The others drinking revive
Mei looks appalled, "Who drank it all? We didn't have to kill him!" Aghast.
the hunger pulls at him, but Michael can't bring himself to follow it--he watches everyone else descend on the fallen man.
"...oh, what the actual f~@$ing f&@*?!" He growls in a mix of anger and disgust, backing away.
Natalie looks ashamed, "Not that it helps, but I only took a little and... sorry, baby."
Tiffany says "What's it matter? We're all monsters now right?" Clearly the Sabbat killing her and burying her have ..done a number on her.
Lawrence turns to his sister to state matter-o-factly. "In-ter-ior Croc-odile All-i-ga-tor. I drive a Chev-ro-let mo-vie thea-tre.""
His sister arches a brow, "I'd argue, but one of us has been shooting out a snake tongue into people so what do I know?" dark humor, but at least it's humor.
He turns to Kelly, "Let's go in".
"Sure." Kelly says "Lock and load yee frickin haw."
Dylan opens the door and sees signs of rather exquisite interior... that's been something of a warzone. Fine marble cracked with blood stains adorning it, pedestals with busts of founders or whoever of this 'lodge' toppled over. Some sort of entry hall
As for Sue... she hears a voice in her head "... proving you are on our side will go a long way. Just saying."
Dylan heads in, cautiously and once again -
She steps forward with stealth.
6 successes
Sue tries to note all around her with her senses.
Michael growls and starts to follow the others inside. He didn't like it, but there were priorities to take care of.
His hands ball into fists and shake like crazy.
Lawrence's neck twitches as a tremble races from one hand to the other, contracting his finger muscles. "T-t-time t-to head in-nn." The rush from having fired his weapon again was causing him to tic rapidly. After a breath, he steadies his hands and returns to gripping his weapon as he creeps forward.
The grand entrance seems mostly empty as you slip into it, at least at first, but a side door can be seen open and you all approach it with varying degrees of caution.
You hear voices in there
"you traitorous son of a @#$##" A harsh whisper "You're actually going to surrender and offer your services? We are still bound to our masters"
Another voice speaks up, "Jasper, YOU maybe bound, but my master got destroyed in a Sabbat attack. Our other 'masters' " One can almost hear the air quotes before seeing them, "Ran, leaving a handful of gargoyles and US to fight to defend what's left. Not all of us are fighters. Anarchs maybe Lawless, but I'll take my chance with them over the Sabbat anyday, thanks. Now put the gun down, and let me be..."
"Screw you, Milton." Jasper snarls.
Those peeking in from the hallway through that spot see two other people, dressed much like the man that got dropped off to be drained. However, they're not as big as that bruiser was. That said, the gun in 'Jasper's hand is locked and loaded. Jasper is a fit enough fellow with a wild look in his eyes bordering on religious outrage. He's green eyed and blonde headed... and about to shoot the other guy.
Milton looks almost as nerdy as his name. Bald, large glasses that make hsi eyes even more owl like, and he's clutching notes to his chest as if they were liquid gold.
For others on the right side of hallway, there's a different prize. A corpse in a corner, already quite dead by violence. He fell face first but the very perceptive might notice there's some neckware on him that has fallen to the side. It was if he was drawing it out to ward someone off like a cross being used against vampires in a movie (Ironic that) but it is no crucifix. Rather it is an amulet with teardrop shapes in dark blue, white, light blue and black, with a yellow/gold edge.
Dylan isn't interested in jewelry and moves to the doorway, reacting, it's just what he does!
Dylan activate Celerity, streaks in, and tries to disarm Jasper, first by placing him in a full nelson.
Action 1 - Dexterity+Brawl DC 7 Grapple - 4 Successes.
Suitably Grappled, Dylan wraps his Asp Tongue around Jasper's neck, with the tip of his tongue flickering at the man's eyeball!
Action 2 - Dexterity+Brawl DC 6 - 9 successes
"Drop the gun and I won't eat your brains...."
Lawrence studies the jewelry a bit. Alas, he's no idea what it is.
Sue immediately rushes towards the corpse in the corner and tries to sweep the shadow that she saw off their legs.
Dylan doesn't give Jasper a chance, moving on with the metaphorical (And appropriate) speed and accuracy of a cobra. Jasper doesn't even get his gun's shot off before Dylan has him in a full nelson and a tongue against him.
That said, the guy IS strong, despite the heat from his body that proves he is not ordinary. "No, no!" Jasper squirms "Anarch trash! No one crosses the Tremere, no one!"
Dylan's sister helps him, taking the gun away, "We're making friends along the way" She says wryly.
Milton, the bald fellow, still clutches the notes to his chest "Thank you. My name is Milton, and I'm happy to sell out if it means I continue to get a steady supply of vitae." Straight and to the point.
Lawrence admires the jewelry, this means something... no, too tear drop shaped to involve crop circles. Illuminati, the tear from the all seeing eye? Rarely depicted. Not likely... mmmm
Sue isn't sure what the amulet represents. No doubt her sister would.
Then she sees the skulking figure, and leg sweeps him or her before they can make a move!
The scrawny goth guy is a better hider than a fighter and crumbles to the floor clutching at his leg "oh #$#$, oh #$#$#. I'm dead. I'm dead."
Sue looks at the figure, studying his features and the emotion painted across them.
“Who are you?“ Sue demands, the cold authority in her voice contrasting sharply with the controlled chaos of the situation.
"Salem, my name is.. I mean, that's what I call myself" The guy answers, still holding onto his leg "Let me out of this place, okay?"
