Run at Convolution 2012, Hyatt Regency SFO, Burlingame, CA, USA.

It’s 1948; tensions and paranoia are running wild. The mortals are all aware of Hitler and the horrors perpetrated by the Third Reich. Most of them don’t know about Kemmler the Necromancer, and the fact that many of the War’s worst atrocities can be traced to his influence. He’s vanished, but the White Council of Wizards thought they had killed him once before in 1890, so few are confident he’s gone for good.

In the wake of Kemmler’s disappearance, there have been flurries of activity by the White Council’s Wardens. Perhaps they overreact to the horrors that they have witnessed; there are certainly whispers that many of them are terribly quick to enact a field execution of an accused warlock. They’ve been particularly quick to dispose of anyone suspected of possibly being one of Kemmler’s students, and they’ve been destroying any and all copies of Kemmler’s books with unholy fervor.

For twenty years, the web of alliances created by the Treaty of New Orleans has made the Crescent City itself a neutral zone, a place where supernatural factions can meet and negotiate with one another in relative safety. There have been skirmishes from time to time, there is certainly rancor between factions, but the Treaty has held. Despite being a mortal, Michael Rossi has continued to distinguish himself as a leader among supernatural circles, as well as in the realms of organized crime.

Tonight, Rossi plays host to one of the region’s largest gatherings of arcane folk since the signing of the Treaty. Heavy security, opulent surroundings, and designation as Neutral Ground under the Treaty combine to make the Aces Wild Casino a perfect venue for this auction. Items of great and terrible mystic power are set to change hands. You can purchase knowledge, vengeance, or even immortality. Do you dare to seize your heart’s desire? And can you afford the price?

One thing is certain – not everything tonight is what it appears to be. Caveat emptor.