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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 4855096" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-six, “You’re Doctor Crane?", September 4th, 1882, 9:45 P.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>Following Thomas’s introduction Judge Settle's mouth falls open and his eyes are nearly popping out of his head. Jerome Kingsley has a smug grin on his face. Kingsley's quarter-ogre nephew eyes are also sparkling and he is doing his best to suppress a smile.</p><p></p><p>Mr. Day loudly interjects "You're Doctor Crane? Thomas replies, "Indeed I am, Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University." Judge Settle turns to James Parker and interjects, "Fraud, you've committed fraud! You lied about this.....individual." James replies, "I did no such thing. I was asked the names and backgrounds of my Timucuan Conservatory colleagues and provided you with that information, nothing was ever stated about race. I obviously must not have known of your bigoted regulations, or as a part-elf myself, why would I have agreed to join?"</p><p></p><p>Settle turns towards the current and former Mayor and firmly says, "This ogre will not be a member!" Jerome Kingsley states "He already is, and according to bylaws can only be removed for cause. It appears to me he's been acting as the finest of gentlemen this evening, he has done nothing that would warrant his expulsion from the organization." Settle glares and Kingsley then points to General Spinner and says, "I demand that we convene a meeting of the Executive Board right now to deal with this matter!" </p><p></p><p>Spinner replies, "Do you really think that wise? Mr. Flagler is the Board's current Chairman, and given his current mood that would probably not be the best course of action." The Mayor comments, "That's a very good point." Settle turns back and gesturing to both Thomas and Kingsley's nephew states, "And you're saying that we're just supposed to carry on at this ball with them here!" </p><p></p><p>"We'll dance again later," Abby whispered to Gerrard. Then, louder, "I'd suggest you do exactly that. In fact, I'd suggest my colleague Dr. Crane ought to give me dance about now." Thomas extends his hand to Abigail and the two of them take to the dance floor. Without hesitation Mina walks over to Jerome Kingsley's nephew and says, "You must be Erasmus Kingsley Garnett, I have heard much about you from my friend Jemima. Would you care to dance?" The part-ogre replies, "As I have heard of your good work at the Timucuan Conservatory," as he takes her arm and heads out towards the dance floor.</p><p></p><p>"I won't stand for this!" Settle exclaims. Ledwith turns towards him and says, "And I won't stand for you distrupting my ball any further, either be civil or leave." "This isn't over," Settle angrily replies as he stomps off towards the doorway. "My, this certainly is an exciting ball!" Ruby commented as The Judge stomped out. "Mr. Ledwith, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders over all this drama. I will again thank you for inviting us to your home. Once the dance floor fills up this will all be forgotten." </p><p></p><p>"Speaking of which, may I have this dance Miss West" says George extending his arm to Ruby. "Please excuse me Mr. Ledwith but I must keep my priorities in order" he says as he leads Ruby to the dance floor. "Always," Ruby replied with a warm loving smile. She danced with George as much as he liked but she also made time to dance with their host and any of her new friends who asked. She whirled and twirled around the dance floor light as a feather, loving to be doing one of her favorite things in the world. Lawrence says to Jean-Francois, "Excuse me for a moment. There's some trouble brewing." As the judge storms off, Lawrence makes his way towards the others, "Is everything alright? What was that about?" He is briefly updated. </p><p></p><p>Following Judge Settle's departure there the drama appears to cease. There is a lot of whispering around the room, and a few nasty stares at both Doctor Thomas Crane and Erasmus Kingsley Garnett, but no negative comments are spoken aloud. Alsoomse garners no small amount of attention herself, attired in her lovely tan formal gown. She has a continuous stream of dance partners that include Luiz, Lawrence, George, Thomas, Count Ladislas and finally Nanuet. </p><p></p><p>Fish, oozing charm and no less handsome than before the big reveal, approaches the most buxom of those young women who were earlier competing for his attention (since it was she whose eyes struck him as the most lascivious), "Miss Fairfield, may I have this dance?" He offers her his arm. She gives him a cold state and says with contempt, "I do not dance with the hired help." His grin breaking into a broad smile, Fish says under his breath, "Yeah, well your teeth were kinda crooked anyway..." He goes in search of a tall flute of champagne for the magnificent and magnanimous Dr. Thomas Crane.