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Let's Play VtM: Wild Nights - Chapter 10

laclongquan

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That wet rag, incompetent old fool? No way he will agree to accompany us to a place of danger like that.

And taking Erika is a sound idea. More safety, more chance of success, and chance to impress her. Quite sound. Oscar can ask her that for us when he brief her later. We still go with or without her but she should know our intention.

As for what to do when we are there, remember that all plan fall apart when we encounter enemy. We will be there as backup for Jamieson. He will either sneak away or fighting to get away. We will know his progress with Oscar provide surveillance and keep us informed. Then we provide helps as needed.
 

Lord Andre

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Thanks for letting me play. Also, congratulations to grotsnik for grade A story-telling. You rock !

Now about the current events:

I think we need to be one step ahead of everyone. We just used all our cards for the plan, and right now we have no ace in the hole. My opinion, we take Eddie and some muscle and pay a visit to that castle/ruins. Just a scouting mission. In a future conflict we need to have something to barter with and info on those ruins might be worth quite a lot.

Would be cool if Oscar was the ninja type - he would make a great ally in scouting those ruins.

If everyone is concentrating on finding the malk or the abomination or fighting the war, than the castle ruins should be fairly safe to visit without blowing our cover.

Else, if none of the above gets selected, combat training is better than nothing.
 

Kz3r0

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Better avoid to overdo things, let Du Marchais alone, he is doing a splendid job in ruining himself, about the castle, it's not the time to fool around, but maybe our gracious host will be interested in sending someone to investigate there, we should discuss this with her.
 

laclongquan

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We invested too much blood and brains into this trap to go gallivanting outside right now. And the trap is not sprung yet. Castle can wait.

And well, considering all the risk that diablerize entailed, a 12th or 11th generation is about right. we need increases in ability but we dont need the personality degradation that go with it. 12th or 1th is safer.

It's not that easy to do it tracelessly, mind you, but of all the possible targets, Du Marchais is the easiest and least costly target.
 

Storyfag

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But Du Marchais is a baron because of his low generation. Lower than ours anyway. Or at least that's what Eames implied.

Going to the castle, while potentially profitable, will mean we can't keep an eye on things in London. Hell, being stuck in the safehouse also means we can't keep an eye on things!
 

Lord Andre

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I still think the castle is a good idea. The dice have been cast and we need to accept whatever the consequences may be. Sitting around, worrying about it, telling ourselves we still have control is a waste of time. We just sent a malk to infiltrate the sabbat - that is the very definition of not in control.

If the plan works we take the credit, if it goes south we can be like: "That's old news, check out what we found at this weird castle." Make them think "The crafty ventrue always has something up his sleeve ! We better not underestimate him..."
 

laclongquan

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Oscar can call us tracelessly. We dont need to answer (voice recognition) but we can hear what he say. And should we be needed, from the safehouse to wherever is clearly closer than from Castle Howard, right?
 

laclongquan

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The Sheriff of Londonium Camarila, helpless? No no it's the opposite. we will be helpless and Erika will save our ass, endearing ourself to her.

Anyway, the ambush force is whatever Sammy and Erika can scrape up with while keeping operational security. So they are not much. We the two of us is the final reserve. We will be needed in this ambush, I am 80% sure of that. 10% say the traps go off perfectly without need of us and 10% say Sabbat is spooked , getting out early and we have to remote detonate the site.
 

SCO

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I vote against the revelation we are alive.

It's dumb. The Jyhad is played from the shadows. Dubrik certainly does.

Besides, being "dead", to the prince, to duMarchais, to the Sabbat, even to Terrance is a advantage that will yield unexpected insights.
 

SCO

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Also, you guys are still not thinking like a leader.

Delegate! We have multiple allies currently. We can do many things, using the most appropriate person to the task. If grotsnik wants he could even to 1 person narration for each one of our "agents".

It is also why i am pushing the vaulderie idea. We need some security and bloodbond to us is right out.
Vaulderie would give loyalty, empathy, enhanced combat abilities when working as a group, immunity to elder manipulation, and best of all, would be something that needs to be kept secret from the camarilla elders. It's a sword over everyone, and that means no one will even think of betraying us. Problem is convincing them. Eanes would probably like to break from the pyramid. But the sheriff, fellowes and oscar is harder. First step is strengthening the trust. My suggestions are in my next post.
 

laclongquan

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SCO said:
Just noticed something:

Dubrik doesn't take calls: this is probably for a reason. Either he gets rid of the phones to discourage longterm bugging, or he actually moves around the city and gets rid of the phones so the tracking information is outdated - so our tracking using wilkinson might already be stale.

The motherfucker probably used a relay or some other stupid trick to speak to Wilkinson.

:x

Actually, now that i think about it (and i have a computer science degree for gods sake),
not taking information is a basic security measure.
You know, like the banks say "we don't call you, you must call us to confirm" to prevent spoofing.

