Tale Weaver's Vampire: The Masquerade Game Board

[ladyphoenix]

Koln nods and lays down on the floor between the beds and sighs, staring up at the ceiling. "This will be fine for me... you two can have the beds. Besides, I doubt I will be doing much sleeping anyway..." Koln is familiar with the different strands of vampires and thinks he knows what he's in for... he is terrified to close his eyes... also he must keep awake. He considers himself their guardian. They are both innocent, especially Clover... no doubt the Vatican or other vampires, may be after them...
He turns to Ruby, "Tell me... do you miss Amish life...? I miss my life as a schoolboy in France... God seemed everywhere when I was youn and innocent... the world made so much more sense then."

Ruby contemplates this question from Koln about the Amish life. She smiled and looked at the ceiling a little. "Yes, I do miss it. Everything is very simple. We made our own toys when we were little, did chores with a certain pride and joy to be in service the Lord and our families. Oh do I miss my family." She looked straight ahead at him again. "I also enjoyed just being outside, looking at God's creations... the night sky, the fields... But after Rumspringa, something awoken in me.. I wanted to be near society as well, to know more about this world, good, bad, or indifferent.." she smirked a little. "Perhaps its my yearning to develop myself as an adult, to kno I have a choice in life.."

After Clover asked about the nightgown changing, she smiled again. "Thank you Clover, I greatly appreciate that, its beautiful..She looked at the blinds too. "Yes thats a good idea. She bid Koln goodnight after he left and prepared to sleep herself.

(phew.. all caught up)

 

[Tale_Weaver]

Ruby contemplates this question from Koln about the Amish life. She smiled and looked at the ceiling a little. "Yes, I do miss it. Everything is very simple. We made our own toys when we were little, did chores with a certain pride and joy to be in service the Lord and our families. Oh do I miss my family." She looked straight ahead at him again. "I also enjoyed just being outside, looking at God's creations... the night sky, the fields... But after Rumspringa, something awoken in me.. I wanted to be near society as well, to know more about this world, good, bad, or indifferent.." she smirked a little. "Perhaps its my yearning to develop myself as an adult, to kno I have a choice in life.."

After Clover asked about the nightgown changing, she smiled again. "Thank you Clover, I greatly appreciate that, its beautiful..She looked at the blinds too. "Yes thats a good idea. She bid Koln goodnight after he left and prepared to sleep herself.

(phew.. all caught up)

So I take it everyone is going to sleep. If you decide you don't want to you have to make a Will save with the DC being 20+2 for every hour past daylight. Vampires find it near impossible to stay up during the day.

 

[izillama]

Clover yawned and snapped off the lights, being careful not to step on Koln as she tiptoed across the room and hopped into bed.
The room was unusually dark this evening, and Clover found herself a bit unsettled.
In New York City, there were always lights and sounds. It was very exciting. But here in Denver, at the University, Clover had felt a deep dread every night going to sleep. She actually wasn't too fond of the dark. Mindy, being from Houston, had the same problem. Both of them normally slept with the shades open.
But now, Clover found that she felt trapped by the dark. She lay in bed and felt it press down on her. Even her newly keen sense of sight didn't seem of much use here. No matter how long she stared at the ceiling, she couldn't seem to see anything.
The air in the room didn't help, either. With Ruby over on Mindy's bed and Koln on the floor, Clover could tell that all three of them were trying to rest, but their minds were still working. They were all thinking about the mess they were in. 'Well, Koln and I see it as a mess. It seems like Ruby's made her peace.'
She smiled, thinking about her new friends. They were the first kind souls to have acknowledged her since she got to college. They didn't see her as the brainiac, diligently studying until all hours of the night. They just saw her for her.
Clover rolled over to face the wall. It was the only noise in the room, and she was concious of making any noise thereafter. Were Ruby and Koln asleep? She barely heard anything from them. They were so quiet! They slept like... the dead.
Clover felt a pit rise in her throat. Dead.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She still was having a hard time believing it! It seemed like it was all some sort of horrible nightmare. Soon enough, she'll wake up!
But instead of waking, she fell into a slumber. Drawing up the covers for warmth, yet seeming unable to attain such a blissful feeling, Clover shut her eyes and let sleep wash over her...

