prologue
@barkeeper
"Pardonne where is tha Grand Canal?"
Will get some rest before going if I have time, if not will have to go there.
Anya looks to him with fear in her eyes and then runs past you down the hall. You hear her footsteps pound down the stairs. The man pulls out Anya's chair and gestures for you to sit. As he gestures on of the fingers on his hand falls off onto the floor. "Please sit and tell mw who you are".
Michael breaths a sigh of relief as Anya runs past but keeps his guard up... upon seeing the man's finger fall Michael turns a ghostly white as his hands fall to his side losing all will to fight...
"You...you do realize your finger just broke off... Michael says pointing shakley at it... that's all he can manage to say before hurls onto the floor in disgust.
Round 2
Luag - 5
Querini Bodyguards (2) - 4
Querini Muscle (3) - 4
Xing Shi - 3
Marco Querini - 3
Sergei Volkov - 3 (Active starting in round 3)
Dandolo Muscle (6) - 3
Querini Muscle (3) - 2
Gunther - 2
Aodhan - 2
Jordan - 2
Christopher Dandolo - 1
Gino - 0
Doge's Security (5) - 0 (Active starting in round 3)
Luag holds his position as the man who struck him was brought down by his ally. As they roll on the ground he has no good angle strike nor does he have a good path to another foe. He stares at Jordan marveling at her decision to step between the two duelists.
Querini Bodyguard 1 - Quickly sheathing his rapier, the man turns to Marco, "Hold your sword I will grab her and get her out of the way". The man lunges for Jordan. Grapple - Dexterity + Brawl DC Jordan however slithers easily out of his grasp.
Querini Bodyguard 2 - Seeing his fellow have little luck in grabbing the girl he makes an attempt as well but drops his sword clattering to the ground. Grapple - Dexterity + Brawl DC Though the girl is able to evade one attacker her squirming finds her firmly in the grip of the other guard. He pulls he back from the fighting kicking and screaming.
Querini Muscle #1 - The man pulls himself to the edge of the canal and pulls himself onto a pier soaking wet and with no weapon.
Querini Muscle #2 - Wrestling with Aodhan he is able to push the smaller man off but quickly realizes the mistake he has made as the huge Luag looms over him wielding a deadly looking Claymore - luck it seems is with him as the Scotsman is paying more attention to the girl in the middle of the fighting.
Querini Muscle #3 - Again he stabs forward at his opponent and this time his strike is as true as the last, the Dandolo fighter gasps and falls to his knees with a grievious belly wound.
Xing Shi it is your action.
You sit down and eat dinner resting your weary leg - no dount the poor weather today did not help it along at all. Donnach comes back and makes small talk regarding a potential deal with the Giovanni. "This may be a good thing for my family too m'lord imagine if I can make some real coin with them? Own my own lands! It would be a dream come true". He is weary from the day as well and soon heads up to get some shut eye. You have hours yet till your appointed meeting time.
Suddenly it dawns on you, this man this beautiful man may well be a beast this is Vampire blood coursing down your throat! As you attempt to pull away you begin to experience flashes of memories - shards - snippets of other times other places. Ancient peoples and places flash before your eyes it is too much to process.
Yes this must be a Vampire but why is he after you and why can't you pull away from his caress?
He stands aside and gestures for you to come in, "Ciao Signore Cappelli excuse my mess I was not expecting guests". What little room his home has is cluttered with papers and clothes asw ell as other junk. The fresh smell of ink permeates the apartment. On a small desk are a number of papers which Federico must have written a few short hours earlier. His penmanship is poor but then the fact that he can write surprises you.
The man steps past you almost fatsre than you can follow seconds later he is seated in the same place that he was when you first burst in the door.
"Very well perhaps you will find this appearance more to your liking". His body and face change! Where he was once a grotesque rotting carcass his skin is smooth and dark. He appears to be of Egyptian descent.
You look to the floor where his finger had fallen off and it is no longer there. Did you imagine that? Is this man some sort of magician?
"Now p[lease don;t make me ask you again Signore, sit and tell me who you are", his tone makes it clear to you that to disobey will provoke a reaction.
Seeing the wild man run toward Gino with a sword and Gino only with a sword Xing Shi spins into a crouched position swinging her leg around in a sweep trying to trip the wild man (Gunther).
Dex+Brawl
He smiles, "What had changed? In Paris you were hunting now you do not even reach for s sliver of wood. Is it that you know I am your destiny?"
prologue
Andrew sits as in a waking dream in the bar area not certain when or if he will find rest again, so much responsibility, so many new endeavors....
"Donnach I em goin tah tha grand canal at midnight yer welcome tah go as well o stay here."
