Blood of the South

[Fouredged Sword]

The air is heavy over Atlanta. It has been a hot and humid summer. Rain has been drizzling steadily, blocking the sun more then not.

Doesn't do you any good. The sun still burns through any natural clouds. A little less maybe, but burning to death slowly is not a great mercy compared to a quick fiery death.

You have all been living your unlives the best you can. Each of you was approached by a nos dressed in a large leather fireman's coat. He handed you a red letter envelope embossed with a stylized A.

It was a letter from the prince. Nobody else would have the gall to use this particular means of sending messages, and the face that it was delivered by the court sheriff reinforces that it is indeed official.

The sheriff in the leather jacket leaves without a word. The letter, once opened reveals that court has been declared non-discretionary this quarter. It contains a date and time (two hours after sunset) and specifies that you are to go to a establishment named "Joe's Bar". It is an out of the way dining hole you recognize as a open feeding ground.

Place yourself and explain how you arrive. First to post, first to arrive.

[runestone]

Sophia

The neon sign outside Conrad's Hotel had been flickering erratically every night since Sophia moved in, but tonight, a part of it seems to finally have given up, so the second half of the owners name is completely missing. Con Hotel. Not a bad description of the place.

As she leaves, she gives a curt nod to Conrad sitting behind the reinforced glass of the reception talking to one of the girls from his other business. As far as he was concerned, Sophia was working a more or less legal night shift somewhere in the city. That was true for many of his residents. He certainly wasn't a pleasant man, but you had to admit that he was good at not asking questions.

Outside, she goes to the garage door in the wall next to the entrance and unlocks it. The parking spot cost as much as her room. But there was nothing to be done about that. This wasn't a neighborhood where one would want to leave the bike in the street.

She had been invited, no summoned, to a meeting of the court. She had never attended one of those before. It would be her first chance to meet the prince, and it might show if this was really a place she could call home. She had better be there on time. Why was everybody else driving so slowly tonight? -- It takes her moment to realize that she is the one speeding.

She slows down, scolding herself. What a stupid way to attract attention. Driving a motorcycle in this weather was reckless enough as it was. Maybe she should have taken the car when she fled California instead of her bike, but that would have been conspicuous as well. A single woman staying in a fleabag hotel in a bad part of town driving an almost new SUV that had clearly been designed for the comfort and safety of family with kids. And the 'baby onboard' bumper sticker would probably have left a telltale mark.

The real problem was of course that it had been their car, the family car. And she was no longer family. The bike, on the other hand, was her own, though she hadn't had much time to ride it since Andrew was born.

Once again, she finds that her hand has tightened around the throttle and that the bike is going much faster than it is supposed to. Never drive angry, they say. Well, that was difficult these days. But she forces herself to concentrate on the coming meeting. It was important to make a good first impression on the court, and there would be no room for angry outbursts. Fortunately, she had always been good with people. Regaining her calm, she slows down and drives the last mile obeying all traffic regulations.

She stops the bike in the lot at Joe's Bar, but almost loses control of it as she is dismounting. It wasn't a big motorcycle, but she wasn't vey big either, and she had been in significantly better shape when she drove it regularly a couple of years ago. The job and the baby had left her no time to work out. Maybe she should try to do something about that. Was that even possible? Her hair and nails kept reverting to the length they had when she was embraced. Muscles would probably do the same. Or would they? There was so much she didn't know about

Her sire, Alexandra, hadn't had time to teach much about the life and society of the kindred. And Sophia had refused to accept much of what she had been taught. But now it would have been nice to know more about the customs and political structures of her kind. Anyway, things were probably different here. At least she hoped so.

Alexandra had taught her one thing, though. Always be prepared. Prepared for violence and prepared for treachery, and the final lesson had been so very efficient. She leaves the case with the old compound bow from her days on the archery team attached to the bike, but makes sure that her knife belt is securely attached under the leather jacket.

She takes of the helmet and secures it to the bike, checking that her short black hair is as wet as it should be. She always made sure to put water in it before driving to give the impression of the sweat that would inevitably make her hair cling to her head when she was still alive. It is amazing that one can come to miss perspiration.

Finally, she checks that the invitation is in her pocket and takes a deep breath to steel herself before approaching the door to the bar. Old habits die hard.

[Fouredged Sword]

Sophia enters the bar. It is a clean, open area. There is a green shield hanging on one wall, and a goblet standing on a stand behind the bar. The rest of the walls are covered in bar nick nacks that fill space.

The bar is somewhat full, and the bartender is a young lady, maybe in her early thirties. She is dark haired and seems to smile at everyone. The main crowd is grouped around the bar, and the bartender seems to be the main draw. She seems very busy, but takes time to talk to everyone.

Your eyes quickly notice someone who appears to be waiting for you. A vampire is waiting on a small table in the far corner of the bar. He is a 30 something man, attractive in a bookish way. He is nursing a whisky, not drinking, but watching the ice of his glass slowly melt. The hair on the back of your neck raises and you feel a sudden rush of fear as you react to the presence of a stronger predator. You see his face react in a little snarl as he suffers the reverse of this curse. Once the moment has died down he waves you over, a friendly smile smoothly replaces the scowl.

To know about the shield and goblet

Int + streetwise
pool 2 - [roll0]
[roll1]


Results

This bar is an esylum and a feeding ground. A green shield marks it esylum. It is forbidden for vampires to fight here. The goblet shows it as a feeding ground. Anyone can feed freely as long as one is very discrete. If the goblet was turned over, the feeding ground is closed, and you must go elsewhere to feed. If you kill a mortal in a feeding ground, there will be punishment, but not a serious one unless you force the feeding ground to close temporarily.

This area is unclaimed territory though, and that is odd. Normally it takes a powerful member of the local court to control an esylum, but you are fairly sure there are no signs of a premogen or coven leader here.

[Ezeze]

**** **** **** ****

Billy was late. Not very late, but a few minutes late to a meeting of vampires was like being days late to a gathering of more contemporary beings - punctuality being a mark of respect and all that.

She leaves her beat up old car in the first free spot she sees. It's not technically a legal spot, but it's not like anyone is going to be able to force her to pay tickets anyways. Undeath has its perks.

As she strolls inside she absentmindedly scans the crowd for any unusual auras. Esylum or not, it pays to be a little cautious.

Int + Streetwise to know about the bar
[roll0]
Extras: [roll1]
Edit: So that's 1 success, I think?

Int + Empathy + Auspex (in case anyone has a high enough composure to attempt a contested roll on the Aura Perception)
[roll2]
Extras: [roll3]
Wow. I rolled miserably. Just really, really badly. I guess she was looking more casually than I thought.

[runestone]

Sophia

Composing herself after the onslaught of emotion, Sophia gives the vampire a small nod as if to greet a friend or acquaintance before walking to his table.

As she approaches, she feels the hair on the back of her neck rising again, and she has to consciously suppress a snarl when she looks over her shoulder and sees a young woman entering the bar. Well, at least Sophia wasn't the only one who had been called here. She had actually imagined that there would be more of her kind in the bar.

She takes a chair at the table, and gives the unknown vampire a smile as she sits "I am Sophia. I have been summoned here tonight"

[Fouredged Sword]

Billy

Billy enters and sees her mentor speaking with Sophia. She takes a look around with aura sight and gets slammed with bright light. One would think having all your nerves be dead would make you immune to a migraine, but you manage to get one so bad that you almost fall. It's like someone stabbing a hot knife into your temples. You don't think you will be able to open your inner eye until it quiets down.

Your mentor notices you entering and waves you over. He then turns to Sophia. He talks in a warm voice, with the smooth candor of someone used to public speaking.

"Indeed you have. The prince arranges for everyone new to court to arrive with someone more experienced. I have a pupil who is attending for the first time, so I am tasked with seeing her and a few others through the introduction with the prince. He likes to have a personal touch, so to say, meeting everyone himself as some point or another.

We are waiting for others still, so sit for a moment. But first, Get a drink at the bar, something strong one would sip very slowly, or a beer in a dark bottle. It makes it look like you are drinking without requiring you to try to actualy drink. Not drinking in a bar is an easy way to stand out."

[savior indra]

Belenos straightened his tie as he stepped out of his Chevy Camaro. Since it was a formal occasion his sire had suggested he dress in a suit. He had come in a dark blue suit, grey stiff collar shirt and black tie. Remembering what he had been told about mind reading by his sire he put on a pair of mirrored aviators.

After locking the car he slowly made his way inside the bar, his letter slipped inside his suit. He had considered entering with Majesty but that would be too crude and disrespectful to the Prince. He wasn't sure how strict this Prince was but it would unwise to risk anything that might leave an unfavorable mark upon him.

A good first impression was half the battle, the setting may have changed from the boardroom to this but the rules were still the same. It was still business and business was something that he excelled at. With a small smirk, Belenos entered.

[runestone]

Sophia

"Oh, so we'll be meeting the prince in person. I'm looking forward to that" Sophia smiles as she gets up "I'll go and get a drink. Thank you for the advice" - in fact, she already knew that trick, but there was no reason to be impolite. She was probably going to need his advice again before too long.

She has to wait for a while at the bar before the bartender has time for her, but she smiles when the bartender is finally ready to take her order "I have the philosophy that you should always try the local beer whenever you are in a new area. Can you recommend something? A bottle of dark ale perhaps?"

After she has received her beer, Sophia returns to the table and pretends to take a sip as she sits down.

[Fouredged Sword]

Mitchel continues as more of the group finds it's way to the table.

"Please come, sit, grab a drink. I think we are waiting on ONE more for this group, then we will move on to court."

As Sophia picks up her drink the bartender smiles at her with a overly optimistic grin. She looks tired though, bags under her eyes like she hasn't slept. You are handed an ice cold Terrapin in the bottle.

She looks you in the eyes and holds the beer for a moment so your hands are touching. Her hands are warm. "I'm Joe. If you are going to hang around this area, we should talk some time" She then turns, and lets go, off to other customers, leaving you with your beer to make your way back to the table.

[runestone]

Sophia

Back at the table, Sophia realizes that she should probably have said more than "Thanks" when the bartender addressed her, but she had been lost in thoughts, and the woman had been gone almost instantly. Oh well, they could talk another night. Tonight, the meeting with the prince was all that mattered.

It was too bad that she could only pretend to drink the beer, it smelled nice. The terrapin on the label almost seemed to be laughing at her.

"The bartender seems very ... friendly. Is she affiliated to the court somehow? And, if you don't mind my asking, what is your own position at court. Do you know the prince well?"

[Fouredged Sword]

Your host looks around, focusing on the three of you.

"Well, three. That will have to do. Ok, we don't have much longer to wait on the straggler and I don't want to be between him and Jagger when the prince decides to haul him in for disrespecting his invitation.

I am Mitchel Cob. I am Billy's mentor" He waves his hand to Billy. "I am acting as guide for your first time at court. Let me make this clear. The prince doesn't expect new members to understand everything or know all the rules. That said, I am under the gun for your behavior tonight. Please tell me now if you are hungry or otherwise incapacitated. We will resolve any issues NOW, before we go to court.

That said, ground rules.

1 - No hurting anyone. There will be blood dolls at court, but they are the princes property. Hurt one of them and you will be killed. Hurt a member of court, you die slowly. Hurt a representative of the prince, and you great the dawn. If you feel you are losing control and are going to hurt someone, stand if you are able and state "I need control". The embarrassment of being tackled by security will last a whole lot shorter than the sudden death that is the alternative. You are young, and the prince if fairly forgiving as long as you are trying. Note, people in black sashes are exempt from this. They are security and they can hurt or kill on the princes behalf. If one harms you, don't fight back. They have permission, you don't.

2 - Wear your sunglasses at all times. In society, taking of your glasses is a nasty mix of "I trust you implicitly" and "I think I can take over your mind before you take over mine". Both of those are not things we want to express at court.

3 - No powers, none. No majesty, no auspex, no claws, no speed, no strength. There are a few exceptions, but not for you, not tonight. Don't try to sneak something in. The prince likes ironic punishment, and if one of you tries to sneak auspex and get's my eyes cut out, they will have a BAD night.

4 - No minions. You go to court alone. The only ghouls and mortals are the prince's and those belonging to a premogen or coven leader.

5 - Be nice. Seriously. Be respectful to everyone. You are on the bottom of the heap tonight. Everyone will be a higher status to you. They can be rude to you, and you gotta play nice. Obey anyone wearing a red sash, as they are an official of some sort. Really obey anyone with a black sash. They are security.

Now, if a few minutes we will be going outside and hopping into a limo. It will take us to court. I think it will be Jagger making the rounds in this area. We may not be alone in the limo, depending on who is on his schedule. As far as I am concerned, court starts as soon as you walk outside this bar. Court shouldn't last more than an hour or so, and I will be taking you back here when we are done. What you do after that is your decision.

Now on to questions, anyone have any questions before we leave? To answer the ones beforehand, I am not very well connected to the court. I am mostly involved in records and lore, so I deal with Jacob frequently, the premogen of the Nosferatu. Though, deal with is a loose term with Jacob. It is more to say I have an extended pen and paper connection to the man. He is hard to meet in person. Elders tend to be that way. I don't know when he has time to had write all the letters he does though.

As for this bar, I didn't choose it, and I know little about it. The bartender isn't wearing a bandanna or other mark showing a blood doll or ghoul servant, or even as someone in the know. Red bandanna, hat, or scarf for blood doll, green for ghoul, grey for mortal servant, in case you where wondering. Don't trust that though, as the signs can be accidentally worn on a normal person or the person may not be wearing them on a given night."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia gives a small smile "Thank you for that. I guess we'll have to try to behave while we are there" - but under the table her fists are clenched. Control. It was all a matter of control. At court there would at least be someone to stop her if she lost control again.

Then she turns to the young woman at the table "Hello Billy, I am Sophia", and to the man in the suit "And I don't believe we've met either"

Suddenly it strikes her that she has been avoiding using her last name. Well, it was his last name, really. Not that he had much use for it anymore. Somehow it felt wrong to use it now.

Then she returns her attention to Mitchel "You said that court starts as soon as we leave the bar, but I presume it is bad form to go armed at court? In that case, I'll need to stash something in my bike before we go"

[Fouredged Sword]

Mitchel Cob gives a little shrug

"Armed is fine. The court host may peacebond what you are carrying, and don't try to sneak something past them, but going out without a way to defend yourself is a good way to wind up dead. The prince respects that fact. Security is a lot less vital when the person you are protecting can shrug of a shotgun bast point blank to the chest. If you draw a blade in court, expect to be dead before it leaves the sheath."

[savior indra]

"Pleasure's mine. Valtam. Belenos Valtam." said Belenos with a smile as he held out a hand, first to Sophia then to the other woman.

After hearing Mitchel speak, Belenos was pleased at how structured court seemed. It was just like business, do what you can within the rules to get ahead.
"Well, that makes things easier. Do you know how many others will be at court tonight?" asked Belenos as he scanned the room for anyone wearing a red, green or grey marking that Mitchel had mentioned.

[runestone]

Sophia

"Belenos ... Valtam ... I don't think I've heard either of those names before. They sound old ... and ... powerful"

Mitchel, I understand that court is mandatory tonight. Not just for us, but for everybody. That is unusual, isn't it? Can you tell us anything about what is going on?

[savior indra]

"My father was Nordic, my mother Gaulic. They gave me my dad's last name and my mom picked the first name. Belenos is the Gaulic god of light. Valtam is another name the Nordic cultures used for Odin. Life's ironic isn't it?" said Belenos with a small smile before turning back to hear Mitchel's answer.

[Fouredged Sword]

Mitchel's pocket starts to vibrate, and he sits up a little straighter. He pulls out a smartphone and checks the screen.

"Ok, there is out call. Time to go."

He leads you out of the bar and into a nearby parking deck. There is a limo waiting. He hops into the back and you follow.

The limo is nice, but not overly fancy. The driver looks back at you through the driver's window and you can see he is a ratty looking Nos with grungy hair. He honestly scares the bejesus out of you, but you sit down anyway.

You are driven for a while, and descend into another parking deck in downtown. About two floors under the deck, you come accross a metal loading door. It opens for the limo and you are driven in.

Inside the driver pulls to a quick stop in what is clearly a staging area. There are another two limos parked, and five human guys in nice suits and packing shotguns. One of them is unarmed and carrying a handheld camcorder. They are guarding a heavy metal fire door that is set into the concrete of the wall.

Mitchel gets out of the limo at the same time as the driver. The driver is given wide birth by everyone as he walks inside. He calmly speaks to the guards without stopping. His voice is raspy and unpleasant.

"Last group. Check them in and follow them down after locking up."

The guards then wait for you to exit the limo.

[runestone]

Sophia

As they drive, Sophia tries to keep track of where the limo is going, but she has to give up quickly; she had always had a rotten sense of direction. It gets easier as they approach downtown, but by then she is lost in thought. Court would be a challenge. She had never been around more than a couple of her own kind at a time, and there was no knowing what primal response so many older vampires would provoke. I would really not do to give in to fear.

Seeing the staging area as she exits the limo, Sophia looks at Mitchel and raises an eyebrow "I see you weren't kidding about the security. Are we to be searched, or something like that?"

[Fouredged Sword]

Mitchel shakes his head and as he holds the door open for you.

"I don't suspect so, as, quite frankly, everyone is assumed to be armed, and those who are not are assumed to be perfectly dangerous without a weapon.
Take our driver, Jagger. He is the prince's hound. He doesn't use a weapon. He is the prince's nastier weapon, beware the Jagger Wocky, who's claws do snatch. Last court, he was called to punish someone. He calmly held a raging vampire on a wall with one hand, pinning him, while he broke every bone in his limbs with the other. Searching him would't make you any safer. Yes, he knows the quote isn't quite right, but I wouldn't press that point to HIM... He can break you without working, he gets called whatever he wants."

He thinks for a moment then, as an after though adds

"That isn't to say the guards WON'T search you, and if they do, submit. The prince changes security around each session. It wouldn't do to be predictable."

