Dark Ages Vampire - Bloodlines

Game Master Dennis Harry

It vexes you so to flee so frequently!

Oh things start out well enough, those of the local court are enthralled by your beauty and grace. You are taken in as an advisor to the local Satrap. Of course once your kind realize you have come they attempt to re-establish domain over their mortal charges. You gently convince them that your presence will enhance and expand their holdings. Those who compromise are rewarded, those who are not are dragged into the sun by their own "trusted" ghouls. No pity, no remorse, for you you do not suffer fools well. Then the true fun begins, dancing, merriment, poetry, the carnal pleasures of the flesh are enjoyed. Your experimentation knows no bounds nor should your followers!

Then they come. They always come, whether the jealous serpents or the banal assassins. You are so fundamentally different from they, with their blades and their blood laced drugs. You wonder why they have sought you out through the centuries, what did you do to arouse their wrath? It has been so long that the feud began you cannot even remember what prompted it. You are no doubt a master of diplomacy but these animals cannot be reasoned with (there are small exceptions within the bloodlines of course). Fleeing is the only option left to you. It is of little consequence, looking to the past is worthless it is the future that must be considered.

Even with the last close call you find yourself on the shores of the Bosporus, again. Something about this land draws you to it. Despite the dour disposition of the Cappadocians that rule the area you (un)live with them relatively well, at least they do not seek to slay you. If only you could take control of this land and make it your own, though it is not to be. Byzar is no mere childe of the blood to be trifled with as most Satraps, he is like you, a childe of one of the eldest. However, keeping a low profile may not be such a bad idea.

Within a year of this "laying low" (only gathering a few hundred mortal adherents) circumstances change! A Pharaoh, the first in some time to attempt such a feat, has traveled with an army into Darius' kingdom. The Pharaoh of all things is a Greek, a Macedonian to be exact. This seems like a development worth monitoring.

After a few months it seems clear (at least according to your Nosferatu contact) that this Alexander is winning! He has driven Darius before him like a rat from a flame. It seems that a powerful Methuselah, a Meneleus is the leader of the Greek faction of "your kind". For the first time in your long years you consider what is actually on the other side of the Mediterranean. If this Greek Pharaoh and this ultra powerful Lord of the Night are from there perhaps it is time to journey to these lands, there may be something worth seeing there after all.

This Menele moves fast! You are trying to catch up with the army but it is not easy. You must find some way to convince him to allow you to journey into his lands unmolested. After some quiet contemplation, the answer becomes obvious. Not only will this plan free you to explore the lands of the west but it may also enable you to finally be rid of your age old adversaries.

Finally in the capital of the Jews, in Jerusalem Menele stops. You enter the city with as much pageantry as your few mortals left can provide to you. The Vampires of the west are wary of your arrival, thus far they have been met mostly with hostility or at best grudging respect and fear. You ask for the master of the armies and a crone approaches you. Well perhaps not a crone, for a mortal perhaps the woman is beautiful. She attempts to dissuade you from meeting with this Menele, she is his "advisor". You inform her you will deal with no lackeys. Just as the conversation becomes tense, Menele strides into the room.

Your beauty no doubt captivates even this war hardened Brujah, but you know well that such a creature must be dealt with intellectually. Following the advice of your Nosferatu ally, you offer information regarding the strengths of the Persian strongholds. In exchange, you request succor in the Macedonian lands that Menele and his childer control. Menele agrees and you reveal to him that there is a large schism between the Assamites and the Ventrue, indeed they war amongst themselves even as Alexander sweeps eastward...

Byzar was born in the area of ancient Armenia (now southern Turkmenistan) in the year 640 BC. He was accepted into the order of the Magi at a young age because his forefathers had been Magi as well. Unlike his forebearers, Byzar did not receive the gift of the "true" magos. He adapted by becoming a hedge magician and delved deeply into a study of death. Magi believed that consuming the dead increased knowledge they also believed that the old and inform must be slain. As Byzar aged he knew that such a fate would befall him as well despite his great knowledge.

During the upheavel begun by Cyrus the founder of the Persian Empire Byzar fled his homeland. He headed west believing that by moving into the lands of the Akkadians that those who would consider following him would be dissuaded by the danger of such a journey. Along his journey, Byzar met a mysterious cloaked figure who shared a campfire with him. The figure even spoke his language! The stranger was equally surprised to find such a learned man on the lonely backmountains of Paphlagonia.

