ST Talomyr's page

"Neither Tyler nor Inyanga have been seen since the formal departures of Clans Brujah and Gangrel from the Camarilla - even if there are still members of both of those Clans that hold powerful positions within our city." the ancient begins. "It does not make me sad that Tyler is gone, seeing as she had committed Amaranth on one of my Childer..."

"Damien, my Childe is the Sheriff. Rosa Hernandez is the de facto leader of the Gangrel in the city, and sits on the Primogen council these nights. Although I do confess, I do not know her leanings in any of this business, or even how much she knows."

Turning his attention the subject of the Toreador Primogen, he says, "She once was a staunch supporter of Lodin, but the two had a bit of a falling out just before the Prince's assumed demise. I have doubts she would welcome him back with open arms, but members of her Clan can be rather flighty."

"Lodin, should he actually still exist, would be a wild card in this scenario. He was able to be controlled before and I suspect that he would be again for the opportunity to regain praxis over the city of Chicago. I will admit, I would see it as an added bonus were Maxwell to return, simply to have a Brujah - even if he is a nephew rather than a direct descendent of I - at the head of the table rather than a damned Ventrue."

"Not terribly likely, but not impossible I suppose. The Ventrue are known for their mastery of the discipline of Fortitude as well as much as their mastery of Dominate."

Critias gets a somewhat quizzical look on his face as he addresses the next matter. "I suppose it is not surprising that a member of the Tremere, of all Clans, has an incomplete understanding of the Blood Oath, given how you and clanmates are partially bound to your clan. For the Blood Oath to remain, the thrall must continue to receive blood from their regnant, lest the bond fade over time, typically one year and a day from the completion of the bond."

"So, if by some miracle Lodin does still exist, his absence these last three decades would have severed any bonds that he held on his Childer, or anyone else for that matter."

"We once controlled Lodin, he was a figured-head for the city while the Primogen council truly ruled Chicago. A returning would need our help and be more...cooperative than he was before Lodin was installed as Prince."

"Oh? And what might that be, young Edwin?" the ancient Brujah asks.

"More players on the board than you previously thought? That is always the case, my friend. It is just that normally so many of those players stay in the proverbial shadows...and in some cases literal shadows it would seem these nights."

Opening the side door you make your way upstairs to the office you had visited a few nights ago. The door is cracked and faint light pours through that crack.

A baritone,Greek-accented voices calls out, "Good evening, please come in. What is it you seek tonight?"

It is unclear if Critias knows who is outside his door, but you suspect he knows exactly who is outside his door.

When you check the main entrance, you find the door locked. Moving around to the east side of the building, you find an unlocked door.

"Is everything alright, sir?" the revenant asks as he begins to drive toward the University. Some thirty minutes later, you arrive outside of the University. It is rather late, but that shouldn't matter overly much given who you wish to speak with...provided the doors are unlocked this time of night.

Olaf laughs. "I never said that Capone and Jackson were Anarchs...the Primogen are the ones that believed the criminal element the two came from was closely associated with the Anarchs...but that is neither here nor there."

Talley nods.

"By all means, discuss this with your friends, but do not delay too long" the Lasombra adds threateningly.

"Who else is aware of, and longs for the "return of the king"?" Talley almost mockingly asks, "Annabelle for one. Horatio Ballard for another."

Savanna notices a young couple coming in for the next show and offers buy them popcorn.

"My doctor has forbidden me to eat these, but I so much enjoyed pop corn when I was younger that I want you to accept these, as a gift. Please. It will really put some joy in my heart if you accept."

"Thanks." the male of the couple says with a tinge of confusion in is voice. "Come on, babe. We need to get to our seats. Thanks for the popcorn!" the female says dragging the male along with her.

Anything else tonight? It's close to 1 am.

"Kevin is a pretender...if any of the Childer would have taken the throne, it should have been Neally or Ballard." Olaf seemingly growls. "As to why a Gangrel would want Lodin back, well Lodin has certainly learned the value of the most beastial of the clans - especially in light of his encounter with the Lupines."

"As to why you and your little coterie," Talley begins, "You are a largely unknown quantity. That in itself is a rare advantage in our world. Unknown quantities, particularly those of younger vintage can make one's enemies either overly cautious or foolhardily aggressive. Both lead to mistakes, particularly when one such as Kevin Jackson is concerned."

The scarred man now known as Olaf speaks in a heavily Norwegian voice, "No...the Lupines are not merciful, but their fury is not enough to destroy a King."

Getting a closer look the scarred man, you see his one remaining eye is ice blue and a few shocks of pale blond hair remain on his head.

Turning his attention to Edwin's second question, Talley says, "A little of both, plus factors internal to the Sabbat itself."

"The Sabbat is not what it once was, and has not what it was intended to be for a great deal of time. Ironically, the new stance of the Camarilla's Inner Circle is closer to what the leaders of the Sabbat originally wanted than what the Sabbat has been in recent nights. Add to that the dangers the Second Inquisition brings...surely a Tremere understands that more than most, given what has become of Vienna."

You stroll into the AMC River East 21, and look at the offerings for viewing at this time of night, seeing that "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" is the only film that hasn't started for the evening yet.