</p><p></p><p>A short while late when dancing with Ruby Mr. Ledwith makes it a point to apologize once again for Judge Settle's behavior and sincerely pleads for George to join and be active in the Fraternal Order. "And I also apologize again for causing a ruckus at your lovely party, it was unnecessary. As for George, whatever makes you think I would have any influence on his decision to join your organization, Mr. Ledwith?" she grinned mischievously. </p><p></p><p>He replies, "I was married once myself and know of the influence that women have on their men." Ruby quirked a smile as they continued to dance. "Well, I suppose I can not argue that. I can't say for sure if George is interested or not but I can say that you have impressed me with your manners and willingness to be more open minded. That is very important to George and myself. I am sure you've heard he is quite progressive. I guess I am part of that," she laughed. "May I ask why you are no longer married?" </p><p></p><p>He replies, "She abandoned me back during the war, ran off with my best friend while I was away. But I happen to think that the Fates have their own sense of justice, I am now a very wealthy man while the two of them are penniless." Ruby answers, "Well, that wasn't very nice of her, was it? Fate is a very fickle thing, I have no doubt she will one day regret how she treated you. But you, however, seem like a very eligible bachelor now and that can be fun. I hope you are enjoying it." </p><p></p><p>He smiles and says, "It has it's moments, ever since the War with the number of southern widows left behind the number of eligible women have outnumbered eligible men three-to-one in these parts." "Ah, yes, a sad side effect of the war. Well, sounds as if you have plenty of women to choose from, if you ever decide to remarry. And a fine catch you would make. Though since you are already aware of my gender's ability to influence their men, you may just prefer to stay single." She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. </p><p></p><p>"I may not get the chance, my sister-in-laws prides herself as a matchmaker." He nods his head towards another couple stating, "My brother Thomas and his wife Mary." As the song ends he walks her over and introduces them. Thomas Ledwith explains that he just finished his apprenticeship period at another law firm and will not be starting his own practice in Jacksonville. </p><p></p><p>Ruby shakes hands with both of them. "Pleasure to meet you both. Mary, you'll have to tell me all the fun things for ladies to do around here. Good luck with your new venture Mr. Ledwith! That is very exciting. I am a business owner myself and I just love it." She looks around the room, "Where is George? I'd love for you to meet him too."</p><p></p><p>George had had a full dance card as well. He had been ushered around, and introduced to various young women through out the room whom he had been bound by ettiqutte to dance with. This included many of the young ladies whom Fish had been trying to woo. For some they relished the chance to attempt to rival Ruby, but most merely for the opportunity to dance with some one so famous here in Jacksonville. As if on cue though, George extracts himself from his latest partner and winds his way across the floor towards Ruby.</p><p></p><p>Nanuet watched the "fireworks" from a distance knowing his new friends could handle themselves but was glad when they were over. He kept to himself while the others danced, observing the people, their mannerisms and finding unique things about each of them. After some time he found himself dancing with Alsoomse. Nanuet surprised the elf woman with his dancing ability having learned a few proper dances from Ruby. "I still have a few surprises. By the way, if I haven't mentioned it yet tonight, you look lovely. The dress is elegant, as is the woman who wears it."</p><p></p><p>As they finish their dance she replies, "Why thank you Nanuet, that is most kind. I appear to have no small amount of dance partners this evening. I saw you speaking earlier to my old acquaintence Count Ladislas. I trust that your conversation was rather enlightening. Given what you, Ruby and Mina recently went through I assume that he spoke to you about his 'Brotherhood'.” Nanuet answers, "Yes, he did mention it. Seems to be very dedicated to that situation, and because of that the issue seems to be in check right now and I for one am very glad to hear that." </p><p></p><p>Alsoomse replies, "That is good to hear. And yes, he and the other members of his Brotherhood have good reason to be dedicated. A fastinating story, his Brotherhood was founded by an Italian Priest named Rudolpho, from a town near Milan. A family of gypsy vampires had moved into the area and started killing his parishioners. He in turn sought to destroy them, but they killed him first, seeking to turn him into one of them.