Geoffroi bears the brunt of the bestial Canite, his pale flesh rending from the fury of the creature’s wicked claws
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Geoffroi, seeing Dunstan engaged, pivots to try and assist Michele fend off his other attacker. He whirls his blade in a flash of steel
Venice by Night - Sunday - April 6, 1309 the Doge's Palace - ENDGAME Geoffroi feels time slow as the vampires around him move with preternatural speed. He swiftly moves towards Sir Dunstan, his Broadsword ready to strike
Geoffroi looks about, sword held at the ready “Plots within plots within plots. You Canites have eternity at your fingertips and you play politics like courtiers at Paris “ He looks at the others “Lord Bion strikes me as one who seems fairly disinterested in power for its own sake. But I am a poor judge of motivations in this changed state” He looks at Sir Dunstan “If you are not going to the Pope to reveal our existence, then I am content to part ways in peace. I have no love for cowardly elders, scheming courtiers, zealot knights, or the whole lot. Perhaps I shall inquire of Lord Bion about how one creates a subterranean underwater lair to hide from the world. A few centuries of study would do my soul some good I fain”
Geoffroi understands none of this politicking and is certainly ready to go Ham .. Mar that is
Venice by Night - Sunday - April 6, 1309 Race to the Doge's Palace & Arrival - ENDGAME Geoffroi whirls and draws his sword reflexively AMBUSCADE! His mind shrieks, as unwonted visions of screaming Saracen warriors boiling out of hidden spots momentarily fill his vision. He looks around for these new foe
Geoffroi feels the pale fire of battle madness settle upon his senses, somewhat different in his new state - somehow paler yet harder- as if his furies had been crystallized into sharp razors of diamond. He feels no hormonal surge, rather a cold predatory fury to kill
Geoffroi is well pleased with his new retainers and he sends them out with his thanks. he stands at the ready, listening to the war plans as they are discussed "I would think that the minute the Magisterium gets incontrovertible proof of creatures such as ourselves, there will be a holy crusade called such that will make what was done to the Cathars, Albigensians, or my Order look like child's play." Geoffroi looks grave "We must prevent Dunstan at all costs from increasing his coterie."
Sorry, no. As we discussed earlier, I am still having life issues. I am here though. I will post up and try to keep an eye on things
For those of you that have not, please place your Blood Point totals in you profile where I can see them when you post, let me know if you need me to explain how to do that :-) I could certainly use a refresher
Venice by Night - Sunday - April 6, 1309 Narses Haven on Sant'Erasmo - …So fer them tha' vitae is literally ther' life".[/b] Geoffroi nods “Just so. This existence holds many surprises “ He surveys the three ghouls who approach him. Although this ritual is strange and .. well .. ghoulish… it is not all that different in tone than some rituals of fealty he has seen. He speaks with the three, inquiring of them and their service to the Prince, and if they felt comfortable transferring their fealty to him. “I am a simple man. I have commanded men in the past, and the one thing that I value most in my subordinates is honesty. That includes the honesty to say when I am in the wrong. I need good counsel as well as strong arms and sharp eyes. Grant me this, and we shall prevail against our enemies “ If none demur, Geoffroi will perform the rite, taking as much blood as he needs to fill his reserves and give the ghouls their share
Venice by Night - Sunday - April 6, 1309 Narses Haven on Sant'Erasmo - Geoffroi leans into Andrew and whispers to the elder Salubri "I am unsure what is transpiring here. Could you make it clear to me? What is on offer? What do these servants wish of us? Vitae? Life?"
Actually that sounds good for Geoffroi too :)
I’ll get Geoffroi leveled this AM
Venice by Night - Sunday - April 6, 1309 Streets of Venice - Geoffroi laughs quickly and grabs the rope at his turn “I am new enough at this existence that a rope is well enough for me “
Venice by Night - Sunday - April 6, 1309 Streets of Venice - Geoffroi nods to the others as he rejoins the party “It is good to be back amongst allies”
Hello all. I’m about 170 posts behind, but I will see if I can catch up soonish. The explanation for my absence is a long and sad story - I won’t bore you with the details. I’ll try to see if I can get back into the swing of things
My apologies for my long absence. I will be trying to catch up this weekend.
Venice by Night - Saturday - April 5, 1309 Assault on the Knights - .... Geoffroi looks at Andrew and reluctantly draws his hand away from his pommel. Despite his enhanced strength, his hauberk is a heavy weight on his shoulders "Aye. Parley. For now." Geoffroi scans the surroundings thouroughly, searching for any signs of an ambuscade
Geoffroi nods “I too am more of a direct fighter than a stealthy creeper. I will accompany Andrew with wherever he goes”
Geoffroi frowns as Dr Cappelli relates what occurred while they slept. He shudders to think he was insensate during the invasion of their resting place. he thinks to himself “These are bad tidings indeed! And they further indicate why we must deal with these hunters before any of the other … political… matters can be addressed. We have been arguing how to arrange the furniture while the house burns down. “
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - All Together Now
Geoffroi shakes his head sadly "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?"
