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 Rochester, New York, is many things. A major city. A hub of crime. A center for education. A den of poverty. Summer in Rochester is less hot than humid, a constant wait for the clouds in the sky to burst open and cool the ground with rain, and the hope that the inevitable storms won't flood the streets. A waiting game punctuated by violent noise and a violent cleansing. To the Kindred of the Camarilla, the city is an opportunity for redemption. Twenty years ago, the Sabbat overwhelmed the Ivory Tower and the ragged survivors fled to the Tremere stronghold of Syracuse. For six years the Sword of Caine struck against the defenders of Syracuse with fury and rage, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before the city would fall. But the absence of Gehenna has thrown the Sabbat into disarray, providing the Camarilla, lead by House Tremere, a chance to get back on the offensive. Back to Rochester. Every night more young Kindred leave the Sword, and every night the ranks of the Ivory Tower swells. But can it sustain so many neonates, still hungry for a piece of the Danse Macabre? Or is the Tower due to crumble as surely as the Sabbat, fat with inequality? To the Kindred known only as Roshan, the cyclical turbulence of the Kindred of the city, and even the weather, mirrored the storm in his own mind - punctuated by occasional overwhelming fury. On his way to meet with Alistair for the first night of the task set before the coterie by the Prince - that is, trying to determine the honesty of ex-Sabbat members, he couldn't help but consider how the coterie itself might be just like the weather in Rochester - calm but dismal, until it exploded. "You!" A sudden shout distracted Roshan from his contemplations. He hadn't met Cyril Giovanni, the Malkavian primogen, more than once, when he was introduced to the city, but Roshan was sure that's who was coming up to meet him at a frantic pace. "You! You have to keep looking!" The elder Malkavian shouts as he makes his way across the street. "Don't let them blind you!" Cyril was directly in front of Roshan now - almost on the sidewalk, his eyes wide and his arms making wild gesticulations. It was a fairly standard thing with many Malkavians unfortunately, and for a moment, Roshan wondered again why Cyril was the Primogen. Still, he was trying to communicate something important - at least to himself. Bang! The noise rattled through Alistair Erikson's mind. The rapport of gunfire. He hid under the desk, his ears ringing, blood in his mouth that he wasn't sure whether it was from the man he had just bitten, or from the hole in his throat. He hoped it was the latter. Bang! The muffled shouting and screaming of his coterie wasn't enough to draw him out from his impromptu hiding spot. Nor was the muted punk music from upstairs. The scent of fresh blood filled his nostrils. But he knew all the blood but his own was poison. He couldn't drink it. Bang! The gun kept firing. And the screaming was silenced. His coterie-mates, all dead. He could see their shocked faces, their confusion, the wide eyed stares of the betrayed. They all turned to ash as a stiff breeze blew through the open window. Bang! Alistair tried to crawl away out the open door but his leg was crippled by the drat monster's claws, sinew and muscle wrenched out of their confines and into the open air. He assumed if he was human he would have been dead. Maybe that would have been a blessing. Bang! It was closer now. The flash of the muzzle blinded the Mekhet for a moment. He could smell the gunsmoke. He realized he was taking panicked gulps of air. Why was he breathing? Bang! He screamed, panicked, his leg refusing to move. The desk was turned over and there he stood, Alistair Erikson, the shooter, the monster, gun leveled at Alistair Erikson, the victim, the human's head. He heard himself begging to be spared. He heard the tumbler on the pistol roll as he cocked it again. He felt it buck as he squeezed the trigger and felt the sudden sting of the bullet as it struck him. Bang! Alistair shot up in his bed - another damned dream, very vivid this time. Regaining his bearings, he remembered that the rest of his coterie was stopping by here before heading to the Flying Squirrel for interrogations. He supposed he ought to get cleaned up. Loren Ainslie Chancellor focused on her breathing. In, and out. Careful, purposeful breaths. It was mostly for her students, of course. Like Si Thep once, she had no reason to breathe when she wasn't demonstrating something or when she was ready to speak. Still, repetition was a useful tool. Now that class had ended, she had little reason to keep it up - besides centering herself, that is. Still, now that she was done, she got to her feet and headed for the door. There was much to do this night, after all, not the least of which was meeting the boys and dealing with Sabbat turncoats. She paused for a moment, however, as she saw an item near the door that had not been there before or during her class. A potted plant - and not the sort that was generally potted. It was about 3 feet tall, with long, ropey, red flowers growing out of the top. A card was set next to it. She recognized the hand writing immediately. "Loren, To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. Still, I believe we can be of use to each other. Please find me at the usual place when you get the opportunity. -V" As she took another look at the plant, she saw the tag sticking out of the pot. It was an identifying tag, the sort you'd see from a plant purchased in a garden center. This plant was apparently Quilete, also known as Love Lies Bleeding, or by it's scientific designation Amaranthus caudatus For Bob Scott, Saturday nights were very similar to Sunday nights, or any other nights of the week, generally. Preach to the flock. He and Mary Sue, his Eve. After finishing his sermon, and as the congregation made to leave, they pressed the flesh - happily talking to his church, seeing if there was anything he could help them with. And Mary Sue helped, as always, his rock. Tonight though, he knew there was to be something more to do. Rescuing more lost souls, and Mary Sue couldn't go with him. The conversation hadn't been the best - she wanted to be there, wanted to be there to help him save those tempted by the Devil, but it was too dangerous for her. So when he got ready to go meet up with the rest of the coterie, she shot him a withering look. "Bob," she started, calmly, "are you sure I shouldn't come? Shouldn't they see what they can be capable of if they truly repent?" Her words made sense, but it was doubtful that even the rest of his coterie would agree with her, let alone what the formerly Sabbat Kindred might think of a human being present. Please post a link to your character sheet in your first post, and specify two things - whether you would like 5 blood or a dice roll, and if you'd like me to make your rolls for you. Any buffs or debuffs you have active, please also keep next to your name LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Jun 12, 2014 |
