[VtR][Mature] Born into Darkness: Arc 1

[Festy_Dog]

Turning to Archer and Beth
Your sire's are both Mekhet, so both of you are as well. Your power is Auspex, which is the antonym of Obfuscate, you can improve your senses, and eventually see the unseen, like those women on late night TV, only for real. You also know Obfuscate and Celerity, which is speed.

Auspex is hard to learn. I know a bit, since your sire's are gone I can try to teach you, but it's a real bear to get your blood around. He looks at Archer and Beth for a minute Either of you seen anything weird? Hearing gets really acute, or seeing in the dark or any of that?

Auspex, as Nice called it, was proving to be an incredibly valuable... discipline. Yes, discipline, that was it. As much as Archer liked and respected Nice, the way things were panning out inclined him to keep his cards close to his chest. He couldn't deny having any capability if Auspex was inherent and unique to his whats-it-thing, clan, Mekhet, but he didn't want to make people overly aware of such an excellent form of information gathering.

He nodded, "I've had some of that happen, been wondering what the go was with hows and whys. All this discipline stuff sounds pretty damn good. I kinda feel like a kid in a candy store, because the stuff you describe for my clan all sounds very useful."

As a 'neonate' Archer had the impression that he was on the bottom rung in vampire society. Being at the bottom rung in anything brought with it the assumption that one was weak, perhaps irrelevant. There was truth in this, Archer would never deny it, but he could use it to his advantage. Playing to their expectations of a bottom rung dweller meant he could perhaps have other people underestimate him, his favourite advantage to have. He may not have known much about vampires, but politics were his bread and butter.

"A little," she says. She hoped her voice wasn't quivering. She glanced at Archer, to whom Nice was also speaking. He probably caught it. "The shadows are a little clearer, and the fire alarm was really loud."

Archer appeared to notice something was troubling Beth, but he definitely wasn't savvy to what it was. There was some curiosity and concern in his face, but he made no mention of it beyond his expression.

"Yeah, that fire alarm was like a kick in the head," he agreed in his unique accent, and rubbed his ears in remembrance of the sensation.

Nice looks at Beth, blotting a little bit of blood from her eyes.
That's good. You and Archer are the only Mekhet left in the city right now, so getting the higher levels may be tricky. But a few folks know the first level. We'll work on it.

Archer's attention was again briefly on Beth. There was only the two of them then. He was the kind of guy who was obligated to look out for his own, and made a mental note help her out in future. Birds of a feather and all that nonsense.

"And when i said "inner circle", i meant those with whom im intrusting the truth about how i believe i bacame a vampire."

Archer's eyebrows rose, but he remained silent. The vampire hunter was trusting a group of vampires. Although admittedly, strange times called for strange measures. What can someone do when they're turned into something they've always despised? Archer didn't trust him, but he could empathise Biggs' situation and was willing to keep the information to himself, for now. He couldn't speak for everyone else in the room though.

 

[Bloodweaver1]

Cole Braddock

Interesting, a diverse group such as this has great potential. Lets just hope that they don’t go running off and getting everyone into trouble.

Cole finds himself a comfortable chair, sits down and patiently waits for the all clear. Normally he would be in groused in numerous conversations with his fellow neonates, however for right now, he simply was not in the mood.

 

[Graf]

Nice frowns. Ick can be-what? Running through your head?

Nice leans back in his chair.
i've never heard it before.

This all sounds like Dominate, honestly. Forgetting things. Remembering weird stuff. Usually it's used to make mortals follow instructions and forget weird stuff.

He looks over at Cole You good enough to do memories?

 

[Bloodweaver1]

Cole Braddock

When asked, Cole turns and studies Biggs intently. His gaze is not of callous or demeaning, its more of fascination, like a child seeing a tiger for the first time. After a few long seconds of silence pass Cole finally moves up out of his chair and says, “There is something. Though it will require more effort on your part to find your real memories than it will on me trying to dig them out. Do you wish to try?” He looks at Biggs intently.

OOC: I will presume that he will say yes and post this as a follow on:

“Then sit over here and describe your last day of begin ‘alive’.” Motions Cole to an empty chair.

