Let's Play VtM: Wild Nights - Chapter 10

[laclongquan]

E: Get a witch hunt? A lie could fall easily into the others' hands. And what kind of Ventrue are we if we cant get people do what we want telling the truth. Manipulation is always the key, not lie.

D: Using the photographs to distract the council from the Rannigan. It has the simplicity of forcing Rannigan coming out on his own, but the buggery of playing right into Dubrik's hands. His most obvious motive is to embroil us all in chaotic civil war just so he, and Sabbat, can move unimpeded. It's not a matter of lies or not, it's a matter of Camarilla stabilization.

C: Admit an inability to decide and rely on Eames. And we gift her with initiatives, making her decide our actions. Not very good, oh no. And the way she went in the past, she might just believe Rannigan. Plus a mage's urge to sign the pact with devils, I think.

B: Announce the truth is the chaotic neutral option. On one hand it could help Prince, not that I interest in him any more. On the other it may play right into Rannigan's hands. It's a thing to consider. It's impossible to predict the outcome, what with so many unknown factors.

A:Do nothing. Forcing Rannigan to come out on his own. It has the beauty of NOT play into other hands.

I dont trust Dubrik's info. Not just its truthfulness, but his motive in sending us that. I dont trust Rannigan because it's doubtful that is Rannigan. Either a shapeshifter or he's fully possessed by something diabolical. He might even be the Devil-Worshipper Dubrik hinted.

SO I propose
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

[Esquilax]

I'll vote C as well. But this time:

We need to lead Earnes, not be led by her. This is the time to be a Ventrue. We either need to convince her to support Rannigan, or convince her to help us move against him.

We can't let her lead on this. If she decides she can use Rannigan and Hob against the Prince or the other Barons, she will. And she'll turn on us as well, no doubt. Earnes has to dance to our step here. Whichever way we decide to go (for or against Rannigan's plan), the thing he has is immensely powerful and if it's already in the churches (and has possibly already come to Earnes' attention being she's in the Greenwich chapel? then we have to make sure we maintain control) then we have few recourses that won't reuqire the combined might of the Camarilla to succeed.

The Prince already told her that Hob resides in her Chantry.

How about this: as a safety precaution against any bullshit she might try to pull by trying to use this thing in some power play, we have a chat with the Nos primogen during the Baron's meeting and have him send some of his people to keep an eye on her to see if she's been trying to communicate with it. He can also investigate Dubrik's lead on a possible Infernalist within the Camarilla. I suspect that there's a grain of truth within his story, at least.

For my part, I am pretty torn between B and C. C will buy us some time and allow us to perhaps investigate a bit further (i.e. Castle Howard expedition) before Rannigan makes his presence known. With only Eames and Turcov aware of this creature, the situation is far less chaotic than it would be if all of London knows about it.

There is a major advantage in B in that it lets us bring this Rannigan info up on our terms. If Rannigan makes his presence known to the Camarilla and tells everyone about Hob and how he'll help London, who do you think people are going to believe; the beloved colleague that everyone is happy to know is actually alive, or the ambitious schemer who took his place? I think that Terence realizes that if he makes an appearance among the Barons, not a single one of them would believe us over him:

“... And – let’s be frank with one another – you lack the means to act against me. Who will you run to? Turcov? Eames? You think they can be trusted either? No; you go to the barons and tell them about Hob, before them all…and if they truly don’t want us here, we’ll leave, for where Hob goes I go too. Go to them, Sommers. At worst, they’ll consider you a dupe. At best, they’ll ask to see me. And I’ll come, and Hob will come…and they’ll understand what he can do for them. For all of us.”

Assuming Dubrik isn't completely full of shit, I doubt that our Infernalist is Rannigan. Rannigan has been incommunicado with the Camarilla since this drama began - it ain't him. That would be too obvious, anyways. No, if it is an Infernalist I see two possible suspects, Eames (she has a lot of Occult knowledge and this creature was living in her Chantry for a long time.) and Erika Schiller (she was acting very strangely when we mentioned the Cathayan crate and Castle Howard and even told us she'd kill us if we looked into it further.)

It's probably not either of them, though.

 

[laclongquan]

Make no mistakes, gentlemen, B is playing straight into Rannigan's hands.

He ask for our introduction, we give our introduction. No other interpretation.

And dont forget that he didnt approach other older, 'wiser', 'friendlier' barons but us, the 'ambitious upstart' 'schemer' who had just played right into Eames' hands. Eames golden fair-haired boy, we are being called. Not that Eames is ungood for her words, since she keep us in the loop, but make no mistake of reality, and barons' perception.

