Joel shrugs, "Well there must be some way we can assist with that endeavor then".
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Joel frowns, "While we appreciate the welcome the true question becomes, to what have we pledged our loyalty and how exactly can we strike back at these bastards!?"
Joel's eyes narrow, "We have returned from the pits of the Founders, the least you could do is give us the courtesy of a face to face meeting. While our beginnings were not under the best of circumstances, the tender mercies of Hardestadt and his lackeys convinced us that, since we've nowhere else to turn, this would be better than to greet the sun".
Joel frowns and his eyes light up with electric energy in a nimbus.
Joel pushes through the hall to the main room and peers into the gloom, holding Rodrigo's arm semi-dragging him through.
"Well, we're here. Let's head in and bring Roderigo with us. I think since he was my man I will claim him as mine once we do get in there. Well Daniel, I would say that your assist with helping us escape should make you just as valuable an asset as the rest of us". Joel gets out and commands Roderigo to step down, "Get those horses tied off, then you are coming inside with us, old friend".
"Escaping the Founders was easier than it perhaps should have been, if they followed us and there is confrontation we had better be ready to have each others backs. If we are caught between these older monsters, I say we all jump out the same window and set the damned place on fire..." Joel does not know it but you can all see, his face has changed yet again.
"Well, we're out of there as luck would have it. To our Sires I guess is our only option now eh?"
"Alright Rodrigo, you handle the carriage and we will stay in the carriage. Proceed slowly got it?"
"That's remarkable! What luck, can any of us drive this? Perhaps you Rodrigo?"
"Now that is an excellent idea, carriages first my friend".
Joel nods in agreement asking Justin, "Do we need to order him to stay quiet and follow us as well?" "For sure we will have to get a carriage to get away from this place I would suspect".
Joel stares at Rodrigo, who was once his Retainer, hoping that Justin's gamble pays off!
Joel grimaces and allows it to happen, Not like we've much choice it seems. As a kid I thought it might be nice to travel to the past, this sucks worse than the future!
Joe nods at the briefing and tries to hold back his amazement at what he is learning, This is all so surreal...
Joel nods at the Elder's suggestion.
Joel nods calming down, "Alright. OK, I mean what are the odds it happens again right? Maybe I can do something about it myself, I've developing what I think is a new magic power to affect my flesh, maybe it will help with my face..."
"Yer kiddin' right? Look at my f#+~ing face, what the hell is happening to me?!" Jole is not a man that panics but he is freaked out both by his appearance changing and by the face of the dead man that he now dons in an uncontrollable manner.
"Alright then, when do we head out?" He looks to Mistress Fanchon with a come hither type of look.
"Yeah, ok sure Justin". Joel cracks his neck and heads in behind the others. At Hardestadt's statement Joel raises an eyebrow, "Then I suppose if they just kill us right then and there you've lost nothing? How do we tell them we escaped? With Rodrigo's assistance?"
Joel looks at the face of a man who died when he was in the army, his eyes well up in red tears as this was his first friend in the Service who died in active duty. "What is this? Why... why is this happening..." He stares, transfixed at this, his own image.
Joel shakes his head, "Uh. I look like I always look. Don't I? Joel starts looking for a mirror or any reflective surface...
Joel gives Daniel an odd look. When Justin repeats the question he responds gruffly, "Joel. What the hell is wrong with the two of you tonight?"
The nights disappears and the sun rises bringing a fitful sleep to Joel, as he makes his way to teh Great Hall, unbeknownst to him, his appearance has changed, his hair color, lighter, his features sharper, in fact, Joel looks like Joel not at all any longer...
Joel frowns and nods, leaving Durga alone he seeks some quiet time to himself.
"I suppose not. Tell me, you are old. Older than most if not all here as you say, have you ever before heard of time traveling such as we claim to have experienced? Have you ever found anyone who has cured themselves of this affliction we now suffer?"
"So you side with these Founders then as you believe they will win? Even if these Conspirators are not as powerful as the Founders what hope do we, only newly created have to stop them where the Founders cannot?"
"Why do you find these Conspirators to be your enemies? I get the sense you are more of an advisor than an ally to these "Founders".
"You were with us on the road yes? How did you come to be there?"
Joel looked oddly at the man who was his servant in another time and another place but he no longer knew this man and did not get the sense that any conversation now would be anything but awkward. So he opted to see the Old Gypsy woman, "Durga Syn, have you time to speak?"
Joel nods and returns to his allies.
"I wanted to thank you for your arguments on my behalf. Tell me, if I am to hunt down this Lord Casmir, so wish him to be brought back into the fold or slain outright? He is a magus like us, a special breed I'd wager versus most of our kind".
Joel drinks deeply of the Blood and when he is finished approaches Mistress Fanchon, "Can we speak Elder?"
"What about this Tiriel? Doesn't he have any say as to what happens next? Or Old Durga Syn here? The world ain't fair but to slay us for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time without even a chance to prove what we can do seems like a waste of resources. Heck, at least let us f*#! something up before you eliminate us. You don't know, we may surprise you and turn out to be more helpful than you realize or can even contemplate".
Joel grins as she slaps him in the face, much like his grandmother used to when he sassed her. He remembers trying to communicate with her but he could not speak Russian and she could not speak English or Italian, it seems she can speak many languages now, a ruse that much is clear in hindsight. He has questions for her but now does not seem the time to ask them. "The Host, this Claudius Giovanni encouraged his companions to... what's the word... make us like them - like you. The intention was to slow you all down so they could make a clean get away. Their distraction it seems worked, they got away. How about this? How about we help you? Swear allegiance to your Founding, whatever it is. Call it Goodwill work. Once we've shown we can be trusted, we can go our own way to seek what it is we seek which is not to join any conspiracy that's for sure". He turns to Fanchon and narrows his eyes giving a brief nod.