“We will focus our efforts there then. It is important for you to relax and not to resist my will. That will only make this harder and no, this will not hurt.” Says Cole with a trusting smile as he makes eye contact and stares deeply into Biggs eyes. “Now, again, tell me exactly how your last day of being a human went.”


OOC: Dominate ** . What I am thinking is a type of hypnotism. Maybe if Biggs is an alternate state of mind and forced to tell the truth, he can dredge up some kind of alternate/real memory that he did not have before. Just reaching outside of the box here.

 

[WarShrike]

"Yeah i'm willing." says Biggs, adding sarcasticly: "I'd hate to think i've been cursed by God."

[SBLOCK=Biggs's remembered memories]
"I'd spent the day sleeping, as usual. I'm primarily active at night. No use hunting down vampires in broad daylight. Went to meet a new contact, September 22nd. He put me on the trail of William Jefferson, a ghoul, a "fetch and carry errand boy" as he'd put it. Funny now that i think about it that he'd known the where and when to find him. Anyway, i go to the place, a rundown mall, and slip in the back. Security guard is snoring in front of a TV set. I can hear chanting of some sort. I head towards it and im in a steamy room. WJ is there, with his back to me, howling like a madman. He's got a knife, covered in blood, and at his feet is Beth, on her knees, and she looks like she's dazed or in a trance. She's not reacting to this guy. She's got a cut on the side of her face, and there are glowing symbols on the floor around her and the ghoul. I get the drop on him, cuz he doesn't realize i'm there. I cut into his back and he screams, and drops into the thick foggy smoke. I loose sight of him, then feel the knife entering my thigh. He gets up, and we fight some more. He get's in annother lucky shot, and Beth finally comes out of her trance and she upturns a brazier on him and runs out the exit. We get ready to go at it again and we hear the sirens. He says something to me and for a second i can't move. Then he's gone, and i slip away. Not intrested in talking to the cops about this. I limp home and try to tend to my wounds, and find they're not bleeding. Try to drink a beer, but it's awful, and i can't swallow it. There's a knock at the door. It's a vampire, i know it is, it's the only thing that makes sense. I'm not in the mood for a fight, and i want answers, so i let it in. That was Blackie, and it turned into a fight after all, one that i lost. Woke up in a box all chained up, sometime afterwards. Those are my last mortal memories."
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Graf]

[sblock=Cole]Cole focuses. He'd talked with the Scot about Forgetful Mind before, and he could hear the man's thick accent in his ear.

"You're still a whelp; dunno how a man's mind works. You think dominate's stops at giving instructions. Here's the real truth: when you dominate someone, you are that someone. You make their will you're will. Playing with memories isn easy, but it's the first step in leaving your own body to crawl innna their's.
[/sblock]

...Those are my last mortal memories.

As Biggs finishes his story, Cole's eyes flare a bright red. "AGAIN!" he demands.

[sblock=Biggs]Cole's eyes bore into yours. For some reason you think of the dentists office. The unpleasant sensation, the nausea.
You're back in the mall, you watch things blow past, remember the battle in the foggy smoke. Then it's over, you haven't won, but you didn't lose either.
You're running out of the mall. You don't want to deal with cops now.

There's a humming sound. Like static, things start to get hazy.
Suddenly everything pixelated and choppy like that crappy Sci-Fi horror movie about computers coming to life.

You grit your teeth, try to keep the picture into focus.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Cole]You feel something, a vague itch.

The Scot's voice is back, you're at his island retreat, off the coast of malta. An old Italian ghoul has just returned from an unsuccessful mission.
"No man can change my ghoul's mind. I'll feel it the second I look inna his eyes. It's like they got burs unna their skin. I can dig em out though!"
The Scot makes a clawing gesture with his figures and turns back toward the ghoul.
[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]Normally this would be impossible, but for a variety of reasons, including general coolness, I'll allow one attempt. Both Biggs and Cole spend a Willpower. Bigg's LOWERS his resistence (instead of adding to it). Cole's gives him the ability to use the discipline at -5.

Forgetful Mind pool (7dice) - (2-2) +2 (special factor) - 5 (doesn't know the discipline) 4d = one success.