[savior indra]

Belenos steps out straightening his suit as he looked around before proceeding to follow Mitchel. He was impressed by the sheer amount of security, it seems this Prince took safety importantly. Keeping his sunglasses on, Belenos moved forwards confidently. First impressions were going to be important.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia cannot help shaking her head almost imperceptibly as she follows Belenos towards the door, but she finds it wise to keep her opinion of Jagger's choice of nickname to herself.

"So, we were picked up by the hound, and arrive last of all. It would seem that the Prince believes in the importance of first impressions"

[Fouredged Sword]

The guards are wordless. They give you a once over with a hand held camcorder as you approach.

Then the guards with shotguns stand back as the fifth waves your forward one at a time, half bows quickly but respectfully, and waves a wand like device over you, being very careful not to touch you in any way, look you in the eyes, or speak. When that wand does nothing, you are quietly shown through the door and through a free standing walkway 10ft long. The guards walk around and wave you through, and then through the next door at the end of the room.

Through that room, you are led into a nicely carpeted hallway, and into the first door on the left. It's a small waiting room, with comfy recliners and a small bar sans alcohol. Four well dressed mortal bartenders stands behind the counter at attention and studiously doesn't look at anyone as they enter, two male, two female.

The guards with shotguns stopped at the door to the room and wordlessly returned the way they came. The final guard shows you into the room with a final respectful bow and speaks for the fist time.

"Master Samson will be attending shortly, please make yourself comfortable and feel free to avail yourself of refreshment."

He then stands straight and leave, closing the door behind him.

Science+int 1 success

That wand looked like a chemical sniffer. Probably looking for accelerents or explosives.

That short hallway was definitely an x-ray scanner. If you where mortal, you would be concerned about exposure, but cancer is not a concern for vampires.

[runestone]

Sophia

"Refreshments ...?"
For a moment, Sophia fails to hide her immediate confusion until her eyes finally settle on the bartenders. They are obviously very well trained, so it is probably her imagination, but it seems like the woman to the left recoils just a little, as the beast begins to stir at the thought of food.

She hadn't lied in the bar: she was not really hungry. But the hunger was never completely gone, and a safe, undisturbed meal was a rare thing.
"Yes please, I could do with a refreshment if there is still time"

Then she forces herself to think of something besides food.
"Mitchel, could you please enlighten me again? Who is master Samson?"

[Fouredged Sword]

Mitchel responds with the voice of a man accustom to giving lectures in classroom setting.

"Feel free to drink, but do so lightly. These fellows here are likely conditioned to be docile, but the prince is... protective of his things. Here, let me show you."

He points to one of the female bartenders and crooks his finger. The woman moves without any change of expression. She stands by Mitchel and he points to her wrist. She pulls back her sleeve and extends her arm. He bites her lightly and takes a small drink. The blood doll's expression doesn't change in the slightest, no signs of pain or pleasure. After a moment Mitchel stops and licks the wound closed, and motions in your direction. She moves twards you fluidly, ignoring the bloodstain on her hand.

"Take a sip. If you are hungry, it will make it harder to control yourself at court. There will be more dolls in the main chamber, but you are new, so best to feed here where the situation is calmer.

As for your other question, Samson. He is the OTHER nos you don't want to mess with. It sounds like Jade is on the prince's personal bodyguard duty tonight. Those two, and Jagger, make Alexander's personal protectors, enforcers, and assassins when needed. The prince makes their talents known to discourage any rebellion.

Jagger is the one he sends if he wants to see you. He can drag anyone back to the prince, regardless of how well you think you can run or fight.

Jade is the one he sends if he wants you to die. You won't see your death coming. She can kill at a mile out, and disappear while inches away.

Samson is the really scary one though. The prince sends him if he wants to drive you out, to make an example to anyone who would give you shelter. Samson is the one who will burn your havens to the ground.

They all lead the prince's security. They will be wearing black bands tonight, and there are another 20-30 vamps who work under them as enforcers. We may have as many as 10 or so of those here tonight, if things are like usual, though mandatory court is already a little odd."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia nods, and as the human comes closer, she points to the other wrist of the vessel. As she bites, the rush of blood is intoxicating, and she feels the beast urging her to drink until there is nothing left, but she manages to take only a little more than she had intended. She closes the wound with a lick, making sure that there is no excess blood left on the arm.

Listening to Mitchel's description of the three enforcers, she gives a small shudder at the thought of the burning havens
"Thank you for the explanation, I can understand why those three are feared"

Then she settles into one of the recliners to wait.

[savior indra]

Belenos elected to stand with his back to a wall as he surveyed the room they were in with slight interest as his mind started to wander. He could feel his Beast stirring inside of him purring with approval at some of his darker thoughts. He shook himself out of his reverie, it would do no good o let the Beast surface here... He would appease it later. The corners of his mouth twitched upward, he never thought that something like the Beast could exist, most other kindred were terrified of it but he found the feeling of it... comforting.

[Ezeze]

For better or worse Billie seems to be the most at-east of the fledgling vampires. She is hearing all of Mitchel's advice for the second time at least and is, to her knowledge, the only of them afforded the benefit of having a familiar face.

Billie doesn't physically cling to her sire, fearing that it would be inappropriate, but she does seem reluctant to get out of arm's reach of the man. Nor does she move to touch him at any point. She remains stoic and keeps her face passive as best she can though she's not practiced at it in the way many of the older vampires are.

It's difficult for Billie to constantly, quietly remind herself that the human-looking creatures around her are all predictors and all capable of killing her. At least that isn't a problem with the Nosferatu. Throughout the limo ride she see-saws back and forth between a quiet smile - the true face of her excitement to be going to court for the first time alongside Mitchel - and a sullen grimace - an expression affected for the benefit of those around her.

[Fouredged Sword]

After a few moments, in which everyone settles in, the door to the hall opens again, and two figures enter.

The first one is a large nos wearing a black sash over a set of fireman's leathers. A he has long stringy greasy black hair that hands loosely from his head, and he looks the wrong side of hung over, but he smiles warmly around a lit cigar, puffing as he enters, and that does a good deal to counter the grungyness of his appearance and the shear creepyness that clings to nos like some foul smell.

He begins talking as soon as he moves through the doorway.

"Hello everyone, good to see new faces. I am here to make sure that everyone understands the rules and that we have a good day in court today. I want to officially welcome all of you, and extend the hospitality of the prince. My name is Samson, and I am charged with keeping order, and that starts with everyone being safe and secure. That is the key phrase for today, safe and secure."

As he talks another fellow enters behind him

(Burnheart, that is you)

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Daniel slips into the room and quietly joins the group gathered around Samson trying not to draw too much attention.

[Ezeze]

Billy fixes on Samson with polite attention. The man doesn't seem the sort to speak excessively, so what he's saying must be important.

[runestone]

Sophia

Safe and secure ... right. All this emphasis on security wasn't exactly making her feel safe. It almost seemed as if they expected something bad to happen this night.

At first, it had been comforting with a guide to give an introduction to the ways of the court, but she was growing restless and it was increasingly difficult to hide her annoyance at being told how to behave. It wasn't as if she planned to assault the members of the court, after all. But then, she couldn't always be trusted to do only what she planned these days---or nights, rather.

Sophia rises from the recliner and gives a nod to the two newly arrived vampires, suppressing the initial fear at the sight of the stronger predator
"Thank you for taking time for us Master Samson. Mitchell has already been kind enough to give us a thorough explanation of how to behave"
Then she addresses the young one who arrived last
"Hello, I am Sophia"

[Fouredged Sword]

Samson narrows his eyes for a moment at Sophia, then quickly straightens his face and wipes away the expression behind a little smile with a shake of his head.

"Ok, we then, here is the basics. Don't burn any bridges tonight. The prince is watching all the newcomers in particular because of the tensions between him and Ebon. We are getting to the point that you are ether with him, or with Ebon. A the traditional space for various factions of powerbrokers that work between the lines of courts are all getting squeezed out. Keep in mind that tonight, the prince has a personal meeting blocked out with you and Jacob. Now, when the prince and my grandsire get together in a room, you know it's important, so pay attention and be polite. Jade is easy going as far as respect is concerned, but if Jagger is sitting in he will be looking for an excuse to hurt someone. Mitchell, your not invited to this meeting, I don't know why, but I think it polite that you are informed due to your patranage of Miss Billie. I am sure the prince will provide relevant details after the meeting as it suits him.

First we go to the floor of the court for opening ceremonies. We have been doing things this way for decades, so while it seems silly, it's important to a lot of kindred. You will be seated in an assigned table and seating. The prince has you sitting with a bunch of Carthininans, so that's a good sign. They are a decent lot, and this group won't bite your head off for not knowing the rules of society. Once we go through that, the prince will enter, make a few announcements, and open the floor to the council. They may make a few announcements, but most the time they choose not to, so that should end quickly.

Stay at your table, and the prince will send for you when he is ready to talk.

Are we ready to go in?"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"I am ready sir" Daniel replies carefully after a moment, casually straightening his clothes and making himself seem a bit more respectable before facing the court.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia is suddenly ashamed at the anger and annoyance that had been building up inside her. Samson seems genuinely helpful, and one might even be tempted to forget the terrible things Mitchell had told them he was capable of. If only they didn't have to wear these damn shades all the time. It was so hard to relate to people when you couldn't see their eyes.

"Thank you Master Samson. I did not mean to be impatient before. I am very grateful for the prince's hospitality, and I am looking forward to meeting the members of court. There were very few Carthininans where I come from, and I hope to learn more about the movement"

This time, she is much more sincere than before.

"I am ready"

[savior indra]

"Yes sir. Thank you for explaining to us what will happen. said Belenos as he straightened his tie. In preparation to enter the room. Hopefully there were more Kindred like Samson who weren't going to hound his every move looking for an excuse to off him, but more likely than not he was going to have to be on his best behavior.

[Fouredged Sword]

Samson startles as a buzzing begins from the pocket of his jacket. "Damit" he mumbles, as he pulls a iphone out of his pocket. He gingerly holds it in front of him and carefully presses the screen. "bloody text, as if calling without wires wasn't bad enough."

He then looks at his phone for a moment, then returns it to his pocket.

"Ok, I though we had more time than we did, but the prince is waiving the traditional period of waiting for the premogens and coven leaders to show up. The white lady doesn't ever come to court, but normally we wait until the last scheduled moment anyway, just to see if she shows. Hasn't happened for as long as I remember, and she is my cloven leader. I guess the prince is in a hurry."

Samson then walks out the door, and you follow, because what else can you do. He leads you a few doors down and stops at a large set of double doors. He pauses.

"Ok, lot of new vampires in here, brace yourself. It first moments are the most unpleasant, but the beast quiets down after that first moment passes. Don't try to rush it, just move through the door when you are ready."

He then throws open the door and steps through. The rush of the beast is nearly overwhelming for all of you. Hate and Fear rips down your spine from all the gathered vampires. The hall seems to be filled with eyes, glaring challenges at you, testing you, waiting for a moment of weakness to feed on you. For a moment, you almost break into a run to flee, or into a sprint to attack.

Then the beast passes, and the glaring faces return to looking at their table mates, in retrospect more curious than glaring, as they where only drawn to the sudden motion of the door after all.

Samson waits patiently. Once the moment has passed, he takes a long puff on his cigar.

"Good, I was sure that one of you would bolt, or worse, go for my throat. Nice control. Remember that, control keeps you alive. Fear is the worst thing you can give into. It makes you an animal, and animals loose when they fight people. Stay people, stay alive.

But I am waxing poetically, and I am a horrid poet. Now lets see, tables..."

He pulls out his phone for a moment, then seems to think better of it and returns it to his pocket. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a stack of note cards, and begins flipping through them.

'Ok, well Mitchell, you are on table 4, up with the second tier Carthinians. Looks like someone decided to make you look important tonight. The rest of our group is seated at table 34. That's right over there, with the three carthinians sitting in it."

He points to a nearby table.

Mitchell nods and leans over to quietly speak to Billy. "Well, we part here for now. Please mind yourself, and let me know what the price speaks to you about. There is something odd going on tonight. Keep your ears open."

He then departs for the table he is assigned. The table you are assigned to has three vampires sitting at it. A Mekhet and two Daeva by the looks of it. All three turn to the group as they approach. The Mekhet speaks. He is a lanky, nerdy looking fellow with a crooked smile scrawled across his face as he is sprawled across his chain, sitting in a manner that would make a mortal back sore in a short time.

"Hello, here are our table mates today. I was wondering who would be sitting in the back seats with us. At least this group seems friendly. I am Quinton, and this is Malachite and Daniel. Malachite is the babysitter at the table, so she is looking out for us tonight. Take a seat, and relax. Everyone important is sitting far closer to the back of the room than us."

The lady, Malachite evidently, sighs at the spill of verbiage, and waves to a seat. She is richly dressed in a black and green dress, fairly modern, but timeless in style. She appears to be unarmed. Daniel on the other hand is clearly disarmed. He is dressed in a well tailored suit of a matching green and black to Malachite, and he has a cane missing it's handle, and you can clearly see a slot down the inside of the length.

[JollyChris]

Daniel turns to the newcomers "Nice to meet you all, I'm Daniel, have a seat and relax. Just don't mention computers or we won't be able to shut Quentin up." His eyes dart briefly around the room as if looking for trouble. He feels defenseless without his weapon and is having a hard time stopping his nerves from showing. He keeps thinking back to the last time he saw the Prince, after his Hound dragged him in for breaking the Masquerade on the night of his Embrace. He feels a stab of pain remembering the beating Jagger gave him. To distract himself he speaks. "Malachite have you any idea why Prince Alexander wants to see me? I'm no one important."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia greets each of the vampires at the table "Hello Malachite, Daniel, Quinton. I'm Sophia"

"So, Daniel, you're also seeing the prince tonight? I'm sure he is very busy and primarily concerned with the rising tension with Ebon, so I would guess that he has an assignment for us that has something to do with that. And I can only see a couple of reasons why he would involve young kindred like us in those affairs. It might be a matter of trust: As new at court, we have almost certainly not yet been exposed to Ebon's influence. Or perhaps the job simply calls for someone expendable. Or ..."
She stops her deductions abruptly, suddenly realizing that it might not be safe to discuss such matters with strangers. She would have to be more careful about that in the future. Looking for a way to change the subject, her eyes settle on Quinton
"But I guess we'll all know soon enough. So, Quinton, you work with computers? I used to be in the software business myself"

[Burnheart]

Daniel Bain

"Daniel Bain, pleasure to met you." Daniel says with a slight bow and a predatory smile before taking a seat and shooting a curious glance at Sophia as she rambles on.

[Fouredged Sword]

The lights in the room dim twice in a row, and in doing so you notice the room is really brightly lit. You didn't notice due to your sunglasses, but the room is lit so that wearing them is comfortable despite being indoors.

Malachite motions to a seat and speaks quietly. She has a deep voice and haitian accent.

"Be seated and still. The prince is about to start."

As she speaks the room quiets quickly. Conversations at the various tables go still and everyone turns to face the end of the room.

The far wall lifts seamlessly into the ceiling. It reveals a stage like platform set with 10 chairs and what could only be refereed to as a throne of some sort of red stained wood. The throne sit in the center of the stage, with 5 chairs spaces to each side.

Without a word, a beautiful woman walks onto the stage. She is decked in knives, so much that her entire outfit seems to be made of sheaths. Her face is intent and fierce, set in the delicate facial curves of a woman of Asian decent. She strides wordlessly to the center front of the stage and carefully scans the audience.

Malachite snears a little as their eyes meet across the room.

Once the woman on stage is satisfied she begins speaking. Her voice is a strong firm tone in the quiet of the court room.

"Court is now in session. Calling Samwell Fade, Premogen of the Gangrel to take the stage."[/COLOR][/B]

A nicely dressed man in a black suit walks wordlessly from the side of the stage, stopping in the far left chair, and sits.

The woman speaks again.

"Calling Nadria of the Circle."

An old woman in robes of tattered wool walks in from the right and sits on the right most chair.

"Calling Draco Premogen of the Ventru."

A short man dressed in a white suit covered in jewelry enters and sits to the left of the Gangrel premogen.

"Calling Father Maxwell of the Lanciea"


A tall man in a priests habit enters and sits to the right of the leader of the circle.

"Calling Simon, Premogen of the Mekhet"


A wiry fellow with sunken eyes enters and sits next to the premogen of the Ventru.

"Calling Malcolm Kain of the Inviticus"


A large well built man in a light grey suit enters and sits to the left of the Lancea representative.

"Calling Jonathan Green, Premogen of the Deva."


A man in light green enters and sits next to the mekhet premogen.

"Calling Nathanial, of the Carthinians."


A nos enters, dressed in an ill fitting suit that hangs of his desiccated body. He grins as he plops down next to the Inviticus representative.

"Calling Jacob, Premogen of the Nosferatu"


A short black man enters. He scans the crowd before moving in from the edge of the stage. His skin is ashy and his eyes a bright silver blue that stands out from his jet black suit. He sits just the left of the throne.

"Calling The White Lady, of the Ordo Dracul"


Then the possession stops. Nobody walks out, and everyone on stage just sits there.

After a moments pause, Malachite speaks. The rest of the room restarts the hubub of conversation.

"It seems that the council decided to provide the period of waiting on the white lady. We can talk for a short time. I thought she would show this court, as the prince seemed very intent to have everyone show up."

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Hmm so this white lady likes to affect indifference to politics" Daniel remarks "A potentially dangerous attitute to take in a divided city" he continues slowly.

[Fouredged Sword]

Malechite nods.

"Danger is a relative thing, when you are as old as she is supposed to be. I have never seen her, and know of none who have. That in of itself is a sign of how much power she must have. The prince won't hear of replacing her though, and the Ordo mostly rule themselves anyway. I think some of the elders of the covenant talk with her, but she seems to want nothing to do with court."

[runestone]

Sophia

Grateful for the distraction from her outburst, Sophia turns her attention to the stage, but as the older vampires come into view, she feels an overwhelming need to flee and finds herself scanning the room for an exit or a hiding place. As Jacob comes on stage, everything else fades into a meaningless blur and she can only stare transfixed as the elder takes his seat.

