"We investigated the home of the missing Primogen. We found that his butler was heavily dominated. He...suffered a major break while trying to do what the Brujah wanted and whatever his puppet master desired. We found several secret rooms, but so far little would indicate what might have happened to him other then the taking of one of his ghouls." Marcel says as he lays out the major things that they located.
Stands quietly, letting the investigators lay out their findings.
many elders have secret rooms and even further secret homes here and elsewhere. There are multiple ancillae to elders who can dominate line and it done frequently. the Princess says blandly.
"Forgive, but Do any of them have associations with the Trojan war?" The Tremere asks
The princess stops petting the bear for a moment and says The primogen was of a line of Brujah who use dominate and have it as a possible clan discipline. Mr. Mattox was skilled at it and presence also. There are not many kindred who have a connection to the Trojan war directly. There is a story of the jihad saying that two Methuselah and their childer as well as others have been fighting since that time.
"I see. It seems to be a recurring theme in our inspection," He explains.
let's play a bit if you are right this is how the line goes: Menele, Methuselah born of Triole who sired Criatis at the fall of Carthage, Criatis sired three kindred... Which begs the question then could Mattox have been a childer of one of those and been older then he looked and a favorite of Menele or perhaps even watching Menele? The werewolves here made the ring of gold pact... Perhaps Menele had been among them already come over in the early 1400's. It's plausible. So what do you think you will do now to find Mattox and unravel all this? The Princess says after long moments of out loud thought.
The princess turns to leave and then turns back and says I will grant you each a domain in my city of my chosing if you bring me all of the information of what happened. Go speak to Etianne Brule the former Prince of Duluth from the 1700's. He may know more. Go She departs walking next to her bear.
"Right boss. Will do."
Marcel waits for her to be lost from sight and then turns and walks back towards the road. "Have either of you met Etianne Brule?"
He inclines his head to the prince A domain? Amazing. then he snaps out of it, "Etianne Brule? I don't believe I have. I think he was at the gathering but I did not converse with him that I recall and indeed am not sure what he looks like"
"So you have no knowledge of his potential...displeasure..at losing his position? Marcel asks.
"No. But, I don't think anyone likes losing something they got." He didn't like the thought of having to tell no one no how neither.
About three hours of the night have passed at this point.
"I think Ben covers it well. Since when has ANY of our kind cared for losing period?" A frown "We're missing something. I wish I had more than one night to do a proper astrological reading."
"Well, we can go and see if we can meet Mr. Brule. And if that doesn't lead to anything interesting, perhaps you can do your astrology tomorrow."" Marcel says as he moves to find their car and see if the driver could get them to their new target.
The cabbie opens the door and says where to bud?
Marcel settles into the vehicle and says, "We are looking to meet with a Mr. Etianne Bule. We have never had the pleasure of meeting. Do you know anything of Mr. Bule and his normal haunts?" Marcel asks the Nosferatu. The clan was notorious for hiding and spying on others, but were loathe to give up their grand secrets. Marcel could only hope that whatever the Princess had paid him or offered him would make the kindred more likely to aid them.
tell you what. I am getting a boon to get you around to various places as long as you need it. I can take off of that but you will lose transport around for free. What do you say? The cabbie says.
"What kind of boon?" He asks cautiously
the type of boon that impresses my primogen and is a good deal for me. Information costs. I can take you to likely places Brule might be as part of that payment for free. Additional information will cost you like anyone. I will trade information for information or I will take payment in Boons. My sources tell me you folks haven't spent any collateral yet so you are being cautious. It also makes you not connected to pre-station and makes some elders "nervous". I don't care what you all do. The Cabbie says.
Then he thinks and says: you want real juice or tasteless fast food juice? You get the difference in tastes this cost, right?
"Do I get a toy in the box?" Ben brightened up.
Bill the Cabbie opens up his glove box and pulls out a little McDonalds toy and hands it to Old Ben and says sure you did Bud with a smile and you see suckers and other still in th package toys in the glove box.
"I think information will be helpful in time, but I am not sure it is Brule we need to know about. So unless one of the others disagrees, for now I think we will just go and find him. But perhaps we will be interested in trading information or offering a Boon in the future, perhaps even the near future." Marcel says as he looks at his two new companions.
My primogen been running things for the Nos a long time in this town, I will pass up that you might be in the market for information and you tell me when you are ready, He will find you.
Bill says and then starts driving. You come to Shepard Road and the joining of the Mississippi river and the Minnesota river. At the joining is the historic Fort Smelling. You turn and go up the bluff on the road to some mansions overlooking the river and come to an address.
