A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations

(Basel, Switzerland, on the French and German Border)
(The Giovanni Chronicles 2: Blood & Fire; The Giovanni Chronicles 3: The Sun Has Set)
It was in the 15th century, at the end of the Anarch Revolt, and specifically at the Convection of Thorns, that the Sabbat was formulated as an answer to the oppressing and never-forgiving Camarilla, the brainchild of Hardestadt the Elder. The nascent Sabbat was all about violence and payback, but soon its spiritual leaders understood evolution was imperative in order for it to survive. They had fallen too deep into the clutches of their Beasts by shedding their Humanity, and were now left vulnerable to losing everything, forever. Eventually, around the middle of the 17th century, more than a handful of the Sabbat’s brightest minds decided to hide themselves from the outside world and began developing the Paths of Enlightenment to satisfy both the sect’s mentality and the Beast’s urges[1].
Their place of choice was an almost abandoned Augustinian monastery built in the 13th century. It was established where the borders of Switzerland, France and Germany met, in the outskirts of the Swiss city of Basel. Perched on the side of the Alpine mountainside, heavy forest and jagged crags surrounded the fortress-like monastery. No horse or carriage moved past a certain point, providing the safety and isolation that the group needed at the time[2]. The chilling winds, torrents of rain and ghouled monks were the only companions of those Cainites during the seemingly endless nights of introspection and struggle—perhaps apart from random packs of vampires seeking refuge or enlightenment on their way to tamer lands. But even these traveling Cainites dared not to travel further than the Monastery’s immediate surroundings, fearing a rather large pack of aggressive Lupines that patrolled the surrounding forest, waiting for a chance to strike upon the “Wyrm-tainted” Leeches[3].
Among the Sabbat ancillae was a manipulative and tempered Lasombra named Lord Alexandre[4], childe of the infamous Lord Marcus, the original creator of the Path of Power and Inner Voice[5]. The Corsair Lord, falling far from the bloody average of his clanmates, spent his nights in the Monastery defining the finer points of the Path, as well as cultivating a rather unusual garden. What began as a hobby of Lady Meridie de Chancie, a Brujah antitribu,[6] Lord Alexandre managed to take under his personal care. It was one of the least alarming ways to experiment with his Abyssal powers, while not raising any suspicions from the other residents. Although not so successful at first, through trial and error, he managed to produce some results.
However, in his subterranean chambers, even darker experiments took place. Shadows waned and waxed although no draft of air disturbed the candlesticks. Behind the closed doors he summoned, killed and dissected denizens of the Abyss, furthering his understanding and reporting his findings to his sire, Lord Marcus. There were times when his control over them would deteriorate and they would escape, but he would hunt them down and obliterate them, perhaps carelessly using the dark arts. Fortunate for Lord Alexandre, the infernal pursuits of the Setite, Intisar, on the Path of Evil Revelations took the spotlight[7] and allowed him to work through the rest of the Sabbat ancillae, pitting one against the other and finally claiming the Black Monastery for his own base of operations[8].
If one was to travel to that almost forgotten place now, they would be greeted by unnatural shadows that would brush through their clothes, always caressing, not unlike a blind man trying to realize the shape of an unfamiliar face. Some would also find part of their memories momentarily forgotten, their train of thought derailed, or just wandering around aimlessly, pondering. And, if one were to reach the Monastery itself, they would have to hack through a dense grove of wild rose bushes, emerging covered in a thick, black sap, and finding themselves lacking in Vitae. Past the thicket one would find the once sturdy wooden doors slightly unhinged, one resting on the other, with a pitch black darkness oozing from the crevice between them.
A brave soul could explore the interior and find it empty, abandoned as if in a hurry, with shadows everywhere, trying to smother all light sources. And, if that person dared to enter the largest of the cellars, they would encounter a sole survivor, struggling at the mercy of his creations. Only a husk remains now of what used to be Lord Alexandre[8], suspended in the air like a puppet on strings made of shadows, always muttering to himself. Black holes instead of eyes, his flesh wrapped around his bones and cranium, a weathered old cape hanging over tattered, once regal, clothes. Scattered beneath him are mummified bodies, laid one on top of another, all with a terrible expression of pain and suffering on their faces.
No one has escaped the Cellar of Murmurs, but those who have the Willpower to resist the Monastery’s dark allure still suffer from harrowing nightmares of shadows trying to pull them apart, pulling them towards nothingness, towards Oblivion.

The Black Monastery was only mentioned in The Giovanni Chronicles 2: Blood & Fire, as far as we can tell, thus we've taken the liberty of adding a bit of dimension to the source material found there. As always, the reader is encouraged to read the original material themselves and make their own determinations, especially if you do not feel the information we have provided is appropriate.
Thus, in the interest of aiding the discerning Storyteller in their quest for canon information, the author has provided footnotes and the following list of direct sources.
References: All references are from The Giovanni Chronicles 2: Blood & Fire, unless otherwise noted.
[1] Page 8
[2] Page 41
[3] Page 31
[4] Page 42
[5] Page 66
[6] Page 43
[7] Pages 52-54
[8] The Giovanni Chronicles 3: The Sun Has Set, pages 16-17