When the panic finally fades, she takes a quick look at her companions to determine if anyone noticed her reaction. Then she looks carefully at the powerful kindred on stage to make a mental note of their features.

Still a little shaken, she turns to Malachite and makes a small motion with her head towards the announcer "I didn't realize that knives were in fashion. Who is the walking pincushion?" -- hoping that she has judged Malachite's disposition correctly from her reaction when the woman came on stage.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"I assume that's Jade, from what Samson said earlier." Daniel says with a neutral tone and no expression.

[JollyChris]

As the wall rises Daniel's gaze is drawn to the beautiful asian vampire. He barely pays attention as she annouces the names instead imagining the two of them fighting. Distracted from his reverie by the others talking he says "Who cares what her name is. Her fighting skills are what interests me."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia raises an eyebrow "It sounds like you're thinking with your ... sword. I guess some things never really change"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Daniel barks out a quick laugh before giving an approving nod to Sophia.

[Fouredged Sword]

Malachite cuts her eyes sideways back to the table at the remarks of swords and the woman on the stage.

"Daniel, do not cross swords with this one, in combat or... otherwise. That is indeed Jade, one of the prince's favored enforcers. She is a vulgar wench who sold out my sire to the prince after the prince made an example of him for crossing a line. I was once her sister, but no more for that. There is a reason that I am carthinian and SHE serves the prince alone."

The lights dim for a moment, and quiet falls back over the room.

Jade begins speaking again.

"The period of waiting has pass. The representative of the Ordu has chosen not to appear. The Prince has chosen to overlook this rejection of his mandate. Court will now resume."

And the prince then appears on the throne. He doesn't walk in from the side, he is just there, like he had never been anywhere else. You are hit by his power as soon as he appears. He is old, like Jacob, but where your beast was afraid of Jacob, the prince seems to draw you in. His beast is not muted, not passive, but it calls to you like the leader of a pack of wolves to a young pup.

He is smartly dressed in a black suit with a red undershirt and tie that match the throne. He is not wearing sunglasses, but there is a pair of aviators tucked into his breast pocket. He smiles warmly over the audience and pops up from his seat.

"Welcome to court everyone. I am glad that everyone could make it. I will keep this short because we will need to break into meeting groups shortly, and I respect the time constraint that court puts on everyone in the summer. Unfortunately, the news I am bringing is both important and urgent.

Currently I am declaring peace between the courts of Atlanta and Savannah. There is to be NO escalation between the courts until I say otherwise. An issue has arisen that requires the cooperation between the courts to resolve, and I will not see that cooperation jeopardized.

As for why..."

The prince's face darkens

"We have evidence of diablerie. We are unsure of the scale or extent of the diablerie, but we have confirmed at least 5 counts, and there appears to be no separation between the courts. We are currently unsure if this is a local or something passing through.

I am declaring a period of martial law. The council of clans and covenants has backed me in this decision, five in support, four opposed, with one abstaining. Martial law will continue for one year, until the council revokes the decree, or until I declare the emergency over.

There are currently around 60-100 vampires unaccounted for between the Atlanta court and the Savanna court. Most of these will likely be simply flying under the radar, but we cannot currently know the extent of the crisis.

My enforcers will be investigating the crisis. Let them resolve this as quickly as possible. Obstruction will be considered treason.

There are others who will be receiving tasks from the court. Do not stop anyone who is working for the court in this matter. Deceit and falsely claiming to represent the court is treason."

He takes a deep breath and looks around the room slowly, relaxing his stance as he goes.

"That resolves the business of general court for the night. If you wish to conduct business under the protection of the court, you may do so. If you are scheduled for an audience, please remain seated, and you will be called as time is available. If you want to request an audience, Jade will be handling request forms."

He then walks briskly off to stage right. The nine council members stand as one as soon as he is off stage. They walk off the stage without a word.

There is a brief moment where the court seems stunned, then members begin standing and leaving the room. At your table Quinton stands and leaves, giving a nod to Malachite.

[runestone]

Sophia

"Diablerie and a truce. Well that was certainly unexpected. Have any of you heard rumors of this before? A 100 kindred unaccounted for sounds a lot"

"I suppose we should stay here and wait for our audience with the prince. Can I ask you a few questions while we wait, lady Malechite? You said that Jade is not a carthian. But if Prince Alexander is a carthian, then why isn't she so as well? There were very few carthians where I come from and I would like to learn more about the movement"

[Fouredged Sword]

Malachite reacts firmly to your question.

Alexander is NOT a carthinian. He may have been, long ago in some antibellum covenant, but here, now, he is unaligned. It would disrupt the balance of power if the prince openly declared a covenant, and no covenant could accept him and maintain their current leadership. He is unaligned, as are Jagger and Jade. Samson is an ordu, but their covenant leader hasn't shown her face to object to his current master.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"So she makes no public objection, but only those of the Ordu could say if she makes any private ones." Daniel muses before adding "I wonder which of the 9 voted for and against Martial law" while glancing briefly at the stage.

[JollyChris]

"100 Vamps doesn't seem that unliekly to me. It's from both courts, so they're probablly just laying low to avoid the fighting." Daniel says flippantly before asking Malacite seriously "By the way whats so bad about diablerie again? You said it had to do with killing Elder vampires right?"

[Fouredged Sword]

Malachite answers in a serious tone.

"diablerie is cannibalism or the worst kind, and addictive to boot. It is one of the few things that will lead to an open manhunt. History tells of whole cities falling because an elder partook of his children and became addicted.

The only blessing is that it permanently stains your soul. It is a trivial matter to determine guilt, and there is only one punishment. If taken alive, the offender is burned alive in a stone pit until there is nothing left.

It has been this way since before the war, and it is the most directly enforced rule among all the courts."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia seems lost in thought and doesn't speak to anybody in particular "Alexander and Ebon must be very concerned about this threat to put aside their differences like this"

Then she turns to Malechite "You said that it is trivial to determine guilt. How is that done? Does it change you visibly?"

[savior indra]

"I have heard. It is the great equalizer it seems. It's hard to work you way up when the people above you are timeless. It is a... tempting short cut, but it does not seem like the rewards are worth the risks." said Belenos as he joined in the conversation after mulling what he had seen over.

"Speaking of which the Prince seems quite powerful.How is it that he has managed to stay 'unaligned' and still in power?" asked Belenos with curiosity.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Its more than just a short cut to power, once the blood ages over many centuries only the vitae of a fellow kindred can provide nourishment and if it is one of such age that stalks us now." Daniel pauses for a moment before continuing "Then we had best hope that the prince enforcers are up to the challenge."

[Fouredged Sword]

"A sip here, a taste there isn't bad. Feeding until death, that is the problem. If you aren't old enough to resist the addiction, you risk everything on your control. You are all FAR to young to know your limits. I would not test them. Some young vampire breaks the edict every few decades. The punishment isn't pretty when Jagger drags them in. I think they are one of the few people Samson actually likes burning.

As for Alexander and the covenants

It is more that no power can accept him, than him not having to join. He was in Atlanta before the first carthininan and before the inviticus came to Georgia, back when the circle and the lancea where clinging to the mountains of the Carolinas, back when the Ordu was a northern tradition. He was alone except for Jacob after the war. There must have been others, but none of them amounted to anything. Sherman was through, and barely a handful survived.

When the two of them fought for power, the covenants formed under their feet as they struggled. By the time that they achieved a status quo, the covenants already had leaders, and nobody wanted to stand aside and give the prince their seat. Every side is grateful that the prince seems to accept that. No side wanted the prince to take another, yet for him to take theirs would mean they had to become subservient.

Jacob is much the same way. By the time he bowed his head and allowed Alexander his throne he was too much seperat from the organisations to step into a rulership. his childer is the head of we carthinians, so to say he is unaligned is a technicality. He could claim it if he wanted, but he thinks the covenants are a waste of time.

Still, even Alexander's opinions seem clear enough to everyone despite any official neutrality. He dislikes the ganrel, he has a respect for Nos, he treats Mekhet like fragile dolls, and he cannot stand the sucking up from the Ventru. He distrusts the Lancea purely out of their strong standing in the outer courts, as well as the circle for much the same reason. The Inviticus has been plotting for years to overthrow him, but he doesn't move to stop them other than to swat their plans out of the air with contemptuous ease.

[runestone]

Sophia

"So Nathaniel is Jacob's childe and Samson's sire? Alexander certainly doesn't mind keeping his former enemies close"

"Since they haven't been caught yet, it would seem reasonable to assume that whoever is behind this is old -- powerful"

[Fouredged Sword]

"Aye, and Jagger is Samson's brother. I think that Alexander brought them into his fold just to get under Jacob's skin."

[runestone]

Sophia

"I guess kindred who are new to the area are the primary suspects at this point. Do you know any?

She gives a small smile "Besides me, that is"

[JollyChris]

Daniel shrugs "Whoever they are they've managed to get the entire area hunting for them so i doubt they'll last long."

[Fouredged Sword]

The room is basically empty except for your table at this point. Several groups of kindred make no qualms about the fact that they took notice that your table is not leaving. Malachite seems to be encouraging the speculation by looking back and smiling slightly between answering your questions.

"I doubt it is one of you. All of your blood is weak, and the whole point is to strengthen the blood. Whoever is doing this will likely be found in a few days. It's hard to hide the fact that you are suddenly much stronger. It is even harder to hide the existence of someone new in the area. Part of the reason we hold court is to acclimate our beasts to one another. The reaction to a seeing a kindred the first time is always strongest. Now that everyone is looking for strangers, such people will be reported."

As the last of the people are trailing out the door, Jagger stalks into the room. People part out of his way, almost comically jumping to stay out of arms reach.

He moves quickly to your table and looks lustfully at Malachite for a moment, as she grimaces and turns her head to avoid looking at him. He waits for a moment, then looks back to the rest of the table.

"Up. Follow. The prince is ready for you now." He looks back at Malachite "Not you. Just the newborns."

He then turns without waiting for a reply, then stalks back out of the room.

You follow him, and he leads you just down the hall. He blows past a pair of mortals guarding a pair of double doors. They don't flinch as he passes, and don't give you a second look as you follow.

Through the doors in a richly, but subtly, furnished office. On one side of the room is a large desk of mahogany. It is cleared of everything but a fountain pen and a closed high end looking laptop. There is a display case set behind the desk, and in it appears to be a number of brightly colored plastic figurines of little horses. Some of them appear to be unicorns and pegisi. One of them has a hat.

The other side of the room is set up much like a parlor. There are seven large chairs set in a semi circle around a coffee table. A bottle of some dark red fluid sits in a champagne bucket full of ice. There are seven silver goblets set on coasters, in alignment with the chairs.

There is a door leading deeper into the compound across the room from you. Jagger makes a beeline to it without looking back to see if he was obeyed.

"Sit, he will be in shortly" Jagger grunts, waving a limp hand vaguely in the direction of the parlor area.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia fails to suppress a frown when Jagger commands them to rise. Weren't old southerners supposed to polite? As she gets up to follow, she nods to Malechite "Thank you for being patient with our questions. It was very nice to meet you"

Inside the prince's study, her eye is immediately caught by the display case with the horses, and she is halfway towards it before Jagger commands them to sit.

He may well be capable of ripping her throat out before she can blink, but they are guests of the prince, and this is just rude. She gives a small curtsy, and her response is dripping with sarcasm "Thank you, sir. It is most kind of you to offer us a seat"


Wits+composure (right?): [roll0]
In case of 10's: [roll1]

Also, Sophia's vice is wrath, and she does not like being insulted. :smallsmile:

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Stifling his irritation at Jagger's attitude Daniel nods to him and takes the left most seat in the semi-circle to await the prince.

[savior indra]

Belenos muffles a laugh as he sees Jagger's rudeness getting a rise out of his fellow neonates. He could just tell them that it was probably a test to see how they would react to rude and overbearing elders and ancillae but it was just so much fun to see how these people would act. He just got up shook his head slightly and followed Jagger into the other room before taking a seat at the table and surveying the rest of the room.

[JollyChris]

Jager's rudeness enrages Daniel, pleased that he's not the the only person who seems to be annoyed he aims a blow to the back of Jager's head as hard as he can. Saying "Apologise to the Lady."

Making a called shot to the head and spending a willpower (since doing this gets it back) to negate the penalty.
Iniative: [roll0]
Attack roll: [roll1]+[roll2]

[Fouredged Sword]

The cane hits the nos in the back of the head with a solid thunk. A little harder and you could have stunned him.

Unfortunately, you didn't hit hard enough.

Jagger flips around with a look of rage scrawled across his face, except for a smile that doesn't seem to touch anything other than the very corners of his eyes.

His hand flashes out and snares Daniel. It feels like you got pulled by a chain attached to a truck. His strength doesn't even notice your weight. He pulls you straight to him until his breath, fowl with stale blood, fills your nose, and your eyes meet his from inches away.

"That was a mistake pretty boy."

Daniel struggles to be able to take action.

Roll - chance die - Str + Brawl - 8
- You failed

Your struggles are met with an even bigger grin.

An impossibly strong grip rips the cane out of your hand, launching it across the room so hard it bounces off the wall and rebounds almost back to your feet.

Again you struggle.

You fail to break his grip.

He flips you around and you feel the solid force of his fist connecting with your kidney. (4 bashing damage)

You struggle again to break his grip and get away, but his grip is like iron, and his stance is so solid it's like pulling on a wall.

Again, his fist lands with a sickening thud. (5 bashing damage)

His fist lifts again.

"That should be enough Jagger. I want to use that one, and if you keep hitting him he won't be able to hear me. That wouldn't be very useful now would it."


Everyone but Daniel (who is held facing away) sees the prince suddenly show up in the place the voice came from, as if he was just standing there unnoticed.

Jagger turns to face the prince, a mask of unbridled rage fills his expression. For a moment you think he is going to drop Daniel and go for the prince, but he stops. He pauses for a moment, as everything in the room is silent.

Then he drops Daniel onto the ground.

"Good. Go have a drink and have some fun with a girl. Everyone else, how about we sit" The prince moves over to the parlor area and sits on the far left chair. Jagger stalks out the back door without a word.

[JollyChris]

Shocked by Jager's strength Daniel can do nothing as as the fists slam into body. Shocked by the pain it takes all of his willpower not to cry out. Grateful for the stranger who calls Jager off as he slumps to the floor he yells out hoping Jager can hear "This isn't over." before forcing his wounds to close.

[Fouredged Sword]

The prince frames a little grin on his face. It quirks up the side of his lip and lights his eyes.

"No, no it isn't over. That was a brave thing. Stupid maybe but brave. He will come for you. It's what he does. I send him for people and he gets them for me. He will come for you, and when he does, you will be alone. It won't be tonight, as he has tasks, but that won't last forever.

You challenged his dominance. He feels the need to resolve it. I suggest you let him have it. It will hurt, yes, but it won't be fatal. He knows better than to kill someone I have my eye on without permission."

The prince lifts the bottle out of the ice and pops the cork with his thumb, a move that seems well practiced.

"Have a drink. It will help with the pain and get you on the road to healing a little faster. I have plenty of bottles. Jacob should be here shortly in one fashion or another."

[JollyChris]

"Thank you." Daniel says as he pours himself a drink. "But if he wants dominance he'll have to fight for it. I won't just let him have it."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia had been completely surprised by Daniels sudden outburst, and shocked by Jaggers ruthless reaction. She was not accustomed to that kind of violence from her old life, and -- even after her sire's lessons -- her first instinct had been to reach for her phone to call the police. When she finally came to her senses, she had been about to use the full force of her mind to order Jagger to release Daniel, but she had luckily been interrupted by the prince before violating the ban on using powers. Nevertheless, she could not afford to hesitate like that next time. This was a different world, and she would have to be prepared to use the weapons she was carrying.

She walks to the table and says "Thank you, my prince" but it is not clear whether she is referring to offer to sit and drink -- or to the way he put a stop to the fight.

She takes a seat next to Daniel and pours herself a drink "Well, I guess that means you'll get that fight you longer for earlier. I hope you're good with that sword of yours" She holds out the bottle towards Daniel's glass, offering him a refill, before doing the same to the others.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Daniel sits quietly, his face betraying almost no emotion as Jagger deals with the imprudent upstart, awaiting the princes explaination for why they were summoned.

[Fouredged Sword]

The prince smiles pleasantly while everyone finds seats. The chairs are very comfortable, and the blood wine is delicious. There is a numbing sensation as you drink, but for once you can taste hints of fig and cinnamon in the flavor beyond the taste of sweet vieta.

"Well, I am glad to see all of you here. It is always good to see new faces, and as I have pegged the five of you as the most likely to reach ten years old, I thought it may be good to go ahead and get started working with you.

Now, I don't want to go into too much detail before..."

Cellphone music plays from his pocket
'~(My Little Pony) I used to wonder what friendship co...~"

he deftly pulls it from his pocket without shifting and answers the call with a flick of his thumb. He holds the phone (a very nice Iphone) out infront of him as it is evidently on speaker.

"Jacob! Too bad you are not joining us in person. I am at least getting you to use the phone I got you. How are you!"

He sets the phone on the coffee table as he talks so it is equidistant from everyone.

A gruff voices speaks from the phone.

"I choose to be elsewhere. I refuse to make time for your requests. What do you WANT that you couldn't tell me before court Alexander?"

The prince, still smiling, nods to himself seemingly pleased.

"I need your contacts, and seeing as I have a snowballs chance in hell of getting you to put me in contact with them, I figured it best to go through a neutral third party. I have with me the five I talked to you about. Well, I am putting you in charge of them."

Jacob snaps back with irritation.

"What am I supposed to do with a bunch of fresh out of the dirt neophites who don't know sunrise from sunset!? I don't have time for your games."

"Well, I need a messenger to go down and get in contact with Ebon's court, and seeing as how last time we met ended with me being forced to cut his arm off, I though it best to go through intermediaries. Now you have the better contacts for introductions from all that plotting to overthrow me you do on occasion, so I want you to use them.