</p><p></p><p>Rudolpho was a Priest of Nike, the Goddess of Victory. In his dying breath he begged forgiveness to his Goddess for his defeat. During the three days while his body was being transformed into the undead she spoke to his unconscious mind, letting him know that a path to victory still remained. She informed him that the transformation itself does not turn one evil, it is the first meal of humanoid blood that causes one to loose his eternal soul and complete the transformation. So when he arose he mustered the will to resist the bound human that had been laid before him to be feasted upon and fled. </p><p></p><p>Rudolpho shunned humanoids and instead drew sustence from the blood of livestock. He then returned and destroyed the vampires, dedicating himself to ridding the world of the creatures. His fellow Brotherhood members are also undead, essentially half-vampires, whose lips have never tasted humanoid blood. That is why Count Ladislas manages a livestock farm." An uneasy look came across Nanuet's face. "Oh, erm... he didn't mention that. I had no idea. Isn't that potentially dangerous, I mean what if one of the members of the order became weak in the mind, or corrupted by something. That while very interesting is very unsettling for me." </p><p></p><p>Alsoomse says, "They look out for one another and the Count provides them with enough fresh blood from non-humanoid sources that the Brotherhood don't ever become hungry. I can see why it is unsettling, it took me a while to get past that when I first met him. Mina had come over to them and caught the end of the conversation. She interjected, "So the Count is a half vampire?" </p><p></p><p>Alsoomse replies, "Yes. The Count Ladislas has held his curse in check for over a half-century now, so I doubt he will relapse and become that which he most hates. And as a half-vampire he lacks several of the more frightening things that are common to the monsters. The ability to drain a life-force from another, the ability to hypnotize and control another, the exceptional strength, those things are derived by being stolen from the humanoid victims. Things like holy water or holy symbols also do no harm to him or those in his Brotherhood, as they still have their souls and the blessings of their gods." </p><p></p><p>Mina states, "You have peaked my interest with this new information Alsoomse. If he is lacking all those things, what attributes of a vampire does he have?" She replies, "The positives of being able to transform into mist, bat or canine form. The negatives of perishing by sunlight, silver as well as having to sleep on his home soil. Half-vampires also have no reflection, although Count Ladislas wears a magic ring that creates one for him, which is why you can see him in the mansion's mirrors. </p><p></p><p>Lawrence bows to Rouyn Elise and says, "Mlle de Montgomerie, do you want to dance? My dance card is empty." She replies, "Why yes, Mr Cantrell. It would be a pleasure. It would be a shame to attend a ball and not dance." He says, "Well, then. We wouldn't want to disappoint. let's go." </p><p></p><p>Fish approaches the nearest ogre serving drinks. As he removes a goblet of champagne from his tray, the fingers of his other hand trace the lapel of his jacket. "Your people have excellent taste in clothes: Dr. Crane picked this out for me!" he says quietly. He then slips a generous tip across the serving tray. Leaning in, he whispers, "Who among that gaggle of pretties might deign to dance with me?" he asks, tilting his head toward the debutantes. "Do you have any suggestions? I am hung like a horse, after all...or an ogre!" He winks.</p><p></p><p>The ogre servant had clearly been paying attention to the happenings as he says, "Now that they know you are not a wealthy doctor? None, they have their reputations to think of. See, they've already found another target." Across the room the six ladies have now surrounded the young man from Belgium named Gerread who Abigail had spent time with earlier. The man seems to delight in the personal attention. </p><p></p><p>The ogre says, "If your employer will allow it please feel free to stop by the basement of the building two-hundred feet to the northwest some time after 1:00 AM or so. That is the servants quarters and we will be throwing our own party down in the basement once all of the guests have all left and we have finished cleaning up." He gestures to the various elvan servants and says, "After that amusing confrontation you helped to orchestrate you'll be the guest of honor. I dare say that you should have no difficulties then finding partners for dancing...or other activities." </p><p></p><p>"Oh, I'm confident that the good doctor will release me!" says Fish under his breath, with another wink. "May I come wearing something other than these fancy duds? Are you short a bartender? Believe me, friend, I know how to mix a good cocktail!" He replies, "We will all be changed out of our formal attire, Mr. Ledwith would never let us leave the premises with these fine clothes. As for bartending, there isn't much need, as our party's beverages are far less fancy than those being served here. Home brewed keg beer and moonshine." </p><p></p><p>Laughing amiably, Fish adds, "Ah, moonshine. You've not truly enjoyed its charms until you've sipped from a batch distilled above the elephant cage!" He continues. "That tall drink of firewater over there?" says Fish, nodding toward Ruby with her gorgeous toss of red hair, "If I can drag her away from her adoring fiancée or convince Mr. Eastman to tag along, that woman has pipes that'll make you weep! errr...and a voice like a songbird, too!" Benjamin can barely disguise his leer. "May I invite her too, sir?"