Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

[BlueSlime]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"I see. Thank you for the information, Jourdain. I will take care to find this Valerius soon enough, and will endeavor to not end up on Lord Mithras' bad side."

Vezina brought the ale to her lips once more, then set it down and pushed the drink away from her. She made a bitter face, as if to say she had sampled the brew enough and had found it to her distaste. It was not unthinkable for a woman of good breeding to disdain this sort of drink, even though in life she had not objected to the occasional fermented drought.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"You're liable to find him sooner than you might think." Jourdain says, "Did the innkeeper seem to take an unusual interest in you? If you don't mind my prying."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"I was getting the feeling that he did. Why? Did you know something about this one?" Vezina was alarmed that Jourdain had picked up on the innkeeper aggression. There must be a reason for his suspicions, and the Tzimisce dearly wanted to know about it. Safety was a high priority in these early nights. Without an established haven, she was in danger of being exposed during the day. Gyulu had warned her about such things. Once again, Vezina wished the master had allowed her to send ghouls ahead of her to secure a safe place to rest. But she supposed ghouls were in short supply, given their circumstances and he shouldn't risk his own just to make her unlife easier. She had to make her own way.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"So the seneschal will come here, or at least send his men out. Saves me the trouble of finding him," Anabelle said with a shrug, leaning back in her chair and crossing her hands behind her head.

"What brings you here my old friend? Certainly not dumping merchant bodies into wells anymore," Anabelle said, the last part hardly even a whisper.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Jourdain leans in close to Vezina and explains as quietly as he can after Vezina's revelation.

"I suppose I can offer some free advice to a traveler this once. Valerius like most Ventrue has a certain rarified taste for blood. He can only gain sustenance from young women of noble birth. This inn is owned by him and the innkeeper a ghoul, to aid him in keeping a steady supply of blood. It's doubtful this ghoul realizes that you are a Cainite but instead believes you an easy target for his master.

If I were you I might try to take advantage of this situation as it presents itself. Having the seneschal partially bound to you could be quite beneficient. I wouldn't normally give such advice for free but I enjoy watching an old rival lose."

Leaning back to his normal sitting position he again looks to the door as though looking for someone to enter before answering Anabelle.

"It's no coincidence I came to this inn, as you may have intuited. It is one of the easier ways to find Valerius in the city.

I am waiting for another new arrival to the city like yourselves. A very close...clan mate of mine who will need to receive acknowledgment. She seems to be running a little behind though."

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"I see. A regular welcoming party in this little place isn't it?" Anabelle said with a smirk, her own eyes moving to the door.

"I wonder who will arrive first?"

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"It certainly seems that way, though I'm hoping my clan mate shows up first. It would be to her advantage if I can tell her what she needs to know before Valerius shows up." He takes another false sip before smirking. "I almost wish I hadn't killed him in the first place, almost."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Vezina smirked at Jourdain's advice but merely nodded, saying nothing about how she felt about it. She couldn't trust every kindred she met, but nor could she deny that this presented a unique opportunity, if it should prove true. She know what it was to feel the pull of the blood bond. One draught was not enough to have control, but it was major safety net to not have the Seneschal wishing you ill. And if she were attacked by a foolish ghoul on her first night in a city before having the opportunity to announce herself, she would be blameless. Valerius would probably have to apologize to her, and that would be quite a scandal. It would however allow Vezina to be gracious and even keep it quiet. He would owe her a boon, and that would be worth its weight in gold to her.

On the flip side, there was a risk. Valerius might realize the mistake before drinking of her vitae. Or he might realize afterwards and have the resources to have Vezina eliminated despite the blood bond. Jourdain was also a factor. He knew of the plan, knew that Vezina was warned ahead of time, and could easily manipulate the situation to his own ends. He was already doing so just by telling her. It was dangerous.

Still, weighing the costs and benefits, Vezina decided to risk it. It might in the end amount to nothing, but it could lead to her having an early advantage in this new city - enough to start carving herself a niche.

"What is your clan then, Sir Jourdain? I have told Anabelle of my Tzimisce roots."

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Jourdain sputters in his drink and has to set it down before he looks curiously at Vezina. He seems genuinely surprised as he answers her query.

"I was unaware that the power of clan Tzimisce extended much beyond their homeland in the Balkans. The furthest I have met one of the worthy Shapers was in Constantinople, a rather powerful thaumaturge by the name of Megistias.

I myself hail from the proud Brujah, sometimes warrior sometimes philosopher though for the most part both."

Turning his head with a smirk to Anabelle he says, "I'm sure my old friend, Anabelle, would agree with that being a fitting description of myself."

Spoiler

Hey look at that it worked. Assuming Sinful thinks that was a clear enough command to understand that is. Vezina caught the accent and she is familiar with the power, so she has an inkling that Jourdain is lying about something. Anabelle didn't catch the accent so she has no idea what just happened.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Cocking an eyebrow Anabelle shrugged. "As far as I remember. I honestly forgot your clan two hours after you told me the first time. But the rest sounds about right. Though considering the old tunic you wore, I thought monk may be slightly more appropriate," she said evenly, watching the man across from her.

Spoiler

I'm honestly not sure what just happened either... so it's easy to play Anabelle that way

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Vezina caught the look and the same intonation that she had been taught by Gyulu and that she herself could achieve. Dominate. So. Not Brujah then, but wanting to be thought of as one. That's fine, Sir Jourdain. If you wish to be believed, then so you shall. I'll just tuck that ability of yours in the back of my mind.