The stranger invited Byzar to journey with him though he moved about only during daylight. Indeed Byzar soon discovered that his road companion was some sort of hedge magician as well! During the day the stanger slumbered as a statue impervious to being injured! Such magic the Byzar wished desperately to learn. Learn it he would much to his dismay...

Indeed within a few weeks Byzar was to become a thrall to his new master. The powers of the blood gave Byzar's magic great potency, he could exchange his blood for vis with but a thought! Byzar journeyed with his sire across the breadth of the Persian Empire gaining vengeance upon his enemies.

Soon though his impervious cloak had holes poked through it. His enemies learned of his whereabouts and attacked him. Only the timely intervention of his new master allowed the Byzar to survive. As it was though his body was broken, his only chance to survive was to accept the "dark pact" as his master had called it. Cappadocious obliged Byzar's wish and the Byzar was reborn a creature of death in a perpetual state of undeath.

He realized that his petty continuation of a war with his old enemies was senseless. After spending time with his sire to learn what he could of his new state, Byzar sought solace. He found a city on the sea, close enough to his old homeland but also near the new kingdoms of Greece. Indeed the city had been founded by a human named of all things Byzar the Megarian!

Battle though would be on Byzar's horizon. The city had been founded nearly 100 years before and its founder had been a local conqueror. Indeed other Kindred already lurked within the homes of Byzantium. The Brujah Warlord Maxetimus was not about to let an upstart enter and conquer his territory. Because of the location of Byzantium, the city attracted travelers from all over the Meditaranean - Erasmo the Lasombra privateer, Mellandis the mad, and Sycorax the Outcast a Tzimisce exile were the most notable to settle in the area.

Byzar gathered allies as best he could and went to war with Maxetimus. Left standing at the end of the battle were Byzar, and Ectoris (Childe of Erasmo). The Byzar exiled Ectoris and established Byzantium as his own demense. He began to sire progeny to continue the study of death and magic as he had during life so he would be in death. Only this time he was determined to be supreme in his territory, no one even a subordinate could be allowed to gain in power. The Byzar did not wish to share his power or his secrets. It was his failure to adhere to his narcissistic instinct that led to his downfall...

A.D. 324 - Constantine defeats Licinius near Byzantium, cementing his claim to the Imperial Throne of Rome

A.D. 326 – Constantine founds New Rome on the site of Byzantium (the city now known as Constantinople). The Triumvirate (Michael, Dracon and Antonius) leave Rome and take up residence in the new capital.

A.D. 329 – Constantine’s lieutenant Caius is embraced by Antonius.

A.D. 330 – New Rome becomes the empire’s new capital.

A.D. 337 – Constantine the Great dies, the Triumvirate holds the First Council. Magnus a local Lasombra pledges himself to Michael by presenting the staked body of his sire.

A.D. 476 – Rome falls to the barbarian Odoacer. Cainite refugees begin to arrive in Constantinople.

A.D. 477 – The Second Council is held, forming the Trinity system of families. The Lasombra of Magnus and a group of Roman Brujah known as the Lexor are made Scions, Antonius extends his protection to the Cappadocian recluse Alexia Theusa.

A.D. 489 – Michael invites the Follower of Set Khay’tall to found a Scion family.

A.D. 518 – Justin I becomes Emperor under the guidance of his nephew Justinian and the Ventrue Antonius.

A.D. 527-555 – Justinian becomes Emperor and expands Byzantium’s territories into North Africa and Italy. The Trinity system of families is spread across the Empire. The monasteries overseen by the Dracon’s Obertus Tzimisce are severely regulated.

A.D. 537 – The Hagia Sophia, the greatest Christian Temple is completed in Constantinople Michael takes up residence.

A.D. 555-565 – Justinian’s rule ends in chaos as Constantinople’s outlying territories begin to be wrested away. Plagues weaken the Empire.

A.D. 565-600 – Plagues repeatedly strike Constantinople allegedly spread by the Dracon.

A.D. 579 – Antonius mortal rival Narses (exiled by the Emperor) is embraced by the Lasombra Methuselah Boukephos. He petitions for and is granted control of the eastern territories of the Empire against the wishes of Antonius.

A.D. 602 – Phocas becomes Emperor beginning a reign of terror.

