Chicago by Night (V5)

Game Master Talomyr

Place holder.

The Greater Chicago Welcome Center Introduction:

Greeting traveler, and welcome to the Greater Chicago Welcome Center. We would like to take some time to share a bit of history about our wonderful city. While the city of Chicago was founded in 1833, Native American tribes populated the area previously, specifically the Algonquian peoples. It also was home to the Potawatomi, Miami, and Illinois nations. Chicago was a trade center and home. When French settlers came to the city, the populations of the native tribes diminished from sickness and being forced from their lands…

The Great Calamity of the Age!

An extract from the Chicago Mirror, October 9, 1871

The night of Sunday, October 8th will go down in history as one of the greatest disasters in history. A fire started in the O’Leary barn swept through the city overnight, leaving Chicago in absolute ruin. Most of the businesses in the area are nothing more than smoldering ruins and many citizens are left without homes. The mayor has not been able to comment at this time, as he has been busy helping to organize groups of citizens to help contain the blaze, which is still slowly spreading today. Nobody is certain how this blaze started.

"And that right there is why Chicago is the Second City...not because we are second to anyone, but because when the city burnt to the ground, we said 'F*$& you!" and built it again - literally a Second City."

- Unknown Kindred "Scholar"

Tribute to a Fallen Prince:

Queen Anne Bowesley of London’s Tribute to Prince Lodin of Chicago

We have lost a great friend in the Americas. Most of you knew Lodin, the Prince of Chicago. Unlike many of our kind, he was a great traveler, and regularly visited here and on the Continent. His visits were always a pleasure, and he was the finest of companions. Despite the criticism Anarchs heaped upon him, Lodin acted for the good of all Kindred. Some
may have called his rule harsh, others called him pawn, but our welfare was always paramount in his mind. He defended the Masquerade with incomparable dedication and ability, and protected all those of the Camarilla from our many enemies. His death is a loss we all suffer. Kindred have lost a superb leader, the Camarilla has lost a stalwart protector, and I have lost a dear friend. The world was made a better place by his presence, and a sadder place by his loss.

Lady Anne, Prince of London

A Note to Alexander's Sire, Grimm:

Grimm,

Prince Kevin Jackson

Jack had been trying to meditate in the main room of their little shared space. But all this talk about Lodin and the new Prince cut through the serenity that he had been (unsuccessfully) trying to cultivate. He remains sitting on the ground as he slowly weighs his options. On one hand, I wasn't directly invited. No invitation means maybe I shouldn't show up. On the other hand, that might show fear. After all, as a descendant of Lodin perhaps it is just assumed that I should show up. I should ask Calliope what the proper etiquette for this situation would be. He pulls out his phone, and turns it on. He usually left it off, but was trying to remember to set it to do not disturb instead. He had never quite adapted to smart phones properly. Tapping through it, he sends a short message to Calliope, "Need advice. Back soon?"

"Speaking of..." Calliope murmurs as she awaits Mateo's reply, sliding her phone out of her pocket. She glances at Jack's message briefly before firing off a quick reply, her thumb swiping effortlessly over the digital keyboard. "asap! m is spicy today. "

"Good." Jack gets up to find a seat on a couch instead of the floor, and to wait for his Cotarie-mates return.

Calliope grins at Mateo, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ears delicately. "I'll be there. Meet you there? I'll be wearing velvet and lace." She blows Mateo a kiss, then turns and strides out of the room.

"Free. Omw." Calliope swipes her reply again and taps into another app, ordering herself an Uber to her coterie's haven.

---

Not long after, Calliope steps out of the Uber and out onto the dark Chicago streets, raking her gaze over the building that housed the Scientology church they had infiltrated. She pulled a key card from her pocket, waving it in front of a scanner before stepping into the quiet building and moving with unearthly speed to their haven in the massive complex.