The theater is only about a quarter full, so you have your choice of seats.

Any particular thing either of you would like to do during the movie beyond watch the movie? Anything afterwards?

"Very well." the Hound says. "Good to formally meet you, Edwin."

Gesturing to the scarred man, he adds, "This is Olaf, also known as the One-Eyed King.

[b]"As I told you the other night," Talley says to Ollie, "there are many forces at work here. Chicago is a powder keg and soon a war will begin for who will rule her. Surely Kevin Jackson will do whatever he can to hold to power. Why else would he be so quick to take the Inner Circle's interest in bringing my Clan into the fold here? I know of the presence in Gary that would seek to return."

Glancing pointedly at the scarred man, he adds, "I seek the return of another."

What's next for each of you tonight? You know that Ollie and Edwin were going to meet up with whatever had reached out to Ollie, but I don't believe either of you had definitive plans for after your meeting with Anita.

You look around for who you were to meet with when one of the homeless stands and begins to approach you. As the tall, horribly scarred man approaches, Edwin recognizes from the Elysium a few nights back. From the shadows to your right, Ollie hears - physically this time - a familiar voice. "Ah, you've chosen to come us, very good."

One question remains in your mind. If this is the Lasombra, why would they use a stop name from the 90's, as they have just arrived in Chicago.

"I don't see no cane in your friend's hand, but whatever." the vagrant says as you hear the train approaching from the north.

Will pause to give Ollie a chance to react if he would like.

"As you wish." Ladislav responds, remaining quiet for the remainder of the drive to the Roosevelt station. The Roosevelt station is one of the more major hubs, as the red, orange, and green lines converge at this station, along with a major stop for the CTA buses.

Going up to the vending machine, you purchase your fares and go through the turnstiles to wait for your train. The stop is sparsely populated at best tonight, with a pair of college age girls across the tracks waiting for a northbound train and an old vagrant slumped against a vending machine, watching the three of you with a suspicious eye.

"Better hope the train cops aren't on this next one." the old man says. "They don't let pets on the train." he adds, gesturing to Buttons.

What do you do, if anything?

Turning her attention to Savanna, she says, "Hmmm....maybe Marc would be able to help you with that. Would you like me to reach out to him for you?"

"Where to now, sir?" Ladislav asks from the front seat.

Sensing the elder's waning patience, you take your leave of the library and wait for Ladislav's arrival.

Your meeting with Khalid is tomorrow night. Next on the agenda is Ollie's meeting with what ever talked to him in the park.

"If it is a choice between Jackson and Maxwell, Maxwell it is." Nicolai concedes, seemingly dropping the subject of a mentorship.

With Edwin's latest question, a wry smile forms on the face of the child-vampire. "I believe you have fallen prey to a technicality, Edwin. Indeed there was a ruler of these lands that pre-dates Maxwell, but back then, this place was not known as Chicago - those of European stock called it Fort Dearborn, the natives called it Shikaakwa."

"While I have no proof of which it was, the research I have done into the subject calls the vampiric lord of the region either Clear Bear or Shining Deer - both of whom fell into torpor just before Maxwell's arrival and seizure of Praxis."

Having answered your questions, Nicolai dispassionately gazes at the three of you.

Nicolai leans forward though when DuSable's support of the new Prince is brought up. "He bends a knee to the upstart? This is how he repays my attempts to grant him the title of Prince of Chicago?" Nicolai asks, rage apparent in his voice.

"I knew I should have tried harder to bring Erichtho back into the fold..." he mutters as much too himself as anyone present.

"As for Evelyn, she's been known to be a bit of a wild card before...but I guess that was before Juggler disappeared."[b] she comments.

[b]"Now, back to my real question - what do I and my organization get out of supporting this coup? I nearly got stomped by Lodin and lost a number of friends and allies in that mess. I'm not so sure I'm ready to rock the boat again."

Dispassionately, the child-vampire regards you silently for what seems like an eternity before responding.

"Maxwell wishes to return? I can not say that I ever liked the man and was an ardent supporter of Lodin as he was easier to manipulate, but I will admit that Lodin's youngest progeny is a poor choice to rule the city." Nicolai says. "It was more than a bit surprising to hear from Critias on your behalf...he and I have not always seen eye to eye, but I suppose different eras require different alliances."

"My Childe, DuSable, is not a suitable mentor for you? Tell me, why do you believe that to be so?"

The boy looks up from the seemingly ancient book that lays before him.

"Hmmm...it would seem that you have passed the first test and shown your worthiness to have an audience with me. Tell me young Edwin, what is it you would speak of?" the boy says in a voice commanding a presence that speaks to true age of the boy.

Approaching the light it seems obvious to you that there is something beyond the wall, but there is no obvious way of getting to what ever lies beyond.

What would you like to do?

"Alright..." she says with a calm unnatural to those of her clan. "Color me intrigued. What do I get out of this arrangement beyond risking my neck with a Prince who's just dying to make a statement?"

A few seconds pass before she adds, "What sort of deal has Evelyn made with this Maxwell? I've heard the name before, but it's before my time. Are you even sure he is who he says he is?"