 

[Tale_Weaver]

University Of Denver

Clover yawned and snapped off the lights, being careful not to step on Koln as she tiptoed across the room and hopped into bed.
The room was unusually dark this evening, and Clover found herself a bit unsettled.
In New York City, there were always lights and sounds. It was very exciting. But here in Denver, at the University, Clover had felt a deep dread every night going to sleep. She actually wasn't too fond of the dark. Mindy, being from Houston, had the same problem. Both of them normally slept with the shades open.
But now, Clover found that she felt trapped by the dark. She lay in bed and felt it press down on her. Even her newly keen sense of sight didn't seem of much use here. No matter how long she stared at the ceiling, she couldn't seem to see anything.
The air in the room didn't help, either. With Ruby over on Mindy's bed and Koln on the floor, Clover could tell that all three of them were trying to rest, but their minds were still working. They were all thinking about the mess they were in. 'Well, Koln and I see it as a mess. It seems like Ruby's made her peace.'
She smiled, thinking about her new friends. They were the first kind souls to have acknowledged her since she got to college. They didn't see her as the brainiac, diligently studying until all hours of the night. They just saw her for her.
Clover rolled over to face the wall. It was the only noise in the room, and she was concious of making any noise thereafter. Were Ruby and Koln asleep? She barely heard anything from them. They were so quiet! They slept like... the dead.
Clover felt a pit rise in her throat. Dead.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She still was having a hard time believing it! It seemed like it was all some sort of horrible nightmare. Soon enough, she'll wake up!
But instead of waking, she fell into a slumber. Drawing up the covers for warmth, yet seeming unable to attain such a blissful feeling, Clover shut her eyes and let sleep wash over her...

You pull the covers up for warmth and find none. It's as if your body is made of stone. You feel comfortable though, and the fact that you are sleeping in your own bed again is reassuring enough to allow you to slip into a deep sleep.

 

[Strider_Koln]

He stands in a damp, dark hall, his shackled hands shuddering in fear on the wooden table in front of him. Around him are people he used to call friend, all good churchgoing men and women, now staring at him accusingly...

"Coln le Clergue, Vous avez été accusés du crime d'hérésie. Vous faites face à la mort par l'exécution d'incendie. Faites votre paix avec Dieu."
At those words, he nods, and slowly stands. The pursuivant grabs him by the arm, quietly mocking him about facing the Inferno for his sins. Just as the baliff opens the heavy chamber door with a loud slow creak they are told to halt by the Bishop, a favorite of the King. He turns, facing the rotund, elaborately dressed, pasty-complexioned church official as he is ordered: "Nous avons une utilisation pour vous. Vous êtes essayés à beaucoup de groupes "unwanted". Vous devez les infiltrer et leur apporter à l'Église." The rest of what is said is garbled and backward... he knows his duty, his soul and the soul of his descendents depends on it.... he will not fail.

What a relief escaping execution and damnation he thinks as he stands with his flock on a hillside, looking up at the sky with a heavy staff in hand which he uses to gently guide the braying mass. Guiding the sheep is natural, he is a priest afterall... yeah...
He sighs, the cold night air not forming the expected mist in front of him, as he looks out over the village... all of their lives, and their descendents lives and souls are his to take care of, he is their guard. As God Wills he will...he...
"Agh... what is this pain in my chest?!" He thinks as he slumps over suddenly, clutching, even clawing at his chest, ripping open his priestly tabard and rakes, as if trying to cut himself open... there's something inside him. It is too late, things become dark, he gets weak and drops down his knees, supported only by his staff... which has now become a pitchfork... then things become red... in front of him is a mass of bloodied and torn sheep, his pitchfork in the skull of his latest victim. He is feeding on their lifeblood, drinking and licking as it falls on the grass before it can seep through the soil. As he does his sharp ears hear footsteps,with pitchfork in hand he turns and sees an innocent village girl... almost appears Amish... seems very familiar... with a basket of clovers... He doesn't care, immediately he is upon her, she screams, calling him the Devil, but he persists, his fangs slowly sinking in...

With a gasp Koln sits up... panting hard, in a cold sweat, and eyes wet with tears... indeed he feels the need to sob, but he can't let them see... He slowly stands, looking around, and feels relieved that both Ruby and Clover appear peacefully asleep. Their pets, the rabbit and two rats, are also quietly asleep in the cage... although there are some scratch marks on the bars... indeed he has to have a word or two with Socrates about that... The clock radio reads: 7:06am... the sun is out, but fortunately all of the students still seem asleep in their dorms... He looks over his shoulder, feeling releaved that the blinds appear to be doing an adequate job of keeping out the new sun.
He takes Clover's ID card so he could re-enter her room.

