Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Let's Play VtM: Wild Nights - Chapter 10

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
With crimson juice the thirsty southern day,
Sucks from the hills where buried armies lie,
So that the dreamy passion it imparts
Is drawn from heroes' bones and lovers' hearts.
---Oliver Wendell Holmes, sang to a Torreador baroness ---
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
A Prince's Throne is only a bench covered with velvet.
--- A daily reminder in Ventrue Patriarch Handnote ---

EDIT: You dont see the significance of that? It's not coincidence that's true and strong Princes are rare.
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
laclongquan, that was retarded and unnecessary - stop bumping the thread. Dunno why you'd tell her about Rannigan after she explicitly told us she'd kill us for pursuing it, but fine. Won't make her more likely to carry out a diversion for Donnie, either. In fact, it's probably less likely she'd do such a thing.

Let's never do an open vote again, this was a massive clusterfuck. Black Bart Charley was a little harsh, but he has a point - way too many walls of text. Maybe the more hardcore voters can Discuss! via PM to make sure that we don't have ten pages with lots of text in between updates. Makes it tougher for new people to get involved if they see that the threads grown six pages since the last time they checked. That being said, since we were putting together a pretty complex plan, having a lot of Discuss! about it was sorta unavoidable. Here is a tally on whether to tell Erika about Rannigan:

A - Inform the Sheriff
B - Don't inform the Sheriff

laclongquan - A
Lord Andre - B
Kz3r0 - A
root - B
Esquilax - B
Storyfag - B
SCO - A
Rod Rodderson - B

Tell me if I got anything wrong.

As for the rest of the plan, most people opted to contact the Sheriff to provide a distraction for Donnie while Oscar provides her with surveillance and intel, with the option to perhaps get involved ourselves if things look desperate. For the moment, sit tight with Edgar, talk about our fear of death/learn some combat skills. Wouldn't hurt to ask Edie where Eames got the blood she fed us while we were frenzying, either.

EDIT: Take it to PM's, laclongquan. I'll respond as long as you drop the ridiculous broken English bullshit.

EDIT #2: Got Lord Andre's vote wrong, he supported not telling the Sheriff about the new info.
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
And me is A, of course.

And what will be our relationship between us and Erika? Alpha bitch and a normal wolf or an Alpha male and a bitch? If she tell us to sit and beg will we woof and arf too? We sit tight because it suits us to do so, not because she said so.
 
Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Messages
494
Location
Australia
I vote not telling the sheriff anything at this point in time. After this whole thing is dealt with, then maybe, but right now? No point in giving her anything more to concern herself with.

And that last bit sounds about right.
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
Sheesh, you give me a heartattack. I thought grotsnik update.

EDIT: And I dont give a flying fuck about DA. Never play it before. In this situation, we need to give Jamieson's backup by way of Erika so brief her about Terrance and Kueijin is justified. If you think solo adventure into Kueijin's territory is a good idea you got another thought coming. Beside we need to forge a solid alliance with Erika for our long term strategy.
 

Vibalist

Arcane
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
3,583
Location
Denmark
laclongquan said:
He doesnt even answer PM. I fear his health has taken turn for the worse.

You PM'ed him to get him to update? How long has it been since the last one? 3 or 4 days or something? Sheesh, take it easy brother.
 

grotsnik

Arcane
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
1,671
Thanks everyone, and for your patience. I'm just about in one piece. In other news, I haven't forgotten about the character sheet. Well, I have, up until this moment of writing, but now I've remembered I will get it to you. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, here's a shortish chapter.


Chapter 16 - Heavy The Head


"Sculptor," Dubrik says, raising the phone to his ear. "I have some information for you - concerning one Anthony Sommers. Listen carefully, please, and do not interrupt. This may well change everything."

He smiles, alone in the darkness.


*


"The da-ance of the puppets,
The rusted chains of prison moons,
Shattered by the su-u-u-n.
I walk a road, horizons change,
The tournament's begun,
Purple piper plays his fuckin' tune,
The choir softly sing,
Three lullabies in some ancient tongue,
In the court of the crimson k-i-i-i-n-g..."

You gaze down at your cards. They're a lot weaker than you'd care to admit.

Fellowes, who you've always suspected is too theatrical to ever truly excel at poker, has his feet up across the table.