Calliope opens the door and steps through, glancing inside to see who else was there. Just Jack. She thinks, sparing a small smile for her alliterative thought. The vampiress was in her usual dress: skintight black jeans tucked into Doc Martens and a simple black knit shirt. Her long, dark hair is gathered in a braid, a few strands left out to frame her face and curl around the rims of her glasses. An entirely useless accessory in her state, but she was too used to the look to let it go entirely in undeath.

She plops herself down onto the opposite end of the couch Jack sat at, leaning against the arm of the chair. "Are the others coming?" She asks, a raised brow silently asking if he wanted to wait to elaborate on his need for advice or ask her while they were alone.

"None." Alexander waits. Does his sire have more to say? One second. Two sec- He decides he does not care. Gnarled finger presses down the cradle switch and holds. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

Confident he has ended the call, he releases the switch. Dials the number of the church.

A woman thanks him for calling. "Alexander Amarius for Edwin Wagner." Her recorded voice talks over him. Tells him to listen to it because the menu options have recently changed.

A long, thin sigh. Handset carefully replaced in cradle.

He stands, dresses for travel. Dress shirt, khakis. Pullover windbreaker. Warm jacket, tweed cap. Sneakers? No. Duck boots. L. L. Bean. One never knows.

Pocket umbrella stuck in jacket pocket. Finally, notepad and pencil go into pack, alongside wallet, keys, and handkerchief. Pack is belted comfortably above waist.

As prepared as he can be, Alexander leaves his apartment. Elevator down to the street, hails a taxi.

Pulling up to the church, he pays in cash. Replaces his wallet, zips his pack, checks his watch before leaving the cab. At the lobby, he carefully retrieves his security card, enters the haven proper.

He shuffles into the main room. Rheumy eyes peer from under tweed. Calliope and Jack.

"Is he in the study?" Quiet, vague; rhetorical. Alexander plods through, searching for Edwin.

Once he finds Calliope and Jack, he looks up from his device. "Hey guys! Know anything about this big meeting the new boss called? Mr. Wagner and I are tryin' to figure out our best play."

"Edwin and K were here, but stepped out for a minute or two. They should be back soon. Don't know about Amarius."

He sits still for a second. Jack was in his usual clothing as well, comfortable, pragmatic, easy to move in. He carries a 2.5 inch knife, just at the legal limit for carrying, tucked into a boot. He respected Calliope. She might not be physically imposing, but she was wise, quick on her feet. She might not have her finger on the pulse of the cities politics quite as intently as Jack did, but she knew what to do with that information with far greater efficiency than him.

"The new prince," Jack says without any lead in, "Hated Capone. Didn't like Lodin all that much either. You know I don't like to talk much about it, but I'm descended from Lodin. From the Capone side. All the other Ventrue treat me like I'm some sort of child celebrity who's going to grow up to do great things. Hell, it isn't even only Ventrue, I've had random Kindred ask me for advice at the Succubus Club before." He takes another second to pause before continuing, wishing that he could still take a sip of water. It's evident that he finds this whole thing tedious.

"I didn't get an invitation to the coronation. But I might just be expected to go. Then again, who knows what the Prince's stance on Capone's distant descendants are? I'm 3 generations removed from him, but some of the older Kindred's hatred runs deep. You're better at this whole etiquette stuff than I am, should I avoid this whole damn thing like I want to, or drag myself over?"

===
After the others arrive...
Jack smiles thinly. "Hello Gentlemen, how has the evening been treating you?"

The nosferatu. Jack liked their strength. It's just too bad that they were so damn ugly. He tried not to judge... but it was difficult sometimes. No social skills on this one either. Still, he was interesting to have around.

And the thin blood. K. Jack had no feelings one way or another towards the thin-bloods, certainly not sharing in the extreme hatred/prejudice towards them that the majority of his clan indulged in. They barely seemed like vampires to him; after all K could even go out in the sun. Still, he liked the cheerful man. Not as much as Calliope, but it takes all sorts to make the world go around, right?