He weakly enters the bathroom across the hallway, grumbling and pulling the door shut. He faces the mirror, and turns on the low intensity light, and gasps at what he sees. His eyes are wet with tears, but the corners of his mouth have small crimson streams of...blood? Yes, it is blood... and not his own... who did he bite?! He sobs more, looking down in the sink. He looks up in the mirror, seeing his reflection again, but this time his reflection does not have blood on his face.. nor tears... did he imagine it? Then his reflection, letting out a growl, reaches out and roughly grabs his throat, choking him, as his other hand produces a large stake...

Once again, Koln sits up on the floor... Clover, Ruby, and the pets quietly asleep, the clock radio reading 7:06am... a dream, that is all that was... he turns to his side, and grumbles, feeling something poking his leg. He reaches in his pants pocket, and takes out Clover's ID card... odd he thinks, but shrugs and reaches up, placing it on a nearby chair. His neck is also sore... and the corner of his mouth feel wet... but he just sighs, afraid to check for fear of finding scratches and blood... He rolls over onto his stomach and shuts his eyes, praying under his breath for good dreams.

 

[izillama]

"Angelica! Angelica! Hurry! You have to see this!"
Clover stood up from her seat in the library and stretched slightly, "Nn? What time is it?" She felt like she had been in the library pouring over her notes for hours. She had completely lost track of time.
Sarah, her best friend at St. Maria Catholic High School for Girls (a brilliant brunette who commuted in from Brooklyn every morning) began pulling at her arm, "It's 8:30 in the morning. Were you really here all night?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Clover still felt so tired. Like she was asleep.
Sarah dragged her through the hallways, "Angelica! They posted the results of the SAT! Hurry!"
Clover felt her stomach begin to flutter. She had studied for that test for most of the year. Night after night, staying home and having to brush off her friends. She had devoted her life to that score!
"Angelica! It's so exciting. Oh, wait until you see!" Sarah could barely contain herself as she dragged Clover around a curve in the hall.
They came to an abrupt halt.
"Father...?"
A pasty white figure stood before them. They could tell he was a priest, judging by his clothing. But he stared them down with sinister pity. Was he a new priest? Maybe he was a guest?
Slowly, he turned his head and his eyes bored into Clover's soul. His dark hair fell over his eyes, then, and he turned and walked away.
The two girls were speechless for a moment, then, they excitedly continued running.
Up ahead, a crowd of girls were surrounding the results board. Test results such as those for the SAT were never kept secret. The school always posted them, insisting that it instilled a healthy amount of competition between the girls.
Seeing Clover approach, all the girls backed away. They smiled. Some cheered. "Good job, Angelica!" Clover confidently strode forward. She had waited for this all year. This was it!
She looked at the board.
Angelica M. Edwards -- Cumulative Score- 1590
1590?
15...90...?!
Clover screamed, startling the girls, "No! How can this have happened! It can't be true! No, it can't! Damnit!"
She reeled, grabbing the first girl she saw and violently punching her. Then, she went on a rampage.
There was chaos.
Destruction.
Blood.
The school bell began to ring.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Beep! Beep! Beep. Beep.
Clover woke with a start. 'What's what...?! Oh...'
She sheepishly reached over and silenced her alarm clock.
It was 7:30AM.
Stretching, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
'What a strange series of dreams? First that vampire thing. Then the SAT thing. What the hell?! I got a 1600 on that damn test!'
Looking over, she saw the figure of her sleeping roommate huddled under the covers. Typical.
Clover shook her head, calling out, "Good morning, Mindy!"
Then, she hopped off her bed without looking.
A pale hand protruded from a bundle of blankets on the floor, and she squeaked as she stepped on it, crushing it.
"Eep! Oh my God, who...? Oh, it's just Koln... Koln!?"
The priest groaned and uncovered his face from the covers. Aside from being in pain, he looked shaken. Had he been... crying?