You feel a little strange; light-headed, almost giddy. You rub furiously at your brow for a moment and try to focus on the game. Behind the door of the saferoom, Oscar's music is blaring out;

"...I wait outside the pilgrim's door,
With insufficient schemes..."

"Wonder where Jamieson is now," Fellowes mutters. He raises the stake. "Think he's made contact?"

Something isn't right.

"The pattern juggler lifts his hand,
The orchestra begins,
As slowly turns the grinding wheel,
In the court of the crimson king..."

You drop the cards, in silence. They spill across the table. A thought is burrowing in through your mind, through the layers of fog and fuzz that threaten to overwhelm you. Forcing its way in, like a body-worm.

He isn't singing.

Waving a hand at Fellowes, who's giving you a puzzled look, you rise from your chair, and stalk across the room towards the door.

"The yellow jester does not play,
But gentle pulls the strings..."

You push open the door. In front of his new, hastily constructed computer console, Oscar is whispering into a microphone, his hideous body bowed. You cannot hear what he's saying over the blaring speakers.

The song cuts out. And you distinctly hear Oscar hissing, into the microphone,

"-'ll keep an eye on him."

He seems to notice the music's come to an end, because he freezes for a second before turning, slowly, around in his seat. His guilty eyes meet yours.

"Patty!" he says, fast, and pretends to be pleased to see you. "Was just keeping in touch with our boys. To hear if, y'know...anything about Jamieson."

"Have you heard anything?" you ask him.

"Nah," he says, with a little nervous chuckle. "Nah, it's all quiet. Last time we saw him, he was headed over the river south, hour and a half ago. He'll be deep into Sabbat territory by now, barring fuck-ups."

"All right," you reply, and turning, you step back into the saferoom. Behind you, Oscar is putting on a new track.

You take your seat again.

"Oscar's spying on us," you tell Fellowes calmly, taking your seat.

He nods, and raises the stake once again.

"Sorry, Patrician," he says, after a moment. "I thought he might be useful to us, you understand, when I mentioned him to Eames. I didn't think he'd...that Eames would..."

"It's all right," you reply, and you match his bluff.

Eames, you think, must now be aware of Rannigan coming to your door.



*


Eames returns to the safehouse about an hour later, with a stackful of books that she dumps casually down on the floor.

"Poker?" she says. "Oh, Edgar, darling...would you mind if I play a hand or two against Anthony? I think Oscar's probably had enough time playing his obnoxious modern stuff - I'm sure if you went to see him, you could persuade him to put on something half-decent."

Fellowes glances at you, then nods, and rises.

Eames takes his place at the table, and waits for him to leave.

"So," she tells you, her fingers playing across Fellowes' cards. "The Sabbat are launching counter-attacks across the city. Five of ours are dead. Three kine were caught in the crossfire. And there are going to be more. It's becoming ever clearer, sweetheart, that Kirkbeck has made a colossal error of judgement - that he's endangered the Masquerade for no good cause."

She sighs.

"Funny to think, isn't it," she murmurs, "that we gave him the city because we thought he was the stable option?"

"He does seem to have become a little...volatile in recent weeks," you venture.

Eames lays the cards down again.

"If we should pull this off, darling," she says, "I'd like this to be your success. Your little triumph. If we can even keep you dead for a little longer and find a few more success stories, that's all to the better. I thought we should probably get that out in the open. Make it the story of the Kindred - a war hero - who fakes his own death, and with the backing of elements in the Camarilla and the unspoken support of the Americans - helps to topple the Sabbat leadership. The sort of story they'll laugh about for decades to come. I'm happy to remain a background figure for this one, Anthony. I want to make that quite clear."

"Very charitable of you," you reply. "And in return?"

She simply smiles.

"Once the mission's over," she tells you, "one way or another, the barons and I are going to meet with Kirkbeck. We have a proposition that his role be reduced drastically - an entirely ceremonial position. We'll also expect him to apologise publicly for his recklessness in putting the Masquerade under threat, and to retire outside the city walls. Du Marchais will be fully hung out to dry. The Sheriff will have to go as well, I'm afraid - she's been useful in this affair, yes, but you'll have noticed yourself that she's thinking far too much about policy - she's starting to think the decision-making is her concern. Besides which, she's been heavily involved in this war so far...and dear Turcov has a new candidate in mind. You, of course, will get the barony of Westminster; you've proven your suitability for the position, and really, in spite of your youth, you're miles above du Marchais."

