon
• Freedom - Freedom from the influences of powerful entities, eventually for everyone in the world

Alastar makes great effort to reach his overarching goals. He works on establishing a support infrastructure for his future endavours while at the same time delving deeper into the occult history of the world.

Alastar takes the long view with regards to setting up a corporate support network. He expects to be around for a long time and wants to have enough backing not to have to worry when it becomes necessary to throw around the weight of resources and influence to achieve a true goal.

He aims to set up several corporate branches under a single unified holding company. He will use the holding to consolidate his control while at the same time providing enough freedom for the separate branches to operate unburdened by too much bureaucracy. He values employee loyalty over profits, and makes sure his businesses support their employees, even outside of work.

Legal (though not necessarily ethical) corporate backing:

• Finance - asset management, private equity management and stock trading
  Current: Catai Aktienhandel und Finanzdienstleistungen
• Shipping - international container shipping with multiple freighters, and direct-delivery via courier
  Current: none
• Research - two-pronged: medical research aimed at blood diseases; technological research into financial automation
  Current: none
• Security - private security contractors and personal security services
  Current: none

Pseudo-legal and outright shady corporate backing:

• Brothels - great for getting vitae, and provides a low-intensity persistent source of influence on politicians
  Current: Lippe
• Escorts - ability to get inside high-profile buildings and more targetted influence
  Current: none

Alastar knows from his past that trusted officers and loyal supporters are a necessary, but not sufficient, component to achieving one's goals. To this end he keeps his eyes open for talented individuals. Having learned the value of seasoned ghouls, here too he takes the long view.

Before investing vitae in someone he observes and weighs a candidate's personality, seeking balanced individuals in advantegeous positions that can be guided into their eventual roles. He selects candidates on merit, and sees no value in subservient underlings and yes-men.

• Personal assistant - someone to take care of all the details
  Current: Lau Mei-yin
• Second-in-command for pseudo-legal activities - business must go in one's absence
  Current: Adala Wollschlaeger
• Public Relations - eventually it will be necessary to influence public opinion and squash stories where needed
  Candidate: Elke Katjar
• Security - personal security becomes a necessity beyond a certain point
  Candidate: no one
• Second-in-command for legal activities - business must go on and should not be directly associated with less legal activities
  Candidate: no one
• Lobbying - influencing politics requires strong coordination and contacts, and loyalty
  Candidate: no one

Alastar also works on building a network of contacts and relations that will afford him influence in the world. Again, this is done to support overarching goals. He prefers to build a relationship based on mutual beneficience, but is not above maintaining an asset through blackmail or threats if necessary.

He considers the Kine world more important than the Kindred community in the types of influence he seeks. Yet he does not downplay the value of Kindred contacts and relations, and hopes to build alliances that are atypical to most Kindred. Alastar is conscious about his selection of Kindred relations and contacts, and tries to befriend those that he thinks can really benefit from the relationship.

• Kine influences - rubbing elbows with the elite and knowing politicians offers high-level influence
  • Stiftung Wolliges Fledermausschutz - a wealthy charity that can be used to influence local policy making
  • Rotary Club Berlin-Süd - a membership of the exclusive club provides access to the wealthy and influential
• Kuei-Jin in Berlin - building a relationship with the Kuei-Jin in Berlin offers a hidden ally
• Kindred in Berlin - maintaining relations and contacts in Kindred groups in berlin provides insight and support in Kindred-only activities
  • Nichole (established) - an intimate relationship and blood bond with the ventrue primogen forged out of conflict over brothels
  • Forsaken (established) - a nosferatu with whom we have a mutually beneficial alliance, currently under our protection through ties with E-division
  • Ivonne Heidrich (reached out) - a tremere from the same chantry as Tomas, Alastar reached out because he feels that she is the underdog in the Chantry
  • Verena (reached out) - a toreador with the ear of the toreador primogen, Alastar reached out because he thinks she would like to outshine Elisabeth-Maria
• Kindred organisations - having ties to Kindred organisations makes other kindred more malleable
  • E-Division - ties with this high-powered organisation through Jessica Morrow have proven influential

Alastar's stay in Hong Kong has kindled in him a passion for Chinese history and philosophy. As he works on creating the resources he needs to work towards his overarching goals, he also works on gaining knowledge of chinese history, an appreciation for chinese art, and insight into chinese philosophy.

He has set himself certain goals to work towards:

• Weapon - the acquisition of a traditional Jian for actual use, and the training that is required
  Progress: none
• Four beauties - insights into the nature of the Four Beauties, possibly as supernatural beings; and the acquisition of artifacts related to them (a comb, hair brush, preserved clothing, jewelry etc.)
  Progess: none
• Forbidden City - investigating the occult relevance of the forbidden city as a centre of authority
  Progress: none
• History of the Kuei-Jin - knowledge about the development of the Kuei-Jin and their place in history
  Progress: none

The four beauties goal is interesting because it offers strong connections to both Occult subjects that could be of interest to Tomas, as well as possibly requiring Elisabeth-Maria's high Appearance or mystical attunement to unlock the secrets of the beauties' belongings.

This list is currently outdated – Update will come in before next session.