(OOC) San Francisco by Night II: A Requiem in Fog

[Daishain]

With the question phrased that way, I'm not sure. My one sure activity right now is testing the waters and seeing what might work when it comes to the firebrand.

Back on the question of the retainer, a mortal investigator or two would be a possibility. The only catch is if they're at all competent they'll have questions pretty quickly. With that in mind, at least for the people working that closely with him, he'd only be hiring people that he thinks he could groom towards willingly becoming a part of the masquerade, with or without becoming ghouls themselves.

[Bennosuke]

With the question phrased that way, I'm not sure. My one sure activity right now is testing the waters and seeing what might work when it comes to the firebrand.

Eh, if you can, would you be willing to think on it? Understand that my job is to help you achieve your aspirations... so it isn't about picking the one most likely to succeed, if you know what I mean. But giving me some more specifics would help me... help you... sorry, I know that's corny.

Back on the question of the retainer, a mortal investigator or two would be a possibility. The only catch is if they're at all competent they'll have questions pretty quickly. With that in mind, at least for the people working that closely with him, he'd only be hiring people that he thinks he could groom towards willingly becoming a part of the masquerade, with or without becoming ghouls themselves.

If the idea sounds good to you, I feel like we could start with Karl introducing himself as maybe a slightly eccentric investigator whose line of work has forced him to work mostly at night, and therefore needs people to keep things running during the day? Again, we can assume if we are doing it over time that he choses people who are trustworthy in the way Karl will need them to be. Thoughts?

[Bennosuke]

Okay, so I am going to leave this up to chance just a little. Gabe will not risk killing this girl, and I won't put Karl in too touch of a situation, but let's see how composed Gabe stays in this attempted hunt

rolling Gabe's composure (3d10)[10][1][2](13)

[Thundercracker]

Anna's house is a two bedroom one and a half bathroom home at the end of a cul-de-sac in a decade old development near the outskirts of the city, right at the start of the suburbs. There's a small cellar where she keeps her heavier weapons and ammunition, IKEA furniture, and one bedroom is converted to an office. Although the furniture is self assembled, the appliances are quite modern, with the fridge and microwave etc being state of the art. The single car garage is plenty large enough for her sports car, but there isn't much in the way of tools. The kitchen is combined with a dining area and counter, and adjoins a sitting room which is dominated by a large couch and TV. The rear of the house faces the back of a neighbors fence, and the rear sliding glass door window leads to a pathetic wood deck attached to the rear of the house, barely large enough for a pair of chairs and a small table. All of the windows are fitted with heavy blackout curtains that can render any of the rooms completely dark, for obvious reasons. The front and back lawn are both maintained by contract landscapers and an automatic sprinkler system.

[Daishain]

Eh, if you can, would you be willing to think on it? Understand that my job is to help you achieve your aspirations... so it isn't about picking the one most likely to succeed, if you know what I mean. But giving me some more specifics would help me... help you... sorry, I know that's corny.

All right, I see two potentially interesting plotlines to follow along this route. One involves finding a way to manipulate Nova into actually doing her damn job properly. The other would be finding that she's not going to work out, and working to replace her without the fallout harming his coterie. I'm honestly indecisive as to which I'd find more enjoyable, so maybe pick whichever fits your established plans better?

If the idea sounds good to you, I feel like we could start with Karl introducing himself as maybe a slightly eccentric investigator whose line of work has forced him to work mostly at night, and therefore needs people to keep things running during the day? Again, we can assume if we are doing it over time that he choses people who are trustworthy in the way Karl will need them to be. Thoughts?

That would seem to work yes

[Thundercracker]

Just do what karl would do. Maybe he'll take a wait and see approach at first; its not like vampires can't be patient.

[Bennosuke]

@TC: I think the overall description sounds good. Can we shrink it to a 2 bed one bath though? SF is one of the most expensive cities in America (if not the most) and even in the worst parts of the city a 3 bedroom house would go for probably greater than 3-4 million USD... and the only people with those sorts of homes are families that have lived in the city since the 60s. It also probably just isn't necessary for Anna to have so much property for her own private apartment... not that it really matters, but just from a realism standpoint?

@Daishain: I have a personal opinion as to which would be the better storyline, but before I directly tell you what I prefer, do you remember TC's hypothesis as to who killed Estella... which is also one of the Coterie aspirations???

@All: IC post coming now.

[Thundercracker]

Yeah that’s fine. Also sounds like spending some of those resources on property makes sense.

