[VtR][Mature] Born into Darkness: Preludes and Nocturnes

[Graf]

Archer's Prelude

Archer is returned to Celeste's Haven, where he spends several extraordinarily unpleasant weeks in the wine cellar of the haven (located beyond the kitchen). The room is dark (though he can see in the darkness and bare save for some empty wine racks). He's kept starving, very injured and perpetually frenzying or nearly frenzying while being tended to by Frank.

His sense of time is completely distorted by the experience. He hallucinates, he has conversations with people, etc. etc.

[sblock=Feeding]
Archer is fed through a slot. Once a day. Often after he wakes but sometimes later.
Frank carefully uses a stick like a shuffleboard cue slides a small saucer of blood in through a slot at the bottom of the door.
Some days Archer manages to control himself and drink the blood, often he falls into frenzy and having rapidly exhausting the blood finds himself clawing and biting at the solid door's little slot.
The worst days are when he frenzies and spills the blood, then he has to get it by licking the blood off the floor.

No one has told Archer about torpor. Such as he is able to think about it at all he thinks that going without blood is fatal.[/sblock]

[sblock=Conversations with Frank]
Archer thinks that sometimes he talks to Frank. Or Frank talks to him anyway, with his jaw broken speaking is almost impossible.
They generally center around how wonderful Celeste is. How important and special she is.

You're a rather nasty little mess. But don't worry. The blood oath takes care of all those little messy feelings you may have. Just fall into it. And you'll live forever.

You can fight it of course, but you'll do what she says anyway. Don't fight it.

You're quite likable. She was very taken with you initially. She'll probably come to appreciate you again.

She appreciates diligent service. I've been with her a long time, and I'm treated quite well.

You shouldn't take anything that happened personally. You'll understand. It's how things work for you now. It won't be so bad.

You'll have an important role to play you know. You don't know of course, not yet, but one day you will know.
[/sblock]

In addition to his hallucinations Archer also begins to see auras (i.e. develops Auspex **)

 

[Graf]

Archer's Prelude

[sblock=Comment]With no points of Willpower left and having just had the experience he had, I've basically just ruled that Archer goes along with the requests made of him.
I also just skipped Predator's Taint for this scene. Enough going on already.[/sblock]

Leaning over the couch, Archer eyes the elevator door. He's inside the haven, with the big double doors propped open so he can see into the elevator.
He has the Mossberg propped against the couch.

A few hours ago he'd been in the room, like always. Then it was over.

The door had been opened and he'd been freed into Celeste's waiting arms. Drinking freely from her veins and healing. She'd looked wild, crazed. She'd explained that it had all been a misunderstanding that things got out of hand

Kindred, that's you and me dearest, sometimes go a little bit crazy, She given him a funny laugh -- like it's not funny but she's making it funny.

The elevator began it's slow ascent. Celeste's apartment was the 12th floor. The top of the building. Archer's fingers had been scratched down to the bone a few minutes ago. But they were healed now. So he could hold a gun.
His teeth weren't healing though. They still throbbed.

He still remembered what Celeste had said once she'd fed him again. Now though I know how you feel about me and I feel the same way about you . Archer probably felt relieved I just want you to do one little thing for me. You know a lot about guns don't you. You're a regular expert right? I want you to take some of these guns and when the people come in looking for me I want you to shoot them all and protect me. I'd have Frank do it, but he's a terribly blind.

And after that we can be together.

The doors slide open. There was no one inside of the elevator. Archer stayed focused on the elevator. He swore he'd seen someone in the elevator when it first opened. But he'd blinked and there was nothing there.

There was a flicker of light up on the ceiling. Archer instinctively looked up. Something was carved into the fancy wooden paneling above the inner doorway to the haven proper. A mark. Light flashed downward illuminating a figure in a trenchcoat.

She cursed.
Archer fired.

Someone pounced on Archer from behind.
Archer caught a glimpse of a bald gray head and scarf wrapped face.

The woman had her arms around him then. Tiny little arms; impossibly strong. Archer felt ribs crack.

"Find her!" the woman bellowed.
"He was going to..."
"Just find her!"

There was a ding from the elevator. The doors closed.

"Take him!"With a snarl and a curse the woman threw Archer into the man-in-the-red-scarf.

Archer staggered to his feet and pulled the holdout from his pocket.

The red-scarf tackled him though and they rolled around the floor. Archer can see the elevator doors have been pushed in.

Red-scarf is stronger and unhurt and eventually Archer is knocked unconscious when his head is repeatedly slammed him against the floor.