A.D. 604 – Antonius’ childe Septima Dominica embraces her servant Nicepherus. Caius embraces a magistrate named Epirus.

A.D. 610 – Heraclius becomes Emperor and renews the power of the monasteries ensuring the Tzimisce power base within the Empire. This begins a contentious period of competition between the Dracon and Antonius the Gaul – a rift that Michael seeks to mend.

A.D. 620 – The Akometai monks serving the Dracon begin transcribing the contents of the Great Library of Alexandria.

A.D. 626 - The Akometai monk Gregory is embraced by an Alexandrian Ravnos.

A.D. 632 – Gregory “the Wondermaker” is adopted by the Antonian Ventrue.

A.D. 642 – Alexandria falls to the Arabs and the Great Library is burned to the ground. The contents that can be saved are stored in a library located somewhere in Constantinople.

A.D. 660 – Narses cuts ties with Constantinople and rules independently from his seat of power in Venice. The Trinity is enraged but unable to prevent the secession.

A.D. 689 – To mend the rift between Antonius and the Dracon, Michael presents each with one of two young brothers, Gesu and Symeon to raise and embrace. There is something very special about these children as their blood is extremely pure.

A.D. 701 – The Carpathian fiends, cousins to the Dracon, come to Constantinople and warn of dire portent tied to the embrace of Gesu.

A.D. 701 – The Dracon ignores the warnings of his cousins and embraces Gesu. Gesu falls into a deep torpor from which he cannot be roused, even by the Cappadocian Alexia Theusa. The Dracon leaves the city going to the Carpathians to get answers from his brethren.

A.D. 703 – Gesu rises from torpor and embraces Symeon. Antonius is enraged and the fence mended between the families is irrevocably destroyed.

A.D. 704 – The Third Council is held to resolve the matter of Symeon’s embrace but no resolution is reached.

A.D. 717 – Leo III becomes Emperor under the watchful eye of Antonius.

A.D. 726 – Leo III launches Iconoclasm, calling for the destruction of all religious icons this is the focal point of Eastern Orthodox Christian worship and creates a enormous religious firestorm in the mortal population. Antonius calls for a Cainite Iconoclasm at the exact same moment aimed at the Tzimisce practice of blood worship weakening the Tzimisce power base. Byzantine society is divided.

A.D. 796 – The Fourth Council is held. The Malachite Nosferatu are made Scions of the Toreador. Caius and Septima Dominica propose Antonius’ destruction before he pulls the entire city apart with his Iconoclast crusade. Michael and the Dracon acquiesce.

A.D. 797 – Caius becomes Basileus of the Antonian Vantrue with Septima as his second in command.

A.D. 842-867 – To restore order, Michael rules the Empire openly and directly as Emperor Michael the III (he does NOT reveal his Vampiric condition to the populace).

A.D. 888 – The Dracon leaves Constantinople, and does not return.

A.D. 890 – The Fifth Council is held and recognizes Gesu and Symeon as the leaders of the Tzimisce. Michael drifts into torpor leaving his eldest childe Petronius in command of the Michaelite family.

A.D. 1001 – Septima Dominica is slain leaving Caius in sole control of the Antonian Ventrue.

A.D. 1071 – The Seljuk Turks defeat the imperial army at Manzikert, stripping Byzantine of most of Asia Minor.

A.D. 1073 – The Sixth Council is held and Belisarius is given a position of prominence as second in command behind Caius.

A.D. 1081 – The Seventh Council is held. The family of Narses of Venice made a Scion of the Ventrue and is given broad trading privileges in the Empire. The Baron’s Gangrel become Scions of the Tzimisce. Alexius I Comnenus becomes the Emperor.

A.D. 1090-1125 – Narses’ childe Alfonso serves as the Narsene liason in Constantinople.

A.D. 1096 - Soldiers of the First Crusade travel through Constantinople. The collective mortal and Vampiric citizens are horrified at the size of the army amassed.

A.D. 1140 – The Salubri Achmet the Dreamer arrives in Constantinople and is made an honorary Scion of the Obertus Tzimisce.

A.D. 1143 – Emperor John II Comnenus on campaign in Asia Minor is assassinated. The Ventrue Prefect testifies to the trinity family that an assamite Vampire slew the Emperor.

A.D. 1143-1182 – Latin influence mounts under Emperor Manuel Comnenus. The influence of Alfonso increases to the point where he even begins to hold court for foreign Cainites, the trinity attempts to censure his behavior but cannot to stop Alfonso.