</p><p></p><p>The orge stiffens up and he says, "Mr. Eastman is a member of the Fraternal Order, I'm afraid that the rest of us would not be comfortable with any member of the Fraternal Order in attendance. Our party is a chance for us to unwind away from the employers. As for the woman, a good singer is always welcome, but if she were just there to spy on us and report back to her fiance that could have negative consequences for us all." He gestures over towards Nanuet, who is dancing with Alsoomse, and states, "Your elvan companions would be welcome." </p><p></p><p>"Well, Dr. Crane may soon be a member of that very same Fraternal Order, but I'll honor your wishes, of course. Miss West seems to have a nose for hijinks in the back room, but I'll do my best to slip away unnoticed. I'm honored to have been invited!" </p><p></p><p>As their dance ended Abby said to Dr. Crane, "I see Fish has lost all his admirers. I think I'll go ask if he wants to dance. And thank you for the fine dance, you're a very graceful man, Doctor." She gave him an elegant curtsey before she went to find Fish. "Fish, if you don't give me a dance I'll never forgive you," Abby said lightly, having waited for a break in his conversation with the Ogre servant. Fish bows his head as he withdraws and joins Abigail on the dance floor. She tells him, "Well, those girls are a pack of fools to leave you alone and unattended. And their new quarry isn't interested in anything serious, but then neither were you I'd bet." </p><p></p><p>"Oh, I take my horizontal calisthenics very seriously!" jokes Fish. "I believe you," Abby laughed. "But those girls take what happens after very seriously. So seriously that they want the after before. You never know what kind of girl is lurking behind the elegant exterior though, do you?" Abby finished with a wink. Tickled and surprised by Abby's innuendo, Fish does his best to suppress a delighted if lusty chortle.</p><p></p><p>Abby shook her head and laughed with him. "Fish, I'm not a rich society girl, just an only child with an education. Some women who get as far as I have try to be paragons of virtue in society so they don't scare men off. I figure I've already broken enough rules, I might as well break a few more. I might get married someday, I might not; I'm not worried about scaring off potential husbands. I'm not going to pretend I could keep up with Ruby, or at least what I imagine Ruby could get up to, but I'm no hothouse flower either." </p><p></p><p>Ruby wraps her arm around George and introduces him, "And here he is now, the most famous photographer in the world, Mr. George Eastman. I'm sure he will be just as pleased to meet you as I am." George smiled "Of course I shall, and to whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?" he asked. The young man extends his hand and says, "Thomas Ledwith, and this is my wife Mary. My brother is this ball's host." "A pleasure to make your acquantince Mr. Ledwith. And despite my finacee's hyperbole, I am merely a photographer. I believe though that I heard you were a lawyer, was that correct sir?" asked George. </p><p></p><p>Thomas Ledwith states "That is correct, and I have just recently established my own practice. I would attempt to get you as a client except I am informed that Mr. Hardin has already been retained to perform that service for you here in Florida." "You can never have too many laywers Mr. Ledwith, especially if they are very familiar with the loval government regulations. I may yet have need of more legal advice, be sure to leave me your card before the evening." replied George. </p><p></p><p>Ruby laughed. "He failed to mention that we may end up in so much trouble we need more than one lawyer!" She pinched his arm lightly. "And don't let him be too modest, he IS the best photographer in the world, or at least the most innovative and inventive. And cute, can't forget that." She tried not to burst out in laughter again. George raises an eyebrow at Ruby "We huh?" he asks. "Yes, well, I stand guilty of the last charge, at least int he view of my betrothed." "Yes we," she giggled, "Didn't you know when you put the ring on my finger it meant my trouble is your trouble too?" She laughed again then cleared her throat.</p><p></p><p>Another couple wander over to them, with Thomas saying, "And this is my little sister Elizabeth." She introduces her companion as "My date, Mr. Percival Brown, he's a professional dancer." Ruby says, "So Mr. Brown, you are a dancer? What kind may I ask? I'm a dancer too." He replies, "I am trained in many forms of dance but my expertise is with ballet. My sister and I danced for several years with the Paris Ballet, one of the finest dance companies in the world." </p><p></p><p>She asks, "Do you still perform? I imagine ballet is one of the hardest dances to learn and keep up with." He replies, "I have tried to keep my skills up, but I am not at the same level as I was in France. I'm afraid my professional days are behind me, it is not uncommon in that profession to be considered too old at my age of twenty-six."