Nevertheless this indicates extreme sophistication. I predict the location info will be useless. That guy would never think of giving a spy his home phone.

It's not useless. I think goverment resources can track that mobile phone's location at that time to a general region, with maybe some notable tracks left behind. With better resources maybe Sommers can dig up more leads into Dubrik's london contacts.

But it will be after this short and vicious war. Because right now Humphrey has his hands full with vampire coverup and have no interest nor energy to direct to finding more about this phone call. We just hope to kill Angelos in this ambush of ours and drive Sabbats to the ground, ending the conflict quick and efficient. Later, later.
 

SCO

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My ideas:
Have oscar watch what happens at the temple of power with the microphone we installed. Let him have the responsibility of triggering secondary trap if it looks like our boy is really betraying us.

Before saying this, of course remind him that the guy is a malkavian and hurt our shared pal, fellowes pretty bad as well as us. It is just security, just in case and we trust him.
Besides we can't get out, and the trigger needs to be pressed close (but probably not inside the temple of power), so we need a guy with obfuscate. Explaining this to him will make him agree.

This responsibility will make him cleave closer to us. When the trigger isn't needed (i'm pretty sure it won't be, and Jaimeson will be victorious, due to the unbalanced bloodbond of the pack to him), he will be relieved, and impressed we trusted him.

We ourselves should plant the idea of a vaulderlie on Eanes mind. As well as pick her mind about the castle/runes.

The sheriff should be sent the photos (why not? It will only make her more suspicious of the prince) and their circumstances, and asked to contact and request of the gangrel in the area a understanding, that when the war warms up, we (the camarilla) will help them if they are targeted by the sabbat roving packs. And to watch for the guy in the photo (maybe something of his for they to smell as well?) as a favor. A prelude to a alliance. And she is kin. They will offer her a bolt hole if things really go south. This will make her calmer. We might find out where Terrance is. The gangrel are fantastic trackers.

Training with Fellowes if we have time after speaking with Eanes. Some male bonding as root said, and ask about the Brujah that was killed.


Then sometimes in the next update, after Jaimeson does his briefing we tell (or let her assist with the others) Eanes about the details of the vaulderie ceremony he "participated" in. She'll research the curse herself. She won't be able to resist.
 

grotsnik

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Just a quick point - Castle Howard is two hundred or so miles north of London, so a road trip up there at this stage might not be wise.

I was going to add in some excerpts chronicling Jamieson's adventures on the run/contacting the Sabbat. Would people like to vote on his decisions there, or would it go against the whole 'uncontrollable Malkavian' a bit too much?

Storyfag: thy will be done. Soonish.
 

SCO

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I vote don't vote (heh). I want to see the flow of the plan.
 

laclongquan

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I am sorry, but I can not in good conscience let the responsibility of triggering the bomb fall on the hands of Oscar.

He's too newly returned, and through the route of Eames to boot. If Eames know he hold the trigger she will command him to transfer the decision to her, so that she will decide when to blow. THAT make the whole operation her idea.

Second, this is what is delicately call the mantle of command. If you refuse command, refuse the responsiblity, you wont have another chance at it. Army, Navy, and any organization practice that. You have only one chance at command. If you think that chance is hard to attain, try to get the second chance. No! This chance is too precious to let fall through our hands. Succeed or Fail, it's risk of Command. If Sommers ever want to achieve high rank, he must practice command right now.

Third, I see this as a chance to alter Sommers' personality. Refuse to decide, transfer the command to another, fit his personality to a T: the decision of a coward man, fearful for responsibility. It's plain as day. Plain as his lingering connection to the old woman half-dying in an old-folk home that he simply refuse to divorce/kill. This is the our chance to fix his unability to decide, AND his fear of death. We let the chance to fix his fear of death fall through our hands the last time (the kine incident with the burning house inthe night of raid). Will we let this chance slip through our hands as well? No!

Fourth: I want to my fellows to ask his self this: Do you ever leave command to PC/AI? Do you ever consistently press Auto-Combat button in a RPG game? No? Why would you want to press "Let AI decide outcome of battle" button now?
 

laclongquan

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I feel this issue strongly enough that I make this challenge:

I request that the decision to detonate, triggering the trap as it were, fall in Sommers' hands. Unless storyteller decide otherwise (privilege of game master), it's the default course. Anyone want to change that detail is required to make his case here so that I can debate with him. Unless I admit to be convinced outright, that's the way the story goes.

I hate to turn this into a brawl of a debate but the arson incident still rankle in my mouth.
 

SCO

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The main reason i'm proposing this is to make our alliances more solid (but the sheriff task is good of itself).

I am trying to position our guy into (more) influence with our immediate allies so that once the war escalates (pretty sure dubrik will not eat this down - and there is probably something worse. If a setite is involved there usually is), and confidence on the prince sinks more,
(and he does something stupid like invocate the bloodbond he probably has with the sheriff to do something she disagrees with)
we can approach each one of our allies privately and float the idea that we need more advantages/latitude from the elders/trust.