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Jun 12, 2014 18:57
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Tools Post: OOC thread A handy interactive map of Rochester Thanks Zeph! Camarilla Prologue By the numbers: a worldwide accounting of the population of Camarilla Clans - #1. Daeva - The Daeva lead an overwhelming populous majority in the Camarilla. Their numbers are generally split, however, between those that take more towards their aggressive, violent sides, and those who focus more on social climbing. As such, while there is almost always a Succubus Primogen on a city's council through sheer necessity, as well as Daeva Harpies, Whips, and other positions, and those tend to be cunning, dangerous machiavels, there are less Daeva princes than one would expect, due to the inability of the Clan to unify behind a particular subject who will properly represent their interests, as many and as varied as they are. #2. Ventrue - The Ventrue, while not as numerous as the Daeva before them, are nevertheless thought to be the masters of the Ivory Tower. From time immemorial, the Ventrue power bloc has ensured that their interests are well-represented in the Camarilla, though since they do not tend to overwhelmingly back a particular Covenant (though the Invictus comes close), those interests can be truly varied. The Ventrue tradition of granting and owing each other favors ensures though, that these various viewpoints rarely come into conflict with the overall goal of a stranglehold of the sect, and has become so ubiquitous an action in the Ivory Tower that other Clans have taken to it. The stereotypical Camarilla Prince is a Lord of startling age and influence, though how much of that is true numerical fact or propaganda distributed by the Lords is up for debate in some circles. #3. Salubri - The Salubri stand as one of the three greatest houses of the Camarilla. This is, not ironically, in no small part due to the efforts of House Tremere, a founding Covenant of the second Ivory Tower. While House Tremere has grown more cosmopolitan as of late (and in truth, has almost never been solely a Salubri enterprise), the majority, and most influential, of the Warlocks are Usurpers. Vocally, the Tremere Salubri of the Camarilla tend to be firebrands, pushing their viewpoints and representations of the Danse Macabre as vociferously as possible. It is a rare city indeed that does not host a Salubri Primogen. #4. Nosferatu - Surprising to some, the Nosferatu have always been stalwart members of the Ivory Tower. This is, perhaps, owing to a desperate urge to try and cling to whatever humanity they can, and perhaps as well to gain some sort of power to value their terrifying Requiems. As an interesting point of note, most Camarilla Nosferatu tend to be the sort with more physically obvious disfigurements, frequently of the sort that would cripple their interactions in mortal society. One would think, that with the Ivory Tower's reliance on the Tradition of the Masquerade, such a disadvantage would endanger their place in the Camarilla, and indeed, their very unlives, but the Nosferatu have made it work. It is the Camarilla Nosferatu who tend to cultivate the vast multitude of Necropoli among the Sewer Rats, and it is a rare Sewer Rat who does not swiftly master the Obfuscate Discipline, becoming spies and secret keepers par excellence, both out of necessity for their unlives, and to make themselves useful to their Sects. #5. Malkavian - It is strange to consider it so, given the Lunatics particular Weakness, but Clan Malkavian has a strong presence within the Camarilla. For most Lunatics, this is due primarily to the desire to try and resist, or even attempt to overcome, their Deranged minds - a task which most Kindred within and without the Clan would decry as an impossibility. But then, the Malkavians have forever to make another attempt, and those of the Camarilla would prefer to not descend into gibbering, blood slathered animals like those in the Sabbat. However, a strange kinship between the two factions persists, and Sect lines can be more fluid things to the Lunatics than to most Kindred. #6. Gangrel - For Clan Gangrel, the Camarilla represents The Devil You Know. Meaning, for those who have remained in the Ivory Tower, they consider it a safer bet than the depravity of the Sabbat or the unknown frontier of the Anarch Crusade - but the numbers are dwindling for the Beasts of the Camarilla, and in more than one city the Clan lacks enough of a presence to hold their traditional seats on the Primogen Council, vast numbers of Gangrel having left for greener pastures, or even to claim themselves Autarkis. The fact that a surprising number of those Beasts to have absconded from the Tower are elder Gangrel does not bode well for the Clan's future in the Sect, or for the security of the Sect itself. #7. Mekhet - The ascension of the Clan of Shadows to a position of prominence within the Camarilla is a relatively recent affair, though enough of their number have broken with the Setite majority of the Clan throughout history to have made them a fixture. Ironically, while their numbers have surged, their position as Primogen de facto is threatened in large part by turncoats from the Sabbat of other lineages, meaning that even as their numbers grow their