What Was Then…
Las Vegas has a unique and colorful history. The name is Spanish for "The Meadows" and was an oasis in the desolation of the surrounding desert aided by natural springs that brought precious water close to the surface. In 1905, the railroad was functioning, and Vegas was a prime water-stop along the arid route. Tent cities developed into a larger town and precious metals that had been found in the surrounding desert could now be brought to market with an ease as never before. The influx of money meant gambling, and speculation, and Vegas began to grow.
With the speculation came vampires. The first were here for the gaming tables, chased West by the lure of fresh territory and careless pockets. Once the vanguard had been established, more began to come. When land was sold for dollars an acre, the Greed vampires invested. The first was a man called Horatio Media, who quietly began buying parcels until he owned a large chunk of the scrub surrounding the town. When the military came to town in the 1940's, it was Horatio's land they wanted, and his wealth and power grew. Las Vegas' first Baron, Horatio's influence brought other vampires to town, and as the Corporations began to invest in Vegas, Horatio's children and associates were only too happy to accommodate.
Things change, and Horatio's long tenure was broken by a string of lesser masters, none with quite the same charisma and financial aptitude of Horatio Media. His children still lurk in Vegas, quietly manipulating the strings of real estate and finance as is their special gift. To claim kinship with Horatio Media is an honor in this town.
Vampires becoming legitimate came perhaps as less surprise to the people of Las Vegas than anywhere else in North America. Las Vegas has forever been a town where anything can happen, and usually does (for a price). The families moved forward into the spotlight, and the Greed vampires were quick to form entrepreneurial opportunities for all vampire kind. Lust vampires, who had been running brothels since the railroad days, opened nightclubs and cabarets, while Wrath vampires excelled in the gaming tables and staged bloody Ultimate Battles. Sloth vampires brought people to staff the huge resorts and managed them in conjunction with the local shifter groups. Envy vampires acted as impersonators and entertainers. Food was plentiful, and Las Vegas seemed a paradise on earth for the Dead who would never see Heaven.