Michael is hunched over, puke all over the place "you called my stomach weak, but your the one falling apart
he mutters. Michael regains his foothold on reality and composes himself upright. Wiping the remaining puke from his mouth with the sleeve of his left arm slowly walks over to the chair confused and alarmed at the transformation that has taken place. Michael sits"
"Are you the Devil? " Michael ask angrily, scared and shaken bracing him self for the answer.
"Well let's see. He burst in through the door and I challenged him. He told me that he was lost and was knocking on the door but decided to barge it in when he got no answer looking for a pipeweed dealer he was told lived in the area. Certainly I deal in pipeweed though of course not out of the warehouse but here out of my home so it ws a coincidence but I did not think too much of it. He is staying at the Way of Kings Inn and claims he is a diplomat from Rober the Bruce of Scotland. He was quite interested in my pipeweed and that is when we began to explore going into busines together. Do you think there is something strange with him Signore Cappelli?"
"You must be willing to literally face the darkness. A place of eternal night with horrors that could tear your very mind asunder. If you fail to resist the horror you will be nothing more than a gibbering shell of a man. Are you willing to take this risk?"
With that he heads up the stairs.
Michael's facial expression is one of shock. Ghostly white and frozen....
Michael attempts to absorb all that just been said jumping to his feet backward knocking over h is chair stumbling. Pointing his finger at this creature."You are the one I have been searching for... Why did you kill Hans... what is this talk about reentering the world surely you a present here how are you not in it. You talk of death and killing in your wake how is there opportunity in that. Are you going to kill me next? What Are you exactly
Michael vents what's on his mind firing questions as fast as they come. coming to a slow halt
"Michael, m-m-m, my name is Michael.
As you stare at Talisman you know for sure you have never seen him before. However, you are able to latch onto a fragments of the scenes that he somehow transferred to you through the blood. You see Francois drinking from Talisman. You see the Vampire you eventually captured compelled somehow by Talisman to attack you and not slay you but to drag you to a spot where Francois would rescue you. You see yourself reflected in his eyes, as if he were somehow inhabiting Francois and you realize this entire trip to Venice was set up by Talisman just so he could meet with you.
"My dear it would be my honor to bring you across to my world but first we must spend some time together. I have been given the gift of creating a new un-life but that gift has not yet been fully granted. For us to have peace we must be patient though that does not mean we cannot enjoy ourselves while you still breathe", he leads you by the hand up the stairs.
Flashing out of the crowd is a small woman dressed in dirty clothing, he hair is disheveled and she appears to be a foreigner. With lightning quickness she charges right up to Gunther's left flank and sweeps his legs!
Marco Querini, with a grunt, lunges at Christopher again but this time he spins away from the attack to Marco's left where there may be some exposed flesh for the striking.
Sergei you continue to charge forward furiously right behind the Doge's men you have lost sight of Wilhelm. There is a crowd around the action and you are seconds away from being able to do well, something.
Christopher’s men act.
Dandolo Muscle #1 - He holds his belly wound to stem the blood flow.
Dandolo Muscle #2 - Seeing his ally go down he swings at the Querini muscle with a high angle and clips the man on the back of the ear slicing it off cleanly. He screams in pain while back-peddling from his new assailant.
Dandolo Muscle #3 – Seeing an opening against this skilled foe he cuts at the man's rapier hand but while his sure footed opportunity may have missed Jordan with his grapple he is able to step away from his attackers clumsy telegraphed swing.
Dandolo Muscle #4 – He yanks the dagger out of his arm and screams, “A flesh wound I’ll do more to you”. [b] Charging forward his sword slash catches the Querini assailant on the forearm drawing blood.
Dandolo Muscle #5 – With practiced ease he is able to draw another score against his off-balance foe. [b] “Surrender or I will finish you Signore!”
Dandolo Muscle #6 – His strength prevailing Christopher’s man pushes the Querini attacker down to the ground, his sword flies from his grasp.
Marco’s men act.
Querini Muscle #4 – With his opponent committing so far forward he is able to stab forward and glances his foes ribs. Christopher’s man yelps out in pain as he did not expect his foe to follow up with such a flourish after his initial clumsiness.
Querini Muscle #5 – Marco’s crony is shaking in pain and he drops his weapon yielding rather than dying for another man’s honor.
Querini Muscle #6 –The Querini bullyboy rolls to his right with amazing alacrity and hops onto his feet. As he regains his footing he draws a small dagger.
Gunther it is your action, I would say you are up but it appears that a little Oriental woman brought you down!
A look of distaste crosses his face as you ask him about death and killing in his wake, "I may kill you if you do not calm down. Have I judged your character incorrectly are you a pathetic mortal afraid of a little blood and guts or an opportunist who knows the ends justify the means to power? I speak of true power it can be yours if you answer me correctly."