political relevance within the Ivory Tower, so hard fought to be won, has already started to fade. The Shadows of the Camarilla aren't willing to go quietly, however, and their desperate bid to hold onto their prominence has made them bold, dangerous opponents for the Clans who would seek to unseat them. #8. Tzimisce - While there have always been Tzimisce within the Camarilla, mostly due to the few lingering bloodlines of Shapers that House Tremere stole the propriety of in their early nights, the Clan has had a resurgence within the Ivory Tower in recent nights. Most of these expatriots from the Sabbat cling to the Ordo Dracul, though, of course, exceptions do exist. A number of Autarkis Tzimisce, calling themselves the "Old Clan", have also joined with the resurgant Shapers for reasons of their own. The Clan seems to be on a populous rise, though it is a slow, nearly imperceptible thing. Still, most Camarilla cities anticipate Tzimisce primogen within the coming decades as the Shapers seek to shed their associations with the Sword of Caine. #9. Lasombra - When the Lasombra came to the forefront as one of the leaders of the first Anarch Revolt, a small number of them deigned not to bloody their hands, remembering the long association with mortals and the desperate struggle to maintain their own morality that all Lasombra must engage in. Those few joined the nascent Camarilla on probationary terms in the years following the Sect's foundation, hunted by their kinsmen as traitors. In recent nights, as the Sword of Caine seems to collapse, they have, slowly, begun to forgive the childer of those who would have killed them in the past, and the Umbral have started to gain momentum as a faction. While a Lasombra Primogen would be a rare, rare thing indeed, more and more the Clan is letting their presence be felt within the Camarilla, less inclined to keep their affiliations to themselves now that the threat of retribution is fading. #10. Cappadocian - A Gravedigger is a rare creature. First of all, the Clan's proclivities and experimentation with death can lead to Masquerade violations, and many Cappadocians reach a point in their unlives when they would throw caution to the wind if it would bring them new insight. The Traditions, to the Cappadocians, are simple suggestions - a viewpoint that does not endear them to the Camarilla. Secondly, the manifestations of Cappadocious' curse - the Discipline of Mortis, and the peculiar rot that afflicts his bloodline, makes many Cappadocians a risk to the Masquerade besides their various infatuations. Lastly, the implied association between the Cappadocians and the Giovanni Family does them no favors in the Camarilla. Despite all this, a number of Gravediggers do persist, many from the Giovanni itself. These Kindred must be careful and tread lightly - a pursuit that largely leaves them out of positions of power, though some few manage to overcome or even harness their natures for the good of the Ivory Tower - after all, a Scourge who can walk around during the day is an individual to be feared and respected. #11. Assamite - While the Ivory Tower has no quarrel with Clan Assamite, the same cannot be said the other way around - given Clan Assamite's rough treatment by the Sect at the outset of the Sect's existence - and a blood curse that lead to the death of many of the line, few Assamites belong to the Camarilla. The necessities of Assamite existence does even less to endear the Clan to an existence in the Camarilla, and many who have taken a chance and joined the Sect have had the Blood Hunt called upon them when their natures won out. A few endure in the Camarilla faction of House Tremere - holdovers from the bloodlines that were experimented upon by the Covenant to create the Blood Curse, and some find work as the Sheriff, the Scourge, or one of their deputies, but always the addiction is gnawing away at them, and Assassins are frequently seen as timebombs. #12. Ravnos - As far as the Clans of Caine go, the Ravnos have never been the most populous. Given their tendency to Embrace along particular mortal family lines, their other tendency to wander, and their other other tendency to do things that infuriate other Kindred, the numbers of Deceivers have a difficult time growing. In particular, their Weakness endears them much less to the Ivory Tower than to the other Sects. Most Ravnos who do find their way to the Camarilla do so by way of a particular Covenant more than out of any real affinity for the Sect's practices, and in many cases, their stays are short ones. LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Jun 26, 2014 |
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Jun 12, 2014 18:58
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Alistair Erikson "loving hell, just once I'd like to wake up without this sort of crap running through my head" Thought Alistair, easing himself off of the bed and opening the window to let the night air in. Alistair took a deep breath, more out of habit than anything else, and tries to puzzle out the meaning of the dream. Was it his beast getting angry, or his human running scared? He knew his clan occasionally got something akin to visions of the future, but he'd never harmed anyone, least of all his friends. He tried to focus for a moment and read a bit of The 12 keys of Solomon to calm down, but even this failed as he kept imagining himself as being one of the demons threatening bloody vengeance on mankind. It was too much to think about this early in the night, especially as he'd be hosting the guys this evening. He sets up his room to look as habitable as possible, putting out the desk and trying to make things look otherwise presentable. Heading down the stairs from his (otherwise blacked out) room Alistair makes some conversation with the regulars who are moving in to the bar, giving away a few drinks on the house before setting himself up in a corner table and waiting for the others. Could you roll for me please and I would like to know how thirsty I am, in case I need to grab a bite to eat before everyone rolls up. Also rolling Int+Occult to see if I can puzzle anything in particular out about the dream, and whether it is telling me something.
