Established, 1282 in Prague under the Toreador Alexander (from Rome), called “The Wine Rack” and served wine only. Eventually expanded to a tavern (1295) and then and inn (fully by 1340).
What made this Rack different than other taverns was that normal patrons were served among the undead. Some of the employees were ghoul slaves that were used by others of the undead as feeders. This Wine Rack was differentiated by its logo, a chalice with a small ankh in its cup design.
Although the original (and Alexander) was destroyed by fire in 1420, the idea was carried westward. Alexander’s childe Leos of Prague established another Rack in Marseille, France.
Called “The Rack” it had a fine establishment of French wines, French prostitutes, and French feeders. Eventually it became a brothel and the name became synonomous with brothels. From Leos, it was lost in a card game in 1593 to the Malkavian Michele Truffaut, who ran it into the ground. He lost it in another card game (gambling addict) to the Roman Toreador Severus five years later.
Severus attempted to rebuild, but moved out of Marseille and further west to Medina del Campo, Spain, where, even though the Inquisition was in full swing, there were many bars and taverns still in use and still working underground. Many Kindred were holed up in these taverns, and lived only from the “kindness” of the servants of the taverns.
He trained the servants to understand and anticipate what was wanted by the different Kindred that came in. Some Kindred were attached to certain people and protected them. Severus weeded out the psychopaths and sadistic Kindred, keeping the rack itself pure and without fighting. He became known for keeping a good house, without fighting and the place became one of the few Elysium in Spain.
Severus became Prince of Leon and left his tavern to his recent childe Boroquia, who had decided to take his tavern and travel to the new world. In 1733, Boroquia took a boat and landed in Rhode Island, establishing a tavern in Newport.
Randy Darkmoore (an English artist and horticuluralist) eventually came off the boat from Ireland in 1808, landing first in Newport. He eventually got into Boroquia’s good graces, and, after summoned (allegedly) by his sire back to Spain in 1882, he inherited The Rack, changing it again into an inn and allowed certain Kindred who paid him access to the sleeping patrons. Eventually he stopped the inn, as it was becoming “haunted”, renamed it a tavern, then eventually the bar which it has remained.
Using Severus’ model, he hired employees that were let in on a mystical secret. His hired employees were all from the underground, or with dark pasts that he could exploit. He did nothing to help them out of their dark and dingy lives, except provide them with The Kiss and with rituals of “art and wonder” where he was the center of attention.
Randy was kidnapped and killed by Sabbat, after Anilia informed on him, because Randy would not embrace her. Anilia’s actual age is 78, and she had been ghouled in her late 20’s. Randy was kidnapped six months before Bomber found the place, long enough for the Blood Bond to fade.
Anilia was going to ask the prior Prince to oversee the bar before she faded to her true age, but then Bomber happened to show up, and then the Prince was overthrown…
Present history:
To kine, it’s a goth club. To those in the know: The Rack is an Elysium, and provides humans for other vampires to feed from in the VIP room which can be sealed off from the rest of the club. Some people are marked with the a tattoo of a pair of holes in the neck with a drop of blood dripping from the lower hole. Anilia is the bar’s manager in charge of those who are marked. The marked ones are considered the actual “Rack” and vampires can choose to feed from them as needed. Bomber, however, makes sure that the one chosen is okay with going with the vampire.
Bomber’s in charge of the ones who aren’t marked, including the bouncers, DJ’s, bartenders, and coat checkers. Many of the employees are working for “the Kiss”. All the employees are aware of the “drug” being available and are sworn to secrecy about it. They know that Bomber has created it, and Bomber is the only one who dispenses it. Most of them aren’t aware of his vampiric nature, but some suspect he’s at least a meta.
The total number of employees in The Rack are:
6 bartenders (on rotation)
12-15 bouncers (on rotation)
4 DJ’s (plus guest DJ’s and bands)
10 “Bitten” – those of The Rack, considered regulars.
He dispenses his blood to all the Bitten, 8 of the bouncers, 1 of the DJ’s, and 2 of the bartenders, as well as Anilia, the manager. He also does Anilia on the side.
The hours are:
Monday – closed
Tuesday – Sunset-midnight (Goth music)
Wednesday – Sunset-midnight (Dry night/80’s retro)
Thursday – Sunset – 2 a.m. (Goth/Techno)
Friday – Sunset – Dawn (80’s retro/Goth/Techno)
Saturday – Sunset – Dawn (Disco/Goth/Techno)
Sunday – Sunset – midnight (Techno/Trance)
The types of music changes throughout the night.
Jake Muller is Bomber’s personal bodyguard and manager of the bouncers. Bomber keeps them all blood bound by putting his blood in the coffee. Yes, it tastes weird, but the employees chalk it up to bad packages.