A Table Top RPG Gaming Blog
Timeline: Early December
It had been short, but busy shift at the Blood & Brew, and Rey was glad to be getting him. Rose had shown up to be the one to walk Rey home.
“You are very chipper today Rey. Why might that be?” Rose asked with a devilish smile.
“Why shouldn’t I be?” Rey grinned, deliberately ignoring what Rose was alluding to. “It’s a beautiful day, and the customers were more generous than usual.”
“And we took care of that virginity problem too I take it?” Her smile widened.
Timeline: Late November, Friday Night
Lyla’s night to work the bar tended to coincide with her checking up on the accounting and ordering. She enjoyed being there especially on the Thursday and Friday nights, when she could and this week Daniel had a good guess that, barring any pressing matters he was not aware of, she would be there.
When he arrived, he noticed a couple of things. First, Lyla’s presence tended to attract the young male population. That was to be expected to an extent. Secondly, according to the sign he noticed in the window as he passed inside, was that it was ladies’ night — all drinks bought for a lady by a man, or those she bought herself, would be 50% off the usual price. Clearly, she was working to increase the female clientele as well.
Timeline: Evening of December 2, 2007
Grey was meditating when he heard movement outside. He chose to be cautious; as he moved from the cave he wrapped himself in the Gauntlet, allowing him to sneak up on who, or what, was approaching the cave.
His caution paid off as he saw Rose and Lyla leaving behind a nervous-looking Rey. His curiosity was piqued as he felt a slight rush of tingles down his back.
Grey emerged from the Gauntlet behind Rey. “You are not suppost to be left alone at night Rey. Ironclaw has made the dangers clear, why did they leave you?” His voice held concern not anger.
Timeline: December 3, 2007
Scene: Dr. John Beckett trekking through the woods to a lonely and remote cabin. The Home of Ezra Hatfield, whos’ youngest daughter, Sarah age 10 is quite ill.
Ezra’s cabin home contains his wife Rose, 5 sons and one daughter.
Sons are Abraham and Isaac Twins 18, David 17, Matthew 15 and Jeremiah 14.
Its early afternoon and while the sun is quite bright. Its bitterly cold outside.
John had to go visit a patient and it bothered him because he knew the man was proud and poor and the medicine he would have to use would be expensive but necessary. Just glad my name isn’t Hatfield he muttered to himself before he knocked on the door of the cabin. “Hello the house, its Doc. Beckett.”
I met with the Cotorie and decided to not marry the ghoul Sarah Kennedy. I instead borrowed the money I needed against my life insurance policy which had built up equity.
I borrowed the money I needed from Moria and Paid the Dr. when the money comes in I will pay Moria back and be even with the boards. Which is in fact what I did.
We all went to the farm and I faced the sun. We were buried in the ground to contemplate the comming event a sort of vigial. Then the next night, we pushed out way through the earth to face the sun. I was the first out after Aife. Then Kian then Breanna and then Moria I think. We were starting to worry about them. I thought the sun might go down before they would break free but they arose in time. Then there was a celebration and orgy. The food tasted like food again it was almost like being alive. I just tasted things, I figured it might taste good but I would just have to void it later. After the ghouls left we had a private ceremony in which I confessed the sin of my pride. I struck Brenna. I need to never strike or lash out at the people that have my back.
Afterward I went under the knife, I don’t know why the Dr. was drinking Martini’s since they normally can’t affect our kind but there it is. His nurse was very sexy and good looking but something of an ice queen. Then again she works for the reconstructive surgeon so I wonder if its all natural as far as we can be natural. To say it hurt would be an understatment, to stop me from thrashing around he removed my arms and legs, to stop my screams he removed my larynix. After 4 days, I looked good if scared, the scars will fade but I must exert my will to maintain this new look or my body will revert to what it was. After about a week this new look will be permanent. So it is done and I begin the path to my new life.