Here I have 5 nice new neophites too new to be caught up in the web of alliances and not yet officially counted as part of a court. I want you to see that they can act as intermediaries between the courts until this whole mess with hunting down the beast is handled.

So, are you willing to help me out? Not really a question as you DID support the call for martial law. I was thinking you had a nice little hole to stash them in until you can arrange for a meet, then make sure that nobody kills them on the other end."

The phone goes quiet for a moment.

"I will. You owe me, martial law or no. I have a burner at 520 West Town street. Send them there. I will contact them when they arrive. Don't let them waste my time"

The phone then makes a crashing sound like it was thrown from the window of a moving car, then cuts out.

The prince looks up from the phone and smiles, seemingly pleased.

"He always does that every time I give him a phone, but it's the only way I can actually get him to call me, and he won't show for in person meetings outside of legally required. Now he will have his driver circle the town for at least an hour to make sure I am not tracking him back to his townhouse. So, No rush on this end. I think that should give all of you the gist of what your task it, but assumptions make and ass of you and me as they say. Does anyone have any questions?"

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia had been listening closely to the conversation, but there seemed to be an awful lot of lose ends and half-truths in what the prince had said "Yes, if you don't mind, I do have a few questions"

"I've heard that you find it amusing to unravel the plots of those who conspire against you, but isn't it dangerous to encourage two of your enemies to communicate through us like that? I mean, you are putting us into the hands of Jacob before we are supposed to move on to Savannah. I guess, I feel a bit like a lightning rod before a storm"

"Oh, and how was the truce with Ebon negotiated? Presumably it wasn't on that occasion you cut of his arm. Have there been other intermediates such as us before us?"

[Fouredged Sword]

"We worked out the very basics of an agreement under a very tense meeting between Samson and Carmile, one of Ebon's more sociable nobles. It is not a longterm solution to the communication problem.

As for housing, I won't ask you to move permanently, but you will be moving around quiet a bit I suppose, so you may want to see about housing in Savannah at some point. Ebon will surely put you up somewhere in his town for a day if you get caught there, to be polite, but I don't trust him to do much beyond that. He has a much... looser hold on his subjects than I do.

As for Jacob and Ebon colluding. Well, a good enemy is better than a bad friend, and friends of any sort are hard to find. At the end of the night you can't trust ANYONE but yourself. Betrayal is an inevitability if you live long enough. It is better to prepare for those you trust to try to kill you rather than to simply hope they do not."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia smiles "Prepare for those you trust to try to kill you -- that would seem to be contradiction in terms" Her face darkens involuntarily "But I do understand. My sire tried to teach me the same lesson"

"Both you and Ebon seem convinced that the diablerie is the work of an individual, and not the result of a conspiracy -- possibly involving the other. May I ask why?"

"And -- since we are to act as envoys -- I would like to know a little more about the history of the courts if we have time for that"

[Fouredged Sword]

The prince shifts his smile to a more fatherly one.

"I think I see where you are getting confused. The most trustworthy person you will find is the person you trust to try to kill you or use you. If they arn't trying to do so, then they cannot be trusted. You are still young enough to be used. At my age, I have fear and ambition, and little else. We are not a society that can trust each other. If we could, we would rule the world rather than being stuck in little cities spread around the world.

There is too much to gain, too much to lose. At the end of the day, while we are far stronger than mortals, we are weak as well. Too weak. We cannot trust, cannot risk. At the end of the night, we sleep alone and afraid. There isn't anyone but yourself you can trust, and you cannot watch your back forever.

At the end of the day eternity is just too much to loose. Mortals take risks because there are things more valuable than the few years they have left. We immortals are constrained by the years as much as we are freed by them.

As for your other questions, well, we hunt diablerie wherever it rears it's head. Short of vassalage, there is little strong enough to hold back the cravings, and one can only bind oneself to one other with that kind of bond, and it has a price more than most are willing to pay. Love is the deadliest of weapons after all. A cabal will feed on itself, so even if it stats a conspiracy, it ends with one vampire, alone in a stone pit, and fire.

As for history, well, I try not to dwell. On the other hand, we have some time, and it's a story I don't get to tell that commonly. Very well.

The elders have been squabbling for as long as history. After the bastard Sherman came through with his fire and broken railroads there where so few of us left. It was a burning time like I have never heard of. I Think 7, maybe 8 managed to get to Savannah ahead of the flames and sun. And old friend long gone finally managed to stop the march, and we lived, or at least those of us left. Most of the survivors boarded ships and sailed north or east. It was me and Jacob.

I went west to the rebuilding of Atlanta. He stayed east. We kept in touch through letters, and as kindred came south we formed courts. We nurtured the new kindred, showed them our cities and towns, and eventually we went to war. I won of course. I made Jacob move closer so I could keep an eye on him, and left the eastern courts go feral. There was a war on at the time, in Europe, so I was distracted by the events at the time.

That was a mistake, as it turns out. After the war in Europe, we had in influx of new blood, and with them came Ebon. He is a old vampire who wandered in, I think from the north. I haven't been able to pin down who he was before, but that mask he wears, well that must hide something.

He took the feral courts and aligned them behind himself, loosely, but enough to be a threat. It was bloody at first, but we have cooled things down now that it is clear that killing one another will prove a long term project. There are fights, and we have policy differences, but I stay here and he stays there, and we cut off each others fingers before ether of us gets enough reach to touch the other. I will win in the end. I always do."

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Daniel sits quietly and listens to the prince talk before asking a question "What precisely is known about the diablerist?"

[Fouredged Sword]

"Almost nothing at this point. We have lost five we can account for. Two of whom are old. These appear to have been targeted attacks alongside a stalking feeding pattern within a hunting ground. Whoever did this is clearly smart, but is still expanding their hunting grounds. Currently they are somewhere up in the gainesville area, maybe as far east as the edges of Atlanta. I suspect the range extends into Ebon's area, thus the needed contact. I don't want to send out hunters only for them to meet a defense force of Ebon's mistaking it for a push for control.

If the diablerist wasn't mad before this, he is now. I can't imagine anyone gorging on that many souls without going mad. It wounds the soul after all. We are having a hard time tracking this one.

This will burn itself out soon though. The nature of the problem is that it becomes more and more difficult to hide and the prey becomes more and more prepared to defend themselves.

The targets are crippled with by superhuman strength and fed upon. No weapon marks have been found."

[JollyChris]

Mr Price

As he wounds continue to heal Daniel keps drinking the wine, savouring the nourishing Vitae and letting it replensih his stores. Listening to the conversation he pipes up with a question. "Everyone keeps saying that it's easy to spot a diablerist but no one has explained why. What should we be looking for to identify who ever has been sucking souls? And did one vampire really stop Sherman and his hunters by himself?"


Mechanicaly he'll keep drinking until either his reserves are full (which takes 6 points of Vitae after he's done healing wounds) or the Prince tells him to stop. Which he may if i need to drink 6 points of Vitae's worth.

[savior indra]

"You say that we are young enough to be used. Does that mean that you are trying to "get" to us before anyone else does? And what happens when we aren't 'young' enough to be used anymore? What is the endgame?" asked Belenos as he turned to directly face the Prince as he asked his question. For everything the Prince had told him, there were still too many unknowns, still too little information about his future. Forget incomplete information, he had no information and that could mean death.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia looks at Belenos "Without an end, there is no endgame. The game goes on forever if you play it well"

"Are we completely on our own in Savannah? I assume that you do have contacts there, but choose to use Jacob's instead of your own"

[Fouredged Sword]

"Eating a soul taints the aura. It lasts for ages, and is hard to hide. It isn't feasible to just check every aura in the state though. Not yet anyway.

It also has the side effect of driving one mad. Voices in the head from memories of a dead fellow.

As for the end game, well the lady is right, yet wrong for the right reasons. I am trying to make a world that we can live in. Really live. There are hurdles to cross, as there always are. Maybe one day we will find we can trust one another."

Skill check
Wits - Empathy - 2 successes.

The prince dips that last turn of phrase in meaning. He seems to be hinting at something more.


"Time is a funny thing. I will have to sleep eventually. When I do, I want things such that I can rest assured that what I have accomplished won't be lost.

Jacob is clinging onto wakefulness by his fingernails. I am not far behind him. Ebon must be somewhere on that track. I want to resolve things to a point that I can sleep without fear. Thus, I have my eyes open. I am watching people. I am interested to see if you are those people. I assure you, if you are, I will show you a world you had never even considered."

He pauses tips his face to look around his shades at everyone. Despite your shades, he seems to look you in the eyes.

"Things are rarely what they seem on the surface. One day someone else will sit in the chair for a time. It is not a question of IF, but when, and who, and for whom, and why, and how, and what they carry with them. All of these things are important. There are two sides here. Think on what side you want to be on"

[runestone]

"Two sides? It seems to me that counting you, Jacob, and Ebon gives three sides at least"

[Fouredged Sword]

The prince looks sternly an you, his smile vanishes.

"Jacob works for me at the end of the day. He complains, but the two courts are what hold the balance right now. Ebon is a greater threat to Atlanta than any internal force. Make no mistake where the battle lines are drawn in the sand."

[runestone]

Sophia

"That is good to know"

"Ebon wears a mask, and I'm guessing it's not just to hide an ugly face. If he is afraid of being recognized, then there has to be someone capable of recognizing him. Someone old, presumably. Do you have a theory about that?"

"Apart from that, I think we only need to know what message we should deliver to Ebon and what you expect us to accomplish. And perhaps how to get in contact with you"

---

As the discussion seems to come to a close, Sophia turns and points towards the cabinet with the figures "Oh, I do have one more question if you don't mind. I noticed your collection on the way in. Is it complete? I used to have a few ponies when I was kid, but it never amounted to much of a collection" She had been around a number of collectors of various kinds when she studied computer science, and one of the lead programmers at work had seemed to be collecting everything at once. Whatever they collected, they had all greatly enjoyed talking about their collections.

[Fouredged Sword]

"As far as I can tell, Ebon is... eccentric. The mask seems to be to be purely decorative. I have seen under it before, and he isn't bad looking. A mask is a persona, an identity. I can see where it would be useful, especially in as precarious situation as he is in. His court is far more unstable than mine. Any sign of weakness is lost ground or a dagger in the back.

At least on my end everyone hesitates and can't help but wonder if I am faking the weakness to lure them in. It's why I fake weakness in the first place.

And as for my collection, yes, I am quite pleased with it. Gen 4 is truly a wonderful show. None of that gen 3 trash. I still have yet to get my hands on an allicorn twilight, but that can wait until I have more time to go shopping. It can be hard to buy things when you can't keep daylight hours. The hunt is as fun as the collecting, after all..."

~my little pony

His phone rings again and he takes a glance at the screen. He stands and begins moving to the back door as he talks.

"Annnnd it appears that we have a lead on the target. I will have to cut us short, it appears to have caught someone leaving court. With a little luck this should be resolved by the end of the night. Please go to 520 West Town street just in case. Jacob will be expecting you regardless of the outcome here."

With that the prince leaves through the door. Two ghoul guards escort you back to the parking garage and into a limo. You are deposited in front of Joe's bar. The night is still young, and you have 4-5 more hours of darkness.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

"Well that was an interesting meeting." Daniel remarks after they've been left along outside joe's bar "We've been dragged straight into the deep end of kindred poltics tonight, I think we're going to need to help each other if we want to survive do you not agree?" he asks looking at the others.

[savior indra]

"There's too many uncertainties. The only reason we were brought in was that we're too new to have connections.The Prince is trying to stake a claim on us. Ebon and Jacob will probably try to do the same. It's simple politics, you gain an advantage and deny an opponent a valuable asset. I wish we had perfect information, but the question is... whose offer gives us the best chance of living past ten years?" said Belenos as he nodded in Daniel's direction.

"Daniel was it? I don't envy you. Jagger doesn't seem like the type of attention any new blood would want to attract. Our best bet is probably to throw in with one of the power players, keeps our heads down and grind. Drawing attention seems like an easy way to get killed."

[runestone]

Sophia

"The prince has put us in a very dangerous spot, and I agree that we need to work together. But I don't think he is particularly interested in claiming us, as you put it, Belenos. It seems to me that we are being used as bait, though I'm not sure what he aims to catch. He was very careful to avoid giving us any real information about what he wants us to accomplish in Savannah"

She starts looking up the address they have been given on her phone "I guess we shouldn't keep Jacob waiting, but before we go, we should exchange numbers, so we can get in touch. And we really need to decide what to call you two, Daniel and Daniel. Do either of you have a nickname we can use?"

She looks at Daniel Price "Or we could just call you Keith, he was always getting into fights with Jagger, right? Seems fitting considering that we are wearing sunglasses at night and driving limos"

[savior indra]

Belenos pulled out his phone and called one of his sire's ghouls and asked to be passed on to his sire before speaking.

"Hello sir. I've just finished my meeting with the Prince. I will most likely be unavailable to you for the next couple nights on business for the Prince. My apologies. Is there anything you would like me to take care of tonight?" said Belenos in a respectful tone as he waited for his sire's response.

[Fouredged Sword]

Belenos gets his mentor's voicemail. Right after court is a busy time for the Inviticus.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia turns to Daniel Price "Your wounds seem to have healed, but if you need to feed, it might be worth doing it here" she gives a small shudder "Though, it just struck me that a place like this would be a prime hunting ground for the creature that stalks us"

"I still have trouble finding my way around town. Is this place close to the hunting grounds the prince mentioned?"

[JollyChris]

Mr Price

Daniel noticably relaxes as soon as his weapon is returned to him and spends the limo ride carefully checking it's condition. After they're deposited in front of the bar he joins in the conversation. "Sure i'll watch your backs if you watch mine. Oh and don't worry about Jagger if he tries anything i'll make sure he regrets it." he says with savage grin and anticipation gleaming in his eyes. When the subject of names comes up "Feel free to call me Dan, now where are we? I've not been here before."

[runestone]

Sophia

"It is an elysium and an open feeding ground. Belenos and I were picked up here" She makes a gesture towards the end of the parking lot "My motor bike is parked over there"

"If you two were picked up somewhere else, then I guess we have a good excuse for being late for the meeting with Jacob"

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

"I'm parked around the corner, shall we go visit Jacob now or do any of you have soemthing else to do first?"

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia shrugs "I have no plans for the night, and I think it's a bad idea to keep Jacob waiting, so I'm ready to go"

"We should make sure that we are able to stay in touch in case we are separated"

She gives her phone number to the others.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

"Good idea." Daniel says with an approving nod when Sophia starts sharing her phone number "Mine is..." Daniel also shares his number with the group.

[runestone]

Sophia

"Let's go to meet Jacob, then"

She checks the directions on her phone again "You can follow me if you don't know the way. Actually, let's stick together anyway -- just in case. I'll just go and get my bike, then we can meet when you guys have picked up your cars"

Walking across the dark parking lot, she feels a sharp pang of an old fear. How often had she worried about what might be hidden in the darkness of place like this? She had thought that that terror was behind her, but now she finds herself looking closely at the shadows again.

But nothing happens on the way to bike, and she soon rejoins the others.

As they drive, she finds herself smiling. In spite of the news of the predator that stalks them, and the dangerous unknowns surrounding the mission from the prince, she can't help feeling excited at the prospect of finally having a home again. Or a haven, at least.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

Daniel nods agreement with Sophia and goes off to find his car, falling in place behind her bike as she leads the way to the meeting with Jacob.

[Fouredged Sword]

After a few minutes of driving you find the address fairly easily. It lies in the middle of a run down neighborhood that is half full of empty houses and tenements that collapsed during the housing bust. The address is for one such a building. The roof is caved in at a few places, and the whole building looks ready to be condemned.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia parks her bike across the street and locks it with the oversized chain she had bought after moving to Atlanta.

She crosses the steet and takes a moment to study the house as she waits for the others "Well, it doesn't look like much, does it? But I guess that makes it safer"


In case it matters:
Wits + composure: [roll0]
In case of 10s: [roll1]

[Fouredged Sword]

You look around carefully.

You see nothing alarming. The area seems perfectly peaceful at this time of night.

:smallamused:

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

"Nothing to do now but go inside and find jacob." Daniel says just as he starts to walk up the path to the front door.

[Fouredged Sword]

You walk into the house through the kitchen area. It is obviously abandoned, with a thick layer of dust over everything. There are a few spraypaint tags on the walls, but everything of value has already been stripped long ago, so the building just sits.

As you look around, the drawer starts to ring. When opened, it reveals a cellphone. It is receiving a call from an unlisted number.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

Daniel picks up the phone and answers it with a simple "Hello?"

[JollyChris]

Mr Price

After giving the others his number he sends Malactie a message: Call me ASAP Before following them to the meeting point.

"This place looks like a dump." He says as soon as he walks in the door.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia mouths "paranoia" before saying "Can you put that on speaker?"

[Fouredged Sword]

"Good, you are not overly late. I was concerned that Alexander would delay you simply to slight me."

It is Jacob. He sounds grumpy and talking quickly. The phone is an old and beat up flip phone, but already set to speaker.

"It looks like everyone is there. Good. I don't want to waste any more time on this as I can get away with. All of eternity and you realize that there is never enough time to get everything done."

He sighs and seems to slow down.

"But that isn't your fault. Let me be clear, you are a distraction. Alexander is dangling you and an official connection to Ebon in front of me to keep me occupied, and unfortunately it's working. I can't walk away from the opening he has left me, despite the fact that I know he has it gamed somehow.

Now, the issue with the beast roaming the countryside is important. I never would have sided with Alexander if it wasn't. It needs to be addressed, so we are going to do that. I am going to give you a little gift. Alexander has gotten too close to a safe house for me to feel it is safe for me to use. I am going to give it to you. If you look to the left, there is a spray painted section of the wall with a treble clef. Knock through the drywall, there is a hammer in the drawer if you need it, and you will find a safe. Open the safe and you will find 7 pairs of keys. These open the door to a safehouse in the basement of 5136 East Broad Street in Athens. It's by the river. The landlord is a ghoul under my service. I will give you another call tomorrow after sundown, and we will see about clearing up this mess as quickly as possible so I can get you out of my hair."

