Gunther already formally introduced himself. Look on page 7, Sunday, 7:02pm. I'll repost it here for you in case you missed it though.
Standing towards the back of the room behind the rest of the group with his brawny arms folded across his chest, a rather intimidating-looking man listens quietly before taking a couple of steps forward to introduce himself.
"A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Arrigino. My name is Gunther Thesing. I'm a long-time friend of Michael's."
Although Gunther addressed Dr. Arrigino, Lorenzo was also in the room, as well as the Volkov twins and Michael Santo.
He extends his hand in a polite gesture. If his 6'2 stature or massive frame aren't enough to make you feel slightly uneasy, then the scar across his milky-white left eye certainly will.
With short chestnut-brown hair, along with a full mustache and beard to match, Gunther appears gruff and comes off as a take-no-nonsense sort of man, but when he speaks you immediately get the impression he's the strong, silent type.
"I own and run a tavern and inn not far from here, right along the canal, called 'Greetings'... you may have heard of it. Anyway, Mr. Santos and I often do business together. Knowing that the circumstances of this tragic event would eventually affect me, both professionally and personally, he asked me to accompany him. Perhaps I can be of some help?"
Michael Looks towards Lorenze "I am, Michael Santos, I am a business owner who runs the Gondola Service known as Barca del Fiume. I was the former employer of Hans. I brought the body to be examined and with consent of his sister she gave permission to have the body further inspected. thats were you came into play. Along the way I have somehow managed to involved several companions. The Volkovs over there"Points to the twins "they were my fare for the night when the body was recovered from the river.Michael gestures towards Gunther"my friend and business associate Mr. Thesing he has made himself known, and you know the Doctor here."Michael fix his gaze towards Lorenzo"Would you mind telling us a little about youself so we are all acquainted?"
Volkov Twins, Lorenzo Cappelli, Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing:
"I am Sergei Volkov, and this is my sister Katriana. We just arrived in the city yesterday. We have spent the better part of our lives hunting the monster that killed our parents. We have reason to believe that he/she might be in Venice. Finding Hans' body is at least an indication that there is some type of vampiric activity going on. The extent of it, however, we do not know."
I have decide to give you a contcat in the city. His name is Luigi Vespucci. He is the man who taught you Italian and he was a trader on the Silk Road some years ago. You have not seen him since your time in the east but he described his house to you in soem detail so you may be able to find it. Make a Charisma + Carouse roll to attempt to speak with the locals to locate his home.
If you do nothing more, the rest of this day goes on uneventfully. The rest of the group is moving a bit slow so I will ping you when your next day arrives.
Volkov Twins, Lorenzo Cappelli, Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing:
Letting out a small laugh to Michael's question, Lorenzo says, "I suppose that would be in order, would it not? As Dr. Arrigino had told you, I am Dr. Lorenzo Cappelli, what he did not tell you is that I have not actively practiced medicine in nearly five years. I was brought in to provide a second opinion on the death of Hans, as I will still perform the occasional autopsy."
Hearing Sergei's story, he asks, "I must admit, to a certain extent I was playing devil's advocate to Dr. Arrigino's way of thinking a few moments ago. Why is it you believe that a vampire is responsible for the deaths of your family? Do not mistake my intentions, I am a bit more open minded than Dr. Arrigino, but I am still a man of science and am having difficulty believing in such creatures, despite what I have seen personally."
Volkov Twins, Lorenzo Cappelli, Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing:
"Let's just say that the vampire that attacked my parents was not as....discreet as this one was. I will never forget the way they looked. We had to spend the night in the house with them before we could get help the next day"
Volkov Twins, Lorenzo Cappelli, Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing:
:
Gunther remains quiet, struggling with the notion that vampires could actually exist. Was there actually some truth behind all those stories he himself was told as a child? Judging from the way the twins talk about the way they lost their parents, perhaps there is. His body tenses at the thought.
You find someone who has heard of the old trader. You are informed of where he lives but generally he is not home. Do you want to attempt to visit him anyway?
Basically, Gunther doesn't believe such creatures exist, so I'd like Gunther to go with everyone so that he can either disprove all the myths and stories or find some truths to the existence of vampires.
The time is 3:45 PM, the dinner guest is arriving at 6:15, its about an hour across town. If Dr. Cappelli brings you in that direction should be able to make it back easily.
Gunther Thesing, Michael Santo, the Volkov Twins and Lorenzo Cappelli:
"I can take you to the warehouse in question, but I doubt we can go inside. My brother is very particular about the client who is renting out the space."
Michael Santo, the Volkov Twins and Lorenzo Cappelli, Gunther Thesing:
Michael signs as plans for resolution hit another snag
"So what are we to do now, we have a chance to figure this mystery and end speculations once and for all about this undead envasion and we are to just go bout our normal everyday lives without answers."