A report about the trip to London. The short version is we went and managed to come back in one piece. Though barely. Oh yeah and we accomplished the mission.
In the following i have left out some details, either they are personal or they piss me off to much and there is not enough paper to write on. So to keep it orderly I have broken the trip down into encounters.
First encounter. The Train
We had not even made it to London; in fact we had not made it to the mid point. Werewolves attacked the train. Why we don’t know. The end result of this encounter was we lost Moira as the cars on the train were separated and we made it to a hotel on foot.
There was an investigation about the incident and we left Trina to deal with it and catch up. She did and we moved on and met up with Moira again. We made our greetings
in Nottingham but chose to continue our journey. They were less than happy to have us there.
We arrived in London and I endured a few insults. We prepared for court and went to present ourselves. It was cancelled and we had a few nights free. Though we were presented a gift from the Lady of London. Sarah Kennedy a ghoul to serve as our guide to the city and court. She was presented to all of us.
It was Sarah who informed me that there was danger in the city for Moira or myself. She did not know which, but an attack was planned. I informed Moira, and she took note of it. But decided that she wanted to go out. So we all went out.
Second encounter.
We had gone to some bar and met with Charlie, a descendant of the Lady of London and kin to Shawn. The attack happened here. We noticed a group of men who had targeted Moira, and they had a blade. I sent Sarah for the car and tried to lead Moira away. They followed. Shawn ended up dealing with one of them. I ended up fighting another. I was stabbed with a poison filled blade. I recognized it as viper poison. I t nearly killed me. Most likely Moira would not have survived it.
This event ended with me in a bad mood, one I had nearly been killed and had viper poison in me. Two we should have never left in the first place knowing the danger was out there.
Encounter Three
We took the one who stabbed me, and interrogated him. However Shawn chose this point to anger me, and continue to openly mock and insult me. Shawn had a choice to make in this instance, to leave me be and let my anger fade, as he knows me well enough to know my moods. Or to push me and show no respect for me. He chose the latter.
I got the information we needed from the man it did not take much. They were hunters, a group of hunters given information about kindred and they wanted to make a kill.
Fourth encounter.
Moira sent us after the hunters. She knew that the address we were given was the home of a group of hunters and she ordered us to go after them. She wanted to know how they got the info on her. She was also acting as thought the power of ambassador had gone to her head. She was treating me as a lesser outside of court.
Both she and Shawn had shown lack of respect for me. They were treating me as someone other than a Coterie member, something less than friend. I made note of this.
In this encounter I was staked and Shawn came very close. But we made it out and with the hunter. Again I retrieved information from him. They had received their info from a churchman. Moira seemed to be trying to figure out how to go after him too. I talked to her and told her that would not be wise. That she was asking us to do things we would never do in Belfast. I told her she was doing things in London that Eife would not approve of. Again she took it into consideration.
It ended with us turning the hunter over to the sheriff and not going after the churchman.
We had a night or so here to ourselves and I took care of some business of my own. I wanted nothing to do with Shawn, and Moira was gaining ground in that area.
The last part of the mission was the Underground. This took place after we met with the Lady of London formally. After Vlad showed up at the house we were staying and after Shawn spent so much time with the Herald of London.
I met with the Lady in private. The next night I left with Dante to go to the underground. That was my plan. I did not want Moira to go because the safest place for her was at the house, and she needed Shawn to protect her. Plus she was having some personal difficulties that I had helped her with.
But when Dante showed up Shawn decided he was going. I told him if Moira was staying then so was he, and he ignored me.
Truthfully I could write a long time about this, but I am going to sum it up. We all went, even Sarah. A lot of things happened there. I met with some contacts, made some new ones hopefully and in the end we ended up surviving and accomplishing what I went down there for.
Though we ended up picking up a stray wolf, that Moira allowed to stay and then sent the ghoul to a hotel with. I warned her against this. Telling her that Sarah did not want to come to Belfast and was pretty uppity for a ghoul. So she was liable to do anything to keep from going to Belfast. She did, you know.