[sblock=Ironically]Cole's Forgetful Mind Pool is much larger than his Mesmerize pool.[/sblock][/sblock]

In the chair Biggs eyes are unfocused. Abruptly he stands up, like a zombie. He makes little marching motions, stamping his feet in place like he's miming walking.
[sblock=Biggs]You've slipped under the walkway and your following your planned exit route. When the City was built the founders imagined a modern Venice in the American west, building canals all over the metropolis.
In the years since they were turned into sewers, the smell is terrible.

You're passing under the second bridge, after the stair, when you hear a scuttling sound above you. something's on the underside of the bridge... you have time to think before you hear a staticy voice

Iktan Belova, it chants[/sblock]

Biggs stops his little walking movements and he looks upward.

[sblock=Biggs]It's on top of you, fast. Hauling you down, you can feel a stabbing pain in your neck. It's got you on the ground, claws digging into your shoulder, you feel your limbs weakening.[/sblock]

Biggs suddenly throws himself backward, arms back like he's trying to grab onto something on his back. The chair clattering off and away.
He thrashes on the ground wrestling with something only he can see.

[sblock=Biggs]There's more going on, but the pixelation becomes overwhelming. You can't make out anything, can't see anything.

<<the record skips>>

You're coming into your hole-in-the-wall motel room; everything is spinning.[/sblock]

Abruptly Biggs stops thrashing on the floor.

Nice, on his feet now, looks more than a little bit uncomfortable "That's... new.

You do know forgetful mind right?"

 

[WarShrike]

Biggs, eyes closed and breathing rapidly, says: "I guess i was embraced after all. I was on my way home, through the sewers, and i hear something moving as im passing under a bridge. It was moving along the underside like a spider. It said those words, Iktan Belova, and dropped on me. I can still feel the fangs in my throat, it's claws buried in my shoulders. The claws hurt the most. From there, all i remember is my appartment. If you don't mind, i'm just gonna lie here for a while and absorb this."

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Diego stares at the men, a confused look splayed across his face. Instead of asking the questions probably everyone had running through their minds, he simply pulled out a knife that was hidden behind his sleeve and picks at his fingernails.

 

[Bloodweaver1]

Cole Braddock

"Climbing on walls and burning claws." Says Cole as moves back to his chair again. "Well Mr. Biggs I am no expert but it seems like your Sire had some Protean in it. Would you agree Mr. Nice? "

 

[Graf]

Mount Elizabeth Hospital
Nice rubs his skull, "Protean... just wonderful," his tone is not that of a man who is particularly pleased.

He glances up at Archer, lurking by the doorway. "Things quiet?"
[sblock=OOC]Presuming Archer says things are just to speed stuff up.[/sblock]

OK. Same drill as last time. Stay quiet and make sure you stay within eyesight of me at all times.

Nice picks up the body, disappearing it in the same fashion as before, and then, after a second moment of concentration, leads the group out of the private laboratory and retraces his steps to the car.

Along the way the hospital remains largely unchanged. The group passes a few cops making handicapped jokes in the lift lobby on their way out to the car.

The Nosferatu efficiently, if somewhat carelessly, manhandles the wrapped body into the car before driving off into the night.

[sblock=Nice's driving is just as horrendous on the way back]'nuff said.[/sblock]

The sky seems to be lightening a bit as the car makes it's bone jarring ascent up the hill.

Blackcoat's Mansion
In front of the house the driver sits on a flat stone slowly twirling a stick in front of him and stamping mechanically at an invisible break petal. He greets the group with a morose look as they pile out of the vehicle.

Nice leads the group up into the house and then to the right and down into a poorly constructed cellar. The entire area, from the stairway down, seems to be made from (poorly) poured concrete, giving it a modern-cave look.
Embedded in one wall in the basement is a large bank safe door, inside you can see cells.

The bars are haphazardly embedded directly in the concrete, forming nine cells. There is enough space for one person to lie on the ground in each one.

Nice gestures toward the cells.
It's not comfortable but you'll get used to it. You won't be able to get to anyone, and nobody will get to you.