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Jun 12, 2014 21:50
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Bob Scott Bob remembers back to his conversation with Mary Sue and how they left it. "Baby", he said, stroking her cheek, "You know I'd take you if I could. But it's just too dangerous. The Sabbat, they're like wild animals. And you have important work. You have a Destiny, you know that. I can't let anything happen to you. You know the plans we've made; who you are, what you are. Stay here. I'll be back soon." He kissed her on the forehead and left, but he knew she was upset and knew that this wasn't over. Still, there was no time for distractions now. There were souls to save. I'll take 5 blood, and please do the rolls for me. Epicurius fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Jun 13, 2014 |
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Jun 13, 2014 02:49
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 Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: MeditatedLoren slides the card with its note into the pocket of her baggy dark blue jeans, then lifts the plant onto the counter of the reception desk. Someone can look up whether it would survive in the garden later. Doesn't look likely, though, probably something tropical. Whatever it is that Victoria wants, she can figure that out later herself. For now, she gives herself one last check over to make sure her knives are secure, the body armor is as comfortable as can be, and her black courier bag's red cross symbol is turned towards her body, then she flips up the hood of her baggy dark grey sweatshirt and makes her way on foot to Alistair's place. -It took Loren an hour to meditate: http://orokos.com/roll/200563 http://orokos.com/roll/200564 -I rolled my own starting Vitae pool: http://orokos.com/roll/200732 Bah! -Took 7 of 10 available Vitae from Herd. -Body armor = kevlar vest Bouquet fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Jun 13, 2014 |
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Jun 13, 2014 08:52
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Roshan Behind the cheap sunglasses, Roshan's mind is racing. This wasn't a counter he was expecting, or at least not one he knew he was expecting (Malkavian prescience is odd; for all he knew he and Cyril both were subconsciously drawn here). Not exactly one he was happy about, either; he'd prefer to avoid too much attention from elders and higher-ups, and Cyril was a Giovanni as well. The Necromancers were not something he wanted anything to do with. Perhaps, however, he could turn the situation to his advantage; besides the likely importance of the seemingly mad ramblings, ingratiating himself to his Primogen could be a good move in the long run. And besides, letting the poor man wander around alone was not only cruel, but it risked the Primogen stumbling into danger, be it in the form of another power in the city gaining information or leverage over him, or him finding Final Death in an alleyway. "Yes, of course, brother. I endeavor to keep my sight as clear as possible. Perhaps you can assist me, though, tell me their plans," he says, reaching for his fellow Lunatic and attempting to begin leading him to a safer, less visible place. It might make him late to Alistair's, but he'd rather not take Cyril there; leaving the Malkavian Primogen alone in a bar would be, well, insane. Rolled starting Vitae, got an 8. Other rolls, hm. Roshan's Madness and things like opponent Defense modifying my rolls based on unknown (to me) numbers definitely makes it so I can't handle every roll on my own, at the least.
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Jun 13, 2014 14:19
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Roshan "No no no, listen!" Cyril grabs Roshan's collar with a surprising strength. "You! You have to be the one to see it! I can't! I'm not allowed to see!" Over the ranting Primogen's shoulder - Roshan does notice something - there was no one else on the street. No cars, no pedestrians, nothing, just flickering street lights. But after a moment there was...something else. Like someone had tried to scratch out the figure from a strip of film, or like his own distorted vampiric reflection, there were figures under the street lamps. It was hard to see, at first, but Cyril held Roshan there, such that he saw one, then another, and another. "Do you see now?" The elder Malkavian asked. Yet another figure, and another. "They're everywhere!" Another. "Watch all of them. It could be any of them!" Another. Cyril suddenly stood, stock still, a moment, then regarded the younger Lunatic with a curious expression. "Remember, we haven't met yet." Suddenly a bright light cast away the distorted figures and illuminated behind Cyril, who had stepped backward, back into the street. A truck collided with him out of nowhere, laying on it's horn as it passed, a hair's breath from Roshan's face. When it was gone, so was any trace of Cyril. And the people and cars had returned to the night street. The tingling in Roshan's brain, the one he didn't know had been there before now, faded quietly away. loving Madness Network. At any rate, Roshan realized he had continued walking while wrapped up in Malk Time. And he now stood outside Alistair's bar. Alistair Alistair couldn't escape the notion that the dream held a specific purpose, or a warning perhaps, but the specific causation was difficult to determine. It may have been something to the affect of it being unwise to trust a part of himself? Bah, too vague, even if the imagery was rather intense. These things did have a way of making themselves clear over time, Alistair supposed, though in the case of that particular nightmare, it wasn't a very reassuring realization. Looking outside the bar, Alistair could see a familiar vehicle pull into a parking space as Bob soon exited the driver's side. And was that Roshan across the street - staring off blankly into the middle distance? Yes, it appeared as though it was. Loren and Bob The Salubri and Daeva's respective journeys to Alistair's bar were, thankfully, uneventful, with Loren arriving just a bit after Bob, in time to see the Sanctified Kindred ascend the steps to the establishment - and see Roshan blinking in apparent confusion down the sidewalk from where she was approaching.