A.D. 1185 – Riots targeting Latin residents break out in Constantinople. All Latin Cainites are destroyed save Gabriella of Genoa and her mortal protégé Lillian (sheltered by Symeon) and Bishop Alfonso escapes the city presumably under his own power. The Eighth Council is held and the Ventrue Epirus and the Brujah Tribonius are destroyed for inciting the riots; the Latin Quarter is made independent from the rule of the Trinity and is placed under the dominion of Bishop Alfonso.

A.D. 1185-1197 – Cainites from across Europe begin to arrive in Constantinople, crowing the Latin Quarter.

A.D. 1193 – The Brujah, Gangrel, and Nosferatu of the city forma covenant vowing to protct the city from its growing enemies.

A.D. 1195 – Alexius III Angelus becomes the Emperor by blinding and deposing his brother Isaac II. Isaac’s son Alexius escapes the city and seeks allies to reclaim his fathers’ throne.

A.D. 1196 – Lillian Symeon’s lover is embraced and subsumed by Gesu.

A.D. 1198 – Innocent III becomes Pope and calls for the Fourth Crusade.

The current year is 486 BC. Darius I the King of Persia has just perished. The new King is Xerxes, the candidate backed by the current Satrap of Persepolis Mithras the Ventrue. Clan Assamite wished to see another son of Darius on the throne however the infuence of Mithras and his proxies has won out. Bazychates, the Assamite Methuselah came to Persepolis to cement his power and this is the closest the two mortal enemies have been to one another in centuries. (Persepolis was one of the capital ities of the Persian Empire).

Beshter was allowed to stay in the city by Mithras despite the fact that his Akkadian enemies were still on his trail. Mithras had extended his protection to Beshter with no mention of payment until now. Mithras knows that Beshter is an acquaintance of Bazychates, therefore, Mithras wants Beshter to meet with Bazychates and ambush him. Should Beshter bring Bazychates to him, Beshter knows that he will probably remain in the favor of Mithras for some time.

Beshter has other ideas though he is not sure exactly what he wants to do, Beshter would not mind a continued rivalry between the two parties. Especially considering no matter who wins, Beshter has hand with both parties. Beshter has therefore called upon one of his allies, the mighty gangrel hunter Ajax to accompay him to this meeting with Bazychates.

Beshter and Ajax meet with Bazychates and two of his lesser Kindred on the outskirts of the city. Something alerts Beshter to the presence of an intruder - dammit - Susa the Babylonian Lasombra and spymaster of Mithras has followed Beshter and has clearly heard the fact that Beshter is weighing options on Mithras' request openly...

You sit upon your chair of nails contemplating Christ's mysteries. Silently the door to your chamber swings open. It is your maker, the Dracon. While you feel some affection towards him you realize he is but a means to an end to bring you and your followers one step closer to uncovering the mysteries of the Lord, Christ works in mysterious ways...

Since the events of your embrace, you have had little contact with your sire. Indeed he has become ever more reclusive since the death of Antonius the Gaul. Despite his melancholy, you are most pleased, perhaps the only thing of this mortal world you still have true human feelings for is your brother Symeon. You are glad at the decision to keep him with you, forever. Or at least until Christ's return in glory.

Perhaps you should rouse yourself from these thoughts, the Dracon is speaking. "...and I have decided to leave the Queen of Cities". "My sire, why have you come to such a decision, the Dream needs you", you respond. "I believe that I can no longer trust my own actions", replies the Dracon. "I am not sure I understand?" you reply. "What compelled you to embrace your brother?" the Dracon asks.

You are taken aback, the Dracon has never asked this question before! "I have never before questioned your motivations, I have simply accepted it as the whim of capriciousness that exists within the world especially the world of our kind. Prior to your embrace my Carpathian brethern sent an emissary requesting I not embrace you claiming some dark foreboding omen attached to the very idea". "Yes I am aware of the story", you reply.

"Indeed, despite all of the warning I ignored my clanmates. Then when you needed me most I chose to stalk my Carpathian brethern in search of why they cursed you. I ordered Symeon to be by your side despite the fact that he belonged to the Gaul", the Dracon continues. "What does this ancient history have to do with your leaving my sire?" you query. "It has everything to do with it!" the Dracon screams his body looms large enough to fill the room, despite yourself you shrink back against you seat.