"A Magna Carta and mea culpa," you drawl. "Yes, all right. But my question remains - what do you want from me in return?"

"You support us," she says. "The hero who brought down the dreaded Sculptor Angelos makes it publicly known that the war was a mistake and that the Prince's decisions - you were there when it began, weren't you, this Rannigan business? - have suggested that he's no longer quite in his right mind. Some sort of Malkavian disease, perhaps. We'll hire the best people to do some tests and try to have him cured. Goodness, we could even play it up to appeal to the Anarchs; young, successful Ventrue Anthony Sommers takes a stand against the unmeritocratic stagnancy of Kirkbeck's rule. A revolution in Camarilla politics, sweeping out the incompetent old guard and bringing in the Kindred who truly deserve their positions."

You feel a little woozy. It's a curious sensation.

"This is purely speculative, of course," Eames adds. "It all depends on whether or not we succeed here...but even if it doesn't, I'm sure we can find ourselves another, more modest public-relations triumph. You get your barony, you get the full support of the rest of the elders, and you're lauded as a hero amongst the ordinary Kindred. What do you think, darling? Isn't it the best of all worlds?"



A) Agree to Eames' proposition.

B) Refuse Eames' proposition.

C) "The Prince will still be dangerous even if he's 'retired'. He needs to die."

D) Agree to Eames' proposition (LIE).
 

Storyfag

Perfidious Pole
Patron
Joined
Feb 17, 2011
Messages
15,899
Location
Stealth Orbital Nuke Control Centre
A but on our terms. That is: we will support the (other) Barons. Once they act. We will not say the Prince is incompetent before they make their dissent known. We might also want to salvage the Sheriff, if possible.

Also, I don't like the dizziness. I'm starting to think that the blood Eames fed us may be something much, much worse than her own vitae.
 

grotsnik

Arcane
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
1,671
Black Bart Charley said:
What happened?

I vaulted a fence to make an ill-advised, drunken shortcut at 3 in the morning and got my foot caught up in the railings as the rest of me tumbled down on the other side. It was funny, tragic and just a little pathetic.

On the plus side, I now have a badass limp.
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
Blessing of good health upon your hearth, Storyteller! May your injury heal quick and clean!

On the story side, we do have several something to think about

1. She want us to play dead longer to find a few more success stories for PR triumphs,eh? So she will have free hands in arranging events to her liking, perhaps. Not bloody likely my good baroness! Not bloody likely!

2. She want us to sell out the Prince, pft, and Erika eh? Kirkberk can kiss our ass for sure but no way we sell Erika. NO WAY!

Why?

Let's assume what she proposes will happen: Prince forced to sign Magna Carta, Erkia got ousted from Sheriff position, Anthony Sommers become the newest baron of Westminster. What we will have?

An empty barony is what we have. We have territory but we dont have talented vamps in our employ. Erika got ousted which mean we dont have strong ally. We may have fame as the hero whose plan killed Angelos but Camarilla loyalists will always know that we are puppets in Sammy's hands, sell out fellow vamps for our barony.

So no. Dont play the role like a good old boy in Sammy's plan. Mess it up to suit us.

3. Dont even think about killing Kirkberg. For one thing she prolly dont agree anyway .For another, there's no visible candidate to replace him. Kill him will lead to chaos. And kill him will put us at utter odds with Erika and ruin EVERYTHING we ever accomplished with her.

4. So We propose DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.

Lie to her like only a Ventrue could lie: sincerely, greedily and thankfully.

Then we get the fuck out to contact Erika. Drag Oscar along for various reasons: keep an eye on him, witness to past events, etc... This shit need face to face meeting.

AND because she might be monitoring ambush site, we will be very much on hands to response to emergency, helping Jamieson.

Sommers' health seem restored somewhat, so this is doable, I think.
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
Another reason is that should Jamieson die she can blame it on Erika's head and Prince's responsiblity.

In one stroke we lose all allies: Oscar defected, Erika fired and possibly died, Jamieson killed. Very much alone.

Her plan is disastrous to us.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom