Tale Weaver's Vampire: The Masquerade Game Board

[Tale_Weaver]

Clover quirks her eyebrow at Socrates wryly.
'Of course it has to be the men's room. Can't do anything easy, after all, with our group consisting of only one man.'
She sighed, deciding to bluff.
She smiled and pointed to the restrooms, "Father Koln? Ruby? The restrooms are down that way. The two of you should hurry up, if we want to make the next bus." She hoped that they got the hint to act like they needed to use the restroom. Perhaps they could both sneak into the men's room while Sue wasn't looking?
Then, part two of her plan: Mission distract Sue!
She walked up to Sue's desk, which was out of eye shot of the restrooms and hoped that Koln and Ruby would take the hint. Sweetly, she tried to make small talk with the dispatcher, "Ma'am? Thank you very much for allowing us to pray for little Suzie. Father Koln believes that the Lord is with her, and we all hope that she will be returned safely. Have the police gotten any leads as to where she might have gone?"

1d20+5 → [11,5] = (16)
Bluffing. 'Pay attention to me, Sue!'

It appears that Sue didn't notice the rat come out of the room. She walks over to her desk and Clover engages in conversation with her. "Your welcome, I hope we find her well. I'm afraid we don't have any clues that tell us where she might have gone. We have officers scanning the building looking to see if maybe she's hiding somewhere. This building is actually rather large, there's a basement and of course the jail area. I sure hope she didn't find her way down there."

 

[izillama]

It appears that Sue didn't notice the rat come out of the room. She walks over to her desk and Clover engages in conversation with her. "Your welcome, I hope we find her well. I'm afraid we don't have any clues that tell us where she might have gone. We have officers scanning the building looking to see if maybe she's hiding somewhere. This building is actually rather large, there's a basement and of course the jail area. I sure hope she didn't find her way down there."

Clover's eyes were wide and innocent as she continued to command Sue's attention, "I can only imagine how frightened she must be, ma'am. Were I a child who had just lost her mother, I'm sure that I would be equally perturbed to find herself in a police station with a host of strange people surrounding me..."
She continued to chatter, all the while taking mental notes, 'A basement and a jail. If this child has any sort of brains she would stay away from the prisoners! But if the man who took her has any sort of brains, the basement would probably be the easiest way to escape. I wonder if Koln and Ruby have found anything in the men's bathroom?'

 

[ladyphoenix]

Clover's eyes were wide and innocent as she continued to command Sue's attention, "I can only imagine how frightened she must be, ma'am. Were I a child who had just lost her mother, I'm sure that I would be equally perturbed to find herself in a police station with a host of strange people surrounding me..."
She continued to chatter, all the while taking mental notes, 'A basement and a jail. If this child has any sort of brains she would stay away from the prisoners! But if the man who took her has any sort of brains, the basement would probably be the easiest way to escape. I wonder if Koln and Ruby have found anything in the men's bathroom?'

Meanwhile Ruby tried to nudge Koln with her as she followed Socrates into the men's bathroom despite her moral reluctance. She hoped that noone was inside. "You better go in first" she told Koln as she stayed behind him just in case another man was inside.
1d20+2 → [14,2] = (16) Search check to find Socrates or any clues
Roll Lookup

 

[Strider_Koln]

Meanwhile Ruby tried to nudge Koln with her as she followed Socrates into the men's bathroom despite her moral reluctance. She hoped that noone was inside. "You better go in first" she told Koln as she stayed behind him just in case another man was inside.
1d20+2 → [14,2] = (16) Search check to find Socrates or any clues
Roll Lookup

Koln nods, entering the bathroom... only to find himself standing in the middle of a thick forest, the sun's setting sunlight piercing through the leaves, but Koln keeps to the shadows, somehow with suprising ease... In the distance he can hear the braying of sheep, which means he must be near people. He comes to a heavy wooded clearing, roudning a tree a sobbing woman, dressed in clothing typical of a lesser noblewoman of the Middle Ages, furiously grabs his arm, digging her nails into his sleeve. She takes off her hood, letting her red hair drift free in the wind along with her tears which stream down from her soft hazel eyes. She struggles to find the words, soon managing to choke out while beating her fists on his chest:

" Oh... Pierre, Pierre, comment pourriez-vous tourner nous tous dans ? Ils m'ont trouvé coupable, volé tous mes charmes ... parti sont nos vieilles voies... Vous avez dit que vous m'avez aimé... Souvenez-vous, votre chère Beatrice .. ? Souvenir... Vous brûlerez dans l'Enfer pour ce jour!"