He stops talking for a pause, as if to consider something.

"On the other hand, he is offering you up to me. I intend to take advantage of that. Let me be frank. You can't trust Alexander. He is never quite what you expect him to be, and is always playing a game with slightly different rules that what you think you are playing.

I, on the other hand, will be clear. Cross me and I will kill you. Aid me and I will aid you in return. If you handle things so I have more time, then you will be too invaluable to lose. That, more than anything else, will see that you survive until your first decade.

Any questions?"

Wits + Composure 2 successes (+auspex if you have it)

You hear a faint echo in the phone.

Int or Wits + Science or Computers

It is picking up an echo because the both ends of the phone are picking up the same sounds.

[runestone]

Sophia

Something wasn't right. Jacob was watching them, but everything she had heard about him indicated that he wasn't one to rely modern surveillance equipment. He could of course just be feigning weakness. After all, the prince couldn't be the only elder who had read The Art of war. Even so, Jacob would have to keep up the facade, and they certainly weren't important enough to drop such a well-developed act. That meant he would have to be watching them in person. That would also explain why he was making such a fuss about wasting time. A single phone call didn't take that long, after all.

She notices a faint echo on the phone that could be caused by a bad connection, but it might also be a resonance effect if Jacob is actually hiding nearby. In that case, they should probably have been able to hear him talking, but who knew with these elders? After all, the prince was able to appear out thin air.

Feigning ignorance, she points to a wall with a random graffiti tag instead of the one Jacob mentioned "A treble clef what's that? Is it that one" she tries to be casual about it, but aims to say it sufficiently softly that it's not going to be picked up by the microphone on the phone, even though it is loud enough to be heard by people in the room. The old phones weren't good at filtering out background noise, but it still tended to register only as that, noise.

She was hoping that Jacob would react to the obvious stupidity of pointing when you are on the phone without realizing that he shouldn't have been able to hear her at all.

Then she looks at Daniel, making a gesture towards the phone "Can I please hold that for a moment?"

If Sophia gets the phone, she will start moving through the house while Jacob talks, trying to figure out if the echo increases as she moves. If so, she try to find the place with the greatest possible echo.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

"Be my guest." Daniel says handing the phone over to Sophia "Since you're being honest with us what is your opinion of Ebon?" he asks Jacob after a moments thought.

[Fouredged Sword]

Jacob snorts.

"Honesty is a good policy, believe it or not. A honest man can hide the truth much easier than a liar. As for Ebon... he is no better than Alexander. Neither of them have what it takes to hold the kingdom for the long term. One of them will make a mistake and the other will kill them, and then I will be there, waiting. Both of them are attached to the games they play. It makes them weak. Weak gets you killed."

[runestone]

Sophia

As they speak, Sophia moves through the kitchen trying to determine if the echo changes.

"I had the feeling that Alexander was using us as bait, and I understand that time is precious to you, but why -- then -- are you watching us yourself then instead of leaving it to someone else to deliver the keys?"

As they talk, she keeps listening for the echo, and moves on to the next room.

"Is there anything we should know about the house or your ghoul?"

[JollyChris]

Mr Price

After listening to Jacob ramble on Daniel speaks up. "So you're just watching us from the shadows, bah, at least Alexander spoke to us face to face. And why do you say that neither he or Ebon has the power to hold the kingdom when Alexander beat you and forced you to work for him?"

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

Daniel just briefly glances at Daniel and makes a mental note This one is going to cause us alot of trouble

[Fouredged Sword]

Jacob snarls at Daniel Price.

"The prince would set you in a box on his shelf. He makes you hang up your sword when he faces you. I meet you in person, the only protection I have is my own personal power. He would take your power for himself and leave you nothing. I know him better than ANY. I know what his true mind looks like, stripped of all the foppish color and scheming plots. At his core he is a weak soul who relies on trickery in place of strength.

Trickery will fail eventually. Ebon is proof of this. Alexander lacks the will to take Savannah, and he knows it. He lets Ebon's power solidify like a cancer and he does nothing. Sides are being drawn only for them to be shattered when some force comes through to kill us all.

I LIVED the burning times. Back when men had cannon and musket. Now they have weapons that burn whole countries. Planes can rain fire and fire can melt steel. There is no room for weakness if any of use are to survive."

[runestone]

Sophia

"Could the diablerists be such a force? Or are you only worried about the humans?"

Still holding the phone, Sophia walks back to the kitchen and goes to the wall that Jacob had identified "Well, we've been asked not to waste time. Would one of you grab the hammer and make a hole in this wall? Breaking down walls is not exactly my specialty"

As they speak, she is still trying to listen for any changes in the echo. The noise from breaking down the wall might provoke a different kind of echo, so she stays close.

[Fouredged Sword]

You can tell that Jacob is close, but you can't hear his end of the conversation except through the phone. It is fairly disconserting.

Occult + Int 2 successes

He appears to be using obfuscate. Unless he interacts with you, you won't be able to hear or see him.

3 successes

It's more a clouding of your mind than a hiding of sight. The phone is enough of a disconnect that it isn't breaking the obfuscate. He can talk to his end and you can talk to yours, but he isn't interacting with you, so you can't see him.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

"and what would you suggest is the path to strength?"

[runestone]

Sophia

Realizing that her first idea was probably correct and that Jacob must be hidden somewhere in the small kitchen, Sophia goes to lean against one of the countertops. It doesn't really matter, of course, but she feels better with her back covered.

It's really strange to be talking to someone invisible over the phone, and she feels a sudden urge to simply hang up. It doesn't help that Jacob seems to be ignoring her questions -- just like the prince did. But she doesn't do it. It's probably best not to provoke the elder.

[JollyChris]

Mr Price

Daniel grabs the hammer and starts smashing the dry wall kicking up a lot of dust. As he works he asks "What trickery does Alexander use?"

After finishing he stands back to let the others see the safe.

[Fouredged Sword]

Jacob continues before the hammering starts.

"I came here today to look at you with my own eyes. I will no trust the prince to do so on his terms, so we will meet on mine. So far, I like what I am seeing. You are an observant girl, keep it up and you may survive. As for the key, it has been here a long time. I felt that meeting you was important enough to do so in person. The prince found out that I had something hidden here, so I don't trust it any longer.

The prince is dangerous. Don't trust him, even if you want to. Majesty is an insidious power, worse than domination in many ways. Don't trust your allies ether. Especially do not trust his gifts. Over the years he has given many young vampires their heart's desires, if they are useful to him. It rarely ends well for them.

The threat we face is always about us versus the mortals. They grow more dangerous every passing year, and we must remain hidden. We must not risk everything. We are strongest when we embrace what we are, predators of the night. Alexander thinks himself a hero, Ebon thinks he is a god. Both are wrong, and both will die for it. I fought a elder who thought himself a god, back at the beginning. We killed him. His delusion was his greatest weakness and gave... and old friend... the ability to kill him. Your greatest strength will always lie in knowing exactly who you are. A man who hides behind a mask will never be truly strong, ether a black mask, or a smile. Both make the same mistake."

There is a pause, as if Jacob is distracted by something.

"And I have spent all the time I have. Another distraction calls. One of the faults of age is that we elders have so much time to accrue favors owed to each other. At least the Lady is far more pleasant, despite the mask she tries to hide under. The code of the safe is 351947671"


The phone then disconnects.

The drywall yields easily, and you find a safe behind it. It looks old, maybe 30-40 years old. You open the safe to discover the keys, sitting on what looks like a block of grayish white powdery substance. It looks like a detonator was rigged to the lock so that forcing the door would set it off.

Science + int - 2 successes

The keys are sitting on thermite. Less of boom, more of melting the safe and everything in it.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia scowls. A girl?! Did he know just how patronizing that was? He probably did.

"Well, I guess he's not a fan of long goodbyes" She pushes away from the countertop and goes to the safe to pick up a key, taking care not to touch the unknown substance. Then she spends a moment studying the safe, to see if it is possible to reset the combination now that the door is open.

She looks around at the others "I would like to go to the house immediately, so we have a chance to settle in before sunrise. Does that suit you?"

As an afterthought, she points to the grayish block in the safe "Do any of you know what that might be? It could be useful, perhaps?"

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

"I don't know exactly but considering what we know of Jacob its probably somekind of trap for whomever opens the safe without the combination, and i certainly don't want to risk tempering with it since i don't have the skills to do it without setting it off."

[Fouredged Sword]

The group splits up the keys, with extra keys finding their way into someone's pockets. Shophia manages to reset the lock combination to a new number and closes the safe, leaving the block of substance in relative safety.

Everyone bundles into their cars and drives for quite some time. You eventually end up in downtown Athens without too much trouble. You find parking in a parking deck fairly close to the address. You notice an active night life around in a multitude of bars and restaurants.

As you are walking from the parking deck to the address, Belenos gets a call on his phone. It's from his mentor, Bran Cassidy,an Irish vampire who is a member of the Inviticus.

A gruff voice answers with a slight southern accent. It's isn't your mentor himself, but one of his other followers.

"This is Joshua, the boss got your message, and he wanted me to check in on you. It sounds like you have placed yourself in an interesting position with the prince. Can you elaborate further what is going on?"

You recognize the name as one of Bran's ghouls who acts as an assistant. You know him by reputation.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

Daniel glances at Belenos "Would you like to keep this phone call private?" then he turns to the others "Shall we just head inside while Belenos is chatting with his boss?

[runestone]

Sophia

"Sure, let's do that. I looking forward to seeing what this place looks like. The location is certainly nice"

[savior indra]

As you are walking from the parking deck to the address, Belenos gets a call on his phone. It's from his mentor, Bran Cassidy,an Irish vampire who is a member of the Inviticus.

A gruff voice answers with a slight southern accent. It's isn't your mentor himself, but one of his other followers.

"This is Joshua, the boss got your message, and he wanted me to check in on you. It sounds like you have placed yourself in an interesting position with the prince. Can you elaborate further what is going on?"


"Yes, The Prince has sent us to Jacob who will then be sending us to meet with Ebon's court at some point to help coordinate efforts to hunt down the diablerist. We've been given a 'safehouse' near downtown Athens. I'm there right now.", said Belenos as he slid to the side and stopped to concentrate on the conversation while checking to see if anyone was watching.

[Fouredged Sword]

Belenos

The caller pauses and seems to think for a moment before talking.

"Good... yes, good. You need to stay with this and watch carefully. Fill us in as you go, and let us know ahead of time what direction the princes are jumping in. We can spin this to our advantage.

I also need you to look into Ebon. He has been around a while, but is still basically an unknown. He is old, but nobody we talk to knows where he came from. If we can know this... opportunities... may open where before they where closed.

Stay in touch. Call as you learn things. Return calls to this number. Is there anything else you can tell us?"


Everyone else.

You enter a several story brick apartment complex. It is late, but a person is sitting in the main office section. He looks up at you and waves.

As you enter the office he gives you a smile with a looks of slight desperation on his face.

"Are you the guests I am supposed to be expecting?"

[Burnheart]

Mr. Bain

"Yes i believe we are, if you don't mind our friend is taking a call outside he'll just be a moment." Daniel replies while glancing around the room before settling his gaze upon the man "That's not a problem i hope?".

[Fouredged Sword]

"Well, I'm not here for much. You SHOULD already have your keys. I certainly haven't don't have one. All I know is that the stairwell to the left goes down as well as up and there is a locked door that I have never seen inside. I got a call earlier tonight saying that the occupants would be arriving shortly and I would get to move to dayshift and actually spend some time with my wife for once. As far as I can tell, that room has been sealed for near five years. The rest of the occupants think it's a maintenance room most likely"

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia smiles "Yeah, sorry for the delay. We got caught up in traffic for a couple of years. Would you tell our friend where to find us when he is done talking?"

Then she proceeds towards the stairs.

[Fouredged Sword]

Sophia descends down the staircase and finds herself standing in front of a door, the stairs having ended in a short tend foot long landing. A obvious security camera is pointing down the landing. The door is otherwise plain looking with a plain handle (no lock) and a dead bolt.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia gives a small wave to camera. Hopefully they would have access to the feed from the inside, but someone else might be watching it as well. She would have to find a way to make the place safer without relying on the security measures that were already present. Maybe they could change the locks? Not that it would make any kind of difference if someone like Jacob actually wanted to get to them.

Then she tries the handle.

[Fouredged Sword]

The dead bolt is locked, but you find that one of the keys opens it.

Behind the door is a large steel vault door set back about one foot. The kind you see in ships, but with two key slots and a large wheel rather in the center of the door than a handle. The wall it is mounted in is also clearly solid steel.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia stares at the heavy door for a moment Wow. I guess it's not paranoia if they're really after you. Changing the locks certainly won't be easy

"Would one of you give me a hand with this? Are we supposed to use two keys at once, or what?"

Then she attempts to open the door.

[Fouredged Sword]

You fiddle with the door for a moment, and finally take the key used on the previous door out. Both keys fit into the heavy door, one in each key hole (you note that they are different key blanks). Once both locks are turned, the wheel turns freely. There is a slight catch as the door has stat unused for some time, but once you push through the resistance it turns easily. After a quarter turn, the door pops open, and you note the door fastens with a four bar wheel lock, meaning 4 bars of 2X.5" steel that seal the door shut, 2 on each side.

There is a slight atmospheric hiss as the door swings open, and a gust of air flows out, carrying whiff of dust and stale air.

Wits + Composure and + auspex if you have it - 2 successes

The air smells funny, It smells like charcoal, with a slightly burned scent.


Inside the door opens into a normal looking room, set up like a fairly typical living space, with a couch and old box TV next to a VCR and small stack of movies. There is what looks like an old space heater in the corner, and it lightly starts to hum and radiate heat.

Int or Wits + science - 2 successes

That space heater in the corner is a gas burner, and it looks deliberately broken to burn incompletely. The room is full of carbon monoxide. That explains why the door is air tight.


There is a hallway down the building with what looks like 8 rooms off of it. Further exploration shows that 6 of them are set up as personal spaces, with low cot like beds and dressers for clothing, each with a full length mirror, and the last two are a storage area and a security room that shows another impressive door that seals from the inside with no means to unlock it from the outside. The security room has a maul leaning on the far wall.

Wits + Composure and + auspex if you have it 3 successes

You hear dripping water from bellow you. Could the floor be thin in this room? It sounds like there is a storm drain down there.


Everything is lit by incandescent light bulbs, though a few flash and burn out as soon as the lights come on.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

With a wolfish smile to the man Daniel follows Sophia down into their new haven "Well what do we have here?" he mutters upon entering.

Spoiler 1 [roll0]
extra 10's [roll1]

Spoiler 3 [roll2]
extra 10's [roll3]

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia walks slowly through the haven while studying the contents of the rooms. A VCR? Clearly the guard had been right about no one coming in here for a while.

Without much hope, she checks the connection on her cell and keeps a eye out for a telephone socket. It would be annoying to be without an internet connection in the haven, though it was a small price to pay for security.

She had been looking for a haven to replace the room in the run-down hotel, and this was great. Sharing living space was not ideal, but at least there would be someone to talk to, and here she would be able to lie down for the day without the constant fear that someone would accidentally burst in and expose her. She closes her eyes for a moment. Yes, this was definitely an improvement.

After inspecting the entire haven, she goes to the bedroom closest to the security room. Then she turns to the others with a smile "Dibs on this one"

"I wan't to go out and get some things from my current home. I guess there is enough time until sunrise to do that"

[Fouredged Sword]

The night is is about midway though, and you can get to your hotel in back without too much trouble. Atlanta is hard to get around during the day due to traffic, but in the early morning hours getting around is really fast.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia goes into the security room, and after looking at the maul for a moment, she tries to lift it tentatively, but it seems to be too heavy for her to use effectively. Why was it there? This room was obviously meant to be a last bastion in case the haven was breached, but anyone who could get through the outer door would be able to get through this one eventually, and Jacob didn't seem like the kind of vampire to deliberately retreat into a dead end. Could the maul be meant to be used to knock down one of the walls to provide an escape route?

She makes sure to note precisely where the maul was when she came in and starts examining the walls, knocking on them to see if there might be a passage hidden behind one of them.

When she is done, she turns to the others "OK, I'm heading out now, but I'll be back before sunrise. Is there anything we need to talk about before I go?"


For the record, I've only looked at the first spoiler, so I don't know if the last one has anything to do with Sophia's guess.

Also:

There was a higher pressure in the haven than outside, but I'm assuming that there isn't any kind of ventilation. Is that correct?
Is there a cell phone signal in the haven?
Any luck finding a phone outlet?
... and on that note: If nothing else works, Sophia will have to look into the possibility of getting broadband over power line for the haven. :smallsmile:

[Fouredged Sword]

There is no phone outlet or internet jack. It has to be in the wall somewhere though, if nothing else, added after the room was built. The wall are all very solid looking cement, but a drill could get through that.

There is cell service though, and you are picking up multiple wifi channels. You think you can hack at least one of them. They appear to be household wifi from the rooms above.

[Burnheart]

Mr Bain

While Sophia pokes around Daniel find a room to his liking and settles in, meditating on the nights events when she calls out that shes leaving Daniel says "I don't think so."

[runestone]

Sophia

"See you later then"

She takes care to lock the door as she leaves, and walks quickly to her bike to drive back to Conrad's hotel to collect her things.

[savior indra]

"Not at this point, it's really all we know. I'll try to gather as much information as I can and figure out where the rest of my coterie is leaning and what motivates them. I'll be sure to keep in touch." said Belenos as he started to walk briskly towards the apartment complex in the hope of not falling too far behind.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia runs into Belenos just as she leaves the building "Good to see you, I was getting worried that you had gotten lost. It's in there, down the stairs. It's very nice and well protected. Daniel and I have already found rooms, and I'm just heading out to get some things from my current home"

"May I ask who called?"

[savior indra]

"One of my sire's ghouls. He couldn't be bothered to call me himself,"said Belenos with a shrug. "I'll go get settled in then. Are we having a meeting of sorts once you get back?"