Dylan sighs "so you choose death" and drives his tongue into the man's mouth.
Dexterity+Brawl DC 6
Damage -
Dylan drinks deeply once again.
This time, his tongue does not pierce.
"Dylan" His sister puts a hand on his shoulder, "We can't go killing everyone. It costs us, remember? We staked that stone looking guy. We can put this one on ice. Maybe in the trunk where that Tiffany girl was?"
"Sis, I'm not sure this guy is one of us..."
He does feel warm. He struggles still "I will never betray the masters!"
Milton says "jasper does not speak for me. Look, we're both ghouls, it's just he's a bit more..brainwashed than I am."
"If we stake this guy we'll kill him. We got Milton, what do we need this guy for?"
He holds his tongue at bay for Kelly's reply, but it circles, well, like a snake. He spins the guy around and stares into his eyes...
Jasper suddenly finds Dylan enchanting as his eyes take on the subtle appearance of gold with a pearlescent sheen.
"Relax Jasper, no need for the gun. Kelly seems to like you, no one's asking you to betray anyone. Hell, we don't even know who the hell you're talking about".
"The Cham-meleon's tongue is ski-lled at m-more than f-feasting as w-well I s-see." Lawrence regards the conversation but gravitates toward the amulet, picking it up.
Sue just observes the scene. At we really doesn’t want to do harm without reason.
Michael gives Dylan a disgusted glare.
"...f$#@ing hell..."
The gun... drops
"It's about keeping that Beast thing at bay, brother," Dylan's sister says "Fewer folks we kill the better our souls would be and.." She glances at the guy who died by being over feeding "Some of us are overstepping as it is. We're supposed to kill Sabbat. This guy? Not sure what a 'Tree Mere' is but that aint' them"
Milton feels a bit drawsn but manages "You don't know who the Tremere are? How.. new are you all?"
"Well, some of us were literally born yesterday, so out with it."
"Well, some of us were literally born yesterday, so out with it."
"If legends are true, Clan Tremere weren't always vampires, they were once wizards, actual spell casting wizards... but they saw magic fading, and decided instead to seek out a way to become vampires. They managed it, and in trying to ape the magic they once hand, turned to thaumaturgy.. which mostly runs on blood but is.. highly versatile. THAT is quite real. The Tremere are feared and distrusted by most other clans, but they are a pillar of the camarilla. They hide their secrets well though. In fact, they value their magical secrets more than they do the gargoyles or their ghouls. They left me and Jasper here as expendable . It's like your drug dealer leaving you high and dry for the incoming swat team."
"Sis, this guy was gonna shoot Milton here in cold blood, and for what, to keep the trust of a bunch of blood suckers that left them both high and dry. Am I supposed to have mercy for a guy like that?
Tell me Milton, would Jasper really rather die than betray your old Masters. And what do you mean by drug dealers, you all junkies or something?"
"I th-think th-that was a m-meta-ph-phor." Lawrence winds towards the lizard-mages, amulet in hand. "P-probably shouldn't k-kill the s-sage-scales. Y-yet." Lawrence waves about the amulet, and addresses the less-brainwashed one. "What is this?"
Jasper stays riveted. Dylan's sister frowns, seeing her brother's point.
Milton answers , "Sister? Wow. Families are rarer, unless you're Giovanni or maybe Ventrue." He looks about, clearly observant "More than one of you looks related to the other. Man, this is a new switch for anarchs. Oh right right, the question: Jasper took to the bloodbond like a hooker to blow. Honestly even if you detoxed him off vampire vitae, that's.. the blood of you guys, he'd probably stay their patsy. I'm a patsy too, but I handle the bond better I guess. To answer your question more simply. Vampire blood aka 'vitae' has of power in it. In addition to turning the recently dead and drained into vampires in what they call the 'embrace'...if you feed it to a living being, it stops aging as long as they get it regularly, it makes them a bit stronger. And... three different drinks of a Kindred... that's the camarilla term for vampire.. 3 doses at three different times , make a mortal bond to you. It's anything from from what feels like love to worship ... and I got to tell you, it feels fantastic. Useful for keeping the masquerade going."
"I th-think th-that was a m-meta-ph-phor." Lawrence winds towards the lizard-mages, amulet in hand. "P-probably shouldn't k-kill the s-sage-scales. Y-yet." Lawrence waves about the amulet, and addresses the less-brainwashed one. "What is this?"
Milton looks at it, "Huh, that's a Nazar'an amulet of Middle eastern origin. They date all the way back to Mesopotamia in tradition. They're used to ward off the Evil Eye. This one might be an actual talisman of sorts , that is, it might work. I don't know. I thought the Tremere had taken all the remotely worthwhile things out of here."
Meanwhile, Natalie looks around, still using her keen senses, and then says "That new girl, Sue? She's gone. I think she went back out."
Samantha shrugs "I guess she didn't trust us."
Mei , however , is more caught up in reporter mode now, "This is fantastic, a secret conspiracy of vampires is one thing, but Ex Wizards? And I can't report on any of it? How did this evade us for so long?"
Dylan turns to the group, "So then I guess we tie Jasper up and let our... whatever they hell they are to us, decide if he lives or dies.
Milton, is there any rope or zip ties around here?
Come to think about it, is there anyone else even here?"
"Zip ties? No. We have chains and ropes somewhere" Milton answers , then at the question of if anyone else is here "Sabbat and Anarchs maybe fighting upstairs. I'm not sure. I figured I'd avoid the former and turn myself over to the latter."