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Jun 13, 2014 16:39
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Roshan Recovering from his vision (and from nearly being hit by a truck; while most likely not fatal, it would have been extraordinarily inconvenient), Roshan shakes his head, then takes a look around. At least he didn't walk somewhere he didn't want to be this time. He was just in time, too. How convenient. He would need to be on guard tonight. Pushing his shades back over his eyes, he gives a short wave to Loren, then begins walking after Bob to the bar. Hopefully they weren't watching long enough to notice his close encounter with the speeding automobile. Thinking over his experience, Roshan has one question in particular. While such visions and hallucinations were not exactly uncommon, something about this one had him wondering. Was it just a "normal" vision, or was it a message from Cyril himself? Skilled Lunatics could send messages over the Cobweb, after all, and for a Malkavian, the insanity the Primogen displays is not necessarily a sign of weakness or incompetence. This possibility is perhaps more worrisome than the message itself, both in the form the message took compared to the usual whispers and feelings, and in the idea that he has an elder's attention, for whatever reason.
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Jun 13, 2014 18:49
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Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: Meditated Loren waits for Roshan to close the distance between them, then asks very quietly, "Are you ok?"
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Jun 13, 2014 20:38
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"Welcome! Welcome!" Alistair tries playing up to the image of the good host as he opened the door just ahead of Bob, before beckoning for Loren and Roshan to come in. "I have already gotten stuff set up in my room, please come up!" he waits as everyone comes in, chatting lightly before telling his grandfather to see that none of the staff bothers him for the next half an hour. "Okay guys, I would offer you a drink but the patrons downstairs might complain" Alistair, seeing his joke fall on stony ground turns more serious "the things we have here are a very weak prince, a clear objective and the knowledge to carry it out. All we need is to plan out what we need to do if/when things go horribly wrong." He gives a nervous smile before continuing "maybe we should all interview one potential 'convert' at a time, whilst someone else guards us in case things suddenly hit the fan?" "I assume we each have the others numbers so have the line set on 'speed dial' in case we encounter any problems. I personally think that me, Bob and Roshan should do the interviews with Loren providing back up and get away services? Open to other ideas of course" "Oh and before the brawl of opinions get started" a slight twinge of a grin comes to Alistair's face "If anyone needs a place to crash or a potential safe haven I am officially opening up my granddads shop for that purpose. It's open virtually 24 hours so we have an effective place to work and I can certainly open up one of the back-rooms for any cult activities that are needed, rest assured I will be making it more secure, but consider this place your bolt hole if we get into trouble"
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Jun 13, 2014 22:08
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Roshan Roshan gives Loren a small smile, then whispers back, "Of course. My unlife is a perpetually sunny experience." He then enters after Bob before he can be pressed for an explanation, nodding to Alistair as he enters.
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Jun 14, 2014 03:36
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Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: Meditated By the time Loren had worked out that Roshan was joking, he was past her and into the bar. She listens to Alistair's welcome and offer of space with a friendly noncommittal nod. Regarding his plan of action, she has some doubts. "While it's possible that I may be the best driver and the best in a fight, I don't know if I'm the best backup. I just don't look very intimidating." She looks around the group, trying to think of a polite way to say it, then forges ahead. "I'm not sure any of us are, really. But if I were closer to the center of things, it might serve two purposes. One, I'll actually be in position to defend us, if needed. Two, I would hope that I can be a calming presence, if tempers should flare."