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 4855096, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter Thirty-six, “You’re Doctor Crane?", September 4th, 1882, 9:45 P.M.[/B] Following Thomas’s introduction Judge Settle's mouth falls open and his eyes are nearly popping out of his head. Jerome Kingsley has a smug grin on his face. Kingsley's quarter-ogre nephew eyes are also sparkling and he is doing his best to suppress a smile. Mr. Day loudly interjects "You're Doctor Crane? Thomas replies, "Indeed I am, Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University." Judge Settle turns to James Parker and interjects, "Fraud, you've committed fraud! You lied about this.....individual." James replies, "I did no such thing. I was asked the names and backgrounds of my Timucuan Conservatory colleagues and provided you with that information, nothing was ever stated about race. I obviously must not have known of your bigoted regulations, or as a part-elf myself, why would I have agreed to join?" Settle turns towards the current and former Mayor and firmly says, "This ogre will not be a member!" Jerome Kingsley states "He already is, and according to bylaws can only be removed for cause. It appears to me he's been acting as the finest of gentlemen this evening, he has done nothing that would warrant his expulsion from the organization." Settle glares and Kingsley then points to General Spinner and says, "I demand that we convene a meeting of the Executive Board right now to deal with this matter!" Spinner replies, "Do you really think that wise? Mr. Flagler is the Board's current Chairman, and given his current mood that would probably not be the best course of action." The Mayor comments, "That's a very good point." Settle turns back and gesturing to both Thomas and Kingsley's nephew states, "And you're saying that we're just supposed to carry on at this ball with them here!" "We'll dance again later," Abby whispered to Gerrard. Then, louder, "I'd suggest you do exactly that. In fact, I'd suggest my colleague Dr. Crane ought to give me dance about now." Thomas extends his hand to Abigail and the two of them take to the dance floor. Without hesitation Mina walks over to Jerome Kingsley's nephew and says, "You must be Erasmus Kingsley Garnett, I have heard much about you from my friend Jemima. Would you care to dance?" The part-ogre replies, "As I have heard of your good work at the Timucuan Conservatory," as he takes her arm and heads out towards the dance floor. "I won't stand for this!" Settle exclaims. Ledwith turns towards him and says, "And I won't stand for you distrupting my ball any further, either be civil or leave." "This isn't over," Settle angrily replies as he stomps off towards the doorway. "My, this certainly is an exciting ball!" Ruby commented as The Judge stomped out. "Mr. Ledwith, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders over all this drama. I will again thank you for inviting us to your home. Once the dance floor fills up this will all be forgotten." "Speaking of which, may I have this dance Miss West" says George extending his arm to Ruby. "Please excuse me Mr. Ledwith but I must keep my priorities in order" he says as he leads Ruby to the dance floor. "Always," Ruby replied with a warm loving smile. She danced with George as much as he liked but she also made time to dance with their host and any of her new friends who asked. She whirled and twirled around the dance floor light as a feather, loving to be doing one of her favorite things in the world. Lawrence says to Jean-Francois, "Excuse me for a moment. There's some trouble brewing." As the judge storms off, Lawrence makes his way towards the others, "Is everything alright? What was that about?" He is briefly updated. Following Judge Settle's departure there the drama appears to cease. There is a lot of whispering around the room, and a few nasty stares at both Doctor Thomas Crane and Erasmus Kingsley Garnett, but no negative comments are spoken aloud. Alsoomse garners no small amount of attention herself, attired in her lovely tan formal gown. She has a continuous stream of dance partners that include Luiz, Lawrence, George, Thomas, Count Ladislas and finally Nanuet. Fish, oozing charm and no less handsome than before the big reveal, approaches the most buxom of those young women who were earlier competing for his attention (since it was she whose eyes struck him as the most lascivious), "Miss Fairfield, may I have this dance?" He offers her his arm. She gives him a cold state and says with contempt, "I do not dance with the hired help." His grin breaking into a broad smile, Fish says under his breath, "Yeah, well your teeth were kinda crooked anyway..." He goes in search of a tall flute of champagne for the magnificent and magnanimous Dr. Thomas Crane. A short while late when dancing with Ruby Mr. Ledwith makes it a point