"My direct involvement led to the Iconoclast rift. The Iconoclast rift led to the death of Antonius. The death of Antonius led to the withdrawal of Michael. The withdrawal of Michael has led to the decaying of the Dream. Can you not feel it? Are you so addled by thoughts of the nailed god that you cannot see how things fall apart around us?"

Reasserting yourself, you stand up. "My sire, the Dream has as many forms as there are dreamers to dream them". The Dracon laughs. "Indeed, Michael said the very same thing to me just before as I bid him goodbye. It seems his presence pervades the minds of all but myself. You still have not answered my question, why did you embrace Symeon?"

You think back to the moment of the embrace, 'your vision blurs and you recall a dark chapel surrounded by a wasteland, As you open the doors a narrow beam of light shines into the temple and illuminates a crucifix on a pulpit. Walking towards the altar you pass 20 alcoves, each contains a statue cloaked in darkness. They crumble into dust as you peer at each one in turn. You arrive at the cross kneel down and begin to pray to God for salvation. As you do so the crucifix begins to bleed a dark vitae. As it flows down the pulpit it is caught in a silver chalice. You pick up the cup nehind you is a presence you see the reflection of Michael the Archangel you bring the cup to your lips and your eyes open. Above you is the form of Symeon'...

You snap out of your reverie. "I wanted to be with him forever, we are blood we belonged together". "So you actually don't know why do you?" replies the Dracon. "What reason are you looking for? What reason do any of us have for those we embrace?"

"What has become clear to me is that this entire situation was engineered. By who or what I do not know. But I cannot trust my own judgment any longer. My decisions led to the disintegration of the Triumverate. Once I find who or what manipulated these events I will rectify the wrongs done. I thought it important that you know why I am leaving. I thought that perhaps together we could uncover what happened. It seems that you have no interest..." You cut off the Dracon, "What happened is Gods' will my sire, nothing more or less. Your delusions of being manipulated result from being active too long as well as from the guilt you suffer for destroying your rival. Both are understandable. Know that God can forgive us for all of our sins, yes OUR sins. By leaving now you again take action, how can you even trust this action os your own and not the will of another?"

"I see, very well then childe. The Obertus are now fully yours, I hope you have a clear mind when making decisions. I also hope that things are not always so clear for you, your unfailing self-righteousness and conviction in the will of God will be your downfall if you persist". The Dracon turns and leaves.

Antonius' gift has been stripped from him. Indeed Symeon has been embraced by his elder brother Gesu. Antonius is in a rage, you see that your sire has lost all reason. His driving goal is to destroy the Tzimisce once and for all. It begins innocently enough, Antonius backs the peasant Leo the III. The Dracon and Michael content with their holdings do not object. You see it though, you see how Antonius will use this temporal power to his advantage.

For now you are content to wait and watch. Then the unthinkable happens, the Icon depicting the Dracon himself is melted by the Emperor, the age of Iconoclasm has begun. The sacriliege of Icon worship comes under attack, it is this Icon worship which fuels the blood cults of the Aktoimatei/Obertus monasteries. Of course once the movement begins the powers of the monastaries and by extension their vampiric overlords wanes. Indeed the fires used to destroy the Icons and their printed images claim the unlives of their Tzimisce masters as well.

You see the opportunity here quite clearly, your brood mate Septima Dominica conducts herself much the same as these Tzimisce she is a blood cultist. As Icon worship has been attacked so has her power and influence and her herd suffered setbacks. With only a little more time Antonius, unless he let's go of this war, will turn Septima against him. As the decades go by, the power of the Tzimisce continues to wane, indeed the Iconoclast movement creates divisions within the Eastern and Western human churches not to mention within the Triumverate itself!

Finally, Michael and the Dracon call a council to discuss the matter, Antonius amazingly enough refuses to attend and even bans all of his progeny from attending! He will not meet with the Dracon nor will he yield his now awesome influence to his rival. You convice Septima to attend with you in secret on the second night of the council. After numerous solutions are proposed by the Toreador and the Tzimisce, you step forward. Michael smiles at you, his attention which you have so long craved is now yours.