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - All Together Now Geoffroi is horrified at this knowledge. He has listened about the effects of this spiritual cannibalism Canites indulge in. He saw it firsthand with the mad angel Talisman. He stares at Bernardo with thinly disguised disgust. "Do you not know you will carry that sin for however long your ...life continues? And that you now live with whomever you ...ate? What possible benefit would that accrue you?"
Geoffroi attempts to talk to Andrew away from the others if possible *whisper*”My friend, I am new at this aura reading we can do. I think something is not right with Bernardo. His aura almost seems … infected ”
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - All Together Now
Geoffroi nods “A good place to start. Who is this harbinger? What is known of him? What powers does he possess? I have heard tell that her childer Gottsdam literally possesses mortals? Is this correct? If so, how do you counter such a power? How do you even detect him?”
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - All Together Now Geoffroi looks interested “It seems that the identity of this Canite ancient is shrouded in mystery. In my days as an assistant librarian at the Occultabula, I found that when researching a subject it is best to list what facts we do know and proceed from there” He raises a mailed hand and spreads his fingers. He then curls one down for each point “Imprimus: This Khay’tall was bringing an ancient Canite out of the East “ “Secundus: The identity of this ancient is not known, but could possibly be the fabled Lantla.” “Tertius: This ancient is reputed to have enough power to control the city by force of will alone, despite no coterie or minions.” “Quartus: There exists a scroll that if deciphered could perhaps name this elder, or at least help to understand her origins.” “Quintus: The intention and goals of this elder are unknown, and quite possibly opposed to our own.” Geoffroi looks at his hand, devoid of raised fingers “Have I missed any other information? “
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - All Together Now Geoffroi stands quietly, ears tuned to the conversation. He assumes that this is part of the discussion about the scrolls, but is glad Lorenzo asks for qualification. Is this She the Elder Canite Lantla Xing had mentioned in her long exposition?
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose NPCs - Alejandro, Xing, Vitaliano & Andrew. PCs - Alessandro, Geoffroi Spoiler:
Geoffroi frowns at Alejandro “Do you think erasing those scrolls will somehow erase the danger they represent? Knowledge once learned is like a weed. You can pull it free from the earth, burn a field of it, salt the soil, and it will still grow back. All you do is deprive us of tactical knowledge by doing so.” He nods to Xing “I agree with the lady Xing. We need to know what we face. Everyone keeps talking about how we need to discover root causes and the puppet masters. Fine and good. Then why destroy such an ancient and valuable resource as these scrolls? How else are we to determine who exactly pulls the strings from the shadows? “
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - . "How quickly can we spread rumor I wonder, or lead sections of the inquistion away from their post? A frame job on some third party we do not favor?" *Wheels within wheels within wheels* Geoffroi thinks to himself, listening to the litany of players in the political game. Ancient Romans, an Eternal Senate, Great Byzantium an experiment in Canite politics. It seems he has much studying to do the get up to speed on who is who! “As for leading the inquisitors away, I would think it would be easy to strike quickly and flee. Throw a rock at the hornets nest and see what flies out. The agitators flee, hopefully with a the inquisitors in full reckless pursuit. Then, the inquisitors are led either on a merry chase, or into an ambuscade if one can be arranged. “We hit quick and hard and then fade into the shadows of Venice. Perhaps we dive into the canals. These hunters might have fell powers, but I assume they still need to breathe. If we can keep picking at them without getting in a stand up melee, we can bleed them without much danger to ourselves. “
Geoffroi nods at this “It is a sound strategy. Whether or not this Narses murder was tied to the hunters we face, they do have to be dealt with. I suggest we take the more martial of our group and turn the tables on the hunters and make them the hunted. Then, perhaps those who are wiser in the plots and machinations surrounding La Serenissima can try to come at the problem the other way”
He pauses for a second and then continues “I am not advocating a direct confrontation with the hunters. We do not know enough of their strength and powers. However, if we can draw them into an ambuscade, or send them haring off on some wild goose chase, perhaps we can thin their numbers and keep them occupied enough that they do not bother the others as they do their work. And, perhaps, we can take a prisoner or two in the process”
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - Geoffroi frowns “You will pardon me. I still have not acclimated to the mores and laws of this dark society. I myself was both pawn and knight in the last crusades. I saw Philip move against my whole order and persuade the Pope to abet his treachery. I cannot even imagine what it is like to wage war if millennia-old tacticians from the Ancient Greeks and Romans held the hidden strings.” He sighs “It’s amazing how Destiny plays with us. All I ever wanted to do is fight for my bread and read the occasional book”
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - Geoffroi nods “Having seen the politics that seem to be rife among people of our … nature, I agree that any of those are possible. However, all the politicking in the world will avail us not should a group of knights slam ash stakes into our hearts and cart us back the Eternal City”