Koln just stands there, amazed... does she think he is... Has he gone back in time? Where is he... At that instant he faintly hears a squeak, then it gets louder, awaking him, his eyes somehow feeling as if they had opened, when he was clearly awake. Instead of scenic 14th century wooded Montaillou France, he is now standing in the middle of a rather untidy modern men's room. Still, he smiles to himself that reality has once again came to the rescue, snatching him again from the jaws of another nightmare. He then shudders, wondering what would happen if he drifts off again, but never returns...
Remembering the squeaking, he looks around for Socrates, but does not immediately see him. In a panic for his friend, he uses his ability of heightened sences to search for his rodent companion and other clues.

1d20+2 → [17,2] = (19)
Roll Lookup

However I'm not exactly sure if my total here is 19 or 27, since according to that disciplines guide, being Malkavian I get +8 to Search checks, so I'd add 8 to 19?


Btw, due to the request of certain fellow players, here's the translation of the French in this post: "Oh... Pierre, Pierre, how could you turn us all in? They found me guilty, stolen all my charms... gone is our old ways... You said you loved me... Remember, your dear Beatrice..? Remember... You will burn in Hell for this day!"

 

[izillama]

Merci, monsieur!

Clover had, by this point, been chattering on for about five idle minutes.
'Damnit! Ruby? Koln? Where are you? Any longer and even Sue won't believe that you simply went to the restroom!'
She could tell that Sue was getting a bit tired of her idle banter. But Clover found a little strange not saying anything. Looking around, trying to think of another topic, she suddenly came up with an idea for a distraction.
'Aw, why the heck not?'
"Do you like magic?"
"I'm sorry?"
Clover smiled and removed a quarter from her pocket, holding it face up in her right palm, "Magic tricks. Here, watch..."
She shut her palm and held both hands out to Sue, "Which hand is it in?"
Sue smiled, as though she thought Clover was a simpleton, "That one." She pointed to the right.
Clover opened her right hand. The quarter was gone.
She heard Sue gasp.
'Idiot.'
"That one?" Sue pointed to her left hand.
Clover smiled and unfurled her left hand, which was also empty.
Sue clapped and smiled, "That's amazing!"
Clover grinned, then shut her hands again. For dramatic effect, she blew into the fist of her right hand, then opened it: revealing two dimes and a nickel.
Clover gasped, as though surprised, "Oops! How did those get in there?"
She shut her hand again, blew, and opened it. They were gone.
Sue was mesmerized. Her eyes were wide as saucers.
Then, Clover opened both hands (empty) and shook them out, "Hm... now where did that quarter go? Ah!" Then, she reached across the desk and behind Sue's ear, "finding" it.
In that split second--of extracting the quarter and showing it to the amazed woman--Clover found herself leaning in towards Sue and a few things happened that frightened her and made her want to leave all the sooner.
1) The heat vent behind the woman sent the smell of Sue blasting straight at her.
2) This would have been fine, had Clover not suddenly caught the overwhelming rusty scent of blood on Sue. (I'll let you use your imagination)
3) In leaning in towards Sue's ear, Clover found the woman's neck perfectly open for attack.
For just a moment, Clover felt her blood surge. She hadn't, after all, had much to drink earlier at the mall. But all the conditions were just right!
The warm scent of blood.
The perfect placement of her neck.
But at the same time, it was wrong. The situation wasn't perfect.
She heard herself think, 'Not the right type.'
'Where did that come from?'
Then, she faked a smile at Sue and backed away, storing her quarter back in her pocket. Her magic trick had just bought the three of them about five more minutes.
'Koln! Ruby! Hurry back!'

 

[Tale_Weaver]

Remembering the squeaking, he looks around for Socrates, but does not immediately see him. In a panic for his friend, he uses his ability of heightened sences to search for his rodent companion and other clues.

1d20+2 → [17,2] = (19)
Roll Lookup

However I'm not exactly sure if my total here is 19 or 27, since according to that disciplines guide, being Malkavian I get +8 to Search checks, so I'd add 8 to 19?

Yes, you would add 8 making that roll a 27.

The men's bathroom, while not exactly a forest, is quite a mess at best. Rows of rusty stalls enclose toilets as in a narrow room that is about 15 feet in length. Some of the toilets look like they haven't been cleaned since they were installed!

You can hear Socrates scurrying around but you can't see him anywhere.

Koln
[sblock]
With your heightened senses you can hear Socrates' every move and sound. His noises are clearly coming from a grate in the floor that looks like it might barely be able to fit a person through. When you bend down to take a closer look you are greeted with the lovely smell of sewage and are taken aback. You fall on your back and find yourself staring at the ceiling. You can still hear squeaks coming from Socrates and they seem to be beckoning you.
[/sblock]

Ruby
[sblock]
As you cautiously scan the bathroom you are completely enthralled by the mere sight of the waste recepticals in front of you. These are nothing like the outhouses you had to use back at home! And what are those bathtubs doing hanging on the wall like that?
[/sblock]

 

[Strider_Koln]

Covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve he returns to his feet, bending over and lifting off he grate. He then calls to Ruby. "Hey, Ruby, get in here, you gotta see this... cover your nose too..."