My efforts in the underground helped cement the Lady’s choice to back us. She did discuss this with me before I agreed to go down. I informed Moira of this to as princess kept bitching. I apologize for that.
Dante was the bright side of the trip. I got to know him very well and I like him. He is going to come and we are going to play jazz sometime.
A lot happened in London. I am not the same as before I left. I have lost faith in two of my coterie members as they have treated me as such. I am greatly disappointed in them both. Moira surprised me, and you may be proud of her, good for you then. She deliberately treated me with disrespect, as did Shawn. He tried to turn me against Kian, to manipulate my feelings and me. You do not do this to friends or to Coterie members.
I am sure they will say things about me as well. I lost my temper a couple of times, but caused no harm or damage. I went out of my way to serve as protector to Moira in more than one way. I nearly died twice for her. I had meetings of my own, and was gone overnight without telling them where I was or what I was doing. It is personal. My concern with Shawn spending time with the Herald is this. We were warned she is dangerous, and I have suspicions it was for more than greeting family. This is based on his attempts to manipulate and use me.
The mission was successful. I learned a great deal. Made a good friend in Dante. I am glad it is over.
Brenna
Timeline: December 2, 2007
Lyla had Rose carrying a heavy backpack that matched her own. Both women were wearing heavy winter coats, boots, gloves, and scarves as they trudged through deep snow on their way to Rey’s new home. The cabin was a bit out of the way, and travel by foot was turned into a tough hike by their burdens and the snow.
“Thanks for helping me get this to Rey,” Lyla was saying to Rose. “This is her first place of her own here and I just don’t think she has very much. She needs some help.”
Both packs were full of wrapped, heavy boxes, though they did not rattle or otherwise reveal their contents.
Rose was not happy about being out in the snow playing delivery girl. But that was not the only reason she was there so she sucked it up. “Yeah well she is pack so we help out.”
Morwen had received instructions direct from Aife, herself. The Regent needed to know what exactly happened in London, and she was to acquire a report from the new ghoul slave named Sarah Kennedy. Morwen had complied by taking Sarah to the park, where she hoped the ghoul would be able to relax.
It didn’t seem to be working, however. Sarah kept glancing over her shoulder, as if fearful of an impending attack. Realizing that getting details from the addled girl like this would be futile, Morwen opted to rent a small motel room on the edge of town where they might find privacy and security from prying eyes. It took two hours, a sizeable dose of Morwen’s own Vitae and half a bottle of wine to get Sarah relaxed enough to give a thorough report.
Sarah sat in a cushioned chair next to a table. She had a goblet of red wine from which she kept taking habitual sips.
Morwen switched on a mini recorder so that she could play the interview back for Aife, word for word. “Sarah,” Morwen said, “I need you to give me that account now.”
Sarah looked up from her goblet. “You mean about what you were asking earlier? About London?”
Morwen nodded.
Sarah took a breath. At first she had thought Morwen might be her executioner. She’d caught a glimpse of Morwen’s axe earlier and knew her defiance would be allowed to stand. Being certain of one’s death didn’t loosen tongues, but the wine did. Sarah had finally decided that if Morwen was going to kill her, then it would happen regardless of what she said or did at this point. The wine had loosened her inhibitions enough now that she just didn’t care anymore.
“Well. Mistress Moira, accompanies by Mistress Brenna and Master Shawn arrived in court about a week ago. They were dressed very well, I might add. It was during this presentation that my Empress chose to present me to them as a gift. I was instructed to help them in the ways of court and perhaps introduce them to people they needed to meet. I was flattered to be trusted so, but nervous, too. I wondered if the Empress was displeased with my service, and I didn’t know what would happen to me next.”
Morwen broke in, “Stick to the facts, Sarah.”
“Yes ma’am! I am sorry,” Sarah rushed to say. Her eyes searched Morwen’s for a hint of approval or anger, but found neither. She cleared her throat. “So after that, I went with Mistress Moira’s group. It was made clear that I belonged to all three of them, not any individual.
