With the domain of North focused upon themselves as usual, the Sabbat of Washington DC had become forgotten. In a surgically precise strike, the del Armago family breached the Sabbat's Washington defenses and began removing them systematically. Within a month they had cleared out over 90 percent of the remaining forces and secured the city, not for the Camarilla, for they were the organization that had betrayed them in the past. They secured the city for themselves and founded the Lasombra Freehold of Washington DC. Santiago sets up Shadowlaw Industries, the front company from which they control every aspect of the mortal community with an iron glove.

The del Armago family now controlled the most powerful and influential city in the world. The Nations Capitol.

With the freehold established, Santiago and Edith broke away from the Camarilla officially, renouncing their status and taking a number of citizens from the domain of North Virginia with them. In a bit of humor, Gangrel Sean McHeath manipulated Ventrue Prince Samuel du Pont into removing the acknowledged status of Santiago, Edith and Juliana, 20 minutes after they publicly renounced it. Du Pont, outsmarted and outmatched by the Gangrel, removed the no longer existing status. Ramano seemed amused with this, but secretly, he was anything but!

Ramano soon after left the domain; saying that he had business awaiting him in Europe that couldn't wait any longer. He left North Virginia in the hands of his family while he contended with his own issues.

On their own, the Freehold infrequently visited the domain of North Virginia. William, while a member of the freehold, opted to remain living within North Virginia and wish to associate himself with the citizens of that city. An associate of theirs, Duncan Rodgers of clan Malkavian developed a Kindred bloodborne viral agent which the group planned to use against the remaining Sabbat left in Washington DC.

Once word that such a virus (named sigma 23) even existed, citizens of North Virginia became panicky and feared that the freehold would use such a weapon against them. Du Pont, frightened and once again overwhelmed, contacted the freehold in the attempt to calm his frightened citizens. The Freehold, amused with the skittishness of North Virginia, had a

26

History of the Del Armago Family in America

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