[Bennosuke]

Yes, the original SF setting for vampire that saw the creation/introduction of Tony and Nicholas D'Agostino with a goal of partly exploring the significant displacement of native SF residents and at risk communities as the city urbanizes and undergoes massive gentrification and block busting. It has gotten so bad that a large percent of service workers have to live hours outside of the city, because no one can afford to live there.

[Thundercracker]

Manipulation + politics + 3: (6d10)[7][2][2][3][8][2](24)
10 again: (6d10)[1][4][10][7][5][2](29)

That’s 1/10..

[Bennosuke]

Sorry for not explicitly saying it, but Anna also gets a beat for the success. Updated in character box

[Thundercracker]

Sorry for not explicitly saying it, but Anna also gets a beat for the success. Updated in character box

Hooray, need all of those i can get..

[Bennosuke]

Yep, that was working towards an Aspiration.

[Thundercracker]

Manipulation + politics + 3: (6d10)[3][6][3][2][9][3](26)
Manipulation + politics + 3: (6d10)[2][1][8][8][5][9](33)
Manipulation + politics + 3: (6d10)[9][4][1][4][2][10](30)
Manipulation + politics + 3: (6d10)[8][6][4][6][3][8](35)
Manipulation + politics + 3: (6d10)[3][2][6][2][7][7](27)
Manipulation + politics + 3: (6d10)[10][9][2][3][10][1](35)

10 again: (20d10)[6][2][1][4][9][6][3][7][9][4][1][1][3][8][7][7][3][9][4][6](100)

[Bennosuke]

I count more than enough successes to have bought out the hospital (goal was 10 and Anna started with 1/10). That said, my guess is you can't just create a shell corporation overnight, and technically Anna's first roll was at the beginning of this night.

So what I'm going to say is that Anna spends her time putting in the leg work necessary to build the shell corporation; putting the pieces in place and getting the ball rolling. It is still going to take say a week till the shell corporation exists as an entity that she can use as her front, but she doesn't have to waste more of her own time getting things done. Sound fair? And regardless, I think that completing the extended action is worth at least a beat. I'll add it to Anna's sheet.

[Thundercracker]

Ok. Are there any holdouts that Anna needs to deal with personally?

[Bennosuke]

My apologies, do you mean in regards to the shell corporation, or you mean in other aspects of her unlife???

[Thundercracker]

My apologies, do you mean in regards to the shell corporation, or you mean in other aspects of her unlife???

with regards to the shell corp, or do we still need to purchase the stakes from the actual holders?

[Bennosuke]

No, Anna already "spent" her resources for the scene for the actual purchasing. Again, since you've made all the rolls by spending the rest of Anna's night, I'm ruling Anna has put the ball in motion. There is nothing more she needs to do, but it is going to take time, since a shell corporation (probably) literally can't be realized in a night.

[Daishain]

Preemptive hunt roll

(3d10)[10][4][8](22)
(3d10)[2][1][7](10)

[Thundercracker]

Wits + empathy: (4d10)[8][2][6][9](25)
10 again: (4d10)[4][4][8][2](18)

[Haval]

Rachel Edwards- Ventrue Crone

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2469850

Background and various notes

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

[Haval]

Experience Costs (38xp)

Attributes (8xp)
Wits (third .)
Composure (third .)

Merits (5xp)
Dynasty Membership (.)
Etiquette (.)
Haven (.)
Riding the Wave (.)
Resources (second .)

Skills (4xp)
Persuasion (third .)
Expression (third .)

Skill Specialties (3xp)
Academics (History)
Socialise (Formal Events)
Subterfuge (Misdirection)

Disciplines (3xp each for the first 2, 4 for Obfuscate)
Dominate (second .)
Resilience (second .)
Obfuscate (first .)

Cruac
2nd (.) of Cruac for 4xp
2 Blood Sorcery rituals (2xp each)

[Bennosuke]

@Haval, thank you for the patience. I think overall Rachel Edwards looks good and I really only have a few ticky tacky thoughts. Politics specialization (Invictus) is an interesting choice to me. I know she has an Invictus contact, but how has she developed a skill specialization in Invictus politics? I feel like the The Ivory Tower are generally pretty tight lipped and to be good at playing their politics is an interesting choice.