 

[SCO]

I prefer to double deal. Just tell Eames but tell Jack too. Possibly on the same moment if you use a phone/email (BCC ftw) or something. We're all allies d00dz.

I respectfully indicate (again) that we need to secure the sheriff against Eames. Include her in the BCC too.

You could make a hilarious email correspondence scene where Jack is amused that a ventrue knows what BCC is, the sheriff tries reply for all (but fortunatly you used BCC so it won't go to Eames or Jack) and Eames is all "this will be our secret for now" (that you'll BCC forward to the other two with a few )

 

[ironyuri]

I prefer to double deal. Just tell Eames but tell Jack too. Possibly on the same moment if you use a phone/email (BCC ftw) or something. We're all allies d00dz.

I respectfully indicate (again) that we need to secure the sheriff against Eames. Include her in the BCC too.

You could make a hilarious email correspondence scene where Jack is amused that a ventrue knows what BCC is, the sheriff tries reply for all (but fortunatly you used BCC so it won't go to Eames or Jack) and Eames is all "this will be our secret for now" (that you'll BCC forward to the other two with a few )

I'm struggling to figure out any of what you just said, but regardless, it made me

 

[SCO]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_carbon_copy

 

[Excidium]

I prefer to double deal. Just tell Eames but tell Jack too. Possibly on the same moment if you use a phone/email (BCC ftw) or something. We're all allies d00dz.

I respectfully indicate (again) that we need to secure the sheriff against Eames. Include her in the BCC too.

You could make a hilarious email correspondence scene where Jack is amused that a ventrue knows what BCC is, the sheriff tries reply for all (but fortunatly you used BCC so it won't go to Eames or Jack) and Eames is all "this will be our secret for now" (that you'll BCC forward to the other two with a few )

This would be great

But who's Jack? You mean the nosferatu primogen?

 

[ironyuri]

I always wondered what CC and BCC referred to. Thanks, SCO.

 

[SCO]

Yes. Isn't that his name? I know the other guy was in the baron conference, but i also know that it's usual policy of the nosferatu to have frontmen, and it's called "Jack's" warren.

 

[Esquilax]

Yes. Isn't that his name? I know the other guy was in the baron conference, but i also know that it's usual policy of the nosferatu to have frontmen, and it's called "Jack's" warren.

No, it's named after Jack the Ripper, an infamous London Nosferatu. This was mentioned a few times throughout the story so far. The Nos Primogen's name is Weep-Not Sorley.

 

[Excidium]

I might be wrong but I think the nosferatu Warrens is named 'Jack's Warren' because of the ripper.

The primogen's name is Weep-not Sorley.

edit: esquillax is faster!

Maybe it's time to get an updated character list?

 

[Esquilax]

I prefer to double deal. Just tell Eames but tell Jack too. Possibly on the same moment if you use a phone/email (BCC ftw) or something. We're all allies d00dz.

I respectfully indicate (again) that we need to secure the sheriff against Eames. Include her in the BCC too.

You could make a hilarious email correspondence scene where Jack is amused that a ventrue knows what BCC is, the sheriff tries reply for all (but fortunatly you used BCC so it won't go to Eames or Jack) and Eames is all "this will be our secret for now" (that you'll BCC forward to the other two with a few )

Don't think that's feasible. We don't have Sorley's contact info, and I suspect given this attack, a man in his position would make himself quite difficult to reach. As Dubrik told us before "If one is connected, one can be gotten to".

And a to an updated character list.

 

[laclongquan]

The conference is tomorrow, is it not? We will meet Sorley there. We have no way to contact him now.

(P) Humphrey at once. Camarilla surveillance down mean that there's potential trouble. Warn him to expect strange cases surface this night and the next. And buy/extort some government-issue IT hardwares (or contacts) from him if possible.

And do nothing. We will force our adversaries to show their hands. Continue to A.

(P) Erika after that. Report a Brujah antitribu died at Jack's Warren. She can bring that up at the council if she want (or can).

 

[grotsnik]

is Hob a reference to anything or just a random harmless name? I could think of a few, but then, there are so many...

Well, 'Old Hob' has been used in English folklore as a name for the Devil himself, relating to the more famous 'Old Nick', which may itself come from 'Saint Nick', referring to Black Peter as an infernal version of the jolly saint. The hellish name is, in fact, used in a classic TV horror about London, Quatermass and the Pit, which is set in Hobbs Lane, as well as In The Mouth of Madness (John Carpenter was a huge fan of the show's creator, even collaborating with him on the slightly awful Hallowe'en III).