"Any other descendants snubbed with an invite?" Calliope asks, swinging her legs up onto the couch and stretching them out before her, her posture relaxing as she considers the dilemma. Jack wasn't much older than her, but he was stronger. Well-connected.

The artist pauses, tilting her head back and staring at the ceiling in thought. "Keep in touch with any of Capone's other descendants? The ones who are left alive, at least." She pauses again, shifting to look at Jack appraisingly. "You were left untouched for a reason...Give me a minute to roll this around in my head."

Ok, new girl question: Is this a situation where an Etiquette roll might be beneficial? ST, how would you like us to handle rolls - wait until you request them or roll in anticipation? If I understand it correctly, I would roll 2d10 (since I have 2 dots in Etiquette) vs the difficulty? When I was reading the rulebook, I got the impression that this game requires far fewer rolls than Pathfinder/D&D, so I'm treading in new territory. :P

Callipe, go ahead and give me Intelligence + Ettiquette, keeping in mind your Hunger level of 1. (See my post in the discussion thread).

"I don't keep up with the descendants of Lodin all that much. Most of them are elitist a%!!+%+s. And I wasn't exactly on good terms with my sire; I don't keep close tabs on them." He waits patiently to see what Calliope comes up with.

Intelligence + Etiquette: 3d10 ⇒ (4, 8, 2) = 14
Hunger 1: 1d10 ⇒ 4

Good first showing. ;P

Edwin grins at K's enthusiasm as he gets up and blows out of the Library. While he passes Alexander, Edwin pauses in the hall to speak.

"Good evening Alexander, can I guess that your drop in tonight, at this very moment, is related to the Prince's missives? Has he also called you to attend?"

Calliope nods and then shrugs again, taking on the pained expression of "Ehhhhh, I don't really know...!" before replying: "Honestly, it's probably just because you're so young. I wasn't directly invited either. My sire was, and he told me to be there."

"I think it's worth it to go. If only for the spectacle. But...I think absences will be noticeable. Mateo almost didn't go," She adds. "It'd be stupid to miss it, I think. Observe. Feel out who is for or against all this. See if our new Prince will be announcing a new world order or some s!%~."

Why not...

Hunger for Political Knowledge: 1d10 ⇒ 2

Hmmmm...lol

Jack nods. "You'll be there then? Good." He says that with finality, as if that was the final straw that helped him make his choice. "Did you see where Amarius shuffled off to? If he found Edwin, we should probably talk to them about going."

Calliope had spared a smile and a wave to Alexander as he had hobbled past, her smile welcoming. Despite his wizened appearance, she liked the intelligent, calculating Nosferatu.

"Down the hall," She replies, rising fluidly from her seat on the couch to see what the others were thinking alongside Jack.

Jack and Calliope head off down the hallway towards the study to see what thoughts the others might have on the situation, arriving to find Edwin and Alexander engaged in conversation in the hallway. Further down the hall, K sits in the library.

"You two get the invite as well?" Calliope asks as she approaches Edwin and Alexander. She rests a hand on one hip, peeking around their shoulders into the library where K's silhouette is visible. "What are we thinking?"

Edwin turns to Calliope and smiles, "Yes.

I also intend to seek the counsel of my Regent".

Alexander shuffles back, hat in hands. Gives everyone some room. Mainly himself.

A murmur. "Zugzwang." A look at his watch. "When are you asking this Regent? Shouldn't decide until we know all we can."

"It is unclear if the Prince will bear any animosity towards me because of my sire." Jack volunteers. "If I am going, then K might as well, and visa versa."

"Unless your Regent is going to warn us of a possible massacre...I'll be there," Calliope replies dryly. "My sire wants me there." The coterie had heard tales and even seen Mateo's famous temper tantrums once or twice in their time together and though Calliope chafed at Mateo's control, she had no desire to draw his ire.

"K and Jack are with us," She states, raising her eyebrows meaningfully at the gathered group. "But if your Regent has more information to offer...I'll never turn that down."