[runestone]

Sophia

"That's a good idea. I can always get my stuff later. Let's go inside"

She unlocks the door to the haven and goes inside "Daniel, we're home!"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"That was quick." he replied.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia smiles "Yes, I ran into Belenos and changed my mind. I can always get my things later, and I think it would be good if we could discuss our situation"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Fine with me, it would be good to hear different perspectives of this."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia takes a seat in the couch "It might not be safe to speak here, but nowhere is really safe since Jacob can turn invisible and sneak up on us all at will, right? So I'm just going to speak freely"

"There is no doubt the Prince has put us in a dangerous situation. It is still unclear to me what he expects to gain from this. Part of it might be a distraction for Jacob, as he seemed to believe, but I think there must be more at stake. I have a feeling that we are being used as a lightning rod to draw more than one plot out into the open"

"Jacob seems more transparent. He wants to use us to gain an advantage over Alexander by getting an ... what was the word he used ... official? ... connection to Ebon. He doesn't seem like a fan of Ebon, though, so I guess any alliance between the two would be very temporary. He seems very preoccupied with time, so I'm thinking that Alexander was right when he said that Jacob will have to enter topor soon"

"I've been wondering about something. Alexander seems to take great care to keep his enemies and potential rivals close. Why, then, is the White Lady allowed so much freedom? As far as I understand, she is an elder, and that alone should make her someone to watch carefully. It almost seems like she harmless for some reason"

"Then there's the diablerist. It seemed like news to most of the court, and I guess it's going to cause some panic until they catch the one behind it. If they catch the one behind it"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Yes this whole mess is going to be one giant pain in the ass to deal with." Daniel seems annoyed "And worse a distraction from my studies of Cruac." he then turns to look at the others "What about you, how do you pass your nights?"

[runestone]

Sohia

"There may also be advantages to our situation. I'm sure it will be easier to get the attention of the older kindred now that we have been appointed -- or whatever you might call it -- by the Prince"

"I had to leave my old home shortly after I was ... embraced" She practically spits out the word, and clenches her fists so tightly that her knuckles would have turned white if they weren't already. It takes a moment for her to regain her composure "Anyway, I've been on the road for a while and arrived in Atlanta a few weeks ago. It isn't easy to find a Prince who will allow a wandering kindred to settle down, so I aim to make the most of this opportunity. For now, I would like to get some more contacts within the court, especially with the Ordo. I hope that they can teach me what I need to know to avoid failing ... again ... by giving in to the beast within" She leans back in the couch and massages her forehead as she is once again haunted by memories.

[savior indra]

"I'm of the opinion that the Prince isn't letting the White Lady do what she wants but rather she is far too powerful for him to attempt to control but she doesn't care about temporal power or titles." offered Belenos as he sat down.

"As for being one of the Kindred, I find it amazing. Power and abilities that a human could only dream of. Access to immeasurable wealth, power and prestige. Still, I find that these elders seem to be... settling. Jacob, Alexander, Ebon they all seem to be vying for physical power, domains and the like. That's all well and good, but we have already transcended humanity, why not transcend vampirism itself?" said Belenos as he looked around at the others.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"You sound like an Ordo Belenos, maybe you could introduce Sophia to your friends since she's interested in such things." Daniel remarks with a wolfish grin.

[runestone]

Sophia

Belenos' words shake Sophia from her thoughts "So you think we have transcended our humanity? How can you possibly believe that these powers we have gained measure up to the things we lost? We are all dead and the rest is superficial at best" Her hand strays to her abdomen, and she closes her eyes for a second before continuing "Sorry, I recently lost ... someone I cared about. I didn't mean to take it out on you"

"Let me get back to your question. Why do the elders not aim to transcend our condition? Oh, I'm sure they would like nothing better than to regain control and see the sun without fear. Some of them may even have tried. Tried and failed. What makes you think that such a thing is even possible? It sounds like a fairy tale. Though I guess an elder of the Ordo would be more likely to succeed at something like that than the rest of them"

[Fouredged Sword]

The conversation continues for a bit, then peters out. Sophia fetches her things from her hotel room, and you settle in for the day. As the night grows short, the sun's imminent rise itches at the back of your skull, drawing you into a slumber. You day is not restful, and you are plauged by nightmares.

Sophia

You dream of court, but all surfaces are twisted mirrors. The court is full of courtiers, but all wear white mask. In the mirrors their masks are black. They are laughing and seemingly enjoying themselves. A man stalks into the room mask-less. He looks harried and exhausted, but he casts no reflection. He is chased by a laughing figure in a comedy mask, with a crown of paper on his head. The masked man's reflection moves independently of him, harrying the maskless man from the other side of the mirror. The maskless man looks at the courters and sees that he entered the only door to the room, and he turns on the masked harrier and begins to smash the mirrors.

As you wake, you hear a mans voice speak regretfully. "Better to be a good monster than a horrible person."


Daniel

You dream of a empty house. You stand in it's interior, and in the dark of the house there is thread, strung from room to room, a tangle of red thread. You touch it and the thread feels damp, and your fingers come back red, covered in the sweet smell of blood. You notice that you are not alone in the room. There are five figures with you. They are indistinc, and they seem to be unable to notice the room, you, or each other. four stand in pairs, and a fifth stands alone. The pairs are wrapped in string and tightly bound. One pair is tied back to back, the other pair face to face. The string wraps all five tightly and crisscrosses the room, tying them to the walls and keeping them apart.

Where your finger touched the thread, a drop of blood forms. The string frays, and silently snaps. The threads slowly begin to loosen, and the three sets of figures begin to slide towards each other.


Belenos

You dream of two figures, clasped in a conflict, each tearing at the others. One is made of light, the other dark. As they tear at one another, they peal off the covering of the other to reveal a heart. The figure of light contains a black heart, the figure of dark, a heart that glows. The only sound is of a woman crying is anguish and a man screaming in rage. As you wake, a woman's whisper echos in the dreamscape.

"I love you too..."


You all wake with a start. It is newly dusk. Your phones all are ringing.

[savior indra]

Belenos shot up out of his bed and wildly looked around the room. It had to have been a dream, but it was so real, almost like a prophecy. Light and Dark... what did it even mean? He was so deep in thought that he almost missed his phone ringing. He quickly glanced at the Caller ID before answering the call.

"Yes?"

[runestone]

Sophia

When Sophia comes alive, she is completely disoriented as the mirrored walls of her dream are replaced by the unfamiliar room in the haven while the sound of breaking glass is replaced by her ring tone.

She closes her eyes for a moment to prevent the dream from slipping away -- it seemed important somehow -- but it turns out to be unnecessary: Unlike most dreams, this one is strangely persistent.

A good monster? That sounded like something one of the elders might have said. Why had that man been chased like that? And why didn't she remember whether she had seen her own reflection?

Finally, when she can no longer stand the noise, she picks up the ringing phone

"Sophia"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Waking with a start to the sound of his phone ringing, Daniel shakes his head trying to banish a lingering uneasy left by the strange daydream he experienced.

Reaching to for the phone he answers "Hello?"

[Fouredged Sword]

You hear eachother's voices echo on the phone.

"Hello?""Sophia""Yes?"

A gruff voice responds, sounding a little surprised and chipper. "Damn, it works. Always surprises me a little when mortals come up with something new like this. I will have to thank Nathanial for showing me how this works. So much better than calling you all one at a time."
You recognize the voice as Jacob. It has a harsh edge that is hard to forget.

"Anyway, I have a contact for you to meet, but he is in Savannah, so you may have to get a move on. He is Nebakanezer, and he is one of Ebon's council. He and I have been making passes at each other for a while, and while I appreciate a potential ally making doe eyes in my direction, we didn't have a solid reason to risk meeting each other while tensions where so high. You will provide a perfect excuse to make that initial contact in a manner that is perfectly above board. I need you to get to Savannah tonight, and meet with him at midnight in the Bonaventure Cemetery. As far as I can tell, he is flamboyant and foppish, but I need you to set up a meet between him and I. Any questions?"

[runestone]

Sophia

"Question? Yes ...eh ... sorry, I just woke after a strange dream" It takes Sophia a moment to adjust and get her bearings "We'll need to know where -- and under what circumstances -- you wish to meet this Nebakanezer. And I would like to know more about him, if that is posible. Why he is interested in this meeting? What is his status in Ebon's court. That sort of thing."

She thinks for a moment "I also have another question which has been bothering me. Alexander told us that this is primarily a fight between him and Ebon, while you seem mainly concerned with Alexander. But you both talked about the future of the kindred in this city as something depending on the outcome of this struggle with three sides. Why does nobody mention the White Lady in this? She is as old as the rest of you, if I understand correctly. Alexander is very keen on keeping enemies -- and potential enemies -- close, but the White Lady seems to be ... absent?"

[Fouredged Sword]

"Let me make one thing clear. The White lady is not an enemy. Not to Alexander, not to me, and if you are smart, not to you ether. In fact, be wise and don't involve yourself in her. If you impede her in her fools errand, then Alexander will fall on you like a hammer, and I will laugh and let him. If you get caught up in her crazy ideas, you are a fool as well, and it will destroy you. Josephine is a non-issue. Don't make her one, or you will find yourself with many powerful enemies. Nobody wants to get her caught up in this, and with the powers at her disposal, nothing can force her out of her self imposed exile. She can't be found unless she wants to be, and she does not want to get involved. Everyone likes it that way, don't rock the boat.

As far as Nebakanezer is concerned, I want to meet him on neutral ground, somewhere in Savannah will be fine. It must be somewhere open, and the meeting must take place at least 4 hours before dawn. He can bring 4 men with him if he wants, I will come myself, but he will not see me. I will be speaking though a middle man I trust. Work out the remaining details with him as you see fit."

[savior indra]

Belenos elected not to speak as his eyes narrowed at Jacob's words about The White Lady... or Josephine as she is called. The fact that no one wants her involved meant two things. First, she was the most powerful Kindred in the area, that was the only logical conclusion. Secondly, she must be pursuing a goal loftier than any that the Prince, Ebon or Jacob have their sights set on. He would have to look into this. Let the Prince, Ebon and Jacob squabble over temporal politics. He would not look at this feet for the rest of eternity. No,he would seek out this White Lady and seek out the truth for himself.

[savior indra]

Keeping the phone to his ear in case Jacob wasn't finished speaking; Belenos moved to get ready to leave. It was all clear now. The bartender; Joe... Josephine. The White Lady... He wouldn't waste anymore time. He needed to meet her. Once he was sure that Jacob had hung up Belenos left the apartment and jumped into his car speeding off towards Joe's Bar.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"What clan and covenant is this Nebakanezer part of?" Daniel asks after a moments thought.

[Fouredged Sword]

"He is a Gangrel, and he is Circle. He is a major mover in the circle, and the circle is far stronger outside the city than it is this far north. It is why I need him as a contact. You ether have to be inviticus or circle to make much headway within Ebon's court. It isn't set up like the Atlanta court. The rest of the state is cut into fiefdoms and each fiefdom sends a representative. He is one of those representitives. The system unbalances the court in the direction of the Inviticus and Circle, as they control more fifes"

[runestone]

Sophia

So Belenos had been right about the White Lady when they talked yesterday. She would certainly be an interesting person to meet -- if only there was a way to find her.

"Thank you for the ... clarification. I have no further questions, unless you know something about Nebakanezer's motivations for meeting you"

[Fouredged Sword]

"I will let you go about it then. Nebekenzer is loyal to Ebon as far as I can tell. He wants an in to start finding a crack in Alexander's walls. I am all to happy to show him some. Give me a call back after your meeting with him. Remember, my promise of reward if you serve me well WILL be upheld."

Then you hear the phone rush by wind, and traffic noises, then it goes dead.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

After Jacob ends the call Daniel dresses and leaves his room, meeting the others in the main room and remarking when they both arrive "So what do you want to do now?"

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia meets the others in the living room and spends a moment stretching "Good night"

"We need to go and meet this Nebakanezer, right? What else is there to do?"

"It seems you were right about the White Lady, Belenos. I'm sorry I jumped on you like that yesterday. It's a shame that she is in self-imposed exile. I would like to meet her"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Mostly likely yes but I have a feeling that the appearance of this Diablerist is pushing long slumbering conflicts into the open, or at least as open as vampire politics gets. It feels like, well like change is in the wind in which case we should be care who we trust and what we decided to do."

[Fouredged Sword]

Belanos tears out of the house as soon as the phone disconnects. By the time that the rest of the group gets their wits together he is gone without a word. With little else to do, the remaining pair prepairs to make the trip to meet Nebakanezer.

Five minutes down the road, Belanos' phone rings.

"Hey, this is Joshua again. We got word from a contact yesterday that Jacob is making some kind of move today in Shavannah. The boss figured you where the most likely contact group. Do you know anything about what is going on?"

[savior indra]

"Yeah we are supposed to set up a meeting between Jacob and Nebakanezer tonight in Bonaventure Cemetery. Nebakanezer will be bringing up to four men and Jacob will be speaking through a middle man. I'm investigating a different lead for the group and I'll let you know when there are any more updates." said Belenos as he continued to drive.


"My phone's probably tapped... I need to let Sophia and the others know somehow..." thought Belenos as he looked for a payphone to stop at and use.

[Fouredged Sword]

Belanos hangs up with Joshua and finds an all night gas station. The payphone is in the back, but not very private. There is a clerk maybe 40ft away.

[runestone]

Sophia

As she sees Belenos leave, Sophia mutters "Where the **** did he go?"

Then she collects her gear and spends a moment to freshen up before meeting Daniel in the living room "Let's go meet this Nebakanezer"

[savior indra]

Belenos walks up to the clerk while turning on awe at the same time.

"Hey man I have to make a call to a girl and it's really important it stays confidential. Do you mind stepping outside while I call? You can look in to make sure I'm not taking anything. I just don't want this to be more awkward than it is."


Awe: Presence (3) + Expression (4) + Majesty (3) + specialty (1)

[roll0]

10 Again [roll1]

[Fouredged Sword]

The clerk looks you in the eyes and gets a kinda far away expression. His face snaps into a nice friendly expression and he shrugs and addresses you with a casual friendly tone.

"Sure man, ok, if it's that important to you."

He locks the register and steps around the counter.

"Just stick by the phone ok, the boss will fire me if there are any thefts."

He steps out front and lights up a cigarette.

[savior indra]

"Thanks man I appreciate it." said Belenos gratefully as the man left. He then proceeded to the payphone and dialed Sophia's number.


"Sophia? This is a friend. Listen, Joe; the bartender, from Joe's Bar is Josephine, The White Lady. Also beware. The Carthians know what is happening. Nathanial is Jacob's childe, he made the call possible. Stay on your guard. Remember this, the Light and the Dark tear at each other to reveal the heart. The Lady will cry and the Man screams in Rage. Take care Sophia. Hopefully we'll live through the night." murmured Belenos.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia had signaled Daniel to stop when she felt the vibration from her phone. Very few people had this number, and she couldn't afford to miss a call from any of them.

Recognizing Belenos' voice, she tries to hide her irritation at his sudden disappearance and turns on the speaker to allow Daniel to participate in the conversation.

"Thanks for the heads up. I already knew that Nathaniel is the childe of Jabob, but I hadn't made the connection between Joe and Josephine. Nice catch. I assume you are out to investigate this further. Be careful out there"

[Fouredged Sword]

The night flies by as two cars travel quickly along the roads, one east, one west. Darkness and distance...

To the East, at Joes bar.

You arrive at the bar, it is almost an hour before midnight. The open sign is on, but the place looks kinda empty. A few cars sit in the parking lot.

To the West.

It is an hour before midnight and you find yourself at the wrought iron walls of the garden of good and evil. You had to park in a lot a few blocks away, but the streets are empty. The gate is open, despite the late hour. The air feels heavy.

Wits + Compsure + auspex - 6 sucesses

There is a giant watching you. That is the best way you can describe him. He is 20ft tall, and nude, he is covered in blood, rich and dark blood that stinks of vampire. You are not quite sure what you are looking at exactly, a vampire or some kind of demon. He is heavily built, even for his size, though he seems misshaped, far to broad for a human frame, even adjusted for his massive height. He is twisted with animal features. His maw is shaped into a muzzle, with dog like fangs and a dog like nose, and wrapped around them are massive cone shaped ears, almost comical is size. His hands are vicious claws, dripping with blood. His feet are massive paw like claws, like that of a great cat. He has a long, slender tail that whips around behind him. His aura hits you like a hammer. As you meet his eyes he snarls down at you, his teeth covered in red slimy blood. Roll to resist falling into the red fear in the presence of an elder.

[savior indra]

Belenos parks his car in the parking lot and slid his .40 S&W Magnum behind his back. There was something off about the bar tonight. Something just wasn't right. he straightened his tie before walking into bar hoping that he wasn't walking into a trap. His eyes glancing around looking for any sign of Joe.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia stops before the gate.

"We're not expected before midnight and it's of course bad form for guests to arrive early, but let's have a look around anyway. I bet we'll find our contact in some gothic mausoleum -- he seems to have thing for dramatic symbolism"

Then she takes a moment to prepare her bow and continues through the gate.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Ladys first." Daniel says with an extravagant bow and a sly smile.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia smiles and shakes her head at Daniel's display as she proceeds through the gate.

"And here I thought chivalry was dead"

[Fouredged Sword]

Belenos

You enter the bar, ready for anything. You are greated by nothing. The bar is nearly empty except for a few drunks in the corner. The bar is completely empty except for a young man behind the counter. You note the cup behind the bar is inverted, marking the space off limits to feeding. The bartender meets your eyes as you look around the room, then goes back to cleaning the glass he is holding absentmindedly.

Daniel and Sophia

You enter the cemetery, noting that the area is quiet, too quiet. Your nerves are on edge, but there is no motion anywhere. You cautiously make your way to the center of the park. At the center is the statue the park is known for.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5IzDB3eH384/ToyHpLDVUpI/AAAAAAAAA4s/GvcYyONONg8/s1600/Midnight_Garden.jpg

You pause for a moment, to look around for the people you are supposed to meet. You startle as an electronic ringing fills the quiet. A phone was set into the left hand bowl of the statue, and it's ringing.