But as pointed out, the name probably derives from 'hob', meaning a mischievous sprite which can bring good fortune, but also sow chaos in its wake - once allowed to stay in a household, it can be impossible to get rid of. It also relates to 'hobby horse', which was (and still is, in a few towns in the south-west counties) a ceremonial, slightly grotesque fertility costume for May Day celebrations that was supposed to bring good luck to the townspeople it visited - the horse would go around 'swallowing' pretty young women on the streets of the town, after which they're supposed to become pregnant (subtle, no?). I can't remember if it appears in The Wicker Man, but it might.

Some lovely (but almost certainly tangential) details from my folklore dictionary;

Every now and then the horse dies a magical death. The onlookers sing, slowly and sadly, of the death and absence of St George, while the horse sinks to the ground as if dying. He has gone, and the strange song, though the words have become incomprehensible by now, is clearly his dirge.

In Dunster, the horse used to be accompanied by two masked men known as Gullivers, who wore tall headdresses, and carried tongs and a whip, which they used to frighten people into free giving. A man truly ungenerous, or in some way tiresome, was liable to the penalty of booting, that is, of being bound around with the horse's rope tail, and struck anything up to ten times with a special boot carried for the purpose.

So there is plenty there, but it's ambiguous.

Maybe it's time to get an updated character list?

Christ, I'd forgotten we even had a character list. I'm on it.

 

[Orgasm]

Oh sweet, I missed an update.
AAA

Sorry, grot, but you cant write action. Your typical dry and clean, short sentence structure is killing it. I am not feeling the frantic collar grabbing extreme. And I cant suggest what would be more awesome since my reading consists almost entirely of technical shit.
Well, the constant he his he he you your your was bad.

 

[Deleted Member 10432]

(D). If it's real, it's a problem that needs clearing up sooner rather than later. If it's fake, it's a good distraction for the barons (or some of them, at least), while we get on with more important tasks.

 

[laclongquan]

And what is that, pray tell? The stabilization of Camarilla should take priority, what with both Sabbat and (maybe) strange entities eyeing us.

 

[Deleted Member 10432]

And what is that, pray tell? The stabilization of Camarilla should take priority, what with both Sabbat and (maybe) strange entities eyeing us.

Gathering more intel and/or solidifying our own position. Giving the barons the freedom to do as they please at this stage won't do much for Camarilla stability - particularly with 'Hob' in Eames' chantry. Do you honestly think she won't try and use it? Besides, this gets the barons used to being directed by the only qualified candidate for the top spot.

Oh, yeah: We should also (P) Humphrey and try to get anything we can from him on 'Hob'.

 

[Esquilax]

And what is that, pray tell? The stabilization of Camarilla should take priority, what with both Sabbat and (maybe) strange entities eyeing us.

Gathering more intel and/or solidifying our own position. Giving the barons the freedom to do as they please at this stage won't do much for Camarilla stability - particularly with 'Hob' in Eames' chantry. Do you honestly think she won't try and use it? Besides, this gets the barons used to being directed by the only qualified candidate for the top spot.

Oh, yeah: We should also (P) Humphrey and try to get anything we can from him on 'Hob'.

You do have a point. I don't see why the Camarilla being unstable is a particularly bad thing - if it weren't for the chaos of this Sabbat war and Rannigan's kidnapping, I very much doubt we'd be sitting pretty in our Barony right now. Personally, considering the assholes we have to deal with on such a regular basis, I don't care much for "Camarilla stability". If anything, causing a bit of conflict is a great way to acquire power. With the Sabbat mostly on the run and Erika on our side, I don't think we're going to face too many problems with the Sabbat that we can't deal with.

My problem with D isn't that Dubrik might be lying, in fact, I'm sure that there is an Infernalist within the Camarilla. If Dubrik is lying about something, it's probably a lie of omission and it's more clever and devious than "LOL I TOLD YOU THERE WAS AN INFERNALIST BUT THERE TOTALLY WASNT! GOTCHA!" My problem with D is that if we reveal the Bishop's info, (a) people are going to be asking where we got it from and (b) the Infernalist in question is going to know that we're on their trail and they will start covering their tracks better.

An investigation like this is best covered in secret and with the aid of the Nosferatu primogen. I think that we should shut the fuck up for now about it. We can talk to Sorley about our findings during the Baron's meeting.

This was a tough choice, I'm still not sure which one I want to take. B seems like a lot of fun.

A, I guess. We'll make our move tomorrow night with the Nosferatu primogen.