Bill says Brule meets folk here at this house inside the circle of Gold. He might be here.
"I feel far too new to be indebting myself, but it's good to know. Thank you."
Marcel says, "Excellent, we should be back shortly." Marcel exits the car and begins walking up towards the mansion.
Ok. So now we get to go to another place we probably aren't wanted. This is going to be great." His only hand held his new prize as he tore the wrapper with a fang. The man actually seemed pretty happy with his little grimace figure.
When you ring the bell a chime sounds and an older woman comes and lets you in bringing you to a study. In the study are many books as you might expect behind glass and above a hanging garden growing from the second floor down the glass hiding much of the books behind vines. The older woman looks you over with the practiced look of a school teacher with grandma superpowers and says curtly would you like some refreshments while you wait for Mr. Brule?
"Thank you kindly, but no." Craig says
Marcel shakes his head no and then begins look through the vines at the various titles as he waits.
wearing a loose cotton shirt that is stitched by hand and some fringed deerskin pants with a pair of moccasins and a necklace of some beadwork. Brule's face is hawkish and he seems of younger age when he became immortal with dark black glossy hair and a curling mustache and dark blue piercing eyes.
I am Etianne Brule. The Prince called and explained you were coming. How can I help you?
"Ah, Mr. Brule, it is a pleasure to meet you. We hare looking into the where about of Richard Maddox. Unfortunately, the three of us have not met Mr. Maddox before his untimely disappearance, and so the Prince recommended speaking to you about any places you might know of that Mr. Maddox might have gone or any acquaintances he might have confided in before his disappearance." Marcel explains to the elder Kindred.
why how extraordinary. I did not converse much with Mr. Maddox outside official functions that much. His clan and that of the Ventrue were the first to be in Duluth for the fur wars. France, Britian, Canada , and of course later the United States along with our shadowy kind behind them and in some cases helping to rule them came here in their waves. One might state that Mattox was a older Brujah of conservative values and he was helpful in negotiations with the lupines in arranging the treaty for the Ring of Gold around the city and in which all kindred reside. Full credit was given me due to my ability to speak many native American languages and long history with them here.
"I did not realize he had resided here so long. If he was friendly with the lupines did he ever leave the city to converse with them?" Marcel asks as he begins to wonder if more then Kindred played a role in the missing Primogen.
Mr. Mattox was a barrister in England specializing in business law and came in the fur wars to the Duluth area with other Brujah. I crossed the ocean and was active in the area in the 1600's. The Loup Garou spoke with me long before Mattox and the treaty was arranged with some of his legal expertise, however, I always was the one talking with the Loup Garou and the treaty states I will continue to be that one.. Etianne smiles a too toothy grin.
"Ok. So he voted republican and spoke lawyer. Not sure how that helps us." Ben shrugged. This was not his normal wheelhouse.
"Your history is an impressive one, elder." The Tremere says honstly "You and Mr Maddox ... still on equitable terms I hope?"
If you are unsure how my story helps you then perhaps you have failed to listen as closely as one might. I believe I am done speaking for the night concerning my associate Mr. Mattox, the Brujah primogen. You may depart my dwelling now, my hospitality is at an end.
Brule's door opens and the woman arrives and escorts you to the exit.
Marcel exits and stands looking up at the night sky considering the ancient vampires words. "Well, he seems to think he told us what we need to know. And that seems to point towards the fellow Brujah who hold to other ideologies and may have not cared for his conservative decisions. But I am not sure if his fellow Brujah could have controlled the servant so strongly."
"Or we talk to the wolves like he said..."
The cabbie waits for you at the driveways end
Marcel looks at Ben and says, "Where did you get that he suggested we talk to the wolves? He seemed pretty specific that he was the only one who talked to the wolves to this day. Which would indicate that Maddox did not interact with them. What did you get from that?"
"Look, if I was going to tell you I didn't do a thing and I couldn't of done a thing. He definitely didn't die to wolves because I am definitely the only one who knows where they are or how to talk to them. You can completely trust me and look anywhere other than that things that claw at the door... Just saying I think there is a good chance the wolves did it. Would you want the thing you worked for centuries on to be in trouble because someone got rubbed out by a loose cannon? I just don't like it you know."
"Well, I messed up there it seems and upset him" He ponders what he heard but missed the first time. "Ben, ah, if the lupine decide they don't like us, truce or not, we could get shredded."