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Jun 14, 2014 04:35
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Alistair Erikson "That's a drat good idea" says Alistair, apparently relieved that someone else had thought things through "We aren't the most intimidating bunch, unless someone is facing a particularly dangerous paper cut!" "So we should have the three of us doing the interviews and yourself nearby in case things get out of hand... or claw or fang or whatever else these particular instances of 'the sword of caine' have planned for us." Josef bugman fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Jun 14, 2014 |
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Jun 14, 2014 07:08
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Roshan Rather than asking about the plan, Roshan glances around at their surroundings, thinking about Alistair's offer. A new haven... On the one hand, his apartment was rather lacking in terms of, well, most everything. It could be worse, but it was far from ideal. On the other hand, Nadia. While she would benefit from a better place to live as well, he had kept her out of the Danse Macabre so far. No vampires knew about her and her connection to him, but that would change if he brought her to a place frequented by vampires. He had done a good job of staying beneath the notice of much of the Camarilla and avoiding being anything but another weird Malkavian to them, but even so he doesn't need to risk her life or give anyone potential leverage over him. Eventually, instead of commenting on the plan itself, he just asks, "Where is the book?"
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Jun 15, 2014 05:35
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Bob Scott Bob reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small book. "I have it here. The pen as well. I saw that nobody else bothered to take them when you left, so I did. I agree that there should be more of us interviewing than those being interviewed. That suggests strength. These are Sabbat, albeit remorseful ones. If they sense weakness, it could go very bad for us. My other suggestion is that, when we interview, we make sure we have a clean line of retreat, and offer one for the interviewee, as well. We need the ability to get out of there if things go south, and if the one we're interviewing feels he's trapped or cornered, he may lash out. A trapped rat and all that." He stops and thinks about what Alistair and Loren have said. "Intimidation is a matter of will. None of us are large, or visibly strong, but I've found that, more often, the way you carry yourself and the way you act matters more than your physical appearance. We'll all do fine." He specifically doesn't respond to Alistair's offer of a haven. The second tradition is not one to play with lightly.
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Jun 15, 2014 06:30
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Alistair Erikson "All good plans! At the very least we can make it to there and get out of anything, so shall we make our way there? I believe you have the keys to a car Bob, so lets get this show on the road!" Before leaving though Alistair takes roshan to one side for a second. "here we go mate, I think you might find some interesting reading in this" before handing him a copy of the 12 keys of Solomon. "Its a little basic for one of your talents, but at least you can hopefully find out a little bit more about the occult." He winks to Roshan before heading out and calling "shotgun" before reaching the car.
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Jun 15, 2014 08:34
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Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: Meditated Loren holds a hand out to Bob for the keys. Best to find out if he was going to have a problem with letting the Asian woman drive right up front.
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Jun 15, 2014 21:16
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Bob Scott Bob watches Alistair bound down to the car. "That man is much to enthusiastic", he mutters to himself. Then he hands Loren the keys and makes to the car himself.
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Jun 15, 2014 23:14
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Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: Meditated Loren gets in the car, then spends a few minutes adjusting everything to her liking. She takes a slightly roundabout route that passes through a deserted industrial area just so she can get a feel for how it will handle when she floors it and takes corners at speed, then circles around the social club at a distance and stops about a block away to give plenty of chance for the Camarilla team to spot anything suspicious. Figure I'll let you roll anything that might be relevant here or in similar future situations, LifeGetsWorser
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Jun 16, 2014 09:19
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Alistair Erikson "Well lets have a quick check, make sure there are no unexpected surprises waiting for us" said Alistair as he scanned the social club before manoeuvring himself out of the car. "We best make a good impression, best foot forward" he lied, hoping to keep the worry from off his face and wishing for a moment that he could sweat at a moment like this. (rolling Investigation + Wits to scan for trouble and Presence + Composure + Socialize for making a good first impression)
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Jun 16, 2014 18:18
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The Flying Squirrel The community center is in the middle of a residential area - the attempts of the City of Rochester to rejuvenate an impoverished region of itself. As such, the street that Loren parked on was nice enough, though they had passed through several rougher neighborhoods to get there. The parking lot of the building itself was more or less packed. On the outside, there was a large metal ramp going up to a door, and a few lollygagging people in punk gear standing outside smoking. The loud (live sounding) punk music being blasted from the second floor didn't do anything to dissuade the notion that there was some sort of event happening. Alistair doesn't notice anything in particular here, maybe it was too dark or the music was too distracting to his senses - but something about the scene was familiar, and made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. As the group approached, they could tell the figures outside were breathing, at least, and one of them, an older black man, stood as an impromptu guard in front of the door. "Five dollars cover each guys." He said congenially, half-shouting to be heard over the music.
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Jun 16, 2014 20:23
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Alistair Erikson "I think something is going on here guys, I get the feeling we may well need the getaway car" Alistair sotto voice whispers to the others before approaching the bouncer with his best 'I am a fellow human and wish to exchange money for goods and services' face. "I'll get this guys!" Alistair shouts back to the others as they come out of the car. "So, whose playing tonight? And more importantly, are they any good?" He gives the bouncer the 20 dollars and a small tip of 5 on top of it. (Using Wits+ Empathy to get a read on the guy) Josef bugman fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Jun 16, 2014 |
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Jun 16, 2014 20:36
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Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: Meditated Loren follows behind Alistair, her ID held in hand in her hoodie's front pocket. She'd learned that the odds were high she'd be carded, despite the fact that she had been almost thirty when she stopped getting older. The fact that the pocket also held a credit card sized folding knife was a minor consideration, at the moment.