Gunther/Xing/Sergei prologue:
Flashing out of the crowd is a small woman dressed in dirty clothing, her hair is disheveled and she appears to be a foreigner. With lightning quickness she charges right up to Gunther's left flank and sweeps his legs!
Dexterity + Athletics (DC 7):
Stamina (DC 6):
After leaving Federico's home, Lorenzo begins to make his way over to the Way of Kings Inn.
prologue
"I understand the need to acquire position of power or at least controls those that are powerful around me. for power quite some time I have been preparing and planning to advance my status as a citizen here in this fair city expanding my businesses acquiring connections in many faucets. Never had the need to kill to produce results. I came from nothing and produced a way to sustainable wealth but I do wish for more. Long have I been stagnant, content with my position. I seek to change that. How does one acquire this power you seek ? And what must be given for such power I know there is nothing free in this world. Even the dead must pay.
Andrew the Hardy and Lorenzo Cappelli Prologue
"Doctor Cappelli, join me fer a drink yah see mah leg keeps me awake late. Tha liquor though dulls tah pain."
"I have not been completely honest with you, but now I will be very direct. One of the men you were with is in the employ of my family at a warehouse that you chose to bash in the door to. Why were you there? Surely your desire for pipeweed is not so strong that you would break in to a private place of business."
No need to burn the willpower Gunther.
Gunther charges forward towards the men that stand in his daughter’s way. Out of the corner of his eye he sees a figure move quickly to his left before he can register what is going on he is flying in the air and he slams into the ground three feet to Gino’s left. Somehow Gunther is able to hold onto the sword though he is lying probe on his side he feels no pain though there may be a bruise on his hip tomorrow.
The second Scotsman stands and kicks the Querini man right in the face blood spurts from his nose.
Jordan tries to twist away from the grip of the man that has her but he is too strong for her to dislodge.
Despite the opening Christopher spins around and behind Marco stabbing his guard in the kidney and eliciting a howl from the man who promptly drops Jordan.
Gino swings his chair at Gunther’s sword looking to dislodge it from the large man’s grip. He grins stupidly at Xing Shi surprised to see her.
Dexterity + Melee DC 8
The Goge’s guardsmen begin to push through the crowd with the one in the lead screaming, “Drop your weapons!”
Round 3
Luag sheathes his huge weapon on his back, picks up his fellow Scotsman and begins to run through the southern portion of the crowd.
Querini Bodyguard 1 – Knowing that Marco cannot afford to be caught in a street brawl his bodyguard pushes Christopher from behind and grabs Marco’s arm dragging him away from the melee. Dexterity + Brawl
Querini Bodyguard 2 – The guard staggers forward holding his back he limps after his fellow and Marco though the blood on his hand shows that the wound he just received is most grievous indeed.
Querini Muscle #1 – On the pier and with the guards in sight the man jumps onto dry land and runs away from the guards.
Querini Muscle #2 – With a bloody nose the bully boy stands and grabs his victorious companion pulling away in the oppositedirection from where Marco was heading – southeast.
Michael frowns at the term serving
"I am in connection with the inns around here where my Gondola services transport customers of all walks of life. Very useful for obtaining info from drunken patrons of highly ranking positions. I have new contacts with doctors, referrals for warehouse spaces, my Gondola business is good for transporting goods of various nature or more risque nature if you have a long day of work. Also have new contacts of councilmen of the doge who lead this city... "
Michael stops in his thought
"how long long have you been "sleep" who are your enemies, how does one "sleep" to avoid there enemies wouldn't it make it easier for them to get you? How long is this term of service I have worked to hard and long to be treated like some lackey. I am the master of my domain."
Andrew the Hardy and Lorenzo Cappelli Prologue
Fishes in his pocket, for his notebook...
"Actually twas searchin fer pipeweed an got an address from a gentleman at tha bar..."
In the notebook:
Pipeweed
and the address of the wharehouse
"I admit I had been drinkin a bit much tha evenin tah dull tha ache en mah leg, but was told tha was tha place tah get tha finest pipeweed in tha land, perhaps was a friend o Fredirico tha told me, though I don't remember much o tha conversation, I may have in mah drunkneness knocked over-hard upon yer door an damaged it a bit. I was unner tha impression yer wharehouse was a store tha sold pipeweed."
"I recall young Frediricos kindness an as I sobered a bit tha idea o farmin pipeweed sounded fantastic. It seems I was right about tha as it seems tha young man an myself err bout tah make a tremendous amount o coin!"
Raises his mug in toast
"To tha divine intervention and mercy o tha Almighty God!"
"You see tha Giavvonis owns tha land round Frediricos small plot an they err willing tah pay most handsomly fer tha land an I saved em tha trouble o findin out whose land it is, I had sought purchase o lease o their land, but they prefer tah by out Fredirico, so a 10 acre farm pipeweed as far as tha eye ken see!"