“The ambassador’s group went back to court many times to meet with people. Aside from introducing them to couple individuals they needed to meet, I was not allowed to be present during any actual meetings, so I can’t report on that.”
“Who all did they meet with?” Morwen asked.
“I am not necessarily aware of every individual they met but I can tell you who I am certain they did see. They Mistress Moira had meetings with the Empress, of course. There were several lesser members of court they spoke with as well, including contacts with the Circle of the Crone and including Mark, Prince of Kernow,..” she paused to see if she needed to explain.
“He is known to me,” Morwen stated. “Continue.”
“Um. I know that Master Tepish had interest in Moira, but I don’t know what was said.”
“Dracula?”
Sarah nodded. “That’s the one. They also ran into Charlie, who is blood relation to the Empress, and her coterie. I don’t know a lot about that directly, but I understand they had a favorable meeting.
“The ambassador’s group also had some time on their hands while awaiting the Empress’s decision regarding whatever matter they were in London to mediate. So, they asked me where I liked to go and then decided they would go there. I remained with Moira, but Shawn and Brenna went elsewhere because they couldn’t get in to the club. Moira and I are… special enough to be allowed. Anyway, I think Brenna and Shawn must have gone to a bad part of town but I am not sure.
“Soon after Brenna was attacked and injured by a hunter with a knife. It was a horrible wound. I suspect it was poisoned in a way that hurt Kindred. Moira collected us all and made us go after the hunter, but eventually they gained some assistance from the Sheriff’s people. It was… violent.
“Master Shawn had a couple private meetings with Mistress Diana. She is very powerful and answers only to the Empress and is of the Invictus group. But I don’t know what they talked about. I only know that I tried to warn the ambassador and Mistress Brenna that making deals with her was extremely dangerous.
“But Mistress Brenna then had a private meeting with … some people. I suspect they were very important because eventually I found out that we were going to the Underground, a place forbidden for Kindred to go on pain of death. Yet here we were, about to go exploring on foot.
“So, I suspect that Brenna made some kind of deal on her own, like Master Shawn did. I don’t know why. I only know that I was ordered to slog through the sewers armed with a couple flairs, hairspray and a lighter along with a backpack full of camping supplies. These were paid for by Mistress Moira. We were joined by a Master from a place called Detroit in America.
“In the sewers we encountered horrific monsters! They were attacking and killing one of their own kind, but my eyes must have played tricks on me because all of a sudden it was just a girl, maybe a teenager, that these monsters were tearing apart. I couldn’t stand it, so I dashed in and pulled her away. I used the powers my master taught me long ago to do it.
“Her name was Genevieve and she said she was a shapeshifter. She was very relieved and happy we saved her, too. The others said they had to go back down there and search for… whatever they were supposed to find. They never told me what it was. Gen and I were very hungry and tired from watching over them during the day — although a couple of the Masters stayed awake — and so they left us with money and I got us a hotel room. We were able to scrub the filth from our bodies finally and get clean clothes, too. I don’t know what the Masters did in the underground.”
Morwen nodded. “Very well. Tell me what you did with this Genevieve.”
“We got to talking and I thought I liked her very much. As a friend, you know. And that was… kind of new. I mean, I have a couple people in the London Court that were friendly to me but most turned on me because they felt I betrayed my master.”
“Did you?”
“I guess I did,” Sarah said.
“What does that mean, you ‘guess’?”
“I was accused of sleeping with someone without his permission and I was trying to prove that I was innocent of this. It’s a long story, but what happened was that I did end up sleeping with someone. I thought it was okay, that they’d help me if I did. I was wrong. And I found out nobody cared to listen to me. Master MJ then gave me to the Empress.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks from this. She stared into her wine glass and didn’t see the scathing look on Morwen’s face. If she had, she might not have understood that it wasn’t Sarah she was angry with, but the underhanded politicking she thought she saw within Sarah’s story.
“What happened after you and Genevieve spent the day together?”
“Well… I decided I had to leave London and she went with me.”
“Why did you do that?”
“My three masters spent much of their time at court meeting people without me. It was clear that although I was given to them to help them in their meetings, the truly did not need me. So I spoke with other members of the London Court while I was idle. Those I feel are my friends expressed concern that I was going to Belfast. Even my worst enemy, the one that smeared my name through the mud and made me get thrown out of my beloved master’s house felt sorry for me. I saw it in her eyes and in her voice when she spoke to me.
“I had realized that since meeting my new masters much of my time was spent running or fighting. Well, just running in my case, and so if felt like the truth.”
Morwen asked, “Didn’t you talk to your new masters about your future here before you ran out on them?”
Sarah nodded. “Yes. But just with Mistress Moira.”
“And what did she say?”
“Well, she knew I wanted to be an actress, but my manager only got me jobs doing porn — that’s how MJ found me. So I asked her what I might do in Belfast and if there was a chance I might be embraced. She told me she was the seneschal here and that she ran an escort service but she said I wouldn’t be Embraced.”
“You’re sure that’s what she said?” Morwen pressed.
“Well, not in so many words. But she said the same thing I’ve always been told, that she couldn’t give me an answer on that right now. I’ve heard that many times before so I know what it means. I don’t have any illusions about that and I didn’t think it mattered in the least if I simply left. And I didn’t want to be anybody’s whore, not even if they called it ‘escort’.
“I know better now,” Sarah said. “Sex is all I have. It’s who I am. Even though it has cost me everything, it’s the only thing I’m good at.”
Morwen felt ill hearing the younger woman talk like that. Yet for all she knew, it was the gods’ truth.
“So you ran.”
“Yes,” Sarah admitted. “I went to Birmingham with Gen. She’d lost everything, too. Her family was killed by the monsters in the underground so we went to crash at her friends’ flat. But bad people still found her and took her away.”
Sarah cried openly at that. Morwen let her be for a while, then went to the bathroom, liberated a box of tissues and brought them to Sarah. She set the tissues in front of the ghoul slave and she took several to dab her eyes and clear her nose.
“Master Shawn and Mistresses Brenna and Moira found me and took me back here.”
Morwen asked, “Now that you are here in Belfast, how do you feel?”
“Resigned,” Sarah said. “I’m not going to run again, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve got no place to go and no friends anymore. I know it was wrong of me to run and that if I did it again, they’d have to send someone to make me disappear. And anyway, I was supposed to marry Master Shawn.”
Morwen looked surprised. “What? Why is that?”
“Something about life insurance,” she said. “I don’t know the details but I guess he wants the world to believe he’s dead pretty soon. He just wants me to give him the money after he returns from the dead.”
Morwen was appalled at the alleged greed of it. But then Sarah was a ghoul, a person made into a slave by the power of the blood. It disgusted her and reminded her exactly why she chose never to enslave people or animals in such a way. But Kindred were not known for being sensitive to their slaves’ feelings.
“I see,” said Morwen tensely. “It seems to me,” she said, changing the subject, “that you do have courtly skills beyond just sex. Why do you think that’s all your good for?”
“Because those skills didn’t matter to my three masters,” Sarah said simply. “Sex was the only real use I had for them.”
Morwen sighed and stood up. “You sell yourself short. I don’t care if you had sex with them or not. Those are mere games to the Kindred. You did introduce them at London court and you did point out who’s who to them as you were bade. If you think that providing a momentary diversion was the best thing you did, then think again.”
Sarah blinked and stared up at Morwen. She didn’t understand. Morwen sighed and tried to think of some way to get through to this broken ghoul.
“Look, if you are going to survive around here, you need to be good at what you do. If that’s sex, then fine but you better get right with it in your head because if that’s all you can do, you’d better be damned good at it. But if you get through that thick skull of yours that you can to a bit more than just that, you might have a real place around here. You definitely aren’t going to be considered for the Embrace until you do.”
Sarah looked up at Morwen, then nodded slowly. Morwen could see the gears were turning in that pretty blond head.
“Good,” Morwen told her. “We’re done here.” She turned off the mini tape recorder with a snap.
Kian took Trina aside for debriefing once things calmed down a little after the ambassadorial group had returned from London.
He took Trina aside in the kitchen of his haven and sat her down on a stool. “Trina, first I’d like to mention that I appreciate your efforts in the mission I sent you upon to London. They all arrived safely and everyone respects the job you performed. However, I would like to hear in your own words an account of what happened in the trip.”
Trina nodded. “Of course, master.
“The trip across the Irish Sea was both short and uneventful. Once we arrived in Britain we found ourselves in Lancaster. I could tell right off they appreciated a strict enforcement of the rules of hospitality and formality and did my very best to serve the ambassador’s group well. I must have gotten very lucky or said just the right things, however, as I seemed to become a slight embarrassment to the others, who were not as well trained in formal matters as I.”
Trina looked up worshipfully at the master standing before her. “I remembered all your advice and teaching, master, and I made it known to those who asked that it was you who taught me.”
Kian looked a little surprised, but he nodded for her to continue.
“After that I was sent away. I spent some time around town in the company of a ghoul that appeared to be attached to the Prince’s court or perhaps served the Master of Elysium there. When the group was ready to move on, I had arranged for transportation by train.
“Unfortunately, trouble struck while on route to our next stop. I was in the dining car having a drink and speaking with the bartender when there erupted a fight. I kept my head down when I realized they were lupine shapeshifters of some kind doing the fighting, and pulled the bartender with me into cover. Master Shawn and Mistress Brenna — I think Mistress was involved in this, but I am not completely sure — engaged the werewolves. I’m not sure why. In any case, we found that our part of the train had been separated. The battling shapeshifters left the scene and so did we, once the cars came to a stop. Moira, at this time, was then separated from our group.
“We stopped at Nottingham, but our stay was brief. I do not think the others liked that place very much. I was able to arrange for transportation from here and met up with Moira. From there we journeyed to London where I made sure they were delivered to the haven the local Kindred had prepared, then removed myself to a hotel suite where I awaited further instructions from you.”
Kian waved his hand. “You needn’t go into detail about that.”
“Yes master. Well, it was about a week later when the other were ready to return. But they’d lost a gift, as I understand it. The gift was in the form of a new servant, named Sarah Kennedy. We pursued her to Birmingham where we found that she had gained employment with a local limousine company. She had a friend with her, but she appears to have gone missing before we arrived. The masters took her again, though Kennedy seemed rather defiant and upset. I don’t know what her problem is.”
Kian frowned. “Was she mistreated some way?”
“Not that I saw, master,” Trina confessed. “But she was clearly terrified and remained that way all the way back to Belfast. It sounded to me like it was something Kindred of London told her that upset Kennedy to the point of rebellion.”
Kian appeared satisfied with her explanation. “I see. And was this Sarah Kennedy present with the ambassador’s team for the duration at London?”
“I believe so,” Trina nodded.
“Thank you for your report, Trina.”
Timeline: Late November, 2007
John walked into the Library, not really sure what to expect. While he had been there before he had been focused on the task at hand. This time he could just look around and browse. John walked up to the desk looking for someone to answer his questions.
An attractive caucasian woman, perhaps in her early thirties with long black hair gathered into a single tail and wearing a comfortable if not very fashionable light blue sweater over a white blouse and tan slacks, looked up from a entering some returned books into a computerized catalog.
“Hello Dr. Beckett,” she said with a smile. The challenge of a person who sees many people in a week was that it was often difficult to match faces with names after a while. However, he did remember faces well and was sure he hadn’t seen her at the office before.