 

[ladyphoenix]

"Angelica! Angelica! Hurry! You have to see this!"
Clover stood up from her seat in the library and stretched slightly, "Nn? What time is it?" She felt like she had been in the library pouring over her notes for hours. She had completely lost track of time.
Sarah, her best friend at St. Maria Catholic High School for Girls (a brilliant brunette who commuted in from Brooklyn every morning) began pulling at her arm, "It's 8:30 in the morning. Were you really here all night?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Clover still felt so tired. Like she was asleep.
Sarah dragged her through the hallways, "Angelica! They posted the results of the SAT! Hurry!"
Clover felt her stomach begin to flutter. She had studied for that test for most of the year. Night after night, staying home and having to brush off her friends. She had devoted her life to that score!
"Angelica! It's so exciting. Oh, wait until you see!" Sarah could barely contain herself as she dragged Clover around a curve in the hall.
They came to an abrupt halt.
"Father...?"
A pasty white figure stood before them. They could tell he was a priest, judging by his clothing. But he stared them down with sinister pity. Was he a new priest? Maybe he was a guest?
Slowly, he turned his head and his eyes bored into Clover's soul. His dark hair fell over his eyes, then, and he turned and walked away.
The two girls were speechless for a moment, then, they excitedly continued running.
Up ahead, a crowd of girls were surrounding the results board. Test results such as those for the SAT were never kept secret. The school always posted them, insisting that it instilled a healthy amount of competition between the girls.
Seeing Clover approach, all the girls backed away. They smiled. Some cheered. "Good job, Angelica!" Clover confidently strode forward. She had waited for this all year. This was it!
She looked at the board.
Angelica M. Edwards -- Cumulative Score- 1590
1590?
15...90...?!
Clover screamed, startling the girls, "No! How can this have happened! It can't be true! No, it can't! Damnit!"
She reeled, grabbing the first girl she saw and violently punching her. Then, she went on a rampage.
There was chaos.
Destruction.
Blood.
The school bell began to ring.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Beep! Beep! Beep. Beep.
Clover woke with a start. 'What's what...?! Oh...'
She sheepishly reached over and silenced her alarm clock.
It was 7:30AM.
Stretching, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
'What a strange series of dreams? First that vampire thing. Then the SAT thing. What the hell?! I got a 1600 on that damn test!'
Looking over, she saw the figure of her sleeping roommate huddled under the covers. Typical.
Clover shook her head, calling out, "Good morning, Mindy!"
Then, she hopped off her bed without looking.
A pale hand protruded from a bundle of blankets on the floor, and she squeaked as she stepped on it, crushing it.
"Eep! Oh my God, who...? Oh, it's just Koln... Koln!?"
The priest groaned and uncovered his face from the covers. Aside from being in pain, he looked shaken. Had he been... crying?

Ruby laid her head on the soft pillow and tried to clear her mind as she fell asleep.
Her dream began with her walking through the meadows of her village. It was just about dusk and the sky was crystal clear. She could not see a thing and tried to navigate her way back to her farm. All of a sudden she was presented with two paths. One path was a vision of a cityscape. Tall skyscrapers and many lights ahead. She heard a sharp voice call out to her from that vision "Ruby! join me..." Her eyes widened. "Joy?! come back! Don't leave me again.."

Another image appeared to her right. A quiet green forest that stretched for miles. Another voice called out, she could not tell whose it belonged to. "Join us and be at peace child..." Ruby tried to run toward the cityscape to the voice she knew so well, but she was violently pulled by the forest image. "No! Stop it!" she wailed but to no avail, she was pulled to the forest.

The forest was very quiet with an exception of birds, specifically songbirds, ravens and crows. Noone was in sight, she felt emptiness again. Then she saw two shadowy figures that looked like Clover and Koln. "Wait!" Ruby called out to them. Their faces are now visible and they looked at her in disgust and ran away. She chased after them in vain, tears streaming down her face. "Please come back!"

As she ran she noticed her rate of speed increased dramatically, even though she still could not catch up. She then noticed that her hands grew bigger and claws were forming, no... TALONS! She halted in a panic and looked at them. Her vision turned bright blood red as well, she could see every leaf forming on the trees above and the pupils of the crows. "Whats happening to me?!" Ruby cried out as she collapsed to the ground. A cloudy vision of herself appeared in a misty beast-like form. Her ears pointed, she had long claws, serrated sharp teeth along with her fangs, and more pronounced slits in her green eyes. She bellowed a low howl in despair at her own reflection.

She finally woke up at 8:00 in a loud gasp. She looked around the room frantically and then saw that everyone else was awake. She looked at her own hands.. somewhat clean fingernails, but nevertheless not claws. She hugged at her knees and sat upright in bed. "..goodmorning everyone.."

 

[Tale_Weaver]

University Of Denver

Once again, Koln sits up on the floor... Clover, Ruby, and the pets quietly asleep, the clock radio reading 7:06am... a dream, that is all that was... he turns to his side, and grumbles, feeling something poking his leg. He reaches in his pants pocket, and takes out Clover's ID card... odd he thinks, but shrugs and reaches up, placing it on a nearby chair. His neck is also sore... and the corner of his mouth feel wet... but he just sighs, afraid to check for fear of finding scratches and blood... He rolls over onto his stomach and shuts his eyes, praying under his breath for good dreams.