I think Terrance might be the key of this: he is free, and a camarilla baron and ... yet, he isn't going home, to his resources. Find out the dirty secret, convince ambitious, disapproving of the war, enslaved to the Tremere regents Eanes to look for alternatives
-> vaulderie
-> new faction
-> survival of us and our buddies when the camarilla falls apart due to whatever cataclysm grotsnick has in store.

I think letting him watch the trap approximates oscar from us. Just looking at it psychologically.
And i don't believe we will need do anything at all. The plan is sound, and it is supposed to be Jaimeson that triggers the trap - for his safety even. The secondary is only a precaution in case of betrayal, that we headed off with the precaution against the sabbat vaulderie.

We can still be the decider: just let us be in two way communication with oscar. Be sure to ask his opinion though. After all, he is there.

Risking our secrecy by being a glory hound is something i disapprove after faking our death. It's... unelegant.

You'll still be able to train up with fellowes if you follow my plan at a guess. Getting out... not so much i think.
 

Esquilax

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grotsnik said:
Just a quick point - Castle Howard is two hundred or so miles north of London, so a road trip up there at this stage might not be wise.

I was going to add in some excerpts chronicling Jamieson's adventures on the run/contacting the Sabbat. Would people like to vote on his decisions there, or would it go against the whole 'uncontrollable Malkavian' a bit too much?

Storyfag: thy will be done. Soonish.

Choose Donnie's actions as you see fit, grotsnik.

EDIT: Deleted wall of text for space.
 

SCO

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@Esquilax It may not be related now, but it's a big step. It's not a immediate thing, this is just preparing ground. The sheriff needs more suspicion of the prince, Eanes needs to be baited etc. If you follow your own rationale, you'll see that you actually agree with me. More! The steps i gave do other things. They give us a new set of potential allies, mollify the sheriff (and make her more suspicious of the prince), strengthen our bonds, let us train with fellowes and give us a possible way to find Terrance!
 

laclongquan

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First, I am not talking about going outside before the night of the ambush. I am all for staying inside to train and rest. We will go out ONLY when we estimate the time draw near and we need to hide ourself around to provide backup to Jamieson.The safety of Jamieson rank right at the top with the elimination of Angelos. If we kill Angelos but lose him at the same time, I count that as a loss.

Second, if we let Oscar decide when to blow the trap, it will backfire badly in term of our relation with him. This trap has incredible risk for a low rank guy like Oscar. If it fails, all parties involved will blame him. If it succeeds, there's not enoughcredits to trickle down to the button-masher. He will think, rightly so, that we choose him to be our patsy. He will either transfer the 'honor' to the nearest authority which is Baroness Samantha Eames then get the fuck out of Dodge. To make it more concretely, you are a normal marketing staff, then your department head as well as your CEO ask you to sign a big contract. What will you do? Right. It smells of traps and patsies alright.

Third, To ask Oscar get in the sewer using his skill right at the time of the trap is asking him a lot. I mean, think about it. Just think about it. You are just reconcile with your best client and the man has the gall to ask you to personally go to a *battlefield* to take care of some shit. He is asking you to risk a chance to GET BLOW UP OR EATEN/KILLED in a trap of his. You dont join from the start so you dont know, personally, how this trap evolve. what will you do? Gently refuse this 'honor' and get the fuck out, never contact this so-called friend again, not for all the blood in the bank, right?
 

SCO

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I will say this though:
I don't agree that using diablere is wise, even if camarilla sanctioned.

What's the point? We would lose humanity, would lose prestige with our most immediate allies (and probably lose some of them outright, like the obviously high humanity oscar ( a fucking nosferatu friends with a toreador! ), and maybe the sheriff, that would disapprove strongly).

And for what? A little better dominate? To do what we are doing without it, without creating feuds already?

No the vaulderie is a much better alternative, that leads to the same result, but more effectively, keeping all of our allies.
 

Esquilax

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SCO said:
What's the point? We would lose humanity, would lose prestige with our most immediate allies (and probably lose some of them outright, like the obviously high humanity oscar ( a fucking nosferatu friends with a toreador! ), and maybe the sheriff, that would disapprove strongly).

Those are some good points against it, which is why I'm still on the fence about it. However, I would love to see a background update in the future as to how this happened, haha.
 

laclongquan

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And I agree, no diablerie. Not for a long time until we develop Sommers with more backbone, more willpower.

EDIT: all the same, I do prefer to leave this blood bond pack to much later until Sommers get more backbone, more willpower. This is too unorthodox to try it now or in the near future. This smell too much of Tremere black magic or Sabbatical practice that we need a tight hold over our straitlaced allies like Edgar before we even introduce it.
 

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