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Jun 17, 2014 05:38
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Roshan As Alistair attempts to sweet-talk the bouncer, Roshan sort of mills around behind the other coterie members. Until they get inside, he can't really do much, so he'll let Alistair do his thing now, so he can do his own later.
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Jun 17, 2014 08:14
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The Flying Squirrel The bouncer rolls his shoulders as Alistair pays for the group. "To Serve Man - and, uh...well you be the judge of that." He waves off Loren as she hands him her ID though. "Don't need to see that young lady, this is an all-ages show. Just, uh, don't do anything reckless ok?" The group headed up the stairs to the show room as the music seemed to swell. From the sounds of it, however, the song, if it could've been called that, was winding down. The guttural growl-shout of the squat ginger front man had devolved into a choppy series of grunts, the pale, mohawked, and goateed drummer's drumwork sloppily rolled to a stop, and the towering bald guitarist's and spindly nerd bassist's parts just...ended. Whatever the song had been about, it sounded almost like an ending to it hadn't been written. Mostly, the attendees were shooting the poo poo and blasely ignoring the band. The singer growled out "Good to be back, Rochester!" as the group started back into another number, which also seemed a bit...challenged in talent if not in passion.
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Jun 17, 2014 19:20
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Alistair Erikson The name was obnoxious and the music sounded as if it was being routed directly through perhaps the speaker best equipped for damaging human hearing. Walking in the music turned out to be as bad as first feared, though certainly no expert, knew that drums are not supposed to end a song with a "glong" sound. If these guys were from Rochester Alistair dearly hoped that they found the way home a good deal trickier than they had getting here. Scanning the room he saw that most of the people were trying there best to ignore the caterwauling from the stage, unfortunatly no one here was holding up a sign saying 'Undead and looking to defect', so it'd be up to all of the team to hunt them out. "Okay guys, lets try our best to find these guys, and remember this is a sabbat hideout, last thing we want to be doing is saying where we are actually from. Though judging from the clients saying we are vampires will just get us recommendations to a goth night." Josef bugman fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Jun 17, 2014 |
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Jun 17, 2014 19:50
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Bob Scott Bob steps into the room and watches the sheer writhing mass of humanity. His eyes pass over the crowd, and he whispers to the rest of the group, "Quite a crowd. Quite a crowd indeed". He sucks in his lower lip, and his tongue passes over his lips briefly in an almost serpentine manner. He hasn't fed yet this evening, and he's aware of that fact. Using Wits-Empathy to figure out if anyone is acting inhuman...forgetting to breathe or some such.
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Jun 18, 2014 04:04
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Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: Meditated Loren simply sticks close to the others, letting them focus on finding their targets while she remains alert to any threats. With her hands in her pockets and her hood still up, she should look like your average socially awkward tagalong.
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Jun 18, 2014 04:40
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Roshan As Bob looks around the club, Roshan too casts his sight upon those in attendance tonight. Rather than his ability to read people, though, Roshan draws on deeper, stranger insight. His head tilts slightly and, behind the black lenses, his eyes stare wide open as he slowly pans his gaze across the room, Lunatic insight granting him perception a different (sane) person would lack. Spending a point of Vitae to use Mad Insight; roll (Why is this a roll? Rolling to get a bonus on a roll is silly.) is Wits (3) + Occult (1) + Dementation (5). Assuming that doesn't somehow fail, perception roll to pick out vampires in the club is Wits (3) + Investigation (2) + Mad Insight bonus (2).
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Jun 18, 2014 17:57
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The Live Show The music warps strangely around Roshan, becoming less of a tune and sounding more like a playback of an old tape recorder. "...become organized. We'll never topple the Camarilla if we're not smart." One garbled voice squeaks out. "Man, gently caress that! We're the fuckin' Sabbat, not a bunch of loving Cammie dogs! Let's go blow some poo poo up!" A small group of shouts follow the second voice and the sound of footprints getting up as a rabble of other voices, discontented, start arguing. It should be noted that the first dissenting voice sounded a lot like the lead singer of To Serve Man. Bob finds it a simpler task - he notes that while the frontman is indeed drawing breath, the rest of the band doesn't seem to be, and even the singer seems to only be inhaling in order to belt out his dissonant lyrics. The band was vampires.
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Jun 19, 2014 16:46
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Roshan Well. That certainly made things interesting. On the one hand, approaching the Sabbat here would be a bit more difficult than anticipated, and the vision suggested a potential unwillingness to play nice. On the other hand, it made something else a lot easier. Not even looking at the Daeva, Roshan holds his hand out to Bob, palm up. "Book," he states, or rather demands, not caring to elaborate.
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Jun 20, 2014 13:29
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Bob Bob moves in close to Roshan, using the excuse of the crush of the room. Slipping him the book, he whispers to him, "The band. Kindred."