You awake moments later still in Clover's dorm room. You look around the room and see Ruby asleep in the bed and the animals asleep in the cage. Suddenly you hear a noise, like a scratching coming from under the covers. You go over to the bed and lift up the covers only to find Socrates burrowing up from the mattress. He looks up at you inquisitively and says "Danger".

The door to the dorm room creeks open letting some light from the hallway spill in. You find yourself walking towards the light like you are being carried, your feet even start to leave the ground and you are being pulled into the light. "Am I being saved?" you think to yourself. But instead of finding yourself at the Pearly Gates you find yourself in front of the 24th Diocese. It looks more like a church than you remembered with large wooden doors that swing open as if to welcome you in. When you step inside there is no music, no people dancing, or bartenders serving drinks. There's just an empty room with a dance floor. A spotlight flicks on revealing a girl standing on a chair with a noose around her neck that is tied to one of the ceiling rafters. You're suddenly next to the girl and you notice that the girl is Clover. She has a blank look on her face as she steps off the chair, it's a wonder she doesn't snap her neck but instead hangs in the air choking, her eyes start to buldge and her face turns blue. You quickly cut her down and she hits the ground gasping for air.

You notice there is a man watching you as you stand over Clover, a tall man with his hair slicked back. "She's an animal" he says to you. You look down and Clover has become a wolf. The wolf runs off through the wall leaving a rippling effect and a black void.

You don't know why but you feel compelled to follow the wolf and so you do. You find yourself in black void of nothingness. You hear faint voices and someone tugging at you. You are pulled out of the void by a really large man who holds you up above his head. You see that you are in another night club only this time there are people. The large man throws you across the room landing you in front of the door to an office. The door opens and a man in a suit comes out ranting and raving about the civil war. He kicks you in the face and all goes black, when your vision comes back to you you are on the street and you can hear the sound of a car coming around the corner. You try to get up but can't, and the car sounds like it is accelerating. Suddenly the headlights are upon you and the car is coming straight for you! Right before the car hits you you see a vanity license plate that says "SCIENCE" on it.

You are splattered all over the road and all you can think about is jello. Your body parts start to twitch and it feels like someone is putting you back together forming your body again. As the last piece falls into place becoming your eyes you see a seductive woman with pigtails smoking a cigarette. She laughs at the sight of you and says "Welcome to madness!" Everything goes to static almost like a radio station that isn't quite coming in clear. You hear voices coming from all over and saying so many different things at once that you can't make anything out. Suddenly you feel a sharp pain as if someone is stepping on your hand.

 

[Tale_Weaver]

University Of Denver

You guys can all roleplay what happens before this event if you want. Everyone take 1 blood point away for waking up, Koln takes 2 and is healed of all stat damage.

You feel extremely tired and realize that it is now 8am. The animals are awake in their cage and going about their daily business.

You hear a knock on the door and a man's voice. "Excuse me. Is anybody there?"

Koln

Your wounds are healed including the torn muscle. However, you are hungering for blood. Socrates says to you "Run and hide Mr. Priest!" When you look over at him he is up against the bars.

 

[Strider_Koln]

Out of instinct he tightly grabs Clover's ankle after she steps on his hand, and he looks up. "Oh... Clover... I thought.. heh, nevermind, it was a rough night for me..." Koln rubs his face with the back of his hand, looking down at it and noticing that it is wet with tears and blood... "Was I crying... and did I indeed hurt someone.... who was that pigtailed girl in my dream?" he thinks.

He sits up, grumbling. "Clover, remember that we cannot go outside yet, it's morning, we go out there, we die, we need to hole up here for the rest of the day." He groans, standing and stretching, gently patting Ruby on the back. "You look like your night was just as terrible as mine... same for you Clover... hopefully the dreams will get better as we adapt... I have to warn both of you though, I am sorry if from here on out I do anything... insane... I'm not certain, but I think I was infected with a certain kind of vampirism that weighs on my sanity... Honestly it sucks, I'd rather be a vampire that can turn into animals or something cool like that, but no, my super ability will be doing the same action repeatedly while expecting different results."

I am also hungry... it's too bright out to hunt...

He hears the knock on the door, heeding Socrates' warning, he immediately briskly steps into Clover's closet, shutting the door...

It is so dark in here... "I just might stay here..."