"My Lords. My sire has been like a human father to me. Indeed his wisdom and the lessons he has passed on to me over the five centuries of my existence have made me what I am this night. The one lesson he unfortunately was never able to learn himself though was compromise. His drive has made him one of the most feared and respected beings stalking the night. However, his single mindedness has clouded his judgment and his reason. It is clear to all of us, yourselves and those of us of the Antonian Ventrue that the Dream is dying. The mortals fight amongst each other as the Tzimisce and the Ventrue fight amongst themselves, this was never the intention of the Dream. Our goal was, is, and always will be to bring our knowledge and our love and protection to the kine. This infighting amongst ourselves has spread like a disease to our charges. Septima and I have both tried to reason with our sire to recognize that his point has been made, it is time to call a truce with the Dracon. He refused to even attend this meeting indeed our very presence here would be enough for him to call for our final death. I can see that all he wishes for is to absolutely crush the Dracon and his progeny into dust, and for what? A single progeny? This is unacceptable to us as it should be to you. For the Dream to survive, all of us must work together, Antonius cannot see this. It is time, a century of conflict is enough, we must eliminate Antonius, it is the only solution to salvage what we have so long worked to build".

The elders of course argued against this, for three nights time the matter was debated back and forth. Finally, unable to reach any other solution, yours was accepted.

On December 24, 796 you woke early and sat on the throne, from the hidden compartment you grasped the scepter which you knew would enhance your powers of Presence. The very scepter that Antonius claimed was made for him by Ur Shulgi himself. Waiting in the shadows you saw Antonius enter the chambers. He seemed weary but elated, a vote was coming soon you knew. Antonius wanted to strike out Cainite to Cainite with the Tzimisce of the city. That indeed would spell the end of the Dream. As Antonius reached into the throne to retrieve the scepter you activated the powers of your Presence. Overwhelming fear must have washed over Antonius. As he struggled to shrug off your powers you drove the stake into his heart. His eyes filled with hate looked up at you.

"Yes my Lord. It is your time. For centuries have you been the consumate Lord of the Night but your hatred has blinded you, you will continue until you bring it all down, I cannot allow that. This stake was crafted for me by an Assamite sorcerer to pierce even your invulnerable hide". In your mind you hear the voice of your sire, he is trying to dominate you! You wrench your eyes away. "You are mighty indeed my Lord, but my cunning has undone your might. He is... I mean the city is mine". Slowly a smile begins to form on Antonius' face. "You know nothing! Your foolishness has led to this nothing more. If you would have yielded this would not have happened!" you scream at him.

Septima enters the chambers. "It is done?" "Yes, take him to the roof, pin him down, leave only your most trusted kine to guard him until he is no more", you reply. "Yes my Basileus", she responds. You glance once more at the rigid form of your sire. A pang of regret fills you for the creature that made you. Part of you wishes to claim his blood but you know that his will could potentially overwhelm yours. The blood of the Archangel will more than make up for this loss. You decide to go to the Hagia Sophia to relay the good news to Michael in person....

Your tools now in hand you walk with Baldemar to a small shrine in one of the more run down quarters of the city. He produces a key and uses it to unlock a metal gate which he then pushes aside. As you walk down the stairs you see a few candles guttering very low, as if about to go out. The walls, what you can see of them in the dark are covered in Templar writings! Things those not Brothers would not necessarily recognize.

Unfortunately, I have not seen Andre since he left to meet with a number of his compatriots two months ago".

Soon enough you find yourself on the stone floor, Baldemar lights several lanterns so that the place will not be so dark as it is now so far underground (at least 20'!).

"We shall not be disturbed down here as you perform your work Friend Geoffroi..."

No sign from what you can tell of head trauma. This is either a delusion from being tired (more likely) or some sort of black magic (less likely but plausible).

"I hope I can rely on your discretion, friend Baldemar. I do not like talking of my affiliation with the Templars openly, for obvious reasons, but if you count Andre as an ally I feel I can trust you. I am a Templar, and I came to Venice seeking my old mentor Andre and whoever else might have survived the purges of King Phillip. If you know of a Templar locally, I would be very grateful to you if you could introduce me. "

He completes his examination of Baldemar.

"I am sorry, but I cannot seem to find what is afflicting you. However, do not give up hope. If we are in the city for a time together I will re-examine you from time to time. Sometimes maladies become more apparent as you observe them over time"

Indeed, your secret is safe with me. I shall try to locate my ally though I have not seen him in some time. Have you a place to stay since your arrival today?"