Please give me a Perception + Alertness (Diff 8) roll (Edwin Diff 7 due to active Auspex)

Dr. Baker - Give me an Intelligence + Politics roll followed by a Charisma + Expression roll.

Anita looks down the flight of stairs at you, silently listening as Matthew pleads his case for the return of Maxwell. Once Dr. Baker is done, what seems like an eternity of silence goes by, although in reality it is a matter of moments, before the Brujah turns on her heel, gesturing for the two of you to follow her.

1) Characters’ Willpower pools replenish fully at the
end of a given story (and that’s story, not session). The
Storyteller may restrict this by requiring that the characters
achieve (or partially achieve) a goal or otherwise
boost their self-esteem. For example, if the characters
didn’t destroy a powerful and corrupt elder but did
manage to obstruct his immediate plans, allow them to
replenish their Willpower pools.

2) (Storyteller’s Option) Characters regain one Willpower
point each night when they first rise. This is
easy on the bookkeeping, and allows a steady stream
of Willpower replenishment (not to mention the fact
that players are already writing on that part of the
character sheet when they mark off their nightly blood
consumption).

3) (Storyteller’s Option) If a character attains some
extraordinary goal or fulfills an outstanding objective,
the Storyteller may reward her with a point of Willpower.
For example, if a character manages to deter
a team of vampire-hunters from her sire’s haven, the
Storyteller may award a Willpower point to that character.

4) (Storyteller’s Option) If a character behaves in a
manner that fulfills her Nature Archetype, the Storyteller
may reward the character with one to three Willpower
points (as stated in the Archetype descriptions).
For example, if a Rebel character rabidly opposes a
powerful elder, and that elder is later revealed to be
a Sabbat spy, that character may be given a point of
Willpower.

Edwin hands the phone over to Ollie, as K tries to guide Ollie through disarming of the alarm system.

"Okay, take the cover off of the keypad...right, got it. You should see four wires leading into the body of the keypad..." K begins.

A couple of harrowing moments later, the system seems to be deactivated...completely destroyed, but deactivated.

"Good job, Ollie!" K says on the other end of the line.

Didn't even need to spend that willpower with that roll. I had set the difficulty to 9 with 2 successes required. Well done.

Continuing onward you begin to ascend the stairs. When you turn at the mid-flight landing, you look up to the entrance to the second floor to see a Caucasian female of moderate size. She stands 5’8” tall, and weighs 125 pounds. She has auburn hair, shaved down on the left side of her head. She's dressed in a fashion that would be quite common for the mid-1980's punk scene.

"Alright, you're here. Let's hear your spiel..." the woman says.

Ollie - with 1 dot in Larceny, I would allow you to attempt a Larceny + Intelligence roll to disable the system, but I will warn the difficulty will be relatively high.

After dialing the thin-blood, moments later K answers. "Hey boss-man, what's up?"

Glancing around, while you have open door with a key, there is a keypad near the door. Could this be some sort of alarm system?

"Sure...here Clyde." the man says handing over the keys. "You can drop 'em off at 345 West Madison...apartment 21..." he continues, in kind of droning manner.

With the keys handed over, the librarian head off, presumably towards home.

A few moments later, the door is unlocked and you are inside.

What would you like to do?

What do you do?

As you approach the library you see a number of people leaving the building, with the last seemingly locking up for the night. It does not seem like they are paying much attention to the three of you.

Edwin - with your heightened senses, you hear the conversation as it was between the people, nothing more than the "see you tomorrow" type commentary not uncommon to the end of the workday.

What would you like to do?

You call for an Uber, and moments later you are in a car heading for Altgeld Gardens. The ride is uneventful, almost dreadfully so, given the utter banality of your driver. Twenty-five minutes later, you find yourself being dropped off at Altgeld Gardens, which is not in a particularly great part of the city - so much so you are slightly relieved to see Savanna arrive.

"Glad you made it, I was about to take off thinking you were a no-show." Safely in the car, you ride along for a bit longer than a half an hour before arriving at Altgeld Gardens. Looking around you see that you are not in a particularly great part of the city. Fortunately, as your car pulls up, you see a familiar face - Dr. Baker.

What would you like to do?

No roll needed. Just make note of how much blood you have taken as that particular herd member may be out of commission for a few days.

Having conducted a brief session with one of your patients, you set off to meet up with Anita Wainwright.

How do you plan to get to the meeting?

Climbing into the car, you instruct Ladislav to drive to the Donnelly and Lee Library on the Lake Forest College campus for your meeting with Nicolai. Critias had mentioned an unspecified price that Nicolai would extract for the meeting, would that only be for Edwin, or would the Elder expect a payment from Ollie too?

The drive takes a bit over half and hour, but you arrive at the Donnelly and Lee Library. Ladislav asks, "Should I await your return here sir, or will you reach out when you would like a pick up?"

Are you going to pursue him, or are we calling it a night there?

"Thank you, brother." the man says clasping you on the shoulder with a strength that you would not have assumed from the middle aged man's stature. Taking a closer look at the man, beneath the thick beard and grime, you see a number of pock marks and blemishes on his skin.

Anything else you'd like to do?