What can we spend XP on?
Meetch & ST: "Bottoms Up", he states and drinks.
Meetch & ST: "A blood oath huh? I thought we were supposed to bond to each other...
Well, beggers can't be choosers and yer offering mentorship so it's hard to pass this up". He grabs the chalice but then pauses, "Just one condition here from my side. If I'm yer man, you gotta save my life, or whatever I got left if yer pals pronounce a death sentence. Deal?"
Meetch and ST: He closes his eyes and shakes his head and the gypsy woman is gone making him wonder if he sin't going crazy!
"Ah ok Mistress Fanchon. Understood. Understood. I'll see if the rest of my allies can be persuaded to pledge fealty to you and your "Founders" cause. I can only hope the rest of yer kin're as diplomatic as you are in their approach else we'll have a split decision on this one. Explosives. Yes ma'am it'll be a secret weapon against these upstarts I tell you what. Once we're free 'n in service so to speak I'll tell ya' tha' ingredients I'll need ta' make it, then we'll blast 'em out from under whatever rock they're hidin' under!"
Meetch & ST: Joel scowls, "Well there must have been magic that brought us back, what the heck else would it be?
Now, ya know, I reckon that yer friends want to kill us just on account of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, that gets lots of folks killed ta be sure, I hope it doesn't get us killed twice. An this Herdestadt doesn't know nothin' about us neither. Look, I've been in military service and I'm not against swearing fealty to a just cause though sometimes what starts out just isn't real just if ya' know what I'm gettin' at. Tell me who you are and what yer workin' against. I mean I suppose ya' don't have to as I'm the prisoner and yer the interrogator but I'd feel a hell'uva lot better if I knew who I was swearin' to and what that person whose loyalty I've sworn wants me ta' do. By the way, I appreciate ya' not burnin' me up with fire hands ta' get me ta' talk, ya' could'a done that an ya' didn't so you've at least gained my respect.... uh sorry, I still don't know yer name ma'am. I am Joel, Joel Skinner".
Meetch & ST: Joel sighs whistling with breath that no longer need cross his lips.
"EXACTLY! This Giovanni character, he hired us for various jobs at his Manse, I was to be a builder, that's what I do back home. Well, actually I worked with explosives so I was more in the deconstruction business. Then we find a girl walked through the kitchen naked as we're about to enter the party so we free her and get the saps accompanying her to feed and clothe her and of course unchain her. This is when I knew Giovanni was a bastard but I figured we could negotiate to acquire her and free her. We did not wanna rock the boat as we assumed that to get back ta' the future that Manse was where we needed to be. Then his weirdo friends start askin' us all kindsa weird s$@& and I mean weird. This chick uh I forget her name has me howlin' at the moon and I decline her request to run on the roof. Then the Wizard, Casmir, he does some spell I guess and I feel like frickin' on fire. Well I didn't let it show I tell you what. Then we sit down to dinner and it all goes sideways. and according to that guy, Tir i el, is that his name? He tells us we were made Vampires. Then it all comes back to us, s#$$, he's right. He tells us the Founders, I guess that's you guys, the good guys? Or at least not a bunch of weird freaks, literally storm the castle. You find us and take us prisoner I guess figurin' we're in league with these bastards. I can't tell it any more plain than we were victims, pure and simple. I bet if you all didn't attack we'd be corpses right now. Well, I guess we're still corpses but we're upright so Vampires...? That's all I know. But you, you're a Wizard or Witch too right? Look, all I want to do is get back home, can you magic me into the future? S*@!, I'll show you the secret of dynamite, I don;t care if it changes the future, I just want to get back home. Maybe then I can find a cure for this... for my... what happened to me".
"A vague memory of pain but that's it".
"Yeah fer sure Daniel last, he's got the bite from that other guy. What gives with that anyway, he was there but not there? He explain any of how that went down to you Daniel?"
"Yep. Torture for the sake of torture. I've seen it before, some things it seems does not change no matter the year no matter whether alive or dead, humans are sadistic s%@#s when they have even an ounce of power much less the kind of power these f#~%s have... I'll go second cause, why not". Joel scowls at the whole process. This is what I get for trying to go out and score, should have just stayed home and beat it or had a dial in.
Courage - Joel begins to breathe heavily even though he has slowly come to the realization that he no longer needs to breathe as the light comes shining in. "Torture? Damn bastards..."
Between the Hulk ripping off doors like paper and the D&D wizard with flame hands, fighting is just plain stupid... he thinks to himself. "So what yer saying is that we're victims of circumstances? First we're killed then we're persecuted? Hnhhh. Well, life ain't fair, I suppose death isn't either. Come willingly or get our heads ripped off the same way you ripped that door off tha' hinges". Joel turns to his companions, "Go and maybe die in chains or stand and die fighting on our feet? I'd say a tactical surrender is probably the most sensible thing, you agree Jess?" Joel looks pretty mad at the idea but seems to be resigned to it.
ST, we do NOT have any Disciplines yet correct? Overnight is when they would begin to "blossom" for lack of a better term yes?
Joel turns to the woman , "Wait so I was bitten by the Wizard Vampire does that make me a Wizard Vampire or is that not how this whole things works?"
Joel steps forward and stands next to Jessica, "That uh... that didn't go well but keep it up, I'd do no better, with words". He looks to the floating chick with the fire hands and mutters, "Another Wizard... s%@@, when did magic leave the world".
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