 

[izillama]

'Oh, I'm going to murder those two! It's been ten freakin' minutes! Where the devil are they?'
Clover began to worry that the annoyance at her friends' disappearance might be starting to show on her face.
'This woman is going to start getting suspicious any time now! At any rate, how can we do a thorough search with her like this? She probably hears everything.'
Clover pursed her lips, crossing her arms and tapping her toe impatiently. She tried to act sheepish, "Oh, I'm so sorry that this is taking so long. Father Koln's probably just going through the routine blessing of the toilet before... well... you know." She tried to laugh and keep the woman at ease. Clover thought of maybe using another magic trick on her?
But then, she suddenly got another idea...

She knit her brow and hissed to him under her breath, commanding, "Stop! Koln, for two seconds, get a hold of yourself and stand up like a normal person. Stop acting like a loon, finish your prayers, and let's get out of here before they start to suspect us of having to do with Suzie's disappearance! Now, stand."

A light bulb went off in her head. She remembered Koln's reaction to her command. It had been painful to watch, but effective nonetheless. She hesitated. What if this didn't work the way that she was hoping?
'This woman must be getting tired. Even if this doesn't work, I could just lie and say it was a suggestion...'
Drawing up her courage, and concentrating very hard on what she wanted to do, she spoke, "Ma'am, you seem to be getting a little bit tired. It's pretty quiet in here, so why not take a rest? Now, sleep."
'Please work!'

Using "command"

 

[Tale_Weaver]

A light bulb went off in her head. She remembered Koln's reaction to her command. It had been painful to watch, but effective nonetheless. She hesitated. What if this didn't work the way that she was hoping?
'This woman must be getting tired. Even if this doesn't work, I could just lie and say it was a suggestion...'
Drawing up her courage, and concentrating very hard on what she wanted to do, she spoke, "Ma'am, you seem to be getting a little bit tired. It's pretty quiet in here, so why not take a rest? Now, sleep."
'Please work!'

Using "command"

Sue's Will Save (DC 15)
1d20-1 → [12,-1] = (11)

Clover

Sue says "Yes....sleep, I sure do get tired working these late shifts...." The woman slumps over onto the desk leaving you alone in the room. Off in the distance you can hear the noise of what you assume are Koln and Ruby moving around in the bathroom.



Ruby & Koln

The tunnel beneath the grate is much deeper than you first thought. It looks like it drops about 5 feet down and leads to even more tunnels going left and right. You can hear the sound of distant water and Socrates at the bottom of the shaft.

 

[izillama]

Sue says "Yes....sleep, I sure do get tired working these late shifts...." The woman slumps over onto the desk leaving you alone in the room. Off in the distance you can hear the noise of what you assume are Koln and Ruby moving around in the bathroom.

Clover clasped her hand over her mouth in wonder as Sue slumped over and onto her desk, hitting her head with a dull thud, yet remaining asleep.
'No way! Seriously?'
She felt a giddy sense of accomplishment at having knocked the dispatcher out with a single word.
Then, she giggled and stepped forward towards the woman, fighting the urge to *poke poke* her. She slept so peacefully. Her breath was even.
Clover heard herself think, 'Mmm, she wouldn't notice. Just a nibble...'
Then, she stood up rigidly and marched away, slapping herself on the side of her own face, 'What the hell!? Stop thinking that way!'
'Either way, she's not your type!'
'Hm?'
Clover slowed to a walk as she heard her internal voices duke it out.
One, the now-predator.
The other, the ex-prey.
She shook her head, whispering, "Gotta find Koln. Gotta find Ruby. I hope that two have been doing something useful!"
Then, she entered the men's restroom.
Immediately, she recoiled and felt her breath stop in her chest.
'Ew!'
The smell was overwhelming, and she couldn't understand how Koln and Ruby had managed to survive in here for the past ten minutes!
She still didn't breathe.
Clover suddenly realized that she wasn't feeling lightheaded from holding her breath. In fact, she felt fine.
She tested her theory, walking around the restroom for a minute without breathing. It was strange. But she noticed that it didn't seem necessary anymore, 'Well, I guess there's no reason for a walking corpse to breathe.'
Walking corpse.
Clover became more repulsed by the situation every second, and was happy when she found an open grate on the floor to serve as a distraction, 'They must have gone down there. Hell if I'd follow.'
She crossed her arms and waited, hoping that no men came in while Koln and Ruby explored, but fully ready to command them into submission if they did!