"It's a strange age, is it not? It is true that my homeland is our traditional stronghold, but that does not mean that there are not some of us interested in travel - expanding our horizons."

She smiled. "So a Brujah. That would explain your old rivalry, I suppose." She decided to lend weight to his deception, to let him think it had been swallowed in earnest.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Monk, hospitaller, warrior-philosopher they all pretty much boil down to the same thing." Jourdain says as he carefully picks the cup back up and returns to pretending to drink it as if nothing had happened.

"There is something to be said for expanding your horizons, whether one seeks to expand their own or their clans horizons. London is a rather good choice to do so in at this time. It has a relatively low population of our kind thanks to the wars in Iberia and the Levant, making it ripe for enterprising neonates and ancillae.

I believe the rivalry has far more to do with him dying by my hammer at Hastings than the clan rivalry. I find it better to treat each Cainite by my own experiences with them and there are a few decent Ventrue out there. Though the rivalries of the various clans does shade ones expectations a bit."

Spoiler

Jourdain just used dominate on Annabelle to make her agree so she wouldn't inadvertently blow his preferred cover. Most of it was the truth so it was pretty easy to accomplish. You probably would have kept his cover without it but I'm establishing his personality and such so I did it anyways.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Dying by your hammer? I see. And he was saved from death with the Embrace of his sire so quickly on the field of battle? A curious setting for his transcendence. Were you given the Embrace soon after as well?"

Even as she made idle conversation with the false Brujah, Vezina was distracted by a growing hunger. She wanted to feed before heading to her room to await the foolish ghoul's clumsy attempt to steal away her blood. Her eyes swept the room for a well to do individual, perhaps a nobleman or even a wealthy merchant with whom she might be able to charm and coax to a more secluded space where she could use her own powers of control over the will of Kine, and then feed in peace.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"I don't believe he died immediately on the field of battle but rather laid till later in the night. His prospective sire surely would have been watching him to see if he was worthy of the embrace for some time. Seeing him wounded he had only to creep onto the field, while the gravediggers began their work. If I had only taken the time to properly use this, Valerius might be less of a pain these nights."

Jourdain muses as he pulls a long, narrow knife out of it's sheath to show Vezina.

"I met my sire shortly after that battle. My embrace did not come till a few years later, after they had the time to properly judge if I was worthy of such an honor."

There are roughly a dozen patrons scattered around the room chatting, eating, and drinking. Most of them seem to be of a noble bearing or at the very least wealthy merchants. Most of them seemed to have company though a few sat alone with their drinks or food.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Anabelle listened to the story, memories of her own battlefields returning to her once more. Living on her own for so many years, those memories were all she truly had to live with. Images of deserts so blood caked the sands were almost mud, fields of corpses with vultures picking at the flesh, ripping it from bodies in raged and messy strips.

Placing a hand to her temple, she looked at the knife, a style she'd seen enough times before.

"Leaving an enemy alive. Not like you Jourdain," she said quietly.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Jourdain slips the knife back to it's sheath and remarks. "True, but I learned much between that day and our last meeting. I assure you if I ever get the chance to provide misericorde for Valerius again he will receive it. Every thing no matter how evil or problematic it may be deserves mercy."

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Funny thing... mercy in death," Anabelle mused and looked towards the door for a moment, though her eyes seemed to be focusing on nothing.

"Yet it happens,"

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Sometimes it is, though it's more a means of keeping my sanity than anything else. I feel I'm beginning to understand why so many elders lose it and either enter torpor or end up destroyed. It's only been...around 50 years and I can already feel the weight of years."

He stares off for a moment himself before setting the cup down and standing.

"Enough with the depressing talk though, better to live in the moment. If you're staying at this inn I'll most likely be seeing you later. Take care of yourselves in the mean time."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

This talk of mercy killing was beginning to grow thin on Vezina's nerves. Mercy was a luxury and a tool to be doled out to those weaker than you, binding them to your rule. Yet these warriors mused on romantically about it. Mercy in death? Vezina did not consider herself to have died. She had merely stepped out of her former life, leaving the cocoon of mortality to inherit the majesty of the night and the power of the vitae. Mercy in change - perhaps that was something she could grow accustomed to. Besides, her sire had told her stories of spirit sight, of his mind reaching into the astral planes, where spirits roamed, and he had spoken of the Cappodocians, and how they could speak to ghosts. And if ghosts could roam this world, then how could one say that death was truly a means of escape?

Vezina said not a word of her thoughts out loud, merely smiling and nodding as Jourdain made his exit.

"Indeed, and all this talk has made me forget my own hunger. I shall see you both later, I'm sure."

Standing up she circled the room before deciding to chat up a lone noble, easing into his cups. She would feign interest in his story, whatever it may be and with enough cajoling she would ask him to get some night air with her. A simple gaze into his eyes should be sufficient to make him pliant and then she could feed from him. Safely of course - there was no need to threaten the masquerade on her first night in London and the noble would probably think he'd just had too much to drink when he woke up.

With her hunting done and out of the way, Vezina would make certain that she gave a good night call to the innkeeper before heading to her room. It would be interesting to see if the ghoul indeed came for her as Jourdain predicted.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

After Anabelle and Vezina have said their fare wells for the evening and made off on their own ways. Jourdain makes his way outside of the inn to disappear into the night possibly to hunt or maybe just to wait for his clan mate. Something tells the others they'll be seeing him again possibly even that night.

Spoiler

No problems in Vezina's hunt occur and she adds 3 BP to her blood pool. Feel free to describe as much or as little as you want of the hunt and the ensuing feeding.