[runestone]

Sophia

Startled by the sudden noise, Sophia swings her bow around to aim at the statue before she realizes what is going on.

"Damn, I hate this part. At least Alexander spoke to us in person"

She approaches the statue cautiously, scanning the darkness of the cemetery for signs of hidden enemies. Walking up to the statue, she looks to Daniel for confirmation before reaching for the phone.

[savior indra]

Belenos walks up to the bar and sits down at it before ordering a scotch on the rocks. (Spending a Vitae to drink the liquor) and asking the bartender.

"Is Joe here tonight?"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Lets get this over with shall we." he mutters with a nod towards the still ringing phone.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia answers the phone and puts it on speaker for the benefit of Daniel.

"Yes?"

[Fouredged Sword]

Belenos

The bartender comes over and takes your order without a second thought, but once you mention Joe, he looks at you really hard. After a moment he speaks softly, his voice a little shaky.

"Ok, so Joe warned me to stay away from people who come into the bar wearing sunglasses at night, but she has me really concerned, but I saw her talking to your friend last night, so I think you are in a better position to help than me. Something is wrong with Joe ever since last night, and things have gotten really weird, crazy weird. Weird I think you guys with glasses are mixed up in. She rushed out of the bar after getting a call, and she hasn't been back since. She called me later and told me that something had come up, and she wouldn't be able to come into work. She seemed really upset about something.

After closing I went to check on her, because she wasn't answering her phone. This is the part that is crazy, and not just normal Joe crazy, or even mysterious Joe secret crazy. Her house was missing. I swear, it was gone. I have been there maybe six or seven times, and it's just down the block, but it's not there. The house before it, and the house after it are there, but her house is gone.

So here is my deal man. I am worried about Joe. She helped me out when everyone else wrote me off for dead. She saw me hurting before I even know myself and she saved my F***ing life after everyone else had given up. I can't stand not knowing where she is or if she is OK. You gotta bring me in on this secret all you sunglasses people are in on, and you gotta help me find Joe. If you do, I tell you everything I know."

Int + Occult or Wits + Empathy - 2 successes

This man is deep in a blood bond. He has definitely had the third taste.


Daniel and Sophia

The phone connects, and the ringing stops, and for a moment, there is just silence.

The a voice comes over the phone. A man's voice, it is dark and heavy. You can feel the rage bubbling at the back of the mind of the speaker. It's an old southern list, with the precursor of what would become the drawl of the deep south, but far more refined despite the rage it so badly attempts to hide.

"So you have spoken to Alexander have you? Well take heart, I am here, in person. This way just prevents the running and screaming part. Jacob appears to have learned this neat trick from the clever apes since the last time I saw him. Stay exactly where you are. If you run, I will catch you, and if I catch you, I am not sure I will be able to avoid taking a taste of you. You are not old enough to give me anything I need, I can smell that, but you look so very delicious. The only thing keeping you alive is how very much I want the three of them, more than I want to taste of you. I want them so very much more than I want you. I need to feed each of the bastards tried to kill me, betrayed my love, and scorned the fact that I saved them all from a monster far worse than Sherman.

So, rather than eat you right now, I am going to ask you some rather direct questions. If you lie, I will be able to tell, and I will eat you. I have two of you after all, so there is a spare if one of you proves difficult. Answer me well, and I will let you walk away and deliver the message to Jacob, Alexander and Nathanial that Samson has returned from the grave. I want them to know real fear before I feed.

So here is my first question. I have found Alexander as he is flamboyant as always, and Jacob was simple despite his predictable attempts to stay hidden. I cannot find Nathanial though. The mutt who was supposed to meet you stank of his filth, but he didn't know anything. I very much hope you can provide a better answer than he did. It didn't end well for him after all."

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Immedietely realizing that this is the diablerist speaking Daniel begins to answer his questions knowing that this was his only chance to walk away from this meeting alive

"The one we came here to meet serves Ebon, a rival of Alexanders who is always seen wearing a mask. Supposedly no one in the city knows who he really is."

[runestone]

Sophia

Her first instinct is to hang up to get rid of the hateful voice, but she resists the impulse.

So, they were at the mercy of the beast that had caused such fear in the community, and she couldn't answer his question: She had no idea where Nathaniel might be hiding. How could he think that they would know? She had to buy some time so they could think.

It was strange to be so afraid and not feel the beating of racing heart.

"So, Samson, you want us to divulge the secrets of those much more powerful than ourselves to a stranger ... on a phone? You could be anyone. Let us see you -- we won't run"

Suddenly, their conversations with Jacob and Alexander come back to her:



... An old friend long gone finally managed to stop the march, and we lived, or at least those of us left ...




... I fought a elder who thought himself a god, back at the beginning. We killed him. His delusion was his greatest weakness and gave... and old friend... the ability to kill him ...


"You killed a mad elder back before the civil war, didn't you? ... And saved the last remaining kindred of Savannah from the fires of Sherman? Both Jacob and Alexander mentioned an old friend who saved them from terrible dangers. It's certainly not a term either of them would use lightly, so it seems there is some gratitude left in them. Or shame, perhaps?"

"As for your question: I don't know where Nathaniel is. I'm sure very few do. Why don't you ask Jacob before you kill him? He probably knows"

[savior indra]

"Do you have somewhere... private we could talk? This isn't something we should be talking about in the open."said Belenos as he tilted his head slightly towards the other patrons. "Also which friend."

[Fouredged Sword]

Belenos

The bartender nods at your reply and looks serious.

"It was your lady friend. I saw you with her getting out of a car with her as I was getting to work yesterday night. Come to think of it, that was the last time I saw her. She called me in and rushed off.

We can go into the back. The bar can go untended for a bit, and I will close up if I have to."

Daniel and Sophia

The voice on the phone

The voice on the phone sighs and sounds... tired.

"Fine, very well, lets do this in person. Run and I eat you."

The phone disconnects.

"As you wish, I am here." You turn around and there is a man standing behind you. He is a tall and looks rather European and athletic, but his his face has a wild look about him and his eyes... His eyes scare you a little. Besides that he is nude and covered in blood. The scent tells you it's vampire blood. The wave of red fear washes over you. You almost turn to run, but then his eyes meet yours and his beast flares in intensity, growling at your soul, and your beast retreats, leaving you in control, if feeling empty.

"There, that's better." he replies with a smile. "It is good to talk someone who isn't food, well not yet at least. It has been a crazy few weeks, and it's so hard to just sit down and talk to someone when your beast is as strong as mine. At first, I was weak enough that I could go unnoticed, but by the time I got my bearings and realized that my old coven was still alive, well in retrospect, I may have jumped the gun and started gaining power before I had all the right pieces. Well, I have always had a problem with impulse control.

Alexander has no right to call me friend. Jacob ether. They stood by the pit and watched me burn. Nathaniel held back my heart as she watched me burn. If nothing else they should have prevented her from seeing that. I got the last laugh though. I, even back then, had passed their expectations. Stone is a servant, and a servant will shield his master from harm. It almost killed me though. It was the last of my vitae that I used to stay alive, and in the bottom of that quarry I stayed, but time fixes all problems, and the face was finally broken by some mortals one night.

But yes, I killed an elder who would have enslaved us all to his mind. He sought a more complete form of diablery and thought that it lay in complete domination of the mind and soul. The bastard didn't know the powers he tapped into and didn't realize the bond he sought to create where fragile as spiderwebs. He thought he could control us. In truth he simply broke down all the barriers. I acted, and the others put their will behind my fangs. We all tasted the blood that flowed that night, and yet I, the one who saved them, was the one who went to the firepit. They are all hypocrites. All except my love. She was simply weak, but we will fix that with time.

Damn, I was wishing that one of you knew of Nathaniel's likely location. Alexander is far too accepting of mortals knowing his secrets. A vampire soul is too large to eat in one piece. It breaks down into pieces and is impossible to reassemble. A mortal though, mortals are small, weak. I can swallow such a soul in a single bite and savor the whole of it, an entire, short, life laid out before my mind. I cannot express the feeling, it's almost as good as a vampire. Almost. Nathaniel is alive somewhere though. He is not in Alexander's court, and Alexander wouldn't trust him out of sight. Neither of them is capable of trusting, not really, not when it's important. They both think you can change people, when really all you can change is yourself. Try to change another, and the old self will rebel in time. This means both trust nobody but themselves.

It's funny. I was in their minds, and I know them better than it is possible to know anyone else. I got to see them all, my three most hated enemies and my beloved. To see someones love directly... It cannot have words. I hate to think the pain they caused her over the years. They drove her to cause herself such agony."

With that he kind of looks off into the distance for a moment, his face both sad and happy, a bittersweet smile covered in blood.

[runestone]

Sophia

Thankful for the measure of control that the elder has returned to her, Sophia desperately attempts to gather her thoughts and control her fear.

She didn't want to betray anyone, but they needed to give Samson something, to keep him talking. It couldn't hurt to tell him something that should be common knowledge, could it?

"You say that Nathaniel isn't in Alexander's court, but there was a Nathaniel ... or was it Nathanial ... and he has a childe named Samson. That seems like an odd coincidence"

[savior indra]

"Alright, lead the way. I'll tell you what I know and maybe we can figure this out." said Belenos as he accompanied the bartender into the back.

[Fouredged Sword]

Belanos

You are lead into the stock room of the bar. It is a cramped space, smelling of beer and wine, and stacked with shelves of boxes. The bartender speaks.

"I'm Carlos, now, who are you and what is going on."

... more later tonight... tomorrow, sorry.

[Fouredged Sword]

In the graveyard.

That snaps Samson out of his thoughts. He gives off grunt.

"Sounds like someone is naming his childer in memory of people who haven't left the world just yet. Sounds like Jacob really. He is sentimental like that."

He sighs again.

"Well, you don't know what I wanted to find out, so I am going to let you go. Go to Alexander and tell him I am headed his way. I will give him two nights. Then I go for Jacob again in another two nights. Then I will hunt down Nathaniel if I can't sus out his location from one of the first two. Then it shal be just me and my lady, and nobody will hurt her ever again.

Any parting thoughts before you go? Anything useful will help me remember to spare your life when I return to power."

[runestone]

Sophia

Scared and tired of being ordered around by one elder after another, Sophia sneers "Why would we -- or anybody else for that matter -- stick around after you take power? We're all food to you, remember? They say that consuming so many souls will drive you mad. Are they right?"

"But if we are to be useful," she spits out the word "then you need to give us more information. For all we know, Nathaniel could be using a different name now, he could have left the country, he could be in topor, or he could be dead. Did they burn you before or after the end of the civil war? I heard that very few kindred escaped Sherman, so perhaps Nathaniel died in the flames back then"

Her voice rises as she continues "And if he is alive, how would we recognize him? I mean, what does he look like? What are his clan and covenant? Is he as old and powerful as the rest of you? What powers does he have?"

After venting her anger, Sophia takes a step back, a little shocked at her own outburst "And ... and how can we contact you if something interesting comes up?"

Calming down, she is able to gather her thoughts, and she continues much more quietly "You say that our contact smelled like Nathaniel, and Nathaniel is presumably and elder like the rest of you. As Daniel said, the only elder we know of here in Savannah goes by the name Ebon, and he wears a mask. It would seem reasonable to assume that he's your guy. Alexander told us that he has seen Ebon's face ... and I got the impression that Ebon is a new arrival rather than someone from Alexander's past. But he could easily have lied to us, of course."

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Daniel simple takes a few short steps away from Sophia as she begins to rant at the elder.

[savior indra]

"My name is Belenos. I am... an acquaintance of Joe's. She's a very well respected member of the society I am a part of. She's distanced herself from it for the last couple of years and I want to ask her why and she would be the best one to explain some things to me as well. One of our group mentioned her in passing and I realized that she could be in danger so I rushed over here to warn her. Evidently not quick enough." said Belenos as he shook Carlos' hand and sat down on a chair before explaining to Carlos why he was there.

"Is there anything else you know? Anywhere she likes to go when she needs to think?"

[Fouredged Sword]

In the guarden.

The elder looks at you, a pair of rage filled eyes. He simply waits for you to finish. He seems very... restrained, despite his obvious anger.

"I am about the only elder who will let you be what you are meant to be, a predator of the night. I won't restrain you, not saddle you with some sick sense of who you are supposed to be. We are not human. It took a pit of fire to show me that in the end. We are not MEANT to be human. Trying to fit into the TINY idea that is humanity makes us suffer so greatly. Better to let it all go and accept that we are REBORN.

It does sound like Ebon could Nathaniel, but I have doubts. Nathaniel was the eldest of us, and he would be the strongest elder, not the weakest, as all accounts of Ebon point. I will save him for last anyway. Ether he is Nathaniel, or he is a threat to me. Ether way, I will kill him. Alexander comes first... Well, I suppose I should tell you the story. It will make Alexander squirm knowing that someone knows, and prove to him that I am who I am.

It all started at the end of that damn war. Sherman was marching though through Atlanta, putting everything to the torch. We where a courtie, Me, Alexander, Josephine, Jacob, and Nathaniel. We lived on a plantation and fed from slaves, reveling in our immorality. It was good times. We had a mentor. He was a powerful Ventru who taught us how to keep things in order.

When it became obvious that Sherman was burning his way though the state, he came to us. He explained to us he had a plan to stop Sherman, to get close enough to him and plant a suggestion using dominate, but he needed our help, a power he had never tried before because it required other kindred, and blood bonds.

So, we trusted him. We drank his blood, and he ours. We shared a bond, and then he did something with dominate and majesty. We looked into each others minds, and saw everything. It became clear that this was NOT his plan. He thought he would have control of us, but instead it opened us up to each other, without control. He broke off from the connection almost immediately, but not before we knew everything. I attacked him, while the others watched. I drew from their power and wills, and they tasted the blood as I drank it. I killed our mentor as he was trying to kill us and make us mere extensions of his will.

We saw his plan as well, take us and make for a boat back to the old world. Settle scores using us as puppets. Together, we found a different path. We stopped Sherman together. Josephine got a good look into his eyes just outside Savannah, and convinced him to spare the city and go home. The combined force of all our wills overpowered the spirit of Sherman, and bent him to our will. Then it was over.

One by one we pulled out of the meld. First went Jacob, as he took to the docks and sewers, no longer trusting us as we knew all his secrets. Then me and Josephine, we drank of each other, forging a bond too strong, to intimate to allow for the meld. Alexander and Nathaniel split last. The bond was fading fast, and he was arranging for passage north.

And that is where I left the story. After I broke from the meld, Alexander, Nathaniel, and Jacob decided that I committed the act of diableri and that I could not be trusted. The dug a pit for me, and lined it with stone. I should have seen it coming, but I was too caught up in my new found intimacy. And that was the end of my part of the story. Josephine tells me that Nathaniel left on a ship for the north, but it I know he is here somewhere.

And that is where I finish tonight. I tire of this conversation. Find Alexander, deliver my message, and stay out of my way. If for some reason you want to contact me, I will keep the cell I used to call the burner phone for a few nights at least. Call it."

With a sad look, the elder turns, and walks away. The darkness twists around him, and your eyes try to follow his shape, but before long he simply vanishes.

The bar will be later this weekend.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Fasinating..." Daniel mutters to himself as the elder leaves before turning to face Sophia "You got very lucky there lady, now what are we going to do?"

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia massages her brow while regaining control over her emotions "Yes ... yes, I suppose I was. Sorry, I didn't mean to get you into trouble there ... I ... I've just had it being told to obey one elder after another, and I've given up counting rocks and hard places by now."

"What do we do? Well, I guess we go back to Atlanta -- there should be enough time before daybreak, right? I don't fancy having to explain our missing contact to Ebon's people. We can discuss our situation and get in touch with Belenos while we drive."

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Works for me, lets go find Belenos and see what he's been up to tonight."

[runestone]

Sophia

As they return to the car and her fear slowly diminishes, Sophia ponders the new information Samson had given them, and suddenly things snap into place: The dream, Samson's story, Alexander and Ebon.

Once they are back in the car, she turns to Daniel "I know I was reckless back there, but in the end, he told us some very interesting things. We're in this together, and getting out alive isn't going to be easy, so I'm going to trust you. I think we may have a rare advantage right now, and we desperately need to discuss our next move" She looks around and uses her hands to half-heartedly feel for something invisible in the back seat "I don't know where to go to speak privately. This car could be bugged, and for all I know, there could be an elder hiding right here in the back seat"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"We might indeed, but i've got no clue were we can talk either." Daniel pauses for a moment before adding "And what of Belenos?"

[Fouredged Sword]

Belenos

The bartender looks at you suspiciously.

"I wanted answers, not more questions. I don't trust you, but I guess I have no choice. Joe doesn't go many places. The only places I have ever seen her is at her house, and..." his eyes drift over your shoulder suddenly, and a look of both relief and anger crosses his face "..here."

You turn to see what he is looking at, and the aura of an elder washes over you. Behind you is Joshepine, Elder of the Mekhet, in all her dark glory, her beast lurks in the shadows of your heart and her eyes look into your soul. Fear hits you like a sledgehammer, and...

roll, roll, roll,

You stomp down on your beast. One the moment passes, you actually stop and LOOK at Joe. She is bedraggled and stricken. Her makeup is smeared and she has obviously been crying. She is surprised to see YOU here, obviously, but her look of anger quickly gets squashed down under a face full of unhidden fear and worry.

"Johnathan, go tend the bar." She intones flatly. "I will talk to you in a bit. It appears that I have company tonight. Mr Belenos, it appears we need to have a talk about you being here." she hesitates for a moment "and other things."

The bartender has a look of pure joy at being addressed, and quickly scurries out of the room before you can say word.

Joe flinches at his adoration as he leaves. Once he is gone, she turns to you and straightens. She lifts her head up and addresses you with an a voice accustom to speaking from authority. It is a sudden shift from the woman who walked into the room.

"You have my full attention"

The odd couple.

Two things occure to you.