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - Geoffroi nods at the Ventrue “It is very important that we watch the entire forest, not just the trees. You raise legitimate concerns. However, in a battle, the troops in the front must be dealt with before the generals. I think, reading the tactical situation, that there are guiding hands. However, we will need information to uncover their identities. So, my counsel is thus: We meet these hunters and disperse them. We attempt to take prisoners. Using the powers I have seen, I am certain we can interrogate any prisoners effectively. Thus we slay two foes with one thrust. We clear the hunters off the board, and , God willing, we obtain the identities of those who use the hunters as cats paws. “
Geoffroi looks at Andrew “The man who called Baldemar a friend is dead. Baldemar approached me and wove a sad tale of not remembering what had happened to him. Obviously, he was a victim of machinations beyond his control, but I still resent the fact that my charitable instincts towards a fellow knight led me to the condition I currently exist in” His frown deepens “Or do you think that he would spare either of us if we fell into his hands? I warned him to leave Venice. He obviously declined. He is as much a danger in his way as Sir Dunstan. Had he decided to head back to more northern climes, that would be one thing. Here, he knows who we are, WHAT we are, and likely works hard to thwart us and our kind. “
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose -
Geoffroi starts at the name of his old acquaintance. He turns to Andrew “I would have hoped the same thing. In fact, I warned him to do so. He knows altogether too much of our … kin. Including the two of us” Geoffroi broods darkly. Finally he speaks “He is the reason I am here now rather than back at my home in Marseilles. He entangled me in this whole business. I would still breathe if it were not for him. If he remains to hunt us, I will not hesitate to end him”
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 Inside The Blue Mongoose - Geoffroi mind is a whirl with talk of politics he knows little of. These Canites make the Byzantine court look like a village moot! He hears Sir Dunstan’s name and latches onto it “Sir Dunstan is the most clear and present danger to us all. His knowledge of our … condition and his allegiance to the forces that hunt us will be our undoing if we do not stop him. The power of Mother Church and her Inquisitors should not be ignored. Should he and his confreres convince a wider section of the Magisterium of our existence, we will face much peril”
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 OUTSIDE The Blue Mongoose - Geoffroi maintains his stolid silence, staying at Andrew’s side. He opens up his new-found power to augment his normally-sharp senses
Geoffroi grimaces as the two innocents are drained of blood and turned to ash. His conscience makes a small sound in the back of his mind, but he is a scion of a ruthless breed of men raised in a ruthless time. He does not dwell overlong on the fate of these two Venetians. They have no kinship ties with him. On the gondola ride, he attends Andrew, and stays vigilant as they slowly travel the magnificent dank canals of Venice. There are many avenues of attack available for those with the sorts of supernatural powers that he has seen in the past few days. He watches both the distant rooftops and the fetid waters of the canals for any sign of movement. Arriving at this Blurred Mongoose, he stays close to Andrew, hand on his longsword's hilt. He does not know the man they accost, but he assumes it is one of the other Canites that were involved in the conclave they have all spoken of. He assumes the mien of a man at arms, hoping that his hauberk and nasal helm will help others to discount him as a player in the drama. He stays close to Andrew's side, but does his best to stay in the background, ever watchful for any surprise guests.
I’m good with making another Salubri. I think this time I’d like to begin already a vampire though. Poor Geoffroi is only a few days into Undeath in game time.
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 The Business of Michael Santos - Onfroi sighs, "The Beast allowed him to justify their deaths for his greater ends, I presume to rescue or find his family in Paris. Do Mortals not do the same? Did we Crusaders not use much the same logic to wage war on the Saracen and they upon the Infidel? I do not believe this is the Beat within Cainites but the very same Beast that beats in the heart of every man". Geoffroi nods “Ruthless pragmatism is hardly the sole provenance of Canites. I saw it in our Crusader kingdoms, where any weakness was often a death warrant. I saw it in France, where the king used the Templar’s weakness to overthrow us and loot our coffers and confiscate our property. If either had a use for blood, there would be a lot of drained corpses scattered from Brussels to Jerusalem “
Venice by Night - Friday - April 4, 1309 The Business of Michael Santos -
As Geoffroi advances into the dock area, he pauses at one of the gondolas and inspects the corpse within, hoping to find a clue as to their demise or the killer
Geoffroi frowns. Even as a mortal, the reek of death was a familiar companion, one he had dealt with since he came to manhood as a squire on the blood-soaked fields of Normandy and then the Outremer. However, the … staging seems purposeful. Was whoever did this sending a message? If so, what was the message and to whom was it addressed? “I shall scout the area, in case there are any unpleasant surprises besides these poor wretches” He unsheathes his sword and advances into the dock area, alert for danger
Geoffroi listens and nods "I am new to the politics of our kind, but they seem little different than the politics of living men. We all make compromises with our morality to survive. I saw this in the Outremer, and in France."
Geoffroi nods. Although he is intensely interested in the scrolls, he is a practical man “I agree with Brother Onfroi. These scrolls and whatever information they carry are no use to us if we are …. Erm …. Truly dead.” He subconsciously lays a hand on his sword’s hilt “Let us rally our allies and deal with this threat. For I am certain our enemies do the same at this moment “
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