As far as "The One that Got Away", the touchstone, I'd like to hear a little more about why Rachel is obsessed with her. She feels that this woman is who Rachel could have been. So the first thing I want to know is why? Is it her intelligence? Her self reliance? And because of this, how does it make Rachel feel? Does she want her to succeed at everything as a proxy for Rachel's mortal life, or maybe she spiteful toward the woman who has the life Rachel never could.

Either way, I am bringing in Rachel in my next IC post, so please make sure to check the IC thread.

Also please roll for starting vitae at 5+1d5

[Bennosuke]

@Dai and TC:

Okay, so I'm closing out the scene and the act. You know the deal, I'll be doling out beats, asking you to tell me if I missed anything, giving you a chance to update your aspirations. Because this will be a new Act, I will also be returning full WP, clearing conditions/tilts... and will be having you roll for starting Vitae; but because I hate the 1d10 roll, it will be starting vitae 5 +1d5, if you would please roll this as well. We will be moving the story on by a few weeks, giving NPCs such as Katie, Fred and Gabe a little more time to smarten up.

Karl: 2 beats for completing the scene and act. I'll give Karl a beat for picking Fred up and giving him a place to stay, and an additional two for some of the education he's been giving him. What the heck I'll give you a beat for Aisling leaving and taking care of Gabrielle as part of the coterie aspiration of protecting your herd and coterie. That's 6 beats, bringing Karl to one beat and one XP. I would suggest that if you feel MS13 investigation is over, that you change this aspiration.


Anna: 2 beats for completing the scene and act. I'll give Anna a beat for her interactions with Katie, and a second for starting to push her towards training to protect herself. What the heck I'll give you a beat for Aisling leaving and taking care of Gabrielle as part of the coterie aspiration of protecting your herd and coterie. Anna gets a beat for calling Mort and getting contacts that can help her clean out the city. That's six beats, bringing Anna to 1 beat and 2 xp.

I am updating the Coterie Aspirations to be:

1. Successfully perform your duties as Hounds
2. Discover Estella's murderer
3. Deal with the new Sheriff, Nova, and her antagonistic relationship with the Coterie.

[Thundercracker]

Going to wait on xp expenditure for the next dot of obfuscate.

Has Celeste caved and apologized to Anna yet?

[Haval]

Starting Vitae
[roll]5+1d5[/roll]

Politics (Invictus)

Maybe this isn't enough to justify a specialisation, so let me know. I was going to say that it came from knowing a lot of Invictus socially and choosing to keep tabs on their activities as much as she can get away with as an outsider. She'd do the same to the other convenants if she could get away with it, but the Invictus is the most familiar to her from her experiences as a fledgling.

She's not one of them, but as a Ventrue with some status merits, she might be respected enough among the Ventrue that do join the Invictus that she's picked a few things up from people who maybe revealed too much when she was in earshot. Maybe she's viewed as trustworthy enough by some because there's no indication that she's passing anyone on that might be damaging to the Invictus. She's not yet been doing this to increase her own standing, only because it's better to keep an eye on the powerful in case someone ever has a problem with her.

The One that Got Away

So the touchstone is smart and has better qualifications then Rachel does but is currently directionless in her life and working in a job for not enough money that is arguably beneath her. Rachel remembers being similarly directionless and remembers expecting to drift into a job that she didn't necessarily want to do. For all it's occasional difficulties, her life as a vampire has never been boring and it has given Rachel an interest in helping her touchstone out and maybe nudging her towards the kind of life that she might have had if she had never been embraced. There is every chance that if Rachel had never become a vampire she would still have had to struggle through a regular mortal life, and so the touchstone might also represent a second chance. She wouldn't just have the life that Rachel lost. With enough help maybe she might have a better one.

[Haval]

Let's try that again

(1d5+5)[9]

[Thundercracker]

Blood pool: (1d5+5)[9]

[Bennosuke]

@TC: No, not yet. Though I bring this to a head very very soon as something has to give . Character box updated. That said, do you want to update/change any aspirations?

Was anna able to purchase either a yacht or a plane?

No, she did not have access to her resources, as she had "Spent" it for the scene on building the shell corporation. And I'm going to wait for Dai/Karl to reply IC.

@Haval: I think Politics (ventrue) may make more sense overall then? I mean, it would also go along with her status (ventrue) and would likely be helpful with the largest percentage of Tower members who are ventrue anyways. However, if you really prefer the specialization be towards Invictus, I don't think I'm going to pull my hair out too much over it.

I think the explanation about the Touchstone is good. Can we give her a name?

Your character box has been updated as well.