A - To get to Atlanta with time to do anything, you will have to drive very fast. Car lights off and vampire night vision means you don't need to worry about cops.

B - The safest place you are likely to be able to talk is in a darkened car, speeding down the highway.

[savior indra]

Lady Josephine." said Belenos as he bowed before the elder in front of him. Before doing anything else he pulled out his phone and checked behind the battery for any sort of bug. If there was one he removed it and crushed before replacing the battery and turning it on. If there wasn't one he simply turned the phone back on.

"May I presume I am speaking to the White Lady?" asked Belenos respectfully as looked at the Elder kindred. He slowly pulled his gun out and set it aside trying to show Josephine that he meant no harm. "My coterie was contact upon waking by Jacob. I made the connection between your name and The White Lady when he let slip some details. The rest of my coterie was sent to make contact between Jacob and Nebakanezer. I came here in the hopes of meeting you."

[runestone]

Sophia

As they start driving, Sophia speaks again "I guess nowhere is completely safe, but this should be as good a place as any. Besides, we're probably too far down the food chain for anyone to bother to use surveillance."

"First of all, I'm convinced that Nathaniel is Ebon. Just as importantly, I'm sure that he's in fact working with Alexander -- not against him." She pauses for a moment before continueing. "It ... it's hard to explain, but I had this vivid dream just before I came alive at sunset. I didn't realize it at first, but the things Samson said about the bond between Alexander and Nathaniel made me realize that it showed me the two princess working together to harass someone whom I now believe to be Jacob."

"We've been caught in the middle of this struggle between five elders which is almost certainly going to end badly for at least three of them. To get out of this alive, I think we need to ally ourselves with one of the factions. Right now, we have an advantage as no else knows everything that we know, but it's probably not going to last very long." She pauses for a moment. "Besides, it'll be very easy for one of the elders to force us -- one way or another -- to tell everything we know."

"So, what are our options?" She starts counting them on her fingers. "Jacob seems to be the weakest of the four. He doesn't even realize that Alexander and Ebon are working together -- or that Ebon is Nathaniel. His agenda seems mainly to be one of personal power, and I guess he'll turn the city into a classic princedom if he gets the chance. There could be worse outcomes, but I don't think he'll be able to prevail."

She holds up a second finger "Together, Alexander and Nathaniel probably have more resources that the others. But what is their agenda? Alexander's fascination with friendship and change makes me think that they're trying to repeat the experiments of the dead elder, and I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

"Samson seems convinced that he has more personal power than any of the others, and I'm inclined to believe him. He isn't as mad as I would have thought, and ..." She smiles apologetically "... he's better at anger management than he pretends, but I wouldn't want to live in the world he has to offer."

"Finally, we have Josephine. We don't know much about her. According to Jacob, she's stronger than the others, but she also seems different, and I guess Belenos may be right that she has been trying to transcend our condition. I think we should try to meet her as soon as possible. Right now, she seems like the best bet if we want to get out of this alive, but that may be too optimistic -- after all, we know very little about her."

"I'll text Belenos and tell him that we want to speak to Joe if that's possible.OK?"

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Hmm i chance to meet the elusive white lady? That sounds like something we should take if we wish to decide our place in the cities future."

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia types a text message on her phone and shows it to Daniel before sending it to Belenos.




Our meeting is over, and we have interesting news. We would like to talk to the one you went to find. Call us if you can.

"I guess the first thing we need to decide is what to tell Alexander and Jacob"

Daniel and Sophia are probably a few hours ahead in terms on in-game time. I don't know how important that is, but I'm thinking that Belenos and Josephine will have some time to talk before the message arrives.

[Fouredged Sword]

Belenos

Joshepine looks tired when she hears that name.

"I haven't been the White Lady for a long time, but yes that is my title, and I am old. Old enough that there are unspoken rules about dealing with me. Primarily, don't. I have no interest in the society, and Alexander is gracious enough to extend that courtesy back. Unless you have a particular reason to be here, leave. Feeding is closed tonight, and won't be open until I say otherwise."

[savior indra]

"I understand. I noticed that you seemed... troubled just a bit earlier. I had... a dream today. In it a person of darkness with light in his heart tore at a figure of light with darkness in their heart. A man screamed with rage and a woman cried out in anguish. A woman whispered... 'I love you too...'" said Belenos half explaining, half piecing things together. "I cannot believe it a coincidence that your title is the White Lady and the figure from my dream a figure of light, along with the woman's whisper, and finally you appearing with great concern."

Belenos took a step closer to Josephine body language and voice clearly showing that he was not attempting to harm the elder Kindred. "Joe, if there is any way I can be of assistance..."

[Fouredged Sword]

Joe looks at you for a long moment. You can tell she wasn't expecting that. She lets out a breath you where not aware she was holding and leans suddenly against the wall. She looks tired.

"Dreams huh, well, I'm not sure you can help me. I'm not sure that what I want is doable anymore. I can get so close, almost to the edge, I can feel the dark part of me fade away... It won't go away though. I don't know what it is, but I can't ever seem to get over that last hill." Tears begin to drop down her face, as it contorts into a expression of pain. "There is always something that drags you back isn't there. A mistake from your past, a choice you should have made differently. Maybe a different person would be able... no, I'm just not sure that there's something down the road I am on anymore."

Belenos' phone then dings, registering a text (this is Sophia's text)

[savior indra]

"Joe you have to believe. What we've become now... what we are; if you let it consume you, it will. You don't need to hear this from me, you know from experience. I know, from seeing my sire from seeing the other Elders. They fight over money and domains, and herds but really... in the end, they're not fighting for anything other than to validate their own existence and hope that it's enough. But you? Your trying to better yourself. In spite of all the darkness that has happened to you, in spite of all the pain, you still radiate; a beacon of hope, a light in the dark.You are exemplary Joe. So please, don't give up." said Belenos as he edged closer to Josephine his voice becoming softer as he got closer and he gently grabbed one of Joe's hands with both of his own as he looked directly into the Elders eyes.

[Fouredged Sword]

The elder looks you in the eyes, and speaks in a cold voice.

"There is no better. For a long time, I thought there was, but I see now the universe sees fit to haul you back and hurt you for all your efforts. I have lived my unlife as Sisyphus, rolling my stone up the hill. Each time I think I have reached the top, the stone finds a way to roll back down. I don't know why I am trying anymore. Everything I touch turns to ash.

Take Johnathan. He was dieing. Cancer. I told him when I saw it in his aura. I didn't tell him how, but I told him to get help. Four months of chemo later and a terminal verdict later, he came back to me, begging me to tell me how I knew, and begging me to do something to save him.

I... I... tried."

She begins to drip tears down her face. She looks away, as if looking back at her memories.

"He was so weak, so frail. I wanted to be able to save him. I turned him into a ghoul. I thought it would help. I didn't realize it for a while, but he died that night, and something less to his place. I can't let him die, but he can't live without my blood, and he changed. He lost his drive, his wit, his will. It was all lost in the blood addiction.

What am I supposed to do with that. I see no good options anymore. Let him die, and feel horrid for standing aside, or save his body and let his soul rot. I can see the taint of my blood on his aura every time I look. You cannot reach the top of the hill, because getting the things you WANT is a selfish. I cannot NOT want to reach the goal. How are you supposed to reach salvation when wanting it hold it forever out of reach? How am I supposed to be better when I hate myself ether choice I am supposed to make?"

[savior indra]

"You gave him a chance. That's all anyone can do. We are not gods, no matter how we pretend to be. All we can do is give everything we have. Without you he would have never seen it coming. Johnathan is a good man from what I have seen. He doesn't deserve to die. Then again, few people really do. But that's not the world we live in. Our world isn't fair, it isn't just, and it isn't kind. But that doesn't mean that we have to be that way. Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, doesn't mean they're lost forever. Sometimes we need a little help." said Belenos softly as he looks into Josephine's eyes. He then closes his eyes for a moment as he prepares. He moves his head forward as he exposes his neck right next to Josephine's mouth before whispering into her ear.

"If you truly believe that wanting to better yourself to help others. To have lived an unlife for the sake of others is selfish, then BE selfish. Go ahead, drink of my soul and prove that you are selfish. I don't think you are. I know you are better than that. You are a selfless person Josephine, I have faith in you whether or not you have faith in yourself. I believe that you will reach Golconda not because you want to, but because you were meant to. You can show us, show all Kindred a better path. I know you can. So please, don't give up." murmured Belenos as he closed his eyes waiting for Josephine to bite down on his neck, or hopefully restore her belief.

[Fouredged Sword]

Your eyes close, and for a moment the whole bar seems silent. It is as if the whole world forgot to breathe.

Then a sound prompts you to crack one eye open. You hear a snort of most unbecoming sort. The elder Mekhet is looking at you stunned. Her eyes are streaked with tears, but her eyes are smiling, and her hand is over her mouth, hiding a chuckle as she tries not to laugh.

Then the dam breaks and she bursts out laughing so hard she doubles over. Her laughter sounds like bells. After a few moments she catches her breath and straightens.

"I can't remember the last time I laughed. Lord I needed that. I'm not laughing at you, well maybe a little, but I am laughing at myself. I needed to hear that. God I have been so stupid haven't I... I mean, I think I really got lost. I don't... I don't have the words. You mean it don't you. You really mean the things you said..." She looks into your eyes with the warmest look you have ever seen in a long time. "Someday, when this is over, one way or another, come talk to me. I owe you a great deal. Far more than I can repay." She thinks for a moment. "Come to think of it, this may take a while, and I have been gone far to long already. I have a better idea. Next time you see Alexander, tell him I am calling in his promise. He will know what that means. Now..." She turns and calls back to the bar "Johnathan!" then waits for a moment for Johnathan to stick his head through the door to the back room. She then points to you and gives Johnathan a big grin. "I gotta go away for a bit, don't know when I will get back. This guy's in charge of the bar, and he will be taking care of you. He's good people, do right by him." She turns back to you. "You take care for a while. I want to see you around when I get back. The way forward is forward not back, god I feel stupid. Catch you latter, I got a lot of work to do." She grins at you with a Cheshire Cat grin before she vanishes into obfuscate.

[Fouredged Sword]

Johnathan look at Belenos. His eyes show his abject shock and confusion. After a long moment he shrugs.

"If it's what the lady wants, I guess you can keep shop until she gets back. Come to think of it, I think this is what the file upstairs is for. Why don't you go sit in the bar, and I will come down with it shortly. Also, I guess drinks are free."

The other two companions pull up to the bar. Light traffic allowed you to speed all the way into town without a sing cop noticing.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Well here we are." Daniel remarks as they pull up infront of Joe's bar "Lets see if Belenos is still there."

[savior indra]

"Thank you Jonathan. I'll do my best." said Belenos with a small smile as he moved to sit in the bar and keep watch. Josephine had entrusted this place to him, and he would not disappoint. No, this location would become Elysium for a kindred with a gentle soul, that much he owed her.

[runestone]

Sophia

Lost in thought, Sophia goes to the entrance and tries the door.

[savior indra]

As Sophia and Daniel arrive at the door Belenos stands up and smiles motioning for the other members of his coterie to come join him at the table he was sitting at.

"Come in. We have a lot to discuss." said Belenos calmly as he sat back down, waiting for both Jonathan, Sophia and Daniel to join him.

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia looks warily at the empty bar as she follows Belenos inside. Seeing Jonathan, she looks to Belenos "Please, introduce us to your friend."

Then she takes a seat at the table.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Funny, we were going to say the same thing to you." Daniel remarks as he follows the others inside and takes a seat at Belenos table waiting for him to speak.

[savior indra]

"Jonathan this is Sophia and Daniel. They are with me, you can trust them. Sophia, Daniel, this is Jonathan Josephine's friend." said Belenos as he signed the papers that Jonathan had handed him.

"Thank you Jonathan. We'll be in the back. If anyone causes trouble or you need me please don't hesitate to get me." said Belenos with a smile as he led his coterie to the back of the shop.

"For starters, I was correct. Josephine is indeed The White Lady. She was having... a crisis of confidence of sorts. She's gone for now. There are things she must do. She left me in charge of the bar until she's back. I've decided that I will maintain it as Elysium for all Kindred who share her views and mine. I've also a message for Alexander next time we speak. The White Lady has decided to call in his promise." said Belenos calmly as he looked at Sophia and Daniel.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Well it seems she's not the only old friend of Alexanders come back into the fray these nights." Daniel explains about the meeting with samson, sharing the story he told about the mad elder and his crazy plan as well as sharing Sophia's thoughts about Alexander, Edon, Jacob and Samson. "Question is what do we do now?"

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia sits quietly through Daniel's account.

"We're in a very dangerous position: Samson expects us to deliver his message to Alexander. Alexander neglected to tell us what he wants, but I assume he would want to know about this threat. On the other hand, Jacob will call us at sunset, and he expects us to tell him everything we have learned before informing anybody else. I would have loved to discuss this with Joe, but I guess we have to make our own decisions. "

"As I told Daniel earlier, I believe we need the help of one -- or more -- of the elders if we want to survive, so we have to consider their strengths and weaknesses as well as their goals. I think Jacob is the weakest of the four, but he would probably be strengthened considerably if he knew what we know now. His goal seems to be personal power, and I think the city will become a classic princedom if he gets his way. Together, Alexander and Nathaniel must have a lot more resources than the others, but I'm worried about their agenda. I think they might be trying to repeat the experiments of the dead elder, and I'm not sure I like the sound of that. Samson probably has more personal power than any of the others, but I'm not interested in the world he has to offer. Personally, I would prefer to join forces with Joe. She seems more promising than the others, though we still know very little about her." Sophia nods to Belenos "Besides, you seem to have gained her trust remarkably quickly, so it shouldn't be as hard as I had feared."

"Right now, we have an unexpected advantage because we know things that the elders don't -- at least I assume they don't. But how long will that last? I'm afraid they'll be able to see through any lies we tell, so it might be best to avoid meeting them in person if we can."

"Here is what I suggest: We deliver Samson's warning to Alexander as soon as possible. Perhaps using a messenger. When Jacob calls at sunset, we give him some -- but not all -- of the information we have uncovered. I think we should tell him about the death of his contact and the identity of the diablerist -- but not about the alliance between Alexander and Ebon." She pauses for a moment "
Jacob will soon figure out that we have been in contact with Joe, if he hasn't already done so. It might be to our advantage to pretend that Belenos is the only one who is working with her, but that could probably backfire horribly." She massages her brow for a moment before continueing "Either way, we shuold start gathering information about the past of the five elders in general and about the mysterious power employed by dead elder in particular."

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Well does anyone have an idea of where to look for such information?" Daniel asks after sophia finishes "Aside from one of the five elders of course." he adds with a frown.

[runestone]

Sophia

"You're right, that's not going to be easy. It would interesting to hear what Joe could tell us about that, but we have no way of tracking her down, and that leaves Jacob as our only source of information -- apart from Samson, and really don't feel like giving him a call." She pauses for a moment before continuing. "How about this: We share our knowledge about the alliance between Alexander and Ebon with Jacob, and we tell him what we suspect about their attempt to copy the powers of the crazed elder. That should get his attention, and we might be able to convince him to tell us something useful from the past."

"Now, what about the rest of my suggestion? Do you agree -- or is there a course of action?" She turns to Belenos. "Could we ask Jonathan to deliver a letter with Samson's warning to Alexander? If not, I could probably convince someone else to do it for us. It'll be dawn soon, so I'm not sure one of us would be able to do it, and we don't have any direct way to contact him."

[savior indra]

"I'll deliver it myself to Alexander tomorrow night. I'm not going to risk Jonathan's life, or anyone else's for that matter. Besides I still have to tell him that Josephine is calling in his promise. Our best bet is probably to stay low tonight. We'll drop the proverbial bomb on Alexander and Jacob tomorrow night and see how that shakes up the landscape. If we deliver the warning to Alexander and tell Jacob what you two have deduced about Alexander and Nathaniel that should set the stage for what is to come. I'll do my best to keep humans out of it and minimize any deaths but there does not seem to be a non violent solution like I had hoped." said Belenos as he looked as his two friends.

[Burnheart]

Daniel

"Well that should certainly stir things up, lets just hope we can survive whatever storm is about to break." Daniel frowns before muttering to himself "Why did I have to get dragged into this mess?"

[runestone]

Sophia

Sophia studies Belenos while he speaks. "I think I may have misjudged, Belenos. I didn't take you for someone who would care about the fate of humans. I'm glad to be wrong."

"It might be dangerous, but there could be a benefit to letting Alexander and Jacob believe that Belenos acts alone while Daniel and I remain loyal to Jacob. That might allow us to get information from both factions. Though I don't trust myself to hold any kind of secret in the presence of an elder, so we would have to be very careful. If that is what we choose, Belenos should remain here while Daniel and I return to the haven we got from Jacob. And we should get our hands on new phones as soon as possible."

Then she holds up the phone they got from Samson "Speaking of phones. There is one more thing to consider: Do we tell Samson that Ebon is Nathaniel? I don't think so. As I see it, everybody loses if Samson takes power, and I don't want to aid him in any way."

[Burnheart]

Daniel

Daniel looks lost in thought for a moment when Sophia mentions Samson before sighing and shaking his head "You're probably right about that Sophia, Samson is trouble, dangerous trouble for all of us and we need to be very careful around him."

[runestone]

Sophia

"Very well. Then that's settled: We tell Samson nothing. Now, we don't have much time before daybreak. Daniel and I should return to Jacob's haven to keep up appearances. Belenos, are you staying here or coming with us?"

[savior indra]

"I'll stay. Joe asked me to look after the bar for her, so I will. It'll be easier for me to protect Jonathan in case anyone goes after him as well. I'll come grab my stuff tomorrow night before I go see Alexander." said Belenos as he looked at his friends and stood up. It will also be easier to maintain the facade of me acting independently of you two if I live separately from you as well."

After his friends left he pulled out his phone and called the Daeva Priscus hoping to ask a favor or trade for one. He was going to need to be stronger to protect his friends and innocents in the uncertain nights ahead. He needed to master Majesty. It was all he knew and he needed to enhance his knowledge further if he wanted to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.