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Jun 21, 2014 00:37
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Roshan Roshan nods as he takes the book and pen. "Prepare for the interview; I feel we have quite the story on our hands." He begins to move now, thinking. When the band finishes playing, they need to be able to talk to them alone. While he could act as soon as they finished their act, questioning them in public was a bad idea, assuming they'd even answer. Alright, until the show's over Roshan can't make his move. In the meantime, we need to figure out a way to get the band alone and question them, whether that's by setting up something with them or just barging into their dressing room. Roshan himself will take a look around the club while he waits, though I don't know if that'll require a roll or if there's something obvious around.
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Jun 21, 2014 17:49
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Alistair "Well come on guys don't." And then Alistair heard Bob talk and his blood ran cold. "Oh gods, this is not going to be good. Roshan, I think I have a plan, why don't we have Loren ask for their autographs (or bob as a record producer) and then we can examine them later!" Whilst saying this Alistair thinks back on the dream and examines the lead singer, hoping for some form of revelation about him that was covered in his own dream visions. He also focused for a moment, whispering a short prayer before opening his eyes and examining the band through the murmerings of the beast in the blood 'Show me Weakness' Alistair demanded of the angry voice welling up inside him. Using my "dream visions" to identify if the lead singer is someone I should be wary of. Also spending a vitae to use Auspex to tell which amongst the band is the weak link. Josef bugman fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Jun 21, 2014 |
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Jun 21, 2014 19:50
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The Flying Squirrel Alistair's heightened senses are of no use in picking out a particular weak link - maybe the band was too caught up in their disharmonious performance to openly display any trepidation? As he stared at the front man though, his eyes grew fuzzy for a moment, and he thought he saw fresh blood flying out of the man's mouth as he sang, dribbling down his chin and dripping from hands that had grown to resemble claws, with eyes that glowed an angry red. As the band finished their final number, and Alistair's eyes uncrossed, the front man growled at the meandering 'audience'. "Man, gently caress all of you! You can't even begin to comprehend true vision, fuckers!" Still, no one really paid attention. The drummer shouted after a second. "Yo, Stone - check those fuckers out." He nodded towards the group, and To Serve Man turned towards the four of you. Stone smirked. "You want a loving autograph or something?" He snarled. It was easy for Roshan to recall that there was a door at the bottom of the staircase, likely leading to another room of some sort that was probably not occupied at the moment.
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Jun 22, 2014 15:55
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Alistair "mother of... be wary around the front man, I think he might be trouble" Alistair whispers to the other members of the group before stone turns and snarls at them.
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Jun 22, 2014 18:01
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Roshan Roshan looks at "Stone", then smiles back. "Oh yes, I would love an autograph. I am such a fan." His voice, rather than sarcastic, sounds almost overly sincere. At Alistair's advice, though, he glances sideways at him, then nods slightly. His vision was still in his mind; these guys were dangerous. If only "I had a vision" were evidence enough for the Prince. Instead, though, the "interview" is still on, so they needed to talk.
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Jun 22, 2014 18:15
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Loren - Will: 6/6 Vitae: 11/11 Status: Meditated Loren turns in towards Alistair to listen to his warning, and takes advantage of the motion to transfer one of her non-folding combat knives into her right hand concealed in her front pocket. That taken care of, she takes the lead, staying close enough to Roshan that the Malkavian can guide her from behind.
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Jun 22, 2014 19:20
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To Serve Man Stone smirks as Roshan confirms he's after an autograph, and the rest of the band puts down their instruments to move forward. "You are, huh?" The frontman responds, flanked by the other three as he approaches. "Man, gently caress that!" The tall, gangly bassist chimes in. "Down with the loving establishment!" "An autograph is a loving sellout." The well-built guitarist agrees. "Who the gently caress are you anyway?" "Some sort of poser twat, judging by the company." The drummer nods over towards Bob. "What, do you think liking us is going to make you cooler than your little friends, is that it?" Stone shrugs and stands in front of Loren, peering over her shoulder at the Malkavian. The smirk hasn't left his face. "We don't do autographs kid." He holds up his hand over a chorus of 'kick his rear end!' from his bandmates - and by a couple members of the crowd who had noticed the confrontation, finally. "Come to think of it, I've never seen any of you around here before. What the gently caress are you really after?"
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Jun 26, 2014 14:56
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 21:35 |
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Alistair "Cool is all a matter of so many things gentleman. I think in our case it is body temperature more than anything else." Alistair remarked, with a slight attempt at a smile. "But I think we have a lot to discuss, as we represent a group that are very interested in your particular style of talent, I am sure that it will be worth a few minutes of your time to come with us, at the very least" Whilst saying this though Alistair gets ready to either turn and run or fight at any moment, knowing full well how bad this could get. Using presence+Persuasion and a willpower to try to convince them that we are knowledgeable about WHAT they are and that we want to talk, not fight.
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Jun 26, 2014 21:42
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