You are correct, it is unlikely that your brother will be giving guided tours to this bunch any time soon. However, if they wish to rent space, they can have access to the warehouse, this course does not mean that they can start pulling open crates for other customers. Probably the key here is locating and talking to Michele Querini to see what he knows. Dominic may even now be at your home to inform you of a meeting time and place with him...
Gunther Thesing, Michael Santo, the Volkov Twins and Lorenzo Cappelli:
Lorenzo stops and thinks a moment, "Perhaps if any of you had need of warehouse space, you could rent out a section. That would give you access to the warehouse at least."
"Is there a time and place we could continue this conversation later? I have an appointment I need to keep this afternoon."
Lorenzo Cappelli Prologue:
After parting company with the Volkovs, Michael, and Gunther, Lorenzo makes his way over to Dominic's home.
Gunther Thesing, Michael Santo, the Volkov Twins and Lorenzo Cappelli:
:
Gunther looks at all those present.
"Well, I suppose I could rent out some warehouse space. It would clear up some space at my tavern if I stocked most of my goods at that warehouse, even if it's just temporarily."
Xing Shi you arrive at Luigi's manse which is a sprawling estate compared to most of the homes you have seen. It is located on the eastern Mediterranean side of the city. The front gates are closed to visitors and locked. What do you wish to do? The foot traffic here is light.
"We can definitely use some warehouse space. What is the address of the warehouse? I assume there is no way you can find out who that crate belonged to, is there? I would very much like to meet THAT person!"
Sergei is going to meet up with the rest of the gang and if we get the address from Lorenzo, head over there right away. Katriana is going to rest for a bit, todays events and the memories flooding back are just too much for her right now.
Lorenzo Cappelli, Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing, the Volkov Twins:
Lorenzo is going his own way as are the Volkov's. I assume Gunther is going home as well. Not sure what Michael is doing. Has the group determined whew and when they will meet up again?
Lorenzo Cappelli, Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing, the Volkov Twins:
:
Not to disappoint his daughter, or be rude to his dinner guests, Gunther intends to make good on his word to his family and be back in time for dinner.
You move to the sea side of the gate and sneak over the gate with no issues even with your skirts getting in the way.
You pad softly up to the house and look in the front window. Inside you see your friend sitting down gazing out a window (not the one you are looking in). Sitting next to him is a woman about his age and a man a decade younger than him. Perception + Larceny Difficulty 7 to determine what they are talking about.
Volkov Twins, Lorenzo Cappelli, Gunther Thesing and Michael Santo:
I will let Lorenzo make the difinitive statement for where the group will meet next since he is the one with the information. Do you give the Volkov's the loctaion of the warehouse?
Lorenzo you head to Dominic's home, as you ascend the stairs to knock at the door you hear him call out to you. "Lorenzo? I was just at your house looking for you I must have just missed you!" he laughs as he quickly climbs the stairs to stand next to you.
"I am afraid I have som bad news though. Seems Michele Querini left the city early this morning. His cousin would not tell me where he went only that he will be back in two weeks".
Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing and The Volkov Twins:
Your gondolda ride is silent as each of you contemplate what you have heard this afternoon. You all watch the sun slowly sink into the horizon and wonder what terrors the night holds here in Venice. The gondola comes to stop outside of Greetings and the group agrees to meet with Lorenzo at the next scheduled time . Gunther heads into his home and Michael shoves off of the stairs as the Volkov's enter the Inn for the final time.
As you enter the front door you find your cohort of retainers assembled together bags packed and ready to go. A decent sized flat has been secured and the group was waiting for your return to head to this place. "The place is nice. There is a broken window we should fix but other than that the owner has it in good shape. We are good for two weeks", states Wilhelm.
You enter your home and Fiona comes right up to you giving you a warm hug. "You are back early my husband. Everything is ready but you, now get yourself cleaned up, they will be here soon". She stops as she sees something in your eyes she has never seen before, "Is something wrong Gunther?"
Lorenzo Cappelli, Michael Santo, Gunther Thesing, the Volkov Twins:
"Meet me at my home this evening shortly before dusk and we can discuss matters further." he says handing Michael a slip of paper containing the address of Lorenzo's home.
Lorenzo Cappelli Prologue:
"Victim of bad timing I suppose." he says with a half grin. "To change the subject, my dear brother, I have met a few individuals today who are in the market for warehousing space and told them that you may be able to help. They are joining me at my home this evening if you wish to discuss the matter with them, or should I have them set up an appointment with you at a later date?"
You knock on the front door and a man answers it. He is wearing traveling clothes and looks a bit dusty, as if he just came off the road.
"Can I help you miss?"
"Yes so it would seem. When he returns I will get you in front of him".
He listens to the change in subject with raised eyebrows. "Really? You have never expressed interest in helping with the business before Lorenzo. Have you finally decided to pursue a new direction? I am willing to bring you aboard if you want to work. As for the meeting tonight, yes that would be splendid, I would like to see how you do handling new clients".