Hearing a conversation behind him, K heads back the other way.

"Hey guys! Talking about this big meeting the new boss called? Mr. Wagner and I were tryin' to figure out our best play." He puts his phone away. "I'm up for takin' a risk, unless, y'know, it's obvious this guy is planning to wreck some sanguinarily disadvantaged kindred just to flex."

The sound of an engine revving comes from K's pocket, and without a thought he pulls out his phone and checks his messages. "Ah man, there's gonna be a massive meet tomorrow night. I hope this Navy Pier thing doesn't go too long." He looks up. "Car meet, I mean."

"Very well then. I guess we are settled to attend as a Coterie.

Is there any other business to discuss otherwise my friends?"

While somewhat curious about the car meet, Edwin does not follow up, even as a Mortal, cars were never the focus of his interest, just a tool to be utilized as needed.

"Is anyone familiar with the area?" Jack asks. "An exit plan might be a good idea if things go poorly."

"Is anyone familiar with the area?" Jack asks. "An exit plan might be a good idea if things go poorly."

Edwin shakes his head, "If this goes poorly, we will be in the presence of the Prince and his minions. They are all older and more powerful than we are. Escape is unlikely if not impossible".

"Well, keep us in the loop, then, Edwin." Calliope says, adjusting her glasses before turning her gaze to their cult leader.

"Wanna try to meet up again tonight once you have the info?" This, the vampiress directs to the whole group, raising one thick, sculpted eyebrow. "I have little planned for the night--aside from finding something to eat, that is. Perhaps some of us can see about going to one of the clubs or bars to get a feel for what others are thinking tonight?" She suggests, at a bit of a loss for ideas until they had more information.

Edwin nods, "Of course!

What is the use of advice if I do not disseminate?"

He listens as Calliope continues, [b]"That certainly sems sensible. Hearing the rumors on the street may be helpful to determining the Prince's mood.

I suppose this is common practice once one has consolidated power, display of that power otherwise how can the rest of us know if he truly has gained control?"['b]

K perks up at Calliope's suggestion. "Yeah, the word on the street," he agrees with Edwin, his expression serious.

Clubbing!

"You want me to get us a car for the night?" he asks Calliope and Jack.

Calliope shrugs, but nods along with Edwin. "I'm more familiar with the way things go here in the States, but the history books sure seem full of these sorts of situations... people who've just grabbed power need to put it on display."

She grins, turning her attention to K, and chuckles softly. If their thin-blooded friend had a tail, it would have been wagging at the suggestion of hitting the clubs. "I'm down for whatever," She says, glancing at Jack to gauge his feelings on it. "I'd just be Ubering otherwise."

"Yes. Fine. Clubs. I'll go with you." Jack seems slightly annoyed, but not at his cotarie-mates. He does recognize that other people find him attractive, and that he had status as one of Lodin's descendants. And sometimes people talk around people that they find attractive or important.

"Are we bringing Amarius? He would probably be better off digging for information outside clubs."

Edwin's car arrives to take him to the Chantry to meet with DuSable. While the three younger vampires consider hitting up the club scene.

Known clubs that cater to vampiric clientele or purely mortal fare?

Alexander, what would you like to do? Go with the club-kids? Hang around and wait for Edwin's return? Something else entirely?

Navy Pier... Hat begins to turn in hands.

"Are we bringing Amarius? He would probably be better off digging for information outside clubs."

"Quite right, Jack." A rasp. "Quite right. I will look elsewhere."

Hat back on head, shuffles to exit. Hails taxi.

Alexander will go to the university library to research Navy Pier. On the way he thinks on what he already knows. Any old features that might be overlooked/forgotten as escape routes? Military access, bootlegger tunnels, etc?
Intelligence 3 + Academics 3: 5d10 ⇒ (10, 6, 7, 9, 3) = 35 Hunger: 1d10 ⇒ 5
Chicago History specialty?: 1d10 ⇒ 9