[sblock=Comment]Invisible Castle would, of course go down now...
Shooting is
Born into Darkness|Archer's Prelude|Archer shoots at Blackcoat Fire + Dex + Weapon (20gage)(2+2+4=8) -2* = 6 | *=Celerity

Nice tackling Archer is probably Str + Brawl (7d) (no defense since he's Obfuscated)
Blackcoat kicking Archer is 14-2 (Archer's defense)


[/sblock]

 

[Graf]

Archer's Prelude

The city has few large skyscrapers, jutting up among the ramble of lower urban buildings.

Archer is sitting in an office in one of them.

A glass paneled wall shows a majestic view of the night skyline.

The frantic battle at Celeste's haven was two nights ago. Last night Archer woke in a room, with a large amount of blood in a basin. After he fed and rested he was briefly interviewed by a polite Indian man with a paunch and a bald spot. A vampire.
The conversation was general, the Indian man seemed to be apprised of the generalities of Archer's situation and didn't probe.
The Indian man, who introduced himself as Raghunandan, confirmed information Archer was generally familiar with but put off details specifics.
You have all of eternity to ponder these sorts of questions. Don't rush into it tonight.

Questions about Celeste result in a non-commital
You'll discuss those things with the Prince, he's busy right now but I expect he will be able to make some time for you in the next few days.


[sblock=general information]
Information includes basic vampiric information (ex: frenzy when angered or when hungry and exposed to blood, sunlight kills, etc) and City information (LB is the Prince; newly created vampires are usually owned by their sires)[/sblock]

Tonight Archer was lead down a long corridor to this room. The man in the red scarf, who he struggled with during the other night at Celeste's is leaning casually against the window at the end of the corridor. The scarf covering the bottom part of his face masks his features but the interest in his eyes is unmistakable as he regarded Archer.

A massive wooden desk dominates the room. Behind it sits a tall man, another vampire, dressed in a dated suit, cowboy boots and a open collared shirt.
LB gestures for Archer to take a seat in a comfortable leather chair facing the desk.

The short woman from the prior night struggle is also here. Wearing the same, or very similar clothing. She leans against the wall behind Archer's chair.

Raghunandan is also present. Sitting at another chair further along the room.

"So, you're Celeste's huh?" The Prince leans over the desk on his elbows looking directly at Archer.

 

[Festy_Dog]

Archer felt like sht. Not physically, but mentally. He had no interest in trying to escape, but he noticed that the short woman had positioned herself well had he intended to try anything. Between the fuzzy memories recalled from Frank's discussion with Celeste over killing Archer and Raghunandan's presence, Archer had a vague idea of what was taking place. He theorized his existence depended on his answers.

"So, you're Celeste's huh?" The Prince leans over the desk on his elbows looking directly at Archer.

Admitting as much would get Celeste into trouble, but everyone in the room knew the answer anyway. Archer may have been blood bonded, but he wasn't stupid.

"Yes, sir," saying it pained him, and as much as his vampiric existence thus far had been unpleasant he wasn't fond of the alternatives.

 

[Graf]

LB nods portentously, as if this were some piece of new information he'd just discovered.

"She tell youh what she was gonna do to youh. Was gonna embrace youh?"

"Embracing 's jus a fancy word we vampiah's use. We got lotsa that c___. Ah say anything you don't undahstand youh just let me know. We don't want any misundahstandings."

LB smiles at you, a sort of determined grimace. For a second the whole room seems still, like it's a painting where all the lines point at LB as a central radiant figure.

[sblock=LB's Awe]
LB generated 4 successes on an attempt to awe Archer.
He'll be using his ginormous amount of dice to encourage Archer to be honest and get him to relax this scene. (Not gonna roll it, just fyi).[/sblock]

 

[Festy_Dog]

Archer was unsure of what to say next. He had started with the truth but could he say anything to Celeste's benefit? How much did they actually know? The Prince came across as being quite a reasonable guy thus far, and something about him gave Archer the impression that honesty would work best.

"Thankyou," the offer to explain things, from the Prince no less, was very much valued indeed, "I was not informed of anything prior to my embrace."

Archer made his responses as straight forward as he could.

 

[Graf]

Archer's Prelude

[sblock=Archer's Read on the situation]
Archer can't seem to get a clear read on the situation.[/sblock]

LB pushes his chair back and slowly swivels around. He's leaned far back and staring at the ceiling.
"Now, youh see. This puts me in a bit of a spot. You seem like a reasonable sort of fella. Some folks, lotta folks, would say you're the fruit of a poisoned tree. Ought to be trimmed. That sorta thing."