(P) Humphrey, see if he's made any breakthrough on Bishop D's address. We talk to the Nos primogen tomorrow night, and if we have an address, we can arrange for people to spy on him and see what his motives are and what he's been hiding from us.

 

[Breaking Axe]

Gonna jump in from nowhere and vote along with Esquilax. That is, I am voting A. I fully doubt that Eames is unaware of Hob's presence in her chantry, hell, it's more like than not that she's the infernalist and welcomed the thing's presence, being the leader of the Tremere and all. Respond to her message by all means, but don't confide in her any more than we've already done so. Stay quiet, and observe, there's been too much radical change of late for us to make a safe decision.

As for phone messages

Call Humphrey's, use his information network, see if he can follow Rannigan's activities. See if we can use his resources to assist in the reconstruction of the Camarilla's network to get in bed with the Nosferatu Primogen.

Call the Sheriff, ask her to track down Rannigan from Tony's place, confide in her, encourage her to join Tony's service.

Respond to Eames' call, see what she wants, don't reveal our hand.

 

[Storyfag]

Gonna jump in from nowhere and vote along with Esquilax. That is, I am voting A. I fully doubt that Eames is unaware of Hob's presence in her chantry, hell, it's more like than not that she's the infernalist and welcomed the thing's presence, being the leader of the Tremere and all. Respond to her message by all means, but don't confide in her any more than we've already done so. Stay quiet, and observe, there's been too much radical change of late for us to make a safe decision.

As for phone messages

Call Humphrey's, use his information network, see if he can follow Rannigan's activities. See if we can use his resources to assist in the reconstruction of the Camarilla's network to get in bed with the Nosferatu Primogen.

Call the Sheriff, ask her to track down Rannigan from Tony's place, confide in her, encourage her to join Tony's service.

Respond to Eames' call, see what she wants, don't reveal our hand.

That sounds like a plan! I'm flopping to A.

 

[Azael]

A sounds like the least of evil at the moment.

 

[ironyuri]

Don't know if I voted, don't know what I voted.

So whatever.

A

Not going to read arguments. If it's good enough for you my BROS it's good enough for me.

 

[Esquilax]

As for phone messages

Call Humphrey's, use his information network, see if he can follow Rannigan's activities. See if we can use his resources to assist in the reconstruction of the Camarilla's network to get in bed with the Nosferatu Primogen.

Call the Sheriff, ask her to track down Rannigan from Tony's place, confide in her, encourage her to join Tony's service.

Respond to Eames' call, see what she wants, don't reveal our hand.

Good call on Humphrey. I'm a little worried that he might be a little hesitant to provide us with aid, however. Back when he provided us with the white phosphorous to kill Angelos, he sounded a bit weary of us. I don't think we should get him to follow Rannigan - we know the guy is in the sewers, so let the Nos Primogen's people handle that, since it's their area; the distant "candlelight" we encountered during the attack on Jack's Warren will provide them with a lead.

I think Humphrey can help the Nos out more in terms of financial resources/servers to help get the information network back up again. It'll be another favour to put us in Sorley's good graces. A guy like that will go a long way in establishing our independence from Eames.

Right now, what I want from Sorley is (1) to get some of his people to see where Rannigan is lurking in the sewers, and (2) to get some eyes on Bishop Dubrik in Liverpool if Humphrey has managed to obtain the Bishop's address that we asked for waaaayyyy back. I want to know what ulterior motive he's got in sending us this info; he obviously didn't give a shit about Wilkinson, so why tell us?

I like making bold decisions, just not sure that now is the time. I think we need to find out for sure that Rannigan has become involved in some Infernalism and we need to know who led him down this rabbit hole. We know already that he had asked Eames about the Temple of Venus before, we know that she might be privy to certain rumors about Nicholas Hawksmoor seeing as she's living in the place he built, and we know that she has a great deal of knowledge about the Occult.

Of course, I don't think she's the Infernalist, but it does raise some eyebrows. If she isn't, I'm afraid that she might decide tell the other Barons about Hob.

 

[Breaking Axe]

I don't think we should get him to follow Rannigan - we know the guy is in the sewers, so let the Nos Primogen's people handle that, since it's their area; the distant "candlelight" we encountered during the attack on Jack's Warren will provide them with a lead.

You could be right there, a possible masquerade breach in the making. How about contacting Humphrey to see if he can dig up any video surveillance from where the infernalists were sacrificed, and/or putting surveillance on Eames.

I'm almost certain Eames is involved, even if she is not in fact the infernalist.