to apologize once again for Judge Settle's behavior and sincerely pleads for George to join and be active in the Fraternal Order. "And I also apologize again for causing a ruckus at your lovely party, it was unnecessary. As for George, whatever makes you think I would have any influence on his decision to join your organization, Mr. Ledwith?" she grinned mischievously. He replies, "I was married once myself and know of the influence that women have on their men." Ruby quirked a smile as they continued to dance. "Well, I suppose I can not argue that. I can't say for sure if George is interested or not but I can say that you have impressed me with your manners and willingness to be more open minded. That is very important to George and myself. I am sure you've heard he is quite progressive. I guess I am part of that," she laughed. "May I ask why you are no longer married?" He replies, "She abandoned me back during the war, ran off with my best friend while I was away. But I happen to think that the Fates have their own sense of justice, I am now a very wealthy man while the two of them are penniless." Ruby answers, "Well, that wasn't very nice of her, was it? Fate is a very fickle thing, I have no doubt she will one day regret how she treated you. But you, however, seem like a very eligible bachelor now and that can be fun. I hope you are enjoying it." He smiles and says, "It has it's moments, ever since the War with the number of southern widows left behind the number of eligible women have outnumbered eligible men three-to-one in these parts." "Ah, yes, a sad side effect of the war. Well, sounds as if you have plenty of women to choose from, if you ever decide to remarry. And a fine catch you would make. Though since you are already aware of my gender's ability to influence their men, you may just prefer to stay single." She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. "I may not get the chance, my sister-in-laws prides herself as a matchmaker." He nods his head towards another couple stating, "My brother Thomas and his wife Mary." As the song ends he walks her over and introduces them. Thomas Ledwith explains that he just finished his apprenticeship period at another law firm and will not be starting his own practice in Jacksonville. Ruby shakes hands with both of them. "Pleasure to meet you both. Mary, you'll have to tell me all the fun things for ladies to do around here. Good luck with your new venture Mr. Ledwith! That is very exciting. I am a business owner myself and I just love it." She looks around the room, "Where is George? I'd love for you to meet him too." George had had a full dance card as well. He had been ushered around, and introduced to various young women through out the room whom he had been bound by ettiqutte to dance with. This included many of the young ladies whom Fish had been trying to woo. For some they relished the chance to attempt to rival Ruby, but most merely for the opportunity to dance with some one so famous here in Jacksonville. As if on cue though, George extracts himself from his latest partner and winds his way across the floor towards Ruby. Nanuet watched the "fireworks" from a distance knowing his new friends could handle themselves but was glad when they were over. He kept to himself while the others danced, observing the people, their mannerisms and finding unique things about each of them. After some time he found himself dancing with Alsoomse. Nanuet surprised the elf woman with his dancing ability having learned a few proper dances from Ruby. "I still have a few surprises. By the way, if I haven't mentioned it yet tonight, you look lovely. The dress is elegant, as is the woman who wears it." As they finish their dance she replies, "Why thank you Nanuet, that is most kind. I appear to have no small amount of dance partners this evening. I saw you speaking earlier to my old acquaintence Count Ladislas. I trust that your conversation was rather enlightening. Given what you, Ruby and Mina recently went through I assume that he spoke to you about his 'Brotherhood'.” Nanuet answers, "Yes, he did mention it. Seems to be very dedicated to that situation, and because of that the issue seems to be in check right now and I for one am very glad to hear that." Alsoomse replies, "That is good to hear. And yes, he and the other members of his Brotherhood have good reason to be dedicated. A fastinating story, his Brotherhood was founded by an Italian Priest named Rudolpho, from a town near Milan. A family of gypsy vampires had moved into the area and started killing his parishioners. He in turn sought to destroy them, but they killed him first, seeking to turn him into one of them. Rudolpho was a Priest of Nike, the Goddess of Victory. In his dying breath he begged forgiveness to his Goddess for his defeat. During the three days while his body was being transformed into the undead she spoke to his unconscious mind, letting him know that a path to victory still remained. She informed him that the transformation itself does not turn one evil, it is the first meal of humanoid blood that causes one to loose his eternal soul and complete the transformation. So when he arose he mustered the will to resist the bound human that had been laid before him to be feasted upon and fled. Rudolpho shunned humanoids and instead drew sustence from the blood of livestock. He then returned and destroyed the vampires, dedicating himself to ridding the world of the creatures. His fellow Brotherhood members are also undead, essentially half-vampires, whose lips have never tasted humanoid blood. That is why Count Ladislas manages a livestock farm." An uneasy look came across Nanuet's face. "Oh, erm... he didn't mention that. I had no idea. Isn't that potentially dangerous, I mean what if one of the members of the order became weak in the mind, or corrupted by something. That while very interesting is very unsettling for me." Alsoomse says, "They look out for one another and the Count provides them with enough fresh blood from non-humanoid sources that the Brotherhood don't ever become hungry. I can see why it is unsettling, it took me a while to get past that when I first met him. Mina had come over to them and caught the end of the conversation. She interjected, "So the Count is a half vampire?" Alsoomse replies, "Yes. The Count Ladislas has held his curse in check for over a half-century now, so I doubt he will relapse and become that which he most hates. And as a half-vampire he lacks several of the more frightening things that are common to the monsters. The ability to drain a life-force from another, the ability to hypnotize and control another, the exceptional strength, those things are derived by being stolen from the humanoid victims. Things like holy water or holy symbols also do no harm to him or those in his Brotherhood, as they still have their souls and the blessings of their gods." Mina states, "You have peaked my interest with this new information Alsoomse. If he is lacking all those things, what attributes of a vampire does he have?" She replies, "The positives of being able to transform into mist, bat or canine form. The negatives of perishing by sunlight, silver as well as having to sleep on his home soil. Half-vampires also have no reflection, although Count Ladislas wears a magic ring that creates one for him, which is why you can see him in the mansion's mirrors. Lawrence bows to Rouyn Elise and says, "Mlle de Montgomerie, do you want to dance? My dance card is empty." She replies, "Why yes, Mr Cantrell. It would be a pleasure. It would be a shame to attend a ball and not dance." He says, "Well, then. We wouldn't want to disappoint. let's go." Fish approaches the nearest ogre serving drinks. As he removes a goblet of champagne from his tray, the fingers of his other hand trace the lapel of his jacket. "Your people have excellent taste in clothes: Dr. Crane picked this out for me!" he says quietly. He then slips a generous tip across the serving tray. Leaning in, he whispers, "Who among that gaggle of pretties might deign to dance with me?" he asks, tilting his head toward the debutantes. "Do you have any suggestions? I am hung like a horse, after all...or an ogre!" He winks. The ogre servant had clearly been paying attention to the happenings as he says, "Now that they know you are not a wealthy doctor? None, they have their reputations to think of. See, they've already found another target." Across the room the six ladies have now surrounded the young man from Belgium named Gerread who Abigail had spent time with earlier. The man seems to delight in the personal attention. The ogre says, "If your employer will allow it please feel free to stop by the basement of the building two-hundred feet to the northwest some time after 1:00 AM or so. That is the servants quarters and we will be throwing our own party down in the basement once all of the guests have all left and we have finished cleaning up." He gestures to the various elvan servants and says, "After that amusing confrontation you helped to orchestrate you'll be the guest of honor. I dare say that you should have no difficulties then finding partners for dancing...or other activities." "Oh, I'm confident that the good doctor will release me!" says Fish under his breath, with another wink. "May I come wearing something other than these fancy duds? Are you short a bartender? Believe me, friend, I know how to mix a good cocktail!" He replies, "We will all be changed out of our formal attire, Mr. Ledwith would never let us leave the premises with these fine clothes. As for bartending, there isn't much need, as our party's beverages are far less fancy than those being served here. Home brewed keg beer and moonshine." Laughing amiably, Fish adds, "Ah, moonshine. You've not truly enjoyed its charms until you've sipped from a batch distilled above the elephant cage!" He continues. "That tall drink of firewater over there?" says Fish, nodding toward Ruby with her gorgeous toss of red hair, "If I can drag her away from her adoring fiancée or convince Mr. Eastman to tag along, that woman has pipes that'll make you weep! errr...and a voice like a songbird, too!" Benjamin can barely disguise his leer. "May I invite her too, sir?" The orge stiffens up and he says, "Mr. Eastman is a member of the Fraternal Order, I'm afraid that the rest of us would not be comfortable with any member of the Fraternal Order in attendance. Our party is a chance for us to unwind away from the employers. As for the woman, a good singer is always welcome, but if she were just there to spy on us and report back to her fiance that could have negative consequences for us all." He gestures over towards Nanuet, who is dancing with Alsoomse, and states, "Your elvan companions would be welcome." "Well, Dr. Crane may soon be a member of that very same Fraternal Order, but I'll honor your wishes, of course. Miss West seems to have a nose for hijinks in the back room, but I'll do my best to slip away unnoticed. I'm honored to have been invited!" As their dance ended Abby said to Dr. Crane, "I see Fish has lost all his admirers. I think I'll go ask if he wants to dance. And thank you for the fine dance, you're a very graceful man, Doctor." She gave him an elegant curtsey before she went to find Fish. "Fish, if you don't give me a dance I'll never forgive you," Abby said lightly, having waited for a break in his conversation with the Ogre servant. Fish bows his head as he withdraws and joins Abigail on the dance floor. She tells him, "Well, those girls are a pack of fools to leave you alone and unattended. And their new quarry isn't interested in anything serious, but then neither were you I'd bet." "Oh, I take my horizontal calisthenics very seriously!" jokes Fish. "I believe you," Abby laughed. "But those girls take what happens after very seriously. So seriously that they want the after before. You never know what kind of girl is lurking behind the elegant exterior though, do you?" Abby finished with a wink. Tickled and surprised by Abby's innuendo, Fish does his best to suppress a delighted if lusty chortle. Abby shook her head and laughed with him. "Fish, I'm not a rich society girl, just an only child with an education. Some women who get as far as I have try to be paragons of virtue in society so they don't scare men off. I figure I've already broken enough rules, I might as well break a few more. I might get married someday, I might not; I'm not worried about scaring off potential husbands. I'm not going to pretend I could keep up with Ruby, or at least what I imagine Ruby could get up to, but I'm no hothouse flower either." Ruby wraps her arm around George and introduces him, "And here he is now, the most famous photographer in the world, Mr. George Eastman. I'm sure he will be just as pleased to meet you as I am." George smiled "Of course I shall, and to whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?" he asked. The young man extends his hand and says, "Thomas Ledwith, and this is my wife Mary. My brother is this ball's host." "A pleasure to make your acquantince Mr. Ledwith. And despite my finacee's hyperbole, I am merely a photographer. I believe though that I heard you were a lawyer, was that correct sir?" asked George. Thomas Ledwith states "That is correct, and I have just recently established my own practice. I would attempt to get you as a client except I am informed that Mr. Hardin has already been retained to perform that service for you here in Florida." "You can never have too many laywers Mr. Ledwith, especially if they are very familiar with the loval government regulations. I may yet have need of more legal advice, be sure to leave me your card before the evening." replied George. Ruby laughed. "He failed to mention that we may end up in so much trouble we need more than one lawyer!" She pinched his arm lightly. "And don't let him be too modest, he IS the best photographer in the world, or at least the most innovative and inventive. And cute, can't forget that." She tried not to burst out in laughter again. George raises an eyebrow at Ruby "We huh?" he asks. "Yes, well, I stand guilty of the last charge, at least int he view of my betrothed." "Yes we," she giggled, "Didn't you know when you put the ring on my finger it meant my trouble is your trouble too?" She laughed again then cleared her throat. Another couple wander over to them, with Thomas saying, "And this is my little sister Elizabeth." She introduces her companion as "My date, Mr. Percival Brown, he's a professional dancer." Ruby says, "So Mr. Brown, you are a dancer? What kind may I ask? I'm a dancer too." He replies, "I am trained in many forms of dance but my expertise is with ballet. My sister and I danced for several years with the Paris Ballet, one of the finest dance companies in the world." She asks, "Do you still perform? I imagine ballet is one of the hardest dances to learn and keep up with." He replies, "I have tried to keep my skills up, but I am not at the same level as I was in France. I'm afraid my professional days are behind me, it is not uncommon in that profession to be considered too old at my age of twenty-six." [/QUOTE]
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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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