LB comes up from his reclining position arms wide. "But that don't seem fair tah me. An' conveniently for you, in this city what Ah say goes."

"So ah ain't gonna kill youh. Or have youh torpah'd or anything else."

[sblock=LB's read of Archer]
My arbitrary ruling is that 3 successes is enough to pick out responses on a fairly granular level[/sblock].

"She ain't told you about Torpah?" LB looks down at his desk and shakes his head. "Reggie?"

The Indian man sitting in on a sofa off to the side has been attentively following the conversation. He nods at his name.

He gestures a massive paw like hand at "Reggie", "Reggie here's gonna explain to youh. The basics. Sunlight 'n Fiah and what have not."

"OK so anyway. You just...."
He glances back and up at something behind Archer.

"Oh, right. Youh actually pretty lucky. You've been embraced into the Invictahs.
We may not be popular, but we rule the world son. Welcome to the f______ club. "

 

[Festy_Dog]

"Now, youh see. This puts me in a bit of a spot. You seem like a reasonable sort of fella. Some folks, lotta folks, would say you're the fruit of a poisoned tree. Ought to be trimmed. That sorta thing."

Honesty fought with a desire for self preservation. Despite all she'd put him through, for some reason unbeknownst to Archer, he still felt loyal to Celeste. It defied reason, something he could never tolerate, and yet he did now.

Archer kept his mouth shut, resolute in finding a solution of his own to the conflict of interest.

"Oh, right. Youh actually pretty lucky. You've been embraced into the Invictahs. We may not be popular, but we rule the world son. Welcome to the f______ club."

At this Archer was able to manage a smile, and a respectful nod of the head. It was quite a welcome. Archer wasn't entirely sure about what the Invictus represented, he had never been taught terribly much. Prior to now his only example of what the Invictus were was Celeste, which didn't work out terribly well, but the Prince had left a positive impression on him and if he was Invictus perhaps there was something to like about the group.

 

[Graf]

Archer's Prelude

LB nods, smiling. He gets up and walks around his desk, speaking.

"Lot's of folks would kill to be in your position. You're a member of the ruling Covenant. You got no sire to answer to. You got to answer to me, course." LB gives you a long look as he circles the desk "but everybody's got to do that. And I don't play favorites."

He stops when he reaches the front of the desk leaning against it and looking at Archer "anybody tells you I play favorites they're a dirty liar. 'cause I don't."

"Anyway... lots of folks's'd give their fangs to be in your position." He gives Archer a genial smile.

"Heck," LB's voice is drawn out, with an air of extreme casualness. "You even got yourself a first rate guide to the damned. Fella named Scarman, or Lord Scarman to be proper I guess. He's heard how you were treated and he's quite....," he glances at something behind Archer's head, " apalled, right, terribly apalled at how you were embraced, treated, 'n so forth. Insists you get a proper introduction to the whole thing."
In another person Archer would imagine this discussion of Scarman would be tinged with mockery but LB seems to be positively overflowing with sincerety.

"Anyway Just visit Lord Scarman once a week or so; he'll show you the ins-and-outs of the Kindred. "
LB's face, normally animate, is completely neutral and devoid of expression. From the decisive way that he walks back to behind his desk Archer gets the impression that he has been dismissed.

 

[Festy_Dog]

Archer dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a tissue. It came away red with blood, and he became slightly concerned that his teeth were probably now stained with his own vitae.

"I feel quite fortunate. Thankyou," the Prince appeared to consider running his domain fairly one of his highest priorities, something Archer respected.

"Anyway Just visit Lord Scarman once a week or so; he'll show you the ins-and-outs of the Kindred."
LB's face, normally animate, is completely neutral and devoid of expression. From the decisive way that he walks back to behind his desk Archer gets the impression that he has been dismissed.

Scarman. Archer could remember Scarman. He seemed a little eccentric, and Archer couldn't help but wonder what motives would bring Scarman to take an inexperienced vampire such as himself under his wing. He had already begun trying to connect the dots in his head, using what he could remember for clues. All he could think of was Scarman trying to show up Celeste by taking the childe she had rejected and building him up. A problematic scenario for Archer.

What did LB know? What didn't he know? Was he aware of the Celeste's and Scarman's interaction that led to the beginning of... Well, that was beside the point. Archer would find the answer once he crossed paths with Scarman.

"Thankyou for your time, LB, and your assistance. I am in your debt," Archer stood, and looked around the room to the others present.

If no one else had anything to add he would wait outside for further instructions on what to do.